I REALLY SHOULD BE STUDYING. But this would not leave me alone. Sorry.:3

Emma and Killian shuffled tiredly into the house, Emma carrying their sleeping daughter in her arms, both of them quiet, not wanting to talk about what happened.

Killian was eerily silent, his form rigid as Emma tucked Layla in their bed, sniffling as she softly brushed her dark curls away from her eyes, leaning down to press her lips against her forehead, before she adjusted the pillow under Layla's cast covered leg.

-/-

2 hours ago

"No!" Emma shouted, lowering her hands when she noticed the struggling girl in the witch's grip, her claw-like nails digging into her daughter's throat threateningly. "Please, not my daughter!" she pleaded, backing away, her hands dropping by her side, her eyes never losing sight of Layla.

"Mommy!" the girl's soft voice called, cracking in fear, making Emma's heart pound, cursing her recklessness. She should have listened when Regina told her not to go alone; but instead she pushed and now-No. She couldn't think like that. She couldn't afford to.

"It's gonna be okay, baby," she called back, her hands trembling. "Let her go, Rowena," she growled, balling her fists.

"Now why would I do that?" the witch taunted, pearly whites flashing through a sinister smile.

"She's just a child!" she cried, her heart in her throat. "Please, don't hurt her," she begged, tears threatening to fall, but she couldn't lose her focus.

Rowena pretended to think, her thin lips pursed as she contemplated her decision before she smirked. "How about a trade?" she offered, her eyes flashing.

Emma didn't hesitate before she nodded curtly, her teary eyes meeting equally scared blue ones, just like her fathers. "It's gonna be okay, baby," she whispered, walking over toward Rowena, her chin up and posture rigid.

"What do you want?" she demanded the witch sharply, her gaze steely.

"Your heart, for the brat's life," Rowena grinned. "Since I can't take your heart...I had to take extreme measures," she shrugged, her hold on Layla tightening, making the child cry out.

"Hey!" Emma snapped, wrenching her hand away from her daughter's arm. "You'll get what you want," she gritted out.

She didn't want to think about anything other than saving Layla right now because if she did, she's think about Killian and what he would say to this. And if she did that- She wouldn't go through with it. She can't think about him right now, because she would break and she cannot do that. She had to do this, there was no other way.

She kneeled in front of Layla, who'd been silently crying. "Mommy..." her bottom lip trembled.

"Shhh, baby," Emma soothed, brushing her tangled curls away from her face. "It's all gonna be okay," she whispered, pulling her close, her eyes closing as she pressed her lips to her daughter's forehead. She let a few tears escape, hugging Layla tight.

"I'm scared, mommy," she mumbled into her jacket, her tiny hands grasping them tightly.

"I know, Layla," her voice broke. "But you gotta be brave for mommy now, okay?"

Layla nodded, sniffling loudly. Emma stood up on shaky legs, facing Rowena bravely. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her hand into her chest, grunting in pain. This was it. This was the moment, the end of the line for her. After all she's been through, after all they have been through, this was how it was going to end. No matter how many curses she'd survived, how many realms she'd crossed, there was no coming back from this. But she could never regret it, not if it meant saving her daughter. Their daughter.

The only regret she had was having to leave behind her family yet again. More permanently this time. She only wished she could spare her daughter the pain.

"Layla, don't look," she grunted, her eyes still locked on the smirking witch. "Look away."

"Mommy..." she cried.

"Layla, do as I say."

When she made sure Layla wasn't looking, she pulled her heart out, the breath leaving her, her eyes wide in pain. She saw the maniacal gleam in Rowena's eyes as she grinned, all teeth and thin, painted lips, making her shudder. Rowena looked at the pulsing, bright organ reverently, her hands almost trembling when she reached for it.

"EMMA!" she heard a furious voice exclaim, making her close her eyes in pain. She really wished she could get this over with, without him there. She can't handle the look on his face, handle the devastation and betrayal- not after she'd promised-vowed- that she would never do something like this ever again.

"Emma, don't you dare-Swan!" she could hear how furious he was, turning around as she felt the wind pick up, Rowena's face turning puce in anger.

She watched, wide-eyed, as Regina, Killian and Henry marched over, both Regina and Henry raising their hands in unison, converging their magic and pushing against the wind barrier surrounding them. Emma clutched her heart closer to her, crouching and dragging Layla towards her, protecting her. She missed the flash in Rowena's eyes, helpless when the witch used her magic and grabbed her daughter from her arms.

