Finished Story!! : “One More” {part five}
This birthday fic for @searchingwardrobes took me way too long to complete, but here it is at last. The final chapter, and hopefully the happy ending to make up for the sad along the way. Melanie, I hope this makes you smile, and I hope anyone else reading this enjoys as well.
From the beginning, here on Tumblr, or on AO3...
Summary: Through the years, Emma keeps waiting - one more placement, one more year, one more separation - until she can find where and with whom she truly belongs. It turns out the person to show her has been right beside her all the time...
by: @snowbellewells
v. 24 years old (two years later)
“One more night,” Emma murmured against his lips breathily, shaking with desire, but forcing herself to pull away, if only slightly. “Can you believe it?” The words were whispered, but as she ran the tip of her tongue across her lip, her eyes fairly cried out her joy and relief. “This time tomorrow, Killian… we’ll be married.”
Gazing down at her open face, green eyes drinking him in as if it were still that moment two years past when they had been reunited after tragedy, Killian felt the very same sense of awe. It had seemed their chance was lost forever not so very long ago. He could not fathom how he merited having Emma return to him, their being together once more, but he would never take even a moment for granted.
They were standing outside Emma’s room at the cozy little B&B which had hosted their rehearsal dinner, and where they and many of their friends and loved ones were staying before the wedding tomorrow evening. Out by the water, just a few hours before, their rehearsal had gone flawlessly - without a single hitch - everyone present just marveling at the second chance they had been given and counting anything else that came along as a bonus. The Owl’s Head Light made a stunning background against the sand and breaking waves, and Emma could still feel an echo of the overwhelming notion that soon Killian truly would be hers forever, and she would be his.
Henry had stood so proud and tall at Killian’s side, raptly attentive and determined to be the best ringbearer any of those gathered had ever seen. Much of the past two years had been spent with Emma and Killian getting to know one another again certainly, but also in Henry and Killian becoming acquainted with each other. There had been a very short period of uncertainty while Killian had feared that Henry might think he was stealing his mother’s affection, or that the boy just might not like him, but as soon as Killian had expressed a genuine interest in Henry’s favorite story and asked if the boy would share it with him, they had been as thick as thieves, granting all of Emma’s fervent prayers.
Watching Henry stand so tall and straight with his little pillow that tomorrow would hold their rings, had given Emma such a rush of motherly pride. He might be only five, but he was so serious and still in his khakis and suspenders, like a miniature of the man who had chosen to be his father. Both of her men, the two people in this world who had showed her what love was, waited for her at the end of of the aisle marked in the sand by a border of driftwood, shells, and luminary candles, made her want to sprint to its end by their sides, even as she forced herself to rehearse what she hoped was a stately walk.
It hadn’t been so very long ago that she had believed herself cursed, sentenced to always be left behind and alone. Her birth and abandonment, followed by her growing up shuffled from one place to another that never became home, and even Henry’s father leaving her without a backward glance, all had reinforced that belief. But the loss of Killian - that devastation had cemented the awful illusion, had nearly closed her heart for good. If she hadn’t had Henry, Emma knew it would have. How they had gotten here, to where she now felt somehow blessed instead, still felt unreal.
Leaning back against the door to her room for the night in the little seaside inn, Emma felt her heart thrill as Killian’s body instinctively followed her, leaning in to press against her front. She was more than grateful for the solid support as her knees wobbled like jelly. The warmth of his smile, first making her blush to the roots of her hair, and then causing butterflies to take flight in her stomach as he burrowed his face into the crook of her neck, was as effective as it had ever been; all it took to charm her completely and make her love him all the more.
She hummed contentedly, low in her throat, bringing both arms up to circle his neck and twine her fingers into his thick, dark hair, not wanting to be parted from him even for a moment, much less the whole night. “Hmm,” she smirked up at him with the arch of a brow and lazy, knowing curl of her lips, “sure you don’t want to come in with me, Jones?” she purred, equal parts tempting and hopeful.
His forehead fell to rest against hers, a strangled groan reverberating from deep in his chest which she could feel where she had begun to toy with the buttons of his shirt and then clutch at his lapels in her own need. “You’re killing me, Emma Love,” he managed to grit out through tightly clenched teeth. She could see the muscle working in his jaw, which only set her pulse to pounding faster as she held her breath - the temptation she was offering too much for her as well.
