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

Dedicated to my beta and good friend, Lori2279. If you haven't read our co-authored story, Circle's End, I invite everyone to take a peek.

"Mister Smee, can I speak with you?" Emma tracked down Killian's loyal first mate the next morning. His stank of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot, but he appeared sober enough for her proposition.

"What can I do for you this morning, Sheriff?" Smee removed his stocking hat and fidgeted with it nervously. Like most sailors on the docks, he was skittish around law enforcement.

"I'd like your help with something," Emma replied, "You heard about Killian's encounter in Portsmouth, right?"

"Aye, Sheriff," he nodded, "Tis very concerning that the scourge is allowed to walk any docks. Have you any leads yet?"

"Nothing has turned up yet," Emma shook her head, "That's what I'd like to speak with you about. Someone had to have seen something that night, and because it happened at the docks, it's likely that someone was a sailor. Sailors come in and out of port all the time, but they won't talk to me or David. There is an obvious mistrust between them and us because of our badges. That's where you come in."

"I'm sorry, Sheriff, I don't follow," Smee frowned in confusion.

"I was hoping that you'd be willing to poke around a bit, ask some questions and see if anyone might know anything about what happened without being obvious about it," Emma stated.

"You want me to help you?" Smee inquired.

"I want you to help Killian," Emma replied, "I'm concerned that whoever attacked Killian might want to finish what they started."

"That would be most awful," Smee agreed.

"So will you help me?" Emma asked, "Or rather will you help Killian."

"Aye," Smee confirmed. "What is it that you'd like me to do?"

"Just poke around a bit whenever a new ship comes into port to see if anyone was in Portsmouth around the time of Killian's attack. If they were, see if they know anything. If they do, report back to me immediately," Emma explained, "Is that easy enough to remember?"

"Aye," Smee nodded.

"I'll make sure you're fairly compensated for your trouble," Emma assured him.

"Not necessary," Smee replied, "I owe Captain Jones a great deal for all he's done for me over the years."

"I appreciate your assistance," Emma nodded, "According to the harbormaster, another large fishing boat is due in port within the next few days. I'll expect a report as soon as it leaves unless you turn up any pertinent details."

"Will do, Sheriff," Smee nodded, "Is there anything else?"

"That's it," Emma replied.

"Then I'll be heading to Granny's for a bit of shuteye," Smee replied, "One question before I go. Do you know if the good captain will be looking to hire a crew soon for his new ship?"

"I don't know that Killian knows what his plans are yet," Emma shrugged, "But I'll let him know that you'd be interested in joining any crew that he organizes."

"Thank you, Sheriff," Smee tipped his stocking hat before scurrying away.

"What was that all about?" David approached his daughter after Smee ran past him, making sure to avoid eye contact.

"I asked him to poke around the docks a bit for information."

"Are you sure that he can be trusted?" David asked hesitantly, "He is a pirate after all."

"He's loyal to Killian," Emma nodded, "He's probably the best person for the job."

"While I don't share your level of enthusiasm and confidence, you do have a point," David replied, "Let's just hope that he stays sober enough."

Emma nodded as she followed her father back to the station. She felt better now that that she was being a bit more proactive about solving Killian's case.

"You alright, Emma," David inquired as she took a seat at her desk, "You've been preoccupied today."

"I'm fine," Emma was quick to reassure him.

"I realize I'm of the male persuasion, but I can tell that something is wrong," David replied, "How about you tell your father all about it?"

"I don't think this is something you want to know about," Emma winced. Things had still been a bit awkward between them since the rumor mill dust up.

"It's not about sex, is it?" David gulped nervously as he turned beat red.

"I almost want to say yes," Emma laughed out, "Just to see how red you get, but no, it's not about sex. Killian was in a bit of a funk last night when we went to bed…to sleep, and he woke up abruptly several times because of his nightmares. I feel guilty because I'm the one that brought up the thoughts that caused the bad dreams."

"I'm going to hazard a guess that it was about his brother or former lover," David began, "And it's not your fault. You both have issues that you're bringing into the relationship. To be successful, you have to be able to talk freely about your histories. It's only natural to be curious about his previous relationship. I'd hazard a guess that he's probably curious about your past relationships. Perhaps you could offer up a bit of your history to make him feel more at ease."

"Yeah, maybe," Emma sighed. It wasn't the answer she was looking for, but what her father said made sense.

"Is that the box?" Killian inquired as he spotted the file box sitting next to her when he checked in on her at the station with David's encouragement.

"What's left of my childhood, yes," Emma confirmed as she pulled the smaller box out and handed it to him.

"I've already seen inside, Love," Killian reminded her.