"No!" Both Emma and Killian cried in unison, their voices full of terror as Rowena suspended Layla in air, heedless to the crying child.

Henry and Regina quickly dropped their hands, watching helplessly as Rowena raged, flicking her and sending Layla flying, her screams echoing through the air, making Emma's heart stop.

"LAYLA!" she screamed, her hand reaching out, magic shooting out to stop her fall. But she barely reached her in time, unable to fully cushion her fall as Layla fell on her arm. The painful scream enough to break Emma's heart, not even caring as Rowena disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

She swallowed thickly, her heart back in place, as she watched, unmoving, as Killian rushed to their now unconscious daughter. Her heart was still race, guilt eating her up as his furious eyes turned to face her for barely a second before he lifted their daughter in his arms, carrying her to Regina's car. She couldn't move, her mind replaying the moment over and over again until Henry came over to help her up.

-/-

"Killian," she started, not knowing what to say to pacify his anger. She didn't even know if she wanted to. She deserved all the angry and harsh words. This was on her. She was the reason their daughter was hurt, was in pain.

He cut her off before she could say another, "You don't have to say anything, Swan." And she wished he'd shouted it, not said it so softly, so disappointed. She could handle angry Killian, but she couldn't handle being the reason for his pain.

She got off the bed, walking over to him, stopping a few steps back, hating the distance. "I'm so sorry," she whispered brokenly. "I-I wasn't thinking."

"Damn right you weren't!" he hissed, his voice not hiding his fury. "What the hell did you think was going to happen? Was there any scenario where you would have come out of this alive?" he demanded, his hand gripping her arm tightly, almost shaking her.

She pressed her lips tightly, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she'd start crying. She needed to hear all that he had to say and he wouldn't if she cried. She knew he couldn't handle her tears, knew he wouldn't say another word.

He paused, already knowing her answer. He sighed heavily, pulling away. "How could you be so selfish?" he snapped, slumping against the wall, sliding down to the floor.

She followed suit, sitting as close to him as she dared, silent the entire time. "You promised me you would never be so reckless. That you would never again sacrifice yourself, no matter what!"

"It was for our daughter, Killian!" she emphasized. "My daughter."

"She's mine too, Swan," he shot back. "I love her just as much," he bit out. "So don't you dare-"

"Stop, just- Stop," she sighed, letting her head fall back, hitting the wall with a soft thud. "I never meant that you didn't. I didn't know what to do!" she argued.

"We were working on a solution," he snapped.

"I couldn't wait! I couldn't just sit around not knowing what was happening to her!"

"You think I could?!" he demanded, finally turning to face her. "I couldn't breathe, Swan," his voice broke, making tears spring in her eyes. "I couldn't think. I couldn't focus. But I wasn't a fool to think I could face Rowena with no back up! You should have listened to Regina when she-"

"And do what, Killian? Sit around doing nothing, going out of my mind with worry, what?!" she couldn't stop the tears any longer.

His expression softened, "You should have stopped to think,Emma. Rushing off like that, did you want to orphan your children?" he asked. "Leave me after you promised? I absolutely cannot lose either of you, do you understand?" he sounded tired and wrecked, moving to kneel in front of her, pulling her closer.

She threw her arms around him, her face buried in his chest as she sobbed out her apologies, "I-I just wan-wanted to save her," she blubbered, her fingers digging into his arm.

He felt his heart break from her sobs, gathering her trembling form in his arm, sitting her in his lap. "Emma, I know how strong you are. And I know why you did what you did. But, please, love, don't do that ever again."

She nodded, "I'm so sorry," she choked out, her voice raspy from crying. "I'm sorry I was reckless and I didn't listen. I-I can't understand why you would ever forgive me-"

"Hey," he interrupted her, his fingers hooking under her chin, making her look at him. "You're my wife. For better or for worse, I will always, always love you. Even when you insist on jumping through fire and risking your life," he half joked, tracing the dent in her chin, making her lips tilt in a half smile.

"God, I was so scared, Killian. When Rowena sent Layla flying like that, my-"

"Heart stopped," he finished, pulling her closer. "I know. But you saved her."

"What if I'm not around the next time to save her?" she whispered hoarsely.

"She's our daughter. She's a survivor, love," he grinned through his tears, pressing his lips to hers, hand coming up to brush her tears away and moving down to rest against her racing heart, reassuring himself.