Killian had been taking Emma in for treatments on her shoulder for about three weeks, but today was the first day she'd stayed to treat two of her own patients. There was a sense of deja vu for him when he looked into the large physical therapy room and saw her taking the ice off of the ankle of a female soldier. He couldn't help but think about how much things had changed for him since the day he'd first laid eyes on the beautiful blonde therapist.

"Hi Killian," Ashley said, stepping through the doorway. "Emma's just finishing up. She'll be ready to go soon."

"Thanks. Did everything go okay?"

The assistant had been able to tell how worried Killian was when he dropped Emma off three hours earlier. He usually waited while his girlfriend got her treatment, but she insisted that she would be fine if he left today, since she had to be there all morning.

"Everything went well! Kelly is very pleased with Emma's progress, and I can tell that Emma is happy to be working again, even if it's only for a few hours a week."

"I hope the bright lights in here aren't going to bother her. We try to keep them dimmed at our house."

Ashley smiled at the reminder that Killian was now living with Emma. She was thrilled to hear that news when her friend told her a couple of weeks ago.

"She said she felt fine - not a trace of a headache." She could see Killian visibly relax.

"Nope, not a trace," Emma stated, as she entered the lobby. She moved directly toward her boyfriend to give him a peck on the lips. "Missed you."

"I missed you too, Love. Ashley says things went well?"

"Yeah, they really did." Turning toward her assistant, she asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to take care of updating the paperwork?"

"I've got it. I don't want you to take on too much all at once and cause yourself to have a setback."

Killian was relieved to hear that Ashley was looking out for Emma, too. He hadn't really doubted she would, but knowing she was willing to take on some extra work to ensure it, put his mind more at ease.

"Thanks, Ash. We'll see you Wednesday!" Emma called out, sliding her arm around Killian's waist as they left.

"Where did you go while I was working?" she asked, as she settled into the truck and reached for her seatbelt.

Killian scratched behind his ear and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, before starting the truck. Emma recognized his actions, and wondered what was making him uncomfortable.

"I, uh, sort of...went to a couple of car dealerships."

"Are you thinking of trading in your truck? I thought you really liked it."

"I do. I wasn't looking for myself, I was, um...looking for something for you." He took his eyes off the road for a second to see her reaction.

"Oh." She dropped her gaze to her lap and fiddled with her smart watch.

"It's just, I know you love your bug, and I don't think you should get rid of it, but it's not very...practical. Or safe."

"We don't have enough room to keep three vehicles, Babe."

"I know. I thought we could put it in storage, or maybe...keep it at your Dad's. Would he have room for it?"

"He's got a big barn. We used to have parties in it when I was a teenager, but it's not used very much anymore."

"Do you think he would mind keeping it for you?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't. August would probably be willing to take it out and drive it from time to time, too."

"Would you be interested in looking at some other cars, then?"

"What made you decide to go car shopping for me?"

He brought his truck to a stop at a red light, and looked over at her. "I know your car has a special place in your heart, but I worry about its reliability. I was also wondering if it would be easier for you to drive one that has an automatic transmission and power steering."

She nodded her understanding. The doctor had given her clearance to drive a couple of weeks prior, but Killian still insisted on driving her where she needed to go. He never really told her why, but now she knew it was because he was afraid operating her car would put a strain on her shoulder.

"Did you find anything?" She motioned to the light, which had turned green.

"There were a couple that I think you may be interested in seeing, so I took pictures of them. You can pull them up on my phone." As she picked up the device and unlocked it, he added, "I'll look them up on the dealership's website when we get home. Tonight when Mary Margaret and Dave come over, maybe he can help us do a search for some other options, like he did for me."

Killian pulled his truck into their driveway and cut the engine. He looked over at his girlfriend, who was still scrolling through the pictures on his phone. "What do you think?"

"I like the looks of the dark red one. I think I would want a four-door, and the leather seats are nice."

"They're heated and cooled," he told her. "Plus it's got a heated steering wheel."

"Oh wow! I didn't even know there were options like that!"

"Well, when you're basically driving a Flintstones car, I guess you wouldn't know things like that have been invented!" he told her with a smirk.

She reached over and smacked him on the arm. "Watch it, Buster! Nobody makes fun of my bug and gets away with it!"

Killian feigned injury. "Ouch! Will you forgive me if I tell you that I bought your favorite lunch?" he asked, reaching behind the seat to pull out a paper sack.

