It's still Sunday somewhere in the world, right?

I am so sorry this one has taken as long as it has to get out for you. It took me far too long to realise what was wrong on it (my timeline was out by 2 weeks. I have no idea how the Once writers manage to live with that confusion. 2 weeks was enough to leave me scrambling through everything to fix my mistakes).

I just hope it's worth the wait.

As the sun rose over a slightly damp and foggy morning in Storybrooke, Emma watched as the light began creeping in through the gaps in her curtains, to fall across Killian's naked body.

The two of them had spent most of their final hours tangled together, wanting to leave a lasting impression before they were parted once more. When they'd finally collapsed into an exhausted heap, neither of them had been keen on the thought of sleeping away the precious time they had left.

Killian had been the first to lose his battle with exhaustion, drifting off just before the sun began to rise. Emma had used the time to study the man who had quickly become an important part of her life. He'd fallen asleep on his front, with his head turned in her direction, and his arms folded under his pillow. The duvet rested low enough to just cover his shapely rear, and Emma had to fight back the urge to trace the patterns being cast onto the skin of his lower back, from the rising sun's beams.

She spent her time cataloguing the small details about him that she now knew, and very few others would. She memorized the small freckles on his back, and the patterns she could make with them. The way his shoulders flexed as he dreamed, and how it rippled down through his muscles, before disappearing under the duvet. The way his hair curled, just slightly, at the very edges of his neck, suggesting it was probably time for him to get it cut. How his eyelashes brushed against his cheekbones as he dreamed, and the way a small serene smile would tug at his lips, as he left out a soft sigh.

She could lose herself in just watching him sleep for hours.

"It's rude to stare," Killian mumbled, starling Emma from her appreciation.

"I thought you were sleeping," she whispered back, reaching out to brush the hair that had fallen into his eyes, off his face. Killian caught her hand with his own, and brought it to his lips, to press a kiss to her palm.

"Nope. I was just enjoying your company," he sighed, finally blinking his eyes open. When they met Emma's, his lips curled into a breathtaking smile as he whispered, "Hey, Beautiful."

"Hey," she whispered back. She tried to keep her smile fixed in place, but it faltered slightly when that ticking clock in her mind started once more, and Killian reached out to tuck her into his side.

"Soon," he promised. "Chicago's not far away."

Emma nodded her head into his chest, but didn't trust herself to speak. She couldn't believe how much the thought of saying goodbye to him was hurting. They hadn't known each other all that long. But it already felt as though he were an integral part of her life. Killian seemed to sense her inner turmoil and simply pulled her in tighter, until the storm within her passed.

"Do you wanna take a shower?" she asked eventually, pulling away to flick a brief look at the time, before she turned her eyes back to her beautiful boyfriend.

"Yeah, that would be nice."

Their shower together that morning was unlike the one they'd taken the day before. Killian took his time to massage Emma's favorite shampoo into her hair, making sure each and every strand was taken care of, before he directed the spray of the water down to rinse it clear. He spent the same time and care on applying her conditioner, making sure to draw out some long and contented sighs from his girlfriend, before he rinsed again, and turned his attention to her body.

Emma had never felt the kind of love and care that Killian was showing to her in that moment. She was grateful for the water that was currently cascading down over the two of them, as it managed to disguise her tears.

"Killian," she whispered.

He turned his eyes up to meet hers, but continued the gentle circular movement of his hand, as he used Emma's washcloth to gently cleanse her skin. He could see the war currently raging inside of her, but Killian would give Emma as long as she needed to form whatever words she felt necessary, in that moment.

It was yet another quality of his that she adored. He never rushed her, or pushed her to talk, unlike some of the other people in her life. She knew they all meant well, but Emma had learned the hard way how to protect her heart, and it was a lesson that she had never forgotten.

"I think I'm falling in love with you."

The words were spoken so quietly, but with so much conviction, that Killian knew he wasn't imaging them. He allowed his lips to curl into a wonderfully bright smile, but continued his quest to wash his girlfriend. When the last of the suds had disappeared down the drain, he leaned forward to press a kiss to Emma's tummy, before standing up and curling his hand around her neck, to pull her head in to meet his.

"Good," he sighed, as his tongue darted out to lick his lower lip. "Because I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you since the moment you ran into that elevator in Boston."

He wasn't sure which one of them moved first, but before he could take another breath, Emma's lips were on his, kissing him with an intensity that Killian hadn't felt from her before.

They finally left the shower, later that morning, when the hot water ran cold.

Ruby was already up and making coffee when the two of them left Emma's room, fully dressed, with their hands linked tightly together.

"Morning," she offered, along with a sad smile. "How was your date?"

