Sorry for the long periods between updates; I just couldn't get the words to flow right.

Disclaimer: I do not claim that all of this writing is mine. The writers are just as much a part of this fic as I am.

Emma couldn't help but be a little dramatic with the reveal. She yanked the white sheet away to reveal all of the older man's stolen property, exactly as it was before. His expression remained troubled as he observed the objects before him.

"You're welcome. You were right. Your man Moe ripped you off," she said, haphazardly folding the sheet and tossing it aside. She pulled out her desk chair and sat down, leaning back with a smug expression. "It was all still at his place." He looked less than thrilled.

"And the man himself?" he asked, barely moving his lips. You would think he would at least be relieved to see his belongings back and unscathed.

"Closing in on him," she replied. After Killian had left her last night, Emma had tried again to call Mr. Gold and tell him she had found his things. When that had failed, and it had grown too late to go to his house, she had started researching the perpetrator to see where he usually liked to hang out and his possible location. After this meeting, she would head over to the flower shop and the mechanics.

"So…job well half done then," Mr. Gold said, and Emma became defensive.

"In less than a day, I got everything back. Is something wrong?" she said in an annoyed tone.

"You recovered nothing," he hissed, setting his cane down and starting to walk away. "There's something missing." She looked at him in disbelief, leaning forward as she called out to his retreating form.

"I'll get it when I find him," she said. He turned around slowly with a dangerous expression.

"Not if I find him first," he warned with an intimidating smile, and then he was gone. She stared after him for a moment, not sure if she should follow him or if she should take his warnings seriously and try to find Moe first. She decided that the latter was the best option; Gold looked…dangerous. Not for the first time, Emma wondered exactly what he was so desperate to get back.

Emma decided to go to the flower shop first, figuring that the first place he would go would be his business. When she arrived in front of the shop, the sign on the front announced that it was closed. All of the windows had closed blinds, making the shop look even more abandoned. She exited the sheriff car, walking slowly up to the entrance, trying the door in case of dumb luck. Nope.

"He's not here ma'am," a man said from behind her. She turned around with a questioning look. He elaborated. "Mr. French. He never returned after Mr. Gold took the flowers. Practically all of our stock was in that truck. There was no use for him to return to a failed business," he said sadly. Emma rested a hand on her hip, pulling aside her jacket to show the badge clipped to her waistband.

"And you are?" she asked the small man.

"I work for Mr. French. I help with the arrangements," he replied.

"And do you have a key?" she asked, not bothering trying to wrench a name from him. He nodded, pulling out a ring of keys and walking up to the door and commenting on how she wouldn't find anything. He was right; not only was Moe nowhere to be found, the shelves and tables were sparse. She thanked the man after informing him of the situation, in which he didn't even act surprised.

The auto shop seemed like the logical place to go next, considering the delivery truck had needed several repairs in the past. Over the years, Moe had become close to the owner. Close enough for him to hide out at his place? Emma wasn't sure. But it was a start. Plus, if she was being honest, she wanted to see how her bug was doing.

When she walked in, she was surprised to see David at the counter. He turned around when the bell announced her arrival. He smiled at her and she returned it with her own.

"David! What are you doing here?" she asked, and he sighed.

"The old truck has been coughing lately and I thought she might need a little checkup. What about you? Did that old geezer finally die on you?" he joked and she pretended to look offended.

"My car is perfectly fine thank you…after Michael is done with it," she admitted and he laughed. "Actually, that's not the only reason why I'm here. This is actually sheriff business."

His puzzled expression urged her to continue, explaining Moe French's recent decent into lawbreaking.

"And honestly, I'm more worried about what Mr. Gold will do if he finds him first. He's been acting really shifty. He might be dangerous at the moment," she finished, just as Michael came in from the back door. David furrowed his eyebrows.

"I'll make sure to keep an eye out for him," he said. He began to walk to the exit, but turned around before leaving. Emma, expecting him to say goodbye, was surprised when he asked, "Are you going out with Mary Margaret tonight?" She opened her mouth, not sure of how to respond. It seemed so random, but something was obviously weighing on his mind.

