She didn't remember falling asleep on the way back to wherever they were going. All Emma knew when she woke up was that she was on a very comfortable bed in a white room with bright fluorescent lights. She sat up in the bed and looked around the room. It was pretty plain with only the white walls, the lights on the ceiling, and the hospital equipment next to the bed. There was an IV in her hand and a sharp pain in her sides. She figured that her ribs were either cracked or broken, but she certainly wasn't going to get up to find someone who probably knew what was going on. All she wanted was to go home and snuggle up in her bed, binge watch some TV show while drinking a mug of hot chocolate with cinnamon on top, and eating a grilled cheese with some onion rings.
She still didn't know what day it was or where she was. She wasn't sure if she was even safe where she was at. Her head throbbed and her sides burned with every breath. She couldn't understand what had made her the target for a kidnapping anyway. But, she knew that she had a lot of questions. That much was obvious. She wanted to know about the men that had saved her. Who the guy was that kidnapped her. How the men knew that she was there. Why they had risked their lives. She wanted to know how they knew her. She wanted to know where she was at. But most importantly, she wanted to know if she was free. If she was going to have to be in debt to the men that had saved her life for the rest of her life, then that would probably be worse than anything in the world.
She leaned back against the pillows and looked around the room some more, trying to calm herself down. As she rested some more, she found her eyelids getting heavier. While in the basement, the days dragged on. She barely slept and barely ate in fear of being poisoned. But, the times that she had managed to drift off to sleep, she found herself plagued with nightmares about what the man had in store for her. What he was going to do to her. She figured that this time wouldn't be any different. Emma couldn't fight sleep this time though. While being in a comfortable bed for the first time in what felt like forever to her, she couldn't ignore the calls that sleep kept sending her.
Later, after she woke up again, voices filled the room. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked against the harsh light, accidentally letting out a grunt of pain as she moved around. The lights were suddenly dimmed and she could open her eyes without any discomfort. "Emma, can you hear me?" A female voice asked.
The blonde looked over to see a brunette wearing a red blouse and black jeans looking down at her. "Where am I? Who are you? What do you want from me?" She couldn't help the questions that sputtered out of her mouth.
"Relax, Emma. My name is Ruby and that man there," she pointed to a man wearing a lab coat. He looked up from the clipboard and waved. "Is Victor Whale. He is the doctor who is treating you."
"Where am I?" Emma asked, darting her eyes around the room.
"Safe," Ruby quickly replied. "I will get Killian in here and he can talk with you more."
"Who's that? I want answers!" She yelled, becoming frustrated. A fast beeping sound filled the room. It took a moment to realize that it was her heart rate that was making the noise because of it being monitored.
"You will get them," Ruby assured in a calm voice. "I will go get Killian." The brunette left the room without another word.
It was only a few minutes that the woman was gone, but she soon returned with the man who had untied her back in the basement. Killian definitely was a name that suited him. He pulled up a leather chair and sat down, then waved his hand. The doctor and the woman both stopped what they were doing and left the room. The unmistakable sound of a lock clicking was heard, and Emma felt fear strike her. She heard on the monitor how her heartbeat picked up again at the fear of being alone.
"Relax," he murmured in a British, almost Irish accent. "I won't hurt you."
"How do I know that?"
"Because if I was going to, I already would have."
"Unless you are trying to get me to trust you and when I least expect it, you will kill me or something." Okay, she had to admit that, that was a little far-fetched, but could you really blame her?
He chuckled, "you've been hurt before. But, I can assure you that all I want is your safety. Now, I know that you probably have some questions."
"Some? Try a whole lot."
"I will start with the obvious. Your medical health. You are dehydrated so you will need to get some food and water in you. You have cracked two ribs and have a minor concussion. For the most part though, you will be fine."
"Who are you? Who were those men of yours that were with you when you rescued me? Do you know who it was that kidnapped me?"
"My name is Killian Jones, darling. I am the leader of a gang called Defiance. We seek justice for the victims that police aren't allowed to get against a criminal. Those men that were with me are David Nolan and Graham Humbert. They are also in my gang. The man that kidnapped you went by the name of Walsh Oz. He also was a member of my gang."
"Then why did you blow up his house?"
"Technically it was my house. It was one of our safe houses. We have them all over New York with each member living in one in case we need them in a crisis. To be a part of Defiance, you must follow the rules. We are a gang seeking justice, not vengeance. Yes, we may kill and torture from time to time, but it is always against the guilty. Never an innocent. You were an innocent that got caught in the crossfire. My men have been working on the clock to find you. Once we had, all we had to do was punish Walsh and then we were done."
"So what happens to me now?"
