Chapter 7: Rendezvous in Central Park

"Emma Swan?"

She stood up and, followed by Henry, joined the woman dressed in a white coat.

"For a first ultrasound, that's right?"

"Yes," Emma confirmed, chewing on her lip as she was a bit anxious about what was to come.

"I'm Doctor Lisa Cuddy," the black-haired woman in her early fifties introduced herself. She shook her hand and addressed Henry. "And I presume you're her son?"

"Yes! I want to see the baby."

Since Emma had told him about the ultrasound, Henry had been impatiently waiting for it, delighted at the prospect of seeing his baby brother or sister for the first time. Lisa gave him a gentle smile.

"You can come in, but I'll ask you to remain seated next to your mother. Is that okay for you?"

"Sure!"

"And the father?" Lisa hesitantly asked Emma when they entered her consulting room.

"He… He couldn't come today. But he surely would have loved to be here."

Emma had not heard from Killian since their last encounter in Battery Park.

"The baby will have the best dad ever," Henry added and his mother flattened her lips.

The obstetrician didn't dare to ask anything else about Killian. After a talk with Emma, she got her ready for the ultrasound scan.

"How does that work?" Henry asked when, once they had all settled down, the doctor took the transducer.

Lisa smiled warmly and showed him the device. "This emits things called sound waves. The sound waves bounce off the fetus and that creates the picture you'll see on the screen."

"Awesome!" Henry glanced at the screen before devoting his attention to all the medical equipment.

"It's not dangerous, right?" Emma asked, worried about the sound waves.

"It's harmless for the baby," the doctor reassured. "And it's harmless for you too. The gel might just be chilly."

Emma took a deep breath and nodded.

"Are you ready?" Lisa asked.

Emma silently nodded again. She was anxious to see what the scan would show, because she had read enough about ultrasounds to know these examinations could reveal serious problems. Even the doctor had reminded her of this possibility.

Soon, Lisa was rubbing the transducer over her abdomen.

"Here is your baby!" she said.

Emma's eyes were riveted on the screen the doctor was indicating. Trying to understand what he was seeing, Henry frowned.

"I can't see the baby."

"Here, look. You can see the head, the arms, and the legs," Lisa patiently explained, pointing different parts of the screen.

Stirred, Emma was unable to tear her gaze away from the screen. At first, she had been slightly unsure about what the image was depicting, but with Lisa's indications, she could clearly see her baby – Killian's baby.

"I've read it's possible to get a picture to bring home," she said. "Could I get one? For… the father."

"Of course," the doctor answered with her usual kindness. "You'll go back home with a sonogram. We don't always give one, but I always do in conditions like yours, when the father can't be here."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Henry asked.

"I can't answer this question. It is too soon to tell. But there's something I should be able to do." Lisa played with the equipment and moved the transducer. "Here! Can you hear this sound? It's the baby's heartbeat."

Keeping her eyes on the screen and listening to the rapid beating, Emma brought her hand to her mouth. During the past two weeks, she had got used to the idea she was carrying Killian's baby, but the sonogram and the beating sound filling the room were making it much more real than a line on a pregnancy test; more than ever, she was aware of the life growing inside her, and tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks.

She turned to her son – the one who was there to share this moment with her – and frowned when she saw him on his phone. "Henry, what are you doing?"

With a bright smile was on his face, he showed her his phone and indicated the sound recorder icon. "For Killian!"

"Oh." The prospect of being able to share this with Killian adding up to the emotion she was already overwhelmed with, she didn't say anything else and settled for nodding approvingly.

"Phones are usually not allowed in the room, but I can make an exception," Lisa said, holding out her hand. "Give it to me, the quality of the sound will be even better if we place it closer."

They grew quiet and Emma watched her recording the baby's heartbeat on Henry's phone. She had not seen many doctors in her life but she could guess she had been lucky, as surely not all doctors were as compassionate as Lisa. Quickly, her thoughts drifted back to the baby and to the regular beating sound.

"The heartbeat is fast and strong," the doctor announced, giving his phone back to Henry. "Ultrasounds can't detect everything, of course, but a fast and strong heartbeat is a very good sign: it means your baby is in good health."

This piece of information made Emma even more emotional. Her baby was fine. She gazed at the image on the screen and felt like she could indefinitely stare at it. Her only wish was that she would soon find a way to get her Killian back; to help him regain his memories so that she could tell him everything. At last, they would be able to get back on track.

"Emma?" Lisa interrupted her musings. "You didn't know how long you've been pregnant, but I've just measured your baby; you're a bit more than ten weeks pregnant. This means your due date is June the thirteenth."

"June the thirteenth," Emma repeated.

