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shippingtheswann · 7 years

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MODEL BEHAVIOR A Captain Swan modern AU by @shippingtheswann for the @captainswanbigbang 2017 year!

SUMMARY: Emma is an up and coming model living in LA with her best friend Ruby. Killian is a star baseball player for the LA Dodgers. Their families are close - and they grew up together. However, what happens after not seeing each other for 6 years - when they are forced back into a situation that requires them to reconnect and explore what was once there.

RATING: Explicit

WARNING: There will be smut later in the story, some mention of violence, hard language, mention of pregnancy loss

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

A/N: WELCOME BACK EVERYONE! I am so thankful to everyone who was patient enough to wait for this story to come back. I am so sorry for the delay. I gave birth to Emilia Ann on Oct 1. I was in labor for over 20 hours and I am so thankful that I didn't need a c-section (as I almost did due to some early complications). We have been relaxing at home and even watched the first episode of the new season together last week. She is already a Captain Hook fan! But again, thank you for being patient while we got used to being home and being a family. Updated will start to happen again every Friday. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks again to my amazing artist Monica and my amazing beta reader Nicola. This story wouldn't be what it is now without them!

Special shout out to Monica @acaptainswaneternity - the artist with this story. I have loved everything she has done for me - so make sure to check her out! She made an amazing cover and the best image sets for each chapter.

Another huge shout out to Nicola @alocin209 who beta read everything and tried to keep me on target!

Can also be found on FF - Chapter One; Chapter Two; Chapter Three; Chapter Four; Chapter Five

Emma had never been an emotional person, not really. Yes, she cried when she was upset, and yes, she got angry pretty easily. She would never have classified herself as a tearful goodbye type of person though. As Mrs. Jones drove through her old neighborhood and past their old school, Emma couldn't help but be caught up in the memories that flooded her system. She never really missed home, but as the car turned down the street, bringing into view her house, a tear swelled in her eye and for the first time in almost seven years, she felt homesick.

She missed her father, brother, and yes, her mother, but she never really thought she could miss a home. It was just a house, built with wood and concrete. Yet as the large colonial crept closer, Emma couldn't help but feel a familiar pull, similar to what she felt earlier in the day when she saw Killian. It was like she had been missing something for years and never knew she had a gaping hole in her heart because of it.

As Adelaide parked the car in the Jones' driveway, Emma found her eyes looking over at her home. She pictured her parents standing at the doorway waving to the school bus as she rode off to her first day of school. It was one of the only times she could remember her mother actually being around for an important day. She remembered her father teaching her to catch a ball in the front yard, something some mean girls in school made fun of her for that year. They stopped that suddenly when she hit one of them right in the stomach, with perfect accuracy, just like her dad had taught her. She remembered waiting in the yard, under the big oak tree, for her parents to bring Henry home from the hospital.

She pictured her bedroom, where so much had happened in her life, so much that shaped who she was. She was almost positive that it would look exactly as she left it. The one thing she could count on her mother for was that she would never touch the kid's rooms. Her mother redecorated the first floor of the house at least once every five years, but she never let Emma touch her own room. Emma was sure that her poster of the Backstreet Boys was still hanging above her bed with a heart drawn around Nick's head. (Yes, she still blushed about that poster to this day, considering she did it when she was twelve, but it was something her mother wouldn't let her take down.)

"Welcome home love," Killian whispered to her as the doors to the car opened and everyone got out. She'd forgotten she was still next to him once they turned into their neighborhood, too overwhelmed by what was going on outside of the vehicle.

She was actually thankful for the break. The car ride with Killian had been awkward, to say the least. After their very high school, love struck teens make out session on the airplane, which Emma was still a bit flustered about, sitting in a car with him and his family for the thirty minute drive home wasn't something she had been looking forward to. The electricity still sizzled between them and she was secretly overjoyed each time his skin touched hers when the car would jolt.

