A/N: Apologies for taking so long to yank this out of my stubborn brain. Hope you enjoy the ride!

Chapter 4

The sky was such an electric blue that Killian had to squint to see clearly up the path. Yosemite was as beautiful as he'd imagined. Winter in the national park made for fewer tourists, and that made the trails quieter and more peaceful. The wind ruffled through his hair and chilled the tips of his ears; he turned up his collar and attempted to nestle down inside his coat to keep warm. A noise caught his attention and he turned to find Emma following along the path behind him.

"Swan!" He smiled and reached out to help her clamber over a rock. Her skin felt warm in his hand and he found himself tugging her close and burying his hands in her unzipped coat while nuzzling his nose into the warmth of her neck. The wind from the valley whipped her hair around his face and he pulled her even closer. The heat from his breath along her neck helped defrost the tip of his nose and he found himself unable to resist the compulsion to press his lips against where her heartbeat was kicking up a notch. A faint moan drew his attention. His hands gripped her waist a bit tighter. A sighing gasp and moan echoed in the air again.

So this is what Emma sounds like?

The thought drifted through his mind and he listened for it again. Another moan followed by a deeper male groan. His scalp tingled in fear and he froze in mid-cuddle. Shit, shit, shit! That's not Emma making those sounds...it's the people next door.

The last vestiges of his dream slipped away and it dawned on him; he wasn't hiking Yosemite with Emma Swan, he was sharing a bed with her in a crappy motel. They'd been drinking across the street last night and she'd trusted him to sleep next to her for once. Yet here he was, arm wrapped around her waist and his nose buried in her hair-sporting a raging hard on. He eased away from his spooning position, ears straining to hear if the pattern of her breathing changed. Please let her still be asleep.

He tried to think of anything but how warm she felt or the noises drifting over from the neighboring room. Killian cautiously lifted his arm and attempted to roll away from her. His legs were tangled in the sheet. No wonder he was dreaming about the chill air outside; Swan was a blanket hog. She'd managed to abscond with the comforter leaving his back uncovered. He attempted to pull some covers while he rolled across the mattress, disentangling himself from her. The sudden movement sparked a throbbing in his head and he was reminded of their drinking game. He bit his lip and tugged the blanket up over his shoulder as he flopped onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. He was mortified to think Emma would misconstrue his unconscious snuggling as him putting the moves on her. He felt he'd finally made some progress on climbing over those sky high walls of hers.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to ignore the increasing volume of moans and gasps drifting through the paper thin walls. Swan had yet to stir. At least she appeared to still be asleep, sparing him having to explain away the groping of his arm and possible nuzzle to her neck. He had been dreaming about pressing his lips there, was it just a dream? He hoped he'd be spared the embarrassment by having to listen to the loud sex with her wide awake as well. He cast about for anything that would help quell his own arousal.

Counting sheep? God no, not with this soundtrack...boring lectures in Smith Hall. Yeah, that's helping.

But then the rhythmic pounding and squeaking bedsprings joined in with the groans.

Damnit, he should have asked for an end unit. Maybe they'll be quick...

Next to him the bed shifted. "What the hell?" Emma grumbled.

Great, now she's awake too.

There seemed to be a shift in their relationship, and last night's round of drinking at the bar seemed to prove she was not quite as uptight as he'd first thought. But even with all the progress he'd made with loosening her up and starting to think of her as a friend, he wasn't sure enduring the banging going on next door was quite to where they'd progressed. He wasn't sure how to play this situation with her. Should he ignore it? Pretend to still be asleep? Or, try to break the awkward tension by joking about it. He guessed it would depend on her mood, and how tipsy she still was from the bar.

Hell I think I'm still a bit drunk.

"We're being serenaded Swan." He turned his head toward her, barely making out the back of her head in the darkness. A brief flash from her phone lit up her profile as she checked the time.

"Seriously?" she flopped onto her back. "3am?" she didn't disguise the aggravation in her voice.

Killian rolled onto his back as well (now that he'd reigned in his libido) and tried to ignore the whooping and groaning that seemed to have kicked up a notch. Joking about this silly situation made the most sense to his sleepy mind.

"So," he glanced over in her direction, "Should we settle in with some popcorn and enjoy the show?"

"I think I'd rather rip out my eardrums." Emma flipped onto her stomach and yanked her pillow over her head.

"Oh god, oh god, Oh GOD" the banging of the neighboring headboard and accompanying commentary went up 100 decibels.

"Harder!" the woman yelled.

The man audibly grunted and redoubled his work (if the sounds emanating from next door were any hint). Their enthusiastic thrusting shook the headboard behind Emma and Killian's head, hard enough that with each forceful move the picture hanging on their side of the wall bounced back in echo to their effort.

Emma groaned, "It's getting worse." She tried to burrow beneath the comforter while keeping her pillow pressed against her ears.

