"Mary I don't think Killian should come," Emma says. It's late Thursday afternoon, Emma had just come home from work when Mary Margret sprung a last-minute dinner invite on them.

"Emma, when are we ever going to meet this mysterious man? You've been going out with him for over two months."

"Among other things," Henry calls out. Emma shoots him a stern look before turning back to her conversation.

"We'd really like to meet him, Emma," she says.

"I want to make sure he's treating you right," David calls out.

"Please, Emma?" Mary Margret pleads. "We have too much food for just the two of us."

Emma sighs. "Alright, I'll text him and see if he's willing to come. You're lucky I didn't feel like cooking tonight."

"Thank you, we'll see you soon," Mary Margret squeals.

Emma ends the call with her friend and turns to her son. "Feel like dinner?"

Her son shrugs.

Emma texts Killian. Hey, know that this is last minute but one of my friends invited us over to dinner. They want to meet you.

She waits a few minutes before her phone buzzes.

Killian: Sounds like fun. Looking forward to a home cooked meal.

Emma: You don't have to come, it's mostly out of consideration.

Killian: I would like to meet some of your friends. Besides, Will has a girl over and I don't want to stick around.

Emma: Probably for the best. I'll come pick you up in a few minutes. Just a heads up, Henry is coming too. One of my friends is pregnant and the other is super protective of me, like a big brother.

Killian: Don't worry, I'll be respectful ;)

Emma smiles and then turns to Henry. "You ready to go?"

"Almost, can I ask you something?"

"Sure honey," Emma says gently.

"Uh, the girl I met at swim the other day, Violet. One of her friends is having a party and… she invited me…"

Emma's heart soars in excitement and relief. Henry was finally socializing and had the opportunity to make some friends. The prospect of her son having a girlfriend was a little unsettling and uncomfortable for her, but it was a start.

"It's tomorrow night and I was wondering…"

"Yes, you can go," Emma says with a smile.

Henry's eyes light up for the first time in a long time.

"Really?"

"Just a few ground rules. No drugs, no alcohol, no matter how much they might pressure you. No sex and since Regina and I won't be able to, I want you to call David to come pick you up. Do NOT get into the car with someone who may be intoxicated and stay safe." Henry nods, seemingly excited. "If you have your phone on you at all times, you can go."

Henry rushes forward and hugs his mother.

"Thank you!" he says, excitement. "Thank you, Mom!"

"You're welcome," Emma says, savoring the hug as she didn't know the next time he would hug her. "Now let's go pick Killian and head to David and Mary Margret's."

Henry smiles again and grabs his jacket. Emma grabs her keys and purse before locking the apartment.

The car ride over is really quiet, except for Henry playing a game on his phone. Emma pulls up in front of Killian's apartment complex and sees him standing under a streetlight, looking very shadowy and possibly suspicious. As he walks towards the car, Emma sees that Killian is wearing black jeans, a black leather jacket with chains hanging around his neck. Emma's heart races, he could not be any sexier than at this moment.

"Could you look any more like a biker?" she jokes as he climbs into the passenger seat.

"I wanted to dress to impress and besides, this is a last minute invite," Killian smiles as he leans over and kisses Emma's cheek. Emma's face flushes and she smiles at him.

"Ahoy Henry," Killian greets the boy in the back.

"Hi Killian," Henry says reluctantly, hardly looking up from his phone. Emma clears her throat and Henry looks up. He locks eyes with his mother and she prompts him to be a bit politer. He puts his phone down for a second. "Nice to see you again,"

"Likewise," Killian nods before turning back to Emma. Emma starts towards her friends' house.

"So what are your friends' names?" the docks man asks.

"David and Mary Margret Nolan."

"How long have you known them?"

"A couple of years, David and I work at the same police station."

"And what does the Lass do?"

"She's an elementary school teacher."

"And she has a tiny one on the way?"

"Yes, she's in her eighth month."

"Ah, very close then?"

"Close as can be."

"Do they know the gender?"

"No, but they've picked out names for either. They'll probably want to show me the nursery, they just finished it."

"I'll be sure to avoid it," Killian jokes.

