These Dreams

The Fear Inside

They arrived at The Leaky Cauldron to a moderately grumpy innkeeper who was just about to go to bed. He directed them to a spacious and somewhat drafty room on the third floor, gestured toward a pile of firewood in the corner, and bowed his way out, closing the door behind him.

"Brrr." Emma rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

"Give me a moment, love - I'll just build up the fire."

Killian got down on one knee, piling logs into formation. He turned, glancing around.

"What are you looking for?" Emma asked.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "Well, I don't see a coal pail or matches - how the devil does he expect us to light a fire?"

Emma pulled out her wand. "Magic...remember?" She stepped forward. "There's a word you use for the spell but when you get older you can just think what you want. I think."

She closed her eyes, concentrating, and pointed her wand at the logs. They burst into flame with an enormous roar, sending Killian tumbling backwards into her and knocking her down onto the carpet next to him.

"Damn!" he exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Guess I'm more powerful than I thought." She glanced over at him, and her eyes went wide. She clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the laughter, but it didn't work. She collapsed on the carpet, rolling over and holding her stomach, she was laughing so hard.

"What?" he asked, grinning widely at her good humor. "My near-death experience was amusing, was it?"

"Your - " she stopped, panting and laughing some more. "Your eyebrows are smoking!"

"What!" He reached up, slamming his hand against them, then howled when he caught himself in the corner of the eye with one of his rings. "Bloody hell!" He fell backwards, rolling next to her on the carpet. Emma leaned up on an elbow over him.

"Let me see," she said reaching out to pry his hand from his eye.

"No," he groaned.

"Come on...I didn't mean to nearly burn you alive," she said. "Now, let me look." She pried his fingers off and he squinted up at her.

"These brows are known across the realms, I'll have you know," he complained.

"Oh, I have no doubt."

"And I know several tavern wenches who would have your head for gouging out my eye."

She gave him a look. "You gouged your own eye. And I know all about your tavern wench following. I've been one, remember?"

He reached up, tucking her hair behind her ear. "So you have. But they're well in the past love, since you came along."

Emma gave him a smile, but it was forced. He watched her curiously as she pushed herself to her feet.

"You can have the bed," she said. "I'll just curl up here by the fire." She reached out to pull the folded comforter off the bottom of the bed, and Killian gained his feet, straightening up slowly. He reached out and put his hand on her arm as she tried to spread the blanket on the carpet.

"What's this about?" he asked gravely. "Since when are you afraid of sharing a bed with me?"

"I..." Emma looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. "I just think maybe we need some distance tonight. That's all."

"Distance." She could feel his eyes burning into her but she still wasn't looking at him.

"It's been a long night - "