A/N: Once again, thank you all for being so patient with me! This chapter was like pulling teeth for me to write given everything that is still going on. Thankfully, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Hopefully that means I can get back on schedule with updating.

We are back with Killian for this one and that means a lot in the way of his progression for the story. While not a lot happens to move the CS relationship forward, Killian makes HUGE strides to get him to where he needs to be. I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for every favorite, follow, and review! I love hearing what you all think!

A huge thank you goes to o-u-a-timer and the-lady-of-misthaven for the last minute beta on this one. You girls are amazing!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own OUAT and/or its characters.

Taking a deep breath, Killian curled his fingers around the steering wheel of his car until his knuckles turned white. Bloody hell. He didn't want to be here, didn't want to be at this house that held so many memories of how his life used to be, but he didn't have a choice. His eyes lifted from staring out of the windshield to glance in the rearview mirror to check on Nate in the backseat. Since the twenty-one-month-old was still in a rear facing seat, he had to use the mirror he installed on the window to see that Nate was still sleeping soundly, his head lolled to the side as he took deep, even breaths.

Nate was his entire reason for being here, for being at this house that was once theirs. Sighing, his eyes fell to his hands on the wheel in front of him. The truth of the matter was… In the four short months since he'd returned from his trip with Liam, he'd made huge strides towards healing not only his heart, but mind as well. He no longer blamed himself for his failed marriage, for Milah's actions, or for her feelings. He knew that, at the very least, the two of them should share the blame equally and he was comfortable with that.

Closing his eyes, he forced his fingers open and let his arms fall to his sides. He could see now that his marriage to Milah hadn't been his forever and that was okay. Right now, that wasn't his problem. No, right now his problem was that tonight was Nate's very first unsupervised, overnight visit with Milah.

And, to be bloody honest, he still didn't trust her with Nate.

But, there was nothing that could be done. Milah had met all of the requirements he'd specified in the divorce. She'd completed the once a week supervised visitations, she completed the unsupervised weekly visitations, and she'd done them both without being more than five minutes late to any of the appointments.

His jaw clenched, his fingers curling into a fist as he shook his head. It was easy to forget her crimes against him, to forget the mess that their marriage had eventually become, but it wasn't so easy to cast aside her actions toward their son. Even after four sodding months.

Lifting his arm, he combed his fingers through his hair. If it were any other night, he'd be insisting that Milah needed to wait longer. That neither he nor Nate were ready for this step. Except, this wasn't any other night. His wrist tilted, his eyes falling on the watch that rested there before groaning.

He might not trust Milah, might not want to leave Nate with her, but he had to because tonight Liam was in town. Liam was in town and he was finally, finally, taking the plunge and asking for Ruby's hand after spending seven years together, but only after making her dreams come true.

Killian's lips curled into a grin as he thought about the step his big brother was about to take. Liam Jones, US Navy Lieutenant Commander, was removing himself from active duty to take up a full time post as an instructor. Ruby was getting her wish, Liam was finally coming home and this time he was staying.

Hearing Nate shift in his seat, Killian's grin disappeared and his head dropped forward. He needed to be at the bar tonight, needed to support his brother in the same manner Liam had supported him, and in order to do that he needed to leave Nate with Milah despite his lack of trust in her.

Bloody hell. He rolled his eyes in annoyance and pushed the car door open with another shake of his head. For a brief moment, he wished he'd been able to discuss his hesitation over this with Emma. He wished he'd insisted giving her a ride to the bar instead of agreeing to meet her there. She, at least, would have been able to help him process through what was going on in his head. Or, normally, she would have. Lately, though, lately she'd been unusually absent. It seemed like, more often than not, she was up and out of the house before he or Nate had opened their eyes and he was unsure when she returned nightly, but he knew it was after he'd fallen asleep.

Closing the car door softly behind him, his eyebrows furrowed and his frown deepened. Perhaps the reason Emma was avoiding the house was because she was tired of having to deal with a toddler continuously, perhaps she was tired of having them invade her home, perhaps… He shook his head as his fingers curled around the handle of the rear door. No. Emma would tell him if he and Nate were no longer welcome. They'd never kept anything from each other and there was no reason she would start now.

