A/N: Hi! This is my first fanfiction, and I'd like to start out by saying that this is very loosely based off of Nicholas Sparks's 'The Longest Ride'. I've had this story idea in my head for awhile now, and I love Emma and Killian, so I just had to write it! This chapter's purpose is to set the story in motion, and takes place mostly in the past. The next chapter will start at current day! Hope you all enjoy!

Epilogue

Killian Jones stood behind the reception desk with pale, trembling hands that had wrinkled with age, awaiting a reply from the nurse behind the desk. She finally looked up at the old man with sympathetic eyes and an apologetic smile, "Mr. Jones, your wife is currently resting in room 402, would you like me to send a nurse with you to show you the way?"

Killian slowly shook his head, "That's alright, lass, I've become rather familiar with this hospital over the past few months." He then leaned onto his cane and began the slow, dreaded walk to the room. He had been at the local market picking up groceries for the house when he had received the call from the hospital. His wife had suffered from a minor heart attack and had been moved up to a more watchful floor. They didn't know whether she'd make it through the night.

He'd left the store immediately and arrived at the hospital about half an hour later, and it was with a heavy, aching heart that he finally walked into her hospital room. She was curled up on the bed with tubes and IV's at seemingly every joint in her tiny, pale body, and her snowy white hair almost blended in with the sheets. Her eyelids fluttered open at the sound of the door shutting behind him, and the exhaustion in her green eyes squeezed at Killian's heart.

"Hello, beautiful." He quietly sat down in the chair beside her bed, ignoring the ache in his back, and reached for her hand.

She snorted at his greeting, "You're a terrible liar, Killian. Don't forget that I always know."

An overwhelming flood of affection for the elderly woman beside him welled up inside of him, and he had to quickly blink to keep back tears, "I wouldn't ever forget, love. Ever. How are you feeling?"

Emma coughed and then answered, "About as well as anybody recovering from a heart attack. I'm more worried about you, Killian. Have the kids been helping you with the upkeep of the house and with the hospital bills? Have you been getting enough sleep?"

Killian quickly cut her off by pressing a kiss to her pale fingers, "Don't worry about me, lass, it won't help your condition. I just need you to worry about getting better and coming home to me."

Her eyes darkened at his words, "Killian, the doctor isn't optimistic about my chances of coming home. I-"

"Stop. Don't think about it, love, please." Killian squeezed at her hand now, unable to bare the words coming from her mouth, "Tell me what I can do to make this better."

There was a long pause before Emma said, "Do you remember our story, Killian? Tell it to me."

Chapter One

When Killian Jones moved from Ireland to the small town of Storybrooke, Maine, he thought his world was ending. He was 12 years old and would have to start middle school in a new town full of new faces, and feared he would have no friends. Lucky for Killian, he moved right next door to a boy his age by the name of David Nolan. The pair hit it off immediately, and as Killian's parents spent more and more time out at sea, Killian was further integrated into David's life. David's parents loved Killian as if he were their own son.

So, naturally, when it was time to bring the little girl they adopted into their home, they invited Killian to come over and welcome the new addition to the family with them. It was a beautiful celebration between 5 people.

Her name was Emma Nolan, formerly Emma Swan, and she was 12 years old when David and Killian were 14. David adored her and despite missing out on 12 years of his baby sister's life, instantly assumed the loving, protective big brother persona. As for Killian, there was something about the stubborn, lanky, tom-boy blonde that he couldn't get out of his mind. He viewed her in the same way that David did, obviously, but he couldn't stop thinking about her.

David and Killian shared all of the same friends; Regina, Robin, Mary-Margaret, Neal, Ruby, Belle, August, Tink, and Graham, and Emma was no exception. She was quickly integrated into the close-knit group of friends, and the group spent a majority of their time together.

Emma was very closed-off when she first arrived in Storybrooke, and she didn't make a habit of getting particularly close to any individual in the group. Graham was the exception. The shy, southern-mannered boy developed an immediate crush on Emma, and his sweet disposition didn't go unnoticed by the girl. Killian seemed to be the only one to notice all the shy smiles shared between the pair, and he had watched, a countless number of times, from his bedroom window as Emma and Graham snuck out in the night to sit out on the docks and hold hands.

Graham healed Emma in a lot of ways, and if it wasn't for him she might never have let her walls down for the close friendships she so desperately needed. Their puppy love helped Emma to see that there were people out there who wouldn't hurt her. Despite the strange twist of jealousy Killian sometimes felt regarding the subject, (which he would pass off as brotherly affection), he recognized this and was thankful for the bond between the two.

