This chapter is guaranteed to have your emotions running the gamut as you read it. Grab a tissue and let's go.
Chapter 14
Monday, Third Week in May
Early Morning
Killian stood under the flower bedecked arbor in front of all their friends and gazed out at the group of people who had come to share the day with him and the woman he couldn't wait to make his wife. They were an eclectic group, their friends; from the faculty they had become close with here at Harvard to the group of ragtag children they had met through Henry. They were surrounded by people who were happy to share the day that he and Emma had been moving toward for nearly two years.
As the music swelled, a set of double doors opened and Emma appeared in the back of the group. She was a vision of white, wearing a long flowing dress fit for a princess and floating ethereally to him as if her feet were no longer touching the ground. When she reached him and put her hand in his, he held it firmly, giving it a gentle squeeze as they turned toward the clergyman who opened his book and began to speak.
Killian smiled down at Emma and heard, "Emma and Killian have come before us this day," before hearing BAM BAM, in rapid succession. He turned toward the back of the room where a set of double doors had been so forcefully pushed open that they hit the walls with a sound that reverberated throughout. When Killian saw what the cause of the commotion was, his eyes immediately went to his Nemo, who was sitting in the front row, and lifted his brows in question. The shock on Nemo's face as Liam strode down the aisle was no less than the one on his own.
"Little brother," Liam bellowed, using the voice that he employed to get attention as a Captain in the Royal Navy. "Just what do you think you're doing marrying this twit?"
Killian looked over at Robin and with an unspoken message, they moved in front of Emma, providing a protective shield. "Leave us, Liam. You made it clear you would not support our marriage and as much as it pains me to choose, I'll not let you tear us apart."
"Pah, what do you know of love? She's just like Lily. If you allow it, she will break your heart." Liam had reached the front of the aisle and made to push Killian aside to get to Emma when Emma's friend, Elsa, stepped into his path and gently laid her hand onto his shoulder. She hadn't uttered a word, but with only her touch and Liam stopped, giving her his full attention.
Killian tried once again to reason with his brother because he really wanted them all to be a family. "Liam, she's nothing like Lily. We are both sorry you are hurting, but just like our mother chose our father over her family, I choose Emma. I'll not let you hurt her. If you know anything about me, you should know that, just as you do, I too will go to great lengths to protect those I love."
"Me… hurt her? Don't you know that I would never hurt you intentionally? I am just trying to protect you, just as I have done for as long as I can remember. She will bring you pain. That's what women like her do. She will crush your spirit and then she will crush your heart until you wake one day and feel that you are only a shell of yourself. That life has passed you by and that the only thing that is good and right in your life is your brother." His voice cracked and, quieting, he looked back at Elsa, but then it was as if another wave of anger took hold and he yelled again, "I will not allow it Killian, do you hear me? I will protect you if it's the last thing I ever do."
cs~cs~cs
Startling awake, Killian tossed off the blanket and sat up on the side of the bed, running his hands over his face and head before looking at the time. Only 3:00 a.m. but he knew there was no way he would get back to sleep with that nightmare running through his mind. Assuring himself Emma was still asleep, he padded into the small bathroom, shut the door and turned on the shower.
Killian stepped under the hot water and pressed both palms against the front tile, allowing the spray to stream down over his bent head and the back of his neck, hoping it would wash away some of the tension residing there. In here, alone with his thoughts, he could admit that the dream had scared the hell out of him. Liam, his own brother, taking extreme measures to ensure that he and Emma didn't get their happy ending. And now awake, he could think of several regrets that the dream brought to the front of his mind. In a way, he regretted taking the position with Nemo's company, because he was going to be forced to work closely with Liam, and if there was no changing Liam's mind, it would be difficult on all of them. He regretted even telling him about the wedding, because strife on their wedding day was not something that either of them wanted. But even with the difficulties that lie ahead of them, there was one thing that he could never regret and that was loving Emma Swan. He couldn't wait to make her his wife and was even more anxious to be her husband. Emma and Henry were his family and they were his priority. And after that nightmare he needed to decide what to do about the problem with Liam and to come up with a solution where all would be happy.
An overwhelming sadness came over him as the more he thought about it, the more he realized that with the things Liam had said and the steps he had taken to invade his and Emma's privacy meant there might be no going back. As the child who had followed his older brother around from a very young age, annoying him but always idolizing him, he ached with sadness. Liam's experience with the woman he loved taking his heart and squeezing the very life from it was not something that any human should have to endure. That treatment alone would be enough to cause a person to become bitter and look at love as something that caused pain and not joy. And then adding to that the entire situation with the child, the agony one would feel was on an entirely different level. But as much as he hurt for Liam, that didn't excuse the fact that it had been years, and not once had his brother come to him to explain where his pain was coming from. Not once had he turned to him for help, which was another big regret. Families were supposed to rely on one another in times of pain, much more so than in times of happiness.
