Emma thanked the person who helped her unfold the stroller after she claimed it from the storage compartment of the Greyhound bus. Then she took Allison out of the baby carrier, laid her in the stroller, slipped the laptop into the storage pouch at the bottom, and hoisted the heavy duffle bag over her head, settling the strap on her shoulder and being careful not to dislodge the bouncy seat sticking out of the large side pocket.

She walked around the town where they had disembarked, trying to locate a hotel. When she spotted the distinctive Motel 6 sign, she started down the sidewalk towards it, hoping Allison's slight whimpers didn't turn into full-fledged screams before she checked into a room.

The baby slept through most of the two hours they spent on the bus. When she did wake and start to fuss, Emma was able to quiet her with a pacifier; but knew she would be getting hungry soon.

Emma didn't have a destination in mind when she got to the bus station late that morning, so she just purchased a ticket on the first bus scheduled to leave. As she looked around the town where they ended up, she realized it was much smaller than the city where they live.

Not where they live, she corrected herself; where Killian lives. At the thought of him, tears welled up in her eyes once again, even though she didn't know how she could have any left after all she shed on the bus trip.

As she passed the courthouse, she looked up to check the time on the large clock at the top of the building. It was still early afternoon, which told her that Killian wasn't even aware they were gone yet. She hated herself a little for leaving without telling him, but she knew if she had, he would try to stop her, and she couldn't let that happen.

After hearing Liam on the Facetime call the day before, Emma realized that as long as she was with Killian, he and his brother would be at odds. She had longed for a family all of her life and was determined not to be responsible for causing Killian to lose what little he had left.

So she made the most difficult decision of her life, packed up necessities for herself and Allison, withdrew a large chunk of her savings, and left the town which had become the first real home she ever had. She thought, given enough time, Killian would forget about her and move on with someone who deserved his love - someone worthy of Liam's approval.

She felt the most guilty about separating Allison from Killian, but the baby was so young that she would never remember him, and he wouldn't have to, as Liam had put it, 'be saddled' with a child who wasn't biologically his. At least that's what she tried to tell herself.

Emma left her phone behind, even though Killian gave it to her as a gift, because it was on his calling plan and she didn't want him to be able to track her through it. She also knew he would try to call or text her, and she wasn't sure she would be strong enough to resist responding to him.

By the time she reached the motel, Allison's cries were becoming more insistent and Emma had to endure eye-rolling and barely concealed disdain from the person working at the front desk. She struggled to get everything up the steps and breathed a sigh of relief when she got the room door open on the first try.

Taking a quick glance around, she took in the bland decor of the room with its gold and brown striped bedspread on the double bed, gold curtains, and mundane landscape paintings.

"Well, this is home, Alli. At least for a while," she mumbled, then set about pulling the heavy bag over her head and getting settled.

As soon as she finished feeding Allison, there was a knock at the door, so she walked over and checked through the peephole, before opening it to let in the worker who was delivering the crib she requested.

She kept herself busy for the next couple of hours by hanging up her clothes, filling the shallow dresser drawers, logging into the computer to connect to the internet, and starting some online work for Granny. When Alli began waking up from her nap, Emma glanced at the dull red numbers of the clock on the nightstand and saw it was nearing five o'clock.

She knew Killian would be getting home soon to discover they were gone.

xxxxxxxxx

Killian didn't know how long he sat in Emma and Allison's bedroom before Zeke finally got up and nudged his knee. In a daze, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled down the hallway to let the dog outside.

He had no idea how to even begin trying to locate his girlfriend and the baby he considered to be his daughter. His mind was numb as he routinely filled Zeke's food bowl and wandered around the kitchen, repeatedly scrubbing his hands through his hair.

"Why, Emma? Why, why, WHY?" he screamed into the empty house.

His mind raggedly scanned over the past few days, trying to determine what might have happened to cause her to leave. Then he remembered the Facetime call with his brother and the things she had overheard. His heart turned over in his chest as he realized she probably blamed herself for his argument with Liam.

Emma left because she thought she had split his family apart, and in the process, she destroyed the family he had with her and Allison.

xxxxxxxxx

"Hi, Killian!" Mary Margaret's cheerful voice greeted him on the phone.

"Have you talked to Emma?" he asked, without preamble.

"Not since church yesterday. Why? Is something wrong?" she responded, taking note of the urgency in his voice.

"She took Allison and left. The stroller, bouncy seat, the blanket from Granny, her duffle bag and their clothes - they're all gone. She even left her phone here, so I have no way of contacting her."

