Ready to hear Killian's reaction to Emma's big news?

I'll Wait for You.

"Your highness, announcing Robin of Locksby"

Robin confidently entered the throne room and approached his best friend.

"Prince Killian! Well did you miss me?" he asked playfully.

"That depends… did you find it?"

"Oh you mean this?" Robin twirled the crown around with his finger.

"You realise that is priceless and if you break it 5 days before I'm supposed to gift it to my wife I'll have you hung, drawn, and quartered?"

"Yeah yeah…nothing's going to happen…"

The words had no sooner left his mouth than the crown spun off his finger and into the air; Robin clumsily jumped out to the side and just managed to catch it before it fell to the hard stone ground. Anger flared in Killian's eyes.

"Um…here mate, I think you should hold this now." Robin said sheepishly handing the treasure to his friend. Killian snatched it from his hand, gave Robin one last warning glance then softened and asked him about his mission.

"What about the accomplice? Did you bring him here?"

"He saw us coming, ditched the crown and ran. But I learned that his name is…"

"Baelfire"

Robin looked up at his friend surprised, "You knew?"

"I found out after you left, Emma told me… by accident."

"He caught wind that we were coming for him, he had been staying in a tavern and left the crown in his room, when he saw us come in he slipped out the back door and as far as I'm aware left again on the Jolly Rodger. I knew you would want the crown as soon as possible with your fast approaching nuptials. Would you like me to go after Baelfire now?"

Killian thought for a moment and then reached out and put his hand on his friend's shoulder giving it a squeeze. "Let Baelfire run, we have what we need. Besides, I'll require my best man beside me!"

Robin's face lit up. "Best man?"

"Of course! Who else would I choose?"

"I assumed King Arthur or someone royal anyway, not a lowly reformed thief! "

"Aye, Arthur is a good man, but you are my best man. So do you think you'll be able to organise a last night of freedom for me?"

A huge grin spread across Robin's face. "I would be honoured to!"

Ruby interrupted them by entering and curtsying before speaking to the Prince.

"Miss Nolan has requested your company in the castle gardens when you have a moment."

"Thank you Ruby, tell her I'm on my way".

Ruby politely excused herself and as soon as she left Robin turned to look at Killian with a cheeky smirk.

"And how are things with Miss Nolan? Do you meet in the gardens often? After all it is a favourite place of yours to take the ladies…" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Killian frowned; "It's not like that! And there are no 'ladies'! At least there aren't anymore…I'm committed to this marriage, just because I can't love her doesn't mean I can't be faithful to her."

Robin eyed his friend carefully, "You have feelings for her!" he accused him trying to hide his excitement over the possibility his friend may finally find happiness, perhaps even enough to convince him to return his heart to its rightful place. Killian had been a shell of his former self without it and the sooner he realised that and put it back, the better for everyone!

Killian's eyes shot to his friend, "We've become friends; I care about her that is all."

"You care about her enough to have no interest in other women…"

"I'm going to be King; I need to start acting like it! I'm trying to be a better man for this kingdom!"

"For this kingdom…or for her?"

"Both" he admitted reluctantly, before marching out the room, leaving his friend, to go find Emma.

Emma was pacing back and forth, the longer she waited the more nervous she became. She had no idea what Killian's reaction would be to her news; anger, disappointment, indifference? She was unsure which one was worse! She didn't know how she wanted this to play out. It was more than likely he would call off the wedding and cut ties with her; the thought should make her happy, that's all she wanted anyway, her freedom, the wedding was his idea, his crazy plan. Escaping was always her end game…wasn't it? It certainly started out that way; she had never expected to befriend Killian, and the way he made he feel when he looked at her that certain way, when he held her hand and danced with her at the ball, those butterflies in her stomach, the warmth it made her feel; that had completely caught her off-guard. Did she want to marry him? She wasn't sure, she hadn't really asked herself, she just knew she had to and so went along with it, she wasn't dreading it, and she was actually looking forward to seeing his reaction when he saw her in her dress, especially after the look he gave her when he saw her in the red ball gown.

