Ghosts of a Chance

Chapter Fourteen

"Oh no…" the doctor uttered worryingly once he walked inside the bedroom after he arrived at his friends' home, then froze upon seeing Killian lying on the bed unconscious and bleeding out from multiple wounds across his stomach and his chest. "What… what happened to him? Did Mr. Hyde do this? I thought he was okay. Belle said…"

"Hyde only helped to start this mess," Snow finally answered him before Archie could continue talking, while Emma finally lowered her hands and then sat down beside the man she loved once again so she could keep trying to help him. "But this isn't from the injuries Killian sustained last night. No… this is the Evil Queen's doing and whatever ghosts are currently possessing him."

Archie looked between the dark haired woman and the Savior in shock by the revelation as he replied, "Hook is possessed? By what? Or Who?"

Emma kept her eyes down on Killian's face while she sadly responded, "Mindless souls from the Underworld. The Evil Queen… raised them up and brought them here. So they could hurt Killian for her. We just don't know why yet. But they are hurting him. From the inside out and I don't know… how to help him. My magic isn't powerful enough to. No one's is. Not even Regina's either. The only one who can stop this is the Evil Queen and I doubt anything Regina or my father can say to her will convince her to change her mind."

"Emma… I'm so sorry," Dr. Hopper answered her with remorse when he looked at her from across the bed as he remained standing. "I came over here this morning to congratulate you both on moving in together. I was happy that you were able to accept my advice, Emma, and yet… What can I do? For you… for him? Anything. I want to help in whatever way I can."

"We could use some more clean water," the older Princess replied quietly, as she reached down to pick up the water basin now holding bloodied water and soiled rags and then handed it over to him. "Hot and cold water. We're all helping him in any way we can."

He nodded and took the bowl carefully into his hands while he stared down into the bloody red water, then responded, "Of course. It's the least… the least I can do."

Archie turned towards the door and was about to leave the room, until Killian suddenly began to gasp as he struggled to breathe for reasons unknown. Emma immediately laid her hands over his chest and attempted to help him in any way she could, but thankfully his breathing became under control again within moments like nothing was ever wrong, as his body finally stilled.

Emma stared down at him in fear while she raised one of her hands to his face again and then whispered, "Killian… There has to be something I can do. I can't just sit here and hold him while he fights alone against whatever the hell he's suffering from! I'm the Savior… This isn't right."

"Emma… we've talked about this," her mother answered worryingly, then motioned to Archie so he could continue with what he started to do before the trouble arose and waited for him to leave the room. "I know how scared you are for him. But like I told you, your father and Regina will be back soon with some answers. Hopefully one that might help us ease Killian's pain a little until we can save him."

"I know," the younger woman replied in despair and then broke down as she suddenly released a sob when she began to cry. "Why… why does he keep on suffering… because of me?"

Snow rushed forward and sat down on the end of the bed while she gently leaned over her daughter, wrapping her arms around her in hope of offering Emma as much comfort as she could, then spoke again softly saying, "You're wrong, baby. This isn't your fault. And just because you love him so much… and because he loves you… It's not why he keeps suffering like this."

The Savior raised her head to look up at her as she curtly responded, "Killian was struck in the neck by Excalibur when he got it away from Arthur for me. And it killed him. I tried to save him. But because I was desperate, I forced the darkness into him and he became that which he most feared and hated for centuries. Killian was lost for a little while, but I brought the man I loved back because he was stronger than he's ever believed himself to be and in doing so, he gave his life for me… again. He was tortured down in the Underworld by Hades because he sacrificed himself for me knowing full well where he would end up. There were other times. And now… Now, we're finally together again and for a brief moment, I actually thought we could be happy. But the Evil Queen knows that to hurt me, the best way to do it is to hurt him because a part of her won't hurt her own son and she most likely has her own plans for you and Dad. So yeah, Mom… this is my fault. He would have been better off if…"

"If what?" the older woman sternly questioned her when Emma sat up and leaned back on her legs. "If he never became the hero that Killian is thanks to you too? Because I think he would be the first one to tell you exactly how wrong you are about that, Emma. A big part of him still hates himself because he hates the man he used to be, and he struggles to believe he's better than he thinks he is. But he's allowed himself to love you because you've helped him accept he deserves to be loved."

