A/N: Chapter 5 will be coming soon! I hope you are enjoying it so far. I'm in the process of finishing typing up the next chapter. There should only be one more after 5. Thank you for reading!
"Let's get you into something more… twentieth century," Ruby said with a wolfish smile, her eyes traveling down the length of Killian's body as he turned, startled. He hadn't expected anyone to just show up on the Jolly Roger. Henry had said he was to go to Granny's in the evening and he was nervous enough without unexpected visitors showing up.
"Ruby? What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" He dropped the coil of rope onto the deck and watched as Ruby marched toward him, a bag dangling from her arm.
"Helping Henry. Operation Falcon." She continued past him and right into the cabin.
Killian watched her go, exasperated. He followed her. "Ruby, what is Operation Falcon?" Did Henry have everyone in on Operation Falcon? He watched as she set the bag on his desk and kept her back to him as she pulled items out of it.
"A secret." She looked over her shoulder and winked, grinning. Killian almost rolled his eyes as he walked around his desk. She was setting clothes on his desk. A sweater? Pants that were definitely not leather. A small bottle. Ankle boots. Socks. He gave her a confused look and Ruby kept smiling, clearly enjoying herself. "Henry thought it would be helpful if we made you look a little more like you belonged. You know, to hopefully get the town to stop thinking of you as Captain Hook." She dropped her voice and crooked one of her fingers, slashing it in the air a little. Ruby watched him, her smile fading as she met his eyes, suddenly serious. "Make it easier."
Easier? He tilted his head, even more confused now. He opened his mouth to speak and shut it. The letter, the invitation, and now clothes. He watched Ruby shake out the sweater. It was like something he'd seen sailors wear before. "Why are all of you doing this?" None of them were his friends. Was it just because he helped bring Henry back? Had the boy really brought the town together?
Ruby held the sweater up to him and seemed pleased. "Henry asked." She looked at his face and turned to set the sweater down. "It's not like that is the only reason. Emma misses you."
Hearing someone else say those words, his heart leapt and he put a hand on his desk as if he were steadying himself. "Henry mentioned that."
"Hmm, well, then you know." She was smiling again. "Now, let's make sure all of this fits."
"Know-"
Ruby raised a finger and waved it at him, signaling him not to speak. "You'll have to ask Emma. Now, try these on." She held up the boots.
Killian took the boots and gave Ruby an annoyed look. Emma missed him. Henry had a mission that apparently he was the focus of. He sat down on his chair and started to take of his boots. And Henry wanted him to fit in, for Storybrooke to like him. Fantastic.
The collar of the cable knit sweater bothered him. He hadn't worn something with such a high collar in years. Hundred of years. His normal clothes were comfortable. This stuff… the jeans and cable knit sweater were weird… awkward. But, if it would get him closer to Emma, he'd do it.
Ruby had left him with order to clean up, use the cologne and wear the clothes, though she hadn't asked him to shave. Actually, she'd specifically not told him to shave. He rubbed his chin and took a deep breath and crossed the street to Granny's.
A good many of Storybrooke's residents were already inside, laughing and chatting. He walked in, the bell ringing as he stepped into the room. Everyone turned to look at him. He tried a smile. Some of them looked away. He raised a hand in greeting and they rest looked away from him, going back to their conversations.
"Captain," Ruby said, walking over to him and smiling. "You look…" Her smile grew and she grinned at him. "Very nice. Come on. I'll get you something to drink."
Killian looked at the others who were trying to make it look like they weren't watching him. He took another deep breath and followed Ruby to the counter. The townspeople weren't going to be won over just because he brought Henry back. He wished it were as easy as that because if Emma did miss him and did want him here, then it would make staying easier.
"Beer." Ruby twisted the top off the bottle and set it in front of Killian, leaning on the counter. She waited for him to lift the beer to take a drink. "Henry says you have to stay for at least an hour."
Killian choked, staring at Ruby as she laughed. An hour? He was going to see Emma, prove to Henry he was here, and leave before he earned himself any more heartbreak. That was a quarter hour at most. A full hour? "Bloody hell," he coughed and then took a long swig of the beer. An hour.
The door chimed and Killian was disappointed to see Snow White and Prince Charming walk in. Everyone in the diner greeted them. David looked at Killian and smiled at him, raising his hand in greeting. He excused himself from his wife and walked over to sit next to Killian. "Glad you could make it."
"What choice did I have, mate?" He could have said no. He could have left, but Henry had asked and he had a feeling that none of them could deny anything he asked for since they got back from Neverland.
David laughed. "I know what you mean. He cornered me at the stable." Ruby brought over a beer for David and returned to helping Granny bring out platters of hors d'oeuvres. "I bet he even told you how long you had to be here."
"He let Ruby inform me." Killian shook his head. "I have forty-five minutes left." He moved the bottle of beer, watching the condensation leave a trail on the counter.
David patted him on the shoulder. "Don't go running away too soon," he said and caught his wife's eye across the room. "I know I don't want to lose any friends if I can help it." He stood. "Good luck," he said and he was heading past the dwarves to meet his wife.
Killian and David had been getting closer in Neverland, though Killian didn't think David would admit that he considered him a friend. He was wrong and glad of it. He sipped at the beer, glancing at the door when it chimed. It took another few minutes before Killian froze mid sip.
