Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time

AN: A big thank you to my wonderful beta, GranddaughterOfCaskettAndTivia. I hope you all enjoy chapter 9! ~ XOXO MAF

Chapter Nine

Lancelot had never moved so quickly up the coastline. He needed to reach Boston as soon as possible. He'd spoken to a few other Patriots posing as Loyalists. Killian had lost his hand in battle after the Jewel had been boarded. His men had been able to disarm the Colonists, but there was a high number of losses. Now he had to get to Boston to get the news to Emma that Killian was injured. From what Lancelot had been able to gather Killian was not doing well. He'd lost a lot of blood and already had a fever.

Spurring his horse onward, Lancelot pushed forward.

OUAT

Boston

Emma sighed as she wiped down the last of the tables. She could hear the thumping from above. A few of the soldiers had already found women to take to the inn for the evening. Scrunching up her nose at the thought, even though she had been one of those women at one point, she continued to close up the tavern.

Henry had come down with a small illness. Ruby was at home with him and Dr. Whale so Emma had been alone in the tavern all day. Granny tended bar, but the inn was unusually busy. It had left Emma with no spare time and aching feet.

It had been a week since Killian left port and she had yet to hear from him. She assumed he had indeed left her. It was taking more time than Emma wanted to admit, but she was slowly replacing the few bricks the British captain had managed to knock down around her heart.

When the door to the tavern opened, Emma didn't even bother to turn around, "Tavern is closed for the evening."

"I'm not here for the ale."

Emma spun at the deep voice, "Lancelot!" She dropped her rag and wound around the tables to the front. "We've all been worried. We heard word that Charles Town fell to the Red Coats. I feared the worst for you."

Pulling her into a tight hug, the soldier shook his head, "Fear not, I'm alright. Our casualties were severe, but many of us survived with only our honor bruised."

Stepping back, Emma nudged his shoulder, "What honor?" She teased. He chuckled, but did not respond, "What? Lancelot, has something else happened?" Her mind flicked over all of the men who were fighting down South who she knew. She only knew Killian and Lancelot. Everyone else was up North and from what she knew they were accounted for.

"There was an," he paused, "unexpected attack."

"Aren't those the best kind?" She asked flippantly, trying to ease the knot in her belly.

"It was on Killian's ship. Two Colonist ships engaged. The captains of the ships were not aware of Killian's true loyalties. They attacked with brute force." He informed her.

At his words, Emma felt her knees buckle, "And what of Killian?"

Lancelot straightened, "He was injured. He lost his left hand in battle. From what I have heard he is not doing well. He's in a hospital the Red Coats have taken over." He paused for a moment, "Robin told me of your conversation with Regina. I know you have no intentions of speaking with Killian again, but I thought you should know. I thought you may -"

"Take me to him," Emma interrupted.

Lancelot looked surprised by her outburst. "I beg your pardon."

"To Charles Town. Take me to him," She repeated slowly.

"Emma," Lancelot was already shaking his head in disagreement, "he's at a British hospital. You won't be allowed to see him."

Untying the apron from her waist, Emma tossed it on a table. "I'll worry about those details once I'm in Carolina."

Latching onto her bicep before she push past him, Lancelot stopped her. "Emma, those are not minor details to consider. You're a well-known Patriot."

"Up here," she corrected. "Down in the South no one will know me at all. Besides, I have plenty of time to concoct a plan to see him. I can't let him sit in a hospital alone. I need to be with him."

Lancelot's brows rose. "It seems Robin's information was incorrect."

"I must first stop at home," she shoved him aside. "Let's move now."

Lancelot seemed to weigh her words carefully before finally nodding his assent.

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Charles Town

Killian groaned. The pain seemed to start at his left wrist, but then emanate throughout his entire body. He could barely stand it any longer. He wished someone would put him out of his misery rather than force him to bare it for another moment. His mind flicked over the images of the things he held most dear.

His mother.

Liam.

Emma.

If anything he felt he should try to hold on, try to cope with the pain, simply for the hope of seeing Emma once more.

OUAT

"You're leaving?" Ruby asked, following Emma into her room. "Again?"

"It's Killian," she explained. "He's in the hospital and -"

"Go," Ruby urged, pulling Emma in for a hug. "And bring him home with you," she murmured.

