A/N: Ok, first off, I am so sorry for the extended delay with this story. I had some major writer's block and with my dissolving interest in the show, I lost a lot of my inspiration. I realized I was trying to follow the show too closely and it wasn't really the story I wanted it to be, so I started re-writing it (and even Cold Comfort as well) I'll eventually repost the story when that's all finished, but I didn't want to make you wait until then. So if in the coming chapters there are references to things that you don't remember reading, it's cause I haven't posted it yet. This story won't be abandoned, and neither will any of my other stories. Again, I apologize for the wait. So here it is... it's a little short as it's just setting things up for the coming chapters. I hope you enjoy!

Her vision blurred, glaring at the large red numbers that read 2:15am. It had been another endless night of tossing and turning, another night when she woke alone. Switching on the bed side lamp, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. But she refused to allow this to continue. She couldn't bear another night of silence – of pretending not to notice when he'd slip into bed at the crack of dawn and act as though he'd been by her side all night. It had been this way all week, and as usual, Gold remained silent in isolation.

She stepped into her slippers, pulling on one of his black silk robes as she headed to the basement. Ever since that day at the well Gold could focus on little else besides Cora, rambling on and on about keeping her in the Enchanted Forest. Emma wanted to say she'd remained unaffected by his obsession, but his obvious fear only intensified her anxiety of what lie ahead. Henry had said it best: when the villains of a story are scared, you know something truly evil is coming.

Emma rolled her eyes as she entered the kitchen, finding the door to the garden left wide open. It was just another cause for concern given his compulsion of locking doors and protecting all his possessions. She stepped into the garden, pulling the robe tighter to ward off the chill of the night air. She opened the door to the basement slowly, half expecting it to be magically booby-trapped against intruders. She was relieved to find she was wrong.

The soft creak of the old spinning wheel echoed in the small space. There was only a dim light on, barely enough to illuminate her feet as she stepped carefully down the wooden staircase. If he heard her entrance at all he gave no indication, his attention focused entirely on the wheel. The work table beside him was littered with beakers filled with neon liquid, looking more like a chemistry experiment than magic. She watched from the stairs as strands of gold pooled at his feet and Emma wondered if she'd ever truly get used to the knowledge that fairytales were real. He cut a small strand of gold, rising from his seat and adding it to a beaker. The dark liquid became bright shades of pink and purple, swirling into a mystical potion.

"I hope I didn't wake you…" he said softly, smiling to see her. She smiled in return, shaking her head as she slowly approached him.

"No, I haven't been sleeping much this week…" she said, resting her forearms on the table. It wasn't a total lie; she just didn't tell him that it was his fault.

"Ah…" For a moment there was silence as she waited for him to tell her something – anything of what was wrong. He only watched her with a curious gaze, waiting expectantly for her to speak.

"So this is magic, huh?" she said, staring at the potion in the glass jar.

"This is magic…"

"Looks more like chemistry…which I failed – a lot." He chuckled lightly, his eyes flittering over the contents of the table.

"Science and magic are more alike than people would believe." He said picking up the beaker, swirling the contents more. "You'll be happy to know I almost have a way for us to be able to cross the town line." Emma couldn't hide her surprise, though she certainly wasn't complaining.

"I thought you put that on hold…" Gold shook his head, resetting the potion in place.

"If I can't stop Cora's arrival, it might be safer for everyone if we can evacuate them over the town line."

"Of course…" she mumbled, deciding that now was not the appropriate time to ask where they would send an entire town full of people. "When will you know for sure if it works?"

"Shouldn't be long now, but the only way to know for sure is to try it."

"Try it…?" Emma repeated anxiously, "As in risk losing all of your memories in the process?" Gold nodded, that smug knowing smirk pulling at his lips. It was almost nice to see it again.

"Don't worry, love, I won't test it unless I am absolutely certain it will work."

"Good, I can't wait to get out of this town for a little while." He quirked an eyebrow, his eyes intrigued and alight with amusement.

"Going stir crazy, Miss Swan?" She shrugged dismissively, shaking her head.

"Not really…I just want to make sure it's still there." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Make sure what is still where?"

"The real world..." She replied quietly. "Sometimes I just feel like I fell into some alternate dimension..."

"Well in a way…you did. Is Storybrooke – or even the Enchanted Forest – less real than the one you left behind?" Emma leveled him with her best don't-start-with-me glare. "I assure you, it's still there." He added with a crooked smile.

They fell into silence once more, Gold focusing intently on the potion before him. The guarded look in his eyes made her uneasy and even though she was certain he hadn't lied to her, there was something he was hiding. She would've pressed him about it, but then, she'd been hiding something from him as well. She'd had no luck whatsoever in finding Bae, not even a small, albeit unlikely lead. It had become her own obsession; she exhausted every resource, searched every database she could think of and time and again she came up empty. Even with all his magic and power, not even Gold could find his son. What hope did she have?

