"Ms. Lucas?" When the young woman looked up at her from her seat in the waiting room, Emma gave her an easy smile. "How are you today?"

Ms. Lucas, a young woman who was most likely about Emma's age or a couple of years younger, looked up at her from her seat. There was this sudden glint in her eyes as she looked up at her.

"Oh, I'm doing quite well." Her eyebrows raised in question. "Emma, is it?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, I am." She held out her hand for a handshake. "We're all ready for you in the back. Please, follow me."

Ruby Lucas stood straight up, but didn't immediately follow Emma as she stepped back towards the door from which she had come. Instead, she was giving Emma a fully thorough once over from head to toe.

She tried not to frown. She tried not to be unsettled by the way the other woman was looking at her. But it was a little unsettling. It was- checking out her chart- Ruby Lucas' first visit to Emma's dentist office. Patients came in with an array of emotions- from calm to nervous wrecks and to everything in between. But it was the way she was being received by this patient that had her a little confused

Because Ruby Lucas did not look either nervous or anxious. It was something else. Emma couldn't put her finger onto whatever it was.

"Just this way, Ms. Lucas," she told her again, holding the door open for her.

She was biting down on her lip, but not in some edgy way. And through it all, she was actually smiling at Emma. With a slight raise of her nose in the air, she strolled confidently through the door.

Emma gave a shake of her head as she watched her go, following her on the way back to the examining room

"I see that this is your first visit with us," Emma said with a quite chipper smile. She looked up from Ruby Lucas' chart to the woman.

She was seated comfortably enough in the dental chair. As comfortable as one can be, she was sure. And she was still giving her a long once-over.

"Yes, first time," she finally said.

Emma looked back down at the chart in her hand. She was still a bit confused by the tension now circulating in the room.

"So what has brought you in today?" she asked.

"Well…"

Emma looked back up at her when she had paused.

"I think I chipped my crown." She opened her mouth and angled her head so that maybe Emma could look inside. "I'm not for sure how I did it, but it feels like something is… different." Her fingers went to point to the side of her cheek.

"If the crown chipped, did you save any of the pieces that may have fallen out?"

Her eyes slanted over, focusing on something on the side of Emma. "Um… actually no, I didn't. I mean, I can feel the difference, but I didn't actually notice when it happened."

"Okay, that's fine," Emma assured her. She turned around to grab the stool that was behind her. Pulling it up to closer to where the dentist chair was, she sat down next to her. "I'm just going to get some information from you before Dr. Stevens comes in and examines you."

Ruby sat up, hinging on the edge of the seat.

"It's pretty slow here today. I was the only one in the waiting room."

Not too odd of a conversation started, Emma mused. Still, it was odd.

"It's almost lunch time so the appointments are staggered in a way to accommodate that," she said in way of answer.

"Ok, I have to be honest, Emma."

That caught her off guard.

Ruby shook her head emphatically, those eyes growing wider and wider.

"Didn't Killian tell you about me?" she asked, sounding a bit offended.

That question froze Emma immediately in her spot. Killian? What did Killian have to do with this- with her?

"Um…" Her head tilted to the side as she watched the other woman, almost agape by confusion. "Excuse me? Killian?"

And the woman shook her head again. "Not even my name?" Her hands flew to her chest. "He never even mentioned my name? Ruby Lucas?"

She was going to say something that would change her life.

"I'm his friend," she finally informed her, peering hardly right at her. "One of his best friends? Former best friend to his deceased wife, Milah?"

Her confusion only grew by this sudden dawning of information. She was more than caught off guard. She was… knocked from her feet.

Emma's mouth felt suddenly dry as a hundred thoughts raced through her mind.

Ruby's smile turned saccharine sweet with big brown doe eyes to match. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment."

"Seriously?"

Killian's smile was instant when he watched her breeze through the door. She had almost been late for group- Archie would be calling everyone together any minute. She was still in her scrubs and her hair pulled up in that high ponytail that was common during work hours.