"I thought I smelled onion rings!" she said, noting the logo of their favorite diner on the bag. "You really know the way to win my heart, don't you?"

"Ah, now the truth is revealed - you only love me because I keep you fed!"

She laughed and kissed him. "You figured me out, Babe!"

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Four days later, Emma noticed that Killian was acting strangely. He barely spoke to her all morning, chose not to go along with her when she took Evie for a walk, and didn't eat any lunch.

She didn't know what was wrong, but decided maybe he just needed some time to himself. Later in the afternoon, when she was coming out of the bathroom, she saw him sitting on the bed in the spare room, looking at the two pictures of his family.

"Babe? What's wrong?" she asked, walking in and taking a seat beside him.

He blew out a heavy sigh and finally looked at her. "It's been ten years. Ten years ago today, actually."

Realization dawned on her. "Since...since Liam died?" she asked, hesitantly.

He nodded. "I miss him, Swan. He was...he was the best brother. Except when he called me 'little brother', that is." He let out a small laugh. "I always told him it was 'younger brother', but he never listened. He was a stubborn arse," he said, his voice cracking a bit.

"Tell me more about him, Killian." She arranged herself against the headboard, then encouraged him to lay his head in her lap, stroking his dark hair as he shared memories of Liam.

Finally, he seemed to reach a stopping point, and looked up at her with a weak smile on his face. "Thank you, Emma. I...I'm sorry for being so moody today."

"Killian, we're in a relationship," she said softly, tenderly running her fingers along his cheeks. "That means when something is bothering you, you come to me, and you lean on me and you trust me. We can't hide things from each other. I haven't been in a long-term relationship before, but I don't think that's how it's supposed to work. I love you, and I'm here for you whenever and however you need me."

He sat up, then knelt on the bed in front of her. "And I for you. I won't pull away from you again. I'm just so used to having to handle this by myself, that I didn't think...I'm sorry. I do trust you, Emma. Please be patient. I'll figure this relationship stuff out, eventually."

"How about we figure it out together?"

"Aye, together. I like the sound of that."

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The District Attorney's Victim's Services Officer kept Emma updated on the case against Milah. In the weeks following the attack, there had been a bond hearing and a preliminary hearing, and the Grand Jury had handed down an indictment charging her with Criminal Mischief, Breaking and Entering, Stalking, Felony Assault, Burglary-one and Attempted Murder.

She hadn't been able to make bail, so she was still in jail awaiting her trial, which was a huge relief to both Emma and Killian.

Two months after the attack, the District Attorney herself called and asked Emma to come into her office for a meeting. They scheduled it in the afternoon, on a day when Emma only worked in the morning, and Killian would be available to go with her.

When they entered the office, the couple could tell immediately that the attorney was a no-nonsense type of person.

"Dr. Swan, I'm Regina Mills," she said crisply, offering her hand.

"It's nice to meet you. This is my boyfriend, Killian Jones." He reached forward to shake the lawyer's hand, as well. Regina gestured to the chairs in front of her desk.

"First of all, I wanted to give you the results of the psychiatric evaluation that was requested for Ms. Gold. She's been found to have Narcissistic Personality Disorder."

"What exactly does that mean?" Emma asked. "I mean, I have a pretty good idea just from the name of it, but could you please elaborate?"

Regina picked up a sheet of paper and read, "People with this disorder feel self-important, have an excessive need for admiration and take advantage of other people. They act with little or no regard for other people's feelings, and they can react with narcissistic rage when their self-worth has been threatened, which can lead to violent attacks or even murder."

Killian let out a low whistle. "I'd say they hit the nail right on the head with that diagnosis."

"Does that mean that she can't stand trial?" Emma worried.

"This isn't a diagnosis that would allow them to say she's insane. She's competent to stand trial. Unfortunately, the defense would have to submit that report, and since it would hurt Ms. Gold's case, I'm sure they won't."

Emma and Killian exchanged glances, and he shrugged his shoulders slightly.

The attorney looked at him. "You used to be in a relationship with her, am I correct?"

He nodded, dropping his eyes to the floor. "Yes, ma'am."

"Please call me Regina. Am I also correct in saying that she broke it off with you?"

"Yes, she did."

