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WASN'T LOVE, LOVE.


Chapter 44: Down.


Emma was sitting in front of her desk, fumbling through the pile of paperwork, apparently new technologies weren't important in that little town of Maine, and most of the things were still medieval, who on his right mind would try to sort through that paperwork without a proper database? Without a computer?

"Your uniform is there Emma"

Emma looked up from the chart, the answer to her earlier questions came to life in front of her; the same man who wanted her to use the stupid looking uniform he was holding up.

"A tie? You know you don't have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority."

"So, you think you can get people to do what you want in that red coat?"

She rolled her eyes to the sheriff. "I'm getting you to do what I want right now."

The sheriff sighed, throwing the uniform over his chair and approaching to her table, a badge on his outstretched hand. "Well, at least wear the badge. Go on – take it. We have to make it official."

Emma took the badge from Graham; she had been working like the deputy without it long enough. She clipped it onto her belt and immediately growled as the sheriff placed a stack of papers on her desk.

"Those must be sorted first."

"Perfect." Emma snapped, getting up abruptly and ending up standing face to face to the sheriff. "I need a coffee first."

The man fixed his blue eyes on her lips and Emma tried to step back, finding the chair. Damn she was trapped, but he wouldn't dare to kiss a married woman, wouldn't he? His hand brushed over her right cheek, and Emma remembered she had a scratch there.

"Did your husband..." It hadn't been Killian, Emma and Henry had been sparring, a little accident with her own nails.

"Hey, I was clear about it, we love each other, there's no problem in our marriage, so your question has no point." She looked intently at his eyes.

"Emma..." He was the one to retreat his body leaving a forest scent in his leave. "Would you mind to do the night shift today?"

That was an unexpected question. Emma shook her head; it was girl's night out. That meant Ruby, Mary Margaret and her went to have some fun while Killian and David looked after Ruth. "I'm sorry, night shifts aren't in my contract."

"Please, I volunteer for the animal shelter... They need me tonight."

Emma sighed. "Okay, just for this once."

She loosed her balance, the floor propelling her forwards as the world around them trembled. She hit his boss chest, face first, his muscled arms circled her waist to steady her, it was as if a hot air balloon had popped in her belly, the warm spreading through her at a fast pace. She looked up, placing both hands on his chest, trying to will herself away from him, but her body refused to make the last effort as their gazes met. Slowly he began to lean down, his blue eyes somehow dreamy and unfocused. Blue eyes, a beautiful hue, but not as perfect or intense as Killian's.

In that moment she pushed him away and all the phones of the station began to ring at once. The emptiness left his features and he coughed before picking up the phone, after a brief conversation he hung up. "The first reports of the earthquake. Apparently a tunnel of the old mines collapsed."

He picked up his jacked without meeting her eyes and gestured her to follow, leaving her behind before she could even put on her red leather jacket. Alone and dazzled because he had nearly kissed her, a kiss she didn't want, a kiss she was glad she had escaped.

She hurried to catch her boss and managed to get into the car before he had started it. They didn't utter a word as the car began to move.

Emma glanced through the window, people going in and out of homes and stores, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. Graham nearly kissed her. She sighed, Killian wouldn't have liked to hear about it, but she would have told him. Since she had accepted his madness he spoke openly about things that had happened in his past, false speculations of his mind to convert hurtful things like his brother's death. Emma had noticed a slight shift in their relationship, as a blowing wind that despite being feeble could change the curse of a ship. Their trusted each other far more than before, it felt as if their connection had grown stronger if it was possible. Knowing about his past and childhood, about his whereabouts as a teenager, knowing all those things that he had kept away -because before, every time he tryed to share, she chastised him for his inability of separating his own memories from odd tales- knowing everything about him, everything he believed true had made her feel like one with him.

Killian completed her, in every possible way, so she really couldn't understand why she hadn't been able to push Graham away faster, she didn't needed him, didn't wanted him.

Her thoughts shattered as they arrived and pulled their car next to Regina's and the fire department's truck. There was a tunnel opened, surrounded by a big crowd, and the affable major was taking care of the situation.

"Sheriff, set up a police perimeter. Marco, why don't you help with the fire department? Miss Swan, this is now official town business. You're free to go."

"Well, actually, I've been working for the town for a week." She patted the badge.

"She's my new deputy."

Regina glared at her, her eyes two black coals. "They say the Mayor's always last to know. Besides it, we decided against it Graham." The 'we' was so possessive that Emma wondered if Regina was somehow in love with Graham, she pushed the idea away, Regina wasn't capable of love, she just needed to see how she behaved around Henry to see her inability.

"It was your decision, not mine, and as long it's in my budget, I can pick whoever I want."

"Indeed. Deputy, why don't you make yourself useful and help with crowd control?"

