A/N: This got such a great reaction! It did way better than I expected. Thank you so much for reading.

Summary: Killian and Emma go on a stake-out a week after they met.

August and Mila are at a "conference weekend", so they trail August. *cue mission impossible music*

"So this is it." Killian said with more than a hint of malice. "Where my love has been having an affair.

They had pulled up to a fancy-looking hotel complete with gold accents and white arches.

"This is the reason why I can't buy new evening wear? Because my husband has been treating his mistress to vacations in the freaking Plaza Hotel?" Emma yelled.

"I swear, once I get my hands on that man I'll..." Killian pounded his fist on the dashboard of his car.

"You'll let him go with a swift kick to the groin and a few choice words." Emma finished.

"I can't let him off that easy! Besides, what would the 'police' do if they found out I killed him? They'd probably pat me on the back for a job well done!"

He'd been like that since finding out Mila was cheating on him.

"Killian..."

"No! It was bad enough that he stole my wife from me, but he had the nerve to walk out on someone like you! What kind of monster would do something like that? Do you want him to never pay for what he's done?"

"I just want him out of my life! Don't you want that, too?"

"But we'd be doing them a favor by letting them go. Then they can get what they wanted. They'd be free from us."

Emma had never thought of it that way. She always felt like she was the one in the cage, but it might've been the other way around. Who would want a poor, average-looking girl with no dowry and enough emotional baggage to capsize a cruise ship?

She pushed back her tears.

Killian's face softened. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean..."

"I know what you meant." She sniffed. A stray tear snuck down her cheek. "It's just... I'm fine. It's okay."

"No, it's not fine."

He brought his face close to hers. He smelled like rum and something else she couldn't place.

She tried to form a word, make a sound, do anything, but the constricting feeling inside her chest was too painful.

Emma leaned in ever so slightly, and then captured his lips in a kiss.

His hand came up to cradle her head, and he brought her closer as gently as he could.

She was the first to pull away, and noticed that both of their faces were now wet with tears.

"So now you know what it feels like to be kissed by somebody who actually cares about you." Killian said, his malicious tone evaporated from his voice.

"That was... I didn't want to..." She was about to cry all over again when she heard a burst of giggles from the street.

"Put your sunglasses on and put your hair in your hat." Killian commanded.

Emma nodded and did as she was told.

August emerged from the hotel, some whorish brunette on his arm.

She was wearing a deep red dress with a plunging neckline, and laughing uncontrollably at something witty August had said.

They approached the car, and luckily the two lovers were so engrossed in eachother they didn't notice the muffled sobs coming from the Cadillac to their right.

Emma giggled as Killian told her a story about a crazy client who claimed that she suspected her step mother of casting a curse to "destroy her happiness."

They had gone back to The Rabbit Hole for drinks after their search for evidence left them with a picture of Mila and August kissing under a tree.

"No, really, these are her exact words; 'She had to tear out the heart of the thing she loves most and she made a dark curse to send us all to another realm'." He guffawed.

"You're just making this up!" Emma chuckled.

"No, I swear I'm not!" He downed his third glass of rum. "Another! And one for the lady!" He yelled at a server.

"Oh, I don't like rum." Emma said.

"You'll learn to, milady." Killian simply said.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, bringing her face close to his.

"Well, if you're going to keep kissing me the way you did today, you'll have no choice but to taste a little here and there."

That earned him the fifth kiss of the night.

"I believe that I've done enough talking tonight. Why don't you do a little for a change? Tell me about you."

"There's not much to tell." She pulled her black shawl around her shoulders. "I lived with my abusive adoptive parents until I was seven, when I ran away. I met a girl named Wendy when she caught me stealing from her father's store, and her family took me in until she and her brothers and mother died in a plane crash. Her dad kicked me out, and fifteen-year-old Emma Swan was out on the street with nothing but a stolen car. I met a guy, thought I loved him, and had a kid with him on accident. We had to put it up for adoption because we couldn't support it. It turns out he was hiding from the mafia the whole time. He pinned me for his crimes and I spent years in a torture camp. I got a job waiting tables, went back to school, and that's when I met August. I think that brings us up to date."

Killian just stared at her, mouth open.

"Are you going to leave me, now that you know what a wreck I am?" She said bitterly.

"My father, an immigrant from Ireland abandoned me. My mother took care of me until I was four, but she died of Spanish Influenza. My brother Liam took care of me and was my only family for years after that. I became an assassin for the mafia at sixteen. My last victim was my brother. I had no idea it was him, until it was too late. That's when I met Mila. She consoled me when I was inconsolable. She made my life feel a little less horrible."

He reached out to brush a tear off her cheek.

"Please, let me do that for you."

And he did.

A/N: Did I say stake-out? Oops. I meant make-out.