Still, her handsome sailor - best friend, fiancé, love of her life - exhibited the same patience and determination he had always shown when it came to her; whether it was chipping away at the hard shell of attitude and snark she had built around herself at fourteen, in order to get to know her as few ever had, or the traditional wisdom that the bride and groom-to-be not share the same bed the night before the wedding or see each other at all on the big day until she came down the aisle to meet him. She didn’t know how he managed such resolve, but somehow Killian sucked in a steadying breath, mastered his own desire with impressive restraint and took a step back, putting enough space between them to cause a small whine of desperation to escape Emma’s throat involuntarily.
“Nope,” he pronounced with certainty, popping the consonant with added emphasis just to torment her, knowing it made her want her lips back on his all the more. “You’ll not change my mind now, irresistible siren though you may be. I think we’ve pushed our luck and tempted the Fates more than enough already, just to be standing here together, like we always should have been.”
His blue eyes changed from deep and dark with lust to a warm, melting blue in his sincerity. He returned to her to brush his nose lightly along her cheek before nuzzling hers. “I’ll do nothing to risk it again, silly superstition or not… not when tomorrow we’ll finally be joined forever.”
Emma swallowed hard, blinking back the quick sting of tears as emotion welled up in her at his words. She easily nodded her acquiescence - how could she do otherwise in the face of such fervent devotion?
Murmuring in her ear, just before he truly did pull himself away to head for his own room down the hall, he purred, “That doesn’t mean you don’t call to me, haven’t already gotten in my blood. I could happily drown myself in you just as one would be caught in an enchantment by the most powerful siren. This time tomorrow, I shall drink my fill of you, and never stop.”
Emma gasped at his words; his implication clear and her hands grasping for him once more. He had, however, wisely escaped her reach, knowing they both had reached their limit of endurance.
There was nothing she could do but retire to her own room and attempt to sleep. Wired and anxious as she was, Emma couldn’t imagine true rest would come, but even in her frustration, she loved how Killian guarded their future with all that was in him. This second chance they had been granted by finding one another again was precious, and she could abide by his wishes and honor tradition for one more night. What he had promised her so long ago would now finally be true; they had the rest of their lives together stretching out before them.
Entering the room, Emma unzipped and shimmied out of the simple sheath dress she’d worn for the rehearsal dinner and let down her hairdo from the updo into which it had been twisted, and pulled on her pajamas, roomy shorts and an older shirt of Killian’s. She smiled affectionately at her little boy, already sprawled across the bed and sleeping soundly after she and Killian had carried him up and tucked him in when he conked out some hours before. Emma crawled in under the blankets with him and curled up around Henry carefully. She was filled ot the brim with love for her sweet little man, so happy and proud to play his part in their big day and to stand up at Killian’s side. He already loved Killian as though he had always been his dad. And he always would be now. She didn’t want to wake Henry though; he’d struggled as hard as he could to seem mature and stay up as late as all the adults around him who were chating and catching up. He was growing so fast, and as full of joy as she was, she did feel the tiniest pang, cuddling her child close as he slept. It had been just the two of them since Henry entered her life, and it wouldn’t be anymore.
More than anything though her heart thrilled pleasantly as she settled in for the night. Tomorrow, she would walk down the sandy beach toward Killian on Liam’s arm, before he handed her off and took his place with Henry at his brother’s side. She would look into Killian’s eyes, wide and blue and hypnotic and vast as the ocean behind him, say her vows before their friends and mean it with every fiber of her being. They would kiss and be announced husband and wife, and they would be family - irrevocably, unbreakably, and forever.
Tomorrow night when they at last reached their bedroom and entered it together, she wouldn’t have to spend one more night trying to sleep without him by her side. She would never have to wake up alone again.
Tagging a few who might enjoy: @jennjenn615 @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @xsajx @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @donteattheappleshook @the-darkdragonfly @elizabeethan @cosette141 @anmylica @sotangledupinit @xarandomdreamx @justanother-unluckysoul @motherkatereloyshipper @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @gingerpolyglot @gingerchangeling @thislassishooked @wefoundloveunderthelight @scientificapricot @tomeandflickcorner @winterbaby89
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"Weeeh! I wanna recruit Minthara on a good playthrough! Weeeh! I don't like the ultimatum and want to keep both Minthara and Halsin! Weeeh! I wanna make Minthara good! Weeeh! I don't want Minthara to break up with me!" Minthara deserves more content but none of these things are at all what she needs or deserves. No, these are all things that you want for yourself, but do absolutely nothing for her. This is one of the biggest L's in the game and it will forever enrage me because I just know it will never happen.
