A/N: Thank you guys so much for following and favoriting this story! I'm already so in love with it and I think it will turn out pretty good! For all of you who know my stories, my chapters usually only range between 2,000 words and 4,000 words but this chapter reached 8,000 because I just couldn't stop writing so enjoy! I hope you guys like it.

It had been 3 days since David and Killian arrived back in the States and they seemed to have finally adjusted to the time change. Unfortunately, Killian still hadn't managed to stay up past 9 pm without passing out on the couch or practically falling asleep in his chair, to which Emma found hilarious and used to torture him every chance she got. But tonight, they would all be staying up because it was the first fire Friday since Emma's graduation, which meant lots of underage drinking, loud teenagers, and of course, a huge bonfire on one of the islands.

"Rattlesnake," Emma whispered to David, walking up to the breakfast table where her mom had piled chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and eggs onto everyone's plate. She was reading her phone, where a group message had begun for tonight's plans. One of the guys in the group had finally spilled the location, causing uproar from half the group and excitement and loud comments from the other half.

"Figures," David laughed, stuffing his face with more pancakes while Emma sat down next to him and across from Killian.

"I know. Guess 3 years of getting caught by police just isn't enough warning to pick a new island," Emma laughed, looking up at Killian who just looked confused.

"Rattlesnake Island is where the fire is tonight," Emma said, answering Killian's unasked question, "It's gonna be crazy," she added, biting her tongue between her teeth in excitement.

"Ah," He nodded, finally understanding what they were talking about, "have fun with that," He said, turning nonchalantly back to his food.

"Aw, he thinks he's not coming," Emma said in a baby voice, resting her chin on her hands and turning to David who gave her the same face back.

"He's still new," David shrugged, trying not to laugh.

"What? No no no! I can't even stay up past 9 and 'Ms. Know it all' never lets me forget it," Killian argued, nudging Emma's arm as she ate, making her give him a death glare.

"It's not my fault you're an old grandpa," Emma whispered back, raising her eyebrows at him but going back to her food, trying to tune him out.

"At least I'm considered a legal adult," Killian taunted back, biting into a strip of bacon to try to hide his smirk. Emma felt her cheeks getting hot under his gaze and she dismissively turned away from him, not daring to look at Killian and view his stupid smug face eyeing her back.

"At least I still know how to have fun," Emma mumbled back after a couple of seconds. She heard Killian put his fork down on the table forcefully, obviously a little annoyed at her comebacks.

"Trust me love, I know how to have fun," He said finally, sighing but continuing, "Fuck it. Fine I'll come tonight okay?"

Emma's mouth opened wide in a big grin, her hands coming up in a triumphant stance until she heard the door opening.

"Shit," Emma laughed, sitting back down quickly and giggling as her mother walked in.

"Who's coming for what?" Eva asked, walking in from the porch where her and her father must have been sitting, enjoying the nice morning outside.

"Uhhh Killian, for a boat ride," David said quickly, forcing Emma to hide a smile. He was 21 now, and was allowed to do what he wanted, but they all knew Emma wouldn't be allowed to go if her parents knew where they were really going. David's answer seemed to suffice though, as Eva shrugged happily, continuing on into the kitchen to give Hank his breakfast.

"Well then, I'll see you boys tonight," Emma smirked, winking at Killian before standing up and turning to leave. She felt confident that she had thoroughly wound Killian up but then something rooted her to her spot, a warm hand had reached out for her.

She felt Killian's hand on her arm before she could fully leave the table and she turned to face him, looking questioningly at the rough hand around her bicep. David, too, stopped eating, eyeing Killian's movement.

"Uh sorry," Killian said, quickly removing his hand from her skin, "Uh, just be careful tonight okay? I hear you can be kind of crazy… I don't want to babysit." Emma felt her mouth fall open a little bit. She eyed where he had touched her, surprised but not unpleased. IF only he had a better reason for it. She eyed him back, ignoring David's questioning look. "Thanks dad, but I think I can take care of myself," Emma said, her skin tingling where he had touched her, her blood pulsing. She turned to leave the room, a little smile playing across her cheeks.

It had been hours since breakfast and Killian still didn't know what made him reach for her. It was like a reflex forcing him to touch her before he even knew what he was doing. Her skin had felt so soft and smooth against his rough hands. "Don't think about it," He growled to himself, rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his palm. He was sitting outside, alone, having escaped the scene of stupidity where he had left David with a look on his face that read "I know what you're doing".

He sighed and sat up. His feet were resting on the stairs down to the backyard, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands rubbing against each other. He looked at peace except that his hands seemed to be shifting nervously and his forehead creased in the center like someone who had just been caught doing something wrong. Killian couldn't help it though, he was on edge. It was clear that Emma was going to be a flirt with him, her eyes always daring him to make a move. Unfortunately, it turned out to be harder then Killian thought not to give in to temptation.

