I own nothing except my delusions.


Starlight served as their only source of illumination as the crew lounged on the deck. The day had passed by with ease, the crew deciding to stay above deck after their evening meal to have a drink and relax.

Emma sat close beside Killian with Murphy on her other side, watching in amusement as Curry and McCullen stood nearby having one of their arguments, the crew egging them on. Contently, she moved closer into Killian's side, his arm wrapped around her, seeking warmth. Summer had fading into early autemn, and due to how far north they were, a chill had set in, permeating through Emma's thin dress. Nestling closer to him, she felt the warmth of his body against hers, the leather of his coat comforting against the night air.

"What's the longest they've ever gone at it?" she asked Killian curiously, indicating to Curry and McCullen.

Killian was quiet for a moment, contemplating. "Maybe a full day. It's really hard to say."

Emma chuckled as she took his flask, taking a swig of rum.

Happy to just be out with the crew in such a simple little gathering, she rested her head on Killian's shoulder, feeling him press his cheek to her head in turn. She gave a small smile; they never tried to hide their relationship, neither had a problem with showing casual affection to the other, even in front of the crew.

"Are you warm enough?" Killian asked her quietly. He raised an eyebrow, looking down at her. "I know exactly what you're trying to do."

Emma chuckled. "What? I can't just sit close to you like this?"

He chuckled in response, returning his head to its spot atop hers. "Yeah, you can."

"Good," she replied, cuddling closer into him.

"Well isn't that just adorable?" a woman's voice cut in. "Captain Hook has a soft side."

The crew instantly prepared for a fight as Killian sprang to his feet, quickly drawing his cutlass. He stayed beside Emma, while Murphy shifted slightly in front of her. Emma stood next to Killian, seeing the cause for the men's alarm.

A tall woman stood on the deck, dressed in a long green dress that's material resembled scales. Light hair spilled out from beneath her headdress, complimenting her dark skin. But what was most alarming about her were the four tentacles that the woman had at her waist. Emma immediately recognized her from not only old myths, but stories from her own parents, Regina, and Killian.

"Ursula," Killian greeted in a dark tone. "What do you want?"

Ursula shrugged. "A certain pirate captain payed me a little visit. He asked me for a little favor, one I'm all to happy to deliver. Especially after what you did to me."

"Blackbeard hired you to come after me," Killian deadpaned.

She smirked. "I knew you weren't just a pretty face."

He shifted away from Emma and the crew, making it so he was on his own. Emma wanted to move beside him, but Murphy's hand on her arm stopped her. She knew Killian was making it so that if Ursula struck, only he would be in the line of fire. Fear coarsed through her at the thought of him being hurt by the Sea Witch.

"I'm taking it the two of you deemed it sensible to partner up, seeing as you both want revenge on me, for whatever reason," Killian said calmly, trying to divert her attention away from the crew.

"You took away my happiness!" Ursula snapped, keeping her eyes trained on him. "Why should you get to have a happy ending when I don't?"

Emma saw the fear flash in Killian's eyes before he concealed it as he tightened his grip on his sword.

"I'm sorry for what I did," he told Ursula. "I broke my promise to you, and used that shell against you and took your voice. I know I can't be forgiven for that."

She kept her gaze on him, watching him with anger in her eyes.

Killian took a breath. "But I may be able to get you your voice back."

Emma saw Ursula narrow her eyes at him, her voice full of disbelief. "How?"

"I still have that shell," he told her. "It's in a safe in my cabin. I can give it to you, and you can get your voice back. You can get your happy ending."

Ursula watched him for a moment, looking for any signs of deceit.

"Alright," she finally said. "You're going to retrieve the shell, but I'm going down there with you."

Nodding, Killian turned to lead them back into the captain's quarters, briefly meeting Emma's eyes, trying to tell her everything would be okay.

Swallowing, she nodded at him, hoping that everything was going to be alright. She felt nervous, like something was buzzing was under her skin, ready to explode in her anticipation.

As soon as Killian and Ursula went down the hatch, Murphy released her arm.

"Captain Jones can handle this, lass," he tried to reassure her.

