A/N: Guest reviews would be moderated for a while.

Chapter XI

The next few weeks went by in a blur of keeping track of August, all the while avoiding Sidney's attempts to lure him to be part of a supposed exposé on Regina Mills alleged misuse of town funds. Killian listened to Sidney's plans for his so-called investigation but decided to pull out in the end. He didn't buy it. His lie-detector was buzzing around at every step and it made him edgy. Furthermore, he knew men like Sidney. The would never have the backbone to go after powerful people like Regina, not when it mattered. So he stepped aside and let the man do whatever he wanted to do.

Nevertheless, he hadn't walked away unscathed in the end. Regina had used any excuse she could find to forbid him to see Henry again, and even his short meeting with Sidney seemed grounds enough in her eyes. So as much as Killian wanted to go against her, he knew his best chance was to lay low and weather the storm. It was a small town after all, he would have a few chances to run into the lad.

His resilience was soon wavering though, as he found himself missing the lad more than the thought he would. For years Killian Jones had lived his life alone, on his own, looking out for himself and no one else. There was no room for friends or family, not when he knew he was bound to lose them in the end. But now, he'd found himself developing roots in this place, courtesy of both the ten-year-old he'd found himself missing terribly, and the young elementary teacher that was currently sitting at Granny's casting glances at a nearby booth.

It didn't take Killian any of his keen detective skills to figure out who was sitting at the booth. He knew that there was something simmering there, even if Mary Margaret had promised that she'd try to stay away from David. But Killian had seen the lingering looks, the late night meetings as he'd patrol the streets at night, something so fleeting that he didn't feel like confronting Mary Margaret about it. She'd confide in him at her own time, if she wished to do so. He took one last look at the pair, part of him resenting David for putting his friend in such position instead of just bloody making a decision, before he sighed to himself and masked his features into one of nonchalance.

"Hey David," he greeted as he took a seat in front of Mary Margaret and witnessed how both of them startled a little before they seemed to compose themselves.

"Hey Killian," David replied but Killian had already lost interest in the man he wasn't that keen on in the first place, and focused on stealing Mary Margaret's food and giving her an inquisitive look.

"Henry's fine." She took a sip of her coffee.

"I didn't ask anything," Killian tried to defend himself but Mary Margaret gave him a pointed look over the rim of her mug. He finally caved. "Are you sure?"

"He's his normal self." Mary Margaret reached to squeeze his hand in solidarity. "Regina won't keep you separated forever. When people are supposed to be together, they find a way."

There was a breathy quality to her voice that made raised the goosebumps on Killian's arms, and he wasn't so self absorbed in missing his son that he didn't notice to stealthy glance that Mary Margaret stole in David's direction.

But he was sure it was probably hard for her to let go completely of her hope, and he could give her that fleeting moment of weakness as he continued to peruse over her words. "His normal self? Is he happy?"

"Yes!" A part of him was crushed at this and it seemed it showed in his face because Mary Margaret was soon correcting herself and speaking hurriedly. "No! He misses you – a lot. Trust me – I'm with him, like, six hours a day."

"Six hours a day? Do you take newborns? I'd love six hours off..." Killian lifted his head as Mary Margaret turned, both noticing Ashley had walked in and was currently removing her baby backpack as Granny coddled her daughter.

"Ashley! I didn't… I didn't even recognize you," Mary Margaret said as Ashley walked towards their table and pulled out a chair to sit.

"Baby on the outside?" she jested with a hint of tiredness in her voice.

It was more than that, Killian could tell. She seemed exhausted, but she looked a lot better than the lonely teen mom-to-be he'd met in the laundry room.

"How is it going?" he asked softly, part of him desperate to hear she and Sean were doing okay, to know they were making it, to feel for a moment that this could have been his and Emma's life.

She seemed hesitant, as if she didn't want to be completely honest. "It's, uh… I mean, baby's great, but we really haven't had time to do the whole getting married thing. So, that's been rough." She averted her eyes and Killian almost reached for her hand to reassure her. "And Sean's been working double shifts at the cannery."

