Prompt: Emma just wants a night alone, away from everyone and so she decides to go ice skating. She gets really into it, really loses herself, and that's when Killian the town scoundrel stumbles upon her and the two make a connection

A/N: I hope this is alright. I diverged from the initial prompt, but this is where the muse took me. I listened to the same Kelly Clarkson album Emma listens to while writing this.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? We're going to pick out the tree." Mary Margaret called up the stairs to Emma. Rolling her eyes, Emma pushed up off her bed and went to the stairwell.

"Yes, I'm sure. I just want a peaceful night on my own."

"Okay, but don't complain if you don't like the tree."

"Trust me, Mary Margaret. I'll be fine. I don't care what the tree looks like before we decorate it. So long as there is room for my few ornaments amidst all your decorations."

"Alright, Emma. What are you going to do instead?"

"I was thinking of going ice skating. It's the perfect temperature too." Emma said, hoping she could have the rink to herself.

"Well have fun and text us when you head back. We may head out to a movie after getting the tree."

"Mary Margaret. Go, you need to meet David at the lot. I'll see you guys later." Emma said, shoving her three friends out the door, waving to Ruby and Belle who were standing by Ruby's blood red mustang her grandmother had got her for a high school graduation present. The four girls shared a house that was a 10 minute drive from their college that they attended as seniors. Emma had moved in with them from her parent's house when David, her brother and Mary Margaret's boyfriend, decided to rent out an apartment with some friends as well closer to his college. So when the girls started wondering about housing, Emma's parents were perfectly fine with it.

After watching her friends drive off, Emma turned and headed back to her room to change into more skating appropriate attire. As in, leggings for under her jeans, long socks, a long sleeve shirt for under her sweater, her beloved ivory beanie and then her long white peacoat and gloves. Slipping on her brown uggs, Emma grabbed her keys and wallet before locking up the house and heading to her yellow VW bug to head to the local ice skating rink that had opened up a couple weeks ago.

Once she arrived at the rink, Emma did a little happy dance in her car. She was the only one there, which meant two things: she got the whole rink to herself, and Leroy, the rink owner would let her play her CD while skating. Leroy had been a family friend of Emma's family and he always let her play her own music at the rink ever year with the stipulation that it be when she was the only patron when she skated. And it was late enough that, Leroy had already turned on all the lights surrounding the rink bathing it in soft glows.

"Figured you'd show up tonight. Let me guess, your favorite?" Leroy called as Emma pulled her skates out of the trunk of the bug.

"You got it. The girls are out tree shopping with David but I felt like it was great skating weather." Emma said with a smile before paying him the rink fee and heading to the area where she could store her shoes and valuables. Emma then made her way to the rink as the soft voice of Kelly Clarkson's Christmas CD began playing through the speakers. It was her favorite CD that she got as soon as it came out and she always skated to it, whether it was playing through the speakers, or she had to use her iPod. But Emma thought it was great skating music and since it was Christmas season, why not listens to a Christmas CD while at it.

Taking off onto the rink, Emma began going at it slowly to get her body back use to the rhythm of skating since it was her first time back on the rink this year. But after a few laps around the rink and a few songs into the album, Emma began to just let herself get lost in the art of ice skating and let her mind wander as she skated. This was her favorite part of ice skating, just letting her mind go and falling in to the rhythm and beauty of it. The occasional spin and turn intermits her glides.

Sometime later, Emma is suddenly broken out of her trance by a low whistle, and a voice she hasn't heard for quite some time.

"Well, look at the graceful swan. Good form there." It called, completely breaking Emma from her peaceful state and causing her to turn and look for the source of the voice.

There standing in the changing pin, was Killian Jones, high school troublemaker and bad boy. She had grown up down the street from him and had seen his journey into local scoundrel. Though she hadn't seen or heard of him since graduation, having assumed he decided to go to college somewhere else, instead of any of the Boston colleges that she and her friends attended. Heck Emma hadn't even talked to him since junior high, the last time they even had classes together. Once they hit high school, Emma had met Mary Margaret and Ruby and Killian had met his own circle of friends.

Skating over to him, Emma eyed him as she drew closer. "Can I help you? Or were you only here to disrupt the peace?"

"Why can't a man just appreciate the local beauty or perchance go ice skating? Forgive me; I didn't realize this was a private ice skating rink. It did say public on the sign." Killian spoke, a smirk plastered on his face as he replied holding his hands up in mock innocence.

