Disclaimer: Adam and Eddy own OUAT. I own nothing...

I can't believe that I forgot to do this last chapter, but I'd like to thank LiteraryRomantic for giving me the idea to go ahead and reveal Hook's identity to Charming before the curse is broken. Thank you so much!

Though whether Killian finds out before the curse is broken, remains to be seen.

Nouqueret asked: "What Cora going to us the Jolly with the help of Peter Pan to get back to SB?"

MILD PLOT SPOILERS:As for Cora using the Jolly, I'm playing with two ideas. One has her capturing Anton to see if he has a magic bean, and she uses it to get to SB via the Jolly Roger. Another one that might be less likely, is that Cora goes through the portal, leaving Killian and Emma trying to find their way home. Pan won't be in the story until I'm ready to send them to Neverland. However, it may be likely that Killian will mention him in passing if/when Emma asks him about his past.

trustpixiedust asked: "Since Killian probably won't team up with Cora again, will you be doing the Archie "dying" story line?"

I don't know. I think I still want Regina to be alienated from the others so that Cora can be with her, and use Regina to get what she wants. I'm just not sure if that's how I'll do it. I've had the idea that I might, so there's a possibility that it will stay.

clarkLover1 asked: "Also, will Charming tell Killian that he knows who he is? And will this affect Killian and Emma's relationship thats starting to bloom?"

You'll see ;)

Kaicchan asked: "So what now? David know who Killian really is..will he tell him?"

Same answer for clarkLover1 above ^

"i don't know if this question has already been asked but i wonder...how long will be the story? do you have a number of chatpers in mind?"

MILD PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD:Well, I plan to go all the way through to season three...like to the Wicked Witch. I have ideas prepared for season 2 and the Neverland arc, and I know how it's going to end before the Wicked Witch gets there, because, well we haven't seen the witch yet. I'm pretty certain though that I won't finish season 2 until sometime during that actual shows season 3b. I probably won't get to season 3 until the summer, maybe. This is a very very very long fic. I have no idea how long it's going to be, but it will be long, like Harry Potter series long. So, no, I don't know how many chapters. Season 1, as far as I assume, because I really have no idea, may very well go into the late twenties chapter wise, because I don't want to rush too much. Mostly because I have a timeline for the story. It's still January here in chapter 19, but I don't plan on breaking the curse until March (in the story, not in real life). Because my season 2 will be March to December 2012. And the entire Pan arc will be December 2012, maybe going into early 2013. So yeah, no idea...

IMPORTANT AN: Remember this is supposed to be a SLOW BURN love story. So when you guys read, and get frustrated with Emma, remember, I'm trying to keep her canon. And canon Emma's trust issues and her past affects her. Ergo, my Emma will be forever in denial about feelings until she is absolutely forced to confront them. Also, the second genre is ANGST. I can't keep it all fluff and rainbows. I have to put everyone through the emotional ringer.

Shout out to Linariel for that amazing review. I never expected such a long review. Thank you. I'm so glad you like the story.

Also thank you to everyone who reviews almost/every chapter update, and to those of you who have been reading from the beginning.

As for new readers/followers of the story, and those playing catch up, welcome! Thank you all for reading!

Seriously, thank you all so much for all of the positive support! I had no idea that I would get so much positive reviews and messages from everyone, and I love you all so very much for that!

Please review and ask questions, tell me your ideas and theories, etc.

I love hearing from you guys!

Remember to vote MM staying in SB or going to EF if you haven't yet!

Enjoy!

Chapter 19: Breaking Point

Once Mary Margaret was assured of Emma's well being, Killian had convinced her to leave the apartment for a while. Reluctant about leaving Emma, but also sensing that she wasn't needed, Mary Margaret told them that she'd be at Granny's if they needed her.

Emma plopped down at the end of her bed, burying her face in her hands. She was so tired; her nerves fried. All she wanted to do was let go and cry herself into oblivion, but her instincts, trained to hold everything in, refused to back down and let her show weakness.

The bed shifted with the new weight Killian presented. He said nothing, choosing to put his good arm around her, not pulling her to him, just showing her that he was here.

It was what she wanted, wasn't it? She had asked him to stay. She wanted him to stay.

