Your Case or Mine

Chapter 14

Emma fuckin ell, there's cameras in your room, you silly prat!

Use a different bloody bedroom!

Well...I'm guessin you ain't gonna stop your sexy funtimes to check your phone and USE A DIFFERENT BEDROOM.

You're so fuckin lucky I ain't David or he'd be over there physically separatin you two by now. BTW I turned the cameras and the mics off. So...enjoy, I guess.

I think I just threw up in me mouth cos all I can hear in me head is your moanin an groanin now. I'm deffo havin nightmares tonight so thanks for that.

Rookie's takin over from me now and I've threatened his most precious body parts if he turns on the bedroom camera again. Hopin you've worn each other out by now though just in case he's a twat and turns it on.

Emma could hear the blood rushing in her ears, her heart having lodged itself somewhere in her throat as her eyes scanned the texts, time-stamped over a few hours the night before. Her phone had been left forgotten about on the counter, no doubt repeatedly buzzing with the missed calls and texts from Will while she was otherwise-engaged with Killian.

"The cameras…"

She whispered, her chest feeling tight. A gentle hand on her shoulder brought her out of her panicked reverie and she met Killian's concerned gaze with a shaky exhale. Her hands were trembling and a thick knot of dread and humiliation sat like a brick in her stomach.

"Emma?" Killian repeated for the third time, worried by the way the color had drained from her face and that she didn't seem to have heard him calling her name, "What's happened? Are you okay?"

She looked back down at her phone and up at Killian again, slightly dazed, her mouth suddenly dry, and shook her head. When she finally found her voice, it was as shaky as she felt.

"The cameras. In our bedroom. We forgot about the cameras..."

It was Killian's turn for the horror of realization to wash over him, and she watched his throat work as he swallowed thickly. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly at a loss, and glanced around the kitchen, as though remembering at that moment just how wired up the place was. When they'd moved in, they'd purposefully chosen to hang out in the living room that wasn't hooked up to cameras, just so they had one place of privacy and solitude. And yet, they'd found themselves getting so comfortable in their new living arrangements that they'd completely forgotten about the cameras and mics in many of the other rooms.

"I...I have to call Will. He was on security duty last night. He...saw us…"

Killian's face flushed and he reached up to scratch behind his ear. The idea of anyone, nevermind Emma's partner and best friend, seeing any of their activities from the previous night...it made his stomach churn and his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Emma turned away, moving into the living room to pace the floor as she waited for Will to answer her call.

"Finally. You two come up for air now then?"

Will answered the phone gruffly, but there was an undertone of humor there, and she knew he was using that to try and put her at ease despite everything. At any other time, she might have noted his efforts with appreciation, but right now she chose to bypass his teasing greeting.

"I'm so sorry, Will," she started, her churning stomach and quick pulse making her a little breathless, "I-...we...we forgot about the cameras. How much...?"

"Well yeah, I figured that much, ya soft git. And if you're asking 'ow much did I see, the answer is 'enough'. Enough to fuck me up. I mean, bloody hell, Emma. It was like seeing me sister-"

"Alright! Fuck, please tell me there's no video."

She said frantically, and Will sighed on the other end of the line.

"I'm not an idiot, mate. I deleted it when I turned the cameras off. Luckily it was before you got to the main event too. And for the record, I didn't actually see nowt. I mean, I'm guessin' you two got naked at some point-"

"Will," Emma said warningly and he scoffed.

"Chill, would ya? I wasn't payin' attention, otherwise I woulda read the room and shut it off before I had to hear you moanin' like a banshee. But all I saw was him goin' downtown on ya, while you both still had yer clothes on. And I turned it off and deleted the recordin' then."

She breathed a slight sigh of relief. It was bad enough knowing he'd witnessed a snippet of their foreplay, but it could have been worse, she supposed.

"Does...David know? Have you spoken to him yet?"

