Hello, It's Mrs. Hyde

Chapter 21: "Deals with Devils"

Dinner at Granny's had ended in warm laughter, the rare kind shared over full plates and clinking glasses. Emma watched the glow on everyone's faces and the soft comfort of normalcy that had settled over Storybrooke for the first time in what felt like weeks. There were still many things she had yet to face but she decided to live in the moment and enjoy this. Her hand brushed over Killian's, smiling as she studied the way the flickering lantern light caught the gold rim of his hook.
"So," she began, cutting into the hum of conversation, "I've been thinking..."
Killian tilted his head toward her, fork halfway to his mouth. "Oh no. That tone never ends well."
Emma smirked, folding her arms across the table. "What if you moved in?"
Killian blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"
"You know," she said, casual and breezy, like it was no big deal. "I realized that with our lives, tomorrow is never promised and I want to enjoy every happy moment of my life until the next big threat comes our way. Im just saying, I might have too many red jackets in my closet. But maybe I can make some room for some black leather."
His expression softened into something boyish and sincere, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk. "Well, when you put it like that..." He leaned in, eyes warm. "How could I refuse?"
Their lips had barely brushed in a kiss before Emma's phone buzzed loudly on the table between them.
She sighed, muttering, "Of course."
Picking up the phone, her brow furrowed at the name on the screen. "It's Jefferson," she said, answering quickly. "Hey—what's up?"
Jefferson's voice came through, low and tight with worry. "Is Jessica okay?"
Emma straightened. "What do you mean?"
"She hasn't left her room since she came back from seeing Hyde yesterday. Hasn't spoken to anyone. It's almost been two days. Even Gracie's getting worried."
Emma frowned. "Wait, what? She didn't say anything about that to me. Did something happen before she left the prison?"
Jefferson's voice dropped even further. "That's what I was hoping you could tell me. Look, I know Jess. She bottles up everything, and when she goes quiet, it's usually because something broke."
Emma glanced at Killian, who was now watching her carefully.
"Okay," she said gently, "I'll talk to my parents and Regina. Maybe they saw something. In the meantime...use your brother card. Bang on that door until she snaps. That's usually how it works for us."
Jeff let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah, well... my sister doesn't just snap. She explodes. But I'll try."
They hung up. Emma's lips were pressed together, contemplative.
"What was that about?" Killian asked, sitting forward.
"Jessica hasn't left her room in two days." She stood abruptly. "Let's go talk to Regina."

At Regina's House

Regina opened the door with a glass of wine already in her hand. "Evening. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"We need to talk," Emma said, stepping inside, Killian following close behind.
Regina arched a brow but moved to lead them to the living room. "That never means anything good."
"Jefferson called me," Emma explained as they sat. "He said Jessica hasn't left her room in almost two days. He's worried. She went to see Hyde yesterday with you and my parents, right?"
Regina let out a dry, almost amused scoff and raised her glass. "Oh, I know exactly what happened. Hyde pushed her away. Replaced her with the Evil Queen. Said he didn't need Jessica's help anymore then goes and asks for..hers instead"
Emma's jaw tightened. "And Jess just... took that?"
Regina's amusement faded into something more solemn. "She didn't take it. She buried it. That girl's pain is like mine once was. She doesn't show it until it overflows."
Killian cleared his throat. "She had an encounter with our friend, Doctor Jekyll last night."
That caught Regina's attention. "What?"
"I caught him with his hand wrapped around her wrist. She screamed. She looked terrified. He claimed she attacked him first, but..." Killian shook his head. "It just didn't feel right."
Regina's mouth twisted in a grimace. "We need to keep our eyes on him."
Emma nodded. "No argument there."