She wasn't regretting what she had done on the plane. She couldn't regret it, but she was a bit embarrassed about it. Mostly, she was petrified that she allowed herself to get caught up in the moment and allowed herself to get into a situation where a stewardess caught her sitting on an old friend's lap, with her tongue in his mouth. Never in her life had she done something like that before. Sure, there were other models who were caught having sex on set, getting caught with drugs on planes, but she would never get caught doing those things herself. She wasn't like most models, she had a good head on her shoulders.

Yes, she was embarrassed. She was also severely turned on. She had dreamt of the way he would kiss. She used to daydream of what it would be like to kiss him. Her wildest dreams weren't even close to hitting the mark. He was skilled to say the least. His hands felt like both fire and ice against her skin. It was a feeling she never wanted to forget. No one had ever touched her in the way he touched her. She never felt that way before with anyone, not even Neal. No one had ever held her the way Killian had, and all they had done was kiss. She wanted to do it again but there was a voice in the back of her head that told her she couldn't allow it to happen again.

As Emma climbed out from the back of the car and retrieved her luggage, her parents appeared at the doorway of her home. Her father hadn't changed at all. He was still the rugged man she grew up with. He had come from humble beginnings and worked on the farm that her mother's family owned. He had always been handsome and age had only accented the features of her father's face. Her mother liked to say he was like fine wine, he only got better with age. Since marrying her mother, he had quit working on the farm in order to help her manage the family's business, but he was still a shepard at heart.

Her mother, while changed, still held herself with the same grace and confidence she always had. When Emma was younger, Mary Margaret Blanchard Nolan had gorgeous long brunette hair that Emma was always envious of. Now, her mother sported a pixie cut, which surprisingly made her mother more beautiful and graceful. She was the princess of the Blanchard corporation. While Emma's father had moved into the family business, her mother followed in the footsteps of the other women in the family; running charities and spending the family fortune. However, she had to give her mother a lot of credit as she wasn't anything like most of the women in the family. Yes, her mother planned parties and dressed in fancy clothing, but her mother was at least compassionate. The charities she ran she truly cared about and she did really love Emma, even if she did like to give Emma a hard time.

Emma quickly glanced back at the Jones' family, all of whom were greeting Killian. It looked like Liam was home and had added quite a few new members to the family. Even though she knew the neighbors were more like family, no one paid attention to her. Sucking in a deep breath, Emma walked towards her parents.

"Welcome home Emma!" Her father got to her first, pulling her into a bear hug. She breathed in deeply. She hadn't realized how much she needed a hug from her father after the past few days. Suddenly, it didn't matter that she knew a lecture from her mother was coming, it didn't matter that Neal had screwed her over and it didn't matter what had happened with Killian. All that mattered was she was home, and it felt good.

"Thanks Dad, it's good to be here," she sighed, pulling back to get a better look at him. He was tanned, and she could tell that he had been spending quite a lot of time outside, which was good for him. Emma always thought he spent too much time inside a stuffy office.

"Honey, I'm really sorry, but I actually have to run," he said, sadness peaking through his eyes. "I got a call a few moments ago from the office and I have to go in, but I promise to be home as quick as I can be."

Emma's smile faltered a bit, some worry popping back up at the thought of being left alone with her mother, but she couldn't be upset with him. He rarely would take meetings on important days or skip out on time with her, so she knew his absence must be something he couldn't get out of.

As her father moved towards his pickup truck that sat in the driveway, her mother moved to take his place. Emma was actually really surprised when her mother pulled her in for a hug instead of her more traditional kiss on the cheek.

"I'm so glad you're home Emma. Come inside, I've made lunch." Mary Margaret's voice held no lie. Emma's smile returned when it seemed that her mother really was happy to have her home. At least there wasn't any passive tones to her statement and her mother didn't say anything condescending to her right away.

"Thanks mom, I'm starving," Emma's mouth already salivating at the thought of her mother's cooking. Yes, her mother could throw a party, but she could cook up a storm as well.

