Belle put her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, while a grim-faced Killian rubbed his hands up and down Emma's biceps in an attempt to soothe her. Will said bluntly what they were all thinking. "The bloody bastard thinks you're his and wants to drag you to hell with him?"
Emma looked up at Killian, tears shining in her eyes. "Can he do that? Is it possible?"
"No, Love," he assured her. "Those movies where you see people being pulled kicking and screaming to the Underworld aren't factual. He may keep haunting you, but he can't physically take you somewhere against your will." He looked at Belle and Will. "I think we've all had enough for today. I'm going to walk Emma back to her apartment."
"We'll clear things away here while you do that, won't we, Belle?" Will stated.
She nodded her agreement and rose from her chair, moving to where Emma was slowly standing up, too. Taking her hands, Belle said, "Try not to worry about anything, Emma. These guys are good at what they do and I have no doubt that, in time, they'll be able to get Neal to move on." Then she wrapped her arms around the other woman in a warm hug.
"Thanks," Emma murmured, blinking back the tears threatening to fall. When Belle released her, she turned to Will and said, "And thank you, Will."
"Yer welcome," he replied, giving her a quick hug, too. "Like Belle said, don't you worry 'bout that git. Me and Kil, we'll take care of him once and for all. Ain't that right, Kil?"
"Aye," Killian said softly, intertwining his fingers with Emma's. "All you have to do is trust us and give us some time."
Emma sighed. "I hope it doesn't take too long. I'm ready to get back to my boring, ghost-free life."
Killian kept hold of her hand to lead her out of the room. Once they left his apartment, they meandered to her door, neither in a hurry to get there. Coming to a halt, he turned and faced her. "Are you going to be alright?"
She shrugged ever so slightly. "Until he's gone, I'm always going to be looking over my shoulder and thinking I hear something. This whole ordeal has made me paranoid and I hate it."
Nodding in understanding, he said, "I know, and I wish there was more I could do to help you."
"You're doing all you can and I truly appreciate it. I guess it pays to have a ghost hunter as a friend, huh?" she said, managing to give him a small smile.
He took a step closer, reaching up to brush some hair over her shoulder. "As I said before, I'm here for you, Emma - day or night. Please don't hesitate to call if you need me, okay?"
"You might regret that offer."
"Never. I wouldn't say it if I wasn't ready to follow up on it."
Her lips ticked up in another hint of a smile, then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Killian."
Holding her tightly, he rested his cheek against her silky hair. Having Emma Swan in his arms was something he had longed to do, so he decided to take advantage of the opportunity, despite how much he hated the circumstances.
After several long, comforting moments, Emma pulled away, looking up to give him one more grateful smile, before turning and going into her apartment. Killian stood staring at the closed door for a while, breathing a prayer that she would have a long period of respite from the imbecile who had made her life miserable for far too long.
XXXXXXXXX
Belle and Will were ready to walk out the door when he returned to his apartment. He bid them goodbye, taking note of how Will slung his arm across Belle's shoulders as they walked down the hallway.
He knew from experience that going straight to bed following a lengthy review of everything they collected during an all-nighter, wouldn't result in him being able to fall asleep. Instead, he went through his regular routine of getting something to eat, taking a long, hot shower, and making himself comfortable in loose sleep pants and a well-worn T-shirt. Then he settled into bed on his side, flipping through the pages of a magazine he kept on his nightstand.
His eyelids were just starting to droop, when he felt a familiar sensation. "Liam? Are you there?" he called out.
Sure enough, the apparition of his brother appeared in front of him. "Aye, little brother. I'm here."
Killian opted to ignore the moniker that irritated him so much. "I was just about to go to sleep. We had an all-nighter at Emma's apartment last night. Her ex-boyfriend provided us with a lot of stuff to analyze. He's definitely haunting her, and get this - from what we deciphered, he's determined to take her with him into the afterlife."
Liam chuckled. "He hasn't figured out it isn't possible, huh?"
"He's still an idiot," Killian sighed. "And I hate the effect he's having on her. Hated it while he was alive and hate it now that he's…"
"Dead," Liam finished for him. "You can say the word, you know. It's not going to bother me. I'm well aware of my state of being."
"I know, but I'd rather not think of you like that."
"Killian," Liam began, and Killian knew what his brother was about to say was serious. He rarely addressed him by his given name. It was almost always 'Killy' or 'little brother'. "You know the day is going to come when I'm no longer with you. I'm going to have to…"
"We don't need to talk about that," Killian interrupted.
"Well, it's going to happen, whether you want to face it or not. May I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why are you afraid of me moving on?"
"I'm not afraid," Killian said indignantly. "I just…I don't want to be left all alone."
"You wouldn't be alone. You have Will and that lovely lass, Belle…"
"Friends aren't the same as family."
"What about Emma?"
"What about her?" Killian hedged.
"If you were to marry her, she would be your family."
