3,540Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, though it would be amazing to...alas the story and characters belong to dear Adam and Eddy.
These next two chapters are basically the pilot episode.
I hope you guys like my take on cursed Killian.
Please Review and enjoy!
Chapter 1: A Different Kind of Birthday
Emma Swan entered her apartment, exhausted. Her blonde curls bounced against her shoulders as she walked, more than prepared to get out of her red dress and relax. She set a box on her counter and opened it. There was a plain vanilla cupcake, with plain white icing on top, inside of it.
The hell you know about family, huh? Her bounty's words haunted her.
Nothing. She had said. It was a painful truth that Emma had known her entire life. And she doubted that it would change anytime soon.
So, sticking a blue, star-shaped candle atop the cupcake and lighting it, she let herself make the same wish she had made every year on October 23rd.
I wish that I wasn't alone anymore.
She blew out the candle. A heartbeat later her doorbell rang. Slightly surprised, considering that she didn't have any friends nor was she particularly close to any of her neighbors, she went to open the door.
There was a young boy, probably no more than ten, with a mop of dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
"Uh?" Emma had no idea who this kid could be, and she was momentarily at a loss. "Can I help you?"
"Are you Emma Swan?" The boy asked.
"Yeah." Emma answered. "Who are you?"
"My name's Henry." The boy smiled. "I'm your son."
Taking advantage of Emma's moment of shock, Henry pushed past her and entered her apartment.
"Whoa!" Emma blinked. What the hell? This was not happening. "Hey, kid! Kid! I don't have a son! Where are your parents?"
"Ten years ago." Henry said, with a tone that said that those words explained everything. "Did you give a baby up for adoption?" After a pause Henry answered for her. "That was me."
Emma was absolutely stunned. "Just...give me a minute." Emma turned away from him, heading straight for her bathroom. She closed the door and pressed her hands against it. Taking deep breaths to compose herself; her thoughts making her head spin.
This was not happening. This was not happening. No, no. This was impossible. Her thoughts screamed. But he was her son. Her lie detector power said that he was telling the truth. And god, he looked like him. Dark hair and eyes; that damn impish grin. So much like him. Like the man who broke her heart and her ability to trust.
How did he find me? It was a closed adoption. How did he find me?
"Hey, you have any juice?" Henry called out. "Never mind, found some."
Composing herself, Emma stepped out of the bathroom.
She saw Henry drinking juice from the bottle.
"You know, we should probably get going." Henry said.
"Going where?"
"I want you to come home with me."
Emma quirked a brow. This was unbelievable. No, he couldn't be her son. He couldn't be here. Not now. Not ever. Despite the fact that the truth was right in front of her face, Emma knew that she had to do the right thing.
"Okay, kid. I'm calling the cops." Emma told him.
"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me." Henry said without missing a beat.
Emma's heart clenched. That was exactly something that she would've said, had she been in Henry's place.
Impressed, if not slightly defeated, Emma sighed, "And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother."
"Yep." Henry said.
Smart kid. Emma thought.
"You're not going to do that." Emma said, hoping to convince Henry not to do that.
"Try me." Henry said.
Holy crap, this is my kid. But Emma saw something then; her superpower knew that Henry was just trying to get her to come home with him. He was lying, he really wouldn't say that she'd kidnapped him. He was a good kid. She could see that.
"You're pretty good." Emma started, her tone oozing the fact that she was calling his bluff. "But here's the thing, there's not a lot I'm great at in life. But I have one skill, let's call it a superpower, I can tell when anyone is lying, and you, kid, are."
Henry's face fell. "Wait." He swallowed. "Please, don't call the cops. Please, just come home with me."
Emma sighed. If she wasn't going to call the cops, she had to get the kid home somehow.
"All right, where's home?" Emma asked.
"Storybrooke, Maine."
"Storybrooke?" Emma asked. Are you kidding me? What kind of name is that? "Seriously?"
Henry made a noise of agreement.
"Okay." Emma nodded. "Let's get you back to Storybrooke."
Deputy Killian Jones was not happy about being pulled on duty. All he wanted for his night off was a round of drinks and pool at The Rabbit Hole with Leroy and Smee, but no, something had to come up.
Graham, his boss and best friend, called him in; it was an emergency and, to paraphrase Graham, Killian "needed to get his snarky British ass" to the Mills residence. Killian grumbled that he'd be there, thinking that Graham was just as bloody Irish as he was British and had a snarky streak a mile wide despite his sweet disposition.
When Killian pulled up to the Mayor's house on his motorcycle, he saw Graham's squad car already parked out front. He wondered exactly how long Graham had been here. It was rumored around town that Graham and Regina were having an affair; Killian knew it to be true, his best friend told him everything. It was also no secret that Killian didn't condone Graham's actions. Personally, Killian never liked Mayor Regina Mills. There was something about her that made his instincts scream that she was bad news. That was one of the reasons that Killian always worried about Henry.
