A/N: Okay all, so I am back with the next chapter of 'Some Call It Magic' and I am very excited for it because it brings the first date. I know it's been a while, but it's a bit longer to make up for the gap in updates. It's also the first chapter that is almost exclusively Emma and Killian alone with each other, and that in itself was such a treat to delve into. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you all think!

Fretting over what to wear had never been Emma Swan's style. Since she was a kid she'd never felt that inclination to linger on her fashion choices, not just because she didn't have much in the ways of a wardrobe when she was in the system, but because it didn't seem very practical to her. At the end of the day, did it really matter if she chose a black dress over a red one or wedges over heels? She never thought so, and yet here she was, staring at her closet and desperately seeking some kind of inspiration for the night ahead.

"Come on, there's gotta be something," Emma muttered aloud, looking through the same slim pickings she'd had for so long and wishing that she'd had the foresight to go out and shop for something new and different.

It just didn't feel right to wear something ordinary this evening even if she had no idea where Killian and her were going. From what Emma knew about Killian, she trusted that whatever he had planned would be intimate and romantic. He just seemed like the kind of guy who managed to pull off amazing first dates, and that was part of the reason Emma was stressing out so badly now, because her track record with dating was anything but pristine. In fact, she might just have one of the worst (and most limited) relationship histories of anyone she knew, and that was really saying something.

But just as defeat was about to wash over her and Emma was seconds away from throwing on any old thing, she noticed a garment in the back of her closet that eluded her before. It was a dress she didn't recognize in a soft pink shade that was highly unusual for Emma's typical wares. Honestly it was hard to imagine that she'd ever bought the dress, and she wracked her brain trying to think of a moment when she'd ever seen something so soft and elegant and thought she should buy it or had been gifted a dress by anyone she knew. The garment very clearly did not belong, but for whatever reason Emma's instincts were telling her that this was the answer to those silent prayers she'd been sending up for the past hour.

With a speed she hadn't utilized since coming upstairs to get ready for this evening, Emma put on the dress and found that not only did it fit perfectly, but it felt beautiful on her as well. There was comfort here even in its higher quality and Emma appreciated that. The last thing she wanted was something stiff and formal, and even though she took in her appearance after doing up her hair and makeup and almost felt like another person was staring back at her, Emma's hope that she might just have found the perfect fit grew and filled her heart with a gorgeous sense of anticipation that had been lacking thanks to all of her ensemble worries.

Emma tried to think back on all of her past experiences when it came to dating, and she honestly couldn't recall a moment when she'd ever felt like this, with butterflies beginning to get the best of her and filling her with this restless energy that had no clear outlet. She knew she certainly had never felt these kind of nerves or this excitement for a date before, and even when she'd been seeing Henry's father (which was her one semi-solid and totally committed relationship), she had felt more excitement at not being alone than excitement about the man himself.

But things with Killian were different clearly. The past few weeks had shown that time and time again, and Emma had slowly come around to the fact that she couldn't group him in with all the other men she'd known before him. It wasn't fair to either of them for her to hold him to those past standards, and it was also very freeing to do away with those old conceptions. With Killian everything felt so new and possible, and for once in her romantic life Emma wanted to give into that and to trust that there wasn't some other shoe that was going to drop or red flags she was missing. She only hoped that this date would prove that little bit of faith well worth it and help more appear so this wouldn't just be a one-time thing.

Carrying this sense of resolution and all of that flurry of emotion that came with first date jitters with her, Emma moved down the stairs from her room to where Henry and Elsa were waiting, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't make this a huge deal of this. The last thing Emma wanted was too much attention because it would just compound her nerves about all of this, but at the same time who was she kidding? There would obviously be some response, and the best thing to do was toughen up and ready herself for whatever was about to come her way.

"Oh Emma, you look wonderful!" Elsa announced happily when Emma entered the living room, and though Emma knew her friend was holding back to the best of her ability, there was a clear level of glee on display in her expression.

If Elsa thought for even a second that she was hiding her delight at Emma's date tonight, she was dead wrong, but Emma had to appreciate the effort on her friend's part. In fact, Elsa was doing much better than Emma had anticipated since there was no jumping up and down, avid applause, or happy tears being demonstrated in this moment. As far as Emma was concerned, this could be considered a substantial victory on the part of her friend.

"You think so?" Emma asked, taking a look back down at the outfit she'd finally chosen and twirling slightly as she did. It was a moment of insecurity for her, but Elsa was fast to put those worries to rest.

"Definitely! Killian's going to lose it when he sees you," Elsa promised and Emma smiled at the thought, kind of enjoying the idea that Killian would be as worked up about all of this as she was feeling right now.

"Say cheese, Mom!" Henry said suddenly from where he popped up behind the couch, surprising Emma with the action, but before she could reply her son was clicking the button on the polaroid camera he'd gotten for his last birthday and taking her picture.

