Thank you and welcome to all the new followers and commenters. To those of you who comment on each chapter – I can't thank you enough. Not sure when the next chapter will be up. My classes started again and homework is kicking my butt, in addition to work, and raising my kids. But I won't forget about you.

"The idea is to take him by surprise," Ruby said, digging in the drawer where her grandmother kept the spare keys to the guest rooms. "We don't let him know we're coming."

"Yes, because the fact that the three of us are about to ambush him won't draw any attention at all," Mary Margaret shot back in an uncharacteristically snarky voice. She leaned forward as though her eyes might spot the correct key faster than Ruby. "David and Graham already talked to him."

Both women shot quick looks at Killian, who had stood silent waiting on them to finish. Fear was evident on his face, but his lips were in a perfect straight line and his eyes hooded and hid some of the most abject signs. He had said he wanted to talk to Neal, question the man who had been a thorn in Emma's side for far too long. While Mary Margaret had felt it might be redundant, she had not come up with a better solution to track down mother and son.

It was nearly midnight when they had converged on the bed and breakfast, Killian and Mary Margaret frustrated by the lack of progress being made with other avenues. They had not tried too hard to convince Ruby to help them roust Neal out of his room and answer their questions.

Ruby lifted the key on the numbered ring triumphantly and led the trio up the back staircase toward the room at the end of the hall that had been rented by Neal and his fiancé. Yes, they admitted that David had already threatened and questioned Neal within an inch of his life, but none of them felt totally comfortable that the man knew nothing of Emma and Henry's whereabouts.

Killian's fists were clenched, but it was Ruby that pounded on the door, kicking it with the toe of her shoe for good measure. "Neal? Open up."

The room seemed too silent for a moment until there were thudding footsteps and through the shadows of the barely lit space his face emerged into sight through the now open door. He squinted not out of actual vision problems but as a way to discern which of them to speak to first. He settled on Ruby. "The cops have already been here," he told her flatly. "Didn't find a damn thing or a reason to believe I know anything about where Em or Henry are right now." His fingers curled around the edge of the door and his shoulder came to land on the door frame.

"Done?" Ruby asked, not truly acknowledging his statement. "Because I have questions." She pointed with her thumb at Killian and Mary Margaret. "We have questions."

"It's late," he said, not as much of an excuse but an observation. "Tamara's asleep."

"And you aren't concerned about your son's whereabouts?" Mary Margaret asked, taking a step toward him. She stopped, wrinkling her nose. "You're drinking."

"Not a crime," he countered. "And not unexpected after the day I have had…"

Killian felt the growl rise up out of him as he physically controlled himself from lunging at the man in front of him. He'd never before wanted to draw blood so badly. To see the red against the pallor of Neal's skin was becoming his sole desire. It was hardly poetic, but he felt that desire to harm the man bubbling up in him as though he might be ill, the acidic taste of it burning his throat. Neal's dull eyes turned toward him as though he could read his thoughts. Killian closed his eyes to block out the smirk, hoping it would calm him. "The day you've had," Killian repeated, pausing on each word. "She's bloody well missing with your son and you're complaining about being questioned."

Why Neal laughed, none of them would ever understand. However the sound of it was enough to send Killian forward. His balled fist and knuckles made contact with the unshaven cheek with a combination snap and crack that made Mary Margaret gasp and Ruby give a little grunt of approval.

"What the hell?" Neal asked, staggering back with his hand cradling the point of contact. "I don't know what the fuck she is or why she would run. I couldn't even pick my son out of a lineup, but you people think…"

"Neal?" Tamara's voice was confused from the darkness of the room. "Who's there?"

Lips parted and eyes flitting between the three of them, he spun on his shoeless heel and explained their presence to his fiancé. She appeared behind him, eyes wide as she carefully took them in and then sighed. "He didn't do anything," she said, despite the fact they hadn't asked her. "He's been here with me. We were…we were discussing how to talk to Regina about allowing Henry to come to the wedding. We wanted him there, if he wants."

