The prompt that started it all :
I found this prompt in late 2018, and was determined to CS-ify it, but struggled to figure out who the characters would be, specifically, who would be th ‘Bio-Parent Baby Dumper’.
Initially I was going to have Neal be the mortal, but the Emma and him dating thing got in the way, then I rewrote it and it got too angsty with Neal being a deadbeat dad.
I switched the roles there with Emma trying to get her son back from Neal and allying with the Demon on the other side, but I couldn't figure out a motive for Killian wanting a human kid besides 'I free slaves, I'm actually a good fucking dude' - and that's kind of been done.
I rewrote it again again with Neal forcing himself on Emma, and that didn’t sit well with me at all honestly. I didn't like that either because it got dark fast, really dark really fast, and I didn't want to have my personal trauma leak into another story after writing about it frequently. I had a goal of no abuse stuff in this one, it had to be lighter. I looked at s7 for some idea (it was ending when I was starting this x3) and zeroed in on the weird rape/not rape arguments surrounding Gothel and OUAT rape apologies in general.
The Gothel thing was already a really skeevy thing with writing, and I thought about how that might make WISH!Emma react if she was actually a thing, upon meeting Killian. Would she be upset that their HEA was pulled askew by Gothel and her interference? I also touched on some things @winterbythesea recently touched on - Emma never dealt with dating Walsh and finding out he was an evil monkey, and she never put the pieces together with Graham and Regina - In fact, through all of her trauma Emma remained almost unwilling to examine anything too closely for too long, and she also could have benefited from quite a bit of therapy for most of her life. The Canon of OUAT has an almost instant pregnancy twice if I remember right, it has the rape by disguise, and it has multiple themes of weird parenting precedent.I didn't even need a baby named Neal to make it awkward! Sorry OUAT Writers, you are all losses this round too.
I didn't like Gothel pregnant, and I especially struggled with instant baby just add water as an idea (originally Alice appeared on Emma's porch, next day express air and Liam was trying to take her constantly).
So I just kind of just wrote until something eventually worked enough, and this was it. As per my norm, a heavy handed allegory about social justice is spread underneath that I think while completely not subtle, fits our current cultural climate snugly.
After all is said and done, I love this fic and I hate it. It’s been challenging, put me through the ringer, and given me some amazing tropes to rehash and dispatch of with freedom to throw whatever I want into it. I’ve added an unspeakable amount of fluffery, enough pining to make the seams burst, and an absolutely appalling amount of angsty obliviousness for all parties at varying points. You get a full dose of doe eyed and stupid CS, Meathead Liam, Elsa being the queen she is and not settling for less than she deserves, a cat and mouse game between Belle and Will, David and Snow being adorable while farming, Snow being the pot head she definitely is, Regina dealing with her ridiculous mother, Robin and Regina being star struck, Graham and Ruby making everyone around them nauseous, and more.
I’ve also thrown in a heavy helping of family ties and extremely close friendships that set the stage for a bundle of Demonic joy to burst into.
After al the twisty bends that made this fic the way it is, while I would have loved for it to be more straight forward, this fic has been a blast to write.
