The Storybrooke Police Department wasn't particularly busy that day, and now that the Snow Queen situation had been resolved and Elsa and Anna had returned to Arendelle, there was little left for me to do. This left me more than enough time to think about the evening ahead with Hook.

After getting off the phone with him, I'd called Ruby up at Granny's to see if she could fix something up for me that I could take on our date. Ruby, ever-bubbly and encouraging of anyone's romantic pursuits, happily agreed to whip up something delicious that would please both me and Hook. I didn't ask what it was; I trusted her enough to let her do what she wanted. At least the food was taken care of.

I kept wondering where Hook would take me. Storybrooke had only been his home for a little while, and I just couldn't figure a place that would be particularly private and suitable to a date. Yes, I know I should have just been content to lie back and let Hook do the work like he wanted to, but my curiosity always got the better of me. Besides, it had been a long time since I'd been in a relationship. I was still trying to wet my feet.

The day dragged by. Usually, everything moved pretty fast, but today, there was not an exciting event. There was no one in the holding cell to harass, and the cases that had once been stacked on my desk were now absent. David was busy calling Mary-Margaret every fifteen minutes to check on her and baby Neal, which left me pretty well alone. That also left me far too much time to worry about my impending date. While I had gone on plenty of first dates that led to one night stands I'd regretted in the morning, the last time I'd been in anything close to committed was with Walsh, and that had all been based in fake memories. Before that, everything I'd learned about relationships had been from Neal, and that, well, had been pretty ill-fated. And frankly, Hook wasn't the kind of guy that anyone expected to commit to. He was the antithesis of stability, reckless and independent, the one most women would be advised to stay away from him, and yet no one did. Maybe that did make me just like all the rest, unable to resist a bad boy, a cliché if I'd ever heard one.

When I got off work, I drove back with David. Unsurprisingly, I also got a lot of questions. "So, I heard you on the phone with Hook earlier. What was that all about?"

I gave him a glare. "You were listening to my phone call?"

"It's a small police department, Emma. That makes it easy to overhear other peoples' conversations."

"Uh-huh. Well, I've got no secrets. Hook called and asked me if I would like to go out tonight, to which I gladly accepted. He's picking the place, so I have no idea where we're going, but I agree to take care of the dinner part."

David offered me a skeptical look. "Don't forget there will always be a part of him that's a pirate. I mean, I don't dislike him or anything, but he used to have quite the reputation."

"I know what I'm doing, David. I've already talked to him, and we've decided to take it slow. He and I…we have similar pasts when it comes to this. I know this is risky and that he's probably the last guy anyone would think to take a chance like this with, but…I don't know. I trust him."

He nodded. "And I trust your judgment. If you have feelings for Hook, then I say go for it. I just want you to be careful. You're my daughter. I'm always going to want to protect you."

That was the role of a father, wasn't it? The protector? The thought was still a little unfamiliar to me. Even nearly four years after I'd met them and found out that David and Mary-Margaret were my parents, it was still a hard pill to swallow that they'd sent me off in a magical wardrobe to live a life where I'd grown up without a home or much of a family. So, when David and Mary-Margaret did exude parental characteristics, I tended to clam up. I needed to get used to it, and I honestly didn't know how long that would take.

"I'm okay, and frankly, I've very happy. These last few weeks have been pretty challenging for us, with him losing his heart and the Snow Queen taking over. All the while, he's been there for me. Even before that, he's done so much for me. I mean, when he went to Neverland with us and helped defeat Pan? He didn't have to do that. Yes, he gets on my nerves sometimes, but isn't that part of relationships? Look at you and Mary-Margaret. The two of you hated each other when you met, yet you still found your way. I wasn't Hook's biggest fan when I met him, and now, well, I like him. I want to give him a chance."

David smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "Then do it. Oh, and by the way, I didn't hate your mother when we met, not really. Yes, she frustrated me and drove me crazy, but that was just the way it was supposed to be. For you and Hook, I guess he was just supposed to flatter you until you stopped finding it annoying and finally found it charming."

I laughed, thinking back to all the times I'd rolled my eyes at Hook when he tried to compliment his way into my heart. While most of the lines he came up with were saccharinely sweet, anyone would appreciate just how avidly he'd tried to pursue me since he'd met me. "Yeah, I guess that was it."

"So, exactly what kind of dinner do you have planned for your date? I don't see you to be the slaving away in the kitchen type."

"Oh, no, definitely not. I called Ruby this morning and asked her if she could come up with something that would feed a pirate and me. She said she had just the thing and that she'd work on it for me today."

"Well, at least you know the food will be good."

I offered David another glare. "I happen to enjoy Hook's company. We had a nice time on our first date. Things just got in the way that didn't allow him and me to go on a second one. Plus, I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by how good it felt to be with him, just talking. None of the guys I've dated before have turned out to be what I expected, and I guess I just didn't want to risk that."

"Life's full of risks, Emma, and God knows you take a lot of them. In order to achieve happiness, you have to risk your heart to someone. Just give this a chance like you are right now. It will be alright. Besides, if he hurts you, everyone knows you will kick his ass, probably back to Neverland."

I shook my head and smiled, knowing that was probably the truth. "No one deserves to go back to that place no matter what they do. It is the equivalent of hell."

"That is the truth. By the way, um, just be forewarned that your mother is going to be just like she was the first time, pulling out her Polaroid and helping you pick out what to wear."

"You told her, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "I might have let it slip that I thought I heard you had a date tonight."

Oh, no. Mary-Margaret had gotten particularly touchy-feely since Neal was born, and when I'd gone on my first date with Hook, she'd looked more excited than I did. She and David even waited up for me to see how my date went. While I'd run up to bed afterward because I was still seeing stars after my dizzying goodnight kiss from Hook, I'd been quite amused and touched by the sentiment. I knew she was trying, and while it was difficult for me to let her in and do all the things she'd missed out on as a mother before, I knew that the only way for me to ever feel like I had a family would be one. So, that's what I was trying, to let in the people who loved me the most.