"I see. Well, Ms. Gold's defense attorney contacted me," she stated. "He offered a plea bargain. She'll agree to plead guilty to Felony Assault if the rest of the charges are dropped. If we agree to it, she will be sentenced for twenty years, and there will be no need for a trial."

Emma and Killian shared a look before Emma asked "What happens if we don't take the deal?"

"They might offer something else, but if you want my opinion, I think she should stand trial. The evidence in this case is quite solid. The police caught her in the act of going after you with a knife. We have strong witnesses, including the police officers, the ER doctor, your neighbor, and of course, yourself. You are a respected Physical Therapist whose practice has been put on hold for weeks as you recover from your injuries."

"What would the sentence be if she's found guilty on all the charges?" Killian asked.

"Burglary-one is going to be enough to get her a life sentence since she took Dr. Swan's own knife and used it to injure her severely. The charges of attempted murder and felony assault are included with it; they're all a part of the same attack. She may get additional years on top of that for the stalking charge, which means she shouldn't be eligible for parole for twenty years. However, I would propose that we drop the charge of Criminal Mischief since we don't have a lot of evidence that she actually drove the nail into your truck tire, and I also think we should drop the Breaking and Entering charge. They might confuse the jury and distract from the more serious charges."

Killian and Emma shared another look.

Regina added, "Take some time to discuss it. You can get back to me in a day or two." She stood from her chair.

"I don't need time," Emma blurted. "I want her to be put away as long as possible."

"Swan, are you sure? You're going to have to take the witness stand and give a complete account of what she did to you, and she'll be sitting right there."

"I can do that, Killian!" she said firmly. "I never want her to have another chance to hurt us again!"

Her determination made Killian fall in love with her just a little bit more.

"I'll let them know that we aren't accepting their plea bargain," the attorney stated. "We'll be in contact with you about the trial date and our plan for the case."

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As the trial drew closer, Killian grew more and more worried about his girlfriend. She was distracted and fidgety, and often he would catch her staring off into space in the middle of a conversation, while she subconsciously traced the angry looking scar that remained from the slash on her forearm.

Regina Mills was working with both of them to prepare them for their time on the witness stand, but Killian didn't think that any amount of preparation would be enough for the feelings Emma was going to have when she faced Milah and recounted details of the attack.

The first day was the selection of the jury, which didn't require them to be present. Regina called them late that afternoon, telling them the jury had been chosen, and to be available to testify during the next several days.

Emma barely touched her dinner that evening and kept wandering around the house, unable to sit still. Her boyfriend suggested taking Evie to the dog park, but even though they played with the little dog until she was too tired to fetch her toy anymore, Emma was still unsettled when they got back to the house.

Halfway through an episode of "Parks and Recreation" on Netflix, Killian flicked off the TV.

"Why did you do that?" Emma questioned.

"Were you watching it?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, tell me one thing that happened."

"They, um, well Leslie went...I mean Ron…"

Killian pulled her into his lap and kissed her forehead. "Sweetheart, you don't have to pretend that you're not nervous about the trial. I know it's bothering you."

Emma sighed and put her head on his shoulder. She ran her hand over his prosthetic, a habit that she'd developed as they sat together each evening. When she'd first started doing it, he had felt self-conscious and tried to pull away, but she'd made it clear that she was a fan of every part of him.

"Remember what Regina said - you have at least two days before you have to testify. Tomorrow, each counsel will give their opening statements, and then they'll start calling some witnesses. Gwen King will be one of the first ones, and the police officers, paramedics, and Dr. Whale will all testify sometime in the next two days, whenever it works with their schedules. Regina has your dad and brother lined up, and I'll have to take the stand, too. You might not get called for two or three days."

"I wish I could just get it over with," she murmured, lightly pulling on the lever that caused the hook to split apart. He watched her, in awe of the fact that she was so comfortable with his handicap.

"It should all be over by the end of the week, and then we can move on with our lives without ever having to think about Milah again."

She sat up and looked into his face. "What if she's acquitted?"

"Regina would never let that happen, Love. She's a bulldog, and all the evidence and the witnesses are on your side. Regina said that the defense hasn't subpoenaed any witnesses, so they probably couldn't even find anyone to be a character witness. Milah doesn't stand a chance. No jury in the world would acquit her."

"I hope you're right," she whispered, laying her head back down.

"I am. Trust me."

"I do."

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Late that night, Emma thrashed around in bed, then sat straight up. "No! Evie!"

