A/N As usual, I love you all.

Emma wakes up and remembers what she's done, Killian's living with them, Henry is understanding, Snow and Charming are trying to ignore the proverbial elephant in the room (the fact that their daughter killed someone), Neal's scared shitless of his ex-girlfriend, Henry hasn't met his Dad, Killian's trying to dig the old Emma out as she deals with her self-loathing.

And so the chapter goes…

Chapter 30: Precaution

Thoughts came in and out of focus; it was like trying to look at something through a filter. Images and memories swirled around in a great pool of nothingness, like sand slipping through desperate fingers. A man writhing in agony before her, a remorseless feeling of dust between fingers, a scared little boy begging for his mother, a repentant man flush with a wall trying to explain, a pirate bleeding.

Feelings of regret, grief, sadness, disappointment, gratitude mixed and combined. The smell of rain, the sound of agonised cries and desperate pleas, the feel of dust and dirt and leather clutched between slim fingers, the taste of salty tears making tracks down pale cheeks.

Her mind started to clear, the ideas and recollections forming a solid base. She felt the sun on her face and the warmth of the quilt covering her and her eyelids fluttered slightly. From the bed, she could hear the faint tinkling of plates and cups as they were washed and dried.

For a moment, she forgot what had happened and simply felt bliss at the idea of waking up to a family breakfast. But it was only a moment and then she felt the space crawl in on her.

Emma sat up abruptly, her eyes opening wide as she remembered everything. Her breathing felt slightly laboured and she controlled the urge to cry out, apparently waking up had caused enough noise to alert whoever was currently looking after her.

She watched as her door cracked open and Henry's kind face peeked in. Upon seeing his mother awake, the young boy threw the door open and ran at her. He jumped lithely onto the bed and hugged his mother, tightening his grip in one quick squeeze before letting go and sitting on the side.

"Hey Mom," he said, apparently oblivious to the shock and horror on her face. How was he even allowed to be near her? Shouldn't Regina have him locked away somewhere she couldn't hurt him, or better yet shouldn't she be locked away. She killed someone.

"Henry… what are you doing here?" Emma asked softly, her voice was croaky and hoarse. Her son smiled lightly, putting his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Mom, I'm here to help. And I'm here because I love you," he replied and her dank mood brightened only minutely. She managed a slight smile.

"Is Mary Margaret and David here? I heard dishes being cleaned," Emma said, looking over Henry's shoulder to the doorway, expecting to see her parents peaking in. There was no one there though, and yet she swore she could hear someone in the living room. The young boy looked down at his hands and bit his lip.

"Not quite…"

"Who's here then? Regina wouldn't leave you alone with me after… um…"

How could she even recite what she'd done? You killed a man; a deep dark voice reminded her. Henry put his hand over hers in a sign of affection, smiling at his mother compassionately.

"She didn't leave him alone."

Emma's head snapped up at the gravelly voice, the faint Irish accent tipping her off before her eyes scanned his figure. Killian was leaning against the doorframe, a tea towel draped over his hook. Shock was soon replaced with embarrassment; she vividly remembered sobbing into his chest after having attacked him with magic. And yet here he was. The gash on his cheek was healing and she couldn't see the one on his chest but assumed that it was bandaged up too. Her eyes scrutinised his silhouette and eventually met his gaze.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked as Henry stood from the bed.

"He's staying for a while to help out," her son said brightly, smiling at the pirate. He returned the smile with a smirk and returned to drinking in the blonde's image.

"What?"

"Your parents were the ones who suggested it, so don't bludgeon me, love," Killian said, the familiar glint of wit in his eyes.

"Henry, can I talk to Killian for a minute?" she said, maintaining eye contact with the pirate. Henry smiled and nodded, walking briskly from the room and shutting the door on his way out. Killian stepped further into the room, sitting on the end of Emma's bed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, more insistent than before.

"Check if I'm lying. Your parents were the ones who asked me to reside with you for a short time until you are well," he replied, staring into her eyes intently. She dropped her gaze, resigning to believe him as she shook her head in confusion.

"Why would they do that?"

She looked back up when he didn't reply. He was looking out the window, trying to find the words to explain. Studying the planes of his face, images of the day before flashed in her mind's eye. He shrugged noncommittally.

"I honestly don't know," he said, not meeting her eyes. She knew it was a lie but it wasn't a subject she wanted to pursue. Emma pushed down the covers and swung her legs around to the edge of the bed. She was still in the clothes she had worn the day before and the need to change was overwhelming. It was as though the clothes were suddenly acidic, saturated with the result of her actions from the day before.

"I'm going to have a shower," she said, standing up and stripping off her jacket.

"Are you offering I join you?" Killian asked suavely, the trademark smirk plastered across his face. You would think that since she had gone through a mental breakdown the day before he might be less… him. But it was Killian and he wasn't the type to tone down his behaviour, even for her. It was why she liked having him around. It was why she wasn't protesting his moving in.

"In your dreams," Emma retorted good-naturedly, giving him a wry look before making her way into the bathroom. She didn't hear his next words.

