Second last chapter you guys! This one nearly broke me. The final scene was actually the first scene I imagined when I started writing this fic, so I hope it comes across well – I've had a lot of time to become fond of it :)

Reviews are so appreciated! I'm once again aiming for the big 100 because I'm weird and like round numbers, so if you feel like helping a girl out I'll give you cyber hugs and smooches! :) Thank you, as always, for reading.

Seven

She's walking through a dark castle, a blue hue cast across the night from the moon light flooding in through the open windows. There's a motion in her belly and she looks down, her hand immediately going to the bump, feeling her son kick from within her.

Why was she here again?

She smiles down at her unborn child, "It's okay little one, we'll be fine." The reassurance is for her as much as her child.

She feels another kick and a rush of emotions hits her. She doesn't want to give him up, he's hers, he's her baby. God, she doesn't want to give him up.

"Emma."

She looks around wildly, searching for the source of her name. The urge to run hits her next, wanting to get out of there, out of this place. It's not safe.

But another kick hits her from within and she feels a tightening in her womb, bringing her to her knees on the floor of this room. She reaches a hand up to pull herself into a sitting position, leaning against the cot she's grabbed onto.

This is happening, she's giving birth here. Alone.

Tears stream down her face as she feels another wave of pain roll over her. Because she doesn't want this to happen yet, not here, not now. She's so used to having him inside of her, of being his mother. It can't end, not yet, she's not ready to let go.

"It's okay, Emma."

That voice again. She searches the dark room through her tears, "Where are you? Show yourself!" She clenches her teeth, breathing through another contraction, "Oh god," she cries. She can't do this here.

From beneath the cover of darkness and man appears, blonde hair like hers, white shirt stained in blood. He steps towards her and Emma feels frightened, but also strangely calm, "You can do this, Emma."

Sobs wrack her soul, her body making a dirty mess on the floor of the room. Her room, she realises.

"I can't be a mother," she whispers, her bottom lip trembling.

The man sits down next to her, holding her hand, "You will make a fine mother. But if you need to give him his best chance, he will find you one day. It's what this family does – we find one another."

Her heart is racing, "Family?"

"I should know." He nods towards the wooden closet sitting on the far side of the room, "I just had to give you up."

She looks up at him, "You're my…"

He leans in, pressing a kiss against her forehead and she lets herself have one moment of peace, closing her eyes, a soft sigh leaving her amongst all the pain. "I love you, Emma."

And when her eyes open again she's in the prison infirmary, her feet shackled to the bed, a cop by her head, a doctor telling her to push.

She screams out, crying when she hears her son cry, the sound breaking her heart.

He's hers, he's all hers.

But when the doctor tells her she can change her mind, she clenches her fists around the bars of the bed, turning away from the little bundle of innocence.

"No!" she cries, "No!"

Her body thrashes around on the couch, fists punching into the cushions, tears falling freely, "I don't want to give him up!"

Killian's arms try to come around her, try to calm her, "Emma, Emma. It's okay. They're just dreams."

She looks at him as though noticing him for the first time, "They're not."

He can see the fear in her eyes, the very real terror. And the memories swirling there. Oh the memories.

"You remember?"

Any façade of strength disappears in that second, her face falling and a sob escaping her, "I don't know." It's silent for a moment, the sobs in her chest stilling so she can gather her thoughts, "I remember what you've told me, but nothing new. I don't know. I don't know."

He doesn't know how to make it better, so he pulls her towards him, but she pushes away, "I- I'm sorry. Just…" she stands up, making her way to the bathroom, "I've gotta go to work."

He has no doubt that she's in a horrible state of mind, but he also has no say it seems, because twenty minutes later she emerges from her bedroom dressed and ready to go, a quick, "See you later," thrown over her shoulder as she leaves.

He's flicking through the book when Henry comes and joins him in the kitchen. Something of his concern must be laced through his features because as the young boy pours his cereal, he asks, "Does she love you yet?"

Killian looks up, closing the book, "Alas boy, I'm unsure as to your mother's feelings."

