Author's Note: It has been awhile. Life got in the way, a lot, and then it took awhile to replace my laptop. I've got the timeline completely mapped out and am working on a plan. I really want to finish this. So, enjoy this chapter and leave me a review if you have the time. This has been unbetad. Any mistakes are my fault.

Twelve years had gone by and her only thought was that she had waited all of that time for this, to finally feel his body so close to hers. His hands were everywhere at once, touching and exploring, sliding over her night clothes. She arched into his hands as they smoothed down her shoulders, dipping inside of her camisole to cup her naked breasts.

"Killian," she moaned, reaching out for him, to pull him up to kiss him, only to sink her hands into his hair. "Please," she whispered as he grinned up at her, sliding down her body, only her panties covering her modestly now.

Emma's brows furrowed, wondering briefly where her clothes had suddenly gone, not that it mattered once his mouth closed around her nipple, immediately bringing it to a sharp peak. She twisted, her back lifting off the bed as she felt pleasure pool in her stomach, her body feeling tighter, hotter.

"Killian," she breathed again and could hear his chuckle in reply, vibrations rippling over her flesh as he pinched and rolled her other nipple between his fingers, his other hand smoothing down her body to grasp her lacy panties and tug them down.

She moaned again, lips trailing fire down her stomach as he lowered himself, giving her a wicked grin as he started to press kisses to her dripping sex. "Love, you are so wet for me," he murmured, his lips against her wet folds as he spoke.

Emma gasped and looked down at him, his tongue sliding over her, lapping at her arousal. Her eyes rolled backwards and she felt the heat growing low in her belly, the pleasure coiling tighter and tighter as she reached closer and closer to the edge.

"Oh, God, I love you," she gasped as he grazed his teeth over her clitoris, her body bowing from the pleasure. She felt the rumble of his laugh again and then his fingers sliding inside of her.

"And I you, Emma," he said, curling his fingers inside of her, finding that spot inside of her that set her skin on fire.

Emma lifted her hips, wanting him deeper, wanting more than just his fingers inside of her. She gasped and tugged at his hair. Then, he was crouched between her legs, his hands kneading her ass as he pressed his lips to hers, his tongue pressing between her lips as he kissed her deeply. She opened herself to him, her tongue dancing along his as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Vaguely, she registered that she couldn't taste herself on his lips and that his scruff was dry where it scratched her chin.

Her thoughts melted away as Killian thrust inside of her, his cock slamming into her as her body took all of him. She moaned and clutched at his has back, his ass, trying to draw him closer. Her legs tightened around him. Her whole body was aflame and she knew that she would fall apart at any moment.

Killian started to move, Emma raising her hips to meet every thrust, the pressure building as they moved together. She bucked her hips harder, seeking release, wanting him deep inside of her. She spiraled closer and closer to the edge, her body singing with pleasure as she finally cried out, falling over the edge, her release coming hard.

Emma jerked awake in her bed, her body still singing with her release. She sucked in a shaky breath, her legs trembling and a wetness between her thighs. Had she really come in her sleep? She ran a hand through her sweat dampened hair, her mind reeling. Killian had been gone for twelve years and in all that time, she had dreamt about him, but never like this. Had their shared kiss two nights ago really been the trigger?

The alarm on her phone went off and she jumped, startled out of her thoughts. Emma tried to get her heart under control as she sat in her bed, her panties soaked and her dream still playing in her mind. She sighed and reached for her phone, turning the alarm off and climbing out of bed.

Monday morning meant a morning shift at the Sherriff's office and then her date with Graham in the evening. She tugged at her sleep tousled hair, trying to get it modestly under control. Emma wasn't sure if she still wanted to go on the date with Graham at this point. They agreed on the time and then she had even been stupid enough to apologize for kissing Killian. She wanted to kick herself as soon as she had said it to him and had hung up quickly. Then, she dreamed of Killian, not Graham.