"Now, you have two options. One, join the gang and become a member, or we take you back to your apartment and you will never hear from any of us again."
"How are you so sure that I won't take what I know to the police?"
"Because, my dear Swan, the police already know about us. Your information to them would be useless. They don't know where we are or how to find us. Neither do you."
"What happens if I join you?"
"You get initiated and I will assign you a place to be in after we have evaluated you. You can either be put behind the scenes in planning, computer tracking, medical science, or a household maid. But, if you impress us, you get brought out to the field and brought along on missions. You still get access to the outside world and will interact with people, but you would be living with us- wherever we decide to put you. You would abandon your old life and never go back to it. Your home would be here."
"Who is this 'we' thing?" Emma asked, adjusting the controls of the bed so she was in more of a sitting position than she was lying down.
"We is the group. It would be me. We is just a more friendly term. Like room is a nicer word for prison cell."
Emma let out a weak laugh, "I'm not so sure that's the same thing." She looked back up at him and saw how he was biting back a smile. "What if I want to leave the group?"
"There is no leaving," Killian replied in a cold tone. "Leaving results in death."
"Encouraging," she mumbled sarcastically. "Can I have some time to think about it?"
"Of course. I will give you until dusk tomorrow." He stood up and pushed the chair back to the corner of the room. "Any more questions?"
"Just one, actually. How long was I in that basement?"
"About two weeks. If there was anything that happened that you are concerned about, bring it to mine, Dr. Whale's, or Ruby's attention. We are here to help, Emma. Not to harm you." He grabbed her left hand and brought it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "If you need me, just tell someone and I will be on my way. If anyone gives you trouble, please tell Ruby and she will alert me."
"Okay," Emma squeaked. She had no idea where her confidence had gone. Killian was a handsome man. That she couldn't deny. It was enough to sit so close to him and have a conversation with him, and another for him to kiss her hand. His stubble scratching at her skin making her wonder what it felt like in other places on her body. Her cheeks warmed instantly at those kinds of thoughts and she quickly shoved them out of her mind.
"I will see you soon enough, love," he whispered, giving her a single wink as he left the room.
As soon as the doors closed, Emma found that she was conflicted because of her choice. She could either go back to her normal life, or she could become a member of Defiance and give up her old life. It wouldn't really matter if she left her old life. She had no friends, a crappy apartment, and a crappy car. But, with her job, she was doing what she had always done best. Finding people. The only people that she couldn't find were her parents, but that was besides the point. She was helping people. But, if she joined Defiance, there was a chance that she could be finding the bad guys. Even worse than her old bail jumpers. Those people were just people who couldn't pay up. But, if she joined the group, then she could be finding people who had killed, robbed, or hurt other people. But, then again, if she joined, there was no option of leaving. She would be giving up a part of her freedom. It was that thought that kept her going. Maybe if she joined, then she could be making a difference. Even if she had one hand on the wheel, she could still steer. It couldn't be that bad if Killian had people in his group.
With a big sigh, Emma adjusted the bed until she was laying down again. Victor came back into the room and drew some blood and added medicine to her IV. Ruby came in with a bowl of chicken noodle soup, some crackers, and some water. Victor gave her two pills that would help her pain before they both left the room. Emma ate and swallowed the pills. As they took their affect, Emma knew that she would have to make her decision, but she still had time. It was that final thought that put her at ease before settling into another deep sleep.
"Fish," Emma said, loving the way Ruby groaned in annoyance.
"Damn! How come you keep beating me? I have fished the last three turns and you keep making the books over there!"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just really good at this game," the blonde laughed. "Ruby? Can I ask you a question?"
"I believe you just did." The brunette laughed and nudge Emma's arm. "I'm just kidding. What is it?"
"What do you do here?"
"Lots of things really. Sometimes I help Victor out here and sometimes I go out and help track people with Killian and his guys."
"Do you like it here?"
"Oh absolutely! I have so many friends here. Killian took me in when I was only sixteen. My boyfriend had just been shot and my parents and grandmother were dead. I was on my own with no knowledge about the world. I have been here with them since. I owe Killian my life."
"He gave me a choice. He said that I could either go back to my old life, or I could make a new one here. I'm just scared that there will be this rule that needs to be followed and I don't want to do it. He said that I couldn't leave if I joined."
"I don't think you would want to. Killian may be the leader of this gang, but he takes care of us. He is a nice guy. Guarded, but nice. He can become a real nightmare if someone betrays him or lies to him though. He's never gotten angry towards me, but plenty of people who have needed to be interrogated."
"What's the initiation process?"
