Missing Moments

Fatherly Advice

Killian had been promising to put the crib together, but he had yet to actually do it. The crib remained untouched and Emma was growing anxious. She had tried to get Killian to let her help, but he refused. So that gave Emma no other choice but to call her dad, who was more than happy to help.

There was a knock on the door. Emma was about to get up to get it when she heard her husband's surprised voice.

"David?"

Emma bit her lip. She didn't like keeping things from her husband, but she knew that if she had told Killian that she had asked her father to help him put the crib together that he would be upset. He wanted to do it himself.

Emma was brought out of her thoughts by Killian and her father coming into the room.

"Dad, what a surprise!" Emma said. She could see her father trying to hide his amusement behind Killian's back. Emma had asked her dad not to tell Killian she had called him and he had agreed not to say a word.

David went over to hug his daughter before going into some story about how Mary Margaret thought that he and Killian should spend some time together and what better way than putting together a crib. Emma could see the suspicion on her husbands face but he didn't say anything.

The three of them chatted for a bit before Killian and David went upstairs to the nursery.

"Wow!" David breathed. "You've gotten a lot done since the last time I was in here."

"You can stop pretending mate. I know Emma called you." Killian stated.

David had the audacity to look shocked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Killian snorted. "Usually Emma's a pretty good lier, but there was no fooling me. She wasn't surprised to see you, and you aren't here for some bonding time."

David sighed. "Okay, you got me. But don't be upset with Emma."

"I'm not." Killian said. "I get why she called you. I've been promising to put the crib together for a while now. I tried, but who knew that a crib could be so bloody complicated?"

David laughed. "It's a lot more complicated than you would think."

The two men sat down and took out all the parts for the crib.

"Thanks for doing this." Killian said. "You didn't have to."

David shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I want to. Emma's the one who helped me put Neal's crib together, it's the least I can do. Besides, there's not a lot that I've been able to do for my daughter. I missed out on 28 years."

Killian could see the guilt in his father in law's eyes.
He couldn't imagine what it had been like for the man, especially now that he was about to be a father himself.

"She doesn't blame you, you know." Killian reassured.

David looked up from the directions. "What?"

"Emma. She...she doesn't blame you, for putting her through the wardrobe. She understands."

David swallowed the lump in his throat. "I know. She used to, but I know she doesn't anymore. But that doesn't change the fact that I still missed out on most of her life. I missed out on her entire childhood. She may not blame me, but I blame myself." David admitted.

"David.."

"I was supposed to protect her." David croaked.

Killian could see the pain in his father in laws eyes and for the first time he could see just how much it had affected the man.