Chapter Two

The next morning.

Killian sneaks up behind Emma, at the coffeemaker in the kitchen. His hair is damp and he is wearing nothing but a towel around his hips and the leather straps around his bicep and forearm that hold on his hook.

"Enough for two?" He rumbles in her ear as he slips his hand around to her stomach to caress her navel.

Emma sighs and melts back into him with a beautiful smile.

"I was going to bring some up to you when you got out of the shower."

Killian murmurs into her neck while nibbling and kissing it.

"Apologies, love. Had I known, I wouldn't have bothered with the towel." He replies; his steel hook toying with the hem of her over-sized NY Rangers jersey.

Emma presses her lips together and smiles slyly as she turns in his arms.

"Well, we still have a few minutes before the coffee is ready…"

Emma smiles expectantly at Killian and he returns her grin with interest. She drapes her arms around his neck and leans into him for a heady kiss. Killian steps in close, grinding the front of his towel against her. He streams hot kisses down her throat and without warning, picks her up and sits her gently on the kitchen counter. The cold counter makes Emma gasp and cling to Killian's shoulders while he steps between her legs to capture a scorching kiss.

When Killian discovers that Emma isn't wearing any panties under her jersey, his movements begin to getting wild; gripping her thigh and thrusting his towel clad self against her to make her moan as he bites down lightly on her neck.

Emma is panting with need and scraping her fingernails down Killian's back with a little more force than is called for as he makes it clear that he is about to drive himself into her, right here on the kitchen counter.

The coffeemaker buzzes and the lovers don't even pause.

What does get their attention is the perfunctory knock at the front door, before it opens and is followed by the voice of Snow White.

"Emma?"

Her mother's voice is like ice water in Emma's veins. Her and Killian have frozen in awkward shock; they have no time to conceal what they were clearly in the middle of doing.

Snow turns and spots them in the kitchen.

"Oh!" she hastily turns away.

"EMMA!" David chastises. He had walked in behind his wife, holding little Neal in his arms.

Snow gently takes David's arm and turns him and Neal to face away from them as she apologizes profusely.

"So sorry! I am so so sorry, Emma! You didn't come back to Granny's yesterday and we were worried about you because we knew you were so upset over Killia—"

Snow whips back around to face them suddenly.

"HOOK?! You're… Alive!" she blurts out.

Killian had backed away from Emma to help her down from the counter and to adjust his towel to a much more PG-rated position.

"Uh, Aye. I am at that."

Snow shakes her head in confusion and embarrassment while David looks over his shoulder at Emma and Killian, and deeming it safe to face them again, turns to glower at the lovers.

"But how?!" Snow continues.

Clearing his throat and straightening his towel, Killian explains in his usual concise way.

"Well, Zeus, as it seems, thought I should have another go of it, on account of us defeating Hades and saving him the trouble."

David forgets his anger at the pirate who had just been mauling his daughter, for a moment, as he adopts the same bewildered expression as his wife.

Killian took advantage of their brief speechlessness to make his getaway.

"Now that that is all settled, I think I'll dash upstairs and put some clothes on."

With a quick peck on Emma's lips, Killian darts up the stairs, holding his towel.

Nervous laughter bubbles up from Emma and she turns to pour herself a coffee and waits for her parents to speak. Snow and David are still stunned but they turn their attention to their daughter. David scowls and looks as stern as he can while holding a giggling toddler while a smile creeps up Snow's face.

"WOW!… just… WOW!" she exclaims.

David, misinterpreting her meaning, pipes up.

"You're damn right, 'WOW'! Does Hook live here now?!" he says indignantly as Neal slaps him in the face with glee.

Emma and Snow turn to give David the same withering look and then pointedly ignore him.

Turning back to her mother, Emma shrugs awkwardly and gives a small smile.

"Yeah. He found me at the graveyard yesterday, just after you guys left. [Emma looks down into her coffee] I, um… didn't think Regina needed to see that Killian was back when…" she trailed off, thinking of Robin.

Snow finishes Emma's thought with a sad smile.

"… when Robin wasn't coming back. I get that."

Emma nods sadly and sighs.

"And to be honest, I kinda wanted to keep Killian all to myself for a little while too. It still hasn't really sunken in that he is actually back." She says with a sweet smile and a furtive glance up the stairs.

"Of course."

Snow smiles at her daughter for a second and then jerks into action; grabbing David's arm with a meaningful look and manoeuvring him through the door as she speaks.

"Well, we should go and let you get back to- … uh… well, we should go!" she finishes awkwardly.

Emma follows them out as far as the door.

"Hey!" she calls to them as she leans against the doorframe holding her coffee in both hands.

Snow and David stop and turn back to her from the bottom of the porch steps.

"Thanks for checking up on me." She says with a truly grateful expression.

Snow runs back up the steps to hug Emma and whisper in her ear.

"We will call first, next time."

Emma chuckles and her mother pulls away enough to hold her hands and study her face. Making up her mind, Snow smiles brightly and starts rambling.

"Stay in hiding for another day or so. I'll cover for you and Henry can stay at our place. I'll leave some dinner for you on the porch tonight, too."

Emma laughs loudly.

"What?!"

Snow just keeps on smiling at her and then continues,

"You look happy, Emma. I can see it. You need time off between crises to be happy."

Killian comes bounding down the stairs behind them, fully clothed, and Snow lets Emma's hands drop.

"Just be happy, Emma." She finishes as she re-joins a grumpy looking David and a wriggly Neal.

"Thanks, Mom." Emma says with a blushing smile. She turns to close the door as her parents walk away but she catches Snow's comment to David.

"I've always wondered how the hook stays on…"

David disgustedly admonishes her.

"SNOW!"

"What? I've never seen him without a shirt on before!"

Emma shuts the door, laughing loudly as Killian stares at her with amused interest.

"Don't ask. Seriously."

She says as they turn, once more, towards the coffeemaker.