Attention. This is a Sequel to my previous Story Freeing the Witch.

While I tried to explain any reference to the first I used, but I could have easily missed something due to the hours I've spent on this.

There is no Beta.

I STRONGLY recommend reading the first segment before you read this.

This is a take on the AU introduced in 4x22/23.

I do not own Once. I just own the computer I write this on.


Chapter 1:

Darkness Sneaks Up on You

She'll never forget the first time she met Killian Jones.

He was a coward, looking at her like she was going to snap his head off; he was positively shaking with fear as he unlocked her chains at the tower her mother, Queen Snow had locked her in. She'll admit it, she loved it. She always did love to instill fear in the common folk. It made her feel good, feel powerful, it fed the darkness and she loved it.

At that point, Emma Swan thought she knew people, thought she could tell what a person were capable of with just a glance, so what did she care for their feelings, for their emotions, for their lives. What did she care for the people who feared her for living, for existing? What did she care for any of them? So Emma did the thing they expected of her. They saw her as a demon, so she acted like it.

They were just her tools to get what she wanted. And Emma Swan wanted everything.

So when Emma saw him enter her cell, watch her from a safe distance away, she saw what she'd always seen. She saw a man, a hero who came to see the Dark Princess, a hero who wasn't here to save her, but enslave her. Anyone who had ever appeared before her had wanted fame, fortune, or power. Emma hated the very thought of being used. She was ready to rip out his heart, take him for a spin or two before killing him.

(He was a cute little thing after all)

Because people who came for her, only saw her as a tool, so why not treat them the same way? Slowly but surely, people became only tools for the Dark One.

But then he did something funny.

Killian Jones, the coward, saved her, the Dark One. The Dark Swan.

He didn't need to, he could have let her die multiple times during their adventure at sea, but he didn't. He saved her.

It was then, in that moment, in that moment when Killian sacrificed a part of himself for her, when he had killed someone, for her, Emma saw something familiar in the depth of his too blue eyes.

She saw how broken he was.

"You alright love?" He called, snapping her out of her own head.

Killian Jones was now clad in leather rather than the dingy rags of that day. He stood tall rather than hunched over in fear. His eyes blazed with adventure, rather than clouded with self-loathing. He was smiling, smiling at her.

She saw how he was still able to shine with a light that left her enamored.

Emma smiled back, during there last days of the trip back to land, Killian had seemed darker, hollow even, after ending a man's life. She had felt guilt before, but seeing Killian so haunted, had changed her too. She wanted nothing more than to take all his pain away, wanted to see that light in his eyes again.

And she did. She watched him conquer his demons, watched him become her hero. Now, Killian Jones, the coward, was practically glowing, glowing with happiness, with strength, it was beautiful.

It may have had something to do with their little confession. He told her how he had melted Anna by saving her, that his feelings for her were enough to melt a frozen heart. It reaffirmed to both of them that this was real. He didn't say the words, but Emma didn't need them, didn't want them yet.

Neither of them were ready for those types of words anyway, despite how they were feeling, how she was feeling. Those types of eternal commitments were too much too fast, no, Emma was enjoying just taking it a day at a time with someone she trusted to watch her back, to keep her from giving into her primal instincts. He was keeping her Emma. She had been nothing more than the Dark Swan for years, but now, it was nice being Emma. Emma Swan.

"Just thinking." She said easily, pulling herself over a fallen tree, flashing him a mischievous grin as his gaze lingered, tracing her face then going lower.

Just days ago he could barely look at without feeling flushed, unsure of himself, embarrassed by his own accidental innuendo. He had been a man constantly put down by the people around him, thinking himself as undeserving of any sort of affection. Now, he stood, looking at her, no fear in his eyes. He knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted him, wanted him besides her, giving her the support, she needed his banter, his stubbornness to keep her from doing something she'd regret. She needed her Sailor to keep her from veering off course.

And the pirate damn well knew it. It was like his entire outlook on life had shifted.

"Guys, please, stop doing that!" Groaned a voice, dressed in dark colors, a mop of shaggy hair on his head, he came up on her other side, sliding past Killian. He stood much shorter than the man due to his youth.

"Doing what lad?" Killian asked. The boy rolled his eyes.

"Giving each other those looks, if you want to kiss or stuff just, do it already." Pink flushed up on Kilian's face to match her own as the sailor shifted uncomfortably, practically a flashback to a time before, a time when she made his face flush because she could.

It appeared he had inherited the ability to bring out that side of him, the timid-ness that she found adorable.

She also hoped her kid, Henry, was also smart enough to give Killian a chance.

Emma had learned that it might just be worth it.

