A/N I can't believe the response I got from the last chapter! Thank you guys so much for all the reviews and favourites! I love you all! This chapter has a treat for you Snowing shippers at the end, we have a moment between the two. Here, we get an insight into what the bloody hell happened to Emma last chapter.

Chapter 29: Aftermath

Slowly, the sobs that heaved her small frame subsided and he could feel as her weight became more dependent on him. The exhaustion of that day had taken its toll. Killian scooped her up in his arms without a second thought, cradling her protectively against his chest. He looked back down at her, glad to see the soft features smoothed, she was calm in sleep. Her blonde hair tumbled over his arm, a waterfall of soft curls. This was his swan.

He walked briskly but quietly from the room and could vaguely hear voices downstairs. As he reached the bottom of the flight, he took in the faces before him. First and foremost, Emma's parents were embraced tightly and turned when Killian entered the room carrying their daughter. Behind them, sporadically placed around the room, were Ruby and her Grandmother, Gold and Regina. Everyone's eyes lifted to watch the pirate stop, her limp body still in his arms.

"We should go back to her apartment," Mary Margaret said, her voice light as a breath. Killian agreed, walking out the door and towards her apartment. Emma's parents followed and Regina and Gold took his 1980's Cadillac. Ruby and Granny had apparently decided to remain and clean the mess.

When they were all at her apartment, he placed her lightly on her bed – pulling back the covers and replacing them on top of her. Henry entered the room, Regina and Gold had picked him up from Grace's on the way over, and tucked a loose strand of hair away from his mother's face. She looked peaceful as she slept and the small boy smiled half-heartedly.

"Will she be okay?" he quietly asked Killian.

"Your Mom's strong. She'll be fine… would you be able to keep watch over her while I talk to your grandparents and the others?" he replied, tone unusually soft as well. Henry nodded, pushing himself up on the side of the bed to sit beside his sleeping mother.

Killian left the room, comfortable that if she woke Henry would be able to calm her back to sleep. She desperately needed her rest.

As the pirate entered the living room, he could already hear the discussion between Mary Margaret, David, Regina and Gold. They were huddled around the table, voices hushed in an effort not to disturb Emma.

"She's asleep, Henry's with her." His voice broke their conversation and they all looked up at him as he stood at the head of the table. He didn't feel like sitting down, despite the fatigue he felt.

"As I was saying, I've never seen that much raw power compressed within an individual. She overpowered two fully capable and experienced sorcerers without batting so much as an eyelid," Gold said.

"What happened to her? I don't understand?" Mary Margaret whispered, almost to herself.

"She killed Talice… and as much as the git deserved it… that's not the Emma we know and it certainly wasn't her when she went after Neal," Killian said, more fervent than the rest of them.

"I think she may have been completely taken over by the magic itself. I've always said magic comes with a price and when it comes to us," Gold said, motioning to himself and Regina, "we can moderate how much it takes out of us, how much it controls us. Or rather, Regina can. As the Dark One, the amount of magic I possessed meant my humanity essentially evaporated. I think that the intensity of Emma's emotions paired with her natural ability and the fact that she's the product of true love… I think it gave her a reservoir of power unmatched by anything. But in using it so heinously she unintentionally gave herself over to it. It controlled her so that her most primal and basic feelings were dictating her actions. One of those feelings was rage directed at Talice so she killed him and once she was finished with him and the rage didn't subside, she directed it to Neal; falsely blaming him for Henry's involvement in it all."

Killian scoffed, "Falsely?"

"What does it mean for her? She'll be devastated when she comes to," David said, ignoring the pirate's comment.

"We can only hope she feels guilt when she wakes up. She should; she's not evil. Emma is an incessantly good person, the magic just brought out the very worst side of her," Regina answered indifferently.

"How did you stop it?" Mary Margaret asked, abruptly turning to Killian who was listening to the conversation intently. He stood silent for a moment, not exactly sure what he did.

"He was able to get to her through the magic, probably because of their bond," Gold interrupted. Emma's parents didn't appear too shocked at this for some reason or another.

"Look, I'm not really comfortable with Henry being in there with her let alone being around her until she gets this under control. I won't let him be in danger," Regina announced, impatient to see the subject of Emma and Killian drop.

"If you knew anything about Emma, you'd know she would never harm Henry," the pirate retorted, slightly angry that she was trying to keep the young boy from his mother, "even when she was overcome by the magic she never once thought about injuring him. She wouldn't."

