title: when i said i would never let you go
summery: emma returns home from work to find an adorable sight in her living room.
pairing: killian/emma, henry, killian/jefferson friendship
rating: K
disclaimer: sadly, i don't own once upon a time
notes: just a cute little family!captain swan drabble that came to me while i was writing my more serious captain swan fics. enjoy!

when i said i would never let you go

Exhausted, grumpy, and ready for a tall mug of hot chocolate, Emma Swan Jones fumbles carefully with her keys before she manages to get the door open to her apartment. After she and Killian had finally gotten married, they had moved out of the loft and into a two bedroom apartment down town near her family's house.

When they did finally get married, Killian had to quit as her deputy and had opened up his own little private investigation business. She didn't stop laughing for three hours after he had informed her of his plans, knowing that it was the perfect career. He was the town snoop and could now make money off of it!

"Killian? Henry?" she steps cautiously over the threshold, looking around the kitchen. The front door opened into the kitchen and then through to where the living room was. She followed the path of carpet, resting her keys on the counter.

She could hear the television from where she stood, recognizing a few lines from the Disney version of 'Peter Pan'. Henry's favorite and Killian's least favorite. He hated the representation of him in the film, complaining that he never hated Peter Pan and he was not a whiner. Of course, Emma's laughter caused him to get even angrier and not speak to her for almost an hour.

But, naturally, Henry could always get Killian to sit down and watch it with him.

She walks slowly into the living room, holding back the tears that are sure to fall. Her husband is asleep on the couch, their son curled up into his side like a bear cub cocooning into his parent. Both are fast asleep, peace and serenity in their faces. No nightmares, no pain.

Emma lets out a small sigh, leaning down and pressing her lips to Killian's forehead. She runs her fingers through Henry's long hair, brushing her lips against the crown of his head.

"I love you," she breathes against Henry's hair. "I love you both so much."

Two years ago, if someone had told her that she would find her son and end up married to Captain Hook, she would have laughed and had them admitted to the insane asylum. Today, she couldn't think of her life any other way.

Despite having so much pain in their past lives, Killian and Emma Jones knew that they were meant for each other. They had thought that their respective others that were lost had been their true loves but no. They had been learning experiences, no matter the pain and the loss.

/

He runs as quick as he can down the hallway, coming to a thudding stop at the doorway.

"She's gone, man."

He whirls around and finds himself face to face with Jefferson. "What?!"

"She was crying and really upset. She took Henry and went back to her parents. She said that if your relationship wasn't going anywhere than there was no point in staying."

The ring box was heavy in his pocket, a lot heavier now than it was ten minutes ago.

"I don't understand. I was lying to her so she wouldn't think that I wanted to marry her so it would be a surprise!"

"I know that and I tried to tell her but she wouldn't listen," Jefferson adds softly. "I'm so sorry, Killian."

The grief slowly setting in, he turns back towards the apartment door. "Damn."

The door clicks open and he walks through, suddenly overwhelmed by the swarm of candlelight and the beautiful woman standing in the middle of the living room.

Emma gives him a smile, one of those smiles that is only reserved for him. "You wanted it to be a surprise."

His head turns but Jefferson has already disappeared, shutting the door after them. Of course, the Hatter was in on it.

"Oh my God..." His voice comes out twisted into a sob, tears burning his eyes. He stepped closer to the angel, unable to take his eyes off of her as she went down on her knees.

"Killian..." she begins slowly but her voice immediately breaks. "I never thought that you and I would end up here but I am so glad that we did. And I never thought that I would be so lucky as to fall in love with my best-" her voice breaks again. She lets out a loud sniffle, running the back of her hand across her eyes. "My best-(another sob)-there's a reason why girls don't do this!"

He is instantly on his knees, catching her hands in his. "Emma, I think I fell in love with you when you knocked me cold with that compass. (They both chuckle waterly.) I have never met a woman that has consumed me like you, given me such a zest for life-for hope. You have given me the will to keep living. And you have made me happier than I ever thought I could be-(his own voice breaks)-and if you let me, I will spend the rest of our natural lives trying to make you feel the same way. I love you, Emma Swan."