"It was great," Killian replied, sliding into a seat as Emma busied herself with fixing the two of them a drink. "I finally got to meet Leroy."

"Oh dear God, what did he do now?"

"Nothing," Emma chuckled. "He was off his face, and headed down to the docks. Again. So, we walked home."

"You're far too kind to him," Ruby protested. "You should just let him fall in. The shock of that cold sea water might help teach him a lesson."

"Or he could drown," Emma countered, cocking a brow in her friend's direction.

Ruby shrugged the comment off, before taking her own seat around the small island. She could already sense the tension building around her. "So, um… what time is your flight?" she asked Killian quietly, as she cringed internally.

It was the elephant in the room, and all three of them knew it.

"It's at three," he mumbled. He'd booked the latest possible flight back, hoping to spend as much time as he could with Emma. He'd feel the effects of it on set the next morning, but there was absolutely no fiber of his being that could bring itself to resent his decision.

Ruby nodded her head to show that she'd heard what Killian had said, but didn't say anything herself. She couldn't begin to imagine how difficult it was for her friend, in that moment. The last thing she wanted to do was say something that would make the situation even worse for them.

"I um… I should call David," Emma mumbled, standing suddenly from her seat.

"What for?" Killian asked curiously.

"To see if he'll cover this morning. I should be the one to drive you to the airport."

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed. "It's a four-hour drive, Emma. The last thing you need right now is to make that drive home. Alone."

Ruby kept her mouth shut, but she did nod her agreement with Killian's words. If Emma insisted on being the one to drive him, she knew that there was very little either of them could do about it. Emma was one of the most stubborn people she'd ever met in her entire life. But, she knew that there would be more than a few tears shed once Killian boarded his flight, and the last thing he, or Ruby, would want was to know that Emma was making the long drive home alone, while upset.

"It's an extra four hours I get to spend with you," she argued.

"Sweetheart, I'd be worried sick about your driving back alone, while I was in the air. I have a car booked to come and pick me up. As much as I want to spend that time with you, I'd much rather say our goodbyes here, in private."

Emma looked like she wanted to argue, but the way Killian was looking at her stopped her from doing so. She knew that deep down, he was right. Neither of them should be saying their goodbyes in a public airport, where they'd have the chance of being seen. She also knew that the moment he was out of her sight, the tears she'd been fighting to hold back all morning would fall, making it impossible for her to drive home.

"Next time, I'm driving you to and from the airport," she declared. There was absolutely no room for negotiation in her tone.

"Next time," Killian agreed. He sealed his promise with a tender kiss, and Emma melted easily into his embrace.

As Ruby slipped away for work, offering Killian a warm hug of her own before she did, Emma settled herself onto the small sofa in the lounge. She didn't know what to do with herself. A part of her wanted to strip her boyfriend bare once more, and spend the rest of the precious time they had left together, tangled in each other's embrace. A more sensible part of her was saying that she really should check in at the station, and make sure everything was okay there. But, the lost little girl in her wanted nothing more than for Killian to just hold her until he had to leave.

"Come here," he told her, as he dropped down next to her, and opened his arms. Somehow, he always knew exactly what she needed, and when. He didn't mention the damp patch that was slowly forming on his shirt, or the slight tremor running through Emma's shoulders. Instead, he held her tightly, as he ran a soothing hand through her hair, and dropped gentle kisses to the top of her head.

When the tears finally dried, and her shoulders stopped shaking, he began whispering his reassurances to her. "It's gonna be okay, Sweetheart. We only have a few weeks to go and then we'll be reunited again."

"I'm thinking of trying for your meet and greet," she joked, as she pulled back to look up at him. "I'm sure there's dozens of things I can think to ask you between now and then."

Killian chuckled at the glint in her eyes, that had been missing all that morning. "Don't waste too much of your money on me, Love. You'll get a private meet and greet later that night, remember?"

"Imagine how much money they'd sell for if the rest of your fans knew that," she giggled.

"Am I gonna have to share you with my co-stars all weekend?"

"I dunno," Emma teased. There was a small smile playing across her lips, but Killian could still see her pain behind it. Yet, she looked so beautiful when she smiled that he couldn't help but return it. "I think I've got enough pictures with you now. I mean… whatever else can we do?"

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, as he quirked a brow down at her. "Because I'm sure I can think of something different to do."

"I look forward to it."

Killian leaned down with the intention of kissing his girlfriend once more, but Emma pulled back before he could make contact. "Maybe I should book a couple with Robin too? You know, he might have some creative pose ideas for me. And it would look a little strange if I only had pictures of you, on my walls. Someone might think I was a tad obsessed."