Killian flopped back onto his pillow, hands over his face. "Not this again," he said, voice muffled. "Why are you so insistent I ask her out?"
"Because I want to know you're happy before I move on."
"I'm not unhappy with my life," Killian defended.
"I never thought my brother would grow up to be a coward," Liam said.
Killian whipped his hands away from his face and sat up. "I'm not a coward! I have good reasons for not asking her out."
"Excuses, you mean. You forget that I saw how upset you were every time she went out with someone, and how it tore you apart when she started seriously dating that guy, Neal. She's a beautiful, fetching woman. Do you think she's going to remain available until you finally get up the nerve to ask her out yourself?"
Killian didn't answer, his head bowed and jaw ticking.
"Listen, little brother, I didn't mean to upset you. You know I love you and only want the best for you. I don't want to move on without knowing you're going to be okay."
"Then don't move on."
"Is that one of your excuses for not asking Emma out? You're afraid I'll move on?"
Killian looked up at his brother's translucent form. "That's your unfinished business, isn't it? Making sure I have someone here to love so I won't be alone. That's why you've pushed me so hard to ask Emma out."
"Took you long enough to figure it out," Liam said, his voice fading as it always did before he disappeared. "You might not want me to go, but you need to live your life among the living, not hanging on to me. Think about that. I'll see you soon, Killy. Love you."
"Love you, too, Liam."
Despite having gone through his established routine, it still took Killian a couple of hours to fall asleep after Liam left, his words ringing in Killian's ears.
XXXXXXXXX
For the next three days and nights, there was no paranormal activity, allowing Emma to have restful sleep. Ruby informed her that the crime lords' house of cards came tumbling down, and included a prominent judge, who was discovered to have planted a guard in the prison to take Neal out. There were several arrests and it appeared that Neal's death helped put numerous dangerous people behind bars.
Emma began to hope that Neal's unfinished business was to see justice done to those who were responsible for his death, and then he moved on. She informed Killian about everything that had happened, enabling him to join her in hoping her encounters with Neal were over.
Everything was beginning to feel almost back to normal, when the nightmares began again. Two nights of feeling as if she was being suffocated left her anxious and exhausted. After the second night, she texted Killian.
E: I thought the nightmares were over, but they came back. I had them for the last two nights.
His response was almost instantaneous.
K: We can do another all-nighter and try to talk to him again, if that's alright with you.
E: I'll do anything to get him to leave me alone.
Killian and Will set up the equipment again and were able to capture more light anomalies, evidence of an apparition in Emma's bedroom and more words on the spirit box which sounded like he kept repeating 'you're…mine.' Killian tried for over an hour to get the spirit to answer questions on the flux, to no avail.
When Emma sent another text stating that nothing changed, Killian and Will set up and ran the equipment for a third time a few nights later. When they arrived at Emma's apartment to prepare everything, Killian was taken aback at her appearance. Her complexion was sallow, her hair limp and lifeless. Her usually sparkling eyes were sunken and dull, and she told Killian and Will she had taken sick days the last two evenings because she didn't have the energy to work.
In the midst of them setting up, Emma left to use the bathroom. "I hate to say it, boss, but she looks bad," Will whispered.
"Aye, she does. We've got to get Neal to move on before he completely wears her down."
"D'ya think that's what he's tryin' to do? Keep comin' to her in her nightmares to drain her life force, like ghosts sometimes drain batteries?"
Killian's eyes shot up to meet his assistant's. "Bloody hell! I think you could be right, Will. I think his intention might be trying to make her so sick she dies, so he can take her with him!"
"Just like he said he's gonna do," Will spat disgustedly. "Are ya gonna tell her?"
Killian pondered the question, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. "I don't think so. She's almost ready to break as it is. Knowing our theory about what he's trying to do might just send her over the edge. We've got to give it our best shot tonight to get him to move on. If we're not successful…"
"We have to be," Will said decisively.
That night, it was nearly two AM before Emma finally fell into a fitful sleep. Killian was ready with the flux response device as soon as signs of Neal's appearance were seen and heard through their monitors.
He entered her bedroom, his heart nearly shattering when he saw how she was thrashing about in her sleep, a look of desperate fright on her face. Setting the device on the nightstand with hands that were trembling with rage, he once again knelt beside the bed and began asking questions.
"Are you Neal Cassidy?"
There was a long pause. Just when he thought he wasn't going to get an answer, the green light glowed.
"Do you know you are dead?" Green light.
"Do you know how you died?" Green light.
"Do you still have unfinished business?" Green light.
"Once you've completed your unfinished business, will you move on to your eternal home?"
He waited several minutes before asking the question again. As soon as he did, the green light flicked on.
"Is your unfinished business getting justice for your death?" Red light.
"Is it saying goodbye to your loved ones?" Red light.
Killian drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly, unwilling to ask the next question for fear of the answer he thought he might get.
"Is it…causing Emma to die?" After several tense moments, the green light lit up.
He cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to talk a spirit out of such an insane idea?