He couldn't get the image of her out of his head, the way her eyes had looked down at his hands or how they lit up at his touch. She had even winked at him, like she knew exactly how to pull at his strings like a puppeteer, using her skills to somehow get him to agree to come tonight. Tonight, Killian thought to himself. He didn't even want to think about it. All he could do was hope that Emma would be too preoccupied to bother with her brother's friends. Probably too preoccupied with other guys, Killian thought feeling himself getting annoyed. "Oh boy," He grunted to himself, he just hoped he had some self-control left in him.

Emma could feel herself losing self-control. She looked down at all of the outfits laid out on her bedspread, her hands on her lips.

"Emma… for the love of god. Pick something," Ruby whined, laying on Emma's floor while throwing a bouncy ball above her head. Emma looked down at her annoyed. Ruby looked perfect, even from this angle, her long dark hair and red streaks matching perfectly with her dark eyes and bright red lips. Her hair was teased on the top, giving her a badass style to match her ripped skinny jeans, booties, and black lacey top.

Emma looked down at her own outfit, which included sweatpants and a paint covered t-shirt. "Hm… yeah. We're going to be here awhile," Emma said, looking at Ruby with an exaggerated apology look on her face.

"I don't understand. Are you dressing up because Neal might be there?" Ruby asked, sitting up, trying to read Emma's face.

"No," Emma said plainly.

"Is there another guy?" She asked.

Yes, Emma thought. "No," She said back, turning back to the outfits.

"Oh my god there is!"

"No there isn't…. You were right this is about Neal," Emma lied, quickly regretting her decision to keep the truth from her friend but it had only been 3 days since she had even met Killian. It was just a crush.

"Oh Emma…," Ruby said sadly. Emma didn't bother to look at her. She already knew what face she was giving her. It was the face everyone gave her when she brought up Neal: pity.

"I just want him to know I'm back and he means nothing to me," Emma said, holding herself with composure. She was sick of the pity.

"Alright alright I can fucks with that," Ruby smirked, standing up and joining Emma above her bed, eyeing the outfits, "Well we know one thing," She laughed, reaching for an article of clothing, "You look hot as fuck in a red leather jacket."

Emma shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Yeah I do," She laughed, grabbing at the jacket and reaching for a white tank top that showed off her strong shoulders and a pair of jeans that she knew from experience drove men mad.

Ruby raised her eyebrows at the jeans.

"What? I can't tease him?" Emma smirked.

"Please do," Ruby laughed, nodding in approval, "We've got 2 hours to kill soo… Shots?"

"My parents are down the hall," Emma whispered, looking at Ruby with disbelief, anger all over her face. Ruby looked back confused.

"I'm fucking with you. Yeah let's take shots," Emma laughed instantly calming Ruby.

She felt lucky to have Ruby in her life. After all, Ruby seemed to be the only girl in this town who didn't think Emma was too much to handle. Emma smiled at her friend. She didn't care what anyone else thought about her anyways. She was her own savior and she didn't need any guy telling her that she wasn't enough.

Her mind wandered back to her relationship with Neal. The way he had called her damaged and fucked up. It had stung at the time, but Emma wasn't one to hold on to her past. Not when she could look forward to a better future. Hopefully, Emma thought, shaking her head away from the thoughts of Neal.

"Cheers," Ruby grinned, handing Emma a shot of rum.

"Cheers," Emma repeated, clinking her glass with Ruby's before spilling the liquid down her throat, letting the alcohol burn her mouth. She nodded in approval, clinking her glass back down on the table.

"Another."

"Don't fall asleep. Emma will kill me and then you and then me again if we don't actually keep you up past 11," David laughed, looking at his watch, which read 10:30. Killian felt his eyes drooping anyways. Him and David were sitting outside by the beach, relaxing. David had tried to keep Killian from dozing off by having a calm day, mostly made of lazing about the backyard playing Frisbee, cooking up some burgers on the grill for lunch, and laying on the beach drinking some beers and talking about some of their favorite memories from Ireland, to which Killian was grateful. His stomach already hurt from laughing so much.

"Remember when you got so drunk that you pulled the sword off the wall and tried to attack me with it?" Killian laughed, leaning again the sand dunes.

"I thought you were a dragon," David laughed back, "You kept roaring at me!"

"I was screaming for help!" Killian shouted, his mouth falling open. He couldn't believe he was being blamed for that. Honestly, if David hadn't been his only friend here he would have smacked him.

"You know, one time as a kid, me and Emma started wrestling and she got so mad that I was winning that she hit me in the chin with a rock," David laughed a little, moving his finger to outline the little scar on his face from the accident. Killian nodded impressively at the scar.

