I posted this earlier but then realized I needed to make some edits. So here it is again (in 2 parts). The next part should be up soon!
The Storybrooke Fall Festival was one of the favorite events of the year in the small town in Maine. Pumpkins and hay bales were brought in by the cartload to take over Main Street for a day and tables were set up with people peddling wares from candles to handmade jewelry to wooden carvings and other stands were serving food.
As town sheriff, Emma had to work all day (although what she was meant to protect the festival from other than the off-chance that a scarecrow came to life, she wasn't sure).
As the daughter of Mary Margaret and David Nolan, Emma had to help set up and break down half of the tables and other decorations.
At least she got paid in free food and apple cider for the entire day.
She'd been up since the crack of dawn helping her dad line the street with hay bales and then settling a dispute between the nuns and August Booth about who had which table. Fortunately, it was resolved quickly without her having to incarcerate a nun or August.
By the time the festival officially opened at nine in the morning, she was ready to take advantage of the free beverages as she walked to the booth where Ruby was serving coffee.
"What can I get you, Sheriff?" Ruby called cheerily.
"As much caffeine as you can fit into a cup. Or a bucket. Whichever will keep me upright for the rest of the day."
"How about one cup and you can come back for more?"
Emma huffed. "Fine. But if I fall asleep on a hay bale, I'm blaming you."
She grabbed the cup and took a large gulp. "Ugh, needs sugar." Ruby pointed to the bin of sugar packets next to the coffee dispenser and Emma started adding ample amounts of the powder to the coffee.
"You're going to crash so hard once that wears off," Ruby commented.
"Not if I come back here as much as I plan to today," Emma retorted.
"Unless you plan on chugging caffeine until your heart finally gives out, you will eventually crash."
"Yes, but hopefully I can hold it off until I'm lying in bed after the chaos is over."
"Just so long as we don't run out of coffee," Ruby said impishly.
"Don't even think about it."
"Has she started on her caffeine high yet?" said Elsa as she walked up.
"You try working the entire festival, including set-up and breakdown, without coffee in an IV," Emma grumbled.
Elsa wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder and squeezed quickly before dropping her arm. "The place looks great, Emma. You and your parents have outdone yourselves once again."
"It's all Mom. Dad and I are just the manual labor."
"Either way, it looks fantastic."
"I'll pass on the message." Emma looked around. "Did you ditch Liam at home?"
"You know how much of a grump he can be when it comes to town spirit. But—" She trailed off and looked away.
"But what? Elsa?" Emma said with suspicion lacing her tone.
"Killian's here," Elsa answered quietly.
Emma groaned. "Can I get whiskey in my next coffee?"
"Absolutely not. You're working," Ruby responded.
Elsa quickly added, "He's not going to try to talk to you. He just said that he likes the festivals."
"They're open to the whole town," Emma muttered.
"Maybe you could talk to him," Ruby offered. "Isn't it about time that you two talked it out? You've both been moping around for the last two weeks. And don't think I missed you hightailing it out of the diner this week when he walked in."
Apparently, both David and Liam had set down their feet on the same day about Emma and Killian avoiding Granny's Diner, resulting in the most awkward lunch run in the history of both the sheriff's department and the dock crew.
"I'm not ready. I still have things to figure out."
Elsa sent a soft smile towards Emma, remembering the conversation they'd had the morning after the fight.
"Well, figure it out faster. I'd rather have happy Emma than Emma crying into her hot cocoa."
"Ruby!" Elsa reprimanded. Ruby gave a responding shrug before turning to someone walking up to the stand.
The morning after the breakup, Emma woke up, confused about her surroundings. As she remembered the events of the previous day, she opted to stare at the green walls of her bedroom rather than face her morning-people family. Her thoughts were disrupted by someone lying down on the bed beside her.
"Annie!" Emma scolded.
"Not Annie," came Elsa's voice from behind her. Emma flipped on her back to see her friend.
"Elsa? What are you doing here?"
"Emma, you know why."
Emma sighed and turned her head back to the wall. "Yeah, I guess I do."
"Do you want to tell me your side?"
"Listen, Elsa, I'm sure that I'm public enemy number one at your house right now. You don't have to be here."
"Too bad, because I want to be here. And you're hardly public enemy number one."
"Sure about that? I basically kicked Killian while he was already down."
"I'll admit that Liam isn't too pleased with you. But you and I were friends long before you and Killian were together. So now I'm here for my friend who just had a fight with her boyfriend."
Emma picked her head up and twisted it around to look at Elsa. "Liam's mad at me?"
Elsa smiled softly. "He's gone all big brother. And you know how overbearing he can be."
Emma turned herself so she was lying on her side, facing Elsa. "He's right to be this time. I really hurt him. And he's still trying to deal with all the Milah stuff."
"What happened, Emma?"
Emma picked at the sheets on the bed. "I got scared and ran. Like I always do."
"Start from the beginning."
Emma kept her eyes focused on the movement of her hand as she spoke. "Milah was back in town. And she wanted to get back with Killian. And I freaked. I told him that he should take some time to figure out if that's what he wanted to do. And he said that I always planned on running anyway from our relationship. So that's what I did."
