#same with emma and killian let's be real

[piinfeathers]

this just in!! world governments have discovered that the enchanted forest is in fact a real alternate reality. diplomats are looking to open immigration from their realm to ours and is running a test trial. congratulations!!

due to your extensive knowledge of ouat, you specifically have been tasked with choosing exactly one (1) pre-curse inhabitant to spend 6 months here to test their suitability for our world in the hopes of integrating magic into our society.

should the trial be a failure, there will be NO further immigration between realms and the individual you have sponsored will promptly be returned home.

please keep in mind:

the participant should be quick to adapt, and on their best behaviour so as to best represent the enchanted forest

the consequences that could entail as a result of separating a family

contrary to popular belief, magic users retain their magic in this realm, so choose wisely (unless you have your own secret agenda)

good luck!!

genuinely feel like belle would be the only one capable enough not to freak out or pull a weapon on anyone long enough to make a good enough impression i gotta be so honest

also, truly? give that girl a vacation ;;

[heart-0f-silk]

Captain Killian “Hook” Jones x F!Reader

[Season 3]

Warnings: Fluff, Smut, Semi-Public sex, p in v, creampie, caught?

You and Hook have never truly been alone. There was always someone, whether is was Emma, Henry, or the Charmings. Most of the time you guys even saw each other was when something bad happened and now you were on some crazy fairytale mission.

Now here you are, on ANOTHER mission. You and Hook were tasked to go the library and see if you two could meet up with Belle and search around for some information on Zelena.

The silence as we walk is uncomfortable. I decide to finally try and make some small talk. “So, uhm, Killian is your real name..correct?”

“Yes love. That it is, why do you ask?” He looks at me.

“Well I was wondering, I’ve never really heard anyone use it before..any particular reason why?”

“Well it’s probably because of my reputation, that and I tell most that they may as well call me Hook.”

“Oh..not as exciting as I thought..”

“What? Did you think I’d have some dark backstory besides the fact I loss my hand?” He gives me a smirk.

“No…well maybe. You are a pirate.” I kinda laugh, but it was just nervous laughter. Why is this so hard for me? We’ve spent plenty of time together, we’ve worked together, especially in neverland. So why do I struggle so much with this?? I guess it doesn’t matter, we need to focus on Zelena.

“Well, I am full of surprises, Love.” He continues his smirk towards me, but I didn’t even notice. I tried just focusing on Zelena and what she could be up to. “Something on your mind, love? You seem to be almost bursting a vein.” I hear his chuckle, “oh! Uhm just thinking about Zelena Y’know…”

“No, I believe there’s something else..what is on your mind?” Before I can even think of an answer we are already at the library. “Oh! Were here! Lets uhm.. go find Belle!” I rush inside. Why am I so nervous to answer his question? There’s nothing particularly wrong?.. I mean, it’s just I’m truly thinking about him.. is that why I can’t answer? Why am I suddenly feeling so..flustered about all this?

My mind is running on and on about Killian I completely ignore the confused Belle standing infront of me, “Hellooooo, are you listening?” I snap out of it as I hear her sweet accent. “Oh sorry, uhm. We just came to see if maybe we could find some information about our witch problem.”

“I see, I’m afraid I haven’t checked and I do have somewhere to be, me and Rumple are going out so- anyways, you’re free to look around! I’ll leave a key on the desk, please be sure to lock the doors oh your way out!” Belle finishes putting on her scarf and purse and then rushes out the door. “Well, it seems it will just be us two, love.” “So it seems..” why am I so sweaty all of a sudden?.. my heart rates also increased… “We should probably start looking today.” I snap out of my thoughts once again to Killians voice, “Y-yes, your right. I’ll start over there in section E-G, you can go from A-B.”

“And I thought I was a captain..look at you bossing me around.” Killian chuckles as he walks through the isles, pushing books sloppily with his hook.

After about 20-ish minutes of searching me and hook ended up meeting in the middle on the same isle. Both facing opposite directions. The space between the isle wasn’t forgiving, I could smell the natural musk and rum from Killian. It was so..intoxicating. While scanning through books I saw a red cover reading ���the truth of your feelings’. Something about the book made me flip open to the table of contents. That’s when I see a chapter of the name ‘why and what is this feeling?’. I flip to the chapter and read a bit. It talks of feelings of intimacy, tension, both romantic and sexual, and a whole catalyst of other things. Most of it sounded familiar..this was how I felt about Killian. I mean, now that I think of it. I’ve always found hook quite attractive, and when he calls me love I feel a shiver go down my spine.

Oh my god.

I have a ‘crush’ on no other than Captain Hook. Right as I was staring off into space from this sudden realization I feel a warm chest seek behind me, pressing against my back. An arm comes over just above my shoulder to meet the bookshelf. “And what so that your reading, love?” Killian snatches the book out my hand and starts reading the contents. “Truth of you feelings, huh.. Do you like someone, love?” His smile is wide as he laughs. I try grabbing the book out of his hands- hand, but he moves swiftly.

“Give it back Killian!”

“I don’t think I will, who is it you like anyway?”

I ignored his question as heat rose to my cheeks. “It doesn’t matter! Give me the book!”

He leaned down to be infront of my face, “Tell me and I will.” I get his breathe on my face, it smelt of rum. I froze for a second before I looked up at him and spoke softly, “Please Killian, we need to find information on Zelena..” his look darkened, I’m not sure with what but he didn’t seem mad..

“And this is information on Zelena? Didn’t know you liked green like that.” He gave a light chuckle and handed me the book. “That’s not- Oh my fucking god. Let’s just keep looking.” I turned away from the smiling pirate and put the book back in its spot.

We continued searching until we found a few books that could be helpful. There was a small desk near the back of the library with a lamp and some bookmarks. I had been sitting in one of the chairs that was with the desk, Killian sat beside me.

“Y’know this is the first time we’ve ever been alone together..”

His eared perked up, “No it isn’t, we’ve been alone on the Jolly Roger.”

“No, Emma, Mary Margaret, and David were all there. I think Regina was aswell.”

“What about at granny’s?”

“Definitely not..” I chuckle.

“Well- what about at the well.”

“Regina and Emma.”

We both have completely set down our books by now and have lost all attention to what we came here to do.

“Wow, I’ve never noticed it seems.”

I don’t know why it stung a bit when he said that but, it did. What was I thinking? I was barely even aware of my own feelings so why is this suddenly so serious? That and everyone knows he pines after Emma Swan. I mean who wouldn’t? She’s beautiful, smart-witted, and resilient even through everything. What have I ever done that’s been of importance? I’m just some..girl. I’ve never done anything that has amount to something. Even back in the enchanted forest, I was no one. I helped Snow hide from the Evil queen for a bit but nothing more. Emma is a savior, the product of true love. How could I even allow myself the fantasy of me and Killian?

“It’s probably because I struggle with keeping my eyes off you so often that it seems that it’s just the two of us.”

I feel my body freeze in place as my eyes widen, “W-what?” Is all I can mutter out. “You’re quite the beautiful woman Love,” He leans in, our noses almost touching, “and I can’t keep myself under control sometimes when you’re around.” I look into his piercing blue eyes. “Then don’t..” I couldn’t even believe what I was saying, it seems I even took Killian by surprise but he leaned right in and kissed me. The kiss was passionate, sweet, and soft. His lips felt slightly chapped but I didn’t mind. The smell of the sea, rum, and desire was overtaking my senses. I broke the kiss first, a string of saliva connecting our mouths. “Please Killian…”

“Please what, Love?”

“Please, touch me more.” I run my hands up over the laces of the leather covering his skin. “Let me touch you more..” my eyes wander down seeing the tiniest bit of chest hair hiding under his shirts. “Are you sure about that love? I wouldn’t want to get in the way of whom ever you liked earlier. Who you were going to speak the truth about your feelings to.”

“No, no, you wouldn’t be in the way..Please.”

“Are you sure? You might have to tell who this lucky mystery person is.”

“Killian…”

“Tell me.” His eyes darken as he felt down my thigh and squeezed. “You..it’s you Killian. I want you.”

“Mm, that’s all you had to say, Love.” He then desperately catches my lips in a sloppy kiss. I hear him moan lightly as I capture it in my mouth. I start instinctively ripping at the laces of the black leather vest. Killian of course noticed and help by taking off his jacket. Before I can continue however he suddenly picks me up from my thighs and sets me on the table. “Much better..” he grabs my lips again in a heated kiss. I continue at his laces before ripping then undone, “gentle love.” He smiled at me. “Sorry..”

“Don’t be, I do like you needy.” He slightly chuckled when he spoke sending another wave of heat to my cheeks. He’s somehow still just as adorable as he is handsome. “You are beautiful..” I couldn’t help but hold his face in my hands, feeling his pokey gruff and soft skin. “No, you’re the beautiful one, love” I smile and for a moment and forget the world around us. This, this is all I ever wanted. This happiness. I leaned in and kissed him softly and he equally kissed me just as soft and sweet as ever. Is this what true love feels like? Maybe love is overzealous and a much to strong word for something so young but, I truly am so happy.

I feel his hands slowly make their way up my body till they were at my breasts. He fondles and massages them lovingly. The kiss gets increasingly more eager and hungry. “Allow me to take this off?” I feel him grabbing the bottom of my shirt, almost ripping it off with the sheer force of his grip. “Go ahead.” I didn’t have to tell him twice, he took it off so quickly I almost fell off the desk.

I feel the cool metal of his rings caress my now naked skin. He slides his hand around to the back of my shirt and uses his hook to snap my clasp. It slightly smacks my back making me shiver, but it strangely felt so..satisfying. He uses his hook to slide off my bra from my shoulders. I watch as Killian then continues to take off his hook and sets it on the table beside me. He leans down and begins kissing my neck and collarbone, peppering me in soft kisses. The feeling almost tickles then he continues further down to my breasts. He then circles his tongue around my bud before taking it into my mouth. He uses his hand to grope my other breast, “Mmph” I moan but conceal it by using my hand to cover my mouth. “No, don’t you dare cover those darling sounds.” I feel him pitch my nipple at this sentence, I squeak from the pleasure. “Mm-more, please~” He smiles at me before taking a set back.

“Are you sure about this, Love?”

“Yes. 100%”

“Oh, thanks the gods-“ He quickly rushes to my lips once more grabbing my face and hungrily smashing his lips into mine. “Mmph- this isn’t fair, you still have your mm- shirt on-“ I try catching my breath in between rough kisses. Quickly breaking the kiss Killian pulls his shirt over his head and goes straight back to kissing me. His hands go straight to the hem of my skirt trying to yank it off my body. I giggle at his actions and help him, taking my panties off with them to make everything much easier.

After I do I finally look up to see Killian’s face, he’s stepped back now just staring at me in awe. “What’s the matter?” I giggle into my sentence. “You are so, beautiful. You’re perfect my dear..” I shy away from his words when I feel him come in between my legs once again and take my chin into his hand. “Hey, look at me. You’re the most gorgeous woman I know, seen, touched. Don’t you shy away from that.” I feel his finger find their way to my hair as he leads my head into another deep kiss. I pull Killian in by the belt and unbuckle it. I pull it out of the loops and let it drop to the floor.

“Pants, please.”

“Yes ma’am”

Killian takes a pause and unbuttons his pants and unzips them, pulling them down along with his boxers. His cock was practically touching his stomach, leaking with sticky pre-cum. It was a decent width but very long. I was so mesmerized I didn’t even realize I was staring. “I’m glad you like the view, Love-” I looked up embarrassed, my face hot & most likely red. “But my eyes are up here.” He lifts my chin up with his hand again. I stare into his sparking blue eyes as they glimmer with lust & desire.

His hand goes from my chin down my neck and he gently squeezes. I a choked moan escaped from my lips when he did so. “Oh, do you like that Love?”

“Mm Mmhm~” I look up at him with pleading eyes. “Do you want it darling?” All I do is nod my head. “Words. lovely”

“Yes. Yes, please Killian. I want it- I want you so bad.”

“I didn’t even have to ask you to beg, such a good girl~”

I felt my core melt at his words, I was practically oozing with arousal. “Please, please give your cock to me, please.” I continue pleading with both my eyes and words. “If you wish, Love.” With that I feel his tip aline with my velvet folds. “Are you ready?” I eagerly nodded my head to the question.

I feel the head enter inside and before I know it I’m taking inch by inch as Killian whispers all kind of sweet & dirty things in my ear. I slowly become louder & louder as he continues. “Ah~ you were made for me love. You feel so good.” He continued moaning soft grunts in my ear. He had began a stable pace for a while, all I could hear was the wet slops of our juices mixing with one another’s, and his grunts in my ear. I wrapped my legs around his waist instinctively. “Y-you are such a good girl for me, Love” The grip he held on my thighs getting rougher, his pace quicker and sloppier, and more erratic. All I could do was let my mouth fall open and let the sounds roll out.

“Yes, j-just like that darling~”

“Ah~ god Killian!~ please, finish inside, fill me up, please, please.” I felt his dick twitch inside me as he slams inside me deeper and harder with each thrust.

“Are you s-sure love?~”

“Absolutely!!~”

“A-as you wish-“ Killian continues slamming into me causing the table to bang against the wall, The lamp has fallen over and the grip moved from my thigh to my throat. Everything felt so good- to good. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I felt the knot in my stomach begin to break and then- stars. That’s all I saw. Pleasure washed over my body causing my legs to shake around Killian’s waist losing strength to keep them wrapped around, but Killian continues pounding into me mercilessly. I still manage to choke out the most pornst⭐️r moans possible as he continues. “T-to- AH~ much!!~”

“C’mon, you can take it love-“ I already feel my own juices dripping from my leg and all over his cock making the wettest of sounds. His cock starts twitching and his moans become louder and thrust more erratic. “God you are amazing~” once he reaches the end of his sentence he cums deep in my cervix, coating my walls white in his sperm.

Both still catching our breaths I kiss Killian’s jaw in soft and sloppy kisses. “You are quite the woman, Love.”

“You not too bad your self.” I retort back, “Your, amazing..”

“As much as I love staring and holding you like this we are in a public library, Love. Door is still unlocked.”

“Oh shit your right- lets get dressed-“ We both quickly grab our clothes off the floor and try to hurrying get dressed when we hear a group come in.

“Hook! Y/N! Are you guys here?” Emma. Shit shit shit, I’m still half dressed.

“Y/N!” And snow. Could this get any worse?

“Where are these bafoons?” And Regina. It can get worse. I finish putting my clothes back on and trying to smooth out the wrinkles and fix my hair. “There you are! What took you two so long to answer-..oh. Seems you two had fun.”

“Listen Regina it’s not what it looks like-“

“I do not care, but we are trying to save storybrooke and more importantly my son so if you could do it on your own time that’d be great.”

“What’s going on over here?”

“Nothing, Emma.”

All I can see is Killian give me a little wink before turning away, pointing to my legs as a small drop of white ran down my leg.

This is my first story 😨 so please be kind. Y’all at the end idk what I was on but it was 9:30pm then 1:25am-

(Also I didn’t proofread I’m so tired 💀)

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2024–Day 22: The Twelve Days of Storybrooke

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Word Count: 2310

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

CS Genre: Neverland Canon Divergence

Notes:  This story was written for @pirateherokillian for the CS Secret Santa event last year.  Emma and Killian find themselves dealing with yet another town crisis—this one with a very Christmassy flavor.

Killian woke with a gasp, taking a moment to let his heart rate return to normal.  It had been a while since he’d had the dream, but when he did he woke absolutely bloody terrified.

Six months ago Emma had won the final battle, and the residents of Storybrooke had begun their happily ever afters.  It had been good, so, so far beyond good since then.  He and Emma had taken a two-week honeymoon on the Jolly.  They’d had no real destination in mind; they’d merely chosen to sail somewhere warm and tropical.  Two weeks of uninterrupted time together had been better than even his fertile imagination could have dreamed up.

When they’d returned home, they’d set up house and then begun the process of deciding just what they would do with the remainder of their lives (besides spending copious amounts of time in bed, of course.  They were newly-weds, after all).  When Dave had decided to pursue his life-long dream of owning a farm, the decision had been simple.  Killian would take the position of Emma’s deputy.  Now he and Swan were partners in everything–life and work.

As he said, life was good.

But the fact that life was now as close to idyllic as it could get didn’t erase the years and years of trauma they had all been through over the past few years, and for the first couple of months, Killian had the same nightmare nearly every night.

They were back there on the streets of Storybrooke, Swan facing Gideon and the final battle about to commence.  He’d known what she was going to do a split second before she did it.  She’d turned back toward him, agony and regret in her eyes.  Before he even had time to scream in horror, she’d dropped her sword, letting Gideon run her through.

It was the only way to truly escape the trap the Black Fairy had set for them.  The strategic part of Killian’s brain knew that to be true.  But his heart, a heart that had lost everyone it had ever loved, rejected the idea.  He couldn’t lose her, his true love, the best part of his very self, his beloved wife.  Not now!  Not ever.

He’d watched as Gideon’s sword made contact, and Swan grunted in pain, falling to the ground.  Her lad went to her, told her he loved her, kissed her.

And nothing happened.

Henry tried True Love’s Kiss again.  Still nothing.

Killian tried, kissing her until his lips were bruised.  She remained still and dead.

He’d lost the most important person he’d ever had in his life, and he was sure the agony really would kill him.

Killian took a deep breath, shaking his head to clear the distressing images from his mind, and then turning onto his side, tears of relief coming into his eyes as his gaze took in the peacefully sleeping form of his wife.

She was here.  She was alive.  She was well.  They’d gotten their happy beginning, and he need never fear the final battle again.

They’d been married long enough for Killian to know waking his sleeping Swan was a rather unwise proposition, but still he leaned over and softly caressed her cheek, pushing aside her tangled hair.  He needed to touch her, needed to reassure himself that it was just a dream; that she was here and that she was well.

She was so beautiful, so vibrant.  He leaned down and kissed her, softly, gently.  She stirred at the touch of his lips to hers, smiling in her sleep and whispering his name.  After a moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him back.

He’d feared she’d be angry at him for waking her, but it seemed she had another form of sweet torture for him instead.  The fire built up inside of him as the kiss continued and Swan’s hands began wandering.  This wasn’t necessarily how he’d planned to begin Christmas Eve morning, but Killian was so very far from complaining.

He’d only just reached for the hem of Emma’s pajama top when her talking phone began blaring “Jingle Bells.”

She groaned, reluctantly pulling her mouth from his.

“Ignore it, Love,” he whispered, kissing down the column of her neck.

“Good plan,” she responded in a far-from-steady voice as she pulled his mouth back to hers.

But the wretch on the other end of the phone seemed quite insistent.  No sooner had the talking phone gone silent than it started up again.

Emma growled, rolling away from him to reach for the phone.  “Sounds like they’re not giving up.  I better see what it is.”

Emma tapped at the screen for a moment, and then barked. “What?”

She listened for a moment before rolling her eyes.  “Just a second, Dad.  Killian’s here too.  Let me put you on speaker.”

A few more taps at the screen and then Dave’s voice came through the speaker.

“Like I said to Emma, Killian, I’m really sorry for the interruption; I know I offered to cover the station so you two could have a couple days off, but we’ve got a bit of a situation here.”

Killian sighed.  They’d had six months of peace.  He supposed it was the best run they could hope for.  “Just what kind of situation?”

“Well,” David said slowly. “I…don’t know exactly how to describe it.  I know it involves lots of birds.”

“Birds?” Emma bit out.  “Dad, you interrupted us because of birds?  Isn’t that more Mom’s department?”

“She doesn’t know what to make of it either.  Besides, some of the birds don’t seem to even speak English.” 

Emma shook her head.  “I kind of hate that a sentence like that almost makes sense to me.  Still, why are you bothering us for birds–no matter what language they speak?”

“It’s not just the birds,” David said. “There are other oddities. Women dancing, people playing instruments, men randomly jumping up and down, cows being milked. Full-grown trees suddenly appearing.  I don’t know what’s going on, but it is truly bizarre, and you know how this town is.  The usual suspects are already starting to freak out.”

“I’m assuming Leroy has begun heralding the news?” Killian said.

David chuckled. “Obviously.”

In the background, Killian could hear the dwarf himself yelling “The bagpipers!  They’re here!”

“Anyway,” David said, “I’ve tried to calm everyone as best I can, but the rumor has already begun circulating that we’re under attack.  I wouldn’t ask it unless I really thought it was necessary, but I really think I need back up.”

Emma sighed again, pushing aside the covers and reaching for her jeans.  “Alright Dad, we’re on our way.”