Henry reaches out to take the book, leafing through the pages he's been deprived of for weeks. He really does love the fact that his family comes from these stories, "Maybe you could try making her something nice and then just kissing her. If you have true love, it has to work."

The way he says it is just so simple and he wishes it could be like that. "I hope so, kid."

Seeing the issue as resolved, Henry smiles, "Want some Lucky Charms?" This world is a confusing one with multiple meanings for single phrases, but he gathers the boy is speaking of the cereal when he starts pouring him a bowl before he answers, "People always want Lucky Charms."

He picks up his spoon and begins eating the sugary breakfast food, "Thanks lad."

It's silent for a few minutes, the pair both contemplating the kiss that will end the curse.

Henry eventually grabs his backpack and heads for the door, "Just leave your plate in the sink, I'll clean it up for you later." He takes a deep breath and looks at Killian in all seriousness for a moment, "I have maths after lunch. If you could get mom to break the curse before then, that'd be great."

The pirate laughs at that, waving the young man off to catch his bus to school.

"On my honour, I'll try my best."

"What the hell?"

Bloody hell. He isn't ready for her yet. "Just wait a moment," he calls from the lounge room as Emma comes into view in the kitchen.

"Did I miss something? Is this some pirate tradition?" She picks up one of the bunches of flowers on the table, sniffing at them, pleasantly surprised by their unusual aroma.

"I'm just trying to do something nice." He hands her a mug with really dark looking hot chocolate in it. At her look he says, "I wasn't quite certain how to make it."

She smiles, taking a sip, "It's fine. I'll just add a little milk…"

"No wait," he says, taking her free hand and pulling her towards him, "I've missed you."

Her eyes go wide as he leans in, his lips inching towards hers and oh she wants to.

But her hand comes up to his chest, pushing him back slightly, just enough that he is forced to take a step, "Emma?"

She's looking at him with fear in her eyes, tears on the verge of falling past her lashes. She places her mug down, "It's not… I don't…"

He shakes his head, regaining his balance and stepping back into her personal space, "Don't do this, Swan. Don't reduce this. You can't tell me you don't feel something."

She keeps a hand up, buffering his advances. Reminding herself that she can't let this happen. "Of course I feel something," she whispers, her voice thick with tears, "I feel too much."

He swallows, the light flicking on in his mind, "You love me?"

She doesn't answer him, her eyes flicking all over the room, her hand still against his chest.

"Emma, please. You've got to let me in."

She shakes her head, "Why?"

"Because I love you and we can break this curse. We can give everyone their happy endings."

Her eyes slide shut, tears finally spilling over onto her cheeks, "But what about mine? Ours? In that other life I let Henry go for ten years, I was alone and hurting and here I have him." She opens her eyes, grey irises battling with his blue, "Here I have you."

The air is heavy between them, thick with unspoken tension. Because it's all fitting together at the precise moment it's all falling apart.

She's being selfish and greedy and wanting to hold onto her happiness and who could blame her?

"I can't lose you," she whispers, echoing him from weeks ago as he had sat outside her door, telling her a story she never thought she'd believe, "I only just found you."

He attempts to move closer, reaching his hand up to cup her face, "I love you, Emma." The sincerity in his gaze almost breaks her. He won't lie when it comes to her, she's come to accept that simple fact, but still, it knocks her off her feet every time he proves it.

The tears run down her cheek and over his fingers as he tries to swipe them away. His honesty earns him hers and she chews on her lip a moment before saying, "I love you, too."

He can feel the hand on his chest slide down, can feel the tug as she decidedly pulls him in, her eyes closing and her forehead leaning against him.

And from behind them, he hears the front door swing open, Henry calling out, "Hi mom. I'm home."

Emma pulls back immediately, wiping her face with the back of her hand, "Hey kid, just in the living room." Her eyes meet Killian's briefly and she shakes her head just slightly, "I can't…"

And he nods, taking his exit before Henry walks in. The boy need not see a pirate cry.