#thank you @whimsicallyenchantedrose!!

[snowbellewells]

@whimsicallyenchantedrose Okay, so first of all: BEST FIC GIFT IDEA EVER!! I love that you are allowing each other us to star in a moment from the OuaT storybook, right a few wrongs that have troubled us and meet our favorites with real fictional flair!! I can only wish you were really magic so this could actually happen!! 😊🤭

Secondly, I have already read this and then real life bogged me down and I didn’t get to comment and flail on it like I wanted. Then, I loved it so much that I almost psyched myself out, not sure I could possibly express how much I adored this gift of sing its praises sufficiently. I’m going to try though, because I do LOVE it, and however belated I am, you deserve to hear how AWESOME this is!! 💖💖💖

Right off the bat, I love how confident fic Marta is that she is right where she belongs and knows just what she needs to do (if only real life Marta could usually feel that certain!) That the idea of meeting Graham is major excitement for her is me to a “T” and the “Best. Girls’. Trip. Ever.” bit made me chuckle and think of Tangled (which I also adore!)

Anyway, you had me snort- laughing again when my fic version made her way through the Storybrooke cemetery and even saw the “Jesus Saves bears”. Granted, you probably had to be there, but that will never not make me laugh, and I loved that you worked it in!

I felt myself panicking a little right along with fic-me when it looked like Emma and Graham were just going to walk away and Regina would be able to crush Graham’s heart as she did before. Her frantic plea for Emma to listen and look once more encapsulate so well how desperate I feel for it to end differently every time I get to that part of the episode when I rewatch. (And I have to rewatch 1x07 very sparingly. It is so well done, but so devastating, and I will still cry more often than not.) I also couldn’t help nodding along that my fiction self wasn’t about to take on Regina one on one,even without her magic. But going to Henry for help? That was a stroke of perfect brilliance!

I also loved the care for Graham that Emma shows when she cradles his face and tries to convince him he’s alright, he just needs to trust her and get some rest. She isn’t trying to put him in danger, she just hasn’t opened herself to believing yet. That, and then the bits from their kiss in the station and Graham remembering, that you saved from the actual episode!! The part of my heart that really did ship Gremma early on was fluttering and swooning like crazy. Not to mention that I got to bring his actual, physical heart back to Graham!!! Dream. Come. True!!! (I am not sure which parts exactly @hollyethecurious said I would swoon at when she beta-ed, but I can say she was definitely right throughout this story- several times over!!)

And then, you let the story version of me sit with Graham at Granny’s?!? And have him smile happily when he sees me coming to join him?!? It’s so wonderful I can hardly stand it!!! I really wish someone had believed him and gotten his heart before Regina could have crushed it, and he had gotten to remember himself and be part of Storybrooke post-curse. If only! I know I’ve said this to you a lot in the course of our friendship, but I wish you were an official OuaT writer. I think you would have made many of us a lot more satisfied as time went on!

And then, oh my goodness, one of my favorite bits: “His returning smile could light up an entire room. ‘Perhaps I would.’

For several moments, Marta couldn’t speak, could barely remember her own name or why she was there. That smile was lethal.”

You seriously gave Graham and me a version of the “Wouldn’t you like to know?/Perhaps I would?” Exchange?!? I cannot handle it!

And yes, that smile IS lethal!!!

I got a chuckle at Graham having to be the sensible one and realizing that shoving a glowing red heart back in his chest out in the open might not be the best idea! (Even fic me must have been a little stunned by the whole situation and his proximity!) I loved how you turned the phrase about “him giving her his heart” —- SWOON indeed! And the kiss on the back of my hand?!? Whew!! You really do know how to make me into a puddle of goo!! 💖💖💖

I loved to that you let me look through Lucy’s storybook too before I left and see how things carried on from there for Graham. I wouldn’t have thought of Regina putting him in the Storybrooke asylum, but she absolutely would have to cover her own misdeeds a little longer. It’s horrifyingly like her actually. 😳 And I can also perfectly see Graham helping Ruby to reunite people and put things in the town back to rights after the curse’s breaking and the hysteria of the wraith. They would make “quite the team” (much like a pirate and princess we all know! 😏) I can even see them eventually settling down out of the center of the craziness in a cabin in the woods at the edge of town, visited often by his wolf brother, who absolutely adopts Ruby too. 🐺)

Okay, I think I’ve rambled way long enough, but thank you THANK YOU for this story!! I know I am going to be re-reading and enjoying it for years to come!!

The Girls' Trip Fairy Tale Ending--Chapter 3 of 5

Summary:  This is my combined birthday gift for Joni (  @jrob64​  ), Marta ( @snowbellewells ) and Krystal ( @kmomof4 ).  Happy birthday ladies! Four fandom friends are nearing the end of their annual girls’ trip when they’re suddenly visited by Isaac, the author before Henry.  He gives them an each a gift–an opportunity to jump into any scene in the storybook they want and fix it.  Large focus on CS, although other characters and relationships will be explored.  A big shoutout to @hollyethecurious​ and @winterbaby89 for betaing!

Word Count: 2897

Tagging a few people who may be interested (Let me know if you want to be added or taken off the list): @sailormew @annaamell @flslp87 @emmateo26 @bethacaciakay @ultraluckycatnd @effulgent-mind @ilovemesomekillianjones @kat2609 @brooke-to-broch @missgymgirl @galadriel26 @the-lady-of-misthaven @charmingturkeysandwich @jennjenn615 @laschatzi @kimmy46 @snowbellewells @iamanneenigma @daxx04 @nickillian  @gillie  @britishguyslover @ginnyjinxedandhanshotritafirst @kmomof4  @linda8084 @golfgirld @captain-swan-coffee @searchingwardrobes @hollyethecurious @laughswaytoomuch  @allyourdarlingswans  @winterbaby89 @facesiousbutton82 @therooksshiningknight, @lfh1226-linda @tiganasummertree  @jrob64  @anmylica   @booksteaandtoomuchtv​ @elfiola

Other chapters:  (1) (2)

Can also be found on: (ao3) (ff.net)

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

Note: Happiest of birthdays to Marta, @snowbellewells! I hope you enjoy your trip into the book! (You might want to sit down when you read this; there is a decent chance you'll swoon, hehe.)

Chapter 3

The book deposited Marta somewhere in the middle of the Storybrooke cemetery as dusk settled over the town. She grinned, knowing she was exactly where she was meant to be–and because against all odds and logic, she was about to actually meet and interact with Graham. Best. Girls’. Trip. Ever.

She wasn’t going to fulfill her purpose by standing here and thinking about the surrealism of her situation, though. She needed to find Regina’s vault, and she needed to find Emma and Graham before Regina did.

She scanned the cemetery past rows and rows of completely ordinary tombstones, some with loving epitaphs and others rather nondescript.  She even saw one on which was etched three bears standing side by side. The epitaph for this stone read “Jesus saves.”

Finally, in the distance she saw the large mausoleum with its twin pillars and its circular crest, emblazoned with antlers or curved vines. Marta wasn’t entirely clear what they were supposed to represent.

Even more significantly, she saw the three figures of Emma, Graham, and Regina standing before it. They spoke for a few moments, and then Regina threw a punch, which Emma quickly returned, before slamming Regina up against the vault.

Marta’s heart sank; she hoped she wasn’t too late. 

As Emma began walking purposefully toward her cruiser, Graham not far behind, Marta knew she had to make her move.

“Graham was right,” Marta said quickly, catching up to Emma. “Regina is keeping his heart in the vault!”

Emma stopped and stared at her for a long moment. “Is there something in the water today? Have I dropped into some bizzaro world where I’m the only person who hasn’t lost my mind? Do you realize how you crazy you sound, Marta?”

“Yeah, I’m sure I sound insane,” Marta said, “and normally I’d give you the opportunity to figure all of this out on your own, but right now… it’s literally a matter of life and death. We can’t let Regina get to that heart!”

Emma closed her eyes for a moment, growling in frustration. “Okay, say I believed you,” she finally said, encompassing both Marta and Graham in her glance, “we searched the vault. There’s nothing there but a coffin.”

Marta didn't know how much she should or could intervene. It was probably best to be a little cryptic and circumspect.

"It seemed like you were interrupted in your searching," she said. "I'm sure there's more to be discovered there than you realize."

"She's right, Emma,"  Graham insisted. " I can still feel it. It’s there somewhere."

"Look, Graham,"  Emma said gently, taking his face in her hands and looking into his eyes. "It’s been a difficult and emotional day for you. Please just take a breath and trust me. Everything is going to be alright."

Marta saw the moment Graham conceded, and she began to panic. “You have to listen to me!” she tried again. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true!”

Emma shook her head. “Look, we already tried searching for it, and that led to an encounter with Regina that I don’t think either of us is ready to repeat anytime soon. If there’s something there, we can always come back and look for it another time, but until then, there’s a first aid kit in the sheriff’s station that’s calling my name.”

“But–” Marta tried one last time, but they were already gone.

Now what?

She considered heading back to the vault and confronting Regina herself, but she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready to go up against the Evil Queen–even in the Land Without Magic. What she needed was an ally.

And then it clicked. Henry. Who better than the truest believer, who had been working so hard on Operation Cobra, to help her stop his mom from doing something irreversible?

She needed to get to Henry now … wherever he was.

She’d no sooner had the thought than she was at the front door of the mayor’s mansion. She could really get used to traveling at the speed of thought like this! Knowing she didn’t have a moment to lose, she rang the doorbell and then waited impatiently until Henry opened the door.

“Marta?” he asked, his brow furrowing. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s an Operation Cobra emergency!” she said. “We have to get to your mom’s vault A.S.A.P.”

Without a word, Henry grabbed his coat and followed her out the door. As they rushed back to the cemetery, Marta filled Henry in on what was happening–being careful to heavily edit the situation, not entirely sure it was suitable for ten-year-old ears.

“And so,” Marta finished, just as the vault came into view, “I thought you could distract your mom, and then I’ll grab the heart and take it back to Sheriff Humbert.”

To Marta’s profound relief, the plan went off without a hitch. When they got to the mausoleum, Marta hid behind a nearby tree while Henry called out for Regina. She came rushing out, and Marta slipped in behind her just as Henry started in on a tale of how he didn’t know where Regina was and he’d been worried.

