Hi everyone!
So, here I come with this one shot. It's a translation of the OS "My Happy Ending", that I have already posted on the website. My native language is French, and I decided to start translating my fictions in order to improve my English. It's my first time, so I'm so sorry if I made mistakes. Let me know what you think about this story (and if you see mistakes too, I'm here to learn :) ). If you like this story, I might translate ohters of my fanfictions, because I really liked the process of writing the same story in another language. Anyway, I hope you'll like this OS! :)
"Bloody hell, Emma, talk to me !"
I looked up to meet Killian's eyes, trying but failing to hide my trembling hand. I grabbed my wrist to stabilize it, and got up off the floor where I had squatted without really realizing it. I wasn't having visions anymore, no, but flashes of my supposed death were haunting me constantly, popping into my mind when I was least expecting it. This time, terrified, I had lost all control and had threw myself on the floor, my hands upon my head, hoping to protect myself from an invisible danger. A phantom pain suddenly appeared around my right side, as if I had really gotten stabbed a few seconds ago.
Killian was staring at me, looking deeply hurt. He knew I was hiding things from him, for days now. He knew I wasn't myself anymore, and it worried him, but I couldn't resolve myself to tell him what was soon going to happen. How would I be able to announce him my own death when we had only found each other again? And he would have wanted to save me while it was impossible. I was scared he would have thrown himself into the lion's den, and something would have happened to him. I couldn't hurt him that way.
Luckily, we were alone in the house, and no one else had witnessed my panic attack. I faked a smile to reassure Killian, but it didn't seem to work very well. He was obviously sad but seemed a little angry as well, because I was refusing to tell him what was going on. He thought it was because I didn't trust him enough, but it wasn't the case. I just loved him too much to share this fate I couldn't escape from with him.
"I'm fine" I said in a surprisingly assured voice given the fact that I was terrified. "I just collapsed. I forgot to eat with everything that's going on right now. I must have hypoglycemia or something."
"And your shaking hand, is it also hypogly...whatever?"
"Hypoglycemia, Killian." I repeated, slightly amused by the fact he didn't know the word (which was pretty normal as the medical term was probably unknown in the Enchanted Forest). "And yes, it can be one of the symptoms."
He didn't seem satisfied with my answer. I sighted, forcing myself to maintain my smile while I was utterly distraught. Since the vision the young girl had shown me, I was having nightmares and panic attacks all the time, but I couldn't tell anyone about it. Because it was my job to protect the town. And I couldn't admit to my family that I was going to die really soon. I didn't want it to happen. Not now, because I had just found Hook and I was finally ready to build a future with him. And yet it was inevitable. The oracle had made herself quite clear. I was going to die trying to protect those I loved. I was the Savior, it was my job after all. Even if it was horribly cruel, I had to accept it. I didn't have a choice anyway. And it was a rather heroic gesture. At least, I wasn't going to die stupidly, even if it was a poor consolation. I would have given anything for a little more time…
"This is not all, Swan." He answered in a gentle voice. "You can't lie to me like that. I just wanna help you, you know. I hate to see you so sad. What is bothering you?"
"Everything's great." I lied once again, shaking my head. "Stop worrying about me. I'm just a little overworked, that's all."
Wanting to reassure him, I approached him and placed my hand on his cheek, smiling in a comforting way. He shook is head and opened his mouth to say something, but my phone suddenly started to ring, and I turned away from him to pick it up.
Saved by the bell
I didn't want to tell him what was really happening. I was aware of the fact that, if my happy ending was taken away from me, his was disappearing as well. Because we were supposed to spend the rest of our days together. Would he be able to overcome the loss of someone else? He had already lost so many people, his brother, his father, Milah, and we had just been confirmed True Loves. I just wanted to give him some last good moments together. I didn't want our last moments to be spoiled by this vision of the future, by this fate that was chasing me and to which I had to subdue. He didn't need to know about it. Nobody did. I was the one who had asked the oracle to show me the full vision, after all. It was my fault if I knew that I was going to die soon. I had to take responsibility for it, now.
I took the phone in my hand and sighted when I recognized my dad's number on the screen. Since a week that the people from the land of Untold Stories had arrived - and since I had learned about my sordid future – I hadn't had one single break. And yet, I just would have wanted one peaceful moment. I would have wanted to share one last meal with my family, with the people I loved most in this world, those who were in my vision, those for whom I was going to die : my parents, Henry and Killian. But it was impossible given all that was happening in the town at the moment. And I had to pretend that everything was okay. I was terrified, and I felt like I was going to bust into tears at any moment because of all the stress I was feeling.
"Yes, dad?" I asked, putting my cell phone to my ear, trying to ignore the panic that was giving me a hard time.
"Emma? You need to come to the station. Now. Someone's asking for you."
"Who is it?" I asked, surprised.
"He didn't tell. He's very weak. He's just asking for you again and again, you need to come right now."
"Okay," I said without hesitation. "We're coming right away."
I wasn't surprised by anything that was happening in this town anymore. Hell, now that I knew the way I was going to die, the dangers I was facing on my path seemed kind of paltry. My end was already written, for very very soon. And until that moment, I wasn't risking anything.
Killian had heard our phone call, and made for the entrance hall to go outside and reach for my car. He was still looking hurt by my silence and, wanting to comfort him and choosing to set aside the intuition that was telling me it was going to worry him even more, I called him back :
"Killian?"
