"Why don't we call Marco?" Snow asked, lifting her head from where she rested it on the back of the chair.
"No!" Both Emma and David exclaimed. I sighed, sitting up from where I laid on the ground and sat with my legs cross.
"I can get a little magic to help," I offered. Emma glared at me, but said nothing. You need it.
"Should we even be doing this?" Snow questioned as David snapped two things together that shouldn't have been put together. "Ever since the showdown between Regina and the Wicked Witch, we haven't seen Zelena or Gold at all. Shouldn't we be focusing on her next move?"
"We are," Emma insisted. "We just can't stop living our lives in the process."
"Even if your lives are being driven insane because you don't realize that screw E goes with washer D, not washer A," I said. I eyed David. "David."
He quickly adjusted. "This crib is a statement. We're not going to lose another baby."
The door opened and closed. "And thanks to me, you won't." Regina walked around the corner to place something in her box she left on the table. "I'm finished."
"So?" David stood up. "Did it work? Were you able to put up a protection spell?" He walked toward Regina. She nodded.
"One that can't be undone by blood magic," Regina replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Which means Zelena won't be able to put her hands on that baby."
Snow sighed in relief."Any idea why she would want to?"
I turned my head to her. "There are a lot of dark spells that need baby parts," I said. "The number might shock you." Snow moved her hand over her pregnant stomach in distress.
"Zelena is one twisted witch," Regina thought out loud. "But as long as we are in here, we're safe."
"That's useless," Emma hissed. "I think we need to stop playing defense and start taking the fight to her."
"Did you see how I barely outwitted her yesterday?" Regina fired back. "She has magic. Powerful magic."
"I have magic too, I just can't always control it," Emma replied. She glanced at me. "So maybe if you, Kaleen and I could team up...If you taught me."
"Why does that feel so familiar?" Regina asked.
"I'm ready this time."
Regina chuckled, shaking her head. "Okay, but if we do this, we do this my way." Emma glanced at me.
"What about Kaleen's way?"
I raised my head that rested on my hands. "I may have light magic, like you, but even with my time with Blue, she barely had time to scratch the surface. I need a teacher as much as you, Emma. I can't be one myself."
Regina nodded, placing one hand on the chest. "This, is a way of life. You have to fully commit to it."
"Not a problem."
"Meet me at my vault in one hour," Regina said. "Kaleen, you're welcome to come as well." She picked up the box and walked out of the loft. I could hear her walking down the stairs.
"Okay, no complaining," Emma hissed. "I'm doing this. It's the only way." Emma stood up. "And yes, I will be careful."
"We know," Snow said as I stood up with Emma.
"And don't worry," David added. "We'll watch Henry when he comes back from the store."
"Actually," Emma said awkwardly. "I'm not sure that's the best idea." I cocked my head. Sure, he had been with my father for most of the time he had been here, but why was that a problem?
"What is it?" Snow asked.
"Well, you guys are tired. You need to rest," Emma insisted.
"I'm pregnant. I'm not sick with the flu," Snow replied, confused.
"Yeah, I know. It's just, um. Well, it's...pregnant cap. Last time you overwhelmed him with baby tips. He's twelve. He doesn't want to talk about pregnancies. It's not fun."
I smirked.
"Oh, we're fun," Snow insisted, almost glaring at her daughter.
"I'm just saying maybe Henry disagrees," Emma said, shrugging. Snow met her husband's gaze, horrified that her own grandson doesn't enjoy her company. "He'll get there. Remember, he doesn't know who you are."
"Well, if we're not fun, then who is?" David challenged. Emma swallowed, face twisted in guilt and awkwardness. I forced myself to say it, half in a chuckle.
"My father."
—
I walked behind Emma and Regina into Regina's vault. Regina glanced at Emma. "Don't touch anything."
We reached the bottom of the steps. "How am I supposed to learn magic if I can't touch anything?" Emma questioned. I walked to the edges of the room, staring at all the jars and chests of objects, keeping my hands in my leather jacket pockets.