"Oh," Ruby put her cards down and lowered her sleeve. There was a small burn mark in the shape of a hook. "It's just a small little burn. Only hurts for a few weeks."
"What happens if a member gets hurt or something? How does he deal with that?"
"He goes out to get justice as if we were any other person."
Emma nodded, "I see. I have nothing to lose if I join except for my freedom."
"Killian would never include you in something you wouldn't approve of. If you don't like something, you are welcome to sit out the mission. Whether you are out on the field with him or behind the scenes with some others. He will do whatever he sees necessary to get justice for a victim, but if you don't agree with it, you don't have to go along with it. But he will do it whether he has permission to or not. He is the leader. He runs the ship. He doesn't take orders from anyone."
"So, do you think it would be a good thing if I joined?"
"Yes! Oh, we'd have so much fun! I could introduce you to Mary Margaret and Elsa. We could go shopping on the weekends and all that wonderful stuff!" Ruby clapped her hands together excitedly. "But, that all would probably happen after you are assigned a post."
"Post?"
"Yeah. Where you will work. Since you aren't married to anyone, you will live in the penthouse. It's where the main operations take place."
"Excuse me? Did you say married?" Emma asked, choking on the air.
"Yeah. Mary Margaret is married to David. Elsa is married to Jack. I am married to Victor. The couples get their own houses. We live in the safe houses around the city. Since David and Jack are some of Killian's main men, they live closer to the penthouse. Victor and I stay here in the infirmary building about three blocks from the penthouse. Graham and August live in the penthouse along with Killian. You will probably live there too."
"Wow," Emma sighed. "This is a lot to take in."
"I know, but you'll get used to it. You will be training for the first few months. Even if you are assigned to stay behind, you need to know how to defend yourself."
"I'm sure extra fighting skills wouldn't hurt," the blonde laughed nervously.
"When did Killian say he'd be around?"
"Before dusk I think."
"Have you made your decision?"
"I think so. As I said, I don't have anything to lose if I join. Are you sure he will take care of my living and eating expenses?"
"Of course! And if he doesn't, I certainly will. You are my friend now."
"So this is what it feels like to make friends?" Emma asked. Ruby cocked her head to the side in a silent question. "I don't really have friends. I've always been some sort of a loner."
"We all are. It takes sometime to get used to the changes. We all treat each other as if we were family. No matter your past, you are welcome here to try to shape your future."
"It sounds like college and not like a gang," Emma chuckled.
"You'll like it here. Trust me. We all do."
"Then why did Walsh want an out?"
"He fell in love with a woman from another gang. He wanted to get out to join her and marry her. He thought that if he held an innocent, Killian would give him whatever he wanted. Everyone knows how much Killian hates letting innocents get caught up in the crossfire."
"I hope that he doesn't see me as weak or a mistake."
"Of course he wouldn't. Even if you were, he would build you up. Make you strong and independent. Just as I said, we are a big family. We look out for one another."
"I wouldn't know what that's like," Emma mumbled. "I've never had a family longer than three years."
"That's about to change." Ruby reached over and hugged her new friend gently. "Do you want me to get him early? He'd be pleased to know you came to a conclusion so soon."
"Just tell him that I've accepted his deal to join the gang. There's no need for him to march all the way down here."
"I'll tell him that," Ruby said with a smile. "Ooh! I can't wait to get to know you, Emma." She left the room with a smile on her face. The blonde found it contagious.
"Me too, Ruby," Emma said to herself. "Me too."
While Ruby was gone, Emma felt herself becoming bored. She grabbed the remote to the television and switched it on, but found that nothing was on, so, she let her thoughts wander yet again. Killian seemed like a nice enough man, but she knew not to trust someone on their first impressions. That mistake had been made once before, and she wouldn't make it again. Her past was something that she learned many things from, but it was a thing she wanted to keep buried where it belonged. In the past. The events of her life was sad, and it was better to not think of them. Emma wasn't going to allow a feeling in her chest to change her way of thinking.
Normally, Emma relied on her instincts. She had what she liked to call a superpower. She was good at knowing when someone was lying to her. As she listened to Killian and Ruby, she didn't feel any alarms going off in her head, but that didn't mean that she was right. She had been wrong before, but she trusted her superpower most of the time. She knew that it wasn't as good as a lie detector machine, but she was still proud of it. However, Emma knew that she had to remain cautious. She wasn't going to be sent to jail again.
With the way that Ruby had put it, Killian Jones seemed to be a reliable guy. He seemed to be caring too, but those men were normally the most dangerous ones. It could be an act, or it could be genuine. Her future would be based on this decision. She could only hope that she had made the right choice. It could either be the best thing she had ever decided on, or it could be the worst.