"Aye?" He asked, turning back to face me.
I covered in three big steps the short distance that was separating us from each other and took him into my arms. He didn't take long to embrace me back and I buried my face into is neck. I had decided to try my best to show him how much I loved him before I had to go. Even if these expressions of affection would probably worry him even more, I needed him to know how I felt about him. It was important
I slowly ran my hand through his hair and his fingers automatically went up and down my spine, giving me the shivers. I broke a little away from him to kiss him on the cheek and I said, looking straight into is deep blue eyes :
"I love you."
He frowned, looking a bit worried by this unexpected statement. But he ended up smiling shyly and he leaned forwards to press a kiss on my forehead :
"I love you too. I just want things to be the way they were before."
"When we'll have defeated Hyde." I stated in a slightly shaking voice because I knew all too well that this battle was going to be my last.
But I didn't talk about these thoughts, and settled for a last hug before pulling away for good. I was eager to reach the station. I was curious to know more about this mysterious stranger who wanted to talk to me. I was just hoping he didn't have worse news to give me. If I was going to die, I didn't want for a close one to go with me. If I was going to die, it was to protect them, and it was going to be my last mission. They had to stay alive. I was the Savior, and I was going to sacrifice myself to save them. It was my destiny.
"Emma Swan !"
I barely had the time to take a step into the main room of the station that the stranger had already jumped off the chair he was sitting on. It was a tall man with a golden skin, still young but obviously tired. He had probably been good-looking a long time ago, in another life, but his face was drawn by the strain and the fear. When he saw me coming in, he grabbed my two hands, and I couldn't help myself but having a withdrawal movement, a bit confused by this unexpected familiarity.
"You're the Savior, you're Emma Swan!" He exclaimed, shaking me a bit as if he was trying to make sure I was real.
I tensed up a bit, glancing behind is shoulder to meet my parent's eyes. They were staring at us with a surprised look on their faces, and I heard Killian stirring behind my back, probably uncomfortable because of the stranger's behavior. Gently in order not to rush him, I freed myself from his grip and asked in my most professional voice :
"And you are?"
"Aladdin. I come from Agrabah. I'm here to see you."
It took us a few seconds to digest the information. In that short period of time, Aladdin's legs seemed to stop working, and he sat back down on his chair, apparently too weak to stay on his feet. I frowned, wondering what had happened to him, but my eyes met his hand, which was shaking quite violently. Exactly like my own. I didn't take the time to think about what I wanted to say, and I approached him, grabbing his wrist with an unintentional abruptness.
"What the hell is happening to you ?"
"Emma, why is his hand shaking like yours ?" Killian asked in a worried voice.
I could tell he had guessed the symptom had a more important meaning that what I had told him. Seeing how weak Aladdin was, it worried him even more. I didn't bother answering him, and the man who was facing me looked at me in a serious way :
"I'm here to warn you, because I experienced the exact same thing that you do. The reason why my hand is shaking, it's because I'm a Savior myself. I was, anyway. Before Jafar ruined everything."
"Jafar?" My mom repeated
"I'm not sure I understand." Killian added, stepping forward to join me.
Almost unconsciously, I sought for Killian's hand to intertwined our fingers together. I was utterly lost. What was the meaning of all of this? Was he trying to tell me that all the Saviors ended up experiencing this symptom? Hyde had warned me about the existence of several Saviors when I had gone to see him in his cell, and I had understood that it was my position that was going to stop me from reaching my happy ending. But were all the Saviors destined to end up that way? Was my certain death going to prevent me from the weakness that was killing Aladdin? If I had had the chance to live longer, would I have ended up in the same state than him?
"What does he want from me?" I asked in a fierce voice, hoping to obtain some answers.
"I don't know precisely," He said with honesty. "But I know he's after you, just like he was after me."
I sat on top of the closest desk, ready to listen. I trusted this man. He had that glow in his eyes, the same one that had the people who had suffered a lot – the same one I sometimes saw shinning at the bottom of my stare when I was crossing my reflection in the mirror. I didn't know how he had arrived in Storybrooke, I knew nothing about his story. But he wanted to help me, I was so sure of it. Probably to prevent me from suffering too. It was certainly too late for that, but it couldn't hurt to listen to what he had to say.
"I was a thief for years." Aladdin then resumed. "It's during this period that I met Jafar – He is my enemy for a very long time. I met Jasmine at the same time, a princess – my princess. I will spare you the details, but we thought we had defeated Jafar while it was only a trap. I became prince of Agrabah, and people started calling me the Savior. I had developed magical powers, and I was helping my kingdom to fight against poverty. But little did we know that Jafar wasn't dead. He came back when I was at the lowest because of all the work I was daily providing to help everyone find the happy ending they deserved. He disguised himself as an oracle, and showed me my future – a vision in which I was dying. Because of that, I pulled away from the people I loved, I isolated myself and my weakness only got worse. And if I'm not dead, I'm now unable to use my magic. If I'm here today, If I've come all the way from Agrabah and managed to find one of the last magical bean that existed in my kingdom, it is to warn you, Emma. Jafar is working with Hyde. I don't know how he's gonna hurt you, but he's gonna try something, I'm sure of it."
