The black SUV sped through the night at almost double the legal speed. The windows were down and loud, angry music drifted out.

Emma Swan reclined to one side of the seat, one pale arm dangling lazily out of the window. Her white hair swirled loosely around her face and her eyes remained set on the road. Her speed crept closer and closer to a hundred as she approached Main Street.

A few locals dotted the streets and her eyes narrowed as she saw her "family" stepping out of Granny's. Mary Margaret raised her hand in a silent greeting, fear evident in her eyes. Henry looked at the ground, David's hand resting on his shoulder. Emma's eyes narrowed and she gunned the engine, the vehicle roaring as she sped past them.

Their heads all followed the car as it turned left, tires screeching. Then she was gone as quickly as she had appeared.

"Right on time," an English accent muttered from the corner.

The group turned to see Killian sitting at the smallest table on the patio. It was completely hidden in the darkness at first glance, making it unpopular at night.

"Killian?" Mary Margaret asked, squinting into the darkness.

"Aye." He stood and approached them. Once the streetlights lit up his face, it was apparent that he wasn't handling Emma's disappearance well. His five o' clock shadow had become scraggly, as opposed to the scruff he normally had. His hair was wild and had grown much too long.

"What do you mean by right on time?" David asked.

"Haven't you noticed it?" Killian took a swig from his flask before continuing. "It's been a month since Swan took the Dark One's powers and she's been gone. No one knows where she stays. She only comes through in that bloody death machine once a night. At the same time every single night." He took another swig and sighed angrily.

"So, you sit out here every night and watch for her?" David asked, frowning.

"Aye, it's the only way I have of making sure she's alright. If she doesn't want to see me, fine. But, I have to see her or I'll go mad with worry."

Mary Margaret felt disgusted with herself. How had Killian noticed all of this and she hadn't. She knew that she could beg off with Neal as an excuse. But the honest truth? She was terrified of confronting her. Emma had already had such potential for darkness, even before she absorbed Rumpelstiltskin's power. She couldn't even imagine what her daughter must be like now. If her driving right past her son with barely a glance was any indication, it couldn't be good.

Henry looked up at Killian, rage filling his young face. "Why did she drive off?"

The pirate's voice was pained. "I don't know, lad. I wish I did."

David continued to frown at the dark haired man. Emma had disappeared, but then, so had he. This was the first they'd seen of him since that night. He had even gone to the Jolly Roger and almost broken down the door to the cabin, but Killian hadn't answered. They were all hurting, and in his opinion, Killian hiding and licking his wounds in private wasn't helping anyone. He wasn't fond of the pirate, but he and Emma had been close. They could use his help.

"She left us." Henry's shaking voice jolted him back to reality. David looked over at Hook, fully expecting the strong, determined pirate to help reassure Henry that it wasn't how it seemed.

"Yeah." Killian's voice matched Henry's, hoarse with emotion. The boy moved suddenly and wrapped his arms around the man's waist, burying his face in his coat. The pirate hesitated for a brief moment before returning the embrace, his eyes shining.

After a moment of awkward silence from Mary Margaret and David, Killian gently stepped away from Henry. "Buck up, lad. We'll figure it out. We always do. We're survivors, you and I." He offered a half-hearted smile and started toward the street.

"Killian?" Henry called after him.

He turned and cocked an eyebrow.

"Can you please stop staying away?"

He nodded tensely and practically ran from the boy. The tears started running down his cheeks once he was a safe distance away.

His ship came into view and he sped up, desperate to drown himself in his flask and forget about the night he'd just had.

Killian stormed up the ramp and onto the deck. He was suddenly very angry.

Angry at Emma for taking the Dark One's powers.

Angry at her for disappearing.

Angry at himself for not doing it himself.

Angry at David for staring at him like some common criminal.

Angry at Henry for making him break.

Angry at himself for going to Granny's every single night and hiding.

Especially that last one.

He sank down onto the steps leading to the wheel and closed his eyes.

Why did he go every night? Well, he knew why. It was as he'd told Emma's family. He went there every night to make sure Emma was alright. But it was more than that. He went because the pain of her being gone was too much to bear. Even though she never knew he was there, seeing her drive by was the highlight of his day, in some twisted sort of way.

She looked different, from the small glimpses he got of her. Her already pale skin had lost most of it's color. Her blond hair had become almost white, and she wore dramatic makeup that was so unlike the Emma he knew.

He'd had every intention of drowning his sorrows, but decided that sleeping it off would probably be the best route. This decision didn't stop him from taking a long pull from his flask before rising to his feet.

He moved across the deck, performing his routing maintenance before heading down to his cabin. He pushed open the door and entered the dark room.

Killian dropped his coat onto the chair next to the door, followed by his shirt. He reached for the gas lamp on the right side of the doorframe and turned the knob, flooding the cabin with a soft glow.

"Hello, Killian. It's time we had a little chat."

A/N: So, what do you think? Reviews get an update tomorrow!