Emma's eyes connected with his almost as soon as she entered the room. Her smile was small but completely inviting as she made her way over to where he was.

God, he had missed her. He hadn't seen her yesterday. The last time was here, at their meeting, two nights ago. That night had been a draining one. Too many emotions over what to do next.

Yesterday had been somewhat better; in some respects. It was Emma that he had missed terribly. It was Emma that he had wanted. It was she who he had wanted to change for and become whole again.

"Hey," she whispered, that smile growing on her face.

"Good evening, love," he greeted. His hand went up to smooth over her cool to the touch cheek. "You're late."

Emma frowned up at him. "Almost."

And it made Killian smile. God, this woman.

Just then, like clockwork, Archie called for everyone's attention and for everyone to please be seated.

Once they were settled into their chairs, Killian turned his attention back to Emma.

"Why were you late? What happened?"

Emma only gave him a shrug of indifference. "Running behind at work. Some things came up and it held me back for a little while. Hey!" Her hand reached out to grab at his arm. "I thought you liked seeing me in my scrubs anyway."

His opposite hand came to rest on top of hers while lying against his arm. "Oh, I do. You look cute as ever, love."

Her eyes were twinkling. He loved the fact that there was nothing hiding behind that look like the last time he had seen her.

"There's my sweet talker," she answered back, giggling.

He wanted to kiss her, right then and there. He wanted to sweep her up in his arms, place her right in his lap, and kiss her until he could get enough of her. But he couldn't do that. Not here. Not now. But the want to do that did not escape him. It was a huge revelation for him to want her the way that he did.

Archie was beginning his routine of greeting the members for the night, Killian heard. His attention drew on the timid looking man standing some feet away, listening to his spiel.

"Hey." Emma had whispered. She tugged on his arm, pulling him towards her.

He offered her his ear, leaning in close so as to not disturb anyone else.

"Something interesting happened at work today," she continued softly. "I wanted to tell you about it. Okay?"

Killian leaned back enough to look at her. He face now had a pensive look to it, lips pursing and eyes burning into his.

"Aye. I have all the time in the world tonight."

Emma gestured for him to come closer again.

"Good," she whispered in his ear. She left an almost nonexistent press of her lips to that spot before moving away.

Killian watched as she settled into her seat, a bit mesmerized by her. Yeah, he really wanted to try as hard as possible to make this work.

They had been to the little coffee shop so frequently on the same days and same times that they practically had their own spot. What had changed from their first date more than two months ago was that they now sat next to each other, as cozy as ever, versus across from each other.

"So." Emma sat the cup of cocoa down on the table in front of her. She turned a bit so that she had a better view of him.
What was she going to say? Killian wasn't sure. It was hard to read her this time. She didn't seem distant, so that was a good thing. But she did seem a bit more serious than he would have liked. He just couldn't tell what it was that was about to spill from her mouth.

"Yes?" he said in way of encouraging her to continue. His hand freely laid over hers on the table. He was waiting for… what? What was she going to say?

Emma laughed and shook her head. Her hand, from underneath his, turned over so that they were now palm against palm.

Her pause was making him nervous. She liked him a lot. They had had an interesting two months together. They had helped heal each other in ways that no other outlets had been possible in doing. But it had beentwo months. Things were not progressing in a way that she would like. She wanted to end things right then and there.

That was the outcome Killian had come up with as she sat there, smiling a sad smile at him. And would he blame her if she was all too aware of his hang-up on his wife? No, of course not.

"What is it, Emma?" His voice was gruff with emotions he had not realized was bubbling right at the surface.

Her sigh was small, and she once again looked into those eyes. There was a bit of confusion marring her face.

"I… met your friend today," she told him with a huff.

"My friend?" Killian was left feeling just as confused as she looked.

"She made an appointment with my office for this afternoon," she continued.

