a new mini ficlet i decided to write based on new spoilers. there will be around four parts. the first one is surrounded around killian and henry, the next will be snowing and henry, and then we'll get on to emma coming back to storybrooke. will be finished for the premiere of 6b, i promise! hope you all enjoy!

Henry is the first person he speaks to about it, funnily enough, and it's almost by accident when the lad brings it up himself.

It was after Regina had disappeared, after Emma, and he wished he was the one that had gone after, more than anything, but the queen didn't give anyone much say in anything. She claimed that she could be the one to bring her back. Honestly, he just thinks that she wants to disappear for a while. And more than anything, he just wants Emma back. He wants to know that she's okay, that she's happy and safe.

He just wants her.

So, he takes to making sure Henry's okay, even if the boy's eyes seem to dull slightly every morning he realises his mother (or mothers, he supposed) were away. He makes sure the lad goes to school, despite Henry's complaints.

"But, Killian-"

"No buts, lad. Do you think your mother would let you have the day off school?"

Henry's lips press together as Killian's head tips to the side, clearly not answering.

"Exactly," Killian murmurs, but the haunting look is still there in the lad's eyes, and he finds himself hesitating slightly, as he hands the lad the breakfast he'd made. Pancakes, since he was told fish was not an appropriate breakfast for a growing boy. "I'll come get you, if we hear anything."

Henry's lips seem to wobble slightly, and Killian can't imagine what it feels like to think you'd lost two mothers in one day.

"Promise?"

Killian thinks he feels himself welling up too, but he knows he needs to remain strong, he had promised Swan once upon a time that he'd take care of Henry, if anything had happened to her, and whilst he knows she's alive, and she's going to come back to him, he intends on keeping that promise, and all, he'd made to her.

"I promise," he swears to the lad, and then, "She's going to come back, Henry. Both of them."

He doesn't think he's ever seen Henry so upset, "How do you know?"

Killian smiles.

"I know your mother. She's too strong-willed not to come back to you."

"And you," Henry murmurs.

"Aye."

He offers to walk Henry to school, or the stop, as Emma calls it, but Henry shakes his head.

"I'm not six, Killian," Henry admonishes him, and he laughs, rejoicing, in the Emma-like tone his voice takes.

"So you're not." A pause. "Call me if you need anything."

He's not quite sure he's doing this right, doesn't know how to do this. He knows he's not the lad's father, he would never try to replace Neal, but he'd like to think they'd come a long way from when Henry had yelled at him for finding the shears. He'd like to think he's something of a figure in Henry's life now, and that he can come to him. If he needs someone to talk to.

"I will."

Henry seems to be hesitating slightly before he walks out of the door, and it takes Killian a few seconds to notice.

"Something wrong, Henry?"

"No," the young boy protests almost instantly, but he seems to be sizing Killian up in a way that he hasn't before. "Not really."

Killian raises an eyebrow, "You sure about that?"

"It's just-" Henry sighs, before breaking himself off, shaking his head, and then starting again. "I was in your and mom's bedroom the other day," the boy says slowly.

Killian's eyebrows furrow, wondering what the hell the lad had found that had him this skittish.

"And I didn't mean to, I swear. I wasn't snooping or anything. I suppose I just wanted something of mom's for a while. It feels like it's been forever since she's been here, you know?" A pause, and then, "I found a box. I shouldn't have opened it, I know that, and mom always goes off on an invasion of privacy, but I did."

And suddenly Killian knows where his thoughts are at.

"You saw," the pirate states, almost dumbly.

Henry nods, and the boy's eyes are widened slightly, and his biting his bottom lip, as though he's afraid that he's going to get told off. Killian laughs under his breath slightly.

"It's fine, Henry." He pauses, "But maybe next time you can ask?"

Henry's eyes light up slightly, and he nods, "Yeah, I can do that."

"I have nothing to hide," Killian says slowly. "I'll always tell you the truth." Killian pauses again, and then, "What was the question? You looked as though you wanted to ask something."

"When were you planning on asking her?"

"I had a plan before the Evil Queen fiasco," Killian admitted, but then he shrugs. "Now, I'm not so sure. I suppose I should know better. Your mother has a way of seemingly always putting a halt on my plans." He chuckles under his breath, his hand running through his loose, dark locks.

"Oh." Then, "Does anyone else know?"

Killian hesitates slightly, before deciding to answer the lad, "I was going to talk to your grandfather, but I thought that perhaps your mother would like to talk with him instead." The, if she says yes goes unspoken between them. "She informed me that traditions are different in this realm, that asking for a daughter's hand is unspoken of."

Henry shrugs, "She is a princess."

Killian's head twists in his direction.

Henry sighs.

"Mom would never admit it," Henry says, "But I think she'd like to know gramps approved. Not that he won't," he cuts in, after seeing Killian's eyes widen. "And I think gramps would appreciate it. He did miss out on many of her milestones growing up. I know he regrets that a lot, even if he doesn't really talk about it. Probably make him feel part of something. I know he'll want to walk her down the aisle."

Killian smiles, his head tipping to the side.

"You think she'll say yes?"

Henry smiles knowingly at him, "I know she will."

He realises that Henry doesn't know it, but he's set his nerves at ease, "Perhaps it's time I talk with your grandfather."

Henry hums, before he turns around to take off for school.

"Oh, and Killian?"

Killian's head twists back in Henry's direction.

"What I said, about you not being..." he trails off slightly, before shooting the pirate a small smile. "Well, you're part of this family now. You don't need a ring to prove that," he pauses slightly, "but I'm glad you're going to be my stepdad."

He's not sure, but he's pretty sure he's just got Henry's blessing.

(He has a feeling David won't be quite as easy.)