Killian froze for a moment as he considered what to do next. Protocol dictated that he should go to the crime scene to oversee the removal of the body and the collection of evidence. He would need to interview any witnesses that had been in the area, and the first responders on the scene. But Killian knew how scared Emma was right then. He'd heard it in every word she'd whispered over the line. So that evening, he made a snap judgment call that he hoped wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass.

"Emma? Are you still there, Emma?" A small whimper on the other end of the line told him that she was listening, even if she wasn't able to talk. "I need you to go and lock yourself in the bathroom for me, Sweetheart. Can you do that?" There was a slight sniffling noise across the line and Killian took that as his confirmation that she would. "I'm gonna send the team stationed outside to check over your house. It's unlikely that our guy has lingered, but I just want to be certain. They have the spare key you gave them so you won't need to let them in. I'm gonna tell them to wait there for me and I'll be right over, okay? I just need to call my partner -"

"Don't leave me!" she begged, and Killian's heart ached at how scared and vulnerable she sounded.

"I'm not going to," he promised, pushing his way out of the room he'd been hiding inside. Jan was lingering by the snack table and raised her hand in his direction. Killian offered her a sharp bob of his head as he turned towards the front door. He didn't want to appear rude, but Emma needed him far more than Jan did at that moment. "I just need to put you on hold for a second while I call my partner. It won't take long."

Emma whimpered a little over the line but she finally managed to squeeze out a "Please hurry?" just as Killian reached his car.

He wrenched the door open forcefully and then threw himself down behind the wheel as he promised, "I will. I'll be as quick as I can." He pushed the hold button before he could talk himself out of it while he jammed his key into the ignition.

The first thing Killian did was send a quick message to Thomas and Phillip to tell them what had happened. He needed them to secure the house and then the surrounding area, before the crime scene techs arrived. Killian made sure to ask for them to start pulling the footage from security cameras in the community, and to request some uniformed officers to help interview Emma's neighbors. He also informed them that Emma Swan would be locked inside the bathroom, and under no circumstances should they attempt to remove her. The last thing he needed was for an over-eager rookie to scare her into doing something stupid. When he was finished, he turned his key to start the engine as he hit dial on David's number and set his phone into the little cradle on the dash.

"What's up?" his friend asked casually, while the sound of crunching chips echoed through the interior of the Chevelle.

"David, I'm sending you an address now," Killian told him, reaching out to hit forward on the message Dispatch had sent him only a few minutes earlier. "I need you to get there as soon as possible. There's been another body drop."

The crunching stopped abruptly. Killian used the time it took David to gather his thoughts to swing his car out of the parking space and onto the road, as he headed straight for the part of the city Emma called home.

"Okay, I'll meet you there," David said. The rustling over the line told Killian that his friend was busy ramming his arms into a jacket as quickly as he possibly could.

"You'll have to take this one solo. That son-of-a-bitch has been inside Emma's home. I'm heading there now to make sure he's not still hanging around."

David was silent for a moment and when he spoke again, his tone was much softer than it had been before. "Killian, don't you think that I should be the one heading out there while you take the scene?"

"Yes," Killian snapped back, because that was exactly what they should be doing in this situation. "But you're not gonna be able to convince Emma to leave her bathroom and I could be at that scene for hours. So I need you to take this one for me while I go and deal with her."

David sighed heavily across the line but he didn't protest. He'd been working with Killian long enough to know that his partner was running on gut-instinct right now. He only hoped that it was an instinct fuelled by his brain and not his groin. After a moment of tense silence, David finally said, "Be careful, Killian," and then disconnected the call. Both men knew that he hadn't been talking about the possibility of a surprise attack from their killer. But it was neither the right time nor the right place for that argument.

As Killian pulled onto the highway, he hit the button to take Emma's call off hold and knew immediately that he'd made the right decision, when all he could hear was her soft sobs over the line.

"Emma?" he asked quietly, not wanting to spook her any further. She still squeaked a little with her surprise, however. "Emma, I'm about ten minutes away from you," he told her, keeping his tone as calm and even as he could. "Agents Herman and Morris should be in the house by now. Try and relax, Sweetheart. I know that's easier said than done but you're safe right now. We're not gonna let anything happen to you."

Emma didn't say anything but after a few long seconds of silence, Killian was happy to note that her breathing had calmed slightly.

"I'm not far from you now," he promised. "I'll be there as soon as I can, Emma."