"One second." He felt the waves of hostility wash over him, because he knew. "She? Are you telling me that Ruby came to your office today? And she did it purposefully to.."

"She said she wanted to finally meet me," Emma confirmed, nodding her head.

Killian leaned back in his seat. The anger began to seep throughout his body, just thinking about the audacity of Ruby. This time she had gone too far. This time she had stuck her nose in his business where it did not belong. He could forgive a lot when it came to Ruby. It was sort of a prerequisite for their friendship. But this?

"I'm sorry, Emma," he told her sincerely. "I'm truly sorry for my supposed friend and her idiotic ideas and actions." He began patting down his jacket pockets, searching.

"It's okay," Emma assured him. "What…. What are you doing?"

Killian found his phone in his inside pocket.

"I'm going to call her," he answered, trying very hard to control his building anger.

"Killian, don't." Emma reached over and placed her hand over his, essentially stopping him from using the phone. "I didn't tell you so that you'd be angry with her."

"Which I have every right to be," he reminded her. "Ruby? She always feels entitled to butt into my life. And this time… Emma, are you seriously okay?"

She looked like she was on a search. Her eyes were roaming all over him.

"It was fine," she told him. And then she smiled and gave a roll of her eyes. "Once the initial shock wore off."

She said it, but he still wasn't sure. Killian placed his phone down on the table in front of him. His fingers tapped lightly on the screen, but his gaze stayed on her.

Ruby had put him in a precarious position. She just couldn't let him do this on his own. She couldn't give him the proper time to figure out what he really wanted. Her rash decision, he was afraid, was going to backfire.

"What… did she say?"

Emma's hands wrapped around her cup of coffee, lifting it slightly off of the table.

"She said that she's been waiting for you to introduce us to one another for a long time." She threw him a quick smile before she lifted the cup up to her lips to take a sip of her cocoa. "She said that she was Milah's best friend and one of your best friends."

Killian watched her closely. The worry inside of him was growing. Ruby could be a loose cannon. Recently she had come into some powerful information about him. And he didn't know how trustful she really was with that information.

Emma's shoulders hunched over, her body compacting into a small package.

"So as one of your best friends, you were being on the selfish side by not sharing this thing you have with me. That meant it was her job to take it in her own hands. Which she did." Her lifted an eyebrow and a shoulder in way of finishing.

Killian didn't know where to go from there. Emma seemed to have taken the intrusion well.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked her slowly. "I don't know what I can do about Ruby, but I'll take care of her if you want me to."

"I understand where she was coming from." She shook her head. "Don't you?"

It didn't matter where Ruby's head was at when she went to Emma's place of work. She had no right.

"She wanted to know who you were and what you were like because of all the time we spend together."

Emma's gaze left his face, her attention going somewhere behind him.

"She wanted to know if I am worthy of being there, Killian. If I am the right person to be seeing you through this chapter of your life." She looked back at him briefly before she peered down at her cup on the table. "I understand because I am in a similar position. It's nice to have real friends who care that much."

What are you thinking, Emma Cassidy?

"Even when it's borderline crazy?"

Emma looked back at him and a puff of laughter escaped her mouth.

"I'm trying not to be freaked out about it. You're not making it easy."

"I'm going to talk to her," he assured her firmly. "She knows it. She's not going to get away with her crazy antics without any consequences."

Emma smiled into her cup of cocoa, raising it once again to her lips.

"Trust me. She knows."

"It's like I'm the only one who cares, you know?" Ruby Lucas said, her eyes wild with indignation. "We were all friends. I was there when Milah died. We've all been there during this… nearly year and a half since she died. So why am I the one who has to get in his face and make him understand that it was time to move on?"

Emma didn't know what to say to the woman. Ruby had known Killian the whole time during his crisis. Emma had only been there 0n a personal level for the past two months. And even then they didn't focus on the pain on their losses.