“Never a dull moment, is there, love?” Killian asked, climbing from his side of the bed….just as the sound of a full on drum line began playing outside their bedroom window.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I think we need to go on the attack!” Leroy shouted from the back of city hall, as the impromptu town hall meeting began.  “This is our town, and we need to defend it!”

Emma rolled her eyes–she’d  been doing that so much already today that she feared she’d go blind.  Just when she thought things in Storybrooke couldn’t get weirder, something like this happened.

As she and Killian had driven into town, she could tell her dad hadn’t been exaggerating.  Everywhere she looked was something else out of place.  Fully grown pear trees, each with a bird perched on one of it’s limbs, blue birds with–if one could believe it–cell phones held to their heads.  Hen’s wearing berets and waving French flags.  Groups of swans performing some sort of synchronized swimming routine in the harbor.  Pairs of turtle doves nestled together, cooing sweet nothings in each other’s ears. Geese lying around in the street.

And that was only the birds.  As they neared the center of town, Emma began noticing the groups of people–people she’d never seen before–behaving in distinctly odd fashion.  There were the maids milking, the men in three-piece suits playing leap-frog with each other and the scantily clad women (shouldn’t they be freezing dressed like that in December?) seductively dancing to the music of a pipe and drum corp.

Right in the center of town, a set of five, huge golden hoops  sat upon the ground.  

(“Stay away from the rings!” she heard someone shout.  “Probably portals to some dystopian hellscape!”)

Regina, as the newly reinstated mayor, had taken control, promptly calling a town meeting and magicing the word out to all the town’s residents.

And so here they were, huddled together in town hall, trying desperately to make sense of…well, anything that was going on today.

Seriously, though.  Couldn’t whatever villain or whatever had done this have at least waited until after Christmas.  Rude.

“Who precisely do you suggest we attack?” Regina asked with a sneer.  “We don’t even know what is going on, let alone who has perpetrated it.”

“I might be able to answer that first question,” Belle said, from her place in the back next to her husband and sleeping newborn. 

“Yeah?” Emma asked.  “What do you think is going on?”

Belle got to her feet and looked over at the assembled town.  “Well, it’s Christmas Eve, and we’re seeing everything from partridges in pear trees to drummers drumming.  Think about it!  Every weird thing going on right now has something to do with one of the gifts from the Christmas song.”

Emma groaned.  Of course.  Of course someone had decided to mess with them by sending the twelve days of Christmas.

“So who do we think’s doing it?” Henry asked.  “Can anyone think of a Christmas related villain that might want to attack us?”

Various suggestions were thrown out there–from Ebenezer Scrooge to the Grinch, to Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life, but none seemed to quite fit the bill.      

“Well, we aren’t getting anywhere just speculating,” Emma said.  “If there is some kind of psycho Christmas villain going after us, we’ll have to wait until they make another move.  For the time being, it doesn’t seem like any of the birds or….performers��are causing any harm.  I guess just…don’t panic.”

“We’ve defeated much worse than eleven pipers piping!” Snow chirped up in a way-too cheery voice.  “This town will get through it the way we get through everything!  Together!”

The meeting had only just adjourned, when Emma’s cell phone began ringing. She looked down and frowned.  It was a long distance number.  A very long distance number.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emma curled up on the sofa, bringing her legs up beneath her and leaning into Killian’s open arm.  She chuckled as she brought her mug of cocoa to her lips and glanced over at their huge, brightly decorated Christmas tree.

“Did you see Leroy’s face when that goose suddenly decided to stop lying around and started chasing him through the streets?  I thought he was going to start screaming like a little girl.”

Killian laughed, turning his head to give her a quick kiss on the forehead.  It was one of her favorite things about being with Killian, all of the simple, casual signs of affection.  “I’d pay an entire pouch full of doubloons for a moving picture of that moment.”

Emma laughed again.  “It’s amazing how quickly everyone’s mood shifted, though once we found out we weren’t in fact under attack.  Seems like nothing can dampen the Christmas spirit for long around here this year.”

No sooner had the town hall meeting ended, than Emma got a video call from Arendelle.  “Emma!” Elsa had said as soon as the call connected. “I’m really sorry about this.  I had no idea!”

Emma’s brow furrowed, and she exchanged a mystified look with Killian.  “You’re sorry about what?  I’d really like to chat, but we’ve got a bit of a situation here–like always.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Elsa said.  “Apparently Anna…”

“Did you get it?” came Anna’s perky voice as her excited face popped into frame.  “Did you get our gifts?  I mean, technically, they’re supposed to be for your true love, so maybe I should have given them to Kristoff, but I figured you wouldn’t care, even if Storybrooke isn’t my True Love.  I mean I like Storybrooke, but True Love is kind of a strong term.”

Elsa rolled her eyes.  “What my sister is trying to say is that she–without consulting me–decided to send Storybrooke the twelve days of Christmas, compliments of Arendelle.”

Killian nodded before taking a sip of his own steaming beverage.  “It was rather impressive how quickly and efficiently the town was able to rid the town square of the well meaning, if rather annoying gifts once they were assured that there was nothing nefarious going on.”

“And can you believe how quickly Granny was able to put that town-wide Christmas party together?” Emma asked.

“This town truly is a wonder,” Killian said, draining the last sip of his cocoa before turning his full attention toward his wife, “but I have rather a different idea of how I’d like to celebrate Christmas Eve with my wife than talking about the town.”

“Yeah?” she asked, setting her mug on the end table and turning to face him.  “Care to tell me what that is?”

He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows before shaking his head.  “Oh darling, I don’t plan to tell you.  I plan to show you.”

And he did just that–quite thoroughly, long into the night.

Just before they fell asleep, exhausted and exquisitely sated, Emma heard Leroy’s shout far in the distance.  “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

NEXT CHAPTER->

[ouatsnark]

CaptainSwan has an abusive marriage because Hook was a villain. DEBUNKED.

I had a request on X formerly known as Twitter to debunk the below CaptainSwan hate. I think I have covered all of this before but I thought I might remind the Regina Apologists that if you use these arguments against CaptainSwan you’re a raging hypocrite. So yes, this is going to be another “but what about your ship” post just for the purpose of pointing out the hypocrisy.

So buckle up CSers and let’s dive into another installment of “WTF did that Regina apologist just say!?”

Proof of Emma & Killian’s Abusive Marriage?

Apparently Emma is doomed to a life of abuse, because according to Regina Apologists, Killian has a history of abusing Emma:

Hook physical assaulted Emma: Body Slamming, Shoved, abused other women too (villain Hook)

Hook sexual assaulted Emma and other women (false)

Hook attempted to kidnap Emma’s son (a swing & a miss)

Hook has poor communication skills (writing trope, stfu)

Hook has a drinking problem (HAD. therefor head canon)

Hook is rude to Emma’s mother (shower remark) and Henry (ONE TIME. You’re never rude to anyone?)

Hook shifts blame from himself to Emma (ONE TIME if you even want to count this & it’s about killing David’s father & he corrected himself)

Hook made Emma co-dependent as she was willing to let her parents die and her brother become an orphan (What is this even? Is it the Under World trip? But Henry isn’t mentioned… I think they got their Regina list confused with the Killian list.)

Hook treated her like trash, manipulated & lied to her, put her down, especially when angry (Villain/DO Hook)

Hook jumped off a roof just to get Emma to talk to him (get over it losers)

Hook is Professor of Moodiness 101 (What is that even? They didn’t have enough bullet points I guess)

Hook thinks family and friends are possessions but Emma’s loved ones are threatened by Killian?? Tried to maliciously kill Emma’s family and friends (more Villain/Dark Hook & he apologized, went to hell and was tortured)

What about the future of Regina & Emma's toxic friendship (cause canonically that's all that existed)?

Regina physically assaulted Emma and plenty of other people too.

Regina sexually assaulted Graham AND y’all seem to think “taste my forbidden (poison) fruit” is sexual.

Regina abused Emma’s son, tried to turn him against her and then attempted to kidnap him (she was evil so she had no rights, please understand this)

Regina has a self-centered, wont listen to anyone else, attitude problem

Regina also has poor communication skills

Regina is rude to Emma’s family and friends ALL OF THE TIME. So not just once like Killian. But All the time.

Regina was the one that actually let Emma’s parents sacrifice themselves in S6 for her instead of being a true hero.

Regina actually treated Emma like garbage before and after her supposed redemption (Regina lied, manipulated, used, insulted, degraded and dismissed Emma all 6 seasons)

Regina used the dagger to hurt Emma and tried to force Emma to tell her secrets that Emma didn’t want to share with Regina

Regina murdered Emma’s wish parents in front of her & no amount of begging made her stop (she still failed)

Regina destroyed Emma’s life and was the one to actually try and murder Emma and her parents on multiple occasions AND SHE DOES NOT REGRET IT.

If things that Villain Hook and the Hook consumed by Darkness did is proof that redeemed Killian Jones will abuse Emma Swan then the exact same can be said for Regina Mills. And Regina was never consumed by darkness. I know you all like to pretend that Dark Hook was the “Real Hook” but it wasn’t and you need to get over that. The darkness controls & manipulates its host but you’d know that if you looked at Rumple or even watched Season 5.

So are we done using these as reasons Emma and Killian will have an abusive marriage? Because obviously if SwanQueen had ever been a thing then they would have an extremely abusive partnership if we apply this same logic to them. Actually, Regina is more likely to abuse Emma than Killian Jones because between the two of them my list is more accurate for her and she has history of domestic violence (Graham, Snow, Henry, King Leo, her father). And the fact that Regina is an abusive “friend”.

But OUATSnark, all of these one time things add up! Yeah, we’re human beings. Our mistakes tend to do that. That’s why circumstances, context, intent and patterns and responses matter. So let’s break these down one by one shall we? I will be throwing Rumbelle into the mix just in case any Rumbellers out there wanna agree with the Regina Apologists.

Physical Assault

CLAIM: Hook physically assaulted Emma by body slamming her and shoving her. He also physically abused other women.

CORRECTION! Emma and Hook physically assaulted each other. Kinda. Is this what the kids are calling sword fights these days? This happened when Hook was a villain. When Emma and Hook were on opposing sides. Yes, they had a sword fight. Things happen during a sword fight. You know how that ended? He got a rock to the face. Way to go Emma! That was also after she betrayed him. Way to not listen to your literal inner voice, Emma. And yes, Hook gave her a little shove out of the way to get to Rumple. All of this happened when they were still enemies.

Neither Hook nor Emma touch each other in a violent way once he is on his path to redemption and aside from them being literally consumed by evil. Them as dark ones is not a measuring tool for how they are since they’re no longer consumed by evil.

Other abuse: Yes, Hook was a villain. He had victims that were women. He had victims that were men, too. The women victims, however, weren’t victims because they were women or because he was seeking to control them in a relationship so that does not mean he’d be an abusive husband. He was an equal opportunist villain. Please check his EQUAL partnership with Milah as more proof he is not a domestic abuser. Just because someone commits one kind of crime doesn’t mean they commit all kinds of different crimes. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

So why is all of this a problem now that Hook’s redeemed? It’s not a problem unless you hate CaptainSwan because you (wrongly) think Hook ruined your chances at your actual abusive toxic ship because…

Regina was physically abusive to Emma before her redemption:

She tried to poison Emma, twice (S1)

Threw her down a driveway (S2 when Emma rightly called Henry “HER SON”)

Punched her (S1 over Graham)

Choked her (S2 trying to stop Emma from getting in the way of turning Cora into a DO)

So Regina also has a history of being physically abusive to Emma when they were still enemies. I guess that means Swanqueen would have a terribly abusive marriage too, then, right? Or are you a double standard hypocrite? For the record, I don’t think the above is proof she undoubtedly would be. However…

Oh but wait, Regina was physically abusive to Emma AFTER her redemption:

Regina used the dagger to control Emma and LIKED that it hurt Emma. This is only significant because Regina reveled in hurting Emma with that dagger. She didn’t even apologize or care either. In fact she thought it was great that she made Emma thank her. That’s just abusive behavior. I’m sorry. When you hurt someone you love you apologize even if it’s an accident. And you sure as hell do not do it again then demand being thanked!

She used that dagger to torture Emma into revealing truths to her that Emma didn’t want to tell her. Regina might have been trying to help but she continued when an obviously hurting Emma BEGGED her to stop. Regina ultimately failed. But if Hook’s past is a reason you claim he’ll physically hurt Emma in the future then this is definitely a sign that Regina will push Emma past her breaking point if Regina wants something from her bad enough. Fair is fair, y’all!

Regina then murdered Emma’s wish parent’s in front of her Emma’s anguish didn’t even phase Regina. Again she pushed Emma past her breaking point and didn’t stop. SHE DID NOT STOP. Because Regina wanted to be the hero by any means necessary and she still failed! Emma’s pain is what brought Killian out of the darkness. Regina just kept on going!

Other abuses: Aside from all the murder, she choked a village child, abused her knights, tortured people and goodness knows what other things during her years of Tyranny. So. Yes, Regina likes to abuse people. She abused Belle after her redemption and didn’t care. She verbally abused young August (yes, she snapped under pressure but she is rude to someone at least every episode).

But do you know what Regina’s big red flag is? She forced Graham to have a relationship with her then killed him for rejecting her.

So which one is more likely to domestically abuse Emma and force her into a relationship? Hook or Regina? Regina has a history of domestic abuse so the answer would be Regina.

And for you Rumbellers out there that think Rumbelle had a beautiful marriage, lets remind you that Rumple was physically abusive to Belle:

Shook her

Threw her in a tower & locked her away

Put her in a sleeping curse

Uh oh looks like Rumbelle is going to be a highly physically abusive marriage! But wait, we already knew that. At least those of us without blinders on.

Newsflash y’all the enemies to lovers ships have a history of fighting. Shocker. But the only one to come to physical abuse AFTER redemption was SwanQueen. Therefor if you ship SwanQueen you shouldn’t be saying “CaptainSwan’s marriage is violent because of stuff that happens when they’re enemies”. And if you ship Rumbelle you should just stop talking all together.

Sexual Assault

CLAIM: Killian kissed Emma without her consent! He’s a pirate! All pirates rape! And he’s admitted to getting women drunk to rape them!

Do I have to say this again? Killian was trying to break a curse. The writers were paralleling them with Snowing. Just get over it!

And no, just because he was a pirate that doesn’t make him a canon rapist. You want to fanon him as one? That’s sick but it’s your right. But your fanon is not proof of canon.

And those words were not in that EF pub scene, that is not what that scene was about, and Emma has NO REACTION? Please just exercise some honesty and use some brain cells, I beg you!

Besides, If Hook is a sexual abuser because of the attempted true love kiss then so is David. If we follow this logic then surely he assaults Snow on a nightly basis, right? This isn’t meant to be a strawman argument… I am just trying to point out the hypocrisy. I know no one believes David does this cause it’d be far too ridiculous. So why is Hook held to a different standard? Because he is a villain or because you just hate him? Cause both kisses happened under the same circumstances and we never see Hook force a kiss on anyone outside of this very specific circumstance.

But let’s talk about Regina. Since y’all think “how to get the savior to taste my forbidden (poison) fruit” is something sexual then what does that say about your ship? Because to me it says sexual abuse is just fine as long as it’s Regina doing it. And as I said earlier she forced Graham into a relationship with her. She sexually assaulted him for 28 years then murdered him when he rejected her. What about David? Yes, her trying to seduce a cursed David is 100% attempted sexual assault. I’ve even seen people convincingly argue that she’s even touched Killian inappropriately and suggested she’d make David a sex slave when she had him in her prison.

And for you RUMBELLE stans out there: Yes, Rumple assaults Belle several times. Once when he was masquerading as Killian AFTER her rejection and ejection from her life. He uses the author to re-write her as his wife AFTER her rejection. And he kisses her without permission while she’s in the sleeping curse AFTER she’s rejected him again.

OK while we’re here let me just draw the SWANFIRE fans into this: Yeah yeah yeah Neal wouldn’t have been charged for statutory rape since 16 was the age of consent in that state but lets not pretend that a 150 yr old with a 16/17 year old isn’t cringy. His body might not have aged but he has the experience of two lifetimes worth of emotional and mental maturity. And again it’s just sick.

So I ask you… out of all these couples…which one is more likely to sexually abuse their partner? Regina and Rumple is the answer because they have CANON history of doing so. Neal is more likely to cheat on Emma with a much younger woman. Deal with it.

So lets also scratch sexual abuse off your reasons CaptainSwan is abusive cause one, its a lie and two, your favorite (Rumple, Regina or Neal) is actually the canon rapist.

Kidnapping Henry

CLAIM: “Hook attempted to kidnap her son. (To save him from Zelena, Cool motive. Still kidnapping)… I’m sure none of these things will cause problems in their marriage [sarcasm]”

So apparently Hook attempting to kidnap Henry to save him from Zelena is proof that Hook is going to abuse Emma during their marriage? Or maybe they meant Henry? Still. Say what? That does not even make even a little bit of sense. But to say this as someone who ships Regina and Emma? Are you for real? Lets review.

Regina actually physically and emotionally abused Henry.

Regina poisoned Henry (To kill Emma. Cool motive. Still did it.)

Regina mind-wiped Henry so she could kidnap him to the Enchanted Forest and leave Emma to die (she had no rights to him)

Regina used vines to restrain Henry after his rejecting her Regina gaslit Henry and made him & everyone else think he's crazy.

Regina lied & manipulated Henry to get him to hate Emma and Snow

Regina used him to get Emma to leave the jail so she could talk to a prisoner

Regina sent Emma’s son to spy on the dark one so she could rewrite her own story & screw up everyone elses

Hell, Emma kidnapped him in Season 1 to get him away from Regina’s abusive ass!

So before you use “Hook kidnapped Henry” as an excuse as to why CaptainSwan will have an abusive marriage please check your own ship first because Regina actually has a history of abusing Henry to get what she wants. At least Hook was attempting to protect him. Regina was purposefully hurting him.

Furthermore... I know you all would have been 100x more critical if Killian did nothing or if he'd chanced telling Emma. You all would say he was still endangering Henry. So, honestly, save your fake outrage.

Poor Communication Skills

CLAIM: “Hook got drunk instead of telling Emma the truth about her grandfather"

Since Hook got a little drunk one time while trying to work up the courage to tell Emma about David’s father he now has poor communication skills? That’s right folks. One time. See logical people understand that if something happens one time it’s not an indication that it is an ongoing problem. But if you hate Killian Jones it is an excuse to say that if he did it once of course he does it all the time!

Also it’s not like failing to tell someone something isn’t the oldest writing trope of all time. That couldn’t be it, could it!??? Like this is such a pathetic reach. CaptainSwan talk all the time about everything. About his part in Rumple’s past. That time he sat down with her and helped her see what her parents were going through. The fact that he’s always the one to say “I love you” first. But sure you go ahead and ignore that.

What about Regina and Emma? Regina had to use the dagger on Emma to try and get her to tell her why Emma was holding onto the darkness. All Killian had to do was ask. Regina dragged Emma to a bar to get her to open up about Killian leaving and Emma opened up to a bar tender instead! Regina refused to talk to Emma about Robin. Regina refused to listen to Emma about Henry/Pan and just walked away instead of communicating! Regina went back to Cora instead of seeking help from Emma. So far I am seeing more instances of SwanQueen not communicating!

You wanna talk about RUMBELLE’S communication or lack thereof? When did you ever hear Rumple ask Belle what she wanted? Cause he basically was just like “I’m gonna move your life around where I want it without asking”.

So again, what ship has the worse communication problems? Regina and Emma’s friendship sucks but honestly I’d give this one to Rumple since he just takes charge of Belle’s life.

Alcoholism

Hook apparently STILL has a drinking problem. Did you guys know that? I didn’t. Literally news to me! OK I’ve heard the claim before but it’s just another reach and a miss. Claims of Hook having a drinking problem are from biased people who’ve obviously never seen alcoholism. Or someone who successfully got on the wagon and stayed on it.

First off, no drunk is the same. You have angry drunks, friendly drunks, happy drunks, sleepy drunks, hyper drunks. We never see Hook as an angry drunk. So to say that he’s an angry abusive drunk is 100% fanon. We actually see him as a pretty happy, charming, drunk who’s giving Emma an out on whether or not to accompany him to his ship. So obviously not an angry or controlling drunk.

Secondly, has anyone actually counted how many times we’ve seen him drink? Because it was not every episode. NM that having one drink a day doesn’t make you an alcoholic. Getting drunk every once in a while does not make you an alcoholic. If it did then I guess I’d better get myself to AA.