Hearing the curtain slide back, he turned to see her standing there, the light highlighting the blonde hair that flowed around her head and down her back. She was gorgeous, his Emma, and he could have been strong, telling her he wasn't fit for company now, but bloody hell, he needed her.
She stood there in all her naked glory, allowing him to look his fill at her slim toned legs; softly flaring hips, trim waist and breasts that fit perfectly in his hands, the look on her face not vulnerable, but determined, as if she were on a mission and there was no way she would allow him to resist her. He could have played this several ways, but he did the only thing his heart would allow.
He held out his hand and when she took it, dragged her toward him, burying his hands in the wild tangles of her hair and lowering his mouth to hers in a kiss that threatened to consume both of them, wrapping them in a haze so tightly that it was impossible to see where one ended and the other began. He backed her against the shower wall, skimmed his hands down her sides, around her waist and using his lips, teeth, tongue and body showed how much he loved her, telling her she was his everything.
She encouraged him with her throaty groans, her open-mouth kisses and her possessive hands that skated over his shoulders, down his back, then lower to his hips, where she squeezed and urged him along with the rock of her hips against his. Her slick body rocking against his brought him higher and higher until there was no holding back. Everything that he was feeling at that moment in time came pouring out and without stopping, he lifted her higher against the wall so that her softness fit against his hardness and with one more thrust of his hips, he buried himself inside the warm, wet heat that was only her. The comfort he had been needing since he had opened his eyes following the nightmare, he had found. Home, with her he was home.
When he came back to himself, he had his face buried in her neck and her body pinned against the cold hard tile wall and immediately felt nothing but shame at his behavior. She didn't deserve to be treated any way but with love and respect. As he stood there calling himself every name in the book and trying to think of how to apologize for his behavior, he realized she was trying to get his attention.
"Killian, don't." She must have seen something in his eyes because she immediately continued, "Not that, you, big ninny! Don't feel ashamed. If you can't get your head out of your ass long enough to see that I was just as much involved in our lovemaking as you were than we DO have a problem.
Her words sent his heart soaring and giving her a cocky grin, he pushed his hips back against her where, even though he had just loved her like there was no tomorrow, her words were waking him all over again. "You liked it?" He asked, hoping that his initial thoughts were completely wrong.
"Duh. What's not to like?" She gave him a sexy smile. "It was hot, and yes please, I want to do it again and maybe even again, but first," she released her legs from around his waist, "you need to talk to me. What brought that on?" Her gaze pleaded with him to open up and let her in.
When he finally met her eyes, he allowed her to see what he was feeling, which was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. "Fair enough. But not here." Keeping their hands to themselves, they quickly finished their shower and turning off the water, Killian reached for a towel and dried his hair before securing it around his waist.
"And now you." He pulled one of Emma's towels off the warmer and wrapped it turban style around her head. Taking another off the warmer, he rubbed it over her body paying extra attention to any crevices he encountered.
"Watch it there, big boy," she quipped, "unless," her fingers roamed through his chest hair on their way to the tuck that was keeping his towel secure. "you have other things in mind."
She had just given him a way out if he really wasn't ready to talk, but a quick peek at his feelings made him realize that he wanted to tell her at least some of what he was feeling. Hanging up the towel, he wrapped her in her robe, tying the belt around her trim waist. "Maybe later, but now…" he left the thought hanging and, tossing the towel toward the shower rod, responded to her other comment. "I was just being thorough." She giggled and rolled her eyes at him as he opened the door to the bathroom, indicating she precede him. Before following, he picked up her wide tooth comb and after plumping the pillows against the headboard, tossed his towel onto the floor, settled on the bed and encouraged her to sit between his legs.
Once Emma was situated, Killian gently towel dried her hair, before tossing it on the floor and running the comb through her blonde locks. After the first pass through, she looked over her shoulder, giving him a look that spoke volumes. "Don't you think you've stalled long enough?"
He grinned at her, knowing it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's not pretty."
"Pain never is, my love. Talk to me."
She turned back and after a few more passes through her wet hair, he started talking. He told her about meeting with Liam and about Liam's Lily. He went on to explain that Lily had grown up in an orphanage in the United States and how after setting her sights on his brother, she had gotten her wish. She had married a man, who was both an officer and a gentleman, who had fallen in love and married her with the intentions of giving her the world. Sadly though, she'd had a different definition of forever, far from what the Jones brothers had grown up believing it to mean.