Henry was the Mayor's ten year old, adopted son. He was a smart, clever lad. Exceptional really. But he was always so lonely; Killian never saw him with kids his age. That was why Killian always made time to talk to Henry whenever he saw him alone. Henry considered the deputy to be his friend, which was why Henry shared his castle with Killian. The castle was a little playground on the beach, a wooden structure that looked like a castle. Henry liked to go there when he wanted to be alone. Killian liked the castle because it was on the beach; the sea was always a calming balm for Killian. He often walked along the beach when he wanted to be alone or think; he also often went sailing or fishing with Leroy and Smee.
Needless to say, Killian was attached to the little boy, so when he strode up the pathway to the house and saw Graham open the door, a grim look on his face, Killian's stomach clenched.
"What's the emergency?" Killian asked.
"Henry's missing."
Emma and Henry were in the bug, driving ever closer to Storybrooke, Maine.
Henry had tried to get her to pull over to get food, but she had shot down that idea for fear of prolonging time with her son.
My son. No, she couldn't think like that. She couldn't get attached.
Then she had asked about that book of his, and he said that fairy tales were real and that she was in his book. Which was crazy, because she was real and fairy tales weren't. And then he said that she was the one who would fix all of his problems.
Just what exactly was he expecting from her?
To be his mother? She couldn't be a mother. She just couldn't. She was unlovable and she deserved to be alone. Neal taught her that. Her foster families had taught her that. Her birth parents left her on the freaking side of the road because of that.
She gave Henry up to give him a better life and a better mother. So why the hell was he here?
After finally arriving in Storybrooke, running into that Archie guy, and Henry telling her that this town was cursed - yeah right - she finally got Henry to tell her where he lived.
She pulled up to a large white house, where a police car and a motorcycle were already out front.
"Uh-oh." Henry said.
Uh-oh was right if the cops were here.
Henry shook his head, "Look, please, don't take me back there."
"I have to." Emma insisted. "I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."
"I just have a mom." Henry said. "But she's evil."
"Evil? Isn't that a bit extreme?" Emma asked.
"Not for her." Henry said. "She's the Evil Queen, and she doesn't love me. She only pretends to."
"Kid," Emma sighed, "I'm sure that's not true." Emma got out of the car and turned to go to the other side to get Henry, when she ran into someone, or rather, someone's chest. Luckily, she didn't lose her footing; however, strong hands came to grip her elbows.
"Easy there, lass." An British accented voice spoke.
Emma looked up and her breath caught.
Blue eyes, bluer than the sea, looked at her with concern and wariness, if not a little bit of amusement.
"Sorry." She said.
"Hey Killian." Henry greeted, having gotten out of the car.
"Lad, what're you doing?" Killian asked. Worry was evident in his voice and on his face. "You're mum is worried sick about you."
"Yeah, right." Henry snorted.
Killian sighed, as though he had heard similar words from Henry before, and turned to Emma. "And you are?"
"Emma Swan." She held her hand out to shake.
Killian took it. A spark of electricity passed between them, green eyes meeting blue once more.
He was handsome, without a doubt; perhaps the most handsome man Emma had ever laid eyes on. Even in the dim light of the streetlight, Emma could see that. Dark brown, almost black, hair that was short, if not slightly tousled. His scruff was dark, he hadn't shaved in a while, and neatly trimmed.
"Killian Jones." He introduced. "Deputy of Storybrooke. Mind if I ask what you are doing with the Mayor's son Miss Swan?"
Oh shit, a deputy? Emma thought. And the Mayor's son?
Before Emma could answer, the door to the house opened.
A woman with dark hair and eyes rushed out, followed by a man with brown hair and green eyes.
Emma assumed that it was Henry's mother and, well if the deputy was here, the sheriff.
"Henry!" The woman exclaimed. She went to hug Henry, who didn't return it. "Are you okay? Where have you been?" She pulled away to kneel in front of him. "What happened?"
"I found my real mom." Henry said. He pulled out of Regina's grasp and ran into the house.
Emma was met with three looks of surprise.
Henry's mother stood to her full height. "Y-you're Henry's birth mother?"
"Hi..." Emma trailed off awkwardly.
"I'll just, um, go and check on the lad." The Sheriff, who to Emma's surprise was Irish, said. "Make sure he's all right." He then left the other three.
Killian wanted to check on Henry as well, but he was much more curious about Miss Swan. Plus, it seemed that Regina was none too happy to see Henry's past in front of her. And Killian loved it when Regina was unhappy.
Regina plastered on a fake smile. "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"
"Got anything stronger?" Emma asked, slightly joking. She really did need something to soothe her nerves. This night was turning out to be the strangest/most awkward/painful birthday she had had yet.
Killian bit down a smirk. This was definitely his kind of lass.
Regina gave a tight smile and turned to walk back to the house.
