So last chapter had a little angst and there will be more coming (next chapter *cough*), but this chapter is a little more fluffy and certainly longer. I kept looking for places to cut it and couldn't find one. So I give it to you in its entirety.
"I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?" Emma asked as she slid into the booth across from Killian. It has been a long morning already despite the fact that she got to sleep a full hour later than normal. Getting a 12-year-old packed for a one night camping trip had been an adventure. First he couldn't find the list of items that he was supposed to bring. Then he couldn't fit those items into his duffle bag with the other items – hand held game device, charger, and comic books – so he threatened to leave other things like his flashlight behind. When Emma said that if he insisted on bringing all of those things then she could only pack him in a wheeled suitcase, he's pouted for 15 minutes. However, he was finally packed and on a passenger van with a pile of other sleepy and over packed students.
"About breakfast?" Killian asked. "I think so. Granny's soft scrambled eggs are better than her fried. And I always go with the strawberry rather than the grape jam."
"About Henry," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "I just found out that we have a man who has been watching our every move and plotting to become a part of our lives. So what do I do? I send my son off into the woods with a man who was having dinner with Mr. Gold just a few nights ago. I'm an idiot."
"Robin is not someone you need to worry about, love," Killian said. "He was at that dinner to appease his wife who was there for political reasons. I've known Robin since I was a young lad. There's nothing to worry about with him. He's solid."
"I guess I'm a little paranoid," she admitted. "Hospital or not, he's got know that I'm aware of the whole Walsh thing." She looked at her plate. "I'm sorry. We're supposed to be enjoying breakfast and not talking about my paranoia."
"If this is bothering you, I want to know about it," he said with a shrug. "I prefer to keep you smiling so whatever it takes to get you back to that state is fine by me."
Gripping a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, Emma looked down at her plate as though it might be something to be attacked. "I don't like feeling out of control," she admitted. "However, if you say I can trust Robin and John to keep an eye out on Henry, then I'm going to believe that. I promise I'll be better company today with your friends."
"And I promise you that he will be fine. You have Robin's phone number and I'll even check in with the bloke every hour if you wish." He pulled out his own phone as if he was going to make a call.
Emma laughed. "It'll be fine. I have to get a grip. I want to protect my son, but I don't want to become that crazy mother who raises a son afraid of his own shadow."
"Perhaps you would feel better talking to David," Killian suggested. "He might be able to provide some insight into your options for recourse. Gold is a powerful man, but he's not omnipotent."
"Already on that," Emma said. "He told me to come by about an hour before everyone else is to arrive for our little trip."
"Making dates without me, love?" Killian teased. "And with a married man?"
Emma felt a shadow fall on the table, her face turning upward to greet the waitress and ask for a bit more coffee when she saw Ruby standing there. The dark haired woman was not in her usual uniform, instead donning a pair of cut off shorts and tank that rose up around her middle to reveal a toned and flat stomach. She smiled at Killian and Emma and then scrutinized the blonde carefully. "I'm here to help," she said dramatically. "You need it."
"Help with what?" Emma asked.
"Your clothes," Ruby said with an eye roll that said Emma should have clearly understood the need for the onset. She waved her hand over the woman and groaned. "Do you even have a bathing suit for this afternoon?"
"Do I need one?"
Ruby gave Killian a look that said she was surprised he was putting up with such a woman. "Of course," she intoned. "Finish your breakfast and we're going shopping. We can't have you out there without the proper attire. Come get me when you're done."
Flouncing off, Ruby stopped to talk to another waitress and waited just a few seats away from Emma and Killian. Emma watched her while Killian kept his amused expression on his dining partner. "We best hurry you along if you're going shopping with Ruby, changing into a new outfit, and meeting with David." She didn't argue, knowing already that Ruby was hard one to get through to with the word no.
About 15 minutes later the two women were standing in front of what looked like a hodgepodge of bathing suits, cover ups and other beach time accessories. Emma could only stand back and watch her new friend dig through the pile of items with a critical and discerning eye. She had tried to pick out a few of them on her own, but Ruby's face clearly told her she was without skill and to just stand back and let a master take over the proceedings.
"You look good in red," Ruby commented, throwing a bright red one piece over her arm. "It's my signature color, but you know…I can share. The woman leaned closer to the blonde and seemed to search her eyes for a moment. "Yesterday your eyes were green. They are more blue today. Hmmmm…." She dug through the pile again, tossing a few items onto the floor where Emma picked them up and tried to save her friend from a stern salesperson warning.
