"This is hopeless. There's nothing we can do to increase sales for the Christmas season. I'm never going to get this promotion," Emma grumbled while resting her forehead against the wood desk in front of her.

"Oh, chin up Emma!" Ruby said with enthusiasm that made Emma roll her eyes. "You'll think of something. You always do. That's why you're the PR manager of South Boston Mall."

Emma glanced up at her best friend, and partner in the business, pursing her lips together. "I just… don't know what to do."

Emma had been working for corporate of South Boston mall for 6 months now. She had a plan; settle in, work her ass off, and in a year's time find a promotion she so desperately needed. She would move out of the city and into the suburbs, away from the hustle and bustle. Sure she loved Boston, but she longed- no, dreamed- to get out of her small apartment and into a quiet home in one of the neighborhoods surrounding the city. And now that she was the PR manager of South Boston mall, it could only go up from here. Only problem; they needed to make quota. More than quota, actually. And whichever mall brought in the highest sales would be offered promotion to vice president of marketing and sales. And she had to win the promotion.

"Do you have any ideas?" Ruby stayed silent and Emma turned to look at her, finding that Ruby was staring out the front window. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah, yeah did you see that Hollister brought in their models for the Christmas rush?"

Emma rolled her eyes but walked over to the window, glancing in the direction of the shirtless man standing outside the store. "Does that even work? Do women fall for that?"

"I talked to August last week and he said they get their biggest sale quota when the models are working. And come on Emma, look at that man. He could tell me I looked good in a paper bag and I would buy it."

She had a retort on the end of her tongue, but suddenly it was lost as an idea flashed through her mind. A brilliant idea. An idea that would get her the promotion she needed. "Ruby... I think I know how we're gonna keep the mall in business."

Ruby eyed her carefully. "How?"

"Sexy. Santa."

Not everyone was too keen on the idea of a "search for sexy Santa" idea (except for Ruby) (she couldn't have been more excited). But with a little pushing and convincing (with the added reasoning that most Christmas shoppers ARE women), they had come up with the logistics to make the idea pan out. There would be auditions, advertised and shown on the local TV station, to create buzz for the search. After the initial auditions, 3 men would be picked out and brought back; from there, it was up to the public to decide the winner. The declared "sexy santa" would work for 2 weeks before Christmas, posing for pictures as any other Santa would (although Emma assumed many more grown women would be okay with sitting on his lap now). The winner would also be rewarded $10,000.

It was now the day of the auditions; and Emma was late.

She rushed to her favorite coffee cart, skipping over the mass of a line, to grab the triple shot white chocolate mocha she knew would be waiting for her, as always (perks of being a frequent customer). Jordan, the owner of the cart, gave her a small frown as she approached. "Sorry Miss Swan but… it got cold. Don't worry I'll make you a new one."

Emma smiled at the man, glancing down to read the texts Ruby was furiously sending her about how she can't believe this is her job and so many hot men when someone spoke up behind her.

"Aye lass you know there's a line?"

She turned around slowly, eyeing the man carefully. He had dark hair, scruffy beard, and she was sure she caught wind of an English accent when he spoke. Cocking her head to the side, she said, "oh… I know I'm sorry, I'm just running late for work."

"As we all are."

Emma whipped around again, eyes falling to the helmet at his side. "Yeah I'm sure what I'm doing is more important than your bike messenger deliveries. I'll be gone in no time."

"Actually, lass, I'm not a bike messenger. But I shouldn't be surprised by the attitude; women of your high class always seem to think highly of themselves. Let me guess, you're not from around here are you?"

Everyone in the line gasped, a few snickered, and Emma raised an eyebrow at him. "Actually I'm from the neighborhood. Live a few blocks down. I come here every morning."

The man laughed and snuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well you could have fooled me, love."

Emma grabbed her coffee from Jordan, leaving a large tip in his jar, and turned around with her head held high. "Something tells me that wouldn't be hard to do." With a smirk on her lips she continued her walk to work.

"Emma this is the best idea you've had. Ever." Emma rolled her eyes at the way Ruby was nearly bouncing out of her seat behind the judges table, looking around at the 50+ men prepping for the auditions. Emma had enlisted her best friend to help her choose the winner, along with August and Graham that owned one of the clothing stores in the mall. They even had a local TV anchor come in, with the guarantee of the auditions being broadcasted to all of Boston. Everything was looking up.

