The Music of the Heart Soulmate Finder—pt. 3 (of 3)

CS genre: CS soulmates AU

He saw her the moment she walked into the coffee shop, and his reaction was as swift and sure as he'd ever felt—well, at least since Milah, his heart reminded him. Her blonde hair fell down her back in waves his fingers ached to drag through. Her green eyes met him across the shop, and it was as though he'd been punched in the gut, his breath leaving him in a rush. (Good thing he was between songs, or he'd have made a total arse of himself.)

She set up at a secluded table in the back of the coffee shop and promptly opened her laptop, focus steady on whatever she was working on. With her handbag on one seat and her red leather jacket on the other, she effectively barricaded herself from those who might wish to interrupt her, and Killian couldn't help but wonder why the lass wished to so definitively keep others away. Who had hurt her in the past that she would barricade herself behind such impenetrable walls now?

Belle approached the blonde, and Killian felt his heart leap in his chest as he saw a smile light up the angel's face. It was as though the sun finally peaked out from behind the clouds. She'd been beautiful before, but when the smile lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle, she was positively radiant.

Was this what love at first sight felt like?

Killian felt a keen stab of disloyalty at the very thought, remembering the reason he'd immigrated to the States. A year ago, his life had seemed perfect. He'd a job at the London docks, near the sea he loved and near the Jolly Roger, the ship he loved even more.

And then there'd been Milah.

He'd called her his lively pirate lass. She was as brave, vivacious and full of life as she was beautiful, and Killian had been sure he would spend the rest of his days with her. He had, in fact made plans to propose to her and make their wild, passionate love story official.

And then it all crumbled before him.

Milah had come to visit him at the docks on the day that would prove the worst in his life. They'd been in the middle of a pleasant conversation, when suddenly she'd simply collapsed. By the time the paramedics arrived she was gone. The doctors had told him it was some sort of congenital heart defect that had gone undetected until it killed her with no warning.

Killian thought he'd die from the pain of losing his love, and over the next months he became a bloody disaster. Rum became his constant companion, the only thing that could get him through the long days and even longer nights.

Finally, Liam had intervened, begging Killian to come live with him in the States, to make a fresh start and begin living his life again. Knowing Milah would have wanted him to find a way to move on and be happy, Killian had finally agreed.

Now, a month later, he was finally beginning to feel like he'd put the pain in the past where it belonged. He was finally approaching "happy" again, and life was good.

Well, at least until Liam met Belle and the two had become well-nigh inseparable. Oh, he liked the lady Belle, to be sure, and he could see plainly that she was perfect for his brother, but the problem is that happy people, people in love, tend to want to see all those they care about in similar situations.

Belle had found Liam through a device called the Music of the Heart Soulmate Finder, and had been after Killian to get one of his own ever since. Finally, in a bid to get the woman who would likely be his sister-in-law one day to stop harping on him, he'd agreed—albeit reluctantly.

But owning such a device and using it were two different things.

Somehow, turning on a device that would help him find a woman to love felt disloyal to his beloved Milah's memory. So he'd worn it once; turned it on just long enough to hear his own heart's song, and then buried the detested thing in a safe on the Jolly.

Never had he been tempted to use his soulmate finder. Never had he been tempted to unearth it from its current resting place.

Never until the blonde beauty had entered his coffee shop, that is. Perhaps there was life for him after Milah. Perhaps it was time to begin living again.

And suddenly, with a blinding flash of light, it came to Killian what he must do. With a last strum of his guitar, he finished what was normally the last song in his set, and then he took a deep breath. The moment of truth.

Turning his eyes toward the woman who'd caught his eye, he played a few introductory chords, and then started in on the music the soulmate finder had assured him was the music of his heart.

Within the first two bars, he knew he'd made an impression on the lady of his affections. She gasped, whipping her head up from where she'd been bent over her computer, her eyes widening and locking on his, a lovely red tinting her cheeks.

Killian felt his own cheeks redden, his own breathing hitch, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that whatever this was that he was feeling, she was feeling it too. He made up his mind. He'd finish his song, and then he'd go talk to her.

But he was never to get the chance. No sooner had the blonde vision locked eyes with him than she hastily gathered her things, dropped a few bills onto the table, and nearly ran out the door.

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

"You want to tell me what's got you so freaked out?" Mary Margaret asked, from her seat on the bar stool in their loft kitchen.

