I'm so sorry that this took forever for me to finish! Life and work and well...Laziness crept in the last few weeks there and I just wasn't very motivated to write. I told myself I wanted to finish this story up before the new episode tonight, but I didn't think I would procrastinate until the very last day! Anyway, I'm sorry dear readers! I hope this chapter makes up for it. This is the last chapter of this short little story and I love it so much! I'm looking forward to watching the new episode tonight. The last few weeks have been torturous without a new episode!
"Well love, here we are." Said Killian as he helped Emma step onto his ship.
"Here we are." Mumbled Emma, she turned and gave Killian a small smile and watched as he lovingly ran his hands over the railing of his ship. The way he touched it was with just the same amount of reverence that he usually used with her.
Emma broke away from Killian and started to walk around the deck, admiring the Jolly as well. She let her fingers thread through the ropes and up across the rigging. When she reached the other end she splayed her arms across the railing and looked out across the harbor. She could easily see how Killian had come to love the sea. It proved to have a somewhat calming effect on her as well. The moonlight and stars dancing patterns of light over the dark water and the light rock of the ship was lulling her and easing the tension from her body.
Killian watched Emma for a few minutes admiring the moonlight shining down on her, almost making it seem like her blonde hair was glowing. She looked lost in thought but he could see that she was beginning to be calmer, her body was slumped forward and her arms spread out on the railing before her. He moved slowly behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
Emma leaned back with a contented sigh into Killian's body and allowed him to hold her. She nuzzled into his neck and laced her fingers with his hand that was gently resting across her stomach. They haven't had too many quiet moments like this lately. All their moments have been quick and emotional. Both of them needing assurance from the other. It felt nice to just relax against him and to not have to talk about anything, he understood her anyway. She didn't need to say anything more.
After a little while Emma started to shiver, the night air had turned cold and she wasn't sure how she was even standing on her own anymore. Her exhaustion had settled into her bones and she was sure as soon as she would lie down she would be out of it. She wasn't sure how it was possible to press herself closer to Killian, seeking out his warmth and his strength to hold her up, but she did. Killian turned her in his arms and held her close to him, his hand massaging her back and he pressed a kiss to her head.
"We should get you to bed love. You are exhausted." He pulled back just enough to look at her face.
"Yeah" Emma smoothed her hands down Killian's arms, letting them rest on his forearms "Killian I'm sorry for going off back there. It's going to take some time for me to get over all of this, if I even can."
"Hey" Killian pressed his palm against her cheek "you don't need to apologize to me love. I'm here; you don't have to go through this alone."
Emma nodded and turned her face to press a kiss into his palm and then looked back into his eyes and smiled a real smile this time. The weight of his words settling into her mind, she wasn't alone anymore. She didn't need to keep the pain to herself anymore. No matter what she had someone to confide in, who would be there for her and comfort her.
"Let's get you downstairs love." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her down to the captain's quarters. Once inside he hurried to light the lantern inside the dark room. Emma slipped off her coat and laid it across the chair that was pushed under the desk in the middle of the room. She then turned and looked about the space. She really wanted to explore it, to look at all the books she saw on a shelf by the bed, all the trinkets and papers on the desk, but she was much too tired.
Killian chuckled as he watched Emma's eyes roam about the room and in a few quick strides he was at her side again, pulling her towards the bed. "You can snoop around later Swan. Sleep now." He helped settle her onto the bed and unzipped her boots and pulled them off and set them down next to the bed. He covered her up with a quilt and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Emma reached up and caught his hand right before he started to turn away and Killian raised his eyebrow in question.
"Stay with me? Please?"
"As you wish love." Killian's eyes shone as he looked down at her, with so much love and her love for him shone right back. He took off his jacket and boots and set them down next to Emma's. Emma slid over on the bed making room for Killian and turned on her side. Once Killian was next to her she wrapped her arm around his chest and he pulled her next to him, giving her another kiss on her head. "Good night Swan."
"Good night Killian." And a few seconds later he could hear her breathing softly, knowing she was asleep. He brushed her hair back from her face and held her tight against him. He knew that tomorrow would bring about another emotional day as Emma faced her parents and as they searched for the author but for tonight he was back on his ship with the woman he loved safely in his arms. He smiled as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
