Warning, some...implications of questionable circumstances... trust that I know what I'm doing.

Chapter 4

A Dangerous Woman

Killian had to admit, lying on the forest ground that night, he really missed the swaying of his ship, the familiar mattress under him and the comfort the darkness of the cabin's provided. It had taken a while to get comfortable, even longer to get to sleep.

But it was taking an infinitely longer time to wake himself up.

"Killian." Said a voice, he grinned, suspecting it was Emma. "Hey. Wake up." He reached out for her. The figure pulled away. He blinked his eyes open, seeing hazel eyes instead of green ones leering at him. He jumped back in surprise.

Laughter. The boy was laughing.

"Dreaming about my mom are you?" He snickered. "I thought you were all about good form, pirate?" He forced himself upwards.

"Henry?" He stuttered, blinking his eyes to get his sleep daze to fade. He looked around, the two of them were alone in the clearing, not a blonde hair in sight. "Where's your mother?"

The boy shrugs going to sit back around the dead fire. Killian sits up and watches as the boy expertly covers it with dirt, watches as the boy packs up his belongings without even batting an eye, it's obvious that he does this a lot.

"Do you go adventuring a lot with your mom lad?" The boy looks at him with a bored expression, adding in an eye roll.

"You don't have to try and get to know me, Mom won't care. You won't be sticking around long enough anyway, none of them do." He watched the boy seeing brutal honesty on his face. He truly didn't believe Killian would stay. He didn't think that was a healthy assumption for a chjild to make, he became determined to prove to him that he would, that only death itself would tear him away.

"I won't leave your mother or you Henry, I care for her and I hope you and I can at least become friends." Killian knew better than to claim he cared for the boy. He did, but could understand how his quick admission would look to the lad. It would look like a lie and a ploy to get closer with his mother.

But in all honesty, Killian saw something familiar in the boy, it spoke to him on a level Killian didn't quite understand.

Henry didn't reply, not like he expected the boy to. "I intend to prove it to you Henry, if you let me." Again more silence. He wasn't sure what to say, should he ask him if he could help? But he was almost done. The silence was defining.

Thankfully however, Swan chooses this moment to come barreling in, smile on her face.

"Good, you're up." She announced. "I did some research and figured there's a village a couple miles east, we'll try and make it there and spend a few days in the village lying low."

He righted himself to his feet shaking of the dust. "What for love?" He questioned. He had been under the assumption that they were trying to catch up to the queen.

Emma looked directly at him. "You need to find the sorcerer." Killian narrowed his gaze. He recalled the thief woman asking about the possibility of an alignment between the two. She had seemed worried. It made Killian suspicious of the supposed sorcerer.

"Me?" Emma nodded.

"He won't come near me with all my dark magic, but if you spread the word about needing help returning a boy to his mother, it'll surely draw him out, or at least draw out his contact, the man is a sucker for a good sob story." Emma snickered. "I'll be in town of course, but his informants won't know it's me." Killian nodded, seeing it as a solid plan.

"Why are we looking for this guy, you're plenty powerful on your own!" Henry interrupted.

"I need to explain to him exactly who he helped my mother take, he's supposedly this good and pure person, once I explain it to him, he should help us, or rather promise not to interfere." Emma explained. "Light magic is the only way to defeat my dark magic, finding them again would be pointless if he just undid every protection spell I cast."

Both he and Henry exchanged a look.

"So you're just going to talk to him?" Henry asked with disbelief. "No fighting, no threats, no magic?"

She smiled. "I hope so, that's not to say that I won't defend myself, but I'm…I'm trying to be different." Those words made Killian want to sweep her up and kiss her. He felt foolish for his worry yesterday, worse he felt as if he had betrayed her by fearing her power. She was Swan.

