Two minutes after Henry brought Killian the good news (in Storybrooke)
He still couldn't believe it. That they'd found a way.
He tapped his fingers against his side, glad to feel the dagger safe in the pocket of his coat. He didn't know why he started wearing the coat again; maybe because he thought the pirate in him was better suited to find her than the man. The man was too broken about losing his love, the pirate was what'd kept him going over the last weeks.
They stepped into the library a few minutes later, his heart almost galloping out of his chest, and his eyes flew over the persons sitting and standing around, seeing the smile on David's face, the shimmer of tears in Mary Margaret's eyes, and even Regina was sporting something akin to a smile.
"It's true?" he asked, surprised that his voice was even working.
"Yes, it's true," David replied, patting him on the shoulder when Killian stepped beside him, and leaned forward to look down at the papers strewn over the table.
"How?"
Five minutes later he was standing there with his mouth wide open, feeling as if his head would almost explode. This sounded totally insane. It couldn't work, could it?
"So let me repeat that. Regina is gonna cast a spell to melt Merlin's and my spirit, then she is gonna use my blood to coat the dagger to make sure I can summon Emma, even if she is in another realm without magic, and then all I have to do is give her True Love's kiss, and hope the spirit of Merlin inside of me is able to wield his magic and can separate her from the darkness, and destroy the Dark One once and forever?"
"Yep, that's pretty much it," Regina said, shrugging her shoulders.
"And you're sure that it'll work?"
"Well, no one ever tried it before, but ..."
"It's our last option," Killian said softly, hesitating only a moment before straightening. "Okay, let's do it."
-/-
He could actually feel Merlin's spirit inside of his mind. The sorcerer didn't speak to him, but he felt the presence, and it was one bloody eerie feeling. Shrugging his shoulders, he adjusted the coat, closing his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to breathe evenly.
"You okay there, Killian?" David asked, looking at him worried.
"Aye, I'm fine," Killian reassured him, his gaze finding Regina's. "If you would please proceed?"
Regina motioned for his hand and he stretched it out to her, only flinching slightly when she pressed the knife into his palm until she drew blood, holding his hand over the bowl. A swirl of her hand, and the dagger was shimmering in a dull red, coated by his blood, and Regina nodded towards it, telling him silently it was ready for use now. "Good luck, Hook."
"Bring her back to us," Mary Margaret said softly, standing up on her tiptoes to press a kiss against his cheek, taking him completely by surprise.
"You're the only one who can," David told him, giving him a shaky smile.
Inhaling a deep breath, he stepped into the middle of the room, holding the dagger in front of him. He tightened his fingers around the hilt, hoping desperately that this would work. "Dark One … Emma … I summon you to my side. Now."
For a few seconds nothing happened, and then a dark swirl suddenly appeared a few feet away from him, and a moment later a person appeared in the dark swirls, crouched down on the ground. He was holding his breath, waiting for her to look up, and when she did and looked him straight in the eye, the breath got knocked out of his lungs.
He had completely forgotten about the changes the Dark One went under upon transformation, and he stared at Emma in utter surprise. Her face was shimmering in a blue-tinged silver, her pupils were actually glowing, and despite everything, she was as beautiful as ever, making his heart ache in his chest.
"Hello, Captain Hook," she drawled, sauntering over to him with a saucy grin on her face. "Nice to see you again."