"I didn't realize a simple date merited a photo shoot," Emma said and Henry's grin grew wider as he pulled the photo out to wave it around and make it develop faster.

"Who said it's going to be simple? I bet Killian's got lots of good stuff lined up."

Emma looked her son up and down trying to size him up, but Henry had developed just as good of a poker face as she had. He was so hard to read when he wanted to be and Emma couldn't tell if this was just his positive outlook on life or if he'd gleamed some information about her outing tonight from Killian already. Either way Emma didn't really mind and she wanted to enjoy the easy back and forth with her son a little longer since it was a good distraction from all of her thoughts at the moment.

"But a photo for a first date? That seems kind of excessive…" Emma taunted and Henry shrugged.

"Who knows maybe it'll be your last first date."

Henry's claim prompted Emma to face a slight moment of dueling emotion. On the one hand she really liked the sound of this date being that important, and on the other she was worried that Henry was building up his hopes to high. There was nothing set in stone about this relationship despite Emma's ever growing feelings for their new neighbor, and this was just a reminder that she wasn't the only one who could potentially get hurt. Henry's feelings were at risk here too, and Emma's first instinct would always be to protect her little boy.

"Besides you look pretty, Mom, and I thought you might want to remember that."

It was hard to deny the heartwarming element of that compliment from her son, and Emma did not miss the tiny 'aww' that emanated from Elsa across the room, but there was more to all of this than simply commemorating the moment, and Emma noticed a slip in Henry's façade that gave him away. Then she did the math about what else could possibly motivate her son to take a picture of her in this state, and she came up with a highly probable likelihood: someone had put him up to this.

"How much are you getting?" Emma asked and Henry had the good sense to look a little embarrassed at being caught in his slight bit of deception, but Emma took comfort in the fact that he immediately came clean to her, not even trying to hide the truth in any way.

"Ruby said she'd pay me twenty bucks if I got a picture before you left."

Now that Emma could totally believe, and though Emma had denied her best friend's offer to watch Henry tonight, opting instead to ask Elsa since she was the most laid back of the friends (which wasn't saying very much), Emma knew that the second she left there would be a mass migration of her friends to this house. For whatever reason they all just couldn't help themselves, and Emma wouldn't be surprise if they were still here when she got home too, waiting up to see the end of a date that they were almost more excited for than she was.

"My son the paparazzi. How quickly your allegiance shifts," Emma joked as she ran a hand through Henry's hair and looked down at the picture he had taken. It actually wasn't a bad shot all things considered, but Emma did have that moment that she'd had before when looking in the mirror in her room where she wondered if that woman could really be her. This person staring back at her seemed so hopeful and not jaded. It was a strange thing to come to terms with.

"Don't worry, I already told Ruby I wouldn't take any of you and Killian together. She offered big money for that shot, but I told her we should play it cool."

Emma laughed at Henry's very astute observations, and she sent thanks up to the universe that even her ten year old understood there were in fact some lines of normalcy in the world. It was just funny to Emma that a grown woman like Ruby was less interested in rules of decorum than a little boy was.

"Well thanks, kid. I appreciate that," Emma said and Henry's smile grew all the wider.

"Besides, if we give it a couple of dates it won't be so weird. Then I can take all the pictures I want."

And there it was again, the flare up of awareness that Emma always seemed to find when there were expectations placed on this budding relationship with Killian. Suddenly those butterflies from earlier began to sour some and the hope that was building all day in anticipation was undercut with the old naggings of her cynical mind that she had to be smart and listen to her head over her heart. Yet thankfully before Emma could wade too far back into the mire of those thoughts, the doorbell rang, alerting them all of someone's presence at the house.

Oh shit he's here! Emma thought to herself as she froze in the doorway. She was too hyped up to even think of moving at this point, but soon enough an external nudge came to push her into action.

"Go on Mom. It'll be great, you'll see."

With Henry's words to urge her on, Emma found herself smiling and pulling the door open to reveal Killian who somehow looked even better dressed up than he had in all the casual ways Emma had seen him up to now. Emma hadn't thought that was even possible, but here she was gaping at him and failing rather miserably to keep her appreciative thoughts private. That sorry fact was clear enough when Killian threw a knowing smirk her way, but in the end Emma didn't care about her momentary pause. She was so distracted by the man before her, that she simply didn't give a damn.

"You look stunning, Swan."

Damn it had his voice even gotten sexier in the past twenty-four hours? Emma felt like it must have because as it washed over her she felt a shiver of desire running through her.

