Killian folded himself into Emma's car and watched as she slid in behind the steering wheel.
"This is quite a vessel you captain, Swan. Stick shift, huh?"
"Yep. I was pretty proud of myself when I learned to drive it."
"How long have you had it?" he asked, looking around the interior.
"I got it for my 16th birthday."
"So, how long ago was that?"
Emma looked over at him with a smirk, "If you want to know how old I am, all you have to do is ask."
"I was taught never to ask a lady her age."
She laughed. "I'll be twenty-seven in October. You're twenty-eight, right?"
"Aye, as of last January."
"I thought I remembered that from your medical records."
As Emma slowed the car to a stop, the brakes let out a squeal. "Sorry about that," she said. "I know it's probably time for me to get a different car, but this one is special because my parents gave it to me. I guess I'm just too sentimental."
Killian looked at her for several seconds, then reached inside his shirt and pulled out a chain. He held up the ring that was on it and explained, "This was my mother's engagement ring. I keep it close to me at all times." Dropping the chain back into place, he then pulled a set of dog tags out of his pocket. "These…were Liam's." Looking over at her once again, he said, "I don't think you're too sentimental at all, Emma. I understand exactly why you want to hold onto your car."
She couldn't help but think that Mary Margaret had been right when she said that Killian could identify with Emma's feelings. As she pressed the gas pedal and turned the wheel, she said, "I guess I need to figure out how to fit my car onto a chain to wear around my neck."
Killian laughed out loud at that. Emma smiled as well, thinking how this man barely resembled the one who had walked into her therapy room all those weeks ago.
"I can see why you say that Dave is like a brother to you. The two of you pick on each other like siblings," Killian chuckled.
"Yeah, wait til you see how August and I go back and forth with each other."
Killian noticed that she was talking like she expected him to actually meet her brother someday. "Do you get to see him very often?"
"Every couple of months or so. He and my dad live a little under two hours away."
"That's not too bad, then."
"No, it could be worse."
Killian nodded and turned to look out the window at the passing neighborhood. "Is your home around here?" he asked, remembering that she'd said she lived a short distance from her friends.
"It's actually back the other way a couple of blocks. We would've turned left at that first intersection instead of right."
"I'm sorry to make you go so far out of your way."
"I really don't mind, Killian. I wouldn't have offered if it was something I didn't want to do."
"Still, it will be nice when I no longer have to rely on others to transport me."
"Did you and David have any luck finding a car that you like?" Emma asked, as she waited at a stoplight.
"There were four or five that looked promising. Dave forwarded the information to my laptop. I'll do some more research on them in the next day or so."
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"Nothing fancy. I figured I'd just get a sedan, but there were a couple of pickup trucks that were pretty good deals. A truck would be helpful when it's time for me to move, even though I don't have a lot of possessions. Of course, I'll probably have to put some things into storage until I figure out where I'll be living."
"Are you, um, are you thinking that you'll stay around this area?" Emma asked, taking her eyes off the road briefly to look over at him.
Killian sighed. "I really don't know. I suppose I will for now since I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Looking at classes to take online sounds like a good idea."
"Yes it does. I plan to look into that in the next few days also."
They lapsed into silence as she maneuvered her car through the streets.
Finally, she spoke up. "Do you remember much about Ireland? I've always thought it looked like such a beautiful country."
"I do remember it, and it is very lovely. It seemed like it rained quite a lot, but that only helped to make everything look so green, I think. We used to go to the beach when my mum felt up to it, and those days are some of my favorite memories. I'd like to go back to visit someday."
"I hope you get a chance to do that. Ireland is on my list of places that I'd like to travel to in the future."
"What are some of the other places on your list?"
Emma ticked them off on her fingers. "England, Switzerland, France, and then some states like Colorado, Alaska, California, Oregon and Hawaii to name a few."
"That's quite a list," he chuckled.
Emma shrugged. "I can dream, can't I?"
"Of course you can, Emma. I sincerely hope that you get to travel to all those places, and then some."
They arrived at the Army base and he showed his ID to the guard on duty, who opened the gate for Emma to drive through. Killian began directing her to his barracks.
When she pulled up beside the building, he unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door handle. "Thanks very much for the ride, Swan. Be careful driving back home. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good night, Killian. Sleep well."
