Ghost Story

Chapter 26

Emma's birthday was approaching, and Killian had planned his own celebration for her along with the one she was going to get from her parents and friends. The party that they had planned as a group was taking place at Emma's parents' house. Everyone was coming together to decorate and set things up while Killian distracted her. He decided that this would be the time that he would have his own celebration with her.

Killian waited at the front of the school for her. While he distracted her, Ruby, Elsa, Chris, Jefferson, Anna, and Graham were going to go to Emma's house and help Mary Margaret and David decorate. Emma's friends waved to her one last time before heading in the direction of their houses. Emma walked into Killian's outstretched arm.

"Happy birthday, love!" He said happily and pulled her close to him.

"Thank you." He kissed the top of her head.

"I thought that we could go get some ice cream and then spend the day together."

"You're sweet, but I really just want to go home."

"Ah ah. We are going to have a good time today. It's all about you." He pulled a plastic tiara out of his book bag and placed it on her head. He motioned towards the black Chevy. "Your carriage awaits, m'lady."

She blushed and walked towards the car. Killian opened the door and helped her in, then ran to the driver's side. He winced as he sat down and coughed. Emma immediately turned to him and patted his back as he coughed. "Are you okay? Should you even be driving?"

"I'm fine, love. You don't have to worry about me."

He rubbed his chest as he started the engine and pulled out of the school's parking lot. He drove to a nearby ice cream shop and parked. They got out and ordered their ice cream. The teenage boy behind the counter smirked at Emma, and Killian clenched his fists. He covered his mouth and started to cough again.

"Go sit down. I'll get the ice cream." She rubbed his arm soothingly and he nodded and walked out of the building.

"Who's that? Your brother?" The boy asked. His name tag read Nate, and he had blonde hair and brown eyes. He wore glasses on his face, and had jeans and a t-shirt on. The apron he wore had the store's name and logo on it.

"My boyfriend, actually," she replied with a smile on her face.

"Interesting guy." Emma's eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't flirting with her? "Enjoy your ice cream." He gave her a genuine smile and handed her the cones.

She walked out of the ice cream shop and back into the car, handing Killian his chocolate ice cream cone. "You okay?"

"Aye. Just had a tickle in my throat."

"Are you sure you're okay? We can go back to your house if you aren't feeling well."

"I'm fine, Emma! I don't want to ruin your birthday." He turned to her in the seat and kissed her cheek. "I'm not going to ruin anything for you."

"Stop trying to be so strong in front of me. If you're really hurting, maybe we should just cancel today and we can reschedule."

"I don't know if I'm going to be around to make it. I'm not a survivor."

"You are! Don't say that!"

"I'm a coward," he spat. "I'm afraid of a little bit of pain, and that's why I'm not going through with these bloody treatments."

"Reconsider them. If you did, you would stay with me. You have a chance of becoming cancer free. Then you really would be a survivor."

"Is that really what you want me to do? It would mean that I lose my hair."

She laughed. "And that would make me see you any differently?"

He shrugged. "I'm scared."

"It's okay to be."

They pulled out of the parking lot without another word. He drove to the cliff and he stopped the car and gathered the garbage up from their ice cream. They got out of the car and laid on the hood. It was still warm from the engine.

"I love you, Emma," he whispered as they looked at the clouds in the sky.

"I love you too, Killian," she whispered back.

He leaned over and kissed her deeply. He was towering over her while she laid on the car. Their kiss was sweet but it had a lot of love in it. When she threaded her fingers into his hair, he moaned and she broke the kiss with a giggle.

"What?" He asked with a smile.

She sat up and hopped off the car. "I'm sliding off the car."

He laughed and then pinned her to the side with his hips. "How's that?"

She laughed again. "Better."

He went back to kissing her. Emma wanted nothing more in that moment to wish that everything was going to be okay. She hoped that Killian would go through the treatments. She wanted him to be the one she'd walk down the aisle with when they got married. That they would have a baby together and live happily ever after, but she wasn't going to push him to make a decision that could change his life.

"I have a present for you," he whispered when he pulled away from her.

"Really?" She asked. He nodded and went to the trunk and pulled out a rather large box. "Woah."

He held the box out for her and nodded to it. "Open it."

Emma did as she was told and picked the lid up off the box and almost burst into tears. Inside the box was a book. A scrapbook to be exact. On the front written in permanent marker was the words, 'Killian Jones and Emma Nolan, together at last.'

"Oh my God." She grabbed the book and did everything she could not to cry. "You made this?"

"With Ingrid's help. It was very manly being surrounded by glitter glue tubes and stickers."

She opened the book and saw pictures surrounded by heart stickers. Underneath each picture was a caption and a date. She pulled tabs and flipped things over, and it was like a beautiful pop up book. "It's beautiful. Oh, Killian!" There were pictures of them together and ones of them separate. The picture at the very bottom was one of them kissing in the park.

"So you like it then?" He asked with nothing but hope in his voice.

"I love it." She closed the book and hugged him. Her tears hit his skin and it made him want to cry too, but he stayed strong. For her.

"I'm glad." She pulled away and he wiped the tears from her cheeks. Just as they were leaning in for a kiss, his phone rang, interrupting the moment. "We'll be right there." Was all he said when he picked up.

"Where are we going?"

"To the second part of your special day."