"Liam, would you please stop jiggling your leg? It's annoying," Killian Jones growled at his older brother.

"I can't help it. This interview is very important for my future, and yours as well," Liam said.

Killian checked the time on his phone. "You still have nearly twenty minutes to wait. Why the bloody hell did we get here so early?"

"I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be late. You could have stayed at the hotel, you know."

"I thought that would be boring, but sitting here doing nothing is probably even worse."

"Stop your grousing, brother. Why don't you use your little book to plot out our itinerary for the week?" he said, gesturing toward the San Francisco tour book laying on Killian's lap.

After giving him an indignant look, Killian flipped open the well-worn book and began paging through it.

A few minutes later, he heard Liam give a low whistle before whispering, "Wow! What a stunner!"

Killian looked up from studying the book to see an absolute vision in front of him. A blonde woman dressed in a red blouse, black leather jacket, and jeans which deliciously hugged her curves, was coming up the escalator from the parking garage. He could feel his mouth drop open in awe of her beauty as she approached, accompanied by a man of average height, with slightly shaggy brown hair, dressed in a gray suit. Killian's eyes narrowed as he appraised the man, sensing an air of superiority and arrogance about him.

"Now, stay right here. I'll be back as soon as my meeting is over," he was saying, and Killian couldn't help but notice he was talking to the woman like she was a small child.

Evidently, she felt the same way. "Do you think I'm five-years-old, Walsh?"

"Of course not, Darling," he replied in an oily tone. "I just don't know how long I'll be gone and I don't want you worrying about where I am."

"I'm sure I'll be able to entertain myself for a while," she said, and Killian smirked at her eye roll.

"Very well, I have to go. Mustn't be late and make a bad impression, you know," the man said, holding up his wrist to check his large and garish watch. "Try not to miss me too much, Darling." He aimed a kiss at her lips, but she turned her head to accept it on her cheek instead.

The woman watched him walk away, then sank down into the chair across from Killian with a sigh. When she glanced up to see him looking at her, her eyes widened behind the dark frames of her glasses and then she smiled.

Killian could feel the heat creeping into his face, but he didn't look away. "Uh, hi," he ventured. He felt Liam shift beside him, his elbow digging into his side a bit.

"Hi." she replied.

"Oh, um, I'm…I'm Killian Jones," he stuttered, offering his hand.

"Emma Swan," she responded, accepting his hand and shaking it.

"And I'm Liam Jones, Killian's big brother," Liam said, also shaking her hand.

"Older brother," Killian corrected.

Emma giggled. "You guys don't sound like you're from around here."

"No, we're just visiting," Killian explained. "We're from Leicester, England. Actually, Liam is here interviewing for a job. I'm just along for the moral support and the sightseeing."

"Ah, I see. How long have you been here?"

"We arrived yesterday," Liam answered. "We'll be staying for a week."

"What are you planning to see while you're here?" Emma asked.

"We're still deciding," Killian said, holding up the tour book.

Emma's brows raised in surprise. "A guide book? I didn't even know they still made those."

"Aye, well, I guess it is a bit old-fashioned," Killian said, his ears reddening in embarrassment.

"You have heard of a little thing called Google, haven't you?" Emma teased.

"My little brother rebels against technology," Liam laughed.

"Younger," Killian growled, "I'm twenty-two, not twelve, you wanker. And I don't rebel, I just like the feeling of having a book in my hands."

"So, Liam, if you get this job, will you move to San Francisco?" she asked.

"Aye, both of us will. We have no other family and I wouldn't want Killian to be all by himself."

"Let me remind you again that I'm not a child." Turning to Emma, he added, "There's really nothing keeping me in Leicester, and I'm ready for a new adventure."

"Well then, I hope you get the job," she said, addressing Liam. "So, what do you have on your list of things to see?"

Just then, a woman walked up to the little group. "Mr. Jones?"

"Yes?" Liam and Killian answered simultaneously.

The woman looked puzzled for a second before clarifying, "Mr. Liam Jones?"

"That's me, ma'am." Liam stood and buttoned his suit jacket. "I'll be back in a few. Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Killian and Emma chorused as Liam followed the woman through the lobby.

