Recap:
"The position is in our Portland, Maine office. Bit colder up there, but you'd be running your own office. I'm recommending you for the job, Emma, it's yours if you want it."
Regina wanted Emma to leave as soon as possible, and as Emma sat back down at her desk, she was faced with a question she'd never had to consider before. Does Emma Swan believe in coincidences... fate? Her parents came back into her life out of nowhere; tell her to consider coming up to live with them in Maine. Then within 24 hours she's being offered a promotion. A job in Portland, Maine. That had to be more than a coincidence, right?
Sometimes it just seems like you end up somewhere you're meant to be. That's what her mother told her just last night. Maybe she was right? Maybe this would take her to the place she was really meant to be? So what of her life here? Her mind seemed to drift back to Killian without her volition. His lips on hers, his hand tangled in her hair, I was hoping it meant something.
She felt the impulse to call him, an impulse that was gradually taking over anytime she felt stressed. He would make her laugh, pour her a drink and give her a bear claw and make everything feel so... normal. For some reason he made her feel safe. Made her feel like she'd known him for much longer than just the time they'd been working on his novel...
That's why she had to go, get out now before she got in too deep. She picked up the latest printout of Killian's book from underneath one of the newer projects. She'd been putting off finishing, somehow now it didn't seem as hard to admit that. Now she had to finish. She spent the rest of the day putting together a final polished edit. When she finally attached the latest document to an email and entered Killian's email address she hesitated over the message to include with it.
Mr. Jones, I've attached a polished edit. From this point forward please relate any comments to Regina Mills until she assigns a new editor to your case.
She shook her head and deleted the line, starting again with a sigh.
Killian. Here is the polished edit. If you are happy with it as it stands we will move into the next phase, which starts with sending this product to Regina.
After rereading it, she deleted that one too.
Killian, I've been offered a job outside the city, Regina will assign a new editor to your case, if you still feel one is necessary after reading this latest product. If not
Finally she gave up and simply wrote 'polished edit attached' and clicked send.
KJ (5:47 PM): Someone had a burst of productivity today?
Swan (6:03 PM): Do you want to come over, Killian. We need to talk.
KJ (6:07 PM): I've found that when a woman says that I'm rarely in for a pleasant conversation.
Swan (6:07 PM): 6:30?
KJ (6:07 PM): See you soon, Swan.
What am I going to tell him, she wondered as she drove home. She felt like a teenager trying to figure out how to break up with her first boyfriend. But it wasn't like that. It was just a kiss. Sure, he'd be disappointed that he didn't get any farther, but it's not like it meant anything. Would he yell, try to convince her not to go, maybe try to get her to fall into bed with him as a goodbye present? What if he didn't care, what if he just shrugged and asked who his next editor would be?
That would be easier, she thought, trying to ignore the nervous butterflies in her stomach that accompanied that possibility.
He was prompt as always, but he seemed to sense her tension the moment he entered the room.
"Regina just offered me a promotion," she blurted out as they settled on the couch.
Killian smiled, "Congratulations, love, you deserve it."
"I have to go," she said abruptly. She flinched, so much for breaking it to him softly.
"It's your apartment Swan, where would you have to go?" he teased, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"The new job... it's in Maine." Killian's face fell slightly and she continued. "I know it's only like 6 hours but... I don't know. This is as close to home as I've ever gotten, but it's a great opportunity."
"Do you have to decide right away?"
"I've already decided. This is the closest to home I've ever gotten... but it's not my home. This is my chance. It's a good job... and I can get to know my parents."
Killian didn't move and Emma wouldn't quite have been sure he'd even heard until she saw the slightest tightening of his jaw.
"Where, when?" he finally asked.
"Portland... whenever I can get packed up and book a flight. Tomorrow, if possible."
"Tomorrow? What about your apartment? What about..." he trailed off leaving the rest unspoken. "So... That's it? You wanted to finish your job here and be done with it? Make a clean break."
