The front door opened with a quiet creak in the Charming apartment. Emma and Henry shuffled in, careful to not make any noise in the still of the night. Henry quietly hurried to his room and retrieved his bag. "I'll see you tomorrow, mom," he whispered, giving Emma a quick hug before disappearing through the front door again. Emma walked to the window and saw Henry get in Regina's car and they drove away. She sighed heavily, the events of the day finally catching up to her. She was exhausted and sore to the bones. She walked up the stairs to her room, throwing a glance towards her parents and her baby brother as they slept peacefully. Collecting her pajamas she headed towards the bathroom for a much needed shower. Her eyes drooped as she fought to stay awake while she redressed and brushed her teeth. As she laid in her bed, pulling the covers to her chin, she waited for sleep to overtake her. After a few minutes of being awake she shoved her covers away with a frustrated huff. Despite being dead tired all she could think of was Killian. He almost died that day and though she acted like it hadn't affected her much, shoving his heart into his chest and making her exit towards Regina, it scared her to death that she almost lost him which in turn frightened her even more knowing that her feeling ran deeply for the dashing pirate. She sat up in bed and grabbed her laptop from her night stand. She opened Netflix and tried to pick something to watch to distract her, but of course all she could think of was Killian's smile when he agreed to watch Netflix with her all those weeks ago, even though he did not know what it was. She looked at her phone and contemplated calling him. She grabbed the phone and as soon as she was going to press call it rang, Killian's grinning face lighting up the screen. She smiled briefly at the picture as she answered the call on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Swan," he breathed out. He sounded relieved to hear her voice.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately, worry starting to bubble in the pit of her stomach.

"Nothing, love. I just needed to hear your voice is all," he whispered. Emma smiled at his admission, knowing she was feeling the same way.

"Well I'm right here, Killian," she whispered.

"Aye, thank the gods for that," he laughed softly. "I am truly sorry, Emma, for all the things I have done."

"Killi—"

"No, lass, I do need to apologize because even though the Crocodile was controlling me it was still my hand that inflicted damage."

"Killian don't blame yourself. There was absolutely nothing you could have done to prevent it."

"Actually there is," he responded quietly. His voice laced with guilt and regret. She waited for him to explain. "I – I foolishly made a deal."

"Your hand," she stated. She knew Gold wouldn't just restore it without a price, and she stupidly accepted it because she couldn't handle another problem on top of Elsa and the Snow Queen.

"Aye. I black mailed him into giving him my hand back."

"With what?" she asked confused. She heard Killian take a deep breath before he responded.

"I knew he gave Belle a fake dagger. He's not capable of giving up his power for anyone. So I used it against him."

"That's not very smart."

"I know," he laughed mirthlessly. He went on to explain how Rumpelstiltskin had tricked him into believing that his hand was cursed and then finding out that it wasn't and what that meant. He told her about his run in with Will Scarlet and the deal he made to get rid of his hand. She listened patiently throughout his recounting, not interrupting him even when he described what happened to the sorcerer's apprentice. He told her everything about his wanting to warn her about the hat and Gold's intentions towards her magic. Emma could hear the deep regret when he spoke of what he did to the fairies and how he felt when he saw the blue fairy's face before she was sucked into the hat. When he was finished with his confession and Gold's doings he stayed quiet letting her digest and sort through all the information.

She knew he was being controlled for most of it but learning about the deal he made, it bothered her. Not the fact that he made a really shitty deal, but that he felt the need to be "whole" for her. He walked into Gold's grimy hands because he felt she deserved more, thought that having one hand affected her in the slightest. His reasoning although sweet was very wrong and extremely stupid.

"You are such an idiot," she whispered with a teasing tone.

"That I already know, love," he replied in the same tone.

"You were pushed into a corner, Killian, and you were being controlled and manipulated, that doesn't make you responsible. But you're an idiot because I could care less if you have two hands or no hands and you still made a deal with the devil. And I am mad at you at this moment because you almost died. Your whole "I'm a survivor, Swan" was so close to becoming bullshit and that scared the hell out of me. Don't ever do that again, you made a promise and I expect you to keep it. Got it?"

