A/N: Are we all freaking out yet? Ok good. :)
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"Perhaps you think you'd be better off without me," were the words Killian said as he threw his hands in the air.
I don't want you. Leave, were the words Emma heard in her mind.
"Perhaps I will."
Emma grabbed the pendants hanging around her neck and yanked hard, the chain's clasp easily breaking and she threw the necklace at him before storming out of his cabin and slamming the door behind her.
Killian stood there with his jaw hanging open.
"What in the bloody hell just happened?" He said aloud to himself.
He cursed the wine, scooped the necklace up off the floor, and hurried after Emma, determined to make amends.
"Emma, wait!" He called as he made his way through the door.
What he saw on the other side made his blood run cold and his face go white as a sheet.
The Dark One. Standing on board his ship. One glittering arm wrapped tight around Emma's tiny waist while the other held a long, curvy dagger to her throat.
And then, before Killian could even draw his sword, the two vanished into thin air.
"No!" He cried, falling to his knees as he stared at the now empty deck before him, his crew safely below deck, enjoying their lunch.
Mr. Smee was the only one to have witnessed the affair, having seen it all from his place at the wheel.
"Captain, was that-"
"The Dark One," Killian replied, running his shaking hands through his hair, "That it was, Mr. Smee." He dusted himself off as he got back to his feet again, climbing the short ladder to the quarter deck just behind him. He relieved Mr. Smee of his duties at the wheel. "Go, Smee. Take some refreshment and rest, tell the men to prepare the ship for battle."
"Where are we heading, Captain?" Smee asked, knowing better than to argue.
"The Dark Castle."
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Though Emma had not stopped wrestling with the shackles around her wrists since the Dark One had placed them there, they were just as cold and unyielding as ever.
She collapsed to the floor, exhausted, and let the tears fall freely.
She did this to herself.
She let her heart lie to her. She believed the lies and let them drive her away from her beloved Captain, her hero. Perhaps worst of all, in her fit of anger, she'd foolishly thrown away the most precious gift anyone had ever given her. And now, she was paying for it.
No, she thought, worst of all is that right now, Killian is probably blaming himself for this.
She was right, of course.
It was because of that - the knowledge that he would be, even now, carrying the guilt that ought to have been her burden to bear - that she knew she had to escape. She had to make it out of this prison cell alive, find Killian, and tell him how she really felt.
Emma could not afford to give up.
She would fight with everything she had to free herself from this prison cell and make her way back to him. She owed him that, at least.
"RUMPLESTILTSKIN!" She cried, banging her manacles on the door for extra volume.
No reply.
"RUMPLESTILTSKIN!" She tried again, louder this time.
She drew in a deep breath, preparing to scream it at the top of her lungs.
"Yes, yes, I heard you, I'm here. No need for all that noise," He said, appearing out of nowhere behind her.
"I want to make a deal."
"Oh-ho-ho!" The sly old sorcerer laughed, "Is that so? Well, dearie, do tell!"
"I want my freedom," She said, "Or at least to not be bound in chains up here in this freezing cold tower."
"Would you rather be bound in chains in the Dungeon?" He asked cheerfully, raising his hands as if preparing to send her there.
"No! Please! I'll do anything you want," She begged, "It's just that I'm so afraid of tight spaces like this, I feel as if I can't breathe."
Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow at her.
"So. You want to roam the castle freely?"
"Yes, sir," She replied, keeping her tone as respectful and calm as she could manage. "Perhaps I can help with chores?"
"I already have a maid," He said, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"WAIT!" She cried, "I- I have information!"
"What sort of information?" He hissed, reappearing, his face inches from hers.
"Information about your worst enemy," She replied, wringing her hands, "About Blackbeard."
For a moment, Rumplestiltskin stopped breathing.
The only way this girl could possibly know about the rivalry between him and the pirate Captain would be if she'd seen the man in the flesh in the last few days. The rivalry was a great secret, neither man wanting to admit their own shame in what they'd done or their responsibility for the precious life that had been taken. And Rumplestiltskin knew very well that the Princess had been kept safe within the castle walls until a few days ago.
Not to mention, he had found her on a ship.
"Very well," He replied, "Freedom to roam the castle in exchange for information about the pirate Blackbeard."
"And my cloak," She added. He narrowed his eyes at her. "This castle is freezing."
"And your cloak," He mimicked, sneering at her, "Anything else you'd like to add, your majesty?"
Emma shook her head no, backing away from him. She put a pretty brave face on, but in truth, the Dark One standing so close to her was almost enough to scare her to death.
"Good. Now. Tell me what you know about Blackbeard."
"He-he's sailing near the Maritime Kingdom on the Queen Anne's Revenge, looking for allies."
"Allies for what?" He hissed, stepping closer to her.
"He's trying to find me. He wants to ransom me back to my parents just to spite you."
"Is that so?" Rumplestiltskin said, backing her into a corner.
"He said he'll see you ruined just as you ruined him and then take back what you stole from him." She stammered, trying desperately to create some space between herself and the truly appalling creature that seemed to enjoy unnerving her so.
