Chapter 11

AN: I have excuses for neglecting this story, but I don't think you want to hear them. Let's get on with the update, shall we?

"A paternity test?" Milah asked. "Why would Neal want Henry to have a paternity test?"

"His name isn't on Henry's birth certificate," Emma replied. "Legally he has no rights to visitation or custody unless I either sign an affidavit saying Neal is the father, or a paternity test establishes it."

"Why didn't Neal just ask you to sign something? This seems like a bit of an extreme step, getting a judge to order this."

"I think this is your ex-husband's doing. He tried to get me to sign an affidavit when we had our first meeting, and said he would get the court-ordered test if I didn't. I called his bluff since I knew Neal still had some warrants out. Neal said he was trading some old testimony to the DA to get the charges dropped. I guess once that happened, Robert moved to the next step right away."

"Bloody bastard," Milah muttered under her breath.

"I need to talk this over with Regina. See what she thinks I should do."

"Good idea. She's your lawyer friend, right?"

"Yep. She specializes in Family Law."

"Maybe you should try talking to Neal as well."

"I don't know about that. I have a hard enough time keeping my cool with him when Henry's around. I'm either overly hostile or feel like a naive teenager again."

"Look," Milah said, "I know he betrayed you, and I have no wish of excusing that, but my son is not a manipulative jerk like his father. He can be reasonable. And he is one of the few people Robert will listen to, so it might be a good idea to get him in your corner."

"But how can I do that when he keeps bothering me to get back together? He freaked out when he saw Killian at my place the other day. How's he going to react if he finds out we're dating?"

"Neal is just scared of change. And extremely sentimental. He holds on to the good memories and forgets about all the bad ones if he can help it. He remembers being happy with you. That's why he wants to be with you again. Honestly I think it's a terrible idea."

"You do?"

"Yes. He's romanticized it. He thinks of you as a docile, timid little creature, which you may have once been, but aren't now. He's refusing to see that you are not the same person you once were. And neither is he. This is just like with Wendy."

"Wendy?"

"She was a childhood friend of his. They were very close. She grew up in England and came over with her parents when she was eight. She and Neal became thick as thieves. They spent all their time together. Her father eventually got transferred back to London, and she left. Neal sulked for six months after she left. He had developed quite a crush on her."

"How old was he?"

"Thirteen. She came back for a visit the summer after Neal graduated high school. They'd found each other online, and he offered to let her stay with us. It was painfully obvious that she didn't feel the same as he did, but he refused to see it. He kept trying to recreate the relationship they'd once had, instead of getting to know her as she was then. Wendy ended up cutting her trip short because he was making her uncomfortable."

"What did he do that made her so uncomfortable?"

"First he mooned over her and kept reminding her of things they'd liked as kids. She tried to get him to talk about their current interests, but he only wanted to reminisce. When she stopped showing any enthusiasm, he became cold toward her."

"He never told me about this."

"I don't imagine he'd want to. It was not his finest hour. And now he is in danger of making the same mistake with you. But the difference here is that you have Henry. Neal can't just shut you out, or he loses his son. He may be flawed, but he does love that boy."

"You're right. There's no doubt he loves Henry." Emma was quiet for a moment. Finally, she met Milah's gaze. "OK, I'll call him. Maybe we can work this out and he can tell his father to back off."

"Cheers to that,"Milah said, raising her glass. Emma returned the toast and smiled.

Waiting for the elevator, Killian groaned and rubbed his tense neck. All his hopes for a quiet week had been dashed. Somehow, on Friday afternoon, he felt less accomplished than he had on Monday morning. During the week, a colleague of his suddenly left the department. Her online Intro to US history course had over 50 students enrolled, and the class was already two weeks in. The administration was reluctant to cancel the course. Storybrooke U's online presence was still fledgling, but the school had dreams of expanding it. Killian was eventually strong armed into taking on the class in addition to his upcoming seven-week World History class.

He knew he truly had no right to complain. Many of his colleagues taught multiple courses year-round. He was fortunate to have a full-time position as an Associate Professor with the potential for tenure. However, he'd hoped for a lighter summer in order to go sailing, which he had not done in more than a year. And he had also hoped to spend some downtime with Emma and Henry.

