Part of him wanted to not challenge her. From what he'd seen of her, she seemed like a strong woman. But Emma was strong too.
"Merida. That's your name, right?" He raised his hands and took a step closer.
She snorted. "You know my name. Don't play games, Pirate."
"Fine, Merida. This darkness isn't ordinary. This is heavier, darker, than anything you've ever seen."
"Oh really? I think I've seen what it can do. I think having my heart ripped out and used to blackmail me into doing the Dark One's bidding was enough of a clue in." She raised an eyebrow. "So, we going to fight or are you backing down?"
"You're…confusing." Killian grumbled. "I know the right thing to do is get you to give up the magic, but at this point the only way you're going to is if I kill you, which would make me the Dark One."
She nodded and gestured for him to continue.
"But you seem to have a handle on it. But it could change. You've had the power for less than a day."
"Look, lad, I'm going to be honest with you. I have a situation and a little magical help could do me some good. My brothers were kidnapped by our rival clan and I need to get them back. I don't want to use the magic to become powerful. I already am. Power doesn't come from magic. It comes from your heart. And that is something I've got tons of." She tossed him a wink.
He sighed and turned to Gold, who seemed to have calmed down a bit. "What do you think?"
Gold looked at Merida, who was standing patiently in front of them. "I think that if anyone had to absorb the power and end the vicious cycle, she'd be the best candidate."
Killian nodded at her. "I'll be checking in, Scarlet."
She winked again. "I'll be looking forward to it."
He followed Gold back to the car and settled into the passenger seat. He still felt a little uneasy about not nipping this new Dark One in the bud, but at the same time, all he could think about was getting back to Emma.
He made a mental note to find Merida in a week and see how she was faring. Pulling out his phone, he sent off a quick text before shutting it off. He was desperate for some alone time with Emma, and damnit he was going to get it.
Killian: Long story short, Merida is the new Dark One. True Love's Kiss woke Emma up. She's fine. Merida is fine. Everyone is fine. Please do not come to the Jolly until I give the all clear. Emma and I need to talk. Thanks.
As the screen on his phone went dark, Killian knew that David wasn't going to be happy. But he also knew that he wouldn't have to deal with it until later because it was Regina's shift watch.
Gold parked beside the docks and cleared his throat. "Thank you."
Killian nodded and left the car, jogging over to his ship. He opened the door to the cabin without knocking and found Emma alone, no Regina in sight. He frowned at that, glancing around.
"I sent her home." Emma said quietly. She was sitting in his desk chair, scribbling on a piece of scrap paper. When he moved closer, he saw that it was an intricate drawing of his ship.
"That's good." He said, pointing at the paper. "Didn't know you drew."
"I didn't, but the Dark One doesn't need to sleep. Dreamcatchers were great and all, but I needed to diversify my hobbies." She didn't look up from the paper, instead she concentrated on getting the shading just right.
"I spoke to Merida." He said, leaning up against the desk. "She's quite an impressive lass." When Emma stayed silent he continued. "In fact, instead of being angry that you channeled your power into her, it seems that she's going to put it to good use."
Then Emma glanced up, her eyes full of worry. "She won't be able to control it."
"I beg to differ. I think. She seemed completely unchanged by it. You're fine, Emma. It's over." He reached down and brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheek.
She sighed and leaned into his hand. "Even though the power's gone, it feels like it's never going to leave completely."
"I know, darling." He said. "And there's a lot of work in your future to repair what's been done. But you're not alone in it. You've got no shortage of people who want to help you. We kept trying to tell you that, but you wouldn't listen. But, Emma, please don't try to do everything on your own again."
She nodded. "I won't." Then her eyes widened. "Oh God. Regina told me that Henry saw my dreamcatcher. Is he okay? Does he hate me?"
Killian shook his head. "He's very angry and I'm sure he will be for some time. But the lad is still close with her. Things actually worked out better for him in Storybrook than they did in Camelot. Did you do something despicable? Yes. But I think that if you apologize he will forgive you. Explain your reasoning. It will take time, but he will forgive you."
She swiped at the tears that had just started to form. "I did what I thought was the right thing to do."
"I know, Swan." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be alright."
Emma looked up at him and wordlessly took his hand, leading him to the bed. They sat on top of the blankets, reclining against the pillows. She still clung to his hand, and judging by the pressure of her squeeze, he assumed she was gathering her thoughts.
"I need to go see Henry." She said after a few moments and he nodded in agreement. "But…There's someone else I owe an apology to."
He cocked an eyebrow and she shifted so that she was in front of him.
"I'm sorry, Killian. I'm sorry that I couldn't control the power. I'm sorry that I tried to manipulate you. I'm sorry that I tried to use my Dark One status to make you be with me. Most of all? I'm sorry that the first time we slept together, it was because I was jealous and wanted to remind you that you belonged to me. It wasn't meaningful. It was a powerhouse move and I am so incredibly sorry." She kissed his cheek. "But I'm going to fix it, starting now."
"How's that, love?" He asked.
She smiled lasciviously. "By making it up to you."