A/N: So, after an unexpectedly wonderful reception, I am back this week with chapter two of 'In Your Light.' As many of you who have read my other stories know, I don't like to reside in the angst of a story. I appreciate hope and light and all those good things that OUAT embodies, and I leave the bad at the door. This chapter though, is a bit heavier than most of the stories I write. I'm having us come to a head with some of Killian's triggers and Emma's background early, while also keeping it light and still hopeful. By next week, I will be more firmly entrenched in fluff again, but I got some feels writing this and I hope you all will to. Thank you so much for reading!

Killian

The hours since his arrival had done little to dissuade Killian from the merits of this small town in Maine in which he found himself. In fact, he was pretty sure that the beauty of his surroundings was the only thing that kept his feet planted firmly on the ground when Elsa brought him back to her home and he'd been face to face with his brother for the first time in years. Fear had gripped at him, but the smile and the warm embrace that Liam gave him upon seeing him safe and sound and in his home, had turned those prickling emotions into a bubbling of guilt. After quickly putting his things in the spare guest room, Killian had approached Liam, trying to make amends.

"I owe you more apologies than I can even fathom brother. I've stayed away too long and I'm sorry."Killian had barely gotten those words out, but as is if sensing his brother's overwhelming discomfort, Liam handled Killian's outburst with grace and understanding instead of his usual playful teasing.

"You forget that I know you Killian. Whatever you've been through, whatever you've done, it's in the past now. All that matters is you are my brother and I love you. I'm happy to have you here in my home." Somethingabout his brother's certainty had given Killian more hope for the future, even if he still felt too easily left off the hook. All there was left to do now was to try and make it up to Liam, and maybe make good on that wish to leave his past where it belonged and to move forward. Killian had been thinking the past few hours on what those steps towards redemption might look like, but he was still mostly in the dark.

"Elsa mentioned that you saw Emma and the kids in the park." Killian looked up from where he was leaning on the railing of the back porch facing out into the yard to see Liam approaching him once more. Liam had given Killian a little time to himself, most of which Killian had spent outside, but if the sun's position in the sky was any indication, the dinner guests would be arriving soon, including Emma.

"Aye, I did." Killian expected some kind of comment, or furthered conversation, but he didn't get anything until he turned to face his brother head on. Only then did he see a wide smile that Liam quickly tried to tamper down when Killian looked up. His brother was up to something, but Killian was too distracted by thoughts of a certain woman to thoroughly deduce Liam's intentions.

"See something you fancied then?" Killian shoved at his brother before turning to rest his weight against the wooden railing and looking back towards the house. Liam handed him a beer he'd brought from inside and Killian used it as a means to keep busy.

"She just caught my eye is all." The lie was so big, Killian half expected a smite from the Gods as the words moved past his lips. Truth was the lady had broken through to him in a way that no one had in a very long time. She'd been on his mind nearly all day in between those thoughts of building a life here, and nothing and no one had ever managed to steal his attention in such a way before.

"Close call that one, but here you stand, no lightening strike to speak of." Killian smiled despite himself. The smiting was an inside joke between the two brothers, one that had stemmed from childhood and transcended even until now. "I do want to warn you though brother, to be careful."

"Of?" Killian feigned little interest, but inside his chest, his heart was pounding. Was Emma already taken? Or perhaps she was crazy. Leave it to him to fancy the crazy girl.

"It's nothing bad it's just… these sister's have a way about them. The man meant to love them falls quickly. It happened with Anna and Kristoff, it happened with Elsa and I, and someday it will happen with Emma."

A tightness in Killian's chest at the thought that Emma would find someone that wasn't him took hold. His overwhelming response to her and his protective even slightly possessive thoughts about her troubled him since he hadn't even spoken to the woman yet. Maybe it was just a moment. Maybe she wasn't that ray of light he'd thought her to be, but to be honest he doubted that. Since seeing her he'd developed a craving just to be in her presence, maybe that was what Liam meant about the power of these sisters. Whatever it was, Killian was better off not confiding to Liam about it just yet.

"Consider me warned." Liam's face took on a smug disposition and he looked about to say something else, when the sound of a car pulling up interrupted him. Killian's heart thumped loudly at the idea that it could be Emma, but Liam's laugh pulled him out of that musing.