"Oh, Killian! No! She couldn't have! The three of you seemed so happy together! Why would she have done something like that?"

"I'm pretty sure it's because she overheard my brother and I disagreeing yesterday. He was being a ponce about her and the baby living here and I told him I wouldn't talk to him again, until he decided to stop being such a self-righteous arse."

"And she didn't want to be the wedge between you and Liam," Mary Margaret said, reading between the lines. "She knows how important your family is to you…"

"She's my bloody family, too! She and Allison ARE my family! What am I supposed to do? I have no idea how to find her! She just disappeared; no note, no text, no call! I looked through her phone to see if she had any recent searches that might give a clue to where she was going, but there was nothing. I don't know where to start looking. I'm just...lost."

Mary Margaret could hear the despair and defeat in his voice and did some quick thinking to come up with a way to help him. "Have you tried talking to Granny? She might know something. I'm sure Emma would be scheduled to work this week; maybe she mentioned her plans to Granny."

Emma had recently gone back to her waitressing job a few hours a week, while Allison went to the daycare where Ashley worked. She still did the paperwork for Granny on the days she wasn't in the restaurant.

"That's a good idea - I'll head over there right now. In the meantime, if you hear anything from her, please let me know right away."

"I will, Killian, and I'll be praying for all of you."

"Thanks, M's. I need all the help I can get."

xxxxxxxxx

"She called me and told me she wouldn't be able to work her shifts this week and not to schedule her again until I hear from her. Why? What's going on?" Granny asked, in response to Killian's inquiries.

"She packed up her stuff and left with Allison," he answered.

"Why on God's green earth would she do a thing like that?" the old lady exclaimed with worry and concern laced in her voice.

Killian explained what had happened with Liam the day before.

Granny looked thoughtful. "She still has my computer and is gonna keep doing that online work for me. I'll send her an email and tell her to get her tail back home!"

"You have her email? Can I get her address from you?" he asked eagerly, finally beginning to see a spark of hope in the situation.

"Of course ya can! Let me write it down."

He waited impatiently while she went into her small office, off to the side of the kitchen.

As soon as she returned and held the piece of paper out to him, he grabbed it and rushed to the door, shouting, "Thanks, Granny!"

"Let me know if you hear anything, and I'll do the same!" she called after him.

xxxxxxxxx

Killian waited until he got back to his house to compose an email on the computer instead of trying to send one through his phone. He wanted to word it carefully to avoid making it sound accusatory or angry, but he also wanted to be firm about letting her know he needed her, loved her, and wanted her to come back home.

After struggling with the wording for close to ten minutes, his muddled mind finally allowed him to create what he hoped was an effective message to his love:

Emma,

I came home from work to discover you and Allison gone without any explanation. I'm assuming it's because of what happened between myself and Liam yesterday. My brother and I have had disagreements before, and we've always worked through them, Love. I'm not worried about it, but I AM worried about you and Alli. I can't go on without my beautiful girls. Please come home, Emma - Zeke and I miss you both terribly. The house is too quiet without your wonderful laugh and Alli's cooing.

If you need me to come pick you up, just let me know where you are and I'll be there as soon as possible, no matter how late it is or how far away. Please. I NEED you in my life; I need you to come back to me, to come HOME. Please let me know that you're both okay.

I love you,

Killian

As soon as he was satisfied with it, he hit the send button and began waiting.

Five hours later, after he lost count of how many times he clicked refresh, he laid his head down on his arms and let the tears flow.

xxxxxxxxx

Emma went through the motions of taking care of Allison as her mind unhelpfully raced with thoughts of what Killian would be thinking, what he would be doing and how he would be feeling. She knew he would be hurt and probably angry, but she tried to convince herself he would understand in time that it was all for the best. He could call and tell Liam that she was no longer part of his life and the brothers' relationship would be restored.

Allison cried incessantly and couldn't be consoled, leaving Emma's nerves even more frazzled. She was sure the baby was missing her crib, her swing, being rocked in her rocking chair, Zeke...and her daddy.

Emma tried reading the four books she had packed for Alli, feeding her, bouncing her in her arms and in the bouncy seat, and singing to her, though her heart wasn't in it since all the songs she knew were ones she had learned from Killian. She gave her a bath in the sink, washing her with a rough washcloth and the bar of soap provided by the motel. She spread the scratchy bedspread on the stained carpet so the baby could do tummy time, which she usually loved because she was always entertained by Zeke, but nothing worked.

Finally, Allison cried herself into exhaustion and fell into a fitful sleep around 9:30 PM. Emma, who had been crying herself for the last two hours, took the opportunity to take a quick shower, hoping the water would wash away her sadness and exhaustion, but knowing it wouldn't because they were bone-deep.

