Just one more time before I go
I'll let you know
That all this time I've been afraid
Wouldn't let it show
Nobody can save me now, no
Nobody can save me now
It disappears in a haze of fog, her parents' words ringing in her ears. She's not sure if it's some sort of sadistic dark magic making them echo off the walls or if it's her own conscience torturing her. Their figures appeared in the mirror, playing with her brother at the local playground outside of the school. "Maybe we shouldn't be doing this…" Charming said, setting their son down on a blanket. "David, you have to accept that she's gone. There is nothing we can do to bring her back…" Emma felt her breath hitch anticipating the next part. "Even if there was, maybe this town is better off not having a Dark One. Her magic was powerful enough before... and now... Maybe it's less dangerous for everyone, including our son, without so much power around."
She was divided. Logically, she knew it was an illusion, but she had seen a similar scene play out before, when her mother shielded the baby away from her magic, fear prevalent in her eyes. And she wasn't wrong. She could feel the fear bubbling to anger in Mary Margaret's tone after her magic went haywire, a pole bruising her father's shoulder. And that was when she was teeming with only light magic. Now, for all her parents knew, she was consumed by the darkest of magic as well. They were right to presume she was dangerous. Regardless of the fact that her captor had relinquished her of the Dark One's curse.
"So, Princess, that's quite the charming pair of parents you got there."
"Clever, I haven't heard that one before. Really original." She couldn't hide the pain in her voice. It's only been three days, but if feels worse than Neverland - the hopelessness, despair, and death beleaguering every corner. Hades presence only amplified it.
"Quite sarcastic today, aren't we?"
"What can I say? You're rubbing off on me." But her mind was still playing back what she had seen, running through the possible truths of it. She could hear him, feel him laughing at her and she questions whether or not gods can read minds - she shakes it off, deciding it a ludicrous idea and trying to distract herself with thoughts of Killian.
"You think about that pirate quite often don't you?" Hades smirks, "Yes, yes I can read your mind. I have been this whole time. It's not that shocking, really." He lets out an annoyed sigh. "You mortals are astonished by the simplest of things."
"Go to hell." She bites back, teeth clenched and her heart pounding in her ears.
"Darling, I'm already there." And once again her mind betrays her because she can hear his voice - Killian's voice - flirtatious and full of life as he teases her; Darling, as much as I love where this is going, perhaps we should take this up to my quarters? Granny can be quite the devil when it comes to public displays of affection. Against her will, she smiles, thinking back to the end of their fifth date; when they were making out like bunch of teenagers in the back hall of the diner. (It was also the night that she found out about the rest of his tattoos.) "He means quite a lot to you doesn't he?"
"Don't you dare bring him into this."
"You're the one that can't stop thinking about him? Let me guess he's your boyfriend?"
"Shut up."
"I'm only curious, Emma. Getting to know my new houseguest."
"I could tell by all your questions."
"So tell me about him, this Captain of yours." Hades, flicks his wrist, a small thorne appearing and sitting down gracefully. "Do you love him?" She shuts her eyes, head dropping down as she bites her lower lip to keep from trembling. "I'll take that as a yes. Does he love you?" He pauses, tilting his head back with a contented sigh at her silence. "Oh that poor man, how long has he been in love with you? Days? Months? Years? Did he fall on his own accord or did you use your magic and make him love you? Is that what this is? Were you just so desperate for a man to love you that you bewitched the first one available to you? What did Pan used to call him? Ah yes a 'one handed pirate with a drinking problem'. That is a nice choice, I must say, so broken from losing the love of his life by the hands of the Dark One, must have been easy to bend him to your will."
"SHUT UP!"
"Oh have I hit a nerve?" Hades stands. "So sorry, I'll leave you to your thoughts."
He's gone in a puff of smoke, leaving Emma to curl into herself, shaking with a million different emotions crawling through her and wishing she could just disappear.
-/-/-
He's hunched over a table, battered and torn books surrounding him. With a mangled sigh, Killian brings his gaze from the tattered page to Belle; who's sitting across from him, tapping a pen against her cheek in concentration. The brunette librarian purses her lips as she scans the words in front of her, scribbling something down as she goes. And, gods above, does it make him miss Swan more. Miss the way she bites her lip as she thinks, the way she runs a hand through her gold spun hair, the way she'll look up at him from under her lashes. Gracing him with that brilliant smile of hers, or, his personal favorite, (something she started doing during those blissful six weeks) shoot him a quick wink and lean across the table with an all too brief kiss to his lips.
