Chapter 26

No Rest for the Wicked

When Killian woke up, breathing in thick clouds of smoke in a tent he didn't recognize, he never imagined that his day would end with kissing his love. He never imagined that after finding Zelena, the real one this time, weak and unconscious, he'd learn that his love never truly desired to leave him.

They'd tricked her, made her give in to the dark insecurities she always fought with, thoughts that no one could ever love a monster, thoughts that he would end up leaving in the end. It was one of the things they had in common, the fear of being left behind. It was what made what Marian did both dreadful, so effective.

Emma tried to leave first to protect her heart, and Killian hadn't chased after her to keep his own from being smashed for a second time.

But kissing Emma, it healed their hearts just a little, it was a start. Killian wondered if he'd have enough time to properly fixe what had been purposely damaged. He hoped and prayed he did, he swore that he would try.

Then the kiss ended and they were forced to return to reality, to deal with the fall out of this mess. The fact that this Marian woman had impersonated Zelena, the fact that the people who had taken them in were staring at their homes in flames, and the fact that with Zelena unconscious, and Regina was a mess of worry, now no one knew what to do.

Yes that all had to be dealt with before anything else could be accomplished.

"I should go see if Gina needs any help." He said softly, Emma nodded with a smile.

"I'll go take care of the fire before those fools hurt themselves." She said giving the Merry Men a sly look. Neither of them moved, her hand was still on his face, and his eyes were still on her.

He still couldn't believe that she was back.

"Killian. I'm going to fix this, I have a plan." Emma admitted, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "Don't give up hope yet ok?"

He nodded. He'd try his best, but he had already accepted his fate so he wasn't sure what would be the point.

Killian didn't tell her that.

Zelena was coming to as he tried to approach Regina, however Robin stopped him before he could reach the pair.

"Mate, Roland, Regina's boy, can you describe him? Age, hair, temperament? Or how about pointing him out to me?" The man said urgently. Killian looked at him suspiciously; he rather liked the lad, even though he'd taken to referring to him as 'Killy'. So hearing Robin, a friend but still a stranger, asking about that boy made his protective instincts flare.

"Why do you want to know?" Robin swallowed thickly. "Look mate, Regina is a good person and her lad is a ray of sunshine, you seem like a good bloke too, but why the sudden interest?"

Robin sighed. "My son's name was Roland. Regina told me she adopted him about a year ago and I lost my son over a year ago as well."

Bloody hell.

"My son was around 5 so he must be 6 by now, he has brown curly hair, dimples, and he loves stories." He explained.

Bloody hell. That sounded exactly like the little lad. Killian looked around, seeing him hanging around Lily as she was shepherding the children towards the lake with some of the other mothers.

"I can't give you answer mate." He said trying to step past him. "I don't want to give you hope just for it to be a misunderstanding." He saw Regina helping Zelena to her feet.

"Killian-" Robin tried, but he shook his head.

"Look around you mate, this is chaos. If your boy is the same one I know, the best thing you can do right now is to not make things difficult on his mother than they need-"

Robin interrupted, "But he's-"

Killian shook his head. "You have time to figure it out. You have all the time in the world, a few minutes, hell a few hours will change nothing. Just wait until things calm down and I'll personally see to it that you get your answers, alright?"

Robin sighed in defeat rubbing at his hair absently. "You're sure he's alright though?" Killian was. Lily would take care of him. He turned back towards Regina as she was offering Zelena some water. He neared them slowly. Regina spotted him smiling as he sat on her other side.

"Hello Zelena." He greeted, noticing how weak Zelea looked. "How are you feeling?"

Zelena's expression changed, she smirked at him. "Of course." She replied like his question was stupid. "What do you take me for?" It made Regina snicker.

"Be nice Zelena." Regina scolded. "Can you tell us what happened?"

She nodded. "I went in to check on Aurora and I saw her necklace." Necklace? "It was a six leaf clover. " Zelena continued, "I knew what it was, I knew what it does." Regian raised a brow.

"How? I've never heard of it." Zelena gave an evasive smile.

