A/N: This is it, the final part. I had a few more things thought for this story, including a few on Graham's background and how he knows Killian, but I can't pull that off without another extra 15k and I just don't have it in me.
Killian couldn't recall the first leg of the journey back to town, it was all a hazy blur of lights and steaming coffee that burnt his tongue time and again as he gulped it down. He knew he should have waited a few hours for the alcohol to leave his system but he couldn't, not when Ruby's only frazzled words were "Get back here" and Graham not only hadn't opposed her command but supported it.
It was a long night and a longer morning until he finally reached Boston again and headed towards the address Graham had texted him a few hours ago. He took one look at himself in the rearview mirror and almost flinched at the image that saluted him back. His eyes were red-rimmed, the lack of sleep clear in them. His hair was sticky and messed up, and his scruff was unkempt. It was clear that the last two days had taken a toll on him and he looked like shit. But at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to care as he got out of the car and quickly closed the distance to the apartment building. He wasn't sure, but he had an inkling that he'd been directed to Emma's place and his heart beat frantically in his chest. He took the stairs two at the time as he headed to the second floor.
Two of Graham's cronies were keeping guard by the door and one glance at him had them softly knocking on the door. Graham was out of the apartment in a second, and after taking one look at Killian he signaled the two men. They nodded and simply walked down the corridor and headed towards the exit.
"Killian, you look like shit."
"I've been driving non-stop since I talked to you. What the bloody hell happened?" Killian had enough of the mystery and the talking in circles. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.
Graham breathed in and out deeply, running a hand through his hair before his eyes met Killian's. "Walsh, he - he assaulted Emma."
Killian felt his knees give out and he had to lean on the opposite wall for fear of collapsing on his feet. "Emma… is she - How is she?"
"She's alive and in pretty good shape considering what could have happened. She has multiple lacerations and bruises, no broken ribs, though. The bastard drank too much and felt he was entitled to more than what he was paying for. When she refused, he beat her. She fought back, screamed. Ruby had to get one of the bouncers to kick the door open. She and the bouncer got to Emma and by the time the confusion had settled, Walsh and his men had punched their way out of there."
Killian clenched his jaw, his hand fisting at his side. "How is she doing now?" He would care about Walsh later, and he would take care of Walsh later. Right now, he only wanted - needed - to know how Emma was doing.
Graham sighed. "She's drifting in and out of sleep. They gave her some painkillers and sedatives to help ease the pain for the next day or two." He paused a moment and there was such electricity in the air that Killian knew there was something else going on. "Killian," Graham said gravely. "There are signs of intercourse, but Emma said it wasn't Walsh. That he didn't abused her to that extent."
Graham glanced away before he focused again on Killian, a mix of embarrassment and determination clear in his face. "I hate this, but I have to ask."
Killian sighed, running his head through his hair before he met Graham's stare again. "We had sex earlier that night… Emma and I."
The words tasted like bile in his mouth, like he'd taken something that had meant so much to him and cheapened it in a locker room confession. Graham's hand was on his shoulder. "That stays with us, Jones. It's no one else's business to know that."
"Thank you, mate," Killian said before he sagged against the wall. "Is Ruby with her?"
Graham nodded and Killian let his thoughts run wild for a few moments, trying to calm himself enough to come back from the deep hole he found himself in. When he finally felt like himself again - or as much as he could - he asked the question he had been waiting to ask since he arrived. "Can I see her?"
/-/
He hesitated as he stepped into the apartment, feeling like an intruder, like he was stepping over an unspoken boundary. Graham hadn't come in with him, claiming he needed to go give a few instructions to his men, but Killian could sense he was trying to give him some privacy. While he appreciated the gesture, he couldn't stop feeling like he was crossing every single line that still remained in his life. Killian rested his forehead against the closed door and took a deep breath.
He was still in that position, his eyes closed and breathing deeply, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Ruby giving him a sympathetic smile. She was almost void of any makeup, her long hair simply braided at the side, her flashy clothes traded for a pair of leggings and a baggy shirt.
"Hey," she whispered, giving Killian's shoulder a squeeze. "She's resting now, she's been in and out a few times. Come with me."
"Ruby, I don't think it's good idea." Killian hesitated, running his hand through his hair, self-deprecation rearing its ugly head. "I shouldn't be here…."
She seemed to contemplate his words for a moment or two before she deemed them pointless. "Nonsense," she said, tugging his sleeve to lead him further into the apartment. Killian followed despite his protestations, finding himself too weak to resist the need to see Emma, regardless the outcome. Ruby paused by the door, pushing it ajar and motioning for him to enter. "She's been calling for you in her sleep."