"I know," she set the box down as she hopped up on her desk so they were eye level, "But we glazed over a particular piece of it. I want to talk to you about Neal."

"Emma, that isn't necessary," he replied.

"You shared a piece of your past. Now it is my turn," Emma motioned for to him to sit in the chair in front of her. She pulled the picture she had of Neal from the box and studied it.

"Emma, you don't…" he was hushed with a finger to his lips.

"I was seventeen," Emma began, "I thought I knew everything about the world. I'd been on my own for a while, doing petty crimes to get by, when I saw this yellow Volkswagen Beetle. It wasn't my first carjacking, and it probably wouldn't have been my last if I hadn't gotten busted. Neal was sleeping in the backseat of the vehicle. Scared the crap out of me when he sat up. He felt like a kindred spirit. We were two people drifting along without family that joined forces. We planned to make our way to Florida together, and I thought that I'd finally found a place to belong, someone that cared about me. Looking back at it now, I guess he did care about me."

"Em…" Killian squeezed her hand as she got lost in her memories.

"It broke me when I got busted and thought that he'd just abandoned me. When I found out I was pregnant with his son, I became so angry with him. Not only did he abandon me, but then I would have forever this reminder of him.

"I had options. I could have kept Henry. The prison was good with accommodating mothers that had babies while incarcerated, but I knew I was in no position to give Henry the kind of life that he deserved. It broke my heart to give him up, but I knew in my gut that I was giving him the best possible chance. Someone wanted him, the way I always thought I was never wanted." Tears trailed down her cheeks as the emotions of the memories overwhelmed her.

Killian leaned in to kiss her cheek to bring her back to the present. She gave him a soft smile of gratitude as she touched his chin. Killian nuzzled into her neck, doing his best to improve her mood. Emma's smile brightened in response.

"I love you, Killian," she ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I love you, Swan," Killian's eyes looked deep into hers.

Emma never felt more exposed in all her life, and at the same time she never felt safer.

Their foreheads came together as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Killian lifted her off the desk and sat back in his chair with Emma in his lap, her legs straddling him. Their moment of closeness was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

Emma groaned in disappointment when she took the call.

"Duty calls," Emma frowned when she put down the phone and grabbed her jacket, "Will Scarlet strikes again."

"Where'd he turn up this time?" Killian inquired.

"The hospital," Emma slipped into her jacket.

"Is he alright?" Killian asked.

"He's unconscious," Emma pulled her hair out from her collar, "And he's a little worse for wear."

"I'll come with you," he grasped her hand.

"Go back to your ship," Emma squeezed his hand, "I'll join you after I finish up at the hospital."

"Be safe, Love," Killian gave her a tender kiss.

"You too, Captain," she lingered against his lips.

"Where was he found?" Emma asked Doctor Whale when she appeared at the hospital.

"By the fountain in the forest," Regina stepped forward, "I was the one that found him."

"Was he conscious when you found him?" Emma made notes in her notepad, "Was he able to say anything?"

"All I could understand was Anastasia," Regina replied.

"Anastasia," Emma repeated in confusion, "Is that someone here in Storybrooke?"

"I don't know of any Anastasias in Storybrooke," Regina replied, "I don't know of any Anastasias in the Enchanted Forest either."

"Fantastic," Emma sighed, "Just when I was getting used to the quietness."

"The fountain in the forest is used to transport people from one realm to another," Regina stated, "It's not strictly between the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. It might be best for us to research other realms."

"Are you offering to help?" Emma was taken aback by Regina sudden willingness to include herself in the search.

"I am the mayor of this town," Regina replied, "I am responsible for the safety of its citizens."

"Is he awake now, Whale?" Emma asked.

"He won't be coherent for many hours. I gave him a strong dose of painkillers," Doctor Whale replied.

"Great," Emma sighed as she handed Doctor Whale her card even though she was sure he already knew her number. The handsome doctor seemed to have the numbers of all the eligible ladies in Storybrooke memorized, "Call me when he wakes up…Regina, are you sure there isn't anything else you observed when you happened upon him?

"Nothing that I can remember at the moment," Regina shook her head.

"If you remember anything else, call me or David," Emma requested, "Call our cells as we'll be away from the station for the rest of the night."

Emma left the hospital and drove across town to the marina. Killian's ship sat gleaming in the moonlight of the evening. She felt her heart flutter in anticipation of seeing Killian. She'd just parted ways with him less than an hour ago, but she felt giddy like a schoolgirl.

"Hi, Mom," Henry greeted her as she stepped aboard Killian's ship.

"Hey, Kid," Emma greeted him with a hug, "I didn't know you would be joining us for dinner."

"Killian stopped at the loft on the way home to see if I'd eaten yet. Grandpa was cooking tonight, so I figured I'd take my chances with what Killian was making," Henry replied.

