A/N: Yay a long chapter, this will roll the ball a little faster from now on, (I hope) with what is going on later. I will just say that I love, absolutely LOVE, every little review and kudos I get on this fic. So a million times thank you to everyone reading this.

And a special thanks to my beta reader Ultraluckycatnd.

Chapter 6

Killian had just finished his work with August; finally being able to do things again was liberating. The hook worked great for him as he'd labored away in the workshop, it was nice feeling useful again.

"So tomorrow again?" August asked as they walked outside.

"Aye," Killian rubbed his neck, his mind whirling with thoughts on when he would be leaving, "though I'm not sure I'm going to stay for much longer." He glanced at the elven beside him, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Oh." August looked a little dejected by this. "I was starting to like working alongside someone not being my father." Both men chuckled at this. Killian had met August's father, Marco, he was a tall elderly elven who'd lived his life to the fullest.

"I'm sure there's someone else here in Misthaven who would enjoy learning from you." Killian looked at the view of the city spread out below them. It was quite spectacular. "Though I will miss this place, I must take my leave soon. I want to…" he waved his hook in the air, "you know, find a way to get back what was taken from me."

"I understand," August said. Then he smirked, "though I think our princess might be a bit unhappy once you leave."

"What?" His heart skipped a beat when hearing this. Sure he'd become great friends with the princess and had spent a fair share of afternoons in her company, but enough to make her unhappy if he left?

"I've seen how she looks at you." The elven raised his eyebrow and laughed, "and if I can be a bit forward here, you seem quite taken with her as well."

"Bloody hell." Killian swiped his hand over his mouth, not sure what to say. "I would never…" He feared that if this was how everyone else saw his companionship with Emma, he was sure the good elven King might have him thrown in the dungeons.

"Don't worry, I know you've been nothing but respectful towards our princess," August soothed, "but you will be missed around here."

"Thank you," Killian said and bid August farewell as he found his way back to the quarters the Queen had made sure were ready for him after his arm had healed up. His mind reeled with thoughts of leaving Emma behind; would their friendship be lost or could they uphold it as the royal guard had done with the other human the princess had told him about?

Crossing over the courtyard, he spotted a royal guard walking alongside a man slightly shorter than him. When getting closer he realized that the man in the traveling cloak was human. He had unruly brown hair, streaked with some slight gray sprinkles. The man looked up and Killian felt as if his heart stopped beating and all air left his lungs. "Liam?"

The man blinked in confusion, then shook his head. "Sorry, my name is Aiandil."

The elven guard stepped up. "You must be our other human guest that our princess and her friends have mentioned." He bowed his head in greeting. "I'm Graham Humbert, head of the royal guards."

"Aye, I'm Killian Jones." He tried to say his name slowly, hoping that it might spark some recognition from the man who looked so much like his brother. But the man who called himself Aiandil just looked at him with a friendly smile. "Where are you from?" Killian asked him.

"I'm from Camelot." Aiandil glanced at Graham. "Well, at least that is where we think I'm from. I was found by Graham just on the border between Camelot and Misthaven."

"Floating in a river?" Killian asked with a curiosity that burned through him like a wildfire.

"How did you…." Aiandil gaped at Killian in surprise.

"My brother Liam was pushed over a big waterfall. I presumed him dead since I never found his body," Killian said in a strangled voice. "Bloody hell you look so much like him." Killian ran a frustrated hand through his hair, smoothing it over his ears. "Let me see your ears." He stepped forward and pointed to the man's head.

"What?" Both Graham and Aiandil gasped, and Killian realized he sounded like a mad man.

"Bloody hell. I… we… my brother and I are part elven," Killian finally said and locked his eyes with Graham, hoping the elven would understand. He gulped when he was met with a distrustful glower.

"Princess Emma never mentioned this," the elven guard bit out, stepping in front of his friend. "Who are you really?"

"I never told her because it's usually something that has been frowned upon by my fellow countrymen," Killian tried to explain, remembering the times in his childhood when he and his brother had to fight to survive the streets. Taunts about their heritage flitted through his mind, fueling the darkness he'd felt grow ever since they lost their mother.