"Oh, Emma." Elsa reached out and grasped her hand. "This sounds like one big misunderstanding. He's not going back to Milah."
"I know that!" Emma snapped. "And I'm sure some part of me knew that last night. He's been all-in on this since day one. I was the one who took forever to catch up. But why wouldn't he go back to her? She's offering him everything he wants: marriage, kids, stability. He deserves someone willing to go all-in like he is. And I got anxious at signing a lease contract."
"He'd rather have a lease contract with you than the whole package with Milah."
"Maybe."
"I knew him back when he and Milah were together. They were different from the two of you and he was different." She glanced at Emma who had turned curious eyes toward her. "He was restless. He'd come visit Liam and couldn't stand not doing anything. Always ready for the next adventure or thing going on. I got the sense that he was never in the right place. And then she left and he was miserable for a few years. And then you came along." Elsa smiled thoughtfully. "And he became happy, not in a manic way, but in a content way. Suddenly he just seemed to belong. I don't think he knew what it meant to want to settle down until he met you."
"Clearly he wanted to with Milah. It's why they broke up."
"Okay, maybe he thought that he wanted that life back then. But he didn't know what it meant to enjoy being in one place. It was a fantasy to him back then, but with you, it's a reality."
Emma pulled her pillow over her face and smashed it over her mouth as she made loud, garbled noises. "I screwed up, Elsa. I screwed up badly and I hurt him."
"Yes, you did."
"But I can't go back to him. Not yet."
"Why, Emma? You're both miserable."
"I can't just make up with him if I'm going to run in another three months. If that's the case, he's better off if we just cut ties now. I can't do this again. If we're going to try to work things out, then I need to be in it for the long haul. And I don't know if I am."
Elsa squeezed Emma's hand. "I think you're right. So take the time to figure it out."
Elsa stood from the bed and walked around the room for a second. She picked up one of the overturned photos and smirked at it. "Do you remember this?" It was the one of him in pirate apparel behind bars.
Emma smiled wistfully. "Yeah."
"That was during the time that I picked up a few extra hours at the library, so I helped him find this costume for the whole fairytales thing and make all the adjustments needed. And the whole time we were trying to get him fitted, all he could talk about was going to show you. You hadn't even started dating yet, but he wanted your approval so badly."
"He asked me out that day, and I turned him down."
"He never admitted to that! What happened?"
"He showed up at the station and was goofing off. And started spouting all these goofy pickup lines, like 'You've got me hooked' and 'I'm a pirate who knows treasure, and you're the finest treasure around'. But I told him that, as town sheriff, I couldn't be seen fraternizing with villains. And that it was my duty to lock him up for the town's protection. Which is how that picture happened."
"How did he get you to agree to a date?"
A blissful smile crept onto Emma's face. "It was the end of last fall when I got that really awful cold. He'd heard through the town gossips that I was sick and brought me grilled cheese from Granny's and soup and medicine. And then he made a giant blanket nest and gave me hot chocolate and watched movies with me the entire day. A week later, I found out that he'd skipped sailing with Liam to spend the day with me. The last sail before they dry-docked their boat for the winter. And I realized that he'd done so much for me when I wouldn't even take a chance on him."
"That's a good story."
"I've never once deserved him. Especially not now."
Elsa walked back to the bed and perched next to Emma. "Maybe. But I don't think that's true. And he definitely doesn't think that's true."
"Didn't," Emma muttered.
Elsa grimaced. "I wasn't going to tell you this, but . . . he asked me to check on you. I had already planned on it and then he told me you'd be here and wanted to make sure you were okay."
Emma shoved her face back into the pillow and let out a loud groan. "I really don't deserve him," she rasped.
"He's not keeping score. You just need to figure out what you want. And if it's to be with him, then do everything in your power to make things right, because—" One side of Elsa's mouth quirked upwards "—you know the old saying. 'A man unwilling to fight for what he wants . . ."
". . . deserves what he gets'," Emma whispered.
"Take some time to think. And remember that I am always here to talk to."
Emma shot her a grateful look. "Thank you, Elsa." She looked downwards before her eyes flitted back to Elsa's. "Is he okay?"
"About the same as you. Miserable and full of regrets. But he stayed out of the rum last night."
"Okay, good. That's good. Take care of him?"
With a small nod and salute, Elsa left her alone.
Later the day of the festival, Emma was admiring a necklace that she'd spotted at one of the stands when she heard a loud 'Killian!'
Instantly recognizing the voice of her younger sister, she froze. A second later, she heard a shout of 'Goose!' She sucked in a breath at the familiar nickname for Annie, her twelve-year-old sister.
Still pretending to be examining the necklace, she glanced around surreptitiously, instantly spotting the dark-haired man in a black leather jacket in front of a booth a few down from where she was. Not a second after she saw him, he was nearly knocked over by her little sister tackling him in a hug.
"Killian, I missed you!" Annie cried.
"I've missed you too, little lass. Are you enjoying the festival?"
"It's okay. You didn't help set up."