"Just warning you, David is super protective of me and Henry after… you know, so be sure not to get on his bad side."

"Don't worry Love, I'll behave myself," Killian grins.

"You'd better, he's a cop and he has a gun so unless you have a bulletproof vest under that jacket, it's best to be civil."

"I'll keep that in mind," Killian says as the Bug pulls up in front of David and Mary Margret's house. "Modest little place, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's perfect for raising a family," Emma says, turning the engine off.

Henry leaps out of the car first and goes up to the front door without hesitation. Emma follows, with Killian right behind her, restraining himself from holding her hand.

"Henry!" Mary Margret's cheerful voice squeals. "It's so good to see you again. My goodness, you must've grown since the last time I saw you."

Henry puts on a pleasant smile and accepts Mary Margret's loving embrace, despite being pressed against her swollen belly.

Emma smiles when she sees her best friend and gladly accepts a hug from her.

"Hi Emma, how are you?" she says as if she hadn't talked to her in a long time.

"I'm fine."

Mary Margret's gaze goes past Emma and drinks in Killian as he steps from the shadows. "And you must be Killian, Emma's told me so much about you." The teacher extends her hand as a warm greeting and Killian accepts it.

"She has, has she?" Killian says, his eyebrow raising at Emma. Emma shoots him a death look before turning back to her friend.

"Come in, David's just taking dinner out of the oven. Do you like lasagna Killian?"

"I do enjoy it," Killian says, very surprised at how welcoming this woman is.

"That's good because there's plenty for everyone. Come in and meet David."

Emma removes her red leather jacket and hangs in on the coat rack, Killian follows suit, also removing their shoes and placing them next to the door. The house has a nice homey feeling to it, with a staircase to the right leading upstairs and portraits of family and friends plastered everywhere on the walls. There is a modern feel to the house, with vases and pieces of art hanging in the sitting room and soft furniture with a glowing electric fireplace. As they enter the kitchen, which is very chic and has an island in the middle, Killian sees the man who must be David standing in an apron eyeing the guests as they come in. Killian is immediately intimidated by this man and the fact that he is a cop adds to his anxiety. What takes off some of the tension is the fact that he's wearing a Kiss the Cook apron, which brings the intimidation factor down a bit. David's jaw clenches as he examines Killian from head to toe. He was obviously very protective of his wife, Emma, and Henry. Killian swallows.

"David, this is Killian Jones," Mary Margret introduces the stranger.

Killian straightens his back a bit and tries to seem more presentable before he extends his hand. "Officer Nolan," Killian says quietly.

There is a pause before David meets Killian's outstretched hand and gives it a firm shake. "Mr. Jones."

"Just call him David," Mary Margret interrupts.

"Mary," David says. "You know I can speak for myself."

"Well let's all sit down while supper is still hot," the woman chirps.

Emma goes to assist her pregnant friend with setting the table in the adjacent dining room, while Henry helps brings the salad and garlic bread to the table.

David continues to eye Killian for a few moments, putting them in very uncomfortable silence. David removes his apron before speaking to him again.

"Would you like a beer, Mr. Jones?" David asks.

"Yes, if it's not any trouble."

David disappears from the room for a few minutes, allowing Killian to catch his breath and relax for a moment.

"Coors Light okay?" the officer asks, coming back in.

"That's fine," Killian says, taking the opened beer from him.

"Come and eat," Mary Margret calls.

Emma sits on one side of the table, Henry on her right, Killian on her left, while the married couple sits across from them, serving the meal.

Killian takes and immediate liking to the meal, the lasagna has just the right amount of spice and cooked to a good temperature. The garlic bread is a bonus with the butter melting in his mouth. Emma eyes Killian and sees that his leg is shaking under the table. She reaches down and grabs his hand, trying to calm him.

"So Killian," Mary Margret says to break the awkward silence. "What do you do for a living?"

"I work on the docks," Killian says. "I help with loading and unloading cargo mostly."

"That sounds very interesting," the teacher says earnestly.

"It's really not, it can be long hours with rough and aged seamen."

"But surely there are some interesting people that you meet," Mary Margret prompts him.

