[A/N]: Boom! Done. Someone on tumblr asked me when this chapter would be out and I said maybe tonight. I finally delivered! And yes, it's extremely late, by about 3 weeks, but who's counting, right? I don't know why, but I can't bring myself to write during breaks, weird. Hopefully, that changes before summer break, but I plan to have this fic finished long before that, if I can. Count on rapid fire updates (4-5 days), but again, I have testing week in about 1-2 weeks. So I'll try to update when I can. There may be some grammar/spelling issues, but when are there not, right? Anyways, thank you SO much for reviewing, you guys are so sweet and way to kind for a horrible updater like me. Thanks for sticking to this fic and I hope you guys enjoy!

Also, someone asked me this last chapter, but a pike is a long, staff looking weapon with a sharp, pointy blade at the top.

Chapter Ten

Sigh

\sī\ - verb: to let out one's breath audibly, as from sorrow, weariness, or relief.

The first thing that continued to run through his head was how much of an absolute idiot Emma Swan was. Then, after that, he could only recall a few bits and pieces of what happened.

For example, the moment when he, yet again, jumped into the murky waters beneath the ship.

He, Emma's parent's, everyone was watching with wide eyes as the small speck of black in the air came charging down from the heavens, picking up speed with her continuous descent. To his side, he heard Queen Snow let out a tiny gasp filled with dread and he saw the king bring the worried mother into his arms, but the man's eyes never left the skies as he watched for his daughter with his own panicked expression.

Killian found that he couldn't move. He couldn't speak, he couldn't blink. Hell, he didn't even think he could breathe. His breath was caught in his chest, swirling around within him along with the dread that was trapped there as well. The thudding of his heart wouldn't stop and seemed to accelerate with every second the princess stayed airborne.

It was only a few minutes before there was a loud thud and the cries of the sea monster drowned everything out. The only thing that Killian could hear was the distressed calls from the king and queen and his own erratic heartbeat. However, the sounds didn't matter to him. It was what he saw that caused him to take action. There was only a brief moment when Emma was atop the giant creature before a flash of gold passed his line of vision and fell into the depths below.

A small string of curses left his lips as he stripped himself of his jacket and launched himself into the Black Sea. Ignoring the chills that rippled through his body was an easy task. The heat of focus and determination kept him warm enough and this time, finding the blonde was no challenge. He caught her around her torso and began to pull her up. It was getting out of the ocean that worried him.

The moment they broke the surface, both gasping for breath, a large wave pushed them back against the ship and a limp tentacle came hurtling straight towards them. Killian quickly swam to the side, pushing Emma in front of him to make sure she was out of harm's way. The fallen arm of the Kraken splashed into the water, barely two yards away from them, causing a huge ripple effect to push against them slightly.

Blinking water out of his eyes, he then let out a sigh of relief as he turned to find the beast's motionless body beginning to slip down into the sea. For a few seconds, it was quiet.

It was over.

"EMMA!" A broken cry from the queen sliced through the silence. Killian still had a hold of Emma's arm, keeping her close. Looking to the blonde, he felt the relief wash away at the sight of the pain in her eyes.

"Sorry," the words were hissed through gritted teeth. "I can't move very well at the moment." She attempted to give him a weak smile which only made him more irritated.

With his lips pressed together forming a thin line, he pulled the princess into him so that he could help her keep afloat, noticing how she wasn't doing too well of a job on her own. Killian responded for both of them, "Down here!"

Almost as soon as the words had left his mouth, a rope was thrown down, hitting the water next to them, and sending small droplets of water in every direction. Taking hold of the rope, he quickly wound it around his arm and tugged on it, indicating that they were ready to be pulled up. He had a firm grip around Emma's waist since he could see that the woman was having trouble holding herself up.

Water dripped from them as they were brought up along the side of the ship, and the moment they set foot on deck, Snow came forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Emma sank to the ground, her legs had given out beneath her and the queen followed her down, holding the woman in her embrace. She clung to the blonde as if her life depended on it, speaking in a soft, but trembling voice. "Oh, thank god! You're safe, you're safe…" He wasn't sure if she was saying that to reassure Emma or herself. The king knelt down beside his family and brought his arms around the two women, bringing them close.

Killian watched the scene unfold before, not sure how to feel. Of course, he was relieved that the princess was safe and seeing the royal family together always gave him a smile. However, he couldn't help the rage that was building up within him. Nothing could stop his mind from cursing at the princess's stupidity. How could she do that to her parents? He wondered. How could she disregard everyone that had ever cared for her and do something so incredibly reckless?

How could she do that to me?

He hated her for making him feel this way. The dread, the concern, the suspense, it had all but nearly killed him. Being a useless spectator as she fell from the sky, going against the bloody Kraken, only armed with a thin stick with a pointy edge had given him a mini heart attack. Then, she was tossed into the sea, and for a millisecond, just a fraction of that, he was certain she was dead.

