AN: Many, many thanks to all my readers. I love hearing your input. Hope everyone continues to enjoy!
Klw797: hope you like some of the things I've done in this chapter based on your request.
Chapter 7
He was going to be there in 30 minutes, and Emma had no idea what to wear. She didn't want to dress too provocative and give him the wrong idea, but she also didn't want to look too matronly. She let out a grunt of frustration. She heard Mary Margaret laugh and say something to Henry before walking into Emma's room.
"I'm sure whatever you wear, you'll look great. Just be comfortable."
"Are you sure you're good with watching Henry? You spend all day with kids. I wouldn't blame you if you avoided them in your off time."
"It's no problem. I am happy to help. David says this is my penance for trying to be a matchmaker, but I will happily pay it. Besides, I'm going to need practice."
"Practice for what? You're a preschool teacher. You've seen it all."
"Yes, but I work with groups of kids. I'm going to need more practice handling a kid one on one."
"Wait...are you saying what I think you're saying? Are you pregnant?"
"Yes!" Mary Margaret said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You're not supposed to say anything until after the first trimester is over, but you know I can't keep a secret. I made a deal with David that I could tell you, but we are keeping it secret from everyone else for now."
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Emma walked across the room and wrapped her arms around her friend. "When are you due?"
"October 23rd."
"That's my birthday."
"I know! You and Baby Nolan will be birthday buddies. But don't tell Henry yet. Four-year olds are worse at keeping secrets than I am."
Emma gave her friend a warm smile. "Lucky for you, I can keep a secret. I am so very happy for you. Have you thought of any names?"
"Well, if it's a girl, we want to name her Ava Ruth, after our mothers."
"That's beautiful. What about if it's a boy?"
"I like Leopold, after my father, but David says we'd set our son up for a lifetime of ridicule if we name him that."
"I have to agree with your husband."
"Where'd you get Henry's name?"
"A neighbor I used to have, Mr. Perkins. The one who taught me to bake. His first name was Henry. He was one of the first people to really care for me. I looked for him after I got out, but he died about a year after Henry was born."
"Oh Emma. I'm so sorry." Mary Margaret pulled her friend into a comforting embrace.
"It's ok. I mourned for him already. He was a good man, and I have my memories." She pulled away and looked at her bed, which was littered with nearly her entire wardrobe. "For now I need to figure out what to wear for this date. Do you think it's too late to cancel?"
"Don't you dare!" Mary Margaret scolded. She reached into the pile and fished out a pink dress. "This is nice."
"No way," Emma replied. "Mu bought me that dress for a sting she set up. I am not wearing that on a real date."
Emma finally settled on dark jeans, a silk blouse, and her black boots. It was casual, but still dressy enough. Mary Margaret approved, and Henry said "you look pretty mama!" She smiled at her son and looked at the clock. Graham was five minutes late. Despite her earlier reluctance, Emma was mad at him. She grabbed her phone and dialed his number.
"Graham. Where are you?" She paused, listening to his response, "You did? Would his name happen to be Killian? Yes, I know him. No, you don't- Okay. See you soon."
She hung up and immediately her anxiety returned.
"Killian?" Mary Margaret asked. "Isn't that Milah's boyfriend?"
"Ex-boyfriend," Emma corrected. "Did I forget to tell you they broke up?"
"You must have, because I wouldn't have set you up with Graham if I knew Killian was single."
"You too? Why does everyone want me to be with Killian?"
"Because you are obviously attracted to him, which is a rare enough occurrence to make it significant."
"Well, I'm gonna have to get past it. He's living in this building now. If there wasn't reason enough to avoid getting involved with him before, there certainly is now."
"Okay. Just so you you know, you're setting yourself up for failure. Do me a favor and let Graham down easy. He is a good guy."
"Stop that talk. You're not helping." Emma was ready to continue her argument, when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to see Graham standing there.
"Emma, you look lovely. A thousand apologies for being late."
Emma softened upon hearing his sweet words. "Don't worry about it. You were doing a good deed."
"Hello Mary Margaret. Henry."
Henry turned around and leaned over the back of the couch. He gave Graham a critical look, looking much older than his four years. After a moment of intense silence, he finally spoke. "Do you like boats?"
"Um... I've never given it much thought. I have nothing against them. Just haven't spent much time on them."
"So..." Henry asked. "Do you like them?"
Emma laughed nervously. "Henry, go easy on him."
"Okay mommy," he replied, giving her a toothy grin.
