The Monster Within

Chapter 54

Emma paces the floor of the master bedroom, her dress laying out on the bed ready for her to wear on her anniversary date with Killian. She had his gift laying there too, a Rolex watch. She had some money saved up to splurge just a little bit for him and she knew this was a special enough occasion to do so.

She cannot believe it's been a whole year since the two of them went on their first date. Both could count the infamous perp chase that brought them together at an old bar down by the harbour, but their first date was much more meaningful.

She had dressed in a pink/white dress with short sleeves and heels, she had even pulled her blonde hair up into a ponytail for the occasion. Mary Margret and David were there to keep an eye on Henry and were present when the docks man knocked on the door. Killian dressed all in black with his famous leather coat and presented her with a red rose as a gift.

"Swan, you look... stunning," he'd said.

"You look..." she said, unable to really speak.

"I know," he grinned cheekily.

After they complimented each other, Emma could see that David was not happy about this exchange at all. Like a protective big brother, he was on guard and eyed Killian suspiciously. Mary Margret, on the other hand, was taking pictures, much to Emma's mortification. Henry had made himself scarce, likely because he didn't like the thought of his mom dating someone who was not his father. She had discussed it with him, and while the teenager didn't fully like the idea, he accepted it in his own way. Like a father watching a daughter go on a date, David warned Killian about keeping her too late and then they left, going to an Italian restaurant across town. He'd offered to buy her a drink, but she declined, and he slyly suggested that she'd find him irresistible after a few "libations." But she said no to the smug comment and said she'd rather not go home to her son drunk.

Then they were able to really talk for the first time and introduce themselves properly; Emma surprisingly opened up to him. Even though he'd said that she was an open book, she told him about her life, her job, her son, and he told her about where he'd lived, the places he'd travelled and the loss he'd encountered. But the blond-haired girl could tell that he was not mentioning these rather hard topics to gain sympathy or to get her into bed as she'd often encountered in her one-night-stands, he did it because he liked her and trusted her with these details. While she was guarded at first, by the end of the evening, they both had a good idea of who they both were... broken people who'd experienced hardship and had built their own kinds of walls to protect themselves, Emma more than Killian, but the two had a connection that could not be severed so easily. He'd kissed her at the end of the night and she invited him in for coffee, with her fifteen-year-old son likely playing video games on the couch and her friends, one of whom was a cop and would interrogate him like a criminal and the other would take pictures to blind him. He politely declined but stated that he wanted to take her out again. Despite her misgivings about relationships because one-night-stands were usually how far she'd go, especially after Neal, Emma Swan said yes. She was willing to give a real relationship a try, which was like taking a step off a cliff into a deep ocean for her. It frightened her to some degree, but it was also exciting. After all, it had been two years since Neal had left them and she'd vowed she wouldn't be hurt like that again and yet... Killian Jones was different... She couldn't quite describe it, but she was drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. Maybe it was because he'd saved her life during the chase, or maybe because he treated her like a true lady and with the respect she deserved. The two then exchanged numbers and said good night, leaving Emma with a smile on her face and Ruby begging for the details the next day.

The blonde reflects on what has happened since then. She'd been abducted, he'd almost killed himself in a car accident over the guilt he felt, the two were reunited, found out they were having a baby, moved in together, and were now raising a daughter together. Life certainly did not go the way she expected it to... In some ways, it was a good thing, in others it seemed so scary. The old Emma Swan would have said goodbye at the door that night, or even before she'd met him at the bar, but the new Emma Swan had changed, let her walls down to allow love back in, and while it certainly was not easy, she felt that he was the best thing to ever happen to her... and her family.