Chapter 2

What I'm not Ok with

Killian watched as anger slowly consumed Swan.

No, not slowly.

The second she heard her son in peril, she transformed from the lovable woman he'd gotten to know, to this rage filled creature. For the first time, he realized exactly who she was, he saw the darkness.

When he first met her, when he rescued her from the tower her mother had locked her up in, she was darkness, but she took care of him, she laughed at his timid-ness, bound his injury and poked fun at him. But now he saw something else, something void of the lustful sorceress, void of the way she grinned as she raided the liquor cabinet of the captain's ship.

Killian watched it consume her, snuff out her light within seconds.

The darkness burned so brightly, that he pulled away instinctively, feeling his wrist, the wrist she was holding, burn. The magic physically burned him.

In an instant he felt his terror, the terror of that first day return.

When he first found her, he had been a silly deckhand, one who had gone on an ill-advised rescue mission. He had been put up to it by Henry, Emma's 14 year old son. He had gone along with it in order to keep his life as long with get her help with his lifelong goal, to reach Neverland and rescue his trapped brother.

Unfortunately, due to some magic, Killian had realized that someone had locked away certain memories in his head, memories that were slowly returning. The main memory Killian had been realizing was hearing his brother, the man who raised him, had been given a deal, that the price for returning to his life of piracy, he'd need to trade the life of someone he valued. Liam had traded away Killian's life in his place, so when Killian turned 30 years old, he'd die.

He hated himself for this sudden fear of Emma. He hadn't been scared if her before, he knew that she wouldn't hurt him, but he couldn't help it. After spending 15 years tortured and terrified on a daily basis by his former captain, he couldn't help falling back into old patterns.

She would never hurt me on purpose. He told himself.

But the burn on his arm still stung, still reminded him of the tales he knew of her. For a moment he questioned his feelings. He feared that he was being blinded by them, that they were preventing him from seeing just how dangerous Emma could be.

But then Killian saw the man holding her son, knife at his throat, remembering a similar situation himself. He buried his emotions in an instant jumping in front, trying to diffuse the situation. It wouldn't help to have Emma kill the man, or risk harming Henry.

However, Emma didn't seem too welcoming to the idea. She tolerated it at first, but he could feel the dark magic that had burned his skin cause the pain to flare. It was like the burn was responding to her dark magic. Another hint to Emma's displeasure was when Emma decided to kill their attacker. She tossed him aside and out of her way, like he was a burden, like he was a nuisance.

It hurt, he has to admit. More than just physically. Killian didn't want to be a burden, he wanted his word to mean something. He rose to get back there, to say something to her, to stop her from doing something rash when he saw it, no more of a glimmer through the trees.

He saw an arrow shoot through the air to land in Emma's right shoulder. He forced himself to his feet, watching and praying that the darkness would fade as Emma returned and she realized how bloody reckless she was being.

"An arrow?" She questioned. "Who the hell just shot me with an arrow!" She roared, making her dark aura brighter as she tore the wooden weapon from her flesh, it caught fire in her hand, burning to nothing. He flinched.

"Sydney! What do you think you're doing?" Someone snapped venturing from the shadows. "Didn't I tell you not to confront the Dark One? To just watch and make sure she didn't see us as a threat?" It was a female voice, face shrouded by a cloak. "What part of that did you take to mean kidnap one of her followers?"

Emma laughed darkly.

"I take it you're the woman he's desperate enough to cross me in order to impress?" She sneered. She eyed the woman knowingly. "I don't see the big deal." She responded with a cruel smirk.

The figure straightened, latching another arrow in her bow. "Let the boy go Syd," She ordered, swinging around, much to their surprise, aim landing on her supposed ally. "Or the next one goes through your shoulder. You know I'll do it." She warned. From Killian's perspective, he was pretty sure the woman meant business.

Although what type of woman would cripple their own ally was beyond Killian.

He saw the man pale as his hold slackened before it eventually dropped and Henry bolted away to stand besides Emma, just far enough not to be hit by the black energy. He must already know how out of control she could be when angered.

Killian assumed he'd have to learn that too.