"How was school today?" Emma snickered at Henry's statement. When it came to dinner, David was nowhere near a gourmet cook. At best, his meals were edible. On the nights he cooked, Emma usually ate at Granny's to avoid having to taste his efforts.

"Fine," he shrugged.

"So what's Killian making for dinner?" Emma inquired as she left her arm slung around her son's shoulder.

"Smells like fish," Henry stated, "Smells good."

"Everything okay at the hospital, Love?" Killian inquired as he climbed the stairs to the deck.

"Will is going to be incoherent for a little while, so we won't know what happened to him until he wakes," Emma replied, "That's assuming that he was sober enough when whatever happened to him to remember in the first place."

"Lad, will you help me serve dinner?" Killian asked of Henry, "Emma, Love, will you light the candles on the table so we can see what it is that we're eating?"

Emma nodded as he and Henry disappeared below deck to retrieve dinner.

"Killian says that we're going for a sail this weekend," Henry announced as he shoveled in his dinner.

"Are we?" Emma raised an eyebrow curiously towards her boyfriend, "I was hoping that we'd look for a more permanent place to live. The loft is getting a bit crowded, don't you think?"

"We're really going to start looking?" Henry's eyes widened with excitement.

"Yep," Emma confirmed, "Unless you want to continue living in the loft with your grandparents. Baby Neal is starting to become a bit more mobile, a bit more entertaining."

"No," Henry shook his head, "I agree that the loft is a bit crowded."

"Then we'll start looking this weekend," Emma smiled, "But we'll find time for a little voyage as well."

"Sounds like a busy weekend," Henry replied, "I better make sure my homework is done on Friday night."

"That's a good idea. Is your homework done for tomorrow?"

"Almost," Henry replied.

"Once you're finished eating, I'll walk you back to the loft so you can finish," Emma stated.

Henry nodded as he continued to wolf down his meal. Killian appeared thoroughly amused by how quickly Henry ate his meal. He was done before Emma and Killian could eat half of their own meal.

"Is there anymore?" Henry looked to his empty plate.

"Aye, there's more down in the galley," Killian confirmed.

Henry was off his seat before another word could be spoken.

"Does he always eat like that?" Killian asked of Emma, "It's almost as if he was afraid we'd be taking it away."

"He's a growing boy," Emma chuckled, "They tend to eat anything and everything in sight."

"Then we're lucky we have food on our plates," Killian mused as he forked in another bit of fish.

"Thank you for earlier," Emma gave him a shy smile as she wrapped her hand around his hook. He looked startled by the gesture but didn't pull away.

"Careful, that's sharp," he cautioned her.

"Only the tip," Emma's finger carefully traced the tip, "And only when you want it to be."

"It doesn't scare you?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head from side to side, "It's part of you."

"You wouldn't prefer a boyfriend with two hands?" he inquired.

"Not if he isn't you," she traced the hook again, "Two hands or one hand and a hook, none of that matters to me."

Killian leaned over and kissed her lips.

Henry plopped himself down at the table and resumed his inhaling of dinner.

"Ready to head back to the loft?" Emma asked Henry after the dinner dishes had been cleaned and put away.

"I can walk myself back," Henry replied.

"Yes, you can, but for your mother's peace of mind, I'll walk you back," Emma replied.

"Fine," Henry replied, "Thanks for dinner, Killian."

"You're welcome any time, Lad," Killian replied.

"I'll be back soon," Emma's hand caressed Killian's chest.

Killian gave a quick nod before Emma set off.

"I've never seen you so happy," Henry told his mother as they walked, "It's way different than with Walsh."

"You think so?" Emma asked.

"He was a nice guy and all…until he turned into that flying monkey anyways, but he was kinda dull," Henry stated.

"I thought you liked Walsh," Emma frowned.

"You liked him," Henry replied, "And I wanted you to be happy."

"So now you like Killian," Emma replied, "Is this about me wanting to be happy like with Walsh?"

"No," Henry shook his head, "I liked Killian before you dated him."

"You're a great kid," Emma wrapped her arm around his shoulders, "I don't tell you that enough."

"Mom," Henry groaned as he looked around anxiously before shrugging off her arm, hoping that nobody saw her action.

"Right," Emma realized her mistake. He was coming to the age where it was only acceptable to hug him when they were in private. "Sorry…So you're okay with me and Killian?"

"Aren't we a little late having this discussion?" Henry snorted, "You've been dating him for months."

"I still want to know what you think about it," Emma replied.

"I'm okay with you and Killian," Henry replied, "More than okay with it actually. If you two want to get married, I'd be okay with that too."

"Whoa, slow down there, Kid," Emma coughed out in surprise, "Killian and I are happy, but no one is talking about marriage."

