The characters belong to Kitsis and Horowitz but now it's time to play.


"Papa said that the next time he goes on a trip he'll take me with him and we'll go to the zoo to see the walruses!"

"That sounds like fun, Grace, but I need you to sit still or else your bunny face will smear," Emma said smiling at the little girl squirming in front of her.

Grace, Jefferson's daughter, smiled widely before sitting up straight and holding perfectly still as Emma continued drawing on her face. The face painting had been a perfect way to entertain the kids at Regina and Robin's party and Emma found she was happy to do it. Even Henry had sat down long enough to let her draw a cobra on his cheek.

She had shown up at the house a little after she had finished walking in the parade next to the flatbed truck the kids from the summer school program had ridden on. Regina and Robin's ridiculous group had been several spots in front of theirs so she knew they would already be back getting ready for their guests. Emma also figured Regina would have wanted to change out of whatever costume she had worn for the parade as quickly as possible. Even though Henry had begged to stay at the park, where he wanted to spend all his allowance on a hand carved wooden sword and all the food he could stomach, Emma needed to clear the air with Regina before a majority of the guests would arrive. She had to gently remind Henry that his birthday was in a few weeks to get him to finally agree to leave, but not before he talked her into buying a massive ice cream cone.

Emma hadn't broached the subject of her new agreement with Gold with Regina and she had done the same. The tensions had been high in the studio but neither had been willing swallowed their pride to smooth things out. Jefferson had even made a pointed comment about not needing air conditioning when they were in the studio at the same time. Emma knew that if they kept it up it could affect the business and essentially make the deal she made all for nothing. She had decided to be the bigger person and be the first to break the silence between them, even if it meant approaching Regina at her own party.

They'd had a quiet conversation in the kitchen, after Robin herded Roland and Henry to the backyard. Regina apologized for not telling Emma about the contract and Emma apologized for acting impulsively and getting herself ensnared in one of Gold's schemes. There were no tears or comforting hugs, it wasn't their style, but they did spend a good chunk of time verbally ripping apart Gold before other people started to show up. They also agreed to table more talk about what her deal meant for the studio until after the holiday weekend.

When she stepped out on the back porch she saw that Robin had already set up a makeshift area for her to do the face painting. She had quickly gotten started by doing Roland and Henry's faces to encourage the other kids who were showing up to join in. She was facing away from the rest of the party but she found she didn't mind. The excited chatter of the kids that quickly surrounded her was entertaining to listen to and every once in a while an adult would come up and watch her work. Grace was her last 'customer' and Emma was looking forward to enjoying the rest of the party with the adults.

"Is Henry going to have a party for his birthday?" Grace asked as Emma put the finishing touches on the whiskers arcing across her cheeks.

"Yep. I'll be sure to tell your dad so he doesn't forget."

"He won't," Grace said nodding her head once to emphasize her point.

"Alright, missy, you're all good to hop off and go play with the others," Emma laughed and sat back to admire her work.

"Thanks, Emma!" Grace trilled as she bounced out of her chair and ran down the porch steps to join the other kids swarmed around Roland's playhouse.

"Finally free of all the little monsters?"

Emma turned towards the sound of August's voice. He was standing almost completely behind her, in the shadow of the house, so she swiveled in her chair to look up at him.

"They aren't so bad, you know, and your godson is one of them," she said raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, Henry's always the exception Emma," he grinned scratching at the elegant script of the tattoo spread across his collarbones that was visible due to the sloping neckline of his tank top.

Like Emma, August had only a couple of tattoos but his most prominent one were the words 'no strings on me' that he had made Emma do as soon as she had her gotten her first license. She had been both surprised and honored that he asked her to do it. They had started out at the same orphanage, he a few years older than her, when they were younger and as they grew up their paths crossed every so often in group homes or schools as they were shuffled around the city of Boston. As soon as August turned seventeen he took off never staying in one place for long, choosing to travel the world instead.

Despite this August always managed to keep in touch with her, somehow finding out her address whenever she had moved and showing up to crash on her couch. When Emma had settled in Storybrooke she had invited August for a visit and he'd been living there ever since. He would still drift out of town for weeks at a time but Emma knew that he'd found the same thing she had in the small town, a place to set down some roots and grow.

"He's gotten this idea in his head that someone is going to take him to Nepal for his birthday," Emma said with a warning in her voice. "I've been trying to convince him that a phone isn't appropriate for a twelve year old and then you come along and fill his head with thoughts of climbing Everest and visiting temples in Kathmandu. You know, giving him the book on Nepal would have been enough."

"What fun is there in a book if you can't find a way to experience it for yourself? I'm just sparking his imagination."

"Says the man who is currently writing a book himself."

August's smile widened as he scanned the yard behind her, eyes landing on something or someone that was approaching them.