As she settled against the headboard of the bed afterward, she pulled out the laptop intending to do a search for a bank in the area where she could open an account, because she was afraid of her money being stolen. Her email icon showed that she had some new messages, so she clicked on the one from Granny, wondering if her employer had sent her some extra work.

She expected it to contain a new inventory sheet or a receipt from an order, but what she found instead was a tongue-lashing:

Killian stopped in here today and said you took the baby and left town. What is going on in that head of yours, girl? You have a home and friends here and this is where you belong! You need to stop being so thick-headed and get your tail back here as soon as you can. We love you and Allison and we want you to come home. Don't make me break out my crossbow!

Emma choked out a laugh in the midst of her sobs. She should have figured Killian would go to Granny for any information she might have about Emma's whereabouts. After wiping her pajama sleeve across her eyes, she sat with her fingers poised above the keyboard for half-a-minute before finally typing out a reply:

I'm sorry, Granny. I can't.

Her mouth went dry when she saw Killian's name in the next email with the subject line 'please come home'. She moved her cursor over the notification and hovered her finger above the trackpad for several seconds, then closed her eyes, swallowed hard, and clicked on the trash can to delete the message.

After staring at the screen with her emotions rising back up to the surface, Emma finally closed the laptop, set it on the nightstand, scooted under the covers, and cried herself to sleep.

xxxxxxxxx

The next four days passed in a fog for Killian. He reported to work to save vacation time, just in case he had to use it to pick up Emma and Alli. That was assuming she ever got back to him. He thought about working from home, but knew all he would accomplish would be sending more emails to her, which would never get any response, just like he did every evening after he got home.

Zeke moped around the house and showed little interest when Killian suggested they take a walk. It was too quiet, so Killian turned on the television just to have background noise in the house. He checked in frequently with all of her friends to see if Emma had been in contact with any of them. Belle helped out by calling other homeless shelters around the state, to see if Emma was staying at one of them.

He stopped at Granny's every day to see if she had heard from her, but besides the short response to her first email and the work she was doing for her online, it was as if Emma and the baby had dropped off the face of the earth. Granny suggested a delay in paying Emma for her work, but Killian knew she would be relying on it, and he didn't want her coming home just because she had no money, or even worse, being forced to live on the street again.

Killian was so sick with worry and frustration, he hardly ate or slept. David talked to him a couple of times during the week and encouraged him to work at the church with them on Saturday to get his mind off of things. When Killian showed up, his friend was shocked at his appearance.

"You look terrible, man," David told him.

"What do you expect? I'm stressed out, I have no appetite, and every time I try to sleep, I just...can't," Killian replied listlessly.

"I take it you still haven't heard from Emma?"

"Do you think I would be standing here talking to you if I had?" Killian shot back. "She hasn't answered a single email I've sent and I have no other way to contact her!"

"I'm sorry, man. I really wish there was something I could do to...wait, hang on - you've been sending emails to her?"

"Yes, why?"

"Didn't you say she left her phone behind?"

"Aye, but she has Granny's computer so she can continue doing work for her."

"She has Granny's…" David began, then a smile stretched across his face. "I've got an idea. I have to go! Tell my fiancée I'll be back as soon as I can!"

With a puzzled look on his face, Killian watched his friend peel out of the parking lot, then turned to enter the basement in search of Mary Margaret.

xxxxxxxxx

David burst through the door of the diner and ran up to the counter. "Where's Granny?" he asked Ruby breathlessly.

"She's in the kitchen letting Leroy have it because he burned the bacon. Do you really need her, because she's in a real mood this morning."

"Yes! I have to talk to her right away! Hurry, Ruby!"

Ruby quickly set down the coffee pot she was holding and went into the kitchen. Soon, Granny emerged, looking ill-tempered.

"Ruby tells me you've got an emergency. What's going on?"

"Emma has your laptop computer to do work for you, is that right?"

"It is."

"We can use it to find her, Granny! All we have to do is track the IP address and it will lead us to the computer!"

"Well, why didn't you say so a week ago?"

"I didn't realize until this morning, when Killian told me he's been sending emails, that she has a laptop with her!"

The whole time he was talking, he was following her into her office.

"Okay, tell me what I have to do," Granny stated, sitting down at her desk.

"Log onto your computer and go into a site you and Emma use frequently - maybe the inventory or payroll spreadsheet."

Granny followed his directions. "Now click on the settings up here," David said, pointing to the spot on the screen, "and then on the login sessions."

