Emma

The wind blew softly across my body. I can feel my skin grow cold and my head throb every time I take a breath. The coldness in the room forced me to wake up. It took some effort to force my heavy eyelids to open.

My vision is blurry, everything is uneasy like the world is shaking and about to collapse. I blinked a few times till my vision steadied. I looked around the unfamiliar room. The room is large and the walls are painted with a dark grayish navy blue, and the room is preserved with a great deal of handcrafted items. I looked around at the floor.. There are bottles on the floor and clothes lying unfolded as if they had been tossed earlier. I slowly looked down at myself. I gasped at how I'm half clothed and the sheets over me is hardly covering me.

"What just happened?..Oh gosh, Emma what did you get yourself into this time?" I pressed my hands on my forehead and rubbed my temple.

Suddenly, a slow movement was made on the bed that made me jump. I slowly turned my head to who that was. I almost screamed when I found Jefferson lying face down, wearing only his boxers, his cheek resting on his pillow.

No! Oh gosh no I didn't! I couldn't possibly! Oh my gosh!... I bit on my fist to fight the tempted sobs. My body shaken to a harsh shiver. I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to jump out of this bed and get out of here. I want...I want..I want to be at home with Henry and wished I never went to the ball in the first place.

I kicked the bed sheets off me and shakily crawled off the bed. I wiped away my tears and slapped myself couple times to stop myself from losing control. I picked up the dress and put it back on. It takes two people to help me put this on the right way, so I only managed to zip it up half way. Thankfully, it was easy to find the jewelry that somehow got off me. I picked up my shoes and left the room barefoot.

The room is dark but I managed to find where the door was. I passed across the arranged furniture and the three windows that hung by the balcony.

"Who are you?" A young girl's voice started.

I froze and bit my lip hard. I don't have to turn around to find out who she is.

"Are you Cinderella, miss?"

I wiped my tears away and went over to her. "Hello. I'm Emma. You must be Grace?"

She nodded. "Are you really Cinderella, miss?"

I shook my head. "No, sweetheart, I'm not. But I did attend a ball this evening."

"Really?! Oh wow that's amazing...Huh, how funny though. My daddy went to one too."

"I know your daddy, Grace. He and I are close friends..."

She smiled and excitedly took both my hands. "You must be daddy's special friend. Oh I'm so happy to see you! Did you like the ice cream cake daddy and I made?"

Oh gosh, can things get any worse. First what happened in that room. And now this...Oh god I hope Grace didn't hear anything through those walls.

I smiled weakly and nodded. "Yes, me and my son liked it very much. Thank you."

"Your welcome. Oh you have a son?! I wish I can meet him."

"Maybe you will, someday little one."

"Are you leaving?"

I nodded. "I must go, Grace. I have to go home to my son, he's asleep now, but he'll be wondering where I am if I'm not back there till morning...Which reminds me, shouldn't you be in bed, young lady?"

She nodded looking disappointed. "Yes. I just woke up right now to see daddy. I can't sleep."

My heart almost stopped. Oh gosh, did she hear us?! "W-why?"

"I had some bad dream...…"

"Were you home the whole time?"

She shook her head. "No. I just got here. Daddy called for a babysitter before he left. She took care of me but her mother was sick, so she took me home when she found out daddy was here."

I nodded. "I see. Well sweetheart, your daddy is sleeping and he won't be able to wake up easily because..because he t-took a lot of sleeping pills to help him sleep. He had a big head ache a while ago and he just took the pills to help him sleep for tonight."

"Oh. But what are you doing here?"

I'm the one who ruined your father, sweetheart. I'm sorry. "I'm the one who brought your father home."

"Oh. Well, can you tuck me to bed, Emma? I can't sleep unless someone tucks me in."

"Urm...Okay."

She pulled my hand and led the way to her room. Her room is decorated so beautifully, a dream room that any girl ever wanted. The walls are pink and has a huge Rapunzel looking at the floating lanterns, her golden hair dressed with flowers and heavily braided all the way down to her ankles. Her bed is surrounded by a thin transplant curtain. The bed itself is curved to an oval and the patterns on the pillows and sheets has beautiful orchards, flowers and all different types of fairies. She released my hand and got on top of the bed and snuggled under the covers.

I smoothed the sheets and made sure the sheets covered up to her chest. I tucked her arms under the sheets and stroked her hair to the side. She looked at me with so much curiosity and eagerness. She certainly has her father's high spirit.

