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Telling never did me any good. Telling is worse for me than not telling — Ernest Hemingway
Killian couldn't take his eyes from the note. His hand was trembling and the reason was not the cold wind that was coming from the open window. He closed the window and looked around the room, making sure that there was no one in the room but Emma and him.
He left the room and went to Henry's room. The boy was peaceful asleep. Killian searched for something suspect in the room but nothing was wrong.
He made his way down the stairs and started to run through the whole house, opening and closing every door that he found, making sure that the windows were locked. After a few minutes he stopped the search, realizing that there was no one else in the house but the three of them.
He went to the kitchen and searched for the bottle of rum that he had storage in one of the cupboards. He sat on one of the chairs in silence, covering his face with his hand, trying to calm himself.
How could he have been so stupid? He had done everything that she wanted him to do.
He had managed to return home and now, every step he took was a step closer for the prophecy to happen. How could he be with Emma like that? No matter how careful they were, how many precautions they took, none of that would matter … not when magic was involved.
Killian drank some of the rum of the bottle as he tried to find a magical solution capable of fixing all of this mess but as much as he tried he couldn't see a happy ending.
He looked again at the note. He grabbed a paper and a pen and started to write a small message. He took another drink from the bottle.
He couldn't be selfish anymore, not when it comes to Emma – he thought as he wrote the note – This was their best option, at least for now, until he finds a way to fix all of this mess. Emma couldn't get pregnant; it was the only way to get Milah away from their lives and for that to happen he couldn't be near Emma. He couldn't be selfish anymore. They had to be apart.
The next morning
Emma slowly opened her eyes as the morning sun streamed in through the window. After almost a week without being able to have a good night of sleep, she had finally managed to sleep without having any nightmare during the whole night.
Emma rolled her body so she could look at Killian on the other side of the bed but all she found was empty sheets. She could feel her heart beating faster and a thousand questions were starting to invade her mind. She sat up and noticed a small paper on one of the nightstands. Emma grabbed the note and immediately noticed Killian's handwritten: Went earlier to the sheriff station.
Odd – she thought – They always went to the station together and the last thing she thought that would happen was Killian to leave her alone after being gone for a week.
She got out of the bed and searched for her phone. She tried to call Killian but then she remembered that he had probably lost his phone during the boat trip, which remembered her that they really needed to talk about what happened during the time that he, David and Robin had been gone.
She went to Henry's bedroom. After waking up him she went to the kitchen and made breakfast. Minutes later, Regina showed up with Roland to pick it up Henry and took him to school. Emma cleaned the kitchen and went to the station.
Once she got there she realized that no one was there, not even her dad who usually was the first one to arrive. She sat at her desk, thinking that maybe Killian was at Granny's and would appear at any moment.
The sound of the door opening caught Emma's attention.
"Sorry I'm late" – David said as he entered in the room – "I lost track of the time. Snow and I…"
"It's okay David" – Emma interrupted him – "I really don't need the details"
"Right" – David said, clearing his throat – "I brought you some coffee" – he said, giving Emma a small cup.
"Hmm, no thanks" – she said, biting her lower lip.
"You don't want coffee?" – David asked surprised by her daughter's answer – "But you always want coffee"
"Yeah, I know" – Emma said, faking a laugh – "I already drank at home" – she lied.
"Okay, then" – David said, before drinking some of his coffee – "Where's Killian?" – he asked, noticing that he was not in the room.
"Actually, I was hoping you had seen him" – Emma said – "He left a note saying that he was here but when I arrived he wasn't, so I thought he was at Granny's but since you didn't see him there …"
"Maybe he's at the docks" – David said, sitting at his desk – "You know he likes to spend his shift there"
"I know … I just have this feeling that there is something going on" – Emma tried to explain –"What exactly happened on the boat trip?"
"You and Killian didn't talk about it?" – David asked, not wanting to have this conversation with her daughter, especially after Killian's request.