"Alright guys. Remember. We're not just looking for the hottest guy here. We want someone that also embodies the spirit of Christmas-"

"But is also smoking hot," Ruby piped in.

Emma laughed and shuffled her papers together. "Yes Ruby. But is also smoking hot." She looked up at everyone being shuffled around the stage and grabbed the microphone off the table. "Okay everyone, let's get started!"

An hour later, they had gotten through all but one of the contestants. Emma called him to the stage, her eyes down cast on the papers in front of her. She asked for the man's name, finally glancing up to him and her mouth instantly dropped.

Oh my god it's the guy from the coffee stand line.

"Killian Jones," he responded with a smirk on his lips. Bastard.

"Alright, Killian. Tell us why you want to be South Boston mall's sexy santa."

Mic in hand he moved to stand center stage, stuffing his free hand into his pocket. When he looked back up at the audience his face had fallen, looked almost childlike, and Emma had to hold back an eye roll. He would be playing this up.

"Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Growing up, my parents always made Christmas one of the best times of the year for my brother and I. Unfortunately they both passed away in a car accident when I was younger. But we've kept their memory alive, and I know if my mum knew I was auditioning for this she would think I went absolutely mad; but deep down she would find it hilarious." He put down the mic on the table in front of Emma, winking at her, before walking back on the stage. "Now when I was younger, she showed me a dance routine and I've had it memorized since then. If you don't mind… I'd like to use that for my audition."

Before Emma could refuse, Ruby spoke up quickly (too quickly). "Yes! Go right ahead." Emma sent a glare in her direction and Ruby shrugged. "What. He's hot. Let him do his thing."

So he did. He danced, and she could hear how captivated the crowd was. But Emma kept her gaze down, not wanting to look at him. She wouldn't fall for his antics; that charming smile or too blue eyes. She wouldn't. She was a professional and she was going to professionally choose which three guys got called back. And it was not going to be him.

In hindsight, she should have known being so adamant against him was going to backfire. Because it turned out, everyone fell for the charade. They absolutely loved him. Ruby was so enthusiastic about choosing him that she didn't even give anyone else a second though. August noted that the audience was swooning over every word he said, and the girls that were still hanging around the stage were giggling at the mention of the British eye candy. Of course.

She was outnumbered and in the end had to swallow her pride an invite him back for the second round (which was embarrassing in itself). Now she found herself standing beside the stage, waiting for the dance round to start. And he was late.

"We'll give him 5 minutes and if he's not here, he's gone."

"Oh lighten up Emma, he's the reason there's so much buzz over this. You really wanna lose that?" Ruby crossed her hands over her chest, giving Emma a 'you know I'm right' look. Before Emma could object, the man in question came running in, his bag barely hanging on his shoulder and hair disheveled in every direction.

"Sorry I'm late love, got caught up at my brother's diner before realizing the time. Hope I haven't caused too much of a pause in schedule."

"First off," Emma said while putting her hand up. "Not your love. Second off, you didn't, just head to the stage and the director will tell you what to do."

Killian began removing his jacket, lips curling into a playful pout. "What darling, you don't get to boss me around today?"

"You wish that was the case, don't you?" Emma lightly pushed him towards the stage, ignoring the smile he threw over his shoulder. When she turned back around, Ruby was cocking at eyebrow at her. "What?"

"I saw you flirting with him Emma."

Mouth agape, Emma quickly put her hands up in defense. "Woah, woah, woah, that was not flirting Ruby."

"You know it's okay to start dating again, right Emma? Not everyone is gonna be like Neal-"

"Nope, we're not talking about this right now. I've got more important things to deal with right now than finding a boyfriend. Come on, it's gonna be a long day so we should get started as soon as possible." She turned on her heels, never giving Ruby the opportunity to respond. Quickly she glanced up at Killian, who was being taught the choreography for the dance number along with the two other semifinalists. He caught her gaze and she immediately looked down.

She didn't like him.

He was an arrogant prick. Ruby was so wrong.

With her luck, he would be gone after today and she would never have to see his face again.

Emma was beginning to realize her luck was awful. Plain awful.

Not only did he win; he won by a landslide. The cheers from the crowd for him were deafening. Just what his ego needed. So not only would she have to see his face again, she'd have to see his face for the next 3 weeks. The first week was practice for opening day; which include a dance performance from Killian, prior to beginning the photo ops for the general public. She surveyed over the practices, not thinking anything of it when she would catch his eye in between breaks, or found herself smiling when he did something funny to make everyone laugh. She also did not think it was cute the way his nose crinkled when he fumbled over his own feet.

