Sorry for the delay! Real life and lack of inspiration kind of kept me away but hopefully I can get back into it : ) Special thanks to the extremely talented lookingforgrowth for providing great and constructive feedback and to dealingdreams on tumblr for the gorgeous cover/wallpaper for the fic!
Disclaimer: Don't own any rights to OUAT or Roswell. If only, if only...
"This was a bad idea, Killian. I knew it the second you got up from that booth." Victor muttered, settling his lunch in front of him. "You better find a way to fix this."
Killian knew another lecture from his sister and friend was inevitable and had decided not to opt out of taco at the local roadside truck. If he was going to be castigated like a child, he was going to get something out of it. They had picked a bench a good distance away from the food truck and other patrons milling about with their lunch baskets.
"That's what I was telling twiddle-dee over here this morning," Regina said gesturing to Killian.
"Twiddle-dee?" Victor asked confused. "Who's twiddle-dum, then?"
Regina pointedly looked away from Victor while Killian stifled a smile despite Regina's jab.
Regina sighed, "Look we just have to figure out a story to tell Miss Congeniality."
"What do you mean?" Killian asked, looking up from his taco.
"Well, we have to tell Emma some kind of story to explain away what you did. I don't know, tell her that you knocked her down when the gun went off and she passed out, dreamt the whole thing up or something." Even as she spoke the words, it was obvious she was skeptical it would work. Emma was too smart for that.
"Oh," Killian muttered quietly, shifting nervously in his seat.
Victor, who was munching into his taco, lifted his eyes to study Killian. He narrowed his eyes, watching Killian carefully. "You didn't," he said around a mouthful of food. When all he was met with was silence Victor dropped the rest of the taco onto the table. "Killian—" he started heatedly before choking on a piece of shell.
Regina waved her hand over him, easing his airway passage without a thought as she turned to glared at Killian. "What did you do?"
"Nothing...I just...told her the truth," he mumbled, steeling himself.
"Nothing? You call that 'nothing'? What the hell did I tell you this morning? How the in the world do you get 'Tell Emma 'goody-two-shoes' Swan everything and expose our livelihood' out of me wanting to kick your ass for saving her to begin with?" Regina hissed.
"Are you seriously hell-bent on just screwing us all over? Look Killy, I get you're hot for the chick but what about us?" Victor added.
"Look, she isn't just some 'hot chick'," Killian shot back irately, glaring at Victor. "And it's like you say, Regina, she's smart. There was no way that she was going to buy some bullshit story we came up with. And I trust her."
"Oh, you trust her." Victor mocked as he shook his head, packing up his lunch. "We're leaving Storybrooke."
"Ok, now that may be an exaggeration," Regina said, following Victor and standing up from the lunch bench. "We just have to scare her a little. What's the point of having our powers if we can't use them to our advantage?"
"Oh, so it's ok to threaten a life with our powers but not save one." Killian glared at Regina before getting up to toss his trash in the bin. He walked ahead of them, storming off toward the car.
"Hey! You don't get to be pissed," Victor said from behind as he caught up to him. "You put us at risk and I can bitch about it all I want but the fact is we have to act now before things get out of control."
"Nothing is getting out of control," Killian insisted. "If we keep laying low like we always do, we'll be alright."
They reach Killian's car and he squints against the bright sunlight of the day as the weight settles further in his chest. He didn't know if there was any way to convince Victor that it would be alright, largely because he wasn't sure of that himself. Victor continued to speak as Killian climbed into the driver's seat.
"Look, we always knew there was going to be a day we'd have to leave, ok. We've been preparing for this moment and whether you want to believe it or not, the day has come Killian. It's time to leave Storybrooke."
"No," Regina argued climbing into the car and settling in the back seat. "Storybrooke is home, we don't have to leave it. Like I said, all we have to do is-"
"Storybrooke isn't home," Victor interrupted heatedly. He slouched in the front seat, his jaws clenched. "It's home to you guys because you got picked up by the Irish Snow White and Prince Charming. Meanwhile I got picked up by a jackass of a foster father who only puts up with me for the monthly check."