When Jefferson had her hostage, her thoughts and emotions were everywhere. Compartmentalizing as best as she could, she focused on escaping. She had to escape. For Henry. For Mary Margaret and David. For Killian.

Escape, escape, get out of here, escape, get home, escape, don't die, escape...

Thinking over and over, that she had to survive for her loved ones. That thought kept her sane, calm, while she made the hat for Jefferson, it helped keep her mind off of the gun that could very well mean her death.

Her eyes stung remembering the dark thoughts that had creeped into her mind. The what ifs. What if the hat didn't work? What would he have done? Would he have shot her? What if she had died? What would happen then? What would happen to Henry? To Killian? What would her death do to them? To Mary Margaret? To David? Would Henry sink into depression? Would Killian? Would they forget her? Would Killian look out for Henry? Would he, David, and Mary Margaret protect Henry from Regina?

The thoughts kept coming, even through her will, her need, to survive.

One thought playing more than any other was that if she died, Henry would be alone. Her death would've left him abandoned, just as she had been abandoned.

A muffled sob escaped her, causing her shoulders to shake.

Killian's arm tightened around her. "It's all right, love. Let it out."

Emma shook her head, keeping it buried in her hands, hiding herself from him. She just couldn't let it out. If she did, if she let herself feel instead of compartmentalizing everything and stuffing it behind her walls, then that meant that everything she felt would become real and she wasn't ready for that.

Another sob broke through.

Killian pulled her to him then, tucking her up under him. His hand began brushing through her hair.

The intimacy of the gesture, the sincerity of it, finally made her break.

And for the first time in her life, Emma let someone see her vulnerability, allowing him to comfort her, her walls finally breaking down.

August returned to his room at Granny's, red metal box in hand. He placed it on the floor. Bending down, he studied the lock, before breaking it off.

Opening it, he found a leather bound book, Once Upon A Time standing out on the front cover in fancy, golden script.

He took the book out of the box, and moved over to the desk.

So this was how the kid knew about the curse?

Time to have a look and see just what Henry knew.

So he sat down to read, hoping that the book may very well provide him with some answers. Namely, who was Killian Jones?

For a small town, word should've spread fast that Emma had been kidnapped.

But Regina had yet to hear anything. No panic, no search party, no investigation.

Considering that the sheriff was in love with her, and that her roommate and friends would've noticed her absence, Regina expected there to be an uproar over Emma's disappearance.

Entering the Sheriff's station during her lunch break, she found her answer when she saw Jefferson lounging on a cot in one of the cells.

"What's this?" She demanded.

David looked up from his paperwork. "Regina, what are you doing here?"

"Deputy Nolan, who is this man and why is he here?"

Glancing back at Jefferson, who simply cocked a brow as if to say "I'm not dealing with her, that's your job", before turning back to Regina.

"He's under arrest." David shrugged.

"Why?"

David sighed, not too keen to have to explain anything. "Why else would someone be in a jail cell, Regina?"

Jefferson snorted in amusement.

Glare shifting from the prisoner to the deputy, Regina put her hands on her hips. "Why is he here?"

"As Mayor, you would think you'd know the signs of someone committing a crime." David snarked, earning another noise of amusement from Jefferson. At his own words, David paused. Man, I've really been hanging around Killian too much...damn bastard's rubbing off on me.

Regina stamped down her rising anger, choosing to change the subject. "Where is Deputy Swan, today?"

David bristled, but kept his cool. "She wasn't feeling well this morning."

"Ah, well, it's so nice to see our police force being so dedicated." Regina remarked.

"Is there a reason you're here Regina?" David asked.

"Not anymore." Regina said. "Good day, deputy."

Regina stalked out of the room, the picture of calm, while simmering on the inside.

Her plan had failed. Jefferson was caught, and Emma was safe and sound.

Now what was she going to do?

"You do realize that she was here because, this being a small town, no one had mentioned anything about Emma's disappearance." Jefferson said, once Regina was out of sight.

"Yep." David agreed. "And now she's good and pissed that you failed."

"Only because your girl kicked my ass."

David smirked proudly, his back still to Jefferson. Yeah, his daughter could handle herself in a fight, and he couldn't be prouder. She was tough as nails. Just like her parents.

Unfortunately, everyone had their breaking point. David worried that Emma had reached hers. But she was with Killian; he'd help her.