"Emma's the only one coming tonight who would need to drive, everyone else lives close enough that they can walk in weather like this." Palms suddenly sweaty, Killian pushed off of the ledge and straightened up, his military training coming unconsciously into effect. For the first time in years, Killian cared about his appearance looking down at his black tee and black jeans, wondering if he shouldn't have dressed up more. When he looked back up, Liam's smugness had grown exponentially.

"Oh, sod off!" Liam's only response was boisterous laughter and a pat on the shoulder for Killian.

"You know Liam, you should really get better security here. It took all of ten seconds to get past that lock." Killian heard her voice before he saw her, but the impact didn't lessen. Emma took his breath away, and in the moment, he didn't have a care in the world about it. All he could see was beautiful golden hair held together with a braid, sparkling emerald eyes, and a striking figure currently wrapped up in a blue dress. It looked like the sea at its deepest points when not swelled by a storm, beautiful but still treacherous. He allowed himself only seconds to glance though before his eyes returned to her face.

"Everyone in this town knows my abilities by now, love. I could leave the front door wide open if I wanted." Emma laughed at Liam's retort, but the sound caught in her throat when she saw Killian. He watched her entrancing green eyes grow wider, and in their depths a bit of fire appeared until she cleared her throat and put on a smile.

"Yeah, especially since you have backup. You must be Killian, I'm Emma." She extended his hand to him and instinctively he took it, not missing the zap of energy that coursed through him at first touch.

"Emma Swan if my intel is correct." A flush came to her cheeks at his words, but she seemed more aware of their audience than he was. Tearing her gaze from his, Emma raised a brow at Liam.

"Besmirching my name already, Jones?" Liam raised his hands in surrender.

"Talk to your sister, love. I've played no part in it."

"No need to worry, Swan. Elsa gave me very little aside from your surname and your being sisters. That I know you are a loving aunt with a propensity for pirate style sword fights is a happy circumstance of my arrival in town." Her mouth made a small o shape, only for her to attempt speaking again, if a bit less collectedly than he'd seen her up to now.

"You saw me? With the kids? Today? No – I would have seen you – I would have noticed – I mean - God you know what, I forgot I have to tell Elsa something." With that, Emma handed Liam the container she'd been carrying with whatever side dish she'd been assigned and headed into the house. Killian nearly reached out to stop her, but held back, turning instead to Liam after she'd gone through the screen door.

"Did I do something to cause that?" Killian ran a hand through his hair, now grown out a bit since he hadn't cut it to regulation standards in a few weeks. Liam looked flabbergasted, totally astounded, and Killian didn't know if that was a good sign or a poor one.

"I can honestly say I have never seen Emma so thrown off before."

Good, lord knows she's done the same to me. Unless of course she actually hates me now, in which case, bloody hell! Killian tampered down the internal ramblings ready to ask Liam more, when through the gate the two children he'd encountered this morning barreled through into the yard with incredibly loud voices.

"Garrett, you don't know anything about anything!" These were strong words from a girl who Killian would guess was no older than five.

"I know that a Pegasus is way cooler than a unicorn, because everyone knows that! Tell her, Uncle Liam. Tell Lena that it's better to fly than poke things with a stupid horn." Liam looked affronted at the claim.

"I will do no such thing, lad. Surely we can both agree that these are animals out of the common way."

"English, Uncle Liam." Killian then watched as his brother proceeded to puff up in jest like some sort of peacock. He'd never seen Liam with children, now that he thought about it, but his brother seemed rather in his element.

"I'll have you know that –" Little Lena held up her hand and took Liam's in hers before interrupting him.

"Yeah, yeah, we know. You know real words. Who's that?" With her other hand she pointed at Killian.

"That sorry looking bloke is my brother, Killian. Killian these are –"

"Captain Garrett and Captain Lena." Both kids stared at him with amazement at his already knowing them.

"What are you sorry for?" Garrett asked, clearly mistaking Liam's meaning once again. Killian ran with it though to spare them all any more of a British vocabulary lesson.