"Listen, I'm not crazy. I'm just passionate." She was hanging on the end of her chair, peering and poring herself to Emma. "When I found out about you from our friend Robin, I was excited to know how this thing would go. I've been trying to get Killian to move on and find someone else for a while now. And he's changing. Don't you see it?"

There was a bond between them, Emma knew.

"Anyway, Emma," Ruby continued, "the reason why I'm here is to push Killian- in my own way- to keep moving forward. He's going to be upset that I came here, but he'll forgive me sooner rather than later. And then hopefully he'll open up more. Share you with us. Be happy in more aspects than just… well." She smiled up at her, leaving her thoughts open to interpretation. "And then his can stop doing this back and forth thing."

This back and forth thing?

"You know what I mean?" She was staring expectantly at Emma.

"I shouldn't have let you come back home with me," Emma said at the same time she snuggled even closer to him on the couch. "You have work in the morning and I have work in the morning. Do you feel tired?"

Killian shook his head. "What I feel is horrible about what I put you through." He brought his arm to hook under her knees and swooped her legs over his lap.

Emma smiled. "You didn't do anything. How long are you going to keep being like this?" Her head lay against his shoulder and her eyes closed. She was tired, but she was complacent being in this moment with him.

"She always sticks her nose where it doesn't belong," he grumbled in complaint. "Repercussions be damned. So I am entitled to be upset."

Emma looked up at him.

"The impression she left on me was that she is a good friend and you mean a lot to her. And the impression you left on me is that you're a softy when it comes to Ruby, so you'll forgive her." Emma covered her mouth to hide the small yawn that suddenly escaped her mouth.

"Aw, poor baby. You're tired." Killian patted her thigh while giving her a sympathetic grin.

"And you're not?"

He brought her hand up to his lips, dropping a small kiss there.

"Maybe I should get ready to go."

She smiled. "Sorry about being so pooped."

"With a day like you had it's understandable," he assured her.

The room was encased in darkness, but Emma could make out Killian's form lying against hers.

They had both fallen asleep, that much she could tell. The time is what she wasn't sure of.

Carefully, Emma moved forward, watching as Killian's arms still reached for her. She waited until his head fell back against the back of the couch before she tried to move again.

Feeling around on the coffee table beside the couch, she grasped her cell phone.

3:11

How in the hell had that happened? And was he going to be upset when he found out that they had fallen asleep and he had spent half the night in her apartment? Not outwardly upset, but upset in that soul-sucking, moving-too-fast, I-wasn't-ready-for-this kind of way?

"Killian?" She whispered it, but her hands shook at his shoulder. "Killian, wake up."

He began to stir. She saw his eyes open sleepily beside her.

"What? What is it, Emma?" He was grabbing for her again, his hands reaching around her waist.

"It's after three o'clock," she told him. She was pressing away from him, hoping he'd wake up fully. "Three o'clock in the morning. We fell asleep. Killian." She shook his arm wildly.

"Emma?" he murmured. He pulled her closer against his body. His lips pressed against her temple.

"Killian."

"Go back to sleep," His arm came around to cradle her head, pulling her down to rest on his shoulder.

Emma stayed there, a bit confused and unnerved by what was happening.

It felt good. It felt right. The only thing that could have made it better was if they were down the hall and in her bed and under the covers. Andif Killian had been completely aware of what was going on.

He hadn't been awake when he said that. How could she fall back asleep and let them continue in this way? What would he think when morning came, along with her senses, and he found them like this?

Emma tried to ease the panic she was feeling. She wanted to be in the moment and just enjoy it the way he was. But she just couldn't.

Damn. She felt the tears clouding her eyes. Why am I crying?

But she knew why. She was more than worried about this precarious thing that was their relationship. One wrong move and he would seize up. He would give up because there was no other option for his delicate heart.

It was that back and forth thing Ruby had mentioned. It was a balancing act that she wasn't sure which side she'd find herself on.

Emma held onto him tight, shutting her eyes and staving off anymore tears. Sleep, it would have to come.

