A/N: This chapter includes only Wish Hook, Alice and her dæmon.
Since we were never told how/when newborn babies get their dæmons, I decided to improvise on that and make it so that they appear at the moment someone names them :)
"Alice," Killian says, a warmth he's never felt before filling his heart. He's expecting the flash of light, but he still blinks at it. When he opens his eyes again, a small, red butterfly is sitting on top of Alice's chest, right above her heart.
"Hey there, little fella," Killian says, and the butterfly beats his wings, expertly taking his first flight. He hovers in front of Killian, facing him.
Killian's smile turns sad, and he glances at Alice before turning back to her dæmon. "I've never wished Esther was here more. She would have been the one to name you," he says. "Alas, I think in this case it'll be your human's choice."
At that moment, the dæmon flies a little closer to Killian, then his wings change into a bright blue colour, one reminding him of his own eyes.
"Exploring the world now, are we?" Killian says with a smile. Alice coos in his arms, and he turns his attention to her. It's too late when he sees with the corner of his eye that the dæmon is flying too far from her-
"No, wait!" he says right as Alice emits a piercing cry. The butterfly sways in his flight, but rushes back to her, Killian moving her closer. He turns into a tiny mouse and nuzzles against her neck.
"You shouldn't get too far from her," Killian says. Alice stops crying, but her face betrays her leftover pain.
Great. A few hours into being a father and he already failed to protect her from that pain. He might as well touch her dæmon while he's at it. Killian sighs, trying to bury his dark thoughts about his own dæmon far away. He rocks Alice slowly, careful to not touch the sleeping dæmon.
Killian sits on the windowsill, his flask in his hand, looking at his sleeping daughter in her crib.
Bloody hell, a daughter... He already feels he could move mountains for her, but now it raises another question.
How is he going to move on without his Esther?
He never expected to survive after getting his revenge on Rumpelstiltskin - having lost everyone that mattered to him, even his own dæmon, had solidified his reluctance to live long ago. But now he had to live, to survive, for his daughter's sake. He will grow old, watching her grow up with her dæmon by her side, keeping her company, talking to her, being with her in a way no-one else can.
He's not jealous. He's just sad. Eventually she'll start asking why he doesn't have one and where she went.
Tears prickle his eyes and he leans his head against the wall, breathing in sharply. He raises the flask to his lips, but stops as soon as it touches them.
He can't afford to get drunk now. Alice will wake up soon in need to be fed. And that'll be his life for days, weeks, months to come.
Without giving it a second thought, he turns the flask upside down over the window, spilling its contents outside, before he throws the flask itself out.
Adieu sweet lovely Nancy
Ten thousand times adieu
I'm going across the ocean love
To seek for something new
He rocks Alice, clumsily sitting on his foot, as he sings. He's found it helps them both relax and keep her especially still while he plays chess on his own. She's merely transfixed on his hand as it moves up and down the chessboard.
Come change your ring with me dear girl
Come change your ring with me
That it might be a token of true love
When I am out at sea
Her dæmon, still unnamed, to Killian's chagrin, has turned into a mouse and sits on the table, next to the chessboard, watching Killian's moves as well.
"Ah," Killian says, interrupting his singing, "first one to go down." He picks up the black rook and puts it down at the side. Immediately Alice's dæmon goes for it and clumsily picks it up, offering it to Alice's outstretched hands.
"Ah, my curious girl," Killian says as Alice inspects the piece. Alice stares at it, then up at him. "Rook," Killian says, pointing at it.
"'ook", Alice mumbles.
"Yes, love, rook."
Alice turns to her dæmon, then points at him with the chess piece. "'ook! 'ook!" she exclaims.
"Rook? Your dæmon?" Killian asks, pointing to him.
Alice giggles and flashes him a three-toothed smile, her way of saying 'Yes'.
"Rook then?" Killian turns to the dæmon, smiling. "Hello, Rook."
Rook turns into a kitten and meows before leaping to Alice's arms, still holding the chess piece in her hand.
