Okay guys, here is the next chapter! I'm happy to see that you didn't seem to hate me too much after what's happened in the last one haha. I promise I ended this part with a happy ending! Thanks again for all the support, I'll never be able to tell you how much this means to me!
Emma never really knew how much time she spent crying on the floor of this apartment that had once seen her happy. It probably only lasted for a few short minutes, but it seemed like an entire lifetime to her. She didn't feel like herself anymore and nothing at all felt real. Her eyes were closed, but the floor was still moving underneath her. She felt like she was going to throw up, one hand clasped against her mouth and the other placed over her painful stomach.
Her husband had left. He obviously didn't love her anymore. And she didn't know what to do with herself or with this awful revelation.
He hadn't said anything out loud, but she finally knew what had been going for days now. He thought that she wasn't worth it, and now he was gone. She would always stay this little orphan that everyone always left behind, because she was never good enough for anyone. Maybe it was all her fault. There had to be a reason why this was always happening to her. Maybe she just didn't know how to love and people were better off without her. Perhaps she'd made him suffer without even realizing it, and this simple thought made her want to be sick with pain.
Maybe he did deserve better than her, after all.
She only looked up a long while later, when she heard steps coming in her direction. For an insane, happy second, she hoped that it was Killian, coming back to take her in his arms and apologize for the last few horrible days he'd made her go through. She prayed that he would tell her that he loved her more than anything, and that he still wanted her and their child to be. She just wanted for all of this to be a bad dream.
But when she opened her eyes, it was her son's face that she discovered leaning above her. He knelt on the floor and placed a comforting hand on her leg, looking so concerned by her tears. She would have wanted to pretend that she was okay because she had to protect him, but even that seemed impossible now. She just wanted to fall sleep and never wake up again, so she wouldn't feel this horrible pain anymore.
"Mom? Why are you crying? What's wrong? I heard screams, and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. What's going on?"
She felt like her heat was broken into a million little pieces, but she was still conscious enough to try and keep her little boy out of this mess. She absolutely refused for him to be abandoned by his own father, his role model and hero. Even if Killian didn't want her anymore, she knew that he would never leave Henry like he'd just left her. He would keep on being a dad to him, no matter what. Her son didn't deserve to be left alone like she had. She needed to protect him from knowing this pain.
So she simply shook her head, trying to calm herself down so she could actually talk. She was sobbing so hard she felt like she couldn't breathe anymore. She wiped off the tears that were streaming down her face, even if it was useless given the fact that she seemed unable to stop crying. It was giving her the illusion that she had some control over this awful situation, and she really needed this right now. She just couldn't crumble. She had to stay strong, for Henry.
She tried to smile, but didn't manage to properly do so. Her face seemed like paralyzed, and she felt like nothing would ever feel right in the world again after this. Her heart was beating so fast it was actually hurting her, and she felt like it was going to burst sooner than later. Her stomach had become a knot of pain too, feeling a bit tighter with each passing second. But she really had to pretend that she was okay. It was all for her son.
"We had a fight." She managed to say at last. "It's okay, kid. I'm just emotional. I'll be fine, I promise. Just go back to sleep, alright?"
"There's no way I'm leaving you alone while you're crying!" He protested, looking actually offended by her words. He reached for her hand to help her get back up and continued. "Come on, let's go to your room. You'll feel better lying down."
She hated the fact that her little boy was actually forced to take care of her because this wasn't his job, but she was feeling too weak to refuse his help. So she nodded, and forced herself to get back on her feet, so he wouldn't get too worried about her. His presence was helping her to stay strong in some way. He was the living proof that she wasn't such a bad person after all, because she'd raised a wonderful, amazing kid. Her son was a blessing, and she knew that whatever happened, she would always end up being okay, for him.
Her legs were shaking so hard that she stumbled and almost fell over when she tried to walk. Everything seemed blurry and dark around her and she just couldn't stop crying. With Henry's help, she still managed to get back to her room and collapsed on the bed as he was coming to snuggle beside her. She held him close, and he said after a few motr seconds of silence as she was trying to breathe and stop panicking.
"I don't know what's happening, but I'm sure that it'll be alright, you know. You and Dad already had some pretty big fights, but everything always got fixed at the end of the day. You don't have to worry about this, okay?"
"I know, kiddo." She simply said, because she just didn't want to tell him the truth. Killian had left, probably forever, and she just wanted to stop him from getting hurt.
"He loves you. He just needs to calm down, and then he'll come back." He added, trying to reassure her, but her heart only broke a little bit more at his words.
The pain in her stomach seemed to get even stronger, despite her tries to stay sane. Because her son was wrong. Killian wasn't going to come back, ever. Even if he hadn't said it out loud, his behavior just screamed that he didn't love her. And she just didn't know what to tell her son. She wanted him to keep living in this beautiful world where his parents loved each other more than anything. She just didn't want him to feel abandoned, or think that he wasn't enough.
Images of Judy's death as she was just a child, of her years spent in the streets, of Neal who had left her all alone and of Killian who was now doing the exact same were crashing inside her brain, making her want to scream. She was always getting back to the same awful, lonely place. Alone, weeping, feeling like the pain was going to kill her. No one ever wanted her. What was wrong with her? It had to be her fault, or it wouldn't always happen like that. She was probably the worst person to be around, and she was just incapable of love.
She opened her mouth to answer something to her little boy though, because she felt like the most important thing she could do right now was to reassure Henry. But she suddenly got interrupted by an awful and acute pain in her lower stomach, making her gasp in surprise. She curled up over her blankets and let go of a muffled whimper, not understanding what was happening right away. Her brain felt blurred by the sadness and the fear, and she just couldn't think anymore. She wrapped her arms around herself, but it didn't change a thing and her heart was racing so hard it felt about to explode.
"Mom? Mom!" Henry called her, looking absolutely panicked all of the sudden. "What's happening? Are you okay?"
His scream finally made her come back to reality and she felt like she was going to yell. The baby, something was very wrong with the baby. And it was bad, if she could trust her guts. The pain was strong and if she was sure of one thing, it was that she had to find a way to stop it. She just couldn't risk for her child to get hurt because of this situation. She couldn't lose it, not in addition to everything that was already happening. Damn it, she loved her little one so much already. And she had to protect it, no matter what.
"Henry." She whispered through the pain, trying to comfort her son and find a solution at the same time, because this couldn't be happening. "Please, go get your grandparents and Blue if you can find them. I need them."
"What's wrong?" He insisted, his eyes shining with pure terror.