Unhooking Nate from his seat, he pulled his lad out of the car to settle him on his waist. Nate squeezed his eyes together in an attempt to hold onto that last bit of sleep and pressed his nose Killian's shoulder.

"Papa." The toddler whined in protest, his tiny hand fisting in the fabric of Killian's shirt.

Grinning, Killian's chest filled with warmth at his lad's antics. If there was one thing that could pull him out of a dark mood, it would always be Nate. He could deal with anything life threw at him, including unsupervised, overnight visits with an ex-wife he still didn't quite trust, if it meant that Nate would be happy.

Carefully balancing his son on his hip, he reached in the car to pull out the overnight bag he'd packed. As soon as the strap of the bag was secure on his other shoulder, he rose and bumped the door close with his hip. Pivoting, his eyes landed on the door, the red door, directly in front of him and he inhaled sharply. He could do this.

Tilting his head, his cheek brushed against Nate's dark locks and he sighed while exhaling. His opinion of Milah didn't matter. She deserved a chance after working so hard the last four months to prove that she wasn't going anywhere. Taking a step forward, his arm tightened around Nate's waist protectively. And Nate...

Nate deserved to have his mum in his life and, for him, Killian was willing to try.

The door closed behind him, the sound of it barely heard over the thumping of the music blaring from the speakers, and Killian felt himself sigh. The drop off with Milah had went well, or as well as could be expected with things being as they were between the two of them. Nate, of course, had been excited to see his mum once again and that had filled his heart with happiness.

Glancing around, his eyes widened slightly at the amount of people present in the small space. Though, in comparison to some of the establishments he'd visited in New York, there really were not that many people in attendance. It was just more than he was used to and far more than their small group of friends would be. Smirking, he laughed quietly to himself. It seemed that Liam's plan of making Ruby close up for the evening had not been successful.

Not the he was surprised by this. He'd told Liam that the bar would remain open to the public. In fact, he knew Ruby would have insisted on it. After all, it was a Friday night and, even though Storybrooke was a small town, money was money. There would have been nothing Liam could have said or done, aside from telling Ruby his plans and ruining them, that would have changed her mind and convinced her to close.

Rolling forward, he balanced his weight onto the tips of his toes and craned his neck to scan the room. His eyes narrowed as he tried to find the location of someone he knew - Liam, Ruby, Emma, bloody hell, anyone - before shaking his head and lowering his feet back to the floor. Perhaps, he should just make his way to bar located in the center of the room.

Running his fingers through his hair, Killian took a step forward and pivoted himself around a group of what looked to be students from the university. Once around them, he continued to maneuver, twisting his body this way and that, around several other patrons before sighing in relief as his eyes caught sight of a familiar head of blonde locks he would know anywhere.

Emma.

His lips curled into a grin at the sight of her and he pushed himself through a final wall of customers with the intent of taking his usual place beside Emma and ordering his first, and only, glass of rum for the evening. Stopping in his tracks, his grin vanished from his face as he noticed that both seats next to Emma were occupied by none other than Graham Humbert and August Booth.

His shoulders fell, his lips pressed into a thin line as his jaw clenched. It was no secret that he didn't get along with the two men flanking Emma. In fact, his disposition toward them was often compared to the one Emma held for Milah. And, just like Emma did for him in regard to Milah, he only interacted with the two for Emma's benefit.

His weight shifted from foot to foot as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. It wasn't just the fact that he did not like the wankers. It was quite obvious, to everyone who was not Emma, that the journalist and private investigator only spent time with her to gain her affections… and not with the intent of a loving relationship.

Thankfully, she had yet to fall for their charms and, if he continued to have his way, she never would.

Narrowing his eyes, Killian moved forward and slipped one hand out of his pocket. Forcing a smile on his lips, his hand rose in the air to brush his fingertips across the exposed skin of Emma's shoulder leaving goosebumps in his wake.

Her body stiffened, her head swinging in his direction so quickly he barely had enough time to step back so she could see him fully. Her eyes were hard, anger coursing through them at the idea of being touched by a stranger, as they fell on him and he stomach twisted nervously. Perhaps he should've announced his presence before touching her?

He knew the very moment she realized it was him who'd touched her, him and not some random wanker at the bar, because all of the anger left her eyes as they filled with joy. Her body relaxed, lips curled into a large, almost too large, smile and his breath caught in his throat.