As it was, he had not seen the Swans since Monday morning. Although he and Emma frequently texted and phoned one another, their schedules were in constant opposition. He stayed late on campus, meeting with his graduate students and preparing for class. The one night he'd left campus by seven, she wasn't home. She and Henry were having dinner with Rob and Regina. They'd made it home a bit later than planned, and Emma begged off, explaining that Henry was in an especially ornery mood.

So now it was Friday and he had not seen Emma for five days, with a prospect of this continuing for the next two months. He hung his head and sighed again.

"Were you planning on going upstairs, or do you enjoy loitering in the lobby and sulking?"

Killian looked up to see Ruby, wearing a self-satisfied smirk. "Indeed, Lady Lucas. I do enjoy a good loiter every now and then." He returned her smirk. "In truth, I was waiting for the elevator, but it seems to be taking a very long time today."

She leaned over and depressed the button to call the elevators to the lobby. "I hear they come a lot faster when you push this."

He gave her a tense smile. "Thank you. It seems I am a bit preoccupied today."

"Thoughts of our fair friend Miss Swan?"

"Somewhat. It has been a truly hellish week at work, and I haven't had much opportunity to see her."

"I can relate. I haven't seen her since Friday night. You'd think with us living in the same building that we'd see one another more often."

"Work has a way of interfering. Speaking of, how are things at the Inn?"

"Amazing! I've got a journalist coming to the wedding we're holding next Saturday. The Inn is being featured in a Boston bridal magazine."

"That's wonderful to hear. Congratulations. I know this is the culmination of much hard work on your part."

"Thank you." The elevator arrived and they each boarded. After pressing the buttons for their respective floors, Ruby turned to him again. "So, how are things going with Emma?"

"Last weekend was quite enjoyable. Though that was a rather sneaky trick on your part, entrusting her to my care."

She had the good sense to look sheepish. "I did intend to get her home myself when I told Mary Margaret I would. But then I saw how she was looking at you, and it was too good of an opportunity to help her get laid. I don't often get to be Emma's wing-woman."

"Well, if that was your intention, I am afraid you failed."

"You guys didn't have sex? Why not?"

They reached Killian's floor and the doors opened. As he exited, Killian called out "a gentleman does not kiss and tell. You will need to speak with Emma if you wish to know more."

To his surprise, Ruby followed him out. "Oh no, mister. You and I both know she won't tell me anything she doesn't want me to know. And ever since she paid off my informant upstairs, I am sadly without good gossip about my best friend."

Resigned, Killian unlocked his door and let her in. "Well for starters, she was ill before we even made it into the building."

"Did she throw up in the cab?!"

"Thankfully no. But the bushes by the lobby doors were not so lucky. By the time we arrived at her door, she was quite unresponsive. I barely got her into bed. And since I don't relish the idea of bedding an unconscious partner, nothing else occurred that night."

"Wow. She was drunker than I thought. I'm sorry. If I knew she was going to pass out, I wouldn't have stuck you with her."

"It was no burden, I assure you. She seemed quite grateful the following morning, so I believe it may have worked in my favor."

"Did you go check on her? I bet she was majorly hungover."

Killian blushed a bit at the thought of the previous Saturday morning. Ever vigilant, Ruby's eyes widened.

"You slept there, didn't you? Did you guys get busy Saturday morning?"

"Before you jump to conclusions, I slept on the couch. I am going to take her on a date before anything of that sort occurs." He was grateful he could side step a confession of the other activities they'd participated in on that fateful morning.

"You want to take her on a date? That is so sweet!"

"Indeed, but I have been so busy this week that she and I haven't been able to solidify our plans. So, if you want to be her wing-woman, perhaps you can help by watching Henry."

"Done! I'll swap with one of the girls at the Inn and get tomorrow night off so you can take Emma out."

"Truly? I don't want to harm your relationship with your employees."

"I'm the boss. They know that. Besides, Margot owes me a favor, so it won't be a problem. I'll go upstairs and tell Emma now."

"Could I possibly be the one to tell her, since I have yet to ask her out?"

"Oh, yes, of course. I'll go to my apartment and call Margot."

"Thank you, Ruby."

"Emma is my best friend, and you seem to make her happy. But, make no mistake, I'm doing this for her, not you." She flashed a cheeky grin.

Killian returned her smile. "But of course, milady."

