The rain poured heavily and the drops bounced off the abandoned street. A warm light glowed from Granny's Diner. The little diner was crowded with the town's residents escaping the cold, including the town's sheriff and her loved ones. Together they laughed in a booth enjoying hot chocolate topped with cinnamon; Emma leaned comfortably against Killian enjoying the peace the rain brought to the town. No villains nearby and finally they were all together without a curse needing to be broken. Robin played darts with Henry, teaching him to improve his aim so he never missed the bull's eye. Regina gently moved the stroller back and forth that was next to the table where Robin's little girl lay sleeping despite the jovial noise surrounding her. Relishing the moment Regina happily watched as her son and true love bonded. Next to her Roland drowsily sipped his hot cocoa. Mary Margret fed Neal his dinner and Charming sat across the table gazing lovingly at his family with his lost daughter beside him. For the first time in what seemed like her whole life Emma was happy; her family surrounded her in a place that actually felt like home.
Shrouded by shadow a dark figure lurked in the back corner of the diner with rainwater dripping from its clothes forming a puddle at its feet. The figure moved quickly towards the group and snatched a knife as it passed a table. Grabbing Killian by his dark hair the small figure pulled back his head and hissed into his ear while driving the knife into his side.
"That, pirate, is for the months you wronged me." Killian let out a second cry as the knife twisted in his side. Standing Killian lunged after the figure attempting to drive his hook into their back. The figure escaped the way it had come in the shock of the events, it's shoes squeaking against the wet floor.
Killian pulled his hand away from the wound and gazed down at the knife, Emma screamed his name but everything around him was becoming dream like.
"Killian please!"
He felt a warm sensation spreading through his body starting from the wound. As the feeling crept over him he felt the pain leave his body. Emma gazed into his brown eyes as tears stung her own, her magic had healed the wound but part of her was still terrified at the idea of losing him.
"I'm going to get the person who did this!" Emma assured him
David interjected "Emma stay with Killian. I'll go after them, they couldn't have gotten far."
"No!" Everyone froze shocked at Killian's declaration. "I know who it was."
"Hook, this person tried to kill you. And if not for magic they would have succeeded."
"Killian, Regina is right this isn't something we can just over look." Emma worried
"And as sheriff this isn't something I can over look. This person might hurt someone else"
"Well that's where you're wrong, David." Stated Killian distractedly "She's someone I wronged back in my pirating days. She won't harm anyone else, she's only after me."
"Even so she tried to kill you and every minute we waste talking is another minute she gets away." David pushed past Emma and Killian to go after the girl.
"Killian who is she?" Emma demanded
"Swan…"
"Killian we made an agreement. No more secrets."
"Swan, there are some things that should never be spoken of. I'm afraid even you would not forgive me for what I did to that girl."
"I get it. I get you don't want to talk about you past. But at least tell me who she is."
Hook sighed, "Back in our land she was a thief. Her name is Goldilocks."
"Well it looks like Goldilocks just graduated to assassination attempts. I'll ask Belle to look into her and see if she can find out more, I'll check out the town records." Emma stated sad that the happy moment they had just been enjoying was over.
…
Emma stood over a desk in the sheriff's station flipping through the town's records for this person, all the while wishing Regina had record of who everyone was in this world next to the name of who they were back in the Enchanted Forest.
"You know I'm not the last person to have cursed this town" Regina muttered under her breath seeming to read Emma's thoughts. "It looks like you're going to have to hit the pavement like David to find this thief."
Emma shut the book she was searching through, "How do you find someone who is like a ghost…Hook won't tell me anything about her and everyone else seems to know about her but won't talk."
"I had wanted posters out for her all over the Enchanted Forest after she robbed one of my shipments. She was a thief for hire; she'd steal whatever someone wanted in exchange for a share of it, free passage, partnership, whatever she wanted at the time."
"Sounds like a loose cannon."
Regina shrugged "Perhaps."
"What's her connection to Killian?" Emma wondered
Regina straightened the last of her files "All I've heard are rumors. Supposedly she disappeared after doing a job for a pirate. Some said it was for Blackbeard and others said it was for Hook… but after today my bet is on Hook."
"Did anyone ever say what happened?"
"Nothing that ever reached the ears of the Evil Queen."
Emma paced the floor thinking about her next move to find Goldilocks; she stopped "What about Robin? Did he ever have a run in with her?"
….
Talking to Robin felt like a dead end, he always worked in the forests and towns near Sherwood while Goldilocks stayed on the coast. Just when Emma thought their only lead was gone Robin offered a glimmer of hope by bringing Will Scarlet into the hunt.
"Will's travels have taken him further, perhaps he's had a crossing with her."
