Woo Update!

I haven't had a chance to proof this yet, but I will over the week.

Let me know what you think!


"There is no sense in punishing your future for the mistakes of your past."

-Melanie Koulouris


"Come on, Love," Killian said, his hooked arm around Emma's waist as he led her towards the sofa. They'd left the graveyard deciding they need a plan to release everyone from the Underworld, something that would likely be a challenge after rescuing Emma from right under his nose. "Let me look at you," He said, helping her to sit. If he knew her at all, she was probably cursing herself for being so vulnerable and leaning on him, but with her back in his arms he couldn't find it in his heart to care.

"Are you sure you want to?" She said with a pain laugh, clutching her side as she landed on the sofa, her head falling against the headrest as she breathed sharply. "Hades, well, you can see what Hades did."

"Aside from the obvious," Killian said, sitting beside her, his hand probing at her side the way she had once down to him as he lay in the mud, only just having rolled over the roof a car. "I'm going to wager you've got some broken ribs," He gritted out, hating the way her body felt so broken beneath his fingertips. Emma was made of steel; she always had been. It took something far stronger than Killian could ever imagine to break her, and here she was, quivering slightly at his touch.

"That must be why it hurts when I laugh," She said with a soft smile. If Killian's heart hadn't broken before, it was now. Listening to her, the strongest woman he'd known trying hard to smile through her pain as the once wild fire in her eyes dwindled to embers. It would take something monumentus to reignite such a flame, and Killian wasn't sure he had what it took.

"Perhaps I can help with that," Regina said from the kitchen where she had been stood with Robin. After leaving the graveyard, Emma had insisted her parents take Henry back to the loft, to keep him away from her until something could be done. Emma couldn't stand her son seeing her like this and seeing him here, in the Underworld, it was becoming more of a burden than she was willing to bear. But, she was Emma, and so she bore it. It had been a reluctant decision, but David and Mary-Margret had finally agreed, giving their daughter a quick kiss on the cheek and a teary eyed smile before guiding Henry away. With a quick wave of her hand, Emma felt as her pain ebbed away, Regina's magic healing the damage from Hades. That which was visible, at least. "Now, I can imagine you two have a lot to talk about. I'll check on Henry and keep the Charming's at bay." She said, her hands clasped in front of her as she turned to leave.

"Regina, thank you," Emma said, her voice far clearer without the pain, but no less haunted. "For everything. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change my mind."

"Well next time you decide on a death wish, try something a little less gruesome." Regina said, rubbing her gloved hands together as though she could still feel the quiver of Excalibur in her palms or the warmth of Emma's blood as it ran between her fingers. "Bad for the towns image," She said before turning entirely and leaving the house, Robin in two.

"How are you doing, Love?" Hook asked unnecessarily. He could only imagine the hell that she had been through end even after behind saved he couldn't imagine she'd be doing okay for quite a while.

"Better," She said. Not a lie, he noted, especially with her face clear of injury and her hair no longer matted with blood, but 'better' was a very long way from okay and an ever further distance from good. But, Killian suppose he had to count his wins. "How much did Henry see?" This however, was not one of them.

"Enough," he replied, skirting the topic as briskly as he could. Judging by the tension in Emma's shoulders, he hadn't skirted enough.

"You should never have brought him here," Emma said matter-of-factly, her eyes looking across the room, focusing a little to intently, Killian thought, on the basinet in the centre of the room covered in cobwebs.

"Aye, but the lad's persuasive," He said, trying for a laugh, perhaps sharing of memories from when he'd found her in Boston, or even when he'd planned to steal a car to get to New York. It was a long shot, he knew, but Emma seemed too distant for any other approach.

"You should never have come here," he deadpanned, and Killian felt as the heart that wanted to violently to be split, sunk like a stone in his chest.

"Emma," Hook said, reaching a hand out to hold hers, only for her to pull it away and place it in her lap just out of reach. "What's wrong?"

"It's just a lot has happened between us."

"What's the problem?" I he could sense her hesitation then he didn't mention it, and she was grateful for that. But then she noted it was just another thing in the long list of amazing things Killian had done for her, things she could repay.

"I am." She finally said, pushing herself off of the sofa, no doubt anxious to move without the lingering pain. Killian still noted how she flinched if she moved too fast, no doubt some internal injuries still knitting themselves together. "I'm the one who cause all of this," She said, gesturing to the house around them that sat dilapidating in the underworld, the crib she recognised from her own nursery in the enchanted forest and most particularly, Killian, sat "I was so scared of losing you that I held onto you too tight, just to lose you in an even worse way."

"You never lose me, Love," Killian said, stepping up from the sofa himself, even reaching out to grasp her hand with his. She didn't pull it away, another win.

"But you lose yourself. And that's on me, because I took away your choice." She did pull her hand back then, Killian chasing after the contact, only for her to take a full step back, crossing her arms over her chest. "My whole family, and everyone I care about is a hero. I'm not even a saviour anymore. I just can't measure up."

"Let us be the judge of that." He said, reaching for her, but she held back, the way she had so long ago. The way he'd hoped she never would again. "If you didn't measure up, would we have come here to save you?"

"That's my point, Killian." She said, running her fingers through her hair. It was probably a relief to be able to do so without feeling blood and tangles between her fingers. "After all I've done, all the pain I've caused, I'm not so sure I deserve saving." It felt like she'd slapped him, and to be honest, he wished that she had. That he could handle, but this, seeing Emma fixed up but still so tragically broken, her eyes cracked like glass as they looked at him, the light having died some time ago. Killian had been prepared to fight just about anything to get Emma safe and home once more, but to fight her on this? It wasn't something he thought he'd ever have to do.

"So, what are you saying? He asked instead, feeling the nerve twitching in his jaw as he looked at her, so washed out in the red light of the Underworld, her heart hidden once more beneath the layers of armour he'd worked so hard to peel away. "You want to stay down here? You want to leave your parents and your son behind?"

"Don't bring Henry into this!" She exclaimed, but even her argumentative voice sounded weak, like she'd not slept in weeks. It was with a punch to the chest that Killian realised, she hadn't. "I told you to –" She began, but was cut off by a knock to her door. Having not been in this home for her entire duration of the Underworld, Killian could understand why Emma found no suspicion in the event. He, however, knew that the souls of the departed were rarely to be trusted. "Hi, can I -" Emma began upon opening the door, only to be cut off again, this time by the man who had knocked. A man who's face Killian knew better than his own.