"My deepest apologies Captain but since you have no say in my son's life –"

"Emma's son," Killian interjected.

"I raised him and therefore he is my son too. And you have never had a say in what is best for his welfare. Henry will stay with me, away from Miss Swan, until she can control her powers."

"The pirate's right. She would never harm him," Gold interrupted, surprising everyone in the room.

"Excuse me? You're the Dark One and you couldn't even defend yourself against her," the dark-haired woman responded haughtily.

"In fact, Henry should stay here for a little while. He'll keep Emma grounded which will in turn keep her magic in check. Not even the Gods could force Miss Swan to hurt Henry and if she thinks releasing the power will hurt him… she won't dare let herself think about it," Gold explained.

"And if she loses it?" Regina asked, temper rising.

"She won't. Henry is the most important thing in her life and nothing in this realm could make her jeopardise that. His presence will also likely calm her, he has to stay here."

"Perhaps Killian should move in," Mary Margaret suddenly said, using his given name for the first time since meeting him. Everyone turned to look at the petite woman incredulously. David held her tightly, obviously agreeing with her suggestion.

"What?" Killian stuttered, absolutely confounded.

"They may have a point," Gold said indifferently, picking up on something that Regina and the pirate had obviously not, "he was the only person capable of stopping her. That much magic… no one would have been able to kill her or subdue her. But somehow, this one here managed to stop her without dying in the process. Him being here will also help her stay focused but it will also mean that if she does go off the deep end again… he can stop her again."

Everyone's eyes turned to Killian's form, he blinked twice.

"And what if my presence aggravates her?" he asked.

"It won't," David answered abruptly, making the pirate do a double take. Emma's father had just registered some form of faith in him.

"And I think she needs to start getting assistance from me to help her control it." Gold's words were barely out of his mouth when Mary Margaret, David and Killian all started to protest.

"Look what you did to Cora and Regina!"

"You'll only make her worse!"

"What's to say you won't grow her power so you can use her for your own personal game when she loses it again?"

"Enough!" Gold exclaimed, waiting for silence in the badly-lit living room, "in case you haven't noticed I don't do things that don't benefit me. Miss Swan possesses a colossal amount of magic; more than I. Therefore, her losing control would put me and therefore Belle and Bae in danger. I would only benefit from her keeping it under control."

The explanation made sense and Gold watched as everyone's resistance to his idea died down. The pirate remained indignant at the notion but he seemed to understand the truth behind the little man's words. Emma needed help and because of that, his revenge would probably have to be put on an indefinite hold. Gold looked at the clock and then turned back to the table of people.

"It's late and I need to get home to Belle. Contact me when she's capable of thought and I will begin teaching her control," he said, standing and limping towards the door, "until next time."

Regina stood as well, "I should go too. It's late and I'm exhausted." The two of them departed, leaving Killian alone with Emma's parents. The pirate was about to leave when Mary Margaret piped up.

"She needs you… she won't admit it but she does," the pixie-haired woman said, leaning tiredly into her husband. He watched her lovingly, but the worry and intensity of the day had taken its toll. They both looked like they were ready to drop.

"Since when did the two of you start vouching for me? I'm relatively sure the last time you saw me with your daughter you tried imprinting your knuckles in my jaw." The pirate talked without humour, stating the facts as they were.

"Last time was a little different, Hook. You were… well, it wasn't like you were talking," David said, defending his actions. He didn't regret hitting the pirate one iota.

"So you don't want me to lay a hand on her yet you're willing to give your blessing for me to share a residence with her?" Killian asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow. Mary Margaret stared at him with pleading eyes.

"Please, Killian. I know you care about her… Just stay here for a while. Please?"

"What makes you say that? I could have just been trying to stop her from destroying the town – I might want that privilege to myself," he retorted and David smiled tightly. He didn't believe a word the man had just uttered.

"No one holds someone like that when they're broken if they don't care." The prince's words were the truth and Killian looked away. He chuckled darkly before sighing, resigning to their pleas. Shaking his head at the ridiculousness of this whole bloody suggestion, he answered.

"Fine… but I will require some items from my ship. I'll be back in around an hour." Killian hesitated as he started walking towards the door. Stopping once to glance back at her parents still seated at the table, Mary Margaret nodded reassuringly and smiled tightly. Then he left, confused and contradictory thoughts plaguing his mind.

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"Are you sure about this?" David asked as the man left his daughter's apartment. Mary Margaret kissed him tenderly on the mouth and stood up, looking down at her husband lovingly.

