Author's note: Here's a little something to tide everyone over until the special tonight. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, alerted. I'm having a blast writing this story!
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.
Emma parked the Bug in the shadow of the flames. Storybrooke's lone firetruck was parked nearby; its crew working feverishly to put out the flames. As she and Killian climbed out, Emma saw David standing next to the truck; he looked completely helpless.
"David!" she called.
He looked in the direction of her voice. "Emma! What are you doing here? Wait, did you guys get caught in that storm? Are you okay?"
"We did, but we're fine," she said, as her father insisted on checking her over for injuries. "What happened here?"
"Well, it came out of nowhere. Snow brought lunch to the station just as it hit. We tried calling Regina to make sure that Henry was okay, but the power went out."
"Henry! Where is he?"
"Don't worry; he's safe with Regina. Snow went over to her house the second the storm subsided."
"Did lightening strike the library? Was anybody inside?"
"I don't think so. But Gold hasn't heard from Belle since before the storm and he's...twitchy to say the least."
"But you're sure she wasn't inside?" The library was Belle's home; she lived in the apartment above. And if anything happened to her...Emma shuddered. Gold's wrath would be something to behold and as far as she could tell this was just as freak accident.
"The fire department checked; they didn't find anyone."
Emma didn't comment on the absurdity of fairytale characters working a fire like a professional fire department. This was neither the time nor the place. "So what did start the fire?"
David pointed. "The wind uprooted one of the poles; they think the transformer crashed into the clocktower and started it."
Emma looked at the fiery clocktower sadly; it was the tallest building in town. Emma was fond of it; after all, the clock starting again when she decided to stay in Storybrooke permanently. There was no telling the damage that had been wreaked, not until they got the fire out. The most important thing was that there had been no casualties. But that didn't explain where Belle was.
"How's everyone else? Any other incidents from the storm?"
"Not that I've heard. But the power is still out. Most of the phones too."
"Good thing Storybrooke still has a lot of antiquated technology," Emma noted, nodding at the firetruck. "OK, you stay here and make sure the fire gets put out and doesn't spread. We don't want to lose the whole street."
"What are you going to do?"
"Go have a talk with Mr. Gold."
Emma and Killian returned to the Bug. "I suppose it's pointless to ask you to stay in the car while I talk to him."
"Ask if you want, lass. But I'll just ignore you."
"I figured. Just try not to antagonize him, please? He'll be extra touchy since it's Belle."
Killian and Gold largely avoided each other since Emma's talk with the pawnbroker after they returned from Wonderland. It occasionally made dinner at Granny's tense, but it worked mostly. Emma wasn't naïve enough to think their mutual hatred would go away. And she sure as hell was certain that Gold hadn't forgiven her for choosing Killian over Neal. Neal had taken her advice and returned to New York; she hadn't heard from him since. Gold may have been Henry's grandfather, but no one treated him like it, least of all Henry. The tension had been simmering for months and Emma was afraid that this could be the spark that ignited the powder keg.
The bell jangled as she and Killian entered the shop. Gold was nowhere in sight.
"Gold?" Emma called out. "You here?"
A few more silent seconds passed. Emma was starting to worry; it wasn't like Gold not to answer a summons. She was about to go toward the back of the shop when Gold stepped through the doorway, leaning heavily on his cane. He looked calmer than Emma expected given the circumstances. And his limp was more pronounced than normal, Emma noted.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, dearie," Gold began, then he scowled. "He's not welcome in this establishment, Miss Swan."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Is this really the time for this, Gold?"she said at the same time Killian said, "Sod your welcome, Crocodile."
Gold glared hard at Killian, before turning back to Emma. "Are you here on official business, Miss Swan? You can stay, if you are."
Emma got the underlining meaning. As Sheriff, she could stay, but Killian could not. She so did not have time for a pissing contest with the pawnbroker. Rather than answer him, she turned to Killian. "Hey, you want to be my deputy?"
