I am overwhelmed of the attention this fic has gotten. It was actually meant to be a one shot, but I didn't have time to write it all. That being said, this will now be a very short story, no more than 4 or 5 chapters.


Killian stood by the door of the coffee shop that afternoon, his hand fisting nervously at his side as he shuffled his feet. He cracked his neck to the side, his shoulders moving as he tried to find himself in the new wardrobe he'd fashioned for himself. Emma had mentioned his outfit was daunting her and he'd wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible. Emma...

Swan.

She remembered him. Killian wasn't sure exactly what had happened, as the counter curse cast by Regina was supposed to erase all of them from her memories. But she had a recollection of him, of the events that have occurred between them. Or at least, some sort of version of it.

His own mind drifted back to their shared night, recalling it vividly as he closed his eyes in the same way he'd done every day for the past year.

The way she knocked on his door in the room at Granny's.

Her mouth closing on his flask as she took a sip of his rum.

Her small voice as she confessed to him that her darkest secret was that she couldn't forgive Neal from what he'd done and she was afraid her parents and Henry would never understand her.

The way she closed the space between them and brushed her lips to his.

Her plea for him to make her forget everything, even for one night.

Her trembling fingers as she undid the buttons of his vest, her lips trailing a path down his chest.

The way she fused herself with him, her green eyes never leaving his as he moved above her.

The way she curled by his side and drifted to sleep.

Her scent still in his pillow when he woke up alone the next morning.

He'd tried to find her the next day, desperate to understand where their dalliance left them. Whether or not this was the beginning of something or just a fleeting moment that lasted only from dusk til dawn.

But fate, that whimsical mistress, had other ideas and even before another twilight had settled; he was standing by the town line, a reverent promise on his lips.

There's not a day that will go by I won't think of you.

And he didn't let a day go by when Emma Swan wasn't the most important presence in his mind… either because he was trying to forget her, or because he was trying to hold on to every single memory of her.

He took one look at the strange clothes he was wearing, breathed deeply and hoped against hope that this morning wasn't a figment of his imagination as he entered the shop.

/-/

Emma played with the mug set on the table, trying calm herself down. Ever since Killian knocked on her door that morning, she'd been on edge, trying to figure out what she felt. What she wanted to feel or didn't want to feel. He'd looked confused and there was something clearly wrong with his clothes; but even with all that, Emma couldn't deny the way her heart had skipped a beat the moment her eyes met his. There was sincere joy in those blue eyes staring back at her, as if the time spent apart had been painful for him.

It didn't make sense.

As wonderful and unforgettable their night was - and she had walked out of it with an interesting reminder - it was just one night. That wasn't enough to grant the care and sentiment present in his eyes when she opened the door, that look of utter lo-

Emma groaned, not letting herself finish the word in her mind. It was crazy to think like that. She'd probably imagined it all, sleep deprivation finally taking a toll on her sanity. She softly banged her head against the table, taking a deep breath to control her racing mind.

"Emma?"

She lifted her head, the smile on her lips faltering at the thin brown haired men smiling at her.

"Uh- Hi…" Her mind drew a blank.

"Walsh, from The Wizard of Oak?" He offered politely, taking a step closer.

"Right…" Emma trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"So, how's that dining set working for you?"

"Fine, I guess." Emma shrugged, trying to be polite but not really feeling like having a conversation with the guy that sold her a dining table and then spent quite an amount of time trying not-so-subtly to hit on her.

"Well, if there is anything you need, let me know." He shuffled on his feet, "Actually would you like to-"

"Swan."

Emma tilted her head to stare past Walsh. That voice, she did recognize. And it was the one she'd been expecting to hear, her pulse beating faster as her eyes focused on Killian Jones. He was wearing faded blue jeans, a grey Henley, a black leather jacket. The shirt was unbuttoned, his chest hair and a charm necklace visible. A quick image of grabbing that necklace to pull him towards her as she kissed him crossed her mind and she had to shake her head to get rid of it.

Killian tilted his head in confusion, his eyes darting back and forth from Emma to Walsh.

"Is this a bad time, love?" He asked hesitantly, taking one step back as if to retreat to the exit. "I was under the impression-"

"No, no, it's fine." Emma said, half standing up from her chair in an attempt to stop him from leaving. "Actually, Walsh was just…" She trailed off, her eyes darting to Walsh and subtly trying to hint to him that his presence was superfluous.