Emma had one hell of a week. One of the other agents had a heart attack, and Leroy had asked Emma and Mu to take on his caseload, in addition to their own. Emma had to rely on Regina's help with Henry most days that week. While the additional jobs left her bank account nicely padded, she didn't like asking Regina to get Henry too often. Though she had softened in recent years, Regina could still be quite acerbic.

When they'd first met, Regina was expecting that Emma would not be able to regain custody of her son. She made no secret of that fact, as she fully intended to adopt Henry. She treated Emma as a strung out addict that was only biding time before she went back to jail. Emma had considered asking that Henry be moved to another foster home, but she really had no choice in the matter. She had to rebuild her life and demonstrate responsibility in order to get Henry back, and petty fights with Regina did not help that mission.

Eventually, and thanks in no small part to Rob's influence, Regina relented and quite abruptly switched gears to help Emma regain custody. She confessed later that Rob helped her realize she would never have Henry in her life in the future if she made an enemy of his mother. Emma welcomed the help only because she saw how much Regina truly loved Henry.

Things were so different now, but still Emma tried not to overburden her friend with watching Henry. There was still a small part of her that felt Regina was just waiting for Emma to screw up so badly that she would lose Henry for good. Even knowing the woman as she did now, Emma's insecurities would not let her rest in her current situation.

Emma looked over at her son, who sat at the small kitchen table coloring. She would never begrudge him a supportive, caring person in his life, never wanting him to experience the lonely childhood she had. That was why she was so ready to let Milah in. Neal was a more difficult case. Although he was Henry's father, he'd also abandoned Emma without a way to find him. Even if he hadn't known about her arrest, why had he not tried to find her? She felt the betrayal so keenly. She'd lived with him for two years, longer than she'd been in any foster home since the Swans had given her up when she was three. Back then she saw Neal as her family, and thought she loved him. When he left her, her world was shattered. That was not a betrayal that could be easily forgiven.

It certainly didn't help that he wanted to pick up where they'd left off as if nothing had happened. He could be so dense. It infuriated her. Emma had yet to call him about the blood test situation, despite her promise to Milah. Regina had agreed with Milah, saying talking to Neal was likely the easiest solution. Emma was torn as to what to do. She had ten days to comply with the order, and time was running out. She'd been served on Monday, and here it was a Friday and she had done nothing with it. Making up her mind, and with one more glance at her son, she picked up her phone and walked to her bedroom. She left the door ajar and dialed Neal.

"Hey Ems," he answered quickly. His tone was not unfriendly, but lacked the endearment he'd been expressing so much since they reunited.

"Hi, Neal," she responded awkwardly. She hadn't spoken with him since the previous Saturday morning, and hoped he wasn't holding a grudge.

"What's going on?"

She bit her lower lip. May as well just rip off the band aid. "Did you know that your father served me with a court order to submit Henry to a paternity test?"

"He did what?" Neal cried, and Emma breathed a sigh of relief. Neal hadn't known about this.

"Yeah. I got served with the papers on Monday morning. I don't want to put Henry through that. I will just sign the damn affidavit saying you're his father. Milah said you could probably get your dad to back off."

"Yeah, I'll call him right after we hang up. I don't want Henry to go through that either."

"Thank you."

"I'm glad you called, Ems. I've been too afraid to call you. I'm sorry about the way I acted on Saturday. You're right, it's not my place to try and keep you from dating who you want to date. I wish you hadn't picked Killian, but I can't stop you."

"Wow… to be honest I was not expecting that. When Killian told me you came by his office, I'd assumed this would be a sore spot for weeks."

"I've done some self reflecting this week. And I talked to my mom. I want to be a better man. For Henry. And maybe one day, if the circumstances are right, you and I can give it another shot. But I'm gonna back off for now."

His confession that he still hoped for a reconciliation made Emma cringe. She had no intention of the same. But, she was grateful that he was making an effort to apologize, and decided to let it go for the time being.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "I'd like it if we could be friends. For Henry."

"I'd like that too. Are we still on for Sunday?"

"Yes, but do you want to try meeting a park somewhere? I think Henry feels uncomfortable in that big house."

"Yeah, sure. How about that park near my mom's store? She said he likes it a lot."

"He does. Okay, we'll see you there around 2:00?"

"Looking forward to it. Let me call my dad now and get him to drop this court order."

"Thanks Neal. See you then."

