#i sat down today with the intent of finishing a fanart for a fic that has been rotting my brain since mid of this month

[artistic-writer]

Between Now and Nether :: Ch 4 :: A CS AU

Title: Between Now and Nether by @artistic-writer  [full res fanart]

Summary: On their way to a Nolan Charity Gala, tragedy befalls Emma and Killian who is given just seven days to set things right.  Can he make Emma believe and escape the Nether before he is lost forever?

Rating: T+

AO3 Chapters: [1] - [2] - [3] - [4]

A/N: Ok, things are really starting to kick off now!  Things are going to get twisty and turny from now one, with Killian discovering things, Emma discovering things and the whole story unfolding into something that will (hopefully) make you gasp with shock and awe! This was written for CS Halloweek : Spirits & Traditions.

Future updates will be Sundays AND Thursdays! (providing I can get the art made in time)

Huge thanks to @hollyethecurious @kmomof4 @winterbaby89 @rouhn  and @wordsmith-storyweaver for your advice and suggestions.  This fic would just be so much worse without you guys! <3

Taglist: @mariakov81 @rouhn @resident-of-storybrooke @hookedonapirate @kmomof4 @galadriel26 @yellow-bugs-and-pirate-ships @the-captains-ayebrows @yayimallamaagain @takhisismb @officerrogerss @ i-nvr-wrote-it

If you would like to be added please let me know for ch 5!

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On day two, Kilian decided to step up his game and focus his energy on making Emma see him. Well, not in the sense of actually looking at him, but in the sense of accepting that he was the presence that he knew she could sense around the house all the time. He began first thing in the morning, fiddling with their alarm clock so that it rang out at the same time each morning. Despite never setting it the night before, Emma simply turned it off and frowned at the time; the same one they used to set for work.

And then there was the faucet in the bathroom. It had always been a bit stiff, Emma’s early morning strength next to nothing compared to his meaning he was always having to turn it on for her so she could brush her teeth. Killian had taken to setting off the alarm and then rushing to the bathroom to make sure that the water was already flowing when she stepped through the door.

He had to admit, he was getting the hang of this haunting thing. Except, if he didn’t find a way to help Emma piece all of the occurrences together, he would never get to see her again.

Maybe there was a clue in how he had died. He still didn’t know who had killed him and why, but he was sure as hell going to find out today. Torn between staying with Emma and heading to the precinct to check on his case, Killian’s decision was made for him when Emma’s sister-in-law arrived shortly after ten.

The Nolans were good people, even if Emma had been adopted into their family, and when Dave had married Mary Margaret nobody was surprised. She had the biggest heart in the smallest of packages, her smile lighting up every room she entered. She was patient yet strong willed, and the perfect woman to keep David in check, and the perfect comfort Emma needed right now.

As he left the two women, both clutching a glass of sweet tea between chilled palms, Killian couldn’t help but sweep his hand over Emma’s flat stomach and feel his unbeating heart swell with pride.

The police precinct was the same as always. Graham sat at his desk, ever the boy scout, eager to finish his assignment and move onto the next one. Killian hoped he was on his case because next to Emma, Graham was the best cop Killian knew, and with Emma at home, he needed someone he could trust.

Across the room, Leroy was reclined at his desk with his corded phone pressed to his ear, soft grunts and nods of agreement sporadically filling his workspace as he chomped on a donut. The dark brown beard he sported was always dusted with some kind of icing or sugar sprinkle, the slightly curled facial feature catching everything that fell into it. Generally, everyone left him alone, but Emma had always been kind enough to give him a knowing nod and a brush of her chin to indicate his newly acquired attire.

Killian wondered how he was going to survive with Emma absent. Leroy was already the stereotypical cop - short, rotund and balding with a coffee stained shirt and a penchant for sugary treats. Without Emma, he had no chance. And neither did Killian, which is why he had to find out who was on his case and what they knew.

To Killian’s absolute horror, the ‘murder board’ indicated that Leroy was the lead on his case and he laughed out loud. He had the worst luck it seemed.

“Hey, Leroy!” An officer called as he entered the bullpen, walking straight through Killian on his way to the detective’s desk. Killian groaned and rolled his eyes, the sensation of being passed through something he would never get used to.

The officer slapped a brown manila folder down in front of Leroy who lifted his legs from his desk and sat forward, a rainbow of sprinkles falling from his facial hair. “What’s this?” He squinted at the name on the folder. “Who the fuck is Jefferson?”

“Yes, who is Jefferson?” Killian moved across the room once more, glad that he had absolutely no sense of smell when he got a look at the state of Leroy’s desk. Things were growing on it.

The officer shrugged and leaned back, one hand resting on his holstered weapon. “Small time drug dealer as far as we can tell. No known connection to Jones at all.”

“He works with Gold,” Graham piped in from across the room and all three heads turned towards the Irishman. Graham hadn’t even lifted his head, insistent on finishing his paperwork to an excellent standard before signing the bottom and placing his pen down on the form. He finally looked up at them and raised a brow. “For Gold, actually.”

