It was the smell that hit her first, a strong mix of melted paint and plastics. It was the pain in the back of her head that hit her next, a throbbing ache that radiated through her skull and down her neck. Emma cracked her eyes open slowly and found her vision was blurred; she blinked several times to get some focus.

'What happened?' She asked herself, had someone knocked her out? had they lit the building on fire?

A thick and heavy smoke filled the room and flames licked at the walls. She was lying on her side on the hard floor, the heat from the flames teasing her feet. Emma rolled onto her stomach and started pulling herself towards the door. The smoke was unpleasant and she tried to minimise the amount of air she was breathing in as she pulled her shirt over her nose.

The sharp pain in her head was increasing and Emma knew from experience that any moment now she would lose consciousness again. The hallway was nearly in her reach so she pushed her body forward with as much strength as she could muster.

Emma could hear voices calling out and tried to respond, her mouth was too dry and a weak murmur was all she could get out. She was so tired and her eyelids felt so heavy. The last thing she could make out before her eyes closed was the silhouette of dark shoes.

Killian hopped out of the small jeep they used to get around the docks stared up at his crowning glory.

The 'Jewel of the Realm'.

It had been the final ship that Liam had served upon. When Killian had taken over the company his first instinct had been to scrap the ship, it was old and served as a bitter reminder of all that he had lost. Instead a blunt conversation with Robin at a seedy bar had not only left him with a black eye but also with a new perspective. He had sunk millions of dollars into the ship and retrofitted the 'Jewel' so it had every modern convenience available. There was no need for what happened to Liam to happen to anyone else that worked for Corsair's.

"Aren't you glad I gave you that right hook?" A smug voice questioned from behind him.

Killian nodded slightly before retorting, "Aren't you glad I didn't fire you?"

Robin just laughed and moved to stand beside his boss, "Shall we?"

The men spent several hours pouring over every inch of the vessel they could lay their hands on. They had started with the engine room and had discovered that Killian was right with his accusations. The fire had started because several key screws had been loosened after the maintenance crew had been through. They had yet to discover the reason for the sabotage but every key point in the Emergency Plan had been followed to a tee. The cargo had been left unattended! Killian had organised for a specialist dive team to check out the hull for any hidden surprises.

He stepped out onto the upper deck and breathed in the salty air. Killian felt like he was chasing his own tail, all of his leads seemed to hit dead ends.

"Is that smoke?" Robin's voice questioned as he joined him out on the deck. Killian's eyes flicked up and he gazed out at the shipping yard. Black smoke was billowing into the sky, creating a dark contrast against the bright blue.

"Is that?" Robin asked quietly. Ice filled Killian's veins as he recognized the building on fire as his offices.

"Emma," he whispered anxiously. Before Robin knew what was happening Killian was heading below deck and off the 'Jewel'.

Killian felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he dashed towards his Jeep. Robin had been hot on his heels and Killian cursed the seconds he would be delayed waiting for his security officer. All he could think about was his blonde headed spitfire and hoped she wasn't daft enough to play fire-fighter.

The drive back was so fast that Robin thought Killian had missed his calling in life. Killian's hands were white from the iron grip he had on the Jeep's steering wheel and Robin could see the tension arching through his friends body.

The Jeep squealed into the car park and was barely stopped before Killian was jumping out of the side. His eyes found the evacuation point and darted quickly from person to person, systematically ruling them out.

"Where is she?" Killian muttered over and over again as his eyes traversed the crowd.

"Do you see her?" he questioned Robin who stood to his left. The sharp shake of his head was enough to send Killian hurtling towards the flaming building. His heart was pounding out of control as pushed inside.

"Emma?"

He called out as raced down the corridors. The heat was causing sweat to form on his forehead and the smoke was stinging his eyes but he pushed on. Killian reached the server room and swiped his card, the light remained red. He swiped it several more times with no luck. The circuits must be fried Killian lashed out and kicked the door with a resounding bang.

Why wasn't he wet? Was the sprinkler system not working?

"Emma?" He called out hoarsely. He felt a hand on his shoulder and quickly spun around.