Killian bolted upright at the sound of Emma's scream. She had been restless the last few nights, but this was the first nightmare she'd had for several weeks.

Very quietly and gently he said, "Emma, love, wake up. It's not real, it's only a dream. You're safe, I'm here with you, and Evie is fine. She's sitting right by the bed." He could feel the muscles in her back beginning to relax. He kept talking and massaging her until she finally blinked and looked at him with clear eyes.

He'd learned that he had to talk softly and rub her back and arms to bring her out of the bad dream slowly. Using a loud voice or trying to jostle her awake only served to frighten her more.

She knew that Killian would brush away an apology if she made one, so she didn't. "Thank you. It was...so real."

"Do you want to talk about it, or do you want me to distract you from it?"

She turned to look at him with a sly little smile. "Oh, I definitely choose a distraction."

He grinned and slid his hand up inside her T-shirt to fondle her breast. "As you wish," he said, before fusing his lips to hers.

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Killian took the stand on the third day of the trial. Before heading to the courthouse, he dropped Emma off at the clinic. She figured that since she couldn't be in the courtroom until after he'd finished testifying, she might as well go in for one of her final therapy sessions with Kelly, and work with some patients herself. She was hoping it would help take her mind off of what was happening in that courtroom.

He was asked questions about his relationship with Emma, and how she had reacted to the attack. He explained that he stayed with Emma to meet the doctor's recommendation, since her family lived too far away to help her for an extended length of time. He could feel Milah's glare on him the entire time as he shared how her injuries had hindered her everyday life, and how nightmares and pain interrupted her sleep for weeks. He also described her fear of answering the front door, and made it clear that it was because of the attack.

When it was the defense attorney's turn, he tried to bring out Killian's bias toward Emma in a subtle way, hoping to make it seem like Killian was exaggerating. Killian remained calm as he patiently answered the man's questions, and it was apparent that this frustrated the lawyer. Finally, he said that he was finished with the witness and sat back down at his table.

When Killian took a quick look at Milah, he could tell that she was infuriated. As he left the stand after he was dismissed, he heard her hiss, "Why didn't you ask how she brainwashed him?" He saw the attorney pull his arm out of her grasp and brush off the sleeve of his suit.

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Emma was scheduled to testify the next day, and she was very glad that Killian could be there with her. He could tell how anxious she was as she sat beside him, waiting to be called. She gripped his hand tightly and kept taking deep breaths, while he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and shared reassuring smiles until the judge entered the courtroom.

Regina had outlined all the questions she would be asking Emma, and he knew all she had to do was tell the truth, but he was worried about what kind of impact facing Milah would have on her. When Regina called her to the stand, he lifted her hand to give it a quick kiss before she shakily got to her feet.

After Emma took the oath and was seated in the witness box, he saw her lift her eyes to look at Milah. Then she straightened her back and turned to Regina, awaiting her first question.

Killian had never been more proud of anyone in his entire life. The longer she was on the stand, the more confident she became. She testified for well over two hours as Regina worked hard to establish Emma's credibility, and brought out important details about her relationship with Killian. The attorney also made sure to ask questions about how Milah had acted toward Emma when she met her at the medal ceremony, and about the times that Emma saw evidence of Milah following or spying on her and Killian. As she recounted all the details of the attack, she often looked directly at the person sitting at the defense table, but her voice never waivered. Regina finished with her questions, and the defense attorney was given the chance to cross-examine.

The man's strategy must have been to try to discredit Emma, but he wasn't able to shake her testimony, as she answered all of his questions with poise and certainty. After a while, he began to fumble and stammer as he looked through his notes, before announcing to the judge that he had no further questions.

She stepped from the stand and strode straight past the defense table without even glancing Milah's direction. It was all Killian could do not to grab her and kiss her when she took her seat beside him.

Regina had told them that the defense probably wouldn't chance putting Milah on the stand for fear she would damage her own case, so when the prosecution rested, they weren't surprised when her attorney announced that he had no witnesses.

The judge told everyone there would be an extended lunch recess, and that closing arguments would begin when they resumed. As soon as he pounded his gavel, Killian pulled Emma into a tight hug, told her how proud he was, and kissed her.

When he pulled away, his eyes were drawn to the doorway in the corner of the courtroom. Milah was staring at them with a look of absolute fury on her face, while being led through the door in handcuffs.

