No Time Like the Present: The ball!

Emma would never admit it, but the dress did make her feel like a princess. But it wasn't just the dress. It was the colors and the lights. The music and the way Killian kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the crowd. Her mother was right, and it did feel like a fairytale. She found herself laughing freely, but it was just because she wanted to fit in... this was surveillance. Just a brightly colored stakeout. She monitored the room diligently, keeping her eyes open for any sign of her father. He did not appear, neither did the princess or the king present themselves in the room. Finally Killian left her side for a moment, moving towards one of the ladies standing by herself.

"Milady, you really must leave immediately," he told her with a charming smile.

The women's eyebrows furrowed at him and she asked him why.

"Princesses don't like to be outshone, love, You are keeping the lady of the hour away."

The lady giggled slightly a pretty flush coloring her cheeks, "Oh, no, she won't be coming. The ball is in their honor, but they shall not arrive until tomorrow evening."

"Oh, good, that's fortunate for you, It's never wise to make royalty jealous." His eyes slipped past her to where Emma was glaring at him. "Speaking of which it appears my lady has caught my wandering eye, it was lovely to meet you darling."

He slipped back to Emma's side and took her arm "Don't be alarmed Emma, she doesn't hold a candle to you."

"Do I look like the jealous type," Emma asked sarcastically, letting him lead her back onto the dance floor.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to follow Killian's lead, feeling like an absolute troll next to all of the beautiful people moving gracefully around her, eventually she began to get a feeling for it and glanced up from her feet to see a wide joyous smile on Killian's face. He was surprisingly at ease in this world. "Did you have many dances on the Jolly Roger," Emma grumbled as he spun her around.

"I was an officer first, darling. I may have changed uniforms but I still recall a thing or two about your world."

"Why would naval officers need to be able to dance?" Emma asked curiously, getting distracted and almost colliding with another pair of dancers, before Killian pulled her back.

"You really must learn to follow, love, I promise I'll not let you fall. As to your question, an officer incapable of showing a lady a good time is hardly worth his salt. There was a time when fathers would line up to have their daughters married off to good respectable officers like myself."

"What a relief you must feel to have escaped!" she teased.

"Indeed, princesses with cutlasses are few and far between. I only had to wait three centuries to find one of my own."

The music was wonderful and Emma spun and danced until she was out of breath and giddy, all smiles, having completely forgotten for the moment that there was no need for further surveillance.

"Do you trust me, Swan?" He asked.

A suspicious look crossed her face and Killian pressed on, "try something new, darling?"

The look did not entirely leave her eyes but finally she nodded ever so slightly.

Suddenly he pulled her close to him and dipped her backwards admiring the lovely arch of her back as she laughed. Leaning over her he murmured "I told you I wouldn't let you fall."

When he pulled her upright again she clung tightly to him to get her balance back and he smiled, "Careful, my Swan, you are almost letting yourself be happy," Killian mumbled in her ear.

"I'm taking the good moment," she said with another dazzling smile.

Killian twirled her around and brought her close again whispering in her ear "You should smile more often, it's a lovely sight.

She laughed and stumbled a bit, dizzy from the spinning. "I think I'm a bit...dizzy," Emma told him leaning her head on his shoulder while her world stabilized. "We should go anyway," Emma sighed without pulling out of his arms, "we have to be sure things go the way they should, we have to get out to the troll bridge tomorrow morning."

"As the lady insists," Killian answered leading her from the hall. A man brushed through the door knocking into Emma as she exited, the man turned to apologize and suddenly Killian felt Emma's fingers dig into his arm.

"Will you accept my apologies, Milady?"

Emma clenched her teeth and smiled though Killian could still feel the trembling of her arm in his.

"Of course," she said and Killian could hear the tightness in her voice. He glanced up at the man who was affecting her so. He didn't seem to recognize Emma as he maintained a neutral expression. He was a huntsman, one of the queen's guard, tall with dark hair. "Make it up to me with a dance while Killian gets the carriage?" Emma asked, pulling her arm from Killian's.

Killian raised his eyebrows but nodded at the man's inquiring look. The man led Emma back into the ballroom. Their carriage was already waiting so Killian simply stood by watching in confusion as the man led Swan around the floor. She did not smile and his movements were tense and mechanical. Everything about Emma's posture radiated discomfort, but they spoke easily as they danced. A few minutes later the man returned her to Killian's side with a small bow and Killian helped Emma into the carriage. The moment the doors closed Emma threw herself into Killian's arms silent tears streaming down her cheek with each shuddering breath.

"Swan, what's wrong, did he hurt you?" His voice was rough but he held her gently.

Emma shook her head but tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

"Darling as much as I may desire the opportunity to hold you, this is not exactly what I had in mind, please tell me what's wrong. Can I do something?"