Things were tough, he could only imagine. It hadn't been easy for them and Killian knew it - he'd heard the rumours spread over town - but he also knew that Sean was working restlessly to provide for them and keep his word. He smiled sadly to himself as he wondered if that could have been him in another life.

"Well, he has to work…" Mary Margaret trailed off, trying to bring some comfort into Ashley.

"On Valentine's Day? Yeah, he couldn't get out of it."

"I'm sorry, Ashley. That is unfortunate," Killian offered politely, mentally plotting if he could convince the cannery manager to give the lad the night off, maybe offer his services instead, when Ruby approached the table with a take-out coffee cup for Ashley.

"It doesn't have to," Ruby declared as she placed her hand on her hip and tilted her head. "Come out with me. Let's have a girl's night. We can all go. Mary Margaret-" She turned and gave him a quick once over. "Killian, you can come too."

He almost choked at the words. "You just said it was girl's night!"

"You can bring that badge and protect us." She cocked a flirty eyebrow at him. "Or who knows, maybe you'll get lucky enough to take Mary Margaret or me home…"

The vibration of his phone broke the moment and he wasn't sure if he hadn't heard a gasp coming from the near booth or not, but he didn't have time to dwell into it as he checked his message.

"What is it?" Mary Margaret asked.

"It's the station," he supplied, not wanting to give more details in front of other people. "I have to go work." He stood up and nodded his head. "Ladies, I hope you have a lovely evening."

"You really should come with us!" Ruby yelled after him as he left the diner.

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Killian arrived at the address he'd been given via phone. Someone, a neighbor, had noticed the front door left wide open and called in to report a possible theft. When he'd asked if they knew who the house belonged to, they seemed surprised he didn't already know. It was Mr. Gold's house.

Of course, because that was his luck in this godforsaken town.

The door was indeed wide open and Killian quickly removed his gun from the holster, getting into a defensive position before he stepped inside, trying to make as little sound as possible. It seemed it worked because he was already half into the room before Gold noticed him and turned around, his own gun pointing at Killian.

"Sheriff Jones," he greeted with no little sneer as he withdrew the gun.

Killian did the same. "Your neighbor saw your front door open – they called it in."

Gold made a motion with his cane as if to point to the house. "It appears I've been robbed."

"It's this a commonality with you, or are you going through a streak?" Killian couldn't help the barb - nor did he want to. It seemed that Gold was also finding irony in the situation because he made a tsk sound with his tongue against his cheek before he tilted his head.

"Yes, well, I'm a difficult man to love." But he soon recovered himself. "You can go now. I know exactly what was taken and who did it. I've got it from here."

Wonderful, a powerful man that still thought he could take matters in his own hands. Killian cocked an eyebrow at him. "Actually, you don't. This was robbery - a public menace. You need to tell me what you know."

Gold scoffed at him. "Do I?"

"Well, you could refuse, and I can arrest you for obstruction of justice." Killian had the satisfaction of seeing Gold flinch just for a tiny, moment. "I have a feeling you don't want to be behind bars."

"Indeed, I do not." He seemed to ponder his options for a second, more for show than anything else. "Alright, his name's Moe French. He sells flowers. He recently defaulted on a loan. A short time ago, we had a little disagreement over collateral."

"I'll get him, check it out," Killian said as he ensured his gun was secure in the holster and made a move to leave.

Gold spoke to his back. "I'm sure you will – assuming I don't find him first… Let's just say, bad things tend to happen to bad people."

He turned around to find Gold smirking at him in a vengeful way. "Is that a threat?" He asked with as much authority he could muster in front of a man that didn't seem to have any regard for any law whatsoever.

Gold waved his hand as if he were paraphrasing his words. "Just an observation. Good luck."

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Killian quickly identified Moe French - he was the owner of the only flower shop in town - and decided to pay a visit to the man's house. He wasn't at home, nor was he at his shop and his staff weren't sure of his whereabouts. He got on the phone and quickly got a warrant to search the man's house. It didn't take him long to find the objects that Gold had reported stolen.

Back at the station, he had the satisfaction of pulling a sheet away and to reveal the items he'd recovered to a taciturn Mr. Gold. "You were right – your man Moe ripped you off. It was all still at his place."

