Thanks for following. This is my first forray back in to writing in years, and I'm a little rusty. I'm playing with the timeline, a little past/now/past/now. Hopefully you guys like it.

Every follow makes me happy, and encourages me to continue, so Thanks!

Killian had been waiting a month for that text, or a call, or any contact from Emma. He'd like to think he was waiting patiently, but it was killing him inside.

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Two years earlier, Killian Jones had been a very different man. He was ruthless. He was cut-throat. He was cruel. He didn't care who he stepped on, so long as he triumphed in the end. And then he met Emma.

His company went in to take over her small media firm. That's what he did. He took over companies; dismantling them, selling off their good parts, leaving them in pieces, and making a fortune in the process. He never thought about how his work affected people until he met her. His boss, Cora, valued his willingness to do whatever it took to make the maximum profit, and wouldn't stand for putting people above money, ever.

Emma challenged him from day one. No decision went without her putting in her two cents, arguing for the people who would be affected by the takeover. The staff grew accustomed to their constant bickering, fighting, and occasional shouting matches. Killian quickly came to the realization that Emma was tenacious enough that he would never win, and Killian liked winning. He knew that it wasn't so much what he was fighting for as knowing that he would triumph in the end. He decided that switching sides would not only allow him to win, but to look better in the eyes of his current foe; fighting with her, instead of against her. The battle that ensued with Cora when he quit, to help Emma fight the takeover was brutal, but he enjoyed every minute of it, knowing that he only grew in Emma's estimation. And they had prevailed in the end.

Now, two years later, he was closer to her than to anyone else. He guessed that she would say the same, if she were being truthful to herself.

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"I have a boat. Go to it, love. It's the perfect place to hide. No one will ever look for you there. Go straight there and I'll come bringing supplies. You can hole up there as long as you need to." Giving her instructions to the dock, and the name of who she could check in with for access, he promised her he would be there as soon as he could, and to make herself at home.

Emma climbed aboard the Jolly Roger, and fast realized this was Killian's true home. She'd been to his apartment on a few occasions; dropping off documents, late night calls with America, even a night of drunken celebration after their victory over Cora. At his apartment, Emma saw nothing that gave her any insight into the man Killian was. Everything was generic, and completely utilitarian. On the ship, there were cabinets and shelves full of trinkets and mementos of past journeys; parts of Killian's past she knew nothing about. The more she looked around the more she wanted to hear the stories behind each and every item she saw. A carved elephant, maps framed and strewn about, shells. She was sure everything had a tale, and she silently admonished herself for never asking or trying to find anything out about him. It had always been about her, what she needed, and how he could help. Now in her current predicament, she knew that she was only continuing along the same path.

Looking through the shelves she found a worn and battered copy of fairy tales. She decided to climb in to bed and read stories about some princesses who have had it harder than she did. Maybe the press was going to hound her, but she didn't have an evil queen trying to kill her, just a terrorist group. She had to laugh at the situation. She knew there were girls who grew up pretending to be princesses, dreaming of dresses and balls, tiaras and princes. She had grown up dreaming of family. A mom and a dad, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. Knowing there were people around who loved you and would care for you was the best thing she could ever imagine. She thought of Killian, realizing that he was family. Always there to help, and there was no doubt about his feelings for her.

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Killian arrived at the dock sometime later, and boarded his ship. Looking around to see if Emma had arrived, he found her curled up asleep in his bed, with his favorite book from his childhood open in front of her. Her long blond curls tangled and lying in a pool around her head on his pillow took his breath away. This is all he asked for in life, this woman. He toed off his shoes and climbed in to bed next to her. She stirred, and curled up next to him. He put his arms around her pulling her closer, and fell asleep, happier than he could ever remember being.