Will hesitated and Emma's heart sank once again. That was a yes then. Closing her eyes, she took a fortifying deep breath. She felt like a teenager with in impending scolding after sneaking out to meet a boy or something. She'd never experienced that kind of situation growing up, but she figured this must be how teenagers with strict and protective parents must feel when they start testing boundaries. And she was a goddamn adult, for Christ's sake.

"He's, uh, well, y'know 'ow Dave gets. Forgets he ain't our dad, and all that. And he agreed I did the right thing by deletin' the tape. Which, by the way, I want in writin', 'cause I think it might be the first time he's agreed with my decision on summat."

He chuckled, once again trying to dissipate the tension. Emma rubbed a hand over her face in despair, faintly registering the ringing of Killian's phone and glancing over her shoulder as he answered it. Will was still rambling on, and her attention snapped back to him when she realized what he'd just said.

"Wait...did you just say he knows it's the second time I've slept with Killian?! What the fuck, Will?! How does he know that? What did you say?!"

She didn't know whether to cry or laugh hysterically at this development.

"It was an accident, a'ight? I didn't bloody mean to let it slip, I ain't no snitch. But you know how he picks up on everythin', Swan. He put it together, even though I didn't say nowt outright."

She was definitely thinking she'd be choosing the cry option if he carried on talking, and her shoulders slumped, all the fight leaving her. She wanted to be angry at him for spilling something he'd been told in confidence (or rather, that he'd figured out and that she'd assumed he'd keep to himself), but she knew deep down he wouldn't have revealed it on purpose. And David was very perceptive. Sighing and shaking her head, she knew she was going to be needing some Advil later.

"Look, can we just forget this ever happened? And can you please shut down that bedroom camera permanently? Not that...I-I don't mean-"

Will chuckled again, and Emma could feel her cheeks heating up, glad for the small mercy that he couldn't see her through the phone.

"Yeah, yeah. You're gonna jump his bones again, Swan. I ain't that dumb, and you're a bad liar, so don't even try. And believe me, I wish I could forget it 'appened. I was wishin' for some brain bleach real bad last night, lemme tell ya. But it's none of my business, 'cause you're a grown woman and ya can do what ya want. Or, well, in this case, who ya want."

Emma groaned, cringing and wishing she could punch him in the arm the way she always would when he dropped an innuendo with a wiggle of his ridiculous eyebrows. She knew he was probably wiggling them right now, on the other end of the line, and it made her smile despite herself.

There was a pause and Will turned serious. He sighed, his voice soft when he spoke again.

"I miss you, y'know, ya silly bugger. I know it ain't even been that long, and I'm bein' a sap, but it sorta feels like you're a thousand miles away, I s'ppose."

Emma felt her throat tightening with emotion. Will was the only person she'd ever thought of as a best friend, and she suspected that if she'd met Killian under different circumstances, and somehow something had blossomed between them without the enforced closeness of being undercover together, then she would probably have talked to Will about it. She trusted him and he was often brutally honest; an objective perspective she could count on. And though he was no less protective than David, she knew he would always be more level-headed and reasonable if she confided in him about such matters.

The truth was though, in the years she and Will had been partners, she'd never dated anyone. So she'd never felt the desire to confide in him about that sort of thing, because no one had ever gotten under her skin or into her head the way Killian so easily had. And if she was hazarding a pretty good guess, she'd say Will probably knew there was way more to it than just sex from seeing them interact over the last week or so. Especially because he also knew she'd slept with Killian before, and that she'd broken her rule about never sleeping with the same guy twice.

"I miss you too, dumbass."

She finally replied, voice soft and slightly choked.

"Good to know. And y'know ya can still talk to me, right? 'Bout all this...stuff. Even while you're out playin' Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

"Enough with the sappy shit now, Scarlet."

Emma scolded, furiously blinking away the tears that were blurring her vision and trying to sound exasperated, rather than allowing him to hear the nervousness fluttering at the edge of her words. Behind her, as she glanced back, she saw Killian had the phone pressed to his ear and his cheeks were flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.

"Sorry, sorry," Will was laughing, "Anyhow, you'll probably get a call from Dave at some point."

