A/N: Okie dokie, here we go with chapter 12! We are over halfway to done with this fic and what I have planned, and lots of big things are still to come. Big things happen here as well with Gold, Jefferson, Hook, and we even introduce a new character! Thank you so so much to every single person reading this and commenting on this. I know I'm still behind in my replies but I was super super sick this week and I couldn't do much of anything. Things are back to normal now though, and I cannot wait to see what you all think! As always, huge thanks to kmomof4 who is just amazing and the best beta and go give some love to courtorderedcake for the AMAZING art she did for this little fic of mine! She deserves it! Hope you like the new chapter!

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Go back.

"No."

He needs you.

"Still no."

Please.

"I'm not sure how many different ways I can say no."

It had been like this since Emma left the compound, Milah chattering incessantly in her ear for her to return to Hook. Her perfumed presence followed Emma as she'd walked through the front gate, several sets of eyes on her every movement (though no one made a move to stop her, leading her to believe Hook had tipped them all off to her presence) all the way through the drive and even now as she marched determinedly across the parking lot towards her motel room. He clearly didn't want her there, she had the device she'd come for, she couldn't help someone who refused to accept her help.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. There was no way he could know how hard it was for her to let people in, but he didn't have to be such an ass about it. She had been almost entirely honest with him, only omitting the fact that she was actually a police officer, and he had wanted to believe her. Instead, he'd soundly rejected her, thrown her out on her ear, even, and she didn't know how she could even reach him again. Maybe if she could get the ring, she could go back to the compound, but that was a huge risk to this whole operation. Gold was the priority.

She knew she would find Jefferson inside the room as soon as she opened it, but the way he basically attacked her in a hug surprised her. She returned it awkwardly, patting him lightly on the back.

"Give me one good reason I'm not on the phone with Regina right now pulling the plug on this," he said pulling back and looking her over, eyes blowing wide at the sight of blood in her hair.

"I am fine," she said, exaggeratedly wide, placating eyes holding his panicked grey. "The op is safe, I have the device. I was held up at the compound, but everything is fine." Pulled from his grip and flung her hair over her shoulder. Bringing the shoulder bag around to the front, she lifted the flap and pulled the device free. Jefferson examined it, suspended in the air, but didn't touch it, his eyes darting between the object and her face.

"What the hell happened in there?!" he nearly shouted and Emma reached up with her free hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why did you use our code names on that call? And whose phone was that? And where are your glasses? And how the fuck did you get away with that?" Jefferson's voice was going higher and higher pitched with every frantic question that burst from him. Emma lay her free hand on his shoulder and circled her arm between them.

"Take a breath, in and out, there you go. I'll tell you everything," she said, darting her eyes to the floor and chewing on her lip anxiously. There was no way she could tell him everything. He would pull the plug before she could say "held captive." What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him...

"Okay," he said after a moment, blowing out a long held breath and lacing his hands behind his neck. It felt like ninety percent of her time lately was spent explaining things, or talking her way out of things. Luckily, she was good at both.

"I didn't get out of the compound free and clear. I was very nearly caught," she lied and Jefferson continued to watch her quietly, his arm now resting on top of the other across his torso, one bent upwards at the elbow, hand pressed to his mouth. "I had to spend the night in a storage closet in the living quarters before it cleared out again and I could leave. I tried to sneak out once, but the guy that was sleeping in the room almost woke up, so I snagged a cell phone and went back in. I left mine in the car. That's when I called you. I didn't know if anyone was listening or not, so I played it safe. But, look, Jeff, I got it. Everything is fine!" She smiled at him and hoped it wasn't as fake as it felt.

"Where are your glasses?" he asked quietly, his eyes boring into her like he didn't believe a word she had just said and she struggled not to squirm under his judgement.

"I, uh, dropped them and stepped on them in the dark. They're… well…" she fished in the bag again with the hand not holding the device and pulled the specs out, dangling them over one finger by the wires. Jefferson looked horrified and snatched them immediately out of her hands, looking over the damage. He looked back up at her again in disbelief.

"I'm sorry?" She winced as the apology came out as a question. He sputtered, red faced, trying to find words. "I may need another pair," she joked lamely.

"This isn't James Bond, Emma, we don't just have spy gear laying around!" Jefferson flapped his arms wildly, the mangled plastic clacking against itself when he moved.