"Does that mean the baby will be born on June the thirteenth?" Henry asked, making sure he was not misunderstanding.

"That's an estimation," Lisa explained. "It's very likely that the baby will come a bit earlier or later. That's normal; this happens in most cases."

At the end of the consultation, the doctor talked with Emma and gave her a file containing all the information obtained from the scan and the sonogram.

"Before you leave, head to the reception desk. The secretary will fix an appointment for your second trimester ultrasound, in about two months."

"Actually…" Emma hesitated on how to word it. "If things go well, I should not be in New York anymore."

"Oh well… Wherever you go, you probably won't have any difficulty in finding another clinic or practice."

"I wouldn't bet on that," she muttered.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you both." The doctor held out a hand for her to shake.

"Thank you. For everything," Emma said; Lisa had managed to turn this experience she had been dreading into a pleasant one.

"I'm just doing my job," the woman answered with a warm smile. "Take care."

Emma woke up and took a deep breath. She turned her head to glance at her alarm clock. Half past seven; she had not planned on waking up so early. Breathing fast, she looked at the ceiling and tried to calm down. There was something different from the thirty-nine past mornings when she had awoken without Killian, but she was unable to pinpoint what that was. It was usual for her thoughts to be monopolized by the man she loved, but there was something else; a feeling she couldn't describe. Too excited to stay in bed any longer and deciding that staring at the ceiling would not help, she got up and went to make some pancakes.

"It smells good!" Henry commented as he came out of his room when the pancakes were almost ready. "Are you cooking pancakes?"

"Yes," she answered with a bright smile. "I thought it would please you to have some for breakfast."

"It does!" He lightly tilted his head on the side, examining his mother. "You seem to be in a good mood."

"I am!"

"Why?"

"I don't know," she shrugged and her smile didn't fade away while she finished cooking. "Pancakes are ready!"

When she went back to her room after breakfast and a shower, she was still clueless about what was different on this morning. She was getting dressed when a sound she had not heard in a long time made her start with surprise. Instantly identifying it as the notification sound of her phone, she rushed to her bedside table and grabbed the device. Her heart skipped a beat when she read the text.

'Emma, it's Killian. I need to see you. Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, this morning at ten. Can you be there?'

'YES!' she quickly typed. Taking a deep breath and trying to calm down, she realized the capitals were unnecessary. She erased the word and typed again, 'Yes!'

Her thumb hovered over the send button while she stared at the single word, hesitating.

'See you there,' she added to clearly confirm her intention to be in Central Park.

She felt a fluttery sensation in her stomach when she sent the text. She glanced at the time indicated at the top of the screen; half past eight. Putting her shirt on, she ran out of her room and found her son reading on the couch.

"Henry! It's time to pack, Killian wants to see me in an hour and a half in Central Park. Call Liam, I want you to stay with him." She spoke very fast, making him open wide eyes. "Pack everything you want to bring back home, because I don't think we'll come back here."

The boy looked taken aback. "How do you know?"

"I don't know. I just… I do. Maybe that's why I've been feeling so good this morning. Maybe he decided he needed to see me, and somehow I've felt it, I don't know." Buttoning her shirt and thinking out loud, Emma suddenly looked up at her son. "Maybe he even remembers! Call Liam, pack everything."

Emma was aware she might be wrong, and that Killian wanting to see her didn't mean they would go back home, but she felt like he wanted more than just checking on her. She had given him some time, and she wanted to believe that enough days had passed and that he was ready. Deep down, she was convinced that she was right, even if she was unable to explain how or why she was feeling this way.

Packing was rather quick, as there was not much from this realm that they wanted to bring back to the Enchanted Forest. Liam joined them and, when Emma briefed him, he looked as startled as Henry had, but he didn't try to contradict her. When they were ready to leave, Emma checked one more time that the magic bean was inside her pocket. Then, she locked the door and left the key where the owner of the apartment had left it in the first place.

The three of them headed to Central Park and, after a fifteen-minute walk, reached its entrance.

"Remember, Henry…"

"Mum, I know," the boy reassured her. "I keep the phone within reach and show Liam around the park, and when you text me, we join you at Bethesda Fountain."

"Are you sure you'll be able to find your way to the fountain?"

"Mum…" Amused, the boy shook his head. "Don't worry about us. We came here many times, I know the park well."

"Liam?" Emma asked inquiringly, looking for some confirmation that she indeed didn't need to worry.

"Henry's right, we'll be just fine."

"Now, go."

Her son gently pushed her toward the path she had to follow. Once alone, Emma was tempted to run but she refrained from doing so, because she was early and she wanted to spend the least amount of time possible waiting there for him to come.