Henry had had the audacity to venture into Killian's port and practically forced him to go after her. It had been a life or death choice for him to get her out of that place, but it had been Killian's choice to save her life and, while they both didn't know it, the life of her son.

While on a quest to rescue a the Snow Queen, Ingrid from captivity, Emma had run into a Jabberwocky. Jabberwockies had the ability to turn your dark thoughts, your painful memories, your inner most scars into weapons. They preyed on your insecurities, your terror fed them. No one had more darkness in them than the Dark One. She had been helpless as it reached into her mind, tearing away her walls and looking at her inner most secret.

And what was her inner most secret? Her hidden son that no one knew about. Only three people knew of Henry's relation to her.

Emma glanced at Killian, four, She amended. He had figured it out, but she didn't care. Emma trusted him. She trusted him because while the jabberwocky had been torturing her, (after it had finished with him of course) Killian had been given a choice. He was given the choice between fame, fortune, power, everything he had ever wanted, or her.

And he had done what no one else had done. Killian had chosen her.

"Lad, I'm a gentleman, and your mother is a lady." Killian replied evenly. "I have to court her properly." She couldn't help blush herself at the look he was giving her. He didn't seem capable of hiding his feelings for her. The way he was just looking at her, like she was the moon and stars.

It was glorious.

Henry gave another eye roll. "Please, what does a pirate know about being proper?" He drawled. "It's all about pillaging and plundering anyway."

Emma nearly choked in embarrassment. "What the hell Henry?!" She snapped. She knew he was getting into his rebellious phase, talking back to both his mothers, but really? Was it always this bad? Emma really needed to give him a talking to about this.

"Good form dictates that a woman is supposed to be cherished and respected, and that means to treat them the right way" He told the boy pointedly. He spoke like it was a familiar lesson he had learned and repeated several times. "And not 'pillage' and 'plunder' on the first date." He said sternly. "Has no one taught you good form yet lad?"

Henry crossed his arms. "Why do I need good form? Do I look like some knight in shining armor? All that stuff is stupid." He responded boldly. She could see the shock evident in Killian's face as he looked at her for permission. He didn't want to overstep.

"Henry. Be nice. I like this one alright?" She reminded him gently.

"And I liked Graham." He shot back. Her stern look faltered.

Graham…he had been the paternal influence in her kid when he was younger, she knew that his loss had been hard for her kid, it had been hard for her too. "He was cool. He taught me how to throw knives and stuff." He said like that explained everything.

She knew that it didn't, not really. She knew that it was also the fact that Graham had been there to walk him to his mother's home when their spontaneous operation got interrupted by a dwarf attack. She knew it was all the man to man talks Graham always gave him. She knew it was the way Graham died, in front of him, as they were both powerless to stop it.

Emma groaned. "As effective as those skills may be, proper manners and form will do you good in the long haul lad." Killian said carefully. "Perhaps I can show you?"

Henry grumbled back at him, turning away. "No. Sorry, not interested. Mom, can you keep him from talking to me?" She said looking at her. "Why is he even here? It isn't like we're on a boat and we need his knowledge of sailing or anything." He remarks sharply.

He expected her to hold Killian's heart, just like she had done for the other men in their life. He hadn't expected for there to be an exception, that someone could be there, helping them because they wanted to. He hadn't expected Killian.

(Another thing they shared, their mistrust of the world.)

She wasn't sure if this was amusing or terrifying. Emma didn't want him to turn out like her, she had made her choices so he could have a good life, and know that she wouldn't give up on him. So that he could be what she never could be. Good.

She looked at the triumphant glare he gave Kilian, the way her sailor was looking between them confused. Emma was glad he didn't understand, that meant she didn't have to tell him about Graham, not yet. She knew she would, just as she had faith that he would tell her what really happened with Liam and Milah.

Liam his lost brother, and Milah his dead first love.

Emma crossed her arms. "Henry! That is no way to talk to Killian, you don't have to like him, but you do have to respect him, understood?" She demanded. He nodded, surprised by her defense of the man. He turned and marched off in a pout.

"I'm sorry love, I didn't mean to over step." He apologized as she followed behind her kid with a sigh. "It just surprised me how…" He searched for the word, probably trying to find one that wouldn't offend her.

"Rude? Arrogant? Crass? A total brat?" She supplied.

"Open he is with his observations." Killian chose instead, smiling nervously. "I don't want to do anything that will make your boy uncomfortable."

Emma smiled. "Thank you, but please, go right ahead, if anyone can get through to that kid it might as well be you, besides, you've…uh, made quite the impression on his mother." She said sneakily.

It made him blush. She loved it.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going? I believe the castle is in the other direction, and these woods are dangerous this time of the year." He reminded her, changing the subject.

Emma rolled her eyes. What kind of danger should she face? She was the Dark One, the forest should be scared of her. She could burn it down with a flick of her wrist.

