Here I go again with another long fic! The story takes place a few weeks after Emma and Gold get back from their road trip (Neal is not Bae and Belle remembers Gold); Cora and Regina threaten to unleash another curse on the citizens of Storybrooke if Emma doesn't give Henry back, but Emma knows Regina's bluffing; so she refuses. Unfortunately, Cora goes through with the curse, and Regina can't stop her, but she tells Emma and "the two idiots" about it, and that's where our story starts. As for Emma and Hook, they've spent those few weeks since Emma's been back dancing around each other, but no feelings have been admitted to yet, on either side. So far I've got five chapters written and most of the story planned, so I'm gonna be posting new chapter every three days until I write everything, then we're back to every other day; the same way CBTM was posted. I hope you'll like this one, and tell me what you think.
Storybrooke is in chaos. David and Mary Margaret are trying to establish order, to point the scared people in the right direction, but nobody seems to listen. Since they learned about the new curse Cora is about to unleash on them, they can't seem to stop long enough to listen to reason. If she's perfectly honest, Emma isn't really surprised. After all they've been through, after finally finding a fragile balance between their two lives, it must be horrible to learn that everything is about to be taken away again, one way or the other.
The worst thing is, no one knows what this curse will do, and the only protection is going across the town line, which means losing their memories for those who came to Storybrooke after the first curse, and total amnesia for those who hadn't. Emma glances at Hook and pulls Henry closer to her side.
"Miss Swan, there you are ", Gold calls from across the street, and Hook's hand goes to his sword. It's been a few weeks since they've come to a reluctant truce, but she knows better than anyone that old habits die hard.
"Do you have it?" Emma asks, and Gold nods, pulling out a bottle with purple mist swirling in the middle of it.
"It's ready. We pour this on the town line and all the couples who go across it will keep their memories." He smiles at Belle, but her smile is reluctant.
"Are you sure nothing can be done for those who are alone?" She asks him, and Gold shakes his head.
"You know I wouldn't even be able to do this without Regina's help. We're lucky she decided to turn against her mother at the last possible moment. And besides, we're running out of time; the curse is almost upon us, although…" he trails off, looking at Emma.
She frowns, stepping closer to Gold. "Is there a way to stop it?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what exactly?" Hook cuts in, coming to her side. She deliberately avoids looking at him, keeping her eyes on Gold.
"There might be something beneath the library", Gold says, and Emma rises her eyebrows at him.
"And you only thought of telling me now. Why?"
"Because chances are pretty slim you're going to succeed and come back in time for me to use it."
"What if we all go?" David asks, coming to stand on Emma's other side.
"Sorry, prince, this is a job for our Savior, and no one else", Gold says, tilting his head to the side. "If you're interested, miss Swan."
"What do I have to do?" Emma asks him, knowing that whatever it is, she's the only chance they've got.
There are more people at the town line than Hook has ever seen in town. They're walking over it in pairs and groups, some coming across safely like Ruby and doctor Whale, some forgetting their fairytale selves like Granny and doctor Hopper. Mary Margaret and David are standing on either side of Henry, glancing back toward town, already safe on the other side of the line.
"Something's wrong", Mary Margaret says, gripping Henry's shoulders. David is about to go back over the line when Gold's voice stops him.
"The spell works only one way. If you go back now, you're going to lose your memories again." Gold says, hugging Belle and leading her away, toward their car and outside world. David fumes, stalking after them.
Mary Margaret looks across the line at Hook, and she doesn't have to say anything; her fear and desperation are quite clear in her eyes.
"I'll go back", Hook says, and turns toward town.
"Killian, wait", Henry calls and shakes off Mary Margaret, catching up to Hook and pulling a walkie-talkie out of his bag. "Do you remember how this works?"
"I do," Hook says, taking it from him.
"Good. Mum's got the other, so you can talk to her as soon as you get close to the library. Or sooner, if she's already on her way here", Henry says, and Hook nods awkwardly, not sure what to tell him. He never was much for empty promises, and Henry's looking at him like he's some kind of a hero, making him slightly uncomfortable.
Hook turns around and starts running back into town, feeling Henry's eyes on himself until he's out of sight.
Emma goes back into the elevator feeling disappointed, annoyed, and scared. She had already wasted too much time, and she's not certain if she can outrun the curse, not to mention the fact that she's got nothing to show for her effort.
