AN:The title comes from the song "Hoist the Colors" from PotC.
"I just got me back. I can't lose you now."
"I'm sorry Love," Killian says quietly. "I'd stay if I could but I would also make the same choice all over again to save you."
"You told me you're a survivor," Emma says.
"Aye. I'm sorry. I love you Emma, and I would like nothing more than to be able to stay and have that white picket fence life with you."
"I love you. Don't go. Please, Killian, don't go. Stay."
"I wish I could Love."
He draws her into a desperate kiss, a final goodbye kiss.
Killian steps back onto the boat. "I love you Emma."
"I love you Killian."
Emma looks about desperately for an alternative and catches sight of Excalibur, left behind on the shore. She snatches up the sword and takes a running jump onto the stern of the boat.
"Emma, what are you doing?" Killian demands.
"Turning pirate. You've always said I have it in me. Turns out you were right." She levels the sword against the neck of the ferryman. It's longer than she is used to but well balanced and feels natural in her hands. "This is an enchanted sword so I think it could kill you. Unless you want a taste of what you're dishing out Ferryman, I'm commandeering your boat."
"Turning pirate against death?" Killian asks. "Very impressive. I've pirated against kings and crocodiles but never death."
"I would pirate against kings and crocodiles too if they tried to take you away from me," Emma says. "You've followed me to the ends of the earth. And time. My parents are always finding each other. But you know me. I'm practical. I'd rather keep everyone here where I don't have to look so hard. I know villains don't get happy endings but the way I see it, between one former pirate-turned-hero and one Savior-turned-Dark-One, that's at least one hero and one happy ending between us, right?"
"I'd do what she says," Killian tells the Ferryman. "Swan doesn't take leaps of faith very often but when she does…" he grins at her.
"Okay," Emma says. "I'm new to the whole piracy thing so I'm not really sure how this goes, but you can have your boat back when you give me back the man I love."