Rumplestiltskin stopped dead in his tracks.
"He threatened my love?"
Emma hadn't meant any such thing. In fact, she'd been making up the most plausible lies she could think of, throwing out what she could, hoping that something would strike a chord.
And it did.
"Y-y-yes," She lied, her eyes bright and wide and full of fear.
Rumplestiltskin growled and turned away from her. If Blackbeard knew about his plans with Emma, then it stood to reason he must know about Belle, although he couldn't quite figure out how. Rumplestiltskin thought he'd been so careful to keep his affections for her a secret. But he had no reason to believe Belle had done the same.
It doesn't really matter, Rumplestiltskin thought, He's too big a threat to ignore.
"You've earned your freedom, girl. You may roam wherever you like except for the West Wing." He didn't miss the look of relief on her face. He waved his hand and her cloak appeared, draped over his arm, "But don't wander off too far, dearie. I have big plans for your twenty-first birthday celebration tonight."
She could hear the thinly veiled threat in his voice. It made her shudder to think what sort of awful things he might have in store for her.
With a wave of his hand, they were standing in what looked to Emma like a giant gallery - richly decorated with the finest tapestries and draperies and the walls were lined with all manner of items she couldn't even begin to discern. Emma took the cloak from him and felt the chains still hanging from the iron cuffs on her wrists.
"Hey! I thought you said I'd earned my freedom?"
"You didn't ask for the chains to be removed. It wasn't part of the deal. You should have chosen your terms more carefully," He said, sneering at her, before disappearing down the hall.
Once Emma was sure he was gone, she ran over to the table, found a scrap of parchment and a fountain pen. She scribbled something down quickly and placed it on top of a book he'd left face open on the table.
Then, she put on her cloak - her mother's green cloak - and seemed to disappear into thin air.
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Killian had arrived at the shore near the Dark Castle in record time. From the looks of the sky, he had a few hours before sunset. Just a few more hours to find a way to sneak into the castle, rescue the Princess, and hopefully escape without having to face the Dark One.
He knew the Dark One's reputation for showmanship and bravado. He was certain whatever foul plans he had in mind for Emma, they'd take place before the day was out.
I'll die before I'll let him harm her.
There was no time to waste.
Running on sheer adrenaline and the love he had for Emma, he scaled the crumbling castle walls in almost complete silence. He climbed the tallest tower, certain that would be the place the foul creature would hide her.
He was right, of course.
Or at least he would have been just an hour earlier.
As it happened, all Killian found in the tower was an empty cell, the door still hanging open, and no sign of Emma anywhere. He dug his brother's necklace out of his haversack and pulled it on over his head. Then he took a deep breath before drawing his hunting dagger from his boot and began his search through the castle.
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Rumplestiltskin was deeply paranoid. He kept going over the details of all the things Emma had told him about Blackbeard. He analyzed them and re-analyzed them and drew every possible conclusion he could from the little she had shared with him. It all made perfect sense.
He decided the safest plan would be to move Belle and all his most precious items to the magical prison he'd built in the dungeon of the Royal Palace. Surely Blackbeard would never think to look there. Once they were safe, he'd finish his part of the deal with the King and Queen. And once Emma's fate had been sealed, he'd either join Belle at the Royal Palace or find a better hiding spot. Sure, they'd be refugees on the run from - well, everyone - but at least they'd be together. Belle would just have to adjust.
His late wife would have called it cowardice.
He liked to call it preparedness.
His plan set, he left the castle immediately to find Belle and seal her safely in the dungeon. He only hoped she wouldn't put up too much of a fight. He would need to save all his energy for Emma's birthday surprise.
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Killian was exhausted. He had explored the entire castle and seen no sign of Emma or the Dark One for that matter. He'd finally made it into a large gallery of sorts, arrayed with all manner of finery. There was a long, ornate table in the center of the room - the kind of table Killian would have expected the Royal Family to use at the supper he'd attended. There were books and papers and maps and bottles and herbs spread all across the surface. He rushed over to peruse them, hoping perhaps he might find some clue to what the Dark One had in mind and where his beloved Princess might be.
That's when he saw it.
A note on a scrap of parchment ripped hastily from a nearby book.
You said I'd earned my freedom. That I could go anywhere except the West Wing.
You should have chosen your terms more carefully.
Killian couldn't help the smile that spread wide across his face.
Emma had escaped. The fact that he'd been searching for her in all the wrong places hardly seemed to matter. If she was gone without the Dark One's knowledge, she was safe.
He crumpled the note in his hands, holding it close to his chest as he closed his eyes, and kissed it as if it were a precious, holy relic.
"Don't worry, Emma, I will find you," He said, staring out the window at the sun dipping low in the sky.
"Why yes, dearie!"
For the second time that day, Killian Jones felt his blood run cold at the sound of the lilting voice coming from behind him.
"I believe you will."
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A/N: Are we all still freaking out? Any speculations about what kind of "special birthday surprise" the Dark One has for Emma? I'll just say this. If he pulls it off, it'll be a real gut wrencher.