The next morning, Emma walked into the Cove. She waited in line for a few minutes until she was face to face with Killian.
"I'm rather surprised to see you here, Swan," he spoke.
"Well, it is on my way to the station," Emma told him. He simply nodded before he began making her drink.
She then took a deep breath and added, "And you make really good hot chocolate."
Killian offered a small smile as he replied, "Thank you, love."
Emma nodded before she took another deep breath and sincerely spoke, "Look, I'm sorry that I snapped at you. It's just that I don't share when it comes to my personal life, except for Belle. And David and Mary Margaret – but it took a lot of strength for me to let them in."
"It's truly alright, Swan. Don't worry about it, love," Killian assured her as he smiled at her.
Emma smiled back at him as she responded, "Thank you for understanding."
"I understand better than you might think," he muttered as he grabbed a bear claw from the case.
As he handed her order to her, he replied, "You're welcome, love."
The blonde nodded before he rang her up. She handed him some money, and he counted back her change.
He then told her, "I'll see you tomorrow, Swan."
Emma narrowed her eyes at him as she asked, "No flirtatious comments today?"
"Well, love, considering that it is the reason you yell at me, I think it would rather defeat the purpose of our truce," Killian told her.
"So, you can teach an old dog new tricks," the blonde couldn't help but tease.
She then laughed, and Killian told her, "Careful, love, someone may think you rather like me if they hear that beautiful laugh of yours."
Emma only shook her head before she told him, "Goodbye, Killian."
"See you around, Swan," he responded before she headed out of the coffee shop.
When she arrived at the station, David observed, "You're in a good mood."
"I'm always in a good mood," she responded.
"Not when you stop by Killian's shop," David commented. He then questioned, "Did he have that sick day?" as he grinned at Emma.
She rolled her eyes before she answered, "No. He was there." She then took a deep breath and elaborated, "We've called a truce for Belle's sake."
"It seems to be working," David surmised. Emma nodded, and he continued, "Perhaps you misjudged him."
The blonde narrowed her eyes at him as she told him, "Now you sound like Belle."
"Well, she would know – she is your best friend," David pointed out.
Emma rolled her eyes once more before she turned her attention to the paperwork.
A couple of minutes later, David's cell phone rang. He answered, "Hey, Mary Margaret," with a smile.
He listened for a moment before his eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "You're what?!" Emma's head shot up at his tone.
"I'll be right there," David spoke before he hung up the phone.
"What's happening?" Emma asked slightly worried as David stood up from his desk.
"Mary Margaret's in labor," he quickly explained.
"But I thought she wasn't due for another three weeks?" Emma asked.
"Well, Leo obviously had other plans," David replied, panic clear in his voice.
Emma then got up and walked over to him before she assured him, "I promise you she'll be fine. I will get us to the hospital in time."
David simply nodded before he handed Emma his keys. After a quick explanation to the chief of police, they were on their way.
After a slow and nightmarish ride, even with the emergency lights on, Emma and David finally made it to the hospital.
He rushed to the nurse's station and spoke, "I'm David Nolan. I'm looking for my wife, Mary Margaret – she's in labor."
The nurse didn't get a chance to answer because the doctor intervened, "David, it's good to see you again."
"Whale, just tell me how she is," David worriedly stated.
"She's perfectly fine, and the baby hasn't come yet," Dr. Whale explained. The expectant father breathed a sigh of relief before Whale continued, "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her."
David nodded before he remembered Emma. He turned to her, and she told him, "I'll be waiting right here," with a smile.
He smiled back at her before he followed the doctor.
The baby came later that morning, and Emma was currently opening the door to Mary Margaret's room.
The happy couple was looking down at their little boy. Both were wearing smiles, and Emma simply watched them for a moment.
She then spoke, "How's the little guy doing?"
David and Mary Margaret both looked up, and the proud mom answered, "He is absolutely perfect."
"I'm so happy for both of you," Emma told them with a bright smile.
They smiled back and nodded before David sincerely told her, "Thank you for driving me here and for remaining calm enough for both of us."
"No problem. I really didn't mind," Emma assured him. She then added, "And as far as remaining calm, your wife was having a baby."
David nodded once more before Mary Margaret asked, "Do you want to hold him, Emma?"
"Sure," the blonde responded with a smile.
David then vacated the chair next to the hospital bed, and Emma sat down. Mary Margaret then gently passed the baby to her as she said, "Meet your Aunt Emma, Leo."
"Aunt?" Emma questioned.
David then explained, "We've worked together for a long time, and I do see you as family. Though it's understandable why you were so closed off, I'm glad you wanted to be friends with Mary Margaret and I."
