Keep the Cup From Tipping (A Captain Swan fan fiction)

Chapter 3

A/N. (I don't own most of the characters and certain parts of the plot. Courtesy goes to the creative teams behind Pitch Perfect and Next To Normal.)

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Chapter 3

At Doctor John Darling’s clinic, Killian sat in silence while Emma arranged what needed to be arranged. It didn’t take long before his assistant called out “Killian Jones,” signaling the start of his session. Emma kissed him goodbye before he entered.

“Sit down,” John asked politely, the gleam in his wide eyes shining through his big eyeglasses.

He did as he was told and took a deep breath as he watched the young doctor scan through his patient folder. John took a seat on the couch that was across the room, so that he was at a therapeutic distance with his client.

“Captain Hook,” he began. “What a pleasure to finally meet you! Wendy has told me a bunch of stories about you.”

Killian smiled at him and nodded. “Good ones, I presume?”

He chuckled. “And the ones that aren’t that good, but none of it shall hold much bearing in today’s session,” he assured him. “We’re going to begin with hypnotism as a way of assessment, and then we’ll see how we can work out with what we find.”

“Hate to disappoint ya, Doc, but the previous hypnotism was a little disastrous.”

“That’s because your first therapist knows Neverland as fiction. I don’t.”

He leaned back into the La-Z-Boy that he was settled in. John placed his file on his desk, and pulled a wooden chair to sit closer to his client.

“Now, Killian I need you to relax. For this activity to be effective, you should be in your most comfortable state, and my voice shall be your guide. Now, close your eyes and breathe deep and slow.”

Killian rested his upper limbs on the arm rests and did as he was told. John’s deep voice was calming, and his clear utterance of every word that came out of his mouth made it all more penetrating… and more relaxing.

“Breathe, and let your pulse beat its most silent. At this moment, Killian, I want you to think of nothing else, and just concentrate on my voice… Only my voice.”

The subtly-decorated office of John Darling disappeared when he closed his eyes, and now the leathery feel of the La-Z-Boy under his skin also began to move out of focus. Slowly, Killian felt himself drifting away into a dark dimension, with nothing but John’s voice as his company.

“You will continue doing what I tell you to do. You will continue to follow my voice. Concentrate on my voice.” John leaned in and anchored his elbows on top of his knees, his fingers fondling one another as he sighed.

“What is your name?” John spoke.

“Hook. Captain Hook.”

“Is that your real name?”

“N-no.”

“Then what is?”

“My name is Killian Jones.”

“Good,” the doctor reinforced. “Where do you live?”

“Just around the corner… still in New York.”

“Before New York, where did you live?”

“S-Storyb-b-brooke,” Killian stuttered.

“You seem unsure, Killian. Do you remember how that place looked like?”

“Yes,” he replied in an almost whisper.

“Tell me about your last days in Storybrooke.”

There was a short silence, but he began eventually. “The celebration had toned down after Zelena was defeated, and everyone was back in their own little problems. Emma was still talking to her parents about leaving Storybrooke and staying in New York with Henry and me.”

“Who is Emma?”

“Emma Swan, the woman who reminded me of what it feels to be in love like a young boy.”

“Where is Emma Swan now?”

“She’s also here in New York, and her name is already Emma Jones. She’s my wife.”

John saw that his words were matching the ones on his patient history, and proceeded with his assessment.

“And Henry?”

“He is Emma’s first born, but I’m not the biological father.”

“Who is?”

“Baelfire. She knew him as Neal Cassidy, but I knew him as Baelfire.”

“Okay, now continue with what happened on your last days in Storybrooke.”

“Regina warned them about the instability of the new curse that Snow and David cast, and recommended that they return to The Enchanted Forest as soon as possible. There were more arguments because Emma didn’t want to go with the rest. As much as it hurt her, Regina had to let her son out of the dangers of The Enchanted Forest. When she gave her permission to Emma, Snow and David did as well.”

“How were you involved in that issue?”

“I listened to the arguments that I was allowed to, and I comforted Emma when she cried at night. Henry came to me at one point, begging me to convince her mother not to proceed with her New York plans.”

“Then, what happened, Killian? Did you succeed?”

“No. I tried only once, and it caused Emma to avoid me for almost a day. I couldn’t bear that kind of pain, so I thought to myself that I should just let it go. Henry got furious about it. When we settled here, I swore to the heavens that I would spend the rest of my life making it up to the boy.”

“And how did you cope with Henry’s resentment of you?”

Killian didn’t reply immediately, causing John to throw a curious look at his client. If he could make him admit that he was maladaptive and an alcoholic, things would be a little easier for both of them.

“I stay up late at night and watch anything on the television.”

“What other mechanisms did you utilize?”

“Well, I’ve always been fascinated with rum.”

Bingo, thought John in his head. He looked at his client, who still has his eyes closed, and smiled at how things turned out to be not as bad as he expected.

“How much rum did you consume per day?”

“I dunno. T’was hard to keep count, but I can say that it was a lot.”

“What did the rum provide you, Killian?”

“Solace. It’s temporary, but it does the trick.”

“What did you need the solace for?”

“I am trying so hard to be a good father to Henry. I am trying to be the hero that Neal was in his life. I’m trying every day, but I’m failing every day. The fear that I might not be good enough for him keeps me terrified, so I figured that the rum will be my temporary relief.”

“How did Emma feel about your drinking?”

“She was upset about it. She told me that I was an addict, and for some time I hated her for that thing that she said. It took me a while before I realized it myself. When I did, I wanted to stop. If I stop, I’ll be making Emma happy… I’ll be making Henry happy.”

“And what did you do about that plan?”

“I came across this tea from the grocery store, one day, and I decided to try one bag. It was a challenge to finish that one cup, and when I did, looking at the bottles of rum in the kitchen bothered less and less. The tea worked a certain magic, so I used it as my rum-substitute.”

“How did it go from that point?”

“It worked for many years, Doc. Through all the events that passed, it kept the rum away.”