Chapter 25: Believe that a pirate can be a hero (Part 1)

"Hades!" Her voice was a loud scream that created waves at the lake's waters. She wasn't surprised when he appeared in front of her.

His face was an indication of boredom. "What did I do to you?" He complained dramatically.

"I need to see Cora!" She split out sharply.

"Oh! Demanding, aren't you?" He mocked her. "Why do you want to see her?"

"I have a deal to make."

"Come on, girl. Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to make a deal?" He teased her again.

"Come on, Lord of the Underworld. Everybody knows you're her puppy. You do as she says. Just take me to her." She fought back.

Before he was able to answer, a swirl of smoke appeared around them. The next moment they were to his place, Cora right in front of them.

"See?" Emma mocked Hades and the blue fire over his head became red as blood.

"Let him alone, my sweet Emma. He's just so loving." Cora said with faked adoration. "So, just tell me."

"Tell you what?" She asked with narrowing eyes.

"Your deal, my dear. I heard you. And besides… no one comes to see me without a deal in mind." She boasted.

"Then I was right. You're the one who controls everything here."

"Indeed I am!" She replied smiling. "I've been looking forward to dealing you."

"It's not the first time." She reminded her.

"Oh, it is. Trust me, my deals have nothing to do with his. What can I do for you?" She asked kindly.

"I want you to let Killian leave. Ask something in replace." Deep down she knew she was fool to do this.

"I'm afraid if you want to bring back a dead no one can help you, and nothing can." Core explained mysteriously.

"There must be something you can do!" She insisted.

"Well, actually, there is. I can let him go back to the living ones, if you agree to stay here… dead."

"No! I can't stay here. And no one else is going to stay."

"Ok, I have one more suggestion for you. You all go and he goes… but he continues to not remember you and he is far away from you."

Emma closed her eyes and took a breath in order to calm down. It was better than nothing. If he could go back, she would find him and a way to make him remember. "Fine." She said.

"So willing to give up on him." She said satisfied.

"I'm not giving up on him." Emma hissed.

"Oh, no! I understand! Love makes us sick, haunts our dreams, destroys our days. Love… is killing more than any disease." She moved her hand and a paper and a pen appeared in her hands. "Will you sign for me please?" She asked and Emma sighed.

"I wish you could see how wrong you are… but unfortunately it's too late for you to change your opinion now." She said before signing.

"I won't change it!" She reassured her and smiled wickedly.

. . .

When she opened the door her parents rushed to the door.

"Emma! Where have you been?" Mary Margaret asked anxiously and hugged her.

"Hey. I wasn't so late!" She justified herself in her mother's hug.

"No but you said you just needed some air. I went outside to look for you and you weren't there!" David complained and kissed her hair.

"When will you stop worry so much about me?" She grumbled childishly.

"When we get out of here!" Her father reminded her and she nodded.

"It will be soon dad!" Se reassured him smiling.

She pulled back from his holding and headed to the backyard. This same moment Killian's door opened and he walked out. He avoided everybody's look, still ashamed of his previous fight with Emma and followed her.

. . .

She noticed him coming but she pretended to ignore him.

"Emma." He tried but she didn't answer. She just sat down, looking away stubbornly. "Look, I'll leave if you want. I just think we need to talk."

"So talk." She mocked him with harsh voice.

He sat down next to her, not discouraged by her disinterest. "I need to apologize."

"Yes you do!" She continued. "Keep going." She said satisfied.

"I didn't believe you; I didn't stand with you." He breathed out hesitatingly.

"You still don't." She fought him and finally looked at him. He didn't answer and it made her anger grow. "You know; I'll never forget that moment. The moment the world sort of blows you backwards, and the one person you thought would always be there to catch you… He isn't there."

"Look at what is going on. You're continuously talking to me about the life we had. But you can't blame me for not being the person I've never been. At least not in my mind." He complained.

"You never tried to remember!" She did too.

"You really don't know that!" He confessed and her heart skipped a beat. "I'm human. I don't have deeper instincts for what's happening around me. I'm sorry but… We have to get over this!"

"But we can't!" She replied quitted. "That's the only thing that connects us. Everything else in this world doesn't want us together."

"Like what? Dark punishments?" He tried to joke but he regretted it when he saw her disappointment.

"That's what I believe. I may be crazy or… I may be true. I'm tired to force you to choose. You just have to do it. If you care for me just a little, you have to choose. Because what I don't want, is to have all of my good memories… replaced by moments like that. When I looked at you, and I saw that you didn't believe me…"

"No. I know. You don't deserve this. That's exactly my problem, Emma. You don't deserve me. We just keep hurting each other and… I'm so sorry for that."

She saw a tear escaping from his eyes and he blinked to wash the others away. A sweet but sad smile curled on her lips and she caught his hand gently. "I know." She admitted because she did know it!

But I love you. He wanted to say it out loud but he couldn't. His voice had, suddenly, been muted. He didn't know how. He didn't know why… but he knew that his love for Emma was growing day by day since the first moment he saw her. It was weird for him too. He wasn't supposed to love someone so quickly; not after what he had experienced in his life. Not now that Milah was next to him again. Was she? Even that was ambiguous. This Milah had nothing to do with the one he fell in love with. This one was making their relationship feel wrong. What had changed so rapidly? How did this woman managed to find life in his dead heart?

