A/N: You're getting an earlier update, just to give a little for you guys to read over the Thanksgiving weekend. I don't live in the US so i don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

Today is also my beta reader's birthday, happy birthday CSColifer, hope you have an amazing day. I'm so so very thankful for the help she gives me with this story.

It will be 14 + an Epilogue, which is final. The last two chapters still need to be looked over a bit more before I share with my beta reader.

Enjoy

Chapter 10

THE NEXT WEEKEND

Reluctantly Emma opened her eyes, groaning when a sliver of sunlight hit her eyes. Apparently, Killian never shut the drapes properly last night. She nuzzled closer to her boyfriend who was clearly awake as she heard a small chuckle.

"Still not a morning person?"

"Ugh, shut up, why didn't you make sure the curtains were closed?" she mumbled into his neck, feeling his heartbeat under her hand.

"Sorry."

"Hmm." Emma took her time waking up. Last night had been fun, when she and Killian enjoyed an evening with Liam and his wife, Elsa. Both had greeted her with open arms. Emma already knew that she'd get along with Elsa well in the future.

"I smell coffee." Killian mused smoothing his hand over her bare shoulder before slipping his fingers under the shoulder strap of her tanktop.

"We should get up and go downstairs for breakfast," Emma suggested as she tried to get up. She was stopped when Killian moved his hand down to rest over her lower back. Emma lifted her head and looked at Killian with a curious frown.

"Can't I just enjoy one morning with my girl, being lazy in bed?" He smirked and slipped his fingers under her tank top.

"You're not playing fair buddy." Emma tapped his chest with her finger, making him wince.

"Bloody hell, woman." He rubbed over the spot but she saw his lips forming a smile.

"I don't want to be caught in any sort of compromising situation with your brother and sister-in-law being downstairs," Emma explained with an eye roll.

"We didn't do anything." His eyes flickered with a hint of regret, and Emma felt her stomach flare up with that simmering passion that seemed to be an ever-present part of her time with Killian.

"One day, soon," Emma said, looking down. She wanted that time to be special when it did happen. Last night was only their second time sleeping in the same bed, and neither wanted anything to happen with his family in the same house.

"Hmm." Killian smoothed her hair away from her face. "Aye, one day."

"I love you." Emma moved closer and kissed him, humming as he wrapped his fingers up in her hair holding her closer. She moved her lips over his in languid sweeping motions. When his tongue probed for access she granted it with no thought. This man was so sweet she wasn't about to give up on the love they shared, especially because of some crazy fucked up stuff that happened. Emma thought.

They pulled apart and Killian whispered, "I love you too…"

An abrupt knock on the door had them both jumping in surprise. "Oy love birds, breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

"Bloody hell," Killian grumbled under his breath, before calling out, "We'll be right down."

"Don't take too long kissing her good morning, little brother," Liam laughed.

They heard him shuffle away from the door.

"It's younger brother, you git!" Killian bellowed and groaned as he slumped back in bed.

Emma suggested they head down for breakfast as she got out of bed.

Killian finally got up too.

They took turns using the bathroom and finally headed downstairs.

"Good morning," Elsa greeted them both from the kitchen, as she was putting the scrambled eggs in a bowl.

Emma smiled. "Good morning, this smells nice." She walked to the kitchen. "Can I help with anything?"

"We just need the last bowls there." Elsa nodded to the kitchen island and Emma took two bowls and walked to the dining table.

The four of them settled down to eat breakfast. The talk was lively and most of the time, like last night, they stayed clear of any mentions of what happened with Walsh.

Emma appreciated this, as the past weeks had been pure hell. Seeing her first date with Killian blown up online was awful and she hated something like this had tainted her memories of it. She wanted to make the premier date much more successful.

As they cleaned up after breakfast she began to contemplate how to get Killian all to herself. Emma watched him goof around with his brother while she and Elsa shared knowing smiles and laughs at their antics. Killian's family had opened up their home to her with ease and she had felt right at home there.

"Don't be a stranger, Emma." Elsa gave her a hug and smiled.

"I won't." Emma glanced at Killian with a smile. "I'm pretty sure we'll come for dinner again."

"It's good to see Killian happy, again." Elsa looked down before she shifted her gaze to Killian. "His past is dark and gloomy."

