Author's Note: Once again, I don't own OUAT. Please review - it feeds my creative juices.
"I'm sorry, what now?" Emma asked, shocked, as she stuffed her face with a bagel.
"I need a date for the benefit tonight. I was taking Tink, but something last minute came up. I didn't know if you would feel up to it, but it seems that the sickness part of your pregnancy is over. So, what do you say love? Feel like getting all dressed up and partying the night away with a handsome lad such as myself?" he smiled and waggled his eyebrows at her.
"But I'm pregnant…" she trailed off.
"You're not dying, though, remember. And you deserve a night of fun and games! I'll even make sure you have a dress and everything," he said and she absolutely could not resist his puppy dog eyes. She nodded hesitantly. Damn him and his beautiful smile and sad eyes.
"Perfect! I've got to head to work, but don't worry, I'll handle everything. I'll pick you up at 6 pm," he said as he slid on his suit jacket. "Bye, love," he said before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. If he had turned around, he would have seen Emma holding her hand to her cheek, relishing in the feeling of his lips on her skin.
Emma was sitting at the dining room table attempting to finish a paper when the doorbell rang around 1 pm. When she opened it, she saw a short, blonde woman smiling at her.
"Hello, you must be Emma! I'm Tink, Killian's BFF and assistant. He wanted me to help you find a dress for this evening!" Emma opened the door wider and let the girl in. "Go grab your purse, we're heading to the mall. Now hurry, we don't have much time!" Emma chuckled and got her purse, following Tink out the door.
"So, Emma, tell me about yourself," Tink said as they walked into Bloomingdales. Emma had never had the money to shop in Bloomingdale's before, so she was excited and hesitant as Tink led her into the store.
"Age 25, I graduate with my Masters degree in social work in a couple of weeks, I'm currently the oven cooking Killian's muffin…" at that, Tink started laughing uncontrollably. She watched, partially amused and partially concerned, as Tink pulled herself together and wiped tears from her eyes in the shoe section.
"You're… the oven? For his muffin? That's a new one!" Tink added as she grabbed Emma's hand and dragged her to the dress section. "Let me guess, you're a size 2."
Emma chuckled. "Well, I got tired of saying I was pregnant and having to explain everything, so I just decided to call myself the oven. I thought it was a clever analogy… and actually, I think now with the baby bump I'm a size 4."
Tink silently gathered what looked like twenty different dresses before leading Emma to a fitting room. Mechanically, Emma tried on dress after dress, vetoing each one for some reason or another. Some were too short, others too tight (and she didn't want to have to explain to tons of people that she was Killian's baby mama, but not really), some were too flashy, others were too itchy. The whole time, she and Tink had an easy conversation. She really, really liked Tink. She could totally see why Killian kept her around – she was funny, smart, cheerful, and a bundle of fun energy. It was contagious – Emma couldn't remember smiling so much in recent history (except for when she was with Killian).
After thirteen dresses had been discarded, Tink handed her a beautiful red dress with a low cut, square neckline and cap sleeves. It looked like a princess dress. Sliding it on her body, she turned to the mirror. It was perfect! The A-line cut highlighted her waist and chest and camouflaged her bump. Tink nodded frantically, clearly agreeing that this was the dress. With a huge smile, she twirled around and watched the skirt of the dress spin. For the first time in years, Emma felt truly beautiful.
"Alright princess, time to change back into your regular clothes. We've got more to do!" Tink exclaimed as she unzipped the dress for Emma. She placed it back on the hanger and left the dressing room, presumably to go pay.
Emma stood in front of the mirror in her bra and panties for a moment, turning to the side to look at her bump. It was tiny, but noticeable. She couldn't believe that she was now in her second trimester – 12 weeks along. The muffin was growing and she couldn't help but get attached. She realized that this time was around was so different from her last pregnancy. She had a man there to hold her hair (the lovely morning sickness was mostly over now, thank goodness), a safe place to live, and anything she could ever ask for.
But that was the problem. The way her heart fluttered as she looked at her bump was the problem. The butterflies that she felt whenever Killian looked at her were the problem. As she got dressed again, she reminded herself (one more time) that Killian and the muffin weren't hers. She felt tears form in her eyes as she gathered her belongings and left the room. By the time she met Tink again, she'd cleared her eyes. If Tink noticed, she didn't say anything. Just one more testament to how great she was.
"So, why don't we stop for some lunch on the way to the hairstylist," Tink suggested as she put the dress in the drunk of her car.
"Sure!" Emma was excited. It was so hard for her to make friends – at least true friends, not just acquaintances. It was shocking how quickly Killian and Tink had wormed their way into her heart. Despite the walls that she tried to keep up, they broke them down. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones. Mary-Margaret, her family, David, and her classmate Ruby were the only other people who had broken down the walls and no one had done it so quickly.
Fifteen minutes later, the two blondes ended up inside a small café, ordering sandwiches and iced tea. Tink was talking excitedly about the gala and how wonderful Emma was going to look. Emma was just smiling and laughing along.
"Killian is going to fall all over himself when he sees you, Emma," Tink said, catching Emma's attention again. She fidgeted nervously.
"Uh, we're just friends, Tink. I'm going as his friend," she answered. Tink smiled knowingly.
"I've heard him talk about you, Emma. I don't think you're only friends… at least not to him. He's been through a lot and I haven't heard him talk about a girl the way he talks about you in a long time," Tink insisted.
"Well, I mean, I am his oven… He has to like me," Emma deflected her discomfort.
"That's not what I mean and you know it!"
"Killian is still in love with Milah…" Emma said, trailing off because honestly, she hadn't heard a single word about Milah since the day she met Killian.
"Uh, no, I uh, well…" For the first time all day, Tink looked uncomfortable. Hmmm, maybe Tink didn't like Milah. Emma decided to change the subject, feeling awkward and not wanting to upset her new friend.
"Anyhow, about my hair for tonight, what were you thinking?" she asked.
Three hours later, Emma was standing in front of the mirror in her bathroom while Tink put the finishing touches on her makeup. "I thought you had somewhere to be tonight, which is why you couldn't go with Killian," she teased her friend.
Tink blushed slightly. "Oh, yeah, about that. I lied. I think you deserve to go tonight. Don't tell Killian. And you're all done!" Emma looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. She couldn't remember the last time she looked that good. The red dress was flattering and the intricate, braided bun that her blonde hair was in was stunning. Her makeup was subtle, with a smoky eye and pale pink lips. Hopefully Killian will like it, she thought before she convinced herself that his opinion didn't really matter.
"Anyhow, you look amazing. Emma, he's going to love it. I gotta go, since Killian will be back soon! Can't have him knowing our little secret," Tink said with a wink.
"Thanks so much Tink, I feel like you're my fairy godmother!" she said, giving Tink a huge hug and walking her out.
"Call me!" Tink screamed as she got in her car. Laughing, Emma went back inside the house and sat on the sofa, careful not to rumple her dress. Flicking through a magazine, she got so distracted that she didn't hear Killian come in.
"Swan?" he called out to her.
"In the living room," she called back. She listened as his footsteps got louder over time, getting closer to her. As he rounded the corner, she gasped at how handsome he looked in a tux. He looked up, smiled brightly at her with wide eyes, and promptly tripped over his own feet. This is definitely going to be an interesting night.