Killian kept repeating those words back to her like a mantra as he navigated the heavy traffic around the city, zooming in and out of lanes and around the slower-moving vehicles on the road. When he finally approached the gate to Emma's community, he was happy to see that it was already wide open, and a forensics van was parked just down from her home. Clearly, Phillip and Thomas had already made a start on following his instructions.

"Okay, Emma. I'm at your house now," he told her. He wasn't entirely sure she was still listening, given that she hadn't spoken at all since he'd taken her call off hold. But he didn't want to give her any more unnecessary surprises that day. "I'm gonna hang up the phone now. I need to speak with Agents Herman and Morris to see what they've found, and then I'll come and find you," he promised. "Stay where you are until then."

There wasn't any sign that Emma had heard what he'd said, so Killian kept the phone pressed to his ear for just a second longer before he finally disconnected the call.

Thomas was waiting for him outside the front door, and when Killian was in earshot, he launched straight into an account of everything he and Phillip had done since they'd arrived at the property. "We've cleared the whole house, Sir. The only room we couldn't get into was the bathroom on the ground floor, so we assume that's the one Miss Swan's inside of. There's nobody else here and no signs of forced entry either."

"None at all?" Killian asked, his brow creasing a little with his concern.

"None, Sir. Either Miss Swan left her door unlocked or…"

"Our killer has a key," he finished for him. "Okay. Thank you, Thomas."

"I'm uh… I'm sorry, Sir. We should have known," the young rookie said, more to his own feet than to his boss's face.

"It's not your fault," Killian assured him. "This guy's always been one step ahead of us. If he knows you're here he would have known how to get in without being seen. Nobody could have predicted this kind of escalation."

Thomas offered him a small sad smile and then stepped aside to allow Killian to enter the house.

The forensics team was already busy in the living room, combing the entire space for some kind of evidence they could use to find this guy, while a large brown box sat in the middle of the coffee table, completely untouched. Killian hoped like hell that they'd finally find something to point his investigation in the right direction - maybe a hair or skin cell that had been dropped while the killer had been making his way over to the coffee table. But he knew that the chances of them finding anything were slim, so he wasn't going to bet on their search providing him with any new leads.

While he'd never been inside any of the bathrooms in Emma's home, Killian found the one she'd lock herself into easily enough. Phillip had taken up a position against the wall just outside of it, but left the moment he saw his boss approaching the room. As they passed each other in the hall, Killian offered his rookie a firm clap on the shoulder. It hadn't been either of their faults that this had happened, and he didn't want the two young men to think he blamed them for it.

When the hallway was deserted once more, he raised his hand and tapped his knuckles gently on the locked door. "Emma, it's Special Agent Jones," he called out. "We've swept the house and it's empty. You're safe, Sweetheart. You can come out now."

For the longest moment, Killian wasn't sure she would. A silence hung in the air, filled with all of the pain and fear that had grown and festered inside of the house over the last few months. But it was finally broken by the harsh click of the lock. Killian took a step back from the door to give Emma the space she needed, and waited patiently as she slowly turned the knob and then pulled it open.

The moment he got his first good look at her was the moment he felt his heart crack. She was wearing no makeup, which seemed to make the redness of her eyes and the tear tracks down her cheeks more pronounced. She was trembling from head-to-toe, her body shaking so violently that Killian wasn't entirely sure how she was still standing. But it was her eyes that hurt the most. The light he'd always seen in them whenever they'd met before was no longer dimmed – it was completely gone.

Emma Swan looked dead inside.

"It's okay," he whispered, swallowing hard around the lump that had formed in his throat. "It's gonna be okay, Emma. We're gonna get you out of here and relocated to somewhere safe."

Killian had been expecting some kind of protest, but Emma said nothing. In fact, she barely even looked at him.

"Why don't we go and pack a few things?" he suggested gently, hoping it would get some kind of response from her.

It didn't.

Emma simply shuffled her way silently down the hallway towards the wide and curving staircase that lead to the second floor, her body still trembling all over.

Killian followed close behind her as she climbed the steps, worried that she might end up slipping and falling. But while she may have been moving much slower than she normally would, Emma remained sturdy on her feet.

When they finally reached the double doors that led through to her bedroom, he hesitated for a moment before following her inside. The room was a lot more subdued than he'd expected, with light walls and large windows making it feel bright and airy. The red wall behind her large sleigh bed was the only real sign of Emma's bright and bubbly personality, which made him wonder just who had been responsible for decorating the house.

Killian lingered by the door, his eyes slowly taking in the room while Emma made her way into the space. But instead of heading for the closet, as he'd expected, she moved toward her bed. He half expected her to climb up onto it and curl into a ball to cry, but she froze just as her fingers brushed the plush red comforter.

