Thank you all so much for the reception to the first chapter. I was blown away! This chapter will involve more of the secondary characters, but we will get to see some Killian next chapter. Don't worry! And make sure to check my page for a new one shot that should be coming out later this week. I am really excited for you all to read it!

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2: Another Week, Another War

Emma Swan did not have pictures coating the walls of her dorm room.

Her mother did not send her care packages every other week.

She did not stay up late talking to her siblings on the phone, telling them of all the wonders of college.

Emma Swan had an old baby blanket, a few contacts in her phone, and a lifetime of emotional issues.

Ruby was the first to point out that Emma did not bring much with her to college. Considering that they were roommates, they were bound to have this conversation eventually. When Ruby finished moving herself in to her side of the room, with the help of her grandmother, a spitfire of a woman, she peered over to Emma's bleak side, simply stating "You pack light."

Mary-Margaret noticed next. She was a sweet young girl, staying in the next room over in their suite with Aurora. Emma and Mary-Margaret me the first day, due to David and Killian, but they would have seen each other soon after even if it were not for the men. Mary-Margaret's room looked like pinterest exploded all over it. She oozed over all her pictures from back home. Her family, her best friends Herc and Alice, her horse and dozens of other pictures with various backstories. Her desk was properly organized and her closet was perfect, not a single item out of place. She popped into Emma and Ruby's room on the second day after arriving, coming to see if they had any tape, when she noticed how little Emma had done to her side of the room.

"Do you want some help?" The petite woman asked. "I am really good at decorating!"

Emma shook her head casually. "I'm not a huge decor person. I like things simple."

The answer was enough to satisfy Mary-Margaret, who really did not know Emma at that point and could not argue with her.

It was when Killian noticed her lack of possessions that it finally sunk in. The two had seen each other at various points over the first week of school. They were in the same English class and considering the fact that their suitemates were dating, they found themselves in the same friend circle. One night, he and David were stopping by the girls' dorm so they could all head over to the cafiteria for dinner when Killian said something.

"Not a sentimental one, eh Swan?"

Emma did not notice the first time he simply called her Swan, but the nickname stuck. She could not remember many times over the past week that he had actually called her by her real name.

Emma shrugged. "Less hassle with moving in."

Killian hummed. "I'm not sentimental either."

"Really?"

"Aye." They stood in silence for a few moments before he added. "Something tells me it is less of of your level of sentimentality and more the issue of you do not have anything worth bringing."

His words shocked her, but did not keep her down for long. "What makes you think that?"

"You are something of an open book to me, love."

Emma scoffed under her breath, mentally hoping that Mary Margaret was almost ready to leave. "Well, I am not any book you would want to read."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Emma opened her mouth, a sarcastic response on her tongue, when David popped his head in. "You two ready?"

Killian stared at her for a moment, before turning to David. "Aye, mate."

Emma knew what he was doing. He was giving her a way out, an easy escape from the conversation.

And she took it.

"Yeah, let's go. I'm starving." Emma said, grabbing her jacket as she walked past Killian out of the room.

Emma may not have grown up with a lot , but she grew up learning how to protect herself. And that lesson was more important than any possession.

Emma mentally cursed herself for taking eighteen credits yet again. It was March of her senior year and things were as hectic as ever. She was attending school on a scholarship, so she rationalized with herself that she needed to take the max amount of credits every semester to make the most of her scholarship. But it was moments like these, the end of March, the second half of a hard semester that would only get harder, that she seriously reconsidered that option.

Ever since the news of Killian's accident, Emma had thrown herself into her work. It had only been four days since she had last seen him, but it felt like an eternity. He had gotten out of the hospital the day before and went back to his apartment that he shared with and Will, the one he lived in ever since graduation. Emma remembered that when he announced to her that he would be sharing an apartment with Will, she was not exactly thrilled, but when he explained it was only because it was two miles from his new job, the one he had wanted so badly, she was able to be happy for him.

Mary Margaret walked in, all dolled up in a pretty dress and make-up. Emma smiled a bit, assuming that she was going to see David. David had graduated the previous year, along with Will and Killian, but he and Mary-Margaret were still going strong. Their fairy tale love story was one for the books.

"Em, have you seen my blue earrings?" Her friend asked her.

Emma looked up from the textbook in her lap. "Ruby might have borrowed them."

Mary-Margaret sighed. "She out with Victor?"

"It's Saturday night, isn't it?" Emma laughed.

Mary Margaret moved towards Emma's bed, kneeling on it. "You are right. Which raised the question why you are in here studying?"

Emma rolled her eyes at her. "You know I have a ton of work due for Senior Sem on Monday!"

"Why you took that class I will never know."

"It's in my major!" Emma defended.

"You sure this isn't about Killian?"

Emma rolled her neck back, groaning. "It is not about him."

"How is he?"

Emma shrugged. "I haven't heard from Will since yesterday. He brought him home and he seems to be responsive to the pain meds."

Mary-Margaret hummed. "When are you going to see him next?"

Emma hesitated, closing her book and pushing it off of her lap. "I have not actually agreed to see him again."