She padded across the clean floor of her bedroom, stretching. She headed for the shower, knowing she needed to get moving if she was going to stop for coffee at Granny's before heading to the station. She didn't trust the coffee that Marla, the receptionist, tended to brew for the first pot of the day. She only trusted David or herself to get a decent pot of coffee out of the decrepit coffee maker.

She stuck her hand under the spray to test the water temperature, thoughts of a good cup of coffee and maybe one of Granny's pastries making her stomach growl. Deciding the water was warm enough, she stepped into the shower. As she showered, the dream drifted back to her in pieces, making her think about Saturday night again and how she had spent a good part of her day on Sunday trying to keep busy enough to get Killian out of her mind.

Killian's kiss had felt like fire searing her lips and branded her with an intensity she'd never felt before when kissing anyone. The memory was still vivid in her mind two days later. It made her wonder if her life would be any different has she just kissed him all those years ago. Would he have stayed? Would she still be with him now, married and waking up next to him? Would she still have her son? Would he be Killian's instead of Neal's?

Emma shivered and quickly finished washing her hair as the water started quickly cooling. She sighed as she turned the water off and wrapped herself in a towel, stepping out of the shower. Maybe it was a good thing her landlord had not replaced the ancient water heater yet. The 'what if's stirring in her mind had drifted away when the cold water reminded her to get moving again. It had been her choice to chase Killian away, she reminded herself. Her choices put her where she was today.

She dressed and hurried out the door. She knew she wasn't late yet and that she had just enough time to stop at Granny's before she showed up at the Station to meet David for her shift. Her phone buzzed as she climbed into the bug and she cursed as she dropped it onto the floor of the passenger side. "Damnit!" she hissed and made a grab for it, annoyed as she only managed to knock it under the seat. "Forget it," she mumbled, sitting back up and pulling her seatbelt back on. Whoever it was could wait.

Emma drove down the streets of the sleepy little town, focusing on her mission of coffee and pushing the lingering thoughts of her dream out of her head. She pulled up to Granny's, eyeing the rental car that was parked in the street in front of the side of the building that had the rooms the Lucas's rented. Most of the wedding guests weren't coming into town until later in the week so it had to be Killian's.

She parked the bug outside of the diner and unfastened her seatbelt to search for her phone under the passenger seat. Leaning over she pulls it towards her with her finger tips, stretching and twisting to reach it where it has wedged itself under the seat. She curses and finally gets a hold of it, snatching it and sitting back to check her messages.

"Shit!" she jumped as someone tapped on the driver's side window of the bug. She nearly dropped the phone, her eyes widening to see David standing outside, one hand holding a drink carrier and paper bag. She quickly rolled the window down. "You scared me," she said.

David gave her an amused smile and shifting the paper bag to his other hand to hold out to her. "Breakfast?"

Emma tilted her head and gave David a confused look. "I was just going to go in and see Ruby."

He chuckled and motioned for Emma to let him in the passenger side. She cleared off the seat as he rounded the vehicle and climbed in. "Trust me. You don't want to see Ruby this morning."

Emma gave him a confused look before restarting the bug and guiding it back on to the street. "Alright, spill. Why don't I want to see my best friend?"

David was almost gleeful, a wide smile stretching across his face. "She found out about you kissing Killian."

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel and she had to make a concentrated effort not to swerve. "What?"

"Look, I know what happened. The whole town knows what happened."

Emma could feel the panic tightening her chest. She glanced at David, the look on his face confirming that he wasn't lying. Not that he would lie to her, or anyone else for that matter. He was the most honest person she had ever met in her life. "David-"

"Emma, you don't need to explain anything to me. If you want to kiss Killian, you can kiss Killian."

She pulled the bug into her spot in the small parking lot in front of the station. "I had too much to drink," she said quickly, glancing over at David.

He sighed and put his hand on the door handle. "Is that what you are telling yourself? I don't think you were drunk and you don't need an excuse to kiss him, or anyone else for that matter. I, for one, wouldn't blame you if you decided to… do more than kiss Killian." He shook his head and pulled the handle to open the door. "Emma." He waited til she focused on him. "This is Killian we're talking about. He-" David stopped speaking and looked away, shaking his head and changing his mind. He climbed out of the car.