"Aye, well, I was—busy." Emma could practically hear him scratching behind his ear.
"I know you and Emma broke up. And I think it's stupid." Emma dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand.
"I'm sorry, goose. Sometimes stupid things happen."
"Well, it's stupid. And you two are being stupid."
Killian made a noise too soft for Emma to interpret. "I'm sorry I haven't been around, goose."
"Even—even though you and Emma aren't dating, which I still think is stupid"—And she beats me at Scrabble?, Emma thought—"are you and I still friends?" Emma's heart nearly broke all over again at her sister's sad tone.
"Oh, goose, of course we are."
"Good. But you should get back together with Emma, so she'll stop being sad. And then you can come to movie night and keep Leo from stealing all the popcorn."
"Not that simple. But I need you to do me a favor." His voice dropped a bit and Emma stepped a couple steps closer to pick up on his next words. "You need to make your sister happy, even when I am being stupid, as you so eloquently put it."
Emma almost broke down right there at his words and the sincerity in his voice.
"I'm good at that, better than Leo, who just wants to play video games all day."
"I know you are."
Emma peeked at them again to see Killian press a kiss to her sister's forehead and then wrap his arms tightly around her. She felt a smile overtaking her face, even though she could still feel tears welling behind her eyes at the overheard conversation of her sister and that ridiculous, stupid man.
Before Annie or Killian caught sight of her, she strode away from the jewelry stand into the crowd milling down the street. It was time to take the advice her father had given her. She just needed to figure out how.
Emma was so stuck on her goal that she didn't look back to see Killian approaching the table that she had just left.
"Tomorrow, you're getting lunch," David announced, tossing a bag of food from Granny's onto Emma's desk.
Jolted from trying to figure out how she could play off Annie's 'REALM' in Words with Friends, Emma glared at her father. "Dad, you know I can't go there."
"He hasn't even been there. Apparently he's got Liam working as his errand-boy."
"Great," Emma scoffed. "Liam hates me even more."
"Emma, you can't avoid Granny's for the rest of your life. You'll starve."
"Not as long as Mom's around." Mary Margaret, thrilled to have three children back under the roof (although downcast at the reason why), had been baking every day since Emma showed up on their doorstep over a week ago. "Who taught Annie how to play Scrabble? She's twelve and she's kicking my butt."
"What can I say? My good looks weren't the only thing she inherited from me."
"Yeah, I'm sure she gets her vocabulary, not from her teacher mother, but from her deputy father who tried to convince me two days ago that the opposite of an 'entrance' was an 'outrance'."
"Hey, that joke is funny, and you know it! See if I get you lunch tomorrow."
Emma reached for the bag on her desk. "Thanks for the grilled cheese, Dad."
"Grilled cheese? I thought you wanted Granny's Meatloaf Surprise." He leaned in to whisper, "The surprise is getting sick after you eat it."
"Ew, Dad, why."
"I'm just saying. I've gotten out of some night shifts with that stuff."
"Storybrooke's finest."
"Just because I vowed to serve and to protect doesn't mean I want to run the drunk tank on Leroy's birthday. Graham booked all seven of the brothers that night."
"Let me eat my grilled cheese in peace," Emma whined. David turned back to his desk and his own lunch as they both began unwrapping food in silence.
After half of the grilled cheese and one-third of the fries (damn you, Dad) had disappeared into Emma's stomach, she looked up at her dad. "Hey, Dad," she started, "when did you know you were going to marry Mom and all that 'to death do us part' stuff?"
"Somewhere between me getting on one knee on the beach and the altar, your mother filled me in."
"Dad, no, seriously."
David smiled. "It was during her Thanksgiving break freshman year of college. She'd gone to University of Maine while I stayed home in training to be a cop and everything. And I kept hearing all these stories about what's known as the 'turkey drop'. It's where couples break up during Thanksgiving after college. So I was so worried that she was going to get back and have found some stupidly handsome, rich college guy who wanted to make her every dream come true or something.
"And then she got home and she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. And she kept saying she didn't want to go back because she hated being away from me. I told her that she needed to follow her dreams and I'd always be with her, even if not physically present. I used most of my savings, as well as borrowed money from your grandmother, to buy a ring and proposed that week. We didn't get married until after she graduated, but I knew then."
He and Emma sat quietly for a few minutes, the father lost in memories while the daughter processed everything.
"Did you two ever fight? Not small squabbles but a big blow-out fight?" Emma asked shyly.
David's smile faded. "Once," he stuttered.
"Over?" Emma prodded when he didn't continue after a few seconds.
"I wanted to keep you," he stated.
Emma swallowed heavily. "When I was a baby?"
David nodded. "We were discussing options when your mother was pregnant. She wanted to give you up for adoption. To 'give you your best chance'. She'd already been accepted into colleges and said if we kept you you'd grow up raised by two kids who were barely scraping by. She'd hoped that you'd be raised by some nice family."
"She couldn't have known," Emma whispered, thinking back on her foster-system days.
