Thanks for being patient and all the great comments. I'm up to my eyeballs in packing boxes and won't have internet access for about two days this upcoming week with the move and all, but I'm still alive and kicking. It feels strange that my cardboard Captain Hook is now boxed up, but I insist that he will be one of the first things I unpack. I need my inspiration. In the meantime, here is another chapter for you. Enjoy!

Killian's feet did not feel as firmly planted to the floor as he would have liked as she crashed her lips into his, giving him momentary hesitation that he might actually trip over her instead of hold her. That fear was soon replaced by her softness against him and his own desires that seemed to be screaming at him.

When she finally pulled away, she looked both pleased and dazed with her eyes wild, pupils blown, and her tongue darting out along her pink lips as she instinctively tried to savor the taste of him. He didn't speak, not wanting to break the spell of the moment. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath until it came out in a whoosh that made her lips curl up in a proud smile.

"Was that what you had in mind?" she asked, her tone light and teasing as his fingers touched his lips for a moment. Like her, he was trying to savor or at least process the kiss.

"Are you asking for a critique, love?" he said, hoping his voice was just as light and playful. He couldn't tell her that just holding her during the kiss had thrown him for a loop. Every point where his body met hers was like a pebble dropping in water, radiating ripples of pleasure. He was not stupid. He knew that would be too much for her to deal with and probably a good enough excuse to never see him again.

She laughed breathlessly as she leaned against her door with a hand bracing the knob. "I'm wondering if I should invite you inside," she said.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to read her a little better. She confused him. Actually, she confounded him and he didn't mind admitting that. She was cold and standoffish to the idea of another date. Yet she kissed him as though she wanted to seduce him and was considering inviting him in for what he assumed would be more than a game of checkers. "I don't know that you want to do that," he said, hoping that he didn't sound too innocent or naïve. He was perfectly willing and capable of taking her inside that apartment and ravishing her within minutes. However, he doubted that would help him plead his case for a continued relationship. "Perhaps I should say good night."

She nodded once. "You really want another date, don't you?" she asked innocuously. "Otherwise we…"

"I want to woo you," he said as though he was telling her what toppings he wanted on a pizza. "I want you to realize that I'm not just trying to get you into bed. I want more than that."

He didn't turn, noticing from the corner of his eye that she was loosening the grip on the doorknob and stepped back toward him with cautious movement. He realized that she wasn't going to say anything about his confession. That wasn't her style. She seemed unbelieving that anyone could care about her or be interested in her more than just a good time. Slowly she came towards him, her eyelids lowered half down and she licked her lips. "Good night, Killian," she said softly. This time it was more of a gentle press of her lips to his instead of a crash. He again let her set that pace.

The tip of her tongue peaked out to run along the seam of his lips wanting to take the taste of him. Demanding air, her body drew in a long breath through her nose, savoring his warm scent, wanting to inhale every bit of him. There was an almost inaudible moan as she exhaled slowly.

She had no memory of moving at all but found her hands now resting on the warm skin of his neck, one thumb brushing gently across his earlobe. Once more her tongue ventured out leaving just enough wetness behind to allow her to softly suck his bottom lip between hers.

Too soon she felt his hands pushing her hips away and she reluctantly moved back on a sigh. Taking a deep steadying breath and smiling into his eyes, she placed a hand on his heart as he whispered goodnight and then turned to walk away. He held his breath, willing himself to walk gracefully down the stairs and to the door. The cool night air felt good on his flushed skin. He leaned on the building for a moment to get his barring and with a wide smile, walked back to his jeep.

***AAA***

Emma knew she had a sweet tooth, as it was something all the rest of the force teased her about constantly. She worked out quite a bit to take some of the threat off, but still she loved the taste of chocolate and anything with icing or caramel sauce. Her office companions also knew that it was a great way to get her to do things. They constantly brought her little snacks or treats to get her to switch shifts or other favors. So when Graham arrived with a sticky bear claw that Monday around 11 a.m., she eyed it and then him with suspicion.

"I thought these were your favorite," he said with a slight frown. "I went four places looking for them."

"I'm trying to decide if whatever you want is worth the extra calories," she said, scrutinizing the treat. "Can I ask what you want first?"

"Information," he admitted, plopping himself down in the chair across from her desk. She still looked suspicious. "David?"

"What about David?" Emma asked, snatching the treat from his hand. "I don't know much these days."

"Is he running again?" Graham asked, his voice lower and his body leaning toward her. "I heard that he might not."

She broke off a piece of the pastry and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly. "I haven't heard anything," she said then held the bear claw back out to him. "Do you want this back?"

