And it is officially hiatus season again. And it is finals time. Therefore, I need to write fanfiction in order to cope.

Here is a chapter from Killian's point of view. I will do some more from his point of view as the story progresses. I am expecting this to be a bit of a longer story (judging how things are going). Like I said before, the first half is when they are teens, and the second half of the story will take place later.

And as a clarification (because there was a bit of confusion), the only OUAT characters in this story so far are Emma, Killian, Tink, Jefferson, Will, Ashley (Cinderella), Aurora, Mulan, Lily and Tony (Anton the Giant. Peter and Wendy will be mentioned in this chapter. Mrs. Abernathy is NOT Granny. More Once characters will come in as the story progresses though. I have already decided how I will bring in most of them :)

Enjoy! Don't forget to check out my one-shot collection, Be My Happy Ending (because we all need some fluff right now).

Chapter 5: Perception is Key

Killian ran a hand through his still wet hair, making his way to Tink's car. He was lucky his best friend had a car so he would not be walking home after practice. The blonde was nowhere in sight, most likely flirting with Peter, a senior on the swim team.

Jefferson strolled over to Tink's car where Killian was waiting for her. "What are you still doing here, mate?" Killian asked him, leaning back against the car.

"Detention. Apparently teachers don't appreciate when you steal their hats." He mumbled. Killian shot out a laugh at the image of Jefferson taking a hat from Mr. Hooper, the slightly nervous social studies teacher.

"Anyway," Jefferson said, turning the conversation off of him. "What about your new sister?"

"What about her?" Killian asked. Emma and Jefferson did not know each other well. She had only been with Killian and Mrs. Abernathy for about a week and a half now.

"She's pretty hot." Jefferson commented, leaning back on the hood of the car with Killian.

"Don't talk about my sister like that." grumbled Killian.

"Foster sister." Jefferson corrected him. Oh, how he hated the term foster.

"Doesn't matter. Don't call my sister hot."

"You like her don't you?" Jefferson teased.

"I don't like her like that, you bloody idiot. How would you like it if people went around calling Gracie 'hot'?"

"I'd punch 'um." He simply stated, as if it were a known fact. "So, no feelings for this girl at all?"

"I've known her for a week, Jefferson. Sod off."

"Well, someone is grumpy." Jefferson was having too much fun with this.

"Look, she's a nice girl. We get along because we understand each other, but that's it." Killian came close to yelling. This effectively shut Jefferson up, who smirked and walked off to his car.

Killian moved to sit on the edge of the sidewalk. Sure, Emma was a nice girl, but he did not now here. All he knew was she was a foster kid and she believed that her identity was found in that label. She saw no hope for the future, not hope for the present.

He knew where she was coming from, though. The despair, the loss of hope- it was all too familiar to him. He remembered the pain, the knew the pain. It was still there. Just because his life had gotten better did not mean he did not remember the things he had seen in other homes, the things he had lived through in his lifetime, the ever-growing list of things he had lost.

Emma's pain was fresh though. It was still an open wound. He had been safe for months, she was still scared of being sent back. If he was honest, the fear did creep into his head into the late hours of the night when he still couldn't sleep. The nights where he would wake up from the nightmares, sometimes the old lies would come back and remind him who he was, what he was-a foster kid.

The nightmares never went away. It was always the same plot, just different variations. He woke up in a cold sweat with everyone of them. He never screamed though-he learned early on to never scream in the night. Some nights he would cry himself back to sleep, but other nights, he was to broken to feel anything. He wished he could cry because feeling hurt was better than feeling empty.

Killian clenched his fist, pushing the negative thoughts away. It was bad enough those nightmares plagued him at night, he did not need them during the day too. He knew where Emma was coming from, the pain she felt. Even if he had not had her exact upbringing, he knew. The two of them had faced very different struggles, but at the end of the day, they both understood the other in a way most couldn't.

She was still bitter. He was bitter too , but just much better at hiding it. Emma was an open book to him. Her eyes screamed abandoned. Most people would think she was just a sad girl, but he knew. He could read her like a book because she was the same as him. They were more alike than either of them cared to admit.

A year and a month. That was all he had left. A year and a month until he turned eighteen and he aged out. He would not longer be under Mrs. Abernathy's protecting wing. The real world was hard, that much he knew. He had been exposed to the real world well before his due time, as had Emma. But she had another four years (three years and five months she told him).

For kids who had been exposed to the real workings of the world at such a young age, they were not ready. They had no way of it out there. Despite the brave face he put on, Killian had no plan for the future. He had no money for college and nowhere to after he aged out. Sure, Mrs. Abernathy would not kick him out, but she was not in a position to help him financially. Even if she was, he would not want her too. She had already helped him so much, he did not want to become a burden when she could potentially take in other children.

"Penny for your thoughts." A voice broke brought him back to reality. He looked up to see Tink standing above him, waiting for him.

"Just waiting for the little missy while she flirted with her Prince Charming." He teased her, standing and grabbing his bag. She shoved him, not so gently.

"I was asking Peter for advice on swimming, not asking him out. And he most definitely not my 'Prince Charming.'"She mocked his voice.

"Sure, lass." He muttered as she unlocked the car and he got in on the passenger's side.

"It's true." Tink tried to convince him while she got in and started the car. "Besides, I think he's got a thing for the new freshman, Wendy."

"Well, she is a pretty lass." He commented.

"You aren't supposed to be saying that." Tink told him. "You have Emma."

"Why does everyone think that?" He groaned.

"Same thing with Peter and I. People see what they want."

People see what is there. Killian though, but there was no way he was saying that out loud.