"I know. I told her that even if we couldn't give you the best toys, we'd still know that you were growing up being loved with all of our hearts. She accused me of saying that she didn't love you. I told her that she was being too optimistic and idealizing the idea of adoption. Lots of mean things were said on both sides and we didn't talk for a few days.
"Finally, we both apologized and talked it over. I decided she was probably right and neither of us could raise a child. And she said we'd make sure that you were going into a good family before we gave you up. And we thought we had, just—"
"They sent me back into the system after three years when they had their own child," Emma finished.
"Yeah. If I'd known that, I would've taken you back. If I'd known anything about how you would grow up, I would have held onto you as a newborn and not let anyone take you away ever."
Emma lurched out of her chair and wrapped her arms around her father tightly. He returned the embrace as she buried her head into his chest. "You couldn't have known," she said into his shirt. "You tried your best to give me a good life."
"I know. But I would give anything to remake that decision."
"You would've been a great dad." Emma could feel tears leaking out of her eyes. "You are a great dad."
He tightened his hold on her before stepping back with a grin. "I would've been the world's worst helicopter-dad. You would've had to take me to all your classes." He gasped dramatically and added, "And think of how many years of my jokes you missed out on!"
Emma rolled her eyes. "On second thought, maybe the system wasn't that bad."
"Emma," David called, his tone sobering. "I know that this thing with Killian has been really rough on you, and you've got a lot to sort through." Emma groaned but he continued, "I just want to say that if he makes you happy, and I mean really happy, you need to grab onto him and not let go. Unless he wants you to. But he'd be an idiot to not want you. And he's not an idiot. I think."
"Dad, I get what you mean. And I'll figure it out."
"My offer to hit him still stands."
"Unnecessary use of force," Emma muttered under her breath as she went back to her lunch and game with Annie.
Emma Swan was going to get her Killian back.
If he makes you happy, and I mean really happy, you need to grab onto him and not let go.
It would probably take a fair amount of apologies and talking about feelings (which Emma was distinctly not a fan of), but if anyone deserved that from her, it was Killian. The stupid man was adored by both her parents and her siblings and adored them in return. He cared for them even before he and Emma got together. And he'd asked two separate people now to look after her since they'd broken up.
It just wasn't fair.
So Emma Swan was going to suck up her pride and fear and she was going to do everything in her power to patch their relationship. If only she could find him in this absurd throng of people.
Usually the crowds at the festivals made her proud of all the work her parents did in organizing town events. But now, it was frustratingly hindering her from getting back to the man she loved. It took everything in her power to avoid cursing out the brother-miners as she shoved through the crowd, hoping she looked like she was on sheriff business.
Finally, she caught a glimpse of Killian's messy hair ahead of her. She slipped between people until she could see him more clearly.
He wasn't alone. She was with him.
Killian leaned closer to Milah laughing. Soon she was laughing along with him.
They continued to chat with Killian first looking confused and then grinning. His face fell briefly but then he was back to smiling as she kissed him on the cheek. He said something to her and then hugged her.
Emma's heart broke once more.
She'd missed her chance. Of course he'd gone back to Milah, his first love.
Unsure whether she wanted to cry or vomit, Emma turned on her heel and rushed to the place where she'd last seen her father. Fortunately, he was still standing there.
"Dad, I need you to take over police duty for a few minutes."
"Yeah, sure." David looked closely at her. "Are you okay, Emma?"
She forced her lips into a smile. "Yeah. Just need a break. Thanks, Dad." With that, she hurried off to somewhere she could be alone.
Quite fortunately, Granny had not filed any sort of complaint about the scene she, Killian, Liam, and Milah had created at the diner.
Nor had Leroy gotten drunk and started a brawl (yet, the night was still young).
Nor had any dogs escaped from yards, kids driven cars into ditches, nor any of the things that would require the attentions of the town sheriff.
Which meant Emma had finished paperwork from previous days and made a couple phone calls to the mayor and other parties involved in the upcoming town events and got to go home early.
So now, stuck in her and Killian's apartment with a couple hours before the man was due home, she was freaking out.
Milah was back. Milah. Was back. Killian's Milah. The one who left and broke his heart. So badly that he still got quiet at times or occasionally frantic if she stayed late at work and he came home to an empty house. So badly that Liam still checked in with him, hushed conversations when they thought she was focused on something else.
It wasn't hard to figure out that something had happened to Killian before she showed up in town. When people first heard of his flirtations, they often said things like "It's good to see him showing interest again" and "He's been through a lot", followed by "You're good for him" and "I haven't seen him smile like that in a while" when they eventually got together. An attractive man in his twenties doesn't solicit comments like that unless he's been through a rough break-up.
And now, the reason for all those remarks from both close friends and virtual strangers was in Storybrooke.
Emma took a deep breath and pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets.
Maybe she was overreacting. Sure, Milah wasn't in Storybrooke for the scenic ocean view and small-town atmosphere; she'd told Emma herself that she was looking for Killian. But maybe she was just here to apologize. After all, she'd torn the man to shreds by leaving with absolutely no word. Maybe the guilt had been digging at her for the past six years, and she'd come to make her amends. She'd apologize, maybe stick around for a few days to reconnect, and then be on her way. Nothing would change in the town or with Killian and Emma.
