Killian went home alone that night. After meeting Emma, he couldn't make himself interested in anyone else. It was all he could do to not chase after her when she left the pub. He forced himself to stay seated for a short while after she left. He knew that if he had any indication of where she'd gone he wouldn't stop until he found her. So he didn't let himself find any clues. He kept his gaze fixed on the rum in front of him until he knew she was long gone. Then he downed it in one gulp and left.

The next day was the worst work day Killian had had since Milah. He simply couldn't make himself pay attention to the world around him. Not when he was haunted by her golden hair and sparkling eyes.

Killian had a full day of meetings scheduled with everyone from harbors masters to clients to his legal team. But he was barely present for any of it. He knew Liam would get on his case about it as soon as he heard, but Killian quite simply couldn't get his mind to focus. He was lucky that his assistant, Mr. Smee, was so on top of things. He was likely the only reason the day didn't end with Killian alienating all business in the tristate area.

When he was finally done for the day he absentmindedly ordered an uber to take him out. He threw in an address without thinking, just wanting to be distracted from the woman he would never see again. It wasn't until the uber pulled up to his destination that he realized he was back at the pub from the night before. He considered asking the driver to take him somewhere else. Anywhere else. But the off chance he would run into Emma Swan stilled his tongue. Now he just had to hope that she'd be there again.

/

Emma didn't know what drew her back to the pub a second night in a row. When a pair of striking blue eyes flashed through her mind, she had to admit that she did know what drew her back. She was incapable of forgetting about him. It didn't matter that she knew nothing about him other than his name and that he didn't have a timer match. The memory of Killian Jones was as hard to ignore as the man himself.

It had taken Emma three times longer than normal to get her paperwork done that day, and she knew a certain leather clad man was to blame. She didn't know him. She didn't want to know him. She wasn't interested in having any men in her life. But she couldn't resist the temptation to try and see him again. She knew going to the pub was a longshot. She'd never seen him there before and his accent indicated that he wasn't from Boston. None of that stopped her from hoping, however irrationally, that the intriguing man would find his way there again.

Part of her was hoping he wouldn't show. It was a narrow thing, leaving the bar alone the night before. Knowing she needed to collect Henry early the next morning was one of the only reasons she kept grounded. She didn't have that concern tonight. It was a Friday and her son was with Neal and his wife, Tamara, for the weekend. Meaning nothing would be holding Emma back from dragging Killian Jones to her apartment. And she didn't trust herself to let it end there. There was something drawing her to this man and she did not need the mess that could ensue. She knew she would fall fast and hard, and when it ended, as all things do, she would be broken beyond repair.

So when she walked in at 7:30 and saw no sign of her quasi mystery man, (not that he was hers she quickly reminded herself), there was a sigh of relief. Also a sudden and harsh stab of disappointment. But she chose to focus on the relief. Since the bar was nearly empty at this point, she decided on a table and diner. She refused to think that she was stalling until he got there. She was simply in a place that served good food and she was hungry. It had nothing to do with a man with a sexy accent, perfect hair, a charming smile… She stopped herself, forcing her eyes to roam over the familiar menu. She would not think about him. There was no way he was going to show anyway. Not that she could stop herself from glancing up every time she heard someone enter the pub.

Half an hour later she was still sitting alone, but this time with a steaming hot shepherd's pie and a glass of whiskey. She was doing better. She didn't look up every time the door opened. She only looked up half of the times. Two thirds at the most. It was progress and she was going to take it.

"Now what's a fine lass like you doing drinking alone?" Emma almost jumped when she heard the familiar accent. Looking up she saw Killian Jones standing directly in front of her table, his trademark smirk plastered on his face. And a look in his eye that made her question her resolve to leave alone that night.

"It's not drinking alone if you sit down," she offered pretending she wasn't cursing herself for being so forward. Killian's smirk turned into a smile as he pulled out a chair and promptly settled into it.

"Two nights in a row, Swan, I'm starting to think that this is fate."

"I'm starting to think you're following me," there was no hostility in her statement. She was letting herself fall into a casual banter, ignoring the warning bells in her head. She knew she had to be cautious. But everything flew out of her head when he was looking at her like that. Like she was the most interesting person he'd ever met.

"Well love, how do we know it isn't you that's following me?" Killian threw her a sultry look, "I am devilishly handsome after all."

"And modest too," she snorted, adding an eye roll for good measure.

/

There was something about this woman that made all of Killian's walls come down. So when she made a casual remark about his blank timer, he found himself opening up about Milah. He never talked about her, it was a part of his life he kept hidden, but he somehow knew that this woman would understand.

"It's been blank for eight years now," he didn't meet Emma's eyes as he spoke, focusing instead on the glass of rum he was slowly swirling in his hand. "The day I got it was the day my Milah died."

"Killian, you don't have to tell me this."

"Aye," he still didn't meet her eyes. He didn't even know why he was burdening her with his life story. He just knew that now that he'd started to tell her he couldn't stop. "We'd been together for 3 years before I got my timer."

"And let me guess," she cut in softly, his eyes finally rising to meet hers, "everyone says that you're lucky for getting that." Killian nodded, surprised at her response. "They don't seem to realize that the pain can outweigh the good times."

"Aye, lass, that they don't." A comfortable silence descended on their table for a few moments, their eyes still locked.

"I thought I'd met the love of my life right around when timers first came out." Emma's eyes dropped from his as she spoke. Her words coming softly and measured, like she was pulling out a particularly painful memory.

"But you never…" Killian's eyes flicked down to her wrist in confusion, there were no scars to show she'd ever had a timer.

