Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

The Orphan Jones	By : RueRambunctious Category: M through R > Once Upon A Time Views: 1480 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT and make no money from this.

Chapter List
- 1-One
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 1
- 2
- 3
Iridiana hovers in the kitchen with Belle, relieved Gaston is sleeping late, and feeling disloyal for the way her stomach twists when Mr Gold gets up to answer the door to her father. Belle wordlessly places her warm hand on Iridiana's thin shoulder, and for a moment the girl feels less nauseous.

Belle follows protectively as Iridiana warily makes her way to the door.

Hook kneels immediately, pulling Iridiana into an embrace that makes it hard to breathe. His necklace digs into her, likely leaving another familiar little blue bruise, but Iridiana doesn't care about that, because all she can smell is her father and all she really feels is his love for her.

Only, there is also that familiar tension in his shoulders like he's already fought battles for her today and knows he will be facing more. It's likely enough, and it does not make Iridiana feel good.

Hook always hugs Iridiana for longer than most fathers hug their daughters, but the whole town understands exactly why he does so. He eventually pulls away, and Belle meets his eyes with an expression he accurately reads as, 'I would shout at you for what's happened, but I know you're already doing all you can about it.'

Hook's expression tightens in response, but he tries to hold his face away from Iridiana so his daughter will not notice.

It is a wasted effort. Iridiana reads the smallest of gestures with an accuracy not many adults have. It's a necessary trait for her.

Hook stands and holds out a pair of Iridiana's shoes, which she takes and tugs on reluctantly. She balances on each foot easily, as she likes to do things for herself.

Hook bundles her into a jacket, which Iridiana permits because she knows he likes to feel useful and close.

Her shoes are uncomfortable on her heels already. She hates wearing shoes.

Hook pulls Iridiana towards him a little and locks eyes with Belle and her husband. “Thanks,” he says hoarsely. “Again.”

“She's welcome here any time,” Belle responds, watching with a fond but concerned expression as the pair leave.

“I am so worried about her, Rumple,” Belle tells Gold as soon as the door closes.

Gold sighs and nods in agreement, whatever he had been intending to say getting lost in the noise of his son stomping groggily downstairs for breakfast.

Hook swallows and observes his daughter trudging along beside him in the snow. She's much too old to want to take his hand, but she can tell he wants her close, and offers her own wordlessly. Hook worries that she spends too little time acting like a child than a parent.

He heaves another deep breathe. “How are you?” he asks.

Iridiana gives him a sideways glance and mutters, “Usual.”

The weak way she says it further alerts Hook to the certainty that Emma went further than usual last night. “I'm sorry,” he says tiredly.

“Not your fault,” Iridiana replies shortly. She says this so often Hook wonders whether she even thinks about the words as she says them. “I know you're trying.”

“Your Mom tries,” Hook says, his words forming clouds from the cold. He's unconvinced either of them believe it.

“Dad?” Iridiana asks.

Something in her voice makes Hook's chest feel cold. “Yes love?”

“If you knew how hard it was going to be, would you have gotten rid of me?”

Hook stops walking and stares at his daughter. She blinks as he pulls her up into his arms, but doesn't protest like most tweens would. She's starved of contact.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not ever,” Hook says fiercely into his daughter's ear.

“Why?” Iridiana asks bleakly.

“Because you're my baby and I love you,” Hook asserts.

“I'm Mom's baby too,” Iridiana mutters.

“Your Mom would love you just as much as me if she could,” Hook says.

“Why doesn't she?” Iridiana asks.

Hook's heard that question thousands of times before, and he still doesn't have a satisfying answer. Iridiana's getting older, and at some point he's going to have to tell her the truth, but for now it seems easier to just repeat, “She's cursed.”

“Most curses have cures,” Iridiana says very softly.

Hook presses his stubble against her cold cheek. “I swear Iridiana, if we knew how to cure this, we would.”

Iridiana sighs and presses her forehead against his own. “I know,” she says maturely.

Hook's heart twists for her.

He takes her home and she immediately shucks off her shoes, exposing raw skin on her heels.

“Do they fit properly?” Hook asks.

Iridiana pushes a thick strand of her pale hair behind her ear. “No shoes fit me properly,” she mumbles, reaching for wipes to clean the dirty soles of her feet so her mother has one less reason to be vile.

“Fish child,” Hook murmurs.

Iridiana looks up at him, and despite the situation, spares him an amused grin. “Merchild,” she responds, then reluctantly pulls herself onto her feet, padding through to the kitchen to throw away the used wipes.

She's forgotten to take her jacket off, but Hook doesn't remind her yet, because if Emma kicks off Iridiana is likely to dive back outside into the frozen town.

Luckily, Emma doesn't seem to be downstairs. Hook creeps up to the next floor to ascertain her whereabouts.

She's in the nursery, fussing with baby Jack. She glances around at Hook's tread, and gives him an uncomfortable look. They've had arguments over her treatment of Iridiana before, but he's been especially frosty after hearing exactly what she told their daughter last night.

“I'm dropping the littles off with Mom before work,” Emma announces softly. “I thought you'd want to spend some time with Iridiana alone.”

Hook grunts, recognising the apology, but not feeling like acknowledging it. “Where's Odette?” he asks instead.

“Brushing her teeth,” Emma replies as she fastens the poppers on Jack's puffy coat. There's a wry note in her voice, as they both know the devastation that leaves the bathroom in.

“I'll check on her,” Hook says quickly, glad of the excuse to leave. He pauses, lingering despite himself. “Teething gel's on the dresser,” he says mildly.

