Thank you all so much for reading my other stories! I don't even know how this one happened - I just sat down and let the words pour out! I still don't own OUAT.

David and Mary Margaret have gone to bed hours ago, exhausted after fussing over baby Neal all day. Luckily, their coffee machine wasn't as noisy as the one in Emma's apartment in New York. She ignored Killian's concerned stare as she sat down next to him at the breakfast bar with papers spread across it, holding her fifth (or was it sixth?) cup of coffee. His brows were furrowed but she paid no attention to him, choosing to focus on the black liquid in her cup instead. She needed it in order not to fall asleep in the middle of her research on the Snow Queen. So what if her fingers were drumming on the white surface for the last hour or so? Why does it matter if her breath kept hitching every other moment?

She needed to find out who that woman was and why she didn't remember anything about her. And she needed to do it soon, before something bad happened.

Snatching a random piece of paper from the bar, Emma scanned through it with her eyes and tossed it back down after a minute.

"This is useless" - she muttered. - "I need more coffee" - she said louder and made a move to stand up. However, Killian's hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"What the hell, Hook?! How long have you been sitting there?"

Killian frowned. "Love, you and I have both been here for about 8 hours now. It's almost 4 in the morning, don't you think it's time we take a well-deserved break?"

Emma shook her head, trying to blink away the dark spots that were blurring her vision.

"I want to know who this woman is and why I have a recording of her that I don't even remember making! Why can't you understand that I have to do this? That I have to take care of this before someone else gets hurt?!"

Killian could hear the despair in her voice, so he hopped off the chair and pulled her close, trying not to freak out at the fact that she was shaking and that her heart was beating ridiculously fast. She buried her face in his chest with a sob. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and stroked her hair gently.

"Believe me Swan, I understand the urgency of the situation. But you aren't going to help anyone if you get sick" - he whispered softly. She pulled away and gave him a look he knew and usually loved. A look of determination to save everyone. However, he knew that right now, it wasn't a good sign. He moved away the coffee cup which was almost empty and grabbed her hand when she tried to reach for it.

"I believe that's enough coffee for now, love" - he spoke softly but with a tone of finality in his voice. Emma narrowed her eyes at him.

"I need the caffeine, Hook! If I don't have another cup, I'm gonna pass out!" - she exclaimed. He sighed at her stubborness.

"And you don't see how that could be a problem? Swan, you're bloody exhausted. I can tell you that you aren't getting any positive results in this state. Hell, your whole body is shaking! And I'd bet my hook that you can barely tell apart these papers from one another right now."

Emma bit her lip and tried to glare at him but failed.

"Come on, lass. Let's take a break. We can resume the research in the morning" - Killian took her hand and lead her onto the sofa, sitting down and patting the space next to him. After a sigh and a final look at the bar, she gave up and sat down next to him, feeling his arm around her shoulders immediately.

It was like she was back at the station, enjoying the quiet moment. She knew that if she closed her eyes right now, she wouldn't wake up for a few hours and by that time, the Snow Queen might have frozen half the town. But she was so damn comfortable cuddled up next to him, and his hand playing with her hair wasn't really helping either...

"If she kills someone, I blame you" - she muttered into his lap, not really meaning it. Killian chuckled and pulled her close. And if she did spend the next six hours asleep in his arms because David and Mary Margaret didn't have the heart to wake her in the morning, it was only because, for the first time in a long time, she felt she was home.

I treasure every single review that I get :) Plus they feed my muse Killian!