After Emma is taken by the darkness, Killian finds himself at a new low. Only to be pulled up again in an unexpected place by those he can now call friends.

"Pardon?"

"D'ya mean, mate?"

"Apologies… thought I heard you say something. It's too loud to think in here, let alone hear."

"Why d'ya think I came to this gods forsaken place? I don't want to bloody think."

"Aye. Me neither…"

They sat at the bar with their drinks. Granny's was too full of normal people. They both had needed the forgotten underbelly of Storybrooke tonight where people wouldn't look on in pity over broken hearted fools such as them. Here, they would be blissfully ignored by the other patrons. Just two unknown sorry sods drinking away their problems and numbing their pain like so many of the others who passed through this dump. Killian took another hard swig of rum from his glass before setting it back to rest on the counter in front of him. The heavy rock and roll music pulsed through the air, loudly dismissing any thoughtful discussion and the clacking of billiards in the background was as quiet as it got there at The Rabbit Hole.

"I never asked… What are you doing down here anyway?" Killian halfway yelled to the man perched thoughtfully on the stool next to him.

"Same as you, mate," Will Scarlet replied, eyes bloodshot and tired as his own, "girl problems."

"With all respect, I don't believe our problems are exactly the same…"

"Aren't they though?" He practically scoffed, not even looking at Killian but instead turning his sad gaze back to his glass, "I had love. A True Love or whatever the bloody hell you wanna call it. Now she's gone and I dunno if I'll ever see 'er again. Thought I'd found a way to move on… To put her out of my head. A reason to smile again. But I was wrong. Now I dunno what I'm doing anymore or where I'm going. Yours got sucked away by the same darkness that took away even the hope of a new start for me. Now we're here. Alone. Trying to dull the ache. And bloody miserable."

Killian nodded his head slowly in solidarity.

"Well… When you phrase it like that, I suppose we are quite the same. At least for tonight."

"There you are," a familiar voice came from behind them. Both men turned their heads to the approaching person. Or rather, it seemed in this case, people. Looking quite out of place among the miscreant regulars that populated the sketchy bar, David and Robin strode in. The look on David's face was too much; the emotions he wasn't even trying to hide screaming out from his clear blue eyes. Killian felt his eyes shift back to his rum unable to look Emma's father dead on.

"We've been looking for you. You weren't at Granny's or the docks…"

"Actually, I was at the docks. For a bit…"

Emma had only just disappeared. Gone from him and her family; sucked away into the swirling hurricane of darkness. In only a moment's time his love was stolen away. His lighthouse destroyed by the storm. The only reminder she left behind was that cursed blade on which her name was now etched. Once he realized this wasn't a nightmare and was able to move again, he had bent slowly and retrieved it. No one objected. In fact, they only watched on in silence as he shifted it carefully in his hand, watching the gleam of streetlight wash over her name. Killian could feel their eyes burning into him. Waiting for him to crack; wondering when, not if, it would come. His stomach churned violently and he clenched his jaw. He had been right after all. He lost his happy ending. And he lost her in the most cruelly ironic way he could have imagined. Before he knew it his legs were taking quick strides away from the others, hauling him where he needed to go. Practically running to his destination more on instinct than anything else. As he reached the docks, the cold sea air slowed his pace. The Jolly Roger stood ready for him, as always. His precious ship. His whole life was so entwined in her deck, mast, sails… everything. And it wouldn't stop now. She would take him where he needed to go once he figured out a way to get there. Going below deck to his quarters, he laid the dagger only for a moment atop his desk while he removed his hook from its place on his wrist and unlocked the hidden chest where he had kept Ursula's voice for centuries. One more look at the crooked blade was all he could manage before locking it away. It would be safe there until they could find this legendary sorcerer and destroy the damned darkness once and for all. No one would control her on his watch. He would protect her at all costs. Even if she truly was… the Dark One.

