~Killian~

"I know Riley can be a little…disingenuous sometimes but—"

Regina scoffed at Snow's kind choice of words. "Disingenuous? More than half the words out of her mouth are a lie. She's going to get us killed."

"Lie or not, it's the only thing keeping us alive, Regina. The only reason the shadow riders unlocked the shackles is because of the deal she made. Do you have a better plan?"

"Magic."

Killian held back a frustrated sigh at the queen's unsurprising suggestion. In her mind, magic was the solution to any problem. Celeste, having the most knowledge of the shadow riders besides Killian himself, pointed out that the band of sellswords possessed magical objects that negated all sorts of spells and enchantments. It would be not be as simple as Regina setting them ablaze with one of her signature fireballs. In the past, he readily defended Riley's risky and potentially life threatening ideas, usually able to tell whether there was a method in her madness or she was merely going mad.

Her current plan was a bit harder to figure out, with Killian unsure if she was playing a very elaborate con or genuine in her intentions to hand over Excalibur. He would not put it past her to be toying with the sellswords, considering her talent for manipulation despite her young age. Even her friends struggled to defend her, though their main argument, brought up by Ethan, was without her magic, Riley was not foolish enough to anger someone who could slice her in half with one swing of their sword. While such an idea was plausible for a sane person, Riley had proven to be far less than sane at times and Killian imagined that, magic or not, she would be willing to mess with such dangerous men for her own amusement.

The journey to the sword's possible location was long and arduous, leading them to a spot only a few miles away from the Dark One's castle. Killian glanced ahead, hearing Riley's familiar giggle. She clapped as Bronn finished singing some ballad written about Camelot. His lip curled when she complimented him on his 'lovely singing', flashing that seductive smile he had seen quite a few times.

"She's flirting with the man who threatened to kill or enslave us."

"Shut up, Regina. She's just being nice to the half giant who could gouge out our eyes with his thumb. It's not flirting," defended Alec, tired of Regina insulting his friend.

The conversation between Riley and Bronn had switched to the land without magic and their music. Riley mentioned that the music was not as wholesome, singing a few lines of a very sexual song while blatantly pressing up against him.

"My ex wrote that one. She was really talented. You're cool with that in Camelot, right? They're all prudes in this land but I'm sure there's one in a pub that's a little adventurous. Bet you'd love watching that. You could join, if you want," she said with a wink.

Regina turned towards Alec, who was staring at his hands in an effort to hide his disgust of Riley's flirtatious behavior. "She's my friend but her taste in guys is her own problem to fix. I still stand by what I said. Riley is not going to screw us over. She might screw him once or twice—"

"Alec!" chastised Celeste, smacking his arm.

"Let's not pretend it's not a possibility. Maybe she will, maybe she won't…but I do know that in the end, she won't leave us to die."

"We'll see how confident you are of that when you've got a sword sticking through your belly, boy," said Alaric, siding with Regina and her distrust of Riley.

Less than an hour later, Bronn stopped his men at the edge of a vast lake. Killian was growing unsure of Riley's plan, expecting the fabled sword to be hidden in some sort of dark cave or embedded in stone, as suggested by legends of old. Riley reached into her bag, pulling out one of her tattered spellbooks. She explained to a skeptical Bronn that the sword was hidden with a cloaking spell cast by the Dark One shortly after retrieving it from Camelot. Flipping through the book, she searched for the enchantment. Once she located the spell and wrote out a translation, he tossed the book at Regina to cast it, being the only one capable of magic among the group.

"I trust you can read?"

"I'm a queen," she retorted with a sneer.

"Again, I ask…I trust you can read?"

"Of course I can, you—when I cast this spell, our deal is done?"

"When I get the sword, you're free to go. If the rumors about you are true, you're almost a decent witch. That best be enough to reverse the imp's spell or I'll have the girl do it, no matter how much pain it puts her through."