"Yeah, not so much," Emma muttered, as she abruptly began pacing, reaching up to run a distracted hand through her hair. "Just a crazy day I guess."

Mary Margaret took a swig of her tea, set the mug back on the bar, and then swiveled toward Emma. "It wouldn't have anything to do with what Belle told me happened this morning, would it?"

Emma stopped abruptly, her heart pounding and her cheeks suddenly feeling flushed. "Belle told you about…? Never mind! It was nothing. Nothing at all."

Mary Margaret crossed her legs, giving her a knowing look. "Emma, we've known each other since…well, basically forever," she said. "Don't you think I know you by now? You don't abruptly leave without even waiting for your coffee to arrive. Not unless something happened; not unless you're running."

If possible, Emma felt her cheeks flame even more. Why the hell had she gone down to the coffee shop this morning? She could have just as easily done her research from a park bench. "What…what exactly did Belle tell you?"

"She told me," Mary Margaret said, stopping to take another sip, "that you seemed quite interested in her boyfriend's brother. That he started playing a song, and it was like you were seeing a ghost. That you ran out of there so fast she thought you out to try out for the Olympics."

"I did not run…" Emma began, but her words quickly fizzled out when Mary Margaret gave her the look. The one she probably gave her second graders when they were being particularly unruly.

"What happened, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked gently. "Did you turn on your soulmate finder? Did you find out this brother of Liam is your soulmate?"

Emma dropped abruptly onto the couch and buried her head in her hands. "No," she said. "I…I was too freaked out to turn the damn thing on."

Mary Margaret took the seat next to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Why?"

Emma looked up, her eyes tortured. "Because I felt something, okay? Even without the stupid soulmate finder, there was this…I don't know…pull to the guy, (his name's Killian, by the way,) and I just can't go there. Not again. I don't think I'd survive another go 'round."

"You're afraid he's going to hurt you," Mary Margaret said. It was a statement of fact rather than a question.

"It's just…" Emma began, letting herself meet her roommate's gaze, "I've been down this road before, remember? You might have found the perfect guy in David, and I'm thrilled for you guys and everything, but that's never been me. It's always the same thing. The minute I let myself fall for someone, he leaves. No one stays. No one ever will."

Impulsively, Mary Margaret leaned in and gave Emma a tight hug. When she pulled back, her eyes were twin pools of compassion. "Emma, not every guy is Neal. Not every guy is going to leave you."

"I know, but…"

"Shh," Mary Margaret said with a staying motion of the hand. "I'm not finished yet. If there's one thing I've learned about love, it's that it's worth the risk. It's worth any risk you have to take. True love isn't easy but it must be fought for because once you find it, it can never be replaced. The payoff of that risk is better than you could ever imagine."

"But if I put myself out there, and Killian hurts me…"

Mary Margaret shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith. Emma, do you have the courage to take that leap?"

Emma was silent for several moments, a battle royal waging within her heart. The fear was strong…but so was the hope. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was on the cusp of something magical. That feeling of connection of understanding she'd gotten sitting in the coffee shop…did she have the courage to pursue it?

Abruptly she nodded. "Alright, fine. You win. I'll give the guy a shot. I'll turn on my soulmate finder next time I see him in the coffee shop. I just hope your prepared to deal with the fallout if he ends up screwing me over."

"I'm not even remotely worried about that," Mary Margaret said. "What I am worried about is just how much I'm going to have to hound you to write a testimonial for the Music of the Heart Soulmate Finder after you get together with the man of your dreams."

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Three days later

"And just what has you looking like the cat that ate the canary, love?" Killian asked Belle after the third time the barista tossed him a knowing smile as she passed by.

"Remember how I told you I'd see what I could do about giving you another shot with Emma Swan?" Belle said, leaning against the counter, next to the corner where he was just about to start his music for the day.

Killian felt his heart leapt. Did he remember Belle's promise to talk to the elusive Miss Swan? Not bloody likely he'd forget! After Emma had fairly fled the coffee shop the other day, he'd felt a swift, sudden burst of disappointment. He'd been so sure she'd felt something when she heard his heart song!

"Don't worry, Killian. It's not you," Belle had assured, stepping up to him and turning to look at the door, where Killian's eyes were still trained. "She's…guarded. She's had some rough experiences with love, and she's a bit jaded."

"What's her name?" Killian croaked out.

"Pardon?"

"Her name, love," Killian said. "What's her name?"

