She then said, "So, speaking of Coney Island, I think David and Mary Margaret are thinking about taking Leo for his first trip soon."

Killian furiously shook his head as he protested, "Oh no, Swan, you are not getting out of it that easily."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she questioned, "Get out of what?"

He raised an eyebrow at her as he reminded her, "The karaoke story? You agreed to it."

Emma covered her face with her hands and groaned. She then complained, "Do I have to? Isn't one embarrassing story enough?"

"Not when you agreed to it," Killian reiterated, wearing a smug and triumphant smile.

"He does have a point, Emma. I'm not sure you can back out now," Elsa told her, and she couldn't help the teasing smile that formed.

Emma let out an exasperated sigh before she glared daggers at Killian. He only shrugged in response.

She then relented, "Fine, I'll tell you, but the whole thing was Killian's fault."

"Keep telling yourself that, Swan," he chimed in with a grin, receiving an elbow to the ribs.

Emma couldn't help but smile triumphantly as he shook his head. She then took a breath and began, "Killian and I had just finished a tough case - one of those long night, early morning, pain-in-the-ass cases that drove us nearly insane. We decided we needed to unwind with something other than coffee, donuts, and an NCIS marathon."

Liam and Elsa couldn't help but chuckle. She then surmised, "Let me guess, you guys went to The Rabbit Hole?"

She then tilted her head and asked, "Do they even have karaoke?"

"Only once every month or so. And we happened to drop by on that particular evening," Killian explained, and he couldn't help the grin that appeared.

Emma hit his arm before Elsa chimed in: "Since I know you wouldn't do it willingly, how exactly did Killian get you to sing?" resting her chin in her hand and looking curiously at her friend.

The blonde sighed before she grumbled, "It's kind of a long story, and I should have known better than to listen to him," gesturing toward Killian.

He rolled his eyes before he stated, "You're grossly over exaggerating, Swan. It wasn't as bad as all that."

"Says you," Emma threw back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If I may, Emma, all of your, well, bolstering only makes this story that much more intriguing, and I gather that it's rather interesting," Liam then offered, resting his hands on his arms.

"Which means we want to hear it even more," Elsa added, giving Emma a smile.

She smiled back in response. She then took a breath and began, "We were at The Rabbit Hole, just hanging out at the counter. We had each ordered a glass of rum…"

"Which is where the fun began," Killian interrupted with a grin.

Emma shot him an annoyed look before she clarified, "What he means is that the relaxed environment of the bar - as well as the alcohol - just helped us loosen up after all those hours at the station."

She then tilted her head and surmised, "Not that we needed too much help with that anyway."

"Indeed not, Swan," Killian offered with a teasing smile. He stole another onion ring and continued, "Although, Emma's way of relaxation involved rather passionate discussion of NCIS - especially the characters she dislikes."

"Watching made up crimes being solved by a bad-ass team is the perfect way to relax," Emma argued. She then shrugged and added, "It is for me anyway," taking a few bites of her food.

Liam then said, "I dare say that my brother is just as passionate about his interests - including the crime drama."

"I won't deny it because I do get rather riled up about it," Killian admitted. He then grinned at his best friend once more and spoke, "But Emma is far worse than I am, and it's quite amusing to watch."

With a grin, Emma then threw back, "No more amusing than you arguing with that kid over Top Gun."

Killian rolled his eyes before he stated, "'Kid' is a rather generous term - I'm surprised he and his friends were even allowed in the door."

"I will admit that they were just old enough to have a drink," Emma conceded, resting her chin in her hand. She then told him, "But did you have to make him feel that bad about it?"

The dark-haired man sighed before he pointed out, "He's the git who thought that bloody Maverick died in the movie. How utterly ridiculous is that?"

With a shake of his head, Liam surmised, "And I'm guessing you told him as much, and that's when things got interesting."

