Chapter Title: A Visit with The Dark One

Title: lessons

AUTHOR: obisgirl
Rating: nc-17
Characters: Killian/Emma

Summary: Fairytale land – AU. Emma is a princess on the verge of becoming a woman but wants more out of life than what her parents can give her, so she makes a wish to be swept away which translates into being kidnapped and sold at a slave auction to one Captain Killian Jones.

A/N: The Evil Queen's curse never happened.

Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time characters are property of Disney and Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis. This fanfic is for pure entertainment.

Killian doesn't wish to upset Emma with his plan but he needs to tell her, so maybe he can understand why these things happened. He pulls away from her, staring into her eyes. "Emma," he breathes, "We need to see Rumpelstiltskin,"

See the Dark One? She immediately recoils from him. "Rumpelstiltskin is evil and not be trusted," she cries. "Why do we need to see him?"

If Killian believed that they could find answers another way, he would not even suggest this but he's the most powerful being in all the land. He knows the past, present and future. If anyone can make sense of what happened, it's him. "Emma, my ship was almost destroyed by a magical storm and you were almost murdered by a witch," he reasons, looking at her. "Please love, we are in desperate need for answers about why these things took place,"

Emma is still reluctant to consider this option. Her parents have always told her that Rumpelstiltskin is dangerous.

Killian sighs, reaching out to her. "Emma, please, we – I need to understand what's going on," he pleads. "Aren't you curious about why this happened eighteen years after your birth?"

"Of course I am," she retorts, "but that doesn't mean I'm letting it bother me. The witch is dead and I'm safe with you. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"I wish it was but these are no ordinary circumstances," Killian muses, "Please love?"

Emma shakes her head, still reluctant but she knows that he is right. They need answers and Rumpelstiltskin is the only one who can provide them. "We will be safe, Emma, I promise," he adds, "I will not let harm come to you,"

"I wish I could say that we don't need to see Rumpelstiltskin, but he must know something about why the past is coming back to haunt me eighteen years after the fact," she reasons, looking wearily at him. Emma grabs his hand, entwining her fingers with his and squeezes tight.

"You know where to find him, don't you?" he wonders.

"I do," she admits, kissing his hand, "but we have to be careful,"

Killian knows Emma is still uncomfortable with the plan to find Rumpelstiltskin. He is the Dark One after all, a strange and unusual creature who – according to legend – cannot be killed. He is as old as time and wields a power greater than the original power Reul Ghorm.

He understands why Emma is still nervous about seeking him out but they need answers.

Killian sighs, watching her watch the sea from afar. The air's become a little thicker, a mist building around them but no storm, not like before. She provided him with coordinates to follow (which he did), but the closer they get, the more Killian is worried.

Because he didn't think of all the places where to find him, his location would be underneath Snow White's and Prince Charming's castle. He did intend to bring Emma home but somehow, Killian thought that Rumpelstiltskin was elsewhere.

"Why here?" he asks, coming up to her.

"There's a cell underneath the castle, its bars are enchanted and it paralyzes his magic so he can't use it," she reasons, turning to him. "My father caught him after he called in a deal with Cinderella,"

Killian wraps his arms around her. "We will be safe, Emma," he reassures her.

"This is not a good idea," she reasons, "There's a reason why he's locked up, Killian,"

"And there's a reason why only he can provide us with the answers we seek," he muses.

"I know,"

Killian doesn't say anything as he gives Emma her cloak, putting on his own as The Jolly Roger docks a safe distance away from the castle. He orders his crew not to stay in once place, sailing around to keep them from being spotted before leaving with Emma. The air feels damp around the castle and even colder as they find a hidden passage to the underground dungeon.

His hand finds Emma's, holding onto it as they creep through the dwarf mines. It does surprise him that even though the Rumpelstiltskin is the most feared man in the land, the mines are not very well guarded. In fact, there aren't guards anywhere.

"Have you been down here before?" he asks her.

Emma smiles at him. "I haven't but I know how to bypass security in my own castle," she reasons, closing in on Rumpelstiltskin's jail cell. Emma turns back to Killian suddenly "Are you sure about this? We can turn around and leave,"

He looks at her seriously and she relents, walking towards the cell; Killian trailing cautiously behind her.

