The Story of Us

Chapter 5 Growing

Time passed, a Year later, Regina and Killian are over 9 years old.

Winter time, the snow was falling, it was a weekend. Regina and Killian both had adorable adult teeth coming in, filling the space in the front of their mouth, they were both nearing 9 years old. The two wanted to go play outside. Cora and Ava were very close, and were drinking tea, next to the warm fire, "Mum can we go out?" Killian asked running up to them excitedly, Cora and Ava smiled at each other, "Ok, but you have to be careful if you two climb up the treehouse, ask your father to help get the snow off it," Ava said.

Brennan and Henry were outside chopping some wood. Regina and Killian, all bundled up in puffy snow gear ran through the snow to them, "Papa, can we go up into the treehouse?" Killian asked, "Here lad," Brennan handed him a little shovel, "Just push some of the snow off of it, first," he said. Killian and Regina went off through the snow and went up into their treehouse, Killian got up first, and started brushing things off, the soft snow fell on Regina, she laughed, "Sorry," Killian said to her, she laughed and looked up at him, and climbed up.

Like the little gentleman he is, he took her hand when she got higher, helping her up the rest. The two played in the treehouse, until it started to get dark and the snow got heavier. "Killian, are we best friends forever?" Regina asked, "Yes," Killian said. "What if the boys at school make you not be my friend?" Regina asked, "They can't, they can't tell me what to do, no one can," Killian said, "Your Papa can," Regina said, "That's different," Killian laughed.

"Here," Killian bent down, and took out the shoelace of his boot, Regina watched him, he put the shoelace around her wrist, and started to tie it, thinking hard of course, he stuck his tongue to the corner of his mouth, and ties it, he holds part of it with his fingers, and uses his teeth to tug the last part making it a knot around her wrist. "There," he said, "What's this for?" Regina asked, "It's our friend bracelet, us, together," he said. Regina smiled at him.

In school, Killian and Regina socialized with a few other kids, Regina with some girls, Killian with some boys, but they typically always came back to each other everyday, and of course went home together and played every night and weekend going back and forth to their houses.

Time passed and the kids were now 11 years old

The shoelace from Killian's boot, still wrapped around Regina's wrist, it was changing color now, but still there. It was a Saturday, Regina started out towards the treehouse, "Where are you off to?" Henry asked, "The treehouse, we have a meeting," Regina said, "We?" Henry asked, "Killian and Me," Regina said, Henry smiled and his little girl ran off.

"Those two are inseparable, I wonder what will happen when they reach teens," Cora said, "Considering he's already kissed her cheek, I'm worried," Henry said.

Regina rang the bell below their treehouse, signaling to Killian she was coming up. "Hi," Regina said climbing in, "Hi," Killian said. "Killian Jones! Get out here!" Brennan shouted, "Uh oh," Killian sighed and poked out of the treehouse, "Didn't your mother tell you to clean up your room?" He asked, "Yes Papa, but can't I do later?" Killian asked, "Please," he said, Brennan thought about it, "Fine, you will do it later, and I expect it to be Navy clean, Sailor," Brennan said, "Yes Papa," Killian said.

Regina was putting things around the treehouse, and she cut her finger, "Ah," she said and a little drop of blood was on her finger, "Wait, don't wipe it," Killian said, he pricked his own finger on the same spot, "What are you doing?" Regina asked, he took her finger, and rubbed his on it, "There, now we are blood," Killian said, Regina smiled at him, "Now I can never get rid of you?" Regina teased, "Exactly," Killian smirked at her. "Why would you want to?" Killian asked, shrugging, "You're trouble," Regina said, "Well I would always find you, so you couldn't get away," Killian said. Regina shook her head at him.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" Regina asked, "I kiss your cheek, and when would I kiss anyone, I'm always with you," Killian said, "I mean like on TV, like in the movies, on the lips," Regina said, "Oh, No, only one I would do that with is you," He said. "Maybe we should, to see what the big deal is, my parents do it all the time," Regina said, "Mine too, it must be fun," Killian said.

"I don't know how though," Regina said, "Let's practice, here, on your arm," Killian said and they made kissing noises placing kisses on their own arms, "Ok, enough practice," Regina said, "Close your eyes," Regina said, "I won't be able to see," he said, "That's how they do it," Regina said. "Ok," Killian said and he closed his eyes, Regina moved closer, "Ok on three, 1.. 2... 3..." she said and she closed her eyes and kissed him, quickly moving away, and he opened his eyes in surprise, pleasant surprise of course.

They stared at each other, "Say something, it's too quiet," Regina said, "What should I say?" Killian asked with a little grin on his face. "I'm not kissing you again," Regina said, Killian smiled, "We will see about that," he said smiling right back at her.

They headed down from the treehouse when their parents called them for dinner, "What are you two up to?" Ava asked, "Nothing," Killian and Regina said together, "Well that's a guilty sounding statement," Cora said. "Nothing Mommy," Regina said. "You two are getting big, your fathers should mark the tree," Ava said.

Brennan and Henry came over, one side of the tree Killian put his back against it, and Brennan carved a height mark, Henry did the same on the other side with Regina. "Look how much you two have grown since you met," Henry said. "Wow," Regina said, "We were that small?" Killian said, "It was only 3 years lad, not 300," Brennan laughed. 

Next Day Regina hadn't heard from Killian, she wondered where he was. Her sassy attitude came out and she went looking for him, of course in the treehouse. "Killian!" Regina called up to it. "Go away," he snapped at her, which he never did before. 

Regina was shocked, she never heard him talk to her like that, she started to turn, but the fire in her stopped her and she angrily climbed up, "Hey! You don't be mean to me like that!" Regina snapped at him inside their wooden house. "Woah," Killian backed up, at Regina's finger pointing at him.

"Sorry," Killian said. "Why are you being like this? You were like this last year too," Regina said. "How do you remember?" He asked, "Well, I was shopping with my mom so it wasn't a big deal, and now you're mean this year, So it is, and I don't like it," The young girl stamped her foot and crossed her arms at him. 

"It's something I didn't tell you, here," Killian hands her a picture, of a baby, "Who's this? You?" Regina asks, "No, that's my brother, he died when he was a baby, before I came," Killian explained. "I'm Sorry Killian, I didn't know," Regina shook her head, "It's ok, I just get sad on this day, because I wonder what he would have been like," Killian said. "Why did he die?" Regina asks. "My mum said he just got sick, like some kind of disease poison in his blood," Killian said. "You don't have it? Right?" Regina asks, "No," Killian shakes his head. 

Regina cutely takes his hand, and smiles softly, "So you can't get rid of me," Killian said. "Good." Regina said.