The Monster Within

Chapter 4

Killian comes home to find Emma asleep on the couch with the TV on. No doubt the baby and the lack of sleep from the past few nights has taken its toll on her body. He turns the TV off and puts the onion rings on the kitchen counter and the milkshake in the fridge. He sits on the other end of the couch and watches his blonde sleeping beauty. Despite how stressed and drained she appeared, Killian still thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. How did he become so lucky? Was it fate? Was it meant to be?

He then thinks about how much the two of them had been through in the past few months. Ripped away after barely getting to know each other, sleepless nights worrying about her, at one point being accused of the abduction, being allowed to hear her cry for help, spending weeks in forests looking for her, finding out that she's pregnant with his child and now... where do they go from here?

Killian looks at the bulge under Emma's shirt that slowly grows with each passing day. The tiny life that has endured more than enough stress as it is... He wanted to be a good father for their baby, he wanted to be able to give Emma the life she deserved; his only problem was where to start.

There were so many things they would have to talk about. Where to live? If they ended up living together at all. If that didn't happen, then splitting custody. The baby's name? How to help Henry cope, work around possible visits from Neal. Helping the police investigation. Wondering if Emma should get a new job. Will he have to get a new job as well? What about marriage if at all? And most importantly of all, helping Emma. Clearly, the trauma of her abduction was breaking her and she can't work through it by herself. He wants to be there for her, but he's afraid that the Emma he fell in love with was gone?

He gently reaches over and lightly places his hand on her stomach. He knew inside was his daughter, what kind of world would she be born into?

"I promise that I will do everything in my power to give you the best life possible," he whispers.

He then begins going around the apartment, cleaning things up from the searches, taking out the garbage and simply straightening up to make the place look cleaner. He needed a distraction of some kind.

Eventually, Henry comes home but tells Killian that Regina offered to take him out for dinner. The docks man knew in the back of his mind that she was doing this to give him and Emma some time alone.

Once Henry is picked up, Killian begins cooking some steaks that David and Mary Margret brought over and making a fresh salad to go with the take-out. The smell makes him a little calmer, giving the kitchen a homey feeling and apparently causes Emma to stir from the couch.

"What smells so good?" she asks, standing at the kitchen counter.

"That would be Granny's onion rings and some steaks brought over by your best friend and her husband," he answers. He even managed to set the table.

"I didn't know you could cook," Emma says, sneaking an onion ring from the bag.

"Aye, I'm the only one in the apartment who can, without me, Robin and Will would be living off Ready-Meals and take out."

"You are a man of many talents," she smirks.

"You can go sit down and I'll bring everything over."

Emma is surprised to see the table all set neatly and there's even candles lit. She didn't even remember that she had those. The place looks a little neater too.

"Did you clean up?" Emma asks.

"A little. Got rid of all the search party equipment and any other debris left by your rotating house guests."