Killian stood at the helm of his ship, studying the water and land in front of him. They'd arrived in Neverland through the portal a few days ago, but hadn't arrived as close to the island as he'd hoped, so they where sailing the rest of the way to their destination over Neverland's seemingly innocent waters. Killian was lost in his thoughts, and his mind strayed to the girl he loved. He'd hoped he'd find Ariel in Storybrooke, but as much as he'd looked and had Smee look there was no trace of her. Which meant it wasn't the curse that had taken her. His heart sank as he thought of all the realms she could be in, and he swore to himself and to her that he would find her when this quest was over. He wouldn't abandon her. He heard the tapping of the Crocodile's cane before he saw the man himself. Killian levelled a glare at him, and Gold held his hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm not here to needle you dearie, what you're doing for us, for Bae's son, by helping us...I wanted to help you. I know about the mermaid. When I learned from a little birdie about your...relationship with her I made it my business to keep an eye on her." Gold trailed off giving Killian a meaningful look. Killian froze, slowly turning his head to stare at Gold, a viscious expression on his face, "Are you mocking me? Is this a jest to you?" he snarled, taking a step forward. Gold stayed where he was. "No laddie, I speak the truth". Killian stared at him, taking in his expression, and finally he spoke "You know where she is" he said. He knew just from looking at the man, his heart lifted. "Yes I know where she is. When I realized she wasn't in Storybrooke, I had a...friend acquire an item for me, I used it to keep tabs on my...associates. I wasn't sure it would work for this purpose but it did" a wrapped object appeared in Gold's hands. Killian stared at it, trying to work out what it was, but as Gold removed the wrapping's his expression changed to a sneer. "A mirror? You really expect me to believe a mirror found Ariel" He laughed meanacingly. Gold sighed and rolled his eyes, "No, it won't help you find her, it will help you see her. But not just her...wherever she is, and perhaps her surroundings will make more sense to you than to me."

Gold held the mirror up and said clearly "Show me Ariel, daughter of King Tritan, Princess of the sea" and waved his hand over the mirror. The mirror glowed purple for a few seconds before a face wavered into view, with very distinctive red hair. Killian gasped and grabbed the wheel before his legs failed him. It was her, it was really her. All this time a part of him had feared she was dead, especially when she hadn't been in Storybrooke, but she was right in front of him, alive and unharmed. He studied the vision in the mirror drinking it in. Gold lay a hand tentatively on his arm and awkwardly patted it. It said alot about Killian's shock and subsequent joy that he didn't immediatley attempt to decapitate the crocodile. As he stared at the image, her surroundings finally caught his attention. She was in her mermaid form, and she was sitting on a rock jutting out of the sea with caves surrounding it. But she wasn't alone. A cluster of rocks surrouned the one she sat on, and on each of them one or two other figures where perched. At first glance they would appear to be mermaids as well, but when you looked closer, the cold almost reptillian eyes, and needle like teeth gave them away. Not to mention the washed out colours of their scales compared to a mermaids bright, vibrant ones. She was hiding among Siren's for some reason. But as he continued to study the image, his stomach dropped. She was hiding among Siren's because there where no other mermaids where she was, and they where her closest chance at blending in, alot of fools couldn't tell the difference between a mermaid and siren. She was hiding because that mist had taken her to this godforsaken place, and the only person capable and with a reason to bring her there was Him. He closed his eyes in anguish. Ariel was in Neverland. And Pan had brought her there.

It was a miracle he hadn't found her in the 28 years she'd been there but evidently he was one of said fools. Killian turned away. "After we've rescued Henry, we will help you find her. I see that as a fair deal don't you Captain?" Gold said, as he tucked the mirror away. Killian didn't even look round, "No. We'll find her before. She's at The Coves, which if you look to your right Crocodile, is just over there. We're mere hours from her. If you think i'm going to just sail past, you're sadly mistaken" Killian said. Gold's expression darkened. He genuinely had meant what he said about helping Hook find the girl, but it was supposed to be after. Then his face brightened. The mermaid had been here 28 years, she'd be just as valuable as Hook, more so, she may have seen Henry. Not to mention the special magic it was that mermaid's weilded, his smile turned sly, "As you wish Captain" he smiled as he slunk off to inform the others. Killian adjusted the course of the ship and nervously fiddled with his coat. It had been 28 years. He had been frozen in that time so it had seemed like mere seconds, but for Ariel, it would have been 28 long years. Years spent thinking she was abandoned, and that he would never find her. She could hate him, she could never want to see him again. The dark thoughts enveloped him.