"Yeah, I have a feeling he's already giving Killian an earful right now. So I'm gonna go and cut this off before he says something that'll make me want to throttle him."

Will was laughing again, and they said quick goodbyes before Emma hung up and approached Killian. He looked flustered, keeping his eyes trained at a spot on the kitchen floor and still rubbing his neck as he made non-committal noises in response to David's tirade on the other end.

"Give me the phone."

Emma growled, and Killian looked up, startled. He wavered, shaking his head and mouthing that it was fine, he was handling it, but Emma simply held out her hand and scowled at him.

"David, mate, I'm going to cut you off right there, because I have Emma stood in front of me and I have the distinct feeling she'd like to speak to you," there was a pause and then, "Aye. Yes. I'm well aware of how much you care about her-"

Emma snatched the phone from him then, anger bubbling in her chest and stiffening her shoulders.

"I don't care how well intentioned you're trying to be, Captain, you need to stop treating me like a goddamn teenager," she snapped as soon as she pressed the phone to her ear, "I'm well aware we fucked up. But you know I would never do anything to jeopardize my case, and nothing we've done is against any rules. So back off, and stop trying to give Killian 'the talk' like he's my fucking prom date or something. We slept together, he's not proposing, for God's sake!"

Her face was red and she was shaking with a mixture of fury and embarrassment. The fact that her boss and her partner both knew about her extra-curricular activities with Killian was kicking her urge to run into high gear. Ironic, she mused, considering how that urge had never been triggered by Killian himself.

"Emma, I'm sorry, but my job right now is-"

"Is to protect me, I get it! But you can protect me in a professional capacity without this overbearing shit. How many times do I have to tell you that?! Okay, so we forgot about the cameras and I'm sorry for that. I wasn't intentionally trying to give anyone a peep show, Jesus! We made a mistake, but that doesn't warrant you overreacting, like I'm your precious virginal daughter that needs to have her honor defended. I've never had parents, and I don't need a fucking surrogate one now!"

With that, she hung up, silently seething as she glared at the phone in her hand. She knew she'd been harsh with David, and perhaps her fury hadn't been completely called for, but she was pissed and embarrassed, and his well-intentioned meddling had been the final straw. With her anger finally beginning to wane in the tense silence of the kitchen, Emma looked up at Killian.

He was watching her carefully, trying to disguise a pained expression and failing miserably. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he spoke softly.

"A mistake…"

He said, once again rubbing the back of his neck and glancing away. She frowned, confused, and he swallowed, shaking his head.

"You said 'we made a mistake'. Did you just mean forgetting about the cameras was a mistake...or something more?"

Emma stared at him, that old familiar feeling she'd hoped wouldn't come rising in her chest and stealing her ability to form words. She opened her mouth, but found she had absolutely no idea what to say. She knew what she wanted to say, but the words were escaping her, swallowed by the fear that had choked her. She saw the hurt and disappointment flash across his face and felt shame run hot in her veins. All he needed was a reassurance that she wasn't second-guessing or regretting opening herself up to him...and she couldn't even give him that.

He turned away then, moving toward the coffee machine with his shoulders slumped slightly, barely noticeable but it didn't escape her. She stood there, mute, in the middle of their kitchen, a thousand emotions warring within her noisy head, and suddenly she felt claustrophobic, gripped by the need for air and open space. Solitude. A place where her thoughts wouldn't seem to loud.

"I...I'm gonna go for a run."

She mumbled, and practically bolted from the room. He turned and watched her disappear up the stairs, no doubt to change into her workout clothes, and then shortly after he heard the front door open and close. He heaved a sigh, the heaviness in his heart a stark contrast to how light and happy he'd felt just a few hours earlier, watching Emma sleep and then starting their day off by making love in the shower.

He'd thought it was a sign of a good day, that she'd woken up and hadn't regretted what they'd done. But it was short lived, apparently. And all it took for her to retreat, pulling those walls of hers back up around her and shutting him out, was the misguided meddling of her boss, who clearly only wanted to protect her, but inadvertently triggered her defence mechanisms instead.