"We agreed to talk today …" – she said – "But he left the house while I was still asleep so …" – Emma explained – "I know that maybe I'm being paranoid but … Did something happen? He never acted like this"
"Why don't you wait for him to tell you?" – David said, looking at the paper on his desk – "I'm sure everything is okay, honey, don't worry about it"
"I can't even call him, dad" – Emma said, running her fingers through her hair – "Can you please tell me what happened during all the time you were away? I already know that the boat was destroyed but clearly something happened next"
David took his eyes from the files he was analyzing and looked at her daughter, trying to find the right words to say about what happened during the boat trip.
"At first everything was okay but then a storm came up from nowhere and destroyed the boat" – he started to say, noticing the worried expression on Emma's face – "We managed to swim till an island and wait for help but then no one showed up" – as soon as his words left his mouth, Emma's eyes became wet – "Emma, this wasn't your fault. You didn't know where we were … don't blame yourself" – he said, getting up from his chair so he could grab Emma's hand – "The important thing is that we are safe now"
"How did you manage to come back?" – she asked with a trembling voice – "You guys didn't have any boat …"
David remembered Killian's words and hoped that Robin had told Regina the same story he was now telling Emma.
"Some fishermen that were sailing near the island saw us and brought us back" – he said without looking at her.
"I'm glad they find you" – she softly said, caressing her father's hand – "Do you mind to take care of things here?"
"Go find him, honey" – he said after kissing her cheek.
Killian was pretty sure that hours had passed since he arrived at Gold's pawnshop. He was leaning against the back door of the shop waiting to see some movement inside. He was hoping that Belle was at the library so he could talk alone with the Dark One.
After all that happened, Belle and Killian had become good friends. Gold and he even managed to tolerate each other for the sake of everyone; still they were far away from being friends.
He detected some movement and knocked on the door with his hook. A few moments later, Gold appeared at the door.
"We're still closed" – he simply said – "And last time I checked the entrance is not here" –Rumpelstiltskin added.
"We need to talk" – Killian said with a serious voice – "Is Belle here?" – he asked.
"She's at the library" – Rumpelstiltskin stated.
"Good" – Killian said passing by Rumpelstiltskin and entering in the shop.
"I know that you've been gone for almost a week, Captain" – Rumpelstiltskin said, closing the door behind him – "But I don't appreciate you invading my store"
"Look, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important" – Killian said – "And what I'm about to say can't leave this room"
"Very well" – Rumpelstiltskin said, waiting for Killian to continue, remembering the request that Emma had made about the secret pregnancy, a few days ago.
"The men who came back with us" – Killian started to say – "Their hearts were ripped out from their chests. I promised them that I would help them find a way to put their hearts in their chests again" – he said, remembering the time Rumpelstiltskin had ripped his heart too. He tried to erase that memory from his mind so the hatred and the disgust wouldn't return and turn the conversation into a fight.
"And you're telling me this because …" – Rumpelstiltskin said, like he was bored.
"Because I need your help to fix this" – Killian reluctantly said, swallowing his pride.
"And why would I do that, Captain?" – Rumpelstiltskin asked, faking a smile –"Surely you don't think I will help you from the goodness of my heart …" – he said like he was saying some joke –"In fact, why did you come to me? Why didn't you ask your girlfriend or Regina to do this boring job?"
Killian remained in silence. He should have known that it wouldn't be that simple. Of course Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't just help him from the goodness of his heart. He would want to know every little detail; every piece of information. He was too perceptive and Killian knew that keeping information from the Dark One would not help him at all.
"You don't want them to know…" – Rumpelstiltskin suddenly said, interrupting Killian's silence – "Or more specifically, you don't want Miss Swan to know" – he added, noticing the way Killian clenched his jaw.
"That's my concern, not yours" – Killian just said – "Do we have a deal, or not?"
"It depends, dearie … What do I get in return?" – Rumpelstiltskin asked with a creepy smile on his face.
"Information" – Killian said.
"Information" – Rumpelstiltskin repeated – "Information about what?"
This is it – Killian thought.
He would have to tell Rumpelstiltskin about Milah. To be fair he wanted to tell him about her. He needed any help he could get and who would be a better help than the Dark One?
