A/N: Not sure I should publish this, but.. Anyway. I wrote this in two days, at the Muse's demand, between working, house chores and kids, because Muse would not leave me alone about this story. (The dates, years/months, picked at random, stabbing in the dark, because I didn't care and details were weighing me down, man. Just had to get this story out because Muse takes no prisoners.) Just FYI, I never saw OUAT's s7 except for Tumblr snippets.
Uhm.. I've also never written smut before and you're about to dive into the little bit I attempted so.. you've been warned.
April
He moved above her slowly, his cock hitting every spot just right, dragging against her walls as her fingers dug into his back. She tightened her legs around him, pulling him deeper, moaning at the bliss of the torture of his slow pace.
She normally liked her one night's fast, wham bam, k thx bye, but this - this was almost like - if she didn't know any better, she would call it love making. She'd only just met him a few hours before, sharing a drink at the bar -
She cried out, her orgasm on the edge, his delicious cock stroking every single nerve ending. His lips found hers, taking her cries in to muffle them. The sensations from his kiss pushed her over, and she screamed louder than she ever had before, and she didn't care. His lips moved to quickly quiet her. Her walls caved in around him, causing him to thrust so deep, his tip hit her cervix, spilling his seed. He jut his hips faster, deeper, elongating her own orgasm, while her walls milked him of his seed.
She was more sated than she had ever been, not minding when his weight crushed her as he fell a little, moving over quickly. She instantly missed his warmth, his cock within her.
She let herself relax, only for a moment, but that moment stretched on for hours. She sat straight up, realizing she had fallen asleep, blinking away the weird post-nap vibe. She never fell asleep after sex. She was - usually - never comfortable falling asleep next to a stranger.
She looked over, his face still and peaceful in his own slumber, right where she left him. She turned to face him, wondering about him, who he was, only for a split second. What kind of man was he? She couldn't allow herself to think about that, shaking her head and carefully slipping off the bed. She needed to get home, she needed to check her birth control to see if she had remembered to take one that morning, or if she needed to get plan B.
She had not been expecting a playmate when she had left for work that morning. It had been months since her last.. playdate.
Slowly, she moved around the dark room, illuminated only by the bathroom light he had left on. She found most of her clothes, but her right shoe - where the hell could it have -
She set her clothes on the armchair, holding back a groan, glancing at the bed. He hadn't moved. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she got on all fours, and checked under the chair, under the bed, finally finding the offending shoe in a potted plant of all places.
She bit her lip to keep from chuckling out loud, quietly getting dressed while her eyes remained on him.
God, he looked good, just laying there, the sheet barely covering his lower half, the hair on his chest making her nipples harden in memory of how his chest had brushed against hers..
She shook her head, pulling the other leg of her jeans up, fastening the button. Where the hell was her bra?
Unable to hold back her groan this time, she decided to leave it, throwing on her tee-shirt, sitting in the chair to slip on her socks, then her boots. All that was missing was her jacket, which she clearly remembered leaving by the front door, though she was positive she had missed the coat rack entirely.
She grabbed her phone from the floor, taking a lingering look at the man before her. All she knew, was he was called 'Hook' by someone he knew at the bar. An interesting tale, she was sure, if she ever got around to hearing it.
A flash of inspiration hit her. She might regret it later, but for now.. she opened her camera app, taking a photo of the man who rocked her entire world, knowing if she got her way, she'd never see him again. All she had to do was wait, stay, and see what would happen..
But Emma had been burned before. She'd rather remember him as he was, here, now, the beautiful man who made her cum intensely without words, without teasing, with just his cock. Just his cock.
She shook her head, trying to shake the blush away. She wanted to stay. She had never felt this pull before. She just wasn't brave enough to follow through.
It took more out of her than she thought possible to tip toe out of the room, finding her wallet and jacket where she left them - on the floor, by the entryway.
With one more crestfallen look back, she unlocked the door carefully, making her way to the elevator of his high-rise.
July - Three Months After
Emma woke, groggy, trying to open her eyes. The room was dark, a steady beeping the only sound. She shook her head, instantly regretting that decision as her head exploded in pain. What the hell? A little panicked, she forced her eyes open more, searching the room -
It was a hospital room, the shades drawn and light off, that much she could tell.
"Hey!" She hollered, before remembering about the button - somewhere. She searched for it frantically, expecting it to be somewhere in the bed - finding it, she pushed the 'call nurse', not moments later a woman with short dark hair and light blue scrubs threw the door open, light flooding the room, smiling like she had just been proposed to.
Emma blinked rapidly as the sudden onslaught of light attacked her, the nurse turned down the hall, shouting "She's awake!" with such glee, that Emma pinched herself to check to see if she was dreaming. Finding that it hurt, she tried smiling at the nurse, though she was positive it fell flat. Nurse Cheerful was now quickly walking towards her, her exuberance shining through her never ending smile.
"Hi!" she said, checking the monitor quickly, pushing a button to reposition Emma's bed up to a more comfortable, sitting position. She then took out the stethoscope to check Emma's heart manually, apologizing for the cold instrument. "I'm Mary Margaret, I'm your RN." She spoke softly, moving to Emma's lungs and giving her breathing instructions.
She moved on to the blood pressure monitor, causing Emma to groan.
"Do you know your name?" Mary Margaret asked gently, glancing up from her watch.
"Emma Swan."
"Perfect! And do you know the date?"
Ugh. "New Years?" She knew she must have been in the hospital for a few days, at least, so she tried specifying "2017."
Mary Margaret clearly faltered at that, her sunny smile turning overcast, though she continued trying to fake it, letting the air out of the blood pressure device.
