"NO!" she screamed as she watched him fall.
She'd seen it happen a lot of times over the years. Him taking the fall for her, the pain for her. Always almost fatal. Always sudden. But this time it was different; she knew that it was as she saw him crumble near the town line, clutching his chest.
The wizard cackled in glee as he watched the Saviour's True Love fall to his peril, before disappearing in a cloud of blue smoke.
Emma barely noticed his absence, as she slid over to her husband's side, cradling his head in her lap.
"Hey, hey, look at me. Killian, look at me," she pleaded, titling his head up with one hand as her hand went to his chest, trying to stop the blood flow. "You're going to be okay," she tried to reassure him, as he lay in her arms, gasping for breath. "Help!" she called out, knowing in the back of her mind that it was all in vain. "Somebody! Please help us!"
"Em-ma," he chocked out, drawing her attention back to him. "It's alright, love," he wheezed.
"No," she whimpered, "you're going to be okay. You have to be," she cried, tears a torrent down her face.
"Okay," he agreed, despite the both of them knowing that not to be true. "I'll be okay," he repeated, his hand covering hers on his chest. "But-"
"No buts," she warned, pressing down harder to stem the blood flow.
"But it was rather stupid of me to shoot at a wizard, is what I was going to say," he replied, trying to grin at her but it turned out to be a grimace.
"This isn't a joke," she whispered as she watched the light slowly fade from his eyes. She tried to will her magic, to do something, to heal him, but she'd lost her powers years ago. She was helpless now, unable to save the love of her life; the father of her child. She tried calling out for help, but there was no one nearby who could help them,
Killian desperately tried to calm her down, but she barely heard him over her urgent screams. He finally lifted his bloody hand to her face, drawing her eyes back to him.
"Emma..." he trailed off, smiling at her lovingly inspite of the obvious pain he was in. "I love you."
"No, don't do this. Don't say goodbye," she whimpered, leaning her forehead on his. "Please don't leave me, Killian. I love you."
"Love, I will never leave you. I'll always be with you," he choked out, pausing to cough violently. "in your hearts."
"This can't be the end of our story," she cried, tears slipping down and wetting his face. "This wasn't how it was supposed to end. We were supposed to grow old together. Watch Elizabeth grow up. I can't lose you."
"Emma, I'm sorry," he whispered, tearing up as well as his vision started to fade. "Te-tell Lizzie papa loves her. And Henry."
She nodded in acquiescence, pressing her lips to his forehead, unable to form the words. "Please don't cry, darling," he begged, his voice faint now.
She shook her head, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. "I'm not," she lied, making him chuckle, albeit painfully.
He felt the allure of the darkness calling to him as he struggled to resist. "Kiss me, Swan," he demanded.
She obliged immediately, pressing her lips to his like she had done a thousand times, her heartbreaking knowing that this would be the last one. These are their last moments together, she realised as she pressed her lips harder against his, crying unabashedly now.
They pulled back gasping, foreheads pressed together. His blue, blue eyes, so full of love bore into hers, his lips twitching up in a slight smile. "Be-best last mom-" but his words faded as did the light in his eyes, staring lifelessly up at her, the blue no longer as bright, as Killian Jones died in her arms with a smile on his lips.