Time itself slowed down as Emma entered the, what can only be described as 'creepy looking dungeon', just off of one of the passageways leading from Hades' Lair.
A fierce chill ran down her spine and she skidded to a halt.
"KILLIAN!" she shouted, her jaw hanging open as she took in Killian's fragile state dangling in chains from a height. He was so close, yet so far at the same time, hovering above a green looking river.
A sudden ringing sounded in her ears and her head pounded, as she felt a lump form in her throat when her eyes zeroed in on the amount of blood covering his once "devilishly handsome" face, as he would have called it.
Emma shook her head, clearing all other thoughts to choose the best course of action. Scanning her eyes around the place, she noticed a dangerously narrow bridge connecting her side to his.
Without letting another heartbeat skip, she ran over only stopping slightly to peer over the edge and seeing that it was as she'd suspected, a very long way down. She took one step, making sure her left foot was securely on the ledge before putting her full weight on that leg.
The sound of metal clanging, echoed throughout the cave and a menacing laugh followed. "Did you really think it would be that easy, Saviour?" Hades sneered, spitting her title.
A blind fury overcame her in that moment, as she noticed Killian had dropped a few inches closer to the pit. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced around but realised that Hades wasn't with them, it was just another trick to distract her from reaching Killian.
Daringly she took another step closer, holding her arms out to help her balance as she felt part of the wall crumble beneath her boot. Again, the loud clanging of metal bounced off of the stone walls surrounding them.
"Emma! Don't!" Killian choked out, coughing and spluttering as he tried to raise his head to see her. She looked up to find him lowered a few more inches.
"For every step you take closer, the faster your pirate will sink." Hades' sinister voice sounded. "Let's see how you fair at digging for buried treasure, shall we?" he sounded amused by his pirate pun, which only made Emma roll her eyes in annoyance.
"Killian, hold on! I'm coming for you!" she shouted to him and took a deep breath, repeating Hades' words in her head. 'For every step you take closer, the faster your pirate will sink.' he'd said. 'So maybe if I take less steps, I'll have a better chance at reaching him before he drops completely.' she thought to herself.
Emma calculated the distance for a moment before she took another deep breath. She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second before opening them and taking longer strides to reach him.
The sound of metal grew louder the nearer she got, making her heart pound dangerously fast in her chest.
The chains that had him bound vanished and Emma's eyes nearly came out of their sockets.
"KILLIAN!" she shrieked, diving to the ground.
The shrill 'ting' of his hook pierced the air as he clung onto the edge of the pit, groaning from the strain he was putting on his injuries.
The tip of Killian's boot was just grazing the surface of the river as Emma's fingers grabbed hold of his hook. She pictured the Jolly Roger clearly in her mind, closing her eyes tight.
In a swirl of white smoke, they appeared in the Captain's quarters on the Jolly Roger. They lay on the floor panting for a moment. Emma's gaze flickered up to meet his pained blue eyes.
She didn't let go of his hook as she got to her feet and helped him up too.
Her white-knuckle grip on his hook didn't falter as she flicked the wrist of her free hand and a small basin and wash cloth appeared.
Without saying a word, speaking with only their eyes and urged him to sit down in the captain's chair gently.
Killian relented and sat down, his gaze dropping to the floor as he tried to get his breathing under control.
It was like an unspoken promise that they'd leave any space between them as she moved to step into the cradle of his thighs.
Raking her fingers through his blood-matted hair a small sad smile curved her lips as she heard him exhale a relieved sigh.
Dipping the wash cloth in the basin to let it soak for a moment, she placed Killian's hook on her waist before she wrung the wash cloth and began wiping away the blood and soot from his forehead.
Killian lifted his head to look up at her with his one good eye, the other swollen shut from violent beatings.
Emma's traced her fingertips gently over his eye and sunken cheeks, biting the inside of her cheek to stop the tears from building and blurring her view of him. Her thumb caressed his split lip and she frowned when he hissed from the pain.
After days of uncertainty on whether they'd even find him, Emma took this moment to show him how much he meant to her. Not only had she gone to the Underworld to save him, but she was still here and still loving him even when he looked like the very definition of death itself.
