Enchanted Chapter Three

(Present)

Killian met her in the morning outside Gold's shop with coffee. She hid her smile as she locked the bug up and came around to him. The casual way they touched and kissed each other around people was a testament to how much each cared for the other and realized almost too late that they could have lost it all. Taking the coffee he handed her she wrapped her arm around his waist and walked down the street.

"Thank you. For the coffee I mean. I needed it, couldn't sleep well last night."

"Aye. Me either love."

She had wanted to ask why he couldn't sleep but Belle caught up to them. She was leaving Killian and Belle at the library to figure out how to get everyone out of the magic hat. Beaming at Belle she immediately brought her into the conversation, she'd been worried about Belle since this whole thing had happened.

"Morning Belle, how are you? Henry said you helped him with his school report. Thank you!" She was so grabbing at straws to get a conversation started. She couldn't imagine how Belle would be feeling, if it had been the other way around and Killian in Gold's place she would be broken…hollow.

"It was no problem, being busy helps…" she almost choked up but pulled it together and was animated as she unlocked the doors to her library. Emma pulled out of Killian's embrace and smiled up at him, before turning back to Belle.

"Well it was a big help to me and Henry loved spending time with you. You're also doing a huge favor by helping with the mystery of the hat. I have to get to the station but call me if anything comes up."

She hugged Belle and tried to make it not awkward before going up on her toes and kissing Killian. Pulling away before he could distract her, she left them to their business.

The day was dragging on for her; it had been almost five hours of handling paperwork at the station, taking calls, doing a patrol and getting grilled by David on every little thing that she was growling when she answered her cell phone.

"Ease up love, you told me to call if we found anything. Are you alright?" his concern and genuine bafflement more than anything held her tongue and immediately calmed her down. A sheriff on no sleep was a new breed of demon the town couldn't handle.

"I'm sorry for snapping just a hectic day here, what's up?"

"You need to come to the library." She hung up the phone with him and made her way to the library; she immediately realized just about the whole town was in or around the library. Fearing that some form of chaos was happening she hurriedly parked the sheriff's car and made her way through the crowd. David, Mary Margaret and Regina were around the table with Belle and Killian explaining some text.

"So it can be done? They can be released?" Regina's word carried over the buzz of the town and seemed to quiet them as everyone waited for Belle's answer.

"Yes, but whatever or whoever else was in there before Rumple had the hat will also be unleashed…we have no way of knowing who all is in the hat beside the old man and the fairies."

Stepping closer to the table put her hands on Killian's shoulders and looking over at the others. "That sounds like a risk we'll have to be taking. Besides if Gold wanted that old man in the hat he must have some form of powers and I would like to know who he is and what exactly his powers are."

Glancing down at Killian she gave him a reassuring smile while Belle and Regina went over what would need to be done, some sort of ritual that she didn't understand. Motioning her head at David they started to get rid of the crowd that had gathered. Later that evening they were gathered around a stone and Regina using Gold's dagger releases the fairies from the hat, but she didn't want to leave Killian's side to help reassure them. He seemed so upset even was avoiding the party that everyone seemed to be having. Tugging on his arm she started to pull him toward the fun.

"Come on…you and I both could use the fun. I hear Granny has even brought out the rum."

Even though she was trying to make him feel more proud of what he's done and of the fact that he's no longer a villain she couldn't help but wonder why that only the fairies came out of the hat.

"Now who need to come back to the party love?"

Smiling up at him she rolled her eyes and pushed him forward.

(Past)

Ursula couldn't believe the things people would do for greed. Sell their souls, give up their children, and make deals with the devil. In this case Captain Jones had two young boys and no desire to be weighed down with them. Pity for him that the deal he made, might not suit him the way he wanted after all she was the Sea Witch you had to be quite specific when dealing with her.

Emma was starting to worry about Killian, he never stopped looking for his father, she thought her obsession with finding out who her parents were and where they are was bad…she has nothing on this boy. They still hadn't figured out how she kept coming here, but this was quickly becoming her second home. She knew it so well that she wasn't afraid of going off on her own anymore. Killian and Liam even made sure she had some clothes so she wouldn't stand out to much. She still stood out because of her golden hair. Apparently nobody is this village had golden hair. Pulling the cloaks hood over her hair she moves in the shadows towards the small inn that was both a bar, inn and restaurant looking around the place she spotted Luca her informant and slid into his booth.