"Liam." He said, disbelieving of his own eyes as his brother stepped over the threshold, bypassing Emma in the doorway.

"Killian," Liam replied, blue eyes wide and surprisingly joyous as he looked at his younger brother. "So the rumours are true. After all these years, my little brother is finally here."

"So, Killian, you're here to save this woman," Liam said, gesturing to Emma across the table with his glass of rum. Emma didn't wonder why there was rum in this house, Underworld or not, this home had been chosen by Killian.

"Aye," Killian said, sipping his own drink and trying hard, Emma notice, not to look directly at her. She wasn't surprised. Their conversation wasn't over, only postponed until a later date, hopefully when all other relatives were otherwise engaged. "But what about you, Liam Why are you down here?"

"I wish I knew," Liam said and Emma could already hear the alarm bells ringing. They were fainter than usual, her mind fogged with guilt and trauma, but Emma still knew a lie when she heard one. "I spent countless years trying to figure out a reason."

"There is no reason," Killian said, sounding horrified, even going so far as to slam his hand against the table, rattling Emma's glass in her hand. "Hades has the game rigged so no one can leave. My brother is proof of that," Emma stil had her doubts, but seeing the way Killian was looking at his brother, with the same sense of awe she's caught Henry using when he looked at her, Regina or David. It was the way you looked at your hero and the doubts in Emma's head were making her head swim. "Never did a bad thing in his life. He even died nobly, stopping a treacherous king from poisoning the realm."

"Stop it, you're making me blush," Liam said, but Emma could feel his dishonesty like a continuous poke to her arm.

"Hades has the two people I love most trapped down here, and that cannot stand." Emma didn't miss the look Liam sent her, but his expression was not an easy one to read. Even his lies were making her brain swim. They didn't make any sense. Emma was no expert on siblings, but Killian spent Liam's entire life with him. How could he possibly have any deep dark secrets? "The only ay everyone will be free is if we defeat Hades once and for all." He made it sound oh-so-easy. "Liam, you've been down here a very long time, surely you must know something that can help."

"I know this is a very dangerous game you're playing," He said, voice dripping with disapproval that seemed to roll right off of Killian. "There are those who have tried to overthrow Hades before. They always spoke of a book which had the power to defeat him. I tried to find it myself, but I'm not even sure what to look for."

It was a lie. Emma could feel it, but the cogs were still ticking inside her head. The power of books was something Emma had learnt the hard way, but it had been learnt none the less, and it wasn't going to be something she'd forget.

"A storybook?" She asked, looking to Killian who's eyes were narrowed in thought.

"Storybook?" Liam said, sounding far more patronising than Emma hoped he meant to. "I wager it would be more than stories." He said and Emma felt her teeth ready to grind together. But then she felt Killian's hand grip hers, his eyes seeking hers out full of realisation.

"No, no, no," He said to Liam. If he was at all surprised by his brother's disagreement, he didn't show it. "She's onto something." She smiled despite herself, a quick little thing that judging by the quirk of Killian's lips and the softness of his eyebrows, he caught it. Emma wasn't sure if she should be happy or not. "In our world, there's a book like this. So far everything up there has a version down here,"

"So there's probably one in the Underworld somewhere."

"There must be. If there is a story in that book about Hades, we can learn his weakness and exploit it," He was confident, something Emma hadn't seen from him properly since Camelot, back before everything faded to black.

"All right," Liam said, easily swayed by his brother's sincerity. "IF you believe in this Killian, I'm with you to the end." He said, even raising his glass and tilting his head, something Emma had seen Kings do at banquets in shitty movies back when they were nothing but stories. "This fiend has trapped us both and tortured the woman you love. The day you push sailors too far –"

"Is the day that mutiny begins," Killian finished with a grin, clinking his own glass against his brothers. Emma followed suit, savouring the moment of seeing Killian so full of joy before taking a sip of her rum and trying to shake whatever bad feeling it was that she was feeling against Killian's only family.

The search for the book so far hadn't been easy. Mary-Margret in her newfound practical mind had suggested that they search the loft. It had been in the back of her wardrobe in Storybrooke that she had found the book the first time and then again when the Wicked Witch had come to call. It wasn't too ridiculous an idea, but it was somewhere to start. With David, Mary-Margret, Regina and Hook looking through the contents of Underworld Mary-Margret's wardrobe, Emma headed up the creaking wooden steps to what wa supposedly her Underworld room, the bed unmade and all the furniture covered in white sheets and a thick layer of dust. It was eerie to say the least.

"Emma," She heard Liam say behind her as she rummaged through empty cabinets. "Can we talk?" he asked, his hands in the pockets of his dark pea coat as she turned around to face him.

"I this the protective big brother talk where you want to make sure I'm good enough for Killian?" She asked with a slight chuckle. Killian was not the same man that Liam had left behind, so whatever ideals he had in mind for what was god for Killian was likely way off. "Because –"

"NO, because I already know you're not good enough," He cut her off. The words his her like a slash across the stomach (Something she was no stranger too) and smarted like it was on fire. There were no reasons for his words to hurt so much, but Emma could already feel the doubts getting ready to creep their way into her head after however many days in this hell trying to block them out. IT appeared that the brothers Jones were just as disarming as one another, thought the concept with Liam was far from welcome.

"What?" Emma asked, her mind reeling slightly. She could understand Liam not liking her, that was always a possibility and people tended not to like Emma all the time, but never had they told her outright that she wasn't good enough, at least not with such cool brutality.

"Killian told me why he's down here," Liam said, his voice polite despite his obvious dislike of her. That was probably even more infuriating, how he could hide his emotions behind his smart mouth, something Killian also had no issue with doing. "He told me that h blames himself for your death, but he also told me what happened," Of course Killian blamed himself, why wouldn't he. Emma may have known that everything that had happened was her fault and hers alone, but Killian was getting far too good at being a martyr, he was almost on par with her now. "It sounds to me like it's not his fault at all. It's yours." Believing something was entirely your fault was one thing, but to hear it spoken to you so coolly by a bystander was something else entirely. It made everything feel awfully and suddenly very, very real. Emma had caused all of this. Killian had died for or because of her twice now, one in the wrong storybook and again in Camelot. If their chances against Hades were truly that slim, she was likely going to get him killed again, and for what? To pay for the mistakes she herself had made? Poor little orphan Emma, so desperate to be loved that forces people to stay with her. IT was a pitiful story.

