I am so so sorry for the delay! I wish I had an excuse, really, but I just couldn't write this one. I keep feeling like the story is not good enough or it's not interesting enough. I feel like I'm letting people down, because I like where this is going but I honestly don't know if others do! So I couldn't bring myself to even start writing until yesterday.

But here you go!

Emma shuddered, pulling her coat tighter to ward off the chill air at the docks. "Who-who found the body?" she asked, looking at her father.

"One of the dock workers. Came in early, saw him hanging there," David grimaced, nodding towards the fishing boat they found him in.

She covered her mouth, unbidden tears threatening to fall. She clutched the evidence bag with the note discovered on the body, tight in her hand, turning away from the pale, unseeing eyes of Mr. Smee as they wheeled him into the ambulance.

Her heart had stopped for a moment when they'd said they found a body at the docks, praying to God that it shouldn't be Killian. But this was worse; this was someone close to him.

The man, B. Jones, whoever he was had vowed to make him suffer. And it looks like he was living up to it, killing off the one person who'd been a constant in his life for so long. She had no idea how to tell Killian about this, knowing that there was no easy way to it.

How do you tell someone that the person they cared about is dead? That they were there one minute and gone the next? How will it ever get easier? Will he ever know anything but suffering?

Emma's heart hurt for him, even more so because Mr. Smee was one of the last connections he had to his past life- no matter how much he hated the man he was, she knew it all led to him being the man he is today.

"Swan!" she heard a shout as Killian came bounding towards her, his coat billowing behind him, his eyebrows pulled together in worry. "Are you alright, love?" he asked, concerned. "Wh-what is all this ruckus about?"

She sniffled, her nose red and her eyes sad as she regarded him, her hand gripping his bicep. "Killian, something happened..." she trailed off, her throat thick.

He looked behind her, around her at all the people milled about, trying to take in the situation. "What it is?"

"Some-someone died," she confessed, her voice but a whisper.

His eyebrows rose in surprised, but he immediately sobered, his arms coming around her in a loose embrace. "I-I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he murmured, his lips pressed to her temple. "Was it someone you were close to?"

That just made the tears fall faster as she shook her head, her hands gripping his lapels so hard that her knuckled turned white. "Killian," she took a deep breath, preparing herself. "Killian, it was Mr. Smee," she whimpered out, his sharp inhale making her feel worse.

"I'm so sorry," she went on. "They-they found him strung up from the mast of one of the fishing boats," she struggled to get the words out. "H-he had multiple st-stab wounds." She pulled back, her eyes roaming over his face as he stared straight ahead, his eyes unseeing, glazed over as if he was in a trance.

"Wh-what?" he breathed out, his arms falling limp at his side. His mouth opened and closed but no sound came, the shock of the news rendering him speechless. His hand balled into a fist, as he swallowed thickly.

Clearing his throat, he asked again, "What?"

"Killian," Emma sighed, noticing him struggling so visibly, her heart going out for him.

"Smee's dead?" he whispered brokenly, his eyes finally meeting hers, the devastation in them almost knocking her breathless. "He-he's dead?" his voice was laced with desperation as he grabbed her arm.

She nodded, her throat too thick to actually say the words. "I-I'm so sorry," she whispered, her hand cupping his cheek, wiping away the tear that leaked from the corner of his eye.

He exhaled harshly, running his hands down his face. "How did this happen?" he asked after a long pause.

"I-I don't know," she said helplessly. "But I think I have a clue," she straightened up, showing him the note they'd found on the body.

When he saw what was written, his eyes widened in disbelief. He clenched his hand around the cover, anger replacing the sorrow, his eyes darkening.

'Consider this a warning for what is to come, boy.

B. Jones.'

"That bastard!" he growled, turning sharply on his heel, heading away from the docks.

"Killian!" she called after him, running to catch up to him. She grabbed his arm, trying to stop him, but he wrenched it away, stalking away from her. "Killian, wait!" she called. "Where are you going?!"

"I don't know, Swan!" he exploded, tuning around his eyes wide and frantic. "I don't bloody know! There's this man hell bent on revenge, against me, for reasons unknown. He's intent on ruining my life, taking my life apart person by person," he spat, his eyes filling with tears. "My first mate is dead!" he snapped, his face contorting as the tears fell unbidden.

Emma's heart broke, pulling him into her arms, letting him tuck his face in her neck, running her fingers soothingly through his hair as he broke down, tears wetting her skin. "It's okay," she muttered, holding him tight. "It'll be okay," she couldn't find it in her heart to believe what she said, her eyes finding her father's pitying over Killian's shoulder. She closed her eyes, pressing her lips to his head.

-/-

He took a deep breath, holding on to Emma's hand tight. "Do you need me to come with you?" she asked softly, her chin pressed his shoulder.

He hesitated, before he shook his head, 'no', brushing his lips against her forehead. She nodded in understanding, squeezing his hand before she left him there.

He exhaled, running his hand through his hair, before he pushed the door to the morgue. He walked over to where his former first mate lay, covered in a sheet. His hand trembled when he brought it up, wanting to pull the sheet back, but he couldn't. He couldn't do it.