Thankfully, Regina hadn’t had time to push her father’s coffin back into place before rushing out to her son, and Marta ran down the cold, stone stairs, heart pounding, fearing to find a pile of dust instead of a heart, but to her relief, she saw it right away, bright red and glowing from inside the small box in which Regina had kept it. Marta took a moment to peer into the box to make sure she truly had her prize before closing the lid and making her way back outside. 

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

The next thing Marta knew, she was standing in the doorway of the sheriff’s station just as Graham leaned in and kissed Emma. No sooner had his lips touched hers than he pulled back with a gasp, his eyes blown wide.

“Emma,” he said in wonder, “I remember!”

“You remember … what?” Emma asked carefully.

“Everything,” Graham answered. 

Marta stepped forward. “Then I’m sure you’ll be pleased to see this again.” She extended the box toward him.

Graham gasped. “You got it? You really found it? How?”

“Let’s just say…” Marta said, “I knew where to look.”

For a moment, Emma merely looked back and forth between the two of them, her confusion and unease plain to see all over her face, and then she threw up her hands and headed for the door.

“Look,” she said, “I don’t know what the hell is going on around here tonight, but it’s just … too much. I forwarded the station phones to my cell; I’m going home. Graham just … take care of yourself, okay?”

He smiled at her gently. “See you tomorrow? Maybe we can talk.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Promise you’ll get some rest?”

“You have my word.”

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

When Marta blinked again, she found herself just inside the door of Granny’s diner.  She glanced around, confused.  She didn’t remember this scene from the show.  Maybe it was something new created because of her changes?

Marta noted that it was dark outside, so it must be evening.  Was it the same evening as her previous scenes had taken place?  What was she meant to do here?  Just as she considered stepping out the door, she spotted Graham sitting alone at a booth near the back of the diner.  He slowly brought a porcelain cup to his lips and took a sip as he looked pensively down at the wooden box in which Regina had kept his heart.

With no idea what she was intended to do, Marta decided she might as well join Graham.  He looked up as she approached the table, and a smile lit up his face at the sight of her.  He gestured to the opposite seat of his bench, and she took the offered seat.

“I owe you a debt of gratitude, Marta,” Graham said.  “If you hadn’t been there, hadn’t believed my wild tale, I shudder to think what might have happened.”

Marta felt a shiver go up her spine, remembering what really HAD happened in the original storyline.  “It was no trouble,” she assured.  “I knew you were right, and I didn’t want anything worse to happen to you.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand with another gentle smile.  “Thank you, nonetheless.  I know the things I’ve said and done over the past day have been–difficult to believe–but you’ve had faith in me even so, and I appreciate it more than you know.”

“Well,” Marta said, “I … know more than you think.  I believe you.  On all of it.”

“Do you?” he asked, surprised.

Marta nodded.  “And I know that you’ve been controlled entirely too long.  You need to get your heart back in your chest.”

Graham sighed, and glanced sightlessly out the window.  “Then you know I need a magic wielder to make that happen.  The only ones currently in this town are Regina and Mr. Gold, neither of which I trust to help me.”

Marta thought for a moment and a specific scene came to mind: Mulan returning Aurora’s heart in Rumplestiltskin’s cell.

“I’m not entirely sure that’s true,” Marta said.  “I’ve, well, I’ve seen a non-magical person return a heart.”

He glanced at her quizzically.  “Just who are you, Marta?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she asked with a small, secret smile.

His returning smile could light up an entire room.  “Perhaps I would.”

For several moments, Marta couldn’t speak, could barely remember her own name or why she was here.  That smile was lethal.

“Anyway, that’s … not important,” she answered, still more than a little flustered.  “The point is, I think it can be done.  I could try, if you’d be willing to let me.”

He was silent for a moment, considering it, and then he nodded.  “It’s worth a try.”

Graham got to his feet, and Marta gave him a questioning look.  “I’d assume you shoving a red glowing object into my chest might attract… attention.  I thought it would be best to go somewhere a bit more secluded.”

Nodding at the wisdom of that, Marta got to her feet and followed Graham to the back hallway of Granny’s, where he gave her his heart. (Marta was sure for the rest of her days she would never forget the warm fuzzy feeling that gave her.)  Holding it carefully, she hesitated for a moment, before quickly plunging her hand into his chest.

Graham gasped, closing his eyes and grimacing in pain for a moment.

“Are you okay?” Marta asked quickly.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, and the smile that came over his face would put the sun to shame.  “I’ve never in my life been better,” he said, “and I have you to thank for it.”

Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his lips, placing a quick, grateful kiss on its back.

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

Marta was fairly certain she’d swooned after Graham kissed her hand, and this time when she came to, she found herself in Mary Margaret’s flat. Emma sat at the kitchen table, pushing around the cereal in her bowl rather listlessly.

Breakfast time, then–must be the next morning.

“Emma?” Marta asked, taking a seat on the other side of the table, “I just wanted to make sure you’re doing alright. Last night was kind of a lot.”

Emma snorted.  “Yeah, you could say that.  I have a knock-down, drag-out fight with the mayor, who also happens to be my son’s mom. My boss kisses me and then has some sort of … break with reality.  All in a day’s work in Storybrooke, right?  I’ve only been in this town a few weeks, but already I realize things are just … weird … here.”

“Well that is one way to put it,” Marta replied. “But … maybe try to keep a bit of an open mind about Graham.  Obviously he was going through … something … yesterday.”

Emma rolled her eyes.  “Not you too!”

Marta’s brows furrowed.  “Not me … what?””

“Mary Margaret’s already been all over me this morning about closing my heart to love and not giving Graham a chance, and being afraid, and, well, whatever other crap she mentioned.”

“So I take it you told her about your kiss,” Marta prodded.

“Yeah, and she jumped all over it,” Emma said with a frustrated huff.  “Got all excited, talking like I’d just started dating my true love or something.  It was just …way too much for this early in the morning”

Marta chuckled.  “Knowing her, I can imagine.  She means well; just wants you to be happy.”

“I know she does,” Emma sighed.  “I just wish she’d back off a little sometimes.  I’ve been a loner for a long time.  I’m not used to… friends.”

“Well you have them now,” Marta said, “and that’s a good thing, right?”

“Yeah,” Emma said slowly, “except when they're jumping to too many conclusions about my love life.”

“Okay, I could see that,” Marta conceded. “So what are your thoughts about Graham and what happened last night.”

“I don’t know,” Emma said, looking down at her bowl of cereal and continuing to drag her spoon through it.  “I do have, I don’t know, feelings of some sort toward him.  I do care about him, but … well, for one thing, he’s clearly going through something right now.  I don’t know if he’s sick and delirious, or something else, but all that crap he was saying back at the office–”

“Yeah, I know it strains credibility,” Marta said carefully.  This was harder to navigate than she’d anticipated.  If she said too much would she change the future?  Was Emma even ready to hear it?  “Maybe he just needs a little time.  You probably do too.”

Emma barked out a laugh.  “That’s for sure.”

For a few moments, the two were silent, thinking about the conversation and the events of the past day.  Finally, Emma spoke up again.

“It’s not just Graham’s … issues, though, to be honest.”

“What else is bothering you?” Marta asked.

“It’s just … those feelings I feel toward Graham? I don’t think it’s love.  I just don’t think I feel for him what I should feel for the man I’m in love with.  I don’t want to start something and hurt him later.  I know I’m the last person who should have this, I don’t know, romanticized view of love, but I just feel like there should be more to it than this.”

Marta smiled gently, thinking about a certain leather clad pirate Emma was only weeks from meeting for the first time.  She thought about their epic love story that even death itself couldn’t stop.  “Emma,” she said, “I have no doubt that epic, passionate, all-consuming true love is out there for you, and I have a sense that it’ll find you sooner than you think.  Until then, there’s nothing wrong with keeping things with Graham at the friendship level.”

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

Emma thanked Marta for the talk and then headed for the station.  Left alone in the loft, Marta wondered what else she was meant to do.

Then she noticed the storybook–the storybook Lucy had at the start of season 7, the one that contained all of the events of canon along with the past fairy tales.

Maybe she was supposed to flip through and see what changed thanks to her ministrations?

She paged through until she found the events of the past day, and then she moved forward.  Regina, angry with being thwarted and concerned with how much of the truth Graham might know, came up with a creative–and particularly cruel–way to solve her problem.  After convincing the town that Graham had suffered a mental break and was no longer fit for duties as sheriff, she had him committed to the Storybrooke mental asylum in the hospital basement.

It appeared the rest of season one continued largely the same as canon.  Curious what would happen following the breaking of the curse, Marta kept reading.

After the curse, Graham was freed from the mental hospital and went on to team up with Ruby to head up the task force to reunite people with their missing loved ones.  Working together brought the two of them closer, and it wasn’t long before they began dating.

Through the seasons, Graham continued to help the heroes as various villains showed up and were subsequently defeated.  Eventually, he and Ruby decided to pull back from the craziness and enjoy their life together, even as the world continued to crash around them.

It was all Marta could have hoped for her favorite first Storybrooke sheriff.

She’d no sooner closed the cover of the book than she felt a tug in her midsection, and the room around her began spinning.  She closed her eyes against the sudden dizziness.  When she opened them again, she was back in the living room of her cabin, looking at the eager faces of her friends.

“I can’t wait to tell you what just happened!” she said excitedly.

“Well, you’re gonna have to,” Isaac said irritably.  “Come on; I don’t have all night.  Who’s next?”“I think it’s my turn,” Krystal said, a blood-thirsty gleam in her eyes, “and I know exactly what I’m going to do.”

Notes:

--I hope you enjoyed your birthday gift, Marta! Your affinity for a certain handsome Storybrooke sheriff who deserved so much better is well known to all of us. Since we got so little of him in canon, I thought I'd give you more one on one interaction with him!

--Up next: A bit of a longer hiatus. The next chapter will be posted on October 15, Krystal (@kmomof4's) birthday. We'll be moving on to the missing year between 3a and 3b, and Krystal will get a chance to give Neal the ending he deserves. (Cue evil laughter)

[kmomof4]

The Arena A New Fic for CSSNS24

WE FINALLY MADE IT, Y'ALL!!!!! @cssns is here for the last time!!! And I am sooooo thrilled to be kicking off our final year!!! Before we get to the fic, I have to say a few words about the team of ladies that helped get this fic here for all of you to enjoy!!

First, to the other mods of the CSSNS - @winterbaby89 @stahlop @jrob64 and @ultraluckycatnd This event wouldn't be here without all of you and I cannot thank you enough for stepping up and helping me through this last round.

