Hey all! Thanks for the follows and the faves. Pretty much made my day. I had to throw a little bit of Neal in here because I'm pretty sure his reaction to his kid dressing up as Hook wouldn't quite be so calm.
We're nearing the end of this quick fic so if you have any comments or reviews, type 'em up!
Once again, disclaimer.
Chapter 3 of Hallow's Eve: It's a Pirate's Life for Me
"Did you know our son is dressing up as Captain Hook for the Festival?"
Emma calmly took a sip of her coffee as she flipped the page of the newspaper she was reading, not bothering to compromise the quiet of her morning to be interrogated by Neal. He should know better, he actually did know better, than to try and start a conversation this early in the morning with her; at least not until she was done with her first cup of coffee. So she ignored him and continued reading about the grand opening of the newly renovated library, setting the mug on the bar with her hand still wrapped around it just because the warmth felt good compared to the brisk breeze that filtered through the door every time someone came into the diner.
"Emma? Did you hear me?"
She continued to ignore him with the childlike reasoning that if she just ignored him, he would eventually get bored and go away. However, this was Neal and she should have expected him to do something to capture her attention, especially when it came to Henry.
His fist banged on the bar next to her and she winced when her coffee sloshed over the edge of the mug and burned her hand.
"Dammit, Neal!" she growled as she pulled her hand to her chest and grabbed a napkin to wipe herself with. When she was dry enough she narrowed her eyes up at him realizing that the rest of the morning crowd was looking at them with alarmed expressions on their faces, their own lively chatter dying down a bit.
"Can we talk about this later? I'm still waking up," she finally hissed and whipped up the newspaper between them, effectively blocking him from view. He must have got the picture because conversation slowly picked up around her once again before his little outburst and her shouting. She relaxed slightly, releasing some of the built up tension from the confrontation, or lack of one, from her body.
"Are you ready yet?"
"Oh my god," she mumbled as she brought the paper down revealing Neal leaning against the counter next to her with a shit eating grin across his face. "Seriously is it that big a deal? Kids dress up as pirates all the time."
"I know but this is Hook. You know, the man who murdered and pillaged and plays people like a fine fiddle to get what he wants."
"Yeah, and who also saved Henry. He's not the same guy you know and after everything Hook went through to get us all back home it makes sense that the kid would idolize him," Emma pointed out and Neal eventually nodded his head in slow acceptance as he realized from Henry's point of view, the pirate was a hero.
"So unless you want to crush the kid's fun and hard work, Henry's going as Captain Hook to the Festival tonight," she finished biting back the urge to end her statement with "get over it".
"So then what are you going to the Festival as? A parrot, Smee, a wench?"
"I'm not going as anything and nice touch with the wench right there. I'm beginning to see why I once was so in love with you all those years ago."
Neal recovered from her jab before asking the question Emma was asking herself. "Henry's letting you get away with not wearing a costume?"
"Henry hasn't asked yet because he's been so caught up with his own costume," she answered as she slid off of the stool, accepting that while she sat here in the public Neal was going to pester her till the cows came home. "Now if you're done being a pompous ass, I'm going to work. I have nothing left to say here."
She lay a wad of dollars on the bar to pay for her drink and as a tip for Ruby before sliding on her jacket. She tossed Neal a look she was hoping was as lofty as she felt and headed for the door, feeling irritated enough to punch something. She stomped across the street to her office, aggravated that the man would be so petty as to bring something of little consequence up. It was just a costume.
The word costume brought to mind the other point he had raised and she let out a low breath as she thought of how she was going to tell her son she hadn't picked up a costume for herself. She could already see the disappointment and her heart pitched at the thought. She contemplated running down the street to see if one of the stores had anything she'd be willing to wear but her plan was cut off when Leroy came bounding toward her, his stride intent and his face set in a scowl.
Never mind, she thought as she pushed the issue of being costumeless to the back of her mind so she could deal with the task that was surely at hand. She'd have to deal with Henry's bout of disappointment later.
Henry ran up the stairs to the loft, excitement playing across his face as he barged into the apartment causing Emma to nearly jump out of her seat in the sitting room.
"Mom! Do you have a costume?"
"Uh, well, no," she stammered as an apologetic look crossed her face. "Sorry kid."
"No, that's perfect! I got you one."
She raised a brow and then eyed the parcel he carried in his arms, her eyes lighting on the sword that lay over the top.
"Henry! Did you seriously run with a sword just lying there like that?"
She was across the room in seconds, relieving his arms of the package while fixing him with a concerned look.
