Half of the bed was reserved by a worried blonde curled up beneath the thick comforter. She tried to fasten her eyes shut and concentrate on the sound of leaves rustling and swaying as the breezes came by, but it was no use. Since her boyfriend had moved in, she had gotten used to sleeping with the window open, no matter how cool the night. He had insisted that he could hear the ocean from their home and had to fall asleep to the sound of water. Pulling the comforter closer to her neck as the breeze flew into the bedroom, the blonde opened her eyes to find the other half of the bed empty and untouched.

A mix of moonlight and outside lamppost light shined through the window landing on the empty pillow beside her. Grabbing for the ring that lay under her nightshirt on a chain, the blonde let her fingers trace the sides feelings the engravings and embellishments. She thought back to earlier in the day, when the house was filled with family and friends. Grabbing the ring harder, the blonde could feel her heart sink at the days turn of events.

/

"Emma!" Snow had slapped the top of her daughter's hand as Emma had begun to finish icing some of the cooling cupcakes. "We are throwing you this party! You shouldn't have to lift a finger. Go! Out of your kitchen. We're okay in here." Emma threw a look side look to her father, who returned a large smile as he swayed back and forth, patting the back of the baby boy over his shoulder. Emma watched her mom continue to swirl blue frosting in a circular motion on top of the vanilla cupcakes. "I didn't ask you guys to throw this party… just saying."

David had made his way across the kitchen, still bobbing his body awkwardly. "I know, but we really wanted to. And what perfect timing than now?! Things are getting back to normal, you and Hook are officially settled into the house, the town is 5 days disaster free; a new record by the way. You and the rest of this town deserve this home welcoming party." A small burp and gurgle came from the baby boy and David finally sighed in relief. Emma turned to look out her window at the calm streets. "You are aware you just jinxed the town by saying that?" By the time Emma looked back at her parents, David's cell phone rang out a high-pitched ringtone. "Told you." Emma took Neal out of her father's hands, trying to listen in on the conversation.

David looking more concerned than anticipated was enough for Snow to stop the icing. "David, what is it?" David gave a fake smile to Emma and placed his phone into his chest. "It's nothing, I promise. This town has two sheriffs… go enjoy the party." Snow practically shoved Emma out of the kitchen and into the living area.

The living room was more crowded than Emma remembered. She was strategic in maneuvering around the room with a baby on her hip. Stopping at the round table to find Henry and Regina reading over the latest stories of the new comers, Belle looking out of the telescope with a smile, and Killian swirling his bottle of beer; "I've officially been exiled from my own kitchen." Emma's presence grabbed everyone's attention, including Dr. Hopper and Leroy from behind her. It was no surprise that the attention was not on Emma but on the baby falling asleep in her arms. Emma had picked up on everyone's doe eyes and the immediate change of high pitched voices with baby talk.

Killian grabbed the napkin beneath his glass and stood to wipe the drool from the corner of Baby Neal's mouth. Belle lightly held her stomach and smiled, "Well, now that's a perfect picture." Emma took her attention away from the Neal and found the group's attention now on the image of Hook and herself holding a baby between them. Emma looked at Dr. Hopper with scared eyes, hoping he would step in and change the topic, but alas he was stuck in the same trance as the rest. Before taking a sip of his punch, Leroy chimed in "You guys seem like naturals with the kid." Emma looked back to the kitchen frantically for an escape, but found David rushing out her house in a hurry. Emma knew something was definitely wrong in town.

Regina stared at the small swollen belly on Belle, "This town's turning into a baby factory. You might as well join them." Henry closed his book, giving a grand smile to his mom. "I wouldn't mind having a little baby brother or sister!" Emma could feel her insides twisting and knotting up. Her heart pounding heavy; almost about to explode from her chest.

Belle got closer to the couple. "Can you imagine a baby with his eyes and her smile…" Emma couldn't even look at Hook. Leroy look up in contemplation, "It would be born with two hands right?" Regina's head jerked to Leroy with eyes that did not need words to explain what she was thinking. "Of course, it would be born with two hands. The baby-"

"No! No baby! No blue eyes, no hook hand, no smiles… No!"

Everyone froze in place staring wide-eyed at Emma. She could feel her body shaking and her heart regaining its normal rhythm. Looking to Hopper, Emma knew what she said was not being played out well. Hopper slowly shook his head back and forth in deep concern. Everyone's eyes were now transfixed on Hook. Emma refused to look to her side, to see his reaction. Surveying everyone's eyes, he was not taking it well.

"Belle, can you take Neal?" Emma was holding out the baby before she even spoke, allowing Belle to cradle the sleeping baby in her arms. Backing away slowly, Emma excused herself away from the party. Quickstepping the stairs and closing her bedroom door behind her, Emma sat at the end of her bed taking in a deep breath; head between her legs.

Within minutes, Killian lightly closed the bedroom door behind him. Taking a spot next to his girlfriend, he reached into his leather jacket pocket for his flask. "Swan, what the hell was that?" Emma unscrewed the flask to take a large gulp and handed the flask back for her boyfriend to take a taste. "They were stressing me out. Talking about us like we weren't just standing there."

Killian gave a small laugh as he drank from his flask. "We just moved in together. I don't plan on popping out little pirates with light magic anytime soon." Emma continued to stare at the floor solemnly well aware that she cannot not have kids, or even a future. But he didn't know that. "Wait, would our kids actually have magic powers?"

Emma looked to Killian as he thought deeply about what could be. "Killian…" Before she could finish, Hook continued. "Or at least one of them would, right? Would one of them be the next savior? I hope not- I mean, not that being the savior is bad, I just know what you deal with… to think of my kid-"

"We're not having kids."