"I am sorry for not meeting you all sooner. I hope you'll forgive me." Garrett looked up at the man who'd just walked into the backyard. He was of average height and build, but moved with an easiness, and smiled despite the tons of things he was carrying.

"Dad, is Killian going to be our Uncle too? He's sorry for waiting to meet us." The man seemed to consider as he put all of the supplies down. Eventually he settled the question with a brisk nod.

"Technically yes."

"Cool!" Both kids yelled out before moving past all of them to the tire swing set up on one of the trees across the yard.

"I'm Kristoff, father to the two hooligans who just deemed you Uncle after knowing you thirty seconds." Killian smiled, liking the man already as they shook hands.

"Killian Jones." Kristoff nodded.

"Oh I know who you are. Anna and Elsa have been scheming all day on how to get you and Emma together." Killian choked on the swig of beer he'd taken before glaring at Liam. His brother shrugged.

"What can I say, it never came up." Like hell it didn't. His brother just took pleasure in watching Killian squirm any chance he got.

"It never came – You just – Gods what is happening right now?!" Kilian took another drink and tried to ignore the looks on Kristoff and Liam's faces. The stage whisper was harder to disregard though.

"Another one bites the dust."

"You should see her." As if summoned by the words, Emma came back outside through the door. Whatever had happened before, she seemed now more collected, and she wasn't avoiding his gaze, which was good at least.

"Guys, Elsa and Anna said they needed help with stuff in the kitchen." In seconds, Liam and Kristoff headed back inside, leaving Killian with Emma alone together for the first time.

"So… if I told you that I'm not usually so bizarre when meeting people, would you believe me?" A hopeful half smile formed on her lips as she looked to him for an answer.

"Swan, I wager that you could tell me the moon is indeed made of cheese, and I'd believe you." She laughed at that, the sound melodic and just as wonderful as he remembered.

"Good, you're weird too." He grinned at that.

"Most definitely." Her hands moved to smooth out her dress, which told him she was a little embarrassed by whatever she was about to say.

"What my brain was so awkwardly trying to say before was that I'm surprised I didn't see you. There aren't many people who stumble upon Storybrooke, so new faces tend to stand out."

"Ah, I see. So it had nothing to do with you finding my face itself particularly appealing." Her jaw dropped at his words, hell they surprised even him. When was the last time he had flirted with a woman?

"Are you…" her voice trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the blanks.

"Flirting with my future sister-in-law? Aye, love, it would appear so. How's it going so far?"

"Not bad actually. You've got charm, I'll give you that." Killian smiled, he'd take what he could get with this woman.

"Not to intrude love, but is there a reason my seeing you before you saw me bothered you?" Emma hesitated, but whether she noticed or not, she took a step closer to him, filling the space around him with her scent, which smelled strikingly of vanilla and a touch of cinnamon.

"Let's just say that for a long time I lived in a world where not keeping track of my surroundings could get me in trouble." Killian could empathize with that, and though he craved more knowledge, more insight into why this beautiful woman was so on her guard, he decided to opt for humor, giving her an out from the emotional confession.

"Are you sure you're not just devastated that you missed the chance to meet me sooner?" She rolled her eyes, but a smile came back to that gorgeous face all the same. He could get lost in her eyes. Lord knew all he wanted right now was to drag her away from this place and be really alone with her, away from the curious eyes of her brother and her scheming sisters, but that wasn't an option, especially when she called the kids inside alerting them that dinner was ready. She turned back to him as the children made their way up the stairs.

"So, since Liam is already Jones in my book, you can have Killian or Captain." For the first time in his life, the title he'd earned didn't make him uneasy. Quite the contrary actually, it made the lust already inside of him surge to a higher level. Stepping closer to her, he dropped his voice low so only she could hear him.

"Killian is probably best love, at least when we have company." He knew she felt the effects of his attempted seduction as he watched her cheeks flush once more, her lips parting slightly. Before anything could happen though, the children were then upon them and the four of them moved into the house.