Killian grinned, immediately realizing her game. "I thought you'd never ask, love."
Emma turned back to Gold, who looked nonplussed. "There, we're both here on official business. Now David said you haven't heard from Belle. Do you have any idea where she is?"
Gold's demeanor immediately changed. His eyes were worried and pained. "No, I don't. We were supposed to meet at Granny's for lunch, but the storm hit and...I have no idea where she could have gone."
"Were you guys having any...problems, anything that could make her not want to get in contact with you?" It still weirded her out to think of Gold in a relationship, but after bearing witness to the couple's previous break up and eventual reconciliation, she couldn't deny its existence. It had taken Belle some time to get past Gold's attempt on Killian's life, but gradually she had let the man back into her life. From what little Emma could tell (seeing as how she avoided Gold like the plague and wasn't particularly close to Belle), they were relatively happy. But Emma also knew that that happiness was capable of turning on its head in an instant. The fact of the matter was that Gold had a temper and never forgot a grudge. While Emma was certain he would never hurt Belle on purpose, there was every possibility that they had had a fight about something and were on the outs once again. She had to ask; it was her job.
"No," Gold was saying, defensive. "Miss Swan, once your doting father assured me that Belle was not in the library, I began to look for her."
"With magic," Killian said, stepping around Emma and glaring at Gold. Emma could see a muscle jumping his jaw, a tell tale sign that he was angry.
"Yes, Captain," Gold replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "With magic. How else would you suggest I look for her?"
"By actually getting up off your sorry arse? Do you even care about this girl at all?"
Even Emma was surprised at the venom in Killian's tone. She had no idea where it was coming from. She knew that they hated each other, but Emma sensed that something else was going on. Gold's face went from worry and annoyance to pure unadulterated rage in a nanosecond. Emma stepped between them, furious at Killian for provoking his nemesis. If she had to face off with Gold and expose her magic to him, she was going to kill Killian. That secret was their only advantage in any confrontation and Killian knew it. Damn him, she thought.
"Enough," Emma shouted. "Killian, out in the car. Now." She stared at him until he compiled. Then she turned back to Gold. "I'm sorry," she said, hoping that she could diffuse this with a simple apology. "I don't know where that came from. The storm was rougher out at sea."
"You've attached yourself to a very dangerous man, Miss Swan," Gold said, angry but calmer. "I warned you when you chose him over my son. You may still reap the consequences of that decision."
Emma didn't miss the threat. But she didn't have time for more posturing; Belle was still missing. "Look, Gold, your issues with Killian aside, Belle is still missing. Did you have any luck finding her?"
"Would I still be here if I had?"
Emma frowned; then looked outside. The dying fire aside, it was too dark to see anything. If Belle was out there somewhere, they'd have a hell of a time looking for her in the dark. But she had a feeling that Gold wouldn't like her doing nothing.
"We'll organize a search party," she said, turning back to Gold. "We'll double check here in town, but I'm afraid that we can't expand the search until tomorrow."
"That is...acceptable, Miss Swan," Gold said, but not looking like it was. At all. But without any kind of lead, what choice did they have? As Emma turned to leave, Gold called out to her.
"Yes?"
"Don't think this the favor you owe me, Miss Swan. A favor I will call in eventually. Not even your pirate can stop me from collecting what's mine. Are we clear?"
Emma gave him a hard look and nodded. "Crystal." With that, she exited the shop and climbed back into her trusty Bug. Killian was silent next to her; Emma didn't even try and talk to him. She was still too angry. They stopped by the now smoldering library to fill David in on what happened and to start searching the town.
"Emma, what's wrong?" David asked, as Emma finished.
"Nothing." She sighed. "Killian had words with Gold."
"I don't know what else you were expecting, Emma. The hate runs too deep, on both sides."
"How do you deal with it?" she asked, thinking of her mother and Regina.