After his task was complete he felt himself begin to unravel. And he allowed it to happen. Bottling up and suppressing his emotions had never been his specialty. For better or worse, Killian Jones wore his heart on his sleeve. He wandered the moonlit streets of town, aimlessly, draining his flask as he went. Once it had been emptied, and still needing to quiet the pain in his heart, he stumbled on this filthy tavern. Inside he also found the young Will, already headfirst into his quest to drown out his own demons.

He took up residence in the seat next to him, though the bar was mostly open and there were plenty of other places to sit. All of their run-ins up to that point hadn't gone off well, and something about Will reminded Killian of himself. So he figured what the hell. Misery did love company, or so it was said.

"Oy wadda you want, priate? Come to knock me block off again? Go ahead, then…" He finally resigned.

"Hey. None of that. No fighting tonight. Truce?" Killian offered his hand.

Will eyed it cautiously before taking his grip.

"Alright then. Truce it is. So why are you in this slum?"

And before he knew it, Killian was telling the whole damned story of what had gone down that evening. Will sat in awed silence, listening.

"And now, the thing I hunted for lifetimes is tethered to the woman I love."

"That's rough, mate. 'Ere, next one is on me."

"Cheers, Will."

And that's where they had sat for the last… Killian had actually lost track of time thanks to the steady flow of rum and heavy beat of drums and guitar solos. He had no idea how long it had been since Emma disappeared into the cold night.

"The dagger…" David leaned close, whispering in Killian's ear. Snapping him back from where he had drifted to.

"Is safe." Killian's blue eyes burned into David's. The prince nodded in appreciation.

Robin took the empty seat next to Will and David plopped down to Killian's left.

"Are you alright, Will?" Robin asked, quietly. The music from the jukebox had shifted to a new song and the nearly empty bar wasn't as loud anymore as the night grew long.

His friend merely lifted the corner of his mouth in a half attempt at a crooked smile.

"No. No, mate, I don't think so…" He took another sip of his scotch as Robin caught the bartender's attention and ordered himself a double. They had a big job in front of them without a clue as to where to start. The outlaw who was normally quick on his feet felt staggered. There was already so much on his plate, now the Savior was the Dark One? How much more could the people in this town be subjected to?

David wasn't planning on drinking, but seeing Killian like this… he couldn't help but join in. Show him that he wasn't alone. He placed an order as well, though it was only for a beer.

"I know she's alive out there. I know you can feel it too. And our family… we always find each other, Jones. You're a part of that now."

'You can join us and be a part of something.'

It was the first time he had been acknowledged as part of anyone's family since Liam had died in his arms aboard the Jolly Roger. Killian lost his bearings and was suddenly emotionally compromised in a way he wasn't expecting that night. He fought to hold back his tears as he took another long sip from his glass. The familiar burn of the liquor on his throat reminding him he was alive. And so was Emma.

David received his drink, took a determined chug and continued his speech, "Emma loves you. Henry looks up to you and respects you. Now he's going to be counting on you more than ever. Because he knows how much you love his mother and knows what lengths you would go for her. You've spent enough time with him on your ship to know how he throws himself into these things. These 'operations' of his… You're a big part of this one. I would tell you not to let him down… but I know you won't." David couldn't help but smile at the half drunk, broken pirate who he had grown quite fond of.

"You're right about that. I would lay down my life - again - before I let him or Emma down."

As he made the crack, he shot the prince a sarcastic glance from the corner of his eye, raising his eyebrow.

"Really? Already?" David had to ask, unamused.

"Told you, mate. Going to have that one over you for a very long time."

"Sounds to me like you blokes are getting ready for an adventure," Will swirled his glass, "I'd like to offer any help a scrappy rouge like myself can offer. It would be a welcomed distraction, after all."

"Yes yes that's all fine and good, and you know that Regina and I will lend any assistance as well," Robin smiled weakly, "but we have no idea where to even begin."

"I think I might know where to start," Will flashed his teeth in an easy grin, "And lucky for you fine gents I'm already quite drunk. Whatdya say we break into a library?"