The man who didn't want to be found

"Mr. Jones," Emma said as her eyes focused on the blue eyes of the man standing on the other side of her desk. "You have the wrong person. I'm not a private investigator, I chase skips."

"I know, Miss Swan. But when I asked who the best tracker was, everyone directed me to you. Even some of the highly recommended PIs I've met with." Jones sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I beg you. I need to find him."

Emma could see the desperation pouring out of him: in his voice, in the way his fingers fidgeted over the surface of the desk, the way his blue eyes looked at her pleadingly.

She sighed, "I can give it a try… but if he's as good as they say at hiding, I might not be successful."

"That is all I ask, lass." Jones smiled as he took a photograph from his jacket and placed it on the desk.

Emma looked at the picture: the man was strikingly handsome, with dark hair and a mischievous grin. The same shade of blue eyes were looking at her, but there was a dangerous edge in them.

"His name is Killian. Killian Jones."

/-/

Killian Jones. MI6. Specialized in undercover operations and suspect tailing. Involved in highly classified operations. Fugitive. International capture order for the murder of Milah Gold. He was working undercover at the time, investigating a supposed drug operation led by Robert Gold. Reports said he became obsessed with Gold's wife and killed her when she rejected him. He escaped before the local police could arrest him. Rumor says he's here in Boston tracking Gold.

This is way over the small time crooks you usually track, Emma. Be careful.

Emma sighed as she placed on the desk the note that David, one of her police contacts and a personal friend, had attached. This case was getting more complex the more information she uncovered about her mark. And while it piqued her curiosity, she was also cautious about how much she wanted to get dragged into this mess.

She took the manila envelope David had sent her and dumped the rest of the content over her desk: copies of police reports - mostly alleged sightings of Killian Jones in Boston - and a few photographs. She grabbed one and studied it carefully. Tight jeans, black leather jacket, black slim sweater underneath, dark hair and a striking smile. Killian Jones was the poster boy of what a spy should be. Hell, he was the real life version of James Bond, all the way up to the sex appeal.

Way out of her league. Dangerous ground. She should quit this case altogether.

But then the image of his brother's pleading eyes came to her, the hint of regret she was able to catch underneath the mix of sadness and worry. Emma couldn't help the tug at the pit of her stomach that was telling her that whatever this might look like on the surface, it came down to one thing and one thing only.

Bringing a family together.

Whatever Killian Jones was, whatever he'd done - or claimed he hadn't - his brother was determined to find him and bring him home with him.

He's all I have left. I need to find him.

And Emma Swan was damn sure that she would find him.

/-/

It only took three weeks. She was frustrated by a few useless hints and wound up chasing some dead ends in the middle, but finally one lead put her right where she wanted: following Killian Jones through one of Boston's middle class neighbourhoods.

He was casually strolling around. From the way his body moved, Emma could tell that he was always on alert, but not necessarily worried about being followed at that very moment. She smiled proudly, praising herself over the fact that she was able to tail a former MI6 agent so easily.

She watched him turn around a corner and waited a few minutes before following with feigned carelessness. As she reached an intersection, someone grabbed and pulled her into an alley. Emma couldn't react before she was pinned into a wall, a body pressing forcefully against hers, not letting her move.

She felt a cold steel blade pressed against her jugular. "Now, love, please tell me you're not working for Gold. I'd hate to ruin such a pretty face," said a deep, richly accented voice. Emma lifted her eyes to meet Killian Jones' blue eyes looking down at her with slight apprehension.

She tried to break free from his grasp, but he only pushed further against the wall, "Nah - ah. You don't get to leave until I get some answers." Emma looked at him. Killian was almost smirking at her, his head tilted to the side as his eyes scanned her features.

"How did you -" she started and the grin on his face widened.

"How did I figure out you were following me?" he finished the sentence for her. "You're good, lass, I'll give you that; but I'm better." His hand pushed the blade on her throat slightly. "Now, answer my question, darling. Did Gold send you?"

"No," she replied sincerely. He tilted his head, his eyes studying her face carefully for any traces of a lie.

"Then why are you following me?" His voice was a liquid mix of ice and danger, almost impossible to describe.

Emma met his cold stare. "Your brother is looking for you."

Killian's eyes flickered with pain, his body stiffening before he pulled the blade away from her throat. "Tell him to stay out of this." He released his hold on her and took a step away, pocketing his knife before taking a swagger stance, his finger hooked on his belt as he looked defiantly at her.

