Chapter 2 – Late June

3 Months and 2 weeks Until Wedding Day

5 months and 2 weeks almost to the day Walsh proposed to Emma.

Emma Swan was a practical woman. She had to be. She spent her entire adolescent years growing up too fast in a mess of uncertainty. Between being adopted by the Swans as an infant and then given back to the system as a toddler – she never knew where she'd find a stable place to live.

When she stopped worrying about the system and finding a new foster family she learned that she could never look back. She learned she'd have to depend on herself and that had to be enough. She didn't always know if she'd be sleeping under a bridge or in a shelter but she always managed to take care of herself.

There was a dark time when she'd briefly deluded herself into thinking she'd finally found the home she'd always been looking for. He was charming and taught her how to survive and live outside the law. And he'd convinced her that they were the real deal. Until they weren't anymore. He decided she was better off taking the fall for his crime and allowing her to rot in jail for 15 months.

She'd say she learned the hard way with that one that true love wasn't real and that she'd certainly never find it.

But that was no longer true. Because ten years later she'd met the man who would truly be the love of her life. And when Walsh proposed she did not want to be caught off guard. Emma had learned by now that she must be someone calculated and cautious.

So when it became evident that Walsh and Emma were serious, they talked about it. There would be no great big surprise and no public spotlight on her when it occurred. At least that's what she wanted. And they'd gotten to the point where when he asked, Emma would say yes.

So a few days after Valentine's Day – they couldn't celebrate on the actual date because Emma had been knee deep in a case – Walsh took Emma to the restaurant where they'd had their first date.

She'd been so distracted by the case that the idea of Walsh proposing has completely escaped her. So when the dessert plate whirled around to reveal a diamond ring in a public place at a time when she was not expecting it – Emma Swan was floored to say the least.

She'd accepted of course because she knew that's all she'd ever wanted – a home. And she knew Walsh loved her and wanted to make her his home.

Now for 6 months she'd been rushing around to meet their October wedding date, planning what had to be the perfect wedding. She'd been so busy with it that she'd actually gotten used to the pressure settling in her chest. The pressure that every so often felt absolutely bone-crushing under the weight of it all.

What if Walsh's family didn't like her or accept her? What if they thought her shady past was too much of a dark cloud for their perfect family?

Walsh never allowed her to verbalize her concerns with him, saying that she was just paranoid and that if anyone knew that they would love her it was him. So she kept her paranoid thoughts buried under center pieces and place settings.

She focused on days like today, times when she remembered that planning a wedding could actually be fun.

Emma stood of at the entrance of a coffee shop, looking around and immediately spotted him. Killian Jones, front man for The Crow's Nest – the band she'd booked for the wedding. It was hard to miss someone that good looking with his swept black hair, dark scruff and flannel shirt. He was also the only person with a guitar case.

It had been two weeks since she'd seen him with Ruby at the Rabbit Hole and it was not likely something she'd forget. (Apart for the bits she couldn't actually remember due to the copious amounts of alcohol she'd consumed that night.)

"Killian?"

"Emma! So good to see you again, lass!" He reached out; grasping her outstretched hand with both his and she could feel his strong callused fingers. "I was hoping we could get our coffee to go? I had an idea for our planning session, if you're willing?" His eyebrows arched questioningly and she was powerless to resist his charms and it wasn't even noon.

"That's fine, let me just get my coffee." She smiled before getting in line.

Five minutes later they were walking out the door with ice coffees in hand.

"So how goes the wedding planning?" Killian asked as he subtly guided them towards his mystery spot.

"It's good." She answered, pausing to sip her coffee as they weaved through the crowded sidewalk. "It's funny though, no one ever really tells you about this part. Everyone's always so busy bragging about the ring and the proposal but they always neglect to mention how stressful it really is planning a wedding." She didn't know why she was being so candor with him. Emma hadn't really told anyone how stressed she'd been with everything. "But I'm not complaining. Its things like today that make it all worth it."

"And the bit about actually getting married I'm sure."

"That too!" She mock cheersed her coffee in the air. "No, but this is the part I've been looking forward to the most. I'm so excited to have live music at the wedding. You guys are awesome; it's going to be so great."

"I'm glad to hear it! We're all excited. It's definitely something quite new for us." He glanced at her, smiling sincerely. He turned back to the sidewalk; he'd been leading them into Central Park.

Emma watched the passersby with their Frisbees and their dogs.

"So what kind of music do you enjoy?" Killian asked.

"Well I loved your show we went to. I really just love all kinds of rock – classic, alternative, indie, and grunge. I even went through a punk phase (but that didn't stick). I guess I'm open to all kinds."

"What are some of your favorites?" Killian asked as they came to a bench overlooking a pond. She'd been to the park maybe fifty times since she'd moved to New York over a year ago and she'd never seen this area before. It was nicely secluded, surrounded by trees but by overlooking the pond she could still see all the activity with less chance of being disturbed. Killian followed Emma's gaze as they both took their seat on the bench. "I like to come here sometimes and play. No one ever complains." Emma nodded as she contemplated the answer to his question.