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Charles Town

"You need to rest, Captain," Nurse Astrid, who was formerly a nurse at a Colonist's hospital, but had been forced to work at a British hospital, pushed Killian back.

Killian shook his head. "No, I have places I need to be. I do not have time lie about here."

"You're not laying about," Nurse Astrid sighed. "You're healing. You've had a terrible infection from your wound. If you're not careful you could die," he let out a grumble that sounded a bit like a British curse to Astrid, but did lay back. "There you go, that's better now. Isn't it?"

He glared at her. "Not particularly."

She chuckled. "Do you have any loved ones here, Captain? Or are they all back in England?"

Killian looked up at the ceiling. "I don't have any," he finally answered.

Fluffing the pillow behind Killian's head, Astrid patted his arm. "Well, we'll take good care of you here, Captain."

"Thank you, lass," Killian closed his eyes against the pain. He knew the nurse was trying her best, at the very least he could attempt to be civil to her.

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Captain August Booth stared at Emma. "You want to do what?"

Emma crossed her arms. "Why is this so difficult for you to understand?" She asked. "I want to sneak into -"

"A bloody British hospital," August finished. "You're insane."

"I'm not insane," She screeched.

Stepping between the two, Lancelot pushed them apart. "This is getting us nowhere," He turned to Booth. "You will not speak to a lady in this way," He informed him. At Emma's smug smirk, he faced her. "And Booth is correct. Your plan to sneak into the hospital to see Killian is crazy."

"First of all," Emma stepped towards them, "it's not crazy." She snapped, "Second of all, he's all alone and in an enemy hospital."

"They don't know he's an enemy," Lancelot told her calmly. "They'll take good care of him. We need to be patient."

Shoving past the two soldiers, Emma moved towards her horse. "You can be patient. I don't have time for this," she was on her horse a moment later, ignoring the shouts of Lancelot and Booth behind her.

OUAT

Emma tugged the hood of her cloak tighter over her head. She didn't want anyone to see her just in case there was a member of Killian's crew about, a member who may have been sober enough while in the tavern to recognize her. The hospital was dark. She'd waited for most of the staff to leave and the majority of the lanterns to be extinguished before entering.

Winding her way through the few halls, Emma moved in one room and out of the other. There were so many men who were injured from the siege on Charles Town. She spotted him in the third room. It was easy to see him by her dim candlelight. She would never miss his dark hair. And she could nearly see the blue in his eyes even though the room was dark. He was propped up, staring out the window at the night sky.

Tiptoeing into the room, Emma sat down at the end of his bed. "Killian?"

Killian's head snapped towards her. "Yes?" He thought it was Emma, it sounded like Emma, but she was in Boston.

Dropping the hood of her cloak, Emma smiled. "I had to see you," She glanced down at his bandaged wrist. "Lancelot came to Boston. He told me you were hurt in an attack on your ship," Reaching forward she wrapped her small hand around his blunted wrist. "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"You came," He lunged forward, the light from the candle going out and candle and its holder clattering to the ground as he pulled her into a kiss. When he pulled back, he pressed his forehead to hers. "I wanted to see you before I left, but there was no time."

Pressing her finger to his lips, she nodded. "I know now," she agreed, "You're not leaving me."

He shook his head. "No, I'd never leave you."

Crawling up the bed, she tucked herself in his side. "When does the next round of nurses come to check on you all?" She asked softly.

He wrapped his good arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. "Not for some time now, love."

"Wake me?" She asked, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Aye," He agreed.

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"You're sure it was her?"

"I'm sure. She's a Patriot sympathizer. I'm not sure who she came to see, but she's in the hospital now."

"Wait until she leaves. We'll take her to camp on the outskirts of town. She'll tell us who she came to see."

"Captain, we could just go in now and -"

"We wait."

"Of course, Captain."

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Emma couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she tugged the hood up around her head again. It wasn't as brisk down in Charles Town as it was up in Boston. She found she missed the cold and didn't quite like the wet heat that came with the South. As soon as Killian was better and the fever was completely gone she would take him back to Boston.

She never saw the hand reaching out to pull her into the alleyway.

OUAT

XOXO

MAF