Mary Margaret's face softened first. "I bet he would…" She stopped under the judgmental stare from Ruby. "That's not really possible unless we find them."

Neal was still staring defiantly at Killian, his voice steady as he repeated what he had told David earlier. "I am supposed to get to meet him this afternoon. I didn't even know that he was with Emma. It never came up in the conversation with Regina."

Ruby nodded, pulling out her phone to text someone without a real explanation. Mary Margaret's eyes turned toward Killian, half expecting him to apologize for throwing the punch. He didn't. Later he would explain that he'd wanted to do that since he had first heard what Neal had done to Emma. A decade ago or not, Killian felt the urge to defend her.

***AAA***

"Is this what it's going to be like from now on?" Hans asked, his arrogant nature shining through. He looked pointedly at Graham and waited for an apology of sorts. It didn't come.

"Have to admit that you would seem a likely suspect," Graham announced, folding one leg so that his ankle rested against the opposite knee. "You've set yourself up with a reputation. A woman goes missing and we will be looking at you."

"You don't seem to be in a rush to find her," Hans countered. It was a weak argument, but obviously the incoming sheriff's nonchalance bothered him. "Don't you worry that I or someone did something to her?"

Graham dusted his fingers over the cuff of his sleeve, tugging at a stray thread. "You're a natural suspect," he said, answering a question that had not been asked. "I think it should be obvious that we would at least ask you when anyone goes missing. How are we to know your motive?"

"I should call my lawyer," the man said, running a shaking hand through his hair. "You're accusing me…"

"I'm just asking if you know where the deputy who helped bust open your involvement with a kidnapping is right now."

Hans shifted in his seat. "I want my lawyer."

"Call him," Graham said, not moving from the seat. "This isn't an interrogation. I was just asking, but your uncooperative nature does give me a bit of pause." He'd picked up this attitude from Emma, who always seemed so in control and almost bored in her interrogations. She would lift her shoulders up to her ears and wave off the frayed nerves of the suspect. It usually got under their skin.

Hans pulled himself up to standing and left the room, hesitating twice before he did. Each time he looked to Graham who appeared to not even notice as he scrolled through his phone. There were messages from David that his father had not been cooperative and that Elsa was retracing Emma's steps from her home.

Graham: She can't have just vanished into thin air.

David: We'll find her. I'm going to grab Regina and head over to Mr. Gold.

Graham: He might know something that son of his didn't share.

David: Exactly.

Graham rearranged himself in his seat and waited on Hans to return, hoping that the man would agree to entertain the questions. He had been right, as there was no evidence to suggest he knew of Emma's whereabouts. The younger brother had not even mentioned Henry's disappearance, which was an indication he did not know any more than he was indicating. However, after the trouble he had caused with Anna and Kristoff's kidnapping, Graham was all too happy to make the man feel uncomfortable at least.

***AAA***

Killian slammed on the brakes of his jeep as the traffic light seemed to jump from green to red without warning, causing his passenger to throw her hands out toward the dash to brace herself for what seemed an unavoidable impact. The wheels spun wildly on the thin layer of ice that had formed. "Sorry," he muttered, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Her blinking eyes stared at him in horror before calming herself. "Just be careful. We can't find them if you get us in a wreck."

He nodded at the young teacher, apologizing again as he waited to be able to cross the intersection. The two of them had set out on this search only half an hour ago, ignoring David and Regina's orders to stick around and wait. It had seemed impossible to sit in what had felt like an oppressive heat from the fire in his fireplace that he had stoked out of nervousness. So when Mary Margaret suggested retracing her friend's steps, he had the keys in his hands and his jacket hanging off of him before anyone could talk them out of it.