"What if something happened and you hurt yourself?"
"But that didn't happen so no need to worry about what could have happened," Henry argued, sidestepping the point as he pushed Emma toward her room. "C'mon just get dressed. We don't have a lot of time."
They both heard footsteps just then and they both turned in time to see David and Mary-Margaret exit their bedroom. Emma felt her jaw slack at the sight of Mary-Margaret in a bee costume while David wore a hat that resembled a bird.
"What in the world are you two dressed as?" Emma asked as she looked from one to the other with a skeptical glance that did nothing to deflate the enthusiastic Mary-Margaret.
"We're the birds and the bees! Get it?"
Emma looked over to David who just shrugged his shoulders at her before shooting Mary-Margaret a look that spoke of nothing short of love and devotion. She had been uncomfortable with their lovey doviness at first but after several weeks of their all living together, she got used to it. She knew the costume was Mary-Margaret's idea, hands down, but she knew that there wasn't anything David wouldn't do to make her mother happy; even if it meant wearing something ridiculous like that hat.
"So what are you going as?" Mary-Margaret asked, her eyes affixed on the package in Emma's hands as a curious expression crossed her face.
"Um, I don't know yet. Henry's taking care of me."
"Well, go hurry up. We can all leave together if you want."
"Yeah, Mom! Get going."
Emma was shoved into her room and she turned in time to see Henry shut the door in her face before she heard him running up the stairs to his room to go change as well. She let out a sigh as she stepped toward the bed and dropped the parcel on her comforter, ripping through the paper as a million questions ran through her mind.
She furrowed her brow when she saw the pants, loose blouse and bustier, lifting the clothing up piece by piece to examine them. It was rather pirate-ish and she let out a sigh when she realized that was Henry's intent all along. He must have enrolled Hook's help in this as well and while part of her wanted to throw the clothing in a pile and burn it, the other half thought it rather cute that her son wanted her to match with him.
Willing herself not to imagine the innuendos that Hook would more than likely be whispering in her ear at the sight of her in pirate garb, a fantasy he'd made rather clear back in Neverland, she proceeded to change into the clothing.
"That is if he's talking to me at all," she muttered and she didn't know why but the idea of him not speaking to her bothered her on some level. She didn't allow her mind to dwell on it, however, when she heard Henry bounding down the stairs outside her door.
"Mom?"
"Almost ready!"
She finished tying up the bustier and grabbed a pair of boots from her closet that were comfortable but did the costume justice. She glanced at herself in the mirror and felt a bit of shock ripple through her body at her appearance. If anyone had told her she could pull off the pirate look she would have skewered them with a look but she had to admit the clothes looked as if they were made for her. A devilish grin waxed across her lips and she turned sideways, examining her reflection with appreciation.
"Mom! Seriously!"
She strode across her room and opened the door to reveal Henry standing just outside her door. His appearance made her halt for a second as she took in the black leather overcoat that looked amazingly very much like Hook's and the rest of his outfit from the black vest, leather pants, boots and hook that the Captain himself had made at the blacksmith's for the boy.
"I have to say, kid, you look pretty cool," she said as she smiled at the guyliner around his eyes, feeling that Hook himself would appreciate the mini replica of himself.
"So do you! Now can we go?"
Emma smiled at his eagerness and followed him to the sitting room where Mary-Margaret and David stood at the door waiting for them. At the sight of both of them they let out low whistles and Mary-Margaret glanced up at David.
"Don't freak out but I believe our house is being pillaged," she joked, her eyes twinkling at Emma and her grandson.
"Yeah, it's a pirate's life for me," Emma smirked as leatherclad Henry stepped between her two parents for the door. "We better get going before he loses it."
David switched off the kitchen light and allowed the ladies to proceed him to the stairs Henry was already running down.
"You look like you belong in those clothes," Mary-Margaret whispered to Emma and Emma gave her a lopsided smile.
If she was being honest with herself, she liked the clothing as well and she smiled as her mind recalled those few times Hook told her she'd make a hell of a pirate the first time being at the top of the beanstalk. The compliment had been repeated many times on the island when they'd fought with the Lost Ones and the sirens as well as several times on their voyage back to Storybrooke when he'd taught her all he knew at the helm, claiming she was a natural.
She followed Henry out the door into the brisk cold where several others clad in costumes passed them by on their way to main street. Having just thought of the pirate she wondered if he was going to be present that evening and despite her meeting with him the night previous and how she had basically ran away from him, she hoped he was.