Your Case or Mine
Chapter 28
When Emma arrived at work on Monday morning - granted, not as early as she would've liked, due to the rigamarole of signing out her guns again, and the captious old guy processing her return-to-work papers - she knew Will would have some 'surprise' waiting for her.
It came in the form of her desk being decorated with balloons, streamers and confetti that she suspected she'd be finding in the nooks and crannies of her work space for weeks to come. Alongside that, she received whistles and applause from the entire bullpen the moment she walked through the door.
Rolling her eyes at the fuss they were making, despite the grin she also wore, she revelled in how good it felt to finally be back at work. She'd thrown herself into the job since the first day she'd started as a rookie all those years ago. Little did she realize back then, that she'd find a family there, and find a place where she finally felt she belonged.
"Welcome back, mate. We've missed ya like mad."
Will was perched on the edge of her ridiculously decorated desk, grinning as she made her way over. He wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug, which she returned easily. She wasn't a hugger, especially not in front of the whole bullpen, but for all Will had done for her before, during and after her ordeal with Neal, she could grant him a free pass for a hug on her first day back at work, at least.
"I'm glad to be back," she said sincerely, "Though I hate what you've done to my desk."
She raised an eyebrow, brushing some glittery streamers off her keyboard with another roll of her eyes. Will sniggered.
"Well, we also got ya a box of pastries for breakfast an' Sydney brought in the proper good George Howell coffee for us all. Yours is there next to the box of goodies."
Emma's face lit up as her eyes fell on the confectioner's box. She immediately opened it and grabbed a pastry, sighing at the deliciousness of the first bite.
"This is very appreciated," she said around a mouthful of cinnamon pastry, "I'll have to try the almost dying thing again if I get free pastries when I come back to work."
Will scowled at her dark humor, clicking his tongue in disapproval as he moved back to his own desk opposite hers.
"Not funny, Swan. Feels like you've been gone a decade. This place falls apart without ya. Leroy's been struttin' round like a royal dick'ead 'cause he got two cases closed in a week. Without you 'ere with your weekly close rate doublin' that and puttin' 'im in his place, he's been insufferable."
Emma glanced over at Leroy, one of the older detectives who had initially been resistant to the idea of a woman (especially a woman young enough to be his daughter) getting her detective shield in Homicide. He was a decent cop, from the few times she'd worked closely with him, but his 'old fashioned' mentality irritated the hell out of her most of the time and she wasn't afraid to call him out on his bullshit. He'd come to respect her for that though, and he'd become much less of a male chauvinist over the years.
"Well, I'm here again now and we can all go back to normal."
She said, matter-of-factly, while also giving Will a careful side-eye to gauge a reaction. She was suspicious that he was going to have some kind of Mariachi band spontaneously appear and parade through the station as a way to welcome her back. Or something equally as quirky and mortifying.
Will simply rolled his eyes at her, and she couldn't quite tell if he'd finally developed a poker face, or if he'd done as she'd told him for once, and not arranged some over-dramatic demonstration.
She eyed him with suspicion for a few more moments, before she turned her attention to her computer as she loaded it up. She knew she'd have a mountain of emails to wade through, and she still had to have her 'official' return to work meeting with David, but all she wanted to do was get a new case file in her hands and get on with her job.
After spending the first hour and a half of her day getting on top of those backed up emails, and the hour after that convincing David she was not going to settle for desk duty for her first two weeks back, Emma was more than ready to break for lunch.
Everyone else was knee-deep in their own cases, and she was itching to land one of her own. Will had joked that her shrink might rethink her sign-off if she saw how eager Emma was for a new murder case, and she'd shot him an icy glare of bemusement.
The two of them had headed out for lunch together then though, and Emma found herself thankful for the easy normalcy they'd slipped back into on her first day back. It felt like a lifetime ago that they'd grabbed a to-go bag from Granny's and sat in Will's car, eating their food and chatting about work, or one of the TV shows they both watched.
Will asked how she was finding it, being back after her longest stint of time off. Emma shrugged, swallowing her mouthful of grilled cheese before answering.
"I've actually kinda enjoyed doing scut work. Reminds me of my rookie days," she admitted, "But I'll be glad to get back to running my own cases again, don't get me wrong."
"Yeah, you'll crack up if you ain't back to bein' in charge again soon, and we all know it."
Will joked. Emma shot him an icy glare, and then turned her attention back to her lunch. But Will could tell there was something on her mind, so he eyed her for a moment, making his tone as casual as possible.
"So…spoken to Killian lately?"
He asked, causing Emma's gaze to snap up to meet his, immediately narrowing with suspicion.
"Why?"
He shrugged, much too nonchalantly.
"No reason. Just wonderin'."