"And that… is what makes it all so sad." She added while she was caressing his hand lovingly.

He nodded in admission and she squeezed his hand before letting it go off hers. She stood up with a sad smile, mirroring his one and went back inside.

. . .

She closed the door behind him and took some steps forward to take everyone's attention.

"You've planned something!"

Liam said and made her smile. "Yes I did. I just want to let you know before it's too late."

"I don't like this." Mary Margaret whispered.

"Don't interrupt me, please. We don't have much time; I don't want Killian to hear about this."

"Just tell us Emma!" Regina demanded and Emma took a deep breath.

"I made a deal with Cora. We'll be able to leave with Killian. But her request is that he's going to be away from us when he go back and he'll continue to not remember us."

"Seriously? That's your plan? That's stupid!" Regina grumbled and Emma rolled her eyes.

"It's done, Regina! All you need to do is to find a memory portion once we go back there and…"

She didn't manage to continue her sentence when Hades appeared right next to her.

"Sorry, lady, but Cora forgot to tell you about the part that you say nothing to anyone!" He mocked her and disappeared again with a swirl of smoke. Emma did too.

"No!" Mary Margaret yelled but it was too late.

"Not again." Regina complained anxiously.

The backyard's door opened and Killian ran inside. "What happened?" He asked worried because of Mary Margaret's scream.

"Hades was here. He took Emma." Liam explained.

"What are we waiting for? Let's just go!" Robin suggested and everyone agreed. They began to leave the house. Killian headed to the door too when Liam grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Killian, things have gone tough now. If you come out there for Emma, that means you're ready to believe her; to trust her. I don't want to turn my back to you but… the last thing she needs right now is your incapability to make up your mind about her. She's in danger."

"Then I'll find her. I will always find her. Now come on." He said and ran outside.

Liam smiled satisfied and proud of his brother and closed the door behind him when he left.

. . .

Emma found herself trapped again in the same cage as before. Only this time she was all alone. She sat on the ground desperate as tears started to fall for one more time that day!

. . .

"What should we do?" Killian asked as they were running to the lake.

"Find Hades and see what he wants." David replied and then yelled. "Hades!"

"No, no. I think that's pointless." Killian said skeptically. "You stay here. I'll go search for something." He declared.

"Killian, that's dangerous!" Liam reminded him.

"I won't be late. Keep him occupied!" He shouted as he was running away.

Hades appeared again and they looked at him. "Oh, I'm so glad the full moon's coming so soon. I'm really tired of your visits." He complained playfully once again.

. . .

Killian let the pirate's instincts do their job. And they did. After some moments he was outside a house. It was the only one in the region, hidden behind some rocks. He walked carefully towards it but he didn't bother to knock the door. He just opened it and got inside.

Cora turned around surprised of what she was seeing and then smiled. "That's why I chose you in the first place!" She boasted. "I'm here some years now and you're the only one who managed to find my place alone!" She explained.

"Where's Emma?" He barked.

"Your friends are already asking that to my sweet Hades. Shouldn't you be with them?" She teased him innocently.

"No, no. He's not the one who controls this place. Now, tell me. What do you want from her?" He hissed.

"I want nothing, dear! I mean… She made a deal with me but I'm just going to help her."

"You what?" He narrowed his eyes, suspicious.

"I challenged her enough. I'm tired! I'm going to help her out of here." She replied smiling.

"Why should I trust you?" He asked.

"Because there's nothing I'm hiding this time!" She answered. "I'm not mad at her anymore. If she goes back, I'll be able to get back to my work here peacefully."

"It sounds logical… but I know you better!" He reminded her.

"Honestly Hook. I have nothing more to wait for her and her friends. No benefit for me if they die. They're free to go by me!" She said again but he was still suspicious. "In honor to our best times!" She motivated him.

"Okay. But if something goes wrong…"

"Nothing will happen!" She interrupted him. "You can go back to your friends and I promise to come there with Emma!" She said. "One thing you can't deny is that I always keep my promises!" She added.

"I know you do." He admitted and turned to leave.

"Wait!" She stopped him. "Take this." She offered him her hand and a necklace appeared. "Keep it as a reminder of our deal, and all this experience. I think it suits you." She complimented him sweetly.

"Things are getting more and more strange since I died. You're giving me a gift now?!" He asked sarcastically and took it.

She didn't answer and he went to find the others.

. . .

Emma was sitting with her head between her legs when she heard a noise and looked up. She saw Cora appearing in front of her and sat up in an instant.

"Why did you do this?" She complained loudly.

"Because your silence was part of your deal, my dear!" She replied innocently.

"That's crap! You knew I would tell them." She shouted.

"You should know to be careful with what you sign for." Cora reminded her. "Now, come with me. I want you to be there for what's coming next."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked and felt her blood turning cold inside her.

"Your lover's deception of course!" She responded with a wicked smile and waved her hand with magic.