"Your sibling needs you." She simply answere, because she didn't want him to be too scared. "Just go get someone, okay? And then we'll be fine."
This last statement seemed to make him understand that he had to hurry, and he literally jumped out of the bed to run to the door and get out of the apartment. Her little boy gone, Emma could finally stop pretending that everything was okay, and started to sob in pure panic. Her arms still over her stomach as if to protect the baby, she was trying to keep on breathing, even if it seemed like an impossible task right now. She just wanted for all of this to be over. She wanted to come back to these beautiful times, when everything was okay and she was happy with the love of her life.
The pain calmed down for an instant, allowing her to catch her breath, and she felt like maybe she was just panicking for nothing, but a new cramp came and she screamed out loud. She knew what was happening, but she just couldn't accept it. She was losing the baby. All because she hadn't managed to stay calm and keep it safe. She hated herself, because this was all her fault. But perhaps this wasn't too late. Perhaps she could still fix things.
Out of the blue, the panic left the place to a huge and endless anger that made her want to punch something. Because she was wrong, this wasn't her fault. This was all Killian's. He'd left her, while she was pregnant with their child. He should have known better, he should have protected their baby. He should never have made her feel like she was worthless. Now, because of him, old scars of her broken past she'd thought healed forever were reopening and she was losing this little baby that she already loved so much. This was all him. And if something happened to their child, she would never, ever forgive him for it.
She felt like she was drowning in her own tears, the mix of rage, pain and fear choking her. Henry came back a moment later, but she just couldn't tell how much time had passed since he'd left. He was alone though, and she was scared for a moment that he hadn't found anyone and that she was going to be forced to deal with this all alone. He came to lie back down next to her on the bed, looking into her eyes in pure fear. She asked in a muffled voice, just hoping that it wasn't too late and that everything could still be okay again.
"Did you find someone?"
"I asked for a guard to go get Grandma and Grandpa." He explained, and she could hear the tears in his voice. "I'm sorry, but I didn't want to leave you alone. You're gonna be fine, right? The two of you. I'm sure you will."
She could tell that he was trying to reassure himself, because even if she was doing her best to seem okay for him, he was a smart boy. He knew what could go wrong if she didn't get the help she needed really fast. And nothing could happen to this baby, she wouldn't let it. She was a fighter, she'd always been, but she wasn't sure that she could survive it if she lost this little one. Not after losing her husband, too. So she chose to focus on her son instead, on her little blessing that was still there beside her. She had to be okay, for him. And so she took his hand and tried not to scream too loudly when a new contraction came and made her close her eyes in pain.
Before long, steps started to ring in the hallway, announcing several people approaching. The door of their apartment slammed open, and her parents entered the room, fear obvious in their eyes. David immediately came to sit on the edge of the bed, and Snow knelt in front of her to be able to look into her eyes. She placed a hand in her hair, and said with so much softness that Emma felt like maybe she could still be alright after all.
"Everything is going to be okay, Emma. The Blue Fairy is on her way, and I'm sure that the baby is just fine." She looked around her then, frowned and added. "Where is Killian?"
She was feeling like a little girl again as she was in her mom's arms, like she could finally let go of the pain and let someone share this burden with her. Still sobbing, she then admitted. "He left."
"What do you mean, he left?" David asked, as if he just didn't want to believe in what she was telling him. "Where?"
"He left me!" She cried out, the pain too strong now for her to keep on hiding the real situation from her son, because she just couldn't do this anymore. "He's just… gone. He doesn't love me anymore. And now the baby..."
David cursed loudly at that, his voice ringing against the walls of the room and making Henry startle. He seemed to be threatening Killian under his breath, but Emma couldn't be sure of it, because everything seemed surreal. Her son was looking at her with wide eyes, learning about what had really happened for the first time. Snow seemed utterly taken aback by this for a moment, as if she had no idea of how to react to this, but she quickly pulled herself together. In such a gentle voice that Emma was sure everything really was going to be okay, she said.
"The baby is going to be just fine, Emma. It's strong, I can tell. You're not alone in this, alright? We're all here with you, we love you and we won't let anything happen to you. You just need to breathe, and everything is going to be okay. Can you do that for me, honey? In and out. Good, the little bean needs you to be calm, you know? You can do this."
Emma forced herself to focus on her mother's voice, rolling on her side so she could look at her more easily. Snow was so reassuring, she actually felt the knots in her stomach getting a little bit less tight. She followed her advice and breathed slowly, and strangely enough, it stopped her from thinking too much and she gradually started to feel better at last.
"You're doing great, honey. Keep going, you're going to be just fine." She added gently, squeezing her hand in hers as Emma was wincing because of another contraction. It seemed a bit less painful than the ones before though, and she felt like maybe her mother was right. Maybe the baby could still be okay, after all.
They spent a long time like this, Snow's voice the only thing that seemed real anymore as everyone was listening to her and Emma was doing her best to follow her instructions. When the Blue Fairy finally arrived a while later, she hadn't felt pain for a few minutes, which was highly reassuring in some way. She hadn't bled either, and she was starting to hope that her little one could still be perfectly healthy despite everything. Snow was right, it was strong. It was going to get through this.
Her friend looked pale and worried when she approached her bed. She immediately made her lie down on her back, so she could place her wand above her stomach and see if the baby was alright. Emma was terrified for a second as the room was staying quiet for a horrible instant, but soon, the now familiar sound of her child's heartbeats filled in the space. It was strong, healthy and regular, so loud that she once again felt like there were two of them. They were still fast though, too fast if she could refer to the fairy's expression. After a few minutes of silence, still worried, she then asked.
"This means that the baby's okay, right?"
"It is, for now." She nodded seriously. "But Emma, you need to calm down, and you need to rest and try to stay in bed as much as you possibly can. I won't lie to you, the baby is in danger right now. You're still quite early into the pregnancy, and what's happening is making it suffer. Miscarriages are common in these kind of cases. You have to be careful."
Emma placed her hand over her stomach at these words, as if trying to protect her little one and her heart pounding so fast in fear. It couldn't vanish like that, she wouldn't let such a thing happen. It was her job to keep it safe, and she was going to do just that. She had no other choice, anyway.
She resumed her breathing exercises, trying to think about happy things for it to be easier. But images of her fight with Killian were coming back to her, no matter how hard she tried to ignore them. How he'd left, how he'd made her feel worthless and unloved. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to think about something else. Only her child was important on this moment, not her feelings. She needed to calm down, and they would both be okay.
