AN: So I kind of got a nasty review today so I would like to remind my readers what as appropriate and what's not as far as feedback goes. I appreciate constructive criticism. There is a difference between hate and criticism. Also, you as a reader are not entitled to updates. I write as I please and update as I please and I owe you nothing. This is free entertainment so don't complain when I either don't update and/or don't finish something. It's not up to you decide and I'd appreciate that you don't comment on it because it really doesn't make me want to finish something just to please you and in the process your punishing other people which is not fair to them. If I chose to write and pace out my updates that's my decision not yours. You don't get to dictate to me how to do something. Same goes for my other "un-updated fics". I've been gone for a while and I'm happy to just be writing at all so I'm not going to let any person take that away from me. That being said enjoy the next chapter.

FALLEN

Home

They walked the few blocks to her place, the onlookers not holding back their opinions and curious glances as she escorted him safely through the streets of New York City.

Killian was looking everywhere seemingly entranced by the world around him and Emma laughed in amusement as he took in the city with complete and utter bewilderment.

Once at her building she stopped in front of it letting him know they were there. "Killian this is my apartment building, you're going to stay here with me until we find where you belong, okay?" She explained to him still knowing full well he didn't understand much of what she had just told him.

He beamed at her as she received his hand and allowed her to lead him inside the building.

He had yet to be indoors. It was peculiar and different from the outside world; smaller and more confined.

"I don't really have a doorman. Well, I suppose no one on this side of the city does." She rambled on as she patiently helped him climb the stairs leading to the third floor of a five floor building.

It was as if he never had climbed stairs before but by the second stair case he seemed to be getting the hang of it on his own. A little more practice and he would be proficient in it.

"Are you sure you've never climbed stairs before?" She asked, adding to the mounting confusion that was this situation she had now placed herself in.

Killian gave a shrug of his shoulders in response.

"You are getting curiouser and curiouser by the second." She mused with a shake of her head. "We're going to take you to the free clinic tomorrow and have you checked out." She announced.

Killian was barely listening to a single word she said as she led him down the hallway to her door.

Emma stopped at her front door, fumbling for her keys which she had stowed away in her jacket pocket along with her ancient pre-paid flip phone. She found her key and proceeded to put it in the lock, unlocking it, and twisting the knob which wouldn't open.

Slightly embarrassed, Emma smiled and pushed her weight against the door while turning the knob and finally got the door to open. She gestured to him to enter and watched his unsure expression as he crossed the threshold and then followed behind him, locking the door behind her and flipping the light on.

"It's not much, but its home." She said, taking off her coat and placed it on a hook by the door, her long blonde hair placed into a pony tail swaying to and fro as she did it. "Make yourself at home." She told him, pausing mid-step before she noticed her immediate blunder.

"Sorry." She excused herself, whirling around to face him and opening her mouth to speak before realizing she didn't know exactly what to say to him. "We should get you cleaned up." She thought. "Here, come with me." She insisted, taking him by the hand and dragging him through the small apartment to a different room.

Emma left him in the doorway while she sat on the edge of the tub and began running the tap, running her hand over it to test the temperature of the water. "It takes a while to warm up." She got up from the tub and opened the medicine cabinet above the sink to retrieve a fresh bar of soap for her house guest. "Here." She handed him the soap, a look of confusion painting his face. "Right." She reminded herself, turning toward the sink and turning on the faucet to run it over water.

Killian stood on his toes peeking over her to see her demonstration. He watched as she dipped the bar of soap under the water and ran it over her skin, scrubbing.

"So, it's just like that but just all over." She moved the bar of soap into the built in soap dish in the tub. "Alrigh-" She turned around in time to see him lifting the poncho over his head exposing by far the most she had seem of him yet.

His muscles rippled as he pulled the poncho off his shoulders, his skin covered with sweat and grime, his hair dried in weird angles at the top of his head.

Emma spun around closing her eyes to dispel the mental images now engrained in her memory. To say she was flustered was a huge understatement. She hadn't lingered long but from what she could see he was decently endowed to say the least.

"I'm just going to get you a towel." She put her hand over her eyes out of respect for his modesty which he clearly didn't have.

She returned with the towel, her eyes covered as she stumbled into the bathroom and turned away from him to turn the shower on and close the curtain. "Should be good." She announced, throwing the towel on top of the toilet for easy access. "Enjoy your shower." She said closing the door behind her to give him a bit of privacy.

Killian padded the distance from where he was standing to the shower mat and climbed over the tub just as he had overcome the stairs. He was immediately met with water, similar to the rain he had experienced earlier that evening only more controlled and strangely relaxing. He moved his entire body over the spray, laughing as he was drenched in water. He examined his body underneath the spray, dark hair covering his arms and legs along with dirt and a bit of dried blood. He picked up the slippery bar of soap, trying to keep it contained in his grasp and ran it over his skin using the same motion Emma had showed him earlier. Sure enough the dirt came off and ran down the rest of his body and into the drain.

Outside the bathroom Emma was selecting clothing for him to wear. She managed to scrounge up a few items left behind from her ex. A couple of oversized shirts and a few pairs of boxer shorts left behind by he-who-must-not-be-named would have to do on such short notice. She picked out a grey colored shirt she was rather found of and a pair of plaid boxer shorts for him to wear noting that she would eventually have to take him shopping for proper attire.

After she had finished the small task of clothing him she moved to the small kitchenette in her tiny apartment to prepare him a snack. She selected a small portion of crackers and some cheese which she cut up into slices and placed them next to the crackers on the plate. Next, she washed and chopped up a pear and placed that with the rest of the food on the counter along with a tall glass of water.

After that, she turned her attention toward herself which mostly meant getting out of the days clothes and stepping into her lounge wear which contained a camisole and boxers. She threw her hair up into a bun and settled on the couch with the latest issue of People magazine waiting for Killian to finish his shower.

He had been in there for a while but he immerged sopping wet from the bathroom, shivering from head to toe.

"Oh my god." She jumped from the couch to retrieve the towel she had placed in the bathroom and wrapped him up in it like a cocoon. Emma rubbed him down with the towel gently as the shivering eventually ceased.

She continued to dab him down with the towel working her way towards his back. She paused when she reached his shoulder blades, the sight distressed her and her thoughts proposed many questions as to how such a thing could have happened let alone why.

In each of his shoulder blades were deep angry red slits, scars that still looked new even though that couldn't be possible.

"Oh Killian." Emma grimaced, unshed tears burning her eyes as she lightly traced the scars with her fingertips and imagined how painful it was and still must have been.

Killian jolted away from her touch screaming. He fell to his knees, his hands covering his ears and his eyes snapped tightly shut to block the invading thoughts.

"Killian?" Emma asked bewildered, stepping back from him. "Killian!" She begged an attempt to snap him out of whatever state he was in. "Killian, please!"

Visions assaulted his mind. He was falling, falling fast. There was pain. So much pain. Unimaginable pain.

Emma ran to her bed and tugged the duvet off, dragging it along the floor until she reached Killian, still screaming in agony. She covered him in the blanket, wrapping it around his convulsing body and then covered it with hers, her body soothing him.

"You're okay. You're okay." She hushed him with the sound of her voice.

After the horrific ordeal, Emma put him into his clothes and watched in silence as he graciously ate his snack before leading him to the couch where she had set up a modest bed for him.

Emma walked away from him to her bedroom and turned off the light before turning toward him in the darkness and said, "Goodnight Killian."

"Emma…" He hummed contently closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.