I was having trouble breathing, and tears had appeared in my eyes. His story was so close to my own. The oracle that had announced him his death, him running away from his loved ones and his decay. It was what was happening to me right now. I was feeling increasingly worse because I was refusing to tell the truth to my family. My hands were grabbing the edge of the desk, and I barely saw Killian turning to face me and saying :
"Swan, you okay?"
"You talked about an oracle?" I asked quickly in a slightly shaking voice.
"Yes, she came to me when I was at my worst. My work as a Savior was becoming a heavy burden. I had trouble using my magic, my hand was shaking and I had visions. Flashes of a battle. She showed me the end of the vision, and I was getting killed. To provide my loved ones from suffering, I pulled away from them. It is only until much later, when I was weak and alone, that I found out the oracle's real identity. She was Jafar's prisoner, and he had taken over her appearance to trick me. She managed to escape briefly and took care of me, but he ended up finding her again."
"Are you saying that...The oracle that I saw...It was Jafar?"
My voice was shaking, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This man coming from nowhere, this stranger with whom I was sharing the same condition, had just told me that, maybe, there was still hope. That everything wasn't lost yet. That I could still survive and have my own happy ending
"Wait a minute, Emma, you saw an oracle?"
I didn't answer my dad's question and carried on staring at Aladdin, too shocked to be able to say something. He tried to smile to comfort me, and added :
"If she used a stick with a snake's head on it, yeah, that's him. It's his scepter. His trademark. He never parts from it and I should have known it. I came to warn you : don't make the same mistake I did. You're well known in Agrabah, Emma. You're a Savior, just like me, and Jafar had always had something against people like us, because we're the reason he doesn't win most of the time. There were rumors of Jafar associated himself with Hyde, and people were saying they were both in Storybrooke. I had to let you know."
I shook my head in disbelief. During all of his speech, it never came to my mind that Aladdin could be lying. I didn't know him, but I trusted him. And I wanted to believe in what he was saying. He was ensuring me that I wasn't going to die if I didn't listen to Jafar. The room was weirdly quiet and my parents and Killian were staring at me, confused. They knew I was hiding something from them, but not something that big. Not a prophecy announcing my own death. And even if they didn't know the exact content of the vision yet, they knew something serious was happening. As a conclusion, Aladdin carried on with a sad smile :
"Don't make the same mistake I did. Don't run away from your loved ones. It doesn't protect them, and it's hurting you. That's how I really lost myself."
His last words reached my heart, and all at once, this overflow of emotions I had kept to myself for day came to life. Without any warning, without having the time to stop what was coming, I started crying.
My first reaction was to hide, but Aladdin's words resonated in my brain. Don't run away from your loved ones. So I decided to follow his advice and, blinded by my tears, I reached for Killian's hand. He was staring at me, looking utterly lost, but he didn't ask anything and pulled me into a tight embrace. I wrapped my hands around his back and buried my face into his neck, trying to comfort myself and stop crying.
I couldn't believe it had all been a lie. I wasn't going to die. It was only a trick, to make me loose control and weaken me. I still had my best years to come, years I was going to spend with Killian. He was hugging me strongly, running his hand up and down my spine without trying to say anything, understanding I needed some time. I suddenly felt my parent's presence next to us, and pulled away from the man I loved to hug them. My mom was silently crying, and my dad looked really upset. When I turned back to face Killian again, I saw that his eyes were filled with tears, and I took is hands to intertwine our fingers together.
"Emma..." He started in a shaking voice. "Can you tell us what happened?"
"You remember my absence when we were exploring the dirigible, and you remember my shaking hand?" I sobbed, trying to wipe my tears off my face. "I had a vision of a sword fight. And I wanted to know more, so I went to see Hyde…"
"Hyde!" My dad shouted looking deeply angry.
"Let her talk, David." My mom tempered in a gentle voice.
"He gave me some advice. He said that if I wanted to know what was happening, I had to follow a red bird, which was going to led me to the truth. That's what I did when I told you I wanted to be alone." I explained, looking straight into Killian's eyes. "I wanted to know so bad, so I followed it. And it led me to a young girl, the oracle. I required to see the rest of the vision, and she showed me the future. My future. Or should I say my death because I was getting stabbed by a sword trying to save you."
"Oh, Emma..." My mom said, putting a hand on my knee to comfort me.
"You thought you were going to die? And… you didn't tell me about it?" Killian asked, looking deeply hurt by this revelation.
"I'm so sorry." I said, feeling guilty. "I didn't want our last moments to be spoiled by this idea of me dying soon. And I didn't want you to be sad – I didn't want any of you to be. I didn't want to make you suffer, you didn't need too know and be worried about it because the oracle told me that my future was unavoidable. I just didn't want to see you hurt."
"So you bore the burden of this revelation by yourself?" My dad said, shaking his head.
"Bloody Hell, Emma, you need to start thinking about yourself!" Killian said, rubbing my leg with his thumb. "You always put everyone before you, it's not healthy."
"But it's my job." I objected weakly.
"That's what I was thinking too." Aladdin, who was holding back from all of these effusions, said. "But that's not true. That's what weakens us both and Jafar feeds from that to scare us. The tremblings, the visions, that's because of all this pressure. We may be the Saviors, but we are also humans. We have the right to fight for our own happy ending. Sometimes, you have to respect yourself enough to say no. And that is not selfishness, that's is simply common sense."
