HEY I'M BACK! SORRY ABOUT THE MASSIVE HIATUS, I'VE HAD A LOT OF CHANGES IN MY LIFE, SOME GOOD SOME BAD, I FINALLY FINISHED MY DEGREE, BUT ALSO INJURED MY BACK AND HAVE A NASTY CASE OF SCIATICA; AFTER THAT, AN EARTHQUAKE SHOOK MY BUILDING IN NOVEMBER (YEP, MEXICO CITY) AND WE HAD TO WAIT BEFORE WE WERE ASSURED IT WAS SAFE TO MOVE BACK INTO IT, LOTS OF CRACKS ON THE WALLS BUT NO REAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, SO THAT MUCH IS GOOD NEWS. I'VE ALSO BEEN DEALING WITH COLITIS (I'VE CROHN'S SO…)… NONETHELESS, I LOVE THIS STORY AND I WILL NOT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED!

I WILL BE 100% HONEST: I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF THE SHOW'S REBOOT, AND I'VE NOT WATCED S.7, MOSTLY BECAUSE I MISS MY CS. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE NICE FAN FICTION TO FALL BACK ON TO CURB THOSE CS WITHDRAWAL MUNCHIES.

ENJOY! THANK YOU FOR STAYING TUNED AND WORRY NOT, THE STORY HAS A LITTLE WHILE LONGER TO GO, MAYBE 2 OR 3 CHAPTERS MORE. I WILL NOT FALL BACK AGAIN!

CHAPTER 10: UNCERTAIN MAGIC

A WEEK AFTER THE FUNERAL

Emma paced from side to side, cracking her fingers. Her superpower to detect a liar had so far been accurate and she seemed to believe Gold was on the level… or on some level, at least. It may have served his interests, and chances were that if he were to gain nothing from it, she and Killian may have never found out that Lizzie could very well still be alive. But regardless, it was a window of hope, and if there had been something both she and her pirate had gleaned from her family was that hope was a powerful energy.

Regardless of that, and in spite of feeling energized by the possibility of seeing her child alive and well, she couldn't help feeling like there would more than likely be something around the corner that could quite easily claim the life of someone else she loved; could be Killian… again. Or Henry. Her brother, her mother, her father, her friends… the list was endless. So she figured that, despite the dark history behind them, she'd sooner have the dark one as her ally.

"Emma, stop it, you'll dig a trench on the floor." Regina huffed from the kitchen table.

"Hm?" The savior snapped her head up and huffed. "Sorry, must be the coffee… I… I don't know what I'm doing to be honest."

"I can tell you what you're not doing." The Queen stood up and walked to her. "In your shoes, I'd be running to the beach to wait for Ariel with news of my daughter."

Emma shook her head. "She has the shell and she knows where I live. Besides, Hook is there. Won't do much good for both of us to…"

"You're avoiding things, Emma."

The savior sighed deep and placed her hands over her forehead. "Yeah… yeah I am." She paced back to her table and sat down with a thump. "Regina… What if… what if Lizzie really is dead?"

"Cut it out, Emma."

"Cut what out? I'm just sying that…"

"I've seen this before. A week before the funeral. You were too afraid to cast the tracking spell."

"And for good reason! It just proved that Lizzie was gone!" Emma shouted. "Now turns out she isn't. Or might not be. I am not too sure I can do this all over again, Regina. What if we go all the way to that place only to find she really IS gone?" She shook her head. "I'm not so sure I can keep on losing my daughter over and over and…"

"Then, like before, you will know for sure." Regina nodded calmly. "Or would you rather just not do anything and wonder forever whether or not she might still live?"