"I didn't make much, but there is a grilled cheese waiting for you. Sorry it's not more, but I am trying to get everything ready for dinner tonight, plus with all the work that goes into Henry's party.." she trailed off.

"It's OK mom, grilled cheese sounds amazing," Emma offered, trying to get her mother away from what Emma assumed would be a long conversation about parties she couldn't care less about. She couldn't pass up her mom's famous grilled cheese though, so she really didn't care if her mom did go on a 30 minute tirade about the DAR or Henry's party, as long as she got that grilled cheese.

On their way inside, her mother informed her that the Jones' clan would be joining them for a large dinner celebrating that everyone was together once again. She said that Henry was over at his girlfriend's house and that she would be joining them for dinner. Her mother gave her a slight glance as she mentioned Henry's new love interest, silently telling Emma not to give the girl a hard time.

Emma had always been overprotective of her younger brother. Ever since she held him for the first time in the hospital when her mother gave birth, Emma felt a deep need to protect him from anything. He was their miracle baby. Her mother had experienced medical issues when Emma was born and doctors told them they would have issues having any other children. Seven years, a shit ton of money, and a lot of prayers later, Henry was born and Emma couldn't have been happier. She had begged her parents for a sibling for years.

Leaving Henry was the worst thing about her move to LA. She never wanted to leave Henry behind. Other than her monthly phone calls to her mother, Henry was the only person she kept in constant contact with while she was away. Sure, her father joined in on the phone calls, but she didn't talk to them as much as she did her little brother. Most of her conversations with him weren't about anything; they would send each other funny articles they found, keep each other updated on their own personal ongoings (Henry's days at school and Emma's escapades around LA, usually watered down for her brother's sake).

Thankfully, her brother never blamed for her leaving. He understood her better than anyone could ever dream of. He got her need to live her dream, he got that she didn't want to fit into a box that was already made for her. Henry always supported her, and she would always support him. She would however, be very hard on his new girlfriend. Henry deserved the best and Emma was going to make sure whoever he decided to date would be the best.

The kitchen, where Emma had eaten breakfast each morning before school, surprisingly hadn't changed. She had expected her mother to renovate the area, since the last time it was updated was a year or so after Henry was born. Yet as she stood next to the island, the same familiar smells wafted through the area and the same country blue paint of the backgrounds surrounded her.

Her mother walked around the area gathering all the food she had prepared for her daughter. Emma took her seat at the island, watching the trees sway in the breeze outside of their large kitchen window. The treehouse was still up and there was still a tire swing attached to another large oak. She had been preparing herself for changes yet she saw almost none. She wasn't quite sure what to think about the lack of changes.

"So, your flight was good? You had a chance to catch up with Killian?" her mother asked as she sat everything down in front of Emma. The woman took a seat next to her daughter and turned her whole body to actually pay attention to the conversation. Emma wasn't really sure what to think about it. She was taken aback by her mother's character change, so much so that she didn't answer at first. It took her a minute to answer.

"Ummmm…. It was good. Nothing special really, which is good for a flight. And yeah, I was able to catch up with Killian." Emma only gave her mother the quick run down, unwilling to go any further into what had happened on the flight.

"It's good you had a chance to catch up with him. Both of you have been gone for such a long time. I'm sure Addie is happy to have him back, I know your father and I are overjoyed that you are finally home," her mother beamed.

"Alright mom cut the shit, what the hell is going on? You aren't acting normal," Emma asked, not wanting this weird conversation where her mother wasn't the center of attention to continue. It wasn't what Emma was used to and it made her uneasy.

"Nothing is wrong Emma," her mother began before Emma interrupted.

"Nothing is wrong? You seriously expect me to believe that? You have never had a conversation with me that hasn't started wtih you berating my choice in career, telling me about some stupid party, or some other bullshit. So what the hell is going on?" Emma almost yelled, tired of the run around.