She nodded weakly, her nerves refusing to settle. She kept her eyes trained on the hatch, waiting for them to resurface. The crew around her stayed in their spots, all waiting with a nervous energy. Seconds felt like hours as she waited, wanting Killian to come up.

After what felt to Emma like an eternity, there was what sounded like a scuffle, making her go on alert, reaching for her own cutlass. Murphy stiffened beside her, the rest of the crew watching the hatch.

Before she could do anything, Ursula burst through the hatch, dragging Killian with her, wrapped in one of her tenticles. Emma felt all the air leave her lungs, the current coursing through her become stronger.

"You know as well as I do, Hook. You and I, we're villains, and villains don't get happy endings," Ursula told him with disdain. She tightened her hold on him, causing Killian's breaths to become gasping as she slowly crushed him.

Emma watched them in horror, moving to go forward to do whatever she could to free him. Murphy grabbed her arm again, restraining her from interfering.

"Emma, I don't know what we can do to help him," he said to her in a desperate voice.

She yanked out of his grip just as Killian was beginning to black out, Ursula moving him towards the gunwhale to throw him into the black water below. Emma moved toward them, away from the crew, trying to catch the attention of the cecaelia, who was keeping all her focus on Killian.

As the current beneath her skin became nearly unbearable, she instinctually raised her hands, releasing the current in the form of a white pulse toward Ursula, knocking her back and causing her to drop Killian on the deck.

Trying not to think of what she'd just done, Emma rushed over to him as he sat up, gasping to allow for the air to enter back into his lungs as he looked at her, surprise and worry plain on his features. She kneeled next to him, resting a hand on his face.

"Killian, are you okay?" she asked him worriedly.

"The shell didn't work," he told her as his color returned to normal. He looked at her, his fear for her plain in his eyes. "And now she may come after you, too."

They both looked over to see Ursula rising up, ready to come after them.

An idea struck Emma, one that came from all the times she watched Regina practice magic. She looked at Killian, her voice was light. "It's because you didn't cast the spell."

"What?" Ursula asked as Killian considered her words.

"Hook didn't enchant the shell to take your voice, your father did," Emma said in a clear voice, looking back at Ursula. "That's why it didn't work."

Ursula narrowed her eyes as she stared at her. "And how would you know this?"

"I've watched my mother's stepmother practice magic a lot," Emma replied.

"Summon your father," Killian told Ursula. "He's the one that enchanted the shell to take your voice, he's the only one who can give you your voice back."

Ursula watched them for a moment before nodding. "I'll summon my father. If he can't undo the enchantment..."

Her threat hanging heavy in the air, she produced a conch shell, saying something into it before gripping it in a tenticle and plunging it into the depths below.

Killian stood, helping Emma up as he went. His voice was hushed. "Swan, are you alright?"

She gave him a incredulous look as she ran her hands over his chest, looking for injuries. "Me? I'm not the one that was almost killed just now. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, love," he told her as he rested his hand on her waist. He looked at her curiously, his voice going low. "Swan, did you know you had magic?"

She swallowed nervously, biting her lip. "No. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this."

He nodded, pulling her closer to him until she was enveloped in his arms.

"Thank you," he told her quietly so that only she could hear. "Once again, you've saved me."

Her nerves slightly soothed, she smirked. "You know, I'm beginning to wonder about the validity of you being a survivor."

Despite the tense atmosphere that surround them as the crew still stood on alert and Ursula close by contacting her father, Killian chuckled.

"Well, the message has been received," Ursula announced, causing them to look toward her.

Before either could respond, a torrent of water appeared on the ship, similar to the smoke created by magic. A tall figure emerged from it, looking around the ship. The man was dressed in an unusual armor, with a long fur cape trailing behind him. His eyes found Ursula, recognition and love coloring his features.

"Ursula," he said in a deep voice filled with regret. "I need to say something. I'm sorry, Ursula. I should have never forced you to use your voice as a weapon. It was just... Every time I heard you sing, I heard your mother. And it was too painful. I let that pain fuel my desire for vengeance. But it shouldn't have. It should have reminded me that I still had a piece of her- you."