Thirdly, we only see him as a falling down drunk on a few occasions. We know he was a drunk while on a slaver ship. And if you're going to hold that against him then I know you're a biased hypocrite who only cares about your fanon version of Regina's childhood and refuses to think about the fact that Killian was sold as a child slave. Liam pulled him out of that life and he was a good sailor in the navy (until the king double crossed them). The next time we see him as a falling down drunk was the season 3 finale when Emma was plying him with alcohol to keep him distracted. He was inebriated when he proposed but he was neither stumbling nor slurring his words.

So my point is: We never see present day Killian Jones drunk when he is needed or shirking his duties because of it. Alcoholism destroys jobs, relationships and your ability to function in life on a weekly if not daily basis. When did Killian do any of that? Again. Having a couple of drinks does not make you an alcoholic.

Furthermore, Hook is over 300 years old. If he STILL had an alcohol problem he’d have succumbed to it by now. But he obviously overcame that addiction since leaving the slave ship. There is nothing in canon about present day Killian Jones to suggest he'd fall back into alcoholism since he has something to live for and isn't being abused on a slave ship.

Just admit you all look for ways to hate on the ship instead of being honest.

Being rude to Emma’s mother and Henry

CLAIM: "Hook was rude to Snow & made a remark about needing a shower. He also snapped at Henry."

So let me get this straight. One joke about taking a cold shower means Killian will be so rude to Snow in the future that it will affect his marriage to Emma? Where is the pattern? It happening one time (I never took this as being rude but hey you’re welcome to the opinion) doesn’t indicate a problem. None of us ever behave perfectly. But apparently Killian Jones has to or else y'all go into hysterics!

I think it’s rather unfair to take one instance, blow it out of proportion, and use it to say CaptainSwan is abusive or will have an abusive marriage. If you don’t think it’s funny, that’s fine. Just acknowledge your bias and move on.

And the thing about Hook snapping at Henry? Again. ONE TIME. And it was under stressful circumstances. It’s not like the frustration was coming out of nowhere. The lives of people he cared about were in danger. And if you know anything about Hook, he hates just sitting still. I mean watch how antsy he was waiting on Merlin to find a way to help Emma. His reaction was 100% wrong. But it was also human.

Do you all know how often Regina puts Snow down? Are you all aware of it? I know you guys like to call it “sass” but clutching your pearls over one joke makes y’all look like hypocrites. I can let one thing slide but you know something is wrong when there is a pattern and Regina has a consistent pattern. She does it all the time. And it’s not even just to Snow! She is rude to Emma’s friends as well and the man Emma is dating. I don’t care if you hate the person your BFF is dating. You don’t put them down. It’s not going to do anyone any good except to hurt the person you profess to care about. And that’s not being a very good friend is it? No.

So I ask you again. Who is more likely to consistently insult Emma’s loved ones in the future? Regina. She has the pattern and the history of doing so. Therefor, strike this off your reasons to hate on CaptainSwan because your queen is just as guilty!

P.S. Rumbellers - don't think you're off the hook here. Be for real. Rumple doesn't value anyone's life except his own (and therefor Belle's because he wants her).

Shifts Blame

CLAIM: “Hook shifts blame from himself to Emma and blames her for not being able to tell her about David’s father”

“I swear to you… I wanted to tell you. I tried. But then you found that ring, and I just couldn't bear to ruin that happiness. Because I was ashamed, Emma, and scared of losing you and everything that matters to me.”

I never took Killian’s line here as him shifting blame. He was not accusing her. His tone was not accusatory. He was explaining to her why he couldn’t bring himself to ruin her happiness. He also goes onto explain how ashamed he was. All of that played a part in him making the wrong decision.

If you want to see this as him shifting blame. Ok. That’s you're right. HOWEVER. Again. To say that this one moment of weakness defines their entire relationship is completely dishonest especially since he totally recognizes his fault and says so the moment he reunites with her. And this is literally the only instance you can find of Killian (possibly) shifting blame.

I also think it’s very disingenuous seeing that he could have continued to blame Emma for everything he did as Dark Hook since she went against his wishes. But he didn’t. He took responsibility for his weakness. So this thing over David’s father is not a normal every day behavior. Y’all act like he’s gonna yell at her about dirty dishes he left in the sink and it’s just absurd. Killian was sincere when he tells her "I could never be angry with you" and he's pretty much lived up to that since his redemption.

Furthermore, have you never been so embarrassed by something you did that you tried to get away from it? What Killian Jones did was a very human reaction to immense guilt.

And then you have Regina Mills. She is the queen of shifting blame and she’s done it more than once. Tried to blame Henry being in the mine on Emma when it was really her fault. The entire Marian arc was about blaming Emma for her own mess. Regina blamed Emma for the wraith chasing Robin Hood. Blames Emma for having to kill Wish Snowing. She NEVER apologizes for any of that. The author only records what happens (only one canon instance where the author abused his powers to manipulate a story and that was Snowing) yet Regina blames the book for the choices she made. Regina blamed Snow for making her the evil queen when Regina chose to do what she did of her own free will. She blames Rumple as well and while Rumple might have handed her the key she chose to take it and open up the door to dark magic. She sought Rumple out. She chose to go down that path. But everyone else gets blamed besides Regina. Cora gets blamed even though she was long gone when Regina sought Rumple out because she admitted to LIKING the dark magic. Hell, for a good portion of S6 they all acted like the evil queen was a separate entity!

Co-dependence

CLAIM: “Killian made Emma co-dependent as she was willing to let her parents die and her brother become an orphan“

WHEN WAS THIS? I don’t think it is S5 otherwise they’d mention Henry. If they are talking about S6 that was Regina… like when I say they project, they project! Emma tried to stop serumQueen. You know who could have easily stopped the serumQueen? Regina. By using her own heart. But she only did that to save Zelena. Regina also could have sacrificed herself to save the very people that are responsible for the 999 chances she's gotten and whose lives she destroyed.

So laying this on Emma is just an outrageous reach especially calling it co-dependent when just last season Emma set out to kill Dark Hook and then made the decision to leave Killian in the Underworld and return to Storybrooke.

You want to talk about co-dependence?

Regina was so damn dependent on Robin and getting her happy ending that she shut Henry out of his occasional home so she could mope. She was so damn dependent on Robin for happiness that she thought about destroying Emma’s happiness with Hook. Regina was so dependent on Robin that she abandoned Emma and their ride BACK TO HENRY to chase Wish Robin after she just got done reassuring Emma that Wish People weren’t real! Kindly STFU.

You want to talk about co-dependence?

Rumple refuses to let Belle go.

Badly treated: manipulation, lies, insults, etc

The only times Killian has ever treated Emma like “trash” is when he was a villain (and she gave it right back to him) and when he was literally cursed by darkness. And no, my little Regina apologists, his Dark One Hook persona is not who he REALLY is. Who he REALLY is, is the man we saw right before being consumed and after. The man who always put Emma first, encouraged her, supported her and believed in her. If you follow canon, it is quite clear that being consumed by darkness changes you and not only that the darkness was pushing for him to hate Emma so that they could separate them and use Killian to get what they wanted.

What really irks me is that if everything Killian said to Emma while a villain or consumed by darkness is reason that redeemed Killian would abuse Emma later in marriage then newsflash hypocrites Regina would do 10x worse. Because even after her supposed redemption Regina insulted Emma and ridiculed nearly ever plan or idea she came up with. Yet it is OK to ship Emma with Regina? So let’s review.

Regina treating Emma like garbage, lying, manipulating, insulting her etc etc BEFORE her redemption:

Regina: I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do.

Regina: …How grateful I am to have Henry. Because not having someone? Well, that’s the worst curse imaginable. (Praying on Emma’s vulnerability)

Blaming Emma for Henry being the mine when it's Regina's fault

Regina: Well, of course not. Because you’re incapable of feeling anything for anyone. There’s a reason you’re alone, isn’t there? (again praying on Emma's vulnerability & shifting blame for emma's life)

Fires Emma from her job. Says she doesn’t deserve the badge.

Regina: Well, I think you picked a really slow horse this time. It’s not like you to back a loser.

That time she published Emma’s jail record; Regina: Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t want people to know you cut his cord with a shiv?

Snaps at Emma for saving her in a fire

Regina Mills spent the first season trying to turn Henry against Emma

Would have let Emma die but only saved her and Snow in the end because of Henry (s2)

Regina: Because you know so much about parenting in the five minutes you’ve been with him. Talk to David. At least he took care of him while you were away. Like I did, during the ten years you were away the first time. (anti-birth parent rhetoric, victim blaming & diminishing the child abuse she put Henry through)

Regina: Miss Swan. I assume you’re here to apologize. - where the eff is her apology for everything?

Regina: He's not yours. He's mine. And after I cast this, you'll never see him again.

Regina called her an idiot

Dismissing Emma about fearing for Henry in NL (S3)

So surely if all of Killian’s words against Emma before his redemption & during being consumed by darkness is a sign he’d continue long into their marriage then Regina’s insults and ill treatment are a sign she’d do the same? Right?

Oh but wait, Regina’s ill treatment of Emma AFTER her redemption:

Dismissing Emma’s struggle as Dark Swan & acting like she knows more about what’s it like to be consumed by evil when she has never been consumed (5x23)

Acting like she’s the only one to ever lose love (S5, Robin stabbing)

Never once thinking of Emma when Hook died - all she could do is belittle Emma over trying to save him because it effected her yet she did the same thing with Robin & even Daniel! 

Wanted her HEA at the expense of others & endangered Henry to get it & also ignored the danger Emma was in to find it (s4 over rewriting the book)

Saying she was Henry’s best chance during the Shattered Sight curse (s4) and that wasn't true

Ignoring Emma’s concerns about Henry and falsely accusing Emma of being jealous (Pan-S3)

Making Emma feel bad about Henry’s tear all because she is jealous she doesn’t know Henry as well as Emma & ignoring how much she hurt Henry (S5 finale)

Regina called Emma a problem (5x01)

Regina stole Emma’s agency because she didn’t trust her to make the right choice whereas Killian insisted it had to be her choice without forcing her.

Regina believed the worse; that Emma would destroy light magic.

Regina blamed Emma right away for the demon. She never apologized (5x02).

THE ENTIRE MARIAN ARC. Regina had Emma doubting in herself when in fact everything that was happening was Regina’s fault.

Calls Emma an idiot again

Regina claims Emma ruined her life

Regina often doubted Emma’s abilities & thought she was more capable and Regina refused to follow her leadership (S3 over the map, S3 over Zelena, S3 over finding Neal who could read the star map, S6 in mirror mirror)

She often used anti-birth mother rhetoric (accusing Emma of being jealous in 3x10, being safer with her in shattered sight curse, S5 finale over Henry & Violet’s favorite song & the sEQ calling herself his real mother).

Swanfire really needs to shut up about this too. Emma and Neal weren’t enemies so their list isn’t as dramatic as SwanQueen and CaptainSwan but it doesn’t mean it isn't bad! And it is bad considering the fact that Neal abandoned her, laughed about her powers, yelled at her for not telling him about Henry AFTER he was the one to walk away from her, let her take the fall for his crimes and then only tried to get her back when it was convenient for HIM.

Rumbellers also have no room to criticize Killian’s past and use it as a way to disparage CaptainSwan because their ship is full of horrible things. Adultery. Liking Belle to an object to have (makes statements that he can have Belle and his power). Lied to her about the dagger then married her anyway. Thinks Belle is ignorant and wants to keep her that way. Literally shackled her with that bracelet to control her.

OutlawQueen can take a seat too. The fact that they committed adultery next to his dying wife's frozen body makes that ship absolutely disgusting. And yes, it counts because they believed her to be his wife. Intent matters. And the fact that Regina never told him the truth or how she wanted to make sure his son never had a mother so she could have Robin. AWFUL.

Hook jumped off a roof just to get Emma to talk to him

Come talk to me when he does this cause she’s on a date with someone else, just sitting around talking to her friends or family or you know otherwise busy and when they aren’t in the middle of a major crisis where everyone could die.

Hook is the Professor of Moodiness 101

Seriously. Wtf is this? They didn’t have enough bullet points I guess? Have they met Regina Mills? Cause Regina is constantly snapping at everyone. I know you all like to laugh and say “she’s just sassy” but that doesn’t make her comments or the tone she says them in any less rude. And no one laughs but you all. And yes, she does this a lot in frustrating moments but it’s all the time compared to Killian’s …what? Two?

Whether you all like it or not Killian Jones's attitude is dramatically different after the S3 winter finale onward. And he improves even more after the s4 winter finale. By the time we get to the last half of Season 5 we are looking at a much more mature Killian Jones being the man he was always meant to be.

But Regina? Regina never loses her attitude. She may have stopped killing. She may have joined team hero to get her happy ending. But she is still rude and extremely self-centered.

Trying to murder friends and loved ones

CLAIM: Family and friends are possessions but Emma’s loved ones are threatened by Killian?? Tried to maliciously kill Emma’s family and friends

I love how they threw “maliciously” in there like there is any other way to try to kill someone? Gotta make it sound more sinister, I guess? Ok Regina Apologist! Whatever floats your boat!

I think this refers to Killian being consumed by darkness which he only did because he was indeed consumed by darkness. So if this is why Killian will abuse Emma in the future then surely Regina’s lifelong goal of killing Emma and the Charmings is also cause to say that she too would abuse Emma in the future? Otherwise I missed all of the plotting he did before and after? He doesn’t have cause to try and kill Emma’s friends or family. He never did. So the only way this would occur is if he’s cursed again.

Regina has reasons to though! Out of jealousy and her want to have Henry to herself! So yes, my little Regina apologist. Regina is more likely to snap later on and decide she’s sick of watching everyone else be happy and create another curse. Just look at how much she wanted to steal Emma’s happiness when she lost Robin? That is after her “redemption” too.

And for you Rumbellers out there, Rumple tried in S4, 5, 6 and 7 to isolate Belle from everyone by killing them off or harming them in some way. And when he finally managed to get her alone, she rapidly aged and died. So really you all have no room to talk about any other ship.

Regina also tried to murder Robin's wife. So OutlawQueen can also scratch this one out. I mean the only reason they're together is because Regina murdered his wife.

CONCLUSION: Regina is more likely to abuse her future partner & Rumbelle is the poster ship for domestic abuse

So heads up OutlawQueen, SwanFire, SwanQueen, Rumbellers or pretty much any ship outside of Snowing... do not come at my ship for things that have nothing to do with the present day relationship when I have plenty of "present time" receipts to make your ship look 10x worse.

CaptainSwan fans ship Emma Swan with the Killian Jones who was the only one to ever put her first, let her make every decision moving forward in their relationship and was the only one to always believe in her.

[raviolitin]

When did David Nolan stop hating Killian Jones? - a discussion:

I see so many opinions on this ranging from “At the end of s3” to “At the end of s6” and i’ve always wanted to actually evaluate when and where David’s hate for Hook actually disappeared.

After due thought, I can’t bring myself to believe that it’s any later than good form (3x05). Keep in mind that by his “hatred disappearing” I don’t mean any issues the two have being wiped away, I simply mean when David stopped having an intense disliking for him that got in the way of them having a civil relationship.

More specifically, this exact scene is where I think the turning point lies, with David behaving distinctly differently before and after this exchange happens.

But let’s back up a bit before we can start talking about this scene and analyse exactly why David hates Hook.

From the start of their relationship, David has let Hook’s reputation (both as Captain Hook and the reputation being a pirate alone garners you) cloud his judgement of him as a person. It’s shown time and time again that David despises thieves and pirates and criminals. He seems to view these types of people as absolute scum and is very stubborn about that assumption. That’s why I think the main problem with their relationship is that David is completely incapable of empathising with Hook on any level.

We can see through scenes like this one at the start of good form that David’s main issue is being unable to see Hook as an actual human beyond his villainy, practically viewing it as impossible for him to have real thoughts, feelings and emotions.

He calls him “nothing but a pirate” because that’s all he sees him as, not being able to be a complex person in David’s eyes. All David sees is a pirate and the connotations of that position, nothing more. That’s why it’s so easy for him to hurt his feelings and have no regret because he doesn’t recognise there are feelings to be hurt.

That’s why, when we look back to this scene, it becomes clear why David’s attitude changes.

He picks up the military insignia and hears Hook’s story about his brother, and this is what i believe causes the change. It’s proof that Killian is a real person and he is more complex than just being a cutthroat pirate.

Killian had a family, he experienced loss, he was once in the navy (something I think is especially eye-opening for David, who struggles to see the noble people of the navy in the same vein as corrupt pirates) and David is seeing all of this for the first time. Suddenly, the illusion is shattered.

Hook is no longer this blank slate for him to project all of his hatred for immorality onto. He’s a real person with a real family and real thoughts and real feelings. Suddenly he isn’t “nothing but a pirate.”

David now empathises with him, not just in his own mind, but actually when speaking to him. He somewhat tries to keep up the hostile attitude, but it fades away quite quickly, turning to a kind of friendly interest.

David actively choses to engage in conversation with Hook about his brother, sharing his experience with losing his own. He takes active interest in his past, genuinely engaging.

And while this does get overshadowed slightly by the banter the two start to share, this only further proves that David’s hatred isn’t as strong as before. Their jokes are now more light hearted, they’re not actually making each other angry nor are they being violent. Their conversation is much more friendly and you can see that in David’s demeanour especially. He’s smiling now, despite it all.

This is such a stark contrast to where they started. Hell, even a stark contrast to their dynamic at the start of the episode. Something’s changed between them, and it’s because of that small thing flipping a switch in David’s mind.

Though there’s still the issue of Hook pursuing Emma, I 1. don’t think that’s at the forefront of his mind right now. With everything going on, I’d say David’s mostly forgotten that gripe for the time being, and 2. David’s aversion to the idea of Hook and Emma together was mostly because he viewed Hook as pirate scum, which has now mostly gone away. (this is why David is less strongly against their relationship after this episode).

But then, why does he threaten Hook at Deadman’s peak??

If I think that David hasn’t hated Hook since that scene, then why do I think the two became hostile again later on?

Well, I think this is mostly to do with the deal David overhears between Hook and Pan.

David has spent all day learning new things about Hook and having his bias challenged, he’s finally beginning to come around and see him in a more positive light. AND then he overhears Hook and Pan, and it all comes crashing down.

I think after this he immediately goes backwards, probably thinking himself foolish for even considering a possibility Killian could be anything but pure evil. Now he thinks anything good he’s even so much as considered about Hook is wrong, all being a facade to have David gone.

He probably doesn’t actually hear that much of the conversation, just assuming Hook was always planning to kill him. Was any of it real? Their conversations in 3x03 and 3x04 are probably being seen so differently in his mind now - and his hatred for Hook is stronger than ever.

That’s why he goes back to being insulting in the deleted scene, why he refuses to take his hook, why he’s so ready to pull a sword on him.

It’s all been not only reversed, but strengthened by tenfold. It’s one thing to know a man’s reputation of being a murderer, but it’s another to know you’ve been manipulated into being his next target.

But then he calms down, and he realises Hook was on his side the entire time. His anger once again subsides and he sees Killian in a more positive light than ever. He lies once again just to give him credit, he willingly drinks the rum he previously spat out and he doesn’t insult him for a very long while.

Anyone who thinks David hates Hook or only begrudgingly spent time with him because of Emma is just wrong. David hadn’t hated Hook for a long time and it annoys me so much that s4 pretends he didn’t come around in 3a.

[cssns]

WOW!!!!!! Can you believe it? We're done and it's time for the CSSNS23 Roundup!!!

Before we get started, I need to recognize and thank my team of mods, @winterbaby89 @jrob64 @stahlop and @ultraluckycatnd, without whom this event wouldn't have happened this summer! Please join me in giving them all the long distance internet group hugs!!!!

And NOWWWWWWWW... Here we GOOOOO!!!!! Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

@hufflepuffinstorybrooke opened us up this year on July 1 with a wonderful soulmates OS called If You're Lucky, Love Leaves Scars, that I was privileged to make artwork for. The fic left me in tears and melting at the same time!

On July 3, @teamhook posted the first chapter of her fic The Last Witch Hunter, inspired by the Vin Diesel movie of the same name. Only one ch so far, but I'm absolutely captivated and eagerly awaiting more! Very intriguing artwork by herself.

@spartanguard dropped her Killian's evil twin MC on July 5, Sons of Love and Death, with artwork by herself. That artwork, of two incredibly handsome guys shouldn't be as chilling as it is, but IT IS... The fic is completely written and she's been updating weekly, so we're on ch9 of 13. Just sayin, but I'm about ready to use a certain dagger on a certain evil twin.

