You guys are the best with your kind words, I'm glad that you have all enjoyed my story and as soon as I have time I will start on a new one.
This is probably the last whole chapter that I will do but there will probably be an epilogue to follow just to tie up all the wee ends.
Last chance to get fic ideas to me so I can start working on something soon, send them my way.
Lorem Itineris, Journey Home
Killian stared at the spot that David had stood in seconds before... until he had disappeared right before his eyes, had that really happened?
Had he been telling the truth?
Was this really just a dream?
Had he really been hiding from Morpheus when he wasn't coming back?
He vaguely remembered David and Emma fighting the God but it was all a bit fuzzy and he had been struggling to figure out if it had really happened or not and it would seem that it had... well according to David anyway... but had it really been David?
He sighed heavily, why did everything have to be so confusing?
If David really was telling the truth he needed to wake up, Swan would be waiting for him but so would the pain that he seemed to finally have managed to escape.
Wait... Why was he not in pain?
He looked down at himself and was surprised to see his Pirate leathers in place, wasn't he in pajama pants and where were the dressings and bandages?
He sat himself up straighter still not feeling any pain and blinked a few times, maybe this was a dream after all. That was all he needed, he pulled himself to his feet and was scrambling his way up on to the deck of the Jolly as quickly as he could. The wind and rain were howling around him as the ship rose and fell with every swell of the ocean but he had an idea. If this was a dream, this was him making this happen. He screwed his eyes shut and concentrated hard, he thought of a bright summers day on a calm blue sea and he knew it had worked before he even opened his eyes as the ship stopped rocking and the bright sunshine warmed his tired bones.
Eyes flying open he grinned like a mad man, it was really over. Now he just had to find a way to wake himself up.
Killian's mind was reeling now, how was he going to do this? Now that he knew that Swan was waiting he didn't want to stay here any longer than he had too, he wanted to go home.
His grin wouldn't leave his face as he looked about him furiously, how was he going to do this?
"I'm coming home Swan, you hear me? I'm coming back for you Love" he screamed out into the air and for a second the sky changed to reveal the hospital ceiling tiles but with it came a pulse of pain that nearly knocked him off his feet. He grit his teeth and clamped his hand around his middle giving a groan but this wouldn't stop him, he knew that David had been real and Emma was waiting for him.
How was he going to do this?
Then it hit him, this TRULY was a dream and the one thing that everybody knows is that you can't die in a dream. Killian grinned again, this was probably the most stupid idea he had every had but for the first time in what felt like forever he felt alive as his heart thumped in his chest and he ran across to the nearest rigging. He looked straight up to see the crows nest high above him and without pausing to question his own sanity he started to climb. It was tricky as the higher he got the more he began to hurt, he gave another groan as his ribs protested the relentless upwards motion but he didn't stop and eventually he hauled himself up on to the small platform to gaze down at the deck below.
"SWAN" he screamed "You better be ready for this"
Then he tried to calm himself down and drew in a breath and whispered.
"This better bloody work or I'm going to be in so much trouble"
He took one last deep breath which he held, he didn't look down he just stepped off the edge.
He was falling but he didn't scream, he just grinned, this had to work, right?
Not once did he doubt that he had done the right thing as the deck got closer and closer then it happened... he was gasping for breath as every part of his body screamed with pain and he thought for a second that he would open his eyes to find his broken body lying on the deck of the Jolly but when he finally managed to focus his mind he could hear her.
Swan was somewhere by his side calling his name but he couldn't concentrate as every part of him screamed in agony and another coughing fit descended on him. He could also hear his heart rate monitor beeping wildly in time with his thumping chest and when Whale brought an oxygen mask over his face unexpectedly he couldn't help it when he jumped in surprise.
"Sorry Hook but you need to take deep breaths. You need to calm down. I will give you something for the pain in a second but you need to calm your breathing down first."
Killian gasped in breath after breath, his chest felt heavy like he couldn't take in a full lungful of air and every breath hurt like hell but eventually he managed to calm himself down and open up his eyes to see his Swan's worried face looking down at him.
"Killian?" her eyes shone with tears as she gripped his hand tightly in hers and he couldn't help himself he just grinned at her, she was beautiful and she was there by his side.
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He had just grinned, that's all he had managed to do once he had breathing back under control, he hadn't said a word but he hadn't needed too, his smile had been enough for her.
Emma couldn't believe that it had finally happened, she had been telling Henry to have patience but in reality she had lost her's days ago and then it had finally happened, Hook had woken up and grinned.
That had been an hour ago, he had only been awake for a few minutes but he had known them all, he had still been himself and she knew deep down that he would wake again, the fear that he wouldn't was gone, this was just normal every day sleep.