"Don't you fucking dare," he growled, as he pulled her into his chest. Killian used his kisses to show her just how much he disliked the thought of another man putting his hands on his girlfriend. He knew it was completely irrational, and that his friend was a happily married man, who would never dream of getting involved with a fan. But, he still didn't like the idea of his friend getting as close to Emma as he had, in some of their previous photo ops.

That was their thing.

He kissed her that morning like a dying man would kiss his love, for one last time. Killian poured every ounce of passion he felt for her into each gentle swipe of his tongue, and every nip of his teeth, hoping that she'd remember just how much he wanted her, even when he wasn't around to show it.

He lost himself completely in her arms, engulfed in that scent that was so uniquely Emma, and the softness of her skin. And while their hands clutched desperately at each other, neither one of them made a move to strip the other bare. They both knew that in that moment, what mattered more was just being close to each other.

Killian slowed their kisses when he felt Emma begin to gasp for breath under his hands. He pulled away slowly, dropping sweet caresses to every part of her face, before he tucked her back into his chest.

For the longest time they just sat together, enjoying the silence of the loft, and being in each other's arms. Emma could hear his heart beating under her ear, and she used her fingers to tap out the rhythm on his thigh, as Killian pressed the occasional kiss to her hair.

"Do you need to check in at the station?" he asked eventually.

"They'll call my cell if they need me," Emma dismissed easily.

He wanted to press her on the issue. He knew that if he weren't there, she'd have left for work already. But the thought of the two of them spending any amount of their last few hours apart hurt him just as much as he imagined it would hurt her. So instead, he simply tightened his grip on her waist, and flicked the TV on, for some background noise.

"I wish I could take you back with me."

"I wish I could come back with you," Emma sighed. "Is that crazy? That I'm literally considering uprooting my entire life right now, for a man I've only known a few months?"

"If it is, then I'm crazy," Killian chuckled. "You're a dangerous woman, Emma Swan."

Emma sat up suddenly in his arms, as something else occurred to her. "What happens when that time comes?" she asked.

"When what time comes, Sweetheart?"

"When the time comes where neither one of us wants this distance between us anymore. You live over seven hours away. Our entire relationship can't be spread across two countries like this. I don't want to always be saying goodbye to you. What happens then?"

Killian reached out to run his fingers gently over Emma's jawline, before he tangled them through her hair, to scratch soothingly at her scalp. "When that time comes, then we make the decision that's right for us. If that means me moving here, that's what I'll do. If it means you moving up to Canada with me, then we do that. If neither of us want to be in either of those places, then we go where we want to go. Let's not worry over anything just yet. You might get sick of me in a few more months."

"I doubt it," she scoffed. "I can't get enough of you."

Killian dropped another kiss to the top of her head as he assured her, "The feeling is very much mutual, my love."

Emma had never resented an object as much as she resented the clock that was hanging on her wall, that morning. It's ticking seemed overly loud, as it counted down the seconds until their parting, and made her hyper aware of every minute that passed.

Time had never moved as fast as it seemed to, that day.

"Stop looking," Killian chided, as he noticed her eyes flick over to the wall once more.

"I can't help it," she chuckled bitterly. "I hate that I have so little time left with you. It's not enough. It's never gonna be enough."

When his phone began to ring, from where Killian had placed it onto the coffee table in the room, he had half a mind to ignore the call.

Emma was the one to pull away first, dropping her head down to his shoulder as she mumbled, "See what I mean? That's probably your driver. You should get that."

Killian gave her arm a gentle squeeze, before reaching for his phone, and answering the call with a gruff, "Yeah?"

Emma couldn't hear what was being said on the other end of the line, but Killian ended the conversation with, "Okay. I'll be down in a few moments."

Despite his promise to his driver, he made absolutely no move to let go of her. Instead, he dropped his phone to the couch, and slipped his fingers under her chin, to gently tilt her head up. When her watery eyes met his, he brought his lips down to softly tease at hers. This kiss was different to the one they'd shared just moments before. Instead of all of the passion Killian had poured into it, he focused on channeling his love for her into the soft presses of his lips.

When they broke apart it was only far enough for Killian to drop his forehead down to rest against her own, as he allowed his thumbs to trace soothing circles over her cheeks.

"I'll miss you," Emma whispered, as another tear escaped to roll down her cheek. Killian's thumb brushed it away softly.

"I'll miss you too," he assured her. "More than I thought possible." He paused to clear the lump forming in his own throat, before he added, "I missed you before this weekend. But now that I've been able to spend this time with you, I know it will be infinitely worse."

Emma leaned forward to press her lips to his once more, as her tears steadily rolled down her face. "I should um.. I should let you go."

