The party was in full swing, and Emma sidled over to her husband, handing him a cup of punch.
"What the devil is this?" he asked, giving it a sniff.
"That," she replied, "Is my mother's famous strawberry punch."
"I prefer rum," he said, setting the cup down on the table he was leaning against.
She picked it back up, handing it to him again. "I know. But you're switching to punch because I want you nice and awake for later."
That got his interest. "Later?"
Emma leaned in, lowering her voice. "It's your birthday, too…remember?"
He raised a brow, breaking into a slow grin. "Oh, I remember. I told you once Meriel was born that I'm not celebrating anymore."
Emma gave a sigh. "What a shame. I had such a good present planned."
"Do I have to travel anywhere?"
"Mmm-hmm," she confirmed.
He gave her a sideways look. "How far?"
"The Captain's Cabin?"
He slid an arm around her, trying to look nonchalant. "I think I'm going to like this gift."
"Oh, I guarantee you are."
"Do I get a hint?"
She leaned in again, her lips touching his ear. "I'm not wearing anything under this dress," she whispered.
Killian's eyes flew open wide. "Gads. You can't say that to a man in the middle of his little girl's birthday party."
Emma's face was a mask of innocence. "What? I'm just making sure you're aware of the agenda."
"That's been my agenda since the wee hours of this morning, love. Your son put an end to those plans."
"Oh, so he's my son when he's misbehaving?" She gave him a smirk and he replied with a shrug and a cheeky grin.
"We're going to have to start chaining him to his crib at night, you know that," she said. "Thank God the cooks come in early and saw him climbing the tapestry down here. They said he was a good ten feet off the ground when they caught him."
"Well, the cook's screams certainly managed to cool my ardor."
"Why can't the little bugger go back to sleep?" Emma complained.
"Once he's decided he's on an adventure, there's simply no stopping the boy," Killian noted. "I just wish he'd planned his escapades for a more convenient time. I was so close."
Emma closed her eyes, giving a little squirm at the memory. "Yeah. You were."
His hand slid back behind her, out of view of the crowd of family and children in the hall. He stroked his fingers over her buttocks, loving the silky feel of her dress clinging to her curves.
"You really don't have anything on," he whispered back. He gave a quick glance around the room. "They're all busy playing in that fountain your father built – why don't we take a quick trip upstairs to our room…?"
Emma rolled her eyes. "And no one will wonder where the parents of the birthday girl have gone?"
"We'll tell them we were wrapping presents."
"Gasping for breath, with our hair all mussed?" She gave him a look.
"Speak for yourself, love. You're the one who's usually gasping."
Emma smiled a slow, sexy smile. "I'm going to make you pay for those words."
His overly-bright eyes held hers. "I look forward to it."
"Look forward to what?" Snow asked, sidling up next to Killian with a cup of punch in her hand.
"Why, the whole party, of course," Killian answered, with a pasted on smile. "You've really outdone yourself."
"I have, haven't I?" Snow said, smiling smugly. "I'd say this is the best mermaid princess party the kingdom has ever seen."
Emma looked across at Meriel, happily splashing in the fountain with the rest of the children, her mermaid costume and tiara glittering in the candlelight.
"She's really having a blast," Emma agreed. "Thanks so much for putting this all together."
"Well, it's not every day a princess turns five, now, is it?" Snow pointed out. Her eyes shifted back to the children. "The fountain certainly is a hit."
"It was a brilliant idea – but don't tell your husband I said that." Killian remarked, as Snow rolled her eyes at him. "Having a winter birthday usually precludes a swimming party. Building a fountain in the middle of the hall solved the dilemma perfectly."
"Well, don't be surprised if your little girl has a tummy ache later," Snow said. "She asked for two of everything – two servings of cake, two helpings of each kind of cookie, two cream puffs…"
"Yikes," Emma said. "Well, it's her party. Hopefully, she's working it off splashing in the fountain." She smiled and waved at Meriel who was dancing by herself at the far end. "Finn! No!"
Emma rushed forward, but David managed to grab Finn before he shimmied all the way to the top of the decorative mermaid at the center of the fountain. He handed him over to Emma with a smile and a shake of his head. Finn immediately arched his back, squirming to get down. The second Emma put his feet to the floor, he was running. She glanced over at Killian, who signaled her that he was on it, scooping Finn up as he dashed past.
"Come along, my boy. Let's put your coat and shoes on and take you out to the courtyard and let you run. I want you properly exhausted, and the sooner, the better."
He gave Emma a pained look as he headed out to the courtyard, and she smiled after him as she herded the rest of the children over to the corner to open gifts.
###
"Tell me you didn't," Emma said, pulling Killian aside as they helped clear the trash off the table.
"Didn't what?"
"Did you promise your daughter she could have a sleepover on the ship?"
Killian looked properly chagrined. "Well, what was I supposed to say?" he sputtered. "She gave me that look – you know the one."
"The one that says her Daddy is wrapped around her little finger?" Emma suggested.
"It's her birthday," he pointed out. "And she looks bloody adorable in that dress."
"Well she and Lorelei and Ella's daughter Audrina are taking over the Captain's Cabin tonight." Emma said. "But I managed to avert a crisis by talking Henry into sleeping aboard."
"Pressed into service by his own mother," Killian said, shaking his head. "He may never recover."
"So I guess we're land-bound," Emma said.
"We'll make do," he promised, pulling her into his arms.
"I was just looking forward to being aboard…you know….the motion of the ship and all…."
His arms tightened around her. "There you go," he growled, "Teasing me again."
"It's not a tease," she pointed out. "I intend on following through with every bit of what I have planned for you." She reached behind her, grabbing a stack of dishes.
