I did something stupid back in the day, lad… and while trying to fix it, I might have uncovered something that I'm not sure if you wanted to know.
Now, we don't have time and I know everyone thinks I'll make it. But just in case… if you want to know who you are, Henry… talk to Smee, lad. Tell him to show you what we found out.
Anton's punch to his gut pulled Killian from his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he grunted and slammed his fist against the floor, holding onto the pain. His face had remained almost unscathed, nothing but a small bruise along his left cheekbone and another on his jaw. As much as he wanted to preserve it completely, he knew Gold wouldn't buy it if his face was unscathed.
The door opened while he lay on the floor, and Killian closed his eyes for a brief second, playing the part of a beaten-up rival. His hand moved to hold onto his ribs, grunting in pain.
"Get him up," Gold ordered, and his two goons moved to follow orders, pulling Killian up without any consideration to his possible wounds. Once again, Killian mustered all his energy to play his part. Lifting his head, he met Gold's eyes. His suit jacket was askew, his shirt untucked, and a couple of buttons were missing. His pants had dust marks all over them. Tilting his head to the side, Killian smiled at Gold, wincing at the very last minute to show pain.
"Gold, I didn't think you'd grace me with your presence. Not when you had such a wonderful host tending to my every need." He spat on the floor - a mix of saliva and blood. Anton had been gentle, but the man was a still a half-giant with a steel punch. "Tell me, how is the other fight going? It is as fixed as this one?"
"Did you have a hand in this?" Gold scrutinized his face, his eyes drilling a hole on Killian's forehead.
"A hand in what?" Killian moved his eyes around room, working to appear as if he were assessing the space. "Your wife? You know I did."
The punch came from his left, one of Gold's goons hitting his cheekbone and making Killian see stars. He moved his jaw left and right. He deserved that one, but he couldn't help himself. He'd say it again if the opportunity arise.
"I'm going to ask you one more time, dearie." Gold leaned on his cane, his mouth twisting in a grimace. "Did you have a hand in this?"
"Gold, I have no bloody clue what you're talking about." Killian spat the words, ensuring he was delivering them with the appropriately frustrated tone. "I've been locked up in here, a room with no view I might add, my body getting closely acquainted with the fists of your roughneck."
Silence stretched between them, feeling the room with a thick air of anticipation as Killian waited and waited some more, his face devoid of any emotion except confusion, pain, and tiredness. He was pulling out all the stops on this one. It would make Nemo proud if he could see him. But alas, no cameras in this room.
Finally, Gold tilted his head, his face contorting into a condescending smile. "Fine. You're free to go, Mr. Jones." He moved to address his man. "Show him out. We have work to do."
Killian made a show of buttoning his shirt back up and tugging at the lapels of his jacket before he made to follow the men out of the room. One more step down, only a few more to go.
He needed to give the delivery of his lifetime and he needed to do it at the appropriate time in the appropriate place.
After all, it was all about the setting.
/-/
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Emma asked the question for what felt like the eleventh time, although it truthfully was only the third or fourth. A duffel bag laid open on the bed and a suitcase already stood by the entrance. Her packing was almost done. She hadn't brought much - part of always being on the road or on the run meant you got used to living with only carrying the essentials - and she was finishing arranging her toiletries in her bag.
She'd been in Belle's suite when she'd received the call from Gold. It hadn't taken her by surprise. The moment the power went out, Emma knew her chances with Gold were gone. And if she were honest with herself, Emma knew the moment she didn't inform Gold that she'd spotted Killian Jones lurking around his casino, she'd made her choice. And now she had to live with it. Belle had gone with her to Emma's room and was currently pacing back and forth.
"I don't want you to get into trouble." She pulled the sides of her cardigan sweater tight over her frame, averting her eyes.
"I don't care about being in trouble, Belle."
"I'm sorry, Emma" Belle was on the verge of tears. "Robert, he sometimes-"
Emma closed the distance between them and laid a comforting hand on Belle's arm. "Hey, hey. You're not responsible for what Gold does. Or Liam, or any of them for that matter." She smiled, an idea coming to her. "Belle why don't' you come with me? What are you going to do here anyway?" She didn't want to leave Belle alone - or at the mercy of Gold if he figured out who was behind the robbery. It wasn't just that she'd promised Killian, it was that Belle didn't deserve to be caught in the crossfire.
