The Monster Within

Chapter 9

"I really don't think you should take the lad's picture," Killian says, as the two of them wait for Henry to come out of his room.

"It's his first date, and I want to remember this," Emma says, holding her camera in her hands.

"Don't make too big a deal out of it Love," he warns her. "It's not prom or graduation."

"Hey, when our daughter goes on her first date, you'll want to remember it too."

"That won't happen because as long as she's under my roof, she won't be dating anyone," the docks man says sternly.

"She's not even born yet and you're already overprotective of her," Emma says smiling. Killian puts his arm around her waist. He rubs the spot where their daughter is growing.

The two hear footsteps and Henry comes into the living room. He wears a dark blue collared shirt at the insistence of his mother and a pair of black pants. He completes the look with a pair of black sneakers. He has his hair combed to the side so she could see his hazel eyes. They looked a bit reluctant and plenty embarrassed that his mother insisted on taking pictures.

Emma swallows, trying to remain positive as she looks at her son. He's growing up so fast that she wants to take a moment and relive all the happy memories of his childhood. Her heart swells a little bit. She had talked to Dr. Hopper about her feelings towards her son going on his first date, how she was happy and upset at the same time, feeling like it was a big change in their lives, and the man reassured her that all parents go through that. She should try to remain positive, even if she herself was nervous (And she wasn't the one going on the date). Missing almost four months of his life did not seem like much, but to her, it felt like a lot. Dr. Hopper also advised Emma to spend a lot of time with Henry because once the baby comes, things will change a lot more. Even though the teen was old enough to understand what jealousy was and that young siblings need more attention, he'd still feel brushed to the side. Something that his mother did not want.

"You look very handsome," she says gently. She holds up the camera and Henry holds his hand in front of his face. "One picture please..." she begs.

The teen rolls his eyes and eventually obliges. He cracks a small smile, allowing his mother to capture the moment.

"So, is Killian driving me?" Henry asks.

"Aye, you ready lad?"

"I think so,"

Emma allowed Killian to drive her son, hoping the two could do some form of bonding, the docks man giving the boy some last-minute dating advice, something Neal was losing out on. Also, Emma was too nervous to even think about dropping her son off for a date. In the back of Henry's mind, his mother might embarrass him, so he was grateful when her boyfriend volunteered instead.

"Goodbye Mom," the teen says, giving her a hug.

"Do you have your key?"

"Yes."

"Your phone?"

"Yes."

"Money for the movie and dinner?"

"Yes," his exasperated voice says.

Killian puts his hand on Emma's shoulder to calm her down. She takes in a deep breath, fighting back happy tears.

"Goodbye and good luck Bug," she smirks, kissing his forehead. Henry's ears turn red in response. "I'm only joking, have fun and be safe."

"I will Mom," the teen says as he grabs his jacket. Killian follows the boy out and shuts the door behind them.