He's An Arrangement

The Last Chapter

Three Years Later

"I promise I'll be back soon, princess," I was reassuring myself more than her. She was just excited to spend all this time with David and Mary Margaret. Evelyn will be filled with sweets and days and days of attention.

She dropped the giraffe in her hands, instead wrapping her tiny arms around my neck, "I know, Daddy." Evelyn sat on my knee, not letting go of me.

"I'll miss you so much," I knew tears were forming at the corners of my eyes. This was my plan, my idea. For Emma. For myself. But it's still hard to let go, even if it is just for a month. By the time I get back she'll have changed so much. Even if I do facetime her all the time. I won't be able to help give her a bath so she smells like a fresh field of strawberries. I won't be able to hold her close and whisper good night and how much I love her into her tiny little ear. I'll be traveling the country on a bike with Emma.

Which, yes, sounds poorly planned and stupid.

Really, really fucking dumb.

But at the same time, I've never felt more alive. I'm planning a road trip on a bike with my wife.

My amazing, beautiful wife.

"You ready, Killian?" Emma asked me, a smile playing on her face. Mary Margaret and David stood behind her. He held their two-year-old son on his hip. But David Jr. was quick to squirm away from him to his best friend and, even if the tot won't admit it, to his little crush Evelyn.

I nodded and paid my thank you's to David and Mary Margaret, "You be good, Ever," I gave her one last hug, "We'll facetime tonight, alright?"

"Okay," Evelyn was much more relaxed than me. She seems fine with the idea. Maybe she knows just how much I need this.

After Emma got an abortion years ago, everything started calming down. Neal went to jail. We fully and completely moved in. Before I knew it Evelyn was crawling, and saying her first word. We fell into a rhythm. A pattern. Emma and I got married a year later. Everything was just so calm. It was only when Emma brought up the fact that she's been bored with doing the same thing over and over again that I started riding my motorcycle again and planning our trip.

Emma and Evelyn sat on the floor together. Emma wiggled the seven-month-old's favorite giraffe toy in front of Evelyn's eyes, and she giggled in response. Killian sat down next Emma, wrapping his arm around her and giving a kiss to her cheek. Evelyn cooed at her father, rolling around to look at him.

"Hello there, little love," he picked her up and then sat her down on his lap, "Having fun, are you?"

She reached at him, grabbing ahold of his wedding ring. Killian chuckled at his daughter.

Emma fixed the little girl's black hair, grimacing slightly as she plucked a piece of banana from the curly disaster.

Evelyn looked over to Emma, and, for the first time, she said something. Her first word.
"Mama!" Evelyn pronounced. And if you didn't spend every day with her, you would never be able to make out that the two-syllable word was in fact supposed to be mama. But Emma does. Emma's with her all the time.

"She called me Mama," Emma beamed, looking over at Killian in excitement, "Her first word!"

Right now it didn't matter if Emma never wanted a kid. It didn't matter that Evelyn wasn't even her's. All that mattered right now was the three of them.

Because that's the first time Emma could truly say she did love Evelyn. And from then on, there was never a moment where Emma didn't.

Besides when Evelyn spilled dish soap all over the kitchen floor, Emma slipped, and she ended up with a twisted ankle. There really wasn't much love then.

"Okay, we should go then," Emma decided. She strapped the bike helmet to her head and handed Killian his. He did the same, squeezing his daughter's hand one last time.

Killian got on first, adjusting his hands and double checking everything. Emma climbed in behind him, letting out a sigh and settling in.

"You're forgetting something, love," he didn't look back at Emma, just handed her the raspberry red leather jacket, aged and worn out, but still holds the beauty and memories.

Emma mumbled a happy thank you and fixed her jacket. And as the engine revved, Emma rested against his back like she has so many times before. This time there are no guidelines, no rules. Just her and Killian. Their hearts couldn't become anymore aligned, they were already one.

The two took off, Emma squealing in excitement. The unknowing that laid beyond was terrifying and scary, but in the best way possible.

Because she had Killian. And Killian had her. 

Eeeeekk I know it's been a month and I'm a ghost I'm sorryyyy. 

A lot of stuff happened in December, and I kept trying to write but the ending kept feeling so wrong. I decided to refer back to my favorite chapter, December 15th, when Killian shares his passion for bike riding with Emma. 

I know the idea is weird and doesn't make much sense. But honestly does anything in this book make sense? 

I don't know when I'll be writing my next book. I've started and stopped a ton of works. I think I just need to get out of this writer's block, but I did really enjoy writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. 

You guys don't understand how much this book means to me, and how much all of you mean to me. Comments as simple as "great chapter" made my day. I can't wait to get another story out there, and I've already got some ideas in mind. 

Also, I had an alternative ending for this chapter that I'm going to upload over on my one-shot book "Roses". It's just a lot of fluff. Killian and Emma are married, Evelyn's older and Emma's pregnant so if you wanna take a break from how dark this book is you can check out "Roses", it's a lot more light-hearted. 

Okay, I'm going to stop rambling now.

Thoughts? Criticism? 

With love,

-Rose