Hello! Today, I'm dedicating my chapter to someone (actually two someones)!

Andria and KarenWriter! This is what I must say . . .

Andria: Send me a PM, we need to have a chat (nothing bad, don't worry :)

KarenWriter: I gave you that kiss scene you wanted and that one other scene I already said would happen (wink, wink) You also may have unintentionally sparked my next OUAT fic.

You two are the most involved by far in my little fanfic so thank you!


Emma wasn't surprised as she should have been when the next night as she lay in bed, Killian appeared at her window once again. She greeted him with as much scorn as the first time but she soon forgot her worry and anger and wound up enjoying his company too much to care.

And so, a new routine was born. She'd wait until the maids left, pretend to be asleep then open the window and wait until Killian came. He'd climb the ivy, she'd be prepared with some sort of argument as to why he shouldn't be climbing through her window which would be promptly forgotten when he kissed her senseless. Sometimes they talked but more than once they had just lain side by side, basking in each other's presence.

It didn't take long but soon Snow noticed a few things that were different about Emma since she had come home, she seemed happier, a bounce in her step and a tune humming on her lips and she wasn't sleeping as well evidenced by the tired look in her eyes and the fact that she fell asleep during breakfast now and then.

She wanted to ask but she felt that Emma didn't want to talk about it. No matter, it was probably symptoms of being kidnapped, she reasoned. However, today Emma was being summoned to see her parents today for something entirely different.

When Emma came into her fathers study, she was apprehensive for obvious reasons.

"Ah! Emma." David looked up from the documents he was filing through and Snow turned in her chair towards Emma, her hands clasped in her lap.

"Hi, is there something you needed?" Emma asked, staring awkwardly around the lavish office.

"Yes, Emma. We need to discuss the arrangments for your upcoming birthday." Emma realised suddenly that with all her piratey distractions, she forgot her 19th birthday was almost upon her. In fact, it was only half a fortnight from then.

"Yes? Let me guess, another ball?" Emma said, her tone flat.

"It's customary of course but you don't need to if you don't want to." David said.

"No!" Emma said, a little louder than intended. "No, a ball is fine." she said, clutching her skirts, anxiously.

"If you insist although i'm surprised. Normally you don't care for such things." David said. Snow didn't say anything, she was studying Emma with great interest.

"We'll also be inviting the elidgble princes. I'm assuming we can cross Prince Hans off the list?" Emma's throat constricted. Eligible princes! Were they really determined to matchmake for her? There were a few obvious flaws in their plan. Killian wasn't a prince for one and for second, Emma was never going to marry any of the princes they picked for her. Diplomacy be damned! If they tried, Emma would leave without a passing thought.

Snow began listing off said princes from a list on the desk.

"Prince Victor, Prince Casimir, Prince Niklaus, Prince Neal, Prince Hugo . . ." Snow rambled on a bit, listing them all. Then apparently satisfied, she dismissed her daughter who was more than happy to go.

Despite the nightly visits, Emma's life had been mostly lessons before but now with her birthday being planned, Emma's life was pretty close to chaos (as close as it came anyway).

She was being given the reins for nearly all of the planning apart from the guest list. The one thing she immediately decided was that it should be a masquerade. That way, it would be easier for a certain someone to sneak inside. Then she had to work with the decoration, music, food and god knows what else she still had to do!

Killian had become a solace, a beacon amidst the figurative fog of confusion. The night after she began work on her birthday ball, he convinced her to do something utterly terrifying. When she opened the window, instead of coming in, he pulled her out onto the ledge with him! They had sat together on the perilous stone terrace and he had managed to make her (almost) forget her fear with his comforting embrace, passion and suggestive humor. Unfortunately, due to her hectic planning, she was forced to cut these meetings short, so she could sleep longer, something Killian planned to make up for when the time came.


I know! I know! Another ball? Really? Just bear with me, folks. The ball isn't what's going to be important, its what happens afterwards. Duh! Duh! Duh!