I own nothing except my delusions.


Emma released a loud groan as someone pounded on the door of the loft, having just sat down for dinner.

"It better not be that dwarf," she muttered, making Killian snigger from his spot beside her.

She nearly yanked the door off its hinges, stopping whoever was on the other side of the door nearly hit her as they began to knock again.

Her stomach twisted as Gold strode in, looking more than a little annoyed, and if Emma didn't know better, scared.

Killian immediately moved to stand just in front of her, blocking her and Henry from Gold.

"Gold," David greeted tensely. "What do you want?"

"My son is missing," Gold said in a soft yet dangerous voice.

"Neal's gone?" Mary Margaret asked, keeping her stomach covered protectively.

"Do you think he might have left?" David said as he stood in front of his wife.

"Why would Bae leave?" Gold snapped.

Emma gripped Killian's arm to keep him from making a remark, knowing his temper would get the better of him when it came to Gold. He kept quiet, glancing back at her in trust.

"When did you last see him?" Emma asked as she looked back at Gold.

"About noon," he replied impatiently.

"Where was he?" David asked.

Gold looked at him impatiently. "He left my shop to get some things from town."

He threw Emma and Killian a dirty look. "He was going to attempt to come here to talk to you."

Emma felt Killian stiffen as well as feel herself grow angry.

"He hasn't been by here at all," Mary Margaret said stiffly.

"Well, you better go find him," Gold snapped.

"We haven't even been able to find the witch yet," Emma replied sharply.

"Well, you better get on it, then," he said in a deadly voice. "Because if you don't, I can promise you that there will be consequences."

"No, there won't be," Killian spoke up, practically seething. "You're not to hurt any of them."

Focusing his dark eyes on Killian, Gold threw him a cruel smile. "You're going to stop me?"

"Yeah, I am," Killian nearly growled.

"We'll find him," David said to try to stop the fight that was about to break out.

"You better," Gold sneered before turning on his heel and striding out the door, closing it with a loud slam.

Even with the source of the tension gone, the room carried the mood.

"How the hell are we supposed to find Neal?" Emma asked as she collapsed into her chair, dinner forgotten.

"If he's been missing this long so far, it's only going to be harder to find him," David signed as he sat in his own seat.

"What are you guys gonna do?" Henry asked nervously.

"Don't worry about his threat," Killian said softly to him. "I'm not going to let him even try to hurt any of you."

Henry looked more relaxed as he nodded, trusting Killian.

"We'll check out the town tonight," David said. "There might be something. If we don't find anything, tomorrow we'll have to search the forest."

"I can help with that," Killian said, gripping Emma's hand in his as he sat back down beside her.

She nodded. "Thanks."

"Well, eat first," Mary Margaret said firmly. "All of you. I'm not going to have you three out running around and passing out of hunger."

Emma shared a quick glance with Killian, both smirking in amusement.


Emma followed David into the loft, Killian trailing right behind her. She shivered as she pulled off her coat, the late October air seeping through her thin sweater.

She fought a groan as she glanced at the glowing clock on the stove, seeing it was almost three in the morning. As she had thought, there were no traces of what had happened in the town, meaning they had to search the forest come day.

"I hope Mary Margaret's asleep," David muttered.

"You might want to check on her and go to bed," Emma lowly, knowing that at least Henry would be asleep.

David nodded. "You two, too."

He looked at Killian. "You're more than welcome to stay here tonight."

Killian nodded. "Thanks, Dave."

David gave them a small smile before retreating to his and Mary Margaret's room, pulling the curtain shut behind him.

"C'mon," Emma said quietly, gripping Killian's hand to pull him with her up the stairs.

He followed her easily, both keeping quiet so as not to wake the other occupants.

Keeping an eye on the divider that separated her and Henry's sleeping space, she turned on one of the duller lamps, letting just enough light into the room so they could get to the dresser. Pulling some pajamas for both her and Killian, they quickly changed, making as little noise as possible.

She raised her brow in question as he pulled a tee shirt over his head, remembering him the night before saying that he usually slept without.

Catching her curious glance, he suddenly looked embarrassed, slumping his shoulders almost to retreat on himself.

She reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder before he could move away, resting her other on his cheek. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "You okay?"

He scratched behind his ear, his telltale sign he was nervous. "I don't want anyone to see my scars."

Feeling a sudden rush of affection, she nodded in understanding before releasing him to finish getting ready.

As soon as she removed her contacts, she caught sight of Killian moving back to the stairs.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Going to the couch downstairs," he said with a hint of hesitation.

"Why?" she asked in surprise, having assumed he would be sleeping with her.

"Isn't it what's proper?" he asked sounding unsure.

Emma bit her lip, wondering how best to answer him. "Yeah, but you don't have to do that. I mean my parents know I've spent the last few nights with you at the cabin, and I'm pretty sure they know we've shared a bed. Besides, the bed is a lot more comfortable than the couch."

