"Henry, where do you want your comic books?" David asks, lugging another big cardboard box into the teen's new room.
"Just in the corner, for now, please," he answers. "Most are going on my bookshelf."
David does as the teen asks and steps back to take in the currently empty space. Henry is sorting through his books on the floor, figuring out which can go on different shelves. The room is much larger than his room in the apartment, with two windows on opposite walls giving him a great view of the front and backyard, the closet is twice as big as his old one for clothes and shoes, and there is enough wall space for all his posters and pictures.
"Looks kind of empty right now huh?" David asks.
"Just wait a week or two, it'll be filled with dirty laundry, comic books, and candy wrappers," Emma smirks. She carries a bag over her shoulder and a box filled with towels and sheets past her son's room.
Henry shoots his mom a dirty look but goes back rifling through his books. Killian takes a heavy box down the hall to the master bedroom. He places it down, while Emma follows him. The two take a quiet moment, interlocking hands.
"What do you think?" she asks quietly.
"A bit of dusting and some paint, but other than that it looks amazing..."
"Especially the view," she says guiding Killian over to the window. The two look out through the gray landscape and can see the older parts of the Boston Harbour. Several old ships are moored in the marina and beyond that, there is nothing but the blue of the Massachusetts Bay. She can tell Killian is having a moment, staring at the breath-taking sight. "It's not the ocean in Ireland, but it's the closest we can get." She then lays her head on his shoulder.
"Liam would be happy to live here," he whispers softly. Emma gives his hand a comforting squeeze.
They stand in silence for a little while until a voice interrupts their bliss.
"Oy, you expect us to bring all the furniture into the house by ourselves?" Will asks, he carries several table lamps meant for either side of their soon to be built bed.
"I'm sorry Will," Killian sighs. He gives Emma a kiss on the cheek before going to help his former roommates bring in the heavy stuff.
The blonde feels a little bit guilty that she can't help more; she is a strong person and is more than capable of assisting in carrying the heavy types of furniture like the beds or the leather couch. However, with their daughter less than four months from being born, she had to take it easy.
She goes over to the nightstand that once stood in her old apartment. She digs through the bag she was carrying and removes a picture of her, Henry, and Neal. She places it down and steps back. Even though Neal is no longer living with them, he is still Henry's father and deserves to be recognized as such. She knows that she will have to add a picture of her, Henry, Killian and the new baby soon. She cannot believe how much her life has changed. She feels tears rush into her eyes. More than six months ago, she was a lonely single mom, who took down criminals and avoided various attachments. Now, she was moving into a new house, with her boyfriend and she was carrying their baby. Not everything that happened was good, but she taking small steps to recover. She never imagined this is how her life would go, but she was thankful for the good things.
She goes downstairs to see Mary Margret already starting to unpack the kitchen appliances, with Jacob sitting in his baby bucket on the island counter watching. The blonde reaches in and scoops up the little one, becoming more and more comfortable with babies, reassuring for the anxiety she felt towards becoming a mother again.
"Which cabinet do you want for glasses?" the teacher asks. She's been cleaning out the cupboards with a rag. "I recommend pantry things up high as well, I swear I saw a rat under the sink just now."
"Don't worry about all this Mary," Emma says. She knows she should put her foot down now or her best friend will micromanage everything and make this house like theirs. Emma wanted a sense of individuality at least enough of one.
"You know you shouldn't be on your feet too much, sit down. Can I get you some water?"
"I'm fine," Emma mutters, rolling her eyes. Everyone acted so differently around her now, because of the baby. She didn't need to lay around while everyone else did all the work, this was her house after all.
Then the men come through the front door with the leather couch.
"Where do you want it?" David grunts.
"Just put it close to the fireplace for now. Killian and Henry will arrange it how I want it afterward."
Henry groans as he comes down the stairs while Killian also tries to hide his discomfort, but that was mostly due to the fact that he was also carrying the couch. The team of four men put the sofa down where Emma specified and then went back outside. Regina, Aurora, and Ruby come through next with chairs for the dining room.
"Phillip and Henry will bring in the actual table," Aurora says. Just then, Phillip Jr. comes toddling through the front hall from the dining room, playing with a tiny toy plane. He suddenly runs smack into the leather couch, unaware that it was there. He falls on his butt and explodes into tears. Aurora immediately goes down and picks up her son for comfort.
