Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Two

Once those who said goodbye to Ruby left the harbor after their friend was gone, they all met back at Granny's Diner for breakfast. Granny preferred to make and keep herself busy so that she wouldn't have to think about how much she had already begun to miss her granddaughter, but more so how worried she was for Ruby being all alone in a world that could be wild and dangerous most of the time. Everyone else walked inside as most of them sat down at the tables, while Archie and Emma walked over to the bar to request drinks for everyone.

Archie ordered himself and the dwarfs coffee, and Emma asked Granny for hot cocoas with cinnamon for herself, Killian, Henry, and her parents. Then, while she waited for Granny to bring them out to her, the Savior cautiously turned around so she could observe Killian as he sat down awkwardly within one of the booths next to Henry and across from her parents who were playing with Neal in his mother's arms at the moment. As much as Killian tried to hide it, she could see he was still struggling with his pain more than he let on.

However, while she continued to study him, Emma was unexpectedly interrupted by Archie when he noticed the Savior's concern for the man he knew she loved, and upon seeing why once he saw the Captain's discomfort as well, the doctor finally spoke to her out of concern for them both.

"Killian appears to be doing a little better…" the doctor said to her quietly. "Although, I can see he's still in some pain. And he doesn't appear to be very rested. He looks tired."

"Killian isn't just suffering through his pain that I could easily heal for him if he would just let me, but he's struggling with nightmares too," she worryingly responded once she glanced over at her friend, then turned back to continue observing her pirate. "He's told me about some of them, but I'm pretty sure he isn't telling me the worst of them. He says he hasn't been sleeping well and I don't think it all comes from the pain he's been through. Or even from his guilt that I know he's also been struggling with on top of everything else. He's worried. Afraid even. About the future, I mean. And about us. He didn't really tell me as much, but somehow… I just know. I know him. Killian is a good man and a hero, Archie. And not just to me, but to a lot of others around here too. My parents and Henry included. I keep trying to remind him so, but no matter how much I try…"

Dr. Hopper cut in as he finished for her, "…he isn't able to believe it. He still blames himself for everything that's happened, especially to you because of Mr. Gold. As well as because of his past."

Emma answered him worryingly, "That's right. I don't really know how to help him more than just by being here for him and trying to reassure him we're okay, but I don't know how much he really believes that either. At the very least… I wish I could bring back Killian's ship for him. The Jolly Roger has been his home and only comfort for centuries. I know how much it meant to him. He sacrificed more than just a few planks of wood and a sail when he traded the Jolly Roger to someone for a magic bean so he could get back to me in New York. So he could save me. He also sacrificed his only real sanctuary that offered him any amount of peace. I just have no idea how, without knowing who he traded his ship to and Killian won't tell me. Whoever it was, I'm guessing it pained him to do so though. And he doesn't want me to know it. I could kill Gold for what he's done to him."

"You know what I mean," she then stated anxiously upon realizing how dark she sounded just now, as she finally turned to face Archie at last. "That bastard did a lot more that simply ripping out Killian's heart in order to control him. If you ask me, Gold got off lucky."

"I can't help but agree with you under these circumstances, even though I hate to think so badly of anyone," he regretfully responded.

The Savior turned back to Killian again as she watched him begin to show Henry a few card tricks in spite of him being one handed, yet she continued to talk with the doctor when she asked him sadly, "What do I do, Archie? How can I help him, when he won't believe me about him being the man I know him to be? How can I help him get better, knowing he won't tell me everything out of fear he's going to lose me because I might come to think he's done too much evil throughout his past for him to be worthy of my love any longer?"

At last, Archie spoke again as he answered her honestly, "Just continue to be there for him, and give him time. Be patient with him. Eventually… hopefully, he will break down his own walls he keeps in place to protect himself, much like you have built up for yourself. You know how difficult it's been for him to break them down as it is, all so he can help you. Yet Killian's done so, because he doesn't want to destroy all of his hard work in becoming the hero he is now. He's going to need you to be there for him when he does finally let you in all the way and not to judge him. As for me… Killian has come to see me a couple of times since he's been released from the hospital. Unfortunately, he hasn't shared much with me yet. He's apprehensive. He wants to talk, but he's afraid of admitting too much. Of saying the wrong thing in spite of my assurances that there's nothing wrong with admitting how he's really feeling. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to try to help him as much as my skill as a psychiatrist and as his friend will allow me to. He's going to be okay, Emma. You'll see."

"Thank you, Archie," she finally replied in sincerity as she reached out to lay her hand on top of his, just when Granny came back out from her kitchen with a tray containing the hot cocoas and handed them over to the Savior so she could bring them back with her to her loved ones, before she began to pour the coffees for Archie and the dwarfs still patiently waiting at their own table next to where the others were sitting.

