Summary: During her weekly sessions, Emma and Archie begin to examine her relationship with Killian in the hope that she will be able to break her walls down once and for all, so they can chase their happily ever after together.
A/N: I wrote this as “deleted scenes” for Season 6A as what I wish we could have seen. So long as you watched S6 entirely, the only spoiler you risk by reading this is for Netflix’s “A Christmas Prince”.
This is the first story I have written for OUAT and it is the first piece I am putting out into the universe. It is my contribution to this year’s Captian Swan Little Bang and I wanted to thank all the moderators for creating this so I was able to get out of my comfort zone and finally put an idea down on paper.
A shout out to my beta reader @shippingtheswann who kindly returned the favour following the Big Bang last year and read my story over, making sure it all made sense and came out exactly how I wanted it (even though I changed my mind a couple of times!)
I had the pleasure of collaborating with @gingerchangeling who has drawn a fabulous piece of artwork to go with my story. Apart from actually finishing, I was most excited about getting to work with someone so creative and I LOVED what she has come up with!
Anyway, read on and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Emma knew that today was the day. She had been holding back in every session with Archie so far, never going as far as talking about her relationship with Killian. For some reason, it just never felt like the right time to, even though they had been dancing around it for the last couple of sessions. But, she knew that today was the day Archie was just going to come out and ask her.
“So Emma, how’s it all going, living with Killian? Are you two settling in? Is Henry adapting well to the changes happening around him?” Archie wasted no time, zoning in on the one thing she had been avoiding.
“Good, I think. The boys have had their ups and downs and there certainly was an adjustment period at first. They seem to be enjoying each other’s company now though. Henry has been showing Killian how to play his XBOX and Killian has been taking him on the Jolly, teaching him about sailing and getting him to help with repairs around the ship,” Emma answered honestly. She really did love talking about her boys.
“I’m glad to hear they are getting along so well and that would certainly be a weight off your shoulders,” Archie commented, with a small smile on his face.
“It was something I worried about, especially with Henry. He’s lost a lot of people he’s cared about and I didn’t want him to get too attached to someone who didn’t intend on sticking around,” Emma said. She looked over at Archie and realised her mistake too late.
“So what has made you confident in Killian’s ability to, as you put it, stick around? What helped you feel confident enough that you would ask him to move in with you both?”
Emma sighed. She thought she was being careful enough, not directly addressing her and Killian, speaking only of Killian’s growing relationship with Henry. She had wanted to avoid discussing her and Killian, at least for a little while longer. She shuffled nervously in her seat, avoiding eye contact with Archie all together.
“You haven’t been mentioning Killian in our sessions Emma. Why is that? Has something changed between the two of you?” Archie pressed on. Emma realised she wasn’t going to get out of it this time. Archie never usually took the lead in the sessions, always allowing Emma the opportunity to speak about whatever she needed. But he must have realised he wasn’t going to get anything out of her when it came to her relationship with Killian. She took a deep breath, hoping that opening up with Archie would help her start to piece some things together.
“I think Killian wants to propose.”
There was a long pause. Archie just looked at her, calmly, with an expectant gaze on his face. Of all the times for the damn cricket not to comment, he chose now as his moment.
“He talks a lot about forever. You know, “to the ends of the world and time” sort of thing. He has these dreams, of starting a family and making something of himself here. He is always so careful though, he makes sure he stops before he gives all the details. He knows those sort of things make me nervous and he knows I have a habit of running when I’m backed up against a wall. So lately, he’s been sort of quiet about those things but I do still notice that when the future is brought up, there is a twinkle in his eyes,” Emma rushed out, wanting to get it all out in the open, finally.
“So future talk scares you? It isn’t something that you are ready to face with Killian?” Archie asked, leaning forward in his chair.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. How does anyone know when they are ready to take the next step with someone? I feel like there should be some kind of feeling, a sign or something, that points you towards what you should do next.” Emma stood up abruptly and started pacing around the chair.
“Have you spoken with your parents about this? They are our towns embodiment of “true love” and never giving up on each other. They might have some untapped wisdom, maybe they know something to look for?” Archie offered. After he said it, Emma realised she had cringed a little.
“Ah, so maybe not the right path to go down for you.”
“It’s not that I don’t think they would have any advice or years of wisdom they could share with me. It’s just that their story is different from mine and Killian’s. They were fated, destined to be together. Their love, while not something that sounds like an easy journey, came easy to them. What Killian and I share is very different. He is from a completely different time, realm even. It’s only by curses and Neverland charms that we have even met and been able to fall in love. We weren’t destined to be together, we have had to work hard, overcome a lot of different things to find this, this new beginning for the both of us,” Emma lamented, “I love my parents, but in this instance, I don’t think their story will help me with my current predicament.”
Emma flopped back down on the couch, feeling guilty about what she had said about her parents but also very relieved. She had thought time and time again about asking her mom or dad about this, but it wasn’t until she let her feelings come to the surface that she realised why she didn’t want to.
Archie stood up and sat next to Emma. He grabbed her hands and gently held them in his. He smiled at her.
“Emma, you don’t need to feel guilty for what you have just said. You were honest, with me and yourself, which is something to be proud of. Your opinions are your own and if you don’t think your parents are the ideal people to talk to about this, then that is perfectly fine.”
It All Starts With a Dance 