Belle shook her head, pursing her lips. "I can't… not yet. I just I need time to think."
Emma kept her voice gentle. "Think about what?"
"Whether or not I can trust him again."
Emma didn't ask which him Belle meant, because by the frazzled look in her eyes, she wasn't sure even Belle herself knew. She only knew she couldn't leave her here in this state.
"How about a cup of tea before I go?" Before Belle had time to protest, Emma shrugged her shoulder. "Look if Gold wants to time my exit and remove me forcefully, so be it. I'm a big girl, I can take it."
Belle pondered her words for a moment before she gave Emma a small smile. "Let me get the Keurig settled." She stepped out of the bedroom and moved into the living room. Emma quickly shut her duffel bag and grabbed it. She was about to leave the room when her phone rang. The screen read Unknown Number. Her heart beating frantically on her chest, Emma took the call.
"Hello?"
The voice that spoke sounded tiny, like it was far, far away. "Turn to channel 88. Make sure Belle is watching."
Reaching for the remote, and fearing the worst, Emma turned on the TV. The image on the screen and the little piece of sound she was able to catch had Emma quickly raising her voice as she called for Belle.
"Belle, come here! You might want to ditch the tea and bring some alcohol instead."
/-/
We're all set.
Those words were exactly what Killian had been waiting for as he slowly walked down the hallway, dragging his feet a little in an effort to show he'd been beaten to a pulp by Anton.
He lifted his head and spoke into the emptiness ahead of him. "What happened tonight? Did you get robbed or something?"
Gold's reply from the other side of the hall came almost immediately. "Stop."
Stopping in his tracks, Killian bent his head as he turned around, hiding his smirk. When he finally looked up, Gold was in his face.
"I am going to give you one more time to come forward, dearie. Where is my money?"
"Are you willing to make a deal for it, Gold?" Killian waited for two seconds, letting the words sink in and peak Gold's interest. "What if I tell you that you can get your money back if you give up Belle?"
Gold raised his eyebrows and twisted his lips in a grimace. "Belle, huh?"
Killian shrugged. "What can I say? My brother still loves her. They were happy together." Meeting his eyes directly, Killian dropped the affable mask. "You and I both know the only reason you went after her was because you knew it'd bring my brother pain. And therefore, it would bring me pain."
Gold didn't even flinch, his smile turning into something evil and maniac. "Oh yes, I intended to make you suffer. I still do."
"Careful there. You need me if you want to get your money back. So why don't we try that again?"
Gold hesitated and Killian knew he was weighing in on his options. Was his hatred for Killian and his family so deep that he'd risk never seeing his hundreds of millions again? Killian wasn't going to give the man too much time to make a decision. "Do we have a deal, Gold?"
"Fine." Gold huffed and Killian allowed himself a tiny smile. It would be out of character if he didn't at least show some satisfaction about one-upping his nemesis.
"I know some people. I made a few new contacts while teaching celebrities to play poker in L.A. Give me a few days, I'll find out who has your money."
Gold wasn't impressed, not in the least. He clenched his jaw and Killian had to bite his tongue to keep the smile off from his face. "I will hunt you down, dearie. This is not over. I can still make you suffer."
Killian adjusted the lapels of his suit. "That threat got old a few years ago, and you've burnt more than your fair share of bridges since then. Especially with the people you'd hired to hunt me down last time. Such a tricky thing, not paying your debts." Killian paused and shot him a small grin. "And let's face it, anyone else you can think of hiring to hurt me and my brother like us more than they like you. So unless you're willing to get your own hands dirty, which we know you aren't, you're left with no other choice."
Gold's eye twitched and for a moment there, Killian thought he was going to punch him. But in the end, he simply gave Killian a dark look before turning to one of his security guards. "Call the police. Alert them of Liam Jones possibly breaking his parole, as I'm sure he's nearby, and turn Mr. Jones here into their custody. He was acting suspiciously on casino grounds."
Well, that was nothing that a little charm and some bail money couldn't fix. And Killian had both in spades now. He let the guard walk him to the casino lobby. As he was being escorted, the ding of the elevator made him turn his head just in time to see Emma and Belle quickly making their way out of the hotel, carrying a suitcase and travel bag between them. They were close to the entrance when Ursula approached them.
As he waited for the police to show up, Killian couldn't hide his smile. Belle and Emma clearly had gotten the message.
All was well.
Almost.