The Memories You've Made Along The Way

AN: HI! This one's inspired by both binging season 5 and cleaning out my room and finding my old memory box, which resulted in an afternoon of digging out all the family photo albums. Enjoy!!!

"I don't need magic, I need your arms around me at 3:29am. When the dark is too much, I need you to be real when nothing else is."- A.R Asher

The dim red light in the chamber brightened as the elevator rose. All I could feel was sick as I left him behind. I had to get everyone back home, even at the cost of my own happiness. I started to panic as it dawned on me, I was going to be alone again.

My body jolted as I woke up and my breath got caught in my dry throat causing me to start coughing. The cold air of the bedroom slowing bringing me out of my nightmare and back to reality as I reached out to turn on the lamp and grab the bottle of water I kept on my side table. Sitting up, I gulped down the cold water and tried to regulate my breathing. I can't help but smile when I feel my pirate's stump trace up and down my back, comforting me as always.

"You alright, love?" He questioned from behind me.

"Yeah." I answered, my voice shockingly steady. Turning around to face him I was greeted with his beautiful blue eyes. "Just a bad dream."

Putting the bottle back on the side I lay back down, only this time snuggling into his side as his normally hooked arm wrapped around my shoulders. We let the silence wash over us as we just basked in each others presence. After the darkness and the underworld I was nice just to exist. Together.

"Shall we continue on from where we were, Swan?"

I peered over my shoulder to glance at the time. 5:49am. Normally we would both be up by now. Me getting ready for work and Killian always rising with the sun but since it was my long needed day off and Henry was at Regina's for the next few days, I saw no problem with carrying on from where we were a few nights ago.

"Only if YOU don't mind."

He chuckled as his arms tightened around me and he continued from where he left off.

Since our return from the underworld a few weeks ago, it hadn't been a rare occurrence for one of us to wake up from a nightmare early in the morning. So to send each other back to sleep we'd talk about the good parts of our lives before Storybrooke until we fell back asleep. His adventures were quite the distraction. I just closed my eyes and let his voice wash over me as I could almost clearly see the scene he was setting.

In this story he had apparently sailed to Davy Jones's locker (no relation) to retrieve a flute that would control the wind. Then steered through a magic induced hurricane. After getting through that he had gotten drunk with his crew and nearly fell over the side of The Jolly Roger before staggering back to his cabin and missing the bed. He says he slept on the floor and didn't notice the difference.

After he had finished and we also after we had a really hot make out session, I dressed and made my way downstairs to make breakfast from the groceries I'd bought especially for this morning. While he was in the shower I put the kettle on and went to remove the chest he'd left on the dining table last night. As I lifted it up I saw what was underneath, the drawing of Milah. Instead of just leaving it there,I picked up the hand drawn portrait and walked to living room where we had set up, as a family, several shelves of photo frames.

Without thinking I put the drawing down on the sofa and grabbed my coat, car keys and credit card. I wrote Killian a note to tell him I'd gone to get some more bacon. I then got in my car and drove to the only store in the town that sold both homeware and food. Hastily I went I and got both the bacon and the thing I came out for and went home in what must be a record breaking time for me.

Pushing open the front door the smell of coffee and breakfast hit me straight in the face, making my stomach rumble. Rushing into the living room I placed my purchase on top of the picture and went into the kitchen to greet him. After a long kiss, he handed me a mug of coffee and told me to go and relax while he made breakfast. So I gave him the extra meat and went back into the room I had just left.

Sitting on the sofa I unwrapped the frame and very carefully placed the sketch inside, putting the back on and turning it round. Staring at the face on the paper I gently traced my finger over the glass. Yes, once I was jealous of her but now she was family. Just like Neal.

Standing up I stood the frame next to the only picture I have of Henry and his dad, then taking step back I let my eyes look upon the memories on the shelve. 

Photos of my brother and my son. Pictures of my parents, before and after the curse. The older framed photo of me with Ingrid sat alongside the newer one of Robin, Roland and Regina. The pictures of me and Killian making my heart speed up in my chest.

And finally the sketches I'd done of Liam and The Jolly Roger.

Our Family.

His footsteps behind me stopped as he then wrapped his arms around my waist and my head fell back on his shoulder. I felt his cheek rise against the side of my head as he smiled, doing the same as me and letting his eyes skim over the wall. Tilting my head back further so I could see his face when he clocked the new edition to the collection, his eyes stopped as he came upon the dark oak frame. Killian's gaze met mine as he stared into my eyes.

Without a word he spun me round and kissed me passionately. Smiling into the kiss I gently pushed his away, picked my cup up from the table and grasped his hand, pulling him back to the kitchen. As we ate breakfast we decided the weather was nice enough to go out onto the sea for the afternoon. So as we cleaned up and gathered what we would need for our adventure, I ran upstairs and got my camera.

Since coming home we hadn't had the chance to make new memories.

There's no time like the present.

"The best things in life are the people you love, The places you've seen and the memories you make along the way."- Unknown