"She started life the same way that I did," Emma responded solemnly. "Did you share with Liam about my youth?"
Killian knew he needed to tread carefully with what came out of his mouth from here on out because he had no desire to hurt her, yet he wanted to share as much of the story as possible. Setting the comb on the bedside table, he pulled her more firmly against his chest, and pressed his jaw against the side of her head. "I never told Liam you were an orphan, Swan. I told him you were beautiful. I told him you were kind and caring. I told him you were from Boston and that after one look into your green eyes, I knew you were the woman I wanted to marry."
Emma snorted out a laugh, "I'm sure that went over well."
"Well considering that I hadn't even met you when I told him that, I thought it went over as well as could be expected. "
"What else, Killian? There has to be more to the story. I can hear that you are holding something back from me."
He sighed, "Aye, love, there is." Killian went on to tell her about Liam catching his then wife with several men after he had received the letter that told him she was pregnant. His heart broke again for his brother when he had to explain that the paternity tests had shown that the child had not been his and then, after everything, the child had not lived to see the light of day. The death certificate had listed cause of death as stillborn, but really what did that mean? It meant that Lily had not been given a reason as to why the babe had been born dead and all that was left were the parents who would have loved it, and now were only left to mourn.
Emma squeezed his thighs. "You know, in a way I understand a little bit more about Liam and his state of mind. I even understand why he feels he needs to protect you from being hurt, but I guess I don't understand why he wasn't willing to meet me. Why he wasn't willing to see us together and see how happy we are together before making up his mind?
Killian's chin dropped onto her shoulder. "That's very thoughtful of you, love. I'm not sure I could be so forgiving if it were one of your friends behaving in the manner as my brother. And as far as Liam jumping to conclusions before hearing the entire story, well," he cleared his throat not sure if he really wanted to admit the rest of what he was thinking, "we Jones men are a stubborn lot."
Emma hummed softly, "You may be stubborn, but I've never known you to be unreasonable. However," She grabbed his head and kissed it, "you've never felt pain over losing a woman, either. I guess we never know exactly how we would behave until we truly walk in another person's shoes."
"No, we never do." He mumbled.
"But Killian, even though I'm sorry to hear about all of this, I feel that it was something else that brought about that…" she waved her hand toward the bathroom.
"Aye, you're right." He sighed, not wanting to upset her too much. "It was a nightmare that caused the fear that led to that behavior."
She turned in his arms. "A nightmare? About me or about Liam?"
He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed, "Both really."
She leaned back and looked up at him. "Tell me?"
He rubbed his knuckles up and down her cheek while trying to decide how much he wanted to share about his dream. Needing to settle himself a little, he leaned in for a kiss and before it got out of hand, took a deep breath and began, "It was our wedding day, Emma, and we were so happy. And you…you looked so beautiful you nearly took my breath away. We were standing in front of the clergyman and just as he was ready to marry us, there was a loud sound in the back of the room and Liam burst through these doors and started ranting like a madman."
"Keep going," she whispered.
"He was running toward us and shouting and saying I couldn't marry you because you would break my heart. He wouldn't shut up. He just kept saying the same things over and over again."
"What were you doing? Trying to stop him?"
He shook his head slowly before continuing on with his story, "Aye. I moved in front of you to shield you from his behavior and, as always, Robin had my back."
"And Liam, did he keep coming up to where we were standing?" She asked quietly.
"No, that's the odd thing. He was stopped before he reached the front of the aisle." His voice trailed off into nothingness as he thought once again about the exchange between Elsa and his brother, two people who had never met and most likely never would. Yet, in his dream there had been a connection.
Emma didn't respond for a few minutes, but he could tell she was contemplating what he had said. "What was holding Liam back?" She finally asked him.
Killian turned her, so he could look into her eyes. "It was Elsa. She stopped him just by laying her hand on his shoulder." He gathered what he wanted to say and then continued, "Every few minutes he would look at her and for a split second there was a connection there, almost as if he loved her, but then something happened and the bitter Liam that I've come to expect the last few years was once again inhabiting his body. It's like he was a real-life Jekyll and Hyde."
Listening to Killian tell her about Liam and his nightmare and hearing the pain in his voice made her heart hurt. She knew he was trying to watch what he said because he wanted to protect her, but that's what she wanted to do for him. How could she help him? Holding his hand, a little tighter, she asked the question that she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to. "What happened then?"
"I don't know, Emma," he whispered brokenly. "I woke up and couldn't catch my breath, it hurt so much inside. The pain from the nightmare and from feeling as though Liam had betrayed me, but mostly from the void I was feeling. I don't know how to explain it, but when I woke up, I was convinced you were gone. Something or someone had taken you from me. I couldn't bear for that to happen."
