14.

Emma waved as her seven year old daughter came tearing across the school playground towards her. Her other hand held on tight to her three year old son, whom she had just collected from nursery.

"Where's daddy?" Hope demanded as soon as she reached them, thrusting her backpack towards her mother. Killian usually did the school pick-up, so this was out of routine for her.

"He has to work late on his ship, remember? So I'm afraid you're stuck with me today," Emma replied, slightly distracted as she tried to juggle the backpack and hold on to little Oliver who was itching to run off and play on the school's equipment.

"Oh, but I needto give him this!" she pouted as she waved a piece of paper about.

Assuming it was a piece of art she'd made for him, Emma took it from her before she ruined it. But a quick glance told her it was in fact a school letter about a dance. It would seem they were having a father/daughter dance during Valentine's weekend to raise money for gym equipment. "A school dance, huh?"

"Yeah!" Hope squealed. "Do you think dad will go with me?" she asked hopefully as she danced on the spot, obviously excited about it.

Emma smiled and folded the letter before giving it back to Hope. "I'm sure he will. You know he'll do anything for his little cygnet." She cupped the little girls cheek and gave her a wink.

"Eurgh! That name is so babyish!" she complained. Not that Emma had ever heard her grumble about it when Killian used the nickname he had given her from the moment he knew she was on the way.

Oliver laughed. "You're a baby!" he stuck his tongue out at his sister.

"Am not! Just 'cause dad doesn't have a special name for you, Ollie!"

"Daddy calls me mate, so there!"

"He calls everyone mate!" she shot back.

"He calls me his buddy too and he doesn't think I'm a baby!" he pulled a face.

"He does not think…"

"Hey, you two!" Emma interrupted them. "You can stand here and argue about nonsense or, we can go to Granny's for hot cocoa and some of her freshly baked cookies. What do you think?"

"Cookies!" Both kids shouted, finally agreeing on something. Oliver began to pull Emma towards the diner as Hope happily skipped along with them.

The mere second that Killian's foot entered their home later that evening, the kids abandoned their activities at the kitchen table and rushed to greet him. "Daddy! Daddy!" they crowed for his attention.

He scooped both kids up, one in each arm, after closing the door and walked further into the house. The kids giggled as he kissed them both on their foreheads.

"Daddy, I have…" Hope began.

"Daddy, Daddy," Oliver was patting him on his arm at the same time.

"Hold on," he told them both. Moving towards his wife who stood at the stove seeing to dinner, he smiled as she turned to face him. "Hello, love," he grinned and kissed her softly. This was their usual routine at the end of every day, greeting one another with a kiss first before anything else.

"Hey you," Emma returned his grin and pecked his lips once more. "Hope has something she wants to tell you," she added, waving her spoon towards the impatient child in his arms before returning to the bubbling bolognaise sauce in the pan.

"And what's that?" he asked, pulling out a chair with his foot and sitting down, plopping them both onto his lap. Oliver snuggled into his chest, sleepy after a full day at nursery.

Hope reached for the school letter, littered on the table amongst her spellings homework and Oliver's colouring book and crayons. "There's gonna be a dance, at school, for daddy's and daughters. Just for us!" she beamed and her blue eyes twinkled. "And I really, really want you to take me. I'm SO excited, Mom says I can have a new dress and you can wear your tucksy doo!" she grinned at him, waiting hopefully for his answer.

"I can wear what now?" he asked, one eyebrow raised as he looked up from the letter he had been scanning.

"Your tucksy doo. You know, what you wore when you married Mom!" She pointed rather forcefully to the family photos that covered the wall up the stairs where one of their wedding photos resided.

"I believe she means your tuxedo," Emma clarified.

Killian nodded. "Oh, right, I see." He set the letter down.

"So, can we go, daddy? Please, please, please?!" she begged, her hands held together as she looked up at him through wide shining blue eyes that anyone would have difficulty saying no to. It seemed to amuse some people that Hope had Emma's blonde hair and Killian's blue eyes, whilst Oliver had Killian's dark hair and Emma's green eyes.

Killian grinned and kissed her forehead again. "Of course we can, my little cygnet. I would be honoured to escort you to the ball."