It was no secret that Emma was a bloody beautiful woman. He may be her best mate, but he wasn't blind. No. Any man would be lucky to have a woman as beautiful, as beautiful and as intelligent, as Emma Nolan. Tonight, though… tonight she looked… Bloody hell.

Her hair was curled into loose waves that fell gently over her shoulders and brushed against the skin of her bare back. The top, the backless top, hugged her curves and from what he could see of her dark wash jeans, those did too. Her make-up was light, natural, and highlighted her natural beauty. Blinking quickly, his head tilted slightly as his mouth opened slightly. She looked breathtaking.

"Killian?" She questioned, her eyebrows bunching together in confusion when he did not speak right away.

Shaking his head, his lips lifted quickly as his hand gestured in her direction. "Apologies, love." He winked, a teasing glint in his eye now that his senses had returned. "Seems I've forgotten how utterly beautiful you are after seeing you so often in sweatpants and oversized shirts around the house."

Emma rolled her eyes, her head shaking in disbelief. "Thank you so much for the compliment, Jones. If you could call that a compliment."

"Anytime, Nolan." He took a step forward, his eyes dropping to meet hers. "You know I love you."

"I know." She whispered, her smile faltering as something flashed through her eyes. Before he had a chance to question her, before he had a chance to identify the look in her eyes, her smile had returned and a small giggle escaped her lips. "Okay, Jones, want to join me for a drink?"

Making a mental note to ask her about the moment later, he allowed his eyes to shift between the two men, who had pointedly ignored him since he'd announced his presence, sitting next to her.

"Seems you've got company, love." His words came out tighter than he'd intended, which was surprising.

Bumping her shoulder first into Humbert and then Booth, she threw a wink in his direction. "Graham and August won't mind if you join us, right guys?"

Both men turned their bodies toward him, the looks on their faces clearly indicating they wanted just about anything other than that.

"Sure, Emma." Graham stated as Emma glanced in his direction. "The more the merrier."

"Yeah, join us, Jones." August added, his eyes drilling holes into Killian before he turned to Emma with a smile on his lips. "Whatever makes Emma happy."

Emma smiled, her head turning back in his direction and he felt his hands curl into fists. He wanted to spend time with Emma, to catch up after weeks of her being absent, but he had no desire to share her with those two sodding wankers, no desire to watch as they attempted to court her right in front of his eyes. The thought of it made his stomach lurch as nausea set in.

"You know what, love…" He started, an excuse settling on his tongue. "I think…"

"EXCUSE ME!" The sound of Liam's voice caused Killian to trail off, his attention suddenly no longer on Emma.

Turning his body away from Emma toward the sound of Liam's voice, Killian had a clear blue of his brother standing a top of the bar. He was dressed in his naval uniform, indicating that he'd only recently arrived back in town and had come straight to the bar without changing. Knowing what was coming next, Killian felt his heart speed up in anticipation.

A hand on his arm caused his attention to shift from his brother and return to focus on Emma who was standing at his side.

"Is this it?" Emma questioned, her eyes alight with excitement.

"Aye." He nodded, his gaze landing back on his brother. "I believe so."

Emma bounced in her place next to him and he tapped his fingers against the fabric of his jeans. The excitement that bubbled out of her was contagious and he couldn't wait to see his brother take the next step in his happy ending.

"I was wondering…" Liam continued as his eyes scanned the crowd in front of him. "If my lovely lass would join me at the bar. Ruby? Where are you, love?"

Commotion could be heard as every person in the bar turned their head in search of Ruby. Half a second later, Killian could see the majority of the patron's heads tilt to the left and he assumed she'd been found.

The moment Ruby was close enough, Liam reached out and she slipped her hand into his. Allowing him to guide her, Ruby joined Liam on the bar. Killian's smile grew as Ruby glanced around the room nervously before tucking her hair behind her ears.

"I can't believe he's really doing this." Emma murmured, her voice full of wonder at the scene in front of her.

Turning his head quickly in her direction, Killian felt his chest expand at the pure glee her features held. "Aye. Although, some would say it is long overdo."