At all.

The week seemed to fly by, and before she could blink it was opening night. The mall was packed full of people, the advertising and promotions they had done the past two weeks clearly helping the cause. (there was also the fact they had hired a very good lucking man with an accent) (but she'll still chalk the win up to marketing)

Backstage she onced over his wardrobe, making sure everything was in place before patting him on the shoulder. "Alright pretty boy, it's showtime."

"Swan, was that you admitting I'm good looking."

She rolled her eyes, lifting her arm out to the curtain entrance. "Trust me, you're ego doesn't need stroking. Just get out there and get dancing. If all goes well, this will bring in enough revenue to the mall and I'll be able to get promoted to corporate."

When she turned back around he was suddenly inches from her, blue eyes boring into hers, and she knew in an instant all she needed to leave. "You know, lass, you can keep up this tough exterior all you want, but something tells me there's a lot more to Emma Swan than the hard working front you put on all the time."

She huffed in annoyance, stepping back to give herself breathing room. "It's not a front, surprisingly. A promotion is all I've been working towards and this whole 'sexy santa' thing is going to be what gives me the extra push I need."

"Do you ever have fun? Go for pizza? Watch a game and Fenway? Boat around the harbor-"

"Killian, I don't have time to tell you my life story. Just… just, get ready. You're on in 10." Eyes darting back and forth, she backed away towards the curtain. "Um… good luck."

After disappearing to find Ruby, she suddenly felt her heart drop. Maybe he had a point. Maybe she didn't take time to have fun. But she needed this job, this promotion. And nothing was going to change that.

Her and Ruby watched from the side of the stage as Killian performed the dance routine, the cheering progressively getting louder each time he twirled around the girls dancing alongside him. He really did know how to work a crowd, to get people excited; he was obviously aware he was good looking, and he knew how to use it to his advantage. Which Emma was thankful for as she watched people already begin lining up to get their pictures taken with him the second the set ended.

"I'll be right back," she said quickly to Ruby, going back to find Killian and congratulate him on his performance. Once she found him she ran up to him, a natural instinct kicking in saying give him a hug. So she did. And it wasn't until his arms tightened around her back that she realized what she was doing (why was she hugging him). "I um… just wanted to say congrats on that performance. You did great, everyone is already lining up out there."

"You sound surprised," he said as she quickly pulled back, his arms falling back to his sides.

"Not surprised, just thankful. Take a 5 minute break and then head back out there, you get to meet your adoring fans," she said with a sarcastic tone, making him laugh (she came to realize just how wonderful his laugh was).

"As you wish, love."

Her stomach dropped again, catching quickly onto the Princess Bride reference, and she took that as her cue to leave. With a nod of her head she walked away, stopping at the exit opening. "Not your love."

He smiled at her, and she found herself returning it with a smile of her own, before disappearing back out to the stage.

Emma couldn't believe the revenue they were bringing in from the sexy santa promotion. Not only was the mall constantly packed, the line for photos curling around the entire queue, but people were actually buying their Christmas presents at the mall. With 7 days left they were already about to make quota for the year. Unfortunately, as Emma soon found out, that didn't mean she was getting the promotion; and it also meant that she had more to fight for than just her job.

The head of Gold Enterprises, Robert Gold, had come to find her one evening to congratulate her on all the success of the campaign. But he also warned her that the South Boston mall was still lowest in income; and if that continued through the end of the year, the mall was going to be tore down to make way for new buildings that Gold Enterprises wanted built. Emma was furious; not only would that put her out of a job, but it would put all her friends out of one too. She thought she had been determined before, but now she was putting all her time and effort into making as much money as she could before the year ended.

But that also meant she had to be more hard headed than before. There wasn't room for mistakes, or spending too much time with customers. It was a get in, get out, and get through as many paying people as they could before the mall closed at the end of the day.

At the end of a particularly long day that included too many crying children, and young women that insisted their pictures with Killian be retaken 5 times (even though the first one looked fine), AND her fighting with Ruby over wanting to leave and take the promotion (Ruby couldn't understand why Emma would want to leave all her friends behind), she finally found herself sitting at her desk, long past closing, packing up to go home. Finally.

"Evening lass," a voice spoke from outside her door, causing her to jump. "Sorry to startle just… looked like you had a bad day and…" he pulled a pizza box from behind his back, a bottle of wine and two glasses in his other hand. "I thought you could use a pick me up."

