A BAT IN STORYBROOKE:

Chapter 7

Killian sat on a bench right outside of the Storybrooke Public Library, waiting for Henry. The pirate was hoping to talk to Henry about his problem with Fitzgerald without Emma knowing as soon as possible. Plus share the news about the crocodile's future child, minus the possibility of the baby becoming a horrible villain.

The school bell rang. Killian watched as numerous children got out of the building, all eager that school was over, hopping on the school bus or rushing to embrace their parents who came to pick them up. Just watching those kids being hugged by their parents after school was over made Killian envious: he never got the opportunity to be picked up after school by his father when he was a young boy. After his father abandoned him, Killian spent the rest of his childhood in the same military boarding school where Liam attended when he was Killian's age until he reached the proper age to be drafted in the army as a private. The younger Jones never knew what it was like to be hugged by your parent who came to bring you home after school and have a happy conversation of how your day was and guess what I made for you for dinner tonight.

Seeing those happy families gave Killian heartache.

"Hi, Hook!"

The pirate looked up to see Henry in front of him, backpack in hand and a toothy grin on his face. He gave Killian a hug as the pirate rose up.

This confused Killian: Henry had never given him a hug at all. They mostly gave each other friendly slaps on the back or a 'high-five', as the people in this realm did. But there have been no hugs between the pirate and the savior's son.

"Henry, are you all right, mate?" he asked, concerned.

"Of course I am!" the boy said gleefully. "Why?"

"You seem…unusually jumpy. And you've never given me a hug before."

Henry said nothing until he recovered. "Sorry, Hook. I've just a great day at school today and I can't wait to spend the rest of the afternoon with you."

"Oh, OK." Killian arched an eyebrow. "By the way, your grandfather Rumplestiltskin and Belle are having a baby."

"Really? That's amazing! I'll have another uncle or maybe an aunt that's thirteen years younger than me!"

Killian chuckled at Henry's enthusiasm. "Sure, mate. How do you feel about a ride on the JOLLY ROGER?"

"I'd love to!"

The two of them walked to the docks; with Killian unaware that, deep in Henry's chest, his heart wasn't there.

Deep down in the cave bellow Storybrooke's Library, where an endless abyss seemed to lead to a fiery end below the Earth's layers, Fidget unleashed an evil snicker. He was sitting on a chair on a rocky platform as he watched the scene between the codfish and the Dark One's grandson, laughing at the beginning of his plan's success as he held a golden heart in his hands: Henry's heart.

" 'How do you feel about a ride on the JOLLY ROGER! I'd love to!' Don't I just love it how my things are going according to my ultimate design!" he continued laughing. "And with the heart of Rumplestiltskin's grandson, which happens to be the heart of the truest believer, things are getting better!"

"I still don't get it. How did you manage to grab Henry's heart out of his chest despite its magical protection? Even your former mentor Cora wasn't even able to pull out Henry's mother's heart out."

Fidget stopped laughing and turned towards a cage that was dangling a few feet above the platform, easy enough for a standing person to grab it with his hands, where Rosetta was locked up. The Batrishan held her captive in case Henry decided to turn against him. The mention of his former magic mentor got his attention.

"Simple, really," Fidget told his prisoner. "I just happened to have the ability of ripping out anybody's heart, magic protection or not. I just didn't know how to do it until Queen Cora taught me how to rip out hearts during my apprenticeship in magic."

"Swordsmanship, cleverness, stealth, magic, and black pyrokinesis," Rosetta listed. "You prepared well for your confrontation with Hook."

"Indeed. And the codfish will fall into my deadly trap, hook, line, and sinker."

"Shame, really." Rosetta smirked at Fidget. "If you hadn't been so foolish all these years and actually listened to him during that horrible day, you wouldn't be at each others throats. You'd still be friends. But instead, you blame him for ruining the life that you ruined yourself!"

Fidget glared at the demigod, who smirked when she noticed how hard it hit him. Then, in a flash, he dashed towards the cave and shook it, causing Rosetta to fall on one side and get smacked on the face by her captor. His clawed sunk in her skin, causing her cheek to bleed.

"KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT ON THE MATTER, UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO HIT YOU ON THE EYEBALLS NEXT!" Fidget howled at her. "UNDERSTOOD?" Rosetta whimpered as she put her hand on her bleeding cheek.

Fidget sighed in exasperation as he summoned Henry's heart elsewhere and summoned chains on Rosetta's wrists before he opened the cage and forced the terrified child out of it. Saying nothing at first, he rested one hand under Rosetta's chin and pulled it up in order for the girl to look at him in his golden eyes, which had small crimson irises in them, making Fidget's glare even scarier for Rosetta.

"Let's make it clear," he said. "You and Henry cooperate just as I want you to, Killian dies, I get my revenge, you go back to your families, and everyone forgets what happened when I leave this town for good. It will be like nothing ever happened. You won't even remember me. Are we clear at this point?"

"Y…Yes," Rosetta whimpered through a nod.

Her captor gave her an evil, fanged grin. "That's a good girl." Just for the sake of teasing the child, he bent down and kissed her bleeding cheek, causing her cuts to fade away.