To @snowbellewells my magnificent beta for this fic - Marta, I cannot thank you enough for reading, rereading, and rereading AGAIN in order to make this fic the best it could be. Love you, my dear friend!!!

To @motherkatereloyshipper artist extraordinaire - Kit's artwork always leaves me with my jaw hanging open in AWE, and this one is no exception!! I could seriously stare at it for hours!!! Please give her all the love!!!! It's at the beginning of the fic under the cut.

And now to the fic! I so hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!!

Summary: The arena. 

A place of fear. Oppression. Blood. Death. 

A place of shattered hopes and dreams. 

A place, for a very lucky few, of hope. 

Words: Almost 3200

Rating: M for graphic violence

Tags: CSSNS24, Werewolves, True Love, Happy Ending

On ao3

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

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @pirateprincessofpizza

@djlbg @lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@anmylica @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling

@caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@captainswan-kellie @soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose

@thisonesatellite @jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones

@mie779 @kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

The arena. 

A place of fear. Oppression. Blood. Death. 

A place of shattered hopes and dreams. 

A place, for a very lucky few, of hope. 

Killian Jones stood along the wall of the arena with his fellow fighters, his eyes trained on the opposite side of the stadium where the grand prize of the wretched and despicable contest he’d willingly signed up for was being held. The wretched and despicable contest that the despot Arthur had created for the entertainment of himself and his court, promising to the victor everything they could ever dream of - more money than they could imagine, a place in the upper echelons of society, land, and a beautiful bride on his arm. A bride that, in Killian’s fondest dreams, didn’t care he was missing a hand. But all of that was for the victor alone. There was no prize for coming in second, unless you counted death as a prize. 

And Killian did. 

Either everything he’d ever hoped for - but which was so far out of reach for a street rat like him - or bringing his miserable existence to an end. That was why he’d eagerly volunteered for the contest. That last sliver of hope his mother - gone for many years now - had instilled in him that his life circumstances had to get better, because they certainly couldn’t get worse, or the sweet oblivion of forever sleep.

He cut his eyes to the left for a moment, taking in his fellow competitors. He didn’t know any of them. The mates he’d trained with for the last year were long gone - scattered to the other corners of the empire to try their own luck in the arena. There were four other men here with him. The one immediately to his left barely looked to be a man at all, but he held a cunning and evil look in his eye that warned not to underestimate him. The man next to him was the largest of all of them with long curly black hair, bulging muscles, deep set dark eyes, and a closely trimmed black beard and goatee. The other two men on the other side of the large one, he’d only seen briefly as they were released into the arena. One was tall and skinny with blonde hair and a scar on his face that gave him a dangerous look, and the other had a mop of brown hair that flopped over his almost simian-looking visage and he held himself with an air of pretension and imperiousness. He’d fit right in with Arthur’s court. He’d probably been an upper house slave looking to be a master instead. 

Now, Killian’s attention was drawn back to the other side of the arena where two slaves were needed to get the young woman into the center of the sunken pit in which they were all held. She truly was a beauty, Killian could already tell, and a hellcat to boot. She wore nothing more than a torn and ragged gown that barely covered her most private parts and was nearly the same color as her skin and a thick silver bracelet on her wrist. Her golden hair was a nest of tangles but still glinted under the midday sun as she screamed and thrashed in their hold. Her legs alternately stuck out in front of her - her heels vainly attempting to anchor themselves into the soft ground - or dragged behind her in an effort to become deadweight and too heavy for the men to carry. When that wasn’t working, she kicked at her captors, clawing and biting every inch of bare skin she could reach.

They finally reached the center of the arena where they dropped her unceremoniously in the dirt. It took her a moment to rise to her hands and knees, then she raised her head and Killian could see her face for the first time. He caught his breath at the exquisiteness of her face, made all the more evident by the dirt and tear tracks which marred her otherwise porcelain skin. The color was high on her cheeks, and her lips were full and red. She wasn’t particularly far away from him, fifteen to twenty feet at most, but he couldn’t tell the color of her eyes from this distance and under the rays of the sun, although he could clearly see the glint of more unshed tears. 

Her gaze swept over the other men beside him before landing on him, and when their eyes met, something came over Killian that he hadn’t felt in over two decades- the wolf that he’d lost when he lost his hand as a lad. An utterly unfamiliar strength flooded him, and his ears rang with the internal howl of his other half as his heart and mind were filled with images of that fateful day.

Killian ran down the crowded streets of the marketplace, a dreadfully skinny boy, one hand holding up the too-large pants around his waist, lest they fall down around his ankles as he ran. His clothes were tattered and worn and hung off his scrawny frame. A boy on the cusp of manhood, his malnourishment was evident in his height, nearly as tall as a man, and the leanness of his face with the beginnings of scruff on his chin.

His eyes darted around the street, taking in the busy vendors with their customers and trying to determine who’d be least likely to notice a pilfered meat pie or a couple of pieces of fruit for himself and his mother. Spying a likely suspect, Killian never slowed as his hand shot out toward his prize. But the shopkeeper was much more aware than Killian had given him credit for, and before he knew it, his wrist was captured in an iron strong grip and he was being pulled behind the small booth.

Without a word, the hulking shopkeeper pulled out a cutlass and brought it down on Killian’s wrist. He was too shocked to even register the pain as he watched his blood gush from the end of his arm. Too mesmerized by the gruesome injury to do anything, he realized darkness was encroaching on the edges of his vision and the sound rushing in his ears was the agonized howl of his wolf - who had manifested only a scant six months ago - dying away to whimpers before everything went black.

It was nearly a week later that he’d woken, according to his mother. She hadn’t been far behind him as he ran through the market and had seen what the shopkeeper had done. She was too late to do anything about her son’s hand, but she’d made sure the shopkeeper would never be capable of such cruelty again. A small dagger coated with aconite from the Monkshood plant leaving a scratch across his wrist was all it took to sentence the man to death before the sun set that same day. She was the one who got him back to the hovel they called home, and nursed him around the clock until his fever broke and he finally awoke. He felt different - an emptiness he couldn’t define - but couldn’t put his finger on why until he looked down at his hands, now hand, and everything came rushing back. His shout of anguish brought his mother running, throwing aside the excuse of a room divider which consisted of a cord strung between two windows on either end of his straw pallet with clothes and rags hanging from it. She gathered him in her arms, whispering soothing words in his ear and rocking him back and forth like she did when he was a small child until his own cries quieted. 

Killian,” she breathed. He pulled back just enough to see her eyes and was shocked at the profound sadness he saw there. “I’m so sorry. Your wolf is gone.” She tried to gather him close again, but he pulled back in alarm instead.

“What?” he asked, confused. “Why!? Is that why I feel different? Not just my hand?”

“Losing a limb,” she imparted on a hitched breath, “kills the wolf inside of you. Until you find your True Love.”

“My True Love?” Killian’s confusion and grief were stronger than ever. “But what if I don’t have a True Love? What if…”

“You mustn’t give up hope, my son,” she said fervently. “You will find her someday, and your wolf will return.”

And today was apparently that day. Killian watched as her eyes widened slightly. He could only hope that she could somehow feel the connection between them. The hum of True Love that he didn’t have time to examine or revel in as Arthur rang the bell signaling the beginning of the contest - of which apparently his True Love was the prize. 

The other men along the wall moved toward her and then all turned to him, the depraved lust in their eyes as they looked at her turning into gleeful anticipation as their gazes settled on him. In that moment, Killian realized they’d somehow all agreed to band together to take him out first, obviously the weakest having only one hand with which to fight. Killian met each of their eyes in turn as they all drew their swords.

“It’s nothing personal, you know,” the tall, arrogant one said. “Can’t allow such an unsuitable, maimed cripple to claim my prize.”

The taunting words were all that was needed for Killian’s wolf to come to the fore. It had been twenty-two years since he’d transformed, but that didn’t mean he didn’t remember exactly what was happening. His own wicked but gleeful grin took over his face as the power of his wolf filled him and he fell to his hands and knees in front of them. The pain-filled howl taking over his mind ripped from his now open maw while the bones, muscles, and sinew in his arms and legs broke, tore, and mended again into their new form. The men before him were frozen in shock, and Killian became aware of an uproar above him among the spectators of the contest. Arthur rang the bell and screamed at the guards and slaves to kill the beast in the arena, but no one moved to do so.

Killian was fully focused on the men in front of him, but was also dimly aware of his True Love. She was still crouched on the ground, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. The transformation now complete, he let loose a full, ringing howl of victory as he leapt toward the largest of the men, still frozen in terror. His claws sank into the man’s chest, blood flowing like rivers down the expanse of bare skin. Killian clamped his jaws down on his head, his canines piercing bone, until with a powerful shake of his head, the skin of the man’s face and the bone underneath tore away from the skull, exposing the soft brain tissue contained within. The man’s screams were abruptly cut off when Killian swiped his claws from the gaping head wound to the top of his chest.

He then turned his attention to the two men on either side of his first victim. He quickly took care of the both of them - the first, ripping his head off with one swipe of his powerful paw, and the second, using all of his front claws to open his enemy’s chest cavity and gut, his intestines spilling to the ground in front of him - before he turned around looking for the one who’d taunted him in the first place.

The smugness was gone, but a look of grim determination had replaced it as the man, armed with only a sword, and wolf circled one another. The uproar among the audience had all but completely died away, the spectators watching in horrified fascination to see who would emerge the victor.

The man lunged and Killian backed up, well out of reach of the sword his opponent wielded. As they circled, Killian became fully aware of something that had only tickled the edge of his mind in the last several minutes as he faced off with the other men. He had both his front paws! Did that mean that his hand would also be restored when he returned to human form? He had no time to ponder the question as his adversary jabbed toward him again.

“Do you really think you can win?” he asked. His eyes gleamed, and the smugness that had disappeared after Killian killed the others was coloring his countenance once again. “You’re nothing but an animal. I’m going to kill you and skin you and hang your pelt on the wall where I can see it every single day for the rest of my life.”

Killian bared his teeth, a low and vicious growl coming from his throat before he surged forward briefly, snapping at the other man. Giving him a good look of exactly what he was up against. Fear flooded his adversary’s eyes, and the hand holding his sword in front of him began to shake uncontrollably. They continued to circle one another, but the man wasn’t paying attention to their surroundings and was nearing the bodies of two of their dead competitors. It was only a moment later when his foot came down squarely on the innards Killian had spilled earlier and flew out from under him, landing him flat on his back amid the blood and gore-covered ground.

