This is it! Hope you guys like it.
Some of the lyrics of the song Start of Time by Gabrielle Aplin were used as the song Killian and Emma worked on together.
Killian's song was mine, I used some of his lines from Once Upon A Time. Had some help from the ladies on Discord.
Killian and Emma find their probationary period is perfect for them.
Some days they work at the park while watching Jolly play with other dogs or chasing after whatever new winged friend he has made.
Some days they spend at the studio which is perfect, but Emma has mentioned the space doesn't feel right for her to be there. So they move the piano around to be closer to a very comfy chair Emma has taken over. They alternate between the guitar and piano. The door is no longer closed because it feels suffocating. Killian figures, whatever the muse needs. There are days that they just talk about anything and everything, with Jolly happily laying on the floor with his tail thumping.
On one of those days they share their most painful memories. Emma tells him about her ex, Jefferson. His betrayal especially hurt because he was also her best friend and confidant. In one day she lost her friend and the man she loved. He stole her notebook filled with poems and published them under his name. She couldn't prove it was her work since he had the originals and she never backed them up on a computer.
Killian shares about his old lyricist. He blushes as he mentions they were in love, or so he thought. Her name was Milah and for years she had been his muse. Then one day she got a better offer and decided he wasn't enough.
For weeks they get to know each other and work on the song. Whenever they need some feedback they sing it to Jolly who is no help at all since he just wags his tail and licks their faces.
Liam decides to invite them out for dinner to celebrate their collaboration and share some good news. Emma and Killian urge Liam to ask Elsa to join them, who agrees right away since she is smitten with the older Jones brother.
The restaurant is a lovely Italian Rustic Bistro a couple of blocks from Killian's place. The couples are enjoying the last of their meals and are about to order some dessert when a ghost from Emma's past appears. Once she notices him, her face pales. Killian leans into her space. "Is everything alright, love?"
Her small smile doesn't make his concern fade. "Emma love, what's the problem?"
She fidgets in her seat. "Uhm," she whispered loud enough for his ears only, "Jefferson is here." She points at a man wearing a hat.
"I think you should confront him. He needs to know how much he hurt you," Killian says as his blazen blue eyes stare at the man. What kind of a man does that to someone? Only a man without honor.
Emma feels a jolt of confidence from Killian's belief in her. He has trusted her with his most intimate thoughts. She stands and straightens her back as she walks toward Jefferson. The man is mid sentence with the men at his table when she arrives. He instantly notices her, a smirk appearing on his face.
"Jefferson, may I have a word?" Emma asks.
He laughs as he turns to the other men at the table and raises an eyebrow. "I've been summoned, men."
The men laugh and jeer as he gets up and follows her to the bar.
"It's been a long time, so what can I do for you?" he asks, annoyed.
"I want you to be a man of honor and admit what you did." She purses her lips in determination.
He sighs dramatically as he looks around and when he is sure no one can hear him, he tells her "I didn't take anything that wasn't given to me freely, and I'm tired of you trying to play the victim card."
"I'm not a victim and you took advantage of me." She shakes her head. "All I want is for you to say the words."
Meanwhile, Killian is staring daggers at them while Liam and Elsa are lost in conversation. Killian suddenly stands up and walks towards them.
"I'm not saying anything, and you can't make me." He sounded like a petulant child.
Once Killian reaches them, he can tell Emma is irritated. "Jeff, I'm not asking for a big deal. Just admit what you did!" She was close to punching his face. Then she felt a warm hand on her back, soothing her.
Jefferson had noticed her change in stance. "Who the hell are you? He's a little old for you, Ems."
"Mate, it's bad form to speak to a lady that way," Killian hissed.
"Whatever, I'm done with this." He was about to walk away from them and Killian snapped. This man, this fool had hurt Emma and he had gotten away with it for too long. Just as he was going to reach out to grab him, smaller hands than his beat him to it. Emma had grabbed on to him and as Jefferson turned, she punched him.
Jefferson lost his balance and fell to the floor. Before he could react, Killian grabbed Emma by the hand and fled the restaurant. Once outside he texted his brother and apologized. Besides, his brother needed some alone time with Elsa to properly woo her.
Emma was giggling as they made their way to Killian's apartment.
"Love, you were bloody amazing," Killian said. "Though you deprived me of a dashing rescue."
Emma rolls her eyes. "No one saves me but me."
The pair arrive at Killian's apartment.
"I'm sorry I caused a scene, Killian. Your brother must hate me now," Emma said nervously.
"Love, he will be fine and they needed that little nudge." Killian smiles.
Emma gasps, "We didn't even hear the good news! Liam was so excited."
"Don't worry, love. I'm sure it can wait," Killian soothes her.
Emma smiles. "It did feel good punching him."
Killian scratches behind his ear. "Would you like to come up for a night cap?"
Emma nods. "Yeah, that would be nice."
The moment the door closes behind Killian, their lips connect, a desperate pull needing to be quenched fills them. They barely make it to Killian's room.
