A/N: While I know this fan fiction is not as popular with fans as my other fan fiction, She Will Be Loved, I do appreciate each one of you have decided to join me on this ride. Thank you for all your follows, favorites and comments. They really do make my day. A huge thank you to my two betas, Steph-the-fangirl-925 and aimeeloren, not only for their great work, but supporting me through both of these stories.

Disclaimer: I do not own most of the characters. They are part of the OUAT franchise.

Chapter 8:

Emma rushed back to her room and threw herself across her bed. She couldn't stop the tears that ran down her face if she tried. Emma knew she should be happy that she elicited any response from Killian, but she was too devastated by the fact that the man she'd come to love was no longer there.

Hearing her phone ring, Emma reached across the bed to where she dropped it. The screen showed that her mother was calling. Panicking, Emma tried to slow down her sobs and wiped her eyes. Her mother was bound to find out she had been crying by her voice. "Hi, Mom."

"You're crying." Emma rolled her eyes at her mother's words. She knew her mother would figure it out. "What happened? Didn't you find Killian?"

Taking a large ragged breath, Emma spoke, "No, I found him."

"What happened then? Why are you crying?" Her mother's concern was palpable and all Emma wanted was her mother's arms around her as she sobbed out her troubles like a teenager after her first heartbreak.

"Killian doesn't remember me."

"What does he remember?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but he does somewhat remember his past, or at least Milah," Emma explained.

"The first love he referred to in the Echo Cave in Neverland?"

"Yes." Emma calmed herself, though the tears still fell in silence. She walked over to the small bathroom and placed the phone on speaker so she could wash her face.

"I'm so sorry, Emma."

Emma made sure the lid on the toilet was closed and sat down. She rested elbows on her knees and placed her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do, Mom."

"He'll fall in love with you again, Emma. Just give him time."

"He's a priest. I know Killian. If he believes in something he'll fight to keep that belief. While he may come to care for me, the fact that he believes he took vows of celibacy will stop him from acting on it. He has a code that he has lived by for hundreds of years, Mom. It's who he is. Damn it, if I don't make him remember soon, he could be on his way to becoming the next pope." Emma gave a small watery chuckle. "I can see it now, Pope Killian the first. It's a far cry from the one-handed pirate, Captain Hook, but I can see him making it work."

"Emma, listen to me. You can do this. Don't you dare give up. You only just arrived there. Be patient."

Emma gave a watery laugh at her own words being thrown back at her and looked around. "Mom, I'm crying in a bathroom in Rome. As much as your pep talks are great, the fact that I know no one or anything around here isn't exactly in my favor."

"That's not true. You have Robin. He knows what it is like to fight for love."

"The same guy who walked away from True Love to save his family?" Emma said sarcastically, then felt bad. It hadn't been Robin's fault. He did what he felt he had to. Robin lived by a code very similar to Killian's. Hell, because of her he walked away from his family and his True Love once again and here she was putting the man down, when he was the only friend she had in this strange country.

"You stop that right now. If you don't start picking yourself up, I'll go get Henry and tell him you want to give up. If you think my pep talks get to you, what do you think he'll say?"

Emma smiled for the first time in a hour. "He'd tell me he already had one mother give up on love and he won't settle for a second following in her footsteps. Then he'll say he needs a raise in his allowance because now he'll have to make two pick-me-up baskets every week until he goes to college for both Regina and I."

"There you go. Now go wash your face again and get out there and make Killian remember you."

"Remembering isn't so much the problem," Emma muttered.

"Then make him love you, like he used to. More than his life. More than his home. More than revenge."

"You ever thought about becoming a motivational speaker, Mom? I think you missed your calling," Emma teased.

"I was trained to be one. I was a princess who thought one day of being queen. But more than that, I'm a teacher to fourth graders. You want to talk about people who need pep talks, trying doing that every day. Makes being a princess a piece of cake," Mary-Margaret told her with a laugh.

"I love you, Mom."

"Aww, Emma. I love you too. Get a good night's rest and good luck."

Emma was about to hang up when she remembered it was her mother who called her. "Mom?"

"Yes, Emma?"

"Why did you call?"

