My French isn't as good as it was in high school, so please do forgive any mistakes in this chapter. I tried to check it thoroughly but we all know how reliable online translators can be.

England, 2010

Killian sighed as he threw his bag into the corner of the room and then fell back onto his bed. Wednesdays were his half-days – and for good reason. He'd only sat through one lecture and three tutorials that morning, but he was absolutely exhausted.

Who knew economics could be so intense?

After staring at the ceiling for the best part of an hour, just to try and clear his mind, he finally hauled himself to his feet. He had a test the following day that he really should be studying for, but he also hadn't eaten that morning, and if he had any hope of retaining any information for it, he knew he'd need food in his system.

The shared fridge in the kitchen was mostly bare. Students had a nasty habit of only buying the food they needed when they absolutely needed it - but there was just enough for Killian to make himself a ham and cheese sandwich. He set the meat, cheese, and Flora down on the counter and then turned to raid the bread bin, hoping there would be at least two edible slices in there somewhere. With a slice of white bread in one hand and wholemeal in the other, he set about carefully spreading the Flora over each piece. The last of the ham was added to one, and the last of the cheese to the other, before he gave the countertop a quick scan for the mayonnaise. When he couldn't find it, Killian pulled open the fridge door and snatched up the first white bottle his eyes landed on.

He wasn't entirely sure what possessed him to do it, but after giving the bottle a little shake and flipping open the cap, he turned it upside down and began drawing the first of the small triangles that would end up forming a six-point star. When he was finished, Killian added a small blob in the middle of the design and then picked up the other slice of bread, ready to slam it down on top of his sandwich. But before he could, his eyes landed on the upside-down bottle beside his plate.

"Nu'mann?"

He dropped the slice of cheese-topped bread back to the counter as he reached for the bottle, turning it the right way up to check the branding. "Nu'mann! I can't believe they bought Nu'mann mayonnaise. Where the fuck did they even find it?"

"Hello, Killian."

Killian turned so suddenly that he knocked his sandwich off the side. The pile of mismatched bread fell to a heap on the floor with the cheese and ham sliding out from between it.

"Emma. How uh… how did you find me here?"

"I can find you anywhere," she replied cryptically, casting a glance around the room they were standing in.

Once again, Emma was dressed much like a businesswoman on her way to an important meeting, but this time, there was something very different about the way she looked. Instead of the black suits he'd seen her in before, Emma was wearing a dress. The grey, strapless top had a deep V in the centre, giving him an enticing peek at her cleavage, and the black skirt ended just above her knees, leaving her lower legs bare. She had a black blazer draped over her shoulders, almost like she'd rushed out of a meeting without stopping to put it on properly, and her hair was shorter once again – this time, it had been pulled back into tight braids that frankly, looked a little painful.

Killian had never seen so much of her skin on display before, and he suddenly found it much harder to swallow around the lump that had lodged itself in his throat.

Had she always been this beautiful?

"Are you enjoying your time at university?" she asked after a moment, making her way closer to the small table in the kitchenette.

"It's uh… it's um… you're not human, are you?" he asked suddenly.

Emma released a small, delicate chuckle. "No, not anymore," she told him, as she pulled out one of the mismatched chairs to take a seat.

"What does that mean?" he wondered, as he made his way around the table to sit down opposite her.

"I was human. A long time ago. But I'm not anymore."

"Then… what are you?" he pressed.

Emma looked down at her perfectly-painted black nails for a moment before she raised her eyes once more. "Does it really matter?"

Killian thought the question over for a few minutes. He didn't know the woman sitting opposite him well, but he did know that he trusted her completely, in a way that he'd never really trusted anyone before. In that respect, nothing she said would ever change anything between them.

"No," he replied, and if he wasn't mistaken, her shoulders relaxed a little at that one small word. "Did you um… did you know that lottery ticket was going to be a winner when you gave it to me?" he asked instead.

"Yes. I trust you put the money to good use?"

"Yeah. We uh… the house is paid off. It's Liam's now. Well, ours, I guess. We thought it would still be in Dad's name but when we contacted the bank to pay it, it was already in Liam's. I guess Dad must have signed it over to him or something."

"Or something," she mumbled quietly.

"And, uh… we split the rest and put it into savings. I was gonna use my half to get a place while I was at uni, but it sort of felt like a waste of money. The university provides housing, and renting with friends is cheaper. This way, I can focus on getting myself a decent place when I graduate instead."

"And when will that be?" Emma asked, keeping her intense gaze focused on the man sitting opposite her.

"Next… next year," he stuttered out. "I only have a few months left of this one now."

Emma nodded her head in understanding and a comfortable silence seemed to settle between the two of them for a moment.

Killian might not have fully understood what was happening whenever Emma showed up, but he knew enough to know that her arrival signaled hope and comfort – usually at times when he needed it most.

"Do you uh… do you maybe wanna go and get some coffee?" he asked, staring down at the tabletop as he did. "We really need to do an ASDA run before entertaining guests, and when I checked this morning, there wasn't even enough milk for my coffee left in the fridge."

