A/N: Hello, one and all! Here is my new one-shot! I do hope you enjoy! It is quite fitting for me as well considering that there is a bug going around college which I intend to continue avoiding!
In the next week or two, I will be releasing the first chapter of my new multi-chapter fic, Going Home. It is an AU of 6B so I want to get as much as I can out there so my writing and the plot is not influenced by the new episodes of season 6 - NOT MUCH LONGER NOW!
Keep Smiling!
Another piece of paperwork is put onto her very thin pile of completed papers and she lets out a sigh. Emma had not expected to be doing the nightshift so decided to get the long overdue paperwork completed to help the time pass. She is tempted to check in with her father but knows that he will be busy taking care of her mother and baby Neal who have both contracted the illness that is going around - starting at school before branching out across town. She considers Henry who is currently staying with Regina since the illness hit him hard and he craved to be in his childhood bedroom where he had spent every previous sickness bout.
The sound of unexpected footsteps makes Emma look up to her left. After a moment, her handsome pirate appears, a Granny's takeout bag under his arm and a to-go cup in his hand.
"Hey." Emma says with a smile. Killian puts the cup and bag down on her desk before leaning down and placing a tender kiss to her forehead. "What are you doing here?"
Killian shrugs, a smile on his face even though it does not quite meet his eyes. "I did not want you to be alone - bad form; especially as you did not expect to do it."
Emma frowns up at him, noticing the slight sheen on his forehead. She stands up, her palm moving to press against his forehead then his cheek. Her hand comes away slightly damp.
"You're burning up, Killian. You should be at home." Emma says and Killian grabs her hand.
"I'm fine, love." Killian says, brushing off Emma's concern. "I would rather keep you company - if you don't mind?"
"Killian, we both know that sweating and the fever are the strong first symptoms of the sickness that is going around at the moment. You need to go home and rest."
Killian shakes his head, stubborn to his core. "No, Emma. I'm fine, I promise."
Emma rolls her eyes and pushes him out of her office, hands on his chest. He stops moving just outside the open door and refuses to be budged further, despite Emma's efforts as she continues to push on his chest.
"I am not getting sick and I am not leaving you - that is not fair." Killian says.
Emma huffs, her arms dropping. "Fine, you can stay." she concedes, knowing that the stubborn Captain will not give up or change his mind.
Killian smiles, running his hand over her arm before they both walk back into her office, Emma sitting in her chair as Killian bring the chair from the other side of her desk around so it is next to hers before he sits down himself. Emma opens the bag from Granny's and is immediately greeted by the scent of her favourite greasy food. She pulls out the two containers, putting them down on her desk, moving her paperwork aside. Killian watches, swallowing thickly to temper down the wave of nausea, as Emma removes the lid of the takeaway cup, lifting it to her nose to inhale the sweet scent of the hot chocolate with the hint of spice from the added cinnamon on top. He smiles when she sighs in satisfaction, thanking him quietly just before taking a sip of the heated beverage.
She begins to eat the food, occasionally offering Killian some of her onion rings or a bite of her grilled cheese, but every time he refuses; claiming that he has already eaten. Emma's built-in lie detector sparks off and she knows that he has not eaten anything - the grey tinge to his skin backing it up.
Emma finishes eating and knows that Killian needs rest as he is clearly deteriorating in front of her.
'If he will not go home, I have to take matters into my own hands' Emma thinks to herself, turning in her chair to face him better.
"I need your help, since you are here." she says, capturing Killian's attention.
"Of course, love, what can I do?"
Emma smiles very slightly, standing up from her chair which prompts Killian to do the same.
"One of the beds has a loose screw and I don't need it collapsing on anyone. Do you think you could tighten it for me please?"
Killian smiles weakly at his love, nodding as he moves over to the cells.
"Which one is it, love?" Killian asks, hovering between the two.
Emma grabs the keys from David's desk and points to the cell on the right. She unlock the door and Killian walks in. He kneels down on the floor after taking a deep breath and looks under the bed for the loose screw. Emma quickly shuts the door and locks it, taking a step back as his head snaps up in shock.
"Emma, what are you doing?" Killian asks, standing up and going over to the bars, his eyes begging her to let him out though she cannot see it. Emma has her eyes trained downwards on the keys in her hands. "Emma?"
Slowly, Emma looks up, her guilty gaze meeting his hurt one.
"You're getting worse and really need rest. Since you refuse to go home, this was the only way. I'm sorry but it is for your own good." Emma says, her fingers shifting the keys around repeatedly. "I love you, Killian, which is why I am doing this. So please, get the rest that you clearly need."
She doesn't wait for a reply, instead turning around and dropping the keys down on her father's desk before moving back over to her office, sitting back behind her desk. Killian says nothing, his forehead leaning against the cool metal bars that contrast greatly and offer momentary respite from the burning heat and ache forming. He feels hurt and shocked that Emma would do such a thing, taking such a drastic measure but he also knows that he brought it upon himself for being so incredibly stubborn about being sick, when he knows he cannot deny it any longer.
Killian resigns himself to his fate, moving away from the bars and moving towards the bed. If his love tell him he needs to rest, then rest he shall.
...
A number of hours later, a deep sigh escapes Emma's lips as she stands up and stretches, her arms going high above her head. She picks up the takeout bag, now filled with the empty cartons and takeaway cup ad walks to the door of her office, depositing it in the bin. Her gaze drifts over to her pirate who has not made a single sound since she put him in there.