I didn't answer anything, digesting his words. It was true, sometimes it felt like I was going to crumble from the stress and the amount of work I had to provide. But I had never thought about saying no. It felt like I was letting everybody down by saying that. But Aladdin was right. If their Savior was broken, the people of Storybrooke wouldn't be able to benefit from her powers. And I couldn't protect them anymore.
"Promise me to stop hiding such things from me." Killian said, moving his hand to place it on my cheek. "We're a family. When there's a problem, we have to find a solution together."
"Promise." I whispered, and he pulled me against his chest once again, embracing me with strength.
"And I swear I will protect you no matter what, Emma Swan." He whispered in such a low voice that no one else was able to hear him but me. "Because I can't loose you."
His voice broke on the last sentence, and I realized he had let his own defenses down. Putting myself in his shoes, I understood his reaction : I would have wanted to know about it if a prophecy had predicted his death, because we could have searched for a solution together. I couldn't hide from the people I loved anymore. They were there for me, ready to support me if something was wrong. I was important enough for that kind of love, even if I still doubted it sometimes
I spent a long time snuggled into Killian's arms before finally pulling away from him. I was still crying, but I reached for his cheek to chase away his own tears. Finally, I turned towards my parents and said after taking a deep breath :
"I'm sorry. I should never have hidden this from you. I'll never make the same mistake again, I promise."
I saw Killian's face lighting up, as if he had understood I just went to war to fight my demons. Once again, he hugged me and stated in a shaking voice because of all the emotions :
"I'm proud of you."
His words made my heart skip a beat, and it is with a smile that I moved back to look at Aladdin. It felt like a heavy weight had just been taken off my shoulder. I was finally breathing again. The man smiled at me, and I spoke once again, not knowing how I could make him understand how much I appreciated his gesture of coming here to warn me :
"Thank you, thank you so much. This Jasmine, she's still in Agrabah? Can you promise me you'll try to reconnect with her?" I added when he had nodded with a sad smile
"She has suffered because of all my secrets. And I'm so weak. I'm not sure she wants to see me."
"She can help you get better." I assured, glancing quickly at Killian. "And you love each other, right? Love can overcome anything. I ought to know."
These kinds of speeches about hope, it was usually my mom's thing. It was a bit clumsy, I was aware of it, but it was coming from the bottom of my heart. Hook leaned towards me, moved by my words, and kissed me gently on the temple. Aladdin smiled because of this expression of affection, and answered :
"I promise I'll try."
There was a short silence in the room. Everyone was thinking about what had just happened. I felt freed and I had finally understood : having secrets made me suffer. Now that I finally had a family, I could share my burdens with them. And I was feeling so good now that I was sure I wasn't alone anymore.
"I think it's time to go face Jafar, don't you think?" I finally said, completely reassured.
"Emma, you need to be aware of what could happen." Aladdin answered with a serious look on his face. "If the vision Jafar showed you was a fake, yours is real. I myself had to fight, exactly like I saw in my vision, and if I'm not dead, I didn't emerge from it unharmed. You will have to face this battle. And its conclusion is uncertain."
I turned towards Killian, suddenly worried. I didn't know how the battle was going to end, it was true. I could still die, the danger wasn't averted yet. But I didn't have a choice, I had to defeat Jafar. I couldn't let him be, not while he was working with Hyde and wanted to take control over the town.
From fear, my hand started shaking again. I was still so weak. I felt like I wasn't able to control my magic anymore. All of these previous battles had consumed me, and I had lost myself in it. And it was by these tremblings that my exhaustion was showing. But Killian saw my distress, and he gently grabbed my hand. I could see he was scared, but he forced himself to smile and said :
"You won't be alone to face the danger, love. We will all be there, with you. Everything is gonna be okay, we have already done these kinds of things thousands of times. And after that, we can finally be happy."
Thanks to his words and the comforting touch of his skin against mine, my tremblings calmed down before going away completely. Aladdin was right. I had the right to say no, I was important enough for that and my loved ones were there to help me. I needed my family's love to overcome this, I had finally realized it. That's why, ignoring Aladdin's and my parent's presence, I leaned towards Killian and pressed a kiss on his lips, hoping to express all the love I had for him.
We were going to defeat Jafar. I wasn't going to die. I had the right to have my happy ending as well.
I wanted to believe in it.
"Emma!"
"I won't let you hurt them!"
I wielded my sword, and the blades clashed in an unpleasant metallic noise. Everything was looking way too much like my vision, and it was terrifying. The hooded figure (which I now knew to be Jafar), my parents, Killian and Henry running towards us, yelling after me, even my own words that I had pronounced without thinking. I was trying to ignore the little voice in my head that was saying I was indeed going to die in this battle and, with a grunt, I blocked the sword that was flying towards me.
We had been searching for Jafar all day long, splitting into several groups to find him, but our researches hadn't led to anything. It was at dusk, while we were eating at Granny's, that everything went down. A strange noise coming from the street had made us exit the diner, and, as my family was heading towards the origin of the sound, Jafar had appeared behind my back, snickering. His diversion had worked perfectly, because at the time my family came back, the battle had already begun. And they couldn't do anything to help me, because at every attempt they made to come near me, Jafar threw a spell towards them, and they ended up on the floor
He was much better than me at sword fighting. It was him who had given me my weapon, so I could defend myself. He didn't want me to use my powers because he knew I was stronger than him. I didn't want to kill me right away, without giving me the opportunity to fight back either, he was finding that "unfair". I hadn't had the time to use my magic, and I was giving everything I got to protect my family. If I died, he would free Hyde from his cell and they would take over Storybrooke together. They would both start killing everyone I loved, and I had to do something about it.