"Very funny. You know what I meant. If you were just here to ice skate, Leroy would have already changed the music and you would have just gotten on the ice like any other normal patron of the rink." Emma said with a huff, coming to a stop at the wall next to where he was standing and leaning on it with one arm.

"Leroy is already gone for the evening. He left a note on your stuff with the keys asking you to lock up. I'm assuming he figured you'd be the only person this evening. And he had flipped the sign to close out front."

"Then why are you here, if the rink is closed?"

"Saw the lights on and the yellow bug, I'm assuming is yours, parked out front. Was curious enough to pop my head in for a spell. Lucky for me that I did. You're a very graceful skater, swan."

"Don't call me swan. Last time I checked, that's not my name. Now is there any other reason for you being here or is your curiosity sated enough that you'll leave me to my peace." Emma replied sharply.

"Oh, I know your name, Miss Emma Nolan, but watching you skate, it was like watching a graceful swan, in all your white clothing. And as for your question, I actually think I fancy skating myself." Killian smirked, not deterred at all by Emma's sharp tone.

"Fine. Do you need skates?"

"Nah, I've got my own pair. Don't you worry about that. Now we've established I know who you are and judging by your cold eyes and sharp tones, you have guessed who I was. Yes Emma was not am. I'm not the high school delinquent I used to be." Killian spoke softly, "Went to college, grew up. Was able to graduate early and got offered an internship at a firm nearby. So here I am."

And as Killian spoke, he stepped out on to the ice to join Emma. She was able to get her first good look at the boy turned man since long ago. She remembered him to be a gangly, scrawny thing but now he was tall, lanky but well built. Well puberty was definitely nice to him Emma thought to herself as she secretly admired the raven haired man dressed in a knee length black coat and jeans, he even had a navy blue scarf on that accented his eyes. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Emma then took off on a slow pace just leisurely gliding around the rink as she watched Killian get his footing on the ice.

After having gotten about two more laps in, Killian was able to skate right alongside Emma completely in sync. Emma wasn't really sure what to make of all this. Here was someone from her past that she thought she'd never see again. Killian had grown up down the street from her and David with his older brother Liam and their parents. Emma remembers vaguely Liam leaving around the time they entered High school and rumor was that he had enlisted in the army. Unfortunately Emma never got the chance to ask because their social circles were completely different. But Emma can still remember a time when a blue eyed boy would knock on her door inviting her and David to join him and other kids for a game of kick ball down at the local play ground.

"Why are you here, Killian?" Emma asked softly after a few more laps of silence.

Killian paused for a moment to think before answering. "I told you, I graduated early from my college and was offered an internship at a local firm."

Emma turned and the looks he gave him clearly read nice try, not buying that bullshit. Try again plain as day.

"A second chance." He whispered, almost too softly that Emma had to strain to hear.

"Emma, I came back for a second chance at everything. I want to try again. Do you think you have it in you to give me a second chance as a friend?" Killian asked, looking down shyly.

But before Emma could answer, Killian spoke up again, "I know that I wasn't the best person to be around in high school and that I probably don't deserve any kind of second chance from you or anyone else from Clarkson High, but I want it. Liam leaving before our freshman year had hurt a lot. I didn't know how to cope with it and so I got into trouble and you know how it ended up. Me in detention weekly with Tristan, Carter and Viktor. I don't even talk to them even more except Viktor. I know he changed as well. I suspect your friend; Ruby had something to do with that. He's the one that encouraged me to come back and try and make amends. But I get that I don't deserve it and you probably still see me as some bad boy from high school too stupid for his own good. I'm sorry I ruined your evening, I'll go." And killian started to skate away before Emma grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Killian, stop. Please. Let me get my say in this. Don't ask for my forgiveness then decided to leave before I get the chance to give it." Emma said, pulling him back towards her on the ice with a soft smile.

"You said you wanted a second chance at being friends. Well then okay. Yeah I know about Viktor, Ruby goes on and on about him when she's drunk and even more when she's sober. But did you really think I wouldn't give you a second chance. Of course we can be friends. I'd like that a lot, actually" Emma said, adding that last part under her breath.

"Oh would you know Swan." Killian smirked, eye brow raising before pulling Emma closer to him before taking off down the rink backwards.

And that was how their friendship rekindled, a boy returning home and a girl alone at a rink. Skating the night away with all other troubles forgotten and a new light added to their hearts.