Killian scooted down lower beneath the covers, trying to keep himself at the same level as Emma. "I guess that depends on what side of the wall you're on," he chuckled.

Emma's eyes glittered in the dark and she bit her lip snorted. He smiled and a burst of pride washed over him.

I almost made Emma Swan giggle.

He swore the wall itself (and not just the picture frame) was shaking with the renewed fervor of their amorous neighbors. It rattled above the headboard, catching Killian's attention. The frame rebounded off the wall ricocheting farther and farther out, until it was apparent that the hook wasn't going to hold it in place any longer. His eyes widened as the picture bounced loose from it's fastener and crashed down to the floor, narrowly missing Emma's head.

It was the last straw, Emma had tried to appear annoyed by the boisterous lovebirds, but when the picture from the wall practically decapitated her, she couldn't hold in her laughter and it burst out. The shocked look on Killian's face only made her laugh even harder.

She sat up, leaned against the headboard and glanced down at the fallen picture. She made an attempt to catch her breath, while a wave of dizziness hit her and she slapped her hand over her forehead.

"Ow!" She'd forgotten how much she'd had to drink. Was it not that long ago? Her head throbbed and she slipped back down to her pillow, reigning in her fit of giggles. She'd been blissfully asleep before her dreams had been interrupted by the other patrons of the motel. Good dreams that involved– she tried to recall exactly what–snuggling and warmth. Had she been wrapped up with Killian? Her hazy whiskey-filled brain wasn't helping and the sex noises distracted her from remembering.

"You all right there Swan?" Killian nudged her with his shoulder.

"Yeah, I just think I'm still too drunk to deal with people fucking next to my head."

Killian let out a snort and ran his hands down in face, "Aye, I'm in the same boat," he settled back against the pillow, "Why the heck did I convince you drinking games were a good idea?"

"I think it was a two way street." Her head dropped down in defeat as a loud male groan erupted. Picturing what was going on next door was not how she wanted to spend the rest of her night. Hell, she'd give anything for the rest of that bottle of whiskey if only to drown out the embarrassing noises. Thank god it was dark enough to mask her blushing face.

"Should we return fire?" Killian asked, raising his fist to pound behind their heads.

"No!" Emma reached out to drag his arm down, "Don't provoke them!" His skin was warm and Emma drew her hand back, surprised by the electric jolt that ran up her own arm from the contact.

"OH GOD!" Echoed from the next room and the headboard slamming against their shared wall picked up its pace.

"I don't think they'd notice if the roof blew off," Killian raised an eyebrow. "Never mind any potential distraction we may attempt."

The thudding against the wall synched up with the dull pounding starting in her head. She ran her hands down her face and groaned in pain. Killian cocked his head to one side and watched her. When he slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom, Emma wondered what he was up to. The last 'Oh God' appeared to be the crescendo on the sex symphony, because the thumping slowed and stopped. After a few minutes Killian returned with a cup of water and two tablets of what she assumed was aspirin.

"Sounds like it could be over and we can try and get back to sleep." He handed her the pills and held out the water for her.

Her fingers brushed against his palm as she grabbed the pain killers and tossed them into her mouth; Killian once again demonstrating that he was looking out for her. The fact that he may actually care gave her pause. The water helped relieve some of the dryness that had invaded her throat.

His hairy legs and bare feet captured her attention and she tried not to stare while he slipped back beneath the sheet. She couldn't remember the last time she'd trusted someone enough to be as unguarded as she'd gotten with Killian tonight. Hell, it had been far too long since she'd even seen Neal in person, what with them attending schools on opposite sides of the country. It was nice to be able to laugh with someone at the ridiculous situation they found themselves in. He patted the mattress, encouraging her to settle back down again.

She nestled into the covers and turned on her side to face him. Relief washed over her now that the circus next door seemed to have quieted down.

"So Swan," Killian asked softly, "What are your plans when we arrive?"

Emma wasn't exactly sure. She hadn't planned that far in advance, only the fact that she hadn't seen Neal and wanted to surprise him. "Nothing concrete," she admitted.

"You should come to Yosemite with me and the crew." He nestled down further beneath the blanket, "Look at all the fun we've had on the journey so far."

"Yeah- a blast," she said sarcastically. "What's more fun than listening to wild sex at a motel?"

"Having wild sex?" he smirked.

She shook her head at him and turned onto her back, staring up at the water stained ceiling. "We have set the bar high, I'm not sure the rest of winter break will be as entertaining."

Killian's eyes glittered in the dim light, "The boys are throwing a party when I arrive, you are more than welcome to attend."

"Yeah, maybe," Emma glanced at the time on her phone. "I guess it'll depend on what Neal wants to do." Emma's stomach sank a bit at that thought. He'd most likely not want to go anywhere, and being cooped up in his apartment for the rest of Christmas break wasn't the most appealing option at the moment.

