Chapter 4: Devil is a Woman

Killian stepped into the archway of the castle; Belle's arm wrapped through his elbow. "You look quite delectable in that uncomfortable contraption." He whispered into the woman's ear.

"I can barely breathe. You know women only wear these things because a man thinks it's attractive, right?"

"Aye, we are reprehensible as a species, love."

Killian surveyed the room, spotting the King and Queen at the front of the room, flanked by two large men. The King's eyes were darting around the room, nervous energy while searching for his unwanted guest.

"Let's mingle. Work the room, we're looking for a man with a feather in his lapel." He said against her ear. Belle nodded and left his side as Killian glanced around the room, taking in the faces of the guests dancing on the floor in front of him.

He smiled at a woman with dark hair in a blue dress, reaching out and taking her hand as the music started. He bowed deeply before standing and spinning the woman, releasing her as he accepted the hand of a red head who was passed his way. He carried on the dance, watching the men around him, searching for a feather.

The music died down, a melodic tone began playing, as he felt a woman brush up next to him. "I don't believe I've danced with you tonight." Killian felt his mouth go dry when his eyes met a sea of emerald-green, surrounded by a glowing mane of blonde hair held up by a crown of flowers.

"Perhaps fate was saving the best for last, love." He said with a grin.

"Henry?" Henry flinched, dropping his pencil, and slamming his book shut.

"Hey."

"You busy?" His mother asked.

"No, did you need something?"

"Can you help Will take the food up to the roof?"

"Sure."

"What are you working on there?"

Henry dropped the book into his side table and shut the drawer. "Just my to do list." He shrugged.

"You're eleven, what could an eleven-year-old possibly have on a to do list." She laughed.

"Loads of things, mom." He stood up from his bed and headed to Will's apartment. Opening the door, he yelled into the empty room. "Hey Will, I'm here to help."

"Hey, can you go down to the basement and grab the ice?"

"Yup, I got it."

He took the elevator down to the bottom floor, stepping into the dark basement. He heard singing coming from the laundry room. He followed the soulful sounds until he saw Killian Jones, hunched over the washer, pulling clothes from inside and tossing them into the dryer.

She's got eyes of fire that burn like a shot of whiskey

And she's been known to bring a man to his knees

She'll take all you have, and you never see it comin'

And that's how I know the devil is a woman

"I didn't know you could sing." He interrupted, startling the man.

"You can't just sneak up on people, lad. It's bad form."

"Sorry, I just came down to get ice." He paused, stepping across the room to the large freezer. "You sing pretty good."

"Thanks." He chuckled. "I suppose all sailors fancy themselves as a singer eventually. Sometimes when it's just you and the sea and nothing else to do."

"Were you singing about someone?"

"Does your mother know you are down here?" He deflected.

"Yup, she told me to help out, so that's what I'm doing." He reached in and grabbed a bag of ice, tossing it over his shoulder. "So why the sad tune?"

"Just feeling a bit melancholy today, I suppose. Guess I got a bit caught up in the past."

"What's that mean?"

"Melancholy? It means that I'm feeling a bit sad today."

"The barbeque should cheer you up. It's always fun." He added jovially. "I bet you'll enjoy it."

"Perhaps. Is there anything I can bring?"

"They never turn down that whiskey you were singing about."

The man laughed loudly, "And what about yourself?"

"No one ever brings enough orange soda."

"Then I shall ensure you have all the orange soda your heart desires."

"Gee, thanks!" He grinned. "I'll see you tonight, Killian."

"See ya there kid."

Killian folded his clean clothes and placed them in his basket. He hadn't realized how much his attitude had shifted after waking this morning. Belle and he had barely spoke since her last visit. She had texted this morning telling him she would be at his place by 5 for the barbeque but that had been all.

The awkwardness between them led to dreams of Milah, which led to his sour mood.

He didn't want to admit it, but the short visit with the Swan boy had cheered his mood. Normally he found most children to be quite annoying, but Henry had taken a genuine interest in him. He somehow felt welcomed by the boy, almost wanted, which was ridiculous of course, yet comforting.