Soon, she reached the upper terrace. The place overlooked the lake and the lower terrace in the middle of which was the fountain. Surely because it was a sunny day, the place was already crowded. She was ten minutes early, but maybe Killian was earlier than her; placing her hands on the balustrade in an attempt to control her emotions, she avidly scanned the place. Her heart beat wildly and butterflies seemed to take wing in her stomach when she saw him. He was standing right next to the fountain, turning his back on her and staring down at the water. She didn't even have time to wonder about how she was supposed to catch his attention: he turned around and a grin split his face. Beaming at him, she rushed to the stone stairs leading to the lower level. Watching her step to make sure she would not stumble on the way down, her breath caught in her throat when she looked up and saw Killian standing at the foot of the stairs. The sight reminded her of the royal ball on the day after her birthday, when she had joined him down the stairs and they had danced all evening. She shook off the idea and, keeping her eyes on him, slowed down as she got closer.

"Hi!" she said enthusiastically once she was at his level, instantly feeling stupid for not finding anything better to say.

"Hi!" he replied with the same enthusiasm before raising an inquiring eyebrow. "I hope I didn't wake you up? I wanted to wait until nine before sending you the text, but I couldn't wait any longer."

"I was up already," she reassured.

"I'm glad you came. I wanted to see you."

Until then standing at the foot of the stairs, facing each other with only a short distance separating them, Killian took her hand and she followed him to the fountain.

"What is it about this fountain?" Emma asked out of curiosity. "When I've found you just a minute ago, you looked thoughtful while gazing at it."

"Oh, I was just looking at the coins at the bottom. I don't understand why they keep throwing their money like this."

"Some believe it'll bring them luck." Emma examined him, thinking of everything she would need to tell him about realms and magic if he asked questions; was he ready to believe?

"Do you?"

"Uh?"

Gazing at him had made her lose track, and a familiar crooked smile which she found adorable made its appearance.

"Do you believe this brings luck?" he clarified the question while indicating the coins at the bottom of the fountain.

"I think I'm more the you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it kind of person, and I've never seen a coin at the bottom of a fountain do anything," she said, still trying to assess how much he was ready to take in. "But I used not to believe in many things, and the past year showed me that there was far more in this world than I would have ever imagined."

Killian thoughtfully contemplated her and they gazed at each other in silence.

"To believe," he said. "This actually brings us to the reason why I needed to see you: I believe I was wrong. The last time I saw you, in Battery Park, something happened, and I didn't see it for what it was."

Emma looked at him in utter confusion. Seeing she had no idea what he was talking about, he softly took her hand while thinking of a way to explain it, and took a deep breath before going on.

"When we were in Battery Park, you kissed my cheek. That's when something happened. I saw something. I saw us… uh, my apologies for being so bold but I saw us, making love. And I thought it was my imagination but, last night, I dreamt of us and it made me realize – I mean, it's not dreaming of us that made me realize, because I do that quite often – but this morning I realized that my dreams are much blurrier than this vision I had in Battery Park, and I understood why: it's because what I saw there was not created by my imagination. It was a memory. Because of the kiss. That's why you kissed me when you first knocked on my door, right? You were trying to make me remember."

"Yes," Emma confirmed. With Killian speaking fast and she being busy processing what he was saying, this was all she could say.

"Last time, you said we used to be very close, and you didn't mention what happened between us; why we are not so close anymore and how I am now engaged to Milah. The reason seems to be too much of a great deal for you to explain, or for me to guess, but whatever that was, none of us wanted it to happen; we never meant to part, right? We're supposed to be together, aren't we?"

"Yes." Once again, she was unable to say more. Her Killian had got a memory back. Because of a simple kiss on the cheek. He was dreaming of her. He knew they belonged together. Each new piece of information was adding up to the previous ones and it was a lot to take in.

"You also said that when I would want to remember, when I would be ready, I would. Well, I am, now. I may not know much about the past, but I do know this: I love you, Emma Swan, no matter who we are or what happened. And I want to remember."

Hearing his words, Emma could do nothing but look him in the eye, tightening her hold on his hand in search of some support to keep standing. She could feel his eyes searching hers and going down to her mouth and there it was: the moment of anticipation; this moment when she knew their lips would meet. The knowledge of this sent a rush of adrenaline through her veins. Keeping her hand in his, he brushed her cheek and her jaw. He stopped under her chin, making her lightly tilt her head back and, her heart pounding wildly, she leant forward. The first touch of their lips felt unfamiliar, with his lips only passively pressed against hers. But soon, his subconscious seemed to take over – surely what they called muscle memory – and his lips moved more actively.