As soon as she did, several listings of the same, unfamiliar town popped up. "That's it! That's where she is!" David shouted. He pulled up Google Maps on his phone and typed in the name of the town. "It's a little over two hours away from here."

"You mean it was just that easy?" Granny asked in wonderment. "How did you know how to do that?"

"The police use this method to track down stolen computers. I wish I would have thought of this sooner! I can't wait to get back and tell Killian!"

"Now, just hold your horses! She won't answer his emails or communicate with him in any way. If he drives all that way over there and she refuses to see him or come back with him, it's gonna break his heart all over again. Let me go talk some sense into her to try to get her to come back on her own. I've been told I can be very persuasive!"

xxxxxxxxx

Emma had somehow survived nearly a week of being on her own with Allison in a strange town, away from all of her friends and the man she loved. Every day had been a struggle and she felt like she was barely holding onto her very last shred of sanity.

Allison was discontent and cranky most of the time and Emma spent most of the little energy she had trying to keep her daughter quiet and pacified. She tried taking her for walks around the town, but it rained for three days straight, making it nearly impossible to do anything outside.

Every day she deleted numerous emails from Killian without even reading them. Each time she clicked on the trash can icon, it tore at her heart a little more. She knew it would take time for him to move on from her, but his persistence was stronger than she'd expected.

When Saturday dawned drizzly and overcast, Emma's mood matched the weather. She planned to go to a Walmart about six blocks away to buy food and supplies for Alli, and to a bank to open an account, but she didn't have an umbrella or raincoat.

When she turned on the weather channel to check the radar, she saw the rain was supposed to move out by mid-afternoon, so she decided to postpone the trip to the store until then, and go to the bank on Monday. There wasn't much chance of her money being stolen when she never left the motel room anyway.

She was sitting on the floor playing with Allison when there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was probably someone from the front desk with the fresh towels she had requested, she swung the door open without looking through the peephole first.

Her shock at seeing who it was caused her to take a quick step backward. "Granny? Wh-what are you doing here? How did you find me? "

"I think the better question is, what are YOU doing here?" the older woman answered gruffly.

"I'm, uh, we...we've…"

Granny folded her arms across her chest and glared at Emma over the top of her glasses. "Well, are ya gonna invite me in, or do I have to let everyone in all these other rooms know our business?"

Emma stayed rooted to the spot for another few seconds before she finally stepped aside to let her enter. After closing the door, she leaned against it, and took a deep breath to steady herself.

Granny walked over to where Allison was laying on the floor and scooped her up. "Hello, Sweet Pea! How have you been?" she crooned, giving the baby a kiss on the cheek. She took a quick look around the room, frowning disapprovingly. "I'll bet she misses being rocked to sleep."

Pushing herself away from the door, Emma sighed. "Yeah, she hasn't been sleeping very well since we...got here," she finished lamely.

Allison reached up to grab at Granny's glasses and the woman chuckled. "You're a curious one, aren't ya?" She sat down in the desk chair and held the baby up to her shoulder as Emma sank down onto the bed.

Granny fixed her with her gaze and said firmly, "Now, I'm gonna ask you some questions, and I want honest answers, ya got that?" At Emma's nod, she continued, "Why did you just up and leave all of a sudden?"

"I...K-Killian had a fight with his brother...about me. Liam thinks I'm taking advantage of Killian's generosity; that I'm a con artist who's going to hurt him."

"Is that what you were doing?"

"No! You know I would never do something like that!"

"Then why did ya run off?"

"Because...because I didn't want to be the reason Killian lost the only family he has left."

"His brother isn't the only family he has! He also has you and this little one."

"We're not really his family, though."

"Aren't ya? He loves you. He loves this baby like she was his own. Seems like when there's that much love between people, it makes 'em family. Or don't you love him anymore?"

"Of course I still love him!" Emma said, her eyes showing a spark of anger. "I just...he's better off without me."

"Are you absolutely sure about that?"

Emma plucked at the blanket on the bed without saying anything.

"Why haven't you answered any of his emails?"

"I...I deleted them."

"Did you at least read them first?"

"No."

Granny blew out a long, frustrated breath. "You broke that boy's heart, I hope you know. He's an absolute mess. You left without sayin' a word and you took this baby away from him." She watched a tear track down Emma's cheek. "Are you happy? Livin' in this seedy motel hours away from your friends and your home?"

"We're doing alright."

"So that's the game you're gonna play, then? Pussyfootin' around my questions? You promised to answer me honestly, so I'm gonna ask you again. Are you happy?"

