Emma Nolan's family owned The Blue Bird Café in a little town called Storybrooke. The Blue Bird was famous for making the best Hot Cocoa in town along with her mother's wonderful exotic comfort foods.
Before Emma was born her parents were world travelers. They were both foodies, her mother for the flavors and her father just simply liked to try new foods. They sampled the cuisine in many exotic places, each time her mother noting the different types of spice used. She kept that journal locked up in a safe at the café to reference and to wax nostalgic. Her mother created the perfect blend of spices to enhance the flavor of her famous cocoa. The people in town swore it was addictive and a line formed around the block each morning right before opening.
There was often a line at other parts of the day too. It wasn't only the cocoa that brought their customers but also their wonderful baked goods, her mother's Homestyle cooking, exotic coffee, and their friendship with her family. Many times they thought of relocating or expanding but in the end their little corner was perfect for them so they stayed.
Her parents were quite the team, neither afraid of adventure. They'd been together since college and bestowed the nicknames Snow and Charming on each other through the years. Her mother got her nickname because she loved to climb mountains and the first thing she would do when she reached the peak was to make a snow angel. After her third peak the nickname, Snow, stuck. He often called her his little Snow Angel.
Her father's nickname was Charming because the night they met she'd been trapped inside the school library after hours without access to a phone. David happened to be walking by after work and saw her banging on the window in a panic. He called the school security guard and waited outside the window talking to her until they came to unchain the door.
She was so happy to be rescued that she kissed him. She referred to him as her Prince Charming to all her friends after she told the story of how he rescued her. David was smitten with her immediately and the name stuck, even after all these years. Emma loved that she could still catch her mother looking at her father with adoration in her eyes when he wasn't looking. She hoped she would find a love like that one day.
Emma loved watching her parents work together. They were a team in everything they did. When she told them she would be going away for university they encouraged her but one night she overheard them talking about how much they'd miss her when she was gone. She was torn because she'd never left their little town before and she would miss them too. That was enough to make sure she returned home any chance she could. She was so homesick during her first month that she seemed to be running back a little too often. Her father sat her down and spoke to her about experiencing life outside of Storybrooke. He made her see that those special moments would be something she would treasure and that even though they missed her they'd always be there.
They bought her a little yellow Volkswagen bug so she could get back and forth without the bus. Her father worried for her safety on the route but Emma swore she got a lot of studying done during those bus rides home. She wasn't going to turn down a car though so she took it. Her trips home were less frequent over her time away. She got more involved in her studies and library research took over her weekends sometimes. She did manage to date here and there, even fall for the wrong guy. She missed her family but her parents were always just a phone call away. She thought fondly of her time at school now and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Time seemed to fly by once she got into the course work. She could hardly believe she was almost finished. She had one semester to go having just completed her last final examination for the current semester. She was ready to start her life either in Storybrooke or elsewhere and she couldn't wait. She purposely made her schedule light for her final semester so she could get out quickly. Her bug was already packed for the trip home so she left immediately after turning in her exam.
She felt good walking out of the Business Administration building that day. She'd wrapped all her gifts a few days before so she'd be ready for the holiday. She found the perfect holiday coffee mugs for the cafe and she couldn't wait to give them to her Mom.
Her mother hated to receive gifts but she knew she would love these. They were cream colored and had little blue birds carrying a wreath stamped on the side. Her mother had an affinity towards birds and she knew she would love them. She also found a book on medieval lore for her father. He couldn't get enough of it. She swore he was a knight in another life. She couldn't count how many renaissance fairs he'd taken her to over her life; so many that her parents even had costumes hanging in their closet.
Everything about this holiday seemed like it would be perfect until she crossed the town line. She saw the sign going up for the Snowflake Café across the street from their café. She had to blink to believe it was real. Wasn't Storybrooke too small to have two café's in town?
She'd have to get to the bottom of this when she saw her parents but was too excited to get home and see everyone to worry about it now. She pulled up to the holiday coated familiar view of her home. The lawn had holiday blow up animals, snow men, reindeer, and a rock N roll Santa covering it. Every inch of the house was covered in twinkling lights too. Her father had been busy. He seemed to make every year a competition with the prior year as he tried to out decorate himself.
She smiled as she climbed from her car. It just wouldn't be a holiday at home without all of this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~K&E~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Killian Jones just took his last final ever. He'd been working two jobs on top of classes to pay for his education at University. It took him a bit longer than most but he would finally walk at graduation this Spring with an MBA. A wave of relief washed over him that afternoon as soon as he put his pencil down. He was confident that he aced the exam and now he was finally free.
