It was almost one pm by the time Killian woke the following day. He groaned as he saw the red numbers on the clock beside his bed; their very existence seemed to taunt him. Lily briefly lifted her head from the pillow beside his own as he forced himself to sit up and swing his legs over the edge of the bed, before she dropped back down to the position she had remained in all evening.

"Lucky pup," Killian grumbled, giving her back a soft scratch.

The warm water of the shower helped to wash away the last vestiges of fatigue, and by the time he stepped out from under the spray, he felt much better than he had since his flight had touched down at Newark Airport. Killian hesitated in front of the bathroom mirror, scrubbing a hand over the stubble that had grown while he'd been away. Before he'd left his mom's apartment the night before, she'd kissed him goodbye and told him he needed a shave. And yet, as he looked at himself now, Killian wasn't entirely sure that he did. Something inside of him had changed while he'd been in France, something he couldn't quite name and something he hadn't even realized he'd been unhappy with. The thought of shaving didn't sit quite right with him. It almost felt like he'd be trying to fix the part of himself that had changed while he'd been on vacation, and Killian wasn't sure there was anything about this new version of himself that needed fixing.

"Fuck it," he whispered to himself, as his eyes lingered on the small friendship bracelet still tied securely around his wrist. If the network didn't like his slightly edgier look, then maybe he'd consider shaving, but he'd wait until he came to that bridge before he tried to cross it.

Finishing up his usual routine, Killian made his way out of the bathroom, paused in his bedroom to give Lily a little more attention as he snatched up his phone, then headed down to his kitchen. His mother always made sure his dry-cleaning was collected and that his refrigerator was stocked with the things he loved most before he returned home, and Killian had never been more grateful for her than he was that afternoon. After pouring himself a glass of orange juice and popping a few slices of bread under the grill, he dropped down into a seat at the small kitchen table, which was already neatly stacked with the newspapers that had accumulated while he'd been away. Killian ignored them all in favor of his phone and the notifications that had arrived while he was sleeping.

August had messaged to see how he was doing. Killian sent back a reply assuring his friend that he was feeling much better after a good night of sleep. His mother had emailed to let him know that the fridge was full and how much she loved him. And there was another from his producer, Ashley. She had suggested getting together later that evening for dinner to go over everything he'd missed while he'd been out of the country. Killian sent a reply to his mother to thank her for all she'd done, then one to Ashley to confirm their plans. Finally, he pulled up the message he'd most wanted to read – the one from Emma.

Her text had been the first to come in that morning. She'd sent a picture of the view from the balcony just outside her bedroom and attached a small message to it.

Missing France yet?

Killian allowed his eyes to drift over to the view outside his kitchen window. He'd always thought that New York City was the best place in the world but, as he looked out over the bustling streets and giant skyscrapers that made up the scenery he loved, he found himself longing for something more natural and peaceful than the city could provide for him.

The sound of the oven timer chiming made him jump slightly, and Killian set his phone down on the table as he made his way back over to the grill to finish preparing his breakfast. When he had a plate balanced in one hand, and his phone held securely in the other, Killian headed through to his small lounge and curled up in the corner of his couch, knowing that the smell of food would soon bring Lily out to join him. He then took a large bite of his meal and chewed it a few times as he pulled up Emma's number and hit call.

This time, it took her a little longer to answer the phone. Killian's heart beat faster and faster with every ring that sounded. He knew it was irrational, but a large part of him was still waiting for the bubble around their friendship to pop.

"Hey, sleepy-head," Emma finally greeted, and he felt his entire being relax back into the sofa at the sound of her voice.

"How could you guess?"

"Well, you know, the twelve-hour delay between my message and your call was a huge clue," she chuckled.

Killian pulled the device briefly away from his ear to check the timestamp on her message then cursed loudly. "I'm so sorry, Emmy. As soon as I got into bed last night, I was out of it. I have no idea where the last fifteen hours have gone."

"It's fine," she assured him. "I had a feeling you'd be sleeping it all off. Besides, it gave me plenty of time to Google you."

"Oh my God. You didn't," he groaned, his head falling into his hand.

"Oh, I did!" she drawled, and Killian wasn't entirely sure he liked the tone her voice was carrying. "But I'll be honest, I've spent most of the day on YouTube."

Killian groaned again as the sofa dipped beside him, and Lily attempted to squeeze her nose between his hand and face.

"I have a few questions," Emma continued, like she hadn't heard his complete and utter mortification across the line.

"I'm sure you do."

"Firstly, is the stubble new? Why am I not seeing that in these videos because I'll admit, the clean-shaven look works for you, and it does make you look years younger than you are, but the stubble… that should be a keeper."