Emma stared after the man she considered her brother, her mind racing. "David!" She climbed out of the car after him, hurrying around the car as she got angry, not liking that he was keeping anything from her. "He what, David?" She glared at his back as he stopped at the base of the stairs. "He left? He ran away without giving a stupid teenaged girl time to realize the mistake she made?" Her eyes met David's as he turned around, the anger waning in the face of the tears prickling her eyes. "He believed her lie?"

"Emma." He walked over to her and reached out to touch her arm. She stepped back, pulling out of his grasp. He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Everyone makes mistakes, Emma. You aren't completely innocent in this either. Maybe you can forgive each other." The door to the station opened and David glanced behind him to see a deputy walking out. He turned back to Emma, seeing her holding her breath. "Or, maybe you don't. Graham's a good man but, does he make you feel like the man you have been in love with since you were in pigtails?" David watched her for a moment, seeing the war on her face. "Think about it, Emma." He turned and headed up the stairs and into the station.

David's words hit her hard, yet her stubborn mind immediately denied that she was still in love with Killian. It was a childhood infatuation, she convinced herself, for a sweet boy who made her laugh until her stomach hurt. Then, he'd left. Killian had confirmed her worst fear and thoroughly broken her heart. Neal had picked up some of the pieces, only to scatter them again, but it was Killian that had made the mess of her heart. She still blamed him, so giving him another chance wasn't exactly something her mind could commit to.

The early shift at the station was always slow. Storybrooke, most mornings, was as sleepy and calm as it was picturesque nature implied. Emma could always count on this shift to help her get caught up on her paperwork. But, after several hours of barely moving and a hell of a time trying to concentrate, she was fidgeting in her chair.

"Emma."

"Hmm?" She kept writing.

"Emma." David's hand waved in front of her face and she looked up at him, annoyed. "Go take a walk. You're making me crazy with all of your fidgeting." He pointed towards the door. "Take a radio and don't come back until after lunch."

"Yes, sir," she said with a little mock salute that had David smiling and shaking his head.

Emma stood and shoved her papers back into their folder and dropped them in a desk drawer. She grabbed her jacket and a radio and was out the door within a few minutes, checking her phone once she was outside. Emma grimaced at the handful of texts from Ruby. They started with her saying she saw her with David and then escalating to saying they needed to talk. The final text showed that Ruby had run out of patience and just straight out demanded to know if Emma had really kissed Killian.

Tapping the text box, Emma pulled up the keyboard and hesitated. What was she going to tell Ruby? She could deny it or say that it was a mistake, but Emma wasn't sure if she wanted to get caught up in what would ultimately not be the truth. After her dream, she wasn't so sure that denial was the best decision. Her lie all those years ago had put her on this path and she didn't know if she wanted to stay the course any longer.

She quickly typed yes to Ruby, hit send, and tucked her phone back into her pocket. Ruby could make what she wanted of the simple reply. She was sure her friend would have a million questions, but Emma didn't want to talk about it right now. Maybe after she saw Killian again, she'd know what she wanted to say.

Emma hurried down the steps and started toward the water. Sometimes she could catch teenagers skipping school, hanging out just beyond the dunes or smoking underneath the old dock when the tide was low. If there wasn't anyone there, she would enjoy the serenity that the ocean gave her for a few minutes before continuing her patrol.

The gentle hush of the waves breaking on the shore greeted her as she continued off the sidewalk to the path to the shore. She followed the narrow, grass-lined path as the sounds and scents of being near the water filled her senses, already starting to clear her mind of everything that had happened since Killian returned to town. The path snaked behind a dune, blocking her view of the beach until she walked around it. Emma let out a sigh of disappointment to see a man standing just shy of the lapping waves, his hands pushed into the pockets of his jeans.

"I was just leaving," he said turning around to face her.

"Killian," Emma said, a little startled, stopping where she was in the sand.

"Emma." He smiled.

"I'll go," she said quickly, all of her thoughts and emotions from earlier that day crashing back into her head, making her want to run again. She moved to step back and stumbled in the loose sand.