He watched as she turned her little yellow car around and drove off. When it disappeared around the corner, he entered his barracks with a melancholy smile on his face. It had been a wonderful evening with lots of good food, conversation and laughter, as well as some time alone with Emma. But he couldn't stop thinking about how, after tomorrow, he probably wouldn't see her again.
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Emma looked up and saw Killian entering the treatment room the next day without the smile that she'd grown used to seeing. She knew how he felt, as she wasn't looking forward to this being their last session together either. Still, she felt the familiar flutterings in her stomach as she grabbed her clipboard and went to meet him.
"Good morning, Emma," he greeted as he took his seat on the table.
"Good morning," she replied. "Ready to do this one more time?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
He went through his exercise routine as usual. At the end of it, Ashley and Emma evaluated his strength and range of motion, and were able to show him just how much progress he had made.
At the end of the assessment, Emma filled out the necessary paperwork and declared, "Well, that's it, you're officially done with physical therapy. You don't need me anymore."
You're wrong about that Swan, Killian thought, but he stopped himself from voicing it. Instead he said, "I assure you that I'll continue to do my exercises at home."
"Sounds good. I guess that's it then. Take care of yourself, Killian."
"You too, Emma. Thank you for everything."
He reached out to shake her hand, holding it for just a few seconds longer than necessary. Then he turned, and Emma watched him walk out the door, trying hard not to notice the all-too-familiar ache in her heart.
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Killian picked up the remote control and switched off the TV. It had been nearly two weeks since his final physical therapy appointment with Emma Swan, and he was having trouble concentrating on anything.
He had been able to accomplish a few things. He'd scheduled some private driving lessons as it had been years since he'd driven anything other than a Hummer, and had never driven using a prosthetic limb. He'd also purchased a small pickup truck, and had signed up for two online engineering classes.
His occupational therapy sessions were continuing, as were the ones with his psychotherapist. He felt like he was making good progress with Ruby, but not so much with Dr. Hopper. He just didn't feel like he could open up to him, no matter how much he knew he should. The only person that he'd found easy to talk to and who he knew could understand him, had been Emma. But that connection was gone now, and he felt adrift again.
He knew he could probably get Emma's phone number from Dave or maybe even Ruby, but he didn't think that it was a good idea. If she'd wanted to contact him, his information was in his file.
Plus, he argued with himself, she had been going out with his mate Neal, and it wouldn't be right for him to pursue the feelings that he'd developed for her. When those thoughts entered his head, he remembered what Emma had told him - 'I had a lot of fun with Neal on our dates, but we didn't have enough time together to form a really close relationship'. Still, he didn't think he should add dating his buddy's girlfriend to the guilt that he already felt when it came to Neal Cassidy.
And then, of course, there were the feelings of inadequacy that Killian had. Why would someone as beautiful, intelligent and vivacious as Emma Swan ever want to be with someone like him? He would soon be out of the Army with no plans for his future, nowhere to go, and he was handicapped. What did he have to offer her?
Yet, no matter how much he tried to talk himself out of thinking about Emma, he wasn't successful. He thought about her constantly, and he missed her.
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Ashley was eating her lunch at Emma's desk when the phone began to ring.
"Emma Swan's office," she answered.
"Hi Ashley, this is Ruby Lucas."
Ashley was acquainted with Ruby, but wasn't a close friend of hers, so she knew Ruby wasn't calling to talk to her.
"Oh hey, Ruby. Emma's not here right now."
"Yeah, I know. She told me she had to make a trip to the pet store during her lunch today. I was hoping that you would pick up if I called her office phone."
"Is there something I can do for you?" Ashley asked.
"You can help me give Emma a good, swift kick in the pants."
"Pardon me?"
"How has Emma been acting at work since she dismissed Killian Jones from physical therapy?"
Ashley sighed. "She's sad and I can tell she misses him, but she won't admit it. I was really hoping that she would try to stay in contact with him. I think the two of them were good for each other, but every time I bring up his name, she changes the subject."
"She does the same thing with me when I talk to her, and Jones is back to being detached and quiet. I think it's time the two of us take matters into our own hands."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Does she have any openings after her lunch break in the next couple of weeks?"
Ashley pulled the laptop closer to her and clicked on the schedule. "Um, she has a cancellation at 12:00 on Thursday, so she doesn't have another appointment that day until 1:00."