She walked over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Be good."
"Yes mommy. I love you."
"Love you too kid."
"Have fun!" Mary Margaret said as Emma and Graham walked out of the apartment and headed toward the elevator.
Killian felt more nervous than he had in a long time. Ruby, Emma, and Henry would be arriving within the hour. He'd spent the morning scrubbing the small apartment from top to bottom and rearranging the furniture to suit his liking. This Will fellow liked sleek, modern furnishings. They weren't really Killian's style, but they would serve the purpose.
He set out a few two-liter bottles of soda and a jug of sweet tea he'd found at the grocery store. He knew that sweet tea was not the beverage of choice in the northern part of the US, but he'd become addicted to the stuff when he lived in South Carolina. Milah never liked it. She always said that it was a waste of good tea leaves. Now that he was living on his own, he'd indulged himself and bought a jug. He got out three tall glasses and one plastic cup, picked up especially for the occasion. It was not specifically designed for children, but it had a sailboat on it, and he couldn't help but think of Henry when he saw it. And he figured it wasn't a bad idea for the lad to have a plastic cup, just in case.
He stood in the middle of the kitchen and looked down at his outfit for the tenth time since he'd changed. He was trying very hard to draw a balance between dressy and casual. He'd gone for dark jeans and a black button down shirt. It was more open at the collar than he preferred, mostly due to the fact that he felt overheated. The temperature in the room was comfortable, but his internal temperature spiked because of nerves. He couldn't help but wonder all day, and truly the entire night prior, how Emma's date had gone. Graham seemed like a decent fellow. He feared that Emma would fall for the detective and end all of his own hopes.
He was roused from these musings by a knock at the door. He jumped, looking at the clock and realizing it was already 5:30. He opened the door and found Emma and Henry standing there.
"Killian! I brought my pirate ship. You can be the Captain. Can we play?"
"Hang on Henry," Emma said. "Let's get inside and get settled first." She turned to look at Killian. "I'm sorry we're a bit early. He was so excited about coming over here. If it's too soon, we can go back to our apartment for a bit longer."
"No, no. I am glad to have you both. Although it may be a while before we can eat, depending on when Ruby gets here."
"No problem. I bought snacks," She said, holding up a grocery bag.
"Henry, lad, can you go set up the pirate ship by the couch? I'll help your mother put the food away and be right there."
"Aye aye, captain!" Henry said.
Killian showed Emma to the kitchen and helped her put away the salad, loaf of garlic bread, and bag of frozen mozzarella sticks. He started the oven to heat up the cheese sticks and pulled out a sheet pan, setting it on the counter. He looked up to find Emma standing close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin. He paused for a moment, unable to speak as his eyes searched hers.
"You alright, love?"
She looked nervous and frozen in place. She gestured behind him. "I was going to grab the bag of mozzarella sticks."
"Oh, yes. Of course." He stepped aside and began anxiously scratching behind his ear.
Once the appetizer was in the oven, they moved to the living room to join Henry. Emma sat on the couch while Killian joined Henry on the floor. They were caught up in their story when he heard the kitchen timer go off.
"That's the mozzarella sticks," Emma said. "I'll get them. You guys keep playing."
He heard her in the kitchen, preparing the appetizer. She opened and closed more than a few cabinets and drawers, getting her bearings, but she didn't call out for help. He was glad, as he will still learning where everything was and wasn't sure he'd be of much help. She walked back out and set down a plate with the sticks and a cup of marinara sauce on the coffee table.
"Mommy, can I have a drink?"
"Of course sweetie. Let's go in the kitchen and see what Mr. Killian has."
They retreated back to the kitchen just as there was another knock on the door. "That'll be Ruby," Killian called to them. "I'll get it."
He opened the door and let the other lass in. She was stunningly beautiful, but Killian could only see her as a friend. She burst through the door, filling the room with energy as she brandished an aluminium tray with what he assumed must be the lasagna, along with a square-shaped box.
"Sorry I'm late!" She said in a rush. "Granny hired a new night manager, Dorothy, and she gave me such a hard time about taking the lasagna. Said we were stealing profits. As if Granny doesn't throw out at least one of these every week. I bought a pie to appease her, so we have dessert!"
"Yum!" Emma said, coming from the kitchen. "What kind?"
"Apple," Ruby replied.
Emma turned to Killian. "Do you have ice cream?"
"I don't believe so."
