Fairy Tale Endings
DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Once Upon A Time"
Hook stood at the docks looking out at the water, thinking about what was coming next as he waited for Gold. The Snow Queen's curse had been lifted due to a scroll found with the counter curse, but he could not even feel happy about it. Not merely because he did not have his heart in his chest, but because he knew that his time was almost up.
This thoughts were interrupted when Gold showed up. "So, are you ready to run one final errand for me?" He asked as he walked towards him. "Not that you have much of a choice," he laughed.
"No, I don't" Hook sulked while looking at the ground. "So let's just get this over with. What do you want?"
Gold waited a second before he responded. He wanted to relish in the moment and draw this out as long as he could. Finally, he decided to proceed with his plan. "You remember my son Neal, right?" he asked rhetorically.
This caused Hook to finally look up at him. Once Gold saw that he had his attention, he continued. "You are going to miraculously bring him back from the dead."
Hook grew both shocked and confused. "Allow me to explain," Gold offered. "You have something of Bae's from your days on your ship with him," he said, the last part through clenched teeth. "His sword, which you took back after he passed. I need it. As I am now free of the dagger and even more powerful than before, I can cast a spell over something of his to resurrect him."
Hook grew deep in though at the concept of helping to bring Bae back. When he did not not respond right away, Gold said, "Why so hesitant, dearie? You wouldn't want Miss Swan all alone to grieve for you, would you? This way, she can move on."
That was exactly what Hook was thinking about. If he was no longer going to be with Emma, he hoped she would someday be happy with someone else. Bae was a great man and Henry's father, and the three of them deserved to be a family. If his last deed would be to make that happen, then this situation would not be so bad after all.
"Fine," Hook said quietly. "But not because you are forcing me to. Because Bae, Henry, and Emma deserve to be a happy family."
Gold laughed. "What a noble sacrifice. Lead the way."
Hook took them to his room at Granny's and handed Gold the sword from underneath his bed.
"Good," said Gold once the dagger was in his hands. "Now, this will take some time. I suggest you take advantage of this to say your final goodbye to Miss Swan. But spare the details that paint me in a bad light. And meet me back at the place where I took your heart in exactly two hours."
Hook left the room immediately to find Emma. He could not even look at the residents of Storybrooke as he passed them on the street. They seemed happy and relieved at being free from the curse that it was just too painful.
He felt like he was walking on Death Rowe as he approached Emma when he found her working at the sheriff's station.
"Hey stranger!" she beamed at him as she walked toward him and embraced him. "I wasn't sure when I'd see you again since you seemed to disappear after the curse was lifted."
"My apologies, love," he replied softly. "I have been otherwise occupied.
Emma studied him for a few moments, then finally spoke up. "Killian, what's been going with you lately?"
He shot a look up at her. "What do you mean?"
"Don't," she snapped. "I can tell something is wrong with you. Ever since I decided not to remove my magic you've seemed different. Distant. Even when I kiss you, it doesn't feel the same."
He stared into her eyes before responding. He wished he could tell her everything. "I'm sorry about that, love. But you have to know it's not that my feelings for you have changed or anything."
"Then that means, from my experience, that something else has," she said. "The night at the manor, the only other person there who would do anything was…" she paused as she thought and realization hit her. "Gold. Does this have something to do with him?"
When he fell silent as he tried to figure out a response, she walked closer to him. "Killian, did something happen with Gold? Did he do something to you?"
He always loved how perceptive she was. Since Hook was under Gold's control, he could not tell her anything. However, since Emma was the Savior and had started figuring things out, it appears that rule did not apply to her. Hook told her everything, from asking for his hand back to having his heart taken out.
By the end of his story, his voice was shaky and they were no longer looking each other in the eye.
"I'm so sorry, Emma," Hook finally said. "I wanted to be the man that I know you deserve. But it appears I can't break free of who I was in the past, which is why I am where I am today."
Emma raised her eyes to him slightly, taking everything in.
"There is one more thing," Hook said softly. "The last thing Gold asked of me was to give him Bae's sword so that he could bring him back. You can forget all of this happened once I'm gone. Forget me. And be happy with Bae and Henry, and have the family that all of you want and deserve."
Emma looked at him in shock. "Neal's really coming back?"
Hook looked at her and nodded. "Aye. You should be reunited with him very shortly."