Pulling out a blue and white bikini, Ruby smiled victoriously and handed the two swimsuits to Emma with a shove toward a dressing room that had a small floral curtain rather than a door. Emma was not much of a shopper. She bought her clothes at department stores and half of her sweater collection was a result of gifts from Anna. The dresses she wore for some of her work assignments were usually bought from online retailers.
"So where is your date tonight?" Ruby asked through the curtain where for some unknown reason Emma was actually trying on the swimsuits. "You need something new for it, right?"
"Ruby, I don't need…" Emma didn't finish the sentence. She knew that Ruby was aware of the arrangement that had the Golds paying for the room and board for both her and her son. Emma had gone to Granny the first thing that morning and asked to have the bill switched, but the old woman had refused. She bluntly informed Emma that if that man was so intent on spending his money then they weren't going to stop him from it. Still Emma felt the pinch since she did not want to accept anything from him at all.
"I know the owner here," Ruby said with a roll of her eyes that Emma could not see through the curtain. "Now show me."
Emma felt a bit shyer than normal stepping out from behind the curtain. She knew that she had a good body, one that often earned her compliments. But shopping for a bathing suit always proved a challenge for anyone. She'd tried the red one first, which offered more coverage and appeared almost athletic with a simple scoop neck and a similar fit on the back. She felt her cheeks begin to match the red of the suit as Ruby looked her up and down, mumbling about nail polish.
"I guess it will do," Ruby said, her praise faint for something she had picked out. "It makes you look like a mom though."
"I am a mom," Emma reminded her. "I have a son…Henry."
"Well," Ruby huffed, "you could wear your soccer mom t-shirt as a cover up, drive a minivan and fit right in with the carpool set. I think you need to try on the two piece. Don't you want to make that man drool?"
Emma couldn't think of a retort so she marched back into small dressing room and found herself tugging on the bikini that seemed to hide even less. "Aren't there going to be children on this boat?" Emma asked, thinking of Philip and Aurora's young son and Ashley and Thomas's daughter. "I don't think this is appropriate."
"So you'll wear a cover up and strip out of it in front of Killian," she said. "It'll be great." Emma was not so sure that she could pull it off, but after adjusting a few things, saying a silent prayer for the durability of spandex and elastic, and reminding herself to thrust her shoulders back and chest out, she peeled back the curtain and walked out to the eyes of Ruby. "That's the one."
"I haven't worn a bikini in like forever," Emma said, grasping at straws at this point. "I didn't even in high school." She ignored Ruby's request that she twirl in front of the mirror.
"Then it is a miracle I got you into that one," Ruby said, signaling the one and only sales girl in the place. "It's perfect. Now on to date night clothing."
"I don't really know our plans for tonight," Emma admitted as the sales woman snagged the tag off the suit and marched over to the register without a word to either of them. Emma shot Ruby a look to see if she'd just seen that, but the brunette was flipping through a rack at blinding speed.
"Not knowing where or what creates somewhat of a problem, but I've had worse."
An hour later Emma had a bag of clothes and a promise to help the woman behind the counter find her ex-boyfriend from a few years ago. She just knew he was the one, she told Emma, but even Facebook and Twitter were not helping her find her prince charming.
Emma slipped up the backstairs of the bed and breakfast, shot a quick text to Henry to check on him, answered one from Anna about the state of her well-being, and managed to put on the bikini, sunblock that Henry had managed to leave out of his supplies, a pair of shorts and a peasant type blouse as a cover-up and a comfortable pair of espadrilles after she bent herself like a contortionist to paint her toes per Ruby's instructions. Boating, wind, and water did not bode well for heavy makeup, so she threw on a bit of concealer under her eyes, a smidge of mascara that she thought was water proof, and a splash of perfume that was a lot better of a scent than the bug band around her wrist.
Killian arrived 20 minutes before her meeting with David and just as she was tying her hair off in a thick braid. His jeep looked freshly cleaned in the morning sunshine and she had to ask him about it since he had also changed into more casual clothes and from the damp tips of his hair appeared to have managed a shower and trimmed the scruff on his face. Even his minty fresh kiss indicated some time had been taken with his grooming. She smiled against his mouth when he asked if she had found a bathing suit with Ruby.
"Some of the high school kids were doing a carwash for band camp or something," Killian said of his newly washed jeep. "Who am I to deny them their enterprise?"
He did not bring up Walsh, or Gold, or plots as he drove toward the Nolans, managing to share a bit about his own past in the town from pointing out the town's one screen movie theater where he'd had his first kiss to the now defunct ice cream parlor where he'd worked as a teenager for a summer. She was trying to picture him as that teenager with unruly hair and that devilish grin that had his teachers just as flustered as the girls in his classes.