Emma chuckled before she chimed in: "In his defense, they were being loud and obnoxious - which is saying something because we were in a bar - and someone had to say something. And he wouldn't listen to his friends."

"Wait a minute," Elsa began as she swiped her hand in front of her, "Are you really saying things got that, well, intense over a movie?"

"Stranger things have happened," Killian commented with a shrug. He then added, "Especially when you've no idea how to hold your liquor."

Emma, Elsa, and Liam couldn't help but laugh and shake their heads. The former then teasingly offered, "So, Killian set the record straight. Movie buffs everywhere would have been proud."

"Very funny, Swan," he deadpanned. He then took a breath and said, "I simply informed the lad that Goose actually died - and that it was Maverick who was consumed by guilt over the whole thing."

"And in the end - despite his tendency to be reckless - came back to Topgun as an instructor. And back to Charlotte, of course," Emma interjected before popping an onion ring in her mouth.

A smug grin appeared on Killian's face as he corrected, "She actually went by Charlie, love."

"Really?" Emma demanded with crossed arms as she shot him an annoyed look. He only shrugged in response.

He then took a bite of his burger before he told her, "Come on, Swan, you have to know that nearly everyone in the movie is called by a nickname - including Charlotte."

Her arms were still crossed as she refuted, "That doesn't mean you have to be so smug about it."

With another shrug, he spoke, "I can't help if it's a natural characteristic of mine, darling."

Emma - as well as Liam and Elsa - rolled their eyes in response while Killian only flashed a mischievous grin.

Elsa then surmised, "And let me guess, he managed to convince you to sing "Danger Zone" or "Take My Breath Away"," a playful smile making its way across her features.

Killian offered that same playful smile as he said, "If that were simply the case, then this story wouldn't be nearly as interesting."

"You know, little brother, I'm beginning to see why Emma keeps saying this was your fault," Liam surmised as he raised an eyebrow.

"I will admit partial fault," Killian conceded with a tilt of his head. He then grinned at Emma and added, "And her own stubbornness provides the rest of the fault."

"Which you no doubt egged on or riled up, Killian," Liam pointed out, casting a knowing look toward his younger brother.

"I guess we'll see, won't we?" Killian offered as he smiled. He then took a sip of his drink before he continued the story: "The lad was a bit miffed at being corrected, but the amount of alcohol in his system made him quickly forget it. He then proceeded to talk about the music of the movie," letting out a sigh, "his favorite being Kenny Loggins' "Footloose"."

"Poor lad," Liam commented as he stifled a chuckle. He then asked, "How much had he had to drink?"

"Enough that the bartender cut him off soon after," Emma explained, "No one even had to correct him because he almost immediately began laughing at his own mistake."

"And when his laughter - and that of his friends - became a little too raucous, that's when they had to stop drinking," Killian further illustrated, gesturing with his hand.

Elsa then curiously questioned, "Did they leave after that, or did they keep talking - well, trying to talk - about music?"

"Since they were already slurring their words," Emma began as she absentmindedly twirled her fingers around her blonde hair. Killian's blue eyes were trained on her movement, but he tore his gaze away as he continued, "I don't think they were in the best shape to talk - as least not coherently, so the bartender called someone to come get them."

"That was awfully nice of him," Liam commented after he swallowed some of his food.

"Indeed it was," Killian agreed before he spoke, "But he's always been a rather nice bloke and does endeavor to keep things running smoothly at The Rabbit Hole."

Emma hummed her reply. She then said, "And once they had left, Killian and I still talked about movies and their soundtracks."

With a grin, Elsa then surmised, "Which I'm sure involved lots of singing on his part."

"You know it, love," Killian agreed as he offered a playful smile. His smile didn't fade as he continued, "Though Swan wasn't too enthralled when I sang along with the Armageddon soundtrack."

Emma rolled her eyes and was about to protest when Liam interrupted, "That was probably because you think you have to try to sing exactly like Steven Tyler."