Jolly whines due to the lack of attention his way. His tail quickly stops wagging and he goes to his doggy bed.
The next morning, Emma wakes up to big puppy eyes staring at her. She is startled at first. Jolly, oh yes, she spent the night with Killian. Well, she now understands the appeal of an older man. She blushes as she covers her face with the blanket. It had been an experience to say the least. Jolly whines to get her attention.
"Didn't your daddy take you on your walk?"
She looks around the room and finds her clothes folded neatly on a corner table. There are also some sweat pants and a well worn Scoundrels t-shirt. She opts for the sweats and a t-shirt. Finally dressed, she finds her way to the kitchen. A pot of coffee is ready and waiting for her. She grabs a cup and as she pours the hot drink, she notices a note on the table.
Love, I took Jolly out for his walk. I didn't want to wake you. You needed your rest after last night. Don't let him trick you into taking him out again. There's also some breakfast for you in the oven. If you need me, I'm in the studio.
Killian
She grabs a plate of food and eats. Jolly sneaks up on her and puts his head on her lap. "I don't think your dad wants me to feed you bacon."
He barks and wags his tail. He nudges her.
"Okay, only one." She gives him a piece of bacon and he grabs it and goes to sit on the floor. The crunchiness of the bacon is heard throughout the kitchen. Emma nervously looks around. She felt too comfortable in Killian's home and clothes. Maybe she should finally take the dreaded walk of shame and go home. She makes her way to the studio and she stops in her tracks. Killian is singing a song, but not their song. A new one. She strains her ears to hear better, but she made the mistake of making her presence known. His attention is immediately drawn her. The reddened tips of his ears go unnoticed thanks to the baseball cap he is wearing.
She smiles awkwardly. "Hi, I just wanted to say thank you for the clothes." She pulls on the old shirt a bit. I'll return them after I wash them."
He smiles. "You don't need to. You can keep them. It was the smallest thing I could find to fit you."
"Thanks. It still will be the walk of shame. My sister is going to kill me. I don't ever stay out all night."
"I'm sorry. Did you need a ride or-?"
"No, I will be okay. Did you find out about Liam's big news?"
"Oh, yes. Liam heard from an old acquaintance. A reporter, Sidney Glass, has a new show called The Mirror and he wants us to perform. Liam thinks it's a good place to showcase our new song." He doesn't meet her eyes in fear she will know he isn't telling her the complete truth.
She smiled, she liked the sound of our too much. "I guess I better go home before MM has a heart attack."
"Alright, I will call you with the details of the show." He scratched behind his ear. He felt like a bloody teenager. How was it possible he had fallen so fast?
Emma arrives home. She hoped MM had spent the night at David's or anywhere else, really. Just as long as she wasn't going to be lectured. Had she lost her phone because it was nowhere in sight? Maybe she had forgotten it at Killian's because the last time she had it, they had been distracted by other stuff.
"And where have you been all night, missy?"
"I uh-" Emma bites her bottom lip, "spentthenightatKillian's." She walks past her sister.
"Wait!" MM shrieked, "You spent the night with Killian? As in you slept with Killian Jones?"
"MM, don't make it a big deal. This is not my first one night stand and I felt good."
"No, it's not but I know you like him. Like really like him. Emma, sweetie, just make sure he is passionate about you. Don't get me wrong, I love Killian Jones and The Scoundrels, but if he hurts you I would hunt him down."
"Yes, I like him, okay but I'm not in love with him. We're just working together. Business, that's all. Besides, how do you know if someone is passionate?"
"You can see it in their eyes and feel it in their touch."
The next day after walking Jolly, Killian hands her phone as he tells her about the details for the show.
The show will tape early in the morning and air that night. Emma shared her good news with MM, who volunteered to go with her. Emma has a feeling she just wants to give Killian the what are your intentions speech. It is too soon, isn't it?
At the taping of the show, Emma and Killian arrive together. Killian is whisked away by makeup and Liam is hot on his trail. Emma is directed to the green room to wait for Killian. While waiting for him, she receives a text from MM. She's already sitting in the audience.
Killian and Liam arrive at the green room. The other guest appears to be running late.
"Killian, my sister is already sitting in the audience. I was gonna go sit with her."
"Oh, your sister is here?" His ears turn a light pink. Liam clears his throat. "Emma, I can walk you out there. We were going to have you sit in the backstage area, but the audience will be fine. We can move you to the front row. Both you and your sister, of course."
Killian turns to Liam and gives him a confused look. Liam's lips mouth, "better this way."
Emma simply nods and turns to Killian. Without thinking, she gives him a chaste kiss on the lips.
Once Emma and Liam are out of the room, Killian's nerves flood him. Is he moving too fast?
The door opens and Jefferson Hatter enters. Once their eyes meet the recognition is unavoidable. The dislike between the men is instantaneous.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Killian growled. The thought of Emma seeing Jefferson could ruin his plans.
"What do you think I'm doing here? I'm a guest."
Killian's face paled, his plans were ruined for sure.