He smiled as Ursula looked at him, looking close to tears. She gave him a weak smile.

"Let me return your voice," Poseidon told her. "So I can hear it, one last time."

She handed him the shell, which he held in the palm of his hand. He waved his other hand over it, releasing a stream of green light from it as a siren's voice filled the air, moving toward Ursula. As the light was absorbed by her, she sang, her soprano finally returned to her as she smiled, her hand resting on her throat. Emma and Killian watched them, Emma wearing a soft smile.

"Now that you are whole again, I'll leave you in peace," Poseidon said, happy that his daughter finally had her happiness back as he moved to turn away.

"Wait," Ursula stopped him. "My voice is all we have left of mother. You took it from me once. I don't want to do the same thing to you."

"What are you saying?" he asked her.

"I've missed you," Ursula confessed, moving forward to hug him.

"I've missed you too," he replied, hugging her back.

Emma tore her eyes away from them, shifting them back up to Killian to give him a proud smile.

Ursula and Poseidon pulled away, letting Ursula turn to walk slightly closer to them.

"Blackbeard did hire me, but I have no idea why," she told them apologetically, her eyes resting on Killian. "I agreed to it because I wanted revenge on you because my voice was taken. I didn't ask why he is after you, nor did he tell me."

Killian sighed. "Is there anything about him you can tell us?"

"I've seen his ship," she volunteered. "The Concorde. It's where we conducted our business."

Nodding, he and Emma met each other's glance.

"At least it's something," she told him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You were right about the name."

Emma saw Ursula's eyes shift to her curiously.

"Emma, is it?" she inquired.

Emma nodded. "Yeah."

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Ursula asked. "I swear I won't do anything, I just want to ask you something."

Sensing no sign of deceit, Emma glanced up at Killian briefly to let him know it was okay before pulling away, moving with Ursula to stand away from the men.

Once out of earshot, Ursula turned to Emma. "You didn't know you had magic, did you?"

Emma raised her brow in surprise. "No, I didn't."

Ursula was quiet for a small moment. "What about your family?"

"Just my mother's stepmother," Emma replied. "No one else in my family has magic."

Ursula looked at her, recognition on her features. "Your step-grandmother is Regina, isn't she? Your mother is Snow White?"

Surprised that she figured it out, Emma nodded. "Yeah."

"Maybe..." Ursula said pensively, looking over at Killian, who was speaking with Poseidon.

"Maybe what?" Emma asked her suspiciously.

Ursula snapped her attention back to Emma.

"Your parents are True Love, making you the product of True Love," Ursula said. "I'm wondering if you've always had magic, but it just sat dormant for all this time. It just needed to be awakened."

"But what would have awakened it?" Emma asked dubiously.

Ursula gave her a knowing look. "Your own True Love, along with a situation where magic would save you or them."

Emma couldn't help looking over to Killian, who she saw was moving toward the crew. Turning back, she saw Ursula smirking at her.

"You mean that you think that Hook was what made the magic I have known?" she asked.

Ursula raised her brow. "I do. You are the product of True Love, you weren't in any danger, but the man you love was." Before Emma could say anything, Ursula gave her a sharp look. "You two aren't exactly subtle, especially when you make eyes."

"We don't make eyes," Emma grumbled.

Ursula smirked. "But the point is, you have magic, whether my theory is right or not. You should learn to control and use it. It wouldn't hurt, and I have a feeling it will be a powerful asset with what's to come with Blackbeard."

Emma nodded, moving with her back towards Killian and Poseidon, wondering if what Ursula had said was true.


Author's note: So obviously I'm ignoring the Savior mythology from the show (which doesn't really make any sense because of some of the stuff from season 2). The original theory I had was that maybe Henry awakened her magic, or even possibly Snow when Emma saved her from Cora, and I decided to go with that. As I've said before, I've had this idea before season 6 aired, and I'm too attached to these ideas to change them.

Teaser: Emma sighed, playfully rolling her eyes at him. "Always so sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"Well, I am devilishly handsome," he replied humorously.

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