Minthara deserves to confront Orin like all the other companions do with their abusers. She deserves to scream and yell at Orin. She deserves to cut at her the same way Orin did, make her bleed and scream in pain. Minthara deserves to torture Orin, just as she did her in the mind flayer colony. Minthara deserves the right to roll up to the Temple of Bhaal and beat the shit out of Orin with her bare hands. Leave Orin begging for mercy in which Minthara will not even give her a drop. To slam Orin down on that altar and slice her throat, offer her up as a sacrifice to the father she is so blindly devoted to.
And yes, Minthara would be afraid. She would be TERRIFIED. Despite how strong and powerful Minthara is, she is also the only one afraid of Orin. Unlike Ketheric, or Gortash, or Sarevok, she is the only one who fully acknowledges just how dangerous Orin actually is and does not underestimate her. She will walk down into that temple, intending to duel Orin with a massive disadvantage because she is terrified.
Minthara choked when seeing Orin again in the mind flayer colony. She choked when seeing Orin as an imposter, throwing her deep into the ocean of paranoia and fear. And she is so entrenched in paranoia that it actually becomes palpable to everyone around her, even you. She describes herself as paranoid, but this is the first that you actually see how paranoid she is. And she choked again when Orin kidnapped someone in camp, making her feel inadequate, making a mockery of her for being unable to protect one of her own. And every day that passes, the more and more likely that the victim is going to die and she has doubts on their survival.
At every possible avenue in which Minthara could have done something or said something about Orin, she froze in place with fear. But she's had enough. She cannot be afraid of Orin forever and she doesn't want to be. One way or another, Orin has to die and she wants to get over that fear. She needs to know that Orin is dead, for herself.
This would also make the alurlssrin confession all the more impactful. She wants to tell you that she loves you in the best way that she can because of the very high likelihood that she will never have another chance to do so. She would beg you to come with her as you give her the courage. She has the courage to face her fears and confront her tormentor, because she knows she has you in her corner. If you have the courage to stand up to the very gods themselves, then she can stand up to Orin. Romanced or not, your presence alone is enough to give her the strength to do something she would otherwise be too terrified to do.
Minthara deserves the honor to solo duel Orin in a fight to the death. Minthara deserves the right to achieve vengeance for herself. No, I do not care that this confrontation would conflict with a Durge playthrough. In fact, it would provide a phenomenal source of some interesting, and toxic, drama between Durge and Minthara. Especially if they're in a relationship. This also does not mean that Minthara killing Orin instead of Durge would not have its consequences (because it most certainly will). Even if Minthara does not fight Orin, it would be so much better if Minthara was just given the fucking chance to yell at Orin like all the other companions in their personal quests.
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My week has finished out with more just bleh feelings about training.
Just a pity party down below so nothing important
I am stopping doing any training on retrieves with Ryker. I will give him a month or so off and see if I can start it again after, if not maybe it will have to wait until he gets out of adolescence. He shuts down the moment I grab the dumbbell or the PVC I had been using, or if I say "take it".
He is really really handler sensitive. Which is a bit surprising and I am really going to have to learn to adapt. Aayla is a little handler sensitive, but not like this. It makes things so frustrating and then I spiral down and things are just hard.
I think this is getting compounded by the fact that I'm seriously debating retired Aayla from obedience. Her avoidance to sitting at the last trial just has me worried about her hips. She DOES do no-sits when feeling stressed or there is too much pressure. Which the judges were doing a lot of pressure during the whole weekend. Yet the amount she was refusing to sit was embarrassing and has me worried its physical pain versus stress.
We got 0 utility Qs and therefore 0 UDX legs and her two qualifying open runs had such poor scores she got 0 OM points. The whole weekend did not progress her to those titles I want her to have...and I would like to retired her from AKC sooner than later. Maybe I should just give up. Getting her UD was amazing and she has had fantastic runs, but I am not going to trial her for two more years to get those titles.
I also decided Aayla will not do anymore agility. I had thought maybe the ASCA senior ACE program would be okay, but if she is struggling in obedience there is no way I'm making her do any agility.
I always thought I would go back to AKC rally after I stopped having her jump 20" for obedience but if sitting is bothering her than rally isn't fair for her to do either. That's a lot more sitting.
She isn't ready to retire from training or sports, I know it. She is getting upset more and more if I don't work her when I'm working Ryker but I'm getting to this point of what can I have her do that isn't asking her to do things that possibly hurt? Do I work her because it makes her happy and accept if she says no? Will she say no? I doubt it, unless it really hurts.
I'm going to be taking her into the vet within the next few weeks, might get some hip x-rays and ask about adequan and anything else we can maybe do.
I hate this. So much. It's breaking my heart. I worry that her body is going to give out on her long before her mind is.
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