Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time
AN: A big thank you to GranddaughterOfCaskettAndTivia and PirateCaptainsPrincess for all your help! You ladies are so wonderful to work with. This is the second to last chapter of Collide. I hope you all enjoy it! ~ XOXO MAS
It was with a final hug that Red and Snow left them with just David around the campfire. Emma felt a bit of peace wrap around her as her mother wandered off. "Emma," Killian whispered. "They're leaving each other and-"
"It's okay." Emma murmured. "This is how it's supposed to be." At his questioning look she smiled wanly at him. "It took them a long time to figure out how they felt about each other."
Reaching up, Killian thumbed at the dimple in her chin. "I suppose that runs in the family." He teased.
Turning her head into his hand, she placed a kiss against his palm. "I love you, Killian," she whispered as his knuckles ran over her cheek.
His hand stilled against her. "What?" He asked quietly.
Biting her lip, she repeated the three words that terrified her more confidently. "I love you."
Tugging her closer, he brought his mouth down to hers, tugging her bottom lip between his teeth, relishing in her slight gasp. When he pulled back, he nudged his nose against hers. "I love you too, Emma." Her answering smile was more than he could ever hope for.
A throat clearing forced them apart. "Sorry to interrupt," Prince James grinned between the two of them, "but I must be getting back to the palace before my father sends guards out after me." He bowed slightly. "It was an honor, Emma and Killian to meet you and your children."
Impulsively, Emma pulled him into a hug. "Thank you." She whispered against his shoulder.
Instinctively, Charming cradled her head against his shoulder. "You're welcome, Emma," he murmured against her head.
The moment Charming was gone, Rumplestiltskin appeared. "Well, congratulations, dearies your parents are back on track." He laughed and Emma found herself cringing at the sound.
"And what of our portal?" Killian asked.
"Oh, yes, that." The Dark One raised his hands and all seven of them were suddenly standing in his great room.
"Gods, I will never get used to that," Killian grumbled.
"Daddy?" Lily yawned and looked up. "What's going on?"
"And you woke the children good job, Crocodile." Killian leaned down and scooped Lily up. "It's okay, Lily, it's just time to go home."
"Actually," Rumplestiltskin held up a hand, "that's not going to happen."
"What?" Emma and Killian cried together.
"What do you mean we're not going home?" Roland asked quickly. "You said you have a portal, right?" He sputtered out.
"Ah no," the Dark One cackled. "Time travel is impossible." He sang out. "But I can't have you interfering with the future; so I'm going to put you where I put all of the magical things that are too powerful for even me." He mixed a vial of some blue liquid swirling it around in the glass beaker. "So I'm going to take this and forget everything you ever told me."
Emma opened her mouth to protest, but instead stumbled as they landed in another room. "What's happening?" Emma asked slowly.
Killian let out a low growl. "The bloody crocodile is leaving us here."
Emma shook her head. "No Killian, this can't be how this goes. There has to be something in here that can help us." She threw open cabinet doors.
Lily sniffed. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I read that book." She cried.
"It's okay, Lily." Roland pulled her into his arms. "It wasn't just your fault. We were all playing with things we shouldn't."
"Wait, what?" Emma turned on her heel, a wand in her hand. "What are you talking about?"
Roland sighed as he pulled Neal and Liam into his chest as well. "We were playing in the attic at Snow and David's." He finally told them.
"Mom told us not to touch anything that could be magical," Neal sniffed. "And we weren't really paying attention. Liam was playing with a stick that I guess was a wand."
"And Lily was reading from a book that was apparently a spell book." Roland finished. "Next thing we knew there was a green hole in the floor and we landed in the Enchanted Forest."
"How did you land up here when we were here though?" Emma asked slowly.
Roland cocked his head to the side. "I guess we were thinking about it?" He questioned. "At dinner the night before we fell through the portal you were talking about it. I guess it was on everyone's mind." He suggested.
"Wait lad," Killian held up a hand, "if we were just talking about it; then you must know how we get home."
Roland frowned his brow furrowing before his gaze landed on the wand still clutched tightly in Emma's hand. "The wand."