It's odd, doing research and tackling this new mission without Emma. Though he's embraced the part of "hero" and doing what must be done to save the day, to do it without her - the only reason he wanted to be seen as such in the first place - makes him feel empty, like there is no real purpose for this desire he has to do the right thing. The heroic thing.
"I know that face." Belle's voice breaks his train of thought, forcing him to look up from the page he's been on for the past five minutes. "Are you doubting yourself again?"
"Just wondering what the point of all this is."
"What do you mean?"
"Being a hero, it's not worth it if Emma's not here. There's no point."
"Killian," she stands with him. "We'll find her. You're going to bring her home and you're going to do it by being the hero that she's always seen you as. This is your chance to show her that you are exactly the kind of man that she's always known you to be. Honorable, valiant, courageous and true. You may think you only became a hero because of Emma, but that part of you has been there all along. She just happened to be the person to bring it back out of you."
"Hero or not, how the bloody hell are we going to find her? It's been over a week."
"It took time to free the fairies as well. It wasn't instantaneous-"
"We don't have time! She could be anywhere. There's a multifarious number of realms, some of which we may not even know about, let alone a way to get there!" he pauses, pacing back and forth between two tables when he suddenly stops. "Realms.." he whispers. rushing over to the board with her name and tapping his finger on her picture, repeating the same whispered word "realms, realms, how did I not think of it before?"
"What?"
"A few nights ago-" before he had gotten any sleep, ripping through pages of books during some ungodly hour when the rest of the town was curled up in their beds sleeping, relaxing. "I came across a particular bit of wizardry that could lead us to her location if she happen to be in a land..I believe it was called Misthaven, which sounds familiar but then again it was…"
"Killian that's the Enchanted forest!" She exclaims. "That's where Rumple," she swallows at the thought of her ex, who she has yet to sort out her feelings for after everything went to hell. "The Dark One, traditionally has always specifically roamed there. Where was the book?"
Killian sprints towards the back of the library, followed by Belle, recalling the book and pulling it from the shelf. They call Regina, and the Charmings, who are all there within ten minutes of dialing.
"What's so urgent, Mascot?" Regina asks as the Charmings' walk through the door.
"I think we've a way to find Emma." He practically slams the old book onto the table, flipping furiously to the page they need. "This spell, it can locate exactly where Swan is."
"Assuming she's in the Enchanted Forest," Belle adds quickly.
"Right, which we're fairly certain she is, because all the past Dark Ones have resided there." Killian tries not to sound too hopeful, but this is the first solid lead they've had. "Can you do it?" he lifts his gaze to the Queen, eyebrow raised in question.
She walks to the table, grabbing the tome with a nod of her head. "We're in luck, I happen to have everything we need for this in my vault, other than something from each of you that ties you to Emma."
"Like what exactly?" Charming chimes in.
"For this to work, we need as much sentimentality as possible. So it has to be an object that has an importance to your connection to her. Like your sword, she used that to defeat Maleficent during the first curse, it ties the two of you together. I'll need something from you and Snow, KIllian and Henry."
"Why not you, too?" Mary Margaret asks.
"Emma and I don't have a strong enough connection. Not in a 'love' capacity anyway."
They depart, rejoined by Henry in half an hour, and place their object of choice in a pile. After a small internal debate, Killian decides on the black scarf used to bandage her hand at the top of the beanstalk. The others had more recognizable items; Mary Margaret with Emma's baby blanket, Henry with the Walkie Talkie he uses during "missions", and at the suggestion of Regina, Charming adds his sword to the collection. With hopeful eyes, they watch as Regina's words ignite a bright light.
-/-/-
"Good morning, Princess." Hades says, gliding in from the shadowed edge of the cave. She doesn't bother replying, just remains dormant in her position, still chained against the wall. It's been two weeks since she first saw her parents give up the search for her through the mirror, and it's been playing on an almost constant rerun. Each time is different; different words, different scenarios, all with the same or a similar result: they don't love her, or won't choose her. "What's got your spirits down, sweetheart? Miss your family?" Hades kneels down, roughly cupping her face in his scabrous hand, lifting her head up so that he can glare into her tired eyes. He smiles wickedly, satisfied, and lets her face fall back against the concrete as he releases her. "Let's pay them a visit, shall we?"
