"Swan, where are you going," Killian shouted as he ran after Emma through the streets of Storybrooke. Ever since she had become the Dark One, Emma had tried to distance herself from the people she loves. She didn't even know if she was actually capable of love anymore, but she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to any of them while she was like this.
Emma knew she shouldn't have gone into Granny's. She should have just kept walking when she saw her parents, Killian and Henry all sitting around a table, enjoying themselves like she wasn't going through absolute Hell without them, but she hadn't hugged her son in over three weeks and her dreams of lying in Killian's arms were becoming unbearable.
Everything was going great. Killian held her hand and gave her the smoldering look that drove her crazy and her parents and Henry treated her as if nothing had changed, like she was still the same Emma, like she hadn't been avoiding them for weeks. She had felt like her old self and for a short time, she forgot that she was under the control of the dagger. For those fleeting moments, the darkness that was threatening to consume her wasn't hovering so close to her. He heart felt lighter and she never wanted that feeling to end.
Just when Emma was starting to feel like there was a possibility that she could live with being the Dark One and still be around the people she loved, the dark thoughts started impeding her mind. Suddenly, all of the ways she could use her new found dark magic to get revenge on all of the people who had ever wronged her were her priorities. She wanted to hurt people and she had never wanted to intentionally, maliciously hurt someone before. That was when Emma knew she needed to extricate herself from the lovely family outing.
Rather unceremoniously, she dropped Killian's hand, muttered something about things she needed to do and fled from the diner, rushing toward the forest where she was living in a secluded cabin.
"Emma," Killian shouted again, starting to jog to catch up to her. He had been happier in the last hour than he had been in a month. He was getting his Swan back and he wasn't going to loose her. He had fought too long and hard to give up now. When he was a step behind Emma, Killian used his hook to loop around her arm and pull her to a stop. "Love, please, don't leave."
"I have to, Hook," Emma argued as she turned to face Killian, the wince that contorted his face when she called him Hook not going unnoticed. "I need to be alone right now. I can't be around you all when I have this darkness looming over me. I can't expose you to it."
Killian didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply took her hand and started pulling Emma toward the docks where the Jolly Roger was anchored. She always seemed to be able to clear her mind and relax when she was at the docks, something that made Killian's heart leap for joy thinking that maybe it was because the docks reminded her of him. He heard her mumbled protests from behind him, but they were unconvincing and she eventually stopped fighting him as he pulled her along with him.
Once Killian's booted foot hit the deck of the Jolly Roger, Emma yanked her hand out of his and stopped before she stepped onto the boat. She stood on the dock with her arms crossed defensively over her chest as Killian turned back to face her. His blue eyes were piercing and Emma noted how devilishly handsome he looked with his black shirt unbuttoned just enough so that his curly chest hair made an appearance. His modern clothing gave him an air of mystery that Emma couldn't get enough of.
"Killian, what are we doing," Emma asked, her breath visible in little puffs of white as Killian extended his hand to her in offering.
"Emma, please, love," Killian nearly whispered, begging her to trust him. Emma reluctantly took his hand and stepped onto the Jolly Roger, Killian's beloved ship that he had given up for her, proving to her he loved her.
Emma was so glad when she had learned Killian had been reunited with his ship. The Jolly Roger was an important part of who Killian was and Emma had always thought she would get him his ship one way or another.
Killian led her down the ladder to his captain's quarters, lifting her in his arms from the last step before setting her on her feet in front of him. IN an attempt to give Emma some space, he backed away from her and leaned against his desk with his feet crossed at the ankles. She looked nervous, like she was afraid she would loose control at any moment and the darkness would consume her.
"Hook, please tell me why we're here," Emma whispered, leaning against the wall opposite Killian as she resumed her defensive stance.
Since Emma had finally admitted her true feelings for Killian before disappearing, Killian hadn't been able to reciprocate the sentiment. She was missing for a week and Killian had searched tirelessly for her with the dagger in his hand. He knew that he could summon her with the dagger, but something about holding that kind of power over her felt wrong. She had finally resurfaced a week later and something had changed. That sparkle in her eye had fizzled out and. As soon as she came back, Emma fled to the cabin and tried to avoid Killian and her family. Other than a few moments here and there, Killian and Emma hadn't been alone together in weeks.
"I love you," Killian blurted frankly, feeling a weight lift off of his chest as he finally said the words out loud.
"Killian..."
"No, please, I need to say this," Killian insisted, holding his hand up in defense. Emma's eyes softened as she nodded, knowing that hearing what he had to say was only going to make walking away from him harder in the end. "I have loved you since that first time you kissed me in Neverland. You changed me. You took all of the darkness that consumed my heart and washed it away with your light. I will be damned if I don't do the same for you."
"It's not that simple," Emma whispered, a tear threatening to fall from her eye. "You can't just love the darkness out of me."
Killian took her words as a challenge as he closed the distance between them, stopping inches from Emma, backing her up against the wall. He grasped her hand in his, raising their hands between them and pressing them to her chest just above her heart. A small sigh of relief passed his lips when he felt her steady heartbeat against his fingers. There was still something there he could work with.
"Do you feel that, love," Killian asked breathily, pressing Emma's hand more firmly against her chest so there was no doubt she could feel the evidence of the heart beating in her chest. "I don't care how dark you claim to be, your heart still works and as long as it works, I will never stop proving to you how much I love you, Swan."
He would probably still prove how much he loved her even when her heart stopped working, but he wasn't going to admit that out loud.
"Killian," Emma whispered his name like a prayer as she closed her eyes and the tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt Killian's hand leave her chest and cup her cheek as he swiped at the tears with his thumb. His breath was hot against her face and a chill ran down her spine before she felt his lips press tentatively against hers.
As if he was waiting for Emma to push him away, Killian hovered centimeters from her mouth before firmly pressing his mouth on hers again. Emma sighed when their lips connected and melted into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her hands gripping the leather of his jacket at his back.
When Killian deepened the kiss, pulling her flush against his body, pouring every ounce of love he felt for her into the kiss, something magical happened. Emma could actually feel the love and light in her heart pushing out the darkness. Feeling Killian's love and insistence that she was still good was actually lightening her heart. She smiled against his lips and moved her arms to snake around his neck as she rose up on her toes to better the angle as their mouths moved together perfectly as they always had.
"You're still in their," Killian said, gasping for air as their lips separated. The smile that graced his face was so hopeful and beautiful, Emma couldn't help but trace it with her fingers. "You still are, and always will be my Emma, my Swan, my happy ending, my love."
"I love you," Emma whispered, finally feeling like she was capable of love for the first time since she became the Dark One.
"I do love you so, my darling." Killian pressed his lips to hers quickly and Emma knew she would be able to handle being the Dark One as long as she had Killian by her side. Forever.
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think and shoot me a prompt if you feel so inclined to do so! :)