Emma wouldn't meet her eyes. Finally she spoke in a small voice. "No, I'm not happy, and Alli's not happy. I hate it here and I miss everybody back home."

"Then why are you still here?"

"Because I don't want to...to…"

"Don't you dare say you don't want to hurt Killian, because you leavin' hurt him worse than anything his brother could have done. Now, I'm gonna give you two choices - pack up your stuff and come back home with me, apologize to Killian and hope he takes you back; or stay here and be miserable and continue to make Allison and Killian miserable right along with you. Which is it gonna be?"

Emma remained silent for long moments as she thought about her options and what the repercussions would be of each one. Finally, she mumbled, "Do you think he'll take me back?"

"I can't promise you anything. He's devastated, hurt, and worried sick. But he also loves you and this little baby very much, so you're never gonna know unless you give him that choice."

Alli began to whimper as she squirmed in Granny's arms. "I'll have to feed Allison before we go," Emma stated flatly. When she looked up at last, she saw the look of satisfaction on the older woman's face.

"Take your time. I'll start packing your things."

xxxxxxxxx

The drive back seemed to take forever. Emma was glad that at least Alli slept through it in the car seat Granny borrowed from the homeless shelter. Knowing they always had some available, she had contacted Belle, who was more than happy to lend her one when she discovered the reason Granny needed it.

Emma said very little as her employer followed the directions given by the monotone voice on the GPS. The older woman noticed that she kept nervously fiddling with her necklace and finally spoke up out of curiosity.

"What's that ya got there?"

Emma's cheeks filled with color. "It's...it's a necklace Killian gave me. He had Allison's footprint etched into it at the jewelry store."

"Seems very special."

"It is. He...he told me to wear it...as a reminder that I have people I can trust now."

"And yet you didn't let that lesson sink in, did you?"

Emma released the pendant and folded her hands in her lap. "I guess not."

"That boy has worked hard to earn your trust over the last several months. He knows it's difficult for you, since very few people in your life have ever been trustworthy. Now you've gone and betrayed the trust that he has in you, and you're gonna have to earn it back, IF he gives you the chance. I hope you realize that."

Emma turned to look out the window, quickly wiping a tear off of her cheek. "I know."

"Are you willing to do that?"

She waited for an answer for several moments before she finally heard Emma respond in a small voice. "I'll make sure he knows that I won't leave again - not without talking things out."

Granny nodded, satisfied with the answer. "That's a start."

xxxxxxxxx

It was mid-afternoon by the time Granny pulled up to the curb in front of Killian's house.

"I'll stay in the car with the baby while you go talk to him," she said, speaking less gruffly than usual.

Emma twisted her hands together in her lap. "What if he...won't talk to me?"

"Well, you're never gonna know until you try. Go on, now. I'll be prayin' for you."

Emma blew out a long, shaky breath and pulled on the car door handle. Her feet felt like lead weights as she dragged them up the sidewalk. She took several deep breaths, then finally reached up and rapped her knuckles on the front door.

xxxxxxxxx

Killian was laying on the couch, looking at his phone and willing it to ring when he heard a knock at the door. With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself to a sitting position, then up to his feet. Zeke followed him to the door and as they got closer, he started wagging his tail and barking. Killian tried to settle the dog down before he opened the door, and when he did, he came face-to-face with Emma.

Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun, her face was pale and drawn, and there were dark purple half-moons under her eyes, but he thought she was a beautiful sight to see. His first instinct was to gather her into his arms and never let her go, but he fought it down. Instead, he stood staring at her with his jaw ticking.

"H-hi, Killian," she began.

"You left," he accused.

"I…"

"No note, no text, no voicemail, nothing. You were just...gone."

"Killian, I…"

"How could you do that, Emma? How could you just take Allison and leave?" His voice began to rise and he huffed out a breath.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You're sorry? You're sorry you tore my heart out of my chest and crushed it? Is that what you're sorry for? Because you did, you know!"

A tear spilled down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away. "I know. Can...can I come in so we can talk?"

"Where's Alli?"

She tilted her head toward the car behind her on the street. "Asleep in Granny's car."

"How did Granny find you?"

"Through the IP address on the laptop. David helped her do it, but she wouldn't let him tell you in case...in case…"

"She couldn't talk you into coming home?" he finished.

"Yeah."

He stepped back and gestured for her to come inside, then took a quick look out to the car. After he saw Granny nod her head firmly, he closed the door and turned to follow Emma into the living room.

Zeke was excitedly dancing around her feet until Emma perched on the edge of the couch to pet him and give him some love. Soon he began to calm down, sitting as close to her as possible.