In the meantime…

Over at their booth, Killian and Henry listened while Mary Margaret and David talked about some of the times they shared with Red, as well as with Granny back in the Enchanted Forest before the curse, until the Prince then got up again to got talk with Robin upon seeing him enter with Roland and Little John, as well as a few more of his Merry Men.

"Can you show me a few card tricks?" Henry then asked Hook once Mary Margaret became distracted by her baby who had quietly begun to fuss. "You know… the ones you used to cheat Black Beard and other pirates with whenever you got caught up in a game against them."

The Captain looked at the boy skeptically as he questioned, "And why is it you wish to learn how to cheat at cards? I'm not so sure your mother would approve. Either one of them actually. They certainly didn't when I taught you how to cheat with loaded dice."

The teenager shrugged, until he finally confessed as he responded, "I lost some money to a few of the Lost Boys at school when they asked me to join them in a game. I think they cheated me, but I don't know for sure. I've never been great at card games. I was hoping you could teach me to know what to look for, should I ever play anyone else. Don't worry… I won't be playing the Lost Boys again. I should have known better than to trust them."

"Aye… the Lost Boys can hardly be trusted to play fair in any game of sorts," Killian answered the boy, while he took the deck of cards Henry then handed over to him upon pulling them out from his backpack in the hope that his friend would agree to help him. "I suppose I could teach you a few tricks. So long as it's simply so you can learn what to look for in future card games so you don't ever get cheated so easily again."

"I promise," Henry quickly assured him, then watched closely as Killian began to flip a few of the cards between his fingers almost effortlessly by way of shuffling them before beginning.

Snow began to watch as well once he started to show his first trick, and then she asked him curiously, "Who taught you how to do these tricks? Or did you just come up with them yourself?"

Hook continued moving the cards around in his hand, keeping his eyes on them while he replied, "My brother Liam taught me one or two before we became soldiers within the Royal Navy. The rest I taught myself after I became a pirate so I could stay one step ahead of other pirates in case I ever had to gamble for possessions we had hoped to procure… short of simply stealing whatever it was we might have wanted."

"I'm guessing that most of them cheated in their own ways too," Emma then responded once she walked over to the table to join them, set down their drinks, and sat down within the booth next to Killian, who moved over a little in order to make more room for her. "But no doubt, you still managed to beat them at their own games."

"Sometimes… but not always," he reluctantly answered, then continued on with another of his tricks. "At least not until I came to be as good at cheating as I am now. And not just at cards, but dice and other games as well. Now… I only ever lose if it's to serve my purpose."

Later, once Killian finished showing Emma's son as many of his tricks as he was prepared to even before their food came, Henry began to practice some of what he observed from watching him, while Emma looked at Killian again and asked, "Will you be heading to the library again once we've finished eating to meet up with Belle so you can continue your search?"

At last, Granny brought their breakfast out to them with help from the new waitress she had hired a few weeks ago and who had been trained by Ruby, then Hook looked over at the woman he loved again as he nodded before he replied sternly, "I can't give up. I have to find a way to free the fairies from that bloody hat. And when I do, hopefully they can help me free the old man I trapped in there as well. Zelena too. Even she doesn't deserve such a fate."

"Of course… I understand," the Savior gently responded, as she reached out to caress his cheek upon seeing his guilt he was holding onto creep up behind his eyes, until he lowered his head to turn away from her. "If you need my help, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

"Aye, love," he answered her with a shake of his head. "But Belle and I have it well in hand. I should probably get going. She'll be meeting me there soon."

It was then that Killian stood up without hardly touching his food, and he leaned in to kiss Emma lovingly before he stood straight again so he could leave the diner. Once he was gone, she couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh out of worry for him that she still held onto despite her talk earlier with Archie.

Seeing the worry for the man Emma loved in her daughter's eyes, Mary Margaret reached across the table to take Emma's hand within her own and then she spoke to her soothingly saying, "You're gonna get through to him, Emma. And he's going to find a way to free them. I know it. Once he does, he won't feel so useless or like he's let you down so much."

The Savior raised her head so she could look at her mother, then she replied sadly, "He hasn't let me down, and I hate that there's nothing I can say or do for him. I hate feeling so useless to him right now. I'm gonna head into work. I'm not very hungry right now either."

Before Mary Margaret or Henry could protest, or urge her to stay, Emma quickly stood up and left the diner so she could walk to the sheriff's station where she could bury her worries in her job. David finally returned to the booth again shortly afterwards, then took his wife's hand to offer her comfort as she and Henry explained to him a little of why Emma and Killian were no longer there.