"Oh. I almost forgot. Belle's missing. Will came by and spoke with your father. He hasn't seen her in days. Then Marco showed up a few minutes ago. Apparently, Pinocchio has gone missing as well."

"There aren't any more flying monkeys, so what's going on now?"

"I don't know, but your father is determined to find out."

"Do you need me to come home?"

"No!" Mary-Margaret must have realized how vehemently she said that because she took a deep breath and continued. "We are taking care of it. Regina's helping. We've got this. You take care of Killian."

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

"We're fine. You do what you have to do and we'll take care of things over here."

Emma wasn't convinced, but she agreed before hanging up. Her parents hadn't lied to her before so she doubted they'd start now. Feeling exhausted after her day, Emma got ready for bed despite the still early hour. Maybe her superpower was just effected by the lack of good sleep.

Snuggling up in bed, Emma fell right to sleep, not noticing how brightly her ring glowed. Killian stood outside of Emma Swan's door. He had heard a little about her from Robin during dinner, but her actions in the kitchen had his mind in turmoil. Shaking his head, the crossed the hall and entered his own room.

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Killian couldn't remember being so lost and confused in his life. Between trying to comprehend the different language and visions of Emma Swan haunting him both day and night for the last three days, he felt as if his head was on a constant spin cycle.

He tried his best to make sure his days were filled with constant activities. Killian awoke early to attend morning mass, returning as quickly as he could to catch breakfast before Emma arose. Then he had classes until past the normal lunch hour, so he would instead eat a small snack at a local coffee shop. After that there was more classes until his return for dinner, only to escape quickly afterwards with the excuse of evening prayer. Yet, despite all his efforts, Emma still found time to run into him. Yesterday, she managed to sit directly across from him at dinner. Her leg had brushed against his own on multiple occasions with a only a small mumble of apology, that he didn't believe for a minute, not with the small smile that would trace across her lips. The friction of her movement caused him for a brief moment to wish that he could return the action to see her own desire light up from the contact.

Today, as he went to the coffee shop, he discovered her and Robin already seated inside. They appeared deep in conversation, which made Killian wonder if the two of them were more than just the friends they claimed to be. Careful to avoid detection, Killian made his way to a table in a darkened corner and placed his order.

He watched Robin take a hold of Emma's hand, squeezing it. Killian had no idea why it bothered him so much, but it did. His jaw ticked as he sipped his coffee. The possessiveness he felt toward a woman he barely met scared him. Even his feeling for Milah had never been so deep, and after her death he joined the clergy, preferring the vows of celibacy than trying to appease his aching heart. Maybe God had saved him, leading Killian to take his vows. If he had managed to meet Emma Swan before he had, his heart could have been crushed instantly if he grew to love her and she left him. Killian envied the man that she felt so passionate about to come searching for him in a whole different country. Robin hadn't said so, but Killian suspected that there was deep bond between Emma and the man they searched for.

What Killian needed was distance. It was the only thing that could save him right now. He had to remain aloof to her flirting and avoid her whenever possible. There was nothing he could do to erase her from his dreams and he wasn't sure if he wanted to, even if it meant more penance for him come morning's light.

The fact that he was instructed that he might find an easier time with classes if he found a mentor would lead him further away from spending time at the boarding house, once that mentor was found. If Killian was lucky one would be found soon and he could adjust to whatever schedule would be needed.

Killian watched from his darkened corner as the couple rose from their table. A waitress came by and collected their cups from the table and wiped it down, as the two of them left. Killian saw the waitress spot something on the floor and he wondered what it was. He watched her run to the door, but apparently Emma and Robin were already gone. Killian stood and approached the young brunette.

"Scusi. I'm staying in the same place as they are, can I help in any way?"

The waitress smiled at his horrible Italian but took in his clerical attire and nodded. "Si. The signorina dropped this."

The brunette held up a cell phone, handing it to him. "She miss it soon, no?"

"Si, she will. I'm heading back there now. I'll take it to her. Grazie." Killian now had to hurry or else he'd be late to his next class and Bishop Montelado already had given him one warning about punctuality.

The young woman smiled and left as Killian stared down at the iPhone gripped in his hand. Turning it on, he realized it needed a code to unlock it. Turning it back off, Killian went back to his table to leave money for his bill and rushed out of the café. If he was lucky, he'd see Robin long before he ran into Emma and return the phone. Unfortunately, Killian's luck had run out.