I was burning out, slowly but surely. My movements were imprecise, almost clumsy, while his were of a great dexterity. I wasn't able to attack and barely countered his shots. Several times, just like I saw it in my vision, I fell on the floor but, hearing my family yelling behind me, I managed to get up with a backward roll and carried on fighting.
I couldn't say for how long we fought in the dark, but I was exhausted. My muscles weren't answering anymore, and, without surprise because I knew what was going to happen, the sword flew from my hand and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"I won't let you hurt them !" I repeated in a shaking voice, wielding my hand, but it started shaking right away.
I suddenly started panicking, absolutely terrified. In the end, Aladdin's presence had only offered me one last hope. I was indeed going to die, right there, right now. It was the Savior's arrival that had sent me to my death. I had at least had the time to share one last moment of complicity with my family, one last meal with those I loved, as I had wished for. I didn't want to die, not now, I had still so many things to do in this world, but I didn't have a choice. It was my destiny. And if I was crumbled at the idea of having to leave the people I loved , it was how things were supposed to go and I couldn't fight against it.
I felt my eyes start to fill in with tears. I wished I could have seen Henry grow up. I wished I could have told him how much I was proud of him. And I wished I could have had the time to move in with Killian. We would have started a family together, maybe. I would have wanted to wake up next to him every day for dozens of years. But I hadn't had the time to do all of this, and I was blaming myself for keeping my walls up for so long with them. Maybe I would have had the time to share a little more time with those I loved, without those barriers. And time was all I was lacking of right now.
"You can do it, Emma!"
Killian's desperate call resonated into the night and startled me. His voice acted in a weird way on me, like I had been triggered. Suddenly, my hand stopped shaking. I looked up to see Jafar right at the time his sword flew towards my right side. Instinctively, without thinking about what I was doing, I jumped to the side, trying to save my life. However, I didn't jump far enough, because Jafar's blade burned a wound into my skin, tearing my tank top on its way. I roared because of the pain and, driven by my anger and the adrenaline that was running down my veins, I wielded my hand in front of Jafar once again without knowing what I wanted to do with him. A ray of light escaped from my palm and suddenly, nothing were left of the man but his cloak that gracefully landed on the floor, carried by the wind.
There was a few seconds of silence, only interrupted by my pantings. I wasn't realizing what was going on. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I was alive. I had defeated Jafar, even if I had no idea what I had done to him. Confused by the exhaustion and the excitation, I turned to face my family, my eyes wide open, and they rushed towards me all together.
The tight embrace that followed brought me back to reality. I had done it. I was safe. I wasn't going to die anytime soon. As if he was echoing my thought, Killian pulled away from me and shouted in a hysterical way :
"You did it! You did it!"
Then, without considering the presence of my parents and son or the sweat that was running down my temples, he started kissing me all over my face as if he was trying to check I was real. I burst out laughing, exhilarated by all this agitation, and by the relief that seemed almost palpable. I looked up to the sky, enjoying the sensation of the wind on my skin. Everything seemed much more intense. The crickets' noise, the fresh air of the night, the few stars that were shinning in the pitched black sky. As if you had to almost loose something to appreciate its true meaning.
I kept my son in a tight embrace, on of my arm wrapped around his shoulders. I was going to see him growing up. I was going to have my happy ending. Aladdin was right: If I hadn't told my family about the vision, I would probably have been dead by now. They had saved me. And I promised to myself that I was never going to hide anything from them again.
My mom was the first one to noticed my torn tank top and the blood that was running out from the wound on my right side. She said in a worried voice, holding my shoulder as if I was going to fall :
"You're hurt!"
"It's nothing." I said, placing my hand on my injury.
My fingers covered up with blood. The wound must have been deeper that I had expected but I was so happy to be alive that I wasn't feeling any pain.
"We're going to the hospital." My dad decided. "No discussion!"
I wasn't even thinking about protesting. I allowed them to drag me towards my dad's truck, my head spinning because of the last events. Hook wasn't leaving my side and was staring at me as if I had just came back from the dead. He looked so proud of me. I turned back to face him, giving him a huge smile. I was alive. I was given a second chance. And I damn well intended to enjoy it.
I slowly woke up from the dream I was having. I couldn't tell what it had been about, but I felt more rested than I had been for the past few months. I was regaining consciousness, and sighted slightly while stretching my numb legs. I immediately felt a hand grabbing my palm and fingers intertwining with mine.
I ended up opening my eyes, and turned my head to see that my parents, Henry and Killian were at my bedside. It was Hook who had took my hand, but he didn't seem worried. On the contrary, he had a huge smile on his face, and I grinned back at him while he was saying with a teasing look on his face :
"Look who's finally waking up."
I was in a hospital bed and if the room was bathed in a soft light, it seemed to be pitched black outside. I was recalling falling asleep while Whale was stitching me up. The wound was much deeper that I had realized but it hadn't hurt a bit. On the contrary, I was still so excited because of the adrenaline and the fact that I was alive that the doctor had had to give me a sedative so I could stay put. It was probably the drug that had helped me get to sleep. But if I had an idea of the way I had fallen asleep, I didn't know how much time I had spend in the hospital room, and I asked in a slightly rough voice :
"Did I sleep for a long time?"