"Emma, your leaving was tough, on all of us," her mother began, causing Emma to roll her eyes. "Now stop that, I am trying to explain and you pulling your attitude will not help."

Emma sighed and turned to face her mother. She seemed different. Her posture, while still confident, seemed off. She didn't seem as happy as she once was.

"Thank you. Like I was saying, your leaving was hard on all of us. Especially me," her mother looked right into her daughter's eyes, with tears brimming, "Emma, I am so sorry for how I acted when you were younger. Growing up, I was always expected to behave a certain way, to become exactly what my mother was. I wanted different for you. That is why I pushed you to go to college, why I wanted you to have something to live for. I know it isn't an excuse for what I did, but it is the reason."

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. Just a month ago, her mother sounded completely different. She belittled Emma's new gig and couldn't seem to understand why Emma didn't want to get a normal job. What had happened that made her all of a sudden decide to change?

"Just last month though, you were on a tirade about how my job wasn't worth my time!" Emma stated, with a bit of anger in her voice.

"It's because you are doing something you wanted to do, and truthfully honey, I was… am… a bit jealous. I never got that opportunity. I never got to do what I wanted to. Yes, I married your father, and I had you and Henry, but I never got to do what I wanted. Did you know I wanted to teach?" The question surprised Emma. She knew her mother had a passion for education, sitting on the board of three different education charities, but she never knew her mother had other dreams.

"No," Emma whispered.

"I did. When I was younger, I wanted to teach. Kindergarten actually. Your grandmother never let me follow through on those dreams. She told me that college was a waste of time, that my life was with the business and running charities. I was to do what all Blanchard women had done for years. Since you have left, I've had a lot of time to think about what I did. I pushed you to college because I never got that opportunity. I did to you exactly what my mother did to me, just different. I always wanted more for you, for you to grow and to become a strong leader. It just look me awhile to see that this, you modeling, is your passion," her mother cried, tears now streaming down her face. Her mother's hands were resting near Emma's plate, palms up, waiting for Emma to take them. Waiting for Emma to tell her that everything she had done was OK.

"Emma, I am sorry that I was so hard on you. I am sorry that I never supported you the way you deserved. You were always so head strong, so independent, just like your father. I didn't quite know how to raise you. I struggled. You were your father's daughter. You were always closer to him than you were to me. I was jealous about that as well. That is why I pushed myself further into my charities, why I missed so much. It hurt me to see you so happy with your father, but so unhappy with me. I am so sorry that I let you down Emma. I am so sorry that I was the reason you felt the need to leave. I am sorry that I made you feel that you were better off far away from home."

Emma couldn't take it anymore, so she placed her hands on her mother's and gave them a gentle squeeze. Yes, her mother wasn't the best when she was younger, but Emma always knew her mother loved her. She never thought any differently. She knew her mother had been upset about something for years, but this was the first time her mother ever opened up to her daughter. She knew it was hard for her.

"Oh mom," Emma began, scooting her chair closer to her mother, "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry Emma. Really, I am. You have no idea how happy I am that you came home. My only wish for this trip is that you see just how loved you are here and don't stay away for this long again." Mary Margaret had never been more sincere in her life.

"It's OK mom. I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I stayed away for so long, but I can promise you, this isn't just because of you." Emma knew that now was the time to revitalize and start to mend her relationship with her mother. She had always wished she was closer with her mother and now was the chance to actually do that.

Clearly, they had both grown in the time Emma had been away. Her mother seemed to no longer be the woman she once was, who spent too much time focusing on projects instead of her daughter. Emma was no longer the scared girl who was annoyed with her mother's behaviour and couldn't wrap her head around why her attitude was so poor towards her.