Regina continued to walk forward as Emma picked up what looked like a baby dragon's hand. "The same way I did with Rumple," Regina replied. "We're going to create a solid foundation first and then build your way up." Regina saw what Emma was holding and walked up to her. "I said—" she took the object from Emma's hand. "Don't touch."
I sat down on a closed chest, watching as Regina moved to another chest on the ground. "So," she continued. "While we're here, who's looking after Henry? The uncharmings?" Regina opened the chest.
"Actually Hook is," Emma said, running her fingers on something in the corner.
"Well, those two have been spending a lot of time together lately," Regina paused. Emma shrugged and sighed.
"Hook's good with Henry and Henry likes him," Emma replied. I watched Regina, not making any comment about my father.
"He's prone to violence," Regina hissed. "Impulsive and has a hook for a hand."
"Regina!" I stood up, half yelling it.
"You can't tell me that he was the best person when you stayed with him for a year," she scoffed. "I bet he offered you rum."
"Only a few times," I replied, crossing my arms and taking my hands out of my pockets.
"See my point?"
"I trust him," Emma said. "He brought me back to Storybrooke and he didn't have to."
"I bet half of that was all the fairy over here," Regina motioned her head to me. I didn't argue with her even though the statement wasn't completely true. He turned to Emma. "Of course he brought you back."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asked.
"Seriously?" Regina asked. "You're going to pretend that everyone doesn't see the yearning looks and dopey eyes?"
"I don't yearn."
I snorted and Emma heard me, sending me a look.
"Maybe," Regina replied. "But he does. Just ask his own daughter." Emma glanced at me, but said nothing on the subject. Regina picked up two books, identical copies it looked like and handed it to each of us. "Let's start with roots for incantations." I flipped to the first page, sitting down as Emma stared at her own copy and Regina turned away.
"Kaleen," Emma said. I looked up from reading incantations I already knew. "Your obedience floors me." I smirked, looking back down. Sometimes I wished I wasn't this compliant.
"Regina," Emma said, holding the book. Regina turned back around to face the Savior. "Are you kidding me right now? What language is this? Spanish?"
"We're not making tapas, Emma, we're making magic," Regina snapped, annoyed. "It's Elvish. Well, half Elvish."
"I'm never going to get this," Emma mumbled. "Is this what Rumple taught you? What about your training? What other methods did he use?" I looked up again, watching them both.
"Rumple was a bully," Regina responded, recalling her memories of training. "He didn't suffer fools and he certainly didn't doodle his students and if he tried to teach you how to swim and you couldn't learn, you drowned." I nodded.
"Sounds about right," I said. Regina met my gaze.
"Were you taught?"
"I went to him once, after he told me who my father was. When Blue couldn't teach me as often as I wanted, I went to him for help." I cringed. "Wasn't a good idea."
"Drowned?" Emma asked. Regina shut the chest lid, eyes widening with realization.
"That's it," Regina whispered.
"That's what?" Emma questioned, nervous. Regina lifted her hands, all of us disappearing in a puff of purple smoke. I dropped the book before she did it.
Before I appeared tied to a tree.
Before Emma appeared on a rope bridge with Regina standing at the end, close to the tree I was tied to.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Emma yelled, the wind howling against us.
Regina shrugged. "Teaching you to swim." She was standing over a cliff, a deep cliff that could kill her if she fell. I yanked against the bonds.
"Regina—"
"Are you out of your mind?!" Emma exclaimed, gripping the rope edge for her life.
"Every time you've exhibited your power, it's been spurred by your instincts," Regina replied. "So today, we're going to push those instincts until you master them."
"A little reading doesn't sound so bad now."
"You can stop me," Regina replied coolly, taking a step back from the bridge that was already unstable.
"Stop you from what?"
Regina chuckled. "This." She held her hand out and the bridge cracked and splintered off underneath the Savior.
