Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own Once Upon A Time. ABC, Disney, A&E, and whoever else have that distinction. No profit is being made, and no copywrite infringement in intended.

AN: As I've done before, I'm going to skip the "character tells other characters stuff the audience knows already." Basically just assume Hook more or less told them the flashback story we get in "Good Form." Sorry if anyone really wanted my take on it, but personally I try to leave things we've already seen out of fanfic, as you're here for new stuff.

Thanks once again to everyone who has shown me any form of love on this story, I hope the ending is everything you were hoping for. On a side note: Only three days to go!

Picking Up The Pieces

by Lady Callista

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"I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece. I'm complete."

-Katy Perry, Teenage Dream

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Chapter 10:

"So there's something I don't understand." Emma's voice was strangely contemplative as it broke the silence that had reigned since Killian finished his story, ending it with telling of burning the Pegasus Sail so that the evil king couldn't get back to Neverland, and how his crew had turned pirate to fight against said king.

"And what's that, lass?" Killian's voice was almost emotionless, reflecting the blank mask that had fallen the minute he finished the story. He'd been restrained even as he told the story, and Emma had understood perfectly. Sometimes the only way to tell the really painful stories was to pretend they had happened to someone else. But she had been close enough to feel the fine tremors running through his body, and she knew him well enough that she had seen all the emotions flicking through his eyes as he remembered. She knew it was only his centuries of iron-clad control that had kept the tears that had appeared briefly from falling.

"Mom becomes a bandit when an evil queen takes over her kingdom, and she's the hero. Robin Hood is famous for robbing the rich to give to the poor, always against the evil Prince John, and he's a hero too." Emma said softly. "So why when you stop a genocide and turn on an evil king are you labeled a villain?"

Killian chuckled darkly, "If we'd only gone after our own evil king than mayhaps... but even then, my motives weren't nearly as selfless as the others you name, and I certainly didn't share the booty with the people or do anything else to help them. Besides, your mother only asked how I became a pirate. I think the villain label had more to do with what I did after. With the kind of man I became after I lost Milah. You can't be a hero if your life is about nothing but revenge."

"But that's not what it's about anymore." Emma said softly, shifting her brother, who had long ago fallen asleep, so that she could take Killian's hand in hers. She squeezed it until he turned to look at her, and she kept her eyes gentle as she waited for the mask to drop.

After a long moment his eyes cleared, love practically beaming out of them, and he smiled at her softly. "No, it's not."

The moment was interrupted by David coming in the door, talking even before it had closed. "Emma, I'm gonna need your help after all. We need to track some people down."

"What's wrong?" Emma bolted up at once, turning to face David even as Killian did the same.

But David held up a hand reassuringly. "With the fairies out of commission, Granny took it upon herself and her waitresses to start up the phone tree, to check in on everyone after the Snow Queen's spell. We've got nearly a dozen people not answering, mostly people on the outskirts of town. Might be nothing, but..."

"But we've got to check." Emma sighed as she moved to hand her brother off to Snow, but her mother shook her head and rose as well.

"If something did happen I'm a better tracker." Snow pointed out.

"But you need someone with magic." Emma countered.

Both women looked to David; clearly each was expecting him to side with them.

Killian chuckled as David's eyes widened and he opened and closed his mouth without speaking. Although Killian definitely wanted to be out there with Emma, both she and her mother had valid points. And David would never volunteer to be left behind if his wife and daughter went. So Killian bit the bullet, pushing aside his anxiety that his offer would not be well received. "All of you go. I'll take the lad to Regina's, more eyes couldn't hurt."

Emma's eyes widened at the offer, cutting immediately over to her mother who was smiling broadly, clearly having no problem with the idea. She couldn't help saying softly, "Regina isn't exactly your biggest fan."

"Nor am I hers, but she's both Henry's other mother and someone important to you. We have to learn to get along sometime." He chuckled then, lightening the mood as he added, "Besides, I'm surprisingly good with research."

Emma grinned as he had intended. "Based on the way you've adapted to this world I'm sure you are."

