True Love: God Approved

Chapter 26

* Emma's POV *

"Swan?" I heard a whisper behind me and turned to try to find the source. "Are you here, love?"

"Killian?" I questioned, knowing only one person called me that. "Where are you?"

"Right here," he said, tumbling out of one of the wall bushes and making me giggle. "Think that's funny, Swan? I've been trying not to be seen so I don't get arrested for being here."

"Well you're not going to get arrested if you're with me," I pointed out, the smirk on his face making my entire chest warm as he came to sit next to me on the edge of the fountain. "I'm not really supposed to be out here, but my parents are in bed so there isn't much they can do."

"Rebellious this evening, are we?" he teased me and I smiled, turning pink and avoiding his eyes. "I hope I don't get you into trouble."

"Not any more than usual," I assured him, twisting my ring around my finger anxiously and thinking about what he'd said about it. "I... was actually hoping we could talk. We kind of got interrupted this afternoon."

"Aye, that we did," he sighed and I looked up as he dug something out of his jacket pocket. "After we talked I went through my things and I found something that may help with all this. I know it's easier for you to see proof than trust people, so... if you're comfortable with that..."

"Okay," I agreed quietly and he scooted closer to me, handing me one of the pieces of paper in his hand as my eyebrows pulled together. It was a picture of the two of us smiling at each other as he handed me a rose, and suddenly I had a flash of recognition- a heated kiss in the hall outside my door. "This... this was our first date."

"Aye, that it was," he said with surprised confusion. "H-how did you know that?"

"Y-you asked me out again at the end of the night," I said more to myself, the small memory confusing everything I thought I knew about my life. "I didn't really answer, I... I just kissed you. We'd never kissed like that before... I had to force myself to pull away..."

"Emma," he said softly and I looked up at him through my eyelashes, tears welling in my eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Killian, what's happening?" I asked in a broken whisper, trying not to let myself cry. "I-I don't understand. Why do I remember this? It doesn't make any sense, it's not my life."

"It is your life," he insisted gently, putting his hand on my cheek and wiping away a tear with his thumb. "I promise you, that memory is what's real. I am what's real. We were talking before bed about exactly this, and when I woke up we were here."

"W-what are the other pictures?" I asked and he handed them to me, sliding his hand down to the small of my back as I looked at them. One was of us and Henry, all holding each other on a sofa, and the other of just the two of us again, his hands on my baby bump as I kissed his cheek. The memories that flashed behind my eyes make my heart twist and the baby flutter, my tears finally escaping my eyes. "This... was this week.... but I-I don't understand..."

"I know you don't," he sighed, bringing me into his arms gently. My brain was telling me that I should pull away, that I barely knew this man, but my heart told me the exact opposite, my arms going around him out of instinct. "And it's alright. I'll be here no matter what."

"Killian?" I said quietly, a thought occurring to me as I pulled away enough to look at him. "Would you kiss me?"

"Swan," he said hesitantly, the want clear in his eyes. "I can't. I want to, but I don't want to force this on you."

"You're not forcing anything on me," I said almost desperately. "If all this is real, I'll be able to tell. I need to know if I'm going crazy."

"You're not crazy," he sighed, his other hand going to my hair as he pressed his lips to mine. It started soft but it felt so natural I couldn't help myself, my arms going around his neck to pull myself closer as it grew deeper. He groaned when our tongues began to tangle, clearly fighting the urge to do more as his hand slid down my side to my hip to pull me closer. I wanted him more than I'd wanted anything, realizing in that moment that he had to be telling the truth. This was real, we were real.