"Fuck me, what day is it, really?"
"Oh, um, well, it's a bit past New Years." She nodded encouragingly, that smile returning to 1000 Watts of fake. "Let me get the doctor, and he will get it all sorted out." The nurse removed the blood pressure monitor with a ripping sound, putting it back in its place, hurrying out of the room.
Emma shoved her head back to the bed, groaning at the new blossom of pain there. She would never leave this place if she kept that up.
She sat up a little too fast at the knock on the door jam, cringing as she sat back and motioned for the man in scrubs and a large white coat into her room.
"Ms. Swan." He said matter-of-fact, pulling the stool over to sit next to her. "I'm Dr. Whale. I have news, some good, some bad."
"Great. What's today's actual date?"
"Ah. Well, it seems -"
"Date."
"Let's take this slow -"
"Date."
He sighed, his hand running through his near white-blond hair. "Is that your last mem-"
"Can I get a new doctor?"
"It's Summer, 2018. Your last memory is a year and a half ago, if that is your last memory."
Emma sat, stunned, her mouth dropping.
"Unfortunately, there's more." Emma laughed, hysterically, though the action caused pain in her ribs while tears slid down her face. "You've been here about three months, and you're pregnant, so congratulations."
"What the actual-" Emma couldn't even. "This is a joke, right? August is around the corner, laughing his ass off. Right?"
"Actually, your phone was pretty damaged when - oh, by the way, you were hit by a car which is why you're here."
"I was hit by a car, and I'm still pregnant?"
"Miracle baby. Anyway, your phone was damaged. No one you know knows you're here, we couldn't find any contact information on you."
"Okay, can I have a phone then, cause I remember August's number."
He reached over, grabbing the age-old telephone, handing it to her. She glanced at him while dialing, his hands over his crossed knees, facial expression intentionally blank.
"Hello?"
"August?" There was silence for several moments. She looked at the phone in confusion.
"Emma?"
"Yeah, hey!"
"Hey. I didn't think you wanted to talk to me after - after that last time -"
"Okay, look, I'm at the hospital -"
"Blue Angel, downtown." The doctor whispered helpfully.
"At the Blue Angel, downtown?"
"Emma.. what?"
"Okay, Aug, I don't remember anything since New Years, 2017, and the doctor is saying some scary stuff and -"
She heard his breathing heavily, sensing he didn't need this, causing her to shut up and wonder what the hell had happened to her best friend. It took a lot longer for him to reply than she anticipated.
"Give me a minute, and I'll be there."
"Okay. Thanks."
She stared at the phone, confused. He had been her friend since they were kids, in the system together. He was like a brother to her. She shook her head, regretting the action, as she placed the phone back on the cradle.
"Can I make another call?"
"Oh sure, I've got nothing better to do."
She glared at him, picking it back up, dialing the only other friend she had.
"Hello?"
"Ruby?"
"Oh my God, Emma? August already called. You're in the hospital? What the hell?"
"Apparently I've been here for three months."
Dr. Whale nodded stoically.
"What happened?"
"I got hit by a car?"
"Are you asking or telling?"
"I seem to be having memory problems. They told me I was hit by a car."
"Jeez. And you're okay?"
"Other than being pregnant, I'm -" Emma had to hold the phone away from her ear at the piercing laugh from the other end. "Rub- Ruby. I'm serious."
The other woman sobered up immediately. "Jesus Christ. Okay, what hospital?"
"Blue - uh -"
"Blue Angel, downtown." He repeated, staring at his nails.
"Blue Angel. Downtown." Emma closed her eyes, annoyed at this whole situation.
"I'm there ASAP."
Emma set the phone back down, letting the doctor take it from her. She didn't exactly have people in her life. These two were the exception, and - well, to her knowledge, Ruby was a new friend to her. She just needed someone to come who actually seemed worried about her, and that wasn't August right now.
Everything the doctor had said was weighing on her, keeping her from taking a full breath. She looked down at her own body, noticing the subtle changes. Her breasts were larger than she was expecting, since she was normally on the small side. Then she felt her belly. It wasn't very big, though it was bigger than her normal flatness, and it was firm. She normally had a squishiness to her belly that all the abs workouts couldn't correct, now it was all but gone.
"I don't -" She looked to the doctor, who just nodded, offering a hand to her shoulder.
"It's a lot to take in." He said quietly.
"Why don't I remember?"
"Memory is a funny thing. Even in the best conditions." He sighed. "The trauma from the accident, coupled with the head injury you sustained, likely caused your memory loss. Rather, that's the best guess. We still don't know a lot about the brain."
"What were - are - my injuries?"
"You came in with a cracked skull, two broken ribs, a dislocated knee, and several lacerations on your face, arms, hands, and knees. The car that hit you wasn't going the speed limit, or you might not have survived."
She laughed again, biting her lip, trying to process everything. "And now? How'm I doing, doc?"
"Your ribs are healed, though you may still feel some pain there on occasion. Your brain had some swelling, which has gone down considerably, and the crack in your skull is nearly healed completely. You've been asleep for the duration of your stay, so you've had time to heal a little quicker than what's considered normal. Your knee was repaired, and it's long since healed." He tapped his fingers on his inner elbow, remembering. "Ah, the baby. Healthy as a horse."
"Do.. can I.. can we.." How the hell was she supposed to ask?
"The sex of the baby?" Emma nodded a little too enthusiastically, cringing as she did. "You've got two months left before you can find that out."
She looked back down at her stomach, her hands shaking as she touched her own skin. There was a baby? In her? Who -
"Who's the father?" She asked the doctor, her eyes wide.
He looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Um. I'm not sure I can answer that, not until your memories -"
"Of course not." Why the hell would he know?
April, Morning After
Killian Jones woke gently, a smile on his face. He never brought women back to his place, but last night.. The memory of her had him grinning, instantly awake, sitting up on his elbow to catch a glimpse of her golden locks. When he found she wasn't next to him, he searched the room, sitting up straighter, his eyebrow high and smile fading fast. When she wasn't immediately within his sightline, he got up, checking the bathroom only to find it empty, but the light had been left on.
Flipping it off, he told himself she was probably making coffee in his kitchen, while he tossed on his boxers from the night before.
Walking through the bedroom, he noticed her clothes were no longer there on the floor, where he distinctly remembered tossing them. A knot began to form in his stomach, as he exited the room, moving into the hall. He made his way to the open space of the kitchen, living, and dining rooms. The place seemed emptier than it had ever been before.
Sighing, closing his eyes tight, feeling the muscle in his jaw twitch, he breathed deeply, opening his eyes to walk towards the entry door. Her jacket and wallet were gone, too.
Maybe she just went out for breakfast and would be back? He knew he was kidding himself, now. She had pulled the same thing on him that he had pulled on countless others. He had only wished, this time, they had both stayed. Something was different about her, and he couldn't tell what - but he certainly never made love to strange women, or any woman ever, but she had pulled that behavior from him. It was always wham, bam, thank you ma'am for Casanova Jones.
He couldn't help himself, as he checked his study, the guest bedroom, bathroom, and the master closet as well, just to be thorough. She might as well have been a ghost, up and vanished in the middle of the night. His heart felt a little shaky as he spotted her bright blue bra hanging from the ceiling fan, of all places.
Rubbing his hand down his face, he turned back to the bathroom, turning on the shower, ice cold, taking it as punishment for assuming he had found something special before quickly getting dressed for the day.
He had nothing planned for the day. It was a Sunday, so he was heading to the harbor to take his sports boat around the lake.
When he exited his building, he stopped short at the sight of the policeman standing outside his vehicle, in a heated conversation with a person Killian had assumed was the owner of the vehicle with the busted bumper, the tire halfway on the sidewalk. He shook his head, sidestepping to the convenience kiosk, asking the proprietor what had happened.
"Crazy driver ran over someone, the cop can't get 'em to stop freaking out."
"They ran over a person?"
"Took 'em to Blue Angel when I was opening up. Shame."
Killian nodded absentmindedly, purchasing his usual newspaper and bottle of water, saying a silent prayer for the injured party while paying the man for his goods.
That evening, Killian sat at the same bar he had the night before, just waiting. He had ordered one drink, never touching it, hoping to be sober if she showed up there too, shooing off the plethora of other women who tried and failed to approach him, or gave him lingering looks.
He waited until an hour before closing, the bartender taking pity on him with the small clue of her first name: Emma. She was a regular, come to find out, so he came every day, the rest of the week, nothing to show for it.
A Week Later
It wasn't until Saturday night, a week since meeting her, that he walked back to his flat completely dejected, beginning to wonder if maybe, just maybe, something had happened to her?
He passed the closed kiosk as the thought crossed his mind, causing him to halt in his steps, looking from the kiosk to the spot the accident had happened that day.
He immediately pulled up his map app, deciding he could run there on his own in the time it would take a driver to reach him, so he did. Five blocks over, he ran to Blue Angel Hospital, breathing a little heavily when he finally stopped inside. The person behind the desk looked worried, but he waved her off in search of his old Uni buddy.
"Whale!" He called, finally spotting the platinum blond man. The man stopped short, rolling his head around to stretch his neck when he saw who had called to him.
"What, Hook?" He shouted down the long hall, the men walking towards each other.
Killian flipped through his screenshots, finding the one from the security cameras in his building of the Golden Goddess who had plagued his thoughts since meeting her a week ago.
When they were less than a yard away, Killian began.
"There was an accident outside my building, last Saturday, I'm wondering if this woman-"
"No, Hook."
"You didn't even look, mate."
"And I'm not going to. A booty call, here? Man, you're not that desperate." He scoffed. "I'm that desperate."
"Bloody hell Victor, I'm not." Killian gave his friend a pointed stare. "Do you see me? I could get any woman I wanted. This one left my flat."
Whale should know him well enough to understand that he never had a woman at his place, and that he never worked this hard for a booty call. Killian put everything he had into his pleading eyes, the shaking head of his old friend turning into a sigh, which caused him to turn back the way he came from for a few steps before turning back.
"Show me. Before I change my mind."
Grinning, Killian showed him the photo. It was a little distorted, coming from above her, and a little blurry, but it was her. Killian knew it, and he had barely spent a few hours with the woman. If Whale had her in his care, which he should if she existed in this hospital, then he would recognize her too.
Killian waited impatiently, suddenly unsure if he wanted to find her here. Find her, yes, but here? He knew his answer when Whale let out an expletive that sailors would blush at. Killian's heart fell into his stomach, following after his friend who told him he hoped it wasn't the same woman.
When they reached room 312, Killian's heart felt like it squeezed to a stop. She looked completely different, her head wrapped in white gauze, her face and arms covered in bandages, her leg up in a sling, a splint around her knee.
"What the bloody devil.."
"She was crossing the street, hit by a car. She's in a coma."
Killian was instantly transported to the morning after, seeing the car and its frantic driver. Why had it never occurred to him that she was the one the driver hit?