"No," he laughed. "I had hoped you would know. I'm considering…"

He broke off his sentence as Robin entered the room. She watched him back away, his face pale. "You are considering what?" Robin asked. "If you're considering picking up lunch today, I could go for the fish special at Granny's. I know that stuff is probably frozen, but it's good anyway. I love it."

Graham sheepishly looked at the newly arrived deputy. "I was considering asking for a day off next week," he lied. Emma was a bit surprised that Robin failed to pick up on it.

"Not Thursday," Robin answered, picking up a thick file from his in box and settling in with behind his usual desk. "Roland's parent teacher conference is that day."

Graham nodded mutely before turning on his heel and heading to the door. "I'll talk to you later, Emma," he said before disappearing out into the corridor.

***AAA***

David gave a little wave and smile to Mary Margaret as she led her class of students out of the school's gym on Tuesday morning. Each term he and one of the deputies would do a presentation for the classes on stranger danger, bicycle safety, water safety, or something else geared toward the students. For 90 minutes he and Emma had been talking to the students about being safe online while the children's eyes glazed over and the questions from them were never on topic.

"That went well," Emma said as she pulled down a chart they had used for the presentation. "I mean nobody fell asleep or pulled the fire alarm to get away from us."

"That's a pretty low standard, Emma," he answered, fiddling with the laptop to close the presentation and remove his thumb drive. "I hope that you are a bit more discerning when it comes to this guy you've been seeing." He shot her a look out of the corner of her eye to see if she had a reaction. It was not as dramatic as he might have hoped, as she simply paused to draw a breath and then went back to work.

"Mary Margaret told you, right?"

He nodded his head. "If you wanted it to be a secret, your first mistake was telling Ruby and Mary Margaret. They aren't known for their discretion with such information."

She hopped down from the low rise of the stage and began to wrap up the cord for the projector. "I'm not ashamed of him," she said, trying to keep her voice from sounding as if she was defensive. "Ruby ran into us while we were having drinks. It's not a big deal."

"So you will be bringing him to have dinner at Dad's? You know that's the tradition. You or I bring whoever we are dating over for some meal cooked by the housekeeper he's boinking this month and he judges us for our bad taste." David looked hopeful for a moment, as Emma had only brought one guy around in the past. She usually ended things before it got to that stage.

"I've been out with him twice," she protested. "And he's your father, not mine. He and Ruth divorced before I ever moved here. Stop trying to make me a part of that man's life."

"He likes you," David said flatly. "Dad treats you like a daughter. That's something."

She scoffed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder as she leaned down to deal with the cord's twisted connection. "He tolerates me because I'm not a threat. Look at the way he treats Mary Margaret. She's practically perfect and he treats her like she's the hired help. And you let him. I am not bringing Killian around to get treated like that."

"Killian, is it?" David asked, ignoring the comments about his own girlfriend and zeroing in on the minute detail that she had shared. "Mary Margaret said he had an accent. Where's he from?"

Emma shot him a look of disgust. "I have two girlfriends I can gossip about boys with, David. I don't need to tell you how hot he is or practice writing my name with his so I can figure out what I like better. But if you must know, he's a nice guy. I went out with him twice and he asked me out again."

David folded his arms over his plaid shirt, leaning back to appraise the situation. "And you're going right? Or have you found something wrong with him that is a deal breaker?"

She groaned, realizing she'd already had this same conversation with her friends. "I'm going," she said quietly. Then a smile broke out on her face. "You're not going to do that brotherly thing where you tell him how you'll kick his ass if he hurts me?"

"You don't usually give me that chance," David said, remembering like she did that his warnings to Neal had gone ignored. He still, though he'd barely been out of high school at the time, blamed himself for letting it go so badly. "If you would be willing, you could invite him over some time. The four of us could have a double date."

He was serious, she thought, groaning at the implication. "We'll see," she responded noncommittally.

David smiled, knowing that in Emma speak that was better than a flat out refusal. "It may be crazy for a little while," he added. "I've decided to run for another term as sheriff."

She wasn't surprised. He'd done a good job in his first term, remained popular with the people, and had no obvious competition for the spot. "When will you announce?" she asked.

"Probably next week. I don't know. Dad has plans for the whole thing. You know that a Nolan doesn't do things quietly."

***AAA***

Killian was not sure that Emma had agreed to another date, as her answer had been to kiss him. That usually translated to a yes, but he was not sure of Emma's language on this subject. Typically he would have just called her, perhaps even sent a text. However, both gave her the opportunity to turn him down more easily. All day Monday they had texted, innocent or flirty little exchanges that led him to believe she was probably rolling her eyes at him. However, neither of them brought up anything about the plans for the weekend.