"Oh for sure, I met one Lad who…"

Killian goes on to tell a few funny stories about the people he's met the harbor, at one point making Mary Margret laugh and Killian swears he sees David crack a smile. Emma manages to relax a little as everything seems to smooth out. Killian then goes on to ask about their jobs and David and Emma collaborate on stories from the police force and the tyrant that is Commissionaire Gold. Mary Margret talks about the children in her classroom and how she's teaching fairy tales at the moment. She also talks about some of the incompetent teachers she's forced to work with. For the entirety of the meal, Killian and Emma keep holding hands as if to reassure one another. Henry gets to talk a little bit too, telling them about the party he's invited to and his current swim team practices. David most definitely agrees to pick up Henry after the party and he warns the teenager that if here is a hint of alcohol on his breath, he would run the boy in. Killian can't tell if he's joking or not.

After dinner, Killian offers to help with the dishes while Henry asks to play a few video games with David. One of David's secret habits was online gaming and it was something he and Henry bonded over. Emma and Mary Margret wash the dishes while Killian dries them and listens to the two women chatter. Mary Margret attempts to keep Killian engaged in the conversation, but he mostly just wanted to listen to Emma and see what she was like with her friends.

Killian felt like he was meeting Emma's family, even if they were not related by blood. It was clear the couple loved Emma and Henry and saw them as a part of the family. Killian liked Mary Margret and even David, they were relatively nice and welcoming people. Mary especially was trying to make him feel included. Killian hadn't felt this much love in a long time. He had met Milah's parents once, at around Christmas time; her father took an instant disliking to him and drank a lot of alcohol during the visit. Her mother seemed very controlling and anti-social towards their guest. He could understand why Milah didn't like talking about her family because clearly they were dysfunctional and had problems. In her youth, she had tried running away several times and was embarrassed about her parents. When they got home, she apologized for her family's behaviour and Killian hugged and kissed her saying it was better to have a difficult family than none at all like him. He thanked Milah by having a wonderful night with her.

His brother, Liam had raised him since he was very small. His mother died when he was very young and his father left them at the first chance he got. Clearly, his sons were holding the man back and he had hardly cared for them at all. Killian lost contact with his father after Liam turned eighteen and could legally care for his brother. The last thing the docks man had heard was that his father married some woman in Florida and had a new son, also named Liam.

Killian was close to his brother, but Liam felt that his purpose lay in serving his country. He joined the Navy and served overseas. Killian had begun working at the docks in hopes to be the first one to greet his brother when he came home. However, two years ago, he was anticipating his brother's return except he didn't come back. The other naval officers disembarked from the ship and his brother was not among them. Killian asked the head officer what happened and the man regrettably told him that Liam had drowned several weeks before. He was attempting to help a trapped sailor on a sinking vessel and he became trapped below with the man. The ship went down and they were still trying to recover his brother's body and since they were at sea, they had not been able to contact Killian earlier. Killian was heartbroken and he demanded that his brother's body be returned as soon as possible.

Liam was eventually brought home in a coffin covered in the American flag and Killian had a quiet ceremony for his brother, laying him to rest next to their mother. He knew that his brother had died a hero's death but it did not make the loss any less painful.

He came apart for a long time. He gave up his job, not wanting to see the ocean again. He began drinking his sorrows away, hanging out with gangs, doing drugs and basically destroying his life. He was extremely embarrassed and wanted so badly for his brother to come off some boat, having miraculously survived and lecture him about his shameful behaviour.

He was at a bar when he met Milah and he felt that this was a sign from his brother not to give up. She helped him through the hardest times, supporting him every step of the way, allowing him to rebuild his life. When Milah died, he became broken again and this time he was sure he could not be repaired. He fell back into his old habits and knew it was only a matter of time before he joined his brother. That is until Emma walked in and saved him again. Killian believed that his brother had sent yet another angel to guide him on the right path. Even in death, Liam would always look out for his little brother.

He was a little off put by Mary Margret's warmth and eagerness, but it was certainly a nice change from Milah's family. It was clear that they loved Emma and would always protect her. He knew he would love to be in a family like this and maybe… just maybe this was his chance to have the family he always wanted.