But Emma wasn't buying it. He'd always been a terrible liar and she saw through him easily.
"Scarlet, you're the shittiest liar I've ever known. Have you…spoken to him, or something?"
She was a little flustered, her cheeks pink, and it intrigued him. It was his turn to narrow his eyes, and she broke his gaze when he did. Even more interesting. He only hoped that Killian hadn't slipped up and given away the surprise they had planned for that evening. Though he suspected that if he had, Emma would have chewed him out on it already, knowing her aversion to birthday celebrations.
"Why you so worried 'bout me speakin' to 'im? What you two been up to, hmm? More than just textin' goin' on now, eh?"
Emma flushed a deep pink, attempting to roll her eyes to dissipate some embarrassment, but it only served to amuse Will even more. He shook his head.
"Nowt to be embarrassed about, Swan. I'm glad you're talking again-"
"I accidentally called him my boyfriend after we had phone sex."
She blurted our suddenly, and like the last time she'd dropped one on him like that, Will spluttered in shock. Thankfully, this time he hadn't had a mouthful of sandwich to choke on, too.
"I'm sorry, you're gonna 'ave to rewind that one for me."
With her lunch forgotten on her lap, her appetite waning, Emma covered her face with her hands and sighed in exasperation.
"You heard me. I'm not repeating that."
Will stared at her, dumbfounded. She did tend to have a habit of bottling things up and then dropping revelations on him out of the blue. It's how they usually ended up talking about most 'difficult' topics. And yet, she still always managed to render him speechless for a moment each time.
Composing himself, Will shook his head.
"Forgive me, mate, but I ain't sure what the main issue is 'ere…the boyfriend thing or the…uh, phone sex thing."
It was Will's turn to flush, flashbacks to the incident with the cameras in the Lexington house plaguing him. Emma winced in embarrassment, shifting her focus to the lunch bag in her lap and restlessly toying with the edge of it just for something to do with her hands.
"The…boyfriend thing," she said quietly, "The other thing isn't an issue."
Will's eyes widened, and Emma once again felt her cheeks heat up at her own offhand admission.
"Oh. So you two are…doin' that on the regular then, eh?"
Will teased, trying to lighten the somewhat-awkward tension filling the car, and she rolled her eyes at him.
He didn't want her to shut down and dismiss the subject, if the tension became more than she could handle, when it was clearly something she wanted to talk about in her own blunt and refreshingly honest way. He was always glad that she felt she could talk to him like that.
"Well, what's the big deal 'bout the label? It's just a word, Swan. Did he freak out about it?"
"No…he just made a joke, because he knew I'd freaked myself out with it, I guess. I didn't meant to-…it just slipped out. But I've been overthinking it, and maybe he made light of it and changed the subject because it made him uncomfortable. Maybe he just didn't want to outright shoot it down right after we'd just…y'know."
Will burst out laughing, startling Emma, and she turned to stare at him, somewhat offended by his reaction when she was opening up to him. He covered his mouth have her a sheepish, apologetic look.
"Sorry, but…ya can't be serious. You really think that bloke wouldn't wanna throw a National bloody holiday hearin' you call 'im that? Fuckin' 'ell, mate, you really are dense as a bloody brick sometimes, ain't ya?"
He was chuckling to himself, shaking his head in disbelief that she could think for a minute that Killian wouldn't be thrilled to hear her finally label what they had. They'd been dancing around each other for long enough, and the conversation had made Will even more reassured that his and David's meddling to help bring Killian back to Boston had been a good idea.
Emma looked pained for a moment, and then sighed.
"It's not…I just…I shouldn't have said it. It wasn't fair to him," she said quietly and Will frowned, confused, as Emma sighed heavily before continuing, "I can't expect him to…settle, for this. For a long distance thing, indefinitely. It's not fair. He deserves more than a fucking virtual relationship."
"Ever thought maybe he's more than happy with bein' with you in any way he can be? And indefinitely doesn't mean forever," at Emma's inquiring gaze, he quickly pressed on before he roused her suspicions, "And what about what you deserve, Emma? Don't you deserve to be happy, even if it comes packaged a bit different to 'ow you think a relationship should look?"
Emma paused for a moment, choked with emotion as she stared at her friend.
"I…maybe I do. Maybe I'm fed up of being an island, and playing it safe by keeping people at arm's length when they try to get close. Maybe I want something real and to take a leap of faith. But phone sex and our entire relationship being through texts and phonecalls isn't enough. I…I miss him."
A single tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away, shaking her head at herself. Will reached over, grabbing her hand and squeezing gently.
