Thank you for your comments and kuddos!"I want to thank my beta MoreColourfulMoniker for her review and sandra70 for her constant support!
Also, I'm ensuing a Charming warning: the charming are depicted in this chapter. Now, you may or may not like how I've written them. Read at your own risk :P
Chapter 6 - Family Reunion
Emma was livid. Livid. Hook's nerve to leave her chained in a cell. Again! She was going to get tell him all she thought about his pretty perfect new life as soon as he got back. She tried testing the handcuffs, but she knew it was pointless. She contemplated screaming to get some of the officers' attention, but something in her mind prevented her from doing so.
It had been less than an hour when he came back, carrying two Styrofoam cups and a brown bag. His black leather jacket suited him perfectly, reminding her a little of his old leather coat. She smiled sadly and sighed deeply. She had been able to calm down a little while he was out, leaving her exhausted and pensive.
He put the bag and the cups in his desk and went to the cell. He silently uncuffed her and opened the door of the cell.
"I brought you something to eat." He said and he pulled the chair for her to sit. He grabbed one of the cups and a package from the bag and went to rest on the side of the desk opposite of her. He stood there, watching her, waiting for her to make the first move.
"You have to let me go, Killian." She said. "I have to go back to Henry. You cannot keep me locked in here."
"I wasn't planning to, Swan. I've already asked one of the officers to call your parents. They'll be here shortly, I presume." He replied and he took a sip from his cup.
She searched the brown bag curiously: he had brought her a grilled cheese sandwich and a bear claw. She took a sip from the cup: hot cocoa with cinnamon.
Of course he'd remember.
The remains of her anger vanished from her, replaced by an intense sadness. She looked at him and he was looking at her, pain and longing in his eyes. It was a look she knew very well, she had seen it in him several times; but there was always something more in there. In between the pain and the longing, there was always hope. Not anymore. There was no more hope in his eyes, not when it came to her.
She sighed deeply, "Where do we go from here, Killian?"
"I don't know, Swan. I don't expect you to agree with my choices, or even understand them. But this is my life now. And it's real for me." He looked at her, a small plea in his eyes. "I might have been a fabricated farce in the beginning, but I've worked very hard to change that, to make it real. And I like it. It's a pretty good life. I have a job that I like, a-"
"A woman that you love?" She interrupted him and he looked at her confused. Then he realized that he'd been repeating the same lines to her that she said to him when he went to find her in New York, years ago.
"Sadly, no," He replied. "There's no woman that I love in this life…"
"Perhaps there's a woman that you love in the life that lost…" She ventured before being able to stop herself. What was she doing?
"What are you playing at, Swan?" He asked defensively. "If this is an attempt to lure me into letting you be part of this investigation, it's a low blow. Even for you. And I haven't lost any life… I remember all." He sighed deeply. "There was just nothing left for me in that life anymore." He scratched the back of his head.
"Killian, I'm sorry. I-" She struggled to find her words.
He waved his hand dismissively, "Don't fret over this, love. Regardless, I cannot let you in this investigation. It's too dangerous."
She looked like she was about to protest and he knew he had to keep talking before it escalated. "Swan, I know you are more than capable, I know you can take care of yourself, lass. I've seen it many times. But we are dealing with a fucked-up maniac in here. I wasn't exaggerating earlier about the possible charges: we are talking sexual abuse and major violence. I cannot let you anywhere near this."
He looked at her and she could see honesty and raw fear in his eyes. He swallowed and continued, "Even if it ruined years of investigation, I'm glad I ran into you today. If I hadn't and you have gotten to him, I don't know what would have happened to you."
His voice broke and all of the sudden, he was taken to another time, another place, another life. Cora's hand in her chest, trying to rip her heart out. Lost Boys attacking her. Pan trying to kill her. Zelena sending the Dark One after them. All the times he feared for her life. And none of them compared to the mental image of Emma Swan lying lifeless on an alley, raped and beaten up to death.
His eyes searched hers, and she could see them welling up with tears.
"Please stay out this, Swan." He pleaded.
I can't lose you. Even if I don't have you, even if you'd pushed me away and broke my heart, I can't bear the thought of something happening to you.
Emma was rooted to the spot, unable to talk, move. He was looking at her with such familiar intensity, it was hard not to recall every single time he'd pleaded with her and she'd run away, breaking his heart.
Before she was able to reply, his cell phone started ringing. He looked at the screen.
"I have to take this, give me a minute." He said as he stepped into the nearby office.
She sat there, trying to gather together her thoughts about all this; but she couldn't come up with anything.
She heard footsteps on the door and turned around to see David and Mary Margaret approaching her with worrying faces.
"Emma! Are you ok?" Mary Margaret cried as she went to hug her.
"I'm fine." Emma said.
"We got a call from the station, they said you were involved in a police situation and you had to come give a statement and then you got detained!" David said.
"I'm ok, it was just a small misunderstanding." She lied. "I think it's all sorted out now…" She smiled.
"What would they lock you for?" David asked, stressed over the situation.
Emma was about to answer David when his voice interrupted them.
"She was interfering with a police investigation. My investigation." Killian was standing at the frame of the office door, looking smugly at them. "Detective Killian Jones, NJSP."
David and Mary Margaret's jaws dropped in astonishment and Emma thought that was probably how she looked when she first saw him.
"Hook?!" David said.
Like father, like daughter.
"Ok, I know you royals pretty much have like four sets of memories right now and it's hard to keep up, but the name is Killian Jones. Detective Killian Jones."
Mary Margaret looked at Emma for confirmation, "What is he talking about?"
Emma smiled, "Killian is a detective in the NJSP. Courtesy of Regina. He was chasing the same guy I was and we bumped into each other…"
"That is a lovely way to phrase it, Swan." Killian retorted, "The truth here is that your daughter jeopardized and actually ruined a police operation that took us months to put together. Not to mention, she could have gotten hurt in that chase."
"You are a detective?!" David asked.
"Glad to see you are catching up, mate." Killian snarked at him, clearly not minding the furious look David was giving him. "As I was saying, today's events had been very unfortunate. We will have to rebuild our entire operation from scratch and it will set us back a few months, at least. But we are confident we will be able to catch this guy eventually, so we will not pursue charges against Emma." He now looked at her sternly, "But you will stay away from this, Emma."
"Killian, I can't-" She started but he cut her off.
"Swan, I will lock you up if I have to. Don't test me." He threatened.
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" David intervened.
"Back off, mate." Killian replied. "In case you haven't noticed, this is not Storybrooke. You are not a deputy. The only one carrying a badge in this room, is me. And as a police officer, I'm asking your daughter to back off from the investigation of a very dangerous man. I'm trying to protect her. Which is legally my job. So I'd suggest you watch your tone, mate."
He was oozing confidence and authority and Emma could not tear her eyes away from him standing there, facing his father, all the force of reason standing behind him. It was mesmerizing.
"Alright, I think we all need to calm down." Mary Margaret intervened. "Ho-Killian, we understand. If it's ok, we'll leave with Emma now and sort this out with her. Good luck with your investigation."
Killian bowed at her, "Thank you, milady. I hope all is well with you and your little one."
"It is, thank you for asking." Mary Margaret replied kindly before motioning David and Emma out of the room
Killian turned around and watched them leave, struggling with the part of himself that wanted to go after her. He'd worked so hard these past years to build this life, he couldn't risk it. Not even for her.
"Swan…" He called for her and she turned around looking at him with her beautiful green eyes.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Take care." He tried to infuse the words with all the things he could not say to her.
"It was good seeing you, Killian." She replied before she turned around and left with her parents.