This is just a short chapter. Felt like writing. Any hoo, I just wanted to say thank you for the many views you gave me for my video. I didn't think many people would like it. So thanks.

Oh and the next chapter is going to be a turning point for the story involving Cora and Regina so stay alert for that.

Emma opened the door to Kester's room with a soothing tea for his hangover. She smiled to see her friend laid faced down with his trousers slid down to his ankles. She kneeled beside him by the bed and gave him a good shake in the shoulders.

"Hey. Wake up, you little bastard. Come on."

His body stirred but he refused to wake up and made an angry groan. But Emma didn't stop. Kester then opened his eyes, squinting each one. He lifted his head from his pillow and turned over.

"You're a mess. How much did you drink?"

Kester covered his eyes with his hands. He took a long pause from the uneasy sickness building tension in his gut.

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

"I know about your little party back at the saloon. It's no secret."

"Don't tell me you told Amy about it."

Emma's smile widened by the mention of Amy. She knows that Amy will now be able to forgive Kester about his decision to go along with his friend, although Emma is aware she might be angry at her for it was Emma's idea to let herself ago.

Today is certainly a guilty day for a supposedly faithful couple.

"Never mind about that. Get up. I made you some tea."

He pushed his hands against the bed to lift his body to sit upright. And he leaned his back against the wall and took the teacup from Emma's hand graciously.

"Thanks."

"Do you think you'll be well enough for tonight?"

He nodded. "I'm sure I will. This..Uh. This will pass."

"Well, don't come to the kitchen for at least another hour. I assure you none of your customers wants to see a guilty groom puke his guts out."

He tossed his pillow at her. "Oh shut up," he groaned.

Emma rose to her feet and turned to head to the door. When she stepped out of the door, she stuck her tongue at him without him noticing.

~ Emma carved a third slice of toast from the long loaf of bread. With mouthfuls of bread stuffed in her mouth, she chewed quickly and bit into the fresh slice.

She poured the pitcher of milk for a second time to her glass. To prevent any choking, she chugged on the cool milk that washed down the bread. It took four big bites to finish the slice of bread. But strangely even after that much bread and two whole glasses of milk, she's still strangely hungry.

The morning sun can be seen from the front window of the bakery. She shook away the thought to stuff her face anymore and moved on to work.

She opened the cupboard from above and took out the tools she needs for the bread. While she ducked underneath the floor where the bag of flour is kept, the bell that's connected from above the door rang and the door shut closed.

Emma first focused on her flour. She untied its head and stuffed the bowl on her hand inside, blindly getting a full amount.

"I'll be right there! Hang on!"

She tied the head of the bag and stood back up with the bowl of flour. She placed the bowl down on the counter and walked out of the kitchen to the back door. With her apron she wiped the flour off her hands. She walked up to the front, ready to tend to her customer.

"May I help y – Killian."

Killian turned around. He's still wearing the same attire of fine black leather from last night, only changed his vest to a rose red one.

"Morning, love. Slept well?"

"Yeah..Um, come right this way."

She guided him back to the kitchen and he followed. She closed the door behind her as he walked in.

"Remove the hook. I'm too scared to touch it."

He did as she said.

She was taken back at his clean wrist no hand. But she composed herself and gently took his wrist. Then she grabbed a strand of her hair and wrapped his wrist with it.

Five years back, he was not able to witness the remarkable healing power she has. It left him amazed to finally witness it. As she unwrapped his wrist from her hair, Killian lifted his wrist to see his hand back. He wiggled his fingers and even closed his hand to a fist – testing to see if it works properly.

"Extradinary."

"You're welcome..But..you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But what happened to you? Last I saw you, you were a uniformed sailor. Now you're a pirate, and..Did you pierced a hold in your ear? I thought earrings were for any girls."

He stopped testing the movement of his hand. His coarse eyes fell low as he lowered his arm down to his side.

"I'm not the same man as I once was." He looked up at Emma's eyes. "I've changed."

"Why?"

"I didn't feel it was right to serve a bastard who only has the power through his crown. Piracy didn't seem so bad when it crossed my mind."

"Well, I don't know if your life is making you happy or not. But.." Her eyebrows knitted together when she saw a marked image on the skin of his forearm. "You certainly have changed."

Emma took his arm and frowned at the tattoo marked on his skin. It's a heart pierced through with a sword and the name 'Milah' is tattooed on the center of the heart.

"What is this?"

"A meaningful tattoo I got a few months back."

"Don't know what that is. But how lovely. I can't imagine how in the hell you got that to stick on your arm."

Killian draped the tattoo with his hand, smoothing the fingertip of his thumb on the heart. "I didn't care about the pain. It's just a reminder for someone."

"What does it say?..I..I can't read."

"Milah."

Emma smiled. "Ah. A lover? Of course, you would have her name just written on your arm."

"Yes I would because she died, Emma, not too long ago."

Emma wiped the smile from her mouth. She bit her lower lip, already regretting what she said.

"I..Huh. I'm sorry to hear that. Were you in love with her?"

"I've been with many women over the years. But Milah was the first one I truly loved."

"First one? How romantic, though. A pirate falling in love with a woman. At least it was memorable."

