A/N: This is a short chapter, at least compared to the other chapters I've done in this story. The next chapter will be a bit longer. An estimated chapter count will be 14 chapters + one fluffy epilogue.
Again a huge, huge thanks to my beta who I realized I called by her discord name in my previous chapter updates but on AU3 she is CSColifer, go check out her amazing stories.
Chapter 9Everyone working for uTV had filled up the large theater room, because of their boss Regina Mills calling all workers in that day. Killian knew it had to be some sort of information to do with the scandal that had filled every newspaper and online gossip site the past two weeks. How Emma Nolan was in a relationship with Killian Jones, a cameraman working on the same crew that was filming her family for the reality show 'The Nolans'. Killian had read very little of what they had posted online. To be honest, he rarely used social media platforms. Emma had given him a few highlights, and it seemed as if quite a few commenters had been positive about the entire story. The outrage Walsh clearly had wanted to cause had not happened, but Killian still felt violated beyond measure. But knowing that the entire world had witnessed their first date was still making his gut twist in anger.
Regina breezed into the room and the chatter slowly died down as everyone was eager to know what news their boss would have.
"Good afternoon." Regina inspected the crowd, her face set in her usual calm and poised expression. "I'll give a brief update on what has happened in the past two weeks." Her eyes landed on Killian and even from afar he could see that she looked tired. Regina looked at a piece of paper in her hand. "The cops finally traced the IP address back to the perpetrator who breached our server's firewall. It was sadly one of our previous employees." She took a deep breath and folded the paper. "He still had a link on the inside, a co-conspirator if you will." Her hand curled around the paper. "The digital investigation that took place clarified that Walsh had only gained access to our servers because someone from the inside opened a digital gate."
The room was silent for several seconds while Regina gave some time for her words to sink in. Killian glanced around the room. He still didn't know everyone here so he couldn't put a finger on who might be missing.
"Two days ago the cops arrested Zelena Green. She worked as a cutter in our newsroom." Regina pursed her lips before she continued. "It went unnoticed that she and Walsh had been involved personally."
A collective gasp of surprise rolled around the room, and several people whispered to whoever was sitting beside them.
Killian wasn't entirely sure who Zelena Green was, since he'd not had anything to do with the news department of uTV. He was curious why Walsh had been so pissed at Emma when he already had a girlfriend or whatever relationship the couple might have? Why go after Emma like this?
"Miss. Green was fired with immediate effect," Regina said taking a deep breath. "Both Miss. Green and Mr. Walsh will be tried and I hope this will be the end of all the drama." Her eyes landed on Killian again. "I'm sorry it caused one of our newest crew members a lot of personal pain."
Killian took a deep breath as everyone looked to his seat. He gave them all a tight-lipped smile and, hoping the attention would shift somewhere else soon, gave a small nod in acknowledgment willing his boss to move on to something else.
"The online feeds are still buzzing with this so I'd advise you all to not comment further on the case and what happened until it is closed. The social platforms have all taken the video down, and hopefully, the craze will die down significantly before our premiere in three weeks' time," Regina said with a sigh. "Let's enjoy and celebrate that we still have a strong audience for 'The Nolans', the show has been our flagship for many years. I'll let you all get back to your work now, but there will be updates coming out on the premier party so remember to check your inboxes this week. Have a good day, everyone." With this, she strode out of the theater room leaving them all behind to mull over what she had said.
Killian shifted back in his seat hoping that no one would come over to talk with him; he wasn't sure he could deal with the attention. A few fellow cameramen, Will Scarlet included, gave a small wave as they passed him, but they all seemed to sense that he wanted to be left alone. He didn't want to leave the room at the moment; the semi-darkness was a nice cover for his raging emotions. When Liam came over Killian closed his eyes willing, his brother to just leave him be.
"How are you?" Liam's voice was soft and compassionate.
"Bloody hell." Killian slumped forward and hid his face in his hands. "I don't know what to feel right now." He rubbed his face furiously. "I just want to go find that bastard and deck him with a good right hook."
"I know."
"Fuck, it's so bloody horrible knowing that everyone knows who I am, and worst of all the entire world has had a front-row view of our first date." Killian combed his hands through his hair and linked his fingers at the back of his head, he couldn't really think straight right now.
