A/N: So here marks the beginning of the end. I'm not sure how many chapters are left yet but there shouldn't be too many. I hope you guys are still sticking around after the last chapter. Since I didn't get a very big response I'm a touch worried that it didn't go over well. Thanks to those who did review! And to everyone who read, followed and favourited! You guys amaze me with your kindness! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All aspects of Once Upon A Time belong to ABC and the show's creators.

"Jones, you here?" Emma called as she entered her house. She'd left him alone while she got some work done. Killian had said he might go visit Robin or Jefferson so she wasn't sure if he was in her house when she arrived around six o'clock that night.

Emma had spent the day at the police station filling out paper work and taking a psych evaluation so she would be ready to go back to work after Christmas. While she was enjoying her time with Killian, Emma was anxious to get back to work. She'd joined the police force for a reason, to protect those who were in a similar position to the one Emma had grown up in and she'd already been off for several months. The gunshot wound had completely healed into a puckered white scar and the doctor had said she was capable of returning to work but Graham was stalling the process. Graham wanted her to wait, to make sure she was alright before jumping back in, and as he was her boss there wasn't much she could do about that. Emma had fought with him about it after her psych evaluation but Graham wouldn't budge. Which resulted in a fuming Emma barging out of his office and spending the rest of the day completing paperwork at David's desk, peppering her partner with questions about his current cases.

"In here, love," Killian called from the kitchen. Emma toed off her boots and pulled off her winter coat, hanging it off the door handle so the snow coating it would dry in the heat of the house.

Killian stood over the stove, shifting some vegetables around a pan with a wooden spoon pinched between his thumb and the two working fingers on his bad hand while his other hand opened the lids on various spice jars, adding dashes of herbs to the pan as he saw fit. Emma watched him for a while, a feeling of proudness welling up inside her as she watched how he moved without a hitch, pinching the spice jars in the crook of his opposite elbow before grabbing the caps between his thumb and forefinger and twisting off the cap. In just the last month he'd come so far in adapting to life with one working hand. While he still couldn't stand the look of his scars and didn't spend any more time than he had to out in public, especially out alone, there wasn't much he couldn't do if he really wanted to.

"You made supper?" she asked, leaning around him to better see the pan fried haddock and vegetables Killian had prepared.

"Thought you'd be hungry," he replied, placing a kiss against her forehead. Emma smiled, leaning against his shoulder. Several weeks had passed since Thanksgiving and Killian was still there, living with her. She'd become so used to his presence that she didn't want him to leave. But she hadn't told him that yet, though she was pretty sure he'd figured it out on his own and kept quiet about it because he understood Emma's hesitancy to make their living situation official. As Killian had told her on multiple occasions, she was an open book to him.

Killian plated the supper and Emma carried it to the table for them, sitting down across from the chair she'd quickly begun to call Killian's Chair. Killian settled in said chair and started in on his meal. Emma followed suit, enjoying the simple food Killian had put together for them.

"Anything new at the station?" Killian asked after a while. "How's David?"

That reminded Emma of something that David had given her. She shifted in her seat and pulled a small envelope out of the back pocket of her jeans. She slit it open, knowing that Killian still had issues with envelopes, and handed the invitation to him.

Killian grasped it and read it over before setting it down. Emma couldn't read his expression so she waited to see what he would have to say about the invitation. "A party on Friday?"

"For the premiere of Mary Margaret's new ballet, Sleeping Beauty. It's after the show," Emma explained.

"And you want me to come?" Killian asked, incredulous.

Emma furrowed her brows, confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

Of course she wanted Killian there. The invitation had Emma Swan plus one written on it. There was no one else she'd want as said plus one but Killian. Emma had gone to premieres before. They were black tie and involved a lot of wine and fancy hors d'oeuvres. It was all a show, where the influential people went to be seen and photographed and fawn over the dancers. Mary Margaret, as the principle dancer, would be busy all night being pulled around to this benefactor or that politician, leaving David alone. Which was why Emma always made sure to go. She was his company, and she was hoping Killian would be too.

"Swan, this is a fancy party. I know what goes on at those and I know what people are expected to look like. You don't want me there, ruining the pictures."

"Ruining the pictures? Are you serious right now?" Anger sparked in Emma's voice. Killian was going to ruin pictures? It just didn't make sense. Had the guy looked in a mirror lately? And then it hit her. "No one is going to be looking at your hand, Jones. People go to see the ballerinas."

"But my hand's still there and in a tux there's no way to hide the scaring with the sleeves." Killian's face contorted in pain

"You shouldn't be worried about the scars, Jones. They're trophies that you earned for surviving."

"You're one to talk," Killian bit back, eyes flashing to her sweater-clad shoulder.

Emma pushed herself up from the table, angry. She couldn't argue with that because it was true. But just because he was right didn't mean she was going to concede. She knew they both hid their scars but to her they were different. Killian got his trying to save Will's life. Emma's shoulder had been mangled by an angry ex-boyfriend. She wasn't ready to reconcile that maybe, maybe she had earned them for surviving the vicious attack years ago. Emma stomped to her bedroom and slammed the door.

Emma flopped on the bed and pushed her face in the pillows to hide the sound of her ragged breathing. She wanted Killian at that party with her, because that's what couples did. Emma hadn't ever had a plus one to take to these parties. Or really anything. It wasn't like she'd ever gone to one with Neal. Or that Neal would have even been fit to go to a classy party with. It was just like how she had wanted Killian at Thanksgiving Dinner. Emma had missed out on this kind of thing, this belonging with someone else, for her whole life, and now that she had it she wanted to do the things that Mary Margaret and David did. Because they were real. They were practically a fairy-tale couple. Emma was in awe of what they had built for themselves. Was it so bad that the little lost girl inside Emma wanted that too?

