"Killian please, he'd want you to have it"
Mulan said holding out Killians jacket, that he's he left behind after the fire, she'd taken it down from the fence holding onto it for him, believing after a night's sleep he'd see reason. Unfortunately, after spending the day rifling through rumble with the raiders club members, including robin's wife and son, Killian only seemed to be more distant from the group, barely saying a word until she approached him.
"How could you possibly know that?"
"He believed in you?"
"That's great, look where it got him"
"This isn't your fault"
"It is, it's all of ours"
Other members of the club and some bystanders looked over at them now as Killians voice grew louder, he didn't even flinch didn't back down, becoming enraged.
"We were supposed to protect each other, a brotherhood that should have protected him…. we should have put a stop to this years ago!"
"Killian quiet" she replied concerned knowing that the police and possibly even those who lit the flames could be in earshot.
"What! They all know, we all know who did this, but we going to let them get away with it because they have money and connections, just like with Liam except this time it's worse, this time I could of…."
"What Killian, you couldn't have foreseen this, you did everything in your power to stop people from getting hurt"
"Did I?"
"You still believe after everything, that you can just punch your way through the pain, that revenge is the answer"
"That's just it, I don't believe in anything anymore" Killian said his hands outstretched as his voice broke and the anger faded.
"What about her?"
"Her… She doesn't want me"
"From the look in her eyes yesterday, I doubt that's true"
"And what would you know of it, huh!"
Mulan's face fell and she lost her gumption only Robin was able to break through beyond Killians anger, she shook her head looking at her friend with pity before walking away. With the work done Killian got on his bike riding off, without more than an agonised sympathetic look from fellow members of the Raiders. After a short ride Killian found himself sitting at a bar alone, he ordered a rum neat and sat down on a stool, for about an hour just starring at the glass before a stranger spoke to him.
"You going to stare at it, or drink it?"
"What's it to you mate?"
"I can just recognise a trouble soul, when I see one"
Killian didn't respond just peered his eyes over to the man with distain, he was short and burley with a beard and beanie on, nursing a half empty beer in his hands.
"How long has it been?" he asked Killian guessing from his tense stance and hesitance to drink he was a former alcoholic.
"A few years"
"Ah Jones isn't it; I remember you, and your brother what's his name?"
"Liam, his names Liam"
"Yes, used to come in here all the time didn't you, the two of you were so close, he was always there to guide you"
"Who are you the narrator, his gone!"
"Gone but not forgotten, those who leave us, never leave us with nothing"
Killian didn't even give a mumbled response his eyes grew brighter as he remember being here with Liam, playing darts and picking songs on the juke box, they would laugh and talk all evening. The talking was the most important part, whatever Killian had on his mind good or bad he could tell Liam and he'd listen, not judge just listen.
"What would your brother say to you now if he were here?"
"He'd tell me, he was here for me whatever I needed, probably that its not that bleak, I'm just not paying attention"
"He may be right, sometimes when were in a moment, we get distracted, it happens… sounds like you've been through hell, but I think you'll find if you look back now, you'll see what you missed"
Conflicted Killian looked down at his hands wondering if he should reach for the drink unable to bear the pain of this loss, it was then he noticed his nails were still stained with paint, and he smiled. This was the first time he smiled since the fire, and he recalled that day at the paintball tournament, mostly her and how amazing it all felt. It hit him then, the realisation that if the mere memory of her could bring a smile to his face even in his darkest moments, maybe there was happiness at the end of the story. Not able to stop thinking about her now, he recalled the last time he saw Emma, at the club smouldering and burnt he was so consumed with grief he missed it. The look in her eyes when she saw him alive and well, her eyes although teary were joyous and when she wrapped her arms around him, he felt warmth.
"She loves me!" He yelled chuckling.
"What?" The man said confused having not kept up with Killians inner monologue.
Not able to wait a moment longer, he pulled out his wallet leaving a tip for the barman and waving goodbye to the stranger, before running outside to his motorcycle. Placing his hand on the back seat for leverage he quickly pushed himself up onto the bike and started it up, in one seamless motion. Pulling the throttle not with animosity but joy, traveling faster than ever before, he could barley feel the wind on his face almost numb to it, as adrenaline took over Killian took a shortcut through the back alley of Granny's diner and towards happiness.
--
Holding an overstuffed box filled with pots and pans in her arms, Emma shuffled down the steps of her former home, looking down at the steps she used to sit on, a smile escaped her lips, looking back fondly on her time spent in this house with Henry. Then she looked ahead, and there it was, curiously parked across the street, unsuccessfully trying to hide behind a large tree, but Emma recognised the car immediately, from the crime scene photos of Liam's murder, now edged into her brain after endless nights spent trying to find meaning in this mess.