Regina squinted at the page, looking unsure about the spell. Though Riley was younger, she was considerably more experienced with magic, having been taught early in her childhood and with likely more rigorous training than Regina ever experienced in her lessons with the Dark One. It was no surprise that what Riley considered a simple spell would be slightly tougher for her. Grabbing a stick near the shore, she drew a sword-like symbol in the wet dirt and, attempting to sound more confident than she looked, began to quietly recite the spell. The ground shook beneath their feet and the water in the lake parted to either side, revealing a path to a gleaming sword wedged inside a large, moss covered boulder.

Bronn glanced back at Riley, who simply mouthed, "Told you". Smirking smugly, he walked along the path, ordering his men to keep their swords out in case there were any sudden tricks. He gripped the golden hilt of the sword but it did not budge, remaining trapped in the boulder. After several attempts, one involving tugging on the sword with both hands, he shouted to Riley for assistance. Maintaining a blank expression, though for a split second Killian believed that her eyes held a mischievous gleam, she joined him beside the boulder. Killian overheard her mention that the hilt had symbols etched along its sides, part of an enchantment that could only be broken by blood magic. Believing that the Dark One cast the enchantment, Bronn immediately thought of using Baelfire to retrieve the sword.

"Rumplestiltskin didn't do this. Those markings are more than a few decades old. I'd say centuries."

"Then break it."

"Blood magic is one of the most powerful forms of magic in all the realms. It can't just be broken."

"I suggest you find a way unless you wish for your friends to be become our dinner."

"Are you not listening? Blood magic can only be broken by those in the bloodline. You're out of luck. I said that I'd get you to Excalibur and I did. It's not my fault that you can't get the sword out. Our deal's done. We're leaving."

He grabbed her roughly by her shirt collar. "Our deal is not done! I'll beat you bloody, girl!"

Killian reached for his own sword, prepared to slice off the man's head. Alec may have been right that the leader of the shadow riders had some giant's blood in him but Killian had faced worse odds in the past and lived to tell the tale.

"Wow, you really have some anger issues."

"Kill them all! Let the girl watch her friends die and then we'll all get a turn before I run my sword through her skull."

His feet suddenly felt rooted to the ground. The last thing he remembered before the freezing sensation seized his entire body was raising his sword to block an attack from one of the sellswords…

~Riley~

Bronn's grip loosened on her collar. His attention was now elsewhere, no longer focusing on all the ways to torture her before giving her the sweet release of death. On the shore, everyone, from her friends to his own men, was frozen in place in various positions, raising their swords or ducking for cover. Riley ignored the slight pain that traveled up her arm. The spell slowly wore off of his men though it remained intact from the waist down, gluing them to the dirt. He shouted at his men to fight against the spell by attempting to move their legs.

"Moving their legs won't help much. That spell won't wear off until I say so."

His head snapped towards her, realizing that she understood his native language. "Oh yea, I knew what you were saying the entire time. I just had Celeste translate so the others didn't know. I wouldn't care if my friends knew but David can be so annoying. He's already really suspicious of me and I don't want to give him more reasons. Thanks for the compliment about my nice rack, by the way. My body is pretty amazing."

"If you know our language, you know it's a death wish to deceive a shadow rider."

"I didn't deceive you. Like I said, not my fault you can't get the sword. Blood magic can be such a bitch."

"You knew the sword was protected from the moment you told me its location. Was this all a trap? Who are you to think that you stand a chance against the shadow riders? Against me?"

"I believe you called me a wench not too long ago."

Bronn instinctively withdrew his sword, fear flickering in his eyes. "I—impossible."

"I didn't think my spell would wear off. I guess I have a frenemy to thank for that. His spell must've clashed with mine…giving you a chance to leave. He sent you, didn't he? To what, see if you could find me? I bet he offered a lot of gold. I'm curious. Are you as confident that you can take me to him now that we're face to face?"

"You don't frighten me, girl."

She pouted. "No? Well, when I first saw you, I was willing to let you and your men go but that wench comment really hurt. Another friend of mine owes me a favor so I think I'll cash it in now. Saves me the trouble of having to deal with a terrible headache or a few cracked ribs and he'd love a few new toys to play with when he's bored."

