Failure to Appear (part 1)

"Damn," she muttered, slamming the car door behind her. She'd thought for sure that the woman's story about 'spending all day at the library' had been a cover story, but it seems even Emma Swan can't always tell when someone is telling the truth. Especially when the truth is absurd. Who spends all day in a library, really?

She had made her way to the waterfront, near the aquarium. There was one of her favorite food carts parked nearby. It was called Granny's-to-go, and Granny employed bicycle messengers to deliver the best grilled cheese in Boston up and down the harbor at the tap of a button.

She found her favorite bench by the water and sat facing the bay. With the aquarium so close, the area was always busy with tourists taking absurd photos they probably thought were clever and the air always smelled of salt and fish, but somehow the sound of the water always calmed her when she was irritated. (Noisy tourists notwithstanding.) Before long she heard a voice calling her name.

"SWAN?"

She turned around, the voice was unfamiliar, and until now Emma thought she knew every one of Granny's delivery guys. The only bicyclists on site ignored her however; more interested in taking their selfies then delivering her much needed respite in the form of bread and cheese.

"Emma Swan?"

To her surprise the voice came from the dockside and she turned around. A small sailing boat had pulled up to the dock and a man with dark windswept hair was grinning at her.

"I was hoping it'd be you," the man said with a grin, as he finished tying a precarious looking gangplank to the dock. Several passengers made their way off the boat and for a time the man's attention was distracted from her while he assisted the disembarking passengers. It gave her a moment to observe him. He was a curiosity, that's certain. He wore tight fitting black jeans and a black button up t-shirt. (Button up being... perhaps a bit generous of a description.) The jacket he wore was black leather, more worn then most of the jackets she came across in the fashionable areas of the city. That was hardly the most striking accessory on him though, for on his left hand he sported a bright silver hook.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked when the last passenger had disembarked and he turned his attention to her.

"Killian," He offered her his hand which she shook distractedly. "But most people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker." He held up the attachment with a smirk and she raised her eyebrows.

"Hook? Really?"

He grinned and shrugged, "it's good for business, as is my new association with Granny's-to-go, which is the fortunate situation leading to our most pleasurable acquaintance."

"You're Granny's new delivery boy?"

"I assure you love, I am no boy."

"So sorry, Hook, I had no idea you preferred feminine pronouns."

"Feisty lass, I appreciate that in a woman."

"You know what I appreciate in a delivery person?"

"Hmm?"

"Food."

He held up hand and hook in a mockery of surrender. "Well, sweetheart, if you could stop flirting with me long enough to come aboard you are most welcome to your refreshment."

She shook her head with a half smile and climbed aboard. There were seats for about a half dozen tourists on the main part of the deck plus standing room and a couple small tables in the back bolted to the deck. On one of these tables she found her normal order from Granny's.

"So you came all the way out here to deliver my grilled cheese?" she asked when he leaned against the side of the boat near her table

"Not exactly. Harbor tours, up and down the coast all day. People come and go as they choose boarding and disembarking at any of a couple dozen stops. Speaking of which, I'm here for another three minutes before I must depart to stay on schedule."

"Are you telling me that I have three minutes to finish my dinner?" Emma asked, a touch of irritation back in her voice.

"Course not, love, I'm telling you that you have two and a half minutes to decide if you are going to let me sail off with you into the sunset. Well... not into the sunset directly. More... perpendicular to the sunset."

"I don't think I have time for a boat tour."

"Allow me to offer you some enticement. In 3... no 2 minutes I leave this stop and head north, however in 14 minutes the sun sets."

Emma popped an onion ring into her mouth, raising her eyebrows to indicate she had no idea what he was talking about.

"On weekdays, tours end at sunset. So in 15 minutes I will be quite free to return you to wherever you so desire. How about it, love?"

He was smirking at her and she should say no just to knock that ego down a notch or two. But it had been a long day and something about the sea breeze, the salt in the air...that accent. Something about that accent...

