A/N: This is my CS Secret Santa Story. A Little Fluff was in order after the crazy finale we had. I hope you all enjoy and have an amazing holiday with your loved ones.

Emma had been working hard all through the month of November up through December. She always took on a large number of cases during the holidays. It seemed that people got nostalgic so they were more apt to step into her office to hire her to search down lost loves. She didn't mind the extra hours that kept her out of her cold and lonely apartment.

She had a few close friends that would keep her in invitations for holiday gatherings but it had been years since she'd actually been in a relationship with someone that was her +1 to those events. She usually didn't mind but something about this year, two best friends got married and one with a baby on the way made her life seem just a little lonelier.

Her friend Ruby harped on her every chance she got about the fact that she hadn't been on a date in something like 6 months, 9 months if she was counting. It's not that she didn't want to date but after her track record, how could they blame her for being picky when it came to the men she dated. It also didn't help that her friends seemed to have found the most perfect match for themselves and were blissfully happy all the time. Even their fights were loving.

She would never tell them but she did feel the pangs of jealousy at times and hoped she would be as lucky as they were one day. She looked down at her phone to check the time. After a particularly awful session of harping, Ruby convinced her to try the latest dating app, Cupid's Blind Love. The thought of a computer fixing her up on a blind date scared the hell out of her but the commercials claimed it could help find the perfect match for anyone.

She decided after getting happily drunk on a delicious red that she would give it a try and now she had a date with Mr. Wonderful 662 at 7:30. She was still skeptical of the whole online dating thing but she figured she'd bring a purse big enough to carry a stun gun and she'd give it a try. Worst case scenario she'd have a drink and go home like usual. She'd also be able to get Ruby off her back letting her know she'd tried. Secretly, she did hope that the stupid computer would find her perfect match.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~K&E~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Killian finished up his case work early and whole heartedly planned on making a good impression on his cousin Will's girlfriend's friend even though from what he'd heard she was a bit of a sad case. It had been a while since he'd been out with a nice lady and was feeling a little holiday spirit so he agreed. It could have been the three rums he'd downed at the time of Will's request but now he was on the hook and decided to make the best of it.

When he checked the time he realized he would seem too eager if he showed at the restaurant early so instead he decided happy hour at the local pub around the corner was a better plan.

He'd been lucky with his cases over the last few months and felt like celebrating. Although he didn't have high hopes for his date, a night out with Will was always a blast. He'd have just a drink or two to loosen up so that he could put on a brave face for his date. He still wasn't sure why they were dragging the poor girl out, was she even divorced yet? He'd have to remember to ask that because he certainly didn't want to deal with an angry ex-husband.

He pushed open the thick wooden door to Doc's and sought out his favorite stool. Didn't appear that Doc was on deck behind bar so he'd be paying full price but as he turned to his left he was nearly floored by the woman who appeared to be occupying the stool next to his usual.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~K&E~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She figured if she got to Doc's early and had a drink she could loosen up a bit before her date. The atmosphere was nice and jolly as the place was fully decorated for holidays. She secured a seat and ordered a double.

The place was full of couples and a few families that dared to enter the place on date night. She looked around in search of Mr. Wonderful 662, not that she would be able to tell who he was if she saw him. She only knew he was tall, blonde hair and blue eyes. Blondes really weren't her type but in the spirit of this whole thing she figured she'd give him a chance. He did come off as rather charming in his texts.

Mary Margaret and David fully approved of him based on his profile, Doctor, tall, blue eyes and kind to animals. They'd shared a few texts back and forth so far but agreed no names until they met. She eased into her chair and sipped her drink slowly listening to the sound of holiday music emanate throughout the place.

She'd been so lost in thought that she didn't notice the seat being taken next to her until she heard the smooth lilting accent asking the bartender for a drink. She looked to her right catching sight of the most beautiful pair of blue eyes staring back at her. She choked on her drink nearly spitting it across at him.

"Are you alright milady?"

She looked at his concerned face and tried to smile before choking out. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Bartender, can we get the lass some water? Clearly you're not fine."

She smiled. "I'm fine really."

He placed his hand over his heart. "Please. Let me help."

The bartender sat the water in front of her. She took the glass, looked at him and smiled before taking a sip. She let the cool water soothe the burn in her throat hoping for the right words to come. This man was gorgeous with dark hair and blue eyes so definitely not Mr. Wonderful 662. Damn it. She put the glass back down onto the bar and smiled at him. "Thank you, much better."