She still felt like these walls that Killian had spent so long trying to bring down were going right back up around her shattered heart. She just didn't want to feel anything anymore, and she had to protect herself. She needed this armor, to save her baby and stop feeling this horrible pain. She knew deep down that it wasn't the right way to deal with her new reality, but she just couldn't help it. She was aching too much.
The Blue Fairy started to talk again after a while, seeing that she was slowly calming down. "If everything goes well tonight, you should be fine by tomorrow. But you really need to rest, alright? Don't get off your bed unless you really need to, and try to relax as much as you possible. Your baby needs this. I'm going to stay here in the castle in case something happens though, okay? If anything feels wrong, don't hesitate to call me. I'll be right by your side."
Emma simply nodded, feeling like she wasn't even strong enough to talk anymore. After one last worried glance in her direction, Blue then left the room, and her family stayed silent for a little while. Finally, David ended up leaning to press a little kiss to the top of her head, what made her feel so much better, because she felt so incredibly surrounded and loved, and she had to remember that she had people to fight for. Even if it was hard to believe sometimes, she wasn't alone anymore. She was going to be okay, as always.
Snow finally said softly after a few more moments. "We're going to stay here with you tonight, alright? Just try to get some rest, you and the baby need it. We're right there if you need us. You're not alone, honey. You'll never be again."
"We love you so much, sweetheart." Her father added, saying these words that she needed to hear so badly. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise."
She was well aware that he couldn't know a thing about that. He didn't know if the baby was going to be alright, but his words did soothe her a lot. Because she wasn't alone in this, indeed. She was worthy of love, these people surrounding her as she was going through so much pain were a living proof of that. She was going to be okay, for them and for the little bean growing in her belly. She wouldn't accept anything else from this situation.
So she closed her eyes, trying to think about anything but what had happened with her husband. She couldn't do just that though, and tears were still quietly streaming down her face, but she was determined not to let this destroy her. Nothing could ever break her. She was way too strong for that.
Without much of a surprise and despite her desperate tries to stay calm, her next few hours were a total nightmare. She got sick several times, having to sprint to the bathroom in order to throw up and images of Killian and what he'd done to her mixing up with memories of him taking her in his arms and telling her that he loved her. This was all so damn painful. She woke up dozens of times with cold sweat covering her forehead and his name on her lips, feeling like her heart was broken and would never be whole again. This was awful and she just wanted it to stop.
Luckily, her family hadn't left her side and she felt like they were keeping her sane. Her parents had settled on the living room couch, and Henry was still snuggled up in her arms, seeming to watch over her to make sure that she was okay. David and Snow had tried to make her eat something, telling her that she had to get some strengths back, but the knots in her stomach were too tight and she was feeling sick. She just couldn't do this.
Their presence was a blessing though, and was allowing her to stay into reality. She knew that she wasn't alone, as she knew that what had happened probably hadn't been her fault at all. And thanks to this, even if she was still angry and heartbroken, her stomach wasn't hurting anymore. Her child was okay. She'd protected it, and that was all that truly mattered.
She was awake now, and she was looking at the sun slowly rising in the sky outside, lost in her thoughts. She was wondering how the hell she was going to do this without her husband by her side, how she was going to explain to this child that its father had left her while she was pregnant. She could tell that Killian would still want to be a part of Henry and their baby's life, even if he didn't want her anymore, but she would have wanted for her children to grow up in a world where their parents loved each other, and now it was all over. This would never happen again.
He'd promised her so many things, he'd promised to never stop loving her and he'd talked about a future that had only been a lie. Everything had crumbled, and she would have wanted to hate him for it, but she just couldn't. She was missing him already. Despite her anger, she still loved him so much. She'd given him her heart, and now he'd broken it into a million little pieces. She had no idea of what to do to stop this pain.
She just couldn't believe that she hadn't learned her lesson, and that she'd trusted the wrong person once again. She'd thought that he was the one. She'd thought that what they were sharing was true, and that he loved her for real. The way he'd once looked at her, how happy he'd been when they'd learned that they were having a baby, he was still in love with her not so long ago, even if it seemed like an eternity to her. And now that was gone all at once, and it wasn't making any sense. Especially since they were supposed to be true love, they'd broken the Dark Curse together, and this just couldn't go away overnight.
This detail that she hadn't thought about yet made her frown in confusion. She was feeling like her body wasn't hers anymore, she couldn't really feel her arms or legs because of the exhaustion and the panic and she thought for an insane second that she was actually floating. Her hands were still resting on her stomach to keep her little bean safe, and she could hear Henry's regular breathing beside her as he'd finally fallen asleep. Intrigued by her last observations, she distractedly played with her wedding band. Something was off, but she just couldn't tell what it was just yet.
Killian really had loved her, she was sure of it now, or their true love kiss wouldn't have worked in the first place. He'd still been feeling the same way when he'd learned that she was pregnant and when she'd almost died in that cold room, or he wouldn't have been that happy about the baby, or that scared about losing her. So why was it all over now? Losing such feelings couldn't just happen like that, so quickly. And she just needed to pinpoint what had made everything crumble, because she felt like it would finally allow her to understand.
Everything had changed during that damn day, when he'd gone to fetch her these apples in the market. Even though she'd woken him up by accident that night, he'd still been absolutely adorable with her before leaving. Then, when he'd come back, everything was different. What the hell had happened, that morning? What had made him change so much, all of the sudden?
Everything started to feel like too much as she was finally realizing what she should have thought about long ago. He'd stayed for a long time in the city that day, for way too long given what he'd meant to do there. And then, there were these times when they were making love and she could feel like maybe she hadn't completely lost him. The looks he would give her during these moments were in total contradiction with his words and behavior toward her, and something seemed very wrong with this entire situation.
And there was mostly this gesture that he'd had toward her before leaving the apartment without turning back. She'd felt like he was trying to tell her something by staring at her with his clear blue eyes like that, holding her wrist so tightly. It'd been as if he'd desperately tried to reach her, because he couldn't do it with words. She'd been too confused and hurt to realize it fully on the moment, but all these little things had to mean something. So she held onto that and tried to find out what was truly going on. That was the only thing left to do, anyway.
She knew one thing now, though. Killian hadn't lost his feelings for her all at once. This couldn't have happened so quickly, without a reason. Something was strange. She didn't know what yet, but she damn well intended to find out more about it.
She didn't feel sad anymore, all of the sudden. She wasn't angry or scared. Everything was gone as she was trying to think and rethink about the last week, to find a reason for all of this to have happened. She sat back up in the bed and looked at her parents, as they were both half asleep in the couch of the room. Her mother saw her move, and she immediately got up to approach her, probably wondering if everything was okay. She asked in a low voice in order not to wake Henry up.