As Riley let out a low whistle, the water in the lake collided against the shore violently, inching closer to his men. Bronn raised his sword but before he could strike, the water on his side fell with a thundering crash and swallowed him whole. In a matter of seconds, the violent waves had taken his men as well, their screams muffled by the swirling water. She grabbed the hilt of the sword and tugged lightly, pulling it from the boulder. Casting a silent spell, she miniaturized the sword and attached it to her necklace as a pendant.

Just as she walked back onto the shore, after taking a quick dip to wet her hair, the spell that Regina cast was lifted, the lake calm once again. She reversed the freezing spell on the others, resulting in a sharp pain in the back of her head. The moment they unfroze, falling out of their awkward positions, she pretended to cough up water and bent over, holding her stomach. She claimed that whoever protected the sword with blood magic had also added a few more protections, including a freezing spell and a sea monster that snatched Bronn and the other shadow riders.

"What kind of sea monster?" asked Ethan, frightened.

"I didn't get a good look. I was running for my life before it got me too. If I see it again, I'll take a picture for you."

"Let's head back to the camp. With these portals opening up, it's more imperative than ever that we get into the castle, no matter what it takes," said David.

Climbing on top of his horse, he led the group down the path back towards the camp. Taking her time, she waited for most of the group to disappear around the corner before getting on Bronn's old horse and riding in the opposite direction, deep into a forest that seemed to be plucked from a child's nightmare.

"Stop following me."

Hook emerged from behind a tree. "Perhaps we are simply going in the same direction, Renato."

"Let's pretend that I believe you. Why did you leave? To find your precious little ship that's probably not even in the Enchanted Forest?"

"The better question is why did you?"

"Because I don't care about whoever took over Regina's castle. I have my own problems. I want to go home and sitting around with the merry men doesn't accomplish that."

"Why the sudden urgency?"

She sighed, knowing that he would continue to pry. "The shadow riders didn't come here by chance. They were sent here to find me….but they just didn't know that the person they were looking for was me. When a certain someone realizes that they're missing, more will come…bigger and badder. I'd rather have my magic than rely on some random sea monster. I need to get to the castle owned by my ancestors. Most of their stuff was probably taken after they vanished but I've read their journals and they hid their best magical possessions with enchantments. One of those might be able to take off this damn cuff. Don't say you're coming with me."

"No, we will be merely traveling side by side. Renato, you may be resourceful but I know far more about this land and its dangers. Perhaps we could help each other. You can assist me in my search for the Jolly Roger and I will ride with you to this abandoned castle. Besides, I doubt you'll mind the company, particularly one as dashing as me."

"Dashing? More like annoying."

Taking out a small, leatherbound book from her bag, she opened it to a map of the Enchanted Forest to figure out the best path to the castle. She soon regretted her decision to allow Hook to accompany her on the journey. While she preferred the peace and quiet, he talked incessantly about a range of topics, from slightly exaggerated tales of his adventures to the best pubs in the land.

She did not understand why he suddenly decided to break away from the group to search for his ship but in all honesty, part of her just enjoyed listening to his voice, not wanting to say much herself. As the sky darkened, he led her to a nearby pub to rest for the night. She tied her horse to a wooden post outside the pub, debating whether she should ditch Hook and continue on her journey towards the castle. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of raucous laughter and cheers.

Stepping inside the pub, she found Hook sitting at a table with a group of men, dressed in similar attire as his, some of them as young as him and the others old enough to have great grandchildren. She quickly realized that it was no coincidence that he suggested for them to rest at this particular spot. One of the men, a red cap perched on his head, handed him a beer and she recognized him as the man Gold had once turned into a rat back in Storybrooke.

The men tapped their mugs together, toasting to his name. She listened to Hook give a rousing speech about being reunited with his band of 'dastardly pirates'. They soon dissolved into a fit of raucous laughter like a bunch of children. His smile faltered as she walked towards the table and crossed her arms, looking unamused. Smee seemed to recognize her from his time in Storybrooke, judging by how quickly he spit out his beer and darted his eyes around the room in search of an exit. One of the men, tall and burly with a thick mustache, glanced at her with a grin.