"Exactly! Thank you!" Emma exclaimed, gesturing wildly with her hands. She then stated, "Not everyone is a fan…"

"And by everyone, you mean you," Killian interjected with a smirk.

The blonde huffed before she continued, "He just has an extremely high-pitched voice, and I don't particularly like it."

"Unless we're talking about "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"," Killian pointed out with a smug grin, resting his arms on the table.

Emma only stared at him as he considered his words. She sighed before she relented, "Fine. I'll give you that one."

"Mm-hmm," Killian hummed before he sipped on his drink and nudged her shoulder with his. She nudged him back - though it wasn't nearly as gentle.

Liam and Elsa couldn't help but chuckle while Killian adopted a scowl and rubbed his arm. He then quipped, "You know, love, you can be rather annoying sometimes."

With a shrug, she teased, "Well, I did learn from the best," before she let out a giggle. The musical sound reminded Killian that he could never be truly angry with her for too long.

"Well, Swan, I suppose you do have a point," Killian conceded as he gave her a small smile. She couldn't help but smile back at him.

The blonde then spoke, "And once he stopped Aerosmith, he started on the Footloose soundtrack."

"Which is one of your favorites, Swan," Killian cut in before he took a bite of his burger.

Emma leaned back in her chair before she said, "It is one of my favorites, but you weren't even singing the right words." She paused before she complained, "Who doesn't know the words to "Footloose"? It's one of the most popular songs in the movie, and we've watched it at least a dozen times."

Oddly, Killian began scratching behind his ear, and his eyes darted around the room. At first, Emma tilted her head in confusion until she realized he always grew distracted for the same reason.

An awkward silence then commenced. Thankfully, Liam managed to break it: "You know my brother, Emma, he likely did it on purpose to get a rise out of you."

She shot him a grateful look, and he offered a small smile in return. Elsa then added, "That sounds about right. I'm surprised he didn't try to dance."

Killian then adopted a crooked grin as he spoke, "Alas, there just wasn't enough room in the bar - it just isn't equipped for dancing," a mock sorrow in his tone.

Emma shook her head before she said, "I'm surprised you didn't try it anyway, but I'm glad you stuck to the singing."

His grin grew as he told her, "When you weren't glaring at me, hitting my arm, or complaining when I happened to go off-key, you were singing along with me and giggling as though you'd had more than just one glass of rum."

Emma blushed lightly before she threw back: "It's hard not to laugh with you being, well, you."

He only shrugged as he said, "It's just who I am, darling."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. Liam then teasingly spoke, "I suppose it was too much to hope that he'd grow out of it."

Killian rolled his eyes that time while Elsa, Emma, and Liam all let out a laugh.

The dark-haired man then said, "After my rendition of "Footloose" - with Emma's help of course - we moved on to our other favorite soundtracks."

As she sipped her drink, Emma furiously shook her head, earning a raised eyebrow from Killian. Once she swallowed, she noted, "Not before you tried to sing "Let's Hear It for the Boy"." She paused before she added, "Which was, frankly, worse than Aerosmith."

Killian ran his hand over his face and through his hair. He then spoke, "Bloody hell, I had nearly forgotten about that. But now that you mention it, singing that did quite a number on my vocal chords," earning chuckles from Liam and Elsa.

The blonde then curiously asked, "What did you decide was your favorite?"

"Well," Killian began as he gestured with his drink, "I am rather partial to Footloose. The music is rather catchy, upbeat, and lively - it's rather hard to beat."

"And because you and Ren share that rather rebellious streak," Liam interjected with a teasing smile.

The younger Jones tilted his head as he conceded, "Well, I do play my music rather loud, but I've never caused an uproar because of it."

"Only with me," Emma quipped as she raised an eyebrow at him. He simply shrugged.

He then grinned and said, "Speaking of an uproar, Swan's favorite soundtrack is a charming tale involving a wild mustang."