It made sense to her that her mother acted the way she did. She remembered her grandmother, Ava, wasn't a horrible person. She was just someone who was raised very differently and in a different time, when women weren't in charge and who didn't really do much if they had money. Ava always instilled the importance of charity work in her daughter and wanted her daughter to take over for her when she passed. Now that Emma thought about it, she did remember her mother and grandmother having a rather loud discussion about Mary Margaret's involvement in something. In fact, now that Emma really thought about it, their conversations sounded a lot like the conversations she used to have with her mother.

It was time now to change things. That is what this trip was all about anyway. She came home to get away from Neal, to make that change, to make sure she never went back to him. She wanted to make sure that she would never be hurt like that again. So why not fix her relationship with her mother as well? Why not return to LA knowing she had someone, somewhere to turn to if things got bad again?

Emma knew deep down that part of the reason she didn't handle the situation with Neal well was because she didn't have someone, more specifically a mother, to talk to about things like this. Emma had never talked to her mother about relationships. Maybe if she had thought she could talk to her mother when she was struggling, she would have handled Killian's abrupt withdrawal differently and she knew for a fact she would have been able to handle Neal's betrayal better.

"Mom, I'm sorry too," she began, handing her mother a tissue to dry her tears, "I never really understood where you were coming from. I didn't try to understand. But, I didn't leave because of you, or at least it wasn't just because of our strained relationship. Sure, it helped me make the decision, but I didn't come home just because we didn't have the best relationship."

"Why then? Why didn't you come home? Sweetie, you could have told us anything, you know that. What happened?" It was like a huge change in her mother when she was asking Emma these questions. The woman in front of her was so different. Emma could see she truly cared about what caused Emma to stay away. She truly wanted to be there for Emma, she wanted to mend their relationship, just like Emma did.

"It's a long story mom and you still have dinner to get ready," Emma said, hoping to put off the heart to heart for a few minutes at least.

Yes, she wanted to better their relationship but at the same time, she didn't want to air all of her dirty laundry to her mom. She didn't know if she could handle telling her everything, mostly because she didn't want to relive it herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to share it, she just didn't want to have to say it.

"How about we kill two birds with one stone? I need some help finishing up dinner and I've always found it easier to talk about hard things when you are elbow deep in rolling dough," her mother smiled, giving her a wink.

Maybe this relationship with her mother will be easier to repair than she thought.

Before they actually dove into finishing dinner, Emma scarfed down her grilled cheese and took a quick shower, feeling gross from the flight. Airplane rides always did that to her, so it wasn't just because she could still feel Killian's hands on her.

During the baking of the peach pie (apple pie was forbidden in the Nolan household, thanks to her mother's horrible allergy), Emma told her mother about her senior year in school. She spilled the beans on everything. She explained how her mother's disapproval of things did help to drive her away, but she understood now why she did it and didn't blame her.

Her mother was nothing but supportive during the discussion. She laughed at appropriate times, including the fact that Emma got drunk that night, and was sympathetic to what Emma had felt at Killian's sudden disappearance. She understood why Emma felt the need to get away and even told her she would have done the same thing if her father had pulled the same stunt when they were young.

"So, this morning was the first time you've seen Killian since that Christmas?" her mother asked, making sure she got the story straight. Emma was sure that eventually Mrs. Jones would be hearing this but it didn't really bother her. And who knows, maybe having his mother yell at him would help him tell her why he just left with no explanation.

"Yeah, he promised to show up at my party but he didn't. You would have thought with both of us being in LA, we would have ran into each other, or at least seen each other's name in the papers but somehow we were able to stay invisible," Emma explained, a sad look coming over her face. They were almost done with dinner, which was good, considering it was supposed to start in thirty minutes.

Her father had gotten home a few minutes ago and Emma had never seen him as happy as he was when he saw his wife and daughter actually working together, with no bickering, and talking about Emma's past. He quickly kissed each of them hello and left them to their own accords.

"How did that go? This morning I mean?" her mother asked.

"Differently than I expected," Emma said, a blush forming on her cheeks. Her mother didn't miss the subtle change in Emma's appearance either.

