A/N - Thank you to everybody who's taken the time to write a review for this! They really make my day, and I love to see that people are enjoying this, keep them coming :)

Less than 20 days until hiatus is over :D The promo pics are adorable, for anyone who hasn't seen them yet...

Disclaimer - Alas, I still do not own OUAT.

...

Killian

Killian stared out into the darkness, looking for more guards. They had been marching across this side of the castle all day. Rumors of an execution had been circling throughout the town, and Killian was terrified of what it might mean for Emma. Charming crouched beside him in the darkness, but seemed to be having a far more difficult time holding still.

He was finally rescuing Emma. It had taken him far longer than he had hoped to find Charming, and even longer for the two of them to come up with a plan. He felt terribly about it, knowing that she must be sitting in that castle, believing that he had left her behind. Killian couldn't allow himself to consider that it might be too late; what mattered was that he had come for her.

He had wanted to come back as soon as she'd been taken; he'd even had a plan in place, even though it was an incredibly risky one. If his life had been the only one endangered by that plan, he would have come for her then and there.

But the life of Emma Swan was infinitely more precious to him than his own, and his idea might have ended up injuring her seriously. He would never have allowed himself to put her at risk because he was too proud to ask for help, and so he had waited patiently. He knew that waiting would be far less painful than seeing her hurt and knowing that it was his fault. The extra time had been worth it. David's knowledge of secret entrances into the castle had been put to good use, and Killian had memorized the patterns of the guard while David devised a safe route in.

Although Emma would still be risking her life throughout the rescue attempt, she would be far safer than she would have been if Killian hadn't taken the extra days. Killian would protect her with his life as well; he was prepared to take any blow meant for her if it allowed her to return to Storybrooke and her boy. She would survive this.

He might not, but the look on her face when she saw him coming back for her would make it all worth it. He wanted her to realize that she was worth any sacrifice he could make. People may have left her behind, but he would never be one of them. He may have been a pirate, but she had made him want to be a hero, her hero. Not once before in his entire life had he wanted so desperately to be that hero for somebody, not even when he had been with Liam. Emma had saved him again and again, and this was his chance to return the favor.

The guard finally continued their march. Once he could sense the emptiness in the surrounding courtyard, Killian motioned to David to follow him. They crept along so slowly it hurt. Killian was so close to Emma, and yet he was so far away. Even sprinting wouldn't have been fast enough. He wanted nothing more than to hold Emma and know that she was safe.

After making it closer in towards the secret passageway and the cover of darkness, Killian began to steadily increase his pace. It might be more conspicuous, but he couldn't bear to wait another minute to see his princess.

…

Emma

She huddled near the corner of her cell, trying to stay warm. The temperature in the dungeon had been steadily dropping as the night progressed, and she had only the thin dress to cover herself with. Escape was hopeless. She had tried to climb out through the window, but it was too high for her to reach. She had tried to rip out the bars, but they were solidly attached to the ceiling and floor. There was no way out of this.

The pain in her aching hands from hitting the wall paled in comparison to her stirring emotions. Killian had left, just like Neal had. He may not have betrayed her per se, but he was gone nonetheless. She wished she hadn't forced him to leave, if only so that she could see him one last time before spending the rest of her life in this prison.

She had tried to convince herself that he had wanted to leave her behind, but she couldn't stomach the thought. She knew that it was her fault – she had been the one to push him away. She had been forcing him away since the day she met him, trying to protect what was left of her heart.

Emma knew better now. She couldn't keep herself away from him; it was useless to pretend that she could. He might not want her anymore, but she still wanted him.

She tried one last time to break through the wall, but it was still useless. She wouldn't be able to see him again or confess that she still cared, and she might as well accept it now. Banging her head softly against the wall in disappointed frustration, she felt a sharp prick near her forehead. She shook her hair out, searching for the cause of her pain.

A hairpin fell to the ground, making a sharp clinking noise as it made contact with the cold stone floor.

A hairpin.

Neal.

"Look at this, Emma. This whole place, all to ourselves. All it takes is a bit of faith in yourself, and a pin of some sort. You asked earlier why I carried so many paper clips in my pocket, and this is why. The trick is in the tumblers - once you hit them just right, you're golden. This is what freedom tastes like."

She could escape. She quickly ran over to the lock, jamming the pin inside of it. Neal may have died, and he may have abandoned her, but the skills he had taught her may have just granted her escape. Her fingers were shaking as she tried to wiggle the pin around the hole, remembering his advice. Finally, she heard a small click.

She had done it.

The lock eased off of the bars easily once it had been undone, and Emma snuck a quick glance over at the guard. He was sound asleep, snoring softly in the corner. Dark eyes looked at her from the neighboring cell, and she could hardly stand to meet them.

"Go," the woman said. "Be free." The tone in her voice pulled at Emma's heartstrings. She couldn't bear to leave this woman here to die; the dungeon was unfit for anyone, much less this kindhearted friend. But…she couldn't change time.

She paused, long enough to hear the woman say "Hurry up! They'll catch you!" before making her choice.

Emma spun around quickly, picking the lock on her neighbor's cell door in a matter of seconds. Not able to afford waiting for her to climb out of the cell, Emma turned and ran to the tunnel leading out of the dungeon.

The staircase she had come here by would be far too conspicuous. If anyone came down it, they would instantly run into her and drag her back down to the dungeon. No, she would have to go by this tunnel, filled with all sorts of things she'd rather not think about. Spider webs lined the walls, and it took a vast amount of effort to force herself to keep moving after hearing small squeaking noises coming from the walls.

She rounded another corner and heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Hugging herself into the wall, she wished desperately for a sword, a sharp shard of glass, anything. Searching the ground, she found a rock. It was dull, but it might do the trick if it came to that. She picked it up off the ground, raised it above her head, and turned around to face the newcomer as he rounded the last turn.

She froze, the rock suddenly dropping from her grasp.

It was Killian. He had come back for her.