"Well, never let it be said that Killian Jones would let a beautiful woman be distressed in his presence."

She laughed. "Ok Killian. "

"What brings you to this fine establishment tonight?" He held out his hand searching for her to introduce herself.

She held out her hand in return to shake his. Firm handshake, she liked that. "Emma. I'm here for a blind date."

His eyebrows went up in surprise. "Blind date? Interesting."

"What's so interesting about it?"

"The fact that a beautiful woman, such as yourself has to go to those types of tactics to find a suitor is lost on me."

"Well, it's not every day that I meet a chivalrous man."

He smiled and was she flirting because she felt like she was and she liked it. Damn it. Why was she here for a blind date again?

He looked to her grinning with one brow raised. "How about another drink?"

She looked at her glass, now basically empty and she still had another 20 minutes before Mr. Wonderful was due to show up. "Sure, I'd like that."

He ordered them each another drink and got comfortable in the chair next to hers. "So Emma, tell me about this blind date."

She turned to face him, carefully crossing her long legs in front of him. She wasn't flirting, she really wasn't but he did notice and she liked it. "I don't know much about him. He's a doctor, likes animals."

He picked up his drink and took a sip. "That's not much at all. What's he look like?"

"Tall, blonde hair, blue eyes."

He grinned and moved one of the long curls hanging down over her shoulder to her back. "Alright. So you prefer blondes then?"

She shook her head. "No, actually I prefer dark hair but I didn't get any normal date requests from men who described themselves with dark hair."

He grinned. "Good to know. So what's his name? He's got to have a good name."

"We didn't exchange names. He's Mr. Wonderful 662."

"I see, so you've got no name and only a brief description to go by."

"Now that you've put it that way, it does seem rather unsafe doesn't it."

He raised his brow. "Indeed."

She took a big sip from her drink. Here she was flirting with Mr. Gorgeous next to her waiting for her potential serial killer date Mr. Wonderful and now he would think she was an idiot. She was smarter than this. She tracked people for a living. Why did she let Ruby talk her into this? She placed her drink on the bar and decided to turn the tables. "What brings you to Doc's tonight Killian?"

"Rum, I felt like a glass of rum. I like the taste and it helps settle the nerves a bit."

"What have you got to be nervous about?"

"Well Emma, it seems you aren't the only one who has a blind first date this evening. I'm meeting my cousin, his girlfriend and her friend. "

She felt a pit grow in her stomach at that knowledge and she took a sip of her drink. "Oh. Here?"

"No, at a restaurant down a few blocks. I'm supposed to meet them at 7:45. It's a BYOB so I figured I'd get a drink before I head down to meet them."

She tried to hide the jealousy in her voice. "So, what's she like? Your date?"

"Honestly, I don't know. My cousin Will suggested that I take her out, she's a friend of his girlfriend. I've never seen her, only know she's a red head and supposed to be nice. She's just getting over a break up of sorts so I'm sure you can imagine what it will be like. I believe Will mentioned random outbursts of tears."

"Ah, and Killian Jones doesn't like to leave ladies in distress."

He turned to face her smiling. "Too right Love."

She picked up her glass taking another sip and tried to think of what else to say. The jealousy was flowing in her veins at that moment and Killian was staring at her with beautiful blue eyes and a grin on his handsome face. They both looked at each other smiling and staring into each other's eyes. "So." They said at the same time.

He laughed. "What time is Mr. Wonderful supposed to get here?"

"Uh, 7:30."

He looked her over carefully. "Does he know what you look like?"

"Only the brief description, similar to what I had from him."

"I dare say he will be pleasantly surprised when he spots you Love."

She felt the blush creep over her cheeks. "You think so?"

"Oh yes. In fact I'm rather pissed I didn't meet you earlier myself."

She smiled as she sipped her drink peering into his eyes over her glass.

He nodded slightly as if he made a decision. "Will you excuse me Love? I'll be right back."

She nodded and slipped her phone from her bag so she could check the time and her make up. She flipped on the camera phone and peeked at her lips. She was happy to see beautiful red still in full color and makeup still flawless. She looked over to see if Killian was coming back but was surprised by the touch of cool fingers on her bare shoulder. She was about to flip those fingers into a stiff hold when she turned around to face the tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes staring at her. Not quite as blue and not quite as handsome as Killian but still nice. "Bountygirl443?"