She grew sad, there was no way he would go through with it now, and she couldn't ask that of him. The thought had passed her mind to not tell him, to hope that he thought the baby was his, but she dismissed the idea as quickly as it came. He had trusted her, confided in her, he had been nothing but honest since their first meeting and she couldn't betray that trust. He was the first man who had gotten to know her and saw her for more than a pirate or a thief, something about that made her want to be a better woman for him. She had made up her mind, Prince Killian had treated her with kindness and she trusted him to follow in suit when she told him the truth. He would set her free and she would do whatever it took to provide for her child, to give it its best shot in life. She wasn't about to give it the childhood she suffered. Warm tears ran down her cheeks, she wasn't used to crying, probably another side effect of pregnancy!

Killian caught sight of Emma by the lake; she was pacing back and forth wringing her hands. He frowned, she looked distressed; whatever Emma had to say wasn't good! He instantly thought about the wedding, what if she was having second thoughts? He took a deep breath and walked up to her. She turned her head to look at him when she heard his footsteps; he could instantly tell she'd been crying. He reached out to her, pulling her in for an embrace. It was the first time he had ever held her in his arms and it felt so good she hated herself, hated herself for ruining this, for being reckless with Baelfire, for landing both her and Killian in this situation. He'd done nothing wrong, he didn't need her baggage, she was damaged goods, her heart broke and she collapsed into him sobbing. Her reaction just made him hold her tighter, "Emma, luv, what's wrong? Has something happened?" his voice was laced with panic and concern.

He gently rubbed her back and whispered over and over again that everything would be ok, to trust him with her burden, that they were a team now. Every word stung like a knife being thrusted into her gut over and over again. She finally looked up at him, searching his eyes for the confidence to say what she needed to.

"I'm so sorry, I've ruined everything…we can't get married…I'm so sorry…" she was rambling and he pulled away from her, searching her eyes trying to make sense of her words.

"What do you mean we can't get married? What did you do Emma?"

"I just found out this morning…I'm sorry Killian…I'm pregnant!" she looked at the ground, unable to face him feeling overwhelmed with shame, guilt, and hurt. She began to silently sob again.

Killian froze; of all the things he thought she might say this one didn't even occur to him as a possibility. They hadn't been intimate so obviously pregnancy was the furthest thing from his mind. But he was a fool; of course she had been with Baelfire. He had abandoned her, leaving her to pay the price for his crime, the price of death, he saved himself at her expense and the coward had taken her ship, her home along with its crew and sailed away to live the rest of his life while she was stuck here being forced into a marriage just to stay alive and now this…she was carrying that poor excuse for a man's child. The child…what hope could Emma and her child have now? What fate had its father sealed it with when he chose to abandon Emma? There she stood before him, head bowed, body shaking as she cried, arms wrapped around her waist hugging herself. Killian was sure if his heart was in his chest it would be breaking. He wondered what the appropriate reaction was for this situation; anger, hurt, sorrow, compassion? Not having his heart for so long meant he only experienced shadows of these emotions. He was unable to let his heart make a decision so he decided to let his mind take control. He cared for Emma, she was his friend and the last thing he wanted was for her or her child to be in any sort of danger. He rested his finger under her chin, slowly lifting her head up so she was looking at him. "Marry me Emma." He said; his eyes full of understanding.

"What?" she exhaled through the sobs.

"Marry me" he said again, quietly, smiling encouragingly.

"Did you miss the part where I told you I'm carrying another man's child?"

"You're carrying your child; he gave up his right of ownership when he abandoned you. I care about you Emma, and your child is a part of you. Do you want to go back to Baelfire?"

She shook her head.

"Then marry me?" he asked hopefully.

"I can't ask this of you!"

"I believe I'm the one asking, Swan!" he chuckled.

"There will be a scandal."

"No, everyone will think the child is mine, and we'll let them. Don't you see Emma, this works out perfectly; you have already given me an heir. We don't have to complicate the friendship with physical intimacy. I promised to protect you, to provide for you; I've never gone back on my word and I don't intend to start now!"