Emma turned completely in his arms and pulled his face to hers. "Nothing can take me from you. I am yours and I will always be yours."
He kissed her tenderly, but didn't move far before whispering, "And I promise to always be where you need me and to never, ever say goodbye." He closed his eyes, wanting to say more but not knowing exactly how to put his thoughts into words. Finally, the words coalesced in his head, "And Emma, just know that if we were ever separated, I would go to the ends of the earth for you." After kissing her again, Killian knew what he wanted…no…what he needed to do. "Emma, will you marry me?"
She frowned at him. "Killian, you already asked me to marry you and I said yes, did you forget?"
"I meant today. Let's get Robin and drive to Atlantic City. We can be there in six hours or so, spend a night or two, and be home before graduation. Will you? Will you be my bride today?" He tried to contain his anxiety but something inside was telling him that this was the answer. This was the way to make her his wife and keep her from any potential harm that his brother, or anyone else, might have in store for them. Once they were married, then they would find a way to bridge the divide with Liam, together.
She stared at him for so long, he wasn't sure what she would say, but when she smiled and said yes, he grabbed her in a hug that said he never intended letting her go and peppered her face with kisses. "Can we leave within the hour? I'll text Robin."
Killian, it's 4:00 in the morning, and there's been a development in the Robin and Regina relationship that makes me wonder if he'll even want to go."
His eyebrows went up at hearing the news. "Oh? I knew he was taking her to dinner and wondered how it went. But," he sent her a cheeky grin, "when I returned from my trip I had other things on my mind."
He got out of bed and, taking his phone from his jacket pocket, said confidently as he sent a text, "He'll want to be there. He knows I would do the same for him." Moving back to the bed where she still sat, he leaned over and kissed her leisurely and very thoroughly. "Maybe if we hurry we can drive by our new apartment in New York City. Get a move on, Mrs. Jones." He pulled her to her feet and palmed her behind as she sashayed off to get dressed and pack. Once she was out of sight, he continued his conversation with Robin and pulled up places to get married and stay in Atlantic City. If luck stayed on their side, they would be married by sundown and he could spend the night loving her as he had never loved her before.
cs~cs~cs
They had been lucky that Robin had been sleeping alone in the apartment he still shared with Killian, although Killian was rarely there. Once Killian had taken him aside and briefly told him what had gone down with Liam, Robin, behaving as a best mate should, had grabbed a bag, tossed in a few clothes and climbed in the back seat only complaining about needing caffeine this bloody early in the morning.
"Quit your grousing, we'll get you some caffeine. Maybe it will put you in a better frame of mind." Killian drove into a Starbucks, ordered and parked while he handed out the offerings. "Robin, here is your caffè mocha and blueberry scone and plenty of napkins." And when he added, "Don't make a mess in my car." an eyeroll was his payment. Once he had handed Emma her hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon and a cinnamon morning bun, and kept his caramel macchiato and cranberry orange scone, they were on their way.
Driving out of the parking lot, Killian pushed the button for the classic rock station on the satellite radio and took a sip of his drink, ending up with a caramel and whipped cream mustache.
"Let me." Emma reached over and wiped her thumb across his lip before licking her thumb clean.
Swallowing hard, Killian watched the little minx tease him, knowing he was in a situation where he couldn't give her a dose of her own medicine. With difficulty, he pulled his eyes away from her mouth and back to the road, winding his way through the city streets until they were able to move onto the I-90 heading toward New York City via the George Washington Bridge. Once in the city, his plan was to detour by their new neighborhood, so he could show his future wife where they would be living once they had moved. From there they could easily pick up the Garden State Parkway on their way toward Atlantic City.
After they had finished their pastries and caffeine, Robin started to sing along with Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion as it played on the radio. When that song was followed by Journey's Don't Stop Believin', Killian took over and sang lead and Robin easily harmonized as if he had done it for years. As the singing continued with ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man, Emma laughed so hard at the way they competitively tried to outdo each other that she had tears running down her face. The next few songs didn't make them feel like singing and just before they changed stations, the opening bars to Somebody to Love started and before it was over, all three were singing in harmony.
When the station once again played a few songs that had Emma rolling her eyes and both Killian and Robin groaning, Emma pushed scan and let the dial slide along until she found one that she liked and hit the button again, stopping it. She had only sung a few lines to Train's Hey, Soul Sister when Killian changed the station.
"You have to be barmy to like that band, Swan. Their music is rubbish." He stopped the music on another rock station and tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel along with the beat.