Without waiting for her to respond, he turned his attention back on the couple in front of him. Liam was now down on one knee, one hand holding Ruby's loosely, as he spoke only to her. Liam had abandoned speaking to the room. His words were only for Ruby to hear, as they should be. Every person in the bar waited, waited with baited breath, to see what would happen, to see if Ruby would agree to become the next Mrs. Jones.

Liam pulled the ring out, his hand visibly shaking in nervousness, and Ruby's lips fell open in shock. The moment she nodded, the moment Liam popped up from his knee to wrap his arms around Ruby's waist and pull her toward him, the moment their lips touched, the room exploded in applause.

"She said yes." Emma whispered, her voice barely detectable over the excitement of the crowd. Her head fell to his shoulder, his arm slipped around her waist and he unconsciously pulled her further into his side.

"Indeed, she did." He replied, his tone wistful and soft.

Looking around him, around a room full of people celebrating the engagement of two people he loved dearly, he expected to be upset. He expected the despair, the very same thing he'd spent the last several months fighting, to return. His marriage had failed, it had ended, but it wasn't too long ago he and Milah had been in the very same position Liam and Ruby were in now.

It wasn't so long ago that he'd thought he'd found his happy ending as well, only to have it ripped out from under him.

"Are you okay?" Emma lifted her head, pulling it back to meet his eyes with her own. "I mean, this must be hard for you with everything…"

Lifting his hand, he tucked a stray lock behind her ear and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm…"

He stopped, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. The truth of the matter was… He felt fine. His heart was light, full of excitement for what was ahead for his brother and Ruby. There was no sadness, no pain for what he'd lost, no anger for what Milah had done, there was nothing….. Nothing except peace, peace and contentment.

Standing in the middle of the bar, his arm wrapped tightly around Emma, around his person, he felt ready. He was ready to let it all go. It had taken him ten months, ten long painful months, but he was finally ready to move on.

The corners of his lips lifted and the corners of his eyes crinkled. Blinking, he nodded slowly to Emma whose emerald eyes stared up at him full of worry. Squeezing her waist gently, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

"You know what, love…" He murmured, his tone full of nothing but wonder. "I am, I truly am."

Smiling softly, Emma wrapped her arms around his waist as music, a nice slow song, filled the bar once more. Anchoring her to his chest, he curled his other arm around her just as her head found its place on his chest. Slowly, he began to move them both a gentle sway to the music as as the rest of the world disappeared from around them.

His chest expanded as he realized how far he'd actually come, how much he'd healed, and it was all because of the woman in in arms.

It was all because of Emma Nolan.

The first thing Killian noticed as the door to Granny's closed behind him was the splitting grin on Liam's lips as he stared down at the menu. He'd never seen his brother so happy, so purely elated, while doing such as simple task as picking out his lunch. There was no question in his mind as to what the source of said happiness was, especially given the events of the night previous.

He'd been just as happy when Milah had agreed to become his wife, just as eager. He only hoped that the same fate that had met his marriage did not befall Liam and Ruby's. Not that he expected it would. The issues, the selfishness, that had surrounded his marriage were simply not present in the relationship his brother had with Ruby. No… Ruby and Liam were for forever. He had no doubt about that.

Arriving at the booth where Liam sat, Killian braced his hands on the tabletop before sliding into the bench. Liam's head jerked up suddenly, his blue eyes, eyes that gleamed with merriment, met Killian's own just as he settled himself in his seat.

"Killian." Even Liam's voice sounded different. It was lighter somehow, full of excitement for what was to come in his life, for what lie ahead.

A small smile lifted Killian's lips as he marveled at how genuinely happy he was for Liam. Just a couple of months ago, four months to be exact, this would have devastated him. Liam and Ruby's happiness, their love, would have gutted him, broken him even more than he already was. It would have…

Killian tilted his head toward Liam, his mouth curling into a true smile. It wasn't four months ago and he was tired of living in the past, tired of living in the what-ifs. He'd come a long way since that day, since he'd found Milah in bed with Gold, and, even though he still had quite the journey ahead of him, he was finally ready to face that journey. He was finally ready to move on and to move forward and he was going to start by being happy for his brother.

He was going to start by being happy, period.

"Hello, brother." His fingers tapped the table as he pulled a menu in his direction. "Tell me, how was the first evening being an engaged man?"