He pointed joyfully at the chair that the kids had been sitting in for the better part of the afternoon. She was puzzled by August's quick retreat as she turned to see whom she had missed with her face paints. The last thing she was expecting to see were a pair of familiar blue eyes staring back at her, dancing in mirth.

"Hello, Swan," Killian grinned cheekily as she fought to keep her jaw from dropping in surprise.

"Killian! What are you doing here?" She cringed internally at the breathlessness in her voice.

Emma quickly realized she should have known he would be at the party. Regina had mentioned that he would be there but it had slipped her mind completely after their meeting with Gold. He was wearing a pair of cargo shorts, with a white shirt under an unbuttoned chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up, looking every bit the ideal Fourth of July reveler. She noticed a bit of ink on his forearm but his voice pulled her attention away.

"I was invited, I'll have you know. Thought you might have figured out who I really was by now," Killian chided, still smiling with his accent caressing the words smoothly.

"I figured it out the second I read the card that came with that ostentatious bouquet you sent over," Emma said trying to get a better hold on the conversation.

"Oh, so you do read the cards. I was beginning to wonder."

Emma felt her cheeks heating up. She had barely toppled into a conversation with the man before she was blushing like a teenager with a crush around him.

"Whether I read them or not, Jones, it still doesn't answer my question: what are you doing here?"

"I'm both offended and intrigued, love. I have every right to be at the this party as you do. Robin's a good friend and can invite whomever he wants to his celebratory barbeque. What has me intrigued is the fact that you've found out my surname. Which means you've been asking about me round the town. I feel honored," he had the audacity to wink at her.

The heat in her face flared and she felt her brow as it began to furrow while her lips turned down into a frown. She'd had every intention of apologizing for how she had acted at the expo. It had been bugging her for close to two weeks and with him sitting in front of her, teasing her, she wanted to dump a bucket of water over his head.

"I didn't mean that and you know it," she spit out, annoyed. "I meant why are you sitting in that ridiculously small chair talking to me instead of acting like an adult and mingling with the other adults?"

"Perhaps I wanted to get my face painted? One can never be too young at heart," the mirth in his eyes flaring up.

"Hmph," Emma said dismissing his playfulness. She tilted her head and asked him, "do you always talk like you've popped out of a BBC period piece?"

"Not on purpose, my lady," Killian puffed out his chest setting his hands on his knees. She noticed he was wearing a glove on his left hand that only covered two of the fingers. Before she could think to ask him about it he spoke in a high, reedy, and pompously accented voice. "I would hate to think that my habit of speech has caused you offense."

Emma tried not to smile but she couldn't help herself when he stuck his nose in the air and pursed his lips. He saw her struggle and broke into a satisfied grin, turning to point at the mess of face paint on the table beside them.

"Alright, Swan, transform me. I know it will be a challenge but I'm sure you're up for it."

"What did you have in mind? I'm thinking a crocodile would be perfect for you. All green and scaly," she teased.

"You wound me, Swan. I was hoping for something a bit more, dashing," Killian drawled, lifting his eyebrow and leaning into her space. "Maybe a regal lion or a noble wolf?"

Emma kept herself from pulling back as she considered what to do. Suddenly inspiration struck and she felt like the cat that had gotten the canary. Killian watched her warily as her smile grew.

"I'll do this under three conditions. One: I get to decide what to draw, no input or complaining, two: you have to close your eyes until I'm done and three: you can't wash it off until after the fireworks show is over," Emma proposed.

She waited for him to either take the bait or to walk away. It was hard to read which way he was leaning as his eyes darted between her own. Quirking her mouth so it appeared she was just waiting for him to give up, she watched as he fell right into her trap. He straightened his spine and looked at her with blue eyes that had sharpened with the challenge.

"Agreed. Do your worst."

"Oh no, Blue Eyes," she said reaching for the black pot of face paint. "I'll be doing my best."

Killian's eyes slid closed and she took a moment to collect herself. He had surprised her with his willingness to wear whatever she drew on his face, even if she drew something ridiculous. It was a kind of trust that she had rarely seen from near strangers and something she never exhibited herself.

He opened his right eye and squinted at her in amusement, "You can start anytime you're ready, love. I promise I won't bite, for now."

"Eyes closed, buddy."

With a quick wink Killian closed his eyes and smiled. Emma took note of the dimples at the corners of his upturned lips before giving herself a mental shake. She was painting his face, not committing it to memory. Still as she worked it was hard for her not to notice small details.

Deciding to work on her design in fragmented pieces allowed her to keep him from guessing what exactly she was doing to him. First she outlined a large black circle around his left eye and only partially filled it in covering his eyebrow and upper eyelid. She then moved on to the scar that sloped in an arc up his right cheek towards his eye, highlighting it with the barest touches of red.