"Do you remember when I tried to kill Regina and you stopped me? When you took an arrow just to make sure I didn't turn into her?" He nodded, rolling his shoulder as he recalled the sharp pain the arrow had inflicted. His wife laughed at the action, walking around to stand behind the chair. She massaged his shoulder muscle gently.

"Well, why did you do it?"

It was David's turn to smile at the memory.

"Because I wouldn't let you destroy yourself. I loved you too much to let that happen," he replied, looking up at his wife. She bent down and kissed him again, remaining with her face an inch from his after she finished.

"And how did you get through to me?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I took the punishment you dealt me and carried on; I made you see yourself through my eyes. It's why you kissed me – because I put my life in danger trying to get the old you back." His words caressed her like a lullaby and she closed her eyes and smiled. Focusing her thoughts back on the question he had asked her, she explained.

"Why do you think Killian saved her? More importantly how did he get through to her when no one else could? Henry couldn't stop her."

David considered her words thoughtfully and nodded in understanding. He was still wary of the decision to let the swashbuckler live with his only daughter.

"I just… don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that he saved her but… he's, um…"

"A womaniser? Trust me; I'm not thrilled about that but… I think he really cares about her. I think he might love her, David. I don't think he'd do anything to hurt her, he respects her too much," Mary Margaret said, giving a voice to her husband's thoughts. He nodded, putting his hand over the one that she had resting on his shoulder.

"I think I agree with you. This afternoon when we entered that room," they both cringed at the mental image of their beautiful vibrant daughter leaning on the pirate for support as she sobbed, "I've never seen her like that. She's always so…"

"Strong? Independent? Guarded?" Mary Margaret offered.

"Yeah, she doesn't even fully let us in. Her telling us about Neal was a big step," David said, standing up and turning to face her. He embraced her, leaning down so their foreheads were pressed together.

"I know… I think he knows about Neal. Ruby told me she saw Emma and him fighting yesterday outside Granny's and Killian stepped in. Ever since the Enchanted Forest… they've just understood each other."

"I may not like him particularly but I know Henry does," he said, putting his chin on his wife's head. A small voice behind them made them jump.

"I do, he's a good person," Henry said, looking at his grandparents, "don't worry about Mom. She's fast asleep."

"Henry, it's really late. I know it's the weekend tomorrow but I think you should go to bed," Mary Margaret said, the motherly tone in her voice coming out. David smiled inwardly at his wife's maternal mannerisms and was quick to support her. He walked towards the small boy, kneeling down to be at his level.

"I think she's right, bud."

"Before he comes and lives here, I need to tell you something but you can't get mad," Henry said abruptly and the alarm in his grandparents' face made him pinch himself. They needed to know, though and it was no doubt they would eventually find out.

"What?" David said, all seriousness now.

"Do you remember a couple of days ago when I was at Grace's house?" he asked, and they nodded. His sheepish smile gave him away and Mary Margaret strode forward.

"Where were you, really?" she asked.

"I was with Killian… he's been teaching me to sail." The two individuals in front of him sagged in the ultimate relief but quickly composed themselves.

"You shouldn't have been sneaking around; we need to know where you are at all times, Henry. But, I don't think him teaching you to sail is… downright dreadful." David gave the young boy a stern look, only faltering slightly at the end. Henry grinned at his grandad and grandmother.

"I just didn't think you guys would want me to learn, seeing as how I know you want me to be a prince," Henry said to David, and the man looked slightly wounded. Mary Margaret was trying to stifle a smile at the amusing reveal.

"No problem, just let me know when he's taking you out from now on… I trust he didn't say anything derogatory around you?"

The kid laughed softly before smiling brightly at him, "Nah, he didn't swear or anything. I think he wanted to a couple of times but he didn't, he just taught me the ropes on a small boat at the docks."

"I'm not going to ask where he got it," David retorted. He stood up, ruffling Henry's hair and leading him to his room. Mary Margaret watched the two of them with a small smile tilting the corners of her mouth. She turned around and headed into the kitchen, making herself a coffee so that she would be awake when Killian returned.

She needs him, Mary Margaret reminded herself, and maybe, just maybe, he needs her.

In return for the lack of Captain Swan interaction here, I have put in EXTRA Domestic!Hook action, Henry/Hook interaction and Captain Swan loveliness. Trust me when I say that things are calmer from here on out with lots of moments between our beautiful OTP. Remember my lovelies, we are canon!