"Do you want me to go with you or should I entertain the lovely teacher for a while?" he asked as they made their way up the walk. "I don't want to intrude."
"You can stay if you want, but I'm sure it will be…"
In the end he did stay, sitting next to her left side with the back of his hand against hers in a gesture that was comforting without the obvious affectionate display. David ran through a few legal options, admitting that he had called in favors in a few police jurisdictions to research what if any charges could stick against Gold if that was her choice.
"He hasn't really broken any laws," David said with a sigh, his gaze trained outside rather than at her. "Believe me when I say that I looked for one. He's not done anything that is particularly illegal. He assisted your business anonymously, which wasn't forced. You chose to accept the clients that you did. He may have paid Walsh, but you agreed to date him. He might have fed you information about this August guy, but again that was your decision to break up with him for whatever reason. He did not approach you in any way that was out of the ordinary. Everything has been quite transparent. He's even told you his desire to have Henry live here in Storybrooke, which no jury would find unusual as a request for a grandfather to make."
"So there is nothing we can do," Killian asked, noting the furrow of David's brows at hearing the word we. "A protective order? A hit man? Anything?" The windows of the shabby chic living room were open and a breeze was billowing the lacey curtains outward at varying intervals. They could hear the roar of a neighbor's lawn mower, the fresh grass scent wafting in and reminding them it was summer. Emma and Killian were sitting side by side on a loveseat that had been recovered and was now doused with throw pillows that made any sitting position awkward. David's strong form looked even sillier sitting perched on a wicker chair that Mary Margaret had repainted white and stuffed with a soft green cushion.
"The man could, I suppose, take you to court over visitation with Henry, but honestly that's a long shot. His health isn't good. It's just a matter of time for him. My suggestion is that you continue to be firm in your decision not to become entwined in this man's business life. As for your son's relationship with him, I can offer some advice as a man who hasn't had a traditional family. Don't let Henry's memories of his father and grandfather be tainted by this. You came here knowing the man was who he was and he's proven that he's worse. But you still wanted Henry to have this connection and link."
"You can't be serious," Killian interjected. "What is she supposed to do? Drink tea with him and thank him for not doing something seriously illegal? That man could have bloody well had her killed or kidnapped Henry. You're suggesting playdates and sleepovers."
"Killian," Emma said, speaking up in a gentle voice after listening to the exchange. The fact that she was the one calming anyone was not lost on her.
He collapsed back onto the pillows, his hand searching out hers despite their decision to keep things friendly but not overly so in front of people that day. She did not pull away, fingers falling between his and grip tightening.
"Thank you for your help," she said to David, revealing nothing of her decisions or thoughts on the matter. "I appreciate you looking into this."
David awkwardly offered his hand in a handshake and backed his way out of the room to an excuse of checking on his wife and her packing of the gear. He stopped just before the doorway with a look to ask them if there was anything else, but they were silent too. Turning on his heel, he was gone with a few heavy footsteps down the hall.
"I don't know how you aren't plotting that man's death," Killian said, his jaw clenched so hard that his words were as tight as his mouth. "He deserves it for the hell…"
"That wouldn't solve anything," Emma said, reclining backward against the pillows that supported her back but not her head and neck. "And I'm trying very hard to be rational here and ignore the fact that I have essentially been duped by a man for more than a year."
"Emma…"
"No," she said, looking out of the French doors that led to a two level deck overlooking the backyard. The yellow paint of the room and matching scatter rugs helped bring the sunny outside in and Emma had to admit that the room, while not her taste, would be the perfect place to curl up and read a book. "Ignoring the fact that he is trying to turn my son into his protégé, let's think about this. He has been supporting my business by feeding me cases that would have and should have gone to much bigger bond companies. Elsa was running the numbers last night and it looks like the man is responsible for more than 60 percent of the money we've been bringing in each month. Even with that we were struggling. So if I throw this back in his face, we're screwed businesswise."
His thumb turned circles on the fleshy part of her hand and the hardened edge to his eyes softened as he watched her calmly admit to something that she would rarely acknowledge. "I'll help you figure that out. We'll get a good business consultant. I think Regina has a friend who…"
"No," Emma said again, smiling at him in a request for patience. "Elsa and I are going to talk with her sister tomorrow, but we're considering selling the business. Anna isn't sure she wants to come back to work what with the baby and all. Elsa's thinking about doing something else. And I might be ready for a fresh start too. It might be time." How many times had she planned for a fresh start? How many mornings had she packed up that little yellow bug and driven off with a AAA map and a sleeping son? She could do it again. Maybe a smaller town this time? Maybe one near the water? Or maybe one where there were great schools and Henry could be the priority instead of what made her feel comfortable. Maybe she could look for her family who had abandoned her. Maybe she could go back to school herself. The possibilities seemed endless.
