The characters belong to Kitsis and Horowitz. I just let them out to play
"As you wish."
The first time he said it, Emma brushed it off. There was no way Killian could know the significance those three words had for her. True, they had been talking about their favorite movies around the campfire that morning but Mary Margaret and Regina were the only ones who had nodded approvingly at her choice, The Princess Bride. In fact, Killian and David had been arguing about the Terminator movies at the time and most likely hadn't heard a word the girls' conversation.
It was a weird enough trip as it was. They hadn't really planned on going camping but David insisted they needed to get away for the weekend to 'find' themselves. For some reason Mary Margaret had invited Regina, most likely in another attempt to make nice with the woman. In a move that had shocked everyone, Mary Margaret included, Regina had accepted. In what Emma considered retaliation she had invited Killian, figuring if she had to play nice with Regina all weekend she'd need someone on her side if things went south. It had nothing to do with the fact that things with Killian had been drifting along in an interesting direction. It definitely had nothing to do with Emma trying to figure out if she was up for the possibility of where it could end up.
The trip hadn't been half bad. Sure, Regina couldn't leave her razor sharp tongue behind and David and Mary Margaret were practically suffocating them all with their saccharine love affair but they were getting along for the most part and she was having fun.
So when Emma kissed Killian while they were gathering dry branches she blamed it on letting her good mood get away with her. She hadn't anticipated that he would respond so eagerly or with such fervor. Aware that someone would notice their absence she broke off the kiss and told him to get the rest of the wood for the fire. His three word answer made her steps falter as she walked back to their campsite.
There was no way he could have known that she had watched the movie endlessly when she was stuck in one foster home for the seemingly long time of six months. Or that when she found out it was a book she had checked it out from a library and never returned it, mostly because she was shipped to a new home but partly because she couldn't stand not being able to read it again and again. Most of all it was impossible that he could know that she had spent night after night hoping that she could possibly find a love so true that even Death couldn't stop it.
Therefore Emma brushed it off, figuring he had heard some part of the gushing between Mary Margaret, Regina and herself while they talked about their favorite scenes. She pointedly ignored the soft look in his blue eyes and the gentleness in his voice when he spoke to her the rest of the trip. Those words meant nothing to him after all.
The second time he said it she barely registered the words. She hadn't really taken notice of much going on around her, not when her thoughts were raging like a hurricane in her head. Mary Margaret and David had been talking over each other trying to comfort her and see if she was okay. Killian on the other hand had kept his distance and his mouth shut, which was the reason she had turned to him.
It was another weekend where they had decided to get away. The camping trip had been fun but they all agreed that it would be a while before a repeat performance. Killian had been the one to suggest they go sailing instead. He had been fixing up a boat for years and it was finally seaworthy. He said he would be honored to take them out for the maiden voyage of the Jolly Roger, a name that Emma had tried not to laugh at when he first told her. Not because she thought it was silly but because she thought it was all too appropriate. There was no denying that Killian had a bit of pirate in him, leather and eyeliner aside.
They only sailed to the next town over but there was something adventurous about getting there by boat. Killian was a hell of a captain, something she was ashamed to be surprised by. She didn't know much about sailing but she could tell he was in his element and doing a damn good job of it too. Knowing she would just get in the way or mess something up she had stayed seated next to Mary Margaret and enjoyed the sight of Killian and David trying not to kill each other as they tried to find a working rhythm.
It had only taken them an hour or so to get to their destination. They had planned on getting lunch and exploring the town before sailing back to Storybrooke. Everything had gone to hell when Emma stepped outside of the deli they had finally chosen to eat at. She had been looking down at her phone when she walked straight into the man on the sidewalk. The apology died on her lips when she looked up into too familiar brown eyes. Eyes that she had dreamed about for years and cursed for just as long.
Neal looked happy to see her and after what he'd done to her it was too much, and not enough. Soon she was yelling and he was yelling right back, trying to get her off the street so they could talk without attracting attention. The others rush out of the deli, David blocking Emma from Neal's view as he told him to leave, Mary Margaret pulling Emma back inside, and Killian standing in the middle of it all, eyes fixed on Emma but she could see his jaw clenching and hands curling into fists.
After Neal disappeared down the street David and Mary Margaret had descended on her. Ignoring them both she had turned to Killian and asked if he would take them home. He answered her without hesitation and led the way back to the docks. It wasn't until she was curled up in bed watching the movie later that night that she realized what he said and that maybe the words meant a little bit more to him than they did before.
The third time he says the words she knows exactly what he means but it's too late. Whatever could have happened between them had been overshadowed by Neal's return and her need to escape. She was leaving, her yellow bug was stuffed full of boxes and bags, and she was with her few friends at Granny's Diner to say goodbye.
It had only taken Neal twenty-four hours to find her again. Ten minutes after that Neal ran into the man he had been running from since he was thirteen. Emma hadn't known that Mr. Gold, who owned half the town, was Neal's father. She had come to Storybrooke on a whim, turned out Fate had bigger things in store for her. If her reunion with Neal had been rough then Neal's reunion with Mr. Gold was beyond comparison.