"I'll bear that in mind," he mumbled, more to his hand than into the phone he was holding.

"Secondly, how many people do you know that have died?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, lifting his head so suddenly that Lily shot him a look of complete disgust. Killian reached out to scratch behind her ears in silent apology, and she soon melted under his touch.

"Well, from what I've seen so far, it kinda looks like your days consist of delivering the news between eight and nine, then attending a funeral at nine-oh-one. Don't you own a different colored shirt or tie? I Googled other news presenters on your network; I know the black's not some sort of expected uniform."

"I, uh… I don't, actually," he told her. "The tie you bought me at the market is the only one I have that isn't black."

"Seriously? I was, um… I was kinda joking there, but now I need to know why you only own black suits and ties," she teased.

"Black's a classic," he explained, shrugging his shoulders even though he knew she wouldn't see the gesture. "It works for every situation they could throw my way - so why change it now?"

"Because black is really boring," she explained. "And honestly, Killian, as long as you're not completely clashing your colors, you're gonna look respectful. I mean, you're a news presenter - or anchor - or whatever you guys wanna call it. It's not like you're wearing denim shorts and a mesh vest to deliver the news. You should mix it up a little. The blue would work really well with your eyes."

"I'll, um… I'll think about it," he promised, because honestly, what she'd said made a lot of sense. Killian had always worn black because it felt appropriate for any and all situations that could be thrown his way. The last thing he wanted to do was offend someone while he was on-air. But Emma was right. He'd never looked at his fellow male anchors and thought they looked disrespectful in their grey suits or red ties, so why had he never applied those beliefs to his own attire before?

"Good, because I can guarantee you'd make a lot of people happy if you did," she chuckled, and Killian groaned once again. "Oh, yes, I found that corner of the internet too," Emma teased. "You have a lot of fans, Killian – male and female. It's pretty impressive, actually."

"Thank you," he mumbled, as he buried his face in Lily's soft fur to hide his embarrassment.

Emma giggled a little across the line then, almost like she could sense his rising discomfort, she smoothly changed the subject. "So, what are you gonna spend the rest of your day doing?" she asked.

"I, uh… I'm gonna take my producer dinner at the office tonight. We need to go over everything I've missed while I've been away, just in case it comes up again during the week, and we might as well eat while we do it. Other than that, I'm just gonna go for a walk with Lily and spend the rest of the day avoiding unpacking my suitcase."

Emma chuckled again, and Killian could picture her nodding her head even from thousands of miles away. "Sounds like a solid day to me," she assured him, before she asked, "Who's Lily? I'm sure you've mentioned her before. Is she your producer?"

There was something a little off about the way she'd asked her question, but Killian couldn't quite put his finger on it. "She's the only woman who gets to share my bed," he teased, leaning down to give his puppy a sweet kiss.

"Really?"

This time, Emma's tone said far more than the single word she'd uttered ever could.

"Is that a hint of jealousy I hear in your voice?" Killian goaded, as he leaned forward to toss his plate of toast down onto the coffee table. It had probably gone cold now, and he suddenly wasn't as hungry as he had been before.

"Nope, just confusion," Emma explained. "I'm trying to work out if you're just playing with me or if I managed to get you that wrong, and the day after you've slept with me, you've decided you're gonna brag about how you were using me to cheat on another woman."

"She's my dog!" Killian rushed out, because clearly he hadn't thought this through, and the last thing he wanted to do was start his day by pissing off his friend. "Lily's my dog. She's sitting right beside me, and she definitely isn't human. She's a Welsh Springer Spaniel. I swear, I'm not lying to you, Emmy, and you're definitely not wrong about me. I can send you a picture of her if you'd like?"

"It's fine," Emma assured him. "I believe you."

"I wouldn't do that to you, Emmy," he promised. "I'm not that kind of person."

"I didn't think you were," she confirmed. "But I also keep reminding myself that I haven't exactly known you all that long, so it's entirely possible that you might not be the man I think you are."

There were so many hidden layers under Emma's words that it took him a while to dig through them all. Killian's heart ached for the young woman who had learned the hard way that people weren't always what they seemed, and it ached even more for the young girl that had been passed around so often (for whatever reason) that she'd come to believe people couldn't be trusted.

"While I agree that we still have plenty to learn about each other, I promise that what you see is kinda what you get with me," he told her.

"Really?" she pushed. "Because you, um… you kinda come across as much more confident in all these videos I've been watching today, and it just made me wonder if this was all kind of an act, you know? A game - just to get me into bed with you?"