She could read his furrowed brow expression as the silent question of where he fit into her fresh start. It was way too soon to verbalize that. They had shared maybe a dozen kisses, a few conversations, and a few hugs or hand holds. It wasn't anything more than a flirty friendship at the moment. "You'd really want to do that?" he asked.
"If we got a good price," she said with a little shrug. "It would mean I could do it right this time."
"I have no doubt that you could do anything you put your mind to doing, love," he said, a forced smile punctuating his sentiment. "I'll cheer you on no matter what you decide to do with your business."
She closed the gap between them and kissed his lips tenderly. "Let's not worry about it right now, okay? I've almost put a damper on too many of our chances to be together. So let's just enjoy it. I want to get to know your friends better. And you."
***AAA***
Emma liked Killian's friends. Philip and Thomas both seemed to be jokesters, their laughter reaching the boat that was a few feet longer than the average ski boat. Their children were each perched on their shoulders as their wives mockingly acted annoyed that they were left with the coolers. However, David, Killian, and Ruby's date – a doctor named Victor Whale – were quick to divest them of the items. Emma couldn't help the smile that garnished her own face as the old friends kissed each other's cheeks, hugged, hurled good natured insults, and teased each other mercilessly in a way that only friends can do. She didn't miss the curious glances in her direction, though all of them had obviously seen her or heard of her by now with Storybrooke's small size.
"Ashley," a blonde said, sticking her hand out with a grin. "Killian won't introduce us because he's currently harassing my husband, but I thought I'd say hello."
"Emma," she answered, shaking the extended hand. "And I think I remember from Killian that your daughter is Alexandra and your husband is Thomas, right?"
The woman beamed. "You're good." She adjusted her sunglasses and motioned for her daughter to come over and bring her the orange life vest "So just to warn you, you're going to be interrogated. We're a little protective of Killian and you're going to have to meet our approval." She lowered the sunglasses and squinted. "Mary Margaret, David, and Ruby may have approved, but you have to get through the four of us too. No pressure."
"No pressure," Emma laughed. "What about Victor? He doesn't get a vote?" Given that the doctor had already given her a few appreciative looks that had won him a stern look from Killian and a warning from Ruby, she was sure that was one vote she could manage to wrangle.
"We haven't approved of him yet," Ashley said as she yanked the straps on her daughter's life vest. "To be honest, it's not looking good for him." Once the toddler was securely in her vest and her curly pigtails were ready to bounce, the mother took off in search of the running child.
"She didn't scare you, did she love?" Killian asked, sidling up to her with his left arm around her waist. "Darling?"
"She's just protective of you," Emma said, smiling up at him and his goofily concerned grin that one of his friends might have said something inappropriate. "I think that's pretty nice. You deserve that."
"You seem surprised. Are you telling me when I meet Elsa and Anna that they won't be just as judgmental and protective?"
She thought about that, wondering how the sisters would react to him. They were encouraging over the phone and with one of the cell phone pic shots from the photo booth the night before, but they had not met him and didn't really know him. She did not bring guys around. Walsh had sort of forced his way in, but she now understood why. She had never really dated a guy who even wanted to meet her friends, who were to her like family. "Would you want to meet them?"
"Of course," she said, waving his hand around his face to shoo away a fly that was buzzing near them. "If they are special enough to break through your walls and forma friendship, I'm more than a little curious about them and their techniques."
"Am I that difficult?" she asked, knowing the answer.
"You're well worth any challenge," he said, kissing the tip of her nose as she scrunched up her face. His word choice, though not deliberate, was not lost on her. Just the day before Walsh had said she wasn't worth the paycheck.
"Are we going to sit around looking at each other and smearing sunscreen or are we going parasailing?" Ruby yelled, passing the group loudly discussing the best route once they left the creek. The boat had benches on either side with an opening for boarding. Ruby situated herself on one of the facing benches, whipped off the t-shirt cover up and splayed out on the shining leather seats in the tiniest bikini that Emma had ever seen. It was clear this was her usual attire, as none of the men, other than Victor gave her a second look.