There were no streetlights on the road as they left the city limits and headed along the rural route that Emma had likely taken. The only light other than the headlights was from Mary Margaret's phone that had cast an eerie glow on her skin. "David said that his father and Hans both have alibis. Regina and Robin have gone to the pawn shop with Ruby."

Killian's eyes were scanning the road ahead of him, looking for anything that might offer an explanation as to Emma's location. None of the theories made a bit of sense to him. He knew that Regina's fears that Emma had disappeared with her son were unfounded. It seemed equally unlikely that Spencer Nolan or Hans had done anything. If anyone was a likelier threat to them, it was David. Emma was just on the periphery. That left Neal, who according to Graham had not answered his phone calls. Ruby had informed them that he and Tamera had checked out soon after the meeting with Regina had concluded.

"I doubt that bloody wanker left a forwarding address with his estranged father," Killian said, angrily scanning the road again. Even concentrating as much as he was, he felt Mary Margaret's eyes studying his profile rather than the phone. "I apologize for my language."

Mary Margaret laughed solidly. "I am hardly a nun, Killian. I might not have chosen the vocabulary you did to express it, but he isn't my favorite person in the world right now. Or, well, ever." He might not have known the teacher that long, but that declaration was probably one of the strongest he'd heard from her. The fact that she had admitted it to him meant more to him than she could have guessed, as she was known for her ability to forgive. She seemed to look a bit more kindly on him. "How's your hand?"

"Sore," he admitted, flexing it quickly between steering gestures. "I was trying to be a bigger man there, but I failed."

"If you were one of my students, I'd tell you to use your words," she said with a practiced laugh. "I've told Emma that before. She's been known to punch a few people in the face too, but you're both right. Sometimes people just deserve it." She looked out the window toward the dim lights of what appeared to be a store that they were approaching. "We should stop and get you some ice for that hand."

"I don't want to stop unless we have a reason that will take us to Emma and her boy." His knuckles cracked as he gripped the wheel tighter. "They are the priority."

***AAA***

David grunted a reply to John as he dove into the records that he had procured about his father's whereabouts. The older Nolan had sworn he had nothing to do with Emma's disappearance, but he hardly evoked confidence in what he was saying. So that left the current sheriff to look for a loophole, a sign that the man had done something wrong. Unfortunately Spencer's story appeared to add up at the first glance of the phone records and the log of visitors marked by his security gate.

"Anything on Emma?" John asked. For a larger man, he was quite shy and quiet. His standoffishness was a combination of aloof and scared of interaction.

"Not a damn thing," David muttered to himself, translating the military time on the report to the more standard. "People don't just vanish into thin air."

"It would be a rare occurrence," John answered before clearing his throat. "Sidney called about two hours ago. Wanted to talk to you about the election and the issue with getting your name off the ballot."

The sheriff grimaced. "I don't have time for that."

"I told him as much, but you know how persuasive he is. Just call him back at some point?"

Raking a hand through his hair, David sat back and looked at the vaguely familiar number on the sheet in front of him. "Can you run a number for me? I think I may have found something."

***AAA***

Killian skidded a bit as he wheeled into the narrow parking lot entrance of the restaurant where Emma had called him from earlier that evening. Her car was not in the parking lot, but he knew that it was the best connection he could find for now. There were no other sightings of her or Henry, which meant that whatever had happened had occurred after she and Henry left this place.

Mary Margaret held the door open for him, earning a bemused look at her desire to care for other people. "I'm fine, you know?"

"Just being nice," she responded, before marching to the counter and asking to see the manager. Her dark hair was barely visible under the crocheted hat and her gloved hands were pulling at the knotted scarf around her neck. Killian had not dressed as warmly, the thinness of the leather and the sharpness of the bitter wind were not a good combination.

The manager was a wary looking man who wore part of the daily special on his chef's coat. "I already told the cops that she and the kid were here. They had pizza. She talked on the phone. The kid played video games. They asked about where they could get hot chocolate. And that's it. That's all I remember about them."