"Thank you," she mumbled back before waving her hand and trying to extend a similar compliment. "And you look…"

"I know," he said teasing her and Emma had to love that slight sense of cockiness, not only because it was playful, but because Killian had purposefully used it to make her feel more comfortable. Emma wasn't sure how she could be so certain of that, but she felt it to be true, and she appreciated it just as much as she did the bouquet of flowers he handed her in an utterly romantic gesture that Emma was far from used to.

"Oh, um, this is really nice but you didn't need to get me anything," Emma said, knowing she was lacking the cool she usually prided herself on and fighting hard not to go red in the process. It was just that no one had ever given her flowers before, aside from maybe Henry when he they made their trips to the meadows in the spring time or when they were gardening out back. This was different from Emma's past experiences, and though it was one of those cheesy first date expectations, Emma found that she loved receiving them all the same.

"Need had nothing to do with it, love. I just wanted to get something worthy of you, but I should have known nothing ever could be."

His words floated through the air holding a pitch and tone of total honesty that had Emma smiling again and finally giving into that kiss of crimson against her cheeks. Killian was really good at this whole flattery thing, and Emma was half a second from telling him he didn't need to even try. She was already interested in him more than she ever had been in another man, and the more thoughtful things he did, the worse her infatuation was bound to become.

"Hi Killian!" Henry's voice said from further inside the house, and the interruption had Killian's eyes leaving Emma's as he turned to greet her son with a genuine smile. Emma watched his honestly happy reaction to seeing Henry and her heart skipped again before she turned to look at her son too.

"Good evening, lad. Hope you don't mind me stealing your Mum away for a few hours."

"Are you kidding? This is great! Elsa and I are getting pizza and watching Indiana Jones."

"Is that right?" Killian asked before nodding over to Elsa in greeting and offering his thanks for her watching Henry tonight. "Which one have you selected, might I ask?"

"Raiders of the Lost Ark, duh," Henry said and everyone ended up laughing at his clear disdain for the thought that he'd watch any other in the series.

"Henry and I are also going into town to get a little ice cream after pizza," Elsa filled in. "So we're really living it up tonight."

Emma could acknowledge that was true, and it made her feel better about going out at all. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Henry would be well cared for and thoroughly entertained tonight and that lessened many of her reservations in and of itself.

"And I get to stay up an extra hour," Henry added easily.

That last claim was a transparent ploy to get a postponed bedtime and Emma had to try hard not to openly laugh again at her son's antics, especially when his eyes looked to her with a pleading earnestness she was used to from her kid. It was hard to say no to that face, especially when he gave her such a relatively easy time of being a parent, but lines had to be drawn, even if Emma was willing to negotiate a little bit.

"Half an hour, and only if you promise not to give Elsa a hard time when bed time does roll around," Emma replied and Henry beamed up at her like he'd gotten exactly what he wanted.

"Deal! So… where are you guys going?" Henry asked and Emma looked back to Killian, intrigued to find that out herself but Killian only smirked and shook his head.

"Nice try mate, but I'm afraid that remains a secret, at least for now. I do promise to have your mother home at a reasonable hour though."

Emma couldn't tell if she was happy for that because of Henry's clear sense of comfort from the comment, or a little disappointed. Of course it was a first date, and as such nothing could – or rather should – really happen, but Emma also didn't like the idea of this night ending even though it hadn't even gotten its chance to really begin yet.

"Drats," Henry mumbled and this time it was Killian who laughed while Emma stood there slightly mortified until he filled in. "Sorry, but Ruby told me I'd get an extra ten bucks if I knew where you guys were going."

"I expected as much," Killian replied easily, which of course set Emma to worrying that her friends had been giving Killian a hard time this week, but before she could spiral into that kind of mentality, Killian surprised her by reaching out for her hand and intertwining their fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world to do despite their audience. "But not to worry lad, I'll be sure to make it up to you somehow."

That promise of course set everything to right with Henry, and the next thing she knew, Emma found herself leaving the house with one final farewell to Henry and Elsa before Killian led her to his car, opening her door like a proper gentleman would. It was incredibly foreign to Emma all of this politeness and good manners, but the rest of this felt familiar, especially the fact that she and Killian always seemed to have this kind of comfort together where words came easily and silences were never awkward.

"So Henry seemed okay with this from all appearances," Killian said at one point, motioning to the two of them with his right hand as he did and Emma smiled.

"'Okay' is putting it mildly," Emma said before deciding to divulge that whole photo incident to Killian who only smiled and laughed at her son's ambush.

"He's a smart lad. I'll have to thank him for that later."

"Oh?" Emma asked in a teasing way. "And why's that?"

"Because even if he was a little mercenary in his motivations, he had the foresight to capture an image of you tonight and that's something to be valued."

"Sounds like you're telling me you like the way I look," Emma flirted, hoping she was doing it right. After so many years of not caring about interacting like this with anyone it was hard to be totally sure.

"I'm saying you're nothing less than beautiful, Swan, and anyone who would deny that is either blind, a fool, or both."