"You can say that." My dad answered with half a smile on his face.
"What does that mean?"
"You just slept for 24 hours straight, love." Killian stated while laughing a bit.
"Seriously?" I shouted, surprised
"You needed it." Killian answered, gently rubbing my hand with his thumb, seeming deeply happy by the simple fact I was awake and talking to him.
"Can I get up?" I asked, still smiling to him.
I didn't know what I could or couldn't do because of my stitches, but my mom nodded with a smile :
"You can, a nurse just removed your perfusion an hour ago." She said, showing the bandage that was placed around my wrist. "You just need to rest and avoid abrupt movements for a few days."
Without further ado, I started sitting down on the bed, and Killian didn't take long to place his hand on my back to help me get up. I didn't need support, but I knew it would please him to take care of me given the fear he'd just had, and I let him assist me, smiling at him to thank him. I sat cross-legged on the mattress while my mom was lifting the bed back up so I could lean on it. I was feeling good, completely freed, and I stretched to relax my muscles. I felt a slightly tingling sensation around my scar, but it wasn't much. I could have died, after all. Killian sat back down on a chair next to me without leaving my sight, and asked in a gentle voice :
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm great! But I'm starving." I said, feeling my stomach rumbling.
"I'm gonna get you something to eat." My dad decided, but I stopped him, laughing because of his eagerness.
"I can wait. Can you tell me what happened since last night, first?"
He nodded and one at the time, my parents spoke to describe the events that had occurred since I had blacked out. I learned that my magic had send Jafar in a cell, depriving him of his powers. The story about the battle was now known by the entire town, and everyone was apparently finding it really impressive. Hyde had probably other accomplices on the outside, but it was one down already, which was a pretty good thing. During all of their speech, Killian didn't look away from me, staring at me like I was the eight wonder of the world. Once my parents had finished, I spoke to ask :
"And what about Aladdin? How is he?"
"He's very happy about Jafar's decay. He is in the waiting room right now, he wanted to see you to thank you personally. Do you want us to call him?"
"Yeah." I answered enthusiastically. "I have to thank him too, don't you think?"
It was true. I was alive because of him. If I hadn't told my family about my vision, Killian wouldn't have yelled to encourage me and I wouldn't have had the strength to use my magic. He had indirectly saved my life and I was grateful beyond words for it.
"We're sending him, and we're going to get you something to eat." My mom decided with a big smile on her face. "You coming?" She added, looking at my son and Killian
"I'd rather stay a little while." Killian answered shyly. "I want to thank Aladdin as well. And I don't want to leave you alone, even if it's for a few seconds." He added, looking up to meet my gaze.
"I'm telling you, I don't wanna be alone either." I answered, hoping to erase his embarrassed look.
He smiled right back at me. First, Henry didn't say a thing, but as my parents were heading for the door, he seemed to change his mind, and moved towards me, looking determined. I looked at him with surprise but didn't have the time to ask him what was going on, because he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace. I didn't wait another minute and gave him his hug back, guessing he had been deeply worried by all that had happened. As if he had heard my thought, he said in a slightly shaking voice :
"You scared me, mom."
"I know, kid." I answered in a comforting way, before pulling away from him, but keeping my hands on his shoulders. "But I'm okay. Nothing's gonna happen to me."
"I'm just happy you're safe."
I smiled and he grinned back shyly, still looking a bit shaken by of the last events. I winked at him, hoping to show him that I was more than fine, and that he didn't need to be scared anymore. His smile grew a bit, and he stepped back to head for the door and follow my parents
Killian and I found ourselves alone in the room. Still smiling, I asked him to come sit up on the bed next to me, and I haven't had to ask twice. We cuddled together for a few minutes, and he started after a moment of silence :
"I'm happy to see you smile again." He said while playing with one of my hair strand.
"I'm just relieved." I confessed. "I promise to never hide something like that again."
"I know I already told you, Swan, but I'm so proud of you."
I looked up to meet his eyes, and his hand cupped my head while my face was approaching his so we could kiss. We stayed a long time snuggled into each other arms, and the sound of the door opening up startled us. We broke away at the same time to see Aladdin appearing, but Killian's hand went naturally down my spine to stop at my lower back.
"I didn't mean to disturb." Aladdin said with half a smile.
"You're not, come in." I invited him warmly.
He stepped into the room and moved towards a chair, flickering a little, before nearly collapsing on it. He still seemed as weak as he was before, but something new was shinning in his eyes : Hope.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, looking at me. "Your wound isn't too bad?"
"Oh, that? It's just a scratch." I answered, shrugging.
"A scratch that needed 19 stitches to get fixed." Killian corrected with a serious look that made us laugh.
"Thank you so much, Emma." Aladdin resumed with a huge smile. "Thanks to you, Jafar will no longer cause any harm. And I'm gonna go to Agrabah to try to win Jasmine back. I will never thank you enough..."
"I'm the one who has to thank you, Aladdin." I interrupted him gently. "Thanks to you, I've understood that I can't hide such important things from my family. You saved me."
"You saved yourself." He stated, nodding with a smile.