They hung up and Emma breathed a sigh of relief. That had gone better than she thought. She would need to deal with his hope for a future with her, but decided that could be left for another time. For Henry's sake, she would try to be friendly.

Killian stepped off the elevator and made the now familiar trek to Emma's door. He tried to contain his enthusiasm, but was doing a poor job. He'd finally get a date with his Swan. He reached her door and gave a playful knock. Emma opened the door and granted him a warm smile.

"Killian. I'm sorry, I was on the phone. Did I miss a text?"

"No," he replied, and could not hide his smile. "I have come to ask you out to dinner tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow?" Her face fell. "I would love to, but I don't have anyone to watch Henry."

"I may have a solution. I mentioned my desire to take you on a proper outing to Ruby, and she offered to watch Henry tomorrow night if you are amenable."

Emma smirked. "I'm sure she did. Ruby is always trying to get me to go out more."

"May I come in?" Killian asked, suddenly realizing he was still standing in her threshold.

"Oh, of course." She opened the door wider and he stepped through, only to be accosted by a very excited Henry.

"Killian! I thought I heard you talking. Are you here for dinner? Mommy is making my favorite, spaghetti!"

"I would be glad to dine with you, if your mother is alright with that."

"Please mommy!" Henry pleaded, turning to his mother.

"It's okay with me, but it's nothing fancy."

"I don't need fancy food, Just time with my two favorite Swans."

Henry giggled. "I'm a person! Not a bird!"

"Indeed you are," Killian replied, mussing the boy's hair.

They settled into what had become their usual routine: Henry coloring, Emma cooking, and Killian moving between the kitchen and dining area to help where he was needed. The meal was indeed nothing fancy, but he enjoyed the company immensely.

After their meal, Henry asked to watch an episode of his new favorite cartoon on Netflix, and Emma conceded. Once he was fully engrossed, she pulled Killian into her room. Grabbing at his shirt collar, she pulled him toward her, fusing their lips together. He lost himself to the kiss, moving his head with hers. He lifted his hand to tangle with the hair at the nape of her neck and she responded by gently scraping her nails up his back. She finally broke the kiss, bringing their foreheads together while they both panted for air.

"I've been wanting to do that since I opened the door and saw you standing there," she said, taking deep gulps of air.

He smiled. "It seems absence does indeed make the heart grown fonder."

She giggled and nuzzled her head under his, laying her ear against his chest.

"You never answered my question about tomorrow night." He pulled away and looked down at her with trepidation. "Will you go out with me?"

She looked at him for a moment before sliding her hand up his chest to the back of his neck. She pulled him down and captured his lips in another fiery kiss. When they broke again, he chuckled and whispered "was that a yes?"

"Always the gentleman," she laughed. "Yes, I will gladly go out with you, Killian Jones."

Killian would be picking her up at six. At five, Ruby lightly knocked on the door and then let herself in with her spare key. Emma tried being mad at her friend for the intrusion, but found she didn't have it in her. Ruby was carrying a garment bag and what looked to be a very expensive, very full, overnight bag.

"What's all this?"

"Well, I can't stay the night here without a few things."

"Actually, you could," Emma said with a laugh. "You live two floors down. And besides, I didn't ask you to spend the night. I should be back-" She was cut off by an exuberant Henry, who chose that moment to emerge from his room.

"Aunt Ruby! Are you spending the night? Can we have pizza?!"

"I sure am! And pizza sounds delicious."

"Can we eat dinner in our pj's?!"

"That is an excellent idea."

"Mommy said she's going to a grown-up dinner with Killian. Maybe they will change their minds and we can all have a sleepover here!"

"No, that won't work," Ruby replied.

Henry looked crushed. "How come?"

"Because it has been way too long since I had some one-on-one time with my favorite nephew. You wouldn't want your mom and Killian spoiling our fun, would you?"

He seemed to ponder this for a moment, before breaking into another smile. "Nope!"

"I thought so," Ruby said, returning his grin. "Now, go pick out which pair of pj's you want to wear. I'm gonna go help your mommy get ready for her date."

He bounced off and Emma turned to head to her room, Ruby hot on her tail.

"Okay," Ruby began again. "What are you wearing tonight?"

Emma looked down at her jeans and soft gray t-shirt. "This."

"What? No, try again."

"What's wrong with this?"

"Way too casual."

"Killian said it wouldn't be anything too over-the-top, so why can't I be comfortable?"