"Well, I try to keep them as far away from each other as possible for a start," David replied, knowing she wasn't asking about Killian and Gold. "But there is a key difference: Snow doesn't hate Regina. Despite all the horrible things she's done, your mother still can't hate her. But I can and I do. You, Emma, don't have that luxury. As sheriff, you have to be fair, no matter your personal feelings."
"I hate what Gold did to him," she said. "But you're right. If they're going to both stay here, I'll just have to keep them as far apart as possible."
"Maybe after we find Belle, you, Killian and Henry should take that vacation. Get away until tempers cool down."
She smiled at him. "Maybe we should. Thanks, David."
"Listen, you've had a long day. Go home; I'll get the dwarves and Ruby, start searching town. We'll call if we find anything."
"If the phones are working," Emma pointed out, as she headed back to the Bug.
Once they got home, Emma headed for the bedroom to change. She still didn't know what to say to Killian. How could he have antagonized Gold like that? He knew how dangerous the man was, knew better than anyone. Gold had held Killian's heart in his hand, for God's sake. And worse, Killian had put Emma's secret in jeopardy. All this after she'd asked him to play nice. It was infuriating. Emma held her head in her hands, as she sat in the bathroom. This was one aspect of relationships that was still foreign to her. In the past, she'd have been out the door a long time ago. And she hated fighting with him.
"You can't stay in the bathroom all night, love."
"Watch me," she shot back.
"That's a bit childish, don't you think?"
Emma's head shot up. Childish? She angrily shoved her dirty clothes in the hamper and opened the door. "You can not be serious right now. I'm childish? Me? I'm not the one who got into a pissing contest with the lunatic who's held my heart in his hand!"
"Is that what you think that was?" Killian fumed.
"What else could it have been? I asked you not to goad him, but you just couldn't help yourself! No, you had to mock him about the magic and his limp! You were being a bully, Killian."
"Being a bully, was I? Even if I was, it's nothing more than that Crocodile deserves! He's nothing more than a bloody coward who blames everybody else for his problems."
"And what about me, Killian? Did you even think about me? What if he'd gone after you with magic, huh?"
"I don't need you to protect me, Emma."
Emma shook her head; her face flushed from anger. "No, you don't get to pull that card with me, Killian Jones. We are in this together. I'm not going to stand there and let Gold take a piece out of you because you can't keep your trap shut for five minutes."
"And I'm not going to stand there and let him manipulate and lie to you!"
Emma blinked. "What are you talking about?" She'd have known if Gold was lying, Killian knew that.
"Rumplestiltskin lies with the truth, Emma. He may have been telling you the literal truth, but that was no ordinary magic he was using to find Belle. He's up to something, I can feel it."
"I didn't notice anything strange, Killian. Sure, Gold's constantly trying to get one up on...well, everyone, but this is Belle. He wouldn't fool around when it comes to her safety."
"How do you know?"
"Because I wouldn't if it were you."
Killian's eyes softened. "Nor would I if it were you, love. But I know what I felt in there. And I know what I saw," he added, ominously.
"What did you feel, Killian? And why would you and not me? Aren't we connected now or something?"
"Because I've been to Neverland, Emma. Pixie magic is nothing like the magic you've dealt with. All that faith, trust and pixie dust rubbish. Trust me, I know," he explained, holding up his hook.
Emma's eyes widened ever so slightly. She'd forgotten. Tinkerbell. The irate pixie had hurled a curse at Killian, fusing his hook to his arm – well, the contraption that held it on at any rate. She'd tried once to undo the curse while Killian was asleep, but she'd had no luck. And Emma hadn't told him about it, not wanting to get his hopes up unnecessarily. Even if she had managed it, Killian was still without a hand, so she'd chalked it up to bad luck and got on with things. Killian's hook had never mattered to her; it was a part of him, she loved him, therefore that was that. But now she saw it with new eyes.
"Killian, are you sure that was pixie magic?"
"You doubt my word?" He frowned and turned away from her.