"I'm so sorry you guys had to experience that. Neither one of you deserved it." Liam placed his hand on Killian's shoulder.
"Had we been more straightforward, perhaps Walsh wouldn't have spied on us like that," Killian mused while he kept pulling at his hair, it was the only thing that kept him grounded right now.
"You would never have wanted to go public so fast," Liam argued.
"Emma is used to having a camera following her every move, it wouldn't have mattered as much to her as it might have done for me," Killian bit out letting go of his hair. Sitting up, he glared at his brother. "I fucked it up being so unsure of myself and worrying how I would deal with the fact that any relationship with Emma would end up on the front page."
Liam shifted in his seat so he was facing Killian. "Let's forget all the social media, or that her family is in a reality show. All of that is not important." He waved his hand in front of him as if to swipe those things off an imaginary board. "Now just think about you and Emma. What would you have done if you had met in any other setting, more private?" He took a deep breath. "Would you have fallen for her even then?"
"Aye." Killian nodded to underline his agreement.
"So why worry so much about what the media and gossip pages think?"
"Because they can drag me down in a muddy hole that I don't want to deal with right now." He glared at his brother. "You know what happened after Milah."
"It was a bloody car accident, Killian, it wasn't your fault!" Liam exclaimed and grabbed Killian's shoulder. "You didn't kill her."
"The local paper speculated that it could have been my fault," Killian mumbled feeling the old anxiety and pain over what happened with Milah, and how the media had handled the case of him and Milah ending in a car accident. An accident that took her life. One that he walked away from basically unscathed. But since Milah had been a high-profile person in the small town he'd lived in, things disproportionately blew up in the local papers.
"The cops and technical inspections of the car cleared you, it wasn't your fault, Killian," Liam reminded him again, firmly.
Killian finally nodded and blew out through his nose, this was getting more and more ridiculous. He wanted to move forward, with Emma by his side. Perhaps now it was time to show the world that he and Emma were together. Blinking a few times he looked at his brother. "I love Emma."
"I know." Liam smirked.
"I want this incident to be behind us. I want to move forward with her. I know she wants the same thing," Killian said resolutely. "I shouldn't care who sees us, or what gossip sites say about us."
"Finally asking her out?"
"Aye, I'll ask if she wants to go to the premier party with me. As my date," Killian said firmly, but his heart did a small flutter of panic at the thought of going down a red carpet with cameras flashing in his face. He knew the premier party was relatively small and private, but the uTV invited the press for photo options and red-carpet interviews. It was all to help build the buzz and awareness of the show soon airing on TV.
"Good idea." Liam smiled and patted Killian's shoulder one final time before he rose to his feet. "Wanna swing by my place for dinner?"
"Sure Elsa will be okay with that?" Killian checked.
"Aye, she always makes extra. Come on," Liam urged. "Perhaps she can give you a few pointers on how to woo that pretty lass of yours."
"Prat." Killian rose from his seat and slapped Liam's arm. "But sure I'll come."
The brothers walked to their cars and Killian was glad to have the social call to distract from his muddled thoughts. He knew he wanted to go to the premiere with Emma and he hoped that his anxiety could handle the publicity he'd be exposed to. He knew Emma understood because he'd spoken with her about what happened to Milah on one of the many afternoons they'd spent in her room.
"Thank you for dinner. It was lovely as always." Killian said, giving his sister-in-law a hug.
"You're welcome." Elsa smiled. "Oh, and don't forget next Saturday is when you're bringing Emma along."
"Aye."
"I can't wait to meet her, she seems to be such a level-headed girl, even with a camera following her every move."
"She is amazing," Killian breathed out, feeling his face flush with heat as it did whenever he spoke or thought of Emma.
Elsa turned to Liam. "Oh gosh, he's so lost, isn't he?"
"Hmm it's gotten so much worse since Christmas," Liam agreed, wrapping his arms around his wife, his hand lingering over the slight swell of Elsa's abdomen.
"Shut up, wanker," Killian grumbled, rubbing behind his ear. He knew his brother and Elsa were happy for him and he couldn't wait to have Emma join them for dinner.
He said the last farewell to his brother and Elsa and found his way to his truck; he'd not stayed long since Jewel had been home alone since lunch. On his way home he called Emma, using the hands-free setting. "Hi, Swan."
"Hi, Killian." He could hear the happiness in her voice.