At first she doesn't watch, tries not to listen, as this time her father goes on about not wanting her dark - something about how as long as she's the Dark One, they can't have her back in Storybrooke. That even without her being the Dark One, life has been easier. But this time there's something different, running footsteps, and..could it be? "You may have stopped looking for Emma, but I haven't." And with that, he's off, rushing towards a direction she can't see with the mirror's limited peripheral.
"Killian…" Emma breathes, her heart rate increasing and rising to her feet, the chains pulling her back when she tries to advance forward.
She's sitting on the couch in the Sheriff's station, the last light of day shining through the blinded window. It's been slow and quiet since Ingrid was defeated and Gold was forced across the town line. The only real work that needed to be done is paperwork. Emma places the manila folder down to her left, picking up the next from the pile. And that's when she sees it, Henry's storybook laying on one of the unused desks. She contemplates reaching for it, riffle through the pages of tales she's either read or been told a million times, but there is still a large pile of complaints to get through and Emma had promised herself she'd get it done today. She shakes her head, turning her attention back to the crisp white papers in her lap. But every few seconds, her gaze lifts up, her eyes landing on the binding of the magical artifact, like it's calling to her. Demanding to be read. She gives in after a few more minutes, telling herself to just take a quick peek and get back to work.
Emma settles back onto the old sofa, sitting crossed legged and placing the book down in her lap. She skips to her parents story, the one that she and Killian had inadvertently changed, smiling as the memories of their adventure flash in her mind. And that's when she sees it, in bold letters across from a picture of her father and Killian by a fire. I'd go to the end of the world for her, or time. She lets out a breath she hadn't known was held back, swallowing down the overwhelming feelings that plagued her. It still shocks her, how far he's willing to go for her - with her, but it no longer scares her. In fact, it probably makes her love him more. Not that she's ready to admit that to anyone but herself.
"Swan?"
She jumps at his voice, the book falling closed against her leg. "Killian, what are you doing here?"
"I just thought since it's been quiet around here, we could go down by the docks? Have a moment to ourselves?" He begins to walk towards her, hesitantly, and it makes her heart melt just a little bit more. "Are you alright, love?"
"Yeah, why?" She pushes the book to the side, before getting up and reaching for him.
"Well for one you didn't hear me come in and you were staring at the book like you haven't seen it before."
"Oh," Emma reaches up, cupping his face in her hand, her thumb running across the scar on his cheek. "It was nothing, just something I hadn't read before." She steps closer, kissing him with as much passion as deemed appropriate for their current location - trying to transfer every feeling she has for him from her soul to his, so that he might understand how much she's fallen for him. Still falling for him. She pulls away, their foreheads still touching.
"Not that I'm complaining, love, but was was that for?"
"Nothing." She kisses him quickly once more. "I'm starving, what do you say we grab some take out from Granny's and go sit by the water?"
"That sounds wonderful, darling."
When she comes to, she can see Hades processing and it makes her stomach churn; The sheer look of victory, of planning, painted across his repulsive face as he struts away.
-/-/-
He's been avoiding the loft for the past few days. He can't stand to be around her family, around the hope. It's been almost two weeks since she disappeared and two days since they tried the incantation he found that did nothing but produce a cloud of black smoke and a shriek that sounded too close to his Emma. The thought that she's in pain, alone, possibly dying and he has no way to get to her makes his insides burn. He's failed her, again. Failed to protect her, failed to find her, failed at being the man she desperately wants him to be.
Killian stalks towards the bench at the park, the thought of sitting by the docks makes him want to rip out his own heart and crush it himself. He can't escape her, not that he would ever truly want to. He just needs a moment of peace, just a minute to breathe and be able to fathom the thought he may have to go on without her. But even now, sitting on this bench by the small lake, he's plagued with thoughts of his Swan - to a time not too long ago when she thought the only family she had was Henry. When he took a leap of faith and dared to ask the question that had been on the tip of his tongue since the moment she decided to go back to New York. Don't you even care about them? Or anyone in this town? And to this day, her answer rings loudly in the air around him; Of course I care.
