A/N- I know, I know, this is long overdue. I guess my only excuse is that I've been so wrapped up in what's happening in the show right now, that I just haven't really been thinking about where this is going. I mean, I have a pretty good idea of what I want to happen, but I don't really know any of the details. As always, the poll is still up.

-S.

Things were somehow different when Emma woke up the next morning. She wasn't quite sure what it was that had her on edge, but she knew one thing for certain: things were changing in this frozen little town. Maybe her being there had somehow been enough to get things moving in the right direction. Then again, when had things ever been that easy?

She followed the same routine she had every day for the past few weeks now: waking up at the crack of dawn – a force of habit from years spent on board the Jolly, getting breakfast at Granny's where she'd undoubtedly run into Killian again, and then running off to escort Henry to school behind the Queen's back. It was a world away from what she wanted to be doing; she wanted to be searching that book for answers, formulating a plan, impaling the Queen on a sword she no longer had.

Hell, anything would be better than playing house with the Evil Queen.

After Henry had been deposited on the front steps of the school, Emma found herself wandering the streets of Storybrooke, desperate for something to do. It was the worst kind of boredom, she decided, to not a have a thing to do when she was painfully aware that the Queen had to be stopped. And, if Henry was to be believed, she was the only one capable of doing so. But, short of getting her husband to fall in love with her again and share True Love's kiss with her, she was at a loss.

Still, the idea of seeing Killian again had brought an all too rare smile to her lips, and she figured that, well, it was worth a shot. At the very least, she'd get to spend the day with him. A funny feeling settled in her gut when she realized that, for the first time since she'd set foot in this town, Killian had not stopped by the diner for breakfast.

That was her second clue that something had gone amiss in the time she'd spent sleeping that night.

That knowledge, coupled with the strange feeling she'd had upon waking that morning, had a cold dread slithering down her spine and settling in her stomach. Something was not right, and she was going to figure out what the hell it was.

Killian had told her that he spent a good portion of his time working as a technician at the library alongside a woman called Lacey. She remembered how her heart clenched when he told her, in that shy, quiet way of his (something she was still getting used to) that Lacey was his only real friend in town. She would know what was going on. She had to.

She wasn't too far from the library, and, seeing as she'd left her car at the inn, she took off at a run, desperate to understand just why it felt like her world was suddenly about to implode. She must have been imagining things, right?

By the time she reached the front steps of the library, her breathing was labored, and she found herself unable to think straight.

The bell above the door chimed when Emma pushed it open, a feeling of trepidation washing over her. Had it only been a day since she'd seen Killian last? She was beginning to think that this whole curse thing was tearing away at her sanity.

"Can I help you?" a young woman questioned from behind the circulation desk. She had dark wavy hair, kind eyes, and an accent that Emma couldn't place. Still, she seemed vaguely familiar. Emma thought perhaps, that she'd seen the woman in Henry's storybook at some point. Yes, that had to have been the reason.

Silently, Emma moved a bit further into the room, hoping that her little excursion would prove to her how foolish she'd been. Any moment now, Killian would waltz around the corner of a bookshelf, and everything would be fine. Or, as fine as things could be, while everyone was trapped in another realm with a set of fake memories.

"Uh, yes," she began, stepping up to the circulation desk, close enough to see the empty blue of the woman's eyes, bereft of her true memories and identity, just like everyone else. "I-I'm looking for Colin? Colin Jones?" Oh, how she hated the way her voice shook with the words. Again, she had to remind herself to be strong and brave-a true pirate.

Lacey's eyes did not light up with a sudden recognition, as Emma had expected. In fact, she stared back at Emma, her gaze as blank as ever. Fear churned in Emma's gut, and clenched painfully at her heart when Lacey responded with a simple:

"Who?"

"Don't you have a-a technician who works here with you?"

No! This was not happening. This was so not happening!

"No…" she responded slowly, as if it was the most obvious thing in world, as if Emma was a three year old who had yet to truly understand how the world worked. She was not crazy! Bloody hell, she was so sick of feeling like that was all she was. "I've worked alone forever. There's no one here but me."

"Are you-are you sure?"

