Chapter 3

Emma woke up to the alarm that was set on her phone. She glanced at the time, after shutting off the affronting noise and groaned as she remembered why she was awake at an ungodly hour, and on a Saturday at that. Emma then proceeded to get ready for the rest of the day, grumbling that whatever Jones has planned to show her had better been worth the early rising. Emma continued to trudge out of her apartment and all along the path that lead her all the way to that stupid oak tree where, thanks to the flashlight on her phone, Jones was sitting at the base of the tree with blankets and two to-go cups.

"I was hoping you'd show up," he genuinely confessed. Sleep had been completely deprived in his tone and posture. How he is able to be this pleasant at this ungodly hour, Emma may never understand until time served right.

"Well, whatever it is that must have given you the idea to convince me to come at this hour had better be worth the early rising," Emma stated grumpily, plopping down next to him.

"It is," Jones answered with a knowing smile while handing her a blanket.

He then held out several small packets out to her saying, "I'm not sure how you like your cocoa, so I brought some packets. Choose the one that you like so I'll know what to get next time we do this."

Emma rolled her eyes, as she graciously took the cup of cocoa and queried, "How do you know there's going to be a next time?"

"I have faith," Jones states.

Emma wasn't sure if it was his steadfastness or intensity that was the reason that she paused to stare intently at him.

"Well, if you must know, hot cocoa does make me more pleasant in the mornings. The cinnamon just tops it off," Emma states as she emptied the cinnamon packet in her cup.

Jones chuckled heartily at that for some reason, prompting Emma to question him about it.

"Was that pun intended, love?"

"Pun, now how the hell is that a pun?"

"Guess," Jones challenged.

After several minutes of pondering hard, Emma sighed, "Okay, I give up Jones. Please explain to me how my previous statement is a pun."

"Now if I did that, then it wouldn't be funny now, would it, Swan?"

Emma smirked before saying, "Well, do enlighten me with puns that I might actually get, Jones."

"Have you seen the most recent lightning storm, Swan?"

"Can't say that I have, Jones."

"Really, that's shocking to hear, love," Jones replies grinning knowingly.

It takes several minutes for Emma to put two and two together, and she ends up laughing against the tree trunk.

During the next ten minutes, the pair exchange both brilliant and terrible puns when Jones abruptly stops.

"What is it, Jones?"

"It's what I wanted you to see," he states as he points to the now enlightened horizon.

Carefully, Emma watched as the horizon rose out of the darkness and into the clear blue that she had grown accustomed to during normal hours. When the ball of flame slowly bloomed from its hiding place, Emma felt something that she never imagined she'd feel again, that made her truly smile. She felt as though she could do anything that she had set her mind to. For the first time in what felt like forever, Emma Swan felt full of hope and possibility.

When that fiery orb of a sun continued to emerge from the shadows, Killian Jones asked, with a beaming smile that rivaled the sight set before them, if the early rising was worth it, to which she replied that it was indeed worth it.

Together, they finished the remnants of their drinks and bundled the blankets in Jone's backpack.

Feeling refreshed in more than one way, Emma allowed Killian to show her around the Misthaven Park, even though she'd been here a little more than a year ago. At this point, Emma was nothing if not fascinated by the way that Killian Jones looked at life. How he viewed a simple park as an enchanted forest, or a really jungle like area that he claimed was just how J.M. Berrie described Neverland before Disney distorted it. Or how he always called the pirate themed playground "his beloved vessel," and feigned being drunk and proceeded to pick her up bridal style, walk up the gangplank and stated proudly, "Behold, the Rolly Joger!"

Emma was full of laughter at that point that she rolled out of his arms laughing.

"You alright there, love?"

After taking five minutes to calm down, she nodded her head.

"Good, 'cause your it!" Jones stated as he dashed across the deck.

"Hey, no fair!" Emma cried out as she chased after him.

They spent the next several hours playing as though they were in elementary school, which was an oddly satisfying feeling.

