Chapter One:

"You let Emma go with who?!" Killian practically screamed.

"Shhh! You'll wake the baby." Mary Margaret scolded him. Trying to keep everyone as quiet as possible so they wouldn't wake the sleeping child, who took almost an hour to put down to begin with.

It had only been two days ago that Killian heard anything about this new villain they were up against. But worst still Emma had gone with Neal to check out one of the hiding places, they had discovered. Killian had known Baelfire when he was a child and he had come to like him. It was only after he had heard about Emma and Neal's past together, was it getting harder and harder to see them even standing next to each other.

"Killian relax. They were just chasing down a lead. You were busy with Henry. I am sure they will be back soon." David placing a hand on his tense shoulder.

"How long have they been gone?" Killian asked in a quiet yet urgent voice.

"Almost two hours… Come to think of it…" David looked at his watch in a very casual manner, a frown playing across his brow.

"They really should be back by now." The sudden feeling of unease hit David in the chest. Causing David to looked up at Killian in that moment, seeing the same worried look lacing his eyes as well. It was then, as if on cue Neal sprang through the Nolan's front door, breathing heavily. All three of them turned to face him, shock on their faces.

"We found his hide out. But he found us and we had to make a break for it." Neal practically crawled to the counter in the kitchen as he spoke. Making his way to the sink to get some water. As he spoke everyone was on edge. Looking for the obvious part that he was leaving out.

"Where's Emma, Baelfire?!" Killian spoke forcefully.

"What do you mean?" Neal stopped drinking from the kitchen faucet to look around the room.

"You said we made a break for it, but Emma isn't with you. Where is she?" Mary Margaret placed both of her hands on either hip, glaring at Neal the whole time.

"She was right behind me…" Neal spoke searching the room for any sign of her.

"Obviously not, Mate. Where is she?!" Killian was losing his temper at this. He had better not have left her all by herself with this villain. This one was different than anything they had ever faced, and there was no way she should be fighting alone against him.

"I don't know. All I know is he was there in front of us, Emma said run and then there was a flash of black light followed by a bright white light. We barely made it outside… I could have sworn she was right behind me." Neal dried his hand really casually as he spoke, tossing the towel to the side. As he did so, Killian was out the door, without so much as a word to anyone.

"If I find her in less than perfect condition, he is going to pay for leaving her behind." Killian voice dripped with venom as he made his way down the stairs. David only steps behind him.

"We'll find her, Killian. Don't worry." David spoke trying to calm an excessively worried Killian. David could tell that Emma meant more to him then she had even meant to Neal, based on how he was acting right now.

"David, something's wrong. I can feel it. She should have been right behind him. She knows not to face someone this powerful on her own. I just have a bad feeling." Killian stopped at David's truck before pulling the door handle open.

"Let's just retrace the route that Neal would have taken to get to the apartment. Maybe she got lost or turned down the wrong road." David responded while climbing into the truck. With that said they made their way around town searching down every road. After about an hour of searching. They finally ended up at the villain's so called lair. Killian was the first one out of the truck, making his way carefully towards the intimidating house before them. David again was behind him, gun drawn.

The two of them stopped at the front gate of the mansion. It was evident that at one point in time this home would have been beautiful, but over time it had become a shell of what once was. All the windows that littered the front facade were shattered. Vines clung to ever surface, regardless of what it was. Which was everything from wood plank siding to stone work along the base of the house. And leading up to the two towering solid oak doors was a giant cobblestone staircase which sat under a rotting porch roof. David couldn't remember a mansion being all the way out here in the forest before today. Then again every year was bringing about new changes that they all could barely keep up with. It must have come over one of the times and they just missed it.

"This is where he was spotted? Not at all subtle is he?" Killian sarcastically spoke, arching an eyebrow at the house before him.

"I guess not." David responded quickly. "Here, take this." Handing Killian, a gun, for some form of protection. Although he had no idea how much good it would do in the long run, based on the information they had gathered so far. Killian happily accepted the weapon, hoping that he wouldn't have to use it.

As the two of them silently made their way up to the mansion. Killian had an overwhelming sense of unease course through his veins. As they entered through the heavy old oak doors David and Killian looked around the room in awe of the pure majesty that was once graced this house.