"Oh, um. I wasn't planning to. I kind of have a criminal to catch?" she reminded him. He nodded thoughtfully.

"Well…we all could use a break from time to time," he said, looking a little sad. Then with a smile, he bid her adieu. Emma shook her head before turning back to the mechanic.

"Michael! How are the twins?" she asked, hoping to break any awkwardness first before interrogating him.

"Surprisingly good actually… I didn't expect to like this whole father thing but…It's nice," he said with a fond smile, and Emma felt a twinge in her heart. She still missed Henry. "Now before you ask, Moe isn't here." She raised her eyes suspiciously and he raised his hands in surrender.

"I overheard your conversation with David. And I'm telling you, I haven't seen him since yesterday morning when he had that falling out with Mr. Gold," he said, saying the name with disgust. Geez. How many enemies did the guy have?

"And my old friend in the garage?" she asked, her 'superpower' letting her know he was telling the truth about Moe.

"Still resting. You can pick it up tomorrow," he said with a small smile and she nodded thanks.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching for her wallet, but he waved her off.

"A guy came in earlier and took care of it. I think it was that Jones guy. He said he was your friend," he said with a smile before turning away. Emma just stood there, not knowing what to say. Surely Killian wouldn't have done that…would he? A warm feeling began to develop in her chest, but was immediately accompanied by guilt. She hadn't even thanked him for helping her in the first place. Why would he do something like this?

Because he feels the same connection between you and him that you feel. Emma shook her head, smiling in farewell to the mechanic and leaving, thoughts still swirling in her mind. She wanted to believe that Killian would be different, that this connection she felt was real. But she just couldn't shake the fear of being wrong about him. And with that last thought, Emma continued on with her search.

The rest of the afternoon brought nothing; all of her leads took her right back to where she had started. It was like the guy had vanished, something that seemed to be happening a lot lately. David was right; she needed a break. As if by magic, her phone began to buzz just as she had the thought. She looked at the text while exiting the general store.

Ruby: Girlz nite offer still on table ;)

Emma stuck out her tongue while thinking. A drink did sound pretty good right now. And it was getting too dark to really be searching. Plus, she was running out of distractions from the persistent thoughts of Killian Jones. Making a quick decision, Emma replied.

She had never been to the Rabbit Hole before, but apparently all of Storybrooke knew about the place. It shouldn't have surprised her; Valentine's Day was probably one of the busiest times of year for a bar. She quickly spotted her friends at a table near one of the lattice structures. Ashley was doing shots and as she walked up, Emma heard Mary Margaret warn, "Pace yourself Ashley."

"Yeah, Ashley. Save some for the rest of us," Emma joked as she pulled out a chair beside Ruby. All three of them looked up with delighted surprise.

"Emma! You came! That badge had better be back at the station," Ruby said with a grin before smirking. "However, I hope you brought your handcuffs. They might be useful tonight if…you know. Someone catches your eye," she nudged Emma with her shoulder, waggling her eyebrows. Emma snorted and Mary Margaret gave Ruby a disbelieving look. Ashley, meanwhile, had ordered another shot and was downing it as they spoke.

"Ashley! Go easy with the tequila!" Mary said, setting down her own white wine. Ashely grinned.

"I am! This is the first night out since I've had the baby. I am making up for lost time," she said, and Ruby hummed her approval while sipping on her martini.

"Mmm, Ash, check out those guys," Ruby sang, her eyes on a couple of men that had just walked in. All four girls turned to look at the men with varying levels of interest. Ashley opened her mouth with an uncomfortable expression.

"Oh, hon, no…I'm still with Sean," she said with a shake of her head. Ruby gave her a look.

"So? It's not like your married. And he's not here so-" Ruby was saying, but Emma tuned her out. Because at that moment, Killian walked in to join the three men, who she now recognized as workers from the docks. While the other three stood scanning the area for potential dates, Killian sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. He didn't even look in her direction. Someone cleared their throat and Emma was forced to come back to earth. When she turned back to her friends, Ruby was saying something to her.

"Huh?" she said stupidly. Ruby and Ashley giggled, but Mary Margaret was giving her a sympathetic look.

