A/N: Thank you to all who have followed and favorited this story. It is very much appreciated. Also, a huge thank you to Steph-the-fangirl-925, my beta, who has done a wonderful job with this story. She also has a YouTube channel, Just4FunVids925, be sure to check out all her great videos, you won't be disappointed.

Disclaimer: I do not own the major characters within this story. They belong to the franchise of Once Upon A Time.

Chapter 13:

"Robin, are you in there?" Emma knocked on his door. She never had a chance to talk to him about what he discussed with Killian the other night and it bothered her because she really wanted to know what Killian had said.

The last time they spoke, she and Robin had gotten into a huge argument when she suggested he head back to Storybrooke. He wouldn't hear one word of her arguments, insisting he wasn't going anywhere without her and Killian. Robin question her ability to return to her family. Emma had her reservations about her return as well, but she hated her sense of guilt from dragging Robin from his own family. In the end they parted ways agreeing to disagree, leaving their situation in the current status quo it had been in for months.

"He left early this morning."

Emma whipped around to discover Killian standing behind her. "You scared me."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "The feeling is completely mutual."

She gave him a questioning stare. "I haven't…"

"You have."

Emma shook her head. "Now I'm confused."

"Robin told me yesterday that you wanted to send him home. Why?"

"He's been away from his son for two months."

"As have you." Killian gestured in her direction.

"Henry has Regina and my parents." Emma paused and gave a small mirthless laugh. "I almost said and his other grandparents."

"What happened to his other grandparents?"

"It's kind of a long story." Emma hesitated.

"I've all the time in the world."

"Unless another monster comes and tries to kill you." Emma laughed.

Now it was his turn to look confused. "What have you heard?"

Emma stopped laughing and reached out to grasp his arm. They both looked down to where their bodies were connected. Finally, Emma looked up at him, but his eyes were still trained on her hand on his arm. "Killian? What happened?"

He reluctantly raised his eyes to her. "Nothing."

"Killian," she reprimanded softly. "You can tell me anything."

"Let's walk." With his free arm he gestured that they should walk.

Emma nodded and released his arm. He guided her from the house with his hand on her lower back. They walked for a few blocks before Killian began to talk. "Remember the night that I tried to return the necklace?"

"Yes."

"The day before, Father Bastian and I lost a young woman to the devil."

"How do you know that?" she inquired curiously.

"We saw it happen. The demon had taken complete possession of her body. It was he who made her jump from the ledge of the building we stood on. He was the one who gave me the necklace." Killian shook his head. "No, he didn't give it to me. He taunted me with it, swearing my dark side would win out."

Emma stopped abruptly and pulled him up short with her. People walked around them but neither really noticed. "I don't care what it said, Killian. You're not that person anymore."

"But I was. That's what you're saying aren't you? I was."

"I don't know, not for sure. Yes, you tried to kill Gold but he tried to kill you first. And, yes, you shot Belle, which I still can't believe you did, but you believed it would hurt Gold as much as you were hurt by him. If you wanted to kill her, I believe you could have. However, you're not a person who would kill someone for no reason and that's why you didn't."

"I shot Belle?" Killian's voice was laced with anguish.

"You remember her?" Emma gazed up at him trying to judge his reaction.

"No. I wish I could." Killian shook his head remorsefully. "Robin told me some of what happened around Storybrooke. He never mentioned all of what you just told me."

"He wasn't there when it happened."

"But you were."

Emma nodded. "Yes. I was. You attacked Gold in New York when I was there helping Gold search for his son."

"Baelfire."

Emma's eyes lit up. "You remember Neal?"

Killian shook his head confused. "Who's Neal?"

"Baelfire. Henry's father."

"He's Henry's father?" Killian exploded. People around them turned to stare at the two of them.

"Yes." Emma took his arm so they could begin to walk again, avoiding the censure of the people around them.

"I remember him. He was a young lad that I had grown to love much as I would have my own son. He was Milah's child. Which makes me question how you could have become involved with him. He'd be naught but a teenager still."

"No. Henry's almost a teenager. Neal was anything but."

Killian shook his head. "What you're saying is impossible. I only saw him but a few years ago."

"Before recently, it was closer to a hundred."

This time it was Killian who pulled them both to a sudden stop. "What you speak of is blasphemous. No one can live as long as you speak and still be of an age to have children or be like…"

Emma stared at him questioning. "Be like what, Killian?"

"Be like me," he said hesitantly, waving at himself. "If what you are saying is true, I have to be…"

"At least a couple of centuries old by my calculation."

"Centuries?"

"Yes, Methuselah. You're ancient," Emma teased with a gently laugh.

He glared at her and stepped back. "And you're crazy."

Emma felt her jaw drop open. All this time that they had been talking she had hoped that he was coming around to believing. Not just in who he was but in her. Instead she watched him walk away from her, disappearing into the crowd of people who had once surrounded them.