As she moved across his face with brushes and crayon-like paint sticks she watched his brow furrow and lift as he tried to determine what she was turning him into. Keeping her free hand on his chin she turned his head as needed, ignoring the soft scratch of his beard under her fingers.

"So, Swan," he murmured as she drew a line from his scalp down to the black circle. "What brought you to Storybrooke?"

Emma's hand paused slightly but knew he noticed, "Who's to say I didn't grow up here, like nearly everyone else?"

"Well, for one you don't have the look that some of the townies have. A little wistful but full of pride when they walk down the street," Killian said, tilting his head to the side but keeping his eyes closed. "No, you have the look of someone who's had a bit of a rough go somewhere else and can't believe you've found a place where you no longer have to look over your shoulder."

"Oh, you're a stalker. That makes perfect sense, now I know why you were at the expo," Emma joked, trying not to let him know how on the mark he was.

"I was at the expo to help a friend in need," he admonished. "Robin needed to use my truck but couldn't make it down to Portland right away. Will and I went ahead to meet him there. I truly didn't know who you were until I saw your name on the cards."

Emma dropped her hands from his face. Deep down she had known that he probably hadn't realized who she was until the expo, the personal touches to her recent bouquets attested to that. She wasn't prepared for the raw honesty in his voice as he tried to explain himself. In that moment she knew he had been as uneasy about their interaction at the expo as she was.

"Are you done already?" Killian asked, eyelids fluttering as he started to open them.

"Not yet, keep 'em closed!" Emma blurted out, panicked.

"Alright, Swan, alright," he grinned, tilting his head dramatically to the side. "No need to fuss."

She huffed in annoyance and gripped his chin again, turning his head back to center and tilting it up. Working for a few minutes in silence she tried to think of a way to gain back equal footing in the conversation.

"It'll be seven years at the end of the month," she said in what she hoped was an offhanded tone as she darkened the eyeliner around his right eye. "I was tired of getting chewed up and spat back out by the city. We needed something calmer, something better than what I had growing up."

"We?" Killian's eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Yeah," she said quietly, focusing on filling in the remainder of the circle around his left eye. "My son and I."

Killian's jaw twitched minutely under her fingers and his lips turned up into a soft smile, "Well, looks as though Storybrooke gained twice the favor."

Emma felt her cheeks heat up at his compliment. She hadn't mentioned Henry as a test, at least not intentionally. Killian's intuition about her not being from Storybrooke originally and his honesty about the expo had made her want to be honest in return. It wasn't her usual way of talking to people she had just met but there was something about him that was all too familiar.

"I know I agreed to not saying a word against what you've fashioned me into but please tell me I won't have to walk around the rest of the day as a panda," Killian pleaded as she finished filling in the left eyelid.

"There's nothing wrong with being a panda, they're adorable."

"Ugh, no respectable man wants to be categorized as 'adorable', Swan, it's a severe blow to the ego."

Even with his eyes still closed she could tell he was rolling them beneath the lids. She smirked as she let go of his chin and sat back to admire her work. It wasn't half bad considering the cheap face paints she was working with.

"Don't worry, you've escaped the dreaded cutesy sea and found yerself in far more treacherous waters," she couldn't help affecting an over exaggerated accent as she grabbed a hand mirror from the table. "Open yer eyes, Jones, and behold the wonder of thy visage!"

Biting back a laugh she slipped the mirror into his hand. Killian opened his eyes cautiously, blinking at the bright afternoon light. Emma was suddenly aware they had an audience for the big reveal. She could see Robin and Will out of the corner of her eye still on the lawn with their faces pressed between the railings of the porch like kids at the zoo. On her other side August, Ruby, and Mary Margaret were huddled together in the shade of the house watching her closely.

"Bloody hell, Swan, if I'd known you'd turn me into a pirate I'd have at least dressed the part!"

Laughter broke out all around her. Turning around she saw the back porch was a lot more crowded than she realized. Several of Robin's employees, some still in their tights and tunics, were behind her with Regina, Graham, and Jefferson interspersed among them.

She had given Killian a painted on eyepatch over his left eye, added a fake scar on his forehead to accompany the real one on his cheek, made it so his lips looked wind chapped and cheeks ruddy, and made the eyeliner around his right eye look like he took makeup tips from Jack Sparrow. She was oddly proud of the final result.

A sudden awareness filtered in as she realized that to the casual observer it looked as if Killian and her were possibly at the beginning of something. Something that she had avoided since Henry was born, letting someone in that had the potential of blowing a hole in her carefully constructed life. A tiny hope, that felt irritatingly like Mary Margaret, burned bright at the thought that it could be the first step towards something else, something good. Emma quickly tamped down the thought.