"He wants to talk to you," Emma said.

His jaw clenched, his eyes moving to the side to avert hers before he spoke again. "I don't...Tell him to stay out of this." He pointed his finger at her and then he was gone, as fast as he had pulled her into the alley, not giving her a chance to say anything else.

Later that night, Emma arrived at her apartment door tired and frustrated after trying to track Killian. She toyed with the keys in her hand as she went to unlock the door, but stood frozen at the sight. There was a takeaway cup and a brown bag on the floor. She kneeled before it and grabbed the cup. It was still warm and she could smell hot chocolate in it. She peeked inside the brown bag and there was a grilled cheese sandwich with onion rings in it. Her mouth watered at the smell of the food. Curious, she lifted the little note she found attached to the bag.

My apologies for ruining your reward, Emma Swan.
Please accept this as an attempt to mitigate the pain.
It was nice meeting you, love. ~ KJ

She rolled her eyes at the teasing tone of his note before the smell coming from the bag lured her into her apartment to have her meal.

/-/

Liam insisted that Emma continued tracking Killian, his blue eyes pleading with her again. She finally caved, sensing there was something else hidden beneath Liam's desperate need to find his brother and talk to him.

She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she was eager to find out.

It took her more than a month to even find a new hint to work with. After that, it was a few weeks of trailing, tracking, searching and piecing it all together until she finally got an address.

Emma had learnt her lesson and she decided that following Killian around was not going to be successful this time. She needed to get practical and, perhaps, a little illegal in her ways. After tricking another tenant into opening the front door for her, she stood by Killian's apartment door, her tools at the ready. She smiled as she quickly picked the lock - it's all about the tumblers - and hastily entered the place, locking the door behind herself. He probably wasn't around, and she could take the time to search his belongings before he arrived.

Her heart skipped a beat as she turned around and found the living room and kitchen areas were empty. She quickly ran towards the bedroom and found the same situation. She groaned in frustration as she searched the place, opening drawers and cabinets. The apartment had been thoroughly vacated.

Bastard.

Her phone buzzed with a message and she reached to look at it. She didn't recognize the number but somehow, she had a good idea of who might be sending her a message.

You are very good, Swan. I am thoroughly impressed.
But I'm better. Tell Liam to stop trying to find me.

Emma almost stomped her foot on the floor in frustration at the slight mocking tone of his reply. He hadn't even tried to hide his number under an unknown sender. He'd just blatantly sent her a phone number for her to track, fully confident that she wouldn't be able to do it in order to catch him in time.

Smug, cocky son of a bitch. He wasn't even trying.

/-/

"I tell you, Emma, that guy was more than just good," Ruby said before downing her shot. "From all I hear, he was the best MI6 had for undercover ops."

Ruby was her other police friend, a tough cookie that specialized in undercover ops for Vice. They'd met one day when Emma was tracking down a skip before Ruby intercepted her and asked her not to ruin months of undercover investigation. They became close ever since, inseparable partners for wild nights at the bar while looking for suitable one night stand options.

Live hard. Play hard. Party harder.

But tonight Emma was not in the mood to party hard. She was in the mood to drink hard, and that was what she was doing as Ruby kept talking and scanning the bar.

"I know you're frustrated, Emma, but the fact that you were able to get close to him, twice, is rather huge. I know a few guys at the station that haven't even come as near as you have…"

"But if he doesn't want to be found… why does he stay here?" Emma asked as she toyed with her beer bottle.

"Rumour has it he's after Gold. And Gold has been seen here as of late," Ruby explained. "That's the theory at the station at least."

Emma groaned in frustration as she softly hit her head against the counter. "Why do I keep chasing him?!"

"How hot is the brother?" Ruby smirked at her.

"It's not like that," Emma protested.

"So… he's not hot?"

"I didn't say that." Emma cocked an eyebrow as she took a sip of her beer.

"Ok… time to dish. I've seen pictures of Killian Jones, so tell me… is all that tall, dark and handsome a Jones brothers' thing?"

"Pretty much," she smirked.

Ruby tilted her head. "But you are not doing this for the brother, are you? He's gotten under your skin… Killian, that is. You want to find him. It's personal now."

Emma smiled as her lips caressed the mouth of her beer bottle. "Perhaps."