Emma couldn't help the tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke, "Next to Belle, you guys are the most important people in my life. I'd love to be Leo's aunt."
Both David and Mary Margaret smiled brightly at her before the pixie-haired brunette reached over and squeezed Emma's arm.
Emma smiled back at them in response before she turned her attention to the baby in her arms. She rocked him for a couple of minutes before she gave him back to Mary Margaret.
As soon as Emma had sat back down, her cell phone rang. She quickly answered it and listened intently for a couple of minutes before hanging up.
She then looked at David and Mary Margaret and told them, "Duty calls."
"I should go with…" David began, but Emma interrupted, "You should stay here with your family. I can handle it."
David nodded and offered an appreciative smile before Emma bid her goodbyes to the happy family. She then exited the room and made her way out of the hospital.
When she arrived on the scene of a house fire, she helped arrest the resisting and violent arsonist. Once they finally managed to shove him in the back of a police car, the chief took over from there.
Emma's job, however, wasn't quite finished though. The two victims of the fire had two young children, and Emma was tasked with bringing them to the police station until their grandparents came to get them.
She couldn't help but be relieved when they showed. She couldn't bear to see two kids being put into the system.
Just as she had filed the paperwork, the chief, Paul, came in and told her, "Emma, I think you've deserved to take the rest of the day off."
"You do realize I'm perfectly capable of remaining completely professional in difficult situations," Emma pointed out.
Paul couldn't help but grin before he told her, "Which is why you are one of the best cops I have. It's also why you've worked extra hours every day this week – you deserve a break."
Emma sighed as she planted her hands on her hips. She then offered her boss a small smile as she told him, "I guess you're right – thank you."
The chief nodded in response before he headed back to his office. The blonde then grabbed her keys and headed toward the parking lot.
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Emma sank down on her couch after changing into sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. After eating a late lunch, she decided to come back to her apartment and simply relax.
She flipped on the TV and surfed the channels until she found one of her favorite shows: The Big Bang Theory.
The blonde had been watching for a few minutes when she felt herself drifting off. All those extra hours were now taking its toll. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Unfortunately, Emma wasn't asleep for more than ten minutes when she heard someone incessantly banging on her door.
She groaned before she slowly made her way to the door, where the banging was getting louder and louder. She opened the door to find a worried-looking Killian standing behind it.
Panic seeped into her mind about the one thing they had in common before he alleviated her fears: "Why the bloody hell didn't you tell me Belle had a lunch date?"
Emma only stared at him for a moment before she hit him in the arm.
"What the devil was that for?" he complained as she rubbed his arm.
"You made me think something was wrong with Belle," Emma scolded him, annoyance in her tone.
Killian sighed before he told her, "I think I have a right to know if she's bloody dating."
Emma rolled her eyes before she ushered him inside. She then told him, "Belle can take care of herself – she doesn't need protecting."
He ran his finger through his dark locks before he replied, "She told me about Gold and how badly he hurt her. I'll be damned if I stand by and watch someone else break her heart."
The blonde was caught off guard by the sincerity shining in his blue eyes. She then took a deep breath before she told him, "You're really taking the whole protective older brother thing seriously, aren't you?"
"Well, love, that's the way my older brother was with me. I knew he would be there no matter what, and I want to do the same for my sister," Killian honestly responded.
Emma smiled at him before she gestured with her hand toward the kitchen and asked, "You want some hot chocolate? I don't make it for a living like you, but I do a decent job."
Killian smiled back at her before he replied, "I'd love some."
As soon as Killian and Emma went into the kitchen, he told her, "Your hand, it's cut."
She looked down before she shrugged off his observation, "It's fine."
"No, it's not," he responded. He then glanced around and saw a bottle of rum on the counter. He quickly grabbed it and pulled off the lid.
He then grabbed Emma's hand and poured the alcohol on it, and the blonde yelled, "Why the hell did you do that!?"
"It helps clean the wound, love," he responded matter-of-factly. He then set the bottle aside before he took a long and wide cloth from his back pocket.
She watched him as he wrapped her hand. He would glance up and lock eyes with hers for a moment before she would look away.
When he was finished, she told him, "Thank you, Killian."
"You're welcome, Swan," he replied with a smile. He then locked eyes with hers once more.
She quickly looked down and added, "Though my hand was fine."
Killian rolled his eyes before he told her, "You really are a stubborn lass."
Emma only shrugged her shoulders before she asked him, "Do you still want that hot chocolate?"
"Aye, love," he replied. She nodded before she went to work, and he sat down at the round kitchen table.
A couple of minutes later, she sat the drink down in front of him before she took a seat as well. He took a sip before he told her, "You're right, love. It's not quite as good as mine," with a grin.