CS

Running had always been her default coping mechanism. Appropriate, really, she supposed. The feeling of her chest and legs burning as she pushed herself harder, and the air sharp and fresh against her cheeks, somehow always managed to settle her restless heart. Usually, when she was back home in the city, she favored running trails along the Charles River or in one of the parks in the Emerald Necklace. There was just always something about running alongside a body of water that calmed her.

Being out in Lexington though, she had to settle for a looped route through their suburban neighborhood, and she then ventured out to the nearby Willard's Woods. At least there was a stream, she supposed. She didn't come across many people, of which she was grateful, and by the time she got further into the woodland trail, the claustrophobic feeling that had gripped her earlier had finally ebbed away.

Slowing down and stretching her legs using one of the large rocks that lined the running trail, Emma took a minute to catch her breath and savor the solitude. Glancing at her watch, she noticed that she'd been out for over and hour and sighed. Mentally plotting her route back, she rolled her shoulders but froze when she heard the distinct sound of branches snapping close by. With all her senses on high alert, she spun around, eyes scanning along the treeline and waiting with baited breath to see if any further sounds followed.

When all she could hear was the trill of birds and other sounds of nature, she mentally chastised herself for being so on edge. But then again, she reminded herself, she was only out in Lexington to catch a killer in the first place, so being highly attuned to her surroundings and suspicious of anything remotely out of the ordinary at all times was somewhat of a given.

Shaking her head, she turned to head back the way she came...and there was that sound again. Branches snapping underfoot. She didn't hang around any longer, adrenaline surging through her as her fight or flight chose the latter option. It could have been any number of animals roaming through the woods, but it could also have been something, or someone, more sinister. And having left her phone back at the house, along with her gun and anything else she could use to protect herself, she knew getting the hell out of there was her only realistic option.

Not pausing to look back and check whether or not she was being followed, Emma ran until her lungs felt like they were on fire. She didn't pause upon leaving the woods either, pushing herself beyond her usual limits, fueled by adrenaline and her self-preservation instincts, and made it back to the house in twenty minutes. Her legs were shaking and she practically collapsed the second she barrelled through the door, relief flooding her as the adrenaline faded fast.

Making it to the sofa, she dropped down heavily onto it, uncaring of the fact that she was sweaty and had mud caked on her sneakers and splashed up her bare calves. As she sucked in much-needed oxygen and waited for her heart rate to slow, she lifted her gaze to the hallway, hearing footsteps along the landing that then descended the stairs.

"Emma?"

Killian sounded concerned, and she was immediately on high alert again. He appeared at the bottom of the stairs and the worry etched into his face, coupled with the flash of relief when he saw her sprawled out on the sofa, made her feel a little guilty. He'd been worried about her, clearly.

"Christ, Emma, you've been gone almost two hours! I tried calling you and then found you'd left your phone here and-...is that mud? Where the hell have you been?"

His voice was strained with barely-contained frustration, and she knew it was only out of concern for her wellbeing, but she'd gone running to escape the claustrophobic feeling that overbearing concern enveloped her with. She didn't want to come back to more of it.

"I told you I was going for a run."

She panted, scowling and pushing herself up onto legs that still felt a little too wobbly to hold her. She saw the tick of Killian's jaw as he clenched it and fought the urge to roll her eyes and chastize him for taking notes from David.

"Are you actively trying to put yourself in unnecessary danger?"

He ground out, the stiffness of his shoulders giving away his anger and frustration with her.

"I can take care of myself."

She snapped back instinctively, moving to push past him, intending to head upstairs and shower away the mud and sweat. But he grabbed her arm, gentle enough that she could pull away easily, but with enough of a grip that she knew he was serious. She didn't pull away.

"I'm well aware you can take care of yourself, and I never said you couldn't. But you really think going running in the woods or wherever you've been for the last few hours is a fucking smart thing to do when we're baiting a bloody serial killer, Swan?"