Emma immediately felt like an idiot. Killian wouldn't lie to her; she trusted him. She reached out and grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry. I believe you, but Killian, don't you think you're jumping to conclusions...just a little? Gold could have gotten that pixie magic from anywhere. Hell, maybe he's had it the whole time. He's got all kinds of creepy stuff in that shop of his."
"Like my hand?"
For the second time in ten minutes, Emma blinked. "Sorry, did you say hand? As in your hand?"
"The one he cut off three hundred years ago? Aye, that hand."
"And you saw it? Where? And why would Gold just leave it lying around?"
"It was in one of the cases," Killian said, his blue eyes flashing. "That wanker kept it as a trophy, Emma. He kills Milah, cuts off my hand to get his precious bean, then kept it as a trophy. Meanwhile I'm stuck with this," he spat, flinging down his arm, the hook cutting audibly through the air.
Emma walked over to him, gently taking a hold of his left arm and cradling it against her body. "Where is this coming from, Killian? What he did to you is awful, I get it. But you know I don't care about this," she said, tapping his hook, "right? I never have. Remember what you told me that night Mary Margaret made us dinner? You said you couldn't imagine yourself without this. Talk to me, Killian."
Killian stared into her eyes for a moment, then looked away. "I used to think that. I'd done what I had to; I adapted. Learned to cope. It was my punishment to bear, the price for not protecting the woman I loved from a monster. And it was a reminder, every day. A reminder of what I'd lost. A reminder of why I had to stay alive, to avenge Milah's death. You don't know how many times I've dreamt of plunging that hook deep into the Crocodile's chest."
Emma took one hand off his arm and raised it to his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "But you didn't."
"That's because of you, love. If Cora hadn't threatened your life back in our land, who knows where we'd have ended up? You had betrayed me; I was determined to make you pay. But then Cora...and I just couldn't. I couldn't let you die, no matter the cost to me. For the first time in three hundred years, I thought about something other than my vengeance and that is solely because of you."
Tears welled up in Emma's eyes, unbidden. On some level, she had known this. But Killian had never said it out loud, not in so many words. To have that kind of power, to move a man like Killian Jones like that over so short a time, it was staggering. "You told me once that I was the only thing staying your hand when it came to Gold," she whispered. "I guess I never realized just how true that was."
"It's just as true now, as it was then," he said quietly. "I still hate him, love. I probably always will. But I made my choice. You're more important to me than revenge." He sighed. "I am sorry, Emma. But every instinct is telling me that Rumplestiltskin is up to something; something very bad. And I guess, seeing my hand on display like that...I lost my temper."
Emma pulled him into a hug. Killian held her tightly, murmuring more quiet apologies into her hair. She understood now where his outburst had come from, even if she didn't approve of his methods. If Killian thought that something was wrong, then she believed him. But hell if she knew what to do about it.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was a restless, sleepless night. As exhausted as Killian was, every time he fell asleep he would have nightmares. The knowledge that Rumplestiltskin had kept his hand and it sat in the imp's shop ate away at him. Worse, was the pixie magic he'd felt at the shop. Unlike Emma, Killian knew that it was a recent acquisition. He'd have know if it was there the first time he'd confronted the Crocodile in his shop. Pixie magic left it's mark on anyone who came into contact with it and Killian Jones had more intimate knowledge than most. So where had it come from? And what did Rumplestiltskin want with it?
Those questions were forced to take a back seat, since the Crocodile's love, Belle, was missing. There was a part of him that was glad to see the Crocodile in such distress. If – even for a moment – Rumplestiltskin could feel what Killian had felt for three hundred years, then he was glad of it. It wasn't a nice impulse, but – a few special circumstances aside – Killian wasn't a very nice man. There was too much water under the bridge, too much pain and bitterness in his past for him ever be a wholly good person, despite what Emma believed. He had accepted that long ago. But he would keep his satisfaction of the Crocodile's plight to himself; Emma had enough problems.