"And now you claim that Aiandil is your brother?"

"Aye, I know it sounds bloody crazy, but hear me out." He looked beyond Graham and caught Aiandil's eyes. "You were found in a river, I lost my brother in a waterfall, close to the borders between Camelot and Misthaven." He swept his hand up and tugged his long locks behind his ear. "Look here, do these ears look human to you?"

Both the elven guard and Aiandil looked at his ears and Killian could see the moment of slight recognition flash over Aiandil's face. Slowly he lifted his hand and lifted his brown hair away from his ears. There was no mistake, both Killian and Aiandil had ears looking very much like elven ears.

Graham looked between the two men. "You're elven?"

"Partly." Killian briefly explained some of his story about their father being elven who had fallen in love with their mother, a human who gave birth to two sons. He avoided any mentions of darkness lurking and growing in their father as they grew up.

"That sounds a bit far-fetched," Graham mused and looked at his friend. "Could it be possible?"

Aiandil shrugged. "I didn't know my name when you found me, and it never came back to me, even after all these years. Not even remembering where I came from." His voice was filled with regret and old pain.

"That is true," Graham mused, then shook his head. "It certainly would make sense, and seeing you together, you do have some resemblance between you. Your eyes are the same."

Killian looked over at Aiandil and whispered, "Liam."

Liam shrugged then gave him a feeble smile. "Brother?"

"Killian is my name." Killian felt a lump rise in his throat.

Liam nodded. "Killian." Seconds later Killian was locked in a firm embrace by his brother; it couldn't be anyone else, it felt so right when he hugged the man back. The bond they'd shared was hard to overlook, even if one of them didn't remember their past.

"That is certainly a surprise," Graham said, and as the two brothers parted he added, "This surely is a cause for a celebration."

"Did someone say celebration?" a female voice broke in and when the men turned around, they saw the three elven friends walking towards them.

"Lady Ruby," Graham acknowledged with a nod, and a strange look shifted over his features as the women got closer. Killian glanced between the guard and the dark-haired elven and smirked.

"What are we celebrating?" Ruby asked again, looking between them all.

"That Killian has found his brother," Graham explained.

"What?" all three females exclaimed, gaping at the men.

Killian saw Emma look between himself and the man she would know being called Aiandil. Her eyes blinked as she muttered, "Aiandil is your brother?"

"It does seem so," Killian said with a smile and looked back at Liam. "His name is Liam." Then he explained to them all how Liam had lost his memory of who he was, and had never regained his memory since he was found by Graham in the river flowing from Camelot into Misthaven.

"This we must celebrate," Ruby said with a grin. "Let's go to the tavern and have ourselves some wine."

Everyone agreed and they found their way into the lower parts of the city and entered the tavern. It was a surprise to Killian to see Emma being able to walk so freely among her people. When he asked her she laughed, "Oh, no one would ever hurt any royals here. It is never in an elven soul to harm. Only when we are threatened."

"And believe me, you won't want to mess with an angry elven," Ruby chuckled as she took a sip of her wine. Her cheeks had a rosy hue already, and her eyes had been glued to the austere royal guard the whole time they'd been there.

"Killian and his brother are part elven," Graham suddenly blurted out and he looked a bit alarmed when the females all turned to stare at him with open mouths. He shrugged. "Well, he told us that he and his brother are part elven, so—"

"Why in the seven moons have you never mentioned this to me?" Emma's shrill voice pierced through the air, and when Killian turned to look at her he could see the angry fire flickering in her green orbs. He gulped and remembered Ruby's words about the wrath of an angry elven, this couldn't bode well for what she might do now.

"I…" Killian tried but was interrupted by Emma.

"You never thought it the slightest bit important to tell me this?" Her eyes burned with anger and perhaps a bit of disappointment.

"I'm sorry love." He gulped when the men beside him gasped at his choice of word, but he ignored them for now. "I've been trying to tell you, but it's a difficult matter for me. I'm still getting used to being here, and I wasn't sure how you would react to this." He scratched behind his ear.

"But you and I…" Emma pointed between them, "have been having multiple conversations about me being elven and you human." She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. Killian tried to ignore how the movement lifted her breasts.