"I know." Emma gave the other woman a reassuring smile.

"Have a safe trip home." Elsa looked out of the window next to the front door. "It looks like it's going to snow later."

"We will." Emma reassured her.

"Ready to do a bit of sightseeing first, Swan?" Killian put his arms around her shoulder.

"Hmm." Emma wrapped her scarf around her neck and followed Killian to his truck. She'd parked her own car at his cabin and would drive home from there later today.

Killian drove them to downtown Boston and found a spot near the harbor; he wanted to show her the tall ships that were currently docked for the winter. It had snowed a little last night, so a fine layer of snow covered the area. The sky was filled with gray clouds that promised more snow soon.

As they walked down to the waterfront, they talked about the future and what would happen after the premier gala.

"So how busy will you be from now until we film again in May?" Killian asked, his hand squeezing hers.

"I'll be doing a lot of indoor practice sessions with Savy during the winter months. The trainer that I had out this past week will come once a month and stay for several days." Emma said tucking herself closer to his body, it was chilly near the water. The view of the tall ships was beautiful and she could almost imagine how the ships would look with their large white sails on full display.

"I only have a few smaller projects that I'm going to be working on." Killian said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, still holding onto her hand. "Regina has asked me to help with a smaller short series about those tall ships there." Emma could hear the excitement in his voice.

"Nice." Emma looked up at him. "But aren't they moored here for the winter?"

"They still do repair work on them. One of them is getting a major makeover done, and the idea is to show this process in a documentary," Killian explained.

"Sounds interesting." Emma smiled. She knew he liked to sail, and they'd still had to have a date on the small boat he had out near his place.

"Hmm." Killian placed a small kiss on her temple. "There will be a slight overlap once we film 'The Nolans' again in May," he told her, sadly.

"How so?"

"The tall ship in question will start sailing again in mid to late May."

"Oh." Emma looked down at her feet. "So you won't come to the ranch to film on the first day?"

"I might make it." Killian pursed his lips. "But it will be a bit of a tight schedule and no real free time for a few weeks at that point either."

"Yeah, well. We'll just have to make the best of it," Emma mused. "Our life is going to be crazy, and once we hit the final stages for the Olympics next spring, I'm going to be all focused on that." She stopped walking and turned so she could see him fully. "I hope that time will just be another bend in the road for us."

"Look, love, I know this is your biggest dream," Killian said, cupping her face. "I would never stand in the way of that dream." He kissed her. "I'm going to be rooting for you from the sideline, while we film your path to success."

"Thank you for believing in me." Emma wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him again. Their lips stayed locked in a kiss for several moments, both forgetting that they stood in the shadows of the tall ships and that people would be passing by. At that moment Emma didn't care. All she knew was that she loved this amazing man.

Once they finally pulled apart both were breathless and Emma could see his cheeks had become redder, and it wasn't just from the slight chill in the air. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"How about we find a place to grab a quick lunch before we drive north?"

"I like the sound of that." Emma shivered. "It's getting rather cold now." She tugged her scarf closer around her neck then took Killian's hand as he led them to a small diner, near the harbor, called "Ariel's Seafood Shack".

The place was cozy and quaint, and the smell of food had made Emma's mouth water. She looked at the menu and saw they had her favorite. "I'll have onion rings with grilled cheese."

Killian raised an amused eyebrow. "Drink?"

"Hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon."

"Obviously." He smiled and walked to the counter to order their food.

Emma found a table that was in a corner. This was the first time she'd been out in the public with Killian. While they'd walked along the harbor no one seemed to take notice of them, but she also knew that it might change once they got inside and people had more time to look.

Killian carried their drinks to the table. He'd also chosen hot cocoa because it had been so cold outside and he felt the need to get warm.

"Thank you." Emma inhaled the aroma from the mug, giving the whipped cream a small stir with the spoon; she knew it was far too hot to drink right now.

Killian sat down and they talked about the premier gala.

Emma could see that he was still uncertain how it would turn out for him.

"I haven't been to such an event before." He looked down at the red and white checkered tablecloth.

"You'll be fine." Emma reached for his hand and only continued speaking when he finally looked up at her. "The cameras can be a bit daunting but just smile and look like you're enjoying yourself."

"What about questions?" He rubbed behind his ear with his other hand.

