A/N: Hello again :) I'm back, and my muse was being very kind to me.
It was one of the moments that made life worthwhile. They were lazing in the bright green meadow just outside of the village, deep into the lovely afternoon, his head rested in her lap and she was running her fingers through the brown curls lovingly. The sun colored everything gold, and the scents of the grass and the earth were almost intoxicating.
"You don't have to keep doing this, Emma." Graham suddenly said, turning around to look at her from his place in her lap.
"What?" She looked down at him, raising an eyebrow. He sat up and the golden light made his eyes gleam with seriousness.
"You don't have to work as this bastard's pet, Emma. You deserve so much better."
She laughed at that, partially because after nearly four years as the puppet she was she couldn't imagine her life being different in any way, and partially because she didn't want to allow herself fall into one of the overwhelmingly wonderful illusions that being with him caused her sometimes. He was so good, probably the best thing that had ever happened to her. She couldn't quite believe he was actually real.
"I mean it, Emma." He solemnly promised.
"With what would I pay people? My dazzling smiles?" She chuckled, demonstrating an excessively large smile that made her nose wrinkle and gave him a clear view of her entire set of teeth.
"I'd have accepted them as payment," He said with a sly grin as he pushed her down to the grass gently until her back hit the ground. She smiled and dragged him down with her to kiss him lightly. "I could take care of you, Emma."
"Graham, you're a huntsman." He brushed her hair of her face with his soft fingers, smiling sadly at the statement.
"That I am."
"You won't have anything to eat, wear or live in if you'll have to take care of me as well."
He laughed at that, a short sound that was filled with just enough fondness to make her heart swell in her chest. "I could get another job. You could get a job in any king's guard, with this talent of yours. It's not impossible, Emma."
The solid look in his eyes made her seriously begin to consider it. "Do you really think we can do this?" She asked, her green eyes slightly wider than usual as they met his brown ones.
"Of course I do." He smiled. "I have faith in you. In us."
She smiled wholeheartedly at his words. "I love you very much, Graham." She finally said.
"I love you, too." He leaned down to kiss her again and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, mostly to feel his chuckle against her lips. Happiness was bubbling in her chest as she finally allowed herself to fall freely into the beautiful fantasies about the future he had just offered her.
He went out on one of his hunting trips in the following day and his promise to return quickly still rang in her ears when he came back four days later, cold and hard in a simple, wooden coffin.
"I'll never forget you, Graham," She cried as she kissed his cold lips for the hundredth time. "I promise. I swear." She took his hand in hers and kissed it, staining the fabric of his sleeve with her tears, then squeezed it lightly, like he used to do to her when he wantd to know if she was still with him.
He didn't respond.
She couldn't figure out what was she even expecting as bitter, bitter disappointment and heartbreak washed over her all over again.
She was living in Queen Abigail's cabbin for over three weeks now. She even found a small garden behind the cabbin and began tending it, remembering fondly the long, pleasent hours she had spent doing so with her mother as a young girl.
Thomas was visiting her nearly every two days, and she was greatful for the company. He was definitely getting much better with the sword, now they were having friendly little duels every now and then, using thick branches as swords, that were very similar to the ones she had with her father as a kid. Those small reminders of her parents were stinging her heart like cold, ruthless tiny niddles, especially now, with all the new information.
The prince was coming quite regularly too, keeping her up to date with his parents' plan of helping her to inherit the thrones, even though there wasn't much to tell yet, except for the fact tat both Regina and George were now secretly looking for her, not wanting the people to know she was alive. And he was confusing her. Very much so, with his sly, playful remarks and the fresh memory of the decleration of his intentions towards her combined.
And that baby of his, that was growing within her body.
Against every last drop of logic in her mind, her love for the unexpected creature in her stomach was growing every day. She was more than merely surprised to find out that the idea of having a baby didn't frighten her as much as it did back when she had no one that even knew her name. She was a lot better now. Things weren't ideal, but they were much better.
When she was alone, she spent her days sleeping. Mostly sleeping, anyway. Some nights were filled with cruel nightmares, that attacked her mind and woke her up, leaving her breathless and terrified and not wanting to go back to sleep. She'd get herself together, in nights like these, tell herself it wasn't really happening and that she needs to go back to sleep.
It worked, almost every time.
The only exceptions were nightmares that were made straight out of her most terrible memories. In nights like these she would stare at the ceiling for hours, wetting the pillow with the hot, salty tears that she would never shed in front of anyone, and that is only in the times when she actually managed to wake up, to pull herself out of the sodding center of the circle of her dancing, howling demons.
She was used to those nightly delights, though, she's been having them ever since she was sixteen.
What a bloody bliss.
-xxx-
When Killian walked into the cabbin late in a peaceful afternoon, eager to share news, he found it quiet. He looked out through the small window in the kitchen only to get more worried as he didn't find her in her little garden. He checked every room before heading towards the tiny bedroom. There was no answer to his firm knocks so he got in.
The princess was lying in her bed, her eyes were closed, sweat broke on her brow and soft, heartbreaking whimpers were escaping her parted lips. He suddenly felt the urge to wake her up, hold her close, kiss her brow and take her pain away. He could recognize a nightmare when he was witnessing one.
