Smoke

Chapter 2 Search

Being Mayor in a fictional town, Killian Jones didn't have much actual things to accomplish on a daily basis. He mulled over past thoughts, and experiences, and would gaze over the repetitive movement of the town through his windows. 

One does not cast such a dark curse without a motivation, however, there were bits and pieces, all forming a puzzle of why Killian Jones did this. 

Roughly 25 years ago 

"Come on now, do it," He commands. In a dark long braid, Regina stands with the heart of the animal in her hand. "It's innocent," She quivers. 

"So? Lots of things and people are, do it," he repeats. "No," She refuses and hands the glowing pure red heart back to him. He raises his eyebrow, bemused and yet slightly annoyed.

Regina turns away from him, as he walks passed her, and puts the heart back into the animal, shooing it away with a  wave of his hand. 

"I told you I don't want to kill anything," Regina snaps. "Mmm, student is displeased, well fine, we'll move on to another lesson another day," he poofs away. 

While Regina Mills struggles performing the dark magic that the Captain is teaching her, he's already setting up plans to accomplish what he's always wanted. 

In the forest

"Wake up dar.. Oh right, you're not the dark one, anymore," Killian gleams at his prisoner. "You already took my power, and brought me back to life, why?" Rumple asks. 

"Because if I had to suffer centuries, don't you think I owe you that same suffering?" Killian grinned. 

Present Day - Storybrooke 

"Well how are we feeling today?" Killian walks into the padded cell in the hospital. "What's your name?" Killian asks. 

"Mr. Gold, why do you keep asking me this?" he sasses. "Now now, I bring you a nice meal, and that's the thanks I get?" Killian scoffs. 

"I don't understand why you come to see me or who you even are," Mr. Gold dismisses. "Good, and that's how it's going to remain," Killian grins, leaving, and locking the door behind him.

In the police station, Regina moves around putting files away,. Shuffling down the corridor, she's surprised to see Mayor Jones, sitting on her desk. 

His head turns to her and she stares at him. "Mayor... what brings you here?" She continues her pace towards the desk.

"Well, I've got something out of town, and I wanted to make sure you can handle things here, without me," he mused. 

"I'm pretty sure I can handle this small quiet town," Regina states. 

"Good," he raises a brow, and pushes himself off the desk.

Standing over her now, on his feet, he bites his lip looking down at her. "You know, you should consider wearing the Sheriff uniform," he said. 

"I don't think I need a tie like a man to show I have authority," Regina says confidently, looking up at him.

"Mmm, some would agree," he says slickly across his mouth, cocking his head sideways. 

Silently, they gaze, and he brushes past her abruptly, "I leave this evening," he announces. "Well, have a good trip," Regina shrugs casually.

"Don't miss me too much Sheriff," He sasses, pacing backwards, with his hands in his pockets. "Oh I'm sure I can survive," Regina snarks, sitting down. 

That evening, Killian prepares his Mercedes, and sits inside. Wrapping his hands around the wheel, he drives down the country road towards the edge of town. 

He looks out the window as he passes the 'Leaving Storybrooke' sign, and drives over the town line. A small wave goes over the car as he passes through. 

Only Killian can leave the town, without severe consequences. And only people from their  world can enter. 

Killian has spent fifteen years digging through as much as he can from the outer parts of this land without magic. Hunting for something, that he refuses to give up on. 

Following a new lead, he drives five hours to Boston, Massachusetts. 

He heads to an adoption agency. 

"I'm sorry we haven't had any children that fit this description go through our system," the woman tells him. 

"It would have been fifteen years ago, roughly," Killian says. "Well, you're welcome to see for yourself the records that far back, they're not really complete," she says giving him access to the computer. 

"Uhh thank you," Killian sits down. 

Focused, and scouring, Killian scrolls through the lists of children around ten years old that came into the social system fifteen years before, before he cast the curse. 

He scrolls through over fifty records, and feels discouraged, until he pushes the button once more. 

The child is ten it says, 'Found on the side of a road', 'Loves Chess.' The picture, is her. 

A playful grin, long blonde hair, that looked the type to be a mess if it didn't get properly brushed daily, and bright blue eyes. 

He smiles, reading the description, Name: Alice Jones. 

"I found you, starfish," he mutters. 

Realizing this was just a small part of discovering where she could possibly be now, Killian tells the social work that this is the child he's looking for. 

"Where is she? Where did she end up?" He asks. "Oh, she went from home to home, aged out of the system," the woman told him. "So what does that mean?" He scoffs. "Means she's on her own after they reach seventeen," the woman says.

"So you just throw them on the street?" He asks. "Not really, we have to hope that the foster family that had them prepared them somewhat," she said. 

"Who's her last family she was with?" He asks. "I can't really tell you that," the woman denies. "I'm her father, you have to," he snaps. 

"I'm sorry..." she's confused. Killian Jones doesn't remotely look like he could have had a ten year old over 15 years ago. "Sir, I'm going to need you to leave," she tells him.

Knowing he has no power there, he heads out, frustrated. 

Gritting his teeth, he gets a cup of sludgy tasting coffee at a small place on the corner. Leaving, he's bumped into.

"OH!" He dodges spilling the coffee on himself. 

"Oh sorry," she says to him with an accent. "Mmm you should watch where you're going lass," He scolds. 

"Sorry, here, let me buy you a new one, but a better place," She smiles at him mischievously. "What? I don't need one, that's fine," he insists.

"Oh come on! You can't just take away my redeeming myself," She smirks sideways at him. 

"Fine," he rolls his eyes, and follows the stranger to a coffee truck. 

"You're telling me from a truck it's better?" he doubts. "Yep," she grins. "Hey Charley! Best cup of Joe for this guy," she tells up to him.

"You know Tilly, your tab is a bit high," he calls down to her. "Come on, I spilled this guys'," She huffs. 

Killian looks at her sideways, "Uh, I can pay, here," he places money upward towards the man. 

The girl watches him take a sip of the coffee, "Well? Pretty good eh?" he grins. "Mm, yes," Killian agrees. 

"I'm Tilly," She smiled crookedly.