"Shit." Emma slammed her hand on the tabletop. "I just hate the idea of building up hopes and expectations only to… to mourn all over again. It's like it was with Neal; first he was there, then he left me, then he came back with Tamara, then he was dead, then he was alive in Neverland, then he died for real, ugh!" She looked up into the queen's eyes and chuckled sadly. "Two or three days ago, I went into Lizzie's room with an empty box in my hands. I was determined to clean up and take her things to the garage, to move on." She shook her head and girnned glumly. "But all it took for me to lose my cool was a photograph. It just sat there… one of the happiest days of our lives." She looked at Regina with a grin. "She was about three or four; stole my eye-liner and painted her face, like a pirate, according to her. Killian was thrilled. She made a mess." She laughed softly and sadly. "I fell apart, Regina, I couldn't do it. So here I am finally accepting the idea of letting go… and then it turns out she may be alive, but might also not be alive, and… oh god, Regina, I'm not sure I could take it. Or Killian."

"Would it be better if you didn't know?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "If there is a tiny sliver of hope that your daughter might still be alive, would you just let her go?"

Emma shook her head. "Of course not. I mean, I'm terified, but if Lizzie is still out there alive and trying to get back home, of course I will do anything!" She sighed. "She's a little girl, she only just started to control her magic." She raised her eyes to her friend. "She's facing a witch as powerful as Rumplestiltskin, Regina. She's alone. Not to mention Blackbeard looming around her, and according to Killian, his intentions are probably far less than honorable. A little girl! Magic or no magic, she was… is, just a child!"

Regina nodded with a sigh, hands on her hips. "It is scary, I'll give you that." She turned and walked to the kitchen counter to pour herself some coffee from the Jones's coffee maker. "But to be honest, if anybody tried to lay a finger on my child and I knew about it, I'd be on them like a lion."

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Yeah I wanna know for sure. I do know that chances are we will be heading on a wild goose chase, but on the other hand, if she is still alive and needs our help, we will do anything to get her back safe and sound." She side grinned at Regina. "Like I said… It was the same with Neal. I saw him die, I saw him fall through that portal. Wasn't the first time I lost him, either." She chuckled. "But then there was Pan and Neverland and bam, there he was, alive and well, and yeah it was good that he didn't die, but…" She shook her head. "…I found myself realizing that it would have been easier to just move on than to once again let him into my life only to run the risk of him dissapearing or dying, and I was right. In the end he died." She raised her eyes to Regina. "Lizzie is my child. I will never, ever give up on her, if she still lives. I'm just afraid to take my family out on another adventure and put all your lives in danger only to confirm she is dead. Not to mention facing that pain again and shattering what you called a sliver of hope."

The front door opened and Killian came in, followed by Henry and David, and made a beeline to Emma. "Any news from our maid in the sea?"

The savior sighed and wrapped her fingers around the shell that hung around her neck. "No, not yet. If she does find her, it might take a while."

Killian sighed and and nodded, rubbed a hand on her shoulder and then ran it down his own face. "Every minute that goes by is a minute she is either closer to Blackbeard or that bloody witch." He pulled out his chair and sat next to his wife. "Henry, m'boy, a favor… could you go into the garage and fetch me my old log books? They're on top of the shelf, behind the trunk where I keep the stuff from the Jolly Roger."

As Henry nodded and left the room, David frowned. "Why do you need that for?"

Killian sighed. "Blackbeard was one of the greatest adversaries I ever faced. He'd frequently try to sabotage my trade routes. Never quite accomplished it." He smirked arrogantly. "Wasn't nearly as good as I, and I was able to outrun the Queen Anne's revenge with ease, every time. He coveted my ship." He looked at Emma and at Regina as he continued. "I may not have been a very kind man in those days, but I was a hell of a pirate and, most of all, a disciplined Captain and sailor. Keeping the log book up to date was a duty I took with the utmoust seriousness. There could have been a wailing storm about to sink us and I'd be registering every single decision made there, every event, every unexpected turn." He tapped his finger on the table top. "I was thinking this very morning… right around the time I managed to leave Neverland, was the time where I had some of my worst run-ins with Blackbeard; it was all registed in my log book. And one thing I know about pirates is, we are creatures of habit."

"Yup, that you are…" Emma sighed with a mocking and loving grin.

After frowning at his wife, Killian continued. "Blackbeard is probably still trading and navigating along my routes. I may find something in my logs that we might find useful. The sea changes with the seasons and a lot of pirates spend the autum in the cove to avoid capsizing from the autum winds. I may have registered where each pirate and each vessel is anchored during this time."