"I know I have had the opportunity, but that doesn't mean that I've been obliged to share such a private matter with you, or anyone else for that matter." He looked around and realized that their companions had retreated to another table. The group did try to look as if the argument was of no importance to them but even in the short seconds he watched them, he could see them take turns in glancing their direction.

"I thought we were friends," Emma mumbled and he could see her cheeks become a fainter shade of pink. Perhaps she realized they had an audience.

"Come with me," Killian offered and rose to his feet.

"Why should I?"

"Because I don't want to talk about this here." He swept his arm towards the group of friends.

"I'm still angry." She rose from her seat and swept towards the door, not looking to see if he followed her or not. Killian rubbed his face in his hand as he walked outside as well, how was this going to end well?

Once outside he searched the bustling street filled with people milling about. He finally spotted her standing to the side of the building, her eyes glaring at him as she motioned for him to follow her. She led them to an alley and as they ventured into the narrow passage, the noise from the street lowered.

Emma whirled around and jabbed her finger in his chest. "You have some nerve to never tell me that you're part elven."

"Why is this so important to you?" Killian sighed in frustration. "It's not that it's going to change a whole lot with… between..." His words came to a halt when he realized something.

"What?"

"Bloody hell." He slumped back against the wall behind him as he looked at Emma, he knew why he hadn't told her. "I didn't want you to think that I wanted to try and worm my way into your realm and claim I was part of your people, not when I could never really be a true elven."

"I've never heard about anyone else being part elven." She tilted her head to the side as if she was pondering this fact. "But I know my father would have welcomed you if you asked him if you could settle here in Misthaven." Her green eyes spoke more than her words, they spoke of longing and desperation for him to stay. Why?

"I can't, not when…" He growled and wrapped his hand around his neck, he felt the tension build in his neck and shoulders. The darkness began shifting and changing inside of him; he was afraid that if he did let in that little sliver of light Emma could give him, he would end up hurting her. He took a few deep breaths closing his eyes. "I can't be part of your life, I'm too damaged—"

"No, you're not." Her voice suddenly sounded far closer and when he opened his eyes he saw her standing close, so close he could see the small swirling green specs in her irises. She had captivating eyes, and he imagined he would die a happy man if she would let himself drown in their depths. He would surely be a dead man if she knew how much he desired her, the weeks he'd been here and spent time with her had only made these feelings stronger. He gasped when she grabbed his injured wrist and tapped the brace. "This here is part of you and not something I would ever see as a reason for me to like you any less."

"You like me?" he whispered in awe, his pulse sped up as he felt her fingers travel up his arm and held onto his bicep.

"Nothing about you could change that," Emma breathed out.

"My hand is not the only damaged part of me." Killian shook his head. "I'm broken here too." He gripped her hand from his arm and placed it over his heart, tapping his fingertips over hers. "My soul is dark and I feel it grow and change within me, I will never be worthy of your l—" He gulped down and let go of her hand, his heart beating loudly against his ribs.

"You're my friend," Emma whispered and kept her eyes glued to his. If she could only see the darkness within him, she surely would understand. He gulped as she reached up and cupped his cheek with her other hand. "I would never think any less of you, no matter what goes on inside your head right now."

"What if I told you that there's darkness infesting my innermost soul? It corrupts my mind, I have flashes of anger." He took a sharp intake of air. "How do you suppose I managed to live my life as a pirate all those years?"

"Pirate?" Emma tilted her head curiously.

"Aye a pirate, ye must have heard of the plundering that can happen at sea?"

"Not sure." Emma shook her head., "I mean Misthaven has never sailed on the open waters, so we've never encountered pirates."

"Let me enlighten you then." He felt a rarely used sneer curl over his lips, and the darkness leaped at the chance to take some action. "I have killed and plundered my way through life, and done so with a vengeance that ended up giving me fame for my ruthlessness among the other pirate crews."