Tasting bile in his mouth, he swallowed hard, then asked, "Do you love Emma?" The response was immediate - a green light.
"Don't you want her to have a long, happy life?" No response.
He decided to rephrase the question. "Would you rather have her die and be with you than go on living?" Green light.
Sick, selfish bastard.
Killian was done asking questions. He needed to somehow persuade Neal to move on.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you, and Emma told me she is, too. I don't know if you're aware of this, but the men who caused your death have been arrested and are going to be held accountable. The whole crime ring is toppling and they won't be able to kill anyone else like they killed you."
"It's time for you to move on, Neal. Your plan to take Emma with you won't work. Look at her." He gestured to where she lay wrestling on the bed. "All you're doing is causing her to be exhausted and miserable. She doesn't want to die…"
His breath was stolen away, as what felt like a cold blast of air passed through him. The room went completely still and he realized Emma was no longer struggling or whimpering. He stood and looked down at her, then sat beside her on the bed, smoothing her tangled hair away from her face. "Sleep now, Swan," he whispered.
He was tucking the sheets around her, when Will cracked open the door and stuck his head in. "I think he's gone, boss," he said softly. "All the instrument readings are normal again. Should I pack up, or continue to monitor?"
"Let's keep monitoring for another hour or so, just to see if he comes back. I'll be out in a minute."
Will nodded and closed the door with a soft click. Killian looked down at Emma again, surprised to see her eyes open. Her hand snuck out from under the sheet and gripped his wrist. "Please don't leave me," she rasped.
"We think Neal may have moved on."
"I heard, but I still don't want to be alone."
"We'll stay the rest of the night," he assured her. "We'll be out in the living…"
"No," she interrupted, beginning to sit up. "Stay here with me. Please, Killian."
Her pleading nearly undid him. He cupped her cheek, lightly stroking it with his thumb. "Alright, Love, relax. I'll stay right here, I promise."
She laid back down, but didn't let go of his wrist or close her eyes. "Killian?" she said, her voice smaller than he had ever heard it.
"Aye?"
"Will…will you hold me?"
He blinked, absorbing what she was asking of him. Then he quickly toed off his shoes and laid down beside her on top of the covers. Without hesitation, she moved into his open arms, tucking herself tightly against his chest.
He slid one arm underneath her and wrapped both around her rigid form, murmuring reassuring words into her hair. It took several minutes, but he finally felt the tension begin to recede and heard her breathing deepen and even out.
Will peeked in again. "Do ya want me to turn off the video camera, Kil?"
Killian didn't turn to look at him. "You can leave it on," he whispered.
"Okay. I'll stay awake and keep an eye on things. You can sleep if you want."
"Thanks, Will."
Then, holding the woman who held his heart, he took Will up on his offer.
XXXXXXXXX
Emma awoke slowly the next morning, her foggy brain trying to figure out what felt different. When she tried to move and wasn't immediately able to, she began to panic, pushing at the solid body in front of her.
"It's okay, Swan. It's okay," a deep voice soothed. At the same time she felt the arms around her loosen.
As soon as it registered that it was Killian, she exhaled his name in relief, then said, "You stayed."
"Aye, Love. Will packed up the equipment and left a couple of hours ago. I didn't want you to wake up alone."
She pulled away to look at him. "Thank you. I haven't slept that well since Neal..."
"I'm glad to hear it," Killian interrupted, making no move to let go of her and get out of bed.
She rested her cheek against his chest again. "Do you…do you think he's really gone?"
"I told him to move on and that's when I thought I felt him leave, which the equipment verified. Whether he's gone for good, though - only time will tell."
Emma sighed deeply and sat up, running her hands through her unruly hair. "Were you able to communicate with him at all? With that spirit box or flux capacitor thing?"
Killian swung around to sit on the side of the bed, chuckling. "I think you have my show mixed up with 'Back to the Future', Swan."
"You didn't answer my question."
It was his turn to sigh. "He did respond to quite a few questions I asked using the flux response device."
When he didn't continue, she said, "Are you going to tell me now, or will we watch it on the video later?"
"Um…" Killian stalled, trying to decide which option would cause Emma less pain. He felt her hand on his back and turned to look at her over his shoulder.
"Killian, what aren't you telling me?"
Shifting on the bed to face her, he forced himself to meet her eyes. "I found out his unfinished business."
"Which is…?"
His gaze shifted to where her hand rested on the bed. Taking it in his own, he concentrated on their linked fingers. "He's…he's, uh, planning to somehow cause you to die, so he can take you with him into the afterlife."
"What the actual FUCK?" Emma exploded, gripping his hand so hard, he winced in pain. "He…he can't…can he really do that?"
"It's unlikely…"
"But not impossible?"
"Look how exhausted you are because of the nightmares. You haven't even been able to work the last couple of days. Exhaustion can lead to serious illness, so while it's improbable, it's not entirely impossible."
He watched her carefully as she digested what he said. Then she looked at him with glassy eyes and said flatly, "He's not gone."