"Did your family get an update from Boston on the case?" He held his breath as he knew that Emma rarely wanted to speak about what had happened with Walsh and the video that had shattered their peaceful bubble.
"Dad got a call from the cops and is going to the station tomorrow to press charges against Walsh for trespassing on our property. It will all go on top of all the other shit he's been doing." Her voice cracked a little in the end, and Killian felt his heart shatter at the thought of what heartache she'd been through.
"He's going to jail, that is for sure," Killian said firmly, liking that a creep like Walsh wouldn't be walking free for a very long time.
"What do you suppose happened with that woman who worked for uTV?"
"I don't know, but she got canned and I imagine she'll have a hard time finding any jobs that are related to the TV industry. No one wants an employee who has previously helped breach security." Killian honestly didn't care what happened to the woman, she was not someone he'd ever met in his time working for uTV.
"I'll see you Saturday?"
"Aye," Killian sighed. "I just wish we could have seen each other sooner."
"I'm sorry, that Olympic Team coach is coming out to spend a few days on the ranch." She took a deep breath. "It's very important for me, I really want to be on the team."
"I know, love."
"I can't wait to meet your family."
"You already know Liam," Killian chuckled.
"That's different because it's through work. This is a private dinner as a family," Emma mused.
"Aye, family." Killian felt his heart skip a beat as he suddenly pictured him and Emma standing on his porch. His arms wrapped around her pregnant belly. Bloody hell, that was too soon to even think about such future dreams.
"You okay?" Emma asked.
"Hmm, fine, just my head's buzzing from all the information we got today." Killian tried to explain his strange behavior. "So the premier party…"
"Yeah?" she asked, nervously.
"I was wondering if you want to go with me, as my date?" He held his breath as he waited for her to answer.
"As in an official and very public date?" Emma asked to double checked her understanding of what he was suggesting, not daring to hope she could be right.
"If you don't want to do it, I understand, I would never…"
"I'd love to," she replied quickly, to put him out of his anxiety.
"You would?"
"Of course babe, I'm just surprised, in a good way, that you feel ready to take the gigantic leap out into the public eye at an event like this."
He could hear the love and wonder in her voice. "I had a little chat with my brother after the briefing. It opened my eyes to something." He paused. "I want a life where I can show who I'm with. Who I love."
"I'd like that," Emma replied, her voice filled with joy.
Killian's heart beat a little louder knowing that he'd put such joy in her life.
She hummed as if thinking. "Oh, I'll be wearing silver."
"Silver?" He blinked as his mind tried to figure out why she'd given him this information.
"So you can match," she chuckled when he gasped. "Don't worry you don't need to wear a silver shirt. Perhaps a silver bowtie or something."
"Aye," he said, gulping hard, suddenly realizing that this might be fancier than any party he'd ever gone to before. He'd seen the pictures Liam had shown him from the previous year's premier parties, but he honestly had never been to a fancy party before.
"Are you okay?" Emma asked, sensing his nervousness.
"Hmm, fine." He replied. "I might need some help with my wardrobe selection for this event."
"We'll figure something out, don't worry. The outfits are not that important."
"So I can wear my cargo pants and a red baseball cap?"
Emma laughed loudly and once she finally settled again, she spluttered, That might be a tad too much."
"Everyone already knows I wear the bloody thing."
"Yeah well…" She paused as if she thought of something, "it is kinda famous."
"Aye?" He sensed that she wanted to add to that thought.
"There's this Spring Charity Gala that my mother will help with. They auction items off for charity…"
"You want to sell my bloody cap?" Killian interrupted in surprise.
"Why not?"
"You honestly think someone would want to buy my sweaty work cap?"
"You're famous, babe." Her voice held a hint of amusement.
"Hmm."
"Think about it. I know life in the spotlight is still new to you," Emma soothed. "No matter what, I'm just happy to be going to the party with you."
"Aye, me too," Killian agreed. They spoke a bit more about how her day had been and how much they would miss each other while she focused on her training with Savy over the coming days. They agreed to text and speak on the phone each evening and Emma reassured him once again that she couldn't wait to meet his family. It was nice to know that she embraced life so easily even after Walsh had tried to ruin their happiness. He would look forward to the party in three weeks, it would be a new step for him in his life he knew he would have with Emma Nolan.
