Once We are Descendants

Chapter 36: Parental Dysfunction

"So, you're Harry's Dad then," Mal says, biting her lip hard. The group had now moved into awkward silence territory since the fight had ended.

"Right so Harry Hook meet Killian Jones, the significantly better father and role model for you, Killian meet your son, Harry, who seems to have a lot of daddy issues to work through," Crystal says sarcastically, with half a smirk on her face, also trying to avoid the awkward silence, like Mal.

Harry examines Killian up and down, his eyes often going back to the infamous hook on his left hand. The "alternate" father also inspects his son from head to toe, not particularly liking the way he was presenting himself. He definitely looked the role of a pirate; a black leather belt hanging over his shoulder, the boy wore a black Navy type hat, which had been turned sideways to make it unique. Harry had scooped up from the deck after it had fallen off during their fight, he also wore stained and ragged clothing under a red, short-sleeved leather pirate jacket, likely to emulate his father from the god-awful Walter Disney adaption that Swan and Henry had forced him to sit through. He also had a fake hook hanging from his belt, indicating he lived up to the name of Son of Captain Hook. Killian could see the resemblances between the two of them with the dark black hair and bright vivid blue eyes, which Emma had said she hoped that their baby had. It was like looking in a mirror, a mirror of the past and if Killian had grown up as a rebellious pirate on this Lost Isle, as the purple-haired lass had described.

"Looks like for the affinity for black leather skipped a generation," Regina adds.

"But the eyeliner stayed," Crystal laughs behind her hand. Killian shoots them both angry looks.

"Sorry, trying to ease the tension," the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin mutters as she steps away.

"Killian?" Harry says. "Me father's name was James..."

"Well, this..." Mal explains. "Is your father from another world, a father who is not a total jerk and actually managed to make something of his life."

"How do you mean there Mal?" Harry asks.

"Instead of being locked away on an Isle for so many years, stewing in his own hatred and self-loathing, this version of your father is heralded as a hero, is the deputy lawman of this town and is happily married."

The pirate teenager looks very surprised. His eyes go to the silver band on Killian's right hand, considering he had no left one. Emma then steps forward and stands next to her husband to meet the teenager's eyes. She too could see the resemblance, it was like a mini-Killian is standing in front of them. It's almost what she would have pictured what their son might've looked like as a teenager if he got both the pirate's eyes and hair. But above all else, the couple could see a kid... a lost kid, just like them, who had a lot of issues to work through and hid behind a façade of confidence and rebellious actions. He had a lot of anger issues, Killian could feel that during their sword fight, he uses his strong outward appearance to hide his weaknesses and his vulnerabilities, just like Emma had done with her emotional walls. It was possible that he did these things because he never gets any recognition from his family or friends and has no one to turn to. There was also an unbalance to his personality, which is off-putting to everyone around him. This was likely from being trapped on this Isle that Mal and her friends had mentioned, but everyone, especially Crystal, could tell that he had been hurt many times and was acting like all of them, looking for acceptance and comfort.

"You me mum then?" Harry asks.

Emma shifts uncomfortably and interlocks her fingers with Killian. She's not entirely ready to accept the fact that this is Killian's son and quite possibly, in another bizarre universe, he is hers too.

"I...I don't know... Harry... I don't know what kind of relationship your father had with your mother, but there's not a lot of evidence to support that."

"Well, my father said me mum ran off after CJ was born, at least I think that she's also CJ's mum. I remember a blonde woman living with us for nine months or so... Dad liked blondes. I know Harriet's mum was a bar wench that worked at Ursula's Fish and Chips..."

"Okay, you know what?" Crystals grimaces. "This is probably a private conversation to have in a locked sound-proof room, but we've got some confused kids from Auradon wanting answers as well. Plus, Mal? I think Ben could use a good healing session, we also need to figure out how to get all of you back home, so maybe now is the time to go and help them."

Harry raises his eyebrows. "You find my parentage a bit uncomfortable do ye? Thought you'd like to know about my beginnings."

Crystal rolls her eyes, ignoring the fact that Harry is once again trying to hit on her.

"I'm a broken man Love, I got no support from me parents. I've had to make it on my own."

"God, it's like looking in a Killian and Emma mirror," Regina says in amazement. "If he is not your son, I'll eat my own poisoned apple."

"Oh please, you are not the only one with parent problems Hooky Jr. My dad is the Dark One, the evilest and powerful beings in all the realms of existence and he's also had children with three different women. I grew up not knowing who my father was and eventually learned he planned to eat my heart to gain back the power he'd lost for getting my mom pregnant. I ended up killing my mom in a freak accident because of the dark power he'd given me. Killian here lost his mother when he was young and was sold into slavery with his brother by his father, so the coward could escape the law. Regina's mother killed her fiancé in cold-blood because he rode horses and wasn't royalty, and then she forced her daughter to marry someone she didn't love. This forced her on a dark path for vengeance that led her to end up killing her father. Then this witch of a mother went on a killing spree in her quest for ultimate power. Emma here is nearly the same age as her parents because she was sent through a magical wardrobe to escape a curse that Regina cast, and she grew up without feeling any real parental love and affection for 28 years. One of her adopted families gave her back because they had their own kid. So, if you think that your story is the saddest, the most broken, most heart-wrenching, and the most messed up, you are sorely mistaken, buddy."

This shuts Harry up immediately and he steps back in surprise. In fact, all the VKs are silent while they process all this information. Those from Storybrooke are also rather quiet, considering Crystal just revealed some of the darkest parts of their past. It's true that their lives had not been perfect, in fact, most of them should have been put in therapy a long time ago. But at least three out of the four of them were not going to make their parents' mistakes. Regina had proven time and time again that she was a devoted mother to Henry, and had also become a mother figure to Roland, Robin Hood's son, and Crystal too. Killian had changed himself to become the best man that he could be, and he would never abandon Emma or their unborn child. While Crystal had yet to become a parent, which would probably not happen for a long time, she'd done her best to forgive her father for her mistakes and gained an even better family because of it. While Emma idolizes her parents and loves them deeply, she knew she was still going to have to learn to be a good parent to their child. Fortunately, both she and Killian were going to work through it together as a team... It was apart of their happy beginning, the opportunity to be parents...

And apparently, part of that opportunity wore eyeliner like his father, had abandonment issues like his potential mother, and had tried to kill them and his peers while in a hospital.

It's amazing how many family relationships began this way.