A/N: Let the ride commence!

Chapter 20

Lost Together

Gold's Pawn Shop was – not surprisingly – empty. But the chime on the door quickly produced a frazzled version of Belle. "Rumpel?" Something in her voice alerted me that she wasn't simply acknowledging an expected return. The disappointment etched on her features as she saw us confirmed it. Her eyes swept over Tinker Bell and Killian before she schooled her expression into a neutral, practiced welcome. "What can I do for you?"

"Where's Gold?" I asked. If my tone was brusque it couldn't be helped.

Tink stepped into my periphery, the unused vial of tracking potion held in her palm. She set in on the counter and Belle studied it with sincere confusion. "Didn't it work?"

"It wasn't needed, after all. They'd already found him by the time I got there," Tink replied.

Belle's luminous eyes flicked to Killian warily before meeting mine. "Then you've caught the culprit?" She smiled tentatively as her shoulders relaxed. "Rumpel will be so relieved."

Somehow I really doubted that.

"And where is the illustrious pawn broker?" Killian inquired, all deadly charm and transparent disdain. Mirth and malcontent danced across our bond and while I could hardly fault him, it was highly distracting. Really, for a centuries-old pirate he was pretty terrible at controlling his emotions. Though, I could easily understand how the thought of finally being able to legally persecute his personal nemesis appealed to all facets of his personality.

"I don't know," Belle responded quietly. "He left rather quickly about an hour ago."

My expression tightened. "Is something wrong?"

Belle's eyes glistened. Granted, I didn't know her all that well, but I'd never seen her look so…defeated. "He was acting strange."

"Strange how?" Tinker Bell asked.

"He wouldn't let me near him. He's been distancing himself since your return. But this was different. I'm worried," Belle admitted. She took a deep breath and forced another smile. "So, did Smee confess then?"

"Actually, no," I started then frowned at my choice of words. I still hated that expression. "His memory was tampered with." I softened my voice, conscious of Belle's state. "He did indicate that Gold was involved. And he mentioned your name."

"Me?" She sputtered. "That's just absurd! I mean…I would never intentionally harm anyone, and Rumpel…" her voice trailed off.

A heavy silence descended on all of us as Belle processed whatever thoughts were running rampant in her mind. As much as she loved him, Belle also knew him. Only days before, we'd talked about our respective men and how much they both struggled to walk in the light after so many years of darkness. Just as we'd already come to the conclusion of his likely guilt, she would be a fool not to consider it, too.

What's that expression about fools in love, Emma? I glared at my conscious. Love-blind she may be, but Belle was no fool.

"I know this is probably hard, but we do need to find him. Do you have any idea where he may have gone?" I asked gently.

She shook her head. "No. He was in a hurry, so I didn't press him."

"We need to find him."

Belle nodded once. "I understand. But please, don't rush to any conclusions. He really has changed."

"Or so he'd like us to believe," Killian commented. Belle scowled in his direction and I rushed to change the conversation before my darling other half completely buried any chance he had of retaining Belle's cordiality.

"When he left, did he take anything with him?" I asked, slipping back into interrogation mode.

"Not that I saw. In fact, he even left this behind," Belle said as she reached behind her and held up Gold's cane. "He hardly goes anywhere without it."

Tinker Bell stepped lightly to Belle's side, wrapping a supportive arm around her friend's shoulders. "I'm sure he's alright," she consoled.

The gesture – however placating – seemed to bring some of the spark back to Belle's eyes. Her stubborn faith in Gold's goodness would've been inspirational if I didn't have an intimate connection with his nemesis. Killian's thoughts on the matter were definitely moved, but not in a tender way. A curious vision of that cane raining blow after blow over his body was chased by an image of a roaring fire fueled by its two broken halves.

"Do I want to know what that's all about?" I probed.

He mentally shrugged. "Not all of my fantasies are of a carnal nature."

"He may have gone to see his son," Belle continued. Looking to Tink she suggested, "We can start there?"

"It's a good thought. Even if we don't find him, Bae may have an idea of where he's gone," Tink conceded.

I nodded. "Good. We'll search the town," I said, indicating Killian and myself. "You've got my number if you find him."