"Are you sure you're not a princess? Maybe an angel?"

I shook my head. "I'm not, little one. Now close your eyes. I'll stay here till you fall asleep."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "Fine...Goodnight, Emma."

"Night, kiddo."

I sat by the bed and watched her carefully as she slowly went to sleep. After a long while, I stood up to leave, but she took my hand before I got the chance to stand up. "What's wrong?"

She opened her eyes. "I can't sleep without a bed time story. Will you tell me one?"

"Well, I think bed time stories I'm familiar with are some things you already heard before."

"Make one up."

I closed my fingers on her hand and placed my other hand on top of hers. "Okay...Mmmm..Well, I know one you might not have heard of, but I didn't make it up. Wanna hear it?"

"Yeah."

"Once upon a time, in a dark stormy night, there was a weak hungry lion desperately looking for a place to stay dry. He suddenly, found a cave and he ran toward it with all the strength he had left in his body. He shivered by the coldness in the cave. But he soon grew happy when he found a goat in the cave. The goat frightfully looked at the lion. But he was too tired to run, they both were."

"What happens to the goat and the lion?"

"Well, the storm was so horrible, it rained for three whole days in complete darkness to morning to nightfall. But during those three short days, the two animals started a friendship and they both grew to like each other very much. But there was a problem. The lion was so weak he had to feed quickly before he grows any sicker. The goat felt so sorry for the lion that he went to his friend and told him to just eat him and survive till the storm stops."

Grace placed a hand on her cheeks, nervous of what will happen next. "So did the lion eat the goat?"

"The lion was so heartbroken when the goat said that, but touched that his own friend will sacrifice himself for him. So you know what the lion did?"

Grace shook her head.

I think she's a little too old to learn something like this in her age. "How about we make one up? I seem to have forgotten the ending of the story."

Grace smiled. "Okay. So the lion tells the goat that he can never eat his friend no matter how hungry he is. The goat felt so touched for the lion to say something like that. And then, the rain stopped and the sun finally returned, lighting the world again."

"That's a good one. And – and let's say the lion and the goat slowly stepped outside of the cave. As the sun risen to its place in the center of the earth, the lion and the goat looked at each other deeply in each other's eyes. They knew at that very moment is the first step of their friendship and the impossible companionship that will last forever. The end."

"I liked that story. Can we do another one?"

Before I replied no, the front door suddenly opened and the lights were on in the living room. Oh no, could that be Killian? Oh crap I have to get out of here! He must never know I was here!

I shook my head and whispered in a low tone. "Okay, Grace. How about we play a game instead?"

"Okay."

"The game is for you to help me get out of here, and you must pretend you don't know who Emma Swan is. Okay? Then you'll win a free ice cream if you can keep this a secret till I say so."

She gave an odd look but gave me a confused nod. "...O-okay."

Footsteps came closer toward Grace's room. I forced myself a smile and speed walked backwards and stood by the door. My smiles motivated Grace to enjoy this and she again started to grow excited. I placed a finger on my lips to silence her when the footsteps came to a stop. The door slowly creaked open. I pressed my back on the wall and held my breath as Killian walked inside.

He went over to the bed and opened the curtains. "Grace, what are you doing up?"

"My babysitter took me home a while ago because of an emergency. What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Uncle Jones?"

"Well, I'm looking for my friend. Have you seen her?" He sat on the bed beside her.

I squeezed my eyes shut, prepared for Grace to totally blow everything.

"No I haven't Uncle Jones. I mean how could I know, I just got here...I had a really bad nightmare. I was about to go to daddy before you came in."

I blew a soft, silent sigh. That wasn't that bad. I guess I can rely on Grace with secrets after all.

Killian took her hands and gave each of them a kiss. "Then I'll stay here and make sure those nightmares won't return."

She smiled. "I would like that...Even though you came here to just find your friend, thank you for stopping by." She stood on her knees and embraced her arms around his neck.

Killian chuckled and rubbed her small back. "I'm glad I came, my little princess."

"Promise me you'll visit more often." She pressed her cheek on his shoulder. But she lifted one hand up and gestured one of her fingers horizantally at the door. I smiled at her signal and took the opportunity.

I tip toed in the living room and went straight to the door. I grabbed the knob and took all the short seconds I had to silently open that door without a sound. Once the door opened, I stepped outside and closed the door slowly again behind me, before dashing out of that building.