His voice was shaking and he was glaring at her. While she did feel guilty for clearly leaving him stewing in a state of panic for the last few hours, she also felt the indignant urge to push his buttons. She wasn't used to having someone waiting on her, or calling her out on her unhealthy coping mechanisms, and it made the stubborn side of her rear its head.

Yanking her arm out of his grip, she glared right back up at him, ignoring the thrill and the rush of heat that ran through her as she held fiery eye contact, refusing to back down.

"You can stop being so damn dramatic," she said cooly, "I'm fine, aren't I? There was no one around, I survived my oh-so dangerous run, and I'm stood right in front of you, unharmed."

She could see Killian's jaw working again and knew her icy indifference to his concern was pushing his buttons. The rational and reasonable side of her mind was telling her to stop, to acknowledge that he was right to be worried and to apologize for being careless with her own safety. It was urging her to admit that she'd felt like someone was watching her and that she knew he was only angry because he was concerned for her safety...because he cared about her. That would've been the smart and adult thing to do.

But instead, she lifted her chin in defiance, that reasonable side heaving a sigh and shaking its head in resignation as her stubborn side won.

"I already have one overbearing idiot on my back, I don't need another. You're my partner, not my keeper, or my boyfriend, so back the fuck off."

Killian's nostrils flared as she spoke, her words delivering the swift metaphorical punch in the gut, as intended. He fought to conceal the hurt that burned in his chest and the frustration that was making his whole body buzz when he replied, his voice strained with the effort.

"Fine! You do whatever the fuck you want, Emma! I'm so sorry for worrying about you. But is it so damn hard to accept that maybe I want you to be safe because I care about you?"

He didn't miss the way she hesitated slightly, her cool mask of insouciance slipping momentarily before she fixed it firmly back into place, eyes hard and jaw set.

"I can take care of myself…"

She muttered, almost to herself, as though reminding herself of that fact and reaffirming that she didn't want or need his concern.

"I know," he replied, his tone less sharp now, "But perhaps I wish to take a little bit of that burden and care for you too…"

He knew this was dangerous territory. He hadn't really expected those words to fall from his own mouth and he braced himself to watch her walls go up right in front of him. She was staring at him with wide eyes, uncertainty and a note of fear glimmering back at him while she opened her mouth to respond, but came up empty, apparently unable to find words for whatever it was she wanted to say.

He was ready for her to mutter any excuse she could think of and then spend the rest of the day avoiding him in their own (temporary) home…but the surprises kept coming. Because instead of shutting him down, she shoved him roughly against the hallway wall where he'd pinned her just a few days earlier, and kissed him just as fiercely and passionately as he'd kissed her then.

He barely had time to respond to the kiss, instinctively lifting his hand to cup the back of her head and draw her closer once the initial shock faded. And then she was pulling away, the walls coming up just as he'd anticipated.

With kiss-bruised lips, she stepped back, tongue swiping over her lower lip where she could still taste him. She turned to the stairs and he stared after her, touching his lips that were still tingling from her rough and unexpected kiss, as he exhaled the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.

Before she bolted up the stairs, she paused and glanced over her shoulder at him, not making eye contact and delivering her command in a flat voice.

"Don't follow me."

CS

A cold shower later, Emma didn't really feel all that much better. Her head felt full, and it seemed like days had passed since their pleasant wake-up call that morning. But their playful banter and shared shower had lulled them into a false sense of security, and the day had gone drastically downhill from the minute she'd read those texts from Will.

Now, she was overthinking everything. What she'd started with Killian, the case, and the strange, unsettling feeling of being watched and followed during her morning letting-of-steam run. She was deep in thought as she threw on her most comfortable jeans, a new sports bra and a plain white-vest top, towel-drying her hair and opening the blinds and curtains in the bedroom. It was a beautiful day, despite the dark cloud that seemed to loom over her mood.

Her phone, lying on the bed where Killian must have left it as he'd paced the house in a state of panic earlier when he couldn't reach her, suddenly began to ring, startling her. She scowled, chastising herself for being so damn jumpy. Shaking her head, she snatched the phone up, and her glare only deepened as she saw David's caller ID.