"How are you feeling, honey? Is everything alright?"
"I need a location potion." She said hastily without answering Snow's question.
She couldn't think about anything else than going to find Killian and finally learn more about what was truly going on, now. His gestures and glances had been calls for help that she hadn't understood, but she did now and maybe it wasn't too late. And she could tell that somehow, this was all about Regina once again. She had been gone for a while now, she was planning something, and her instincts were yelling that what was happening was the Evil Queen's fault. The best way to weaken Emma was to make the people she loved suffer, and the witch knew it. This couldn't all be a coincidence. And she really needed to get to her husband and understand.
"What? Why?" Sow asked, looking deeply surprised. "What would you want to do with this?"
"I need to go find Killian." She said, feeling the panic arise in her because she could tell that he needed her and that she had to get to him, wherever he was right now.
"Oh, Emma." Her mother said, gently placing a strand of hair back behind her daughter's ear and probably thinking that she wasn't thinking clearly. "Blue told you that you had to stay in bed. And if I'm sure that Killian didn't mean to leave you like that, he did go away from the castle for a reason and it probably means that he wants to be alone for a while. But he'll come back eventually, I know it. You just need to give him time."
"But it wasn't him!" Emma cried out, because she was pretty sure that she'd finally understood what had been happening all along. "He wasn't meaning to do this, because he didn't have any control over what he was doing!"
She could finally remember what she'd learned during her magic lessons with the Blue Fairy, and this was all making so much sense, now. Back then, her friend had told her that someone very good at dark magic could steal somebody's heart in order to control that person. This had surprised her at first, because it seemed completely insane, but this was one of Regina's favorite tricks and she could easily have done it to Killian, to make her suffer and then kill him right after. There had to be a reason why he'd changed so suddenly, why he'd seemed to be in so much pain. And she had to do something about it. She couldn't let this damn witch hurt him, or any of the people she loved.
"Emma, I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about." Snow said very gently, looking pretty concerned about her.
Emma sighed in frustration. She could understand her mother's reaction, but she didn't have time to explain anything. She had to go help Killian one way or another. She'd already lost too much time crying, when she could have done something to save him from whatever was happening instead. She just needed to hope that it wasn't too late now, that she could get him back and that he wasn't hurt because she hadn't seen the obvious in the situation.
David was listening to his family talking, a frown etched on his face. He seemed worried too, but she didn't pay any attention to his expression. She knew where her parents were keeping the potions, to help in case of emergencies like this one. She didn't know how to use this kind of magic, but she was sure that she could let her intuition do the hard work. Anything to get to her husband.
So, without asking herself anymore question because it was the only thing left to do anyway, she leaned to press a kiss on Henry's head as he was still sleeping in her arms. Then, without notice and not looking at her parents because she knew that they would try to stop her and she wouldn't allow that to happen, she jumped out of bed and rushed out of the room.
All that mattered to her now was getting to Killian, and she just couldn't think about anything else. She simply ran in the hallways, forgetting about the fact that she'd been told to stay off her feet. She wanted to protect her baby, she really did, but she just had to go save her husband. He needed her, and she was coming for him.
She vaguely heard her parents following her, a bit scared by her reaction. They joined her as she'd just found the location potion she'd been looking for, but she completely ignored their presence. However, as she was about to get outside, her treasure in her hand, they stood before her to stop her from getting any further.
"Emma, we told you to stay in bed, you shouldn't be here!" David said, panting a little bit from his previous race.
She barely heard him and she simply mumbled, walking past him to head for the stables. "I need to find him."
It was already hot outside when she reached the palace gates, but a pleasant breeze was cooling the atmosphere as she was moving through the gardens. She didn't even know how she was able to stand on her own two feet given how exhausted she was, but it just happened and she went to get Wave ready for the ride she was about to take to try and finally find Killian
She couldn't think about anything else than the fact she'd been so wrong to think that he didn't love her anymore. She should have known better than this. He'd promised her that he would never leave her, and he wasn't one to break his promises. Their story couldn't have been a lie since the beginning. She was going to get to him and she was going to make sure that he was safe, and they would live happily ever after. She wouldn't have it any other way.
Snow and David arrived to the stables not so long after her. They looked like they didn't know what to do about this insane situation anymore, and she could tell that they were talking, probably trying to make her change her mind, but she couldn't really hear them anymore. They wanted her to stay in bed, but she didn't have a choice, she had to go get her husband out of this trap she still knew nothing about. As she was getting on her mount, David finally seemed to understand that she was doing this no matter how hard they would try to stop her, so he said.
"Snow, stay with Henry. I'll go with Emma. I'll make sure that she's okay, I promise I won't let anything happen to her."
She didn't wait to see her mother's reaction to that, but she probably anxiously nodded at her husband, because she heard her coming back to the castle without adding a thing. Not looking at her, Emma took off the ring Killian had given her all those years ago from her neck, the one that had once been Liam's. If she didn't really know how to use this potion, she did know that she had to use an object that had once belonged to the person she wanted to find. And this ring was the perfect item, because it was the symbol of their love and their promise to always find each other, even in the darkest of times.
She let a drop of potion fall on the jewel, and watched it leaving the palm of her hand and starting to levitate a few inches above the ground. It stayed there for a second, as if looking for direction, then it started to fly to exit the property. There was no time to waste, and Emma knew it perfectly. The potion was obviously not going to wait for her, and she wasn't going to miss her chance.
David hadn't got Mist totally ready yet, but she was only vaguely aware of his presence by her side. Not thinking about him, only seeing the fact that she had to find her husband, she brought Wave to gallop and barely heard her father trying to call her back and telling her to wait. The ring was flying so fast, only a dark spot in the morning sun, and she couldn't lose it. It was her only way to make everything right again.
She knew that David was probably following her, but she didn't turn to verify it. She was going too fast for that, and she couldn't risk falling over because she needed to have all her strength to face whatever was waiting for her out there. She couldn't believe in the fact that Killian had simply left her for good anymore. She was just holding onto this little piece of hope, telling her that it was all a mistake and that he still loved her. She just couldn't lose him, not while she was pregnant, not while they had an entire future to live together. She couldn't let him slip through her fingers like that. She had to do something.
