"You better hope to hell you didn't bring anything else back with you." Regina fumed before turning on her heal, stealing one last glance in Robin and Roland's direction then left the diner in one swift motion.

Emma watched as Robin's attention shifted from his newly returned wife in his euphoric state to Regina's departure and scrambled to follow her out the door. Emma sighed, turning back to Killian who had been silently watching the situation unfold. She took a seat at the bar next to him and ordered a whiskey.

"You were right, Killian." She winced at the first gulp. "Everything has its consequences. I just wanted to save an innocent woman's life." She downed the last half of the brown liquid.

"You did the right thing, love. Regina will see that soon enough. That innocent woman's blood would have been on her hands and that is a fate unforgivable." He reached for her hand, giving it a small squeeze. "And you've reunited a family. That is no to fault to bear."

Emma smiled meekly at his comforting words and soft gaze. She still felt a strange mix of emotions. She wanted to feel elated and in a way she did. She'd been searching her whole life for a home, someplace she would miss if she ever left. She'd found it now, a place right under her nose. But in the midst of her happiness she'd stolen another's.

She didn't feel guilty though. Killian was right, she did the right thing, and she knew that. But it came with repercussions. She doubted Regina would forgive her any time soon. She just hoped that with everything that's happened Regina really had changed. The fact that she didn't try ripping out Emma's heart on the spot kind of proved that much. But who knows how long it would last.

Killian gave Emma another comforting squeeze, taking her silence as gloom. Emma looked up at him, at the touch and smiled, really smiled, turning her hand over in his and squeezing back. Nothing that had happened with Regina could take away from her new found acceptance of Killian and their feelings for each other. She hadn't quite explored exactly what hers were yet but she knew the moment that she had said hello to her brother Neal and Killian wasn't there, she knew in her heart that he was what she'd been missing all along.

Every moment since she'd come back to Storybrooke, since he brought her back, Killian had been by her side. And when he wasn't during such a momentous occasion, she missed him. Her heart ached for the cerulean gaze that pierced her with every look. The gaze that was piercing her now.

Not much later Robin returned sans Regina without any explanation. Henry then approached her, asking if he could spend the night with Regina. Emma, knowing that even though she'd spent the last few days in another dimension of time and space, Regina still needed her family more than anything right now.

"Sure, kid." She ruffled his hair as he ran out the door, waving to his grandparents on the way out.

"I think I am going to turn in. It's been a long couple of days," Emma said standing up and turning to her parents.

"You know you don't have to stay here now that every thing's out in the open. Henry will be with Regina tonight." David hinted.

"That's okay. You guys have just enough room for the three of you. Besides I'll probably check out that apartment Henry found tomorrow anyway. Goodnight guys." She leaned over and kissed baby Neal's head before making her way towards the door. She stopped just short of Killian and smiled in his direction.

"Goodnight, Swan." He just smiled back as she turned and headed towards the stairs.

~/

Later that night after a long, hot shower Emma sat on her bed in her room at Granny's reading the fairytale book. She read repetitively over her journey with Killian and the altered past that now included her and Killian. It was on the fourth time she reread the story that she stopped at the part in which Killian fought the guards at Midas's castle. He must have taken on four or five at least after she ran back inside (only to get caught). He'd taken them all on single-handedly, literally.

A moment later she found herself knocking on Killian's door down the hall. She'd taken a peek downstairs but he'd left the diner as had everyone else. After a long moment she was about to head back to her room thinking he was asleep when the door opened.

"Swan?" Her mouth fell open. There he stood, leather pants, barefoot and shirtless. He must have just gotten out of the shower; he was still holding a towel ruffling his damp hair.

She picked her jaw off the ground and tried to gather his wits. It was difficult with him just standing there, chest hair reflecting fragments of light from the water droplets still present on his glistening chest.

"Yeah, I, um, wanted to ask you something." She looked down; still clutching the storybook she began flipping through the pages looking for the one she desired.

"Here." Killian motioned for her to come inside, his hooked arm pulling her in by the shoulder.

"It's just -," she absentmindedly sat on the bed, keeping her eyes carefully glued to the book as she flipped through the pages. Emma felt the bed shift as his weight landed next to her. "I am just looking for –," she made the mistake of glancing up at him. He was sitting directly next to her, looking over her shoulder as she scanned the pages. But now he was staring at her face, inches away from his.

She felt the book lift from her grasp, not bothering to look down anymore, it was gone; he had removed it in one swift motion and was now stroking her face. Her breath caught in her chest as his gaze pierced her once more that night and she could not look away.