Emma nodded and grinned, placing her hand on his arm. "That's my pirate."

Regina nodded. "Very well. You figure that out Captain, I can make a tracking potion or something, if we go to retrieve your daughter. It'll make it easier to trace…"

"No it won't." Killian interrupted. "Magic is extremely umpredictable in the Cove. The chances of magic working properly there are close to none. We will have to do this the old fashioned way."

David nodded. "Snow. She's the best tracker among us."

"But…" Emma shook her head. "What will happen to Neal?"

"He can stay with Granny till we return." David smiled. "We have done it before, when we… well the underworld and all that."

Killian grimaced, Emma frowned and Regina rubbed her eyebrow. "Well, one way or another, you do need someone who's an expert in magic. Better to have some than none."

"Agreed." Emma concurred. "For good measure, Regina, maybe you can ask Zelena if she will be a part of this. Three witches against one is better than two."

"If your daughter is alive, Emma, that's four." Regina grinned. "I'll go talk to my sister, she might require to make arrangements for Robin." She stood up and poofed away in a cloud of velvety red smoke.

Henry came in. "There you go." He placed the books with a dusty thud before Killian. Emma sneezed as Killian rumaged through the old leather-bound log books until her smiled at the sight of one. "Ah-ha. This should be the one." He opened it and more dust flew everywhere, making Emma stand up coughing.

"Killian, seriously, I'm getting you a cordless Hoover." She gagged.

"You ok, mom?" Henry frowned.

"Yeah kid. All that dust. God…" She coughed, one hand over her nose. "I'll be coughing now for weeks."

"Allergic to dust mites. Or so the medic has told her." Killian rolled his eyes as he passed one page after another. "Sorry my love."

"Maybe I can help as well. I am the author. The book might give us some clues, like that time when we beat the black fairy." Henry grinned. "Is it still in my closet upstairs mom?"

Emma sneezed and cleaned her nose with the back of her hand. "Yeah. Just a bit higher up, under the boxes with your school yearbooks."

Henry went upstairs while Emma, David and Killian continued to scower into Hook's old log books, with Emma sneezing every ten seconds. Suddenly, Killian stopped. "Here. This is handy. Look here…" The three of them closed in as Killian read alound. " September 19, 1902; Choppy seas / Two mermaid attacks upon entry, slayed both fish / Queen Anne harboured south of the Cove, supplies short after most recent attempt to plunder the Jolly Roger; attempt failed, Jolly Roger fully stocked. Teach and crew to remain in the Cove for a fortnight / Jolly Roger to anchor 3.5 miles north of Queen Anne. / Must remain unnoticed. " He ran his finger down the page. "And here… Smee and Quinn taken hostage by crew of Queen Anne / Teach demands full supply of apples for the scurvy and rum / Supplies denied, Smee rescued, Quinn dead, must bury at sea / Must anchor further north / Storm coming in from the south / Queen Anne holding severe damage to main mast, three crewmen reported dead / Jolly Roger scathed but mostly unharmed, will remain in Shoreman's Cove till repairwork's conlcuded.. "

"Quite the handwriting you have Hook…" David smiled.

"And here…" Killian pointed at another spot. "Queen Anne also to remain beached soutrh of the Cove for another fortnight till supplies completed and repairwork done. " He looked to Emma. " Sumising that Teach is there for supplies or to find Lizzie, it is very safe to assume he will not remain more than two weeks, love, AND, he always anchors south of the island. The seas become riddled with mermaids after that and unless he wants to spend the winter trades stuck in the Cove he will not wait much longer before setting sail."

"It might make it easier for us to find Lizzie if he manages to capture her. Once they leave the Cove, I can locate her!" Emma looked up into Killian's eyes.

"Aye, but do you really want a lovely looking little girl in the hands of over thirty unsanitized pirates, love? Trust me, Blackbeard's crew is vile, unlike me, that Captain does not have the slightest trace of good form or a code to follow."

David sighed and stood straight. "So, what do we do, Emma? Should we just go? Find a portal and get to this… Shoreman's Cove?"