Killian wasted no time. With a mighty leap, he landed on top of the man, his claws making ribbons of his enemy’s bare skin. He’d dropped his sword when he fell, and now reached for it as his screams filled Killian’s ears. Biting down on his upper arm, arterial blood sprayed his muzzle as he ripped it clean away from his shoulder. Killian slung the severed limb away before he turned back and tore the man’s throat out. The terror-filled and agonized screams turned to choking gurgles before they died away completely.

Killian looked up into the seats surrounding the arena. The masses were completely quiet and still, obviously not over the shock of what they’d just witnessed. When his gaze landed on Arthur’s, the despot’s eyes widened in panic, and he made haste to exit his elaborately decorated box. The rest of the audience followed the king’s lead, screaming and running for the exits. With another triumphant howl, Killian ran for the wall and cleared it with a single jump. He quickly caught up with the oppressive tyrant, leaping toward him and landing on his back, pushing him to the ground. He bit down on the exposed skin of his neck and was rewarded with another spray of blood signaling the end of the vile oppressor. 

The arena was now empty, save him and his True Love. He leapt back down to the ground and walked slowly towards her. She was crouched on the ground, her head hidden behind her arms, her golden hair shielding most of her body from view. He stopped, unwilling to terrify her even more than he already had, and changed back to his human form. He looked down and gasped when he saw his left hand completely restored.

He moved toward her again as she lifted her head and looked around at the empty arena.

“Where are your captors, milady?” he asked, gently.

“Gone, my lord,” she breathed. “Did you… what…?”

He unclasped the cloak he still wore from around his neck and spread it across her, covering her rags, though there was no one now to gawk or stare lustfully at her. She grabbed the edges and pulled it more fully around her as she rose to her feet, giving him a grateful nod.

“You’re him.” Her voice wasn’t much more than a whisper and was filled with an awe that Killian didn’t understand.

“I’m… who?” he asked, confused.

“You’re him,” she answered, a bit stronger that time. “My True Love.”

Killian couldn’t hope to hide his surprise at her words.

“Yes,” he exclaimed, excitement bubbling over into a beaming smile. “How did you know?”

“You were missing a hand before you transformed,” she explained, haltingly. She couldn’t hold his gaze for any length of time, her eyes bouncing between his and his restored hand that she gently took in her own, her other hand tracing the veins and bones there. “My parents told me before I was taken that if I ever lost a limb, I’d lose my wolf until I found my True Love.”

“You’re a wolf?” Killian almost fell to his knees in shock. He knew there had to be more out there like him, but he’d never met another. Not even his mother. Killian’s wolf came from his father, who’d died long before his own wolf manifested.

She nodded shyly and showed him her arm with the silver bracelet.

“That’s why they put this on me,” she explained. “To keep me from changing. Could you take it off? I can’t. But someone else can.”

“Of course.” He pulled the bracelet off and threw it to the other side of the arena. 

She frowned, and Killian thought he’d never seen anything more adorable in his life. “If they hadn’t forced me to wear it, I would’ve made short work of those two before they could get me two steps in here.” 

Killian smiled and gathered her in his arms, placing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “That’s my girl.” After holding her for a moment, relishing the feel of her arms around him and the True Love between them, he released her. “My name is Killian. Killian Jones.”

“My name is Emma. Emma Swan.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma Swan.” 

She smiled softly and finally met his gaze. “You as well, Killian Jones.” 

She looked around before meeting his eyes once again. “So what now?” she asked. 

“I have no desire to stay here,” he muttered darkly. “Shall we run?”

Her face broke into a beautiful smile. “Yes, please. I haven’t been able to change for almost a year. Since they took me from my home.”

“I have no home,” he said, a note of melancholy in his words. He looked at his True Love again, his mate, and felt a bone deep contentment that he’d never known. “You’re my home now, Emma.”

“And you’re mine, Killian.” Her smile was full of joy as she got down on all fours before him. “Let’s run.”

He joined her on the ground and transformed. When he came back to himself, he saw a pure white wolf in front of him with eyes of green. She tilted her muzzle to the sky and released a long howl before running for the wall surrounding them. He joined her, his howl mixing with hers in a haunting melody that sent chills down his spine. He followed her over the wall and they ran, ran, and ran away from their past and into their future.

Together.

~*~*~

Thank you so much for reading and sharing!!! I hope you enjoyed it and would love to hear what you thought!!! Please give Kit all the love as well for her gorgeous artwork!!! The Supernatural Summer will continue with more fics and art dropping about every other day through the end of August, and I so hope you enjoy this last round!!!

[myfearless-love]

Too Well Tangled (Chapter 12/21 - "From Brawls to Blueballs")

Chapters: 12/21 — "From Brawls to Blueballs"

Rating: Mature

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Relationship: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan

Characters: Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Arthur (Once Upon a Time), Knave of Hearts | Will Scarlet, Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time), Mad Hatter | Jefferson

Additional Tags: Captain Swan - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Regency, Enemies to Lovers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, BAMF Emma Swan, Angst and Romance, Banter

Summary: Determined and tough-minded Emma Nolan is on a singular mission: to rescue her dim-witted brother from the clutches of Killian Jones, the infamously rakish Marquess of Hookstone. Little did she anticipate her own burgeoning desire for the audacious, unscrupulous scoundrel she intended to despise. Killian Jones, the enigmatic Marquess of Hookstone, has more than earned his sinister sobriquet, the "Prince of Darkness." His past, a stormy mosaic of rejection and rebellion, has forged a man both feared and revered. Yet, the indomitable Miss Nolan proves an unexpectedly formidable opponent for his infamous charm. But when Killian's reciprocated passion lands them in a scandalously compromising, and very public, predicament, Emma is left with no recourse but to demand satisfaction...

Previous chapters: ch. 1 II ch. 2 II ch. 3 II ch. 4 II ch. 5 II ch. 6 II ch. 7 II ch. 8 II ch. 9 II ch. 10 II ch. 11

READ HERE: AO3 or FF.net

Preview:

HUGE thank you to my amazing beta @xarandomdreamx for always catching my mistakes and leaving me smiling with her comments!!❤️

Tagging some folks who might be interested:

@anmylica @elfiola @zaharadessert @gingerchangeling @undercaffinatednightmare

@jrob64 @teamhook @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @mie779

@winterbaby89 @tiganasummertree @stahlop @rylieblu @ultraluckycatnd

@eddisfargo @booksteaandtoomuchtv @laianely @hollyethecurious @resident-of-storybrooke

@beckettj @whimsicallyenchantedrose @captainswan-kellie @veryverynotgoodwrites @lfh1226-linda

@snowbellewells @caught-in-the-filter @shady-swan-jones @bluewildcatfanatic

(Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the list)

[laianely]

No Rest For The Immortals

This is the first chapter of my work for the last year of @cssns

It's so sad that I'm so late for this event, but I'm glad that I managed to participate in this! Many thank for wonderful organizers! You did great job!

Thanks to @xarandomdreamx for beta-reading and correcting my mistakes!

Also this work has cover collage by me and lovely art by @captainswan-kellie! Thank you Kellie!

I have 5 chapters written and the 6th in WIP. I'm going to post them once a week.

Rating: M

Summary: A brutal murder has occurred in New York City. The victim's heart was ripped out, and Detective Emma Swan is determined to find the killer. But bounty hunter Killian Jones interferes with the case, talking nonsense about vampires and wanting to get involved to find the killer and avenge the events that happened centuries ago. Emma thinks he is a psychopath, but his help is her best option when she doesn't have many leads.

Tag people who may be interested: @killianxswan @teamhook @booksteaandtoomuchtv @exhaustedpirate @anmylica @hollyethecurious @kmomof4 @winterbaby89 @undercaffinatednightmare @resident-of-storybrooke @caught-in-the-filter @tiganasummertree @stahlords @lfh1226-linda @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @motherkatereloyshipper @soniccat @jrob64 @beckettj @whimsicallyenchantedrose @jonesfandomfanatic @zaharadessert @bluewildcatfanatic @once-upon-a-happy-end @ultraluckycatnd @qualitycoffeethings

[snowbellewells]

Four Fictional Crushes

Ooh, this is a fun game!! Thanks for the tags @kmomof4 and @iamstartraveller776 !!!

Okay, first the two painfully obvious ones: (and honestly, you could easily do this whole thing from the OuaT cast!)

Sheriff Graham/the Huntsman

Killian Jones/Captain Hook

Wyatt Logan (Timeless)

Will Turner (PotC)

Okay, so that was hard to narrow down, and I was very tempted to put this guy (even though I probably shouldn’t be so drawn in) but @iamstartraveller776 is right, he’s hard to resist! 😏

Alexsander Morozova/the Darkling

Plus a couple old school ones that O will probably always love:

Pacey Witter (Dawson’s Creek)

Derek Morgan (Criminal Minds)

Tagging: @searchingwardrobes @jennjenn615 @booksteaandtoomuchtv @xarandomdreamx

@spartanguard @whimsicallyenchantedrose @jrob64 @apiratewhopines

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

hi im new to tumblr and love ur blog, i rly love captainswan! can u suggest some other captainswan tumblrs to follow? thanks xx

WELCOME, MY DEAR NONNIE.

HAVE I GOT BLOGS FOR YOU...

(I am still fairly new to the fandom so this is not an exhaustive list at all.)

Art @cocohook38 @piinfeathers @wild-werewolf - her Insta is more active and I highly recommend following @pirateswhore

Gifs/Edits @pirateherokillian @killianjonesz @k-leemac @naiariddle Fics/Meta/All the Things/Reblogs For fics, I elaborated at length here and my tag 'major cs fic rec' has many, many other lists that others in the community have done. (I will spare the retag for most of those folks.)

@teamhook @ishoulddefbedoingotherthings @piraterefrigerator @cptainjones @vasfasan @saptaincwan @grimmswan @exhaustedpirate @goforlaunchcee @snowbellewells @killian-whump @killiansprincss @kmomof4 @nachocheese-itsmycheese @anmylica @stahlop @tiganasummertree @jrob64 @djlbg @zaharadessert @xarandomdreamx @hollyethecurious @whimsicallyenchantedrose @elfiola @undercaffinatednightmare - Also has lots of relateable writing things over there @kazoosandfannypacks - Kazzy did OUAT-tober last year and propelled me into the OUAT fandom. Even when she is not doing OUAT things, she is doing amazingly creative things that encourage you to write or create on your own. Crack pairings? She's got them. Meta? Got it. And, it is smut-free and curse-free for those who take that into consideration. @ouatsnark - Doing the good work of defending CS against so much hate Event Pages @cssns @cshistfic @csjanuaryjoy @cssecretsanta2020 @ouattober Listen... I know that I forgot people I KNOW that I did and I am so, so sorry. But, follow them too!!

