A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you for all the continuing support with all the followers, favouriters, and reviwers! Hope you're enjoying the story! This chapter is another bridge chapter in the story, where Hook takes Emma out to dinner, but I've been really looking forward to writing this one : ) Hope you all like it, and thanks for reading : )

Chapter 6 – A Night Out in Town

Emma awoke to the lovely smell of food filling her nose. Her eyes fluttered open to be met by the bright sunshine and she smiled luxuriously. Then she turned her head to the side to see Killian sat at her side with breakfast and a loving smile.

"Mmm." She mumbles, stretching happily. "That's a nice way to wake up." She smiled and wolfed down her breakfast while he ate his own. Then her eyes rose to meet his and they smiled. She leaned in… then grinned and winked, taking his plate to the sink. She laughed inwardly at him muttering in disappointment under his breath. He rose to his feet and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"So. About that dinner…" he began. She smiled.

"What about it?" she asked, finishing the dishes and twisting around, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Tonight? Or do you have plans?" he asked, somewhat nervously.

She smirked and said, "Well Killian, I've told you before, I have a very busy schedule… Tonight sounds good." Then she wriggled out from between his body and the sink and went into her room to get dressed and changed. When she came out, to her slight disappointment, Killian was gone. But he had left a note:

My Emma,

Please forgive my leaving without notice. I didn't want to interrupt your changing (although I would have loved to have accidentally seen something, love) but I have to leave at the current moment in time to take care of a few affairs of mine. I shall be back soon, but in the meantime, arranging dinner would be helpful – I am not familiar with town yet.

Thank you, I will see you soon,

Killian x

She smiled at the 'x' on the end and sat down to prepare for the intensely difficult choice of 'which restaurant out of the two in town shall we go to?' before deciding and phoning to make the reservation at seven. Then she decided to visit her parents so they wouldn't pop in unexpectedly should something happen with Killian tonight. She grabbed her coat and left.

"Hey sweetie!" David hugged Emma as he opened the door.

"Emma!" cried Mary Margaret, rushing to also envelope her daughter in her arms. "We were going to visit you." she said smiling.

"I know." Emma said. Then continued awkwardly with, "but I'm going out tonight, so…" she trailed off, as her parents looked at her, David suspiciously and Mary Margaret inquisitorially.

"Where?" Mary Margaret was the one to ask.

"Just… for a meal." She said. David eyes grew a bit stony.

"With Hook?" he asked accusingly.

Mary Margaret smirked ever so slightly as Emma opened and closed her mouth, before resting on nodding mutely.

"Charming," Mary Margaret said, "I thought I was supposed to be the one out of the two of us who was concerned about their relationship?" He cleared his throat.

"You are, but you're concerned for different reasons, Snow." He said. "You're not too keen on Hook, but you still support it. I will support it if it is what Emma really wants, but I don't like the guy at all. It just doesn't seem like a normal… match." He said.

"Oh Charming," Mary Margaret snapped, "We weren't a normal match. And look what happened there. Now swallow your pride dear and learn to love him."

"Have you?" David huffed, but retreated into the living room. Emma covered her mouth to keep from laughing and followed the pair inside, settling down for a tea and chat about the previous night's events.

"I don't want you two involved." Emma said abruptly. They both looked hurt, so she rushed out with an explanation. "Not because I don't want your help or anything, it's because I can't risk putting you in danger, either of you. It's hard enough having to get on with the risk Killian is putting himself in, and I couldn't take it should something happen."

"Killian?" David muttered, making the women smile in unison.

"We appreciate your concern honey, but we know what we're doing, and we wouldn't even entertain the notion of letting you face this… psycho alone." Mary Margaret told her.

"But Killian's going to be with me." Emma groaned. "Alright, alright." She said exasperatedly as her mother started to open her mouth, letting the matter drop for the moment. Just then her mobile rang.

"Hello?" Emma answered.

"EMMA?!" came a yell from the other end. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Killian?" she said wildly.

"YES! CAN YOU HEAR ME ALRIGHT THROUGH THIS BLASTED MECHANISM?" she put her hand over her mouth and smiled, before taking a deep breath and trying to keep her voice steady.

"Killian, you don't need to shout, I can hear you perfectly." She said, her voice barely avoiding full out laughter.

"Oh." He replied sheepishly, from the other end of the phone. "I was just… calling? You, to tell you that I happened upon a lovely shop whilst out and about and am happy to tell you that after a very lengthy discussion, a few strong words and maybe a threat or two, I have acquired a beautiful dress for you. I think it will really compliment your eyes." He added, as if he wasn't sure the buying of the dress would make her happy enough.