But it was more than muscle memory. From the moment when their lips met, mental pictures started to flood Killian's mind, and it all came back in flashes.

Emma bumping into him on the Jolly Roger, on the day when they first met. A beanstalk. Horseriding. Sailing. Stargazing. Their first kiss.

The happiness associated with these moments made him want more. Placing her hand on his jaw and slipping his in the nape of her neck, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

The Evil Queen taking Emma away from him. A fight to find her alongside his brother, and the loss of his hand. Rumplestiltskin and Milah.

Frowning at the painful memories, his lips froze against hers, but Emma was eager and new mental pictures appeared.

The true love's kiss. Their first time.

The memory was even more intense than when he had caught a glimpse of it in Battery Park. Completely absorbed by the movie playing in his mind, his hand trailed down her neck and her side, and he wrapped both his arms around her to press her against him.

Henry walking on deck. Emma's enchanting magic. Evenings of storytelling spent on the Jolly Roger. Nights of love. Smiles and laughs, and pure happiness. A book. A box containing the ring Milah was wearing. Lights in the sky. Her parents. A dance. The Evil Queen. A fall through a portal, followed by total blackness.

Mental pictures of the past faded away, giving place to the present moment. All Killian was aware of was Emma; her lips sending all these feels through his body by moving so passionately against his, her hands gripping the collar of his leather jacket, her hair under his fingers, her body pressed against him. It felt like she didn't want their lips to pull apart, and he didn't want it either. They were in a world belonging only to the two of them, and he had a feeling opening his eyes and returning to the real world would be painful.

The kiss went on. It was one for the ages, as if they were trying to make up for all the kisses they had missed during the past weeks. Emma was so overwhelmed with emotions that tears were rolling down her cheeks. Each of his moves, from the way his lips were pressing against hers to the way his embrace felt tight and tender at the same time, made her realize how much she had missed him. She was breathless but also felt like breathing had never been easier. She didn't want the kiss to ever end. She didn't want to have to deal with anything which didn't imply being in his embrace or feeling his lips against hers.

But the kiss had to end and, when it did, they kept close to each other. He cupped her cheek and she covered his hand with hers.

"Emma…"

She opened her eyes and she knew it had worked.

"You remember!"

A sound like a mix of a laugh and a sob escaped her. Bursting with joy, she peppered his cheeks with kisses. But when she wanted to go for his lips, she landed on his cheek again. He had deliberately avoided the kiss.

"Killian…"

"What have I done?"

"Killian, don't." But it was too late. All she could see in his eyes was guilt. "Killian, it's okay."

She hugged him and he kept her in his arms. From where she was, she couldn't see his eyes watering at the realization he had hurt the one he loved, or his jaw clenching. He didn't want her to be aware of the self-loathing thoughts which were crossing his mind.

"I see you've made your choice," said a familiar feminine voice.

Keeping her arms around Killian, Emma pulled away from the hug. Milah was there, and her words made her feel guilty.

"Milah, I'm sorry," Emma apologized.

"Please spare me this."

"But I am."

"Don't be," Milah said dismissively. "I could see I was not enough to make him happy. So I told him to go to you if that was what his heart was really telling him." In front of Emma's surprise, Milah confirmed, "Yes, I told him that. I mean, what could I do against a love such as yours?"

"Milah, I promise you I really tried," Killian spoke and Emma didn't need to look at him to know he was overcome with guilt.

"Oh yes, I know." Milah took a step closer to Killian. "But you failed and I got bored by my own game. That's why I told you to go back to her. I despise this town anyway."

Emma frowned at her last words; wasn't New York all she remembered? There was something off. Milah looked around before catching Emma's eyes.

"Where's Henry?" she asked. "I thought he would be with you."

"He's not far, he's just…"

Emma trailed off and, without taking her eyes off her, tightened her hold on Killian's hand. Milah had seen Henry only once, and Emma didn't remember ever mentioning his name in her presence. The malevolent smile which stretched Milah's lips confirmed she was right to worry.

"That was the sign you were looking for, wasn't it?" The woman asked. "Trying to see if I was showing any interest in him. Well, I didn't need to show anything; not when I could watch you both from home. But don't worry, I haven't done anything to him, he's still walking around the park with Liam."

"Emma, what's wrong?" Killian asked because she was squeezing his hand.

"My poor Killian, you look confused. Let me enlighten you," Milah said. She brought her necklace out of her shirt and showed it to him. "See this necklace? It made all of this possible. Look at what it can do."

