The Monster Within

Chapter 48

"So I'm guessing he's had no military training,"

"I doubt it, he just spends his time moving heavy boxes onto ships and stuff like that. No doubt you could kick his ass."

Good to know...

"So, Emma has abandonment issues too?"

"Oh, don't even get me started on her problems. She always says that she's felt unloved all her life. Her own parents didn't even want her."

"Was she given up for adoption?"

"They didn't even make it that far, they left her on the side of some highway," Zelena smirks and Arthur mirrors her grin.

"Really?"

"Yeah, and then the family that adopted her gave her back when they had their own baby."

Both chuckle as Miss Swan's misery, Jacob a little bit harder than expected.

"She was in and out of the foster system and group homes. Until she ran away and got herself pregnant at sixteen."

"She knew Killian way back then?"

"Oh God no, she met this drifter Neal Cassidy and the two ran from the law for a while until she got knocked up. Had a cute kid, but the kicker is, he had daddy problems too and left them when the kid was twelve."

"The poor gal," he says with a laugh.

"I am not sympathetic at all. The pair of whiny weaklings deserve each other. They can have that squeaky-clean life for all I care. Live the Norman Rockwell life, me I'd rather live dangerously..."

"You live on the edge baby," He smirks. He leans in to kiss her. Their spiteful lips meet, and they snicker with glee. A wretched pair that deserved each other no doubt. A real match made in hell.

"Now tell me about the other one, the one who belongs in a monastery you said..."

...

Later that evening, after saying goodnight to Zelena, Arthur takes his truck and runs a detour to the harbour side of town. He parks across the street from the big gray house with the white picket fence and a yellow Volkswagen parked out front.

He lights up a cigarette and watches the happy family as they come back from a walk down by the harbour. The blonde pushed the baby in the stroller, the happy boyfriend with his arm around her shoulders and the teenage son eating a chocolate bar and checking his phone. No doubt he could get rid of the dark-haired docks man, he'd no doubt lay down his life for his daughter and Emma, but he forgot to ask about the teenage boy. The kid was tall and lanky, but looks could be very deceiving. He didn't look like a fighter, but his mother worked for the police force, no doubt he had a few self-defence lessons under his belt. He stared for a long time at the stroller, containing the infant... his infant. She'd already spent a month in the wrong hands and he didn't even know his daughter's name. He hoped that Emma at least gave her a decent name, do one good thing for their child. He licks his lips in an almost predatory way before letting out some cigarette smoke.

How easy would it be to just run over there and snatch the tiny thing from under the blonde's nose? They wouldn't have time to stop him, he had a full tank of gas and gun in the glove compartment. Take it and go, head off with the little girl that should be his. He worked so hard to get her developing anyways, he deserves to meet her at least.

It would be so easy to grab it. No doubt they were tired, having a new baby was exhausting. He'd have to strike sooner rather than later, catch them off-guard and maybe inflict a little bit of pain.

He watches them go up the path into their idyllic little home. The family parks the stroller on the front porch and Arthur only catches a brief glimpse of the little girl. She was fast asleep, so he couldn't see her eyes. He waits patiently until he only sees the lights on in what can be assumed as the master bedroom. He gets out of his truck and casually goes across the street. He unlatches the front gate and sneaks up to the porch. He looks in and sees that the careless parents left one of their daughter's blankets in the stroller. It also contains a few toys. He takes a hold of the blanket, it looked like it was handknitted and he turns it over to see a name stitched on the front.

Sophie

His heart skipped a few beats. So that was his daughter's name. Not the best one out there, but still it was nice. He holds the blanket up to his nose and inhales the scent. It smelled beautiful, the scent of new life...

He then takes the tiny thing back into his truck and shoves it into the glove compartment. He knew they would miss it, most likely a sentimental gift from a friend, maybe that old cranky diner lady that Zelena talked about. He thought it might be a good warning to them... keep them on edge. After all, he liked a challenge...

A/N: More to come. It's okay if Arthur smelling Sophie's baby blanket made your skin crawl, it made me uncomfortable just to write it. I have exams starting next week so I will have to take a little break, but I will be back very soon. Please follow and review.