"Oh, you have no idea."

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That same day, her parents visited briefly. They weren't overbearing in their usual way; trying to compensate for the lost years. In fact, they were normal. It would have been a nice change had it not been caused by Emma practically going off the deep end. She questioned their allowing Killian to stay but her mother's answers were vague, her father choosing not to even try and form a suitable reply. It confused the hell out of the blonde.

The subject of her homicide was left untouched, it was like they were tip-toeing around her the entire conversation. By the end of the visit she felt thoroughly aggravated – she was being treated like a weakling and that was a label Emma would never sit well with. As they closed the door and exited, she sighed heavily and dropped down onto the couch.

Henry was at Granny's with Regina for an hour, leaving her and Killian alone in the house. The aforementioned pirate suddenly sauntered into the room, scanning for Emma and smiling when he saw her flayed across the lounge-chair.

"Tired, love?" he asked, walking around to stare at her amusedly.

"You have no idea," she replied and draped her arm across her eyes dramatically.

"Don't be melodramatic, they're just worried that they're going to hit a nerve," Killian replied, defending her parents' actions. Emma pulled her arm back, sitting up so she was seated properly on the couch.

"And you're not?" she said, raising a brow. He smirked, sitting down next to her on the loveseat.

"You see Emma; I know how much that beating around the bush pisses you off. It's also not in my nature to alter my personality based on the emotions of others – it's why you enjoy my presence so much." Emma smirked at his words for a moment before her face returned to the neutral expression she'd been keeping ever since waking up that morning. It felt wrong to be happy after everything she'd done.

Silence settled over the room and Killian stared at her curiously, trying to discern her current state of mind. He decided it was stable enough and stood up to try and divert her attention from the guilt that was obviously attacking her thoughts.

"Your lad taught me how to cook microwave meals," he said, walking confidently to the fridge and opening it for inspection, "would you like pizza pockets or chicken nuggets?" He was overtly proud of his abilities in the kitchen. Emma would have laughed had she not been drowning in her own thoughts of remorse.

"Emma?" Killian asked when she didn't answer. Finally, her head turned half-way and she shrugged.

"I'm not fussed, whatever you want."

He shook his head slightly; he could tell she was still thinking about the day before. She would have to talk to someone about it sooner or later; you couldn't bottle up that sort of emotion with repercussions. It was what had led to her nearly killing Neal. Pulling out two microwave dinners, irrespective of what they were, Killian placed them in the machine Henry had indicated and pressed the appropriate buttons.

As he pulled away from the kitchen bench, the apartment door opened and Emma's son entered. He smiled at the pirate before moving to the couch next to his Mom.

"Hey, how was Granny's?" Emma asked, perking up ever so slightly as she pulled the small boy closer to her.

"It was good, I had a hot chocolate and lasagne," he replied, eager to relay the events of the afternoon. Killian listened with amusement as Henry told his mother about Grace entering and joining them for the late lunch. He was obviously smitten with the young lass. He talked about how they were planning to build a tree house and how Regina had said she would help. It sounded like a pleasant afternoon.

The smell of smoke alerted all three individuals to the microwave.

"What's that smell?" Henry asked, looking around. Killian suddenly remembered the meals he had placed in the magic box and turned around. Smoke was coming from it and as he opened it, the smell of burnt chicken attacked his nostrils. He immediately tried to blow the smoke away and the young boy laughed, jumping up and running to assist the pirate.

"Sorry lass, I think dinner might be a bit late tonight," he said to Emma and she shrugged.

"I'm not really hungry." Standing up, she walked to her bedroom door turning around to speak to the two males in her kitchen.

"I'm really tired still… I'm going to bed," she said and Henry ran to give her a quick hug and a kiss. Killian gave her a small salute and she nodded in his direction before retreating to her bedroom. As the door closed, the young lad moved back to the kitchen where the pirate was still staring at the door.

"She'll come around, she just needs time," he said and Killian smirked at him. This kid was way too wise for his age.

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The next day when her parents visited, there was no change in her demeanour; she was still distant, often staring into nothingness as she thought. As they entered, watching her clean away the remnants of breakfast, she smiled half-heartedly at them. Killian was next to her, assisting her dry and place the dishes. It was oddly humorous to see the pirate captain in such a domestic scene. Henry was on the couch, watching television contently, and looked up at his grandparents' arrival.

"Good Morning, what was for breakfast?" Mary Margaret said conversationally, sitting at the table.

"Pancakes – Henry's choice," Emma explained faux enthusiastically. She sounded more exasperated than excited. David looked between her and the pirate, eyes narrowed. He shook his head, resigning to sit next to Henry on the couch; he still didn't understand why the pirate had to stay with her. He could do just as much mediation from his ship with a webcam as he could living there. That probably wasn't true, but the prince was still begrudged to have a grown man in the same apartment as his daughter. It was a natural reflex.

"Sounds nice…" Mary Margaret said, her voice dropping off from lack of things to say. Emma nodded in agreement. David and Henry stopped discussing the movie on the TV and tuned into the conversation.

