Work Text:
Emma never imagined herself with such a family, especially after being alone for so long.
She has her parents and little brother whom she loved very very much.
Henry, her first born and the kid that literally saved her life in many, many ways.
And of course her family with Killian.
Even before they got married, Emma knew he would be a fantastic father. He already was with Henry but every time he saw him interact with her brother, there was this warmth in her heart and the absolute knowledge she wanted to have a family with him.
It started a little difficult. After everything that happened at the wedding and the curse, they decided it was time to try.
Not long after they started trying, she became pregnant.
Emma was over the moon with happiness, Killian the same.
“Let’s keep this between us, okay? When we hit the second trimester we can start planning the baby shower but for now it’s our secret.” They were snuggling in the bed, Killian’s hand on her belly caressing it softly.
“Aye, my love. Whatever you like.”
Emma could hear the emotions in his voice. it was so different from the last time she was pregnant, this time she wasn’t alone.
They only told Henry. And it was a good thing they did.
Emma woke up in the middle of the night with terrible cramps and a part of her knew exactly what was happening.
After everything calmed down, after she finished with the doctors appointments and the ultrasounds to check that Emma was fine, they sat down with Snow and Charming and between tears and hugs Emma opened up.
“I-I was— I lost.” Tears were pouring from her. “I lost my baby.”
“Oh Emma, I’m so sorry.” Snow hugged her daughter tightly trying to comfort her the best way she could.
David comforted Killian and that night, they slept in the farm. Emma truly needed her parents.
Killian and Emma went on a much needed vacation. They took the Jolly Roger, allowing the ocean to flash away their grief and sorrow.
Three months later, Emma had another eventful birthday. She was pregnant again!
Her rainbow baby was born on a sunny day after nine months of absolute anxiety for Emma.
She took as many vitamins as she could, slept more and ate as good as she could even if that meant saying bye to her grilled cheese sandwiches.
Everybody was sharing the same type of anxiety, Snow especially when it was time for Emma to give birth.
The savior couldn’t blame her, she was sure her mom probably had ptsd with the whole giving birth and her babies being stolen from her arms.
But everything went well and a beautiful princess was born.
They had a bunch of names but for some reason none would stick around for more than a couple of days.
Emma thought that maybe when she had the baby in her arms and she was able to see her face she would come up with a name.
“What about Hope? I think it suits her and you know, this family.” Henry said the moment they let him in to meet his little sister.
Killian and Emma shared a look. It was settled, that baby was their hope.
Two years later, Hope had the best Christmas present ever. She was gonna be a big sister!
“She is gonna be a lass like me!” shouted the toddler with too much energy for a two year old that truly needed to go to bed soon. “She is gonna be a pirate princess like daddy! Like Harriet!”
Emma chuckled, tucking the baby in. “How can you be so sure kiddo?”
Hope, who was hugging her security blanket that looked like a swan and her favorite book.
“I dunno. But she is.” She yawned, giving the book back to Emma.
Killian entered the room, ready to read the book to his daughter.
“Are you ready lass?” Hope nodded sleepily.
As soon as Killian read the first sentence, Hope opened her big blue eyes with a sudden realization.
“She is Harriet!” And Hope pointed at the book.
Hope's favorite book in the whole universe (at least the universe according to a two year old with too much energy) was Harriet the pirate princess, it was a cute little story that Snow wrote and drew as Hope’s birthday gift and the kiddo absolutely adored.
“Aye, aye cygnet. Now is time to sleep.”
When they did find out it was a girl, Killian and Emma laughed for days. How did their little girl know the baby was a girl?
After that they started to call the baby Harriet out of amusement for Hope but when she was born, both parents kinda liked the name for the child.
“Oh that’s so cool! We are all named with names that start with H!” Henry put the gift basket on the table and rushed by her mom’s side to see the baby.
“Well you are Henry Daniel, Hope is Hope Alice and she is Harriet Faith.” Emma left a kiss on Henry’s cheek as she passed the baby to him.
“It suits her and sure thing this family speaks about those two things all the time.” He chuckled. “Hope and Faith, I mean.”
“Oh my, Emma. It’s like your genes didn’t even try.” Regina entered the room, with the biggest teddy bear Emma ever saw. “That baby looks exactly like the pirate.”
And it was absolutely true. Unbelievable how she carried that baby for nine terrible months to come out looking like a carbon copy of her dad. Same black hair, same blue eyes. Even the same pointy ears!
At least Hope looked like both with some of her facial features.
Killian chuckled.
“Guilty.”
It was summer. Hope was almost five and Harriet two, both of the little girls absorbed by their intricate game of dolls. Of course, being the spoiled girls they were, they had at least four different houses.