Well that was quite a statement, and though Emma had been overwhelmed by Killian saying she looked stunning earlier she hadn't really had the chance to respond in any way. Now, however, she did, and she chose to couple her words with action too, taking Killian's free hand in hers again and linking them once more as he had when they were back at the house.

"So this is a destination date then?" Emma asked as they passed the sign saying they were about to leave Storybrooke, and Killian shot a glance her way that lit something up inside her that was happy and warm and bright.

"Aye, love. We haven't far to go, but I thought it might be best to try something away from too many nosey neighbors."

Thank God, Emma thought to herself at his words and then she ended up smiling thinking about how much relief that little bit of distance would bring her.

It wasn't that she wanted to be far from home, per se, but Emma did appreciate that they'd be out of the Storybrooke bubble in which all happenings were fair game for the gossip mill the next morning. Since Emma and Killian had been on the minds of people for weeks, she could only imagine how much more fodder the town would have if their first date was some kind of public spectacle.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a genius?" Emma asked and Killian laughed at that, his thumb running over her knuckles lightly as he did and sending a zing of awareness through her.

"I wouldn't go that far, Swan. I'd just say that as a man who has waited so long for this chance, I couldn't bear the thought of interruption."

Killian's words made it seem like he had been waiting for the opportunity at a date with Emma longer than the few weeks that he'd lived here, and though it was kind of crazy, Emma could relate to that. Maybe it had to do with that sense of recognition that she always felt with him, but when she let her hope win out, her instincts were constantly telling Emma that Killian just might be him, the person she'd been waiting for to make the world she already loved so much truly complete.

When the car crawled to a stop just a few moments later, Emma was still fixated on Killian and trying to make heads or tales about whether a man like him could actually be real, but when she looked through the windshield and saw their destination all of her excited adrenaline returned. For there they were in front of a place she actually knew very well and already had a fair many fond memories of.

"You know about this place?" Emma asked as Killian stepped around the car to get her door and he chuckled, scratching just behind his ear in a slightly bashful way.

"I do now. I take it you've been here before," Killian replied and Emma nodded, her gaze returning back to the structure before them.

Locksley Observatory was a relatively well known spot to visit in the area thanks to its being open to the public most weekends and its unique proximity to the sea, but perhaps the most enthralling part of the whole locale wasn't the observatory itself, but the manor house, aka the 'Castle By the Sea' that also lay on the same property. The manor belonged to a very wealthy family who spent most of their time in bigger cities far from here, but this was their summer home, and every once in a while when Emma had been here with Henry there were notices that the family was at home so visiting hours might be slightly different. Emma had never been inside of there though, and when she realized that Killian wasn't heading around back to the observatory but to the house itself she was shocked.

"Wait, we're going in the castle?" Emma asked stunned and Killian nodded. "How did you possibly pull that off?"

"It's amazing what a reporter can do when he calls in a half a dozen favors," Killian joked and Emma just shook her head not fully understanding, but then when they reached the front walk way of the house Killian stopped, raising her hand up to his lips to kiss gently. The action was so intimate and set Emma's heart fluttering in her chest, but that was only compounded by Killian's continued words. "I was thinking we might explore the place together, Emma. Or if not we could always -,"

"This is good!" Emma responded almost too eagerly and when Killian's wry grin appeared again Emma tried to regain some composure. "I mean you've gone to all the trouble…"

"There was nothing even close to trouble in planning any of this Emma, not when it was done in the service of an evening with you."

What was a girl to say to something that sweet? The truth was that Emma didn't know, so she followed her instincts, taking a step towards him and closing the space between them to press a gentle kiss upon his lips.

The kiss was reserved and restrained in a way, a bare brushing to be honest, but it still held all the magic Emma had been dreaming of since meeting Killian, and the best part was that when she stepped away Killian looked just as lost in all of this as she felt. Because in that moment Emma knew they were truly in this together, and she was filled with an unwavering faith that tonight was going to be everything she'd been hoping for and more.

…..

If Killian had walked into this evening with a series of hopes for what a first date with Emma Swan might bring, they had all been exceeded the moment that the two of them arrived here at this estate for their night out together. Even all this time later, after the two of them had explored a bit of this vast and unusual manor house (that was apparently the stuff of legend in this area), and then sat down to a flawlessly crafted dinner made by a chef far more talented than he, Killian was still reeling from just how glorious this all had been.

It started in the moment when he first arrived at Emma's doorstep, taking her in in all her splendor and finding her even more entrancing than she had been in all their previous interludes together. But then that kiss at the doorway to the castle, that tiny taste of what their connection might bring if given the chance, had upended everything in the most delicious of ways. It was impossible for Killian not to be on cloud nine in the sight of such a flawless moment, and he truly felt all through this first segment of their night together like he'd accomplished something amazing in having secured Emma's good opinion.