Walsh seemed to finally get a clue, as he shrugged awkwardly. "Oh, I see that you had plans. It was nice seeing you Emma." He left quickly and Emma turned her full attention to Killian. He was still watching her with hesitation etched all over his features.

"Is he - do you know him?" he asked in a strained voice.

"Just a guy that sold me furniture once." Emma offered, waving her hand dismissively.

Killian pondered for a few more moments before he pointed to the chair in front of hers. "May I?"

Emma nodded, an encouraging smile coming to her lips as she watched his face break into a hopeful smile and he sat in front of her, his fingers fidgeting over the table's surface.

"So…" Emma started but she stopped as she realized she had no clue what to say to him.

It seemed Killian felt the same way, as he reached to scratch behind his ear. "This is awkward… I don't know where to begin."

"What are you doing in NY? How did you find me? Do you still live in Boston?" The questions came out of her mouth before she even realized it.

Killian gave her a confused look, taking a moment to appreciate the way her skin flushed at her clear outburst.

"Swan… what do you remember about me? About us?" he asked daringly, needing that answer to move forward.

Emma cocked an eyebrow at him, "Again with that? Are you telling me you don't remember? Killian, what is going on?"

He moved as if to touch her hand but refrained at the very last moment, choosing to fidget with his prosthetic instead, averting his eyes. When he finally looked up at her, she could see the pained distress in them. "Please, Emma. … Tell me. It's - It's important."

She sighed, "We met at a bar in Boston, exchanged names, shared a few drinks, flirted shamelessly with each other and you know after that -" She trailed off, reaching nervously to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We dallied for the night?" He asked raising a suggestive eyebrow at him.

"I guess you could put it like that," she chuckled.

"And what happened the morning after?"

She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "I told you that night that I didn't do relationships. And the next morning - well - let's just say life didn't go as planned." She took a deep breath and met his inquisitive blue eyes again. "A fire destroyed my apartment and I decided to move here, with - with my son. I have a twelve year old, Henry."

And a baby. But I'm not sure I can tell you this right now.

He gave her a thoughtful smirk, "That is quite an interesting recollection of events, Swan."

There was something in his voice that rose goosebumps in her. "Are you honestly telling me you remember something else? What is it?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I tell you," he whispered.

"Try me," she contested in an apprehensive tone. "What happened that night one year ago if it was not the story I've just told?"

Emma could see the conflict in his eyes, before he shook his head slightly and change his demeanor, "I can tell you other things."

"Like what?"

He bit his lower lip and trace the contour of it with his thumb before he gave her an intense stare. "I can tell you that I have thought of you each night of the time we've been apart, closing my eyes and summoning the memory of you to my mind. I can tell you that it was the same during the day. Even - even the moments when I tried hard to forget you, you were present, always present." His eyes bore into hers, his voice breaking with raw emotion. "Not a day went by I haven't thought of you, Swan."

She gasped, her mouth open in shock as she tried to make sense of his words, of the care and devotion etched in his face, impossible to deny any longer.

"That doesn't make any sense… I tried to find you. There was nothing, it was as if you've disappeared from the face of the earth." She countered, fighting with her very last shred of sanity the pull his words were having on her.

He sat straighter at her words. "Why did you try to find me?" His eyes searched her face for an answer, but nothing was clear. "Emma, what happened that you are not telling me?"

Her phone chirped and she looked at the message. She had to leave now. She had to put some distance between them again and try to order her jumbled thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I have to go now." She started to stand up, but his hand caught her wrist. A jolt of electricity ran through her and a distant faded memory of a searing kiss invaded her thoughts.

"Can I see you again?" His heartfelt plea took her out of her reverie and when she met his eyes, she could see the sincerity pouring from them.

He had a right to know. She had to tell him.

"Give me an hour to get some things in order and come to the apartment?" She offered. "There's something you need to know, but I can't tell you here." She finished in a small voice, a silent petition hidden in her words.

He nodded and let go of her wrist softly. "I'll see you then, love."

/-/

Emma made her way back into her building after a long walk to clear her head, but it hadn't been enough. Her thoughts were still running wild. She checked on the time and she realized she still had a few more minutes before meeting Killian again, so she went up to the roof to see if the view would bring her the final clarity she needed.

She stood there, so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize someone had sneaked in behind her.

"You know…" Walsh said as he grabbed her from behind, his hand reaching to cover her mouth. "You really should have accepted my asking out a year ago… it would have saved us all this ugly business…"