The three of them remain quiet for a moment before Killian starts up the car and heads toward home. "We can't be hasty," Killian finally said. "Let's gather what we know first and then act. If there is a real impending threat then fine, we leave. But, we're not making any rash decision before we know what's going on."
"We already know what's going on, Killian, you're just too blind to see it," Regina retorts from the back seat. "Emma knows and we're all going to end up in some government lab, poked and prodded for who knows how long before they eventually exterminate us."
"Emma is not going to tell. How many times do I have to say it?"
"Oh yeah?" Victor challenged. "Tell me then, how did she react to the big news? 'Wow, Killian that's amazing, let's be buddies!' Yeah, didn't think so," he continued when he was met with silence.
The rest of the ride was spent in a grim silence each of them contemplating what the future was going to hold for them.
Emma swung her arms aimlessly as she walked toward her home, Graham trailing behind.
"So, thanks for tonight. I really had a good time," Emma said politely.
Graham looked at her curiously. "Look Emma it feels like you were somewhere else entirely tonight. I mean, what's going on?"
"Nothing, I just had a lot on my mind, that's all."
"Is this still about what happened at Granny's the other day?"
Emma hesitated before replying. "I don't know, maybe. I guess, I'm still a bit shaken up." It wasn't a complete lie at least.
"You know, you can always talk about anything with me, don't you? I know I act like a complete nimrod half the time, but I'm here."
"That's sweet, but I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I'm pretty beat."
Emma could clearly see the disappointment in his eyes as he nodded slowly. "Yeah, sure." She smiled weakly, reaching up to turn on the overhead light of the front door. She hadn't realized her sweater had risen up, barely registering the cool breeze on her stomach.
"Emma, what the hell is that?" Graham suddenly asked.
She looked over to him where his eyes were drawn to her stomach. He had spotted the silver handprint. She quickly scrambled to tug her sweater down, looking back up readying her excuse.
"Ruby," Emma chuckled nervously, "you know the wacko, she was chasing me after school today with silver paint on her hands and must've gotten me."
Graham eyed her suspiciously. "And why did Ruby have paint on her hands?"
"Graham, it's Ruby. We were working on a poster project and she was just goofing off, you know how she is." The lie somehow came out easily and she hoped her initial reaction didn't ruin it. She smiled nervously before bidding him goodnight. "Goodnight, Graham. I'll see you tomorrow." Graham was still looking at her with a strange look so she reached up on her toes gripping his shoulders and kissed him. She remembered how just three months ago his lips on hers made her stomach flutter, but now-she didn't quite know what the feeling was, but it was as though something was missing.
Pulling away from the chaste kiss Emma smiled before turning to enter her home. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you Em."
Emma sat out on the rooftop contemplating what her life had come to. She wondered how she became the girl who hated lying to lying in almost every interaction she was having. The lies may have been tumbling out of her mouth but everyone could tell something was wrong and she hated that she had to keep things from the people closest to her. Logically, she knew why but something life-changing had happened to her and she didn't know how she was supposed to just go on as usual, as though nothing had changed. Maybe the only option she had left was to talk to Killian again.
She'd been deep in her thoughts, scribbling away in her journal to grasp onto some sense of sensibility when she suddenly hears her name called out in a hush. "Emma!"
Emma set her notebook down carefully before walking over to the edge of the roof to see Killian looking up at her. Speak of the devil, she thinks, but a part of her can't help the strange flutter in her stomach. She didn't quite know what to label it but she shoved it aside and leaned over the edge to hear him better.
"Emma, can we talk?"
Emma looks back at her window leading to her bedroom, contemplating whether she should let him climb the ladder before deciding against it. "Come around to the front," she called back then turned around and climbed through her window. She tiptoed out of her room once she determined the coast was clear and carefully padded across the apartment.
When she made it down to the diner she saw Killian already at the front of the door, waiting before the CLOSED sign to be let in. She reached up to unlock the door and let him.
"Hey," he greeted her softly. "Thank you for speaking to me."
"Yeah, it's no problem," she replied speaking just as quietly. It was past her curfew and she didn't want to risk waking her parents to find her with a strange boy in the diner past open hours. "So, what's going on Killian?"