July 7 @goforlaunchcee posted Smoke and Mirrors, a HOOT of a ghost story, with such lovely artwork by @piinfeathers that perfectly captures CS in this fic. Three chapters are up so far, and I can't wait for more!!!

July 10, @killiansprincss posted her OS A Court of Vines and Shadow inspired by A Court of Thorns and Roses, with absolutely gorgeous artwork by @hollyethecurious. I was not familiar with the source material, so I was completely surprised and delighted with this fic!!!

@athenascarlet posted her merman Killian OS on July 13, The Merman with a wonderful visual on Tumblr 😏 Just a regular night between a sheriff and her merman pirate... Would love to see more of this, but it's staying a OS... for now, she says...

Also on July 13, @anmylica posted the first chapter of Fly With the Black Swan with amazing artwork by @zaharadessert. We have two chs of ten up so far, and I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting for more!!!!

On July 15, @whatevenisthisbloganymore posted the first chapter of Forest View Apartments, a ghost story that has the questions swirling through my mind and eagerly awaiting the next installment! Amazing artwork by @undercaffinatednightmare!

Speaking of @undercaffinatednightmare, real life has been very rude lately and has left her unable to post her two planned fics for this summer, but she has managed to make the artwork for them both that you can find here and here! I love her writing so much and I know whenever RL lets up, both these fics are going to be wonderful!!! *EDITED* The first of her fics, A Charming Curse, has now posted and it promises to be FUN!!!

July 19, @deckerstarblanche posted An Offer She Can't Refuse, with more lovely artwork by @undercaffinatednightmare. Emily only planned two chs for this very hot and sexy Omegaverse fic, but she took it in a very angsty direction in the final scene of ch2, and so has now promised that she'll come back and add one more ch to give us all the happy ending we deserve!

July 22, @zaharadessert posted a very hot demon Killian OS, Sacrificial Lamb that made bloodthirsty Krystal VERY happy. I was once again privileged to make artwork for the fic, with an assist by @motherkatereloyshipper who was responsible for the Emma edit I used.

July 23, @mie779 posted the first chapter of Finding Caldera: The Hidden World of Dragons, with just lovely artwork by @undercaffinatednightmare. The adventure of this fic is just wonderful! We're on ch9 and nearing the end!

On July 25, it was my turn to post for the event! Into the Light was inspired by the 1987 movie The Lost Boys, my very first introduction to vampires and it has never left me! Incredible artwork was created by @motherkatereloyshipper that still just leaves me staring at it slack jawed!

@hollyethecurious posted the first chapter of The Law of Surprise on July 28. Now complete in three parts, this beautiful BEAUTIFUL but also heartbreaking fic was inspired by the law of surprise from The Witcher. Breathtaking artwork was provided by @eastwesthomeisbest and can be found here, here, and here.

@xarandomdreamx posted her CS Practical Magic AU A Crystalline Knowledge of Love and Magic on July 30. Beautiful artwork by @hollyethecurious. Only one chapter so far and my heart is so broken for Emma and Elsa but also completely in love with the story!!!!

Rounding out July, @caught-in-the-filter posted original artwork featuring ghost Emma and vampire Killian that was absolutely CHILLING!!!!

@snowbellewells started Aug off on the 2nd with an incredible one shot, Deluge! Gorgeous artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest. I am so hopeful that Marta will eventually write more of this wonderfully intriguing fic!!!

Then, @eastwesthomeisbest was so inspired by Marta's fic, she made her own original art in the same vein as the art she made for the fic. Absolutely breathtaking!!!

On Aug 8, @booksteaandtoomuchtv posted the Prologue and ch1 of Witchy Woman. I have sooooo been waiting for this fic and so far, four chs in, it is hitting ALL my buttons! Artwork coming soon from @cocohook38.

On Aug 10, @cs-rylie posted The Journal, a seriously SCARY fic, only 3 chs in, inspired by Native American legend. Artwork by me, again with a much needed assist from @motherkatereloyshipper who was responsible for Milah and the journal itself.

@iamstartraveller776 posted her new fic, To Cleave Destiny on Aug 13. Featuring Demon Killian, just this Prologue has me on the edge of my seat!!! Artwork coming soon from @cocohook38.

@exhaustedpirate posted Parent for Hire on Aug 14. A Mandalorian inspired fic, Caro has melted my Captain Cobra heart so many times already, only four chs in. She also did moodboards to accompany each ch that you can find on each of the Tumblr ch posts x x x and I was also privileged to make a banner for the fic.

On Aug 16, @grimmswan posted the first chs of TWO fabulous fics!!! Dracula in Storybrooke comes from the woefully underutilized Land of Untold Stories arc, and Love Bites (But So Do I) is a supernatural adventure of vampire Emma and werewolf Killian. Artwork coming soon from @cocohook38.

On Aug 18, @snowbellewells posted her second fic of the event, Carolina Moon. A fic inspired by the Nora Roberts novel of the same name, my heart is already, only two chs in, broken for Emma and on the edge of my seat waiting for more! Beautiful artwork again done by @eastwesthomeisbest!

@jrob64 posted Saying Goodbye and Moving On on Aug 20, a DESPERATELY NEEDED and ABSOLUTELY PERFECT fix-it fic from the Underworld arc. I was again privileged to make artwork for it, and I'm just gonna have to accept that I almost can't make picsets anymore without the aid of @motherkatereloyshipper. For this one, she was again responsible for ghost Milah.

Aug 22, @padfootprongslet posted the Prologue for Like Our Love (Falling Down and Over Again). A Mr. and Mrs. Smith inspired fic, my heart was absolutely SHATTERED in this first ch and I can't wait for more! I was again privileged to make a picset for this with @motherkatereloyshipper coming in the clutch entwining the rings.

On Aug 24, @jonesfandomfanatic posted Stolen From Time. Now complete in three parts, this fic was absolutely BRILLIANT!!! @motherkatereloyshipper made a beautiful video to accompany it.

Our final fic by @wyntereyez will post in the next few days. She’s dealing with a hurricane at the moment, so she’s excused! Artwork by spartanguard. Can't wait! *EDITED* the fic and art are both now posted!!! I melted at Kait’s artwork, and I cackled and melted repeatedly reading the fic!!!! AND I am BEYOND EXCITED that Jamie has more to come in this universe, because I NEEEEEEEEEEEED it!!!!!

That's it everyone! Please enjoy all these FABULOUS fics and artworks and be sure to give the authors and artists all the love they deserve!!!

[mizusswordtip]

Down The Rabbit Hole ⚝ Killian Jones x Reader (29)

find the story on wattpad

summary: Alice's plan to overthrow the Queen of Hearts is thwarted by a dashing pirate with a hook. Years later, after the curse is broken, they reunite once again.

masterlist

 Emma decided it'd be a good idea to go back to Archie's office and check for anything we missed. So far we've turned up empty. There isn't even blood or signs of a struggle. The Charmings came along, as I expected them to. I don't complain though, four sets of eyes are better than two."Regina's file. It's Empty." David says, holding up a manila folder that has Regina's name neatly written on it. His expression is sever as he looks to his wife who practically crumbles at the discovery.

"So she did it. She killed the kindest soul in this town. A man who only cared about helping." She walks over to David who immediately goes to comfort her.

"Don't jump the gun. This has 'set up' written all over it." I say with a shake of my head, getting down on my hands and knees to look under the furniture.

"I promise we'll find whoever really did this." Emma chimes in and I don't need to look to know her parents are giving her a chastising look.

"Isn't it time you guys admit we already have? Regina had a fight with Archie, Ruby saw her outside last night, and now her file is empty. That's a lot of evidence." David implores softly and I roll my eyes.

"Circumstantial evidence." I correct, standing back up once I don't find anything.

"Alice is right, this all screams that Regina is being set up." Emma says and I nod in agreement.

"What do you mean?" Snow asks. I sit down next to Emma once I realize we've searched every inch of this office.

"Well, I don't know how it is in fairy tale land, but in the real world, it's usually hard to find evidence." Emma explains and Snow looks at her thoughtfully.

"It's even harder if the alleged murderer has magic." I add on and thankfully they actually seem like they're listening for once.

"Exactly! This has been way too easy." Emma says and Snow comes over to sit beside her.

"So you think someone is framing her?" She asks, clearly having a hard time believing it.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time this happened in this town." Emma says with a pointed look to Snow.

"Who would want to frame her?" She asks and I laugh.

"Um...only most people in town." I say and Snow nods her head, conceding.

"Yeah, but there's only one name on that list that would resort to killing to get what they want." Emma says and I nod my head, glad we're still on the same page.

"Gold."

We walk into Gold's shop to see Belle and Gold together, clearly planning on going on a picnic. I feel my face lighten up a little when I see Belle. I haven't seen her since our reunion in Gold's shop after the curse broke. I have really got to ask her about her relationship choices soon. Belle and Gold turn to look at the group of us.

"Ah! Nothing warms the heart more than a family reunited. You have your mother's chin miss swan." Gold says casually, still packing the basket. Belle's face lights up once she sees me and I give her a little wave.

"Alice! Thank god you got back alright. I was worried." Belle runs over to me and throws her arms around me, which I return with a small smile.

"We know that you killed him." Emma's words shock Belle out of the hug as she walks back to Gold's side hesitantly.

"And your father's tact." He says with a condescending smile.

"Someone's dead?" Belle looks horrified and I give her a sympathetic smile. I may not be a fan of Gold but that doesn't mean I can't feel sorry for accusing her... boyfriend of murder.

"Archie." I inform her and she looks stricken.

"Why on earth would you think I had anything to do with that?" Gold asks and I roll my eyes.

"Besides being evil? All the evidence points to Regina." I tell him and Belle lets out an incredulous laugh. I look over to see her looking at me with confusion.

"Alice, after everything she's put us through, you don't think she's capable of doing something so vile?" She asks rhetorically and I smile a sad smile in return.

"I know she is. Which is why it should speak volumes that I'm not jumping at the first opportunity to put her behind bars." I tell her and while she still doesn't look convinced, it's clear she at least believes that I don't believe Regina's guilty.

"And it wouldn't be the first time you used someone to try to hurt her." Snow adds on, unamused by Gold's glibness.

"Nice to see your memory's still intact, dearie, but this time I'm afraid I'm gonna have to disappoint you. It wasn't me." He says and I shake my head.

"And we're supposed to just take your word for it?" I ask sarcastically.

"No, but I can prove it. Ask the witness." He smiles condescendingly but his words cause all of us confusion. From what Emma told me, the only people known to be in Archie's office that night were Archie, Regina, and his dog.

"No one was there." I say with a roll of my eyes.

"Well, that's not strictly true, now, is it?" His smile only grows as realization comes over me. There's no way he's serious.

"You want us to interrogate a dog?"

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One: Domestic Battles

Chapter 59: Two For One Deal

He had no choice. This was the right thing to do, for Storybrooke, for Henry, for Belle. Hell, even for Emma in some way. He liked the girl, truly he did; he admired her spunk and audacity, liked the fact that she wasn't afraid of him like nearly everyone else in town, ironically something that might have saved her life right about now. But at the moment, Emma was at the center of a plot that threatened to take down everyone he loved in a place he was growing rather fond of. This was the responsible thing to do. Now that her purpose with the town was served, now that the curse was broken and her parents had another child, perhaps this was best. For her, too. Saviors didn't live long...he didn't know which Dark One had reminded him of that fact earlier, but he knew they were right. Saviors had a tendency to die young and experience horrible deaths in the end. Wasn't this a much better way to go? A smarter use for good magic?

Besides, cutting himself free of the dagger so he would never again be used as the tyrant, the weapon Zelena had used him for, that made the world a better place in ways the world wouldn't know until this was done. He just had to make sure it got done.

Outside, he looked over Emma's car and considered his options. He had to stage this, so it appeared that Emma left town of her own accord. Her behavior the last few days being what it was, he didn't think that was going to be too difficult for people to believe. Everyone was already looking for her and she was evading. And given her history, after a few days, if one day while they were out searching for her and her belongings simply vanished…well, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Emma Swan to run away from her problems, from her magic, and into the real world to escape. In order to stage this properly, he was going to have to have the car moved, perhaps into the bottom of Storybrooke Bay, where it wouldn't be found again. And maybe with a bit of magical messaging…

He snagged Emma's phone. It was pure luck that she'd left it behind in the front seat. Perhaps in a day or so, he'd use it to send a text message to her parents and one to Henry, telling them that she was sorry, that she couldn't do this anymore, that she had to go and not to-

When he turned it on, a notification for a message drew his attention immediately. Hook. Ordinarly he might have let it go, but the time associated with the message...he couldn't be sure, but he was almost certain that was when he'd felt him come into his shop earlier. Out of curiosity, he pressed the button to play it. "Swan!" Hook's voice shouted from the speaker. "It's Killian again. You have to listen to me. I know that you've been to see Gold. I saw what you did and if he's promised to get rid of your powers, don't listen to him. He doesn't want to help you. He wants…he wants to collect your powers in a bloody magic hat. And when he does-"

He hit the stop button before the message could end and swore under his breath. Fucking nosy Sea Captain. It was only luck that Emma Swan hadn't received the message. That she'd left her phone in her car. And luck made him very uneasy. He didn't deal in luck. The Captain was a problem that he hadn't expected to deal with, but one that he could handle so long as he got to him immediately and made sure he hadn't told anyone but-

"Swan!"

Speak of the devil himself…

The shout drew his attention to the road. Captain Hook. Here. How he'd managed to figure out this was where they were, he wasn't entirely sure. Clearly, he should have kept a closer eye on him. But, fortunately for him, the Captain running down the road, screaming at the top of his lungs, did provide a wonderful bit of joy to this somber occasion.

He hadn't wanted the Captain around while he was convincing Emma to follow through with his plan because it was too much. He hadn't wished to punish her the same way he wished to constantly punish Killian Jones, and he hadn't possessed his heart to make him stay quiet or control what he said and when. Now, however, it seemed almost too wonderful a situation to pass up. Obviously, his appearance wasn't ideal in the midst of this plan, but it did allow him to take advantage of one particularly important part of his master plan. He did love killing two birds with one stone.

He stepped away from the mansion and hid himself in shadow and magic as the Captain came blazing onto the property. "Swan!" he cried.

"Watch your step, Captain. The terrain's a little rough around here," he commented as he revealed himself to a very angry Captain Hook.

"Get out of my way, Crocodile," he snarled. "I'll die fighting before I let you use that bloody hat on Emma."

"Very well." With a wave of his hand, he sent the pirate sailing back into the fence behind him. And while he was at it, he used a spare bit of hose to bind Jones to it, completely restraining him. Just the way he liked him. "Death can wait. How about before you depart, I'll treat you to a front-row seat, and we can watch her use that hat on herself?"

"No."

"Oh, and uh…in case you were counting on Emma getting your message…don't."

He held up the phone to show the pirate.

"No."

"I'm not one for loose ends," he explained, pressing the button to delete the message. He wasn't one for luck, either. He needed to be more careful, to plan better. And that started here and now. "Don't worry. You'll get over her…just like you got over Milah. How many centuries did that take? Oh, it matters not. This might even add a little fuel to your fire. Don't tell me you haven't missed the taste of vengeance."

"She's mother to your grandson, Gold! Don't do this!"

"I wish I didn't have to." An honest sentiment. "But I need Miss Swan. Surely you understand that."

But even as he said the words, the air around him shifted. He looked over his shoulder and back to the mansion. It wasn't much, but it was there. Elemental Magic. It was in the air, the scent of it growing rapidly and fast. By the time he extended his magic and located the stray heartbeat, a heartbeat he hadn't thought twice about, it was already too late. The heartbeat was inside. Dangerously close to Emma Swan, too close for Emma not to notice the individual. And if he had to name names…the elemental magic smelled like Ingrid, but with the experience he now had constantly mistaking aunt for niece in the library and the fact that Ingrid should still be held prisoner to the dust, he'd put his money not on Ingrid, but Elsa. The one Elemental he hadn't made plans to keep busy.

Quickly, his mind began to race to think of a way he could potentially intervene because he doubted very much that Arendelle's daughter was there to convince Emma to walk through that door into a magic-free life.

But then time ran out.

It was seconds, no more than a minute after he felt the first beat of the second heart, before he could easily act, that he felt a pulse of magic sail across the property. The unmistakable and all too familiar sensation of a curse breaking.

And as he stepped closer, his mind willing his legs to go inside and see for himself, the lights in the house mellowed, emitting only a steady, soft glow from inside.

The feel of wild magic Emma had been carrying around with her since the police station…it fizzled out. Quickly. Suddenly.

But it wasn't gone. The wild, chaotic energy it had was gone, but Emma's magic still remained, its presence suddenly tame.

If Emma had been absorbed into the hat the sensation of her magic would have died completely, like it had with Merlin's Apprentice. Instead, it was still there, in the house, along with elemental magic and two heartbeats.

"No…" he sighed in disappointment. Not for the situation. Not for the fact that Emma Swan wasn't in the hat; he hadn't felt passionate enough about putting her in the hat to be disappointed that she wasn't in the hat. No, he was disappointed in himself.

He was so good at crossing Ts and dotting Is; how could he have forgotten the other Snow Queen?! How could he have come this close just to fail?

"Well, I'm guessing she didn't go through with it. So sorry."

The Captain taunted him, but as he turned back and looked him over, a smile suddenly stretching over his once pained expression, he realized…

"Oh, but I do love the look of loss on your face."

…perhaps this night wasn't a total loss after all.

"I may not have the Savior, pirate, but I assure you, today won't be a complete loss. I need to fill that hat with power, yes, but that was only part of the equation." A part he could fulfill any time, really. Tonight was only one opportunity, but there would be others. Emma would live. The only way she was still standing in this world was if she'd never opened the door and so she'd never know his secret. And Ingrid certainly wouldn't be betraying him any time soon. But the pirate…that was a loose end he didn't have to worry about tying up. Primarily because he already was…

How convenient.

"Because I need something else, a secret ingredient, one I didn't know about…until an associate clued me in. A heart."

"Well, if you need my help procuring it, know the only help I give you is with your demise." The pirate snarled and tugged on his restraints, eager to get out and hit him. He didn't realize yet just how easy his vulnerability would make this.

"Oh, you're gonna help me, all right."

Hook laughed.

"You see, this spell is gonna finally separate me from the dagger, so it no longer holds power over me. But to cast it…I need the heart of someone special, someone who knew me before the dagger, before I was the Dark One. Unfortunately, everyone who fits that description is already dead, but one still lives!"

"No. No!" he growled as he finally put two and two together and struggled to free his hand from his bindings. It wouldn't work. Strength against magic would leave him wanting in the end. Always.

"Yes. As luck would have it, dearie, you're my oldest friend," he joked before plunging his hand into his chest. Hook screamed, but in one swift motion, he'd removed his heart, far too red for him to ever trust that old rhyme about black hearts ever again.

"Get on with it, then. Just do it," Hook begged as it beat in his hand.

But that wasn't his plan, at least not until he had what he wanted.

"Oh no. I promised you we'd have some fun first. You're gonna do everything I say because you're my puppet now. You're gonna find another way to fill that hat with the power it needs. And then? Then I'll kill you," he promised.

[xadenviolct]

You know what I find almost... IDK, sad but funny, I guess--when it comes to the SJM/ACOTAR fandom?

The ship wars.

I remember a time (an age ago and in other fandom circles) where everyone was just "ship and let ship". We all had our faves, our OTPs and even our NOTPS. We all had our PREFERENCES and opinions and like-- that's just normal human nature. What one person likes, another will not, and vice versa.

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with such a thing!

But what the ACOTAR fandom reminds me so much of is the OUAT fandom when it comes to ships. And damn, that was a nasty time. A horrible time (a lot like what SJM's books bring out in people today on the internet).

Because it became about attacking people, hating on people, thinking one side was dumb or delusional or stupid and it was just downright HATEFUL. The whole "us versus them" mentality was sickening and, while that, too, is part of human nature (sadly), at the end of the day, it all boiled down to one thing:

It was all FICTION, and some people were outright hating on/insulting REAL PEOPLE over such things.

The ACOTAR fandom gives me major flashbacks to that OUAT time. Just saying.

So here's the basic thing I've learned after time in many different fandoms, after many different ships and faves and whatnot:

Stay in your lane. Ship and let ship. Canon will be whatever it is (it might be "your" ship and it might be "their" ship, who knows; that's the AUTHOR'S/WRITERS' decision), but you know what the fucking beautiful thing about fandom is--

WE CAN DO (AND SHIP) WHATEVER AND WHOMEVER THE HELL WE WANT.