"Emma?"

"Mr. Snuffles," she croaked out. Her voice was rough from all of the tears she'd shed, making it difficult for Killian to understand what she was saying.

He pushed away from the wall as he moved a little closer, hoping to see what had caught her attention. "What's wrong?" he asked, when all he found was a neatly made bed.

"Mr. Snuffles. He's not here."

Killian's brow creased with his confusion as Emma turned wide eyes his way. That deadness behind them was gone, and this time it had been replaced by a look of sheer terror as she repeated, "Mr. Snuffles. My bear. He's gone. I always keep him in the middle of the bed. He's all I have left from -"

Her voice broke over the last few words but Killian didn't need them to know what she'd been intending to say. Her most cherished possession had been taken, and in the process, the most intimate space in her house had been violated.

"Stay here for a moment," he warned firmly, guiding her towards a corner nearest the door so that she could see what was going on all around her.

Killian pulled his gun from his hip and began taking small measured steps around the room. It wasn't that he didn't trust Thomas and Phillip to clear the house themselves. It was just that experience had always taught him to be overly-cautious instead of blasé when it came to situations such as these.

He checked behind every large piece of furniture in the way that he'd been taught at the academy, before Killian flipped up the covers on the bed. The solid base had his heart calming slightly as he headed for the door closest to him. A quick flick of the light switch showed it to be Emma's closet, and after checking through the cupboards and making sure there were no hidden spaces in the room, Killian slipped back out and shut the door firmly behind himself. The en-suite was just as empty as the rest of the house had been, and with a sigh of relief, he quickly holstered his gun and made his way back to Emma's side.

"I'm so sorry," Killian offered, unsure of what else he could say at that moment that would bring her any kind of comfort. He took a small step closer to her, careful not to get too close while she was still so jumpy, and then slowly reached for her hand. When his index finger brushed over the back of her knuckles, Emma trembled more violently before she reached out to cling onto the sleeve of his leather jacket.

"I promise you, we will catch him," Killian told her, because he was damned sure of that. He wasn't planning to rest until he'd brought the twisted son-of-a-bitch to justice, not just for Emma's sake, but for his own peace of mind.

Emma didn't look like she truly believed him but she did finally lift her head to make eye contact with Killian for the first time that evening. He gave her a small smile, one he hoped would be reassuring, and then reached out with his free hand to rub her arm softly.

Emma's composure finally seemed to leave her as she crumpled to the floor and began to sob harder than ever before. Killian allowed himself to be pulled down with her, his knees hitting the plush carpet a little harder than he'd have liked, as she cried into his chest.

"It's gonna be okay, Emma," he repeated, gathering her into his arms to hold her as close as possible. "It's gonna be okay."

Killian wasn't sure how long he sat on the floor, holding Emma as she trembled and sobbed in his arms. He knew there were other things he should have been doing right then. People he should be speaking with and evidence he should be reviewing. But Emma was all alone and she was scared. There was no way he was going to leave her when what she needed most was someone she trusted to comfort her. Even after her tears had dried and her sobs had fallen silent, Killian still held her tightly. He held her until she finally felt ready to let go of him.

Killian offered her a moment of privacy as he pushed himself back to his feet, taking a few long seconds to examine the painting on the wall behind him before he turned to face her. But when he did, he found that Emma was wearing that blank mask once again.

"Do you have a bag you can pack some stuff in?"

"In the closet," she whispered.

Killian reached for the door nearest to him and flicked on the light to find every fashionista's dream hidden behind it. He knew that the contents of that one small space were probably worth more than his yearly salary, but he didn't have the time or the energy to examine that idea any further. Instead, he grabbed the nearest duffel bag from the closest shelf, and then made his way back out to Emma's room to set it down on her bed.

"I'll let you do the packing. I wouldn't even know where to start," he chuckled, but it didn't get a response from Emma.

She made her way slowly and methodically around the room, gathering up underwear, t-shirts, leggings, and jeans. Emma dumped them all into the bag on her bed and then headed for the en-suite bathroom. When she returned, she had a large bag in her hands that she tossed down on top of her shirts.

"Do you wanna put some clothes on and then we can go?" Killian suggested.

Emma looked down at herself like she was seeing her bathrobe for the first time in her life. When she lifted her head again she gave it a slight nod before she gathered up a few more items and then headed through to her bathroom. Killian noticed that she'd left the door open, but he busied himself with tucking her clothes and toiletries into her bag and zipping it shut, to offer her as much privacy as he possibly could.