Hope giggled at his flowery language. "It's a dance, daddy!"

"I want to go dancing!" Oliver announced suddenly.

"It's just for daddy's and girls!" Hope told him, scrunching up her nose. "So, you can't go!" she added and folded her arms, looking rather smug about it.

"But, that's not fair!" he whined. "Mommy? Can I go?"

Emma moved the pan from the stove and turned to pick up her youngest son from Killian's lap. "Not this time I'm afraid, buddy."

Oliver pouted. "Aaw," he grumbled and looked close to tears.

"But, how about whilst they're at the dance, we have a Mommy and son night? We can go to Granny's for dinner, then come home and make our special popcorn and watch whatever movie you like. How does that sound?" she offered as a compromise.

"Yay!" he clapped his hands, cheering up at the idea. "Can we watch Cars?" he asked.

Emma stifled a groan. That was his favourite movie and he watched it endlessly. "Sure, we can watch that for the thousandth time." Oliver giggled and now looked elated.

"So, this dance is on the Friday, February 12th?" Killian checked the letter. "Which means we can have a mommy and daddy date on the Sunday evening for Valentine's day." He looked up at his wife and gave her a suggestive wink.

"Sounds good," she murmured as she bent to kiss him. "My parents and Henry might already have their own plans, but I am sure we can find someone to babysit."

"Already got that all sorted, Swan," he replied, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Hmm, someone is organised this year!" She was impressed.

"Can you blame me?"

He and Emma shared a look, knowing just how much they needed a night to themselves and some private alone time as a couple. They'd been so busy lately that they hadn't had a moment to connect in weeks and she missed that, just as much as he obviously did. "Right, well, erm..." she shook herself out of her thoughts of what an evening together might entail, "dinner's about ready, so kids, I want this table cleared and set for dinner, then you can all go wash up!" She quickly turned back to the stove to check on the pasta, hoping to hide her rather flushed face.

Hope was a bundle of excited energy in the week leading up to the dance, it was all she talked about. Emma and Snow had taken her shopping for a new dress, ultimately opting for a pale rainbow coloured tulle tiered dress with little puffy sleeves – which was hardly surprising given her current obsession with unicorns.

They had also bought Killian a new shirt and he had taken his tuxedo out of storage from the back of the closet and tried it on. It still fit him perfectly and Emma promised to drop it off at the dry cleaners to freshen it up.

"Hmm," Emma murmured as she stroked her hands down the soft velvet of his jacket when he got dressed the evening of the dance. "Think you can wear this again for our date?" she asked, looking up at him with a sassy little smile on her lips.

"Oh, you like this do you, love?" he asked, one eyebrow raised high as he smirked at her.

She shrugged casually. "I mean, perhaps." She tugged on the lapels of his jacket bringing him closer. "I forgot how damn handsome and sexy you looked in this," she whispered, her lips very close to his. "And I never did get to strip you out this outfit on our wedding night."

He chuckled low and softly kissed her lips. "I think we made up for that, love."

"Mmmhmm," she agreed as their lips met. The kiss started out soft and gentle, but became increasingly hungry and urgent rather quickly.

"Mom! I need help!" Hope called, interrupting them.

They both groaned in frustration as they parted, a sign of just how much they needed some alone time. Emma licked her lips, savouring the taste of him. "I'd best go help her get ready. Meet you downstairs, Captain." She patted his backside and left their room with a grin to herself.

Half an hour later, Hope was finally ready as she walked ahead of her Mom down the stairs. She looked adorable in her new dress with her pink shoes. Her blonde curls had been styled just right and Emma had even allowed her to wear a tiny bit of lip gloss for the occasion.

"M'lady," Killian greeted his daughter at the bottom of the stairs, holding out his hand to her.

Hope giggled and took his hand as she took the last step. "Thanks daddy. How do I look?" she asked, giving him a twirl.

"Gorgeous," he beamed, just happy to be her father. He was so proud of his kids, of being their dad and loved them both endlessly. "Like a beautiful princess." He kissed the back of her hand.

Hope giggled again and looked up at her Mom. "Dad's being very silly."

"He's being a gentleman," Emma clarified.