Just after sunrise, nearly the whole town met at the blackened remains of the library. The fire was out; the ruins were pretty charred. Nearly the entire upper floor was gone; only a skeleton remained. Out of the corner of his eye, Killian observed Rumplestiltskin looking forlornly at what was left. He tried to muster some empathy, trying to think about how he felt when Emma was missing, but none came. He just couldn't help but believe that the imp deserved to know what it felt like to not know where the woman he loved was or if she were safe. Rumplestiltskin had caused so much pain and misery to so many people; there was a perverse kind of justice to the present proceedings.
"OK, so here's the plan," Emma was saying. "Since we've already checked in town, we'll start on the outskirts and work our way to the town line. For god's sake, be careful as you approach the line; we don't want any accidents. Stick to groups of four – five at the most. And fan out. There's only so much land; she can't have gotten far."
"What about the old cabin?" Snow asked. "Has anyone looked there? If she got caught in the storm, it's a good place to wait it out." Killian didn't miss the look between Snow and her prince.
"Good idea," Emma said. "Why don't you and David head in that direction."
"Can I come too?" Henry asked.
Emma looked indecisively at her son. Killian was well aware of the boy's desire to be in the thick of the action; Henry hated being left behind. "Belle lets me bring snacks to the library; she's nice," Henry said, his face pleading. Seeing Henry's affection for the missing girl, Killian felt a twinge of guilt for that time he'd nearly killed her. Even though it had been nothing personal at the time.
"Alright," Emma relented. "But stay close to Mary Margaret and David, okay?"
Quickly, the throng started to break up into smaller groups. Soon, the only ones left at the library were Emma, Killian, Regina and Rumplestiltskin.
"Are you just going to stand there, Miss Swan?" Rumplestiltskin said accusingly. Killian glared at the imp, but stayed back. After the previous evening, he couldn't afford to lose his temper again. He would only step in if Emma absolutely needed him.
Emma looked hard at Rumplestiltskin. "No, Gold. I thought the four of us could look through the remains of the library, see if we could find a clue about where Belle went."
"Do you really think there is such a clue?" Regina said, clearly skeptical. Truthfully, Killian was skeptical as well, and told Emma so when she'd suggested it before they left the apartment.
"We won't know until we look, now will we?" Emma shot back. "If the magically inclined people want to help Killian and I search, you're welcome to. If not, then get out of my way."
Killian suppressed a smile at "magically inclined people." Emma's magic was something that only a select few knew about; obviously Regina and the Crocodile were not among them. Last night, when Emma pointed out that he could have inadvertently forced her to expose that knowledge to the imp, Killian had been horrified, but had been too caught up in his anger to tell her so. In trying to figure out Rumplestiltskin's game, he had nearly given the imp more reason to hate Emma. And that was unacceptable; so he apologized, determined not to let his temper get the better of him again. Not where Emma's safety was concerned.
While Regina seemed to accept this reasoning, the Crocodile did not. "I will search for Belle in my own way, if it's all the same to you, Miss Swan," he said and stalked off as well as he could.
"A little gratitude never hurt anyone," Emma muttered, as she entered the charred library.
"Rumplestiltskin is a very proud man, Miss Swan," Regina observed. "He hates asking anyone for help, especially someone like you."
"Well, he'll just have to suck it up and deal."
"Indeed."
Killian followed the ladies into the library; he wasn't quite sure what Emma expected to find. There wasn't much left. What books hadn't been completely destroyed, were crispy and burnt. The metal shelves had been partially melted and twisted in the heat of the flames. They searched high and low, digging through the debris. Regina even lifted some of the heavier things with magic, but it was no use. There didn't appear to be any sign that Belle had been there, nor a clue to where she had gone.
Killian was leaning against the far wall, wiping his brow with his handkerchief, when he felt something shift behind his back and the wall started to crumble. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed, as he fell. Killian instinctively held out his hand to break his fall; he landed awkwardly on his wrist and backside. It hurt like a son of a bitch – especially his wrist – but Killian gritted his teeth to keep from crying out.