"But you love him, right?" Henry frowned in confusion, "Isn't that what people do when they're in love?"

"Being in love is a small part of what makes for a good marriage," Emma replied.

"You and Walsh talked about getting married. He even proposed," Henry replied, "And you like Killian way more than you liked Walsh."

"Walsh talked about getting married," Emma clarified, "I wasn't ready, and I wouldn't have said yes."

"Are you sure about that?" Henry asked.

"Killian had just come back. He was turning my world in every which way, but being with him made sense in a way being with Walsh never did and as far as I knew he was a complete stranger to me," Emma explained.

"So if Killian had never come back," Henry asked, "Would you have married Walsh then?"

"I don't know, Kid," Emma sighed, "But it's a good thing Killian did find us, because your stepfather could have been a flying monkey in disguise."

A shiver went down Henry's spin as Emma's words sunk in, "A pirate is way better."

"Alright, you're home safe and sound," Emma stopped just before they entered the building, "Did you want me to walk you up?"

"Nah," Henry waved her off, "I think I can take it from here."

"Can I give you a hug goodnight, or is that too embarrassing?" Emma inquired.

"Night, Mom," Henry hugged her around the middle quickly and then darted into the building.

Halfway to Killian's ship, Emma's phone rang. The caller id told her it was Killian.

"I'm halfway back to your ship. A bit impatient, Captain?"

"We have a visitor," Killian looked at the half-conscious man laying before him.

"Are you alright?" Emma heard the annoyance in his voice.

"Aye, but Will's a bit worse for wear," Killian replied.

"Will…Will Scarlet?" Emma gasped, "He's supposed to be in the hospital."

"Curious that he showed up with the intent to kill me," Killian scowled.

"I'm almost there. Do you need backup?" Emma began jogging.

"He's of no threat," Killian assured her.

Emma disconnected the call and ran at an all out sprint towards the docks.

Killian had a split lip, but looked no worse for wear when she reached his ship. Will was tied up and barely conscious.

"Lucky he isn't dead," Killian accepted Emma's relieved hug, "I was just minding my own business on board my ship when this scoundrel assaulted me. He was too weak to put up much a fight. One punch and he went down. It's becoming a bit of a habit."

Emma called for the ambulance and then her father.

David arrived at the same time as the ambulance. "You alright, Captain?" he inquired as the paramedics tended to Will while Emma treated Killian's split lip.

"Never better," Killian nodded at Emma's tender touch.

"Did he say anything when he attacked you?" David rolled his eyes in annoyance while he watched Emma tend to Killian.

"This is for Ana," Killian responded.

"That's it?" David pressed.

"That's all he had time for," Killian responded, "I dropped him with the first punch."

"Do you know any Ana's?" David inquired.

"There might have been an Ana or two back in the day, but no one recently," Killian responded.

"But it's not out of the realm of possibilities that he could be holding a grudge for a few decades or so," Emma nudged him gently.

"No, it's not," Killian conceded, "But I never had much dealings with the Merry Men over the years."

"We'll know more when he wakes up," Emma replied.

"I'll take him to the hospital and start on the paperwork," David stated as the paramedic loaded Will onto the gurney. He was muttering unintelligibly as he was rolled away. "Take care of Killian."

"Will do," Emma pulled away the cloth she'd been using to cleanse Killian's cut to inspect the damage.

David rode with Will to the hospital.

"You really are a magnet for trouble," Emma touched his injury lightly, "I'm going to need to take a first aid class to keep you in one piece at this rate."

Killian winced at her touch.

"Sorry," Emma brought the cloth back to his lip, "This was not how I saw our evening ending."

"And how was that?" he raised a curious eyebrow.

"For starters," she nipped at his lip carefully avoiding his injury.

"And then what?" he inquired.

Emma began nipped at his neck, sucking lightly at his Adam's apple until he groaned.

"Swan, you're killing me," he moaned as his hand tangled in her hair.

"I hope you go slowly," she whispered in his ear before she began nibbled at his lobe.

"So do I," his arms went around her waist to bring her against him.

Emma's arms went around his shoulders as she melted against him. "Killian," she whispered into his ear.

Killian cursed his split lip as he wanted to devour her lips.

A laugh bubbled to the surface when Emma buried her head into his neck. She was shaking in amusement.

"When you've recovered," Emma kissed his cheek.

"He's lucky I just knocked him out," Killian muttered.

"I'm glad that's all you did," Emma kept her arms wrapped around him as she pulled away slightly, "Much less paperwork this way."

"Glad to be of service," he caressed her chin softly, "Let's go to bed."

Emma nodded as she pulled on his arm.

TBC…

Reviews are invited