Then again, maybe she was here for more.
Milah, sweeping back into town with heartfelt pleas for redemption and entreaties for another chance to win Killian's heart. Six years was a long time. Plenty to decide that you were ready to settle down, despite previous hesitations. Maybe the picket-fence life didn't sound so bad to Milah anymore, especially if it was with Killian. She was ready for the whole package, the jobs with regular hours and kids and sensible cars and cable TV subscription. Maybe Killian would decide he was ready for that, too.
Sure, he'd been playing house with Emma for the past two months, but it wasn't like there was any serious commitment in the whole set-up. Other than a lease contract, and that could be dealt with. They hadn't talked about anything more than just sharing a living space. No looking at houses or rings or, dear god, strollers. Emma knew she wasn't ready for that kind of talk. Not that she wasn't committed to her relationship with Killian, but until three years ago, she hadn't even had parents, let alone thoughts of becoming one. But maybe Killian did want all that, and maybe he was tired of waiting for her to get with the program. If Milah was laying all that on the table and he was ready for it—
But Milah had left him. Perhaps, despite whatever promises she spoke about changing and being ready, he wouldn't be able to trust her and wouldn't go back to her. That was a thing that happened, right?
But did Emma really just want Killian staying with her because he refused to get back together with Milah? Wasn't that the same as being second-best? Just call her a geyser, because she was Old Faithful: predictable and reliable.
No.
She shouldn't be doing this to herself.
She'd wait. Killian would be back soon. He'd explain everything. They'd laugh over how weird it is to see exes from days past and then order a pizza and spend the rest of the evening on the couch. Maybe he'd call in sick and she'd let her dad (who was sheriff before her but stepped down to be a part-time deputy) keep Storybrooke safe the next day and they wouldn't leave their apartment all day.
Everything would be okay.
She just needed something to distract herself with until she got to "okay".
She could—she could— She glanced around frantically at the apartment before her eyes lit upon a couple dirty dishes in the sink, probably from Killian's breakfast that morning. She could clean.
Cleaning was cathartic and all that. Most importantly, it would keep her busy until Killian got home. Then he would explain everything.
She just had to make it to then.
The festival was a lot of fun, Killian had to admit, even though he was aware every second of the gaping absence of Emma's hand in his. He'd spotted her a couple of times, even though it seemed like everyone in town was celebrating one of the last few days of decent weather for the year.
He thought he'd caught sight of her blonde hair in the crowd ahead of him and was about to promptly turn around when someone grabbed his wrist. He turned and locked eyes with his ex-girlfriend.
"Milah," he breathed out.
She smiled. "Hello, Killian."
He stared wide-eyed for a few minutes. "Hi. Uh, how are you?"
"I'm good." She gestured around herself. "This is quite the event."
"Yeah, Mary Margaret has outdone herself once more."
"Not quite Mardi Gras in New Orleans though."
Killian chuckled, thinking back on the crazy party day they'd had back when they were together. "Nothing is. But I hear that, after some spiked apple cider, Leroy will take off his shirt for beads. So not that different."
Milah laughed heartily. "Maybe I'll stick around long enough to see that."
Killian furrowed his brow. "Are you leaving?"
She nodded. "I only came to Storybrooke to see you. Either to make amends or, well, you know . . ." She trailed off and glanced at one of the nearby booths. "But even though I'm ready to stay in one place, that place isn't Storybrooke. I was thinking maybe Chicago or New York?"
Killian grinned. "You'll do bloody brilliant in either of those places. Put down some roots, but plenty of excitement always. They'll suit you."
"Storybrooke suits you," Milah commented. "You're so much more than when we were together."
He cocked his head to the side. "More what?"
"More confident? I don't know. More Killian, maybe."
"More Killian," he mused. "I like that."
"I'm leaving later today. I just wanted to find you and actually say goodbye this time."
"Oh." He scratched behind his ear.
"Killian, I'm sorry for all this. If I made you uncomfortable being back here. I don't know what I was thinking, except that maybe I wasn't."
"Milah, it's fine."
"No, it's not. I barged back into your life and tried to make myself welcome where I wasn't." She took a deep breath and met his eyes. "Is it true I ruined your current relationship?"
"Er, 'ruined' might not be the best word. It's salvageable, I hope. And it wasn't really you so much as—"
"Killian," she rebuked.
"Yeah. But I'm working on it." He sighed. "You showing up catalyzed the blow-up. But the problems existed before you."
"They always do. But I didn't help with that, and for that, I am sorry. I wish you the best of luck in fixing things."
He hummed and nodded. "Thank you, Milah. And even though things went sort of chaotic, you coming back, the closure I got from that, it was nice. So, thank you."
"I needed this, too. And it was nice seeing you again." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Good luck with the rest of your life."
He smiled. "And good luck finding yourself in New York or Chicago or wherever you land."
"I'd say the same thing, but you've clearly already found yourself. Now, you just have to get it all back."