"I said, 'I see you've noticed Jones,'" Ruby said with a smirk. "Don't worry. You're not the only one. Have you met him yet?" Mary Margaret looked at Killian then raised her eyebrows at Emma, as if waiting to see if she would tell the truth this time. Emma, however, was still in a daze, and didn't answer too quickly.

"I, um, I mean. Yeah. A couple of times," she said, and Mary Margaret continued to give her skeptical expression. Ruby seemed thrilled at her answer though.

"Oooh, someone is smitten with a sailor," Ruby sang, nudging Emma playfully. Emma felt herself blush and Ruby gave her a knowing look. "Oh honey, don't worry. Trust me. You're not the first woman to try and climb that tree. We've all tried, and we've all failed."

"I've never tried," Mary Margaret chimed in, but Ruby waved it aside. Emma looked back at Killian. Many women had tried, huh? And no one had succeeded? In her mind, she had always thought of him as a ladies' man, especially with his flirtatious manner. Maybe he was only that way around her… As she watched him, he raised his glass and she noticed that his sleeves were pushed up, revealing the tattoo again. Her stomach twisted at the memory of the night on the boat, but then an idea popped into her head.

"So…what's his story? Do you know who Milah is?" she tried to ask nonchalantly, but couldn't keep the small hope out of her voice. Both Ashley and Mary furrowed their eyebrows, trying to remember the name, but Ruby was the only one who answered.

"All I know is that he is Mr. Dark and Mysterious when it comes to his personal life. No one knows. From what I've heard, every time someone asks him about his past, he just says, 'It's a long story,'" Ruby said, swirling her drink absentmindedly. Then her eyes sparkled mischievously and she gave a wicked grin. "I wonder if that's the only thing about him that's long."

"Ruby!" Mary Margaret chastised, but the other girl just laughed. She reached over and grabbed Ashley's hand, glancing meaningfully at the men over by the bar.
"Come on Ash! Don't make me hunt alone!" Ruby grinned and Ashley just gave her an awkward smile back.

"I can't…Sean-" Ashly began, but Ruby cut her off by getting up.

"Yeah, yeah. Is working but still with us somehow. Well, I am going over there. Have fun moping." Ruby sashayed over to the men, who all straightened and looked excited as she approached. Two of them murmured nervously to each other, and one of them nudged Killian. Killian raised his eyes from his drink and looked to where his friend was pointing. His gaze slid right past Ruby and straight to Emma. She felt herself warm and immediately freeze at the same time. Ashley sighed next to her, oblivious to Emma's reaction.

"I thought love would be different," Ashley said in defeat.

"Me too," Mary Margaret agreed in the same frustrated tone, obviously thinking about David.

Me too. The thought shocked Emma, causing her to jump from her seat. Ripping her gaze from Killian's, she sped away from the table without a word. Mary Margaret called out for her, but she kept going until she reached a hallway on the other side of the room. The women's restroom was at the end of the hallway and Emma hurried in. She walked up to one of the sinks and looked into the mirror. She didn't look like someone who could possibly be falling in love. In fact, she looked kind of sick. Well, a lot sick. The door opened behind her and Mary Margaret walked in with a worried expression.

"Emma what happened?" she asked softly, placing her hand gently on her shoulder. Emma shook her head.

"Nothing, I- Nothing," Emma said. Mary gave her a long look.

"It's Killian, isn't it?" she finally said, and Emma jumped in surprise, her eyes widening. Her friend smiled knowingly.

"I told you. I've seen the way you look when you think about him, how your eyes light up. And that was before I actually saw your reaction to seeing him. You should have seen your face," Mary Margaret said with a soft smile. Emma laughed derisively. Love struck and doe-y eyed. Who would have thought she would be accused of such a thing? Mary saw her shutting down again and stepped up again.

"Emma. I know that this can be scary. Love is a scary thing. But you don't have to run away. You have to have hope that things will turn out alright. That love will win in the end," Mary Margaret said fiercely. Her eyes were piercing through Emma at the moment, as if daring her to contradict her. Emma did.

"Mary Margaret…I don't even know what this is. I barely know the guy. Plus, how can I be so optimistic about lo- about this kind of thing, when…it's only hurt me in the past?" Emma asked. They were getting dangerously close to the subject of Neal. Mary Margaret looked understanding.

