Okay so I know it's been a very long wait for this second chapter and I'm so sorry for that guys! I had a lot going on this summer so I didn't have much time to write! I'm sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, I'm still looking for a beta so just hang in there! Once again sorry about the wait!

Chapter 2

Waking up is definitely one of the things that Emma hates most in the world, along with her ex boyfriend of course. It doesn't help that she also has a killer hangover that is definitely going to last the majority of the morning and most likely well into the afternoon.

Sitting up slowly Emma tries to force the room to stop spinning, but fails when she's forced to run to the bathroom. Groaning into the toilet she flushes away what was left in her stomach from the night before and decides water is the best course of action. She creeps into the kitchen with her hands on her stomach, afraid that if she makes any sudden movements she might be sent running to the bathroom once more.

Emma cringes when she reaches into the cupboard only to realize she hasn't unpacked any of the few kitchen items that she has. Her stomach sinks remembering her favorite mug she'd left behind in New York. It was a gift from her former partner, when she left she wanted to leave every bit of him behind. Emma's hands clench into fists at the thought of him. At least her feelings have turned into anger rather than the complete heartbreak she'd felt when she'd come home to clothes strewn across the floor and Neal in bed with a woman that certainly wasn't Emma.

Emma had started yelling and the woman scurried out of the apartment, oblivious to the fact that Neal wasn't exactly a single man. She had yelled and cried at all the excuses he gave her and when he let it slip that it wasn't the first time that was the last straw. Emma had stormed out of the apartment with tears streaming down her cheeks. He hadn't even tried chasing after her, he just let her leave.

Emma had spent the night at a motel and of course she had a sleepless night curled above the covers not bothered to pull them over herself. She cried more that night than she can ever remember in her past. He was the first person Emma had let herself fully trust that wasn't Mary Margaret or David, since she was a child. It broke her when he finally did what everyone else does, abandon her. Emma scoffs at herself believing she deserved it, she was foolish enough to believe him when he told her he loved her in the first place.

Massaging her aching temples Emma steps out of her apartment and slowly makes her way up to David and Mary Margaret's, careful not to make too much noise. She's happy to notice that the door was left unlocked, though the thought they'd left themselves so exposed through the night is unsettling but Emma reminds herself that this isn't New York. It's a small town where everybody knows everybody. If someone broke in, they'd probably know who it was immediately.

Chugging the glass of water she helped herself too, Emma almost jumps to the roof when David rushes around the corner armed with an umbrella, prepared to attack his intruder. A laugh bubbles up in Emma's throat at the ridiculous stance her brother finds himself in when he realizes it's only his sisters who's come to burgle some water.

"I don't have any cups." Emma manages through her fits of laughter as she winces through the pain in her head. David sends her a teasingly stern look fighting back his own laughter. "What kind of damage were you planning on doing with an umbrella." Emma laughs while filling her empty cup to the rim with tap water. This time she sips slowly.

"You're lucky you didn't find out. I could have hurt you." David warns reaching to put the umbrella down, then to the fridge for what looks like eggs and a assortment of Vegetables. "Omelette?" Emma nods eagerly. "All your cups packed away?" David questions cracking an egg into a pan.

"The few that I have at least, all the rest were his." She'd rather not say his name out loud this early in the morning.

"Well, we'll just have to get you unpacked soon then." David gives her an encouraging smile while staring to sprinkle some sort of spice over the frying pan.

"I could probably do it all today, I didn't really have much to bring with me." Emma reminds her brother. "I'll probably have to buy some stuff but with my currently unemployed status I might have to continue stealing from you." Emma hadn't found a job yet and she's going to need to fairly soon if she plans on keeping a roof over her head. Not that David would ever let her live on the streets, he didn't when they were just kids.

"Why don't you come work at the station." David suggests, as if it's a completely reasonable idea.

"You're joking, right?" Emma questions, unsure of how she feels about the idea. Sure working as a bail bondsperson in New York gave her some experience but that doesn't mean she's in any position to enforce the law.