The savior looked up to her father and shrugged. "I wouldn't know where to start."

Killian turned and reached for his wife's hand with a soothing smile. "Neither did we, when we travelled to the Enchanted forest to find you after you became the Dark One. Nonetheless, we found you promptly, did we not?"

Emma was about to reply when a muffled sound emerged from the shell around her neck. "Hook? Emma? It's Ariel!"

Emma gulped hard and took her hand to the shell. This was it. "Ariel, we hear you. Tell us…." She swallowed again, and tears shone in her eyes. "Is… did you find her? Did you find my baby?"

The three seconds it took for Ariel to respond could have easily been a whole year.

"I found her. And yes. She is alive."

The collective sigh of relief could only be surpassed by Killian's relieved laughter and Emma's happy sobbing. "I… is she ok? Where is she?"

"How's my child, Ariel? You saw her, with your own two eyes?" Killian chipped in, smiling from ear to ear.

Ariel replied promptly. "She's in good hands. You have a loyal brother, Captain. He has his own vessel now and happened to be at the Cove. He's concealing her and keeping her safe." She chuckled. "I almost became shark bait because of his men, but hey…"

Killian closed his eyes, a relieved tear falling from his eye. "Liam… bless your soul, brother."

"She asked me to send you her love. However, I think you guys should know… there is a terrible, terrible presence in the Cove. A lot of rage and betrayal, unlike anything I've ever felt before." Emma and Hook exchanged glances while Ariel continued. "An ancient witch has been stirred to life here. It is terribly dangerous for your daughter. She has a deal with that awful man, Blackbeard. He's being used as a pawn, too. Nothing good can come out of the deal between those two. Captain, those charms you gave her, were they a key to enter and leave the Cove?"

"Aye… if she has them she should be able to just leave with Liam. Why have they not used them?"

"It seems that only the rightful owner can use them; they were yours for many years, so they only serve you. Besides, even if they did work, the witch would detect the magic and would know where to look. And she could easily send Blackbeard to retrieve her." Ariel paused. "You guys need to come here and help her."

"We need to figure out how." David sighed.

"Ariel? Is there a chance you could… you know… keep giving us updates till we do?" Killian insisted. "I know it's a lot to ask for, love, but…"

Ariel sighed. "I'll do my best. It's dangerous here. But I'll try."

"My sister is alive." Henry laughed and ran his hands through his hair.

"I gotta go, guys… can't stay here too long, or I might be detected."

"Yeah, yeah go, Ariel… and thanks!" Emma laughed. "Really, we owe you big time for this."

As soon as the link was broken, Emma stood up and threw her arms around Killian's neck, who responded with equal enthusiasm. "She's alive! Killian, she's alive!"

"Aye love, she is! Bloody hell!" He smiled back, eyes clenched, holding herr just as tight as she was.

David joined in the hug and chimed in. "Your mother will be thrilled, Emma. I gotta go tell her. Get Regina, Zelena and Gold, we will have to convene what to do to go find my granddaughter."

Emma turned to her father and hugged him hard. "Thanks dad. For everything, for being here, for…"

"That's what parents are for, Emma." He grinned, his hand on her head. He turned to Henry. "Kid, you wanna come with me and prep? We have a battle ahead."

Henry stood up decisevly. "Hell, yeah!" He turned to Emma and Hook and hugged them in turns. "You guys, I's so cool to be a part of this family… Let's go get the Lizzard!"

He followed David out the door and Emma and Hook were finally left alone. After embracing silently for a few seconds, Emma turned her limpid green eyes to his. "She is alive, Killian…"

He nodded back with a grin. "Aye. I never thought I'd ever feel such joy again. But there it is." He sighed and pulled away to his log books. "Now all we have to do is figure out where to get a magic bean." He looked up to Emma. "Who do you suppose is that witch? I knew about the curse of the Cove and how it worked, but I never saw the witch. The charms were given to be by some wiley pirate after a fortuitous roll of the dice many years back, I never bought them off the hag like most Cove dwellers had…"

Emma shrugged. "I suppose Gold would know."