Killian took the stairs back up to the fourth floor, but before he could step into the hall, he heard voices on the other side of the door.

"I've got to go out of town for a few weeks on a business trip."

"Where are you going?" He heard Henry's voice.

"Just adult stuff, kid, you wouldn't understand." Killian rolled his eyes as the man spoke. He hated when adults spoke to kids like they were stupid.

"So, are you going to be back in time for our literary fair at the end of the month? You said you'd take me."

"Sorry, kid, I don't think I'll be back yet. I'll call your mom as soon as I'm in town. You understand right?"

"Yeah, it's fine." The disappointment in his voice apparent.

"Great, well I gotta run, thanks for understanding. You're the best." The man carried on, ignoring the sad tone in his son's voice.

Killian heard the elevator doors close, and he pushed the door open, stepping into the hall. The young boy was leaning against the wall next to his apartment door. He looked up quickly, brushing his sleeve against his cheek. Shit, what was he supposed to do with a crying kid?

"Hey, lad. Didn't mean to eavesdrop on the moment with your dad but I didn't want to interrupt the conversation."

"It's ok. He's going out of town for a bit." A forlorn look on his face.

"I'm sure it's something very important for him to miss time with you."

"Yeah, she's got dark hair, big boobs, loves to travel. I think this one's name is Tamara."

Killian set his laundry basket on the ground and leaned against the wall next to the boy. "Ah, well women sometimes vex a man's mind and make them do stupid things. And I should know, I speak from experience."

"Pretty much sounds like my dad every time he gets a new girlfriend."

"I'm sorry lad, I don't have a lot of experience with fathers."

"You don't have a father?"

"Not one that was around often. My father left when I was a young lad. My brother, Liam raised me."

"What about your mom?" He inquired.

"My mom died of cancer when I was two."

"Oh." He replied sadly. "I don't know what I'd do without my mom. She's the best mom in the world."

"You're a lucky lad." He said with a smile.

"I'm a bad kid." He said softly.

"I very much doubt that."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"I'd be honored." He said with a nod.

"When I go to my dad's house, I spend the whole time wishing I was back home with my mom." He frowned and stared at the floor. "So why am I so sad that I don't have to see him for a month?"

"Ah, just because you miss your mom, doesn't mean you don't care for your dad. Perhaps next time you visit him, you should tell him how you feel."

"I don't know if he would even listen. He always just tells me to run along and play with my toys."

Killian felt for the boy, hated seeing him feeling so down. "I find the truth is always better than locking things away that eat at you. Trust me."

The door to his apartment opened and the woman with the blonde locks stepped into the hall. "There you are…" She stopped when she locked eyes with his. "Oh, you again, how come I always find you with my son?"

Killian pushed off the wall and focused his attention on the boy. "Chin up, lad. Things always work out for the best in the end." He ran a hand through the boy's brown locks and walked toward the woman. A smile forming on his face as he approached her, his tongue darting out slightly to wet his lips. "Afraid the chat is confidential, lass. Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to get some orange soda." He turned back toward Henry and winked. "I've heard there is never enough provided at this barbeque."

The woman's mouth was agape as she blinked at him, then turned toward her son. Killian simply entered his apartment and shut the door behind him.

"What was that about?" Emma questioned her son as Killian entered his apartment.

"You heard him, confidential. Man to man." He said with a nod of his head, wiping his face and walking back to their apartment.

Emma knew Neal had spoken to Henry, had told him that he was going out of town for a while and wouldn't be seeing him. She knew he was going to Barbados with Tamara for a month, probably on some pyramid scheme he was so good at hatching when he was trying to make an unearned buck.

She knew Henry would be disappointed that his dad was going to miss his literary fair at school, Henry loved everything to do with books and writing. It wasn't a surprise to her that Neal would disappoint him again, but it still hurt her heart every time he did it.

What surprised her was that Henry appeared to be talking to the new neighbor about the situation. Henry was a friendly boy, he rarely knew a stranger, but he never shared personal information with one. Usually, he talked to her or Will, but for some reason, he seemed attached to this new man, this Killian Jones.