So that was why he found himself standing at the front counter of the sheriff's station on that Tuesday just after noon talking to a woman who appeared to be either deaf or really good at ignoring people. To his irritation, she kept shoving paperwork at him when he requested to speak with Emma.

"I just wanted to have a word with Emma Swan," he said, speaking slowly and loudly. "It is not about a case."

"You'll need a case number," the woman said, lifting one side of her headset. "And I can't give you case number until you file a complaint."

"But I don't have a complaint, love," Killian said, running a hand roughly over his face. "I just needed to speak with her. I thought she might have a lunch break at some point?" The woman was back to ignoring him. "Bloody hell."

This had turned out to be a bad idea, he thought. He simply meant to stop by around her lunch hour and see if she might join him for a bite. He could raise the subject of Friday again at that point. However, he was beginning to realize that he should have just called. It might have gone better.

Huffing with indignation, he began his retreat from the desk with his tail between his legs. He'd been in sales long enough to know that the real power wielders were not the CEO's or department heads, but the receptionist. If you could not get past that front desk, you were never going to close a deal.

Reaching for his phone, he heard her laugh. It was slightly faint, but he recognized it as the sound that had haunted him since he first heard it. His face was still toward the door to the parking lot and there she stood with a man he recognized as the sheriff, her laughter tittering across the foyer.

"Killian?"

"Hello there, love," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he watched her cross over to him. "I wasn't sure if you'd have plans for lunch so I thought…"

She raised an eyebrow, silencing him as he let his eyes drift from hers to his shoes. "You could have called," she said, still smiling but criticizing nonetheless.

"You probably would have screened, love," he countered, laying out the doubts he clearly felt. "I thought this might be more conducive to a better outcome.

"I do have a little lunch break coming up," she said, looking over her shoulder at David, who was clearly acting like he was not listening. "Do you have something in mind?"

She wasn't sure if the look on his face was relief or surprise that she wasn't throwing him out on his ass. "You mentioned you like Chinese," he said, as if he hadn't already imagined her sitting across from him with chopsticks and rice.

"Your memory is a bit scary," she said, again amazed that he could recall such things that she may have only mentioned in passing. "But that sounds good. I have a craving for some sesame noodles and sweet and sour chicken." She turned, the sole of her boot squealing out a protest on the hard floor. "David? I'm going to take lunch now."

David did his best impression of a man surprised to hear his name called out. "Oh sure. Right. I'm going to go get some work done." He took the opportunity to look over her shoulder at the man standing there and regarding him with similarly covert curiosity.

Emma was aware that he was wanting at least an introduction, but she offered only a brief one. "Killian, this is David. David this is my friend, Killian." Both men gave that grunted and masculine hello to each other, shaking hands and looking to her for a bit more detail. She gave none.

***AAA***

The Chinese restaurant in Storybrooke was run by a Latina woman, which never ceased to amuse Emma with the cultural irony. Mostly known for its take out, the dining space was small yet rarely crowded, as she and Killian found when they had a choice of tables.

"Don't you have some big boat deal to make?" she asked, stirring the chicken and vegetables in with her noodles to distribute the sauce. "You have time to take off for lunch?"

He grinned guiltily, spearing a bit of his own chicken with the chopstick when it did not cooperate. "To be honest I was a bit distracted and not much service today. I kept thinking about you and whether you were going to let me see you again."

She raised both eyebrows at his uncertainty. "I thought we established that I agreed to see you Friday. Something about dancing."

His pink cheeks turned almost crimson. "Aye, well, you didn't in so many words, darling. I asked. You said no. Then you brought it up again and I was hopeful but instead of an answer, you kissed me."

She laughed heartily at his interpretation. "I thought you would appreciate that answer," Emma said with a grin. "But I'll clarify. If your invitation still stands. Yes, I would love to join you Friday."

***AAA***

Emma stood at the counter at Granny's diner and waited on her take out order. The rest of her day had been a nightmare when evidence for one of her cases had been inadvertanly filed as closed instead of pending. She was too exhausted to even think of cooking and the lunch fare was long gone from her stomach.

"You're going to turn into a grilled cheese sandwich," Ruby laughed, leaning into the spot on the counter next to her. The dark haired woman turned her back to the kitchen and reclined on her elbows, eyeing the front door carefully as if waiting for someone to arrive.

"I could make a comment that they are the only thing good here, but you know I'd be lying," Emma said. She knew her order was predictable, but it was her go to meal for nights like this. A grilled cheese was easily enough made at home, but there was something extra buttery and cheesy about Granny's that made them irresistible. Paired with a cup of the woman's peppery tomato soup and maybe some onion rings, Emma would down it with a glass of wine and call it a full meal. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were planning a big night of research on a new menu."

