Killian jumped out of the blankets and chair and, like a moth to a flame, found himself immediately at Emma's side.

"Oh, my God, Emma." He looked over her frantically, searching for a place to touch her and settled for a gingerly placed hand against her cheek. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes and he choked a quick laugh past the lump in his throat.

"Killian, what's going on? What happened?" She blinked up at him. A look of panic crossed her face. "The baby? Ow!" She cried out as she jerked her hand to her stomach.

"Easy, luv." Killian soothed. "The baby is fine. And you will be as well. You were in a car accident, Emma. Do you not remember?" Killian stepped back and studied her face as she slowly shook her head no and winced with pain at the movement. "Hang on just a moment, luv. I'm going to grab a nurse." Killian grabbed her hand and kissed it firmly, then darted out of the room.

"Hey, she's awake!" She heard him say and then a nurse followed him back into the room.

"Hi, Emma, I'm Michelle. Do you know where you are?" She asked and pulled out a light pen, shining it into her eyes.

"Hospital." She winced and shied away from the light.

"Do you know why?" She asked looking over the vitals on the monitor above the bed.

"Car accident?" She looked at Killian who stood back from the bed, glittering blue eyes watching every movement the nurse made.

"That's right. Follow my finger with just your eyes." She held up a finger on her hand and Emma followed it as instructed. "Do you remember what happened?" She asked.

"I remember picking up a pair of leggings at the store," Emma's brow wrinkled in thought. "And I came home and changed... and I talked on the phone to Killian? I think I was running late for his show and we were talking about me hurrying over...I think..." She looked at Killian and his expression darkened.

"Is it normal for her not to remember like this?" Killian asked the nurse, rubbing the back of his neck.

"She's been through some pretty significant trauma. It's been known to happen. We'll mention it to the doctor. She should be in soon." The nurse informed them. "Can you feel when I touch here, Emma?" She tapped gently on each of the fingers extending from her cast.

"Yes."

"How about here?" She mirrored the movement with her toes.

"Yes." Emma said, becoming annoyed with all the poking and prodding. "When can I go home?" She asked.

"Emma, you've been in a very serious accident and you've sustained several very serious injuries. Why don't we speak to the doctor and go from there?" The nurse replied.

"Fine." Emma said petulantly, not enjoying being this confused and helpless at all. The nurse nodded and flitted a glance between Emma and Killian.

"Okay, then. I'll just go put some info in for the doctor and she should be in soon." Michelle left the room and left Killian and Emma alone in the silence.

"Tell me what happened." Emma looked hard at Killian.

"It was a drunk driver. Ran a red light and hit you." Killian said softly. "Emma, I'm so sorry. I should never have rushed you. I can't... I'm not sure..." he stammered.

"Killian, I rush naturally on my own. A drunk driver is hardly your doing." He could almost hear her eyes roll. "So I've clearly hit my head, and I'm assuming the casts are for a broken arm and leg. What else?" She asked.

"Broken ribs, punctured lung, and bleeding on the brain." His breath caught in his chest as he finished ticking off the mental checklist of conditions the doctor had relayed to him. "And..." he tapered off.

Emma looked at him expectantly. "And? And what?" She asked.

"You almost lost the baby. Slight placental abruption the doctor called it. Said it should heal on its own and the baby should be fine." Killian's voice wavered slightly and he cleared his throat. Emma felt tears prick at her eyes.

"Oh. Well I guess you were almost off the hook there." She said softly and placed her hand protectively over her womb.

Killian looked at her as if she'd slapped him. "What?" He whispered incredulously.

"I mean, it's okay. You're with me because you knocked me up, I know. You don't have to do this, Killian. We can go back to being friends, or not, if you don't want to. I won't keep you from your child." Emma said and a tear fell from her eye.

"Swan, did that bump on your head knock all the sense from you, or have you simply gone completely mad?" He asked her, intensely offended. She dropped her eyes to her hand on her stomach.

"Emma, look at me."

She ignored him, fighting back tears.

"Emma, will you please look at me, dammit."

Emma begrudgingly drug her gaze up to meet his.