David helped each of the women aboard, as well as lifting the two kids. He was wearing a faded ball cap down over his eyes and Mary Margaret was waving a pair of sunglasses at him and warning him of the dangers of UV rays on the retinas. Philip and Thomas were stowing their wives' straw totes among shouted instructions to bring them books, children's sunblock, and a sippy cup. Killian spoke to David a minute and a few hand gestures on David's part later, they were on their way after Philip managed to untied the boat, throw the rope in and hop aboard without losing his balance. That earned him a smattering of applause that he accepted with a deep bow.
"Sit by me," Aurora said after sending her son off to join Alexandra with some rules about hair pulling and sharing. "We can get to know each other. The woman was slathering on her own sunblock as though she might parasail close enough to the sun to suffer radiation. Her light colored curls were covered by a big floppy hat and her sunglasses covered most of her face. Still she had a sweet smile that was welcoming despite Ashley's earlier warning.
"Hi," Emma said, plopping down with a little less grace than the others who seemed to have no problems moving around the speeding vessel.
"So you're like a cop or something?" Aurora asked, tilting her head back as if to determine if she had enough of the white goo on as protection. "Right?"
"Bail bondsperson," Emma answered.
"Right, right," Aurora drawled. "That's kind of like a cop, I guess. And you've known Killian how long?"
"We met a week ago," Emma said, feeling very much like she was being interrogated.
The questions continued for another few minutes. Every detail from Emma's schooling to plans for the future were discussed. Even favorite books and political views were brought up as casually as possible.
Aurora nodded, probably already knowing that detail. Emma wanted to laugh, the woman clearly had a predetermined list of questions to ask and was going through them until the next in the bunch started on his or her list. "So what did you think of him?" she asked, leaning forward conspiratorially as though they were two girlfriends gossiping over coffee. "Cute right? That's what all the girls think when they meet him. Cute, cute accent, just the right amount cockiness to make him adorably annoying." She laughed as Emma's mouth dropped. "Married, not blind, honey. So what did you notice first?"
Emma looked past the woman at where Killian and David stood at the wheel of the boat, clearly still continuing as discussion. They quickly reached the mouth of the creek and with no hesitation, David swung the vessel to the right and out to the choppier waters of the sound. "His eyes," she said after a second's hesitation. "I noticed his eyes and his smile."
"Good answer," Aurora smiled, pulling her phone out of the deep pocket of her caftan and twisting it in front of them. "Those are my questions. So now I'm going to take a selfie of us for Facebook so everyone in town knows that we aren't killing you. Try not to look too traumatized." Emma laughed and tilted her head in toward the woman for the quick picture that was posted and friend requests exchanged.
"So who is next?" Emma asked, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun on the water.
"I think Ashley," Aurora said. "Don't worry. You're doing great. And don't tell her I said this, but the guys won't ask anything. They aren't really interested since you're cute enough to get their votes. Get through Ash and you're golden."
One hand on the seat back and the other waving to her husband, Aurora began asking if he had remembered to bring something. Emma tried to take a deep breath and was pleased when it was Killian who sat next to her rather than the blonde from before. The shirt she was wearing as cover up dipped off her shoulder and the thin strap of her top peaked out from underneath. He rested his chin on that same shoulder and handed her a cold dripping bottle of water that made her squeal as the droplets hit her bare thighs. He laughed at her reaction.
"That was mean," she accused, holding the bottle over him as she opened it.
"I was trying to be a gentleman by bringing the lady a drink," he said his lips millimeters away from the skin of her shoulder. "I had no idea your skin was so sensitive."
She pursed her lips in her best impression of a woman unimpressed with his antics, but the need to laugh won out and she giggled at his goofy eyebrow waggle. "I think you're delaying the rest of my interrogation," she said quietly as she caught her breath.
"Are you that anxious for it?"
"No, but it is hard work impressing your friends." She tilted her head toward his. "I want to make a good impression."
Ashley's blond ponytailed self bobbed into view with a smile and a playful swat at Killian that said he had stolen her seat. She was a bit more surefooted than Aurora and managed to stand without the security of the railing, a hand on one hip and a sway of her body to match the movements of the boat. "You don't think it's too windy, do you?" she asked Killian, her head lolling back to look at the puffy clouds that were scattered in the sky. "I'd hate to get out there just to drive back."
"It'll be glorious," Killian said, pulling Emma to his side almost protectively. "If it isn't, we'll figure out something else to bide our time."
"Sounds like there is a lot to worry about and take into consideration," Emma said, eyeing the sky like they were though not quite with the educated eye. "Do you do this a lot?"