For Killian though, he was just happy that all of this had worked out in his favor. In retrospect navigating through an old house might not have been the most romantic idea for a first date, but Killian's fears about his potential missteps were quickly done away with when he saw Emma's genuine curiosity flourish and grow. She saw this all the way he'd envisioned while planning, as an adventure for the two of them to go on together before settling down into the more expected candlelit dinner a proper date should have. In fact, Emma had been almost childlike in her wonder and excitement in the face of the secret passageways and the giant library this place had to offer.

In truth the whole evening so far had imparted upon Killian a chance to see Emma in a totally unguarded situation for the first time, and to say that she was lovely in such an honest and carefree state of mind was simple fact. There truly was not another creature in Killian's whole acquaintance who could even begin to compare to Emma Swan, and though he'd been sure that he wanted more with Emma even before this date began, the seamless nature of their night together and their easy connection all evening long was the proof he needed to know that he was all in with this woman and with the future they might be able to find together.

"So you never did end up telling me how you stumbled upon this place," Emma observed when they'd both finished their dessert and were moving hand in hand to the observatory across the estate.

Killian took the opportunity to look back at Emma when she said the words, loving the sight of her wearing his jacket though the night around them was amazingly mild for a September's eve. She was a vision in that delicate dress of hers, but seeing her wrapped up in something of his fed that need inside of Killian to lay claim to Emma somehow. It was a primitive want, but he couldn't seem to shake it, and though he'd never had that need to see another woman marked as his before, he wanted that chance with Emma now just like he wanted the chance to be seen as hers by anyone and everyone.

"There was limited stumbling involved, love. It simply took a little digging into what kind of treasures this part of the world had to offer."

Killian went on to explain the train of people he'd been in contact with to get all of this together, but the main person in his arsenal of aid and assistance was his good friend Will Scarlet, a man he'd met back in New York who ran in the same circles of the Locksley family. Killian then laid out to Emma his and Will's rather interesting history and the unique kind of bond that had sprouted between them despite the vastly different circumstances of their lives. Will was from money, essentially born to inherit an empire without really doing much of anything (though he kept himself busy with a literacy foundation he'd started in his family's name years back), and Killian was a go-getter who'd had to earn everything he ever got.

"He sounds like quite the character," Emma said with a laugh as Killian recounted the interesting ways that Will was a walking contradiction and a few more of their more interesting stories that had transpired over the years of their friendship.

"That's one way of looking at it," Killian replied with an easy smile. "But I gather you'll eventually get to see for yourself."

"Really?" Emma asked with a sense of surprise.

"Aye, love. I was told in no uncertain terms to expect a visit sometime soon so that Scarlet can see the woman all of this could be for."

Even in the fading light of the day around them Killian could see that subtle flush that came to Emma's complexion. It always fascinated him that she reacted this way to his compliments, because he assumed that she must be so used to receiving them, but somehow he knew that she wasn't. Emma was a woman who didn't give herself or the details of her thoughts and her life away easily, but for some reason she'd chosen to let him in a little bit, and just that small opening was enough to keep Killian trying for everything she was willing to give.

"Well I hope I don't disappoint," Emma said with a shaky laugh and Killian squeezed her hand a little tighter, drawing her eyes back up to his.

"You could never, Emma. It simply isn't possible."

A beat past between Emma and Killian and the air between them grew thick with all the building chemistry that had been building up since their first meeting. In this instant Killian felt compelled to lay the whole truth out there for her now. Emma should know the depth of his regard for her and about how he was already well past the feelings of a mere first date in his heart. He wanted every card out there on the table, and yet the words wouldn't come. Instead all Killian could do was marvel at this woman and his good fortune to even be here with her at all.

"You're a real charmer, you know that?" Emma asked then, clearly trying to rise above the more intimate moment with a jest and Killian laughed, allowing her to deflect a little if it made her more comfortable, all the while knowing that the current of need between them still remained.

"Is that a bad thing, Swan?" he asked and Emma pretended to consider before smiling again.

"I haven't decided yet," she joked, but Killian knew that she had decided and that her being here with him still was the testament to that. Emma wouldn't draw this night out if she wasn't interested him. She didn't play games and Killian knew she hadn't proposed the idea of this date lightly, so her being here meant that she'd seen something worthy in him, overly charming tendencies and all.

By now they'd reached the edge of the path from the house and there were two directions that the two of them could move towards. One was the beach, and the other the observatory. Since there was still enough light around them from the sinking sun, Killian wondered at the merits of going on the beach, but he decided to keep his same course that he'd laid forth all night. He would leave the power up to Emma and wherever she went he would eagerly follow.

"Where to next, love?"

