Did you think we'd be fine?
Still got scars on my back from your knife
So don't think it's in the past
These kind of wounds they last and they last
Now did you think it all through?
All these things will catch up to you
And time can heal but this won't
So if your coming my way, just don't
Oh, it's so sad to think about the good times
You and I

Emma shrugged her shoulders, trying to get the stiffness out of them but falling. They had been riding for a week, only stopping to sleep and eat. Emma knew that in a few more days they would reach another city, another chance for them to see if the charms would indeed hold up and then there was only a fortnight until she saw Kylee again. She was glad her friend was going to be with them for a little while at least, she desperately needed a break from Killian.

They had stopped sleeping together since the inn when Killian found out about the ploy they had left him out of and to say he had been mad would be an understatement. He was furious and Emma could understand, she would have been if he had done that to her. They were the same and yet complete opposites.

She looked back up at Killian then, absentmindedly rubbing the top of her scar through her shirt, something was wrong and she knew Killian sensed it as well.

"These charms are always in place yes?" He asked, not looking at her, he refused to look her in the eye since he found out.

"Always."

"I think we are about to get our second test love," he replied as a group of bandits, 6 strong, leapt out at them.

The leader and three of his men went straight for Killian, who slayed two of them before being pulled off his horse. He just managed to land on his feet and turned, glimpsing Emma as he did so. She had leapt of her own horse almost as soon as she saw the bandits and had already knocked one out, her sword out and flashing in the light as she fought off the remaining man.

Killian turned back to his own fight, dodging a strike to the head, elbowing his attacker in the face, knocking them out, then turning and elbowing the other attacker in the face, knocking him out too before turning to the leader. It was a quick fight, Killian's natural skill with the sword easily over powering and killing the older man.

Killian turned back to Emma who has subdued her attacker and had already tied him and the men Killian had knocked out to a tree.

"What should we do with them?" Killian asked softly, cleaning his sword on the grass before sheathing it.

"I need them to be awake so that I can read them to see if we can trust them or not. Let's stay here for the moment and wait for them to wake up. When they wake let's offer them a choice, join us and leave or refuse and we take them to the nearest Sheriff."

Killian looked at the men thoughtfully. He knew they would need men on the boat they could trust. Emma had managed to get a few of the officers that had 'deserted' to meet up with Kylee and join her to meet with them but he knew they would need more but trustworthy men were hard to come by.

The oldest of the three man looked to be roughly around his age, with light brown skin, dark brown hair and eyes. He was obviously good with a sword and Killian hoped that he knew his way around a boat.

The other two were twins who looked to be just a year younger than Emma. He had glimpsed the one of the youths fighting Emma and he seemed to know what he were doing, as did the one Killian had fought. Something about them nagged at his mind, like he knew them. He looked over the two youth carefully, keeping in mind they could be wearing some kind of symbol and that's when it hit him.

"Love we need to go, now," he hissed at Emma, grabbing her arm and dragging her back to the horses.

"What is it?"

"Those boys were at the dinner, I remember seeing them in the crowd."

"Where they with the men?"

"I don't know but I remember seeing a symbol on their wrist that helps them see through magic."

"Well mines a little different than most, consider how I came to possess it."

"Yes but it is light magic –"

"And charms like that helps with dark magic more than light. That charm with allow the seer to see what the magical user is hiding, if it is something sinister, however if it's not, like mine, it won't let them see anything unless I wish for them too, but there is something more isn't there?"

Killian growled. "Will you not just trust me for once?"

"I trust you all the time, now tell me what you are hiding?!"

"Those boys are just any boys, they are the bastard sons of Rumble before he got together will Belle. These are Neal's half brothers!"

Emma looked at the boys carefully. They were obviously twins, both with the same brown hair as Rumble and Neal. They had fine features through still boyish in look and stubble only just starting to grow on their faces. They must have been only a quarter of a head taller than Emma, slim built but some muscles hidden away. She remember Neal briefly talking about them, they had different mothers, the twins and he. Rumble always preferred their mother over his, she was never demanding like his who was always wishing for more and when he met Belle, she wished him luck having moved on, knowing it would never work while Neal's forces Aurora and Philipp to lock her up, after she tried to kill Belle multiple times.

"There is bad blood between them," she said softly, still looking over at them. "If we told them we hated Neal they would might help us."

"Do they get along with their father? And since when did they not get along with him? He's always bragging about how close he is with his half siblings."

"They get along with Rumble, but that was because he did try to be a part of their lives, even after their mother married and they are thankful for the help he has provided them. He hired all sorts of tutors to teach them. They have never gotten along but since they have never come to the castle there is no one to deny what he says and Rumble just ignores him, he finds it easier that way."

"How do you know this?"

Emma shrugged, blushing slightly then. "The castle had a lot of hidden passage ways and I like to eavesdrop on random conversations every now and again. Keep people guessing to what I actually know."

"Don't you have spies for that?"

"Yes but I rather first-hand knowledge when I can get it."

Their three hostages started to stir and Killian shot them a worried look. He knew that Emma knew a lot about her brand of magic but he also knew it was so unlike many others because she was the product of true love.

"Do you think this will be a safe risk to take Emma? I don't want you to be in danger anymore then you have to be."

Emma looked at him, staring straight into his eyes. "I'm sure."

"Then let's talk but remember Emma the moment you have the slightest bit of hesitation on this, it's over and we find crew members somewhere else."

In memory of Alan Rickman