"That man..."

"The Queen's huntsman?" Killian prodded her to continue.

"I knew him as Graham."

For a moment Killian was silent trying to place the name, before realizing that he had heard it once before. Neal and Graham the two men who had died in her arms. He tightened his grip on her trying to imagine how difficult it would be to see Milah again knowing that he would just have to lose her all over again.

"I shouldn't have spoken to him, what if I changed something?"

"Won't he... remember you now?"

Emma shook her head sadly. "She killed him. I kissed him and his memories returned...but the moment they did she crushed his heart."

"Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry.", he knew no words would help, so he just held her tight as the carriage carried them back to their inn, stroking his fingers through her hair until the trembling stopped. He led her into the inn again and set her down gently on the bed, crouching in front of her, "Swan I-" he paused still uncertain what to say and he sighed, "try to sleep, love. I know it doesn't seem like it but you will feel better in the morning." She reached out and took his hand and he gave it a tight squeeze before she released it. Killian dropped into the armchair next to the bed and sat down. He ached to hold her as he had in the carriage but she had turned away from him... apparently she wanted to be alone now. Killian watched over her until her shaking quieted and her breathing evened out, before eventually dozing off into a fitful sleep himself.

His eyes snapped opened when whimpers of pain reached his ears and he leaped up reaching for his cutlass. As his mind cleared of the fog of sleep he saw Emma curled in on herself and caught whispered words of "Come back to me, please come back to me." His heart clenched as he watched her, the pain she was feeling an achingly familiar wound. A fiery mixture of jealousy and sympathy filled him as he imagined Emma holding the huntsman as he had held his Milah, begging him to come back to her. If she stayed asleep it was possible that she would not remember the dream, so he let her be, every whispered pleading of "come back to me," tearing yet another hole in his heart. Finally her eyes opened and he moved to sit next to her on the bed.

"It does get easier love. It never gets easy, but-"

He didn't get to finish the sentence before she launched herself from the bed and locked her arms around him with a strangled cry of "you're here, you're still here."

"Of course Swan, Where else would I go?"

"Don't go, Killian. Please, stay with me?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her again. She settled comfortably into his side, head laying gently over his heart. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, love. And you know I mean every word when I say no one should have to watch the one they love lose their heart."

Emma stiffened and was silent for a moment before she whispered ever so softly, "It was you, Killian. I thought you were gone, I thought it was too late. I'm always too late." She heard his heart begin to race when he heard her words though he didn't speak for a moment. Finally he placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"You saved me, love, just in time. We'll always protect each other Emma, you don't have to be alone anymore, you never have to be alone."

When they woke Emma was still wrapped tightly in Killian's arms. She gently pulled herself away but didn't speak. Killian was grateful for that at least, because if she said anything it would probably be to inform him that it was a one time thing ... again. And he wasn't sure how many more of these one time things his heart could stand.

They were quiet as they headed out towards the troll road, until Emma asked him if he needed a break. She laughed when he replied that he would be happy to provide a demonstration of his stamina whenever she desired and they fell back into normality. If there is one thing Killion Jones was getting unfortunately good at, it was pretending there was nothing happening with Emma Swan. As they approached the road they heard a sound. Dismounting, Killian put one finger to his lips moving sideways on the road. Emma continued normally as Killian snuck up on whoever had been watching them. Finally she heard a crash from behind a set of trees followed by Killian's voice.

"Swan, I think you're going to want to take a look at this."

Dismounting herself she headed off the road only to see Grumpy out cold.

"You knocked out Grumpy...are you even trying with this whole not affecting the past thing..."

"Oh come on love, he came at me with and ax, what did you expect me to do?"

Emma curst seeing the ax on the ground.

"Killian, he was trying to cut down the tree that's going to stop my father's carriage ... so that he could meet my mother..."

"Oops," Killian said sheepishly, " I guess I'm going to have to cut down a tree now, then, lass?"

"And I suggest you hurry!"

They alternated until they had cut most of the way through the tree, probably taking significantly longer than it would've taken Grumpy. Finally with a concerted effort they pushed the tree down over the road.

It wasn't long before they heard wheels on the road followed by a shrill scream of thief!

Emma and Killian disappeared into the woods returning to their horses while trying to stifle their laughter.

"Well at this point I'm pretty much your father's ultimate, what did he call it, winged-man?" Killian commented to Emma who had to cover her mouth to prevent her laughter from escaping.

"Having fun, dearies?" came a familiar voice.

Emma and Killian turned and found themselves face-to-face with the dark one.

AN: you tired of me yet? This is what happens when you combine a grad student with microscopy experiments and a smart phone with voice dictation.