"I think we both made mistakes," Emma said, but the doubt was creeping into her voice and weakening her own conviction, something Liam clearly didn't miss.

"Killian has been fighting darkness his entire life," Liam said matter-of-factly, as though he'd been there for the entire 200 or more years after his own death and had seen Killian's struggle first-hand, something Emma knew to be false. "And you pushed him over the edge,"

"I was trying to save his life," Emma bit back, already disliking this brother and his self-righteous I-Know-What's-Best tone as he looked disapprovingly down his nose at her.

"And it was a bloody selfish thing to do," Liam snapped, and Emma felt herself recoil from his words like they burned. If he was being perfectly honest, she thought they might have done. "He had the chance to die a hero – to move on – and you took it from him," Emma already knew what she'd done to save Killian had been foolish and rather ignorant, but to stand by and watch someone else she loved died had been agony. Of course she'd been selfish and she already hated herself for that decision, but she couldn't find it in her un-beating heart to regret it. She'd rather spend a lifetime down here, hating herself for what she'd done than for her and Killian's roles to be reversed, for him to have died in that field surrounded by such gentle beauty. "Now e's risking his life, his own future down here to save you."

"I never asked him to come down here and save me," Emma spat back harshly, wishing beyond anything that Killian had just let her be, allow her to suffer the consequences of her actions and to have died saving her loved ones. That was enough for her, but it wasn't for him.

"But you knew he would," And somewhere, niggling around in the back of Emma's mind, she knew he was right. She did know that Killian would go to the end of the world for her and she'd stupidly assumed he'd just let her be down here. As far as hindsight went, Emma's was kicking her repeatedly. "You are not what is best for my brother, Emma," And what hurt the most, was how she believed his words and the truth that they held.

"Were you this self-righteous when you were alive?" Emma said, but not in disagreement with his words.

"When it came to my brother, yes," Emma could understand that entirely. "If we defeat Hades today then perhaps you can forgive yourself and have the chance to move on," Liam said and Emma was finally figuring out his endgame. Not only did he want Killian out of the Underworld, but he wanted Emma gone too, so far out of the picture that not even Killian Jones could follow. "When that happens, if you truly have Killian's best interest at heart, you'll take that chance and move on." He said bluntly, already turning to go. Emma, however, stood planted, her eyes beginning to water at the prospect of leaving not just Killian, but her son and her family behind. "Stop thinking of your own desires and allow them to return home to their lives and futures, instead of chasing ghosts."

And then he was gone, descending the stairs with eh same strong set to his shoulders that he'd ascended them with. Meanwhile, leaving Emma with trembling knees and her hand clamped over her mouth as she stood gripping the bed post and trying her hardest not to break down like the miserable little orphan she was beginning to feel like.

Emma allowed herself a few calming breaths and a quick wipe over her face before she even considered walking down the steps and into the main room of the loft. She'd been rather daft to no expect Killian to be waiting at the base of the stairs for her and even more so for not expecting him to see something was wrong.

"You alright?" He asked as she neared him, his hand reaching for her shoulder, but she slipped just out of his reach.

"Yeah," She said, unconvinvlingly, trying to force a smile and failing. "I'm fine."

"I meant to give you this back," Killian said, riffling in his pocket quickly and pulling out the red stoned ring on the end of the silver chain she'd already returned to him once. She opened her mouth to argue, but Killian was already draping the chain around her neck with his hand and his hook. "If any of us need the luck form this," He said, his hand reaching to touch her face. "It's you," Her eyes were watering again, she could feel it, along with the burn of Liam's gaze over Killian's shoulder. And so she nodded her thanked, tucking the ring beneath her sweater and away from prying eyes.

"Let's keep looking," She said reasonably before trying to bypass him, only to have the non-existent breath knocked out of her as Henry's growing body collided with her own. Emma hadn't spent anywhere near as much time with him as she should have done, but instead of dwelling on it, she added bad mothering to the never end list of reasons for her to leave them and hugged him back, trying not to choke as he squeezed her tighter.

"What's going on?" He asked, but didn't pull away from Emma fully, keeping his arm wrapped around her waist while hers hung across his shoulders. Let them get on with their lives. Liam's words replayed in her head and she fought hard not to look at the other Jones brother, or either of them for that matter focusing instead on her mother as she spoke.

"We're looking for the Storybook. Underworld edition," Snow said, riffling through the boxes of stuff in front of her. Emma was finally beginning to notice just how exhausted both of her parents looked. She's be surprised if they'd slept at all since making it to the Underworld, let alone any sleep they got being peaceful. Another reason to move on slotting into place on the infinite list.

"Really?" henry asked, sounding awfully enthusiastic, Emma noted but was too tired to question. "I might know exactly where it is." That sparked some interest for sure, and not just from Emma.

"How would you know that?" David asked, sounding more worried than interested. Emma had been so preoccupied with Hades and Killian's brother that she'd not even gotten the chance to ask where it was Henry had been slipping off to on his own. The Underworld was dangerous enough for the dead inside of it, lord knows what it could do to the living.

"The Apprentice," Henry replied as though it was obvious. "I saw him at – at Granny's," He was lying, Emma thought, but with the way her lie detector had been on the fritz since entering this realm, she could hardly say her word was law. "He said the sorcerer's mansion is down here and there is a bunch of his stuff inside. Like the storybook."

"Finally, some good news," Regina announced, smiling down at Henry who seemed awfully smug with his detective skills. Emma hadn't even had the chance to ask him what he was calling this operation yet.

"Well, sort of," He added and Emma felt as the entire roomed sighed. Nothing would ever be simple with them, would it? "The house is locked with magic and the sheriff has the key."

"Your evil twin is the sheriff?" Killian said, more of a statement than a question as he looked to David. "Hades has panache, I'll give him that,"

"Well," David said, leaning onto the countertop with his hands as he surveyed the group before him. "It's time for my brother and me to have an overdue chat."

"Well, you won't be alone," Snow said securing her bow back over her back. "I still owe him a punch in his pretty mouth for kissing me."

"He kissed you?"

"I thought it was you," Snow said and then she was leaving, clutching Emma's hand quickly and kissing her on the cheek before heading out of the door.

"Let's go," David said, clearly agitated as he followed after, stopping to kiss Emma's forehead and give her the soft, reassuring smile she would have killed for growing up. Now it just reminded her of exactly what she'd done to get to this point.

