II . The Deal

"Mr. Gold?!" Emma yelled, opening the door to his shop so hard that it slammed against the wall beside it. "Mr. Gold!" she repeated when she saw that he wasn't standing in his usual place behind the front counter. She shouted again, peering around the shelves.

"You can stop shouting now, dearie." She almost jumped out of shock when he appeared behind her, but she turned to face him, her confidence unwavered. "What is it you'd like? I assume you're not here for the," he gestured around him, "fine antiques."

"Memory potion. I need some of that stuff that Captain Hook used on me in New York, do you have any?"

"I'm afraid not. And this is for our pirate friend, I would assume?"

"How do you know?"

"Its a small town, dearie, I hear things." he paced slowly in front of her, "I would love to help but alas, I can not. we're fresh out of memory potion."

"Please Gold we can make a deal. I'll give you whatever you want." now she was becoming desperate, she WOULD do anything for a small vial, even just a couple drops, not a whole dose, but enough to make him remember something, anything.

"I don't have the ingredients miss Swan. I'm sorry but I can't do anything for you."

"Please Gold, just something." Emma could tell that Gold was lying, or at least not telling the whole truth. he looked like he was holding something back and it just made her want to push further, but right at the moment, Belle appeared from the back of the shop, yawning.

"Good morning Rumple, what was that…." she stopped midsentence, noticing that Emma was there. "Emma, hello, what are you doing here?"

"I was just leaving." Emma said sharply, but Belle didn't hear her, she was already out the door.

Turning to Gold, Belle opened her mouth to say something but the look on his face stopped her. She didn't know why Emma was here, but she sensed both that he wasn't telling her something, and she had the oddest feeling that there was something she had forgotten. She knew that she shouldn't pry, but curiosity still prickled at the back of her mind. She didn't say another word because just then, Gold turned back to her and smiled a sad smile that made her forget to ask, and said, "come on, let's get breakfast."

THREE DAYS EARLIER...

"Rumpelstiltskin! I know you're in here!" Regina yelled, bursting through the door.

"Yes I am, what can I do for you?"

"I need something from you." She started slowly

"And what would that be?"

"I need the last of your memory potion."

"And why would you want that, dearie?" he challenged, "is there something you have forgotten?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, there is." She had forgotten what love felt like, and so now she would make someone else forget, it wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth.

"I'm afraid I can't give you the rest of my potion, I'm saving it for," Gold paused, "a rainy day, perhaps."

"Let's make a deal then, shall we?"

His face remained unchanged, "is that really the best idea?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She smirked, "its in your best interest, dearie, because I have something of yours," she held her phone out to him, on the screen was a picture of Belle, unconscious. "its simple poison, when given an antidote, she will forget that it ever happened," she continued, "but I'm the only one who has the antidote," she smiled at his grim expression.

"So what do you say, Rumple? Is your memory potion worth your precious Belle's life?"

PRESENT DAY…

Meanwhile, Emma was already well on her way to the hospital, carrying a sliver of hope that maybe something had changed overnight, even just a spark of a moment from the memories he lost could help. When she reached Killian's room, she stopped outside the heavy, wooden door, unsure of whether or not she had the strength to open it again. Finally she took a deep breath and pushed it open. Hook sat up in surprise when she entered the room.

"Sheriff Swan," Emma surpressed a sigh at his greeting, "to what do I owe the pleasure? Did you find my ship?"

She hoped she wasn't visibly cringing, "no word on it, I'm sorry Killian."

"You know, you never did tell me how you know my name." She looked at him sadly, wondering if he had been told anything yet.

"Has anyone else come to visit you yet?"

"No, and don't change the subject on me, Swan." He studied her face for a minute and then said, "there is something you're not telling me."

"I know you," she blurted out suddenly, and regretted it immediately after.

"I think I would remember a lass such as yourself…" he said, looking at the ceiling as if trying to remember.

"But that's the thing Captain, you don't. Something... no, someone, stole your memories, a lot of them. The time that you don't remember, well, its all of the time you've known me." She looked down at her feet, sighing.

"I'm sorry that I don't remember, but perhaps there's a way to get the memories back? Whoever stole them, they could help me get them back, right?" Emma almost snorted.

"Regina? No, she is of no use whatsoever. And the only man who could make a potion refuses to help as well. I'm sorry Killian, they might be gone for good."

"I'm sorry to you, Swan."

"Why?"

He sighed, "because I can tell that these memories I've lost meant something to you, and even though I don't know what that was, I'm sorry you have to see me like a stranger. Thank you for telling me though, that means a lot." She didn't respond, she didn't know how to respond. Here he was, a stranger, and he still could read her better than anyone else. "Emma, I can tell that seeing me is somewhat painful for you, so if you don't want to see me again, you don't have to come back." She stood up now, and looked down at him.

"No, I'll see you soon."

He smiled at her, "good, I'll be waiting."