She walks over to his cell, picking up the keys from David's desk and unlocking the door as quietly as she can manage. Emma walks in and kneels down beside the bed where Killian is asleep, a blanket haphazardly thrown over his body. She raises her hand and places her palm on his forehead and frowns when she feels that he is much hotter than before. With a wave of her hand, Killian's leather jacket is removed from his body and is in Emma's hand. She folds it slightly before resting it momentarily over his legs. Emma raises up on her knees and pushes down the blanket enough so she can undo the buttons of his vest and undoing two more buttons on his shirt so he doesn't overheat. With another wave of her hand, a cold compress appears in Emma's palm. She pushes back his hair and presses the compress to his skin, positioning it so it will not easily fall off his forehead and help battle his fever.
With a gentle kiss to his cheek, Emma stands up and takes his jacket in hand. She keeps the cell door open, draping the jacket over the back of the chair that sits at David's desk before she walks down the corridor and into the small kitchen that the Station possesses. Emma flicks the switch on the kettle, starting it to heat the water for the hot cocoa she longs for. She brings a mug and a glass out of one of the cupboards and puts them down on the counter. She grabs the cocoa powder container and using a teaspoon, she puts three heaped spoonfuls into the mug. The kettle stops and she pours the boiling water into the mug, mixing it with the cocoa powder. She forgoes the cream considering the early hour and grabs the small shaker of cinnamon and sprinkles a generous amount on top of the hot chocolate. Before she leaves, Emma takes hold of the glass and goes over to the tap, filling it up with cold water.
She carries both drinks back out into the main area of the Station, stopping by her desk to relieve her left hand of her mug of cocoa before walking back into Killian's cell, putting the glass within easy reach for Killian. Her hand moves to the blanket, lightly lifting it so it covers his torso so if he gets too hot, he can remove it without bother. Emma smiles softly at his sleeping form and moves to the end of the bed, pulling off his boots and placing them on the floor so he is more comfortable as he sleeps.
Emma moves back up towards his head and presses another kiss to his cheek.
"I love you." she whispers, pressing her lips to his skin once more.
The sudden loud sound of the phone on her desk in the quiet room makes Emma jump before she almost runs over to her desk to answer it.
"Hello, Sherriff Station. Emma speaking." she says.
"Emma, it's Dad. Are you alright?" David asks on the other end of the phone.
"Hi, Dad. I'm alright, I suppose. How is Mum and Neal?"
"Your mother is sleeping but your brother does not want to sleep if he isn't being held by one of us - thus the phone call at gone three in the morning."
"Have you slept at all?" Emma asks with some concern, sitting down in her chair and leaning back. "You sound like you haven't."
David sighs. "I've had some sleep as Neal had settled down but I'm not sure how much more I will get."
Emma looks over at Killian. "I would offer to come over tomorrow but Killian has come down with it too now."
"That's alright, sweetheart. Take care of him." David says. "Call Leroy in a few hours and he will cover the morning shift."
"I will, Dad. Thank you." Emma says, gratefully. "I should let you try to get some sleep."
"Well, I can try to at least." David says with a dry laugh. "I will see you soon if not tomorrow, Emma. I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you too, Dad." Emma says before they exchange final goodbyes and end the call.
Emma replaces the phone in its holder and looks at the pile of paperwork she still needs to do. She sighs.
"Well, let's hope the shift goes by quickly."
...
The end of her shift arrives at last and she goes over to Killian, leaning over him.
"Killian..." Emma mumbles, gently rousing him. She pulls the blanket down before pulling it off and makes the compress and glass of water disappear with a flick of her wrist. Her hand raises to cup his cheek, her thumb running over his heated skin. "Killian..."
The pirate breathes in deeply before his eyes flutter open. He blinks a few times before speaking.
"Hello, love." he croaks out which makes Emma smiles sympathetically.
"Come on, handsome, it's time to go home and for you to get to a bed that is nice and comfortable." Emma says, kindly. She runs her fingertips over his jaw before moving her hand away to help him sit up. He does, groaning as he does so an sways slightly. ""Take it easy, Killian. We have all the time in the world."
Killian nods, giving himself a moment. As he does so, Emma buttons up his shirt to the state it is usually in and puts his boots in front of his feet. He leans down and puts the boots back onto his socked feet before pushing himself up to standing.
"You here, sister?" Leroy calls out and after making sure Killian is alright, Emma moves out of the cell to speak to him.
"Hey, Leroy." Emma says. "Nothing overnight as usual and I wouldn't expect much today if anything thanks to the bug that is going around. You can go at lunch; just make sure that calls are diverted to me before you leave in case something does end up happening."
Leroy nods, heading towards the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Emma picks Killian's jacket up from David's desk and helps Killian to put it on. They then walk to Emma's office where she takes her jacket off of the back of her chair and puts it on.
"Come on, mister." Emma says, picking her keys up in one hand and grabbing Killian's one in her other. "Let's go home."
...
"You should probably stay away, love." Killian says, as Emma changes into her sleepwear. "I don't want you getting sick because of me."
Emma throws her hair up into a bun on the top of her head.
"And if I object to that, would you mind some company?" Emma asks, moving to her side of the bed and climbing in anyway.
"Not at all." Killian says, a small smile on his face. "Not when it is you."
Let's just say that it did not take long for Emma to catch the bug herself, but the company was certainly worth it.
End note: Please review! :)