Emma watched from her balcony as he left the apartment thirty minutes later, he was the definition of sex on legs. Black leather jacket, tight pants, and of course he strutted up to the black Ducati parked outside the apartment, straddling the bike in a way that felt almost obscene to her. She felt the warmth in her cheeks as he started the bike, the hum of the engine vibrating his body. She blushed when she realized she was thinking about what it must be like to have his legs wrapped around hers, feeling the power of his own engine thrusting inside of her.

She stepped back into the apartment when he looked up in her direction, her hand over her mouth. "Good God, Emma." She said almost breathlessly. "Stop acting like a horny teenager."

"Who's a horny teenager?"

Emma nearly jumped out of her skin, seeing her best friend sitting at the kitchen table. "Do you not knock, William!"

"Why the bloody hell would I knock? I came to see if you had that large spatula we used last time to flip the burgers. I broke mine playing Star Wars with Henry last week."

"Of course you did." She groaned, reaching into the drawer to pull out her spatula.

"Now, who were you ogling just now?"

"I wasn't ogling anyone. Go make some burgers, dammit. I'll be up in a minute with Henry."

"I don't believe I've seen you around the castle before." The maiden said with narrowed eyes toward the Captain as they flitted around the room.

"Aye, but that would be because I'm not from around here, love."

"We don't get many visitors in Bostonia."

"I have business with the King." He said with a smile and the woman paused their dance.

"What business do you have with the King?" She questioned.

"Ah but that is confidential information, I cannot divulge such information without betraying the trust of the King."

She snorted. "Is that so?" She asked, her curiosity peaked.

There was movement on the stairs behind her, and Captain Jones caught the vision of a man in black, the only piece of color was a white feather sticking out of his lapel.

The Swan Thief.

"I do apologize, but duty calls." He said with a bow.

The woman looked him up and down and then dropped into a courtesy. "I would not stop a man from doing the King's work." She turned to walk away, and his hand grazed her arm.

"May I have the pleasure of knowing the name of the most beautiful maiden in all of Bostonia?"

She giggled, her cheeks blushing a shade of red. "I'm afraid that is confidential information, Captain." Turning, she walked away as Killian stared at the back of her retreating head.

He unfortunately did not have the time to play her game, bounding up the stairs after his mark. When he reached the second floor, he saw movement to his right, the man disappearing down the next hall. When he reached the dead end, he had two choices. A single door on each side of the hallway. Right or left, he thought to himself.

Choosing the right, he bounded through the closed door, his cutlass drawn at the ready. Inside the room sat a young man, hunched over a desk, furiously writing away at the scroll in front of him. He turned quickly when he heard the noise behind him.

"Who are you?"

"Did a man enter here?"

"Only you. Should I be looking for someone that would cause you to draw your weapon in my house?"

"Your house?"

"I am Sir Henry of Bostonia, this is my room."

Killian cursed, lowering his weapon. "I apologize Sir Henry; I was looking for someone who came this way. I will leave you to your writing."

"Can I be of assistance? My mother has taught me to fence, perhaps I can help you find this man you seek."

"I am here in service of the King, I do not think putting his young nephew in harm's way would please him."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm sixteen, I'm not a boy."

"Of course not, but I shall take my leave, I'm sorry to trouble you."

He retreated to his starting place before he breached the door, finding only an empty room across the hall. He doubled back the way he came, hoping he had not lost his mark. He did not notice the young man in the shadows, satchel slung over his shoulder, eager look in his eye as he followed his every move in his search of the castle.

Emma stood in the doorway watching her son writing in his notebook. She knew he wrote tales of faraway lands, she always loved that he had something that interested him so much. She could hardly believe how big he was getting. He would be twelve this year, and Emma wondered where the time had gone.

"Hey, you ready for some barbeque?"

The boy looked up and smiled, though she could still see the sadness in his eyes.

"You sure you're ok about your dad?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Things always work out for the best in the end."

"Do they now?" She mused.

"Yup, you'll see." He said with a smirk that made Emma wonder what the boy was up to.

Killian parked his bike next to the apartments, sliding off the seat and pulling the soda from the back. Bellle pulled up next to him and he smiled at the woman as she parked the car. Things had been awkward between them, and he hoped that time apart had soothed things over.