"Aye, that's what I'm afraid of. He may have been telling the truth and I will forever owe him for letting us know about this, but you know the Dark One, love; there has to be something in it for him." He turned to Emma. "We need only to retrieve our daughter, Swan. Who's to know what wiles that man has and what his true agenda may be."

Emma looked down. "I hope it's as easy as that." She looked back to her husband. "But if things do get out of hand, I am still the savior."

"No, Emma…"

"Killian… If all it takes for us to get Lizzie back home is to simply go there and retrieve her and leave the witch locked under her own spell, I'll do it, gladly. But you know that that's usually not how this goes down; neitther she nor Blackbeard will give her up without a fight. So if there is any threat that she might follow us and hurt the people I love, or any person in this town… we have to take her down." Emma reached for his hand, with a sympathetic look on her face. "It's been eight years. I've had a far longer reprieve than what I dared to imagine. But if this is who I am, I can't let the people down. I can't let it happen."

Killian fidgeted and nodded. "Aye." He finally huffed. "I suppose it's been so many years, I'd forgotten… it is who you are. And it is also who our daughter is, whether she asked for it or not, poor lass." He grinned again at her. "And you will not be alone, my love. Remember… I shall be by your side, no matter what happens. Just … one more thing… " He winked at her. "You take care of the hellbeast by any means necessary. But Blackbeard is mine."

Emma smiled fully and fell into his embrace. "I knew I'd made the right choice when I married you."

XXXXX

SHOREMAN'S COVE, FOUR HOURS EARLIER.

"Mermaids!"

"Thirty degrees starboard!"

"Get the harpoon! Deploy the fishing nets!"

"All hands on deeeeck!"

Lizzie rose suddenly to the frantic shouting of Liam's men, as the stomping sound of their rushed stampeding sprinkled dust onto her nose. She sneezed, sat up and ran out of the captain's quarters. Liam rushed down "Stay belw, niece! There is a mermaid on the prowl. Where there is one there are bound to be plenty more!"

Lizzie lit up. "Wait! Uncle Liam! What if she's the one, Ariel?!" she smiled and tried to push past Liam, who held her by the shoulders.

"Aye, and what if she's not?" He barked back. "Right now I've but one task, and that is to preserve the life of my only brother's daughter, so I'd appreciate it if you just let me do that!"

"And if you do that you might me hurting or killing the ONE person that can help me get in touch with my mom and dad!" She shouted back at her uncle. "Let me go up there!"

"You're mad! We don't know if this fish is the one, and until you do, you don't know what those creatures can do! So until I'm sure that that IS her, I don't want you on that deck. That is an ORDER!"

"You have to let me see her!"

"NO!" Liam pushed her back into the cabin. "I'm sorry to do this, Elizabeth, but it's for your own good!" He shoved her into the room and ran out, locking the door behind him.

"UNCLE LIAM!" She shouted.

Lizzie huffed and kicked the chair, knocking it down as the continuous stomping of sailors continued to plough through her ears, dist trickling from the ceiling. Lizzie sat on the bed and took a few deep breaths. She closed her eyes and remembered her mother's early magic lessons when she was trying to control her own magical skill.

"Remember who is in control, sweetie. Deep breaths… now think, think of who it is you want to protect and why you want to do it. You have to feel it in order to control it. That's it… you're doing it!"

The little girl began to hum her song; it had become obvious by then than magic without her own song was far too unpredictable. As she sang, she envisioned the padlock outside the trap door to Liam's quarters. She could almost feel the cold metal on the palm of her hand. As she hummed harder and harder, she raised her hand and flicked it to the side. And it was the actual sound of the metal padlock clicking that brought her out of her trance. She grinned and swiftly dressed in her boyish garb, and after magicking her face to look like that dishevelled young pirate she was imersonating, she stomped out to the melee on the deck.

The men were gathered around the center of the ship, shouting and congratulating each other for their "catch"; on the wodden floor lay a beautiful woman with a shiny, bluish tail, begging for her life.

Lizzie ran to the men. "Stop it! Leave her alone!" She shouted.

