Disclaimer: Reluctantly I have to admit that I don't own these characters. They are property of others far luckier than myself.

Kinda light with the reviews for the next chapter. I hope you all are enjoying this.

"Eggs, toast and coffee, as you requested," Emma set a carryout container in his lap, "Checked the eggs before I left they diner. They are extra runny just the way you like them."

"Thank you, Love," Killian grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, "Will you eat next to me?" He patted the available space on the bed.

"Of course," she replied as she retrieved her own container and joined him on the bed, "Your quarters are a bit roomier than your last vessel. I'd hate to insult your beloved Jolly Roger, but you traded up in this regard. Is this a queen size bed?"

"It does allow for a bit more maneuverability," he gave her a cheeky grin, "But I never had complaints before."

"I know you miss the Jolly Roger, but this new ship of yours seems…"

"The Jolly Roger is under someone else's care," Killian interrupted her, "I traded her for a noble purpose. I would make that trade a hundred times out of a hundred."

"Even if I had never returned your affections?" she dug into her breakfast to avoid his intense stare.

"Even if it was only to see you at the door one last time when you crunched me in the…what was your term for it again?"

"Nuts," she gave a small laugh, "And I did apologize for that, didn't I?"

"Can't say that I altogether blame you for the reaction," he scratched behind his ear, "It was a bit bold on my part."

"You should have waited to pick me up in a bar," she chanced a glance in his direction.

"Didn't see you frequenting a lot of bars in New York," he replied.

"Had you been following me before you appeared at my door?"

"For a bit," he nodded in between bits of his breakfast.

"You have some egg," Emma tapped at her chin to indicate where he should clean himself off.

He made a half-hearted attempt at cleaning himself up.

"I'll get it," Emma leaned in and licked at his chin lightly.

Killian angled his face so he could capture her lips. Their breakfasts were cast aside as the kiss grew more passionately. Before Emma knew what had happened, she was straddling his waist, knees folded under her on either side of his thighs as she pawed at his back. His hand and hook were anchored at the small of her back as he angled his face for better access to her lips.

"Bad timing," Emma mumbled against his lips when she pulled away slightly. His pupils were blown wide with lust. She was sure hers mirrored his. They were both panting with the need for air.

"Are we ever going to talk about your hesitation to consummate our relationship?" he pressed his forehead against hers.

"You know my hesitation," she reminded him.

"We can't let the fear from our pasts control us. Being involved with you was not the reason your past…friends are no longer alive."

"I can't bear to lose you, Killian," she felt the tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere," he did his best to reassure her, "It's going to take more than a dull blade to keep me away from you."

"That's not funny," she sniffled.

"You said you trust me, right, Love?"

"Of course I do."

"Trust me not to leave you," he looked her dead in the eyes.

"I want to," she buried her head into the crook of his neck, "You have no idea how much I want to, but everyone I've ever known…"

"I'm not everyone else," Killian cut her off. "I will not leave you, Emma. I will do whatever it takes to get back to you."

"You've proven it more than once already," she gave a wistful smile.

"And I'll do it a thousand times more," he stroked her hair softly with his hand, "Emma, I love you."

Emma pulled away abruptly to look deep in his eyes. It was the first time he'd uttered those words to her.

"I've been wanting to say that to you for weeks…months," he confessed as fresh tears welled in her eyes, yet they were happy tears now.

Emma swallowed hard as her reply bubbled to the surface. "I love you, too."

"I was kind of hoping you felt the same," he gave a sheepish grin.

"Shut up and kiss me, Jones," Emma leaned into him, her arms wrapped tight around his shoulders. They sealed their proclamations with the sweetest of kisses.

"Keep your movements slow," Emma advised Killian when they ventured out of cabin that afternoon.

Killian had been going stir crazy at being cooped up for so long and requested a short jaunt into the fresh air. Emma was hesitant about him moving about with his injury but eventually relented. He'd nearly crumbled to the floor after getting to his feet when the pain in his stomach nearly crippled him. With Emma bearing the brunt of his weight, he was able to move.

Topside, Killian inhaled the fresh air deeply. The air tasted sweeter now that he had his own ship to pilot once more. He'd forgotten exactly how much he'd missed having his own ship until he'd commanded Emma's Swan for the first time. Had he not had additional business to attend to, he would have set out for Storybrooke the instant he palmed the wheel.