"Killian!" Emma yelled. "Where are you?"
"Down here," he called back, even though he wasn't quite sure where "here" was. Cautiously he stood, testing his weight on the slightly blackened floor. When it held, Killian looked around the strange box type contraption he found himself in.
"Oh my god," Emma said when she found him. "Are you alright?" she asked, steeping heedlessly into the box. She looked him over, brushing some dust and soot out of his dark hair.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Took a bit of a tumble, but no harm done." He winced as he reached up to get Emma to stop fussing. His wrist still hurt like hell. Emma raised her eyebrows in question and Killian just shook his head warningly. Regina was right there, now was not the time for this particular discussion.
"I forgot this was here," Regina said.
"Yeah, well, you didn't have to climb out of it, Regina," Emma said. Killian looked at her questioningly, but Emma shook her head. "Did Belle know it was here? That's the question."
"I rather think she did," the Queen deadpanned. "Look."
Both Emma and Killian looked at where Regina was pointing. There was a large piece of parchment underneath Killian's feet. He bent over to retrieve it. The edges were a bit charred and there were a few water stains, but it was most definitely a map.
"The elevator must have protected it from the fire," Emma said.
"The what?" Killian asked. Regina rolled her eyes.
"Elevator," Emma explained. "It goes up and down between floors of a building usually."
"Usually?"
"Well, this one mostly goes down. I'll tell you the story later." Emma looked thoughtful. "Hey, you don't think Belle went down there, do you?"
"I think that is an excellent hypothesis, Miss Swan."
"But that doesn't explain why Gold couldn't find her with magic. If she's just down in the caves...oh my god."
"The caves go past the town line," Regina finished. "If Belle wandered down there without that," she continued, pointing at the map, "then she probably got lost and now she can't remember anything."
"Gold's going to freak."
The thought of Gold's love being unable to remember him? Killian was practically giddy at the thought. But he quickly sobered. If Belle were hurt, that would only make the Crocodile even more on edge, liable to lash out at anyone. And he had Emma to think about now. And Henry. Killian examined the map again.
"I think I can follow this," he said. "We should be able to find her, without getting lost ourselves."
"If she's down there." Emma pulled out her phone, checking in to see if anyone had found Belle in the forest. After each call, her frown lines deepened. "No one's seen her so far. Regina, would you mind staying here in case someone does? Killian and I can check the caves."
Regina reached into her pocket, pulling out a small stone. "Here, take this. It's a witchlight. It should light your way."
Emma accepted it gratefully. "Thanks." She turned back to Killian. "Ready?"
"Always, love."
Going down in the elevator was an odd sensation; it felt like falling but...not. Killian could hear the creak of the gears above them and tried not to be too worried about it. They would need this godsforsaken elevator contraption to return. When they got to the bottom, they stepped out into the cave. It was dark, but a few tiny shafts of light seeped though from the surface. Emma looked at him questioningly; Killian nodded. After they went about fifty feet from the elevator, Emma stopped.
"Here, give me your wrist."
Killian held out his wrist silently; a brief flash of light later, it was fine, the pain gone.
"Better?"
"Aye." Light sparkled off something nearby. "What's that?" he asked, pointing.
Emma followed his finger. "That? Is my mother's glass coffin."
"What?"
"Remember when we watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?"
"Aye, Leroy kept complaining through the whole thing. So the glass coffin bit was accurate?"
Emma shrugged. "More or less, from what Mary Margaret's told me. The sleeping curse was not as pleasant in real life though."
"But how did it get here?"
"No idea. It was here the last time I was down here though."
"You said there was a story behind that, darling. Care to share?"
"I'll explain as we go."
With that, Killian got out the map once more and examined it. Satisfied, he lead them down a tunnel off to his right. Once they were away from the main cavern, the light faded. Emma pulled out the gifted witchlight; it emanated a soft glow from the palm of her hand, just enough to light to walk by.
"Okay, story. The short version is that I had to come down here to kill a dragon. Maleficent to be exact."
