Author's Note: Here it is, my first multi-chapter! Wish me luck :P

This fic was inspired by Willofthewisp's similar fics, An Awfully Big Adventure and Hearts and Monsters, fics that show Seasons 2-3 and 4-5 respectively from Killian's POV. This fic is by no means an attempt to copy or act as a sequel to the above fics, but they served as a great inspiration and I wanted to give proper credit. (Also if you love the first iteration of Killian, do yourself a favour and read them! They're awesome!)

Beta by the awesome hookaroo (Tumblr) aka ListerOfTardis (FFnet).

The alarm rings at five in the morning, as it does every day.

Rogers wakes up, washes his face, eats a hearty breakfast and he leaves before six, as he does every day.

Every day, a routine... one he doesn't really mind, not now.

He may have been sober for years now, but a routine has always helped.

If only his routine could be broken by him finding one specific missing person...

Instead, just like any other day, civilians come and go, asking for help. His willingness to help, to be useful, to receive a thank you or even a smile is not only one of a kind in his precinct, but also a fodder for jokes from his colleagues.

It wouldn't make sense for the jokes to disappear today.

"Hey, hello," he hears at some point while he's tidying up some paperwork. "I think my car was stolen."

"Really? That sucks," he hears Sam, the desk sergeant, say. Oh, typical Sam. Rogers hurries up with the papers in an effort to reach the upset civilian as soon as possible.

"Yeah, so... can you look for it?"

"Sure. No problem," Sam says and Rogers mouths his words as he does. Not the first time Sam would choose enjoying his coffee over actually helping. "How 'bout I, uh, look under my desk here. Nope, I'm stumped."

Just in time, Rogers enters through the door. "Don't worry. I'll help you," he says and pulls Sam's chair backwards. He turns to the man on the other side of the desk. "Some of us still care about police work. Some of us still want to help people."

"Have at it, Eagle Scout," Sam says, to no one's surprise.

"So what happened, mate? Missing auto?" Rogers says as he retrieves the respective papers, seeing the man nod. "All right. Here, fill this out."

"How long is this gonna take?" the man asks.

"Well, that's hard to tell. I'll call around the impound lots, but honestly, most people find them stripped in a parking lot somewhere. So our best bet's hitting the pavement."

"Yeah. Okay. Fine," he says as he fills out the papers. "Whatever it takes. I gotta get out of this place."

Rogers squints a little at the man's bitterness. Hyperion Heights has been his home for... well, for as long as he can remember, excluding his times in foster homes. But he just nods as the man - Henry Mills, as per the papers - gives them over. He probably has his reasons.

A few hours later, Henry returns, not less upset and disgruntled. Rogers telling him his car hasn't been found yet doesn't help.

"Really? You checked every lot and chop shop and none of them have my car?"

"Yes. And seeing as I'm the only one here willing to help you, you might want to curb your agitation a bit," Rogers retorts. It's just one of those days, he thinks, regretting his tone.

"Sorry," Henry says, still upset.

Rogers softens his voice and face. "Look, I'm on your side. Just give me time."

"Officer Rogers, whatever you're working on can wait," Ms. Belfrey's strict voice sounds from the entrance. Rogers winces slightly. He's never really liked this woman, and her authoritative tone doesn't help.

"Ms. Belfrey, what can I do for you?" he asks anyway. He hasn't earned his nickname for nothing.

"Find my granddaughter," she says.

"Lucy's missing?" Henry says.

"Mr. Mills, you're still here."

"Believe me, I'm trying not to be. Just need to find my car."

"Hm. Jacinda's also missing. I don't suppose you have any idea where they ran off to, do you?"

Henry and Rogers exchange a look. "Uh... no." Henry says, and Rogers' training allows him to catch the lie immediately.

And apparently, so does Belfrey. She lowers her gaze and walks closer to Henry. "Mr. Mills," she says, "I do know what you think of me, but I do care about my girls."

"You sure have a funny way of showing it," Henry says, and Rogers suppresses a smile. It's not often he sees someone as bold in front of Belfrey. Perhaps it's the fact that Henry's not a local.

"Jacinda tends to make mistakes," Belfrey adds, unaffected. "But if she wants to build a better life for herself and her daughter, she simply can't do it by running away from her problems." She looks, stares at him until he nods. "Tell me what you know. You want your car back? Help me find my girls."