"Bet he misses you, too, love. I think we all know how he felt 'bout ya when he was 'ere. Doubt that's changed at all. And for what it's worth…I'm really happy for ya. I know it ain't the ideal situation, but just a few months ago, you woulda smacked me upside th'ead and run screamin' in the opposite direction if I'd told ya you'd 'ave feelings for someone now. That's a lotta progress, and ya should give yaself credit for it."
Emma smiled sadly and sighed, but left her hand in his.
"Guess the therapy has been good for me. And it's nice of you to say that, but this is real life, Scarlet. This isn't the movies; it isn't some fairytale, bullshit lie of a story. It's real life. I'm…I'm just me. And I might not be as…broken, or unlovable, as I'd convinced myself I was. But that doesn't mean that this…that I am gonna be enough for him, long-term. Happy endings don't really happen in real life. Not for me, anyway."
She tried to shrug it off, to play down how much it hurt to think about losing Killian when he inevitably (in her mind) realized he needed more than phone sex and good morning texts out of a relationship. But it fell short, and before she could fight them back, more tears had escaped down her cheeks.
Will's heart ached seeing her cry - something Emma rarely did in front of anyone else, even him.
"Emma, you solve some of the toughest, most brutal crimes; you've worked so bloody hard to be where you are. And you're tellin' me you don't believe in a wee bit of magic? You deserve that happy ending, Swan. And don't sell yaself short…you've been enough for him since day one."
She looked up at him with eyes full of tears, her chin trembling slightly.
"Maybe it was just timin'. And you know if it were up to me, I'd take away everythin' that's hurtin' ya, 'cause I hate seein' ya cry, mate. But just 'cause he had to leave, doesn't mean he won't come back. At some point, things'll fall into place for ya both, and you'll pick up where ya left of, I can just feel it, or summat. I bet it'll be like no time has passed for ya when that 'appens. And the timin' will be right then; it'll work out for you both, I know it will."
Emma sniffled, shaking her head.
"You really did become a giant sap while I was gone, didn't you?" She gave him a tearful smile and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek, "Thank you, Will. I don't know if you're right, but thank you for making me feel better."
He grinned back at her and nodded, finally letting go of her hand and taking a bite of his forgotten sandwich. Emma wiped her tears, hoping it wouldn't be too blatantly obvious she'd been crying when they went back into the precinct, and wrapped up the rest of her lunch for later. Talking about heavy topics always zapped her appetite.
When they returned to work shortly after, Emma busied herself with paperwork, got up-to-date on all active cases the department had under investigation, and even volunteered for some more 'scut work' for her involved following up on lab work for Leroy's case, volunteering for some good old door-to-door to collect possible witness statements on Kristoff's case, and collecting seized evidence from the coroner on Sydney's case.
By the time she'd finished running around doing a lot of the jobs she hadn't needed to do since her days as a rookie (and if she was honest, she'd loved spending an afternoon getting back to her roots and reminding herself about what had made her fall in love with police work in the first place), it was closing in on 5pm. She couldn't quite believe how quickly her first day back had gone, once she'd jumped right back into it.
She was as reluctant as always to head out once her shift was over, and it wasn't unusual for Will to pester her and usher her out, to ensure she didn't end up working overtime. So when he was badgering her and reminding her that she'd promised she'd go for drinks with him and the rest of the team after her first shift back, she didn't find it particularly suspicious.
By 6pm, she'd gotten fed up with her friend and partner whining at her, and acquiesced to shutting down her computer and heading out for the day. She went to change, swapping her work shirt for the same sheer red she'd worn the last time she went to the Rabbit Hole after her shift…
And that just so happened to be the night she'd met Killian, but she consciously tried to push that thought out of her mind as she brushed out her hair into loose, beachy curls. She didn't bother changing her skinny jeans or her boots. Will wolf-whistled her playfully when she reappeared, and she snarked at him for good measure.
She was still none-the-wiser as to what awaited her at the Rabbit Hole, as she pulled on her jacket and followed Will out of station…
CS
Killian had spent the day organising the office space that had been allocated to the MBI BAU, and trying not to think about that evening too much. Because thinking about it led to sweaty palms and distraction and a slightly nauseating fear that she'd react badly to him showing up out of the blue.
With the way the intimacy in their long-distance relationship had been blossoming, it gave him hope that she wouldn't shut him down too quickly. That, and the fact that she'd maybe, kind of, sort of slipped up and indirectly called him her boyfriend on the phone, without panicking and immediately hanging up.
He was anxious about her potentially feeling betrayed by him again though, when she found out he'd kept his move to Boston a secret. He couldn't bear to see her angry or hurt by his lie of omission. But Will had repeatedly reassured him that it would work out, and he simply had to trust that her best friend knew her well enough to know best.
So, he'd kept himself busy all day, which hadn't been hard, considering how much there was to do in preparation for interviews and the unit officially getting up and running. He'd pointedly avoided going to Granny's for lunch, worried that either the old woman herself, or Ruby, might slip up and mention him being there to Emma.
