Kyle Jones had run out of the house as soon as she had come. She was mean, and he didn't like her. His father didn't see her as mean, but then again, he was almost as bad as her. So, the young teen had left them alone, and boarded his ship. To the rest of the world, it was a crude raft with a small sail, but to Kyle, it was a magnificent beauty, and his only way to escape from reality. While on the lake, he was Captain Killian Jones, the fiercest pirate to ever sail the seven seas. Tonight, he and his crew, consisting of the anchor, mast, and two oars, were headed to their secret hideout for a much needed hiatus from the dangers of the ocean. After all, two years at sea nonstop was enough to make even the most dedicated sailor crave a day or two of respite.

"First mate, you need to nudge the Jolly Rodger a little to the starboard," he ordered, and then moved the sail himself. "Good, now, steady on." Killian smiled to himself as his hideout came into view. Tonight was going to be …

Something fell and crashed into the water on the port side. Killian got just enough of a look to see it was a person. "Man overboard!" he informed the crew, before knocking over his helmsman, aka the anchor, and diving in after whoever it was that had just been foolish enough to jump off a cliff.

Ignoring the frigid water, Killian swam deeper and deeper. Soon, he was much farther under the surface than he had ever gone before. Just as he thought he would be unable to find the person, his hand felt a sinking rock that was attached to a rope. Killian pulled out the knife a good pirate captain always kept on him and cut the rope in one swift motion. Then, he swam up slightly and found the suicide jumper.

At that point, he was almost out of air, but he grabbed the person and kicked for the surface. As soon as he made it, Killian breathed in a huge gulp of air. It was fairly easy after that to drag the man, as he could now tell by the suit and tie, even though he had long hair, onto his vessel. There, he felt for a pulse and a breath, and was relieved to find both. However, that relief was short lived once he realized that the man was bleeding, and pretty badly too, by the look of him.

"Why don't we have a medic on this bloody ship?!" Bloody was what he used instead of curse words, since he got in trouble for using them. Of course, bloody seemed more apt a word for a pirate anyway. When his crew didn't answer, Captain Killian Jones set a course for the hideout, as before, after rescuing his helmsman from the murky waters.

It was obvious his new passenger had been a prisoner before being rescued by the crew of the Jolly Rodger. He was blindfolded, and had been gagged before Killian took that off to make sure he was still breathing. He was tied up, had a rock tied to his leg, and had been shot. Which meant that his captors had really wanted him dead. A gunshot might not kill him? Okay, we'll drown him as well.

All this to say that if a stranger with a gun wound showed up in the small town near the lake, whoever wanted to kill this man would have another chance at it. It was too dangerous to take him there, so Killian decided he'd take care of the man; at his hideout. That way, the man would be safe and the criminals who wanted him dead would think themselves successful, while in reality the witness to their crime was still alive. A win for all except the criminals; assuming Captain Killian Jones could learn how to be a doctor before his passenger died.

Killian sighed to himself as he pulled into his favorite port. He and his crew had a huge task ahead of them.

Belle had always had a gift of seeing the best in people. She could explain away the behavior of her own bullies in high school, saying that they were just insecure. Her friends knew to come to her if they needed to find the good hidden inside of themselves or a rival, and Belle had never failed to find good qualities in anyone. Until she had met Shepard.

Who, besides a demented, twisted demon, would say, "Good morning, Baden. I had your father killed last night. Let's go play outside," and then have the audacity to wonder what he had done to upset the little boy? Thank goodness he'd had to go shopping. It had given her time to soothe Baden, and tell the boy that Shepard was probably lying, since he had no evidence. She'd told him not to worry, that his father would be there soon, and that he would have to put on a brave face when Shepard got back so they didn't get hurt again.

The little boy had nodded, and he believed her that his father was okay. Belle desperately hoped she was right.

…

Shepard got back at six, and then had Belle cook dinner while he and Baden played Operation again. He had a sick fascination with that game. Belle sat in between them again, guarding against any harm their captor might inflict on Bae. Again, Shepard didn't notice. He spent most of dinner praising himself on the death of Baden's father. Baden was able to outright ignore him, since Belle had told him that Shepard was lying. After dinner, they read Goodnight Moon again, and he forced Baden into the basement.

Belle was shocked when he closed and locked the trapdoor without putting her with Baden. "Sorry, my dear, but it's not bedtime for you yet." At first, she was afraid he'd hurt her, but then he led her outside, where another woman was waiting.

"Hello, Melena. This is Belle, my lovely maid," he informed the other woman.

"Alright, Shepard, I can handle her from here. Why don't you go back inside and get some sleep?"

"Fine," he grumbled. "I hope she's here in the morning. She makes amazing pancakes for breakfast." Then, without so much as an explanation, he walked back into the cabin and closed the door.

