Runaway- CaptainSwan AU

• Chapter 3 •

"Emma?"

She was stopped before she got the chance to leave school.

"Yes?" Emma replied, turning to face whoever had called her name. It was Ms. Blanchard. Emma took in a breath. This was her chance to save herself.

"I received some concern from a student today regarding your home situation? Is everything okay?" Ms. Blanchard asked.

"Oh!" Emma exclaimed, forcing the kind and bubbly attitude. "Yeah, absolutely! I just took a bad fall down the stairs. He must of read it wrong," she lied, faking a smile.

"Oh, well that's very good to hear," Ms. Blanchard sighed in relief. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Emma nodded with a weak smile then ran back to the house so as not to be late.

When she arrived, she thanked whoever was looking down on her from above, because the Barkleys weren't home yet. Emma ran upstairs to her room and shut the door. If she didn't leave her room, she wouldn't have to face her foster parents at all.

It was now a month into school. Emma was looking for her chance to run away at every moment. A packed bag waiter at the ready under her bed. Her situation only grew more awful each day.

Lunch with Killian had become a sort of grudging tradition. Most days it was him eating and her staring at his food, but on the days Killian felt she was a bit more open, he offered her some of his lunch which she gladly accepted.

"Tell me something I don't know about you," Killian requested on a Monday afternoon at lunch, munching on a bag of chips.

"There's a lot you don't know," Emma laughed nervously, reaching over to steal a chip.

"Just pick one thing. Anything," Killian said.

Emma thought for a moment. Killian had been very kind to her. She considered him a friend. And to her, those were not easy to come by. She trusted him, and that almost scared her. She'd never trusted anyone before.

"I'm an orphan," Emma said, looking up to watch his reaction.

It was the exact opposite of what she'd expected.

"I know," Killian replied with a faint smile.

"What? You do? How?" Emma asked in shock.

"Well... for one, you never refer to your parents as mum and dad, which could mean you're fostered. You never call your house home. You're a loner and... you don't trust very well. I read between the lines," Killian shrugged.

While he'd known for some time that Emma was an orphan, it still brought a smile to his face that she willingly told him so on her own accord. She trusted him.

"Well... damn," Emma sighed, stunned that he'd figured it out.

"I'm quite perceptive," Killian grinned.

"Oh shut up," Emma mumbled, her cheeks growing red in embarrassment. "You can't tell anyone," she insisted.

"If I was going to, don't you think I would have by now?" Killian asked with a smile.

Emma nodded.

"I know, and I trust you, I just... need to be sure. I don't expect you to understand."

Later that day, Killian and Emma were seated in their usual places in Ms. Lucas's class. They were beginning group projects and today was the day groups were being assigned.

Killian didn't miss the little smile that spread on Emma's face when Ms. Lucas pronounced them partners. He didn't miss the little blush that brought color to her cheeks.