"Perfect!" Ruby said. "I have Jones scheduled for 10:00 that day. I'll call and ask her to meet me here at 11:00 for lunch, just when he's finishing up. If things work out the way I hope they do, they'll be able to have some time to spend together."
"That sounds like a great plan, Ruby!" Ashley exclaimed. "I really hope it works because I'd like to see a genuine smile on her face again, like the one she had while she was treating him."
"You and me both. Thanks for the info, Ashley. Let 'Operation Help Emma Get Her Man' commence!"
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On Thursday, Emma went into her office after her last morning appointment to grab her purse. While she was there, she checked her reflection in the mirror. Taking out her tube of concealer, she dabbed some under her eyes, blended it in, then reapplied her blush and lipstick. She hadn't been sleeping well the last couple of weeks, and it was beginning to show. If she went to meet Ruby with those dark circles set against her pale skin, she'd have to listen again as her friend told her to 'just call Killian Jones already'.
She really did miss him and wished to see him again, but she was torn. She was afraid that getting his phone number out of his file would verge on being unethical. He wasn't her patient any more, but that number was given confidentially, as was all the other information in there. She could ask David for it, but that would only serve to fuel Mary Margaret's efforts to get the two of them together.
In addition, she wasn't sure if she was ready to risk putting her heart out there again. In truth, she'd only really opened it to Neal when it came to dating, but after having it broken with her mom's death as well, she wasn't keen on experiencing that feeling again.
Emma sighed as she pulled her ponytail tighter. She wondered how much longer it would take until she stopped thinking about Killian Jones. She was pretty sure that it wouldn't be any time soon.
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When Emma arrived at the occupational therapy center, Ruby was working with someone, so she started walking over to the row of chairs to sit down and wait. Then with a shock, she recognized Ruby's patient. She couldn't mistake his thick, dark hair and slightly pointed ears, even from the back.
Ruby looked up and smiled at her colleague, "Hey Emma!"
Killian twisted around quickly. Emma's knees went weak at the smile that lit up his face when he saw her. "Swan," he breathed.
She tried not to let her voice waiver as she greeted both of them, never taking her eyes off of Killian.
"We're just about finished," Ruby told her. "Give me about ten more minutes."
"No problem," Emma responded. "The patient that I have right after lunch cancelled for today, so I've got a little extra time. Do you mind if I watch you work?"
"Not at all," Ruby answered, as Killian echoed with, "Go right ahead."
She sat down and watched Ruby assist him as he worked to put toothpaste on a toothbrush. Then she had him picking up coins with his prosthetic hand and putting them into a slot in a jar lid. Every so often, he would look over towards her and they would make eye contact. Each time it happened, she felt a shiver go down her spine.
She was impressed as she watched her former patient using his prosthesis. It wasn't easy for him and he was still clumsy with it, but he was persistent. As he performed his tasks over and over, she could see that he got better each time.
When Ruby announced the end of the session, Emma walked over to talk to them. Killian turned to her with a slight smile, but she could tell that he was wondering what she would say.
"Well, I don't know what I was expecting, but I'm very impressed with how well you're doing!" she said, and watched as his smile grew.
"I agree," Ruby threw in. "You're making great progress due to the hard work that you're putting in, Jones."
Killian ducked his head down as the tips of his ears turned red. Then he lifted his eyes to Emma's. Looking back on it later, he would say that he didn't know what got into him to make him do what he did next. He cleared his throat and asked, "Would you join me for lunch, Swan?"
She looked stunned as she sputtered, "I, well Ruby and I, we were planning to eat…"
"We can do that another time," her friend interrupted. "I've got a pile of paperwork that I need to work on, so I really need to stay here during my lunchtime anyway. I'll call out to have something delivered."
"Are you sure?" Emma asked, but her eyes were on the man in front of her, who had a hopeful look on his face.
"Absolutely! You two kids go on now and have a good time. Just make sure she gets back to work on time, Jones. I don't want her getting fired, then hanging around here all the time, making eyes at my patients."
"I don't make eyes," Emma protested.
"Whatever you say, darling. Now get going before you waste any more time."
Killian smiled his thanks at Ruby before turning to Emma once more . "Shall we?"
She nodded and could feel him place his hand on the small of her back, while she tried to ignore the fist pump that she could see Ruby doing.
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