He also knew the risks he was taking by telling Gold about Milah. There was no trust between the pirate and the Dark One, and probably never will … so how could they work together without trust? This alliance could mean the death of him but he had to try. There was also Belle. She was her friend and hearing Milah's words about revenge reminded him that Belle would be in danger once Milah started her plan. He could hate Gold with all his soul but he knew that he was the only one who could keep Belle safe. Rumpelstiltskin had to know that Milah was alive.
"There's someone that is seeking revenge on you" – Killian started to say.
"Well, I'm not the friendliest person in town "– Rumpelstiltskin interrupted him – "I had my fair shot of enemies but I really doubt that any of them would want to challenge me again" – he continued to say – "Besides, my dagger is in a safe place and I don't think that anyone would risk losing a hand for trying to steal it from me" – he added, looking at Killian's hook and smiling.
Killian clenched his own hand, trying to ignore Rumpelstiltskin's innuendo and spoke again:
"She doesn't want just to kill you. She wants to destroy you; to crush your heart and it doesn't matter if the place where you keep you dagger is the bottom of the ocean or the stomach of a dragon because what really matters is where you keep your heart" – Killian harshly said, not able to contain his emotions.
The image of Belle invaded Rumpelstiltskin's mind after hearing Killian's disturbed speech.
"She?" – he asked, trying to focus again – "Who is this she?"
"You will not believe me" – Killian said, feeling exhausted.
"Try me" – Gold said, sounding like the Dark One that Killian remembered.
Killian looked at him, preparing himself for the storm that was about to come, even if Rumpelstiltskin didn't believe him.
"Milah" – he said, closing his eyes, trying to figure it out if he felt relieved or if the weight of the world on his shoulders had increased. He wasn't sure what he was feeling in that moment.
"You're right" – Rumpelstiltskin said, shaking his head –"I don't believe you"
"I know that this seems crazy…" – Killian tried to explain – "But she has magic and it's just a matter of time until she comes to town" – he continued to say – "I saw the hate in her eyes, the desire to destroy you. She will try to hurt Belle. You can't let that happen"
"She's dead!" – Rumpelstiltskin blurted – "I killed her or did you suddenly forget that?" – he asked with fury.
"I didn't forget anything, crocodile!" – Killian shouted back.
Things were starting to become ugly between Rumpelstiltskin and him. He couldn't lose control, not now. He needed to calm down. He took a deep breath before speaking again.
"You're right … You did kill her on that day" – he said – "The Milah I remember is no longer alive" – Killian added. He grabbed the note he had in his jacket pocket and gave it to Rumpelstiltskin – "You turned her into you"
Rumpelstiltskin noticed the strange expression on Killian's face but ignored it. His eyes were now on the paper, trying to figure it out what kind of information could a small piece of paper have.
He almost lost his balance when he saw the familiar handwriting. He didn't have to see the M in the paper to know who wrote the note. Seconds passed until Rumpelstiltskin spoke again.
"This is not possible" – he murmured.
"I saw her with my own eyes" – Killian said, remembering the moment he had seen her again – "She was the responsible for the storm that destroyed our boat and … she has the Jolly Roger"
"Did you not hear me?" – Rumpelstiltskin interrupted him with venom in his mouth – "This can't be happening. This is not possible" – he repeated.
"She faked her own death …" – Killian said, ignoring Rumpelstiltskin's words – "She used some spell and she faked her own death and …"
Killian continued to talk but time and space seemed to have stopped for Rumpelstiltskin. It was all surreal for him to believe it.
He listened Killian's explanation without interrupting him. He noticed that the pirate's eyes were red and his face looked tired. Shouldn't he be happy for Milah's return?
"… and now she's back and she wants to make you pay for what you've done" – Killian finished saying, not telling Rumpelstiltskin about the prophecy – "Did you hear anything that I just said?" – he asked, noticing that Rumpelstiltskin didn't react to the news.
"Who else knows about this?" – he asked after a few seconds of silence.
"Just David and Robin … Why?" – Killian replied.
"Why did you tell me?" – Rumpelstiltskin asked, not answering Killian's question. The pirate looked at him with a confused expression on his face – "Why did you tell me? You could have lied to me about it … you could have made up some excuse in order to get my help and I would never know about …" – he didn't finish the sentence. It was like Milah's name was some kind of poison that he was afraid to taste.