I'm gonna use OUAT since that canon is over, whereas ACOTAR is still-ongoing for an example. Canon-wise? Captain Swan (Killian/Emma) ended up together, happily ever after.

Did that mean those who shipped Swan Queen were wrong? That they couldn't participate in fandom? That they were somehow stupid or whatever other insult one side hurled at the other?

Fuck no. Swan Queen fans got from the story what they wanted, and there is nothing at all wrong with them continuing stories and art and whatnot with those characters and ships. Same for Captain Swan. The beauty of fandom is that shared ENJOYMENT of a source material and the potential to "what if" our way anywhere and everywhere.

Personally, I feel there's more story telling potential in an Elriel story than an Elucien story, but you know what? If SJM writes the book and it turns out Elucien, I have absolute faith in her that she will make the story work. That it will be written in a way for me to see it better (I mean, c'mon, lots of opinions changed on Nesta herself after ACOSF so let's be honest... it's bound to do the same with Elain in her book.)

But also-- whichever way it turns out (Elucien, Elriel, whatever), that is one version of the canon story. You want to ship the hell out of the other version? Fucking go for it!

Quit insulting each other for what one person likes/enjoys and just-- enjoy your stuff.

[moistvonlipwig]

Seeing as you reblogged it again: TV show of your choice for the gen relationships ask game

ok i will do *spins wheel* once upon a time !

My favorite parent-child relationship: Regina & Henry my beloveds.....she loves that kid so much and he loves her back <333 OUAT is literally the story of THEM!!!

My favorite sibling relationship: Okay but [Wish] Hook perpetuating the cycle of abandonment his father started by killing said father and orphaning and abandoning Liam II mere days/weeks before wising up and choosing to stay with baby Alice......Brennan doomed the fuck out of all his sons and then Killian doomed the fuck out of his baby brother because Liam II just wasn't quite enough for him to change. And then Liam II grew up to be just as angry and vengeful as he was. The cycle repeats!!!

My favorite family relationship (other): Regina and Snow's relationship is so incredibly difficult and complex and deep. They know each other better than anyone else does and yet there are parts of each other they still cannot hope to grasp. And there's still so much love there despite everything. I'm obsessed with them.

My favorite friendship between two people: The Wish Hook & Regina friendship that is sprinkled throughout S7 in brief moments and implications haunts my brain. But in terms of friendships that were actually fleshed out in canon, I do enjoy Regina and Emma's relationship despite my problems with Emma as a character. Oh and I also like Regina's friendship with Archie. He's a terrible therapist but he's not a bad friend.

My favorite friendship between a group: Regina and her BFFs the Charmings who are all, to a one, obsessed with her and would kill for her, even though she has tried to kill most of them before on multiple separate occasions. Snow and David and Emma said that's my bestie Regina right there, attempted murder is nothing in the face of our bestieship, and they were so real for that. And you know Baby Neal will almost certainly feel the same. I also really like the S7 squad, I thought that was such a fun oddball group.

My favorite mentorship: The Rumple & Regina relationship and then the Rumple & Alice relationship as a reflection of that relationship are so......like he abused Regina for decades and molded her into a weapon out of spite for his enemy/ex-lover i.e. her mother but he did care about her deep down and she eventually was able to name what he did to her but she still loved him and wanted him to do better but also she still hated him and wanted revenge against him because how could she not. And then years later he stumbles upon the daughter of his other greatest enemy and he almost uses her to free himself of his evil impulses, which she is destined to do so it's basically a fate-approved solution, but he stops himself and says no, that's not fair to her, I need to stop imprisoning teenage girls in metaphorical towers. Like......the layers to that!!!

My favorite rivalry: [Wish] Hook & Rumple spent centuries doing the "recognition of the self through the other (derogatory)" thing and they were so iconic for that, although to be fair they were even more iconic for finally letting it go in favor of "recognition of the self through the other (affectionate)."

My favorite hatred/antipathy: Whatever Snow and Cora had going on was so toxic and complex and full of hate. Juicy as hell. <3

My favorite potential relationship between characters who never talk in canon: Okay I guess Regina & Marian TECHNICALLY talked once before Regina ordered her execution but can you imagine if Marian had actually come back to life through time travel shenanigans instead of it being secretly Zelena all along and she and Regina got to have real conversations and develop a real friendship.......that would be so good. 😔 OUAT S1-6 give a fuck about women of color challenge

[woodandwaxwings]

Glimpse Of Us (Henry Mills x Male Reader)

summary; Needless to say Henry and Y/n have been very close all their lives. But things change, and not always for the best. can be read as platonic or romantic but was intended to be romantic.(It seems like I only post angst or sorta sad fluff lol also my requests are VERY open as long as the character is on my masterlist) Might turn this into a full fic if y'all want me to.

Warnings; reader has black hair, ANGST, strangers to friends to secret crush

Word Count— 1,004

"You're in my spot," The young boy looked down from the stood he was seated on to the other boy around his age. "Henry, that's rude!" The woman next to him spoke as she kneeled next to her son and looked up at the other child as he swung his feet on the stool. "I'm so sorry about him." As she surveyed the boy she realized she had never seen him before, with his tussled black hair and fragile hands, he looked to be only seven, the same as her son. "I'm sorry sweetie, what's your name?" Regina asked as the stranger slid off the stool. "Y/n, and it's no problem, miss. I've got to get going anyway, my mom's expecting me." As he said that she noticed the bag of oatmeal that sat on the counter as the child brought it to his chest. Henry smiled as he climbed into the still-warm seat and his mother watched the mystery child leave. Henry furrowed his brows at the still half-full mug, "You forgot your drink!" He called out and the click of Y/n's black boots halted, "You can keep it." Henry nodded, unable to answer as the other boy's smile gave him a fuzzy feeling in his chest.

Y/n sat up on the frozen bench as he was blinded by the lights of a foreign yellow car. He brought his frost-nipped fingers to his eyes to block out the lights as a blonde woman and a hazy boy exited the car to speak with Archie Hopper. Henry looked between this blonde woman and the boy from Granny's before he made his decision to sit next to Y/n. "You running away again?" Henry asked, though he already knew the answer. "I just... needed some air." Henry shook his head, "You're gonna get in trouble again." Y/n let out a scoff through his nose, "I hate that place. And-" Y/n looked at his lap, "And I wanted to visit my mom." The truth was after Henry discovered the book Y/n was the first person he went to. At the time the orphaned boy was still just a stranger, but his page in the book and his unchanged name gave him a feeling that he could help him break the curse. Y/n looks up from his lap over into the doe eyes that were already on him, "You really think she can help us?" Both of their gazes snapped over to the blonde woman, supposedly Henry's mother, as she left Dr Hopper to join them on the bench. "I know it." Y/n smiled as he looked back at Henry, "You're lucky I trust your heart more than mine." Henry smiled at the boy next to him, their conversation ending as Emma joined them.

Y/n stood anxiously at the front end of Killian's ship, knuckles lightening with his harsh grip on the ship's edge. "You're going to fall off if you go any farther up the wall," Snow said as she placed a gentle hand on the preteen's shoulder. "What if we don't make it in time?" He asked the elder woman, his gaze unmoving from the approaching horizon. "We're going to find him, Y/n." He nodded, "I know that. I'm afraid of how we'll find him." His gaze dropped from the golden sandy shores to the mermaid-riddled ocean. "I've been having these nightmares. They- they feel so real." He looked over to the dark-haired woman as he placed a hand below his left rib. "Henry, he- he's different. And then there's this strange pain in my stomach and suddenly I can't breathe. It's like the world is suffocating me in my own darkness." "You've been having visions?" Y/n turned around fully to face Regina. "You're mother had them too." Her shoes clicked against the wooden grain, "The way they're shown to her was very deceiving. They happened, just not the way she expected." Y/n turned back around, "So, you don't think they'll be bad?" He asked. "I think you should have hope that they'll be good." He nodded, their talk ending as the ship reached the shore.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Henry asked as he firmly grasped Y/n's hand. "Our world needs your mother more than it needs me. My soul has been tainted by darkness since I was born, nobody needs me." Henry sighed as Y/n pulled out of his grasp, his e/c eyes meeting his best friend's puppy dog brown ones. He smiled, "I'm not going to die, Henry. I promise," Those were the last words he had spoken to his friend before ending up at the docks in front of the Dark Swan. "You stole my title," Y/n joked as he approached the woman. "Didn't you know, there's only space for one black swan." The elder woman rolled her eyes, sending a wave of dark magic at the teen as he shifted into a swan, flying over the magic and onto the edge of the dock. This game of chase continued as Y/n began to grow tired of wasting time. "Emma!" Regina shouted out, distracting her allowing Y/n to grab ahold of the blade in her hand. The platinum-haired woman trusted the blade forward, the shift pushing him back a step. It wasn't until her son screamed as he pushed past her had she realized what she had done. With a ball of smoke, Emma had returned to her savior self, grabbing onto Henry before he lunged off the edge of the dock. "NO!" He screamed out at the splash of his best friend's body slamming into the sea. "Please, you promised! I need you. I love you," His voice cracked as his knees hit the dock, his vision blurring as his tears hit the surfacing air bubbles in the water. "No," He whispered, looking up at his adopted mother as she placed a cautious hand on his shoulder. "He promised."

[piinfeathers]

the scars we bare

it's a mid-january miracle, i actually wrote something. after threatening to finally start writing captain swan fics, i actually did it. thank you to all my beautiful friends on discord who encouraged me and to @dykelilypage i'm so glad you liked your gift <333 this is chapter 1 of 2, second one should be up tomorrow probably maybe who knows? :)))

summary: emma swan came to the underworld with one purpose; to rescue the man she loved from hades' grip. and she would do anything, sacrifice everything in order to that happen. when hades offers her a deal, a test of their true love, she takes it. in the end though, the bargain might just take more for them than they have to give. S5B canon divergence

tw: minor moments of gore and torture, also pregnancy and child birth

✨ ao3 link ✨

***

Emma had made plenty of bad decisions in her life. Big, catastrophic decisions, she could admit that. If she were to rank them though, willingly letting herself fall under a sleeping curse to rescue the man she loved from hell, probably would have ended up pretty high on the list.

She stared at him, across the wide airy field of middlemist flowers that wasn’t actually there, but felt nearly as real as she remembered, and wondered if he would feel the same.

“Swan.” Her name sounded like a prayer, rasped from his too-dry throat.

She was running then, or maybe she had started running before, she wasn’t sure. Her arms circled him when they met, his own grip nearly crushing as he lifted her off her feet. Frantic kisses and searching hands probed each other as incomplete pleas stuttered out of each of them. 

“You alright?”

“-m fine. You can’t be here-”

“-made a deal. Hades, he had a deal.”

“-have to go back. Please, you have to go back.”

“I can’t.” 

The last two words dropped like a stone between them and Killian jerked back. His face was the same as it had been when she’d last seen him alive. It was no longer the swollen mess of throbbing bruises Hades had left it in, when he’d shown Emma her lover’s broken body that was being torn and burnt and flayed apart until she had screamed to make it stop. Killian’s hand, the fingers still intact and no longer snapped and broken, cupped her face. He was trembling. Or maybe that was her. It was hard to tell at this point.

“Emma,” her name came out as a whisper. “Emma, where are we?”

She smiled as something huge and terrifying in her chest threatened to burst open.

“Somewhere... Somewhere in my mind. I think? Maybe,” she glanced around again, trying to focus. “A memory. He kept saying something about memories. Our memories.”

“Love, you aren’t making any sense.”

She laughed and it sounded like a watery hiccup. “Hades. Hades and I made a deal.”

The hand on her face tensed as she watched his expression grow brittle. “Emma-” his throat bobbed. “Emma. What kind of deal? What did you promise him?”

She held up her right hand, her index finger raised. A small droplet of blood welled up in the sensitive pad of flesh at the tip where she had pricked it only moments earlier.

“Sleeping curse,” she tried to keep her voice calm as she risked another glance at him. His face was ghost white, completely drained of colour. “I think he thought he was being funny. Something about “the old Charming family tradition.””

Killian’s head was shaking, his eyes darting away from her as he scanned the edges of the tree line behind them, looking for a way out. “We have to wake you up. Emma you don’t understand, Hades he-”

She watched his gaze go unfocused, the nerve in his jaw popping.

“Hey,” she said quickly, her hand curling around his neck, pulling him back to her. “He can’t get you, not here. Not unless he feels like breaking our deal.”

His eyes were still nervy, and she could feel his pulse jumping beneath her palm, but he focused on her again. God she had missed him. Missed the way he smelled, the way his scruffed jaw felt when she held it. It suddenly seemed so hysterically unfair that they’d only had a few months together. They deserved a lifetime. 

“This deal,” he rasped after a moment. “Tell me exactly what he asked of you.”

“He wanted…” she trailed off, trying to remember what he had said. “He said he wanted to test us. To see if what we shared was true love or not. That we needed to really see every part of each other before we made our decision.”

Killian was holding very, very still, his expression unreadable. “And for us to do this test, you needed to be cursed, is that right? Am I cursed as well? Is that how I’m standing here with you?” His voice sounded calm, almost reasonable, as if they were discussing the rules to a complicated board game. But Emma could still feel his panic, could see it starting to edge into the corners of his eyes, turning them glassy. Another one of her huge, catastrophically bad decisions alright. 

“No. No you aren’t under a sleeping curse,” she tried to make her voice comforting, but doubted it had much effect. “He said that souls without a living body don’t need curses to be moved to the dream realm, as long as they’re tethered to someone alive they just sort of- “hitch a ride,” or something.”

A smile started to spread across his face, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “So I’m tethered to you then?”

“Seems that way,” she said, her heart feeling like a dead weight in her chest. “I’m not exactly sure about the next parts, he was talking about memory magic, about old wounds needing to be opened up. He said the dream realm made the magic more…” she waved her hand. “Potent or something. Made it easier to find old memories.”

Killian’s hand dropped to her shoulder, his hook resting against her hip. “Why does he want us to explore old memories? Which memories? What does he gain from that?”

“I have no idea, I’m pretty sure he was just talking to hear himself speak at some point.”

“I don’t like this. Hades wouldn’t make a deal unless it was to punish or to trap you here. Emma, please,” his tone was growing frantic and it was making her own nerves start to fray. “Try and remember exactly what he said. Every word. If he’s trapped you here-”

“I don’t remember all the specifics! I was a little distracted watching you get tortured. Hades didn’t exactly have my undivided attention.”

Killian’s eyes shuttered and Emma could feel the slight tremor in his hand as it fell from her shoulder. She wished she hadn’t mentioned the torture. The second she had, she’d seen his face go blank. When this was over, she would kill Hades. She wasn’t sure how exactly, but she would get creative. Somehow she would figure out a way to make the god of death hurt in the same way he had made Killian hurt. 

“Look,” she said, her voice thick. “All you need to know is that he can’t hurt us. I made him swear it. He can’t touch you here, and he can’t kill me. Everything that happens now is up to us.”

He looked up, staring at something far away from them, like he was remembering something he’d rather forget. “And if we fail? What then? Does he get both of us to torture for eternity?”

“We won’t fail,” she told him. They wouldn’t. She couldn’t let that happen. Even if it killed her, she would never let Hades touch Killian Jones again. “I got down here didn’t I? And I found you. The hard part’s already done.”

He huffed out a laugh that sounded wrong to her ears. “Your confidence is admirable, Swan. But you don’t know what Hades is capable of. What he does to you once he has you.”

She could feel him slipping from her, could feel the despair coming off him in waves, and it killed her. “There’s a fail safe,” she told him quickly. “I can call off the deal at any time.” 

He jerked his attention back to her, suddenly alert. 

“But Killian, if I call it off, if I choose to end this, you go right back where I found you. Back to Hades,” she said, a world of meaning in her words. 

“But you’ll be safe?”

She looked at him. She should tell him. Tell him the entire truth. Tell him exactly what she had promised to keep him safe, to bring him back home. What she had signed away. But if she told him, if he knew everything, he would never agree to it. He would refuse and send her back and all this would be for nothing. He would go back to the endless, screaming pain that Hades had cleaved into him until there was nothing of him left. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Yes,” she said. “I’ll be fine. But you won’t. Please Killian. Please just let us try this first. We have to.”

He blew a breath out of his nose, looking down when she grabbed his hand in both of hers and squeezed. “Alright,” he said. “Alright, we'll try.”

She grinned as she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him, holding him. His hand moved up to her hair, cradling her head, his forehead coming to rest against hers. 

“So. How exactly does this trial work? What do we have to do?”

There was a quick burst of magic to the left of them, and a door twisted into existence a few feet away. The carved wood groaned slightly as it seemed to sway towards them, rocking on its frame, before coming to a stop. They both stared at it. 

“Well. Guess that answers that,” she said.

“Indeed,” he sighed, turning back to look at her. She saw a question, huge and all consuming in his stare that went unasked. Right, this was her deal. Her curse. He would follow her lead. Like he always did. Whatever happened, no matter how much it took from her, she would do whatever it took to make sure he got out of this. 

“C’mon,” she nodded towards the door. “Let’s get this over with.”

He grimaced as they walked towards it, reaching down to grip the brass handle and opening it for her. “Any idea what’s awaiting us on the other side?”

She squeezed his hand, raising her brows. “Nope.” 

They walked through. And the ground beneath their feet vanished.

***

She was falling. Her hair was whipping around her head while the wind rushed up and made her eyes water. Images and noise strobed past like flickering television screens as she plummeted down towards a huge, white nothingness. If she focused she thought she could make out faces, blurred and half formed, but they streaked past her, faster than her eyes could follow. She tried to reach out, tried to find something to grab a hold of, something to slow her fall, but it was like falling through light and sound and a great vast emptiness eager to swallow her whole.

Was this it? Was this what Hades had planned all along? No harm to her physical body sure, but trapping them in some fucked liminal space for eternity? Well. That was a different story.

She tried to look up, or whatever passed for up in this space and suddenly felt something grab her arm. Killian, his grip tight on her, was falling beside her. His mouth was open, mouthing something she couldn’t hear over the roar of noise and wind and her own frantic heartbeat. She tried to reach for him, her fingers outstretched-

When everything slammed to a sudden stop.

Her mind lurched, feeling like the contents of a car with its brakes hit too hard. The tunnel of noise, whatever it had been, was gone, and a blindingly blue sky stretched out in front of her. She tried to blink and turn her head, but her body was locked in place, no longer listening to her.

Only…only it wasn’t her body. 

She heard someone call for her, but it wasn’t her name she heard, it was Killian’s. She twisted and when her mouth opened it wasn’t her voice that boomed forth, but a man’s, low and accented, and oh-so familiar to her. 

She’d dealt with memory magic before, had stayed up long, magic-drunk nights as the dark one weaving dream catchers together in order to snare memories. She’d been expecting something closer to that, where memories played like snippets of old tv reruns. This was something completely different. She wasn’t just watching Killian's memories, she was living them. In his head.

“What news do you bring me then?” he called.

He sounded happy, and Emma could feel it then, he was excited about something. Somehow, inside his head, she could feel thoughts, could almost reach out and touch them.

He stood on the top deck, near the massive helm. Below him, near the rigging of the sails, a woman with dark hair and seafoam eyes grinned at him. Even before Emma felt the sudden rush of love and recognition, she knew exactly who she was looking at. Milah. 

“No news that can safely be shared among mixed company, captain ,” Milah called with a wink. She had Henry’s smile, Emma realized distantly.

The crew around Milah laughed uproariously, and her wide grin was a twin to the one stretching across Killian’s as he swung round the deck to go meet her.

Just as Emma was greedily drinking in the image of the image of the woman who had her son’s grin and Killian's heart, the world suddenly melted and shifted around her. It was as if the memory smeared, all the unimportant bits forgotten and discarded. She moved through short, foggy glimpses of old points in time. Moments alone with Milah, the sound of her laugh, the feeling of her eyes watching him, her laugh lines fanning out from the corners. At the core of it, his love for her was like a warm, even glow in his chest. Emma was suddenly sad that she would never get to meet this woman. This woman with the sharp wit and an easy laugh. She thought she would have liked her.

She kept floating through memories until they solidified all at once into sharp focus. Killian was back on the deck. Only he couldn’t move, something tight twisted around his chest and pinned him down. In front of him, Milah was on her knees. A man stood before her. His hand was buried into her chest. 

Emma recognized Rumpelstiltskin as blind, frantic panic tore through Killian, choking her. Killian had never told her explicitly how Milah had died, only that Gold had killed her. But she knew this moment. She knew what happened next. 

