A/N Welcome one and all, I've decided to address the subject of Bae in honour of this week's upcoming episode. Also I felt like it was the right move for the plot – I think all my lovely CS shippers will love this chapter. Simply because of the CS content.

Chapter 20: Hazardous

It was a week before David allowed Emma to go back to work. He had literally refused to let her in the office when she had turned up one day, explaining that she could come back in as soon as the doctor said so. And now Doctor Whale had finally said that she could go back. Apparently her healing process was sped by the magic that resided within her (as a result of her being the product of true love or the fact that she possessed magic, she couldn't determine).

Killian had been unseen by Emma since the visit to the hospital, although she always felt like he was watching. It should have felt creepy, the burning in the back of her head that indicated his gaze, but it felt oddly reassuring. She would never divulge her thoughts but in honesty she missed the banter they shared.

Henry was still staying with Regina, there was no way the saviour would compromise the safety of her son with Talice still out there. While she possessed magic, Emma didn't know how to utilise it properly and she was hesitant to contact Gold. The man was not only still aggravated towards Killian but he was the person who had hand-crafter Regina and her bitch of a mother. The saviour's open-ended favour to him wasn't a good motivator either – she hated owing him.

It was why, when the Dark One and part-time pawnbroker came to visit her, she felt wary.

"Good Morning Miss Swan," he said, limping into the office with his cane in hand. She'd always wondered why he needed it – if he was all powerful shouldn't he be able to fix a dodgy leg?

Emma narrowed her eyes; of all the days to come to the station he chose her first day back. That couldn't be a coincidence.

"What do you want, Gold?" she asked curtly. The slim man cocked his head, lips upturning slightly at her display of indifference.

"I'm cashing in my favour." The words caught her off guard and she sat up straighter. The world slowed slightly as she waited for his demand, fingers crossed it didn't involve crime.

"And?" she asked expectantly.

"You're going to help me find someone." Gold announced and Emma sagged slightly in relief, followed by curiosity.

"Who could you possibly want to find that you don't already know?"

Gold smiled slightly, almost ruefully, "My son."

Her eyebrows knitted together as she reeled at the idea of this powerful figure bearing a son. The shock was quickly replaced by confusion as she remembered the boundary curse, "Is he here in Storybrooke because I'm pretty sure you can't leave?" The wiry man shook his head and procured a small vial of liquid from his pocket, brandishing it in front of the blonde proudly.

"This will allow me to cross the town line; we leave for New York today."

Emma stood up, staring at Gold incredulously.

"I can't just get up and go – I don't have a problem going with you but can I at least get some things in order first?" she said, trying to reason with the eager man before her. His previous elation deflated, revealing a slightly unhinged and all-too-desperate individual.

"Keep in mind dearie, every second I'm here is a second closer to me killing Hook. He may not have done irreparable damage to my Belle but he did try and I've dispatched men for much less." His words were heavy with pent up despise for the pirate. If she was being objective, Emma couldn't blame Gold for wanting to hurt Killian. But she wasn't being objective; this was Killian – the man who had saved her life numerous times. The least she could do was try to save his.

"Fine. When are we leaving?" she asked, void of emotion. It's not like Henry was going to be any safer with her here than without her – she only saw him in the mornings when they caught up for breakfast. And besides, with an adoptive mother like Regina and grandparents like Mary Margaret and David, his safety was about as impenetrable as a vault.

"In two and a half hours – go get packed and I'll meet you back here at eleven." Emma nodded in understanding and picked up her mobile phone, she was going to have to call David and let him know. She was also going to have to let Mary Margaret know; dread filled her at the thought of her mother's inevitable pedantic reaction.

"I'll see you then," Emma said as she gathered her things. Gold left swiftly and she took the solitude as an opportunity to call her father. He answered on the first ring.

"Hey Emma, how's it going? Was it too soon for you to start back?" he asked, parental worry saturating his voice. She could hear her mother in the background asking what was going on and how she was and whether she needed to come home early. Mary Margaret needed to see someone about her recent anxiety problems.

With a tad of irritation Emma replied, "No, I'm fine. I'm calling because I need you to come to the station. You and Mary Margaret, actually – there's something I need to discuss with you both."

"Okay," he replied, confused as to why he would need to come down if she was apparently fine, "we'll be there in ten." He hung up the phone and Emma put her own mobile device in her pocket. She could only imagine their reactions when she told them what was happening – and with such short notice too. But then, she could also understand Gold's need to find his child. The blonde could relate with him, however twisted he was. If Henry was ever far away she'd drop everything to go to him, it made her more sympathetic and unwittingly more receptive to Gold's plight.

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Killian watched the crocodile leave her office and sighed angrily. The bloody woman was having more contact with that monster than with him, and that was more than insulting. Collapsing his telescope, the pirate left the roof of the building across from the sheriff's station and walked down to the street level. He was at the door to the precinct in two minutes flat.

As he entered, he could see her sitting on her desk rifling through papers. She looked up expectantly and her face fell.

"Don't look so disappointed love, you might make a man feel unwanted," Killian smirked, waltzing up to stand in front of Emma. She gave him a wry look before returning her gaze to the papers she was trying to organise. It appeared to be busy work, she was fidgeting.

"What do you want, Hook?" she asked unamused.

"I want to know why you're spending so much time with that bloody crocodile." The words came out a whole lot harsher than he intended and the effect on her was immediate. She stiffened and dropped the papers, looking up at Killian through her lashes incredulously.

"I don't think that's any of your business, besides what are you doing stalking me?" Emma said defensively, shifting her weight to sit on her desk and look up at the pirate. He smiled at her and replied casually.