He fiddled with his hands nervously, not quite looking at her. "Um, I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Our conversation didn't go very well and…well, I guess I just wanted to make sure you were ok." He hesitated before looking at her.
"Oh, yeah I'm alright. Just uh, processing, I guess."
He nodded understandingly. "I also wanted to tell you something else, I guess."
"What is it?" She was curious-she didn't know what else he could possibly tell her after dropping the bomb this afternoon.
Emma watched him swallow before clearing his throat. "Emma, when I-when I healed you yesterday I saw things."
"What sort of things?" she asked with furrowed brows.
"I saw into your mind, memories, I suppose."
Emma took a step back. "What?" she gasped. "Killian, that-how could-that it such an invasion of privacy. Why would you do that? Are you doing it right now?"
"No! No, Emma no, of course not," he rushed to reassure, stepping toward her. "I can't read minds and even if I could, I would never. It's just when I touched you and healed you...I made a connection."
Emma's heart slowed as she calmed, watching as he cautiously takes another step toward her.
"I was thinking that maybe I could try it with you. Make the connection go the other way so you can see my memories. See that I'm still me, the same Killian you've known your whole life."
Emma hesitates as he walks closer, stopping in front of her. "Is that alright?" he asks softly. She can see the trepidation in his eyes, waiting and expecting her to turn him away but she nods slowly instead. She was wary, but the idea of seeing into his mind, of finally seeing a piece of him he didn't show anyone was more intriguing. And maybe then she'd understand all of this better.
He moves even closer, slowly bringing his hands up to her face but not quite touching yet. "I'm going to have to touch you," he whispers while looking into her eyes. She moves closer in reply, her heart thrumming in her chest. She didn't know if it was because of the closeness, the warmth radiating from him or the apprehension of what was to come, but Emma tried to steady her heart, preparing herself for the unknown.
"Just clear your mind, let everything else slip away just for a moment."
He finally touches her, gently brushing her hair behind her ears. His touch is warm and tender and she can feel the heat from both of their bodies mingle as he looks into her eyes. They both take a breath together and suddenly she sees.
In his memories, Emma sees six year old boy and girl break out of a pod walking aimlessly in the desert at night, a blinding headlight, a small hand reaching out, six year-old Killian spotting a six year-old Emma for the first time in the library his eyes lingering in curiosity, at twelve using his powers to put a bouquet of buttercups into her locker a week after her brother's funeral, sixteen year old Killian walking down the hallway unconsciously slowing down as she laughed. She looked beautiful and Killian couldn't look away, his eyes on her happy smile as he continued walking, startled when he bumped into someone in his distraction.
Suddenly she could feel everything. Everything he felt, everything he saw, everything he thought. The fear of the dark and lost in the desert, the isolation he still feels even though he has a sister and a friend he considers a brother, the ache in his chest as he wonders if he's meant for more than this secret life, the sinking feeling in his stomach when he looks at her sometimes, wishing he could speak. It was overwhelming and beautiful and stole her ability to speak. Killian Jones…he was something else entirely and somehow this boy, this person-in his eyes, she was beautiful.
They exhaled together both filled with emotion but for different reasons as Killian pulled away and took a step back.
"Did it work?" he asked. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, creating a subtle crease between them.
Emma could barely speak, overwhelmed by the onslaught of what she had seen but more importantly what she had felt.
She silently nodded in awe, her gaze on his eyes that had brightened with his relieved smile.
He reached his hand out to her, slowly and hesitantly and she wanted nothing more than to take his hand in hers, to let him touch her again. But, the moment had passed and Killian pulled away, clearing his throat as he let out a shaky sigh.
"So," he whispered. "I'll see you in school?"
Emma nodded slowly, her eyes still on his, "Yeah, you will," she replied back just as softly.
Nodding, Killian took a step back and then another before turning and walking out the diner. The cool chill of the night swept into the empty diner, the sensation refreshing against the flush of her skin.
Emma remained motionless as she stared at the empty space from where he had departed.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think :) Next chapter Emma finds out something disturbing and has another confrontation.