She felt like she was galloping for hours, as everything seemed unreal and foggy around her. Then, finally, the ring ended up slowing down as the wind was hitting her face and making her hair fly in her back. She jumped off her saddle without even waiting for Wave to have stopped completely, and tied the mare up to a tree so she wouldn't escape. After one last stroke to thank her for all her efforts, she then ran after the jewel that meant so much to her, feeling like this was it. She could do this. She just had to believe it strong enough.
She was in a meadow now, she noticed, lost in the middle of the woods and everything was quiet around her. Too quiet, almost. Even the birds had seemed to stop singing, as if they knew that something bad was going on. The place was surrounded by the forest, and she seemed like the only living soul around. The ring was still flying ahead of her, and she saw it finally dropping on the grass to stop its crazy race. She looked down at it, her heart beating so fast she could hear it thumping in her own ears.
She needed a second, but she finally realized that she actually wasn't alone in the clearing. She could see Killian's dark figure there, lying down on the ground and not moving one bit. She couldn't tell if he was conscious or not – gods, she hoped that he was – but at least she knew that she hadn't been wrong. Something was off. She'd let herself get manipulated, and it'd all been a lie. He hadn't left her. He really did love her.
She started running toward him, wanting to take him in her arms and protect him from whatever was happening, when she finally noticed the second figure that was there as well. She didn't need long to recognize who it was that was leaning above her husband, very obviously threatening his life. Rumpelstiltskin. His scaled skin was shining in the sun, and the moving red item he was holding in his hand left no place to any doubt.
He'd taken Killian's heart. He had been playing with them all along, and was now torturing his oldest enemy.
The Dark One hadn't noticed her presence yet, probably too busy making Killian suffer to realize what was going on around him. Emma saw her husband moving just a little bit, and felt a huge relief taking over her as she could see that it wasn't too late and that he could still be fine, after all. She wanted to take advantage of the fact that she was still invisible and take the wizard by surprise, but Rumpelstiltskin squeezed the heart of the man she loved, making him scream out in pain. She didn't think and, acting out of instincts, she yelled.
"Killian!"
The two men immediately turned to her as she was stopping a few feet from them, not sure if coming any closer was a good idea given the fact that the Dark One had the advantage. She knew that this was all a trap too, she wasn't stupid. Whoever was behind this had planned for her to come get her husband so they could hurt her too, but she was ready for a fight. She wouldn't let them do any more damage than they'd already done.
Killian rolled on his side, wincing in pain, and searched for her eyes to say in a deep, panicked voice. "Swan, no! Get out of here while you can! He's going to kill you!"
"I don't care!" She protested vehemently. "I won't leave you here!"
Now that she was closer to him, she could see the marks on his face, the blood on his cheek and the way he was curled up on the floor, as if his ribs had been broken. One of his eyes was half closed and swollen, and his brow was open, red straining his skin. She let go of a whimper of distress, one hand resting over her stomach. Seeing him hurt was making her want to throw up, and she swore that she was going to make the Dark One pay for this.
Rumpelstiltskin sneered at her words though, his voice seeming to ring into the emptiness around them. Killian's heart still in his hand, he squeezed it just a little bit more with the biggest grin on his face. Her husband groaned, but didn't scream. He was staring at her now, struggling to get up and come join her. Their enemy noticed that though, and he kicked him right in the stomach once again, making him roll back on the floor. Emma yelled at that, but the Dark One didn't seem to care and said in a tone that sent a shiver down her spine
"Well, that's a surprise. Regina and I hadn't planned for you to come all the way here. We thought that you would be too broken by what I made your dear husband do to you. We wanted to take advantage of your weakness to attack you after I was done with him, but this is even better. You're ours, now. We can do anything we want."
"I'm not your anything." Emma spat out, infuriated by his comments. "My father is on his way. He's come with an army, and you won't get away with this, that I can promise you."
"You're a very bad liar, dearie." He mocked her, what made her want to punch him in the face, but she knew better than that. It would only make things worse, and she had to keep him distracted so he wouldn't try to harm Killian. "If you allow me, I'm going to kill your husband first. I'm not going to lose this opportunity of taking the life of my oldest enemy, am I?"
"If you hurt him..." She growled, the simple thought of the man she loved suffering making her want to shout.
She felt like everything was blurry and unclear, now. Saving her husband was the only thing that truly mattered anymore, and she couldn't feel anything else than this horrible fear of losing him forever. She had to get him out of there, especially since she knew that he still loved her after all. This had all been a sick game created by the people who wanted to hurt them, and they'd almost managed to take everything from her. She was feeling so bad for panicking and for wasting time in the process. She could have saved Killian way sooner. She could have prevented him from getting tortured, and she felt awful about not managing to do so.
"And what are you going to do? Kill me? You're pregnant, dearie, and I highly doubt that you wish to lose your baby in addition to everything. Regina is going to be so happy when I'll bring you to her. She's probably planning on hurting you a little before finally killing you, though. I can already tell that it's going to be good, and I can't wait to see what she has in mind."
Emma tried to hide how surprised she was that he knew she was expecting, because they hadn't told anyone about the baby yet. Still, this man was the most powerful wizard in all the realms, and he obviously knew a lot of things. She should have expected this to happen. "Why are you working for her, anyway?" She then said to win some more time. "Why are you allowing her tell you what to do?"
"No one commands me, Savior. She's just giving me the opportunity to finally kill the bastard who stole my wife. Right, Hook?" He said to Killian, who was lying down now, too exhausted to sit up and seeming to fight against himself in order to keep his eyes open. "I have something to win in this, dearie. I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart."
"Emma..." Killian then whispered very weakly, and her heart tightened at the tone of his voice. "My love, please go. I don't want anything to happen to you. Save yourself, darling. I'm so sorry for what happened. I love you, more than anything, forever and always. But you have to run, now. You can't let him hurt you."
"Never." She protested, shaking her head. "I won't leave you, Killian."
He growled at that, but he seemed to realize that trying to make her change her mind was useless. The Dark One burst out laughing at their conversation, what made Emma want to make him disappear forever so he would never be able to hurt anyone ever again. He seemed to find them so amusing, but he also looked like he'd had enough of this conversation. So he squeezed Killian's heart a little bit tighter, obviously ready to crush it for good. Wanting to do anything to stop this from happening, Emma took another step forward, feeling like she couldn't breathe anymore and ready to give her own life to save her husband's.
Rumpelstiltskin lost his focus for a second in order to look at her, and he grinned, making her shiver uncomfortably once again. "How sweet is this? What a joy you're giving me, to be able to kill your dear husband right in front of you. This is even better than making you believe he doesn't love you anymore."
