Here's the thing, I wrote this aaaages ago (before the premiere of s4) and I know people have been requesting more chapters (I swear I wrote like 3/4 of the next one but I'm still struggling), so I'll try my best to come back.

Takes place at the final stage of season 3.

Song choice: Bring Me To Life by Evanescence

Props to anyone who can figure out the meaning behind the title ;)

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

Where the Roses Deck

Chapter One

xXx

It was an hour prior to midnight when the celebration of Snow White and Prince Charming's new baby boy finally ended and the citizens of Storybrooke had begun to call it an evening. They all made their way to disperse outside Granny's door, though not before chatting amongst each other.

Mary-Margaret held her newly-named child in her arms while David had an arm wrapped around her. Henry was expressing his thrill over the news that he and his mum were staying right where they belonged – home.

Emma's hands were placed on her son's shoulders, lightly squeezing them with warmth. Killian stood by her side, a goofy grin plastered on his face while watching Henry's enthusiastic antics. She didn't realise she was staring at him until Killian whirled his grin to her, turning it into something that of mischievousness. Emma slightly blushed at the memory of the moment they shared not too long ago. She looked down, avoiding his starry gaze and thankful the darkness hid her face, all the while unaware her parents catching their brief glimpse of affection.

When she looked up he was no longer staring at her, but straight ahead, past her parents' heads. Her face immediately dropped as she noticed a sudden transformation in the look of her possible love-interest. He was sombre.

She directed her attention parallel to his but found herself staring at nothing.

"Emma?" her mother's soft tone broke the brief concern.

Emma raised her eyebrow in attention and turned to her mother. "Hm?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Huh?" She twisted her head to Killian's, an equally worried expression similar to Snow's. "Oh, yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She smiled at her family.

Her family, she repeated to herself. That was right, she was home.

"Well," Killian said with finality. "Due to the amount of escapade I've endured for the day I think it's appropriate to call it an early night for me."

"I'm inclined to agree," David smiled. "It's been hectic year for all of us," he said, recalling the events from their adventures in Neverland and their battle with Zelena.

"I best be off then." Killian made way to depart when Emma quickly followed him.

"Hey," she called out for his attention. He stopped to turn around, both of them now out of their parents and Henry's earshot. They both shared an awkward second and then burst into light laughter. "Henry's staying at his grandparents' tonight- " or rather he was supposed to be staying at Regina's but it was safe to say that was otherwise compromised for the night (plus she'd prefer to avoid Regina after the earlier debacle), "-and so I was actually hoping we'd…have a few drinks first."

Killian's rebellious eyebrow raised. Emma Swan had just 'asked him out', as they put it in this realm. Though what really caught him off-guard was the fact that she didn't make any excuses to talk to him. She called out to him, she ran up to him. And now she's straight-up asking him on a date. His heart leapt with delight at the thought of it. "Emma, there's nothing else on this earth I'd rather do." She smiled at his response. "But as I said earlier, I'm feeling quite drained." Her smile dropped, and so did his heart. The only thing he wanted right now was to reassure her that they'd pick up right where they left off in the morning, but he couldn't find the right words. "Perhaps another time?" he said quietly, an inch separating their foreheads. They were so caught up in the moment they didn't take notice of their partly confused audience in the distance.

"Yeah?" she replied, earning a smile from him, which she took as a yes.

"Should we go?" David called out, impishly grinning at them. They both turned to him.

"Wait one minute," Emma said to her father, and then gazed back at Killian. "I guess I'll see you…tomorrow then?"

"I'll count the seconds."

Emma could've sworn she saw a hint of sadness behind his baby blues but waved it off as a cause of her fatigue; she didn't realise she'll soon come to regret this. Emma suppressed the urge to peck him goodnight on the lips, remembering she had an audience. She made a turn when Killian took her hand in his. Slightly startled at the electric touch she searched his eyes for an explanation.

"Emma," Killian began, the cold air fogging his every breath. "No matter what happens," his voice lowed, "I need you to know that the only thing I want is for you to be happy. Do you understand?"

Emma stared at him with a mixture of confusion and concern. Something was off. She could see by the way his smile didn't quite reach his ears, hear that his voice lacked that usual suggestive and playful nature, feel his touch gripping so tight she couldn't help but sense the anxiety radiating off his now sweaty hand.

She couldn't find the words to respond, she should've asked him if anything was wrong. A small, troubled part of her mind knew something wasn't right, but the notion was heavily subdued by the delirious amount of happiness she was still enveloped in after the time-travel fiasco. Emma opted for squeezing his hand, hoping he got the message.

With one last shared stares they departed. Killian sighed and watched the Charming family continue to interact without him.

He headed down the pathway until another voice called out to him from a darkened alleyway. In a condescending tone it said, "Doesn't it just tickle your fluffy little heart? One big happy family." The voice, now recognised as a male, approached closer to him. Killian noticed how the man bore a suit fashioned from this realm, but didn't care to ask. "Do they know it's because of you they're together now?"

"I don't see how that's any of your concern," Killian retorted, in the end losing the battle to bite his tongue.