Killian took a seat on the other end of the sofa and both of them sat looking down at the floor for a full minute, not knowing where to begin. Finally, Killian ended the silence. "Just tell me why, Emma," he whispered brokenly.

Emma's heart clenched at the emotion in his voice. "I thought if I left, you could find somebody else; somebody who...who…"

"Who my brother would approve of?"

She nodded.

"I don't care about that."

"You should. He's your family, Killian."

"Yes he is, but you're my family, too - you and Allison. This past week has been a bloody nightmare without the two of you! I haven't been able to sleep, I've barely eaten, and I just went through the motions at work because I couldn't focus on anything but trying to find both of you and bring you home. I...just...missed you," he finished weakly.

"We missed you, too. I know now it was wrong to leave without telling you, but at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do, to make sure you didn't lose your brother."

Killian sighed and rubbed both hands down his face, then dropped his head back. "I told you that he'll get over it."

"What if he doesn't?"

Killian felt like they were going around in circles. He stood up to pace back and forth across the room.

Finally he stopped in front of the couch, studying her. "No, there's more to this than just Liam, isn't there?"

Her head dropped and he knew he was right. He knelt down in front of her and put his hand on top of hers where they lay knotted in her lap. Speaking softly, he said, "Let's go get Alli and bring your stuff in, and then we'll talk."

Her teary eyes shot up to meet his. "You mean...you want me to stay?" she squeaked.

"This is your home, Emma. Our home. Of course I want you to stay. But we're going to have to get some things worked out, yeah?"

She nodded her understanding and they got to their feet. Together they walked to the door, and just before Killian reached to open it, she turned to him, putting her hand in the middle of his chest.

"I truly am sorry, Killian. I never meant to hurt you. I know I don't deserve it, but I hope that in time, you'll forgive me."

He framed her face with his hands and used his thumbs to brush away her tears. Then he leaned in and gently kissed her, keeping their foreheads pressed together when he broke the kiss.

"I already did the second I saw you at the door, my love."

xxxxxxxxx

When Granny saw the front door open, she got out of her car and circled around the front of it to meet the approaching couple. Killian strode up to her and hugged her fiercely. "Thank you for bringing my family home," he murmured into her ear.

Granny patted his back a few times. "You're welcome. You owe your friend David a thank you, too."

"I'll call him later," Killian promised, stepping back from her.

Emma already had the back door open and was unfastening the straps of the car seat. As soon as she lifted Allison out, she turned and handed the drowsy baby to Killian. He cuddled her to his chest, showering her little head with kisses as he whispered over and over, "Papa missed you, mo stoirin."

"Can I assume you want your things unloaded?" Granny asked Emma.

"Yeah, um," she stopped and looked at him and he nodded his reassurance, "Killian said he wants us to stay."

Granny hurried to the back of her car, opened the trunk and pulled out the stroller. Killian started to hand Allison to Emma, but she stopped him. "I'll get my bag. Allison needs to be with her daddy for a while."

He threw her an appreciative smile and adjusted the baby on his shoulder.

xxxxxxxxx

An hour later, all of Emma and Allison's things were back in their rightful places and their friends had been contacted. Emma fed the baby, and Killian sang to her as he rocked her to sleep with Zeke laying beside him, happy to have his other two humans back home.

"Are you ready to talk about it now?" Killian asked as they sat in the living room.

"I think so, but it's not going to be easy, Killian, so please, just...be patient, okay?"

"I have all the time in the world."

She scooted forward to the edge of the recliner and rested her elbows on her knees. "Ever since you let me move in here, I've been, I don't know...waiting for the other shoe to drop, I guess. It seemed too good to be true - this sweet, handsome guy who was so kind and generous. I mean, it didn't even seem to bother you that I was pregnant."

"It didn't."

She gave him a weak smile, then dropped her eyes again. "Anyway, all of a sudden, here I was, living in a nice, quiet house, sleeping in a real bed every night, having access to food and a shower on a regular basis - it was like a dream come true." She paused for several moments.

"But…" he encouraged her.

"But...in the back of my mind, I just kept thinking that eventually, you'd figure out my baby and I didn't belong here, or you would start dating someone and want us out of the house. Then you told me you love me and that you love Allison as if she were your own, and I already knew I was in love with you, so I thought it was gonna be okay."

She hesitated again and he reached over from his seat on the couch to squeeze her hand.

"All my life I've thought of myself as a lost little girl who didn't matter and didn't think she ever would, but you made me feel like I do, so I thought...I thought I had finally put my insecurities behind me. But when I heard what Liam said, I realized that no matter what I try to make of myself, there are always going to be people who find out about my background and judge me because of it."