"You're right," Emma whispered and then she finally turned back to the man she loved again. "In times like these, it's hard for me to believe. However, I know you're right, Mom. I'm sorry. I'm just really scared."

Snow nodded in understanding, then pulled her daughter into another embrace while she answered, "I know you are. But I promise you we will save him. We always do, Emma. Just like we always fight to save everyone here."

Archie returned again with the fresh water and more clean rags, then started to set them down on the nightstand again, until Hook suddenly began to stir again as his eyes scrunched up in pain and his whole body tensed before he unleashed a small cry. Both Emma and Snow immediately stood over him while the younger woman reached down to try to help him. But when she did so, he swiftly reached out to grasp her hand when he opened his eyes, then stared all around him until his eyes finally landed directly on Emma's as he smiled at her strangely, and the Savior could sense right away that it wasn't Killian who had just awakened while looking into her eyes.

She glared down at him as she took a few steps back and asked crossly, "Who the hell are you?"

"Emma?" her mother questioned in confusion when she saw the sudden coldness in her daughter's eyes and the stiffness in her body while she stared down into the man's she loved.

"Hello again, Emma," the ghost's voice coming through Killian's mouth replied to her cockily. "It feel like it's been a long time. But it hasn't been. Not really. You've still got fire. I like fire."

Upon finally recognizing who was speaking to her, her eyes widened in shock as she fearfully responded, "No… Pan."

Snow and Archie both looked at her in their own shock as the doctor uttered, "Pan? You mean, Pan's the ghost now speaking through Hook? But how… How is that even possible?"

"Because he's one of the ghosts Regina said was possessing him," the Savior answered again in frustration, without turning away from him. "Of course one would have to be you. And I'm betting it wasn't a coincidence that you're here either. She specifically summoned you here from the Underworld… somehow. The question is… why? And if you're nothing but a mindless soul, then how are you able to remember who you were? Who we are and are able to speak with us like you're still him. Even if it is through Hook."

"Wow… you and Killian really do think alike," the evil child replied again when he stood up from the bed. "I still don't understand why you love him so much, but I do understand why he loves you. I don't have time to go through the whole explanation all over again like we did for your boyfriend. The short version… it's because of his memories and knowledge of who we were that brought us back. I like it here. We all do."

Emma glared at him as she retorted, "Who else is in him with you?"

It was then that Pan lowered his head down against his chest for a brief moment, before he lifted it again when someone else spoke through Killian once more as they responded, "There are a few of us in here. It's a bit crowded, but… it certainly beats being one of those things you're all so eager to destroy to save the man who fell in love with you and forgot all about me."

"Milah," Emma stated, recognizing who she meant as quickly as before.

"And Gaston, my husband's own new love's former fiancé… or his old love now I suppose, and Prince James… your father's identical twin," Milah continued haughtily. "Of course we're not here coincidentally. The Evil Queen brought us back because I'm suspecting she felt we were the most capable of tormenting my former lover. She wants to destroy the Savior, Emma. She wants to destroy what you are really badly. So, I'm going to do the honors."

Before Emma, or the others in the room could try to make sense of what she meant, the woman currently possessing Hook suddenly charged at Emma and began to attack her once she swiftly pulled the sheriff's gun from her holster, then attempted to shoot her. However, the Savior grabbed hold of the barrel and aimed it up at the ceiling before the shot fired.

Snow immediately rushed forward to try to help her daughter, but because Milah was much stronger within Hook's body, she was easily able to shove the dark haired woman off of her and onto the floor when the Princess jumped up onto his back to try to fight her from behind while Emma struggled against Killian's grip around her wrist.

Emma struggled to fight against her love's former lover, especially once Milah suddenly slashed her arm using a knife she picked up from the nightstand to defend herself with. At last Milah knew trying to kill the Savior in this moment with others around to help her was foolhardy. So, before the blonde haired woman could stop her, Milah raised Killian's leg and kicked her against her chest to force Emma back, reached out to quickly grab for the pirate captain's brace and fake hand, then immediately ran from the room before they could try to stop him again. Emma tried calling out to him to get him to stop, until she remembered it wasn't Killian in control any longer.