"I can't do this." Emma declared, throwing the two dresses she'd been comparing in the mirror at the wall. "What the hell was I thinking? I can't do this!"

"Oh you're being ridiculous, Emma" Ruby didn't bother looking up from tearing through Emma's wardrobe, judging every item and considering its first date outfit potential. "Here, try this," she said, handing Emma a little red dress she'd forgot she even had.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret sighed. "You'll be fine. Just take a deep breath, finish your makeup and get dressed. Preferably in something slightly less revealing than whatever it is Red has picked out."

The three of them had been sitting in Emma's bedroom for the past half hour, Snow and Ruby trying to calm Emma down while she worked herself into a frenzy worrying about her date. Not just any date, but her first date with Killian 'Hook' Jones. After everything, after him helping her through the Neverland jungle to save her son, to him spending a year trying to track her down, to finally, breaking the curse together with True Love's Kiss last week, they were finally going on their first date and Emma was freaking out. Big Time.

"Listen to your mother, Emma, except for the dress part of course," Ruby said as she pushed Emma into a chair and started brushing her hair. "You'll wear this red beauty, you'll look gorgeous, you'll knock him off his feet and tonight will be great."

"No, Ruby, you don't understand, I can't do this," Emma turned around, panicked. "This is a disaster."

"Emma, honey, just breathe," Mary Margaret sat down, taking Emma's hands in her own. "Everything will be just fine. You know Hook, you love Hook. You've been looking forward to this date all week. You look beautiful and tonight is going to be wonderful. Things have finally calmed down around here and you deserve a night off to spend some time with your true love."

"I just…" Emma looked down at their hands, relieved that they had finally managed to get to that point in their relationship where they both felt comfortable with each other and balance the mother-daughter relationship with the friendship they had developed while her mother was cursed for the first time. "What if… what if he changes his mind?"

"Emma Swan! You stop that idiotic thinking right now! You are not this daft! That man loves you, he has done nothing but prove that to you and expecting nothing back. And what's more, you love him. The two of you love each other so much, your love broke that stupid curse. Get yourself together, get dressed, go on your date and have a fantastic time," Ruby interrupted loudly, practically yanking Emma's hair off with the hairbrush in frustration.

"Red's right, honey. You and Hook are perfect for each other. He's not going to change his mind," Mary Margaret replied calmly. "Now, your hair looks great so get dressed, he'll be here any minute."

Emma stood up, taking the dress from Ruby and admiring it in the mirror for a second. "You're right," she said after taking a deep breath to calm down and started changing. "This isn't a big deal, right? I mean it's not like we've never hung out before and we already know…. how we feel about each other. It'll be fine. It'll be fine."

As Emma finished getting ready, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, he's here! Do you want me to go answer the door?" Mary Margaret asked softly.

"No," Emma shook her head, took one last deep breath and continued, "I'm ready. Thanks for the help guys."

"So where are we going?" Emma asked as they walked through Storybrooke together.

"Patience, love," Hook smirked in reply.

"You're really not going to tell me?"

"Nope."

They had been walking for about 15 minutes, chatting about what they had been up to since the curse broke and everyone had gone back to Storybrooke or just about anything that popped into their heads.

It was a nice night, the perfect night really. It wasn't too cold, the sky was clear with the moonlight lighting up the streets and it seemed like the two of them were the only people in the world.

Eventually, Hook led them to the docks, thought not towards the Jolly Roger as Emma immediately assumed. Instead they walked past her and towards the edge where a table had been set up with a couple of candles, a bottle of wine and a basket on the ground. The area was practically empty and you could see the moonlight reflecting in the ocean, it was perfect. He pulled out one of the chairs for her and offered her a seat.

"This is dinner?" Emma asked amazed as she sat down and watched him pull out take-out boxes from Granny's from the basket.

"Yes," he replied hesitantly, "I didn't think you'd appreciate the inescapable audience if we went to any of the establishments here in town. Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it," she smiled, "Hook, this is perfect. Thank you."

Dinner was wonderful. There was never a lull in the conversation, somehow they never seemed to run out of topics. They talked about anything, Hook told her stories from his time in the navy and the adventures he had as a pirate and she told him about growing up in the foster system. After they finished dessert they sat quietly for awhile, just enjoying each other's company before Hook started speaking.

"Listen, Emma," he hesitated "I'd just like to… I just wanted to… thank you… for, well…"

"Killian, don't," Emma interrupted quickly and she couldn't help but notice the small smile on his face at the use of his given name, "you've done so much for me. I don't know what I would've done without you, these past few month have been hell and you were the only thing that got me through them. I just… I can't thank you enough." She looked down, feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable about baring her feelings like this, but relieved to finally be able to thank him for everything he had done for her. "Just… please don't think you owe me anything, if anything I owe you. So just… please don't."

"As you wish," Killian nodded his head, smiling softly. "Perhaps we should go. It's getting rather chilly."

Emma agreed so they packed everything up and started walking back to Emma's apartment. They walked slowly, reluctant to put an end to a perfect evening, but eventually they couldn't put it off any longer and reached their destination.

"Well I should go," Emma said awkwardly, gesturing towards her front door.

"Of course," Hook replied as she took out her keys and let herself in. "Goodnight, love."

"Killian, wait," she turned around and stepped towards him. "Thank you, for tonight. It was perfect." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him once, softly, before stepping back and into her apartment. "I love you," she said as she closed the door, leaving her pirate smiling on her doorstep.