The strange, almost pitying look in Lacey's eyes was all the confirmation Emma needed. Even though the breath had only just returned to her lungs, she turned on her heal, and ran as fast as she could out of the building. She had to get away. She had to-to go back to the Jolly Roger and sail so far away that this cursed town was nothing more than a nightmare, that her own set of cursed memories to try and forget about. She couldn't be alone, she just couldn't be-

Out of the corner of her eye, Emma caught movement in one of the buildings across the street, and suddenly, something occurred to her. Henry had said that Rumplestiltskin had helped the Queen cast the curse. He practically owned the town. If anyone knew what the hell was going on here, it was the bloody Crocodile.

With a new bout of determination rising up within her, Emma marched across the street and barged into the Crocodile's decrepit old pawn shop.

"Ah," he sighed, lingering behind the counter. He rested his hands out on the tabletop in front of him, splaying out his fingers. "Miss Swan, what a lovely surprise. Whatever can I do for you?"

Give me the pleasure of dismembering you. Emma thought darkly as she stalked up to the Dark One himself. She remembered hearing horror stories about him. She remembered eavesdropping on a conversation her parents had one night: how they'd come to the agreement that, regardless of how terrifying he was, he was the only one who stood a chance against the Queen.

If only they knew that he'd sooner work with her.

"Oh, cut the act, Crocodile. I want to know what the hell you did to him."

A devious little smirk cut across the Dark One's face. Emma wondered if he'd still be smiling like that as his head rolled away from his body. She was not usually a very violent person, but for the monster who'd broken Killian's heart and stolen his hand, she'd show just how much of a pirate she really was.

There was a sword hanging on the wall behind him. Decorative or not, she was sure she could find a use for it. Perhaps Rumplestiltskin would enjoy seeing just what his innards looked like. He'd probably be one of the only beings who'd live to tell the tail. Now, she just had to find a way to get around him…

"I'm afraid I don't have any idea what you mean." Something sparked in his eyes, and Emma suddenly found her resolve weakening. "I think you're confused, Princess. You should leave, before you get yourself into something you can't get out of."

"No!" Emma shot back, her anger returning full force. "You're going to answer me! Where is Killian?"

The Dark One's eyes flashed again, and Emma had to struggle to remember just what her question had been. He waved his hand, and the door flew open behind her, smacking against the outer wall of the building. The sound reverberated around in Emma's skull for a moment, and she got the strangest feeling that she was being dismissed.

"Gone."

And then she found herself walking out of the pawnshop against her will.

XxxXxxX

Hours later, Emma sat at the docks, her toes just barely grazing the water below her. She thought for a moment, that a bright, sunny day on the water was the perfect opportunity for a break from the rest of the world. For thoughtful self reflection. Her eyes roved down towards the water, as if the answers to all of life's problems might lie in its depths. Gods, she was so stupid. After all those years of searching for the damned Crocodile, she finally had him within her grasp, and she went in half cocked without a plan.

And now, Killian was paying for it.

Emma heard footsteps behind her, but at that moment, she couldn't have cared less. It could have been the Crocodile, come to finish what he'd started all those years ago, or the Queen, who hated her simply because of who her mother was. Honestly, Emma didn't really care. She had failed. She had failed at the one thing she had set out to do: find her husband. Well, she thought a moment later, maybe she'd failed at two things. Now she had no way to break the curse.

"Emma?" came a quiet voice from behind her. "I thought you were going to pick me up from school."

Oh look, a third thing she was terrible at: motherhood.

"What are you doing here?" Henry asked, before shrugging off his backpack and lowering to sit beside her. "Did something happen?"

Of course Emma loved her son dearly, even after less than a month in his company, but right now, she just didn't think she was up for the conversation. "You should go home, lad, before the Queen gets to angry." Her eyes roved over the horizon, and she refused to meet his gaze. She hoped he wouldn't notice.

He noticed.

"Okay, so you're in a bad mood," he said, also not looking at her. "I think I may have something that could cheer you up."

Emma's only response was to cock her head to the side ever so slightly.

"You're dad is awake. I heard Sherriff Graham tell Miss Blanchard after school. Do you know what this means?" he asked. Emma's heart leapt in her chest at the good news, but still, she wasn't sure if anything would be able to raise her spirits right now. "She read him my book, and he woke up! I guess he was confused, because he left the hospital. That's why the Sherriff got involved-they had to go find him."

Finally, Emma met his eyes, a sad smile on her face. It confused Henry, but he didn't comment on it. "You know what, Henry? That really is good news. It's exactly what I needed to hear right about now."