"Mr. Wonderful 662?"

"Oh good, then I've found the right place."

She watched as he slipped off his jacket and put it onto Killian's chair. She raised her finger to protest but he interrupted her by holding up his finger to her lips and yelling down the bar. "Barkeep, can I get a drink over here. I'm parched."

Wow, Mr. Wonderful was a bit rude. She couldn't help but look for Killian who had not yet emerged from his whereabouts. She looked to see Mr. Wonderful giving her the once over as his eyes bulged out of his head over her features.

"I gotta say it was a relief to see you were a knock out. I mean wow, you are hot. Finally a dating site that gets it right."

She laughed not sure if she should be appreciative of the comment or offended, also still slightly miffed about him putting his finger to her lips. "Thanks."

He slid his hand over her knee in a way she would only expect with someone she was familiar with. "So, what's good to eat here? I'm starving. I worked a double. I figure you and I could get our grub on and maybe take this date back to my place? What do you think?"

She nearly choked on her drink again. "Um, I think that maybe you should take your hand off of my knee." She slipped his hand off of her knee trying not to once again put him into one of her special holds, meant to retain the toughest perps.

He smirked and picked up his drink to take a sip. "So you what's your rule, 2 dates, 3 or are you a 10 dater? Help a guy out here. I'm willing to go the distance for you."

Her eyes went wide. "My rule is to go out with gentlemen who know how to treat a lady. I think this date is over."

He was looking her over with a wolfish grin on his face. "Babe, come on really? I just got here and I mean look at me? I'm drop dead gorgeous, hot body and believe me you wouldn't be disappointed. Who wouldn't want to spend a hot sweaty session with me? I have plenty of mistletoe at my place, I can promise you'd have a good time, I know I will."

She was just about to give him a piece of her mind when Killian appeared. He pulled her up from the stool and took her hand in his. "Emma, Please Love, give me a second chance. I'm not the same without you."

She smiled as she looked into his beautiful blue eyes and he winked. "Killian."

He pulled her close, slipping one hand around her resting at the small of her back and caressed her face gently slipping his other hand into her hair. "I was a fool. I realize I won't be happy without you."

She knew he was acting out the part on her behalf but the sincerity in his voice convinced her of the lie and she nodded unable to voice words in that moment. She felt her body relaxing as he held her, Mr. Wonderful was all but a distant memory.

He whispered, lips nearly touching hers. "You've made me the happiest man on the planet."

She became so caught up in the moment that she couldn't resist pressing her lips to his. The kiss was soft at first, only meant to be a tiny touch but once their lips met she didn't want it to end. It was sensual and passionate, her body pressed tightly to his and her hands roamed over the muscles of his back.

He was the perfect kisser and she didn't want it to end. The only reason they broke apart was at the sound of her date pretending to cough rather loudly. She pulled back slowly to see Killian appeared just as wrecked as she felt and that her perfect red lips were now matching his although slightly smudged.

She turned slowly to face Mr. Wonderful still very much being held by Killian and it didn't seem like he was planning to let her go. "Look, I'm sorry but I'm no longer available. I'm sure you'll find someone else. "

Mr. Wonderful downed his drink and perked up. "Perhaps a threesome?"

She felt Killian tense against her. "The lady said No Mate."

"Fine. You're loss babe. Merry Christmas." He tossed some money onto the bar and stormed off.

She turned her attention back to Killian who was looking at her quite reverently and she smiled as she swiped her thumb across his lips trying to capture some of the red. "Thank you, you didn't have to do that."

He held her tighter and she couldn't help but caress her hand up and down his back. "Trust me love, I was happy to help you, besides I believe I saved that man from a rightful beating."

She laughed as she stepped back remembering Killian wasn't her date. "Last time I let my friends talk me into a dating app. Seems you don't only help women in distress because you were right. I was just about to introduce him to my stun gun."

He helped her into her coat he whispered into her ear. "Why don't you give me a try? Go out with me?"

She pulled her hair from inside of her coat out and turned to face him. "But your date?"

"Love, how could I go out with a complete stranger after having met a woman that set my heart ablaze from the moment she choked on her drink staring at me with gorgeous emerald eyes? I called my cousin and told him I had to cancel. It's for the best. I was just about to come back to try to convince you to do the same when I saw that ponce sitting on my stool. "

"What about your policy on women in distress?"

