A/N I'm soooo soooo sorry for taking so long to update. I admit I got a bit stuck with this chapter, and life took its toll on me. But here it is, and hopefully I'll manage to be happy with Chapter 10 rather soon!

Chapter 9

"KILLY!"

Emma giggled as she heard Killian being called by the nickname she knew he very much despised. She heard him groan and mutter "That'd be my brother" before he led her towards his awaiting family.

Liam was the first to reach them and Emma watched as he grabbed his younger brother into a fierce bear hug that was surely bound to crush Killian's bones if Liam didn't let him go soon. Once he did though, he turned to face Emma, smiling broadly as he grabbed her hand to kiss it.

"You must be Emma!" he said, stating the obvious. "I'm Liam, Killian's older, smarter, and much better looking brother!"

Emma was relieved when she didn't even get a chance to reply to Liam's sudden full-of-himself statement, as the Jones' parents chose that moment to embrace and welcome her to Ireland. Alice Jones looped her arm into Emma's, leaving the boys to carry the suitcases out to the car, dragging Emma out of the busy airport.

Later than night, in between goodnight kisses, Killian profusely apologized for his brother's behaviour.

"Killian, it's ok!" Emma told him. "My heart is yours, only yours! Whatever Liam says or does will NEVER change the way I feel about you!"

Killian looked into her eyes, not believing that this girl loved him as much as he loved her. With one last kiss, he bid her a goodnight and retreated to his room next door, wondering when he would get to hold her and kiss her again.

Killian nervously ran his hand through his hair once again before tucking the bottle of Pinot Noir under his arm and double checking the address Ava had sent him. Yup, this was it. Walking up the steps to the entrance door, Killian quickly scanned the intercom buzzers to find Ava's name. Finding it, he pressed the button and waited a few seconds before he heard the loud buzzing of the door behind unlocked for him without having been asked who was calling.

Noticing the lack of elevator, Killian sighed as he headed for the stairs, praying that apartment 203 meant it was on the second floor of the building and not higher up. Killian was in good shape, but he simply didn't want to show up to dinner with his daughter sweating from the lack of air conditioning in the staircase!

Once in front of the door that showed the number 203, Killian was about to knock when the door suddenly opened and a squealing Ava threw her arms around his neck.

"Ooooh, I'm so happy you came!" she told him, releasing him to drag him inside her humble home.

Despite the building looking old and somehow decrepit, the lack of air conditioning in the staircase with its lewd graffitis, the inside of Ava's apartment appeared to have been renovated within the last 5 years. The dark wood floors contrasted with the light grey paint of the walls, the furniture looking gently used but modern, splashes of color in the forms of pillows and art on the walls giving the place a homey feeling.

"I'm so happy I'll finally get to meet Ava's boyfriend!"

When Killian heard the voice, his felt his body stiffen. His brain registered the voice as Emma's. His Emma. She was here. In the same place as he was. Not for one second, since Ava invited him the night before, had the thought of Emma being there crossed his mind.

With a shaky breath, he turned around to face Emma, bracing himself for any reaction she might have to his presence.

"K-k-killian?" her eyes grew wide, her skin paled and the smile she must have had disappeared to make place to a look of pure shock, almost a look of horror.

His right hand immediately flew to scratch behind his ear.

"Hum, hello Emma," he said, his voice unsure, his eyes locking with hers.

"Wha—what are you… Ava, what is he doing here?" she finally asked her daughter, who simply stood smiling, seemingly proud of the stunt she had just pulled.

"I invited him?" Ava replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"I can go if…" Killian started before both women shouted "NO!" with Emma retracting herself with a "Maybe, yes!"

Killian nodded and handed the bottle of wine to Ava before turning to leave.

"DAD! Wait! Don't go! Please!" she sobbed, reaching for his hand. "Mom, please!" she added, turning to Emma. "Don't make him leave. I beg you!"

Ava," Emma started, her eyes filling with tears and her bottom lip quivering. "I don't know if I can do this."