The Ice Cream Thief

Emma Swan had always prided herself on her unique ability of self-restraint. Save for her youth and the mischievous escapades she had had with Neal, the woman had always been able to weather whatever storms life sent her way. But she found her patience was wearing thin as once again she returned home from a long day at the station, to find her carton of Rocky Road missing and not a single vanilla or strawberry confection to be found. It was the third time in the last month that someone had stolen her comfort food, and it was the last straw. Someone was going to die. That is, if she could ever catch them in the act. . .

Emma sighed as she left her apartment and headed back towards the Main Street of Storybrooke. If she couldn't get her daily treat at home, she would have it at Granny's.

Her pace was brisk as she walked, so fast in fact, that she entered the small diner within a mere amount of minutes. Emma was a woman with a purpose as she approached the counter with a scowl on her pretty face and a five dollar bill in her hand. Ruby who had just finished giving her new orders to the cook, met her friend's eyes and frowned as well.

Emma placed the cash in her waiting hand, and Ruby looked amused.

"Again?"

Emma nodded in despair as she took off her gloves. "Again."

Ruby shook her head as she put the money in her cash register and pulled out a bowl from beneath the counter. "I've never heard of someone breaking into someone else's house and stealing ice cream, Emma. That's just weird. . ."

"Tell me about it," the Sheriff moaned in defeat. "If I ever catch the person responsible, they'll wish they had picked someone else's freezer to attack."

Ruby giggled as she began to make Emma a large vanilla sundae. "Was it a forced entry? If not, it could be Henry trying to get your attention?"

Emma shook her head. "No, it wasn't Henry." Emma had asked the kid the first time it her ice cream had disappeared and had deducted by using her super power that he hadn't been the culprit. "And it was a break in. The person picked the lock."

Ruby outright laughed now, and Emma frowned. "Hey! You wouldn't be laughing if it was you."

Ruby shrugged and placed the fresh sundae before her friend. "No, I wouldn't. But it isn't me."

Emma took her ice cream with a huff and muttered something along the lines of unsupporting friends, before making her way to a booth in the back of the cafe and plopping down. For several seconds, the blonde haired woman merely stared at the delightful creation, admiring how beautiful it looked. But it soon grew to be too much and she apprehensively raised her spoon up to her lips and took her first bite.

Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream and a hint of sugared-cinnamon met her eager taste buds, and Emma nearly cried out loud with relief. Even though Ruby had laughed at her several moments prior, the woman instantly forgave her. If there was one thing Red could do, it was make a divine sundae.

As Emma continued to chow down on her ice cream, her earlier tension seemed to melt away and was replaced by contentment. Ice Cream had always been one of her outlets. Even as a child, Emma Swan had loved nothing more than a frozen treat to escape from the horrors of her life, and now was no different. In fact, she was so caught up with licking the soft whiteness from her spoon that she didn't notice when someone entered the nearly deserted dinner and made their way to sit in her booth. It was only when the person spoke that Emma was brought out of her sugary, wintery world of joy.

"You must be starving, lass."

Emma looked up and was instantly met with a pair of stunning blue eyes surrounded by midnight black lines.

Perfect. Here comes some more crass innuendos and unabashed flirting from Captain Guyliner . . .

"Nope," she said trying to ignore him as she took another cold mouthful, wanting nothing more than to be left alone.

The pirate raised one of his eyebrows and gave her a teasing smile. "No reason to get defensive, love. I like a woman with a good appetite. Means she'll never be skin and bones." The way he said bones left little to the imagination, and Emma rolled her eyes heavenward as she slowly placed the spoon down.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about Hook, other than your sexual frustrations and preferences in women's eating habits?"

"Oooo, feisty today, eh Swan?"

"No more than usual," she said impatiently. "What do you want?"

Hook seemed to ponder her question, and then with a hand faster than she thought possible, grabbed her spoon, scooped a biteful of ice cream up, and raised it to his smirking mouth.

"Does a man have to have a reason for being the in company of a beautiful woman, Emma?"

Emma didn't answer him, for she found herself somewhat speechless. But she recovered her embarrassment, by standing up and quickly asking Ruby for another spoon. The waitress who had been watching their conversation with interest, handed her another eating utensil and gave her a small smile and look that clearly said: You will tell me everything later.

When Emma sat down again she found Hook in the middle of taking another bite with a thoughtful expression. He swirled the ice cream around his mouth, thoroughly tasting it before he swallowed.

"I didn't take you for a vanilla girl, Swan. . . I always figured you more of a bitter chocolate type."

"Ha-ha," Emma said sarcastically before she lifted an eyebrow. "Since when did you become a ice cream expert?"

"Someone introduced it to me, a few weeks back, and I've become rather fond of it," Hook said taking yet another mouthful, sucking all traces away in a seducing, slow and meaningful manner. "It's unlike anything I've ever had. And it's surprisingly . . . appetizing."

Emma laughed, putting her new spoon in the melting ice cream for another morsel. "Does everything have to have a doubt meaning with you?"

"No Milady," he purred sweetly. "Unless it pleases you take it that way."

Emma fought to hide the blush that crept to her cheeks, as he turned the blame on her, but from the way the pirate's smirk grew, he had obviously seen her red face. But he didn't press it.

The two continued to eat the vanilla-cinnamon ice cream in silence, and to the sheriff's surprise, she actually didn't mind as much as she thought she would. True, he was stealing her frozen dessert, but his company wasn't unwelcome after all.

As they finished the sundae together, Hook smiled and gave Emma a wink. "Thank you for sharing, love. Perhaps we can do it again sometime."

Emma fought back her smile and tried to look stern. "Next time you can get your own, Hook."

The pirate stood from his side of the booth chuckling. "But why get my own, when I can have yours, lass?" And as she said this, Hook pulled something out of the depths of his coat and placed it on the table. Emma sputtered incoherently, and Killian Jones walked away with a new swagger in his step. For on the table sat Emma's missing carton of Rocky Road ice cream.

The woman picked it up and felt her anger rise when she realized that it was empty. She would obviously have to Hook-proof her apartment from now on, and get a better lock for her freezer. . .

Author's Note:

This is the first installment for a series of Captain Swan one-shots so check my gallery soon for more if you're interested! I hope you guys like this little drabble, I had fun writing it! I honestly think that Emma would be the kind of person to fight for her ice cream. XD I know I do!

But tell me. . . Did I have our lovely Killian Jones in character? I must know!

~Lyn Harkeran