When Emma finally emerged from the bathroom she was dressed in a simple black sweater and a pair of dark jeans. She looked nothing like the young, bubbly pop star on his niece's walls, but she was safe, and Killian told himself that was all that really mattered.

He grabbed the bag from her bed and swung it over his shoulder before gesturing for Emma to walk ahead of him. Killian made sure he was only a few steps behind her the entire way down. While Emma never turned back to look at him, he could tell that his presence was helping to keep her going.

David was in the living room speaking with Victor when they made it back downstairs. Emma seemed to look between the two vaguely-familiar men in her home and her front door before she turned to Killian, silently begging for his guidance.

"I'm just gonna have a quick word with my partner and Dr. Whale, and then we'll get you out of here," he promised. "Why don't you come and sit down for a moment?"

Emma nodded her head but didn't move, so Killian gently settled his hand on her lower back to guide her through her own home. She sat on the sofa like she'd never seen it before, perching herself on the edge, poised to move if she needed to. And Killian's heart gave a painful squeeze at just how lost she looked in a place that should have been her safe haven. He dropped the duffel bag down to the floor and reached out to gently squeeze her shoulder as he made his way past, but Emma flinched slightly at the unexpected contact.

"You'll need to sweep the whole house," he told Whale, in lieu of a greeting. "The fucker was in her bedroom."

Victor's eyes widened with his shock but he nodded his head and pulled out a small notepad to jot down the information.

"Please tell me we have something."

David's eyes flicked over to Emma's form, lingering there for a moment before he dragged his gaze back to his friend's solemn face. "Gold's going to start the autopsy as soon as the body's back at the lab. He doesn't think anything's going to come back, though. The note in the mouth was the same as before, the marks across the face and torso almost identical, and her ring finger was missing. The cause of death appears to be the deep gash across her throat. A preliminary sweep of the scene showed there wasn't enough blood to suggest she was killed there, so we're looking at another body dump. The alley seems to contain plenty of forensic evidence, but Victor's team thinks most, if not all of it, will be completely unrelated to our case."

It was the same as every other crime scene they'd been called to. Killian wasn't going to hold his breath that any of the forensics in the alley would give them a name to work with.

"What about an ID? Do we have one yet?"

"Nothing yet," David replied. "Gold will get us the usual dental work to see if we can find a match. The victim does appear to be slightly older this time, though. If I had to guess, I'd say late-thirties, possibly early-forties."

Killian nodded to show that he understood what had just been said before he turned his attention back to Victor.

"We pulled a few prints from around the house, but honestly, I think most of them will be cleared by the records we already hold. Thomas and Phillip were right, none of the doors or windows show any signs of being forced, so it appears that our killer has a key."

"That might be something," David threw in, and Killian made a mental note to ask Emma about that when she'd calmed down a little.

"As for the box," Victor continued, turning to show Killian where the contents had been spread across the table for photographing and bagging. "It's the same as we've seen before. The letter was a little different this time, though. That might…" Victor trailed off as Killian's hand bypassed the letter that was already sealed in an evidence bag, and instead reached for the pictures that had been included.

"Gloves?" he asked, and someone to his left handed him a pair. While he pulled them on, Killian allowed Victor to cut the seal and make his usual notes about where, when and why it had been tampered with, before he handed the photographs over.

Killian took his time scanning each one. There was something about them that was oddly familiar, but he couldn't immediately tell what it was. That was until he reached the seventh image. The picture wasn't well lit, thanks to the surroundings it had been taken in, but there was more than enough light for Killian to confirm his worst fears.

"Shit!"

"What? What is it? What do you see?" David urged, assuming that his best friend had finally spotted something they'd all missed. Something that would break their case wide open.

"I know who she is," he whispered instead. "Oh God, I know who this is."

Both men turned startled eyes his way, but Killian's own gaze flew over their heads to fix on Emma. The young woman was busy staring around the space, her eyes darting here and there as if she expected someone to jump out at her. She wasn't paying them any attention at all, and for just a brief moment, Killian was grateful that her shock had left her so detached from her surroundings.

"Who is she?" David urged.

"Ariel," he whispered. "Her name's Ariel. She's Emma's personal assistant."

For those of you who don't know, I'm going through some difficult times personally at the moment both with my health and in my private life, so I'm afraid updates will remain sporadic for the time being because I just don't have the time or energy to dedicate to my fandom life right now. Thanks for your patience.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.