"Now help me get these into the kitchen. The sooner we round the kids up and get everybody settled, the sooner your birthday begins."
"I'm at your service, milady," he said. "By all means, let's get to work."
He followed her into the kitchen, setting the stack of plates down on the counter. Emma started back out again, but gave a startled shriek when she felt herself pulled from behind and then pushed into a closet. He stepped in behind her, closing the door.
"What the – " She didn't get any farther before his mouth closed over hers, and his hand suddenly seemed to be everywhere at once. He kissed her for a long time, pressing his body into hers as she leaned against the shelves full of table linens behind her. Emma finally managed to wrench her mouth away.
"Killian…we can't do this in a closet," she moaned softly as his lips and tongue moved to her neck.
"Wouldn't be the first time," he said, trailing hot, wet kisses up her neck to just under her ear. "Not even the first time in this closet, as I recall."
"But what if someone – "
She was interrupted by the door being flung wide. A startled Granny stood there in the doorway, with her hands on her hips.
"Oh, for pity's sake," she said. "Can you hand me a towel? Or do I need to wash them first?"
Emma flushed beet-red. "We were just going," she mumbled. She grabbed a towel from the shelf behind her. "Here," she said, not looking Granny in the eyes as she shoved the towel in her hand and pushed through the doorway past her.
Killian followed her out, winking at Granny, who rolled her eyes.
"Don't be getting any ideas about that table, either," she called after them.
Killian caught up with his wife, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
"Later, love. Not much longer now."
###
"You have got to be kidding me," Emma said, in complete exasperation.
"Finn," Killian groaned. "Bloody hell, child. You have to be getting tired by now."
"Look at him," Emma said in disbelief. "He's been bouncing for almost half an hour. He's not even slowing down."
"Bounce!" Finn shouted, jumping up and down on his crib mattress. "Bounce, Papa!"
"Sleep," Killian said, grabbing him mid-air and laying him down. "Sleep, my lad."
Finn popped right back up. "Bounce! I can bounce!"
"You can sleep," Emma said, trying her hand at laying him down, to no effect. He was back up again, and trying to climb over the bars of his crib.
She gave her husband a very unhappy look. "We're going to have to bring him in with us. He'll just keep climbing out."
Killian gave his son a dark look. "I do sometimes wonder if this child is someone's idea of a personal curse."
"Killian!"
"Oh, you know I love the lad," he sighed. "But he is seriously inconvenient at the moment."
"We could ask my father to sit with him," Emma suggested.
"Well, I'm all for it," Killian replied, rubbing his ear. "But I would imagine that might be a tad uncomfortable for you – it's not like he won't guess why."
Emma shoved a hand through her hair, probably wishing she could tear it out. "Yeah, that would be awkward." She reached down, grabbing Finn before he managed to get his other leg over the crib wall.
"I've got him," she said. "You might as well go on to bed. I'll get there as soon as I can."
"Does somebody need a babysitter?" Granny's voice came from the doorway.
"Are you serious?" Emma's eyes widened and her face split into a smile.
"He won't get past me," Granny said. "I brought the crossbow." Emma's eyebrows went up and Granny held up a hand.
"Kidding," she said with a smile. "Go on, you two."
"Thank you!" Emma wasted no time, grabbing Killian's hand and heading out the door. He stopped on the way out, leaning down to plant a kiss on Granny's cheek. She waved him off, blushing red.
"If I were thirty years younger…" she sighed. Her eyes immediately scanned the room, before she rushed over toward the balcony doors.
"Finn!"
###
"Alone at last," Emma sighed, closing the door behind her.
"And it's only half-past one in the bloody morning. It's not even my birthday anymore," he complained.
"It's your birthday for as long as I say it's your birthday," Emma said, pushing him back toward the bed. "And now it's time for your present."
"I am at your disposal," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Emma reached for a brightly wrapped package next to the bed and handed it to him.
"Here you go," she said, giving him a smile. He ripped the paper and ribbon off, and held up the contents, raising a quizzical brow.
"A pillow? And a scrap of lace?"
Emma reached out, grabbing the lace and draping it carefully across her front.
"It's a gown," she said. "It's just a very short, very skimpy gown."
His eyes darkened. "It won't cover much."
"That's kinda the point," she said with a smirk.
"And the pillow?"
She held his eyes, and dropped it to the floor, directly between his legs.
"Stone floors can be hard on the knees," she deadpanned. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put on my lacy little gown, and then I'm going to come back and make you gasp for air."
And with that, she stepped to the water closet, leaving an utterly gobsmacked pirate behind her, furiously tugging off his boots.
###
It was a long while later, and Emma was slumped against his shoulder, her knees still gripping his hips as he ran his hand slowly up and down her back.
"Are you all right, love?"
"Yeah," she panted. "Just give me a minute and I'll get off you."
"Feel free to stay the night," he said, smiling. "You seem to be a bit winded…"
She punched his shoulder, then ground herself against him a little bit more. "You just feel so…good…" she moaned. She gave a convulsive little shudder as the last remnants of sensation tingled through her body.
"Don't look for any help from me," he said. "I can't bloody move."
"Ha! So I did wear you out."
"Temporarily, love. Only temporarily."
She rolled off of him, groaning as she landed beside him. "These double birthdays are gonna be the death of me," she said.
He rolled to his side, flopping an arm over her.
"Next year we hire the babysitter before we plan the party," he suggested.
"Agreed."
"And you buy two pillows," he said cockily.
Emma rolled to the side, sliding her arms around his neck.
"Two?"
"Oh, most definitely."
She closed her eyes, giving herself up to his kiss.