"Yeah I'm serious Em. I know that you know how to handle yourself out there and besides, I've been looking to hire for a while now and who better than someone who already knows how to shoot a gun." David explains while placing Emma's omelette in front of her, making her stomach grumble.

David takes his own omelette out of the plan and finds his place in the chair beside her at the counter. He makes some valid points but to Emma the idea of getting hired by her brother seems like cheating somehow. "I don't know David." Emma shoves some food in her mouth unable to resist the delicious spices.

"Tell you what, come to the station with me today and get a feel for the place." He suggests. "You can decide after that, but I really think you'd like it there Em." David engurages before cutting his omelette up into little squares, like when they were kids.

"I guess it couldn't hurt." Emma agrees ignoring the proud look on her brothers face.

Over the course of their breakfast Mary Margaret stumbles around the corner with her arms shielding her eyes. "Why is everything so bright." She mumbles while making her way to the kettle. She asks the others if they'd like some tea but Emma shakes her head, always having been more of a hot chocolate person.

"I'm off to shower. Meet me at the station around ten o'clock. You remember where it is?" Emma nods at David's question and he's gone before more can be said on the matter. Probably on purpose so Emma doesn't have time to back out.

"The station?" Mary Margaret questions while catching the tea pot before it has a chance to make that terrible screeching noise.

"Yea, David suggested I start working there." Emma explains finishing the remains of her food.

"Oh that's a great idea! You'd love it there." Leave it to Emma's sister in law to be optimistic and cheerful while very clearly hungover.

"Isn't it kind of cheating though?" Mary Margaret gives her a face not understanding Emma's position. "Getting hired by my brother? Obviously he'd hire me even if I didn't qualify for the job." Emma explains while picking up her plate and bringing it to the sink.

"That's the thing, you are qualified Emma. It's not cheating if you work for it, and knowing you you'll do a wonderful job of keeping this town safe." Mary Margaret gives an encouraging smile that mimics the one she'd just gotten from David.

"Also I have something to tell you." Emma blurts before her confidence leaves her.

Mary Margaret's attention immediately focuses on Emma and not on her tea, which she was very eager to have. Emma doesn't often open up and when she does Mary Margaret never skips a beat. She hasn't since high school.

"I kissed Killian last night." Emma feels her cheeks go pink remembering the way his lips moved so smoothly against hers.

"You what!?" Mary Margaret exclaims much louder than both of them would have appreciated, they both wince, heads still pounding.

"It just kind of happened. He didn't recognize me at the party and he started hitting on me and then I thought I'd just have some fun." Emma quickly explains still unsure of how to feel about the whole thing.

"That's why he was acting so weird last night!" Mary Margaret puts all the pieces together in her mind then suddenly begins to giggle.

"Mary Margaret this is serious!" Emma attempts with fits of laughter seem burst from her chest. "What am I going to do!?" Emma questions when both of them begin to calm down.

"I'm not sure Emma, do you have feelings for him?" Of course Mary Margaret would get all serious on her.

"What? No, of course not." Emma brushes the idea off hoping that her response wasn't too quick. "Besides, it's only been a month since…" Emma trails off once again not wanting to say his name. "Well I should go get ready. Oh yea is there any chance you could drive me to my car today? It's parked in one of the lots not far away." Emma quickly changes the subject remembering that she doesn't exactly have a way to get to the station to meet David.

Emma had parked her car here before she moved to New York, for some odd reason she thought the thing was childish and got something different after her move. Now Emma can't wait to have the thing back, she's never loved a vehicle more than that damn yellow bug.

"Of course, be ready in half an hour." Mary Margaret waves Emma away and she quickly rushes out of the apartment thankful that their conversation didn't end up in the direction it was going in.

When Emma gets down to her apartment she heads directly to the shower. She hadn't had any particular plans for the day so her trip to the station shouldn't throw her off as much as it does. It could be because this isn't exactly where Emma pictured herself seven years ago, but here she is.