Emma rolled her eyes as she walked away from the pair, why did they argue like a pair of lovers?

"Sometimes, I think you've forgotten. You work for me. You're mine Graham. And I can fire you. This is my town. You will lose your office, lose your house..."

Emma walked away before she said something stupid to the mayor.

-'/:/:/:/:lS(õ.õ)Sl:\:\:\:\(º.º)/:/:/:/:l¿(õ.õ)l:\ :\:\:\'-

Henry and Ruth had managed to fly the school through the back door. They had planned to go to the mines during days, but when Mary Margaret had told her class to stay calm, that the earthquake was just a tunnel collapsing, he had decided they needed to go down there now. Ruth had insisted that her Papa had to go too, but adults were never helpful.

Now they stood among the crowd that had gathered around a big hole in the ground that had appeared from nowhere. Ruth was holding his hand, her blue eyes glittering with expectation.

Regina stood in front of the hole trying to calm down the people.

"People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed. We've always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels. But fear not. I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe – to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it."

Regina then picked a piece of glass up off the ground and placed it in her pocket.

"What was that?" Asked Ruth I'm a whisper as more people gathered there.

Henry leaded her behind the fire department's truck. "Okay Ruth." He made sure no one was listening. "This requires all of Operation Cobra."

"I want it to be Operation Dragon." She said pouting.

"It's already named." Henry shook his head. "We can't change it now."

"Can't we pretend Cobra is the name of a dragon?"

Henry blinked twice, the question had shaken him, Archie thought he had a great imagination, he should talk with Ruth. "Okay."

"Operation Cobra, that secretly is a dragon name." The little girl grinned. "What's down there?" Before he could respond she placed her backpack on the floor crouching next to him. "Are we going to the mines now?"

Henry kneeled. "We must go there before Regina destroys the proves we need to make mum believe, we can't let her do this." Ruth opened the pink backpack, and gave him a flash light.

"Let's go."

"You are not coming Ruth, They're old tunnels, it could be dangerous."

Ruth raised an eyebrow at his brother. "I laugh in the face of danger." She picked another flashlight and a yellow camera. "I'm the one who knows things Henry. Like we will need a camera to make Mama believe."

Henry took the kids camera and breathed out an okay. "We must be fast, we must sneak down there before they notice.

"Pirates are great at sneaking."

He held her little hand, and they walked among the crowd until they were at the front. Henry found his mothers arguing, Graham was talking with a firemen. "Run Ruth!"

They both did, still holding hands, their footsteps not loud enough to made the adults notice them. They entered the hole and went on running until the darkness enveloped them.

Henry used the flashlight. "It's so cool! The tunnels just happen to collapse right after Emma get here? She's changing things, weakening the curse!" His voice echoed in the tunnel.

"We need to draw a map." Ruth noticed then that she had left her backpack behind. "Oh no! My potions and things! My dragon!"

Ruth's voice was carried away, bouncing from wall to wall.

"Don't worry." Henry whispered praying that no one had listened outside. "I have a notebook, your camera and some chocolate bars." The floor shook again and both of them fall over each other.

0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0

Killian was furious, it had taken every inch of selfcontrol to not punch Ruth's teacher. They had let his children escape. They had allowed them to go, two children alone, alone in the middle of a city full of enemies. Did Regina had them? Or it was the crocodile? Emma was the one who was going to kill him for sure, he was a death man walking and he deserved it. He just hoped that they were together, Henry would protect her, he was a brave lad.

Mary Margaret and him had searched for the pair of trouble makers, but with no luck. In the school, Mary's apartment, the ship, Grannie's... Now he was resting on a wall, his mother-in-low trying to calm him, but oh no, he wasn't going to be calm until his kids we're safe and sound. The floor shook again and he wished hard Henry and Ruth were fine.

The phone rang and he hurried to take it from his pocket. It was Emma. He couldn't tell her he had lost their children, not when the town was collapsing under their feet. Mary Margaret picked it up from his hand. "It's Emma."

"I can't tell her I've lost them."

"It's not your fault. Hey! I will tell her, don't cry."

"I'm not crying." He snapped making sure there were no tears on his face. "I'm just preoccupied because my children aren't there with me, where they should be!"

The phone was still ringing, and the school teacher opened it.

"Hi Emma is Mary Margaret." Killian tried to approach the phone so he could listen, but Snow placed a hand on his chest. "We have been looking for them." He breathed relived, they were with Emma at the station, the only place they hadn't search for. "We will be there in a heartbeat." He jumped into the Chrysler, Mary Margaret walked around the car to sat next to him. "Is not his fault. Okay we are heading there."

"The station?" Asked him pocketing his phone, a big smile in his face, Emma had them, they were safe.