"One time my brother Liam almost took my hand off," Killian said back, nodding in understanding, "He rolled over my wrist on ice skates," He added, pulling his sleeve back to reveal a long scar etched across the top of his hand.

"Hm… you win," David shivered, looking at the scar with disdain.

"I don't know, mate. I wouldn't have minded wrestling with Emma," Killian joked, closing his eyes and covering his face to prepare for David's oncoming punch.

"Yeah. You say that now. I've seen Emma punch a girl in the face for calling her weak," David said back, nodding at Killian's stunned face, "I'm surprised she didn't take your hand off this morning," David added, eyeing Killian with the look of understanding. He knew why Killian had reached for her. Killian silently thanked him for not screaming at him but the space between them had suddenly felt uncomfortable, unspoken judgement spearing from David's eyes.

"So where is Emma anyways? I haven't seen her all day," Killian asked, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Well since we're going out tonight, I'm sure she is blasted at the moment and with her just as crazy, if not crazier friend, Ruby," David said, rolling his eyes.

"Ruby?" Killian asked. It was a good thing. Maybe there would be a distraction from Emma.

"Yeah. You'll like her she's kind of a fox. Maybe you guys will actually hit it off since she's looking for the same thing as you," David nudged Killian.

"Yeah you mean a distraction from my problems?" Killian laughed ironically, rolling his eyes.

"Milah isn't here. You deserve to move on, man," David said, looking down at Killian with a face of pity. Killian hated that expression. He got it constantly. He could picture the faces that were made when his father left him as a child, or when his older brother decided to join the army and left Killian behind with nothing but a few notes every year and a phone call when possible. Things never truly seemed to workout the way he'd hoped they would. And then Milah had left, leaving the cherry on the top of a miserable life.

"I've always been okay on my own," Killian said, nodding to David. He didn't know if he was trying to convince his friend or himself but it made him feel better regardless.

"Give her a chance," David replied, staring him down until Killian agreed. He wasn't sure if David even cared if he gave Ruby a chance. He laughed to himself, knowing that this was probably just David's way of trying to keep him off his little sister.

They sat in silence for a while, David going through emails on his phone and Killian trying to keep himself awake. He found the stars to be one thing that helped to keep him up, they were so beautiful to see. "Wow," Killian smiled to himself, laying back in the sand and just watching the sky move around him.

"Wow is right," David said, but he wasn't facing the sky. He was facing behind them, watching the two beautiful women walking up to them, "Guess we're leaving now," David added, suddenly hopping up and waving to the two girls before running down to the boat to get it started.

"Hey guys," Ruby smiled, waving to the two of them. David had been right, Ruby was hot, and Killian appreciated the effort David was making to get them together. Maybe he could make it through the night without Emma.

But then Emma walked out from the shadows to stand next to Ruby, smiling at the three of them. Fuck, Killian thought, having to physically keep his mouth from dropping open. She had curled her hair, letting the ringlets tumble down her back like a waterfall. And those jeans. Killian tried to look back at Ruby to keep his eyes from staring at her butt in that pair of denim. Then again, maybe he wouldn't be able to get through the night without her.

"You must be Killian," Ruby said while holding out a hand, waiting for him to stand up and give her a proper greeting.

"Oh sorry, yeah. You must be Ruby," Killian replied, standing and brushing sand off of his tight jeans before offering her his hand, "David's been telling me about you."

"All bad things I hope," Ruby replied slyly, tightening her grip on Killian's hand before slipping hers away.

"Yes well, I hear you're a bit of a fox," Killian laughed, giving in to her flirtatious approach.

"I prefer wolf," Ruby corrected him, "After all whenever the moon's out, so am I." Killian smiled at her. She reminded him of Emma. She was spunky and confident. He liked her already. But he knew he only liked her because she reminded him of someone else. He made a move to answer Ruby, his mouth opening only slightly before he stopped, feeling Emma approaching them, watching them wearily. Ruby smiled as she walked up, blissfully unaware of Emma's look of annoyance. Killian tried not to smirk. Was she jealous?

"Emma, I know you said he was Irish but you never said he was hot," Ruby laughed. She was clearly a little intoxicated and maybe saying more then she meant to but Killian just laughed lightly, he could tell she wasn't one to have much of a filter even when she was sober.

"Eh, he's okay," Emma said curtly, giving Killian a look and ignoring the little pout he gave her when she said it.

"Whatever you say, love," Killian whispered, wrapping one hand around Emma's waist in a joking manner. Emma's eyes widened at his touch.

"I think you're the only who thinks we're hot," Emma smirked, meeting Ruby's gaze and quickly removing herself from Killian's grasp.

"Maybe you're right," He replied to her, trying his best to keep the conversation in a joking manner, his own heart racing. He wanted to hold Emma longer.