"I need you to hear me when I say what I'm about to say. And I need you to put aside all thoughts of our child, whom I already love very much, just for this moment." He moved towards her side. "I thought you were going to die. That does something to a man. It changes the way he thinks about things. I imagined my life without you in it. All I could feel in that moment was sheer devastation. I have never been that lost since my brother died. I imagined never seeing your smile again. Never holding you as you sleep. Never bantering with you, never kissing you, never making love with you, never raising our child with you, never having another moment with you ever. It killed me, Emma. I love you. I don't ever want to be without you." He seized her hand in his and looked at her so earnestly her breath stopped for a moment.

"You what?" She asked quietly, eyes wide.

"I said I love you, Emma Swan. I love you regardless of whether or not you are carrying my child. I love you. It's always been you, Emma." Killian's breathing came heavy as if he had just ran a marathon.

Emma stared at him, trying to process the words pouring out of him. He loved her? Was that even possible? That's all she had ever wanted from him. Everything they had done together, she was able to unabashedly be herself with him. He celebrated her strengths and supported her through weakness. He was always there, the only person in her life that she could consistently count on. No, this wasn't right. This wasn't real.

"Killian, that's not fair. You can't just say that to me. You're...well, you. My best friend. Successful, sexy, talented. And I'm just...me... You can't love me, I can't be what you want in life. I'm just what you got stuck with after a drunken one night stand." She felt tears roll down her cheeks and she pulled her hand from his, angrily brushing them away.

"What are you talking about? Emma, have I ever told you a lie? Why are you so afraid?" Killian captured her hand again and brought it to his chest.

"Because I love you, too, dammit!" The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them. Killian's eyes lit up like Christmas.

"You do?" He asked, breathlessly.

"Yes." She whispered, fear etched into her face.

"Say it again." His eyes burned into hers.

"I love you, Killian." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

"I love you, too." Swiftly but oh so gently, he curled his fingers around the nape of her neck and pressed his lips against hers. She lost herself in the kiss and all the pain evaporated from her body for a moment. "I love you, Emma. I love you so much." He said against her mouth between kisses. She couldn't help but laugh and pain lanced through her side, causing her to gasp. Killian pulled away immediately and swept his gaze over her body.

"Those must be the broken ribs." She drew in a hissing breath between her teeth.

"Bloody hell, Emma, I'm sorry." Killian ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm fine, Killian." She placated.

"I shouldn't have kissed you." He shook his head.

"Worth it." She gave a grimaced smile in his direction and he smirked in return.

"Duly noted." He replied and kissed her temple. Daylight had begun to break and Emma's stomach was growling.

"I'm really hungry." She looked up at Killian, rubbing the tears from her cheeks.

"I promise, whatever food you and our child want, I will get for you as soon as the doctor gives the all clear." He said, settling into the chair next to the bed.

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door and a thin, mousy brunette with over sized glasses and a white coat walked through the door. She smiled brightly and made her way to the bed where Emma lay.

"Good morning, Emma. I'm Dr. Blue. How are you feeling?" She looked over Emma's body and met her eyes again.

"Like I've been hit by a car." Emma looked flatly back at her. Dr. Blue chuckled and adjusted her glasses.

"Well, I guess that's an accurate representation. We will see about getting you something for the pain. I understand you're also having some confusion? Memory loss?" She asked.

"Mmhmm. I was getting ready to leave my apartment and that's all I can remember." She said.

"Well, you did experience some head trauma. These things can happen. We will probably be keeping you here for a while yet so we can monitor that." She smiled.

Emma flattened back into her pillows. She hated hospitals and she hated them even more now that she was trapped in one.

"So I'm sure you're aware by now of the majority of your injuries. Let's go over them one by one and we can talk about what to expect." The doctor moved to the head of the bed and pulled up some information on a computer.

"We can start with the broken bones. Your radius and ulna in your forearm were both very clean breaks. Your femur was bruised, but fortunately not broken. That can take longer to heal. But your fibula was broken in your lower leg. All of those should heal in about six to eight weeks." Killian sunk down in the chair as she started her explanation. "Also, we have your third and fourth ribs cracked, your second rib broke clean and that caused a punctured lung, but it didn't collapse which is great. Are you having any trouble breathing?" She looked up at Emma who shook her head no and winced.

"Try not to move so suddenly. You did sustain a head injury and that resulted in a minor cerebral hemorrhage. I think that's contributing to the memory loss, but I'm glad to see there's no paralysis. If you experience numbness in your right side or intense pain in your head, you need to alert someone immediately." She looked over her glasses and turned back to the monitor.

