Two Minutes to Midnight

Chapter One

Despite him being in pain from what he knew was likely a few cracked and broken ribs after the beating he received from the Lost Boys in Neverland, Killian's only thought as he looked into the face of the woman he loved after all the time they had been forced apart in separate realms was remorse, as he spoke up in worry saying, "I'm sorry, Emma. I should have told you what I did to your grandfather all those years ago, and I should never, never have even considered running away."

Emma placed her hand gently over his chest as she kept her eyes on his and genuinely responded, "It's okay. I didn't exactly make it easy for you to tell me the truth. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

"No," he quickly retorted and winced while he struggled to pull out the engagement ring he kept close to his heart within the inside pocket of his leather jacket, then held it up for Emma to see again like he had done before. "No. There's something I have to do before I get pushed into another portal. And this time… I'm gonna do it the right way."

His love for her radiated in his eyes while they continued to look at one another as he continued, "Swan… and I know… that you face an uncertain future, but there's one thing that I want you to be certain of… that I will always, always be by your side."

Emma chuckled happily as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye to the floor, then watched as he knelt down before her, raised his head to look into her eyes again and lovingly asked, "So… Emma Swan… what do you say? Will you marry me?"

"Yes," she answered happily, kneeling down with him while she laid her hands on his shoulders, then moved them to both sides of his face as he chortled and she finally leaned in close to kiss him in tenderness.

On the eve of Emma's and Killian's engagement…

After leaving Regina's office, Emma and Killian walked hand in hand back to the home they shared together so that they could be alone for awhile before they would have to head back to Granny's Diner for a small celebration that would commemorate the curse over Snow's and David's hearts being broken finally, as well as their engagement. It amazed Emma that her parents and everyone else in this town thought they could pull off throwing together such a fete within only a matter of an hour.

"I seriously can't believe that Mom and Dad are really doing this right now," she said to him while keeping her eyes on the road beneath her feet as they walked. "They couldn't at least wait for tomorrow night?"

Killian smiled as he replied, "They're only doing it because they're incredibly happy for their daughter, and because they are finally together again. It's right that they should want to celebrate so soon. As we all should. Besides, they've thrown together far more extravagant celebrations than this one in the same amount of time. All royals have."

Emma smirked at him and responded, "You do realize that it's soon going to turn into nothing, but an engagement party for us, don't you?"

"Aye," he answered as he turned his head to look over at her again. "And I've never been happier to celebrate something in my whole life."

"But first I might have to ask if you could use your magic to heal my ribs and then I'd like to take a hot shower," he stated again, being unable to hide another wince as Emma leaned in to kiss him happily and she immediately pulled back, then gently put one of her hands over his left side in effort to ease his pain a little until they got home. "After traveling for days fighting to get myself back home to you, through the oceans within an old underwater ship and having to kill a giant sea monster, across the desert sands of Agrabah where we faced an evil wizard who wasn't the Crocodile, running for my life trying to get away from the Lost Boys in Neverland…"

When he trailed off, Emma replied, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, Killian. And all alone too. Except for Ariel, Captain Nemo, your brother, Jasmine, and Aladdin… I mean, well you know what I mean. Without me. The point I'm trying to make is that you spent all that time worrying about me when you should have been worrying a little bit more about yourself. But I'm even sorrier for not believing that you never really would have left me if you weren't in trouble. None of us trusted you. But after all you've done for me, I really should have. And of course I do now, it's just that my insecurities got the better of me again."

With sincerity Killian responded, "You needn't apologize, love. I don't blame you or your parents for not believing in me. Or anyone else for that matter. You and I got into our first real fight because I very nearly ruined everything we've ever shared together by trying to hide the truth of my biggest shame from you, and especially myself. And to make things worse, I considered leaving you because I thought a voyage on the Nautilus would allow me to get my head on straight again, to allow me to once again become the kind of man you deserve. I was so wrong to even consider…"

"You are the man I want and that I need, Killian" she interrupted him before he could continue to put himself down anymore. "Every part of you, flaws and all. I will always love you no matter what horrors from your past might come about. Because you are not that man. You haven't been for a long time. Not since you offered your ship and your services to us to help us get to Neverland so we could save Henry."

Upon arriving outside of their house, Emma and Killian both failed to notice Killian's shadow sitting up on the roof watching them until the entity flew down in front of them as it stared at them strangely, then flew off again through one of the windows Emma had left open a small crack earlier that day to let in some cool, fresh air. Both of them followed after the shadow, then stopped when it turned around to face them again once more while it stayed within the light so they could continue to see it.

"I think your shadow is trying to tell us something," Emma spoke again as she helped to guide Killian over and down onto the couch within their living room, then knelt down before him as she as she carefully began to pull back his jacket and open his shirt so she could get a look at his body for whatever wounds might be causing his discomfort after looking over the gash on his forehead as well.

While she did so, Killian answered, "Perhaps it's trying to ask you for your help. I've never been separated from my shadow before. I didn't realize we could become one again, but if anyone… aah!"

Once she finished pulling away his clothes that caused him to let out a small cry of pain, Emma understood why he was hurting so badly upon seeing numerous deep ugly bruises and severe lacerations all across his chest and sides as she gasped with concern, then she whispered, "Oh God, Killian. Why didn't you tell me how badly you were really hurting? I should have healed you earlier like I was going to do at my parents' loft."

"I didn't realize how badly those boys had beaten me until now," he replied quietly when he looked down upon himself for the first time as Emma was. "I must have blacked out for a short time before they shoved me up against that pole I was about to be put to death on by fire. All I could think of was that at least I had done one good thing before I died… as my shadow flew away to get to you with that piece of wood Tiger Lily said was a weapon you can use to help you defeat the Black Fairy."

"I knew it must have been important if you fought against all of those heathens to get it to me," the Savior responded sadly while she slowly and carefully began to heal him, taking another brief glance up at his shadow again as she did so. "Perhaps my powers won't just be able to heal only you. I'm going to try to reforge your bond. Hold still."

After his wounds vanished because of the light magic she poured into him, Emma raised one of her hands continuing to emit her powers as she pulled the shadow down and mended the tares made by Killian's hook that separated them to begin with in Neverland, then she leaned in again to kiss him again and said afterwards, "There. Now you're whole again. How do you feel?"

Killian tenderly kissed her hands and then answered, "I've never been better. Thank you, Emma."

"You know, this reminds me a little of Wendy from the Peter Pan story a little," she replied as she stood again and helped him up to stand with her. "In it, she sews Pan's shadow to him again with a needle and thread after he loses it when the children's dog rips it away from him as he tries to fly away before they can see him. Peter tries to using soap first, then begins to cry when he realizes he can't do it."

"That's ridiculous," he retorted oddly. "Neither of those things would ever work. And Pan was never one to cry or give up on anything."

Emma laughed, then she replied, "Yes… well it's not like J.M. Barrie had the knowledge that only someone with healing powers can bind a person back together with their shadow. J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. If only he knew just how wrong his story really was. You're certainly nothing like the Captain Hook he imagined. And neither was Pan. But enough about all of that. Now, what do you say we both go upstairs and take that nice, hot shower you were talking about earlier? I don't think my parents will mind that we're late, so long as we actually get there at some point tonight before the party's over."

Killian smiled as he pulled her into his arms and then seductively stated, "I was hoping you would say that."