"Uhhh I'm going to help David with the boat," Emma said quickly, moving away from Killian and Ruby. Killian watched her walk away before turning back to Ruby, who was watching him idly.

"Hm," Ruby said simply, her eyes following Killian's gaze towards Emma, but she seemed to shake her head, deciding it was nothing. "Come on. We better get going," Ruby said to Killian, smiling at him but not smirking, her flirtatious banter seeming to take a back seat. Killian nodded, following the two ladies to the boat. She doesn't know, Killian told himself, looking at Ruby with the hopes that she couldn't see right through him. He would just have to stay away from Emma if he wanted to keep his promises.

Emma sat with David at the steering wheel, letting Killian and Ruby sit in the back of the boat as they headed out. Her head felt fuzzy and her cheeks hot, but she wasn't blind. Killian had flirted with Ruby.

Emma shook her head, trying to clear the big lump in her throat. She was surprised but she didn't know why. He was allowed to do as he pleased. Maybe he doesn't like me after all, Emma thought to herself. But then again he had wrapped his arms around her. He had given her those butterflies in the pit of her stomach that made her went to hold him tighter and kiss him senseless. But she hadn't. It had taken all her strength to walk away from him.

Emma sighed, leaning back in her seat and letting the wind fly through her hair as the boat hit the choppy waves. She didn't want to think about Killian, not tonight. Keeping her eyes off of him and Ruby, Emma focused on the island ahead of them, where a huge bonfire had already begun, the sound of drunk teenagers reaching her ears. Emma laughed, turning to David.

"Didn't you miss this?" Emma mocked him, nudging him with her elbow.

"Absolutely not," David laughed, already shaking his head. Emma just rolled her eyes, David was too much of an adult to ever want to loosen up.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," David asked seriously, his eyes distracted while he docked the boat but the words still came out as judgmental as he planned them to.

"Yes, I promise. Jeez can't you guys just be my friends for once instead of my parents?" Emma groaned, tossing the buoys over the edge of the boat and hopping out to help tie it down.

"Sorry, Emma. It's my job," David smiled at her, happily annoying her. Emma wanted to say something back but Ruby had already jumped out of the boat and was pulling her towards the party.

"Whatever, you don't control me!" Emma yelled back, sticking her tongue out at Killian and David who just laughed, "Hmph. Let's go Ruby," Emma added, following her up the dock towards the field in front of them, where teenagers grouped around the fire, yelling and laughing with each other.

Emma and Ruby headed for the loudest group that were sitting up by the fire, each holding a beer or a drink of some sort and laughing loudly at something someone must have said. A little brunette girl waved at them as they walked up.

"Hey Emma! Ruby!" She shouted, drawing the attention of the rest of the group who all smiled too, sharing hello's to the two girls.

"Hey Belle," Emma smiled at her, joining the group, "hey everyone," she added, giving a little wave to them. One of the boys tossed her a beer and she thanked him, sitting next to Belle by the fire. It was blazing brightly, lighting up the woods behind them and giving a nice glow to the surrounding field.

"Emma are you doing the boat race tonight?" Belle asked excitedly.

"Oh… no I don't think so. I'm already a little intoxicated," She laughed.

"That's never stopped Emma Swan before," Belle said, raising her eyebrows in anticipation. Emma had truly forgot about the boat race, her mind somewhere else entirely. But Belle was right. Emma never backed down from a challenge.

"You're Emma Swan?" One of the boys asked her from across the group. Obviously listening in to their conversation.

"Who's asking?" Emma asked back, taking a chug from her beer.

"I'm Graham. I'll be the one racing against you tonight."

"Yeah I'm her," Emma admitted, smiling at him, "And I'll be kicking your ass tonight." She raised her eyebrows, challenging him to say something back. He shared a look with some of the other guys in the group before looking back to her.

"I'm also friend's with Neal," Graham replied, watching Emma's smile wipe from her face.

"So what?" Emma said back, more forcefully then she meant to, trying to resist clenching her jaw at the mention of his name. The guy next to Graham shook his head.

"So we wanted to see for ourselves what kind of girl Neal gave up for Tamara," The guy said, "And… he's a dumbass." All the guys burst out laughing, making Emma blush a little but laugh with them, it was nice to know she wasn't alone in her thoughts of Neal.

"As long as he's not here. I'm happy," Emma said, rolling her eyes. Silence seemed to cover the group at her last words and Emma looked around to Belle who was chewing her lip nervously.

"Fuck," Emma groaned, quickly looking around the fire, scanning the crows. She didn't see him. But he was definitely here. Somewhere.

"Well, bout that time," Emma said, chugging the rest of her beer and reaching for another.

Killian could feel the heat from the alcohol reaching his cheeks. He was holding a bottle of straight Captain Morgan Rum, sipping from it as if it were a fruity drink. He had followed David past the gaggle of obnoxious teens that surrounded Emma and up to a group by the forest, where everyone seemed much more relaxed and at ease then the screaming from down the beach.

