A door slams and Emma wakes suddenly, disoriented. Blinking away sleep, she scans the room, heart pounding because she doesn't know where she is until her eyes finally focus on the odd assortment of second-hand sofas and armchairs and the comically large flat-screen TV with at least three gaming consoles clustered beneath it. Oh. Killian's living room - and then she focuses Killian himself, seated beside her on the couch, typing away on his laptop. There is a puddle of drool on his sleeve, and Emma wipes her mouth self-consciously.
"Sorry," she says, glancing at the drool and then up at him. Killian leans forward to place the laptop on the coffee table, smiling at her and her heart flip-flops. It always flip-flops around him these days, and she doesn't want that feeling of lightness and joy to ever stop (it's so different from what she's used to, so very different than apprehension and dread and doubt and wondering when the paparazzi will appear and when she'll no longer be safe. She feels safe with him and happy).
"No big deal," he tells her, opening his arms and Emma snuggles into him, wrapping herself around him, feeling him brush a kiss against her head. "You're the one that had to wait for me to finish this paper," he adds.
"No big deal," she responds, echoing his previous statement. "Did you get it submitted?"
"By the buzzer." His hand strokes her back soothingly, and Emma sighs, contented.
In the three weeks that they've been together, they've tried to see each other as much as possible and that is why she's here late on a Tuesday night while Killian writes his paper (he did make her dinner, though, if mac and cheese counts as dinner. It was pretty good).
Emma blames herself for Killian not starting his paper earlier. She knows she distracts him, and since he's farther along in his coursework, he's got more papers which he doesn't always get to because she just wants to make out pretty much nonstop and really it's his fault for having a face that makes her want to do that. They're starting to fall into a rhythm, and Emma is happy about that because she likes where this is going, this brand new relationship.
They don't really have a word for what they are - at the very least, they're together, but they're not putting labels on which makes Emma restless yet satisfied; she likes Killian enough that she wants to introduce him to her parents, but this time together without scrutiny from anyone else has been more than she could ask for. The few times she attempted to get to start something with one of the sons of nobility or parliamentary leaders, the press knew almost immediately and that ruined everything. This - whatever this is with Killian - is her own, something to be kept private, something to be cherished.
There is movement, a blur of black and silver and plaid, and the sleepy part of Emma's brain is able to finally explain why a door was slamming to begin with. Robin walks over to the coffee table and grabs a remote while his girlfriend crosses in front of him (as she does, she brushes her hand across Robin's back and Emma notes their closeness, their ease with each other – just like her parents - and the thought of how she might be able to have that, one day, with Killian, makes her breath catch in her throat).
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Regina says as she flops into a nearby easy chair. "Sorry if we woke you."
"That's okay," Emma says, wiping her face against in case there's a lingering drool trail.
In the weeks that she's been coming over here or meeting Killian at the radio station, she's gotten to know both Robin and his girlfriend well, and the punk rock diva has definitely grown on her. For all the austere clothing and black eyeliner, Regina is a sweetheart, and incredibly mindful of the fact that Emma is, well, royalty (even if she did call her out on it on her first trip to the apartment and that acknowledgement, surprisingly, made things easier).
As for Killian's roommate himself - the other man is a giant teddy bear, fiercely protective of Killian and skeptical at first of Emma, but she knows she's been proving herself slowly; the look of concern Robin gives them when he thinks they're not looking makes Emma uneasy. She knows that some royals have reputations as flirts and troublemakers, but she's not that kind of royal and so she tries to be very kind and thoughtful and polite.
"What time is it?" Emma asks, looking over at the clock on the laptop to find that it's after midnight. She refrains from cursing under her breath because as much as she wants to stay here, which she's done on several occasions, she has class at eight AM and the thought of having to pry herself out of Killian's arms (and resist his kisses) is all the motivation she needs, because the thought of Graham finding her missing or the threat of a talk from Leroy are becoming less and less effective at curbing her need to be with Killian.