"You still like him, don't you?" her mother asked with a smile.

"No, that ship has sailed," Emma lied, trying to cover up her new feelings that were building towards her neighbor.

"OK…" her mother said with a drawn out voice, "that's probably good anyways"

Emma turned to her mother, who was now wiping down the counter. The patio was made for dinner, tables surrounding it and citronella candles already lit in the center. The food was already prepared on platters and was waiting patiently for the Jones family and Henry to arrive.

"Why would you say that?" she asked.

"Well, as you probably saw earlier, Liam is also back in town, unable to pass up the opportunity to see his brother. He's brought his entire clan with him. He got married you know? Oh, to a lovely woman, and they have four kids. Well, that meant that the Jones' don't have enough room for everyone, so I offered them for us to house Killian here for his stay. He is staying in the guest room," her mother said blatantly, walking towards the door that just rang, leaving Emma stunned.

The oncoming storm that was the Jones clan coming into the Nolan's home kept Emma's worry from overwhelming her. Before she knew it, she had been given too many hugs to count, too many kisses on cheeks and been through a whirlwind introduction of Liam's family.

It wasn't until everyone was seated outside, waiting for Henry to show up with his girlfriend, that Emma's thoughts had the opportunity to take over.

Killian was going to be staying with them, in the guest room. The guest room that shared a bathroom with hers. How did her mother even allow this to happen? Why couldn't she invite Evie over to stay instead?

She was already having a hard time thinking through her feelings about what happened on the flight. She had really enjoyed those moments, but she wasn't 100% sure she wanted to repeat them. Actually, she knew she did, especially if he kissed her the way he did earlier, but she wasn't sure if it was the right thing. They had been drinking when they kissed, had been wrapped up in the past. He said he didn't regret it earlier, but what about now, what about after the buzz of the rum wore off?

He hadn't regretted what they had done. She hadn't either. However, she didn't want to have to face him every morning, noon, and night. She wanted to be able to think through things without him being right there. She wanted to be able to decide if things between them would go anywhere, without a joined bathroom between them. How would she ever be able to determine what is between them if they were constantly forced together? She needed to be sure about her feelings and with their first encounter in almost seven years happening because of a drunken game of truth or dare, she had to be sure that nothing was impeding her feelings.

Thankfully, the arrival of Henry and his girlfriend Violet, pulled Emma from her thoughts. Violet seemed like a nice girl. A bit shy, especially around the large group, but all things aside, she was a sweet girl. She looked at Henry the way her mother looked at her father. It was sweet actually. They had a relationship that most adults would kill for. Emma could only hope that it would last. She knew that young love, that first high school, puppy love, didn't really last. Or if it did, it was as rare as soul mates and true love.

Dinner went well, or as well as a group of sixteen people could make dinner go. The place was a mess by the time dessert and the real conversation rolled around. Dinner had started with simple small talk; discussion of the weather, Henry's hopes for graduation, as well as Violets, discussion of how stupid politics were, and Emma's least favorite pastime, stories of the kids when they were younger. Her father loved spilling stories of her when she was little, before she went off to conquer the world. Mr. Jones was the same way, but his stories tended to focus on Liam and not Killian. She could see his face fall with each passing story.

She wasn't quite sure if her mother had planned it, but Killian was sitting right across from her. So throughout the whole meal, after he took his luggage up to the guest room when he arrived, she had to make quick glances at him. She couldn't help it, her eyes were drawn to him. He started off the meal looking happy and content, shooting off jokes with his brother and little sister. Yet, as his father told story after story of Liam's childhood, his face continued to fall. She silently prayed that someone would change the subject to lighten the torture on him.

She wasn't thankful for the change of subject when it did eventually come around.