…
"Helping a Sheriff has never been on my list, Robin. You ever hear the expression 'thick as thieves'? Well that's a bit of a code see. I can't go snitching on a fellow thief."
"So you know her. And my bet is you've seen her. Do you know where she is staying?" Emma questioned eagerly.
At that moment Goldilocks burst out the back of Will's Scarlett's tent and fled into the woods towards town.
"Yeah…" Will admitted, "She was staying with me."
Emma took off after the fugitive but Goldilocks had a good lead on her, which was extended when Emma tripped over a root. Reaching the edge of the town Emma looked around, the streets were still empty and the rain had picked up again into a steady drizzle. The tracks Goldilocks had left on the forest floor led straight onto Main Street but the thief was nowhere in sight. Robin, Regina, and Will came up behind her out of the forest.
"You lost her?" Regina accused
"Well where were you three when I needed you?" Emma shot back "Arguing won't help us find her."
"Will, did she say where she was going?" Robin demanded
"We need your help. She tried to kill Killian." Emma almost begged.
"Well that's not proper motivation. Probably served that bloody pirate right. I never particularly liked him."
"Okay well how is this for proper motivation, if you don't tell me where she is I'll throw you in jail for obstruction of justice and harboring a fugitive."
"If I tell you will you drop all charges? Including any new things you discover today?" Will bartered.
"Maybe."
"Well you sure know how to persuade a guy. I told her about an abandoned house off Court Street. Top part is caving but the basement is in good shape…I ….I keep my stash there."
"Emma, it appears my man has been working houses without my knowledge. I'd appreciate it if you put him in jail. I'd rather you take care of him than for me to have to find some sort of punishment." Robin requested. "Don't look so surprised, Will, you've broken every code the merry men have."
. . . . . . .
The small band went back to the station to gather themselves together for a plan to get Goldilocks. As Emma turned the key to Will's cell David came in with a young woman who despite being handcuffed was giving him a hard time. She was small in stature and was soaked to the bone, her gray hoodie clung to her and her leather jacket had taken a beating from the rain, her blue chucks squeaked against the floor as she wrestled with David.
"Dad you're bleeding!" Emma's eyes widened
"Yeah she had another knife in her pocket." He tossed a delicate throwing knife on the desk, "But I'll be fine. Check her for more before we put her in the cell."
"How'd you find her?" Robin wondered
David shoved the thief against the wall and pushed her feet apart "I was coming back to the station to see if you all had found anything, then I saw her running down an alley." David finished patting her down and found one other knife that was identical to the first one.
"Go ahead and take her in the other room for questioning." Emma wasn't about to waste any more time with this girl.
David peeled Goldilocks off the wall, pulled her into the other room and sat her down in a chair. Once she was handcuffed to the table he felt like he could relax a little.
Emma pulled together a folder and papers to fill out the report, sitting across from Goldilocks she observed their prisoner. She had sharp gray eyes that were constantly moving, studying the room and those around her; she had light skin and sharp features that gave her a mischievous look. Her hood was now pulled back showing off her golden blond hair.
"So you're Goldilocks." Emma stated after turning on the recorder.
The young woman smirked, "So the pirate wouldn't give you my real name?"
"Goldilocks isn't your real name?"
She scoffed "Who would name their child Goldilocks? That's worse than naming them Snow White."
David shifted in his seat "Then what is your real name?"
"And why are you called Goldilocks?" added Emma
"My name is Chrysta. I'm called Goldilocks for obvious reasons and because it was part of my trademark. I would wear golden flowers in my hair, and leave one in place of the item I had stolen."
"Okay so as much as I enjoy getting to know you"
"You spelled it wrong" Chrysta interrupted.
"What?"
"My name. You wrote it on the paper with an "I", it's a "y"."
"Sorry," Emma stated dryly. "I want to know why you tried to kill Killian."
"You mean Captain Hook? Why don't you ask him yourself? You seemed awfully friendly with him earlier." Chrysta answered.
At that moment Killian came through the door, Chrysta lunged at him and was quickly stopped by the sharp pain the hand cuffs inflicted. She sat back seething.
"Swan….I want to talk to you. Robin told me you caught her…and I'd rather you hear what happened from me first."
Emma nodded "Dad can you take her to the other cell?"
David removed the first cuff and Chrysta immediately sprung at Killian while slipping through David's fingertips. She scratched at Killian's throat as he caught her; turning her into the wall he put his hook at her throat to keep her still.
"That year you were on my ship…" his voice cracked with regret "I'm sorry…there is no way I could ever right that wrong."
Tears stung her eyes and hate filled her "I'll make you sorry, Hook." David began to lead her to the cell and she screamed at Killian "Next time you'll suffer. And you'll watch as I drive your own hook into your heart!"
