She parked the bug across the street and leaned over to grab her wallet from the glove box. She was just grabbing a quick coffee before she went to the station and as she opened the car door, she looked up and saw Killian walk into Granny's. Emma froze, caught between continuing into the diner to get her coffee and getting back in her car to drive away before he could see her. The desperately lonely part of her wanted to march in there and spend the whole morning having breakfast with him. The xena warrior side of her demanded to run away and never make contact with him again.
Her rational (and thankfully dominating) mind knew, however, that going in to get her coffee was perfectly with the bounds of the friendship they had outlined last night. This was a public place, neither of them was seeking the other out (Emma was sure Killian hadn't seen her), and she would simply give him an acknowledging head nod, maybe chatting with him if he was sitting at the counter.
Emma took a deep breath and crossed the road, checking for oncoming cars or David ready to bust her for jaywalking. She held her head high and lengthened her stride as she approached the door. She was doing a normal thing and it didn't matter who was inside. She would just get her coffee and leave, no big deal.
She yanked open the door and let the warmth of the diner wash over her. Ruby greeted her from behind the counter and started to make a coffee while Emma tried to not too obviously scan the diner for Killian.
She needn't have bothered; as usual, he stood out in Granny's morning crowd. He was absorbed in the morning paper at the far end of the counter, a to-go cup in front of him, and he hadn't looked up when she had opened the door. Emma quickly put her back to him to talk to Ruby and hoped that he wouldn't notice her before she could leave. Emma handed Ruby her cash and made towards the door but she couldn't resist one final peek at Killian.
He was not staring at the paper anymore and had indeed spotted her. Emma immediately blushed as his intense gaze met hers. Those blue eyes and that face had always been able to mesmerize her and she couldn't stop herself from noticing him. She meekly waved her hand to wave, per their agreement and was rewarded with his full dazzling smile accompanied by a gentle wave in return. Emma kept walking out of the diner only from sheer force of will. Her blush deepened as she realized how much she wanted to throw away her self-respect and beg him to take her back. Her phone beeped as she reached her bug and there was a text from Ruby confirming what she already knew:
I saw what just happened and you are so in trouble.
The drive to the station was a blur and Emma practically sleep walked inside. She had taken the early shift today and luckily no one was inside to see their boss daydreaming about her ex-boyfriend. Emma had planned to spend the day down at the docks. She was overdue to actually go down and check on each boat permit and fishing license. It was unlikely that she would be able to talk with every owner today but she could at least make a start. Emma picked up the file and notebook she had prepared and bit her lip. She was making a rash decision and she recognized it was probably stupid and regrettable but she decided to do it anyway.
Emma raced back out to the bug and easily broke the speed limit in her excitement to get down to the docks. She had decided to check on Killian and the Jolly Roger first and she was definitely breaking several of their newly established ground rules as well as ignoring her gut instinct. She parked in the pier's parking lot and tried to control her breathing before setting out to the dock. Emma couldn't quite decipher if she was excited or anxious to throw her better judgment to the wind and barrel into this interaction rashly; it was probably a mixture of both.
The Jolly was easy to spot. It was the largest ship in Storybrooke's dock but was really only considered a medium size vessel in the larger scheme of things. Emma strode confidently towards the ship and was about fifty feet away when she noticed Killian was standing on the edge of his deck near the railing. Emma raised her arm and was ready to get his attention when she noticed he was talking to someone standing down on the dock. It was another second before Emma realized that the person he was talking to was Milah.
Emma stumbled and her vision went black. If she turned around right now and stayed calm, she could walk away without being seen. Emma blinked rapidly and turned around towards her bug. She managed not to run but she couldn't stop the tears from cascading down her face. She jammed her keys into the ignition and pulled away from the dock and the water and Killian as quickly as she could. She was crying too much to see or drive properly but her only clear thought was, It was happening again.
Emma drove straight home and ran inside before collapsing on the threshold. Her mind kept replaying the similarities in what she had just witnessed and the scene she had witnessed that led to the break up. Killian and Milah, at the Jolly. Killian's brilliant blue eyes focused on Milah and nothing else. Killian, stepping forward to touch Milah's arm, to bring her closer, to hold her tight. Killian and Milah, together.
Emma's sobs didn't slow as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket but couldn't care less about it right now. Her tears continued thick and fast as her mind fixated. Killian and Milah, together. Killian and Milah, together. Killian and Milah, together. Distantly she heard a door open and her name being called. Killian and Milah together. Killian and Milah together. Killian and Milah together. Someone touched Emma's arm and she lifted her head off her knees to see Ruby kneeling with David standing behind her. Killian and Milah together Killian and Milah together Killian and Milah together. Ruby pulled Emma into a hug and whispered her name soothingly into her ear, over and over again. David was on the phone, speaking in hushed tones and throwing worried glances her way. Killian and Milah, together.