"Do you have to go?" I asked for the millionth time, no longer caring how winey my voice was sounding. "Henry's on his stupid tour with David and Mary Margaret and Ruby are visiting all the neighboring realms, Roland is off with Henry and Belle and Rumplestiltskin are at their summer cabin for a few months. Killian you and Robin are leaving me and Regina alone together in this castle. If you both leave now there are no promises that it will still be standing when you get back." True Regina and I had been getting along better since the defeat of Zelena and our return to the Enchanted Forest and the past few years we had managed to keep our fights to the 'verbal' sort and leave magic (and fists) out of it for Henry's sake. But with him gone and both our better halves sailing around on a silly adventure, (okay they were calming down the mermaid rebellions and trying to keep all sailors safe but still) along with the peace keeping-Mary Margaret and our mutual friend Ruby out of the picture there was no way that trend would hold.
"Then we can all live on my ship! And by us all I mean you, myself and the lad. Your family is rich they can get their own ship." He grinned at his joke and raised his eyebrows up and down comically in an attempt to get me to grin a little. I held out as long as I could but eventually I cracked a grin and let him fold me into his arms. "Come on, Emma my love. You know that I am loath to leave your side for a second but this is important. The mermaids have been attacking ships without provocation and Ariel and I need to go settle this. They trust the both of us and we are the only ones who can do it. I need a crew whom I can trust and in particular a first mate and I am finding that I can no longer put that amount of trust in Smee. When Robin offered his services I realized it was perfect and we both decided that the sooner we get going and get this solved the sooner we can return to the port and to our beautiful women." I nestled into his arms and shivered as I felt his lips caress my neck. My eyes closed and I held him tightly again.
"Be careful Killian. And come back to me quickly." He kissed me passionately and I felt my knees going week even as he released me and hugged me tightly.
"Always my love. Keep a weather eye on the horizon." I knew showing him Pirates of the Caribbean was a bad plan. I grinned and watched as he slung his rucksack over his shoulder, dove back in for one final kiss and made his way down to his new ship. Regina and Robin were having a similar farewell further down the beach and after the two men climbed aboard and began to make ready to sail we walked towards each other, tears in both or our eyes and stood near one another for comfort. Maybe this wouldn't get quite as hostile as I thought. We watched until the ship became a dot on the horizon and the sun began to set. Even then we were both, as Killian would say, loath to leave this sight for fear that once we did we would never see them again. Finally Regina put her hand on my arm.
"Come on, Granny's making dinner. We should get something to eat." I nodded and we slowly turned back into the castle. My hands shook and I was unbearably nervous. What if I never saw him again? What if he got hurt? What if something happened? Regina seemed to be feeling the same thing and we ate in silence. We didn't say a word to each other in days. It wasn't until Ruby and Mary Margaret returned with some startling news that we said a single word. And even then it wasn't much. What was wrong with us? Killian and Robin had to leave all the time for affairs of the state, or just to get some "guy time" but this time felt different. This time felt more intense. This time, felt dangerous.