Mismatch Lovers

Chapter 36

* Emma's POV *

The news about me being pregnant spread even faster than I thought it would. By the time I went for coffee the next day I could hear people whispering about me, my bump still hidden inside my heavy coat. I ignored all of them, grabbing Killian's coffee and my cocoa without a second look at anyone in the diner.

Killian was already in his office at the garage, on the phone arguing with someone about getting a part he needed. He looked utterly exhausted and the day had barely started, so I took my cue. I closed the door behind me, tossing my coat onto the small sofa before worming my way into his lap. His free arm slid around to hold my waist and felt him relax considerably, resting his cheek on my hair when I lay my head on his chest.

"Fine," he snapped dismissively and hung up. His other arm went around me, his voice softening now. "Everything alright, love?"

"Perfect," I assured him, looking up with a small smile. "You just looked aggravated so I thought I'd try to help. Anything I can do?"

"Come here," he smirked, lifting my chin to capture my lips with his. I couldn't help but smile, letting his touch comfort me like so many times before. "I actually could use your help, if you don't mind."

"Of course," I agreed easily, still toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, as I'm sure you heard on the phone, the warehouse can't deliver the part I need for the van in there," he nodded towards the garage. "But if I go pick it up, I'll run behind on everything else. Do you think there's any way-"

"I'll go get it," I hushed him with a sweet kiss, making him smile. "Anything else you need while I'm out that way?"

"Just for you and our little one to come home safe to me," he assured me, looking almost terrified to let me out of his sight. "That's all I'll ever need."

"Dork," I teased him despite the fact that his words made my chest hurt in the best way. "Its one day in a car, what could happen?"

He got me the invoice and all the paperwork I'd need, writing down the address of the other place for me. He kissed me goodbye like he was never going to see me again, thoroughly clouding my mind as I made my way to my bug. That was probably why I didn't see someone approaching me.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret's too sweet voice called to me and I looked up to see her jogging over. "I'm glad I caught you. I was hoping we could grab lunch, if you have time."

"I'm actually on my way to Boston," I told her, glad to have an excuse. While I was polite, I had yet to spend time with either of my parents without Killian there, and I had no desire to start. "Killian had an issue with the delivery of some part he needs, so I'm going to pick it up so he doesn't fall behind."

"Mind if I keep you company?" she asked almost desperately and my heart dropped. "I know we haven't spent much time together, but I really do want to know you."

"Fine," I sighed, unlocking the car and getting in. She quickly followed suite, her smile blinding. "But this isn't a road trip. We're going to Boston and coming straight back."

"That's fine," she agreed quietly. She was silent for a while, but just before we hit the town line she did what she always seemed to and got too personal. "I know you're still mad, and you have every right to be, but you don't have to be so distant from us. We're still your family."

"Okay, that's it," I pulled over maybe a quarter mile past the town line. I got out and slammed the door, seeing her get out as well despite the fact that I just wanted to be away from her. "Look, I know you don't see it the way I do. I mean, how could you? You grew up in this town with friends, a... a family, and you just happened to get pregnant when you were a teenager so you did what you thought was best. And that would have been aside from one thing."

"What's that?"

"You see that spot right there?" I pointed to the sign and she nodded. "That's where I was found, barely a few hours old. Giving me away is one thing, but you left me on the side of a highway like I was trash. And because of that, that's how Me and everyone in my life saw me for a really long time. Killian was the first person to ever show me that I mattered as anything but another meal ticket for yet another foster family. You can say you're my family all you want, but to me, my family is Killian and the friends I made here when I was seventeen, not the people who threw me away like garbage."

"Emma," she tried, her voice guilty. I had tears in my eyes, but she didn't know me well enough for me to let myself cry in front of her. "We didn't know. I know you know Regina, but she was also my step mother. After I had you, she took you away from me. I only got to hold you once, and all she would tell us was that she had "taken care of it". We didn't even know you were alive until about a week before we came to find you, if we had, we would have come to find you."

"I spent my entire childhood getting passed around to people who cared about me even less than the last," I tried to explain, my tears finally leaking down my cheeks. "I was just a lost little girl that didn't matter, and didn't think she ever would. A little girl who cried herself to sleep at night because she wanted her parents so bad, and could never understand why they gave her up. And no matter what you say, I'm always going to be what I've always been- an orphan."

"Emma, please," she begged me. "I know you have what Killian calls your walls, but please just let us try to make it up to you any way we can."

"That's my point," I snapped. "You can't make up for an entire life left alone. That's not how it works. There's nothing you can do to make up for making me a closed off freak, okay?"

"That doesn't mean we can't try," she started yelling too, obviously getting as frustrated with me as I had been with her. "You're having a child, wouldn't you want them to forgive you? Or at least give you a chance?"

"I wouldn't leave them on the side of a highway!" I screamed, my hands covering my bump protectively. "Even if for some reason I couldn't keep them, I'd never let someone treat them like trash! And for the record, my being closed off is your fault, so don't you dare try to blame this shit on me. Now, I have a long drive ahead of me, so either get in the car, or I'm leaving you on the side of this highway like you did to me."

With that we both got back in my car. The tension was thick in the air, almost tangible, but I was in no mood to deal with it any longer. All I wanted was to get this part for Killian and go home to him. He was the only one who ever saw me as me, who loved even every bit of damage in my soul, and right now, I was in dire need of that.

I know it's been a while, but I finally got a new computer, so hopefully I'll be able to get you some more updates soon. Anyway, please let me know what you think and if you have any thoughts. Later, loves!