Emma felt a great deal of emotions sweep over from all had just been unloaded on her. She felt happy that Neal was coming back. Henry needed his father around and he had touched many lives in Storybrooke, including her own. But then there was Killian. He had always been there for her and her family, even when they thought poorly of him and she pushed him away. He had never abandoned her, and because of that, she had always felt safe with him. It was true that she did not want to lose him like she had lost Graham, and even Walsh. She wanted to find a way to keep Killian alive and see Neal so that she could finally decide between them and be happy, which she did not have a chance to do before Neal died.
After all this consideration, she made to leave the sheriff's station. She was too overwhelmed with her emotions and did not quite frankly know what explanation to give to Killian. She merely looked up at him and said, "I have to go see Neal," before leaving the station, leaving Killian staring after her and figuring that was the last time he would ever see her.
Emma did not know where to begin her search, but she thought a good place to start would be Neal's grave site. She was not quite sure how the whole resurrection process worked, but she figured it was worth a shot.
And as it turned out, she was right. She found Gold standing over Neal's headstone. When she approached it, however, she realized it was no longer there. She thought that this must mean…that Neal really was…
Gold looked surprised to see Emma there. "Miss Swan," he said with fake kindness. "What brings you here today?"
Emma looked up from the place where the head stone used to lay to Gold. "Don't play games with me," she said. "Killian told me everything. About how you tried to suck me into a hat so that you could be free of the dagger. How you ripped out his heart and are taking control of him, and are going to kill him soon. And how you're trying to bring Neal back."
"That pirate always was one for dramatics," Gold responded. "But, I assure you, none of that is true."
"I know you're lying," Emma snapped back. "Even without my special skill. How else would you explain Neal's missing headstone?"
Gold fell silent for a moment, unable to come up with a plausible explanation.
"Is it true?" Emma asked quietly.
"Yes," a voice from behind her replied.
She turned around abruptly as she recognized the voice. Before her eyes was Neal, alive and without a scratch on him.
"Neal," Emma whispered, unable to move.
"Emma," Neal said, smiling at her. He walked forward to embrace her.
"It's so good to see you," Emma said as they broke apart, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
"You too," he said. "You have to fill me in on what I missed in this town."
They both laughed, but then the tone grew more serious as Neal walked towards Gold. "Papa," he asked him, "Is what Emma said true? Everything about what you did to her and Hook?"
Gold grew ashamed. "I'm afraid it is, my boy. But, you have to know, I only wanted to be rid of the control of the dagger so I could be free to live my life. Losing you was miserable and I only wanted to try to fill the void it left."
"But that's not an excuse for you to hurt people," Neal said. "I thought you had changed. That's why I did what I did when I chose to die. Did that mean nothing to you?"
"Of course it did!" Gold quickly responded.
"Then why would you still hurt even people you love, Papa? People like Henry and Belle?"
Gold looked to the ground in shame, then whispered "because they weren't you."
"Well, you are not going to have me dead or alive, or my son for that matter, unless you can make things right," Neal said simply.
"How can I do that?" Gold asked desperately.
"By giving Hook his heart back, to start," Neal explained. "And coming clean to Belle."
"But she if she doesn't forgive me?" Gold asked worriedly.
"I think she will," Neal said confidently, "but just in case, you'll still have me and Henry."
Gold pondered everything for a short while, then let out a sigh. "Here," he said as he handed the bag that held Hook's heart to Emma. "He'll be at the manor where you almost gave up your magic soon."
"Thank you," Emma said softy with a small smile as she accepted the bag.
Gold returned the smile, and Neal said, "I love you, Papa. And it's good to be back with you."
"I love you too, Bae," he replied as he gave his son a tearful hug. "I missed you."
Emma decided not to intrude on their moment, and began walking away. Neal and Gold soon broke apart, however, and Neal caught up to Emma.
"Wait," he said, causing her to turn around. "I want to talk to you."
Emma knew this was coming. But she needed to deal with this.
"You're with Hook now, aren't you?" he asked.
Emma knew in that moment she could spin the situation whichever way she wanted, so she decided to go with her instincts and respond accordingly.
"Yes," she nodded. "But that doesn't mean that I didn't miss you, that I don't care about you. You were my first love and you gave me Henry. And for that you will always be a part of me and I will always love you in some way."
Neal gave her a soft smile. "I understand," he said. "I told you to go find Tallahassee with someone, after all. Even if it wasn't me."
Emma thought about their situation more. "Actually, we'll still have Tallahassee together," she said, smiling. "This is our home, after all. And we're connected to so many people in this town. Even though we're not together, we'll still always be in each other's lives."
