Emma had a hard time falling asleep that night. She lay there in bed, replaying the events of the day. She was still angry, but she wasn't sure at who. At Neal, for the mistakes he had made and for thinking that they could ever be a couple again? At Killian, for failing to live up to the expectations he had given her in Neverland? Or at herself, for rejecting them both and being incapable of having a normal relationship with someone?

She put her pillow over her face and screamed into it. Man problems. Just what she did not need.

The next morning, she got up as usual and dressed for a day at work. When she got downstairs, everyone turned and looked at her with the same curious scrutiny that they had displayed the day before.

"Good morning, guys," she said. "Henry, is your homework in your bag?"

Her mother looked at her in disbelief. "Aren't you going to see what's waiting for you at the door today?"

Emma returned her gaze, unflinching. "I'm pretty sure that it was Neal the whole time. And after last night, there aren't going to be any more flowers."

Looking exasperated, David turned, walking towards the door. She thought she heard him mutter, "My money's on the pirate," but she couldn't be sure.

They all watched as he opened the door and bent down to pick up the newspaper, but his broad form hid whatever he found there. When he turned around, Emma's breath caught in her throat. He was holding a long-stemmed rose, in a beautiful coral color.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, that makes a strong statement."

"What?" Emma asked, looking at Mary Margaret. "What does it mean?"

Instead her father answered, "A coral rose, symbolizing desire." He twirled the flower in his fingers until he was close enough to hand it to her.

Henry looked up from his cereal at that, scrunching his nose as if the whole thing was making him a bit uncomfortable.

She looked down at the flower, perfect in symmetry and possessing infinite delicate petals, and she immediately recalled her conversation with Hook last night. "If you're asking me if I still desire you, darling…" A shiver ran down her spine. This was her answer, pure and simple. And he was also revealing himself, sending a message that she was sure to pick up on, despite the subtlety.

"It was Hook, the whole time…" She thought about the different flowers he had left for her and their meanings...a lavender rose for enchantment, a blue hyacinth for devotion. A purple crocus for hope and a pink camellia for longing. And now, a coral rose for desire. He had found her a place to live, and spent the week taking care of the Lost Boys when she had suggested maybe he could help out in some way. She was awestruck...no one had ever done anything like this for her before.

"I told you, he's a romantic. It takes one to know one, I guess," her father said, smiling as he kissed Mary Margaret on the forehead.

Emma put the rose on the counter, wanting to deal with it later. She looked at the clock. "Come on, Henry, you're going to be late for school."

Henry leapt up from the table, grabbing his backpack. "Bye Gramma, bye Gramps!" he called as he rushed to the door.

"I'll probably pick up some breakfast from Granny's, let me know if you want anything!" she told her father as she walked to the door.

David looked perplexed, but only waved and said goodbye.

Later that day, Emma picked up two takeout coffees and walked to the pawn shop. As she closed the door behind her, Neal looked up at her with trepidation.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey." He put down what he was doing.

She leaned against the counter, sliding the coffee towards him. "Peace offering?"

"Thanks," he said, smiling tightly, picking up the coffee and taking a sip.

"So, about last night…" she started.

"It's OK, you don't have to say anything," Neal offered, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you were expecting," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Neal nodded, twisting the coffee cup on the counter. "I'm thinking about moving back to New York, and I want you to be the first one to know."

Emma drew back, surprised. "Wow, that was sudden."

"It's not, actually. I've been thinking about it for awhile, that was why I wanted to take you and Henry for visit."

"Oh," she said, the dots connecting.

"Yeah, I mean, I had a job there and a life. I have friends who are probably wondering what in the hell happened to me."

They both laughed, knowing how absurd their lives really were.

"I'd love to see you try and explain that one," she said.

"Oh, well, you know, I had to go spend some time with my father who's a sorcerer, and then I found out my fiance was actually a minion of Pan's and I got shot and thrown in a portal which took me to Neverland. Does that about sum it up?"

Emma laughed even harder, and Neal joined her until they both quieted.

"What about Henry?" she asked, concern for her son outweighing her own.

He looked her in the eyes. "Hey, look. I'll never do to Henry what my father did to me. I love that kid, OK? It'd be great if you'd let him come visit me now and then, and I can still come back for visits, too. I mean, the shop will still be here."

Emma looked him over, thinking about all they had been through together. "I'd like for us to be friends," she said quietly.

"Always, Emma. Always. But I can't say I'd enjoy watching you get swept off your feet by that scoundrel of a pirate."

She gasped in shock. "And just who says he's going to sweep me off my feet?"

