Author's note:

Ok so the reason I put Emma's adopted father in America was because I was lost on who he could be (not the best) but I've finally chosen who he can be so he might be in this chapter or one in the near future.

Disclaimer: bip bop bam. No? Damn!

The future to come

February 18 1717- continued

She's been gone for almost an hour and he's starting to worry. She said she was going somewhere safe and that she wouldn't be long, but an hour is long and the only reason the time would have been extended would be danger.

Killian scans the crowd around the coffee house, trying to remain calm as he searches for her blond hair or white hood. His heart is racing, there is something off, and he can sense it.

"Well, well, and Mr Gold thought you'd left the country" a woman says behind him. He grimaces and looks up at her. Her painted lips are twisted into a growling sneer as she stares him down. Four guards stand behind her, their hands on the hilts of their sword, sizing him up.

"Regina… wonderful" he sighs, keeping his eyes on her as she circles the table to sit down, her black dress swishing around her as she moves. Her dark hair curling down the side of her head and her red Templar cross necklace standing out on her chest. He had a feeling that something very bad was going to happen, and now that he knows she's here, he's figured out why.

"I'm so glad I was right" she laughs "you were dumb enough to stay in England" she taunts, grinning at him as if she's already won.

"Well you know me, I'm not one to run away from a fight" he smirks, hiding his worry for Emma behind a façade of nonchalance.

"You think I don't know? Everyone knows why you betrayed us. The Assassin that Spencer captured. He said you were acting odd as soon as you found out she was there, and then suddenly you both disappear" she smirks "not hard to put two and two together, dear"

"I don't know what you're talking about" he says, assessing his options for escape. He can't try the exit behind him because the guards are standing there, can't make a mad dash of the front door because he'll undoubtedly get shot in the back. He doesn't really want to run but he needs to make sure Emma is alright, which is why he's not planning to fight his way out.

"You can't escape" she smiles coldly "I've made sure of it"

"Is that so?" he hears a click and turns. A pistol is pointed at his head and behind it are the cold merciless eyes of Lilith, another Templar, known for her ability to kill without blinking an eye. He turns back to Regina as she cackles at the unfortunate situation she's put him in.

"Like I said no escape. So I have a question, where are the Assassins hiding?" Regina sneers

"I've no clue" he shrugs. There's a flash of movement on the building across where he's sitting and he stops himself from looking directly at it. He has a feeling he knows exactly what the movement was. "I don't know why you think I'd have any idea where they are. I've only met the one and I haven't seen her since" he smirks, a new level of confidence rising in his chest. He knows he will not be the one to die this day.

"You're lying" she shouts "tell me where they…"

She's cut off by a crack and a lead piece flying past them into Lilith. She falls, her pistol hitting the ground moments before she does. He jumps to his feet and looks to the roof where he saw the movement, it's Emma with a rifle in her hands and a puff of smoke rising from it.

He can see Regina's face redden with rage, the smug look wiping off her face as her guards behind him also fall over dead. He doesn't know who killed them but he doesn't really care, the look of fear and anger on Regina's face at her failure, amusing him far more than to question it.

"Well it's seems you've lost that upper hand" he taunts as two unknown Assassins flank her.

"I will get you back for this one Jones" she growls, struggling against the Assassins binding her.

"I rather think not" he smirks.

The Assassins drag her away and he looks back at Emma, still on the roof. But now she's not alone.

/./././././././.

/./././././././.

She saw the Templars in the area, walking toward the coffee house where she left Killian. She knew she wouldn't have been able to get to him before they did, so she did the next best thing. She got the help of Robin and Ruby and set up a last minute ambush.

They'd snuck through the back while she took up a decent vantage point on the roof, ready to take a shot that'd give them their best chance of taking them all out. She had one shot and she chose the biggest threat to Killian. If she chose anyone else he would have most certainly ended up dead.

"Nice shot" a familiar voice sound from behind her.

"I had a great teacher" she smiles, keeping her eyes on what's going on in the coffee house. "I'm glad you're back, brother"

"Ah so I'm back to being your brother again? I really wish I understood your moods Emma. Last time I saw you I'm fairly sure you were planning my demise"

"It was hardly my fault your father adopted me, August and I wasn't planning to kill you. I already did that a long time ago… Where is he, our shared father?" she sighs. She remembers the days growing up alongside August, training with him. She didn't have any siblings before her parents died, so August has always been her brother, even if he isn't really her brother.

He chuckles and steps up beside her "Back at the sanctuary. Victor had mentioned your sudden need for help and I came to check on you, he had business to do so he stayed. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I needed help for his sake" she says nodding toward Killian. He's watching them from the doorway, his head tilted in curiosity.

"And who is he?"

"Killian. An ex Templar. He saved my life" she rolls her shoulders, wincing as her still sore ribs shift with the movement.

"What's wrong with your side?" he eyes her suspiciously.

"Cracked some ribs. Like I said he saved my life" she sighs "if he hadn't have been there, it would have been a lot worse"

"When did he realise the error of the Templar ways?"

"The day he saved my life, I've known him for a while though"

He nods thoughtfully "do you trust him?"

"I trust him enough" she steps to the edge of the roof, looking down at thinning crowd on the street, people fleeing after the shot rang out. She steps off, grabbing the ledge and dropping again, moving slowly until her feet are planted on the cobble stone pavement.

"Are you okay?" she asks as she crosses the near empty street, pressing her hand to her side.

"Aye" Killian steps toward her, his gaze moving from her side to her lips and up to her eyes.

"We should get out of here before news gets to any guards" she shifts on the spot, glancing down the street, checking to see if there were any already down the street. Her side is throbbing painfully, the kick of the rifle and climbing down the building has irritated the healing bones and she knows that if they are forced to fight, she isn't going to be able.