Emma waited for Killian to lift his head and meet her gaze before she said, "I'd love to."

"Oh! Uh… okay." He nodded furiously before pushing his chair away from the table with a loud, jarring scrape. A part of him hadn't expected her to accept his offer. Spending time with a lonely kid was one thing, but Killian wasn't a child anymore.

"I just um… I need to –" He hooked his thumb over his shoulder to point in the direction of his room. "I've been on campus all morning. I should freshen up before we go."

Emma chuckled - probably because of the strange way he was acting - and then said, "Okay."

"Right. Okay. I'll um… I'll be just a minute and then I'm all yours." Killian's eyes widened comically as the words left his mouth and he heard them settle awkwardly in the silence of the flat. "I mean I'll be right back," he rushed out. "Not that I'm yours. I'm not yours. I'm not anybody's. I'm my own person. I'm… I'm gonna go and get changed."

He didn't bother waiting for Emma's response. Killian simply turned on his heels and headed straight for his room, shutting the door behind himself with a snap before he let his head fall back against it.

"Idiot," he chided, as he pushed away and headed for the small wardrobe in the corner of the room, pulling off his t-shirt as he went. "Stupid. Fucking. Idiot."

Although they were only going for coffee, Killian knew that he'd look strange standing next to Emma in only a t-shirt and a pair of old jeans. He didn't want to stand out that way, and a part of him almost wanted to prove that he could dress to impress, given that she always did. So after a couple of minutes of searching, he pulled out his best dark-wash jeans and a black shirt his brother had convinced him to buy.

He sprayed himself down liberally with deodorant and quickly pulled on both garments before turning his attention to his hair. A wet comb managed to tame some of the damage his undressing and redressing had done, but without taking a shower, he knew there wasn't much hope for it. It always seemed to have a mind of its own, anyway. So after splashing on some of his favourite scent, Killian pulled open the door to his room once more.

Emma was standing in the middle of his flat and still looked every bit as out of place as she had when she'd first arrived. But this time, instead of wearing her blazer around her shoulders, she'd slipped her arms into the sleeves and had buttoned it over her dress.

"Are you leaving?" he blurted out.

"Yes… I thought that was the point," she chuckled. "We leave this place and go to another place to get some coffee."

"Oh! Oh, yeah. Of course," he agreed, pulling his bedroom door shut.

Killian made his way across the room to grab his jacket, but froze when he was standing beside the battered old coat stand. The mess he'd made in the kitchen had been cleaned so thoroughly that he couldn't even spot a crumb on the carpet, and he was certain he hadn't heard the sound of the vacuum cleaner while he'd been in his room.

"You didn't need to do that," he told Emma.

"It's fine," she assured him, waving away his concerns. "It only took me a second."

"Okay. Well, um… after you, I guess?" he said, opening the front door and gesturing for her to step through it. After patting himself down for his wallet and keys, Killian followed behind her, turning briefly to lock the door. Emma's heels made a loud clicking noise against the stone floors as they made their way along the corridor, down three flights of stairs, and then through another door to step out onto the pavement.

"Where um… where would you like to go?" he asked, glancing up and down the street. To the left was the university, which sold pretty good coffee in the library café – but they were definitely overdressed for that. To the right was the city centre and the local Starbucks – which was likely to be teeming with students enjoying their own half-days.

"I have an idea," she said, as a devious look coloured her features. She reached out for his arm and tugged him into the shadows beside the building before asking, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Killian replied, without hesitation, because she'd never given him a reason not to.

"Good. Then close your eyes."

For a moment, he simply stood and stared at her in complete disbelief.

"Close your eyes," she urged, her tone dropping a little as she stepped in closer.

Killian's eyes snapped shut without much thought as he felt her step even further into his personal space. His heart rate kicked up a notch when her hands reached out to rest firmly on his shoulders, and he brought his own up to loosely grip her elbows.

This is it, he thought to himself. She's going to kiss me.

But the kiss never came. Instead, Emma simply whispered, "You can open them now," as she dropped her hands from his body.

With a slightly crushing weight of disappointment settling in his chest, Killian did just as she'd asked - and then gasped in surprise.

The dirty alley they'd been standing in was gone, and in its place was a bright, beautiful street lined with boutique stores, cafes, and coffee shops.

"Where are we?" he asked, because it didn't look anything like any part of the city he'd seen before.

"Turn around."

Killian quirked his brow at Emma before slowly turning to look behind them. When he did, his mouth dropped open in a silent gasp.

"Is… is that the Eiffel Tower?"

Emma simply shrugged her shoulders in response. She turned to look up and down the street before crossing it at a leisurely pace, leaving Killian to jog a little to catch up to her.

When she pushed open the door to the small café in front of them, his senses were suddenly assaulted with the smell of freshly baked goods and ground coffee beans. There was some sort of music playing lightly in the background, mixed with the occasional whispered chatter of the few patrons inside the establishment.

"Bonjour," Emma greeted, as she approached the counter and the short, balding man standing behind it. "Pouvons-nous avoir deux cappuccinos et deux de vos muffins aux bleuets, s'il vous plaît?"