The only thing worse than her finding out he'd kept his presence in the city from her, would be her finding out from someone else.
When 5pm rolled around, Elsa and Anna were eagerly rushing him out of the door, ignoring all protests, and insisting that he got ready early so they weren't late for the party.
Killian suspected that if anyone was going to be late though, it'd be Emma, especially because she didn't even know the party was happening. He knew she'd probably want to stay at the office late on her first day back, and it'd be down to Will to wrench her away from her desk. As far as she knew, she was just going for a few quiet drinks with her team at the Rabbit Hole after work.
When they arrived back at the hotel, Elsa fussed over what he'd wear, which slacks to pair with which jacket, and which cologne he should pick. Meanwhile, Anna went to get ready herself, knowing she'd take longer than her sister to doll herself up.
Killian knew exactly what he intended to wear though, and Elsa initially looked uncertain, until he softly admitted that it was what he'd worn the night he and Emma had first met. After hearing that, Elsa was enthusiastically on-board with his choice.
She left him alone to go and get ready herself, returning a half hour later wearing a touch of makeup and a simple, ice blue, A-line cocktail dress with a soft v-neck, that fell to her knees, paired with high-heeled, black satin evening shoes. She'd pulled her long, white-blonde hair into a braid, over one shoulder.
Killian whistled low when he saw her and she rolled her eyes with a laugh.
"You scrub up well, Ms. Arendelle."
"You're damn right I do. Now let me fix your collar and sort your hair out."
She tutted and shook her head at his 'artfully messy' look, manoeuvring him to face the mirror and getting the look of concentration on her face that Anna often teased her for, as she straightened his collar and mussed his hair just right.
When she glanced at his face in the mirror, she paused. He blinked away the expression that had made her stop her fussing, but she'd caught it. She sighed softly.
"Killian. Don't look so petrified. She's going to be so happy to see you. A little shocked at first, maybe, but…she misses you. And you know that. I know I haven't met her before - courtesy of holding the fort in Quantico while you were here for the case - so I don't really know her…but from what you've told me, and hearing the rest of the team talk about seeing the two of you together, I really don't think you have anything to worry about. I haven't seen you this nervous to see a woman in…well, ever. But stop putting so much pressure on yourself about tonight, okay? Before long it'll be like you've never been apart."
Killian swallowed hard and hesitated before finally nodding, his features relaxing marginally. He rolled his shoulders to release the tension he hadn't even realized was stiffening them, and sighed.
"I suppose I'm just a little worried she'll feel betrayed by the fact that I haven't told her I'm in the city, and I'm showing up unannounced at her surprise party. I hurt her once before and I never want to do that again."
"You're still beating yourself up over that? You had good intentions; you apologized and you've both put it behind you to become…whatever you two are, since then. She's forgiven you, hasn't she?" He nodded reluctantly and Elsa smiled, "Then forgive yourself."
He gave her a small, shaky smile in the mirror, and she carried on fussing over his hair for a moment.
"If it goes well tonight, I'm going to ask her if she'll let me take her out…on a proper date," he said suddenly, his cheeks flushing and his gaze dropping at his bashful admission, "She's told me before that she's never actually been on a real date. She was embarrassed by that. And I was just embarrassed by every man who's ever had the chance to treat her properly and failed."
Elsa was beaming back at him in the mirror with a mixture of pride and affection, her hands resting on his shoulders.
"I think it's about time you two had a 'proper date', as you called it. You've been dancing around each other for long enough. And she'll be lucky to have you," her smile became mischievous then, "Does she have any cute friends for me? Maybe a sister?"
Killian laughed, shaking his head with a roll of his eyes.
"I know she doesn't have any family, and there's only one other woman on her team, but maybe you'll meet someone at the party tonight, you never know."
Elsa giggled, patting his shoulders and canting her head towards the door.
"Speaking of the party, let's fetch Anna and get going. I'm looking forward to finally meeting the woman who's managed to put a sparkle in your eyes. And we wouldn't want to miss seeing her face when she walks in!"
CS
Emma knew she should have anticipated Will and David planning something for her return. But she'd been so preoccupied with everything else going on in her head, and with the adjustment of being back in work, that her shock was genuine when she walked through the doors of the Rabbit Hole and was greeted by everyone she knew, packed into the bar.
Will was grinning at her smugly, but she couldn't be angry when it was clear he'd gone to a lot of effort to keep it under wraps and get everyone together for it. Her co-workers and various acquaintances from other Boston PD units greeted her warmly, with a mixture of "welcome back!" and "happy belated birthday!" that she graciously accepted.