David introduced him to his friends Robin and Regina, Regina's sister Zelena, and his old buddy from college, Lance. Killian greeted them all, chatting about college and old times and how Regina had met Robin in a bar and had actually ran out she had gotten so nervous to which Killian found ironic. From the look of her, Regina could tear you in two just by looking at you hard enough. They were all nice enough though and Killian could feel David relaxing with his friends. IT was nice to see him relaxed while he stood on edge, not able to help but look over to Emma every once in a while to make sure she was okay. Not that he should care, but he knew that he did. She was blushing and he could see a group of guys all smiling at her, laughing with her. His jaw clenched. He didn't like the look of them.

"David?" A high pitched voice reached his ears and he turned to see a young woman with a short dark pixie cut running up to them, a big red smile across her pale skin. "Yes?" David asked, turning to see whose voice was speaking and looking at the girl with little to no recognition.

"It's Mary Margaret…," The girl said, looking a little hurt at David.

"Oh my god! Mary Margaret?! You look so different I hardly recognized you!" David beamed at the name, instantly looking happily at, what Killian assumed to be, an old friend.

"Yeah I kinda chopped my hair, made a few changes," The girl blushed.

"You look absolutely beautiful," David said softly, reaching down to give her a hug, "How long has it been? 5? 6 years?" Killian watched their little interaction, smiling at them. He would have to remember to ask David later about his relationship with Mary Margaret. After all, he hadn't seen David happy like that with a woman in a long time. Even just a hello had brightened him up.

"OH and this is my friend Killian Jones," David said, seeming to only then realize that it was not just him and Mary Margaret by the fire.

"Actually I was just about to take a walk and let you two catch up," Killian said. He watching the two of them nod to him in sync before instantly looking back at each other, already wrapped up in a conversation about how long it had been since they had last gotten together.

Killian had a strange feeling he was no longer welcome in their conversation as he walked away from them and down to the water's edge. He wasn't sure where a walk would really take him on a small island so instead he just walked until he was out of view of the rest of the group and sat down against a rock wall that stopped lake water from lapping up onto the field above it. He felt out of place, not having any friends here like David and Emma did. Instead he decided to make his rum his friend of the night, chugging it until he felt his lips purse in disgust, not able to drink anymore.

"That's one way to deal with your problems," A voice laughed behind him making Killian jump in surprise. Ruby walked into view, smiling at him with knowing eyes.

"Sorry. You scared me, love," Killian said, shaking his head. She just shrugged, sitting down next to him and holding a hand out. Killian just looked at it questioningly and he heard Ruby laugh again.

"The rum," She clarified, reaching over and taking it out of Killian's hands so that she could chug some on her own, "Oh wow. I don't know how you're still standing when you're drinking this." Killian didn't really know how he was either, and he realized that his vision was starting to get very fuzzy very fast. He didn't seem to mind though. It felt warm in his veins.

"I guess I'm just used to it," Killian said bitterly, reaching back for the bottle.

"I'll give it back to you when… you admit that you are trying to get in my best friend's pants," Ruby laughed, holding the bottle away from him and watching as Killian made feeble attempts at grabbing it, his mouth falling open a bit in surprise. He shouldn't known that she would see through him.

"I'm not trying to do anything. Emma deserves better then me," Killian said, surprising even himself with his words, but he could feel the ground moving below him, his vision blurred and confused and he was having trouble controlling his words.

"Well she likes you, too. I can see it on her face," Ruby smiled at him, "So who cares what you do? Just go for it. David's fine. He doesn't, in fact, control her life."

Killian looked at her, shaking his head. He knew that he shouldn't be taking Ruby's advice of all people but right now it was all he wanted to do. His stomach was still turning at the thought of Emma with one of those guys. He stood up rather sloppily, to which Ruby died laughing but once he was up he seemed to have more control of his limbs. "You are absolutely right lass," Killian nodded to Ruby. Ruby stayed seated on the wall, nodding to him. "Thank you," Killian added, leaning down to reach for one of Ruby's hand. Softly, he laid a kiss on the back of her hand. Ruby blushed a little, "Oh jeez, go on," She laughed.

It was late, very late. And everyone seemed to be belligerent compared to Emma. She knew she wouldn't be allowed to race if she was like that. But on the other hand, she didn't know where Ruby or Killian were and the knot in the pit of her stomach told her that Killian was not a man looking to hook up with his friend's little sister when he had someone like Ruby. She sighed, wishing she could just get over her crush. The alcohol seemed to make it worse, increasing her need for companionship. His companionship.