"Emma Swan," Belle said. "She's one of my best customers, and she's become a good friend too. I have to admit, I hoped the two of you would hit it off."

"Swan…" Killian breathed, and then sighed, looking back toward Belle. "Well, not to disappoint you, but I fear I bloody mucked up my chances with the lovely Emma Swan. It would seem she couldn't get away from me fast enough."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Killian," Belle said, squeezing his shoulder affectionately. "She definitely felt the pull toward you. Trust me. She wouldn't have run if she hadn't."

"Well whatever the lass may feel," Killian said unhappily, "I fear it's too late."

"Nonsense!" Belle had said. "Just leave it to me. I'll talk to her. I'll give you another shot at her, or my name's not Belle French!"

"You mean…" Killian said, coming back to the present, "you mean Emma Swan has agreed to return to the coffee shop, even knowing I'll be playing?"

The bell over the door rang, and Belle chuckled seeing the woman herself walk in. "That answer your question, Jones?"

Killian's heart raced at the sight of Swan, swooping in and seating herself—conspicuously as close to his set up as she could get. "Aye," he said under his breath to the shop's proprietor. "I believe it answers it perfectly."

Belle grinned and patted his shoulder. "Good. Just make sure you don't squander your second chance."

He grinned back. "Not a chance in the world."

With a deep breath, Killian reached down, grabbed his guitar, and then turned toward the coffee shop crowd…and found himself looking into the gorgeous eyes of Emma Swan, looking up at him, a slight smile on her lips.

From the back of the room, Emma was beautiful, but this close, close enough to see the flecks of gold in her eyes, she was bloody breathtaking, a work of art. He smiled down at her, expecting her to look away.

But she didn't. She returned his smile with a gentle one of her own. Dare he hope that not only had Swan returned…but she wished to give him a chance as well? He shot up a quick prayer that was the case as he reached up to turn on soulmate finder he'd dug up the moment he returned to his ship after the last time he'd played.

For a moment nothing happened. It was as though all the sound within the room—the gentle hum of conversations, the clinking of coffee cups, the buzz and gurgle of the espresso maker—fell away.

And then suddenly it began, his heart song, but like he'd never heard it before. It mixed, combined, twined together with Emma Swan's and it was like bloody brilliant. He felt the emotion rush upon him, and the tears come to his eyes. Beautiful wasn't a strong enough word. It was…beyond description, this new song within his heart, the utter completion Emma brought him. It was as though a window had opened in heaven and for a moment he heard all the choirs of angels singing down to him.

There was no doubt, no doubt at all. Emma Swan was his soulmate.

Killian closed his eyes, savored the song, took several deep breaths trying to get his emotions under control, and then finally took up his guitar.

"I would like to begin this morning as I ended my last performance," Killian said, looking directly into Emma's eyes, "with a song that comes directly from my heart. This is dedicated to the woman I hope to soon get to know much, much better."

Without ever taking her eyes from his, Emma deliberately reached up and fiddled with the small device Killian only just noticed in her ear—her own soulmate finder.

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Would Killian Jones ever finish his set?

Emma tapped her fingers against the table top in frustration as he belted out what felt like his hundredth song of the morning.

She'd taken a chance today. She'd come within a hair's-breadth of losing her nerve, but somehow she'd found the courage to come down to the Bookmark today, found the courage to explore whether or not there was anything to the connection she felt to Killian Jones.

Deciding if she was going to do this, she was going to do this, she'd walked past her usual table in the back, and had taken a seat as close to the stage as she could get (as close to him as she could get). This time when he smiled at her, she returned it, determined to be open, determined to give this—whatever it was—a fair chance.

Maybe Killian Jones was her soulmate, maybe he wasn't, but she knew one thing for damn sure, she wasn't leaving here without at least finding out.

And so, when Killian all but announced that he was about to play the song he heard when he turned on his soulmate finder, Emma knew what she had to do. Holding his mesmerizing gaze, she reached up and turned on her device.

With the first notes from his guitar, Emma's entire world changed. She'd never heard anything like it, knew she never would again. It was as though all the world around her suddenly became more intense—colors more vibrant, sounds more beautiful. Happiness like she'd never known bubbled up to the surface, so much it was almost suffocating.

It was all the confirmation she needed. There was no doubt; Killian Jones was her soulmate.

"Pardon, love. Is this seat taken?"