"Crystal clear, love," he whispered his tone hinting at the smirk that was surely on his lips.

They were quiet for a few minutes before she broke the silence.

"I need to see you," her whisper almost inaudible.

"I'll be right over," he replied after a beat.

"No, there's too many people here. Elsa isn't here anymore, doesn't mean it still isn't a packed house. I rather have coffee at your place," she says quickly with a mischievous grin.

"I hardly call a room at Granny's my place, as you say, but I shall leave the door unlocked for the lady," he chuckles.

"See you soon."

She hangs up the phone and moves out of bed. She changes into her jeans and a sweater, not bothering to put her leather jacket on, she is definitely not on Savior duty tonight. She shoved her feet in her boots and grabbed her car keys on the way out of the apartment, careful once more to not disturb her parent's slumber, or her little brother's. As she starts her yellow bug she can't seem to wipe the smile of her face. Killian had been open with her, telling her everything that he couldn't and everything he was afraid to confess in fear of her rejection. He told her the truth without her having to pull it out of him. There are not many people that were so honest with her and she loved that he was. He has been honest ever since the beanstalk; perhaps that was what initially pulled her in. How after coming clean on who he was he never told her a lie and she learned to trust his honesty. Along with his honesty came is infinite patience. He never pushed, always knew when she needed space and when she needed someone to talk to. She has turned away from him and pushed him away more times than she could count but he always stayed. He never left her and she was starting to believe that maybe he never will. Top that with his intoxicating smile and his piercing blue eyes and there is little chance that she wouldn't fall in love with him.

The thought came unabashed and completely unconsciously and it has never felt so right. She is—for a while now really—in love with the pirate. Her pirate. The man that came back to help save her son, the man to declare that he will win her heart honestly, the man that crossed realms to New York to bring her home, the man that followed he through a time portal, the man who gave up his home for her, the man who never left her side and offered her his warmth, the idiot who wanted to be whole for her, though he didn't need to be. She saw past his scars and brokenness because she was just as scarred and broken. She understood him and he understood her. And God help her, she loves that man with everything she has. The thought that she almost lost him that day pushed her to run out of her car into the side door of the Inn and towards his room.

Emma pushed open the door in a flurry, unable to wait to see him any longer. He sat on his bed patiently—of course—glancing at his hook absentmindedly. He looked up with a shy smile and she has never seen anything more beautiful. She decided a shy Killian Jones as supposed to the flirtatious Captain Hook was one of her favorite sights to see. He stood then an apology already set in his eyes.

"I need to apologize in person, lo—oomph."

She cut him off with her lips crashing into his. He recovered from the shock quickly, kissing her back with the same passion and longing. His hand balled in her hair as he pulled her closer at the sound of her moan. She wrapped her arms around his waist gripping the side of his shirt, wanting nothing more than to eliminate the barrier it created between them. They walked towards the bed, still linked in their passionate lip-lock. The back of Killian's knees hit the bed forcing him back into a sitting position, Emma following him as she straddled his lap. She grounded her hips against his and with a growl he flipped he over on her back. He hovered around her as she giggled quietly.

"You mustn't start something you won't finish, love. It's bad form."

"Who said I wasn't going to finish it?" she grinned widely.

Emma let out a squeal as Killian pounced on her, placing hurried yet gentle kisses on her neck. Her easy laughter quickly turned into moans and whimpers and whispered encouragement as she called out his name in ecstasy.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Emma traced the swan tattoo she had recently discovered on Killian's chest, his arm around her as he slept peacefully. She carefully lifted her head to look up at him. She smiled softly as she ghosted her hand on his cheek. "I love you, Killian," she whispered placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. She place her head back on his shoulder and quickly fell asleep, dreaming of a future she now saw and hoped for with her family and her pirate.