"Of course," he assured her, "All are welcome." He stifled a yawn and pulled the covers up higher. "Goodnight Swan."

Emma bit her lip and tamped down the feeling of disquiet before turning over and muttering, "Goodnight Killian."

They didn't get on the road till after 9am. The sun peeking through the curtains and falling across Killian's face was bright enough to rouse him from sleep. His head throbbed painfully as he rolled from the bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. Once he grabbed a quick shower and brushed his teeth he felt a bit more like a human being.

Emma remained curled beneath the blankets and he bent next to her side of the bed to pluck her red bra off the floor.

"Rise and shine Swan," he sang at the lump beneath the comforter.

She grumbled and squinted at him over the edge of the blanket. Once she'd shown signs of joining the land of the living he dangled the lace underwear in front of her eyes.

"Damnit Jones!" Her arm shot out and she grabbed the bra from his fingers.

He chuckled at her flush of embarrassment. "Fear not Emma, I've left you hot water for a shower. I'm just heading over to see if our chariot awaits."

"Who even talks like that?" she grumbled sourly.

Killian bent to tug on his sneakers and glanced over as Emma winced and sat up. "I also left some Advil on the bathroom counter."

"Thanks," he heard her mumble as he slipped out the door and headed toward Leroy's Garage. He'd pulled his leather jacket on over his hoodie and slipped back into the same worn jeans that he'd had on last night. Doing a load of laundry once he arrived at Will and Robin's would be high on his priority list. He stuck his hands in his pockets and jogged across the parking lot to Leroy's.

The Open sign was propped in the garage window and Killian slipped inside the small office. The mechanic came out grumbling under his breath when he heard the chime of the door opening. Once he saw Killian he managed to not look quite so grumpy and he turned to grab the keys off a pegboard behind his counter.

"Your car's all set," Leroy turned back and slid the keys toward him. "I managed to find a pair of decent tires on sale, so the damage isn't too bad."

Killian imagined cartoon moths flying out of his wallet when he opened it up to pull out a credit card. He wasn't expecting this expense on the trip and it would just about wipe out anything he'd saved up for his vacation. He held his breath as Leroy ran the card and prayed it didn't get declined. The machine spit out a slip of paper and Killian exhaled in relief as he signed it with a flourish. He grabbed his receipt and turned from the counter, where he hesitated when his eyes caught the map of the country on the wall.

"Actually, maybe there's one more thing you can do for me mate," he turned toward Leroy. "Which is the best route the rest of the way to California?"

Leroy came from around the counter and squinted at the map. "Well, you can go the northern route on 80 through Wyoming, or," he pressed a greasy finger on the map, "Take Route 76 through Denver and go via Vegas."

Vegas-his ears perked up at the word. Sin City, the lights and bells of casinos, just the thought sent a thrill through him. It was tempting, maybe Killian could win some extra cash to cover the cost of his car repairs. As images of roulette wheels and blackjack tables danced through his head, the unbidden image of his brother frowning popped in too. Liam would disapprove no doubt, he wasn't one to gamble. Killian would have to think on it and see what Emma preferred.

"But," Leroy's voice gave him pause, "though it's shorter, you may have to deal with the weather north through the mountains in Colorado."

Killian took one last look at the map before turning to head back to the motel. He'd give Swan the chance to decide their fate, that way if they ran into weather she couldn't blame him. It would be her choice leading them on their adventure.

Emma rolled over and made the attempt to drag herself out of bed. With her bra clutched in her hand she shuffled toward the bathroom and the heaven-sent painkillers Killian said he'd left for her. It had been a long time since she'd been this hungover.

Once she'd popped a couple of Advil, she immersed herself in the hot water of the shower. Her mind drifted back over the night before. Was there singing after Jenga? Did she dream that? She snorted to herself as she remembered the noisy fucking neighbors. Literally. Fucking. Right next to her head. At least Killian had made a joke of it and it didn't turn out half as awkward as it could have been. She had to admit, it had been a lot of fun.

She ran her hands down her face and tried to ignore the trepidation she was beginning to notice when she thought of her reunion with Neal. She turned her face up into the spray and tried to clear her mind. If she spent much longer in her own head trying to sort through her warring feelings her fingers would soon be overly wrinkled and the last of the hot water would be gone. Emma heaved a sigh and sealed the soul searching behind a wall. She'd have plenty more time to figure out what to do when she arrived in California.

She turned the shower off and reached for the last towel on the rack. Once she'd scrubbed her hair to get the extra moisture out, she wrapped it around herself.

Shit, I forgot my change of clothes next to the bed.

Did she have time to grab them before Killian returned? Emma cracked the bathroom door and peered out. Coast was clear, so she scampered her way over to her stuff. She tried to keep the minuscule towel wrapped close, but she had to free her arms to rummage through her bag looking for her clean jeans. It was at that moment the door opened and Jones ventured into the room.

