CHAPTER TWO

Emma, with Killian lingering too close for comfort, walked as quickly as her heels could carry her around the building and into the alley where her buttercup yellow Chevy lay nestled and waiting for life to be returned to it. It was an older model but it was always her faithful steed. Killian hung back for a brief moment, a small smile creeping onto his face. Emma wrestled for her keys in her bag, silently cursing at herself. She found the key and put her hand out to open the door. Killian beat her to it and opened it for her, his face hovering over her with shadowed intention. She slipped in and watched as he sprinted to get into the other side before she had the notion of driving off without him. The thought had crossed her mind as soon as she walked out of the office but she quickly disregarded it to avoid less trouble than this was already turning out to be. She drove like a demon up and down the road, counting the streets left until she could get home to Henry. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Killian gripping the interior of the door for stability. She chuckled to herself as he closed his eyes, his lids tighter than his secrets.

They arrived moments-and two ran red lights later-to a tall, brownstone complex, a flower box adorning the window on the second floor and the anxious face of an adventurous boy peering down to them. The figure moved as soon as Emma closed her door and Killian did the same. "Okay, some rules," she told him as he met her by the front door. His hand clutched his hurt arm briefly with a small wince of pain but he met her gaze immediately, a soldier at complete and admiring attention. "I do the talking. You don't say a thing about what's going on. You sit there and-"

"Look pretty?" Killian finished, a finger tipping the edge of his hat. "Not a problem, love."

"Yeah and don't call me that," she added, mumbling as she walked through the front door. She saw him laugh, knowing that he had no intention of stopping. They walked up the stairs and Emma heard the front door open, Henry peeking his face in between the frame. Emma smiled, looking at his small features that were inexplicably hers and thought the same thought she had had every day since he was born-what a change of fortune he was. "Hi, Henry," she said in a playful tone. She watched as Henry stared up at Killian's tall frame.

"Are you a gangster?" Henry said at once, Emma's eyes widening and her hand going straight to his mouth.

"Henry! Manners, please."

"Sorry, mom," he mumbled through her fingers. "I'm Henry," he introduced as soon as her hand left his face. He stuck his own hand out-or rather, up-to Killian to shake. Always a proper gentleman, but never shy. Emma had certainly been proud of that trait. She watched him as she set her things down and grabbed an even bigger bag from the coat closet.

"Killian Jones, young sir, pleasure is all mine." Killian sighed, recollecting lost details that he had certainly missed. Emma noticed the sadness in his face as she walked past him, his features lowering, his shoulders sinking just enough to let a piece of honesty slip through. He had lost someone too, someone very much like Henry. He shook Henry's hand and took his hat off promptly after. The shadows on his face lingered for a fraction longer than they were supposed to and Emma immediately thought of dark magicians and haunted forests. A shiver went through her spine and she walked up to Henry, her arm going over her shoulder.

"Henry, I have to take care of a pretty big case so you have to stay with grandma for a little bit, okay?"

"Ooh, what kind of case? Are there gangsters?"

"Yes, it's gangsters," she half lied as she pushed him into his room. "So that means it's going to be a very dangerous mission and you have to stay safe, okay buddy? Now, pack a good bag and be ready in 5 minutes sharp. Starting...now!" He laughed and rushed around his room, keeping his priorities in order and grabbing a set of books and toys first. She motioned for Killian to join her in her small office next to her bedroom.. She pulled out a box nestled under her desk and grabbed a large stack of files from it. Dust filled the last light coming into the room, floating and clogging up her nose. "I have copies of every single case that could possibly be related to the Emerald King. I have enough material to put that bastard away for life. I've been planning this moment for a very long time." Her eyes drifted to a picture frame on her desk, a small sigh erupting from the bottom of her throat. She stopped to gain her composure. She felt like she hadn't taken a breath since leaving the office. All around her were ghosts; in picture frames, mirrors and stories only being played out in dreams. She looked up to find Killian watching her with guarded eyes once more. "He took a lot from me. And everyone who he's bought off told me that he doesn't exist. But I will find him and he will pay. And if this doesn't pan out, Killian Jones, I will kick the utter crap out of you, got it?"

"Open invitation, love."

Emma shuffled through papers and files, selecting specific pages and quickly glancing over others. She had poured over these for countless days and nights, dog earring the tops of pages, chewing the edges of her nails as her eyes memorized every letter and word. She folded the pages with care and slid them into a manila envelope. She grabbed the bag from the coat closet and stuffed the envelope inside. "Henry, you ready yet?" she called out, a small part of her being distracted by Killian's subtle movements in her office. The room was small and stacked to the brim with yellowed newspapers, books and mementos from another life. He looked like a giant standing in the door frame, his well-dressed limbs unfamiliar with the new environment. He had a vague air that he was both comfortable and anxious all at the same time. "You okay there, pal?"

"Just thinking," was his simple answer. He stuffed his left wrist in his pocket and shuffled his body weight from right to left. His answer would suffice for now, though Emma could read between the lines.

"Ready, mom!" Henry called out, racing past the office and heading towards the door.

"Don't you go out in that hallway, Henry. Wait for me please." A small groan echoed down into the office and Killian let out a small laugh that echoed in Emma's ears. She paused for a moment, taking in the cadence in his tsk and the air leaving his lips. She licked her own then, an odd reflex, and closed up all of her belongings. "Alright, let's go." He followed her, his shadow connecting with hers in some odd arrangement of light and time and purpose. Killian smiled as he watched, taking in the natural magnetism. It settled in his heart, shivering away the cold of the past year. Emma did a final check of the home before locking up and the parade made its way to her car below. Henry was all smiles as they got into the backseat, a book in one hand and his other clutched to the shoulder of Killian's seat in excitement. "You do know you're just going to grandma's, right?" Emma laughed as she threw the bag next to Henry and crawled into the driver's seat. It was not to put a damper on his spirits but to keep his hopes safe.

"Yeah, yeah I know, but it's different this time."

Killian looked back at him, a stitch of his own hope lingering in his eyes. It was the only fire left that kept him going and it had been paying off so far. "How do you know, mate?"

Henry sat down, taking in Killian's face, his eyebrows furrowing and questioning. The pieces were fitting together and Killian could see it. As quick as the moment came, it went, Henry returning to his jovial self. Killian knew that he wouldn't brush it under the rug for too long. He was his mother's son after all. The thought would grow like a magic bean inside his mind, fermenting and weaving through secrets and unlocking them from its prison. "I don't know. It's just different, I can tell. Mom says I'm going to be a great detective when I'm older. I have the...what's it called, Mom?"

"Intuition."

"Yeah, intuition!"

"You got a lot of things that's for sure," she joked, putting the Chevy into gear and pulling out into the street. Killian clutched his knee once more, hating the speed but enjoying every moment of exhilaration Emma fed him.