Mary Margaret's teacher voice dripped with sweetness. "That's all very helpful," she said with a smile. "Do you know what time they left? Or even what direction?" Her folded arms leaned on the counter as she stared wide eyed at the man. "Anything else you can tell us?"

"Nope," he said, popping the last part of the word. "I don't know a thing."

With a sigh that sounded more like a growl, Killian muttered under his breath, ignoring Mary Margaret for a moment. "Who was their server? Maybe he or she…"

"They were helped at the counter," the man said as if the answer was obvious. "We don't really do the whole service thing." He waved his arm to indicate the state of the restaurant. A few small groups gathered in booths. Customers walked in and placed an order at the counter where they paid and picked up their drinks too. They were called back up to pick up the pizza or other meal.

"And you don't remember anything else?" the teacher prodded. "I know it was probably very busy, but it's important that we find them."

The young brunette at the cash register cleared her throat. "She left her phone."

"What?" Killian and Mary Margaret asked at the same time. All eyes in the vicinity went to the cashier. She appeared nervous, stealing glances at the manager as she reached downward and pulled out the phone.

"I found it on the table when I went to clear it. She left it behind." She licked her lips carefully. "I was going to give it back, but I didn't realize…" She swallowed. "I didn't mean to…"

Without a word, the manager held his hand out to the girl with the palm up and his fingers wiggling to beckon her. She lowered her head as she placed the black phone into his waiting hand and muttered an apology. He half tossed it to Killian with a look that said he was going above and beyond to do that. A quick swipe of the screen revealed that there were dozens of messages from her friends, but most interestingly a message from Neal.

***AAA***

Regina's coifed hair and usually staggering beauty seemed worn and subdued as she walked out of the pawn shop with Robin at her left and Ruby heading into the parking area. She had been strong all day, fighting for her son and what she hoped was best for him. To have to fight for him when she didn't know where he was or if he was safe was something she had not been prepared for as she went through the day. She couldn't help thinking that she should have her son safe at home, fighting over his bed time and telling him that she would DVR what he wanted to watch instead of letting him stay up for it.

"That was a fat waste of time," Ruby muttered, her fists clenched and her breath making clouds in the cold night air. "I'm not feeling very optimistic. I think we've hit dead ends every place we've been to so far."

Robin nodded his head as he checked his phone again. "I realize that this is frustrating, but Emma and Henry are out there some place. John's been checking credit cards. They haven't used one and no hotels or motels on the route have seen anyone matching their descriptions. It's a cold night, ladies. We have to keep searching and find them."

Regina turned the heat up to full blast as the piled into the Mercedes she drove. Hot air blew back their hair and stole their breath. "I realize that nobody wants to talk about this, but Emma is my son's birth mother. Nobody seems to have taken her so that leads me to believe that Ms. Swan has taken my son on her own. She's hiding him from me."

Robin's hand scrambled for the phone that he almost lost to the darkness of the car, but it was Ruby who breathed in sharply, her head peeking between the seats. "You've got to be kidding," she said. "Emma wouldn't do that. She wouldn't hurt Henry by taking him away from everything he knows."

Regina's face appeared as though she had eaten something sour. "Your faith in your friend is admirable, but I don't share it. All I know is that my son is missing after I sent him off with that woman. Nobody seems to know where she is and that leads me to believe…"

"Regina," Robin said in a cross between soothing and warning. "Henry's fine and so is Emma. The fact that they haven't been found is worrisome, but…"

"What's next?" Regina barked impatiently. "I'm not in the mood for a pep talk. I want to find my son."

Certainly sympathetic to her plight, Robin punched on his phone. "Everyone's regrouping at Granny's. It will give us a chance to compare notes."

***AAA***

Elsa nodded at Ruby as the trio joined the others, the brief recognition from a night in a bar seemed so long ago at this point. Her almost white blonde hair was pulled over her shoulder as she sipped on ice water unlike the others who were burning their tongues with coffee and cocoa. David and Graham had taped a map of the surrounding area to the wall of the diner, unworried about customers intruding now that Granny had placed the closed sign in the window.

