THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL OF THE LOVELY REVIEWS/FAVORITES/FOLLOWS/LIKES/REBLOGS! They make my life every time I see them :)

Monster Chapter! I am both scared and excited for this chapter...we will see I guess what you guys think! I am shocked I even finished it because I am in the middle of exams! haha

ALSO, I am STILL dead from "I swear on Emma Swan"...I have watched that scene like 30 times.

ENJOY!

Emma shifts for what feels like the thousandth time in her uncomfortable chair. She cannot sit still, her thoughts running wild as she thinks of the afternoon's events.

"David's taking Henry out to the stables," she shifts anxiously under his steady gaze, "I thought maybe you could…go with them. You know, and maybe tell him some stories about his…father…maybe it might help…"

With the return of Henry's memories, the past few weeks have been exceptionally hard for everyone.

She bites her lip to stop the tears and runs a hand through her messy hair.

"If you are sure," Killian hesitates.

Emma nods, "I'm sure."

"As you wish," Killian brushes a golden lock from her face with a gentle hand before turning and walking out the door.

Her boy. Her sweet, caring, gentle boy lies unconscious on a cold metal table while Doctor-freaking-Frankenstein operates.

Her phone rings shrilly from across the room. She turns apologetically to her mother as her baby brother wakes from his sleep and begins to cry.

She answers. It's David.

She can hear his screams behind her father's steady voice.

"Emma…there's been an accident."

It's only a broken arm she reminds herself.

She covers her mouth with a hand and closes her eyes, releasing a single salty tear to run down her face. She cannot forget Henry's cries of pain.

No one should ever yell like that.

She wipes the lone tear from her warm face and opens her eyes to see her father walking slowly towards her. He sits on the table in front of her and gently cups her face before pulling her into a hug Emma can only describe as fatherly. David's hand caresses her head and she shuts her eyes and wraps her own arms around her father.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I feel like it's my fault,"

Emma shakes her head and murmurs, "It's not, could have happened with anyone."

David lets her go and pulls back. "I have to go back to the loft," he says suddenly. Emma's features pull together in confusion as he continues, "Snow wants to be here with you but we don't want to bring Leo. I'm trading off with her."

Emma nods slowly and shakes her hand like it is nothing, "Henry…won't even be out for a couple hours…I'll be fine."

David looks at her softly and she knows that he can see through her lie. He turns his head behind him and it is only then that Emma sees Killian standing by the waiting room door.

Looking back to her, he kisses her forehead and tells her that she will be in safe hands before standing. As he passes Killian, David nods and places a hand to his shoulder before exiting the room.

Killian hesitates, only moving forward after the silent invitation Emma gives as she removes her coat from the chair next to her.

She runs a hand through her hair again as he approaches, only imagining the emotional mess she must look like. He puts a white container she didn't realize he was carrying down on the table across from them and takes his seat next to hers.

She eyes it speculatively with a small smile, "Is that Jello?"

She sees the corners of his mouth pull into one as well, "Aye, for the lad when he wakes."

She still cannot bring herself to tell him that Jello does not in fact cure all medical problems.

She only nods and smiles quietly.

In the silence of his steady presence she cannot stop her imagination from running wild with possibilities and complications Henry could face in the coming hours.

Inhaling sharply, her eyes find Killian's as his hand slips into her own. Their hands meld together like they are made for each other; each crevice of her hand filled with his.

It does not even occur to her to pull away as the feeling this gesture brings can only be described as right.

"Henry will be okay, Emma,"

"You really think so?" she replies quietly, her voice almost a whisper, as she searches his deep ocean eyes.

He nods, "He's strong like his mother."

She looks down to their entwined hands, unable to withstand his penetrating gaze. She hears him exhale in disappointment and she is almost disappointed herself.

He always has such faith in her, and her family. Unwavering belief in everything and anything she says or does. Always two steps ahead of her; he knows what she needs from him next before she even realizes she needs it.

Slowly, ever so slowly as if she might just change her mind, she brings her other hand to rest atop of the two in her lap. She feels his hand squeeze her own reassuringly before she gently lowers her head to rest against his strong, leather clad shoulder.

It is foreign to Emma and she almost wishes to take it back, but the sense of belonging and love she feels Killian radiate glues her to him.

Emma thinks it's odd that being a part of such a big family doesn't help her curve the loneliness that creeps into her heart. In this moment, with Killian supporting her, she is not lonely or alone.

The minutes tick by, but they feel like hours to Emma. She wants to see her son, to hold him and know that he is okay, even though rationally she knows it's just a broken arm and every kid goes through it some time.

As she breaks the silence between them her voice sounds rough as she says his name, "Killian?"

She feels him turn his head to look at her form leaning against him, "Yes, love?"

"Thank you."

She can hear the playfulness and genuine question in his response, "You're welcome I suppose, but what have I done to earn your gratitude?"

The circles he makes with his thumb across the back of her hand are half maddening.

She takes a breath, "For being here. For taking care of Henry. For being a friend to my father. For…" she hesitates with her words, "For caring about me like you do."

"Always, my love."

And it's a promise. She feels the truth searing from his words into her very soul.

She didn't need a super power to know that.