"Well, at least I know I will have a second opinion on what to wear."

"And a third," David added. "I know how that pirate can be, especially after the way I saw him looking at you when he picked you up last time."

Okay, so I hadn't missed the stares Hook tried to hide on our last date, but while it had raised warning flags for David, it actually made me feel pretty good. It wasn't often that I wore a dress, and I certainly didn't do it for just anyone. Watching his eyes as he'd appraised me, well, it caused a warm feeling to spread through my veins. The dress, at least in my head, wasn't particularly sexy, yet Hook made me feel like it was. The way he'd treated me, taking me to a nice restaurant, holding my chair for me and pushing me in when I'd sat, ordering top of the line wine for us, it felt like a date should. While the Snow Queen was heavy on my mind when we first sat down, he managed to make me forget all that, at least for a couple hours. Plus, there was that kiss…

I wasn't going to bring that up in front of David, though. Some things were just better left unsaid. "David, I'm almost thirty-two years old. I think I can handle men."

"Oh, I know you can. I just really don't need that visual of Hook, well, checking you out again."

"Come on, it wasn't that bad. He could have been a lot worse." I was lying through my teeth, but I really didn't want to have this conversation.

When we finally arrived back at the apartment, Mary-Margaret was in the kitchen, mixing something in a bowl. My eyebrows furrowed together. "What are you up to?" I asked.

Her head whipped up. "Oh, I'm just whipping together some dessert."

"Is there an occasion I missed?"

"Oh, no, of course not…okay, fine, there is. Killian stopped by to see me this morning."

My eyes widened. "He was here?"

"Yeah, he came by this morning. He asked me for some help with dessert for your date tonight."

Hook admitting he needed help? Now there was something to mark down. "Did he?"

"Yes. I also gave him some other, um, items he might need to make the evening a little more special."

I smiled. "Did you?"

"Yes, of course. Emma, you have no idea how frazzled he was. Killian's usually so composed, and today, he was unlike I'd ever seen him."

I shifted my eyes to the floor, not wanting Mary-Margaret and David to see the stupid smile spreading across my face. While I would have given anything to see Hook do that a few months ago just so I could rib him about it, now it really made me happy. It showed me that the pirate actually had a sensitive side.

"So, what are we having?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Mini molten chocolate cakes. He told me to surprise him."

"You picked my favorite dessert, which I'm sure you did on purpose to help him out."

"Guilty as charged," Mary-Margaret answered. "Enough about that, though. You need to get ready for your date."

I looked down at my jeans, black blouse, and deep scarlet jacket. Yeah, I definitely needed to change. As I turned around to head up the stairs to my room, though, I nearly ran into Henry. "You're going out with Hook again?"

Even though he'd never said as much, I knew Henry didn't particularly like Hook. Right now was the most he'd even said to me about it. I folded my arms over my chest. "Yes, Henry, I am going out with Hook again tonight. Are you okay with that?"

He shrugged. "Whatever. It's your life."

"Listen, I know you don't really like him, but you also don't know him that well. He's made some mistakes, but so have I. Everyone does."

Henry looked down. "I'm never going to like him."

I bit my bottom lip. This is part of the reason that I'd tried to keep my relationship with Hook a secret for as long as I could. "Do you want me to cancel?"

"Do what you want," he bit out before stomping up the stairs.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my hand over my face. Talk about having the mood killed. If Henry really felt this strongly, I certainly couldn't go out tonight. My conscience would kill me, and no matter what, he was my son, and his opinion mattered.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I turned my attention back to Mary-Margaret and David, who'd both averted their eyes to avoid awkwardness. "I'm going to call Killian and cancel," I said quietly.

Mary-Margaret rushed over to me. "Oh, Emma, don't. Henry will be okay. He's just—"

"He doesn't like Hook. He's made that quite clear. Now, how can I go out and have a good time when I know my son is angry with me? I can't do it."

"But—"

"No buts," I replied firmly. "Killian will understand."

Mary-Margaret opened her mouth to object but closed it quickly, instead turning her attention back to her dessert. I dialed Killian and felt my stomach curl as I listened to the phone ring. Honestly, I hated to do this. I really cared for him and knew that it was going to hurt him, but what else was I going to do? Our date wasn't going to be very exciting if I spent the entire time worrying about Henry.

I swallowed hard when I heard his voice. "Hi, love. Ready for tonight?"

I closed my eyes. "I'm sorry, Killian, but I'm going to have to cancel. Something came up," I lied, not wanting to tell him the truth.

Immediately, his voice showed traces of disappointment. "Oh, I see. Well, maybe another time, then?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm really sorry. I was looking forward to it."

"As was I, but I understand, Emma. Is everything alright? You sound upset."

"Everything is fine, yeah. I'm just a little overwhelmed. Look, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Aye. Good-bye."

I hung up before I lost it. I wasn't the kind of person who got emotional, but the two men in my life were, well, complicating things.

"Emma, why did you lie to Killian?"

I turned around to see Mary-Margaret staring at me, her arms folded over her chest.

"I didn't have any other choice. What was I supposed to tell him? 'Oh, by the way, my son doesn't like you, so it would ruin our date?'"

"You always have a choice, and telling a lie like that wasn't a good one."

"So, it would have been better for me to tell him the truth and hurt him even more? No, I can't do that. I'm done talking about this. I'm going upstairs and changing into some comfortable clothes, then I'm going out for some fresh air."

I whipped around and raced upstairs before they could see the tears threatening my eyes.