Traveling through the forest was relatively quiet, occasionally Emma would hang back with him as he wasn't used to the long treks. Whenever the crew docked, they'd stay in town for different periods of times, they never went on adventures through the woods. Liam had, but had made sure Killian would stay behind and mind the ship; it was his brother's way of making all of this seem like it was Killian's idea. Never the less, Killian wasn't used to these long journeys, the one he had taken through the snow had nearly killed him, even here in better conditions, he wasn't fairing too well.

"We can stop if you'd like." She asked for the tenth time and despite really wanting to,

"Again?" Henry groaned. "He's really slowing us down."

He refused. "I'm fine love." Killian wasn't going to be a burden here. He would just adjust, it was what he always did after all. Adjusting was a task he always managed to do.

Occasionally, Emma would speed up so she got to walk besides her son, those were the times Killian tried to push himself to go a bit faster, as to close the distance a bit. He knew Emma didn't like either of them so far from her, not after the bandits had made threats on both their lives. He knew that she would not let that happen a second time.

Emma insisted certain times for them all to take a break, saying that Henry shouldn't push himself so far and fast. "Getting them back is going to take some planning, some cooperation and a whole lot of luck." She told them both. "So you two need to start being honest about when you need breaks, this macho, I don't need a break stuff is just getting me annoyed." She huffed.

Regardless, they reached town before night fall, just as Emma predicted. He went in to get them rooms in the tavern, two. One for Emma and her boy and one for him; it was the honorable thing to do in this situation after all.

"Henry and I are going to check out the rooms." Emma said on their way up stairs. "I want you back at the bar, telling anyone who will listen about you needing the sorcerer's help." She reminded him. He nodded in understanding.

"What should I say is the matter?" She placed her finger to her cheek thinking for a moment.

"Your sister was taken, leaving your nephew an orphan. He hates the thought of a child losing its mother; rumor has it, the sorcerer's wife, before he was all powerful, was killed and his son went missing." Killian frowned, that was a sad tale.

"No one deserves to lose their mother Swan. I'll be back in a few hours' time, hopefully with some good news." He told her kissing her gently on the cheek.

"I'll be waiting." And they were gone.

Killian had seen many a man lose themselves in the taverns, but he also had seen the way they gathered information. He sat at the bar, ordering rum just as his brother often did. Killian didn't know much about alcohol so he figured it was a safe bet.

He took the drink in hand before looking at the bar keeper. "I'm looking for information mate, word has it, the sorcerer often visits this village, is there any way for a man to get an audience with the man?" The bar keeper sneered, laughing.

"What seems to be the trouble?" He asked, Killian didn't like the way the man asked, as if his problem was amusing. "My sister is missing; she left her boy with me. I need to find her." He insisted. "The sorcerer is the only way that my nephew can have his mother back." The man laughed again, watching as Killian took the drink, throwing it down as the burn reached his throat.

"Find the boy a new mother, the sorcerer is not here." The barkeep sneered. "Besides, a man like you couldn't afford the price." A man like him? The price? "My advice is to shut your yap about the sorcerer before-" He was cut off by a small laugh from a couple tables over.

"You've done it now mate." The man uttered backing off. Killian looked at the table, seeing a gloved hand beckon him over. "You wanted the sorcerer, now you'll have to pay the price." The man's words struck him as odd.

"I was told that the sorcerer did the right thing, not that he charged for his services." He asked, not daring to take a single step, much to the shrouded figure's annoyance. She was sitting with another woman.

"Oh there's a price alright, but not from him, but from her. Don't keep them waiting." The man warned. Killian stood up and ventured over, taking the seat farthest from the lasses.

"You called?" He questioned, looking between the pair, one was dressed in gold, the other in burgundy. "Are you the ones that can get me a meeting with the sorcerer?" Killian questioned. His instincts were screaming at him to get Swan, that this situation was dangerous. He wasn't scared at anywoman who showed interest in him, but the feeling he was getting...it wasn't a good one.

"Maybe." The golden one purred; he could see her eyes shining blue orbs from under her golden cloak, brown curls spilled out around her as she beckoned him closer. It was obvious that she was beautiful, but there was something about her that also screamed for him to run. "Perhaps before you can get his attention, you're going to need to get mine."