Killian's jaw might have dropped again as fluent French fell from Emma's tongue, completely effortlessly.

The man behind the counter must have agreed to her request because Emma handed over a few funny-looking paper notes, before she grabbed hold of Killian's upper arm and steered him over to a couple of soft-looking armchairs next to the window.

"How did we get here?" he eventually blurted out, hoping that the language barrier would help to keep their conversation private because his question had come out much louder than he'd intended.

"Would you believe me if I said magic?" Emma asked.

He considered the question for a moment and then nodded his head. Magic made sense. It would explain how she always found him; how she got in and out of his homes so easily; and how she'd had a plush toy and a winning lottery ticket on her when they'd met before.

"So… you're like a witch… or something?"

"Or something," she chuckled cryptically. "I thought we agreed that it doesn't matter?"

"It doesn't," Killian rushed to assure her, as the short, balding man approached their table with a tray in his hands. He set a mug of coffee down in front of each of them and then placed a small plate containing two muffins onto the table, before he bowed and made his exit.

"I just uh… I just thought it would be nice to get to know you a little better, that's all," Killian said, as he added sugar to his mug with a laser-like focus.

Emma waited until he'd finished and finally raised his eyes to meet hers before she spoke again. "My favourite colour is blue and my favourite season is spring. I don't watch tv or movies very often, but I enjoy visiting the opera or the ballet when I get some time away from work. I like coffee and muffins… and I uh… I only really have one friend. He seems to have a thing for ham and cheese sandwiches."

Killian felt himself blush a little at her admission so he turned his attention back down to his coffee.

"I'm also over one-thousand-years-old," she whispered, "But don't tell anyone that."

Killian chuckled slightly at her confession - because he honestly had no idea if she was telling the truth or just trying to lighten the mood. Emma didn't seem to expect a response, however, so instead of trying to come up with one, he simply relaxed back into his seat to stare out of the café window as he drank his coffee.

"I've never been to France before," he mused, a little while later. He wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed since Emma had last spoken, but it hadn't felt awkward. "I kind of wish we could stay."

Emma mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like, "Me too," but it was said too quietly for Killian to be certain.

When they were finished with their muffins and coffees, she pushed herself up to her feet once more. "How about we go for a walk before I take you home?" she asked.

Killian practically jumped up from his armchair at the offer to spend more time with her. Emma chuckled at the way his shin hit the front of the table with his haste, and then called out, "Merci et au revoir," to the man standing behind the counter, before she followed Killian out of the café.

Once they were back outside, she linked her arm through his and then turned them gently towards the left. "This way," she said, and Killian was more than happy to follow along.

As they made their way up and down the streets of France, Emma pointed out the various different places and landmarks she knew. The sky above them was slowly beginning to darken as the sun was gradually replaced with a bright full moon. Wherever they went, Emma made sure to keep the Tower in their line of sight, and Killian almost wished that he had a good excuse to stay in France, because it truly was a beautiful sight to behold.

But as with all good things in life, their time together was drawing to an end, and he knew they needed to say goodbye to the town when Emma guided him into a dark alleyway, miles from where they had first arrived.

"Close your eyes," she whispered to him once more, turning to loop her arms around his neck.

Killian did as she asked, but his eyes sprang open again the instant he felt her lips press softly against his own. The surprise of her kiss clouded his mind for a moment, and it took him much longer than it should have to realise that they were once again standing in the alley beside his flat.

"Not back inside?" he teased, because he wasn't really sure what else to say.

"Your flatmates are home," Emma explained. "It might look a little odd if you suddenly turn up in the middle of the kitchen with a strange woman at your side."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

Killian toed at the ground as he searched for the right words to say to fit the moment, but he couldn't seem to find any at all.

Eventually, Emma was the one to break the silence between them as she leaned in to press another kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you for a wonderful day, Killian."

"I should be thanking you," he protested, because she was the one who'd transported them both to France for the entire afternoon.

"It was my pleasure," Emma assured him. "Take care of yourself. And you know how to find me if you need me."

She was slowly stepping away from him again, and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her back.

"Oh, and Killian," she called out suddenly, "Don't worry about your test tomorrow. I'll take care of it."

She was gone before he could even open his mouth – which was probably a good thing, because the first word to fall from it was, "Fuck!"

Six days later, the demon known as Amaline smiled to herself as a man whispered his prayer of thanks upon seeing his most recent test score, before she turned her attention back to the trembling woman standing in front of her.

"Well, Amy, was it worth it?" she asked.

"Please. Please you don't have to do this. Please," Amy begged.

"You knew the price when you made the deal," Amaline chuckled darkly, "So yes, I really do." Her eyes flashed a demonic red as she reached out to press her palm to the other woman's head.

Before Amy's screams had finished dying on her lips, Hellhounds had already dragged her soul away.

Emma/Amaline's look here is based on Jen's look for the 'If Only' Texas hold'em charity poker tournament benefiting City of Hope on July 29, 2018

Thanks for reading and reviewing.