A/N: Thank you so much for the follows and the reviews! This story is very near and dear to my heart and I am so thrilled it is being received so well. To answer the question from Alexa, No but wouldn't it be great if life worked that way? Milah and Walsh will be getting what they deserve soon! I do not own OUAT or the wonderful characters, but the story is all my own.

Chapter 4- Realization

The afternoon was a whirlwind. Emma and David went and got her number changed and then to the court house. She filed for divorce from Walsh and David put a restraining order on him for her. Once he got served divorce papers, Emma knew things were going to get really ugly.

Emma saw Elsa for a minute at work and got smothered in a hug with tears. Emma filled Elsa in, showed her the bruise on her eye, and let her know about the events of the afternoon. She didn't think she had ever seen Elsa so mad in her entire life, and that's saying something considering Elsa had a temper. Emma left with the promise from Elsa that her and Liam would be joining them this evening.

Emma met with her siblings after school at home and Anna and Neal were so happy to see her. She filled them in on what happened, knowing now that she was staying in the house it would be hard for her to keep anything from them. Neal was angry, very angry. Emma had to talk him down from going to Boston for about twenty minutes. When she brought up that she was going out with her friends tonight, Anna offered to help her with her makeup. She was a super girly girl and was good at those types of things, where Emma was most definitely not.

Emma was now getting ready to head to Regina's. She was wearing a sleeveless black leather mini dress with a high neck. She had on black tights and heeled black boots to pull it all together. Anna had worked her magic on her makeup and was able to cover her black eye most of the way. She gave her subtle smoky eyes, and a red lip to make it pop. Her cut lip was still visible under her lipstick, being the one thing, they couldn't hide. Her blonde locks were in loose curls tumbling down her back. She checked the time, gave herself a once over in the mirror, and grabbed her purse to leave.

As she headed out, she called out to David, the rest of the family was out.

"Bye Dad. I'm heading to Regina's."

"Ok, pumpkin. Be safe. Call if you need a ride." David called back.

"Will do."

Emma got into her bug and headed out.

Killian and Milah were sharing dinner in awkward silence. She was babbling about some wedding details she decided without him, and his thoughts were on Emma and the night to come. He was nervous, he didn't know what was going to happen. But, avoiding her would not be an option. Even in school they had the same group of friends plus Emma was best friends with his sister. The disadvantages of being from a small town.

"Killian, are you even listening to me?" Milah broke him from his thoughts.

"Yes, dear. Sorry I was thinking about work."

"Oh, Well I was saying that we need to talk to the caterer because I will NOT have fish as an option."

Of course, Killian thought. Fish was the one thing I actually wanted. He plastered on his best smile, "Whatever you desire, love."

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Milah asked him

Oh shit. He forgot to tell her. "Actually darling, I have plans with Liam."

"Why?!"

"Because he is my brother. Last I checked it was ok to make plans with my brother without permission."

"But you work with him, why do you need to see him more?"

Killian had a strong urge to bang his head against the table but refrained. "Milah, I am not having this argument again. I have plans with my brother tonight. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I spaced it."

"Well are you drinking?" Milah sneered at him.

"I don't know yet love, why?" Killian told her a little white lie. He didn't want to tell her where he was going because he knew she would show up and that is the last thing anyone, especially Emma, needed to deal with.

"Well if you drink, you will come to bed this time to satisfy me."

Killian nodded and finished his meal in silence. He took his phone out and texted Liam.

Killian: I'm heading over. I need to get out of here.

Liam: Wonderful! We'll see you shortly little brother.

Killian kissed Milah goodbye and got on his bike. He needed to talk to his brother.

Emma arrived at Regina's new house at 6:58 pm. Now that Regina was mayor, she got to live in the Mayor's mansion, and it was huge white house with two columns out front. Emma got out of her car and walked up the pathway. She knocked on the giant door and waited.

Regina appeared a moment later, wearing a leather skirt, a figure-hugging red tank top, and heeled knee-high boots.

"Wow, right on time. Must be a first for you." Regina sassed.

"Ha. Ha." Emma retorted following her inside. "Nice house by the way."

"I know right? Comes with the job."

As Emma and Regina came up the stairs toward the Kitchen, the smell of lasagna and Italian bread assaulted her nose and cause her mouth to water. This was one of those things that made her feel at home.

"You made your lasagna?"

"Of course. It's not every day my best friend is allowed to come home."

Emma stuck her tongue out at Regina as a voice echoed from behind her. "Emma!" She turned around and saw Robin, Regina's husband walking toward her.

"Hey Robin!" Emma exclaimed as he pulled her in for a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"Likewise, my friend." Robin pulled back as he scanned her face.

"This eye," Emma pointed. 'It's just covered by makeup."

"Ah yes I can see it a little." Robin's gaze darkened in anger. "Well, either way it's good to have you home."