Something else hit him. His mother, father, brother, and girlfriend had all perished. They were the closest people he let into his life, and they were all -
And it was happening again. The pull of this woman, strong enough for him to bring her to his own flat, then search for her here of all places, must be the reason she was like this now. The universe wanted him alone. Or God, or whoever up there was pulling the strings.
He looked at his old friend, pale as a sheet, mouth open in horror. "It's my fault."
"C'mon, Hook. How is it your fault?"
He shook his head, leaning over to kiss her forehead, before bolting out the door, out the hospital, running back to his building.
Week Three, After
Killian Jones still couldn't stop thinking about her, and worse, he felt like an arse for leaving her there in the hospital, alone, two weeks ago. He stopped at a flower shop, buying a large bouquet of lilies, walking them all the way to the hospital.
When he arrived, he found that Swan, Emma was in the same room as his last visit. She was looking a little better, many of the smaller cuts healing, the bandages gone, though the remains of several bruises still graced her delicate skin, the gauze still wrapped around her head, the splint on her knee in the sling. He set the flowers on the dresser, moving toward her, sitting in a chair he found in the room.
He just waited. For what, he wasn't sure. He waited the entire time visiting hours allowed, making a friend in the cheerful nurse who looked after Emma.
He visited again a few days later, bringing wildflowers. They were vibrant, reminding him of life. He again sat for the duration of the visiting hours, where Mary Margaret suggested he bring a book to read to her on his next visit.
One Month, After
He wasn't able to visit until the next Sunday, bringing roses and a book, though arriving, he caught wind of a hushed conversation outside her door between Whale and Mary Margaret.
"Any change?"
"None."
"None is good in these-"
"No, I mean none. Not ever her.." Mary Margaret trailed off intentionally.
"Oh." Whale looked back into the room momentarily. "You think?"
"I know how we can find out."
Whale nodded, giving her the go ahead to do it - whatever it was.
When she disappeared into the room, Whale stood there for a moment. Killian could see the cogs turning in the man's head, though it was short lived before Whale disappeared around the corner.
Killian's curiosity was piqued infinitely, moving quietly down the hall, eyeing his surroundings before peeking into the room.
"Mr. Jones." Mary Margaret called in a sing-song voice. "Quit snoo-ping! I'm just taking a bit of blood for tests."
Red as the roses he carried from embarrassment, Killian showed himself.
"What tests?"
She clicked her tongue at him. "You know I can't tell you."
He exaggerated a long sigh, setting the flowers down, and taking his usual seat. Before he began reading 'The Princess Bride' aloud, he eyed the tube in Mary Margaret's hands.
"Should I be worried?"
She paused, looking at him dead in the eye. "It isn't life threatening." She told him quietly. "It's a common thing we test for."
He wasn't sure what to make of that, but he trusted the RN before him enough not to question it.. for now.
Later
Mary Margaret watched the man walking away, fully aware of the situation he found himself in - or lack of situation. He liked the woman, but they weren't together, barely knew each other before this accident, and he felt compelled to come here to visit. Poor woman's only visitor, so Mary Margaret wasn't about to send him away.
She suspected he may have been with her.. biblically shortly before the accident, the test results of said coupling in her hands. She handed them to Dr. Whale wordlessly, watching the man disappear through the elevator doors.
She sighed, turning to her boss, watching his face fall with the same understanding she had just learned: Their coma patient was barely pregnant, and the man that just left was more than likely the father.
Mary Margaret didn't know much, specifically, only that the man in question was friends, somehow, with Dr. Whale. This would put the latter in a difficult position, one she did not envy.
"Remember the oath." She murmured, understanding in his eyes as he gave her a tight smile.
"Yeah. They made so much sense, back then."
She knew exactly what he meant.
July, Three Months After
When Emma saw Ruby, she began to cry hysterically. Ruby looked more shocked than a dog who had his tail pulled.
"Emma!" Ruby was hesitant at first, before rushing in to give her friend a hug.
"I don't know what's wrong with me!" Emma squealed, sobbing openly.
Ruby stepped back from the hug, smiling. "Hormones." She shrugged, handing Emma a small stuffed dragon. "For baby Swan."
Emma's sobs turned into laughter on a dime, the tears still streaming.
"I don't know what to even think or feel." Emma admitted, looking up at the beautiful woman before her, feeling a little ugly in her presence.
"Talk to daddy swan about this?"
Emma groaned. "See, there's this problem with my memory, where I can't remember much past New Years Day, 2017."
"Shut up."
"And apparently the guy and I would have fucked right before the accident, so.." Emma trailed off, the tears hot on her face and showing no sign of stopping.
"It's like your own personal nightmare." Ruby murmured, sitting down next to the bed.
"I don't even know if I live in the same apartment!"
"Uh, you don't."
"What?"
Ruby rolled her eyes to the ceiling, biting her lip before raising confused eyebrows at Emma.
"You, and me, and August.. We kinda had a fight. And you were mad and moved, you never told us where, and we haven't heard from you in like, a year."
Emma shut her eyes, realization smacking her across the face. She rubbed her forehead with her middle three fingers, trying to give Ruby a reassuring smile.
"What was the fight about?"
"Heyo!"
Emma groaned. "Dr. Whale, Ruby, Ruby, Dr. Unprofessional."
"Hey!"
Ruby grinned. "Ruby Lucas."
"Nice to meet you, but Emma learned a lot today, insisted on it really, and I'd recommend keeping more life-altering news to yourself for the time being."
"You wouldn't tell me!" Emma began crying again, clutching the stuffed dragon under her chin.
"You wouldn't let me get away with not telling you." He mumbled.
"Classic Emma." Ruby grinned.