A few hours later, she was still nursing a drink at the counter. Ruby was long gone, having picked a stranger for the night and waved her goodnight. Emma sighed, running a hand through her hair as she scanned the room. Her gaze stopped at the end of the counter on the other side of the bar, taken aback at the sight of a familiar face sitting there drinking. She squinted her eyes, trying to figure out if the alcohol had affected her senses, but she was quite sure her eyes were not playing a trick on her. She stood up, checked for the taser-gun and pepper spray she kept with her at all times and navigated the distance to where Killian Jones was sitting, trying to be as swift as the alcohol in her system allowed her to be.

He didn't even flinch when she sat next to him, and that clued her in to the fact that he'd probably noticed her before.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me, Swan." He knocked back his drink, his mouth making a tsk sound as he placed the glass on the counter.

Emma motioned the bartender to serve them another round. "What are you drinking?" she asked.

"Don't you know all my dark secrets by now, love?" He turned and smirked at her, something dark and almost dangerous dancing in his blue eyes.

Her self-defense instincts should have kicked in, but Emma didn't feel threatened by him at that moment. There was something very familiar behind those eyes that she could relate to. She took his glass from the counter and lifted it close to her nose to sniff it. "Are you drowning your sorrows in rum?"

"More like trying to chase my demons away." His voice was low and deep, like a distant memory. "But I am pretty sure you know all about that, don't you?"

She took a sip of her beer, stalling, "Pretty much. But I hadn't done it in a long time." Her finger traced the wooden lines on the counter.

The bartender brought their drinks and they stayed there in silent companionship, both drinking. When he finished, he stood up and tossed a few notes over the counter. "My treat," he said shortly before turning around and putting on his leather jacket. "See you around, love."

Emma stood still for a few moments, quickly debating on the possible danger of pursuing him into the back alley before deciding to go after him. She caught up with him at the just outside the back entrance.

"Your brother misses you," she blurted out.

He stopped, tilting his head to the side. She could see his profile and his jaw clenching, his hand fisting at his side before he turned around, speaking hoarsely. "He misses a man who no longer exists." There was an ancient despair in his voice, as if tiredness had crept over him. His head dropped in defeat, his eyes focusing on the floor.

She closed the distance between them, her head ducking until her eyes connected with his and she forced him to lift his head. "And who was that man?" she whispered.

He swallowed, pain and regret flickering through his eyes, his strained voice barely a whisper. "A man of honor."

Impulsively, she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him towards her. Their lips crashed together, mouths moving and bodies fusing together in a hazy blur of heat. His hands gripped at her waist, head tilting as he deepened the kiss, a growl reverberating in his chest.

It was over as fast as it had started, a final tug of his teeth on her bottom lip, a nuzzle of his nose against hers before he spoke hoarsely, "This is a bad idea, love." His hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You need to stay away from me."

He took two steps backwards, his conflicted eyes meeting hers one more time, before he seemed to force himself to walk away.

/-/

She met Liam at the docks the next day, her heart still puzzled at the events of the night before.

"I saw Killian last night," she said, sitting down next to him on the bench.

Liam's head tilted, his eyes desperately scanning her face for information. "How was he?"

"He was drowning himself in rum and stating you are searching for a man of honor he no longer is," Emma bluntly deadpanned. Liam's eyes flickered with pain and regret and Emma pressed the issue. "You have to be honest with me. What are you not telling me? I need to know."

Liam sighed, running his hand through his hair. "He visited me while he was working undercover. Told me he was in love with Milah and she was in love with him, that she knew his real identity and was willing to help him bust Gold. And that they had plans for a life together after that… He was high on his love for her, so sure of everything…. But I had my doubts. Sometimes, when you're in too deep in undercover, your mind can play tricks on you. You can start seeing things that are not quite there. I - I warned him to be careful about Milah, not to trust her so blindly." Liam stopped his tale, his eyes leaving Emma to focus on the sea. "I made a mistake. I could see in his eyes that his heart was breaking before he walked away from me. Milah was dead within the next month, and Killian was on the run."

Emma's heart broke at the sight of the tears coming to Liam's eyes. "I would give anything to turn back time and tell him I believed in him, in them. I'll never forgive myself."

"You didn't know," Emma offered.

Liam turned to face her, apprehension in his eyes. "Emma, if you think you are in danger, that he'd hurt you… I can assure you…" he started but Emma cut him off, a reassuring hand on his arm.