"And the man himself?" The venom in Gold's voice made Killian's blood run cold.

"I'm closing in on him."

"Job well half-done, then."

Killian clenched his jaw. "It's been less than a day and already I got your belongings back!"

"There's something missing, you haven't recovered all of it." He turned and started to leave and Killian felt a shiver run down his spine at the way Gold seemed to react to this entire ordeal.

"I'll find him and get what is missing," Killian promised.

"Not if I find him first."

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Killian kicked a few stones in frustration as he made his way into the docks, hoping the salty air would clear his mind a little. He couldn't help the feeling that something was really amiss with the whole scenario with Gold. It wasn't the first time - it was pretty much the way he'd felt about the man from the moment he'd met him - and sadly, he was certain it wouldn't be the last. He'd tried to find Moe French, canvassing the town and hitting all the regular spots his friends had pointed out, but nothing. He'd even dropped by The Rabbit Hole, only to find Ashley and Mary Margaret sighing over her drinks while Ruby flirted her way around the male population standing by the bar. They asked him to stay with them, but after downing a quick shot of rum - he was technically not on-duty but he was still doing sheriff work - he bowed his head and wished them a good night.

As Killian approached the cannery, he couldn't get Ashley's sad expression out of his head. Gods knew, he would have given anything to be with Emma today, even if for a brief moment between the grueling double shifts he'd take at work, in the hopes of providing a better life for them and their baby.

But that wasn't his life, those weren't the cards he'd been dealt. But it could still be the life of someone else. He could still make that dream happen, if not for him, for Sean and Ashley.

It didn't take long to reach the nightshift manager and using a little of both his natural charm and authority as Sheriff to convince him to give Sean a longer break, appealing to the man's soft spot for young love and a delivering a none-too subtle reminder of Sean's work ethic. He even offered to take over the shift himself to cover for Sean - he was confident that with some direction and putting his heart into it, he could make a decent job at the cannery - but the manager had waved off his hand dismissively.

"We know you have other things to take care of, Sheriff."

Killian nodded, a small smile coming to his face as he witnessed Sean coming out of the cannery, his keys already in his hand.

"Thank you so much, Sheriff Jones."

"Please, call me Killian."

"Why did you do it?" Sean asked confused, because it wasn't like Killian had been close to him and Ashley so far, other than passing them by on the street and making polite inquiries over Alexandra and whether or not they needed anything.

"You're lucky enough to have the love of your life by your side, mate." Killian tilted his head, pondering his words. "Both of them. I just - You should be with Ashley today, even if it's just for the slightest moment, even if it's just for a fleeting kiss… she should know that you love her."

"I - I've been meaning to ask her to marry me," Sean confessed, his hand reaching into his jacket pocket. "Even got her a ring and everything. It's not much-"

Killian cut his self-deprecating words short with a hand on his shoulder. "She won't care about the size of the ring, Sean. All she'd care about is that you want to spent the rest of your life with her…"

"I do."

"Then go ask her."

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By the time Killian made it back to the Sheriff's station, there was an anonymous tip on the voicemail, saying they'd seen Gold driving Moe French's truck into the woods. The voice on the phone had been distorted a little, and Killian couldn't assess with certainty who it was - but if he was a betting man he'd bank on Sidney. Since he had nothing better to do, and he wasn't keen on going back to his lonely bed and his painful memories, he decided it couldn't hurt to take the patrol car out for a short drive in the woods. A quick text exchange with Mary Margaret yielded him a few directions to the road that lead up to the cabin where she'd sought out refuge during the storm. As he bundled himself up into a thick jacket, scarf and beanie, Killian figured that if something were to happen at the woods on a cold February night, it would probably be indoors.

The woods still looked like a tangled mess to him, every single tree and path indistinguishable from the next. He kept his phone by his side and constantly checked the navigation system until he finally caught a glimpse of a cabin. There was a dim light on and that seemed to confirmed Killian's original hunch. He quickly got out of the car and approached the front door, his hand firm on the gun in its holster, just in case, careful not to make any sound.