Emma hesitated at the crossroads for a moment, clearly grappling with the choices before her before she silently bent lower to take off her shoes, signaling a walk on the sands was about to happen. That was all Killian needed as indication to do the same thing and the next thing he knew they were out there on the beach, feeling that subtle coastal breeze as the last of the day's light began to fade.

"Henry and I have a tradition," Emma said as they moved on the sands taking in the view. "Every time we come here we have to find a shell to bring back home."

"Any particular kind we're looking for?" Killian asked and Emma shook her head.

"Nope. Any shell works, but it has to be whole. That's the only rule."

"I take it you've been here a number of times then, love. How vast is this collection you two have amassed might I ask?" Killian inquired as he split his time between looking for a suitable shell for Henry and gazing upon Emma whose hair fluttered in the wind, sending her sweet scent of blossoms and vanilla his way.

"Oh we've got dozens of shells at the house," Emma admitted. "We come here a lot. It's always been a special place for Henry and I. That's part of why I was so surprised when we got here. I thought for sure that someone must have told you about it."

"Alas they did not," Killian confessed. "But if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it that makes this place so important? I mean aside from the clearly superior coastline and the easy access to a world class telescope."

Emma laughed at his summary of what the observatory offered before bending down to pick up a purple shell that while almost pristine had the tiniest chip on the upper rim. She tossed it back to the sand gently, keeping up the search before answering Killian's question.

"This was one of the first places Henry and I ever came to when we moved here. It was a week after we got to Storybrooke, and let's just say I was overwhelmed by the town and the neighbors and the general aura of happy, open, well-adjusted people."

Killian could readily understand that. It had taken him aback when he first arrived in town, and as someone who'd never experienced anything like the feel of a tightly-knit small town community before, he could only imagine what it had been like for Emma to try and assimilate. Couple that with the fact that she would have felt a determination to protect her son above all else and it was the makings of a real migraine to say the least.

"I was still doubting whether it was right to come here at all. I didn't really know what to do. I wanted to believe that Storybrooke could be the kind of place Henry and I needed after relocating from the life we'd had before, but I needed proof that if we did this then everything would really be as good as people said it would be."

"You're one of those seeing is believing people I take it," Killian said.

"How could you tell?" Emma said with a bit of sarcasm that wasn't biting but playful.

"Because I can recognize the signs. In my line of work you have to see the evidence before you jump to the conclusion. You can't just craft the story to suit your tastes. You need every piece of the puzzle to be certain of anything."

"Exactly," Emma said clearly glad that he understood her. "And I wanted that back then so I was struggling."

"What ended up changing your mind?" Killian asked.

"Henry of course," Emma admitted, smiling at the thought of her son as she did. "We came here and he was so happy. Between the beach and the telescopes it was like Christmas for him, and I couldn't understand it because what started as a sunny day turned into a total wash. There were clouds everywhere and you couldn't even see the stars so what was the point? But he just looked at me and said that clouds don't stay in the sky forever, and the stars would be back, we just had to be patient. I know he was just talking about the weather, but I figured if my four year old could have faith, then I could try too."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, you've a brilliant boy on your hands with that one, love. I've never met a lad like him before. He doesn't forget a thing and he's always got another ten questions up his sleeve. It's a real joy to see and to spend time with him… and with his mother."

Killian didn't know what he expected when he gave his honest assessment of Henry's abilities to Emma. Perhaps he'd thought she'd smile or laugh or offer another funny tidbit about the voracity of her kid, but instead she looked almost stricken, as if Killian had inflicted some sort of wound on her when that was so far from his intention.

"Look, Killian, tonight's been… well it's been wonderful, way better than any first date has a right to be, but I have to be honest with you: this thing between us, it would never just be between us. You understand that, right?" Emma asked and though Killian was still a little lost from her sudden change of tone he nodded, giving Emma leave to keep speaking. "I have more than myself to think about here. I have to think of Henry and what getting into something serious would mean for him."

A trickling of understanding began to seep through Killian's consciousness and it sent a cold chill through his body. Emma was trying to push him back after this evening that they'd shared together and it was a terrible thing to consider. Tonight had been a hint at only the beginning of what he was starting to want with Emma, and if this was all they were every going to have because she couldn't trust him… well it might just break Killian's heart.

"What are you saying, Swan?" Killian asked, hating that he needed to hear her say it when her words would have the power to wreck him completely. Emma in response closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling it and looking back at him.

"I'm saying that this scares me – you scare me. I don't do this, Killian. I don't get close to people like this because I know what it's liked to be burned and to have nothing but scars and heartache to show for it. I know what it's like to let someone in only for everything to go wrong and for people to get hurt, and as a mother I never want to put Henry through that. I don't ever want him to know what that's like."