"Ahoy, lass. Come to join the fun?"

"You've got a better shot at getting it on with a shaved goat and a bottle of oil."

"I like 'em feisty."

"Lewis, don't anger this one. She's a witch," whispered Smee.

Hook set his mug down on the table. "I know what you're thinking and yes, I knew my crew would be here. This was one of our favorite spots before the curse but it's not the only reason I had us stop here, Renato. It wouldn't kill you to rest for a night. You're in no danger. Sit. Have a—"

The door swung open and a middle-aged, curly haired woman dragged a man in his sixties, his grey hair wet and sticking to his forehead, inside the pub. She reprimanded him for nearly killing two men just minutes before though he seemed to show no remorse.

"I won't allow fighting around my pub. I catch you throwing one more punch and you're out."

Muttering to herself about crazy men, she bustled over to the counter. The man wiped a spot of blood from his bottom lip and joined the table, very pleased with himself. Lewis handed him a mug of beer.

"Samuel, at your age, you need to know when to quit."

"My age? I could cut you all down with one hand tied behind my back. I'm still the fighter I was when I was half your age."

He greeted Hook like an old friend, clapping him on the back. "What did you get in a row about this time, mate?"

"Boys claiming to be knights and singing songs about Camelot and its wonders. No doubts they learned the song from their own grandfathers who were as foolish as the rest of them," he said, draining his mug in one sip.

Riley's ears perked up at the mention of Camelot. His bitter tone suggested that he despised the entire realm and its inhabitants. It seemed to be a touchy subject since Hook and the rest of his men responded with solemn nods. Samuel noticed Riley on his left and looked at her in confusion.

"Renato, this is one of the oldest members of my crew, Samuel. He was once the most decorated man in the navy so show him the proper respect. He might not look like much but as you can see, his old age doesn't mean he can't handle himself in a fight."

Riley was taken aback by Samuel delicately kissing her hand. "Apologies, m'lady. If I knew we would be in your company, I would've cleaned myself up before walking into the pub. Forgive me but have we met before?"

"Doubt it," she replied though she could not shake the feeling that he was familiar.

Her mild curiosity briefly made her forget about her anger towards Hook for delaying their journey. She spent half the night wondering where she had seen Samuel before, knowing the answer was on the tip of her tongue. Out of all of his crew, he was the most gentlemanly and least like a pirate. Hook's crew had the same hopes as him: that the Jolly Roger was somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. As it neared three in the morning, they brought him and Riley to a small village near the pub where they used the abandoned cottages as their homes. Most of his crew had been spared from the curse like Hook himself and while he was off plotting with Cora, they stayed in the village, saving the best cottage for their captain.

Riley was sitting by a campfire, warming up her hands. She was still unable to shake the feeling that she met Samuel sometime in her past. While she was lost in her own thoughts, a blanket was placed around her shoulders. Samuel sat beside her, holding a flask.

"It's chilly out, m'lady. Don't want you to catch a cold."

"You know, you can just call me Riley."

"Habit, I suppose. Centuries of being a pirate and yet I still retain my old ways."

"Why are you a pirate? You don't seem like the type."

"For Killian, mostly. I knew him as a boy when he first arrived in my village with his older brother Liam. They were traveling all by themselves after being abandoned by their father and when I saw how good Liam was with a sword, I offered to get him a spot in the royal navy. Killian was too young to be a sailor but the king allowed him to be a deckhand. Took a little convincing from me that it was wrong to keep two brothers apart. I watched both of them grow up and after we lost Liam, it was tough on all the crew but Killian, most of all. I've stayed with him all these years."

"So you just turn into a pirate when someone talks about Camelot."

He took a sip from his flask. "That's a long story. I don't hate the realm but my hatred for one person from there has made me a bit resentful. They took someone I cared for deeply, just as much as I did Killian and Liam. I knew there was something wrong with him from the moment he visited the village. He seemed selfless and kind but truthfully, he was just selfish…willing to destroy anything in his path to get what he desired."

She nodded. "I know the type."