"Yes, of course," Belle replied. She laid Gold's cane across the glass countertop and followed us out of the shop. As she locked the door, I looked around the surrounding area, noting the quiet street, closed shops and awakening street lamps. Most of Storybrooke's citizens were likely at home, sitting down to supper and blissfully unaware that another confrontation loomed on the horizon. The last rays of dusk fought to shine through the encroaching darkness; their brittle fingers a stark contrast to the heavy shadows of night. The scent of ozone – fresh from the late afternoon storm – clung to the mild breeze and I shivered, though I was neither afraid nor cold. Beneath my skin, my magic entwined with my intuition, setting each of my senses on edge. Another storm was coming: this one figurative rather than literal.

"Are you alright, love?" Killian's concerned voice soothed over my mind. I felt the imagined trace of his fingers sliding over my cheek even though his hand hung loosely between us.

"Aye," I told him, using one of his own words affectionately. "It's just a feeling…"

"That we're almost to the end," he finished. I nodded, grateful for once that someone was so attuned to me that I didn't have to explain myself. He just knew. Killian's posture straightened, a sense of seriousness buffering his lingering anger and sharpening his mind. Here was the naval officer tempered by centuries of harsh living, driven and focused almost to a fault. Here was the man who'd lay down his life for those that he loved. And he loved me. I'd been wrong earlier, unfair even, when I'd slighted his control over his emotions. Instead I should've marveled that a man who'd been through so much was still capable of such intense feelings.

"Where shall we start looking?" Killian asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I answered, though even as I spoke an idea began whispering in my conscience. Why should we spend time searching blindly when Gold himself had already provided us with a shortcut?

Killian's coat brushed against my arm as he stepped backwards, preparing to head in the opposite direction of Belle and Tinker Bell. Reaching down, I caught his fingers and halted his steps. "Wait," I directed, gesturing toward the retreating backs of the two women. I watched as they disappeared around the corner leading to Granny's boarding house before turning back to the pawn shop. "I hope this works," I muttered, holding my palm over the handle and directing my magic to fill the keyhole. I imagined the tumblers lifting one by one until I heard the soft click of the lock giving way. Luckily, in her haste to leave, Belle hadn't slid the deadbolt into place.

"I've always said you've got a little bit of pirate in you, Swan," Killian remarked, pride thick in his voice. I met his grin with one of my own and pushed into the store. The tracking potion sat untouched next to the infamous cane. Their pairing - the question and the solution – could not have been more perfect if fate had set them together itself. Fate…or someone with an equally uncanny grasp of future events.

"Gold's not stupid. He didn't leave this behind on accident. He wants us to find him." I met Killian's eyes resolutely. "Let's not disappoint him."

E&K&E&K&E&K

As it turned out, the tracking potion worked almost too well. Gold's cane nearly took out the front window in its excitement to reunite with its master. Moving quickly through the town, Killian and I soon found ourselves following the enchanted piece of wood deeper into the forest which bordered Storybrooke. Naturally, I thought; where else would one expect to have a showdown with a fairy-tale villain?

Killian had been unusually quiet since we'd left the shelter of the buildings. Even his thoughts were guarded. A tenuous barrier constructed of what felt like apprehension halted the normal flow of awareness I'd become accustomed to sharing with him. Our bond was still intact, but whatever was on his mind was warding its full effects – whether he realized it or not – and I didn't like it. He stood less than three feet away from me, I could hear his breaths as we trudged up the hill, but without the familiar presence of his mind I felt adrift. Strange how quickly someone could become dependent on something…or someone.

I looked over at him, frowning at the pinched look around his eyes. "What's wrong?" I thought loudly.

He glanced in my direction before directing his gaze back on the floating stick before us. "Aside from the usual?" he replied. Cheeky as his words were, they lacked his normal bite. I tried to filter them through the anxious feelings I could sense coming from him, but I still wasn't sure what was causing them.

"Confronting Rumpelstiltskin should be old hat to you," I offered.

Killian's eyes flashed to mine once more, the familiar color nearly impossible to detect in the weak beam of my flashlight. Nonetheless, I felt the heaviness of his stare, could see the emotion churning behind his gaze even as he kept his thoughts shielded. Whatever was bothering him was ratcheting up my own nerves, bond or no bond. "This is different," he finally admitted.