"I'm not worried about that." She truly wasn't. If Killian Jones wanted to hurt her, she'd be dead by now, that much she knew. "It's just," she sighed, "I can keep trying, but it's really not about finding him. I always do, one way or another. But…"

"He doesn't want to see me," Liam finished sadly. "I have to let him go, don't I? All I can do now is work with his old friends to help clear his name and hope that one day he'll come back to me."

Emma squeezed Liam's arm. "I'm sorry Liam, I truly am," she offered sincerely.

"Thank you, lass. I really appreciate everything you've done for me, for us. And I think this is the end of the road." He sighed, "How much do I owe you?"

Emma pondered his words. "I'm pretty sure that moving heaven and earth to help clear your brother's name is not cheap, is it?"

Liam smirked. "No, it's not. But I still have some backups." He pointed at the sea. "See that boat? I was going to sell it to pay you at the end, but you can have it now as it is if you prefer."

Emma's eyes widened. "I wasn't able to bring him in, Liam. I can't accept it."

"You could… you've put a lot of work into this, Emma."

She stood up and he quickly did as well. "If needed, sell it and use it to clear his name."

Liam's eyes filled with tears and he moved to hug her. "Thank you, Emma. For everything."

"You're welcome."

Two months later, on a chilly October night, Emma Swan sat in her kitchen, her eyes focused on the lit candle above a simple chocolate cupcake. Another birthday, another year, another wasted wish that would travel to the unknown. Her treacherous memory chose this moment to assault her with the thoughts she'd tried to leave behind in the past few months. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander to the last time she'd seen him, their shared fierce kiss in an alley.

She'd stopped looking for him after her talk with Liam on the docks. She'd gone back to chasing other skips, almost groaning in frustration at the amateurism of some of the small time crooks she was assigned. More than once, as she went over the same, routine searches over and over again, she'd thought about trying to track Killian. She knew from Ruby and David that he was still lurking around the area, but he hadn't been caught yet by the police; she doubted he'd ever get caught unless he wanted to be. The temptation to go after him was strong, very strong, pulling her like a magnet to try to find him. But she always held back on her impulses.

She'd met with Liam the night before, both of them sharing a drink as he'd once again insisted she take the boat as payment for her previous efforts. Emma refused, only settling on allowing him to pay for the drinks instead. He looked tired, his blue eyes slightly duller than the last time she'd seen him. She wished she could bring Liam and Killian the peace they so desperately needed, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Emma shook her head, putting all the somber thoughts out of her mind as she closed her eyes and blew the candle, her mind focusing on a different wish this year.

A knock on the door startled her, her eyes squinting in confusion, and she wondered who it could be at that late hour. Probably one of her neighbours with a frivolous request like a cup of sugar or some extra coffee.

Emma opened the door and her heart stopped. Killian was standing right in front of her, his blue eyes boring into hers with a mix of confusion, passion and something else she couldn't - wouldn't - name.

"Killian?"

"You've stopped looking for me…" he whispered.

Emma sighed and moved to the side to allow him into her apartment. "There was no point anymore."

"Why?" He turned around, voice strained, tense stance, as he scanned her back and forth. "Am I not worthy enough to keep on trying?"

The tone of his voice struck a nerve in her, familiar sensations coming back to her. After all, she knew much about feeling unworthy. The lost little girl that didn't matter and didn't think she ever would. She took a step towards him, her eyes meeting his. "It doesn't make sense if you'd still refuse to meet with your brother. I can find you once and again, Killian; but it won't make a difference if you won't talk to him."

Killian's jaw clenched and he invaded her personal space, his eyes boring into hers in the same way they'd done the last time she'd seen him. "Are you in love with my brother, Swan?"

She met his inquisitive stare, her body leaning towards him, her voice calm and collected as she replied one single word. "No."

They reached for each other almost at the same time, lips crashing and bodies pressing. He tilted his head, his tongue reaching out to plunder her mouth, his hands travelling desperately to her waist and pulling her even closer to him. She maneuvered to remove his jacket and jumped onto him. He caught her, legs wrapping around his waist as she desperately reached to unbutton his shirt. Emma broke the kiss to point the direction of the bedroom and Killian held her strongly in his arms as he walked them towards the bed.