"I know. It's hard to look past everything that's hurt us. But where would we be if we didn't have hope for something better? For a happy ending? And as for barely knowing him…is that really true? And if it is, does it really matter?" Mary Margaret asked, and Emma thought back to when she first saw him and how he looked oddly familiar to her. Then she thought back to all of the times he had helped her. Reuniting Ashley and Sean, teaching Henry the basics of sailing, helping her find Mr. Gold's property, paying for her car. She thought back to the boat, how he opened up to her about his brother. We've all tried, and we've all failed. Everyone who had asked about his past had been shut down, but he had been open with her. Was she the only one who knew about his brother?

Mary Margaret noticed her hesitation and smirked knowingly.

"Come on. Let's go finish celebrating Valentine's Day," she suggested. Emma took a deep breath and went back into the craziness with Mary Margaret. When they arrived at their table again, Ashley looked worried.

"Are you alright?" she asked Emma, and Emma smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah. I just felt sick all of a sudden. I feel better now though," she hurried to say when Ashley opened her mouth. Ashley nodded, then went back to the forlorn position she had taken before they came back. Mary Margaret looked sympathetic.

"Girl's night not really working out for you," she said, and Ashley just sighed.

"I thought it would make me feel better. But the truth is, I need a 'be with my guy night'. But he's never around, and I'm at home with the baby all day. I mean, what's the point of being together if we're not…together?" Ashley asked, looking at the two of them with wide, sad eyes. Mary Margaret looked off into the distance, starting to look sad as well.

"I get it. Loving someone you can't be with—it's a terrible, terrible burden." Emma took a hold of her friend's hand and Mary Margaret gave her an appreciative smile. Ashley pushed away from the table.

"You know, this was a bad idea. I should—I should go home," Ashley said, about to stand when Sean appeared from behind a crowd of people next to their table. He held a bouquet of flowers. All three women looked at him in surprise.

"Ashley?" Sean said with an earnest expression.

"Sean?" Ashley said. "I thought you were working tonight?"

"I am—It's my break. And I…I had to see you. And ask you something," he said, handing her the flowers and getting down on one knee. Ashley covered her mouth, tears developing in her eyes as he pulled out a ring.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, and she didn't say anything, still shocked. He waited a moment before continuing. "And uh, I only have a twenty-minute break, so um, anytime now." Ashley snapped out of her revelry.

"Yes!" she said, and the people around them burst into applause.

"My truck's outside if you want to take a ride before I head back to work. It's not much of a date-" he began but she cut him off.

"It's the best date!" she said, kissing him and taking his hand to leave. Mary Margaret and Emma were left behind, together but alone on Valentine's Day. Mary had looked happy for her friend at first, but was looking dejected again. Emma snuck a glance at Killian, and saw that he was watching her again.

"Go," Mary Margaret said. Emma looked at her questioningly.

"Go to him. Now," Mary Margaret demanded. Emma stared at her for a moment, then, not allowing herself to think, she pushed away from the table and walked over to Killian. His expression went from wonder to surprise as she walked up to him and gestured to the exit.

"Care to take a walk?" she asked. He nodded immediately, leaving behind his drink and friends. Emma ignored Ruby's wolf whistle behind her. They headed outside into the cool February air and walked to a secluded area near the brush.

"I never thanked you for yesterday," she began. He immediately waved the thanks aside.

"For you love, I would go to the ends of the world," he said, and she felt her heart leap.

"And my car-" she began, but he cut her off.

"Can be considered a gift," he said. Emma observed him. "What is it, love?" he asked worriedly.

"I just—Everything you've done for me. Why?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer. He gave her a small smile, his eyes soft.

"I believe you know why, Swan," he said, and her cheeks warmed. She tried to play it cool again.

"Well…I guess, thanks," she drawled. He scratched behind his ear and looked down, then raised his eyes innocently with his fingers on the corner of his lips.

"Now, I do believe that thanks is in order," he said, his voice slowing down and deepening to that flirtatious tone again that she was beginning to enjoy more than she should.