"Then give me the watch you had for Graham," she suggested with a shrug, moving past him to finally set her things down on the farthest bed and shrug off her hoodie. Her hair was sticking to the now dry blood on her neck and she felt gross. She had less than four hours to shower and get back to Gold.

"It was stolen. In the robbery." Jefferson admitted bluntly and Emma spun on her heel, eyes wide.

"Shit," she muttered. "Have we heard anything back on Graham?" Jefferson's eyes softened at her question and nodded.

"He's okay. He's going to be going home by the end of the week, but he is out on leave until he heals. He's already begging for desk work. And asking about you," he added with a smirk. Emma flushed scarlet.

"He's just invested in this op. Tell him I'm really glad he's okay, if you get the chance," she replied with quiet sincerity. Jefferson nodded. "I really gotta shower and then I have to get back to Gold's. I have a suspicion that something big is gonna go down soon. While I'm in there, see if there's something you can learn about that thing." She nodded to the abandoned device on the bedspread and hoped he would be able to tell it wasn't working and get it up and running again. Jefferson muttered a reluctant sounding agreement as she shut the door to the bathroom.

A too short twenty minutes later, she was showered and changed, tender head throbbing less and less, so she counted that as a win. She tucked a knife in the side of her knee high boot, feeling safer with some kind of protection on her. Jefferson hadn't been able to make any progress on the device, but she'd done her part. She got the device and that had to be enough. Milah had been oddly silent, but she supposed even ghosts had to give it a rest sometimes. Jefferson sent her on her way with a stern warning to keep her phone on her at all times and a pained look at sending her away with so little contact.

When she arrived at Gold's building, Zelena was waiting for her.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we?" she hissed, dragging Emma up to Gold's office by the arm where the man in question was sitting at his desk reading over some files with another man. He was young, little more than a boy it seemed, but he had a twisted smirk on his face as the two women entered and Emma recognized him instantly.

"Make sure you let me know when the shipment is ready. That will be all, Malcolm," he dismissed the man and he nodded, eyeing Emma the whole way out of the room. Emma felt a chill run down her spine the minute the man's name was confirmed. Peter Malcolm was well known in connection to Gold and his presence put Emma on edge. But he also reminded her why she was here. Marian's face flickered through her thoughts briefly as the door shut sharply behind him.

"I heard you had quite a time at Hook's compound," he said to Emma passively, twirling his cane in his hand. Emma stiffened and her heart slammed a beat against her ribcage. Play it cool, you don't know what he knows, she thought to herself and took a calming breath before speaking.

"Well, if it was supposed to be easy, I guess you would have had it already," she said, retrieving the device from her bag and extending it to Gold. His eyes glittered and a slightly mad looking smile crept over his face.

"Indeed," he replied quietly, flicking his wrist to beckon her closer. With her first step, Milah's presence was back with a vengeance, the scent of her perfume spiking all around her and a low buzz beginning in the back of her mind. Emma grit her teeth and moved quickly towards the desk, ignoring it. She placed the device on the desk and slid it across to Gold's waiting hand. He caught it deftly and immediately started pushing buttons. After a few moments, he tried again and Emma began to feel uneasy, his gaze rapidly darkening. Even Zelena was starting to fidget beside her. Emma was helpless to do anything but watch.

"Miss Swan, tell me what exactly is this that you've brought me." Gold left the device where it lay and stood, making his way around the table.

"Is that the wrong device, or…" Emma said, feigning ignorance. Gold chuckled and before Emma knew what was happening, her head had snapped to the side with the force of the back of Gold's hand.

"Playing dumb seems beneath you, Miss Swan." He brushed his knuckles off on his suit jacket, Emma watching him out of the corner of her eye. She swiped her tongue over the corner of her mouth, tasting the metallic sting of blood there. Milah was screaming inside of her head.

GET OUT, GO BACK, GOLD, DANGER, KILLIAN, SAFE

She ignored her again and stood to her full height, a scowl on her face. Zelena had slunk back towards the door, clearly putting separation between herself and Emma. She glared at her briefly as she avoided Emma's eyes and then looked back to Gold.