"I should kill you." She snarled as she turned from the man to the woman, with a swipe of her hand, they were both on the ground. "I should burn this whole forest to the ground." He stood venturing closer, watching as she looked very intent on committing cold blooded murder.

Her hands glowed brightly with black flames, eyes sparkling with twisted merriment

She was going to kill them.

That was something he was not ok with.

"Swan!" He called, grabbing her wrist and turning her around, ignoring the searing pain in his palm, hoping Swan didn't hear how his palm was hissing. "That's enough." He challenged. "We have places to go yes? Were we not in a rush?"

He knew better then to obviously stand against her, making it look like these strangers weren't worth it seemed like the better idea.

She pulled away, glaring hotly at him turning her back on them. She took a moment, meeting his eye evenly. "Did I ask you to speak deckhand?" She hissed, moving to grip his neck tightly. He kept his gaze level, barely flinching at the pain in his throat.

"He saved your lives robbers, I'd rather not waste my time with you or your cheery friends. But do not cross me again." She said, not bothering to look at them, eyes on him the entire time.

The woman nodded, revealing a bit of her dark hair as she went to get the man onto his feet.

"Of course Dark One, my apologies." She stuttered as they disappeared into the forest. He waited for them to be out of sight before pushing Emma's touch away. He touched the raw skin, not burned but reddened, rubbing it until the pain started to fade.

He watched her closely as she did, hoping that her darkness would fade, that things would go back to how they were, but then Emma turned to him, her anger now pointed right at him.

"How dare you question me in front of them!" She demanded. "Now they think that you are something to me, now they think that you can control me! That is something I am not ok with." She seethed. Killian watched as Henry stepped back, eyeing his mother nervously. He seemed familiar with this version of his mother.

He however was not, but that didn't stop him.

"You were going to kill them." He reminded her, refusing to back down for this, he'd let her have a lot from him, but killing was where Killian Jones drew the line. "And that is something I'm not ok with." He shot.

She took a breath, calming down a fraction. Emma understood that, she understood his refusal with ending a life. She had seen what it had turned him into after he killed Hans.

Hans had abducted Ingrid, Swan's sort of sister Elsa's aunt and during the struggle to rescue her, they had confronted a Jabberwocky, a demon that fed on a person's fears. It had turned its attention to Emma and he had killed Hans in order to get it to stop.

Killian had never killed anyone before. He still had nightmares about it, it had been only a few days ago after all. He started to close off, became angry and guilt ridden, it was only after he realized that he needed to live for Emma that he eventually got past it. At least, he got past it as much as anyone was capable of getting past stabbing another living being over and over again until they stopped breathing.

"Killian…" She sighed. "I'm the Dark One." She said as if he could forget. "A part of that, a big part of that power is my reputation. The fear, the chaos, I need it. It's what keeps me safe, keeps those important to me safe." She said cupping his cheek. He was thankful he could touch her again; thankful she seemed to be calming down.

"Swan-" but he didn't know what to say, he didn't know what his place in her life was to say or judge anything, to be angry with how she had just treated him. Thankfully he didn't need to.

"Ugg. Come on, let's go!" Henry whined. "We've wasted enough time!"

She turned her attention back to her boy, yelling at him for venturing too far away, and about the cut on his neck from where the man, Sid, had pressed the knife too deep. She wasted no time to heal the injury and make him promise not to worry her like that again. Henry just rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, turning away.

"You don't have to lose your temper like that." He snapped. "I'm not a little kid." Before he proceeded forward, and Emma just sighed in defeat. She turned to him with a smile, extending her hand.

"That kid," She sighed before looking at him. "Coming?" Killian nodded, taking hers with his right hand, keeping his burned palm and wrist safely hidden in his pocket.

"Of course Swan." They didn't need to talk about the darkness, not yet. He just wanted to enjoy the quiet moment. Wanted to hold her hand and just exist.

It didn't take long before the two stopped at a certain tree, marked with a star. Henry went to it, touching it gently before continuing forward.