"Did you find anything?"

She leaned in so he could hear her hushed voice, if Killian found out she was here and out alone at dark he'd lose it. He was very protective of her and lately he seemed to know her moods and guess at her secrets. She could feel him before he would enter a room now and she knew the same things were happening to him. Being as young as they were she felt there was no way they could possibly understand it and what it meant, but Killian refused to talk about it. He wouldn't even talk to Liam about it.

"About their father? No, nothing new at least. His ship set sail and returned without him. Which you knew of course. "

Emma was about the answer, wanting to be done with this meeting quickly before Killian realized she was here alone, the owner's bellow made her jump.

"You two can't be in here during these hours, be gone with ye."

Luca hurriedly made his way out the Inn and around to an alley way leaving Emma to hurry after him. She was becoming increasingly more nervous. She wanted to help Killian find his father, but she also wanted to understand what was happening to her.

"Hurry Luca, what else have you found?"

"You understand that Liam and Killian both will kill me for even suggesting this don't you? –

At her pointed look he sighed in defeat.

- There is this man…he knows things. His name is Zoso…Emma he is a dangerous man. You need to stay away from him though."

"Who is he? Is he a wizard of sorts?"

"No…he is worse much worse. He is the Dark One Emma..."

Luca was cut off by Liam's fist knocking him back. Killian's hands gripped her arms so tight it hurt and suddenly she realized why she'd been so edgy since coming outside. She'd sensed Killian was near and the emotion she couldn't place before she now knew to be rage, but more than that was Killian's deep seated fear. He was afraid for her.

"Are you crazy or just bloody stupid?"

He was yelling and she knew he was fighting the urge to shake her. Just then Liam and Luca both stepped in front of her and Killian, they were pushing her into the wall. Killian covered her mouth and the look he gave her stopped any desire she had to question him.

"This is why ye do not speak his name Luca."

Liam could sound so calm and deadly at times that Emma found herself shaking. Between her fear and trying not be ripped from this time, Emma was feeling faint. Just then she felt eyes on her and it was like fire and ice. His cold gaze made her spirit shrink and she instinctively pressed closer to Killian. Meeting his eyes she knew this was the Dark One they all seemed to fear so much. She caught a flicker of something, he seemed timid almost afraid of her which confused her and she would have called out to him except Killian never moved his hand from her mouth. The shock or the excitement had her blacking out.

(Present)

Emma woke with a start, she didn't know what was bothering her, but her skin hurt. After her shower and a brief talk with Henry before he was off to school she found herself feeling like Killian was close. It was like an invisible tether linked them together. She'd started noticing that she knew he was near even without seeing him and sometimes she swore she knew what he was feeling.

"Morning love you ready?"
Linking her arm into his she beamed up at him. The earlier unease forgotten the moment he was beside her. They were going to meet her parents at Granny's for some brunch; a term Killian still didn't get no matter how many times she had explained it to him. They turned into the courtyard of the diner just as two women, Emma recognized as Ursula and Cruella, whom Regina let into Storybrooke just a few days ago, came out. The way Killian tensed and the look Ursula gave him made Emma bristle. She was about to ask him about it when her dad came out of the diner insisting that they needed to follow the duo. Kissing Killian goodbye she followed her dad, feeling like he wasn't telling her everything.

"I'm going to call Belle and see if she can find anything on these two in the records."

Pulling her phone out of her pocket she called Belle and quickly followed that up with a call to Regina to get the details of her history with them.

"I've not had much to do with Cruella, but Ursula…I may have offended when I impersonated her once long ago. At the time I thought she was just a legend. I have no idea their reasoning for wanting in Storybrooke so bad."

She hung up the phone feeling like again someone was keeping things from her. Closing her eyes she wished away the secrets and the lies. She couldn't understand why now she was feeling this way. Why would everyone be lying to her now?

"Take me to the station; I'll see what I can find out there."