"That will be a whole different ball game," Emma sighed. "But try to be yourself, don't force an answer out, they will pick it up right away if they sense your nerves. They can twist words like crazy if you're rambling on and on about something."

"So short and precise?"

"Yeah, and don't worry, I'll be by your side all the time." Emma rubbed her thumb over his knuckles.

Killian squeezed her hand and linked their fingers together. "Thanks, love."

The server, with wavy red hair that was gathered in a high ponytail, came with their food. "Here you go. Enjoy." Her eyes shifted to Emma, and she blinked a few times as if a thought struck her. "Are you…?"

"Hmm?" Emma bit the inside of her cheek trying to smile while a tiny sliver of worry ran through her body.

"Aren't you that showjumper everyone loves so much?" The server tilted her head in thought, then her eyes glanced at Killian, when her eyebrows lifted in realization Emma had to suppress a smile by coughing into her napkin.

"What?" Killian asked nervously, his finger rubbed furiously behind his ear, his eyes shifting to Emma in a slight panic.

"You're that guy…" She pointed to her head. "The one with the red baseball cap?"

"I am," Killian managed to say.

Emma could see that he was holding his breath, clearly expecting something horrible to happen soon.

"Oh, by Poseidon's trifork! I can't believe you're here at my place." She cupped her own cheeks with her hands, her eyes shifting between them both. "I'm so sorry about what happened to you guys. That video…" She trailed off when Killian clearly tensed up and shifted nervously in his seat. "...I'm so sorry that was rude, so very rude." She shook her head. "My mouth tends to run away from me. That couldn't have been easy?"

"It wasn't." Emma said in a calm voice, she could see that the woman wasn't intentionally trying to be hurtful. She seemed to be the sort of person who'd blubber out her thoughts before giving it a good thought about how to express them.

"I'm just happy that the cops found that guy." The redhead shivered and looked between them. "I'm Ariel by the way, and I'm really sorry about how I handled that."

"Don't worry, no hard feelings." Emma gave Ariel a smile.

"Let me get you a dessert on me."

"No need…" Emma tried to say.

"Please let me." Ariel waved her hand dismissively in the air. "I really find your story very romantic."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, are you kidding me?! My friends and I have been following the online platforms, and we're all super angry at that… that sicko who did this to you," Ariel explained in a rushed voice, her face flushed with heat and her eyes sparkled. "We all agree that you guys deserve some peace."

"Thanks." Emma glanced at Killian who'd been quiet this whole time. She saw him looking at the server in disbelief. "We did not know…" She paused when she saw Killian clench his jaw. "It was messed up for sure. Thanks for your support."

Ariel looked at Killian and gave him a huge smile. "I don't think you guys should worry too much. What I see online is you got a lot of support, most comments by now are mostly positive."

"Yeah, I know," Emma said with a chuckle.

"Oh dear, I'm still blabbering, ain't I?" Ariel laughed nervously. "I'll just leave you to it then. Enjoy the food. I'll bring the dessert when you're done." In a flurry, she retreated to her post behind the counter where a few new customers were waiting impatiently. The group glared at Emma and Killian, a few eyes widened in surprise when some seemed to recognize them.

"Bloody hell," Killian breathed out.

When Emma looked at him she saw he was looking at the group with a weary expression, clearly not liking the continued attention. "I'm sorry Killian." Emma reached out and placed her hand over his. "I had hoped we'd be left alone."

"Well, that's not happening is it?" Killian mumbled.

"I guess not." She shrugged and gave him a small sad smile. She sighed in relief when no one in the group seemed keen to speak with them, but she felt their curious stares either way.

"I don't want to hide in a hole, my whole life," Killian mused. "So I guess this is my new normal?"

"Yeah, I guess." She looked down at her food and picked up an onion ring, slowly dragging it through the ketchup.

"Emma, look at me," Killian urged.

"Hmm." Emma finally looked up and took a bite of her food.

"I love you." He smiled and picked up his own fish burger. "And this…" he nodded to the group ordering their food. "I'll get used to it. I want this. I want to be part of your life."

"I love you too." Emma swallowed a large bite of food, then had to clear her throat. "We'll get used to it, and one day it will be normal."