Her words sank deep in him as he finally crossed the threshold into her room. He had to give his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light before he was able to make out Emma on the bed. He felt his heart breaking at the sight of her lying there, the covers tucked neatly at her shoulders, a couple of small fits alerting him of her restless sleep. There was an armchair positioned by the bed with a blanket thrown over it. It seemed that was where Ruby had positioned herself to guard over her friend's sleep. Killian took a few hesitant steps and collapsed onto it, his eyes cataloging every bit of Emma's features he could see. There was a small cut on her upper lip, and the hint of a bruise ran from her left cheek to her eye. Her arms were covered by long sleeves and Killian longed to expose the skin so he could check its state, but refrained from doing so. Instead, he returned his attention to her face. He lingered his hand along her forehead, plucking away a loose strand of hair and grazing her skin before he took his hand back to rest next to hers on the bed. Emma stirred, a soft sigh escaping her lips before her breathing evened out.
Tiredness washed over him and he slumped his shoulders against the back of the armchair and closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep for a brief moment - or hours - before he was brought back by a soft squeeze to his hand. Killian quickly opened his eyes and found Emma looking back at him.
"Killian…"
The sound of his name on her lips was a blessing and a curse. There was contentment in her tone at the sight of him, which lifted his spirits, but the pain laced in her voice broke his heart.
"Swan, how are you feeling?" he asked tenderly, and not being able to refrain himself, he pulled her hand into his lips and placed a reverent kiss to her knuckles.
Please tell me you're ok. Please tell me this bastard hasn't broken you beyond repair.
Emma seemed to read his thoughts because she smiled softly through the haze of the painkillers. "I'll be fine. I'm just - I'm just tired Killian," she said, her eyes closing and almost drifting back into sleep.
"Sleep, darling, sleep," he murmured, wanting nothing but to erase every single ache in her body and soul.
But Emma Swan wasn't done turning his entire life upside down. Her eyes still closed, the fatigue visible on her features, her walls completely down, she spoke the words that melted his heart.
"All those nights, I should have stayed with you. I wanted to stay, Killian, but I couldn't... I should have woken up next to you… I'm sorry."
She grew agitated at the last of her words and he quickly bent over, squeezing her hand and murmuring into her skin. "Shhh, Swan, it's fine. Sleep." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, feeling her warmth seep into him the moment his lips touched her skin. "Sleep, my love."
The words sank into him the moment they escaped his lips, their meaning more clear to him than ever. In between her dances and his lurking, the lines he dared to cross and those nights where the only thing that made sense in his life was her body rocking against his, he'd fallen for her.
He'd fallen for Emma Swan and he was going to make sure the bastard that hurt her paid the price.
/-/
He waited a few hours, making sure Emma was well, watching as sleep seemed to help her recover some, before he finally left her room. Graham and Ruby were curled together on the couch in the living room, but they pulled apart as they saw the resolve in his face. Ruby gave him a small smile as she excused herself to go check on Emma.
Killian took a moment to peruse over the apartment, noticing the lack of any familiar mementos or personal touches. It seemed he had many things in common with Emma, and their places being simply an abode in which to sleep but not really a home was one of them.
He craned his neck to the side, letting his bones shift and crack into position as he took a deep breath and focused on Graham.
"Killian -" Graham started, but Killian waved his hand.
"Where is he?" he asked, not wanting to delay the inevitable. "Where's Walsh?"
"I haven't found him yet."
Of course he hadn't. That was Killian's job, it was him who usually found people for Graham and delivered them to his door. He would do it again.
"I'll find him," Killian said, his voice sounding foreign even to himself. The ruthless tone would be enough to scare any man who wasn't Graham bloody Humbert.
"Killian." Graham's tone wasn't one that Killian wanted to hear at the moment and he shook his head. "Remember that the stakes are higher in here. This goes beyond Walsh and you know it."
He cursed. Of course Killian knew it. He'd been doing Graham's dirty work for years, finding people for him, blurring the lines and doing the shady business when needed, all in the name of the greater good. But this… this was where his line was crossed.
"You can't expect me to do nothing, Humbert!" He tilted his head and clenched his jaw in frustration. "What would you do? What if it were Ruby?"
Graham clenched his own jaw in frustration and Killian knew he'd just buy his way into this. "Just - be careful, Killian. I won't tell you what to do. I'm going to trust that when the time is right, you'll choose the type of man you want to be."
/-/
It took only a couple of days to track down Walsh. The bastard never really thought anyone would care that much about what he considered a low-life whore with delusions of grandeur.
And in the end, Killian was pretty sure it was those exact words coming out of his mouth that sealed the man's fate. He'd always been able to keep in control, keep detached from whatever it was he was doing for whomever was paying him to do it. It was always controlled, planned, and carefully executed. He was meticulous in his tasks.
But not this time. Every punch he threw as he beat the man to within an inch of his life was full of a tempestuous rage that Killian almost hadn't been able to control.
