A/N: alright people, we finally coming to the point where this whole fic idea started in my head. You'll know what I mean at the end of this chapter. That's where all the fun begins ;)

For once more I wana say how effected I am by all your responses. As a beginner writer, all those numbers of followers, favorites, views…makes my heart swell.


A hurried knock on her office door in the early morning made Regina groan in annoyance, when she glanced at her watch. Way too early to deal with mindless human beings, before even finishing her latte.

"Who is this?" she didn't care one bit that her voice sounded quite hostile.

The door flew open before someone answer back and a stormy Emma Swan was standing in the middle of her office.

"Uhm sorry Regina but I really needed to see you as soon as possible."

Regina let a heavy sigh drop from her red lips.

Emma wonder how some people, apparently including Regina, can get up in the crack of dawn and make a perfectly straight black line around their eyes, or put on so much hairspray that not even one hair is out of order.

But of course Regina Mills always was a woman of order. And not only on her job. They weren't calling her "the evil queen" for no reason. She had earned that nickname with her strict and cold character, including her spotless makeup and her crisp suits.

Emma didn't know what to think about her own state of clothing and make up. Hurrying to leave home she threw on whatever she found in front of her, her hair was a mess from the windy car ride and there was even a ketchup stain on her sleeve, which thankfully was hidden under her brown leather jacket. Not even a mention about make up.

Emma shook her head in order to focus on more important things that were urgent right now.

"To what do I own the honor miss Swan?" Regina said completely uninterested.

"I need your help"

Emma explained Regina the case and how she was trying to prove Killian Jones innocent, but she needed extra help if she wanted to do that with no actual clues. She gave her all the details and everything she knew hoping desperately that Regina with her experience in law, would see a window out that Emma herself couldn't see.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan…" Regina raised from her chair and walked around her huge desk to stand in front of the window that was holding a breathtaking view of the harbor "…but there is nothing I can do to help you and your friend. If things are like you say, the only thing you can do is hope for his time in jail pass by fast. I don't suppose he will get many years as it has."

Regina now turned around and with crossed arms in front of her chest looked at Emma who seemed like she was expecting something more.

"But…" Emma stuttered looking for words "…there is got to be something, the guy is innocent. I mean… he is not a saint, I know that, but the thing they accusing him now isn't true."

"And how can you be so sure when there is no proof of that Miss Swan?" Regina's raised eyebrow was a classic intimidating move she used but Emma knew she couldn't tell her how she was so sure. Not if she wanted to keep her job and avoid getting in trouble.

"I just do" she simply said "I can sense when someone is lying and I know he isn't"

Regina chuckled dryly "of course, I forgot you have superpowers miss Swan, I've heard the same silly thing in an older case when we crossed paths again. The Booth case, wasn't it? When you worked your magic to solve the case." Emma followed her with her eyes as Regina walked across the room to grab a file from the shelf behind her desk.

"Too bad for you that the court doesn't take these kind of abilities as reliable sources". Regina took her seat as she opened the file in front of her and put on her glasses. "Have a nice day miss Swan" was her last words before she bend her head and started reading.

Emma stood there frozen for a few seconds before Regina lifted her head just a bit to look at her behind her glasses and nod her head towards the door, to make clear she has been dismissed.


The horn of Emma's bug was pushed a little more violently than necessary when the car in front of her didn't start in time with the green light. The warmth of the day had Emma take off her jacket and throw it in a ball in the back seat while a stack of papers were in the passenger seat next to her.

Leaving Regina's office while hitting once again dead end, made Emma's frustration grow. The unusual traffic wasn't helping either. At the next red light she rubbed her temple with her thumb to avoid the headache that was coming.

She needed more time.

He needed more time.

Until suddenly something clicked in her brain. Regina's words came back and a strange idea swirled around her head. Maybe it wasn't a good idea though. But was there any other option?

Without much thinking she grabbed her phone from her purse and typed a text to Ruby.