Their shared kiss from earlier that night lingered in her memory. They had been interrupted by David summoning them back inside for cake. She remembered his expression, like he wasn't surprised at all. She also remembered a new passage in the storybook between David and Prince Charles. David now knew what she did; Killian would go to the end of the world for her, a thought that still shocked her even though he had proven it time and time again.

But now she was apprehensive. Before they had been out in the open, it couldn't have led anywhere. Now she sat inches from him, his fingers playing with wisps of her hair and his eyes boring into her. Her own gaze lowered to his lips, she couldn't help it, their sexual attraction to each other could never be denied and she could no longer deny herself.

Before she could make a move his lips had found hers, gently brushing against each other much like their earlier kiss. But at the touch of his lips she felt warmth spread throughout her body. She found her hand wrapping around his neck, spreading through his still damp hair. Her other hand, grazed his chest hair as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Her tongue grazed his lips seeking entrance and it was like a barrier was broken. All the love and passion and sexual frustration was a like a damn breaking, flooding their veins.

Hands moved up and down each other's bodies as their lips clung to each other. His hand tangled in her hair as he kissed her with such ferocity and wild abandonment while his hook trailed coolly down her shoulder, sending chills up her spine. Moving their bodies in sync, Killain pressed his bare chest against Emma, closing all gaps between them. Somehow without breaking the kiss Emma was lying pinned beneath him.

"Killian – I –," She gasped as his lips moved down her neck, trailing hot kisses along her collar, making his way over her shoulder.

"Emma, it's alright," He pulled away, tucking a loose lock behind her ear and lightly kissing her lips once more. "We don't need to anything you're not ready for. I just want to kiss you." He cupped face demonstrating as he lingered again on her lips. "I dunno what you plan to do with me, but I am yours." He brushed his lips against her eye lids. "And I have waited too long not to kiss you-," he pecked her nose, "every chance I get -," he pecked her forehead. "I am yours, Emma Swan." He touched his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and exhaling into her blond main splayed out against the bedspread.

"Killian," She sighed. The truth was Emma didn't know what she wanted; or rather what she was ready for. She knew what she wanted and what her body wanted. But it was all moving too fast. "I want you. I want this. But we need to take it a little bit slower."

"Emma," he breathed, "we can go as fast or as slow as you want." He lightly pecked her lips before he rolled over onto his side facing her. "I am not going anywhere."

"I like the sound of that." She smiled, running her finger tips down the naked chest, silently cursing herself.

"I would follow you to the end of the world. Or time, Swan." He beamed as he leaned into another breath taking kiss.

They would kiss for hours that night, intermittently breaking for bits of conversation. Killian never went more than a few minutes without finding a different place to kiss her – her wrists, her fingers, her palms, any place that did not insinuate further initiation of their mutual sexual desires.

It wasn't until hours later, when they lay curled into each other, just beginning to fall asleep when Killian remembered something.

"Love?" he whispered in her ear from behind.

"Hmm?"

"Wasn't there a reason you came in here in the first place?" He felt Emma shift as her body shook lightly, hearing her chuckling.

"Yes." She turned over to face him. "The storybook showed a new passage, the part where you held off the guards at Midas's castle while I went to go find Snow." A smile tugged at her lips as she yawned. "Well it showed you taking down at least five guards single-handedly."

"Well I am a hell of a swordsman."

"Yes well I seem to remember you getting knocked out once in a sword fight."

"What? I never-,"

"Lake Nostos? I hit you with the compass and you looked pretty knocked out to me." She was desperately trying to suppress a giggle.

"Oh. That." He grinned mischievously.

"Yeah that. So either I'm extremely talented and lucky or-," Killian chose that precise moment to slip his arm under her waist and pull her up against his still naked chest. He cut off her laugh with his movement and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. Her breath caught in her chest at the sudden exchange but she did not protest. This time it was his tongue sought entrance to her mouth. Granting it, she held him flush against her, her hands trailing low on his back. Their lips crashed together in a hunger and need that could not be fulfilled. Her belly swelled with heat as she wrapped her leg over him, pressed him up against her. She needed to feel his weight pressing into her as she pulled him on top her.

Slightly rocking his hips into her, her lips moved, trailing hot kisses in the hollows of his neck. Emma sucked on his pulse point, as she pushed her hips up into his. She could feel his arousal and she wanted him.

"Emma," He whined, pulling back breathless and rolled off of her onto his back, now stifling his own laughter. "You certainly are a firecracker." He growled, leaning over and planting a soft kiss her forehead.

She smiled and lightly brushed her lips against his before turning on her side leaning into his outstretched arms. There would be plenty of time for everything with him, she thought smiling to herself.

"Alright, love, I did let you win," he whispered.

"I knew it," she yawned.

"Goodnight, love."