"Emma! Come throw stuff in the fire! It's fun!" Belle yelled, laughing while throwing random things into the bonfire. Emma shook her head, hoping Belle hadn't thrown anything valuable in there by accident. Knowing her luck, she had probably already burned one of her favorite books into the fire. Emma told herself she'd deal with her tomorrow, but tonight she didn't want to take care of drunkies. Instead she turned to the woods, heading for a wood through the trees.

The woods were lit with the reflection from the moon, which helped her see as she walked through the trees and away from the group of people surrounding the fire. It was still dark but there weren't many people taking walks through the woods, which meant she could just enjoy the silence. She found that she was better on her own then with others. Most people found it creepy or unnerving walking alone through shadowed trees but not Emma, she had never let fear stop her from doing what she wanted. Only on occasion did it ever really get her in trouble.

"You are absolutely right lass." Emma heard from her left, stopping her in her tracks, her mind crashing back to reality. She knew that voice. She shut her eyes, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what Ruby and Killian were doing together but she gave in to temptation turning towards the voices in time to see Killian kiss the top of her hand. "Oh jeez, go on," Ruby laughed at him. She was holding his bottle of rum. Emma felt her jaw clenching watching the two of them. At least they were clothed. Sighing she turned back to the woods, trying to continue her walk, although a part of her felt that it wasn't really worth it anymore.

"Emma?" She could hear his low Irish voice. Was she hearing things? But then she heard it again. She could feel his footsteps running up to her. She turned to face him, hoping her face didn't give away the lack of composure. "What are you doing out here?" He was still a couple of feet away from her, his run slowing to a walk as he viewed her face. His eyes were glazed over but he looked worried, eyeing her suspiciously. Ruby must have stayed by the water, out of sight. Emma was grateful that it was just him. She wasn't sure if she could handle both of them right now.

"Just looking for some privacy," Emma said vaguely, hoping to keep at least some of her thoughts secret from him.

"Privacy for what?" Killian asked her.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emma replied, raising her eyebrows at him. She enjoyed watching him squirm a little. For all he knew, she could be meeting a guy here. The idea made her laugh but she would let him think what he wanted to.

"I hope you aren't trying to get with any of those guys that you were with," Killian said back. He looked rather annoyed about the whole matter, which made Emma roll her eyes.

"As if you weren't hitting on Ruby every chance you got," Emma snorted, trying to pass off her jealousy for playful banter. She was pretty sure it failed. They were both too inebriated to fully understand what was happening, but Emma knew she saw that smirk play across his face. He knew she was jealous. Emma opened her mouth, flustered but no words seemed to tumble out. "I… Not that it matters," Emma managed to get through her lips. She felt embarrassed; she shouldn't have brought that up. Emma didn't know how to explain to him why she was jealous, instead she turned to leave, feeling uncomfortable but then he had reached for her hand. "What…," Emma looked down confused. Killian ignored her, slipping his rough palm into hers and pulled her back to him. She looked at him, part want and part unknowing of what he would do next. She opened her mouth to explain but could only mumble varies apologizes. She was too close to him to think straight. He just smiled at her, ignoring her apologizes. Emma suddenly felt hyperaware of the fact that he had pulled her quite close to him, his body touching hers, his mouth only inches away from her lips. Oh.

"I don't have eyes for Ruby," Killian said quietly, smiling at her. He looked rather satisfied to have made Emma so flustered. Slowly, Killian removed his hand from Emma's, moving instead to the small of her back and resting his hand tightly against her, pulling her to him. "Killian what are you…,"

"Sh. Emma… please," Killian said quietly, his grip tight against her. Emma knew she could walk away if she wanted to… but she didn't want to. She wanted to be here, with him, she wanted to be kissing him roughly. She wanted him to push her against a tree and pull her legs up around his waist. She felt her stomach doing flips in her stomach at the thought of it. But they couldn't do that. I can't do that, Emma thought, but she still didn't move. Instead they stood there, both feeling conflicted, unsure of whether it was the alcohol or not that was putting them in this position.

Her lips lay open, waiting for him to make a move. She wanted hi to make the move. "Emma," He whispered, pushing her hair away from her face. His touch felt warm ad welcome on her cheek. She wanted to keep him there. Not entirely sure of what she was doing, she slipped one of her hands around him resting her palm on the nape of his neck, pulling his lips closer to hers. She would pay for it later. They were so close, she could smell the rum on his lips.

"Well, well, well," Someone said slowly. Tingles shot down Emma's spine, awakening her to what was happening. She knew that voice.

The words seemed to break the spell between her and Killian and Emma gasped, pushing him away from her instantly, her breathing hard and aggressive. Killian didn't fight her, simply moving away silently, looking over at the unwelcome voice. "What's up Emma? Still trying to find a rebound to get over me I see," Neal sneered at her, his eyes flashing to Killian with a look of disdain. Emma looked between the two guys; she could see the veins in Killian's neck pulsing with anger at Neal's comment. She was sure her face reflected the same emotion.