Oh, and I am so glad you like it here.

[teamhook]

Captain Swan Event

Hello, CS crew!! I come today with an event idea that has been tossed around in the discord server I run. (originally used for a different event >> CSMM) Okay, the new event  (Captain Swan Co-Storytellers Collaboration) would consist of groups of 3-4 people working together to write a captain swan story.  This is not a one person writes one part and passes on the document and so on until it reaches its end. No, this would be the ultimate team effort in an ensemble of amazing writers! Of course there are details to be ironed out but I wanted to know if anyone here was interested to join. I will share the form to get an idea of who is interested and for a way to contact anyone that wants to join in on the fun. As soon as I can I will reach out to you.

ENSEMBLE FORM

Gonna tag some people I know and I'm sorry if I don't tag everyone. If possible reblog. Thank you lovelies!

@allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @andiirivera @anothersworld @apiratewhopines @artistic-writer @batana54 @beckettj @bethacaciakay @bixisarusher @branlovestowrite @brooke-to-broch @captainodonoghue @carpedzem @chasedancer17 @cocohook38 @courtorderedcake @darkcolinodonorgasm @deckerstarblanche @demisexualemmaswan @djlbg @donteattheappleshook @dovelyheart @elizabeethan @gingerchangeling @gingerpoliglot @holdingoutforapiratehero @hollyethecurious @hookedonapirate @hookedonaswanprincess @hookedonhiddles @ilovemesomekillianjones @imlaxdris71 @itsfabianadocarmo @jarienn972 @jennjenn615 @jonesfandomfanatic @jrob64 @justanother-unluckysoul @k-leemac @karlyfr13s @kday426 @killian-will-do @klynn-stormz @kmomof4 @kwistowee @kymbersmith-90 @laschatzi @lassluna @let-it-raines @lfh1226-linda @lonelyspectator12 @mariakov81 @motherkatereloyshipper @officerrogers @ohmakemeahercules @onceratheart18 @pirateherokillian @purplehawkcaptain @resident-of-storybrooke @revanmeetra87 @sailtoafarawayland @sals86 @scribomaniac @searchingwardrobes @seriouslyhooked @shardminds @shireness-says @snowbellewells @sotangledupinit @spacekrulesbians @spartanguard @stahlop @superchocovian @swanslieutenant @tehgreeneyes @the-darkdragonfly @thejollyroger-writer @thepirateandhisson @therealstartraveller776 @thislassishooked @thisonesatellite @tiganasummertree @tomeandflickcorner @ultraluckycatnd @veryverynotgoodwrites @wefoundloveunderthelight @wellhellotragic @whimsicallyenchantedrose @winterbaby89 @xarandomdreamx @xsajx @zaharadessert @myfearless-love @cosette141 @grimmswan @fleurdepetite @hookmecaptain @once-upon-a-pirate-ship  @undercaffinatednightmare @4getfulimaginator2022 @nachocheese-itsmycheese @booksteaandtoomuchtv @iverna @OUATadmire

[cssns]

CSSNS23 IS A GO!!!!!

Alright y’all!!!! Get ready!!!! Sounds like there’s still PLENTY of interest in another year of the Captain Swan Supernatural Summer!!! I have to admit, I’m AMAZED AND SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!! 

THANK Y’ALL SO MUCH!!!!!

So here are the deets...

Sign ups will be open from February 20- March 1.

Get To Know Me’s will start dropping in late April or early May.

Posting Dates will be in July, stretching into August if needed.

For those new shipmates not familiar with the Captain Swan Supernatural Summer, this is an event I created back in 2018 to address the woeful lack of Werewolf Killian fics. And we have succeeded many times over!!! The event is open to everyone. The only requirement is the fic or artwork has to be CS focused and supernatural in nature. In past years we’ve had werewolf, vampire, fae, selkie, soulmate, shapeshifter, witch, ghost, and many, many others!! 

All of the past years fics can be found on ao3 here.

Any fic length is fine, from a 100 word Drabble to a 250,000 word epic MC. Any rating is fine. Any type of artwork is fine, from using traditional mediums of paint and drawing, to digital artwork to videos to gifs. Artists can elect to do their own original artwork and/or they can be paired with a fic writer to do artwork for the fic being written. And we certainly hope to have enough artists sign up that we can pair every author with an artist that wants to be paired. So please! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

Signups open a week from tomorrow, and this post will be reblogged daily on this blog as well as this years mods’ blogs in order for the most people to see the announcement!!

Any questions, you can leave an ask here, or get in touch with me or one of our other mods- @kmomof4​ @winterbaby89​ @jrob64​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @stahlop​ - either on Tumblr or discord.

Come join us!!! It’s gonna be another great SUPERNATURAL SUMMER!!!!

Tagging all former participants to help spread the word!!! Under the cut unless Tumblr ate it.

@kymbersmith-90 @hollyethecurious @hookedonapirate @searchingwardrobes @emmaswanchoosesyou @justbecauseyoubelievesomething @shireness-says @the-corsair-and-her-quill @youre-not-a-cat-youre-a-rat @everlastingcaptainswan @resident-of-storybrooke @donteattheappleshook @artistic-writer @winterbythesea @awkwardnessandbaseball  @branlovestowrite​ @natascha-remi-ronin @distant-rose @pirateherokillian @flipperbrain @snidgetsafan @thejollyroger-writer @seriouslyhooked @doodlelolly0910 @courtorderedcake @delightfully-difficult-pirate @nerdyhuntress @rouhn @drowned-dreamer @stubble-sandwich @its-imperator-furiosa @technicallysizzlingcloud @spartanguard  @captainstudmuffin @andyousaidtruelovedidntexsist @wordsmith-storyweaver @snowbellewells @initiala @ilovemesomekillianjones @jarienn972 @coaldustcanary @gingerchangeling @blessed-but-distressed @mahstatins @jennifer-morrison @polarbearmorgan @teamhook @totheendoftheworldortime @stubble-sandwich @winterbaby89 @lenfaz @yayimallamaagain @tehgreeneyes​ @cocohook38 @eastwesthomeisbest​  @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @forestiyari @abeylin1982 @shipsxahoy @seastarved​ @wingedlioness @the-irish-mayhem @katie-dub @shady-swan-jones @bleebug​ @blackwidownat2814​ @darkcolinodonorgasm @djlbg​ @emeraldwitches @faerytold @huffleporg @idristardis @lassluna @let-it-raines​ @lizzyc807shipscaptainswan @wistfulcynic​ @thislassishooked @ultraluckycatnd @welllpthisishappening​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose @wyntereyez​ @demisexualemmaswan​ @imlaxdris71​ @ohmightydevviepuu​ @shardminds​ @thisonesatellite​ @stahlop​ @lovelivingmydreams​ @iamstartraveller776​ @goforlaunchcee​ @carpedzem​ @mariakov81​ @clockadile​ @eirabach​ @thesschesthair​ @tornadoamy​ @justanother-unluckysoul​ @killianjones-twopointoh​ @veryverynotgoodwrites​ @everything-person​ @myfearless-love​ @zaharadessert​ @deckerstarblanche​ @killiansprincss​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @th3capta1n​ @sotangledupinit​ @grimmswan​ @motherkatereloyshipper​ @mie779​ @o-wild-west-wind​ @whatevenisthisbloganymore​ @romanceapologist​ @undercaffinatednightmare​ @tintedfl0wers​ @tennant-the-tigger​ @piinfeathers​ @freechoicedreamer​ @purplehawkcaptain​ @jonesfandomfanatic​ @jrob64​ 

[shady-swan-jones]

Last Line Challenge

Tagged by @iamstartraveller776 and @laianely Thank you!

Rules: In a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you like)

This is from the final chapter of my jealous!emma, She's Perfect But You're Mine (captain swan):

"I'm not loud!" Emma protests, loudly.

Tagging @myfearless-love @mirroringdust @winterbaby89 @zaharadessert @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @whimsicallyenchantedrose

[searchingwardrobes]

Writing Patterns

Thank you for tagging me, @iamstartraveller776 ! I haven't done a game in ages, and since I'm on my kids' homeschool break, thought I'd give it a whirl.

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Killian wished for the first time for those garish artificial lights of Storybrooke. (From "My Life, My Love, My Lady" complete)

The last time he saw her, he was fifteen hundred miles away from this rocky stretch of beach. (From "No Wives, No Mothers, No Lovers" complete)

Emma saw the rusted shopping cart rattle past out of the corner of her eye. (From "Scarborough Fair" WIP)

yellowbug83: Hi! I just purchased your Falcon as Captain America mini figure. (From "A Strange Way to Fall in Love" complete)

“I am in desperate need of a milkshake.” (From "After I'm Gone" complete)

Emma pulls her gaze away from her binoculars to scowl at the radio as if it's personally offended her. (From "Next Stop Storybrooke" eternally a WIP lol)

“Can we use your bathroom, please?" (From "It's Been . . . a DAY" complete)

The sun rose hot and fast over the Oklahoma panhandle, baking the barren ground with its scorching heat. (From "She Dreams in Color" complete from the CS HistFic event.)

9. When ebony flashes gold, Blood runs cold. When ivory runs red, You’ll be dead. (From "Ivory Runs Red" Complete from the Captain Swan Supernatural Summer event 2021)

10. Bounce left, bounce right. (From "Not the Type" eternally WIP Bring it On AU from the Captain Swan Movie Marathon Event.

The only pattern I see is that I suck at opening lines, lol. (Which I already knew.) #4 and #10 are especially confusing if you haven't read the fic summary, and I'm laughing pretty hard about that!

Tagging @snowbellewells @jrob64 @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @spartanguard

[snowbellewells]

@whimsicallyenchantedrose I am so touched to be on this list! I really don’t think I can express it accurately. Just know I am so happy you’ve loved that story, and even repeatedly read it!! 💕💖💕💖💕

Let's spread some love 😘. What are some of your top five favourite cs fics?