She pushes herself up, running a hand through her hair and looking at him sadly. "I better go," she says, and he nods, understanding, and she's just really grateful that she met him. He puts up with all of this crap much better than anyone she's ever met or ever will, probably.
"Let me get my keys," Killian says, shifting and starting to stand, but Tuesdays are his long day and Emma feels guilty at making him leave his apartment, especially since he looks so tired.
"I can walk," Emma protests at the same time that Regina says, "I can drive her." When Emma glances over, curious, Regina shrugs. "I have too much to do this week to stay any later."
"Really now?" Robin asks, watching Regina gracefully rise and cross over to him.
"Really," she says leaning over to kiss her boyfriend, and Emma looks away, embarrassed (it is one thing to appreciate their ease with each other, another to ogle). Killian raises an eyebrow at the public display of affection, which makes her smile. He clears his throat, and Emma stifles a giggle.
"You keep doing that and you're going to want to stay," he warns Regina, who pushes off of Robin and throws Killian a withering look. She rolls her eyes and reaches for her purse. "Coming Emma?" she asks as she struts past the couch, and Emma's not really sure if this display of swagger is for Robin or for them.
"Okay, yeah," she says, standing up and reaching for her backpack. He stands up too, running a hand through his hair, making him look utterly disheveled and handsome and does she really have to leave? (she does, she really does, she's got class early...)
"Lunch tomorrow?" he asks, and she nods, reaching up on tip-toe to press a kiss to his lips. It's the same feeling, the flip-flopping of her stomach and her drumming of heart, the feeling she always gets when she sees him and it's just so much that she has to pull away, as to physically make herself leave before she doesn't.
"Thanks again," she tells Regina as they walk down the steps and to her car - a black Audi that surprises Emma though the more she thinks about it, she's not really sure what she expected at all (Regina always looks tastefully avant-garde, more McQueen than Hot Topic, and so this shouldn't the shock that it is - what did she think Regina drove, a Honda?). Emma slips into the passenger side seat and Regina starts up the car. Music blasts from the speakers, discordant but with a strange harmony, and Regina fumbles with the speaker volume, turning it down from her steering wheel.
"Sorry," she remarks as they pull out of the apartment complex, "and it's no problem at all. Your dorm is on my way home anyway."
They proceed in silence, but then Regina asks, "Are you going anywhere for Thanksgiving?"
Emma frowns. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving in her country and they only get a few days off anyway so the plan had been for her to stay here, with Belle and Graham and Leroy. She will go home for the month between fall and spring semester, and she is already dreading leaving Killian. She would ask him if he was going and if not, to join her, but he doesn't talk about home much and so she guesses that he might not have much family there (plus, that would bring up a lot of pointed questions from her parents and Leroy and oh god she doesn't want to have to explain to Leroy that she may have a boyfriend because then he'll want to give Killian the once-over and she's not sure she's ready for it...)
She wonders, now, what Killian's plans are for the holiday.
"No, just staying here," Emma says, and Regina nods, eyes on the road. Then, after a pause, the other girl says, "You can come home with me if you want. I've already invited Robin, so I don't mind if you and Killian tag along too - we have more than enough space so you two can go off and be love-struck fools on your own. I live in the city, so it'll give you a different idea of this country besides this dull college town." She pauses, and when Emma looks over, there's a smile on her face. "And as an added bonus, my parents will be away which is good for you because my mom is a hot social-climbing mess and would recognize you in a heartbeat."
Emma blinks, Regina's offer coming out of left field, but it's something she considers because it's actually rather attractive. Time away from campus and with Killian (and Regina and Robin, but it's not like she hasn't been spending time with them anyway) makes the thought tempting - really, really tempting. She'd probably have to bring at least Graham if not Leroy, so Regina's suggestion about her being a love-struck fool sounds too good to be true, and knowing Emma's luck, it probably is (and how awkward would it be to sneak off with Killian while Graham and Leroy were around?)
