Captain Swan - Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Chapter 4

Killian knocks on the door and lets out a slow, troubled breath as he turns around, sliding his hands into his pockets. He's rarely here, but it's time he changes that. And not just for the case, but for Liam. For his sister-in-law. He used to come over to visit Liam, Elsa, and Camila all the time, but Liam's death caused tension between him and Elsa. He just hates that it took this long; he hates that David had to pull Killian's head out of the Port Lavaca sand for him to realize this.

"Killian?"

The sound of his sister-in-law's voice pulls him from his thoughts, and he turns around, offering a faint smile. "Hi."

"Hi," Elsa says, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms as she stands in the doorway. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Nice to see you too, love," he teases with a smirk. When her solemn expression never changes into something more cheerful, his smile dims. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's just... usually you call ahead first."

Killian scratches behind his ear. "Apologies, love, I just..."

"Camila's out shopping with Anna."

"Dress shopping?"

"No, we ordered her dress weeks ago. Anna's just getting her some new clothes. They'll probably be back in an hour or so."

"That's okay. Actually, I came here to talk to you."

Elsa studies him for a moment with a scrupulous eye. "Okay..." She opens the door for him, her features laced with concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Aye, everything's fine," he replies as he steps inside. She shuts the door behind him as he turns around to face her, expelling a tentative breath. "Actually, no, it's not," he murmurs, his eyes meeting hers. "It hasn't been for a while... and I wanna change that."

Elsa knits her brows in confusion. "What do you mean? What's going on, Killian?"

He gestures between them. "I'm talking about us, Elsa. You and me. We haven't had the same relationship since Liam passed, and I'm mostly to blame for that."

Elsa arches a brow as if to say, are you sure about that?

Killian chuckles. "Okay, I take all the blame."

Elsa folds her arms over her chest, her features softening. "Okay, I'm listening."

Killian tilts his head in the direction of the kitchen. "Can we sit? The conversation might be too heavy for standing."

"Sure," she says, heading toward the kitchen. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Got any wine?" he asks as he follows behind her.

Elsa turns her head toward him, her thin brows climbing her forehead. "Since when did you become a wine drinker?"

"Not for me, for you. You might need it."

"That heavy, huh?"

"Aye."

"Well, I have some white wine, but Camila will be home soon and I don't drink around her. Iced Tea okay?"

"Aye. How's she doing?" he asks as he takes a seat at the breakfast nook.

Elsa grabs a pitcher of tea from the refrigerator and two glasses from the cupboard, filling them to the brim. "She's doing fine." She brings the drinks to the table, hands him one and sits across from him. "She's growing like a weed."

Killian chuckles. "Well, she gets the tall gene from both parents. Liam was six feet tall and you're what, 5'8?" he guesses before taking a sip of his tea, the glass slick with condensation.