Meet me at the Rabbit Hole in 10'

She turned the bug around at the next light to head there. If anyone would support her in this idea, that would be Ruby.


"I knew you had a thing for that guy!" Ruby's wicked smile was saying all her brain was thinking before even Emma had the chance to explain properly.

"Shhh! Can you lower your voice?" Emma looked around to see if any of the few patrons turned their attention on them "and I don't have any thing for Killian, okay?"

Ruby rolled her eyes in a 'yeah right…' kind of way.

When Emma met her few minutes earlier and told her what she had in mind, she could imagine that if any other person was sitting across from her on that bar stool, their reaction would have been 'are you out of your mind?'. But maybe that's why her choice was Ruby, the only person who would not only support her in this, or not attempting to stop her but also being thrilled about it apparently.

"Oh come on Ems, I mean okay the guy might be innocent and all, but you wouldn't do this for anyone. You got to like him at least" 13:30 PM but still Ruby sipped at her very blue cocktail in front of her. "And you're talking to me… you can't fool me, I know you well enough by now to recognize that look in your face" she pointed with her index finder in Emma's face.

Emma grabbed it and lowered it on the counter top letting a sigh out "okay, okay. I…may…like him a little bit"

Ruby's eyes went wide "Ha!" but Emma stopped her before she start her victory dance around the place.

"But! That has nothing to do with my decision to help him avoid jail and gain some extra time to find more proofs that he is innocent."

"Are you sure you thought this through? Cause I'm all with you here, but it still doesn't change the fact that it's a huge responsibility" Ruby's gaze was softer now and more serious.

Emma nodded while she toyed with the cup in front of her "Yeah…I think he needs someone to believe in him for once, and for some strange reason, I do"


It was the next morning, in fact the last morning they had before the trial, that Emma had to convince David for the chance she was willing to take. She didn't expect anything less than David's actual reaction the minute he heard her. "There is no way I'm letting you do this" was his opinion and he was determined to stick with it firmly, as he stated himself.

But Emma knew he would turn around, as he always did, since the moment he met her. He was well aware of her stubborn personality and she was aware of his weaknesses and how to make him agree with anything in her head.

And with some 'dark magic' as Ruby had called it, she succeeded again this time.

Not that he had much of a choice when she started telling him that she is a grown woman who knows how to take care of herself. That she knew what she was doing. That she felt like she was doing something important after all those dead boring cases in this quiet town.

And after he made her promise him that she will be extra careful around him, he sighed defeated.


He had no idea how long had it been since that trial started, but he didn't pay much attention to the words that were coming out of judge's Mills mouth. Killian was pretty sure by now that he was going to jail. Once again.

He hadn't heard a word from Emma since the day she visited him in his cell and he was pretty sure that wasn't a good sign. He couldn't blame her, she tried and she didn't owe him anything. It was already too much that she offered to help him out in the first place.

Not to mention when he crashed at her place and she treated him with kindness beyond what he deserved.

But the trial started already and Emma Swan was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was better this way.

Killian raised his eyes the moment he heard hurried steps in the room.

"Your honor, I need to inform you about something" said the man who walked in first, followed by Emma. She was here.

Suddenly Killian's interest in what was happening came to life and he followed the whole scene in front of him with wide eyes.

He watched as the officer leaned close to the judge as he came near her and whispered something in her ear. He gave her a paper with something she read way too fast and the judge sighed almost annoyed.

She ordered for quiet in the room, after the fuss that followed the recent actions, and she announced "in lack of proofs Killian Jones will be under the custody of an officer 24/7 instead of the option of temporary custody in prison, until further notice, when new clues are found. Session is over" and the loud bang of the little hammer was heard.

Before Killian had time to process all that was happening, people were starting exiting the room, the judge was gathering her papers into her bag and the officer that entered minutes ago was now taking him by his forearm and pulling him with him.