Leroy narrowed his eyes and interlaced his fingers, resting them on the curve on his belly that was stretching his shirt fabric to its limit as he leaned back in his chair. “Is that so,” he snapped. “How do you know that, Humbert?”

“Yes…” Killian rushed to Graham’s desk, noticing his paperwork was for a measly parking violation. Humbert was better than this. He might be the new guy in the department, but he deserved better than grunt work. “...tell me how you know.”

“Detective work,” Graham shrugged and let a sly grin slip over his features as he pushed himself to his feet, shuffling his papers into a perfect pile. “You should try it sometime,” he grinned at Leroy.

Killian almost laughed, shooting a glance back over to Leroy who had flushed red with anger. He was a veteran, almost as old as the furniture in the whole building, and the new guy was not only embarrassing him, but he was doing so in a room full of other cops.

“Now listen here, rookie,” Leroy stood, his chair skidding backward and his gut falling down to fill the space around the belt of his pants.

Graham stepped forward around his desk and Killian shot a glance between the two of them. Leroy was always causing a tension in the bullpen but it never came to blows. As big as he thought he was, Leroy was a coward and would never risk a fight. He just had a big mouth and liked to bully the new guys. Killian watched Graham intently and smirked when the younger detective didn’t back down.

“Yeah, Leroy?” He asked, chest puffed out and tongue pressing the back of his teeth. His Irish accent had grown thicker, somewhat Gypsy-like and Killian wondered what kind of history the mild-mannered detective had.

Leroy tugged his belt up and pushed his sleeves further up his arm, striding towards him. Killian forgot himself for a second and stumbled backward, falling straight into Graham but instead of everyone else who he had passed through, he felt himself stop, held in place by something he couldn’t explain as a ripple passed over his skin.

He was instantly invaded by the smell of sweat and cheap cologne, the overtones of coffee hanging thick in the air. It was pungent, and unexpected after not having any sense of smell for a few days, and Killian shook his head to try and dislodge the smell from his nostrils. He grunted in disgust but had no time to really register what was happening before Leroy pounded his flat palms to his chest.

“Oh I stink now too, eh?” Leroy bellowed, puffing out his chest and trying to appear larger than his short stature allowed.

Killian took a trip, catching his suddenly heavier feet on something behind him and falling arse first to the ground. He frowned but had little time to react before the Captain’s voice erupted over everyone else in the room. She emerged from her office, a short round lady who looked sweet and innocent but would strike fear into the hearts of most men.

“Leroy!” She shouted angrily, slamming her hand on the desk beside her. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Ma’am, I was just…” Leroy stammered, backing away from the man on the floor in front of him, confusion plastered all over his face.

“Get back to work!” Captain Lucas screeched, her patience for Leroy clearly waning. “And Humbert!” she shouted again and when Killian looked around, Graham was gone.

“Humbert!” She bellowed louder and Killian felt someone grab at his arm, yanking him to his feet. He looked at the fellow officer with a twisted frown and then back to Captain Lucas as she made her way towards him. Or Graham. Was he Graham? What was going on? “What’s wrong with you? Did you bang your head or something?”

“Uh..no...ma’am,” Killian mumbled, unsure as his words left his mouth in an Irish accent. It surprised him and he looked down at his unfamiliar hands.

“Well, then get back to work. Good call on the Jones case,” she smiled, almost sweetly but even he knew better.

“Thanks, ma’am,” Leroy chimed, returning to his desk to retrieve the folder his lackey officer had planted in front of him earlier. He scooped it up and panted as he ran back to the curly haired woman, handing her the folder like an obedient dog. “Jefferson was the shooter. He works for Gold.”

Captain Lucas took the folder and plucked her glasses from the top of her grey mop, planting them on the tip of her nose and looking over the paperwork within. Leroy bounced beside her like an excited child eager to show teacher his project. “And you found this out all by yourself?” She peered over the top of her narrow glasses at Leroy who nodded instantly.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said proudly with a crooked grin.

“Fantastic,” She said dryly, closing the folder and handing it to Killian who took it with a frown. Leroy opened his mouth to object but she cut him off instantly. “I won’t tolerate a liar or schoolboy antics in my precinct,” she sighed, irritation lacing her words. “Hand everything you have to Humbert. He is the lead now.”

Killian’s lips twitched into a small smile and he clutched the folder possessively. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Leroy would never be able to solve his case. Graham would have more luck and maybe crack it. But what kind of cop would he be if he couldn’t solve his own murder? And he knew just the person to help him.

Plucking Graham’s brown leather jacket from the back of his desk chair, Killian offered Leroy one more smirk as he scrubbed his name from the whiteboard. He pulled the cap from the pen, wrote Graham’s name in the ‘lead’ column and headed out of the precinct and back to his home. Maybe being Graham Humbert could work in his favour. If he couldn’t convince Emma he was there in spirit, maybe he could show her that he was there in body. Even if that body belonged to another man.