"Oh, Killian, you shouldn't have!" she said awkwardly, smiling at both the gesture he had made and David's very obvious eye roll.

"You should get back here to your apartment so we can try it on you." He said slowly and suggestively.

She bit her lip.

"Be there soon." She said, and hung up.

"How did you get into my apartment?" she asked, laughing.

"I have a hook in place of a hand darling, and your apartment lock can't exactly rival the SDI's." he said, winking.

"SDI?" she frowned.

"You know, the police force that is really big here. The ones who are really important and serious." He said, suddenly worried he'd made yet another mistake.

"Oh, the FBI?" she said, her face lighting up with mirth. Surprisingly, he felt a blush creep up, but pulled her into him so she couldn't see and held her until it was gone, savouring the feel of her petite body against his tall and slender one.

"That's the one." He mumbled into her hair. She pulled her head back and said,

"So… you have something for me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He smiled and took her hand, leading her to her bedroom. He turned just before the door and covered her eyes with her hands, then steered her by her waist into the bedroom, positioning her and taking her hands away. She gasped and smiled, turning and hugging him.

"It's… it's amazing!" she gasped. She turned around again to look at the beautiful deep blue dress, flowing to the floor and her eyes moved greedily over the low V-neck, soft material straps and silver jewels that decorated the under bust.

"Killian, where did you find this?" she asked, turning and smiling. He stared at her, loving the smile and scanning her face, noting how truly beautiful she looked. He slunk away and to his disappointment, when he returned, she'd already changed. She just winked and said,

"Couldn't wait to get it on."

Killian took Emma's arm and led her into the restaurant and pulled her chair out when they were given their table. It was a lovely little place, a warm air but not so casual that Emma's dress was unnecessary. She stood out, mind. He watched as she tucked tendrils of her flowing hair behind her ears and smiled. When he was meant to be giving his order, he was too busy watching her and had to be asked twice. She smiled secretly, but he caught it.

"So." He stated when their waitress had walked away.

She looked up at him, genuinely wondering what was going to come next.

"So… what?" she asked.

"There's actually something I have wanting to discuss with you." He started hesitantly.

"Yes…?" she inquired, interest perked.

"I wanted to talk about… us." He said, looking down. His eyes flicked up again in time to catch her mouth open and close, look down and then look up with a stunned expression.

"What?" he asked quickly, worried he'd hurt or offended her in some way.

She expelled air through her nose and smile, shaking her head slightly.

"Nothing. I just haven't been a part of that word in a very long time. Us." He smiled; glad he hadn't messed everything up and was happy when she said, "So what would you like to start with?"

"Well… Emma, I have been alone for a very long time now. I'm over 300 years old. I haven't loved since Milah, who we briefly touched on during our journey up the beanstalk. I'm not used to these kinds of feelings anymore and to be completely honest – because that's what I think we should be with each other, honest – I didn't think I could experience them anymore. But since we met, flirting aside, I haven't been the man I used to be, and I have couldn't be happier to realise that. Of course, I'm still cynical and sarcastic, but you've brought light to me, sharing the light inside of you with me and it's made me a better person. And I think it's time to solidify our relationship, so consider this me… asking you to be my other half. Asking you to be in a relationship with myself." Having said his part, some sections feeling so unnatural being a badass and all, he looked at her worriedly, finding it impossible to gauge a reaction yet again. He could read her like an open book, but when it came to things that meant something so deeply to him, he panicked and couldn't see anything on her. So it came as a welcome surprise when she smiled.

"Killian, I've been in love once too. It ended badly, as yours did, and I thought I would never recover from the pain. It's one of the main reasons that I am the way I am, why I have so many walls. I don't want to get hurt. But every now and then, someone comes into my life and I let down my walls. I did it for Henry. I'm doing it for Mary Margaret and David. It's a big thing for me to do that, and I've always been scared of wasting my feelings again on someone who doesn't deserve them. But…" she trailed off, pausing. "Whilst I'm always going to be defensive and cautious, I trust you. Maybe against my better judgement." She added with a laugh." But it would be my honour to complete you. You complete me." She said, smiling shyly. He grinned, and began to get up to embrace her in front of everyone right then, but then:

"Your food, sir." With a small growl and a tinkling laugh from Emma, he sat down and dug in.