So back to business after my night off, I hope you enjoy this.

As always please review.

Occultae Veritatis, Hidden Truth

Henry and Belle had set up in the back of Gold's shop, it was the best place to be with all the stuff Belle had collected being right on hand to help them with their research. It was getting late and Belle had put Neal down about an hour before using an old crib in the front shop as a temporary place for his Uncle to sleep but as tired as he was Henry was determined to carry on. His Moms and the others had been out all day searching the woods and he hoped that they'd have good news when they got back. He grabbed the coffee that he had been sipping and took another mouthful to discover it had gone cold, surely he hadn't been distracted that long? He looked up at the clock on the wall to see that it was nearly nine, wow.

Belle walking back into the room with take out from Granny's brought his attention back to the table as she placed the food down in front of him and his stomach gave a growl.

"Thought we could use some food. I think we've probably done enough for today Henry. We can start again tomorrow." she said with a kind smile as she reached across and closed the book in front of him.

"What if tomorrow is too late" he threw back, he was not stopping now.

"Henry you have not stopped in hours, you are tired. I understand that you want to help and believe me when I say I am not giving up BUT you need sleep."

"I just want them home" Henry sighed and slumped back in his chair

"I know, we all do" she smiled sweetly again and rubbed his back in a soothing motion "Now eat otherwise your Mom will kill me when she gets back"

"When are they heading home?" Henry asked as he picked up an onion ring and popped it into his mouth.

"Soon" was all she replied but she wouldn't look at him, she was hiding something. When would they all stop trying to protect him.

"What's wrong?" he said sitting up straighter tipping his head in anticipation of her answer.

Belle gave a long sigh then looked him in the eye "They haven't found anything Henry, nothing, not the smallest clue. It's like they have all just disappeared into thin air. I didn't want to worry you, I'm sorry"

Henry threw down his onion ring and grabbed the book again, he was not stopping now, he was sure that there were answers in these pages.

"Don't try and stop me Belle, I need to do this, the answer is in here I can feel it and after all I am the Author so I should know" he gave her a wry smile and she crumbled

"Fine BUT you eat first and do not get grease on that book" she said with a laugh "I'm going to check on Neal, back in a minute."

Henry laughed too as Belle walked from the room and he pushed the book slightly back to pull his meal closer but the book tipped off the edge of the table and he gasped as he saw it falling to the floor not knowing what was going to happen. It landed with a loud clunk but other than that it remained as it was... just a book.

Henry sighed heavily, what was it with this book? He looked quickly to the door as Belle called out from the other room.

"You alright Henry? What was that?"

"I'm OK, it was nothing to worry about" he yelled back, he wasn't lying.

He slid from his chair to stoop down and retrieve the book from the carpet but as he reached out his hand he stopped furrowing his brow, the book lay with just the back cover open showing the patterned paper that lined the inside of the leather binding. He looked closer to see that it wasn't just a pattern it was minuscule but it looked like writing. He picked up the book and placed it back on the table then grabbed a magnifying glass from Belle's desk. He was back at the book in seconds peering closely at the pattern before him to find that it was indeed writing but he couldn't read it, it looked strange, Latin maybe?

His heart picked up a beat as he grabbed hold of the book again and practically ran to the doorway bursting through the bead curtain smiling like a mad man at Belle as she turned in surprise at the noise.

"What is it Henry?" she asked urgently

"I think I've found something"

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He pulled himself across the sand towards the fire to throw more wood onto it, the flames had died down and he didn't want to let it go out now that it was dark outside, he did not want to sit in the dark. David had fallen asleep a while ago and Killian didn't have the heart to wake him knowing that he was probably in for a long night trying to stop him falling asleep so he'd leave him as long as he could. Killian was beyond tired but the alternative was not something he was willing to even think about so he shook his head again trying to chase the sleep away..

Adding the wood was awkward as he couldn't lean on his left arm due to his sore back so he ended up lying on his side and adding one piece at a time and by the time the flames were roaring again he was sweating heavily from the effort. He didn't have the energy to sit himself back up and could feel sleep tugging at him as he lay back on the sand staring up into the night sky above him.

He could vaguely make out some of the stars and he smiled to himself, they always brought him comfort no matter what realm he was in. It had taken him hardly anytime to chart Storybrooke's night sky and he recognized the constellation he was seeing as Ursa Major or the Great Bear as Swan had called it. He wondered where she was, was she searching for them? Did they even know that they were still alive?

He sighed closing his eyes, of course she was looking for them she didn't know of any other way to be, she would not give up. He smiled to himself imagining her by his side, stroking the side of his face lovingly as they both lay next to the roaring fire.

"What are you smiling at Pirate?" she said with a grin as she tucked her hands under her chin and rested her head on his chest.

"Just happy Love" he replied as he tipped his head slightly to see her.

"This is nice, isn't it?" she sighed

He had to agree, there was nothing better than lying next to a fire on a cold winter evening as the snow fell outside... wait... his eyes shot open again and he looked around again to see his old room at Granny's, damn it, he had fallen asleep again but at least this time he knew that.