Different how? I wondered to myself. I thought about asking him to clarify – feeling without the shadow of a doubt that we needed to be fully united when we faced Gold – but just as I formed the words, the cane stopped moving. Killian stepped in front of me immediately, his hook lifted and at the ready. I gripped the flashlight tighter in my palm and shone it three hundred and sixty degrees around us. Just beyond the hovering stick, the parade of tree trunks thinned, suggesting a clearing. Of course, I thought. The well: where all good Storybrooke villains go to concoct their nefarious plans. Honestly, I could've kicked myself for not having guessed sooner. What a waste of a perfectly good tracking potion.

"He's there," I motioned ahead. A growing sense of trepidation swirled in the pit of my stomach. Nothing good had ever come out of dealings with that well. Had we been wrong all along to assume this was just about Killian and me? Was Gold planning another coup on the town? Not if I had anything to say about it.

I stepped past Killian, feeling my magic already sparking beneath my skin. "Swan, wait!" he exclaimed as his hand curled around my arm, holding me back from charging through the remaining copse of trees. "Is it really wise to rush headfirst into a confrontation without knowing what he's after?"

"Don't tell me you're scared?" I lifted my brow, though whether it was meant as a tease or in surprise was left for us both to ponder.

He scowled. "Of course not. But doesn't this seem at all odd to you? Who knows what sort of trap he has lying in wait."

"He planned this all along," I argued. "He knew we'd figure it out…And he's not the only one with magic."

Killian's gaze pierced through to my thoughts almost as efficiently as his words flowing in my mind. "While I have enormous faith in your abilities, love, neither of us is as practiced as the Dark One."

I appreciated his concern, I truly did, but enough was enough. Placing my fingers over the ring-laden hand still clutching my arm, I returned his thoughts. "I'm not going to let this go; I'm tired of looking over my shoulder for the next threat."

Killian continued to hold my stare. After a long pause, I felt whatever had been blocking his side of the bond crumble, his feelings rushing into my psyche like a torrent of raging water. I gasped and stumbled back a step. My heart trembled in answer to the overwhelming ache calling from his. "I can't lose you, Emma," he confessed in a whisper, his breath forming a soft mist which sailed into the dark night. "I'm not afraid to face him, not in the way you may think. I would die for you…but to do so would take your life, too. I feel paralyzed."

"You won't lose me," I answered, threading my fingers with his and pulling his arm down until our clasped hands hung between us. Keeping our eyes locked I nodded once as a silent vow. In my mind, I showed him the moment I'd subconsciously known there were no more tomorrows for me without him. I concentrated on that feeling of rightness I'd experienced just before I kissed his still lips and connected my magic, my heart and my soul to his. It had taken me awhile to get past my stubbornness and admit to myself, let alone him, what I'd already known that day in Neverland. Life or death, Killian was my forever. "We've come too far for either of us to be lost again. We're doing this…together," I promised.

"Aye," he affirmed. "Together."

I stepped forward, but he pulled me back again. "Wha-" I started to question him but was abruptly cut off by the press of his warm lips against my own, almost bruising in their conquest. His fingers threaded into my hair, cradling my head both gently and possessively. Pure devotion…no, reverence flooded into me. I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could, holding him the way he completely held my heart. His body trembled and I pushed even further against his lips. The beating of my heart thundered in my ears, or maybe it was his. His teeth nipped at my mouth as his left arm pressed against my back, his hook hard against my spine. It was everything, yet not enough. I could feel him molded snugly to my body, but I wanted him, needed him closer. How had I ever survived without feeling this way?

In the end, it was difficult to say who broke away first. Killian rested his forehead against my brow, his breath a gentle caress against my lips. "I love you, Emma."

"I love you, too, Killian," I answered without hesitance.

"Isn't this a touching scene," a voice interrupted. Killian and I startled before shifting to face our intruder. My eyes widened as I took in the figure before us.

"The savior and the pirate." Gold, no, Rumpelstiltskin's head tilted at an odd angle as his hand made an exaggerated flourish in the air. "What a lovely title that would make for a children's book, don't you think?"

Lifting the light to get a better look, I was shocked at the sudden and altered appearance of our suspect. The aging businessman characterized by his severe expression and dress had nearly been stripped away, replaced by some warped cross between a reptile and what I could only imagine as some type of nymph or imp. While his usual suit remained, his skin was tinted gold-green and held the texture of dry clay. Rotten teeth grinned maniacally, accompanied by a trilling laugh that was both gleeful and sinister. "Gold," I exclaimed. "What the hell happened to you?"

