Author's note: Going on vacation, so this will be the last ch for two weeks.

Chapter 22

"Hey. Bathroom's all yours." Emma said as she towel-dried her hair.

"Thanks." Killian said without looking up. He seemed to be engrossed in something. As she approached the couch she realized it was a book.

"Watcha reading?" She said, flopping down sideways on the couch. Without waiting for a response, she reached over and grabbed the heavy volume out of his hands. "Treasure Island?"

Killian shot her an annoyed look. "One of my favorites." He made a grab for the book but she held it out of reach.

Emma studied the back. "Is it good? Never read it before."

"It's one of the best books in all the lands."

"Oh really now?"

"There are pirates and adventures. What's not to love?"

"You really take this whole Captain Hook thing seriously don't you?" When he gave her a weird look, she continued. "Because Ava thinks you're Hook. So you like this book because, what, you're embracing the whole pirate thing?"

"Something like that. Now would you please give me my book back and let me continue with my reading?"

"No." Emma flipped through it. There were little notes all over the margins and when she opened the book it fell right open, indicating that that was a section that had been read time and time again. "Wow. All these notes. You're really dedicated."

He shrugged. "How else could you thoroughly grasped the meaning of a novel?"

"You're something, you know that? First the cooking and now this?"

He leaned in. "Starting to fall for my charms, aren't you Swan?"

Emma shoved him away. "In your dreams, Jones." She continued idly flipping through the thick book. "So what's your favorite part?"

He reached over and grabbed the novel out of her hands. "Let me show you." As he began to read out loud to her, filling the room with his rich, thickly accented voice, Emma settled herself against the couch cushions. Somehow her feet ended up in his lap and she began to relax, allowing herself to become washed away in the story and his comforting voice.

Soon she was fast asleep. What she didn't know was that it would be the best night's sleep she'd have in a long time.

"God." Emma muttered as she tripped over one of Hook's many books yet again, stubbing her toe. "Hook!" She called, groaning as she took in the stacks and stacks of novels that were spilling out of the still yet to be unpacked boxes in their new apartment.

He appeared from the kitchen, where he'd been attempting to organize their silverware. "Yes?"

"I thought I told you to stop leaving your books everywhere." She felt ridiculous, like she was scolding Henry, who ironically was neater than Hook when it came to keeping his books in his room. "I'm sick of tripping over them."

"Sorry." He replied, though he didn't look very sorry, more amused. "It's not my fault you're so clumsy, now is it?"

She shot him a look. "Not funny. I'm serious."

"No, you're Emma." He corrected with a lazy wink.

In response she threw a book at his head. "Keep your books in one place or I'm throwing them out."

"Alright, alright." He set the book down onto the coffee table. "I see someone's grumpy today."

"I am not." Emma protested automatically.

He just gave her one of his looks. "Really?"

"Well, maybe." She flopped down onto the couch. "I'm sorry. It's just...you know. The move, getting ready for the baby, everything. Do you even know how behind I am on paperwork? It's ridiculous." Almost unconsciously she rubbed her slightly swollen belly. "I forgot what a pain it is to be pregnant. All people talk about is how amazing it is but what you never hear about are the annoyances."

He sat down next to her and positioned her feet so that they were resting in his lap. "Aye. Your mother warned me your moods would be even worse than usual."

"You try feeling nauseous 24/7 and not being able to fit your clothes." She shot back.

He stuck his tongue out. "That sounds awful."

"Exactly."

"I'll try to keep my books in one place from now on."

"You better." She half smiled. "Why do you even have so many books, anyway? I think that was half of what we packed from your ship. Just books."

"Because. Books have always been my means of escape."

"I thought it was rum."

"Well, yes. Books and rum."

"Wow." Emma raised an eyebrow. "I never would've pegged you for the bookish type."

"There are tons of things you have yet to discover about me."

"It's just doesn't seem like your thing. I thought pirates were all about swashbuckling adventures and wooing women."

"Well you have to do something in between all that. Everyone on my ship had their thing. For me, it was collecting books."

"True. So what's your favorite book?"

At the mention of his favorite book his eyes immediately lit up. "This." He retrieved the book Emma had tripped over earlier and handed it to her.

"Treasure Island." Emma rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" She ran her hands over the leather bound cover and cracked it open. "Damn." She said upon noticing the dozens of little notes he'd scrawled in the margins. "You would've been my English teacher's dream student. This is serious dedication."

"Like I said, books are my most cherished possessions. Still want to throw them out?" He asked mischievously.

"As long as you keep them in one place."

"Deal. Now your turn, love. What's your favorite book?"

"Hmm." Emma considered. "I didn't really have a favorite book. More like stories. You're gonna find this funny."

"Why's that?"

"Because as a kid I loved fairytales." She responded. "Especially Peter Pan. Just the idea of escaping...it was just so appealing."

He nodded. "Of course. But why the past tense? You say you loved them?"

"Well, because after a while I realized that fairy tales were just that. Fairy tales. Until I came to Storybrooke, of course, and realized that that wasn't true. But yeah. I realized that no prince was going to sweep me off my feet and rescue me. No fairy godmother was going to give me a new life. I'd be stuck in my awful foster homes. So I guess you could say I lost hope."

"Until I came along, of course." He interjected. "A devilishly handsome pirate who is hopefully better than any prince?"

Emma laughed. "Of course."

He sat back, mock relieved. "That's what I thought."

"How bout you?" She asked. "Why is Treasure Island your favorite book? I doubt it's just because it reminds you of yourself."

He shrugged. "When I was a young lad, still dashing of course, my mother used to tell Liam and me a tale that was highly similar to this Treasure Island."

"So it reminds you of your mother."

"I guess you could say that."

"That's cute." She poked him playfully. "Your Mommy reading to you."

"Aye. That novel brings back fond memories of my days before i joined the Navy. Also sad ones, as the day after she told me that tale for the very last time was the day she died."

"You know." Emma suggested. "We could make new memories with that story. You could tell it to the baby once it's born."

"Can't. I've long forgotten the details of that particular story."

"Oh."

"Although." He said. "We could do the next best thing."

"And what's that?"

"By reading this," Hook held up the book. "To the baby." He cracked it open.

"Right now?"

"Why not? I've got nothing better to do."

Emma shrugged; she could think of a thousand things they should be doing, such as unpacking, but she had absolutely no desire to do so right now. She relaxed into the couch, leaning her head back, and just let herself be washed away by the story and Hook's voice.

Author's note: Well that was a sweet flashback.