"I would never do anything to hurt you or Henry, Emma, you must know that," Killian said reaching back for her and taking some comfort in the fact that Emma didn't resist his advances. Instead her hand came up to rest against his chest, and her body leaned a tad closer to him, telling Killian that even if her mind was resisting, her body was succumbing to that same truth and need that he'd given way to almost from the first moment they met.

"I do," Emma whispered, causing Killian's heart to beat painfully in his chest. He felt hope stirring once more, but this was still too volatile a situation to make heads or tails of. "But…"

"But nothing," Killian said, hating to interrupt her but needing her to see that he meant this and he wasn't willing to give up their chance without a fight. "No one can tell the future Emma, and I can't promise you exactly what will come, but I can swear to you that I'm not the kind of man who toys with people I care about, and I care about you and about Henry more than I can say. So whatever you think will change things, whether it's just fate's design, or circumstance, or something else that you're not telling me, I'm letting you know right now that I am in this. No matter what comes I'll be here."

That was already quite the profession, and Killian could tell that it was a lot for Emma to take in. Her green eyes had widened considerably, and he could see the swirling of emotion within them giving away how overwhelmed she was, but the fear from before was quickly fading, and Killian believed that now was the time to lay it all out there. How else, after all, was this woman to trust him with whatever it was she was keeping tucked away from him if he wasn't willing to trust her in return?

"I know you have doubts love, but I know who you are. I know you Emma, and nothing is going to dissuade me from the fact that this, scary and unknown as it might be, is worth giving a shot," Killian said as his hand came to cup her cheek. "We can take this as slowly as you command. I'm not trying to push you into something you're not ready for or that you don't want, but I think the thing that scares you most is that you do want this, love, just as badly as I do. You just have to trust yourself and learn to trust me too."

"I do trust you," Emma said quietly, and though the truth of her statement shone through in her tone, she seemed almost as surprised at her reply as Killian was. "Or at least I'm trying. I want to trust you."

"Then that's all we need, love. The rest of it will come, but that's the most important thing."

Emma nodded at that and once again her smile returned, bringing Killian a sweet sense of relief that only Emma ever seemed able to give him and the next thing he knew they'd separated the lingering space between them and were yielding to a kiss that had been weeks in the making. Unlike the one that Emma had bestowed upon him at the start of the evening, this one was hardly reserved and gave way to all the passion and pleasure and chemistry Killian had been anticipating would live within Emma from the start. The sparks that the kiss ignited inside him set his whole body alight and he swore that feelings this strong couldn't possibly exist, yet here they were.

Time passed strangely in that moment, and by the time the two of them broke apart Killian hardly knew which way was up. All he knew was that he would never have enough of Emma, and that he wanted to spend the foreseeable future claiming moments like this one as often as he could. From the smile on her face, Killian was also able to hope that was what Emma wanted too and he felt empowered to speak candidly to her about his thoughts on that kiss. The only problem was that there were no words to describe the euphoria he'd just found.

"That was…" Bloody hell, why couldn't he think of anything to say? A dozen words went through his mind, all of them good but none of them perfect, but it didn't matter in the end because Emma only smiled as if she could read his thoughts and agreed whole heartedly.

"Yeah, it sure was," Emma responded before casting her gaze off for a beat and then seeing something that drew her attention. "Hold that thought."

Killian watched then as Emma moved over a few feet and bent to grab something from the course ground beneath them and when she returned she had in her grasp a smooth, fully formed shell that was striking for one reason – it was a deep cerulean blue the likes of which Killian never would have thought would grace a shell in its natural climate. There were veins of white throughout the scalloped exterior, but it was so out of the common way that Killian was shocked, and then even more pleased to see that it was perfect, without a single chip or malformation in sight.

"Do you think it's a sign, Swan, that a shell like this one should find us after a kiss like that?" he asked and Emma glanced back up at him curiously, almost as if she was searching for something that Killian couldn't fully understand but then she bit her bottom lip and smiled.

"Yeah I think it might be," she said, tucking the shell into the pocket of his jacket that he was still wearing before taking Killian's hand again and heading for the observatory.

They tarried there inside the tower a while too, and it was a well founded activity because there wasn't a cloud in sight and the stars were fully there's to enjoy as the sun fully faded from the horizon. But even if Killian would have liked to stay there forever, it wasn't an option. The end of their night would eventually come, and when he could see the hour was late enough for Emma to feel likes she should head home, he maneuvered them back to the car and drove them home to Storybrooke once more.

Walking back up to Emma's front door, Killian felt the impending separation that had to come, bit he hoped to draw out this final moment they had together and postpone that lonely walk he'd have to make from Emma's door to his own. As he did he soaked in this feeling that only a spectacular first date could bring, looking at Emma who was wearing her heart on her sleeve as she had been since their talk back on the beach and still allowing that openness of before to permeate between them.

