Today

A few hours later they were sitting in his car, driving back to their hometown. Killian tried to keep his focus on the road, but he couldn't help but look at Emma from time to time, trying to find the courage to ask the question that was on his mind.

The conversation with Ruth earlier had been awkward enough, but he knew that it would only get worse once they arrived at her house and she and David learned about Emma's pregnancy and her intention to stay with him instead of returning to her childhood home.

Finally he cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the road while he asked: "What are you intending to tell them about the father?" After all, they would most certainly want to know who he was.

Emma tensed. "Nothing."

"Emma…" he started, but was interrupted, when she said: "They can't know anything of him."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because they would most likely get his family involved and I don't want that to happen." Emma turned in her seat to better face him. "Do you remember the guy you've caught me with the last time we both were home?"

Killian's jaw clenched and he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, when he remembered the smug looking bastard. "Yeah."

"His name's Neal. He usually goes by his mother's maiden name Cassidy, but his actual name is Gold."

Killian's head spun toward her. "You're kidding?" The Gold family was the oldest and wealthiest family of their hometown and probably among the most influential families in the state. But rumor had it that their latest patriarch wasn't always acting on the legal side in his dealings. Not that it was possible to prove anything.

She shook her head. "No. But I guess you understand now why I don't want them to be involved. Either they'd claim that I'm lying and only trying to get their money. Or they'd try to prove that I'm unfit to be a mother and take my baby away. And I believe running away before finishing High School, not having a job and being only eighteen could work in their favor there."

"You know I wouldn't let that happen," Killian assured her.

Emma offered him a sad smile. "I know you'd try. But I don't want to take that chance. So please, don't tell Mom or David about Neal?"

Killian bit his lip, considering what would be best. But in the end he nodded. He had hardly ever been able to deny Emma anything. And how could he now, when he could understand her reasoning?

"Thank you," she answered quietly and returned to looking out of the window.

They drove the rest of the way in near silence, only the radio interrupting the quiet.

When they arrived at her mother's house, Killian parked the car and turned off the engine, before turning toward Emma. "Ready?"

She swallowed, but then nodded.

Killian left the car and hurried to help her out, offering her his hand to do so. They kept holding hands as they walked toward the front door, without actually realizing it. Before they reached it however, the door was pulled open and Ruth almost ran towards them, embracing her daughter who was still holding on to Killian. He was trying not to interrupt their moment and let his eyes wander until they landed on David, who was walking towards them.

"Oh my…" Ruth got out, when she finally pulled away, tears in her eyes that were directed toward Emma's belly. "Emma, honey, what…?"

Killian noticed the moment when David saw his little sister's baby bump, noticed how his fists clenched and his jaw tensed.

"Who?" he asked, anger in his voice.

Killian felt how Emma tightened her hold of him and he suggested: "Maybe we should go inside to have this conversation?"

"Of course," Ruth agreed quickly and ushered them toward the house.

Once they were inside and the front door was closed, David asked again: "Who's the father?" His arms were crossed in front of his chest and he looked at his sister sternly.

"Mate, your sister is back home and all you can focus on is that she's pregnant? You haven't even said hello…"

David turned his angry gaze toward him. "Excuse me that I'm not exactly happy to see my baby sister having been knocked up." He took a deep breath and returned his attention to Emma. "I am glad that you're back, but I would like to know what happened."

"It doesn't matter," Emma said quietly.

"I believe it does," David disagreed.

The two siblings were staring at each other and their mother, who had been so relieved just moments earlier, now looked worriedly from one of her children to the other.

That was when Killian heard himself say: "It's mine."

He had barely time to register Emma's wide-eyed stare as she spun her head toward him, her blonde locks flying, when he felt David's fist connect with his jaw, sending him to the floor.

2 years ago

Killian parked his car in front of the familiar house and after turning off the engine, he hurried toward the door. He had barely knocked, when the door was pulled open and two arms were wrapped around him, the haste of the greeting causing him to laugh.

When Emma pulled back, she simply said: "You're late!"

Killian scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, love. I got caught up at work earlier and couldn't leave when I intended to. Forgive me?"

She seemed to consider it for a moment, before she said: "Of course. It's Christmas after all."

With a smile he placed his arm around her shoulders and they walked inside together.

