From the "angst" meme on Tumblr. The line: "Please come get me." The Pairing: Charming and Hook.

Warning: Major character death

The texts were always the same: "Please come get me." Killian sighed and shoved the phone back in his pocket. It was early, past sunrise though, and he was just finishing getting everyone's lunches made for the day. Emma, still yawning and wrapped in her favorite flannel robe, stepped out of their bedroom and looked at him inquisitively, her hair disheveled and green eyes barely open.

"Did I hear your phone?" she asked.

"Aye, love. I need to run out for a little bit. I'll be back soon," Killian said, walking over to her and kissing her temple while he caressed her hip. She gave him half a hug in return, stifling yet another yawn before heading into the bathroom for her shower.

Killian pulled on his black leather jacket and grabbed both helmets before heading out the side door to the garage. He draped the spare helmet by the strap to the handle bar, then pulled his own helmet on before straddling his motorcycle and rolling it out of the open garage. He tried not to rev the engine too loudly since it was pretty early and he was sure their kids and neighbors wouldn't appreciate the racket, but as soon as he was out of the neighborhood, he gunned it, speeding off toward the forest.

It only took him about 5 or 10 minutes to reach Storybrooke's equivalent of the Troll Bridge, and when he got there, David was waiting for him, sitting on a rock, chin resting in the palm of one hand as he leaned his elbows on his thighs. His pajamas were wrinkled and damp from the morning dew, and his hair was a bit mussed and sporting bits of leaves. They were all getting grayer, not that you could see it quite yet in David's still mostly dirty blond hair, but the dark circles under his eyes were hard to disregard, and the lines around his eyes and mouth were deeper and he looked exhausted, the light in his warm blue eyes dimmed on mornings like this.

Just over two years ago, Snow had become ill, and when it was revealed that she had cancer of one deadly sort or another, it was too late to save her. Her sickness progressed quickly, making her frail and emaciated, but never weak — she was still Snow after all. She smiled through every failed treatment, and in the end, she told Emma to take her half of the heart she shared with David, which had been left untouched by the cancer, and give it to him so he could live on and be there for their children, of which there were two more: twins, Charlie and Leia. Needless to say it was quite the fight — David refusing to take it, wanting to go with her instead, and Snow pointing out to him rather insistently that it was her heart to give and he was the only one she would ever give it to. Refusing her gift was not an option.

A tearful David asked, "How am I supposed to go on without you?" as he held tightly to her delicate hand, which she had placed over his heart that was always beating in time with hers.

She gave a half sob/half laugh as she tried to soothe him. "Oh, Charming. If you have my heart you can never be without me. You have the most important part of me already," she reminded him.

"But, Snow..." he began, probably looking for a different tack to change her mind. Killian could imagine all too well his anguish and need to bargain his way out of such an impossible situation, but could do nothing for his friend.

Snow interrupted, "David, I gave you my heart twice before. Once on the troll bridge all those years ago when I was on the run, and then again so you could live to be a father to our children. I need you to stay. For me. But you won't ever be alone," she said gently as she drummed a steady beat against his chest.

David nodded, still clutching her hand and kissing her knuckles. "I'll find you," he said one last time with a smile reminiscent of the one he gave her that day they parted ways after defeating the trolls.

Snow gave him her most beautiful, knowing smile and said, "Always."

Turning to Emma, she nodded. Knowing better than to deny Snow anything at that point, Emma leaned down and placed a kiss to her mother's forehead as she whispered, "I love you" before reaching in, and, as painlessly as she could, pulled Snow's heart from her chest. She turned to David who could not have looked more bereft as he gripped Snow's lifeless hand, then pulled the other half of Snow's shining heart and bound them together again before pushing it back in David's chest, whole, yet not.

Not too long after they put Snow to rest, although not in a glass casket, but something more solid, permanent and quite grand, Killian received his first text from David needing him to "Please come get me." Seems he had taken a nap one afternoon and woken up at the bridge with no explanation or idea how he got there. Not wanting to give his children — Emma especially — something to worry (or feel guilty) about, he called Killian to come get him. David swore him to secrecy hoping it would be the only time he needed Killian's help. But it wasn't.

Over the next several months Killian received a handful of texts from David, usually in the early morning before anyone else was awake, to "Please come get me," no other explanation given or location needed. It was always the Troll Bridge. At first, David's confusion and distress were unnerving even to Killian to the point where he suggested meeting with Dr. Hopper or someone at the hospital, but over time, both men seemed to accept that as long as David had Snow's heart, she would always lead him back to where they began. To remind David she was still there with him always. David began sleeping with his phone in his pocket at all times. Killian was rarely without his own either. Neither of them ever told David and Snow's kids what was going on.

Slowing to a stop at the foot of the bridge, Killian handed David the extra helmet.

"Everything all right, mate?" he asked as he did each time while David climbed onto the seat behind him.

David's answer was always the same: "Yup. Snow says thanks for the lift home."

"Anytime, mate, anytime."