"I don't want to," he admitted quietly, before pressing another slightly harsher kiss to her lips.

Emma sucked in a deep breath, before standing from the sofa. She knew one of them needed to be the strong one, before the other made a decision they might come to regret. "You should go," she told him. "You don't wanna miss your flight. You have to work tomorrow." As an afterthought she added, "And I should probably do some work this afternoon too."

Killian snorted out a laugh at her brutal honesty, as he stood to take her hands into his own, and squeezed them gently. "Yeah. You don't want the town to descend into complete chaos in your absence."

She smiled sadly up at him, as she leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, while she threw her arms around his neck. Emma allowed herself one final moment to soak up the comfort he was offering, before she pulled back again, determined to let him go.

"Call me when you land?"

"It'll be the first thing I do," Killian promised, as he reached for her hands once more. He needed that connection between the two of them just as much as she did.

"If you wait until you're out of the airport we could try phone sex. I hear it's what all the cool kids are doing," she teased.

His eyes darkened slightly at her offer, as Killian took a small step closer to her. "I can't call you in the airport, and when I get home?"

"You can call me whenever you want," Emma replied seriously. Unless there was a rare emergency in town that she needed to deal with, she couldn't imagine ever ignoring his calls.

Killian's phone began to ring once more, the driver downstairs waiting for him was clearly fed up with how long it was taking for the two of them to say their goodbyes. Killian let out a frustrated huff, before he bent to place a sweet lingering kiss to Emma's lips.

"Okay. I'll message you when I get to the airport. And I'll call when I land in Vancouver," he told her.

Emma nodded her agreement as the two of them moved as one, heading for the front door to her apartment, where Killian had already placed his bag.

"And you'll stay safe while I'm gone, right?" he asked.

She snorted a little at his concern for her, but agreed nonetheless. While it was odd to have someone worry over her so much, it was also quite a nice feeling to know there was someone in the world who cared enough to tell her to stay safe, before she left for work.

"You too," she teased, nudging his shoulder with her own. "I've seen the gag reels. I know how difficult you find staying on your feet."

"Hey!" Killian exclaimed, trying his hardest to look offended at her comment. "They pick the worst parts."

"Sure," she giggled. "You know, there's an entire ship dedicated to Hook and the floor, right?"

Killian's brow furrowed for a moment as he tried to piece together Emma's meaning from the seemingly random assortment of words she had spoken, before he finally gave up and asked, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'll send you some links," she chuckled, as his phone started ringing once again. "You really should go," she sighed. "You don't want your driver to leave without you."

Killian looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn't. Instead, he bent down to grab his bag, before he straightened up and pulled open the front door. Without a word spoken between the two of them, Emma took his hand into her own, and followed him down the stairs, and out to where a black car was waiting. She lingered by her front door as Killian placed his bag securely in the trunk, before he offered the driver a few words, and then turned back to face her.

Everything that he wanted to say had already been said. And he knew that if he repeated it back to her again, then he'd never leave the town. So instead, he took her hands into his own and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"I love you, Emma Swan."

Emma choked on a sob as she blinked back the tears building in her eyes. "I love you too," she whispered.

"I'll call as soon as I land. And I'll be counting the hours until Chicago."

Emma didn't trust her voice to work, so she simply nodded her understanding.

Killian hesitated for a long moment before he closed the distance between them to give her one last lingering and tender kiss. "Goodbye, Love," he whispered, as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

Emma managed to hold herself together just long enough to see him slide into the back of the car. She watched as the vehicle disappear down the road, before it turned off, and headed for Boston.

As soon as it was out of sight, she turned and bolted back up to the loft, as the tears began to pour over.

"Hey," Ruby soothed, as she sank down next to Emma on the bed. She'd brought grilled cheese and onion rings, and a mug of hot cocoa, home with her, knowing that her friend would need all the comfort she could get that afternoon.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Emma croaked out. Her voice was hoarse from the tears that had already spilled over, and those that had yet to fall.

"You're more important," was all Ruby said, as she gathered her best friend into her arms, to let her cry it all out.

Waking up the next morning was the cruellest kind of tease.

Emma's sheets still smelled of Killian. In the short time he'd been in the loft, his scent seemed to have permeated every inch of it, making it impossible to escape.

Not that she would have wanted to.

Thankfully, when she swung her legs out of bed, and picked up her phone to check it, there was a message already waiting for her, from the man constantly on her mind.

Good morning, Beautiful.

I wish I were there to tell you that in person.

But at least I only have 18 more days to wait to do it again.