The only other people she'd ever been unable to find were her parents and that's only because they were cursed and trapped in a town that didn't even exist to the this world. She hoped that wasn't the case with Bae, but unless he knew something he wasn't telling her, she was at a dead end. When she made that deal with him in the hospital, she feared everyday what his price would be. But Rumpelstiltskin, the man notorious for demanding a person's most precious possession, asked her only to find his son. He trusted her implicitly and without hesitation. It was his only request and that she was unable to succeed despite her best efforts was breaking her heart.

Gold remained convinced that Bae was still alive somewhere. It just wasn't here. She didn't know how to tell him that she was failing, that he should give up hope of ever seeing his child again. Even if she did know, now wasn't the time. Emma pushed off the table casting the thoughts from her mind, slipping her body between Gold and all that distracted him, draping her arms around his neck. He tried to smile as her fingers tangled loosely in the silken threads of his hair, his arm wrapped tight around her waist.

"So, do you want to tell me what's going on, or do I have to try and guess?" He shook his head slightly with a heavy sigh, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just didn't want to burden you Emma…" he replied softly.

"Remember that chat we had about you not shutting me out…" She challenged, letting the statement linger. His eyes followed the path of his fingers as if trying to memorize every detail about her; the way her hair curled and spilled over her shoulder, the lines and curves of her face as he traced the edge her jawline. Emma relished each and every touch he gave her, but it was different tonight. His touch was as sweet and tender as ever, but he was looking at her as if he'd never see her again.

"You have enough to deal with…" Emma inhaled deeply, releasing a slow, heavy sigh at his reply.

"Are you having nightmares again?" she pressed gently, determined to get an answer out of him.

"Not nightmares…visions." Her body stiffened at the somber edge in his voice, suddenly regretting having asked at all.

"Visions about Bae…?" she asked hopefully.

"No, Cora actually. I don't know how or when Emma, but they're coming. She and Hook…" Her arms tightened around his neck, pressing her body firm against his. She thought they had been stopped that day at the well, but she also knew his visions were rarely wrong.

"Does anyone die?" She asked, fearing the answer.

His eyes remained guarded, his expression set as stone as he replied, "Quite a few people, myself included…" Her blood ran cold at his words. Knowing that he was immortal didn't little to comfort her at the thought of his death.

"Well, I will never let that happen." He held her gaze for a long silent moment; his eyes weary, sad and entirely doubtful.

"You'll need magic if you're going to defeat the Queen of Hearts…" he stated, his words lacking any sense of sarcasm. "Cora isn't going to just bring the fight to me, she's going to attack everything and everyone I love, as will Hook. I will do my best to protect you and the rest of this town and to keep the fight between me and Cora, but –"

"I don't need you to protect me, Gold. I need you to prepare me…" Emma interrupted gently, albeit sternly. "We stand a much better chance of beating them together than apart. If I need to magic to defeat her, then teach me."

"What, right now?"

"Why not? We're both already awake. My magic is inherent, right? As the product of true love…?"

"Yes, but…" he sighed heavily, shifting on his feet. "Emma, if you really want to learn I'll teach you, but magic isn't something to be dabbled in. It's not something to be sneered at. It demands respect because the moment you stop respecting it is the moment you make a mistake that could cost lives."

"Gold I get it, I won't take it lightly. I promise…" He didn't look convinced, his intense gaze burning into her. She didn't flinch or back down in case this was a test of her resolve, matching his intensity as she glared back. But there was something else behind the doubt in his eyes. It was a look of fear and trepidation. Emma wondered why he'd be afraid to teach her magic, especially since he was eluding to how powerful she was.

"Very well…" he relented, splaying his hand gently on her back as he led her from the basement. She rested her head against his shoulder as they walked, ascending the staircase side by side.

"We'll start with something simple…" he began as they entered the kitchen. She closed and locked the door behind them as he limped to one of the cabinets, retrieving three medium sized candles. He set them close together in a triangle formation on his counter and came back to her side.

"Light the candles…" he commanded softly.

"Just…from my brain? Isn't there, I don't know, a chant or some magical catchphrase I need to say?" Gold merely smiled, moving behind her.

"A few things to remember about magic…" he whispered against her ear, his hand untying her robe. "It is not an intellectual act. Magic is emotion and thinking about what you're doing will only hinder you."

"Should it be good emotion or bad?" she asked as nonchalantly as she could, his lips trailing kisses down her neck. She was certain now that this was a test, and she wouldn't allow him to distract her.

"It doesn't matter, as long as it makes you feel intense emotion…" It didn't take her long to settle on her parents, the collective misery of her childhood and her fear of failing Henry as his mother. Taking a deep breath, she focused intently on the middle candle willing the wick to light. His fingertips slipped beneath her shirt, dragging lightly over her abdomen. She focused harder, growing increasingly frustrated as nothing happened.

"Why isn't this working?" she asked in a huff of aggravation. His lips fell to her shoulder with a slight chuckle, tightening his arms around her waist.