When she's ten feet away from the ground floor the elevator shakes and stops, and Emma stumbles, gripping the wall for support. The sense of déjà vu comes over her and dread fills her gut, because this situation is exactly the same as last year, only this time, it isn't Henry's life on the line; it's everybody else's.
She climbs on top of the elevator car and then the door on the library level slams shut, cutting off her way of escape. Her eyes go wide and that fear she had pushed aside earlier comes back full force.
Then she hears Hook calling her name upstairs and her knees go weak with relief. She doesn't know why he's here, but at the moment she doesn't care; he came back for her, and it's the only thing that matters.
"Down here!" Emma yells, looking up and waiting for the door to open. Judging from the sounds coming from his side, Hook's trying to break it down, but it proves impossible.
"There's a lever somewhere", Emma yells up at him, exasperated. Her walkie-talkie crackles and she pulls it out of her pocket.
"The bloody lever doesn't work", Hook's voice comes out of it, and Emma closes her eyes, all the fight going out of her. Instinctively, she knows it's too late. Up above her head, the noise grows louder, and she wonders if he's actually throwing himself against the door in hope of breaking through.
"You should go while you still can", Emma says into the walkie, sitting down against the rough wall, her legs dangling into the elevator. When she looks up she can see the door, with only a thin ray of light coming through it. She winces every time he bangs against the door.
"Go where? I'd forget everything if I crossed that line", Hook answers her, and the noise finally stops. "I can't open the door", he says, and she has never heard him sound so defeated.
"Then go. It's better to live without memories than stay for the curse", Emma tells him, everything in her screaming for him to stay with her. She doesn't want to face whatever is coming alone, but at the same time she doesn't want him to face it at all. "You can still start over even without the memories."
"I'm not going anywhere", Hook says, and it sounds like he's settling down on the other side of the elevator door.
"We don't know what this curse will do", Emma yells at him, cursing him for being so stubborn and loving him for staying. "We are probably going to die, but it could be worse."
"Worse than forgetting you?" He asks her, and Emma stares at the walkie, wondering if she's imagining things.
"This is not the time for your stupid innuendos", she tells him softly, and he chuckles.
"Oh Emma. You're going to deny that we have something until the bitter end, aren't you?"
Emma closes her eyes and wishes he were next to her, wishes she could make up for lost time and kiss him at least once before the curse hits and does who knows what to them.
"If you forget me, you won't know you've forgotten me", she says softly, the thought of him dying making her sick to her stomach.
"There's nothing you can say that will make me leave you here alone", he says, and she explodes.
"Knowing Cora, this curse is probably going to be worse than simply dying. It could maim us or trap up in perpetual limbo, or transport us to a horrible world where we will pray for death. Why would you risk that for me?!"
"Because if we live, and it is as horrible as you say, I don't want you to face it alone, just like I don't want to face the world outside this town alone." His voice is so soft Emma has to bring the walkie to her ear, and at that moment she regrets always shooting him down, pretending that she doesn't care about him. The truth is, she's too scared of her feelings to acknowledge them, and now it's too late.
Emma takes a deep breath and tells him the only thing that can drive him away.
"If we live, I don't want to be stuck with you forever. I don't know why you came for me, but I don't want you here. Now or ever", she adds for good measure, her voice strong and full of disgust she feels for herself, but hopes he's going to think is aimed at him.
"Tough luck. I'm staying right here."
"Just go, please!" She says, realizing she's crying only when her voice breaks, hating him for making her feel so conflicted, desperate for him to go and save himself and so very grateful for his presence at the same time. Then she thinks about Henry, thinks how she's never going to see her son again, and the tears come faster.
"Now would be the time to stop lying and embrace your feelings for me, lass", Hook says, his voice strangely subdued. Emma realizes that their time is running out, that he probably sees something but doesn't want to scare her and tell her what's going on.
"I want you to be safe", she tells him, abandoning all pretense and closing her eyes, picturing him in her head the way he was just hours ago, wearing jeans and a T-shirt under a leather jacket, his blue eyes wordlessly warning her not to trust Gold.
"It's too late for that, love", he says. "The curse is here."
Emma closes her eyes and hopes it will be over quickly, wishing she could hold onto his hand and face whatever comes feeling his warmth next to her, but above all, wishing she could go with his kiss still on her lips.
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