She knows she has to open the door. The lights are on and so is the TV. Why do I insist on having the TV up so loud? she asks herself, and turning on every light in the damn apartment? She knows he knows she's home. She just really didn't want to deal with him yet. Emma was really good at running away from her problems, but this problem did not know how to stay away. She took a deep breath, counted to 5, and opened the door with the chain still latched.

"Well hello there, Swan." Killian said with a smirk. He knew she would open the door. Just wasn't sure how long it would take. He had guessed it would've taken a lot longer.

"What do you want, Jones?" Emma knew he had her. His smile really was irresistible, and those eyes, and that beard. She was at least able to hold in a sigh. She did have some pride left. He would have to work for it before she gave in.

"Oh, you know, just checking in. Aren't you going to invite me in, lass? It is the middle of winter out here?" he smiled wider. He knew she was going to let him in. He was very persistent when it came to getting his way.

"No, I'm not going to invite you in. I'm busy. Maybe you should've thought about that possibility before you walked all the way here without a coat. This is New England. It's winter. It's cold."

"Come on, Swan. I won't bite." He smirked even more and raised an eyebrow. He had no shame when it came to flirting with this woman. He knew it would work. She just didn't want to admit that she had feelings for him.

"Fine. But only because you're letting all my heat out. Make it fast. I have stuff to do, and I don't have time to deal with whatever problem you're having today." She closes the door to unlatch the chain but takes a breath before opening the door again to let him in. She had to admit: he was the only one who could knock her off her game so easily.

6 months earlier:

Killian Jones is, what people consider, a private person . He knows a little bit about all of the goings on in the small town of Storybrooke; however, no one really knows much about him. That's just the way he likes it too. The less people know, the easier it is for him to go about his business unnoticed. He keeps a close eye on what everyone is up to on a daily basis, but keeping his distance makes it easier for him to not get too close. Nothing good ever comes from that.

He gets along well with everyone, mostly. There are a few exceptions. Mr. Gold being the big one, and the feeling is totally mutual. But until it made sense to do otherwise, the two men just ignore each other, or at least only flipped each other off when the other's back was turned. He likes Robin enough to go out for beers every once in awhile and listen to Robin tell plenty of stories about his past adventures. They weren't always the most interesting; that man is really in to camping, and Killian can't always understand what is so great about sleeping in the dirt. Killian listens, laughs, and enjoys himself, but he can just never work up the nerve to share his own stories.

He lives on a boat that he keeps docked close to town, but he likes the peace that the ocean brings him and the fact that he doesn't have any nosy neighbors. He loves to spend his nights on the deck watching the stars. It's peaceful and private. Just the way he likes it. When he's gotten enough fresh air to clear his mind, he goes inside and sits down at his computer and attempts to write. That's why he watches everyone. The people aren't always interesting, but sometimes they offer him some sort of inspiration for his stories. Lately, he's really been struggling with coming up with much of anything, though. He stares at the blinking cursor in a blank word doc for 2 hours before he finally gives up with a sigh. He resists the urge to toss the computer across the room and decides that maybe a change of scenery will help. Tomorrow, he'll try to write somewhere else. Maybe that will spark his creativity again.

The next day he's sitting in the coffee shop around the corner from Granny's diner when a woman he hasn't seen before walks in. She sticks out like a sore thumb, too. Her red leather jacket and long blonde hair contrasting her so completely from the other boring people in town. Killian is instantly curious about this woman who walks in so casually to a place where strangers just never go. People didn't just come to Storybrooke. There wasn't any reason to travel so far away from actual civilization. He can't even remember why he ended up here. He watches her from his seat in the corner while she thinks about her order. He decides he has to find out more about who this woman is and why she's here.