"Emma…"
"No, Killian. I know he's not gone. He wouldn't give up that easily. You witnessed firsthand how persistent he was after I broke up with him. He's obsessed with me, and being dead obviously hasn't changed that. How am I gonna get away from him? Telling him to move on hasn't worked…"
"Me telling him may not have worked, but you telling him you don't want to die might," Killian said thoughtfully.
"How am I supposed to do that when he only comes to me while I'm sleeping?"
Killian ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I wish I had an answer for that. I'll talk to Belle and Will about it today. Maybe together, we'll come up with an idea." Slowly, he stood to his feet. "I should probably go home. Will was going to crash at my place for a few hours, then we were going to review what we collected. Do you want to be there when we do?"
Emma chewed on her thumbnail, pondering. "No," she decided. "You already told me about his plan. Hearing it once was enough."
"I understand completely." He studied her for several moments. "Are you going to be okay?"
She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. "I think so, at least for today. Now that I got some sleep, I should be able to go back to work this afternoon."
"Alright, then." He picked up his shoes and moved to the doorway, turning to give her a smile. After he opened the door and stepped through, he heard her call his name. Poking his head back in the room, he asked, "Aye?"
"Thank you for staying with me last night. I just really didn't want to be alone."
"It was no hardship at all, believe me. I'll talk to you later, yeah?"
"Yeah. Let me know if you figure out anything. Thanks again, Killian. For everything."
"My pleasure, Love."
XXXXXXXXX
When he entered his apartment, he could hear voices coming from his office. He tossed his shoes in the living room, went into the kitchen to start the coffee maker, then walked down the hall.
He stopped short just before he went through the doorway, catching Will's words.
"...was wondering if ya might, uh, might be interested in goin' out with me."
Killian took a step backward to be sure he wouldn't be spotted and ruin the moment. There was a short pause, during which he held his breath, hoping that, no matter what Belle's answer was, Will's heart wouldn't get broken.
"I was beginning to think you were never going to ask," she said.
"Are ya sayin' yes?" Will asked, and Killian could hear the nervous hopefulness in his friend's voice.
"Yes, I'm saying yes," Belle said with a giggle. "I would love to go out with you, Will."
"It's about bloody time," Killian said, entering the room to see the couple embracing. They turned around to look at him, both with wide smiles on their faces.
"Were you eavesdroppin' on us, boss?" Will asked. He tried to sound indignant, but was too happy to be successful.
"Technically, it's my apartment, so I'm entitled to listen to anything going on here."
"I'm not sure that's an actual rule," Will grumbled good-naturedly.
"My home, my rules," Killian grinned.
"Will tells me you got a lot of responses on the flux overnight," Belle said, effectively changing the subject.
Killian dropped down into a chair with a heavy sigh. "Aye. Has he told you any of Cassidy's responses?"
"No, we were just cueing up the video to watch it when you came in."
"Got sidetracked, huh?" Killian teased.
Belle and Will's faces both reddened. "Maybe we should talk about how ya spent the night in Emma's bed," Will said.
"What?" Belle exclaimed, whipping her head around to look at Killian. "How did that happen?"
Killian scratched behind his ear. "After the apparition left, she asked me to stay because she didn't want to be alone. She wanted me to hold her and the only way I could do that was to lay in bed with her, but all we did was sleep."
Belle gave him an understanding look. "Poor Emma. Will told me you think Neal's spirit may have moved on. What do you think? Is he gone for good?"
"Sadly, Emma doesn't think so, and neither do I. The guy wouldn't take no for an answer when she broke it off with him, and now that we've learned what his plan is, we're sure he's not going to give up easily."
"What's his plan?" Belle asked.
"Let's watch the video and you'll find out," Killian said, swiveling in his seat to face the monitor.
She nodded and tapped the space bar to wake the computer up, while Will took his place behind her chair. She clicked the play button and they saw Emma's bedroom on the screen.
"This is just before her nightmare started," Will said. "We should see evidence of that asshole's ghost entering the room pretty soon. Pardon my language, Belle."
"There's no need to apologize. In this case, I completely agree with that assessment."
They focused their attention back on the screen, and within a couple of minutes, saw a streak of light appear in the left side of the room. It seemed to pass through Emma's sleeping form on the bed and they heard her let out a soft cry.
"You'll see me come in soon," Killian said.
Sure enough, Emma's bedroom door opened and he entered with the flux response device. The three of them watched in silence as the exchange between Killian and the apparition took place.
When it ended, Belle paused the video and turned to look at the men, a look of incredulity on her face. "He has no regard for her life or what she wants? And he claims to love her? I think calling him an asshole is being far too kind!"
"Agreed," Killian said.
"You truly don't think he's gone, boss?" Will asked.
"No," Killian sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I probably just pissed him off, so he left. I think Emma is going to have to be the one who tells him to move on, but he's only there when she's asleep. She can't talk to him then because in her nightmares, she feels like she's tied up and gagged. I told her I would ask the two of you if you have any ideas."