And he knew it'd be like that, which is why he'd alerted Graham to come find them at the address where he'd found Walsh. He was cleaning the blood from his hands when Graham showed up with two of his men in tow. The cop cocked his head as he studied him. "Is he alive?"
Killian shrugged. "He's breathing… for now. I left him handcuffed to the heater." He tossed the keys to Graham and started to walk away. "He's all yours."
Graham stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Killian, you might want to -"
Killian didn't need to hear to rest of that sentence. He knew what he had to do, it wasn't something he hadn't done before. He needed to make himself invisible, and more importantly, untraceable. "Aye, I'm on my way."
Graham clasped his shoulder. "I'll let you know when the dust settles."
Killian nodded. "You know where to find me." He gave Graham a serious stare. "Graham, you're the only one who knows where to find me. I trust you will keep it that way." In all the years they've known each other, Graham had never betrayed that trust, but Killian felt the need to remind him nonetheless.
Graham nodded, a final pat to Killian's shoulder signaling the end of the conversation as his men emerged from the warehouse and an ambulance siren could be heard in the distance.
Killian cocked his head and took a deep breath, readying himself to disappear into the night.
He only had one visit to do before that.
/-/
It didn't take him long to throw the few things he wanted in a duffel bag and pick up some cash, IDs, and firearms from his place. He did a quick run through to make sure everything was settled for him to be gone for a while, - which wasn't a problem as his apartment had been nothing but a glorified homebase for years, and he was on his way out of the door, carefully locking up behind him.
He fidgeted his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove to Emma's apartment. He knew he should be leaving the city as soon as possible, but also knew he wouldn't leave without at least saying goodbye to her.
Ruby answered the door and the way she simply tilted her head towards the bedroom tipped Killian on the fact that she was expecting him. He cleared his throat and gave her a small smile before heading to the Emma's room.
His smile widened when he found Emma propped up halfway to a sitting position, a few pillows tucked underneath her back to help support her. She looked at him as he smiled, her hand motioning for him to enter. He walked towards her bed and sat on the edge, careful not to jostle her. Looking closer, she was still pale and fragile, the bruises on her face turning into a yellowish purple, but there was a little bit of glint back into her eyes.
Killian didn't know what to say - what was he even allowed to say considering what they were or weren't to one another - so he simply sighed and reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips.
"I need to disappear for a while," he whispered against her palm as his eyes peered upwards to meet hers. Emma squinted and her fingers grazed his scraped knuckles, the realization of what he meant dawning on her.
"Killian -" Her voice broke and he pulled her closer to him, resting his forehead against hers, and taking a moment to breathe her in.
"It's all right, love. It'll be fine. I just need to make myself scarce for a few weeks." That it might be more went unsaid. "Graham is going to make sure you're safe. Nothing like this will ever happen to you again. I promise."
His resolve faltered as the words left his mouth. His need to protect her and not leave her side nesting deep within him, though he knew she didn't need saving. And as much as he might want nothing more in this world for her to come with him, he wasn't going to ask that of her. He couldn't let himself hope for that much.
He brushed his lips against hers in a parting kiss. "Take care, my love." His heart betrayed his brain at those last words and he felt a shiver run through her. Killian started to pull away, a heavy weight settling on his chest at every inch that separated him from her. But when her hand squeezed his, he lifted his eyes to hers, a sliver of hope sneaking inside him.
"Can I - Can I disappear with you?" Her voice was soft, and he could read her hesitancy there, but he could also feel her resolution in the way she looked at him. She was letting him in and he could tell it frightened her, but Killian was not going give her a reason to regret the decision.
He pulled her to him, his hand on her cheek as he kissed her. "To the end of the world and time, Emma," he mumbled against her lips.
She laughed, quirking an eyebrow at him and teasing at his theatrics. "Let me get a few things together. Can you get Ruby for me?"
"Aye, I'll wait for you outside."
Twenty minutes later, Emma emerged from the room, dressed in a pair of washed out jeans and a dark sweater. Ruby was by her side in case Emma needed to lean on her, and she carried a travel bag that she handed to Killian. He took the bag, securing it over his shoulder before his arm darted around Emma's waist. She leaned closer to him, her nose pressed at the hollow of his neck as she breathed him in.
"Ready?"
"Yes, let's do this."
He didn't let go of her as they left the building and walked towards his car. His hand left her waist only to link their fingers together as he put her bag into the truck, next to his. Emma leaned in to kiss him as he helped her into the passenger seat and buckled the seat belt. He took a few more luscious moments to simply kiss her, to lose himself into the warm press of her lips against his. The soft touch of her fingertips on his earlobe. The way her hair felt felt tangled in his hand.
This time, when he disappeared into the night, he was looking forward to what would come next.