"Hello, lass." He opened her car door, assisting her from the vehicle.

"Hi." She smiled, tilting up to press her lips softly to his. When she pulled back she frowned. "I just wanted to apologize for how I've left things the last few days."

"Not necessary. You have no need to apologize."

"I just…" She sighed. "You were right, I knew what I was getting into, and I shouldn't have gotten upset."

"I just want to enjoy the evening with my best girl tonight." He said with a genuine smile.

"What have you got there?" She asked, eyeing the soda in his hand.

"The lad had a request for orange soda."

"Did he now?" She said with a narrowed glance and Killian ignored the remark, instead leading her up the walk toward the building.

The party was in full swing by the time they made their way to the roof, lights strung from the rafters, the water off in the distance shining by the moon's light. It truly was a magical scene for an evening barbeque.

He introduced Belle to his neighbor Ruby, before walking over to the cooler to deposit the orange soda.

"Orange soda, huh? My nephew will be happy to hear he has someone else in the building who prefers the stuff." Killian looked up to see a man standing near him. "I'm David, Emma's brother."

"Henry's uncle, yes the lad mentioned that there is rarely enough orange soda at this event, I figured it would be nice to ensure he had enough to drink. He seemed to imply that the event had usually been mired in adult beverages." He added with a wink.

"It's difficult for him sometimes being the only kid in the complex."

Killian's brow furrowed, "He made mention of a friend, Will, I believe."

The man laughed loudly. "Will only acts like a child, but I assure you he is supposed to be a grown up." He gestured toward the man talking to Henry in the corner. The two were balancing trays of vegetables on their head. He remembered seeing the man at Emma's the night he borrowed the bowl.

"Who's your friend, darling?" David was met by a beautiful woman with dark hair and rosy cheeks.

"This is my wife, Margaret. I'm sorry, I never got your name."

Killian held out his hand to the woman. "Killian Jones. I just moved in a couple of weeks ago."

"Very nice to have a new neighbor in the place. You'll be friends with everyone in no time."

"Do you both live here as well?"

"No, we live across town, but I feel like we live here, Emma always invites us. I'm not sure if you met, Graham?" The man who Killian knew to be Emma's boyfriend approached the group. "Graham and I go all the way back to high school together. Hopefully one day soon, we will call him family."

"I don't think we met officially." The man said, offering his hand and Killian shook it.

Looking to escape from the conversation, he made small talk. "This is quite the affair." He said looking around, spotting Belle standing in the corner, flanked by Will and Henry. "If you'll excuse me, I should rescue my date. It was a pleasure meeting you all." He nodded and made his way to the other side of the building.

"And you have access to this restricted section? Is it like porn?" Will was asking her as he approached them. Belle's eyes flashed brightly as she laughed, reaching out to touch the man's shoulder.

"No, it's not like…" She whispered. "Porn. It's for the more expensive books, the ones that are rare, or first editions."

"There you are." He announced, offering a beer to Belle.

"Have you met Will?"

"You're much older than I imagined when Henry mentioned you." He said, winking at Henry.

"Oi, I get that all the time. Bloody ridiculous if you ask me. There is no rule book for how old you have to be to play with Legos."

"We're building the Millennium Falcon." Henry announced with pride.

"Round or Square?" Killian inquired.

"Round of course." Will said with a huff. "Lando near destroyed the whole thing during the death star debacle. I prefer the original dish the way Han Solo drove her."

"Good man, a purist." Killian said, slapping the man on the shoulder as Henry beamed at them both.

"You like Star Wars?" The boy asked with large eyes.

"Of course, I like Star Wars, my brother took me when I was a wee lad."

"We even dressed like Han and Leia when the last one came out." Belle said with a proud smile, and it wasn't lost on Killian the way that Will's attention focused in on his date, his smile directed only at her.

"Henry, go help your mother." Will directed his attention toward the blonde, carrying in plates and silverware.

The boy did as he was asked, running over to the table to help set up before he watched the blonde leave through the rooftop door, heading back into the apartment.

