Killian

The hopelessness had been tangible in her eyes as they searched the ballroom, the pain in her gaze sending daggers through his heart. His fists had clenched at his sides as the guards dared to try and take his Emma. Stepping forward then wouldn't have saved her, but the pain of having been able to do nothing crippled him nonetheless. He was painfully aware of the last time the woman he loved had been ripped from his crocodile may have taken his Milah, but he would protect Emma with everything he had to keep her from the same fate at the hands of the queen.

This was a different situation, though. He had loved Milah with his entire heart, but he yearned for Emma with his entire being. The way he felt around her made his feelings for his past love seem like nothing more than a young lad's fancy. Milah may have taught him how to love, but it had been Emma who had shown him not only that he could change but also that he was capable of becoming a better man.

He had become a better man, for her and for her alone. If she thought that he was going to leave her, she was damn wrong. It was quite difficult, however, to force himself to forget her pleading tone as she said his name – his actual name – and begged him to leave her to care for her boy.

She may never forgive him for staying with her, he knew that. But Henry had Snow, Charming, and Regina to take care of him; hell, the entire town of Storybrooke was looking out for the lad.

Emma had no one. She had always been thought of second in the minds of the people around her. She had even placed her own needs behind those of the people around her. He wanted to show her that she was first in his heart and mind and that he would do whatever it took to keep her both alive and safe. He loved her and valued her even more than he cared about his own life, and he was a pirate. She mattered to him more than anyone ever had, and he would show her how much she meant if only she'd give him the chance.

His place was where she was, and even she couldn't force him to leave it.

He had searched all night long to find Charming. He was exhausted, but the prospect of saving Emma took the edge off his exhaustion.

Charming had known of a secret entrance at the side of the castle which would bring them down to the dungeons. Emma (and if rumors were to be believed, Snow as well) was there. He had been daydreaming for hours of being able to rescue his fair princess.

She had never been rescued before. She had always been the one to save herself, but maybe this would make her realize that he wouldn't be the one to abandon her. He knew that she was fully capable of protecting herself, but he still felt the need to look out for her. He couldn't bear to let anything happen to her; he cared about her far too much.

He could almost imagine the look on her face when she realized that he hadn't abandoned her. She would be grateful for his help, and he would be able to protect her the way he had always wanted to. He wanted her to look at him with appreciation and thanks for what he had done, and the thought of the smile he might wheedle out of her put an even bigger one on his own face.

"We've got to move quickly once we're inside. You can rescue your princess, and I'll find Snow so I can get my ring back. We can't allow the guards to raise the alarm; the Queen is too powerful for the two of us to take on alone."

"Aye, mate, don't worry about it. If there's one thing I excel at, it's surviving. You'll get your ring back as well, even if you don't seem particularly happy about the match," he proceeded cautiously. He had to get Charming thinking of Snow again because it was the only way their true love would come to pass.

"Am I that obvious? I'd hoped I wasn't…I always thought I would at least have the opportunity to marry for love. King Midas's daughter is rich and beautiful, but she isn't it for me. This marriage amounts to little more than a business transaction, and I had hoped for so much more. Now, I'm not even sure if I believe in true love."

"I once felt the way you do," Killian responded carefully. "Then, I met the right person, and she changed everything. She saved me by giving me the push I needed to change for the better. I wanted to become a hero for her, and she means everything to me. I love her more than I love myself, and she is more than worth every sacrifice I have ever made on her behalf." Every word he spoke struck him with its truth. He had always felt that Emma had been the one who hadn't understood the depth of his affection, but now, hearing his own confession, he realized that his feelings were much deeper than even he had known.

"Princess Leia? The one we're rescuing?"

"Aye. I'd go to the end of the world for her. Or time," he finished with a small smile. It was true; this hadn't been a one-time thing. Given the exact same situation, he would have chosen to follow her into the unknown over and over again.

"And she would do the same thing for you?" Charming inquired. The answer to this question was far more painful than it had been to any of the others, and the smile was wiped clean off Killian's face. This would be the moment where Killian would have to admit that even though Emma was his true love, he didn't know if she felt the same way. "I don't know." He honestly didn't. Emma had saved his life when Zelena had cursed him, but that didn't mean she cared enough to follow him to unknown lands. His spoken answer had been kinder than the truth – he didn't think she cared enough about him to follow him because she had too many other people in her life that she needed to worry about first.

"What about her parents? My father has certainly made things…difficult for me."

Killian almost laughed out loud, even though David certainly wouldn't appreciate the irony of what he had said. He didn't approve of Captain Hook's affection for his daughter, and he had made his thoughts clear on the matter on multiple occasions.

However, Killian realized that this was his chance to change the future – his future, with Emma. He could convince David he cared for his daughter enough that David would have to accept his feelings.

"Yes. I do not believe her father approves of me. He does not believe my feelings for her are true." Killian looked directly into Charming's eyes before continuing. He wanted him to remember this conversation more than anything else. This was his chance to redeem himself in Charming's eyes, and he would not waste it. "I have changed my ways in order to be worthy of her, and I will protect her with my life. I would never do anything to harm her because I love her, and I wish to one day be capable of winning her heart. I do, however, also wish that her parents would give me their blessing to continue pursuing her."

"They'd be crazy not to accept you, after the lengths you've gone to save her."

Even though this hadn't come from the David he knew, the words meant the world to Killian. "I really hope you remember that," he murmured.

His heart alight with hope and joy, Killian began preparing to rescue his very own damsel in distress.