"So Emma, why don't you tell us all about your little adventures in modeling?" Mary Margaret said. She didn't mind being asked about her time modeling or telling them that she had done some pretty big jobs in the past year, enough so that she could quit her waitressing job, but she wasn't too happy about the way her mother worded the question. They were still learning each other, and she knew it would take some time for their relationship to be where it should be, but the way her mother worded the question made Emma stew.

"Well mom," she said, with annoyance in her voice, hoping her mother took note of the situation, "things have been going pretty well. I actually booked a few shoots earlier in the year that have given me enough in savings that I was able to quit my job waitressing, so now I can focus on my shoots instead."

She saw the look of pride on her father's face. Her mother however, looked a bit disappointed. Everyone else at the table didn't look any different, with smiles still plastered on their faces.

"Emma, that's wonderful!" her father said, beaming.

"Sweetie, are you sure you can afford to actually quit a paying job? I only ask because I don't want you to worry about money or anything. Maybe you should use that degree you got, put some of the hard work to good use," her mother questioned. After their previous conversation, Emma knew she didn't mean to sound condescending, but it still hurt to hear the disbelief in her mother's voice.

"Yes mom, I am sure I can afford it," she replied, with nothing but irritation seeping through her tone. "And I don't need to do anything with my degree. I'm happy doing what I'm doing right now."

"Emma, what else have you been doing out there? Go to any parties? Have any boyfriends?" Adelaide asked, with more love in her voice than in her mother's last two questions combined. She smiled at the woman who always supported her. She knew she was being harsh on her mother, but she had hoped for at least a few hours of normalcy before her mother's old colors showed through the new paint.

"Well, I'm currently helping my two best friends get engaged. They've been together since right after I moved to LA. Ruby and Lacey are perfect together. And no, I don't really go to any parties, it isn't really my scene. My ex did though. I'd say that was part of what led to our break up," Emma confessed.

She hadn't told anyone at home about Neal. No one seated at the table knew she even had a boyfriend in LA. She hadn't meant to talk about it either, but Adelaide's calming voice and question tore down her walls quick and had Emma spilling some of her guts.

"You had a boyfriend?" Evie squealed, looking nothing but excited about the development. She lived for "love stories" even if they ended badly. She was a junkie for anything remotely romantic.

"I did, but we just broke up actually. It wasn't going to work out," she explained, willing them all to leave it at that. She knew most of the table would, but she was worried about her mother as she looked down to the head of the table.

"What does he do? Is he a model too?" Brennan asked.

"No. Well yes and no. He is a model, but he is also a business owner, or something like a business owner. His father owns a couple of businesses and he helps out," Emma explained, with detest in her voice. Now that she was describing Neal, how could she even date a male model?

"You never know Emma, maybe you two will make up when you get back. Sometimes love needs some time apart. You never know," her mother started.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure Neal and I will not work out," Emma tried to tell her.

"Believe me sweetie, sometimes it just takes some distance. Just wait and see," her mother said one last time.

"No mom it won't!" Emma finally let her anger out.

The table went quiet immediately. No one lifted a drink or a fork, some of the plates of pies sitting untouched for what seemed like an eternity.

"Well let's move on, it doesn't seem like we are going to be agreeing on Emma's love life anytime soon," Adelaide said, trying to lighten the situation.

"Killian, when do you start training? By the way, the league made such a stupid decision to bench you!" her father said from the other end of the table.

So that was something new. She didn't know he was suspended. She knew something was up when he said he was coming home for three weeks, especially since the season was in mid swing and everyone was gearing up for the series. She had just assumed it was an injury or a needed vacation, but suspended?

"Well, the league was just doing what it had to. I don't blame them, it could have been a lot worse. But I start in a few days. I can't train with the Nationals, sorry David, but I am training with one of the minor leagues, so hopefully I can keep up with everything. I'm trying to look at this in a positive light, maybe take the time to do some thinking," he explained, sadness lacing his voice. She could tell he was missing his time on the field. What had happened to him, what was so bad that it got him benched?