He pulled a seductive smile on his face, returning to the pirate persona he called whenever it proved useful, right now it was useful.

"Aye lass, what can I do to get your attention?" He purred scooting closer. She reached over to his hand gripping it in her own. Killian suppressed a shiver at how cold it was. It made the other laugh.

"Oh, milady, you're scaring the man." She teased, looking back at the bar keep with fluttering eyelashes. The golden woman shushed her.

"Tell me pirate, why do you need the sorcerer?" She asked holding his hand out, fingering the lines in his hand, tracing them up and down in slow ministrations.

"My nephew, he's lost his mother and I'm trying to find her." He explained.

"Think I'm stupid pirate?" She purred, her nails digging into his hand, making him flinch and try to pull his hand away, but her grip was stronger than it looked. "No, I'm not stupid, I can read a lie like, well," she said smirking glancing at her companion, "like a book." It made the two laugh like it was some sort of inside joke between them.

Killian didn't like how the other woman had her hand resting upon his knee.

"I wonder what type of book he'd be underneath." She said with a snicker and an indecent glance, he batted her hand away with a glare. Burgundy crossed her arms in a pout.

He wasn't comfortable, but didn't pull back completely from them, he just steeled his gaze. He would usually freak at a woman being so forward with him, but he had to keep his cool, keep it for Emma, for her boy. "Perhaps you're reading the wrong book lass, because all I'm doing is trying to reunite a boy with his family." He said raising his chin in challenge, before looking back at the golden cloaked woman, feeling how she was now soothing the red marks she had made. "It's all I'm interested in at the moment." It made her laugh, claws digging into his skin again.

"Ooh. He's got spunk." Burgundy snickered. "Can we keep him?"

He shot her a glare. "I'm not a bloody dog." He snapped, but was completely ignored.

"Patience darling, patience." She snickered. Like a mentor to a student, student in what? He didn't know.

"The sorcerer doesn't go out of his way these days, staying close to home, but once a task gets his attention, he will do anything to accomplish his mission." She said, gripping harsher. He could see the moment she broke the skin.

"Don't break him milady." The burgundy cloaked woman warned. "You know how rare pretty pirates are."

"Oh I know," The golden cloaked woman replied "Perhaps we can talk about terms tomorrow, meet me here, alone, especially without your woman." Her gaze was over him, sapphire eyes penetrating him in a way Emma didn't. They didn't look for his soul, no, these eyes were content with what lay on the surface.

"Awe, why do you get to have all the fun?" The other pouted.

She waver her worries away, "Don't worry Marian, darling, you'll have your fun soon." She teased.

He tensed, not knowing how to explain away Emma. "It's not what it looks like." He said simply. She trailed her finger down another line in his palm.

"Doesn't matter to me." She laughed, leaning over so he could see her pale skin as she cupped his cheek fingering the cut across his cheek. "You wouldn't be the first I've stolen." The Marian woman snickered, glancing towards the bar tender before looking back at the other woman. "And stealing a fearsome pirate from the Dark Princess…"She trailed off, lips curling up to a snarl, moving her hand down towards his neck.

This time he flinched at her touch, she was just so damn well close, he could smell the scent flowers on her skin. "I'll see you tomorrow , love, that is, if you ever want to help poor Henry find his mother." And she stood, leaving Killian practically frozen in place as they exited the tavern. A single dangerous thought occurred to him

She said Henry's name. He never said the boy's name.

He chased after her, gripping her arm to stop her.

"Surely we can discuss it now lass?" He tried, it made her laugh, a dark laugh as she eyed his hand.

