Six months of unadultered bliss. That's what these past few months had been. Neither Emma nor her new boyfriend the pirate (What? Killian Jones? When did THAT happen!?) could have foreseen they'd fall so easily into their new roles as each other's mate. He was already a true-tried friend, one that she always kept at arm's length (he was pretty relentless when it came to flirting and hitting on her), a confidante that for some bizarre reason had her completely figured out from day one, a supporter, a steady, reliable hand, her closest ally and deepest believer and, above all, her love. That was that. Plain and simple. He'd actually done it. The cheeky bastard had been right: he had earned her heart through his deeds, with 'no trickery'.
There had been a lot of 'first times' since that evening at Granny's: First actual date, only ten minutes later, eating carrot cake and drinking cocoa after making out. First movie date, where Killian had damn near run out of the cinema (maybe it had been a bit harsh to make an Enchanted Forest pirate captain watch "The Desolation of Smaug" in 3d). First week together. First booze-up. First family picnic. First concert. First time they looked into each other's eyes and actually said 'I love you' to each other. And of course, first night together. Quite unforgettable, too.
But something esle had also happened that night while the town celebrated the birth of baby Neal…
It had been an honest mistake based on the purest of intentions… and boy had it backfired. Emma had trully no clue what this woman's name was when she and Killian decided to bring her back to Storybrooke, but she did know that Regina was bound to at least scratch the name from her phonebook after such a blunder.
It turned out to be the understatement of the year. Regina had spiralled down and had once again become the town's ruthless dictator…. And like her mother before her, Emma Swan had become the target of her unadultered hatred.
There were not enough words in the english language to fully convey how evil, dark and relentlessly black hearted this woman had once again become. It hurt on so many levels, especially after she had been so close… no, not close. She HAD been one of them, a hero. Emma had seen the gleaming lights of white magic loom from Regina's hands to defeat the wicked witch, Zelena; she had been the one to break the curse with true love's kiss on Henry…
And now, she was dark… darker than what she and Killian had witnessed her to be during their little time travel soiree.
They had been friends, almost, and that hurt on many levels, not just physcically, now that Regina had her hand tucked into her chest. While she was unable to rip out the beating heart from her (that whole 'product of true love' thing really did wonders!), there was no law against her actually squeezing it while still inside her chest.
"How does it feel… Miss Swan?" Regina sneered right under Emma's nose. "Can you feel how it actually hurts? The tension… the literal sensation that your heart is… well, being wrung into a prune?" She smiled.
"Regina…" Emma pleaded. "…you know… you know I didn't…"
"Mean to, dear?" she smiled fully. "Neither did your meddlng mother. That's TWO Charmings that have seen to it that my heart gets broken; your mother delivered Daniel into his grave, and you…. Well, you sort of delivered ANY hope I may have had into a grave as well by bringing that lousy wife of Robin's back. Really, Emma..." She shook her head. "You could have just snipped a twig from a tree, or something, if you wanted to bring back a souveneir. Well…" She chuckled. "…this stops here, dear. Tonight."
"Henry… will never …. Forgive you if you kill me…" Emma gasped for air.
Regina's eyes saddened before recovering their dark resolve. "I trully don't believe he ever did, anyway."
"That's not true… Regina… he loves you…" the blond Saviour panted. "If you do… if you do this, he will lose both his mothers… Regina. Don't do this…."
The once again Evil Queen swallowed hard. Henry was already not talking to her at all, but she knew how forgiving her boy could be. Still, murdering his birth mom would definitely not give her a good score in his tally.
She no longer cared.
"No!"
The holler made both heads turn and Emma saw as her father and Killian aproached with swords drawn.
"Well, well…" she smiled. "Look who's come to join the party!"
"Regina, this is not you, you don't wanna do this!" David begged nervously.
The Evil Queen released a loud cackle. "Says who?" She shook her head. "A heart for a heart, Charming!"
"Leave her be!" Killian sneered. "You know this is wrong, Regina!"
The Queen shook her head. "You're one to talk, prate! Do you remember that night, by the helm of your precious ship? Villains don't get happy endings. But look at you! Dashing, handsome 'Prince Charles'… You seem to have… Oh, how can I say this? Overthrown your own darkness… with love! Now if only I had some of that… Oh wait!" she squeezed Emma's heart a little and the girl hissed, making both father and lover gasp. "I did. And you and your little savior took that from me!" Regina shouted at Hook. "YOU TWO TOOK MY HAPPY ENDING!" She composed herself. "… so now… I take yours."