"Thank God they sent him here to do it too, I couldn't stomach him staying in LA training while that woman waltzed around, continuing to ruin his career," Brennan cursed from near Killian. She could see the anger in the elder Jones' eyes. Liam was trying to calm his father down, placing a hand up to tell him to drop it.

"Dad…" Liam began, but was quickly interrupted.

"No Liam! Killian is throwing everything away over some whore who has controlled him for way too long. If anything good came of this shit show, it was this woman being removed from his life forever. At least that is what we can hope, right Killian?" Brennan's words hurt even Emma. The tone of his voice was vicious and harsh. Emma could see Killian breaking and all she wanted to do in that moment was console him. She wanted to tell him no matter what she would support him, unlike his father.

"Brennan…" Adelaide tried to calm her husband down, but to no avail.

"All of you, stop. Killian knows he screwed up. He has made it too far to just throw away his career over some woman. His career hangs in a balance and all because he allowed this woman to control everything he did. Killian, you need to work hard while you are here. This isn't a vacation or a chance to, what is it you said, do some thinking. This is your livelihood, you can't be a pansy ass about it!" Brennan's voice was getting louder after each and every word.

Emma could tell Brennan was riling himself up to say something else, but before anyone was able to get out another word out, Killian stood up, his chair flying as he stormed into the house that he was now staying in. He was muttering some curse words that were brilliantly strung together about his father.

No one else stood up from the table. Liam and his family turned back to their pies. Violet and Henry were like deers in headlights, unsure what to actually do in that moment. Emma felt bad for the girl. For the first time meeting the "extended family", she was getting an eye and earful. Everyone sat in silence and ate for the next ten minutes.

Brennan was the first one to get up and make his way to leave. He thanked the Nolan's for dinner, saying that he would see David tomorrow to discuss something and headed out. Thankfully, he didn't go through the house, since their backyards were only separated by a wooden fence that shared a gate.

"I'm so sorry Mary, he's been so upset since this whole suspension went down. I begged him not to bring it up. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Adelaide said as she stood up to make her leave, kissing her mother on the cheek. Her mother just waved her off, a knowing look in her eyes. This actually was pretty normal; Brennan losing his temper wasn't anything new.

Emma was actually kind of pissed no one from Killian's family got up to check on him when he stormed out. She would have gone after him, but it didn't really seem like her place. She had only reconnected with him again a few hours earlier. She didn't know what he was going through. Well she kind of did, but she knew nothing about the background.

Thankfully the rule in Emma's family was whoever made the meal didn't have to clean up, so she decided to turn in, claiming tiredness from the trip. She was, but she was also just ready to get away from all of the drama of the day. After seeing how Brennan treated Killian, Emma couldn't be upset with her mother's insistent questioning or belittling comments. Compared to Brennan, Mary Margaret wasn't rude, it was just who she was. It was a bit annoying but at least she did it out of love.

Emma was right about her room not changing; even the stupid poster was still there. As she looked at it though, she realized she would have been upset if it had been taken down. It was part of her past, part of who she was, and she could never get rid of it. She laid on her bed for a couple of minutes, staring up at Nick's face, but she couldn't get Killian off her mind. He was only a few feet away and she could practically feel him stewing. She felt bad for him. It wasn't pity, but she felt his pain.

It was another few minutes of her pacing the floor of her bedroom and their shared bathroom before she knocked on the door of the guest room. She noticed that there were no lights on from the sliver below the door. She hoped she wasn't waking him.

She heard some movement from the room, but no answer. Something in her though told her to just go in, so she did.

What she saw utterly wrecked her. Killian was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking towards the bathroom door. His hair disheveled and eyes puffy. In his hand he held a tumbler, which was half full of amber liquid. A bottle sat at his feet, also half empty. Something told her the bottle had been full only twenty minutes ago. Killian was a broken man and Emma made up her mind in that moment that she was going to fix him.

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