"It's nothing personal, Killian," she retorted, regretting it almost the instant the words passed her lips.
He stiffened visibly, but after a moment he reached for her, gently toying with the ends of her hair that fell over her shoulder. His hand slipped up and he ran his thumb along her jaw. A half-smirk drifted across his face when her breath hitched. She didn't move as he leaned towards her, his hand moving to tangle in her hair and press her gently forward to catch her lips. She told herself not to move. To stay hard as stone... it was nothing personal; but the moment his lips touched hers the facade crumpled. One moment she was cold as ice, the next she burned.
It was different. Her kiss had caught him off guard. He had been stiff, even unsure for a moment... but there was no uncertainty now. She pressed herself closer and she felt him smile, a low chuckle rumbled through his lips to hers as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She reached for him, despite everything she had told herself, her fingers locked behind his neck and pulled him closer of their own accord.
It was just because she was going to miss this - this feeling of being loved, cherished -
She pulled away abruptly as her mind ventured into unacceptable territory; but she was still locked in his arms and she wasn't ready- wasn't ready to let the cold in again.
"No love, nothing personal," he mocked gently, brushing a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. It had to stop here; she knew it had to stop here. She was leaving and she couldn't get attached when it's just going to be gone. He'd realize she was too much trouble soon, he'd figure out that she couldn't give him what he wanted.
"It's just chemistry, Jones. Hormones. We're both attractive people, it's to be expected that we'd be ... physically compatible..."
He chuckled again and she knew she was rambling, but his smile fell when he finally drew his eyes from where he was curling his fingers through her hair back up to her eyes. They glistened with moisture and she turned away, closing herself off as his gaze fell on her. He leaned forward slightly and pressed a light kiss on one eyelid then the other, tasting the salt from the tears that she wouldn't let fall.
"Don't do this to yourself, love. Please, don't put your walls back up."
She didn't respond, only closing her eyes tighter and taking a steadying breath.
"Portland, eh?" Killian mused, as though to himself. "I hear Maine is lovely and I've got it on good authority that my publisher has an office up there. Much more reasonably priced real estate. I'm sure I could find a decent little place by the water for the money I've put into my condo here."
Her eyes snapped open, "What?"
"Don't act so surprised, love. Haven't I already made it clear to you? I'm in this for the long haul."
They all are. Until they're not. "You're serious?" she asked, "You'd just pick up and leave New York for some middle-of-nowhere town in Maine?"
"Why not," Killian teased, feigning nonchalance. "I've always wanted to see the northern lights over the ocean."
"You realize that following me out-of-state puts you firmly in creepy stalker territory, right?"
Killian grinned and raised her hand to his lips, "Would you prefer that I stay here, love?" Emma shook her head, then rolled her eyes when Killian smiled teasingly, "Thought so. Have you told your parents yet?"
Emma seized upon the change of subject gratefully, "Not yet. I wasn't sure how, you know?"
"English," Killian said firmly.
"What?" Emma asked in confusion.
"I'm pretty sure there isn't a wrong way, as long as you're speaking English."
Emma smiled, "I'll call her later."
Killian raised an eyebrow, "You should probably tell them before you get on a flight. You wouldn't be procrastinating, now would you?"
"Yes," Emma sighed, leaning her head back against the couch in exasperation. Killian instantly leaned forward and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her throat. At the last moment he held back, leaving her surprisingly disappointed. "You should go," she sighed, "I'll call her but...I have get ready, to pack. I'll probably have to keep my apartment until the end of the month so I can make a couple trips. I don't have a lot of knick-knacks so it shouldn't take long..."
"Send me your flight information, love, I'll see you off. It'll take me a couple days to cut ties with NY, but I should be able to be up there by the end of the week."
Emma furrowed her eyebrows watching him for any sign of insincerity. He certainly seemed to think he was telling the truth...
"Are you sure Killian?" she asked one last time as he was leaving the apartment
"See you tomorrow, love."