Killian runs his hand through his hair, grumbling loudly as he pulls his flask from the inside pocket of his jacket. The burn of the harsh liquid down his throat is nothing compared to the burning in his chest, the one that's been festering in his heart since he watched her disappear in a flash of dark and light. The usual comfort his rum supplies seems to have vanished, along with her, and he chucks the near empty flask into the water.
"I have to say, this is the last place I thought I'd find you." He turns his head away at the sound of David's voice. He knew it was only a matter of time before the prince found him.
"Go away, mate."
"How much have you had to drink?" He's not accusatory or angry, just concerned. It's odd and nothing that he wants. He wants to yell and fight and have someone to take his anger out on.
"Not enough." Hook lashes back, his hand running across his chest for the umpteenth time.
"So, that's it? The spell didn't work, so you're just going to give up?" He can see The Prince sit down, cautiously, like he's actually concerned for his well being - and not just because he's Emma's boyfriend. "After everything she's done for you and you've done for her? Don't you love her?"
"Bloody hell, Mate, what kind of question is that? Of course I love her. There's not a damn thing I wouldn't do for her."
"And do you think she loves you?"
"Aye, she told me."
"So then why are you here and not at the library? Don't tell me you've given up?"
"I'm not giving up on her, Dave. I'd never...I just need a minute to breathe."
"I get that, but your minute came and went two days ago. It's time to get back to work."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"No, mate, I can't. It hurts too much to…"
"Well, you're heartbroken, that tends to sting a little. But, you should know by now that if you love-"
"Mate." Killian turns to David, his face a mixture of disdain and annoyance. "I swear to the gods if you finish that sentence I'm going to push you into the bloody lake."
"I was just making a point." He sighs, folding his hands together. "Look, I know how hard it must have been for you to get over losing your loved ones, but Emma isn't gone, Killian. You haven't lost her. Don't put her in that part of your heart just yet. I know it hurts now, but you will get through this."
"I doubt that.."
"Why?"
"Do you know what it feels like to have someone squeeze your heart?"
"Actually, yes. Is that why you keep..." he trails off, gesturing to Killian's hand.
"Aye. I first felt it a fortnight ago. I thought it was just the pain of missing her, but it's getting worse with every day that passes."
"What do you mean?" Charming eyes him speculatively, emphasizing the last word.
"It's like the damn Crocodile has my heart again and won't stop squeezing, probing, cutting. As if some higher power doesn't want us to rescue her. It's worse when we're all together, researching or planning. It's almost as if -"
"It's her heart you're feeling and not yours?"
"Aye," There's a question under the surface of his tone, one of how do you know.
"Personal experience." he pauses, giving into whatever internal battle he had been fighting since Hook's heart was brought up. "They say that when you love someone as deeply as I think you love my daughter, that you can feel when the other is in pain or upset. Even from a great distance."
"But that would mean that her and I are…"
"Look I know I was never a fan of you and your relationship with my daughter, but you've changed so much since Neverland. And I'm finally seeing the man that Emma sees when she looks at you." The prince rises from his position on the bench. "I know the last thing you want is another 'hope speech', Killian, so I'm just going to give it to you straight: Fight for my daughter and do not stop. Use your unwavering devotion for Emma as motivation. Pull out all the Hail Marys you have and do what you have to, to help bring her home."
Killian closes his eyes, knowing has two choices. One, he can let the prince walk away and subsequently any hope there is at finding Emma, or he can push through this pain and help to find her. "Mate, wait…" He stands, reaching out to David in more ways than one. "What if we can try summoning her again? Perhaps it was too soon the last time.. The dagger is in my safe on the Jolly Roger."
"Anything is worth a shot." He waits for Killian to catch up to him, patting him on the back, eyes beaming with the smallest bit of pride.
-/-/-
Killian inhales sharply before removing his hook and inserting it in the keyhole. Behind him he hears David's steady breathing alerting him to his presence. Its unnerving having him here, remnants from centuries before not exposed to the eyes of others - aside from himself, Milah and Emma. It was only a few weeks ago that Emma had first seen the safe, a temporary distraction from the distress caused by her parents' former actions. He catches a glimpse of his brother's insignia, remembering the look of his Swan's face as she held it, thoughtful, humbled, her arms wrapping around him and kissing his cheek before placing the item back in its home. He spent the rest of the night telling stories of their adventures, combing his fingers through her gold spun hair. Purposefully, he had placed the dagger next to it - a subconscious effort to remind himself of her that night the next time they needed the blasted thing.
