Runaway- CaptainSwan AU

• Chapter 15 •

"It's not much but... it's the best I could do with your father gone."

Emma had drifted off in Killian's arms about an hour ago and he hadn't had the heart to wake her... so he simply shifted her into a more comfortable position. After that, he'd come upstairs just in time for his mother to wake up and open presents with him.

"Mum..." Killian breathed.

It wasn't anything extravagant. Nor a book, like he'd thought it would be. It was an antique compas on a chain- one that he'd had his eye on for quite some time.

"H-how did you know?" he asked in wonder.

Alice have him an affectionate smile, but no answer. Just a hug and a ruffle of his hair.

"I'm glad you like it, lovey."

"Thank you so much, Mum, I...." Killian trailed off. He didn't even know what to say. "Thank you."

"You are quite welcome."

*  *  *

The bed was warm, but not warm enough. Not as warm as she remembered. There was definitely something missing...

Emma's eyes fluttered open. She looked around her, somewhat disoriented as she tried to figure out what time it was. The clock on the wall read 12:00 noon.

Emma smiled as she realized that she must have fallen asleep in Killian's arms... and then he must've gone upstairs.

She couldn't stop replaying the morning in her head. The kisses, the butterflies in her stomach that somehow still lingered. Emma couldn't think of a time she'd ever felt this way before. It made her laugh when she thought about how much she'd despised him when they first met. She was so wrong about him.

A couple days passed, and Christmas break was nearing its end. Emma and Killian hadn't been able to see each other since they'd opened gifts, given how busy he'd been helping his mother now that his father was gone. It was driving them both crazy. Not only that, but school would be starting up again soon, and Emma wasn't quite sure what to do with herself.

School.

She couldn't stop thinking. She'd have to go back to school. The missing signs were still up and school was staring again in three days. Three days! What the hell was she supposed to do?! Everybody would know that she was missing. Everybody... everybody would know, they'd know and she'd surely be turned in!

Calm down, Emma, she thought to herself, trying to maintain her breathing. It wasn't working

If she got turned in... if she got turned in, she'd have to go back to her life with the Barkleys. That awful, awful life...

"No... no, no, this can't happen," Emma whispered to herself hysterically. "Can't go back... I can't go back!"

Breathe.

She couldn't. Anxiety was hitting, crashing into her her like waves.

BREATHE.

She couldn't. She couldn't breathe. Tears stung her eyes. She felt ridiculous, yelling at herself internally and it did no good.

Flashes of her time with the Barkleys were blinding her vision, clouding her eyes with tears. She was dizzy, stumbling onto the bed. She couldn't breathe. Sh-She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. Every sound in the room, every shift in the air, it all terrified her now. It hit her. She could be dragged back to them at any moment, any second, any day, any time-

"Emma, Emma!"

Killian was gripping her shoulders, shaking her out of her trance with tears of his own in his eyes as he looked down at her, terrified.