He stood back, watching the small group of people milling about, huddled in corners laughing at jokes being told or tales that were shared. He had not had friends in years, after leaving the Navy he moved to Maine to work in the shipyard. He had met Milah shortly after, as much as he had tried to avoid the woman, his choices and their torrid affair eventually blew up in his face causing him to lose everything he had built in Maine.

Perhaps finally all of that was behind him. Maybe now he could afford to put himself out there and make new friends.

He felt a tug on his shirt and turned to see Henry standing behind him. "Hey, can you help me really quick?"

"Sure thing lad, what do you need?"

"More Ice from the basement, everyone else was busy and I can't carry it all."

"No problem, lead the way."

He followed the boy to the door when he turned back suddenly. "Um, I forgot something, I'll meet you down there." Killian laughed as the boy ran back through the crowd and Killian made his way down the stairs to the basement.

He opened the door to the sound of cursing, a slamming noise reverberating through the cold concrete room. As he entered the area where the ice was housed he stopped short. Emma was bent over, her ass shifting back and forth while she gathered up the stray ice from the bag that appeared to have blown open when dropped on the floor. He found himself entranced by the woman in front of him, his head cocked to the side to get a better look.

He cleared his throat and she nearly fell onto her face. He rushed forward, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back toward him, her bottom making contact with his groin before he pulled her upward, her back resting against his chest.

"Didn't mean to startle you, love." He teased against her ear. He felt her shudder against his hand, then pull away from him.

"Do you always stalk people like this?" She moaned, leaning against the freezer.

"Sorry, your lad sent me down here to get some ice."

"Why did he…" She sighed. "Never mind, can you just help me with this?"

He bent down, retrieving the spilled bag of ice from the ground. She grabbed a broom and swept the remaining ice into the drain in the center of the room.

"Can I ask you something?" She said suddenly.

He chuckled, "I see where your son gets it."

She glared at him teasingly. "Did he talk to you about his father today?"

"Ah, I don't want to betray the boy's trust, but I happened to overhear the conversation with his father this afternoon, purely by accident, I swear. He seemed a bit downhearted from the news of his father's upcoming business trip."

She snorted, "Did he really say it was a business trip?"

"Aye, your lad is a bright kid, he seemed distrusting of this information as well."

"Sorry, it's just that my ex has a problem with telling the truth…pretty much always. He's going to Barbados with his new girlfriend."

"As I said, he's a smart lad."

"He knows it's a lie, doesn't he?" She said sadly. He nodded in the affirmative. "Well, sorry he keeps seeking you out. I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to an eleven-year-old kid lament about his woes."

"It's not a bother, I rather enjoy his company." He turned to her quickly. "With your permission, of course."

She laughed nervously. "Sorry I made it seem like I thought you were a pedophile or something. I'm not exactly good around new people."

"Try something new, darling. It's called trust."

"Yeah, I'm not good at that either."

"Perhaps the lad will teach us both something new then." He heaved another bag of ice over his shoulder.

"If I'm learning to trust, what's he teaching you?"

"That's a lesson for another day, Swan." He winked and retreated to the comfort of the empty stairs. The conversation both intriguing him yet also weighing heavily on his mind. Perhaps there was more than meets the eye to his beautiful neighbor, who was obviously off limits to him, he wouldn't dare mess around with a taken woman, however, what he hadn't shared with the Swan woman, and what was most concerning to him had more to do with her son at the moment.

Killian had spent years closing himself off to caring about the feelings of any but his own. While he cared about his brother and to an extent had formed a close friendship with Belle, he only looked out for himself.

Why then was he so concerned about this young boy's sadness over his father or his desire for orange soda? He didn't make connections with others on a personal level. He had no need for the complication that came with worrying about other people or their needs.

Yet as he looked around the rooftop, watching the boy interact with his mother, he found himself smiling as the kid took a drink of his orange soda, seeking his attention from across the expanse of the party and smiling at him in a way that made Killian's heart soar.

"He seems to really like that soda you brought." Belle murmured into his ear as they sat at a small table, drinking their beer.

"Aye, that he does." He replied softly.

Note:

The song that Killian sang is called Devil is a Woman – Bishop Gunn.

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