There's nothing terrible about living in Storybrooke, it's a very practical place to live. The job at the sheriff's station isn't bad either. Too be honest, ever since Emma was a little girl she'd always had always wanted to do something in law enforcement. Unfortunately somewhere along the line that dream faded away and she had ended up being a Bail Bondsperson. It wasn't exactly the most ideal job with having to travel so much when her targets jumped bail. Neal had never let Emma forget about that, especially toward the end of their relationship.

Emma silently scolds herself for being so oblivious to all the signs he'd been giving her. Maybe if she had more attention to him and not been so involved with her work he wouldn't have cheated on her. Maybe she deserved what he did to them. Too her.

Brushing the unwelcome thought from her mind Emma adjusts the temperature of the shower to the way she likes it. Whatever was left of her hangover washes away with the steaming water that will definitely leave her skin red.

After brushing and blow-drying her hair, her natural curls fall over her red leather jacket. She pulls her black boots over her dark blue jeans completely the rather casual look. It's comfortable and she never goes anywhere without her leather jacket, so in a way, it's perfect.

After picking up her car and being surprised that it still runs Emma decides to stop a Granny's for some hot coco before heading to the station. Remembering the route to the small diner Emma pulls into the very same parking spot that David always did when they were younger. Memories of the gang hanging around this place begin to flood Emma's mind causing waves of emotion to come crashing down on her.

How did she end up here? How did she end up where she started when she left full of so much hope? How did this happen?

Shaking her head Emma walks to the diners entrance admiring how much the place has stayed the same. Hell, even when she picks up the menu it still has the same options from when she was a kid.

"Well there's a face I haven't seen in awhile."

"Hey Granny." Emma smiles at the familiar woman's face. "Good to see you're still Kicking."

"Someone's gotta run this place." The older woman laughs. "What can I get for you?"

Emma asks for hot cocoa with cinnamon and Granny leaves to place the order. After a few short minutes Emma receives her beverage and says her goodbyes, as she turns toward the door she runs into something causing her drink to go tumbling to the ground. Thankfully, for once it managed to miss the front of her shirt.

When Emma looks up to glare at the person who'd just caused her to spill her drink she immediately wishes she hadn't.

"My bad, sorry lov- oh Emma." Killian says in a tone that borderlines on disappointed or something similar to it.

"Oh, you remember this time." Is the first thing Emma says and she immediately regrets it because her tone seems to have sparked some attitude from the man she'd kissed last night.

"Aye." He glares, then walks to the counter ordering another of Emma's drink and one for him. He grabs a bundle of paper napkins and gives one to her to clean off the little bit that was splattered onto her hand.

"Thanks." Emma murmurs.

"Mhm." Is all he says.

"What's the matter Jones, cat got your tongue?" Emma remarks, irradiated by his behaviour.

He takes a deep breath, "I need to apologize for last night love, I should have known it was you."

"Yeah, you should have," Emma doesn't understand why she's so angry at him, but she is. "And I'm not your love." She glares and exits the diner leaving her drink behind, when she gets into her car and begins to drive away she notices him in her rear view mirror. He'd chased after her.

/

Once Emma got the image of Killian standing at the front steps of Granny's out of her head, the first hour at the station had been simple. David showed her around refreshing her memory of the place and showing her how the files were organized and how the computer system worked. He was treating the whole situation like she was going to take the job and let's face it, she will. It's not like she has many options, and between working at the local supermarket or here, here seems like the better option.

David had excused himself for moment to take a phone call leaving Emma time to explore on her own but she doesn't get far when she hears David talking very sternly on the phone through the thick glass window separating his office from where Emma stands.

Emma watches her brother press the end button on his phone and quickly rush to put his jacket on and exit his office. "Graham needs help with a call, can you man the place while I'm gone?"

"Sure." Emma shrugs, not thinking it through before she agrees.

