authors note

this is a preview of a chapter currently undergoing rigorous rewrites. I just wanted to post it now to gauge the general interest.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and I hope to post the finished chapter shortly

thanks for reading

In Storybrooke something strange was going on. Night had fallen long ago, the sky already studded with stars, and yet the lights in one particular building shone out like beacons into the night. It was possible to see two shadows dancing past one another, slowly then rapidly. Then one raising its fist, leering dangerously over the other.

Killian sat up in bed, sweat beading on his forehead. Beside him Emma was squirming. "love" Killian whispered, nudging his wife. "Love."

Emma gave a sleepy groan and turned to face him. Her eyes still heavy with sleep. "Huh?" she grunted.

"Something odds going on down the street. I'm going to go and check it out"

"okay" she said sleepily. "get me some coffee. I think we're out"

Killian heaved a heavy sigh then got up from the bed, slipping into his boots and quickly throwing his jacket around his shoulders.

By the time he had arrived at the scene the lights were all out again, shrouding Mr Gold's in darkness. He pushed the door open and felt his breath catch all over again. Something had gone terribly wrong. Inside was a crime scene.

"Bloody Hell" gasped the pirate. His mind was all of a sudden filled with conflicted feelings, seeing the crocodile sprawled face down on his own floor in a pool of drying blood. It was something he'd fantasied about seeing for years, the only thoughts which accompanied him for so long on lonely nights as he nursed his flask of rum were of his hook buried in the crusty bastard's chest. Back in the enchanted forest he often only slept with the wenches he did to ground his hot, lustful rage in something. Then again, this picture was all wrong. He'd imagined a glorious battle, a biblical meeting, where he would slay the beast with honor. This was not a slaying, this seemed to have been a massacre. The signs of struggle obvious, various objects Gold had meticulously collected from many realms, clocks, jewellery and other miscellany strewn across the floor. There was even a little pile of porcelain beside the body, the smallest chips like snow against the wood.

After gawping at the scene for a few breathless moments he stepped into the interior of the shop, holding his hands out in front of him as if to defend himself. A few footsteps in he jumped as his foot met a particularly creaky board, his heart beginning to hammer in his chest but there was no resultant sound, nobody asking who was there as he had expected. Instead the noise echoed off into the bowels of the building, but then... what was that? A sniff? Killian clutched the flashlight at his hip, and walked a little further.

"Hello?" he said flicking the flashlight into his hand, his heart buoyed a little by the beam of light he had now "Belle? Do you need help love?"