Killian turns to David, a subtle nod that draws him back into the present, and grabs the blade by it's handle. "Bloody hell," he whispers letting it plunge to the floor. Her name was replaced, a snakelike pattern there instead. David watches as it falls, connecting the pieces as it hits the ground. It's like losing her all over again, another chunk of his heart incinerated because she's gone. Their only hope of her survival is gone. His knees are giving out when her father's words resurface, suggesting that they are true love and telling him to not give up. It doesn't feel right, as painful as this is, she's still out there and he can feel it. "She's alive." His voice cracks and he bends to retrieve the dagger.
"We have to tell the others."
"Aye." Hook can already picture Henry's face, already trying to find the right words that might comfort him. He mumbles his name before closing the vault and taking off towards Regina's.
The Mayor's home library had become a meeting station for Operation Cygnus. When they weren't researching, operations were ran there, whether that be performing magic or just general meetings. It had the privacy and protection they needed, and was half of Henry's residence. Snow and Regina were cooking when they arrived, rushing the women and new Author into the small space.
"What's so urgent? Did you find something?" Regina asks, as she closes the door behind them.
He looks to David, swallowing nervously. "Her name's not on the dagger."
The room is silent as Killian waits. His eyes scan the area, the contemplative looks across the family's visage. He's waiting for a reaction, but thirty seconds pass and the aura remains the same. Shellshocked. Voiceless. These are the matriarchs of hope, the people that, no matter how grim the circumstance, preach about its power and here they are now, cowering in fear of the unknown. He's not sure what to do when their faces morph from speculative and concerned to grief stricken and hopeless.
Killian watches as Henry looks to his grandparents, the small child he still carries inside slowing rising. The boy's eyes are glistening with tears and it's not a second too soon that Killian rushes to his side. "Henry," he keeps his voice steady, because he knows the time has come for him to put his agony aside and be their beacon of hope. "Don't give up hope, lad. You have the heart of the truest believer. You know hope is the most powerful magic of all. You have to keep hoping that we will find her, that she is alive." Killian pauses, looking quickly towards Mary Margaret and David. "She never gave up hope that we would save you in Neverland, or that you would find her in that tower when the author rewrote the book; so you can't give up now. I've known since she left that, that cursed blade was never the key to finding her. That it could never truly belong to her." Killian pauses, watching as Henry nods solemnly. "I believe in her, Henry. I believe in her strength, her magic, her passion to do the right thing. Just like you always have." He gives Henry a reassuring smile, the same one he sometimes gives Emma. "Your mother has never given up on the people she loves, especially her family and I love her too much to stop believing in her now. We will find her Henry, as long as you keep hoping, we will succeed and bring her back to us."
-/-/-
When she sees Hades again, she's slumped over the chains holding her, exhausted and trying to sleep. "Don't you have countless other souls to torture?" she murmurs, shielding her face away from him with her arm. Her movements feel heavy, like there's a pile of bricks atop her chest, luring her to stay stagnant. And that's without the singe that makes her heart feel like it doesn't belong inside her.
"Ah, yes! But I have all of eternity for them. Besides, you're more fun."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Oh Emma, I would expect a smart girl like you to have fit all the pieces together by now. You see, darling, no one can truly crush the Savior's heart. Your experience with Cora should have taught you that. I could set you afire, give you the most gruesome, agonizing, death imaginable, but I see enough of that everyday - victims of such gory deaths. It's just not as entertaining as it used to be. I've found my mirth other ways. There's a reason the Underworld is like a miserable dream. To watch a strong person crumble until their heart gives out, to watch them," he yanks her up by her arm like a ragdoll. "bleed, figuratively of course, because they are so emotionally wrecked by their inner fears, true feelings of their supposed "loved ones", there is no joy like it. Which is exactly how I, God of the Underworld, will be the first to crush your heart. But do you know what the best part is?" he cups her face and brings it eyelevel to his own.
"What?"
"You're doing it to yourself."