~AK~

Killian stood on the deck of his ship staring at The Coves through his spy glass. "Can you see her?" Emma asked. "No, but that doesn't mean she isn't there" he muttered. The Siren's stayed in this exact spot, it was a prime hunting ground for them to steal sailor's off of ships. They could be in the caves or they could be in the water. He wasn't sure if Ariel would be with them, Siren's and Mermaids tended to have a strong hatred of each other, Siren's being exiled Mermaids, sent to this land as punishment for some misdemeanour or other. And exiled by Ariel's father no less. Yet when he'd seen her in the mirror, they had seemed to have accepted her presence. He heard Regina come up next to him. "Let me find her. And if you won't let me use magic, atleast let me take the row boat out there to look for her. Beside's the fact a Siren would ignore my presence, I am one of Ariel's dearest friend's as shocking as that is for all of you to hear. Considering she might not want to see you Hook, I am the best choice" Killian looked at the Queen, Ariel had never mentioned the fact she was friends with the Queen, he'd rescued her from her dungeons. Seeing the look on Killian's face Regina sighed. "Ariel wasn't my prisoner, she was my guest. However when she heard a pirate was looking for her, she found it prudent to be seen to be taken as my prisoner. Our friendship could have been used against either of us" everyone stared at Regina, and she sighed again. Snow shook off the shock of that statement first, "I'll come too. I met Ariel a few times, she should remember me" Regina and Snow nodded at one another. Killian didn't like how they where talking about his mermaid, as if she would be wild and incapable of competent thought. Although Regina had voiced his own fear. However, before he could argue, a melodic singing filled the air. The Siren's had appeared.

"Bloody hell" Killian cursed, as he quickly turned to Gold and Charming, pulling something out of his pocket. "Put these in your ears, they should block the worst of the singing" he handed them little wax ear plugs as he put his own in, then turned to Regina, Emma and Snow "If you see any of us trying to leave the ship knock us out" the women nodded, entirely unaffected by the singing. They all turned to see Siren's filling the water around the ship, some sitting further back on the rocks Killian had seen Ariel sitting on, intent to wait until a man flung himself overboard. When it became apparent to the Siren's their singing was having no effect, an inhuman screech filled the air, and the sea started to churn, the ship rocking from side to side. Immediatley everyone lunged for something to grab on to. They clung to rails and the mast, as the rocking of the ship grew wilder and wilder, the ship tilting dangerously from side to side. Killian had wedged his hook into the wood of his ship but his grip was fast failing him, as the screeching and rocking continued, ropes started to snap free, and barrels and boxes started to slide across the deck. As Killian clung to his mast, a barrel came tumbling straight at him, and hit him squarely in the legs, his hold on the mast was lost and he started to tumble and roll across the deck towards the railing, the churning sea, and the Siren's who would drag him under and drown him.

~AK~

Ariel had been living in Neverland for 28 year's peacefully with the Siren's. When she first arrived, they had been ready to skin her alive, it was her father after all who had exiled them and made them the creatures they where. But eventually the Siren's had accepted her, and allowed her to hide among them. Turned out their hatred for Him was worse than their hatred for her father. She'd been in one of the caves, absently singing to herself, pirate songs that Killian had taught her, and sorting through the assortment of objects and treasure she had found in the surrounding sea, and that the Siren's had relieved many a ship of, when they had all disappeared into the sea. It wasn't that unsual, and seeing as there hadn't been a ship here in a good 4 year's, she'd assumed they'd gone to retreive more pirate treasure from the sea bed. Each time there had been a ship Ariel would go with the Siren's hoping for it to have a familiar, leather clad pirate at the helm, but each time she had been disappointed. But then the singing started. Ariel refused to let herself hope, but all the same she swum out of the cave and over to her favourite rock as fast as she could. And from there she took in the ship not far from her. The very familiar ship. Just as the smile spread across her face, the sea started to churn and the Siren's started to screech. Her stomach dropped as they started to attack the Jolly Rodger, and she dived off the rock into the sea, swimming to her pirate as fast as she could.