"Um." Emma turned, seeing August in the door frame. "Can I come in?"
"Aug, she can't remember anything for the last year and a half."
Emma was shocked to see his shoulders sag in relief. Moving forward, she saw someone behind him, craning her neck for a better look.
"Do I know - " She pointed, watching him best she could as people passed by her door, as he handed some pretty yellow and white flowers to a pretty nurse at the desk. "Maybe it's nothing." She murmured.
"Or maybe not!" Ruby exclaimed. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"What did you see, Ms. Swan?" Whale was looking at her with renewed interest, but Emma just shook her head.
"Just someone who looked familiar. It's probably nothing."
Answered Prayers
Killian came into the hospital, waving to Ariel, the Registered Nurse who took care of Emma when Mary Margaret was off shift. He was carrying a bouquet of yellow and white flowers, the names of which he had forgotten. Coupled with the green of the leaves, he was instantly reminded of Emma, her hair, her eyes. He hadn't seen her eyes in three months, barely seeing them then in a dark bar, a dark cab, and finally his dark flat, though he would never forget that color.
Killian stopped short, at her door, seeing her sitting up. His prayers had been answered, finally. And she wasn't alone. There were visitors, people she must have called herself. His heart momentarily stopped beating, knowing what this meant.
He had promised, time and again to whoever was listening, that he would never see her again if only she would just wake, if she would just be okay. And now she was.
He looked at the flowers in his grasp, then back into the room. It already had two visitors, as well as Whale. He couldn't barge in at a time like this.
His last visit.. He shook his head, approaching Ariel, whispering to her that he didn't want to overwhelm Emma, leaving the flowers, and 'The Princess Bride' behind.
He knew it was ridiculous, but each step away from her felt like a stab to his own heart. He shouldn't have indulged himself, coming here, reading to her. It was torture. He didn't even know the woman, he only knew of the pull he felt when she was near, and the beautiful night they shared.
That was all he would allow himself.
-x-x-x-
Emma felt drained after saying goodbye to her friends. Ruby had repeated Whale's warning to August before Emma could pry it out of him, and she wasn't thrilled about that. But she was glad they still cared enough about her to take the warning seriously, no matter what had happened between them.
That was a difficult concept to grasp. Ruby was still new to Emma - from the memories she had, anyway. But August - how the hell had anything come between them?
The two had stayed for the remainder of the visitation hours, which was only thirty minutes or so. August gave her an old tee shirt of hers he still had, which Emma appreciated. Apparently, the hospital staff had cut her clothing off her to get to her injuries, leaving her in a backless hospital gown feeling entirely exposed.
The shirt was nice, for when she eventually got out of here - but what about pants? She'd just have to worry about that later.
Not ten minutes after they left, did the pretty red headed nurse knock on her door.
"Hey Emma, I'm Ariel. Your RN when Mary Margaret clocks out." Emma smiled as politely as possible, too drained for pleasantries - "C'mon, girl, you look exhausted. Don't waste your energy fake smiling at me."
Emma's smile turned real for a split second, huffing out a laugh, before the smile completely dropped. "Better." Ariel nodded in approval, moving into the room to set the yellow and white flowers down on Emma's bedside.
She was instantly reminded of the dark haired man who left them with the RN, though his image was shaky at best. She had tried to see him, peering around August, out the door, through the moving people between her door and the nurses station. She looked between the flowers and the redhead in confusion.
"What-"
"Someone dropped these off for you. Didn't want to interrupt your gathering." She smiled again, motioning toward her stethoscope in a silent question.
Emma rolled her eyes, nodding softly because she was getting used to living with the massive pain in her head, knowing the woman just had a job to do, and the sooner she did it, the sooner Emma could leave and figure out her life and where she lived and -
And a baby.
Together, and apart
As Emma rolled over on her side to cry herself to sleep, wondering about the dark haired man who left the flowers by her bed, Killian was rolling the opposite way, trying to eradicate the thoughts and feelings of the strange woman out of his heart, and out of his head.
Emma wondered if she knew him, a memory currently lost to her, as Killian wondered if he would ever forget her smell, or the vibrancy in her eyes.
Emma kissed the stuffed dragon, still clutched in her hands, as Killian felt a soft squeeze in his heart before they both fell asleep.
-x-x-x-
Mary Margaret looked up as the automatic doors opened, yet again disappointed it wasn't Killian Jones. The man hadn't been by since Emma had woken up, and it occurred to her that maybe this wasn't one of his usual busy days. Maybe he wasn't coming back.
She scolded herself. It was far too soon to lose hope like that.
Confrontation
Victor Whale tapped his foot impatiently, his anxiety pouring out of him in the elevator of the high-rise apartment complex. He was being foolish, he knew, about to toe the line between doctor and friend, and he wasn't entirely sure he could walk away unscathed this time.
When the doors opened on Killian's floor, Victor gupled, his stomach now feeling like it had been left on the ground floor. He stood, unmoving, silently arguing with himself about leaving the elevator or not, when the doors began to close, and an arm shot out to hold them open. A lovely woman gave him a surprised smile when she saw him, entering the elevator and pushing the button for the lower level where the parking garage was for residents.
Victor nodded a polite hello, stepping off because he wasn't thinking straight. An action he immediately regretted when the doors closed behind him. His head fell back. Really?
As lovely as the standard ceiling appeared to him, he got his head on straight and tried to remind himself why he was here in the first place, moving toward the door he knew to belong to Killian Jones.
His arm lifted and dropped a few too many times, a testament to his torn thoughts on his actions here today. Finally, he banged on the door, because the pent up anxiety needed to come out somehow.