"Your sister had her share of adventures when we were separated." She says cryptically. "Tornado took me to another realm for a bit. I learned about it then." Killian noticed something pass between the siblings.

"So Aurora was really Marian?" Killian asked lightly, drawing attention back to them. "So Aurora was never there? It was always Marian?"

They didn't know.

"Marian figured out that I knew, slugged me with a rock and the next thing I know I'm waking up in a cave a little bit from here. She came and gave me food and water and asked me questions several times." Regina looked defeated, guilt coming off of her in waves. Killian was about to say something, but Zelena beat him to it.

"Don't look at me like that sister dear." The red head said simply. "The sorry maid didn't kill me. I'm alive, now lets make sure we all stay that way alright sister, I need to clean up what mess she's made with my camp." Killian would have expected a bit more compassion rather than how blunt she was, but it looked like it did the trick. Regina pulled out a large green pendent from her pocket, it was identical to the purple one around her neck. It caused Zelena's eyes to light up and for her to reach for it warily.

"How?" she asked. Regina smiled jesturing to her neck. Zelena pulled her hair forward so Regina could secure it.

"Emma had them, apparently it was what she used to curse us, something about talismans." Regina explained. "Wearing them will make us normal again. We can grow up, have a future, children, we have it all back." Zelena surged forward, wrapping her arms about her little sister. It made Killian back away, knowing a private moment when he saw one.

He looks back, seeing Emma prancing around the decollate area, free of any trace of fire, returning the camp to how it was. He could see the greatful smiles on the others, mothers returning to their homes, occasionally letting Emma know that she'd missed something with great hesitation. She'd just smile and correct her mistake.

(He swore her magic flashed a lighter color every now and then, but he didn't trust his judgement)

Once she's finished, he notices Lily speaking to her quietly. Killian figures since he has a moment with no one paying attention to him, he'd take advantage of it.

He takes this moment of solitude to rest his eyes, just briefly, he felt the wood of a tree at his back, easing some weight off his aching body. Everything shouldn't hurt this much, but it does.

He wonders if Liam knew it would hurt this much.

"Killian?" Emma says suddenly asks, a hand on his shoulder, moving up to his neck. He stirs, seeing her, grin plaster instinctively. "Are you alright?"

He nods. "Never better love." He tells her. She quirks a brow.

"I don't need a super power to know you're not." She says softly, wrapping herself around him.

"I know." He says with a small voice. But he couldn't tell her the truth. "Just a little tired." He reasons. "I'll be-" He stops. He didn't want to lie again. "It'll be ok." He says instead.

"We're going to fix this." She tells him suddenly, making him look at her.

She's so bloody beautiful.

"I have a way there, a magical branch that can open a portal, we just need a way to guide it…I will get you there. I will save you." She assured him.

He wanted to believe her, to put his faith in her, in her power, in her hope, but he couldn't. He just couldn't find any left, any belief, any hope. He was just tired. He dropped his forehead against hers, breathing in softly. She still smelled of cinnamon.

"We keep losing and finding each other." She reminds him in a whisper. "No more. We're sticking together now alright? I'm going to get us our future, alright? You just have to have faith."

He shook his head.

"I don't have any left." He admitted in a shaken voice. He saw her face scrunch up in confusion. "Fifteen years of searching, false hope after false hope. I couldn't find even a clue." He admitted. "And that was before I realized I was dying." He explained. "Magic beans, slippers, curses, none of it worked." His voice broke.

He trembled, he hated it, hated that he shook, hated that his admission brought tears to her eyes, a mix of guilt and pity to her green orbs. He reached up and whipped away a stray tear racing down her cheek. "No tears Swan. I've accepted it, my fate. I'll be happy as long as you have a future, find your happy ending Swan." He urged.

"Don't you know?" She said in an equally as shaking voice. "It's you." She admitted, hands wrapping around his neck. "It's ok. It will be ok, because I'm ready now." She said confidently. "I'll never stop fighting for our future."

He smiles because that's just like her, to keep fighting, trudging on, to keep running, even if it's from the inevitable. He hopes she can find a way to let him go…when the time comes.

"If I find a way, will you be ok with that?" She asks suddenly. "Will you let me help you?"