Killian and Mary Margaret had arrived not long after, reporting sullenly that they had seen no signs of Emma, Henry, or the car on their drive out of town and back. David had given a brief hug to his fiancé, but seemed unsurprised by her lack of new or relevant information.

"We're going to split the area into quadrants and go back out at sunrise," Graham told the group after a quick huddle with David. "They should be find wherever they are currently, but we don't want to risk them out another night in this cold. So at sunrise we hit the streets again. We'll bring them back." It wasn't much of a pep talk, but people didn't seem to be expecting one. Everyone, including Regina, seemed too on edge to bother with anything but nods and cursory glances at the map.

"Some of the other teachers said they'd help in the morning," Mary Margaret reported. "We're calling off classes so people can search." The news was met with a brief bit of murmuring about how nice that gesture seemed to be at the time.

"Same with the staff here," Granny reported, running a rag over the counter. "I'll provide meals for the search teams, but my wait staff and others are getting paid to search tomorrow. No excuses."

Ruby gave a tentative but proud smile to her grandmother, peering down at her phone to read a text from her former roommate Belle French-Gold. The quiet and intelligent woman apologized for her husband's callousness toward the situation and promised that she would help too. Ruby reported this to the group.

"We want to help," a less familiar announced from the entrance to the hallway. Everyone managed to turn and find Tamera standing there. She was dressed in a simple pair of jeans with a long flannel shirt most assumed belong to Neal hanging off of her. A black vest complimented the outfit. Her hair was flattened straight and hung about her like a cloak.

Killian was the first to notice a sheepish but complying Neal behind her. His left hand was shoved into his pocket and his right arm was wound around his fiancé's waist. Without bothering to make eye contact with anyone, he waited like he wanted to be welcomed and greeted. "I thought you didn't know where they were," Killian said harshly. "Was that a lie?"

Tamara looked to Neal, her eyes persuasive. "Tell them what you told me."

"Emma's cell phone," he said with a shrug of his shoulders that barely lifted them. "I have sort of been tracking her after I found out about Henry. I wasn't stalking her. I just wanted to see my son. So I thought maybe if I could find her then I would get that chance."

Killian's face went pale, the weight of the phone in his pocket feeling even heavier. He could not stop himself from lurching forward, his hand connecting with the other man's defiant jaw again. This time there were no gasps, as even David's love of the law could not find fault with the anger bubbling inside. He did not approach until Neal was doubled over and clutching the already swollen side of his face and Killian was giving his unfurled fist a good shake. David stood between the two men in a halfhearted attempt to hold them each back from the other.

"I can try and track her down," Neal said as though he was doing some huge favor. "It'll just take a minute." With one hand on his jaw, he attempted to right his phone.

"Fat lot of good it will do you," David said pointblank. "Emma doesn't have her phone with her. It's here."

Killian's eyes shut, unable to discern between his fear of what this man had done or the fact that they were again hitting a dead end. His own hand dug into his pocket to touch the cold phone that had been Emma's lifeline. Had she realized she had left it? Did she try to go back for it? What had stopped her?

Regina's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Can you do that with just any phone?" she asked, waving her hand as if to demonstrate what she meant. "Can you do that with my son's phone?"

Robin took a step toward Regina. "I thought you had decided to have him wait for a phone. You told him that he was too young."

A strange look came over the mayor as she folded her arms over her abdomen. "He's good at persuading me if he really wants something. I got it for safety reasons. He's supposed to leave it off unless he needs to reach me." Many of those in attendance might have been amused by the mayor's uncharacteristically flustered state, but tensions were high enough with the missing mother and son. She turned her attention back to the sulking Neal. "Can you track him with his phone? Even if it is off?"

"I think so," he said, not very convincingly. "I've never tried it."