Giving as exasperated sigh, she answered.

"You're either calling to apologize, or if Killian called you because he couldn't get hold of me, you're calling to yell at me. And honestly, David, I'm not interested in either of those options. I went for a run, big fucking deal. I'm a big girl and I can handle myself. As I've told you a thousand times. And if he didn't call you, then...ignore that. I also don't want to hear an apology for you being an overbearing idiot this morning-"

"Emma. Shut up for one minute."

David cut her off, and she snorted.

"Well, that's one hell of a way to apologize."

She clenched her jaw, reining in the flash of indignation that made her curl her fingers and dig her nails into her palm. Flexing her hand and willing away the attitude that simmered so close to the surface, she reached up to mindlessly shift the blinds and peer outside. She was momentarily distracted from David informing her he wasn't calling to apologize, when she thought she saw movement in the line of high, thick foliage lining the narrow footpath across the street.

Feeling her heart skip and her breath catch in her throat, she kept her eyes trained on the spot, trying to tell herself that it was probably just birds or some other form of wildlife that had made its home in the greenery.

"Wait, what did you say?"

She mumbled, catching the tail end of what David was saying but not really processing it.

"I said that Robert Gold walked into the station this morning, about thirty m inutes ago, and said he wants to talk. This is huge, Emma."

Her eyes widened and she cursed under her breath, the enormity of this development taking her attention right back to David, pushing her paranoia to that back of her mind, for now. She turned away from the window and began pacing the room, trying to make sense of what had transpired.

"Are you serious?! Have you questioned him yet? Is he still a suspect? Has he given himself up? Have we even got anything incriminating on him aside from the phonecall to Regina Mills?"

David chuckled humorlessly.

"Slow down. Is Killian there? Put me on loudspeaker so I don't have to go over this twice."

Emma darted a glance at the doorway, knowing Killian was downstairs and respecting her silent request for space with her earlier warning not to follow her upstairs.

"Uh...yeah, gimme a minute."

She hesitantly made her way down to the living room, where Killian was sat watching some maritime documentary on the TV. He straightened up as she approached, phone pressed to her shoulder.

"It's David. There's been a development."

She said, and Killian nodded succinctly, muting the TV and shifting to give her room to sit that wouldn't have them invading one another's personal space. She appreciated the gesture and gave him a tight, slightly awkward smile, before putting David on loudspeaker and telling him to repeat what he'd told her, and to tell them the rest.

David filled them in on everything. Gold had shown up alone, and had asked for David by name. He'd been cagey about why exactly he'd chosen to turn up out of the blue now, apparently with 'information' they might find helpful. He'd avoided answering questions there and then, insisting that his lawyer be present, regardless of the fact that he was there on an entirely voluntary basis. A fact he made sure to emphatically repeat.

They hadn't yet interviewed him, waiting on the arrival of his lawyer - a precautionary measure, Gold had said, because he was well aware of the laundry list of circumstantial evidence in relation to multiple other cases they might want to quiz him on, and he was quite insistent that he was only there to discuss their current case.

David also informed them that once the lawyer arrived, Graham would be conducting the interview, and he would keep Emma and Killian on loudspeaker behind the two-way mirror so they could hear everything.

"Has he said what prompted this uncharacteristic appearance? We couldn't get hold of him even with the best trained surveillance units in the FBI on his back. And he just shows up out-of-the-blue and walks right into the station...something doesn't sit right with all of this."

Killian frowned, ready to take whatever 'information' Gold was willing to give them with a sceptical eye. He didn't trust the man, and he was highly suspicious of his motives in giving them anything. For all they knew, he could be purposefully misleading them, if one of his more valued cronies, or he himself, was involved in the murders. It wasn't exactly an unlikely scenario, considering the caliber of people he'd made acquaintance and done business with over the years. But at the same time, he was taking somewhat of a risk simply by walking into the precinct, so there had to be something in it for him. Something worth a risk.