"In the meanwhile, we should all go about our usual business," Liam said, addressing the remainder of the group. Henry seemed interested in what he had to say but Killian was watching his brother speak with a rapt interest, the likes of which Emma was sure she'd never seen from him. "Hades has eyes everywhere. We can't have him finding out what we're up to." Emma hated how right he was.

"Fine plan," Killian chimed in, smiling over at his brother. "Can't wait to see the look on his face when he learns a very valuable lesson." Now Liam was smiling too, looking over his brother like a proud father would after not seeing his son for a long time. "One should never mess with the brothers Jones."

Liam's usual business, as disinteresting at it was, was working at the Underworld edition of the Rabbit Hole pub. It was a dingy place that Liam had never much cared for, with low ceilings crossed with bare wooden beams, a large squared bar taking up the majority of the room and the red painted walls making the room far darker than necessary. Since there were little to no customers on a good day, Liam had decided to waste his time with cleaning the dust off of the hundreds of glasses that were always left milling around.

"Wow, even for the underworld, it is dead in here." A voice said and Liam raised his eyes to catch the man that had just entered, his light hair slicked back and his suit looking noticeably pressed.

"Can I help you with something?" Liam asked, placing his glass back onto the counter and flipping his rag over his shoulder. "If you want a drink, I can make you anything." He said. It was hard to find ways to kill the time and after centuries, Liam had somewhat picked it up as a hobby.

"That's okay, I can help myself," The man said, clicking his fingers once as two glasses appeared before him on the bar, each with ice and a generous amount of liquid at the bottom of it. "This scotch is a few centuries old. I think it's aged quite well. The secret is to store it underground. Here, try some." He said, sliding one of the glasses across the bar toward Liam's hand. He accepted it, taking a small sip. The man hadn't been wrong, that was for sure. The scotch was good, but that didn't stop the man seeming awfully shady as he sat in the dim lit bar. "It's good right? See, I'm not a bad guy." He said and Liam could feel the dread as it settled around him. Whatever this was, it clearly was not a social call. "But here you are trying to stage some kind of – what's the nautical term you keep using?" Everything was beginning to make an awful lot of sense now. "That's right, mutiny."

"So, you found us out," Liam said, placing the scotch back on the bar and pushing it away from him. It obviously wasn't going to kill him, but Liam was fast learning that there were fates worse than death milling around.

"Well, like you said, I've got eyes everywhere," If Hades had meant for his words to be a threat, it was working. Liam had the one person he cared for down here, the last thing he wanted was for Hades to begin threatening him. "But what I don't have, is that storybook."

"And what do you want from me?" Liam asked, cutting to the chase.

"Not much," Hades replied. "I don't even really care about that book except for a few select pages." Liam couldn't help but be interested now. It was instinct. When the enemy came to you asking for help and even offering you a weakness, it was rather hard not to be at least slightly interested. "The ones about me. So, find the book and destroy them,"

"Do it yourself," Liam said harshly. He may be dead, but he still had his pride.

"It's in the sorcerer's mansion," Hades said like he'd like nothing better than to storm the mansion and destroy the entire building by burning it to the ground. "Light magic doesn't agree with me. So, I kind of need you."

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll tell your brother the thing you never could," Hades said and Liam could feel as his blood ran cold. "The reason you're down here."

"Will you stop staring at that door?" Regina said, catching as Emma tilted her head for the fourth time in less than ten minutes. "When your parents walk through it, I promise, I'll tell you," She said before returning to her tea. Call her crazy, but Emma thought Regina looked awfully at home surrounded by the dead.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Emma said, running her fingers across her face. "Maybe I should have gone with them,"

"And gotten yourself imprisoned again?" Regina had a point, a slim point, but a point none the less. That didn't stop Emma from glancing over her shoulder barely twenty seconds later to see if her parents were there. "Will you relax? People are starting to stare at us," She wasn't wrong, but Emma also didn't care. The longer it took to defeat Hades, the more likely it was that Emma would remain in the Underworld until she as nothing more than another part of the furniture. "Remember what Liam said. We need to act casual."

"Yeah," Emma greed, sitting a little straighter in her seat and toying with the mug of untouched cocoa in her hands. "What do you think of Liam, anyway?" She said as casually as she could manage. Emma needed someone to talk to about this and with Killian worshipping at Liam's altar, Henry being far to young so this drama and her parents tiptoeing around her like she was made of glass, Emma didn't exactly have anyone else. "You don't think he's a little self-righteous, do you?"

"He doesn't like you, does he?" Regina asked, her eyed bugging wide as she placed her teacup back into its saucer.

"He doesn't think I'm good enough for Hook," Emma admitted, not looking at Regina but instead at the already dissolved whip cream on top of her cocoa.

"To be honest, you're too good for Hook," Emma was sure that Regina had meant that as a compliment, but she really wasn't taking it as one. If anything, the more time she spent down here the more sense she found in Liam's words. Everyone was just chasing a ghost that wore her face.

"He's different with Liam," Emma said, trying to turn the subject away from her as much as she could. "It's like he think he walks on water."

"What's going on?" Regina asked and, if Emma didn't know better, she'd say that the woman sounded concerned. But then she had come down to the Underworld to help save her so perhaps there was a part of the queen that cared for Emma. It was a strange thought, but enough that Emma saw no point in keep secrets.

"Liam thinks I should let go and move on," She said honestly, not looking at Regina when she spoke. "He thinks I should let Hook have a future."

"Who cares what Liam thinks," Emma felt a spurt of affection towards the queen at that moment, to hear her slamming Liam. Perhaps she did care after all. "What do you think?" And there it was, the other shoe dropping. Emma's opinion wouldn't be a popular one, she knew, but perhaps it was time to get a more honest and non-bias view point.

"I don't know. I guess I agree."

"Well, that's just you being a martyr," Regina said like she was dismissing a child's theory. It's what Emma imagined Henry went through before the curse broke, with his mother telling him he was crazy and his other one not believing him when he said otherwise. "It's only because you haven't forgiven yourself,"

"And how do you know that?" Emma asked, feeling a little insulted and simultaneously freaked out by the queen's accuracy.

"Though I hate to admit this, Emma," Regina said, her darks eyes peering at over the top of her tea cup. "We're a lot alike." Emma could tell that wasn't something Regina liked to say. "And forgiving yourself is the hardest thing to do. Don't make any big decisions until you've done that." Emma could feel herself shifting in her seat. The decision hadn't been made of course, but Emma had been so sure that passing over and moving on would be what was right. But it was getting really hard to tell what were her ideas of that and what was Liam's voice niggling away at the back of her mind like an unwanted bad memory. "You never know what you might lose."

