A/N: I am not looking forward to writing this, mainly because there is death involved. It's a prompt that was requested for me on Tumblr, so I think I should write it and get it over with. Plus, the distraction is a good thing. I won't have to listen to my mother scream at the TV while she watches college football. This will be a Aurora and Hook fic based off the song "Whiskey Lullaby." This story will also involve Phillip. Sadly, I need a scape goat and he seems to be the best candidate. Please leave reviews and such and I hope you enjoy it.
The Angels Sang a Whiskey Lullaby
The sound of gravel crunched under the soles of his shoes as he made his way up the hill. His hand was wrapped around two bouquets of flowers. Hopefully, the flowers would make up for the fact he hadn't come to see them in awhile. He was sure they would understand that he felt responsible for the fact they were no longer alive.
If he had just opened his eyes and seen that they clearly loved one another. He would have walked away without a fight. If he knew then what he knew now. He would have pushed his duty aside and waved them off as they rode into the sunset. He had pressured her to realize that she belonged with him and not with the pirate. The guilt ate her alive and she left the pirate captain for him. A move that set off a chain of events that climaxed with the princess and the pirate ending up together again.
He could tell Aurora wasn't happy about the way things ended with Hook. Then again she didn't think their relationship would ever end. He didn't realize it at the time, but her heart and her love had stayed with the pirate. She just came back to him so they could rebuild what was left of her kingdom and rule it together. Maybe one day she would grow to love him again, but never the way she loved the pirate. It seemed he wasn't her true love after all.
It had been a week after she had returned and they started to pick up the pieces of the broken kingdom. Rumors would soon be filling the air of the drunk pirate captain and the fact he was always drunk. It seemed like he was trying to drink his pain away. But the rum or the whiskey or whatever it was he was drinking could only numb the pain for so long. His broken heart could never be repaired.
He never told Aurora about the stories people were telling, but he was sure she knew. He knew she was checking up through him by means of his crew and other people as well. Her face never betrayed her feelings, but he knew she was worried about her former love. Just like he knew but would never admit that she longed for the pirate's touch and that her heart only beat for Hook.
The sad news arrived early one spring morning. He heard her cry out in pain and he came rushing out of their bedroom. He saw her kneeling on the floor with her head in her hands. In one of her hands she held a note, it was from Snow White and her husband. The note was sent to inform them that Captain Hook had died. He tried to comfort her, but she just pushed him away. He figured there was nothing he would be able to do for her anyway.
His crew wanted to bury him at sea, but Snow White was against the idea. So, Hook was buried in a simple ceremony. He would be laid to rest under a willow tree on top of a hill. It seemed like a peaceful spot and he only hoped the captain had found some peace. He would go with Aurora to the funeral and he would hear the hushed whispers blaming her for Hook's death. She tried to brush off the stares and the whispers aimed at her, but he knew that it had gotten to her. They returned home after the funeral and Aurora grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass. She spent the rest of the night drinking in the kitchen.
More gossip spread after the funeral. There had apparently been a note that Hook had left, like he knew he was gonna die. According, to some people the note said he would love her until he died. Now the captain was dead and he was sure the dead man still loved her. Could a dead man even love?
The gossip seemed to make things worse for Aurora. She was depressed and she drank a lot. He had never seen anyone consume that much whiskey in one sitting. Did she honestly have a death wish? Dis she want to be with the pirate that badly? That wasn't gonna happen, she had too much to love for. She couldn't throw it all away now. She would get better. He tried to hide it and he told the servants to as well, but she as found it or bribed her employees to get it for her.
No matter how hard he tried, things only got worse. Things weren't getting better and she didn't seem to care about living anymore. The one person who had made her feel so alive was dead and gone. It was sad to see the once vibrant princess drink herself to death.
One autumn morning he awoke and opened the window, taking in a deep breath of cool air. He slipped on his robe and walked into the kitchen. He thought she had fallen asleep as he spotted her at the counter. He touched her, trying to wake her from her sleep, but her eyes didn't open. His fingers roamed down to her neck. He frantically searched for a pulse, but was unable to find one. No kiss would wake Aurora from this slumber. Death had taken her from this world.
The funeral was held a few days later and Aurora was laid to rest beside her beloved pirate captain. He stayed with her until the casket had been lowered into the ground and the dirt had been piled on to cover it. He then laid a flower on top of Hook's newly placed grave marker. "Please take care of her," He whispered as the tears fell from his eyes. His shaky fingers traced out the pirate's name on the stone. "She loved you and I should have seen that. I should have never forced her to come back to me." And with that he got up and left them alone.
The guilt consumed him for a long period of time. He blamed himself for both of their deaths, but he wouldn't take the road they had taken. He would keep Aurora's kingdom alive in her memory as will as Hook's. He wanted them to be proud of him.
His journey ended and he stood in front of the grave markers. He laid one bouquet of flowers in front of Hook's marker and then another in front of Aurora's. He wanted to talk to them, but the overwhelming silence kept him from speaking. He didn't know why, but he felt like they knew what had happened since they had passed on. This brought a smile to his face. That meant they were watching over everyone they had left behind. They were now sharing their ever lasting love in the sky above him and to know that now, was enough for him. He turned and walked away, leaving them alone again and with promises that he would be back to see them soon.