The bar was decorated with banners and balloons, and she caught sight of Granny and Ruby organizing the buffet table. Will (and probably David, she guessed) had thought of everything.
She shrugged off her coat, thanked a few more people as they greeted her, and walked over to say hi to Granny and Ruby. She thanked them for showing up and providing the food, chatting for a minute until Will joined them, his jittery demeanor making her suspicious.
"What's up with you?"
She asked cautiously, and he chuckled a little nervously in response, shaking his head, gaze darting off to the side, somewhere behind her. She frowned, glancing over her shoulder to follow his gaze…and froze.
The rest of the room suddenly faded out, her blood rushing in her ears and the air backing up in her lungs as she met Killian's gaze. She was frozen to the spot, forgetting how to breath for a long moment as everything but him became a blur.
Before her brain was properly functioning again, she found herself moving towards him, her heart pounding and her hands shaking. She didn't stop to think about it as she reached him and threw her arms around his neck, practically launching herself into his embrace. He caught her by the waist, happy laughter bubbling out of him as his arms wrapped around her and he buried his face into her neck.
He was pleasantly surprised by her reaction to seeing him again, having prepared himself for her being wary or awkward around him at first, and startled by his unannounced appearance. He hadn't, however, anticipated a very enthused, very public display of affection. He knew she wasn't a hugger, she'd already told him that before, so it took his breath away when she'd practically ran across the bar and into his arms.
"What are you-…how…when-?"
Emma could barely string words together when she pulled back to look at him, her eyes wide and full of awe that he was really there. Killian smiled softly, hands resting on her waist before he lifted one to brush a thumb against her cheek.
"Will invited me. Hope you don't mind me crashing your party, darling," he joked, and then his voice dropped to barely more than a gentle whisper, "Gods, I've missed you, Emma."
She didn't even care that her co-workers were all staring at them, or that their embrace was very obviously much more than platonic. She knew there'd been plenty of rumors around the station since they'd been undercover, and during everything that had followed, but she couldn't have cared less in that moment. Not when he was real and standing right in front of her again, instead of just a picture on her phone screen.
"When did you get here? Will knew and he didn't tell me? He's a dick…"
Killian laughed lightly and tucked her hair behind her ear.
"I arrived on Saturday. And yes, Will knew, but I suspect he thought it would ruin the surprise if he told you I was here."
Emma's jaw dropped, and then she frowned as her mind worked overtime.
"So you were…when we FaceTimed on Saturday night…you were here? You were in the city?"
She could feel her cheeks burning, and he looked momentarily forlorn as he nodded.
"Aye. I was in the same hotel as last time. And believe me, Swan, it took every ounce of willpower I had not to give in and tell you I was just ten minutes away from you when…when you said you wished I was there."
He chose his words carefully, mindful that there were plenty people around and that their activities on the phone didn't need to be public knowledge. Emma was still staring at him in shock.
"So, you're not really here for work? The paperwork you were doing…?"
"Oh, I do have work commitments here as well, that much was true. And the paperwork wasn't a lie. Apparently, running a new department involves massacring a lot of trees. I got an offer-"
Emma shook her head, her previous confusion and shock pushed aside.
"Actually, you know what, I don't care. I don't care how, or why, I'm just…I'm glad you're here."
She folded herself into his arms again, hugging him tightly and basking in the way it felt to have him hold her once more. She'd spent so many nights aching for this simple act, for the warm, strong, safety of his arms around her.
"Do I get a formal introduction at some point this evening?"
A woman's voice she didn't recognize came from behind Killian, and finally snapped the two of them out of their moment. They pulled apart, and Killian cleared his throat, turning a little to introduce them, but keeping one arm around her, as though he couldn't bear not to be touching her in some way now that they were together again.
"Sorry, lass. Uh…Emma, this is Elsa. Elsa, Emma."
Emma looked between Killian and Elsa for a moment, her heart clenching and stomach dropping just a little. She gave an awkward nod of greeting, and a mumbled "hi", as Elsa beamed at her. Killian scratched behind his ear and canted his head towards the bar.
"I'll get us some drinks. Do you want to get us a booth, Swan? We've got plenty to catch up on."
The nervousness in his expression made Emma's stomach drop even more, but she nodded numbly. Elsa followed Killian to the bar, and Emma watched with growing unease as Elsa lay her hand on his arm as they spoke.
By the time the two of them returned, Killian giving her a somewhat shaky smile as he placed her usual, rum and coke, down front of her, she was knotting her hands anxiously in her lap.
"So, uh, how'd you two meet?"
Emma blurted out awkwardly, once Elsa and Killian had slipped into the booth. Killian gave her a slightly curious look, but Elsa answered.
"We've worked together for…what, almost a year now?"