It had been more than half a year since he was the last time in his hometown, more than six months since he had last visited the three most important people he had left in his life. Emma was the one he had missed the most, even though they were texting and talking on the phone every chance they got. But there was just something about being in her presence that made his life just a little bit better.

Killian spent the afternoon and evening with his second family, catching up on what they hadn't had the chance yet to talk about on the phone. He learned all about David's new girlfriend, about Ruth's plans to renovate her little restaurant in spring and about Emma's latest achievements in the school's sports program.

When it was time to go to bed, he returned to the room that had become his when he had moved into this house. It still looked pretty much the same as it had when he had moved out and somehow it warmed his heart, that Ruth hadn't returned it into its original state once he was gone.

Killian changed into some pajama pants and a t-shirt, before going into the bathroom across the hall to brush his teeth. Once he had returned to his room, he climbed into his bed to read a little before attempting to sleep. But he had barely finished one paragraph, when a quiet knock on the door interrupted him. He got up and opened the door, knowing exactly who would be standing outside.

Killian smiled, when he saw Emma in a similar outfit as his own, the comfortable looking pajama pants and the long-sleeved shirt embracing her slim figure nicely. "I thought your mother has decided that it was time for bed?"

She shrugged. "Since when has that ever stopped us?"

With a grin he made room for her to enter and she immediately got comfortable in his bed, where he joined her a moment later. He reached for his laptop next to his bed and started it.

"What are you in the mood for tonight?" he asked her.

"Something classic. How about Breakfast at Tiffany's?"

"Sounds good to me," he agreed and searched for the movie. Once it had started, Emma snuggled further into the covers and Killian turned off the light on his bedside table.

They watched the movie mostly in silence, only occasionally interrupting when one of their favorite moments came up. Time and time again, Killian glanced at Emma, whose head was now resting on his shoulder, and smiled when he saw her moving her lips along the lines that were being said. By the time the end credits were rolling, she was asleep though. Killian considered for a moment to wake her or to take her to her own bed, but he was reluctant to interrupt her slumber. So he only put the laptop aside and snuggled deeper into the covers, his arm wrapped around her middle and his nose buried in her hair. Unconsciously his fingers stroked along her side. His last conscious thought was that he could get used to falling asleep with Emma by his side.

When he woke up the next morning, they had changed their position, but apparently even while fast asleep, their bodies had searched each other's proximity. He was lying behind her, his arm once again wrapped around her waist. Her butt was gently pressed against his crotch and Killian couldn't deny his body's reaction to her. He only hoped that she wouldn't notice.

He moved away from her as far as the bed allowed and closed his eyes, trying to regain control over his body. Then he looked at her and smiled when he saw her tousled hair and the slightly parted lips. All of a sudden he had the urge to kiss her and he was shocked by his body's desires. Since when did he think of her in such a way?

Killian all but fell out of the bed in his hurry to bring a little more distance between them. He gathered some clothes and quickly left the room to take a shower. He took a little more time than usual, hoping to manage to control his thoughts. When he finally had finished his shower and was dried and dressed once again, he returned to his room and saw with relief that Emma had left, even though he could still feel her presence.

He joined the rest of the family at breakfast half an hour later, taking the only empty seat between Emma and her brother at the round kitchen table.

An hour later Emma and Ruth left to some grocery shopping, while the two young men were supposed to clean up the house. But the moment the car drove off, David turned to his friend.

"Why did my sister sneak out of your room this morning?"

Killian tried to act innocent. "What?"

David only shook his head. "Try again."

Killian sighed. "Look, mate, we both fell asleep after watching a movie late last night. Nothing else."

"You really expect me to believe that?"

"It's the bloody truth!"

"You know what else is the truth, mate?" David asked in a mocking tone. "Ever since you showed up here yesterday, the two of you have been flirting. Whether it had been through looks or smiles or banter. You two managed to bump into each other, to touch at every possible moment."

Killian opened his mouth to deny it, but somehow the words wouldn't come. It was true that he and Emma seemed to have been drawn to each other the day before and he could remember more than one occasion, when he had brushed her hair back or her hand stroked his arm. He hadn't realized it the day before, but now he couldn't convincingly say otherwise.

David sighed. "I know the two of you are friends and that's great. She needs friends. What she doesn't need, is a guy who makes her fall for him and who maybe manages to visit her once or twice a year, who cancels his visit at her birthday in the last minute because work gets in the way. She deserves better."