"Sorry hun, but I have people to see, things to do." She reached forward, gripping his collar. "But I suggest that you release me this instant if you want to keep that pretty hand of yours." She sneered. "I'm sure the Dark One would appreciate her puppet keeping all his parts." She scanned his figure again, making him shiver this time. "In working order." He recoiled sharply, practically feeling her razor sharp words cutting against his skin just as easily as would a dagger. "Just as I would." He watched her prance off, there was no doubt what she was doing.

Taunting and teasing him, making him feel nothing but dread. He felt like a piece of meat to be tugged between her and Emma.

"She likes you mate." The bar keeper warned sadly, returning to his side a hand on his shoulder, it made him flinch in surprise. The man backed off after noticing his frightened reaction "And that's the only thing more dangerous than if she hated you." Killian narrowed his eyes, understanding completely. He still was trying to figure out how she had realized the lad's name and Emma's title. It was something he didn't like, no not at all. He kept silent, still feeling the lingering presence of the woman, wishing desperately for Emma in this moment.

"The lass there, she's dangerous, she's the only one who can get you a sit down with the sorcerer, but it'll cost a hefty price, especially if you're here with your own sweetheart."

Oh yes, he would have to tell Emma, his Swan, about the lass and her not too subtle request of him. In all honesty he wasn't too sure if he could stomach it, either of them, the conversation with Swan, or the actual...

But on the other hand, she was under the impression that he was under the thumb of the Dark One. It took guts to challenge her, to threaten to 'steal him' so why would she unless she wanted more? She was after something else.

Killian groaned, realizing that this was getting complicated. He asked for another glass, predicting the need of some more rum. Yes, he'd need lots and lots of rum. It always made Liam a bit happier after bad news, so why not try some himself?

"She's a wild one that one, what she desires is a bit of excitement, some danger, she comes here, picking off any she sets her sights on, and she's chosen you." The man explained. Killian was tired of this conversation, only able to stomach it if his glass was full of the amber liquid.

"What about the other woman? That Marian woman?" The barkeep tensed, avoiding his gaze.

"A past passion project of hers, think of her as the finished product." He snarled angrily. Killian tensed. That was a sick, twisted relationship, a twisted dangerous woman, he refused to let her win, to become that.

"She's a siren, at first she'll say it's the only way to get the sorcerer's help, but after a while, she'll have you wrapped around her finger, make you forget you have any free will at all, trick you into choosing to meet her demands. My advice, leave town now before she learns your name, stronger people than you have fallen under her charms. The second you do, that woman will find a way to make you lose the most important thing a person has." He looked back at her, talking to a guard making the man loosen, a grin on his face as she laughed with him, his bag of coins in her hands. The man watched her go with a confused expression on his face.

"And what exactly is that?" He said dryly, still feeling her touch on his knee, it burned him worse than the physical burn on his wrist and palm.

"Yourself." The bar keep warned ominously. It made Killian nervous, he'd lost himself for 15 years, and he wasn't exactly keen on letting that happen again.

"What's her name?" Killian asked, trying to decide what the next course of action would be, and what to tell the other dangerous woman in this tavern, the one waiting for him just above them.

"Lacey." The man responded. "Her name is Lacey."

He waited by the bar for a while longer, finding that the more he drank the more he really dreaded going back up there, but he did, eventually Killian wobbled up those steps, fumbling for the door handle, trying to force the key through the hole.

"Bloody hell." He cursed as he couldn't get the door open, the bloody key must be broken or something. "Why isn't this thing working?"

There was a chuckle as he turned around clumsily. "It helps if you went to the right door." Emma snickered, bringing a smile to his face. He cursed at the bloody bad handwriting on the doors of the bloody tavern. How was he to know that was a 3 not a bloody 8?

She held a door open for him, "After you." She snickered. He went inside, swaying on occasion. His hand reared up as he grabbed the wall to try and steady himself. "You really need to learn to hold your liquor." She laughed.

He grumbled unhappily.

"Hey," She said softly. "I'm just laughing at how you're usually so tightly wound and right now, you seem so…" Killian tensed as she pulled his arm around her shoulder, his head rolling against her neck. She smelled nice.