~AK~

Killian knew he would be screwed if he fell in the water, he wouldn't be able to fight that many off, so he tried to get a purchase on anything he could as he fell, his hook scraping the deck. Suddenly the screeche's cut off and the sea calmed as huge waves threw the Siren's back from the ship and a good 10 feet away. Killian staggered to his feet, and noticed the others shakily taking steps to peer over the rail. Wondering what could have caused those waves, because there was no way those where natural. Regina scanned the water, she knew full well whose magic had done it, just as well as Killian did, and the pair stood together scanning the water. Finally a familiar head of red hair appeared out of the water peering up at the ship. "Ariel" Regina and Killian breathed. Gold, Charming, Snow and Emma, all stared fascinated as the mermaid's head bobbed closer, her tail splashing out of the water. "Well, I guess this makes us even. I saved your life and you just saved mine. I guess I won't throw you back in that dungeon after all" Regina mock scowled at the mermaid. Ariel looked up at her, focusing on her friend rather than the dark figure next to her. "Oh please Regina, we both know you weren't in any danger from the Siren's. As for the dungeon, I rather think you wouldn't be able to keep me in one, you showed me how to escape from them yourself" Ariel laughed dropping her serious expression and Regina returned her laughter. "I've missed you" Regina said, trying not to tear up, "I've missed you too dear friend" Ariel said. Her smile faltered as she turned her gave on Killian. He noticed her smile drop slightly and his heart broke. He had been right, she didn't want to see him again. He had failed her. He hung his head and clenched the railing so hard his knuckles turned white. "Killian..." Ariel said. He stiffened. She'd called him by his first name, maybe...maybe she didn't loathe him. He looked up, meeting her gaze. "Killian, is it really you? After all this time, I didn't think.." Ariel trailed off. "Never. I never would have abandoned you. How could you think I would?" tears started to trail down Ariel's cheeks, and Killian couldn't bear to see her cry. "Get up here lass, I need you in my arms again" he choked out, feeling his own eyes start to well up.

The others looked on curiously as the mermaid disappeared into the water, then appeared minutes later at the stern of the ship, fully human and dressed in the same pirate garb she'd been wearing when Killian last saw her. She took a tentative step towards him, and he ran to her, grabbing her up into his arms. "I love you, I love you so much" he whispered into her ear, as he kissed her foreheard, her nose, her cheeks and finally her lips. "I love you too" she cried, melting into his arms. The arms she never thought she'd feel around her again. The other's on deck looked everywhere but at the pair as they cried and whispered to each other, each filling the other in on what happened to them in the time they'd been apart. When they finally broke apart, Regina approached Ariel, and the two hugged fiercly. Tears filling the Evil Queen's eyes. Finally Ariel turned to observe the rest of the people on the deck. She recognized Snow White and Prince Charming, and of course Rumplestiltskin, Killian's crocodile. She was curious as to why he was on Killian's ship alive. But all that was cleared up when the introductions where made between Ariel and Snow and Charming's daughter, Ariel, and the story of Henry and who his father was, was finally recounted. When they where done, Ariel turned to Rumple, "I saw Bae here, 28 years ago. He found me when I arrived." she stated, watching his face. "He helped me to hide from Him". Before Gold could reply, Killian interjected, "Why is Pan looking for you?" "Because he knows what you did Killian, and he knows what I am to you" Ariel replied. "What exactly, have we just walked into? And what does this have to do with Bae?" Emma said, confusion and suspicion evident in her voice.