Emma was saved a reply by Henry barging through the doors to Granny's, the bell dinging above the door to announce him.

"Moms!" he said, eyes wide and excited. If Emma had to guess, they were finally getting somewhere. "Grandma found the key."

"The mansion is here," Killian said, sounding almost surprised as he made his way up the porch steps. "It would seem old white beard was right." He smiled at Emma then, and smile she recognised all too well from Camelot. It was the soft one that came with an encouraging raise of the eyebrows. It told her that everything was going to be okay, that they were going to win this battle. On a normal day it would have made her smile back just as softly, perhaps even take his hand. But today was anything but normal.

"Do we have the key?" Liam asked, making it far easier for Emma to break their eye contact without any more suspicion that something was wrong.

"We have it," Killian assured. But there's a protection spell on the door. It could be dangerous to open."

"Oh, I suppose I should do the honours," Liam said, stepping like the hero Killian clearly thought him to be. Emma was personally getting irritated by this self-righteous act, but there was nothing she could do about it now. "I have been dead the longest. I'd say I've got the least to lose." That alone ground Emma's gears. If she truly had more to lose than he did, then why was he so adamant that she left it all behind. It seemed that Emma's lie detector wasn't as far off as she'd feared.

"You always were the noble one, weren't you?" Killian said and Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes knowing it would alert him to her annoyance. Regina, however, didn't have that problem and rolled her eyes freely at the two brothers as they made their way into the house. "Wonderful," Killian said as they made their way into the main room, even moving a cobweb aside like a curtain for Emma to step past. Always a gentleman, she mused, but didn't let it show, just shooting him a grateful smile and stepping off again. "I love what they've done with the place."

It looked exactly as it had the last time Emma was in it, but completely different at the same time. The cobwebs hanging like tapestries from the ceilings along with the white sheets over the furniture took away a lot of the mansions grandeur, leaving just a building behind. Hardly a place for Merlin, Emma was sure, but that wasn't something she wanted to think about now.

"We should split up," Liam said, turning to address the group. "Move fast."

"Uh, yeah," Emma agreed, watching the others as they nodded their agreement. "Henry, you've got to stay here,"

"But it was my idea," He argued, already to sulking teen that Emma had been fearing. "I'm not just going to stand here and do nothing,"

"You're not doing nothing," Emma tried to rectify much to Killian's amusement. "You're the lookout." It was a lie if Emma had ever heard one, but she knew that Henry wouldn't try too hard to argue.

"Look out?" Henry echoed, clearly not happy.

"Don't argue with your mother," Regina said and Emma realised just how bizarre their family situation was. She wouldn't trade it for anything though.

"But –"

"Or your mother," and then they were leaving, preparing to cover the rest of the house and find the storybook. Emma knew one thing for sure though, if she did move on, Henry would be in good hands with Regina. She wasn't the woman she once was.

The search had turned out to be a colossal waste of time by Emma's standards. And judging by the way Killian's jaw was clenching as he looked at the pointless pages, he agreed. Liam had appeared with the book over half an hour ago, a smug smile on his face (much to Emma's annoyance) as he passed it over to Killian to inpect.

"There's no mention of Hades' story anywhere," He annoyed agitatedly, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Emma wanted to comfort him, she really did, but she was running out of things to say without binging up the topic of her own fate. Killian was a smart man, not only did he knew how to ask what was wrong, but he also knew how to twist whatever they were talking about into asking what was wrong. It was infuriating, and far more than she wanted to deal with right now.

"Why am I not surprised," Regina said, looking at the pages herself, her arms crossed over her chest as Robin stood at her elbow.

"Yeah and look," Emma said, her fingers running down the book's centre binding and over the jagged paper left sticking out from it. "There are some pages missing,"

"Back during the first curse I tore my story out of Henry's book so he wouldn't know I was the Evil Queen," Liam seemed to raise an eyebrow at that, clearly not familiar with everyone else's enchanted forest lives, but Emma was too caught up with what could possibly have happened to the book. Surely Hades couldn't have found out already, that was absurd.

"Well, if Hades has done the same, we don't stand a chance of finding it." He wasn't wrong, Emma knew, but vocalising her agreement would only warrant a hope speech from her parents and as much as she loved them, that was the last thing she needed right now.

"What do you think, Liam?" Emma asked, looking up at the older Jones brother who seemed the least frustrated out of everyone by the turn of events. "You found the book, was there any sign that it had been tampered with?"

"No," he said and Emma could hear the alarm bells ringing in her head like she was stood in a church tower. "And until find any, I'll choose to have hope," Regina looked about ready to pull her own hair out or hit Liam with her shoe, or both. But Emma couldn't blame her one bit. "Those pages could have fallen out and still be in this house, and I, for one, won't give up without trying to find them." And like a true captain, Liam turned and left, returing to the search for the pages Emma was sure to be pointless.

"I see what you mean about self-righteous," Regina whispered in Emma's ear as she passed before heading off after Liam on his search, Snow and David following after.

"What's wrong?" Killian asked and Emma mentally slapped herself. She'd been too lost in her own thoughts to even notice everyone else was gone, leaving just Emma and Killian in the library alone. It was the first time they'd properly been alone since Liam had arrived, partially because of the protective older brother, but also because Emma was trying to avoid him quite shamelessly. She wanted to figure out her plans for after Hades' defeat, to know if she was going to move on or not, and being around Killian and his hopeful and loving smile wasn't doing her any favours. Emma needed something that told her it would be better for her to return home with them, and the fact that they would miss her just wasn't enough in her mind. She needed something concrete, something real that made this entire ordeal worthwhile. "Aren't you coming?"

"What?" Emma said, her mind still dancing around miles away from her. "Yeah. Sorry. Let's go," She said and moved to bypass him to join the others. Safety in numbers and all that.

"No, wait," He said, catching the crook of her elbow with his hook. "Just wait." He said and Emma could feel her throat as it began to close, her mouth going dry at the pain in his eyes. "Not until you tell me what's going on." Emma opened her mouth to lie, or at least omit the truth a bit and tell him it was trauma or fear, anything but her actual thoughts. But he already knew her far too well. "besides the obvious, of course," He said and Emma felt her head tilting slightly in question. He chuckled at that, releasing her arm and looking at her properly. "Open book, remember. Love, I know when something's bothering you."

