A/N. Hello! This is my first published work on here (up until now I've been a silent reader). If you like it, please comment and favourite. Should I continue?

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything :(

Chapter 1

She was gone. The darkness had taken here and she had disappeared right after saying the three words he had pictured on her lips for ages. I love you.

He was shaking, trembling. A feeling of numbness settled over him as he fell to his knees. He vaguely felt others shaking him, saying something. He couldn't hear them. He didn't want to hear them.

Emma was gone and he didn't know if he would ever get her back. Maybe a different Emma, a dark Emma, but not his Emma. He had seen the darkness take her and he just stood there, helpless to do anything. And then she had vanished, leaving nothing but a gleaming dagger.

No. Emma wasn't gone forever. She wouldn't want him to think like that. He would find her. He had to find her. Killian Jones was not a coward. He would do whatever it takes to get her back—no matter what would happen to him. He had sacrificed himself for Emma once to save her. He would do it again in a heartbeat if it came to that.

"Hook! Killian!"

The voice brought him back to reality as he steeled himself and looked up at the source. David. Her father. He was standing above him, his face set in determination. Mary Margaret had stood tall beside him, tears running in rivulets down her face, but fire burning in her eyes. He knew in that moment he wasn't alone. They would help him find her. They would bring Emma back.

David helped him up and they turned to face Regina. She was the one out of all of them who could possibly know anything about Emma's disappearance. Her face was grave as she watched them and Killian thought he might have seen a hint of remorse as she spoke, still holding Robin as if he was grounding her to the real world.

"The dagger," she said, tilting her face toward the solitary piece of metal lying on the concrete. Killian understood where she was going and ran to pick it up, turning it over with trembling hands. Her name. Emma Swan. It was almost laughable. The Dark One, the one he had been hunting for so many centuries, had his heart cleansed of the darkness, only for it to invade Emma's heart.

He felt a sudden anger swell up inside of him. Gold. Rumpelstiltskin. He was responsible for this. It was his fault she was gone. His fault her name was now inscribed on the dagger. Killian felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked back to see Mary Margaret, shock clearly visible on her features as she gazed at the dagger over his shoulder.

Regina wasted no time. She had walked up to them in a matter of seconds and snatched the dagger from his hands, examining it with a hard expression on her face.

"Could we summon her?" asked David as he joined the rest of them. "Could the dagger be used to bring her back?"

Regina sighed. "I don't know. She might be in a different realm for all we know. For now, I don't think we should try until we have more information."

Killian stared at her, anger broiling up inside of him. Before he knew it, his face was inches away from hers, anger enveloping every part of his mind. "What do you mean we shouldn't try?" he growled. "If there's a way to bring Emma back, then do it!"

Regina seemed to be unfazed by his proximity, for she took her time in replying. "We don't know what will happen if we bring her back." Her tone was almost snappish, but there was a softness in her eyes he had not seen before. "She might not even recognize us. She could kill someone. All that darkness at once can't be a good thing."

A small part of his brain told him that it was the logical answer not summoning her immediately, but the rest was filled with an overwhelming desire to grab the dagger from the evil queen's hands and call her right there.

"We should ask Gold. He would know about this," suggested Robin, moving forward to place a comforting hand on Regina's shoulder.

David shook his head. "Gold is...ah...indisposed at the moment," he replied. "He won't be much help until he wakes up—if he wakes up."

Killian remembered, back at the shop, he was almost hoping the crocodile would stay in his sleep-like state. He had caused them so much trouble—he had almost crushed Killian's heart—both literally and figuratively. It was only because of Swan he was there. Her love brought a new life into him. But now—now he would to anything to wake Gold. He could help them find Emma.

"The sorcerer's apprentice!" piped up Mary Margaret. "He's in Gold's shop. He should know what to do."

Regina nodded grimly. "Did he happen to mention anything about the sorcerer himself? I've heard he has powers we couldn't dream of! If anyone can help us find Emma, it's him."

"He said something about a Merlin," supplied Killian.

Regina's face turned dark for a moment but her anger was gone as quickly as it had come. "The sorcerer's apprentice is our best bet for now," she said. "Merlin is almost impossible to find. Although, not many people want to find him."

She started off toward the pawn shop, not looking back to see if anyone was following her. The rest of them hurried after her, but Killian lagged behind. Something niggled at the corner of his mind. Regina's face when he had said Merlin's name—it was almost like she knew him. He shrugged off the thought as David shouted at him to hurry up.

Right now there was only room for one thought: finding Emma. And he would stop at nothing until he reached her and said those four small words. I love you too.