Accidentally in Love: A Captain Swan Story

Part 4/13

The entrées were soon served. When the quail landed in front of Killian, Emma looked at him apprehensively. He couldn't fake illness again to get out of eating the meat. But he simply smiled and began to cut the meat. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to her own food.

Killian had come prepared this time. He had lined his jacket pockets with sandwich bags and was very discreetly placing all of his quail in the bags. He would then dispose of them after he left.

They ate peacefully and when the meal concluded Mary Margaret stood.

"I thought we could adjourn to the library for dessert and then the conservatory for some cocktails."

They all stood and followed Mary Margaret and David.

Killian whispered to Emma as they walked. "Are all of the rooms in your parents' house named after rooms in the game Clue?"

Emma had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

Before they could make it to the library, Dot, Emma's grandmother's Chihuahua came running down the hall.

"Oh dear," Mary Margaret said. "Greta! I thought I told you to put Dot away for the evening."

Dot ran in circles around all of them and then made a beeline for Killian. When he was a child he had been bitten by a small dog. As a result, he was not fond of dogs and the little ones frightened him. Dot began to paw at his leg and then started to jump up, sniffing at his jacket. Killian's eyes widened as he realized she could smell the quail.

"I guess she likes you," Emma said.

Killian tried to gently push the dog away, but she was relentless. David came up to her.

"Come on, Dot. Leave Killian alone."

Before David could pick her up, she jumped onto Killian's leg, climbed up it, and started biting at his jacket pocket.

"Dot, no!" David said, as he tried to pry her off him.

Killian laughed nervously, trying not to overreact as he attempted to free himself. But David and Killian were no match for Dot. She managed to stick her face into Killian's pocket and grab onto the bag with her teeth. She pulled the bag full of quail out and then dropped to the floor, attacking it.

Killian's face grew red in embarrassment and Emma's grew red in anger. Mary Margaret stared at him in confusion.

"Killian, is that the quail I just served for dinner?"

He scratched at the back of his head uneasily. "Well, uh, I, um-..."

Emma interjected, as she wrapped her arm around his waist comfortingly. Killian was surprised by the touch, especially considering she had just broken her own rule.

"Yes, Mother, it is. I told Killian about Dot and how she loves people food, but you don't allow her to have any. He wanted to bond with her, so he decided to sneak some and he was going to feed it to her when I introduced them."

Killian smiled gratefully at her.

Mary Margaret's brow furrowed. "Oh, well, I suppose that was thoughtful of you, Killian. However, Dot is on a very strict diet so please refrain from feeding her people food from now on."

"Understood," he said. "My apologies."

Mary Margaret nodded and they continued into the library. A table of assorted confectionary treats had been set up. Gus and Martha's eyes lit up and they practically sprinted to the table. They proceeded to fill their plates to the brim.

Emma muttered to Killian. "Rein your phony parents in. They look like they haven't eaten in days."

Killian shrugged. "They probably haven't."