Getting Back to Normal

It had been a tough year for them. Killian had died in front of her twice, gone to hell and she had become the Dark One and then made him a Dark One too. Not necessarily in that order. All she wanted was for things to go back to normal. Or at least the Storybrooke version of normal.

At least she had both Henry and Killian with her under her roof. She hadn't given up her house once the darkness was gone from her. She had done some redecorating though to warm up the house and move the remaining memories of the Dark One out.

Henry said he had forgiven her for everything she had done when she was the Dark One. But she still doubted he had completely forgiven her. Yet he had helped her get Killian back. It seemed those two had become as thick as thieves while she was the Dark One.

Killian worried her though. Apart from dying twice, he had his heart ripped out a couple of times and his soul separated from his body. He held himself together and put up a good front during the day, but woke up screaming some nights. He had actually moved into the spare room but Emma couldn't sleep without him.

She had her own issues after being the Dark One. Memories of everything she had done while consumed by the darkness kept playing over and over in her head. The guilt could be over-whelming sometimes. Just as she knew it was for Killian over her becoming the Dark One to save him and his actions whilst being the Dark One. In all fairness, he had warned it what would happen if she tethered him to the darkness.

The thing that disturbed her the most, was that Killian was the one who was always so open. This Killian was so closed off and almost painful to watch. She had been as supportive of him as he had been of her, but it didn't appear to be helping. Henry had tried unsuccessfully as well.

"You know who might be able to help?" Henry walked up to his Mother who had been watching Killian for the past hour. "Nobody's told her what happened once she went back to France. I don't think she would have gone back if she had realised the darkness wasn't completely gone."

"I don't think Killian wanted to worry her." However now she and Henry were worried. "He's barely sleeping." Which would be fine if it weren't for the nightmares. "Any idea of how we reach her without travelling between realms?"

"We can always send a carrier pigeon." Henry got the impression that his Mother didn't want to ask her Parents for help to prevent them from having something else to worry about.

"Great idea Kid. Worst thing that can happen is Quasi doesn't let her come after the state we sent her back in." Also she wasn't eager to tell Esmeralda that her efforts had been in vain and she had ended up becoming fully consumed by the darkness.

"You really think he could stop her?" Henry had too many strong willed women in his life to think Esmeralda could be prevented from coming to her Brother's aid.

"That's a good point." Damn was her kid smart. "I think I'm more worried about how she is going to react to her Brother being sent to Hell."

"We got him back." Henry pointed out. "And he's now back in one piece."

"Yeah, we might want to leave out that his soul was removed from his body when we speak to her." Although, Esmeralda was an intelligent woman and would probably work it out herself. "She'll be mad enough when she finds out I turned him into a Dark One."

"Might want to begin with it being the only way you could save his life." Henry was beginning to rethink contacting Killian's Sister.

"Let's send the message before I change my mind." Now Emma really was worried. If Henry was doubting her plan maybe this really was a bad idea. Before either of them could change their minds the message was sent.

Killian stared at the rings on his fingers. Perhaps it was time to get rid of them. Move on from the past. He had after all found this house for Emma, Henry and himself before everything including himself went to hell. He did like the steps Emma had taken to brighten up the place and chase the last of the Dark Ones out of it.

Now if only he could sleep properly and stop the nightmares. He had promised Emma he was a survivor and survive he would. With any luck he could avoid dying for a while. He couldn't keep doing that to Emma. Not to mention what it was doing to him. Perhaps he should get away for a little while. At the very least Emma and Henry could get some sleep. Despite Emma assuring him that he didn't need to sleep in a separate room, he knew she wasn't sleeping either because of him. Perhaps he could visit his Sister in France.

The thought of leaving Emma and Henry even for a short period of time depressed him. They could make this work. They could have a future as long as they trusted each other. It had been a few weeks since Emma had brought him back from the Underworld. They were both checked weekly for signs that the darkness had returned. They weren't making the same mistake twice. So far they were both good, but after what they had both been through, nobody was taking any chances.

"Hey. Are you ok? You look miles away." Emma wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Fine Love. Just thinking things through." He kissed her forehead. "Perhaps I could visit Esmeralda and Quasi so you and Henry can catch up on some sleep. Poor Lad can't seem to win. Screaming baby at Regina's and Screaming Pirate here."

"Henry could sleep through World War III." Emma figured that had come from Storybrooke being attacked every other week. "I think he's enjoying the almost siblings he now has." She couldn't bare for him to leave, not even for five minutes. They had already spent too long apart.

"It was just a thought." He would need to send a message to his Sister anyway. If he didn't make contact soon, she would worry and come to Storybrooke.

