A/N: Have a Christmas chapter! <3 Happy Holidays to all my friends and followers! <3 <3 

Killian

I paced outside Andie's apartment.
"Its a bloody Christmas parade Jones, just ask the lass if she wants to go with you." I muttered to myself. I built up the courage and knocked on the door and then waited.
The door swung open, and instead of Andie, stood a little blonde boy with a chocolate cookie mustache.
"Hi! I'm Matt!" He smiled. I smiled and crouched down.
"Hello Matt. I'm Killian."
"Matty, don't answer the door!" Andie scolded the boy as she came to the door. "Someone is going to kidnap you child I swear.."
"Mommy says they'd bring me back." The boy shrugged and walked away from the door. Andie smiled and shook her head leaning against the door frame. She set her eyes on me and I forgot what I even came over here for.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey." I said and smiled and there was awkward silence.
"Whatcha doing?" Andie smirked.
"Oh! Um.. well.."
"Well hello there." A woman with hair identical in color to Andies, leaned into the door frame. The two of them looked quite alike in the face.
Andie rolled her eyes.
"Killian..this is my sister Krys..my nephew Matt is the one who opened the door. They came over from Seattle for Christmas."
"Oh. Well.. I should probably let you spend time with your family." I said and scratched behind my ear.
"We will be here all week, Andie has plenty of time to spend with us." Krys said and smirked. Andie looked uncomfortable.
"Krys.. I think I heard Matty in the kitchen. Make sure he's not playing with the oven." Andie said.
"Sure." Krys said and winked as she walked away.

Andie stepped out into the hallway and closed the door.
"I am really sorry about her.." Andie sighed.
"Shes..."
"Pushy. I know." Andie said. "So what brings you to my side of the hallway?" She asked.
"Oh..its just tonight is the Christmas parade downtown and then they're lighting town square and I was going..and thought I'd see if you were going and we could go...together." I said.
That was the most pitiful attempt to ask anyone out yet.. Way to go.
"Oh! Well.. I'd have to check with my sis-"
"Go with him!" Andies sister yelled from the other side of the door.
"Listen.. If you don't want to its okay. Don't go just because your sister is telling you to. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." I said. I knew Andie wasn't fond of crowds, and sometimes her anxiety made it impossible for her to leave the building I didn't want her to feel forced.
"Killian...I'd love to go with you, actually." She smiled. "What time?"
"It starts at 6." I grinned. "I'll come back over around 5:30."
"Okay. sounds good. See you then Killian." She said and tucked her red hair behind her ears.
"See you then." I nodded and backed up until I ran into my door. Andie chuckled and turned and walked into her apartment.

Andie

"Are you sure about this? You guys came all the way from Seattle to see me." I frowned.
"Yes Andie, We are sure. Matt is having fun playing with Balthazar right now anyways and I can tell you like this guy. We will be here all week."
"Like him? We're only friends Krys." I said and shrugged.
"Because you curl your hair and put on make up for all your friends?" Krys smirked.
"Does it look bad?" I asked and looked in the mirror.
"Andie you look great, don't keep that incredibly attractive friend of yours waiting. Matt and I will be here when you get back."

"Okay." I nodded and walked over to Balthazar and scratched behind his ears. "Be good. Play nice with Matty." I said. He purred and rubbed his head against my hand and I walked over to the coat rack and plucked my emerald green dress coat off the rack and put it on looking myself over in the floor mirror one more time.

There was a knock on the door and Krys practically flew ahead of me to answer it.
"Killian, come in!" She said.
"Thank you." Killian chuckled and stepped inside. He looked at me, and his eyes brightened.
"Baker.. You look.."
"She looks lovely doesn't she?" Krys smiled and stood beside me.
"Krys.." I sighed. Matt carried Bathazar over to Killian.
"This is Zar." He said.
"We've met." Killian chuckled and looked at me. "You put a christmas sweater on that poor thing?"
"Hey! He looks handsome in his Christmas sweater. Leave my cat alone sir." I said and put my hands on my hips.
"My apologies." Killian chuckled again putting his hands up. "Are you ready?" He asked.
"I am." I smiled and walked to the door.
"Have a good time." Krys said. "Hurt my sister and they will never find you." She added with a sickenly sweet smile.
"Right.. So.. let's go." I said Killian and I left.

"Again.. I am really sorry about her." I sighed.
"Its quite alright." Killian said as we walked out of the building.
"She just wants me to..get out there and be happy, but you know she's my big sister so..."
"I get it." Killian chuckled. "Liam was like that too. The important thing is to remember what you want.. And not just what everyone else wants."
"Right." I nodded and smiled at him. "How has work been?"
"Its been decent." he said. "A lot of people wrote in for my christmas short story contest." He smiled.
"Thats really great Killian. If you need help selecting the winner, I'd be happy to help you read them. I love reading."
Granny's over there selling Hot chocolate. Would you like some?" He asked.
"I would love some." I smiled and followed him to Granny's booth she had set up.
"Killian, Andie! Nice to see you both." Granny smiled warmly at us.
"Nice to see you too." Killian said and smiled then looked at me. "With or without Marshmallows?"
"With, please." I said.