"Just trust me on this, okay? He will do something romantic, because that's who he is, and you'll be glad you took the time to dress up a little for the occasion."

"I don't know that I have anything suitable," Emma confessed.

"No worries. I have just the thing." She unzipped the garment bag and pulled out a blue wrap dress, in what looked to be the exact shade of Killian's eyes. It still had the tags hanging from it.

"When did you get that?"

"This morning, and it's for you. A bit too demure for my tastes, but perfect for you."

"Rube… you didn't have to buy me a dress."

"I never do anything I don't want to do. You know this. Now let's get beyond your feigned politeness. Put this on." She thrust the hanger into Emma's hands.

When six-o'clock rolled around, Emma had to admit that Ruby was right. The dress was flattering, but not too formal. She paired it with wedge gladiator sandals on loan from Ruby ("you do NOT get to keep these," she'd said). Her friend had helped her coax her hair into soft curls that hung around her shoulders and encouraged her to add a bit more eyeliner to really make her green eyes pop. She felt pretty, and was indeed glad she'd made an effort.

Prompt as ever, Killian knocked on the door at six sharp. Emma imagined he'd been ready for half an hour, and probably forced himself to wait in his apartment until closer to the agreed time. Emma moved to open the door, but Ruby interceded.

"Go back in your room and check your makeup and hair. I'll let him in."

"I just finished getting ready. There is nothing to check. This is stupid." Emma had enough. She'd already played hard-to-get with Killian when they'd first met. There was no need for games anymore. She brushed past Ruby and opened the door.

Killian stood there, hand behind his back, and took her in. "You look stunning, Swan," he said, all traces of innuendo removed from his voice.

Emma was equally stunned, taking in his dark jeans, black shirt, and black leather jacket. "You look…"

"I know," he responded with a cocky grin. He moved the hand from behind his back and presented her with a single long-stem rose.

She took the flower and breathed in the heady scent. "Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Henry stood to the side, very clearly wanting to give Killian a hug, but being restrained by Ruby. Killian knelt down and said to the boy "are you excited for an evening with Ruby?"

"Yeah!" Henry replied. Ruby let him go and he ran into Killian's arms and gave the man a bear hug. "Thanks for taking my mommy on a date so I can play with Aunt Ruby!"

Killian chuckled. "I am glad to be of assistance, lad."

Emma smiled at the easy affection between Killian and her son. She leaned down for her own hug and Henry happily ran to her side. " Be good for Aunt Ruby, kid. I love you."

"I will. I love you too."

Emma turned to Ruby. "I'll text when we're heading back."

"Take your time," Ruby responded. "We'll be fine here. Have your own sleepover if you want." She winked at Emma and Killian.

The tips of Killian's ears turned bright red and Emma flushed in embarrassment. Henry was fortunately oblivious to their reactions. "Bye mom! Bye Killian!" he called out.

Emma turned to leave and Killian followed. Once they were on the elevator, Killian turned to her, his cheeky grin back.

"Our own sleepover?"

Emma flushed again. "So now you want to have sex? What happened to all the 'after our date' stuff?"

"Well, darling," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, "we are currently on our date, so tonight can be the night if you so desire." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and then trailed kisses down her neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh.

"I'm all dressed up," she breathed. "We are going out."

"And I fully intend to show you a good time. Both during and after our date." One of his hands wandered down and he gripped her firm ass cheek.

"You keep this up," she replied, running her fingers through hair on the back of his head, "and I won't be able to make it out of this elevator."

"Mmm… sounds wonderful to me." He grabbed her leg and hitched it up to his waist, grinding his center against hers as he captured her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Emma didn't know what else would have happened, had the elevator not stopped on the 2nd floor. They had just enough time to right themselves before the doors opened and an elderly couple got on. The wife gave them a knowing smile, and Emma felt her face redden once again. She looked at the floor, while Killian squeezed her hand in his. When the car arrived in the lobby, she was the first passenger off, pulling him behind her.

Only when they were outside and walking toward his car, did she meet his eyes again. "You are a bad influence on me."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. "And you are enjoying every minute of it," he whispered as he nibbled her earlobe.

Emma sighed as she settled into the passenger seat. She wasn't sure what, but something had brought out the scoundrel in Killian Jones tonight. And she couldn't get enough of it.