"Hmm, well I love Led Zeppelin of course, Queen, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix. I mean I could keep going. Eric Clapton, Aerosmith, CCR." Killian's face looked like he'd just won the jackpot lottery. "What?"

"Nothing I just wouldn't have thought you would be such a fan of that sort of music." He replied, grinning.

"But that's just it, I love all kinds. Like Van Morrison, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Kings of Leon, Bob Marley, Death Cab for Cutie, Mumford and Sons."

"Oh dear, a woman after my own musical heart." He laughed, mock clutching his chest.

"Well I'm glad we're on the same page because," she shuffled around in her purse pulling out a thick binder packed with various wedding plans. She flipped to the page revealing a detailed spreadsheet with all the songs she'd thought about for the wedding and when they might be played. "I've brought this to look over." She handed him the page.

"You certainly are organized." He mumbled as his eyes scanned over the titles and band names. "I do love these. We can definitely make this work."

"Well I wasn't expecting you guys to be able to play everything, they're just ideas I had."

"We already know some of these covers. I mean Huey Lewis and the News, Michael Jackson, even Pat Benatar – these are just," he turned to look at her, "perfect."

The closeness of his perfectly blue gaze made her stomach jump - she couldn't help it if the man was gorgeous. She cleared her throat. "Well if you have any suggestions or want to add in the covers you already know, if they're appropriate, I'd like that too."

"Now that you mention it I do have some suggestions. I see you want to walk down the aisle to Joe Cocker –,"

"No, no," she interrupted, "That's for when the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk. I'm actually not sure yet about what I want to walk down the aisle to."

"Okay, well what about something a little more current?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Have you heard of Ed Sheeran?"

Emma nodded her head, "I've heard of him but I'm not really familiar with his library."

"He's got this song called 'Thinking Out Loud' and it's quite romantic songs. May I?" He gestured towards his guitar case and Emma silently nodded as he started unzipping the contents. "He actually plays it with an electric but I've been learning it on acoustic. This is about how it might sound if I played when you walked."

Emma scooted all the way to the right of the bench to give Killian ample room to play. As he began she was immediately mesmerized once again by the grace and elegance of his voice wrapped in a husky charm.

At first he started out slow and quiet but then he got really into it when the verse started.

"And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways.

Maybe just the touch of a hand.

Well me – I fall in love with you every single day

And I just wanna tell you I am…"

He glanced up at her through his long black eyelashes as he sang and she had to suppress the chill she felt creeping down her spine.

He continued the song while Emma watched in a trance, hypnotized by his every word, much like when she watched him perform the first time. He was a natural with the guitar but his voice was like a warm blanket she wanted to snuggle up in.

When he finished the song – "And we found love right where we are," – Emma took a deep breath, reminding herself to breathe.

"That was – I don't even know – amazing. That song is great, you are great. I just – wow." She stood up with her hands on her hips slightly pacing in front of him as his ears reddened at her compliments.

"Thanks, lass." He lightly scratched behind his ear as he watched her in front of him.

"Listen, I just need – I'll be right back. Okay?" She snatched up her bag from the bench and walked towards the public bathrooms throwing a glance over her shoulder in time to see him still scratching his head watching as she walked off.

She just needed a minute to breathe. To remind herself that Killian was singing at her wedding. Where she was marrying Walsh.

Emma walked all the way to the public bathrooms just to splash water on her face.

"Sorry about that." She said when she returned to Killian who now had the guitar propped up next to him. "I was just so blown away that I wanted to call Walsh and tell him about it," She lied.

"That's quite alright." He looked up at her and she noticed he had her list of songs in his lap.

"I just hope the first dance song is that good."

"Well you have Harvest Moon by Neil Young here and I think that's a great choice for a first dance."

Emma and Killian spent the rest of the morning going over the different songs. Killian had made some suggestions she'd never have thought of like John Mayer's Gravity ("There's just something really sexy about that song.") and Boston's More Than a Feeling ("No wedding is complete with a Boston cover."). She'd also come with a few new ones herself in their brainstorming: Home by Edward Sharp and The Magnetic Zeros ("I heard it in a movie once, it's cute!") and Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel for the introduction song.

For the first time in almost six months since getting engaged Emma had thoroughly enjoyed planning her wedding. Killian was excellent company. He made her laugh and smile like an idiot.

She also found it extremely telling what kind of music a person listens to and she couldn't help but notice the similarities between her and Killian's taste in music.

"Oh I have one more thing, I almost forgot." They'd left their bench in Central Park to find a hotdog stand. "The contract. Probably should have led with this." She pulled out the document as they waited in line. "It's pretty standard, 4 hours play time like we discussed, 3 breaks, food and refreshments included. Should there be some kind of issue and you're released with a month or less to go you will not be paid in full. Pretty basic really."

"Just as long as we're not selling our souls to the devil," he paused and looked her up and down, "…although that might not be so bad." He teased before Emma playfully shoved him. "I'll just have the lads go over it to be sure."

"That's fine. Just look over it, sign it and get it back to me by next week please." She tried not to sound too uptight about it. Up until this point everything had been laid back and casual between them. She felt like she made a friend today.

"I can have it at your office by the end of the week! Where do you work again?" He pointed to a bench as they made to sit with their hot dogs.

