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

Emma entered Granny's to have breakfast with her son. A hush fell over the diner in a way that made Emma self-conscious. All eyes were on her as she crossed the room.

"What's that all about?" Emma sat on the stool next to Henry.

"Don't know," Henry shrugged as he took a drink of his hot chocolate.

"Coffee, Sheriff?" Granny held out the pot of coffee she held in her hands.

"Yes, please," Emma flipped over the cup in front of her while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Long night?" Granny lifted a curious brow as she poured the coffee.

"Something like that," Emma looked to Granny with an unsettled feeling.

"Where's that captain of yours?" Granny inquired.

"Working on his ship, I think," Emma tapped at the counter with a finger nail, her brain trying to work out the curious look in Granny's eyes, "Why the sudden interest?"

"Just making conversation," Granny wiped at the counter.

Emma turned to see every patron in the diner hanging on her conversation with Granny.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Emma stared several of the town's citizens down.

"It's really none of our business, Sister, but rumor has it that you and Hook spent the night on his ship," Leroy was the boldest to approach and explain their curiosity.

"So you all want a blow by blow of what happened between me and Killian?" Emma sputtered out, "Newsflash, I've spent many nights on board his ship, none of which are any of your business."

Henry cleared his throat to get his mom's attention.

"Sorry, Kid," Emma patted his back in apology, "That's not really breakfast conversation."

"It's not much of a surprise, Mom," Henry stated, "When you don't stay at the loft or Granny's, it doesn't take a lot to figure out that you're spending nights with Killian."

"That may be, but you don't need to hear about it at the breakfast table," Emma put her arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay, Mom," Henry assured her.

"Good morning, Emma, Henry," Mary Margaret came into the diner.

"Where's my uncle?" Henry accepted a hug from his grandmother.

"Belle is watching him today," Mary Margaret replied, "It's time I got myself back to school. I turned over mayoral duties to Regina, so I could go back part time and still have plenty of quality time with Neal. We'll see how it goes."

"Shouldn't you be at the school then?" Emma glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Thought I should start the day with a proper breakfast," Mary Margaret took residence on the stool next to her daughter. She added quietly, "We need to talk before I head to school."

Emma groaned internally. The meal in front of her suddenly had no taste.

Henry forked his food in like someone was going to take it away, finishing before half of Emma's meal was gone.

"Got to get to school," Henry announced abruptly, "See you there, Grandma. Bye, Mom, have a good day."

"See you after school," Emma nodded while Henry took off.

"Walk with me to school?" Mary Margaret wrapped up the muffin that she'd ordered to take with her.

"Sure," Emma quickly paid her bill and followed her mother out.

"So, there's a rumor floating around town," Mary Margaret began.

"The speed in which the rumor mill runs in this town is ridiculous," Emma groaned, "I'll save you the trouble. Yes, Killian and I spent the night on his ship, but we've spent dozens of nights on his ship since he sailed it into port. I don't understand why it's now becoming an issue. We are adults, right?"

"There is always going to be a fascination when it comes to the Savior and Captain Hook," Mary Margaret replied.

"No one gives a darn about how Snow White and her Prince Charming spend their evenings," Emma frowned, "Why is it so different between me and Killian?"

"I don't know how to answer that," Mary Margaret stated, "But as your mother, I have a bit more of a vested interest than the rest of this town. Whether or not you did what the rumors say you did is irrelevant. I just want you to be happy…and safe." Mary Margaret added the last word with a furious blush.

"Really, we're going to have the safe sex talk," Emma groaned, "Aren't you a little late for that?"

"There is more to being safe than having safe sex," Mary Margaret replied while adding under her breath, "And I pray to god, it's safe."

"I don't follow," Emma frowned in confusion, while choosing to ignore the second comment Mary Margaret added.

"We know you have feelings for Killian, and that he has some in turn," Mary Margaret began, "Just remember who he is and the past that he has."

"Are you saying I shouldn't be in love with Killian because he loved Milah and sought vengeance against the man that took her from him?" Emma inquired.

"I'm just saying to be careful," Mary Margaret stated.

"Noted," Emma replied.

"You are being safe about the sex, aren't you?"

"Next question," Emma demanded, "That one is none of your business."

"Put your mother's thoughts at ease," Mary Margaret requested.

"Let's deal in the hypothetical," Emma responded, "If I were having sex, then yes, I would be safe about it, but really it's none of your business one way or the other."

