Elizabeth grimaced as she looked at the plate in front of her. "I don't think I can do this, Henry."
"Come on. You'll like it."
"I don't even know what to do with it."
He gestured towards it with a shrug. "You just... pick it up, and take a bite."
She examined it for another short moment before picking up the hamburger and took a tentative bite, embarrassed at how much she had to open her mouth to do so. She noticed Henry watching her in anticipation, and she nearly spat out the food when she laughed. "Stop that. You're making me nervous."
"Do you like it?"
"It's certainly...interesting. I still prefer my own food."
"If you're going to be here for a while, you should see if they need any help at the bakery. They do a lot of cakes and pastries, but in the mornings they do fresh bread and muffins. Things like that. You owned a bakery, right?"
Elizabeth finished her bite and nodded. "Well, my father did and I worked there with him." She winced when the group sitting at a booth nearby broke out in laughter.
"I swear I was going to go overboard with those waves," Killian told his tale to the Charmings and Emma. "Everyone else was preoccupied with the storm that we managed to correct my clumsiness. We had few rowboats and we weren't about to lose one to my mistake. Liam and I always made a good team, even if it mainly consisted of cleaning up my messes."
She closed her eyes, feeling the rock of the ship beneath her and she placed the 'hamburger' down onto the plate. "I'll ask you to excuse me, Henry. I'm suddenly not hungry."
"It's not that bad," Henry said apologetically. "I just thought since you're here you could try some of our food."
Elizabeth smiled, opened her eyes and stood. "I appreciate all you're doing for me, Henry. I'm sure you went through this when Violet came from Camelot. I just need some fresh air." With a nod of her head as a farewell, she turned to leave. It had to be now.
As she passed by, she met Killian's eyes but broke contact before he could greet her. She opened the door hurriedly, knowing if she looked back she would lose her nerve. She strode down the street, for the first time in weeks knowing her next step.
After a few moments of walking, Elizabeth looked up at the sign above her head and with a shake of her head, continued walking a few paces. She stopped and clenched her hands into fists. Taking in a deep breath, she turned back and entered the antique shop. The door hit against the bells, signaling her arrival. But he was already waiting for her.
"Good day, Miss Warren."
"Mr. Gold."
"Using my other name now, I see."
"I want you to send me back to the Enchanted Forest," she said forcefully. "I know you have a way."
He took a step towards her, using the cane only for show. "And why would I do that?"
"Because I have a feeling you want me away from Killian. I'm offering that to you."
Gold gave her a crooked smile. "You want to make a deal? With me?"
"Will you send me back to the forest?"
He raised up a finger, wagging it at her. "And what if I want something else in exchange? I don't think I really care if you get in between Miss Swan and the pirate. I doubt you could."
"What could I even give you?" Elizabeth had no idea what the creature would even ask of her. She had nothing to give. He wasn't likely to even make a deal with her, but she had to try.
Before he could respond, the door rang against the bells once more. She turned to see Killian step inside the shop, giving a hard stare at Rumplestiltskin.
"Elizabeth, what are you doing?"
"This is no concern of yours, pirate," the Dark One snapped.
"Like hell it isn't," he growled and strode towards him.
With a flick of his wrist, Rumplestiltskin threw magic at Killian, pressing him against the door.
Elizabeth's eyes widened and she took a step back in fear. "Leave him alone!" She watched as Killian struggled to breathe. Somehow the Dark One was choking him.
"I'll let him live, for a price."
"Name it."
Killian choked out, "don't listen to him."
"Your heart," he answered simply.
She put a hand protectively to her chest. "My what?"
Killian continued to struggle against the magic around his neck and body. "Leave her alone, crocodile."
Gold ignored him, looking instead at Elizabeth as though the magic took no concentration at all. "Do we have a deal?"
She knew there was very little time. She had never been quite clever, or adventurous. Never quite the hero. "You never ask for something unless you need it. Which means you wouldn't have asked for my heart unless you needed it. You were waiting for me to make a deal with you. You need me to give it willingly."
"Tick tock, dearie."
"You won't kill him."
"And why not?"
"Because you fear the Saviour. You have more power than her, yes, but if you wanted Killian dead he would be by now." Elizabeth stepped up to the Dark One and looked him in the eye. He was just a man. "I do not accept your deal, Rumplestilksin."
She knew he could hear her heart pounding inside her chest. The heart he wanted, for some reason. She saw it in his eyes, the flicker of anger and defeat. Behind her Killian fell to his knees, gasping for air. But she stayed where she stood, her eyes locked with Gold's.
"You can keep your heart, and he has his life." He turned away to the back of his store. "For now. But if you still want a way out of Storybrooke, I'm more than willing to...work with you."
Elizabeth turned then, quickly helping Killian up and ushered him out the door. Once the door was closed behind them, she moved to embrace him but remembered his lack of memories and kept her distance. "Are you hurt?"