"Actually I'm not working right now. Normally I'm a bail bonds person but I'm taking some time off to focus on the wedding."

"You don't sound too enthused about that." He observed, taking a bite.

"You don't miss anything do you?" She tried to laugh it off but he was too sincere. "Alright, no I'm not. I actually like to work. But Walsh thought it might be less stressful to just take a break from all of that and focus on planning." She took a bite of her hot dog.

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out, Swan." Killian said and she smiled at the endearment.

"And what about you, Jones? What do you do when you're not moonlighting as a rock god?"

"A rock god? I do like the sound of that." He stood up to throw away his napkin. "Well you know The Jolly Roger? The club you saw us play at the first time? I actually just purchased it. That's why it's been undergoing renovations."

For a second Emma was dumbfounded. That was the last thing she expected to hear from him.

"Wow that is something. What made you want to buy a club?"

"Well I love music. I love to play music. And I'd come into some money a few years back and it was just burning a hole in my bank account. When the opportunity presented itself I couldn't say no. Not that I know much about running a club. Though, I sure know how to drink all its contents."

"I'll say. I think I was the most drunk I have ever been when Ruby and I saw you guys play at The Rabbit Hole."

"Dear me, lass, my apologies – however, we were celebrating." He looked at her mischievously.

"That's right we were! … You know, I think you're going to be amazing at running your club."

"Thank you," he smiled looking down at his hands as they still sat at their bench in front of the hotdog stand. "Well I have to say, I think this was a very successful first meeting."

"First meeting?"

"Oh yes, Swan, I do believe there are several more meetings required." He stood up and held out his hand to help her off the bench.

"Well if you insist." She took his hand grinning like an idiot again. She couldn't say no to more meetings about the music, they might be the only thing to keep her sane during the planning process.

Shortly after that the two parted ways with a friendly hug.

Overall the day had been a success. It had definitely been the most fun she'd had planning the wedding to date.

"How was the meeting yesterday with that Swan woman? Ruby's friend." Robin, Killian's best friend asked as he stood in Killian's loft kitchen.

Killian opened up the refrigerator and handed him a beer before he pulled out his own. "It actually went really well."

"Did you discuss the setlist?" The two moved into the open seating area in front of a large flat-screen television. Killian flipped on a baseball game.

"Emma had a list prepared already. She has really fantastic taste in music, you'd be surprised. She loves the classics like Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd – but then she also likes stuff like John Mayer and Mumford and Sons. I mean the woman seriously appreciates not only good music but good musicianship as well – what?"

Robin was watching Killian as he rambled on about Emma with a smug look on his face.

"You fancy her."

"I do not!" He replied much faster than he meant to. "I mean, I don't fancy her. I just can appreciate a woman with great taste in music."

"Well you better not. She's engaged to be married."

"Trust me; I am well aware of that." He answered as Robin still eyed him suspiciously.

"What about the list? Do you have a copy?" Robin finally asked, moving on.

Killian nodded as he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his email to find it. "Here you are." He handed the device to Robin.

"Oh yeah these are definitely do-able."

"That's what I said. I added in some too that we already know."

"Well this is definitely going to be an interesting experience." Robin continued going through the list of songs as Killian shifted his attention over to the baseball game.

Long after his team lost the game and Robin went home Killian stood in his kitchen going over the setlist once more. Robin reviewed it with no qualms and took it along with the contract home to look over.

As he scrolled through the long list of love songs his mind wondered back to that morning a few days ago he'd spent with Emma. He knew he would like her from the moment he saw her when he took the stage at his club and her eyes were glued to him. Not in the way that other women normally watched him when he sang, but in such a way that he knew she was really listening to the music and appreciating it.

That morning when he'd played her the Ed Sheeran song he thought he might have seen the other thing. The thing in a woman's eye he normally saw right before he decided it was time to get out and run.

But with Emma it was different. He wanted to stay. And in that moment she was the one who ran. She literally sprinted away from him as soon as he'd finished the song leaving him scratching his head, wondering what the bloody hell was going on. Because he wanted to stay and he hadn't felt that way in a very long time. Not since her.

He didn't think of her, Milah – the love of his life, he wouldn't allow himself. And every time he almost did he pushed it away. That was a lifetime ago. A life where he was young, with a family and happy. And very very stupid.

But he wasn't stupid now, not like he was when he was 25 and thought falling in love with an older, married, woman was a good idea. When he thought she'd actually leave her scumbag husband and her son. That was never going to happen and he was too naive and too bloody stupid to realize it.

And when Liam died, the last of his family, his best friend and older brother – when he thought he couldn't break anymore – that's when Milah told him she was going back. Back to the father of her child and awful man she called her husband to give their family another chance.

Could he really blame her for that? No, but he could blame her for the worst timing in the world.

But none of that mattered. He was smarter now because now when he saw that look in a woman's eye, the one that said she might be falling for him, he left. He left before things got too messy and anyone got their hearts broken.

So whatever he thought he saw in Emma's eyes and whatever he thought he felt – he pushed it down, way down. Because he didn't fall in love anymore. And she was engaged.