His neck hurt, Killian realized. He brought his hand up to massage the specific spot. Other than the angle in which he had found himself in for hours, Emma's couch was rather comfortable.

Emma's couch. Emma's living room.

He peeked around the room, noticing how the sunlight filtered in through the windows and brightened the whole place up.

Emma's apartment. Yep, he had fallen asleep when he had actually meant to get up rather soon and let her get some rest.

Emma.

Her face was pressed into the crook of his neck and she was breathing softly. One hand was splayed across his chest and the other one was on his back.

Damn, what this woman was doing to me.

He hadn't woken up to the feel of a woman in his arms like this in what seemed like forever. It wasn't like those times, with Milah. His wife. The love of his life. This was something new and exciting. Did it worry him?

Hell yes! It scared him nearly to death. Because even though he thought of Milah as being the last woman he had held all night long, it was the strong stirrings of something inside him for Emma that had awakened him to the possibilities of having something good in his life again.

Staring down at her as she slept, he wanted life to be what the snapshot of this moment was: Killian and Emma, together and happy. Because when he let her, she made him feel happy.

He didn't know what time it was but it had to be late. They were going to be late.

"Emma?"

Her head lifted from off his neck and tilted back. Her eyes fluttered open and turned to him.

"Oh, no," she moaned. "What time is it?" She separated herself from him and turned to reach for her phone on the table beside her.

Killian smiled, watching her stand up and try to get her bearings.

"Good morning."

She threw him a look over the shoulder, her eyes a bit wide and unsure.

"Good morning. Did you know what time it is?"

"Not exactly." He stretched his arms out wide, listening to the small pop of bones from his long resting period.

"It's seven thirty," Emma informed him. "I'm supposed to be at work at eight. I overslept." She was gripping the phone tightly in her hands. She stood there a bit awkward, her feet shuffling underneath her while she gave him a look of wonderment and maybe in disbelief.

"I tried… I tried to wake you up last night." Then she rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Or maybe this morning. However you want to look at it. It was after three. You wouldn't wake up. Not fully. You said something, but you weren't really awake."

Emma didn't get like this often, the stammer and constant rambling. It was a nervous habit that he had been witness to only a few times. But he found it awfully adorable.

Killian stood up from the couch slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"You actually told me to go back to sleep," Emma continued. Her laugh was full of nervous energy. "I'm sorry. It's totally my fault. Now I'm going to be late for work and you're going to be late for work. And this is really awkward because you weren't planning on staying all night." And I had the nerve to… drool on your shirt." He was in arms-length reach of her, and her fingers came up to a spot near his shoulder. "You hadn't noticed that yet, huh?"

Killian was drawn to the dime-sized wet spot on his shirt.

"No, hadn't noticed." He looked back up at her.

Emma's lips were in a pout, but she was still practically hopping in front of him.

"I'm sorry. For everything. I have to actually run and get ready." And she was backing away from him. "I know you have to get to work and go home before even doing that. So… you know… I'll see you later?"

He was walking, too, following her. "Are you putting me out?"

She shook her head, still backing away. "No. I just understand that we both have things to do."

"Actually, I'm beginning to debate."

"What?"

"Something has come up," he told her.

With that, Emma threw her head back and laughed. "What's come up in the last few minutes that you've been awake?"

He was watching her closely. He was watching the way she twirled the cellphone with her fingers from hand to hand. He was watching the miniscule steps she took as she continued to, hopefully, go unnoticed out of the room. He had noticed how hours of sleep on a couch did nothing to diminish her beauty. She was absolutely beautiful. And he paid attention to how his heart did that flutter thing that was just for her.

He wanted…

"Emma, would you mind if I crashed here a little longer than you?" he asked instead of giving her a direct answer to her question. "I'm thinking about calling in to work and taking care of some much needed business."

She shook her head slowly, her bottom lip poking out curiously. "Um… no. Really? No. I don't mind at all."