In the weeks that followed, traveling night and day with his crew, in search of her ancestors' castle and the Jolly Roger, helped her in warming up to them. She had certainly grown closest to Samuel, who acted like everybody's kindly grandfather. Since the day they met, she was no closer to figuring out why he was familiar but she enjoyed listening to his stories about battles in his youth and his days in the navy. His stories tended to be a bit more truthful than Hook's, which were far more exaggerated to sound ten times as impressive. She would never admit to herself that she no longer regretted allowing him to join her on the journey but the truth was that she did not mind his company.

Their time together allowed them to learn more about each other, something that was very difficult for her. She was not spilling all of her secrets but one night of drinking and gazing up the stars led to her explaining why Nicon and the council despised her so much. To his surprise, she confessed that at one point, she was part of the council but their differing views led to tension. She rejected her position on the council after a particularly nasty fight with Nicon and their once shaky alliance was then broken beyond repair. On that same night, Hook made her a promise that he would help her return to the land without magic and find a way to get vengeance on the council, though he sounded depressed when he spoke of her leaving the Enchanted Forest.

Weeks of travel had not gotten him and his crew any closer to the Jolly Roger and Riley soon learned that despite being on the land, they were still pirates at heart. She had to watch, usually between her fingers to hide her embarrassment, as they tricked traveling carriages into handing over their treasure by using wooden dummies as their 'massive army' and masquerading as knights. After their tenth night of such a ruse, Riley offered to put in her own efforts in finding the ship, through her old connections. One of her acquaintances told her that the ship was last seen docked outside a kingdom not far from her ancestors' castle.

They had just stopped at a nearby village and Riley was leaning against the outside of an apothecary, watching his men gamble with their recently stolen treasure. Lewis proved to be a very successful gambler, almost doubling his winnings. She was distracted from their cheers by a chill running down her spine.

"Don't like to gamble, love? If you don't know how to play, I could show y—is something the matter?"

Unable to speak, she breathed heavily, feeling a tightening in her chest. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she gripped the leather cuff.

"What is it? I've never seen you like this."

"M—my dad's here."

"Your father? Why would you think that? He's been in the land without magic. I thought your friend over there told you that he was still going from town to town on his murder spree. You said he didn't have enough strength to travel far."

"He must have enough to make a portal. He's looking for me. The council wouldn't tell everyone who won my family's merge but he knows it was me. He's here to—I don't see him. What if he's under some disguise? Without my magic, I can't—"

Hook pulled her into the alley, hiding her in the shadows. Lifting his hand, he hesitated before placing it on her shoulder.

"Renato, you're safe. Your father will not find you. You're sure it's him?"

"My brothers and I cast a spell to know when he was close. He's somewhere in this village. There's dirt on my shirt. I can't have dirt. Everything has to be right. It has to be—it's all wrong. Wrong is bad. Wrong is—"

Her rambling was cut off by his hand cupping her cheek. "Don't let him get in your head. I told you that you're safe."

"I'm not." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I don't have my magic. Without it, I'm—Nicon sent him here, I know it. He's doing this on purpose so he'll…I can't go through it again. I don't want to—he's…"

"Just stay calm. When you spot him, I'll have my men create a distraction and we'll leave the village straight away. They'll meet us by the docks. Do you see him?"

Sticking her head out from the alley, she caught a glimpse of her father outside a nearby pub. He did not bother dressing in Enchanted Forest attire, choosing to remain in his usual crisp suit and ignoring the odd stares. In the short time since his escape, he was now cleanshaven and looked as if he had not spent a single day imprisoned. It was honestly like no time had passed for him.

"He's heading this way."

"Not enough time to alert my men. We'll need to come up with a distraction. Perhaps we could—"

Thinking on her feet, she pressed her lips against his, tugging him closer by his collar. As they staggered back against the wall, he deepened the kiss and slipped her arm around her waist. She pulled away when she felt another chill down her spine, a sign that her father had vanished from the village. For a moment, she had forgotten that she initiated the kiss as a distraction. Neither of them said a word, just staring into each other's eyes.