"It wasn't!" Killian declared firmly. "I promise it wasn't, Emmy. I just – I've always been a little socially awkward. My mom put me in the spotlight from an early age, and it was just never really something I flourished under. Being an anchor is different, though. I know it sounds insane, but I swear it's true. When I'm delivering the news - it's just me and a handful of people. People that I know and trust. But more importantly than that, it's me having a conversation that's mostly scripted. Even when I talk with other people, we know the subject we're discussing, we know how much time we have to talk about it, and we know when that conversation is gonna happen. It's predictable, even though there are times when the news is anything but. When I'm out in the world - it's just me, and there's no script to read from. Everything is entirely unpredictable, and there are some times when I just don't know what to say or if I should say anything at all. Sometimes I say the wrong things at completely the wrong moment, and that – that doesn't help improve my anxiety. I swear, every conversation we've had, Emmy has been very uniquely me. And while what you see on TV is also me, it's a more polished, scripted, and rehearsed form of me that's perhaps just a little bit better than the real deal."

"I wouldn't agree with that," she whispered, and Killian felt the tight band that had wrapped itself around his heart loosen ever-so-slightly. "I like the unscripted you," Emma added.

"Good, because you're probably gonna see a lot more of him," he chuckled.

"I look forward to it."

There was a moment of comfortable silence that settled between the two of them before Emma finally cleared her throat and said, "So, your mother is Alice Jones, right? Tell me a little bit about her."

"You mean the internet wasn't full of interesting facts about her life?" Killian chuckled.

"Oh, it was – but I assume the woman herself is even more legendary than those tales. What was it like growing up with Alice and Brennan Jones as your parents?"

"I can't believe my parents are people you know, but you didn't have a clue who I was."

"Of course they are," Emma giggled. "Even growing up poor, I knew their designs were the epitome of luxury jewelry. I always told myself if I made it big in the music industry, the first thing I'd do is treat myself to an ALICE design."

"Well, they're not so much family designs anymore," Killian chuckled, "But my mother will be delighted to know that when we first met, you knew more about her and my dad than you did about me."

"Pfts, stop feeling sorry for yourself, Jones and dish the goods."

Killian chuckled loudly as he settled himself back into the sofa a little more comfortably to tell his friend everything he knew about his mother and father's rather unique lives.

Lily was not amused when Killian finally hung up the phone later that evening, hours after sitting down to talk with Emma.

"Don't look at me like that," he chided, as she stared up at him from her hiding spot under the kitchen table. "I lost track of time. I'm sorry. Why don't we take a walk to the office?"

At the mention of the world walk, Lily pushed herself up to her paws, and her tail began beating the air enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I thought you'd appreciate that," Killian chuckled, reaching down to scratch behind her ears. "Go fetch your leash while I finish grabbing everything, and then we can go."

Lily trotted off down the hall while Killian checked inside his bag to make sure that he had everything he needed. On top of his lack of organizational skills, he was often incredibly forgetful. He'd already been back to the DMV twice that year for a new driver's license. The last thing he wanted to do was get to the office without his wallet and force Ashley to pay for their meal. He had just managed to convince himself that he had everything he needed when something shoved into a side pocket caught his attention. Killian grabbed the book and pulled it out, turning it over in his hands. The moment he saw the front cover, he realized what it was. He had stuffed the book hastily into his bag to give back to Emma the day after she'd thrown it at him, and he had completely forgotten about it.

Killian set the novel down on the table just as Lily came padding back into view, her leash held tightly between her teeth. He pulled out his phone, snapped a quick picture of the book, then shoved it back into his bag.

"You know you've gotta drop it before I can use it, right?" he told his pup, as he reached out to pull the leash from her mouth.

Lily shook her head a couple of times until Killian finally let go. Satisfied that she'd won the battle, she opened her jaw and allowed the leash to fall to the floor. Killian sighed as he bent down to pick it up, felt around for the D ring on her collar, then clipped it into place.

"I just need to send one quick text, then we can go," he promised.

Lily stood patiently at his side as Killian tapped out a message for Emma.

I think I have something of yours here with me in NYC (featuring a special appearance from Lily, who is very annoyed that I forgot the promise I'd made to take her for a walk when I woke up.)

He attached the picture he'd just taken to the message and hit send. After sliding his phone safely into his pocket, Killian looped his messenger bag over his shoulders and reached for Lily's leash.

"Okay, girl. Let's go."

Killian made it to work just in time to meet the delivery driver at the door. He paid for the food and took the bag from the driver, then ushered Lily into the nearest elevator to make the trip up to the forty-third floor - where his office, newsroom, and studio were all located.