Killian and Emma shared a look, neither buying Regina's polite act. Killian motioned for Emma to go ahead first, and he followed her back into the house.
The pair entered the living room, Emma standing awkwardly next to the couch waiting for Regina to return, and Killian leaning against the doorway as if he owned the place.
Regina returned with two glasses and a bottle of cider. She glared at the deputy, obviously preferring to speak to Emma in private, but from past experience, she knew that Jones was too stubborn and unafraid of her. It still bothered Regina that Killian Jones managed to avoid that part of the curse, the part that made everyone bend to her will. She could only believe that it was his iron will - nobody spent 300 years in Neverland with revenge as their sole reason for living if they weren't strong willed and determined - that helped him escape it. Regina motioned for Emma to sit, blatantly ignoring the former pirate (who seemed much more interested in the blonde at the moment having yet to take his eyes off of her), and she set the glasses down and poured the cider.
"How did he find me?" Emma asked.
"No idea." Regina said. "When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed." Her tone turning slightly colder as she continued. "I was told that the birth mother didn't want to have any contact."
Killian watched something flicker in Emma's eyes. Something familiar that he couldn't place, and he felt the sudden urge, need, to comfort her.
"You were told right." Emma's tone neutral, unwilling to give anything away.
"And the father?" Regina pried.
"There was one." Emma stated.
Killian was impressed by her stoicism and the fact that she, like him yet unlike anyone else who had ever met Regina, was not intimidated by the Mayor.
"Do I need to be worried about him?" Regina asked. There was a lilt of impatience in her voice. She didn't want Emma here, that was all too obvious. The Mayor wanted this over and done with as soon as possible.
"No." Emma said. "He doesn't even know."
"Do I need to be worried about you Miss Swan?" Regina sounded a bit more threatening.
Killian saw that flicker of emotion in Emma's eyes again, and he had a strong feeling that Regina did indeed need to worry about Emma. Whether Emma yet realized it or not.
"Absolutely not." Emma answered.
Regina nodded, and though she remained as stoic as Emma, the deputy and the blonde could tell that Regina was very much pleased with that answer.
Graham arrived downstairs then.
"Madame Mayor, you can relax." Graham said.
Killian choked back a snicker at Graham's formality, earning a glare from both the sheriff and Regina.
"Other than being a tired little boy," Graham continued, "Henry's fine."
"Thank you, Sheriff." Regina said in a way that told Graham that he was dismissed. He made to leave, but when he saw that Killian didn't make any move to follow, he hesitated. "You are both dismissed."
Killian smirked and pushed himself off of the doorframe. "Madame Mayor." He nodded, a mocking tone in his voice. He turned to Emma. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Swan."
Emma's stomach fluttered at the way he looked at her. It was so intense, like he saw her very soul and knew her every thought. However, her walls slammed up in defense allowing her face remained impassive, giving the deputy a curt nod before he and the sheriff left.
"I'm sorry that Henry dragged you out of your life." Regina said, sounding very much not sorry. "I really don't know what's gotten into him."
"Kid's having a rough time." Emma shrugged. "It happens."
"You have to understand." Regina continued. "Ever since I became Mayor, balancing things has been tricky. You have a job, I assume?" The way she said it implied that she thought Emma didn't have one. That Emma was less than her.
It made Emma's blood boil. But Emma wasn't going to let it get to her. "Yes, I do." She answered. "It's enough to keep me busy."
"Well then, imagine having another one." Regina said. "That's what being a single mother is. So I push for order, and am I strict? Maybe. But it is for Henry's own good. I want my son to excel in life. I don't think that that makes me evil, do you?"
Emma smiled, tight and fake as Regina's had been, "I'm sure that he's just saying that because of the fairy tale thing."
"What fairy tale thing?" Regina asked. Fairy tales? Does Henry know about the curse? Regina wondered.
"Oh, you know, his little book." Emma said. "How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket."
Regina's stomach clenched unpleasantly. "I'm sorry. I really have no idea what you're talking about."
"You know what?" Emma stood. "It's none of my business. He's your kid. And I really should be heading back."
"Of course."
Regina walked Emma to the door. The second Emma was out on the porch, Regina shut and locked the door.
Emma glared at it. She didn't like that woman, but she was Henry's mother, not Emma. It wasn't Emma's place to say anything.
Heading to her car, Emma paused and turned to look at the house, feeling eyes on her. Henry was looking out from a second story window. He closed the curtain and turned the light off.
Emma's instincts were urging her to run back, telling her that something was indeed wrong, but she ignored them and got back in her car.
As she drove closer and closer to the town line, she noticed an addition to her bug. A leather bound book. Henry's book.
"Sneaky bastard." Emma sighed. She looked up at the road only to see a wolf in the middle of it. Swerving to avoid it, she crashed into the Storybrooke town sign.
With a groan, her world went black.
Don't we all just love cliff hangers?