"Sorry, did you say dragon?"
"Yep," she replied, matter of factly. "You want the long version, don't you?"
"It's only fair, love. I'd love to hear all about how you bested a dragon."
As they walked, Emma told the story. How Henry had eaten the poisoned turnover meant for her. How Rumplestiltskin had sent her on what turned out to be a fool's errand, to retrieve a potion that her own father had planted years before. How that potion was made from her parents' hair and brought magic to Storybrooke. And finally, how True Love's kiss brought Henry back from the dead.
When she finished, Killian grabbed her free hand, lacing their fingers together. "Looks like I'm not the only one with tales of adventure, love."
Emma looked at him askance. "More nightmare, less adventure. Trust me, it was less glamorous than it sounds. If Henry had died..."
"But he didn't. You saved him."
"Yeah and broke the curse. For all the good it's done."
"Henry is alive and well, you have your parents. I'd say it's done a world of good."
"And you," Emma cut in. "If I hadn't broken the curse, you'd still be stuck in the Enchanted Forest."
"See? Fate." He squeezed her fingers.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
They came to a fork; Killian let go of her and looked at the map again. The left fork appeared to be the one that lead away from town. And if Belle was truly past the influence of magic, then that's was where they needed to start looking. Killian lead them through the maze of tunnels, checking the map every so often. In some places they were nearly too narrow for a man to get through. Height was occasionally an issue as well. Killian wasn't claustrophobic, but the narrow tunnels did make him appreciate the open air. Who in their right mind would wander down into such a place?
The corridor they were moving down opened into a slightly bigger space. Killian felt a shiver down his spine and it wasn't from cold. "Did you feel that?" Emma asked.
"Aye."
"I think we're past the town line."
Killian didn't ask how she knew that as it was his suspicion as well. Things like that had happened to them since Emma saved his heart in Wonderland. It wasn't as strong for him since he wasn't magical himself, more like an echo. If Emma felt it, he felt it. That's why he'd been so worried and angry in the Crocodile's shop. He'd felt the pixie magic and Emma hadn't, something that hadn't happened before. There was still so much that they didn't know about their connection; it worried him sometimes. Emma never said anything, but Killian knew she was worried about her powers. But he wouldn't let anything happen to her; he could be her anchor.
"Belle?" Emma called. The sound echoed in the small space, but no one answered. "Maybe she's not even here."
Just then Killian heard a scrabbling sound off to the left. "There, love."
Emma lead the way, holding the witchlight high. The soft glow of the stone got brighter; Killian could see where the tunnel continued. Cautiously, Emma approached the narrow crack in the wall of small cave. "Belle?" she asked again.
"Go away!"
"Belle? It's me, it's Emma. The Sheriff? We're not going to hurt you, I promise."
More scrabbling sounds. "Who's Belle? Why do you keep calling me that? Just...just go away!" Poor girl was absolutely terrified.
"Okay, I'm backing up," Emma said, soothingly. "But you have to come out, Belle. It's not safe down here. Everyone's worried about you."
Long seconds passed. Finally, Killian saw Belle's dark head. "Who...who are you?"
"You don't remember, do you?" Emma asked.
"Sorry, no. Should I?"
"I'm Emma," Emma explained patiently. "This is Killian. Gold...someone who cares about you sent us to find you. You got lost."
"I did?"
"You always live in a cave, love?" Killian asked, with more sarcasm than he intended.
"Killian!" Emma hissed.
Belle ducked back into the crack in the wall. "Good job, Captain," Emma said, annoyed. "Stop helping." She turned back to where Belle was hidden. "Don't mind him. Sometimes he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."
After a bit more coaxing, Emma managed to get Belle to come out. She wrapped her arm around the smaller woman and turned to Killian. "Now how the hell do we get out of here?"