"Oh, I don't know that it's rubbish, Killian." She ran her hand along his thigh. "I'm pretty sure if you were to sing one of their songs, you might get lucky."
He cut his eyes to her. "And which song would that be?"
"Hmm, I can think of a couple."
"Hey, I'm still here." Robin groused from the back. "Give a man a break."
"Sorry, Robin." Emma covered her mouth as a yawn snuck up on her.
Giving her a little grin, Killian squeezed her hand. "Tired, love?"
"A bit. Somebody woke me up really early." She yawned again.
"Hey, you two, I don't need to be privy to all the gory details." Robin handed Emma one of Killian's jackets that seemed to always be in the back seat. "Here, this should cushion your head if you want to have a sleep."
Emma smiled her thanks and took the jacket. "Don't let me sleep longer than an hour, okay?"
Killian nodded and hoped that hour would remove the dark patches under her eyes. "If you say so."
As she leaned her head on the jacket, she was surrounded by Killian's smell, and when Eric Clapton started singing Wonderful Tonight and Killian and Robin sang softly along with him, she drifted peacefully to sleep.
After several more songs had played, Robin leaned forward from the back seat and whispered, "She asleep?"
"Aye, she seems to be," Killian answered just as quietly with a quick glance at his future wife.
"Good." Robin met Killian's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Now, tell me about your visit with Liam. Was it bad?"
Meeting Robin's eyes, Killian tipped his chin slightly. "Aye, it was bad. Not only the real story about Lily, but what has happened to him since we last saw him." He winced as if retelling the story were physically painful. "Remember how Liam looked when he was in the Royal Navy?"
"All proper and polished?" laughed Robin.
"Precisely," Killian continued, "Now he's the exact opposite of proper and polished. He's as disheveled as a lorry after a hurricane."
This time it was Robin's turn to wince. "That's bad."
"Sadly. And the man he's become," he shook his head, "he scares me Robin. To think my own brother had the woman I love investigated and someone followed us taking pictures," he grunted, "it makes me want to punch some sense into him."
Robin was quiet for a while before simply saying, "I've got your back."
"I know you do and I," he smiled over Emma's way, "we appreciate it."
"You two talking about me behind my back?" Emma stretched in the seat as best as she could. "Can we stop at the next place, babe? I need to stretch my legs."
Killian pulled off the Pike at the next turnoff and they spent a few minutes walking around and enjoying the beauty of the sun as it peered over the horizon. Disappearing into the lady's room, Emma took the opportunity and splashed cold water on her face and brushed and braided her hair. Once she had tossed her brush in her purse, she smoothed lotion on her arms and hands and tossed the tube in her bag before walking out the door, right into the arms of her fiancé. "How did you know I would be the one walking out just now?" She squinted up at him.
"ESP?" He grinned before leaning in to take a sniff of her neck. "You smell good. Is that for my benefit?"
Humming in agreement, she leaned her head against his chest. "Maybe, but Killian," she tapped her finger against his chest, "aren't you going to allow Robin to drive for some of the trip?"
He gave her a pained look. "Emma, I love Robin like a brother, but he's not quite got the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road. I'd rather we get there in one piece."
"If you're sure," she finally said. "I just don't want you driving if you're too tired."
"Relax, Swan." He kissed her lightly and turned them back toward the parking lot. "I'll be fine, as will you and our best man. Come, we have a wedding to get to."
"And I can't wait." She took his hand as they walked the rest of the way to the car. "Robin, do you want to ride in front for a while? There's a little more leg room."
Killian gave her a long-suffering sigh. "He's not as nice to have in the front, Swan. I won't be able to hold your hand or put my hand on your leg if you're in the back."
She patted him on the chest. "You could let Robin drive and ride in the back with me."
"Hold up, you two." Robin pushed them apart. "I'm not playing the chauffeur while you two spend time doing who knows what in the back seat."
Emma grinned at him. "Missing Regina?" He blushed and smiled shyly, totally out of character for Robin. "I think it's about time you share the new development with us, don't you?"
"I swear, you two or worse than the couple of old biddies that lived next door to my mum and pop growing up," he groused at them. "Fine, get in and I'll talk."
As it turned out, Robin ended up in the back seat again, claiming he didn't need Killian mooning over Emma being so far away, so with him in the back he started his story.
"Well you know that I've been terribly patient waiting for an opportunity to be with her, right?" he asked, almost as if he were expecting a medal for his patience.
Emma looked over the seat at Robin. "Well, duh. I'm pretty sure every time I've seen you since January, you've made a comment or two or three or…"
"Exactly. But she wouldn't give me the time of day." He pretended to pout but his smile couldn't be contained for too long, which had been a long time coming.