He brushed her curl back over her shoulder staring into her eyes. "Well, it seems I've done my civic duty for the evening and I'm partial to the woman I've met. Besides, a man's got to know when to say when and I do believe I've met my match as Cupid would say."

"We barely know each other."

"Don't tell me you can't feel the heat between us love? That kiss was proof enough for me."

She stepped closer to him and stared at his lips. "No, you're right. I can feel it too. Since the moment we met."

"Well then, what's say you and I find a table, have dinner and get to know one another better?"

"How would you feel about take out and a movie at my place? My feet are killing me and I'd love to get out of these shoes."

"How can I say no to that? I'd love to. Lead the way Love."

Next thing she knew it was hours later. They'd learned just how alike they really were and too a scary level. They were snuggling close and all she could think about was how amazing he smelled being so close to her. He was amazing both inside and out. She liked listening to him speak about his job as a pro-bono lawyer and how he helped people who would otherwise be left in distress.

She was so enthralled in what he was saying that she didn't realize the time. When she looked up it was nearly 2 am. He looked at his watch and then back to her. "I guess I should be going."

"I know for a fact that the temperature has been dropping all night and it's really cold out. Are you sure you have to go?"

He smiled." I miss you already and I haven't even left."

"Then stay. I promise to keep my hands to myself."

"Love, I can't promise the same."

She grinned. "Good."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He woke up the next morning to find himself tucked into her soft blankets and completely rested, which was beyond comprehension considering they'd been up most of the night exploring each other in the best of ways.

He looked to his left but her place was empty. He grabbed his pants and went out in search of his missing lass.

He found her in the kitchen wearing a soft robe preparing breakfast. He walked up softly behind her wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing kisses against her neck. "Good Morning Love."

She turned in his arms and kissed him softly on his still red stained lips. "Good Morning. How do you like your eggs?"

"I'm sure whatever you've prepared will be amazing."

"Ok, well its omelets and I should warn you, I'm not that great a cook."

"I'm sure I'll love them."

"Grab a mug and some coffee or I have tea if you prefer."

"Coffee will do."

"It snowed last night."

He walked to the window and peered out into the wintery wonderland below. "Wow, it's beautiful."

"Yeah but not so easy to get around in. I'm afraid you might be stuck here with me."

He turned to see the mischievous grin on her face and moved quickly to her wrapping his arms around her again. "I would hardly call this stuck. I'd say it was more of a blessing."

"Good because I'm sure there are still a few ticklish spots that I have yet to find on you."

"Oh I look forward to your further exploration."

She smiled and plated the omelets. "Let's have breakfast first."

He kissed her cheek. "Looks amazing."

"Thank you."

They spent the day between her bedroom and her living room, watching movies and having fun with each other. The sound of her phone ringing brought her out of fantasy land. When she checked the voicemail it was from Ruby, reminding her about her holiday gathering that night.

She turned to face him, nervous to ask him. "I forgot about my friend's holiday party tonight."

She saw the color wash from his cheeks and a soft smile grace his face. "Oh, Well I'm sure the roads are clear enough for me to get home now."

She grabbed his hand capturing his attention. "I was hoping you'd be my date."

His eyes lit up and a grin graced his face. "Really? I'd love to accompany you."

"Killian Jones, I'm pretty sure I told you that you were stuck with me this morning so I think you should get used to the idea."

He laughed. "If this is what being stuck with you is like then I'd say I'd be happy to be in this position for as long as you'll have me."

She leaned in and kissed him on his cheek. The man gave her butterflies every other minute. She was fairly sure that Karma was looking out for her and that he was a holiday miracle she'd been hoping for that year. "I'll get ready and I can come by your place to pick you up."

He leaned in closely and whispered into her ear. "That sounds great although I will miss you the moment I leave. Perhaps you should pack a bag too. I hear there is a possibility of snow later this evening and I know for a fact that my refrigerator is stocked and I have plenty of wood to burn in the fireplace."

"You're making me want to skip the party all together. "

He nibbled at her earlobe. "I can't let you do that Love, I don't want your friends to hate me before they've even met me."

She closed her eyes letting the sensation take over as he continued kissing down her neck. "You don't fight fair do you?"

He laughed. "No, I don't and as you said, I'm stuck with you."

"Well, you win. I'll pick you up and bring my bag. Sitting by the fireplace with you sounds nice."