Liam and Elsa tilted their heads in confusion before she questioned, "You mean that kids' movie where the mustang gets lost and is captured by the army or something?"

With a sigh - and an annoyed look toward Killian - Emma explained, "The movie is called Spirit, and it is technically a kids' movie, but the soundtrack is amazing. Bryan Adams did pretty much all the songs, so how could it not be?"

"Ah, that does make sense. I should have known better than to put any stock in what my little brother says," Liam surmised as he rested his elbows on the table.

"Mm-hmm," Emma hummed as she smirked at her best friend. He hit her knee with his under the table, and she did the same to him, shooting him a mischievous grin.

She then spoke, "And once we had talked our way through the soundtracks…"

"Most of which are considered "classic" by today's standard," Killian interjected as he rested his chin in his hand.

Emma nodded her agreement before she continued, "Things started to get interesting," nervously running her fingers through her hair and avoiding her friends' curious looks.

Her best friend, however, tried his hardest not to laugh as he waited for her to pick up the story. He finally nudged her arm and whispered, "Come on, love, it's not quite as bad as you think."

She then took a deep breath and resigned, "Fine. Let's get it over with," before she took a sip of her soda.

She then recalled, "People had been doing karaoke for as long as we had been there, and things were starting to fizzle out because everyone had already had their turn. The DJ person or whoever was trying to get more people to sing."

"And so, I suggested that Emma should give it a go," Killian then cut in before popping a tater tot in his mouth. Once he had eaten it, he continued, "She, of course, said that it was the most ridiculous idea she'd ever heard, and the rum was beginning to go to my head."

Liam and Elsa laughed at that before the latter surmised, "I mean, she had a point. Some people don't like putting themselves out there like that - it can be nerve racking."

Emma and Killian - as well as Liam - knew she wasn't talking about karaoke, but they didn't press it further.

Instead, Emma gestured toward her friend and said, "See, Elsa gets it. Why in the hell would I want to sing in front of people I barely knew?"

"You tell me, darling. You're the one who got up there and did it," Killian pointedly told her - a smug look on his face.

She only glared at him before she shook her head. She then continued, "Anyway, I thought he would drop it after I told him what a stupid idea it was, but he just needed to embarrass me."

"Actually, love, I just thought karaoke would be a fun way to end the evening," Killian defended, no trace of sarcasm or smugness in his tone.

Emma couldn't help but wonder why he chose this moment to be sincere, but she couldn't dwell on it. Not now, at least.

She brushed her hair off her shoulders and said, "Where was I?" furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"Oh!" she then exclaimed before she continued, "Killian then decided that he could probably get me up there if he challenged me in some way. So, he started off with 'Scared are you, Swan? It's quite amusing that a tough-as-nails detective such as yourself would be put off by a simple microphone'."

With crossed arms, Liam then commented, "That is decidedly sneaky, little brother."

Killian shrugged as he spoke, "Perhaps, but it worked," a grin spreading across his features. He then elaborated, "But it wasn't quite all I needed to say. Naturally, Emma argued that she wasn't scared of anything, so I told him to prove it."

"I then told him that singing karaoke doesn't prove anything, and he should just drop it," Emma cut in, still sounding annoyed over the ordeal.

Elsa sipped her drink before she surmised, "Which meant that he only tried another tactic."

"You'd be right, love," Killian confirmed as he wore a lopsided grin. He then spoke, "I then accused her of not having enough fun and that this was supposed to be a getaway of sorts from our regular lives."

"Which in hindsight, I should have known he was up to something," Emma chimed in, running her hand over her face, "but I was too stubborn, and I wanted to prove him wrong."

She then took a breath before she spoke, "I tried to tell him that I didn't need to do something like karaoke to prove that I'm fun. He did agree with that before he told me that it didn't hurt to do something out of the ordinary for fun."

A thoughtful look then crossed her features as she admitted, "Which is actually a pretty good point."