Still uncertain, Killian hesitated by the top of the stairs. "If I were to share the bed with you, your father wouldn't come after me, would he?"

Chuckling lightly, she shook her head. "No, he won't."

Even between the darkness and her blurred vision, she saw he looked almost relieved.

She settled in right beside him as soon as they laid down, only pausing to sweetly kiss him before cuddling into his side and resting her head over his chest as his arms wrapped around her.

Just before slipping under, Emma realized why she hadn't begun to look for a place of her own despite her arriving sibling and saying she needed to move out. Nestled in Killian's arms, she knew that it was because she wanted to find something with him, that she wanted to be able to find some place they could both call theirs.

She felt a sudden ache deep in her chest, remembering Killian's conditions for their relationship, him telling her he would be unable to give her anything more than what they had unless his curse was broken.

While she knew she would without hesitation stay with him even if the curse wasn't broken, knowing that she wouldn't be wasting her life as he believed she would be, the full weight of what their relationship meant began to settle.


Emma woke to a slight jostling feeling, peeling her eyes open to see Killian trying to detach himself from her. Even groggy, she noticed in amusement that she had managed to rest nearly on top of him while they slept, trapping him beneath her.

Seeing she was awake, he placed a tender hand to her cheek, making her look up at him.

"You have to go," she said sadly.

He gave her a regretful smile. "Aye."

She sighed as she pulled away from him, letting him get out of the bed. She remained laying down as he dressed, the blankets pulled up high around her. The bed felt too cold without him, even if he had just gotten up.

Dressed, he sat on the edge, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be just outside."

She nodded once before sitting up to press her lips to his.

"I can go out there with you," she offered as they broke apart.

He shook his head. "No, love, stay in here where it's warm and you can rest."

She gave him a small smile. "Do you really think I'll be able to just go back to sleep?"

Returning a small smile of his own, he nodded. "Aye, I do."

She snorted in response, making him chuckle.

"I'll see you soon," Killian promised before kissing her again.

Emma watched him descend the steps, listening to his soft footfalls and the sound of the front door opening and closing behind him.

She hugged the pillow he had used close, knowing within a short while that she wouldn't be falling back asleep. Seeing the faint traces of light from the outside, she knew Killian had made his change.

Deciding to get ready, she grabbed some clothes and made her way to her small bathroom. Taking the time to blow dry her hair, she braided it back, knowing it would be easier if they had to search the forest.

She wondered what her chances of taking a nap later on in the day was, letting her stay up later in the night.

Moving to continue getting ready, she idly began making breakfast, pouring herself a cup of coffee as soon as the pot was filled enough.

Both Mary Margaret and David appeared soon after, with her father immediately going to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"You're up early," Mary Margaret commented as she moved to the kettle on the stove Emma had set out.

Emma shrugged. "Woke up when Killian did and couldn't fall back asleep."

Mary Margaret nodded sympathetically. "Did you guys sleep good at least? I know you all got in really late."

Nodding, Emma turned off the stove top, letting her parents gather plates of food for themselves. "Yeah, we did. I had to tell him to sleep upstairs with me. He was actually going down to sleep on the couch originally."

"He's traditional," David said happily. "I like that."

Emma caught Mary Margaret's expression, seeing it as a cross between exasperation and amusement.

"Well, I'm glad you told him otherwise," Mary Margaret said as she looked back at her daughter. "A bed's more comfortable than that couch any day."

Nodding, Emma looked back at David. "So how are we gonna do this? The forest isn't exactly small, and we have a lot of ground to cover."

Mary Margaret was the one who answered, suddenly sounding embarrassed. "I forgot to tell you both, but Zelena is supposed to come by later this morning to talk to us about what we want to do. She wants to talk to both me and David."

"Okay," Emma said with a small nod. "You do that, and I'll search."

"Not without Killian," David interjected. "I know you can handle yourself, but I'd feel a hell of a lot better if he was with you."

Mary Margaret nodded in agreement. "I'd feel better, too. You're still healing. You can't afford another run in with one of those monkeys."

Slowly, Emma nodded. "Alright. But can we talk about this outside? Killian's out there, and I don't feel right deciding everything without his say."

"You know he's going to say you're not going anywhere near that forest without him," David reminded her.

Knowing he was right, she nodded, knowing how protective Killian was. "I know. But I want him to be able to speak for himself."

Easily accepting her terms, David quickly ate his breakfast before retreating to get ready.

Henry appeared a moment later, still in his pajamas as he stepped down the last of the stairs.

"Morning, kid," Emma greeted as he sat beside her at the breakfast bar.

"Morning," he yawned as he accepted the plate Mary Margaret handed off to him. "Thanks."