She suddenly understood the despair that August must have felt as he slowly turned to wood. He hadn't been able to convince her of the truth because life had hardened her to hope and love. Now she was on the receiving end of having both of them thrown back in her face.

Killian didn't want to accept the truth, at least not from her. Yet, it seemed that Killian and Robin's relationship had only grown stronger. Two men who had hardly any interaction in either of their previous lives, whether inside the Enchanted Forest or in Storybrooke. Emma knew in that moment she had been too hasty in thinking to send Robin back home. He might just be the lifeline she needed to convince Killian to return to the man he once was.

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Killian had no idea where he was going. He had stormed off away from Emma after her confession of his age. It was one thing to hear you are some sort of storybook character, which was crazy enough in its own right. It was another thing to discover a woman he was attracted to might be hundreds of years younger than himself.

Not that he should be attracted to Emma. There was a pull, though, that seemed to have more strength of will then he did. God's hand in their meeting was strong. And despite Signora Assante's words, he couldn't see himself turning his back on his faith to have carnal relations with the sexy blonde who haunted his thoughts.

As he walked, he could hear the demon's voice torturing him from the mouths of people passing him. Liar. Sinner. Villain. Unholy. Over and over the words poured over him. Covering his ears, he raced down the street. Only the words now permeated his brain, pounding through his head and torturing him.

Coming upon an empty alleyway, he tried to hide but the voices wouldn't stop. Killian slid down the wall, wrapping his arms around his head. He resolved his lot in life was to suffer from delusions and temptation for his sins.

Killian began to pray. For forgiveness. For salvation. For release from the torment. God's will must have been stronger than the will of the devil that day because Father Bastian, who normally did not travel through this part of the city, found him an hour later, still crying and begging for mercy. The older man aided Killian's weakened body to his feet and then guided him back to the Father's house.

After feeding him, Father Bastian made up a room for Killian and insisted that he sleep. Glancing around the cross and saint decorated room, Killian began to finally feel peace. His eyes slid closed and exhaustion claimed him.

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Robin had been in search of Emma for the past hour. He finally discovered the blonde Savior sitting on the floor of Signora Assante's parlor, staring up at the woman with a likeness that was almost uncanny in nature.

"Have you been here this whole time?"

Emma glanced up at him and swiped some tears away before she sat up straighter. "For the last half hour or so. Figured if I sat here long enough maybe she'd share some of her secrets."

"You do realize it is nothing more than a painting," he said sardonically.

"I'm well aware but I'm not getting anywhere otherwise, so how could it hurt." Emma shrugged.

Robin slid down and sat next to her resting his back alongside her on the settee. "What happened?"

"We were talking…"

"You and Killian?"

Emma nodded. "He seemed fine. Almost accepting of what we were discussing. Then, I teased him about being a couple of centuries old. Nothing I haven't done before."

"Before he forgot who he was," Robin interjected.

Emma nodded again and sniffed as if holding back her tears. "Then he ran off. He called me crazy."

"That must have hurt. He's always been one of your biggest supporters." Robin reached out and tentatively held Emma's hand, which rested on her knee. "He still is. That's why he keeps coming back to you. It's his subconscious knowing that he can trust you."

"I don't know. At times it just seems so hopeless. Killian doesn't seem to want to remember."

Robin didn't know how to make her feel better, that was usually Killian's job. Instead, Robin decided to change the subject. "They found August last night."

Emma turned quickly toward him, her hand jerking out of his own. "August? Not Pinocchio?"

"Yes." Robin nodded and folded his arms across his own raised knees. "Apparently Gold transformed him back so he could question him about the author. Regina admitted to me last night that she's been in cahoots with the rest of Gold's cohorts to discover their plans."

"That's dangerous."

"I know. I asked her to be careful. Your parents know of the plan and she checks in with them on occasion."

Emma's eyes widened as if in shock. "My parents know? I just spoke with them last night and they said nothing. They didn't even mention about August."

Robin watched an agitated Emma push herself from the floor and brush herself off. "I'm sure they meant to," he told her.

Emma glared down at him. "They had every opportunity to do so and they said nothing."

"Maybe they hadn't found August yet when you talked to them." Robin stood and continued to watch Emma warily.

"What about an hour ago? We sent text messages to each other as I was checking in on Henry. And not once…" Emma bit her tongue. She didn't need to discuss this with Robin. She needed to talk to her parents who were apparently hiding things from her. "I need to go."

Emma brushed past Robin and stalked to her room where she had left her cell phone. She needed to have a very frank discussion with her parents. For the past couple of weeks Emma had gotten the sense that they had been lying to her but she had dismissed it. They had never lied to her before. Ever since Killian had been cursed and the Queens of Darkness had arrived in town, Mary-Margaret and David had been acting strange. Emma was determined, now that she knew more of what was happening in Storybrooke, to find out exactly all of what the two of them were hiding from her.