A pair of unearthly eyes the color of moss and mud swept over me. "Well, Miss Swan," he paused, darting his gaze to Killian then back to me, "It appears I've reverted back to my natural form."

"Crocodile," Killian growled. A tremor of edginess and loathing seeped across our bond as his mind latched onto the memories of his earlier encounters with this version of Gold: a dark alleyway filled with the clanging of swordplay; the crushing agony of lost love; white-hot pain flaring from his wrist. While it was true that Killian and Gold had set aside their differences for the sake of our Neverland mission, the impact of seeing Rumpelstiltskin in all his dark glory after so many years was wreaking havoc on Killian's consciousness.

"Stay with me," I mentally shouted at him, pulling his focus to the here and now. He blinked quickly, willing away an image of a woman gasping in his arms, her dark hair lightening into golden threads, her sea-blue eyes turning green. "I'm here. You won't let anything happen to me…and I won't let anything happen to you."

He met my eyes for a brief moment before we both gave our full attention back to Gold.

"I see the soul bond is completely intact now," Gold waggled his eyebrows comically. "Naughty, naughty."

My eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

Gold clucked his tongue. "You always were one to cut to the chase. Never did appreciate the art of pleasant conversation."

"Some of us don't have the time to waste," I retorted.

"And others have stayed long past their welcome," Gold countered. I felt the bile churn in my stomach as he let his gaze linger pointedly on Killian. "In fact, I think it's time I did something about that." With a snap of his fingers, Killian was gone. Vanished.

I sucked in air as my heart twisted in my chest, overcome with panic and shock. I swung the flashlight wildly, searching for any trace of him. Meeting Gold's amused grin I cried, "What have you done?"

"Emma!" Killian's thoughts shouted.

"Killian?" I called back. "Where are you?"

"By the well. Are you alright, love?"

Ignoring Gold's gleeful laughter, I rushed into the clearing, sighing in relief as my eyes swept over Killian. He appeared to be unharmed, though his back was pinned to a nearby tree.

"Look familiar?" Gold asked, sauntering into the clearing. With a quick movement of his hand, a magical fire burst into flame, hovering over the open well. The clearing flooded with light, making Gold's sinister appearance all the more prominent. "All that's missing are those pesky shadows. Bae was a bit vague with the details. Was it one shadow or two that ripped at the pirate's soul?"

My eyes swung sharply to Gold. "Let. Him. Go," I demanded. My palm grew warm as white magic crept along my skin.

"He should have died that day," Gold said, his face stripped of all its merriment. "He should have died years ago, to be exact." Facing Killian he continued, "I knew you'd be of some use to me one day."

"What in the blazes are you talking about?" Killian demanded.

"Fate can be so interesting at times…to think the solution to my problem lay within the very man who played a hand in setting me on this course," Gold paused, nodding once at Killian's hook. "No offense."

"He's insane," Killian thought as he struggled against his invisible bonds. His frustration coiled with his renewed wrath.

Feeding off his energy, the magic forming in my hand took shape. I held the sphere aloft and called, "Gold. Let him go. I won't say it again."

Disregarding my threat, Gold continued his apparent soliloquy. "It seems my little jaunt to Neverland had a detrimental effect on all my hard won control over my dark magic."

Killian laughed; a harsh, disgusted sound. "Control? Isn't that what this was all about," he gestured at Gold's appearance. "You were so desperate to control your own cowardice that you traded your soul for it rather than fight for it."

Gold's reptilian eyes flashed to me before he faced Killian again, a pleased smirk tilting his mouth. "And just what would you trade your soul for…pirate?"

Warning bells reverberated from my head to my toes. Something in Gold's tone, in the particular phrasing of his words tipped me off that Killian and I were in far greater trouble than we realized. Raising my hand, I prepared to release my magic, my heart pounding frantically against my rib cage.

"Uh uh uh…" Gold trilled. With another wave of his hand, the white sphere I held fizzled into nothing. He surveyed me curiously. "And what exactly did you hope to accomplish with that?"

"Emma…be careful, love," Killian pleaded. Beyond Gold's shoulder, I noted the lines of stress marring Killian's beauty. His eyes were enormous, though the set of his mouth spoke to his determination to somehow save us. Through our bond, his feelings were a complexity of anger, fear, and ragged hope.

Starring at Gold, I repeated. "What do you want from us?"