It took his friend entirely too long to respond, causing Victor to bang again, this time his fist nearly smacking Killian in the face.
"Bloody hell, I'm right here!"
Victor could cringed, shrugging. "Then answer the door sooner!" He barged in, figuring if the smell of rum on his friend was any indication, the man wasn't in the mood or company.
"Oh please come in."
"You're not drunk." Victor observed, crossing his arms.
"Not yet." Killian grinned, moving to the living room where his bottle of rum sat on the coffee table, an Irish game on the big screen.
Victor only moved closer, watching the half-drunk Irishman plop into the sofa. "What is going on with you?"
"It's helping me forget the Swan." He said victoriously, raising the bottle before bringing it to his lips.
"Jesus, I thought you said it was a one night stand?"
Killian nodded, staring at the game instead of looking at his friend.
Victor grabbed the remote, turning the game off, before taking the bottle from Killian's hands. He had his attention now. Killian shouted his displeasure, following the doctor to the kitchen, where Victor held the bottle over the sink.
"Talk."
Killian's shoulders slumped, giving a glare before Victor saw the emotion behind his eyes. There was more going on, and he was going to get to the bottom of it for his friend, and for the benefit of his patient who wouldn't stop staring at the last flowers brought to her when she thought no one was looking.
He knew Killian was almost there when the Irishman's fingers raked his own hair back, ending with that annoying thing he did, rubbing behind his ear.
"I don't bloody know, mate. It was a one night stand. There was something there between us. I brought her here, made love to her, and she was gone in the morning."
One, Killian Jones never brought women to his apartment, ever, because he learned in college that half of the time, they stuck around. Something no horny college youth wanted. Two, Victor knew Killian fucked his conquests, not make love to them. He even remembered a specific conversation they'd had their senior year, when Killian had made fun of their friends in relationships who actively talked about the difference.
His only conclusion had to be that something was definitely different, either with the woman, or with Killian. That was beside the point.
"Are you going back to see her?"
"No, mate. I swore to God I'd never see her again if only she would awaken."
"Dude."
Killian shrugged, eyeing the bottle as if it could save him from the misery Victor was inflicting upon him.
Victor sighed, letting his arm drop a bit. "Listen to me. Hey." Killian looked him in the eyes, then. "Good. You need to go see her. You need to tell her what happened."
Killian scoffed. "What's the point? Hi, I'm the guy you fucked right before you became roadkill, but no, we're strangers besides that."
Victor tilted the bottle, letting a splash fall down the drain.
"C'mon, Vic! Really? Why do you care?" He shouted.
"I can't tell you, as her doctor."
Killian's face visibly paled, causing Victor to momentarily wonder if his friend had put the pieces together - though he doubted that very much. Killian looked past tipsy, not drunk per se, but not sober enough to think clearly either.
"I can't."
"Because of God?"
"Because I'm afraid if I go see her, something worse than a car accident will happen, and I'll never forgive myself, then."
Shit. Yeah, Victor knew the outlines of Killian's past, his loss after loss. He wasn't sure who all that included, but he knew his family had all died, then Milah he had met himself right before she passed. Brain aneurysm, right there on campus while visiting Killian, dying in his arms.
It was the reason he went into medicine. He wasn't far off, in between classes himself, hearing Killian's cries of anguish across the common, running over to see what had happened. He never again wanted to feel as helpless as he had that day. Now, he knew nothing could have been done. Even if doctors had caught it sooner, it depended on the location of the aneurysm in the brain and the skill of the surgeon. Hell, she may have known it was there.
"Killian -" He set the bottle down, trying to sound soothing. His friend was taking this all to heart, and maybe a little too far. "Bad things happen. You can't take the blame."
"I can. They were all connected to me, and Swan, she was barely connected - You shouldn't even be here, you'll be next."
"No omnipotent being is going to strike me down because I'm your friend!"
"How do you know?"
"Because we've been friends a long time."
"Then you're on borrowed time!"
"I don't want to see you live to regret this decision." Victor sighed, hoping the word regret was the right seed to plant in his friend. He'd done about all he could, since Killian didn't want his help.
He set the bottle down gently, walking to his friend to pat his shoulder, before walking out.
He would have to pull a card from Mary Margaret's deck, and hope.
Gray Area
It took Killian a few days after Victor had left to stop busying himself with the work he did from home, stop cleaning after himself in the mess he'd made of his flat, stop running away from the mental crisis he was on the precipice of.
Killian's solution was to become a hermit, never again make friends, meet people, live alone in his misery and wonder about the what ifs -
Which brought him, kicking and screaming, to that blasted word Victor had dropped just before leaving. Would he regret never seeing her again? How the devil was he supposed to know? If he saw her, and nothing bad happened, he would be thrilled. Perhaps something could come of it. He could see himself falling for her, he wanted to. He wanted the life he didn't dare dream of, with a woman at his side, building a family with her -
He swore under his breath, pacing his flat. There was no answer because no one could tell him what the future held.
A Week Later
Emma was sitting cross legged in her hospital bed, flipping through the book left on her nightstand, The Princess Bride. She'd wondered who left it, asking nurse after nurse, even Ruby and August as they visited, but no one would fess up. She eventually assumed it was left by the dark haired man she'd caught a glimpse of, once, a while ago.
Emma figured it was a fluke. Maybe he was just a volunteer? Maybe he brought flowers to all the coma patients in Blue Angel? Maybe she should stop thinking about him.
She hated to admit that she'd never read it, only watched the movie, but considering the differences, she felt like she knew this version too. She wasn't a fast reader by any means, but without a phone, without anything else to do, she was nearing the end of it.