"Please stay," he said softly, the words almost lost over the sound of the ocean. He stepped closer and reached out to stop her, freezing like she was a skittish animal when she held her hands up. Nodding, he shifted and put his hands back into the pockets of his jeans. "Stay, Emma."

She hesitated, feeling awkward in the moment alone with Killian. Her dream was suddenly vivid in her mind and she closed her eyes against it. "I'll go," she repeated and opened her eyes. Her gaze met Killian's and her body swayed to gain the momentum to leave, but not actually succeeding.

"We were friends, once," he started, his gaze moving to the sand. "All of us together. You and I studied at Granny's." He shook his head and sighed, closing his eyes tightly against the memories. "Emma, I don't know what to do here." He opened his eyes and locked gazes with her. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity there. "I came back hoping," he swallowed, "hoping for another chance. Just a chance."

Emma stared at Killian, a churning, anxious feeling in her stomach. A part of her wished that he had stayed away, despite knowing that he would never miss Ruby's wedding. Emma could have gone on with her life, maybe found someone to finally push his memory out of her heart. But, he was here, right in front of her. She couldn't wish him away and all the bad behavior in the world would only put more stress on Ruby before her wedding. Killian Jones had come back, blowing into her life and stirring up memories and reviving long forgotten dreams. She ran her tongue over her lips to wet them and looked past Killian to the ocean. "A chance?"

"Aye. That is all I could hope for."

She nodded and bit her lip. A chance. A chance and she could see if her life could have been different if she had admitted her feelings for him back then. Just a chance. "Okay." She met his eyes. "A chance." She watched his face light up and took a deep breath. "On my terms."

Killian's face fell just a little before he nodded, chuckling softly. "Of course. Name your terms, Swan."

Emma took a moment to think, a smile that is more like a grimace on her face. She was going to do this. Emma Swan was going to give Killian Jones a chance. "Okay." She took a deep breather. "Okay. We'll do this, but if I say stop, we stop. We're done and that is the end. I can't..." She swallowed, not finishing the sentence out loud. She took a deep breath, trying to think of any other stipulations. "We are not going to broadcast this. I know, it is a small town, but this is between us, not them." She watched Killian as he waited for her to finish. "This is my decision, okay? This is chance, but it is only a chance. Deal?"

"As you wish, love," he said softly. He scratched behind his ear, giddy and nervous all at once. "So, may I take you to dinner tonight?"

Graham flashed through her mind. She had a date with him that night and had all but forgotten about it when she'd seen Killian. Guilt swirled through her. Emma shook her head, pushing the deputy to the back of her mind. "Tomorrow night?"

"Aye. I'll pick you up at 6." He grinned at her.

Emma nodded, a smile creeping on her face. She wanted to laugh, but kept it contained. Twelve years later and she finally had a date with Killian Jones. He rocked back on his heels, obviously trying to contain his own enthusiasm. Emma laughed at him then, not sure what to say to him now. Her thoughts drifted to the kiss from Saturday night and warmth heated her cheeks and belly. She'd said it was a one time thing, but part of her knew that is not truly what she wanted. The radio on her belt squelched and she grabbed it to check in.

Killian watched Emma talk to David on the radio. She was beautiful, the sea breeze ruffling her hair as she affirmed that she would meet David. He watched her glance to him every few seconds and he smiled brightly at her, running his tongue along his lips. Emma blushed and turned her back to him to finish her conversation with David.

"I have to go," Emma turned back to him, clipping her radio back onto her belt. She glanced at his lips, watching him tap his bottom lip with his finger. She flushed again. "We got a call." She motioned back up the path she came down.

"I'll walk you." Killian crossed over to her and offered his arm.

Emma's gaze flickered between his arm and his face quickly before she just started walking, her cheeks still tinged with red. "You can walk with me. Not walk me."

Killian grinned and quickly caught up with her. "As you wish, love."

Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes and kept walking. Killian would get his chance and she would get a taste of the choice she didn't take. She smiled to herself and glanced at Killian. Just a taste.