"I figure there must be something in it for him, and I suppose he'll make that known once we get him talking. He's not saying much of anything yet," David sighed, "But this is the biggest break we seem to have had so far. We've got some of the guys following up on a possible lead from the last vics' house; a car one of the neighbors reported seeing cruising through the neighborhood a few times in the week leading up to the double murders. They wrote down the plates - thank god for the nosy neighborhood watch types, huh? But it came back as stolen. Registered owner reported it stolen a week ago, and so far we've not had any viable hits from cameras that picked it up since then."

Emma ran her hand through her still-damp hair in exasperation. The case seemed to be going at a snail's pace, and she wasn't sure whether or not that was because she felt stuck on the outside of the investigation, waiting around in a fancy house and hoping their killer would take the bait they were offering up. Other than her paranoia, which she was convincing herself was just a product of her restlessness, they had no real reason to think they'd managed to get onto the unsub's radar yet. And it made Emma antsy.

"So, basically we aren't really getting anywhere fast with this case. There's still a crazy son of a bitch out there ripping hearts out and the best we can hope for is that a shady criminal mastermind, who's just waltzed in off the street of his own volition, will help us blow the case wide open. Brilliant. This whole thing is going swimmingly well."

Emma snapped, standing and walking into the kitchen, needing to pace or do something to settle the cabin fever that was starting to set in for her. She wasn't used to taking a backseat like this in her own investigation. And it really felt like she wasn't contributing much by sitting around and waiting for the unsub to come to them, which frustrated her endlessly. She was used to giving chase, not waiting to be chased.

"How about I call you guys back when the lawyer arrives? Take a breather and cool down."

David said calmly, and Emma rolled her eyes, despite knowing he couldn't see her. Walking back over to where she'd placed the phone down on the coffee table, she snatched it up and sighed.

"Fine. Call us back as soon as the lawyer gets there. Bye."

With that, she hung up, tossing the phone carelessly onto the comfy chair and growling in exasperation. Killian stood, tentatively taking a step closer to her and she eyed him warily.

"Hey...I know you're on edge. We all are. But...maybe cut Dave a little slack? He might've overstepped a few boundaries this morning, but he had good intentions, even though it pissed you off. And he's doing everything he can, just as I trust that my team are too, when we've had very little to go on. I'm not telling you how to deal with the frustration or anything," he held his hands up and gave her a sheepish smile, "but I feel like maybe Dave's taking the brunt of your wrath right now, and maybe he doesn't deserve all of it…?"

Emma could tell he was choosing his words carefully, and she knew that what he was saying was fair and true. She was taking out her frustrations on David, by snapping at him and giving him attitude. He was safe. She could snap at him like she had and he'd forgive her; he'd understand why and he wouldn't walk away. He and Will were two of the only constants in her life, even when she pushed them away.

But Killian was right, David may have overstepped his duties by giving Killian 'the dad talk' that morning, but he hadn't deserved Emma's wrath for all of it. Her shoulders sagged in defeat and she sighed wearily, shaking her head.

"I know I've been a bitch," she said quietly, all the frustration and rage she'd had pent up suddenly vanishing and leaving behind a weary, exhausted shell, "I just...I'm restless here. I feel like I could be doing so much more than just...sitting around here, waiting for something to happen. That's not really something I'm good at, if you hadn't noticed."

She smiled wryly, and Killian reached for her hand, gauging her reaction as he did so. She didn't stop him, and he grazed his thumb over her knuckles. She didn't pull away from the comforting gesture, but her gaze was guarded and he noted that. Don't push too far.

"You're not a bitch, Swan. And your restlessness is understandable. This," he gestured around them, "is all new territory for me, too. I know patience is easier said than done when the body count just seems to keep rising, but we're all doing the best we can."

Emma looked down at her hand in his and nodded, knowing he was right. She broke the moment by gently extracting her hand and nodded toward the kitchen, injecting some false cheeriness into her tone but falling short of being convincing.