Killian was about to answer her when a blood curdling scream echoed in the cave. "What is that?" Belle screamed, pointing a shaking finger at Killian. At the same time, the terrified girl struggled to get out of Emma's grip. It took Killian a second to realize what had Belle in such a state: his hook. She'd seen his hook. He locked eyes with Emma, who nodded. Trying not to take offense, Killian shoved his left arm into his jacket pocket.
"Belle, Belle. It's gone now. It was nothing. See?" Emma said, pointing at Killian. "There's nothing to be afraid of."
Belle was still shaking. "He had a hook," she said plaintively. "I saw it."
"Don't know what you're talking about, love. Nothing in this pocket except my very own flesh and blood."
Belle continued to look at him skeptically. But gradually, she calmed down. Wordlessly, Emma and Killian agreed that it would be best to keep his hook out of sight until they reached the surface. If Belle freaked out again, she could wander even deeper into the caves. It would make the trip back awkward – Killian would need to do everything one handed – but what choice did they have? Cursing the Crocodile once again, Killian took out the map and plotted their way back. He lead them through the maze of caves and tunnels, Emma and Belle following closely. Emma held the witchlight in her hand as one would hold a flashlight, as not to freak Belle out further. It wasn't the best, but they made it work. Finally, they reached the elevator.
When the trio emerged from the elevator, Regina was waiting for them. Emma shook her head at the Queen's silent question. "We need to get her to the hospital," Emma said.
"I'll take her," Regina said. "You should break the news to Gold, Miss Swan."
Emma sighed. "Yeah, I guess." She turned to Belle. "Regina's going to take you to the hospital, okay? Make sure you're alright and everything."
Belle continued to look absently at the blackened library. "Do I know this place?" she asked.
Emma smiled sympathetically. "This is where you work. You live – well, used to live – upstairs."
"I don't remember."
"Do you know your name?"
"You keep calling me Belle, but I don't know who that is. It's not me. I," Belle frowned. "I don't know know who I am."
"It's okay," Emma said. "We'll help you. Just go with Regina. She'll get you fixed up at the hospital. I'll come by to visit you soon, okay?"
Belle nodded. Once she and Regina were gone, Emma slumped. "That could have been worse."
"Really, love? How, pray tell."
"Well, she could have seen magic," Emma pointed out. "We're lucky it was just your hook."
"Speaking of magic, do you think it can bring her memories back?"
"I doubt it, at least not any magic I've seen. Poor Sneezy still can't remember anything. I don't even know if we should try magic; you saw how much your hook freaked her out."
"That won't stop Rumplestiltskin."
"Oh god," Emma cried, kneading her temples with her fingertips. "He's going to flip."
"You're not going over there alone."
Emma glared at him. "I have to, Killian. After last night, you shouldn't be anywhere near that shop. I can handle Gold. I'm a big girl."
"I don't like it. He's hiding something, Emma. He finds out about Belle, he likely to lash out at you as much as look at you."
"I think he'll be too worried about Belle to bother with me," Emma said, reassuringly. She cupped his cheek with her hand, gently stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. "I will be fine, I promise. You can't protect me from everything."
"I can try."
Emma smiled. "This protection thing's a two way street, remember? I will feel better if you stay as far away from him as possible. Gold's got no quarrel with me, at the moment. At least not one that trumps Belle. Please do this for me?"
Killian turned his head, kissing her palm. "For you, love? Anything."
Emma leaned in and brushed his lips with her own. "Thank you. I'll send Henry over to the Jolly Roger when everyone gets back. He can help you clean up. I'll be along as soon as I can, okay?"
"Don't take too long, love."
He hated watching her leave, but he knew Emma was right. His presence would only make things worse. But he had to trust that Emma could handle herself. It was unlikely Rumplestiltskin would attack her; not even the imp would be so unreasonable as to blame Emma for Belle's predicament. The dark corner of his soul wished he could be there to see the look on the Crocodile's face, but he pushed it aside. If he did that, Rumplestiltskin would attack. That's why he was off to the Jolly Roger and Emma was walking into the lion's den alone.
