He would feel those tonight, the knobby knee currently in his jaw, and the elbow in his ribs. As the two young boys favorite playmate, he'd grown accustomed to being their jungle gym and occasional torture victim, but never minded.
The perfect house they'd found, complete with picket fence and tree house, also came supplied with the perfect next door neighbors, couples about their own age with sons younger than their own. Emma was inside with the adults, and as soon as both families had shown up for a barbecue lunch, David and Snow's six year old, Leo, started begging Killian to play soccer with him. Killian knew right from the start he'd give in, and only protested in jest to tease the boy. As soon as Roland, the eight year old son of Regina and Robin joined in, Killian caved, and headed into the leaf covered grass, and called up to Henry and Liam.
"Lads, you'll need to come down from there for food. Your mother and I will not be providing delivery service."
"We will." He could hear the eye roll in the tone of Liam's voice. The boys had spent more time in their tree house in the past year, plotting and scheming and up to he didn't even want to know what, than they did in the main house. Not that he was complaining. The amount of peace and quiet the lads' retreat was affording him and his wife was not going to waste.
The soccer game started innocently enough, but he knew Liam and Henry could only resist the fun for so long. The teenagers, who usually tried so hard to maintain their too cool personas, were drawn into the game as soon as they heard Killian, Leo, and Roland running around shouting. The younger boys were now truly in heaven, with all three of their idols playing with them all at once. Liam and Henry were so good natured with the boys, having quickly adopted them as surrogate younger brothers upon their arrival to the neighborhood. As payment for their attention, the younger boys worshipped the older, and followed them around as though they were their shadows. Now that his brother and step-son had joined the game, Killian knew he was in trouble. Well able to fend off Leo and Roland, he couldn't sustain repeated attacks from Liam and Henry, and soon found himself at the bottom of a dog pile while four boys laughed in absolute glee.
He cried "uncle" extricating himself from the pile as best he could, tickling the younger boys and sending them running. Knowing the Roland and Leo would be well watched over now that Liam and Henry had descended from the tree, he returned to the adults inside the house.
As soon as he set foot inside, Snow jumped up as though she couldn't contain herself any longer. Their perky neighbor, never one to bring a conversation down, was even more excited than usual.
"I'm so glad we're all here. We have some news we wanted you all to hear at the same time." The smile on her face was only growing wider as she spoke. "David and I are having another baby!" David wasn't expecting her to blurt it out so suddenly, but as soon as the words left her mouth he reached over to put her hand on her stomach and he laughed at his wife's inability to contain her excitement. "As you can tell, we're pretty happy about this news. I'm surprised she hadn't blurt it out already."
Killian looked at his friends, trying to hide his small pang of jealousy. He'd never brought up a baby to Emma, but he was going to have to soon. Spending time with Leo and Roland, and watching them grow up was making him realize he missed seeing Henry and Liam through their childhoods, and want a child to guide through those years. He loved his teenagers, but couldn't deny he wanted a baby of his and Emma's that they would share through everything.
Not one to let his feelings dampen the mood, he immediately stood up to congratulate them. "Excellent news, mate" he said as he slapped David on the back and turned to Snow with arms open for a hug. "Snow, we already know you're an amazing mum. You'll have another very lucky child. I couldn't be happier for you two."
"Emma?"
He watched from the bed as she brushed out her hair in the mirror above her dresser, the glass showing him both their faces as she answered.
"Yeah?"
"What would you think about us having a child?"
He didn't miss the slight turn of her lip and the glint in her eyes as the rest of her face remained unchanged.
"The two we've got don't drive you crazy enough?" She asked with a joking smile.
"Emma." The tone of his voice implored her to take this seriously.
She crossed the room and climbed into bed with him, settling herself into the crook of his shoulder as he winced at the reminder of Roland's elbow in his side.
"You really want another kid, Killian?"
He looked over at the dresser again, this time to reflect on the framed pictures of their family. Over the year the photos had multiplied until the surface was almost completely covered with them. They ranged from images of just him and Emma to ones of all of the family together. He spied in the sea of frames the one Liam pulled out of the elder Liam, Killian and Brennan, and thought about how far he'd come. Family was family, and he'd learned to focus on the good times rather than the bad.
"Yes, love. I want another child. One I can watch grow up. I love our boys with all my heart, but I missed so much, Emma. You at least got to see Henry through all of it. I want the chance to be there from the beginning, and with you."
He understood her pause. This was their first discussion of the matter in all their time together, and he had no idea how she would take it.
"What about adoption? Would you consider adopting a kid?"
Her question took him by surprise, not ready for Emma to have any answer so quickly.
"I have actually, love. I've always thought if we were to adopt we'd adopt an older child, one who hadn't been able to find a home."
She propped herself up on her elbow with a smile on her face that he understood completely. Emma, left to foster families her entire life, would have loved being adopted into their family, and loved the man who so easily accepted her desire to adopt.
"Okay," she said as she pulled his hand over to her stomach. "Maybe when this one gets a bit older and we send the boys off to college we'll adopt too."