His smile widened a little bit more, and Killian screamed in pain when the wizard's fingers tightened around his beating heart yet another time. Emma yelled too, and saw her husband falling unconscious on the ground without being able to do anything to help him. She looked at his heart, still in their enemy's hand, and was relieved to see that it was still whole. For now, because she had to act fast if she wanted to protect him. She just had to think about something. She knew that she could do this.
She then forced herself to stay calm, trying to ignore what was happening around her so she could concentrate. She felt this little familiar sun blooming in the pit of her stomach, and realized that her magic really did seem stronger now that she was pregnant. She could definitely use that. She then let it grow and grow until it felt bigger than anything in the world, and the Dark One only avoided the white magic she was throwing at him by quickly jumping back, as she'd finally let her powers out.
Distracted by her decision to act, he let go of Killian's heart and it fell on the ground, deep red against the green grass. Her husband was still passed out, but at least he was safe for now. She just had to keep on fighting, and Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't be able to hurt him ever again.
The wizard turned to her, growling in rage. His eyes were as dark as the night, and she suddenly felt like he really was the source of all evil. He seemed to have forgotten all about Killian though, and this was a good thing. She'd been meaning for this to happen, so she looked straight into his eyes to try and provoke him. She didn't know what was going to be her next move, she didn't have a plan, but she was going to fix this. To save her husband, she was pretty sure that she could do anything.
"You idiot!" He shouted, shaking his head in a mix of disbelief and anger. "I wouldn't have hurt you if you'd kept still, but now I'm forced to do something. I can't let you get away with this, can I?"
He took a step toward her, but she guessed what he was planning to do before he could summon his powers. So she focused on her own magic, finding it so easy to reach it now given the situation she was in, and an invisible bubble appeared all around her to protect her from any attacks. She could feel that it was almost unbreakable, and she couldn't hep a small sigh of relief.
The spell the Dark One had prepared to knock her out, came to crash against her protective wall and she could feel the violence of the blow into her own guts. She managed to stay on her feet though, and just scowled at her enemy. She was feeling stronger than ever on that moment, and she knew that she would get out of this unharmed. She could do anything.
Rumpelstiltskin let go of a furious curse and approached her with a few big steps, throwing spells that seemed to get stronger and stronger in her direction. She was terrified, she knew what he could do to her, but she didn't let the panic take over her either. She really needed to stay focused, no matter what, because she had to get Killian out of there.
The wizard suddenly changed his strategy when he saw that his plan was obviously not working, disappearing and appearing in her back, trying to distract her and take her by surprise. He was exhausting her and expecting to find a way to break her shield, but she just kept it even stronger than before, even if she felt like it was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do. He wouldn't reach her, she wouldn't let him do so. And he'd forgotten all about Killian, thanks to her plan. That was all that truly mattered.
She was still well aware that she couldn't keep on defending herself forever, though. She needed to attack sooner than later, or she was going to exhaust herself and wouldn't be able to keep on fighting. And there was no way she would ever give this creature what he truly wanted. So she drew into her last strengths, not even feeling how tired she was anymore. She just had to do this, and then she knew that her family and everyone that she loved would finally be okay.
She felt like the sun that was still growing inside of her was stronger than it'd ever been before. It seemed to invade her completely, every single cells of her body irradiating this beautiful and amazing light, and she was surprised by the power of her own magic for a second. She knew that the little one she was carrying inside of her was helping her with this, she could feel it. It was making her stronger than ever before, and she was feeling so powerful that she was actually a bit dizzy with it.
She let the shield break for a second, and saw the Dark One smiling in victory, thinking that he'd won. But he was so wrong, and she actually grinned back at him at this thought. She didn't give him the time to do anything to her. A white, blinding light suddenly invaded the meadow, forcing her to close her eyes at how clear it was. The magic that was coming out of her was making her feel like she could do absolutely anything. The sounds weren't reaching her anymore, and the only things that existed were these incredible powers that she had inside of her and that were going to be able to save them all. She thought she heard a scream, but she couldn't be sure of it. And then everything stopped.
When she opened her eyes again, the world seemed to have gone back to normal. And yet, the Dark One wasn't there anymore. She spun on herself to make sure that he really had disappeared, because it seemed so unreal. But the meadow was peaceful, and if Emma had no idea of where she'd sent him, she was absolutely sure that this was all because of her. She'd wished for him to go away and he had, but she wasn't able to control her powers enough yet to be able to know where he'd landed. That was a pity, she thought absently. She could have sent him in the dungeon of the castle, and would never have had to worry about him hurting anyone ever again.
She chose not to think about this anymore, though. Killian was still lying unconscious on the floor, and suddenly the only thing that mattered anymore was him and making sure that he was okay. She fell on her knees by his side, and let go of a whimper of distress when she saw how bad he was actually looking. He was hurt, bleeding, but she was relieved to see that he was still breathing regularly. At least he wasn't in a mortal danger. She just had to make sure that no one would never be able to hurt him ever again, now.
She gently took his heart in between her hands, wondering how she was supposed to do this and put it back in its rightful place. She'd never used that kind of magic before, and she really didn't want to risk hurting him more than he already was. She then took the time to calm down a bit before doing anything, because she couldn't make any mistake. And so she did the first thing that came to her mind, the first thing she was sure she could do correctly. She just had to do this, to convince herself that he really was alright and that she wasn't losing him and would never have to be away from him again.
She gently ran her hand a few inches above his face, then followed his entire body, letting her powers do their job and heal every single one of his wounds. When she was done, a few seconds later, his injuries had disappeared and he finally looked like his usual self again. He even almost seemed asleep instead of passed out from the pain. And it gave her the strength to took the next step in this difficult process and bring him back to life at last.
She took a deep breath then, and chose not to think too much about what she was doing and let her instincts do the trick. She placed his beating heart over his chest, and watched it disappear inside at once to finally wake Killian up. There was a second of endless silence as her husband was staying still, then he opened his eyes and gasped a few times to catch his breath, blinking furiously as if he couldn't believe that he really was alive. His eyes fell on her immediately, and he looked at her with so much love that her own heart skipped a beat. Because she truly hadn't lost him. He really was there with her, still and forever.
She got back on her feet, wanting to reach for his hand and help him get back up as well. She didn't know what was going to happen between them now, after everything they'd been through, but she really just wanted to feel him close. Tears of relief were streaming down her face, and a little sob shook her shoulder as she was looking at him. He was alive, and he still loved her. They hadn't lost each other. She knew that she should have said something, because this was a very important moment for the both of them, but she was weeping too much for that and she just hoped that he understood everything that she just couldn't say out loud.