All the men gasped. "How on earth…?" Liam frowned. "I locked you in!"

"And bad form for doing so!" She snapped back at her uncle. "You forget, my mother is pretty nimble with magic, she was bound to teach me a trick or two. Now get out of my way!" She pushed past her uncle and turned to the girl in the net, who eyed her head to toes. "I'm sorry for how these men have treated you." She kneeled down and pulled on the net. "I suppose you'll just want to go home…"

"I certainly did not expect to be fished out like sea bass!" The mermaid begged. "I… I figured I'd come here only because I was told this is the vessel of the younger Jones brother."

Liam straightened up. "Who told you this, fish?"

"Fish?!" The mermaid gasped, indignant. "All mermaids know all the vessels that cruise the oceans in every realm, "pirate"." She huffed. "And my name is NOT fish, it is Ariel."

Lizzie turned smiling to Liam. "You see? I told you!" she whispered excitedly, before turning back to the mermaid. "The 'younger' Jones?" Lizzie frowned. "Do… you know the 'older' Jones?"

"I've known the captain and his wife for many years. Now, can I speak to the captain of this ship?"

The young Jones sighed. "I'm the man you seek. Captain Liam Jones. And yes, the man you speak of is indeed my brother, Killian Jones, or Captain Hook. Now, I must ask you: Have you seen them? Hook and the savior?" Liam asked.

Ariel narrowed her eyes and stared at the young girl, dressed as a cabin boy, before her. Those eyes seemed very familiar. She then turned back to Liam. "No, I haven't, but from the looks of it, you might know exactly what they asked me to look for. " She sat up, her tail glistening in greens and blues under the sun. "They lost thier daughter a few weeks back. You niece? Her name is Elizabeth. They seem to believe that for some reason she may have ended up here, at Shoreman's Cove."

Liam signaled to his crew to get back to their chores, and as they scattered, he sat next to Ariel. "Just how does a mermaid become friends with a princess and a pirate?"

"Oh, we go way back." Ariel sighed. "I was friends with princess Snow White, way before the first dark curse. She helped me find my prince." She grinned. "We are still together., and that could not have happened if it hadn't been for Snow and David . I've also encountered Captain Hook more than a few times, we have a history. He turned out a much better man than I ever expected him to be." She reached for her neck and showed them the little shell pendant. "We sometimes use this to communicate. They have a spell. I gave Killian a couple of these, you just talk into them and someone on the other end is bound to be listening." She looked up at them. "Last night, they called for me and asked me to come to the Cove, to see if I could find anything out about thier missing daughter. I was told by other mermaids that your ship was in port, Captain. I figured I'd give it a try, what with you being the younger Jones and all. Do you know anything about Hook's daughter, your niece?"

Liam sneered at her. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't. But you will have to." Ariel shrugged.

Lizzie Pointed to the shell. "Maybe.."

"Why don't you use the shell now? Call my brother!"

The young mermaid sighed. "Everyone knows that magic isn't all it can be in this place. I also know there is a curse on this island and the last thing I need is to use any form of magic that could be traceable. This shell is as magical as they come. Please… " She looked pleadingly at Liam and the cabin boy. "They sounded tremendously worried. I know them well, they must be heartbroken."

Lizzie looked into her eyes and stood straight. "She's telling the truth."

Liam shook his head. "And you know this, how?"

"My mother taught me a useful trick. She can always tell when someone is lying, and I can too. She's the one, the mermaid we saw in the mirror." She smirked at Ariel. "Seems the mermaid found us before we could find her."

Ariel looked at the young cabin boy, and her smile was enough to put Liam's fears at ease. "It's you… you're Elizabeth!" She frowned when she saw the scar on her cheek. "What happened to your face?"

Lizzie grinned. "It's a disguise. A glamour spell. I go by Billy here. I'm only a cabin boy while we figure out how I can go home. We can't sail out, even with the charms my dad gacve me, because HE has to be the one using them. Not much good that way. And Blackbeard is looking for me."