"Regina!" I exclaimed, pulling harder. The bonds wouldn't break, even with magic. "Why the bloody hell am I tied to a tree?!"
"What the hell are you doing?!" Emma screamed as only the skeleton remained.
"Making the bridge collapse," Regina replied. "You can either stop it or die." She turned her head to me. "And your dear protector won't be able to help you this time. You will have to do this on your own. You will have to stop me and help her."
The skeleton of the bridge snapped from underneath her. My heart lunged forward, wanting so badly to help her. Emma held into the rope that was already about to snap.
"Regina!" Emma screamed. "Enough! Stop this!"
"No!" Regina snapped. "You stop more hand holding. You have to do this! Reach into your gut. You know you can do this. It's inside you Emma. Save the bridge. Save yourself." As soon as Regina spoke, the rope snap and Emma fell.
"Emma!" I yelled, pulling against the bonds so hand with magic and my own strength that they snapped and I tumbled forward. Regina stared over the edge, shaking her head as if she didn't want to kill Emma and I knew she didn't.
But up rose Emma on a pile of broken wood and rope, rising up to meet Regina and I on the edge. Regina nodded with satisfaction. Emma glanced at me.
"Did I just do that?" She whispered.
I held my hands up. "Don't look at me."
"Yes," Regina said as Emma stepped onto safe land. "When all I wanted was for you to retie the rope." Emma turned to look at the floating wood.
"Like you said," Emma breathed in shock. "Instinct. Why are you pissed? I did it. Why does it matter how?"
"You think I'm mad because you didn't listen to me?" Regina questioned. "I'm mad because look at all this potential inside you and you've been wasting it."
—
Apparently Ariel had been in town, met with my father for a few hours and disappeared to find her husband. She didn't even say hello to me, even though I helped create the necklace that gave her legs. "That's odd," I said. "Strange she never looked for me, but looked for you."
My father looked distressed and uncomfortable. He watched as Emma tried to see them the magic mirror style. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Father." He met my eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Fine, love," he looked up. He bit his lip, watching the mirror as it swirled and we saw Ariel and Eric. Eric swung her in the air and embraced her, pulling her in for a kiss. I smiled, watching her finally have her happy ending.
Emma turned to Killian. "You did this?" She breathed in amazement. "You brought them together?" I smiled at him, nodding.
"Yes he did."
"No, love," he met Emma's eye. "It was all Ariel. She was the one who never stopped believing." His voice was low and he still seemed disturbed and on edge.
"Modesty?" Emma asked. "You're just full of surprises today." As the door to the loft swung open, I commanded the mirror to stop and Henry came running in, Davis laughing behind him and Snow following, biting her lip at the boys.
"Where have you guys been?" Emma asked. Regina walked behind her and I stood next to my father. Henry smiled hugely, looking through me before running up to his mother.
"Only having the best day ever!" He exclaimed. David closed the door. "David let me drive his truck."
Regina's face turned from the happy mother to the furious mother bear. "You let him what?!" There was a dead silence. I swallowed and Regina stared at her adopted son as he stared at her confused. I stepped forward.
"She's mayor, Henry," I said, gesturing to Regina. "She has to follow the rules of the road and things of that matter." Regina clasped her hands together.
"Yes, as mayor I can't let an unlicensed, underage driver on the streets of Storybrooke," her gaze met the floor, shifting her weight to one foot.
"As mayor, you might want to put a little money to repair," David replied, shrugging. Henry smirked, turning his head away.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing."
"This is a terrible mistake," Regina said as David pushed by my father and around the counter with Henry.
"She's right," Emma said, actually agreeing with Regina for once. "Someone could have gotten seriously hurt."
"Only if you're a mailbox," Snow muttered under her breath. I seemed to be the only one who heard it and smirked quietly, amused that Snow would even let Henry do that at all. Maybe she didn't know until it was already happening.
"It was so much fun!" Henry said, grabbing what looked like milk from the fridge. He poured it in his glass.
"What can I say?" David asked. "I've got a reckless, carefree...fun side." Emma smiled at her father.
