Emma watched in wide-eyed horror as a ball of magic the size of a large fist hurtled across the deck of the Jolly Roger and slammed into her captain. The green ball, with spikes shooting from it and angry dark red streaks swirling within, was a spell intended to do damage and it did. Emma screamed as the ball lifted Hook in the air and threw him against the mast. She saw his head connect painfully with the wood before he fell like a suddenly stringless puppet to the deck. He lay still, his chest pulsing green and dark red, and blood trickling from a gash on the side of his head.
"HOOK!" Emma threw the lost boy attacking her over the side of the ship and ran. Sliding to a stop she fell to her knees. Her hands fluttered uncertainly over his chest. "Gold! Regina!" She yelled above the dying din of the battle for the two most magically powerful people she knew. The lost boys, their current mission accomplished, swiftly retreated.
Gold pulled Emma aside and held his hands over the pirate's chest. Sparkling gold strands shot from his fingers and did nothing. He dropped his cane and threw more gold strands with force. Still nothing. Emma looked from the older man kneeling next to her to the queen standing over them.
"Regina." Emma's voice was pleading. "We need him." Regina looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "For… for Henry." Emma explained. Regina nodded though her eyes held a measure of disbelief at the clearly frightened woman's reasoning, she had her own ideas regarding the extent of the pirate captain's usefulness.
Ice blue wisps floated from the queen's hands and settled over the glowing green. The wisps grew denser and darker until Regina gasped and dropped her hands. The wisps disappeared and the green glowed as intently as ever.
Gold and Regina looked at each other and stepped back.
"No. What are you doing?" Emma grabbed at Gold's hand. "Keep trying."
Gold shook his head. "I'm sorry, Emma. There's nothing we can do." He leaned on his cane. "Those were the two strongest spells we could use for this. If they didn't work, there's nothing more."
"We'll just have to find Henry by ourselves." Regina brushed her hands together and gazed with distaste at a dirty smudge the battle had left on her thumb.
"Emma?" Snow dropped next to her daughter and held her shoulders as Emma stared at the much to still pirate. He barely even seemed to be breathing.
His head lay flopped to one side on the wood and the blood kept flowing from the wound. She reached towards him, her hand floating aimlessly over his cheek. No smile curved his lips. His eyes were closed. Suddenly Emma felt an ache grow in her heart. She longed, no, needed to see his eyes sparkling at her. A simple thought blossomed into her mind. Kiss him. She instantly obeyed and swiftly leaned forward. Snow's hands hung surprised and suddenly empty in the air. Emma grabbed Hook's head, not heeding the green pulse on his chest.
Gold stepped forward to stop her, to save her from also being caught by the spell. Too late. Emma's lips pressed fiercely against Hook's. She lifted his head and jaw towards her. She continued, begging his lips to respond. So single focused was she that she missed what had everyone about her gasping in shock.
As her lips connected with Killian's a definite undeniable pulse spread from them causing their audience to rock on their heels and some to even take a step backwards. Snow and Charming stared at each other in recognition and half horror slowly melted to enormous grins. Regina and Gold tried and failed to stifle twin bursts of laughter.
Emma finally felt his lips move beneath hers. She pulled back a little to find him smiling up at her. She smiled in return and sitting back on her heels discovered the green glow had disappeared. She moved his shirt aside and tentatively touched his healed chest in wonder. His head wound had also closed up, the blood rapidly drying and flaking.
"Emma…" Snow began one hand on her daughter's shoulder again.
"Hmm?" Emma looked up to see the peculiar expressions on those around her.
"You see, Emma." Gold couldn't help but jump in. The impish pull of being the one to reveal such information was too strong for him. "That spell was much too strong. There was only one thing in all the worlds that could have broken it." Emma frowned and Gold's eyes lit with delight as he declared triumphantly, "True love's kiss!"
"WHAT?!" Emma yelled in unison with Hook who sat bolt upright.
Emma quickly stood. "No! No way. You have that wrong. It was.. it was just on a timer or something… the spell was." She looked around, earnestly seeking hope in the eyes of anyone. She found none. All of them declared the same thing. After all these years of heartbreak and longing, her one true love was Hook. Hook? A pirate who she had until recently known to have been made up by a man in England about 100 years ago? Emma did the only thing she could. She ran.
Her feet thumped on the wooden planks until her searching, frantic mind found somewhere she hoped no one would find her. She climbed down into the cargo hold and sank down behind a few sacks of flour and potatoes. She hugged her legs to her and cried onto her knees. The enormity of it all loomed over her heart. She wasn't even sure exactly what she was crying for. Only that there were too many thoughts and emotions spinning around her head and this was the way they'd chosen to escape.
Much later she woke amongst the sacks and pushed her aching body upright. Potatoes didn't make a very comfortable resting place and one in particular had been digging painfully into her hip. Carefully she climbed from the hold and very quietly snuck past some of Henry's rescuers asleep in the hammocks above. Creaking open the door she stepped out onto the deck and drew in a large breath of night air. Softly she made her way to the side of the ship and gazed out at the dark endless sea. She held the rail and leaned back to stare at the stars. They seemed to smile and wink reassuringly at her. She smiled back.
"Emma." Her name came softly from someone not far away. Emma jerked to face the voice. Hook. He sat on a barrel next to the side of the ship. She must have walked right past him without noticing.
"Hook." Emma went back to staring out to sea. She had no idea what to say. No idea where to start. Suddenly the friendship she'd felt building between them was much too awkward.
"Emma," He began as he stood and walked towards her. "This doesn't have to be anything."
Emma bit her lip and gazed at his shoulder. She was unable, in that moment, to look him in the eye, so afraid of what she might see there.
"Is that what you want?" A small, fearful but forceful part of Emma hoped he'd say 'yes', the rest of her screamed 'no'.
Hook took a breath. "No." He waited for her to look up and when she didn't, "Emma, look at me." Hesitantly she lifted her eyes to meet his and he continued. "I want you. All of you. I have for a while now. But… but I'm willing to wait. I just don't want you disappearing on me."
Emma nodded and her eyes drifted closed as his lips brushed hers. Feather-light kisses grew in pressure. Her lips parted and pulled at his. Her body reacted mostly as she knew it would. There was the familiar pull of her lower half towards him. She knew that feeling well. Others had caused it in her and Hook himself could make it flare to life just by walking into the room let alone when he looked at her.
But there was another feeling. One she'd never felt before and could barely described. It was like something, some tiny light, had woken inside her chest, no, in her heart. This tiny light was stretching its arms and dancing, spinning, slowly then fast. The light recognised something, something had woken it and it was delighted. It kept spilling forth feelings she barely had words for – home, complete, one, together and at these words others came to dance around them – joy, delight, happiness, love.
Emma released Hook's lips and hesitantly looked up to find the same wonder she felt mirrored back at her.
"Did you…" She stammered.
"Yes." He breathed back.
"What was…"
"I don't know."
Hook pulled her tightly against him. She wrapped her arms about his waist and held on, not sure she would ever have the strength to let go. They stood motionless listening to the waves slapping against the Jolly Roger's hull.
"I don't want to lose you either." Emma admitted her cheek wonderfully warm against his cotton shirt. Killian smiled and rested his cheek against her hair. They had plenty of time to work out the details for now he was perfectly content to remain right where he was for as long as he could.