"Nope, they are at the mines." The smile fell from his face.

It didn't took long for them to reach the bloody mines, plenty of people was there, but what caught his eyes as he jumped out of the car was Ruth's pink backpack, next to the fire department's truck. She had been there. It was true, she was inside a collapsing mine.

When Emma saw them she ran in their direction, for a millisecond he thought she was going to hug him, but she slapped him hard. "You! Why are my children in a mine?"

"Is not his fault Emma, they escaped through the school back door."

"Yes they escaped and now the entrance collapsed!" Killian embraced her. "They are alone down here." She said between sobs into his chest.

"We now where they are." Mary Margaret approached them and began to rub Emma's back.

"Henry's smart. He will keep the lass safe until we get to them." Killian kissed the top of her head. "Now we must find them, okay love?"

Emma pushed against his chest and wiped away her tears. "Okay, let's find them."

"This is your fault Hook!" Regina stepped in their little circle, one of her snares making her look dangerous, not that it impressed him a bit. "You know why he went down there in the first place, don't you? Because you made him feel like he had something to prove. You are conspiring with him about the curse! And it's not wise Mr. Jones." She jerked him forwards grabbing his collar, approaching their faces until they where inches apart. "You better back off my son."

Killian smirked, using the momentum he held the queen in place with his hand on the back of her neck as if their were going to kiss. "And why does he think he has anything to prove?" He whispered so just she could listen. "Afraid they find something down there your majesty."

The woman glared at him and moved her lips so she was whispering in his ear. "There's a dragon down there, so you better bring my son out before he's eaten up alive." The floor trembled and Regina straightened her back. "Or, please! Keep taking until his oxygen runs out."

Emma took his arm and forced him to back off. "We have to stop this. Arguing won't accomplish anything."

"No, it won't." Regina agreed. "We need to find some way to punch through the ground. We need something big."

"Like what?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Explosives." Both Emma and Killian said at the same time.

"I know exactly who can help us." He added fishing his phone out. The Jolly Roger was one of the few ships with guns cannons of the enchanted forest, it meant gunpowder and gunpowder meant an explosives expert. So Killian dialed his number. "Mr. Perkins, I need your skills. Now, at the mines."

0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0

Ruth hurried towards the light. "Henry! See this! Is beautiful!"

Henry crouched beside her sister and peered through the little hole where they could see a gallery full of sparkling crystals. "This is fairy dust!" Henry took a shot with the kids camera. "Do you think this'll be enough prove? Killian will have notice us missing. We must go back."

"We can try." Ruth said lighting the notebook where she had drawn a map. "Papa always says Mama is stubborn."

"We can come back later if she doesn't have enough proves."

"Okay." Ruth took his hand. "I led the way out."

They walked, Ruth reading her map and Henry lighting the path. They had done a great work, with luck they could sneak out unnoticed and wait for Killian at granny's. He won't like it but there wouldn't be a big issue.

"Oh!"

"The path is blocked." Ruth said. "We can try the elevator we saw earlier."

"I don't think it still works." Henry took her map. "We can try that tunnel."

"It leads nowhere."

"And this one?" Henry pointed another one.

"To the elevator."

Henry traced the lines on the map with his fingers. "Let's give it a shot."

They walked hand in hand eating a chocolate bar until they reached the metallic box, it was rusty and old.

"Is creepy."

"It's to get the mine workers in and out. It goes all the way to the top." Ruth entered and turned around.

"Can we make it work?" Ruth tried to turn the wheel with no luck. "I'm too weak."

"Let's try it together." They turned the wheel and it moved the elevator slightly.

0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0

Emma held Killian's had as one of his new friends positioned himself to enact the explosives.

"Blow it." Regina said.

Killian used his left arm to embrace her waist. "It will work lass."

The explosives were set off. Emma let go from Killian's hand and ran to the entrance of the tunnel to check the results. It was completely blocked with debris. "It didn't work."

Graham approached her. "Then what did it do?"

0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0

Ruth yelled letting go the wheel and hooking his arms around his waist. The elevator fell farther down the shaft.

"Mama!" Ruth yelled. "Mama!" Henry let her go, and crunched in front of her. "Mama!"

"Please Ruth stop." Henry wiped with his thumb her tears trying to look calm. "She can't hear us."

She pushed his hand away. "Mamaaaa!"

0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0

"What was that? What the hell was that? You said you could do this!" Regina hit Killian's chest with both of her closed fists.

"Madam Mayor!" Graham held her waist embracing her from behind. "Calm down Regina."

"They could have killed my son!"

"I know, but this isn't helping. And don't forget our daughter id's down here too."

"If we knew exactly where they were, we could drill down to them. Maybe… Maybe rig something to bring them back up." Killian friend said.