"Every weekend the summer we do something on the water," Ashley chimed in as Killian nodded. "The guys have been obsessed with it since we were kids. You're going back soon, aren't you? Do you think that you'll find a way to come up on the weekends and join us? I'm sure that Killian would enjoy that."
"Subtle," Killian said with a chuckle. "Why not ask her if I've inquired about her ring size yet?"
"I didn't want to be too obvious," Ashley whined, cocking her head to the side and looking quite a bit younger in the process. "Just seeing if this is a fling or something serious."
"Ashley," Mary Margaret said as an interruption. Her voice sounded very much like a teacher and her mouth twisted into a look of a woman wanting to shame her friend. "Don't give Emma a hard time. We're all out here to have fun."
Ashley reached out and touched Emma's knee as if it had been Emma wanting to talk. "We'll chat later," she said. "After everyone settles down." The blonde ponytail bounced to the other side of the boat.
Ruby flipped over on the bench so that she was laying on her stomach. Propping herself up on her elbows and bending her knees with her ankles crossed, she eyed Emma carefully and winked over her sunglasses. "Don't worry. It won't take long. They don't have long attention spans. And while most of us can smell fear, they can't over the scent of their cheap perfume."
This statement from Ruby caused another round of banter that left Emma feeling a bit like an outsider and spectator. Killian must have noticed because he began explaining to her how the parasail worked and what the experience was like for people. She tried to let go of her fear of water and heights, but she was admittedly glad when his hand found hers and he squeezed encouragingly.
By the time they reached the open waters of the Atlantic, the group was including Emma as part of the banter. She gladly joined in and earned a few appreciative squeezes from Killian for her efforts. She could tell that despite his comments that she shouldn't worry, his friends' approval of her was important to him. When Aurora told him in a not so quiet whisper that she was a lovely girl as Ashley nodded in agreement, Killian beamed brighter and prouder than she had ever seen.
The friends took turns in pairs on the parasail, even getting dipped on occasion which usually resulted in screams and excited but breathless conversation once back aboard the boat. Killian insisted that since Emma was his guest that he would accompany her and to her amazement she didn't chicken out. It only took him reminding her once to open her eyes for her to look out on the blue water from high above and marvel over it with him. He pointed things out to her, let her ask questions about different things she saw, and kissed her sweetly as they floated above it all. She could not even find the words to describe the sensation once she back on the boat, but he told her that her eyes said it all as they danced with excitement.
Their late lunch on a beach had been typical picnic fare that included one of Granny's pies as brought by Emma. Ruby had joked that it looked familiar, but her own contribution was some of Granny's potato salad. The kids played in the surf with the adults taking turns to entertain them, especially David and Killian who chased them, threatened to throw them in the water and joined Emma in building sandcastles with them.
The ride back to the Nolans seemed shorter than the ride out, but it may have been the quiet calmness that had settled over the group. Emma managed to keep up with updates from Robin about Henry who was having a blast. And before the food comas settled on most of the passengers, Emma found herself nodding off with her head on Killian's shoulder.
By the time she woke up, she was in the jeep and Killian was driving back toward town. "How did I get here?" she asked, confused and a bit embarrassed.
Killian glanced over at her curled form, using his jacket as a blanket in the front passenger seat. "I didn't want to wake you so I carried you to the jeep after we got back."
Running a hand over her eyes and yawning, she attempted to untangle herself carefully. "I didn't even say goodbye to everyone," she protested. "I didn't mean to be rude."
Killian laughed and explained that Mary Margaret had been out too, as had both kids. "Besides. We all get together on Sunday morning for breakfast at Granny's. Perhaps you'd like to join us?"
She stretched her arms over her head and smiled what she hoped was a seductive smile at him. "Oh and here I thought you'd be making me breakfast in bed in the morning," she teased. The reaction was just what she had wanted as he swerved and cursed under his breath. "Back on the road, mister," she laughed.
"That was a bloody cruel way to tease a man, Swan," he said. "You could have killed me. Then where would we be? And we've still got our date tonight."
***AAA***
Henry: I saw a skunk!
Emma: It didn't spray you, did it?
Henry: No, I'm fine.
Emma: Be careful.
Emma grimaced as Ruby pulled the curling iron dangerously close to her face. Still bronzed and a bit pink from the boat, Emma had rushed up the stairs on quaking and quivering legs to get ready for her date. While she often referred to Elsa as the Ice Queen, Emma was known in their circle as the Queen of Denial. She compartmentalized everything, ignored what was unpleasant and thrust forward with as much determination as she could muster. It made a strong woman and one not to be messed with at all. But even she had to admit that this with Killian was different than her usual technique.