Everything had been set up spectacularly, and two more couples had made their way to the party, presumably through the front door. Ruby and Graham, Elsa and Liam's neighbors from across the street were both clearly pleasant people if a bit boisterous. They ran a local bar, the only one in town, and Ruby was also the only actual grandchild of Granny, the woman he'd met on the bus ride into town. Apparently, the woman had thought highly of Killian, or so Ruby informed everyone much to his embarrassment. Then there was Mary Margaret who taught at the school with Liam and Elsa, and according to her own reports, had been instrumental in getting the two of them together, and her husband, David, who owned a company where he designed and built sail boats. Killian and David's shared love of the sea and the means men used to travel on it, endeared David to Killian faster than anyone else apart from Emma.

Though Killian knew rationally that it wasn't luck but sisterly oversight, that had him sitting directly across from Emma at dinner, he thanked his lucky stars all the same. He was in the easiest seat to catch glimpses of her throughout the dinner, and he did so often. More than once their eyes caught across the table spread, and every time his pulse picked up the pace. It was a more than enjoyable evening… until it wasn't.

At the tail end of dinner, just before dessert, an exceedingly loud banging came from the kitchen. The impact of the sound had Killian flinching before he could stop himself. He moved up, thinking in that moment that he should protect Emma and the others. His adrenaline spiked, his survival instincts kicking in, and though he rationally knew that he was past the warzone, memories flooded through his system, especially of their last expedition. He was up on his feet as the reality that it had been the children knocking over some pots in the kitchen set in, but calm didn't come. His breathing grew ragged, and all he could think was that he needed some air.

"Excuse me," he said the words quickly, catching one final glimpse of Emma. She looked concerned, but Killian couldn't make out if it was for him or because of him. His mind was too muddled with everything going on. He just knew he had to go, and so he did, heading through the front door and leaving the silence of the house behind him.

….

Emma

To say that this evening's happenings had been wildly out of Emma's realm of normalcy would be an understatement. Since picking the lock on the gate outside Liam and Elsa's house (a favorite pastime of hers that kept her little background in banditry sharp), Emma had felt simultaneous elation and confusion. Never in her life had she responded to someone with such fierceness of emotion and feeling as she had to Killian Jones.

Handsome didn't do him justice, no the man was ridiculously attractive, god-like one could say, and between the scruff of his beard and those piercing blue eyes, Emma had been thrown for so many loops. She'd made a fool of herself, only for him to so readily accept her again and with every word he said, she found that he was more than just a good looking face. He was funny, and charming like she'd told him, but also extremely intelligent. All through dinner he spoke with David about streamlining sea vessels and had nearly out quoted British authors to Mary Margaret who had a masters in the subject. He'd also been great with the kids, patient and understanding and still he'd found the time to listen to the others, to actually internalize what everyone else was talking about. He seemed able to do everything, while still endearing himself to people.

Emma realized in the midst of the dinner, that Killian lacked the overwhelming ego and insufferable arrogance that Emma tended to find accompanied the men in her life. Instead he brought her lust and intrigue like she'd never known. The pull to him was magnetic, as if she was tied to him in some invisible way that though unseen was undeniable. The tone of his voice, the slight uptick of his smile, the tightening of his biceps as he ate his food or flexed a certain way, it was all a heady mixture of desirable traits that made Emma's mouth water. Again, nothing like this had ever happened to her before, and it left Emma feeling like the whole world was spinning on a new axis.

That string of pleasant moments was broken though, and when it was, it seemed to shatter. The loud clanging of the kids dropping something in the kitchen made Emma's heart jump too, fear clutching at her like a vice, a swarm of memories about less than nurturing homes she'd lived in coming back to the forefront of her mind, but she tampered them down, and they fully dissolved as she watched Killian. The sound had triggered him too, but his suffering was more severe, the wounds too raw to simply overcome and carry on. Emma watched him spring up from his seat. If he knew it or not, he'd reached for her, only to pull back and make his excuses before leaving the room.

Someone should go after him! I should go after him! was all Emma could think as Killian left the dining room. She rose to her feet only to feel Elsa's hand clutching hers. Her sister was holding her in place, much to Emma's confusion.

"Emma, I think he just needs some time." Emma couldn't believe that. Nobody who was suffering ever truly wanted to be alone. Their pain already made them feel the brunt of solitude, but seeing that Elsa had never been truly alone, there would be no explaining that.