"Don't worry, Blue Eyes, you've only got about seven hours to go. If I were you I'd work on my pirate lingo," she said in a teasing voice that came out more uneasy than she wanted.

Killian looked at her questioningly over the mirror but she slid her eyes away from his. She didn't need to give him an invitation to ask her any more questions. Luckily for her Henry pushed his way through the people on the porch before Killian could more than open his mouth.

"Hey, Mom, can I have some cake?" Henry asked hopefully. He came to a stop at her side and his expression of pleading turned to one of awe as he caught sight of Killian. "That's not fair, how come you made him a pirate and I just got a snake?"

"Because you wouldn't sit still for longer than two minutes for me to do anything more than that and no you can't have cake," Emma almost laughed as she watched Henry's face fall dramatically in disappointment but held it back. "Not until after we eat dinner later. Why don't you get a bowl of fruit for now?"

"Fine, but I'm going to want ice cream after dinner too," Henry stated matter of factly.

An abrupt laugh from Killian brought back the reality of her situation. Most of the crowd on the porch had dispersed except for the people who would be extremely interested in her dealings with Killian. Even Henry was staring at Killian with bright interest and Emma knew that meant trouble.

"Are you Blue Eyes?" Henry asked curiously.

Emma closed her eyes in embarrassment. Trust her nosy son to let Killian know she'd been talking about him at home.

"I believe so, lad. Unfortunately you have me at a disadvantage," Killian said smiling.

"Killian this is my son, Henry. Henry this is Killian, he's a friend of Robin's," Emma made the introductions hoping Henry wouldn't press for more information.

"Mom told Ruby that you've been sending her a lot of flowers. Is it because you're trying to get in her pants?"

Killian's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock. Emma gasped and felt her face heat up a thousand degrees as she squeaked out Henry's name. A ripple of muffled laughter came from behind her but she ignored it, turning in her seat to scold Henry.

"Henry, why would you think that? It's not something you should say to someone, especially someone you just met."

"But you and Ruby talk like that all the time. Even Aunt Mary Margaret says it about Uncle David sometimes," Henry said sending confused looks behind her where she knew Ruby and Mary Margaret were standing.

"You need to apologize to Killian and then we're going inside to have a talk," Emma said brusquely.

"I'm sorry Killian, I didn't mean to be rude," Henry murmured, looking down at his shoes.

"It's alright, lad. No harm, no foul."

Careful to keep her eyes from looking over at Killian, Emma stood and guided Henry across the porch and into the house. She passed a sheepish looking Ruby and Mary Margaret and an annoyingly proud looking August. After she talked to Henry she'd be talking to them as well.

It was a hard talk to have with him. She had rarely been upset with him and almost never about something she had brought on herself. After explaining about private conversations and not repeating everything he'd heard she let him go back out to the party with the promise of ice cream to go along with the cake later. It wasn't really his fault he was just repeating what he'd heard from her own mouth.

"I hope you weren't too hard on him," Mary Margaret said as she entered the dining room where Emma was still holed up.

"Like I could be," she sighed. "It's not the first time he's blurted out something like that. I just didn't think he'd do it with complete strangers."

"I think we both know that doesn't matter to Henry. He's just very trusting," Mary Margaret smiled as she tugged Emma's arm to drag her back out to the party.

"I know. I just don't want him to be upset when someone doesn't see the world with the same rose colored glasses that he does," Emma said, voicing her concern. "He's growing up so fast and I'm just trying to keep him safe."

"Oh, Emma," Mary Margaret stopped walking, turning to look at her. "You can't keep him sheltered from the world forever, we both know it's impossible to keep his curiosity in check."

Emma laughed in spite of her worries.

"This isn't some big city where he's going to get swallowed up. Henry has you, David and I, Ruby, and August, when he's around at least. You need to stop thinking that he's doomed to the childhood you had."

Emma flinched. Mary Margaret always had a way of pinpointing Emma's fears and insecurities. She often wondered if teaching gave Mary Margaret a kind of mothering sixth sense, one that cushioned heavy truths with love and patience.

"As long as you can help me convince August from taking Henry to Nepal for his birthday I'll try and ease up on the worrying," she deflected with a joke.

"Nepal? Didn't he want to take him to Thailand last year?" Mary Margaret scoffed as they walked back outside.

The rest of the party was a blur to Emma, filled with food, drink, and laughter. Every so often her eyes would land on the only pirate at the party, sporting an acquired handkerchief over his dark hair and one of Ruby's hoop earrings. She wouldn't look for long, worried that he might catch her staring, but something about his willingness to play along made her think that maybe she wouldn't absolutely hate having another conversation with him. One where both of their eyes were open.


A.N.: How about all the Comic Con stuff? It just makes me very sad that September 27th is still so far away. I'm also thinking about writing a little one shot about Graham and Ruby, thoughts?