Instead of dad at the curb waiting for me, I found Emma behind the wheel. Hope lay sound asleep, head back and mouth open. Gentle snores escaped her nose followed by the cutest smile once it had passed.

"Don't say it. I had to hear from Killian, too. I should be in bed not behind the wheel of a car." Emma leaned over to unlock the door.

I hadn't been thinking that when I'd seen her. The though crossed my mind after she'd said it.

I stepped into the passenger side door, huge smile on my face.

"Okaaaay…I'm always happy to see you, Emma."

Hope's eyes fluttered open when she'd heard my voice.

Emma glanced into her rearview mirror at an animated 7-year-old.

Emma held up her finger, a cue for Hope to wait to speak.

"I'm dropping you off at the piers. Snow is watching Liam and its almost feeding time again."

Hope's delighted grin turned into a sour face frown.

Emma turned around, using the best "Mommy-Loves-You" grin on Hope.

"Daddy asked for Lucy, Hope. Next time, he promised."

Hope shifted her eyes from me to Emma and back. Her smile returned after careful deliberation.

"If he promised, okay."

Emma and I listened to Hope jabber on and on about her recess adventures of first grade. Emma had kept her in the school in Storybrooke, rather than send her away. I never let her hear anything I'd wanted to keep quiet knowledge.

The girl can't keep a secret.

The secrets the rest of the world would know because of her outspoken tendencies.

The lines of the real world faded into the friendly confines of Storybrooke.

I turned when I'd noticed that Hope had gone silent.

Sound asleep again.

Emma resumed conversation, this time just us.

"You love it here."

I looked over to her and smiled.

"Yes, I do. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes miss Hyperion Heights."

Emma's face communicated her unspoken "but".

"But…I love Storybrooke more."

Emma's peripherals fell on me.

"Storybrooke has that effect, doesn't it?"

Maybe it hadn't been Storybrooke itself, but the people in it.

A certain athlete had added to its charm.

Oh no, there I go again.

"How many people can say that they've been aboard a real pirate ship with an actual pirate? I have a magical grandmother and an ageless pirate for a grandfather."

The scrunch of Emma's nose sent my words back in to my ears.

"Aren't you leaving out someone?"

Ian.

It happened again.

Time to come up with other names.

"Hope, Snow, Charming, Granny?"

Emma rolled to a stop and turned to me.

"You know who I'm talking about. I might not be a teenager anymore, but I know that expression whenever you're around him."

I'd never noticed Emma onboard whenever we had been working on the Jolly Roger. Had I missed her while I'd been lost in conversation with Ian?

Emma crossed her arms, her pinky tapping.

"You like him…a lot."

Yes, I do, my mind shouted.

"We're good friends." I answered.

Flimsy lie, directed at myself.

Emma put her hand on my shoulder.

"I know that look. Killian and I still look at each other that way. Ian looks at you the same way that Killian has looked at me after our first kiss. Don't try telling me that bad line."

She gaged me through squinting eyes.

"Too soon to call it love yet, but not too soon for it to preoccupying attraction. Confusing isn't it?"

She'd extracted my thoughts and had thrown them back at me, with the impact of a fast-moving comet.

"No, I know I'm not in love. I think I'm too young to know what that looks or feels like. Yes, he's taken over a lot of my thoughts these days."

Deep breath in and deep breath out.

"He hasn't even asked me out or tried to kiss me yet. He had me frazzled after lunch today, I wanted the day to come to the quickest possible end, all to just spend time with Ian."

Emma's hand returned to the steering wheel.

She'd done it again. Clarity had come.

"The problem isn't him...it's me. A part of me is holding him at Friend Zone length. The other wants to pull him closer. How is it possible to feel two different ways at the same time?"

Emma smiled, touched my face.

"I've been there. Of course, you already know that. It took time for me to trust myself with Killian without second guessing myself. Trust your heart, kiddo. Your head is the ultimate hijacker of opportunities. Don't let it this chance pass you up, he's worth the chance."

Killian knocked on the window. I hadn't seen or heard him approach the car.

"Speaking of Killian."

Emma rolled down the window, a glow in her complexion and a shine in her eyes.

Killian answered her enthusiasm with a medium length, heartfelt kiss.

"Thank you, Love."

"Thank you for letting me. I needed to get out."

Hope's eyes flew open when she'd heard that all too familiar Irish lilt.

"Daddy!"

If there had been anyone he'd love as much as Emma, it had been his daughter.

"She wanted to go on the ship today. I told her you promised to do it next time."

Killian looked over to his daughter.

"Next time, darling. I promise."

Hope beamed back at him and clapped her hands.

If I hadn't been absorbed in their interaction, I would've noticed my own visitor at the passenger side door.

Ian's eyes looked back at mine as I had turned to open the door.

My door swung open, Ian holding the handle.

"Ian, my lovely wife Emma. Emma, my new second mate of the Jolly Roger, Ian."

Ian stood frozen in place with the introduction, as well as unexpected promotion.

"Ian, my boy, I haven't seen Her look this good in…a long time. It's all due to your efforts." Killian put his good arm around his shoulders.

During this time, I stepped out of the car and unexpected under Ian's other arm.

"You should thank Lucy, too. I got it done faster with her."

Killian and Emma traded that "Dang-We're-Good" glances.

Killian lifted his eye brow and bowed.

"Then thank you Lucy love."

My turn to be embarrassed.

Emma looked at her watch, her eyes widened.

"Look at the time. Liam will be wailing when I get in the door. When it's time to eat, I better be on time."

Killian kissed Emma good bye and blew a kiss to Hope.

Emma drove away a massive smirk of satisfaction on her face, possibly a triumphant giggle.

Killian had dropped his arm to his side, but Ian continued to rest his arm on my shoulders.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Automatic stiffen, the guilty reaction to an interrupted conversation you'd rather lie about.

Killian looked down at his boots, a stupid grin on his face.

"Not really. Just catching up."

The transfer of body heat passed from his arm to material of my jacket. I unbuttoned the top button to let some of it out.

Killian started down the ramp ahead of us.

"Shall we, mates."

Ian stood an extra second, admiring Killian.

"He's a lucky man. He has a beautiful wife and two cute kids. He has a beautiful niece. One day I hope to be as lucky. I'd love them as much as he loves his family."

He dropped his arm and let me down the ramp first.

If only he'd known the full story of Emma and Killian, he'd rethink his words.

"Listen to me, I sound like such a sappy hopeless romantic."

His embarrassment slowed his walk to a stop.

I pointed to Killian, ahead of us.

"Hopeless romantics can be guys too. Look at Killian."

Killian awaited us on the dock in front of the Jolly Roger.

A half grin returned to Ian's face when he tilted his head over his right shoulder.

"In the words of Killian Jones, Lucy, Love, You're right."

Ian's attempted impression of Killian's accent hadn't been that far off.

Lucy. Love.

Two words from two different mouths.

One I'd become accustomed to.

The other sent every thought in my head racing in circles.

We both finished the journey with our hands jammed into our pockets.

Killian draped his hook arm around me and his hand arm around Ian.

"Ian, my boy. Lucy, love."

The sun hit his hook, robbing me of seaward peripherals.

Killian leaned inches from my ear.

"He fancies you, Lucy. I see it."

I smiled and boarded the Jolly Roger with Emma's and Killian's words looping through my head.