"You look good at the wheel," Emma noted after discreetly snapping a photo of him at the helm. The smile on his face had nearly stopped her heart, and she wanted to keep the memory for as long as she could.

"I've missed it," he confessed, "More than I'd let on."

"I know."

"I should be ready to sail tomorrow," he made his way to the mast to lean against it for support.

"We'll see how you feel in the morning," Emma replied, "Let's not rush things. We'll get back to Storybrooke whenever we get back."

"The townsfolk deserve their sheriff."

"They'll just have to make due with David until then," Emma shrugged.

"I'll need rations before I can set sail," Killian made his way slowly towards Emma to take a seat beside her, gritting his teeth with each step to mask the pain.

"If you make me a list, I'll grab everything when I get dinner tonight."

"I'd rather gather the supplies myself."

"You can barely walk under your own power," Emma scowled at him.

"With some assistance from my beautiful lady love, I believe I may manage," Killian replied, "I'm certain they will have those baskets on wheels that you showed me at the grocery."

"They're called shopping carts, and you know it," she nudged him playfully in the shoulder, "They had carts in the forest."

"Not like what you've shown me," he laughed.

"I'll take you, but only if you can make it to my car under your own power," she negotiated.

"Let's go then, Love," Killian slowly rose to his feet.

"We should put a shirt on you first."

"Fair point," he conceded, "We'd hate to draw a crowd with such a spectacular site."

Emma rolled her eyes as she made her way to his cabin to find him the shirt she'd intended to put on him earlier. She was muttered about his arrogance with each step.

"How's Killian?" Henry answered his grandparents' phone with an immediate question.

"He's on the mend," Emma assured him, "He's eager to sail home."

"The picture you sent of his new ship is so cool," Henry gushed, "Did he really name it after you?"

"Yep," Emma felt the blush warm her cheeks. She still couldn't get over her boyfriend naming his ship after her. There was something so intimate in the gesture. "He's getting the name painted on as soon as we get back to Storybrooke."

"And when is that going to be?" Henry inquired. He was eager to take the new ship out for a spin with Killian.

"Soon, we hope," Emma sighed, "He's still a ways to go to recover, but he doesn't want to spend any more time here in Portsmouth…Why are you with your grandparents? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm babysitting Baby Neal for an hour. Grandpa is still at the station. Will busted into the library again, so he has to hang around for a while to finish the paperwork. Grandma had a conference so I volunteered," Henry explained.

"I hope you're getting fairly compensated for your time," Emma replied.

"Ten dollars an hour," Henry replied, "Figured I'd put the money towards my college fund."

"Every bit helps," Emma stated, "Do you expect David and Mary Margaret home soon?"

"I hope so. Neal's getting fussy, and I'm running out of ideas of how to calm him down. I just changed him, so he's not wet. He just woke up from a nap, so he's not tired. I tried reading to him, but all he wanted to do was squirm," Henry stated.

"He's probably hungry," Emma offered, "You used to get the same…the memories I have of you at that age…"

"It's okay, Mom," Henry was quick to reassure her when she trailed off, "I have both sets of memories too. It's hard some days to separate them."

"Yeah," Emma agreed, "When your grandparents get home, have them call my cell."

"Everything really okay?" Henry prodded her.

"Yes," Emma replied, "I'm planning on asking David come down tomorrow to help Killian sail back to Storybrooke. Killian can't sail without help."

"Could I come too?" Henry was quick to offer, "Tomorrow isn't a school day."

"If Regina says it's okay, I'll agree," Emma replied.

"Grandpa just came in," he announced with jubilance in his voice. He handed off the phone before Emma could respond.

"Everything okay in Portsmouth?" David asked, "Figure out who assaulted the captain yet?"

"I've fished around a bit," Emma replied, "But no one is interested in helping me. I either look too much like a cop, or I'm of the wrong gender for anyone to be of assistance. I did speak to a local police officer when Killian and I were eating. He said he'd ask around a bit, but there isn't much he thinks can be done. He said it's likely that whoever did it had probably sailed out already…I don't like loose ends, but it's probably for the best. Killian's in no condition to seek vengeance."