Ariel huffed and took Lizzie's hand. "Oh that awful man…" She looked back at Lizzie. "It is dangerous for you to be here, Elizabeth. The woman who cast this spell is an ancient, evil witch. She must desperately want to keep you here, the barriers were intense as I was coming in." She turned to Liam. "Make sure she's safe, captain. I'll have to leave the Cove in order to contact Emma. I will see if I can come back later today."

Liam nodded and grinned. "I offer my sincerest apologies, Ariel, for the treatment my men and I have given you. I had to be sure."

"I'd slap you if I didn0t know you were doing it to protect your niece." Ariel smiled back. "Wouldn't be the first Jones I slap." She shrugged. "Now, I have to deliver the message, but in the future, maybe you can ask your men to be a little less… rough?"

Lizzie leaned in. "My mom told me you could turn into a human while off shore. Why didn't you? It might be a lot easier that way."

"Aye, that would certainly raise far less suspicions." Liam agreed.

Ariel shook her head. "I'll have to mremain in mer-form, Elizabeth. For the same reason I can't use the shell in here. If the witch is being mindful, she will sense what magic is being carried out."

"I've used a bit of magic, and so far, she hasn't caught me!" Lizzie shrugged.

"Listen to me…" Ariel took her by the shoulders. "It is important that you do NOT use it any more, you hear? If you have used magic and not been caught, you've only been lucky. Magic is not stable here, anything can happen. I'd use it only in case of an extreme emergency. But don't worry." She grinned. "I know your parents. They will find a way to get you home."

Lizzie sighed and nodded, looking down. Ariel turned to Liam. "Can you… maybe throw me off the plank?"

Liam nodded. "Certainly."

Artiel turned to Lizzie. "Don't worry. I'll let them know where you are, and that you are ok." She chuckled excitedly. "I suppose that learning that their daughter is not dead is gonna be pretty exciting news!"

Lizzie reached out for her hand. "Could you please tell them that I love them and miss them very much?"

After Ariel nodded, she reached out to Liam; He picked her up and led her to the edge of the bow, and was momentarily caught in her beautiful, green eyes. She suddenly seemed like the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes on. He grinned like a fool.

"Ok… you can let go now… captain." Ariel asked awkwardly.

"Oh… aye, of course." He blushed slightly, remembering how she had clearly said she and her prince were still together. He grinned and nodded. "I thank you, Ariel, for your help. Be sure to apeace my brother and his wife. Tell them their daughter is well, and that she will be, so as long as she is under my watch."

Ariel grinned back and closed her eyes as Liam slowly released her into the water. She fell in and somehow managed to turn as she fell, peeking from the waves and waving goodbye as her colorful tail swished away under the crystal clear water of the dock.

"Ahem…" Liam's musings were interrupted and he turned to find a cheeky smirk on a cabin boy's face. "Someone likes the fish!"

He strtaighente his posture and frowned. "Go back to the cabin, child. And stay there till further notice." He grinned a little. "And tell no one about this."

XXXXXX

STORYBROOKE; FOLLOWING MORNING

The Dark One's shop was the meeting venue; Gold figured it would be safer there than any other place. Hook and Emma arrived early, as early as they knew Gold to rise fromerhead his sleepless slumber to his place of work.

"Crocodile?" Killian frowned as he pushed the door open, the sound of the bell ringing as he and Emma entered the shop. "We are here, as discussed."

From the back emerged the figure of Mr. Gold. While he had calmed down enough to share an amicable truce since the "final battle", everyone knew he was still a man to be reckoned with. And while Emma and Killian were far from indimidated, they had, over the years, learned to respect the power he wielded.

"Ah, the Joneses. So… I heard the little one still lives. Bravo." He walked behind the counter. "But I think you should know; this foe you're facing, is unlike any you've met before."

"Yeah you say that all the time, about evrything. In the end we always win." Emma replied bluntly.

"Ah. Arrogance and confidence. Traits I tend to admire, and you're no exception. Nevertheless, miss Swan…" He raised a hand with a grin. "There is no harm in learning exactly who and what you will be dealing with." He reached down beneath the counter and produced a tiny box. As he opened it, Emma and Killian sneered in disgust. There, inside the lead box and lined by a velvet lining, was a large eyeball, with its ocular nerve still attached.