Emma followed his gaze down to her hand. "You mean this wand?" She asked.
Roland nodded slowly. "You have magic Aunt Emma and you use that wand to create a portal to send the two of you home." He remembered.
Emma was already shaking her head. "I'm sorry, kid, but my magic is gone." Kneeling on the ground in front of the four children, Emma sighed. "I love you four. I know that this version of me doesn't know you all very well, but I love all of you so much. I wish I could get you home. I just know that I'm going out of my mind with worry over where the four of you are." She sighed and looked up at Killian. "I'm just so sorry, Killian."
Scrubbing his hand over his face, Killian knelt down on the floor next to Emma and the children. "Emma, love," he paused, "your magic, it's not something Zelena can take away from you." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It comes from within you, love. It's apart of your soul, you have it in you. You just have to believe in it. Believe in it like I believe in you."
Shaking her head, Emma closed her eyes. "I don't know how to, Killian. I just, I wish I did, but I don't. I just want to go home. I want to send us all home."
Reaching out, Killian brushed away one of her tears. "Emma, love," he thumbed at the dimple in her chin until she opened her eyes, "look down."
She glanced down to where he was staring. The wand in her hand was glowing. "My magic," she whispered.
"I think it's time we get them home, love." Killian stood up, offering her his hand. "Okay, Emma, do it." He motioned vaguely ahead of them.
She snorted in response. "Yeah, Emma, just do it." She took a deep breath. "Okay, kids, I know you're all exhausted, but stand up and focus on the attic," she ordered. "And hold hands."
The four kids yawned and took hands as Emma waved the wand. She focused on the home Neal had described to her once she knew who he was. A moment later a portal opened. Liam turned and looked at them. "Bye Mom, bye Dad," he whispered before following the others into the portal.
When the portal closed, Emma sagged against Killian. "Oh my god, Killian," she whispered, "we met our children."
He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Aye, love. We have children," he agreed.
Her eyes spun up, a look of fear on her face. "You don't think," she shook her head, "oh no, Killian, you don't think they'll wind up somewhere else, do you?"
Cupping her face, he whispered. "We have to hope they made it back, Swan. We couldn't have taken them with us and we can't leave them here."
"I know you're right." Emma sighed. "Let's just get home. Let's get home so we can figure out how to start this life." She held her hand out to him. "Ready?"
"Bloody hell, love, you have no idea." He twined their fingers together as she waved the wand in front of them again, creating another portal. Grinning, he tugged her towards the portal. The moment he stepped through it, he felt her fingers slip from his.
"You opened a portal, you have magic," Rumplestiltskin accused sharply before shaking his head. "I have to know!" Emma's head spun at the Dark One's voice. "My boy, when I find my boy, is he, do we, are we happy together?"
Emma glanced between the portal that Killian's figure had just gone through and at the Dark One. "What?" She asked.
"My Bae, we're reunited and happy?" He asked.
Emma bit her lip unsure if she should tell him. "I shouldn't-"
"Just tell me!" He ordered. "Are we happy? Does he forgive me?"
Emma hesitated. "Yes," she cried out, her eyes darting between him and the portal. She could feel the portal trying to suck her in.
"Yes, but what?" He asked. "There's something you're not telling me," he accused. "Just tell me."
Emma felt tears threaten to spill at the thought of Neal. The memory of his death flashing before her eyes. "He dies," Emma finally tells him. "He forgives you, he loved you, he died to save us all." She felt a sob threaten to overwhelm her. "Don't let that be in vain," she begged.
Rumpelstiltskin looked stunned by her admission. He was shaking his head in denial. "But I can change the future," he protested.
It was Emma's turn to shake her head. She didn't want Neal's memory to be sullied or for the future to change and have Henry somehow hurt. "You think that, but you might make it worse. He loved you. He loved us all. And I loved him." Emma sobbed tears spilling down her cheeks. "I wanted to save him, but I couldn't. He died a hero, you can't take that away from him. You have to drink the potion. You have to forget everything I just told you," she screeched.
At that moment Rumple let go of her hand and she slipped through the portal.
OUAT
XOXO
MAS