One, a very big castle that Regina got Hope for her second birthday, a Barbie’s dream house with an elevator and everything, a farm house with a barn and a mansion which was funny noting that they already had a castle but well.
And each month, Elsa would send her nieces (after all Emma and her played sister for a while) dolls from Arendalle.
Meaning that when the girls decided to play with their dollies, nothing else mattered.
Having a couple of hours to do stuff around the house, Emma decided that she was going to sort out the clothes of the girls, separating what was too small and maybe making a donation bag out of those.
But as she was removing some of the onesies and rompers, she realized she was not done yet. That she truly wanted to have another baby and it was crazy because she was sure that a couple of years ago the sole idea of being pregnant again was the single most scary thing that could happen but now? Oh now it was different.
She wasn’t alone, she had a loving and kind husband that loved her to death and a very big family.
She put everything back except for one onesie with little pirate ships.
Once it was time for the girls to take a nap after a lot of pleading and promising they could go back to their game when they woke up. That she was not going to put the dolls away.
She went to find Killian, who was back after his shift at the station.
“I want to try for another baby.”
Killian, who was taking out his jacket, almost dropped it.
“Hmm? Well Swan, who am I to say no to such command.” He looked at her with the same eyes he did back at the beanstalk years ago.
Emma giggled blushing a little. “I’m being serious, Killian. I realized while putting away the girl’s baby clothes.” She hugged the small onesie. “I mean, I don’t know how you feel about it.”
Killian hung the jacket, walked towards her to hold her in his arms.
“I feel like I would love to.” Deep down, that’s why he picked that house. A big one so they could start a family together. “And that we should start practicing.” He smirked and of course, Emma giggled followed by a kiss.
Months later, they were waiting at the doctor's office for the ultrasound. It was the day they would find it if it was another girl or a boy. Emma was absolutely sure this one was a boy based on the fact all of her cravings were the same when she had Henry. Ice cream with fries, chocolate glazed donuts and for some reason, pickles.
Emma was right! It was a boy and Killian was shocked it was not another little princess but was absolutely delighted to have another lad.
When they announced the news to the family, they also informed Harriet that since Henry named Hope, Hope named her, it was just fair that she named the new member of the family.
It kinda became a family tradition.
“You could name him unicorn, Har.”
“Or maybe something else.” Killian raised an eyebrow at her daughter's suggestions.
“Harry!” Announced Harriet, who was very sure of her decision.
Emma, Killian and Henry shared a look.
“Harry? Why Harry, kiddo?”
“Cause! It sounds like Henry and I loooooove Henry.” Henry smiled, proud to be his sister’s favorite person.
“And because it sounds like mine.”
Henry laughed so bad, he had to stand up for some air.
“His second name should be James.”
“Hey! I got that one lad.” Killian looked offended but he was just playing.
”Alright now Henry, go give your dad a hand setting the dinner table.”
They did name the baby Harry Liam.
Emma tried to enjoy every single moment of it because that was it. Harry was their last baby, their last trip to the doctor in the middle of a rush because her water broke. She took pictures and made videos of every single moment.
Each and every person that came to visit had a picture but when Regina arrived…
“Emma—“ she started but Emma shook her head.
“I know. I can’t win against him.” Harry was even more similar to Killian than Harriet.
Regina chuckled, holding the baby in her arms to give Emma some time to rest.
Three years later, everybody was getting ready for the girl’s big day.
It was Hope’s second year in school and Harriet’s first! They made photos with those letter boards that Snow gifted her for exactly this purpose.
“You are gonna looooove going to school, Har. There’s a playground that has a ship on it.”
“really? That’s so cool!”
Hope’s blonde hair was braided in the style of auntie Elsa (Emma was so glad she learned how to do her braid when they visited Arendalle) while Harriet had her hair in a cute ponytail.
Harry was eager to participate.
“Momma when I’m gonna go with sissies?” Asked the three year old, frowning. Henry was in university, her two sisters in school the whole day.
He wanted to be a grown up like them!
“But kiddo you go to daycare. ” Said Emma, snapping a picture out of the sisters.
Harry frowned again. “But I don’t have a ship in my daycare!”
Killian grinned, picking the boy in his arms. “My little pirate is ready to sail, I see. Don’t worry lad, I can take you to visit the ol’ girl when I pick you from daycare.”
“Yay!”
“Not fair!”
“Yeah, daddy I also wanna go.”
Both girls groaned and huffed to which Killian had to calm them down assuring his own little pirate crew that everyone was going to visit the Jolly Roger.
“Bloody hell.” He mumbled under his breath.
Emma stopped paying attention because her whole focus was on the pain she was feeling. It was so sharp and intense she was sure her appendix just bursted.
“Killian, I need you to call my parents.” She tried to sound as calm as she could but it was obvious in her face that she was in pain.