"But drill where? Asked Graham releasing Regina who walked away, head held up and heels clicking on the metallic pavement.

Emma pushed the mayor aside, kneeling and brushing away the dirt with her bare hands.

"What are you thinking we-"

"Shut your trap!" Killian said lowering himself next to her. "It's Ruth."

A faint voice calling Mama desperately came from under their feet.

"What is it?" Emma asked as her fingers reached a metal plate.

Killian helped her up and she had to shallow back a snnapisht retort, because she was totally capable of standing up without help. Graham and Killian moved aside a piece of metal. Underneath was a grate.

"It's an air shaft." Emma said gasping.

"I thinks it's an elevator shaft." Regina corrected.

Graham approached and put a hook attached to a trunk around the grate.

"Okay. Alright – gun it. That's good! Alright, we got it. Alright." Emma said while the grate was pulled off.

Killian rushed to her side holding her so she won't fall as everyone looked down the shaft.

"Mama?" Came the haunted voice of their princess.

"We are here little lass." Emma smiled at him, her eyes teary, damn she couldn't speak. "Is Henry with you?"

"We are both okay." Henry voice said from the darkness below, a flashlight moving in the bottom.

"We need to lower someone straight down, or the line will collapse the side of the shaft." Graham said pulling them back. "I've got a harness."

"I will go." Killian said.

"With just one hand? No way." Regina took off her tailored jacket. "Lower me down."

"Oh, no way. I'm going." Emma was stronger than the mayor, and had two hands unlike Killian.

"He's my son."

"He's my son, too; and she is my daughter. You've been sitting behind a desk for ten years."

"Darling I will go." Killian sentence was cut by a children scream and a sound that made Emma belly twist awfully.

"I can do this." She put on the harness. "I can and I will."

Killian kissed her briefly. "Bring them back love."

O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O

Pieces of rock fell through the grate at the top of the elevator. Henry and Ruth were looking up hoping to see a light.

He held his sister tightly, her little body was shaking despite she assured him stubbornly that she wasn't afraid.

"Wh-what's that?" She asked. "Is the elevator falling down again?"

"I think that's the rescue."

Emma's voice confirmed it from above. "You kids okay?"

"Yeah, we're… We're okay."

"Mama!" Ruth stood up, her eyes full of tears, she pushed his arms away from her and held up her arms towards Emma.

"Hang on, Henry. Okay, that's good. Stop."

"Emma will pick you first okay Ruth." Henry assured her. "Here you go. Up." He passed Ruth up to Emma with a great effort. "I will wait here."

"Noooooo!" Ruth yelled from above. "Mama the elevator if falling! Is we leave Henry there he will die!"

"Henry tie this string around your waist." She said as the string fell through the grate.

Henry took the cord and tied it around his waist deciding that once they were out he would ask the pirate to teach him how tie better knots. The elevator started to shake.

"Henry is the knot okay?"

"It's going to fall!" Ruth screamed.

Henry tugged the knot. "It's okay!"

The elevator fell down the entire shaft. And Henry passed through the grate.

"Up now boys."

Someone pulled them out of the elevator shaft. Regina took him aside so fast that he was pressed into her silk blouse immediately, as long as she didn't complain about it being dirty afterwards.

As Regina's arms loosened around him he could look over her shoulder. Ruth was in her father's arms and once Emma was unhooked, she ran over to them and joined the hug. Henry felt jealous, despite Regina was embracing him, he could see the adoration in Killian eyes, the relieve in Emma's and the way Ruth clung to them. They were a family, they were a family without him. It hurt. So he buried his head in Regina's neck and consoled himself with the thought that he had a place in the heart of Regina.

"You okay?" Emma's hand was on his back, and relieve filled him, she cared for him too.

"Deputy, you can clear the crowd away." Regina snapped as she pushed Emma away and send him off.

"I'm the sheriff Regina, I'm the one giving orders." Henry stopped walking.

If Graham was facing his mother like that the curse was breaking for sure.

"You will do as I say, or you will-"

"Or will what? You'll ruin my life? You'll do your worst? Because I will always do my best."

"Don't test me." Regina snared.

"Oh, I don't need to. Because you're going to leave me alone and let me do my work. In peace."

"Really? Why's that?"

Graham approached her, and Henry stepped closer to them taking Regina's hand. "Because, Madam Mayor you still need me."


I've had to write this five times! I couldn't Save the file!

Besides, thanks to all my new followers and favs, I'm glad you enjoy this story as much as I do.

Next chapter will have a major surprise nearly no one is expecting (We all know there are some seers among the readers...) Could you guess?

Especial thanks to those who review and Pm, you make me so happy! And inspire me, end my blocks, and just make me jump of happiness!

Keep doing it babies! And Ship CS!

Good c03xe06 tonight.