It had been sometime after the witch struck down Glinda and ripped the wand out of her hands that Hook knew he was in trouble. The plan had been simple enough; try to isolate the witch to allow Emma and the Queen to defeat her with their magic. Of course plans never do go accordingly and this one had failed spectacularly.

Apart from the screeching razor-jawed monkeys there was also a contingent of guards with pikes, their faces sporting the same green-tinge as the witch. They had immediately surrounded her and if their blank faces were any indication of their resolve, it wouldn't be easy to break through their ranks. If that weren't enough the witch had cast some sort of spell that had blanketed the courtyard in a cloying black fog. It had made their limbs heavy and shortened their breath. But more importantly it had hidden the witch and her minions and no spell in the Queen's arsenal was enough to banish it from their sight.

Hook had kept a close eye on Emma, knowing her to be reckless with her own person. There was no chance he was going to risk losing her again. The year apart had nearly ruined him both in body and spirit. And while he knew she would do anything for her family, he knew he would do anything for her. Which is why he was her second shadow, now and forever. No matter the looks she gave him.

That was why he had followed her into the fray when she had charged after her father. With his sword at the ready Hook fought off the screeching harridans that descended upon them. One landed on his arm, yanking and scratching and grabbing, his hook useless in the face of such an assault. But it did make a glorious shriek when he stabbed at it with his sword. Unfortunately this only served to anger the creature. It pulled so hard on his arm he thought he would it would be torn off. Instead he felt the most excruciating sudden pain, his arm suddenly limp and tingling.

But Emma only had eyes for the witch. With single-minded purpose she fought towards the line of guards. But she found she couldn't close ranks with them because of their long pikes. It was only when Robin's arrows began to rain down on them that the line broke. And with Regina trailing close behind, throwing fireballs to protect their flank, Emma made to dive between their lines with Hook following close after. But of course things were never that simple. Emma was rebuffed at the line and the staff of a pike whipped across Hook's torso with a loud crack. He grunted and fell to his knees, breath knocked from his body. In fact he was quite sure a few ribs were broken, having experienced that particular pain previously. But before he could stand he found himself being hauled behind the guard line and thrown at the feet of the witch.

She proceeded to bodily slam him into the nearest wall hard enough to make him drop his sword, her green hand wrapping around his throat. A sharp burst of pain sprang from his shoulder, still dislocated, leaving his hook hanging useless at his side. He tried to control himself but every deep breath was an agony and a half. As he panted against the wall he looked past the witch's shoulder at the battle behind her. A wall of guards separated him from Emma who was looking directly at him, a pained expression on her face. She was fighting her hardest to get to him, he could see that much, her sword slashing at the closest guards. Past her everything was rather blurry thanks to the fog.

"What will she do if I maim you pirate?"

Her voice was firm and demanding but he refused to look at her. He wasn't going to take the bait. He wouldn't help her destroy Emma. Not even if it cost him his life.

He brought his hand up to try and dislodge her grip, pointless as it was. She clenched her fingers, nails piercing his skin. He cried out as blood ran down his neck. But still he looked to Emma. If only his eyes could protect her as well as his sword had.

"It doesn't do to lie to me. I know what you are to her, even if you don't." She snarled at him.

His breath caught at that, a slight juddering of his heart. And there was no way the witch hadn't noticed. But how could she know what he meant to Emma? Even he wasn't quite sure where he stood. At times she gave him that sly smile that she didn't give to anyone else. From across a room she'd find him and stare into his soul with those eyes. And he felt whole and good and fine. Other times she scowled as if she wanted him to disappear into the ground. And half the time he couldn't tell what he'd done to incur such wrath. She was at some times the most aggravating creature. But she was always his Swan. No matter the occasion. Even now, in the most dire of circumstances. And on some level she knew that he was hers. Perhaps that's why she was trying so damnably hard to reach him.

While his mind was on Emma, the witch leaned in close and it was all he could do not to flinch. She smelled of smoke and charcoal and ashes making his eyes water.

"Shall I make you watch when I kill her?"

He wouldn't look at her. He wouldn't. Because that's what she wanted. She wanted a reaction and by gods he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. When he refused to speak she clenched her fingers around his neck and pulled out Glinda's wand, pointing it directly at him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself just one moment. One moment to remember everything before this. The dark places he had gone to and all the good that had come into his life because of that blonde goddess standing not 20 feet from him. And he wasn't going to get to say goodbye. That was the hardest part. He was never going to get to tell her what she meant to him. How she made him feel. In that brief moment he felt a surge of despair not unlike when Liam had died, when Milah had died. And now he was going to die. How ironic. He would have laughed if he'd had the breath but instead chose to look for Emma. After all if it was over, he wanted to burn her visage into his brain for now and always.

"Oh you are foolish." The witch laughed long and hard, tossing back her head. "I cannot do magic with this. That doesn't keep it from having other uses however."

She raised the wand and smashed it into the wall beside him, causing blue sparks to land in his hair, singing his scalp. The sound of metal on stone made a deep low ringing that echoed throughout the courtyard.

That's when she drove the broken shard into his chest.