Emma spoke up as the silence grew too thick, "Is Neal okay?" It wasn't that she particularly cared about him, but he was still Henry's father and since the young boy now knew of his existence, it was important he stick around. She could still remember the look of his face filled with fear and panic as she whispered her threats and grievances. It made her cringe.

Henry stood up and walked to the counter, sitting on the stool and listening for the answer intently. He already knew that his Mom had nearly killed the man; adults spoke incredibly loud when they thought nobody was listening.

David and Mary Margaret shared a long glance.

"What is it?" Emma asked, alarmed at their refusal to answer. She was sure she hadn't killed him.

"He's still at Granny's but… he tried to leave this morning. Bailey and David stopped him but he's pretty keen on getting out of here," Mary Margaret said.

Hot anger burned in the saviour. How dare he? After all the shit he stirred, demanding to be in Henry's life, and he was ready to leave after one measly encounter with her. Any person that truly loved their child would have gone to any measures to ensure their safety. If anything he should have wanted to stay here more after what happened with Emma – to protect Henry.

Everyone seemed to notice her change in demeanour and Killian was suddenly by her side, appendage resting on the small of her back.

"Calm down, love."

The languid fury subsided briefly and she took a deep breath.

"So he's still here?" Emma reiterated and her parents nodded, "What about Bailey?" She turned to Killian with this question. She remembered the reason that Gold had attacked the pirate, how his son had found out that his mother's death wasn't as black and white as the Dark One had painted it. The pirate tensed slightly at the subject but focused to give her a plausible answer.

"I haven't spoken to him or seen him, so I honestly have no idea," he said.

"He's staying with Neal at Granny's and I'm pretty sure he hasn't spoken to Gold yet," David interrupted, relaying the information he knew.

"Hey Mom?" Henry asked, looking at Emma.

"Yeah, kid?" she replied, trying to portray warmth even though she felt icy cold towards the man.

"When… um, when do you think I can meet… my Dad?" he asked tentatively, looking up at her and down to the bench several times. Everyone waited for the answer with bated breath – was it too soon to be dredging up the subject of the boy's birthfather? When would she consider seeing the man she'd nearly killed, let alone leaving the apartment? It was a question nobody but Henry really could ask; the events had only happened two days earlier.

"How about today?" Emma replied abruptly and everyone stopped to look at her.

"Honey, are you sure that's the first thing you want to do?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yes. Henry needs to meet his father and I need to talk to him – what's the difference between today and tomorrow?" she replied and Henry raised his eyebrows as if to ask if she was sure. Her parents shared another glance. This whole silent communication thing between them had never really made sense to her. Somehow – through telepathy of some kind – they conveyed an agreement and nodded at each other.

"Okay," said David, "but Killian needs to go with you." Emma raised a brow at her father bemusedly. Since when did he start giving orders, more importantly since when did she start following them? Even if she'd nearly gone on a rampage, it didn't make their approval suddenly necessary.

"Sorry, what?" her scowl wasn't so much angry as irritated. The pirate beside her bit his lip, letting the Charming's sort this one out. David nodded towards Killian again.

"He's going with you. He doesn't have to be in the room… he just has to be there," he said and Emma tried desperately to remind herself that it was because he wanted to keep her safe and sane. She ignored the subtle waves of annoyance and nodded curtly. It was just a precaution so they knew she wouldn't kill him. And Killian was the precaution.

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The three of them walked towards Granny's Bed and Breakfast at a leisurely pace. Henry stayed at the same pace as Emma and Killian, his nervous mood putting a damper in his usual enthusiasm. Even if Neal was the epitome of a bad father figure, he was still someone Henry needed to meet. And that made it vital that she remain civil in the oncoming exchange. Killian kept shooting glances at the saviour, concern obvious beneath the façade of arrogance.

"Don't kill anyone today, darling," he said quietly, so only she could hear. It was the sort of joke that anybody else would restrain; anybody else would be afraid of setting her off. But not this pirate, and in a way that was more comforting than anything else. He wouldn't treat her differently because of this, he would still be the son of a bastard she knew him to be.

Surprising the both of them, she cracked a mischievous smile in his direction.

"Don't tempt me," she retorted and followed her son into the hotel. Killian shook his head, pursing his lips at the old personality he was besotted with. Emma Swan was there, underneath all the guilt and pain – he just had to dig her out.

They reached the door to his room and she knocked thrice, a huge contrast to the last time she'd been at this door. The signs of a broken door were still visible; scratches on the frame and a scorch mark in the centre of the wooden build itself. Sounds within the room alerted them to a person walking towards the door. The person paused, obviously looking through the peephole, before opening the door hesitantly.

Next time: Henry meets Neal, Killian and Emma have a moment (not while they're alone but still a moment) and there may or may not be a green eyed monster on Neal's back when he sees our favourite pirate with our reformed swan. I'm loving the reviews and I hope you guys liked Domestic!Hook in this, there will be more to come (and maybe a kiss if you're all good shippers).