They contemplated for several moments before Will declared, "That's a head-scratcher. I'll have to give it some thought, after I get some sleep."
"I'll think about it, too," Belle said. "I just came over this morning to see the new material from last night. I've been editing and putting together what we have so far. This is going to be the longest episode we've ever had. We might have to split it in two."
"I hope we won't have much more to add to it," Killian grumbled. "I want this to be over, for Emma's sake."
XXXXXXXXX
Once Belle and Will left, Killian went through his regular routine, but had trouble falling asleep. He was sure it was because he slept for a few hours at Emma's, added to the fact that he had so much on his mind.
He didn't have a clue how to solve the problem of getting Neal to leave. Even if Emma was able to talk to him, that didn't guarantee he would heed her plea. After all, he didn't listen while he was alive, when she told him to leave her alone.
Killian finally dozed off on his couch late in the afternoon, waking up just after ten PM. After fixing himself a sandwich, he grabbed a beer and wandered back to his office to review some of the footage they had collected, hoping to find something they missed that might spark an idea.
An hour later, he was in the midst of repeatedly replaying the video from the previous night, when a scream caused him to jump, knocking over the nearly empty beer at his elbow. He quickly righted it before it spilled over his equipment, then got to his feet. "Emma," he gasped, once his brain registered what he just heard.
He took off running through the apartment and was halfway out the front door, before realizing he needed the key for Emma's apartment. Spinning around, he skidded into the kitchen, yanked open his junk drawer and began digging through it.
"Fuck!" he cursed, flinging miscellaneous items onto the counter as he searched frantically. Finally locating the key, he dashed out the door and over to Emma's apartment. As he fumbled with getting the key into the lock, he heard another scream.
Once he got the door open, he ran to her bedroom to find her splayed out on the bed, her head agitatedly rolling from side-to-side, arms and legs thrashing about. She was choking out moans that were heartbreaking to hear.
Killian had purposely kept himself from touching her while they were recording, knowing it could awaken her and ruin chances of getting usable information. This time, however, he ached to bring her out of the nightmare that seemed to be causing her so much pain.
He shouted, "Swan! Emma! Wake up, Love!" then sat on the bed, grabbing both of her shoulders.
As soon as he touched her, a strange sensation that felt like a slight electrical current passed over him and his eyes slammed shut. When he tentatively opened them a few moments later, he was shocked to find himself in an alternate reality. He was able to see things fairly clearly, but it was like looking through a textured glass. Everything looked slightly distorted, as if he was in a Salvador Dali painting.
As the shock began to wane, he looked around and spotted Emma standing mutely in front of him. She was facing away from him, but he could tell by her slumped form, she was debilitated. He called out to her, but she showed no signs of hearing him. He moved until he was facing her. She stared blankly off into space and he realized she was in a trance, unable to respond.
Then he heard someone speaking, chanting something over and over. Concentrating harder, Killian was able to make out the words.
You're mine, Ems.
You belong to me.
I'm taking you with me.
You'll be happier with me.
Just let go of your sad, lonely life and come with me.
Neal Cassidy, the selfish son of a bitch, was holding Emma captive in her nightmare, trying to coerce her to end her life and join him.
Killian became enraged. "Emma!" he hollered, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. "Don't listen to him! Wake up and come back to me!"
Suddenly, Neal's apparition appeared over Emma's shoulder, teeth bared and eyes blazing. "You can't have her!" he screamed maniacally. "She's coming with me! She's MINE!"
"Leave her alone!" Killian replied. Judging by Neal's reaction, he realized that, unlike Emma, Neal could hear him. "Can't you see she doesn't want to come with you? She has a life and wants to keep living it!"
"I don't give a fuck what she wants! I want her and I'll have her!"
"Stop torturing her, you sick bastard! You're dead! Move on!"
With a primal screech, Neal came at Killian, circled around him, then flew off and disappeared, trailing a string of expletives behind him.
Silence descended and Killian blinked, finding himself once again in Emma's bedroom, still grasping her shoulders. Her body was unmoving, but her eyes remained tightly closed, giving her face a pinched, pained expression.
"Swan," he said, gently shaking her. "You can open your eyes now. Your nightmare is over."
Slowly, her face relaxed and, at last, she was looking at him. Then, she was in his arms.
"Shh, shh, it's alright," he crooned, as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I've got you, Love."
"Wh- how…oh, how are you here?" she asked, voice breaking with emotion.
He buried his nose in the crook of her neck. "I heard you scream, so I used my key to come in. I hope you don't mind."
"I don't care, I don't care. I'm just glad you're here," she cried.
Killian pulled her into his lap so he could hold her more tightly. Her sobs gradually lessened and her body sagged against him. "I…I can't take this much longer," she whispered.
"I know, but you have to stay strong. We're going to get this figured out, I swear."
"Why can't he just leave me alone?"