For a moment she was rendered speechless. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words to say; instead she smiled and walked over to the desk he set the box down on, uncorking the bottle of wine. "I didn't realize you were still here."

"I was about to leave when I saw your light on. Called in the order and snagged a bottle of wine from one of the stores." He hopped up on the table and she did the same, pouring them both a glass before grabbing a slice of pizza.

"Pizza and wine. This is a kind of dinner I can get behind."

"You know, had you said that the day I first saw you at that coffee cart, I don't think I would have believed you."

Emma smiled and looked down, swinging her legs back and forth. "I think we kinda got off on the wrong foot."

"Aye, you can say that." Killian set his pizza down and extended his hand towards Emma. "Killian Jones."

She playfully rolled her eyes before taking his hand and shaking it. "Emma Swan. So Killian, what really made you audition for our sexy santa?"

He grinned at her. "So the story about my parents didn't work on you I take it?"

Emma scoffed. "Was that seriously a lie?"

He shook his head, taking a sip of wine. "No it was true. They died when I was 10. I was raised my older brother Liam. He owns the diner downtown, it's called Jones. Very creative name, I know."

"No way! I love that place!"

Killian smiled as he continued. "Aye quite a few people do. Unfortunately they're threatening to shut us down. The only way we stand a chance is if we pay to appeal the decision. If we do, we'll win the case hands down. But the downside is that appeals are spendy..." He looked up at Emma, taking her attentive gaze as a sign to continue. "So the 10 grand I make from this is going towards paying for the appeal. And on Christmas, we'll have the business back fully."

"I... I had no idea that's why you were doing this."

Killian shrugged. "Liam doesn't like talking about it much so I haven't really either. We don't want pity, which is why I never mentioned it at the auditions. But I'm quite thankful you picked me or else we would have been royally screwed." He gave Emma and playful smirk, making her laugh as she took another sip of wine.

"I didn't pick you, actually. You can thank Ruby for that."

"Don't fight it Swan, you know you love my charming personality and dashing smile." he followed with a cheesy smile, sending her into a fit of laughter (something she hadn't done in a while). "I can honestly say I never expected to see you laugh so much."

"I can honestly say I haven't had a reason to laugh that much in a long time."

Killian's face suddenly fell downcast, and Emma was afraid she said something wrong. But instead of leaving, he turned towards her. "Love... I don't mean to pry and I hope you don't mind me asking but what or who made you so put off to the world?"

The mood in the room suddenly turned somber, and Emma circled her wrist while watching the wine in her glass slosh around. "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

She looked up at him, surprised by the genuine concern on his face. Nobody had ever really asked why she was so closed off before; nobody had cared (except Ruby) (but Ruby didn't have a choice). With a deep breath she turned her body towards him, setting the glass down on table. "I grew up in the foster system. I never knew my parents and I still don't. That experience itself closed me off to a lot of great things in my life. I never felt good enough. It's something that's hard to explain to people. But when you're a 7 year old girl that doesn't understand why her parents didn't love her... That takes a toll on your emotional wellbeing."

The sincerity in Killian's eyes caught Emma off guard. "Swan I had no idea-"

"Oh that's not even the worst of it. 2 years ago I was in a relationship with this guy. I thought he was great. I even thought maybe he was the one… but he had other plans. We were just starting to settle in on our relationship, had talked about moving in together. And then he was offered a job in the corporate office of the business he worked for. I was excited until I realized that meant he was moving all the way to Portland, Oregon. And he just expected me to up and leave my life here and go with. I told him that was a big step for me and he said if I wasn't willing to take that step for him then I wasn't good enough for him. There was a huge fight and he ended up saying that I wasn't ever going to be good enough for someone because of how selfish I am. And from that point forward I threw myself into my work and haven't looked back."

"I'm sorry, love."

Emma shrugged, downing the rest of the wine in her glass. "It's alright."

"No it's not. Because some git that was lucky to have you in his life absolutely ruined it. You don't deserve that." The blush quickly crept onto Emma's cheeks, but she told herself (lied to herself) that was just from the wine. She watched quietly as he finished his glass and poured a little back into each of their glasses, raising his in the air. "A toast, love."

"What are we toasting?" she said tilting her head down a little.

