So, Svenja (winter-by-the-sea on Tumblr) wrote a life-ruining post and my muse went batshit crazy for it. This was the prompt:

\\ Just imagine Emma and her family finding Killian in the Underworld, and he's there with Liam. And Killian introduces Emma to his brother, and Liam is delighted to meet her, but then his eyes fall to Henry, and he asks "and… this is your lad, Killian?"

And Killian scratches at his neck wondering how best to explain all of that to Liam…

But before he can say anything, Henry speaks up. "Yeah. I am." /

So...I wrote the thing and you can blame Svenja for the Jones brothers/CS/Captain Cobra feels.

Because That's What Our Family Does

He'd been in the Underworld for the real-world equivalent of twenty hours. Less than a day. And already the bone-deep ache of missing Emma, the desperate longing to feel her soft skin beneath his fingertips just one last time, had firmly set in and made his no-longer beating heart feel like a lead weight in his chest.

But time didn't exist in the Underworld, day and night merging to create one long, torturous eternity. He wondered how long it would be before he stopped measuring by days and hours and minutes. He wondered how long it would take for the crystal clear image in his mind of Emma's beautiful face to blur at the edges of his memory.

Or perhaps the memory of her wouldn't blur at all, and that would be his eternal punishment.

For whatever reason, when he'd first arrived he'd found himself standing before her house. Or rather, the Underworld's version of it. He'd ventured inside, cold fingers trailing restlessly against surfaces that, in another world, would have represented a happy future. A beginning of a new life with Emma, and perhaps a family of their own, eventually. He'd wandered through the house, painful images of what could have been flittering through his mind as he'd stopped in the doorway of her bedroom. Their bedroom.

Turning away quickly, unable to bear the idea of being in there without her, he'd made his way back downstairs. He'd remained there, sitting motionless on the sofa and allowing himself a few brief moments to drown in his anguish, icy tears slipping from his eyes as he'd mourned his own death, mourned the pain he knew Emma would no doubt be feeling as she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she'd lost him for good this time.

Guilt had washed over him then, his promises to her feeling like knives to his useless heart ("My love, you don't need to worry about me. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's surviving.")

He wasn't sure how long he'd sat there, a broken and hollow shell, surrounded by cruel reminders of all they could have had, but the front door opening jolted him out of his reverie and had him jumping to his feet to confront whatever manner of beast had come for him. He hadn't seen a single person (or creature) since arriving, and he wasn't quite sure whether he should expect to. What he certainly hadn't expected…was to see his brother standing in the doorway. It took a few moments for Killian to react at all, staring in muted shock at the man before him. He still wore his uniform, and looked exactly the same as he had on the fateful day that had haunted Killian for three centuries.

"Liam…"

He choked out, wondering if this was all part of his torture.

"Aye, little brother. It's me."

Liam smiled sadly, immediately enveloping him in an embrace, which Killian returned fiercely.

"I must admit, I had sincerely hoped it wasn't true. I hoped I'd never see you here."

Killian noticed Liam's gaze land on his hook and he grimaced.

"A lot happened after you passed, brother. Many a sad tale."

"I imagine so. And yet you have barely aged. How long has it been?"

Killian swallowed thickly.

"Three hundred years, give or take a decade or two."

Liam's eyes widened, confusion clearly evident on his face. Killian knew he had a lot to explain, but he didn't feel able to do so right there and then, so he gave his brother the summary version.

"I returned to Neverland years later. It afforded me this youthful glow," he tried to joke but it fell flat, "I wished to buy myself time in order to plot revenge. After you passed, I led our crew into piracy. And yes, I'm sure you don't approve of such a decision, but I simply could not serve a king who had betrayed us so terribly."

Liam nodded solemnly, unable to argue with his brother's reasoning. Killian continued.

"I met a lass in a tavern. She was thirsting for adventure so I offered her passage with us. We fell in love. But her scorned husband…well, after she'd left, he became The Dark One. And when we returned to her home port years later, he took her life and gave me what he believed I deserved."

Killian waved his hook, unable to meet Liam's horrified gaze.

"I spent the following few centuries in Neverland, plotting how best to skin myself a crocodile, to get revenge for my love."

"And you lost your fight? That's why you're here?"

Killian shook his head, moving back toward the sofa and dropping down heavily onto it. Liam joined him.

"No. I eventually gave up my revenge. It took me centuries, and I did terrible things in that time, brother. But…I found love again. My Swan. She reminded me that I could be the man you always hoped I would be. A good man. A hero. She brought light back into my life after centuries in the darkness. I'm here because my love for her was stronger than my need for revenge. I…sacrificed myself. To save her and her family…my family."

Liam was silent, but Killian could see the tears of pride in his eyes, and once again he was pulled into his brother's arms. But the moment was cut short when the front door burst open. Again, Killian jumped up, Liam immediately beside him… And the air suddenly felt like it was being sucked out of his lungs (though he was well aware that he was no longer breathing anyway).

"Emma-"

Her name fell from his lips in barely more than whimper, and before he could register what was happening, she was flying toward him, launching herself into his arms with such a force that he stumbled, arms instinctively wrapping around her. It felt like a dream. First his brother, now Emma? (And Henry, who was stood in the hallway grinning back at him). It had to be some kind of cruel, twisted mind game crafted into the fabric of the Underworld, designed to maximize his torture when they were all ripped from him again. But her embrace felt so real. He could smell the soft vanilla scent of her hair and feel the warmth of her body radiating against his as she pressed closer still.

"I…I couldn't just let you go. I couldn't lose you, Killian."

Liam cleared his throat and it was as though Emma only just realized there was someone else in the room. She gave a start and pulled back, staring at the man beside Killian. With a sharp intake of breath, and her fingers immediately finding the ring around her neck, her gaze darted between the two men.

"You're…you're Liam."

Emma said softly, eyes wide. Liam nodded, extended a hand, which Emma took without hesitation. Killian remained silent, a lump of emotion stuck in his throat. He'd always wondered what Liam would say if he met Emma, if he would approve (though Killian knew without a doubt that he would)…he just never imagined such a meeting would ever occur.

"Aye. That I am. And you must be the lass who made a hero out of my little brother. Swan, is it?"

Liam glanced at the ring, his ring, that Emma was still twirling between her fingers and smiled softly.

"Emma Swan, yeah. And he was already a hero. I just reminded him of it."

Emma met Killian's gaze and he was struck with the urge to kiss her senseless. He couldn't believe she'd truly ventured to the Underworld for him. Because of her love for him.

"And I'm Henry."

The youngest man in the room stepped forward, extending his hand, which Liam shook firmly.

"Nice to meet you, young gentleman."

His eyes snapped from Henry and Emma back to Killian, and the bittersweet happiness Killian found reflected back at him lodged in his chest.

"So this is your lad, Killian?"

Liam enquired. Emma didn't jump in to correct him, and Killian scratched his behind his ear, awkwardly attempting to formulate how best to explain it all to his brother. It was a complex situation.

But before he could say a word, Henry was answering for him.

"Yeah. I am."

Killian knew his heart wasn't beating, but he swore that in that moment, he felt it surge to life, tears blurring his vision as he stared in wonder at the young boy whom he'd come to love as his own. Gaining Emma's trust and winning her heart had brought him back to life once, and now that love, combined with the love and fierce belief Henry had in him, would bring him back to life again. He hadn't just found True Love with Emma, he'd found a home. A family.

Emma seemed just as surprised and touched as Killian at Henry's words, but the boy simply offered them both a warm smile before continuing.

"And me and my mom are here to take him home, if you wanna help? He saved us, now we're gonna save him. Because that's what our family does."