He was looking forward to seeing his family. It was just he and his brother for a long while until Liam met the love of his life, Elsa. Liam met Elsa while he was in the navy. She was from Finland and had a peculiar affection for snowmen, ice sculptures, penguins, and reindeer so the holidays in the states were very special to her. She pulled out all the stops when she decorated.
The first year Elsa and Liam were married he received their holiday card and she'd somehow gotten Liam to dress as a reindeer and she was an elf. He loved that card for many reasons, the first being it was only card he'd ever received and second because one day he might need a little leverage on his older brother. He still smiled when he thought of it after all these years.
Liam had a business chartering fishing boats and giving tours around the Boston area. Killian would help him during the summer while he was on break from classes when he could but it was difficult due to his regular jobs. The end of last summer Liam and Elsa announced they were expecting a baby. Elsa didn't want to raise their baby in the city. She'd grown up in lush country and she missed it, especially when it snowed. They decided that it was time to buy a house and settle down giving up their Boston apartment.
The pair began searching towns near Boston. It still needed to be close enough to the city so that Liam could manage the chartering business but also far enough away that his wife would be happy.
Liam and Elsa decided that Storybrooke would be the perfect place for them to raise a baby. Elsa fell in love with the town. Elsa always had a dream of opening her own little café. She loved to bake and she'd yet to run into another Scandinavian bakery within their vicinity. She'd been working in a little café in Boston to keep busy so she'd had plenty of experience to get them started.
Elsa had a frozen hot chocolate that was amazing. She also loved to bake fresh bread. She would also brag about her homemade cheeses but she hadn't made any since she left home. The town seemed to provide them with both opportunities so they jumped at the chance.
Liam was able to establish a small boat chartering business in Storybrooke as well so he didn't have to completely give up what he loved. The man who'd owned the business, Smee, was retiring to Florida and was excited to have the business taken off his hands. Liam would be managing Boston from a distance until he could sell it off or make it work, managing the Storybrooke charters and also helping Elsa in the cafe. Killian was only too happy to help when his brother called finally realizing it would too much for just him and his pregnant wife. His brother could be a stubborn arse so he knew that Liam was in trouble if he'd called him.
He was planning on lending a hand to help them open the café when he got there. He was also considering staying in Storybrooke for a while to help them awhile longer until they got on their feet, especially since Elsa would likely be off her feet soon. It was the least he could do for his only family. He also had some soul searching to do about his own future.
He was looking forward to being an Uncle. He loved the idea of having more family. They'd lost their parents when he was really young in a serious car accident. He welcomed Elsa when Liam finally introduced him. She was the perfect blend of stubborn and sweet, just like Liam. They were a perfect match.
Elsa's sister Anna and her husband Kristoff were also planning to visit in the Spring when the baby was born. Elsa and Anna are as close as he and Liam. It took a lot of convincing for Liam to get Elsa to move to the States but eventually he won out. He often gives in to her every whim because he knows she gave up so much to be with him. That's likely how she got him in the reindeer suit.
Elsa's parents also died tragically young so she often tries to nudge her sister into moving to the states with her. If it weren't for Kristoff's ice business she would probably already be with them.
Killian had his whole life in the moving truck that he was driving. University was fun and he learned a lot but he was really happy that his time there was over.
He listened to the GPS instructions and still managed to get lost a few times along the way. Storybrooke was listed as a hidden gem and they weren't kidding. He drove down the heavily wooded road and finally found the town line. He drove in just in time to see them hanging the sign for the new café.
He was really proud of his brother but he was starving and he definitely needed food. His reunion would have to wait. He parked his truck on a side street, grabbed his wallet out of the glove box, and locked the truck so he could look around the town. If he was going to be living here for a while he wanted to see what he was getting himself into.
The Nolan house looked like a holiday carnival on the outside but when Emma walked through the door it could only be described as Christmas Wonderland. The house was fully decorated for as usual. Her parents loved Christmas and went all out every year. If they had less than three Christmas trees fully dressed people assumed something was wrong.
The tree in the family room had a train running around the base and all of Emma's homemade ornaments hung on it. It was almost embarrassing that her mother still had the snowman she made in kindergarten on display after all these years.
The tree in the foyer had her mother's collection of bird ornaments and the one in the den was more traditional, with just white lights, silver garland and red star ornaments.
The smell of cinnamon and gingerbread permeated throughout the rooms. It just made her crave her mother's famous hot cocoa and those wonderful cookies she baked daily.
