Chapter 26: We Can Be Heroes
Emma wept when she saw her mother, but she was nearly overcome with the heat and smoke when Killian, freed from the threat of Titus' deadly javelin by Snow's arrows, raced across the courtyard and then leapt through the fire to reach Emma before she was incinerated or suffocated. Coughing, he untied her hands, swept her up in his arms, and then jumped through the inferno to safety. They both landed with a hard thump, their clothes on fire, as he rolled her over and over on the hard ground to quell the flames. Both were covered in black soot, spluttering and coughing, Emma feeling her lungs had been half burned. They had rolled under a wagon and they lay there hidden for a moment, panting at the near escape.
"Darling," he said, kissing her exuberantly, "we've got to stop meeting like this!"
"No time for that now," she grinned back, still coughing, "we've got to get to the southwest tower to get Jamie!"
As they ran towards the tower, Emma could see that the Vargan soldiers, with no longer anyone to fight for, were putting down their weapons and surrendering or simply running away. It was now a mop up operation and she had no fears for the safety of her parents or their allies. But she was deathly worried about whether Cora had already taken Jamie.
At the base of the steps leading up to the tower, they found several guards lying dead or dying, slashed or run through with swords and daggers. Hearing sounds of further struggle above, they thundered up the stairs, Emma and Killian snatching up discarded swords as they ran. Near the top, they came upon Pullo and Vorenus, both covered in blood with murder in their eyes, cutting their way through the last of Titus' elite corps of veterans.
Killian and Emma dashed in to help them, Emma trying to work her way around the desperate brawl to get to the door. Killian slashed one adversary in the belly then roared at the top of his lungs "Your king is dead! You have no one left to fight for! Put down your swords, fill in your pockets, and go in peace!"
Suddenly, the fighting ceased as the remaining holdouts pulled back and looked at each other and at their four determined opponents uneasily. They blinked at them suspiciously for a few moments, then dropped their swords and fled.
"Well, that was easy," Pullo said, sheathing his sword. "I got ten of 'em. How many for you, Vorenus?"
"Eight," he said glumly, "I'm losing my edge."
"Ah, shut yer gob, ya big girl! I'll buy the first round anyway." Pullo, always an optimist even in dire circumstances, was especially cheerful when he had bested Vorenus in their competitive violence.
"Ahem, gentlemen," Emma called out, "I need you to help break down this door!"
A few minutes later, the four had burst into the royal apartments at the top of the tower. Finding the antechamber empty, they ran through a corridor and burst into the boy's nursery, only to find themselves suddenly paralyzed as if their feet had taken root in the floor below.
There stood Cora, a malignant smile on her still lovely face. And she held their boy in her arms. The child, obviously terrified, was crying and trying to squirm out of her grasp. His wails only intensified when he saw his mother reaching for him.
"You're too late," she said contemptuously, "And the only reason I'm still here is that I couldn't resist the temptation to destroy you and your cursed parents. How thoughtful of you all to gather here in my honor."
"I see your sarcasm is still very much intact," Killian said wryly. "But can't we work out an arrangement? There's no need for killing here…" He was stalling, trying to buy time, and giving Emma frantic looks.
She knew what he was saying – if there was ever a time to get her magic on, it was now. She began to concentrate hard and her hands began to tingle.
"And you're as mouthy as ever, Hook, and quite honestly I've got the only thing you could possibly offer me that I'd be interested in, and you've very conveniently gotten rid of that fool Titus for me as well," Cora continued.
Emma reached out her hands and suddenly a beam of white light flashed from her fingertips. Cora looked shocked as she realized that her enemies were now free and it was she who stood rooted to the spot. Nonetheless, she kept her tight hold on the child, now shocked into silence by the drama around him, and she raised her hand to counter Emma.
"You really think you're a match for me, do you?" she laughed nastily. "I warn you it'll be like pulling the wings off a fly for me."
"Put that child down now, Cora!" Snow and Charming had now burst into the room, his sword drawn and her bow at the ready. "And leave my daughter alone!"