"Do you live in San Francisco?" Killian asked.

"Not in the city. I live south of here in a town called Millbrae."

"Ah, you're just here with your boyfriend, then?"

"Walsh? He's not my boyfriend. I mean, he'd like to think he is, but we've only gone out on a couple of dates. He invited me to accompany him today because we're going to lunch after this meeting he's attending. Probably to some fancy, pretentious restaurant, if I'm being honest."

"Pardon me for saying so, but it sounds like you don't really enjoy being with him."

Emma chuckled. "He's okay, I guess. Our first two dates were kind of…bland, shall I say? I thought I'd give him one more chance, but the car ride into the city with him convinced me he's really not my type."

"You have a type, then?"

"I didn't think I did, but apparently I don't go for conceited, self-righteous guys who treat me like I'm a prize to be won."

"I sort of got that impression of him from the brief time he was here."

"I'm sorry - I shouldn't be talking about him like this. He's harmless."

Killian nodded and they sat in silence for a while. Finally, Emma spoke again, "Looks like you've got quite a few pages turned down in your book. Do you mind sharing what you have planned?"

"Uh, well, Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge, of course."

"The typical touristy things."

Killian laughed. "Aye, I suppose so. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm, well, there's always Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf, famous for the sea lions and clam chowder bread bowls. You should definitely go see the giant redwood trees at Muir Woods, not far from the Golden Gate Bridge, and…oh! The California Academy of Sciences is very cool."

"I have that marked in my book, actually. Look," he said, moving over to sit beside her.

For the next fifteen minutes, the two of them sat with their heads together, looking at the attractions he had dog-eared in his tour book. They were so engrossed in their discussion, they didn't notice Walsh's return.

"Well, well, it certainly looks like you found a way to pass the time," he said tightly.

Emma and Killian looked up to see his flushed, angry face. "How did your meeting go?" Emma asked nonchalantly, turning to give Killian a smile, then standing up.

"It was fine; I think I got them all straightened out. They just needed my expertise."

Killian was sure he saw Emma trying to restrain an eye roll, before saying, "That's good. Walsh, meet Killian Jones. Killian, this is Walsh Ozman."

Killian stood up and held out his hand. "Pleasure meeting you, Walsh."

"Likewise," Walsh replied sharply, giving Killian's hand a perfunctory shake.

"Are you finished?" Emma asked.

Walsh continued to glare at Killian. "Yes, until the next time they summon me for help. Shall we get going, Darling? We want to make it to the restaurant for our reservation before the lunch crowd begins to arrive, so they don't give our booth to someone else."

"Sure. It was really nice talking to you, Killian. I hope you have fun while you're in San Francisco."

"Thank you , Emma, and thanks for all your suggestions."

"No problem. Oh, wait a minute. May I see your tour book for a minute? I'd like to add something else you might want to see while you're here."

He handed the book to her and watched as she pulled a pen out of her purse and jotted something down at the top of one of the pages. Then she gave it back, smiled at him again, and walked away, with Walsh's hand planted possessively on the small of her back.

Killian frowned at the sight, then opened the book to see what Emma had written, a wide grin stretching across his face when he saw her name and phone number. Glancing up, he saw her throw a smile and a wink over her shoulder at him before disappearing down the escalator.

xxxxxxxxx

"You seemed awfully cozy with that Jones fellow," Walsh grumbled as they stepped off the escalator and entered the parking garage.

"He and his brother are visiting San Francisco for a week and I was helping him figure out some things to see while they're here. Don't make a big deal out of it."

"You shouldn't be talking to a total stranger; it could be dangerous."

"Seriously? I'm an adult, Walsh. I'm perfectly capable of deciding whether someone is safe to talk to or not," Emma responded angrily.

"Serial killers have been known to be very charming," he said, unlocking the passenger door of his car and opening it for her.

"Oh, for the love of…" Emma said under her breath as she settled into the seat.

Walsh circled the car and slid behind the wheel. "I'm just looking out for your safety, Darling." After buckling his seatbelt and starting the car, he backed it out of the space and began following the exit signs.

"Can you please just take me home? I'm not really in the mood to go out to lunch."