"Hello, anyone home!" she called.
When she didn't receive a response she dragged her bags up to her room and put them to the side. She threw on a pair of jeans, black leather knee high boots, and a red sweater. She wanted to look festive if she was going to help at the Blue Bird and they were throwing a little home coming party for her that night. She let her hair fall down around her shoulders in curls and put on a little lip gloss. She grabbed her red leather jacket and rushed back out into the cold.
She missed her parents and she couldn't wait to see them so she head over to the Blue Bird to surprise them.
Killian walked through Storybrooke peering in the windows and checking out the shops along the way. The store windows all had lavish holiday displays. The lamp posts all had big red bows tied around the base of the lamp. It was certainly a festive town, he couldn't help but smile. Random people on the street also greeted him with a smile and said Hello to him as he passed them. He was certainly not in the city any longer.
The sign for the Snowflake Café was hanging and all lit up. They weren't scheduled to open until next week so he knew there wouldn't be anything cooking today. He decided to check out the Blue Bird café on the adjacent corner to see what all the fuss was about. Liam mentioned that they always had a line. He wasn't kidding; there was a line to get in wrapped around the corner. His stomach was growling but he could wait and see what the competition was like, after all he'd waited this long.
As he stood in the line filled with jovial people, a little yellow car pulled up and parked on the side of the building. He was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful blond climb out from the driver's side. She was trying to carry large boxes and seemed to be having trouble balancing them. As she was passing the line patrons greeted her but not one offered to assist and lose their place. Emma, was her name. He stepped out of line to help her.
"Lass, would you like a hand with those?" he asked.
Her face was hidden behind the boxes.
"Sure buddy; that would be great. Please be careful, the contents are fragile and heavy." She said. All she could hear was his amazing voice. He had an accent and it was like music to her ears.
He took one of the boxes from her and revealed her beautiful green eyes. She smiled at him and he could swear his heart skipped a beat.
"Thaaank you" she stuttered as she smiled. He was gorgeous. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. He had dark hair and a little bit of scruff on his face. He looked around her age but she'd never seen him before.
"Let me get the door." He said grinning.
"Ok." She said stepping aside to let him go ahead of her catching a whiff of his delicious scent.
He pushed open the door and a little bell rang. He was also greeted by the booming sound of Ho-Ho-Ho coming from a decoration hanging on the wall that seemed to go off through motion detection. He stumbled a little at the sound and almost dropped her box. He felt her push in behind him and he got his balance and continued forward. She stepped up next to him.
"Emma you're here!" shouted a man from the back.
He walked over and grabbed the box from her and put it on the counter. Then he pulled her in for a tight hug. He squeezed her so tight she let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Did I hear you right Charming, Emma's home?" called a sing song voice coming from the kitchen.
"She's here." He called.
"Emma!" she came running and hugged her on the other side.
She was being squeezed in between her parents in front of this gorgeous stranger.
"Mom, Dad, It's good to see you too." Said Emma with a strain.
They pulled back and she noticed her mother was covered in flour.
"Time to make the scones?" asked Emma.
"Yep." Said Snow.
She turned to look at her handsome stranger who was standing there in a rather awkward position and still holding her box.
"Emma, who's this? Is he your boyfriend?" asked Snow.
"Boyfriend? "asked Charming.
"Uh, no, Mom I don't have a boyfriend." She said softly.
Her father seemed to relax.
"No, this is just a really kind soul who offered to help me carry a box and managed to get caught up in our reunion." She said.
"Kind of like Prince Charming." Said Snow smiling.
Her father gave her mother a side eyed glance. "Let me take that from you."
The handsome stranger extended his hand to her. "Killian Jones, at your service."
"Hi I'm Emma Nolan, and these are my parents."
She took his hand and he held it to his lips pressing a soft kiss. She felt the blush creep up on her cheeks and quickly noticed her father giving him the stink eye.
"I'm David but most people just call me Charming."
He was extending his hand to Killian who hadn't taken his eyes off Emma's since he kissed hers. He refocused and shook her father's hand. "Pleasure to meet you sir."
"You're not going to kiss me too are you?" asked her father with a blazing look in his eyes.
"Dad!" said Emma.
"I'm Snow, it's nice to meet you. Thanks for helping our little girl. Can I get you something to eat?"
"That would be wonderful. I've just arrived from University and I'm starving."
"Let me get you a table." Said Emma.