"Because he's twisted and demented. I told him you want to keep living your life, but he said he doesn't care what you want…"
She pulled back to look at him. "He talked to you? You mean through that flux thingy?"
Killian could feel the heat creeping into his face. This wasn't the way he planned to tell her. He was hoping to have time to prepare her before he told her about his experience.
Reaching up to rub a finger behind his ear, he explained haltingly, "I, um, when I came into your bedroom, you were thrashing about on the bed. I tried to calm you by putting my hands on your shoulders. When I touched you, I was…I was drawn into your nightmare somehow. I could see you and talk to you, but in your dream, you were in some sort of…trance. It was like you were frozen. You couldn't respond to me."
He paused and swallowed hard at the look of absolute shock on her face. Her mouth hung open, her breathing labored. When she didn't speak, he continued. "Neal…he…his spirit…was there. We could see and hear each other. He was…he kept trying to get you to go with him. He was completely unhinged. When I told him to leave you alone and move on, he screamed and vanished, but I…I'm sure he's not going to give up."
"You…you were in my nightmare? How the hell were you able to do that?"
"I don't really know," he confessed. "I…I've always had a…an ability to sense paranormal activity. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's a gift or a curse, but maybe that has something to do with it. I've never been able to be immersed into a dream like that before, though." What he was thinking, but wasn't going to say, was that his emotional connection to Emma might have something to do with it.
She heaved a sigh and rested her head against his chest. "Why did I ever get involved with that idiot? I have such terrible taste in men."
"Perhaps you just haven't met the right one yet."
"Well, when I do, I can just imagine how it's going to go. 'I'll marry you, but oh, by the way, I'm being haunted by my jackass ex-boyfriend, so there's that'."
He chuckled, running his hand up and down her back. "At least you still have your sense of humor, Swan."
Suddenly, she sat up straight. "Wait a minute. If you were able to get into my dream, couldn't you do it again and figure out a way to break me out of that trance? Maybe that's why he keeps hanging around - because I haven't been able to respond to him. If I can, I'll tell him there's no way I'm going with him."
Killian pulled his bottom lip between his teeth in contemplation. "I suppose it's worth a try. I wonder if Cassidy is somehow causing you to fall into a trance to make brainwashing you easier. Perhaps if I'm here with you from the very beginning of your nightmare, I can prevent that from happening."
"You would be willing to do that?"
"Of course, Emma. I'll do whatever it takes to help you. I would have to stay here overnight, though. Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah, that's fine. You stayed last night and were a perfect gentleman."
"Well, I'm always a gentleman," he grinned.
She laughed, then sobered a bit. "The thing is, I don't have a nightmare every night. I'm sure Neal is the source of them and if he doesn't show up, I might get a good night's sleep."
"I understand. With your permission, I'll plan on being here every night until we have a chance to test our theory."
"I don't have a problem with that, as long as you're okay with it."
"I am," he assured her. "The way he took off, I really don't think he'll be back any more tonight, though."
She nodded and climbed off his lap. "I'll let you go home and get some sleep, and I'll try to do the same."
Killian stood up, turning to face her. Unable to help himself, he cupped her chin in his hand and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'll plan to be here tomorrow night. If you need me before then, please don't hesitate to contact me."
"Okay. Thanks, Killian," she said. "You're such a good friend."
He fought to keep the smile on his face, deflated that she obviously only thought of him as a friend. "Goodnight, Emma. I'll see you tomorrow."
Once he got back to his apartment, he went through his nightly routine and went to bed, where he lay wide awake, thinking about all that transpired at Emma's. He had just decided to take his mind off of it by going into the living room to watch TV, when he heard the familiar sound of Liam's voice.
"Greetings, little brother."
"It's pretty late for a visit from you," Killian commented, sitting up in bed.
"Sometimes I pop in to see if you're awake."
"You mean there are times I miss visits from you because I'm asleep?"
"I always come back the next day. Why are you awake tonight?"
Killian pushed a hand through his hair. "Something really strange happened tonight and I'm trying to make sense of it."
Liam's apparition moved closer, but didn't touch Killian. In the past, if he came in contact with his brother, it caused an uncomfortably cold chill. "You look very shaken. Can you tell me about it?"
"Last night, Will and I were doing another all-nighter at Emma's…"
"That wanker's ghost is still giving her trouble, then?"
"Aye, but I was finally able to get some answers from him on the flux response device last night. Basically, he admitted that he wants Emma to die so he can take her with him."
"That's nigh impossible, isn't it?"
"He's causing her to have nightmares and she's utterly exhausted. You should see her, Liam. She's still beautiful, but him haunting her is wearing her out physically, mentally and emotionally. She had to take a couple of days off work because she has no energy. If this keeps up, I'm afraid she's going to end up becoming very ill."
"Which could lead to…"
"Please don't say it," Killian interrupted. "I don't even want to think that way. Anyway, I tried to tell him he needs to move on and I felt his spirit leave the room. When Emma woke up, she asked me to stay with her."