She was startled at the knock at the door, her heart dropping when she saw August. She gave him a small smile, sliding a bookmark between the pages to keep her place.
"Hey." She greeted him.
"Any better?"
She shrugged a small nod. "Whale's about to let me go, I think. Any day now. Any news on my apartment?"
His face fell. "Well, thankfully you had updated your driver's license after moving, but unfortunately.."
"Let me guess. The super threw my stuff out, and gave my apartment away as soon as my rent fell behind."
He nodded. "But I have good news, too. I just came back from the store, where I got you a new phone."
She sighed in relief, reaching out for the offered plastic bag a little too gleefully. Mary Margaret was rubbing off on her.
As she opened the box, she thought about the memories that had begun to return to her. She was up to Summer of 2017, and she had finally figured out the reason she had pushed away August and Ruby. If she were honest with herself, she was stupidly trying to protect herself. Neal had been a fresh wound, and the idea of August finding Ruby and their dating and potential happiness just made Emma feel like she was going to explode. They were trying to be inconspicuous, but she saw it, and it felt like salt on the wound.
Instead of pulling up her big girl panties, she made up some story about wanting to date August herself, before running away and slamming the door on that bridge.
Now, she was glad she'd forgotten. It brought her friends back to her, gave her a chance to explain and apologize. August and Ruby had dated, yes, but they broke up around month six because they simply didn't fit right, and fell back on just being friends. If Emma had been patient, even hopeful for her friend's happiness, she wouldn't have lost either of them. It all felt so silly to her, jumping with only the insecurities talking in her ear.
It didn't matter anymore. She had her best friend back, and he was grinning as she saw the new phone in her hand. She may not be up to date with technology, as her memory wasn't fully restored, but she knew the brand. It was her preferred brand, and it seemed like it was brand new.
"You didn't have to.." She trailed off, feeling the onslaught of tears attempting to attack.
"Eh. It was free. There was a promotion, so I added it to my line. I expect a 6 pack every month to cover the cost."
Emma laughed, holding her hands out for a hug. It was weird, remembering things that happened a year ago feeling so fresh in her mind, yet seeing how different things actually were.
"Alright, cyg, I can't stay. Used my lunch break for this visit."
"I appreciate it." She squeezed before releasing him.
It took her a while to log into her account for the phone, letting the device sync to the cloud, and whatever she had saved from her last phone. When it was finally finished, she went exploring. First, checking her texts, which were few and far between. Then her contacts, looking for anyone she didn't recognize. When neither bore fruitful results, she checked the photos.
The last photo taken was the first to show up, making her catch her breath. It was a man in bed. It wasn't NSFW, just taken from his navel up, the patch of chest hair making her nipples hard. His head was turned toward the camera, a small smile barely visible - and Emma knew who it was. Rather, she knew it was the man from the hospital, who had left her the flowers.
She looked over, sad to see they had been since replaced by generic daisies. She liked daisies, but these weren't from him. She wondered why she cared. She scrolled through the photos, not seeing any other evidence of that man in her life. Was he in her life? Was he just a one night stand?
Oh shit. She quickly scrolled the opposite way, clicking on the photo of him for more details, finding the date and time it was taken - the morning of the accident. She'd slept with him right before -
She looked up, eyes wide at the sight of the man in question clearing his throat. He looked nervous, about to say something, but his breath let out instead.
"Come in." She prompted, hating how small her voice sounded. She quickly turned the phone's screen off, feeling her cheeks burn bright, setting the new device on the bed in front of her as he stopped by her bed, awkwardly holding a vase of lilies.
"It's nice to see you awake." He smiled charmingly, though she could see the nerves and anxiety behind his eyes. As much as she felt them herself.
Emma wasn't sure what to do - her first instinct was to yell her questions, find out if he was the father - her first instinct was anger.
But August and that whole ordeal was fresh on her mind, and she forced that instinct down to prevent a repeat offense. Without that instinct though, she had no idea how to behave.
"You can set those here, you know." She waved to the bedside table, letting a smile pull up one side of her mouth.
"Aye." He nodded sheepishly, moving the daisies to the dresser to place the lilies next to her bed. He stared at them a moment, before sitting in the seat next to her like he'd done that millions of times.
Had he?
"So." She cleared her throat. "I saw you leave me those last flowers."
"I didn't want to intrude."
"So they said."
His eyes fell to his lap, and hers to her hands. They had to start somewhere, right?
"So, I don't know if you know, but brain injury." She let out an awkward chuckle, pointing to her nearly-healed head. "My memories are coming back, but I still can't remember anything sooner than a year ago. How do I know you?"
His ears turned pink, and she couldn't help biting her bottom lip. He was adorable when he was flustered.
"Ah. Tough questions first, then." He gave her his own wry chuckle, shuffling in his seat to lean back more comfortably.
"You don't - you don't have to -"
"Aye, I do. I came to tell you just that."
She had to bite her lip for a new reason now, to keep from talking and to show more patience than she ever had before.
He nodded, looking at at her through his lashes. "We met the night before your accident." He said softly. "You came to my flat. We had a memorable evening. And I awoke to find you had left."
"We fucked."
He burst out laughing at her bluntness, and she couldn't keep from laughing herself.
"Aye, lass."
"They told me you visited me." She lied, cocking her head.
His eyes narrowed. "Liar." Her jaw dropped, though she was smiling. "Between Ariel and Mary Margaret? Fat chance you got anything out of them." So he knew her nurses names off the top of his head? "Though I did. Visit. I mean. I tried to find you for a week before I remembered the story of the accident. I was lucky you were admitted here, Dr. Whale is my friend."