"I'm not sure I remember it exactly that way," Emma told him, wryly expecting a witty response from the back seat.
When he was quiet for too long, she looked over her shoulder to see what he was doing and caught him staring at the screen on his phone with a decidedly smitten smile on his face. "Robin?" He glanced up but she wasn't sure if he saw her or not. "Go on."
Finally, he continued, "You know what I remember about that first day? She walked into class wearing a tight red dress and black heels and when she gazed out at the class with her dark eyes, I swear ever tiny head in the classroom stood up and took note except mine."
Emma snorted out a laugh, "TMI Robin. I don't need to know about your tiny head."
"Here here, mate. I don't think I care for the idea of Emma thinking about your tiny head either. But," he glanced over his shoulder, "I'm not believing yours didn't have some say in the matter."
"Well," Robin stammered, "maybe a little, but mainly my friend, it was like that night at The Burren all over again. You said one look was all it took for you to know Emma was the one and, well," he paused to take a deep breath, "one look and I knew she held my heart."
"But she handed it to you on a platter, didn't she?" taunted Killian.
"I wouldn't go that far," muttered Robin. "She was my instructor for a semester and once I realized there was no getting around that I backed off. But, bloody hell, it was hard." He hadn't paid close enough attention to his words until his last statement earned him a snicker from the front seat.
Emma kept the conversation flowing forward instead of allowing it to stay in the gutter, "The last time I saw you two, the barrier," she cleared her throat to keep from giggling, "appeared to have been removed."
He shrugged his shoulder and quirked one corner of his mouth causing his dimple to pop. "I took my exam and when I finished and put it on her desk, she handed me a note." His grin got even broader. "Said I should meet her in her office to discuss dinner."
Emma smiled over at Killian. " That was the day we drove up to Portland, wasn't it?"
"Aye, love. And it was also the day you said you would marry me for the first time." Killian, who was holding her hand, picked it up, kissing her fingertips.
"Hey this is my story," Robin interrupted. "Shall I continue with my story or do you want to moon at each other some more?"
Killian met Robin's eyes in the mirror and smirked. "Carry on by all means."
"Why, thank you." He cleared his throat as if preparing to give a great speech and continued with his story.
They learned that when he had arrived at her office, she handed him both his paper and exam, asking if he were completely done with his obligations as a student. His response to her had been that he had just left his last professor's meeting and that his responsibilities as a student were complete. Once Regina heard that, she had given him her killer smile and that was when the real fun started for them.
"I was standing there feeling like a complete arse, but also worried that I not sound like a blathering idiot when, finally, she got to the point." He hesitated for effect. "She said that if I asked her out for dinner, she would be more than happy to say yes. Needless to say, I got right to it and after I said my piece, we ended up eating in a small Italian place not far from The Burren, where we shared a bottle of wine, had a lovely dinner and talked quite freely."
"And the fact that I saw you two canoodling a couple days later with her wearing the same clothing that I had seen her leave in on Friday morning meant that you must have wooed her back to your apartment." Emma shook her head. "I do hope you had cleaned the place up."
"It was alright, as were we. But a gent never kisses and tells."
Killian glanced sideways at Emma. "Guess he didn't require our help after all."
"Question is, will he screw it up?" She answered back.
"Hey, I'm right here," Robin popped in with from the back, "and I don't intend to make a mess of this. It's the real deal for me."
Once they exited the Pike onto the 84, the traffic increased and the conversation in the car decreased so Killian could pay close attention to where they were going. As they neared the George Washington Bridge, traffic was stop and go and the use of horns became more prevalent, with every car jostling for position. "Why the bloody hell are they honking at me?" Killian groused.
Emma looked around at all the cars. "Is it always this crazy?" she whispered in awe.
"Probably." Killian sighed as he slammed on the brakes when a car darted in front of him. "This traffic is bloody awful, which is my own damn fault because of the time, but I was in such a hurry…" he trailed off thinking about his dream and why he had been in such a rush.
Emma squeezed his thigh. "It's okay babe, I was anxious too."
He gave her a small grin and turned his attention to the traffic moving haphazardly around them.
Driving into the city, Emma found her face plastered against the passenger's side window staring up at the buildings surrounding them. Growing up in Boston she was used to big cities, tall buildings and populated areas but nothing could have prepared her for the sheer enormity of Manhattan. Buildings so tall they almost blocked the sun, streets so packed traffic was stop and go and so many people bustling around that if you weren't going in the correct direction, you were run over. Could she get used to it?
"This place is wild!" Emma grinned over at Killian. "You're moving here too, right Robin?"