Gold's expression shifted again; the weight of his existence shone through his eyes. Underneath his beastly visage I recognized him for what he was: an exhausted man seeking some sort of respite, no matter the cost. "Legend foretold of a magic so powerful it can cure anything…even the darkest curse."

My blood chilled as the puzzle pieces started fitting themselves together. I'd already heard about that legend. I swallowed thickly. "The soul bond," I acknowledged. "So what?"

Gold shook his head. "Don't play dumb with me now, Miss Swan. As you said, not all of us have time to spare."

Wisps of conversations from the past week flitted across my consciousness: Regina revealing Gold's early interest in the bond; Belle forlornly admitting that he'd kept his distance since Neverland because he was afraid of his magic; Smee admitting whatever Gold was doing was related to Belle. And then there was Gold himself. From the moment he helped me save Killian, he'd been far more invested in the success of our bond than warranted. I shuddered as I remembered our encounter after Killian and I had consummated our relationship.

"Belle. This is about Belle. You think our bond will cure you of the Dark One's curse," I stated.

"See? Beauty and brains. I knew you had it in you," Gold exclaimed as he twisted his hand in that strange gesture once more.

I looked between him and Killian again. "So what was all of this? The snooping around places we'd been, trying to take his heart, erasing Smee's memory, luring us here…why not just confront us from the beginning?"

Gold cocked his head to the side as if processing what I'd said. "Snooping?" He tasted the word. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but the rest of it was a test of sorts. A partial bond wouldn't have been good enough."

"Enough for what?" I spat, my patience treading beyond thin. "It's not like we're talking about a potions ingredient here."

"That's where you're wrong, Dearie," Gold replied. An icy shiver raced down my spine, worsening as Gold's lips parted in another smile. "True Love's Bond is a magical thread laced between its two partners. During moments of extreme duress, it becomes physically tangible, acting as a tether with which one partner might save the other."

Killian's thoughts erupted with the memory of his near run in with Whale's car. Half of Storybrooke had witnessed that event, not to mention the silvery cord connected to both of our chests. I faced Gold calmly despite my racing pulse. "What makes you think we'll just hand it over?"

"You are the savior, Miss Swan. Here's your chance to save me," Gold smiled.

"And what's in it for us?" I challenged, forcing myself to maintain eye-contact with the mad man before me.

"Emma, no…" Killian lamented.

"As I risked my sanity to help you in Neverland, it's only fair that you return the favor."

I scoffed. "If you take our bond we'll both die."

"Hmmm, yes…well…there is that. Though, maybe not."

"What do you mean? You told me if one of us dies, so does the other," I accused, trying and failing to conceal the rising panic in my voice. I could feel my power roiling in my chest again, reacting to the threat, though I wasn't sure how it could help.

"Haven't you learned yet, Dearie that with magic there is almost always a loophole?" Gold grinned again, exceedingly pleased with himself. In that moment, he resembled the cartoon crocodile of Peter Pan almost too perfectly.

"It's a trick. Use your magic. Distract him and run," Killian directed.

"I'm not leaving you," I asserted. "Never again."

As if reading my thoughts Gold teased, "Tick tock…shall we do this the easy way or the hard way?"

I glared at him, remembering the last time he'd pressured me with that infamous phrase. Then, he'd led me under the guise of wanting to help save Killian's life. Now, he demanded I hand it over to him on a metaphorical platter.

"No," I said, my voice quiet but firm.

"If you dare touch even a single strand of her hair…" Killian threatened, jerking his body roughly in a futile attempt to break free.

Gold's eyes darkened even as his grin widened. "Perhaps I haven't made myself clear." With an all-too-easy flick of his wrist, he commanded a nearby branch to arc toward Killian's chest, the end of it pointed like a spear.

"Killian!" I cried. Fear lanced through our bond, both mine and his. I surged forward, but my feet felt glued to the ground. I choked on my breath, my head pounding in denial. Then, suddenly, the branch stopped; the sharp end pressed into the leather of Killian's coat. His breath expelled as his shoulders sagged.

Willing the branch to retreat though keeping it aimed at Killian's heart, Gold turned to me and said, "What will it be, Dearie?"

.

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A/N: And breathe…lol

Thank you for your continued support. Shout-out to Yettoseeyoufail for being such an outstanding sounding board. I can't believe it's almost over :*(

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