~ I knew that Killian will get home before I do. So I first took a walk around the street lights of Manhattan and took a cab after half an hour. Believe me, getting in the cab with my puffy cake dress was worse than walking in public with bunch of crowded people and cars in public. I felt so bad for the cab driver because the skirt of the dress took the entire space in the back of the seat, including a quarter of the passenger seat. When I finally arrived home, I tipped him a thrity for being so patient with me in the long ride.

The lights are off except for one. My window is bright, while all the rooms are dark. I gripped tightly to my skirt and dragged it all the way inside the house. The door wasn't locked. When I got inside, I just kicked my shoes off and went to the kitchen clumsily. I'm not completely sober yet, but the whiskey is almost finished wearing off. But now my head is killing me with this pain throbbing headache.

I opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. I kicked it shut with my foot. I opened the cabinets beneath the coffee maker and the toaster. I took out the bottle of Advil, opened it and poured out two pills. I popped both pills in my mouth and swallowed it straight down with the bottle of water.

When I placed the bottle of Advil back in the cabinet, Killian appeared.

He looked one look at me, and with no hesitation, he walked quickly toward me and embraced me in his arms. His arms clutched around my waist, and his cheek pressed on mine. I was just stunned and oddly had my arms sightly up as if I'm surrendering a battle.

"I'm so glad you're okay."

"Of course, I'm okay."

"I thought you were hurt, or kidnapped. Oh god Emma you gave me such a terrible fright while you were gone."

I placed my hands on his shoulders and slowly pushed him away. He looked at me looking hurt and disappointed of me drawing him away. "...I'm sorry I worried you..I'm going to bed. Good night."

I turned around to go to the stairway. But Killian stopped me from behind and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist again, but tightly this time. I sighed. I touched his wrists and tried to yank them off me, but he held them too tightly for me to pull away. "Killian, let me go."

"Why are you like this, Emma? Why are you pushing me away?. Right now, I should be hugging you in my arms. But you..you pushed me away.] You been doing that from the past two days. What's going on?"

"It's nothing."

"Tell me the truth, Emma. After all the secrets you kept before, has it not occurred to you how much I hate lies than secrets?"

"Killian...It's just complicated. I f-feel like things are starting so fast."

"It's not fast. Well, not to us...We both were willing to look out for each other, but all of a sudden you're against that promise."

What am I suppose to do? I can't tell him the night Milah came over and the secrets she exposed to me. I can't even tell him about the incident that happened tonight...Oh god I still can't believe that really happened. I can't tell him anything! Nothing that is true will not solve anything right now, it'll just hurt to those who don't know of it.

The only way to hide all this is by this solution, and I hope to God that'll this will work.

I leaned against him and pressed my head on the side of his neck. "I'm just going through anxiety, Killian...I keep thinking of myself as a number to you. A stupid damn number."

"Emma, how can you -"

"Oh please, Killian, I'm no fool, I know you had many women in the past. But me being in an actual relationship with you is different, yet I'm still considered as a number in your little playbook. Aren't I?"

He finally released me and faced me this time. "Emma, you are not a number that signifies as one of my victims. But as my number one and hopefully, last number in my life. That's who you are, Emma."

"Killian."

"I promise to love you and be there for you no matter what. Who cares what others think? This is our lives not theirs. There is no point for the two of us to love each other if all we focus on is pleasing society. We must please each other and share our love of what we think is right...Obviously, this really is a rush. So I'll try to get everything to start off slow for now on till you're ready. I know I said that before, but my behavior and jokes really broke that promise since the beginning. So I apologize for that...But now dry off all that nasty depression out of you, and come back to me as the stubborn young mama you used to be."

I forced myself to playfully grabbed the collar of his shirt. I can feel real anxiety building in me by being so close to him, but I tried by best to ignore it. "If I really am your number one like you said I am. Then I better be your last."

Sorry if some of you guys are upset that Killian doesn't find out about Emma and Jefferson hooking up. Unfortunately, he founds out very late, let's just say. And things are really going to get worse so brace yourselves everybody. The love dovy Captain Swan story is going to be shaken down to see how long it can stand. Ba-byee...

~ the-skywriter.321

P.S. Thank you for all the reviews I received. I am very overwhelmed but happy to know there are so many people reading this. I know my grammer is off, and the characters' name and age and some of other places in the story is incorrect and is in desperate need of changing, but understand that this is a fanfiction that I like to use as practice to improve my thinking and imagination and hopefully my writing. So please understand me again, I'm not perfect. HeHEhE byee