What is this woman doing to you, Jones? A hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his mental mindscape. To his left, he saw his brother beside him, giving him a small, but grim looking smile. It obviously wasn't meant to last long because the next moment, Liam wore a dark frown. Though, it was just enough to give Killian the recognition and praise for rescuing the princess.

"All able bodies will start scouting for survivors in the sea!" Liam announced to his men. The crew hurried over to the sides of the Jewel and began to peer out towards the ocean. "We're finally out of those forsaken tides," Killian heard him mutter and watched as his brother gave him one last nod before leaving him with the king, queen, and princess.

He figured that he would give the captain some space before confronting him again. The fact that the man was being so gloomy and stoic was an obvious sign that he was depressed. Killian knew his brother better than anybody and he always found it admirable how Liam was able to maintain high morals and keep people motivated so well. However, watching the elder Jones stalk away with such a steely expression obviously meant that something was wrong. Then again, he couldn't blame him. He had just lost some good people that were under his command. There had to be some guilt floating around his head.

Turning back to the three royals, Killian had just noticed that the princess had been helped to her feet by her parents and was now standing unsteadily. She wobbled at first, but as soon as she was stable, she pushed her mother and father's hands away, obviously not liking the way they were coddling her.

"What were you thinking, Emma?" Snow White's voice broke through the silence that had enveloped the family.

Emma replied, "I was thinking that I, or someone, had to destroy that monster. It didn't seem like anyone else was up for the task." Though, the blonde kept her tone polite and courteous, there was a certain edge to it.

"You could have gotten yourself killed!" Snow scolded. "If it weren't for Killian diving in after you, you might be dead right now."

"And a lot of other people would be dead as well, if we all just sat here and did nothing," the princess snapped. He saw her wince at her own words and the queen looked taken aback, not used to having her daughter speak to her in such a fashion.

Killian didn't agree with Emma's actions, but he knew she was right. The number of deaths would have been raised greatly if the princess hadn't done what she had. The Kraken would have obliterated the ship and all of its sailors. They were lucky that the vessel hadn't been damaged any more; otherwise they would have all been stranded in the middle of the ocean on the border of the Black Sea.

King David cleared his throat and spoke kindly, but firmly, "We're going to take Emma below deck, but Snow and I will be back out to help."

Killian nodded, "Take your time, your highness." He met Emma's gaze for a brief moment before a rush of rage was through him and he pushed himself forward and passed the woman. Sure, he had understood her reasoning, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Bright sun rays shone upon the Jewel as it continued its trek through the salty waters. The seas were calm as could be and the only excitement seemed to come from the yells of the crew as they bustled around the boat. Killian was pleased to see that things were back on a routine. He always hated improvisation; Liam was always better at that. Though, now he wouldn't have to since things were slowly returning back to normal.

The sails were still white, the water was still blue and the men on the Jewel were just as rambunctious as before, if not a tad less, after the mishap with the Kraken. He couldn't exactly blame them, though. A crew was like a family. Losing one of your shipmates was like losing a brother and the attack had taken quite a few men.

Five were confirmed dead, and three were never found. The funeral was held just the day after the Kraken had been defeated. Five bodies were wrapped up and dropped into the ocean. The crew, the king, and the queen had all been there to pay their respects to the fallen sailors. Even Emma, who had argued against her mother's wishes to stay in bed, had brought herself up to the deck to see the men off.

Now, it was a new day. They had finally left the Black Sea and all its vileness behind and were back on course to the kingdom. His brother was speaking to the king and queen about their route at the moment. Or at least, he should have been.

Killian had went below deck to get himself some water, when Liam came rushing down the hall, almost knocking him over in his mad dash. "Bloody hell, Liam, what's the hurry?" He inquired, raising a slightly amused brow at his brother.

"I'm late," he cracked a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

Giving his elder brother an unimpressed look, he replied, "Yes, quite. Aren't you supposed to be up there with the lord and lady?"

"Yes, yes, you can scold me later, but I don't want to get an earful from the king and queen, as well," Liam waved a dismissive hand in the air.

Killian rolled his eyes and moved out of the way so the man could go passed him. He watched as the ship captain climbed up the ladder and shut the hatch. A small smile formed on his face. He was glad that his brother had started to act like himself again. At the funeral, just the day before, he had seen the look of defeat and shame in Liam's eyes and he knew that he blamed himself for his subordinates' deaths. Seeing his older brother acting more cheery was a good sign.

With a content sigh, he walked down the narrow passage before stopping at the water barrels. He took the steel ladle that hung off the side of it and dipped it into the liquid, bringing up to his lips and slurping it slowly.