"Because she threatened people that I care about and you're one of the few people in this town with enough power to stop her from hurting them" – Killian said – "Belle is my friend and her life is now in danger because of the choices that we've made in the past –"
"You didn't tell me this just because of Belle" – Rumpelstiltskin interrupted him – "You're keeping information to yourself" – Killian tried to speak but Rumpelstiltskin spoke again – "Why did she appear after almost three hundred years? Why now?"
The talk about the prophecy invaded Killian's mind and he tried to erase it from his mind. He couldn't share that information with anyone, not until he finds a way to stop Milah.
"It must be a reason …" – Rumpelstiltskin insisted, moving towards Killian.
"I don't know" – Killian lied, trying to sound convincing.
"Of course you do" – Rumpelstiltskin said.
Killian remained in silence, trying to figure it out what to say next. He could say that she had just now found a way to find him but then how would he explain the fact that she had bought the Jolly? He cursed himself for sharing too much information with Gold.
"You know, our problem could end right here and right now" – Rumpelstiltskin's voice interrupted his thoughts – "From what you told me your life is linked to hers so if you die … she dies too. She would no longer be a problem to me" – he said with a cold voice – "If I were you I would start talking before I change my mind, dearie"
"Then it wouldn't be Milah the responsible for breaking Belle's heart, it would be you" – Killian said – "She believes that you've changed; that you're a better man. She stood by your side all this time even when people told her that you were nothing but a killer"
"Let me guess, you were one of those people" – Rumpelstiltskin said.
"Actually no" – Killian said, remembering one of the many mornings he spent with Belle in the library, trying to find a way to release the fairies from the hat – "I told her that as big a bastard as you were, you did love her … so why don't we stop with the threats and start cooperate with each other" – he added, swallowing his pride – "You're the bloody Dark One, I'm sure it must be something that you can do about the linking spell … it must be a way to unlink me from her, right?"
"There isn't" – Rumpelstiltskin said, still trying to process what Killian had said to Belle – "There isn't any unlinking spell"
"So there is no hope …" – Killian said so low that he wasn't sure Rumpelstiltskin had heard him.
"Why do you want to break the spell?" – Rumpelstiltskin asked after a few seconds of silence –"Your life has been linked to hers during all this time and nothing changed. This spell doesn't control your life, unless she dies, of course" – Killian took his eyes from the ground and looked at him – "That's it, isn't it? You want to kill her"
Killian didn't answer right away. Did he really want to kill her? Was he capable of killing the woman he loved for more than two centuries? Would that be the end of their story?
"There's a difference between wanting and needing to" – Killian finally said.
"And why would you need to kill her? She's threatening me, not you" – Rumpelstiltskin said – "Besides, shouldn't you be happy with her return?"
To protect the people I love; to protect my family; to protect Emma … to protect my child, if I ever have one – Killian heard the answer in his mind as soon as Rumpelstiltskin asked the question.
Before he could say anything else, the front door of the pawnshop opened:
"Killian! Hi!" – Belle said, entering in the store – "Is everything alright?" – she asked, after giving him a hug, looking at him and her husband with concern.
"Everything is fine" – Killian said, smiling at her friend, once again she had saved him from the Dark One – "I was just looking for you. I need your help to find some books"
Rumpelstiltskin looked at him with a confused expression but Killian ignored him.
"Sure, it will be my pleasure …" – she said – "But can we do the research tomorrow? I have some work to do here at the store and –"
"Of course, I'll meet you tomorrow at the library" – Killian immediately said.
"Eight o'clock?" – Belle asked.
"Eight o'clock" – Killian repeated before he left the store.
David was at the sheriff station checking some files when the phone of the station rang. Emma still hadn't returned and the first thing that he thought when he heard the phone ringing was that was probably his daughter the one who was calling to tell him that she had found Killian.
His absence was very unusual. Killian was always where Emma was as Emma was always where Killian was.
He didn't tell anything to Emma but he was starting to fear the worst.
What if Milah had something to do with his disappearance? What if she had tried to kidnap him again?.