Within five minutes things were packed and planned and the five of them were heading out. As Emma trailed her father down the stairs, she couldn't help the soft smile that rose to her face as she heard her mother's soft voice.

"Killian, thank you for trusting me with your brother."

Emma's smile grew as Killian reverted to form, deflecting praise or thanks sent his way as he always did. "Well, you trust me with your daughter, and now your son. Good form and all that."

Emma could hear the tone in his voice that said the acceptance and understanding wouldn't soon be forgotten, despite his attempt at joking it off, and it only turned her smile to a grin.

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"So we need to wait a month?" Emma exploded as Regina finished summing up what she and the others had learned that afternoon. "But if sunrise yesterday was the perfect time or whatever, doesn't that mean that the further away we get from it..."

"It's not like that." Killian explained, "It's the phase of the moon that's important, as far as we can tell."

"When the hat is activated, it shows a field of stars, as well as the moon. The moon has to be the same phase as the one in the sky, we think that's the key to unlocking the power inside to use it. Or to release it, in this case." Belle added, nodding to Ruby as the woman placed another drink in front of her.

"You think?" Emma stressed as she nibbled on french fries. None of them had broken for lunch, so a dinner at Granny's that doubled as a meeting was perfect.

"We can't be sure, because we can't test it until the moon is aligned again." Regina snapped, then took a deep breath. "There are other books and I'll keep looking, and for all we know maybe the stars have to align too and we have to wait till next year. But this is our best guess right now. So we just have to wait until we can test it."

Emma felt a stab of frustration erupt, at herself as much as at Regina and the others. If she had noticed earlier that something was wrong with Killian, maybe this would have never happened, but she had so many nightmares about how things could have been worse, but...

"Patience, lass." Killian soothed softly, laying his hand briefly on her thigh, smiling at her softly when she immediately calmed down. "It may not be your strong suit, but trust me that sometimes it's the only way. I know something of patience, love, and sometimes rushing things is not the solution."

Emma's eyes locked with his as she followed his subtle reference, remembering all the patience he'd shown with her over the past months. And he was still being patient with her, she knew, thinking of the three words he had nearly let slip this morning. Words she wanted to hear but was afraid to. It was all she could do to nod.

Killian saw something flare in her eyes but for once couldn't read her. But at her nod and smile he put it aside to puzzle over later and addressed himself to David, "So I take it you found all the people that might be missing?"

David nodded, beginning to list the various inane reasons people hadn't answered their phones, but Emma tuned out when he got to the third, a couple who were so busy apologizing to each other for the mean things they'd said that they couldn't be bothered to answer the phone. For a whole day.

Instead her thoughts turned inward, once again thinking of Killian. Her thoughts had been wandering to him all day, not surprising considering what had happened the night before, but this time it was her heart and not her hormones that was directing the traffic.

She thought of his words, and just how true she knew them to be. Despite all the early innuendos and teasing, flirting - he had never pushed her into anything. It had surprised the hell out of her when the pirate proved he really was a gentlemen, but he'd done so dozens of times in both large and small ways in the previous months.

He'd been patient with her, and she'd begun to see just how much control and understanding that had taken on his part.

She saw the flashes of hurt in his eyes that were gone in an instant every time she pushed him away, every time he tried to open himself up to her and she shot him down. Every time she minimized his sacrifices and openness by not really understanding them, or him. Thankfully she had mostly managed to stop doing that.

And then there were all the good moments.

She saw the awe and devotion in his eyes when she kissed him outside Granny's, technically the third time she had kissed him but the first in every way that mattered.

She saw his eyes sparkling as bright as Henry's as the two of them recounted various mishaps in the the process of teaching Henry to sail, and to use a sword.

And she remembered the love and tenderness she'd seen in those blue oceans as he slid into her the night before, the utter joy and reverence in his gaze where she'd half-expected to see triumph.

The words that had caused anxiety and the start of panic to trickle through her last night suddenly rose to her mind unbidden. They had seemed so huge, so important, but as she thought back on it now the panic didn't rise.