Liam laughed, his smile widening more than Killian thought possible as the sound echoed throughout the room. "Perfect, little brother. Bloody perfect."

Killian's breath caught in his throat. He remembered that feeling, the feeling of being on top of the world, of having the person he loved agree to spend her life with him. He remembered it like it was yesterday and, for just a brief moment, he wondered if he would ever feel that way again.

Forcing himself to breathe, to let that moment go and trust that he would eventually get there, which was something Emma consistently reminded him to do, he focused his attention back on his brother.

"And Ruby?" He questioned, his head tilting to the side. "I assume she is just as happy as you are."

"More so." Liam smirked knowingly as he settled back in his seat.

"Hmm." Killian studied his brother's feature, studied the way his eyes lit up, the way his lips pressed together as if he were trying his hardest not to speak. He was hiding something, the question was… what was it? "How so?"

Liam leaned forward, his elbows bracing themselves on the table in front of him as he met Killian's eyes. "She wants to get married as soon as possible, Killian. Next weekend, to be exact. I've got a month before I report to the new position and she wants to spend it as husband and wife."

"Next weekend?" Killian blinked, his lips falling open in shock. When he'd come to have lunch with Liam, something they always did they day after Liam returned home, he would have never guessed that this would be what they discussed. But, bloody hell, he couldn't be happier.

"Aye." Liam confirmed, that grin still present on his face. "And I need you to be my best man, Killian. I can't get married without you, without my brother, by my side."

His heart expanded, his face shifted into a look of disbelief. Inhaling, he felt tears, happy tears, prick the corners of his eyes. His brother was the one person in his life, the one person other than Emma and Nate, that truly mattered to him. That fact that Liam wanted him, him over all of his other Navy friends, was an honor.

"Of course." His voice was hoarse, full of emotion, as he lifted a hand to wipe his eyes. "I'd be honored, Liam."

"Good." Liam murmured quietly and nodded, his eyes filled of affection as he sat back in the booth. "Perfect." He added before picking up the menu to indicate that, now that the important items had been discussed, he was ready to order.

Wiping his eyes one last time, Killian picked up the menu and glanced over it. Next weekend. He had two weeks to help plan a wedding, two weeks to make everything perfect.

His brother was getting married and Killian was ready to move forward after all the heartache of the last several months.

Everything was finally, finally, falling into place.

Killian's eyes scanned the expanse of the room as he leaned back against the bar, his feet crossed at his ankles, and nursed his rum. Next to him, his suit jacket hung off of the stool Emma had chosen to place her purse and Nate's diaper bag in. Reaching up, he loosened the navy blue bow tie around his neck and sighed in relief, both from the tie and the knowledge that all of the work he'd done over the past two weeks had paid off.

The wedding had taken place right at sunset on The Jolly Roger and, just as he'd promised, Killian had acted as best man. Ruby, on the other hand, refused to select a maid of honor citing that she could not, and would not, choose between Mary Margaret and Emma which surprised no one. The bride wore a simple white gown made of lace while Liam selected a grey suit with a navy blue vest and bow tie. Nate had made the cutest ring bearer, his little suit making him look much older than that he was.

To his left, out of the corner of his eye, he could see Liam and Ruby dancing. Liam, who it seemed had also lost his tie, had one of his arms around his new bride's waist while the other one was holding her hand. Ruby's position matched Liam's, only her eyes were closed while her head rested lightly on Liam's chest. Both of them looked the happiest Killian had ever seen them, and that made all of the madness of the last two weeks worth it.

Swirling the glass in his hand, his lips lifted in a wistful smile. Liam and Ruby deserved all of the happiness in the world and he was genuinely proud to have helped them have their perfect day. Lifting his glass to his lips, he allowed a sip of the amber liquid to flow past his lips. His drinking had slowed immensely over the past several weeks and, even though this was the celebration of his brother's wedding, he had no desire to wake up and be required to take care of a toddler with a hangover.

Lowering the glass from his lips, he nodded briefly to Mary Margaret and David as they danced their way past him on the dance floor. It wasn't often the couple got to have a night on their own, little Benjamin was only ten months old after all, so they were trying to make the best of it. It also helped that the Widow Lucas, Ruby's grandmother, had whisked the young lad off after the ceremony while leaving direct instructions for his parents to "act like they were fifteen again."