He froze at the same time she did. Emma clung to the towel that barely covered her and internally cursed the cheap motel and their crappy excuse for a bath sheet. She watched his eyes widen as he took in her state of undress, and noted that the tips of his ears flushed bright red in embarrassment.

"Sorry!" Killian stammered out and spun on his heel to head back outside.

After her initial shock of him walking in while she was barely decent, Emma couldn't help but snicker at how uncomfortable he'd looked. For all his innuendos and cocky attitude it was nice to see him squirm.

She yanked on her jeans and shrugged into a comfortable t-shirt before she packed up the rest of her things. It was well past time to hit the road. While she finished stowing her toothbrush in her bag, Killian sheepishly opened the door and gave the room a glance, checking to make sure she was clothed.

"Sorry about barging in earlier," he trailed off.

Emma paused in zipping her bag closed and toyed with the thought of teasing him about his bashfulness, but instead hefted her bag and said, "Let's drop it and get going."

"As you wish, Swan," he murmured and gathered up the rest of his stuff before they headed out of the motel.

Emma gave an appraising look at the new pair of tires before settling into the passenger side of the car. Killian leaned between their seats, stretching to grab a battered road atlas from the floor in the back. Her eyes drifted down to the strip of bare torso exposed by him rummaging around behind her. The impulse to reach out and touch him was strong. As he arched back up into the driver's seat he smoothed out the wrinkled pages of the atlas and she reigned in her desire to poke at him.

"Is that a map?" Emma teased, trying to gather her thoughts and concentrate on the pages he flipped through.

"Cartography is a lost art form," he insisted. "Plus, we have a choice ahead of us and you need to direct our compass so to speak."

Killian bent over the atlas, his hair flopping down his forehead while he traced the route they were on. His finger paused where they had the choice to stay on 80, or branch south on 76.

"So Swan, your choice, the shorter northern route with the added threat of snowy weather? Or," he paused, "the southerly route that takes us close to Vegas, where I can perhaps win back some money lost on the car repairs?"

Emma gnawed on her lip, she didn't want the responsibility of choosing their fate, but Killian was staring at her, waiting on her decision. Vegas did have its perks but she wanted to get to California quickly. As appealing and potentially distracting as the southern route sounded, she heaved a sigh and tapped the northern route. She didn't want to admit to herself that spending more time on the road with Killian was tempting. Maybe too tempting.

Killian nodded and pulled out onto the road, flipping the radio on while settling into a slouch behind the wheel. The car hummed along the highway as they continued on through bland fields. The new tires weren't as noisy as the old pair and Emma found his choice of radio station wasn't bothering her hangover as much as she'd worried it would.

She logged their destination into her phone's GPS, waiting to see how much longer it was going to take. "Looks like we've got just over 26 hours or so till we get there." As she glanced at the phone it dawned on her that she hadn't bothered to text Neal recently.

Oddly enough she didn't miss him. Killian, in just a few days, had gone from infuriating her to filling a human-shaped void she didn't realize was in her life. If anything, she suspected she'd miss Killian once they parted ways at the west coast. She wrapped a tendril of hair around her finger and let her eyes take in the fields of Nebraska passing by the car window. Great, more soul searching...

With the realization that Neal didn't seem of much concern in her life at the moment, Emma wondered what exactly she was headed out west for? When she'd started out it had been to surprise Neal over winter break; to be spontaneous and live a little. The words of her professor echoed in her mind as she continued to scan the horizon. It seemed the journey had taken on more importance than what she originally thought she was her reason for going in the first place. Neal was safe and predictable, but was that truly what would make her happy?

Her eyes slid to her left, taking in Killian as he hummed along to the tune on the radio.

"Say goodbye to Nebraska Swan," he nodded at the road sign noting that they were approaching Wyoming.

She turned to look at the stretch of highway behind them. "Goodbye Nebraska," she murmured softly.

They'd be stopping to find something for lunch soon, and Emma would be taking over the driving duties. She turned to face forward and leave the sense of melancholy behind. The sky ahead appeared to be darkening to a dreary grey. Geez, could my life be more metaphorical?

"That doesn't look good," she grumbled.

Killian peered up ahead and frowned. "No, it looks like a nasty storm." He shrugged, "Well, there's no guarantee the other way wouldn't be plagued with bad weather, so I don't think we'd be better served changing routes now."

He didn't sound accusatory, but Emma couldn't help but cringe and second guess her choice to take the northern route.

He seemed to notice her wince and quickly reassured her, "Fear not Swan, as long as we get there in one piece it doesn't matter which way we go."

The first few flakes of snow were falling when they pulled into a roadside diner to grab something to eat. Killian ran his hand through his hair and eyed the sky dubiously.

"I don't mind driving in the snow," he offered.

"No, it's my turn and my idea to go this way," Emma insisted. "I can manage, as long as I've got grilled cheese fueling me."