"Because you're thinking too much…" he whispered seductively in her ear, causing her to shiver. "You need to let go of your control, Emma. Stop thinking and let your mind and your body relax. You have to feel it, will it, and most importantly, believe it …" His hands roved over his stomach to her sides, sliding down her legs. "You need to focus…"

"That would be so much easier if you'd stop distracting me…" she said pointedly glancing over her shoulder at him, watching as his smile slowly faded.

"If you're up against Cora there will be distractions everywhere. I'm merely preparing you." Emma rolled her eyes, returning her gaze to the candles.

"Will Cora be trying to seduce me?" she asked sarcastically. Gold laughed, a rich, deep sound in her ear as his hands momentarily stopped.

"No…" he replied, still chuckling slightly. "Hook definitely, but not Cora…"

Emma scoffed, shaking her head at the thought of Captain Hook trying to seduce anyone. She closed her eyes, taking another deep breath as she forced herself to ignore the feel of his hands on her thighs. As he instructed, she purged her thoughts until all that remained were the experiences she tried so hard to forget. Her anger, fear and heartache surged through her like an electric current and with those memories in mind she opened eyes, focusing solely on the candle. A long thread of smoke spiraled up from the wick, before a small flame engulfed it.

"It worked…" Emma said surprised, giggling lightly.

"So it did…very good." With a wave of his hand, he extinguished the flame.

"Showoff…" she mumbled with a wry smile.

"Now, I want you to light all three at the same time…" Emma gave him a sidelong glare, already doubtful she could do it. The amount of focus and energy it took to light just one was challenging enough. She glared again at the candles, relieved when he moved to her right side letting her focus at last. The gray smoke trailed up from two of the wicks, but neither one caught fire. Her focus broke with a start as a chair hit her legs from behind, causing one of the candles to explode.

"What the hell?" she demanded angrily, spinning to face him with an accusing glare.

"As I said, there will be distractions everywhere. You'll need to be able to focus and be aware of your other surroundings." Emma looked at the white wax covering his counter as his arm slipped around her waist, more worried now than ever. For a moment, she almost believed it would be easy.

"Give it time, darling. You won't master everything tonight." He said, kissing her temple affectionately, "We can try again later when you're more awake and alert." Emma turned off the light as they left the kitchen.

"I can't, the family picnic is today."

"Ah yes, I forgot."

"But I will be all yours Sunday…" she added flirtatiously as they climbed the stairs leading to his room. "David is demanding that I take a day off now that he is Deputy." He flashed her the most genuine smile she'd seen all week.

"A whole day with you all to myself…" "Whatever shall we do?" he asked with a suggestive eyebrow, allowing her to enter the bedroom first.

"I'm sure we can think of something." She winked playfully as she stepped passed him. Kicking off her slippers, she placed the black robe back in the drawer, "Although, I am looking forward to the chance to just sleep in…" she added, slipping beneath the covers.

"You've worked so hard by yourself for so long…you deserve a day to yourself." He switched off the bedside lamp, laying on his back with an exhausted sigh. Emma curled instantly along his side. His arm came around her shoulders, hugging her tighter as she cuddled closer to his side.

"You're just happy that you won't have to share my time with anyone for one day…"

"This is true…" he laughed in agreement, "I don't share well with others, especially things that I cherish…" Emma couldn't help but smile, his thumb stroking her cheek lightly. "I love you, Emma…so much." She lifted her head, pressing her lips softly to his.

"I love you too…" she whispered in the dark.

"Sweet dreams, love."

"You too..." She rested her head back to his chest, her fingers drawing small circles on his t-shirt. The electric charge of her own power still surged through her, her nerves wide awake and quivering. Silence lingered in the darkness as she watched each minute tick by until an hour had passed. The rigid line of his body and his stifled breathing told her that he was as wide awake as she was.

"This is going to be bad, isn't it…" she said softly against his chest.

"Yes, it is…" he kissed her temple once more, his hand gently squeezing her shoulder. "Get some rest, love."

Emma scoffed mentally at his words as if hearing him say that would do anything but make her worry more. At this point, there was little more to say. All they could do was prepare themselves and wait. She had sworn once that she would never practice magic after seeing what it did to Gold and Regina. Now, she would be taking lessons from the Dark One himself. It was out of fear of the unknown, fear for the family she's finally found, fear for the love beside her that drove her actions now…and she would protect them all at any cost.

The curse was broken; now that she had her family she was eager for a time of peace to enjoy and live out their happily-ever-after's. She'd been a fool to believe it would be that easy, knowing the final battle still had to be fought. Regina was more or less in hiding and now a new threat presented itself almost as quickly as the other disappeared. She closed her eyes, looking forward to the weekend and the promise of a few days of uninterrupted quality time with the people she loved. She hoped Cora and Hook wouldn't arrive until at least next week, or better yet, never at all.

So, I hope you enjoyed it. As always, feel free to review! :) Hopefully I'll be able to get back to a more regular updating schedule.