Killian nodded, taking a sip of his drink. Emma focused on her glass, gently drumming her fingers against the side of it as she made a non-committal noise.
"You weren't here for the case…"
She said casually, and Elsa shook her head.
"No, I was holding the fort in Quantico, working on an earlier case that was still ongoing. A few of us stayed back when most of the team came to Boston. That's usually how we do it."
"Oh. Cool."
Emma said flatly. She had a knot in her stomach and the way Killian was looking at her so intensely wasn't helping. The pure happiness she'd felt when she'd seen him again had turned into a sharp knife in her gut.
Elsa went quiet for a moment, and then suddenly started laughing. Both Emma and Killian's heads snapped up and they stared at her, completely bewildered by her sudden, unprompted laughter.
"We're not…you're thinking we're here together, aren't you?"
Emma's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed, feeing put on the spot by Killian's date. She mumbled something non-committal and Elsa laughed again.
"Oh gosh, no. I mean, I love Killian…like a brother, or something. He's my boss. I'm just here, as in here in the city, with him. Along with my sister, Anna. She's over there talking to one of your friends. Oh god, I've really made things weird here! I'm so sorry. Killian is…uhm, not exactly my type!" She giggled, "I'm gonna…leave you guys to talk. But rest assured, Emma. This one only has eyes for you!"
Elsa slipped out of the booth with a wink at Emma then, and left them in a somewhat awkward silence, until Killian shook his head in amusement over the apparent miscommunication and chuckled, which quickly turned into full-blown, infectious laughter between the two of them.
When Emma finally caught her breath, wiping her eyes as her giggles subsided, she smiled guiltily.
"I'm sorry for assuming that you two were…y'know."
Killian sighed, but returned her smile.
"Swan, don't you remember what I said to you the other night on the phone? I have absolutely no interest in anyone but you. And I've been yours since the moment we met."
Emma swallowed, the words somehow hitting differently when he was right there in front of her, in person, saying them, with an earnest expression on his face that made her want to kiss him right there and then.
"And besides," Killian continued with a cheeky grin, "You are much more Elsa's type than I am, darling."
It took a moment for the penny to drop, but when it did, Emma felt even more stupid for jumping to conclusions about his relationship with her. She covered her face with her hands and groaned.
"I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot. I jumped to a stupid conclusion and I-…I know you're not like that. You wouldn't have kept the phone thing going with me if you were seeing someone else. I'm sorry for making that assumption."
Killian reached across the table and grabbed one of her hands, interlacing his fingers with hers and smiling lovingly at her.
"It's alright, love, no need for apologies."
David clearing his throat had both of them jumping, letting go of each other's hands and snapping their attention to him, as he stood at the end of the booth with his hands on his hips.
"Sorry to interrupt your romantic little reunion in the corner, but my wife would very much like to be properly introduced to Killian here," he tried to look bemused but failed, nodding his head over to where Mary Margaret was ordering drinks at the bar, "So perhaps you can save your canoodling for after the party, and come and socialize for awhile?"
He gave Emma a pointed look, like a father disapproving of his teenage daughter caught getting cozy with a boy, and she returned it with a sheepish smile and a roll of her eyes as she shuffled out of the booth.
Killian followed, suddenly feeling as though he was about to 'meet the parents', even though he knew that was ridiculous. But he was aware of how much David and his wife meant to Emma, and how they had practically taken on the role of surrogate parents, despite not being that much older than her.
He remembered Emma telling him how David's wife had decorated her apartment and made it a home for her. And he wanted the woman to like him, because he knew that unspoken acceptance would mean something to Emma.
"Honey," David started, and Mary Margaret turned with drinks in her hands, her face lighting up, "I found them."
"Hi, M&Ms."
Emma said affectionately, unsurprised when Mary Margaret handed the drinks to David and pulled her in for a bear hug. Killian smiled as she turned her attention to him.
"And you must be Killian! Well, you're even more handsome than William said!"
Emma rolled her eyes and Killian chuckled, scratching behind his ear bashfully, taken off guard a little when Mary Margaret pulled him in for a hug, too.
"It's wonderful to meet you, Killian. I've heard many good things!" She winked, causing Emma to hiss her name in warning and Killian's cheeks to flush, "I'm glad you could make it, anyway. I'm sure things are very busy for you at the moment-"
Killian coughed then, his previously flushed cheeks suddenly paling, and Emma frowned in confusion. Mary Margaret looked between them, and quickly realized that there was an important conversation they had yet to have, so she quickly changed the subject.
"So, FBI work. That sounds important and exciting…"
She smiled sweetly, and Killian laughed, shaking his head. They engaged in easy, amicable conversation then, as he told her about his job. She listened with rapt attention, intrigued by the whole concept of behavior analysis.