He nods. "Always Swan." He agrees pressing his face to her neck so he can whisper in her ear, because if it's a whisper, it couldn't hurt them. "You're my happy ending too." She smiled and he felt tears on her cheeks, looking back and seeing that they were happy tears. He glanced around them, seeing the camp change from somber to joyous. One man was even playing a flute, another person a stringed instrument. They were playing some song he didn't recognize.

It looked to him like the start of a party.

"Dance with me?" She pleaded with a smile. "We were happy the last time we danced." He remembered that day in the village. They felt invincible, nothing could go wrong. It was there last quiet moment, feeling like so long ago.

He smirked. "And perhaps we can have a repeat of what else we did after we danced he teased, taking her hand, and placing the other on her hip." She said leaning in, whispering slowly.

Bloody minx.

"Sure love, you remember how to do this right Swan?" He asked. She snickered.

"Yup." And then she kissed him. And then they danced.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

No one notices that its Emma who's leading most of the time, or that at the end of the first song all he was seeing was swirls of colors. Emma noticed it and once it was alright, she helped him sit at a table the men had brought in. Apparently Marian had arranged for them along with a massive amount of food for their wedding, they were planning on not letting it go to waste. He leans against Emma's side as they wait for the food.

"We should really get going Killian." Emma tries but Killian shakes his head.

"I'm getting a quiet moment with you if it kills me." He declares.

"Killian." Emma scolds. He smirks. He looks up and shudders.

"Uh oh." He mutters. "Swan…" But he has a feeling even she couldn't stop what was coming next.

"What the hell Jones?!" Lily snaps, marching towards them clearly enraged. "I told you when I saved your sorry life that you had to tell her!" He tries a smirk, but that seems to only make it worse.

"You let ME think she knew and you let HER think you were ok when they were both lies." She demanded. "You idiot, selfish, selfish idiot!" He ducks his head under her wrath.

"Lily-" Emma tries but it's a useless attempt.

"No Emma, you both need to hear this now, or our trip to Neverland will be hell." She said, arms crossed. "You both need to really learn to communicate."

Killian raised a brow. "Our trip?" He knew Emma was determined to get them there, but he didn't think-

"How do you think you're getting out of this mess Jones? Emma may have magic, but she's not exactly great at making cures." Lily snickers. Emma crosses her arms.

"Hey! Its not my fault that it takes to freaking long to do." She pouts. Killian snickers.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." He notes. "But what about Henry? I'd think you'd want to keep him-" This time it was Emma who answered.

"Henry's tagging along." She informed him. "Lily's going to pick him up in the morning."

He looked at them in confusion again. Her brown eyes glowed a vibrant green color. "Ever wonder why Emma named me 'Dragon Girl' in your story?" He hadn't, but now he was. The pair just snickered. "The point is that you've made an impression on two of the most important people in my life, and I'm determined to defend that with both tooth and claw."

When the food is eventually served, he rises, letting the pair eat. He had seen a bit of a distressing sight. Little Roland was sitting in a table all by himself, food untouched and a frown on his face. It just wouldn't do. He sat besides the boy, making him jump in surprise.

"Killy." The boy greeted. "What-"

He gave the boy a gentle smile. "You seem distressed lad, anything I can help you with?"

He looked away. "My Papa is alive." He whimpered. So Robin was right. Bloody hell, he'd completely ignored his request. "I was so happy, but Mama Gina makes me happy too, but they don't like each other. They got so mad, I don't think they know how to share." Killian suppressed his chuckling. The boy had the issue pegged.

"They love you Roland." Killian began. "They just don't know each other very well, once they do, they'll be better at sharing." He said, hoping it was true.

"Papa told me when he found me that he wanted to take me home, to our old home, but he told me Mama was gone. I don't want to leave Mama Gina." The boy admitted. "I hope they hurry up and get to know each other."

Killian nodded in agreement, looking around for an idea of how to distract him. He noticed a few of the Merry Men engaged in a game of poker. "Wait here a moment." He told him, going over and procuring a deck of cards." He returned to the wide eyed boy, sitting across from him at the circular table. "Ever played cards?" He asked. The boy shook his head.