"It was. But aren't you more curious about something else?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Like what?"

He lifted his new hand for her to see for a brief moment and lowered it back down to his side. "How I lost that precious hand?"

"I didn't want to ask. Thought it might be too painful for you to tell me."

"Many are not that kind as you, Emma. I've told many about my story."

"Then, it wouldn't hurt for me to ask?"

"No. I lost this hand because I was in love with Milah. She was a married woman with a husband and son."

"What?" She gasped. "She was married and had a child? How did you get yourself to continue with such a relationship?"

"Love is not always fair nor kind – damn what the holy bible says about it. I asked her to runaway with me and she said yes. When she left, her husband and her son believed she was dead. Several years later, her husband found us but he was a different man, a complete monster with a dark magic cursed in him. He took Milah's heart by revenge. And I fought for her death but he took my hand and disappeared."

"He..He had magic? Like me?"

"No, love. His magic was darker. Not as innocent as yours."

"I never thought there might be others with magic. I always thought I was the only one."

"You are the only one, with good magic." He claimed her chin lightly with his fingers. "It's a gift you have. Compared to that monster, all he earned was just the devil's curse."

Emma looked down at his hand from her chin with unease. His touch is like fire on her skin – always unexpected and lingering.

The ringing of the bell rang from the front door. Fast stomping of feet started from the hard floor.

"Kester! Kester are you in here!" Amy's voice called out.

Killian dropped his hand from Emma's chin as she turned her head to the door. She faced him again in great urgency.

"That's Amy. Okay. Just pretend you don't know her, you never met her at that saloon, alright? You see, I didn't tell Kester about what happened the other night."

"Right. The lucky bride."

Amy opened the door and walked into the kitchen. When she saw Killian, she froze to shock.

"Oh Lord, please tell me I'm dreaming."

Emma faced Amy with a force smile on her lips. Blindly with one of her hands behind her back, she grabbed one of Killian's.

"Good morning, Amy. What brings you here?"

She pointed at Killian with a trembling finger. "Wh-What is he d-doing here?"

"Oh this? This is my..my uh-friend. He just arrived with his crew y-yesterday. We just bumped into each other the other night."

Killian smiled, giving her a nod. "Pleasure."

"Oh."

Amy walked backwards for the door. Her shocked trembling was unable to stop. But by the time, her hand touch the doorknob, she burst opened it and stepped out of the kitchen.

"Friend? What a perfect lie?"

"What else could I say? That you're my long lost brother who just happened to become a pirate?"

"Boyfriend could have been more convincing?"

Emma rolled her eyes and dragged him out to the door and together they exited the kitchen. She took him back to the front to escort him out of the bakery.

"You have to go now. I have too much work to do."

He turned around for her to face him. With his hand, he covered one of her cheeks with his hand. "That busy? Even at evenings?"

"Well, Kester's wedding is tonight. So I'll be attending that."

"A wedding? Will it hurt if I join?"

"You're not invited, but you can stop by for some cake. I've been working on it with Kester since yesterday."

"Sounds like a plan. Goodbye, Emma."

"Bye."

~ The wedding proceeded in a small church a few blocks away from Kester's bakery. Emma assisted Amy with her dress – her only job was to keep Kester away from her to prevent him seeing the dress before the ceremony.

A few of the villagers the couple invited went inside the church with Kester. Emma waited outside with Amy.

Emma straightened Amy's veil and handed her the bouquet. "So does this mean you two are no longer fighting?"

"Sort of. But I'm still mad at you for making me do..do what I did the other night, no matter how much I love you."

"I understand perfectly. But I got one more question. You ready to be a wife?"

"Ready than ever. Let's get this over with."

Emma held the long skirt of Amy's dress as she walked into the open doors. She released her hold onto the skirt while Amy dragged it down the aisle. The guests went up to their feet as the bride walked down the aisle toward Kester.

~ Together, Kester and his wife sliced the wedding cake with the knife. The guests clapped and resumed to dancing and others returned to finish their refreshments and provided food.

Emma sliced a large piece on a plate and grabbed two forks. She returned back to Killian's side and handed him the fork. He took it and thanked her.

"Any plans in mind now that these lovebirds are married?" He took a bite of the cake.

Emma shrugged her shoulders, licking the frosting off the spikes of her fork. "Don't know yet. I was thinking of leaving but..Honestly, I really don't have anywhere else to go or have the money to look after myself."

"That's the problem for most people. But sooner or later, the house will be filled with children before you know it."

"Children?..Well, that to. God, though, I can't imagine Kester being a father."

"Why is that?" He smeared a frosting on the center of her nose.

She punched him on the arm and licked off the frosting with her finger. "I've always been the parent for him. It's strange to see him become one for someone else."

"He's grown up. And you'll start aging before you know it."

"That'll certainly be new to me. I've forgotten what it was like to grow up, to experience your own body change."

"Changing for a woman is not that bad." He eyed her bare cleavage with a nod. "Womanhood has an effective power over men."

Emma tapped his chin with her fork. "Eyes up, captain."

"Apologies. But like I said, what you women have is very effective."

"Maybe too effective."