"Probably best for everyone," David agreed.

"He's determined to sail home tomorrow," Emma stated, "I've convinced him that he's going to need some help. I don't know if Mom talked to you at all…"

"I've already talked to Sean about keeping a watch on things in town," David interrupted her, "Your mother and I were going to come down even if he didn't need help. Figured a fresh face could poke around a bit. Your mom is going to drive the truck back to Storybrooke."

"What about Baby Neal?" Emma asked.

"Belle's agreed to watch him for a few hours," David replied, "She's quite looking forward to it actually."

"Speaking of babysitting, you're letting Henry watch Neal after school now? Is this going to become a regular thing?" Emma asked.

"Not so regular," David chuckled. Mary Margaret burst into the loft and went immediately for her son.

Emma went on to give David the address and slip number along with the other necessary particulars before he passed the phone off to her mother.

"Has Portsmouth been a bit more welcoming?" Mary Margaret held the phone to one ear with one shoulder while she bounced Neal about on her opposite shoulder.

"Perhaps a bit," Emma conceded, "No one has pulled a knife or gun on us in over a day."

"I should hope not," Mary Margaret replied, "They'd be messing with the wrong couple. Between Killian's hook and your gun and magical abilities, the poor offender wouldn't stand a chance."

"Yes, we're almost as formidable as a certain bandit and dragon slayer I know," Emma responded dryly.

"We are both parts of very interesting pairs," Mary Margaret conceded.

Emma stepped across the ship before she added softly, "Killian told me that he loved me."

"Oh, Emma, that's wonderful news," Mary Margaret smiled before the hesitation in Emma's voice registered, "I mean that is wonderful news, isn't it? You do feel the same, don't you?"

"I do," Emma confirmed, "And I told him so, but…"

"Oh, Emma, enjoy it. Don't let your past cloud this moment," Mary Margaret halted her daughter's train of thought, "Even your father can see how much happier you've been in the past few months. Let the past be exactly what it was…the past."

"He had a high fever last night. Kept me up most of it, and he would talk in his delirious state…He called out for Milah. Then this morning he told me he loved me. I don't know how those two pieces fit," Emma felt herself on the verge of tears.

"No wonder you're twisted in such knots," Mary Margaret replied, "But you can't hold his delirious rants against him. Milah is part of his past. It would be the same if you were in his place and called out for Neal."

"It's selfish of me to want to be the only one in his heart."

"No, it makes you human," her mother corrected her. "Remember that Milah is his past. You are his present and future. He loves you, Emma, and he's proven it time and again."

"I'll feel better when he's on the mend," Emma sighed, "My emotions are all over the place right now."

"You're allowed."

"I gave Dad the particulars about tomorrow. I should check on Killian. He's trying to prove to me that he's fit enough to sail solo. Stubborn pirate."

"We can talk more tomorrow," Mary Margaret offered.

"You look exhausted, Love," Killian made note as he settled into bed. They'd watched the sunset and then gazed at the stars before she could convince him to retire for the evening.

"Zero sleep the night before will do that to a person," she responded sarcastically.

"You'll be able to sleep tonight," he assured her when her hand brushed against his forehead to check for a fever. She found none. He patted the available space beside him in an invitation for her to join him.

"Maybe I should sleep in another cabin," she fidgeted nervously. They'd slept in the same bed on several occasions, but it had never progressed beyond sleep. She didn't trust herself anymore. Her emotions were all over the map now.

"Don't be ridiculous, Swan," he patted the bed again, "There is plenty of room. The other cabins aren't fit for my princess."

"I wouldn't want to hurt you in the middle of the night," she continued to hesitate.

"You won't," he insisted as he patted the bed for a third time.

Emma was still unconvinced.

"Do I have to handcuff you to the bed?" he gave her a mysterious glare.

"You wouldn't dare," she stared him down.

"Swan," he lifted a brow.

Emma eventually relented, but she kept as much space in between them that the bed allowed.

"Love," Killian placed his hand on her shoulder in hopes of drawing her closer. Emma rolled onto her side and curled against him. Her hand landed on his chest so she could feel the steady beating of his heart. "Much better."

"Good night, Killian."

TBC…