No Sound Without Silence

Chapter 13

Nothing more than strangers

Passing by out on the street

-~-

One morning while she was helping herself on a breakfast of sandwich from the store at the end of the street, a thought suddenly struck her mind. How could he have survived all this on his own? He didn't have any money. It's not like he knew anyone outside Storybrooke.

She knew the way from Storybrooke to New York and it was surely a long way. He didn't have a car, or any sort of vehicle. Along the way, only a few cars, a number she could count with one hand, passed by. The only way was to walk. She froze in shock as realization hit her. And somehow she hated herself for thinking about that because, gosh, the tears were coming back. He walked that far. No food. No water. Just him and his legs.

I'm a survivor.

His words rang in her head causing her to shake her head with a sad smile. Stubborn bastard. But how could he be so well today? She was certain that singing wouldn't give him much money to keep himself healthy...

Her head hurt just thinking hard about what he had done. It was just her craving for caffeine. What mattered, anyway, was that he was alright, right? She quickly finished her sandwich, and made her way to the coffee shop at the next block before continuing her apartment hunting. It was a long way, but Emma took her time. She had nothing to do, anyway.

She wondered what Killian was doing, where he was staying. Wherever he lived, it must be sparkling clean, she smiled. He was always the neat freak to her surprise. He was a pirate, after all.

Swan, I may be a pirate, but I believe in good form, he told her once.

She chuckled at the thought of a stiff Killian, saluting with a mocking pout and puffed chest. It was an exaggeration, she knew, but it was not a crime to imagine things.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly sees something dark coming out at her. She quickly side-stepped, and to her confusion it was just her eyes playing tricks on her with the parked truck in front of the flower shop she was just passing by. Just as her eyes peeked inside the flower shop and found a man with his back to her, and she knew that back anywhere.

What was Killian doing in a flower shop? To buy flowers, of course, she rolled her eyes at herself, but for whom? She suddenly found herself frozen in place, staring into the flower shop through the large window up front. Could there be someone? She didn't want to brag, but she knew he would only have eyes for her because he promised. This guy was Killian, but he wasn't her Killian. He could have any other woman he desired, or man. She wasn't going to lie, but it made her heart churn and her stomach drop at the thought.

The tears were starting to form on her eyes. She quickly shut her eyes closed to keep them from falling. She should walk on, she decided, because she looked absolutely stupid suddenly stopping in the middle of the road on the verge of tears. Because, god, it hurt so much. Because he promised he wasn't going to leave her, he wasn't going to hurt her, he wasn't going to break her heart.

But he also isn't the same person anymore. He didn't even know who she is. Crap, she should having these kinds of breakdowns in the middle of the street in her mornings because suddenly she didn't feel like going apartment hunting or working later anymore. She tried her best to clear her head, and just walk to get herself that cup of hot coffee.

She was relieved to see that the coffee shop wasn't packed with people like she thought it would be. After getting her order, she took the couch just beside the window. She was about to indulge herself with the caffeine when she noticed someone standing beside her.