"I can get him off to school," Mary Margaret offered.

Emma shook her head. "No, it's fine."

She glanced out a window as Henry retreated to go dress, seeing a massive dark form resting behind the building. Not knowing exactly what the day would bring, she hoped he was able to get some more rest, even if the conditions weren't ideal. She was thankful the skies were clear, even if the temperature had been dropping every day.

She didn't even want to think about Killian having to endure another winter as a dragon.

As had become their daily routine, she drove Henry to school, no one wanting him to go alone since she had her encounter. Once he was safely in the building, she drove back, opting to retreat to the back of the alleyway instead of going back in the loft.

She wrapped her jacket tighter as she moved closer to the snoozing dragon, who lazily peeled one eye open at her approach.

"You doing okay back here?" Emma asked as she placed a hand to his muzzle.

"Yeah," he replied as he opened his eyes to fully look at her. "It's not nearly as comfortable as the bed."

"Sorry," she responded sadly.

He moved his shoulders in what resembled a shrug. "It's hardly your fault, love."

David arrived soon after, Mary Margaret following close behind.

"Emma already knows, but I need to stay here this morning to see the midwife with Mary Margaret," David told Killian. "Do you think you and Emma will be able to search part of the forest on your own? I'll join you later on."

Killian nodded his massive head. "Of course, mate. In fact, I think we can search most of it before you're even done."

Careful of the small space, he unfurled his wings.

"So long as you're comfortable," he added quickly, his eyes on Emma.

Grinning, she nodded. "Yeah. Let me just find something warmer."

He nodded, letting her retreat to the loft to trade her jacket for a coat.

Careful of anyone out walking or driving, they moved out to the street, allowing Killian more room to stretch out. Protective, Emma flashed anyone who gave Killian a nervous or distrustful look a sharp glare.

Nearly hugging the ground so she could climb up, Killian glanced over to her. "Up you go, Swan."

Noting it was becoming easier every time, she settled into the spot at the base of his neck.

"Both of you, be careful," Mary Margaret told them. "I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"We will be," Emma promised her.

She felt Killian tense beneath her before he pushed off the ground, propelling them into the air. Keeping a tight grip, she grinned at Killian's proposal at using an aerial view to search the forest, seeing every detail of the town below them.

Flying towards the west, Emma looked down at the familiar forest, thinking about how different it looked from up above.

"See anything?" she called out, knowing his eyes were sharper than hers.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he replied as he continued on.

Neither were surprised when they didn't turn anything up on the western half of the forest.

She tensed as he moved them closer to the east, knowing that they were heading into the unknown. She knew Killian wasn't very familiar with the area, only covering part of the area on the ground during his isolation.

"There's a clearing ahead," he told her. "I don't remember there ever being one here before."

"We'll check it out," she said.

He began lowering himself as she began to make out the area, knowing the clearing hadn't been there before. Getting closer, she was able to make out a small structure, what looked like a house in the middle of the meadow.

Killian hit the ground without jarring her, letting her easily slide off him to inspect the surrounding area.

"A farmhouse," Emma said as she looked at the building. "You have to appreciate the irony."

Moving towards the house in question, she heard Killian move to begin searching the area, knowing it would be too hard for him to look in the house. Even with her nerves growing as she moved closer, expecting something to fly out at her, she felt safe, knowing that a dragon could easily beat a monkey.

Careful of the creaky floorboards on the porch, she peered inside through the sheer white lace curtains, seeing that nothing was moving within, but someone was living there.

"There's definitely someone living here," Emma softly called over to Killian as she peered in the kitchen window. "Looks empty now, though."

"I can't hear anything," he confirmed.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes at the old bicycle leaning against the house as she rounded the corner, unable to think sarcastically that they were in the right place.

"Swan, there's something here," Killian called out softly.

Looking back, she saw him standing beside a short protrusion on the ground. Curiously going closer, she was able to make out what it was.

"Storm cellar," she muttered, stopping a couple feet away from it. She pulled her gun as she examined the large padlock, wondering the best way to open it.

Killian's large head suddenly gave her a gentle push away from the storm cellar, setting her closer to him.

"Whoa, wait, wait, wait," Killain said, shifting so he could look at her. "It's one thing walking around a deserted farmhouse. It's quite another descending into a one-way cellar with no way out. I can't follow you in there, you'd be entering it on your own. If I were to try to get down there or do anything to help you on the chance something is in there, I could accidentally kill you."

She sighed as she tucked her gun away, knowing that he was right, that she couldn't go in alone. "Okay. We'll call Regina and have her meet us out here with David."

He looked relieved to see her agreeing with him. "Shall we go search for your father?"

Emma nodded.


Teaser: "There's only three people with magic in the town," Killian pointed out from above them. "The two of you, and the Crocodile."

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