So finally I got to type up an update for you, things are crazy mental right now so this will probably be the last one until after the new year as I am out for Hogmanay tomorrow night.

Happy New Year

Cor Rem, Heart of the Matter

Killian gave a huge sigh of relief, he knew that Regina was pissed and when the former Evil Queen was pissed whoever she was pissed at was in for trouble and right now Morpheus had just ticked that box. The others had all gathered around Henry's table and the room was filled with excited chatter as everyone was brought up to speed with all the latest details of what had happened a few minutes before.

Whale was still by Killian's side and as David was explaining without too much detail how he had burst into Killian's head after he had touched his skin the Doctor spoke in a low voice.

"How you feeling? I mean truthfully now that the rest of the Scooby Gang are distracted, I need to know so that I can give you the most effective drugs, don't just say that you are fine, I need details"

Killian sighed but decided that the Doctor deserved some kind of respect, he had managed to wake him up and save him from Morpheus' torture after all.

"I hurt, everything hurts and I can't seem to tell one injury from another the ache is just everywhere but at least I am no longer falling asleep at the drop of a hat even if the drug seems to have left me with a headache from hell"

"You have a headache?" Whale asked quickly stepping forward with a flashlight in his hand.

Killian winced when the light was suddenly shone in his eyes and it caused the pain to flair, a wave of nausea washed over him again and he broke out into another sweat, Gods would this ever end? The light was turned off quickly and Whale was moving again but Killian had closed his eyes now trying hard to calm his churning gut.

"I can give you something to help with the nausea but there's not much else I can do about the pain, you're already on more pain medication than you should be to try and counteract the drug I gave you to keep you awake, sorry but maybe this will help"

Killian heard a click and when he peeked his eyes open again it was to find the harsh lighting had been turned off and only a small wall mounted one remained on that gave off a much softer glow.

"Better?" Whale asked quietly

"Aye" he breathed out as his eyes slid shut again

"Hey, come on open your eyes" Whale said slightly louder

Killian furrowed his brow but kept them shut "I am not sleeping merely thinking"

"Well think out loud then so I know that you are still awake"

Killian supposed the Doctor did have a point so he voiced his inner monologue.

"I was just thinking that it is quite strange how Morpheus seems to know so much about all of us, how do you suppose that came to be?"

"Not sure. It's not like he's been running around town is it? Maybe he doesn't know as much as you think he does. Maybe he only knows what you know, maybe he's only showing you what you already know!"

Killian's eyes flew open "Of course, he knows my thoughts, my feelings and he's used my own fears against me"

"Makes sense" Whale shrugged but just then David's voice carried across from the other side of the room.

"So we need to use this, he'll never know what..."

"STOP" Killian yelled out across the room trying to sit himself up, he couldn't hear anymore.

"HOOK What are you doing?" Whale gasped out as he tried to stop him from causing himself any further damage but Killian needed them to understand. Swan and David were at his side in seconds with worried looks on their faces as Whale still tried to wrestle him back on the bed and eventually the Doctor won as Killian ran out of strength to keep fighting.

"What's going on" Swan asked him quietly as she took hold of his hand gently being careful of his stitched arm.

"You need to stop" he breathed out harshly

"Killian you're not making any sense." Emma gave him another worried look as she reached up to brush the hair from his forehead.

"I'm making perfect sense believe me" he lent back and let his eyes slide shut again "Morpheus only knows as much as I know"

"OK" he heard Swan answer in a whisper. "So?"

"So you can't let me know what the plan is... if we are to beat him I cannot know how it is to be done otherwise he will know too"

There was a collective murmur around the room as they all realized that he was making sense after all.

"He has a point" Regina's voice was by the bed now and he opened his eyes to see her looking at him in concern. "We will find somewhere else to discuss this and I'll see if there is anyway that I can remedy that issue."

"You can use my office, end of the corridor and to the right" Whale offered

"Perfect, come on people. From the look of Captain Catnap here we don't have much time to figure this thing out" The rest of the group moved back to the table to grab all their research but Regina remained, she lowered her voice and spoke again "I promise you that we will be as quick as we can so no sleeping while we are gone"

"Promise" Killian replied giving her a tired smile.

