FUTURE EMMA (Day Killian disappears)

As much as Emma loved her mother, being confined with her all day, eight months pregnant was trying at best. Snow, as always maintained this bright, happy optimistic exterior that made heavily pregnant, ankle swollen, tired, and to be honest about it, a bit bored, Emma feel close to tears. Luckily, Snow had left to grab them a late lunch and Emma was enjoying the brief reprieve from all of hers mother's wonderfulness.

She wished she could be on the job with Killian, who always knew how to soothe her mood swings, but she knew how he felt about putting the fetus (and herself right now) in a position in which it could be in danger. And even Emma admitted if an exciting situation presented itself, she would have a hard time resisting running right into the fray. The quite peacefulness was nice in theory, but oh so dull and ordinary.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Gold appeared, looking sweaty and a little off. He had a kind of wild look in his eyes of panic, maybe, which made no sense, being the dark one and all.

"Emma Dearie, I need your help. Someone has taken something very valuable of mine, and I need it back". He paced around the room a little, and Emma was shocked to see that the cool and under control Rumple actually had sweat at his brow. Her internal alarm bells tingled.

She crossed her arms over her (very large) belly and stared him down in silence, motioning for him to continue.

"I had it in my pocket, and it is a gold box, with emeralds and rubies, like a woman might have to put valuables in. Very elegant and very valuable, I need it back."

Emma simply raised an eyebrow at this and added "And what does this box do that has you so obviously panicked Gold? Unleash a Trojan army from Hades... .what?

"Nothing dearie that is your concern... Now you owe me a favour for helping you defeat Cruella, and I have come to call it in"

Emma shock her head with that one. "I repaid that favour when I saved Belle from Merlin's rage, so nice try Gold. If you want my help, you will have to be honest. What does this box do that has you so worried.

Emma watched as Gold seemed to hesitate and debate what to tell her, and she glared at him in warning. "Lie to me and there will be no help."

"Fine" Gold finally sneered "It was a time travel box that I was able to get and activate from the enchanted forest when I went through with the scouting party. Belle found out about it in her research over Merlin last year and was finally able to pinpoint its location. Like the mad hatter hat, or Zelena's time portal, it takes the person to where they are thinking about..."

"Oh come on Gold, Really?" Emma huffed irritated as Rumple of all peoples knew the dangers and pitfalls of time travel. "I know you have had a hard time with Belle leaving you, but that does not give you the excuse to try to go back and fix all the multiple mistakes you kept making choosing power over love."

Anger and pregnancy hormones were not a good combination and Emma felt the rage flood through her body. "Look at the mess with Marian" "You know better than to mess with time travel"

"Now, now, Mrs. Swan, or should I call you Jones now... you are the one that jumped through time portal to Wonderland...:"

"That was an accident, I did not mean to go back in time, and I made it out without messing up the timeline, thanks to Hook."

"Well, that's why I am here, whoever has the time portal, could either deliberately or purposely fall back or forward in time, and I don't need to tell you Ms Swan, do I, the seriously consequences it could have if they are not careful, on all of us. I must get it back"

Emma agreed of course that getting the device back was paramount, but did not want to help him so quickly. She needed to help, if only to make sure that the portal did not end up back in Gold's hands. There was a wildness about him again lately that saddened her. Belle was his true love and would forgive and go back but he needed to let go, really let go over his need to control, his need for power. He had made such strides and lately, since Merlin had been pushed back. The portal was going to have to go into her hands for safe keeping as her gut was telling her she would not approve of whatever Gold had intended to do with it.

She would send him to Killian, and gather David, Snow, Regina and Robin to come up with a plan to find it and get to it first.

"In case you haven't heard, I have been forced out of the role of saviour pending the birth of my child, so as much as it must be distasteful to you, I recommend that you go down to the Sheriffs office and get Killian, who like it or not is Sheriff right now to help you." Emma smiled her sweetest smile enjoying the way that Rumple gritted his teeth at the thought of asking Killian for anything, especially help.

"I went there first dearie, and no one was present. I even called the fine Sheriff's cell (Rumple said "fine" as sarcastically as possible) and I am afraid that he has run off and is ignoring his work responsibilities, hardly surprising for a pirate."

Emma's face scrunched in surprise at that, because that certainly did not sound like Killian. He was a dependable as David lately, and he certainly would not leave his post or not answer his phone with the baby so close and them not together. She pulled out her phone and called him, and the line was dead, disconnected. She called the separate number of the Sheriff's office, and it rang multiple times until David suddenly picked up a little breathless. Before Emma was able to say anything David shot out

"Emma, have you seen Killian? People have been calling me for help as he has been missing for hours and no one has heard from him. He promised Miss Muffett to investigate her claim of a robber today and failed to show. I ran down to the office and he is not here, and the crazy drunk in the jail cell claims he saw him come in, hours ago, open something and suddenly disappear into thin air."

Oh Shit, Emma thought looking at Gold who could not hear David's side of the conversation. "Dad, I will call you back, okay, stay there and man the office until I can get there."

"Gold have you seen Killian today?" Emma asked this but could already feel the dread in the pit of her stomach, acknowledging now, it was not like her adoring husband to have gone so many hours without touching base with her. Killian was not longer one to act out in stupidity, but as much as she hated to admit it, Gold still brought out the worst in him and if he was going to do something dumb, it would definitely involve pilfering an item off Gold.

Gold was looking at her and she could see him thinking, see the realization hit him.

"That pirate stole it from me at the diner! Emma, I would be practicing up your magic dearie, because when I find him I am going to do my best to crush him down like the ship scum he is, once and for all.."

Shit. The good news was as dumb as her lovely husband could be when it came to Gold, he would certainly be smart enough and crafty enough to claw a way back, somehow and she knew he would not deliberately harm the timeline. But where the hell would he have been thinking of? When would he have gone? She rubbed the circle necklace at her throat absentmindedly, and suddenly felt a flash of something that felt like a memory, but it was gone again before she could fully form it, before the image could be interpreted or meaningful.

My God, Killian, you need to get back in time for the baby. It was any day now. He would never forgive himself if he missed the birth of the child she knew he already loved so dearly. If he made it back... Emma tried not to let her fear weigh down on her, tried to stay as positive as possible.

She didn't want to even try to think of a life without her husband. Her heart felt ripped apart at even the thought of a week, let alone a lifetime without him.

Killian come back to me, she silently prayed.