She was leaving. Emma was leaving New York ... and he was following her. He chuckled lightly as he made his way down the stairs. It was quite possible that he had lost his mind. Yet, somehow, he was still smiling. He began to make a list of what he still needed to do. He'd need to put his apartment on the market look into places up in Maine... he could rent until he found a more permanent solution. He'd have to talk to Regina, submit the latest draft. It had been ready for some time, of course, even Emma's latest polished copy was not that different than the previous iteration. He'd been putting off the final submission, perhaps she had been too.
By the time he reached his apartment he'd managed a pretty thorough mental plan for getting himself to Maine by the end of the week...He needed to talk to Ruby though. To his surprise, when he reached his door Ruby was already there, waiting outside and leaning against the wall as though she'd been waiting there for some time.
He pulled out his key and called out to her, taking the last steps two at a time. "Ruby, I was just about to call you."
He unlocked the door, but instead of laughing she just pushed her way into his apartment a scowl on her features.
"Good to see you too, Red?"
"Got a minute, Killian?" she asked nervously. Ruby was never nervous…
"Indeed, and I have something to tell you, lass... would you stop pacing and have a drink? What's gotten into you?" Killian made his way to the bar picking up his flask and tossing it to Ruby. It fell, skittering across the floor.
"Red? What's wrong?"
"You said you had something to tell me? You first."
Killian sat lightly on the edge of the couch watching her as she continued pacing back and forth across his living room, hands grasped tightly together and jaw set.
"Are you in some kind of trouble, Red? My news can wait."
"No... just. Tell me what you were going to say."
Killian watched her for a moment longer before finally giving in. Red could be nearly as stubborn as he was... "I kissed Emma," he said. The rest came out in a barely discernible jumble. "Well she kissed me... and then I kissed her and she's moving to Maine and I can't let this chance go by, Red, I can't."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to follow her, I have to."
Ruby nodded and took a deep breath.
"I'm going to miss morning's at Granny's, Red, but it's only 6 hours. It's not like it's the end of the world, right? Emma and I will be back for drinks on weekends sometimes, I'm sure!"
Ruby attempted a half-smile but she still looked tense and Killian grew more concerned. "Red, talk to me."
"I promised, Killian. I promised and it's been so long but it doesn't change the fact that I promised."
Killian stood to move towards her but she put a hand up and gestured for him to sit down again. "It's the first of the month, I promised I would call. Every month for as long as it takes."
For a moment Killian was taken aback. "You still... after all this time?"
Ruby nodded. "They know me by now. Usually, the desk sergeant just asks me how business is and tells me about his kids baseball games but this time... they have something, Killian." She held out a small white envelope. "I went to the station to be sure... They wanted to send this with a court courier but I convinced them to let me tell you myself-"
Time seemed to stop for a moment while Killian tried to decipher Ruby's words. "You mean..."
"They tested the paint on the car that hit Emma. I mean, what are the chances- "
"Red-" Killian started, but his throat dried up and his voice failed him as he took the envelope from Ruby. Inside was a form from the Court of the State of New York, calling him as a witness in the case of NY vs. Gold for charges of vehicular manslaughter. He couldn't read anymore for the shaking of his hands.
"This is what they've been waiting for. Something to tie him to her case. They just need your testimony about the original accident. Please. Go to Maine. Let the police do their job. Give them their testimony and move on."
"Let them- He's been free, living his life out there all this time. And in a few years, assuming they can actually convict him in the first place after all this time...In a few years he'll be free again. And she'll ... she'll still be dead."
"Killian-"
"Go, Red, I need to be alone... I need to think."
"K-"
"I said GO."
Ruby winced at the chill in his voice then turned to leave pausing at the door to turn back to him. "I'm sorry, Killian. I'm sorry I promised."
As he heard Ruby's steps fade he finally managed to unclench his hand from around the summons. It was crinkled and crushed now but he could still read the one line that mattered. 'Defendant Name.'
Oh, I'm sorry, did you think that he'd forgotten about Milah already? Oh no no no, dearies.