With that, he pulls the ring out of his shirt pocket, holding it up in the flickering candle light. The dancing rays add a certain luster to the ruby set with sapphires, a symbol of the fire and the sea.

"Emma, will you marry me?"

She lets out a loud sniffle before emitting a soft and breathless 'yes'.

He slips the ring onto her finger and they are in each other's arms.

\

Emma had once wondered if it was possible to love someone this much.

And now she knew.

Her love for these two young men was greater than any kind of love that she had felt before. She knew that she would readily lay down her life for either one of them, step in front of a speeding bus, anything. There wasn't anything that she would do for them.

"Emma?"

Her eyes dart over to the sofa and she finds herself lost in two pools of blue abyss. She smiles softly, furiously swiping at the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Hey, you," she breathes.

He smiles back with a wistful look, already knowing what was on her mind. "No one can hurt us now," he whispers. "You know that, love?"

She allows a tiny nod. "Of course." And she slips down onto the sofa beside him, running a delicate hand through Henry's hair. "When did you two begin watching the movie?" she asks softly.

"About an hour ago, I guess," he answers. "The school called, saying that Henry hadn't been feeling well and was running a small temperature; and they asked me to come pick him up. I made him go right to bed and he slept for about an hour before getting up. After a while, he sweet talked me into watching this atrocity of a film."

Emma smirks, pressing her hand to Henry's forehead. There was no temperature now. "Well, he's got you wrapped around his little finger."

Killian doesn't respond, keeping his arm around Henry's tiny little body but lifting his hand to run his fingers over her cheek. His hook lay on the coffee table, all but forgotten. He hardly wore it around the house anymore, it's precense never needed.

He would never forget who he once was. It would always be a part of what kind of a man he was. But Killian Jones was who he was now. Killian was a man with a beautiful wife, a wonderful son who had accepted him as his father, and a life that he wouldn't trade for in the world.

"I love you, Emma," he finds himself whispering. "I love you so much."

She doesn't say it back, scooting closer to the both of them.

To her boys.

They were her boys, her men.

Her life.

And she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

/

All of my captain swan feels!

Can I rant for a minute, guys? If you don't want to listen, then feel free to just ignore me.

I keep hearing things about Captain Swan and how they were shoved down our throats from the beginning. Well, that's a load of bull. With all of the flashbacks into Killian's past and what Rumple did to him, it was such an interesting build up to the character at who he once was. He was free-spirited, joyful, even showed bits of compassion here and there (hence Smee's loyalty to him). And then with Milah, you can't help who you love if they are married to someone else. I'm not making excuses for Milah or for Killian or even for Rumple. They were all at fault for what happened and I do believe that Rumple once loved Milah but that was gone with her betrayal.

And for three hundred years, Hook sets out for his revenge against the crocodile, hence his remaining in the body of a thirty year old and finding immortality. And then, when Emma Swan is dropped in his lap, you see him just come alive. The obvious chemistry that Colin and Jennifer shared was there, of course. But he lights up whenever she is around him, finding her quite the challenge. But remember, Snow, Mulan, nor Aurora fell at his feet and he didn't even bother to try and pursue them. He wanted Emma.

And of course, when she is the first one on the scene after he is hit by the car, he immediately hits on her. During his time with Belle, he didn't try to put the moves on her or steal her away, he was all business for using her as his revenge. But Emma, of course, doesn't allow him to get away with it, handcuffing him to the bed and telling him 'in his dreams'.

Captain Swan is going to be a slow burn, I can see it now. Especially with the preview for 'Tiny' and seeing David grab Hook by the throat. Obviously, he will shoot his mouth off about Emma and David will go protective father on him. But besides, the writers and the actors are all very aware of the following that this ship has gotten. I think that these few sparse episodes are feelers and then it will be revisited later in the season after the balderdash is done with Neal/Baelfire (how can Neal not be Baelfire? but then again, I'd be surprised if he was.)

The one thing I can't wait for is Henry and Hook's first meeting. Now, that ought to be quite interesting.