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Chapter 17
Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest
Killian followed Rumplestiltskin into the library and sat down, exhausted. He had not slept for three days and he would not sleep until they had found Rose, but exhaustion was starting to take its toll on him. And he missed Rose dearly.
After being rejected by Emma, Killian had lost hope. It wasn't as if the thing with Emma had been anything but a simple dalliance, but it still hurt him to realize that once again he had lost his chance at finding a place where he belonged. And, like a man, he retreated back to what he knew- coasting the sea on the Jolly Roger with his crew.
And then they pulled Rose up onto the boat. At the time he had more distracted by the fact that a girl that was not a mermaid was in the middle of the ocean, but after, once they had warmed her and fed her, he was struck by an instant liking to the girl. She was funny and witty, and not at all afraid to respond to his flirting in kind.
It was no surprise to him that he had fallen in love with her. He had always liked people who could challenge him, and she was no different. And the feelings he felt for her were all encompassing. They left no space for thoughts of hatred and vengeance. They made him feel like a man again. And although he had loved Milah, it was nowhere near what he felt for Rose. With Milah it had been simple love, but with Rose it was True Love. And though he had never believed in it before, it was hard for even the most stubborn man to refuse to believe what was right in front of him.
A new memory flittered through his thoughts, this time of Rose unclipping his hook deftly and demanding that he behave. A smirk worked its way onto his face. There was something entirely enchanting and attractive about Rose when she took off his hook.
"You better behave yourself," Rumplestiltskin snarled at him from across the room. Killian opened his eyes and smiled, easily reading the venom as a bluff. He knew that Rumplestiltskin most likely hated him, truly and deeply, but he also knew that he would do nothing that would harm his daughter. For all his flaws, the man truly would do anything for his children.
"Your daughter started it," Killian pointed out, proud of his fiancé.
"Yes, but we all know that I can't control my daughter, while to some extent I can still control you." Rumplestiltskin reminded him. Killian tilted his head, conceding the point.
Another snippet of a new memory arouse, this time of Rose basically threatening the universe should it seek to hurt him. His heart panged and he raised an absent hand to rub at his chest, getting to his feet.
"Where should I begin looking?" He asked. Rumplestiltskin pointed at a pile of books.
"Those should hold the answer we are looking for," He said, without looking up from the book his eyes were scanning quickly. Killian walked to the pile and lifted up a heavy book, settling it in his lap.
And when Belle came back from putting the children to bed, she found two men who would have gladly killed each other both sitting in companionable silence as they searched for a way to bring back the girl that meant the world to them.