She didn't know what to do about Killian to convince him that his scars weren't something to be revolted by. When he looked in the mirror he didn't see his handsome face. All he saw were his scars and the awkward positions his joints had settled in after surgery. It wasn't even as if his hand was that visible. People noticed his face first. That was certainly what Emma noticed first whenever she saw him.

Emma knew she had to show him that his scars weren't something to be afraid of. But how does one do that when they were afraid of their own scars? It would just be the pot calling the kettle black and get them nowhere closer to a resolution. Emma had spent years covering her shoulder, hiding the evidence of a rough past. She didn't know how to reveal it anymore. If she even could. Hiding the scars had become such a major part of her morning routine when dressing that she didn't even think about another way anymore.

And Killian would soon be like that. The thought trickled into Emma's consciousness as she stared at the ceiling and listened to Killian pace in the living room. She couldn't let Killian turn into what she had. It wasn't a good way to live. Because eventually you convinced yourself that you were broken beyond repair and didn't even bother to fix your life. Killian falling into that dark hole terrified Emma because to her, he was the most whole and real thing in her life.

Emma rolled over and grabbed her phone from her pocket. She hit the number for Ruby's speed dial and held the phone up to her ear. Ruby answered on the second ring. "Hey, I need your help with something."

Killian slept on the couch the night of their fight. Or rather, tried to sleep. Emma had been woken up at four a.m. to his screaming, just like when he had dreamed about Emma dying in the engine room fire. Emma had coaxed him awake and dragged his shaking body to the bed and tucked him in. Killian had resisted, saying that he would be fine to just watch some TV on the couch until morning but Emma wasn't having it. They may have been on tenuous ground but she wasn't making him go through a night like that alone.

Their relationship had been rocky since then. It was obvious that neither wanted to give up completely but they were at a bit of an impasse because both were held back by the same thing. Emma desperately wanted for them to move forward but she wanted to make sure her plan was actually going to be able to go through. Because Emma wasn't sure if she was ready for it.

But there's no time like the present to find out, Emma thought as she pulled into her driveway Friday evening. She'd been away most of the day at Ruby's, who was also getting ready for the premiere. Before Emma had left her house that morning she'd had Robin drop off Killian's tux and put it somewhere that he would be sure to find it when he got back from his doctor's appointments after lunch.

Emma took a deep breath, her heart already pounding, and shut off the car. It took a few more massive breaths to calm down enough to get out of the car and into the house. Emma couldn't believe she was doing what she was. Ruby had reassured her that she would be fine and she tried to believe that. Because Killian was the most important thing to her right then. She couldn't let anything stand in her way.

Emma entered the house and turned into the living room. Killian was sitting on the couch, fingering the invitation to the premiere, and wearing black dress pants and a pressed black shirt. His hair had been gelled into an orderly coif but he hadn't shaved. His handsomeness took Emma's breath away. Emma watched him for a moment, so thankful that he was in her life and that despite the pain he was in he still put on his tux. Emma hadn't been sure that he would put on his tux when she had planted it on the shower rod but she had hoped that Killian's love for her would have been enough to at least have him get dressed before he decided whether or not he really was going to go. Because that what where Emma's plan came in.

When Killian looked up from the invitation and at her Emma slowly took off the black dress coat she'd borrowed from Ruby and took a step closer. Killian's eyes widened and he stood, closing the gap between them. His fingers ghosted over her bare shoulders, pausing each time they hit a ridge of a scar. Emma wet her lips nervously and waited for his response.

The dress she wore had been her plan. It was a simple, floor length black chiffon dress that Ruby had stuffed in the back of her closet. A glittery silver belt synched in the waist, a little more Ruby than Emma but Ruby hadn't actually given her a choice about the accessory. The neckline was cut in a sweetheart fashion, low enough that not one part of the scar tissue that marked her creamy shoulder was hidden. The scars stood out even more than they normally would in the dress, the discoloured skin contrasting sharply against the inky black fabric. Everything Emma had kept inside and hidden was now on display for the world to see. For Killian to see.

"This is what you're wearing?" Killian asked in a quiet voice.

Emma glanced down at herself, self-conscious. Maybe the dress had been a bad plan? Maybe the scars were too monstrous and Killian didn't want to be seen with her. "Yes," she murmured in response.

Killian grasped her face in both his hands and raised her chin so he could look into her green eyes. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. It was as if neither of them could find their proper voice. As if being loud would break the moment.

"Not so bad yourself, sailor," Emma replied, her breath coming a little easier now that Killian had approved. Killian dipped his head to her and kissed her softly. When they separated for air Killian stepped back to appraise Emma again.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because, I wanted to show you that your scars aren't anything to hide. I don't want you to start hiding like I did, Jones. That's a punishment you should never have to face."

"I wish you had never had to," Killian replied as he picked up his suit coat from where it hung on the back of an upholstered chair. When he returned to Emma's side he ran a finger across her scars again. "But, like you said a while ago, scars are proof that you survived. It would be an absolute honour to go with you to this party and show everyone what a strong person you are."

"What strong people we are," Emma corrected, accepting another kiss. She wasn't quite so scared of facing the looks and questions of strangers with Killian by her side. Killian helped her back into her jacket and led her to the car. It was time for them to go to the ballet.