"Bloddy hell…" Killian gulped.

"What the hell is this?" Emma sneered.

Gold smirked. "That, dear Emma, is the seeing eye once shared by three sisters. Not so distant relatives to our now long-gone friend, Hades. These hags were blind since birth, but shared an eye to do their evil works."

"The Graeae?" Emma sneered. "The three mountain witches that perseus defeated?"

"Indeed. But as you may have come to learn miss Swan, reality is not necessarily the same as you have seen in your book. You see, Pemphreda betrayed her other sisters. They decided to climb down the mountain and use their skills to do good, to help, or simply to prohetize without, let's say, eating thier customers. Deina, she was the first seer. I killed her in the Enchanted forest to steal her gift of foresight."

"Charming." Killian grinned.

"The second witch, Eyna, she lives also at the cove, still suing her gift. But Pamphreda, she kept the eye to herself, condemnig men to a nasty death by ingestion in exchange for her services. One day, she crossed my path. She knew well enough not to taunt the Dark One, but she wanted to reclaim the seeing power I had taken from her sister. Naturally, I refused, and she tried to lock me with her old friend, Medussa. Alas, when she crossed me, I crossed her. You know what they say: An eye for an eye."

"So… you took this eye from the old hag, and encased her under a spell in some island, and now there is an angry, blind witch seeking revenge agains you." Killian nodded and grinned. "Aye, sounds like one of your doings."

Gold shrugged cinically. "I have her tooth as well." When he was met with an angered silence, he chuckled. "Look, this happened a long time ago. I cannot remember the year even, only that it happened. How was I to know that the only source of purest blood would come from the fruit of your loins, captain? This ocurred even before I met you!"

"So how do we defeat the witch?" Emma cut to the chase.

"Well, you need to find her first." Gold looked at the eye in the box. "This eye will show you anything you wish to see. We will need it to find your daughter, and then the witch. Alas, there is a downside."

"When is there not." She rolled her eyes. "What's the price?"

"The eye was not meant to be used for mere mortals. So every time the eye is asked to show whatever is needed to be seen, it's magic will take from from the seer one whole year of his life." He smiled. "That is why, Emma, you will need me."

"How?" Killian groaned.

"Let me be the one using the eye. I will lead us all to find the witch, and, of course, your daughter, hopefully before she is found and bled."

"No. NO!" Killian snapped. "You will lie as you always do and lead us to a wild goose chase, just to get what you want!"

Gold laughed softly and closed the box. "And just what might that be, then? My dear Captain, I've no need to go seeking for trouble, especially not after all these years of joy and peace I've had with my wife and boy. But it seems that trouble found its way back to Storybrooke, and alas, you need me. And I am the only one in this town who is immortal and can use the eye safely." He leaned into his display cabinet. "Pamphreda is wily; she can make you doubt yourself and break your spirit far easier than anyone I've ever met. You need my experience with her."

"Cut the crap Gold, just tell us what there is in it for you." Emma quipped.

Tha man nodded thoughtfully. "Much the same there is in it for you, Emma. Peace of mind and the protection of my family. This witch cannot leave her confinement, but she was strong enough to punch a hole into our world to take your little girl. I am fairly sure that that is not a chance you'll want to take again. And believe me…" He sneered. "Even without her eye, she has managed to forsee that the white child had been born and was the right age. So, what do you think will happen to me and my family, should she find her way out? Little Lizzie Jones, I fear, would likely not be her sole victim: My son Gideon, Belle… and countless others. Pamphreda would find her way to Storybrooke, and, as you may have noticed, she is practically a godess. She is not to be trifled with. Therein…. Lies my interest in this."

Hook scratched the back of his ear and looked to Emma, who was just as edgy. The blonde saviour closed her eyes. "Ok, Gold. But the first thing we do is get our daughter. Then we deal with witches and pirates. Lizzie first. Is that clear?"

Gold smirked. "Crystal clear, savior."