"It's Liam," She said and saw as Killian seemingly took an entire step away from her. To him, this would sound like insanity, but if anyone had ever trusted her with everything, it was Killian. She could really use some of that blind faith right now. "I've had a bad feeling ever since we met and I thought it was just because he didn't like me," Killian raised an eyebrow at this. Clearly, Liam was only vocal about his opinions with her and wore his perfect role model mask in front of everyone else. "I think he's hiding something."

"That's preposterous," Killian said and Emma felt as her hope fizzled and died, drifting to lay at the bottom of her stomach like ashes on the water, just waiting to be swept away. "My brother wouldn't lie."

"Maybe there's stuff about him you don't know," She reasoned, but by the look on Killian's face, he wasn't buying into it. In fact, he was started to look pissed off, something Emma hadn't honestly expected. "Maybe he does know what his unfinished business is,"

"No, you're wrong about him," It felt like a slap and it took Emma a moment to realise that it hadn't, in fact, been one. She even recoiled form him slightly, watching the steely gaze as he shut off the emotions in his eyes. "I know who my brother is. I'm going to help him find those pages." And then he was gone, leaving Emma dumbfounded and alone in the mansion library with only one idea on her mind. She was going to find Liam and she was going to see exactly what it was he'd been hiding. Emma wasn't going to just walk away this time, not unless she had no reason to stay

Finding Liam hadn't exactly been a challenge. He wasn't in the house and there was only so far he could go before her aroused suspicion from more than just Emma.

"Find anything out here?" She asked, descending the steps from the back of the mansion having spied Liam leant over the wishing well from the window. He didn't jump when he heard her, but being dead there were few things left to be afraid of. For Liam, at least.

"Emma," he greeted a little too nicely, but she could feel the falseness in his voice. "A ship's captain can only be cooped up for so long," He said and her alarm bells were getting ready to ring, she knew it. "I had to come out and get some air," There they were, dinging in her heard like a war siren. He as lying to her, she was sure of it. She just needed to figure out why. "What brings you out here?" he asked gesturing to the misty night that had fallen around them. It was eerie, like a graveyard of an old horror film, thick fog covering the floor and everything.

"I wanted to show you this," Emma said, reaching around her neck for the chain Killian had placed there just the day before, pulling it up and over her head so the ring fell into her palm.

"OH, it's the ring I gave Killian," he said with a smile, but Emma could head the bitterness to his voice and didn't miss the sharpness of his gaze when it flicked to her face. " I noticed he wasn't wearing it." Emma half wanted to scream at him. Two hundred years, that's how long Killian had been without his big brother, and yet here he was, acting as thought they'd only been parted a week. It was infuriating. The Killian Emma knew, the one she'd fallen in love with, was not the same Killian that this man had left behind, but no one else seemed to see that but her.

"Because he gave it to me, twice now." she said, ignoring the almost childishly insulted look that crossed his face. "Do you know what he said to me when he did?" She asked, stilling holding the ring out so that he could see it. "That it belonged to a much better man than him." Liam's back seemed to straighten even more at that, a smug little smile crossing his lips. "You're his hero. He doesn't think you can do any wrong. Which is why I can't figure out why you would lie to him." Liam's face fell at that, any smugness leaving his expression as he looked at Emma. He looked ready to give her a piece of his mind like he had that previous morning, but he was saved the trouble by Killian's voice sounding behind them.

"Liam, Emma, what's going on?" He asked, descending the stairs from the back porch of the house to stand with them beside the well.

"She thinks I lied to you," Liam said and Emma was surprised by his bluntness, especialy when she didn't just think it, she knew it. Now all she had to do was prove that to Killian and then – what? What exactly was her plan of action? Show him how his lifetime hero was a fraud before turning and leaving to move on without him? That was a stupid plan and she knew it. But if he could believe her, if he could see how Liam had been wrong and just trust her, then perhaps Liam's words wouldn't mean as much, perhaps it would prove that she had Killian's bets interest at heart and moving on wouldn't seem like as much of a good idea as it did now.

"He took the pages, I can prove it," Emma said, hoping that Killian had someone of that blind faith stored away. "Ask him to show you his hands. He's been hiding the, since I got here,"

"Look," Liam intergected,"if it would help clear things up, I would be happy to,"

"That won't be necessary. I don't need proof t see what's really going on here," Killian said, but Emma could tell from the look in his eyes that the irritation in his voice wasn't directed at Liam at all. It was directed at her. "Emma, when are you going to admit this isn't really about my brother?"

"What else would it be about?" She asked casually, trying not to sound betrayed by his allegiance, not that she was at all surprised by it.

"Us." He said and Emma could feel her heart as it began to sink. "You don't want to be saved." He stated and despite it being true, it still wasn't an easy pill to swallow. "And you think that if you can prove to me that Liam is a villain that I'll somehow feel like I was less of one." He was upset, Emma could tell, and not the angry upset that led to him raising his voice or reaching for his flask. He was miserably upset, his eyes even watering with the strain of it. The worst part, though, was that not all of his anger was for Emma. Regina was right about one thing, Emma did need to forgive herself, but so did Hook. "And then you don't think I'll try so hard to save you. You think that my being down here is bout redemption for myself."

"So you agree with him?" Emma said, her voice a lot smaller than she would have liked in this instance. If Killian's words had told her anything, it was that she was turning into an incredibly lost cause. You can't save someone who doesn't want saving. "That you should never have come down here?" the answer wouldn't be pleasant to hear, but somehow, she needed it to be said aloud, no more saddened glances. Now it was time for the truth.

"How can I possibly sae you if you won't let me." He argued and Emma could see his frustration in his clenched fists and the twitching of his jaw. All the while, Liam stood like a ghost, watching the event unfold before him like a row of dominoes he'd set up to fall. It wasn't malicious, it as just how it was supposed to be. "Perhaps you feel I'm making the same mistake as you did in Camelot. And maybe you're right, maybe I should have let you go."

"So what are you saying?" Emma asked, already feeling as the tears marked her cheeks, but she didn't stop them. There really wasn't any need to anymore.

"I'm saying that when we defeat Hades, I shan't force you to take my heart. Moving onto a better place is what you deserve and I won't be the one to stand in your way." He said, but he wasn't looking at her, looking instead over her shoulder, or at his own feet, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm doing what you couldn't," He said, his voice thick before he finally raised his gaze to look at her properly. "I'm giving you the choice." It felt an awful lot like she'd ust had the carpet pulled form under her and was currently falling a great deal of a distance and was hurtling towards he ground with no idea when she'd hit it. It was tortuous, to say the least.

