His eyes widened when he realized who wanted to speak to him.
"Stay away from me, Dark One." He said, pulling Excalibur from it's sheath and brandishing it.
She rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist, sending the sword across the clearing. It made a dull thudding sound as it hit a tree and fell to the ground. "Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then what do you want? Why have you immobilized my subjects?" His eyes darted to Excalibur, but he made no move to retrieve it.
Emma moved closer, grabbing a stick and poking casually at the fire. "I want to know everything you know about what would happen if the sword and dagger joined."
"I don't know anything. Just that it would destroy the darkness. I don't know what would happen to the Dark One if it happens." He shrugged.
She hummed her agreement. "That'll be all." She disappeared in a puff of smoke, unfreezing the others.
Mr. Gold had moved into the Sorcerer's old home, now that the man had vacated it. Belle was happy he was alive, but he was very unsure of where they stood. She came to visit often, but made no romantic gestures. He also had no idea if she was still seeing Will. He was sure that he should ask her, but the idea of her telling him that it was over was just too much to bear.
Losing the dark powers had really softened him.
He was sitting in an armchair in front of the fire, a tablet on his lap, browsing news articles, when he heard the quiet puff behind him.
"Hello, Miss Swan." He said, not turning around. He flicked his index finger along the top of the screen, looking at the related articles.
"Gold." She said cautiously, stepping around the chair and facing him.
"What can I do for you at this late hour?" Mr. Gold asked, sounding bored.
"I need to know how to get rid of my darkness." She snatched the tablet and set it down on the small table next to his chair.
"Now, that was rude." He sighed and looked up at her, crossing his arms. "Look, Dearie, I don't know much. I thought Merlin was supposed to be the expert."
"Yeah, well, he's not around is he? You were the Dark One for years. You had to have done your research."
"I did, yes. But never on how to get rid of it. You forget, I loved the power. I needed it. I cherished it. I never wanted it to leave me." He sighed and stood, moving over to where she stood. "Sorry, Miss Swan. I can't help you. Now leave."
She glared but did as he asked, transporting to the only place she wanted to be at that moment.
Killian took care of his ship like it was his own child. The planks gleamed beneath her feet as she appeared on the deck. She moved across the ship silently, pausing at the cabin door. She could hear him snoring lightly on the other side. Emma took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
He groaned at the knocking on his door. Why couldn't people understand that even pirates needed their sleep?
"What?" He yelled at the door, refusing to get out of bed.
The door opened for a moment and someone slipped inside.
"Henry, mate, if you're trying to hide from Regina and Robin here, you're sleeping on the pillows tonight. I'm not moving this time." He grumbled, rolling over and facing the wall.
"Killian?" Emma asked quietly.
He bolted upright. "Emma? What's wrong?"
She looked down. "Nothing. I just…Don't feel like being alone right now."
"So wait." He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to wake up. "The Dark One is waking me up in the middle of the night to cuddle?"
"I'm not the Dark One tonight. I'm just Emma and I could really use some company, so could you scoot over please?"
"Yeah, alright." He scooted to the far side of the bed and patted the spot next to him. "Come on."
She pulled off her coat and heels, leaving her dress on, and climbed into the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her hairline. "Want to talk about it?"
She shook her head in the darkness and he shrugged.
"So, Henry's been spending a lot of time here?" She asked after a while.
"Aye. Damn near every night."
"I don't know how I feel about that." She smiled, despite her crappy mood.
"Don't worry." His voice was gravelly with sleep. "Like I told Robin, he's a worse influence on me than I am on him."
She smiled and curled up against his chest, staying quiet and letting him fall back asleep. As she felt the rise and fall of his chest, it lulled her into an almost trance-like state.
When Killian woke, he was hyperaware of the body snugly nestled against his. Or rather, a certain part of him was. He deftly moved his groin back a few inches and smiled down at her. "You're still here." He said.
"I am. But I do need to be going." She crawled out of the bed and pulled on her coat and heels. "Thank you, Killian. I'll be in touch soon."
He nodded and watched her walk out the door for once. When it closed behind her, he relaxed against the pillows. When he'd fallen asleep that night, he was sure he would wake up and realize that he'd dreamed Emma's visit.
He was really starting to doubt that she had ulterior motives. They'd been intimate since she became the Dark One, but last night she danced with him. She appeared in a public place, dressed like the old her, and spent the evening with him. That had to mean something, right?
He found his phone and powered it up for the first time since he left for the club.
Did normal people have sixteen text messages, twelve calls, and eight voicemails waiting for them when they checked their phones?
After scrolling through, he saw they were all from David.
The most recent read:
David: Hook, answer your damn phone! Is Henry with you? He didn't come home last night and we haven't seen him. His phone is off. Where is he?
A/N: Surprise, my darlings! Bonus chapter. Read and review gets another one in the morning!