So sorry for not updating sooner, but I had to put my dog down and then after that I was immediately thrown into work.

The chapter title says it all, things are going to escalate pretty quickly


Oh.

He wasn't leaving her. He wanted to take her with him.

"I can't," she managed to choke out.

His hopeful face fell. "I see." He got up from his barstool. "I am truly sorry for imposing myself on you-"

"That's not it." Her heartbeat was racing so fast the room seemed to spin, but even though she was on the verge of a panic attack by the weight of all her secrets, she kept going. "I want to go with you. It would make my life so much easier if I could just leave and go away with you, but I can't."

He leaned back into her personal space, his hand gently placed on top of hers. "Are you alright? Are you in danger? Love, whatever is troubling you I can help. You just have to trust me."

Emma shook her head. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

Emma smoothed her face of any expression. "It doesn't concern you, the point is that I can't leave this kingdom. Not now."

Despite Emma's cold expression, he still looked determined. "Can I at least get a lass such as yourself to walk me back to my ship?"

Emma nodded. "Of course. If tonight really is your last night in this kingdom."

He placed her hand through the crook of his arm. "For now. I may be at sea for a while, but don't believe that I will not return, and when I do, I will ask you to go away with me. Hopefully you'll say yes next time."

Ignoring the lewd stares of the Jolly Roger's crew, they walked out of the tavern together.

The air was brisk and warm, therefore it was highly unusual for no one to be around. Even though this was the Evil Queen's kingdom, the port town Emma resided in was one that had people up and enjoying the nightlife.

Emma knew all this, she was aware that that night was unusual, her very bones could feel it, yet she was still caught off guard when they were attacked.

"Halt!" One of Regina's blackguards accompanied by three others pointed swords at them.

Killian unsheathed his cutlass and pointed it at the guards. Emma knew Killian was good with such a blade, but she wondered if he could take down four trained guards at once.

"Sod off, mate, the lady and I were just taking a walk, minding our own business," Killian said sharply to them.

"Give the girl to us, and leave, pirate. This doesn't concern you."

Emma froze. Her mother had found her. No matter how evil the Evil Queen was, there was no way she would murder her own daughter or order someone else to do it, but murdering a pirate was not below her.

"Killian, get out of here," she implored, letting a trickle of desperation color her voice.

"No, Swan. I'm not going to leave you to these monsters."

She placed a hand on his arm, and lowered his sword for him. He looked back at her in alarm. "No, Killian. They won't hurt me, but they will hurt you. Run."

"What's going on here, love?"

She debated whether or not to tell him her biggest secret. He was leaving her anyway.

But she really couldn't, not to her greatest friend. "The Evil Queen would never order them to hurt me, she's my mother."

Hurt and betrayal crossed his face, something she never wanted to see, especially since she was the one who put it there in the first place.

Then his expression changed into one of pure determination. "Do you trust me, Swan?"

She blinked, taken aback. The guards, noticing the pirate's distraction, inched forward.

"Yes, I do."

He kicked the support beam next to him and sent a platform falling, the heavy bags on top landing on the guards, knocking them unconscious.

"Run!" In one move he sheathed his sword and grabbed her hand tightly, leaving her no room to try to escape. He fled away from the scene with Emma trailing behind him.

"Where are we going?" she huffed out.

Before Killian could answer her they reached their destination. The vessel loomed in front of her, the paint on it looked like it had been touched up, the sails were at half mast and flowed in the soft wind. Emma had seen bigger ships ships with more shine, but she could see little hints of her captain in the tidiness of it all.

"Your ship is beautiful. Looks like everything has been redone," she whispered in awe and a little bit of suspicion.

"I wanted to make sure she was ready for departure. Or maybe I wanted to stay in port as long as I could." He dragged her right past his crew whistling as they went by and into his cabin without as much as a moment's hesitation.

Emma knew her dearest friend with the soulful blue eyes and killer smile was Captain Hook, scourge of the seven seas. Sometimes she couldn't reconcile her Killian with the fearsome Captain Hook, and then wondered why people always seem so good to her but always end up being a notorious villain. It hadn't taken long for Emma to realize Killian wasn't the man whose name sent shivers down a sailor's back. Emma could only hope he would extend the same courtesy to her at this most recent revelation on her part.

He finally let go of her hand and finally turned around to look at her. She swallowed nervously.

"You believe the Evil Queen to be your mother?" he asked. Emma was expecting mistrust and hurt words thrown at her, not his searching gaze taking in every part of her face.

"She is my mother," she mumbled.

He shook his head. "How old are you exactly?" he asked.

Emma's brow furrowed. "Twenty three as of a few months ago."

His eyes widened. "You don't say."

"Killian, what are you trying to get at?"

He sat down at the mahogany desk, not meeting her eyes. Emma hated it when he did that, it made it harder for the lie detector in her head to operate.

"Your name is Emma, you are twenty three years old, your existence had been kept a secret all your life from the public."

"Yeah, so?"

He shook his head, rubbing his hand over his face. "Bloody hell, Swan, I don't want to be the one to tell you this."

She stepped forward until she was a foot away. "Tell me what?" she hissed, her patience wearing thin.

Killian stared into her eyes, so full of light and strength. He hated himself for what he was about to do, for breaking the news to her like this, but she needed to know. Especially once he told her of the whispers on the streets that were slowly starting to become shouts so loud a bloody war would start. No matter what happened, he would protect Emma to the best of his ability, but first she had to know why.

"Do you know why the feud between the Evil Queen's kingdom and Misthaven is so strong?"

Emma nodded. "I've heard the stories. Something about Snow White ruining her life?"

"Aye. But that's how it all started. You must not have heard about the last thing Regina did to Snow White. What Regina did over twenty years ago."

Emma racked her brains for a hint of what he was talking about. She had heard whispers of such a story, but no one dared talk about it, as if the entire subject was taboo. "Of course not."

He clenched his hand, wondering if he clenched hard enough would his hand break. "Snow White had a child, but a few days after the child was born, Regina kidnapped the child. For decades now people thought she murdered the infant princess, but over the past year rumors have been spreading that Regina had hidden the child away. That the princess, that Princess Emma, is still alive."

This time he looked up, desperate to catch a glimpse of what she might be thinking. He saw the moment her walls slammed up, her denial in full swing. If Emma really was the same royal Emma he knew she really was, Killian might've accidentally gotten himself involved in a war that might encompass the whole realm. If his brother could see him then, there would be no doubt Liam would hit him upside the head and then laugh at the mess his little brother had gotten himself into.

"No. You have to be lying," she declared.

He raised an eyebrow. "Use your superpower and tell me I'm lying again."

After a long moment of her staring intently at him, her nose crinkling in frustration, her face fell at the realization that he wasn't lying.

"It's true." She shook her head. "It can't be true."

"I'm sorry, love."