Ariel glanced at Hook and he nodded at her. "When Bae fell through the portal that was supposed to take him to a world of no magic, minus his father, he arrived in a realm exactly as he had hoped. However magic was still present. He had been a street child, stealing food to survive, and one day he crept into a house to steal some bread when a girl caught him. She was called Wendy, and she offered him food to take with him. But her parents caught them, they let Bae live with them in their house. But Wendy and her brothers where being visiting by the Shadow. Pan's shadow. The one he sends to bring boys to him to live in Neverland. Bae went with the shadow on the night he came to take one of Wendy's brothers so her family wouldn't be broken and destroyed. As he arrived in Neverland he struggled with the Shadow and fell in the sea. Killian fished him out before he drowned. The Lost One's came looking for Bae, but Killian shielded Bae from them, and kept him hidden for weeks. When Bae found out that Killian was the pirate his mother had run off with, he wanted to leave the ship, but if Killian had left him on the island, he would have died, so he turned him over to the Lost One's, who would atleast take care of him. As it turned out, Pan was looking for a specific boy, so he turned Bae loose. Bae found me when I washed up on the beach, and we took care of each other. A few weeks later I helped him escape Neverland." Ariel finished her tale to a stunned silence. Broken only when Gold lunged at Killian and tried to hit him, only to be pulled back by Charming "Weren't you listening? Bae's only chance at survival here was with the Lost One's, he did him a favour" Charming snarled at Gold. Gold turned to Ariel, visibly forcing himself to calm. "Thankyou. But why would you help him? What did you ask of him in return?" Gold asked. "Aside from the fact he was a young boy, who desperately needed help, when I learned his name I knew who he was. You helped me once, and Regina tells me you gave her the push to save my life, and yet you never asked a thing in return" Ariel smiled at Gold, who tentatively smiled back.

"Wait, Regina and Gold saved your life? Seriously?" Emma sputtered. Ariel turned to her smiling, "Yes they did" "Oh this I gotta hear" Emma smirked. Killian stepped up behind Ariel, wrapping his arms around her waist, "I too would also like to hear how the Evil Queen who tried to have me killed twice, and the Crocodile who killed my first love and took my hand, saved the life of my love. I may even reconsider skinning the Crocodile", Killian nuzzled his face into her neck. Before Ariel could reply, dark shadow's covered the ship, before dropping down on the deck. The Lost One's. Killian shoved Ariel behind him, pulling his sword. The other's all took up battle positions, Ariel, Regina and Gold raising thier hands ready to use thier magic. The Lost One's charged at the group, and soon a fight was raging across the deck. Ariel was using her magic to curl the ships ropes around the Lost One's and fling them into the sea, while Regina and Gold where hurling fireballs and Charming, Killian, Emma and Snow where whirling swords around. In the chaos, no-one noticed as the Shadow came up behind Ariel and as Killian turned round he knew he was too late. He cried out to her and she turned. As she turned the shadow threw a shimmering dust all over her. Pixie dust. Killian grabbed her before she hit the deck. "No no no" He shouted. The Lost One's with a final smirk, vanished. Regina ran over, kneeling on Ariel's other side. "That's impossible. Spinning wheels and Poisoned Apples are the only things that inflict a sleeping curse" "It would seem Pixie Dust can be added to that list" Gold said dryly from where he stood. Regina looked at Killian's anguished face.

"Well, get on with it then" she said briskly, her panic gone, knowing her friend was still alive. "Get on with what? I think i'm allowed a little time to grieve before I give her a sea burial" He snarled at the Queen, putting his arms around her body protectively. "Weren't you listening? She's not dead. She's under a sleeping curse. All she needs to wake her up is true love's kiss" Regina looked at him expectantly, and finally he understood what was going on. "Well then she may as well be dead, Prince Eric is dead, he was her one true love" Killian stated bleakly. Regina sighed, and Gold snorted, "Oh I think not dearie" he said grimly, remembering the scenes he had witnessed. "He has to have been...you can't think I am? It's impossible". Irritated at his stupidity and blindness to her friends feelings, which where so clearly stamped all over her face whenever he was near, everytime she'd checked up on her, she snapped "Just do it, there's no harm in trying". Killian bristled, but stared hard at Regina and the Crocodile. They both wore identical looks. He looked down into Ariel's face, so peaceful and beautiful, and felt a tear slide down his face. Bending over her face, he pressed a kiss to her lips. Then pulled back, staring at her face. Nothing happened, he felt a surge of rage for having felt that small spark of hope, for letting the two most evil people on this ship let him think there was hope. He levelled a glare of hatred at Regina and Gold, and just before he opened his mouth, he heard a sharp intake of breathe. He looked down into the sapphire eyes of his mermaid, looking up at him in wonder. "I...that can't be...I didn't think..." he stammered. Ariel reached up a hand and touched his face, "you're my one true love Killian" She said with a smile on her face. He felt more tears slip down his face as he returned her smile and bent to kiss her again.