"That's none of your business, Neal," Emma said simply, crossing her arms across her chest. She was going to stand her ground.

"Isn't it?"

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to see if you were OKAY," Neal said, clearly a little annoyed at the idea that Emma might, in fact, be okay without him.

"Well she's fine, lass," Killian said, moving once again to close the gap between him and Emma and slipping an arm around her waist, "So there's no need for you to be checking on her, is there?" His arm felt protective around her waist and Emma had to control herself from smirking.

Neal looked astonished at Killian's outburst, his eyes glued to the spot where Killian's hand met Emma's hip. "We'll see about that," He mumbled, turning away from them angrily, "Oh and isn't it about time for your race?" Neal asked, raising his eyebrows at her. Killian looked down at her, shocked.

"What race…," Killian asked quietly, trying not to make a scene but Emma could see his jaw tightening, fear crossing his face.

"The boat race," Emma said quietly.

"What?! You can't race!" Killian yelled out. This time it was Emma's turn to look at him shocked. She stepped away from him.

"Oh she didn't tell you?" Neal replied, trying to hide a smile behind his smug face, "She's a bit of a daredevil around here. I guess you haven't been around long enough to really see it."

Emma wanted to retaliate but it was true. She never turned down a challenge. "Emma be sensible, you're not thinking straight," Killian pleaded with her, the boyfriend card being thrown out the window for the once again, protective friend. It made Emma's stomach turn in a different sense. He still saw her as a child.

"It's not your choice," Emma said simply, turning to follow Neal out of the forest but Killian grabbed her again. "Stop doing that!" Emma said, annoyed.

"Emma please don't race. You're drunk! You could get hurt! And it's dark you can barely see," Killian looking frazzled. Emma reached up, placing a palm against his cheek.

"Thank you for worrying about me," She whispered, "But I don't need protection. The only person who saves me is me." Killian stood back silently, maybe realizing that he was not in control of her. He never would be.

She watched him come to terms with Emma's decision. "Please be careful," He whispered, touching the spot on her cheek where he had moved the hair out of her face. She smiled at him.

"Thanks big bro," Emma said sarcastically, brushing his hand off of her. It was one thing to try to be romantic with her and another to tell her what to do. He had to pick one. She could tell he didn't like being called a brother, his eyebrows twitching a little in annoyance, but he didn't comment.

"Okay," He said finally, letting her go and watching her follow in Neal's footsteps.

Killian's heart was pounding out of his chest. Why did he let go of her, He kept thinking to himself, watching her walk away from him. A part of him pushed to stop her but he knew that it would just push her farther away from him. It wasn't his place. Not that he should've gone after her in the first place. What was I thinking, Killian thought, grunting loudly to himself. He just stood there, pushing his hands through his hair and watching the blonde bombshell that was Emma Swan stroll away from him with ease.

He waited a minute or two for Emma to leave the woods before he followed in her wake, joining David and the rest of the group all waiting for the boat races to begin. Emma wasn't among them, as he knew she wouldn't. He noticed that Mary Margaret was still there though, standing next to David, their hands brushing against each other lightly. It made Killian smile to see David happy. Unfortunately, David's smile didn't last long.

"Hey Killian," David said, though not as kindly as Killian expected. Killian felt his heart race, hoping David hadn't seen him and Emma. Oh no.

"I can explain…" Killian started, his mind going crazy but David wasn't paying attention.

"Where's Emma?" David asked, his voice deepening with anger as he started to realize that Emma wasn't around him, or anywhere in the crowd. A part of Killian relaxed. David didn't know that he had tried to make a pass at Emma. Unfortunately, Killian did let Emma go out to the water, where she was clearly driving a boat to the starting line.

"WHY IS EMMA OUT THERE?!" David screamed bloody murder.

Even from their spot on land, they could clearly make out Emma's bright golden hair and leather jacket. She was out in the middle of the water by now, her hands on the steering wheel of their family's boat, her eyes focused on the race. Killian felt his stomach turning. If she got hurt, he would never forgive himself. On the other hand, she was pretty badass to watch.

"No! NO!" David screamed, running down to the docks, "EMMA!"

"Oh boy," Mary Margaret mumbled, watching David warily.

"Agreed," Killian mumbled back, sharing a scared expression with Mary Margaret. David was going nuts, his hands waving above his head screaming as he ran down each dock individually, trying to get Emma's attention. A part of Killian was trying not to laugh. He didn't know if Emma could hear David but if she did she was ignoring him pretty well. As for everyone else, David seemed to be the center of attention, his voice louder then any cheerer in the crowd. For a minute, Killian wondered if Emma would come back to land but then the flag went down, and Emma took off, the three other boats speeding next to her.

"I'm going to kill her!" David screamed.