Killian nodded. "I know." He remembered the sad tone of her voice, when he had to tell her that he couldn't make it to her sixteenth birthday and he still hated himself a little for having to disappoint her.

"Just don't get her hopes up. She's sixteen, she should be dating someone her own age if she's got to date at all."

Killian tensed for a moment at the idea of some teenage boy dating Emma, but he forced himself to not do or say anything.

"With that settled, I guess we should start cleaning up," David said and turned toward the kitchen, leaving Killian alone in the living room with his thoughts.

Today

Emma walked with him toward the bathroom to clean the cut at his lip that was the result of David's punch. They could hear Ruth talking sternly to her son, telling him to cool down and let them explain the situation.

Once he and Emma were inside the small bathroom on the first floor and the door was closed, she turned to him.

"What the hell have you been thinking?"

"Honest answer? I didn't think about what I was saying. The words were out before I could stop myself."

Emma closed her eyes.

Killian reached for her hands. "It's not the worst situation. Your brother now has someone to blame and most likely won't consider other alternatives. And if he wants to throw another punch or two, I can take it."

She looked at him, not letting go of his hands. "You shouldn't have to. It's my mess, not yours."

"Doesn't mean you have to do this on your own. I'm in this with you in whatever way you want. Just tell me if you want to go through with it. If not we can just tell them that I was trying to help David get some of the anger out of his system."

Emma kept her eyes on him, apparently searching for any hint that he wasn't sincere in his offer. Finally she nodded. "Ok."

Killian smiled and then flinched. He had almost forgotten about the still bleeding cut on his lip. "I guess I should clean myself up a little, before we return to your family."

"Of course," Emma agreed and helped him to wipe the blood away.

While making him look presentable once more, they laid out the basics of their story to make it sound just believable enough for the moment.

They returned into the living room a few minutes later, joining David and Ruth once again. At the sight of Killian, David's fist clenched once again and it wasn't difficult to see that he wanted to hit him another time.

The moment Emma had joined her mother on the sofa with Killian in an armchair nearby, David asked: "How?"

It was Emma who answered first, her cheeks turning pink. Whether it was from lying to her family or embarrassment Killian couldn't tell. "I really thought you'd know by now how babies are conceived."

It was David's turn to blush. "That's not what I meant." He looked at Killian. "You told me that you haven't seen her since your last visit here. You swore you'd let me know if you saw her. And if…" He gestured between the two of them, not able to put that idea into words. "… you didn't."

Killian scratched the back of his head. "We ran into each other about half a year ago and we spent some time talking at my place and, well…" He didn't want to say too much. He wasn't exactly up to talking about his sex life – fake or not – in front of his supposed lover's family. "She was gone the next day and I didn't see the sense in telling you about it considering the circumstances."

He glanced at Emma, who was watching her hands with more interest than required.

David looked from one to the other. "And what now?"

"Now we're dealing with the situation together," Killian said and looked at Emma with a warm smile. "There is no way I'd leave her alone with it."

Emma looked up and met his eyes a smile curving up the corners of her lips. "We've already set up a doctor's appointment to have a check-up and we've been discussing what changes we need to make in his apartment to make it fit for housing two instead of one, at least for a little longer."

David was staring at them, anger flaring up once again. "No! You're not…"

Finally Ruth spoke up. "So you're going to stay with Killian?"

Emma nodded and Killian could tell that she was nervous about her mother's reaction.

"Is there enough room for both of you and the baby? Or are you planning to move anytime soon?"

"We haven't decided yet," Killian spoke. "It's been quite a bit to discuss in such a short amount of time."

Ruth nodded her agreement. "Let me know how I can help. I know it might get tough with just your income, Killian, but I'll help support my baby girl and my grandchild in every way I can."

"Thanks, Mom," Emma said at the same moment when David exclaimed: "You can't be serious, Mom."

David went on: "Emma can't stay with him. She is hardly old or responsible enough to live on her own."

"She is eighteen. And she isn't going to be living on her own, but with one of the few people I'd trust with taking care of her and making sure that she's alright."

"Thanks, Ruth," Killian said.

"Don't thank me too soon. Because if it turns out that I was wrong trusting you with her, you'll wish it was David taking out his anger on you instead of me."

"I won't let you down," Killian assured her, once again looking at Emma, who was smiling at him timidly, her relief at receiving her mother's approval obvious.