"Well someone should at least check that he knows where he's going. He's new to town."

"Liam can do that… I don't know if it's safe Emma. We have no idea how much trauma he's faced. It could be dangerous." Emma knew that Elsa was only looking out for her, but there was no doubt in Emma's mind that she would be safe with him. Killian wasn't going to hurt her, she'd never been surer of anything in her life.

"Elsa, he didn't even grab a jacket and he's used to a far warmer climate. Just trust me on this." Pleading with Elsa, Emma worried that her sister wouldn't yield and this might start a fight when Anna spoke up.

"Let her go Els. This is Emma we're talking about, she can handle herself." Elsa's grip on Emma lessened, and Emma finally turned to Liam who sat beside his fiancé. He brought Elsa into his arms and gave Emma a nod. That was all she needed to grab her jacket and one for Killian before heading out.

Tracking had always been a specialty of Emma's ever since she was a little kid. When you ran as often as she had, you needed to be able to find your way, and sometimes you needed to be able to keep tabs on people you didn't want in your life. Killian hadn't needed to leave any clues though, for Emma knew that a sailor would need the sea. If it had such a healing effect on her, surely it would only be of more value to a man who had made his home on those rolling waves for years.

When she finally found him, it was on the docks, at the point just beside the beach. The moon was full tonight, the stars shining brightly, with only one lamp on the wooden beams shining down. As she walked towards him, Emma made sure to make enough noise not to startle him, and when he looked over to see her, she could see his surprise and a bit of hope, even through the shadows.

"So they sent you then, did they?" He asked. He sounded defeated, resonating on a wavelength Emma knew well. The tingling of fear or alertness he'd been feeling was starting to fade, the fatigue no doubt settling in, and if his sad eyes told her anything, it was that he felt the shame she'd felt many a time herself after an outburst. She made her way right beside him, sitting down on the edge of the dock, feet dangling towards the water.

"This is more like a volunteer situation." He scoffed at that.

"Why would you volunteer to help someone like me, love?" Emma sighed letting go of her uneasiness. Years after everything that had happened, her past pain still held tightly, but Emma knew in this moment that Killian would find comfort in her story. For him she could share at least a part of it.

"Because I know the way your whole system filled with ice and fire at the sound of that clanging. Your bloodstream pumped out overwhelming fear and an instinct to simultaneously fight and flee, both drives warring with each other until the rush of it all got so loud in your mind you thought you might explode. I know what it's like to relive every single painful thing you've seen and felt in a second. And I know what it's like to have to look people in the eyes once it's over, feeling like you've just made an ass out of yourself because you couldn't just be normal."

Emma watched his features the entire time she spoke, seeing that everything she'd said resonated, and watching as that discomfort turned to curiosity and appreciation. The softness that returned to those cerulean eyes of his made her feel safe despite the fact that she was giving so much of herself away.

"How…?" Emma could tell the question was at the tip of his tongue – how could she know all of this? And for once, the thought of telling someone didn't make her stomach sink and her hair go on edge.

"I didn't fight in a war or anything, but as orphan without a family, you're life becomes it's own sort of battlefield." She hadn't expected the warmth of his hand on hers, covering it in this moment to comfort her when she'd only been trying to help him.

"How do you get past it?" She flipped her hand around, intertwining her fingers with his as she moved her eyes out to the sea.

"I learned that pulling away rarely helps. Isolation might always be my instinct, but silence is worse than reliving every single moment. I let people in despite the fact that it scared me to death, and then I just let time do its thing."

"I talked to half a dozen specialists when they discharged me, love, and I don't think a single one of them spoke a truth as sound as that." Emma smiled, a sad sort of affirmation that even though what he was feeling was terrible, she understood it. That bit of reassurance prompted him to continue. "It's not the question of life and death that haunts me. I've killed before but in the name of my country and in a time of war. It was us versus them, I can rationalize that. But my last mission we were ambushed, taken to an enemy holding… and it wasn't only me and my men being held in captivity, but civilians too. Not all of them were saved."

"Did you save some of them, as many as you could?" He nodded. "And your men? Are they all alive still?"

"Aye, love."