"That device is useless. I have no room in this business for useless objects. Or useless people." The click of a hammer drawing on a gun was the only warning Emma got before the cold metal barrel pressed beneath her chin. Her breath stilled in her chest and even Milah had gone silent. She could still smell the jasmine but the only sound she could hear was the heartbeat in her own ears.

"Mr. Gold," she whispered out after a moment. "I didn't know. I swear. I put myself on the line here, I got you the device, anything outside of that, I don't ask questions. I'm trying to prove myself to you here," she tried desperately to reason with him.

"Now that I believe," he said with a smirk, digging the metal into her jaw once more before withdrawing it. Emma couldn't help the shuddering breath that escaped her as he clicked the safety back on the device and put it back in his waistband. "You will make this up to me," he said, shaking his finger as he walked back around the desk. "Zelena has your contact information. I will reach out soon with further instruction. Don't stray too far, now, dearie." A little giggle punctuated the end of his sentence and it was clear she was being dismissed.

Emma practically ran from the building like it was on fire, not caring whether or not Zelena was walking with her or not. She gulped in deep breaths of fresh air as she burst through the doors to the building, the cold trickle of fear still trickling down her spine. Bile rose up in her throat and she ran to the side of the building, promptly emptying the contents of her stomach onto the pavement. She coughed and sputtered until she was dry heaving and there was nothing left. She drew a shaky hand up to her mouth and wiped it on the sleeve of the flannel she wore over her tank top, then wiped the tears that had escaped down her face with the other.

"That was… well, bloody disgustin', love."

Emma whipped around at the new voice behind her. A man, average height, sandy brown crew cut hair, and an expression that mirrored his words leaned up against the wall in the alleyway near by. Without another thought, she pulled the knife she had stuffed in her boot before leaving the motel earlier out and brandished it at the man. He put his hands up and his eyebrows shot up his forehead.

"Easy there, lass. I come in peace," he held up two fingers, mimicking an alien voice and throwing off the thick British accent he spoke with.

"Not if you're skulking around this place, you don't," she snarled. "Just who the hell are you?"

"I'm skulking," he bobbed his head with a roll of his eyes, "'cause this place ain't exactly the friendliest to my sort. Name's Will. Scarlett, if ya need that, too. And you're Emma Swan." Emma was on him in an instant, pressing him against the brick wall and holding the knife against his ribs. "Careful, that there's sharp and I prefer me lungs without holes in 'em." He smirked cheekily, hands still suspended in midair. "'Ceptin' o'course the ones that are supposed to be there," he said with a wink.

"That all depends on what the fuck you want from me," she said, hyper focused on every move he made.

"So much fire," he said and blew out a breath. The smell of clove and mint washed over her, mixing with the constant jasmine clinging to her senses. "No wonder Hook's taken a likin' to ya." Emma blinked at him and she remembered his name from the research Jefferson had done into Hook.

"What do you want? What does he want?" she said, her breath catching on the question. Jasmine swirled around her and Milah began whispering in her head again.

Go back, she urged again gently.

"He says that you're working for Gold. He's worried about your safety, and he regrets throwin' ya out on yer arse like he did. He wants to meet with ya. He wants to help," he explained. Emma studied the man for any trace of a lie. She couldn't see one at all.

Emma wasn't sure what to believe. The last twenty four hours had taken its toll on her. She hadn't slept, she'd been assaulted, threatened more times than she could count. The only sleep she had gotten was when she was unconscious. She shouldn't give a damn about Hook. He had thrown her in crocodile infested waters knowingly and now she had to work even harder to get back on Gold's good side. Sure, she had gone there with less than noble intentions, but she was honest with him, she told him things about her that she had told no one, not even Ruby. And he believed her. She saw it on his face. She knew she sounded crazy, but it was the truth.

And then there was this… connection she had to him. Liam and Milah had been so adamant that he was a good person, and she had believed in him. She could see it in his eyes that his actions had been born of heartache. She understood, and she would be lying if she didn't feel the loss acutely the second she stepped out of the building, but she had just chalked it up to Milah's insistence for her to return. She knew it wasn't just that. Somewhere along the line, Emma had become attached to Killian Jones.

Go back, Milah whispered again.

Emma loosened her grip on Will Scarlett and stepped back away from him, withdrawing her knife but keeping it in her hand.

"Okay," she said, to Will and to Milah. "Let's go."