A/N: Should I continue with this story? What do you think? Leave me a comment or PM me; I will decide whether or not to continue around Chapter 25.

Anyway, this is the David chapter I've been working on and promising y'all. I put more work into this one than any other chapter I've written, so I hope it turned out well :)

David strode silently down the main street of Storybrooke. Most of the shops and businesses lining the street were closed, and very few people milled about. Ever since word had spread about Emma, Storybrooke had become somewhat of a ghost town. Everyone stayed inside and minded their own business. It seemed that Storybrooke in its entirety, every soul residing there, every street and house and shop, loved Emma. Proof of this could be found in the fact that the town now felt empty and desolate without her. It truly seemed that Emma had touched every Storybrooke resident in some way or another.

David was on his way to switch out with Hook. He, the pirate, Mary Margaret, and Regina had a rotating schedule of Emma Watch (since she had to stay outside of Storybrooke and wasn't doing well in the first place), and it was his turn. David was looking forward to seeing his daughter again, Dark One or not. No. 'Looking forward to' wasn't quite the right terminology for his emotions; David was ecstatic. He could hardly contain himself; a brilliant smile was threatening to take over his entire face.

David picked up the pace and moved his feet faster until he was almost sprinting. He absolutely could not wait to see his baby girl again.

It took David around ten minutes of running to reach the town line, but it was well worth it when he finally sighted his daughter in the distance. He crossed the town line and handed Hook the scroll that would allow him to reenter Storybrooke. "You are officially relieved of Emma Duty," David informed the pirate. He glanced down at his sleeping daughter. "Is she tired?" he asked.

Hook allowed David to help him up. "In a sense," he replied in his rich, Irish accent. "This whole 'Dark One' thing seems to be taking a lot out of her."

David placed his hands against his hips. "Even out here? She doesn't have her magic, though."

The pirate looked him straight in the eye. "Aye, mate, she does."

David was taken aback. "How do you know?"

"We chatted a little before she started getting tired. She even showed me a little bit of what she can do. Her magic's weaker outside of Storybrooke, though," Killian answered.

Noticing that Emma looked a little uncomfortable sleeping on the hard ground, Killian removed his jacket and folded it into a neat square. He bent down and gingerly lifted his love's head so he could place his makeshift pillow underneath her. Emma shifted slightly at the movement but did not wake up. "She's all yours," Hook said once he was finished, turning back to Charming.

"I'll take good care of her," Charming assured him, sensing the other man's worry. He loved that Hook had so much concern for his daughter. It indicated to him that Killian would be a good man, who would take good care of his baby girl.

Killian left then, throwing frequent glances back at Emma, as if he feared she would become injured in the time it took him to walk away. The image of her and her father became smaller and smaller every time he looked back.

Emma opened her green eyes about half an hour after Hook's departure. David had noticed once how every time he saw Emma, her eyes seemed to be a different shade of green. Currently, they were on the darker side, almost a cross between olive green and forest green.

Emma blinked to clear her vision and lifted her head from Hook's coat. "David?" she asked. "What are you doing here? Where's Hook?"

"I wanted to see you, Emma, believe it or not. And we decided someone should be with you constantly; it's my turn."

"Who? Who decided?" Emma was a little miffed that people thought she needed to be monitored like a small child.

Realizing his daughter was upset, David said, "Emma, we just didn't want you to be alone. Hook, Regina, your mother, and I are switching out to keep you company."

Emma's anger dissipated at this. "Oh." She propped herself up by her elbows but found the position to be uncomfortable because of the hard ground beneath her, so she opted for sitting crisscross-applesauce. David lowered himself down onto the ground beside her. He wanted to tell her how much he had missed her and how she had been nearly the only thing on his mind since she'd left, but David knew his daughter wasn't the emotional type. He wanted to ask her how she was holding up, too, both physically and emotionally, but she also wasn't one to answer questions about herself. He knew she would prefer it if he said nothing at all, even though he didn't prefer it. So David settled for a simple gesture that he knew would say all he wanted to, to Emma. He wrapped his arm both protectively and lovingly around her shoulders and reassuringly rubbed her arm up and down with his hand. I'm here always, it said. I love you, it said.

Somehow, David's touch left Emma feeling less pain than with the others. It wasn't that she loved him any less than them. No, that wasn't it. It was more like her trust, her faith, in him was stronger.

He was the only one she truly knew would not turn his back on her because she had become the new Dark One.

Emma leaned into David and rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Dad," she whispered into the night.

David pressed his lips to her silky hair. At that moment, he knew they would be able to pull Emma out of this. He didn't know how, but they would.