After getting our hot chocolate we walked along mainstreet waiting for the parade to start. I was usually overwhelmed in crowds of people but for some reason, with him I felt oddly at ease. Not that I minded at all. It just wasn't something I was used to.
"That Nephew of yours is a cute little lad." Killian chuckled.
"That's how he gets you. He can be a little monster when he wants to be." I grinned. "He's not shy at all, and he has no stranger danger. Much like my sister."
"Krys seemed nice. A tad on the pushy side, but nice. Well until she threatened to kill me and hide my body."
I giggled.
"She's pushy, but protective. After Jason..." I sighed and shook my head. "Nevermind. Lets not bring him into this, He ruins everything, I don't want him to ruin tonight too. And I'd like to point out my sister never threatened to kill you. She just said they'd never find you." I smirked.
"Which is even more terrifying if you ask me." Killian said and raised an eyebrow.

After the parade, Killian lead me to town square where people were gathering waiting for the lights to come on.
"Thank you." Killian said.
"For what?" I asked.
"Coming with me, Liam used to love this and I wanted to be here for it...but I didn't want to be alone." He said.
"I'm honored you chose to invite me Killian. Really." I smiled and put my hand over his.
"I'm sorry if I pulled you away from your sister and your nephew."
"Oh, its fine really. Once Krys saw you, there was no way I was not leaving tonight. And Honestly.. Its only been two days with my sister here and I already needed a break." I smiled. "She can be.. Overwhelming."
"I kind of got that." Killian chuckled and then looked at his watch. "Oh! Look, they're about to turn on the lights." He said.

I looked towards the square waiting and in a matter of seconds, the whole area was lit with a festive glow. I gasped as I looked all around at the multicolored lights, and the ones that were animated, to twinkle like stars. It was absolutely stunning. I squeezed Killian's hand that I didn't realize until now I was still holding on to.
"Look at them.. They're so beautiful!" I beamed.
"Yeah..they are." Killian said. I looked at him, but he wasn't looking at the lights he was looking at me. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks and I tucked my hair behind my ears as my lips curved into a nervous smile.

Walking back to the complex, it felt like we were in some sort of hallmark Christmas movie. It even started to snow, to which Killian groaned.
"You don't like the snow?" I asked.
"Its wet and its cold. No." He chuckled. "I take it you do."
"I love it! We didn't get a lot in Seattle.. Mostly just rain and if we were lucky there was snow sometimes."
"Well be prepared, because in Maine, it doesn't stop until almost april." He smirked.
"I think I'm going to love it here." I grinned.
"You don't miss Seattle at all?" Killian asked.
"About the only thing I miss is my family...other than that theres just too many painful memories there." I frowned.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up." Killian said.
"Its okay." I shrugged. "One of these days the entire mess that was my life is going to come out...and the thing that scares me the most is the possibility of people not looking at me the same."

"I don't think thats going to happen Andie. You're a mystery thats for sure, but about everyone who lives in that complex has seen some kind of pain in their life. David and Mary-Margaret struggled with infertility for years, there was a lot of heartbreak before they had Emma. Robin lost his wife to cancer shortly after his son was born, Ruby's father ran out on her, and her mother is an addict, she's been with her grandmother since she was a child..and of course you know my story, but the point is, none one over here looks at anyone any different once the truth is out. We all still hold the same love for each other we did the day before. In some weird way our pain brings us all together and there is something truly remarkable about that." Killian said.

I wiped a couple tears away.
"Oh..I didn't mean to make you cry." He frowned.
"No.. I'm not upset. You just.. It's the way you speak. You could make a trainwreck sound like the most beautiful thing that's ever happened." I chuckled. "You have a wonderful way with words Killian." I said and smiled as we walked into the complex, and up the stairs.

We stood in front of my door, and I reached up and brushed the snowflakes out of his dark hair.
"I should let you get back to your sister and your nephew. Maybe the three of you can come to the Nolans Christmas party. There won't be any alcohol so Matt would be fine, the worst that would happen would be a sugar high." He chuckled.
"That sounds lovely actually." I smiled. "Matty would probably make fast friends with Roland."
"Yeah." Killian smiled and bit his lip. He glanced up for a second and then laughed and shook his head.
"I think your sister is trying to send a message." He said and pointed up. I looked up with my eyes widened at the Mistletoe hanging above my door. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
"That has Krys written all over it." I said. "I'm really sorry she's so pushy."
"It's alright." Killian said. "I'm not offended.." He sighed. "I like you Andie, I really do. I know thats strange considering months ago I was coming up with ways to get you evicted.." He trailed off.
I giggled.
"I may have been too.." I said.
He smirked at me.

"Look, I know that you are going through a really..bad divorce and you probably aren't looking to rush into things and believe me..neither am I. I haven't been in a functional relationship since Milah. But I do really...really like you, and I want to wait until you are comfortable trying to pursue things. I don't want you to feel pressured or anything. I just-"
I cut him off by kissing him on cheek. I pulled away, his cheeks, and the tips of his ears turned bright pink.

"Tradition is tradition, Jones." I smirked. "If anything is going to send me on a downward spiral into an anxiety attack, its not going to be a small kiss under the mistletoe. It's Christmas! I have my days, but I'm not made of glass. Please remember that." I gave him a soft smile and reached out and touched his cheek wiping away my lipstick with my thumb. "And for the record...I really like you too but there are things that you need to know before we even try this and tonight has been one of the best nights I have had in a very long time and I don't want to put a damper on it."
 "Aye." He nodded and smiled at me. "Sorry, I tend to get ahead of myself." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Just know..that whenever you decide you are ready. I'll be waiting."
"Good." I smiled. Killian gave me a boyish grin and backed up towards his apartment.
 "Merry Christmas A. Baker." He said softly.
"Merry Christmas K. Jones." I giggled and watched him walk into his apartment.