Together, they decided to walk to Granny's Diner for lunch. Emma ordered her usual grilled cheese sandwich with a side of onion rings, while Jones requested a bacon burger with a side of fries. During their wait, they learned about that one special skill, or superpower, the other had. While she had the ability to spot lies, Killian Jones had the ability to see and know anyone for who they really are to the point where he scared people away.

"It's like reading a book, Swan, and your story is by far the most intriguing one I've read in a while." Jones stated as they received their designated meals.

"Really? Well what's my story, Jones?"

"Promise me that you'll stop me when I'm wrong and not run when I'm finished?"

"I promise."

"Well, you seem content in being alone, which leads me to believe that you didn't have a good childhood or family experience. Until recently, given the fact that I've seen you go home with the Nolans and some of your friends for various breaks. Work is a coping mechanism to drown out the feeling of being different due to being afraid to talk, to reveal yourself, and to trust someone other than yourself. I take it that there was someone who had your trust as well as love. Only when you needed him most, he left you to clean up the mess that he left behind. You were also hesitant yesterday evening when I asked to meet you before dawn, and it wasn't just out of your understandable hatred for the morning, but rather that I may become one of those people that can hurt you. I understand that you have walls. Everyone has walls one way or another. A broken heart is one of the greatest pains in the history of man. It's only a matter of it being a risk you're willing to take. Oh, sorry Swan. I didn't mean to ramble. Care to talk to me about it?"

Stunned, Emma stared at him with her mouth open agape, onion ring ready to drop. For a few seconds, her first instinct was to bolt, but she remembered her promises and, with as much courage as she could muster, she answered him.

"Yes, I didn't have the best time growing up as a kid. I grew out of the foster system. When I was seventeen, I was adopted by the Nolans. David saw to it that I was not alone when it came to family. So did our mother, Ruth. Before I turned eighteen, I met Neal, whom I made the grave mistake with entrusting him with my heart, which broke when he left me since I wasn't enough for him because I didn't give him what he wanted. Yes, I am scared about baring my heart out only for it to be shattered. I'm not even sure about how to feel about this friendship that's made me feel things that I never expected to see again. Yes, I am terrified that you are able to read and understand me better than anyone ever has. Yes, I run because that's how I've usually survived, but I want to see if this friendship will work. I want to know you more. I want to spend time with you, Killian."

With that being said, Killian Jones beamed at her as though she had offered him the world, and she had. She had offered him a chance at her world. If she was wrong about him, which her gut told her that it wasn't, then it was a chance she was willing to take.

"I don't intend to let you down, Emma."

She saw no lie in any place. Only truth.

"I know, Killian."

They ate the rest of their meal in pleasant silence. When they were done, they both paid separate and walked out the door together back to the campus library, where Emma agreed to meet her friends for group study.

Before Killian walked away, Emma called out to him.

"Killian!"

"Aye, love?"

"Do you want to meet again sometime at the Lake?"

"Avalon or Nostros, both sound appealing, love."

"Nostros at ten?"

"I'm not sure, I'll have to check my calendar."

Emma started to walk over to him to sock him in the bicep when he raised his hand and prosthetic up in mock surrender while laughing.

"I jest, darling. Want me to grab something on the way?"

"If you want to, that's fine with me."

"See you then, Emma Swan."

"See you then, Killian Jones."

Both parted ways with beaming grins on their faces.

Emma turned to see him walk up to her brother, David's friend group, which consisted of Robin Locksley, August Booth, Graham Humbert, and Will Scarlett. In truth, she was happy for Killian when she saw that he wasn't completely alone in his abandoned house. If she had to pick out anyone from the group that would be his closest friend, she'd pick David.

By the time she arrived at the area with her friends, they noticed her smile and her not being as focused as she would have been during normal circumstances. After some prodding from all sides, Emma spills her entire day to them, leaving out the part about their intense talk and their superpowers. Each of her friends offered her a high five as well as encouragement and good luck on her second date. At that, she stated that it wasn't a date. Though in her head and heart and gut, she didn't think that it sounded that bad of an idea.