Neal sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "Let's just say I happen to know he's good at that sort of thing." There was bitterness in his voice, but after scratching his head, he smiled at her again, grabbing her hand. "I just want you to be happy, Emma. Even if it's with him. I don't deserve your forgiveness for what I've done, but you're the best and you deserve to be happy."

Emma smiled freely at him. "I want that for you, too."

They stared at each other for a moment, before she broke the gaze. "Alright, I better head back to the station. Let me know about New York. Henry will be pretty sad about it, but he'll live."

"Yeah, he's got a hell of a mom to keep him company! Or two!"

Emma laughed, holding up her coffee cup in a salute as she turned and left the shop. She walked slowly back to the station, sipping her coffee and thinking as she walked. At least that little knot was untangled. Now, there was just the question of the tall, dark, and pirate variety.

As she continued walking, her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and suddenly she found herself down at the docks, a hundred yards from his ship. She was still angry with him, but curious, too. What exactly had he meant about 'some things being more important than his own selfish desires?' He had looked at Henry. Did he stop pursuing her for Henry's sake? Or even, somehow, for Neal's?

She heard giggling and a deep voice singing a jaunty sailor's song. Looking towards the boat, she saw Killian with Jasper on his shoulders, merrily bouncing around the ship as he sang his tune. As he bobbed and weaved back and forth, Jasper clung to his head with both hands, laughing harder every time he was tilted so precariously it seemed like he might fall to the ground.

Walking forward a few steps, she hid behind a post and watched, mesmerized, as Killian played with the boy, her heart clenching in her chest. He'd been alive for hundreds of years, but he'd never been a father, had he? She wasn't sure. But he certainly looked like he was enjoying himself.

She shook her head. He'd backed off because he thought it was what was best for her son, she was sure of it now. But why didn't he let her decide? Did he think he was being noble by sending her back into the arms of a man who left her alone and in prison?

Emma stood there a moment longer before turning and heading back towards town. Every time she felt angry at Killian for backing away, images of his happy face holding a dark-haired, blue-eyed boy filled her mind, and she sighed in resignation.

The next morning, there was another coral rose at the door, and David placed it in front of her breakfast plate as he passed her on his way to the kitchen without saying a word. She stared at it, but continued eating her breakfast.

He had broken the pattern now - two days with the same message: desire. I want you.

Wednesday morning it was the same thing, and again on Thursday. I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you. David continued to deliver the message without adding any words of his own, and Emma was grateful for that. It helped her to sort out her own voice from the noise, and as the days passed the message her heart was sending her became clearer and clearer. She was ready to take the leap, but she was still wary of the fall.

Friday morning, she woke to the sound of her alarm, got up, and took a shower. When it was time to get dressed, she spent a full minute in front of the closet, looking over the options. She finally decided on a blue silk blouse and black pants. She even curled her hair a little, and as she looked over her reflection in the mirror, she decided she was satisfied with the effect.

When her foot hit the landing at the bottom of the stairs, she heard a knock coming from the front door. Seeing as no one was around, she crossed to the door and opened it.

Standing there was a young man in a uniform, holding up a bouquet of flowers and reading from the tag. "A delivery for a...Miss Swan?"

This was an interesting development. "That's me, I'll take them. Thank you," she said as she collected the flowers, turning and shutting the door behind her.

It was a beautiful arrangement of flowers, the majority of them being coral roses, but accented by small white clusters of flowers with a lovely rich fragrance. She recognized them immediately - they were freesia, one of her favorites.

She put the vase down on the table and pulled out her phone, typing in "flower meaning" and "freesia" into the web browser. She pulled up the first hit that came up in the search results. "Trust," she said aloud, to no one in particular.

He wasn't sure that she'd believe him, even though he spent five days telling her he wanted her, Emma mused. So he was asking her to trust him. She had to smile at that a little. Perhaps she really was an open book, to him at least.

Looking over the arrangement, she noticed a small card tucked into the flowers. She opened it and stared curiously at the lines of rich black scroll. It read, "I hope I've made myself clear, darling. You are my heart's desire, trust me. ~ KJ"

She felt butterflies in her stomach, and tingles all over her neck upon reading his carefully constructed message. He wanted her, and it was completely unnerving. She'd never felt this way before.

The day passed quickly, and as the afternoon shifted to evening, she became more and more nervous. She tried to stick around the loft after dinner and help with the dishes, but it was Henry who finally pushed her out the door.

"Go," he said, giving her a not-so-gentle shove. "You've got this, Mom."

She turned to glance at him behind her, his face lit up with joy and somehow, it made her feel a little bit joyful, too.

~/~

Killian's heart was aching. He knew that a show of patience was usually rewarded greatly, but he was starting to lose hope. Every day this week, he tried to show Emma how much he wanted her, but he hadn't gotten so much as an eye roll in response. She was ignoring him completely, and it was torture.