"That's good to hear…not about it being none of my business because you are my daughter, which makes everything about you my business, but that you're being safe," Mary Margaret released a sigh of relief.

"I'd better get to the station," Emma rushed through her next thought, "I'm not going to have this same conversation with my father, am I?"

"No," Mary Margaret assured her, "We agreed that this was a mother-daughter conversation."

"Oh, great, so instead I'm going to get the awkward silent treatment," Emma muttered, "Thanks, Mom."

"You're looking a bit vexed, Love," Killian made note when Emma stomped on board his ship after her frustrating day at the station.

"Kiss me right now," Emma fisted her hands in his linen shirt.

Killian immediately complied, pouring himself and all his feelings for her into the kiss. "Not that I have reason to complain, but is something the matter?"

"Apparently it's everyone's business whether or not we're having sex," Emma stated, her hands keeping a tight hold on his shirt.

"I'm not following," Killian scratched behind his ear in confusion.

"I swear living in a small town gives everyone license to be nosy," she huffed.

"I'm still not following," Killian continued to look perplexed.

"Because I spent the night aboard your ship last night, that automatically translates into us having sex," Emma replied, "Which everyone in town apparently has some opinion on."

"What does it matter what other people in this town think?" his hand and hook trailed lightly up and down her sides. He hoped the motioned would calm her turbulent mood, "What happened between the two of us is our business."

"Tell that to this meddlesome town," Emma hissed, "Put up those sails, Captain. Let's just sail away."

"I know you don't mean that, Love," Killian pulled her into his arms.

"I mean it," Emma swayed slightly in his embrace, "Pull up the anchor. Let's go."

"Without Henry?" Killian pressed.

"Okay, we'll take Henry," Emma sighed, "But everyone else stays."

"Even your parents and brother?"

"Maybe we'll take my brother, but my parents stay," Emma replied.

Killian knew she wasn't serious. He didn't for one minute think that she wanted to sail off into the sunset without her family. She'd said just previous evening that they were her home as much as him.

"Are you feeling better now that you've vented?"

"A little," she nodded after taking a deep, cleansing breath, "But I'm still mad at all of them."

"What are you really mad about, Love?" Killian pressed.

"I'm mad that they ruined what was an incredible night," she frowned, "I was on top of the world this morning when I left your ship, and all it took was one short walk to the diner to squash that."

"I thought you might be mad about us not…" Killian began.

"No, I'm not…not at all," Emma halted his thought immediately, "I like that we can be close to each other like we were last night without having to rush things…Are you mad?"

"I've lived three hundred years. I know what is worth living and waiting for. You're worth both and so much more," he kissed her cheek softly.

"Those sweet words almost make up for what I had to endure all day," she sighed in content, "Though if I have to live through a full shift in which David is clearing his throat every five minutes as he looked on the verge of saying something a second time, I'm going to have to hurt someone."

"I'll make it up to you, Love," Killian assured her.

"How are you going to do that?" she eyed him skeptically.

"How does dinner in the moonlight aboard your namesake sound?"

"Sounds like a start," she smiled.

"Come, Love," Killian pulled her towards the table he'd had prepared in advance of her arrival. He quickly lit the candles before disappearing below deck.

Emma felt herself relaxing while she waited for Killian to reappear. Whether it was the gentle rocking of the ship or Killian's close proximity, she felt better. It still irked her the way the entire town felt justified in butting into her personal life, but she wasn't steaming mad like she'd been most of the day.

She poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle Killian had left open. As she looked around, she could see the progress he'd made on his ship that day. Fresh paint coated the walls. Stain and varnish had been applied to the wooden surfaces. The deck floors had been sanded, and were apparently ready for their own coats of stain and varnish.

"You've been busy," Emma made note when Killian returned to the deck with his hand full of food.

"Keeps the pirate in me at bay," Killian served her dinner.

"I was expecting fish," Emma smiled at the dinner of chicken and vegetables that he put in front of her.

"You aren't the only one that ventured off the ship today," he announced.

"Where do you get all this money to buy things?" Emma asked, "First this ship, then the new mattress and sheets, now the food. Do you have a job you haven't told me about?"

"I'm a man that amassed great treasure in my life," Killian responded simply.

"I would expect nothing less from the great Captain Hook," Emma stated, "But didn't you lose all of that when you traded your ship for the bean?"

"The best pirates never lose their treasure," Killian stated proudly, "And they never leave their treasure aboard their ship for long, leaves it open to be taken."