But, Emma remembers something her father always says: you'll never know the answer unless you ask. Getting out of town and getting off campus, even with Graham and Leroy in tow, would be awesome and she can already hear their objections but -
"Are you sure?" Emma responds. "Leroy will want to meet with you, do a background check on your family and clear everything." She grimaces. "It's pretty time-consuming." She feels guilty at putting Regina through this – if this even becomes an option – because being friends with royalty is never easy and always invasive (she remembers the background checks run on Ruby and Ariel covertly, not to mention Belle's interview before becoming her roommate, and doesn't want to know what they'd do if Killian was to formally enter the picture).
Regina smiles. "Not a problem. Talk to your boyfriend for me, mention my offer."
She pulls into the parking lot for the dorm, and Emma gets out. Regina rolls down the window and calls out, "Just let me know, okay? It'll do you good to get away from campus for a while."
"I'll let you know," Emma responds. She swipes her prox card at the door, glancing back to see Regina already leaving the parking lot. She's turned her music back on, and the car's bass booms out across the silent space.
Emma waits until she gets to her room to text Killian and asks if he's interested. She makes sure to add the caveat that she needs to get approval from Leroy (and probably her parents) before they can plan anything.
He texts back immediately.
A chance to see Regina's ancestral home? Count me in.
And then
I'm not going to say no to time with you either.
Emma goes to bed with a smile, thinking that they can talk about it more at lunch tomorrow.
...
Killian drums his fingers along the table top, tapping along to the beat the song. Wednesdays are his easy days, but Emma has a crazy class schedule with a two-hour break and then he's got his radio show and band practice, so catching lunch at the student union is sometimes the only chance he has to see her. He doesn't mind waiting for her to get out of class - it gives him a chance to put together his playlist for his radio show, laying out a rough plan of tracks that should take him through his two hour shift.
"Hey!" Emma says, sliding into the seat opposite him in this tiny corner that they've claimed as their own in the food court. He's already picked up food - grilled chicken salad for her, pizza for him, and she pulls her water bottle out of her backpack as she slips the bag under the table. "Thanks for getting lunch."
Killian pulls the earbuds out of his ears and smiles. "Of course. It helps that you're a cheap date." He winks at her and Emma does that thing that just kills him: she looks up at him through her lashes, head titled to the side, small smile on her face, and he can't help it - he stands up, leans over, and kisses her gently, tracing her jaw with his fingertips. When he leans back, he admires the faint flush of her cheeks, the way that she seems to struggle with what to say now.
This woman will be the ruin of him.
As they begin to tuck into their lunches, Emma starts to talk about Regina's Thanksgiving plans. "Are you sure?" she asks, pouring dressing onto her salad. "You haven't mentioned any other plans so - "
This plan for Thanksgiving doesn't sit well with Killian. He finds it highly unlikely that it will actually happen, because he remembers one time when he was assigned to help with a state visit. The attention and coordination the security detail put into every movement of the royal family was impressive and he doesn't doubt that they would put the same focus on Emma going to a large city over a major holiday. She is the Crown Princess, after all, and even if she's safe here in this remote college town, she may not be elsewhere.
(He's actually surprised he hasn't been stopped by anyone who works for Emma yet, is surprised they haven't found out about him and asked him questions about his intentions with her. He's also relieved, because the chances of someone who works for Emma knowing him is pretty high. She doesn't talk about who they are, and he doesn't ask so he doesn't know, but it worries him nonetheless.)
But – Thanksgiving. Emma thinks it will happen, and maybe it will, but not in the way that she wants it to (there will be no privacy for them, no time to be alone). He doesn't want to push the issue, though, so he plays along for her sake.
"That's because I had none other than sleeping and catching up on work," Killian tells her, taking a bite of his pizza. "I'll admit, the desire to spend time with you is a priority, but I'm dying to see Regina's house."
"I know right?" Emma responds with a grin. "I mean, she's something else, isn't she?"
Killian nods. "I've known Regina for years but I've only really gotten to know her when she started dating Robin. She's like an enigma wrapped up in a mystery."
