Then Came You

Emma hated weddings.

Everything from the same overplayed songs she heard most weekends to the cheesy, tearful speeches annoyed her endlessly. Yet what she hated most was happening to her right at that very moment.

"Waitress!" A middle aged man, who was fat around the middle and holding a drink in the air sloshing the remaining liquid over the sides of the glass and down his arm called out to her. She pushed down the rage that was bursting to get out and replaced it with what she hoped resembled a smile more than a grimace.

"Yes, sir?" Emma questioned fighting the urge to grab the drink out of his hand and hit him over the head with it.

"Could you be a doll and get me a few more of those stuffed banana peppers?"

She smiled again, "I'll check in the kitchens and see if there are any left."

As she turned away she felt a swift swat to her butt and the man saying "That's a girl."

She stalked off to the kitchen in a rage trying to calm herself by counting backwards, slowly from ten, just like Mary Margaret had always told her to do. As if Mary Margaret wouldn't have aimed a well-deserved punch to the man's nose for touching her ass. She breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the kitchen door just as Uptown Girl started to play.

This is not where Emma Swan pictured her life to be at 31 years old. Just ten years ago she was named Promising New Chef of the year and was on her way to success and stardom and since all of that came crashing down around her, she found herself waitressing for a catering company, not even trusted enough to make the canapes.

Rather than looking for the stuffed banana peppers, Emma decided she needed a break and went out the backdoor of the banquet hall to get some air. She took a seat on the curb and took out a cigarette and lighter from her apron. She closed her eyes as she inhaled and felt a calming relief washing over her body.

Killian loved weddings.

He mostly loved finding a single bridesmaid to take home for the night and the open bars. However seeing as this was his brother Liam's wedding and he was the best man it seemed like it would be frowned upon to overindulge. That, however, did not mean that he hadn't been eyeing the leggy brunette who was introduced as Claire's cousin the entire evening.

"Don't even think about it," came his older brother Liam's voice from behind him. Killian cocked his head to the side and feigned innocence, "I don't even know what you are talking about mate." Liam rolled his eyes as he took a seat next to his younger brother. "Claire told me to tell you that you can't sleep with any of her friends or family members, especially Danielle," Liam said motioning towards the leggy brunette with his head.

"You guys take all the fun out of life," Killian muttered and he took a swig from his beer. Liam laughed and put his hand on his brother's shoulder, "This could be you next you know," he said.

"What? A short twat in a tuxedo? I'll pass," Killian retorted taking another swig from his beer and finding Danielle across the dancefloor laughing with some of the bridesmaids.

"Don't be an ass. Married, I mean, and happy." Liam told him and when Killian didn't respond he added, "Milah was five years ago Killian, she would have wanted you to be happy."

Killian shrugged his brother's hand from his shoulder and began to stand up, "She would have wanted to be alive…I'm going outside for a bit, I need some air." Liam simply shook his head feeling hopeless and watched his brother make his way towards the back exit, wishing his brother would find happiness and stop feeling so guilty.

Killian burst out the backdoor and felt relief as the air touched his face. He closed his eyes and breathed in the cold January air. When he opened his eyes he noticed the blonde waitress from the reception sitting on the curb and smoking a cigarette. He walked up to her and took a seat, "Mind giving me one of those?" he asked.

She turned and looked at him, seemingly annoyed from being interrupted from her thoughts. She dug into her apron and handed him a single cigarette and a bright pink lighter. Killian lit it and handed the lighter back to the blonde, "thanks love," he added turning on the charm once he saw that she was attractive.

He stuck the lit cigarette behind his ear and stuck out his hand, "Killian Jones, pleasure to meet you darling."

The blonde threw her cigarette on the ground and crushed it with her shoe and went to take his extended hand when the backdoor slammed open hitting against the brick.

A thoroughly harassed women in her late fifties by the look of her appeared in the doorway, "Emma, I am not paying you to take smoke breaks! The cake needs cut! Let's go."

The blonde, Emma, muttered a sorry that wasn't really directed at anyone and followed the woman into the building without sparing a second look at Killian.

Killian finished the cigarette and slowly made his way back into the wedding in time to see his brother and new sister smashing cake into each others faces. Their happiness was infectious, and deep down Killian craved the kind of love Liam and Claire shared, even though he would never admit it to himself.

Emma followed Greta back into the kitchen and began slicing wedding cake for the guests. She didn't know why but in her head she kept replaying the phrase "Killian Jones, pleasure to meet you darling." From the short interaction, Emma could tell what type of man he was, a playboy. An attractive one at that, she admitted to herself but still a playboy and one that she would avoid for the rest of the evening.

This turned out to be harder than she expected. Throughout the rest of the night whenever they made eye contact he threw little winks her way. She rolled her eyes in response.

As Emma watched the couple's final dance from the shadows she felt a pang of sadness that she could not explain.

"Sickening isn't it," commented a voice from over her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Killian Jones standing there. Emma simply shrugged but didn't say anything.

"They have been like this since the day they met," Killian continued clearly not phased from her silence. Emma still didn't say anything but instead watched as the groom planted a kiss on his bride's forehead as they danced.

"They seem happy," Emma finally commented as the groom spun the now giggling bride around.

"Aye," Killian said simply before downing his drink and setting the now empty cup on a nearby table. They both stood in silence for a few more moments as the couple finished their last dance of the evening.

"I have to get back to work," She said quickly rushing off towards the kitchen as she heard him call "Emma" after her.

Emma hid in the kitchen cleaning while the rest of the staff brought her dirty dishes to wash. She popped her head outside the kitchen door around midnight and was relieved to see that all of the guests had left, and was extra relieved when there was no sign of Killian Jones either.