"I have been battling with myself all day about what I should choose," Emma said, back her voice thick from tears and her words harsher than she'd intended. "I've been trying to figure out if it would be better for everyone if I just moved on, stopped you al form chasing a ghost. All I've been waiting for is a solid reason for me to stay," She said, thinking of how everyone would be devastated should she leave, but they'd get over it as well. Her official death would be a blow to everyone, her family and friends, but they wouldn't be alone in it. They'd would look after one another and they would heal, just as she did when Neal died or when Mary-Margret's family had died all those years ago. Pain was terrible and grief was awful, but they were necessary. Emma was certain that her family was strong enough to survive that far better than she could survive the crippling guilt of her actions. "I thought, out of everyone, you'd be the one to give that to me." Her voice was softer than, lost in the fog as Killian's eyes began to water themselves, a tear ready to fall at any moment. She couldn't tell if he regretted his words, but she also didn't care. Emma may not have forgiven herself, but she was still making this decision against Regina's advice. "Fine, if this was a mistake to you then don't worry. I'll say my goodbyes to Henry and my family and I'll move on. I won't be a burden on your future." And without another word, she let, walking past him and out into the darkness of the Underworld.

"Emma!" He called after her, his own voice breaking. Killian was already regretting giving her the choice and suddenly her actions in Camelot were making a lot more sense as he moved to follow her.

"Let her go, Killian," Liam said, holding out an arm to stop him in his pursuit. "It's for the best."

"Your hand," Killian breathed, noticing the dark splotches on his brother's pale skin. "You are hiding something,"

"It's nothing," Liam argued, but the realisation was settling in and Killian's gut was churning horribly at the thought of it. Before Liam could avoid him, Killian snatched a hold of his arm with his hand, holding it closer to the light so he could see it clearer.

"Ink from the pages," Killian said as his heart cried out for Emma and for him to fix his mistake, "Emma was right," He breathed, feeling the crushing weight on his chest at the thought of her leaving with his harsh words in her mind. "And now I might lose her forever. Why would you lie to me?" Killian shouted, his grief making room for anger as his eyes narrowed on his brother who looked anything but innocent.

"Because he's got much bigger secrets than whats in some book," A voice said from the darkness. Killian could barely recognise his own captain as she stepped out from beneath the shadows. "Like the truth about what he did to us."

After having the bag removed from his head, Killian was able to know exactly where they were. It's not that he hadn't guessed already, the scruffing of dusty rock underfoot, the roaring sound of fire beneath him and somewhere, in the distance, the rush of water too. During his time in the Underworld he'd found himself here far too often. This was the bridge where people went to pass over. Dead people, that was, something that Killian was definitely not. The only hopeful thing about this situation was that Emma wasn't here – not yet, at least. She was somewhere else, but she hadn't moved on. IF he died with that knowledge he could die moderately happy.

"It's time to walk the plank," Silver said and Killian was reminded of his youth, of days listening to this man threaten him and for Liam to step up to stop their being any kind of fight.

"I'll gladly walk it. Just spare Killian," It seemed that some things never changed. Liam was still trying to protect him after all this time, not knowing that Killian as perfectly capable of protecting himself. "Please, he's still living. He had nothing to do with this."

"He should have gone down with the ship, like the rest of us!" Silver called, followed by the chorused agreement from the crew Liam had damned to Davey Jones' locker. "And now, he finally will,"

"I'm sorry, Killian," Liam said, turning to his brother with the sad eye of the disgruntle big brother he remembered so well, the one who was always there to split his rations when Killian was being punished and so not allowed any. The same brother who had thrown away his chance in the navy because his little brother was a good for nothing drunk who'd gambled his silver away. What a mess they were. "All I ever wanted was to be this perfect example for you. To inspire you."

"All you did was raise the bar so high, the only thing I could do was fail!" Killian agued back. Yes, his brother had inspired him and he had always looked up to him, but knowing what he knew now, it was hard to see his brother as a hero, and nothing broke his heart more.

"No more talking!" Silver called out, "Time to face justice, boys!" He shouted and was met by the agreeing cheers from his crew. Killian couldn't help but wonder, if he fell into the fires below would he wake up another resident in this god awful town, or would he skip the purgatory and go straight to hell with his brother by his side?

"Did someone decide to have a party and forget to invite me?" Killian felt his blood heat up considerably at the sound of the voice, the very same one that had mocked him about Emma before throwing her trashed and bloodied leather jacket at his feet. As far as Killian's least favourite people, this man was so close to topping the list. All he'd have to do is surpass the Crocodile, something that may take him some time.

"Lor-lord Hades," Silver said, even going so far as to bow before him. He may be a god, but Killian hardly thought he deserved such credit. Even Killian thought it was a little uncalled for when Hades blew a gentle breeze that sent Captain Silver plummeting into the fiery pit below.

"And now for the brothers Jones," Hades said with a cocky smile. "One of them kept up his end of our bargain and gets to live," He said looking at Liam. The reminder that Liam was working with Hade wasn't something Killian wanted reminding of, but something told him there was something else to worry about by the glee in Hades' eyes. "While the other one stole my prized little saviour from my dungeon and continues to make a mess of things, and for that, he has to pay." Killian hadn't exactly expected anything less from the king of hell, especially a Killian had done nothing but be a thorn in his side since he stepped foot off of that boat and into this realm. "At last, we'll see the end of Captain Hook, and this time," He turned to Liam who looked ready to throw himself at Hades "You won't be able to protect him."

"No," Liam said, stepping forward and closer to Hades who seemed less than surprised by the advancement. "I won't let you hurt Killian. No matter what kind of deal we made."

"Fine," Hades said with a smile. "Have it your way," and with a gentle flick of his wrist, Liam was thrown backwards, out towards the fiery pit. Had Killian not half expected a stunt like this after what had happened to Silver, he'd never had caught a hold of Liam's arm as he fell. But Killian wasn't as strong as he used to be, and Liam wasn't exactly the lightest person he knew.

"No! Liam, please, hang on!" Killian called, gripping his brothers arm with as much strength as he could muster, stones jagging him in the stomach as he lay atop the outcrop, dust in his mouth and the fire burning his face.