If she tripped on one more root that was exactly what she was going to do.

"I want to see where Henry's mother was taken so I can see what we're dealing with; she must have used some powerful magic to capture them." Emma explained. "And not her own, she probably made a deal with another wizard and the thing about my mother is that she isn't the best at thinking through her deals so I might be able to negotiate with them. I might be able to convince them to tell me how they did it. It does nothing if we rescue them just for them to be caught again." She explained.

While Henry's adoptive mother had strong magic herself, it was really her mother, Henry's adoptive Grandmother that really held the magic; it was why Emma had chosen this family to raise her son. She knew that she couldn't give him the stable life he needed and she knew that they could and would protect him to their last breath. Emma was just lucky that they let her come in when she could, to be a part of his life.

Snow had never been able to take the older woman down before, and it wasn't due to lack of trying. Snow was too narrow-minded to take down the more experienced sorceress.

It must have been that sister of theirs, long lost and always jealous.

"What do you expect to find?" Killian asked slowly. "You can tell me Swan, I see that it has you nervous."

"Something is bothering me." She admitted. "With Henry, this wasn't the first time I was caught, but the first time he sent someone after me, I know he was scared and desperate, but how could he have picked just the right person to rescue me? No one has ever dared to do it for as long as I've lived, yet he was able to find you, and you did it." She explained. "I just…I just know that there is something he isn't telling me…"

Killian nods in agreement.

"I find sometimes you should just chalk it up to fate, easier to comprehend than dumb luck." He said cheekily. "But I see what you mean. Perhaps you should ask the lad while I'm not around? He doesn't seem to like me…"

Emma smiles weakly, debating whether she should tell him the real reason. But then Emma feels it.

"Henry, get back here." She said sternly, noticing how far her kid was getting.

It worried her. Emma could hear things moving in sync all around them, they were watching, how had she not realized it until now? How had she not realized that they were being followed?! She grabbed onto Killian's wrist, wanting to keep him close, now all she needed was Henry.

"Killian, you said you heard that these forests were dangerous, why? What do you know?"

Henry was too far away, they needed to catch up. They were fast walking through the forest, she could practically feel them closing in on them.

"A story told to me, I have no way of knowing how accurate it may be, but I tend to veer on the side of caution." He said simply. "About a gang of robbers who are obsessed with magic."

Emma didn't like that, no, not one bit.

"Dark One!" Henry called suddenly, a strangled gasp.

She roared in rage, as they both charged forward.

Whoever was hunting them was going to burn!

"Who goes there!" She calls charging into the clearing, feet scorching the earth as she passes. She feels Killian rip his hand from hers but she doesn't care. Her son cried out to her and she was damn well sure she was going to answer.

"Well well, it looks like we got a real prize today!" Shouted a voice.

Emma looked over across the clearing at the mad, and if her blood wasn't boiling before, it sure as hell was now. There stood a tall man, dark skin, lifting her baby by the hair with a blade at his throat.

He was threatening her son.

She was going to skin him alive.

"Mate, we don't want any trouble here, just give us the boy, and we'll be on our way." Killian started, hand out trying to be the voice of reason.

Tell him to stay out of this, this is your son, you don't want peace, you want blood.

"Now, why would I agree to that?" The man snarled, tightening his grip. "Now that I have a bargaining chip with the Dark One."

Show him the use of a bargaining chip when you don't have a spleen, rip out his heart, make him slaughter his own family, kill him.

"You don't know what you're talking about." She snarled. "Let him go and your death will be swift." She was ready to burn this whole forest to the ground. The man didn't even flinch. Killian rushed in between, hands outstretched.

"Swan, relax, I'm sure we can all come to a reasonable conclusion yes? Since you know who she is, you know that this is probably going to end up with your head on a spike yes?"

Kill them both.

"So what do you want?" He continued.

The man's mouth curled into a smirk. "The Dark One to give me the power to win the woman I love." She saw Henry roll his eyes.

"Mate, there are rules to magic, not possible, so just let the boy go." Killian said edging closer to the man.

He backed up tightening his hold, it made Henry cringe.

"I'm not a patient woman." She snarled. "You have till the count of ten." She could see the panic in Killian, in Henry too. They wanted her to calm down, she had to calm down, think rationally.

"Touch me and you're going to watch this brat die in front of you" The man dared.

Emma let out an angry roar, ready to blast the man to pieces.

"Swan-" But she didn't care. The rage was too great; she swiped her hand, throwing Killian aside roughly.

"You'll be dead before you can touch him."

But then suddenly there was a piercing sound, a snap. The next second there was a pain in her shoulder, forcing her back. She reached for it finding-

"An arrow?"