"I should, uh...make us some coffee or something, while we wait for that call…"

CS

He could see them through the french doors that looked out over the garden. He'd have been able to track down where they lived sooner, but after they'd left the restaurant the night before, he'd lost them thanks to some douchebag cutting him off on Bedford Street. It was purely by chance that he'd seen her again that morning, crossing Bedford on what he assumed was a morning run. He'd tailed her, but she'd been oblivious.

When she'd entered the park, he'd considered making his move then. There was barely anyone around and he could probably catch her off guard. But no. He had to be patient. He'd follow her home at a safe enough distance, and scope out the area, just as he had done with the other women. And then he'd plan his next move.

He waited patiently in the car, not close enough to the park to be conspicuous, but close enough that he wouldn't miss her on what he assumed would be her route back to the main road. Sure enough, a little while later, she shot out of the park. She was running hard, hardly bothering to look before she ran across the street, ignoring the blaring horns of angry drivers, and headed toward the residential area he'd followed her through on the way there.

This time, he didn't lose her, but as she entered a quiet neighborhood he made sure to stay well back, aware that tailing her could very well rouse her suspicions. She was still running at a punishing pace, and he momentarily wondered if she was aware of being followed. But she didn't look back to check.

He pulled the car over a little way down the street when he saw her run up the driveway toward a beautiful Colonial style home, disappearing inside without pausing. He scowled, seething silently over the cushy little life she lived now, just like the others, after throwing away something so precious. He pulled his hood up and got out of the car, darting into the hedgerow out of sight at the first opportunity. The west side of the street backed onto a nature reserve, he noted, with the house she'd run into being built in the corner lot, the nature reserve bordering the backyard.

He smirked as he stalked through the foliage, making his way closer to the house. It was set back from the road, a driveway leading up to the impressive family home. Family home, he thought bitterly. She and all those other women had traded their chances to have families for material possessions instead. Unforgivable, in his eyes.

He glared up at the house, carefully analyzing any security measures he could see. There didn't appear to be an obvious alarm system, but he wouldn't take for granted that there wasn't one. He'd broken into enough houses by now to know that newer, more upscale houses tended to have more covert systems in place. The windows looked secure, but the double-fronted garage appeared to be electrical, which he knew he could probably override.

He stood observing the house from the relative safety of trees and bushes opposite for some time. And that's when he saw her appear in the upstairs window. She was towel drying her hair and peered out in the direction of the trees. He froze for a moment, feeling as though she was looking right at him. Stepping backwards, he quickly maintained some distance, assuring that he couldn't be seen, especially not from a distance. He peered through the mass of greenery and saw she now had a phone pressed to her ear, and she turned away, seemingly still blissfully unaware of his presence.

He smirked to himself again, bolstered by her ignorance, and carefully made his way out of the hedgerow. Maintaining a safe distance from the house, he followed the perimeter of the property, staying far enough into the border of the nature reserve that he knew he couldn't be spotted. When he had a good enough view of the back of the house, and caught sight of the couple deep in conversation in what appeared to be a living room, he stopped.

He'd given up a perfect chance to grab her that morning. But now, observing his prey as she went about her life, that patience was being rewarded. There was nothing quite like the hunt, for him. Nothing quite like holding her fate in his grasp, from mere yards away, without her even knowing it. But still, the thrill of the hunt came a close second to giving women like her what he believed they truly deserved. She'd once been heartless enough to give up a child, and continue on with her life like it meant nothing to her. So he'd show her what it truly meant to be heartless.

CS

N.B. Well, this one ended up being a bit of a labor of love, thanks to a bratty muse and a lot of work stuff getting in the way (think, mixed day and night shifts in a week and extra shifts too, on a very busy hospital ward. Fun).
But I'm pretty pleased with this chapter, and we've officially hit the tense/angsty stuff! Wahey! You knew it was coming! ;) And there's plenty yet to come too!
Thank you, as always, to every single one of you who reads, reviews, messages me etc about this fic. Your feedback really does mean a lot, and I appreciate every one of you for taking the time to read my lil 'ole fic, even more so if you also review, because you've taken extra time to give me your thoughts. And I will always love you forever for that!
Now...onwards!