"We have reservations at one of the busiest restaurants in town and I'm not canceling them," he spat. "Just because you…"

He slammed on the brakes and his words came to a sudden halt as they heard a low rumbling noise and some dust and small pieces of debris fell from the ceiling of the garage onto the hood of his car. "What the hell?" he cursed. "If there are scratches on my car, I'm going to sue…"

Suddenly, the car started to shake and vehicle alarms began blaring. Emma's eyes widened. "It's an earthquake!"

"An earthquake? But how…"

"Get us out of here, Walsh!" she shouted. "Drive!"

He hesitated another few seconds until her words penetrated his shock and he shoved his foot down on the gas pedal, catapulting them forward. The car careened around the ends of the aisles while chunks of concrete fell all around them.

"GO! GO! GO!" Emma kept screaming.

Just as they rounded another curve and he accelerated, a huge slab of concrete went through the floor in front of them.

All Walsh had time to do was yell, "Oh, shit!" before the car careened down the collapsed floor and crashed into the wall at the end of the garage. A large beam fell across the passenger side of the hood, barely missing going through the windshield.

When the shaking came to an end and the debris settled, Walsh looked over at Emma. "Are…are you alright?" he asked dazedly.

"I…think so," Emma replied, trying to take inventory of any pain she felt. She tried to shift in her seat and realized she couldn't. "But my legs are pinned. I can't move!"

Walsh reached over and pushed at the dashboard which was now resting at an unnatural angle across Emma's knees. She planted her hands on it and joined him in trying to move it, but it didn't budge.

"Let me see if I can get at it from a different angle," he said, throwing his car door open and jogging around the back of the car. Concrete and metal rebar rods were piled against the passenger side door. He tossed some smaller chunks off to the side to get closer to the car, then yanked at the door handle.

"I can't get it open," he huffed. He reached in through the open window and tried pushing against the dashboard again with Emma's help.

"It's not gonna work," she said. "Can you find something to try to pry it up?"

He stood up and started looking around, but before he could pick up anything, the ground began trembling again and more pieces of concrete rained down around him. Throwing his arms over his head, he cowered beside the car until the shaking ceased again.

Voices and screams were echoing through the garage and Walsh turned his attention toward the doorway leading to the escalator to the building. "I'm…I'm going to go for help," he stated, his voice sounding panicky.

"What? No! Don't leave me Walsh!"

He looked in the car window at her. "I'll be right back, okay? I'll be right back!"

Despite her pleas, he turned and ran toward the escalator.

Incredulously, Emma watched him go, then fruitlessly pushed at the dashboard again, grunting with exertion. "Fuck!" she screamed in frustration.

Throwing her head back against the headrest, she took off her glasses, then covered her eyes with her hands and began to sob.

xxxxxxxxx

Liam returned from his interview to find Killian staring dreamily out the window. When his brother didn't notice his presence, Liam clapped his hand on his shoulder, causing Killian to jump.

"Bloody hell, Liam!" he exclaimed.

"What were you thinking about? Or should I say who?"

"I wasn't thinking about anyone," Killian said, but the redness spreading up his neck into his face gave him away.

"Mmhmm, sure. I think a certain blonde has you addled, brother," Liam teased.

Despite being perturbed with his brother, Killian couldn't hide the smile that broke out on his face at the mention of Emma. "She just gave me some ideas of things to see while we're here."

"Is that all?"

"She might have given me her phone number as well," Killian grinned.

"Did she, indeed?" Liam smirked. "Do you intend to make use of it?"

"I don't…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the furniture in the lobby began rattling, then the floor shook so hard it knocked the two brothers and everyone around them to the ground.

"Earthquake!" they heard someone yell. Killian raised his head to look at Liam, his eyes wide with fright.

Liam's protective instincts kicked in and he crawled over to throw his arm across Killian's shoulders. "Stay down!" he shouted.

The shaking lasted for nearly half a minute. For a few seconds afterwards, people were frozen in place, then they began jumping to their feet and running toward the exits. Liam and Killian slowly stood up, trying to get their bearings as they were pushed and jostled by the frantic people around them.

"What should we do?" Killian asked, watching the chaos going on around him.