"Great, answer the phone if it rings and try not to burn the place down." David gives her a quick hug and rushes out the station leaving Emma alone in the quaint little building. She settles behind one of the empty desks which will probably become her own and puts her feel on it's top. How bad could this be? It's not like anything ever goes wrong in the small town of Storybrooke. Naturally phone rings trailing her thoughts as if the world is mocking her. Emma freezes for a second not sure what to do but then catches her wits. David said if the phone rang answer it, so that's what she's going to do.

"Sheriff's station, Emma speaking." She chimes in a voice so cheerful it sounds foreign.

"Hey Em, it's David."

"That was fast, I promise the place is still standing… for now." Emma jokes.

"Ha ha, very funny." He mocks. "Killian just called about something at the docks, you mind checking it out? Graham and I are pretty busy here."

"Uh, you do know I don't technically work for you yet." Emma half jokes. Of course she'd be the only one left to go and deal with whatever mess Killian had gotten himself into. Not to mention between the kiss last night and Emma's little outburst this morning, the level of awkward will be at an all time high.

"Well then, you're officially hired. Please Em, I'd owe you big time." David begs and with that Emma can only say yes. After he thanks her for about the hundredth time Emma hangs up the phone and starts her yellow bug toward the Docks.

Parking her car Emma gets out and takes a moment to look out to the beautiful landscape before her. It's just like she remembered, and with the smell of the seawater filling Emma's senses she remembers the last time she was here.

"Killian we should get back, my brothers going to kill us!" Emma's drunken twenty year old self had run down the wooden planks beneath her feet toward the farthest edge of the dock. The parked boats now behind them, leaving the two with a breathtaking image of the moon reflecting on the water's surface. "It is my birthday you know and that means you have to do what I say." Emma had said matter of factly as she stopped to stand beside her dark haired friend with breathtakingly blue eyes.

"Well Swan, it certainly is your birthday but unfortunately you'll never have the pleasure of telling me what to do," Emma remembers his face becoming more serious than she'd ever seen before. "No one will." His suddenly stern mood changes before Emma could have asked what he meant. He continues on with his usual charm. "I believe presents are in order." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny black box holding it out for her to take.

Emma gave an exaggerated gasp and presses her palm to her chest, "Yes! Of course I'll marry you Killian Jones!" She swoons while dramatically falling into his arms like she's in the midst of fainting.

"Always so dramatic Swan." Killian rolls his eyes as Emma brings herself to face him fully. She remembers him looking nervous, and she'd never seen Killian Jones look nervous before. Especially around Emma, that was usually her job, but the alcohol in her system gives her the confidence she needs.

With a generous amount of curiosity Emma reaches for the box and takes a deep breath before opening it. A small and elegant swan is placed in the center with a fine chain attached to it. She gasps at the beautiful necklace and pulls it from it's container to be fully inspected.

"Killian, it's…" Emma trails off unsure what to say. She'd never received a present so wonderful before and she never expected she would get one from Killian. She holds it up between the two of them and they both lock eyes on the bird spinning in circles from it's chain. "How come you're being so nice to me?" Emma's voice is smaller than she would have liked it to be, but the question needed to be asked.

"You're leaving soon and even though we never really got along I wanted to give you something. Come on Swan, don't ruin the moment." Killian grabs the necklace and spins Emma around to clasp the chain around her neck. Before Emma could say thank you she feels his arms wrap around her from behind and his head press against the top of her head. She feels him take a shaky breath and Emma closes her eyes, never wanting to forget this moment.

Killian and Emma's relationship hadn't always been the best but on occasion when they were alone things seemed right. Sometimes they would share a comfortable silence and sometimes they would have conversations meant only for each other's ears. But once someone else would enter the room he would go back to his defencive self.

Emma opens her eyes and turns around to face him. His head presses against hers. "I'm going to miss you, Emma." She's shocked to hear him use her first name.

"Me too Killian." Emma feels a tear roll down her cheek, they both move toward each other but before their lips can meet they're interrupted by a very drunk Robin, and they both jump apart.

"You guys! David's gonna do a flip!" Robin cheers and charges back toward where their friends are gathered at the shore.