"He's uh…he's gone."

Hook scratched the back of his ear. "Good. That was quite the distraction. Seems to have worked. "

"I'm going back to the camp to pack. It's probably safer if we keep moving. The sooner we get to the castle, the better."

"I'll get my men. We'll be there shortly, once I convince Lewis to stop gambling. He never knows when to quit."

Riley headed back towards their camp, set up in a clearing just outside the village. After packing her supplies, she retrieved a spiral-shaped shell from her bag. She whispered into the shell and placed it on top of his satchel before riding one of the horses down the dirt path…

~Killian~

You probably figured out that I'm gone by now. I really appreciate you looking out for me but this is for the best. My father's still somewhere in the Enchanted Forest and he won't stop until he finds me. He'll kill anyone in his way and no matter how good you think you are with a sword, he'd crush your heart before you even realized it was out of your chest. There's a reason the council kept him locked up. He's too dangerous and I'm the only one who can stop him but I can't without my magic. It'll be easier if I travel the rest of the way on my own. I hope you find the Jolly Roger. Thanks for…everything.

Killian had listened to the message countless times, enough that he memorized it word for word. When he first returned to the camp and discovered that Riley was nowhere to be found, he thought that her father had taken her but in his heart, he knew the truth: she had once again abandoned him. He was unsurprised, expecting her to leave from the first night they traveled together. No matter how much he told his crew that her absence was not their concern and how it was her own fault if she died while traveling on her own, Samuel was not fooled by his lack of concern.

With Riley gone, his focus was solely on returning to his pirate ways and finding his ship. His attempts only ended in failure though his crew was none the wiser, thinking that he was his old self. The truth was that he could not simply go back to being the man he was for centuries and it was all because of a stubborn, dark-haired girl who drove him mad. Even reclaiming the Jolly Roger, after defeating Blackbeard in a duel, was not enough to lift his spirits. His only hope came from a message he received one day while sailing the seas, informing him of a new curse that would send the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest back to Storybrooke and the only hope was Swan. The bird that brought the message had a vial of memory potion tied to its leg, to aid Swan in remembering her old memories.

Once he secured a magic bean to travel to escape the curse, he searched for Swan, though he admittedly had another motive. He listened for any news possibly related to Riley, including any strange incidents or even deaths. When he finally located Swan in New York, he hoped that Riley was with her, forced to be close to her due to the connection between them but Swan was as clueless as him regarding her whereabouts. Her old bartender friend was not much help either though he assumed that if Riley had returned, the news would have spread within mere minutes. It was as if she had vanished completely, not even being seen in Storybrooke with the other cursed townspeople. Her absence had not gone unnoticed by her friends, who assumed the worst.

Killian was standing at the town line with Swan, David, and Robin Hood and his merry men. One of his men had been snatched by some sort of winged creature, similar to the one that attacked Swan in New York. He cared very little about one missing man, instead clutching the enchanted shell hidden in his coat. As Swan suggested that he and David help Robin in his search while she spoke to the rest of the town, he heard a soft rustling sound. A tall, lanky man, with slicked back dark hair and ghostly pale skin, was carving a symbol into a nearby tree.

"Hey! What are you doing out here?" said Swan.

His eyes widened at the sound of her voice. "The savior. You remember?"

"Put your hands where I can see them and—"

He twisted his wrist and in a split second, Swan was floating in midair. She was thrown violently against the same tree, his hand wrapped around her throat.

"Emma!" shouted David, reaching for his gun.

"You weren't supposed to remember. Oh well, you chose a beautiful place to die."

Suddenly, a black blur struck him, knocking him onto his back. Killian nearly dropped his sword as Riley appeared beside Swan. She looked slightly different from their last encounter, besides her change back to her usual attire of a leather jacket, tight jeans, and knee-high boots, with her hair cut shorter, just past her shoulders and some strands colored dark red, and her skin now a light bronze color, as if she spent a lot of time out in the sun. He noticed that the leather cuff remained on her wrist.