They pushed through the door and ordered food to go. Emma was soon behind the wheel with a greasy bag of onion rings perched between her legs. She'd wolfed down the grilled cheese while navigating back onto the highway. Killian munched on his cheeseburger, played with the radio dial and tried to steal onion rings from her bag.

The snow had been wafting down for a couple of hours as they headed into Wyoming. Killian was reclining back in the passenger seat when the the flakes got smaller and the wind picked up making it more difficult for Emma to see any distance down the road.

Soon the wipers started to ice over and the tracks of earlier cars were quickly filling up with the white stuff. Emma groaned inwardly. Why did I think this was a good idea again? I should have listened to Killian and gone the Vegas route.

She glanced over at where he dozed. She didn't want to disturb his nap, but the conditions were getting worse. Now the flakes were splattering against the windshield, turning to more sleet than snow. The Volvo held to the road for the moment, and she was certain the new pair of tires helped in that department, but the car began to feel like it was floating atop the ice. She continued to grip the wheel and make the best of it. Maybe she'd drive out of the storm? Wishful thinking on her part since the sky was even darker ahead, but it what else could she do?

After a few more miles the iced wipers were not clearing the snow and she knew it was time to pull over and snap the slush off of them. She drifted to a slippery stop and Killian raised his head and rubbed his face, wiping the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes.

"How long did you let me nap for?" He glanced around at the storm darkened view and his eyes widened when he saw the amount of snow swirling around the car. He raised his seat quickly and turned to look back the way they had come.

"It's only been a couple of hours, but the weather's gotten worse." Emma pointed to the ice encrusted wipers that scraped noisily across the windshield. "You wouldn't happen to have tire chains would you?" she asked hopefully.

Killian groaned and pulled on a pair of winter gloves. He jerked open the passenger door and grabbed one of the wipers, letting it snap against the glass, dislodging some of the sleet and ice buildup. He made his way around to her side and repeated his actions. Emma clambered into the passenger seat when he opened the driver's door and motioned her over.

"Swan, you should have woken me up so I could drive."

"Yeah, well…" Emma shrugged her shoulders. "You looked like you needed the rest."

He shook out the snow that clung to his hair before he slipped his gloves off and rubbed his hands on the front of his hoodie. Killian glanced over his shoulder before slowly pulling back onto the road.

The car slipped and slid its way across the lane and Killian eased up on the gas to try and retain control over the Volvo.

"Hang on Swan, looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride."

Killian had to admit that Emma allowing him to sleep while she battled the winter driving surprised him. He slid his eyes to the right to watch her gaze out the frosty window. Hope sprang eternal that he was winning her over. As they crawled along he worried they wouldn't be making it as far as he'd hoped before dark. If the weather didn't improve he'd be forced to find a spot to ride out the storm. He wasn't willing to risk their safety just to get to California for Emma to be reunited with her boyfriend. His mood turned as dark as the clouds overhead. He tried to shake himself out of it and find a place for them to hole up.

"How far does your GPS say we are from anything resembling civilization?" he asked her.

Emma bent her head over her phone and swiped her fingers along the screen checking for restaurants or motels that might be ahead. Killian tried to keep from curiously glancing over; the treacherous roads wouldn't allow him the luxury.

"Looks like there might be something off the next exit," Emma tapped the phone and pointed towards the turnoff. "Luckily it isn't 20 miles away."

Killian could just make out the off ramp at the bottom of a rather steep downhill stretch of the highway. He gripped the wheel tighter to hide the fact that he was barely keeping the car from slipping off into the shoulder beside the road. He didn't want to show Emma how scared he was. He could feel the rear of the car drifting over the top of the iced road. He didn't want to touch the brakes, convinced that it would kick the car into a spin. He eased off the gas and shifted the Volvo into a lower gear wincing as the engine whined in complaint.

Almost as if she could sense his nervousness, Emma reached over and silenced the radio. It wasn't necessary, but he appreciated the gesture and tried to flash a smile at her. It probably came off as a grimace and he inhaled to try and concentrate.

That's when the tail of the car began to swing out and Killian had to fight the urge to steer in the opposite direction. He turned the wheel into the skid and the car shuddered but managed to straighten itself out while they coasted toward the bottom of the hill.

Emma remained quiet while he piloted their way off the ramp. He heaved a sigh of relief as they slid to the end. A stop sign mocked their slippery failure to come to a rest and he managed to keep from sliding all the way across the road.

Emma released the breath she had apparently been holding and pointed to the right, "Looks like there might be a motel in that direction, that is if the points of interest don't lie."

Killian pried his fingers from the steering wheel, rubbed them on his jeans and put his car back into gear. "Ok Swan, direct me onward and hopefully we won't end up walking."

He tried to inject some humor into his tone, but he was afraid it came out a bit too on edge for her not to take note of.