He stepped forward and hugged her. She returned the embrace before pulling back, nodding, and returning to Granny's.
Killian watched her leave before turning back to the festival with a bounce in his step.
Emma had made her excuses and then fled to the back hallway of the diner, her fingers tapping anxiously on her phone to select the well-used contact.
"Swan" came the relaxed voice of her boyfriend. "Miss me already?"
"Killian, ask Liam for some time off. You need to get down to Granny's. Now."
"Swan, is everything okay? Are you all right?"
"Just get down here." She paused as he continued to ask questions. "You know what? Just give the phone to Liam."
"Swan! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Emma," he whined.
"To Liam."
She waited a few seconds, hoping he would follow her directions. Then Liam's voice came over the line, "Emma?"
"Hey, Liam. Killian needs to get down here." She could still hear Killian's frantic questioning in the background.
"What's going on, lass?" Liam asked coolly.
"It's Milah. She's here. She's looking for Killian."
Liam's "damn" was followed by a loud "What's going on?" from Killian. "All right, lass. We'll be there."
The line clicked off and Emma took in a deep breath. She stood in the hallway, just breathing and trying to clear her rushing thoughts for a few minutes until Ruby burst through the door.
"Emma, what was that?"
"Nothing. I had to call Killian."
Ruby pointed a red nail at Emma's chest. "Not that. What happened in there." She jerked her thumb back towards the diner. "Who is that woman?"
"That's Milah."
"I got that. Do you know about her? How does she know Killian?"
Emma sighed, slumping her shoulders forward a bit. "They used to travel together, like she said. And they were together. Until they wanted different things and she left. He was pretty torn up about it for years."
"Was?"
Emma sent her a pitiful look. "Yeah, I mean, I think so. You don't think he would be with me and still hung up on this other woman, do you?"
"Oh, no, sweetie, of course not. You just have to see the way he looks at you. The only woman that man is hung up on is Emma Swan, and can you blame him?"
"Thanks, Ruby. But shouldn't you be working?"
Ruby dismissed Emma's concern with a wave of her hand. "Granny isn't that old. She can handle the diner by herself for a few minutes. Just needed to make sure you weren't back here about to tear your hair out."
Emma gave Ruby a grating look. "I'm fine. Now let's get back out there."
"Why? Worried about rumors about why we've been back here so long?" She waggled her eyebrows exaggeratedly.
Emma pushed her back into the diner proper, and Ruby trotted off to take orders from a nearby table. Emma continued to lurk in the back of the diner and quietly observed the woman, Milah, who had taken a seat at one of the tables. She stayed there for a few minutes until Killian burst through the door of the diner with Liam on his heels.
"Swan," he gasped, his eyes darting around. But before they found her standing in the back, they landed on Milah, who had stood at his entrance. His eyes widened and he gulped. "Milah."
"Killian," she replied in her clipped accent.
He stood motionless until Granny bustling by snapped him out of his transfixed state. He then lurched towards her until he was standing directly in front of her. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.
"Can we talk?" she responded coolly.
He nodded towards a vacant booth and she headed towards it with him on her heels. As they were settling in the booth, Liam walked over to where Emma was still paralyzed in the back. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"You okay there, Sheriff?"
"It's—uh—a lot to take in," she muttered back. "I mean, I've heard the story and all but . . . that's Milah. The Milah. The one who broke him for years."
"And you're Emma, the one who fixed him. Lass, don't start questioning your role in this drama."
Emma looked up at him gratefully. "Thanks, Liam. Hey, why are you down here? I only said for Killian to come."
"If you think I'm going to let my little brother go alone when you tell me that Milah's back in town, then you don't know how protective and controlling of an older brother I am. Also maybe I'm just here to see my favorite sister-in-law." He nudged her with the last line.
Emma blushed and broke their eye contact. "We're not married."
"And more fool is my brother for it." Emma shuffled her feet awkwardly, so Liam pasted on, "I've always wanted an in-law who's in the law."
Emma shoved him in the shoulder as he preened at his own joke. They then both fell silent and watched the interaction between Killian and his ex-girlfriend. Killian's mouth was set in a stern line while Milah talked. He occasionally nodded or shook his head, but his expression refused to change.
"Is he going to be okay?" Emma asked shyly.
Liam jerked his head to look at her. "Oh, Emma. My little brother is strong, stronger than I ever give him credit for. Seeing Milah again is tough, but he'll be just fine."
He used his arm still around her shoulder to pull her into a proper hug. As they separated, Emma finally caught Killian's eye. Killian muttered something to Milah who nodded and he stood and walked over to his brother and girlfriend. Killian wrapped an elbow around Emma's arm and pulled her into the hallway.
"Killian, I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you on the phone but I didn't—"
Whatever explanation Emma had prepared was lost as Killian kissed her roughly.
"You—had me—worried—over—the phone," he murmured, placing kisses all over her face between the words. "Bloody hell, love."
"I'm sorry," Emma giggled as he continued peppering her with kisses. "I didn't know how well 'your ex showed up at Granny's' would go over. Killian, take it easy."
He pulled back and grinned lazily at her.