Henry turns towards Rogers, unsure. Rogers simply raises his eyebrows and shrugs. Belfrey's a cold woman, but she does provide for her family, and that's a trait Rogers will never be unaffected by.

"Uh, she... she talked about an island she- she sees on her way to work," Henry says reluctantly. "She said she imagines an ideal life for her and Lucy there."

"Her way to work, huh?" She seems to think for a moment. "Must be Bainbridge Island. As I said, she won't solve her problems by running away from them. Officer, can you search for my girls at the Ferry Terminal there?"

"I'll do my best," Rogers says in a low voice.

"I'll send in my daughter Ivy to follow you in your investigation," she says and without a second word, turns and leaves.

"So much for caring for her girls," Henry says when she's out of earshot. "Leaving when she could be doing something to help. And did she just threaten my car?"

"Close enough, but there's nothing I can do," Rogers retorts.

"Hey, was it- was it bad? What I did? I feel like I just... sold them out." He seems more nervous now.

Rogers sighs. "They could just as well have been kidnapped. And Belfrey's worried, despite her cruel appearance."

Henry nods, but doesn't seem convinced. "I don't know, I just... wanted to help."

Rogers nods. "If they're truly missing, any information is important," he says and sees Ivy entering and walking towards them. She looks at Henry and for half a second, her expression changes to a mix of distaste and near panic, but it quickly changes to her usually authoritative look, much like the one her mother wears.

Rogers can't help but notice how Ivy drums her fingers against her tiny purse. He doesn't comment on it, but her strained blabbering about how she's worried about her niece and step-sister don't convince him that's what her nervousness is about.

Finally, they reach the terminal and Rogers is surprised to feel not relief, but dismay at the sight of a young woman hugging a girl close. The image brings the familiar-slash-unfamiliar pang in his chest, but he focuses on his job and turns off the siren.

"That's them!" Ivy says and prepares to get out of the cruiser as soon as it stops. He exits too and stays by the cruiser, while Ivy walks towards the other two.

"Lucy, come here. Now," Ivy says. Rogers watches as the girl reluctantly obeys after kissing her mother's cheek. "Your grandmother is worried sick," Ivy adds.

"Just not worried enough to show up," the woman, probably Jacinda, retorts as she stands up. "How did you find us?"

"Mr. Mills told us about your little island fantasy," Ivy says, and the bitterness and arrogance in her tone push the words past Rogers' mouth before he can control them.

"He was only trying to help," he blurts out, trying to soften the blow.

"That's not true," Lucy says. "H-h-he wouldn't do that."

"The truth hurts more than fiction. Speaking of which," Ivy says and opens Lucy's backpack, ignoring her plea to stop. She retrieves a thick white book and passes it over to him. "Officer Rogers, can you please put this in evidence? Or get rid of it, or destroy it, or- I don't care, it has caused enough trouble."

Rogers glances at the book before looking back at Lucy, who is being pushed towards the cruiser by Ivy, and then at Jacinda, her broken face upsetting him more than it should. He looks at the book again. Once Upon a Time. Despite its cheesy title, it piques his curiosity and he flips through the pages until he sees an illustration of... her.

Like a flashback, blurred memories assault him. The pain of his gunshot wound, the slight tremors left over from his detox, the shame of having failed again... and then that woman, his saviour, appearing.

Helping him.

Just look at me...

... believe...

Saving him.

"Everything okay?" Ivy's question brings him back and he turns to her. Lucy's already settled in and they're waiting for him...

"Yeah, everything's okay," he says, hoping they won't catch his lie. Things couldn't be any less okay.

For the whole ride back to the station, the only thing he can think of is the illustration of that woman. He never even found out her name. She didn't come with him to the hospital, he couldn't find her when he searched the place a few days later, when he asked around... nothing. Like an angel who'd appeared out of nowhere, saved him and didn't even ask for a thank-you.

He owed her more than his miserable life, and she at least deserved to get something back.

"Will I see my mom again?" Lucy asks her grandmother, and it tugs at Rogers' heartstrings to hear her say that.

"Yes, my dear. But first she has to learn how to take care of herself. You'll have to move in with me now."

Her face looks soft and caring, but her tone betrays her bitterness over the situation. Lucy pouts and turns towards Ivy, who appears impatient to leave, not even looking at her niece.

He can't help thinking it's not fair, that her mother deserves a second chance-

He closes his eyes and clenches his hand into a fist.