She remembered every emotion that had ever passed through his eyes when he looked at her, and realized how silly it was to hide from the words when the actions spoke volumes. Hell, she'd admitted as much to him the night before. She knew, and he knew that she knew, so the words shouldn't be so damn important, and it didn't seem like they were now, but every time he started to say them she...

"Love?"

Emma snapped out of her thoughts at his voice and touch on her hand, jumping at the spark she felt where they touched and belatedly noticing everyone staring at her. "Sorry, uh..." A blush rose to her cheeks and she looked down at her food.

There was a long silence, then Snow chuckled. "You must be tired, it's been a long few days."

David thankfully took his cue, not knowing what Snow had seen on Emma's face but knowing it must have been something important. "We really should be getting home. Are you, ah..."

"Henry, you're staying with me tonight, right?" Regina cut in smoothly when David stuttered, and at the boy's curious nod she proceeded to say a quick goodnight, Henry got a round of hugs, and the two of them left. Belle took her leave at the same time.

"I'll tell him, but this isn't the place." Emma said softly as three sets of eyes focused on her. She knew it wasn't the comment they were waiting for, and it shouldn't have been awkward because even though they were her parents they were also her own age, and she was an adult with a son for gods sake, and they knew where she had been last night, but...

"You should go home, love. Actually get a good night's sleep." He managed to keep the innuendo out of his voice as her parents sat across from them, but she saw the twinkle in his eyes nonetheless.

Emma knew the offer was an honest one, even as she saw in his eyes how much it pained him to make it. She felt the same twinge of pain at the thought of being away from him, of sleeping alone when she could be wrapped around her pirate. It was such an odd feeling, to go from ten years of sleeping alone exactly as she wanted to suddenly wanting to spend every night with him.

And she did, Emma realized with a start. She wanted to cuddle around him as she fell asleep, and listen to his heartbeat when she woke from a nightmare. She wanted his face to be the first thing she saw in the morning, and another chance to hear his voice rough from sleep, accent stronger yet somehow more melodious. She wanted to watch his eyes again as he made love to her.

"Emma?"

Emma shook her head to clear it, realizing that once again she had let her mind wander off. Of all the places to have these revelations, the middle of Granny's with her parents sitting two feet away was not where she would have chosen. But now that she had had her revelation she couldn't run away. She had promised herself she wouldn't run. More importantly, she had promised him. She slid out of the booth, taking Killian's hand and saying softly to her parents, "I"ll see you in the morning."

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"Not that you don't look as ravishing as always, love, but your mother was right." Killian said softly as they entered his room at Granny's, locking the door behind them before running his hand lightly down her back. "You seem tired."

Emma offered him a wry smile. "Well someone kept me up half the night."

Killian chuckled, "You weren't complaining at the time."

"I'd have to be insane to complain about last night." Emma grinned back at him.

Killian smirked at her, hand stroking over her back once again before sliding her coat off her shoulders before doing the same with his own. "So, do you fancy a nightcap? Or another of your Netflix moving stories? Or would you just like to go to bed?"

"Right to the point, huh?"

"Well I certainly wouldn't refuse your advances love, should you choose to make them, however..." He could hear the forced humor in her voice, and even though he was fairly certain she was teasing he let the flirting drop from his voice as he gently clarified, "I only meant to hold you, love. To sleep. Neither of us has gotten enough of that lately."

Emma wanted to continue with teasing him, to bring up anything other than what she had realized downstairs, but in the face of his sincerity she couldn't help but respond in kind, even knowing he would hear the anxiety in her voice. "I was thinking earlier, how weird it was. I'm so used to sleeping alone... even when I was, uh, with guys I never spent the night. But the idea of going back to Mary Margaret's just felt so wrong."

"As delighted as I am to have you here, love, I can't help but notice that you seem nervous." Killian said softly, stroking his hand through her hair soothingly . "What's on that lovely mind of yours?"

"What you said earlier, about how you speak from experience on being patient, well...I'm so sorry that I've been such a mess, and I was thinking about how you're just always there, and how you can open up to me without pushing, and how you listen when I do talk, and, and Killian..."

