Home

Prologue

A man walked into the orphanage wearing a brown suit and tie. He held a briefcase in his hand as his footsteps echo down the hallway. He stopped at the front desk, looking at the blonde haired woman who is typing on the computer. His blue eyes glanced at her and he fought the urge to run his hand through his curly brown hair.

"Liam Jones, here to see Emma Swan?" He says, although there isn't a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"I'm Emma Swan," a voice says from behind him. He turns around and sees a teenage girl with blonde, wavy hair. She wears a pair of jeans and a white sweater. Her black ankle boots look worn.

Liam holds out his hand and takes a step towards Emma. "I'm Liam. I am going to be taking you to the group home that I run."

"Great." She fights the urge to roll her eyes. Emma leaned down to get the duffel bag at her feet. Her backpack already swung on her shoulder. Liam sighed and took the bag from her hands, and led her to his truck. He helped Emma in and placed her bag on the floor, before making his way to the driver's side.

"Now, Emma. As you already know, you won't be alone. There are already three other boys and two other girls. My wife, Elsa, helps to manage all of you. But I want you to make yourself at home. If you need anything, you can come to me or Elsa, and please address us by our first names. If something isn't to your liking, we will try to fix the problem. You will be sharing a room, but everyone is really nice." Liam glanced at Emma to see her reaction before proceeding. "And don't let the suit fool you. I prefer jeans or sweatpants." The corners of Emma's lips barely moved up into a smile, but she continued to gaze out the window. "My little brother lives here too, and he will be showing you around. You can ask him questions too. And if he gets too much like the teenage boy that he is, don't be afraid to show him his place," Liam said jokingly.

The rest of the ride was silent. Liam finally stopped the truck in the driveway of a grand house. It looked almost like a mansion. Emma was surprised and she had to tighten her jaw so it wouldn't fall to the floor. There was a small front yard, but it was decorated with flowers and bird feeders and wind chimes. A stone pathway led to the front door, where Emma could see what looked like a welcome sign. Liam grabbed her duffel bag and helped her out of the truck, and led her inside. She was instantly hit with the sounds of pots clanking together in the kitchen. She realized how hungry she was, considering she hadn't eaten since the previous night. Her stomach rumbled and she hoped that Liam hadn't heard it. "Killian!" Liam shouted, and a few seconds later, a teenage boy walked into the foyer. A relaxed look on his face. Emma's breath hitched in her throat. He was gorgeous. He had black hair, but it was straight. But the same blue eyes that he shared with his brother. A day old scruff clung to his face, and Emma couldn't help but think how sexy he looked with it. "This is Emma. Mind showing her around while I help Elsa with dinner?" Liam didn't wait for a response as he handed Killian Emma's bag and walked down a hallway.

"Welcome to the Jones home, love." Killian held out his arms, showing her the house. "You'll like it here."

"Probably, but that doesn't mean that I'll be staying here," Emma mumbled.

"Liam and Elsa haven't gotten rid of a kid just because he or she did something bad. They like to treat each arrival with love and respect. You'll be fine." He led her to the steps and gestured for her to start climbing them. "Ruby and Mary Margaret are your roommates. They are really nice. Almost too nice. Will and Victor are the boys that stay in that room down the hall." He pointed.

"You don't share a room with them?"

"No. I've had my own room ever since my brother bought this house." Killian stopped in front of her, and Emma almost ran into his back. He turned around and looked into her eyes. "If you ever need to, don't hesitate to stop by. Whether you need the bathroom or just some company."

Emma noticed how there wasn't any smirk or smile on his face. He was being genuine. "You have your own bathroom?"

He chuckled and looked down at his feet. "Maybe."

"How many other people have you offered that to?"

"Only you. I want you to know that you can loosen up here. Don't keep to yourself because that is what you've always done. I just want to be your friend."

"Thank you, Killian."

He smiled and they continued on to her room. He opened the door and she was met with three single beds. On one side of the room, it was decorated in red. Balls of paper were piled around the trash can but never made it. In the middle, was a mix of white, and soft colors of blue, pink, and yellow. On the left, was plain. The bed was made in shades of green.

"You will get the chance to decorate," Killian said as he sat her bag on the green colored bed. "Once you get settled, either Elsa or myself can drive you out and we can get you a color of your choice."

"That's okay." She glanced at the bed, "I like green."

Killian smiled. "We can look at the rest of the house if you're up for it."

Emma nodded and followed him into the hallway. "How old are you, Killian?"

"Seventeen. What about you?"

"Sixteen."

"What do you like to do for fun?"

"I write, sometimes."

"Maybe you could read to me sometime?"

"I don't know. I've always been the only person to read what I write."

"Tell you what, if you read one of your stories to me, I'll write you your very own song, and I'll perform it in front of everyone."

"That's a lot for one little story that most likely sucks."

"We'll just have to find out, won't we?"

"I guess we will." Emma stopped to look into Killian's blue eyes, when a loud, female voice came from downstairs. 

"Dinnertime!"

"I guess that's our cue," Killian said softly, still gazing into Emma's bright green orbs.

"Yeah."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her downstairs into the dining room, where the other kids sat. Liam was at the head of the table, and Elsa sat across from him at the other end. An empty seat was next to him, and another empty seat beside the first one. Killian pulled out the chair that was in the middle of the first seat and next to a girl with a pixie cut hairstyle. She smiled warmly as Emma sat down. Killian sat next to Emma and winked at her before digging into the plate of food in front of him.