He couldn't face Smee's unmoving form, knowing he was the reason for the man's death. He instead gripped the bar of the table he was laid on, his knuckles turning white as he tried to come up with something to say. But none came, his throat dry as sandpaper, the emotions too raw and too much to face.

He swallowed thickly, his head hanging low in defeat. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Smee," he finally managed, clearing his throat as an image of the man's chubby, smiling face came across his mind. "You were the most loyal of mates any pirate could hope for."

He breathed out, his heart cold and void of any emotion. This man has waged a war against him, and he was slowly starting to believe that it wasn't going to end well. He was not going to win this.

-/-

"Hey," Emma called softly, drawing his gaze from his (now) cold cup of coffee that he'd been staring at. He looked up at her, his expression blank. She sighed, taking a seat opposite him in the booth.

"We'll find him, Killian," she reassured him, her hands pulling his away from the cup, entwining them together. The coldness seemed to slowly thaw from his body, replaced by warmth.

He shot her a humourless smile, before he shifted his gaze back to the table top. "And do what, Swan? The man is clearly smarter; he is surely to slip away."

"You can't think like that," she admonished softly, her grip on his hands tightening when he tried to pull away. "Listen to me. We will defeat him."

He remained silent for a long while, his thoughts a jumble before he finally asked, "Why is he doing this?"

"I-I don't know," she shrugged helplessly, closing her eyes in frustration.

He opened his mouth to answer, but right then Henry came up to him, somewhat hesitantly. He took a seat next to his mother, trying to find the words to say what he'd wanted to.

"Henry? What is it, lad?"

"I-I'm sorry about your friend, Killian," he finally said, his eyes reflecting his own sorrow. He pulled a red piece of cloth out of his bag. "You should have this," he said, handing him Smee's woollen cap. "He let me borrow it on our last sailing trip, when I felt cold," he shrugged.

Killian didn't know what to say, his lips thinning as he felt the loss of his longest friend set in deeper. "Thank you, Henry," his voice cracked painfully, but he smiled as best as he could at the lad. "But I'm sure he'd want you to have this. He'd become rather fond of you," his smile came easier now, passing the hat back to Henry.

He hesitated, his brown eyes regarding Killian intensely, before he nodded, walking over to hug the man. "Thank you, Killian. For everything," he whispered, pulling back.

Henry shuffled awkwardly on his feet before turning to Emma, who looked almost surprised when he met her gaze with a slight smile. "I-I'm sorry, mom," he apologised. "I shouldn't have behaved the way I did. I just," he sighed. "I just missed you. And I was angry at myself for missing you. So when you came back... I was just, I don't know-,"

"Hey," Emma smiled. "It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry. I promise I'll never run again. Ever," she got out of the booth, hugging Henry tight.

"I know," he replied, exchanging a knowing glance with Killian.

-/-

"Henry's home safe," Emma told him as she closed the door to his room at Granny's. "And my parents are at the loft with Leo. Regina confirmed that the protection spell is still intact."

He nodded, clicking his hook out of its brace, "And Ariel?" he asked hesitantly.

"Also safe. I was just there, put the spell up myself. And around Granny's," she added before he could ask. "He's not going to hurt anyone else," she reassured him, taking a seat next to him, clasping his hand in hers and squeezing gently.

"Thank you, love," he finally says after a long moment, although his tone betrayed his doubt.

"What for?" her eyebrows are pulled together in bemusement.

He shrugged. "For being there for me, throughout. Even when I pushed you away."

She makes an indignant voice in the back of her throat, turning to face him, sitting cross legged on the bed. "Are you serious? Of course I'll be there. I'll always be there. I love you," she replied, her voice earnest and insistent.

"Aye, I know. I just-," he cut himself off, leaning down and pressing his lips hard against hers. She squeaked out, her eyes wide in surprised before she gave in, her arms looping around his neck. Her lips part open in a breathless sigh, allowing him to add his tongue to the mix as he gently pushed her on her back.

His kisses grew desperate as he moved down her jaw, his hands resting next to her head, holding himself up. He kissed down her neck, nipping and sucking, making Emma's breaths come out harsher. Too lost in the moment, it takes a while to catch on.

When she does realise what he's doing, she pulled him back, her hands framing his face, both of them breathing heavily. "No," she whispered, her eyes boring into his tortured ones. "Not like this. Okay?"

He stared at her, wanting to just forget...but she was right. He didn't want to do this because he's hurting, because he wants an escape. This isn't going to help. He breathed out loudly, his heart heavy, and nodded, pulling away and putting as much space as he could between them.

Emma pushed herself on her elbows, the strap of her top sliding down. "Hey, come back. Let's just sleep," she smiled, sitting up and holding her hand out to him.

He paused, looking back and forth between her face and her hand. He then slid his into hers, allowing her to pull him down next to her, both of them kicking off their boots and slipping under the comforter.

She snuggled next to him, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand over his heart. He pulled her closer, his hand running through her hair soothingly.

She fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeats and he to her breaths.

Reviews? Let me know what you think?