Emma narrowed her eyes at him before she told him, "You're incorrigible."
"I think you mean dashing," he responded with a smirk.
She only rolled her eyes at him before taking a sip of her drink. After a couple moments of silence, she then asked, "How did you even know that Belle had a date?"
"She told me that she wanted a photograph of my, uh, that is our older brother, Liam, and I was going to bring it to her on my lunch break. After a quick bite to eat, I went by the library, and one of her co-workers told me where she was," Killian explained.
"Ah. And then you stormed over here," Emma observed.
"Can you blame me?" Killian asked her.
The blonde offered a small smile as she told him, "No, I can't." She then took a deep breath and continued, "But August is a great guy – you don't have to worry."
He ran his fingers through his black hair before he told her, "Thank you, Emma." She smiled at him in response.
She then joked, "If it makes you feel better, I can interrogate him." She then began to laugh.
When she had sobered, he grinned at her as he told her, "So, you do have a sense of humor after all."
"Maybe if you weren't so busy flirting with me, you would have noticed," Emma quipped.
"Well, when a beautiful – and intriguing – woman such as yourself comes into my shop, I can't help but want to get her attention," Killian told her.
Emma didn't have to look at him to see the sincerity in his blue eyes – she could hear it in his voice. She could handle the womanizing flirt; she couldn't handle the guy wearing his heart on his sleeve.
She then cleared her throat and asked, "How many times have you used that?"
Killian sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair once more. He decided to change the subject and asked, "What's this movie night I heard you ask Belle about?"
"Oh, well, it's our tradition. Every Friday night, we get together and watch a movie while we eat dinner and have snacks," Emma explained.
"May I inquire how it started?" he carefully asked.
"A difficult day at work that brought up painful memories from my past," she answered.
"And you decided to trust my sister and open up to her," Killian keenly observed.
Emma raised an eyebrow at him, and he reminded her, "Whether or not you want to acknowledge it, you are an open book to me, love."
The blonde simply started drinking her cocoa, and Killian did the same.
When they had both set down their drinks, Emma spied a tattoo on his wrist. She then asked him, "Who's Milah, on the tattoo?"
Killian took a deep breath before he admitted, "She was the love of my life. I was crazy about her."
"What happened?" Emma carefully asked.
"She died from a sudden heart-attack eleven years ago," he answered.
"Oh, Killian, I'm so sorry," she sincerely told him.
"Thank you, love, but I'm quite alright now. I may not have handled her death the best, but a friend helped me through it," he responded.
The blonde nodded before she observed, "So, there is a heart underneath all the cockiness and flirting."
"Well, you are the one who formed that rather pre-conceived notion of me, and you were too stubborn to see otherwise," Killian pointed out.
Emma opened her mouth to refute but found that she couldn't argue with him. She then quietly admitted, "I guess you're right."
"Pardon me, love, but did you just say that I was right?" Killian question with a smug grin.
The blonde couldn't help but grin back as she replied, "Don't get used to it."
"I wouldn't dare, Swan," Killian responded. She only shook her head and rolled her eyes in response.
Silence then ensued, and Killian could tell that Emma was contemplating something. After a moment, he assured her, "You don't have to, love."
"Don't have to what?" Emma asked, slightly confused.
"Tell me about your past. I know it isn't easy for you to trust people, love," Killian told her.
"But isn't that why you told me about Milah? So that I would open up to you?"
"On the contrary, Swan. I told you because I wanted you to know. Despite what you think of me, I have a genuine interest in getting to know you and becoming friends – and not just for Belle's benefit," Killian honestly told her.
For the third time today, Emma was caught off guard by his sincerity. She couldn't quite bring herself to look into those blue eyes of his.
Killian sensed her hesitation and told her, "I really should be getting back to the coffee shop, love. My lunch break has long been over with."
He drank down the rest of his hot chocolate before he got up and made his way toward the door. Just as he had opened it, he was stopped by Emma's voice.
"Wait, Killian," she spoke as she came to stand behind him. "Yes, Swan?" he asked as he turned to face her.
Emma took a deep breath before she told him, "His name was Neal."
Killian offered a small smile as he asked, "So, I take it that you're on board with being friends?"
"Well, it's not a completely terrible idea," the blonde answered as she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.
His smile only grew as he told her, "I look forward to it, Swan." He then winked at her before he began walking toward the stairs.
Emma only shook her head as she closed the door behind him. She then leaned against it, and though she would never admit it, she didn't fight the smile that made its way on her face as she thought about a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed coffee shop owner.
Hello, my lovelies! I just wanted to tell y'all that by my calculations, there will be two more chapters of "Truce". I hope y'all are enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Until the next installment! :)