I love spreading the fandom love, but this was hard! There are so many talented OUAT writers out there--those who are still writing for the fandom, and those who have moved on. I've honestly barely scratched the surface when it comes to reading the available fics. We are truly blessed.

The following are fics I've read more than once, and they're the first five that came to mind. There are so many others that I love, so I hope anyone who sees this but doesn't see their name or fic on this list knows that it's not because I don't like your story! I really don't want to leave anyone out.

With that proviso out of the way, my top 5 CS fics, in no particular order are: Dark Hook Comes to Storybrooke, by @hollyethecurious and @winterbaby89

I'd Know You Anywhere, by @snowbellewells

The Lightbearers, by @qqueenofhades

The Dark Horizon, also by @qqueenofhades

and Until the Fog Lifts, by thejeweloftherealm (sorry, I'm not sure if this user is on Tumblr. Also, quick warning on this one: it remains unfinished and was last updated on Nov. 19, 2016, so I think it's safe to assume it's abandoned.)

If you haven't read them yet, I highly recommend doing so!

[kmomof4]

Rainy Sunday CS Spooky Season/Autumnal Bingo

And that's BINGO!!! Hope you enjoy this short and sweet CS meeting! Many thanks to @hollyethecurious for the bingo idea and to @jrob64 for her beta services.

Summary: Killian Jones waits inside a coffee shop on a rainy Sunday afternoon for his blind date, Emma Swan, to arrive.

Rating: G

On ao3

Words:

Tags: Spooky Season Bingo, Coffee Shop Fic

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

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells  @djlbg

@lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic @anmylica

@laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling @caught-in-the-filter

@ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @captainswan-kellie

@soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @thisonesatellite

@jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones @mie779

@kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites @myfearless-love 

~*~*~

Prompt: Coffee shop on a rainy day

Killian Jones sat at a small table inside the warm and cozy coffee shop, watching the frigid, late autumn rain come down in sheets outside. He’d been waiting a few minutes already - long enough for his order to be called and for the warmth of the fire along the back wall of the cafe to reach and warm him deliciously.

He sipped his coffee and looked back out the window to see a woman rushing down the street. Her long blonde hair was covered by a knitted navy beanie with a puff at the top, and she wore a black windbreaker over a deep red turtleneck sweater. Her features weren’t terribly clear through the rain, but he could see enough that he couldn’t help but hope she might be the blind date he was waiting for, one Miss Emma Swan.

When she rushed through the cafe door, his breath caught. He stared, completely gobsmacked, at the gorgeous woman as she shook her head and her arms, flinging off at least some of the stray water droplets that made her look rather like his dog Roger after a bath, than someone meeting a date.

She took off her beanie before making her way to the counter and ordering. Once finished, she turned around and her eyes scanned the cafe until they landed on him. Killian swallowed hard as a bright, but still somewhat tentative smile broke across her lips as she started making her way toward him. When she was still about six feet away, he stood and scratched behind his ear in nervousness.

“Emma Swan?” he asked, holding out his hand to her. “I’m Killian Jones.”

She took it as her smile widened even more and shook it and sat down across from him. Killian took his seat again as well.

“It is very nice to meet you, Killian Jones.”

The End

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I'd love to hear what you think! Don't yell at me too hard, please! I wanted to get a bingo and I figured y'all had good enough imaginations that you could figure out what came next!

[myfearless-love]

Too Well Tangled (Chapter 18/21 - "Crossroads of Conscience")

Chapters: 18/21 — "Crossroads of Conscience"

Rating: Mature

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Relationship: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan

Characters: Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Arthur (Once Upon a Time), Knave of Hearts | Will Scarlet, Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time), Mad Hatter | Jefferson

Additional Tags: Captain Swan - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Regency, Enemies to Lovers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, BAMF Emma Swan, Angst and Romance, Banter

Summary: Determined and tough-minded Emma Nolan is on a singular mission: to rescue her dim-witted brother from the clutches of Killian Jones, the infamously rakish Marquess of Hookstone. Little did she anticipate her own burgeoning desire for the audacious, unscrupulous scoundrel she intended to despise. Killian Jones, the enigmatic Marquess of Hookstone, has more than earned his sinister sobriquet, the "Prince of Darkness." His past, a stormy mosaic of rejection and rebellion, has forged a man both feared and revered. Yet, the indomitable Miss Nolan proves an unexpectedly formidable opponent for his infamous charm. But when Killian's reciprocated passion lands them in a scandalously compromising, and very public, predicament, Emma is left with no recourse but to demand satisfaction...

Previous chapters: ch. 1 II ch. 2 II ch. 3 II ch. 4 II ch. 5 II ch. 6 II ch. 7 II ch. 8 II ch. 9 II ch. 10 II ch. 11 II ch.12 II ch. 13 II ch. 14 II ch.15 II ch. 16 II ch. 17.

READ HERE: AO3

Preview:

HUGE thank you to my amazing beta @xarandomdreamx for always catching my mistakes and leaving me smiling with her comments!!❤️

Tagging some folks who might be interested:

@anmylica @elfiola @zaharadessert @gingerchangeling @undercaffinatednightmare

@jrob64 @teamhook @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @mie779

@winterbaby89 @tiganasummertree @stahlop @rylieblu @ultraluckycatnd

@eddisfargo @booksteaandtoomuchtv @laianely @hollyethecurious @resident-of-storybrooke

@beckettj @whimsicallyenchantedrose @captainswan-kellie @veryverynotgoodwrites @lfh1226-linda

@snowbellewells @caught-in-the-filter @shady-swan-jones @bluewildcatfanatic @fairytalepetzkle

(Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the list)

[jrob64]

For those of you on my tag list:

I plan to redo my list beginning with the next story I write (after I finish posting ‘Always in My Heart’) If you have liked and/or reblogged any of my last three longer stories (’Taking On Mrs. Jones’, ‘Blow Me Away’ or ‘Always in My Heart’), I will keep you on the list. If not, unless you respond to this post saying you want to remain on, I will stop tagging you. 

If you would like to be added, please tell me that as well. 

Thank you!

Tagging: @xsajx @hookedmom @kymbersmith-90 @kmomof4 @lassluna @pirateherokillian @teamhook @stahlop @elizabeethan @whimsicallyenchantedrose @resident-of-storybrooke @therooksshiningknight @jennjenn615 @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @killianswannn @stories-enchanted @eleveneitherway @withheartfulloflove @kday426 @djlbg @kristi555 @laschatzi @xarandomdreamx @wyntereyez @goforlaunchcee @yasbio2015 @tiganasummertree @winterbaby89 @wefoundloveunderthelight @hollyethecurious @let-it-raines @jonesfandomfanatic @searchingwardrobes @oncechicagolove @andiirivera  @gingerchangeling @everything-person @klynn-stormz @qualitycoffeethings @enchanted-swans @ohmakemeahercules @donteattheappleshook @bluewildcatfanatic @the-darkdragonfly @demisexualemmaswan @grimmswan @spartanguard @flslp87 @ultraluckycatnd @thisonesatellite @captainswan21 @zaharadessert @mariakov81 @snowbellewells @kiwistreetswan @batana54 @nadine200179 @probalicious17 @courtorderedcake @julesep3026 @jackieorioncat @whatthehell102082 @jarienn972 @sthonour @linda8084  @pirateprincesslena @daxx04 @artistic-writer @cocohook38 @captainswan4life85 @molly958 @itsfridaysomewhere @fallingforthecaptain  @onceratheart18 @strangestarlighttree @justanother-unluckysoul @mrs-potato-but-likes-tomato @anothersworld @deckerstarblanche @purplehawkcaptain  @superchocovian @k-leemac @citygirlscowboy @laughterandbooks @sotangledupinit @apiratewhopines @huntressandlioness1 @gingerpolyglot @motherkatereloyshipper @cs-rylie @anmylica @paradiselady19 @pawshapedheart @vampcoffeegyrl23 @elfiola @softkilly @nachocheese-itsmycheese @iverna​ @booksteaandtoomuchtv

[snowbellewells]

Heads Up, Seven Up!

Post the last 7 sentences you wrote. Tagged by @booksteaandtoomuchtv and @kmomof4 thank you both for the tags!

Okay, the last seven sentences I have written were for the upcoming sixth chapter of "Carolina Moon" - my @cssns23 fic from last summer. Though that story has long been woefully overdue for an update, I had really been in a dry spell with sadly little time to write, but something finally broke free last night and I wrote around 1300 words. Anyway, here's what I've got:

"Was this what Emma had always been dealing with? Even as a child? Rose would have known, would have been a support, a respite for Emma in the storm the rest of her life must have been. His baby sister, whom he'd doted on but clearly not paid careful enough attention to, would have done nothing less. But when she was snatched away, and Emma blamed for the loss despite what she had risked trying to help, the storm had surged back to surround her, raging and buffetting her more cruelly than ever. And though he had wondered briefly about the marks he could see and what had kept Emma that night, he had been too young and blind, too lost in his own grief and family concerns to reach out to her as he saw now he should have done. She had lost the only anchor in the maelstrom she had ever possessed, and he hadn't bothered to toss her a lifeline..."

Tagging: @searchingwardrobes @beckettj @spartanguard @iamstartraveller776 @searchingwardrobes @gingerpolyglot @xarandomdreamx @whimsicallyenchantedrose

[anmylica]

Take Me Out (After the Ball Game)

Since @winterbaby89 and @sotangledupinit wanted baseball pickup lines in the pitch thread of the CSMM Discord, I decided to give it to her. This is shameless flirting indulgence, so you’ve been warned! I have ideas percolating for a follow-up, but for now, this is going to be a one shot.

As always, let me know what you think!

Tagging the Usual Crew:

@kmomof4 @snowbellewells @sotangledupinit @tiganasummertree @zaharadessert @xarandomdreamx @whimsicallyenchantedrose @deckerstarblanche

Want to be added? Send me an ask!

Read on AO3

Read on FFN

Emma rolled her eyes as she tried to hide that she was checking a text from her brother during the meeting with the mayor of Boston bugging her about going to a Red Sox game with him and Mary Margaret, his wife. Emma hated baseball with a passion, and she didn’t see why David would want her to go to a game. She didn’t get to respond to his text, opting instead for ignoring it when the mayor’s secretary handed her a folder. She thanked the woman and turned her attention back onto the words being spoken at her.