Rumpelstiltskin's hand tore free, Milah’s beating heart in his grip. He stared at it almost hungrily. Emma heard Killian shout, felt him pull himself free from the ropes binding him and dive for Milah as she slumped back. He caught her, begging, pleading words stumbling from his lips. She felt so light in his arms, a hollow empty shell. They shared a look, Milah’s gaze full of an unspoken farewell. 

She heard, rather than saw the crunch of the heart as Rumpelstiltskin crushed it. Milah gasped, dead even before the ashes crumbled and fell to the deck. 

Rage built in Killian, blinding and useless. It pushed him to his feet, surged him forward. He cursed Rumpelstiltskin, his hands in fists, desperate to drive them into the scaled skin and rotting teeth of the man who took his love. Rumpelstiltskin's grin was sharp. A blade flashed. Men shouted. A horrible, exquisite pain erupted from Killian’s left wrist and drove him to his knees. Emma wanted to scream.

Everything started moving too fast. The memory grew blurry again, every part of it dulled by the all consuming pain and rage boiling in Killian. He was screaming, driving a hook into Rumpelstiltskin's chest, mocking laughter meeting his ears. Then hands were grabbing him, pulling him back. Pain. Oh god there was just so much pain. Emma felt herself being dragged down with it, Killian’s vision growing black. But even in the darkness she felt the agony, unable to escape it. All alone in his head, she ached. 

The memories came and went. Bright flashes of faces crowding into his vision, frantic voices and bloody rags. Blood. There was so much blood. She could smell it, the sharp, copper tang of it. It felt like it coated his tongue, filled his nostrils and tried to drown him. He was being moved, every bump and bounce he felt sending jolts of pain through his system and forcing him back into blank unconsciousness.

Then heat. It was so sudden and sharp it brought him back to bleeding, screaming life. The world around him was thrown into abrupt focus as molten heat was pressed against the agonizing, throbbing stump of his wrist. He looked at the white hot blade being forced against his skin, watched as it melted his flesh and made it bubble around the edges, cauterizing it. He was screaming. It filled his head, an endless bellow of animalistic pain that crashed into Emma like a blow. 

When the darkness came for him again, Emma welcomed it with a sob.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when he started to wake again. She didn’t care. Every part of his body was one, long, endless agony. She couldn’t breathe from the force of it. Above him, it grew dark, then light, then dark again. Time moving on with or without him.

A noise woke him at some point. She blinked the grit from his burning eyes, trying to look at where Killian's hand had been severed. His wrist was an angry, mottled thing, the skin around it too pink, too tight. Thick blisters, fat and stretched taunt, seemed too shiny in the pale light below the deck of the ship where they had left him.

Her head lolled, their shared vision turning syrupy around the edges as the pain rose up again and smothered her in burning heat. 

She could hear voices, pitched low, all whispering with a panicked edge.

“Fever.”  

“ Infection…”

“The amount of blood he lost-” 

“No one could survive that.”

Emma writhed inside the shell of the memory. Killian , she sobbed, unsure if he could hear her. Was he in here with her? Was he reliving this too and she just couldn’t feel him? Or had Hades taken him away from her again? It was so quiet now. Killian. Killian. She repeated it again and again, his fever touching her own mind, choking the air from her lungs. How could he bear this? How could anyone bear this?

Fresh pain shot from his wrist and Emma threw her head back and screamed. Tears rolled down her cheeks when it was Killian’s voice, Killian’s pain she heard echoing endlessly in her head as she was pitched sidewise into another memory.

He was vomiting, heat and misery burning him, leaving him feeling feverish and delirious. He was fading in and out of consciousness, through the days, maybe weeks, he could no longer tell. Food and water had to be forcibly shoved into his mouth until he swallowed it, all the while he cursed at them for daring to try and keep him alive in his grief.

Emma watched it all, helpless inside his head. Killian had been right. Hades had found a way to torture them after all. Because this? Watching Killian break apart, unable to help, was agony. She wanted to fight, wanted to scream at the unfairness of it. But she could do neither. She could only sit and witness it all.

More memories faded in and out. In his rare moments of lucidity, the image of Milah, her heart torn from her chest, burned across his brain. His heart felt empty, like a hollow burden, sinking his body down deeper. His love for her burned itself away, twisted and malformed from grief. In its place, only one thought remained. Revenge. 

The word repeated itself, over and over, until it became a mantra. As his body healed, as the scar tissue on both his wrist and his heart thickened, he swore it to himself, again and again. He would have his revenge. No matter the cost. 

Trapped inside his tortured mind, Emma mourned for him.

***

Killian woke in agony. Pain snaked around his spine and sank into his bones, leaving him too weary to move. For one, terrifying moment, he thought he was back in the underworld. That all this had been a ruse. Emma had never come for him, Hades had simply split open his head and planted the idea of her, giving him hope and then taking it. Yet again.

But this place didn’t feel like his hell. There were voices around him, low murmuring, distinctly human voices.

He tried to open his eyes, but they stayed stubbornly shut. Another wave of pain twisted inside him, washing over him as his back arched and a low, sobbing moan filled his head. Emma. That was Emma’s voice.

“You’re doing great Emma, just a little longer now,” a strange voice near his feet comforted.

He felt her then, Emma. She was scared and exhausted and so, so heartbreakingly sad that it nearly swallowed her. 

He wasn’t here, he realized as her emotions buffeted him and surrounded him from all sides. This was Emma’s body. Her memory.

Her eyes opened and Killian looked across the room through tear blurred eyes. She was on her back, doctors and nurses standing around her, their faces hidden with masks and hair coverings. Blinding, overhead lights seemed to beat down on her, making her even more uncomfortable. She tried to move and Killian felt something tug on her wrist.

She let out a small sob of annoyance and pain, looking down at the silver cuff that chained her to the bed. They’d restrained her. She was in pain, she needed help, and they’d restrained her.

Fury raced through him, though he couldn’t tell if it was his or hers he felt, or a combination of the two. She felt so small in the bed, and so completely alone.

Another rush of pain, this one stronger than the first two, sent stars across their shared vision and Emma fell back.

“Okay Emma, you’re ready. It’s time to push, alright?”

She was shaking her head, and Killian felt her panic and his own bleed together. She was giving birth. He was about to witness her giving birth inside her own mind. For some reason the complete invasion of it flooded his brain, made him want to climb out of her head and simply hold her. This was her memory. Hers. He had no right to witness this and Hades certainly had no right to take that choice from her.

But he was here. There was no taking back what had been started. So he sat in the mind of the woman he loved and felt her body tear itself apart.

She was screaming, her body bearing down, the act of giving birth overwhelming her rational brain and simply taking over, trying to push. Sweat poured down her face as she strained, her pain now just a constant steady stream of misery. She wanted it to end. She needed it to end. She just wanted to lay back and sleep and never wake up. She’d fought so hard her whole life and now she had no fight left. She was done.

“You've got this Emma,” a nurse soothed from her left side, her gloved hand rubbing circles on her back. Emma liked her, Killian could feel it. This was a kind person, the only person who treated her like a patient and not a prisoner. A good person, a decent person. Someone who would make an amazing parent. Unlike her.

“Emma, I need you to work with us,” the doctor positioned between her legs called. “You need to keep pushing, your baby is ready to come out.”

Her baby. Killian felt a spark of something light inside her. Emma was too scared to give the feeling a name, but Killian recognized it instantly. Love.

Oh how she loved this little baby. She adored it. She sang it songs in her head and read to it in the bed of her prison cell when everyone else was asleep. She would give anything to her baby if it asked.

So she pushed. She pushed even as she felt like she was tearing in half, when the pain grew knife-sharp and carved her open. Voices blurred around her, all speaking over each other, telling her to take deep breaths, that she was almost there, that it was almost over. She gripped the sides of the bed, shoving forward and pushed until she thought her bones would crack and she would break apart until there was nothing of her left.

“Big push now Emma! Big push!”

She screamed and it was like the ozone in the room ignited, the lights in the room glowing white hot and shattering. Killian felt a punch of raw, primal magic explode from within her and then-

A baby’s cry, small but strong, broke through the silence. Henry. He was here. Killian wanted to look at him, wanted to see the boy's face, the feeling nearly overwhelming him. But Emma didn’t turn to look. She squeezed her eyes shut, and sank into the mattress.

“It’s a boy Emma,” the doctor said, a smile in his voice.

A boy. She had a son. A beautiful, perfect son. He cried out, and Killian felt it drive into Emma's heart like a knife. Every part of her wanted to turn, wanted to take him in her arms and hold him, to soothe his cries and protect him from every bad scary thing in this world like it was her only job in this life.

But…she couldn’t. She loved him more than anything. She would give him anything to make him happy, to keep him safe. And because of that she knew that meant he had to go away. As far away from her as possible. He deserved so much, he deserved the whole world. And she couldn’t afford to give it to him. All she had to give him was a chance. A chance at a better start. Without her. She couldn’t be a mother, couldn’t be his mother. She would ruin him. Taint him somehow. She wouldn’t do that to him.

Killian felt the decision form in her mind, felt her shake her head and grit her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut as tears spilled down her face. He heard the doctor tell her that she could change her mind, that it wasn’t too late. But he knew. He knew what happened next. He wanted to beg her to change her mind, to see that she already was a mother, he wanted to be there and tell her over and over until she believed it. But he couldn’t change the past. He could only watch it.

“No. I can't be a mother,” her voice was so small, it broke him.

He felt her heart tear itself in two. When the doctors carried her baby away from her, when Henry’s small, searching cries faded down the hall into silence, Killian felt as a piece of Emma’s heart went with him. Heartbreak didn’t come close to describing this feeling. It was as if a huge, yawning emptiness split open in her chest where her heart had once sat and consumed her.

***

Killian woke with a start, jerking up and dragging air desperately into his lungs. Beside him, Emma shot up, panting, eyes darting until she saw him. Her face was pale, her hair damp from sweat and sticking to her face. She opened her mouth, her eyes rapidly moving over his face, before flinching away from him and vomiting into the tall grass. He shot forward.

“Emma, breathe. It’s alright, it’s over. What did you-?”

“Probably a good idea to give her a minute,” a taunting voice called from behind them. “She had a hell of a ride in there.”

Killian’s head spun, white hot rage spilling into his blood. Behind them, Hades sat back in a plastic lawn chair, one ankle crossed over his knee, grinning.

“You bloody bastard,” Killian was on his feet, his hand clenched. The overwhelming urge to stomp the heel of his boot into Hades’ cold, dead smile, nearly blinded him.

“Ah, ah, ah!” Hades warned, a single finger raising in the air. “We wouldn’t want to do anything rash now, would we Emma?” He leaned over, calling to her. From her kneeling position, she shoved her middle finger over her shoulder without turning and spat in the grass.

“Hades if you’ve hurt her-”

“Me? Oh no, I didn’t do anything,” he said with mock innocence. “All I did was show her your memory.”

Killian felt his blood run cold. What memory could he have shown her for her to react like that? He knelt back down when Emma moaned, wiping the back of her hand against her mouth. 

“Ignore him,” she rasped. “I’m alright. It was-it was just intense.”

“Emma love, call off the deal. I won’t have you in pain like this, I can’t-”

“No!” her eyes burned as she reached up to grip him. “Killian, no, I can handle it. Please. I promise.”

Killian blew a sharp breath from his nose, trying to keep his composure. “Emma,” he tried to make his voice gentle but it still carried an edge. “Love, what memory did he show you?”

Her eyes went distant for a moment, and Killian felt his stomach tighten. He had lived centuries, had done countless brutal things. Any of them were enough to have her react like this. The question was, which one had Hades chosen?

“It was Milah,” she said after a pause. “The moment Rumpelstiltskin killed her, and took your hand.”

Killian went still, staring at her. Hades had shown her that moment? Milah’s face, frozen in fear, floated in front of his eyes, there and gone in seconds. A phantom twinge of pain jolted from his wrist reflexively.

“How much-” he swallowed. “How much did he show you?”

“Oh, I showed her everything, don't worry!” Hades's cheery voice called. “No gory detail left out. Gave her the full surround sound experience, didn’t I Emma?”

Beside him, Emma's face turned pale, her tongue darting out to wet her dry lips. Killian remembered the pain he had felt trapped inside her memory of Henry’s birth, the agony she had gone through, and felt dread turn his skin cold. She had experienced him losing his hand. Even in his most lucid recollections of that day, Killian had never managed to remember that pain in anything other than hazy, blurred-over recollections. He had pushed it so far from his mind to protect himself from reliving that brutal torment.

And Hades had just made her experience it in full, merciless detail.

“You bastard Hades, there was no bloody need to show her-”

“Show her what? The moment you decided to dedicate your life to avenging your one true love?” Hades asked, his eyes growing wide with mock innocence. He turned to Emma and grinned. “No offense of course. No shame in being the runner up.”

Killian surged to his feet, blood pumping, hook raised. He would bloody end him. Here and now.

“Don’t let him get to you.” Emma said, pushing herself up on shaky legs, to grip his arm. “He's not worth it.”

Killian spared her a glance. “He doesn't have the bloody right. He doesn’t have the right to reach into our heads and pull out our pain just to torture us with it.”

“Oh I’m pretty sure I do though. After all,” Hades steepled his hands together, his gaze locking on Emma. “We made a deal.”

“The deal was to test our true love, not whatever twisted game you’re playing at Hades,” Killian snapped.

“And that’s exactly what I’m doing,” Hades said, his tone taking on an edge of false sincerity. “True love isn’t just some cheap card trick, it’s the most powerful magic that exists. To have it you need to love so fully and completely that it’s like second nature. And you can’t have love like that when you don’t really know a person, now can you?”

The god of death gestured with both hands, like a demented talk show host. “Seriously this is a once in a lifetime opportunity here! I really wouldn’t pass this up if I were you. You,” he pointed to Killian. “Get to finally see inside the head of the saviour, finally learn what makes her tick. And you,” his hand swung to Emma. “Get to learn what kind of man Killian Jones really is.”

His words felt ominous. A promise and a curse all at once. 

“Ignore him,” Emma said. “I already tried to tell him earlier that this whole test was pointless.” She turned to look at him, her mouth turning up at the corners as a fire lit behind her eyes. “I already know exactly what type of man you are.”

“Mmmm, do ya though?” Hades asked with a hiss of breath, tilting his head to the side. “See, I'm not so sure about that. I mean you two have known each other, what, a few months at most? He’s got a whole three centuries worth of history before meeting you. Entire lifetimes lived before you were even born.”

His gaze sharpened, the edge of his smile growing pointed. “Are you really sure he’s even worth it?”

“Yes.” 

Killian sucked in a sharp breath at her sudden certainty. She turned and looked at him, her eyes holding promise. “Yes, I know he’s worth it.”

“Touching,” Hades said dryly. “Really. And for your sake, I hope you’re right. We’ve got a hell of show left to get through.”

Killian could feel the magic starting again, could feel the rush of it start to build, and shook his head. He still didn’t trust this, any of this. He knew how Hades made deals, and he knew there was no way he would give either of them up so easily.

“Emma said you agreed on a fail safe, a way out for her if she needs it. How do we know you’ll honor that?” He asked, stopping the god from conjuring another door.

Hades turned to give them a bored look, as if the question was barely worth his time. “Emma isn’t dead, not yet anyway. I don’t have any way of keeping her bound in the underworld with me. She has the ability to leave whenever she wants.”

“Yeah sure…one small problem though,” Emma glanced between the two of them. “I can’t exactly get up and walk out while I’m stuck in a sleeping curse, can I?”

Hades’s smile turned wolffish, his eyes lighting as if she’d finally said something interesting. “Well now, how funny you bring that up. I was wondering when you would.” 

When they both only stared at him, the god’s face fell. 

“Hello? Sleeping curse?” he said, gesturing to Emma with a flicking hand. “True love’s kiss? Big flashy light show? Thought this was all sort of obvious? Gods you two really are slow. Here.” he jumped to his feet, hands tucking into the pockets of his pants, and stalked towards them. 

“Let me break this down for you. You have two options, one; you see my test through to the end and test the strength of your love, or two;” he held up two fingers on his left hand. “If at any point you want the trial to end, all you have to do is kiss her. She goes back home, no hard feelings, thanks for playing, and you,” he turned to Killian, his grin predatory. “Stay here with me. And we go back to our fun little games.”

They were still for a moment, Emma hand in his squeezing tight. They could. They could just end this now. He could end this now, and save her. He turned to her, caught her tortured gaze. Her head gave one, barely noticeable shake, no.

“Unless, of course,” Hades continued, taking a step towards them. “You’re worried it won’t work?”

Killian blinked. An old, nearly buried dread rising in him like ocean water in a sinking ship. That old fear that Hades was right. That it wasn’t true love at all. 

Oh he loved her of course. He had never loved anyone the way he loved Emma Swan. Even the way he had loved Milah had been different. Not any worse or any less but…different. Loving Emma Swan was like loving the sun. It came as natural to him as breathing.

But in his weakest, most torturous moments of doubt he wondered. He wondered if she ever felt the same. She loved him, of course, in her own quiet way. And he had taken that love and cherished it, held it closely to his heart and lived off it, satisfied with all she gave him.

But. True love? In the depths of her heart was it really true love? The uncertainty of it killed him. And he knew that Hades was perfectly aware of that fact. He had practically split Killian’s head open, torn out chunks of him. Every fear, every doubt, every agonizing thought that Killian had ever felt, Hades knew. And now he planned to torture both of them with it.

“We’ll keep going with the trial.” Emma said, breaking Killian’s thoughts apart and scattering them.  “But we need real memories this time, not whatever sadistic thing you find in our pasts that you feel like torturing us with.”

“Ugh. Fine then, since you two want to be boring, we’ll do this your way! Let’s start at the beginning.” He flicked a hand through the air and another door appeared before them. “No more skipping to all the fun bits first. Off you go!”

They stared at it for a moment. It seemed to pulse with magic, threatening and inviting all at once. In his hand, her fingers were cold, the knuckles white where they gripped him tightly. He shifted, lifting his hook and brushing a lock of hair from her shoulder. Her eyes found his and locked on, a question in her eyes. He waited.

“What memory did he show you?” Emma asked finally, glancing up at him. “I’m guessing it was one of mine. Which one?” 

Killian debated not telling her. Did she really need to know how Hades had stolen that moment from her? But her face was resolute, her gaze steady. There was no point withholding this from her.

“You were in the hospital,” he said, watching her face. “Giving birth to Henry.”

“Oh.” she said, so quietly he barely caught it. Pain flashed across her face, fast and sharp, before her walls went up again and her expression grew blank. 

They both turned to look at the door as it swung open, the hinges squeaking slightly. He gripped her hand tighter, felt her hesitation before she squeezed back. Side by side, they walked through together. 

[kmomof4]

Self Promo Sunday: Somewhere Out There

Thursday my youngest was walking around the house singing Somewhere Out There from An American Tail and it made me want to go back and read my fic inspired by the song. It made me so happy to bring that fic back to the front of my mind, I decided to share it with all of you again! 

I would be remiss to not mention @hollyethecurious​ @winterbaby89​ and @thisonesatellite​ for their beta services on the two chs of this fic, and the GORGEOUS artwork @wefoundloveunderthelight​ made for this fic! Her artwork is up above. I had some ideas for some artwork of my own, so I made a picset myself and you can find it below the cut. 

Summary: 3a divergence in which Killian’s attempt at True Love’s Kiss works and brings Emma’s memories back.

Rated: M (smut towards the beginning, but it is separated with a double  *~*~* at the beginning and end)

Words: 5280

Tags: 3a Canon Divergence, TLK

On ao3

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

@jrob64​ @teamhook​ @winterbaby89​ @hollyethecurious​ @xarandomdreamx​ @undercaffinatednightmare​ @the-darkdragonfly​ @stahlop​ @superchocovian @pirateprincessofpizza​ @tiganasummertree​ @anmylica​ @cosette141​ @motherkatereloyshipper​ @zaharadessert​ @jonesfandomfanatic​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @jennjenn615​ @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​ @kymbersmith-90​ @booksteaandtoomuchtv​ @wistfulcynic​ @mie779​ @snowbellewells​ @lfh1226-linda​ @aprilqueen84​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @pirateherokillian​ @elfiola​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​ @justanother-unluckysoul​ @poptart-cat-78​ @myfearless-love​ @goforlaunchcee​ @searchingwardrobes​ @gingerpolyglot​ @gingerchangeling​ @djlbg​ @cocohook38​ @cs-rylie​ @thisonesatellite​ @donteattheappleshook​ @deckerstarblanche​ @veryverynotgoodwrites​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @fleurdepetite​ @alexa-fangirl-forever​

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight,

Someone’s thinking of me, and loving me tonight.