Killian. David thought over Jefferson's earlier words.

You believe that a villain like Captain Hook can protect her.

Captain Hook. A pirate of legend. Up there with the likes of Blackbeard, Davy Jones, John Silver...

All had fearsome reputations. They were pirates after all.

Even growing up on the farm, David had heard tales of pirates, just as he had heard of the stories of knights and heroes and villains.

Captain Hook had never been portrayed in a favorable light.

But David couldn't reconcile the fact that Killian, his best friend and a good man, the man who was in love with Emma, was possibly the infamous Captain Hook.

There was no way.

Not only was Killian not a villain, but the legends of Captain Hook went back decades, maybe more, before David was born.

Even if Killian was Hook, having found some way to have not aged, how did David know for sure that Hook's reputation wasn't simply built on fiction and falsehoods? It could all be hearsay. Had anyone who told the tales ever even met Hook? Had Hook himself built up his reputation, because the more fierce the reputation, the more other pirates and kingdoms would take him seriously?

David spun around in his chair. "How do you know that Killian is Captain Hook?"

Jefferson, who was lying down with his eyes trained on the ceiling, glanced at him.

"I had a hat that acted as a portal." Jefferson said. "I worked for Rumplestiltskin for a time, then I met a woman. I fell in love, retired, had a daughter. Then my wife died and I was left to raise my daughter alone." Jefferson returned to observing the ceiling. "When Grace was ten, Regina came to me, asking for a favor. She needed to get to Wonderland to retrieve something that the Queen of Hearts stole from her. She needed my hat to get there."

"And you gave it to her?" David asked.

Jefferson shook his head, sitting up to face David. "The hat doesn't work that way. Two people must go into the portal the hat provides, only two. The same number of people must also return. So Regina and I went to Wonderland, and she got what she needed. Her father."

"But if only two people could return to the Enchanted Forest..." David began, sensing where this story was going.

"Someone had to stay behind." Jefferson nodded. "I got left behind, and became a prisoner of the Queen of Hearts, who I learned much later was Regina's mother Cora."

That revelation shocked David. Snow had told him of Cora, how she was worse than even Regina, but she had no idea what happened to the woman; she assumed that with her disappearance, Regina may have very well killed her or done something to her.

"I was beheaded, but Cora kept me alive." Jefferson continued. "I told her about my hat; she wanted me to create another one. She wanted to return to the Enchanted Forest. Unfortunately, I didn't have the magic necessary to create the portals for the hat. All I could do was keep making them in vain. I became known as the Mad Hatter, because I was driven mad by having to make hats day in and day out, hoping they would work, desperate to get home."

David swallowed. He could understand that. Storybrooke was great, but he missed the Enchanted Forest. He missed his home. His Snow. He often wondered that when the curse broke, if they would all be returned to the Enchanted Forest or not.

"Sometime later, I have no idea how long." Jefferson sighed, "A man came from the Enchanted Forest, called himself Hook. From what I overheard, he was sent by Regina to kill Cora. I met him briefly, when I was at Cora's palace. I was...not in the right stayed of mind, so we weren't properly introduced, but I remember his face, and his fashion sense." Jefferson smirked to himself, as though sharing an inside joke with himself. "He and Killian Jones are one in the same. Down to the scar on his cheek and the Irish accent."

"What happened after that?" David asked. "Did he kill Cora?"

"Worse." Jefferson said. "He plotted with her against Regina. Took her back to the Enchanted Forest. As far as I know, Cora's alive and well."

David's heart stopped, his stomach clenching uncomfortably.

"Cora's here?"

"Not that I've seen." Jefferson said. "I've been watching this town for twenty-eight years, and I've seen everyone. But not Cora. Considering that she had magic, she may have found a way to keep herself from being cursed."

"Wonderful." David sighed. When the curse broke, Snow wouldn't be happy to learn that Cora was alive. Hell, he was pretty sure Regina wouldn't be happy about it either, especially if she believed that Hook had killed Cora.

Killian, what did you get yourself into?

After some minuted of silence passed between them, Jefferson spoke.

"You said that Jones doesn't remember who he is." Jefferson began, "But he is getting his memories, isn't he?"

David didn't answer.

"Are you going to tell him who he is?"

