A/N: Okay, so that's still not the chapter in which our favorite pirate (former pirate?) finds out, but he's finally here, there's actual CS here, so eeeeeee! I guess many of you will be frustrated at my inability to do smut there in the end, but hey, we all have our imaginations, so have fun and go wild! ;-)

The alarm clock on the nightstand says 05:37 when Emma's eyes suddenly open and she's completely awake. Realizing this is probably for having gone to bed early the night before, she decides she isn't gonna try to fall asleep again and gets ready to leave. It's probably better to tell Killian the news in the privacy of their own home than at her parents' anyway.

Well, her own home if she wants to get technical. Killian still insists on keeping his room at Granny's even though he stays over almost every night, helps with the cleaning and goes grocery shopping with her every week. A few weeks ago, when she brought up the silliness of it all for maybe the fiftieth time, he said it wasn't proper for them to be living together and that he would never subject her to the scrutiny of the townsfolk. Something in his eyes told her he was being truthful to his honor code and, well, his Enchanted Forest upbringing, but there was also a hint of a plea that she pretended not to have noticed.

She raises her eyebrows at herself when she realizes that it doesn't bother her that now he's probably gonna stop dropping hints and will be adamant about getting married. In a way they've been a fully committed couple since way before the time portal, so a piece of paper won't really change anything.

Not that she's gonna agree to it or anything. Not necessarily. Or that she's gonna change her name to Emma Jones. No sir. She may be his, body and soul, but she's no-one's property, thank you very much. She can see him changing his name to Swan before she changes hers.

The thought makes her giggle as she makes her way through the living room in search of a pen and paper to leave her parents a note. That catches Snow's attention, who's up by the kitchen counter breastfeeding her brother.

"Hey! Sneaking out, young lady?"

"Oh, don't you start too! I woke up just because, so I decided to go home. Can you tell dad to drive Killian over there instead of here?"

"Sure, but...don't you wanna try to get some more sleep and have breakfast with us?"

"Thanks, mom, but I think I'm gonna use the extra time to sort things out at home. I didn't know I was gonna stay over when I left for the station yesterday so the apartment is kind of a mess", she says truthfully. "Besides...we wouldn't wanna risk you telling Killian anything before I did, now would we?"

She's already laughing when she turns around and sees her mother open her mouth in offense, unable to say anything to defend herself.

"Bye, baby Neal", she whispers as she feels a piece of cloth suddenly hit her back.

Turns out the apartment isn't in as much a mess as she remembered, so she decides to just take a shower and put on some pajamas. She doesn't even realize that the pair she chooses is the same she had on the day a mad man in leather came to her door in New York and brought her home.

Her alarm clock says 06:58 when she falls sleep again.

It's 09:24 when she wakes up for the second time today, only now it's with a kiss and the sweet burn of a scruff on her chin and cheeks. Instinctively, Emma wraps her arms around Killian and pulls him onto the bed.

"Hey you!"

"Well hello there, Swan! Your father did say you were feeling better but I was not expecting this!" His tone is seductive and disappointed in equal measure and it makes her put a hand on his chest to stop him from kissing her again.

"Killian Jones, are you upset that I'm not sick anymore?"

"No! How can you even imag-I would never! It's just...I..."

"Well?"

"Well, what did I do wrong that kept you sick for days and then just one night with your parents", he swallows hard, "and away from me could fix?" His voice is low and shaky and unsure, making Emma's heart grow ten sizes in her chest.

"Oh, honey, no!" She holds him, close peppering kisses from one cheek to another. "No, no, no, you didn't do anything wrong! It's just that sometimes...you need your mother's perspective to sort some things out."

He looks at her inquisitively, but before he can say anything she buries her hands in his hair...his wet hair.

"Wait a second...where did you shower?"

"Um...here? What's this about, love?"

"You mean to tell me you got home and took your sweet time showering before you even said hello?"

"I know how this little game of yours works, Swan, and I wasn't really in the mood to be kicked out of bed because I smelled like sweat and dirt", he says with a wink and a smirk.

"Oh I see! Guess I've domesticated you real good, haven't I?"

"No. No!" He calls her teasing and raises one of his own. "I merely know exactly how not to be denied what I want..."

"Oh is that so?"

"Sure is", he says, voice already muffled by his mouth being buried in her neck.

When his hook tugs at the waistband of her pajama pants, she's already too far gone. Ever since that time she's asked him to keep it because there's something weirdly sexy about the attachment he's never taken it off before sex again and she's never been more glad. She wasn't kidding, you know.

The pants hit the floor as the clock turns to 09.41.