She refused to overanalyze what was happening, choosing to lose herself in his touch, on the way he trailed feather-like kisses as he explored her body. She lost herself in him, hands eagerly exploring the hidden nooks of his body; passion, lust and something else she refused to acknowledge passing through them, two lost souls finding solace in each other.

He was gone by the time she woke up, but a small wrapped package lay on her pillow, and a card with her name on it. She opened it to find a silver chain necklace with a blue crystal swan charm. It was then when she noticed the thick envelope on the bed, two words written on it.

For Liam.

/-/

Liam's eyes widened when he saw the envelope, his hands shaking slightly as he reached for it. Emma left him alone in her office to read it and walked down to the street to pick up a couple of coffees for them. She noticed Liam's tears when she came back, but chose not to say anything as she placed the coffee in front of him.

"Thank you, Emma." Liam said, reaching for her hand and squeezing it. "I - thank you for this, lass. How did you find him this time?" he asked curiously.

Emma cleared her throat, averting her gaze. "He found me."

Liam's eyebrow rose slightly, before a small smile grazed his lips. Emma sat on the other side of her desk and busied herself with her coffee.

"If I write him a letter, can you see that he gets it?" Liam asked.

"I can try," Emma offered.

That was how she started tracking Killian again, long hours trailing and tracking while her mind took her back to their shared night. The way her body arched to meet his rhythm, his lips trailing kisses on her skin, his eyes boring passionately into hers before he reached to kiss her.

It took her more than a few months this time, as clues led to dead ends and the paper trails became harder to untangle. But she found him in the end, as they both knew she would. As she stood there picking the lock of the place where he was hiding, she debated with herself on whether or not she wanted him to be on the other side of the door or not.

The disappointment she felt at the empty apartment spoke louder than the excuses she'd been making in her mind. She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she considered her options. Emma decided to take a leap of faith and reached for the letter in her pocket. She carefully placed it on the kitchen counter before she turned around and left the apartment.

Later that night, when her phone rang and the screen showed a strange number, she knew exactly who it was. Her brow furrowed at the Maine area code but she connected the call.

"I got the letter." Killian's voice was muffled and dark, and she could feel the despair and tiredness in it.

"I'm glad you did," she replied, shifting in her seat carefully. "How are you doing?" she ventured to ask.

He sighed, "I don't know, Swan. I just don't know anymore."

"Killian, why are you calling me from a Maine number?" Emma pressed.

"I guess I needed to hear you to see if it could help me."

Her heart froze. "Help you with what?"

"I'm trying to figure out if I am making the biggest mistake of my life." His voice broke at the end of the sentence and Emma stood up immediately.

"Killian?"

"It was good to hear your voice, Swan. Take care, love." He whispered the last word and disconnected the call.

"Killian!" She screamed at the phone, but there was nothing but silence on the other side of the line.

/-/

Storybrooke, Maine.

Emma sat in her car, her eyes trained on the town's Library, as she monitored the seemingly sweet librarian's movements.

Belle French. Profession: Town librarian in Storybrooke, Maine. She's been spotted in Gold's company a few times, but there is nothing certain. If Killian is out for revenge, she can be a target. Be careful, Emma. If Gold truly killed Milah and he was in love with her, he might not listen to reason.

Emma's fingers traced the words on Ruby's note. At least she hadn't gotten it when it was too late. Belle French was still alive and unharmed. She still had a chance to stop whatever Killian was scheming.

She spotted him later that night, lurking near Belle's apartment. Emma got out of her car and walked towards him. He turned around, sensing her movements and his eyes connected with hers, pain and despair a permanent feature in them.

"Swan, why are you here?" He demanded, his head tilting while his hand fisted at his side.

She took a step closer. "You wanted me to stop you, Killian. You called me. You knew I'd track you down and find you."

He ducked his head, his eyes focusing on the floor. "Perhaps," he admitted.

She reached to caress his cheek. "Don't do this," she pleaded softly.

He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. "He killed my love, right in front of me. Put two bullets in her chest as if her life meant nothing, Swan."

"But that girl over there... she's not to blame, Killian. She's innocent."

"I want to hurt him, like he hurt me," he said ruthlessly.

She cradled his face, nose softly nuzzling his, eyes pleading. "This isn't who you are, Killian. If - if you go through with this… this changes everything."

He rested his forehead against hers, battling a fight against himself. Emma knew this was the moment that would define everything for him, the moment he wouldn't be able to come back from if he made the wrong choice, the moment that would define what type of man he wanted to be. She closed her eyes, letting the moment sink in, finding the words to remind him of the things he'd leave behind.