It took him a beat to catch up to the meaning of her words.
"Wait, Emma. Do you mean…"
"Yes, Killian."
"We're going to have a child?"
"Yes, Killian."
Forgetting his bruises, he gathered his wife back up into his arms, expressing in every way possible, how happy her news had made him.
"Killian, I think the boys are up."
"Mmm. There's no way. They'd sleep until two if we'd let them." Usually the first one up in the house, Killian was slightly groggy, but listened, and winced as he heard something shatter.
"Could you please, please go see what that was?"
"As you wish, my love." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and was half out of bed, ready to ensure the boys cleaned up whatever mess they'd created.
As he entered the kitchen, it was nowhere near as bad as he feared. A coffee mug was the only casualty of the boys' culinary endeavors, a full breakfast laid out on the table. Killian's eyes panned over the eggs, bacon, and full spread of sides the boys had pulled together with pride.
"Lads, what's this for?"
"We wanted to cook breakfast for you and Emma."
"And what's the occasion?"
The boys looked at each other silently agreed on something before answering.
"We'll say Mom gets out here," Henry replied.
"Tell us what?" Emma came into the room, and immediately beelined for the coffee maker.
"Wait, Emma…" She looked up at Killian as he raised his eyebrow and nodded at the mug in her hand. He didn't know anything about pregnancy, but he had been sure that women weren't supposed to drink coffee.
"Ugh. I forgot about that part. Right."
She poured herself a glass of juice instead, and sat at the table.
"So boys, what is this all about?"
They grabbed plates, and joined her. "We wanted to talk to you about something."
Emma and Killian exchanged glances. This seemed serious, especially as the boys were buttering them up with a breakfast.
"Go on then." Killian prompted them, as he served himself bacon.
"Will you take us to see the new Marvel movie next weekend?" They asked in near unison, and Emma looked confused.
"You cooked breakfast to get us to take you to a movie?"
"Oh, of course they did, love. This is the new one, rated R. Not at all suitable for thirteen year olds."
Emma looked over at the boys and rolled her eyes. "Nice try, kids." She took a bite of toast, and added, "but thanks for the breakfast."
"See," Liam whispered to Henry, "I told you we should have just asked her."
"No, she would have turned it into a family movie night anyway, and he would have found out." Henry whispered back.
"That's right, lad. Nothing gets past us." He smiled at his wife, and thought about how lucky he was to have met her. There was nothing that could diminish his happiness at this moment, knowing that they were going to have the opportunity to raise a child, together.
They'd agreed the night before to tell the boys immediately, and with a shared glance, they decided now was as good as a time as any.
Killian started. "Since we're all here, and you've cooked us such a fine meal, we do have a bit of news to share as a family."
The boys continued eating, not saying anything in an attempt at the silent treatment over their failed attempt at buttering the adults up.
"We're having a baby," Emma blurted out, not able to take the silence.
That got them to put down their forks, as they stared up incredulously at Emma and Killian.
"We're going to be big brothers?" Henry asked, looking back and forth at them.
Killian could never resist the opportunity to tease him, and even with the seriousness of the occasion couldn't help himself. "Well, lad. Technically you'll be a big brother. Your Uncle Liam right there will be the baby's uncle as well."
Emma and Liam laughed as Henry's face scrunched up in indignation. "That's not fair. WE'LL ALL BE BROTHERS." Since the day of the wedding, he'd bristled at the realization that his best friend was now his uncle.
Liam had been sitting quietly as they teased Henry, but suddenly spoke up. "Emma could adopt me."
They all turned to look at him.
"What, lad?"
"Emma could adopt me. She really would be my mom. That way you would be my brother. The new baby would be my brother, too."
"It could be a sister, you know." Emma added.
"I know." He rolled his eyes, but had gotten up and walked over to her chair. "I want you to be my mom, Emma. I've never had a mom. And Henry and the baby have you."
"Oh, kid. You have me. Even if I'm not biologically your mom, you know that right? But…" She had started to sniffle, barely able to keep her emotions in check. All week she'd been dealing with fluctuating hormones, and they were about to betray her again. "If you want me to be your mom, you've got me." She pulled the boy standing next to her into a hug, and held him tight. She had held this boy so many times, through so much sorrow, and now could not contain her joy.
Killian had been watching, smile wide as his wife and brother clung to each other. "I'll call the lawyer on Monday. We can start getting the paperwork in order." He walked over to Henry and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Well, lad. Looks like we won't be able to tease you much longer. We'll just have to get our fill while we can."
Henry looked up at him, and Killian could see there was a look of disappointment on his face.
"What is it lad?"
"It's too bad you can't adopt a brother. I mean, so that I can be your brother, too, like Liam." Killian laughed heartily.
"Lad," he said, as he pulled the boy into a hug. "I think we can make an exception."
Breakfast temporarily forgotten, the four Swan-Jones family members stood in the kitchen, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, standing in a group embrace. Even Liam and Henry, who wouldn't be caught hugging each other for anything, recognized the moment for what it was, the last time any of them would ever consider that their family was made up of broken pieces. Together, they were whole.