She was trying not to melt right in front of him. He was so smooth and she was acting like a bumbling fool. She grabbed a menu from the stand and walked him to the free table towards the back of the café. He followed her to a seat. "Care to join me Lass?"
She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and started to get lost quickly remembering she just gotten home. "I would love to but I need to take care of a few things. I also just arrived from University and need to settle in."
His smile began to fall. "Perhaps another time?"
"Perhaps." She said smiling and she noticed his smile perk up again as she walked back towards the kitchen.
He looked over the menu and pretended not to watch her. He caught her looking back once and he smiled. She looked flustered and kept moving. It was five long minutes before he realized he had the menu upside down and hadn't read a word. He righted the menu and chuckled to himself when his stomach reminded him why he was there, to eat and not to think about Emma Nolan's amazing strawberry scented hair.
They had a lot of homemade comfort foods with a bit of an exotic twist. His mouth was watering and everything he read looked good.
"Hi Killian. Since you were so kind to help Emma with her boxes I thought I'd just whip something up for you. I hope that's alright?" said Snow.
He jumped at her intrusion and laughed gripping his chest. She had a tray full of food and it smelled delicious. Snow was grinning from ear to ear as she waited for his response.
"That would be lovely." He said.
"I have a turkey club, Macaroni and Cheese, and our special hot cocoa with whipped cream. I also brought you a glass of water just in case you were thirsty." She said.
"This looks delicious." Said Killian.
"Ohh, almost forgot the cinnamon." She said.
"Cinnamon?" he said.
"It's my special touch." She said.
She pulled her shaker from her apron and sprinkled it on top of the whipped cream. "There you go. Thanks Again. It's on the house."
"No, Mrs. Nolan I couldn't accept that." He objected as he reached for his wallet.
"Nonsense, you helped my daughter and that was kind. Let me do this for you. It's the holidays."
He let out a short breath. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
She smiled and walked back to the kitchen. He saw Emma staring towards him and then back towards her mother. He smiled as he shoveled in his first forkful of macaroni. He closed his eyes as he savored the delicious flavors. This really was something special.
Emma watched her mother talking to Killian from the counter as she washed each of the new mugs and placed them on the shelf behind her. Killian really was handsome and he had the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She watched him laugh and she almost dropped a mug. She caught it quickly and looked around to make sure no one was watching her.
"Hey Honey, need some help with those?" asked Charming.
She didn't notice him approach since she was so busy trying to eavesdrop on her mother's conversation with Killian.
"Earth to Emma, come in Emma." Said Charming.
"Huh, oh hey Dad." Said Emma.
"I asked if you needed any help." He said.
"No, uh uh. I got these." She said stretching her neck out a little father.
"He seems like a nice guy, a little over the top maybe but nice." He said.
"Oh him, sure. If you go for that type." She said shrugging her shoulders as she kept scrubbing.
"OK, whatever you say Honey." He said chuckling.
"Emma, your new friend is so nice. I think he's going to be living in town." Said Snow.
"Really? Yeah he seemed like it to me too." she said high pitched.
Charming laughed again.
"Really." Said Snow smiling.
"Huh, that's great." Said Emma.
She watched her mother examining the new mugs. "Oh Emma, these are beautiful I love them. They are perfect."
"I knew you would love them. Merry Christmas Mom." She said hugging her mother tightly.
"Come on you two, those scones aren't going to make themselves. You know how your Uncles are Emma." Said Charming.
Snow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you know how grumpy Leroy can be. Come on Emma. Let me put you to work. "
She saluted her dad and laughed as she followed her mother back to the kitchen. She snuck in one more peek at Killian. He had whipped cream on the tip of his nose. God he was adorable. She was in trouble with this one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&K ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Killian was over stuffed. The rumors were true and The Blue Bird Café had delicious food. The hot cocoa was amazing and he couldn't make out the delicious spices that coated his tongue. He realized he had whipped cream on his nose about half way through his meal. He was happy to see Emma didn't notice. He hoped to get one more glimpse of the golden beauty before he left but her father was guarding the front counter.
He pulled on his coat and cleaned up his place. He felt guilty not paying the check but he left a nice tip on the table anyway. He snuck a peek over his shoulder towards the kitchen when he left seeing only her golden locks in the door frame. He smiled and then noticed her father staring back at him.
"Come again!" called David.
He nodded sheepishly and walked out to the sound of a little bell and Santa's greeting loud in his ears. He slowly moved across the street to go greet his brother and Elsa for their own little family reunion. When he walked through the door he found Elsa seated at one of the tables combing over paperwork. She looked up at the sound of the door closing. "Killian! You made it."
