A sudden gust of wind ruffled Emma's hair as she sat on a bench at the harbor, watching the deckhands at work. So far she had seen no sign of Killian, though she had only been out there for 10 minutes. Once again David had to decline accompanying her on their lunch break—he had another big meeting with Regina—so Emma had to eat her lunch alone. However, her big brother had assured her that they would have plenty of time to catch up at their weekly dinner tonight at his and Mary Margaret's apartment.

"Just don't stay out there too long, I don't want you getting sick," he had warned before she had walked out of the office. "Mary Margaret told me about last night. Can't have my assistant out, or who knows what will happen to me."

If she were being honest with herself, Emma was kind of glad that David wasn't able to come to lunch with her today. Not because he annoyed her or anything; just that if she saw Killian, she didn't want David's presence to make it awkward. God knew how uncomfortable David could make things when it came to Emma and other guys, especially attractive ones like Killian. Wait, where did that come from?

Emma sat for 15 more minutes before deciding that maybe she wouldn't run into Killian today and that she would have to wait to express her thanks until their meeting the following week. She knew that David would want her back soon, especially since he probably had another difficult meeting with Regina and would need someone to vent to. She wasn't exactly disappointed in the fact that she didn't see her fellow AA member here—no, she would never admit to having guy disappoint her. Emma just wanted to be able to say that she and Killian were even by her thanking him for what she did. Plus, she wouldn't feel as stupid walking around with two cups of hot chocolate from Granny's Diner by herself. Emma began to gather her belongings when she heard footsteps approaching, and felt her heart flutter when she heard his voice.

"Well, I guess I can't say I'm surprised to see you here Emma, though I'm glad no hot chocolate was spilled on me this time."

Killian wore the same outfit that he did the last time Emma had seen him at the harbor, minus the hot chocolate stain on his white t-shirt. His hair was wet and combed back out of his eyes, not the usual messy style that Emma had seen him wear the previous few times. He smiled as he took a seat next to her on the bench. Emma's heart beat quicker as she noticed his toned muscles through his shirt. Jeez Emma, get it together…

"Are you feeling any better?" Killian asked, a genuine look of concern on his face. "I was worried about you after last night."

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better," Emma answered, keeping her eyes low. "I think I must've caught a little something and it didn't affect me until last night." She didn't feel entirely comfortable lying to Killian, but she definitely couldn't tell him about her mini panic attack. She couldn't tell anyone about that.

"Hopefully it's not contagious," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. Emma gave a small smile at his joke, though she knew that Killian wasn't totally buying her story. They both sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, not knowing what to say. Emma knew that she should thank Killian for his act of kindness last night, but she didn't know how to bring it up. Gosh, why do I have to be so damn awkward sometimes, she thought.

"Why do you have two cups of hot chocolate?" Killian asked. His question brought Emma out other thoughts; she had totally forgotten about the cup of hot chocolate that she had planned to give Killian.

"I thought it would be selfish of me to not bring you a cup of Granny's delicious hot chocolate after spilling my own cup on you last time," she explained, handing him the extra cup. "I even added a touch of cinnamon to it."

"Aww yes, I'm still not able to get that stain out of my shirt, thank you very much," he said playfully. Killian took a grateful sip of the drink, a soft "hmm" escaping from his mouth. The sound caused a sudden flutter inside Emma, though she tried her best to ignore it. They both took a few more drinks from their cups, the sounds of the workers from the dock reaching their ears.

"Emma, just curious, but do you have a sponsor?" Killian asked, a slight look of seriousness on his face.

She had tried her best to avoid the subject of a sponsor ever since she was sentenced to AA meetings: she couldn't imagine having to check in with someone daily and talk about both her problems and progress. She already had Mary Margaret and David breathing down her back, making sure that she didn't slip up and fall back into the deathly grips of alcohol. She certainly didn't need another person to join their club and maker her life even harder.

"No, to be honest I don't think having one would be beneficial to me," she began. "I'm not exactly the most social person in the world, and making friends is not my forte."

"Okay, maybe a sponsor isn't the best idea for someone like you," Killian said. "How about just someone outside of your regular group of friends who understand what you're going through, and wants to help in anyway you allow them to? You choose the nature of the relationship, and this person helps you however they can."

Emma couldn't deny that she liked Killian's idea. It would be nice to have someone who didn't know everything about her past and look at her as if she were made of broken glass. Someone who could just be there if she needed to desperately vent, and who understood even a little bit of what she was going through. Maybe it could help make the experience more bearable.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Emma said. "But who would this person be exactly?" She didn't really know anyone who would be the best fit for the job—she wasn't exactly friendly with the other members of the AA group, with the exception of Killian though (if what they had between them could even be called friendly). Unless he was saying…

"How about me?" Killian suggested, a smile gracing his lips. "I think I would be a perfect candidate for the job."

Emma was slightly taken aback by his offer. Killian as her sponsor made no sense yet was a completely practical idea at the same time. He had been in the group for much longer and had better experience with navigating the road to recovering. There was obviously some form of a connection between them and they were able to get along fairly well. It wasn't like they would have to talk everyday. He would just be there when she needed him, that's all.

"You would really be my sponsor?" Emma asked, still trying to fully understand the proposition. "We don't exactly know each other that well, and I wouldn't want to bother you with my problems."

"Love, you wouldn't be bothering me with your problems at all, I promise you that," Killian reassured her. "I just think that maybe it would be helpful if you had someone who was there for you whenever you needed them, and I can be that person for you."

"Well, I guess the only appropriate response would be to say yes then," Emma answered. "On one condition though." She didn't know what made the idea pop into her head, but she thought she might as well go with it.

"And what's that?"

"We have lunch together, here at the docks, every week," Emma answered. "My usual lunch partner is too busy for me nowadays and I honestly get a little lonely out here sometimes."

"Alright Swan, you've got yourself a deal," Killian said, his signature smile crossing his face. "As long as you bring the hot chocolate, cause this stuff is truly a gift from God."

"Great, it's a date then," Emma said, her brain completely glancing over her choice of words.

"It's a date Swan."