Somewhere out there, someone’s saying a prayer,

That we’ll find one another, in that big somewhere out there.

And even though I know how very far apart we are,

It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star.

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby,

It helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky!

Somewhere out there, if love can see us through,

Then we’ll be together, somewhere out there,

Out where dreams

Come true.

~*~*~

Emma woke with a start, breath ragged, chest heaving, desire coiling in her belly. All she could remember from the dream that woke her was a pair of blue eyes, the hue of which were the deepest, most clear blue she’d ever seen, a jungle dripping with humidity, and a kiss that rocked her world.

She swung her feet out of bed and padded over to the sliding glass door to her balcony. She couldn’t help the feeling that washed over her that said it was more than a dream. It had the feeling of memory.

The night wind caressed her arms and raised goosebumps as she looked up at what stars she could see in the New York City predawn darkness. Her eyes landed on a particularly bright star, even with the city lights. She couldn’t understand why the dream felt like a memory, but she also couldn’t suppress the longing she felt. The longing for the mystery man in her dream that felt like a memory. Could he be out there somewhere? Who was he? Could he see the same stars she did? Would he make a wish? As she tried to pull the wisps of the dream into some coherent whole, she remembered a feeling of gratefulness, of excitement, playfulness, anticipation. As if this was something they had been moving towards for some time. She looked back up at the star. She shut her eyes and brought the vision of blue eyes that could somehow see right through her to the front of her memory. Opening her eyes again, she wished that if he was real, he would find her. For some reason, her gut was telling her that there would be no finding him, and her gut rarely steered her wrong. She shook her head at her fanciful musings. If anything about the dream (memory) had been real, perhaps going back to sleep would reveal more of it. She took a deep breath, went back inside, and was asleep again almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

~*~*~

Killian Jones stood at the helm, guiding his beloved Jolly Roger, without conscious thought. It allowed him the time and freedom to think of Emma, the only thing he loved more than his ship. The pain of their separation had lessened over the past year to a near constant dull ache that allowed him to pull out her memory without feeling like he couldn’t breathe with the desire to be by her side again.

Taking a deep breath, he looked up into the endless expanse of stars above him. Finding a particularly bright star slightly to port, he whispered a prayer to any god that would listen that his love and her son was safe and that he would someday be able to find her. As he looked closer at the star he was wishing on, he realized that it was part of Cygnus. Confusion that melted into stunned amazement colored his features. No wonder he had noticed that star first. Cygnus was always the first constellation that he looked for in the night sky. And even though it was in the wrong position, his subconscious must have directed him to it. But why was it pointing to the west instead of north? Suddenly, he heard a voice on the night breeze. Find me.

Looking again at the constellation of his love, he knew that it was pointing to her. He adjusted the heading of the ship. I’m coming, Swan.

~*~*~

The following night the Jolly emerged from the portal into the Land Without Magic. He looked skyward and quickly located Cygnus, still pointing west. Given the position of the rest of the stars in the sky, he estimated it to be about 4am. Hoping against hope that it wouldn’t take him too long to reach shore, he adjusted the headings and sent his thoughts ahead of him. Almost there, Swan.

~*~*~

Emma woke to a pounding on the door.

Grumbling not only at being pulled from a wonderful dream, but also being woken at, she glanced at her phone, 7:30 on a Saturday morning, she was going to give whoever was at her door a sound thrashing before she slammed the door in their face and attempted to get back to the dream she was having. A dream that she remembered this time. The most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, with eyes blue as the sea, telling her that he would win her heart without trickery.

She opened the door, mouth open ready to give this idiot a piece of her mind, when her jaw dropped even further as she saw the man from her dream standing on her threshold.

His face broke out into a relieved smile as he breathed, “Swan, at last.” He moved toward her before her thoughts could coalesce into anything more than utter astonishment. Cupping the back of her head, his lips descended on hers before she could even blink.

And oh boy, could the man kiss. His lips moved over hers with a sensuality that made her weak in the knees. When his tongue requested entrance, she opened for him without conscious thought. A breeze suddenly swept through them with a kaleidoscope of rainbow color bursting from their joined lips. He released her with a just as stunned expression as she was sure she was sporting. “Killian?”

“Emma?” he echoed, his eyes wide, “You remember?” His shock melted into undisguised joy as she pulled him into her apartment. Her face mirrored his as memory after memory paraded themselves through her brain. Their beginnings on the beanstalk, beating him in a sword fight at Lake Nostos, him coming back for her to go after Henry in Neverland, his constant support and belief in her, his promise to win her heart once she and Henry were home safe, saving him from the shadow in Dark Hollow, Pan’s curse... those last two and their last moments together at the town line compelled her to crash her lips against his again. Tongues tangled and teeth clacked together in their desperation to get as close as physically possible.

Releasing her lips, his cerulean gaze bored into hers. “Answer me, Emma,” he begged. “Do you remember?”

She stroked his cheek tenderly. “Did a day go by that you didn’t think of me, Killian?” she asked in reply.

A groan escaped him as he pulled her into his arms again, “Not a one, darling,” he cooed, just before lowering his lips to hers.

“Bedroom,” she moaned against his lips, walking backwards, drawing him with her deeper into her apartment and turning into her open doorway.

“What about your lad,” he asked, finally completely releasing her lips so that she could answer.

“Henry sleeps like the dead. He won’t be awake before ten on a Saturday,” she assured him, “We have plenty of time.”

“Plenty of time,” he parroted, “for what I have planned. Oh Swan, how I’ve missed you, my love,” he murmured, pressing tender kisses along her neck, making her shiver.

“Even if I didn’t know it, I missed you too.” She leaned her head back, giving him better access. “I dreamt about you. Night before last and this morning.”

He pulled back, amazement covering his features. “Really?” he asked, incredulous.

“Yes,” she answered. “You beating on the door this morning woke me from a dream when you told me you’d win my heart. I was about to let you have it so I could try to get back to it. But then, you were there, and the kiss, and, and…” her voice trailed away as he pulled her to him and began sucking a mark into her collarbone. “Ohhh, Killian,” she moaned, weaving her fingers in his hair and holding him to her.

“Delicious,” he murmured. “Your skin is the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.”

~*~*~

~*~*~

She pressed herself into him until her breasts flattened against his chest and she could feel every muscle of his body. She led him further into the bedroom until her legs hit the bed. She sat down on it and immediately went to work on his laces, while above her, he shrugged out of his duster and started working on the buckles of his vest. Pushing his leathers down enough to free his straining erection, she looked up at him coyly through her eyelashes. “I see something I want,” she purred, before pulling him forward into the ‘v’ between her legs and circling his red and weeping tip with her tongue. She closed her mouth around him and bobbed her head taking him deeper each time until he hit the back of her throat. She moaned around his length before releasing him with a pop. She looked back up at him to see his eyes nearly shut in ecstasy, his face completely wrecked. “You alright there, Captain?” she asked.

“Ohhh, Swan,” he shuddered, “I will be paying you back for that. Up you get,” he commanded before climbing on the bed next to her. A giggle escaped her mouth as she moved to the head of the bed, never taking her eyes off her pirate who pursued her with predatory intent. His eyes nearly glowed with love and lust as he made his way toward her on the bed. Finally reaching her, she started working on the buttons of his shirt as he let out a low growl. “Are you fond of this garment, Swan?”

Too distracted by the skin she was revealing as she unbuttoned his shirt, she was barely aware of his hook catching in the fabric of her plaid pajama top and tearing it asunder. She threw her head back in ecstasy as his lips closed around a rosy nipple. After his ministrations nearly drove her mad, she became aware of the steady direction he was pursuing. He pressed open mouthed kisses with swirls of his tongue down into the valley between her breasts before heading lower to her navel, and finally to the top of her pajama bottoms. He drew them and her panties down in one smooth movement until she was completely bared before him. His quick intake of breath made her acutely conscious of how long it had been since anyone had seen her naked.

“Don’t Swan, please,” he pled, as she made to cover herself, “I want to see all of you.” He took her hand in his own and pressed kisses into her knuckles. “You are so beautiful, my Swan,” he murmured, “You take my breath away.” He shrugged his own shirt off, so she could finally see all of him. He was perfect in her eyes. The scars that criss crossed his torso told her parts of the story that ultimately led him to her. She grabbed his hook and gently kissed the cold metal before she reached around the back of his shoulder to release the buckles that held his brace to his arm. At the widening of his eyes and his sharp inhale, she rushed to reassure him.

“You are beautiful too, Killian,” she confessed, “and I want to see all of you.” Her gentle insistence made the air rush out of his lungs. His eyes swam with wonder and love as he helped her remove the brace from his stunted arm. Once it was removed, she brought his arm up and rubbed her cheek against the gnarled end. She turned into it and placed a lingering kiss to the disfigured limb. “This is a part of you, Killian. And every part of you is beautiful to me.” She looked up into his eyes again to impress upon him the seriousness of her next words. The words that she herself had just realized the truth of. “I love you, Killian Jones. I love every part of you.”

At her declaration, he made one of his own. “And I love you, Emma Swan and I will never again leave your side.” He lowered himself to her then and kissed her within an inch of her life. He drove her higher and higher with his kisses and his hands roaming her body, finding all the little places that made her cry out in pleasure, until he finally lined himself up and pushed into her warmth. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he began slow and measured thrusts into her that made her see stars. Every time their hips met, he ground himself against her clit until she was nearly sobbing with her need to come. With one final thrust and grind, he whispered in her ear, “Come with me, Emma. I want to feel you come all over my cock.” She was helpless to resist him and came just as she felt him throb within her, signaling his own release.

~*~*~

~*~*~

Breathless and sated, she turned to him once he had rolled off of her. “How did you do it? How did you get to me?”

He looked thoughtful as he gazed at her ceiling before turning to look at her. “Night before last, I was at the helm of the Jolly, thinking of you, when I noticed that Cygnus was not where it belonged in the night sky. It was pointing west instead of north. At that moment, I heard your voice on the night wind. Find me it said. I knew in my heart that Cygnus was pointing the way to you. So I adjusted our course and sailed west until we fell through a portal that brought us out about an hour and a half from the shore. I continued following Cygnus until it rested on this building. I got inside and easily saw which one was yours with your name on the rows of boxes just inside the door.”

She stared at him for a moment, stunned, before leaning over him and kissing him with all the love in her heart. They broke apart suddenly when they heard Henry emerge from his room like a herd of wild elephants. “Mom! Mom!” he exclaimed, banging on her door. “I remember! Where are you? What’s happening?”

Emma threw on her robe and quickly crossed the room, hissing at Killian to get dressed and meet them in the kitchen, before opening the door to her breathless, twelve year old son. “Mom! What happened?” he asked, his eyes wide as saucers. She ushered him into the kitchen as he continued to pepper her with questions. “I was asleep and having weird dreams of dying and you kissed me and woke me up, and meeting my father, and being taken to Neverland. Then I woke up and realized they weren’t dreams at all, but I remembered it all! How did it happen? Was it another True Love’s Kiss?”

She sat him down and knelt in front of him as she heard Killian emerge from her bedroom into the hallway. “Yes, Henry,” she began. “It was a True Love’s Kiss.” She turned her head toward Killian now standing at the entrance of the kitchen. He sent her a gentle smile and small nod, encouraging her to continue. “Between me and Killian,” she confessed, giving Henry a small smile. The smile that broke his face rivaled the sun, and she knew she didn’t have to worry about how he was going to feel about having Captain Hook as a part of his family.

“Cool!” he shouted, looking over at Killian. “But what now? Can we go home? Is Storybrooke back? Can we go to the Enchanted Forest if it isn’t?” His enthusiasm was contagious and she couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at Killian again,

“Well, Captain?” she asked, “I think those are better questions for you. But as far as I’m concerned, let’s get packed! We’re going home! One way or the other!”

With a whoop that threatened to break the windows, Henry leaped up and ran past Killian to his bedroom. She sauntered up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He laid a gentle kiss to her lips before he answered Henry’s questions. “I’ve no idea if Storybrooke is back or not, but we can certainly go find out. And if it isn’t, I have every reason to think that the portal back to the Enchanted Forest is still there. It didn’t close after spitting us out. I could still see it as the sun was rising and I could see the harbor in the distance.”

“Mmmm,” she hummed, “Well then, Captain. Let’s go home.”

~*~*~

The Jolly Roger cut smoothly across the crystal clear water, swiftly approaching the castle of Snow White and Prince Charming. Emma felt a thrill of excitement skitter down her spine as she beheld the flawless edifice for the first time. Memories of her first trip to the Enchanted Forest paraded themselves across her mind’s eye, the ruins of the castle she was born in, as well as her mother’s tears when faced with its destruction.

But this morning, with the sun rising over the mountains that surrounded her parents castle, the exterior nearly blinded her. The rays reflected off the white stone and turrets she remembered her mother talking about after they returned home from their Enchanted Forest adventure until her vision was positively dazzled. Her family and the other inhabitants of the place of her birth had obviously worked hard to rebuild in the year that they’d been back here. Or maybe Regina had simply waved her hand to restore the castle to its former glory.

They had left New York forever the next day after spending that Saturday packing up what they wanted to take with them and taking care of all the loose ends that would have been left had they simply disappeared. They arrived two days later at the familiar rocky coast of what had once been Storybrooke to find nothing but unblemished forest and sea birds. Poor Henry looked like he was about to cry, and she had to admit that she was having trouble hiding her own tears as well. She’d been careful, she thought, about getting her hopes up, but seeing with her own eyes no trace of Storybrooke, she realized just how much she had come to think of the small town as home and just how disappointed she was that it wasn’t there. Killian helped dispel the melancholy that had enveloped them by taking them both in his arms and assuring them that he would get them home to their family. They changed course, back toward New York until they found and fell through the portal that would take them home.

A feeling of peace, of home settled over her for the first time in her life. All her life she’d been shuffled from place to place, group home to foster home and back again. And even as an adult, the longest she’d stayed anywhere was Tallahassee. But with her pirate and son behind her, she looked over her shoulder to see Killian leaving Henry at the helm and begin making his way toward her, and the rest of her family ahead of her, living in a fairy tale castle to boot, she had never felt so content.

Strong arms circled around her waist and clasped over her middle. She covered his hands with her own as he nuzzled into her neck, placing a tender kiss right behind her ear. “What are you thinking, Swan?” he murmured.

She turned in his arms and raised up onto her toes to kiss him. “Just how much this feels like home. Neal told me, years ago, that home was the place that when you left, you just missed it. Obviously I never missed the Enchanted Forest. I’d never lived here. And going back to where Storybrooke had been made me realize how very much I missed my family.” She looked up at him through her lashes. “Missed you. Even if I didn’t remember.”

Killian smiled down at her. “Aye, Love. We missed you, too.” He gathered her in his arms and hugged her tightly for a few moments before he gave her a chaste kiss and released her, turning back toward the helm. She watched as he took over from Henry and her son started towards her.

“So, what do you think, Mom?” he queried as he leaned against the gunwale.

She smiled at him. “I think we’re home. And I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see our family again.”

“Agreed,” he said, staring at the castle that was growing ever closer. Just a few minutes later, they were able to make out the dock at the back of the castle. Emma couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that there didn’t appear to be anyone to meet them. Wouldn’t someone have seen them coming from the towers of the palace?

Killian carefully brought the Jolly into berth as Henry secured the ship to the dock. Just as they were making their way down the gangplank, the Blue Fairy appeared before them. She gave a small bow before speaking.

“Thank you, Captain,” she began, “for bringing the Savior home.” Suddenly, the fairy pulled a small vial out of mid-air, uncorked it, and tossed its contents onto Emma.

Emma was frozen in place. Fear gripped her as she heard Killian and Henry shout, Killian drawing his sword in her defense, Henry’s face a mask of shock and dismay. Before Killian could reach the fairy, she waved her wand and a blue cloud of magic enveloped her and the magical being. Moments later, she found herself in a dark cave lit only by torch light. It took a few moments before she could see well enough to realize it was the same cave prison that Killian had left her in before she and her mother had made it back to Storybrooke. Only this time, it was the Blue Fairy on the other side of the bars, not her True Love and Cora. Emma lunged at the bars.

“What are you doing?” she shouted.

Emma stared at the fairy, stunned. She looked sad, apologetic almost, for her actions, at the state Emma found herself in. She rattled the bars in anger. “Answer me! What have you done? Where are my parents?”

“Your parents are fine, Your Highness.” Emma huffed at the fairy’s use of her title.

“Why are you calling me “Your Highness” if you’ve put me in this dungeon?” Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on her captor.

“Because you are still the Princess in this land, and I’m truly sorry to have to do this.” And with that enigmatic statement, the Blue Fairy disappeared. Emma shook the bars before her again and shouted as loudly as she could. There was no response. She turned and looked around, trying to think of anything that she could possibly do to get out. Trying to use magic was useless. She at least remembered that much from her previous imprisonment. The light from the torch just outside the cell reflected off of something lodged into a crevice in the rock wall. Walking over to it, she saw it was a small mirror. Pulling it out, the glass was suddenly filled with a purple smoke before a dark skinned, kindly, ageless face appeared.

“Hello, Savior,” he greeted her.

Emma couldn’t keep the shocked surprise out of her voice. “Who are you? How do you know who I am?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter, Savior, but yes, I know exactly who you are, Emma Swan,” he intoned. “And I also know what the Blue Fairy is doing.”

It took Emma a moment to absorb what he just said. “You do? Why?” she asked, “She is supposed to be one of my parents closest friends and advisors. Why would she do this?”

His bottomless brown eyes grew sad as he answered her. “I have watched the Blue Fairy for many years, since long before you were born. She has forsaken her duty of protecting your family. It is my responsibility to rein her in, to deprive her of the source of her power and now that she is back in a realm with magic, I am able to do so.”

“Are you taking her magic?” Emma queried.

The man smiled enigmatically. “When she realized that her magic was weakening, she sent Killian to bring you home.”

“She gave me the dream so that I would recognize Killian when he got there,” she breathed. “She repositioned Cygnus, both here and in my world, so that he could find me.”

He nodded slowly. “Indeed.”

Emma looked back at the bars. “Can you help me get out of here?”

“I cannot help you escape beyond what I’ve already done. You have the means at your disposal. Good luck, Savior.” Magic began to swirl in the mirror.

“Wait,” Emma cried, “Who are you?”

“I am Merlin. Don’t you know me?” he answered with a smile before he disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

Emma stared at the glass before her, not knowing what to do. She remembered what Rumplestiltskin had told her when they had all returned from New York after she found Neal. That magic was not an intellectual endeavor. She had to feel it. Squaring her shoulders, taking a deep breath, and shutting her eyes, she thought of Killian and Henry and how much she loved them and wanted to be with them again.

She opened her eyes again to see her two favorite people smiling at her. Her own face broke into a grin. “Swan,” Killian cried, “Are you alright? Where are you?”

“I’m below the castle in the dungeon. In Rumple’s cell,” she explained. “Where’s Mom and Dad? And Regina?”

“We’re here, Emma,” her mother called. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re alright,” she exclaimed, pushing her way into the mirror’s glass. Her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe you’re really here! And that Blue would do this!”

“Merlin gave me this mirror so we could communicate. She’s trying to steal my magic because he’s been draining hers for her failure in upholding her duty to our family.”

Snow’s face was an “O” of shocked disbelief. Regina appeared in the mirror. “So what do we do?” she asked. “We obviously can’t trust the Blue Fairy anymore.”

“Merlin said that I have the tools at my disposal. I figured out what to do with the mirror. But maybe, my magic too? That’s a tool, isn’t it? Mom, Cora said that even Rumplestiltskin couldn’t escape this prison. Why? What’s so special about it?”

“We had it specially constructed and magically protected so that he could never escape. Only light and dark magic combined can weaken the enchantment.”

They turned their eyes upon Regina. “Two sides of the same coin,” Emma whispered. “Regina, you attack from outside the prison, I attack from inside. That would do it, right?”

Regina’s eyebrows rose. “It should. But what about Blue? Where is she? How do we neutralize her?”

“Regina!” Snow scolded.

Regina rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about killing her. Just neutralizing her. Taking her magic, making her unable to fight us.”

“She disappeared. I have no idea where she is. But, if she’s wanting my magic, I would assume that she won’t be gone long.”

“Maybe she’s gone to collect some kind of vessel to contain your magic in, Love,” Killian speculated.

“In that case, we need to get Emma out of there.” Emma nearly burst into tears when she heard her father in the background.

Emma wiped at her eyes furiously as Regina, Killian, Henry, and her parents all appeared before her on the other side of the bars. Emma ran for the bars trying to reach and touch all of them at once.