Emma ducked away momentarily to grab the drinks they'd left at their table, and when she returned, handing Killian his glass, he slipped his other arm casually around her waist. She was a little surprised by how natural it felt, and leaned into him ever so slightly.
They chatted away with David and Mary Margaret for awhile, until Will stood up on a chair and tapped his glass, drawing everyone's attention to him. He proceeded to make a slightly tipsy speech celebrating Emma's belated birthday and her much-anticipated return to work, causing her to press her face into Killian's shoulder in embarrassment.
"He's such a dick," she groaned, but it lacked any malice, "I'm gonna withhold his Pop Tarts for a whole week."
Killian laughed, watching Will almost take a tumble as Anna helped him down from the chair. He grinned, noting how well the two of them seemed to be getting along.
After a brief round of socializing with many of the people from her work who'd turned up, mostly out of courtesy, as some she'd only actually spoken to or worked with in passing, Emma and Killian returned to the booth they'd been sat in earlier, content to sip their drinks, pick at the food from the buffet, and enjoy each other's company.
Killian had noticed that there was the slightest wariness to her demeanor though, and he wondered about it. She was clearly happy to have him there, which had been a relief, but…she was still somehow holding back. And he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was that made him feel that way.
"So…uh, how long have we got?"
Emma asked quietly. The question threw him for a moment, and he frowned. She was staring down into her drink, consciously keeping her expression passive.
"What do you mean, love?"
Emma lifted a guarded gaze to his, and suddenly it all made sense to him, as she clarified.
"Before you leave again. How long have we got?"
She was holding back to protect herself. He hadn't told her yet that his trip wasn't temporary this time, and she was preparing herself to say goodbye and feel the pain of that all over again. He gulped down a large mouthful of his drink for liquid courage, and then found her gaze once more as he took a shaky breath.
"I…I haven't been entirely truthful with you, Swan."
Emma's heart stuttered and she stared at him silently, her mind going to a thousand places, none of which were good, as she waited for him to explain. He folded his hands on the table, clearly trying to piece the words together in his head before he began.
"I…I told you last night that I was travelling for work. And that was partly true. I'm-…well, I was offered a job here, to start up a Boston BAU. And I said yes. So I'm not so much travelling for work as…moving for work. And for a certain beautiful blonde that I just can't seem to live without."
Emma's jaw dropped and she stared at him, her heart and her head running a thousand miles miles a minute as she tried to process what he'd just told her.
"Y-you're…you're staying? For good?"
She practically squeaked, her voice shrill and breathless. Killian nodded, watching her carefully to gauge her reaction. She jumped up suddenly, grabbing one of his hands and tugging him out of the booth. He followed, confused and a little perplexed, but allowed her to drag him towards the back of the bar, into a small, empty hallway.
She turned then, and before he had a chance to do anything but grunt in surprise, she had him pressed against a wall, kissing him with bruising passion. He melted into her kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet slightly.
He'd dreamed about kissing her again, every night since he'd left, the intoxicating memory of her invading every thought and every second he'd spent in her company that night. But the memory of her lips against his paled in comparison to the real thing. The way she clung to him, as though she never wanted to let go, and the taste of rum and coke that lingered on her tongue, had him addicted all over again in seconds.
As he gently lowered her to her feet again, she broke the kiss, leaning her forehead against his with her eyes still closed and her chest heaving. He brushed her hair back behind her ear and let his fingers linger tenderly against her cheek, savoring the feeling of having her so close again, finally.
"I've wanted to do that for-"
"I love you."
She whispered, cutting him off and opening her eyes to meet his stunned gaze. She looked both relieved and petrified at the same time, the words that scared her so much now lingering between them as she held her breath and looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes, waiting for his response.
He surged forward, hands sliding around her neck to pull her into another kiss. He didn't hold back, kissing her as though it was the last thing he'd ever do. His tongue met hers, and he turned them so that she had her back to the wall then, never breaking the kiss.
She whimpered into it, her hands gripping the lapels of his shirt as he kissed her more thoroughly than she'd ever been kissed before. They were both gasping for breath when he pulled back, the heat between them almost sizzling. He took a second to let their worlds stop spinning and smiled softly at her, meeting her gaze and holding it, still in awe.
"I love you, too, darling. More than I can put into words," he laughed breathlessly, feeling giddy with the endorphins, "Bloody hell, I've dreamed of hearing you say that so many times, Emma."
"Figured you two woulda snuck off for a snog."
They sprang apart guiltily, despite knowing they weren't doing anything wrong, as Will's amused voice broke the magic of their moment. They were both blushing and licking their lips, causing Will to smirk.
"Some people are headin' off, Swan, so thought you might wanna say bye. And have some cake seein' as Granny's cut it up now. Not that you ain't already gettin' some sugar."