As soon as they stepped out onto his floor, Killian bent down to remove Lily's leash. They would be the only people in this part of the building at that time of the night, so Lily could explore to her heart's content. He left the food in the paper bag it had been delivered in and set that down on his desk to keep warm before pulling out his chair and taking a seat. While he waited for his computer to boot up, Killian reached for his phone to check his messages. He wasn't surprised to see Emma's name on his screen, but he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to the giddy feeling it ignited deep inside his gut.

How could you break a promise you made to such a beautiful girl?

You big ol' meanie!

And you can keep it! I'm still pissed about what she did with that sequel.

Killian chuckled to himself as he relaxed back in his seat and watched Lily chase a squeaky ball she'd found around his office. Even his messages with Emma felt easy and natural. It was like they'd known each other forever, and yet, there was still a hint of that getting-to-know-you phase they were managing to work into their conversations. It wasn't just easy, he realized with a start - it was fun. While Killian loved his friends and family dearly, their communications and interactions had become predictable over the years. They knew probably as much about each other as they ever would, and they'd stopped asking about what they didn't. But with Emma, everything felt different. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but Killian was certain that he could talk to Emma every single day for the rest of the decade and still learn something new about her each and every time.

He reached for his phone once more, snapped a picture of Lily nosing at the ball beside one of his bookcases, and attached it to his reply.

Don't feel too bad for her. She's terribly spoiled - and I'm not even a little ashamed of that.

He paused for a moment as he tried to decide how to reply to the second half of her message, and suddenly, inspiration struck. Killian hit send on the first message, then fished inside his bag to pull out the battered paperback that had already changed so much. The bookshelf that ran along the wall perpendicular to his desk housed a few hardback books. Most were the different works his fellow ATSL anchors and contributors had written and gifted to him. Killian rose to his feet and gently pushed the books apart to make room for Emma's novel in the middle of the shelf. He then straightened the others on either side, dropped back down to his seat, and snapped a picture of the new arrangement.

Then I guess Miss Lewis will have a new home for now.

He attached the image to his message and hit send just as Lily's head shot up from her ball to stare at the open doorway.

"Better than an alarm system," he murmured to himself, as she trotted out of the room to greet Ashley, leaving Killian behind to sort out their dinner.

He could hear Ashley's puppy talk long before he saw his producer enter the newsroom. With nobody else in the space, the smallest noise seemed to carry across the building. By the time she finally made her way into Killian's office at the back of the room, he had grabbed them both drinks to accompany their meals and had even placed a small handful of shredded chicken into a bowl on the floor for Lily to enjoy.

"You should always send your dog to greet me, Jones," Ashley called out, as soon as she caught sight of her anchor. "She's much more personable than you are."

"I would be offended by that statement if it wasn't so true," he chuckled.

Ashley gave Lily's ears one last scratch as she rounded the desk to throw her arms around Killian's awkward frozen form.

"It's good to have you back," she said, giving him a little squeeze before she pulled away and looked him over. "I'm guessing you didn't go anywhere exotic for your vacation. You still look far too pale."

"I was in France," he protested. "It's lovely out there this time of the year."

"And did you spend the whole two weeks inside or what?"

Killian threw her his best wounded-animal look as he gestured for Ashley to take a seat and sank down into his own when she had.

"You look good," his producer finally conceded, as she opened up the small box he'd set in front of her. Ashley nodded her head in appreciation and tacked on, "Not that you don't always look good, but you look… different… happy."

"Thanks. I am," he told her, and Killian realized with a start that even though he was almost four thousand miles away from Emma, he was happy. He was back in the city he loved, surrounded by the people he loved most, and this new friendship he'd built was still flourishing, despite all the odds stacked against them.

"Good. That's good," Ashley affirmed. She lifted her chicken sandwich to her mouth and took a large bite while Killian fiddled with his burger, checking that it had been prepared to his exact liking. By the time he was ready to start eating, Ashley had already swallowed down her first bite and declared, "So… shall we start with the last Friday you were here?"

"Ugh. If we must," Killian sighed, watching as she pulled a file from her bag and tossed it down onto the table between them. It was much larger than Killian had expected it to be, which meant that he would probably be spending the rest of his evening in his office, revisiting every key development that had happened around the world while he'd been away.

The vibration of his phone in his pocket felt like rubbing salt in an open wound. He knew that by the time he had the chance to check his messages, Emma would likely be fast asleep, and when she woke the following morning, Killian would be tucked up safely in bed with Lily.

Suddenly, four thousand miles felt a whole hell of a lot further apart than it had done just moments before.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.