“Okay, okay,” Charming shouted. “The reunion will have to wait until after Emma’s free. On the count of three. One, two, three!”

Emma stepped back and held up her hands sending a stream of magic at the bars that Regina matched on the other side. White and Dark magic met and sparks flew. Emma could see her family shielding their eyes against the clash of magic and, she’d be honest, if she wasn’t one of the magic wielders, she’d be doing the same. The heat and the power that coursed through her was like nothing that she’d ever known and she was suddenly aware of why the people around her had believed in her so much and for so long. Suddenly, Killian was there, at a hole in the bars big enough for her to climb through.

At that moment, Blue appeared. Quick as an adder strike, Regina shot the fairy with a blast of dark magic, knocking her back into the cell where she had imprisoned Emma. She appeared stunned as Regina shouted, “Seal the bars, Miss Swan!”

“Do it, Mom!”

Emma shot another blast of magic at the bars, making them whole again. Regina cast a binding spell both on Blue and the cell as realization dawned on their former friend and ally.

“No!” she cried.

Snow and Charming stepped forward. “Yes. You have betrayed us in the worst possible way, Blue,” Charming said, his face hard as stone. “For that, you deserve banishment and death. However, in gratitude for your part in bringing Emma home to us, your life will not end by our hand. Once your magic is gone, you will age like the rest of us. You will remain behind bars until death sets you free. This is your punishment for the crimes against our family.” He turned to his wife, who nodded in agreement with his sentence.

Blue looked from face to face, hoping to find some glimmer of regret, a sliver of affinity in anyone’s eyes, anything that she could try to manipulate to her advantage. There was none. She bowed her head as the family turned from her in her prison and walked away.

The jubilant group emerged into the sunshine. Henry was immediately gathered in Regina’s arms, where he was overjoyed to hug his adoptive mother just as tightly as she was hugging him. Emma found herself gathered in the arms of her parents, tears flowing freely as she felt her father’s hand on the back of her head. Pulling back, astonished, Emma looked down at her mother’s very pregnant belly. It hadn’t even registered in all the action of the last few minutes until Snow gathered her close in a hug that was a year in the making. More tears spilled as Emma expressed her joy at the impending birth of her brother or sister.

Finally pulling out of her parents embrace, Emma reached out for Killian. “Mom, Dad,” she began, smiling affectionately at her True Love, “Killian brought me, brought us, home.” He took her hand, a gentle smile on his face, as she turned back toward her parents.

“We know, sweetheart,” David told her. “When Killian and Henry appeared, he was just able to tell us what happened and how he got to you. Then you appeared in the mirror.”

“Did he tell you about True Love’s Kiss bringing back my and Henry’s memories?”

David’s grin split his face. “Yes, he did. And I, we, couldn’t be happier,” he said, looking at his wife.

“We will plan an engagement and welcome home ball at once,” she exclaimed, green eyes gleaming with excitement.

Emma turned resigned and amused eyes upon her pirate. “Welcome home, Love,” he said, before leaning down and capturing her lips with his own.

“Yep, I guess I am,” she agreed.

Looking around at the faces of the people who loved her, she knew that she was home. Exactly where she wanted to be.

The End

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I’d love to know what you think!

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 24: The Twelve Days of Storybrooke

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2285

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

CS Genre: Neverland Canon Divergence

Notes:  This story was written for @pirateherokillian for the CS Secret Santa event last year.  Emma and Killian find themselves dealing with yet another town crisis—this one with a very Christmassy flavor.

Killian woke with a gasp, taking a moment to let his heart rate return to normal.  It had been a while since he’d had the dream, but when he did he woke absolutely bloody terrified.

Six months ago Emma had won the final battle, and the residents of Storybrooke had begun their happily ever afters.  It had been good, so, so far beyond good since then.  He and Emma had taken a two-week honeymoon on the Jolly.  They’d had no real destination in mind; they’d merely chosen to sail somewhere warm and tropical.  Two weeks of uninterrupted time together had been better than even his fertile imagination could have dreamed up.

When they’d returned home, they’d set up house and then begun the process of deciding just what they would do with the remainder of their lives (besides spending copious amounts of time in bed, of course.  They were newly-weds, after all).  When Dave had decided to pursue his life-long dream of owning a farm, the decision had been simple.  Killian would take the position of Emma’s deputy.  Now he and Swan were partners in everything–life and work.

As he said, life was good.

But the fact that life was now as close to idyllic as it could get didn’t erase the years and years of trauma they had all been through over the past few years, and for the first couple of months, Killian had the same nightmare nearly every night.

They were back there on the streets of Storybrooke, Swan facing Gideon and the final battle about to commence.  He’d known what she was going to do a split second before she did it.  She’d turned back toward him, agony and regret in her eyes.  Before he even had time to scream in horror, she’d dropped her sword, letting Gideon run her through.

It was the only way to truly escape the trap the Black Fairy had set for them.  The strategic part of Killian’s brain knew that to be true.  But his heart, a heart that had lost everyone it had ever loved, rejected the idea.  He couldn’t lose her, his true love, the best part of his very self, his beloved wife.  Not now!  Not ever.

He’d watched as Gideon’s sword made contact, and Swan grunted in pain, falling to the ground.  Her lad went to her, told her he loved her, kissed her.

And nothing happened.

Henry tried True Love’s Kiss again.  Still nothing.

Killian tried, kissing her until his lips were bruised.  She remained still and dead.

He’d lost the most important person he’d ever had in his life, and he was sure the agony really would kill him.

Killian took a deep breath, shaking his head to clear the distressing images from his mind, and then turning onto his side, tears of relief coming into his eyes as his gaze took in the peacefully sleeping form of his wife.

She was here.  She was alive.  She was well.  They’d gotten their happy beginning, and he need never fear the final battle again.

They’d been married long enough for Killian to know waking his sleeping Swan was a rather unwise proposition, but still he leaned over and softly caressed her cheek, pushing aside her tangled hair.  He needed to touch her, needed to reassure himself that it was just a dream; that she was here and that she was well.

She was so beautiful, so vibrant.  He leaned down and kissed her, softly, gently.  She stirred at the touch of his lips to hers, smiling in her sleep and whispering his name.  After a moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him back.

He’d feared she’d be angry at him for waking her, but it seemed she had another form of sweet torture for him instead.  The fire built up inside of him as the kiss continued and Swan’s hands began wandering.  This wasn’t necessarily how he’d planned to begin Christmas Eve morning, but Killian was so very far from complaining.

He’d only just reached for the hem of Emma’s pajama top when her talking phone began blaring “Jingle Bells.”

She groaned, reluctantly pulling her mouth from his.

“Ignore it, Love,” he whispered, kissing down the column of her neck.

“Good plan,” she responded in a far-from-steady voice as she pulled his mouth back to hers.

But the wretch on the other end of the phone seemed quite insistent.  No sooner had the talking phone gone silent than it started up again.

Emma growled, rolling away from him to reach for the phone.  “Sounds like they’re not giving up.  I better see what it is.”

Emma tapped at the screen for a moment, and then barked. “What?”

She listened for a moment before rolling her eyes.  “Just a second, Dad.  Killian’s here too.  Let me put you on speaker.”

A few more taps at the screen and then Dave’s voice came through the speaker.

“Like I said to Emma, Killian, I’m really sorry for the interruption; I know I offered to cover the station so you two could have a couple days off, but we’ve got a bit of a situation here.”

Killian sighed.  They’d had six months of peace.  He supposed it was the best run they could hope for.  “Just what kind of situation?”

“Well,” David said slowly. “I…don’t know exactly how to describe it.  I know it involves lots of birds.”

“Birds?” Emma bit out.  “Dad, you interrupted us because of birds?  Isn’t that more Mom’s department?”

“She doesn’t know what to make of it either.  Besides, some of the birds don’t seem to even speak English.” 

Emma shook her head.  “I kind of hate that a sentence like that almost makes sense to me.  Still, why are you bothering us for birds–no matter what language they speak?”

“It’s not just the birds,” David said. “There are other oddities. Women dancing, people playing instruments, men randomly jumping up and down, cows being milked. Full-grown trees suddenly appearing.  I don’t know what’s going on, but it is truly bizarre, and you know how this town is.  The usual suspects are already starting to freak out.”

“I’m assuming Leroy has begun heralding the news?” Killian said.

David chuckled. “Obviously.”

In the background, Killian could hear the dwarf himself yelling “The bagpipers!  They’re here!”

“Anyway,” David said, “I’ve tried to calm everyone as best I can, but the rumor has already begun circulating that we’re under attack.  I wouldn’t ask it unless I really thought it was necessary, but I really think I need back up.”

Emma sighed again, pushing aside the covers and reaching for her jeans.  “Alright Dad, we’re on our way.”

“Never a dull moment, is there, love?” Killian asked, climbing from his side of the bed….just as the sound of a full on drum line began playing outside their bedroom window.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I think we need to go on the attack!” Leroy shouted from the back of city hall, as the impromptu town hall meeting began.  “This is our town, and we need to defend it!”

Emma rolled her eyes–she’d  been doing that so much already today that she feared she’d go blind.  Just when she thought things in Storybrooke couldn’t get weirder, something like this happened.

As she and Killian had driven into town, she could tell her dad hadn’t been exaggerating.  Everywhere she looked was something else out of place.  Fully grown pear trees, each with a bird perched on one of it’s limbs, blue birds with–if one could believe it–cell phones held to their heads.  Hen’s wearing berets and waving French flags.  Groups of swans performing some sort of synchronized swimming routine in the harbor.  Pairs of turtle doves nestled together, cooing sweet nothings in each other’s ears. Geese lying around in the street.

And that was only the birds.  As they neared the center of town, Emma began noticing the groups of people–people she’d never seen before–behaving in distinctly odd fashion.  There were the maids milking, the men in three-piece suits playing leap-frog with each other and the scantily clad women (shouldn’t they be freezing dressed like that in December?) seductively dancing to the music of a pipe and drum corp.

Right in the center of town, a set of five, huge golden hoops  sat upon the ground.  

(“Stay away from the rings!” she heard someone shout.  “Probably portals to some dystopian hellscape!”)

Regina, as the newly reinstated mayor, had taken control, promptly calling a town meeting and magicing the word out to all the town’s residents.

And so here they were, huddled together in town hall, trying desperately to make sense of…well, anything that was going on today.

Seriously, though.  Couldn’t whatever villain or whatever had done this have at least waited until after Christmas.  Rude.

“Who precisely do you suggest we attack?” Regina asked with a sneer.  “We don’t even know what is going on, let alone who has perpetrated it.”

“I might be able to answer that first question,” Belle said, from her place in the back next to her husband and sleeping newborn. 

“Yeah?” Emma asked.  “What do you think is going on?”

Belle got to her feet and looked over at the assembled town.  “Well, it’s Christmas Eve, and we’re seeing everything from partridges in pear trees to drummers drumming.  Think about it!  Every weird thing going on right now has something to do with one of the gifts from the Christmas song.”

Emma groaned.  Of course.  Of course someone had decided to mess with them by sending the twelve days of Christmas.

“So who do we think’s doing it?” Henry asked.  “Can anyone think of a Christmas related villain that might want to attack us?”

Various suggestions were thrown out there–from Ebenezer Scrooge to the Grinch, to Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life, but none seemed to quite fit the bill.      

“Well, we aren’t getting anywhere just speculating,” Emma said.  “If there is some kind of psycho Christmas villain going after us, we’ll have to wait until they make another move.  For the time being, it doesn’t seem like any of the birds or….performers…are causing any harm.  I guess just…don’t panic.”

“We’ve defeated much worse than eleven pipers piping!” Snow chirped up in a way-too cheery voice.  “This town will get through it the way we get through everything!  Together!”

The meeting had only just adjourned, when Emma’s cell phone began ringing. She looked down and frowned.  It was a long distance number.  A very long distance number.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emma curled up on the sofa, bringing her legs up beneath her and leaning into Killian’s open arm.  She chuckled as she brought her mug of cocoa to her lips and glanced over at their huge, brightly decorated Christmas tree.

“Did you see Leroy’s face when that goose suddenly decided to stop lying around and started chasing him through the streets?  I thought he was going to start screaming like a little girl.”

Killian laughed, turning his head to give her a quick kiss on the forehead.  It was one of her favorite things about being with Killian, all of the simple, casual signs of affection.  “I’d pay an entire pouch full of doubloons for a moving picture of that moment.”

Emma laughed again.  “It’s amazing how quickly everyone’s mood shifted, though once we found out we weren’t in fact under attack.  Seems like nothing can dampen the Christmas spirit for long around here this year.”

No sooner had the town hall meeting ended, than Emma got a video call from Arendelle.  “Emma!” Elsa had said as soon as the call connected. “I’m really sorry about this.  I had no idea!”

Emma’s brow furrowed, and she exchanged a mystified look with Killian.  “You’re sorry about what?  I’d really like to chat, but we’ve got a bit of a situation here–like always.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Elsa said.  “Apparently Anna…”

“Did you get it?” came Anna’s perky voice as her excited face popped into frame.  “Did you get our gifts?  I mean, technically, they’re supposed to be for your true love, so maybe I should have given them to Kristoff, but I figured you wouldn’t care, even if Storybrooke isn’t my True Love.  I mean I like Storybrooke, but True Love is kind of a strong term.”

Elsa rolled her eyes.  “What my sister is trying to say is that she–without consulting me–decided to send Storybrooke the twelve days of Christmas, compliments of Arendelle.”

Killian nodded before taking a sip of his own steaming beverage.  “It was rather impressive how quickly and efficiently the town was able to rid the town square of the well meaning, if rather annoying gifts once they were assured that there was nothing nefarious going on.”

“And can you believe how quickly Granny was able to put that town-wide Christmas party together?” Emma asked.

“This town truly is a wonder,” Killian said, draining the last sip of his cocoa before turning his full attention toward his wife, “but I have rather a different idea of how I’d like to celebrate Christmas Eve with my wife than talking about the town.”

“Yeah?” she asked, setting her mug on the end table and turning to face him.  “Care to tell me what that is?”

He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows before shaking his head.  “Oh darling, I don’t plan to tell you.  I plan to show you.”

And he did just that–quite thoroughly, long into the night.

Just before they fell asleep, exhausted and exquisitely sated, Emma heard Leroy’s shout far in the distance.  “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

NEXT CHAPTER->

[ouatsnark]

Don't know if you heard this one yet but thoughts on the claim that Hook sexually harassed Emma in particular?

I have touched on this in quite a few of my “captain swan hate debunked” posts but never have I dedicated a single post to only this so allow me to sum it up!

I think when we first meet Hook is a 300 year old pirate hiding behind his bluster, bravado and innuendo to keep people at arms length. Sexual innuendo and jokes do not cross the line into sexual harassment unless the jokes are repeated after being asked to stop or said by someone in a position of authority over another and thus totally inappropriate. Did Emma ever tell him to stop? No. She did not.

And let’s say that you want to take his comments during the sword fight as sexual harassment. Ok. So? He was a 300 year old villain and he got his ass handed to him by a modern woman. Laugh a little? I did! It’s not like his behavior at that time was rewarded.

I’ve heard them claim that the Season 3 Neverland kiss was harassment. I don’t believe that Emma was forced to kiss Hook. Emma has a mind of her own. If she hadn’t felt any attraction for him then she wouldn’t have kissed him. And flirting and teasing is not harassment. Like hot damn people maybe no one should ever talk to another person ever again?

I also don’t believe that Killian attempting to wake Emma with a true love’s kiss was sexual assault as I’ve seen them claim. David did the same thing to Snow so 1) the show was paralleling the two couples 2) like it or not Emma had encouraged Hook not only with her kiss but to remember her. So it’s not like Hook was kissing someone who had rejected him. Emma had not rejected him. Furthermore, this is a fantasy show. So under these specific circumstances of magic, true love kisses and curses… what’s the problem? Especially seeing that both David and Hook get punched for their efforts. But notice how it’s not a problem for them when David does it only when it’s Killian because they believe Killian is in the way of their crack ship.

I have heard them claim Hook wouldn’t take “no” for an answer and kept hanging around when she didn’t want him to but that’s false because they ignore the canon fact that Emma was calling him. Hell, she was entrusting Henry to him so like hell Emma is doing that if she doesn’t trust him.

And let’s remember that Killian’s sexual innuendos stop as he starts on his journey to becoming a better man. By season four he’s changed into a much more humble man as he begins to learn the ways of the modern real world. That is real change.

Then there is the fact that those that make this claim against Killian have no room to talk when 1) Killian changed and 2) their fave (Regina, Rumple, Zelena or Neal!) actually committed canon acts of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault 3) Regina and Rumple were at least rewarded for their crimes by getting exactly what they wanted without having to face said crimes. So. Like sit down and stfu

Did I miss any references? Lemme know in the comments!

[saptaincwan]

Top 5 Captain Swan scenes? <3

YAYYY they honestly have SO many great scenes and my personal ranking changes a bunch depending on mood so here goes, in no particular order except for #1!

(under cut bc it got long lolll)

tl;dr

underworld goodbye

liam's ring

5x21 reunion

tallahassee bandaging scene

"im going to choose to see the best in you"

,, and i'll sneak in. proposal #2

so without further ado,

i wrote something long and insane about this but tumblr deleted it and i couldnt ctrl+z it back this is so sad. lemme try again

this felt like a climax of sorts in not only their relationship, but their character arcs. jen and colin's absolutely stellar acting here only supported that.

i specially think this scene is so poignant because of the whole arc leading to this moment. further by this episode's theme. and most importantly because of the scene directly before this one: "you're holding on too tight-- let go"

emma is finally able to let go, and to keep accepting others' love in her life. she loves killian too much not to. in turn the same goes for killian: he loves emma too much not to move on to a better place. this is peak "they made each other better" exemplified.

the juxtaposition of them desperately holding on to each other just one last time. finally getting to say goodbye. and of, at the same time, saying goodbye forever. peak romantic cinema!!

LIAM'S RING!!! see i love this scene i love camelot cs the aesthetics are peak.

but i love this because it's one of the few scenes in which they get to say i love you in a more "relaxed" way. as in. they're not about to die in the next 2 secs LOL. and emma looks just. so HAPPY here. definitely one her biggest, most sincere smiles in the show i think

this coupled with killian sharing a bit of his past, and in a way bringing "together" his love for liam with his love for emma. aaaAAAA

also emma's disappointed face at him not proposing honestly what's NOT to love

WHAT CAN I SAY. that hasn't already been said omg

i think this is a beautiful resolution to cs's s5 romantic arc. i talked a bit about this earlier today but-- after everything was said and done. after they loved each other SO much. fate itself saw that. they saw that, they saw how they were separated!!

they saw how they did everything to be together and then how they loved each other enough to let go! and so the rules of force and nature and life itself bent themselves backwards to let them be.

not because they were meant to. but because they weren't!! but the world and each other were so much better with them by each others' side that it let them have this.

how many romances can i say that about LIKE cs is in a whole different league of their own and it drives me insane

i like this bc after acquiring media literacy this is the moment i think. in which it becomes obvious cs will be canon 😭

but mainly ALSOOOO bc i believe this to be the first moment in which emma really connected with killian. a follow up of them hiking the beanstalk!

bc you see, going up, he understood her. he got under her skin, and that can get one uneasy enough. but here? he is just like her. it casts his understanding of her into a new light! he knows that not only has she suffered loss, but saw his own mirrored in her.

i think this is the scene that sets up the rest of the ep, and most importantly, emma's betrayal at the end. he sees her. and she knows that. and she sees him! and he knows it too!

how far can things go, if she allows it? so it ends: she doesn't. and this!! ^^^ this is why!

WE DON'T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT THIS SCENE I THINKKKK because once they're together fr, i think this is one of the first few larger hurdles they face as a couple.

killian is still majorly processing his shame in regards to his past and it really comes to smack him in person. and they hadn't dealt with that! (onscreen at least)

and it's one thing knowing someone trusts you but it's another to put that in a real situation which requires that trust. and emma gives it so freely. they are talking about this.and we get to see that!

this is such a normal issue that i think takes place eventually for Every couple ever. it goes a bit beyond trust even. it's about knowing they can rely on each other when things get tough.

i really strongly think love is about, and is, a choice. there are rough patches and there are issues, minor and major, but ultimately you made the choice to be there for this person and support them, and in turn, you have the absolute reassurance they'll do the same for you. i've always known this to be a sure thing for cs but i just really like getting to see a scene directly addressing that. i love that we got it

i sneaked this scene so no major thoughts but i think we all love this ep and this scene and why. personal fav s6 ep actually