Jefferson Hatter had always been the creep of Storybrooke high. His fixation on small details and short-tempered personality chased friends away. But now as everyone else's world was falling apart he found himself enjoying it. 

He never took part in the drama that happened at school. He was definitely more of an observer. And he loved watching the world crash and burn.

Graham was dead. Regina had been arrested for it. Peter was dead leaving a heartbroken Ruby. James was dead and his former girlfriend was nowhere to be found. And at the center of it all was one Emma Swan.

Graham was killed after Emma's party shortly after the blonde had moved to the town. Peter was killed after Ruby began spending her time with the new group of friends. James' body was found by none other than Emma Swan. 

Jefferson noticed that Emma was the through-line between everything that had turned Storybrooke upside down. And he planned to find out why. Maybe she even knew where Jaqueline was.

Emma entered the school with a blank expression. She had been nauseous all morning but her mom had still made her come. Apparently, it was the only way to get over it. Ruby was the first to her side when she arrived at the school. Emma was surprised as the girl led her over to their table in the cafeteria.

"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered to her, the girl's voice cutting through Emma's trance of thoughts. She sat down with the rest of their friends. 

"You don't look so good." Elsa frowned, taking in the paled face of her friend.

"Have you talked to Neal?" Henry asked. 

"Not since last night." She answered softly. 

"What is going on?" Merida shook her head looking around the solemn cafeteria. "Our students are dropping like flies." 

"Mer! Have some tact." Mulan glared, subtly gesturing her head toward Ruby and Emma. 

"I'm serious! Something weird is going on."

"Things only started happening when Emma got to town." Elsa pointed out. 

"Everyone's blaming me but I was here a few days before everything started happening!" Emma argued. She was tired of being blamed for everything happening. "Everything started going wrong the night of the party when Graham was hit by the car. The next morning, these two showed up on my doorstep." All eyes turned to Violet and Henry. They looked at each other, seeming to have a silent argument. 

"Plus they have the book," Elsa added. 

"Do you two know what is going on?" Merida asked them, a slight glare forming on her face. Emma locked eyes with Henry, their first conversation starting to make sense. The bell-ringing through the school pulled their attention away from each other. Henry grabbed Violet's hand and the pair headed to class, leaving them all behind.

Emma started walking to class when a grip on her wrist yanked her away from her friends. Emma gasped as she stood face to face with the creepiest boy on campus. That close to him she had to admit he was attractive, however, the dark circles and deranged look turned her off. She was backed into a corner, his arm on the wall by her head, blocking any attempt she might make to go. 

"What are you doing?" She snapped at him. He smirked down at her. 

"I wanted to see what all the hype was about." He reached up and twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, sending a chill down her spine. "What is so special about you, Emma Swan?"

She shoved him off of her but he blocked her path. 

"I don't know who you think I am but I'd appreciate it if you just left me alone." She spat, glaring at him. "I have to get to class."

"Not so fast." Emma backed away from him until her back was once again against the wall.

"Get away from me." A hand on Jefferson's shoulder tore him away from the blonde. Killian stared down Jefferson until he disappeared back through the halls. Emma ran into Killian's arms his hand lightly stroking her hair as he tried to comfort her. 

"Are you okay, Swan?" He asked. 

"No." She admitted. She pulled away from him, just enough to look at his face as she spoke. "I thought having a family that wants me would solve all my problems. Now it feels like I'm just destined for trouble." Killian brushed her hair out of her face, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb.

"Swan-"

"I'm sorry." She stepped away from him and wiped her cheeks. 

"No, I'm sorry." He sighed. "I shouldn't have been so rude to you." 

"You're grieving, it's not your fault. You have lost a lot of friends recently." 

"That has taught me that life is short and I don't want to waste any time with you." Emma met Killian's eyes. 

"What?" She blurted out.

"I think you are incredible, Swan." He knew his timing was terrible but he wanted her to be his own. He searched her eyes for permission to kiss her but she was still in shock. "Just think about it." He sighed. He lightly pecked her cheek causing a blush to form. "Can I walk you to class?" 

