A/N: This. Finale. Ugh. You get it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
No Stronger Magic
His steps echo within the castle, bouncing off the walls, producing a quiet, yet cacophonous noise which is only matched by the tattoo of his heart. Sweat is dripping down his back and he can't blame the thick leather. He tightens his grip on the hilt of his sword and picks up the pace.
He's not afraid of anything he could find in this castle, a menacing pile of dark stones, let it be guards, dragons, dragon guards or else. Except for one thing, of course. Whatever that's left of his Swan.
He doesn't know what to expect. The Crocodile had always been a bloody arsehole, a coward, cursed or not. But Emma? The only light in his life, the saviour, everything good in human form? How much of her, if any, would be left? His heart constricts painfully in his chest at the mere thought of never hearing her laugh again, never seeing her eyes crinkle once more, when she finds his antics funny.
Gods, he can't bear to lose her forever.
He kicks down a door, only to see another endless corridor.
He curses Merlin under his breath, with his bloody cryptic advice and lack of any actual help. He might not even be in the right castle, because the old man didn't even bother to point him in the right direction.
A gust of wind strikes him, making him shiver, but he takes it as a good sign. Neverland has always had terrible weather too.
He finally reaches a double door, with meticulous engravings and he knows he's found her. He can feel her presence.
The door creaks open and he holds his breath as he enters.
It's her.
She's standing with her back to him, but he would recognize her anywhere, anyhow.
"What are you doing here?" she speaks in a measured tone.
"I came to save you."
"I don't need saving!" she whips around, and a blast of magic knocks him out before he could blink twice.
He wakes on the floor, chained to the wall. He yanks at his binding, but to no avail. Looking up, he sees her perched on her throne, her her tilted to the right, gazing at him with perverse interest.
He yanks again and feels the metal bite into his skin.
"Try all you want, you won't escape." she says with her lips tilting up into an evil grin.
Now he has the time to take a good look at her. The curse has changed her. Her skin has an unnatural, eerie glow and there's darkness in her eyes, those greens long gone. The shine of her hair has dimmed, but he knows it's still her. Still Emma, underneath all these layers of darkness. The slope of her nose, the shape of her mouth are the same. If he concentrates, he can recall her smile when she kissed him outside Granny's, he can still see the way her eyes lit up when he brought here grilled cheese and onion rings. The next memory that his mind brings forward is a painful one, how she'd said I love you, right before the darkness engulfed her and took her away. He can only hope that her love for him – gods, it's still mind-boggling to think of- hasn't disappeared, that he can bring her back to the light.
He's not about to give up right now.
Thankfully, she hadn't thought of removing his satchel, and with slow and precise movement, he manages to grab the small vial filled with a potion that Regina had made for him. He twists it open, suddenly grateful for his experience with doing things one-handed and pours some of it on the chains wrapped around his left arm. They disappear in an instant and he frees his other wrist, looking up to check if Emma has noticed. She appears oblivious to his achievements, staring out the window, while he slowly frees all of himself.
He needs to think now. His only hope is True Love's kiss, that's obvious. He needs to take her by surprise. Maybe if he drew closer silently...
He stands up very, very slowly, careful not to rattle the chains. The air's still clear.
He fixes his eyes on her and that proves to be a grave mistake. He misses a piece of glass on the marble floor and it shatters under his boots. Emma turns around, with a fire in her eyes, and he's convinced this is where it ends.
But something inside him sends him propelling forward, so fast that Emma can't react in time, and he grabs her by her waist, pressing his lips to hers.
They don't feel the same anymore. They're cold and hard and he's never been this terrified before, not once in his more-than-300 years, because it's not working. This was supposed to be the only way to save her and it's not working.
But then there's a gasp, and he can feel how the warmth is spreading through her and now she's kissing him back, knotting her fingers in his hair. He can taste salt, but he doesn't know if it her tears or his, or maybe both, but he doesn't care, because he finally gets to hold her again, and kiss her, and love her. They break apart for a fraction of a second to get some air, and Emma's now sobbing into his shoulder, Oh, Killian being the only words she can get out before her throat closes up again, and he's never been so happy to hear his name.
He holds her for hours, murmuring into her hair and rubbing her back, reassuring her that everything's all right now, until she stops crying. Her eyes open wide in surprise, as she gestures around.
"Killian, look."
He raises his head, and his breath catches as he takes it all in. The dark castle is gone, the walls are now white and he can hear the birds chirping outside.
"Come now, Swan. The Jolly's waiting." he takes her hand and leads her outside. The garden's beautiful too, and he can't say he isn't tempted to whisk her away sometimes, bring her back here, away from everyone else.
They sail back to Storybrooke and he watches with a smile as the town celebrates her return. People take turns expressing how grateful they are to him, for bringing her back and he accepts every single compliment with a small smile and a bow of his head. (Well, he doesn't turn down a few bottles of good rum either).
Of course, life in Storybrooke is never easy, and there isn't a shortage of villains ever, but they fight them side by side, and enjoy the quiet moments inbetween.
(Quiet moments also include a proposal and a wedding. Oh, and babies.)
I'd be really grateful for reviews! :)