"I'm sure you'll get us there in one piece," she reassured him, "and I don't intend to wade through snow drifts to safety."

He thought that's exactly what they'd be doing when the car floundered in the deep snow of the unplowed road. He shifted to low gear again and coaxed his old girl back into the tracks of some other traveler who had passed this way. The wipers were beginning to ice over again when he caught a glimpse of the motel that Emma had found listed on her phone.

"Well Swan, looks like we've found our port in the storm." He pulled up to the little office that thankfully had a "Vacancy" sign lit.

"Thank god," she answered, "I didn't think we'd be able to get much further."

Killian scratched nervously behind his ear and broached the subject of another unexpected stop and expense along the way. "I don't suppose you'd be opposed to splitting another single room to save some cash would you?"

Emma turned to him, "This room's on me Jones," she patted his leg, "after all, it's my fault for picking this route. I was an idiot for thinking we'd be saving time."

"Don't beat yourself up," he pulled the keys from the ignition and began to zip up and prepare for the cold outside. "You're just trying to get to your boyfriend." He hoped he'd kept the twinge of jealousy out of his voice.

Emma shook her head tugging her coat more closely about her, "I'm beginning to regret that."

He arched an eyebrow at her, trying to figure out if there was a hidden meaning to her confession. Don't get your hopes up, she's taken.

"I swear, this plan has been cursed from the beginning." she yanked open her door and hopped out.

He gnawed on his lip and tried to keep from reading too much into her grousing. He didn't have any nefarious scheme to steal her away from her boyfriend, but he wouldn't deny that he'd be pleased if she ditched Neal to hang out with him.

They shuffled into the small office and Emma grabbed his forearm when he reached for his wallet.

"I insist on getting this room," she stubbornly stared him down.

"I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I didn't at least try to convince you otherwise," he shook her hand from his arm, but relented in returning his wallet to his back pocket. "At least request an end unit to avoid a repeat of our last motel adventure," he smirked at her.

Once they'd arranged lodging and the grumpy looking woman handed over their room key, they made their way back out. Their unit was (thankfully) a vacant one on the end, so Killian drove them down and parked as close to the door as possible. He held out hope that perhaps the overhanging awning might keep some of the snow from piling up on his car. Either way when he got out, he lifted the wipers to prevent them from freezing to the glass and left them sticking up like antennae while Emma grabbed her suitcase.

He glared up at the skies and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder before patting the roof of his Volvo lovingly and following Emma to the door of their room.

She jiggled the knob and hip checked the wood to get it to open. Killian pushed through on her heels, happy to get out of the cold. He dropped his bag to the floor and rubbed his hands together trying to get the chill out.

Emma flopped down on the bed and pulled out her phone. "You don't think they'd deliver pizza in this weather do you?"

His stomach gave a growl at the thought of hot food. "I would gather the answer would be a resounding 'no'." He settled on the bed, looking over her shoulder at the scarce selections of nearby restaurants. "Since you picked up the room, I'll venture out in search of some pizza."

Emma began to rise, but Killian held up his hand to stop her. "You relax, get warmed up." He took another glimpse at her phone to note where the pizzeria was. "It's just around the corner from where we are."

"We could call and make sure they're open?" she offered. She held the phone to her ear and smiled when they picked up, mouthing, "What do you like on your pizza?"

"Pepperoni with extra cheese," he answered while tugging on his wet gloves again.

"Number 29," she called out as he opened the door to a stiff gust of snow filled wind.

He gave her a wave as he shuffled out to embark on a freezing undertaking all in the name of food.

Emma toed off her shoes and peeled off her damp socks. As sketchy as the motel was, she was still relieved to be out of the storm and in a warmer place. At least her hangover seemed to have passed. She felt a twinge of guilt for letting Killian go get the pizza alone, but it gave her a chance to relax and let go of the tension from driving in the snow.

She unzipped her bag and pulled out her worn sweats before shimmying out of her jeans and jumping back onto the bed. She hunkered down beneath the covers and toyed with her phone. With the storm and added time on their trek across the country, Emma had been wondering if she should just call Neal and let him know she was more than halfway there. Granted it would spoil the surprise, but at this point with all that had gone wrong, she worried that his reaction may not be what she imagined. She gnawed on her lip and pressed the call button.

"Hey babe!" he answered on the second ring. Her stomach churned nervously.

"Hey," she began, "it's been awhile since we talked."

"Yeah, god I'm sorry, been busy with finals," he trailed off and it seemed he wasn't trying too hard to make up any excuses.

"Oh?" she paused, "do you have anything planned for your winter break?"

"Greg and Tamara are sticking around so I was planning on chillin' out with those guys." He yawned audibly and rambled out, "It'll be nice to just do nothing for a few weeks."

Emma's nerves faded into the start of aggravation as he extolled the virtue of doing nothing. He continued to fill her in on his housemates and she tried to pay attention when he described who he'd been spending time with over the semester. "They're great, although you'd probably find them not to be up to your standards."