"Where is Roland?"

"He's with Granny already." Regina's voice sounded from the kitchen. "Emma do you want wine?"

"Duh." she responded with a laugh as she and Robin made their way to the dining room to eat.

As they sat down together, Emma and Regina filled Robin in on the entirety of events that happened to her coming home, and Emma filled them on the events of the afternoon. From running into Killian, the phone call, and everything else that happened too.

"Leave it to you to run into Killian when the rest of us barely seem him." Regina laughed.

"I know right? Just my luck I see him after four years with a bruised eye and a split lip."

"Well we worry about him." Robin commented.

"Why?"

Robin took a deep breath and laid his fork down. "Milah is..."

"A bitch." Regina interrupted.

"Not what I was going to say, but yes. She's not good to him. She is very mentally abusive, and he can't see it. She is controlling. The house they live in is the house Killian bought after he got out of the halfway house. We're afraid that one they get married she is going to take him for everything he's got."

"Is her name on the house?" Emma asked quietly.

"No. It his solely his which is why they have to be married for a while before she can take it."

"Why did he get engaged to her in the first place?"

Regina and Robin shared a look across the table, but not quick enough Emma didn't catch it.

"Guys? What are you not telling me?"

Regina cleared her throat and took a drink of wine. "Emma, he found out about your marriage. He was so heart broken."

"He thought he had lost his chance," Robin continued. "Especially after the messages you sent him."

"What messages?" Emma demanded.

"Emma, he texted you two years ago begging for your forgiveness. He wanted you back and he wanted to start over. You texted him back and told him he was a worthless, cheating criminal and that you could never love him again. Don't you remember?" Regina asked.

"It killed him." Robin said softly.

Emma felt like she had been punched in the gut and felt a little bit nauseous. That wasn't her. If Killian had ever told her he wanted her back, she would have gone to him in a heartbeat. He was her one, and always had been even though they had lost her way.

"Emma are you ok?" Regina asked. "All of the color has drained from your face."

"Regina." Emma whispered. "That wasn't me."

"What?!" Regina and Robin asked in unison.

"Trust me, If I had gotten a message like that from Killian, I would have been here a lot sooner."

"Emma, weren't you and Walsh dating two years ago?" Regina asked.

Emma again felt like she had been punched in the chest. Killian had contacted her; she just never saw it. Walsh had her phone whenever they were together so no one would ever interrupt them

Oh. Hell. No.

"I need to talk to him. I need to explain!" Emma exclaimed in a panic.

"Emma, we never thought it was you." Robin put his hand on her shoulder. "You just confirmed our suspicions. But he doesn't know that."

"What if he doesn't come tonight?" Emma whispered.

"Don't you worry." Robin gave her shoulder a tight squeeze. "He will be there."

The trio finished the dessert of apple turnover and got ready to head to The Rabbit Hole.

And Emma was a bundle of nerves.

Killian had just pulled up to Liam's on his motorcycle. The conversation at dinner did not sit well with him and his brother was the person he opened up to most minus Ruby. As he approached the from door Liam was already there waiting with a glass of rum for him and the door held open.

Killian approached and shook his head with a laugh. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you little brother."

"Younger brother." Killian groaned.

"Come on in." Liam smiled at him. "Elsa just finished cookies."

"Chocolate chip." Elsa said setting the plate on the table. "Hello Killian."

"Hello, love." Killian hugged Elsa and sat with his brother. She grabbed her glass of wine and joined them at the table.

'So," Liam began. "I heard you had a run-in today."

Killian scoffed with a mouth full of cookie. Of course, he heard. That was a disadvantage of his older brother dating her older sister.

"Aye, got my daily exercise too."

"I'm sure you did. But I know that's not what this visit is about."

Killian took a large drink of rum and dove into his story. Telling them both about running into Emma, how much he wanted to kill Walsh, the afternoon with Milah, and the conversation they had during dinner. It did not sit well with Liam nor with Elsa that Milah was trying to keep him from seeing his brother even though they worked together.

"I just don't know anymore." Killian finally said. "When she demanded I come home and go to bed to please her, I don't know it just made me feel sick."

"You know that's a bad sign when your fiancé makes you sick right?" Elsa asked.

"Elsa..." Liam groaned.

"What?" Elsa shrugged her shoulders. "It is!"

Killian chuckled and shook his head. Elsa really had a filter problem.

"What makes you feel that way brother?" Liam asked.

"Do you really have to ask?"

Elsa and Liam shared a knowing look. Emma.

"Come on brother. Let's get going. I have a feeling there is someone who will be waiting for you."

Killian scoffed. "Yeah right, but I remember you challenging me to a pool game so lead on."

The trio gathered their jackets and headed to The Rabbit Hole. Liam and Elsa on his bike and Killian on his.

He was just hoping she would be there.