Killian stared at the dark swirling abyss with an uneasy feeling. It reminded him of the portal that had taken them to Neverland just a few months ago. He knew what dwelled in its depths, he knew the power it held, yet his senses screamed 'unknown', 'dangerous', 'unpredictable'. The constant noise it made was deafening and nerve-wreaking. It had been going on for what to the captain seemed like an eternity. He wanted to know what was on the other side. What dark magic controlled it and set it rumbling with such ferocity. His fingers were twitching with the desire to reach for his sword. Of course, said sword was stashed away in Emma's closet. Another threatening noise and Killian felt himself tense. He was exposed, his knowledge of the situation - limited, his weapon – out of reach. He raised his hook in preparation to strike.

"Killian, if you wreak my washing machine, I swear, you will never see me in anything but that turtleneck again! This is the only clean thing I have left!"

He turned around slowly to see Emma, arms crossed in front of her chest, looking less than amused, and gulped, a mixture of embarrassment, and that feeling you get when caught with your hand in the cookie jar before dinner, coming over him. Estimating his chances of success, he settled on an 'I'm lost and adorable' expression and looked up at his swan from his position, crouching before the mysterious whirlpool of clothes.

"But, Emma! This thing is powered by dark magic!" he had to at least try to make her see sense. However, all he got for his trouble was her patent eye-roll.

"Yes, because that is exactly what dark magic is famous for, washing Henry's dirty t-shirts. I wish!" Emma sighed and taking Killian's hand dragged him to the back of the machine, showing him where it was plugged in. "See? It runs on electricity."

"Well, I'm still not convinced this 'electricity' you blame everything on is not a sort of demon or evil fairy itself, lass," he eyed the cable with mistrust and Emma looked up at the ceiling, not sure if she was asking for guidance or demanding to know how her life had turned into this.

"It's not, ok? It's like…" Emma scrunched up her nose trying to figure out how to explain it to him, which he found quite adorable. "Like fire. Only, you know, through a wire. Hey, that even rhymes!"

All the pirate did was raise an eyebrow, clearly doubtful that there were flames crawling inside that thing.

"Ok, no, it's not that," she was getting exasperated. "I don't know how to explain electricity, ok? Something about electronic signals and stuff. Either way, it's not evil!"

"Yeah, and those ungodly sounds it is making are what? The voices of a million angels living inside it?"

"Ugh, Killian!" Emma put both her hands in her hair, holding and resisting the desire to pull. "I don't know, ok? It's a washing machine! It uses water and detergent and makes a lot of noise but spits your clothes out clean in the end. It's a good thing. Useful."

Killian stood staring at the object in question for a while before, carefully, as if he expected it to bite him at any second, he put his hand on top of it.

"Oook. You can… pet it," Emma was torn between being amused and being a bit worried for her pirate's sanity. How was she going to explain to him that Santa Claus doesn't live in the back of the refrigerator? Oh God, he probably didn't know who Santa Claus was! Or thought he was some kind of demon too. What if Santa was a demon in his world? Emma shook her head. Maybe it was her mental state she should start worrying about.

"It vibrates," Killian had got a calculating look on his face and just like that the little warning bells with his name on them in Emma's head were being set off.

"Yeah," she agreed with caution.

"And you're sure it is not evil, luv? Or possessed? Or controlled by the Queen or the Crocodile's dark magic?" he slowly turned around, eyebrows raised in question but a grin already tugging at his lips.

"I'm sure." Emma said slowly, resisting the urge to take a step back, seeing that predatory look she was very familiar with enter his eyes.

"Good," and before she knew what hit her, he had wrapped his left arm around her waist and thrown her on top of the previously feared beast, his right hand going up her tight and his lips brushing her ear as he whispered in it. "Let's see, if we can shake the cleaning angels right out of it."