The front door was slightly ajar and a few noises were barely discernible. It sounded like strikes and a few grunts of pain. He peeked through the door and the half-lit sight made his blood ran cold. Gold was lifting his cane and hitting something - someone - over and over, his voice filled with rage. She's gone. Forever. It's your fault! It's your fault!

Killian quickly made his way into the cabin, quiet as he could and he grabbed Gold's forearm before he could strike again. When the man turned to look at him, he seemed to be lost for a moment.

"Stop," Killian commanded, his hand gripping Gold's wrist tightly.

It was a blur of action after that. Killian moved Gold out of the room and instructed him not to move as he called in for an ambulance and freed the man in front of him - Moe French, he assumed. The paramedics were quick to arrive - clearly everyone could navigate the woods better than him - and they took care of the injuries, ensuring Killian that the man was a little beaten up, but nothing too serious.

Killian stood as they lift Moe into the ambulance before he turned to face Gold. "I heard you managed not to break anything he needs. You're lucky, Mr. Gold."

"You have a funny definition of lucky," Gold spat, the contempt palpable in his voice.

Killian clenched his jaw, tilting his head to the side and willing himself not to lose his temper as he spoke. "You have a funny definition of justice. What did he really do to grant such a reaction? It seems a little much for a few trinkets..."

Gold averted his eyes and refused to talk. Killian pressed on, the words he heard as he entered the cabin still nagging him at the back of his mind. "You said something about a woman, how she was gone – what happened to her? If someone needs help maybe I can-"

He wasn't able to finish the words before Gold cut him off, the same contempt as before, now mixed with annoyance and bottled up anger. "No. I'm sorry, Sheriff. I think you heard that wrong."

"You don't want to cooperate?" He shouldn't find it so strange that Gold wouldn't want to talk. This was the man that had chosen to take matters in his own hands even after being instructed not to.

"We're done here," Gold announced in a way of someone that is used to have his words being followed as orders. In that moment, his demeanor reminded him eerily of Regina. It was too bad that he'd never been very good at listening to figures of authority. Didn't mean he couldn't enjoy playing the part, himself, however.

"We're not done here, mate. You're under arrest for assault."

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It was only after he processed and locked up Gold for the night that Killian was able to go back to the loft. Mary Margaret had already turned in for the night, so he simply left a single yellow rose in a vase on the counter, hoping it would cheer her morning at least. He shredded his clothes the minute he walked into his room and collapsed onto his bed, a restless sleep coming to him almost instantly.

The next morning, he headed to the station a little later than usual, after a long hot shower and a breakfast of pancakes and coffee that Mary Margaret had left warm for him before heading to school, a small Happy Valentine's to you too! note right next to it.

He sat at his desk while Gold sat on the cot at the cell, and Killian knew he should not be doing this, but he couldn't help goading the man a little.

"You know, Gold," he started with a smug smirk. "I still owe you that favor. Maybe a good lunch might do the trick?" He tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow at the man, indicating his own takeout container from Granny's.

Gold was clearly not impressed, being able to read Killian's bluff for what it was. "I don't need a reminder that you owe me a favor. And when the day comes that I make my request, it'll be for more than a greasy treat from the local diner that pays rent to me."

Killian's retort died on his lips as Regina entered the station, followed by Henry.

"Sheriff Jones," she announced in her regal tone, her hands resting on Henry's shoulders. "I'm letting you have thirty minutes with Henry. Take him out – buy him ice cream."

Killian stood up and walked towards her. As if he were such a fool. "You want me to leave you alone with a prisoner?"

Regina wasn't even looking at him anymore, her eyes fixated on Gold. "Twenty-nine and a half minutes."

Henry looked at him, his smile eager. "Hi, Killian."

Killian's heart tugged in his chest at the idea of spending such precious minutes with his son, but he knew he shouldn't. His eyes darted to Gold and the man held his stare for a moment. "Bring me back a cone?" Gold asked before he turned his eyes to Regina, his stare becoming cold and collected in an instant.

Yes, Killian knew he shouldn't but at this moment, he couldn't give a single care to the power play that was going to take place at the Sheriff's station. Besides, Gold was incarcerated. What could she really do? He quickly grabbed his jacket.

"Come on, let's go."

He could worry about that after he spent twenty-eight minutes with his son.