"Sounds like a plan" he smirks looking around the street, waiting for her to lead.

"Since we just gained ourselves a prisoner to interrogate and I'm going to need Victor to check my side again, we're going to the sanctuary" she sighs, walking back toward the sanctuary down the road.

"I thought you weren't letting me in there" he keeps pace with her, watching her as they walk toward the alleyway that leads to the underground and into the sanctuary.

"I wasn't but an incident with the 'Evil Queen' means I have to" she sighs

"The Evil Queen?" he snickers, a bemused look on his face.

"It's what Ruby started calling Regina Mills after she had an entire town outside of London slaughtered"

He nods "I remember that. Apparently she did it to kill an Assassin living in the town… of course I didn't find out about it until two months later, I was in the West Indies at the time"

"I was being held captive and tortured" she says breezily. They got what was coming for them and she was freed no worse for ware, strolling out of the basement she was held in with her head held high and the corpses of her captures at her feet. August had saved her then, other times it's been Ruby or Robin, but she realised fairly early on that she's just a bit too reckless.

She see Killian tense beside her, as if he's more affected by her past than she is. "Sorry, love" he whispers, lowering his head as they turn the corner.

"It's fine I was saved two days later by…"

"So you finally caught up"

"Him" she says pointing at August by the door. "You're always so impatient" she rolls her eyes at him.

"And you brought your friend. August, Emma's brother" he says offering his hand to Killian. Killian looks at Emma with a raised eyebrow and takes his hand, shaking it firmly before letting go.

"I'd give you my name but I have a feeling you already know it"

"Yes well it happens" he shrugs "come Emma we have much to discuss and very little time to do so"

She nods and follows August through the door, Killian walking right behind her as they make their way through the small maze that leads to the heart of her home. The sanctuary has always been home for her, safe and secure, no threat able to enter.

Somehow it feels even safer with Killian just feet away. She hopes that her adopted father, Grandmaster Marco, will allow him to join the brotherhood. Apart of her still doesn't trust him, he killed Neal, she can't just forgive that no matter how much she disliked him.

/././././././././././././

/././././././././././.

He's followed her everywhere within this place she calls sanctuary, but honestly he can't see it. All he can see is a non-fortified mansion that's underground, just a normal building. Maybe there are things that he can't see that makes it this 'sanctuary' they all believe it to be.

Her 'brother' had wandered off and left them to go talk to the physician Dr Whale. He's not allowed to wander the sanctuary alone, Emma's brother had said, so he's decided to continue following her around.

"Hey Victor" she says as they enter the apothecary "I need you to check my ribs"

He stands by the door as she moves further into the room. Victor gestures for her to take a seat and remove anything that's going to be a problem, and continues what he was doing.

"So what did you do that meant you'd come to me again. Let me guess, the help you needed from Ruby and Robin ended with a hit to the side"

"No" she smirks at him "the kick from a rifle and climbing down a building shifted the area"

"Ah, the shock of sudden jolts" he says moving over to her "does it hurt or is it mere discomfort?" he starts to unravel the bandage around her side.

Killian stares at the floor, trying to be the gentleman he is, but the image from earlier that day flashes before his. His fingers tingle from where they had swept under her breast that morning, the memory of pressing himself against her for a moment before winding the bandage around her, setting his blood on fire.

He's trying to be a gentleman, but try as he might, his body has other ideas. He groans silently, cursing himself for conjuring the images of a naked Emma in the presence of both her and a man who's practically a stranger.

"There you're fine, it was just the bandage moving against the bruise" he hears the Doctor say, snapping him out of his trance.

"Okay, well I have to go speak with my father. Thanks for the check-up Doc" she smiles, replacing her clothes. "Come on Killian" she walks past him and he follows wordlessly, wondering how meeting her father the Grandmaster of the Assassins is going to end.

+.+.+.+.+

The Grandmaster has let him in reluctantly. They'd spent the better part of two hours discussing his entry into the brotherhood, and Emma had backed him the entire time. She believes in him, had said so herself during the conversation, and he's very grateful for that because it was no easy feat to accomplish.

The night air is crisp and cool, as they walk alone along the streets, they decided to go back to the safe house rather than find a room for him to stay in the sanctuary. She's been quiet so far just walking next to him, a look that suggests she's deep in thought, on her face.

"Emma, love, are you okay?" he asks as they near the safe house.

"I'm fine, just tired" she mumbles.

"Aye it's been a rather long day" they walk up the few steps and she unlocks the door with a yawn. He watches her as she steps over the threshold into the dark house. It's hard to believe it it's only been three days since he saved her from the clutches of Mr Gold and Albert Spencer.

"I'm going to bed" she murmurs walking toward the stairs to the second floor.

"Emma" he follows her.

"Hmmm?" he grabs her arm and turns her, pressing his lips against hers. She's stunned by the abruptness of the kiss, but he's been yearning to do that for the last three days since the first time he'd kissed her.

She's rigid against him for a moment then gives into the kiss, her hands going to the lapels of his coat as she returns the kiss fiercely. He pulls her closer to him gently, trying not to hurt her as his passion for her overwhelms him.

She gasps, breaking the kiss, as he rolls his hips lightly against hers, seeking friction. The sudden tightness of his pants almost painful as his blood rushes south.

"Don't do that again, Killian" she whispers against his lips, her forehead pressed against his.

"Why?" his heart drops, he felt it in her kiss, she wants what he wants.

"Because it will only end in tragedy" she steps away from him and turns, leaving him alone in the hallway without another word.

He knows that she's wrong, he wants to prove to her that she's wrong. It will not end in tragedy, it can't, he's sure there's a way he can prove it. His feelings have driven him this far, he just needs to find a way to show her she feels the same without losing her.

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