Emma rubbed the heels of her hands in a circular motion against her forehead, dragging them down and holding her palms against her face. There was a second knock. Emma took a deep breath.

"Come in." She closed her eyes to the wedge of light that came in with the door. Listening to Madeline pad across the floor, she cocked her head to the right, thinking, how had she never noticed the young woman walking barefoot? Emma swung her legs around and over the side of the bed, grabbing at the carpet with her toes. She felt her skin prickle to the movement of air around her, causing a shudder to ripple from her shoulders to her feet. It wasn't a completely uncomfortable sensation. Just something that was different, and something she had no frame of reference for.

"Good evening, Miss. I hope you had a pleasant sleep." Emma nodded out of habit, remembering that in the dark of her room, the girl could not see her assent.

"I did, thank you." Emma sensed something unfamiliar in the air, but it slipped away as the aroma of blood took its place. She opened her eyes in time to see Madeline reaching for the lamp switch. "That won't be necessary, Madeline. You can leave the light off."

"As you wish, Miss." She placed the tray on the nightstand with a practiced hand. "Will there be anything else, Miss?" Emma picked up the glass tumbler, swirling its contents around before knocking it back. Her head falling backwards, her mind slipped into a mild stupor as the liquid ran down her throat. She hummed silently, following it as it coursed throughout her system, rolling her lips in pleasure.

"No. Please tell Mr. Gold I'll be down shortly." Emma poured herself another glass. She was feeling strengthened by her dose of liquid courage, satisfied even, though she had no idea how to proceed with the changes wrought. She really had slept well, though she wanted to think that she had been dreaming, and what she remembered was fuzzy at best. Had she been paying attention to Madeline as she exited the bedroom, her new sight would have seen something disturbing.

Madeline pulled the door behind her as she left, a sneer twisting her normally placid demeanor into a mask of discontent. She wanted to throw up pretending to be so sweet. All 'Miss this, and Miss that.' Well Miss Emma was going to get hers. She had had enough of playing the handmaiden to that ungrateful cow. The woman had no appreciation for the gift she had been given. Wallowing all the time with her 'Poor pitiful me' attitude. She was going to throw Miss Emma under the proverbial bus and Master Gold was going to be the operator.

Madeline breathed in sharply and held her breath, taking a moment to smooth out the features of her face into an impassive mask of quiet. She would prove her worth to Gold and become one of those who walks at night and revels in the darkness.

Gold was seated in a burgundy leather wingback chair to the left of a blackened fireplace, rocking a gold headed derby cane slowly back and forth on its tip.

"Yes, Dearie?" Madeline kept her eyes in the direction of the floor, as she entered the sitting room. She could just make out the couple who stood on the edge of her periphery. A man and a woman, both brunettes, both tall and slender. The young woman bowed to a small degree at the mention of her name. "Madeline, what of Miss Swan?"

"Miss Swan says that she will be down shortly." The young woman backed out of the room stealing another glance at their guests, silently cursing herself at being distracted. "Good night, Sir."

Madeline offered up a reticent smile to Emma who was making her way down the stairs, as she herself was headed down the hall to her room.

Gold stretched out his legs. He leaned his cane against the seat cushion of his chair, picking up a snifter of brandy from the side table to his right. He contemplated the dark amber liquid, creating the tiniest whirlpool as he gently spun the glass. Raising the snifter to his nose, he inhaled a gentle aroma of fruit, remembering a woman he once loved long ago. Where has the time gone? He smiles fondly in the direction of his guests, and takes a sip. The alcohol travels smoothly across his tongue gently like the caress of that same lover, the burn just nipping at him ever so slightly.

"Milah, Killian, would you care for a drink?" Gold levered himself up and out of his chair. Impeccably dressed in a dark charcoal suit with nary a wrinkle in sight. He ran a hand down across a tie of shimmering dark gray, pressing it down easily against a very dark shirt. "I have no idea what is keeping Miss Swan." Despite his limp, he moved effortlessly over to an ebony sideboard with an array of several bottles and decanters.