"Out of control? Vulnerable?" He said with a chuckle. "Like a slab of meat pushed and pulled around." He laughed darkly. He saw Emma's eyes furrowing in confusion. He didn't mean to say that, but bloody hell the alcohol was muddling his vocabulary.

"I was going to say loose, free." She clarified. "What happened?"

Killian chuckled under his breath collapsing backwards onto the bed. "This is why I told people I was allergic." He grumbled. "A couple inches of rum lays me out flat, how do you think I got this beauty?" He asked pointing to his arm, a healed over gash in it. "Crew loved to get me drunk and see what mischief they could get me into." He admitted. "Got me to steal from someone…don't remember who, but just that they didn't have much of a sense of humor that next morning." He told her. She touched the scar delicately.

Emma didn't respond as she helped him shed his jacket and vest before pulling him further into the bed. After a long day of walking, he just wanted to sleep in a bed and he didn't have the energy to move.

"I'll say." She chuckled, touching his hand, he saw her touch the spot where Lacey had, her eyes narrowed on the crescent cuts in his palm. He involuntarily shivered, dreading tomorrow, wondering what would be the price of the meeting with the sorcerer. He just found himself again, he wasn't sure if he was ready to lose it again. "Killian? Are you alright?" Killian flinched meeting her gaze. He sighed, knowing he couldn't keep anything from her, but he had hoped he could wait until morning. She was just so beautiful. He pulled his hand up, trying to pull her close, but he missed terribly.

Emma realized what he was trying, guiding his hand towards her, wrapped up in her blonde locks, he sat up, kissing her passionately, or at least as passionately as his drunken mind could. He parted, resting his forehead against hers. "You're so beautiful." He said, words tumbling from his lips before he could stop them. "An angel, a bloody angel." He insisted.

She held him close for another moment, before he felt Emma lying him back down on the bed.

"I met the sorcerer's contact." He admitted, slipping to the next conversation point in his head. He saw Emma snicker. "I told her I needed to talk to the sorcerer." She didn't respond waiting for him to explain. "She's…" He stopped half way.

"She?" Emma asked suspiciously. "What exactly does she want from you?" He grinned at the sound of jealousy in her voice.

"My id-idendidy." He slurred, feeling that wasn't right, he stuttered through various syllables until the proper word formed. "Identity." He settled on, getting a confused look from Swan. He groaned, and cursed the rum for making his thoughts feel like cotton.

"I don't know Swan, she wants to meet for drinks tomorrow to discuss her terms." He sighed, eyes drooping. "I don't like them Swan, they were trying to get in my head." He explained tapping his head twice, almost hitting himself in the eye, much to Swan's amusement, she steadied his grasp in her own, lying down beside him. "It didn't work I don't think. But she scared me." He admitted. "Tell me what you want me to do." She stopped, kissing his forehead, a shockingly caring gesture, hand cupping his cheek. He sighed. "Your hand isn't cold." He informed her.

She laughed.

"Good to know, let me think on it alright?" He nodded. "Good night Killian."

A little choppy, but I think we'll be getting out of the set up, and into more of the...fun scenes very soon. Hopefully then the reviews will pick up a bit, hope this is well liked, if not, I'd still like opinions, they get me excited and make me possibly post chapters early.

I mentioned awhile ago that there were three chapters that I've...flipped that have me a little nervous over how drastic I made it. The first was Elsa, then it was Henry, and now...well, you know.

I want to thank all the new followers who I'm guessing, since they've been coming in sporadically, they've been trying to catch up on Freeing the Witch, something I appreciate greatly.

16 days left or so, until Once comes back and we dive into the Underworld. I'm very curious over how cannon will make that work...

Guest Review(s):

andria: I'm glad you liked last chapter, I encourage mentioning anything you're curious about, I'm constantly editing and perfecting to the best of my ability. Personally my favorite chapter is...soon-ish.

Don't forget to review!

~Luna