"We need to go outside, I think," Liam answered. "Get your stuff."

Killian nodded shakily and stumbled toward the seats where he had left his backpack and tour book. As he did, he noticed a girl who appeared to be about his age huddling beside the chairs. "Are you okay, lass?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, I think so. Do you think it's over?"

Killian extended his hand to help her up. "I don't know. Do you need help?"

"N-no, I just need to t-text my boyfriend. He'll come get me. Thank you," she said, reaching into her purse to find her phone.

"You're welcome and good luck," Killian told her, then grabbed his possessions and rejoined Liam. "Lead the way, brother."

Liam began steering them toward the steps beside the escalator which led to the street. Suddenly, they heard someone shouting, "There…there's a girl trapped in a car on the second floor of the parking garage!"

The brothers craned their necks to see Walsh addressing a security guard. "No! Emma!" Killian said, breaking into a run and dodging people, with Liam following closely behind. Just as they neared the spot where the two men were conversing, another rumble rattled the building, sending a light fixture above Walsh crashing to the floor, just inches away from him. He jumped backwards, staring at the shattered glass of the globe and bulbs, then turned and lurched away toward the escalator leading out of the building.

"He…he's leaving!" Killian cried. "Walsh! Walsh! Where are you going? You've got to help Emma!" The man paid him no heed as he shoved people out of his way, ignoring their protests and flying down the moving steps to escape.

Killian turned toward Liam with pleading eyes. "We have to find her!"

"Of course we do! Let's go!"

The brothers changed their direction toward the exit leading to the parking garage, fighting against the tide of escaping people. The escalator going into the garage was nearly empty, enabling them to sprint down into the yawning doorway at the bottom.

"This is the third level - he said she was on the second," Liam observed, grabbing Killian's sleeve to steer him toward another set of stairs. When they emerged onto the second floor, they peered through the area dimly lit by emergency lighting.

"Emma! Emma, where are you?" Killian started shouting.

Faintly, he heard her voice responding, "I'm over here! Please help me!"

"This way!" Killian shouted needlessly, as both he and Liam took off at a dead run, dodging debris. They found the car about seventy yards from the stairwell and skidded to a stop, surveying the scene. The hood was buried under chunks of concrete with a steel beam lying diagonally across it.

"My legs are pinned!" Emma called from the passenger seat, spurring them into action once again. Killian rushed around to her side of the car, while Liam approached the front of it to assess the situation.

"Are you injured?" Killian asked, tugging at the door handle futilely.

"I'm not sure. I don't think so. Where's Walsh?"

The two men exchanged glances.

"He left, didn't he?" At Killian's nod, she erupted. "That rat bastard! If an earthquake doesn't kill him, I'm gonna hunt him down and do it myself!"

Liam joined Killian. "I don't think we're going to be able to move that beam very much, but we've got to try to find a way to get the weight shifted off that part of the hood. That seems to be what's got her trapped."

Killian nodded firmly and both men put their hands on the steel girder and pushed with all their might, but it didn't budge.

Looking around, Killian saw some lengths of rebar and snatched one up. He shoved it in through the car window and lodged it under the dashboard, then he and Liam pushed down on it, as Emma tried to pull her legs out. Just when it seemed to move a little, another tremor shook the garage and a large chunk of concrete fell on the roof of the car, crushing it down closer to Emma's head.

She screamed, and Liam cursed, "Bloody fucking hell!"

"Please, please get me out of here!" Emma begged in a panic-stricken voice.

Killian looked around helplessly, then was suddenly struck with an idea. "We need to pop the boot, Love," he instructed.

"What?" Emma asked.

"The…the trunk! I need to open the trunk! I want to see if there's a jack in there."

"There's a latch on the other side of the steering wheel that will open it," she told him.

Liam shouted, "I'll get it!" and dashed around to the driver's side. He leaned in through the open door, located the latch and yanked on it. As soon as the trunk lid opened, Killian began searching, throwing aside gym clothes and a tennis racket, then lifting up the carpet to find the jack.

He grabbed it and the crowbar and quickly ran back to the wheel well in front of where Emma sat. Liam was already there and was stacking some flat pieces of concrete in a pile. Killian set the jack on top of them, placed the crowbar in it and began pumping. Just as the car frame began to raise a bit, they realized the jack had reached its full height.