Killian sighs, feeling a huge weight lift from his shoulders. His little girl's dæmon now has a name, and he couldn't be more proud.
Rook is turning out to be as curious as Alice is. As soon as Alice starts mumbling more words, Killian finds books with illustrations of animals and buys them to read to her.
He shows her the pictures, says the animal's name, Alice repeats it - in various levels of fluency - then Rook assumes its form, learning that he can't turn into very big animals.
One day, Killian brings in a glass bowl and a book with illustrations of sea creatures. He fills the bowl with water, then brings Alice and Rook to sit beside him.
"Frog," Killian says.
"Fffog," Alice repeats, and Rook turns into one.
Killian smiles and points at the glass bowl. "Get in," he tells Rook. Rook follows, and after the initial shock, he starts swimming around. Alice giggles enthusiastically and Killian smiles at her new experience.
"Now," he says. "Let's see fish and animals of the sea."
They start with small fish, with Killian deliberately skipping the bigger ones. Alice puts her hand inside the bowl and feels the different skins against her hand. The book isn't coloured, so Rook morphs into fish with bright, lively colours Killian has never seen in his unnaturally long life. But it entertains both Alice and Rook so he doesn't care enough to correct them.
Alice becomes transfixed at the drawing of a starfish. She points at it as she turns to Killian.
"'tar," she says.
"Yes, it's shaped like a star. So it's called 'starfish'". They both turn to the glass bowl, seeing Rook turn into a starfish at the bottom. Alice giggles and plays with Rook's feet.
"'tafi! 'tafi!" she says happily.
"Yes, starfish," Killian says and winces. It's way too early for Rook to settle, but he hopes he won't settle into a marine animal. Even he, with his love for the sea, knows how hard it is for the few people whose dæmons settle into those.
"More! More!" Alice says and turns back to the book.
"Dolphin," Killian says.
"Dophi," Alice says, and Killian realizes his mistake too late.
"No!" he says and moves away, but it's too late. Rook changes into a dolphin, a small one but still big enough to break the bowl in pieces and splash water everywhere. Alice starts crying.
"Bloody hell," Killian says as he looks at Rook, mere inches away from touching him accidentally.
"Ouch!" Alice says between her cries, and Rook changes into a kitten, burrowing in Alice's neck. It's then that Killian sees blood on her leg.
Panic takes over him and he scoops her up, away from the glass shards. He looks at her injury - it's a small piece of glass but she's small herself - and even though it doesn't look to have gone too deep, there's blood and Killian finds himself in a shock.
"Shh, shh," he coos at her, putting her down on the table and trying to assess the damage. What if it was a bigger piece of glass? What if it got stuck somewhere more crucial?
Eventually, the wound seems only superficial, as Killian easily takes out the shard and sees that only a tiny piece of it had hurt her. Alice is still crying, however, and Killian can't stop blaming himself.
He was an idiot. The bowl was too small! Why didn't he think it through?
"I'm sorry, love, I'm so sorry," he says as he picks her up, carefully, in order to go get some bandages. Rook turns into a hummingbird and flies around them. Alice has calmed down a little, now only leftover sobs sounding from her.
"There. You're gonna be alright, aye?" he says, putting her back down on the table again and wrapping the bandage around her leg. Rook turns back into a kitten and nuzzles against Alice for comfort.
"'tarfi," Alice says softly.
"Yes. Starfish yes. No dolphin." He looks at her emphatically.
"tarfi," Alice says again, and Rook turns into one despite not being in the water.
"No, no. In water," Killian says, but Alice only picks him up and stares. Killian looks at her warily, but at her first choke Rook turns back into a kitten.
"Starfish in water," Killian says as Alice turns to him.
"Cat," Alice says, petting Rook's fur.
"Cat yes," Killian says and smiles. It pains him, that the only way she can learn about any animal is through books. As he was roaming a lot as a child, he remembers seeing in the flesh many different animals, and Esther trying to take their form. Alice may have her Rook, but her experiences are so limited it makes him almost mad with the want to free her.
He will. One day. But for now, they both need him before Rook learns which forms he can safely take.