What would have happened if Once had continued after defeating the Black Fairy with no time jump?
Emma Swan wakes up after winning the Final Battle and being kissed awake by her son, and starts off on her married life with Killian. It's safe to say...
I'm going to tell him tonight. I mean, yes I don't know exactly but it seems accurate. I don't even know how he'll react. Happy, I hope. But how can Killian be happy when I'm not sure I am? I want to make tonight special, and to my surprise Mom has actually packed my pink dress. the one I wore on my first date with Killian. One of the first times I remember going out properly with someone without my red leather armour. I try to tidy my hair up after washing the seawater out of it from today and I look at myself in the mirror.
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When I first wore this, I was scared of what my relationship could become. I'd lost Neal. And Graham. Then Walsh, even if he was a monkey. (Something that I still haven't brought up with Zelena... I make a mental note to do that) Then I lost Neal again. I couldn't picture a life without Killian; who even then I lost so many times, and I suppress a smile at where my life is now. I'm married. I have my parents and my little brother. I have my son who is growing up so fast but I just love him all the same, even if I've only known him for a few years in comparison to one of my best friends who's watched him growing up his whole life. Mayor Regina Mills, the Evil Queen. I almost laugh at how my parents or I would've reacted when the first curse broke. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, best friends with someone who tried to kill me before I was even born!
Killian walks into the room and his jaw drops in amazement. It's almost as if he doesn't believe I'm his wife. That the ring on my finger symbolises the fact that he and I will never leave each other, that it's our job to care for and protect each other. But it still seems as though everything that man does is to try and win my attention, and I love him for it. Killian stands there with his dark shirt half way unbuttoned revealing the chain around his neck that bears his brother's ring. He smiles and tells me over and over how beautiful I am until I decide to stop him with a kiss.
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Imagine he only has one hand! Colin O'Donoghue doesn't exactly have that in common with his character!
"Let's not miss our reservation this time?"
He chuckles. "Aye. But that wasn't a bad way to spend the evening."
It's my turn to laugh now.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hey... Killian..." I say. It's best to get this over with now, get it done. Maybe it'll be like ripping off a band aid.
"Swan?" He asks, in that beautiful voice of his. He sounds worried, like whatever I tell him might blow up everything around us. It might. That's why I have to tell him now, or I never will.
"I– I don't know for sure, yet, but I think– I think–" I look down at the table in front of me as I feel a tear trickle down my cheek. Normally, I'd be gone by now. I'd run away, just get myself as far away from Killian and Storybrooke and people in general as I could. Now I want to stay, I want to be with my family, with my husband.
Killian reaches for my cheek and tilts it up so that I'm looking into his eyes. He takes his thumb and wipes away my tear. "You think?" He asks me gently.
"I think that I'm pregnant."
There. Done. I see Killian stop for a moment and I panic. I knew what would happen. He's been alive for centuries, he doesn't want kids. I don't even know if I want another one, because I was such an awful mother to Henry. I get ready to rush out of here before there's a scene when he tells me that he doesn't want this child. Our child. And when he tells me that– My thoughts get interrupted as Killian smiles. It's small at first and then it breaks into something incredible. I can't help myself from smiling too and letting more tears roll down my face as I notice his eyes welling up. "I'm– I'm going to be a father?" His voice breaks and he runs his hand down my face kissing my forehead. "I love you. And I love our little one."
I reach forward and hold both of my husband's 'hands'. "I'm sorry I kept it from you. I've only had my suspicions for a few days but I should have told you. I've not even taken a test yet... But I was so scared... So scared that you wouldn't want this."
"Hey, hey Emma." He shushes reassuringly, "Of course I want this. More than anything. I never brought it up with you because I thought you didn't want it."
"Huh. Wow." I let out under a faint laugh, "Who'd have thought, we weren't even trying and here we are. In the best situation possible that never would've happened because we were both too afraid to tell each other the truth. Fate really works in incredible ways."
He grins, "It really does. But I think we've got an in with the big guy up there," He points to the ceiling. To Zeus. To Hercules and to Megara. "I think he might always help us out." We both laugh. It's the first time we've ever really laughed about anything to do with those months we spent as Dark Ones or in the Underworld. "But, Swan, I have to tell you something. I wanted to wait until we were officially on the 'back to life and work' part of our trip... but it's just been eating on my mind and I hope you can forgive me for not telling you. Because, well, you like to know this sort of stuff."
"Just tell me, babe. I'm not going to be mad."
He tells me the story of who he saw by the signposts about the Caribbean's History of Pirating. Partly why I wanted to bring him here, to be honest. I remember the days we went on walking tours and boat tours of the pirate hotspots and how he'd always pick apart every last thing and tell me exactly what they were doing right and doing wrong. He tells me about the man and woman and their conversation about rum and being marooned and how the man escaped an island and how the woman was called by the same nickname I was given. Then it all clicks, as soon as I'm told that the man was labelled as the 'greatest pirate of all time'. "TORTUGA ISLAND!" I exclaim, lowering my voice when a few guests look over, their conversations disturbed.
"Yes, love, calm down. That's where we arrived. But anyway the guy said his name was Jack–"
"Captain Jack Sparrow?" I say. Hook's confused look gives it all away.
"How the bloody hell–"
"Same reason that Snow White, Prince Charming, Captain Hook, The Evil Queen and The Wicked Witch of the West aren't just my friends and family." I say, looking him dead in the eye, "We need to find them. Whatever it takes. Get them to Storybrooke hopefully, because Henry explains it all better than I do. They're our key to understanding this. To finding Robin!" That's when I realise something.
"Emma?"
"Killian. They aren't in the Storybook." I say. "They're not going to believe us. They're just two people in a time where they don't belong and they have no idea what's happening. And it's quite obvious that people won't believe that they're fictional outside of a small town in Maine without seeing it for themselves."
He just stares for a moment. "But... I thought we were all in those books? That's why people know us?"
"Not them." Not them. Not the only people that might to be able to explain the magic zone. Not the only people that might be able to help us find Robin. "They're in some movies. That's it."