She began to squeeze and Emma could feel life itself slowly waining.
"No! No don't!" Killian shouted, dropping his sword. "Please…" He paced to them, his arms raised high."Not her, Regina…" he pleaded, his eyes already welling with tears.
"Killian…" Emma winced.
"You're right." Killian nodded. "Vilians don't get happy endings, love…" He shook his head. "But she's not a villain. You know this." He swallowed. "I am. I'm the pirate. I know the feeling of seeing life escape a man's eye as much as you do, Majesty. I have stolen, plundered and destroyed countless lives. So please…" he lowered both hands and swallowed. "Take mine… take my heart, cursh it and obtain your vengeance, be sated with my life…"
"Killian, no…" Emma shook her head. Hook didn't even turn to look at her.
Regina grinned. "Well, that does seem like an appealing offer, Captain. Not to mention a dashing act of chivalry on your part." She pulled her hand violently out of Emma's chest and the girl keeled sideways to the floor, coughing, her chest aching like someone had kicked her square in the middle of her solar plexus. David ran to her side and tried to steady his daughter as she tried to regain breath.
Regina turned her attention to the pirate. "You know Hook…" Regina sighed as she paced to him. "…all I wanted was to feel what it's like… to have someone who would so gallantly offer his own heart instead of mine, like you do for your little princess." She punched Killian square though the chest. The Captain cocked his head back in pain, gritting his teeth, jaw clenched and feeling his entire body paralize. The Crocodile and Cora had once before taken to grabbing his heart; but never had anyone actually ripped it out. He felt every inch of hs body tighten as Regina withdrew her hand from his body, holding his beating heart.
The Queen raised an eyebrow and grinned while Killian stared in awe and fear at the organ that had once sat in his chest, now throbbing in her hand. "What do you know, Jones…" she chuckled. "You trully did turn your leaf. I expected this… heart of yours to be blackened and full of holes. But love has really done you well, hasn't it? Look… such a radiant, bright red beauty of a heart… It's kind of a pity."
"Yours could be that way too, Regina…" He panted, looking at her from under his brow. "…if you let it."
Emma was slowly regaining her strength; she could have tried to cast a spell at Regina, but there was really nothing she could do when her love's heart was in her hand. The Queen would have seen it a mile away. "Regina, please…" Emma pleaded, he reyes now welling with tears…"There is g… good in you. We all know it."
She smiled. "No can do, my dear." She side grinned and turned her face to Emma. "But since I'm in a good mood today, I will give you two pretty ittle lovebirds three minutes to say your goodbyes."
David huffed as he tried to steady Emma on her feet and then reached for his sword. "You will not kill anyone today, Regina!"
The Queen swished her hand and David was instantly paralized. "Oh please, Charming, don0t interfere… be grateful I'm not after you and little miss loudmouth Snow any longer." She turned back to Emma. "Three minutes, Emma."
She turned her back to them and walked a few feet away, holding Killian's heart in her hand.
"No…" she shook her head and walked to the captain. "You can't… I can't, I…"
"It's done, love." He grinned.
"You're not gonna die on me, Killian, not you too…please…"
He turned and held her. "It's fine, Swan. What greater honor than to yield your life for love?" He smiled fully, his own eyes welling with tears. "I'll get to be in the book now, and I will be remembered as the pirate who became a Hero." He tilted his head sideways in that trademark manner that was so his, it hurt Emma far more than her achy chest. "She doens't know it, love… but I do get my happy ending."
"But what about me?" Emma began to weep. "Us? What will I do without you?"
He held her at arm's length. "Listen to me, Swan: You will be happy. That's what will happen. You will weep for me, hopefully, and then let me go… and find a man who will hopefully see you the way I see you and who will give you all the love you should have gotten from me. Listen! Are you listening?"