Snow let loose another of her perfect shots, but Cora easily reached up and snatched it before it reached her. Although the arrow had missed its mark, Emma was grateful for the reprieve it had given her. She'd felt her hold on Cora beginning to weaken underneath the powerful onslaught of the witch's dark magic.
But it was only temporary, as Cora turned the full force of her magic against Emma and her supporters, throwing her back against the wall and freezing the others in place. She crumpled up, dazed by the impact as Cora laughed again.
"You insects are boring me. Time to kill you and get on my way!" she huffed.
But before she could raise her hand again to strike the death blow, another voice rang out, startling the entire company into silence.
"Not so fast, dearie! I've got other plans for you…"
"Well, well, as I live and breathe, Rumplestiltskin! Can't say it's a pleasure to see you again." Cora's voice was unpleasant, but her face twitched ever so slightly. Clearly, she had not gambled on a confrontation with the Dark One.
All eyes were turned to the diminutive yet charismatic figure, who had suddenly materialized in the room out of thin air. Quick as a flash, he nimbly conjured up what looked like a sorcerer's hat, and held it open before him. Slowly, the hat's magic began to suck Cora into its void.
The violent force suddenly overwhelmed her, causing Cora to loosen her grip on Jamie and her hold on the others. Seeing his opportunity, Killian launched himself toward her like a missile, snatched his son from her grasp, and rolled them both to safety.
Emma, her parents, and her bodyguards watched Cora slowly blur into nothingness as she was pulled relentlessly into the strange magical hat, their mouths agape. When she was gone, all were silent for a moment, their eyes still held by the Dark One and the hat that, hopefully, had put an end to Cora forever.
Killian lay on his back in the corner, slightly winded, the child safely pulled against his chest, when the boy popped his head up and regarded his father gravely. Killian was as stunned by laying eyes on his son for the first time as he was by his hard landing on the floor. He looked with amazement into a pair of small eyes as blue as his own.
"That was fun! Can we do it again?" the little boy suddenly piped up.
Everyone, including Killian, burst out laughing. "That's my boy!" he said proudly.
Emma ran to them and embraced them both weeping, as her parents rushed over to hug their daughter and see their grandson for the first time.
Their tearful reunion was interrupted by a pronounced "Ahem!" from Rumple, who tapped his foot impatiently, anxious to be on his way. He addressed himself to Killian, who by now had gotten to his feet and handed Jamie to his mother.
"Well, Pirate, my debt to you has now been repaid in full measure, and our business – for now – is concluded," the older man said.
"Debt? What debt?" Emma asked, hugging Jamie to her as her parents held them both.
"Long ago my beloved wife Belle was captured and held prisoner by someone whose name I shall not mention," he explained.
Snow and Charming dropped their arms and looked at the ceiling, remembering. "Well, in her defense, she was going through a very rough patch at the time," Snow said charitably.
"I'll leave the rainbows and unicorns to you, sweetheart," Rumple growled, "I suffered for years believing her to be dead, until the Pirate rescued her and returned her to me. He's never collected on the debt – until now. Now we are truly even – my love for his."
With that, he gave them all a flourishing courtly bow and vanished as suddenly as he'd appeared.
Now it was Charming's turn to clear his throat. "Emma, I don't believe we've been properly introduced," he said, nodding at Killian.
"Oh, right," Emma said lamely. This was awkward. She gave Pullo and Vorenus a meaningful glance and they excused themselves from the family gathering with the announced intention of informing Richard and Robin of Cora's spectacular demise.
"Papa, Mama, this is Killian….Killian…." What last name was she supposed to use?
"Killian Jones, at your service," he finished for her, bowing gracefully. "It is my honor to meet you at last. Why don't we sit down, have a few tankards of ale, and I'll give you a bit of my background."
Much later, after hearing an abridged version of his life story and his relationship with their daughter, Charming sat with Killian downing yet another mug of ale as Snow and Emma soothed Jamie to sleep after the traumatic day.