"You got him to tell you I was here?"
He pulled out his phone, tapping and swiping for a moment, before turning it to her. It was a grainy photo of her, though it looked like it was from a security camera.
"That's all I had."
She rolled her top and bottom lips in between her teeth, biting them both as she let her head drop, opening her newly acquired phone, turning it to him when his likeness appeared.
"Bloody minx."
She grinned. "I just saw this a moment ago. My phone was totaled."
He raised an eyebrow, licking his lips as he sat back into his chair. "I'm glad it was the only thing totaled." He murmured, raising his eyes to hers. Emma's breath caught, the intensity behind his eyes starling her.
"Yeah. I wasn't the only thing that wasn't totaled." He sat up straight, clearly curious, uncertainty filling his eyes. "I'm pregnant." Rip off the band-aide.
His eyes grew comically wide, his mouth dropping in shock.
"Imagine my surprise. Sleep for three months, wake up pregnant and without any memories."
He shook his head, the new expression soft. "The baby alright?"
"As far as they can tell."
He nodded, bursting into laughter once again. "If you tell me the babe's not mine, I'm taking my book back." He nodded to the book on the side of her bed.
Emma just shook her head. "Well, considering I still can't remember.." She grinned at his playful glare.
Snowing
Mary Margaret glanced back from the nurses station, smiling at the sight of the two laughing again. That was going well. She grinned at Whale as he passed by, pointing behind her. He stopped, a rare smile gracing his lips at the sight.
"Um, hello." Mary Margaret turned quickly to the unfamiliar voice, seeing a tall man with sandy hair stand before her, a sheriff's badge on his hip.
"Hi!" She blurted out, feeling the blush attack her cheeks in an instant. "How can I help you?"
"There's a Greg Mendel here, right?" She checked the logs, finding him quickly, nodding to the Sheriff. "What room is he in?"
"Oh! Five-fifteen." He smiled gratefully, looking around a little confused. "Fifth floor." She added. "You're on three. Do you know where the elevator is?"
Frankenwolf
Whale just crossed his arms at her as she showed the Sheriff to the elevator, smiling as she glared at his pointed stare. Love was in the air, he supposed, glancing back at his friend and his patient, both of whom were still smiling at each other, just talking.
He was glad Killian finally showed up.
He pulled out the clipboard on the nurses station, checking some tasks off, trying to burn the remaining tasks into his brain so he could just leave the damn thing behind - a practice frowned upon by his upper management.
"Ooh. Looks like Emma's got herself a hot date."
He glanced up for a split second, noticing Emma's other friend - Ruby, he thought - had returned.
He continued on the task list. "As her doctor, I'd politely ask you to give them a minute." He murmured absentmindedly.
He couldn't help but notice her eyes light up, moving to wink at him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Is that daddy swan?" She sounded downright giddy.
"I wouldn't know." He fibbed, refocusing on his clipboard. He was only allowed to go by Emma's memories, which were returning to her, though nowhere near Killian's arrival in them.
She huffed. "You're no fun."
"I'm Dr. Whale-No-Fun at the moment. Try again when I'm just Victor."
She cocked her head, her eyes narrowing. "Uh-huh. That sounds like an invitation."
Damn, it did, didn't it? He shrugged in response, beginning to think he really needed to just bring the damn thing with him. "So what if it is?"
Her Cheshire smile was back. "Then I might just take you up on that offer."
He nearly dropped it then, his eyes unmoving from hers. He couldn't - wouldn't -
But Ruby was smiling at him like she knew he had just won the jackpot, and he really wanted the jackpot.
-x-x-x-
Killian's face was beginning to hurt from all the smiling he had done. The hour he had stayed in her conscious company was bloody brilliant, better than he remembered or imagined, and they had only talked. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened to him.
He crossed the street as the walking sign flashed, beginning to process the latest development. Emma was pregnant. A whole slew of emotions had begun to foster when she told him, but he pushed them all back until now, knowing certain emotions could come across as negative in a way he didn't intend.
He was walking on auto pilot, having walked these streets for nearly three months, trying to process his thoughts.
Naturally, the first thing he thought, was if the babe was his. He assumed it was likely, unless she was already pregnant when she met him.. he found he wasn't thrilled at that aspect. He wanted the baby to be his, surprised at himself upon the realization. He wanted a baby, and he wanted one with her -
The stranger. He sighed, waiting for another light to change. He was positive if they were married, been together years, he'd feel nothing but joy and love at being told of a baby en route, though with the ways things were, he was terrified this woman would disappear with the babe and he'd never see either again.
He liked her. The pull towards her was even stronger now, and he wanted to bring them, both, into a family unit and care for them. He wanted to fall for Emma. He wanted a child of his own. The possibility of this happening was tantalizingly close, just within his grasp, and he could already hurt at just the idea that it wouldn't happen.
Why the hell had Whale talked him into seeing her, again? Regret. Because, bloody bastard, must have known she was with child, and assumed it was Killian's. But the bastard didn't know for sure, and now Killian knew he would live in fear of losing the two blessings.
It would break his heart if he never had a chance with them.
When Killian reached his building, he stood outside, staring at the sidewalk where he had seen the car that hit her, struggling with the turmoil, knowing there was a good chance her and the babe would have disappeared forever if only she had walked away unscathed. Did that make him a terrible person for feeling grateful for the events that kept her in his life? Brought the possibility of family to him, the possibility of love.
Breathing deeply, disappointed in himself, he lumbered into the cool building, waving to Tiny, the security guard, before pressing the elevator.
None of this had been planned. And he wanted it all.