Emma stood in the door, her attention on the boy at her side, smiling and glowing as she agreed to something the boy was saying. She took his breath away, her golden hair falling in soft curls to frame her face. He couldn't look away as she shrugged out of her leather jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack inside the door. He felt like he was watching her in slow motion and tried to memorize every second like it was the last time he would see her. Killian hoped it wasn't the last time he would see her.
The door chimed again and Neal walked in. Killian was halfway out of his seat when Neal looked directly at him. He sat back down, pressing his lips together as he watched Neal put his hand on the small of Emma's back. Jealously ignited and he knew that it should be him with his hand on Emma's back. Him leaning in to kiss her cheek. And Emma turning away from his kiss, giving him a strange look and stepping away from his kiss. Killian tilted his head and watched Neal try to brush it off, glancing in his direction.
Hope made Killian brave again, willing to risk his heart as he stood and walked across the room. Henry had left Emma to go chatter at his grandparents, giving him a thumbs up as Killian passed him. The boy was strange, he decided, but he had asked Killian to be here and Killian wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by. Not when Emma had given him hope again.
"Emma-" he started and froze when she turned to look at him, his heart in his throat, his voice raspy and worn, not like he had spent the better part of the afternoon arguing with Ruby over the clothes she had brought him. Her eyes met his and he thought, hoped, that he was seeing happiness behind the surprise. The rest of the room melted away.
"Ki- Hook," she caught herself, "You look.. good." The corners of her lips turned up and he knew she was glad to see him.
He smiled back at her, bright and pleased. "I'm afraid this isn't my doing, but thank you." She tilted her head and her brows furrowed. "Ruby. Apparently, someone thought I could use a change of wardrobe." He glanced over to Henry, who was trying to act like he wasn't watching them with his grandparents trying their best to distract him.
Emma looked over at her son and shook her head, her smile widening. "He thinks he can help everyone, doesn't he?" She looked back to Killian. "Operation Falcon, right?"
"I haven't the slightest idea what Operation Falcon is." But, if it meant being here with Emma, her smiling at him in a room full of her friends and family, sober and his heart warm and healing, he would be grateful for it. "Emma-"
She shook her head at him and turned to walk away from him. Killian started to raise a hand to stop her, not wanting her to go. "Let's grab a booth," she said and he followed her, not hesitating as she slid into one of the booths towards the back of the diner, away from her family, away from her friends, away from Neal. He sat across from her and she folded her hands together in her lap, watching him, her expression still light, but now neutral "You haven't left yet."
Killian's smile faded a little bit, not knowing what to say to her expecting him to have left. "No." He paused, watching her face as it didn't changed. He wondered if she was trying her lie detector trick on him. "To be honest, Emma, I haven't a place to go."
Emma's lips parted like she was going to speak and Killian watched her lips, wishing the table wasn't so wide. He waited for her words and when they didn't come, he looked to her eyes and found her watching him. "You could stay," she said and he held his breath. "There is room for you here. I mean, David could find you something to do." She looked away from him.
He pressed his lips together and watched her look around the room to her friends and family. "I'm positive he could," he agreed with her and her eyes were back on him.
"There's a 'but' there, isn't there?" she asked, Killian swearing he saw disappointment in her eyes for a second.
A rueful smile crossed his face and he looked down at the table, wishing he hadn't left his beer on the counter, so he had something to wrap his hand around. Emma could always see him, really see him, even when she was pretending she didn't. He thought of Neverland. "But, there isn't a place for me here, really." He met her eyes again. "I will always be Captain Hook. To them." He looked to the other people in the diner and then held her gaze. "To you." Killian paused and shook his head when she tried to speak. "That is not who I want to be anymore, love."
Emma searched his face and he knew she was finding the sadness and the wear on his face of his days since Neverland. He felt tired and covered his gloved hand with his good hand on top of the table, waiting for her to say something. She sat back, her hands in her lap, completely at a loss.
Killian took a breath, his heart in his throat. "I took a chance coming here, Emma. Those closest to you wanted me to be here tonight."
"It's because you helped save Henry," she said quickly, shaking her head, her eyes darting around as if looking for an escape.
He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. She hadn't exactly welcomed him back. He thought again of her brushing of Neal and resolved that he had to at least try. "They said you missed me."
Emma froze and looked at him, worry etched on her features and Killian hoped it was because another one of her secrets had gotten out. "Hook-"
"Killian. Please," he said, looking at her with hope, his expression softening.
"Killian," she tried again. Emma pressed her lips together and gripped the edge of the table. "I did." She took a breath and her grip tightened. "I do." She met his brilliant blue eyes. " It was… it was strange after Neverland. You were always there and then you weren't. It was my fault. I-"
"You don't need to say anymore, love." He was smiling at her. This meant that she wasn't standing by her decision to cast him aside. Leaning forward, he reached for one of her hands and took it in his. The corners of her lips turning up. She squeezed his hand and met his eyes, still a little sadness in them.
Henry bounded over then, grinning at his mother and at Killian. "Mom! Granny made us a cake!" He looked down at their hands and his grin seemed to grow.
Henry started talking again, chatting with his mother, but Killian wasn't paying attention. He watched Emma, wondering for a moment about the sadness she had looked at him with, but more than willing to hope that it meant nothing, that his hand in hers, their fingers twining together, meant that there would be a future for him in Storybrooke with Emma.