He gnawed on his lower lip as he contemplated his answer, "That was the plan and I know my pops would love it, but there's Regina to consider."
"You know what they say, 'If it's meant to be, it will be.' You should talk to her when we get home." They drove on in silence for a while longer. "Oh, I didn't tell you," she looked at Killian, " guess who else is moving here later this summer?"
"Henry?" He grinned at her.
"Well, of course Henry, but no… Elsa! She takes the bar in July and hopes to be able to find a job quickly and move into the apartment that her parents kept for when they had business in the city. Isn't that wonderful?"
Killian thought back to his dream and how in it Elsa was the one who seemed to have some effect on Liam's behavior. Was there more to his dream then he knew?
Driving through the city, he played tour guide and pointed out Marco's jewelry store, The Hidden Gems, showed Emma where their apartment was and drove by Central Park. Anxious to get on their way, he turned a corner and followed his GPS back to the turnpike, mentally crossing his fingers that the rest of the journey would be uneventful.
As soon as they left the city, it started raining, just enough to make the streets wet and make using the wipers a necessity, even if they were only on low. However, even with the streets becoming wetter and the visibility decreasing, it wasn't enough to slow the speed of the traffic. As Killian drove, the dream still lingered in the back of his mind, but now that some distance had been put between himself and that initial feeling of fear, there was no doubt in his mind that as much as Liam might think that Emma was not the woman for his brother, there was no way he would ever physically harm her. Their mother had brought both of them up in the same manner and respecting women was something she stressed from the time they were lads. And if catching his wife in a compromising situation didn't spur him to violence, then nothing would.
But as much as he believed that Liam would never resort to physical violence, that didn't mean that he was ready to excuse his brother's behavior. Killian's goal and main concern was in making sure that Emma was protected, no matter what came their way throughout their lives together. With Emma as his wife, he could show her that being by her side, protecting her as his father had always protected their mother, was where he planned to be.
Seeing a sign indicating that the exit to the Garden State Parkway was still a few miles away, he couldn't help but wish the bloody trucks would get out of his way. It seemed they were on the road in full force and between those, and the buses and the cars switching lanes so rapidly, the highway was one big accident waiting to happen. A quick glance at Emma assured him her seatbelt was snug across her chest, and wanting to move around the truck laden with utility poles in front of him, as it made visibility damn near impossible, he flipped his signal and moved into the left lane. As soon as he had rounded the rear of the truck, the realization of what it had prevented him from seeing caused his eyes grow large and his heart rate to go through the roof. "Oh shite," he grunted, tightening his hold on the steering wheel.
He was seeing what might have been the last view his parents had ever seen and what had become his very own nightmare for months after their deaths. Ahead of him and on the other side of the median, a semi-truck had jackknifed, gone into a skid and broken through the barrier that separated the highway. Because of its high speed, the wet road and the weight of the truck, it was still moving, and its momentum was carrying it into the traffic on his side of the highway. Within the blink of an eye, it had rammed into a large SUV, pinning it against the guardrail lining the road to Killian's right. But while that stopped the cab of the large truck, it was no match for the size and speed of the rotating trailer as it circled around to plow into a large bus with enough force to flip it onto its side.
With the slick roads providing a smooth surface, the fallen bus was sent into a skid, careening directly into the path of his car as well as the truck he was passing. With only a heartbeat of time to think, Killian wrenched the wheel hard to the left. What he hadn't anticipated was that the utility truck's driver would stomp on his brakes. Unfortunately, the slick streets provided no resistance for the weight of the trailer, and when the bus hit the truck broadside, it angled the truck just enough for its trailer to catch the back bumper of Killian's Subaru. Killian's car spun, flipping over and coming to rest on its passenger side, facing in the opposite direction. His breath stopped as he saw a utility pole break free from its confinement, barreling directly toward his front windshield.
Emma had been angled toward the back seat talking with Robin when she heard Killian's yell. Surprised by the fear in his voice, she whipped her head back toward the front just in time to see the jackknifed truck hit the bus, sending the bus flying toward them. As Killian wrenched the wheel to the left, Emma's head was thrown back against the seat and bracing her arm against the dash, she prepared for impact from the front, but when it came from the back, throwing her forward, a scream was ripped from deep inside her soul.
She was violently tossed around as the car simultaneously flipped and spun 180 degrees, causing the airbags to deploy and knocking her hand and arm into the side glass window so hard, they immediately went numb. The view when she opened her eyes felt like that of death as a large utility pole was hurtling their direction with nothing to save them. As another scream was torn from her throat, she covered her face with both hands just as the impact ripped through the car. With the sound of breaking glass in her ears and hundreds of shards of glass raining down over her, her body was tossed around until the pain became so intense, she welcomed the blackness.