He'd picked up a few new passengers before leaving and he chatted easily as they moved through the bay, pointing out the landmarks as the sun gradually sank over the city casting a blazing light over the water. She stopped listening after a few minutes, his voice dulling to a lilting drone in the back of her mind as she enjoyed the wind on her face and the rocking of the boat. When the last passengers had been delivered to the north end he turned his attention back to her.

"Where to, love, back to the aquarium?"

"My car is there."

"As you wish."

"How long have you been doing this?" she asked, once he'd set their course.

"A while now," He raised his hooked arm and shrugged, "this put an end to my naval career rather unexpectedly. So it was either this or pirate."

"My son would love that," she muttered. She nearly kicked herself in frustration. She was doing that thing again, vetting every guy she met by bringing up Henry right away. It was a habit she'd picked up while dating but she'd given up on dating some time ago. Between Henry and work there was just no time.

"You have a son?" he asked. She almost wished he'd looked disappointed. That would have made things easier.

"Yeah, Henry. He went through a pirate phase a while ago, I think he's moved on to marvel now."

"The boy is with his father right now, then?"

"Subtle," Emma teased and Hook shrugged with a half smile.

"No, one of my neighbors usually watches him after school. Practically raised him, in fact, given that I'm out on cases so much." She smiled slightly to cover up the trace of bitterness in her voice.

"What is it that you do, love? You seemed vexed earlier."

"I spent all day on a stakeout and turned up nothing," Emma admitted, turning her face into the wind and closing her eyes.

"A stakeout? You're a cop? If so I'll have to more closely guard my talk of piracy."

"Not exactly. Bail enforcement agent."

"A bounty hunter, how intriguing. I can't say you're quite what I had in mind when I picture bounty hunters."

"That's kind of part of the job description," Emma replied, checking her bag for the last onion ring before crumpling it up.

"Sounds like an exciting life," he offered, "Who are you seeking that's causing you such annoyance?"

She shrugged, "It changes every few days. Mostly assholes that deem child support optional but this latest- you may have heard of him. He was big news a while back. Accused of killing his ex-wife years ago. They finally found the evidence and someone willing to testify but he somehow got out on bail anyway. I suspect he has connections with-" She turned back towards the captain and saw he had gone stiff as a board. In a moment it clicked into place. The reason the name Killian had sounded so familiar. "Oh god," Emma muttered with a wince, "You're Killian Jones aren't you? The witness..."

"At your service."

"God, I'm sorry. I knew I recognized the name but I'd never seen a picture..."

"There's no need for that," he gave her a tight smile, "Just caught me off guard." Emma watched him carefully for a moment, torn between embarrassment for not having realized sooner and the feeling that she ought to take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about her query. But they were already drawing close to their destination and she needed to get back to Henry.

He hopped out onto the dock, turning to pull out the gangplank but Emma was already a step behind him using his shoulder to balance herself as she hopped out right behind him.

"You'll get me in trouble, love," he teased, "Liability issues. Also, if you fall in the bay then I have to do the dashing rescue scene. It will probably make the news and I'll become famous. And honestly I've no time to be famous."

Emma shook her head with a smile, "I should go. Gotta get back to my kid,, you know."

"It was a pleasure, Swan."

She turned to leave, wondering if she had just missed her chance (her chance to find out more about this Gold character, of course,) but an instant later she heard steps behind her and his fingers closed around her arm. "Swan wait, will... will I see you again?"

The corner of her lip twitched and she bit her lip.

"I do really like grilled cheese," she told him.

AN: So begins another hiatus AU.

this all started with me getting a grilled cheese at panera and being impressed with how fast the guy made it and wondering if I order grilled cheese enough that he started making it before I ordered :P Also now I want grilled cheese again. I feel like this AU is going to make my grilled cheese addiction much worse.

*Runs away from computer to get grilled cheese in case everyone hates it*