"She's like an onion - she has layers," Emma chimes in and they both start to laugh at the complexity that is Regina Mills, college radio station general manager and girlfriend of Robin Locksley.
There is a moment, afterwards, when Killian looks at Emma, who is looking back at him, and his heart swells. Emma is brilliant - the sun burning so bright, lighting his dark days, warming his cold heart (the heart that he thought was frozen so long ago when he lost Liam and Milah).
She is also too much for someone like him, this shining girl, and he is waiting for the day when he is burned.
He reaches out his hand for hers, takes it and turns it over, feeling the softness of her fingers, observing their delicate form (she has never done manual labor, never held a gun, never considered taking a man's life, and he hopes she will never have to worry about any of the things that he has had to worry about, this brilliant princess of his). "I cannot wait to spend time with you," Killian declares earnestly, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.
Emma beams. "I'll have you all to myself," she tells him.
Killian grins. "I am yours to command." He places his other hand over his heart - an oath, to her. Emma flutters her eyelashes and when she looks back up, the look on her face is anything but coy.
"You may regret being so ready to pledge your allegiance," she warns him, twisting her hand so that their fingers are entwined. "I may take you up on that offer." And when she glances up at him again, she is that girl he met at the party, and Killian swallows, heat rising in his gut.
There have been hours spent in his bedroom kissing, and he has grown bold, testing the limits of what Emma wants (because it is always about her, always about what she wants, and she too is growing bolder with each day, telling him with sighs and words and moans just where he should place his hand and what he should do). They have not gone much farther than that, because he can still see that there is trepidation in her, and he cannot blame her. Emma cannot be frivolous with her heart or her affections, and so each moment spent with her, from the ones in his room to the one right here, right now, are moments that he takes with utmost gravity.
"Be careful or I'll convince you to skip your afternoon classes," he teases, and Emma flutters her eyelashes again - the beautiful young princess caught between her desires and her responsibility. He knows she will not skip, just as he knows he will not press, and so she withdraws her hand with a slight pout.
"Maybe another day," she says, but there is a hopeful note in her voice that makes him nod in agreement (there will be other days, he understands, but her touch lingers well into the afternoon).
...
The first thing that Leroy asks is "And how do you know Regina exactly?" as he looks at Emma over the top of his reading glasses.
Actually, no, that's not the first thing he asks. The first thing he asks is, "Are you out of your mind? That's a major U.S. holiday, Emma – the city will be packed. Someone will see you, and I'm worried about your safety." Then he asks how she knows Regina.
Emma sighs, tucks her legs in closer to her chest, and tries to remember what she and Regina had planned. After Killian agreed, and she had let Regina know, the other girl made it clear that she was willing to fluff the truth where Emma's handlers were concerned if it meant that Killian would be spared any unnecessary scrutiny.
"Why?" Emma had asked when Regina suggested it, certain she had misheard her. Regina had come over to her dorm room and seeing her sitting on the futon, dressed head-to-toe in black and wearing black boots with gold embellishments, was definitely amusing, but Emma cared more about the way that she seemed sincere in this offer to help.
"My parents are wealthy," Regina said after a long pause. "Really wealthy. They made some good investments early on in a hotel chain and leveled up progressively since then. We don't know royalty - not like those Holiday Inn people (Regina rolled her eyes at the mere mention) but my mother always aspired to greatness. And my first boyfriend that I brought home from college was not that." Regina looked down at her hands, studying the rings on her fingers, the perfectly-manicured nails. "I know what it's like to have someone you care about analyzed like a bug under a microscope, only to be discarded when it's assumed he's out of your league. I like Killian, and I don't think it's fair to him." She turns her gaze to Emma. "And you're growing on me, so I guess I want to help you too."
Regina, luckily, is a Communications Studies major with a penchant for languages so the story they come up with is she works at the Foreign Language Tutoring center (since Leroy has a list of everyone in each of Emma's classes and a protective streak a mile wide). It helps that Regina actually does work there, and that Emma has gone in for tutoring.
Emma had given Regina's name and that of her parents - Cora and Henry Mills - to Leroy yesterday, and she knows that he's done a complete background check. As expected, the Mills family checks out favorably – in fact, Leroy already appears to know them when Emma gives their name.
"American nouveau riche," he tells her with a snort. "Cora Mills was in rehab with one of the Greek royals years ago, if I remember correctly." When Emma gives him a strange look, he shrugs his shoulders. "I eavesdrop to keep you safe, kiddo, and don't you forget it."
"I don't, and I appreciate it," Emma responds. "Regina said that her parents will be out of town."
"Things are looking up." Leroy makes a note on his iPad. "See if Regina will come in to talk."
The interview with Regina is flawless, and allows Emma to see an entirely different side of the other girl. The Regina with Leroy is charming, every bit the heiress that she apparently is, and she easily wraps Leroy around her little finger in record time while answering all questions correctly.
"Have you asked your mother yet?" Leroy asks, and Emma gets nervous. She hasn't actually broached the subject with the Queen, and while she doesn't think Mary-Margaret will object, the guilty look on her face answers for her. Leroy sighs again.
"Call her and ask," he says, "and you can tell her that the Mills family has been cleared, so your friendship with the daughter shouldn't be a problem."
"So you're giving me the go-ahead? Without Graham?" Emma asks. Leroy cocks his head to the side, folds his hands over his chest.
"Oh no, Graham is going with you. Even though the Mills family lives in a penthouse with a doorman and restricted access, I'm not content just letting their men watch over you. Graham will go, and so will you – after I speak to building security and after you have a nice chat with the Queen."
The conversation with Mary-Margaret goes better than expected. Emma lists all of the benefits of Regina - her family's wealth and prestige, the security within the apartment building. She can see the frown line grow between her mother's eyebrows, but she smiles and says, "Whatever you wish, Emma." There is a strand of guilt running through Emma that makes her wonder if this is too impetuous, too rash (but Leroy has checked it out and Graham is going as well), but when she's in Killian's arms that night, snuggling and watching Adventure Time, she can't see anything wrong with it.
"Just the two of us, away from campus," she says, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. Killian indulges her before pulling back, brushing her hair away from her face with his hand.
"Just the four of us," he reminds her, "and that security guy you're bringing," but Emma doesn't care. Regina and Robin could be there but all she cares about is Killian.
They have yet to have sex - mostly it's been a lot of making out and sleeping next to each other and Killian has been teaching her many things about what she likes (and while she likes some things more than others she also likes learning what works for him). She is not inexperienced, but it's obvious that compared to him she's still a novice. Considering her first time - a quick and utterly unspectacular moment during the Christmas Festival of Lights which resulted in that stupid asshole Walsh bragging about the moment so much that her parents eventually heard (and her father had to be restrained from punching the douchebag) - Emma is ready and eager and with Killian, things are different. She cannot get enough of him, of this.
She pulls him back for a kiss, fingers trailing across his back, and she practically moans when his hand reaches for the button of her jeans, sliding beneath her underwear and between her legs, because this isn't like the stupid boys who used to try to grab her boobs and butt and shove their hands down her pants. This is different, because he always looks to her for permission, because he's gentle and patient and because he's teaching her to do the same with him - to learn him better than she can when she's not confined by class schedules and other obligations, when she can him all to herself for more than a few stolen hours.
Maybe Thanksgiving can be that.
Her back arches when his fingers brush against her, soft and sure, and she gives herself over to him, to his mouth and his touch and everything that he is.
...
Emma is counting down the days until Thanksgiving with a fervor he's rarely seen, and it's so utterly endearing and more than a bit terrifying to think that she is so eager to spend time with him. Emma is everything that is too perfect for his world with its fuck-ups and false-starts, and every day that he is with her, he worries that he will ruin her.
The point is driven home one day, in the food court at the union, when he sees a ghost from his past and it stops him in his tracks.
Tall and lanky, looking far older than a student - Killian knows that man, has that confirmed when the man balances his tray on one hand while reaching for a napkin (he used to do that in the mess too and it always infuriated Killian how easy Graham Humbert made everything seem)
There is no doubt in his mind that Graham Humbert must be one of Emma's security staff. He was always an outstanding member of the corps, always receiving honors, and even though protecting the future of the nation seems like an admirable calling, Killian had always thought Graham would be tapped to become a leader – a major or general, career military. He would never have pegged the man for security detail.
(Killian does breathe a sigh of relief because there's no better shot than Graham, and knowing that this man is protecting Emma makes him feel so much better. He tries not to think about the reverse, about Graham interrogating him about what he and Emma do on their own, because that makes him feel so much worse.)
Killian ducks his head down, trying not to draw attention to himself, but it is too late –Graham has spotted him. He is stopped mid-food court, staring at him, tray still balanced on one hand.
"Jones?"
His voice is a startled question, and Killian feels his stomach drop. When he left, he never told anyone why or what happened. He had assumed that he would be as good as dead to them in light of all that happened. He had assumed that he would never see anyone from home again.
(He had assumed wrong.)
Killian knows he cannot escape, and wonders if he actually would. He did not know Graham well but he knew him enough since they were in the same company. He turns to meet his former comrade-in-arms. "Humbert!"he says. "Fancy seeing you in the States."
"Same,"Graham says, holding out his free hand for Killian to shake. "You're a student here, then?"
"Geography,"Killian tells him, and Graham smiles.
"You always were so good with directions –I'm not surprised."
"And you?"
Graham opens his mouth, uncertain of how to respond, and is saved by the arrival of Emma. She opens her mouth to greet Graham before she sees Killian, and she stops in her tracks, clearly startled at the two men chatting. She slows down her walk, approaches Graham who, Killian guesses, mistakes the look on Killian's face for one of shock and surprise at the arrival of the Crown Princess.
"Emma," Graham says, stumbling over her name (Killian can tell he wants to give her a proper salutation, proper title), "this is Killian Jones. We served in the army together, and he goes here now. Killian...this is Emma Swan."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Emma says, smile wide and perfect and so very formal (she doesn't miss a beat, his beautiful girl) and Killian extends his arm, shakes her hand.
He is so happy he told her they came from the same country on their first date.
"I can assure you, Miss Emma, that the pleasure is all mine." He glances between Emma and Graham for a moment, unsure of what to do, when Emma turns to Graham.
"Let me get my lunch and I'll sit with you two," she tells him, and Graham glances over at Killian, looking only slightly uncomfortable. For what it's worth, Killian isn't sure how he feels about the assumption that he and Graham are eating together, isn't sure what exactly he will have to say or do. There's a level of formality and decorum expected of him now that he's been introduced to the princess, and he'll have to maintain that or else his too-familiar tone will set off alarm bells with Graham, he knows it.
"I'll find us a table," Graham says, navigating through the crowded food court. Once his back is turned, Emma shoots Killian a look that makes his blood run cold. There is nothing but apprehension in her eyes, and he can practically see her retreating behind palace walls. The look makes him wary, and utterly aware of how innocent Emma is in so many matters like this small omission.
"Old army buddy, huh?" she asks before storming off towards Chik-Fil-A, grabbing a tray in the process. Killian follows her, watching as she grabs a chicken sandwich and waffle fries and throwing them onto the tray. He quickly does the same. When they stop for fountain drinks, he leans close and says, "You know I'm older than you - why are you surprised to find that I did my duty for queen and country?" (in all honesty, he is mildly surprised that this is brand new information to her).
Emma lets out a sigh. "I know," she says, voice soft, shoulders relaxing but only slightly. "It makes sense. I just...I don't like it when people keep secrets from me."
"It wasn't exactly a secret, love," he tells her, "I honestly thought you had guessed." He swallows, uneasy, because there are bigger, darker secrets he's keeping from her and this chance meeting with Graham might propel him to uncover the truth sooner rather than later.
(He probably should do it sooner. He probably should.)
"Please don't lie to me," she says, looking at him with wide green eyes as she hands the cashier her dining card, "I don't know what I'd do if you lied to me." His heart breaks a little so he just nods.
It's not exactly a promise but it feels like one (and he's already broken it).
...
"Please don't lie to me," Emma begs Killian, because there is a part of her that is steadily growing terrified by what he hasn't told her. First, there was the part where he was from her country. Now, he knows Graham (she knows it's ridiculous, that he had no clue who her staff is, but knowing Graham means Killian was in the Army and he's never mentioned it, not once). This isn't lying, but it's a sin of omission and that is not okay with her because lies put her at risk.
Killian just nods as she grabs her food tray, handing his own card to the cashier before taking his own tray. He looks utterly chastened by her words, and slightly guilty, but he has to know what it's like to be her, to be royalty and to have everyone follow her every move. So much of her life is beyond her control and yet so much is at stake by her actions here at university. There is her reputation as well as her safety, not to mention her parents' trust in her and Leroy's and Graham's (she's been playing them all in an attempt to see Killian and if the single most important person in her life was lying to her…she doesn't even know what to think).Her heart is racing and her head hurts by the time she sits down at the table with the two men.
Lunch with Killian and Graham is interesting - they discuss people they knew in the regiment, they tell Emma a few stories about basic training. Emma enjoys seeing this side of Killian, the one that could easily come home with her and talk to her parents - her father was in the military too, after all –but it's a side he's been hiding and even if she doesn't see anything wrong with bringing a solider home as a boyfriend, she's not sure why he thought to hide it from her.
They clear their trays, and Emma and Graham say goodbye to Killian before walking to class (it kills her that she cannot kiss him, cannot touch him, must remain distant while at the same time she's almost glad for the reprieve as her emotions churn inside of her). As they walk, Emma comments, "Killian seems nice."
"Yeah, he's a good guy," Graham says, then adds as an afterthought, "shame about what happened."
Emma feels her blood run cold. "What happened?" she asks, trying to keep her voice even.
Graham shuffles, looking nervous. "It's really not my story, your highness -"
"If there is someone here who could pose a threat to my person - "Emma starts, knowing how to get him talking, and it works like a charm. Graham looks almost affronted at the accusation.
"No, no! Nothing like that," he protests immediately. He looks guilty, but he keeps talking. "His brother was killed in action, and that changed him." Graham remains silent, shuffling along the path to Econ 101. "Bad times, unfortunately, and he left the army."
The news makes Emma nauseous. Killian has not mentioned a brother, or the army, or being discharged, and she realizes that there are parts of his past that she doesn't know at all. Graham seems to like him well enough but the idea of bad times sits uneasily with Emma. During class, it grows bigger and bigger in her mind as she thinks about what else he's lied about (being from her country) and what else he could be lying about – he could be working for the press, selling stories about their time together to the highest bidder, or even someone more nefarious (she thinks about Gold, the leader of parliament who seems so shady and so false and so ready to overthrow her parents, and she shivers).
It bothers her. It bothers her a lot.
It bothers her so much that when she gets home, she opens up her laptop and runs Google searches for his name to no avail (there are not many people named Killian Jones and none of those she finds are him). She doesn't know Killian's brother's first name, doesn't even know what to begin to look for now that her first attempt has gone wrong. The feeling of dread keeps growing inside of her, growing bigger and more and her fingers are shaking when she puts her computer down with a frustrated groan, only to find Belle standing in the doorway of their room.
"Trouble researching?" Belle asks, and it occurs to Emma that just because she can't find anything about Killian's past doesn't mean that someone else can't…
"Actually, I could use some help," she admits. "What do you know about looking stuff up online?"
Belle beams. "You'd be surprised what I know," she says, pulling up a chair next to Emma. "What are we looking up?"
Emma takes a deep breath. "It's more like who, actually..."