He finally decided to up his game and send her a real, custom bouquet, hand selected by him and delivered by the florist. Nothing much had come of it however, seeing as he'd spent the entire day on the ship with a bunch of children, without so much as a thank you in reply. At least taking care of the Lost Boys gave him something to occupy his time, his days spent laughing and playing like he hadn't done in centuries.

Resigning himself to the fact that she may never come around, he lay atop a blanket, looking up at the stars. It was left out after he had given the boys their nightly lesson on star mapping, and he found he quite enjoyed the peaceful solitude that surrounded him after the day of noisy activity. Folding his arms behind his head, he stared up into the sky, his thoughts his only companion beneath a canvas of inky blue.

It was quiet in the harbor, little noise except the sound of the boat rocking against the dock and the occasional clang of a bell. That was until he heard the sound of boot heels making their way up the gangplank, and he immediately sat up, looking for his sword. He needn't have worried, however, as he must have been hallucinating. Because he thought he saw one beautiful, brave, and strong Emma Swan standing before him.

He blinked. "Emma?"

Through the dim light of the lone lantern he had lit, he could see her smiling at him. He must certainly be hallucinating now.

"Hey," she said softly, and his heart hammered in his chest. She was most assuredly real.

She motioned with her hands. "Don't get up. Can I join you?"

"Of course," he said, scooting over on the blanket.

She came and sat beside him, looking up into the sky, and he immediately grabbed a cushion to place behind her. Entranced, he noticed she was wearing a lovely blue shirt that brought out the color of her eyes as he tried to make out her expression in the darkness. Her hair cascaded down her back in lovely loose ringlets, and she had never looked more beautiful to him than she did in that moment. For once in his life, he was completely dumbstruck, so deep was the spell she had cast over him.

"So, I-" "I wondered-" They both tried to speak at the same time, and then laughed softly at their folly. He ducked his head bashfully, feeling completely exposed to her, and noticed she did the same.

He smiled, nodding his head that she should go first.

She breathed deeply before she turned her green gaze on him, making his heart flutter.

"You told me once that I would have to make a choice," she said, not breaking the gaze.

"Aye," he said, nodding his head again, the anticipation of what she would say next leaving him speechless.

"I didn't choose Neal," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"You didn't…?" he asked, suddenly breathless, as he searched her face.

She shook her head. "No. I choose you. I came here to ask you out...to dinner or something."

Killian felt his heart stop before it just about beat out of his chest, the joy bubbling up within, manifesting itself in a huge grin that spread across his face.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you out?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I should've known you'd be old-fashioned given your age. What are you, like 300?"

"Curses and Neverland may have given me experience, but as you can see, I've retained my youthful glow," he said with a ridiculous flamboyance that had her rolling her eyes again. She gave him another genuine smile, and he knew without a doubt that he would never get tired of such a glorious sight.

"Alright, Swan, I happily accept. Though I do feel like I owe you an invitation," he said, scratching behind his ear.

"No, Killian," she said his name slowly, softly, and he quite liked to hear her saying it after so many years of being Hook. "I owe you. Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

She looked incredulous. "For the flowers, and for finding me a place to live. For taking care of a group of misfit children and being an all-around stand up guy." She glanced down where her hands were tangled together, and her face grew serious. "For letting us have a shot at being a family, even if it didn't work out."

Ah! You're quite perceptive, darling, aren't you? he thought, as he met her gaze.

She inched a bit closer to him, their bodies turned towards one another.

"Most of all, thank you for being patient with me," she said so quietly he wasn't sure if he heard her correctly.

He wanted to tell her he'd do all this for her and more, he'd go to the end of the world for her, but he knew instinctively it would be too much too soon.

Instead, he sat there, staring into her eyes, in awe of this magnificent woman who had turned his life upside down, even if she had to hold a knife to his throat to accomplish it. As much as he wanted to just bask in her gratitude, he couldn't help but think of what had happened the last time she had thanked him, and his eyes were drawn to the pink bow of her lips. He saw her eyes travel the same path on his face, and he leaned forward slightly, just enough to convey a silent invitation.

As if in slow motion, she bent forward until her lips reached his, falling softly atop his mouth, claiming his soul. It took him a moment to react, but then he was moving against her, tangling his hand into her hair and drawing her closer. Their first kiss had been all heat and passion, but this one was sweet and tender, an expression of longing, desire, and certainty. "I choose you," he heard her say again, and he felt it in her kiss, in the sureness of her movements.