"So where's Emma?" Jefferson gets in Killian's space. "I don't blame you, she is a nice piece-of-ass."
Killian pushes him away. "Don't speak of her that way."
Jefferson leans against the wall as he observes Killian.
"Don't get me wrong, she was a good lay, but her poems were worth more." Jefferson shrugs.
"You're a bloody coward!" Killian's voice rises as he nears the other man. "She is a marvel. You were so lucky to be in her life but you stole her work for yourself. And when confronted, you couldn't be a man and admit you had wronged her."
Jefferson glares at Killian. "Wait, I knew you looked familiar! You were in The Scoundrels. You're a rock star! Come on man, you can do better."
There was a knock on the door, then the door opened. "Mr. Jones, we're ready for you."
"After you, lass," Killian said in an attempt to keep things professional.
Jefferson sat down to wait for his turn. He had been surprised when he received the call from the producer of the show. He hadn't written anything to the caliber of Scribbles of a Mad Hatter. Sure, he hadn't exactly written his best seller, but no one knew that. The reviews of his works after the breakthrough book had been average at best. He was just an okay writer. His new book had come out a month before but it wasn't doing as well, and his book signing tour to promote the book was delayed. So when the producer told him the show was for promoting new works, he was eager and jumped at the last minute invite to the show.
Minutes later the same woman came to get him. "Mr. Hatter, we're ready for you. Please, follow me." He followed the woman. If things went well, maybe he'd ask her out to celebrate. He entered the studio and found it was well lit and the host stood up to greet him. Killian Jones was sitting in the chair next to the empty one awaiting him.
Killian had a smile on his face as he glanced in Emma's direction. She looked relaxed. The one with the scowl was her sister MM. Her older sister stared daggers at the man entering the studio.
Backstage, Liam stood with a big smile. The producer grinned at him as her shoulder bumped into his. Jasmine had jumped at the chance to help out the Jones brothers. They had introduced her to her husband Al. The good thing was that her boss Sidney loved a good expose. Liam had briefed her on the writer's less than ethical actions to Killian's lady friend. So when the men had gone through makeup and they had been set up with the mics, they weren't told the mics were on and there was a video camera in the green room.
Sidney did his job to flatter and inflate Jefferson's ego.
Emma felt MM's eyes on her. Her sister kept a close eye on her to make sure she was okay. Sure it still bothered her that he didn't admit what he did, but this was about Killian and their work together. While being interviewed, Killian had been a bit vague with his answers. He mentioned the collaboration with a new muse while his elf ears tinted. Sidney didn't push for more, but just asked if he would be willing to sing the new song for his audience and Killian accepted with a bright smile.
The interview finished with the plug for Jefferson's new book followed by the studio getting darker and Killian being handed a guitar.
"And as promised, we will be back after the commercials with Killian Jones, lead singer of The Scoundrels with a new song written by him."
MM gasped, "Emma, I'm gonna kill him. How could he claim he wrote it alone?"
Before the song starts, Emma stands up to leave. She should have known it was too good to be true. She is trying to rush outside when the guitar's first riff starts and she freezes. That isn't their song. She pauses, it sounds faintly familiar and then she hears Killian's voice.
I was a heartbreaker trying to fill the void
I didn't care for the hearts I destroyed
I used to look at the world with disdain
My life had been filled with pain
I used to brood and mope
Until I met you, I found hope
From the start, you were an open book
One look is all it took
Meeting you wasn't in my wildest dreams
Love, we make quite the team
You make me want to be a part of something
But one thing is for sure, love, with you I have everything
I'm a fan of every part of you
The armor you wear so well
I could spend the rest of my life breaking down your walls
Since I fell under your spell
I'm no longer lost in the dark
Since your light ignited the spark
I promise to win your heart
And treasure every part
Meeting you wasn't in my wildest dreams
Love, we make quite the team
You make me want to be a part of something
But one thing is for sure, love, with you I have everything
Now that I know how you kiss
You are my bliss
I'll never stop fighting for us
Because it wasn't just a kiss
Meeting you wasn't in my wildest dreams
Love, we make quite the team
You make me want to be a part of something
But one thing is for sure, love, with you I have everything
Love, we make quite the team
With you I have everything
Her eyes filled with tears as she turned to run back to the stage. He was singing about her. Emma might not be a hopeless romantic like her sister but she knew this was a love declaration and if this didn't prove Killian Jones was passionate about her, nothing will.
She rushed to the stage and almost tackled him to the ground. His guitar barely escaped her assault.
The crowd cheered them on.
In private, she told him that they did make a great team and that she felt the same.
Later that day, an anonymous video with audio was leaked on the internet exposing Jefferson Hatter's theft of Emma's work.
Jefferson denied it but with the audio and video out there, he could not talk his way out of it. His reputation was ruined.
Months later, Killian and The Scoundrels perform at MM and David's wedding as promised. Emma and Killian perform their number one hit song and much to the delight of the people gathered, announce their own upcoming nuptials.