David thought over it. Killian had yet to discuss his returning memories with David, and he could only wonder just what Killian was remembering, what he might be going through. He couldn't imagine having one set of memories and another set invading your mind, let alone discovering that you very well might have been a villain once upon a time.

"No." David said, believing it to be the best decision for now. "And neither are you. He'll remember who he was eventually."

"You're protective of him."

"He's my friend." David stated.

Jefferson considered him for a moment. "All right then, I won't tell him. Even if he asks."

"Thank you." David said, "But, can I ask why?"

Shrugging, Jefferson didn't give him an answer.

David shook his head, turning away from the Hatter. When he could, he was going to speak with Killian about the curse. They needed to start pushing Emma into believing. This curse needed to be broken and done with.

After finishing the book, August found it odd that he couldn't find Killian Jones anywhere in the book. Everyone was there. All the stories from the Enchanted Forest, hell even stories from Oz and Wonderland were in the book. The only people noticeably missing were Emma, Killian, and August himself.

He knew that Emma's story had yet to be told, and his story tied to hers, but Killian was an unknown factor. It was extremely frustrating.

But August couldn't let himself get distracted; even as this obsession with figuring out who his apparent "brother" was grew. He had a mission after all. Get Emma to believe. Convince her that the curse was real. Get her to break the curse.

It couldn't be that hard.

A pain shot up his left leg. Hissing, grasping painfully at his leg, August tensed until the pain passed. It would only be a matter of time before he reverted fully back to his original state. After all, he broke all of the Blue Fairy's stipulations.

Shaking himself, breathing deeply, August felt that it was time to add his story.

Opening the book, he began to unbind it.

Emma woke up to a bright sky, and a warmth underneath her. Recalling the events of the day, through her sleep addled mind, she realized that she must've slept the entire day away.

Comfortable, Emma snuggled closer into the warmth, thinking of how nice it would be to stay here and go back to sleep. Her snuggling, however, caused a weight to shift beneath her.

Green eyes snapped open and she tensed.

A soft sigh reached her ears, his arm tightening around her waste.

Killian.

He had stayed with her. He hadn't left.

His arm brought her closer to his chest, another content sigh escaping him, his breath ghosting over her hair.

Careful not to wake him, she raised her head to look up at him.

His face was completely relaxed, looking years younger than she'd ever seen him, even with his scruff and the scar on his cheek.

Emma's heart fluttered, a warm sensation flowing through her veins.

He stayed.

No one had ever stayed before.

The feeling in her heart was unfamiliar, but if she was honest, it wasn't entirely unwelcome. It was alarming though, this feeling of security and...was it happiness? Relief?

On pure compulsion, she raised her hand to his cheek, lightly tracing his features. She stopped herself, tensing at her actions. She hadn't done something like this since Neal; waking up next to a man, cuddling with him, being affectionate.

For crying out loud, they hadn't even had sex!

Killian had simply comforted her until she had fallen asleep.

Slowly, Emma tried to pull out of his embrace without waking him, but that only caused his arm to tighten around her middle, pulling her even more on top of him.

"Emma." He mumbled.

Her eyes fluttered as her heart skipped a beat.

He was dreaming of her. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did.

"My love." He whispered.

She froze. His love? What?

Did this mean...did he love her?

No, no, no. That wasn't possible. She wasn't capable of being loved. Unlovable orphan Emma. That who she was. Her foster families had taught her that and Neal reinforced it.

Besides, just because he said her name before he said "my love", that didn't mean he was talking about her. It was a dream. He could be referring to anyone or anything. Hell, he was probably dreaming of his sailboat or something. Yeah, that was it.

She could love him, and keep it to herself, but he couldn't love her. It just wasn't possible.

Walls coming up, Emma slipped out of his embrace carefully, before getting out of bed. She'd let him sleep, but she was going to kick him out when he woke up. It was the only way to reinforce the walls around her heart.

Henry rode his bike towards his castle as soon as school let out. He hadn't seen Emma all day, and while he was worried, he figured that she might be at the castle waiting for him.

Seeing a construction team at his castle, Henry brought his bike to an abrupt stop. He saw that Regina was there talking to some of the workers. Practically jumping off of his bike, letting it fall without any care, Henry ran over to her.

"What are you doing?"