Her ears pricked up at the passive aggressive putdown. "I have standards?" What's that supposed to mean?" she paced the length of the room, surprised that he'd make a judgement like that about her. It's not like they'd seen each other in months, how could he think he knew what impression she'd have of his new friends?

"Well, you know you can be prickly? They're much more laid back than you are."

Emma let the slight wash over her and half listened as Neal chattered on. He didn't even realize what he'd said had stung. She fought the sinking feeling in her stomach. If he was only interested in chilling out with his new friends, how could she have imagined he'd want to show her all the touristy things?

Killian would.

The fact her cohort in adventure popped into her mind unbidden made her stop mid turn on her lap around the motel room.

"I've got to run Neal, I'll talk again soon." she ended the call before she realized she hadn't said she loved him or bothered to give him the chance. The soul searching she'd been wrestling with this entire long drive had put the doubt of her feelings into sharp focus. She wasn't exactly missing Neal very much.

Irked by the phone conversation she paced around the room. The remote rested on top of the television and she flicked it on. It took a moment for it to warm up and she flipped through looking for the local news or a weather report. It would be nice to know how long this storm was slated for.

All she could find was an old Judge Judy rerun that had her cursing at the defendant and cheering the tongue lashing Judge Judy gave them. It provided some relief from her irritation.

Her stomach grumbled and she rolled off the bed to wander over and pull back the grungy curtain. She squinted out at the swirling snow and tamped down the worry that settled in the pit of her stomach. Killian's car was still sitting right in front of their unit. Did that idiot walk?

She pulled her phone out and checked the map. Her worry dropped a bit when she saw that it was less than a half mile to the pizza joint. It made sense for him to make the trek on foot because of how bad the roads were. Still, she expected he'd have been back by now. Emma groaned and yanked on a pair of dry socks and her shoes before buttoning up and heading out in search of her missing copilot.

Her phone laid out the easy directions and she bent her head against the wind while she trudged out of the parking lot. No sign of Jones, which fired up some anger to bubble alongside her worry. He'd better be frozen in a ditch on the side of the road or have a damn good explanation for why it'd taken so long for him to return.

The snow was piling up, but she spotted his footprints and followed them along on her route. Wet tendrils of her hair began to whip into her face as she turned left and felt the full force of the wind. The sleet stung her cheeks and she began to reconsider her decision to go looking for him, but it couldn't be more than a ten minute walk. All the more reason to be worried.

It was starting to get even darker and she felt relief flood through her when she spotted the brightly lit sign advertising authentic Italian pizza. She picked up her pace, grumbling that she could have gone with him in the first place and eaten in the restaurant instead of getting it to go.

A jeep lumbered onto the road and it's headlights cast their bright glow over her as she slipped closer to the edge of the street to avoid being run over. The Wrangler slowed to a stop right next to her and the passenger window rolled down exposing a smiling Killian Jones.

"Hey Swan, hop in!" He opened the door wide and held out a hand to hoist her into the Jeep. "Why on earth are you out in the storm? I thought you were going to relax in the room?"

She clambered into the back and was awash with relief that he was safe, but also annoyed that she let herself worry over him. "I was looking for you," she grumbled as she slid in the back, next to the large pizza box.

"Maria here was kind enough to offer a lift back," he nodded at the attractive woman driving the Jeep.
"With the weather what it is, you guys were the last pizza before my dad closed up early," she smiled at Killian.

Emma reigned in a flash of jealousy and managed to smile at the pizza lady. "Thank you for giving him a ride, I was starting to worry."

The trip back to their room was so quick she barely had time to thaw out before she was scrambling down from the Jeep and hugging the warm pizza box while Killian saluted their savior.

"Seriously Swan," he swept in front of her to wrestle the motel room door open, "I thought you'd be curled up beneath the covers riding out the storm, what happened?"

She blew past him and placed the pizza on the bed, rushing to get her snow encrusted jacket off and bending to yank her shoes off. She fought to keep her teeth from chattering as she ground out, "I got concerned when you weren't back when I thought you would be."

"Apologies lass, I would have been back sooner, but with cold pizza," he pried his wet sneakers off, "so when I heard the owner saying he was closing up early, I charmed Maria into give me a lift." He gestured at the still steaming pizza, "I think it'll be worth the wait to have a hot meal."

She peeled off her wet socks and pulled the bottoms of her sleep pants away from her ankles. She tried not to imagine him charming the pants off of Maria to get her to drive him back to his motel. Clumps of snow dropped onto the floor and she yanked some ice free from her hair. Killian took one look at her soggy clothes and dashed to the bathroom to grab a towel for her.