"So, let me just summarize here," Charming began. "You were born to a noble family in an entirely different world. You even have a magical ability to temporarily inhabit and control the minds of animals, especially wolves – got to admit, I did not see that one coming. You've been able to cross worlds, prolong your life beyond its natural span, and your principal occupations for several hundred years have included actor, pirate, and thief. Is that right?" He took a long draught of ale, then banged the tankard down on the table, slopping its contents as he swayed slightly from the effects of the alcohol
"You got it, mate," Killian said, lifting his mug in salute.
Charming's brow furrowed then. "You also crashed a masquerade ball hosted by Snow and me, stole from my guests at my palace, then seduced and kidnapped my daughter on her way to her wedding. Oh, and by the way, you're the natural father of my grandson. Have I got that part right, too, mate?" His voice rose, irate now, his face reddening with a combination of liquor and anger.
"Well, in all fairness I'da married your daughter if she'd been at liberty to accept me," Killian said, raising his hands in a gesture of innocence. "'N to be candid, she was quite enthushiastic – enthusiastic - about the seduction as well." The alcohol had loosened his tongue even more than usual, and he winked incautiously.
"I'm gonna pretend I din hear that," Charming slurred back, his voice even more menacing, his face suspicious. "You're an impudent scoundrel, and I really dunno whether to embrace you as a son or punch your feckin' lights out."
"Is violence really the sholution – I mean the solution - to family differences?" Killian asked, insouciant as ever, slurring his words worse than before. "Besides, Emma and I couldn't help it, anymore than you and Mrs. Charming could when you first met. It's True Love, innit?"
Charming's face visibly softened at that. "I'll drink to that," he slurred, "To True Love!" They clinked mugs and downed the contents in one go. Killian then refilled their mugs from the pitcher.
Charming sat pensively for a little while after that, downing his ale steadily as Killian matched him drink for drink. Finally, he turned back to the younger man and regarded him with a steady eye – well, reasonably steady under the circumstances.
"You're a pirate 'n a thief. That said, I'm a former shepherd who later impershonated, I mean impersonated, my twin brother and pretended to be the son of King George – nasty man, let me tell you. Emma's mother wazza bandit who lived in the woods with seven men. Emma's step grandmother is the former Evil Queen, and she's married to a man known widely as the Prince of Thieves. So - guess all I gotta say ish…welcome to the family?"
By the time Snow and Emma found them, they had their arms around each other's shoulders while drunkenly and tunelessly singing "Over The Hills and Far Away".
Snow stood over them now, her lips pursed, hands on her hips. "Oh my gods, Emma! They're three sheets to the wind! What were you thinking? Don't you know we have matters of high politics to address in the morning?" She tutted over Charming as she helped him from his seat. He limped off to bed, staggering every so often as his wife struggled to keep him afloat, scolding him the whole way.
Killian fell drunkenly on Emma as if she'd been absent for years rather just a few hours. "Emma darling…" he planted a few wet, sloppy kisses on her as she towed him along to put him to bed.
"Don't you 'Emma darling' me, you're a disgrace! And you smell like a brewery," she wrinkled her nose. "What kind of an example are you setting for your son, I ask you?"
As she put him to bed, still in all his clothes, Emma continued alternately fretting over and haranguing him for his misconduct as he feebly protested that he was bonding with her father, until he passed out cold. He managed a final grimace as he thought about what a pair he and Charming made – fierce warrior heroes by day, pussy whipped by their womenfolk by night.
I'D LOVE YOUR REVIEWS. IT WAS A REAL PLEASURE WRITING THE ROLES AND INTERPLAY OF CHARMING, SNOW, AND RUMPLE WITH KILLIAN AND EMMA IN THESE TWO CHAPTERS. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THEIR APPEARANCES.
THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE. STAY TUNED. HOPE YOU ENJOYED CHARMING AND KILLIAN GETTING DRUNK TOGETHER. I DO LOVE THAT BROMANCE.
PLEASE DO LEAVE A REVIEW AND PLEASE CHECK OUT MY SAVING PRINCE KILLIAN IF YOU LIKE BODICE RIPPING HISTORICAL FICTION AND HOT PRIEST COLD WINTER IF YOU LIKE DARK AND DIRTY PRIEST KILLIAN FANTASY.
I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR READING MY STORY AND FOR ALL YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!