"Dammit!" Killian yelled. Suddenly, the building started shaking again and the brothers ducked and covered their heads.

"You guys need to get out of here! This garage is going to collapse!" Emma shouted through a throat clogged with tears.

Liam ran a frustrated hand through his hair, then looked at the crowbar in Killian's hand. Its flattened end gave him an idea and he grabbed it away from his brother, jammed it between the tire and the rim and pulled it back. They heard the whoosh of air as the tire deflated, and he rushed to do the same to the back tire and the ones on the other side.

Killian looked in the window to see Emma moving her legs. "It's working!" he hollered. As soon as Liam deflated the last tire, Killian reached in and wrapped his arms around her, then tugged her toward him, pulling her free of the car just as another chunk of concrete fell, flattening the roof over the spot where she had been sitting moments before.

Liam ran back around the car to see his brother laying on his back with Emma on top of him, her face buried in his chest as she sobbed with relief. "It's alright, I've got you," Killian assured her.

"I can't…believe you guys…came to help me," she cried.

Liam reached down to assist Emma to her feet. She stood and took a tentative step.

"Alright there, Swan?" Killian asked, regaining his feet, also.

"My legs are…pretty sore from being pinned, but nothing seems to be broken. I think I can manage. I have some Advil in my purse, if I can get to it. It was on the floorboard under my feet."

Killian went to the car and stretched his arm into the narrow space, groping around blindly until he felt the strap of the purse. He pulled it out and handed it to Emma, who quickly located the pill bottle and downed three tablets without water.

"We need to get out of here now," Liam reminded them, turning toward the doorway again. The three of them crossed the debris littered floor with Emma limping slightly, and vaulted up the crumbling stairway, bursting out onto the crowded sidewalk moments later.

"What do we do now?" Killian asked once they ducked into the opening of a deserted alley.

"San Francisco sits right on the San Andreas faultline. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of the earthquakes," Emma stated. "If I were to guess, I'd say we haven't even experienced the strongest one yet. I think you need to head east."

"You mean WE need to head east," Killian said firmly.

Emma shook her head. "You guys don't…"

"We're in this together, lass," Liam declared. "We won't leave you to fend for yourself."

Emma looked between the two of them with teary eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Quite sure," Killian confirmed. "Now, how do we go about heading east?"

The three of them looked at the chaos taking place around them. The streets were packed with vehicles, while streams of panicked people flowed around them and along the sidewalks. "I don't think driving would be conducive, even if we did have a vehicle, and I highly doubt we'll have any luck with public transportation," Liam said sullenly.

"I guess we better set out on foot then," Emma said. "Maybe we should try to get to the highest point close to here; that way we'll be able to get a better look at what's going on in the area."

Killian pulled his tour book out of the back waistband of his jeans where he had tucked it earlier. Turning to the index, he ran his finger down the column, then flipped to a page in the middle of the book. "That would be…Nob Hill. It's in that direction," he said, pointing to their left.

"Alright then. Stick close," Liam said, stepping out into the swarming crowd.

After tucking the book into his backpack and slinging the bag over his shoulder, Killian grabbed Emma's hand and followed in his brother's wake. They were swept along the streets for several blocks until Killian tugged on Liam's jacket. "We need to turn here," he shouted above the noise of the crowd and the blare of sirens.

Liam nodded and used his broad frame to change their direction against the tide to a much less crowded side street. They began the steady climb up the San Francisco hills, dodging cracked sidewalks and broken glass which had fallen from buildings.

"I'm glad I wore my sneakers, even if it did piss off Walsh." When both men looked at her with an odd expression, she added, "He was mad because I didn't dress up enough to make an impression at the restaurant. Wearing my glasses instead of contacts and having my hair in a ponytail didn't make him happy, either."

"What an absolute wanker," Killian growled.

"Yeah, you got that right. I only wish I could have gotten the satisfaction of telling him off, just so I could have seen the look on his weasley face."

"That's an insult to weasels, lass," Liam said, making all of them laugh.