He'd attached a picture of himself to the message, looking adorably sleepy in his bed, and Emma's heart swelled with love for the man on her screen.

Morning.

As long as I can wake up to these kinds of messages every morning, the next 18 days will pass by much more pleasantly than I expected.

I'm heading out for a run.

I'll message you when I get to the station.

X

She set her phone down on the bed as she pulled out her favourite running pants and vest to change in to, before heading for the bathroom, to brush her teeth. When she made it back into the room, her phone already had one final message waiting for her.

Only if you'll return the favour!

Enjoy your run and STAY SAFE!

I love you. X

"Hey, Ems," David greeted, as she made her way into the Sheriff's station, later that morning.

"Hey," she muttered distractedly, while she thumbed through the post that had been waiting for her. "How's your mom?"

"She's doing much better, thanks. Cuddles from her grandson definitely helped."

"Of course they did," Emma scoffed. "Cuddles with Leo always help." She dropped the stack of papers onto her desk, and then turned back to give David her full attention.

That was when she noticed the large box he was tearing his way into.

"What the hell is that?"

"I was gonna ask you the same question," he chuckled. "You didn't order it?"

"I haven't ordered anything… unless you count convention tickets, but they're electronically emailed to me. What is that?"

David gave her a slightly odd look at her admission of ordering tickets to a convention, which Emma knew she'd need to explain to him at a later date, before he turned back to the cardboard, and finally finished pulling it off to reveal the package inside of it.

The moment Emma saw the logo on the side of the next box, she knew exactly what it was, and who had sent it.

"Son of a bitch," she mumbled in awe. "I can't believe he did that."

"Who did what?" David asked, his confusion growing by the moment.

"Killian." Emma was too distracted by his gift to realise that she was making no sense.

"Who is Killian and why has he sent this?" David tried again.

She finally shook her head to clear it a little, before she realised she'd need to come up with some kind of explanation for her partner. "Um… he's my boyfriend," she admitted, with a slight blush. Her eyes flicked over to the small cot in the corner of the holding cell, before settling back on the box between them. "He came to visit this weekend, and complained about the coffee."

"I thought you were dating a guy called John?" David asked. His partner was making absolutely no sense that morning, and it was starting to worry him.

Emma wanted to curse herself for being so stupid. While using Killian's middle name around Mary-Margret had been a good idea, having the man himself visit town was bound to make things more difficult. Too many people had been introduced to him as Killian, so there was no way she could continue using his middle name around her friends. "Um… it's the same guy," she explained. "John's his middle name. He uses it for correspondence sometimes. It's a long story."

David didn't look terribly happy about Emma waving away his concern, but he knew that pushing her wouldn't give him anymore answers either. So instead, he asked, "Do you fancy giving me a hand to set this up? I could murder a decent coffee."

"You're on your own there," she snorted. Killian being Killian had sent the best coffee machine he could find. And Emma knew that was going to take her partner all morning to set up. "I'll head to Granny's and get us some real coffee to keep you going until that's sorted, though."

"Morning Sheriff. How was your weekend?" Granny asked with a knowing smile, as Emma pushed her way through the front door.

"Best ever," she replied honestly. "Can I get two coffees, please?"

"Coming right up."

Emma pulled out her phone to message Killian while she waited, but had only just unlocked it when the small bell above the door tinkled, to signal the arrival of a new customer. It was quickly followed by Leroy's greeting of, "Morning Sheriff."

"Morning, Leroy." Emma forced a smile for the grumpy older man, and then turned her attention back to her phone, determined to thank her boyfriend for his thoughtful gift.

"That fella of yours not here?" Leroy grunted out.

"No. He had to fly back home." Emma hated the reminder, but she knew that Leroy wasn't to blame for it.

"Huh… He seemed like a nice guy. You looked happy," he offered, by way of explanation. "I um… I hope he treats you well. You deserve that."

"He does." Emma couldn't help the small smile that formed at the thought of her wonderful boyfriend, and the fancy new coffee machine David was busy setting up for them, back at the station. She'd have to take a few pictures to send to Killian too. David had never been the best at assembling anything, so something was bound to go hilariously wrong.

"I'm um… I'm sorry I interrupted your date the other night." Emma's eyes snapped up to meet Leroy's at his apology. She was surprised he'd offered one. He'd made her duties incredibly difficult since she'd taken over the role of sheriff, and never once before had he apologised to her for his actions.

But Emma was also incredibly aware that the town drunk seemed to have no concept of volume control, and that everyone in the diner has stopped eating at his utterance of the word 'date.'

She was even more aware of the sound of glass shattering, from the back corner of the room.

Emma didn't have to lift her head to know who was responsible for it.

Thanks for reading.