"Henry!" Regina exclaimed. "What are you doing here? It isn't safe. You should be home."

"Why are you doing this?" Henry cried. "That's my castle!"

"It's dangerous, Henry." Regina said. "It's not a place to play. You could get hurt."

"It's not dangerous, you are!" Henry's eyes shined with unshed tears.

"I'm only doing what's best for you."

"No, you're not!" Henry said. "You just don't like that I shared this place with my mom and not you!"

Regina flinched as though she had been slapped in the face. Her expression went from shocked to angry in seconds. "She is not your mother. I am. I raised you and I know what's best for you. Miss Swan doesn't care about you. She doesn't love you. I do. You are my son, not hers."

"You're wrong!" Henry turned and ran off, crying as he did so.

"Henry!" Regina called out. "Henry!"

Killian woke to an empty bed.

"Swan?" He breathed out, glancing around the room.

Emma wasn't there.

Stretching, he got out of bed, figuring that she must be downstairs. Pulling his shoes on, having kicked them off, after Emma had fallen asleep, he walked down the stairs.

Emma was sitting on one of the stools at the counter, a mug of hot chocolate in front of her.

He smiled at the sight of her, his beautiful Swan. Her walls had broken down completely, allowing him to comfort her. Killian hoped that perhaps now Emma may very well be ready for something more than friendship and a few intimate kisses.

"Hey beautiful." He greeted, slipping onto the other stool.

Emma stiffened, keeping her eyes on her mug.

Killian frowned. Something was wrong. "Emma? Darling, what's wrong?"

Slowly, as if bracing herself, she turned to face him.

His heart sank. Her walls were up.

Ignoring the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, Killian pretended that he hadn't noticed. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." She kept her tone even. "Look Killian, about earlier..."

He swallowed.

"No worries, Swan." He kept his tone light to hide his nervousness. "It's between you and me."

"That's the thing," Emma began, "I...I don't think that there should be anything...between you and me, that is."

A sharp pain shot through his heart.

"W-what do you mean?" He hated how shaky his voice sounded.

Emma's heart clenched. He looked and sounded so damn vulnerable. But she had to do this. She had to push him away once and for all; she had to protect her heart, from him and from herself. No matter what the quiet voice in the back of her head was telling her about it being too late.

"I mean that, whatever this is, it can't happen." Emma said. "I don't feel that way, about you."

Anger over taking the hurt, Killian growled. "That's bullshit, and you know it."

"Please don't..."

"Don't what?" He snapped. "Don't call you out? You and I both know that you have feelings for me. You can't keep denying that anymore than I can deny my feelings for you."

She closed her eyes tightly, reining in the emotions threatening to spill out.

"Emma." His tone was softer. "Emma, please..."

"No." Emma opened her eyes. "I don't want to have feelings for you." Lie, that quiet voice hissed, lie, lie. "I don't want anything to happen between us. Those kisses, they were a mistake. I crossed a line with you, and I shouldn't have led you on." Lies, Emma, lies. The voice grew louder. You want him, you want this.

No, Emma argued with the voice, no I don't. I won't risk my heart again. I won't give it to him.

The voice began a mantra of too late, which Emma ignored.

"You're my boss, and my friend." Emma continued. "I don't want to ruin our relationship by making this mistake."

He couldn't believe what she was saying. After everything that they had been through, coffee and notes, Operation Cobra, working together, Graham's death, teaming up against Regina and Gold, his accident, Christmas, her kidnapping and subsequent breakdown, the entire growth of their relationship, and here she was trying to pull this.

"This isn't a mistake, lass." Killian said. "The mistake is you pushing me away, thinking that you're doing us a favor. The mistake is trying to break my heart to protect yours."

"You think that I want to hurt you?" Emma glared, hurt flickering in her eyes.

"No, I don't." He licked his lips, "I think that you're scared that you feel too much for me, that perhaps I feel just as much for you. Henry's father destroyed your ability to trust and to open yourself up to someone, and now that you've finally found someone who can give you that chance again, you're running away."

Emma hated how perceptive he was when it came to her. Fucking open book.

"You're wrong." Emma argued. "I don't feel anything for you."

Something snapped in him, blinding him with a white hot anger, before his lips devoured hers.