She jumped up and swiftly came over to greet him. He noticed her little baby bump as he embraced her and smiled thinking that it wouldn't be long before the little tyke entered the world.
"Did I hear that my little brother finally decided to grace us with his presence?" Said Liam.
"Younger brother." He said as he scratched behind his ear.
Liam came bounding into the room and hugged him.
"Oof, not to tight. I'm full." He said.
"Is that so?" asked Liam crossing his arms in front of his chest and giving him the big brother stare down.
"I had lunch over at the Blue Bird Café." Said Killian.
Liam put his hand under his chin and scratched at his scruff. "What did you think of the competition?"
"Their food is amazing. " said Killian.
"We thought so too. People stand in line and wait daily. We are hoping to capture their overflow. At least at first." Said Elsa.
"Elsa's food is pretty good too. I think once they've had a taste they'll come looking for more." Said Liam.
"How much did she pay you to say that?" asked Killian.
"Watch it." Said Elsa.
Liam laughed.
"You look great Elsa. How are you feeling?" asked Killian.
"I'm doing great. Your niece or nephew plans to kick their way out though." Said Elsa rubbing her tummy.
"Well he or she is a Jones." Said Liam.
"Hey, don't count out the Arendelle women. You know my sister Anna; she is all energy all the time." Said Elsa smiling.
"That's true." Said Liam raising his eyebrows.
He watched Elsa light up at the mention of her sister. Liam put his hand on his wife's back and kissed her on her cheek.
"So you have work for me to do or what? If not I'll go unpack my truck." Said Killian. He pointed his thumb down the street towards his truck parked on the corner.
"Oh No little brother, there's lots of work for you to do. Besides I'm sure you want to work off all those calories." Said Liam as he patted him on the stomach.
"Oof, watch it." Said Killian.
Liam brought out some boxes from the back full of glasses, dishware, and silverware. They steady unpacked and loaded all the pieces onto the counter for washing. Elsa prepared the hot water, suds and offered him a pair of rubber gloves.
He snorted as he laughed. "Dishwasher? That's why I got my MBA?"
Elsa smiled. "You know I love you Killian."
"Of course, you're the only person I'd do this for Elsa." He grinned.
"I know. " she said as she patted him lightly on the shoulder.
He was starting to believe that perhaps her brother wasn't the only Jones who was wrapped around her finger. He looked out across the street and noticed Emma walking out to her car. She was rushing in with another box and didn't have her coat. This time one of the patrons opened the door for her. He was glad someone was chivalrous in this town.
"What do you know about Emma?" asked Killian as he washed the dishes.
"The Nolan's daughter?" asked Liam.
"She's so pretty Killian. I've seen her pictures at the Blue Bird. Is she home for the holidays?" asked Elsa.
"Aye, I met her when I was there earlier." He said feeling his cheeks faintly blush as he grinned.
"You like her?" asked Elsa smiling.
Killian shrugged and wiped another dish.
"You do! Liam, Killian likes the competition's daughter. It's like Romeo and Juliet. Look how he blushed when I called him out on it." called Elsa.
"I barely got to know her enough to assume we'd be star crossed lovers. I will admit though, she is beautiful and I would like to see her again."
"I'd like to see you washing those dishes faster." Said Liam.
"Aye Aye Captain." Said Killian mock saluting him, his gloved hand hitting his forehead.
"I can't take the Navy out of him, no matter what I do." Said Elsa.
Liam came up behind her and hugged her around her belly. "You like me this way."
"Maybe but I have a feeling this little one is going to wrap you around their finger."
Killian smiled as he watched his brother and Elsa. He was so grateful that life moved in a much happier direction for them. Perhaps things would go his way too one day.
Emma was locking the door to the Blue Bird when she happened to notice Killian across the street at the new Snowflake Café. He was with another man and woman. They were all laughing as the other man locked the door.
"Curious." She said cocking her head to the side as she listened closely to their conversation.
"Killian, bring your truck around and I'll help you unload."
"Aye, I'm parked down the block. I'll be at your place shortly."
"Be careful Killian. There have been patches of black ice on some of the back roads."
Killian nodded and started off towards his truck. He looked over and saw Emma standing out front of the Blue bird and she was watching him. She looked startled when she noticed him looking and started walking to her car.
"Emma." He called.
She kept walking. He ran over to catch her. She was about to get into her car when he arrived next to her.
"Emma." He said breathing heavy.
She turned around and glared at him.
