Emma laid her sleeping brother in his basinet and swiped at her damp cheeks. It was happening again. A damn spell was about to take everyone she loved from her. She wanted to curse and scream, punch a hole through the sheriff's station wall—with her fist this time rather than her magic.
This morning Emma had thought about giving herself up—sacrificing herself to the Snow Queen's sadistic plan to make her perfect little family, but now it was too late. Ingrid had already smashed the mirror, casting the "spell of shattered sight" Now…no one knew what the hell this was going to do to the town.
Her mom and dad had taken no chances. Half an hour ago they'd shown up at the sheriff's station with tears streaming down their faces, toting Neal, his basinet, and enough bottles and diapers to feed and clothe a baby army.
"Emma, honey," her mom said, giving her a one-armed hug, "we need your help."
Doesn't everybody? Emma thought sarcastically to herself.
"We don't know what this spell is going to do to us," her father explained. "You know we would never do anything to harm you or your brother under normal circumstances, but, well, we just don't know what this spell will make us do."
"You want me to watch him?" Emma asked.
"I know you're busy with this whole Ingrid thing," Mary Margaret said, "but we just don't know what else to do! We know you and Elsa are protected, thanks to your yellow ribbons, but I don't know if there's anyone else we can trust him with."
Emma held out her arms and let her mother place her brother into them. "Of course I'll take care of the little guy," she said. "That's what family does."
She'd gone on to say a very tearful goodbye to both of her parents. No one knew how bad this spell was going to get, and there was no way to know if she'd ever even see them again.
She'd said goodbye to everyone. Her parents, Henry, Regina, Ruby and Granny, even the dwarfs. There was just one farewell she had left to say, and she knew this one was going to break her in a way she'd never been broken before—not by the hell she'd gone through in the foster system. Not when Neal broke her heart. Not when Graham died in her arms. Not when the man she thought she loved had turned into a freaking flying monkey and attacked her.
No. When she said goodbye to Killian, it was going to tear her apart. I love him, she thought to herself. It was the first time she'd said the words, even to herself, but she felt the truth of them to the very core of her being. She loved him, and Ingrid was about to rip him from her. If that bitch thought Emma would ever feel anything but stone cold loathing for her after this she was more delusional than she appeared.
Emma heard the door open behind her, and knew the moment had come. She knew it was him, could sense it, could feel it deep within her heart. She scrubbed at her cheeks again. These may be the last minutes she would ever be able to spend with him, and she wasn't going to waste them blubbering like a baby.
Killian turned her with a gentle hand to her shoulder. He looked worn and haggard, but beyond that there was something else—a kind of hopelessness and acceptance that had clung to him over the past day or two, ever since he'd found her just after she'd almost given up her magic.
Something was up with him. Something was bothering him deep within his soul. She knew him. She may be an open book to him, but he was to her as well. If it wasn't for this damn Ingrid situation, she'd sit him down and insist he tell her just what it was that was eating him from the inside. She'd find a way to help him.
But now…Now it was too late. It was too late for all of them.
"Little tyke's out like a light, aye?" Killian said with a fond smile.
"Yeah," Emma said, her voice a little watery, "Good thing too. With all that's happening, I don't think I could handle a screaming baby right now."
He looked over at her. "You'll defeat her, Emma. The Snow Queen stands nary a chance against you."
"You really think so?" she hated the catch in her voice, the betrayal that she wasn't the strong, in control savior; she was a frightened little girl who'd lost her entire family, yet again.
"Aye, my love, there's naught you can't do." Killian reached for her then, wrapping her in his arms—and his love. Emma closed her eyes, cupped his head in her hand, and rested for a second, letting his strength and comfort seep into her.
But there was something else there…something beyond the love and strength and confidence he exuded. There was an emptiness, a resignation. It scared her. She stepped out of his embrace.
"Killian, what's wrong?" she asked anxiously. "Something's bothering you, isn't it? Something's been eating at you for days. Is it Ingrid? Are you afraid of this spell?"
He glanced away and scratched at that infamous spot behind his right ear.
"Not to worry, Swan," he said, finally flashing her a cocky grin that never reached his eyes. "I've no fear for the wrath the queen means to inflict upon the town. Let her do her worst. I know full well the darkness that lies within me; I've spent more years than I care to count facing it on Neverland. Her spell shan't touch me."
He was telling her the truth…at least what he believed was the truth, but something rang false. What wasn't he telling her?
And then what he was telling her sunk in.
"Killian," she said, resting her hand on his cheek. "Don't sell yourself short. You're a hero. Whatever you've done in the past; whatever darkness you used to have? You've more than made up for it. You've…you've been my strength, my rock ever since you took us to Neverland, and I'll never be able to tell you how much that means to me."
He looked at her then, deep into her eyes, and for a split second she saw hope. "Emma," he breathed softly, almost reverently.
She leaned forward, wanting nothing but to soothe, to comfort. Her lips met his and she knew that she was home. His arms tightened around her, and he sunk into her kiss. It was slow and sweet; a declaration of all they'd never said to each other, a transferring of love one to the other, the very fusing of two souls.
Here at the end of all things she understood; she got it. She'd always thought true love was a myth, something to mock and something at which to scoff. Even when she'd met her parents and seen what true love looks like first hand, she'd been convinced she'd never have it—she was too broken, too scarred, too closed off.
But now, standing in the sheltering arms of her pirate, she knew she'd found it. If this wasn't true love, nothing was. She and Killian had something beautiful and precious and as close to perfect as anything she'd ever experienced.
She'd found her true love.
Emma pulled away, and swiped at the tears that had escaped Killian's eyes. "I love you," she whispered. "I just need you to know that. I love you so much it almost hurts."
He grinned at her, soft and gentle. Her own love mirrored in his eyes. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "Know this, my Emma. Come what may, I love you to the very depth of my soul, and I will until the end of the world and long, long past."
They had only minutes left; Emma could sense it. Any moment the Snow Queen's spell would wash over the town and all hell would break loose. But for now, for one last shining moment, she'd reached the heights of heaven.
Notes:
-This is probably the most angsty story I've ever written (at least that didn't end with a resolution of the angst). Sorry about that, but it insisted on being written, and it insisted on being written like this!
- This story was inspired by the promo photos for 4x9 that were released yesterday—particularly the one with Emma holding baby Neal, the one with Emma talking to Killian, and the one with Emma kissing Killian. The first thing I thought when I saw those pictures (at least the last two) was that Emma had just/was about to tell Killian she loves him now that the spell of shattered sight is about to hit, and who knows when she'll get another opportunity.
-I guess you could say this is my "prediction" for what we'll get this coming Sunday. I sense we're in for another dose of pain and agony (although surely it can't be as bad as Rumple ripping out Killian's heart!), but I'm absolutely positive it's going to lead to wonderful, beautiful, amazing things in the end. After all, didn't Ginnifer Goodwin say Emma and Hook's story was "remarkable" this season?