A BAT IN STORYBROOKE:

Chapter 2

"Thanks for going out with me on this date, Killian. I really appreciated it."

Killian and Emma were leaving Granny's diner as she said those words. It was 9:30 pm and the night was blowing a small, summer breeze in their faces. Emma's hair was slightly blown, giving her an enchanting appeal to Killian. He couldn't even remember Milah's hair blowing like this when they were pirates sailing on his ship, the JOLLY ROGER. If anybody told him almost two hundred fifty years ago that he'd fall in love with a woman ten times better than Milah, he would have made them walk the plank a few seconds later.

His heart sank suddenly when a new thought occurred to him at the same time. Killian tried to brush it off, but his guilt couldn't.

Emma seemed to have noticed that something wasn't quite right with Hook. "Hey, are you all right?" The sudden question broke off Killian from his thoughts with surprise.

"What? Oh, yes, love. I'm fine. I'm just… feeling a bit tired. I've had a long day. But the date was a delight."

Emma smiled and planted him a quick kiss on the lips. "Good. Oh, I wanted to say: I have to help my mom watch over my baby brother tomorrow afternoon. Think you can pick up Henry afterschool? I'm sure he'll like that."

"Gladly, love. Anything for you," Hook answered.

"Thanks. See you tomorrow."

Killian watched as Emma headed back to the Blanchard apartment in a hurry. His guilty thought took the privilege of coming back on his brain, stabbing daggers on his conscience.

If anybody told you that Fidget would return and get his revenge on you after all those years, what would you do? Run away again?

Flashback: The Enchanted Forest, year 1774, on the Jewel Of The Realm

The wind was blowing on the sails of the Jewel Of The Realm as the Jones brothers were watching the horizon ahead of them. They were on a new mission assigned by their king.

"So what does his Majesty wish us to achieve this time, brother?" Lieutenant Killian Jones asked his elder brother, Captain Liam Jones.

"A diplomatic mission, Killian. For years, our country has been feuding with the empire of Aldorada. Our king and the sovereign of Aldorada have decided to complete a peace treaty that will end the feud. We are being sent as the executive diplomatic militants."

"I see. Yet, I've never heard of any empire called Aldorada."

"A very rich and powerful nation. Many other nations have killed themselves in order to conquer it, but to no avail."

"Rumors say that their military have been led by the Denada Cortés, a family of militants, for generations," a soldier cut in.

"Aldorada has never lost a single battle when a Denada Cortés led the troops," one carrying a barrel of water added.

"My cousin twice removed said that the current heir of the Denada Cortés family was ten times stronger than one army. Apparently he could knock down ten men with only one sweep of his swords," a cook retorted.

Captain Jones slammed the stirring wheel. "Silence! What kind of soldier relies on rumors?

"Rumors are like rum," his brother joined in. "They're bad form."

"Well said, brother. Now, everyone in position! Off we go to Aldorada!"

As everyone got ready, Killian began to question himself: if his soldiers believed in those rumors, then what were the chances that they might meet a dangerous enemy during their expedition.

"Belle! I'm home!" Mr. Gold locked the door behind him after he stepped inside his house. He had a normal day at work: in other words, nobody came to his pawnshop and most of the Storybrooke residents ignored him. After the incident involving the Author Isaac Heller and Emma briefly becoming the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin was grudged upon. At least Belle forgave him, especially after he got a light heart.

Yet, for some reason, Belle wasn't here to welcome him as she usually did whenever he got him.

"Belle? Are you here?"

Silence was in the house until Rumple could have sworn that he heard vomiting sounds coming from the bathroom upstairs. Worried for his wife, he ran up the staircase until he reached the bathroom door, which suddenly opened as Belle wobbled out, looking all dizzy. He quickly caught her before she could fall.

"Belle? Belle! What's wrong?" he asked, his voice full of worry.

"R…Rumple…I'm…"Belle stammered. "I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father again."

"Sleepy! Will you wake up for Heaven's sake?"

Leroy groaned as he tried to wake up his fellow dwarf, who fell asleep while driving, as usual. He shook Sleepy as much as he could until some dark shadow up ahead on the road caught his attention.

"Sleepy! Wake up or you'll hit that pedestrian!"

The dwarf let out a yawn as he slightly opened his eyes.

Then, suddenly, a scary face appeared in front of the car. A dark face with bat ears, messy raven black hair, golden eyes with dark red shadows around them, and the scariest of all, a mouth full of fangs as sharp as razors. The horrifying sight was scar enough to fully awaken Sleepy and cause him to steer the truck out of the road and into a tree. Smoke came out of the vehicle as the dwarfs hurried out of it. The sinister face was nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell was that? It was like a monster to me!" Sleepy exclaimed.

"I don't know, but we'd better tell the others! We have to warn them that there's a new threat in Storybrooke!"

"Great! I bet Emma and her boyfriend Hook will fix the problem in no time!"

Little did the dwarfs no that, up above the trees, the shadow of a peg-legged, crippled, humanoid bat, was listening to the conversation with interest.

"You really are predictable, codfish. There's always a girl in your life. At least this time, I know who I should aggress first in order to get to you," it chuckled.