Their laughter was cut off when the ground began to quake once again, with what seemed like the strongest force yet. Liam looked up just in time to see a heavy, metal street light falling toward Emma and Killian. Acting on instinct, he gave both of them a mighty shove in the direction of a parked car, then jumped to the side.

Killian fell against the car and gathered Emma into his side, shielding her with his body. The light crashed to the street right behind the car where they were huddled. The shaking lasted for over thirty seconds before subsiding.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Killian looked back to find Liam. He lay crumpled on the ground and was holding his thigh, just above the knee. Blood was running between his fingers and Killian jumped to his feet and sprinted over to him.

Dropping down beside him, Killian assessed the situation. Liam's dress slacks had a gash about five inches long, caused by the thick, jagged piece of glass that was embedded in his leg. "Fucking hell, Liam! Are you alright?" his brother gasped.

"Oh, I'm fan-bloody-tastic!" Liam spouted. "Does it look like I'm alright? I've got half a window pane sticking out of my leg!"

Emma glanced around them before kneeling gingerly on the ground, careful to avoid the broken glass. "Looks like a window blew out of that apartment building," she observed, pointing up at the gaping window frame three stories above them. "You were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Just my luck," Liam groaned.

"Okay, well we're gonna have to get that out of there and try to stop the bleeding," Emma said. She reached up and undid the knot in Liam's tie, pulling it free and looping it around his leg just above the cut. Once it was in place, she tied it as tightly as she could while the men watched raptly. "That should staunch the bleeding a bit. We need something to stuff into the wound once we get that glass out."

Liam shifted so he could stick his hand in his front trouser pocket, extracting a white handkerchief. "Will this do?"

She took it out of his hand. "Seriously? You have a white handkerchief in your pocket? What are you, eighty years old?"

Killian chuckled. "Liam is an old man in a young man's body."

"Shut it, little brother."

"It's younger, you…"

"Alright, you two. Let's get back to business. I'm gonna pull this out and it's gonna hurt like hell. Killian, you take this and be ready to stuff it into the wound as soon as I remove the glass," she said in a business-like tone, handing Killian the white cloth.

She set her jaw and grasped the end of the shard, slowly pulling it out as Liam tensed and inhaled sharply at the pain. Killian put his hand on his brother's shoulder, giving him his support the best he could. It seemed to take ages until the piece of glass was finally out, and Killian pushed the handkerchief into the gaping hole. Emma untied the make-shift tourniquet and re-tied it around the wound to help hold the cloth in place.

"It's not bleeding as badly as I thought it would," Emma observed. "That's a relief."

"Thanks, lass," Liam said. "Help me up, Killian. We've got to get on the move again."

Killian helped him to his feet and watched as he tried to put his weight on it, grimacing at the pain. "Can you walk on it?"

"I'll bloody well have to, won't I?" Liam gritted out.

"You could ride piggyback."

"You're not going to carry me piggyback, you prat."

"I didn't say I would. I thought Swan could do it."

Emma giggled, while Liam threw Killian an exasperated look. "We're trying to survive a fucking earthquake and you're making stupid remarks that aren't even funny. Let's just get going."

He turned and began limping up the hill as Killian gave Emma a little shrug, then took her hand to help her up, too. "I thought it was funny," she confided, giving him a smile, which he returned before they set off behind Liam.

After a couple of blocks, Killian pulled the tour book out and began reciting facts about the hill they were currently climbing. "Did you know Nob Hill is a slang term meaning rich or wealthy? It's a shortened version of nobility, and is sometimes called 'Snob Hill'."

"I definitely wouldn't fit in here," Emma said, taking in the stately houses around them.

"I wouldn't say that," Killian responded.

She laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure they'd welcome an orphan who grew up in the foster system with open arms."

The brothers exchanged glances. "Maybe that's why you fit in with us then," Killian said. "We come from a similar background."

"Our mum died when we were young and our father - and I use that term loosely - abandoned us soon after she passed," Liam explained.

"Liam made sure we stayed together, though, so at least we had each other."

"How old were you when you lost your parents?" Liam asked.

"Two or three days." At their shocked faces, she explained further. "They abandoned me, too. Left me at the hospital and never came back for me."