"I have something for you," Killian told her, darting to the kitchen table and returning with a corsage for her. It had delicate ivory roses and multi-coloured ribbons that matched her dress. He put it on her wrist as she gazed at him open mouthed.

"Thanks daddy!" she whispered and flung her arms around him.

"You're welcome, cygnet. Now, are you ready?" he asked, holding out his arm for her.

She nodded and looped her arm through his.

"Hold on," Emma interrupted. "It's cold out." She held out her jacket, scarf and hat to the child, who grumbled, but put it on reluctantly. "Have a wonderful time, sweetheart. And look after daddy," she whispered to their daughter.

Hope nodded seriously and buttoned up her jacket. "I will," she promised.

"Have fun," Emma told Killian, giving him a light kiss. "And keep an eye on her," she whispered.

He nodded. "See you later, love. Bye Ollie!" he called to their son who was lounging in front of the TV.

"Bye!" he yelled, uninterested. "Are we going to Granny's yet Mommy?"

"In two minutes!" Emma promised him, walking to the door with her husband and daughter and seeing them off. "Have a good time!" she waved from the porch.

The pair of them waved back before heading down the side walk, arm in arm towards the school for their father/daughter dance.

"Hey!" Emma looked up from the sofa when she heard the front door open. She had been lying down, trying to enjoy the unusual peace and solitude since it was a rarity for her these days, but she had found she missed her family after putting Oliver to bed. "Is she asleep?" she asked when she got up to greet Killian and Hope and noted their daughter in his arms.

"Aye, pretty much," he told her, adjusting the sleepy child.

"You should have called me. I would have come to pick you up instead of you having to walk all that way with her."

Killian shrugged. "I didn't want you having to leave Ollie or drag him out bed and she was fine when we started out, talking none stop about the evening."

"I only put him to bed about 20 minutes ago, I could have brought him with me. But, never mind, did you have fun?" she asked, smoothing Hope's curls out.

"It was...interesting," he shrugged one shoulder and Emma knew it wouldn't have been his scene. "It was fun seeing Hope enjoying herself though. She was happy, which is the most important thing."

Emma smiled, knowing that he would do anything to see his kids happy. He had taken to fatherhood like a duck to water and he now basked in it. For all his centuries at sea and all the adventures and experiences he'd had, he still claimed that becoming a father was his proudest achievement. "Here, give her to me and I'll take her up to bed." Emma held her arms out for her.

"I've got her, you lead the way," he nodded towards the stairs.

Once in her room, he carefully set her down on her bed and then left Emma to get her changed. "Hey," she whispered as Hope roused a little from pulling the dress over her head, "did you have a good night?"

Hope yawned and nodded at the same time. "The best," she whispered, her eyes already closing again.

"I'm glad," Emma replied, thrilled that her little girl had had a good time. "You can tell me all about it tomorrow," she added, kissing the top of her head and getting her into her nightgown quickly. Hope was asleep again before her head hit the pillow. "She was out like a light," Emma told Killian when she came back downstairs. He was in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water. His jacket hung over the back of a chair and his bow-tie was undone.

"I'm not surprised. She didn't stop all night. If she wasn't dragging me around the dance floor, she was running around with her friends having a whale of a time."

"I love seeing them happy. I think Ollie enjoyed our evening too. Did you get anything to eat at this thing?"

"There was some food, we nibbled a bit. I just made myself a sandwich though," he indicated the debris he had left on the counter.

"Want anything else? I can make you some eggs or...heat up some soup or something?" she offered.

"There is one thing I want," he began, a secret smirk growing on his face.

"And what's that?" she asked, quickly tuning in to his mood.

He paused to turn the kitchen stereo on and pressed 'play' on the CD left in there. "I would like to dance with my wife," he said as their song began to play. Their song had been popular the summer after they were married and they had quickly adopted it as theirs.

Emma giggled girlishly as he took her into his arms and twirled her around the kitchen before she lay her head on his chest and breathed in the scent and warmth of him. "And, I seem to recall my wife having some longing desire to strip me of my current attire," he whispered as they swayed gently to the music. "Want to make that a reality?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in question as he waited for her answer.

She looked up at him and grinned. "You bet," she replied. Kissing his lips once, she took his hand, turned the radio off and led him upstairs to their room.