"Something wrong Lass?" he asked.
"You're with the competition?" she asked.
He nervously scratched behind his ear. "Oh, Aye. My brother and his wife bought the place."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" asked Emma.
"We'd only just met. It didn't occur to me that you wanted to know about my family right away." He said smiling.
Emma felt the blush creep up on her cheeks. "I didn't say I wanted to know about your family."
"So you don't want to get to know me?' he asked holding his hand over his heart as if she wounded him.
"That's not what I mean either." Said Emma fumbling over her words.
"So you do want to get to know me?" he asked grinning.
"I just wish you told me you were with our competition before my mother gave you some of her favorite dishes." Said Emma.
"Your mother is an amazing cook. She didn't reveal any secrets so you've nothing to fear with me. Even if she did I wouldn't do that." He smiled.
She nodded. "You wanted something?"
"I was hoping you might have a drink with me? It's my first night in town." He said with a hopeful expression written across his face.
"I can't, my parents are having a little gathering for me at my house tonight since it's my first night back in town. I closed up for them so they could get ready and I'm a little late." said Emma checking her phone.
"Alright, well a man had to try." Said Killian feeling the sting of rejection.
He started to walk away and she didn't know what she was thinking but she just blurted it out. "Killian, would you like to come with me?"
He turned around and cocked his head to the side. His breath caught when she said his name. "Are you certain you want me to come? You would be fraternizing with the competition."
She searched his eyes and saw the sincerity there. She also liked that she could make him smile. "I'm sure."
"Let me phone my brother to let him know I will be coming later so he doesn't expect me."
She nodded and hopped in her bug. She pulled down the mirror and checked her makeup. She had a little flour up by her hairline. She brushed it away and checked behind her to make sure Killian wasn't watching her primp. She pulled out her lip gloss and brushed it over her lips. What was she doing? She barely knew this guy and he was the competition. That thought just made it a little more desirable to be around him. She puckered her lips and spread the gloss.
Killian called Liam and told him about the party. Liam was laughing heartily and gave him his approval. He promised to leave a key under the mat for him. He smoothed out his clothes and made sure his shirt was tucked in properly. He quickly smelled himself to make sure he was ok since he was working hard with Liam. Luckily he was fine.
"You coming?" she called out the window.
He walked around and opened the side passenger door hopping in. "Nice car."
"She's my baby. I need her to get back and forth from school so I try to keep her in good shape." She said as she rubbed her hand over the dashboard and beaming with pride.
Emma had a beautiful smile and her eyes lit up as she talked about her car. "She looks perfect." He wasn't sure if he was talking about her or her car.
As she started the car Christmas music was playing loudly. She quickly fumbled with the knobs turning it down. He saw her cheeks go crimson. "I keep it loud so I can hear it over the engine when I'm on the highway."
He nodded.
"We don't live far from here. It's just around the block. Do you live close?" she asked nervously.
"Oh, I'll be staying with my brother Liam and his wife Elsa for a while. They live on Red Fern St." said Killian.
"That's just around the corner from my house." Said Emma in surprise.
"Perhaps you can show me the way later?" said Killian.
"Sure." She said smiling.
He was watching her and she was an adorable mess. She had a little flour on her cheek. He wanted to brush it away but feared he would embarrass her. He could tell she was as nervous in his presence as he was in hers by how she kept chewing on her lip.
"I thought maybe you'd like to meet some of the other folks from Storybrooke since you'll be living her." Said Emma.
"Thank you. I appreciate it." He said.
She pulled over her car and parked in front of the house. "This is it, 23 Hummingbird Lane and if you go around the corner and down one block that is Red Fern." She said pointing to the corner.
"Marvelous. It's helpful to have a tour guide. I had a hard time finding the town earlier." He said.
"Yeah, they don't call Storybrooke the hidden gem for nothing." She said smiling.
She stopped the engine and he hopped out of the car. He ran around to her side and opened her door. She smiled. He took her hand and helped her from the car. "Thank you."
"My pleasure." He said.
This man was incredible, completely swoon worthy. She didn't think guys like him existed, at least none of the guys she met on campus. "Listen, I have to warn you. My parents take Christmas very seriously. It's nothing like you've ever seen." She said smiling.
He looked out over the amazing light display in front of her house and had been in the café earlier so he wasn't surprised. "Well, I have seen the café and it appears that you have a winter carnival out front so I'm not surprised." He grinned.
"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." She said laughing.
"Lead the way." He said putting his hand on the small of her back.