"Good, then it's a date."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She dressed in her soft satin green dress that hugged her curves letting her wavy blonde locks hang down against her bare back. She couldn't stop smiling at the thought of seeing him again. He was right because the moment he left she missed him.

She pulled up to his beautiful brick house. She climbed the stairs to the door with her bag in hand. She was just about to knock when the door sprang open and he pulled her into his arms pressing his lips to hers. She giggled against his lips. "Easy Tiger."

"I'm sorry Love, I just missed you and have been thinking about you from the moment I left."

She smiled softly. "Me too."

"You look stunning."

She felt the blush creep up on her cheeks. "Thanks, not so bad yourself."

"Let me take your bag. Please come in."

He led her through the hallway into the main room. The fireplace was old stone and beautiful. He had a low fire lit in it already and the room was toasty warm.

"Your home is beautiful Killian."

He scratched behind his ear and smiled. "It was left to me by my grandfather. One of his many homes but this was always my favorite place to visit when I was a boy."

She took his hand and squeezed.

"I'll just take your bag upstairs and be right down. I can give you the tour later if you like. I know we are pressed for time."

"Thank you, I'd love that."

She looked around the room and its rich colors were inviting. She noticed a few family photos on his mantle. He and another boy in one and then who she assumed was the same man in the one next to it.

"That's my brother Liam."

She turned to face him and smiled. "These are great."

He was next to her picking up the frame. "Liam lives in London right now. He comes to visit every 3 months or so when he can. He's an attorney for a global corporation so they keep him busy."

"Both of you are lawyers?"

"Aye, but the corporate stuff was never for me. I like helping people who need it."

She turned to face him placing her hand over his heart. "I like that about you."

He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Shall we go? I'm rather eager to go so we can get back if I'm being honest."

She laughed. "Yes, if we stay any longer I don't think we'll make it at all."

He nodded and grabbed his coat. "Why don't you allow me to drive? Not that I don't think your bug can handle the snow, I just think perhaps my truck might be better for this type of weather."

"That sounds great and you're right. It isn't exactly an all-terrain vehicle."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~K&E~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was so much more to Killian Jones than she first realized. He'd helped her into her seat and closed her door. He was a complete gentleman in every way and she was embarrassed to admit that her feelings were running away with her.

He held her hand as they drove to Mary Margaret and David's. Of course their home looked impeccable, a holiday card if she'd ever saw one. He helped her from the truck and she took his hand as they approached the door. She couldn't wait for her friends to meet him.

Mary Margaret appeared at the door smiling. "Merry Christmas Emma! Oh and you brought a friend."

"This is Killian Jones."

"Welcome to our home Killian. Come on in, everyone is in the kitchen as usual."

"Thank you. You have a lovely home."

"David, Can you come take coats?"

She watched as David came tearing around the corner. "It's just Emma… Oh, Hi."

"David, this is Killian."

He extended his hand towards the man with the gaping mouth. "Nice to meet you mate."

"Nice to meet you as well. Let me take your coats and how about I give Killian a tour. "

He looked at her with a question in his eyes. She nodded and gave his hand a squeeze. "Go ahead. I'll be waiting in the kitchen."

"Come on Killian. Let me show you my man cave."

She watched as they walked off and shook her head.

"Emma! You didn't tell me you were bringing someone and I thought Mr. Wonderful had blonde hair? I mean the piercing blue eyes but he has dark hair?"

She bit on her lip and smiled. "That isn't Mr. Wonderful, although I would say the name suits him just fine. Killian was at the bar with me before Mr. NOT so Wonderful showed up. He and I got to talking and hit it off. It was actually a good thing I met him because my date was a perverted creep."

"Oh My Gosh, Emma, I'm so sorry. I'm glad Killian was there if that's the kind of man who showed up."

"What kind of man, who showed up?" asked Ruby.

"Emma brought a date."

"Mr. Wonderful was that Wonderful huh? See I told you to give the dating app a try."

She shook her head and then explained to Ruby what happened.

Ruby's grin was bright across her face. "Oh Emma, Where's Killian now? I want to meet the guy you couldn't keep your hands off of for the last 24 hours. "

She smiled. "David's hijacked him to show him his man cave."

"Of course, I still can't' believe you brought a date, Emma I'm so excited."

Mary Margaret smiled brightly and held her hands in front of her. "I mean she even brought him to the party? That's saying something."

