Emma was running her heart out. She could feel it in her chest—the pain of a thousand knives descending upon her heart. Her feet carried her to exactly where she knew he'd be. She'd already been to the ship, only to find the cabin's quarters empty, except for a note scrawled out to her. 'After this, you'll be safe.' No, she thought, after this I'll be lost. I'll be alone.
Gold's shop came into view, and she could already hear the commotion coming from down the street. She wasn't expecting explosion of glass, or to see Killian being thrown out of the shop. His breathing was ragged, his hand pressed over his chest where his heart was—where his heart should be.
Emma ran to his side, immediately helping him sit up. "You idiot," she said, taking his face in her hands. "What did you think you were doing?"
He couldn't help the smirk on his face. "Saving the damsel."
She sighed, hoping his snarky attitude was a sign that he was okay. "I'm not a damsel."
Killian screamed out in agony, grabbing at his chest, though he knew there was nothing there. Emma pulled Killian onto her lap, trying to figure out what was wrong, when she heard the laughter. She looked up to the shop to see Mr. Gold standing in the doorway, a red glowing heart in his hand, squeezing it slightly. Fear and pain streaked through her. She knew she could use her magic, but she knew Mr. Gold was much better and more practiced than she was.
"Gold, why are you doing this?" she asked, desperation sneaking into her voice. Killian continued to moan, the constant strain on his heart causing him distress.
"He came here to settle your debt, dearie." He squeezed a bit harder, causing Killian to arch up in Emma's hold. "You're the reason my son is gone. I was going to do away with you, but your beloved pirate couldn't have that." He scoffed, the thought of the pirate loving being a laughable concept. "Oh and you love him, too." He let his grip slacken on the heart. "Then maybe I will let you live. Let you wander the earth without your True Love, live as long as possible without the possibility of being reunited." Gold let out a laugh, squeezing the heart for a few more seconds before letting go again, Killian yelling out in pain. "That sounds like an excellent idea."
Emma took his face in her hands again. "I love you," she whispered. "So you're not dying today. Not for a while."
Emma stood, feeling the magic within her swelling. It had been the entire time, her need to protect Killian overriding her need for self-preservation. She didn't know where it came from, just like it had been at the lake, bursting from her chest. Gold was knocked off of his feet, flying back into shop, slamming against the wall and slumping over. The heart had been knocked from hands from the sheer force, and it was falling to the ground too fast for her liking.
Emma didn't even care anymore, her need to keep him alive above any other priority in the current situation. Her feet were moving faster than her brain was as she held her hands out to catch the fragile heart. Her feet were moving too fast. The glass along the ground offered no traction, and her feet were out from under her. But she was fast enough. The heart was in her hands as her body slammed into the side of Gold's shop. She breathed a sigh of relief, the glowing heart safe in her hands.
Then she felt it. The pain in her back was sharp, and she cried out, but not letting the heart fall from her hands. She couldn't pull herself up, and the pain was hot and intense.
Killian was on his feet, now that his breathing was under control. His chest still felt like it was in pain, but he knew it wasn't totally from not having his heart in his body. Emma's cry of pain confirmed it. He was by her side in an instant. "Emma, love, what's wrong?"
Her breathing was coming out in spurts, and a trickle of blood started to fall from her mouth. No, he thought. No no no. Not again.
"Back," she managed to get out.
He started to lean her forward, but she screamed again. "Oh, love." When he finally pulled her away, had his heart been in his chest, it would've sunk. He could see a piece of the white window pane that had been blown out sticking into her back, right where her lung was. He panicked, not knowing if moving her would make it worse.
"I…got..your heart," she said weakly, holding it up as best she could in her current state.
"Emma, you're wounded. We don't need to worry about my heart."
She shook her head. She knew she didn't have much time left, and she didn't trust anyone else with this task. She put his heart up to his chest before he caught her wrist.
"What good is my heart if the woman who holds it is wiped from this earth?"
She offered him a small smile. "Look at you…such..a sap."
She didn't wait for him to respond before she got her wrist out of his grip and pushed his heart into his chest. They both gasped, the movement jarring her back and the feel of his heart being back in his chest hitting them both. Emma coughed and a bit more blood seeped from her lips.
He stroked her hair. "I love you," he whispered. "So you're not dying today." He pulled her up from the window, a cry coming from her. It was the last sound he got out of her. Her breath was gone.
He immediately felt her go limp in his arms. "No, Emma." His chest tightened, the sight of her lifeless in his arms was the stuff of his nightmares and here it was—a reality. "Love, please." He pressed his hand to her wound, trying to stop the blood that still slightly flowed out. He saw the tears hit her shirt before he felt the leave his eyes. His True Love, gone, selflessly trying to save his heart. She had already, and she continued to do it, but now she was gone, his heart with her.
He felt the warmth under his hands on her back, but it wasn't from the blood. He slowly rolled her to see that his hand was glowing a purple color as it was pressed over her back. He felt the magic surge between them—a magic he didn't even know he possessed. He closed his eyes, focusing on one thing—her life. For without her, he was nothing anymore. She had become his purpose. She'd brought out Killian, who'd been buried for so long. Without her, he knew Hook would reemerge.
When the warmth receded, he removed his hand and saw that the wound was closed. Had the situation been less severe, he would've questioned how it happened, but he didn't care. She still wasn't breathing. He rubbed her chest where he heart was, feeling nothing below. He pushed a few times, trying in vain to get a response. "Come on, love. Come on!" He stopped, suddenly staring at her lips. He didn't waste a moment before pressing his lips to hers. The burst that came almost knocked him back.
She didn't move for a second then another and another. He wondered if the pulse had just been the rest of the magic leaving her body. "Come back to me, love. Please."
Then, suddenly, she lurched upward, gasping for air. He smiled, laughed at how unbelievable the situation was. He held her, rubbing her back as her breaths continued to come out quick and uneven. "There's a good lass."
When her breathing was calm once more, she looked up at him, and said, "You scared me for a second there."
He scoffed at her. "I scared you? You bloody died in my arms." He ran his hand over her back again, making sure the wound was gone. "I didn't know what to do."
She smiled at him, kissing him gently on the lips. "Well it took you long enough to figure it out."
He shook his head at her, though still unable to wipe the smile from his face. "Are you really complaining about how long it took me to save your life?"
Emma smirked. "Lack of oxygen. I could've had brain damage."
His eyes dropped from her's, suddenly serious. "You'd have to to love a man—a monster like me," he said quietly. His past always haunted him; it still did to this day. He felt her hand on his face, and he could barely force himself to meet her gaze.
"A monster wouldn't have risked his life for my safety the way you did." She absentmindedly stroked the scar on his cheek. "I love everything you are. Your past is what makes you who you are now. The brave man I fell in love with. The fighter."
He pulled her in, his lips crashing onto hers, his love for her seeping from them. She reluctantly pulled away, not finished speaking. "I've waited my whole life for a man like you. Someone who would fight for me no matter what."
He gave her a small smile. "A man unwilling to fight for what he wants-"
"Deserves what he gets. And you fight. Every single day, you fight for me." She placed a small kiss on his lips. "Thank you for saving me."
"It was selfish really. I can't live without you."
"And you won't have to." She looked back at the shop, still able to see Gold crumpled against the wall. "Let's get out of here. We'll deal with him another day."
He nodded, surprising her when he lifted her up from the ground bridal style. "Whatever the lady wishes."
She smiled at him, placing her hand over his heart. "The lady wishes to go home."
"Then home we shall go, my love." He walked away from the shop, in no general direction. Home would always be with the other.