She turned to him and smiled. She felt a little flustered when he touched her but she didn't mind the contact.
She wasn't wrong. It was absolutely amazing. The house was full of life and the decorations were bright and festive. There was no way someone could walk away from their house without the holiday spirit oozing from their pores.
The scent of cinnamon was wafting in the air along with whatever delicious food the Nolan's put together for the party.
"She's here" yelled Snow.
The crowd cheered as she waved to everyone. Several people came up and hugged her. He loved watching her smile. He leaned back against the railing and watched as she greeted everyone.
"Killian, nice to see you again. Emma didn't mention she asked you to come. I'm glad you are here." Said Snow smiling.
"It was a last minute invitation. Thank you for having Me." said Killian.
"Wait here." Said Snow.
Emma turned around and mouthed "Sorry" to him as she disappeared into a crowd of people in front of him.
"Here you go." Said Snow handing him a full plate of food.
He smiled and graciously took the plate.
"I wasn't sure what you would like so I got you a little of everything. You would have had a tough time getting to the food since Emma's uncles just arrived. They tend to hover by the buffet." Said Snow.
"Emma has a lot of Uncles?" asked Killian as he took a bite of food and closed his eyes as he delighted in the flavors.
"Well, they aren't really her Uncles just close friends of the family. It's just Charming and I, we were only children so we are happy to call them family." Said Snow.
"Mrs. Nolan, this is delicious and I must tell you that the meal you gave me earlier was heavenly as well." Said Killian.
"Oh, I'm so pleased you like it." Said Snow.
"Killian, you're here." Said Charming in a grumpy way.
Snow gave him a side eyed look.
"Emma invited me." said Killian.
"Hi Dad, Killian come with me ok?" asked Emma.
She rolled her eyes at her father and gave him a look to let him know to be good.
"Thanks again Mrs. Nolan." He said as Emma dragged him away.
"I'm so sorry about that. My Dad can be a little over protective." She said raising her eyebrows.
"I can't blame him. Thank you for inviting me, I'm having a great time although I think your mother must think I'm malnourished because she keeps feeding Me." he said.
Emma laughed. "My Mom's the best. She just loves to cook for people. You probably made her day with those compliments you gave her."
"I meant every word. It was delicious. I've had nothing but University cafeteria food, ramen noodles, and pizza for a year." He said.
"Don't let her hear you say that or I'll have to push you out of here in a wheel barrel." She said.
"You weren't kidding. It's Christmas wonderland in here." He said.
"That's the same way I describe it. I tried to warn you." Said Emma.
"No, it's nice. I think it's great. If you were without Christmas spirit before you walked through the door you certainly won't leave without it. It's been a long time since I've been to a holiday party." He said.
"Thank you. I appreciate you being so cool about this. How about a drink?" asked Emma.
"Lead the way." He said.
They sat in the family room drinking beer and playing with the toy trains. They took turns talking about their childhood and swapped college dating nightmares. He was so easy to talk to and she was having a great time. It scared the hell out of her. She hadn't been in a relationship since high school but she could see herself in something more with him.
He gushed to her about his little family and how much he was looking forward to being an Uncle that Spring. He also told her how hard he worked to get through University and how relieved he was to be able to read an actual book that wasn't part of the curriculum.
She told him about her life growing up in Storybrooke and how she liked having so many friends that she thought of as family but she never really had a best friend or a serious boyfriend. He hadn't either. They'd both dated someone briefly that seemed to leave a bit of a scar on their hearts.
He was so easy to talk to that she couldn't help but be taken in by him. She also liked how he looked at her like she was the most precious gift. It was nice to have someone to share stories with that is so easy going.
"Emma people are starting to leave." Called Snow from the other room.
"Coming Mom." She grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Sorry, I'll be back."
He nodded smiling as he relished in the touch of her soft hand. He watched her walk out and caught her looking back over her shoulder. He rubbed his hand through his hair. She was amazing. He'd never met anyone that he connected with on this level before. He got up and walked around the room. He looked at all her family photos to pass the time until she returned.
The Nolans were a sweet family. There were pictures of her parents in all sorts of exotic places and Emma through the years hanging on the walls and adorning the shelves. He watched as Emma said goodbye to all of her friends and how much they seemed to love her too.
He was starting to see why Liam and Elsa loved this town so much. There was a lot of warmth in Storybrooke. It really did seem like the perfect place to raise a family.
He was looking at one of the trains as Emma's father came up behind him. He shook with a start at the sound of the man's voice.