"Go Emma!" Killian screamed at the same time as David the two exchanging glances. Suddenly, Killian felt like he was also going to be killed.

"… I mean… Stop…?" Killian said questioningly, backing away from David and turning back to watch the race. He had to admit, Emma was good behind the steering wheel.

Emma's stomach filled with a rush she hadn't felt in months. That feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her to push more, go faster, turn harder. Adrenaline filled her veins. Their boat flew through the water, hitting waves hard but she kept her footing. She was used to this, good at this. The alcohol in her system was barely noticeable, she knew it wasn't going to hold her back even if David thought she was going to die on the spot. Focus Emma, She thought to herself, shaking her head to concentrate. It wasn't a long race and she needed to get ahead. The other boats seemed to be dragging behind her making it so she didn't have any competition. Except for Graham.

"Sorry Emma!" Graham yelled from the side of her boat, slipping past her in the water.

"You wish Graham!" Emma spat back, they were reaching the turn and unfortunately for Graham, Emma was a pro at this. As soon as she rounded the corner, she pulled down the throttle, turning the wheel in the opposite direction. In a boat too large or a boat too small it could tip, but Emma knew how hers operated, and she felt the water slosh to the sides, water slipping over her. The boat slid smoothly across the glass like water. She was soaked but laughing, the adrenaline in her system keeping her alert. Graham had fallen behind, cursing loudly.

"Bye bye Graham!" Emma laughed, speeding up faster and faster, letting the boat fly through the water, her eyes focused for the finish. She could hear Graham catching up.

"Looks like it might be close," Graham yelled, his eyebrows raised at her. She could barely hear him, the engine roaring behind her but she didn't want to listen to him anyways. She gripped the steering wheel harder. Like hell he was going to win.

"Kick her ass Graham!" Neal yelled from the docks, their boats passing close to shore as they reached the finish. Emma felt her stomach clench, her mouth falling open. How dare he. she wasn't going to let him win this. She was going the max she could push herself, her speed reaching into the 80s, which at night on a lake boat felt like 200, the spray of water hitting her face with power, some sprays causing her to gasp at the cold water. David was still screaming at her but she didn't care, she would win this if it killed her.

"GO EMMA!" She heard from land. The voice made her smile. It was deep, male, filled with a familiar Irish accent that already made her feel happier. Laughing she shook her head, passing ahead of Graham. The finish line was right there, Graham behind her, she was already screaming in victory as she flew right through the finish line.

"SUCKS TO SUCK!" Emma screamed, laughing loudly and slowing down the boat, turning back around to head for shore. She was soaked, her makeup skewed across her face. She looked crazy and she knew it but nothing could take away from this moment.

"Good job Emma. I underestimated you," Graham smiled, "I'd give you a handshake but… you know. Separate boats… and my friend's are assholes," He laughed. Emma nodded back, smiling. Even if Neal was a horrible person, she was glad she had someone on her side. Even if it was someone like Graham.

"EMMA IF YOU HAD A MIDDLE NAME I'D SAY IT SWAN, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" David had steam practically blowing out of his ears. Emma's smile faded, along with all the blood in her face. Maybe someone could ruin this moment.

"David I can…"

"I told her to! It's my fault," Killian jumped between them, pushing them apart. He looked worriedly between them.

"She could've gotten killed!" David screamed.

"Well I didn't," Emma shrugged, turning to Killian for help. Killian joined her, shrugging casually.

"Well… you should be thanking the gods that you didn't!" David yelled, the argument seeming so pointless. She had already done it. Still the blood in David's face was beating red, his anger clear across his face.

"She's okay, David," Mary Margaret said, slipping an arm around David's, seeming to instantly calm him, even if it was only a little bit. David nodded, letting everyone walk back to the boat, Emma turned too but David pulled her back.

"This wasn't Killian's idea," He said matter-of-factly. Emma blushed a little, giving herself away, "yeah that's what I thought," David said, his voice raising a little again. "COME ON EMMA!"

"Oh give it a rest," Emma laughed, pushing him into the boat.

"YOU GIVE IT A REST! Emma… think before you act!" David yelled, his voice slowly lowering to his adult lecture voice. Emma groaned but let him talk, not listening very much just hearing "You should be safer!" and "Child!" and "Boats are dangerous!" repeatedly. She tried not to laugh. David would calm down soon enough. She'd deal with him tomorrow when he was done lecturing and ready to admit that the race was cool. He was never one to hold a grudge against her. At the moment, Emma's mind was elsewhere though. She was more sober now, her mind clearer, and she turned away from David for only a second. Her eyes finding Killian's in the crowd. The look was fleeting, lastly only a second or two but she knew that they were both thinking the same thing. They didn't care about the boat race, or David's lectures. But what had they done to each other? Emma took a gulp. That couldn't happen again.