"Emma, you OK?" Mary-Margaret's voice broke into her thoughts as a tear tumbled down her cheek
She turned her head and grinned at her Mom, Dad and Son. They stood at the bottom of Hook's bed as Whale worked on Hook's other side and the worried look on her Mom's face disappeared as she realized that Emma was smiling.
"I'm more than OK, he's going to be alright, he woke up" she grinned herself mimicking Hook's previous smile as more tears fell.
David came forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her tight, she lent back into his embrace and gave a contented sigh at being held in her Fathers arms.
"How long 'til you think he'll get out of here?" David asked Whale as the Doctor put Hook's chart back at the end of the bed.
"Well, he's making good progress. His temperature is nearly back to normal, he'll get his stitches out in the next few days and the burn on his arm is healing well. We'll have to see how he is when he fully wakes up which shouldn't take too much longer but all being well I'd say about a week if we can get him eating quickly. He's going to need a lot of help when he leaves, this is not going to be a quick fix by any means."
"That's OK. He's coming to stay with us" Henry beamed
"You betcha Kid, he is not getting out of my sight anytime soon" Emma said with a smirk as her eyes fell back on her Pirate.
His bruises had bled out into varying shades of yellows and browns and he had a bit more color in his cheeks but Whale was right, he had lost a lot of weight. His face had taken on an almost skeletal look as his cheek bones jutted out and she knew that under his covers his ribs were showing too but that was something that could be fixed, something that she could deal with. Whale seemed to have read her mind as he spoke his next words.
"He's going to need a special high calorie diet for a few weeks, we're going to start him on something simple tomorrow then hopefully we can start him with a five small meals a day system until he regains his weight." Whale added as he finished up with Hook's monitors
"Thank you Victor" Mary-Margaret said with a sweet smile
Emma grinned to herself as she felt her Dad tense behind her but the jibe she was about to throw out was forgotten as Hook blinked his eyes open and looked about the room.
"Hook!" she cried as she stepped out of her Father's arms and took up his hand.
"Swan?" he gave a confused look then that grin was back but it didn't last as his eyes quickly fell closed and she thought he had fallen asleep again but he surprised her when he spoke again.
"You really did it? He's really gone?" he tipped his head slightly and opened his impossibly blue eyes again to meet her gaze causing her heart to flutter at the look of utter love he held for her.
"Yeah" she grinned back "he is gone Killian and he's never coming back. Me and my Dad saw to that"
She watched as Hook's gaze moved onto David and his brow furrowed into a sincere look, he licked his lips and sighed.
"It would seem I have a lot to thank you for. Thanks Mate, for everything"
"Forget it, it's what us hero types do." David smirked but Hook didn't smile back he just furrowed his brow further.
"Even so, what you have done, what all of you have done has gone beyond anything I could only ever have hoped for. You all helped me when I needed you and I will be eternally grateful" he said with a sad smile as he looked at each of them in turn.
Mary-Margaret stepped forward "That's because you are family now Hook."
Emma watched in wonder as Hook's eyebrows shot up at her Mom's words, he hadn't been expecting that and he seemed a little uncomfortable at the thought.
"Aye... family" he eventually sighed as he gave a sad smile and let his eyes slide closed once again.
"Hey, that's a good thing you know" Emma chuckled "Don't look so sad about it."
Hook peeked his eyes open again and smiled at her.
"I am happy Love but a family is something I have not had for a very long time, it will take a bit of getting used to again"
The mood had changed and Emma wanted more than anything to turn it around but her mind was frozen, how could she be so stupid? Of course he would be sad when he thought of his family, they were all dead, they had been for a long time and he had been by himself for more years than she cared to guess. She was just about to open her mouth to speak but her Dad saved the day yet again as he spoke beside her.
"Yeah well you better adjust quickly, the loft isn't exactly very big and we're gonna get to know you extremely well over the next few weeks" David said raising his eyebrows high up on his head "and by the way I'm just putting it out there now, I am not doing toilet duties."
Hook gave a hearty laugh that had him clutching at his ribs and gasping but the grin didn't leave his face as he replied
"Mate, you have practically had your hands in my insides and quite literally have been inside my head and you won't do that one simple task? What will you do if there is only the two of us home?" Hook gasped out still grinning.
"I will leave your scrawny butt where it is and Emma can deal with the wet bed sheets later" he laughed in reply
"You'd really leave me?" Hook asked not quite laughing as hard as he had been before.
"You better believe it" David grinned widely but when he seemed to notice Hook's change of mood he gave a slight cough and added "You know that's not true right? I'd get you a bottle to pee in, Mary-Margaret would kill me if I let you wet the bed"
The room was filled with laughter once more and Emma looked around at her family beside her, they had won. Yet again they had defied the odds and beaten the bad guy. She looked back at Hook as he lay back on his pillows still smiling, it was going to be a long journey for her Pirate but they would do it together... all of them, as a family.