A few minutes later he was left in the room with only Whale and Henry for company.

"Did you not want to know the plan Lad?"

"Nah, I can find out later. It's not like I'm gonna be allowed to help from what I already heard so I'd rather stay here with you"

"Well I'm glad" Killian said with a sigh "I just hope whatever they are planning happens soon, then maybe I will finally be able to sleep"

"Believe me, once this is done you will have no choice in the matter. I still need to fix that arm of yours so you will be put under for that and I cannot keep filling you full of all these drugs, your body will simply not have a choice when I remove them, I am fully expecting you to be out for a good few days when I put you back on the morphine."

"Do you have to? I want nothing more to do with him"

"If I had something else I could use I would but it really is the best thing for you. I promise that I will not put you under until I am one hundred percent positive that Morpheus is gone"

Killian sighed again but he didn't have the energy to argue, he chuckled and a smirk slid onto his face "I trust you, just don't go spreading that around town"

"Thanks... I think" Whale replied with a smirk of his own.

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"REGINA YOU CAN'T" David yelled out after her as she strode from Whale's office heading back towards Hook's room.

"I do believe that I just proved that I can" she replied turning to look him in the eye as the others all piled out of the door after the two of them.

David couldn't believe what she was planning to do and he reached out to grab her arm trying to stop her. This was too much, Hook had been through enough already, there had to be another way, Regina gave him a stony look before finally softening her features with a sigh

"Look, you said it yourself... it is the only way and we don't have much time so either you are with me and you let me go or you are against me and we have a problem" The Queen raised a brow high on her head in question.

"Emma, you can't think this is a good idea" He turned to his Daughter looking for her to back him up.

"I don't like it either but I can't see any other way round it" Emma looked close to tears as she moved forward to pull his hand away from Regina's arm. "Dad, we need to do something otherwise we're going to lose him and I am not willing to let that happen"

David sighed heavily knowing that Emma was right but the thought of what Regina was about to do made his stomach churn, he knew how he felt and he hadn't been through half the stuff that Hook had, this might be too much.

He couldn't say anything but he finally let his hand fall and Regina turned to walk quickly back down the corridor towards Hook's room. They all came to a stand still a few minutes later and David watched as Regina pulled in one final breath before pushing through the doors.

The Queen walked straight over to the bed without hesitation and the Pirate actually gave her a smile before something changed on his face, he suddenly seemed to realize that something was wrong but by then it was too late as Regina thrust her hand through Hook's chest. The Pirate screamed out in agony as his back arched high from the mattress again but Regina paid no attention, she just grit her teeth and tugged hard pulling Hook's not quite so dark heart from his chest holding it tightly in her fist above the bed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Whale yelled out as he launched himself forward trying to get Regina away from Hook.

"Calm yourself, it's not like you have never seen this done before and this was the only way but hold your tongue until I am gone, I will not have you giving anything away"

Regina turned back to the group by the door "I'll be back in a minute, I just need to find a safe place that no one will find" then she was gone in her purple cloud leaving the view to the Pirate's bed very clear.

Hook was still writhing around on the bed but Emma was now by his side as Whale was looking frantically at the heart rate monitor as it continued to send an alarm out into the quiet room. David moved quickly, he needed Hook to understand what was going on but he knew that the Pirate would be confused and disorientated from this unexpected attack from the people he thought he could trust and he was right as Hook practically jumped from the bed when Emma tried to take his hand to sooth him.

"No no no... can't be real... can't be happening" he grit out through his clamped jaw as he shoved Emma away, she stepped back looking very close to tears again but David wasn't giving in.

"HOOK" He yelled knowing that this had worked in the cave but this time the Pirate didn't stop he only jumped again at the loud noise and gave a groan as he tried to bring his hand up to his head but the bulky bandaging on his arm prevented the move

"Would you all just back off... look I have no idea what the hell is going on but he is in enough pain right now without you adding anymore." Whale barged between them and the bed making it clear that he meant business.

Both David and Emma stepped back this time to stand next to Mary-Margaret, Belle and Robin. Henry was just standing with his mouth hanging open as the bottom of the bed as Whale turned back round towards Hook.