"Liam is desperate, he can't lose you," she whispered.

She sensed the shift in his stance and opened her eyes to meet his, his lips a breath away from hers. "Why do you care so much about this?"

She closed the distance to give him a searing kiss, her hands lost in his hair as his mouth moved against hers and for a brief moment, that was all that existed. Nothing but him and her holding onto each other.

Emma broke the kiss and stayed close to him, breathing heavily. And while she wanted nothing more than to pull him towards her and drown herself in him, taking him away from this moment by any means possible, she knew this was a test he needed to face alone. That this moment was for Killian to live on his own.

She brushed her lips to his, softly whispering, "Come back home, he needs you," before she pulled away.

The next morning, Belle French headed to work at her regular time and Killian was nowhere to be found.

/-/

Three months went by, twelve weeks of routine days chasing skips, followed by silent restless nights where her mind would drift to him, wondering where he was.

TURN ON THE NEWS. NOW.

Ruby's urgent text made Emma drop the paperwork she was studying as her hand reached for the remote next to her on the couch and turned on the news.

Images of Gold behind held in custody and carried towards a police car filled the screen, while the sound blasted with information Emma had little time to process.

The tycoon was responsible for a major drug operation. Finally uncovered by an anonymous tip. Police arrived at the scene to find traces of fighting and blood on the floor, but no one save Gold and his men were there. Evidence that Gold was responsible for his late wife's murder. Police are trying to locate other parties involved.

Her hand covered her mouth in shock, fear invading her as she reached for her phone and dialed Liam's number.

"Emma! I'm heading to the scene with my lawyer and some of Killian's friends have made contact with the police as well," Liam spoke hastily. "We have a long way to go but it seems we will clear his name after all."

"Was it him? Do you know where he is? Is he ok?" Emma asked worriedly.

"We think it was him, but he's nowhere to be found… I - he'll be ok, Emma. He has to be," Liam promised, and it wasn't clear if he was trying to convince Emma or himself.

"Call me if you need anything, or if you hear something, Liam, just-..." Emma trailed off.

"I'll call you, lass. I promise."

/-/

It took almost a month to prove Gold's guilt in Milah's murder. But finally, Liam and his friends had succeeded in clearing Killian's name and the international capture order was lifted.

Killian Jones was an innocent, free man.

Now he only needed to show up. Somewhere.

Days went by and neither Emma nor Liam heard any news. Ruby had no more information than what they were able to piece together from the interrogations. Killian had been on the scene, he'd been injured but had fled before the police arrived.

There were no details on how badly injured he'd been and Emma had spent a lot of time tracking and trailing hospitals and private doctors for information.

But there was nothing.

Emma entered her apartment, groaning in frustration as she kicked the door closed and threw her bag on the table. She'd been following a trail that finished in a dead end. Again.

Her hand moved to grab the swan charm that hung on her necklace, her voice a whispered plea, "Where are you, Killian?"

Someone knocked on her door and Emma hoped against all odds as she opened the door.

Killian stood there, his hand resting on the doorframe. He lifted his eyes to look at her. He was pale, thinner than before, but there was a serenity in his blue eyes the she hadn't seen there before. He gave her a tentative smile before asking, "Are you still looking for me, Swan?"

She pulled him towards her as she kissed him and he went willingly into her arms, kicking the door closed.

"Are you ok? Were you hurt?" she asked in between kisses.

"I'm still a little weak, but I'm fine, Emma," he whispered back, his hands cradling her face as he leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. "I'm more than fine."

She smiled against his lips as she carefully pulled him towards her bedroom, her lips never leaving his.

Later that night, as she laid by his side listening to his even breathing, her fingers carefully tracing circles against the bandage on his stomach, she whispered softly, "I'm in love with you."

/-/

The next morning, she stood by the doorframe of her bedroom, nesting a cup of coffee in her hands. She took some time to watch him sleep, a serene smile on his face, his hair a wonderful mess spiking on all directions. He drifted awake and he seemed confused for a moment before his eyes focused on her and he gave her a sleepy grin. "Good morning," he said in a sleep laced voice.

Emma smiled softly as she walked towards him, sitting on the bed. "Coffee?" she asked.

He propped himself up on one elbow and took the cup from her hands. "Thank you, love."