"You would do that? Make my child your heir?"

"Yes"

"How would I ever be able to pay back a debt so steep?"

"There is no debt as far as I am concerned. Emma, I don't want to be King! I'm scared; I don't know how to rule. How can I inspire a broken kingdom to come together when I'm broken myself? I can't do this alone! I need a friend; I need people close to me that I can trust. I need a heart close to me that I can trust! So…Emma Swan, I'm going to ask you again, will you marry me?"

She blinked back the tears. "Yes, I'll marry you."

He embraced her again, his lips brushing against the top of her head.

It was the day before the wedding and Ruby had arrived in Emma's room with her breakfast tray, she smiled when she saw the large bowl of strawberries on it.

"The prince has requested you meet him in the stables in an hour." Ruby informed her.

"The stables, why?" she mused aloud.

"I'm assuming he wants to go riding…"

"Is that safe?"

Ruby eyed her curiously, "why wouldn't it be safe, Prince Killian is a champion rider."

Emma cursed herself for not thinking before opening her mouth, she tried to recover; "Oh I just mean because I've never ridden before, it seems strange he'd want me to learn the day before our wedding…"

"You'll be in safe hands; honestly I'm surprised he isn't preparing himself for his big last night of freedom Robin is planning for him"

"Oh really? And what might that entail? "

"Oh you know the usual, drinks, laughing, drinks, tavern games; more drinks…tavern girls…"

Emma raised her eyebrow

"Oh I didn't mean that, I just meant…I…I should stop talking now."

"Ruby does Killian have a reputation as a lady's man?" she gave her lady's maid a look as if to say 'don't you dare lie to me'

"um…" ruby looked at her feet, her cheeks flaring red. "I don't really know what to say…you're asking me to gossip about the prince, I could lose my job, or worse!"

"That's not going to happen!" Emma promised.

"He…has been known to entertain women in the past…before Milah…and then he started up again after he removed his heart, I presume just to try and fill the void, you know, feel something?"

Emma was thoughtful, "thanks for telling me Ruby.

When Emma walked into the stables Killian was already there brushing a beautiful chestnut brown stallion.

"Don't you have people to groom the horses?" she teased.

He smiled at her raising his eyebrow, "I've never had a problem getting my hands dirty…besides it builds trust between the horse and rider."

"So you summoned me down here, what can I do for you?"

"I'd like you to meet your horse, his name is Apollo"

"You got me a horse?!" Emma asked excitedly, touched that he remembered her confession about wanting to ride.

He scratched behind his ear, "It's a wedding present, and a thank you for agreeing to go along with all this, you're making me King. I felt gratitude was in order."

She walked towards him smiling, she reached out to stroke the horse's nose; "he's so beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like him…you want to go for a ride?"

"Is it safe? You know, in my…condition?"

"We'll go slow, and stay close to the castle, what do you say? Let's sail away…"

He got onto the horse and then helped her up so she was sitting behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. He gently led the horse out of the castle courtyard and down a path that eventually led to the middlemist field outside the castle. Once they were at the far end of the field he stopped and slid off the horse then helped her down. She stood in awe looking at all the pink flowers surrounding them. He reached down, picked one and handed it to her.

She gladly accepted it, twirling it between her fingers.

"So tomorrow…"she began awkwardly.

"Actually that's why I brought you here. Tomorrow we will be officially wed but you and I know it is just pretence. So, before we stand before hundreds of people reciting vows that may be less than genuine I wanted to take this moment to make some vows to you, as your friend, vows that I promise to keep."

He looked solemnly at her and took her hand in his.

"Emma Swan, I vow to care for you for the rest of my days, I vow to protect you until there is no breath in my lungs, I vow to care for and protect your child and to give them the best possible start in life, one neither of us were fortunate enough to have. I will treat them as if they were my own, giving them all the opportunities expected for a crown prince or princess. I vow to listen to you, to trust you, and to be an honourable man for you. I will be the best friend to you that I am possibly able to be, and as your friend I will always endeavour to protect your heart because I know just how fragile a heart can be. Those are my promises to you before we embark on this next chapter in our lives."