"Yeah. That's why I'm thanking you," she said with a small smile and a raise of her eyebrow.

"Is that all my help is worth?" he asked, stepping closer. She slowly shook her head still smirking.

"Please, you couldn't handle it," she murmured, looking up at him coyly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps it is you who couldn't handle it," he said.

For one beat, both didn't say anything, just looking at each other. Then Emma grabbed the lapels of his coat and tugged him to her, crushing his mouth against hers. It took him no time at all to respond, bringing his hand up to tangle in the hair at the base of her neck and his other arm to wrap around her waist. His tongue ran along the bottom of her lip, and she opened her mouth to allow him access. Their heads moved back and forth in synchronization, each trying to take the kiss further. After a while of this, Emma finally pulled back, both of them panting slightly. He tried to chase her lips again, but she pulled away again, letting her forehead rest against his. Her eyes were closed, but she felt his eyebrows furrow.

"That was…" he began, but trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Yeah," she simply replied, agreeing with the unspoken. She leaned away, finally opening her eyes, and his blue eyes shone back at her. He removed his hand from her curls and brought it forward to cup her cheek, then leaned forward again, his lips pressed softly against hers.

This kiss was different from the frenzy of the first one; it was gentle and slowly building, putting all of the unspoken words into one action. It was the kind of kiss that should have happened weeks ago that night on the boat, before she ran away. Looking back, Emma felt stupid about the ordeal. Whoever Milah was, she wasn't there anymore. Emma was.

She tilted her head, trying to deepen the kiss. He willingly obliged, somehow pulling her even closer to him. Kissing him was simmering, electrical, vibrating….

Wait. Vibrating? Why was there vibrating? And why was it coming from her pants… She pulled away abruptly, and he looked at her, confused. She frowned as she reached into her back pocket and retrieved her phone. An unknown number appeared on her screen. Killian still had his arms wrapped around her, and she stepped away from him with an apologetic look. He was still breathing heavily, and observed her with darkened eyes as she hit accept.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice breathier than normal.

"Emma?" a man replied. She frowned. His voice sounded familiar. "It's David. Mary Margaret gave me your number a while back in case of emergency." Emma felt her stomach drop.

"And is there an emergency?" she asked, her voice sharp. Killian looked at her worriedly.

"Well, I'm not sure. You know how I said I would keep an eye out for Mr. Gold?" he asked, and she replied in the positive. "Well, I saw him earlier at the store buying duct tape and rope." Emma stilled.

"And?" she pushed further.

"And, I just saw him driving Mr. French's delivery truck into the woods." Oh crap. She paced away from Killian, immediately going into sheriff mode.

"Do you have any idea where he might be going?" she asked, heading towards the parking lot. The crunch of footsteps behind her told her that Killian wasn't too far behind.

"It looked like he was heading towards an old cabin in the woods. I've stumbled across it a few times while hiking, but it's pretty secluded," he said. She stopped, reaching into her pocket for her keys.

"Send me the directions," she told him and hung up as soon as he gave an affirmative. Her phone buzzed a few moments later just as she was able to yank the sheriff's car door open. The clearing of a throat made her turn around. Killian stood behind her, looking confused.

"Is everything alright love?" he asked. His hair was slightly disheveled from their earlier interaction, and Emma had to restrain herself from brushing it back and running her hands through it again.

"Emergency sheriff business. I have to go," she said, sounding apologetic. His shoulders slumped a little and she stepped away from the car to intertwine their hands. Not saying a word, she leaned her forehead against his. He smiled down at her, his eyes soft as he leaned back and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I understand, love." She glanced down at his lips for a moment, but forced herself to turn away. He didn't say anything else as she got into the car and quickly shut the door behind her. As she drove away, she watched him in the rear-view mirror and saw him touch his lips in an awed gesture. Her stomach fluttered and she did the same. Yep. She was in trouble. But not nearly as much trouble as Gold would be in when she found him.

(Slight, but not really, spoilers)

So I was absolutely crushed after 5x20, even though I know everything will be alright. Anyway, I thought some CS fluff and a first kiss would help take my mind off of such feels. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and kept with me through this story. And remember, I absolutely love reviews!