"Hello," the devil whispers and Emma freezes, looking at the cell as Rumpelstiltskin moves from where he is, coming up to the bars. "Isn't this a familiar scene?"

"You know why we're here?" she asks.

"You want to know why the witch attacked you, eighteen years after your birth,"

Rumpelstiltskin laughs, bowing slightly. "I'll answer your question but first, you must step into the light, and take off those ridiculous robes," he insists.

Emma glances at Killian before she pulls off her hood and he does the same.

"Ah, ha-ha ha... that's much better," the devil continues.

"Tell us what you know," Emma pleads, stepping closer to the bars.

Rumpelstiltskin grins and Killian grips Emma's arm. "Ohh! Tense, aren't we? Fear not: for I can ease your mind!" he soothes, holding up a finger, "But it's gonna cost you something in return,"

Killian doesn't like where this is going but he can't turn back now. This was his idea and he can see Emma is enthralled with knowing the truth. "What do you want?" she counters.

"Pardon from Snow White and Prince Charming," the devil muses, "They've kept me down here for eighteen years, deprived of my magic which I need to get back the one thing I love the most: my boy,"

Killian looks at the imp skeptically, wondering how any woman could even fathom giving herself to a monster.

"You have a son?"

Rumpelstiltskin glares at him. "I wasn't always like this," he continues, "I was a man once and I had a son until

I lost him. I needed magic to protect him from the Ogre wars. Do we have a deal, missy?"

"How do you know I'm even in the position to make such a deal?" Emma wonders.

He smiles at her. "Have you looked around lately? I don't get too many visitors down here and you two are the

first I've seen in eighteen years. I offered you a deal and I expect my deals to be honored," he reasons, "Now, do we have a deal?"

"Deal," Emma agrees, "What do you know?"

"History isn't what it's supposed to be," Rumpelstiltskin starts, "Eighteen years ago, before Snow White conceived, history was supposed to go a different way,"

"I don't understand," Emma interrupts.

"I had created a Dark Curse that I needed the Evil Queen to enact, a curse that would bring me to a land without magic. But it's purpose was two-fold; it's other purpose was to punish your mother, her true love and everyone else she holds dear, forcing them to live eternity, trapped in time and their memories erased," he reveals. "But something happened and time was altered. The Evil Queen ate the poisonous apple, condemning herself to a sleeping curse no one can awake her from. Snow White and Prince Charming married, took back the kingdom and had a baby girl, a special girl, who would have been our savior; the one to break the Queen's curse in the new land,"

Killian glances at Emma, trying to imagine her as a savior and then looks back at Rumpelstiltskin.

"But we weren't attacked by the Evil Queen," Emma reasons.

"But you were attacked by someone with intimate knowledge of what the future should have been; a very powerful seer,"

Emma shakes her head. "But why correct time now?" she cries.

"Because time always corrects itself, one way or another," Rumpelstiltskin counters, "It's destiny, fate,"

Emma steps away from the cell and looks between Killian and Rumpelstiltskin. "And now? Is it over? Is destiny satisfied?" she wonders.

Rumpelstiltskin shrugs. "That is yet to be seen," he muses.

"And what about me?" Killian asks, "What was my life supposed to have been?"

The imp turns to him, resting his head against the bars. "Your destiny was to be entwined with mine," he says wistfully, "Epic rivals, not for magic or power but vengeance. Your hatred of me would drive you to find a way to do the unthinkable,"

"And what would that be?"

"Kill me," he reasons.

"But why would I want to kill you, other than to rid this land of an evil imp? I'm not a hero," Killian muses.

Rumpelstiltskin smiles at him. "I didn't say that you were a hero," he quips, pointing to his right hand. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and a hand for a hand,"

Killian looks down at his hand and then back at him. "Take my hand?" he cries.

"The way I see it, we had very good reason to hate each other," Rumpelstiltskin continues, "You took something from me and I took something for you,"

"I think we've heard enough," Emma interrupts, pulling him away from the cell.

"Remember our deal, dearie? I want my pardon from Snow White and Prince Charming," he reminds her.

tbc