Since I had such a positive response to my last fic I thought I'd play around with a multi-chapter I've had in my head. This has no relation to The Fitting, but it is still shamelessly Captain Swan. I think this will be about 4 chapters in all. Please let me know what you think, and as always I appreciate reviews. If you really like my writing you can also check out my original work on Fictionpress: ~cvatwood. You can also follow me on Tumblr:
Much luv,
C.V. Atwood
Ch.1 Through the Tornado
A Few Hours Ago:
Today had been an unbelievable day even by Storybrooke standards. It had started out with Henry insisting that he be allowed to leave the loft and spend some time outside. Emma, however, had been insistent ever since the revelation that Zelena meant to alter time that Henry remain indoors under the protection spell. It was for his own safety, but try telling that to a thirteen year old boy who didn't remember he was living in a world with magic. So she had argued with him, David and Mary Margret had attempted to bribe him, and then Killian had shown up and the cause was lost.
Henry, it seemed, idolized Killian, and the pirate absolutely adored her son. So it hadn't taken much begging on Henry's part to get Killian to agree to let him accompany him on a meeting with Mr. Smee. Knowing she had reached the end of her battle, and knowing that there was no better protection for Henry than perhaps Regina, Emma had reluctantly agreed to the outing. Plus, on the positive side, she though Henry might have been able to draw the pirate out of the state of melancholy he had fallen into over the past week. He had been oddly quite, lacking his general flirtatious swagger, and anything but the adventurous and reassuring Killian she had come to expect. She hadn't seen the man's eyes sparkle as much in days as they had that morning upon Henry asking to spend time with him.
Emma had just arrived at Granny's for cocoa and her next lesson with Regina when, two hours after the boys had left the loft, Mr. Smee came crashing through the door, the front of his jacket dirtied and bloody. Emma was up in an instant, fear flaring in every inch of her body. Where were Killian and Henry? And whose blood was all over the babbling man?
All Mr. Smee could manage to sputter were random tidbits about a flying monkey attempting to attack Henry, but that Killian had jumped in the way and been attacked instead. It was his blood that graced Mr. Smee's shirt. As he struggled with the winged simian Killian had screamed at the boy to run which a terrified Henry had been more than happy to oblige. Unfortunately Zelena had predicted such difficulties and had appeared in a puff of green smoke just in time to grab both Henry and the badly injured pirate.
Emma was desperate, Regina was livid, and in no time whatsoever the two had mounted a search to find their missing boy and Killian. They were just entering Zelena's cellar to retrieve Henry and Hook when Emma's phone rang. Grumpy was frantic. Mary Margret had finally gone into labor and she and David were heading to the hospital. That is when it clicked for Emma. The kidnappings had been a ruse to get her and Regina out of the town and away from Zelena's last ingredient. Snow and Charming never made it to the hospital. Zelena was on them the moment they exited the loft, freezing Charming where he stood and transporting her and Snow to the town square with a snap of her fingers. She was going to make sure the entire town had front row tickets for her successful revenge.
Regina was immediately in control of the situation, ever the queen. Her rage fueling her magic in a way that was both fantastic and terrifying. She ordered Emma to free their son and disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke, her hands already crackling with the fireballs she planned to unleash on the Wicked Witch. Emma wasn't sure if she wanted time to move more slowly or more quickly. She was frantic as she attempted to get past Zelena's protection spells, and her untrained magic was misfiring. She could see Henry, his chin resting peacefully against his chest as he slept, but it was several minutes until she could reach him through his invisible barrier. He was unconscious, but from what she knew not.
She had then turned to Killian and the site had horrified her. It was clear her pirate was much worse for the wear. His trademark leather coat was missing completely and his shirt was torn to shreds and bloodied. The way he was crumpled on the floor unmoving Emma couldn't be sure he was alive, but she set to work anyways attempting to channel her magic at breaking Zelena's barrier. As her magic hit the invisible wall and reverberated outward in a spider web of white light she felt her breath catch in her throat. She couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn she had just seen Killian shift ever so slightly. He was alive, but for how long she didn't know.
Again Emma hurled her magic against the barrier. Please don't let Killian die, please don't let Killian die… Another shake and another web of light as she hurled all her power into breaking the barrier, her mantra for his survival repeating in her head. She was crying; this barrier was so much stronger than the one Zelena had cast over Henry, and she had a gut wrenching feeling that her time was short.
And then suddenly it wasn't there. Emma's hands were glowing white and hot as she shifted from relying on magic alone to more desperately reaching for her real world strength. She pounded at the barrier with a mixture of magic and fist, and then suddenly she was falling through onto Killian—Please don't let Killian die—her hands releasing their energy into the surrounding air as she hit the ground. It was the last thing she saw before they were surrounded by the green tornado, her white light crackling around pirate and princess, but falling just short of Henry.
#
Emma's body collided painfully with the dirt before sliding a few feet across the forest floor. Somewhere behind her she heard Killian grunt as his body too fell from the swirling green tornado. Emma rolled over, attempting to ignore the throbbing pain in her ribs as she pushed herself upward, desperate to check on her son and pirate. It only took a few seconds for her heart to catch in her throat as her hand shot to her mouth in a strangled cry. Henry wasn't anywhere to be found, and Killian was sprawled on the grass one arm twisted unnaturally beneath him, the other falling limply across his face.
"Killian," Emma whispered, stumbling across the clearing to the pirate. She gingerly pushed the arm off of his face and rolled him onto his back, and leaned her ear close to his mouth. He was breathing, but just barely. "Dammit." What was she supposed to do? How could she help him? Regina hadn't taught her any magic for healing. They'd barely made it into conjuring, but she had to do something and judging from the tall trees twisting up around the clearing Emma could guess they were pretty far from the nearest hospital.
Emma took a deep breath. She could do this. It was just like the candle in Dark Hollow or the mirror in the loft, she just needed to believe in herself. Although perhaps she should start small…she didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was. Emma focused on his face where his left eye was swollen purple and blue. She studied the extent of the discoloration and swelling, carefully memorizing it before closing her eyes and extending her hand. Breath. Breath. Breath. Killian. Her heart ached painfully as she extended her hand and allowed the power to flow through her fingers. After a few moments she blinked her eyes open and was relieved that Killian's face was no longer marred.
Reassured, Emma raised her hand yet again, ready to focus on his clearly broken arm. Memorize the wound. Close her eyes. Breath. Breath. Breath. Feel the power flow into her fingers—Emma froze as something sharp connected with the back of her neck, her eyes jumping open rapidly. "Put your hand down witch before I put this blade through your skull."