"So, Killian what do you do?" asked Charming.
"Oh, I just finished my MBA. Took my final class at University today." Said Killian nervously scratching behind his ear.
"MBA, that's nice. What are you plans now that you've finished?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
That maneuver was something he was familiar with having seen his own brother do it often. "I'm going to be helping my brother and his wife with their new business until they are able to manage on their own. After that, I'm not really sure. I've always wanted to travel." Said Killian.
"New Business? You mean the Snowflake Café? That's your family's place?" said Charming rubbing his chin.
"Aye, and before you worry I promise I'm not a spy. I've already had this discussion with Emma." Said Killian.
"mmm hmm, so Emma knows." Said Charming.
"Daddy, what are you doing?" asked Emma walking up and put her arm across her father's shoulders. He watched the proud man light up as she hugged him.
"Oh you know, just doing my fatherly duties and making sure that any guy interested in my daughter is worthy of you." Said Charming.
"Daddy!" said Emma.
"No, it's alright." Said Killian as laughing.
"Charming are you causing trouble again?" asked Snow.
"I was just talking to Killian about his family's business. They own the Snowflake Café." Said Charming.
"Oh really?" asked Snow.
"Don't worry, he's not a spy." Said Charming.
"Daddy!" said Emma giving him a side eyed glare.
Killian laughed again.
"Come on Charming, I could use your help in the kitchen. It's getting late." Said Snow.
He kissed her on her head. Emma loved seeing how sweet they were to each other.
"Good night Killian. You're leaving right?" Said Charming.
"Daddy!" said Emma.
Snow pulled him along and out of the room by the arm.
"I am SO SORRY about that." Said Emma.
"Lass, don't apologize for them. They're wonderful. It's nice to see such a happy family." He said.
She smiled softly at him. "Well, I should probably get you back to yours."
"Right, it's a little late to unpack, and I'm not sure I should drive." Said Killian.
She was hoping he would say he wanted to stay longer so she was a little disappointed that he didn't protest. "How about I walk you home? You did say it was nice to have a tour guide and it's a beautiful night."
He was already a little sad at the thought of leaving her but it was getting late and he didn't want to overstay his welcome. "Sounds wonderful." He said smiling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was so relieved when he accepted her offer. They bundled up in their coats and she put on a big fuzzy red hat with a pom pom on top at her mother's insistence. When they stepped outside it appeared to have gotten 20 degrees cooler.
"Do you want me to get you a hat?" asked Emma smiling.
"No, the cold doesn't really bother me and I don't think I can pull off a hat as well as you lass." said Killian smiling as he patted her pom pom.
She blushed a little not that he would notice because she was pretty sure her cheeks and nose were already rosy.
They walked the dark street checking out the holiday lights along the way. They were walking so close that their cold hands brushed against each other. She felt a little tingle at the touch. He looked down and smiled when he noticed the contact.
"That's the place over there." He said.
"The place with all the snow men and penguins on the lawn?" she asked.
"Yes, that's Elsa's doing. She loves her Snow men. My brother, not so much." He said smiling.
"I think they are cute. It's nice to know my family's not the only family who loves to decorate for the holidays." Said Emma.
"Well, I don't know anyone who could top the Nolan's winter wonderland." He said laughing.
"You're probably right and my father likes it that way." Said Emma.
Before he realized they were at the door standing under the dark covered porch. Elsa had a giant wreath blocking the window covered in Snow Men with a giant Blue bow. It started lightly snowing and he could see his breath.
"Well, it was great meeting you. Thanks for hanging with me at my party." She said smiling.
She didn't want to go. She was still trying to figure out how this day turned out this way. She turned to face him and his eyes were sparkling blue with all of the blue lights around them glowing brightly.
"It was my pleasure. I hope we can meet again." He said leaning in closer to her.
All of the sudden the porch light went on. It took a moment for them to adjust to the new lighting. Killian looked to the window and saw Elsa smiling. She was pointing for him to look up and then she left them to their privacy.
They both looked up and realized they were standing under the mistletoe. Emma felt her cheeks blush and she smiled.
Her eyes were glittering green and she had a beautiful smile. He realized his sister in law was trying to play match maker and he'd have to thank her later. She looked at him softly and he took his chance. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She responded in turn and put her hands around his neck to deepening it and things heated up quickly.
The porch light went off and he felt her lips curve into a smile as he kissed her gently. He didn't want then night to end so he held her close for just a bit longer. Storybrooke really did have its charms and in that moment all he could think was he was going to like it here.