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Regina's closing argument was extremely well-done and hopefully very effective. Killian couldn't help but think that if he was sitting in the jury box, he'd be persuaded by it to find Milah guilty, even if he originally thought she was innocent.

The remarks made by the defense attorney were a different story. The man was grasping at straws as he suggested that Milah had only gone to Emma's house to talk to her, and that Emma had initiated the attack, causing his client to fight back in self-defense.

When he said that, Killian sat forward in his seat and squeezed Emma's hand like a vice, while his jaw ticked in anger. She reached over with her other hand and ran it soothingly over his forearm. "Look at the people in the jury," she leaned in to whisper. "They're not buying it."

He did as she'd said and realized that she was right. Several of the jurors wore angry or disbelieving expressions on their faces. He relaxed back into his seat.

Following the defense's closing remarks, Regina once again stood up to deliver her final summation. She reminded the jury of what the testimony and evidence showed, and urged them to find the defendant guilty on all charges.

After the lawyers wrapped up, the judge gave the jury more instructions, told them that they would begin deliberations the next morning, and dismissed them. Then he adjourned court for the day.

Regina walked back to talk to the couple. "I don't anticipate that they will deliberate very long before they reach a verdict, so I'd recommend coming to the courthouse tomorrow around noon. I'm assuming that you do want to be here to hear it. "

"Absolutely," Emma said firmly.

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When they got into Killian's truck, he turned to her and asked, "How would you like to go pick up your new car?"

A wide smile stretched across her face. "Really? I thought we weren't gonna do that until this weekend!"

"I called the salesman while you were in the restroom at lunchtime, since it didn't look like we'd be in court the entire afternoon. They've got the paperwork ready. All you have to do is sign it, and the car is yours!"

They'd researched many more cars with David, but Emma kept going back to the dark red one Killian found at the local dealership. They had gone in for a test drive the previous week and she'd loved it, but with the trial taking all their attention, they decided to put it on the back burner for awhile.

Killian grinned as Emma practically bounced in her seat the whole way to the car lot. He hoped that by arranging the final purchase of the car, he'd be able to help take her mind off of the trial for awhile.

As promised, the salesman had everything in order when they arrived, and within thirty minutes, Emma was driving her dark red, four door sedan with gray leather seats home.

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When they got up the next morning, they showered and dressed, then ate a late breakfast and puttered around the house until just before noon. Then Killian drove them to the courthouse in Emma's new car, since she was too anxious to drive it herself. When they arrived, they were shown to a small room to wait. Emma grew more nervous as time passed, afraid that one or more of the jurors was not convinced of Milah's guilt.

Finally, around two o'clock in the afternoon, there was a knock on the door, and the Victim's Services Officer poked her head in to inform them that the jury had reached a verdict. "When they announce their decision, try not to react verbally," she instructed. Emma and Killian nodded, then followed her into the courtroom.

Milah and her lawyer were already seated at their table. She saw Killian walk in and tried to get his attention by waving and smiling. He could see her out of the corner of his eye, but didn't give her the satisfaction of looking at her directly.

Five minutes later, the jury members took their places, the command was given for all to rise, then the judge entered the room. After everyone was seated, he asked the jury if they'd reached a decision and the foreman stated that they had.

The judge took the paper that was given to him, read it, then handed it to the bailiff, who gave it back to the jury foreman. The judge ordered Milah to stand, and the foreman began to read the verdict aloud. Each charge was read, and was followed by the word 'guilty'. With each pronouncement, Emma gripped Killian's hand more tightly and inched closer to the edge of her seat.

The judge polled the jury to be sure that they all agreed with the verdict, then he announced that Milah would be detained in prison awaiting sentencing, and she was ushered out the door with a look of shock on her face. The judge thanked the jury, before he closed the proceedings.

Everyone stood to their feet. Emma turned to Killian who wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of the floor. She let out a squeal then kissed him soundly. He lowered her back down to the ground and they shared a smile, before they heard someone behind them clearing their throat.

When they turned around, Regina stood there with a rare smile on her face. "Congratulations," she said, offering her hand to Emma. "I'll call you when they set a date for the sentencing."

"Thank you for everything, Regina," Emma said.

"You're welcome. Now, try to put this behind you and move forward. You won't have to worry about Milah Gold interrupting your lives again for a very, very long time."

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