He remembered Emma saying something about a note that Killian had left and tried to erase that kind of thoughts from his mind.
Nevertheless, the fact that he hadn't showed up to work could only be related to what happened during the boat trip. Emma had also mentioned that she and Killian hadn't talked about the boat incident and David caught himself thinking that maybe Killian's behavior had something to do to the fact that he didn't want to share with Emma what had happened during the last week. He was avoiding her in an attempt to not lie to her. Regardless, David knew his daughter and she would eventually sense that something had happened or more specifically, was already happening.
Seeing the hurt in Emma's face made his heart ache. He knew his daughter's trust issues and couldn't help but worry. He saw in her eyes that Killian's behavior was hurting her and seeing Emma like that made him feel guilty for having lied to her, even if it was Killian's request.
He picked up the phone, ready to hear Emma's voice but it was not her voice that he heard on the other side of the line.
"David?" – a familiar voice said.
"Yeah, Robin, it's me" – David answered – "When did you have the time to buy a new phone?"
"I didn't … I'm at the animal shelter" – Robin said – "I need you to come here"
"Why, is something wrong?" – he immediately asked with concern – "Did something happen?"
"No, nothing happened …" – Robin quickly said – "We just need to talk" – he added, clearing his throat.
"Isn't that what we're doing right now?" – David said.
"I need you to come here, David" – he nervously said – "It's important" – he insisted.
"Emma is not at the station" – David started to explain – "She's still searching for Killian … I can't just close the station"
"Ask her to replace you for a bit" – Robin suggested.
"Robin, what's going on?" – David asked suspiciously.
"Just do it!" – he exclaimed before hanging up the phone.
Did he just hang up on me? – Davidsaid to himself in disbelief.
After a few moments, David decided to call Emma and tell her to return to the sheriff station. At first she protested – she hadn't found Killian yet. But then, after he told her that he would eventually end up showing up at the station she agreed.
Once she arrived he noticed that she had the same worried expression from that morning. He decided it was best to not make any comment so he just kissed her cheek before leaving the sheriff station.
A few minutes later he arrived at the animal shelter.
"For starters I was not the one who hung up on you" – Robin said as soon as David entered in the animal store.
One of the doors of the room opened and David saw a familiar face approaching him.
"What the hell, Killian!?" – he blurted – "Emma searched all day for you and you decided to spend your time talking with dogs?"
"She didn't come with you, did she?" – Killian asked, looking at the front door.
"No, she's at the sheriff station" – as soon as David said those words, Killian relaxed a bit – "What's going on?"
"I went to see Gold" – Killian said. Robin approached them – "I told him what happened. He knows about Milah"
"How did he react?" – David asked with concern.
"At first he was in shock, then he thought I was lying and finally he realized that the news were true" – Killian explained – "It wasn't a pleasant conversation"
"Please tell me you didn't tell him about the linking spell" – David said, closing his eyes.
"I had to" – Killian stated.
"Are you out of your mind?" – David exclaimed – "How do we know that he won't try to kill you and just end with any threat?"
"I had to know if he could perform some bloody spell capable of unlinking me from her" – Killian explained, running his hand through his hair.
"From your reaction, I'm guessing he didn't give you a positive answer"
"No …" – Killian softly said – "There isn't any spell capable of doing that"
"Maybe he lied to you" – Robin said.
"He didn't" – Killian said – "I know he didn't … I saw it in his face"
Silence invaded the room as the three men tried to figure it out what to do next.
"I think it's about time for Emma to know the truth" – David finally said, breaking the silence.
Killian opened his mouth to protest but Robin interrupted him:
"She's the Savior, Killian" – he said – "Maybe she can find a way to –"
"She can't!" – Killian interrupted him, starting to walk around the room as the memory of the prophecy invaded his mind – "No one can fix this"
"Hey" – David said, trying to get Killian's attention – "We're going to find a way; we always do"
"Not this time, Dave" – he said so low that David and Robin didn't hear him.
"Why don't you start by going with me to the sheriff station" – David continued to say – "She spent the all day searching for you. She deserves an explanation … if you could see her face … she looks so sad…"
"Do you think I don't know that?" – Killian exclaimed – "Do you think it doesn't pains me to know that I'm the one who is hurting her when all I'm trying to do is protect her?"