Emma groaned softly and sank into the cushy chair in the mayor’s office as the mayor of Boston, Regina Mills, continued to drone on and on about the importance of improving the community’s impressions of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and how Emma, as the sheriff, was supposed to do that.  Regina ignored her dramatics, well used to them by now after the last couple of years working with the blonde, and she continued her lecture, knowing that Emma was hearing every word.  All Emma could think about was the time spent away from investigations, not that that seemed to matter in terms of the “Evil Queen’s” (as Regina was fondly and not-so-fondly, depending on who was talking, referred to as) priorities.  Once Regina got something on her mind, there was no stopping her.

“And there’s the community fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital in two weeks that you need to make an appearance at.  We should be a united front, and definitely bring Henry,” Regina said, talking at her usual mile-a-minute pace, barely glancing up at Emma from her papers as she did so.  When she did manage to glimpse up at the blonde sitting across from her desk, she frowned at Emma’s lack of attention.  “Are you listening to me?” Regina called sharply.

Emma jumped.  “Oh!  Uh, yeah, I’ve already made sure I have Henry that weekend.”

Regina narrowed her eyes before nodding.  “Then there’s the matter of the first pitch and the Red Sox game this weekend.”

“What?  What ‘first pitch’?”  Emma asked in confusion, not recalling Regina ever having mentioned that before this.  

“In honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, the Red Sox have kindly agreed to have one of the members of the Sheriff’s Office throw the first pitch.  We wanted someone who looks good in casual clothes with the Sheriff’s Office logo to go out and show that the office cares about the community, and what better way to do that than show up at a baseball game?”

Emma blinked owlishly.  “Why am I just now hearing about this?”

Regina waved her hand.  “Because your brother, David, backed out at the last minute.”

David was a deputy in the department that she worked closely with.  Emma had been elected to the position of sheriff a couple years earlier, and had beaten out her competition very narrowly.  David had been a large part of the reason why she had won it.  He had campaigned very hard for her to beat Sydney Glass, a man who ran a local small newspaper and who had never served in law enforcement a day in his life.  She owed her position to him and all the campaigning he had helped her do.

“Why would he back out?  He’s the biggest baseball nut I know.”  Emma frowned, thinking about how unfair the short notice was.  What if she had already had plans?  Thank God Henry was going to be spending the weekend at Neal and Tamara’s.  She’d hate to have to cancel any plans with him, though the kid was likely going to be mad he had missed the opportunity to go with her.  Other than David, he was the biggest Red Sox fan in their family (something he did not get from her).

Regina waved off the question.  “Something to do with Mary Margaret needing him for a fundraiser.  I don’t know; I didn’t ask many questions.  Since you’re sheriff, and you’re approaching reelection in another year, this will be a great time for you to foster some good will from the people.  Shake some hands and kiss some babies type of good will.”

Emma raised an eyebrow.  “Gee, Regina, I didn’t know you cared,” she responded drolly.  

“I don’t,” replied Regina loftily.  “I just don’t want to work with someone even more clueless than you.”

Emma rolled her eyes.  Thanks for that, Evil Queen.  “So this weekend?”

“The game is Saturday at 3.  You’ll need to be there at 1 for pictures and interviews.  And you’ll meet the players and organization as well.”

Emma sighed.  “I’ll be there.”  The meeting reached its conclusion shortly after the details were finalized, but Emma couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was going to happen this Saturday, as reluctant as she was about the whole affair.

Emma’s feeling was right, and it hit her quite soon after arriving at Fenway Park Saturday at 1 in the afternoon.  She arrived, ready to take some photos, do some interviewing, and walk her through the first pitch mechanics, feeling as if she was constantly looking over her shoulder.  She was so nervous for this event that she was seriously regretting not convincing David to do this after all.

Emma talked to the owner of the Red Sox, and then mingled with the managers.  She met so many people she couldn’t even have said any of their names. The one person Emma remembered the name of was Robin Loxley.  Robin was the General Manager of the team, and he immediately set Emma at ease.  He had been the one to set up the opportunity along with the PR manager of the team, Belle French.  He was great, very friendly and outgoing, and Emma decided she liked him a lot.  Emma had actually worked with Belle before on organizing security and managing traffic after games, and they had become fast friends all those years ago.  They were there during the interviews with local news and Emma felt grateful to have their support.  The interviews went by like a breeze, and Emma walked down onto the field with confidence in herself and her abilities.  If she could get through the interviews, she could get through anything.

Then she was brought into the locker room to meet the players.  Emma felt a bit exposed meeting the team like this, but Robin assured her that it would be fine and that all the players would be very welcoming.  Emma came to find that some were definitely more welcoming than others.

The moment she stepped foot in the locker room after Robin introduced her to the men already in uniform and lounging around the room, one of the players wolf whistled.  Emma whipped her head around, quickly locating the source.

“Come back to my place, and I’ll show you what a grand slam looks like,” he said with a smirk that he clearly felt was appealing but just made Emma a little nauseous.

“With lines like that, you’re more likely to strike out,” Emma countered, rolling her eyes.

“Whale!” Robin hissed.  “This is Emma Swan, the sheriff!  You might show a bit more decorum?”

Instead of the decorum Robin mentioned, Whale’s eyes lit up with leering mischief.  “Oh, you can cuff me anytime, baby.”

“The only cuffs you’ll experience are the ones that will land you behind bars.”  Emma rolled her eyes as the rest of the team howled with laughter.

Robin’s face turned a deep shade of red.  “My apologies,” he said quietly to Emma.  “Ignore him.  That’s mostly what we do.”

Emma nodded in understanding, turning her attention to the rest of the players in the room.  She learned that she would be working briefly with Jefferson Hatter, since he was to be the starting pitcher today.  

“I promise, I’ll help you throw the ball without making a fool of yourself,” Jefferson smiled politely, which Emma returned.

Robin introduced her to Leroy Miner (who sneered at her, though Robin assured her he did that to everyone), Will Scarlet (a sarcastic little shit that Emma wasn’t sure she liked), and the rest of the outfielders, Graham Humbert (the left fielder who was definitely easy on the eyes), Phillip Ormin (the center fielder who she knew was married to Aurora Ormin, who worked with Mary Margaret as a teacher, and who she already had met), and Eric Fisher (the right fielder who merely nodded but said nothing else upon their introduction) next.  Emma greeted all of them with a polite smile and a greeting, though she might have considered something a little more to Graham had the next two people on the team not walked in late.

“And where are the Jones brothers?” Robin asked with some concern.  No one answered him, and it turned out they didn’t need to because the two missing players had just arrived.

The door opened as if on cue and in walked two men.  Emma turned and surveyed them.  The first through the door was a bit taller and broader than the second, with curly dark hair cropped short and pretty light blue eyes.  The second was a bit darker in complexion and hair color, though his jet black hair was straight and his blue eyes were a bit deeper and he had a dusting of ginger scruff that looked as if he spent a good deal of time grooming just right.  The moment Emma made eye contact with the second man, her heart stopped and then resumed its beating faster than it had ever done.

“Ah, here they are!  Sheriff, this is Liam Jones, our second baseman, and Killian Jones, our catcher.  Killian will be who you throw the first pitch to today.”

Liam gave her a polite smile and a nod as he greeted her, but otherwise went to his locker and grabbed his glove.  Killian smirked as his eyes roved over her figure, causing her to flush under his scrutiny.  

“I’d be delighted to be on your mound,” Killian murmured, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to its back, his dark fair falling into his eyes as he did so.

Emma frowned.  “I thought pitchers were the ones to take the mound, not catchers,” she said before she could stop herself.  Dammit she did not mean to say that.

Killian smirked in obvious delight, seemingly not offended by her banality in the slightest.  “Oh, I think I’m going to have fun with you, lass.”  His voice wrapped around the words like warm honey, and Emma fluttered her eyelashes as the implication of his words sunk in.

“Alright, let’s go, you lot!” Robin called, interrupting their moment of connection.  Emma tore her eyes from Killian’s and looked around at everyone else.  She noticed that Liam was scowling in their direction, though the reasons why he would do that eluded her.  “To your warm up stations!” Robin ordered.  

The team all filed out, with Killian lingering until it was only he, Emma, and Robin in the room.  Liam gave his brother and her a dark look on his way out but said nothing.  Killian left the room in front of them, pulling his eyes from Emma’s at the very last moment before sauntering onto the field.  Emma and Robin exited, Emma’s eyes glued to Killian’s form as they followed him.  Once on the field, the two walked to the pitcher’s mound where the starting pitcher, Jefferson Hatter, was waiting.

The three of them discussed how the first pitch was going to go.  Killian took his spot behind home plate, squatted down, and caught the pitch Jefferson threw.  Once Emma and Robin reached the mound, they stood and watched.  Jefferson seemed cool and unrattled, though Robin murmured to Emma that he frequently went off the rails a bit as the game unfolded (which was why he was their starting pitcher and not a closer). 

Emma nodded and smiled, responding at all the right times, but she was only slightly paying attention. Her eyes followed Killian Jones’ every move. For the most part, he looked like he was in the zone, completely focused on his warm up routine with Jefferson, but Emma caught him looking at her out of the corner of his eye many times. 

Every time he squatted down into position, he threw a slight smirk her way, as if he was hoping she’d be looking at him in his “seductive” catcher’s stance.  (Emma was not going to admit that she was enjoying the view. Not in a million years.)

After Jefferson and Killian had thrown back and forth, Robin interrupted and took the ball that Killian had just thrown to the starting pitcher.  He turned and handed it to Emma.

“Now, I’m going to have you throw a few from this spot here,” Robin said as he pointed a little ways in front of them, “and Killian is going to give you some pointers for where to throw now that they’re warm.”

Emma sputtered, but Robin turned and walked back to the dugout.  Killian sauntered up to her, his glove perched on one hip while he held his belt buckle in his right hand.  Emma noted with some annoyance (and a dash of attraction, not that she would admit it) that he seemed to let his hips lead him in the direction he wanted to walk.  Emma frowned as she realized she noticed that.

“It looks like it’s just you and me, now, love,” Killian smiled once he got close enough to her so he didn’t have to shout.

“And the whole field of your teammates,” Emma retorted pointedly. 

Jefferson frowned as Emma crossed her arms and Killian closed the space between them even more, smiling at her the whole time.  “Uh, guys?  You’re not actually alone.  I’m- I’m right here,” he said, a bit baffled by their behavior.