"I'm sorry, Swan," Killian said.

Emma shrugged. "I've had twenty years to come to terms with it. I survived the system and now I have a good job at an electronics store, while I take college classes."

"I'd say you've done very well for yourself, lass," Liam stated.

"Yeah, well, it's not gonna mean anything if we don't get to safety pretty soon. Come on, we're almost there."

Liam limped a little faster as they neared the top of the hill. When they reached it, he leaned against a light pole, rubbing at his aching thigh. Killian and Emma surveyed the sight below them on the other side of the hill.

"Looks like all the major highways out of town are completely jammed," she reported. "If we can find a car somewhere, we'll need to take the back roads out of town. We'll want to stay off any bridges that are double-deckers or are expansive, in case those start to collapse."

"All good ideas, Swan," Killian commended, "but where are we going to get a vehicle in the first place?"

"Not around here, that's for sure. People in this part of town would never leave the keys in their cars." She took a couple of minutes to survey what they could see of the city. "Let's head that direction. It looks like quite a few cars have been abandoned on the street."

"Why would people just leave their cars in the middle of the street?" Killian questioned.

"Panic. Gridlock. Idiocy. Who knows? But if we can benefit from it, I don't really care. How are you feeling, Liam?"

"I'll be okay. Lead the way, lass." He smiled when he saw Emma take Killian's hand as they set out.

They felt a few aftershocks as they made their way down the hill, but none was very strong. They had to pick their way through people who were milling around, assessing damage to their property and talking to their neighbors.

When they finally reached the street Emma pinpointed, it was nearly deserted. It contained small shops of business instead of residences, so most people had fled already.

"Check the cars that aren't gridlocked to see if any of them have keys left in them. If they don't use a key but have a push button start, get in and try it. If the key is anywhere in the vicinity, it will start."

The brothers nodded their understanding and they all separated to begin searching. They worked their way down the street, checking about a dozen vehicles before Killian climbed into a blue SUV and turned over the engine. "Found one!" he shouted.

Emma hurried to join him, with Liam limping along behind her.

"Should we feel guilty about taking this?" he wondered.

"All's fair in love and earthquakes," Emma answered. "Now we just need to find our way out of the city."

"Does your book have maps, Killian?" Liam asked.

"My book has everything," Killian assured him, withdrawing it from his backpack and handing it to his brother.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, that map is probably outdated and won't show us traffic information. We can use the GPS on a phone instead. It should still work since the signal pings off a satellite, and that way, we can avoid the heaviest traffic, but my battery is dying. Do either of you still have a working phone with decent charge left?"

The men pulled out their phones and compared the battery percentage. "Liam's is down to less than fifty percent, but mine has eighty-three," Killian reported.

"Good. Pull up your GPS and I'll put my address in. That is, if you guys don't mind going to my place."

"We're with you for the long haul," Killian said, tapping on the navigation app, then handing it to her.

Emma smiled at him before taking the phone from him to enter her address. Then she opened the passenger door and began climbing in.

"Wait, lass, can you drive?" Liam questioned.

"Yeah. Can't you guys?"

"We can drive, but we're not used to driving on the wrong side of the road," Killian said.

"I think it's you who drives on the wrong side," Emma smirked, "but if you're more comfortable with me driving, I'm good with that. I'll have to concentrate on driving and it would be nice to have one of you keeping an eye on the traffic alerts and helping me navigate."

Killian spoke up. "My brother is excellent at navigating. I think he missed his calling of being a ship's captain."

Liam rolled his eyes before walking around to climb in the front passenger seat while Emma slid behind the wheel and Killian sat in the back seat behind her.

"How long does it take to get there?" Liam asked.

"About thirty minutes under normal conditions," Emma said, shifting the SUV into gear.

"I wish we could have gone to the hotel to collect our things," Liam said.

"Once everything is settled, I'll bring you back to the city and return this vehicle. We just need to get clear away from here for a while. See if you can find us a route that bypasses all the major highways and isn't jammed."

She slowly started down the street, while Liam enlarged the map to view traffic delays. Killian settled back into his seat and buckled his seatbelt, releasing a deep breath of relief.

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