She opened her mouth and allowed him in, and he was positive now that they were floating to the heavens, everything else dropping away besides himself, the girl, and her magical kiss. The feel of her lips and tongue moving against his made him dizzy as he breathed her in, moving closer, relishing the feel of her fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. When they finally broke apart, they leaned their foreheads together and they smiled, drinking each other in as he stroked the soft skin of her chin.

"You are worth waiting for, love," he said earnestly, savoring the moment.

She smiled with a sheen in her eyes that he'd never seen before, and she held onto him, stroking her hands over his neck and shoulders.

He was just about to lean in for another kiss when he heard a shuffling noise behind them, and a "Killian? Are you up here?"

Little Jasper was walking towards them, rubbing his eyes as his pajama pants dragged across the deck.

"Jasper, lad, what are you doing up?"

"I heard a noise and I think there's a monster under my bunk," he said, his bottom lip sticking out.

Killian sighed, rising to his feet. "Come on, then, let's go chase the monster away so you can go back to sleep!" He turned towards Emma and smiled apologetically, saying, "I'll be right back."

Jasper's eyes widened when he recognized Emma sitting there, and he waved at her. "Hi, Emma!" he called. She waved back.

Emma smiled at them as he took Jasper by the hand, and took him back to the stairs leading to the crew's quarters.

He got Jasper tucked back into bed, allowing him to wrap his arms around his neck tightly for one last hug (which he suspected was what the boy wanted more than someone to chase the monsters away). He was growing increasingly fond of the little lad, especially when he was sleepy and affectionate. That taken care of, he made haste back to the deck of the ship, the smallest amount of fear remaining that Emma would disappear into the night.

He sighed in relief when he saw her blonde hair still shining in the moonlight, her arms wrapped around her knees as she gazed up at the stars.

"Sorry about that, love," he said as he sat down beside her.

Pressing his luck while he still had the courage, he wrapped his arm around her and drew her into his side, holding her close. She was soft and warm, and he could smell her honeyed fragrance filling his nostrils. He felt a strong sense of contentment wash over him, so glad was he just to be allowed the contact. Though he did glance down at her lips, wondering if she would let him kiss her again before the night was over.

"'Snoproblem," she said, looked up at him with a mixture of affection and something like pride. "Did you manage to chase all the boogey men away?" she teased. Her hand came to rest on his thigh, and his skin burned under her touch.

"I'll have you know, Swan, that I am quite the adversary of boogey men of all shapes and sizes. I will not tolerate such beasts aboard my ship!"

She laughed at him then, and he felt the warmth of her laughter all the way down to his toes.

Her turned towards her, gently nudging her nose with his own as he took her hand.

"So, tell me, love. Was I worth waiting for?" he asked in a sultry voice, giving her his most flirtatious smile.

She considered him, looking over his face and bringing her hand up to stroke softly at his brow.

"That depends," she said, giving him a provocative smile. "Are you going to kiss me again?"

Killian nearly choked in surprise, but managed to maintain his composure.

"It would be my pleasure," he answered, cradling the back of her head as he drew her to him. He pressed his lips to hers, reveling in the ability to kiss her freely. She responded with passion, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as her warm breath blew across his cheek.

He knew he was a goner the first time they kissed in Neverland, but tonight it was confirmed for him all over again. His heart belonged to Emma and no other, so completely was he enamored of her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let her go.

Much later, when they had managed to stop kissing and decided to call it a night, he walked her to her car.

She held onto his hand, playing with his fingers. "So, is tomorrow too soon for our date?" she asked, smiling coyly.

"Not at all. In fact -" he pressed a kiss to her lips, then put his mouth against her ear, whispering. "Tomorrow sounds perfect."

When he pulled back, her expression spoke of shared secrets, and he wondered what other sorts of secrets he and Emma might be sharing soon.

"Until tomorrow then," she said, reaching up to kiss him again.

"Tomorrow," he echoed, kissing her back.

She turned away, grinning, and opened the door to her car. She was just about to get in when she turned back towards him. "Oh, and Killian?"

"Yes, love?"

"Wear something snazzy. We're going to dinner."

He raised his eyebrows at her, biting his lip. "As the lady insists!" he said, walking backwards.

Watching as she got in her car and drove away, Killian couldn't wipe the grin off of his face if he tried. His sense of accomplishment at winning her heart rivaled just about anything else he could be proud of in his life. He had some things to do tomorrow, but only one thought took precedence in his mind. What sort of flower should he bring the lovely lady tomorrow?

I should probably have clarified before, but this is the last chapter! I hope you all enjoyed reading it. I may be enticed to write an epilogue, but this was all I had planned for this story (in fact, it was supposed to be a one shot!). Many thanks to startswithhope and lenfaz for their encouragement and direction on this fic.