I felt Killian moving a little bit towards me to grab my hip. Moved by Aladdin's words, I smiled at him and looked down to stare at the bedspread. I was alive, I had the chance to fight for my own happy ending. Saviors could reach their happy ending too. I was not only destined to save others. And realizing that made me feel so much better
"Oh." Aladdin continued. "I found someone who would like to see you"
I frowned and made eye contact with Killian, not getting what Aladdin was talking about. I looked at our new friend as he was heading towards the door and he said to someone I couldn't see after opening it : "Come in!". He came back to sit with a big smile on his face, looking pretty proud of himself, and Killian and I leaned forwards at the same time to see who was this mysterious stranger who wanted to see me.
A young girl stepped into the room. She was wearing a braid in her long hair and had a gentle smile on her face. I didn't recognize her right away, and I needed a few seconds to put the puzzle together.
It was her. The oracle. The real one, this time. I could see it at the halo of sweetness that was surrounding her and at the ray of wisdom that was shinning into her eyes.
I shook my head, not understanding what she was doing here, in my hospital room. Killian had never seen her before, but he had seemed to guess who she was, because he didn't ask anything. Confused, I ended up stuttering after a few minutes of silence :
"… How did you…?"
"You saved me, Emma." She stated with an infinite gentleness.
"Saved you?" I repeated, utterly lost.
"I was Jafar's prisoner. When he lost his powers, thanks to you, I've been freed. I knew right away what had happened, and I came here as soon as possible. I needed to see you, to thank you. And I have a gift for you."
I didn't say a word, too confused because of what she was saying, and that made her smile. Guessing I wanted to know more, she added :
"After all you've been though, you deserve to see your future, the real one this time. And I can tell you it's gonna be happy. You're the living proof that Saviors can have their happy ending."
I looked at her with my eyes wide open, unable to say anything. Was this young girl seriously offering me to see my future? Was I really going to have my happy ending? I felt Killian's hand tensing up against my hip, as if he was as surprised as I was. Aladdin was the one to continued, and he said, getting up :
"I'm gonna leave you, now. This is none of my business."
"I'm gonna go too." Killian added, moving to get out off the bed.
I turned back to face him, confused. I had never thought about the fact that he would have wanted to leave. He seemed as eager to know about this future as I was.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked, grabbing his wrist to force him to stop.
"Emma, it's a private conversation. It's your future. I can understand if you don't want me to stay..."
"I wasn't lying when I told you I wasn't gonna hide anything from you anymore," I replied vehemently. "And my future isn't private, because you're in it, I'm sure of it."
His face lightened up, and his eyes seemed even lighter for a second. I smiled at him, and he sat back on the bed while I was wrapping my arms around him to hold him closer. He pulled me into a tight embrace, and it's tightly entwined that we turned back to face the oracle
"Very well." She started, smiling. "I can show some things, but there are some dangers. Knowing too much can alter the future. This is why when you'll wake up tomorrow, you won't recall anything about the visions. You'll just know you'll have your happy ending. It will be exactly like a dream you know you've had but you can't recall. When the events will take place, you will have a feeling of déjà vu, but nothing more. I had to warn you about that."
"I get it." I said, nodding.
"Well, are you ready?" She asked, smiling at me.
I took a deep breath and pulled Killian a little closer. I was aware of the importance of what I was going to see. I took a few seconds to focus, and I answered seriously :
"Ready."
She smiled one last time and closed her eyes. Nothing happened at first. But then, the background disappeared around me and…
I'm in my house, standing in the middle of my living room. I'm watching the scene from the outside, as if the person I was looking at wasn't myself. The room is a total mess. Several boxes are laying on the ground. But the chaos doesn't seem to bother Killian and I. Laying on the sofa, we are kissing passionately. His shirt is already on the floor, next to my jeans. My naked legs are wrapped around his waist, and I lift myself up to stick our bodies together
Flash
I blink, and the scene changes. This time, I'm in the middle of a dance floor. I turn my head and my eyes meet Killian and I, waltzing gracefully. He's smiling with pure happiness and I can't take my eyes off him. His right hand his holding mine, his hook is delicately laying on my lower back. He's wearing a suit and I'm dressed in a stunning white dress.
Flash
My bathroom. I'm standing in front of the mirror and staring at a pregnancy test that I'm holding with two fingers. My hand is shaking. Killian appears behind me. I turn to face him. I seem terrified.
"So?" He asks with apprehension.
"I'm pregnant." I answer in a shaking voice.
A huge smile appears on Hook's face, and I start crying. I seem to feel fear and joy at the same time, and Killian wraps his arms around me to comfort me. He seems absolutely delighted.
"It's okay." He says in a gentle voice. "We're gonna have a baby!"
I burst out laughing through my tears and buried my face into his neck.
Flash
Whale's office. I'm laying on the examination table, my t-shirt lifted up divulging my rounded belly. While the doctor is getting the ultrasound ready, I meet Killian's gaze, who is sitting on a chair next to me, and smile at him. I have bags under my eyes, but something new is shining in my eyes. Happiness?
"Do you wanna know the gender?" The doctor asks with a big smile.
Killian and I nod together.
"You're having girls."
We're so excited that we don't seem to notice the use of the plural right away.
"I'm sorry?" Killian asks, looking confused.
"You're expecting twins."
Flash
A nursery, painted in pastel colors. Two cribs are disposed next to each other, and the room is filled with toys and baby clothes. I'm standing near the door, a hand resting on my stomach. I'm very, very pregnant. Killian appears behind me and wraps his arms around me to rub my belly.