Killian didn’t hesitate. He put the baby down grabbing the phone as soon as he was able to call.
He passed the phone to Emma who explained that she was sure something was wrong with her appendix and needed David to take her to the hospital. Killian protested but there was no way in hell he was not going to be there for their first day. Especially if she couldn’t.
Snow was going to be her, since she had to drop both Leo and Ruth Ivy to the school.
Emma said goodbye, kissed them wishing the best of days and went inside her father’s car as fast as she could.
At the hospital, she was sure she was about to die or something but was proven otherwise after something very /very/ familiar happened.
Her water broke. There was no way in hell her water broke but it did. But it was impossible she wasn’t pregnant.
“But you are and this baby is coming fast.
Push now, Emma.” Exclaimed the doctor leaving the blonde to do exactly what he asked.
It only took four pushes for the baby to come out making a grand entrance, crying like crazy.
Emma was in shock.
“Where— how? What? There’s… doctor
I had my period, I had no belly ohmygod I’m pretty sure I drank.”
Doctor Whale chuckled checking the tiny (the baby was the tiniest of their brothers). It was a healthy baby, no problems whatsoever.
“Well I can assure you Emma, you have a healthy baby girl. Congratulations.”
Emma didn’t say anything to either Killian or Snow. David only knew because he was there and since this was already absolutely bonkers, they both agreed to make this a surprise for them too.
So father and daughter planned the whole thing, even asking Henry if he was available for a call in a couple of hours.
David texted everybody, explained that everything went perfect but they could go to see her in the afternoon. It was weird that the visiting hours started just right after the kids needed to be picked up from school though but they played it nicely.
Killian almost passed out when he saw the blonde little baby in her arms.
None of the three children understood what was going on, they were full of questions especially Hope since she was older and had a fair share of watching her mom being pregnant.
“Wait what? There’s no way!”
“A baby! Is that ours?” Asked very innocently Harry, asking to be picked up so he could be next to his mommy.
“Well, yes kiddo. This is your new surprise sister.” The surprise was more for Killian as a way of confirming him that she was as shocked as he was.
Killian was still so shocked, his hand was in his chest trying to calm his beating heart. Emma could see the tears in his eyes.
“Emma, I love you so much.”
He went straight to her newest daughter, picking her up and snuggling the tiny thing. “Hi lass, I’m your daddy.”
Meanwhile Emma was watching the scene tearing up a little, Hope had another of her enlightenments.
“Oh my god it’s Harry’s turn!! Little brother you get to name the baby.”
“Oh yes! Henry named Hope, she named me and I named you. It’s your turn!”
“CJ! CJ, CJ, CJ!” Shouted the boy making the baby fuss for the sudden loud sound.
Hope rolled her eyes, Harriet shook his head.
“No silly goose, a real name. Like I dunno, Clara or Barbie.”
“Boo, Clara is a boring name, Hopie.
What about Cassandra?”
“No it’s my turn and I want my sister to be called CJ.”
Emma was letting them discuss the name as she was FaceTiming Henry to tell him the news. He was happy but shocked like the rest of the family.
“Hey girls. Let’s think. If he wants to name her CJ, we can do… maybe something something…Jane?”
Henry was trying to be helpful even if he was miles away at college.
“Cassandra Jane sounds nice but hear me out. All of our names start with H and that’s sooo cool right? If she is not gonna be named with H let’s search for a name that at least sounds similar.”
He paused, the kids were absolutely paying attention to everything their oldest sibling had to say.
“Calista Jane, what about it? Calista is as long as Harriet and Jane as short as our names.”
“Yay!!! CJ.” Clamored Harry, proud his name was being picked up.
Both girls scrunch their noses thinking and sharing looks. Finally, they nodded.
Hope, the spoke person looked at the camera with a dramatic exhale.
“Fine. It’s a good name.” She grabbed the phone, ready to talk with her favorite person. “Daddy was gonna take Harry to the Jolly Roger’s but now nobody is going. I think that’s only fair.”
Emma and Killian chuckled. In the end, Emma thought that it was poetic that Henry named the first and helped with the last name of the Swan-Jones cygnets.
After a weird long but beautiful day, everybody rushed to see the baby, Killian stayed with Emma and his newest love, the kids spending the night at their grandparents farm.
“Look at you, captain trouble. Making a surprise entrance from the start.”
Emma snorted at his words.
“She is your daughter, after all.”
“Aye, she is. But this one is your copy cat.”
That made Emma grin. CJ had her hair, her eyes at least Hope was no longer the only blonde one of her siblings.
Emma never thought she would have a home full of joy, love and family. Two lost kids, getting together and forming the most beautiful family ever. After six pregnancies and even though CJ was a beautiful surprise accident, she couldn’t be happier.
It was the perfect ending for a lost girl.