Killian blinked as he vanished before his eyes. He approached the spot the boy once stood, looking around, but it appeared as if he had completely disappeared from view. He turned back to Swan, seeing how unconcerned she was.

"It's the illusion I placed on the house. You have to stay here." She told him cheerily, probably getting a real kick out of his confusion. "There is no point in adjusting the portal for you; it's useless now, so just get some firewood or something hmm? It'll get dark soon and Henry is exhausted." She explained softly. She reached up kissing him gently.

Even when he was mad at her, she was still a hell of a kisser.

"Ok." He replied. "I'll wait here."

She smiled then disappeared as well.

"We have all the time in the world." He muttered darkly. "Unless a monster comes and kills me or I turn 30 and the bloody demon child comes for my soul." Killian laughed as he said the words aloud. It seemed funnier that way.

He waited awhile, fire burning brightly. It gave him some time to think about Swan. He cared deeply for her, but he had to admit her being the Dark One hadn't meant anything to him before, but now, now he had some serious thinking to do.

"It's all a part of the manipulation." Elsa's words from days ago, the ice queen had been residing on the Jolly on the way home, she had watched much of their interaction, plus she knew Swan, knew her better than anyone. She thought that Emma didn't really care for him.

He had refuted the thoughts at the time, but now…

What if she was right? What if he was just here for her bloody entertainment? Killian had deep feelings for the lass, and believed firmly that she had them as well.

But the burn on his hand still pained him, it made him nervous. It made him doubtful.

"Excuse me?" Asked a voice. "You're the man that is traveling with the Dark One correct?" Asked a voice, he jumped reaching for his sword but then he felt a cold point in his neck. He recognized it easily as an arrow, so he dared not move a muscle.

"I don't know what you're talking about lass." He replied calmly. "I'm just a humble black smith." He lied.

"Sit." She ordered coldly, and he did so, feeling how the arrow did not move. "You saved me and my friend earlier." She said smoothly. "Don't try and deny it, I see where the Dark One burned your neck. I need information and you seem in the perfect position to give it."

Killian didn't respond right away, giving a sigh, trying not to look worried.

"You do know that if she catches you with a weapon by another of her servants, she will kill you and there will be nothing I can do about it." He added a chuckle. "Nothing I'd even want to do about it. I don't like to see her kill, but you and your people seem to be just asking for trouble"

She pressed the tip deeper, he hissed as he felt it break the skin.

"Is she working with her?" The woman snapped. "The Queen?"

Killian laughed at the thought. "She wants the Queen's head on a platter, lass, so I'd say no." All Emma had done so far was complain about the dreaded Queen. How she had ruined her own daughter for the purpose of power.

He could feel her frown at his attempt at humor. "What about the sorcerer?"

He shrugged. "I don't know that name, she's never mentioned it." He felt her relax a bit.

"Listen to me, you and the boy are in danger, magic is dangerous it's addictive, the longer you spend with her, the harder it'll be to get away." She said softly, almost as if she cared. "Where does she keep your heart? Do you know? Can you say?"

He moved his hand over his heart. "Sorry lass, I'm here by my own free will." He informed her. "As is the boy, if you'd like to rescue someone, how about a little information from you as well?"

The arrow pulled away a fraction, but she didn't reply. He could still feel its presence.

"The Queen's men were here maybe a month ago?"

Silence.

"We're tracking them at the moment, where did they go? Did your people notice anything odd about them?"

More silence.

"Come on lass? Do a man a favor? We're trying to find the boy's mother, nothing nefarious."

A sigh.

"She started to head towards her palace but then one of the carriages backed off and headed to the summer palace. There was magic, strong stuff from it. You should keep away, you seem like a good man so I don't know why you'd stay with her." Running, Killian turned around and saw empty space and heard her frantic footsteps.

There on the ground was an arrow with dark purple feathers. He took it and placed it in his bag.

He never knew when he might need it.

Not my favorite chapter ever, but necessary for summary to the new readers, and just refresher. I hope it wasn't too confusing.

Only a month left before 5B! So excited!

Guest Reviews:

andria: You'll be happy to see that this chapter addressed all your concerns. :)

~Luna