"Stalking is such a harsh word, think of it as keeping an eye out for the scum that is sure to reappear eventually. Talice never was too good at keeping his actions subtle." His voice dropped a decibel at the mention of Emma's attacker and she had to steady herself mentally. Whenever anyone mentioned the bastard she would unwillingly see flashbacks of that night. Even the saviour wasn't immune to post-traumatic stress – as much as she liked to deny it.

"Either way, it's none of your business." The blonde turned to continue her busy work but was stopped by Killian when he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him again.

"Emma, that man is evil personified. You need to be careful," he said, staring intensely into the eyes of the woman before him. She stared back unwaveringly into the sky blue that consumed her.

"I can take care of myself, Hook," she replied, unmoving from her spot just an inch from him.

"Yes, as we can all see from what happened when two individuals were able to breach your apartment without your knowledge." Again his words were delivered with a harshness he hadn't meant. Her refusal to see things his way was going to make him insane; she wasn't safe in the presence of that snake of a man.

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Emma stopped slightly at his comment, taken aback by the intensity and bluntness with which he'd described her experience. Instead of breaking under the reminder of her weakness that night, she became angry and diverted to her strength; her magic.

"Things are different than before!" Emma said starkly, feeling the power crackle in veins and burn in her fingertips. Killian stepped back slightly to study the saviour, confused because he didn't understand the underlying meaning of her words – although he was sure there was one.

"What?" he asked, and without thinking she pointed her hand at the papers on her desk. Why she hadn't thought to do it before escaped her but with ease the piles suddenly straightened out and the desk was cleaned. It had been with perfect clarity that Emma had conducted the power in her fingertips, a strange yet oddly satisfying feeling settling over her.

"Magic… that's why Cora wouldn't take your heart isn't it?" Killian asked, still staring at the desk in shock. Her blonde hair bounced slightly as she nodded, watching his reaction closely. His eyes moved back to her face and he stepped forward again – their vicinity increasing.

"You can't let Rumplestiltskin know about this-"

"He already does, he's the one who told me about it," Emma cut him off, trying to understand why he was suddenly so vehement on that point. First he was upset that she couldn't protect herself and now that she could he was upset about something else, it was starting to irritate her.

Killian groaned, "Then that's all the more reason or you to stay away from him. He'll try to do to you what he did to Regina and her mother."

Her temper rose at the thought that he could even begin to compare her to them. And besides, she had refused his offer of help already under the same pretence – not that it mattered what he thought.

"It's not up to you what I do, Hook. And it might interest you that I'm going to be spending the next couple of days alone with him starting in a couple of hours," she said, purposefully pushing that button. The pirate's eyebrows lowered and his eyes intensified – if that was even possible. He was definitely angry about this.

"Bloody hell Emma, why in God's name would you do something that stupid?" Killian asked, almost growling the words.

"It's not stupid and it has nothing to do with you so piss off!" she said, voice rising as he berated her. He was sounding more and more like an over-zealous boyfriend. His eyes softened slightly when he looked into hers and saw something. He knew she was lying.

"It does have something to do with me, you're a terrible liar, love," he said, still heated but slightly less abrupt. Emma cursed herself, she hated how easily he could read her like it was written across her forehead. She'd have to learn how to block him, the way she'd learned to block everyone else over twenty-eight years.

"No it doesn't!" she denied, faltering just enough for him to jump in.

"What did he do?" he asked, inching closer to the blonde in front of him. She dropped his gaze, looking anywhere but his eyes. She couldn't reveal that Gold had threatened him; he had done it in a way that was subtle but definite. Killian waited for her to answer and when she did it was a yelled admission, she despised his ability to look right through her – It made her feel so vulnerable, something that didn't sit well with the saviour.

"He said every second he was here was a second closer to killing you!"

The man before her stopped, visibly shocked that this is what he had to do with it. This was why she was going with him, his life depended on her taking him away long enough to reason with him. Emma looked back up at him, still angry that he'd made her admit something she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with. She cared about him.

Without another word, Killian's lips descended down upon hers with all the anger and desperation he felt. Anger that she was putting herself in danger for his welfare and desperation to hold her to him; he knew she would push him away at any moment.

Emma moved her hands to his chest to do exactly what he predicted but didn't. Surprising them both, she grasped the lapels of his leather biker jacket and pulled him closer to her. He smirked against her lips but continued the embrace, bringing his hand and hook to rest on her hips. Their mouths moved in synchronisation, each manoeuvring based on the others' needs. His tongue ghosted her bottom lip and she acquiesced his silent request. The kiss deepened and Killian turned them around so he could push Emma against the wall. Tangling his good hand in her hair, they battled for dominance over the kiss.

When they came up for air, he moved to her jawline, placing gentle pecks along her jowl and up to her ear. With his lips so close she heard him breathe one word, "Emma."

The word was uttered with a reverence that made her shudder in delight. She pulled him back to her, kissing him fervently as she tugged lightly at his dark hair. Even Emma was surprised that she hadn't hit him as soon as he brought his lips to hers. But for once, she was doing what she wanted. Not what she should do or what she knew others would want her to do.

So much of her life had been dictated by her head, by what was needed for the greater good. For one goddamn minute she would have this, she would have what she wanted; even if it was impossible. Perhaps this whole situation was a result of the forbidden fruit complex. Either way, this moment was impenetrable. This moment was theirs.

His tongue explored her mouth, eliciting feelings and passions and desires that had lain dormant since first meeting him. In exchange she pulled on the hair that was fisted in her hands, drawing a hungry growl from the pirate. The kiss seemed to envelope her being and the world crumbled slightly around her.

It was a blissful moment as she fell into the kiss, a blissful moment that ended with one word yelled angrily from behind them.

"Emma!"

They stopped abruptly and she looked over Killian's broad shoulder to where her parents were standing in the doorway to the station.

Damn the awkward parental interruption. Reviews are demands for another steamy kiss in the future.