"Shall we save Dave from himself then?" It's not really a question because Killian is following Robin, leaving Emma alone as she holds onto the charm that shapes a swan dangling from her neck.

That was the first time Killian acted like she truly existed and it was also the night before Emma left for New York. He hadn't even come to say goodbye to her at the airport, everyone had been there except for Killian.

Now an older Emma stands at the very same docks with her mind lingering on the necklace packed away in one of her boxes. She wore it everyday in New York up until Neal had asked her about it. She hadn't wanted to make him jealous and spark up a fight so she brushed the question off and never wore it again. She should have known their relationship was doomed from the start.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind Emma walks along the wooden planks and toward the small cabin attached to the docks located among the various boats. As she gets closer she can see how much the place has aged since she was last here.

The blue paint that once sparkled against the sunlight peels down the walls revealing weather worn wood. One of the windows is boarded up with a large plank, the glass broken and long gone by now.

When Emma knocks on the door the hinges creek and it's pushed open with a soft nudge. "Hello?" Emma questions out loud.

She peeks into the small room filled with some furniture. An old desk is tucked away in the corner with a laptop placed on top. There is a coffee cup beside it and steam rises from whatever hot liquid is inside, best bet being coffee.

"Well if you wanted to see me you didn't have to come all the way down here, you could have called, or text." Killian's voice comes from behind causing Emma to jump.

"Jesus!" She glares pressing her hand to her chest feeling the rapid pace of her heart.

"Killian will do just fine thanks." He smirks and Emma continues to glare.

"I'm here about a complaint." Emma explains while trying to ignore how absolutely gorgeous he looks in his plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up just before his elbows. Also trying to keep her cheeks from going pink at the thought of how she'd kissed him last night, and how amazing it was.

"Oh?" Is all he says.

"David hired me at the station." Emma keeps the explanation short hoping to get their conversation on track so she can leave as soon as possible. "So what's the complaint?"

"Leroy has once again had a few too many drinks and has decided he would love to captain one of the ships. Usually I'd just deal with him on my own but after what happened last time David suggested I let the proper authorities deal with the issue." Killian explains seeming to be much more talkative than this morning.

"What happened last time?" Emma asks while Killian gestures for her to follow him.

"Let's just say that one of us left with a swollen eye and the other with a sore hand." Killian explains as he leads Emma to a large yacht. He begins to climb aboard and Emma follows trying to ignore how calm he is around her. Shouldn't he be acting awkward around her or even angry at her for what she did last night and how she treated him this morning?

They walk through the sliding glass doors and Emma's eyes land on Leroy's sleeping body. He's huddled on one of the sofas mumbling something about snow white and the seven dwarfs.

"So, not much has changed while I was gone then?" Emma sighs as the sight of the drunken man.

Leroy had been causing trouble in the town since Emma was a preteen.

"Aye." Is all Killian says as the two work to lift the man into a sitting position.

Emma attempts to ask Leroy a few questions but with no answers she has no choice but the take him to the station until he sobers up. Both Killian and Emma walk him to Emma's car with little conversation between the two. Once Leroy is settled Emma turns to thank Killian but he beats her to the punch.

"Thanks for this." Killian scratches behind his ear and avoids looking directly at her. It's his tell for when he feels awkward or nervous.

"No," Emma scrunches her faces and presses her hand to her head. "I'm sorry."

"You are?" Killian raises an eyebrow, "And why's that love?"

"Because I could have told you who I was, and I could have been a lot nicer to you at Granny's this morning." Emma confesses.

"Aye, but I could have been a little more observant and recognize you. You've changed so much." He's looking at her with such an intensity she feels self conscious, wishing she'd at least put some eye-shadow or something on this morning. "But let's face it Swan, you just wanted an excuse to kiss me." He jokes with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Shut up." Emma shoves him on the shoulder trying to hide the smile on her own lips. "It's good to see you again Killian."

"You too Emma."

After a pause Emma gets into her car and drives toward the station with a feeling in her stomach she's not sure she's felt in a very long time.

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