"Come on Pirate, take some deep breaths, you need to slow your heart rate down" Whale tried to sooth as he desperately tried to adjust all the machines to stop the alarms.

"Not real... must be sleeping... need to wake up" Hook gasped out as he tried to curl onto his side.

"Not this time buddy, the Evil Queen is very real I can assure you" Whale moved around the bed again giving another loud sigh "I'm not sure what else I can give you, are you still in much pain?"

David watched as Hook finally started to relax, he now lay on his side facing them all standing by the door.

"I'm fine" he whispered but he looked anything other than fine as he let his eyes close again still breathing heavily into his pillows.

"Well that depends on your definition of "Fine" doesn't it?" Whale retorted not buying what the Pirate was saying and David had to agree.

David gave Emma a glance as he stepped forward again, he needed to explain what was going on to the Pirate, let him know that it was the only way. He stopped by the bed but the minute Hook's eyes opened again he immediately started trying to back away instantly shaking his head again.

"Hey, it's me" David tried to get him to listen but it was no use, the last part of reality that the Pirate had believed in was gone, he thought he was trapped in the dream world again and he was left doubting everything that he could see.

A idea hit David and without waiting he darted forward to lay his hand for a split second onto Hook's bare shoulder. It was literally for the blink of an eye but the emotions that hit him nearly took his legs away even if they were not as intense as the last time they still packed a punch and he had to grip onto the bed rail to stop his ass hitting the floor.

"See, you know it's me now. Hook, I promise you that this is reality and I promise you that there is a very good reason for what Regina has just done. She took mine too, you know I'm not lying, you can feel the difference."

Hook's eyes opened wide in wonder "David? Why? Why would Regina do that?"

"So he can't use you anymore. I know it sounds crazy but it might just work. When you were sleeping in the cave Morpheus came to me as the old man, he knew that there was something different with my heart and he couldn't sense me. We figured that if he couldn't sense me because I had half of Mary-Margaret's heart in my chest that he won't be able to sense you at all if you have no heart at all, it's the only way, I'm sorry you had to go through that but we are going to beat him and I will be with you every step of the way, I promise."

Hook managed to get himself onto his back again but he still flinched when David moved to fix his blankets instantly apologizing when he realized what he had done.

"It's OK. I get it. Hey, Emma is here, you want to see her? I know that you are struggling with your memories, I'm sure she'd understand if you wanted some alone time" David had been hit with more memories of Morpheus using Emma's face to torture Hook when he had touched the Pirate's skin and knew how Hook was feeling right now but he shook his head violently as he tried to look around David searching for Emma anyway.

"Swan" he cried out and his voice gave a wobble of emotion as he battled his own inner demons.

"Hook, I am so sorry. We didn't want to but there was no other way to stop him hurting you"

"It's alright Love" Hook replied as he held a still slightly shaking hand out for her to take. "If you had discussed it with me I would have agreed but that was not an option and I understand that. I was just caught by surprise, not something I am dealing with too well at the moment" he gave a lopsided grin and a chuckle as he squeezed her hand gently giving a gasp as it obviously pulled on his damaged arm.

Hook looked better than he had but he still pretty much looked like death warmed up, David's eyes moved back to the heart rate monitor to see that the Pirate's temperature had risen back up to 103 again, he walked slowly around the bed to come up next to the Doctor trying not to draw attention to himself as the others came up to talk to the Pirate.

"Whale?" he whispered then indicated to the thermometer reading with his eyes.

"I know but there is little more than I can do, his body is simply not coping with all that is going on. Normally when a patient is in Hook's position they are kept sedated and the body has time to recover but that is not an option that I have. He is already on strong antibiotics and far too many painkillers for his own good but nothing seems to be working. How much longer is this likely to take?"

"I'm not sure, we have a plan... a good one but it is going to be risky. We just need Regina to get back then we can start so I suggest you get your drug of choice ready, we're going to need to put him to sleep" David said giving a nod towards the bed

"What? Are you crazy?" Whale hissed

"Maybe because this time he's not going alone, I'm going with him"