He thought about it, before looking back up at her. "Here's to fresh starts." Emma smiled while clinking their glasses together, each of them finishing the wine. Silence took over the room, before his hand was extended in front of her. "Come with me"

Her hand in his, she followed him out of the back offices and out into the mall. He lead her down past the stores until they were standing in front of the carousel. He walked up to the switch and flipped it on, his hand immediately tightening in hers as the ride came to life. Lit up and moving around, Emma found herself unable to hid the smile on her face. Everything felt magical, and she was finally gonna let herself enjoy something.

"Care to join me for a dance?" he asked while nodding towards the ride.

"I haven't danced in a while…" Emma began to protest while being pulled onto the carousel. Suddenly his free arm was wrapped around her back, and he was rocking her back and forth.

"Don't worry love… just follow my lead." She mirrored his smile, losing herself in the music as they danced chest to chest. Her head involuntarily fell forward, resting on his shoulder. A feeling of safety washed over her as they danced; she couldn't remember the last time she felt so free and happy. Maybe she had been missing out the past few years. She pulled back a little, letting her eyes meet his and she couldn't ignore the way his blue eyes lit up as she did.

"Thank you, Killian. I really needed this."

"It's no problem."

What happened next seemed almost inevitable.

But suddenly his lips were on hers and she felt the wind rush out of her. It was so quick but still felt right, and as he pulled back she found herself caught up in the moment and stood on her tip toes to bring his lips back to hers. Her hand wrapped around the back of his neck while his free hand slipped easily into her hair, his arm tightening around her back. Their lips moved together, his tongue tracing her bottom lip until she opened her mouth and let him in. It felt so right, so good.

Except for when reality sunk back in.

She wanted this so bad.

But she just… couldn't.

Pulling back suddenly, her hand immediately came up to gloss over her lips. "I… I can't do this Killian." She jumped down from the ride and walked quickly towards her office.

"Emma! Emma wait!"

But it was no use.

She was gone, packing up her stuff, and leaving. Tears prick her eyes the whole walk home, and once she got safely into her apartment she let them fall, leaning against her front door as she slid down into a heap. Why couldn't she just let herself be happy?

She knew she had messed up the next day at work when he refused to talk to her. He didn't even look at her. And she knew there wasn't really anything she could do; so she let herself work, and work, and work, focusing fully on getting in all the sales she could (except when she got wind of those blue eyes she always found herself completely unfocused) (naturally).

On Christmas Eve, after the mall had closed and everyone had begun taking down the 'sexy santa' set, she was pulled from her thoughts to a knock at her office door. Killian walked in, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Evening love. Here to pick up the last pay check."

Emma nodded curtly, grabbing the check off her desk and handing it to him. He stood there for a moment after taking it, silence quickly filling the room. She had to do something. She had to fix this. "Killian, I-"

"It's alright, love. Don't worry about it. I'll just… forget it happened."

"No Killian, you don't-"

"Emma. It's fine. You don't have to pretend it meant anything. I get it." He backed out of the office, stopping briefly in the doorway. "Merry Christmas, darling."

She should stop him.

She should walk up to him and kiss him.

But she didn't. Because she's a coward. Instead she watched him leave, wishing, hoping, going through the 'what could have beens' in her mind. Head in her hands, she took a deep breath, wishing she hadn't have fucked up so bad. Just go after him. She told herself. Get your ass up and GO. But she was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of her phone ringing. With a sigh she picked it up, putting on the most cheerful voice she could.

"This is Emma Swan."

"Miss Swan… Robert Gold." Emma's mouth dropped open at the sound of her CEO calling.

"Mr. Gold… hi, um. Is there something wrong?"

"I just wanted to call to personally congratulate you on pulling in the most revenue South Boston mall has ever seen. Not only will we not be tearing down the mall, but we wanted to offer you the promotion. You'll be our new vice president of marketing and sales."

Emma's heart stopped for a beat or two. She won. She got her promotion. And yet, for some reason, she felt nothing over it. No excitement, no wave of relief. Just… nothing. She went to answer when the sound of the main office door opening caught her attention. Ruby, Graham, and August all entered, carrying bottles of champagne, laughing at something that had been said. Everything came back to her in flashbacks, all the good memories she had at the mall. These people were her friends, her family, and now… she was going to be gone. And lose something she had always longed for. She hadn't been able to tell that's what all this was but with recent turn of events… everything seemed so clear to her. And suddenly she knew what she needed to do.

"Mr. Gold… I appreciate the offer. But, South Boston mall is my home. Boston is my home. I can't begin to imagine moving out of the city to work alongside you at corporate. I'm honored, completely. But… I can't leave. Not now."