Nobody would ever forget the day, about a year and a half later, when Emma burst through the door at Granny's with bloodied hands and clothing and a tear streaked face. She was hyperventilating, and it was revealed that Graham had been struck down by a car while walking along main street with Emma. He had seen a baby rabbit stranded in the middle of the road and rushed to help it across the street.

Graham was rushed to the hospital, but didn't make it through the night. Emma sunk into a depression so long and painful that the grieving of Graham's other friends could never compare to it. Killian still stayed up countless nights watching the world through his bedroom window, except from then on it was while Emma laid in his lap and softly cried. He didn't know why she had chosen him to pick up her broken pieces, but once again, he was grateful. Sometimes they would talk about Graham, and other times they'd silently watch Peter Pan while Killian played with her hair.

David caught on to where his younger sister was going, and decided it was time to have a talk with his best friend.

"Emma's been coming over," David worked up the courage to bring up the subject over a game of Mariokart, "almost every night. Hasn't she?"

Killian fought the urge to snap at David, and couldn't begin to understand why, "It's not like that. Emma's like my little sister."

"Well she is my little sister, Kill, and I just need to know that she's okay. She's hurting pretty bad." David paused the game and turned to stare at his friend, agitation plain in his features.

"She's not okay," Killian sighed, tossing his controller up in the air and catching it as it twirled, "But she's going to be. Emma is the toughest lass I know."

Emma and Killian had developed a close friendship over the year following Graham's death, but as Killian grew older and began high school, things began to change. He loved Emma, but she was still in middle school, and their close-knit group of friends unraveled due to age differences. Popularity was much more important now than it was when they all played freeze-tag in the woods.

Killian met a girl by the name of Milah. She was a junior while he was a freshman, and she was beautiful, adventurous, witty, and took an immediate interest in Killian. He'd never had a girlfriend, and was crazy about the girl.

Milah was a very bad influence on Killian, but he was too excited about the parties she'd take him to and the experiences she gave him to take notice. Milah had a drinking problem, and while she claimed to love Killian, her actions didn't support it. She cheated on him countless times, and Killian would pretend not to notice, or lose the memory of it in the bottom of a bottle.

Milah was also a very jealous and possessive person, and the group of friends that Killian had grown up with further unraveled when Milah not so politely asked Killian to stop hanging around Emma, Belle, Regina, Mary-Margaret, Ruby, and Tink. Killian's trusting, easy-going personality was slowly diminished, and Milah encouraged his dark traits that were rising to the surface. Milah loved the darkness.

The end of it came in the middle of Killian's sophomore year of high school with news of Milah's new-found pregnancy. Despite Milah and Killian's strong physical chemistry, they'd never taken it all the way, and Milah left Killian to move to Georgia and stay with family. Killian was very nearly consumed with anger and heartbreak, and not knowing who fathered Milah's child was eating him alive.

Emma wasn't there to pick up his broken pieces, due to Killian having had pushed away most of his closest friends during his relationship with Milah. Aside from his friendship with David, Killian suffered through it alone.

Emma started high school the following year, and she'd blossomed while Killian had been busy ignoring her. She'd grown into her long, slender legs and had grown out her blonde hair to her mid-riff, and had learned to apply just the right amount of make-up to enhance her facial features. Killian couldn't stop himself from noticing the changes in the girl, and following Graham's death, the pair held an enduring soft spot for one another.

Their relationship started out in secret; stolen kisses out on the docks, hushed, late night pone calls, shy smiles shared in the hallways. Emma flooded the darkness Milah had encouraged with blinding light, and the two fell madly in love. David was the first to know about their relationship, and it was inevitable that the rest of Storybrooke learned of it very quickly afterwards.

Emma gave Killian many of her 'firsts', and when he made love to her for the first time, she knew that she'd never have wanted to share the experience with anybody else. Killian was lost in the overwhelming affection and devotion that he felt for Emma, and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

However, WWIII was a long, devastating war, and although he and Emma had decided on staying together throughout it and marrying when it ended, he couldn't keep the promise. He was called upon to join the navy, and quickly rose through the ranks. During a gruesome battle at sea, Killian lost a hand. He was broken in more ways than one, and decided that he was no longer good enough for Emma. Killian decided for her that she deserved a man who could hold her and love her with both hands. Following the loss of his hand, he moved home to Ireland and left her and his heart behind.