"I'm sorry, brother," Liam called up and Killian was ready to laugh in his face had the situation not been so dire. Liam was quite literally hanging on for his life and here he was, telling Killian that he was sorry. "Can you forgive me for what I've done?"

"Yes, but that's not important," Killian said without hesitation. He'd expected to journey to the underworld, save Emma and be gone, he'd never thought that he'd have his eyes opened so wide to what was happened to and around him. "You need to find a way to forgive yourself."

"I can't, not after what I did to you," Liam said and Killian's heart was breaking from the familiarity of what was happening. He was going to lose not only the love of his life, but his hero too – his brother, the only family he had left. "The only way to make amends is for me to pay the price."

"No," Killian said as he felt his brothers grip falter and then he was grasping at nothing but air as Liam plummeted towards the fires below, his eyes never leaving Killian's as he free fell to his demise. "No, Liam!"

"No," Killian heard hades mutter as he scrambled back to his feet. If the lord of the Underworld thought he could walk freely away from the damage he'd caused, he was very wrong.

"What's happening?" Killian asked, hearing the gentle sound of waves against a shore as the fiery pit began to fill with water. It was impossible, Killian was sure, and unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"You will pay for this," Hades said before disappearing in a flash of roar blue flame, but Killian was far too distracted by the boat rocking gently on the water to car for the gods theatrics. Standing in the small boat, his eyes as confused as they were awed by the turn of event was Liam, his hands hovering by his sides as though he was trying to keep his balance.

"Liam, you're safe?" Killian said, seeing the bright smile spread across his brother's features.

"Yes," He replied with a bemused chuckle, "It appears I am," He looked at Killian then, his eyes seeking his in the quickly cooling cavern. "I suppose this is a sacrifice I should have made a long time ago. And now I can finally depart." Killian felt a sight pinch at that. Liam was still leaving him even now.

"Then go," Killian said, realising the selfishness of his thoughts. Liam had been dead for centuries, any hope they had of saving Emma was slim, but to save Liam too? The would need nothing short of a miracle. Killian understood that his brother too deserved peace. "All of you," He added, looking to crew that Silver had left behind, the same crew Liam had damned to this place. "Now that you finally have the truth, your unfinished business is complete as well. Get on men," He gestured to the boat Liam was currently stood in, but the men need no persuasion. They piled into the boat beside Liam until only Killian stood on solid ground, his feet itching to follow Liam to the end, as he had once promised.

"What will you do now, brother?" Liam asked having finish greeting the crew and noticing as his brother stood with his fist clenched on the rock

"I can't let Emma move on. Not yet," Killian said, whatever doubts he had of coming to save drifting away like ashes on the water below. "Not when everyone needs her the most. She'd to important."

"Tell her I'm sorry," Liam said and Killian felt the words like a brand. Emma had told the truth, not only about Liam's deceit, but also that his brother hadn't liked her. It was insanity, Killian thought, for anyone not to captivated by Emma Swan, but perhaps he was a tiny bit biased with the situation. "I was wrong. She does have your best interest at heart. Tell her she does deserve saving." Liam said and Killian couldn't fight the smile on his face because of course she did. Emma Swan, the saviour, who had saved the lives of everyone in a cursed kingdom deserved to be saved. "And don't worry about reaching that bar anymore, Killian. You've become a true hero in a way I never could." And then the boat began to depart, the water sloshing gently against the sides but Liam's sea legs held him firm and standing. "Goodbye,"

"Goodbye, brother," Killian said, watching as Liam and his crew sailed off towards the bright light and whatever horizon may lie beyond. At long last, Captain Liam Jones was at peace.

After watching his brother's departure from this realm, Killian had only one more place he needed to be. He had to find Emma and stop whatever plans she had to leave this realm. She was far too precious for them to lose, even if she didn't think so himself. He'd not expeted for her to be diffiuclt to find, but he'd hardly expected to see her aiting for him when he entered the now empty sorcerer's mansion, either.

"Hook," She said, jumping u from where she'd sat perched on the edge of a sheet covered sofa arm. Where have you been? First you and Liam left, then Henry ran off somewhere –" Her words died with an offt and Killian wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her as close to his body as he could manage without causing her some kind of pain.

"You're still here," He breathed into her hair and he felt her arms circling his back as she rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh. "You've not moved on." He didn't care that she may still be uncertain of her future, he didn't care that he'd almost lost her, he didn't even care that his heart was beating out a samba against his rib cage while hers remained motionless. All he cared about in that instant was that she was still there, she hadn't left him and he still had the chance to help her. "You were right about Liam," He said, pulling away from her, but refusing to let her go. "He destroyed those pages because of a deal he made with Hades years ago. A deal that almost got him thrown into that boiling sea."

"Are you okay? Where is he?" Emma asked, eyes full of concern and Killian's heart truly went out to her. Liam had been nothing close to welcoming when it came to Emma, and yet (even if it was only for his own benefit) she was still concerned for him. Emma Swan was, and always would be, a marvel to Killian Jones, and he'd never forgive himself for nearly letting her slip away.

"He sacrificed himself," He replied and saw how Emma's eyes widened at the words. She knew then that Liam was gone and could only imagine what torture that had done to Killian. "But his sacrifice saved a crew we once sailed with. They finally moved on thanks to him."

"And did he move on too?" Emma asked gently, even pulling herself away from his slightly in case he needed any space. Space from her was the last thing he wanted, especially now.

"He did." Killian said and he could see the sympathy in Emma's eyes. "But he helped me to see the truth before he went," now he'd certainly peaked her interest. "I won't give up trying to save you, Emma. You're far too important. We all need you. I need you."

"So, what are you saying?" She asked but Killian could see the smile tilting at the corner of her mouth. This was all she'd needed all this time, to know that she was loved and needed for something more than just a redemption. She was a saviour and to no one more than him.

"That the choice is still yours, I won't force you," he said gently, his hand seeking hers out while he looked nowhere but her face. "But know that my heart is yours, Emma, whether you take it or not. Everything Liam did was to ensure I had a future, and I won't have one without you." And with a gentle tug on her hand, he pulled her close, their chests colliding as their mouths met in an achingly needed kiss. Her mouth was as soft as he remembered, even if her skin was cold, and even if her heart was no longer beating, Killian knew that his own could beat hard enough and strong enough for the both of them. And then she uttered the words he'd been desperate to hear against his lips, breaking his face into a smile as their foreheads pressed against each other.

"Let's go home."