"Well, think happy thoughts Pirate. You picked the perfect place for us. Now it actually looks as though we live here instead of just visit occasionally." In truth, she had tried to get rid of any evidence of the Dark One. Nothing matched but you could tell a Pirate and a formally Lost Girl lived there with a teenage boy.

A lot of things had changed since they had gotten Killian back. He still flirted outrageously with her, but when he thought she wasn't looking the guilt moved into his expression. She missed his laugh and he spent a lot of time staring at the ocean. Times like that she became terrified that he would leave her. But morning would come and he'd still be there beside her.

Night fell and neither Emma nor Henry had heard from Esmeralda. The three of them turned in for the night expecting sleep to be scarce. As long as Killian was beside her, he kept her nightmares away. It killed her that she was unable to do the same for him.

She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep before she heard a noise which sounded as though it was coming from their living room. It appeared as though the exhaustion had caught up with Killian as he didn't even stir. Easing out of bed, she crept downstairs to make sure none of the Dwarves had broken in.

The sight that met her eyes wasn't a drunken dwarf, but a French Hunchback and his Gypsy girlfriend. "I like your new place." Esmeralda grinned at Emma.

Relieved, Emma grinned back. "Glad you like it. Your Brother chose it."

Before they could trade any further pleasantries, a gut wrenching cry came from upstairs. Esmeralda took off up the stairs without invitation. No one was going to stop her from getting to her Brother.

By the time Emma and Quasi caught up with her, she had Killian in her arms soothing her sleeping Brother who was in the middle of a nightmare. Emma had a bad felling about this. Watching Esmeralda rock her Brother and brush his hair off of his face, it became suddenly clear she was right. The Gypsy looked up suddenly, staring at the bedroom wall in front of her when Killian's nightmare began playing out like a movie trailer.

Killian recalled the pain from where he had been caught with Excalibur. It had burned as though he was being branded. He saw Emma's face, her eyes brimming with tears. Then he felt such rage. Boiling rage that he could not contain. Somehow above it all he heard a voice telling him everything would be alright and he was safe.

In the blink of an eye he was in the Underworld. All of his past sins were coming back to haunt him. And there leading them was his Father, taunting him, telling him he was weak. As if to prove it, his soul was torn from him and thrown into the pit of lost souls.

But then the evil dream changed. The nightmare had been the same every night, leaving him screaming in fear and pain. Not this time. An elegant hand reached into the pit, grabbed his soul and rammed it back into his body.

"Time to come home Killian." A woman's voice was calling to him. Not Emma, but someone familiar just the same. "Emma and Henry are waiting for you." The woman reached to hand out to him, but her identity was hidden by a blinding light which seemed to be coming from her.

Without thinking he grabbed hold of her hand and let her pull him into the light. When the light dimmed, he found himself on the Jolly Roger. Here, he felt safe and at peace. But there was something missing. Or rather someone missing. Emma. Where were Emma and Henry?

"Waiting for you to come back to them." That voice. It was out of place. It didn't belong on this ship. Esmeralda. How was she reaching him in his nightmare? "Come home Killian. They're waiting." It was almost as though his brain switched off and allowed him to fall into a peaceful sleep.

Emma watched, tears falling down her face as the nightmare on the wall faded. She hadn't realised what Killian had gone through while he had been away from her. All she had been concerned about was getting him back. "How long has Esmeralda been able to tap into dreams?" Her voice barely a whisper.

"Didn't know she could." Quasi wasn't surprised though. He doubted Esmeralda had known she could do it either. "You should have sent for us sooner."

"We didn't want to worry the two of you." It was partially true. Emma still wasn't sure what Esmeralda's reaction was going to be.

"After seeing that, do you really think you saved us from any worry?" Quasi shook his head in frustrated disbelief. "When Esmeralda last visited, she came back exhausted. She actually slept three days straight. For someone who can't bare to be contained within four walls for more than eight hours, that's a lot of time to stay still even in sleep." Quasi ran his hand over his face. "And it was all for nothing, wasn't it?"

"No. She brought me some time." Emma didn't want any more people to feel guilty for the events that had come from a decision she had made.

"Time for what exactly?" Esmeralda eased off the bed and tucked Killian in as though he were a child. "You still became the Dark One and Killian ended up becoming a Dark One as well." She walked past Emma and headed downstairs.

"I figured she'd be mad, but just how much trouble am I in?" She glanced at the Hunchback.

"It's never a good sign when she's quiet." Quasi shrugged and followed his girlfriend. "You should have called for us sooner."

Emma checked to make sure Killian was asleep before heading downstairs to face the music.

6