"Killian," Snow said. "Where's our friend?"
He glanced at Henry before speaking. "It turns out her missing husband was back home."
"It's true," Emma said. "We just checked in on them on...skype." Henry nodded, not understanding we were speaking in code.
"She sends her regards," my father added. "She was too excited to wait." Snow smiled and breathed happily.
"A happy ending," she said, a wide grin on her face. "Maybe our luck is about to change." She turned to David and Henry. "Dinner at Granny's?"
"Can I drive?" Henry asked.
"No!" We all said at once.
"Well, I guess I'll leave you guys to it," my father began walking out the door. I took a step forward to follow him, but he put his hand out. "I just need some time."
As he made it to the door, Emma followed him. "You're not coming?"
"Another time, perhaps," he replied as he turned to walk down the stairs.
"If you change your mind, you'll know where we'll be," Emma said. "And Killian." He stopped and turned to Emma. "Whatever happened this last year whatever you're not telling me, I don't care. I'm tired of living in the past."
"I know how you feel," he said, nodding before walking down the stairs in silence.
—
After Ruby gave us our last order, we couldn't stop telling stories, especially Henry, who talked about New York. We laughed until it hurt to laugh. I stuck my fork in the brisket, stuffing it in my mouth.
That's when I felt him.
I turned my head to the window while everyone spoke, not noticing my sudden change of interest. I pushed myself to my feet as the presence turned and walked away, father away from the diner.
"Kaleen?" Emma asked. "What's—"
"I'll be right back," I said, nodding. "I promise." I pushed myself out of the chair and out of the diner, seeing his shadow as her turned the corner. I chased him in the bitter cold, hands in my pockets as I turned to him.
My running caught his attention and he turned when we were completely out of view of the diner. "Kaleen, I told you—"
"What's wrong?" I asked, breathing hard. "You're not yourself. They may not see it but I do."
"Kaleen, it's nothing," he said. He motioned his hand to the direction I came. "Just go back and enjoy yourself."
"How can I do that when my father is walking around like a ghost?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders. "I'm truly concerned about you. What's wrong?"
"You wouldn't understand, Kaleen," he said. "Just…" he motioned his hand, trying to think of something to say. "Some things are complicated."
"Everything is complicated in this town," I said. "You honestly think I can't understand something more?" I could see my breath under the lamp light. "Is this about Emma or the mermaid?" I watched his expression. "It's both."
"Kaleen, please," he exhaled sharply. "It's my own concern to be worried about." I narrowed my gaze as I watched him struggle for words. I could feel anger bubble up inside me, frustration that he refused to explain to me his distress, that he wouldn't even trust his own daughter with a secret. "Just go back please."
"No," I hissed. I pushed away my natural instinct to be obedient. "I am your daughter. I am the only family you have left and you're refusing to trust me with one little problem?" He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Just go back," he said. "Just go enjoy yourself before the next witch strike." He said nothing as he turned and walked away from me.
"Hey!" I said, but he continued to walk away. "Killian Jones!" He stopped at fifteen feet, just as I said his name. "I am your daughter!"
"And that makes a difference how?" He snapped, turning around. "Just because you're my daughter doesn't mean I tell you everything. Just because you're my daughter doesn't mean my whole life revolves around you. You just bloody walked in and expected me to treat you like I've always known you! I bet you have secrets you haven't told me!" I wasn't ready for him to explode, but I guessed when he was worried, he was sensitive. I guessed he could get angry like a snap of a finger.
Just like me.
"I never expected you to take me in at all!" I yelled while taking a step forward. "I never expected you to be kind to me, to believe me. I never expected any of this!" I waved my arms frantically as I walked to him.
We were fighting. We were actually yelling at one another.
"But now that I am here and you've treated me like your daughter, even if that time was short, I will look out for you! I will protect you!" I was screaming now. "I am your bloody daughter! The one that you never even knew existed!" I was face to face with him now, glaring at him. "So if you won't tell me why you're distressed, then fine. I'll find out myself." With that, I gripped his hand and the memory smacked me in the face.