"Let's see. I think that covers all the major points, except one. The facial bruising and swelling will go down with time. That just brings me to the baby, and to be frank, this is the most concerning condition you have and the reason we would like to monitor you. You're almost 16 weeks, correct?" She looked back to Emma.

"Yes." She answered, her voice cracking slightly through dry lips.

"Well, the accident did result in a very minor placental abruption. There was some vaginal bleeding as a result. Now, you're out of the most critical window and the tear should be healing but we want you to take it easy. These things can turn very serious very quickly and quite bluntly, we cannot do anything for the baby unless you are at least 25 weeks along." Dr. Blue moved to a chair and pulled it next to the bed, sitting in it. "We want to monitor you until then. At that point, your casts will be off and everything should be healed, including the abruption. You can go back to living your life as normal. Walking, light exercise, sex, birthing classes, working, everything should be clear by then, within reason. Do you have any questions? Concerns?" She looked between Emma and Killian. Emma let her head fall back on her pillow and she stared at the ceiling, angry tears burning at the rims of her eyes.

"I, uh, don't think we have anything right now. Luv?" Killian looked to Emma who remained silent, trying desperately to keep her emotions in check.

"It's okay. I'll be back if you think of anything. In the meantime, I've ordered some pain medication and we are going to do an ultrasound on the baby to make sure everything is still good. The staples in your head should be good to come out in a week to ten days. I'll check in on you soon." Dr. Blue nodded and stood.

"Oh, wait. Emma is hungry. Is she okay to eat?" Killian asked and the doctor smiled.

"Food is fine, but let's keep it light. Soups with broth, crackers, jello, stuff like that. We can take it from there. I'll have a nurse bring in some water." She smiled at them again and quietly excused herself from the room.

The room was quiet after she closed the door.

"So, what can I get you to eat, Swan?" Killian broke the uncomfortable tension in the room. Emma burst into tears in response.

"Hey, Emma..." Killian stood up and grasped her hand in his, wiping tears away from her eyes and caressing her cheek with the other hand. Irritation bit at him for not being able to hold her properly.

"I want to see my face." She said to him between sniffles.

"Swan." Killian's voice held an edge of caution.

"Find me a mirror." She instructed. Killian clenched his jaw and nodded. He left the room silently and returned moments later with a circular mirror.

Killian extended the mirror to her. Emma reached out to take and he withdrew it.

"I just want you to know, Swan, this is temporary. And you are beautiful, in every way." He looked intently at her.

"Just give me the mirror, Jones." She replied testily. He reluctantly handed her the disk and she brought it up on front of her.

She looked like something out of a horror movie. The entire left side of her face was marred with purple and red swollen skin. Staples extended from her forehead up into her hairline. Emma was never concerned with the way she looked before, and in her line of work, she'd certainly encountered her fair share of bruises, but this was something else entirely. She didn't even look like herself. She could feel emotion nagging at her throat again and she would be damned if she was going to cry over a few bruises. She coughed and set the mirror in her lap, looking back at the man she loved. Killian's expression was dark. His hand played at the scruff at his chin and his brow was knitted together, waiting for her response.

"Well, I guess I'm back to the ugly duckling. Fitting for a girl named 'Swan'." She smirked and Killian glowered. "I'm kidding, Killian, keep your shirt on. It's not like anything happened to your face."

Killian cocked an eyebrow at her and his lower lip twitched with the hint of a smile. "While I'm sure you would despair if something happened to my dashing facade, luv, I would gladly trade places with you at any moment." He quipped before unleashing the shy, sexy smile he reserved just for her.

"You are ridiculous." She giggled softly, bracing her side with her hand against the achiness.

"And you are beautiful. And I love you." He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her gently. Killian's phone began to ring. He pecked her lips once more before standing to retrieve and answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jones. How's Em?" Will's voice was on the other line.

"Awake. Cranky." He gave a teasing smile towards Emma and she glared at him in response.

"Oh, that's fantastic." Will replied and then was interrupted by a bubbly voice.

"Is that Killian?" The voice asked and then grew louder on the line as the phone was jostled for control. "Killian! Oh I'm so sorry this happened to you!"

"Hello, Ashley. Emma's fine." Killian pursed his lips, trying his best to be polite.

Emma's face darkened at the mention of the blonde menace.

"If there's anything you need, you can call. Day or night. I don't mind." Ashley ignored the mention of Emma and gushed on.