Killian helped Ariel to her feet, and they turned to face the others. "Okay, I want answers. Regina and Gold supposedly saved your life, and I distinctly remember my mother telling me that Regina killed Prince Eric. She already told us you're her friend, but i'm confused as to why you're friends with your husband, and according to your story in Henry's book, one true loves murderer" Emma exploded impatiently. Killian looked at Ariel, wrapping a protective arm around her, "The story's never mention what happens after the Happily ever after do they?" she said. "It's time. Tell them." Regina said, coming to stand on Ariel's other side. Ariel looked at Killian, "You can tell me anything love" he said softly. She shook her head and backed away from him and his touch, until she was standing between Regina and Gold. Killian looked at her and tried to reach for her again but she shrugged him off and tears started to fall down her face. "When I met Eric, I was a silly girl, fascinated with the mortal world, and the mortal I had rescued. I...I thought I was in love with him, but it was a silly, childish infatuation" more tears started to fall and again Killian was shrugged off as he reached for her. He was hurt. He hated it when she cried, and he had a feeling he wouldn't like what he was going to hear, but Ariel didn't want him to touching her right now, not when telling this. She couldn't even look at him as she recounted what happened, the alcohol, the beatings, her encounter with Gold, the gift he'd given her, what happened that night when Regina appeared and killed Eric, how she later found out Gold had asked her to in return for a favour, how she'd stayed as Regina's guest and friend. Throughout the telling, and with each detail Killian grew more and more angry. The rage consuming him. But when Ariel finally looked at him, tears streaking her face, it vanished. He pulled her to him, and this time she didn't push him away. The others stood in stunned and shocked silence except for Regina and Gold. Snow too, had tears streaking her face, while Emma and Charming where furious on behalf of this mermaid.

Killian and Ariel stood embracing each other for a while. Eventually the other's melted away. "If he was still alive, i'd kill him for what he did. It would seem I owe the Evil Queen and the Crocodile my thanks." Killian whispered in her ear. Ariel shivered and snuggled closer. She'd been afraid he'd reject her after she told him the story, see her differently. But she should have known better. They where each other's true love after all. Eventually the disappeared into Killian's cabin. There, they lay on his bed. Ariel wrapped in his arms, his face buried in her neck, and his grip so tight, it was like he'd never let go. His scent surrounding her. "We don't have to help them on this quest, we can turn around and go home" Killian whispered in her ear. Ariel rolled her eyes and sighed, "Killian, we both know you don't mean that. We're helping them find Bae's son. Tomorrow, i'll enlist the Siren's to help us. We'll find him in no time, and we'll have backup against The Lost Ones and Him". Killian chuckled, "that's my girl" He said and kissed her hair. Then, they faded into the first blissful sleep each had in 28 years.

Author's Note: Hey guys, so I know this chapter is criminally long for a fic, but I couldn't bear to break it up into two or three more! This is the end of the story, I originally wrote this as i'm an actress and sometimes I like to imagine the role I would play in my favourite shows, for this one obviously I wanted to play Ariel, and then this story came to me, so I figured it was an interesting take on the whole Ariel fairytale and an interest story for Hook, and I hoped some of you guys might like it and feel the same, so I wrote it all down for you and added more detail! Thankyou to everyone's who's read it, and I really hope you enjoyed it!