"I can't wait to see them." He whispers in my ear.
I smile. I seem exhausted but deeply happy.
"Me too."
I turn back to face him and kiss him on his lips.
Flash
A hospital room. A ray of sunshine is landing on the bed where Killian and I are sitting. We are each holding a sleeping baby in our arms.
"They're so beautiful." I whisper, gently petting my daughter's cheek.
"They look like you."
"They're one day old, babe."
He looks up and stares at me in an outraged look because of my teasing. I burst out laughing and lean forward to kiss him on the cheek. In my arms, the baby sights in her sleep.
Flash
The house is pitched black. I'm walking in the corridor with somewhat shaky steps. I seem to be looking for something. I finally stop in front of a room and smile. Killian is sitting on the rocking-chair, in our daughters' room. He has one of the twins in his arms, and she's snuggled against his shoulder. The babies have grown a bit and seem to be one year-old. They are absolutely stunning.
Killian looks up to meet my gaze and I smile gently. I lean towards my girl to kiss her on the forehead, then forward to plant a kiss on Killian's lips.
Our happiness is palpable
Flash
The last scene is a bit longer. I'm standing under our house's porch and looking towards the garden, smiling. The scene I'm witnessing is beautiful.
The twins are identical. They have my blond hair, but Killian's eyes and smile. They seem to be 5 or 6 years-old. They are stunning.
One of the girl is sitting under a tree, a book on her laps. My mother and Henry are helping her decrypting the story. I'm impressed by how much my son has changed. He's a young man, and seems really gentle with his sister. The little girl frowns, focused. She's wearing a white dress and her curly hairs are falling down her shoulders. A little princess.
The other girl is jumping around in the middle of the field. She's playing with a blond little boy that I'm guessing to be Neal, and with my father, who seems to be having a great time. A wooden sword in her hand, she's warding of my dad's attack with dexterity. She's waring jeans with mud spots on it, and a red bandana is holding her hair in place. A little pirate.
Killian suddenly appears behind me, and wraps his arms around my waist so I can lean on his chest. He plants a kiss on my neck, and I giggle as he's moving to put his chin on my shoulder.
"Snacks are ready." He announces with a big smile
"Good, because I'm starving." I answer, and he bursts out laughing.
I turn to kiss him passionately, and his hand runs up and down my spine. Our complicity seems intact despite the years that have passed.
"Come inside people, it's time to eat!" He shouts, keeping his arms wrapped around my waist.
Neal and the little pirate run towards us while the second little girl seems to take her time. The first one arrived jumps into Killian's arms, and he's forced to let me go in order to receive her.
"Did you see, daddy? I can sword fight, now!"
I laugh and stroke her hair. The girl in a white dress finally joins us, and she reaches her arms towards me with a gentle smile. I lift her up and kiss her on her forehead.
"Did you have fun, princess?"
She nods, but her sister doesn't seem to agree. She rolls her eyes and says :
"Why didn't you come join us?"
"I don't want to ruin my pretty dress."She answers, shrugging.
"You're boring!"
"I'm not, you're boring!"
"Girls!" Killian intervenes with a severe look. "Stop fighting."
"Come on" I say, dropping the girl on the floor. "Snacks are waiting for you inside."
They exchange a smile and run inside the house, hands in hands, followed by Neal and my parents. I wink at Henry, who is still on the porch, and he smiles back. I approach him, and notice he's now much taller than me. I take him into my arms, and he hugs back.
"I'm proud of you, kid." I state before pulling away from him.
He seems moved by my words, and keeps smiling as he's heading for the house.
And Killian and I find ourselves alone on the porch. He looks at me in the eyes, then leans forwards to kiss me. When we drift apart, we stay forehead against forehead, our noses brushing against each other, pulled into a tight embrace.
Flash
"Emma, you okay?"
I came back from my vision, and looked around me, a bit confused. I needed a moment to digest all the information I just saw. I couldn't believe it. Killian and I were going to have a happily ever after. We were going to get married, and have a family. Twins. Two beautiful little girls. They weren't existing yet and I already loved them so much
I turned to face the oracle, looking at her in disbelief. She smiled at me, she seemed genuinely happy for us. Then I turned to meet Killian's eyes. He was staring at me, a bit worried, and, without notice, I jumped into his arms.
"You okay?" He repeated, wrapping his arms around me.
"Our happy ending. We're gonna have it, Killian!"
He smiled and planted a kiss on my neck. I was still in shock. After all the battles, the obstacles, the deaths, we were finally going to experience happiness. We were going to have our happily ever after.
"I love you." I whispered, stroking his hair with my hand.
We stayed snuggled into each others arms for a very long time, me so happy to know this beautiful future that was waiting for us, Killian simply glad to see me smile. I finally ended up turning once again, wanting to thank the oracle. I was so grateful that she showed me these visions.
But she wasn't in the room anymore.
Confused, I stayed still for a few seconds before whispering a "thank you", hoping the word would get to her.
And I turned back to face Killian, suddenly wanting to show him how much I loved him. I needed him to understand what I felt for him, but I wasn't that good with words. So I jumped into his arms to kiss him, and he fell on his back, laughing with pure happiness.
That's it for today :) I hope it wasn't too bad. See you soon? :)