Get it together, mate!

What's wrong with him today? Why is this getting so personal all of a sudden?

He turns away from the scene, enters the station and struggles against the urge to slam the door closed in anger.

"Hey, Eagle Scout," Sam says, adding oil to the fire. Rogers stops and looks at him impatiently. "I hear congrats are in order."

"What are you talking about?" He's not going to congratulate him for taking a girl away from her mother, is he?

"You made detective. Looks like somebody has a fairy godmother." The news has an instant effect. Rogers smiles, unable to believe his good luck. "Ms. Belfrey must have taken a liking to you," Sam adds, and his words turn Rogers' feelings a little bitter. He doesn't want to owe anything to that woman.

No matter. He's proved his skills and his hard work; he deserves the promotion. He only has a few moments to think about how said promotion will help him look deeper in that girl's case before the desk sergeant speaks again.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to your new partner." He turns and walks towards the office corridors. A few other policemen are gathered outside an office room, and they laugh at something the detective inside is telling them. "Hey, detective. Special delivery for ya. Meet your new partner," Sam says as the detective exits the office.

Rogers is speechless. It's Weaver. Bloody hell, it's Detective Weaver. He's heard a lot about him: him being well-liked and respected amongst fellow officers, him solving almost any case that's fallen into his hands... perhaps he could help him solve his own case.

"Pleasure, detective," Weaver says and offers his hand. It takes a few seconds for Rogers to offer his own - and only - hand, and he feels like an idiot meeting his idol for the first time. He huffs a laugh, trying to cover his awkwardness, and shakes Weaver's hand.

Weaver gives him back a smile, though Rogers is sure it's not as wide and excited as his own.

"We'll do great work together," Weaver says, looking him up and down. Rogers laughs softly again. "Rogers, huh? You have a first name?"

"Uhh-" Rogers stutters, and swallows hard, ignoring the scorning smiles of his fellow officers. "George. George Rogers."

Weaver raises his eyebrows. "Quite a balance of letters. I'm Eric Weaver. See you tomorrow then. I expect you to be punctual." He waves with a nod and moves past him, walking out the door.

Rogers sighs as he watches him. It still hasn't sunk in. He's a detective, he's partnered with one of the most successful detectives of his precinct, he's finally...

He finally has a better chance of closing his case. He rubs at the back of his neck and closes his eyes, ignoring the daggers his colleagues are probably shooting at his back. He ignores them, as he's done many times before, and walks back to the cruiser.

In his turmoil at Lucy's distress, he forgot to pick up the book. He retrieves it from the trunk, about to put it in evidence... but that illustration is still haunting him, so he leans back on the car and opens the book to that page.

The more he looks at that woman, the more she reminds him of the one who saved him. Miserable, incompetent, unworthy of his job as he was, and she'd saved him.

He reads the story on the left, and finds out that the woman in the book is called Emma Swan. The name doesn't ring a bell, and he thinks himself mad for wanting to search for it, in the rare case of there really being an Emma Swan out there and her being the woman who saved his life.

There have been times he wondered what would have happened if she hadn't. He had no connections, no family; probably the only people who'd remember him would be his AA mates... and seeing as no one else picked up the Eloise Gardener case in all those years, he probably has been her only hope.

But damn him if he was going to give that away. Baby steps, the therapist had said. If his purpose is to find this missing girl - or woman, rather, now - then so be it.

And his savior, this... Emma Swan, or whatever her true name is, gave him that little bit of hope he needed. The hope he needs.

With one last look at her face, he closes the book and walks back to his Chevelle.

Tomorrow will be a big day.

Author's Note: There'll be some very minor changes here and there, not any that affect the plot, but I'll also try to add "deleted scenes", ones that will explore Rogers' relationships with the rest of the characters. I also may add flashbacks from before the curse (at any point, from Alice's birth to the curse being cast).

SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE BELOW

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I'm preparing you now, I'll be changing some stuff towards the end. Very light changes, but a) I didn't like how the Rumpelstiltskin/Hook thing was resolved in 7x18, so I'll be considering them very reluctant friends once the curse is broken (especially from Hook's side), and b) I'll be keeping Rumpelstiltskin's sacrifice in the finale, but I'll be changing things a little so that there'll be both focus on that and the focus the Alice/Killian reunion deserved. I'm just saying this now so you'll know what to expect.