"Don't tell me you refused, little brother."
"Of course I didn't. She needed me, so I stayed the rest of the night. And before you ask, yes, I was in her bed, and no, nothing happened, except that we both got a good night's sleep."
"Sometimes I wish I wouldn't have insisted on you being such a gentleman."
"Do you wan't to hear the rest of the story, or not?" Killian asked peevishly. "You're never here very long and if you keep interrupting, I won't be able to tell you everything."
"Sorry," Liam said, making a circling motion with his finger. " Continue."
"I told Emma about Neal's plan. She was understandably upset, but being the brave lass she is, she carried on with her day and so did I." He ran both hands through the sides of his hair again, tugging slightly on the ends. "Then around eleven tonight, I was doing some work in my office when I heard a scream coming from Emma's apartment. I ran over there and let myself in. She was in the midst of a nightmare, and when I grabbed hold of her to try to wake her up, I was pulled into it."
"Into what?"
"Her nightmare. I could see her, but she couldn't see or hear me. She appeared to be in a trance-like state. Neal was there and he could see and hear me. The two of us had a bit of a row and he took off in a rage."
"He moved on?"
"No, I don't think so. He's a stubborn S.O.B. and he's determined not to move on without Emma."
"That was the strange occurrence you mentioned?"
"That was part of it. I told Emma what happened, which came as a shock to her, of course. Then she had an idea. She wants me to try to get into her dream again, to break her out of the trance somehow. That would give her a chance to convince Neal to move on."
"Will you be able to do it? Get into her dream again, I mean."
"I don't even know how I did it tonight. I guess touching her had something to do with it, combined with my abilities with paranormal phenomena. I'm hoping being with her from the onset of her nightmare will allow me to keep her from being put into a trance."
"What if it doesn't?" Liam asked. "Do you have a plan B?"
Killian shrugged. "Not really. Shouting at her and snapping my fingers in front of her face didn't have any effect on her."
"Perhaps you could try a true love's kiss."
"You're hilarious, Liam. And also not very helpful."
"I'm not trying to be funny. True love's kiss is supposed to be strong enough to break any curse."
"Yeah, in fairy tales. In case you've forgotten, this is real life," Killian grumbled.
"I guess I've been dead too long to remember what real life is like."
Killian looked stricken. "I'm sorry, Liam. I didn't mean it like that."
"I know, brother.I was only joking. Think about what I said and tuck it in your pocket for a backup plan."
Liam's voice was fading fast and Killian knew his time with his brother was coming to an end. "I'll try it if I'm desperate enough. Thanks for your help, Liam. I don't know what I would do without you."
"You don't need me. You're smart enough to figure it out by yourself. I have to go, Killy. Love you."
"Love you, too, Liam."
Then he was alone in his bedroom again, thoughts swirling even more than before his brother's appearance. Giving up on trying to go to sleep, he tossed back the covers and went out to the kitchen. After getting a glass of water, he settled on the couch and flipped on the TV.
He had just selected a crime drama show to watch, when his phone buzzed on the coffee table. His brow furrowed, wondering who would be texting him this late. Picking it up, he saw a notification from Emma.
E: You asleep?
Quickly, he typed a reply.
K: No, I can't turn off my brain.
E: Lol. Me neither.
K: Do you want to talk?
E: Maybe. Do you mind if I come over?
K: Not at all.
He had just gotten the door unlocked, when there was a light tapping on the other side. He pulled it open to reveal Emma, dressed in sleep shorts and an oversized T-shirt.
"Hey," she greeted quietly. "Are you sure you don't mind? It is nearly 1:30 in the morning."
"I'm sure. I was getting ready to watch a show. Do you want to watch it, or would you rather talk?"
She shrugged. "I'm not really in the mood for television."
He picked up the remote and hit the power button to turn it off. "Can I get you something to drink, or a snack, or both?"
"Water would be great. Do you have any Cheez-its?"
"I always have Cheez-its, because a certain neighbor of mine is obsessed with them."
As he turned to head into the kitchen, he heard her call after him, "You're a good man, Killian Jones."
He returned moments later to find her sitting with her back against the arm of the couch, legs stretched out in front of her. He handed her the water, set the box of snack crackers on the coffee table, then sat down on the opposite end of the sofa.
She moaned as he pulled her bare feet into his lap and began massaging them. On the odd occasion when she worked an afternoon shift at the hotel and later they shared a pizza over a movie, he found that she adored foot massages. As he rubbed and kneaded every part of her delicate feet and ankles, she purred like a contented cat, proclaiming his hands to be magic. He loved giving her those moments of pleasure and longed to use his magic hands on other parts of her enticing body.
She took a drink of water, set the bottle down and picked up the box of Cheez-its. Popping a couple into her mouth, she offered him the box, but he shook his head. "Suit yourself," she said. "More for me."
The room was quiet for several minutes, save the crunching sounds Emma was making.
