Smoke

Chapter 8 Play

"Hey, you okay? You seem a little distracted the past half hour, did I do something?" Margot  asks Tilly gently. "No, just, sometimes my head gets a bit jumbled and fuzzy and it's a bad day when that happens," Tilly said. 

"Okay? Any reason today?" Margot asks. "Well I think you saw me playing Chess with the Mayor," Tilly said. "Yeah? Oh, it reminded you of playing with your Dad," Margot knows. "Right," Tilly smiles, realizing that's the first person to remember something about her, since Neal.

Flashback -- Boston 

When Alice aged from the system, she was taken in by Neal. Only the two of them knew who they were and where they were from. The two were like siblings really, despite Neal being fourteen, plus about two hundred years, older than Alice. 

The two bonded over the fact that Killian, Alice's father, loved her and Neal's mother more than anything. The irony that both their father's hated each other was also something they found interesting. 

A few months before Killian showed up, Alice came home to Neal's to find that the door was left open. Worried, she heads to the police station and sees him held by several officers. 

"Wha-- What? What happened?" Alice asks. "He's under arrest for stealing, going away at least a year," The officer tells her. "I'm so sorry Alice, listen, I was trying to just get more money, for us," Neal shakes his head regrettably. 

It didn't take long for the money to run out and Alice ending up on the street, with Neal in jail. Her typical hang out spots in the area were their favorite places and near the social work building, given Alice going there so much in her youth. 

Realizing that Neal was the only one who knew who she really was, and not having any other ways to identify herself, she started going by Tilly, figuring, it didn't really matter, Alice Jones was never going home. 

Until one day, the day Mayor Jones came to town. She was sitting in an alley just near the parking of the social work office, and spotted him getting out of his car. 

She gaped at him at least five minutes. Staring at his features that were exactly the same, his hair, everything. However, he did have two hands. 

Last Alice saw him, his hook was anchoring him to the ground, but she knew he had magic, so perhaps he gave his hand back, while she thought that creepy, it made sense. 

When she purposely waited for him and bumped into him, the moment his eyes met hers and his voice came out, she knew it was her father. 

Burying deeply how much she wanted to hug him, she didn't, and contained herself, but she did notice the file in his hand, her file. 

Present Day 

"I just want you to know that the bad days won't bother me," Margot says genuinely. "Really?" Tilly asks in shock. "Yeah, we all have them and we all miss people," Margot says. "Right," Tilly nods. 

"Oh, I made you this," Margot pulls a threaded bracelet from her pocket, "Really? For me?" Tilly asks, and Margot begins tying it around her wrist. "Yeah, thought it suited you," Margot smiled. 

"And you know, I'm about living in the moment sometimes, so maybe you should try and listen to some of those buzzing instincts," Margot suggests. 

At Regina's 

"What's the occasion?" Killian raises a brow taking the glass of whiskey from Regina. "Mm, I said nightcap didn't I?" Regina smiled. 

"You did," he nods. 

"The other night got me to thinking," Regina gently pressed her hands on Killian's chest. "Oh? Is that so?" he quirks. 

"Mm, got me to thinking, why we're so secretive here?" She asks. "With us?" He bemused. "Oh please you think half this town doesn't already suspect we're doing this?" Regina asks. 

"Well, that's not really anyone's business now is it?" He flicked his eyes and grits his teeth. "Mmm, that's true," Regina takes the glass from his hands and replaces herself into them, smoothly. 

"What has gotten into you?" he gently squeezes her waist in his hands. "I just want to play," She smiles mischievously. 

"Well you know I don't typically like games," he says. "You played chess," Regina mentioned. "Well true," He smiled. 

Regina pushes her body into him, he accepts, pressing his against hers while drawing her temptingly upstairs. 

Regina stretches herself, exasperated and satisfied in blue satin sheets. Killian arches himself in a stretch next to her, content. 

"So playing chess earlier, with Tilly," Regina muses. "What about it?" He looks at her, suspiciously. "Well did you win?" Regina asks. "No, she actually is quite good, took my Queen and that was it," He said. 

"Did she?" Regina slips from the bed and walks to her hanger gathering a satin robe. "Yes," He sits up leaning his arms on his knees while the sheet drapes over him. 

Regina crosses her arms, turning slowly, a curve in her lip and a lift in her eyebrow. "You always should protect your queen," She emphasizes sharply. 

Killian blinks his eyes, and keeps them locked on her, sliding his feet onto the floor and pulling up black pants. 

His chest bare, he walks towards her, "What?" he clenches. She blinks, silently at him, with a smirk on her lips. 

"What are you saying to me?" he snaps. "I think you know, Captain." she hisses. 

Killian lifts his head, and his chest puffs up. "How long have you known?" He asks. "You think that the name Alice only would awaken that imp?" Regina sasses. 

"I was a much smarter pupil than you ever gave me credit for," She snaps. Killian clenches his teeth, "I may not have magic right now, but I've no doubt you'll want it to protect yourself," Regina said. 

"Why?" Killian scoffs. "I think you know what I'm capable of, you taught me," She teases. "No, I mean why did we just do that if you knew?" he scolds. 

"We did that before you cursed me," Regina states, amused. Killian huffs, "We were in this together, you don't think once the town knows, that they'll come after you just as much? I'm immortal, you, are not," he growls. 

Regina takes a deep breath, "Are you saying I need you?" Regina scoffs. "Don't you?" He smiles. 

"I don't, not in the way you think," She derides, and paces away from him. "Well we'll have to see about that, won't we?" He plays. 

She scoffs at him, "I'm the only one who can bring the magic back," he states. "You sure about that? The name Alice has to mean more than just some name," Regina paces. 

Killian sighs roughly, "careful," he warned. "Who is she?" Regina demands. "Not your business," He snaps. 

Regina walks towards him and slides her hand into his pocket. She takes the dark wooden chess piece out of his pocket. 

Regina holds it gently between her fingers and puts it in front of his eyes. 

"She's my daughter," he breathes.