In the month and a half that followed Emma had come to a realization that despite everything, abandoning her, getting sent to jail, the baby she had given up, she still loved Neal. He had decided to stay after the initial tensions with his father and tried to reestablish any kind of relationship with Emma. That more than anything was what convinced Emma to apply for a job in New York that she barely qualified for. Being around Neal was too painful and if she wanted to move forward in her life then she had to do it away from him.
She hadn't told anyone her plans until the job was hers. Mary Margaret was crushed when she found out, David only a little less so. They were the two closest things to family she had ever had and she hated hurting them but they understood her motives. Even if Mary Margaret had been trying to get Emma to give Neal another chance.
Telling Killian was another ordeal all together. Somewhere along the line of their friendship things had shifted between them. Killian had always been a huge flirt, especially with her. One night, not long after Neal had moved into town, he had confessed his feelings had changed, become more. It had blindsided her and opened her eyes to things she had been trying not to see. His timing couldn't have been worse, Neal's return had her less willing than ever to start a relationship and she had mailed her application that morning.
She hadn't told him about leaving then because she wasn't even sure if she was going to go through with it. When she went down to the docks after breaking the news to Mary Margaret and David he somehow already knew. He smiled sadly as he told her that she was an open book and that he hoped she would find whatever happiness she was looking for.
Killian had joined the small farewell party at Granny's along with Mary Margaret, David, and even Regina and Neal. She said her goodbyes, finally parting with Neal on good terms and giving Mary Margaret an extra long hug. When she got to Killian he made a half hearted quip about her car that she played along with. She told him not to forget about her and he seemed to pour his heart into the words he used as a promise.
She didn't look in the rearview mirror as she drove away, afraid that the tears in her eyes wouldn't stop once they began to fall.
The final time he says them it was a year later and she was back in Storybrooke. The occasion wasn't a happy one, in fact it was far from it. She was dressed in black and no one wanted to speak in anything louder than a murmur. Mary Margaret and David had barely left her side and she wasn't sure she wanted them to.
She had gotten the call at eight fifteen in the morning on a Thursday. Her pancakes and hot chocolate had gotten cold as she listened to Mary Margaret trying not to cry as she broke the news. Neal had been killed by a drunk driver. A stupid, senseless act that tipped Emma's world on its axis again.
It had taken a few hours to settle everything at work and pack before she was on the road back to Maine. She drove the six and a half hour trip in almost complete silence. Trying to get her thoughts and feelings in order was enough of a distraction. She only stopped once to fill up her gas tank and to let Mary Margaret know she was almost there.
Her return to town was undramatic. Not much had changed, but Storybrooke was the type of town that seemed to only change once in a blue moon. Her old parking space was open and as she pulled in she felt a sense of nostalgia that came out of nowhere. Walking up to the loft she had shared with Mary Margaret and David doubled the feeling.
Several days passed before the funeral and Emma spent it mostly reconnecting with people and accepting their condolences. The only person she couldn't seem to find didn't make an appearance until the burial. One moment she was standing alone beside the open grave as the casket was being lowered and the next Killian was standing beside her, a silent pillar of support.
The mourners gathered at Granny's after the burial. Mr. Gold was nowhere to be seen, David had told her that he hadn't really left his house since the accident. They were sitting in a booth while Mary Margaret was getting them drinks from the counter. When Killian slid into the seat beside her David excused himself giving her an encouraging smile.
They hadn't spoken much since she had left and she wasn't sure if it was more her fault or his. Just like the town he didn't seem to have changed much in her absence. There was an air of hopefulness about him that set her on edge. She hadn't come back for a beginning, she had come back to put things at rest. When Emma told him that he looked her straight in the eye as he replied. The finality of those three words made her heart stutter as he stood up and walked away.
It was a week later and she was leaving again. Emma hadn't been planning on staying for that long but the pull of Storybrooke was stronger than she realized. It had taken a while to place the ache she felt when she had first come back to town. She had been having lunch at Granny's when she realized that the feeling was being homesick.
Growing up in the foster system had kept her from being in one place long enough to form any attachments. Seeing her friends, walking through town, and just feeling content had made Emma realize that maybe she had been running long enough. Her contract with her job was almost up and she had nothing back in New York that was worth keeping her there.
She had stopped at Neal's grave, the headstone finally in place and told him everything she couldn't when he was still alive. Her tears had fallen but left behind a calm and surety that she held on to as she made her decision. The only regret she had was that Neal's death was what made her realize what she truly wanted.
The next day Emma had told Mary Margaret and David her plan. They were ecstatic and assured her that her room was still hers, no matter what. She had hugged them both and promised that she wouldn't be staying in New York for long. Just long enough to turn in her notice and tie up loose ends in the city.
It was late afternoon by the time she stopped at Granny's to grab a coffee before she hit the road. As she left the diner she saw Killian sitting at one of the tables on the patio. She hadn't seen him since the funeral, hadn't had the chance to apologize for her behavior. He graced her with a smile and knew she was forgiven without saying the words.
As she explained that she didn't have time for a drink she saw a brief flicker of pain in his eyes. Before she could tell him that she was coming back he grabbed her hand and looked at her, his emotions written plainly across his face. Killian hastened to tell her that his feelings hadn't changed, that when she came back he had begun to hope, and that he would wait for her. He asked her to return to Storybrooke, to give them a chance.
She answered him with three simple words.
"As you wish."