A/N: Yeah, I'm as surprised as you are with the quick update, but I was inspired so I went along with it. This one is a little shorter, but I'm working on the new chapter as we speak...or as you read this...whatever.

Thanks to all of those who continue to read this story, give reviews or favourite this. I'd send you a pair of leather pants if I could.

Disclaimer: I confess that I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters. I write stories that contain them for the sheer purpose of entertainment. They actually belong to Ed Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and the ABC network. Lucky *#$%ers.

Hurts to Love You

Killian never thought he'd be glad to see one of those infernal horseless carriages, but wonders in Storybrooke never seem to cease. He nearly wept in relief while Leroy and Happy helped him into Leroy's truck. At this point, his head was throbbing madly and any relief the medicinal tablets had given him wore off, and the pain had come back with a vengeance. He had no idea what had just happened with his Swan, but his foot felt like a cannon ball or ten had been smashed against it causing him to limp slightly, and his gut felt like it had been caught by a loose boom swinging round the deck in a tempest.

His relief was short lived, however, when Leroy began driving and somehow managed to hit every divot and bump in the roadway. He clutched at his head and gritted his teeth, concentrating on nothing more than breathing and not releasing the contents of his stomach.

"Maybe we should tell Emma?" offered Happy, consternation painting his normally content features. "I mean, if she knew that he was getting her injuries, then she could try being more careful about hurting herself."

"No," he barked wanting to say more, but he was too busy gripping his skull together for fear that it would come apart at any moment.

"Happy has a point," agreed Grumpy. "She is the Saviour and she tends to get into trouble - a lot. It might save you some pain if she knew what was happening with you."

"She'd break the spell," Jones gritted, groaning at Leroy when he found yet another literal bump in the road while the dwarf gave him an apologetic look. "She'd find a way to break the spell, and leave herself vulnerable while George and his minions attack."

"Yeah, but if she keeps injuring herself, you're not gonna last much longer Jones." Leroy retorted. "And then who's gonna protect the princess?"

"She can bloody take care of herself, as she's so fond of reminding me." he grumbled, wondering why the hell it was taking so long to get back to the damn docks.

"Sure, she can take care of herself just fine. That's why you got that ass ugly necklace from the man you hate most in all of the realms. An ugly ass necklace that would ensure that every time she gets hurt - and she gets hurt a lot - you end up with the actual injury," Leroy reminded him. "And are literally lying crumpled in the back seat of the cab of my truck. We need to tell someone else, someone who can stop her from constantly diving head first into danger so that she doesn't end up killing you by accident."

"Do you honestly think that there's anyone capable of stopping Emma when she has her mind set on something?" Killian scoffed.

"We can tell Charming," Happy suggested brightly. "He works with her as her deputy, so he's with her most of the time that she's in danger anyway. He can at least keep an eye on her."

"You tell him and he may just push her off a cliff to get rid of me." Killian muttered.

"That's actually a really good idea Happy," Grumpy nodded to his dwarven brother. "And you're being stupid Jones. You know that Charming likes you just fine, so long as you're not throwing innuendos at his daughter. Once he finds out what you did and why, he'll make sure that Emma doesn't inadvertently cause you any more pain. Or at least give you some time to recover."

"Speaking of the prince, has anyone informed him of George's latest plot?" Killian asked, usually he was more subtle when changing the topic of conversation, but with him battling the shadows at the edges of his vision, he decided to forgo finesse hoping his friends would get the hint.

"We'll make the call when we get you to the Jolly Roger." Happy reassured him.

"Of course, not that George's attack on Granny's is imminent," Killian sighed. "Contact Doc on your talking phone, he'll be the one to talk to David and I need to tell him what to say."

Happy did as he was told, and he spoke with Doc, giving him very specific instructions on what to say, using his friendship with the prince to predict what he would want to know.