"If you keep fidgeting I'm going to have to take you to the burn unit," Ruby said, arranging one of the bouncing curls perfectly. "Sit still."
"Sorry," Emma said, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. "I'm an idiot. How can I be like this?"
"Excited about a date? I'd say that's pretty normal."
Emma pushed the thoughts of Walsh, Gold, and everything else into that small part of her brain and sighed. She could do this, she told herself. It was just a date. Simple as that. She expected him to call and tell her that he was waiting downstairs. Or maybe he would come up to her room. So she was slightly surprised when the landline rang and it was Granny saying her date was waiting on her downstairs.
After very few hints from Killian about their plans, a new dress and a dig through Ruby's closet for a pair of shoes to match, and even a hairstyle by the waitress who should have been working at Vogue, Emma was ready. Her hair hung in large loose curls that gave that perfect trace of elegance and bedhead. Her sleeveless a-line dress was a black fitted bodice with a black and white leaf patterned skirt that flared out to a hem above her knees. Her shoes were Mary Janes with a simple heel and her bag a white and black clutch.
Growing up in foster homes, she'd never experienced that feeling of descending a staircase for a date with a guy gazing up at her from down below. That was exactly what Killian had created as she walked down the stairs into the hallway where Killian waited with his hand behind his back and a smiling Granny by his side. His pants were a dark black denim but his shirt was a white cotton that he had of course left open a button or two more than necessary. Granny eyed him warily, but her attention was focused on the digital camera she was holding and clicking photos every few moments as the two greeted each other and Killian even provided her with a wrist corsage of a single rose bud and a white ribbon. She furrowed her brow at the gesture, as nobody had ever done that before.
"It took quite a while to convince you to come out with me on a date," he said. "I thought we should do it up right."
"You didn't get a limo did you? We're not going to some high school dance in a gym, are we?"
He chuckled. "You carriage tonight is my jeep. Sorry, I didn't quite go all the way out on this." Offering her his arm, he weaved them out through the side door to the cries of Granny's yelling about curfews and not letting people in after hours. "But you might have a few flashbacks of high school."
The night had already cooled from their earlier adventure, but Emma didn't notice as he stopped them a few feet from the jeep. Lowering his hand to hers, he twirled her around as though they were dancing and smiled broadly at her nervous titter.
"You look stunning."
"I didn't know what to wear since you wouldn't tell me where we were going," she said. "Will you tell me now?"
"I've put some thought into this," he said nervously. "All week."
"You only asked me out at midnight," she reminded him. "It's not that long to plan."
"I've been thinking about spending an evening with you since we met, can't blame a guy for daydreaming." The confidence was back, a wink accompanying it.
Emma's laughter boiled over when she realized that Killian was not trying to impress her with grandeur on their date, but rather a simplistic version of one that was sweet and actually romantic. He took her first to the town's arcade where they were the oldest people there by more than a decade. His attempts to impress her included a high score in a ball toss game and her winning the digital dance off. A little bit later they found themselves at the town's movie theater where only one movie was playing.
"You haven't seen it have you?" he asked, almost in a panic as he realized that this plan might have gone awry. "We could go rent something or switch to…"
"I haven't seen it," she told him, not mentioning that she rarely went to the movie theater anyway. He was so eager that she was easily amused. From his questions about the temperature while they were standing in line for tickets to his insistence that she pick out anything she wanted from the overpriced concession stand. He actually scoffed when she got a small popcorn and a water, loading his own pockets with Junior Mints, Twizzlers, and getting a second bag of popcorn and a loaded nachos and cheese. She wasn't sure how he was going to carry it all with one hand and two very large sodas, but with her help he managed.
The movie was not that interesting or entertaining, but she had to admit that she was enjoying sitting in the darkened theater with him. He'd picked two seats in the back and spent the next 90 minutes coaxing her to eat more candy and sharing sugar laced kisses during the parts where no one was paying attention.
"Do you even know what the movie was about?" she asked as the braved the night air to run back to the jeep. The wind was whipping up and rain was threatening to fall.
"No, but it'll be playing here for a month at least, love. If it's any good, I'll come back." He shot her a wink as he closed her door for her and even waved at her as he ran in front of the window to his side just to make her laugh.
"Where to now?" she asked, eyeing the sky carefully. The big puffy clouds that had seemed so harmless before now obscured the moon and stars. She wondered briefly about Henry, but Robin had said that all but the biggest downpours would be dealt with in the waterproof tents.