"I'm sorry if he's making a mess Emma, I just couldn't find a sitter today."
"It's fine," Emma says, bouncing Jacob on her hip. "It's nice to know that this is not the best place to put the sofa and that this house is kid friendly."
Regina goes back outside, leaving the mothers to talk amongst themselves, knowing she didn't fit in that way. She smiles instantly when she sees Robin unloading something from the truck. He smiles back until he nearly drops the thing he's carrying. She comes to his rescue and helps him carry the thing inside.
"Thank you," he says, smiling once they take the object upstairs. Since no one is in the hallway, they have a few moments to talk alone. He takes Regina into his arms and kisses her. She instantly obliges to his passionate demands, grasping his face in her hands and trying to memorize the taste of him.
They become lost in one another until she begins trying to remove his winter coat and he is nibbling on the nape of her neck. She pushes back to speak.
"Okay easy tiger," she says, standing up straight again.
"I've missed you," the personal trainer says, still holding her in his arms.
"I've missed you too, I want to be able to spend more time with you, although the dates we've had have been so amazing."
"I sometimes wish our lives weren't so busy," he sighs.
"Or you didn't have roommates that have claimed the apartment for their own sexual purposes or was having a baby of his own. Or a son you're still working out custody for..."
"Or you weren't helping your friend buy a new house," Robin adds, raising his eyebrow.
"I feel like we should take a weekend together. Maybe a bed and breakfast in Vermont or a nice little cabin somewhere..." Regina says thoughtfully.
"Maybe scratch the last one," Robin mutters, thinking of Emma's imprisonment in such a place.
"Yes, but we should take the time to get to know each other a little more,"
"I agree," he says, kissing her cheek.
"Let's set this aside for right now and worry about the present situation," she suggests, hearing Henry coming up the stairs. She knows the last thing the teenager wants is PDA in his new house.
"ROBIN!" A voice hollers from downstairs.
"What?" he rolls his eyes.
"Where would you put Killian's underwear and stuff, mate?"
"Where do you think they would go?" Robin groans, marvelling at the incompetence of his roommate. He knows Killian is likely mortally embarrassed as well.
"Right, but where would you put them if the box broke and they're all over the front path?"
"Lord please give me strength not to strangle him," Robin grumbles. Regina snickers before the two break their embrace and go to help.
...
With very few misadventures with Will, soon the entire truck is unpacked. Emma orders pizza for everyone as a way of saying thank you and they all sit in the crowded living room amongst the boxes and other materials.
Mary Margret and David present Emma with a home warming present. A custom-made doormat that said The Swans on it. She smiles brightly, tears on the edge of her eyes.
She sits near the flickering fire, looking at the faces, both old and new. The faces of people who cared for her and were truly the family she always wanted. She clears her throat and picks up her soda can to make a sort of toast. "I want to thank you all for helping," she says, tears filling her eyes. "Without you, none of this would have ever been possible. And thank you for your support and acceptance for the way I've been acting lately. Also, I can't put into words how much it means to me for what you did while I was gone. The hours of work, the courage and determination and for taking care of Henry..." she pauses to wipe her face. "And for never giving up on me..." She pauses again. "You know, growing up I always thought that I was destined to be alone. I felt like nobody was meant to care for me. I never thought I would ever have a family to call my own, to have people who care about me, the way you guys do. I guess I imagined that my parents would be the king and queen of some far away land and they would take me away from the hellish life I was leading. And I suppose relied on the system too much to pick one for me, but it seems that I found one all on my own. We may not be perfect, but I know I can trust you and to always have my back as this family gets a little bit bigger." She places a hand on her stomach. "I will always be there for you too..." She lays her head on Killian's shoulder and everyone smiles, some others close to tears as well. "You're the best family I could ever ask for. Thank you so much for everything... to our family."
"To our family," everyone mutters, toasting their sodas and slices of pizza.
Then the group goes on to chat next to the roaring fire as evening fades into night.
However, unbeknownst to them, a shadowed figure is watching the happy moment, with much anger and disdain. He then slowly turns away and walks through the backyard and over the white picket fence. He's not worried about whether his footprints will be seen because snow begins to fall again as he leaves, covering his tracks. He walks down the street behind the house, temporarily vanishing into the night.
Another time jump in the next few chapters. Keep it coming with baby names, I still haven't decided yet on the girl's name. I may end up using some of the unused suggestions in a chapter.