"Remember, you and the others were patrolling along the town line when you saw the two miscreants. They were drunk, smelled of Dwarven Grog, and were belligerent. Tell David that you suspect that they may have been part of the group that had broken into my ship, since I mentioned giving you and your brothers the dwarven grog that I had stashed on the Jolly. You know of nowhere else where they could have gotten the spirits. When you all made an attempt to bring them in, they gave chase and stumbled over the town line, but not before mentioning that something sinister was planned for the town, and that they expected Regina to be blamed. Lead him, but don't tell him that the event is to occur at Granny's. Likely around dinner when it's at its busiest, and when the Charmings and all of their family members tend to meet for their evening supper. Have him go and inspect the place, and tell him to bring Regina. She'll be able to use her magic to stop whatever George has planned, or at the very least protect everyone there."

"Okay, tell Charming that two of George's idiots got into your stash of booze, tripped themselves over the town line, but not before revealing their King's nefarious plans for Granny's," Doc summoned it up. "Anything else?"

"That's all." Killian pouted. Leave it to a dwarf to strip away the cleverness of his words into something plain and boring.

"All right, drink lots of non alcoholic beverages and rest up when you get back to your ship," Doc advised. "Borrow a pair of sunglasses from Leroy before you leave his truck. It's pretty sunny out there and light will just hurt your head."

"Anything else?" Killian mimicked, even though he knew that the advice was sound and given in the spirit of friendship. But at this moment, in the midst of all the pain and discomfort he was feeling he couldn't give a toss. He'd make it up to the dwarf later.

"Just take care." Doc said warmly and understandingly.

"Thanks Doc," closing his eyes after he is hit with a sudden wave of gratitude, though it was slightly dimmed by nausea. "Really, thank

you."

"You're one of us now, and we take care of our own." Doc replied simply before hanging up.

"Alright, we're here." Leroy declared as he put the truck in park. He reached into his glove compartment, grabbed his aviator sunglasses and handed them to Killian.

"Put these on," he suggested. "I'd tell you to put your jacket over your head to block the sun, but that would look suspicious and you don't want people to start asking questions. Imagine the trouble you'd get if one of George's cronies to find out that a member of the Charming's team is injured. When you're ready we'll head over. I parked as close to the Jolly Roger as I could. Any closer and we'd be on the pier."

"Thanks Leroy, much appreciated." Killian replied, wanting to give him a nod of gratitude, but thought better of it.

"Eh, whatever," Leroy grinned, shrugging away Killian's acknowledgement. "Though, since this is technically a loading area, if I get a ticket for parking here, can you talk to Emma about it?"

"If I live long enough, consider it done." Killian joked, donning the sunglasses Leroy had loaned him.

As promised, Leroy had parked them only a few yards away from his beloved ship. Summoning whatever strength he had left, he strode across the the pier, up the gangplank and across the deck. By the time he got to the stairs leading to the Captain's Quarters, he felt utterly spent, stumbling down the steps, and practically falling onto his bunk. He didn't bother with his boots, or his coat, leaving himself fully clothed as he fell into a troubled sleep.

In his slumber, he dreamed that he was in a castle, running from one end of a stone walled corridor to another, screaming, calling out for Emma. Every door he went to was locked shut as he frantically searched for his Swan, his voice echoing in the halls, mocking his efforts. Suddenly, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart that caused him to stumble backwards. Killian knew that pain wasn't his own.

Something horrible happened to the woman he loved. With panic driving him, he ran faster than he had ever before. Finally he came upon the throne room, wishing that he hadn't. George was there, a maniacal grin plastered on his face and a smoking gun in his hands while Emma lay on the ground, blood spreading from a hole in her chest. An agonized scream ripped through his throat, tearing him from his dream and waking him with a start.

"Jones, if you weren't already in pain from a concussion that Emma was supposed to be suffering from, I would hit you so hard right now," he heard a familiar voice grumble from a dark corner of his room. "Accepting a gift from the dark one? What in the name of all the gods were you thinking…"

"Who told you?" groaned Killian, falling back on his bed.

"Who told me doesn't matter," the voice retorted. "What matters is how we're supposed to get you out of this without hurting Emma."

"Told you this was a bad idea Happy." Leroy grunted from beside the hatch to the Captain's chambers.

He wanted to tell both dwarves that telling anyone who didn't already know was a bad idea. He was pulled into sleep once more before he could contemplate on how things could get any worse.

Because he now knew, without a doubt that it would.