"We need to leave now." Robin had followed Killian into the blaze and knew that they needed to get out quickly with or without Emma Swan. His primary job was to protect his boss...and if he had to drag Killian out then he would!

Killian opened his mouth to reject Robin's request when he heard a faint voice. He quickly moved down the hall, checking each of the rooms. He moved to the printing room door and glanced inside, what he saw squeezed the remaining air straight out of his lungs. Emma was crawling towards the door, blood matted her blonde mane.

He swiftly moved to stand in front of her. Her head slumped down and he realised she was now unconscious. Killian scooped her up into his arms and made his way towards the nearest exit. He turned and used his backside to push open the emergency door. Light spilled in and the smoke swiftly escaped through the exit. Killian gulped in some much needed fresh air and staggered away from the building. Hands reached out to take Emma and he pulled her closer. His legs were wobbly but he moved further away from the building.

"Let me help," Robin urged him.

"I've got it, mate." He replied croakily, his throat rough from all the smoke he had inhaled.

He'd gotten her out and he wasn't letting go.

Emma moaned and tried to sit up but a hand restricted her movements.

"Please remain still, Miss Swan." A friendly voice instructed. Emma opened her eyes slowly and was surprised to see the back of an ambulance. She reached up and pulled off the mask covering her nose and mouth. Her head still hurt like a bitch but the pain was much more manageable.

"What happened?" Emma questioned the paramedic hoarsely. The EMT filled her in on all of her injuries – the most severe being 3 stitches in the back of her head.

"Mr Jones pulled you out of the burning building." The paramedic swooned, "Isn't that just so heroic?"

Emma rolled her eyes and pushed herself up onto her elbows, "Where is Mr Jones?"

The paramedic smiled and indicated another ambulance parked across from the one she was currently in. Killian also had a mask on his face and Emma could see the dirt that stained not only his clothes but the skin on his face as well.

As if he felt her gaze, his eyes met hers and the intensity in his stare scared her. Killian was up and out of the Ambulance in a heartbeat. Emma could see that he was ignoring medical advice and practically shoving Robin out of the way.

"Swan," he breathed when he finally reached her side.

"Thank you," Emma whispered, "I wouldn't..." she shuddered to even think about what might have happened had he not found her. She'd had several near death experiences in the past but none had rattled her as much as this.

There was no doubt in her mind.

Someone had wanted her to die in that fire.

Killian reached out a hand and grasped her chin; he tilted her head away from him and gazed at the back of her head. Emma trembled at the growl that was ripped from his throat when he saw the wound on the back of her head. The blood was matted through her hair but it was much worse than it seemed. Head wounds always bled a bit more.

"What happened?" he questioned her softly. Emma shook her head almost imperceptibly but it was enough that Killian gave a curt nod. Now was not the time or the place to be discussing 'what really happened'.

"3 stitches! I'll be better in no time!" Emma tried to sound cheery.

The car ride back to hotel was fraught with tension. Neither Killian nor Emma tried to make light conversation and the pungent smell of smoke was a constant reminder of what nearly happened.

Emma had been covertly watching him during the drive, his anger was palpable and he kept scrunching his hand into a fist. She just wanted to reach out and reassure him that she was okay...that everything would be okay.

Killian had also been watching her, albeit not covertly. His stares were blatant and had her wriggling in her seat.

The ride up the lift in the hotel was one of the longest in her life. All she wanted was a shower and a good night's sleep but she doubted with all of these unresolved issues that she'd get any sleep. The tension had grown since the car and Emma only had to take one look at Killian to see his stormy eyes and tight lipped face.

Emma strode out of the elevator and Killian stalked after her. He reached around her and buzzed them into the room. She walked into the entrance area and paused, her back still facing Killian.

"I'm gonna go for a..." she never finished her sentence because Killian was spinning her around and pinning her to the wall. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his breathe against her cheek. The warm air teased all of the hairs on her neck, sending goose bumps to prickle her skin.

"You are playing with fire, Swan" Killian whispered huskily. The irony of his words was not lost on Emma and she let her head fall back against the wall.

His lips parted and she watched as they moved to cover hers.

This could be a problem.

To Be Continued