Killian nodded. "Okay then. Great."

Emma boldly took a large step backward. "I'm going to hop in the shower really quick, get dressed, and be out of here because, unfortunately, Idon't have the luxury of missing work. Sorry."

"Okay. Go ahead."

With a final nod and a curious smile, Emma turned around to walk towards the hallway.

He could do this, he told himself after she was gone. He could let her into his heart and take the next step. This impromptu sleepover had been further proof. Because he could have slid ten steps back. He could have felt the need to run straight out of the door while Emma slept unbeknownst to her. But none of that had been true. He hadn't been panicked, but in awe of the woman lying against him. He hadn't ran, but had wanted nothing more than to stay. He hadn't taken ten steps back, but saw himself taking this giant leap forward.

So he wasn't going in to work today. He had a lot of cleaning and rearranging to do at home. And he had a bit of shopping he was starting to look forward to as well.

He was just going to take the day off from work. He was just going to hang out at her place for a while.

Emma pulled the brush through her tangled mass of hair punishingly. She was lost in thought. Thinking and craving to know what Killian was thinking.

He had been looking at her when he had asked to stay after she had left. That look was pensive and on the reserved side. He looked like he had been lost in his own world.

Or maybe she was making things up. Maybe Emma only wanted to see those things in him. But it didn't matter if she was adding things to the scenario which was only driving her madder. The truth of it was that he had something on his mind. He wouldn't have decided on a whim to not go to work if there was nothing wrong.

Emma stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She wanted answers, and she foolishly expected those answers from herself.

What was it? Was he still upset over the fact that she had met his friend? Or was he more upset by the fact that they had stayed all night with each other? Or was it a combination of the two, which should have made her smartly start looking for the reject button to come soon.

The growl that escaped her mouth was full of frustration. She tugged painfully at the long hair once again, feeling justified in her feelings.

She should have tried harder. She should've dried her tears, turned on the lights, and forced him out of her apartment. Instead, she had curled up beside him and gave into the feelings on pure bliss of feeling his body against hers at three o'clock in the morning.

And now? Now she would pay.

Emma's arms fell down to her side. She stared at that reflection, again, for a long moment. Because she knew. She was growing wildly attached to the man. She wanted more. She wanted more for herself and for him. She was doing this at his speed. But what was that getting her? It was about to hurt in impossible ways. She just knew it.

With a sigh, she pulled her hair into a quick and tight ponytail. She gave herself one more once over, finalizing that she was ready for work. Or at least appeared to.

When she made her way back into the living room, the waft of coffee hit her nose. Killian, she could see, was in the kitchen, with a fresh cup sitting in front of him.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asked.

"Not as all," she sighed. "Make yourself comfortable. But I do have to run."

"Here, take this with you." He had found her travel mug, she'd seen, and filled it with coffee for her.

"Thanks." She couldn't help but smile.

She was going to be late. And yet she didn't really want to leave.

"I won't be here for long. Don't worry," he told her with a smile. "I have a lot of things I'm going to take care of."

"It's no problem," she told him again. She took a small sip of the coffee from the mug amd was surprised by how well it tasted. With a raised eyebrow she told him, "Good guess."

Killian only shrugged at that.

She stared at him for just a moment longer. She knew that she could get lost in that gaze.

"I… have to go."

He nodded. "I know. So go."

It was her turn to nod. "Ok." And with that she began to make her way to the door.

"Emma."

He had been walking with her, finally catching up right at the door.

"Yeah?" she asked softly.

He was smiling as his hand came up to caress her cheek. "Have a good day at work. I'll see you later." And then his lips fell over hers, kissing her. Softly, tenderly, truthfully.

Emma held back the certain sob in her throat. She couldn't read him right now, as her one free hand lay gently against his chest. And she needed to so badly. For her own sanity.

When she stepped back away from him, they shared a quick smile between them.

"Bye."

"Goodbye."

There was nothing left to do than to walk