"How—how are you?" she questioned tentatively.
His entire face dropped, and he leaned his head forward to rest on her shoulder. "I'll be all right, lass, don't worry about me." He sighed and Emma shivered as his warm breath skimmed her arm. "It's—a lot to take in right now, I'm not going to lie. I didn't really expect to see Mil—her ever again and, quite honestly, did not want to. But now all those feelings, everything unresolved from that situation is back and I—I—"
Hearing him choke on his words, Emma wrapped her arms around his back and yanked him closer. He slid his arms around her back and returned the hug. His breath puffed against her neck softly until he sucked in a large breath.
"Why is she here?"
"Still not certain of that. The conversation isn't over. I just had to come reprimand someone for scaring a man half to death over the phone because she's a fan of the dramatics."
Emma smirked. "Your reprimanding tactics aren't very effective. And I'm the sheriff. If anyone's going to be doing any reprimanding, it'll be me."
"Well, Sheriff, looks like you're doing a poor job. Granny will probably file a public disturbance complaint after all this excitement at the diner."
"Damn. I was looking forward to spending the evening with my boyfriend, but I guess I'll have to stay late filling out all the paperwork."
"Don't you dare." He brushed a strand of hair over her shoulder and let his hand rest on her cheek, his thumb stroking it lightly. "Something tells me your boyfriend is having a bit of a rough day and would like nothing more than to curl up with you on the couch."
"Hm, demanding man." Emma pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "If that's the plan, I better get to work or I will be there all night."
"And I shall see you at home later." Killian pressed his lips against hers softly, his hand never leaving her face, then pulled back to look into her eyes. "I adore you, Emma Swan."
She blushed. "I should invite more of your exes into town."
He huffed and nudged her towards the exit of Granny's. "Cheeky."
As he watched her trot towards the door, he took another deep breath and prepared to face Milah a second time.
As Killian wove his way through the crowd of the festival, he spotted the sheriff's deputy, David.
"David, mate!" he called.
David looked up and scanned the crowd for him. "Killian, hi!"
Killian ducked through the outer edge of the crowd and landed next to David. David clapped him on the shoulder. "Good work putting this together," Killian said.
David puffed out his chest. "Most of it is Mary Margaret. But I can position a mean hay bale."
"Is this your handiwork?" Killian joked, gesturing to a hay bale that had been knocked from its original place. David grumbled and fixed the bale. "Where is the lovely Mary Margaret?"
"Running some games for the children. The rest of my clan has run off to somewhere."
"Aye, I saw your daughter a while ago."
"Emma?" David asked, surprised.
"Er, no. Little Annie. We spoke for a few minutes."
David nodded. "I was hoping you'd say Emma. Might explain why she ran off. But Annie misses you."
"And I miss the little goose. Is something wrong with Emma?"
"Other than the obvious?" David laughed before stopping abruptly. "She just asked me to take over playing sheriff while she took a break. Usually she's unstoppable at these events."
"Do you want me to go look for her? See if she's okay?"
"No, no." David narrowed his eyes as he inspected the younger man. "Killian, what's going on?"
"I made a mistake, David, in regards to your daughter. And now I know that I made a mistake and what a huge mistake it was, so I plan on doing everything in my power to rectify it. I hope it's not too late."
David observed Killian for a few more seconds before his face broke into a wide grin and he placed his hand back onto his shoulder. "I knew that you'd figure it out."
Killian smiled weakly back at him. "I'm surprised I'm not staring at the barrel of your gun."
"Oh, if you ever hurt Emma again, you will be. But for now, I'll just let the manly weight of my hand do all the talking. I know that you weren't the only one who had problems that they needed to work through. The shotgun would've been if you'd taken much longer."
"I'm sorry that it took me this long. I think—I think I get what Emma was saying that night. And she was right, some part of me did wonder what could've happened with Milah and if I would be happier if I'd tracked Milah down. But now I know."
"And what do you plan to do?"
"Beg? Grovel? Apologize until my voice goes away? Whatever it takes, as long as she'll listen."
David's grin widened. "You're a good man, Killian Jones. You don't deserve my daughter, but you're the closest I could possibly find."
Killian nodded solemnly. "Thanks, Dave. Now, do you want me to go find her?"
"Maybe give her some time. She probably just got overwhelmed by the crowd."
"Aye. Enjoy the rest of the festival." Killian walked away from the older man, step even bouncier than after the conversation with Milah.
Emma and Killian were well on their way to becoming an official ampersand couple in their small town of Storybrooke, Maine. Emma had moved in with him nine months into their relationship when Killian had asked suspiciously close to her parents threatening to charge rent and they would be seen at any and all town events hand-in-hand, usually helping Emma's parents who always seemed to end up in charge of everything.
Emma's parents, David & Mary Margaret Nolan (the town's bona fide ampersand couple), were Storybrooke's version of a fairytale royal couple, with only one stain on two spotless records. When they'd been just eighteen years old, Mary Margaret had gotten pregnant. She'd dreamed of being a teacher and was already going to college, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to raise a child while going through school. So they made arrangements for Emma to be adopted and raised by the Swans, hoping their baby would have a better life.