"I'm not one of those people, Sweetness."

She smiled at hearing his pet name for her again. "I know, but you're such a good man, Killian - the best I have ever met and I...I don't want people to judge you because of me. You have a homeless, single mother living in your house with you; a lowly waitress with barely even a high school education…"

"No, that's wrong. I have a beautiful, intelligent, brave, funny, sweet and incredibly caring woman and her amazing baby daughter, both of whom I love more than life itself, living with me. Anyone who judges you without getting to know you, or who judges me for being with you, is the one with the problem."

"You make it sound so simple…"

"It is."

"Not when you've doubted your worth all your life. And that's why I left. I didn't want to be the person who held you back from the kind of life you deserve. I didn't want to separate you from the people you love…"

"But that's exactly what you did when you left and took the baby."

"I guess I didn't think of it that way. I knew it would hurt you for a little while, but I thought eventually you would move on and find someone else - someone who deserves you."

"How could I move on without you and Allison, Love? We've built a life together and that's not something I could just forget about. I know we've only been together a few months, but I also know our relationship is special. It's worth fighting for and I was prepared to do just that, once I finally found you."

She searched his eyes and saw nothing but truth in them as he continued, "Just promise me you'll never leave like that again. I was nearly out of my mind missing you and waiting for you to answer my emails."

Color rushed into Emma's face. "I...I didn't answer them because I, um...deleted them...without reading them," she quietly admitted.

His eyes widened. "You what?"

"I couldn't read them, Killian. I knew I wouldn't be strong enough to keep from answering you or to resist coming back here."

He blew out an exasperated sigh. "Bloody hell, Emma! Do you have any idea how many times I checked my email for any kind of response from you?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She reached up to cradle his face in her hands. "But I promise I won't do something like this again, Killian, and I'll never take Allison away from you. It was a spur of the moment decision and it was wrong. From now on, if I have doubts or fears, I'll talk to you about them."

"Good. That's all I ask."

"Have you, um, have you talked to Liam?"

"No. I told him to call me when he was done being a judgmental arse and I haven't heard from him since."

She dropped her hands from his face and he was quick to clasp them in his own. "Hey, that's not on you, Love. He's the one who chose to say things he never should have said."

"I know, but it still makes me feel bad. I'm sure Declan misses you."

"He only talks to me once a week and I'm hopeful they'll call tomorrow."

"I guess it hasn't been quite a week since your last call. It seems so long ago."

"Aye, it does." He tugged on her hand, urging her to join him on the sofa. When she stood up, he pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, laying his head on her shoulder. "I haven't asked you yet where you were staying while you were gone. Belle called around to most of the homeless shelters within a one hundred mile radius to see if you were at any of them."

"We were at a motel. It was cheap, but it had free internet service so I could keep working for Granny."

"Thank God you took that laptop with you."

"Yeah, I had no idea you could track someone down that way."

They sat comfortably wrapped up in each other as Emma sifted one hand through his hair and he nuzzled his nose into the hollow just below her collarbone.

Zeke jumped up on the couch beside them and pressed his head against Emma's knee. She giggled as she ruffled his ears. "I missed you too, Zekey boy. I promise I won't leave you again, either."

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The next day at church, Allison got additional snuggles and Emma got extra tight hugs from Mary Margaret, Eva and Marco. David was the recipient of Killian and Emma's many words of appreciation for his role in bringing her and the baby home, and she apologized to everyone for worrying them.

That afternoon, when it was the usual time for Killian's Facetime call with his family, she saw him checking his phone numerous times, but a couple of hours went by without any call coming through.

"Maybe you should just go ahead and call them," Emma said gently.

"No, the ball is in his court. If he's not ready to apologize, I don't even want to talk to him."

"But you're going to miss talking to Rose and Declan, too."

"I'll call them during my lunchtime tomorrow. Liam isn't home from work at that time."

Emma was relieved to know he would at least be able to connect with his nephew, but it still bothered her that he and his brother weren't speaking. The next week went by quickly as they fell back into their usual routine of work and taking care of Allison, but Emma could tell the estrangement from his brother was bothering her boyfriend.

When the time for their call had come and gone the next Sunday, Emma knew she had to act.

"Call your brother," she told Killian.

"Emma, if he wants to…"

"Put the call through, then give me a chance to talk to him."

He looked at her skeptically. "He can be a bastard sometimes, Emma. You don't have to subject yourself to that. I'll try to talk some sense into him."