"I'm afraid the clouds have cast a damper on my next plan," Killian said, pointing to the backseat where a telescope sat in a box. "I have ordered pizza and was planning on a little stargazing. I'm afraid we wouldn't see much."
She could feel the disappointment radiating off of him and leaned across the console to give his cheek a quick kiss before putting on her seatbelt. "It's okay, maybe another night," she said, her voice a bit tense at the mention of a future date with things up in the air.
"I still have a plan," he said, looking at her with his trademark smirk. "I set it up before I came to pick you up. I just wasn't sure if you…"
"What is it?" she asked after his voice trailed off suspiciously. He tapped out something on his phone and then smiled back at her.
He turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. "Trust me?" he asked, then cringed at the implication. "I didn't mean…"
"Yes," she said. "Let's go."
Fat raindrops began to fall the moment they ran down the dock to his boat, which made Emma laugh even harder. It wasn't that she was getting wet that was so funny, but instead it was the annoyed look on Killian's face that the weather had dared to interfere with his plans. She held his coat over their heads and they boarded with his holding her hand and taking her down the hatch with him. Without saying a word he pulled the laughing woman to him pushing back her damp hair and peppering her jaw and neck with kisses before concentrating on her mouth. Her arms looped around his shoulders, fingers of one hand digging into his muscles as her other hand settled at the back of his head.
"This wasn't my plan, love," he said when they parted for air. "But I do love kissing you."
She didn't trust her voice at that moment and kissed his jaw in a feather light line, dipping down to his neck and running her tongue along where his neck and collarbone met. He pulled gently back on her hair with a low moan rumbling in his chest as crashed his lips back on hers. She was tight against him, feeling every inch of his body against her own.
"We should stop, Emma," he said, sounding as though he didn't fully agree with the sentiment. "Emma…"
She managed to flutter her eyes back open, smirking sheepishly at him as her tongue swept across her bottom lip just as his had done moments before. The purely lustful expression on his face made her grin even bigger and she burrowed herself deeper into his embrace to be rewarded with his groan of protest.
"The pizza delivery boy will be here momentarily, darling. And as much as I would love to take this opportunity to ravish you, I would prefer not to be limited by time or lack of food." He watched as the recognition of the situation crossed her face and her smile returned to a nearly bashful state.
"Your sense of timing kind of sucks, Killian," she said. "I'd rather do without the pizza."
"I'm a buggering idiot," he agreed with a chuckle. "I'll never plan ahead again." He raises his eyes to the sounds of footsteps up above them and smiles. "Be right back, love."
His surprise for her was a bit of a homemade mess in his own estimation. Using the black sheets that David had bought him as a present for his "bachelor pad," Killian had strung them up in storage hold of the boat and laid blankets and pillows out beneath. There in the center was a bottle of wine and two glasses and dotting the black sheets that he had never dared to use on his bed were the plastic glow in the dark stars that you would find at the dollar store. Emma giggled at the starry night he had created for her and ran ahead of him to plop herself down in the middle of it, taking the pizza from him so that he could situation himself next to her.
"When I heard the weather report, it was the best I could do, but it appears the warning was exaggerated. It's not clear, but it has quit raining."
A battery powered lantern provided their dim light, which seemed safer than candles in that environment. She hungrily devoured the pizza, a combination of all her favorite toppings though she had no idea how he might have figured that out. And he joked that there was no elegant way to eat pizza. Now their shared kisses had a spicy Italian tinge to them, as well as the fruitiness of the wine. It was a good combination, she told him when she took care of a bit of sauce that dribbled on his chin.
After their stomachs were full and Killian promised dessert later since his pockets still contained some of the overpriced candy, she leaned back on the plethora of pillows and looked up toward the makeshift sky. "You'll have to point out the constellations to me," she teased. "I don't think I've ever seen this view before."
He reached behind her to flick out the lantern but the glow from the stars still allowed her to see his face. Brows knitted together in concentration of what she called his studious face, she laughed at his random observations of made up constellations and the wild stories behind them. He told her of pirates and princesses who are forever entwined in the star-filled night sky to look down upon mere mortals.
"Do they feel sorry for us?" she asked. "We don't have the beautiful lives they had, according to you."
Resting against the pillows with her using one of the pillows against his thigh, he looked down at her with a quiet and sincere smile. "No, they envy us because we are the ones truly living their stories."
If you've made it this far, drop me a line of a review. Hope everyone survives the finale!
By the way, I can't remember who messaged me about it, but the answer is yes. I did write Zelena as a fashion editor because of Bex's role in Devil Wears Prada.
