So here we have a request for young Emma and young Killian to run away together. This isn't related to the other Lieutenant Duckling ones that I have written, simply because the timing doesn't work with the way this one kind of came together. Anywho, I hope you all like it!

27. Run

"All right, that's it," Killian said out of the blue, the slightest hint of exasperation in his voice.

Emma continued to walk beside him, feet crunching on the gravel path in the palace garden, but she turned to look at him, somewhat tense because she knew where this was going.

Since her birthday the week earlier...strange things had begun to occur, things for which Emma had no explanation. Things that she couldn't talk to anyone about. And, because these things had engulfed her attention, she really hadn't been speaking very much to anyone. Including her best friend.

Still, it wouldn't come up if she could help it. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Emma," Killian said, stopping and facing her. "You know what I'm talking about."

From the way she folded her arms across her chest, seeming to hug them to herself for comfort, Killian knew she did. "Please, Emma, talk to me. Not a day has gone by that I can remember when we didn't talk, and all this week you've been distant and quiet. I mean, is it me?"

"No!" she exclaimed, taking his hands in hers and sitting on the edge of the fountain. "No, Killian, of course it isn't you."

"Good," he replied, satisfied to a small degree. "I do spend most of my time on boats, and I know the smell of fish can be a little overpowering. "

"You smell fine," she affirmed. He was pleased that this got a smile out of her, even if it was a tiny one that only lasted for a moment. "I'm sorry," she continued. "I didn't mean to shut you out. This week, ever since the party, has just been...trying."

Killian watched with concern as her clenched fists gave way to white knuckles. "Have you spoken to anyone about it?"

She shook her head, and if she had not looked so miserable, he would have been pleased that no one else had found out before he did. "I don't know if I can. I'm...I'm afraid."

He leaned in close and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. He had never seen her like this before. "Afraid of what?"

It was a few moments before she answered, but Killian remained patient. When she did finally reply, he noted that her hand rose, palm up, with trembling fingers. "I'm afraid of myself."

Emma watched his face, her lips drawn into a thin line, and Killian watched her hand. Where moments before there had been nothing, there was now a small, floating white orb.

Killian blinked. Then he blinked again. And again. But each time he reopened his eyes, the ball of light was still there. "Um...how, exactly, are you doing that?"

"I don't know," she breathed, her heart rate slowly returning to only slightly faster than normal. She wasn't sure of the reaction she had been expecting from him. Maybe he would run away, or take a few steps back, or at least lean away. But he didn't.

Instead, he looked curious, as if it was something to be inspected. He leaned in slightly, one finger of one hand extended, reaching -

"What are you doing?" she demanded in a hushed whisper, pulling her hand back. The light extinguished. "Why would you try to touch it?!"

He seemed as bewildered by her actions as she was by his. "Curiosity? Don't you want to know -"

"No!" she interrupted him again. "I don't! I don't want to know anything about it other than if there's a way to get rid of it."

"Emma, it's magic!" He kept his voice hushed, but her wide eyes on her pale face still darted about, checking for anyone who could be listening. "You have something that no one else has, it makes you unique."

"It makes me dangerous," she countered. "Yes, it's magic, but don't you know the stories? Rumplestiltskin, the Evil Queen...they did magic, and it was terrible."

Killian's mouth parted and his eyes searched her terrified face. "How could you think you could ever be like that?" he breathed. "You are all that is good and peaceful and light and all that other fluffy bunnies and rainbows stuff!" Even as she grinned at his comment, he caught the tear that leaked from her eye with his thumb.

"Don't you see, though? I'm supposed to rule, be a leader. I can't take that chance with the lives of all the people in this kingdom."

He nodded, still not in agreement, but in understanding. "Then what do you suggest?"

She took one long, deep breath before replying, "Remember when we were children, and we used to imagine what it would be like if we just took off?" He nodded, remembering all those times they had pretended after that one time he had proposed they run and not look back. "Does that offer still stand?"

"I can't believe you live like this all the time," Emma said. In the dead of night, all the fishmongers had long since departed, and the only scent was that of the salty sea breeze. With her eyes closed and the corners of her mouth pulled up, Killian saw her, for the first time that week, genuinely happy. She turned to him. "Thank you for doing this for me. I...I know it couldn't have been easy."

"Oh, Emma," he whispered, a crooked smile on his lips, "You make it seem like I could have said no to you."

So this is what I came up with. I'd love to hear thoughts, because I feel like I can probably do a little more with it and continue it a bit. Let me know!

Also, I was just looking around and saw that this drabble series has been added to a C2 so thank you to whoever is responsible for that!