Killian smiled at her words before he picked up the story: "And I drove the final nail in the coffin by telling her that she was actually a pretty good singer, and the fact that she was still mostly sober would give her a fair shot at being the best."

He then grinned and added, "And she says that I have a big ego."

Emma rolled her eyes before she defended, "It had nothing to do with my ego - I just wanted to prove you wrong because you were so insufferable. And I was going to show you that I could sing karaoke," a determination settling in her voice.

Liam and Elsa couldn't help themselves from laughing. She then said, "Sorry to say it, Emma, but I think that was his point all along."

Emma tilted her head for a few moments as she pondered her friend's words - and sighed when she realized she was right.

She then surmised, "Now you guys know why I didn't want to tell this story." She paused before she lamented, "And to make matters worse, I completely botched "Holding Out for a Hero" when I got up there."

"Oh no, Emma. Did you really?" Elsa told her friend, a sympathetic look passing over her features.

"Unfortunately," Emma replied before she sighed. She then continued, "I really only sing in the shower and in the car, so I guess being in front of people just, like, freaked out or something."

"I tried to tell her it wasn't quite that horrendous, but she thought I was only being nice to ease my own conscience," Killian offered, his tone somewhere between sympathetic and remorseful.

"Well, you were the one who practically shoved me up there," Emma pointed out as she raised an eyebrow at him. She then argued, "And then you tried to get me up there again!"

He ran his hand over his face as he defended, "I was truly only trying to help you have some fun, Swan."

Liam then reasoned, "I'm sure your heart was in the right place, but being on stage clearly wasn't her forte."

"That was exactly my point," Emma vehemently stated. A few moments later, she sighed and relented, "But I did go back up there - well, we went up there."

"Really? I'm pretty surprised that you wanted to sing again," Elsa commented before taking a few bites of her food.

"Well, I thought it was an equally ridiculous idea," Emma conceded, resting her chin in her hand. She then took a breath and said, "But Killian did have a point about having fun. He suggested that if he were up there with me, then I wouldn't be so nervous," smiling at him.

He smiled back at her before he said, "And it was great fun - we decided to sing "You're the One That I Want" from Grease."

He then grinned at his best friend and added, "Though Emma was a fair bit skeptical about the choice."

Emma placed her drink on the table before she defended, "Because it's a love song - I thought it would be weird."

"In fairness, most duets are love songs," Elsa pointed out as she tilted her head. She paused before she continued, "And it'd have only been weird if you let it."

Emma crossed her arms and shot her friend a slightly annoyed look. Elsa only helplessly shrugged in response.

Killian cleared his throat before he recollected, "Anyway, I pointed out that it was just a song, and we were a far cry from two love-struck teenagers who'd just finished high school."

Liam and Elsa chuckled at that before he spoke, "I dare say you were."

Emma giggled before she finished the story: "And so, we got up there, and it was really fun. I couldn't help but be surprised, but I think that Killian had a lot to do with it," shooting him a smile, "When we were finished, we had one more round before we walked home."

"Any evening spent with my best friend is always a great time," Killian began. A smirk then appeared on his face, and he teased, "Especially one that gives me an embarrassing story about the lovely Swan."

She rolled her eyes before she told him, "I should have known that you'd ruin the best part of the story."

"Actually, love, the best part of the story was you messing up the song that badly. I mean, I did feel awful about it, but it was still hilarious," Killian replied, the smirk having never left his face.

Emma glared at him before she slapped his arm. He shook his head at her in response.

The blonde then declared, "Alright, that really is enough of the embarrassing stories."

"Come on, Swan, it's only fair that Liam and Elsa have their turn," Killian said as he flourished his arm toward them.

"Seeing as you're outvoted, little brother, I don't think that's going to happen," Liam spoke as he offered him a grin.

"Younger," Killian murmured before he complained, "You lot are no fun."

Emma let out a giggle while Liam and Elsa smiled and shook their heads. The four of them then continued eating.