"You're the one who needs protection, Killian" – David said – "From what you've told us it's you who your dead wife wants" – he tried to explain – "Do you think she's planning to hurt Emma?"
"I will not let anything happen to her" – Killian immediately said.
"You know … the best way for you to assure that is being by her side, not avoiding her" – David replied – "Don't act like you're running from some curse"
But don't you know David … I'm not running from any curse; I'm the curse – Killian said to himself.
Suddenly, a sound coming from David's walkie-talkie caught the men's attention.
"David, can you hear me?"
Bloody hell – Killian thought the second he heard Emma's voice.
He had let his walkie-talkie at the station to prevent him from hearing her voice and asked Robin to use the phone of the animal shelter so Emma wouldn't hear his conversation with David.
David raised his eyebrow at Killian before answering:
"Yeah, Emma" – David said – "Is something wrong?"
"Mary Margaret called me" – Emma started to say –"Since it's almost dinner time she wanted to know when you intend to go home and start making the special dinner you promised this morning – her words, not mine" – she explained.
"I lost track of the time. Tell her that I'll be there in a few minutes" – David said, remembering his conversation with his wife on that morning.
"Okay" – Emma said – "Um… dad … do you have any news from Killian?" – she added with a trembling voice – "It's almost sunset and …"
"He's fine, honey" – David softly said – "He's with Robin at the animal shelter" – he said, looking at Killian who avoided his gaze.
"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" – Emma exclaimed, not being able to disguise the relief in her voice.
"I was going to but you reached me first" – David quickly said.
"He's fine, right? I mean …" – she nervously asked.
"He's fine, honey" – David said trying to calm her down – "Why don't you close the sheriff station and go home? I'm sure he's already on his way back home too"
"Yeah, you're right, I'll do that" – Emma said – "Thanks, dad"
David finished his conversation with Emma and looked at Killian with a serious look.
"Spare me the lecture, David" – Killian said, noticing the way David was looking at him.
"I was just going to offer you a ride" – David simply said.
"So you can lecture me during the ride? I think I'll pass" – he said.
"This is serious, Killian. You need to go home and fix this, now" – David said, raising his voice.
Killian looked at Robin searching for some kind of support but he just gave him a look that meant anything but support. Reluctantly, he followed David to the car.
Emma was at the kitchen making dinner when she heard the sound of the front door opening. She immediately stopped what she was doing and ran to the hallway.
When Killian finished closing the door and turned his body, Emma was standing right in front of him in silence with her arms crossed over her chest. He opened his mouth to speak but the words got stuck in his throat. Emma closed her eyes and turned her back on him, making her way to the kitchen without a word.
Killian took a deep breath, cursing himself for being the reason of Emma's suffering.
"Love, wait" – he suddenly said, running after her.
"Why? You didn't wait for me this morning, did you?" – she said as she cleaned some of the dishes that were scattered all over the kitchen counter – "Couldn't you just have said where you were or if you were alright? Is that so much to ask?" – Emma blurted – "Damn it Killian! You've been gone for almost a week… I cried like an idiot thinking that you were dead and the first thing you do after you return is run away from me like I have some kind of contagious disease …"
"Emma, it's not –" – Killian tried to explain.
"I told you that we needed to talk and you said that we were going to talk, today" – Emma continued to say, ignoring Killian's attempt to talk – "But you avoided me all day so don't say that you're not running away from me, cause I know you are… I'm the expert when it comes to run away, remember?" – she exclaimed, breaking the plate she was holding when she tried to put it on the kitchen counter using too much force.
She immediately felt the cut and saw the blood flowing from her hand.
"Love, are you alright?" – Killian said with concern, trying to make her turn her body so he could see if she was hurt.
"It's nothing, I'm fine" – Emma said, washing her hand, trying to erase any sign of blood.
"Let me see it" – he insisted, touching her arm gently.
"I said I'm fine, Killian" – Emma tried to say but Killian had already grabbed her arm, making her turn her body to him.
