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A paper airplane flew past her head at blazing speed, making a graceful turn and landing just out of her reach.
A little bit of magic had something to do with that, no doubt.
Emma laughed from her spot on the bedroom floor, where she was resigned to ever since she decided that it would be an excellent day to reorganize her and Killian's closet. Stretching to pick the projectile up, she noticed a message scribbled on the wings instructing her to open the makeshift plane.
Carefully unfolding the piece of paper, she read the note inside. Hope's handwriting graced the page:
You've been chosen. Meet in the living room.
She couldn't help but smile at the kid's penmanship. Hope had spent hours dedicated to copying Killian's handwriting, determined that hers would be as beautiful as her father's. She wasn't too far off now.
Tossing the paper aside, she stood and headed downstairs to face whatever plot her children had cooked up.
Westley scoffed when she entered the living room, "Finally, we've been waiting forever."
Emma laughed, taking a seat next to him on the couch, "I only just got your little note."
"Mom," Hope started, standing before her, "you're probably wondering why we've called you here."
"You would be right on that one," she hummed.
Wes leaped from the couch, "We're recruiting you to join Operation Ambush!"
"Operation Ambush, huh?" Emma eyed the two of them, "Did Henry give you this idea?"
"No!" Hope deflected, "This is ours."
"Okay, okay," Emma chuckled, holding her hands up defensively, "I'm gonna need more details, though."
"We can't tell you all of our plans if you're not in, Mom," Wes rolled his eyes, "Henry said that's never a good idea."
"Can you at least tell me who we're ambushing?" Emma pressed.
Hope's face lit up as she tried to suppress a conspiratorial smile, "Dad."
"Well, in that case," Emma smirked, nodding firmly, "I'm in."
Hope stepped forward, reaching her hand out for Emma to shake, "Welcome to Operation Ambush."
The plan was simple. It was one of the hottest days they had yet, so the kids figured they would make good use of the water blasters and balloons their grandparents had given them as gifts. Just before Killian was due home, the kids would hide outside, wait for the right moment, then promptly douse him in water. All Emma had to do was lock the front door and wait for the shouting that was sure to come.
Except when she glanced at the clock, it was twenty minutes past the time that Killian usually arrived home, and nothing but the sound of buzzing cicadas was coming from outside.
He was never that late without letting her know.
Something was up.
Quietly, she crept outside. When there was no sign of anyone in the front yard, she made her way to the back. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Killian standing in front of the shed.
Completely dry.
"It's about damn time," Killian turned when he noticed her presence, "It's bloody hot out here, love."
Emma narrowed her eyes, "Where are the kids?"
"Ah, yes. About the plot that you concocted with those rotten children of ours," he set a wicked smile on his face, "I seemed to have offered them a better deal."
"And would that be?"
"Why, two for the price of one, of course." Killian turned towards the shed, "Now!"
Westley and Hope shot out of the shed with their water blasters at the ready. Emma turned on her heel and took off, "You little traitors!"
She managed to keep the kids out of range as she rounded the first corner, desperate to reach the front door before she got drenched. Approaching the front of the house, she thought she was in the clear.
That was until she collided with Killian, knocking the both of them off of their feet.
"Not so fast, Swan," he smiled from the ground beside her, reaching to stop her from getting up.
Hope and Wes closed in quickly, emptying the tanks of their blasters, screaming in the process. By the time they were through, both her and Killian were soaked.
The kids ran off to refill their tanks, laughing hysterically amongst each other.
"I'm gonna be mad at you later," Emma grinned, brushing his hair back from where it stuck to his forehead.
"Admit it," Killian laughed, "that was a lot more fun."
"Maybe, but I've got something better in mind."
He arched an eyebrow, "You do?"
"I'm pretty sure they forgot about the water balloons stashed under the front deck."
Killian flashed a sly smile, "Is it revenge we're talking?"
"Oh, we're talking revenge all right," she nodded as she stood up, "They should know better than to mess with Mom and Dad."
"This is precisely why I'm still madly in love with you."
"And here I thought it was because of my ageless beauty," Emma teased as she reached her hand out for him to take, "Come on, Romeo. They're gonna be back any second, and we don't want to be here when they come."
They ran to the front of the house, where she squeezed between the bushes and staircase to grab the bucket of water balloons the kids had placed there. The two of them moved it behind the tree, kneeling on the ground to wait.
It wasn't long before the sound of footsteps crunched on top of the dry grass.
"Where'd they go?" Hope's voice rang through the front yard.
"I bet they went in the house," Westley huffed.
Killian winked, grabbing a water balloon from the bucket and stepping out from behind the tree, "I'll take that bet, my boy."
"Dad?" They exclaimed in unison.
"You double-crossed us!" Hope accused him as she spotted the water balloon in his hand.
"You double-crossed your mother first," Killian shot back.
"And told her all of your plans," Emma waved the bucket of balloons around as she stepped out from her hiding spot.
"We should have known this would happen," Westley turned to his sister, motioning to Emma and Killian.
"The way I see it, you have two options, my dear children," Killian smirked, "surrender or perish."
"No way!"
"Never!"
Their kids, indeed.
"I guess you guys better start running, then," Emma warned with a grin.
Wes and Hope glanced at each other quickly before sprinting back to where they came from.
Killian turned to her, "Let's go raise some hell, shall we?"
She laughed at the childlike expression on his face as they moved to follow the kids, "We've always been pretty good at that, haven't we?"
"That's damn right, love."