The Promise

December

David knocked on the door of Emma and Killian's old Victorian. Snow's arms were full with sleeping Neal in his car seat and a tray of tacos for the night-before-wedding-meal they were to have at Granny's. Once, pause, twice, pause again, three times he knocked...no answer. "Where the hell are they?" he grumbled, digging out his phone.

He could feel Snow's perturbed stare on him and met exasperated green eyes and puckered mouth. "David, you promised."

With a sigh he put away his phone, tamping down the urge to be overprotective again. Yeah, he'd promised...

***

It was a week ago, Emma had let it slip to Snow that it was getting more and more difficult to waitfor her wedding night with Killian now that he'd officially moved in. David immediately thought of his new friendship with his future son-in-law was in jeopardy, hearing of Hook's pirateous exploits now directed at his daughter. Emma would always be his first priority no matter how close he and Killian had become. And if Emma wanted to wait for a perfect wedding night then that's what she was going to get, no matter if there was an overzealous pirate one room away from her.

Then an idea struck him, and three days later David had the truck packed for upstate Maine. One last family retreat before the wedding where he could help thwart any wayward advances.

"And why won't you tell us where we're going?" Emma asked, snapping Neal's car seat in her Bug. She was going to drive the family, while David took the truck and luggage and one passenger –a passenger who didn't know yet, he going to be dragged away.

"Because it's a surprise," David said, gripping a hard hand on Killian's shoulder, blocking him from entering the car.

"Ease up, mate." Killian nudged his hand away.

"Come on, the girls have this car. You're riding with me."

Killian cocked an eyebrow in his direction. "I think I can decide for myself and with Emma is where I want to be. You ride with your own wife."

David caught him as he tried to climb inside the car, holding him still. "She's not your wife yet, mate. And we need to talk."

Killian rolled his eyes.

"Oh god, dad. Come on. I thought you were past this overprotective stage now that we're engaged," Emma complained.

"I've reinstated it. Come on, pirate."

"I'll handle it." David heard Killian whisper before planting a hero-worthy kiss on his daughter's mouth. David wanted to choke on his own bile. He may have missed a good most of Emma's life, meeting her only as an adult, but he never forgot those precious few moments when he held her as a newborn. She was so tiny and fragile yet, strong, staying still and quiet as he fought—single-handedly—armed guards trying to seize her. She'd always be that infant –grown woman, mother and soon-to-be-wife aside.

"Good bye," David said, wrenching Killian away toward the truck.

Once buckled and driving toward a snowy ski cabin in the mountains, Killian finally spoke. "So, are you going to tell me what that was all about? I thought I'd proven myself to the Great Prince Charming?"

"You may have..."

"But..."

"But you have no example of being a husband. I thought perhaps you could see from my example."
Killian sent him a flat glare as well as a defiant brow in his direction. "You can't be serious," he said. "This is ridiculous, Dave."