Emma looks up at him, her wide eyes unreadable, and nods. “Thanks,” she murmurs, snatching the tube and shoving it into a pocket on the diaper bag.

Hook retreats back into the hall, noticing Iridiana lingering nearby silently. He shepherds her past the nursery door, shielding her from sight with his frame, and gives her a small smile as he goes in search of his errant toddler.

The blonde devil is in the bathroom as Emma suggested, smearing toothpaste onto the bottom of the mirror. Judging by the mess on the sink and towels, she would be decorating the mirror further if she could reach higher.

Hook sighs, half-amused by the pleased look Odette gives him. He washes her down and quickly wipes the mirror, throwing the spoiled towels into the laundry basket.

He doesn't bother with the sink. She's still to 'brush her teeth' tonight as well.

Hook carries a chattering Odette through to her room and changes her outer layers into something not stained with toothpaste, wondering whether he should pack a spare change of clothes for her.

He hears the bathroom door click behind them, and Iridiana braves the shower. She normally lingers until Emma has left, so her presence suggests she's annoyed at Emma.

That's fair.

Hook carries Odette through to the nursery, where Emma is struggling to persuade a kicking Jack that shoes are indeed the norm. Hook retrieves a launched shoe and gives it back to Emma. She gives him a grateful look and pats Odette's blonde hair fondly before attaching the shoe to Jack's reluctant toes.

The blissful look Odette gives her mother makes Hook uncomfortable. The toddler's hair is far closer to Emma's golden blonde than Iridiana's ghostly locks, and Emma touches, plays with, and kisses it constantly. She hardly touches Iridiana ever.

Hook is unsure it was fair of him and Emma to continue to have other children when the contrast between how Emma treats them is so striking.

Emma puts the diaper bag over her shoulder, picks up Jack, and takes Odette's chubby, warm hand. Hook almost offers to help, or to offer to bring Emma a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, but his annoyance stills his tongue.

He's tired.

They can't go on like this. Iridiana is going to break.

Emma senses the tension and murmurs a brief, “Say goodbye to Daddy, kids,” before heading downstairs and into the car. It takes a while before Hook hears the engine start, and he realises he hasn't scraped the car for her or cleared the driveway. She's going to be late for work.

He feels apathetic about it.

Hook looks around the house, feeling torn about all the memories and hopes it contains.

Emma's a perfectly good, loving, devoted mother to Jack and Odette, and Henry, when he visits from college.

Henry prefers staying away, or at Regina's, because being stuck in a house with Emma and Iridiana is torturous. Hook can't blame the kid, although he certainly misses him. It probably won't be long before Odette and Jack want away from the screaming tension too.

Odette's already been asking awkward questions about why Mommy is cross with Iridiana all the time.

Emma's much younger brother Neal, who is barely older than Iridiana, seems to think that Iridiana has some innate unlovable quality which causes his sister's disgust. Little Robyn seems to agree, and it is exhausting trying to build up Iridiana's defences against not only Emma's attacks to the girl's self-confidence, but also that of the ignorant neighbourhood kids.

Iridiana emerges from the bathroom and it causes a twinge in Hook's chest the way she looks at her surroundings as though she doesn't belong there at all.

“Do you want to go for a swim?” Hook asks.

Iridiana gives him a surprised look, then frowns a little as though she understands his motive. “Won't you be cold?” she asks.

“It will make you feel better, won't it?” Hook responds honestly.

Iridiana shrugs, but there's a hopefulness amongst the dull expression. Hook throws a towel at her and she grins, most of the sadness receding from her face.

Iridiana grimaces at Hook's insistence that she wear shoes until they get as far as the cove. It's a cold, bleak day, and although there isn't much snow by the water's edge, the wind bites bitterly.

Iridiana looks exhilarated, her cheeks pink from the chill, and Hook's spirits feel somewhat buoyed as she rushes towards the dark, foaming waves, shedding outer layers.

She dives into the icy water, shrieking, and the contrast between her usual meek self and the exuberant child in the water never fails to take Hook's breath away. She was born for the water.

Her magic certainly knows it, as the tail that has been making an appearance for the last few years breaks through the water.

Perhaps it won't be enough to simply move himself and Iridiana into another place in town. Maybe his daughter needs to live on a ship.

“Dad!” Iridiana calls over the roar of the waves and the wind. “Get moving you coward!”

Hook sighs and sheds his clothing in the freezing cold, reluctantly wading into the icy chill of the water with only shorts for protection.

Iridiana flips and spins in the water, trying her best not to splash him. “I could stay here forever!” she cries.

“I'm already getting hypothermia,” Hook grumbles.

Iridiana rolls her eyes, but gives him a warm look as she says, “You can get out as soon as you're too cold.”

“I'm too cold now,” Hook replies, making no move to leave, and splashing her instead. She squeals, and Hook tries to imprint the happy look on her face into his memories. It's been getting harder and harder to picture recently.

It's hell to imagine not seeing Jack and Odette every day. It even hurts to imagine not waking up beside Emma every morning.

But if Hook doesn't do something drastic soon, he gets the feeling it won't just be her smile that he barely sees.

He'll lose her, and she's already more alone than he could have ever imagined.

Iridiana gives the horizon a look when Hook eventually admits defeat and rushes onto the frozen beach for a towel. She's surprised her father managed to stay out with her for so long, and swims back to the coastline slowly, but she keeps her eyes on the expanse of water.

She would rather never come back to the shore.
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Orphan Jones