He sat up sharply shoving the imposter off of himself gasping as all his injuries made themselves known at his movement.

"You are NOT real" he snarled

"On the contrary, I am very real, I'm just not Emma Swan but she will do for now" the imposter smiled back "I wondered how long it would take you to realize that you were dreaming, this just makes things a bit more difficult but I do like a challenge."

Killian couldn't believe it, he had fought so hard to stay awake but he had failed and now he didn't know what was going to happen, would he get out of this trip unscathed?

"What do you want?" he asked pulling himself further away to lean against the nearest chair.

"What does anyone want Captain? We all just want to be well fed and happy and right now I am both so thank you"

Killian was confused "I don't understand, I have done nothing to aid you"

"On the contrary, you have done plenty Dear Captain, plenty" Emma said slyly

"STOP SPEAKING IN BLOODY RIDDLES" he yelled out in frustration but all the imposter did was laugh as she pulled herself to her feet and stalked towards him.

"Now that's not nice, I thought you would appreciate a change of pace. Some time to relax and recuperate but it would seem that you are keen to proceed. Is that what you want Pirate? Do you want to see what your Emma has in store for you?"

"I want you to bugger off and leave me be" Killian grit out eyeing the imposter with caution but showing no fear.

"I'm sorry but that option is not on the table. You had the chance to have some time to gather yourself but you had to ruin things"

"You are not Emma, why would I want to spend time with you? I'd rather take whatever else is coming."

"Suit yourself" the imposter replied raising an eyebrow high on her head and shrugging.

Killian watched as she circled around him not knowing what she was going to do. She stopped by his feet and let herself appraise him from head to toe but before he knew what was happening she bent down quickly grabbing him by his right ankle and yanked him hard. He yelled out in pain as he slid across the floor hook dragging across the surface leaving a furrow of splinters behind him. She walked into the center of the room where she dropped his leg with a thud onto the smooth wooden floor making Killian cry out again as his foot hit the floorboards and sent waves of pain through him once more, he curled onto his side and just lay with his eyes clamped shut breathing heavily into polished surface as the imposter continued to circle him.

"Your Emma is an untrusting soul you know, she's never truly believed that you had changed. She always keeps that thought in the back of her mind, that you will one day betray her and her family and because of that she is always prepared to do this" she snarled as she drew her foot back and kicked him full force in his ribs. He barked out a cough at the contact and his whole chest locked as the air whooshed from his body, he couldn't breath, couldn't get air but eventually nature took it's course and the oxygen rushed through his system again when his lungs managed to lurch back into use.

"I know... that is a lie... there is nothing... you could say... about her... that I would believe... She loves me... and I her" he managed to gasp out as he stared at the fake Emma with his best scowl.

"You may be right, she may love you but she is not coming." she stooped down in front of him and laughed in his face "You think she is looking for you? You poor fool. They all think that you are dead, both you and the Prince. I made sure of that by leaving a very gruesome scene back where we met in that clearing. You should just accept the fact that after tomorrow all that will remain of the two of you are a couple of names on two shiny new headstones in the cemetery"

Killian was numb, was this true? Did the whole town think that they were dead? Was he really stuck in this hell with no way out? He couldn't believe what was happening, he was never getting out of here. Was he really was stuck in this hell with no escape? Was he destined to spend the rest of his days at the mercy of this daemon with no one to help him and no way to fight back?

Killian was just too tired to do anything to defend himself and as such when the imposter finally made another move he just lay trying his best to curl himself into a ball to protect himself the best he could as blow after blow rained down on him leaving him bruised and bloody on the floor. He gave a silent prayer for death, it would be a relief to just feel nothing as wave after wave of pain washed over him. Fake Emma wore a look of utter contempt as she kicked, punched and stamped her way up and down his body but he couldn't move, he couldn't do anything other than grunt at the impact of every blow until she eventually stopped.

"Ahhhh much better... nothing like a good dose of despair and hopelessness before the day is out. Thank you Captain" Emma's face appeared in his line of vision as she bent low to look at her handy work. She blew him a kiss and gave him a wink before stepping back "Sleep tight Killian, I'm sure your friend will be awake soon to help you, get some rest I think you have given me enough for tonight but I will see you in the morning"

With that she was gone and he was once more back in the cave lying next the the fire that seemed to be dying down again. He tried to move but every part of him ached causing him to groan loudly as he let his head fall into the sand.

"Hook?" David's sleepy voice sounded from over by the wall. "What are you doing over there?"

He couldn't reply, all he could do was groan again but it got his message across as David skidded to his side seconds later with a look of total shock on his face as he stared at him through wide eyes.

"Oh my God. What happened?" David held his hands out over him like he didn't know what to touch without causing more pain but Killian couldn't answer, the cave was fading out and there was nothing he could do to avoid it. This was not sleep, this was his body simply saying it had had enough and Killian just hoped that the fake Emma had been telling the truth when she had said that she wouldn't be back until morning, at least he would get a few hours of peace before the torture started again.