Emma stood still, her eyes open and wide, her mouth agape and wondering. Once he'd finished talking she blinked a few times. "I never—"

"That's true, you've never imagined this lost and one-handed man could be such a monster." The darkness swelled with pride, as Killian struggled to hold his beating heart at a normal rate. Her close proximity caused his mind to draw blanks and urged him to plunge forward, forcing her to step back several steps so it was her turn to be backed up against the opposite wall. Her eyes blinked as if she was trying to figure out what he would do.

"You're not—"

"I bloody well am, I've lived with the darkness, and now the Dark One has taken my hand and with it, he gave me a thirst for revenge. He took my brother away from me so many years ago, and now my bloody hand too."

"Are there any ways to, uhm… help you?" Emma's eyes swept over him with a flicker of nervousness.

"The only thing that can help me is the Olympian Crystal that the Dark One is currently in possession of." Killian felt his pulse spike as his senses picked up her scent of flowers, strawberries, and a hint of cinnamon.

"How… how can it…" She swallowed, "... help you?" Her pupils were blown wide and her nostrils flared at his proximity.

"I will use it to get the darkness out of my soul." He took a deep breath, "And the gods above have granted me a second chance to find my brother and help him too."

"There's darkness in him too?"

"Aye, we both have, our father was elven that let himself be consumed by darkness, not bothering to contemplate how this would affect his two sons. The sons he just left behind in a drunken stupor." Killian felt the darkness swirl and grow as he retold the horrible story of his life. Every year, month, week, or day passing by, Killian dealt with the consequences of his father's actions. Even if the darkness had fueled his hate for the Dark One and made him the most notorious pirate to sail the seven seas, it was still eating him up that it had been given to him without his consent.

"I'm still not afraid of you," Emma whispered as she licked her lips.

His eyes zeroed in on the pink tip of her tongue that slipped over her red lips. Bloody hell, his desire flared up and mixed with the darkness and he reacted on pure instinct. Taking a deep breath, he tried to stamp down the urge he felt swirling inside him. But his resolve crumbled when her lips parted and her hands smoothed up his chest, her fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt.

He wasn't sure who moved first, but within a split second his lips collided with hers in a duel for dominance over the heated kiss they shared. His hooked arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her body closer as his hand slipped to the back of her head. Fingers curled in her blond hair, wreaking havoc on her intricate braids that held her golden locks in place. When she hummed into his mouth he felt the roar of victory cry through his body, ripping at the darkness that attempted to pillage and plunder this divine goddess currently wrapped in his embrace. It was to no avail as her tongue slipped into his mouth; in that instant, he claimed her and slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss.

A small mewl fell from her lips and he suddenly realized that she'd managed to lift her leg and had it wrapped around his, grinding her pelvis against his. He groaned as his arousal was pressed closer to her warm body, this was not going to end well if they didn't stop soon. But her hold on him never ceased and she didn't seem to mind the pressure of his cock against her core. They were of similar height so all aligned perfectly and it would only require them to lift her dress and him to unclasp his leather breeches. His mind reeled with the images of him taking the princess against this brick wall. It nearly drove him mad with lust as she kept plundering his mouth with her tongue.

A loud shout and a horse whinnying just beyond the darkness of the alley had them jump apart, both gasping for breath. When Killian let his eyes rove over her form he could see that she wasn't unaffected by their kiss. Her chest heaved in and out, lifting her breasts to almost spill out of the low neckline of her dress. Her cheeks and neck were shaded in a deep pink hue, her eyes blinking wildly as she tried to regain her composure.

Killian lifted his thumb to swipe over his bottom lip, the buzz from the kiss still lingering over his flesh. "That was…"

"A one-time thing," Emma started and pushed away from the wall. Her composure was a little wobbly, but when he tried to reach for her to assist her in finding her balance, she lifted her hand. "A one-time thing… Excuse me." She slipped away from him and before Killian could do more, he watched her smooth her hands over her hair, shake her shoulders, and step out onto the bustling street. Her head bowed as she weaved in and out of the crowd, soon out of sight.

All air seemed to seep from his body; even as his mind was elated by the kiss, he felt the usual roar of victory roll from the darkness infesting his soul. He never meant to tarnish the friendship he'd formed with Emma. Now it most likely was in ruins and the elven princess would never want to speak another word to him. He slumped against the wall and rubbed his face with his hand. "Bloody hell I'm so screwed."