"Mary Margaret, it is. He's amazing and I just feel better being around him. God, I even missed him when he went home. I'm staying at his place tonight, which is beautiful by the way. I was a little shocked when I pulled up to his house."

Mary Margaret smiled and Ruby was clapping her hands. "Finally!" they said in unison.

She shook her head. "Come on, let's get a drink and please behave. No third degree tonight. It's a holiday party."

They had a perfectly festive night with her friends, who were on their best behavior. Everyone seemed to love Killian as much as she did. She really liked seeing him interact with her friends, family really. They were very much in sync and throughout the party he would grab her hand and hold the small of her back if they were next to each other. She loved these little touches and gestures letting her know he was thinking about her, not to mention the fact that they were driving her crazy. Especially now that he knew her sensitive spot lay between her shoulder blades and kept deliberately touching her there. He really didn't fight fair.

The snow started falling shortly after they arrived but now it was starting to pick up. In fear that they'd all need to spend the night everyone decided to gather their things and head home. While she loved her friends, the thought of sitting in front of the fire with Killian was extremely appealing.

Killian shook David's hand while she was hugging Mary Margaret.

"Thank you for having me. I had a lovely evening."

Emma squeezed his hand. "Thanks you guys. Everything was great."

David held Mary Margaret in that special way showing just how together they were. "It was our pleasure. I hope we see you again soon. Don't forget you owe me a game of darts Killian."

"I won't mate. I'll check my calendar when I'm back at the office and we'll work out a time."

"Sounds good."

"Ready Love?"

"Yes."

"Goodnight, Drive safe!"

They waved their goodbyes and he held her close as they walked through the snowy weather to his car. The flakes were bouncing against the twinkling lights on their house. They got to the car and she couldn't help but stop to watch. "This is so beautiful."

Killian was staring towards her. "Aye."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close. His lips against hers were warming them up from the recent chill. She couldn't resist kissing him in such a beautiful setting. "Thank you so much for going with me."

"It was my pleasure. Your friends are lovely and thank you for taking me to meet them. "

"I should warn you, David is really competitive."

He waggled his eyebrows. "So am I."

"Great, then I can't wait to see you play."

"I'm glad to hear you say that because it means you feel things are going well between us too."

She nodded. "Honestly, I feel like you've been in my life forever and that this was just one day in it. I can't imagine not having you part of it now."

He held her close and kissed the now snow covered top of her head. "I feel the same way. Now let's get you in the car before you catch a chill. There's a fireplace with our names on it and some mugs of hot cocoa."

"Mmm, make mine with whipped cream and cinnamon."

"Cinnamon?"

"Yeah, it's a thing Mary Margaret and I started when we were girls."

"Sounds good. I'll give it a try."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He drove them slowly and safely back to his house. They admired all of the holiday displays along the way that now looked even more beautiful with the snow covering them. By the time they reached his place the snow was about 6 inches and she quickly realized she'd been wearing the wrong shoes for this weather. Killian noticed too. As he helped her from the car he pulled her up into his arms and carried her to the door.

"Thank you. Killian you are a gentleman."

"Of course milady. As you know I have a soft spot for a woman in distress."

She laughed." Well, I do appreciate you saving my shoes and plan to make that up to you tonight."

He took her hand. "I can't wait. Let's get you inside then."

The house was still toasty warm and it certainly helped to shake the cold from her bones. He made good on his offer for hot chocolate while she sat by the fire. He did one better and actually put the whipped cream on top with the cinnamon too.

"When I was in the kitchen the weather forecast stated it would continue snowing throughout the next two days."

She looked up from her cocoa with wide eyes. "Two Days? That's Christmas Eve."

He swiped his thumb against the top of her nose collecting the whipped cream she'd managed to get on it. "Do you have plans for Christmas Eve?"

She looked down and away, she hadn't really told him about her family situation. "Well, not really. Sometimes I go to Mary Margaret's if I'm not working."

He took her hand and inched closer to her. "Well it so happens that I'm free and like I said my refrigerator is stocked. How about spending the holiday with me? After all the weather forecast did say it would be snowing and I can hardly see me wanting you to leave any time soon."

She inched closer to him. "I'd love to spend the holiday with you."

That night when she lay in Killian's arms snuggled under the warm velvet blanket all she could think was that maybe her holiday wish did come true and someone was looking out for her. She leaned over and kissed his cheek before snuggling back against him. He really did rescue her and from the looks of it she rescued him right back.