He was around the corner from the boarding house when a figure almost ran him over. With one hand on the wall of the nearest building to steady himself, Killian reached out and grabbed for the person before him. His hand landed amidst the softest hair he had ever felt. The strands ran like silk through his fingers.

Emma stood slowly. Her vision filled with her own hair and stark black cotton. If she wasn't so anxious about getting her phone back, she might have been paying more attention. She felt the male hand combing through her hair as she rose, her eyes caught Killian's, his eyes at half-mast as they met her own.

He drug his hand from her hair as if burned by the strands, when he saw her face. "I'm sorry."

Emma gave him a small smile as she dusted off her legs. "No. It was my fault. I completely wasn't paying attention. I dropped my phone and I was trying to see if it fell out around here. I'm trying to retrace my steps."

He cleared his throat and stood straight as a rod. One of his hands reached inside the messenger bag flung over his shoulder. "I believe this is yours."

Killian held out her phone and Emma took it gratefully. "Thank you. Where did you find it?"

"I…I was in the café. The waitress tried to catch you but she was too late." Killian shrugged. "I explained I lived with you."

"Did you?" Emma said with a slight smirk. And began to laugh as he blushed.

"You know what I mean."

She continued to smile at him. "I actually do." Emma took one step closer to him. "And it's Emma or Swan, if you prefer."

He gave her a slight smile, one that almost seemed pained. "Swan, it is."

"And what shall I call you?"

"Killian." He cleared his throat. "Father Killian."

"Kind of like James Bond?" she teased.

"Who?" he asked, confusion lining his face as he scratched his ear.

"Never mind," she said with a laugh.

"Well." Killian indicated behind him. "I need to go. I'm already late for class."

"Thank you for the phone," Emma said holding it up.

"You are very welcome." He gave her his usual charismatic quirk of his lips, which made Emma miss the pirate, despite the fact that the man stood before her.

She watched as he gave her one last look, his eyebrow quirked. Her hand fisted around the phone, while her other she shoved in her coat pocket. It was the only things she could think to do so as to not go after him and grab him.

"I miss you," Emma muttered as he turned the corner. "Please come back to me."

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Entering the boarding house the next night, the first thing Killian noticed was the smell. Burnt bread. He rubbed his brow as the thought that Smee must be trying to help in the galley crossed his mind. Where and why would a thought like that come to him? And who was Smee?

It felt like a blocked memory, one that no matter how hard he tried to retrieve, he couldn't. Maybe it was just a memory of a dream. It was the only thing he could think of to explain the deep sense of déjà vu.

Glancing toward the large kitchen, he saw Signora Assante fanning smoke out of the kitchen door with a towel, while a frazzled Emma Swan, covered in flour, was wiping down the counter.

That explained the burnt bread at least. The Signora must have been teaching Emma how to bake. Guess they wouldn't be having bread with their dinner tonight, Killian thought with a chuckle as he turned to head back to his room.

"Killian." Robin was exiting his own room when he called out.

"Hello, Robin. It's been a while since we have been able to talk. How's your search going?"

Robin leaned back against his closed door and crossed his arms. "Can't really say. It's been complicated."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He really was. If Robin and Emma could pick up a trail, there was more of a chance that they would leave Rome. Killian wasn't sure if that thought made him happy or not. "I hope it works out. I noticed your friend in the kitchen."

Robin smiled and laughed. "That does explain the smell of something burning."

"Still better than hard tack complete with weevils." Killian started. Where had that come from?

Robin straightened suddenly and stared intently at him. "What was that?"

Killian was confused and he rubbed his brow. "I have no idea why I said that. Must be the crazy schedule I have been keeping. I think I'll ask Signora Assante for dinner on a tray and do evening prayers in my room so I can sleep early tonight."

Clapping Killian on the back, Robin gave him a brief smile. "I hope you feel better. I'll tell Signora Assante about your tray and bring it myself, but first, I think I need to go see what Emma has been up to."

Killian watched Robin walk down the hall before he turned. Not knowing what had gotten into him, Killian went back to his room, dragging a hand through his hair. What he really needed was sleep. Emma Swan was messing with his mind.