"Aye. Rum if you have it." Killian turned away from his partner, who was quietly cooing in his ear. Gold reached down and slid a small door open on the cabinet, withdrawing an unobtrusive looking brown bottle with a levered stopper. He set a tumbler upright and poured out two fingers worth of rum into the glass.

"And Killian…" Gold handed him the tumbler. "Go gently." The man raised an eyebrow and his glass to Gold, his eyes growing wide with delight as the liquid crossed his lips.

"Now that, is rum." Milah smiled.

"Nothing for you, Milah? The woman shook her head.

"Not unless it includes her." She indicated to Emma who had just appeared at the entrance to the sitting room. Emma glanced quickly at their guests, Milah smiling the way she does at her. And for no reason at all Emma closes her eyes, feeling an ocean breeze from the south push the hair away from her face as she turns into the wind. The sound of seagulls crying as she watches them dive headfirst into the ocean spearing their prey.

"Milah, I think the girl has had enough." The woman giggled. Killian walked over to Emma, touching her lightly on the hand. "Good evening." Emma's eyes blinked rapidly, shaking a mane of blonde hair as her head cleared. Realizing that she had been charmed again her eyes darkened, glaring at Milah. She felt her hands roll into fists and took a step forward, only to have Killian block her path. He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Another time." Emma knew what was happening the moment he spoke, powerless to prevent it happening to her. She had just been tag-teamed by Fae Jedi, but it didn't stop her from lowering her fangs in a sign of displeasure."

"Fine." Emma unclenched her fists, but the muscles in her body were now thrumming as they tensed with a restrained energy. It was then she happened to notice Gold leaning against the sideboard, arms crossed, still nursing the drink in his left hand. She spotted the faintest up turn at the corner of his mouth, showing he was clearly enjoying the antics of his guests. Emma ground her teeth, making no effort to hide her annoyance.

"Miss Swan." Gold wagged two fingers at his mouth and pointed to her. Emma slid her tongue across her teeth as they retracted. "It's good to see you coming out of your shell, dearie." Two years. Emma felt disdain and more, for Gold.

Killian and Milah's presence could only mean that their meeting the night prior was no accident. It made her wonder what Madeline's role was in all of this. The girl was practically gleeful about helping Emma escape for the evening. Emma's thoughts had begun to derail, realizing with a certain clarity, that her life was less hers than she had imagined. She could feel the thin strands of courage slipping from her heart, and yet there was the trace of something willing her not to quit. Something still too small to grasp. And what about Regina? Had she played her as well? Emma felt sick to her stomach.

"Come Miss Swan, have a seat. You look absolutely pale." Gold gestured for her to have a seat. She flinched at the nervous twitter she heard coming from Milah.

"I'll stand, thanks." She shoved her hands deep into her back pants pockets. The earlier mirth in Gold's eyes hardened into a dark metal matching the sheen of his suit, but the smile remained. Emma studied the toes of her boots, feeling a rush of heat rise quickly to the tips of her ears. Her shoulders slumped forward at any hope of slipping away for the evening began to evaporate before her eyes.

"I don't think you understand Miss Swan." Gold slipped a hand unnoticed into the left pocket of his suit coat. "You should sit down, before you fall down."

Emma reached up to scratch at the scar on her neck. She wanted a fight. She wanted to fight Gold. But it was doubly hard to be brave when you were in that fight alone.

"Miss Swan." Emma heard the warning in Gold's voice as he spoke. She took a deep breath, feeling as though she was rooted to the floor, the weight of gravity pressing down on her. She stepped to her right, taking up a place in a straight-backed chair next to the entrance of the sitting room.

"When you speak with The Morrigan, please express to her my sincere gratitude."

x x x x

Turns out I was not entirely happy with this chapter, and found that I was a "Writer in Search of an Exit." for this chapter. This thing continues to morph and I'm actually kind of okay with that.

I've also discovered that I need time to decompress when I complete a chapter, hence the delays. I am working on making them not so far apart. Good luck to me for that.

Long Live SQ!