"Well, good thing I always keep some on hand. I'll run down to my apartment and grab it."
"Later, Emma!" Ruby scolded. "Let's catch up now."
They all walked into the kitchen. Henry grabbed his new cup and held it up. "Aunt Ruby! Look at this cool cup!"
"Very nice!" Ruby said. "It's a sail boat. Are there any more cool cups like that?"
"I'm sorry, but no," Killian said. "I saw that while I was at the store and thought Henry might like it, so I picked it up."
"You got this cup special for me?" Henry asked. "He likes boats mommy! I like him better than the guy you had dinner with yesterday."
Emma flushed. "Henry, it's not polite to speak like that."
"Like what?" he asked with a confused expression.
Before Emma could reply, Ruby interjected. "You had a date last night? How do I not know about this?"
"Because I bribed Mrs. Roberts to not say anything."
"Sneaky..." Ruby said. "Tell me about him, who was he?"
"David's new partner, Graham." Emma's eyes flashed nervously to Killian's. "I can tell you more later."
They managed to get the lasagna started, and moved into the living room to eat the mozzarella sticks. Ruby told them more about her encounter with Dorothy.
"She kept stalling me every time I tried to leave. I think she was flirting with me."
"Could be," Emma said. "Do you like her?"
"Honestly? Yes. I've dated other women before, but never seriously. But I could see myself in a relationship with her. Is that crazy? We just met."
"Sometimes you just know," Killian said without thinking. He looked up to see Emma's eyes. He could almost hear the thoughts in her head, screaming at her to retreat.
She stood up then. "I'm gonna go grab that ice cream."
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Killian, go with her. Henry and I can play pirates while you two work out whatever is going on with you."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Emma said. Killian stood in silent shock.
"Of course you don't," Ruby replied. "But despite whatever crazy thoughts are going through your head, you and Killian need to have a long overdue conversation to address the chemistry between yourselves. So go up to your apartment, have it out, and come back here when you're ready to have a pleasant dinner without all this sexual tension."
"Seshual tension?" Henry asked. "What's that?"
Before Emma could reprimand her friend, Ruby answered Henry. "It's when two grown ups like each other, but are afraid of their feelings."
"That's silly," Henry replied. "If they like each other, they should just be friends."
"Listen to the kid," Ruby said. She turned back to Henry. "Your mommy and Mr. Killian are going to have a grown up talk while you and I play some more pirates."
"Awesome!"
Emma stood in her kitchen. Killian was in the living room. She'd never wanted to run away more in her life than at this moment. She was effectively trapped. Ruby had her son and wouldn't let Emma take him home until she came to some sort of resolution with Killian. Ruby was very perceptive and would see through any attempts to deceive. Emma thought briefly of telling Ruby to go screw herself and taking Henry home, but then she'd have to deal with the fallout of losing her best friend and living in a building with a man who knew she'd rather break a friendship than talk about her feelings for him.
She took a deep breath and walked into the living room. "Would you like to sit down?" She asked, pointing to the couch.
He sat on the end closest to the door, and she occupied the other side. They both sat near the edge, putting as much distance as possible between themselves. The silence was deafening. Killian began scratching behind his ear again, which must be his nervous tick. Just when Emma thought she couldn't take the quiet any longer, he spoke.
"I am attracted to you, Emma."
"Well, I'm not going to lie. I was attracted to you when we first met. But then I found out you were dating Milah, and I tried to get past it. Is that why you broke up with Milah? Because you wanted to be with me?"
"No. She broke up with me because we always fought. And we want different things. I am trying to rediscover myself now that I'm on my own."
His confession struck Emma, and she relaxed a little. She stood momentarily and settled down on the middle of the couch, closer to Killian. "I know what that's like. I had to rebuild my life after I go out of jail."
"How did you do it?"
"I had Henry. And Regina, though it took her and I a while to get to a friendly place. And then Ruby and Mu, and everyone else. I guess it takes time. Friends help."
"I am finding that I don't have many of those."
"Friends? Well, I'll be your friend. You're a nice guy, Killian, and Henry really likes you."
"Just friends?" He asked, turning toward her. One of his eyebrows cocked up nearly to his hairline and his eyes held a playful expression.
Was he actually flirting with her? She felt a traitorous thrill in her heart at the thought. Against her better judgment, she responded. "Please. You couldn't handle it."
"Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it," he countered, giving her a challenging look.