"Mind if I get some of that?" A voice called out. Alarmed, his head whipped around to see Emma sitting up in her small cot with a book in her lap. The door to her cabin was wide open and just so happened to have a nice view of the water barrels. Killian stifled the small chuckle that threatened to escape his lips. The sight of the gusty princess lying in a neatly made bed with a piece of literature in her hands just seemed odd to him. "Didn't mean to startle you," she said while glancing back down to her book.

The lieutenant obliged and took of scoop of water and walked to her bedside. She took it from him slowly, determined not to let any water spill. He watched as she sipped the drink until the ladle was empty. The blonde handed it back to him and he took it while asking, "What, may I ask, are you reading?"

He found it amusing when the princess felt the need to hold up the book to him, allowing him to see the beautifully drawn pictures on the page. "Your brother gave it to me. He thought I might like to do some reading while I'm confined here. It's a book on magic," he was about to question her further when she added, "It doesn't have any spells or incantations, if that's what you're thinking. It has some basic information on magical beings and other objects, though."

"Is that so? What's it say here, then?" He pointed to the page she was on.

"These two pages are focused on Fairies, portals, and magic mirrors. Let's just say that I will be a bit more cautious the next time I look at my reflection," she said, slightly distracted by a drawing of one of the magic portals.

"I see," was all he answered with. A few minutes had past and he still didn't move from his spot at her side. He had so many things he wanted to say to her. He hadn't really spoken to her since the day of the attack, but now, when he had the chance, the words wouldn't escape him.

More time went by and he was still there. This seemed to annoy the princess because she then put down her book and turned to him, folding her arms. "Are you here to scold me, as well?" She bristled. "I don't think I need to explain myself anymore."

He couldn't stop himself, "It was a reckless thing to do." That was all he needed to say for her to understand.

"It was the right thing to do," Emma shot back.

"What if things had gone wrong?" He blurted out, "What if the Kraken decided to crush you before you could have done anything else?"

Emma pointed out, "But it didn't."

"It could have."

"It didn't, and because of that, I was able to kill it. I'm still alive, aren't I? When I was about to take that beast down, I asked you to trust me, and you did." She swung her legs over the side of the cot and faced him. Her gaze bore into his with fierce defiance.

"That's not the point I'm trying to make," he stated simply.

She rolled her eyes, "Then, what is the point, lieutenant? Tell me, because I am obviously not seeing it."

"You can't do things like that. Your mother, your father, we were all worried sick. You can't just run off and throw yourself into mortal danger," the way he said this was lighter.

"If I hadn't, we would probably all be dead by now. I don't understand why it's such a problem. Why is it honorable for a sailor to fight, but when I do, it's a burden?"

"You're the princess," he said easily.

"That shouldn't matter. Why am I tied down to a word that only fits me as a title? I am not just some girl who sits on her throne while other's fight for me. I'm Emma, not 'princess', or 'your highness'," Emma was standing now, looking him dead in the eye. Her blue-green gaze carried fire in them as she spoke.

Killian agreed, "You're right. You are Emma," but he then pointed out, "But you're also all those things: the princess, the daughter of Snow White and King David. Being just Emma isn't an option."

"There should always an option. A choice," Emma muttered.

He hesitated, "Is being the princess not what you want?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Emma sighed and plopped back down on the bed. "I just wish people would stop using it to define me. Why is just being Emma never enough?" She stared up at him and for a moment, the world stopped. The two former enemies looked into each other's eyes and for a moment it was like they never harbored ill feelings for one another at all.

Killian gazed straight into her eyes before he spoke quietly, "It's enough for me." And for a moment, she smiled at him. It wasn't the teasing smirk, or the smart-ass grin she would always give him, but a real, genuine smile. At first, it looked strange to him, but soon, he found that he rather liked it and that he had given her a small smile in return.

The spell broke when Queen Snow entered the room, coming in to check on her daughter. The older woman had stopped in the doorway and her eyes darted between him and Emma before she grinned "Have I interrupted something?"

He instantly cleared his throat and back away from the princess. "No, - ah, I was just-, giving Emma some water," he swung the ladle around clumsily before quickly trying to make an escape.

"Hey, Jones," Emma called out.

He turned back to see the blonde giving him a challenging smirk, "If you ever want a duel rematch, let me know. I think I've got some new techniques."

"I'm sure I could still beat you," he replied.

"Still? Last time I checked, it was a tie."

"That's a mistake I won't make again in the future," Killian turned and exited the room, but not before hearing Emma snort. He could just imagine her rolling her eyes at his words.

Killian dropped off the ladle at the water container before heading down the long hallway, headed towards the hatch. The sounds of the crew above the deck were music to his ears and for a moment, he felt that he had finally found a moment to breathe.