Killian

It was Emma.

He forgot about the execution, the guards that would be coming soon, even the fact that her father was coming up the tunnel behind him. He was drinking in the shape of her face, drowning in her startling green eyes. She was battered, bloody, and bruised, but even more beautiful than he remembered. He wandered as if in a trance to the place where she stood, not daring to touch her out of fear that she might disappear.

He noticed a look of pure awe in her eyes, one that was surely reflected in his own. Under that awe laid vulnerability, and only then did he realize how much he had to have hurt her.

He had abandoned her. He had left her behind to be taken to jail, and it wasn't to protect her. In her eyes, he had to be even worse than Baelfire. Yes, he had come for her, but he was too late.

His promises would mean nothing to her now. She would never again believe him when he said that he would never leave her behind. He had joined the ranks of all those who had left her behind and forgotten about her, the ones she refused to care about. The rescue he was supposed to perform in order to gain her forgiveness hadn't happened; she had managed to escape by herself. She would never want or need him, but he would never stop wanting and needing her.

He bit back the tears forming in his eyes. She was so beautiful that it took his breath away. He had managed to find her, but he would never have the chance to be with her now, not after what he had done.

"Emma," he whispered, desperate for her to see him as the man who had come to rescue her instead of the man who had simply watched as her enemy dragged her away.

"Hook," she responded. Pain was vivid in her eyes, and he was forced to look away from her gaze. The only thing he could think about was taking her into his arms and holding her tightly enough that she wouldn't be able to push him away again. She had called him Hook. She still saw the pirate first and the man second, and his actions had done nothing to assuage that notion.

"There's somebody coming, Charles. We need to leave now or else we run the risk of being caught." There was enough panic in Charming's voice to strike Killian to the bone. He grabbed Emma's hand quickly, pulling her along behind him as they ran through the empty tunnel after Charming. It might have been easier to run without her hand in his, but he needed to feel her and know that she was real.

He might never get another chance to be this close to her again, and he wasn't going to bloody waste this one.

"Hook, we have to find Snow. They're going to kill her any minute now. We have to stop them, do something, anything. Please, we have to help her." Emma's voice was quiet but desperate, and the pain she must be feeling was evident in her words.

For her, he would do anything.

"Aye, darling. Charming, where might we find the lass? You must be eager to get that ring back as well, I daresay."

"I don't know exactly where to find her, but I do know how to get to a window. We should be able to see the city from there. The castle is full of twists and turns, and I have no idea where the queen would keep a prisoner as valuable as Snow, but at that point we can at least find where the execution will be. From there, it should be relatively easy to determine where she is based on the location of the guards."

Killian squeezed Emma's hand gently as he heard her breathe out a sigh of relief. He may not have gotten to rescue Emma, but he had been granted the opportunity to rescue her mother. Charming had told Killian that he was deserving of Emma; perhaps rescuing Snow might convince her of it as well. When Emma didn't pull her hand away from him, he felt the sides of his mouth quirk up. Perhaps there was hope for forgiveness after all.

They finally arrived in front of a large window which allowed them to see to the edges of the town. In the center of the courtyard was a large hanging tree surrounded by guards. He pursed his lips tightly as he noticed a lone figure being marched out in front of the queen. It had to be Snow, meaning that he had failed Emma once again. It was too late for them to save Snow; it would take far too long for them to find their way down in tim.

Killian noticed the instant that she saw her mother. Her hand crept up, covering her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. His whole body tensed as he felt her clutch his hand tighter, creeping closer in to his side. She clearly didn't want to be obvious about needing support, but he was amazed that she was seeking it from him.

He was a pirate. He had taken the magic bean and abandoned her. He had endangered both her and her son, and he had let Cora imprison her. He had let the queen's guards take her away without putting up a fight. He hadn't even been able to rescue her mother from this execution, yet she was still seeking him out.

She had always refused to take comfort from anyone, regardless of the circumstances.I save myself, she had said. She had not gone to Neil, her mother, her father, or even Henry. Yet here she was, trying to be inconspicuous as she moved closer to him, seeking his support and comfort.

Killian knew how difficult it was for Emma to admit that she needed help. He knew the emotional obstacles she had overcome in order to open up to him even this slight bit and he wanted her to know that he was there for her.

He slipped his hand out of her grasp, ignoring the shocked and pained look appearing on her face. He turned slightly and held out his arms to her. To his utter relief – and joy, although he would never admit to it under the circumstances – she took the step forward.

Her arms stayed at her sides, and she still refused to face him, but she had approached him. He knew that it would be a long and painful road for her to tear down all of her walls of insecurity and pain, but he was willing to help her through that journey. Right now, this small opening she had given him was more than enough. He wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a gentle embrace.

The scent of Emma penetrated the air, and he inhaled deeply. The feeling of her body in his arms amazed him, and as she reached up to hold his arms more tightly against her, his heart filled to overflowing. Certainly, this wasn't the time for such thoughts, but he couldn't help it. He granted himself a few selfish moments to revel in the feeling of being permitted to hold her before clearing his mind of thoughts of Emma to search for any way to rescue Snow.

It was useless. Snow was being marched up to the pole, her hands fastened with rope, as his mind raced. The queen stood before them, fire blazing on her open palm. Killian felt Emma begin to shake uncontrollably against him as she watched the guard step away from her mother for the final time, and his racing mind turned in a different direction. He took off his coat, slipping it over her shoulders and running his fingers along her back and shoulders. He tightened his grip on her, holding her tightly against him to show her that he was there for her.

His efforts to calm her down were rewarded when she rested her head on his chest. She was squeezing his arm again, and he was relieved that she was drawing on his strength instead of withdrawing deeper into herself.

The queen threw the huge fireball. Emma gasped against him, and he felt a single teardrop splash onto his arm. He watched the cursed flames travel through the air and flare up once they reached the pole but…Snow wasn't in them. He blinked, trying to clear his vision, but the flames had gone up high enough to block his view of her. He could have sworn that Snow hadn't been there a second ago, but how? He kept quiet so as not to get Emma's hopes up, but he believed that her mother might just have escaped. He had no idea how, and it was entirely possible that he was mistaken. If Snow was out there – and he believed she was – he would find her, for Emma.

He had been there to support her through this. He would continue to be there for her in any and every way that she would let him, but in the meantime, he had a dead woman to find.