OH MY GOD. I AM SO FAR FROM OK AFTER THIS EPISODE. POOR BABY KILLIAN.
Anyway, here's my take on what I believe should happen next. Oh, and I still don't own OUAT or any sexy pirates.
"Who is this Sarah Fischer?" Emma pondered out loud following Killian out of the station.
"Hmm?" - he asked absentmindedly, staring at the ground.
"Killian? Is everything alright?" - she placed her hand on his shoulder but he pulled away. She let her hand drop, looking a little hurt. He turned around.
"My apologies, m'lady. I have a lot on my mind right now" - he muttered. Emma sighed.
"Come on, talk to me. This trust thing goes both ways you know". He sighed.
"Not here" - he said, glancing at David and Elsa who were following closely behind. Emma nodded.
"Guys, I'll meet you back at the loft" - she called out.
"Are you sure?" - David asked, giving Killian a suspicious look. Emma rolled her eyes and lead the pirate towards Granny's. Once they sat down at an empty booth and waved away the waitress, she leaned across the table.
"Okay, what's going on?"
He didn't look up. "Emma..."
"Don't 'Emma' me, Jones. Is this about your deal with Gold?"
"Aye" - he whispered. - "All magic has a price. I wasn't ready to pay that price for my hand. No matter how good it felt holding you last night." - He looked up hopefully, but was met with a stern look.
"Don't change the subject, Hook" - she hissed. He flinched at the comeback of his old moniker and lowered his eyes again.
"Gold said the hand was cursed. I obviously thought he was a liar and called him out on it..."
Emma sighed. "You realise that he is almost never wrong about magic don't you?" - But Killian silenced her with a grave look.
"Swan, I was right. The hand wasn't cursed. I thought it was, when I punched that scoundrel in the restaurant, and when I gave him the black eye outside the library..."
"YOU DID WHAT?!" - she exclaimed.
"He was trying to break into the library when I came across him.."
"And you thought - hey, why not assault a random drunk?" - Emma shook her head. "Nice going, pirate."
"Emma, that's not all... Please let me finish" - he begged. She crossed her arms.
"Alright, I'm listening."
"I went to see Gold afterwards, to get my hook back. He told me to meet him at the docks the next morning. I spent the night there, waiting for him. When he turned up, he had this... broomstick which started walking..."
Emma held up her hand.
"Come again?"
"He tapped on this broom and it walked into town. We followed it..."
"So let me get this straight. You spend the night at the docks so you could meet Rumplestiltskin in the morning and when he shows up, he tells you to follow a walking piece of cleaning equipment?"
Killian nodded, biting his tongue to resist a clever retort.
"So what happened then?"
"The broomstick led us to this old guy's house. The Crocodile did something, I don't know what exactly, but the old man got sucked into this... portal Gold brought with him. Emma I swear, I couldn't do anything."
"So you just watched him kill a guy?"
"I don't know! Emma, I know I should have done something, but I couldn't."
Emma made a move so as to stand up. Killian held out his good hand.
"Swan, please. I have to finish telling you what happened. I wouldn't blame you if you left and never spoke to me again but I need to finish this ."
She sighed and sat back down.
"You have exactly one minute to tell me why I shouldn't leave this diner right now and never come back."
"The Crocodile gave Belle the fake dagger. He is still The Dark One, Swan. He lied to me. My hand wasn't cursed. He manipulated me into doing his bidding."
Emma's eyes widened.
"You blackmailed him for the hand didn't you?"
"Emma..."
"Don't." - she said coldly. - "I never cared about whether you had one hand or two. That" - she pointed at the hook - "never defined who you were. What the hell were you thinking, Killian?"
"I told you, I didn't want you to have to spend a romantic evening with a crippled man, love" - he replied. She scoffed
"After all that you've just told me, am I supposed to find that romantic? Excuse me if I fail to do so."
"Emma, please" - the softness in his voice startled her. His blue eyes were glistening with tears.
"The hand wasn't cursed. It was all me."
"What?" - Emma gasped.
"I guess I haven't changed as much as I thought I did. I hate..." his voice broke and Emma had to restrain herself from standing up and wrapping her arms around him - "I hate that the Crocodile was able to tap into my inner darkness. When he threatened your life, I was seconds away from jumping him, except I knew that nothing I do would hurt him." - He looked down again and Emma saw a tear fall down the table.
"Killian, I know you wouldn't hurt me. No matter whether you have one hand or two" - she said finally after a minute or two, tentatively placing her hand over his good one. He flinched but didn't pull away this time. A ghost of a smile graced his features.
"My love, I would never do anything to harm you" - he said softly. - "But I need you to promise me something."
"What is it?"
"If I ever... lash out at anyone, anyone at all, without a good reason, you have to promise me that you'll leave. I can't take the risk that the Crocodile is right."
"Killian, stop!" - Emma exclaimed, squeezing his hand.
"Lass, please" - he urged. - "I can't put you in danger."
Emma shook her head. "Killian Jones, I am never going to do that. I know who you were in the past and I know that change doesn't happen overnight. You accept me despite my many shortcomings, and, while I am not thrilled about the fact that you occasionally assault people, I know we can move past that!"
She was sitting next to him now, his head buried in her shoulder. A minute later, however, he stood up.
"Swan, I'm sorry, but I think we both need to take some time to think about this. I promise I won't go after the Crocodile myself, but I will be here if you need me."
"Killian..." - Emma whispered, standing up and wrapping her arms around him.
"I'm so sorry, my love" - he sighed into her ear, kissed her temple and exited the diner.
I'm sorry, but I feel like it had to be done!
P.S. Every time you leave a review, Emma and Killian have a steamy snogging sesh.