"Then what do you do with it?" she asked before taking a bit of her meal.

"You spread it around," Killian gave her a flirtatious wink, "Leave it to be recovered."

"Are you saying you left treasure here in Storybrooke before the curse took you back to the Enchanted Forest?" she asked.

"It just took a bit of digging," Killian gave her a mischievous smile.

"And here I thought I was the breadwinner in the relationship with the steady job," Emma chuckled.

"Sorry, breadwinner?" he frowned in confusion.

"It's not important," she waved off his question, "So you did a bit of shopping, did you?"

"I went to that grocery that you're so fond of," Killian replied.

"And bought chicken," Emma popped another piece into her mouth, "You're full of surprises, Captain. I didn't know you could cook things other than fish."

"I'll keep you on your toes," he grinned.

"Did you receive the same curious glances that I did?" she asked.

"They seemed no different than the usual curious glances that I get, so I thought nothing of it."

"I really need to get my own place," Emma sighed.

"You've been saying that for months," Killian chuckled.

"Well, now I really mean it," Emma forked in another bite into her mouth, "At least if I had my own place, my parents wouldn't know about my comings and goings, and my days at the station would be less awkward."

"I'd suggest here, but that's not going to help with that town gossip you've been trying to avoid," Killian motioned his hand around the ship.

"I'd like a place I could live with Henry," Emma added, "As fond of the ship as he is, a boat is not a place for a young boy."

"There are places to live in this fair town," Killian waved towards the coastline, "We both lived for several months at Granny's. That could work for you and Henry."

"But that's not permanent," Emma frowned, "I want something permanent for the first time in my life."

"You'd best start looking," Killian stated.

"This weekend," Emma replied, "Do you want to tag along? I could use a second set of eyes."

"Aye," Killian agreed.

"That's quite domestic of you, Captain," Emma teased.

Killian laughed in reply. He didn't mind her playful ribbing.

"Are you going to be happy with daily cruises and making an honest living?" she grasped his hand, "You're a pirate. You've been a pirate for centuries. How is an honest living going to be enough for you?"

"Because I have someone that is worth coming home to each night," Killian squeezed her hand, "I didn't start my career as a pirate. I would have been satisfied to be a career sailor under my brother. I would have eventually found a wife to come home to after each voyage and that would have satisfied me, but it wasn't meant to be. Circumstances turned me into the man I became."

"You thought about things like settling down?" Emma inquired.

"More than once," he nodded.

"With Milah," she concluded.

"I didn't want to give her a pirate's life. I wanted to give her a home and a family, maybe even give her back her son," Killian explained.

"Baelfire," Emma gave a sad smile.

"I would have given her anything she'd asked for," Killian's eyes turned somber, "I would have brought her back to him. I would have walked away even, but she never had the chance to ask…because she's gone."

Tears trailed down Emma's cheeks.

"And so is her son," Killian swallowed hard.

"You're still here," Emma caressed his cheek, "I never knew Milah, but I believe that she'd want you to try to be happy."

"I am," Killian nodded, "As happy as I've been in centuries."

"And being a fisherman or a cruise boat captain or whatever it is that you decide to do will make you happy?" Emma asked.

"I'll be happy if you'll allow me to sail back to you, day after day," he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"Chicken will get cold if we don't finish eating," Emma prodded him.

Killian released her hand and they went back to eating their meal in silence.

"I'll clean up," Emma reached for his plate when he finished eating, "Have another glass of wine. I'll join you when I'm finished."

Killian poured himself a second glass and went to the bow of his ship to the most comfortable seating area onboard.

Emma finished cleaning up the galley and found Killian had finished the bottle of wine.

"You look like you could use something a bit stronger," Emma handed him a bottle of rum she'd found tucked into one of the cabinets.

"Thank you, Love," Killian took the bottle from her and pulled the cork out with his teeth and spit it aside before taking a long swig from the flask. "I'm sorry for my mournful state."

"We both have demons," Emma wrapped an arm around his shoulders as she sat next to him, "They pop up unexpectedly. I shouldn't have brought up your brother or Milah."

"It isn't your fault, Love," Killian leaned into her, "You make the memories less painful."

"You look tired," Emma caressed his cheek softly, "Let's go to bed."

"Aye," he turned to press his forehead to her cheek, "Will you risk another round of gossip at the hands of the townsfolk and stay with me?"

"For you, I will," Emma pulled him below deck and into his cabin.

TBC…

Reviews are requested.