The kiss was rough and bruising. He pulled her to him tightly, as one of her hands came up to his chest, probably to push him away, but fisting into his shirt instead. Biting her lip, he forced his tongue into her mouth; she let out a mewling noise of approval, as they began fighting for dominance.

God it was so good. All teeth and tongue and raw passion.

It had her toes curling.

They pulled apart, breathing heavily, eyes closed as their foreheads rested again each other.

"Stop lying." He breathed. "You can't keep denying what we have, what you feel. This isn't a mistake, love."

Her eyes remained closed as she tried to compose herself. That kiss, god that kiss, meant so much. She couldn't deny it, no matter how much she wanted to, but dammit she had to. They weren't too late; if she destroyed any chance of them being together, she could save them from any future heartbreak.

With the hand that was still gripping his shirt, she pushed him away. Refusing to look at him, she spoke. "You need to leave."

"Emma..." His tone a warning despite the gentleness to it.

Her eyes met him, a mistake on her part.

His blue eyes were clouded with pain and vulnerability.

Steeling herself, because god, she didn't want to hurt him, but this was for the best, she forced herself to be angry. Angry that he wouldn't just leave, angry that he was making this harder, angry that she was being so stupid and so scared, angry that she was hurting him. "Killian, leave. Now."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

"Go Jones." She inwardly grimaced at the harshness of her tone. "I mean it. Just leave."

He glared, jaw clenching. "Emma, you can't do this. Pushing me away won't change anything. I..."

"No!" Emma said. No, no, stop. Just go, please just go. "I don't want to hear it. I want you to leave."

Her words brought about a tense silence as they stared the other down. It was suffocating.

Killian considered her, seeing how serious she was, how scared she was. He hated himself for what he was about to do, but if they fought anymore, they would only cause more damage.

Defeated for now, he sighed. "Fine, Swan. You win." He braced himself for his next words. "I give up."

Emma's heart stopped. He was giving up? He was actually giving up on her?

That's what you wanted, Emma. She berated herself. This is for the best.

Is it? That treacherous voice whispered. Is this really what you want?

"Good." Emma said, ignoring the sting in her eyes and the pain in her heart.

"Right." He swallowed. Forcing his body to move, he walked away.

Emma's heart shattered at the sight.

Regina wanted to cry.

Henry still wasn't home. He was probably with Emma, more than likely telling her how evil Regina was.

She destroyed the castle to spite Emma, because how dare that woman have a special place with Henry. Regina had never had that with him. But then, she should've known from the beginning that Henry could never connect with her.

His first few days with her were constant crying, as though he knew that there was a darkness in her heart. A void that she couldn't fill, that she tried to fill with him. It had worked for a while.

Then he learned that he was adopted, and he closed himself off. He began to argue with her every decision, her every word. So she put him in therapy, hoping that it would help him realize that she loved him and that she wanted him more than his birth parents obviously did.

Then he got that storybook, and began talking about the curse, and revealing too much.

Regina had been terrified that somehow Henry's knowledge of the curse was going to lead to the arrival of the Savior. She had to find a way to prevent that from happening; convincing him that he was crazy was the best option at the time.

Still, he managed to find his birth mother, the Savior; still, the curse was weakening.

Leaving Regina with the only thing she could do: drive Emma away, destroy her developing relationship with Henry, and keep the curse intact.

But so much had been happening. Swan and Jones were fighting her every step of the way, further weakening the curse and putting more and more strain on her relationship with Henry.

Henry had continuously pushed her away.

Emma was stealing her son.

Regina was desperate to keep him to herself.

That meant eradicating any bond that Emma and Henry had.

Unfortunately, Regina had a feeling that demolishing Henry's castle had finally pushed her son too far away from her. She was beginning to doubt that he would ever come home.

Finally, a few tears fell with the realization that she very well may have lost her son for good.

Don't hate me, please don't hate me. I know, this chapter sucked for you guys. So much angst, but remember I warned you guys.

But please don't worry.

It will get better. Eventually. I promise. I have a plan. Just trust me.

This is just one more bump in the road. This is only the beginning.

Trust me.

With that said, please remember to continue voting for MM's role in my season 2.

Please review and PM. Remember that questions, theories, ideas, etc. are always welcome.

I hope to update again soon. But be warned, there will still be some more angst and tension before everything gets better.