I do not own Once Upon a Time.

Short chapter because a Captain Hunter scene is long overdue.

Amelia was doing some last minute cleaning before leaving for lunch when Killian stopped by. She heard him before she actually saw him. "Remember the last time you visited me at work?" A playful smile was on her face.

"Aye, I do. It was enlightening. Do you have a moment?" He asked.

"Make it quick, I'm meeting Neal for lunch." She said, moving a pile of books off the desk.

"Is Belle here?"

"No, she takes random days off to help at the pawn shop." Amelia didn't mind, she was used to running the library alone anyway.

"Good. Amelia…" Killian started.

Amelia's eyes bugged at him and she held up a hand to stop him. "You used my name, you never do that. You prefer terms of endearment. My name is reserved for when you are concerned about me or furious at me. Killian, what's wrong?" She was very worried.

"The Crocodile gave Belle a fake dagger." Killian informed her.

Amelia stared, clearly he was still using his old nickname for Gold. "How do you know that? That it's a fake dagger?"

"After three hundred years of plotting revenge and searching for that dagger, I think I know a fake one when I see it." He leaned forward on the front desk, as if weary.

Fake dagger, so Gold had the real one. That must have been how he got rid of Zelena. Things were starting to make sense. "So that's how he did it." She mused out loud.

"You knew?" Killian seemed annoyed, eyes jetting up to hers.

"I had a strong suspicion that something was up with him. My wedding gift was a thinly veiled threat about protecting this family."

"What are we going to do now?"

"Nothing." She answered. Plain and simple.

"Nothing, you are bloody joking. You are fine with the newly reformed Dark One lying to his wife?"

"No, but sometimes you have to lie to protect people. If him keeping his dagger is a way to protect the family, better him than me. Whatever villain we might come across in the future; I can protect us without a problem but I would have to go back to my old self."

"As interesting as that self was, why do you have to?" Killian asked, curious.

"Because I don't believe you can really protect your family by being a good guy. You have to hurt people and break rules sometimes." That sounded almost as sad as her old thinking: 'people like don't deserve happy endings'.

Killian shook his head and almost touched her hand but thought better of it. "So in the likely event that something goes wrong, what do we do, lass?"

"And right back to terms of endearment? When… if things get out of hand, let me handle it."

"If that is how you want to handle this situation; I won't stand in your way." He stood up.

"Because you know better than stand in my way?" Amelia smiled at him.

He returned her smile. "Learned that lesson a long time ago." And she kept staring at him. "Can I help you with something?" He couldn't quite read her.

"I was just curious on how you go to New York to find Emma. How did you outrun yet another curse? You're good but not that good."

"I'll have you know that I am one hell of a captain." He teased her. "I got to this realm before the curse with a magic bean."

"And how did you get your hand on a magic bean? They don't exactly grow on trees anymore. Plus, they cost a fortune." Amelia asked, trying to figure him out.

"I traded something of value."

Killian was acting very secretive. "Killian, what do you have of value…" Suddenly she stopped when the answer dawned on her. "The Jolly Roger…" She breathed. Killian Jones, Captain Hook, traded his ship, his home for a magic bean all to get to Emma Swan.

"Aye, I really traded it." Killian said, knowing where Amelia's mind was going. Back to their alternate life, where he had told her he gave up the ship only to have it waiting for him in the next port in case they didn't work out.

"Wow." Amelia almost didn't have a voice. Then her head titled to one side, then the other. She was studying him intently.

"What are you looking for, lass?" He seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"I don't see it in your eyes." She answered. His eye brow rose and she responded to his silent question. "Regret or resentment." He really and truly loved Emma Swan.

FYI- the alternate life is "If I Had Stayed". There are fun times are ahead in the next two chapters for Amelia and Neal. And what could Gold be up to? Anything with him, it's bad news.

Reviews?