He didn't give her the time to say anything, anyway. He rose on his knees in order to face her, as if nothing had happened and he'd always been fine, and not just about to literally die. Without notice, he wrapped both his arms around her waist, his forehead resting on her stomach. He pressed little kisses there, what made her sob a bit harder, and she ran her fingers through his hair to hold him even closer. He was crying too, she could feel it, and she never wanted to let him go ever again as this moment seemed bigger than anything else in the entire world.
Finally, after a long while, he started to talk again, his words muffled by his tears. He was still kissing her belly, as if to prove her that he really was there and would never go away again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, my love, I tried to fight against it but it was just too strong. He tried to make me tell you horrible things, so I had to leave, so I didn't hurt you even more. I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you. I… I love you so much, Emma. More than anything in the entire universe. And I'm so sorry for leaving you when I promised you that I would never do such a thing."
"It wasn't your fault." She whispered in a raspy voice with the feeling that she was actually going to drown in her own tears.
But she wasn't weeping from sadness anymore. It was all from the huge relief she was experiencing. He hadn't abandoned her, he loved her, for real. Their relationship hadn't been based on lies, and he wasn't going to leave her, ever. They were going to raise their children together, and they would finally find this happiness that they'd been chasing for so long. She had him back, and he was safe. And if she knew that her heart would need time to heal after all of this, because it had been broken yet another time, they were going to make it together. As always. She could feel it at the way he was holding onto her waist, as if he never wanted to be away from her again. And he wouldn't have to. Because their love would always be stronger than anything else in the entire world.
After a very long time, he pulled away from her to look up into her eyes. Tears were still rolling down her face, and it seemed to pain him beyond words. She then let herself fall on her knees in front of him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he was burying his face in her tangled hair. They breathed each other in, feeling like they were the only things existing in the world anymore, and they cried like this for a while because they just needed to feel the other close. And during this entire time, he didn't stop whispering to her ear that he loved her.
"I'm so sorry." He repeated, his fingers playing in her back in gentle strokes that were finally managing to soothe her. "I will never leave you again, Emma. You're the most amazing person that I know. I love you. I love you. Gods, I love you so much."
"It wasn't you." She said once again, her voice broken by her sobs. "Please, don't apologize. You've never meant for any of this to happen."
"I want you, for the rest of eternity. I want to raise Henry and this little one with you, and I'm sorry that you thought I didn't, even for a second. I just want you to be happy. Forever and always, and I will dedicate my life to make sure of it."
"You're here now." She murmured against him. "It's all that truly matters."
He pulled away once again to look at her, his hand coming to tenderly cup her cheek. Then his lips found hers and he kissed her, passionately and sweetly all at the same time. He whispered his love to her again and again, and she felt like the world was beginning to work again as she was kissing him back. Everything made sense now that she was in his arms and, slowly, her tears began to fade away. Things were okay. They were back together and they were fine. Finally.
Killian kept his left arm wrapped around her to keep her close, but he leaned to pick up a little item that was lying on the ground at their feet. She needed a second to understand that he'd actually found the ring, the one that he'd given her so long ago, that was the symbol of their love and that had showed her the way to come and save him. He smiled vaguely as he was looking down at it for a second, and she sniffed discreetly and said.
"It brought me back to you."
His smile widened just a little bit at that, because this simple jewel had always managed to bring them back together when they were forced to be apart, and it hadn't failed them this time either. Very gently, he placed the chain back around her neck, redoing this gesture that he'd had for her all those years ago, when they both had no idea of what the future had in store for them. He then placed his hand on her chest, right where the ring was falling, and he whispered.
"As long as you wear it with you, it'll always bring you back to me. Because I will never, ever leave you. That's a promise."
She smiled through her tears, and he stroked her cheek, sweetly putting back one strand hair behind her ear. They looked at each other for a while, the moment too strong for them to put words on it because they were realizing that nothing was broken, and that they could still live happily ever after. He kissed her forehead then, and she closed her eyes, the gesture so tender that it made her heart stutter. Then he reached out his hand for her to take, so she could get back on her feet. His wounds were only memories now, and her magic really had worked miracles. The only things left to heal were the scars of their hearts, but they were going to do this together. Always together.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, his arm wrapping around her waist again once she was back on her feet, and his hand coming to rest over her stomach, like he would always do it before this entire mess had started.
"Me? Are you really asking me this question?" She replied, laughing slightly at his words. "You're the one who's had his heart taken away, and has almost died. I'm sorry, by the way, I really am. If I hadn't had these stupid cravings and you hadn't been forced to go out to get me these damn apples, Rumpelstiltskin would never have gotten you. I feel like this is all my fault..."
He cut her off with a kiss, and placed his forehead against hers, looking at her so lovingly she felt like she'd just brought him the moon without knowing it. Everything was back to normal, as if the past week had all been a simple nightmare. She was feeling like she was floating above the ground, at how surreal this all seemed. She hadn't lost her happy ending, after all. Her life was only beginning, and it really was going to be amazing and full of laughter, she could tell. They all deserved it so much after everything they'd been through.
"Swan, please don't apologize." He said very gently. "This isn't your fault. I should have been more careful. He attacked me as I was coming back to the castle, and I was unable to do anything to stop him. He took my heart, and promised me to make you suffer. I should have found a way to stop it, but he was just too strong. I could only get away from him when I was in your arms at night. It felt like he wasn't there, and I was finally myself again. I'm the one who's sorry. I should have fought harder."
"Don't be." She said with a very small smile. "Fighting against this kind of magic is almost impossible, and you still managed to get though me somehow. I'm not mad at you, you had nothing to do with what's happened. I just… I thought that you didn't love me anymore. I thought that it was over, and..."
"Never, my love." he interrupted her, pressing another kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Emma. It will never, ever change."
"I know it now." She replied, and it wasn't a lie.
"You didn't answer my question, though. How are you feeling?" He added softly.
"I'm fine." She said, not telling him about what had happened during the night, because she knew that he was already feeling so guilty about everything that had occurred in the past week, and she didn't want to make things even worse. "I'm just glad that you're here."
"And I won't ever leave again. Let's just go home now, darling. We both need it."
He interlaced his fingers with hers, and he gently led her to move across the meadow and go join Wave, who was still patiently waiting for Emma to return. She squeezed his hand tight on the way, as if she were scared that he was going to disappear again. The simple fact of sensing him close was making her feel like everything was really going to be okay again. They were together, they loved each other, and this would never change. She would never allow herself to doubt the strength of their feelings ever again.