She gave him one more minute to settle in before she reached to softly remove the hair from his forehead. "I think there's someone you need to see," she pressed.

He reached to scratch behind his ear, a sheepish smile coming to his face. "Aye."

They stood next to each other by the docks, and Emma could feel Killian stiffen as he spotted his brother walking towards them. Her hand moved to grab his and squeeze it. "It will be ok," she said reassuringly.

And then Liam was reaching for his brother and Killian was reaching as well, both fusing in a tight embrace that spoke more than the words that passed between them.

Emma smiled, her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. Liam broke the embrace and gave her a thankful smile.

"I have no words to express my gratitude, lass. Thank you for bringing my brother back to me," Liam said.

"You're welcome," Emma said, her eyes darting to meet Killian's intense stare.

Liam reached for his jacket pocket, his hand holding a set of keys. "I believe this belongs to you now," he smiled.

She tilted her head, a lopsided grin coming to her face. "This one's on me, Jones. Give the boat to Killian, he can use it to start a new life." She arched an eyebrow. "I'll give you some time to catch up." Emma turned around and left, giving Killian a side glance while doing it. He arched an eyebrow at her and the corners of her mouth lift in a smile.

You know where to find me, Jones.

/-/

Killian watched Emma walk away and his heart skipped a beat. He wanted nothing more than to run after her, pull her into his arms and ask her to never let him go. But he wasn't sure what they were or even if they were something.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to put his thoughts in order. He heard his brother chuckling next to him and turned around to find Liam looking at him amused.

"Are you going to let her go?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Killian deflected.

"You can't be that daft, Killian. That woman has spent more than a year chasing after you."

"That's because you were paying her," Killian said, insecurity lacing his tone.

"No, I wasn't," Liam corrected.

Killian's eyes widened in surprise and Liam shook his head. "I hadn't paid her yet. The keys of the boat she just refused, that was her payment. The one she just gave up so you could have a fresh start."

Killian looked from Liam to the keys to the place that Emma had just vacated, trying to make sense of what he'd just heard.

"I'm going to ask again, little brother. Are you going to let her go?"

Killian smirked. No, he wasn't. But he had all the time in the world now.

"You've spent the last year and a half tracking me down and now you want to get rid of me?"

"Not at all, Killian. We can have lunch, catch up, figure out what to do. But I have plans tonight." Liam smirked. "I'm taking Emma's friend Ruby out for drinks."

"Ruby Lucas? Vice undercover vixen? You're out of your league, Liam. She eats guys like you for breakfast," Killian teased, enjoying having the brotherly banter back.

"As long as I get to be the one having breakfast with her, I don't care what she eats," Liam jested. "Come on, brother, let's get some food."

/-/

Late that night, Emma heard a knock on her apartment door. She answered to find Killian standing there again, a smirk on his face.

"I have a predicament, Swan," he said.

"You do?" she lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Aye…" he said, taking a step towards her and tilting his head. "I have a boat now where I can stay, but the winters would be cold there."

"Probably," she offered, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"And given I have no interest in going back to England and taking orders from MI6, I find myself in need to find a job that can provide me sustenance and warmth in the winters." He bit his lower lip, his eyes boring into hers playfully.

Emma leaned in a fraction. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, considering I am as good as you are at tracking and that I could chase skips and be a private investigator, I was wondering if you'd be interested in hiring someone to help you in your business?"

"I didn't think you'd want to take orders these days."

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers softly caressing her cheek, "I'll take them from you," he murmured softly.

Her breath caught in her throat and he seemed to notice because he kept his hand on her face, his eyes boring into hers. "Emma, the reason why I let you find me over and over ... I never thought I'd be capable of letting go of Milah, to believe I could find someone else - that is until I met you." He closed his eyes, his face so close to hers that she could feel his thick dark eyelashes against her skin. "I've fallen in love with you," he breathed.

Her hand reached for his face, and he leaned in into it, opening his eyes. "Killian, the reason why I kept trying to find you was because I was falling in love with you," she admitted out loud, her lips reaching to capture his in a soft kiss.

"Swan…" he whispered, "you've found me, love. In more ways than one."

(She was actually better at tracking than he was. But he excelled at filing and organization, which made him ahead on cases most of the time. Nevertheless, she usually beat him to most of the skips whenever they set up a friendly competition. He never quite cared when he lost. All he cared about was that he was able to hold her in his arms each night.)