"Please…"
"Swan, we're running out of time…" He raised her chin with his finger and she was startled to find that he was smiling fully. "One day, my love… you too will pass. And till that day… I will be at your side, waiting for you and guiding your every step, lighting up the stars for you to see me when you look for the way home in the heavens." He leaned over and gently kissed he ron the lips as she sobbed. "Loving you, Swan, has not been a gift… It has been my privilege and my greatest joy, ever." He allowed a wayward tear to slide down his face. "When your time does come, my love… I will be there."
"No, Killian, no…" Emma sobbed miserably.
"I love you… Emma Swan. I have loved you since the day I met you... and I will love you till the day the firmament's stars cease to glow…"
Emma sniffed and shook her head. "I'm the Savior…" she wept, her voice a broken, agonized whisper. "I'm supposed to save you… and I can't, baby… Oh god, I'm so sorry…" She took a shaky hand to his very composed face and cupped his left jaw.
"Emma…" He leveled his eyes with hers. "Don't be sorry, my darling… you did save me. You saw my heart! Even Regina's dumbfounded." He smiled. "That would not be that way… were it not for you. You brought life and love back into that heart and nothing can deter the fact that you, Emma Swan, are my beacon of hope. I would do it, Emma all over again, and not change a thing if it meant I'd get antoher shot at sharing if only one kiss…" He chuckled. "It is fine, love. Let me go."
He nodded.
Emma swallowed hard and pressed her lips to his. He returned the passionate kiss, trying to savour her lips as much as he could, to take a memento of her very essence with him. He hated leaving her… he hated hurting her like she had been hurt by loss before, first with Graham, then with Neal. He hated to think she'd cry, she'd yearn and pine and mourn. He ached to think that she'd once again throw those walls back up and that the next guy would have to slay fifty dragons to get her to at least smile his way.
But she would live… and so would the child she was expecting, something she didn't know he knew. He had seen the test lying around in her bathroom only two days earlier and in spite of himself, he had given her the opportunity to inform him herself of the wonderful tidings. Alas, she had not quite gotten around to doing so. But he knew…. And that much was good enough.
As she pulled apart, she looked into his eyes, tears sliding down her face. "I love you, Killian." She whispered.
He grinned and reached out to caress her face. He then seemed to catch his breath, his eyes suddenly alert as he lurched slightly forward with a gasp. It was happening… it was actually, really happening.
Emma turned her green eyes pleadingly to her father who still stood immobilized, but who was aslo crying, tears racing downwards for his new friend, who was seconds away from his demise.
When she turned back to Killian, she did so just in time for her to grab on to his lapel, his knees slowly giing way, his massive, cerulean eyes set fixedly on hers and a calm, pleasing side grin plastered on hi slips.
"Hook… Killian, no…" Emma whimpered as the full weight of his body finally gave way…. He closed his eyes and exhaled a long, breath, his hand and hook falling at his side.
And that was all.
Emma turned her head to see Regina walking back to them, smiling. "You see… THAT'S what it feels like, Emma… when your true love is ripped from you." She held out her fist and allowed the dusty contents of what had been Killian's beautiful red heart fall to the ground. "why so sad, Miss Swan? We all got what we wanted now. Your dashing pirate got to save you…. Prince Un-Charming got to keep his little girl… I got my revenge… and you…." She leaned in to Emma's face. "You got what you deserved." She turned and dissapeared in a purple cloud os smoke.
As soon as Regina dissapeared, David's body unfroze. The scene before him ravaged his heart. His daughter was on her knees, holding her love in her arms, gently sobbing as she mussed his hair away from his now peacefully unburdened brow. Her fingers discoursed from hair to eyebrows to nose to lips, trying to maybe map that face, that beautiful face, commiting every angle to memory.
David knelt beside her and simply, quietly, held her. No words would do. No clever speeches could even begin to serve as consolation. Many times he had lost his Snow, to distance, to hatred from his father, to a poisoned Apple. But he had always gotten her back. Not once had he ever held his True Love dead in his arms. The mere notion ached so deep, all he could really do for his princess was to just be there.
Not to mention he had trully become fond of Killian as a friend, family member and a warrior one would always want to walk with, shoulder to shoulder, in the face of adversity. The pirate had proven his worth many a time, a good hand in a fight… and kind and loving to his daughter. He couldn't have hoped for a better, worthier man for her.
"This man… is the biggest hero this world will ever know…" He whispered a broken whisper into Emma's hair. "He won't be forgotten, Emma. You have my word…."