"Maybe second period. For now, could we just stay here?" Emma sat on the floor and patted the space beside her. Killian looked around before a grin spread on his face. He slid against the wall, sitting down next to her. 

Jefferson knew he had to get to her somehow. Something was going on in Storybrooke and Emma Swan was the key to understanding it all. 

"Henry is it?" He sat down next to the boy at lunch, his friends were nowhere to be found. Henry was rarely ever seen without Violet by his side. Catching him alone was a luxury that Jefferson didn't intend to waste. 

"Jefferson." He seemed to be surprised that Henry knew who he was. He usually managed to stay unnoticed unless he wanted to be seen. Always in the background watching things unfold.

"You seem to be quite close with Emma Swan. Word is that you are staying at her place." Jefferson commented, trying to see if Henry's expression would give anything away. 

"I am. Now if you'll excuse me-" 

"Running late?" Jefferson sneered. Henry's grip tightened on his book, a detail that did not go unnoticed by Storybrooke high's resident mad man. 

"Jefferson, I think you've done enough today, Mate." Killian's voice came from behind him as he walked up with Emma. They sat at the table forcing Jefferson to walk away.

"God that guy gives me the creeps." Emma cringed. "What did he want?" 

"Nothing." Henry lied. 

"You don't have to stay," Emma told Killian as her friends began to fill up the table. 

"If I don't, who's going to protect you, Swan?" 

"I'm hardly a damsel in distress," Emma scoffed, though she had to admit she appreciated his help with Jefferson earlier. "Merida, Mulan and Elsa could kick anyone's asses on their own, let alone together. I'll be fine. You should go eat with your friends."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" He gasped dramatically. As much as Emma appreciated his company, she already felt like she stole his whole morning. He had stayed in the hall with her for hours talking until they ran out of things to talk about. Even then, he stayed and they sat in silence just enjoying each other's company. 

"I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay with me." She bit her lip nervously and he shook his head at her. Henry watched the entire exchange with a smile. 

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." He grinned at her. 

"So we clearly missed something." Ruby chuckled as she walked over with Mulan. Elsa, Merida and Violet sat down not long after, equally as confused by Killian's presence. 

"What are you doing here Pirate?" Elsa questioned him.

"Nice to see you too Ice Queen." He rolled his eyes at her and Emma glared at him. 

"Emma we have some uh things to talk about that might be easier without certain people here." Merida crossed her arms and glanced at Killian. Killian could sense that he was unwanted at the table. Usually, he would stick around just to annoy them but he figured he should try and stay on good terms with them if he and Emma were to have a real chance. 

"I will see you later, Swan. There's a conversation I need to go have." Killian winked at her before disappearing into the crowded cafeteria. 

"Happy?" Emma sighed after watching him walk away.

"As much as I'd love to catch up on whatever is going on there, we need to talk about the book," Ruby announced. Mulan had filled her in on everything that they knew.

"Does the book say anything about what happened to James?" They all had heard about how he was found on top of the swings but no one knew how he got up there. The police hadn't found any evidence yet and the book was their only hope to figure out what was going on. Henry pulled it out and looked around for prying eyes. They flipped through the pages until they found one with an image of a blonde staring up at James' body. He turned a few pages, skimming them for any information on how James had gotten there.

"Nothing." Henry sighed. 

"What about Jack? Does it say anything about where she is?" Elsa questioned. 

"The last person to see her was...James." He shook his head. Henry knew something like this was coming but he thought he would have more time. He needed to get Emma to believe. She was their only chance. 

"Well, we can't exactly talk to him about what happened." Merida groaned. 

"I have an idea on who might know something but I don't think they'd be willing to help us," Henry confessed. Violet looked at him skeptically. 

"Who?" Mulan asked as Henry paused. 

"Mr. Gold." 