"Bored," the woman answered. "This town gets old sometimes. Don't you ever just want to run away and start over some place new?"

"I've done that a few times," Emma reminded her. "And I still came back here."

Ruby was well aware of Emma's past, of course. She sighed heavily as she thought about the lack of excitement in the town and in her life. "Let's go out this weekend. Me, you, Mary Margaret? We could see if Belle wants to join us?"

Emma watched hopefully as one of the cooks placed a to go order in the window of the kitchen, but it was too large to be hers. "I doubt Belle will join us," she said, speaking of Ruby's former roommate and the town's fashionable librarian. "She hasn't left her husband's side since the wedding."

Ruby made a face. "That's what happens, you know? You get married or serious about a guy and all your free time is spent with him. You totally ignore your friends and suddenly they are just names on a contact list to send those annoying chain emails to when you can't think of anyone else." She frowned. "Okay…so me, you, and Mary Margaret. We could go to that new club Friday? The one over in…what's that town?"

Emma bit her lip as her friend continued to list the names of the neighboring municipalities. "I'm not free Friday," she mumbled, cringing as she braced for the impact of Ruby's understanding.

"There's that other town…Wait!" Ruby pushed up off the counter, grabbed Emma by the shoulders and whipped her around to look her dead in the eye. Leaning her forehead dangerously close to Emma's. "Why are you not free? Robin always works Friday nights so that he can coach whatever sport Roland is into these days. You're always free on Fridays."

"I sort of have plans with Killian," she answered hesitantly. The change from curiosity and surprise on Ruby's expression changed to disappointment and agitation.

"Oh God," she moaned as though her friend had delivered the news of impending doom. "You're actually doing it. You're getting involved with him, aren't you? You're going to become one of those women. You'll be like Belle or Mary Margaret. I'm going to have to watch movies alone. You'll be with Killian. Mary Margaret will be with David…"

"And you'll be with half a dozen guys a month at least," Emma interrupted. "Anyway…It's a third date not a commitment. And aren't you the one who is always trying to set me up with guys named Walsh?"

"That's different," Ruby said, looking overly disturbed at the idea that her friend might actually be dating a guy. "I know you. You wouldn't spend more than a night with Walsh or any of the other guys I introduced you to so it wouldn't be like this. You're cancelling on me. That's not cool, Emma. Not cool at all."

"He asked first?" Emma said with a little smirk. "Seriously, Ruby. How was I supposed to know you'd be having your crisis of the month on Friday? Do you want me to cancel on him?"

"No," she said sullenly. "I can manage. Maybe Mary Margaret will manage to entertain me for the evening."

"I know you," Emma said, smiling gratefully as one of the newer waitresses handed her the bag of food. "You're going to get all dressed up for the club and probably meet some guy within 10 minutes. Then Mary Margaret will spend all of our lunch on Saturday complaining how you ditched her."

Ruby cracked a wide smile. "I know. This town and we are getting too predictable."

***AAA***

Ruby did have a point about them being predictable, Emma thought as she sank into the tub of hot water with her second glass of wine. She was probably the guiltiest out of the three of them. She might blame it on her unstable childhood and that chronic search for normalcy, but she had doubts that it was as clinical as that. She just liked what she liked and avoided change when she was perfectly happy with the way things were.

The hot water seemed to do wonders for her aching muscles and the tension that came from almost seeing a case fall apart because of a clerical error. She had not actually indulged in such luxury in a few weeks, as her life had been running smooth enough. But the familiarity of the sensation was warm and welcome as she braced her feet against the end of the tub and closed her eyes in an effort to relax against the inflatable pillow she had purchased for such occasions.

Like her Thursday night alone time, she did not answer the phone or the door when she was having her bath time. It seemed counterproductive to do that when she was trying to relax. However, when her phone chirped that she had a text message, Emma reached for it instinctively. She knew that Ruby was probably still sulking, unconvinced that Emma was just going on a date and not changing her lifestyle. Mary Margaret was grading papers and rarely came up for air once she started.

Killian: Thanks for joining me for lunch today. My work ethic was much improved after seeing you.

Emma: I have to wonder about your work ethic that you are so easily distracted.

Killian: I happen to be a good employee, but there is something about you that does drive me to distraction, Swan.

Emma: I hope you aren't blaming me for not making a sale.

Killian: Not at all. What about you? How was your afternoon?

She frowned at the screen, not wanting to rehash the details of her day by typing them out.

Emma: It wasn't the best, but not complaining. Lunch was nice.

Thanks for reading!