"All right you kids have everything all packed?" David asked one more time as he hugged his daughter Emma and looked over her bug that was packed to the bursting point.

"Yeah I think that's about everything," she answered withdrawing from her father's arms. She let out a shaky breath and tried to remind herself today was supposed to be a fun day. She was going on a road trip with her best friend since first grade to their new colleges, she was supposed to be excited.

"Emma, it's okay for you to be a little bit sad," her mother, Mary Margaret, said noticing her daughter's quietness and her inability to meet their eyes, "Storybrooke has been your home for 18 years."

"I know Mom, I am excited trust me," she gave her mom a smile. A loud grunt and the sound of the truck clicking shut found their ears and they turned to see Killian Jones standing in front of the bug his arms in the arm in triumph.

"I did it! I got the bloody trunk shut!" he grinned at her, his blue eyes shining with triumph.

"We did it little brother," Killian's older brother Liam shoved him slightly.

"You could say 'younger brother' every now and again you git," Killian responded with a shove of his own.

"Boys boys, would you calm down for four bloody seconds?" Killian's mom, Rose, said digging into her purse, "Now Killian and Emma get in front of the car I want to take a picture of you two before you head off."

"Mum is that really necessary?" Killian asked pulling a face.

"Of course it is, now Emma get over there and make my son behave," she gestured to Emma.

"Ok Rose, I will try," Emma smirked and walked over to her car and stood next to Killian who put his arm around her shoulders and gave his mom a wide smile and a thumbs up.

"Killian must you do that same pose in every photo?" his mom asked exasperatedly.

"Yes," he winked at her and she sighed and smiled at her youngest son.

"All right say 'Road Trip'!" Mary Margaret said holding up her phone.

"Road Trip!" Emma and Killian said together, both of them grinning widely at the cameras in their mothers' hands.

"Well I guess we're all packed and ready to go then," Emma said, "And you're going to ship the rest of my stuff so it'll be at Berkley when I get there?"

"Of course," Mary Margaret pulled Emma in for another hug before releasing her.

"You guys have the directions?" David asked, "And water? I don't want you two to get dehydrated on your drive."

"We've got plenty of water bottles within easy reach Mr. Nolan, don't worry," Killian assured her father.

"Ok then it looks like you two are set to go," Liam said somewhat solemnly, "Have a good time at university Brother," he pulled Killian into a tight hug and thumped him on the back.

"I will, take care of mum, make sure she doesn't miss me too much," Killian smiled at his mother and bent down to kiss her on the cheek.

"Oh I'll be fine, just so long as you make sure to call in between all those trips to the beach you'll be doing at Santa Barbara," Rose looked pointedly at Killian.

"Mum you know I'll be busy, the marine biology program at UCSB is top notch. I'll more likely be studying than surfing to keep my scholarship," Killian said.

"Of course you will my brilliant boy, that drive is how you got that scholarship in the first place," Rose smiled and pinched Killian's cheek before he could straighten up, "Now you two had better get going while it's still early, I would hate it if you two got caught up in traffic."

"All right, well I guess I'll see you at Thanksgiving," Emma said to her parents before they both engulfed her in another hug.

"Of course, we love you Emma," David said, his eyes getting very misty.

"I love you too but you both are crushing me," Emma said struggling to breath.

"Oh sorry honey!" Mary Margaret said releasing her daughter, "Now don't try to drive through the night, just get a room at a motel and we can take care of it."

"Okay mom, thanks for everything! Love you!" Emma waved as she got into the bug where Killian was already fastening his seatbelt.

"You ready Swan?" he asked.

"Hell yeah," she smiled, ready for the open road and a new adventure with her best friend. She turned the key in the ignition and started the car driving them down main street and down the secluded country road that separated their little town from the rest of civilization.

"We're officially out of Storybrooke!" Killian cheered as they passed the city limits sign, "Good old Hook and Swan out on a grand adventure!"

"God how do you still remember those nicknames?" Emma asked between giggles.

"Well Swan you made me watch that bloody Swan Princess movie enough times, and you would always call yourself 'Princess Swan' when we played pirates and princesses all those years ago," he explained.

"That's right, and I stand by the fact that the Swan Princess is an excellent movie," she smirked at him, "God I can't believe we're actually doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Going on this crazy road trip with you, leaving Storybrooke to go to colleges on literally the opposite side of the country, my dad not following us at a strategic distance to make sure we don't get into any shenanigans," Emma rattled off.

"What kind of shenanigans did you have in mind Swan?" Killian waggled his eyebrows at her, a special talent of his that he loved to show off every chance he got.

"Shut up, like that would ever happen," Emma leaned over to smack him playfully on the chest.

"You wound me Swan," Killian pulled an exaggerated pain face and placed his hand on his chest.

"You'll survive," she rolled her eyes at him, "Now which way do I need to turn once we get to the highway?"

"We need to keep heading east to get to the I-90 so we go left," Killian said looking at the roadmap.

"All right," Emma said turning left to get onto the main highway that would take them towards Chicago. They traveled in comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching the landscape become more and more unfamiliar. Emma snuck a glance at Killian out of the corner of her eye, thinking of all those days they spent together playing make believe in her backyard, watching movies in a blanket and pillow fort in her bedroom, or swimming around in the ocean when their parents took them to the beach. She knew deep down that from now on it was going to be different, she wasn't going to see him everyday, he wasn't going to be able to sneak in through her window with hot chocolate and kind words when she was upset, and that made her a little sad and a little scared.

"It's all going to be different now," she whispered as they passed a sign welcoming them to New Hampshire.

"What?" Killian asked.

"Sorry I was just talking to myself," Emma tried to brush it off.

"No tell me. You know you can tell me everything," he assured her.

"It's just weird to think that after this trip we won't see each other everyday. I can't just go to your house and bug you when I'm bored or go on midnight Taco Bell missions on random school nights just because you're a teenage boy and you're always hungry," she explained.

"Aye you're right, but we'll Skype and text everyday and Santa Barbara and Berkley aren't that far away should we absolutely need to see each other," he placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, "It'll all be fine Swan"

"I know it will, I'll just miss seeing your stupid face every day," she laughed.

"And I'll miss yours," he smiled "Although yours surely isn't stupid."

Emma laughed and they continued down the highway hoping to get to Chicago before it got too dark and with adventure in their hearts