"What did you do?" Liam's voice echoed down the narrow alley. "What did my little brother do that made him look so distraught?"

Killian gaped at his brother, then smirked. "It's younger brother." The old quip rolled so easily from his lips, it almost felt good to know nothing seemed to have changed between them, even if Liam couldn't remember their past.

"Aye it might be," Liam stepped up to him and caught his eyes, "but you look throughout ravished. What happened?" He looked around. "And where's the princess?"

"Ah, I might have screwed it all up," Killian mumbled.

"What did you do?" Liam crossed his arms over his chest, looking at him with that familiar stern look he'd always give his younger brother when things got a little serious.

"I kissed her." He inhaled sharply awaiting the anger that he was sure to roll from his brother's lips.

"Please tell me that is not true," Liam said in an exasperated voice, his blue eyes boring into his.

"Well, to be fair she kissed me back," Killian said with a smug grin. He shrugged. "But I do think she might regret the incident."

"How come?"

"She said it was a one-time thing," he sighed; he feared what would happen the next time he crossed paths with Emma. Would she even want to speak with him?

"That could mean a lot of things," Liam mused then patted Killian's shoulder. "Only one question remains, what will you do about it?"

"What the bloody hell can I do?"

"Do you love her?" Liam asked matter-of-factly, raising a curious eyebrow.

"I've lived my life as a bloody pirate," Killian groaned. "What the hell do I know about love?"

"That is a question only you can answer, and you need to figure out what happens next before it explodes," Liam stated. "I don't want to lose the friendship I have with Graham just because you defiled the elven princess."

"I never defiled her, you bloody wanker." Killian pushed past his brother and bit out, "I will not have you speak like this about her… I… care for her." The words echoed inside of him and they cracked the darkness still roaring inside of him. Could he really love Emma?

"Well, that's a start then." He clasped Killian's shoulder. "Come on brother, we have a princess to find."

Killian glared at his brother's retreating form as Liam walked away, then he called out, "Stop!"

Liam turned around and looked at his brother. "What?"

"Whatever happens between me and Emma is none of your concern." Killian sighed. "I appreciate you trying to help me with this matter, but let me deal with this on my own."

"Alright." Liam nodded. "We will also need to figure out what we're going to do once I've rested here in Misthaven."

"I plan to go after the Dark One," Killian said firmly and when Liam gasped in surprise, he retold his brother the grueling tale of how he'd come to believe him to be dead. And how the Dark One later took his hand while holding the Olympian Crystal.

When Killian finished his story, Liam stood silent for quite some time. "You mean to tell me that the Dark One is the cause of me losing my memory, of us losing years together?" He looked down at Killian's hooked arm. "And you, losing your hand?"

"Aye, that is what I'm saying, and I've lived the past 30 years hunting down a way to trigger the crystal."

"The crystal that needs some sort of special light magic?"

"Aye. But now the Dark One has the crystal and who knows what havoc he is wrecking as we speak."

"I've heard tales in the past few weeks about several vicious attacks happening towards travelers going to Oz." Liam shrugged. "Whatever happens in Oz could originate from the Dark One."

"Don't those flying monkeys live in Oz?" Killian asked.

"Aye they do, why?"

"Remember I told you about a woman who flew in on one, when…" Killian waved his hand aimlessly in the air.

"I fell over that waterfall?"

Killian nodded. "That woman seemed to work along with the Dark One."

"So we go to Oz?"

"Aye, that will be our plan."

"But you need to speak with your princess first."

"She is not my princess," Killian groaned and motioned for Liam to walk with him. The two brothers found their way back to the palace and they managed to reach it in time for the evening meal. When his eyes found Emma sitting along with her family, his heart twisted in pain and something resembling regret. He should never have just left it at her walking away like that, they should have talked more. He wanted to figure out why she had pulled back like that and claimed it was a one-time thing. To him it could never be a one-time thing, his heart had beaten off the darkness inside him, to some extent at least, as it was still lashing out with thoughts of doubt swirling in his mind. How would an elven princess ever fall in love with the likes of him?