What happened next only confirmed what Emma already knew: Milah tightly held her necklace between two fingers and disappeared in a puff of red smoke. When the smoke evaporated, the Evil Queen was standing in front of them. Her little game had caught the attention of people around them and they applauded, thinking all of this was nothing more than a good show, because they were not ready to believe in magic even when it was just in front of them. But Emma and Killian knew too well that all of this was real and, still holding hands, they were like frozen.

"Amazing necklace, isn't it?" The Evil Queen smirked. "Ironically, I wouldn't have found it if it wasn't for the two of you. You took Henry from me and, while searching everywhere, I've found this object in the Underwater Kingdom. It allows to import magic to lands devoid of it. Literally bewitching, isn't it?"

"What did you do to Milah? Where is she?"

"I'm afraid she isn't anymore."

"You killed her…"

"I saved her from that beast. But, yes. Later, I did. She was a collateral damage." She gazed at Killian and another smirk appeared on her face. "What is it that I see here? Would you have grown to care about her? But it was me all along, my dear. Admittedly, under another appearance; but still me."

"All of this has been a lie," Killian said through gritted teeth.

"Not all of it was fake."

"Why did you do this?" Emma interrupted. She had suspected Milah to be Regina in disguise, but she had put her suspicions aside when Killian had talked about her and mentioned how kind she was. Despite her evil smirks, there seemed to be more in her eyes than what she was willing to let appear.

"Why? Do I really need to answer that question? You stole my son, I stole your man. It only seemed fair. But as I said, I got bored by my own game. I want to go home. I prefer ruling a kingdom from a castle than from behind a mirror in a small room." She turned to Killian again. "I will miss these nights spent in your arms, Captain. But I shall see you again."

With a move of her hand, the Evil Queen disappeared in another puff of red smoke.

"Henry," Emma whispered.

She immediately brought her phone out of her pocket to call her son. Each tone was making her more anxious until, at last… "Mum?"

"Henry! Are you safe?"

"Yes, why?" The boy sounded surprised, but she didn't take the time to explain to him.

"I want you and Liam to come here immediately. Bethesda Fountain."

"Okay, we're coming. We're not far, we're at Bow Bridge. Did you find Killian? Does he remember?"

"Yes. It's time to go home."

"Home, you mean…"

"Yes," she confirmed, gazing at Killian who was watching her. "Just come."

"Mum, relax, we're on our way already."

"Good. See you in a minute." Emma hung up. "Killian..."

"Home?" he asked.

"Yes, home. You know…" She trailed off, noticing that they were surrounded by a crowd of curious tourists who had gathered when the Evil Queen had done her little number. She decided that she didn't care. "The Enchanted Forest. I have a magic bean."

Lightly shaking his head, Killian averted his eyes.

"Killian, it's alright."

"None of this is alright, Emma."

"Let's just get home, and everything will be. Killian, look at me." Cupping his cheeks, she waited for him to look her in the eye before going on. "It's actually even easier than I thought it would be: we don't even have to worry about Milah. We can just go home and…"

"Mum! Killian!" Henry made his way through the crowd, curiously glancing at them, and stopped in front of them. "Killian! How are you?"

"I'm good, lad," he lied with a smile which didn't reach his eyes.

The boy didn't seem to notice and hugged him.

"Glad to have you back, brother," Liam said with a pat on his shoulder.

"Killian?" asked Henry when he pulled away from the hug. "Why don't you look happy? You remember everything, right?"

"Aye, I do remember. I just have things to deal with."

"It's complicated," Emma added. "For now, let's go home." She looked back. The terrace was bordering a lake. "I've never used a magic bean, but I guess that'll do."

"Emma… There are many people watching," Liam pointed out.

"They won't believe what they see," she reassured. If the crowd had thought the Evil Queen's puffs of smoke were nothing more than a show, they were likely to think the same of the portal. "And even if they do, we'll already be far away from here."

"What if one of them follows us through the portal?"

"Believe me," she insisted. "I know what it's like to live in this realm and not to believe. No one will have the idea to come with us."

Bringing a small pouch out of her pocket, she emptied its content in her hand: a translucent bean.

"Mum! Can I be the one to open the portal?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Sure, kid!" she answered with a smile and handed him the magic bean. "Just don't toss it too far. I'll do without having to swim to the other end of the lake."

The boy chuckled. "Don't worry."

The four of them walked to the edge of the terrace and stopped in line, with Henry standing between his mother and Liam, and Emma holding Killian's hand.

"Now?" Henry asked, looking up at his mother.

"Now," she confirmed with a nod.

The boy threw the bean into the water and a green whirlpool appeared in front of them.

"Wicked!" Henry exclaimed while taking his mother's and Liam's hands.

"Jump!" ordered Emma.

So they did, and the portal closed itself right behind them.