Suddenly her heart was thumping, as nonchalant as possible, using every ounce of self-control she had, to not look directly at the car, sure the person behind the wheel was watching her, she walked over to the cruiser and placed the box in the back seat, before taking out the recording equipment. Placing the camera and microphone carefully in the back window, Emma strained reaching across the back seat to the rear window trying to position it in place, record the number plate and hopefully get a glimpse at whoever was behind the wheel.
The sound of a motorbike's engine began to emerge from the street over, getting louder and Emma's heart was a flutter no longer anxious, forgetting about the car, the murder, the custody case, it all fell away with that one clear sound. Turning into her street, she turned quickly, getting entangled in the microphone and the camera now completely flipped around, facing the house, but that was far from Emma's thoughts. As soon as Killian rode up to the curb and dismounted his motorbike, she could see he wasn't well, the exhaustion apparent in his stride as he walked towards her, not quite holding himself upright, while she remained still.
His eyes were what caught her attention, the same look Emma only ever saw glimpses of previously, when the first looked at each other at the Rabbit Hole, up on the hillside with the wind from the plane lowering their defences, in the hayfields at adventure farmlands, the diner and off course when he told her he loved her. Now it was ever-present because it wasn't going away, no death or heartbreak past or present, could take away from this moment.
"You came back" Emma said.
"I should have never left; never given up"
A man who had trudge through the darkest parts of himself, believing that barrelling forwards punching his way through life, was the only way to get anywhere had finally seen the light. Spurred on by a sudden rush of adrenaline Emma stepped forward quickly wrapping her arms around Killians neck, so she could reach up to his mouth and kiss his lips, unlike their first kiss there was no holding back the breaths became heavy quickly inhaling in-between kisses. Their bodies pushing and pulling against each other as it became more heated, eventually broke apart the space between them only a few centimetres.
"Killian! You're here" she beamed grasping on tight as if she still didn't believe it.
"I'm sorry, I went back into my dark place for a moment, stopped charging my phone"
"Well, you can't just do that!" she said, giving his shoulder a light punch.
"I'm sorry, didn't realise you cared"
"Well, I do a lot, just so were clear"
"Noted"
"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have pushed you away…. I was scared"
"Let's try to be better, together"
The quickly embraced once more, just like the should have long ago, the fears and anxieties were still there, however now they had started to rely on each other for support and having that softened their woes. Life is meant to be messy and complicated, that what makes moments like this, so magical and worthwhile, Killian and Emma just held onto each with their hands rubbing along the others back, before leaning in for a kiss but there was one snag. Emma had managed to get herself tangled in her surveillance equipment, and they both began to giggle as she jiggled her leg trying to free herself from this entanglement of the microphone. Killian frowned, confused wondering why Emma had the surveillance equipment out in her car, trying to record this moment.
"Emma, what are you doing? I thought you were packing?"
Emma face went white when she remembered they were being watched.
"Quick we should get inside"
"Ok, what are we hiding from?" Killian said becoming tense.
"Sorry, it's just don't look, but there's a car parked in the street"
"Is this unusual?"
"I've seen that car out the front many times before, I knew it looked familiar, it was in the crime scene photos from your brothers..."
"Murder"
"Yeah, and it's been parked in our street all this time, they must live here"
"No, can't be, I know for a fact the owners live in some, six-bedroom mansion on the outskirts of town"
"Then why would it be parked in our street? watching me, watching us"? Emma stopped talking, as her mind continued to race trying to solve this mystery. "It's been parking there for years, long before I was investigating the case, before we meet?" Emma continued, somewhat rambling trying to figure this out at first, she was sure it was connected to Killian but now it seemed to be something else altogether.
"Is there a chance they not watching you, but someone else"
"Whom could they be watching?" Emma queried but it was clear the only other person of interest who lived here was, Neal.
"I'm not sure, but they can't be up to anything good, maybe we should get the rest of your belongings, put this place behind us" he responded his speech rushed and anxious.
"Yeah, your right, sorry, just got caught up in the mystery, it's really good to see you"
"Don't apologise, it's a good thing, to have passion like that"
"Well why don't we continue the conversation, head to Granny's"
"I'd like that"
They both reached out their hands clasped on tight just looking into each other's eyes for a moment, ready to move forward, get themselves that piece of happiness that everyone else had.