"I had a really good time tonight, Killian," Emma whispered finally, and the silkiness of her voice wrapped around him in a tantalizing way. She wasn't trying to be flirtatious either, it was just a natural ability she had to draw him in and Killian was so far past trying to resist her.

"I'm glad to hear that, love, because it means that should I ask you'll likely indulge me in another night like this one."

"You mean you're not sure if you want to ask?" Emma countered, her humor returning and that element of mischievousness infiltrating her persona. Killian chuckled as he stepped towards her, but it ebbed away when she mirrored his actions, filling the space around him with her all consuming presence once more.

"There's nothing in the world I'm more certain of than my desire to do this again, Emma. I just want to make sure your feelings are the same," Killian confessed and Emma beamed up at him before giving him a look that told him she had something to say that would likely brighten up his whole bloody universe.

"I might be on a somewhat similar page," Emma said and her mirth and playfulness was the last push Killian needed to close the remaining gap between them. He muttered about how he'd get her on the same damn page in no time before kissing her and feeling all of that electricity and magic and hope all over again.

In this kiss as with their others, Killian gave all of himself to Emma, but he was also aware of their surroundings and the need to be somewhat more reserved than they had been before. Being so close to home meant that Henry could be watching, or more possibly that Emma's friends could be spying on them, but Killian couldn't resist the chance for this last interlude together, especially since it would have to tide him over at least until tomorrow.

Breaking away from her in the end was hard, but it had to be done, and when Emma turned around to shrug off his jacket Killian helped her with the action, letting his fingertips linger on her skin in the moment and cursing himself for doing it. He was already wound too tight, already wanting too much, and now he was just teasing himself and her into more of a frenzy. But it didn't matter, because someday, even if it wasn't today or tomorrow, Killian would get his chance at more with Emma. He just had to be patient.

With a quiet goodbye, Emma slipped back into her house then and Killian, deciding to preserve her privacy over lingering longer as he might have wanted, headed back home, entering the place that could feel nothing but empty after the night he'd had. Though there was one tiny form of consolation, and it came in the form of that loveable kitten that was always so eager to see him. Automatically Killian moved down to pay Luna some attention before tossing his keys on the side table and hanging up his jacket.

Only then did one last thing click for Killian – in giving back his jacket Emma had likely given back the shell that was meant to be a keepsake for Emma and Henry. Hoping to right that wrong and return the item before he forgot, Killian moved his hand into the pocket of his coat, finding that the shell was still there safe and sound. He let out a relieved breath upon the discovery, but when he pulled it from the confines of the leather jacket, he was surprised to see the colors weren't those that he remembered, for instead of a crisp blue and white there was now a warmth that hadn't been there with gold swirled around in the design as well.

"What the…?" Killian muttered aloud, wondering if his mind had been playing tricks on him back on the beach or if it was doing so now, but in his gut he knew what he'd seen, and he knew that somehow, someway, this tiny ornament had been changed along their jounrey back home.

There was no logical way to describe this transformation, no rational way to understand how it could have happened but it had, and though it was a shock to see, it also didn't surprise Killian, not really anyway. Because underneath all of his reason and his rationale and his search for things that made sense, Killian's heart was telling him there was nothing to be feared. This was just another little piece of a puzzle he'd been grappling with since arriving in Storybrooke, one that included gardens that grew too quickly, explosions in kitchens that left no trace of damage, and a woman next door and her exuberant son who pulled him in like nothing and no one ever had before.

In the face of his uncertainty, it was that last part that Killian clung to, because to him it was the only part that counted. No matter what was going on in this town and with the people who lived here, one thing was for sure: Killian had meant what he said tonight about not going anywhere, and he intended to stay and to fight for a chance to be a part of Emma and Henry's lives come hell or high water.

So he wrote a note that said as much and left it on Emma's back porch railing with the shell in a spot he knew Emma would see the next morning when she came to check her flowers. And with that, Killian returned home once more and headed to bed hoping that this would be the proof Emma needed to know that he could be trusted with anything and that his feelings for her would remain through anything that she could possibly throw his way.

Post-Note: So first and foremost I want to thank you all for your patience in waiting for this update. I was planning to get it out earlier, but with everything that happened this week it just didn't get done like I hoped. However getting to write this fluffy installment helped to brighten my mood considerably and I hope it's granted even a little bit of that to you all. As you can probably guess from where I am ending this chapter, yes, Killian is well on his way to uncovering the truth and (surprise!) it's not going to change how he feels or what he wants. What will be unfolding in the next few chapters is Emma's personal character development. This will be one of the hardest things Emma has ever had to do (coming clean about her magic and hoping Killian won't reject her) and it will take some time to all come together, but I promise the pay off will be worth it when it comes. Anyway, hope you are all doing well and thank you again for reading!