Robin's thoughts had been of Regina and contacting her again when he heard Killian's yell, sending a sliver of fear racing up his spine. His head came up and as the bus skidded toward their car, he dropped his phone and grabbed onto the back of the seats in front of him. It was too late to put his seatbelt back on and as Killian jerked the wheel to the left, his hold on the seats loosened so that when the trailer hit them from the rear, he wasn't prepared. He bounced off the roof, jarring his head before sliding down behind the passenger seat and crumpling against the window. In the few seconds when the car settled on its side, he had just started to move when there was a horrible crunch and something flew through the car, pinning his legs in place and sending pain shooting throughout his body. With screams reverberating in his head, he was pulled into unconsciousness.
The force with which Killian's airbag deployed knocked the wind out of him but kept him from being crushed by the steering wheel. His head, however, hadn't had that luxury and it bounced between the window and the headrest, instantly suffused with throbbing pain, causing him to see stars. The finality came when the utility pole crashed through the car bringing with it a shower of glass…and then he only knew agony and screams ringing inside his head.
He wasn't sure how long it took for his pain to recede, but when it did, Killian experienced a feeling of peace unlike anything he had ever known. His body felt weightless and free as if he were floating on a giant cloud or riding on a gentle wave. Unwilling to open his eyes, he allowed himself to be carried along and listened carefully to the sounds around him. Sounds that triggered some sense of fear deep inside, that he wasn't yet ready to acknowledge.
Slowly, he opened his eyes to see that the world had changed so significantly that he had to blink several times to assure himself that his vision was true. The color was gone and it was as though each picture that appeared in his brain had become a part of a slide show. Except now as he viewed the slide show, it wasn't with the vibrancy and color of life, but the negative of it. His world was no longer colorful, but shades of gray.
He was carried along on the cloud in his pain-free place, able to see the carnage around him, discovering that his view was from above. Over one truck a man hovered for a brief second before disappearing from sight. A woman had risen above the bus and appeared to be waiting for someone to tell her where to go until she smiled such a beautiful smile that Killian felt his eyes tear up and a chill run through his body when she floated toward a man who was waiting. When no one was waiting for him, he had an instant feeling of regret but when he realized that going with them meant leaving Emma behind. That was not something he could do…ever.
As the destruction around him became too much to bear, he closed his eyes and absorbed the chaos around him, hearing the sounds of grief and pain as they competed with those of joy and happiness. A cacophony of noise bombarding his very essence until he could no longer stand to listen to it and looked for someplace to go to get away from them. Rubbing his hands through his hair, he covered his ears, and tried to shut out the noises that reminded him of a bloody jackhammer, but it was useless. He was powerless to stop them.
The racket went on and on until he wanted to scream STOP, and little by little the pain snuck in, but every time it did, he shied away. He could see firemen and other emergency personnel surrounding his vehicle, working open the door of his car. His body could be seen suspended from where he had been tossed during the crash, now being held in place by the seatbelt. The large pole separated him from where Emma and Robin had been sitting, preventing them from bringing either to safety. He needed to help, but control of his own body no longer belonged to him.
When his body was removed from the destroyed vehicle, he could see blood on his face, head and legs, but feeling no pain, he couldn't tell the extent of his injuries. He was placed on a stretcher, fitted with a brace around his neck and buckled securely on the bed preventing any movement, giving him some indication that his injuries were not as simple as those he'd had as a young lad many years ago.
As Killian watched them work, he didn't know what happened but the pace with which they were working increased tenfold and suddenly one of the paramedics yelled to the others, "We're losing him…start CPR, NOW!" and then climbed on the gurney to rhythmically push on his chest. The other paramedic yelled, "Where's the defibrillator?" before he too stepped in to help.
As two of the men worked over his body, two others climbed down into the opening they had created, and with the help of several others outside the car, began to remove the large pole. Killian willed them to hurry, needing to see Emma and know that she was okay. As the pole slowly started to move he could see her slumped against her door. His normally exuberant Swan lay still…so still he couldn't tell if she was alive or, god help him, already gone. They were moving too slowly and he needed to scream…HURRY…. until finally…they moved and when he looked in her direction, expecting to see her beautiful eyes and strong chin looking back at him, there was nothing but blood! Emma, he screamed over and over in his mind.
Don't kill me. I was going for the same shock value I felt when we found out that Hook was the Dark One. Did I succeed? Let me know what you think and how many names you called me as you read. And stay tuned for Wednesday, November 15 for Chapter 15 ..