The grand doors opened up to sprawling great room with pillars situated at the end of what looked like a colossal staircase. Old faded paintings precariously hung on the disheveled walls. Two great rusting chandeliers hung from the ceiling. One hanging over what looked to be a sitting area and the other at the top of the staircase. And just below that sat a white marble statue of an angel, wings outstretch behind him. His face held a fearsome look upon it, as he held a sword in his right and a shield in his left. And perched atop that very shield with a nonchalant grin across his face, was a figure of what looked like a man. Sharp angular features to his face, with a hooked nose beneath yellow piercing eyes. His thin frame cloaked in jet black robes that cascaded their way from his shoulders to the base of the staircase, before them. In one quick motion David and Killian raise their gun to point at the figure.

"Who are you?!" David bellowed at him. His voice echoing across every inch of the vastly empty room.

A low throaty chuckle escaped the figures lips before he casually lifted his right hand in a mocking salute. Only to vanish before their eyes, the chuckle still echoing in their ears and reverberating around the room.

"What just happened? Where did he go?" David questioned, holstering his gun as he looked around the room. Killian's eyes fell upon the vast staircase in front of him. It had been much larger than he had thought. There were two landings to it. One was at the top where the statue still remained but thin male figure had vanished completely. Not leaving a single trace of him behind. And there on the second landing as if by magic Emma was there, laying perfectly still. Killian's eyes went from searching to pure panic as he could see her laying there.

"SWAN!" Killian screamed out as he ran up the stairs to her.

"EMMA!" David hearing Killian and seeing that Emma was laying on that second landing, was only seconds behind a distraught Killian.

As Killian reached the landing did he truly realize the seriousness of her condition. Blood pooled in various places on and around her body. Killian fell to his knees beside her placing a gentle hand on her face.

"Emma… Please… No…" Killian's voice cracked violently as he took in all her injuries that he could see. Tears stung his eyes when she hadn't even moved since they called her name. His chest constricted at the sight of her limp form. He couldn't lose her, not like this. Not to this creature, not to anyone. She belonged with him, and he would do anything right now to switch places with her. As the hot tears made their way down his cheeks he could just barely make out what David was barking into his phone.

"We need an ambulance here, ASAP! We're at…" Killian lost track of his words as Emma slowly and weakly opened her eyes turning her head slightly to look up at the two figures hovering around her.

"Killian?" Emma breathlessly asked. Her vision blurry as she was met with a dark haired figure before her. One that she was sure was Killian's.

"It's alright, I'm here, and so is your father. Lay still, help is coming." Killian gently stroked her face with his right hand. His hook resting on the ground next to her head.

"Where's…" Emma began to ask something, when a wave of pain told her otherwise. It completely consumed her body as she slammed her eyes shut. Killian could see how her body stiffened. Causing every part of his own body to scream in agony.

"Neal is safe, at your parents' house. He's fine." Killian forced out the words. His anger flaring up again at the thought of the man who left her behind. How could he just leave her!

"Emma? Who was that?" David gently questioned her, hoping that she would have gotten some form of answers from the thin framed man.

"Pitch… He said his name was… Pitch Black…" Emma weakly spoke before her eyes clenched tighter together, and her head fell limp against the cold staircase.

"Emma! Come back to me! Don't you do this! Don't you dare do this to me!" Killian's voice broke as he stroked her face. Desperately trying to get some response that she was still alive. A hand rested upon his shoulder, causing his head to violently jerk up to the man who placed it there. It was one of those EMT people everyone had told him about. The same ones that helped him when he was struck by the vehicle not long ago. They could help her, and even though it pained him in ways that no one else knew he got up from his position beside Emma, letting them do their work. In a matter of minutes, they had Emma's neck wrapped in some form of brace and she was loaded onto a straight plank of wood, and loaded onto a mobile bed from the looks of it. Between the two EMT's as well as David and Killian, they had Emma loaded into the Ambulance shortly after that.

"You go with her Killian; I'll meet you at the hospital." David said quickly, seeing as Killian hadn't moved from her side since they found her. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to David before climbing into the back of the Ambulance, shutting the doors firmly behind him. As they made their way to the hospital Killian watched closely as the EMT moved around the cabin.

"Is she going to be alright?" Killian couldn't help but as the question. He had to know.

"She's in critical condition." The EMT answered quickly and impatiently as he worked feverishly to get Emma in a better state before they got to the hospital. Killian knew all too well what that meant. And all he could do was hope and pray that she would somehow make it through this. That she would come back to him. He couldn't live without her.