He bowed his head, shaking it at the thought of David or Mary Margaret acting like they were fifteen. Bloody hell, even when they had been fifteen they rarely acted as though they were. They'd always been the mature ones of the group, even as teenagers.

A flash of blonde caused his eyes to shift to another part of the dance floor. His heart fluttered in his chest as Emma came into view. Her normally long locks were twisted into a braided crown that was more fit for a ball at at castle than a simple wedding. The blue of her bridesmaids dress contrasted her pale skin perfectly and she looked like a modern day Cinderella.

She looked beautiful, simply stunning.

His chest expanded, warmth spreading throughout his body, as he noticed Nate in her arms. His little lad had his legs wrapped around her waist while his arms hung loosely at his sides. His head was resting on her chest, eyes closed in contentment, as Emma, her chin tucked so her cheek brushed the hair atop Nate's head, swayed slowly to the music filling the room.

His breath caught in his throat. There was just something about seeing Nate in Emma's arms, about seeing Emma stare down at Nate with nothing but affection in her eyes, that had his heart twisting in his chest. He knew Emma was not Nate's mother and he would never want to replace Milah's place in Nate's life. After that one slip up a couple of months ago, he and Emma had made a point of reminding Nate that Milah was, in fact, his mother. It was just…

Other than Liam, Emma was the only person he considered family. She was the person he'd run to when his life had fallen apart and she was the one that had slowly helped him piece it back together again. It made sense that Emma and Nate had a special bond, that they shared a bond similar to one a mother and son would share.

Nate hadn't even been a year old when things with Milah had fallen apart and he'd spent nearly a year living with Emma and seeing her daily. In many ways, Emma was more involved with Nate's life than Milah was even with the new overnight visitations. And seeing her with Nate, seeing the way Nate loved and adored Emma, seeing the way Emma returned that love with a love of her own…

Emma Nolan was his best mate, but over the last ten months their relationship had become so much more than just that. They'd become a family, a real family, and it was everything he ever wanted for his son. It was everything he ever wanted for himself.

Pulling himself off the bar, he twisted to set his drink down before turning to make his way toward Emma. She likely heard him walking in that direction, because as he got closer her head lifted to meet his eyes and she stopped dancing.

"Hey." She murmured once he was within earshot. "I think the long day wore him out."

Nodding in agreement, he reached out and brushed a stray piece of hair out of Nate's eyes. "Aye, want me to take him?"

She shook her head, her eyes falling back toward Nate. "He's fine. I'm used to it by now." She pressed her lips into Nate's locks gently. "Besides, I kind of like dancing with my little man even if he is sleeping."

Without thinking, his hand reached out clasped the hand that was not holding Nate. "Well, love, how about a dance with his papa?"

Emma's lips fell open, a small gasp escaped as her eyes bore into his. He's been just as surprised as her when the words left his mouth, but now that they had he realized he wanted nothing more than to dance with her and his lad, to dance as a family.

Tilting his head, his eyebrows arched in question as he tugged lightly in her arm. "Dance with me, Emma? Dance with Nate and I?" His tone was soft as he waited with baited breath for her answer.

"Yes." She whispered a mere second later and that was all the permission he needed.

His lips widened, his teeth showing in a huge smile, as he pulled her toward him. It was awkward for a moment as they tried to figure out where to place their hands given the toddler between them. Eventually, they settled on Emma angling her body slightly so she could rest her head on his chest the same way Nate was on her's. Her free arm wrapped around his side where their bodies touched. One of his arms settled over hers to wrap around her waist while the other lifted and settled on Nate's back.

Swaying slowly, his eyes settled on the two people in his arms and his chest fill with several emotions at one time. Ten months ago, he never thought he would be here, never thought he would be at his brother's wedding holding two of the three most important people in his life. He never thought he would be ready for the next chapter in his life, never thought he would be happy with the path his life had taken, he never thought he would be over the woman he believed was the love of his life.

But he was. He really truly was.

Holding Emma and Nate, holding his family, in his arms, Killian Jones felt something he never expected to feel again.

Hope.

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave me a review if you feel up to it!