"Papa does." He noted. Killian smirked, showing him how one of the simpler games worked, something that wouldn't get him an arrow in the eye when Regina found out.

"What's this game called?" Roland asked once he'd finished his explanation and he'd dealt them out a game.

"Go fish." Roland giggled loudly at the name.

"What the hell pirate?" Regina demanded storming up to them, Robin at her heels, just as the little lad was about to take his pair of queens. "Teaching my son poker? He's six!" He grinned softly.

"Regina, he's not your-" Robin corrected bitterly.

But Roland interrupted.

"We're not playing poker Mama Gina!" He said. "We're playing Go Fish!"

He noticed Robin wince at his words for the thief. He could see clearly what Roland was talking about. "How about we restart and we all play?" Killian tried, looking towards Roland and to his parents. "Nothing like a friendly game of cards to get to know each other better? Eh?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Typical for a pirate to want to play cards I bet you cheat too." She snapped angrily. Killian flinched in surprise at her sudden anger towards him.

"Only at dice milady." He replied evenly. "So should I re-deal or are you going to allow Roland here to whip the floor with me?" It caused Roland to giggle.

"You still have a chance!" He said simply. "You only have to get three more piles!"

Robin took the seat on Roland's right. "I don't see what harm a few games of cards can do right son?" Roland looked towards Regina expectantly.

This is not going to end well. Killian realized, seeing the challenge in the man's eyes, countering her possessive statement with his own.

"Fine barkeep." Regina stated, sitting across from him. "Lets see what you got."

And in Killian's experience, it was the most aggressive and most competitive game of Go Fish he'd ever had the displeasure of participating in. It was mere moves before both he and the little lad were out of cards and the other two were asking—no demanding—cards from each other.

Roland gave him a pleading look, practically on the verge of tears from watching this. Killian gaze them a dirty look.

"I know you have a king Tavern worker."

"Are you accusing me of lying Bandit?

"Hell yeah I am."

Neither noticed, nor did they notice him slipping away with Roland, somewhere out of sight. "See? They're so mean to each other. They ruined the game with their meanness!" He exclaimed, tears building.

"I know lad, I know." He said trying to comfort the boy, whipping away his tears. "It'll get better, I promise. They love you so much and they're just scared." The boy sighed, head in his arms.

"Why are they scared? I love them both. Papa, he's my papa." He reasoned. "And Mama Gina has been my Mama since I got lost. I love her too."

He sighed, unable to give the lad an answer. "I wish I could say something that would make everything alright. I wish I could tell you that one day you'll wake up and everything will be easy, but it won't be. Those two stubborn…" He paused for an appropriate word. "silly people will see that you need them both and it'll be a slow process before everything is alright." He explained. "Maybe talking to them, telling them both how you feel could help? From the look of it, if you told them you wanted the world I bet they would stop at nothing to hand it to you."

Roland hesitated.

"Could you come with me?" He asked in a small voice. "Please Killy?"

Killian smiled, standing up once again. He felt like sleeping for a month, but he couldn't say no to those little sad dimples.

"Of course lad."

Next chapter is the last one, and then the epilogue! I'm actually really excited to finish this. I wouldn't be this far without all of the wonderful support, so thank you.

These last few chapters are mainly for set up for the next story so I hope you enjoy.

It was so much longer than Freeing the Witch, so it has me pretty excited. I will post a bunch of chapters to Love of All Kinds, that's the only story where I take suggestions, so if there are any characters, situations, etc. that have you curious, let me know and I will see how I can fit that in.

Now Guest Reviews:

Anna: I'm glad you liked the reunion, it was so enjoyable to write. Emma's evolution is progressing nicely and she will continue to do so. I'm glad it's coming out well.

andria: I had the Robin and Roland reunion off screen, I felt the reunion would be more special without anyone watching. As you can also see, Regina and Robin aren't exactly thrilled to be co-parents. I love throwbacks. As for the whole Marian mess, I go a little bit more in depth with it with Emma, so hopefully that will make things a bit better next chapter.

Don't forget to review!

~Luna