"No, I need to stand up for myself, Babe. I need to let him know he's wrong about me, and about my intentions toward you."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded emphatically. "Yes, I'm sure."

Killian pulled her into his arms, holding her close and pressing kisses to the crown of her head. "I love you."

"I know you do, and I love you, too. Hopefully, by the end of the phone call, Liam will understand that."

When the call connected, the first face they saw was Declan's and the next five minutes were spent listening to his chatter and watching him press kisses to the screen. Even while she was laughing at his antics, Emma's stomach was churning in anticipation of confronting Liam.

As Declan's attention span waned, Rose called out to the other room to tell Liam his brother was on the phone. Just then, Allison's cries came through the monitor and Emma said, "You go get her so I can talk to him."

"Okay, but I'm coming right back and I'll be here if you need me." He lifted her hand to kiss it, then left the room.

Emma could hear Liam talking before he came into view of the phone screen. "Are you done being a stubborn…" His words came to a halt as he realized he was looking at Emma instead of his brother. "Where's Killian?"

"Alli woke up from her nap and he's taking care of her." She could see Liam's jaw grinding even through the fuzziness of the connection.

"I wanted to speak to my brother, not…" he seemed to realize how rude he sounded and cut himself off.

Emma took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I know you don't want to talk to me, but I want to talk to you." She saw his eyebrows lift in surprise before she plunged on. "I overheard what you said to Killian about me during your last phone call, and I want to set a few things straight."

"First of all, I am NOT taking advantage of your brother. He opened his home to me out of the goodness of his heart, when I had nowhere else to go. Yes, I was homeless and pregnant at the time, but that didn't matter to him, because all he saw was a friend who needed help. We came to an agreement of what I would pay him to live here, since I was uncomfortable staying free of charge."

"Secondly, I'm very aware of my background. I have never had a family of my own and I was tossed around the foster system all my life. I don't know how you can hold that against me since I had no control over any of that. I ended up homeless because I ran away from an awful foster home in order to protect myself."

"When I finally did find someone who I thought loved me, he used me and tried to blame me for a crime he committed, which landed me in jail for several days until they figured out the truth. Then I found out I was pregnant. I know I was naive and irresponsible, but that experience led me to the best friends I've ever had, and it also forced me to grow up. Now, I have a job and I'm a mother who is responsible for myself, as well as another life."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Liam interrupted impatiently.

"Because I want you to understand that I didn't choose to be in the situation I was in when I met Killian, and he saw beyond all that. He didn't judge me because of my circumstances; he befriended me and helped me understand that I'm a good person. I'm NOT nothing, Liam! I was NEVER nothing! Your brother has gifted me with compassion and kindness, while all you're willing to give me are judgment and assumptions."

She paused to take another steadying breath and looked up to see Killian standing in the doorway, holding Allison and smiling at her proudly. He nodded to encourage her to go on.

"I can't make you like or accept me, Liam, but I can tell you that I love your brother and I would never willingly do anything to hurt him. I blamed myself for the disagreement the two of you had, but I've come to realize it wasn't my fault. I haven't done anything to earn your disapproval, you've based that entirely on what you think you know about me. The thing is, you don't know me, and you never will, unless you stop judging me. Your brother took the chance to get to know the person I really am; I just hope someday soon, you'll be willing to do that, too. Because like it or not, Allison and I are a part of his life. We are a family, and I'd really like to include you as part of my family, too."

The room fell silent for several long moments as Emma and Killian both held their breath, wondering how Liam was going to react.

Finally, they heard him clear his throat. "You're right. I'm, uh...I'm sorry, Emma. I was wrong. I should not have judged you based on what I heard of your background; I hope you can forgive me. I tend to be a bit overprotective of my brother, due to our circumstances growing up, and at times it's hard for me to remember he's a grown man capable of making his own decisions. You are just different from who I imagined being with my brother, but that's not a bad thing."

Upon hearing his brother's apology, Killian walked over to sit down beside Emma. She turned and smiled at him and he put his free arm around her, then leaned in and kissed her temple.

Liam nodded to Killian before turning his attention back to Emma. "Perhaps we should start over? Hi, I'm Liam. It's nice to meet you!"

She grinned. "Hi, Liam, I'm Emma." She gestured toward the baby sitting on Killian's lap. "I'd like you to meet Allison Hope - we call her Alli. And of course, you know my boyfriend, Killian."

"Ah! I thought I recognized him! Come now, Lass, surely you can find someone better than that wanker!" Liam teased.

Emma looked at Killian adoringly, then replied, "There is no one better."

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