"Hmm." Killian looked deep in thought. "So how long do you suppose your family will continue to be part of the reality show world?"

"I have no idea. At the moment the viewers are still faithful, and the reviews of the show are all positive." Emma shrugged. "As long as the network will have us I guess." She took a deep breath. "Or when my parents don't want to, or if me or Leo say stop."

"Hmm." Killian took a bite of his burger and while he chewed he looked as if his mind mulled over all of this. He swallowed. "So when we go public, like really public at the gala, what happens after?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will I be in front of the camera?" He placed the burger on the plate and took one of his fries. As he dipped it in the ketchup he added, "I mean, I'm working for the network that films your everyday life. That would include you having your boyfriend over for dinner." He shrugged and popped the fry into his mouth.

"Oh yeah, I honestly haven't given it much thought." Emma pursed her lips, her mind wondering how all this would transpire. "I guess we'll have to ask Mrs. Mills?"

"Aye." Killian continued to eat his food. His eyes looked a little weary, but he gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll figure it out with my boss."

"Do you want to be in front of the camera?" She held her gaze on Killian. "You know, you can say no if you don't. Then we just plan our days so it doesn't happen. I have a few friends who don't want to be filmed."

"I know we can plan a way out of that." Killian took a sip of his cocoa. "I'll give it some thought."

"Hmm, once we've been to the premier gala you might think differently."

"Thanks, love," Killian said, smiling.

"Always." Emma smiled back and shifted back in her seat as she finished her last onion ring. Their talk turned to their trip back to his place to collect her car for her to drive home in. They tried to sort out their schedules and Emma wanted nothing more than to have more alone time with him. Her mind wandered back to this morning when she'd woken up with him at Liam and Elsa's house. What she wouldn't give to stay at his place for a weekend, she wasn't sure how she could broach the subject.

"What are you thinking about love?" Killian wondered, taking in the far-off look on his girlfriend's face.

Emma looked at him in surprise as he rose to his feet. She joined him and wrapped herself in her coat and scarf. "What?"

"You looked a bit deep in thought there for a moment."

"Yeah." She followed him outside and they walked toward his car. "I just…" She felt heat flush her face, "I just wish we had more time alone, like away from the ranch or something." She glanced at him as they walked.

Killian rubbed behind his ear, his eyes focused on where they walked, "Ah, you mean…" His gaze shifted to her and she noticed how his ears became increasingly rose-colored.

Emma nudged his shoulder. "Yeah, I want to take that step with you."

"I… I want… that too."

"So the question is just when and where?" She wrapped her arm around his waist. Killian wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gazed down with a smile blooming over his face. "I live all alone out in my cabin."

Emma smiled. She'd been out at his cabin a few times already, but she never stayed the night. It had been a layover like this weekend where she'd driven to his cabin and joined him in his truck to drive to Boston to meet his family.

"Hmm."

He rubbed his neck. "As for the when…" After a few seconds, his eyes smiled. "My birthday is on February 28th. I usually keep it really low-key, Just Inviting my brother and Elsa. You could join the small party and stay the night."

"Will Elsa and Liam sleep there too?" Emma asked with a small frown.

"No worries, love. They'll go back to Boston,"

"Wonderful so we have a date?" She beamed up at him and paused her steps to give him a quick kiss on his jawline, the scruff tickling her lips.

"A date we have." He stopped walking and gave her a proper kiss that took her breath away. Her belly filled with butterflies at the thought of being all alone with this man. She wanted the next month to happen faster than a speeding train.

"I can't wait," Emma breathed out against his lips. Both had forgotten that they stood in the middle of the sidewalk and someone brushed into her back. "We better find your car." She laughed and wrapped her arm around his waist again. They soon found his car and drove to his cabin. The weekend had been amazing. She'd gotten a small glimpse of the life he shared with his brother.

While she drove the last stretch home in her own car, her mind kept mulling over how the next few months were going to be. The premier gala was the first big step, she couldn't remember when she'd last looked forward to the event. This time she would share it with Killian, and she couldn't wait to show him how life in front of the camera also could be. She knew his past was tainted with some bleak experiences when he lost Milah. And now this whole debacle with Walsh hadn't exactly shown the positive side of all the glitz and glamor. Emma hoped that the evening would be an experience they could share with each other and be remembered for only positive things.