The heel of her boot dug into the man's chest. "So true, cupcake. It is a very beautiful place to die. By the way, I've seen better drawings from a chicken."

His eyes turned from pale green to pitch black, a low growl escaping his lips. Before he could move a single muscle, her heel pierced his chest. Killian was not the only one relieved to see her alive and unharmed.

"Riley, you're here. We didn't know what happened to you with this new curse and everything. We thought you were still stuck in the Enchanted Forest all by yourself or…dead," said Swan, wrapping both arms around her in a friendly embrace.

"Well, it's obvious that if I'm gone for two seconds, you'll all die at the hands of some pathetic moron."

"Glad to see you haven't lost your personality. I uh like the new look. Were you vacationing in Mexico or something?"

Another blur jumped down from the trees. "You're right. She is irritating. How do you stand it?"

Killian stared at the man before him, recognizing him from the last day he and Riley were together in the Enchanted Forest and the very last person he ever expected to be within spitting distance of her. Her father was dressed in similar attire to that day, wearing a dark suit with black dress shoes and his hair neatly slicked back. Both Swan and her father easily remembered him as the same man from one of Riley's memories. While they found it strange that she seemingly traveled to Storybrooke with the man she had imprisoned for years, Killian was puzzled by her indifferent expression. The last time she nearly faced her father, she was paralyzed with fear and had become a complete nervous wreck, barely able to string together a full sentence.

Swan looked between Riley and her father, struggling to understand the sudden shift in their tense relationship. "Please tell me this isn't your father."

"Regrettably."

"What the hell—why is he—what is going on? You had him locked up for years and now you're traveling together? The guy who made your childhood a living hell and murdered hundreds of people?"

"1,503 to be exact," he said, crouching down beside the dead stranger.

She scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just going with a rough estimate. I'll remember that for next time. Riley, what the hell is he doing here? I know you never really take my advice but for once, listen to me. You can't forgive him."

"I didn't. We're just allies with a common goal. He's harmless, Emma. He's still too weak to do any real damage and I've got him on a tight leash. Pierce won't be a problem."

Her father tore out the man's heart and cracked it open like an egg, releasing a golden mist. He wafted the mist under his nose, causing his eyes to briefly flicker red. Riley's explanation that this grotesque method was how he absorbed magic did not help matters, making Swan even more distrustful of him.

"Emma, I already told you that he's harmless."

"Doubt it. What if he starts killing people?"

"He goes after people with magic and right now, that's only you and Regina. He doesn't go near fairies. No offense but there would be no point in taking your magic. I told him how you pretty much suck at it."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? You want to prove that I can somehow trust him? Help find the guy that was taken by some monster near the town line."

As Swan drove back towards the town, David led Robin and his merry men into the forest to begin their search. Riley nodded her head in the same direction and scrunching his nose in disgust, her father followed them.

"What game are you playing at, Renato?"

"Ooh, no silent treatment? Here I thought it would just be nasty looks and silence for a few weeks before I heard a single word. Consider me shocked."

"You think I give a damn that you left that night? It was your own foolish decision to make and not a day went by after where I thought of you out of any concern. I am curious how you went from panicking over your father seeing you in the village to now working alongside him."

Together, they walked through the woods, far behind the rest of the group. "I got back about a week later and he found me in a town called Salem. A few nasty words were thrown back and forth but then we came to an agreement when we realized we had a common enemy."

"The council. You've forgiven him solely to get your vengeance?"

"He wants some too. I still can't get this damn cuff off but he thinks Gold might have something in his shop to help with that."

"And then what? You leave once more? Quite a habit of yours, I've learned. Why make yourself known if you intend to leave once you have what you desire?"

"Wow, for someone who doesn't give a damn, you sound awfully bitter. Did you miss me that much?"

Not saying a word, he quickened his steps…

~Riley~

When she chose to return to Storybrooke, aware of the new curse, she expected a chilly response from Hook. Though he claimed that he was unaffected by her sudden departure, leaving just an enchanted shell with a message, it was obvious that he was a feeling a wide range of emotions, from resentment to disappointment. He decided to go with the silent treatment approach and stay by David's side as they searched for one of the missing merry men.