He hurried to sit down on the bed next to her and took one of her hands in his, stroking it and squeezing it. "Wake up, Emma." He whispered, sending his free hand to wrap around her and pull her up, forcing her out of the dream. "It's just a bad dream." He promised her.
Her eyes remained shut as she shook her head and wrapped her arms around his chest, burrying her face in it. Her entire body was shaking with barely suppressed sobs.
"What was it, then?" He asked her, knowing clearly that pushing her now won't do any good.
"It was him." She cried, her voice hoarse. "It was real. He was real again."
His heart clenched for her as he understood. "The father of your child?" He asked her. "Graham? Was it him?"
It took her a moment to recall what did she tell him about Graham, but she nodded before remembering completely.
"Would you like to tell me about him?" He silently asked. "Or about the dream?"
She stared at him for a moment before slowly nodding. He felt happiness jolting through him as she did.
"Whenever you're ready, love." He said. She nodded again.
Long minutes had gone by before she finally spoke. She could tell him that he was a crook that made her fall in love with him and broke her heart. She could say she had seen him getting killed right in front of her, which would explain the nightmares. She could lie, it was so much easier than telling the painful truth. she didn't know what drove her to do so. "He was a huntsman." She said quietly. "He was kind, and he was loyal. He loved me when I thought I would never be loved again. He wanted a future, a family. I wanted that too. He hunted somewhere he shouldn't have and the Evil Queen crushed his heart and sent his body home to me. And now I dream of him nearly every night." She stopped to breathe deeply, her eyes were scanning him, and then, as if she could read his mind, she spoke again. "You shouldn't feel obliged to tell me your own shit now. I told you because I wanted to. I needed to. Thank you."
He was silent for a lingering moment. "Emma?"
"Hmm?"
"I would very much like to hold you now, if you don't mind."
She half laughed and half sobbed as she answered. "I would very much like to be held right now, if you don't mind."
He smiled slightly at her and gathered her in his arms, holding her close, hoping that the proximity to another human being would help her.
When he saw her like this, all vulnerable and fragile, he forgot all about the things he had been thinking about over the previous couple of days. He couldn't care less about the troubles this baby of hers could bring upon him. All he wanted to do forever was to mend her wounds, to ease her pain.
He was falling for Emma Swan. Too hard and too fast to fit his liking.
Long hours passed before he felt her falling back to sleep on his shoulder. It wasn't so long until he leaned her against the pillows and left the room, knowing that she wasn't ready for more.
There was so much pain in her past, enough to corrupt a soul for good. But she was so good, so kind and gentle- even the rough parts of her were still filled with the powerful need for love. He could see it. He could feel it.
-xxx-
"Your parens what?" Emma almost spitted out the water she was drinking. He was still there when she woke up, in the following morning, observing her growing garden with a small smile on his face.
"They want you to be seen in public." Killian said, scratching behind his ear. "That's what I came here to tell you."
"Yeah, I heard you the first time. I just wasn't sure I understood you correctly, because this is the most idiotic plan I've ever heard."
"Why?"
"Because after all the trouble they went through to hide me, why the hell should I just show up somewhere, where anyone could find me?"
"There's more to this plan, I'm sure of it, I'll come back for you with answers." He promised. She nodded. "I have to go now. I never meant to stay here for more than a couple of hours." She nodded again. He smiled and kissed the back of her hand, causing her to smile as well. "Be safe, Emma."
"You be safe." She grumbled, making him laugh slightly.
"As the lady wishes." He bowed, already starting to head outside.
She leaned against the frame of the door as she watched him riding away. He was stealing glances of her freaquently before he disappeared into the woods.
This game of theirs was confusing. She couldn't understand why did he stick to her even now, after she thought she had destroyed every chance of a relationship with him when she told him she was carrying the child of another, a statement that really should have pushed him away from his vow to win her heart.
And that brought up another issue.
The terrifying recognition was right there, deep in her mind and heart, and it was getting harder to deny it every day.
He was succeeding.
There was something in her chest. Something that was absent since Graham's death. And this something was bringing dreams and hope for a future she knew she could never have.
As she was pacing nervously around the cabbin, she suddenly heard footsteps. The door was closed, and she didn't hear it opening. Her sword was in her hand within a second.
She carefully walked towards the sounds.
"No need for this charming little sword, dearie." Said a voice from behind her.
She turned abruptly to face her unwanted visitor.
"My, my, and they said your mother was the fairest of them all, my dear princess."
"Who are you?" She asked, now visibly begining to panic.
The golden skinned man giggled, a sound that only added to the moment's negative affect on her. "Oh, dearie. Dearie-dearie-dearie. I have many names." He began to circle her slowly. "But I am best known as Rumpelstiltskin."
"The Dark One." Emma whispered.
"Ooh, a smart princess. This is very good."
"What do you want from me?"
"For now, nothing, but you'll have to come with me."
"There is no way in hell-" With a flick of his hand, she passed out.
"Of course there is, dearie." He giggled. "There always is."
She woke up hours later, in a dark, damp dungeon.
Review? :3