"I'll keep that in mind, Ashley. I've gotta run. I'll call Will if we need anything." He said his friend's name with emphasis.

"Okay, bye!" He hung up the phone as soon as she uttered the word and shook his head.

"Killian Jones, lady killer." Emma remarked from the bed.

"Killian Jones, enraptured by a blonde goddess." He replied.

"I'm not sure if I'd call Ashley a goddess..." Emma licked her lips, smothering a smirk.

Killian made a face. "God, no. I'm much more preoccupied with a smart mouthed bail bondsperson." He responded, moving back to the bed and twirling a tendril of her hair around his finger.

"David's a lucky guy." Her breath caught in her chest.

"I'm quite sure Mary Margaret would object to that arrangement. And he doesn't look at me the way you do." His eyes pierced into hers.

Emma swallowed. "And how is that?" Her voice wavered. How could he make her feel so desirable laying in a hospital bed with half her body damaged?

"Now I know it's with love." He said softly. He leaned in to kiss her again and the door to the room flew open.

"Mate...oh, Emma!" Robin came running in the room and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Emma's face looking back at him. "Oh, I've never been so happy to see those green eyes." He smiled warmly at her and she smiled back.

"Hey, Robin. Something happen?" She asked and Killian moved around the bed.

"Ah, well, yes, actually." He glanced between the two of them uncomfortably. "Williams bonded out."

"He WHAT?!" Killian roared.

"Easy, mate. He is on bond, not bail. So he can't leave the city." Robin replied.

"What the hell? Who is Williams?" Emma seethed as she sat up in bed.

Killian glanced back at her, anger roiling within his blood.

"He's the reason you're here, luv. The drunk piece of shit that almost cost you your life and our child's life. And now since the detention center failed to keep him where he belongs, being a five time offender, I'm going to find him myself and rip him limb from limb." Killian gritted out and started towards the door.

"Wait, hang on..." Robin grabbed Killian by the shoulders, stepping in front of him but the angry man shook him off with ease. Robin stepped in front of the door and blocked his way again.

"Out of my bloody way, mate." Killian snarled.

"Not a chance. Use your head. The last thing Emma needs is to be left alone in this hospital, and you don't need to go to jail." Robin reasoned. Killian was so filled with rage that Robin's words were just not registering.

"Killian." Emma's voice floated through the red haze. He turned to her. "Please. Don't."

His eyes squeezed shut and when they opened, she saw a glimmer of clarity behind them. He nodded and ran his hand through his hair.

"When is trial?" He asked, trying desperately to hold his fury in check.

"He just had arraignment this morning. It may be awhile yet." Robin admitted.

"I want to see these case files." Killian said with a sigh.

"I'd be delighted to have your expert opinion for when we file suit." Robin grinned and Killian visibly relaxed. "Now, for the more pressing matter at hand, Emma." He turned his attentions to the woman laying in the bed. "How are you feeling, darling?" He moved towards the bed and Emma shrugged her one good shoulder.

"Hungry, at the moment." She smiled and Killian looked sheepish.

"Ah, luv, it seems I've forgotten to feed you, haven't I?" Killian gave her a small smile. "What would you like?"

"A breakfast burrito sounds like heaven." She said.

"Your wish is my command." He gave a mock bow and made to retrieve his jacket.

"No, mate, I'll go. My treat." Robin insisted and pressed a kiss to Emma's right cheek from across the bed, careful not to bump anything. "I am thrilled to see you awake, Emma." He informed her with a smile and headed out the door.

Killian walked around the bed and took Emma's hand in his again, the only safe place he could consistently touch her, as he sat in his usual chair.

"What you do to me, Swan." He sighed and kissed the back of her hand.

"Well, from the looks of it, I run you ragged. Get some sleep, Killian." She moved her hand to the stubble at his cheek.

"I think I'm quite the vision, Swan." He joked.

"Go to sleep or else." She looked at him, amusement shining in her eyes.

"Or else, what?" He grinned.

"Or else I'll stop speaking to you. I won't even look at you. I'll just pretend you're not here." She replied, knowing her arsenal was limited in her current state. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, I do love a challenge." He retorted.

"Killian, please." She asked sincerely.

"Alright, Swan. I can never say no to you." He stood and gave her a brief kiss.

"I love it when I win." She grinned against his lips.