"No, I didn't get one," her eyes flicked up to his face, "he didn't either until years later. But we'd joked about getting them, it was never serious, we didn't have that kind of money. But it didn't take a timer to get him to leave." Killian knew the last part wasn't for his ears, she had muttered it under her breath. The amount of bitterness in her voice sent a pang through his heart. He'd only known this woman for a day but he couldn't understand how anyone would ever leave her.

"Why'd you never get a timer, love?" Killian asked cautiously, he knew the question was personal. He knew he was risking her walls shooting up. But he also knew that he had to know.

"They only cause pain." There was a sense of finality in her statement. "They're either a countdown for people to leave you or a shackle to force you to be with someone out of obligation."

Killian nodded thoughtfully before shifting the conversation to lighter topics. She'd shared more with him than he'd expected and he didn't want to push her into dragging up any more painful memories.

Killian barely even registered that time was even passing until the bartender came over to tell them they were closing. He'd wanted to ask for her number, to invite her back to his hotel, anything to prolong their time together but something held him back. As much as she'd relaxed around him he knew she would push him away at the first hint of anything serious. Or maybe he'd push himself away, he could never be sure.

"I leave in the morning," he told her softly as he escorted her out. She paused for a moment before looking up into his eyes. He saw his own uncertainty reflected in the green depths. If it weren't his best mates bachelor party he would cancel all his plans in a heartbeat and come to the pub every night for a chance to see this dream of a woman. But he wouldn't do that to Robin. Not to the man who pulled him back together after Milah.

They stood outside the pub in silence for a moment, simply looking at each other. Eventually, Emma nodded at him and turned to leave. No mention of further contact. Killian watched her disappear down the street, waiting until she was completely out of sight to order an uber. He spent the ride back to his hotel thinking about the blonde that had upended his life.

/

Killian was not in the mood for a bachelor party. He wasn't in the mood for celebrating other people's happiness or love. He was trying to celebrate Robin's last hurrah of singleness but he couldn't stop his mind from focusing on her. On Emma. He was the only one there who was without their timer match. Hell, even Will bloody Scarlett was happily engaged to his soulmate. Killian could feel their pity every time they saw his blank timer. The blinking dashes taunting him. It was his brother, Liam, who finally confronted him about his foul mood.

"Who is she?" He brushed past Killian into his hotel room.

"I have no bloody idea what you're talking about, but by all means, come in." Killian shut the door behind the elder Jones and followed him back into his room.

"You've been out of it all weekend and responded to a grand total of zero of the women who were trying to catch your attention."

"And you jumped from that to a woman?"

"I've seen that look on you before, brother, there's a woman. So back to my question, who is she?"

"No one I'm ever going to see again."

"She's met her timer match?"

"No."

"Her countdown is close to ending?"

"No."

"You don't want to get involved with someone who isn't your soulmate?"

"I don't bloody well want to get involved with anyone. I'm fine as I am."

"I can see that," Liam pointedly looked at the half empty bottle of rum on the hotel desk. "How long was left on her timer?"

"She doesn't have a timer."

"Removed?"

"No. She's never had one."

"So what's stopping you then? Is she married?"

"No she's not married."

"Then what the bloody hell is wrong with you? She's not married, she's not waiting for her soulmate, I can't see a bloody thing that would keep you from her!"

"I'm not ready!" Killian shouted back, "I can't have another Milah." He added the last part in a near whisper, feeling the tears building up in the back of his throat.

"Not every woman is Milah."

"But what if she decides to get a timer and finds her actual match? Or if my match shows up?"

"You have it bad, don't you little brother?"

"Younger brother."

"Do you think she's going to get a timer?"

"No. She was pretty against them," Killian chuckled lightly as he remembered just how against the timers she had been.

"And your match has had 10 years to get a timer, I don't see it suddenly happening tomorrow." Killian looked up at his brother.

"You want me to go after her."

"Aye, brother."

"But you're the one who's always telling me to wait for my timer to find my soulmate."

"You've been waiting for eight years, brother, maybe it's time for you to just find happiness on your own."

"Even without the guarantee?"

"A timer isn't a guarantee. It doesn't make it any less real if she isn't your timer match."

"Will you still be this supportive if I get this removed?" Killian gestured to the blank timer on his arm.

"It wouldn't be my choice but I know you're convinced that Milah was your match. I'm not judging, only you know what there was between you," Liam was quick to add. "But I want you to be happy, Killian, and if you think this woman can make you happy, I'll support it."

"Thank you," Killian's voice was almost a whisper. Liam clapped him on the back then turned to leave the room.

"What's her name?" Liam called over his shoulder.

"Emma. Emma Swan."

/

Killian had an appointment first thing Monday morning. He couldn't wait a moment longer to get the infernal device out of his arm. But what should have been a quick appointment soon turned into hours of the employees reading manuals and calling supervisors. No one knew how to do a removal. They just didn't happen. It was past noon by the time they were able to get someone in there that knew what they were bloody doing.

"Are you sure you want to get your timer removed?" the middle aged manager asked Killian, confusion in her face.

"Aye," he grunted with annoyance. Every single time the timer blinked at him was more torment than he was willing to bear. He was going to pursue Swan but he needed this reminder of lost love out of his arm.

"You do know that once it is removed you cannot get another one."

"Aye, I've already gotten the spiel. I want this bloody thing gone!" He was harsher than he needed to be but he was too frustrated to care.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him, obviously unhappy with the treatment, but she nodded and picked up the removal device. She moved it toward his wrist and he let himself relax. It would be over in a moment. Then, suddenly a loud beeping sounded through the room. Killian looked down in confusion and saw his timer scrolling rapidly through numbers. 'Oh great, is the bloody thing scared?' He thought for a moment. Refusing to accept what was happening. It was only when the numbers settled that he realized what was going on.

12 days, 11 hours, 42 minutes, and 13 seconds until the day he would meet his soulmate.