"Now, dear, are you alright? He hasn't hurt you, has he?" Melena was trying to sound compassionate, but something in her voice sounded off to Belle.

"Skip the pleasantries. What do you want?"

"Well, well. Very perceptive and bold for a simple librarian and want-to-be author," Melena said icily, her tone changing once she realized Belle could see right through her. "I came here to offer you a choice. You can leave this place. We'll let you go, and you can go back to your life."

"And what's the cost?" Belle knew these people never did a something-for-nothing deal, and she wanted to know the price for such a huge gain.

"Tell the police Gold went mad. Kidnapped his own son, and shot him. Then, he miraculously let you go, and you have no idea where he went."

Belle's eyes widened in realization. "Gold is Baden's father, and you want to frame the kidnapping on him. Not only that, but he really is dead. You want to blame him and say Baden's dead so the cops will stop looking for him."

"Well dear, I must say I'm quite impressed. It's quite refreshing to work with someone who has a brain on their shoulders, instead of the fumbling idiots I'm used to." Melena thought she had found someone similar to herself, and was pleased that this would work out.

"Yes, well, I prize my heart above my brain," Belle informed the criminal. "I will not abandon Baden like that. Sorry, but I'm staying right here with him."

Then, overcome with rage that, yet again, someone was choosing a little kid over logic, Melena punched Belle in the stomach. The librarian yelled out and sunk to her knees, right before a second punch landed on her left eye. Before Melena could strike again, an unexpected voice spoke.

"Melena, what did she say?" Shepard was standing at the door, looking at his partner in crime.

"She refused the deal."

"Yay!" he yelled unexpectedly, and clapped his hands together. "Come on, you need your rest, if you're going to make me chocolate chip pancakes tomorrow."

The insane man pulled Belle to her feet, and locked her in the basement with Bae. The little boy ran over and hugged her, and yet again, fell asleep in her arms. Belle wondered if Baden would be able to sleep without her when all of this was through. She was trying to ignore her pain in her eye and stomach when it hit her. Their captor had one identifiable good quality; his love of pancakes and protection of those who made them.

Kyle had tried to nurse his patient back to health until sunrise, to no avail. It appeared that one needed more than a rudimentary knowledge of healing to help someone recover from a gunshot wound. There was nothing he could do, save enlist the help of Dr. Hopper, the town's doctor and psychiatrist. However, when he got back to town, his father was waiting for him. He had been in huge trouble for being gone all night. His father wouldn't let him out of his sight. Kyle spent the whole day doing chores and being scolded by his father.

He was relieved when it was finally bedtime. However, it took his father several hours to go to bed after he had forced Kyle to, so he had to stay up several hours waiting. Finally, once Mr. Jones was asleep, Kyle was free to go retrieve the doctor. He opened the window, and climbed down very easily. His father knew Kyle was scared of heights, so he never worried about his son attempting such a stunt.

Of course, Mr. Jones was right. Kyle was terrified of heights. However, Killian was not. Pirates weren't scared of anything, so all Kyle had to do was become the pirate captain, which came as easily to him as breathing. The only time it was hard for the teen to think of himself as the pirate was when he was around his father.

Soon, Killian was sneaking into Dr. Hopper's house, and up the stairs. So what if it was midnight? It wasn't like the doctor was that busy; it was such a small town that he could easily juggle the jobs of doctor and psychiatrist with loads of time to spare.

..

Dr. Archibald Hopper was all for meeting patients where they felt most comfortable. As a psychiatrist, he understood the importance of a positive atmosphere, and he tried to create the environment most suited to the particular client. However, as he sat on a small raft on the middle of the lake in the middle of the night, he thought he might have taken this one a bit too far.

"In all honesty, Dr. Hopper, I don't need your help as a psychiatrist," Kyle told him, and he started to really consider why he was here.

"Well then, Kyle, I mean, Killian," he corrected himself. The fourteen-year-old preferred the name he had given himself, and Archie did his best to remember that, knowing it was his way to deal with his father. "Why don't you take me back to town? It's late, and we both need our sleep."

"But I still need you," Killian insisted. "I just need your doctor side instead of your psychiatrist one." Dr. Hopper sighed.

"Alright, Killian, what's wrong?" He wished the boy would stop steering the raft so he could have a normal conversation.

"I found a hurt man last night," Killian said as if that was an everyday, or night, occurrence.

"What? How bad is he hurt?" the doctor questioned, concerned and wishing he had moved more quickly once he discovered that Killian was in need of his help.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Killian questioned as they pulled into his secret hideout. Dr. Hopper followed the teen off the raft, and caught sight of his patient.

Author's Note: I am now busy, so I won't be able to update as often. I will try to update at least once a week.