She read the longing in his eye and felt a pang hit her chest. She'd missed him so much and the reality of that was only settling in now.
Leaning down slowly and tilting her head, she touched the tip of her tongue to his split lip, soothing the sting with the gentle press of her lips to his.
The low moan of mixed appreciation and pain had her pulling back and getting back to her task of tending to his wounds and cleaning him up so he was back to his usual smirking-scoundrel-self… or what was left of him anyway. 'God knows what he's been through down here alone.' Emma thought to herself, causing tears to build in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly so she could see what she was doing properly but her breathing hitched when she felt Killian's forehead rest on her stomach.
The tension in his shoulders evaporating as he sighed once again. She then felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her closer, as if he couldn't quite believe she was really there.
She closed her eyes and let her tears fall as she dropped the wash cloth into the basin and cradled his head against her chest. She placed a kiss to the crown of his head then, before holding back a sob when she heard him whisper hoarsely, "I knew you'd find me."
Emma moved her lips to his ear, "I will always find you." she promised in a broken whisper, still unable to trust her voice.
Killian takes a deep breath in, squeezing his arms around her comfortingly, as if he knew that she also needed a gentle reminder that she'd saved him and he was here with her in her arms.
He released his tight hold of her and slid his hand and hook back to waist, giving her room to breathe.
Emma wrung the wash cloth out again before carefully wiping away the dried blood from his swollen eye. Placing a chaste kiss to it once she'd pat it dry lightly. She did the same with his cheeks, placing a kiss to each and trailing her index finger along his jawline. Feeling the tickle of his stubble under her fingertip, her lips twitched into a small smile as she realised again that he was here in front of her.
She helped him out of his tattered jacket then, draping it across the back of the chair he was sat in.
Emma wiped the blood from the crook of his neck and winced when all that remained was the scar from Excalibur's blade. A single excruciating reminder of what had transpired the last time she'd seen him. Tears started to well in her eyes and spill over as her fingers dared to touch it.
"It's alright, Love." Killian's voice was gravelly until he cleared it, before placing his hand over hers and closing his eyes when her palm covered the old wound.
She couldn't help the fact her body swayed into his. Her forehead resting against his as he looked up at her, holding her close. She stared into his eye, trying her damnedest to memorise the precise shade of blue his eyes were.
Killian closed his eyes after what seemed like forever and his hand went back to her waist. Emma's fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck as she leant down to skim her lips against the mark Excalibur had seared onto his skin.
"I love you." she breathed against his ear and felt him smile against her cheek.
He let out a shaky laugh and was about to say that he loved her too, when all of a sudden a loud thud sounded from up above and both their heads snapped toward the direction the sound came from.
A few moments later, the door to the Captain's quarters burst open and a rather livid looking man stormed in. Emma blocked Killian from view and held her hands up protectively, her confidence in full force as she felt her magic tingle under her skin, just waiting to strike when the moment called for it.
It must be the sheriff in her, but her eyes immediately darted from the frantic looking crew member who was stood fidgeting behind him, to his eyes quickly, then from is curly hair to his broad shoulders, before they flickered back up to meet his curious blue gaze.
She gasped and narrowed her eyes, tilting her head in disbelief before she finally found her voice, "Liam?"
"Aye?" he said the word more like a question as he took a hesitant step forward, his hands held up in surrender as he analysed her protective stance.
Killian peered around her then and stood up slowly. His sole focus on the man he'd grieved for hundreds of years, who was stood barely ten feet away from him now.
As if transported back in time to being just young boys again, Killian found himself squeezing Emma's hand before he stumbled toward his brother. In a matter of milliseconds, he found himself seeking the comforting of his older brothers arms, just like he used to if he'd ever fell and cut his knee when they were just wee lads.
Liam met him halfway with open arms and a look of sheer and utter disbelief on his face. He wrapped his arms around his little brother and pat him on the back repeatedly.
Killian hid his face in his brother's shoulder and held onto him tight.
Emma felt as if she were intruding on a private moment, and when he crew member closed the door to the cabin and disappeared, she felt the need to turn her back to them and finish wringing out the wash cloth.
Wiping tears of her own as she thought of how Killian must feel to see his brother again.