He pointed to the door, lowering his face to hers. "What the bloody hell did you think you were doing?"
"Finding a way home."
"Well he is not the way to get there."
"You shouldn't have followed me." She turned on her heel, but he caught her elbow with his hook. The feel of it shocked her and she pulled away quickly. He grabbed her with his hand this time, keeping her in place. "Killian, please."
"I understand being here is difficult, that you miss him-"
Elizabeth interrupted, "miss who?"
"Liam." When she had a vacant look he continued. "You said there was something between you."
She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "Oh, Killian. It was you."
"What are you talking about, love?"
When she had the courage to meet his eyes, Elizabeth very well nearly slapped herself for thinking this was a good idea. "You don't remember. I don't know why, but you don't. Killian, you and I met in a tavern in Duncaster."
He gave her a regretful look. "Listen, love, but I met many a woman in taverns."
"You were working under Captain Silver for the first few years."
He started at that. "Years? You knew me back then? Before the Navy?"
"Before Milah."
Killian looked down at her in disbelief. "How is this possible?"
"That story you were telling, back at Granny's? The one where you accidentally cut the rope from the rowboat? I was there." She pointed at herself. "I helped you get it back on the ship before the Captain found out."
"No, that was…" Killian stopped.
"Liam? Think about it. Liam was down in the rowboat, reattaching the line."
"I was tying the rope to the pully…" he said thoughtfully.
"How did the boat get back into place?"
Killian stared at her, meeting her eyes. "It got back into place."
"Who pulled the rope. You know where you were. You know where your brother was." She took a step towards him. "Who pulled the rope, Killian?"
"We were out at sea. How…"
She smiled slightly. "I made a good stowaway."
He shook his head and turned away. "Silver would have found you."
"Liam took the lashes for you. And me."
Killian stopped and looked at her, and she could tell he was searching for something to remember, for something to make sense of it all. "You're telling me I lived a life completely different than the one I thought I knew."
But she shook her head. "No, I don't think you did. You have those memories still, but I've been removed from them."
"Conversations wouldn't make sense."
"Maybe they don't," Elizabeth suggested. "You never realized it before about the rowboat story." She thought for a moment. "Why don't we go somewhere to talk, then?"
She watched the waves hit against the posts of the dock. She understood the appeal of the sea, the way the wind moved, the smell of the salt.
"There was a time you were in Duncaster," she started. "Silver had sent you to the market to pick up a shipment of fruit."
"That happened more than once."
"You forgot the oranges."
His eyes widened. "You stole them from me?"
Elizabeth laughed. "No, I don't think your memories work like that. You did forget them. I distracted you, most likely. What happened when you returned to the ship, and Silver went through the crates?"
He shrugged. "Got me and the crew to put them in the cargo hold."
"If you forgot the oranges, he would have noticed."
He looked at her quickly. "He did notice."
"Why weren't you punished?"
Killian leaned back slightly, resting his elbows on the railing behind him. "What was your part in it?"
"I pretended to be the farmer's daughter and said we wished to give him a crate for free for the trouble. Gave two day's worth of pay to make up for it."
"You did that for me?"
Elizabeth smiled and looked out over the water. "Emma wants me to help figure out why you don't remember me. Or I think she's more concerned with who did it."
"Aye, that's a good question." He looked her over. "When was the last time we saw each other?"
"You and your brother were sent on a mission. Top secret, apparently. You weren't to be gone long. From reading Henry's book, I found out you went to Neverland. And Liam died."
"So you knew me the entire time I was in the Navy."
"You worked your way up the ranks quickly. You were a hard worker."
He tapped his hook on the wood, thinking. "If you're from back then, how did you come to keep your youth?"
"The last thing I remember is a bag over my head. The next thing I knew I awoke in the Land of Untold Stories. And then I was here." When he didn't respond she gestured towards his hook. "May I?"
Killian shrugged and held out his arm. "Be my guest."
She reached out a hand tentatively and rang her fingers along the metal. She reached where the mount attached to his arm and she stopped. "It's quite jarring. Does it hurt?"
"I've become accustomed to it. Sometimes I fancy I can still feel my hand. Got it back, once. The Dark One, he returned it to me. But with it came the man I was when I had it. A cruel pirate."
"So you had it returned to you."
"Aye. I wonder if you're not curious as to why this is all happening. Why you're here, now, and why the Dark One wants your heart?"
Elizabeth pulled her hand back and looked back out at the water. "I should think it would be safer to keep my head down and find a way to avoid it all."
"And return to a city that will be different than your last time there? Your family will be gone, Elizabeth. There's nothing for you there."
"There's nothing for me here, either."
"Then you may as well go on an adventure while you're here, eh?"
She made the mistake of looking back at him. That same cheeky smile that could talk his way out of, or into anything. Well, now her words to the Saviour weren't a complete lie.