"That sounds good to me," Neal replied. "Now go do what you have to do. Maybe I'll see you at Granny's tonight? No one else knows I'm back, but I would like everyone together to celebrate."
Emma smiled at him. "Sure," she agreed, and walked towards the manor.
Hook was heading towards the manor himself, thinking of his last conversation with Emma. He was glad he was honest with her, she deserved to know the truth. But for her to simply walk away like she did meant that she was truly done with him, and that she did not forgive him. He was fine with this though, as this was the least that he deserved. And he was glad that Emma would soon forget about him and have a happy life with her family.
He faced the door of the manor, unsure of where Gold was. He then heard footsteps from behind him and turned around, only to find someone he was not expecting.
"Emma," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I have something that belongs to you," she said matter-of-factly. She motioned to the bag at her side.
Hook stared at it in shock. "Is that-"
"Your heart?" Emma finished for him. "Yeah."
"How did you-"
"It was Neal," Emma explained. "He convinced Gold to give it back to prove his sacrifice wasn't in vein."
Hook was still confused. "But, why are you here to give it back to me? After everything I told you I did?"
"Because even though you can't erase your past, you're still a good man, Killian," she assured him.
She took his heart out hesitantly from the bag and looked up at him. "Now, I have to warn you," she said nervously, "I've never done this before."
"That's alright, love," Hook replied, voice filled with emotion. "I wouldn't trust anyone else with this task."
Emma smiled as she walked closer to Hook and put her left arm around his neck and pulled him toward her. She then put his heart back in his chest with her right hand. She felt Hook jolt and utter a noise of discomfort, so she decided to step back. Worried that she had done something wrong, she just simply stared at him.
All of a sudden, Hook smiled and laughed as he looked down to where his heart should be. Then he looked up at Emma. "As I've said before, love, I've yet to see you fail."
She laughed herself at realizing she had succeeded, and ran to him. He picked her up in his arms and kissed her with the passion she now recognized.
The kiss broke but they remained close with his arms around her waist and her hands on his shoulders. "Thank you, Emma," he said. "For believing in me and forgiving me." He then fell silent, taking in the moment. "I love you. You probably already know that, but up until just now I didn't think I'd get the chance to say the words out loud."
She smiled at him, then leaned in to kiss him and hold his face in her hands. "I love you too, Killian. I'm sorry it took you almost getting killed for me to finally say it, but I do."
He flashed her the biggest grin she had ever seen on him and he pulled her closer to him, kissing her again.
When they broke apart next, Emma said, "Neal wants to get everyone together at Granny's tonight. You should come."
Hook was hesitant. "Are you sure that's such a good idea, love?"
Emma laughed lightly. He did have a point. "Well, he is Henry's father, so you two will have to figure out how to get along. And Gold is too worried about losing Neal again to do anything."
They then headed to Granny's, where most of the town was celebrating.
"Emma!" Neal yelled as he approached them. "I'm glad you came."
"Me too," Emma responded.
Neal acknowledged Hook. "I'm glad she's found someone to be happy with," he said. "And I'd like to start over for Henry's sake."
"Thank you, mate," Hook said. "I'd like that too." He then stared at him a moment. "It's good to see you, Bae."
"Thank you," Neal smiled. "You too."
Henry came running up to them, beaming from ear to ear. "Mom!" he cried, hugging Emma.
"Hey kid!" Emma said brightly. "You must be so happy to have your dad back."
"Of course!" he said. Then his smile grew smaller. "Would you mind if I spent some time with dad? Stayed with him tonight in the room he just booked here?"
"Of course," she replied happily. "You two have a lot of catching up to do." Henry hugged her in response.
Just then, Gold and Belle walked through the door. They looked like they had had a serious discussion, but that they were somehow able to resolve things for the time being.
Gold approached Neal. "Son," he said. "I wanted to pay you back for your sacrifice and show you that I will try to do better by you and my grandson by giving you the family you always wanted."
He gestured towards the door of the restaurant, where the three Darlings walked in.
"I decided to use my powers to bring these three here for you to be reunited with," he explained.
Neal had a look of shock and happiness on his face as he ran towards them, embracing Wendy first.
"It's so great to see you, Bae!" she exclaimed. The four of them joined together in a group embrace as others around them watched the happy reunion.
All of the residents of Storybrooke went home happy that night. The town had strange family ties and unique residents to say the least. But in spite of all of their differences they banded together in times of crises and were still united in these good times. After all, that is what living happily ever after means.