"Oh come now, mate, I thought you'd be a lot happier since our last encounter, especially given you accomplished your goal in the end?"

"I accomplished my goal; the rest isn't a matter your devious little head should worry about."

The man's lips tightened in thought and in the end he seemed to nod in agreement. "I suppose you're right." He then swiftly raised his hand in expressing a thoughtful finger, the movement causing his suit jacket and white shirt to pull back from his wrist. "But it was also my doing that got you here in the first place, was it not?"

Killian rolled his tongue near his cheek, resisting from making any comments. The man took it as a signal of his agreement.

"Interesting explanation you came up with there, Killian."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Magic bean?" The man put his hands into his trouser pockets. "Not only are those rare to find but now impossible, seeing as the last one was used to travel to a realm hosted by that 'flying demon', as you eloquently put it."

"The only thing that matters is that Emma knows I came back for her and that she's reunited with her family."

"Mm, and that you traded your beloved ship." A pause. "But what about the rest of the story?" He started circling the one-handed pirate. "You traded the Jolly Roger to find me, so that I could help you cross realms to find Emma and then you convince her to stay. Now, I filled my end of the deal for you, as promised-"

"I don't need to hear the story," Killian interrupted, seething through his teeth. "I lived it. So please, spare me the epilogue."

He chuckled, as if he was here for on casual, friendly terms. "That's where you're wrong."

Killian's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"That was the last chapter." With a quick hand movement Killian choked out a pained noise and fell limply onto the concrete grounds.

A second later Killian open his eyes and found himself standing precisely where he was before, except he was no longer clad in his usual pirate satire, but in white ragged clothes. He lifted his arms to examine them when he noticed that, for the first time in over three hundred years, he was staring at two hands; and those two hands were link together by a gleaming, silver chain. He directed his attention to the ground, where his body laid still and lifeless. He had just filled his end of the bargain.

"This is the epilogue." With another hand movement Killian's soul dispersed into a million white lights, then forming together in just one shining light that soon shrank into oblivion. The man took a satisfying breath at his new collection. He looked down at the body without a hint of remorse and then discreetly at the family still laughing together in the distance. "I always fancied myself a Greek tragedy," he chirped before dissolving into the unknown himself.

As soon as Emma separated her hand from Killian's she couldn't help but feel that a loss washed over her. She paced back to her family and was about to call it a night when Ruby called out to them from behind. She approached them as she waved a familiar brown satchel in the air.

"Hey," Ruby handed Emma the bag. "I think this belongs to your boyfriend," she said with a tease in her voice.

Emma lightly gasped, trying to look appalled but failed at the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "He's not my-"

"Goodnight, Emma." The stunning brunette skipped back inside the diner, locking it behind her.

"I think you can still catch him," her mother said, causing Emma to look up stunned.

Wait, was her mother encouraging her to see Hook? There was a first.

"Go on," David nodded, placing an arm around Henry.

She looked at her son for an explanation but he just shrugged. She hugged her goodbyes and kissed her little brother before quickly strolling to the direction of Granny's Inn, all the while smiling to herself at the fresh start she was about to begin the next day. Not too long in her quick steps she heard a thud, amplified by the stillness of the night. She looked back at her family further away from her spot. It didn't come from them.

She made an attempt to follow the source, which took her near a dark alley. And before she knew it, that fresh start that she was so ready, so sure she was going to have, had been erased by the sight her widened eyes met with.

"Oh my God." Emma unconsciously dropped the satchel at her side and crouched down to an unmoving body that rendered her terrified. "Hook?" She gently cuffed his cheek and shook him. "Killian!" When he showed no signs of waking up she placed two shaky fingers near his neck. "Oh my God!"

Emma immediately took out her phone. Her heart plummeted when the battery died two seconds later. "Help!" she desperately called out, lacing her fingers together and positioning them onto his chest. "HELP!"

"Emma?!" The frantic cries of her father were heard a few seconds later, and it almost calmed her pounding heart, almost. "What's wrong? What happ-?" David halted by the sight of his daughter giving Hook chest compressions.

"He's not waking up," Emma said.

Charming could her hear voice breaking. She was on the verge of tears.

"He's not breathing," Emma's voice cracked once more, her arms getting weaker by the very thought of losing someone else so soon.

David crouched down beside his daughter and pulled out his phone to dial for an ambulance. In between her compressions, Emma lowered her head to Killian's lips. She repeated this process until David finished answering questions for the operator, not that he knew much of what was going on.

By this point Emma could no longer hold back her tears. David whispered soothing words and she let him take over the chest compressions. But Emma couldn't just sit there, wallow in her breathless sobs and do nothing while waiting for the ambulance. She continued to press his lips on to his, not registering that her son and mother had caught up, just focusing on squashing the realisation that none of this was going to make a difference.

If you'd like to get a better picture of the man Killian traded his soul to visit this image (remove all spaces): media . tumblr (DOTCOMSLASH) 2718e7d1b7cbf6c3f6b47b299f21c234 / tumblr_inline_mwdl76QDGQ1qm9y0a . gif

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