"Emma, I know that, well right now isn't-"

"No. Not right now, not a year from now, not ever."

Emma could feel her own tear drops streaming down her cheeks and onto her hands. The burning sensation in her left arm, the sensation she dreaded and wished to stop, began to move down her arm like electrical volts into her left hand. She could feel her left hand fill with pressure and escalate from a twitch to a full spasm. With a flash, Emma was surrounded by smoke, standing in front of a black cloaked figure. The feeling of steel slicing through the middle of her body caused Emma to grab at her chest to find nothing.

Killian grabbed Emma's left hand and held it until the spasm subsided. Her tear-filled eyes met his blue concerned eyes. They said nothing. His eyes began to scan her from head to toe, not understanding what he just witnessed. As Killian felt a fight about to erupt from Emma being stubborn on their future, he watched pain and fear wash over his girlfriend within seconds. Emma continued to feel her chest with her free hand feeling for a piece of sword. Killian entwined his fingers in hers and an instant calmness surged through her body. Leaving her chest, her right hand moved to Killian's face and traced the stubble along his jawline.

"Swan, what is happening?" She hated to keep something this detrimental from him. After everything they experienced together, he had a right to know. Emma looked up at the picture that hung above their bed. She had replicated the storybook page of Hook and herself dancing together in her red dress. The photo was complimented with a thick black frame. All she wanted was to feel the same as she once did in that photo; hopeful of her future.

"I'm ready to tell you everything."

\\

Emma sat up in bed at the sound of her bedroom door closing. The moon's stream of light was interrupted by a tall, dark figure. She watched Killian take off his jacket and kick his boots off. As he kept his back to her, Emma didn't know how this conversation was going to end. After telling Killian about her visions, what Hyde had told her, her visits with the cricket, and her hesitation with moving in from before, Emma realized she placed a lot information that he didn't want to hear on him.

Through explaining her internal dilemma, Emma watched as Hook paced back and forth in front of her without saying a word. At times he looked distraught, other times angry and confused. Killian did not say a single word through their time together above the party. Before Hook could absorb the information and give his input, David had rushed into their bedroom to alert Emma that Hyde had somehow escaped from his facility. After searching the forest and town for Hyde, Emma had come home to an empty house and no sign of Hook.

Emma turned the light on and watched Killian pace slower than before at the end of their bed. "Killian, I-" He threw one hand up in the air to stop her. "I think it's my turn to talk."

"When I died, when I was in the underworld, I couldn't help but feel like I belonged there. I deserved the punishments. Not only for what I did when I was dark, but for the things I did long before I met you. Some of those things, I still have yet to forgive myself. I gave-up down there. I didn't care for fighting Hades or even fighting for the future. But you didn't stop fighting. You fought for me. Swan, you didn't give up on me when I already had given up myself. So I am going to do the same; I am not going to give up on you- give up on us."

Killian moved to sit at the end of the bed, beside Emma's feet. "So you're not mad at me for not telling you?"

"Oh no, I was mad. Livid actually. But then I thought, if this was me. If I knew what you knew, would I have told you? And as much as I would like to think I would have told you, I know I would choose to protect you instead. So, as frustrating as this is, I understand why you hid it. Emma, I know that we can fight this together."

Emma moved closer to her boyfriend, placing her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for seeing it that way. But I told you what Hyde said. This is my fate. My hand- if I can't control my magic-"

Killian stands abruptly and shaking his head. "Swan, who says you need your magic?"

"Well, I am the savior. It's where all my power comes from. In the fight, I know it's what can save me, but it ends up failing me." Emma couldn't help but look at her left hand with resentment wondering whether she should match her boyfriend with a metal hook instead.

"In your vision, you said you were in a sword fight. You try to use your magic but your hand acts out, distracting you. Emma, don't you see? You don't need your magic!"

"I'm still confused." Killian falls to his knees in front of Emma to meet her eyes. Emma watched the blue eyes blaze in passion and inspiration.

"Have you told anyone else about this? Other than me?"

"Well, after seeing your reaction, it kind of made me regret telling you… so no, you're the only one that knows." Killian grabbed Emma's hands excitedly and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Good. We are going to keep it that way. Emma, you're magic, for the first time, is your biggest weakness right now. I am going to help you. I am going to train you to fight."

Emma laughed, disbelieving a few practice sword plays was going to help her defeat her fate of death. "I already know how to fight, Hook. And from what I remember, I kicked your ass over a compass."

"In my defense, I was quite distracted from my opponent. Wasn't a fair fight. And I'm not saying you don't know how to fight; you do. But how you fight is how you taught yourself to survive these past years. Swan, you have relied on your magic for so long that you forgot the basics. Avenging Milah's death wasn't just living off of anger and rage. Knowing I was going to fight the dark one, I sought the training that made me become-"

Killian cut himself off. Hook forgot about the levels of hell he had gone through the become a man he was no longer proud of. Emma's hand cupped the side of Killian's face to bring him back to reality. As his eyes met hers again, Killian continued his train of thought.

"I know that we can do this together. We can train and I can teach you how to defend yourself without your magic. We can learn to control your hand. Emma, we can save you. But this isn't something I can just teach you and it will work out. You are going to need to really want this."

His eyes carried tears that had yet to fall. Being with Hook this long and knowing him better than he knew himself, his eyes became easier to read. Blue eyes that captured pain, love, and most importantly, hope.

"Emma, do you trust me?"

For the first time in weeks, Emma had felt the feeling she had missed. The feeling she experienced dancing back in time with Hook in King Midas's castle- hope for the future. Emma leaned her head forward until her forehead pressed against Killian's.

"I do."