Emma started. She'd been so caught up in the music, in the emotions, in the new realization that hit her that she didn't even notice when the guitar stopped and Killian stepped to her side. She felt a dazzling smile spread over her face, before she tossed him a flirtatious look.

"Absolutely," she said. "That seat belongs to my soulmate."

"Ah," he said with a grin, taking a seat at her side in one smooth move, "then it seems it's my lucky day."

"Is it now?" she asked with a grin.

Killian reached up, took the soulmate finder from his ear and presented it for her inspection. "According to this device, your soulmate is none other than my dashing self."

"Strangely enough," Emma said, taking out her own finder, "mine said the exact same thing. I'd say it's about time we actually met and got to know each other, wouldn't you?"

"As you wish, love," he said, with a bow that wouldn't have been out of place coming from a man from three centuries before. "Killian Jones at your service."

"Emma Swan," she answered, holding out her hand .

To her everlasting delight, he took her hand, brought it to his lips, and placed a long, lingering kiss to it.

"Well, Emma Swan," he said, British accent flowing over her with the smoothness of butter. "Suppose you tell me about yourself. I can't wait to get to know the woman I hope to spend the next several decades with."

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

So, my name is Emma, and I never do these testimonial type things. It's just not my style, but my former roommate, Mary Margaret, convinced me I really owe it to you since I'm so happy and everything, so here goes. I'd pretty much given up on the whole love thing; not just soulmate love, ANY love. Figured it just wasn't in the cards for me. So when my roommate got all excited and insisted we both get Music of the Heart Soulmate Finders…well, it took a bit of convincing to get me to go along with it. We'll just leave it at that.

After a few dates that ranged from ho-hum to "you have GOT to be kidding me", I was ready to throw in the towel, convinced I was right, and I just wasn't the soulmate type.

Then I met Killian.

He was a musician at this coffee shop I go to all the time, and there was this…I don't know…electricity between us from the first. At first I refused to use my soulmate finder because…well, the truth is, I was scared. I mean, what if I let myself fall in love with this guy and he ended up leaving like pretty much every other man that's ever been in my life? I just wasn't willing to risk it, so I did what I always do. I ran.

In the end, it was Mary Margaret again that brought me to my senses (she's never going to let me forget about all of this, is she?). Told me love is worth all the risk of heartbreak. Said it's this beautiful, wonderful thing full of rainbow stickers and unicorn kisses. (Okay, maybe not her exact words, but that was the gist. The woman's basically Snow White, okay?)

So I went back to the coffee shop, and this time I took a chance and turned on the soulmate finder and…it was like Christmas morning and all my birthdays combined and something even better added on top. Can't really describe what it's like to hear the combining of your music with your soulmate's, but it's better than you could even imagine, okay?

Nneedless to say, Killian and I started going out, and it has been amazing. Never knew love could be like this. Not to get all cheesy and everything, but I really do feel like I was missing something, and when I fell in love with Killian, it all just clicked into place.

So, long story short, Killian and I had our first official date one year ago last Friday. Where are we now? Well, we're now just under one week away from our wedding (Six days, fifteen hours and thirty-seven minutes to be exact, not that I'm counting down or anything). The Music of the Heart Soulmate Finder really did change my life, and I'd just, you know, like to say thanks. Also, anyone out there seeing this? Let me just say if you're thinking about getting a soulmate finder of your own, do it! Trust me. It'll be the best forty bucks you ever spend!

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s

The end!

Notes:

-Well there you have it! The end of this little soulmate finder fic. This particular chapter is far longer than all the others, and I considered breaking it up into two parts, but then I decided I just wanted to have the story finished. (Christmas music stuff at my church has me running ragged and I absolutely NEED to trim back those things that aren't necessities lest I ring in the new year by getting sick.)

-As alluded to in the above note (and my notes for pt. 2), I'm planning to take a little hiatus from Fluffy Fridays due to the ridiculous busyness of my schedule up until Christmas. Don't worry; I won't be gone long. Though I don't quite know what it'll look like yet, I plan to post a Christmas edition to Fluffy Fridays on the Friday before Christmas, and then hopefully I'll be back into regular weekly updates. In the meantime, if you're looking for stories from me, check out my Tumblr page ( whimsicallyenchantedrose). I've started posting some of my favorite past "episodes" of Fluffy Fridays to pass the time until I have time to actually write again. I plan to post one a day, and then repost all my Christmas fics leading up to Christmas. Check my "fluffy Fridays reruns" tag to find them.