After the kitchen is clean, Mary insists on showing Emma the new nursery. Killian stands out in the hallway watching the two of them interact with all the things that the happy mother-to-be wants to share. Soon, David comes to stand next to him.

"Do you care about her?" David asks.

Killian looks surprised at the question and knew that this was some kind of test that David was putting him through.

"I do," he says quietly.

"She's not like other people. She's seen things and done things she's not proud of. She's had her heart broken a few times."

Killian nods. "She's a lot stronger than I could ever be."

"You know that she's suffered a lot in the last few years?"

"Yes," Killian says gently.

"But if you intend to string her along and break her heart like Neal did, so help me…" David warns.

"I-I never want to hurt her," Killian says. "I'd rather die than to see her suffer because of me."

David frowns and looks at Killian, knowing this was a good answer.

"I care about her and Henry. I know she's been hurt, but I've also had some loss in my life, believe it or not. I would never leave Emma, she saved me… I will only ever leave if she says she no longer wants me."

There's a long pause as the two men watch Mary Margret show Emma the mobile they've hung over the baby's cradle.

"I doubt she'd leave you, believe it or not, you're the first person she's trusted and been allowed into her life for a long time."

"I understand. My intentions are honourable David I assure you. I've never been a lady's man in my entire life. My brother used to say that I would have to die and be reincarnated for that to happen. We're helping each other and developing at our own rate. We're taking it slow for the Lad's sake as well."

David nods. "Henry is also very sensitive and I see him as my son. You should know that when Emma hurts, he hurts as well."

Killian swallows. "I know it's hard for him."

"It is, he just doesn't like to show it."

"I will never try to replace the lad's father and he can let me into his life at his own rate."

David gives a small smile. He slaps Killian on the back gently and Killian feels like he's passed the test.

Soon, it's time for them to leave with Henry having school in the morning. Mary Margret hugs Killian goodbye and David shakes his hand, managing a friendly smile. Emma hugs her friends' goodbye before heading to Killian's apartment.

Henry ends up falling asleep in the back of the car as his mother pulls up in front of Killian's building.

"I'll walk you to the door," Emma says, quickly, undoing her seatbelt.

Killian looks surprised. "Usually the Lad escorts the lady to the door."

"Are you that old fashioned?" Emma inquires as they walk to the front door of his apartment complex.

"Not at all," he turns to face Emma. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Love,"

When they reach the door, Killian turns to face Emma. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Love,"

"Thank you for putting up with David and Mary Margret," Emma says, almost apologetically. "Sorry if they come on very strong…"

"It's absolutely fine. I like them and it's clear they care about you very much."

"They're like my family," Emma says, looking deeply into Killian's blue eyes. "i don't know what I'd do without them."

"I promised David that my intentions are honourable and that I care for you deeply," Killian says gently, brushing a lock of Emma's blonde hair out of her face. Emma feels shivers go down her spine as he leans in closer.

"I can say the same for you," Emma whispers earnestly.

Killian leans forward and kisses Emma deeply. He holds her head in his hands, flashing back to Friday night where he was able to have all of her for the first time. He saw her beautiful body for the first time and the pink glow in her cheeks as she kissed his chest and ran her hands down his back. He hadn't felt that close to someone in a long time and gave into his passions, happy to have the most beautiful woman in his arms.

When they break apart, Emma breathes heavily and smiles.

"Hopefully that will last until I see you again," Killian says.

"I'll text you on Saturday if I'm not too hungover," Emma smiles. She grabs hold of Killian and hugs him. Her face pressed against his shoulder, taking in his scent, trying to memorize it. She wants to remember his warmth and body for the next time that she sees him. She's learned to embrace every moment with him like it's her last.

"Good Night my beautiful swan," Killian whispers.

"Good night my handsome sailor," she says back.

They kiss once more before Emma heads back towards the car. She watches as he waves to her from his front door as she pulls out of the complex. As she drives home, Emma can feel the kiss still lingering on her lips.

Hey readers, sorry if this stuff is a bit boring. I'm just trying to set up the story. Don't worry, the catalyst/kidnapping will be in the next chapter. Please bear with me as things are about to change.