She looked at him and couldn't help but think how similar this situation was to the one of some years ago – when she had cut her hand during the beanstalk and Killian had cleaned her wound with rum and a small piece of cloth.
She watched him as he analyzed her hand with concern in his eyes. She looked at her hand and noticed that the blood had disappeared and the cut was much smaller and not so deep than before. Odd – she thought.
"It seems it's just a scratch" – Killian's voice made her look at him again.
She could feel his hand caressing hers and for a moment she felt like everything was back to normal again.
"Please talk to me …" – she murmured, pleading with her eyes – "I already talked with my dad about what happened and I know it can't be easy to talk about it but … I just want to know how are you feeling; how are you dealing with all that happened …"
"I'm fin-" – Killian tried to say.
"Don't say that you're fine because you're not" – she said, releasing her hand from his embrace – "I know that you're not"
Killian remained in silence for a few seconds.
"It was my fault" – he said so low that if Emma wasn't just a few inches from him she wouldn't have heard him.
"It was an accident, it wasn't your fault" – Emma tried to reassure him.
"Yes, it is!" – Killian exclaimed, moving away from Emma.
"Killian –" – Emma said, trying to reach him.
"Is everything alright?" – Henry interrupted her, walking into the kitchen – "I heard something breaking and noise"
"Everything is fine, kid" – Emma said, running her hands through her hair – "I just broke a plate. Dinner is almost ready" – she added.
"Good, I'm starving" – Henry said before leaving the room.
Emma wanted to continue her talk with Killian but he had followed Henry to the living room, leaving her alone in the kitchen. Something was definitely not right. She had never seen him acting like that before.
Henry spent all dinner talking with Killian and Emma could see how much he had missed him. Despite his previous behavior Killian was now back to normal. He even laughed at something that Henry said. She was glad Killian tried to act the same way he always did around Henry. She didn't want Henry to know that Killian and she had been arguing.
After dinner they watched some TV and then Killian put Henry to sleep.
Emma went to her bedroom and decided to wait for Killian there so they could finally talk without being interrupted. She wanted him to tell her why he was acting so strange; why he had that worried look on his face.
It seemed like he was hiding something but then she realized that she was the one who was hiding something from him. Unconsciously she touched her stomach still flat. She hadn't told him yet and as much as she wanted to do it she didn't think that now was the right time to tell him; not when he was acting like he was not her Killian anymore.
She looked around the room and saw one of the books Killian was reading. Belle's influence. She grabbed the book: Romeo and Juliet. Emma rolled her eyes and smiled. Was he really reading Shakespeare?
She noticed that one of the last pages had a mark on it. He was almost finishing the book. Belle would be so proud – she thought.
It was still hard to believe that Killian had become friend of the wife of his eternal enemy, even if they tried to act like civilized people around each other.
Emma still didn't trust Rumpelstiltskin, not after all he had done to her family (the memory of Killian's heart on his hands made her shiver) but she couldn't deny that he was trying to make an effort to gain the people's trust again and he had indeed helped her finding Killian and the others.
She climbed to bed and started reading the book. She had read the first twelve pages when she looked at the door, searching for any sign of Killian but she saw none. She continued to read but after a few minutes she started to yawn. She tried to keep her eyes opened but the need to sleep was stronger than her desire to stay awake and when Killian entered in the room Emma was already asleep.
After telling one of his stories to Henry, the boy had fallen asleep and Killian stood in silence watching him sleep, trying to find the right words to say to Emma. He had almost said too much in the kitchen, confusing Emma even more. He couldn't make that mistake again.
He climbed to bed, trying not to wake Emma. He noticed that she was grabbing the book he had been reading these past days over her belly. He didn't know the ending of the story yet but he hoped it would be a happy ending.
He grabbed the book slowly and her hands were now resting on her belly. Killian lay down next to her and looked at her face. She seemed peaceful, like the world was a safe place to live and to dream … He didn't know how long he had been staring at her before he kissed her forehead gently.
"I'm sorry" – he murmured, before he turn off the light.
Thank you so much for reading this chapter. Don't forget to tell me what you think! I love reading the reviews and I hope you all are still enjoying this story. Love you guys! (: