Title: Accidentally in Love
Author: Steph
Rating: PG
Pairing: Killian/Emma
Characters: Killian, Emma, Belle, David, Mary Margaret, Robin.
Category: Romance/Humor/Drama
Disclaimer: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers: Nope!
Summary: Emma Swan needs to be married by 30 in order to receive the money from her trust fund and save her failing business. Killian Jones is the thief who just tried to rob her store. The two strike a deal: Killian will pretend to marry Emma and she won't send him to jail.
Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and for reading. Hope you enjoy this part! -Steph
…Accidentally in Love: Part 4/12...
~It's always nice to make an impression.~
Emma took a deep breath, as she rang the doorbell. Her mother answered the door a moment later and her mouth immediately dropped open at the sight of Killian's parents. David stood behind her and had the same reaction.
"Oh, um, hello," she said, stepping aside to allow all four inside.
Killian gestured to Gus and Martha. "My apologies. I neglected to mention I am adopted. It's just not something I think about much. My parents are just my parents."
Mary Margaret nodded, as she extended her hand to them. "Of course. It is so nice to meet you."
"Simon Jones," Gus said. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Clara Jones," Martha said. "I am so pleased to meet you."
Emma tried to hide her shock at how much their accents had improved. They actually sounded somewhere in the vicinity of an English accent now. Killian must be a very good coach.
David tilted his head at them. "Your accents are very unique. What part of England do you originate from?"
Killian answered before they could. "They are originally from Manchester."
David nodded. "Ah, I knew their accents sounded familiar."
Mary Margaret gestured to the dining room. "Why don't we move to the dining room to begin dinner?"
The Nolans sat on either end, Emma and Killian sat beside each other, and Gus and Martha sat across from them.
As the appetizer was served, Mary Margaret addressed Gus and Martha. "I hear you both work for the Royal Family. That must be such fascinating work. What do you do?"
Emma watched them carefully, hoping they had enough time to memorize the information she had given them.
Gus went first. "I work for the Private Secretary. We serve as a channel of communication between the Head of State and the government. We also organize programs for the Queen and oversee public appearances and events."
David nodded his head. "That is a very big responsibility."
"That it is," Gus said.
"What about you, Clara?" Mary Margaret asked.
Martha had a mouth full of food and began to speak, but Emma kicked her under the table. She held up a finger politely, chewed, and swallowed before beginning. "I work for the Privy Purse and Treasury Office. We oversee the financial operations."
"Such an important job," Mary Margaret said. She smiled at Killian. "Your parents are very distinguished."
He bobbed his head. "That they are. I am very proud of them."
David smirked. "Ah, but we all know the Royal staff is privy to juicy information about the Queen. Care to share any?"
Emma bit her lip nervously.
Gus nodded. "Well, the Queen has a mustache that she gets waxed weekly."
Emma exchanged a worried look with Killian, but sighed in relief when her parents burst out laughing.
Martha went next. "The Queen is frightened of the dark and sleeps with a nightlight."
Again, they all laughed. They fell into a comfortable conversation after that. Emma began to relax. Maybe they could pull this off after all. She caught Killian's eyes and offered him a smile. She may have been too hard on him. Gus and Martha were playing their parts very well.
The entrées were soon served. When the quail landed in front of Killian, Emma looked at him apprehensively. He couldn't fake illness again to get out of eating the meat. But he simply smiled and began to cut the meat. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to her own food.
Killian had come prepared this time. He had lined his jacket pockets with sandwich bags and was very discreetly placing all of his quail in the bags. He would then dispose of them after he left.
They ate peacefully and when the meal concluded Mary Margaret stood.
"I thought we could adjourn to the library for dessert and then the conservatory for some cocktails."
They all stood and followed Mary Margaret and David.
Killian whispered to Emma as they walked. "Are all of the rooms in your parents' house named after rooms in the game Clue?"
Emma had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Before they could make it to the library, Dot, Emma's grandmother's Chihuahua came running down the hall.
"Oh dear," Mary Margaret said. "Greta! I thought I told you to put Dot away for the evening."
Dot ran in circles around all of them and then made a beeline for Killian. When he was a child he had been bitten by a small dog. As a result, he was not fond of dogs and the little ones frightened him. Dot began to paw at his leg and then started to jump up, sniffing at his jacket. Killian's eyes widened as he realized she could smell the quail.
"I guess she likes you," Emma said.
Killian tried to gently push the dog away, but she was relentless. David came up to her.
"Come on, Dot. Leave Killian alone."
Before David could pick her up, she jumped onto Killian's leg, climbed up it, and started biting at his jacket pocket.
"Dot, no!" David said, as he tried to pry her off him.
Killian laughed nervously, trying not to overreact as he attempted to free himself. But David and Killian were no match for Dot. She managed to stick her face into Killian's pocket and grab onto the bag with her teeth. She pulled the bag full of quail out and then dropped to the floor, attacking it.
Killian's face grew red in embarrassment and Emma's grew red in anger. Mary Margaret stared at him in confusion.
"Killian, is that the quail I just served for dinner?"
He scratched at the back of his head uneasily. "Well, uh, I, um-…"
Emma interjected, as she wrapped her arm around his waist comfortingly. Killian was surprised by the touch, especially considering she had just broken her own rule.
"Yes, Mother, it is. I told Killian about Dot and how she loves people food, but you don't allow her to have any. He wanted to bond with her, so he decided to sneak some and he was going to feed it to her when I introduced them."
Killian smiled gratefully at her.
Mary Margaret's brow furrowed. "Oh, well, I suppose that was thoughtful of you, Killian. However, Dot is on a very strict diet so please refrain from feeding her people food from now on."
"Understood," he said. "My apologies."
Mary Margaret nodded and they continued into the library. A table of assorted confectionary treats had been set up. Gus and Martha's eyes lit up and they practically sprinted to the table. They proceeded to fill their plates to the brim.
Emma muttered to Killian. "Rein your phony parents in. They look like they haven't eaten in days."
Killian shrugged. "They probably haven't."
Emma groaned. "Are you kidding me?"
"They're pickpockets, Emma. I doubt they have a substantial grocery budget."
"Wow, you two sure have a sweet tooth," Mary Margaret said, eyeing their overflowing plates.
Gus shrugged. "England is not known for its desserts, so this is a special treat."
As they ate their desserts, the six of them began to mingle. Mary Margaret, Gus, and Emma sat down in one sitting area, while David, Martha, and Killian sat in another. The conversation flowed naturally until Killian noticed Martha glaring at Gus.
"I can't believe him," she mumbled.
"What?" Killian asked, as he looked over at Gus.
Gus was laughing at something Mary Margaret had said and was touching her arm.
"That bastard!" she said, as she jumped out of her seat.
Killian jumped up too and attempted to grab her arm to pull her back down, but he wasn't quick enough. She marched over to where Mary Margaret, Gus, and Emma sat.
"You son of a bitch!" Martha yelled at him.
Mary Margaret and Emma's mouth dropped open in shock, as Killian made his way over to her and attempted to steer her back to their seats. She wriggled free of his grip on her shoulders.
Gus stood and held up his hands. "Calm down."
"Calm down?! You want me to calm down?! You're up to no good again. I've forgiven you more times than I can count. I won't do it again!"
"I didn't do anything. You're overreacting," he said calmly.
Martha's nostrils flared and her eyes roamed wildly. They landed on the Faberge egg that Fiona had moved to the library for safekeeping. It sat on an end table by Martha's side. She reached down, picked it up, and hurled it at Gus. He ducked and it smashed into a bookcase. It crashed to the floor, splintering into pieces.
"My egg!" Mary Margaret screamed, running over to it.
Emma finally stood, but she was speechless. She met Killian's eyes, silently begging for help. How could they possibly salvage this one? There was no way her parents would believe that two people who worked for the Queen would behave so badly. Killian laughed nervously.
"I apologize for my parents. Every once in a while the Manchester in them comes out. They're a scrappy bunch, those Manchester natives."
David nodded. "I noticed they lost their accents when angered."
Killian swallowed hard. "Yes, that tends to happen when they argue. Peculiar thing."
Emma shook her head. "I am so sorry." She nudged Martha with her elbow.
"My apologies," she muttered.
"Apologies," Gus said.
Killian dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out his checkbook. "Please, let me pay for the damages. How much is the egg worth?"
Mary Margaret stared at the broken egg in her hands. "We bought it at auction for a 100,000."
"Dollars?" he said in shock.
Emma elbowed him.
He swallowed hard. "Um, okay, let me just write that check. Anyone have a pen?"
Emma stared at him in bewilderment. She knew any check he wrote would surely bounce, so she didn't understand why he was even making the gesture.
David held up his hand. "Please, don't worry about it. I can purchase another. Save your money for your new life together with my daughter."
Killian and Emma breathed a sigh of relief, as Killian stuck his checkbook back into his pocket.
"I apologize again for the actions of my parents," Killian said.
Martha chuckled bitterly, as she addressed David and Mary Margaret. "You've been married a long time like us. You know how marriage is. It has its ups and downs. Every year I haven't killed him yet is a good one in my book!"
Gus laughed, while the rest of them just stood in awkward silence. Emma glared at Martha, her jaw clenching.
Mary Margaret smiled politely. "Every marriage is different. Emma, you and Killian will learn this. You will have bad times. There's no avoiding that. But it's how you deal with those bad times that matters."
David put his arm around his wife's shoulders. "You deal with the bad times together and you'll have a great marriage."
Mary Margaret nodded, as she looked pointedly at Gus and Martha. "And don't let things fester. Deal with them directly."
David bobbed his head in agreement. "Once dealt with, don't hold a grudge and don't bring up past wrongs in times of trouble. Learn to forgive and move on."
Gus and Martha looked down at their shoes uncomfortably.
"Wise advice," Killian said.
Emma cleared her throat. "On that note, I think we should cut the night short and say our goodbyes."
They exchanged awkward goodbyes and said thank you to their hosts.
Once in the car, Emma turned to Gus and Martha and glared at them.
"What is wrong with you two?!"
"I didn't do anything," Gus whined.
"I guess those three sluts you slept with last year don't count as anything."
Emma pointed at them. "Nothing like this can ever happen again. Do you understand?"
They nodded, each adopting a pout.
Emma turned to Killian. "I knew this was a bad idea. You don't know anything about these two."
"That is completely untrue. I hear them arguing and throwing things through the wall all the time."
"Excuse me?" she said, her eyes narrowing at him. "You knew they had a volatile relationship and you still chose them as your fake parents? What is wrong with you?"
He shrugged. "I was under a time crunch."
"We still get free coffee and donuts for a year from your café, right?" Martha asked.
Emma looked at Killian. "That's what you promised them?"
"I had to offer them something in exchange for their services."
Emma turned to them. "You won't get anything if something like this happens again."
She turned to Killian. "In one week, we have our Jack and Jill shower."
"Our what?"
"It's a coed shower, which means we all have to go. And everyone better be on their best behavior."
All three groaned.
….
~Have you ever even been in love?~
The week flew by and soon Emma found herself at her shower. They were enjoying a vast assortment of appetizers as they mingled. Emma and Killian were standing next to each other, keeping a watchful eye on Gus and Martha.
Emma sighed heavily and elbowed Killian, pointing at them. "Martha just lifted my great aunt's wallet out of her purse. And Gus just took my uncle's out of his jacket. I can't believe them. You take Gus, I'll take Martha."
Emma walked over to Martha and grabbed her by the elbow, while Killian did the same with Gus. They took them over to a corner.
Emma held out her palm. "Hand them over."
They looked at her innocently. Martha shrugged. "Hand what over?"
Killian groaned. "Don't play games. We saw you lift the wallets."
Gus and Martha sighed, as they handed the wallets over. Emma's eyes narrowed at them. "Apparently, our little talk yesterday didn't register. If I find out you've stolen from anyone else or attempt to steal again, then I will turn you into the police. I'll give up this whole scam. I don't care."
"Fine," Martha said, rolling her eyes like a petulant teenager.
"Okay," Gus replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
Their attention was suddenly drawn to her mother, who stood in the middle of the room. "Emma, Killian. Come over here. It's time to open gifts!"
Emma plastered on a smile, as Killian slipped his hand in hers and they walked over. Emma sat down beside Killian, surrounded by her closest family and friends. She began to open gift after gift.
As she listened to their well wishes, read their thoughtful cards, and saw their smiling faces, she began to feel the guilt build up inside of her. Up until now, she hadn't really allowed herself to feel guilty for lying to her parents. She told herself it was for a good cause and she had no choice if she wanted to save her business. But she hadn't really considered how she would have to deceive all of her family and friends too. Her closest family and friends knew her history and most had never expected this day to come, so they were even more overjoyed at the thought that she had found a man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Emma felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes and she furiously blinked them back. She abruptly stood up.
"Please excuse me," she said and headed for the bathroom.
Belle and her mother stood and began to head to the bathroom too, but Killian held a hand up. "I'll speak to her. I think she is just feeling overwhelmed by the emotion of the day."
Killian approached the bathroom and knocked on the door.
"Mom, I just need a minute."
"It's me," he said.
He expected her to groan and yell at him to leave, but instead he heard her slowly make her way to the door, unlock it, and allow him in.
She walked to the toilet and sat down on the toilet seat cover, as she covered her face with her hands. Killian walked over to her and crouched down in front of her. He brought his hand up and gently cupped her cheek.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
She slowly met his eyes. "This is just getting so real now. I am deceiving everyone I care about and I just feel so guilty."
"You don't have to do this, Emma."
"Yes, I do. It's the only way I can save my business."
"You know as well as I do that your parents would write you a check in a heartbeat that would save your business and make you financially secure if you just asked them. Your mother probably spends more on fresh flowers in a month."
"I can't ask them."
"You mean you won't."
Emma groaned. "Is this your idea of helping?"
"You're being stubborn. You would rather lie to your parents than ask for help."
"I pride myself on being independent. That money belongs to me and I shouldn't be denied it just because my old-fashioned grandmother put a stupid marriage clause on it."
"I just think you're better than this," he said softly.
Emma glared at him and then stood up abruptly, nearly knocking him over in the process. She began to pace, as he stood up.
"You're a thief, Killian. This may surprise you, but I don't value your opinion on my character much."
"I may be a thief, but I have a code. And I don't lie to the people I claim to love."
Emma's eyes flared at him. "Oh and who would that be? Do you have any friends or family at all? Ever been in love?"
Killian dropped his gaze. "You would know all of that if you hadn't torn up the sheet I gave you."
Emma took a step closer, eyeing him. Her voice softened. "Well, I'm asking you now. Who is the real Killian Jones?"
"You really want to do this now?"
"No time like the present," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
He slowly met her eyes. "I was born in London. I had one older brother. My father abandoned us when I was 8. My mother died two years later. My brother and I were sent to an orphanage where we were abused regularly, so we ran away and lived on the streets. We stole to survive. "
Emma stared at him in disbelief. She always figured he didn't have a fairytale upbringing considering where he ended up, but she never imagined it was quite that bad.
"That must have been very difficult. I'm really sorry."
He shrugged, but went on. "When my brother was 18 and I was 16, we decided we were going to save up to come to the states. One week before we were going to leave, my brother was mugged in an alley. They stole all of our money and stabbed him 5 times. Right in front of me. I tried to save him, but I couldn't. He died in my arms."
Emma was speechless. She felt her body moving without permission and slowly embraced him. He was taken aback, but recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair.
"I am so sorry," she whispered.
"Thank you," he said, squeezing his eyes closed.
They reluctantly parted after a few moments and Emma brushed at a tear in the corner of her eye with her knuckle.
"So what finally brought you to the U.S. then?"
"I met a girl," he said, smiling sadly. Emma's eyebrows raised, as he went on. "Her name was Milah and I met her a few months after I turned 18. After I lost Liam, I was alone for two years. Milah was a thief too and we fell in love. We decided to move to the states together, so we saved up. Once we got here, we went right back to stealing. We managed to scrape together enough money for an apartment. We were happy. At least I thought we were. One day, I came home to find Milah in bed with our landlord. She tried to tell me it didn't mean anything, but I knew better. I knew she never loved me. I was just her ticket to the U.S."
Emma nodded at him. They had more in common than she realized.
"So you know how it feels to be betrayed by someone you love."
"Aye, that I do. And I did the same as you, Emma. I swore off relationships."
Emma smiled. "Just not fake engagements."
He grinned at her. "I make exceptions for damsels in distress."
"I am not a damsel in distress," she said firmly.
"You seemed rather distressed a few minutes ago, love."
"It was a moment of weakness. It's passed. I know this is what I have to do. Thank you for telling me your story, but it doesn't change anything. I may be doing the wrong thing, but I'm doing it for the right reason."
Emma moved to leave, but Killian caught her elbow. "And what happens if your friends and family learn the truth, Emma? Will you be able to live with yourself if they can't forgive you?"
Emma tore her arm free from him. "I'll have to."
She then exited the bathroom, as his eyes followed her.
….
~You and I, we understand each other.~
That night, Emma went home and immediately headed for her bedroom. She pulled a bag from her nightstand, went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She opened the bag and emptied out its contents. A flurry of paper fell onto the table.
It was the information sheet Killian had given her about himself, which she had promptly ripped up. After he left, she had almost swept them into the trash, but something had stopped her. This was a man's life, his personality. It didn't seem right to just throw it away like it meant nothing. So she had saved it.
She realized now that she needed to know the real him too if she was going to make this work. She had dismissed him as nothing more than a thief and, deep down, she knew she was afraid to find out if he was more than that. But not knowing he was a vegetarian had nearly caused them to blow the whole thing. And then tonight he had told her about his family and the only woman he had ever loved. He'd had his heart broken too. Maybe they weren't so different after all. Now, she felt a burning need to learn more about the true Killian Jones.
She went into the junk drawer in the kitchen and pulled out the tape. She moved back to sit down at the table and began moving the pieces around, like she was doing a puzzle. When she found some words that matched up, she taped them together. Hours later, she had put the paper back together.
The beginning was his autobiography, detailing his family background and romantic past that he had already told her. Her eyes scanned down the paper.
Favorite color: Green. Favorite food: Pizza. Least favorite food: Bologna.
Emma smiled at that. That made sense, considering he was a vegetarian. She figured lamb ran a close second.
Favorite movie: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Dislikes dogs and fears small ones.
Emma chuckled to herself. He and Dot certainly didn't hit it off.
She continued reading. Pet peeve: Phoniness.
Emma raised her eyebrows at that one. He was a thief who lied for a living and was currently in a fake engagement. On the other hand, he did tell her tonight that he doesn't lie to the people he loves and he did encourage her to put an end to the ruse.
Her eyes continued down the page. Greatest fear: Being alone forever.
Emma's mouth dropped open at that one, but she had to admit it made sense. He had no one. He had lost everyone he had ever loved and sworn off relationships. He didn't want to risk getting hurt again, so he had basically sentenced himself to living out his greatest fear.
Her eyes moved lower. My perfect day: Go sailing until the sun sets. Eat pizza under the stars in the park.
Emma smiled. That did sound like a perfect day. She slowly folded the paper and went back into her bedroom. She placed it in her nightstand and then laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Killian Jones, it turns out, was much more than a thief.
The following day, Emma came in to work and went about her normal routine. She kept getting distracted though. Her mind kept drifting to Killian and how she ached to know more about him. She knew this was definitely not good. She couldn't allow herself to fall for him.
By late afternoon, even Belle had noticed something was off.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Emma nodded. "Of course. Why?"
Belle gestured at her. "Well, you've been cleaning the same spot on the counter for 15 minutes and you just put a scone in the cash register."
Emma's eye widened and she opened the cash register. Her face reddened in embarrassment as she noticed the scone right on top of the dollar bills. She removed it and dropped it into the trash.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly.
"What's going on, Emma?" she asked.
"Nothing," she replied.
Belle put her hands on her hips. "I know you better than that. It's him, isn't it?"
"Who?" Emma asked, feigning bewilderment.
Belle rolled her eyes. "Killian, of course. I was right. You're falling for him."
Emma squeezed her eyes closed and sighed in defeat. There was no point in denying it anymore. This was more than just an attraction.
"I just…I didn't expect him to be the way he is. There's more to him than I ever expected."
Belle opened her mouth to speak when the bell rang on the door. They both turned their attention to it and their eyes landed on Killian.
"Speak of the devil," Belle whispered, before moving to the bookshelves.
Emma swallowed hard. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Well," he began slowly. "I've been thinking. If we're going to pull this off, then perhaps we need to become more comfortable with each other and spend more time together."
Emma's brow rose upward at that. "Oh."
He smiled. "I was hoping I could steal you away for the rest of the day."
Emma's eyes darted over to Belle. "Actually, I have a lot of work to do and I couldn't just leave Belle all-…"
Belle shook her head. "Go, have fun. We're not busy and we close in a few hours anyway."
Emma offered her an icy glare. What was Belle thinking? Emma couldn't spend any alone time with the true Killian Jones. She'd be a goner for sure if she did.
"Belle, I really don't-…"
Belle came to stand beside her best friend. "Go. You deserve a little time off."
Killian grinned and extended his hand to her. "It's settled then. Shall we go?"
Emma nodded and placed her hand in his. She expected him to release her hand the moment she rounded the counter, but instead he linked their fingers together. Emma took a deep breath. Killian smiled, pleased she hadn't pulled away.
They made their way outside and walked down the sidewalk. Emma realized they were headed toward the docks.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked.
"I thought we'd go sailing."
Emma's eyebrows raised, as she realized that was the beginning of his perfect day. She didn't say a word as they came to the end of the pier and he began to untie a sailboat.
She eyed the boat suspiciously. "Is this your boat?"
He tilted his head, a devilish grin on his lips. "Well, let's just say I'm borrowing it from a mate of mine."
Emma's eyes narrowed. "Did you ask this so-called mate?"
"Well, no, but he owes me a favor."
"I believe that's thief code for stealing."
"It's not stealing if you plan on returning it."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Actually, it is."
Killian shrugged. "He'll never know it's missing and, as I said, he owes me one. This will make us square."
Killian stepped into the boat and extended his hand to her. She hesitated.
Emma thought about bolting, but couldn't make her legs move. The truth was, she wanted nothing more than to spend a perfect day with Killian Jones.
She slipped her hand in his and stepped into the boat.
…
End of Part 4
Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought! ~Steph