Her father was still there, standing next to Mist and looking particularly worried. He seemed deeply relieved when he saw them approaching him, and Emma guessed that he'd simply wanted to give them some privacy when he'd seen them holding onto each other there in the grass. They quickly explained to him what had really happened, and David didn't make any comment, but simply patted his son-in-law's shoulder, looking so happy that he hadn't abandoned his entire family after all. The two men shared a strong glance, as if promising each other that they would never doubt the other's honor again, then they parted and there was only one thing left to do : go home.
Killian insisted to lead Wave on the way back to the castle, and Emma didn't protest. She was too tired to do anything but lean against him and trust him with the way to take, anyway. Now that the adrenaline had left her veins and that she was sure that her family was safe, she felt like she couldn't move anymore and her eyes were closing on their own. Killian was holding her close, both arms wrapped around her and regularly kissing her neck and cheek as if to silently promise her that everything was going to be okay. She finally felt like she could breathe again, and she sighed as she was realizing that everything really was over. They really were going to be happy, now.
When the arrived at the stables at last, a few moments later, she'd almost fallen asleep against him, rocked by his presence around her and his deep voice always whispering to her ear that he loved her. She felt so peaceful, now. The last events only seemed like a bad dream, something that had never really existed in the first place. She was back in his arms, and that was all that truly mattered.
Seeing how exhausted she was, he helped her down her horse, lifting her up to place her back on her feet. She would usually have teased him about this sweet gesture, but she was way too tired to do so, now. Instead, she then offered him a small smile, and they gave their horses to a stable boy, all of them too tired to do anything else but go back home. The sun was already high in the sky when they arrived at the castle gates, and she felt like an eternity had passed since she'd left this place. Everything felt odd, as if she weren't the same person anymore, and the only thing that seemed real was Killian and his arms still wrapped around her.
Snow and Henry were both waiting for them in the big dining room. The Queen was pacing, while their son was sitting on a chair and nervously biting his nails, obviously worrying himself to death. They both immediately turned when they saw them arriving, and Henry jumped out of his seat to run into her arms, then Killian's, who squatted to hug his little boy back. She only realized that he was crying from relief when he started to talk in a muffled voice.
"I missed you so much, Dad. I knew you hadn't left us. I just knew it."
"I'm sorry, lad. I never meant to hurt you or your mum, ever. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to protect you. I love you both so much, more than anything in the world, and this will never, ever change, even in a million years."
"I'm just happy you're back." Henry said, his arms still wrapped around him as he seemed completely unwilling to let him go.
"What happened?" Snow then asked, looking a bit confused about the situation but also deeply relieved to have her family back together again.
Killian stood back up to look at the Queen, keeping one arm around Henry to hold him close. Seriously, he explained what had occurred and why he'd been behaving so strangely for the past few days. Emma saw her mom getting quite pale, a hand against her heart as if she were herself living the pain Killian had been through for all this time. She then closed her eyes, and let her husband wrap his other arm around her to rest her head against his shoulder and breathe him in. He stopped talking for a second to kiss her hair, and she sighed once again. Everything was alright, and it felt like a dream after everything that had happened lately.
"I knew it!" Snow said once he'd finished his tale. "I knew you would never have left Emma and Henry like that."
"I just love them so much." Killian said in a bit of a broken voice. "I will never, ever leave them, that I can promise you."
Emma's legs finally surrendered at this exact moment. After all the efforts she'd made while she should have stayed in bed, it was a miracle that she'd been able to stay on her feet for so long. She just felt so tired, and Killian caught her before she hit the ground, immediately leading her to the closest chair and almost carrying her to make her sit down on it. She could feel his concern into her own bones, and she placed a hand on her stomach, relieved to realize that she wasn't in pain. The baby was fine, she was sure of it. She just needed to rest now, and it would be okay. It was strong. It was going to get through this.
"Love, what's wrong?" Killian asked very softly, cupping her cheek to look into her eyes. "Are you feeling sick?"
She was about to reassure him about her health, because worrying him even more was useless, but Snow didn't give her the time to do so. She seemed very concerned about her as well, but her face looked blurry and she had to blink to try and see clearly. The only things she could really distinguish anymore were Killian's blue eyes, as the rest of her surroundings seemed foggy and unreal. It was almost scary, and she realized that she really needed to sleep. She didn't have a choice anymore, if she wanted her baby to be okay.
"Emma, we told you to stay in bed. It's no surprise that you're feeling that way, right now. I get why you've acted this way, but it was dangerous. You really need to rest."
"I had to save Killian." She defended herself weakly.
"Wait, what do you mean, Emma had to stay in bed?" Killian asked, looking almost panicked all of the sudden. "What happened?"
Snow glanced at David before answering, as if silently asking him if telling the entire truth was a good idea. They all knew how Killian was going to react to these news, but they were all well aware that he also deserved to know. Emma focused on his gorgeous eyes, still staring back at her, to try and stay into reality. She just had to hold on for a little bit longer. Then she could finally rest and all of this would only become a bad memory.
"Emma panicked when you left yesterday." Snow then admitted, as gently as she possibly could. "Blue told us that the baby was in danger, and that she could miscarry if she didn't get the rest she needed."
Killian became so pale Emma was scared that he was going to faint for a minute. He blinked, as if trying to process these news, then protectively placed his hand over her stomach and stared at it in disbelief. He looked like he was silently apologizing to their unborn child for everything that had happened, and seeing him in such distress was paining her, as she would have done anything to comfort him.
"Is it… Is the wee one okay?"
"Emma just needs to rest." Snow then nodded, trying to reassure him, too. "Your child is strong, and it's going to get through this. I'm sure of it."
Killian turned to his wife again, slowly shaking his head and stuttering a bit as he seemed to feel so guilty about the situation. She really would have wanted to lean and take him in her arms to be able to soothe him, but even that seemed too much, so she chose to gently ran her fingers through his hair instead and hoped that it would be enough to comfort him.
"I'm sorry." He repeated in a whisper. "I really am. But you're going to rest now, aye? Everything is going to be okay. I'm going to take good care of you and the little one. I promise."
And then, without notice, he got back on his feet to lift her up from her seat, one arm underneath her legs and the other in her back to hold her close. She didn't even think about protesting, as she felt too tired to even walk. She just rested her head against his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his neck to help him in his task. This was allowing her to feel him by her side, and she finally felt her entire being relaxing against him. He was there. He'd come back. He loved her. And they were going to be alright.