"Miss Swan if you turn this down, we'll be going to the next qualified PR manager at our mall partners."

Emma nodded (to herself) before continuing. "I know sir. But I think staying here is what I need to do. I love it here."

"Well Miss Swan, I'm disappointed to hear that. But I respect your decision. Congratulation on your success this Christmas season. We'll be hoping for it to continue for years to come."

"You can count on that."
They said their goodbyes just as her friends entered the office, hopeful smiles on their faces.

"Well? Did you get the promotion?" Ruby asked while timidly holding up the bottle of champagne.

"I did," she started, but cut off their attempt at a celebration. "Not done. I did get it. But I didn't take it." Ignoring their baffled faces, she continued. "South Boston mall is my home. You guys are my family. I can't imagine leaving this place. I want to stay here for at least a few more years. And… thank you guys for always being there for me when I need you. I never had close friends or family growing up. But you guys have given me that."

She went to keep going, but was pulled into a group hug from all of them. She felt a few tears threatening to fall, but held them back and looked up at Ruby. "Sorry to take away from the champagne celebration."

"Girl, you're staying. That's plenty of reason to celebrate." The bottles were then popped, and glasses poured, and after a sip Ruby nudged her in the ribs with her elbow. "So where's Killian?"

A sigh escaped Emma's lips. "Gone. Probably forever. I messed up. We… we kissed." Ruby gasped, face lighting up. "Don't start planning the wedding… I ran away. I fucked it up. Now he won't even talk to me. I just wish I knew what to do."

"Emma. You know what to do. Go after him! Where is he tonight?"

"His brother's restaurant. It's supposed to be torn down but they're appealing the decision… that's what he's using the money for. The process starts tonight, and they should know by morning."

"Well go after him! Emma. You like him. You haven't liked a guy since Neal. And this guy… this guy is not Neal. He isn't going to hurt you." Ruby grabbed the glass from Emma, pushing her towards the door. "Go!"

"Ruby-"

"Do not make me get August to carry you there."

Defeated, she walked out of the office holding her head high. Time to make the right decision. To stop being scared. All she hoped was that he would forgive her.

Emma arrived at Jones restaurant happily surprised to see the lights on, and people sitting inside. She took a deep breath. This was it. No turning back now. Pulling the door open, she watched everyone's heads turn in her direction at the sound of the bell. She suddenly felt completely out of place.

"Swan." Killian said quietly as he stood up.

"Ah, so this is the illusive Miss Emma Swan," a man next to him said (who she assumed to be his brother).

"Liam…" Killian warned, and Liam put his hands up in defense. "Emma… what are you doing here?"

"I…" her mouth went dry. Everything she planned to say went out the window as she stood in the doorway. "Can we talk outside?"

Good one Emma.

Killian looked at the people sitting around him, all of whom gave him an excited nod. Liam even shoved him towards Emma. "Go get your girl, brother." Killian shot him a glare, before leading Emma out into the snow.

"Alright lass, what's wrong."

She didn't say anything. Instead she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. For a second he didn't kiss back; and she thought she had messed up again. But after a moment she felt his arms tighten around her back and pull her against him. Cliché as it sounded, but she melted into his arms. Melted.

He pulled back first, but left his forehead resting against hers. "I swear if you leave again…"

She threw her head back laughing, and leaned up to peck his lips again. "I'm not leaving. I messed up, Killian. I haven't let myself feel anything in a long time but I think I'm ready to again. I turned down the promotion. I'm staying in Boston. And if you can forgive me… I want to see where this goes."

Instead of answering her pulled her into a soft kiss, smiling against her lips. "Of course I want to, you bloody stubborn woman." He pulled her into his side gesturing towards the door. "Shall we get out of the cold?"

She smiled and placed her hand on his chest, letting him lead her back inside the restaurant. In that moment she realized she had made the best decision yet.

Killian and his brother won the appeal, easily, and got to keep the restaurant. Over the next few months Emma and Killian got to know each other better, and slipped into a simple and perfect relationship. Which included moving in together after only a few months; something that would have normally terrified her. But with Killian… it felt more than right. On top of that, corporate offered her a raise in her current position to reward her for the best marketing decision South Boston mall had seen in years.

And coming home each night, eating dinner that Killian brought home from the diner, Emma realized that the 'sexy santa' campaign had been more life changing than she ever could have dreamed of.

Who would have known.