He wiggled his eyebrows in a ridiculous manner and Emma shot him a death glare, the effect of which was dulled by the fact that her cheeks were burning from being caught making out like naughty teenagers. He threw them an over-exaggerated wink before leaving them alone again, and Emma shoved her hands into the back pockets of her skinny jeans with a shy smile.
"Do you wanna stick around and maybe…come back to my place afterwards?"
She asked, her tone just a little nervous and unsure. She was still reeling somewhat from the fact that she'd blurted out how she felt about him and the world hadn't ended. But everything now was uncharted territory…that she really wanted to learn how to navigate with him.
He leaned forward and pressed a quick, tender kiss to her lips, his thumb grazing the dimple in her chin affectionately, and smiled.
"I would love to, darling."
He assured her, and she returned his smile. His heart felt lighter than it had in…well, longer than he cared to remember, if he was being honest.
Knowing Emma loved him was the most intoxicating feeling, and he better understood the term "walking on cloud nine" now, he was sure. Because that's what it felt like as she slipped her hand into his, and led the way back out to the bar.
They mingled with more of her co-workers, and Emma was properly introduced to both Elsa and Anna, without any awkward miscommunications this time. She found she got on well with Elsa, and the two had quite a lot in common. Anna seemed quite taken with Will, which she was teased mercilessly about by Elsa and Killian. Emma left the three of them talking and laughing as she went to order them another round of drinks.
August was behind the bar, while Lacey was busy collecting glasses. It was the first time she'd seen him or spoken to him since he was a suspect in their case, and she could sense that there was some residual discomfort on his part as she greeted him.
She gave him the drinks order, and when he returned with the last of them, he hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.
"Everything alright?"
Emma prompted gently. He looked startled at her perceptiveness, and offered her a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Uh, yeah. I just…I wanted to apologize, Emma," at her frown of confusion, he dropped his gaze to bar counter and began to wipe it down just for something to do with his hands as he continued, "I-…I hadn't realized you were married and I wanted to apologize for flirting with you in the past-"
Emma's eyes widened, and she suddenly felt extremely awkward. Not only had she never realized August had apparently attempted flirting with her before, but it also seemed as though he hadn't been made aware of the undercover job that had required Emma to lie to him about her relationship with Killian.
"Oh, that's-…uh, you don't need to apologize-"
"No, I do. You've always been nice to me, and I hope I never made you feel uncomfortable-"
"We're not married. Killian and I…we're not married," Emma cut him off breathlessly, and when he looked baffled, she sighed, "It was part of a UC job. I'm sure you saw it all over the news, the 'Mass Murderer' or whatever stupid name the media gave him. Killian and I were…it was part of the job. We're not married. But I had to lie and tell you we were, so I'm sorry for that. But you don't have to apologize."
August was shocked into silence for a minute, and then he laughed in disbelief.
"Wow, that's…you have an interesting life, Emma Swan," he said, and nodded In Killian's direction, "And I guess you're both good actors then, because you guys look pretty convincingly married if you ask me."
Emma flushed from her head to her toes at August's astute observation, glancing over her shoulder and meeting Killian's gaze, which softened adoringly as he smiled back at her.
"We're not. But we're…something."
She said quietly, and August watched the two of them for a moment with a small smile.
"I'm happy for you then, Emma. And just like everyone else here, I'm glad you're back."
She thanked him quietly, and Will appeared at her side suddenly then, helping her to carry the drinks over to the others.
People were starting to leave, but it would be another hour or so before the bar was mostly empty, and before Emma felt it appropriate for her to leave her own birthday/welcome back party. Not that she hadn't been itching to head back to her apartment for some private time with Killian since the second he'd said he wasn't going anywhere this time, and that their time together didn't have an expiration date.
She'd enjoyed the evening spent with those closest to her, and it had been made even more perfect having Killian by her side all night, too.
She felt as light as a feather, and just the slightest bit tipsy, as she headed out of the Rabbit Hole, with her fingers interlaced with Killian's and a dreamy smile on her face.
He hailed them a cab back to her apartment easily, and Emma curled into his side in the backseat, leaning her head on his shoulder and sighing happily.
"Tonight has been perfect."
She whispered. He pressed a kiss to her head and she looked up at him with a soft smile, which he returned, a sparkle in his eyes.
"It's nowhere near over yet, my love."
NB. They're FINALLY together again! I hope their reunion was worth the wait! (Thanks as always to my angels, Tori and Irene…mostly for yelling at me to 'make them kiss' lol. And it's not over yet! The 'reunion' continuous (gratuitously) next chapter…
Should be one more (S Rated ;) ) chapter, and then the epilogue, for those wondering how many more installments you've got coming!