Chapter 2- Date Night

Emma was hopping across the floor in one shoe, trying to put on her earrings. Henry was sitting on the couch playing video games occasionally making a sound of distress through his teeth. It was Saturday. Mary Margaret and David had set up a date for her and Killian at Granny's. It's not that she was nervous. Emma Swan does not get nervous.. But she was nervous. She had seen his picture at The Rabbit Hole and she could admit he gave her butterflies.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Henry asked without taking his eyes off of the flashing television screen.

"I'm looking for my other shoe. It's black. Have you seen it?" Emma crawled on the floor checking underneath the couch.

"There's a black one underneath my bed." He groaned as his avatar just missed a meteor.

"Why is my shoe in there?" Emma asked puzzled heading into her son's bedroom. Lo and behold her shoe was exactly where he said it was.

"You came home on Tuesday night from your night out with Miss Blanchard, and you laid down next to me."

Emma smiled to herself, touched that he remembered that. When she came home she was exhausted and just wanted some alone time with her son. She took off her shoes and crawled into the bed next to him, and stroked his hair as she watched him sleep. He must've been awake, but he didn't say anything the whole 20 minutes she was there.

She took a quick glance at the clock. 7:40. She had 20 minutes before he was going to be there. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought of seeing him face to face and not just on an iPhone screen. She slumped down on the couch next to Henry and grabbed a controller. He changed the settings to two players and they battled it out in space.

"Hey mom?"

"Hmm?" Emma asked rapidly clicking the buttons on the controller.

"How long is the separation between you and dad going to last?"

Emma nearly dropped her controller, taken aback by the blunt question. Her mouth went dry unsure of what to say to ease her son's mind.

"I'm not sure, kid. Dad needs some time to figure some things out."

Henry's shoulders slumped and he put the controller down. Emma's heart twisted at the sight of her son. She paused the game put down her controller on the couch.

"Hey. Look at me. Henry, no matter what happens your dad and I will always be your parents and we will always love you. More than you will ever know. Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."

Henry cracked a smile while she ruffled his hair "I love you, Henry. I will always love you" She kissed his forehead and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

The sweet moment was interrupted by a cellphone vibrating on the counter top. Emma kissed her son's head and picked up her phone. Ruby.

"Hey Ruby. I'm just getting ready to go out- What? You're kidding, again? Alright, I'm on my way. Keep him there. Don't let him leave. I'm out the door." She slammed the End Button and opened a new message

"Everything okay?"

"No. Leroy is wandering the streets drunk again and he's swearing up a storm at Granny's. I have to go pick him up and put him in a cell. I'm texting David to tell Killian to meet me at the Sheriff's Station. I won't make it back home in time." Emma said grabbing her purse and badge.

She blew Henry a kiss and rushed out the door.

Emma pulled open the front door to Granny's. Ruby was leaning on the countertop watching Leroy curse at the world. There were four empty beer mugs on the counter, presumably what caused his drunken state. Emma rolled her eyes and walked over to him.

"Leroy? Again? Seriously, haven't you learned by now?"

"The only thing I learned is that women are stuuupid." Leroy slurred slamming another mug on the counter. Ruby grabbed the mug from his hand and hid it before he could notice it was gone. She gave Emma a quick shrug along with a look of desperation.

"Alright, buddy. To the holding cell for you." Emma pulled Leroy's arm around her shoulder allowing him to transfer his weight onto her. Naturally he stumbled but this wasn't her first rodeo.

She was just about to ask Ruby to open the door for them when a vaguely familiar face made it's way into her peripheral vision. Without dropping Leroy, Emma slowly turned her head to see if her mind was playing tricks on her. It wasn't. There in a booth was her date..eating a sandwich and drinking a glass of what she assumed was rum. What the hell? Emma's eyes widened in shock as he gestured for Ruby to come over to the table. He flashed that charming grin and Ruby couldn't help but giggle at his flirtatious behavior. Emma carried Leroy over to another booth and sat him down. Hopefully he wouldn't say or do anything rambunctious for 2 minutes. Emma straightened her dress and casually walked over to her date who was flirting with the waitress.

"Killian?" She asked trying to prevent her voice from shaking. Ruby turned around and backed away, putting two and two together. He directed his glance from the red-head and towards the girl in the black dress. He recognized her face.

"Ella." He stated matter-of-factly with that smooth Irish-British accent that Mary Margaret had described.

"Emma." She corrected, more than a little irritated.

"Apologies, lass. I was too stunned by your presence and I misspoke." Oh he was good. Not excellent, but good enough. So good that she almost fell for his tricks. Almost.

"And what's your excuse for eating right before our dinner date...at the place we're going out to?"

Killian shifted the way he was sitting so he could look at Emma's eyes. His were even more blue in person. Being a cop, Emma knew when she was being played. And this was a very clever yet ineffective play.

"The reason I was eating, love, was because I didn't want to distract from our date with my horrid eating habits. I wanted to remain entirely focused on you." He flashed her the heart-stopping grin to which Emma promptly rolled her eyes.

"Cut the crap, buddy. I know when I'm being lied to. Call it a superpower if you will. You forgot, or better yet you wanted to make it seem like you stood me up. You were going to make me wait for you and eventually I would call Mary Margaret or David and you would lie to them too saying that you confused the dates and you would give them that stupid smile and weasel your way out of-"

Emma stopped ranting when she realized Killian's focus had left her and was now leering over her shoulder. She spun around to see Ruby bent over to pick up one of the beer mugs off the floor.

"Oh my God. You're unbelievable." Emma yelled at him.

"I was merely admiring the view" he gestured toward Emma in her dress.

"You were merely admiring the waitresses ass." She said through gritted teeth. Killian took a deep breath in and licked his lips

"You're right. I was looking at the other lass, but only because seeing you so upset was an unpleasant sight and I only wish to see you pleasant. Let's start over, shall we? We can sit down, have a nice meal-"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Hell would have to freeze over before I would even consider sitting down with you right now." Emma stomped over to where Leroy was sitting and picked him up

While she slowly made her way to the exit she yelled back "I don't know what Mary Margaret and David were smoking when they thought we would be good together!"

She slammed the diner door behind her and let go of Leroy. She walked behind him and every now and then guided him in the proper direction to the station. Emma pulled out her cellphone and dialed a number.

"Mary Margaret? Oh you owe me big time. The only thing you can do to make this up to me is to promise me I never have to see this jackass again-" Emma was just about to tell her what had happened when her best friend's voice interjected.

"There might be a small problem with that."

"Why?"

She heard her best friend giggle on the other line "Because David proposed tonight and you two are our maid of honor and best man."

Emma nearly dropped the phone but composed herself enough to congratulate her best friends. After a couple minutes of squealing and excited chatter, Emma hung up and locked up Leroy in the holding cell.

When she unlocked the door to her apartment, Henry was still sitting on the couch playing his game.

"Back so soon?"

She heaved a sigh, kicking off her heels. She ran the possible scenarios of what she could tell Henry, instead of her having a meltdown in the middle of a diner.

"We cancelled. Too tired to do anything."

She kissed her son good night and collapsed on her bed. She turned over face down onto her pillow and screamed.