She looked at him. He really was incredibly attractive. His eyes were a brilliant blue, contrasting perfectly with his dark hair. His lips looked soft and full, and she couldn't stop herself from wondering how it would feel to run her fingers across his stubble. Without fully realizing what she was doing, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his body to hers. Their lips collided in a deep kiss. She opened her mouth slightly and his tongue slipped through, gliding along her own. Her head moved and he moved with her, nipping at her lower lip. His hand came up to her head and tangled with the hair at the nape of her neck. She reciprocated, carding her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. They were perched on the edge of the couch, and she kept a tight grip on his shirt collar to keep herself from falling. The kiss was electric. She felt it all over, a warm, tingling feeling. It was better than any kiss she'd ever had. She wanted to be able to kiss him like this forever. At that thought, alarm bells went off in her head, and she pulled away, resting her forehead against his.
"That was..." he began.
She didn't want him to speak and break the spell. She moved to capture his lips again with her own, but froze just millimeters from his mouth. She couldn't do this, no matter how much she wanted it. So, instead, she finished his sentence. "A one-time thing," she said against his mouth. She released his shirt collar and stood up, walking into the kitchen. "Go back to your place. I'll be down in a bit. I just need to compose myself."
"As you wish." She heard him open the front door and exit, shutting it gently behind him.
Emma's emotions came crashing down upon her. As a child, one of her favorite movies had been The Princess Bride. She'd always hoped for someone to say "as you wish" to her the way Westley had to Buttercup. The memory brought tears to her eyes as she replayed Killian's voice saying that very line. It alternated with the lingering feelings from perhaps the best kiss of her life. The attraction she felt for Graham was nothing compared to this. It was overwhelming, all consuming. Every cell in her body called for Killian. She wanted to be with him forever. But the memories of Neal's betrayal also played in her head. As much as she felt pain at the hurt Neal caused her, she knew it would be a thousand-times worse if Killian hurt her.
Fear won the battle among her warring emotions, and she began to harden herself against any further entreaties from Professor Jones.
Killian's head was reeling as he stepped out of Emma's apartment. He had gone from anxious and sad to flirtatious and hopeful in a matter of minutes. The kiss with Emma had been incredible. He could still feel a tingle on his lips. He reached up and softly touched them, letting out a long breath. She was a challenge. She obviously liked him, but feared the prospect of getting involved with him. He ran his fingers through his hair and walked toward the elevator as he agonized over what to do.
He returned to his flat to find Ruby and Henry on the couch, watching some cartoons.
"I hope you don't mind," Ruby said. "I found your Netflix account and put on a show for Henry."
"Not at all," Killian said.
Ruby looked at him quizzically. She stood up from the couch. Henry was engrossed in his show and didn't even register her movement. Ruby grabbed Killian's bicep and pulled him to the kitchen. "What happened? Where's Emma?" She asked, keeping her tone low.
"Nothing. Emma just said she needed a minute and she'd be along shortly."
She gave him a scrutinizing look. "No, there's something you're not saying. I can tell. I know we just met, but trust me, you don't want to hide things from me. I have an uncanny ability to sniff them out."
Her gaze made Killian uncomfortable, and he stared down at the floor. "She kissed me," he said, in nearly a whisper.
The brunette's mouth fell open in a wide gasp, but she quickly recovered. "Let me guess, she freaked out, told you it couldn't happen again, and asked you to go ahead without her?"
"Yes...that's nearly exactly what happened. How did you know?"
"I know Emma. She'll come back in a bit, make up some lame excuse, and take Henry home. She won't stay for dinner."
"I expected as much. I do wish she would talk with me about her fears."
"It takes a lot more to get her to open up. How was the kiss?"
Ruby's frankness startled Killian, but he also found it refreshing. "It was bloody brilliant. I've never felt a connection like that."
"Good. That's good. She'll come around. You have to give her space. Let her figure it out in her own head. But don't disappear, either. She's had enough abandonment."
"So I need to stick around but give her space? That's a bit contradictory."
"I know. She's a tough nut to crack, but she's worth it."
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because Emma never makes her own happiness a priority. She always puts everyone else first. She felt a connection with you the moment she met you, but she's denying it because she thinks she is obligated to. Even though she is loath to admit it, she wants to be with you. I think you could make her happy. I'm pretty good at reading people."
"Thank you, lass." He sighed. "I never thought I could love someone like I loved my Milah, until I met Emma."
"Definitely don't tell her that yet," Ruby laughed.
"Of course," Killian said with a smile.