"Then that's what you hold onto." Emma saw just the slightest bit of lingering hesitation etched into his face. In that moment, she knew she had one last thing that may be able to help, something that had gotten her through a lot of her own struggles. Pulling it from her pocket, where she had kept it for years now, she handed it to him.

"It's a compass." The surprise in his voice had Emma nodding, giving him a half smile. Weather worn, but still working, plated in gold and with intricate carvings, she'd found the old thing in Storybrooke her first week here. Buried beneath a bit of sand, the trinket had come to her when she'd been trying to decide whether she wanted to stay here or go. Anna and Elsa had been waiting on her verdict, eager for her response, but she needed a sign. That compass had felt like the symbol she's been praying for, one of hope and direction. Now Killian needed both of those things more than she did. It was only right to give it to him.

"I think you should have it, at least until you find your way through this." His hold on her hand tightened a bit, the squeeze a silent acknowledgement of his thanks. She could tell she'd overwhelmed him and so she sought to give him the same peace he'd given her before – humor to dissolve the tension. "But I know where you live, so if you never give it back, I'll come for it." He laughed at that, and the rich sound filled the ambient hum of the waves and the wind with a spark that seeped into Emma. She liked being the cause of this moment, the thing that had helped him feel better.

Rising up to her feet, he followed suit, but where Emma expected him to drop her hand, he didn't stepping closer to her. She wondered for a split second if he might kiss her, and that prompted her to question if she as ready. This was all moving so fast, it was heavy and huge and terrifying, but she also wanted it. Instead, though, his other hand came to her cheek, brushing back a tendril of hair that had escaped her braid thanks to the coastal wind. He brushed it back behind her ear, the graze of his fingertips causing the same zing of pleasure to course through her that his holding her hand did.

"Are you altogether real, Emma Swan?" Emma's breath caught. There was no denying the look he gave her, and surely no one had ever given her one like it before. He looked at her like she was everything, like she was a miracle. It pulsated between them, this instantaneous bond that they'd created born of a spark of soulful recognition.

"Last time I checked." The joke was clogged with emotion, her voice sounded distant, like it wasn't even hers, but still he smiled. Without another word, they headed back to the house, neither letting go of the other's hand all the way. Once at the front porch, Killian kissed her hand gently. He gave her a quiet thank you and once more they were surrounded by the others. Garrett and Lena apologized to Killian for the loud banging, promising it would never happen again, but he told them not to worry.

"You did well, Emma. He seems much better, calmer even than when he got here." Liam's words as he approached her where she stood at the entrance to the room, watching Killian now playing with her niece and nephew, made Emma's chest fill with pride.

"He just needed to know that he's not alone."

"Aye, and it helps that the beautiful girl he's been watching didn't shy away from his demons." Emma flushed at that before retreating to the kitchen, having decided that she was going to make her getaway soon. Not soon enough, though, for Elsa and Anna were both on her in a second.

"Emma I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I did about him hurting you. I just got scared. Liam's had some pretty bad dreams about his time in the service, and I met him over a year after it ended."

"You were trying to protect me. You just forgot that I can protect myself." Elsa nodded, clearly glad that Emma understood.

"So… were there fireworks?" Emma raised a brow at Anna's strangely gleeful question.

"Anna it's only June." Her sister rolled her eyes.

"I meant when he kissed you!" Emma shushed her sisters, looking through the archway, glad Killian wasn't looking at them.

"He didn't kiss me. We just talked." Anna looked disappointed at that. "It might not even be like that. I think he just needs someone to talk to."

"You can play that game for now, Emma, but we all know better than that. He likes you, even if he's not ready to admit it yet. The real question is, do you like him?" Emma's eyes flashed to Killian in the living room again and this time when she did, he caught her glance. He smiled a bit, waving his hand in greeting and Emma smiled back.

"Yeah. I think I do."

Post-Note: Okay and there we have it. To make up for the more tense elements of this weeks chapter, I am moving the story right along next week. It will include cuteness and just a hint of smut. I fully intend for it to be adorable, and rightly so, as I have been setting both Emma and Killian up in this AU as people who could really use some true love. Hope you guys enjoyed and will continue on this new story adventure with me! Thanks so much for reading!