Neither seemed to take any notice of his presence as they stared challengingly at each other, so he sighed, shook his head, and turned away, waiting impatiently for whatever this was that was going on between the Sheriff of Boston and their starting catcher to finish.  Jefferson looked towards second base to gauge how Liam was taking these events, but if Liam noticed anything suspicious halfway to home plate from the mound, he didn’t give any indication of it.

Killian glanced down at Emma’s figure surreptitiously before meeting her eyes.  He held out his glove to her and said, “So let’s see if you know your way around the balls.” 

Emma scowled and pushed the ball into his mitt hard.  “I’ve been known to fondle them a time or two.” 

Killian chuckled in amazement at her gumption.  “Alright, you want to stand right here, like this,” he said as he maneuvered her body into position. 

“Is it really necessary for you to touch me like this,” Emma huffed, but otherwise let him touch her legs and shoulders to get her into position.

“Well, strictly speaking, probably not,” Killian answered mildly as he tapped her foot to get her to move it a bit further away from her other one.

“Figures,” Emma huffed, showing more annoyance than she felt at his insistence on feeling her up.  If she had really minded it, she could have put a stop to it; the fact that she didn’t spoke volumes to them both. 

“Well, I’m a baseball player, love.  I know my way around the bases.”  Killian looked up at her through his lashes to gauge her expression.  He was delighted to see that, underneath her mask of outrage, her eyes were glimmering with suppressed mirth brought about by their banter.

He decided to back off a bit after that particularly risqué remark, instead focusing on his instructions for what to do to ensure a good first pitch.  Jefferson, upon seeing that they were finally getting serious, contributed his input on how to hold her feet and where to step to ensure that she didn’t look as if she knew next to nothing about throwing a baseball. 

After the brief instruction, Killian moved behind home plate to catch a few throws from her.  Emma threw the baseball to Killian to get warmed up, trying to make sure she implemented all the instructions Killian had given her (with Jefferson’s correction as needed) and Killian threw the ball to Jefferson, who caught it and handed it back to her.  Emma took this time to shamelessly get to watch Killian as he moved. 

He made the act of catching and throwing look like some kind of lyrical dance.  He moved so gracefully, so fluidly, through the crouches, the throws, and the almost-lazy catches.  Emma was secretly pleased to note that he seemed to need to pay very little attention to where the ball was, instead paying her the majority of his attention in the way his eyes raked her figure.  She hoped she looked even slightly as graceful in throwing as he did in catching. 

After a few minutes of practicing her pitching skills, she nodded to Jefferson that she thought she was ready.  Killian ran out to meet them before she walked off the field to wait until game time. 

“So, Swan,” he said smiling at her, “how do you feel? Are you ready for your big debut?”

Emma chuckled.  “I don’t know about a ‘big debut,’ but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.  I think I’m looking forward to the bottle of rum I’ve got at home for when this is over.”  She reached over and massaged her shoulder a bit. 

“A rum drinker too?” Killian whistled.  “You’re a girl after my own heart, aren’t you?”

Emma smiled slyly, and that was his only warning before she quipped, “I’m quite the catch.”

Killian laughed.  “You’re a catch worthy of a gold glove,” he agreed, delighting in making her laugh more. 

Their moment couldn’t last, though.  Robin’s yelling broke through their concentration on each other, and he and Emma glanced over to see Robin waving her over to the dugout. 

“Duty calls,” Killian noted.  “Are you going to stay through the whole game?”

Emma nodded.  “I’m meeting a few friends in the stands after the pitch is thrown.”

“And what about after?” he pressed. 

Emma gave him a searching glance.  “I’m not sure,” she answered.  “Why?”

Killian swallowed, and decided to shoot his shot.  “Well I was just wondering what the ‘win probability’ was for taking you out some time?”

Emma raised her brows, ignoring RRobin's increasingly agitated summons.  “My dugout or yours?” 

Killian smiled.  “How about I get your number after the game, and we can decide?” 

Emma smiled prettily, and Killian had the sudden notion that the sun hadn’t truly shined until it illuminated her smile. 

“I think you just hit a home run.”  She left him with a lingering look and a smile, finally turning and going to the dugout where Robin was shaking his head.  

Killian watched her go with a starstruck look in his eyes.  Jefferson watched her leave the field with less interest than Killian did. 

“Think we can focus on winning the game, now?” Jefferson asked pointedly.  Killian nodded and shifted into focusing on the game at hand.

As the teams focused on completing their warmups, the fans began trickling in.  Emma was taken to a part of the stadium just off the field where she gave an interview on the latest activities at the sheriff’s station of Boston.  She talked about a few projects in the works as a way for the officers to give back to the community, hoping to highlight their humanitarian efforts.  The last question she was asked by the reporter concerned her plans for re-election.

“While no campaigns have officially kicked off, I do have plans on running again and continuing the work for the community of Boston that I’ve championed,” Emma replied, with a polite smile and nod.

The reporter thanked her, and then Emma was whisked off to the field for her first pitch.  She stepped onto the field to applause, making sure to wave at the crowd for the cameras (and hoping she didn’t screw this up and have to listen to Regina later), and she took the baseball from Robin.  He moved off the field, and she stood at the position she had been told previously.  She paused for a moment, letting the cameras take their pictures, and stared at the catcher.

Killian Jones squatted behind home plate, his mask off for the moment and laying on the ground beside him.  He smirked at her and raised his eyebrow, seeming to say, “So what have you got for me?”

Emma felt her face heat at the suggestion in his eyes.  She rolled her own and resolved to knock his smirk off his face.  She took one last breath and held it.  She reared back, the ball clutched firmly in her hand, and moved forward with the throw.  The rest of the world seemed to fade away as she stared Killian down.  Nothing else existed but this moment as his blue eyed gaze met her green one.  She released the ball, watching it almost float in the air, and let out the breath she had been holding.  Killian’s glove snapped shut around it, and the crowd cheered.  Killian stood up and cheered as well.

“Play ball!” the announcer exclaimed, and Emma was ushered off the field after a few more pictures.  Once off the field, Emma was escorted by Robin to her seat for the game.  She made sure to get some popcorn and a drink just after the home team took the field, settling in to have a good time with Ruby and Dorothy, who had both agreed to accompany her since Henry wasn’t with her this weekend.  Once she was settled, she sat back and enjoyed herself.  Her seat was just behind home plate, high enough to see the rest of the field but close enough to keep a close eye on the catcher and umpire.  

The game progressed like baseball normally did, with both teams managing to get hits into gaps in the defense and then getting players out to prevent any runs scored.  Emma took a few selfies to post to Instagram to pass the time, making sure to take some pictures of the field and the players as well that she included in her post.  (And if she happened to take a few of the Sox’s catcher, that was no one’s business but hers.)  Ruby and Dorothy enjoyed photobombing some of them, and Emma laughed at their antics as they took pictures of each other, cheering when the Sox got on base or got a player out.  They enjoyed chatting and catching up, as they didn’t see each other as often as they liked to.  

As the game progressed, there were a few times when Killian had to chase a ball to the backstop that Emma could have sworn he was looking up at her after catching the errant ball.  When he went back to get into catching position, Emma also swore that he was purposefully bending over a bit more than he probably would otherwise, and did he just wiggle his butt at her?!  Emma smiled and dug out her phone to try and catch it again, recording the video for a time, laughing along with Ruby as she did so.  She wanted to use it as blackmail material for after the game (and she did manage to catch it again on her phone).  She cheered when the Sox scored each time, cheering especially hard when Killian managed to get a hit and run the bases.

The game finally ended with a score of 4-3, the Red Sox winning handily after a seventh inning rally by the opposing team.  Once the game was over and Emma had said goodbye to Ruby and Dorothy, who had plans for dinner that evening, an official from the organization asked her to come with him, and she followed him down to an area where the locker rooms were.  The official told Emma to wait there, and so she leaned against the wall and waited.

She didn’t have to wait long before Killian came out of the locker room.  He had changed into street clothes that consisted of jeans and a dark blue hoodie that made his eyes pop even more.  He was closely followed by his brother, Liam, who scowled at the sight of Emma waiting for them.  Emma watched as Liam said something to his brother, a tight look on his face.  Killian waved his concerns off, and then the two men fell silent, obviously having some sort of silent conversation about Killian’s decision to meet her after the game.

Finally, Emma watched as Liam rolled his eyes and stalked off.  Killian turned and sauntered over to her, a broad grin on his face.

“Now, how about that date, Love?” Killian asked, a hopeful look on his face.

Emma looked him up and down, deliberately letting her eyes linger over his form.  When her eyes met his once more, she smirked. 

“I guess that would be alright.  But what happens after that?” Emma fluttered her eyelashes.

Killian stepped even closer until he was close enough to brush her lips with his.  “Date me, and you’ll eventually see a real diamond.”

Emma’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden intensity in his eyes.  

“What are we waiting for then?  Let’s go,” she said, holding her hand out to his.  He took it and raised it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to the back.  They left, intent on both getting dinner and seeing where this might lead.

A little less than a year later, they were in front of their friends and family at the head table at their wedding reception, holding each other close as they danced in slow circles, the diamond in Emma’s ring glinting in the soft lighting.  Emma raised her head from Killian’s chest where it had been resting and gave him a loving, mischievous smile. 

“What is it, darling?” he said, smiling softly back at her.

“It looks like you’re batting .300, what with the wedding and all.”  

Killian laughed and softly kissed her lips, which she eagerly returned.  “No, my love,” he replied, “I’ve succeeded in batting the elusive .400, what with our successful courtship, engagement, and now wedding.”

He spun her out and then pulled her back in dramatically, causing her to laugh.  

“Now we’ll just have to see if you hit a home run with the honeymoon,” Emma responded.  “Then you could be at an even better percentage.”

Killian smiled brilliantly. “Oh, it will be, Swan.”

“Swan-Jones,” she corrected. 

“Swan-Jones,” Killian amended, pulling her in closer.  

All around them, their friends and family mingled, having a good time.  Henry and Alice, Killian’s daughter, were playing, and Liam was having a good time with the two kids, having finally gotten over his aversion to Killian and Emma’s relationship.  It had taken time for them to get to the place they were in, where they were all family, but Killian and Emma wouldn’t have it any other way.  Emma thought back to all of their trials, their own issues, vengeful exes, and miscommunications, but having the one person she could call hers made it all worth it.

Emma decided then and there that her favorite sport was baseball, after all.