Find My Way Back To You

Chapter 14

--- EMMA'S POV ---

I purposefully take extra long to find the recordings on my phone. I know exactly where they are, so it normally would've taken me only a few seconds to find them. But then I saw that my past self seems to get accustomed with Hope, so I thought it's a good thing to let them bond a little. I feel like this might help her magic later on, when we're going to take the memories of everyone in town and open the portal back home. Magic is all about emotion after all, so the more Emma cares about Hope, the more determined she'll be to help her – and the easier it'll be for her to access her light magic.

I use the time I've got to change my lock- and homescreen to an old picture of Henry and me. Before that I had a sweet and adorable picture of Killian holding Hope a few minutes after she was born. He's smiling at the sleeping baby in awe. I love it, but I can't risk anyone else seeing it in the past, so unfortunately it has to go. For now, at least. It'll probably be back as soon as I'm in timeline again.

After that I type random stuff on the screen, which is actually shut off, but Emma doesn't know that. I only do it, so she thinks that I'm still searching. Once her not so subtle glances my way become more frequent, I decide to approach the two of them.

"Found them." I say, while lifting my phone in the air. Then I put my phone in my jeans back pocket and open my arms. Emma gets up and starts to put Hope back into my loving arms. As soon as I have my daughter back, I give her a soft kiss on the head. "Missed you, sweetie. Now we'll go to the bathroom and call your daddy." I lie. She might understand me otherwise even though it's very unlikely. But who knows? Maybe she is just that smart already through her magical powers. In that case I have to fool her into thinking, that we're actually talking to him in real time.

"You're not listening to them here?" my mother says from behind me in a curious and disappointed voice. I'll have to make sure to put a soundproofing spell on the room. I can't risk everyone else listening in on the recordings since then they'd figure out that Killian and I are married and have a child. I'm not putting my future in any more danger than necessary. I just love it too much to take such a risk. I love Killian and Hope too much for that. I can't lose them. Not never. They're the only thing to keep me going since Henry left me and the town behind. Some days I miss him so much, that I just want to crawl up in bed all day and cry. But having Killian and Hope makes it easier. It kind of gives me new strength every day - whenever I feel like I have none left. They kind of give my life purpose, even though that probably sounds silly.

So, to protect my future and my little family, I have to go now. "Yes. They're kind of private." I lie. But no one notices, or they just don't say anything about it. My mother frowns, while my dad flinches at the word 'private.' I almost chuckle at that. He probably assumes, that the recordings are some kind of sex tape in audio format. As if I would let my newborn listen to that.

I smile and then walk to the bathroom. I lock the door behind us and then use a spell I've used often enough already to protect Henry from getting traumatized by Killian and me. I'm sure he appreciates it. Now I can also officially say, that it's a great thing I've had to use this spell so often before. It was all practice, so now I can be sure I'm doing it right.

Once I finish the spell, I put Hope on the changing table. I've never been sure why exactly there is one here at the sheriff station, but now I'm grateful to have it. I pull my phone out and start the first recording. It's of the day I told Killian, that I'm pregnant. Hope seems to instantly relax a little and just a half a minute into the recording, the crying stops completely, her smile reappears, and she falls back asleep.

...

Flashback

9 months ago

I leave early from work because I've been feeling down a little in the morning. So, I decided to take a pregnancy test in the privacy of my own bathroom. Killian and I have been trying for a few weeks now, so it might be possible. We've had a few negative tests before, which might be because we literally took one every few mornings. You could say that we're a little excited. But because of the negative tests before I thought, that it might be better to take it alone this time. I don't want to get Killian's hopes up once again, only to shatter them three minutes later. That's why I told him, that I'm going to visit my mom during her lunch break since there's not much sheriffing going on anyway. Storybrooke has been pretty peaceful since the final battle besides the usual small town conflicts. I'm hoping that it stays that way.