It had been a long week. After six relatively calm weeks, being thrown right back into the thick of things had taken its toll on everyone. Emma especially. Considering the information her parents had dropped on her, Killian knew that these next few days, weeks – were going to be rough. He couldn't stop thinking about Emma. Despite what Emma had said about Rumple's plans, he couldn't shake the fear. He'd had his own brush with darkness and he knew how quickly it consumed you and refused to let go.
The revelation with her parents, the anger and betrayal on her face, made him fearful of what could come to pass because of their foolish decisions.
Killian raked his hand over his face as he rolled on to his side for the hundredth time, unable to find a comfortable spot in his bunk. His mind was racing, playing through every outcome of this situation. He knew, perhaps better than anyone, what the Dark One was capable of and what he would be willing to do to serve his own gain.
He jerked bolt upright at the sound of someone pounding on his door.
"What the bleeding hell do you want?" Killian shouted out as he moved towards the door, wrenching it open. His anger subsided quickly as he met the tear-stained eyes of the woman standing outside the door. "Emma."
"I-…" Emma started, before she all but pounced on him. She curled her fingers around the back of his neck, her lips crashing against his.
Killian was taken by surprise, sinking into the kiss for mere seconds, before he realized what Emma was doing. She was urging him backwards, veering him towards the bed. He could taste the desire on her tongue as it slid past his lips.
"No. Emma. No." Killian whispered as he pulled back from the kiss. His hand skimmed down her side, resting at her hip. His brows knit together as he looked down at her. She looked hurt and confused.
Emma clutched at his shirt, trying once again to lean in and kiss him. "I need this. I need you." She told him in a lower tone that went straight through him. She was really testing his self-control.
"Love, please don't take this the wrong way, because you and I both know that I want this. Gods, I want you, but… Not like this." Killian shook his head, lifting his hand to cup her cheek. "This isn't what you need tonight."
She blinked, dumbfounded as she looked up into his eyes. "I just need you tonight." Emma said quietly, before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into the crook of his neck.
Killian held her tightly, knowing that that was what she needed. She just needed to be held and assured that everything would work out in the end. He pressed his lips to the side of her head, his hand smoothing along her back as he held her in silence for the longest time. She was trembling and he knew it wasn't from the cool night's air. He could feel her tears as they soaked through his thin shirt.
"I can't stay there anymore." Emma sobbed out, holding him even tighter. "I can't live with them. Not knowing what they did. They lied to me. My parents–" Her voice broke, "My parents lied to me, Killian."
"I know, love." Killian pulled back ever-so-slightly, his fingers winding through her hair as he looked down into her tear filled eyes. "While I'm sure you'd much prefer relocating to the Inn, my ship is at your service. It can be your home for now, if that's what you want." He didn't want her to feel like she had to stay with him. He understood that that might be more than what she wanted.
"That's why I came here."
Killian arched a brow, "Hell of a way to tell a man you're seeking refuge on his ship." He said lightly, wanting to make her smile again.
And she did. Emma smiled faintly, shaking her head. "I don't know how any of this works." She admitted to him, resting her cheek against his chest. "I just thought that… if I wanted to stay I should…"
Killian wound his arms around her. "Sleep your way aboard? Love, I thought you knew me better than that." He teased. "I'm a gentleman, you know."
"I know." Emma sighed heavily, pressing herself closer to him.
"Whenever you want to stay here, love, it's yours. Whether I'm here or not." Killian told her, stroking his thumb over the rise of her cheekbone. "What's mine is yours." Which was saying a lot, considering the fact he was a pirate – notoriously known for not sharing. But with her he'd share everything that was his.
Emma gave a shaky laugh at that, smiling up at him. "Killian."
"I mean it." Killian said firmly. "I gave this ship up for a chance of finding you and bringing you home to your family. I can't help but think that it's meantto be that now I have it when you need a refuge from said family." He kissed her forehead. "You're shaking still, we need to get you warmed up."
"I know one way to do that." Emma remarked with a faint grin, following him as he led her back to his bunk.
Killian gave her a look.
"I'll behave Captain."
"You ought to," Killian said with a playfully stern look. "Because you're something of an open book to me and I know that's not what you need tonight, lass."
"It's not," Emma agreed as she sank down onto the edge of his bed, rubbing her hands over her face, wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks. "All this time I thought my parents believed in me. That they trusted me enough to know that I'm not some ticking time bomb." She gave an incredulous laugh. "They judged you for being a pirate, while they sat there with the knowledge that they… they took a woman's baby away from them, so that their child would be pure and innocent."
Killian sat down beside her, reaching for her hand, lacing his fingers with her. He wished he could offer her more. Seeing her so distraught, so angry, felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart. He hated seeing her in pain. "I could sit here and try to reason that they do believe in you, but from what I've seen of them they believe in you with an edge of skepticism." He'd seen it in Neverland. They believed in her abilities to an extent and then they were just lying to themselves. He didn't know how someone could look at Emma and not see what he saw. "They're damned fools."
Emma shook her head, staring down at where their hands were joined. "I just don't get it. I wasn't even born and they couldn't trust that if I was raised right, I'd turn out good." She squeezed his hand. "For what it's worth, I don't even know if what they did even worked. I didn't exactly lead a life on the right side of the law."
Killian kept his fingers laced with hers, moving to wrap his arm around her, pulling her into his side. "I suppose we'll never know to what extent it altered you. You're perfect just the way you are." He mumbled into her hair as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. "You've got every right to be furious with them Emma, but the last thing I want is for any of this to ruin your relationship with your parents."
Emma sighed heavily. "I just need time."
"I know." He whispered, squeezing her hand. "You need time and space away from them, so you can figure this out." Killian pressed another kiss to her head. "But we still have to work together to stop the Dark One. I won't let him take you from your family." He swallowed thickly. He didn't want Gold to take her from him, but it felt wrong to say when her family, regardless of their mistakes, was infinitely more important than himself.
"You're not afraid of me going dark are you?" Emma pulled back, her red rimmed eyes finding his.
"No." Killian held her gaze, knowing that she was looking for a lie. "I believe that you're capable of resisting it, but I know what lengths he'll go to."
Emma rested her palm on his chest. "I wonder if he realizes that that only made us stronger."
Killian smiled at her, "Well, you've not done away with me yet, I'm sure he's noticed. I'm sure he plans to use that to his advantage."
Emma leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I'm not going to do away with you, you stupid pirate." She whispered, lifting her hand to stroke his cheek.
"Good." Killian smiled brightly at her.
"You're not the only one with a happy ending here." Emma told him, his heart skipping a beat at the look of… love in her eyes.
"We should sleep." Killian offered gently, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "Tomorrow will be another long and arduous day."
Emma nodded. "Aye aye Captain." She looked towards the bed. "Think there's room for both of us?"
Killian laughed, nodding his head slowly. "There's plenty of room for both of us here."
He still couldn't sleep. Even with Emma wrapped up his arms, her expression softened by sleep, blond hair mussed from his gentle stroking. He had complete faith in her – he knew what she was capable of and he knew she could hold her own against whatever was thrown her way, but he was afraid of losing her. He'd lost so much already and it was only a matter of time before he was due to lose someone again. If he lost her, it would be the end of him. There would be no vengeance driving him, no desire to keep on living, there would just be a void where light and joy had once been. He couldn't lose her. He would do whatever he could to keep her safe, to protect her from the Dark One. Emma was his happy ending – no, Emma was a happy beginning, a story without an end. A future. Full of hope and possibility.