—
"We had an agreement!" Ariel's hissed at my father, who held Blackbeard at the end of his sword, while the bounded pirate stood at the edge of the plank. Smee stood behind Ariel. "You promised me that you would help find Eric." Hook pushed Blackbeard further to the edge. "Please! I know that you are a good man and I know that man is still in there somewhere. It's not too late to do the right thing. Isn't true love more important than a few planks of wood and a sail?"
"She might be a few planks of wood and a sail, but she's mine," Hook hissed, glancing at the footed mermaid. He spoke about the ship, the one I stayed on for almost a whole year. "She's all I need. Love brings nothing but wasted years and endless torment. I'm doing you a favor." He turned to Blackbeard and cut into his arm with the sword. "A little something to weigh the appetite of our razor toothed friends below."
He pushed Blackbeard into the water. A loud slash could barely be heard over Ariel's scream. "NO!"
"Enjoy the feast boys!" Hook exclaimed as only Blackbeard's hat could be found floating above water. "The Jolly Roger is mine! Any man willing to swear and oath to me will be given quarter. Those you don't are more than welcome to follow your former captain!" The pirates on the ship made an uproar of loyalty. Hook stepped down, sliding the sword back into its case. "You may release her, Mr. Smee." Smee stepped away from Ariel, who he had held back from interfering with Hook's murder.
Ariel slapped him across the face, a weak pathetic slap. It almost seemed she didn't know how to slap, otherwise, it would have been much harder.
"I was wrong about you, Captain," she hissed. "You're selfish and you're heartless and that is what will bring you wasted years and endless torment. I feel sorry for you. You'll never be happy." She stepped up to the plank and walked to the edge.
"Where do you think you're going?" Hook questioned. She turned on him sharply, glaring at him.
"Eric's still out there," she said. "And whatever it takes, I will find him." She turned away before diving into the water, her legs and clothes turning into a shiny blue tail.
She swam into the distance.
—
I stumbled away, still comprehending the memory. My father stared at me, breathing hard, staring at me with disbelief.
"How did you—"
"Did you mean all those things?" I choked, tears coming up from the back of my eyes. "Why would you—Why would you even think…" I couldn't bring myself to say the words. "You killed him. You murdered." When he took a step forward, I took one back. I glared at him. "Why would you say those things? Was your ship worth more than your own family?!"
"Kaleen, please," he said. "Please. There's more to it."
"Would you have done that if I was there?" I asked, tears running down my face. "Would you have murdered a man?"
"Kaleen," he closed his eyes for a second, trying to respond. I swallowed, taking a step away from him. When he walked forward, I held my hands up.
"Don't come any closer."
"Kaleen, please," he said. "Just listen." I choked on more tears, the memory, the words he said fresh in my mind. I just couldn't...I couldn't. "I didn't mean any of those things."
"I felt your feelings in the memory," I hissed. "You. Meant. Every. Word. You said." I swallowed again. "Do I bring you endless torment?"
He bit his lip. "I was too worried for my pride to face the truth," he whispered. "You light up my life, Kaleen. I still believe in love." I blinked and more tears came flowing down my face. Sadness and disbelief clutched me. "I don't just love you."
"You love Emma," I breathed. "I know." I swallowed before taking another step back. I took a shuddering breath. "You want to prove it to me?" I asked. I crossed my arms, hugging them close to me. I sniffed, every time I closed my eyes, the memory played out in front of me and every time, my feeling got worse.
"More than anything," he said, taking a step forward and causing me to take a step backward. I swallowed, my breathing uneven.
"Tell her the truth," I said, my bright blue eyes meeting his own. "Until then," I held my free hand up before taking another deep breath. "We should take some time alone." I waved my hand and I found myself in my own room, where I collapsed on the bed, stuffed my face in the pillow and cried until I couldn't breathe.