"Emma-" Mary Margaret warned.

"I just do not know if it is a good idea." Emma cut her off. "We haven't been on good terms for the past six months. What makes you think that seeing me will help him?"

"Because it's you." Mary-Margaret answered. "Just go talk to him."

"I can't make him remember anything. That's gotta be him." Emma pushed.

"No one is asking for you to make him remember. He just needs someone. You are the only thing that makes sense to him right now. He is confused and everyone is a stranger. He just needs someone to be there for him and help him. You can do that."

"I'm not very good at helping people." Emma said under her breath.

"Now that, Emma Swan, is a lie." Mary-Margaret's voice started to sound like what everyone called her mom voice. She was definitely the mom of their friend group, despite being one of the youngest.

"It's just-a lot has happened in the past six months." Emma sighed.

"We graduate in less than two months, Emma. Don't you think it's time to work on reconciling with him."

"He doesn't even remember why we weren't talking in the first place!" Emma was frustrated, now standing so she could pace around the room. "He's got no memory of anything that has happened between us, including everything that went wrong after he graduated."

"You mean after he met Milah?"

Emma stopped, turning to look at Mary-Margaret. "What?"

"Things got bad between you two when he met Milah."

Emma shook her head. "We weren't on great terms before that. She was just the breaking point."

Mary-Margaret nodded. "You owe it to yourself to get closure, Emma."

"Why?"

"Because even if he doesn't remember, you do." Mary-Margaret stood up from her bed, making her way towards the door. "I've got to go, but just think about what I said, alright?"

Emma did not say anything, just simply nodded before Mary-Margaret awkwardly slipped out of the room.

Emma thought about what her friend had said. No matter what happened, she still had four years worth of memories in her head, even if the last year of them were sour. She knew in her heart things started to turn bad between her and Killian after he graduated and they were no longer seeing each other every day, but it was more than that. They let their communication go, he poured himself into his job and she into her school work. They never saw each other and eventually they were different people.

Something in Emma still missed him. He had been her best friend. He understood her in a way that no one else ever would. While he may never fully remember her, she remembered him. And she knew she would regret it if she left him alone when he needed her the most.

Emma sighed and shook her head as she made her way across the room, reached for her phone,and before she could talk herself out of it, texted Will asking if she could see Killian during the next week.

Even after four years of living at college, Emma still could not get used to cafeteria food. There were many days when she took one look at the main line and quickly decided it was a salad day.

Today was one of those days.

Plate in hand, she set off to find somewhere to sit. Emma was thankful that her schedule this semester allowed her to come get lunch before the rush came in. Last semester, she got out of class the same time as the majority of the school, resulting in everyone coming for food at the same time.

Regina sat at a table to her right, waving for her to come join her. Regina and Emma had met the previous year when she transferred from another University in New York, majoring in business. Regina was placed in the suite across from Emma. To say the two girls did not hit it off was an understatement. The majority of Regina's first semester was filled with their bickering or avoiding each other. At some point, however, they found common ground and formed a slow, and strange, friendship, still filled with a fair amount of bickering and sarcasm.

Emma walked towards Regina and saw that Robin, her boyfriend and Killian's friend, was sitting next to her. Robin had been the one that initially called Emma when Killian had his accident. She met him before Regina, sometime during her freshman year. Robin, who had also been a freshman, was friends with Killian, a sophomore during their first year and their friend groups eventually meshed. She did not see as much of Robin now that her and Killian were, well, whatever they were, but often got to catch up with him when he was with Regina. The two of them harbored no negative towards the other. Whatever happened between Killian and Emma was between them and should not affect their friends.

"Hey guys." Emma greeted them as she set down her tray and sat down across from them.

"Hey, Emma." Robin said first. "How've you been?"

Emma took a bite of her food, reminding herself it was impolite to talk with her mouth full. "Good. Classes have been really busy. I have this huge project in my one class and another class I have to finish up my research. How have you two been?"

Regina nodded. "I'm working on setting up my internship for this summer. And classes-well, they are going."

Emma laughed, turning to Robin. "Things are well. Hectic."

She nodded and took another bite of her salad. They ate in silence for a few moments before Robin brought up the elephant in the room. "Have you seen Killian lately?"

Emma shook her head. "I'll see him this weekend. We haven't talked since I saw him in the hospital." She pushed the lettuce around on her plate with ehr fork. "Have you seen him?"

"A few times. Will has been keeping me updated, though."

Emma looked up from her plate. "How's he doing."

"Better. The bruises are pretty much gone. His hand isn't infected and the doctors will start discussing a prosthetic soon."

Emma nodded. "He remember anything?"

Robin sighed and Regina placed her hand on his shoulder for support. "Nothing yet. The doctors are pretty sure it is temporary retrograde. His hypocampus-"

"Hippocampus" Emma corrected him.

"Right. Hippocampus was injured when he hit his head. Something else was injured too, but I am not great with the technical terms. A lot of people regain their memories from what the doctors called "temporarily graded" but it can take a while."

"But he'll remember?" Emma sounded hopeful.

Robin gave her a reassuring grin. "That's the plan."

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