Emma came back a few minutes later and did just as Ruby predicted. After Emma and Henry left, Ruby helped him prepare two plates for the Swans and they carried them to her flat. He did not linger, just provided her the plates and bid her and her boy goodnight. Afterward, he and Ruby had a pleasant dinner. He quickly found she was becoming a great friend. They parted with a congenial hug.
"See you around, Jones," she said.
"You too Lucas," Killian replied with a smile. He was grateful to have a friend and ally in all this.
On Sunday morning Emma was awakened by a text from what she assumed was Gold's number. It was just an address, nothing additional. She replied back to ask if that was the place for the meeting, but got no reply. She checked it out on the map. It was in the South End neighborhood, which surprised her. She'd expected this meeting to be in a shady part of town, not one of the most expensive places to live in Boston. She shrugged and forwarded the text to Regina. Regina was nervous about this plan, but went along with it. She'd bought a can of pepper spray and insisted Emma take it in case something bad happened. Emma knew how to take care of herself, but she appreciated Regina's concern.
She looked at the clock and decided to go ahead and call Milah to update her. She'd told Milah about the conversation with Gold on Monday, and Milah had readily agreed to come along. Emma dialed the number and waited for an answer.
"Hello?"
"Milah, it's Emma. I got the location from Gold. It's some fancy place over in South End. Does that sound right to you?"
"Yes, he owns a few properties in that neighborhood that he uses as short-term rentals for executives. He's probably got Neal staying in one."
"He owns more than one property in South End? How rich is your ex?"
"Too rich for his own good. But this is a good development. The location is upscale enough that he'll probably want to keep a low profile. I don't think he'll try anything stupid today."
"I'm glad to hear that. We're supposed to be there at 5:00. What time should Henry and I come by to get you?"
"How about 4:00? And we'll take my car."
"I don't mind driving."
"I know, but Neal won't know my car. Your Bug is very notable. Plus, I have a panic button on my key ring, so I can raise the alarm if need be. But I truly don't believe it will come to that.
"Okay," Emma conceded. "We'll see you at 4:00."
Emma and Henry spent the day tidying up and running errands. She willed herself not to think of Killian or the kiss they shared. It was hard, though, because Henry kept talking about how much he liked Killian. They were walking into the building after grocery shopping when they ran into the man himself.
"Swan," he said as soon as he saw them.
"Killian. How are you?"
"Significantly better than when we met in this lobby last week."
Had it only been a week ago? The past few days had been such a whirlwind. "Well, that's good. We need to get these groceries unloaded. I'll see you later?"
"Hang on, let me help." He followed them into the elevator and pressed the button for her floor. As the car began to move, he looked at her. "Can we talk?"
She looked nervously at him. "I don't know. I still have some chores to do, and we've got plans at 4:00."
"It won't take long. Let me help you put your groceries away?"
"Alright." The elevator stopped on her floor and Killian followed her and Henry to their apartment. Henry was being unusually quiet, but Emma put that down to fatigue. She looked at the clock when they got in. It was 2:30. "Henry, go lay down and take a short nap. I don't want you tired and angry when we see your grandma later today."
"Yes mommy," Henry said without any sign of protest. He must really be tired. He went to his room and closed the door. She would go check on him in a minute.
"You've got plans with Milah?" Killian asked.
"We do."
"I'm glad to hear that." He paused, and the tension in the room was palpable.
Despite her better intentions, Emma felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him. She rooted her feet to the ground, determined not to give in. She could take the tension no longer. "Killian..." she began, but he cut her off.
"I am sorry if things between us got awkward. I don't regret anything I said, but I also don't wish to pressure you in any way. I truly appreciate your offer of friendship, and I hope it is still available."
She melted at his words. "It is. I meant what I said about you being a nice guy. I'd love to be your friend." She extended her hand and he took it in a firm shake.
"Thank you," he said as he pulled his hand back. "Well, I will let you get back to your chores. Please give Milah my regards."
"I will."
She was grateful that Killian left then, because her resolve was crumbling. He really was a good man. She was glad she had not acted on her more sensual urges. She hadn't decided if she would tell Milah about the kiss, and a repeat performance would have complicated matters much further.
Post-Note: I wanted to get to the meeting with Neal in this chapter, but the relationship development between Killian and Emma took precedence. Also, the meeting with Neal is an important part of this story, and I want to make it the focus of the chapter and not an add on. I promise it will be in the next installment. Thanks again for reading!