"Breath, lass." Killian interrupted her ramble, eyes widening in worry as her voice got higher and faster the longer she talked. He had no idea what was making her nervous; she'd said she didn't regret the night before, and she'd chosen to come with him tonight. But the tension in her body said she was fighting the urge to run, and he couldn't think of anything he'd done to cause it. "Being patient with you isn't a hardship, love, and it's been worth the wait for everything to be right. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"Andthat'swhyIloveyou." The panic was still in her eyes, but she held on to him, hand and hook, to steady herself. She immediately bit her lower lip as she saw pure amazement bloom across his face before he beamed with such a joyful smile that she couldn't help but smile in return.

"Emma?" The smile was still there, as was the amazement, but she heard the hint of caution in his voice, almost as if he wasn't certain he could believe what he heard. Or as if maybe she didn't realize she had said it, and he was afraid she'd run if he pointed it out.

"Because you're not going anywhere. Because you put me first, and no man ever really has before." Emma said softly, reaching up to stroke her fingers over his cheek. "Because I know you'll always come back for me. Because you're reaching out to the people I care about. Because every time you look at me, I can see everything you feel and I know it's real."

"Love..."

It ghosted over his lips like a prayer, and she leaned in to kiss him softly before putting her fingers lightly over his lips. Now that she was talking she was afraid to stop, afraid to stop or think too hard about the words pouring out of her heart. "You've always let me in, Killian, and you've always believed in me. And you've risked your life for me, and for my son. You gave up everything for me, knowing you might get nothing in return. But I want to give you everything, I want to be the kind of person that's whole enough to do that. I'm not sure I am yet, but I think wanting to is a huge part of it, and you're the only reason I've gotten this far. You understand me, sometimes when I don't even understand myself, and... and I know that I can do it for you, with you. Because I... I love you, Killian."

"You're the most stubborn lass I've ever met." Killian smiled gently at her, kissing her softly to take any sting out of the words. "Which is a good thing, as anyone else would probably have given up on me long ago. I was so broken, Emma, so lost. But you reminded me of the good man I used to be, and you made me want to be that again. You reminded me that there was more to life than revenge. You made me believe in love again, lass, and you can't know what it means to me to hear those words again. I spent over a century thinking I never would."

Emma smiled, leaning in for another gentle kiss. "I love you." Now that they had been said once, they came easily, and Emma would have lost herself in his taste and touch then if he hadn't drawn back.

Killian caressed his fingers over her neck, his eyes meeting hers with his heart overflowing into them. "I love you, Swan. Emma. Princess." He punctuated each name with a soft kiss, trailing his lips over her cheek to whisper the last in her ear. "My love."

Emma shuddered at the mix of tenderness and heat in his voice, shakily raising her arms to link them around his neck. "I thought it would be so scary to say the words, to hear them. I thought it would be such a big thing. But it's not, not really."

Killian had a second to almost take offense, but then he only chuckled as he kissed her yet again, understanding exactly what she meant. "Opening yourself to being loved, letting yourself fall, those were big. The words can never fully express the feelings, in fact they seem somewhat underwhelming. But I won't deny I've dreamed of being allowed to tell you, and of hearing you say it in return. You're right that in some ways it's not such a big thing, but in other ways it's everything."

"It is."

Emma's smile was gentle as they began undressing each other, and now that he was free to say them, Killian couldn't help whispering yet again, "I love you, Swan. And I'll never leave you."

"Never?"

"Never."

There was no fear, no panic, no anxiety or desire to run. She believed him, and that meant that whatever happened they would face it together. "I love you, my pirate. And I'm done running."

THE END

AN2: And done! Still working on the M-rated cut scene of their first time, and seriously thinking about a sequel that may or may not incorporate 4B. But I wanted to get this done before the show started up again, and once I started thinking of a sequel I delayed the fairies because I have ideas for a storyline with that. Sorry if it seemed a bit rushed after the slow build, but I have things that will play in better much later and I couldn't end this without the ILU. My Emma is so close to it that I think it works, and besides this story was meant to clear up what I felt was missing from the winter finale, and I've done that. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me; I love hearing what you like and dislike, and hope you'll enjoy what I come up with in the future! Reviews always appreciated!