"You think our Math teacher knows about the deaths?" Elsa questioned in disbelief. 

"Even if he did, why would he tell us anything?" Emma asked Henry. 

"If he knows what I think he does, he'll be willing to help. We just have to find a way to approach him." They all looked at Emma. Despite her recent time spent with Killian, they all knew about Neal's feelings for Emma and it was the perfect way for her to get some time alone with his father. 

"I hear Neal's been staying with his dad lately..." Emma felt bad for avoiding Neal since their date. Since that night she hadn't been able to look at him without seeing flashes of James' impaled torso. 

Killian found Tink with Regina and Kathryn. He pulled her aside to have the conversation he had been meaning to have for a while. 

"Is everything okay?" She asked, sensing the dreadful conversation they were about to have. 

"Tink, I haven't been honest with you. I have feelings for someone else and it's not fair to you." 

"It's Emma, isn't it?" As much as she wished for her own happily ever after, Tink wasn't blind. She had seen the way Killian stared at the new girl. Tink was a hopeless romantic and she could appreciate true love when she saw it. 

"I know I should have done this sooner but-" 

"It's fine." She sighed. "Really. With everything going on right now, this is the least of my worries." She pointed out. Killian was surprised by how cool she was being. "But I don't think I'm your biggest concern..." Tink gestured to where Neal was sitting with their friends, looking down in the dumps. "Talk to him." Tink was always determined to help people and it was one of the reasons Killian had fallen for her in the first place. 

Killian gave Tink a hug before heading toward Neal, stopping in his tracks when his target was led away from the table by his favourite blonde. He moved until he was close enough to hear their conversation without being seen. 

"I honestly didn't think you were ever going to talk to me again," Neal mumbled awkwardly. 

"I'm sorry. I haven't been avoiding you I just...I just needed some time. I was thinking maybe we could get together tonight? Are you still staying at your dad's?" Killian felt his heart shattering as Emma made plans with his best friend. He thought they had connected that morning but maybe she only saw him as a friend. Maybe he had made a huge mistake with Tink. 

"Uh yeah, that would be great. I am still at my dad's." He replied. 

"Great I'll uh meet you there tonight?" She offered. "How does 7 work?" 

"I can meet you somewhere, or I can pick you up-" 

"No, it's okay!" Emma pecked his cheek causing Killian to cringe. 

Henry had been skeptical of Jefferson, to begin with, but their conversation earlier made him wonder how much he knew. After school, he found the boy lingering around the back of the school. Henry told Violet he would meet her at the house before going over to talk to him. 

"Where's your entourage?" Jefferson sneered as Henry walked up to him. 

"My friends are heading home, I'm here to talk to you." Henry pulled out his book. "Do you know what this is?" Jefferson eyed the book carefully. He reached for it but Henry pulled it out of his grasp. 

"It's a book. A book that you seem particularly fond of." He deduced. 

"I think you know something about what's going on here in Storybrooke. I think we both know there is no way that these deaths are all a coincidence." 

"What are you accusing me of?" 

"Nothing," Henry assured him though the other boy still looked at him skeptically. "I think there's something off about this world and if anyone knows what it is, it's you. I'm hoping we can help each other." 

"What's in it for me?" 

"You'll have a chance to learn everything you want to about Emma Swan." Henry knew it was risky to use Emma as a bartering chip with him but he was running out of time. Before long it would be too late. 

That night, Emma stood in Neal's kitchen, waiting for him to come down. She was thankful he had left her alone with his father, even for a minute. 

"Mr. Gold, I was actually hoping I'd get to talk to you." Emma greeted him nervously. He was an intimidating man, to begin with. Now she was here under the pretense of dating his son. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Swan?" Emma's heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. 

"I was wondering if you had any theories about everything going on in Storybrooke? I tried asking Ingrid but she's newer to town." 

"I can't help you." He spoke sternly and she could see the fierceness in his eyes. Before Emma could follow up, Neal had joined them in the kitchen. 

"Ready?"