He handed her one while he scrubbed another through his damp hair. She noticed the tips of his nose and ears were bright red and that he looked as much like a popsicle as she did. He rubbed the towel down his soaked jeans, prompting her to look down at her own sweats. She wasn't about to burrow beneath the covers in wet pants so she hurriedly pulled them off and hid beneath the sheets. Killian continued to press his towel against the legs of his jeans.

"For Pete's sake, just strip them off and get under the covers!" his futile attempt to dry himself made her snap.

He glanced over at her, "Can't wait to get me out of my pants, eh Swan?" He raised his eyebrows and seductively began to unbutton his jeans. Emma tossed a pillow at him, hitting him in the head while he laughed and shucked his wet jeans off. He spread them out on one of the chairs near the heater and rounded the bed to slip beneath the covers.

She pulled the pizza box between them, flipping it open and digging into the gooey cheese. The heat from the food helped her defrost. She'd barely finished half a slice when the painful tingling began in her legs. Emma started to shudder uncontrollably. She dropped her pizza slice and reached beneath the blanket to press her hand against her skin; it was ice cold.

"Damn, it must have been colder out than I thought," she grumbled and put down her pizza. "Feel how cold my skin is!" she grabbed Killian's hand and placed it on her leg.

It wasn't until she saw the look of surprise on his face that she realized she'd pulled him closer and pressed his hand along her bare thigh. She dropped his hand and tried to cover by reaching out to feel his reddened ear. "You're just as cold."

"Christ, Swan, you're freezing," he gave her leg a squeeze before pulling his hand back out from beneath the covers. He set his food and the pizza box aside and opened his arms.

"C'mere, you're liable to shiver yourself right out of the bed."

Emma bit her lip, considering the implications of being wrapped up in Killian Jones, sans pants. The prickle of pain along her skin from the cold pushed her to slide over and into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled the blanket up and over her shoulders.

"This is the quickest way to get warmed up you know," he gasped as her cold legs tangled with his. "Damn, how long were you out there?"

He cringed a bit when she pressed her icy foot against his calf, but then wrapped his legs closer around hers.

"Snuggle together for warmth?" she laughed trying to cover her nervousness. "Is this your elaborate plan to get me pantsless in bed?" She nestled down, trying to ignore how his leg hair tickled her feet and how warmth pooled low in her belly. She tried to distract herself by focusing on his chilled state. She pressed her palms on either side of his head.

"Your ears are as cold as my legs."

In this position she couldn't keep from being captured by his blue gaze. She inhaled and resisted the pull to glance down at his mouth. She shouldn't want to kiss him, but she did. He fidgeted and dropped his chin down, breaking the staring contest they seemed to find themselves in.

She flexed her toes, feeling some warmth begin to seep back into her legs. He rubbed her arms, working up some friction between her skin and the blankets, before he turned onto his back and pulled the covers up over his nose. Emma hunkered down into the covers as well.

Killian took a deep breath and reigned in the impulse to press himself against the rest of Emma's chilled legs. The only way to truly warm her up would be to pin her beneath him and he was pretty sure it would lead to more than just snuggling. He pulled away to flip onto his back. The patterns in the ceiling provided a good distraction. He let his mind drift, searching for a way to keep the thought of warming Emma in much more pleasurable manner from overtaking his sense of good form. He'd like nothing better than to bury his face into her neck, wrap his arms around her and haul her on top of him. He mentally smacked himself. He was supposed to be thinking of anything BUT that. He switched tactics and figured teasing her might relieve some of the tension.

"So you were worried about me?" Killian turned to her and smirked. "Perhaps even missed my charming self?"

"You were gone for a long time," Emma complained, "in the middle of a blizzard." She shuffled her feet beneath the blanket, brushing them alongside his calf again. He tried not to think about her hooking those feet around both calves and anchoring her against him while he drove up…

Stop it Jones. She's got a boyfriend.

He turned to catch her staring at him, and noted how her cheeks flushed pink.

"Nice to know I was missed, Swan." He dropped his eyes to her lips and took a deep breath, which brought in the scent of pepperoni. Food the perfect way to get his mind off ravishing her.

"Well Swan, are you defrosted yet?" He sat up and reached for the pizza box. "Ready to polish off this pizza?"

The blankets pooled in his lap as he shifted uncomfortably; his boxer briefs a bit tighter than he liked at the moment. He pulled the box onto his legs and flipped it open to grab her half eaten piece. He proffered it to her with an arched brow. He tried to ignore the spark of electricity that traveled up his fingers when she brushed hers against them taking the pizza.

"Don't do that again," she grumbled after tucking into her second slice.

"What?"

"Make me worry," she kept her eyes trained on the television.

He smiled at the warmth that wrapped around him with her admission that she'd worried. There were very few people left in his world that could claim that job. Without his brother, he was pretty much on his own. He looked over at her while she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze.

"Thanks Emma," he nudged her shoulder with his, "for caring." He turned his attention back to focus on finishing the pizza, but didn't miss the small nod that Emma gave him for his thanks.