Liam cleared his throat and took a step back, placing just once hand on his little brother's shoulder.
"Well, well, well… what trouble did you get yourself into now, Little Brother?" he winked, his paternal side wiping Killian's tears with the pad of his thumb.
"Younger Brother." Killian corrected him on a shaky laugh.
Emma turned around at that, smiling herself at how easy their sibling banter came back to them so naturally even after centuries apart.
Liam was studying her, his stare a little too scrutinising to make the situation any more comfortable. She felt her cheeks warm as her stomach dropped to her feet.
Now she knew how Killian must've felt going near David when they'd first made it sort of known that they were together officially.
Emma's gaze dropped to the floor, suddenly nervous as the Elder Jones continued his deafeningly silent assessment of her.
Killian's hand under her elbow made her look up and he smiled encouragingly at her, despite his left eye swollen shut.
Her opposite hand came up to move the hair from his forehead, when the idea to use her magic to heal his bruised eye came to mind, she nearly kicked herself for not thinking of it sooner.
"Hold still." she whispered before waving her palm over his left eye and revealing a bright blue iris full of awe and pride. Just like he always did when she'd use her magic.
They stood staring, both smiling at each other for what must've been a long amount of time as Liam cleared his throat once more.
It's not the first time she's been left speechless by his gorgeous face, which is an easy mistake when his eyes are two crystal clear pools of blue, and she wants nothing more than to drown in them.
The excitable glint in his eyes softened and his dimples creased his cheeks as he slid his hand down to interlace their fingers. He walked them over to where Liam stood with his arms folded across his chest, his face unreadable to Emma unlike his open-book of a brother.
"Emma, I'd like you to meet my brother Liam." Killian said both of their names with such admiration, it made her heart flutter.
He turned his head then to his older brother and took a step closer to Emma's side.
"Captain, this is Emma Swan." he grinned with boyish glee and Emma couldn't help but blush at his obvious affections for her in front of his brother. Her heart gave a squeeze when she realised he referred to his brother as 'Captain' this time too. A small smile twitching her lips as she caught a glimpse of the lieutenant he used to be. The man who had nothing but love and respect for the burly man standing before her now.
Liam took a step closer, tilting his head to the other side and narrowing his eyes once more.
Emma felt like she was an ant under a microscope and began fidgeting on the spot, switching from foot to foot. She can clearly see why the crew member earlier had looked like a nervous wreck.
Killian squeezed her hand and she glanced up at him. He was grinning from ear to ear as he watched Liam hold his hand out to her.
Emma's eyes swiftly followed his hand as she went to shake it, until he bowed before her and placed a kiss to her knuckles.
"Now, dear brother… you could have warned me we were in the company of Royalty." he grinned then, one that matched Killian's for all it's pearly-white and dimpled glory.
Killian's arm wrapped around her shoulder and Emma leant into him without a second thought, wrapping her arm around his waist and closing any distance between them.
"It's so nice to meet you. Killian's told me so much about you." Emma smiled with ease, resting her head against Killian's shoulder.
"All good things, I hope?" he raised a brow as a cheeky smirk appeared on his face.
"Of course." Emma nodded, resting her free hand against Killian's chest.
Liam watched his brother press a kiss to Emma's temple, and saw her close her eyes and take a deep breath, as if savouring the moment.
"Not that I'm not glad to see you, Killian… but how did you get here?" Liam asked, taking his seat at the Captain's desk.
Killian glanced down at Emma then, and her worried look lingered on his face before she turned to Liam.
"That's kind of a long story…" she bit her lip slightly.
"Well, it better be interesting or I shall be thoroughly unimpressed." he said in a teasing tone and winked at Killian who led himself and Emma over to the chair opposite Liam.
Killian sat down and pulled Emma onto his lap.
"Would you rather I explain, Love?" Killian asked sincerely.
"Go for it." she nodded before leaning back into the cradle of his arms, to get lost in the lilt of his accent, the warmth of his touch and the overwhelming feeling of being home, despite the ghastly warped version of Storybrooke they seemed to find themselves stuck in.
Emma Swan's home wasn't somewhere or something, it was someone.
It was him.
Killian Jones.