Emma was touched; she rubbed her thumb along his knuckles and replied.

"Killian Jones, I promise to care for you, to be on your side and always have your back. I promise to be trustworthy and I will try my best to be a good Queen for you and for your kingdom. I promise to stand beside you no matter what battle or foe is pitted against us, you have my unwavering loyalty."

He smiled, "Thank you Emma." He shuffled on his feet summoning the courage to ask something of her.

"Emma…promise me something…"

"Anything"

"Promise you won't fall in love with me!"

The request surprised her, a few weeks ago she would have laughed at him, made some comment about his ego, but the truth was she was falling for him, she knew it! She couldn't make that promise to him because she couldn't bear to break any promise she made him. She wondered if it was too much to hope for that he might fall for her too, maybe even enough to want his heart back? If there was even the smallest chance she would happily wait for him. Instead of promising what he asked she just replied;

"You don't have to worry about that!"

They walked through the field, Killian leading the horse behind them by the reigns.

"So I hear you have quite the evening planned for tonight" Emma teased.

Killian groaned, "I'm not sure what Robin has planned but I'll apologise now for being a bit worse for wear tomorrow. I promise I will try to be fully recovered and respectable for the wedding!"

Emma laughed, "Please do, after all I'm making quite the effort tomorrow!"

He raised his eyebrow and grinned, "Are you now…"

"And…" she added, hesitantly, "I promise not to get angry if you find female companionship…since you don't want it from me…"

"Emma…"

She raised her hand to silence him. "Really Killian, I'm serious."

He sighed, "Emma, that's not going to happen."

She was confused but couldn't help but feel relieved. "Really? No women?"

He was equally confused, "Really! Why would you think I would be unfaithful to you?"

"Because we aren't really a couple, I mean we will be on paper but not in practice…Killian you made it clear we wouldn't be physically intimate…were you honestly planning on being celibate for the rest of your life? I can't imagine someone with your reputation being satisfied with that."

"My reputation?"

"Well I mean, I'm not judging, believe me, I'm in no position to judge promiscuity. I'm just surprised you'd be willing to give it up."

"Emma, I don't know what you heard exactly, but I'm getting married and becoming King, I can't risk scandal. I know what we agreed; I just thought it would make things less complicated if we stayed as friends, honestly I hadn't really thought too far down the line. I guess it will be something we can talk about after the baby arrives. I wouldn't feel right taking that step while you're pregnant with another man's child…" now it was his turn to blush, "I just didn't want you to feel pressured into anything, and I'm hesitant to do anything that could cloud our emotions. However, if it's something you want…" He wasn't expecting this conversation at all. Of course he wanted her, how could she think he didn't. He was only trying to protect her, if she fell in love with him he wouldn't forgive himself. He just couldn't tell if he could trust her to keep her emotions in check if things got physical between them. He sighed; this was going to be harder than he thought!

Emma linked her arm in his, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, we'll know if it feels right. Just know that I'm not opposed to the idea."

He chuckled, "Well I guess that is good to know Princess."

The day of the wedding came and Emma stunned all in her ivory lace gown, not least of all Killian, his wife had left him speechless as she walked down the aisle towards him radiating beauty. They quoted their vows, squeezing each other's hands remembering the vows they'd shared in secret the previous day, the ones that were genuine.

After a night of dancing the bride and groom made their way up to their room, Killian, feeling jolly after a bit too much rum, lifted her up in his arms bridal style and kicking open the door carried her over the threshold of their room while Emma giggled. He gently set her down, "You look stunning, Swan!"

She smiled shyly. "You scrub up pretty well yourself!"

He leaned over and kissed her forehead then took her hands in his and kissed them too.

"Goodnight my Queen" he whispered then slipped through the side door into his room without another word, no one had to know they spent their wedding night apart.

"Goodnight my King" she responded with a wishful sigh.