They settle again into comfortable silence, only breaking apart when Snow arrives and engulfs her daughter between her arms. As Snow pulls away, she eyes her daughter knowingly, but Emma only shakes her head dismissively before lowering herself into her chair once more.

This silent exchange does not, however, stop her from finding Killian's hand again as they continue their vigil for news on Henry's surgery.

Finally, Whale enters the waiting room, and all three are on their feet before he utters a word.

Pulling off his scrub cap, Whale gently smiles to them, "He's going to be fine, surgery went well. He'll just need to take it easy until that arm heals up."

All three of them exhale in relief with smiles on their faces. Snow brings Emma into a hug once more, Killian brought in as well as Emma had still not let his hand go. Killian gently releases her hand and scratches behind his ear awkwardly as he steps back from the two women.

Emma laughs and all of her worries vanish in the blink of an eye. She silently scolds herself for worrying so much as it was obvious that Henry was always going to be okay.

"Can we see him?" Emma asks.

Whale nods and tells them the room they can find him in.

Emma is almost at the door when she hears her mom's gentle voice behind her, "Hook, are you coming as well?"

Emma turns as Killian hesitates by the chairs, white container in hand. He shakes his head as he walks past Snow to Emma.

"No, I don't want to impose on such a family affair," he holds out the Jello for Emma to take, "Wish the lad well for me, will you?"

Emma looks down to his offering and gently accepts it. Looking back up into his worried eyes she wishes that for once he would not doubt his place with them.

He cannot see that after everything they have been through, Captain Killian Jones has been welcomed into their complicated family by Snow White, Prince Charming, their daughter and their grandson.

"I want you there," Emma finally replies, her voice unwavering with truth as she grabs his hand.

She sees his eyes widen and his lips pull together as he swallows. His ocean eyes search her emeralds in amazement.

The corners of her mouth lift as his features soften in front of her, "I'll inform David about the lad's recovery."

Emma opens her mouth in protest as Killian raises her hand slowly. Before Emma realizes, his lips softly press against the back of her hand.

She feels the pressure on her skin from his soft lips all the way to the tips of her toes.

Killian lowers her hand, and with a turn and swish of his long and ridiculous pirate jacket, he is gone.

Emma gaze dances between the back of her hand and her mother's wide eyes that drift between her daughter and the swinging door.

"Emma," Snow walks up to her daughter, "your father and I just want you to be happy, you know that right?"

Emma nods, still at a loss for words as she feels the ghost of his lips warm against her.

"He makes you happy, Emma." Snow states with a tender smile.

Emma glances behind her to the swinging door, "Come on, let's go see Henry."

Snow drops her head and sighs before following her stubborn daughter.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Snow stands from her seat in Henry's room, "I'm going to head home, we haven't heard from your father or Hook, who knows what those two are up to."

She shakes her head with a smile and adds, "Plus Leo is probably hungry anyway."

Snow kisses Henry's forehead and looks pointedly at her daughter before leaving the room.

"Hey, Mom?" Henry asks.

Emma looks up at him, "Yeah?"

"Anything to eat in here do you think? I'm starved." He laughs.

Emma's eyes scan the room and she smiles as they fall onto the infamous white container. She grabs it and a spoon and gives it to Henry.

"Killian brought you some Jello to help you feel better," she says with a smirk.

"Hook?" Henry laughs, "Don't tell me no one's told him!"

Emma laughs, "Well do you want the all-healing Jello or not, kid?"

Henry nods and Emma removes the lid to reveal the green, jiggling Jello. Giving Henry the spoon, she sets it down on his table.

Silence falls as Henry eats, but Emma can see the gears turning in her son's head as he does.

"Mom?" he speaks hesitantly.

Emma looks up at her son, but he eats another square of Jello before he continues.

"I want you to know that…" he hesitates again, gathering his thoughts, "I know now that you and Dad wouldn't have gotten back together. And I am okay with that, I guess."

Emma stops breathing as Henry drops the spoon into the Jello container and reaches for her hand, "I'm just glad I got to know my dad and we were able to spend the time together that we did."

She squeezes Henry's hand as his eyes shift away from Emma to his lap, "I will always miss him with all my heart, Mom, and I know you will miss him too in your own way...but I know Dad would want you to be happy."

Henry returns his gaze to hers, "I want you to be happy, Mom. What I said in New York is still true and it always will be. If someone wants us to be their home, that's all you need to make your decision."

Henry's words cause Emma to brush her other hand across her lips before brushing through her golden locks for the hundredth time that day as the truth sears into her heart.

When did her boy grow up to be the young man that he is now?

"Killian wants us to be his home, Mom."

Emma stands from her chair and walks to the window overlooking the town. She hears Henry sigh in frustration behind her.

"He loves you, Mom."

Emma's eyes search the horizon in front of her, and as they fall onto the line of ocean and sky becoming one, she can only see Killian's blues staring back at her with all of the sincerity and love that he envelops her with whenever their eyes meet.

She swallows deeply and blinks away from the hypnotizing view. Emma drops her gaze to her clasped hands; gently rubbing her thumb over the spot Killian's lips had touched.

Emma knows that she has changed this past year; learning to trust and opening herself to the love of others.

Despite this, she cannot stop the fear that creeps into her very being from the thoughts that crash through her like ocean waves on the shore.

And I think I love him too.

Oh boy, still with me?

Reviews are love people!