"Can I ask you something?" she finally said.
"You just did."
"Haha, funny guy. Earlier tonight, you said you've always had a gift for sensing paranormal activity. How did you figure out you could do that?"
"When I was a young lad, my mother found me talking to someone she couldn't see. She thought I had made up an imaginary friend, and didn't think much of it. Small children do that, you know. But one day I asked her why our neighbor, Mr. Shaw, always looked so sad, didn't bring us sweets anymore, and entered our flat through the wall. I was shocked when she said he had passed away, because I could clearly see him."
"Did she figure out that you were seeing a ghost?"
"I'm not sure, but I do know after that, whenever she heard me talking to someone whom she couldn't see, she would ask who it was. Several times, it was a person who recently died. Sometimes she would see me staring off into space and ask if I could see someone. She never made a big deal of it, just treated it like it was a normal thing. When she passed, I saw her soul leave her body and drift upwards. By that time, I had realized my ability wasn't normal, and at that moment, I was very glad I had it. That way I could tell my brother Liam she went to Heaven."
Emma leaned forward to rub his shoulder. "That must have been very special, but also terrifying."
"That's a good way to put it."
"If you can see ghosts, why do you have to use all of that equipment?"
One hand moved from massaging her feet, to scratch behind his ear. "It seems that I can only see them if I have a close connection to them. Mr. Shaw, our babysitter Mrs. Lucas, Mum, Liam…"
"How long ago did Liam die?" she asked solemnly.
"He was killed six years ago."
"So his spirit appeared to you after he, um, passed away?"
Killian nodded, his eyes not meeting hers.
"Did you get to see his spirit move on to Heaven, too? Like you did your mother's?"
He began massaging her feet again as he contemplated how to answer. He had never told anyone about being able to see and speak to his brother's spirit, but now that he'd told Emma this much…well, in for a penny, in for a pound.
"He, uh, he hasn't moved on yet."
She sat up a little straighter. "How do you know that?"
"Because," he began, then looked up to make eye contact with her, "he still comes to see me."
Her eyes widened. "He does?" She started looking around the room, "Is he here right now?"
"No," he chuckled, a bit relieved she seemed to take it so well. "He drops in sporadically, but can never stay long."
"Why not?"
"I think it takes a lot of his paranormal energy to appear and talk to me and…"
"He talks to you, too? Do you have to use your equipment to hear him?"
"No, I did originally buy it to communicate with him, but he was able to figure out a way to actually talk to me. I think he somehow channels his energy to do that, so it gets sapped quickly."
"The fact he hasn't moved on means he has unfinished business, doesn't it?"
"Aye, it does."
"Do you know what it is?"
Killian dropped his eyes once again, rubbing his thumb along the arch of her foot. "He's always been my protector. He won't move on until he knows I'm happy," he answered, a bit vaguely.
"You seem happy to me."
He forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I have friends and a job I really enjoy, so I'm content."
"Being content isn't the same as being happy," Emma pointed out.
"No, I don't suppose it is," he agreed. "But it's not as if I'm unhappy."
"Do you think you'll ever be ready for him to move on?" she asked quietly.
He tried to think of an answer that didn't make him out to be incredibly selfish. "After Mum died, Liam was my only family. Our father deserted us when I was a baby and we never saw him again. After I lost Liam, I was a mess. I moved to the United States because I thought getting away from where I experienced so much sadness would help. It did, to a certain degree, but when Liam started making appearances, I guess I became somewhat dependent on him again. I just…I don't want to be by myself."
"But you have people who care about you, Killian. You have Will, Belle…"
"You?"
She smiled. "Yes, me. I think this whole experience with Neal has made us closer, don't you?"
"Well, nothing draws people together better than trying to get someone's ex-boyfriend's ghost to move on," he quipped.
They fell quiet for a while as she munched more Cheez-its and he continued lightly rubbing her feet. "Can I ask you something else?" she finally said. "And don't say I already did."
He laughed. "Sure."
"I don't claim to know everything you do all the time. I try not to be a nosy neighbor, but it seems like you never…go out with anyone. On a date."
The tips of his ears felt like they were burning. "I, uh, I don't."
"Why not?"
He shrugged, his eyes fixed on the chipped red polish on her toe nails.
"I mean, I bet you could have just about any woman you want," she added.
His heart began hammering so hard, he was sure she could hear it. "Why do you say that?" he blurted out.
"You're a great listener, very sweet and helpful, easy on the eyes…and you give great foot massages. What's not to love?"
Her choice of that phrase made him swallow hard. "Perhaps, like you, I just haven't found the right woman yet. Or… maybe I just haven't worked up the nerve to ask her out."
Her brows rose. "Sounds like you already have someone in mind."
He sucked in a breath, knowing what he said next would inevitably change their relationship. He simply didn't know if it would be for better or worse. Shifting on the couch so he could fully face her, he looked her in the eyes and said, "Don't you know, Emma? It's you."
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