Emma stayed with the Swans for the early years of her life but went into the foster care system when they had to give her up to make room for their own child. She'd bounced around from place to place until she was approached by a private investigator who gave her information on how to contact her birth parents. With a great deal of deliberation and a fair amount of liquid courage, Emma eventually called the Nolans and ended up in Storybrooke in an attempt to form a bond with her parents.
Now, three-and-a-half years after being approached by the private investigator, Emma was the deputy and knew most of the people in the small town of Storybrooke. And, of course, most of them knew Emma.
In fact, the town knew her so well that a mug of hot cocoa sprinkled with cinnamon was already waiting for her when she stepped into Granny's on a Thursday morning at the same time as she came in every weekday.
"Thanks, Granny!" she called to the old woman who gave her a quick wave before turning back to the customers who were ordering.
Emma took a seat at the counter and wrapped her hand around the mug of hot cocoa. Granny's actual granddaughter, Ruby, strutted out of the kitchen carrying a tray of plates. She placed them down at a table before, wielding her order pad, she headed over to Emma.
"Hey, Ems. What'll it be?"
"Pancakes today."
Ruby cocked an eyebrow at her. "That all?" Emma nodded. "Your pirate not joining you today?"
"You're never going to let him live down that costume, are you? And his monster of a boss is making him work early mornings at the docks." The two women smirked, both knowing that Killian's boss was his own brother, Liam, who had been promoted a few years back. "He'll be by at lunchtime."
"Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but that man is something. Between Killian, Liam, and Graham, Storybrooke is not hurting in the hot, accented guys department."
"I won't tell Regina that you didn't put Robin on that list," Emma retorted. "Speaking of you and accents, how is your thing with the lovely Belle?"
Ruby gasped. "Emma, a woman of high moral character does not kiss and tell." She paused and grinned salaciously. "Good thing I'm not of high moral character, and I can tell you that there has been quite a bit more than kissing. But alas," the waitress sighed dramatically, "she wants to make sure everything is completely finalized with Gold before anything goes public. So it's sticking to the library back room and vacant rooms in Granny's inn for now."
"Remind me never to stay in that inn ever again."
Ruby replied with a smirk. "Like you'll ever need a place to stay in Storybrooke now that you've shacked up with Killian and are following your parents down the path to perfect, domestic bliss. God, I can practically hear the wedding bells and babies crying now."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we've only been living together for two months. Don't go picking out your bridesmaid dress!"
Ruby's eyes lit up. "So I'm going to be a bridesmaid?"
Emma rolled her eyes but smiled good-naturedly. "I wouldn't have anyone else. But seriously, Ruby, two months. It's not time to learn the wedding march on the organ."
"Ha! Have you seen the way that man looks at you? Even after the two years you made him chase after you? I'm surprised he didn't have a ring on the first date."
Emma blushed and looked down sheepishly.
Admittedly, she had made Killian work quite a bit before she allowed him to "court" her as he so mockingly liked to put it sometimes. She hadn't been in Storybrooke for a week before she ran into Killian while wandering at the docks to clear her head (she was meeting her parents at twenty-four years old, which can be a lot to handle). She'd immediately been struck by his blue eyes, dark hair, and sauntering gait but had declined any advances as she was still trying to figure out how to be a daughter. Even after she was well-integrated into Storybrooke's cloth, she continued to turn down any overtures for a date. Finally, over two years after their meeting, she'd asked him on a date and hadn't regretted it since.
"Oversentimental dork," Emma muttered.
"Don't forget hot."
The bell over the door dinged, and Ruby's eyes snapped to the opening. "I've got to get back to my job. Your pancakes will be here soon."
"Thanks, Ruby."
Emma glanced towards the door to see the newcomer and frowned. Storybrooke rarely had visitors, so the fact that she did not recognize the brunette woman standing in the entrance at all caused her ears to perk up (figuratively speaking).
"Excuse me," the woman said, striding up to Ruby. "I was told that this is the place to go to find a place to stay."
"Oh, yes. Granny Lucas, the woman over there, runs this diner and the local inn. We can make arrangements for you to get a room. How long are you staying?"
The woman wrung her hands together. "I'm—not certain, actually. I'm actually here to find someone that I haven't seen in a long time."
That really got Emma's attention.
"Oh, well, Granny knows almost everyone in this town so she—"
Emma slid a few stools over so she was next to the new woman. "Hi. I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I heard you were looking for someone. We don't get that many new people in this town, so it's always something of interest. I'm the sheriff, by the way."
The woman jumped a bit at Emma's intrusion but turned to her with bright eyes. "Oh, the sheriff! You will be able to help me. I'm looking for this man. He'd be about thirty years old by now. Probably works at the docks. Killian Jones, brother of Liam Jones?"
Emma's jaw dropped a slight amount. "Killian? He's m—I know him. If you don't mind my asking, how do you know him?"
"Oh, we used to travel together, years ago."
Emma's stomach dropped. "Oh, okay. And what was your name again?"
"I'm Milah. Milah Cassidy."