Having returned to the land without magic before the curse, she retained all of her memories, which made seeing Robin and his merry men again slightly awkward. She remembered their time spent together in the Enchanted Forest but to them, she was merely a stranger, a very intimidating stranger. There was little chance of them trusting her when she was accompanied by her father, a man who they learned had slaughtered over a thousand people.

Her eyes drifted away from the trail, to Hook checking for any sign of blood or footprints. She was distracted by her head tugged back forcefully and rolled her eyes at her father's hand wrapped around her long hair.

David pulled out his gun, pointing it at her father. "Put the gun down, moron. He's fine."

"He just attacked you. You said he was harmless."

"And he is…he's just hungry." She smacked her father's hand. "I told you not the neck."

Grabbing a sharp rock from the ground, she sliced her palm and held it out to her father, who began to lap up the blood like a voracious animal. Lowering his gun, David looked at the sight in disgust and confusion.

"He's drinking your blood. Is that supposed to be normal?"

"One of the ways he can absorb magic is through blood but this isn't enough for him to get back to full strength, just to satiate him for a few hours. You don't have to be scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Right. That's why you were two seconds from pissing yourself. Such a courageous prince. Can't even handle a little blood…"

"And here I thought the council punishing you would inspire some kind of change. It's been a year and you're exactly the same."

"Untrue. My hair's different and I've got an awesome tan. That's enough, Pierce. I'm not a blood bag," she replied, wrenching her wrist from her father's grasp.

Following a trail of blood, they discovered Little John in the northern part of the woods. He was barely conscious and had a nasty bite on his shoulder.

"You know all about what traveled here before us, Riley. Any idea what could've bitten him?" asked David, examining the wound.

Riley shrugged. "With those portals being open for so long, anything could've crossed over. On the other hand, it could've just been a bear."

"Somehow, I doubt a bear did this. We need to get him to a hospital. We don't have much time so could we have a little help?"

She nudged her father's side. Flicking his wrist, he transported them to the hospital. David hurried into the hospital to find Dr. Whale and minutes later, he returned with few nurses to place Little John on a stretcher. As they disappeared behind the hospital doors, she walked towards Gold's shop.

Her father wiped blood from his lips. "It seems they truly are that dimwitted. They believe every word out of your mouth."

"Sometimes, it takes a few more words to convince David but for the rest, yep."

"You know as well as I what bit him."

"Of course I do but it's not our problem, Pierce. We're only in this stupid town to get what we want."

"It isn't the right time."

"I'm well aware that we have a few weeks before it can be done but I'm still missing a couple key ingredients. Everything else is set into place and no one is getting in my way. Not Nicon, not Porter and his bipolar wife, and especially not that ridiculous excuse for a savior."

"And here I thought you may have grown to care for them after all that time spent together. What if they request your help with the little monkey problem? Or the savior begins to suspect something?"

"I've got a way to handle both. It'll be here soon and once it is, Emma will be too distracted to care about what I'm doing behind her back."

Peeking into the window, she checked for any sign of Belle in the shop. She began to turn the handle when her father's fingers ran through her hair.

"I don't see why you would object to the neck."

"Because you have no self-control and it would make them more suspicious."

"We're alone now."

Riley grabbed his wrist. "It's a sad irony, isn't it? Just when you're good enough, you can't have exactly what you want. Let me be very clear. You lost your chance the day I was born your daughter, Pierce. I'm not into that sort of thing. It's funny how alike you and Marcus were…he really was your son, down to the inappropriate obsession. If you can't maintain our cover because you're too busy thinking of ripping off my skirt, I'll imprison you again without a second thought. Is that understood?"

"Yes. There is quite the irony to the two of us. I, being the man who made you suffer for seven years, only became such a man because of you. You are the architect of everything I am…and I'm not the only one. I do hope that doesn't come back to bite you one day."

"Oh, it won't but just as I helped to shape you, someone shaped me and they're the one who needs to watch their back."

They sneaked into the shop, with her father casting a spell over the door to keep out other people…