We made it, everybody!

It's the last chapter for Deals Are Meant To Be Broken. The story is OFFICIALLY finished when this is posted! :)

It's a beautiful and sad moment but I hope that you've all enjoyed it.

It was a blast to write it!

So, for the last time (with DAMTBB), please enjoy!

-FantasyWriterFoSho

Summary of the Previous Chapter: Emma and the others race against the clock to save Killian's life from a hellbent Gold.

...

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Aftermath

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"Now," Belle continued, her eyes watching her husband's every move. "Put his heart on that barrel and do it gently."

Unwillingly obeying, Gold slowly walked over to the one she had indicated and carefully placed it down, his eyes betraying his kind actions. "Belle, listen to me—"

"Stop talking," she demanded, which he immediately heeded, his lips falling into a straight line. "At this point," she said, her eyes boring holes into his. "You're going to take us to the townline because we have to be alone for what comes next."

Gold hesitated before lifting a hand up and waving it, summoning a burgundy cloud to wrap him and his wife in a bout of smoke, leaving behind Emma, Killian, Henry and the recovering pair below.

When they disappeared, Emma waited before climbing to her feet. Quickly propelling herself forward, she gently grabbed the heart, which thumped lightly against her palms, and moved to a recuperating Killian, who had crawled to the furthest wall during the fight. Head resting back and his eyes closed, Emma approached him quietly then kneeled down beside him.

"Hey," she said softly, her voice stirring his eyes open. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel as if a giant had been tap dancing on my chest for a considerable amount of time," he answered, adjusting his sitting position by propping himself up. Looking into her bright eyes, he smiled at her. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Better than Gold probably is," she responded, scooting closer to him, with her hands outstretched, she presented him his heart before nervously biting her lip. "Are you ready for me to put it back in?"

Sighing heavily, Killian nodded his head. "Just don't put it in too—"

Emma then leaned forward and pushed it deep into his chest, his heart disappearing from view within seconds. Grunting in surprise and slight pain, Killian grabbed at her hands, allowing his body to adjust to the sudden, but needed, intrusion.

Already, he could feel a difference. It was as if his temporary black and white existence was being reintroduced to color...and it felt wonderful.

As the hollow feeling began to fade away, he tightened his hold on Emma's hands, which had stayed upon his chest.

"Sorry," she apologized with a slight frown, pieces of her hair spilling over a shoulder. "I just thought about it in terms of ripping off a band-aid—"

Bursting forward, Killian reached for her.

Timing it perfectly, when she landed on top of him, he crashed his lips against her parted ones, silencing her response with a moan. Hugging her arched body into his, he breathed into her while also deepening it, unleashing his passions in a series of kisses. Though her hands were trapped between their bodies, Emma melted against him, her fingers gripping bits of his shirt.

Pulling away, their breaths hot, Killian gave her a smoldering smile. "Thanks, Swan."

Swallowing hard, Emma tried to focus. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Better than the alternative."

Smiling widely, he was, once again, about to carry them both to their feet when he noticed a peculiar look on her face. "Swan? What is it?"

Shifting her gaze down to his collar bone, Emma's heart pounded roughly against her ribs. "Killian," she began before tripping over her tongue. "The, uh, the last thing you told me at Granny's...you...you said that you were..."

He raised a knowing brow, his eyes light with feeling. "I told you that I'm in love with you."

Emma blinked at how easily he was able to say it, but a warmth surged through her at his words. He was and is telling the truth.

Looking deep into his eyes, she opened her mouth to tell him how she felt, but again, she found herself unable to. Clearing her throat, she then pushed herself away and onto her knees. Offering him a hand, she changed the subject from her failed emotional connection. "We, uh, we should go check on the others..."

Nodding his head, he glanced down for a moment before taking her hand. "Aye, love."

Getting to his feet with a groan, they held onto each other until they noticed that they were the only ones up on the top level. Running to the rails, they saw Henry helping Elsa, who nearly tripped over the remnants of the destroyed cell phones.

Regina had already taken off the Gauntlet and was in the process of healing her wrist, which had snapped in one spot, creating a long trail of bruises down her arm. Sighing when she was done, she then switched her attention over to Elsa, who was still grabbing at her temples, her mind partially concussed.

"If you're done staring at us from up there," Regina called out, not even looking in Emma and Killian's direction. "Could you please grab the Sorcerer's Hat? I'm going to put it, along with the Gauntlet, in my vault for safekeeping, but only after I figure out how to release the trapped people that are inside it."

Pulling a thankful Elsa up to her feet, they waited for the pair to climb down the stairs, which happened a minute later; the wanted item grasped firmly in Emma's hands.

"Want to do the honors?" Regina asked, referencing her newly earned teleportation powers. "Or are you still exhausted?"

"Sure," Emma replied with a smile. "I've had enough rest."

"You can do that now?" Killian asked with a wide grin. "I'm impressed, Swan."

Blushing, Emma nodded her head. She then lifted a hand and waved it about the company, silently praying that she had enough strength to move four people. When thick white clouds successfully stirred around them, her smile deepened. After taking them all to the diner with relative ease, Emma allowed her magic to dissipate, the ends of which faded away in a gentle wave.

"Henry! Emma! Killian! Regina! Elsa!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, rushing over to them. Her eyes then roamed over each person carefully. "I'm so glad that you guys are okay!" Placing a hand on both Henry's and Killian's shoulders, her brow then furrowed. "Where's Belle?"

"She's handling her husband," Regina said with a smirk. "We'll fill you in on the dramatic details later."

"To me," an emerging Granny announced, having returned to her establishment a few minutes before they arrived. "That sounds like a cause for a celebration." Grabbing some pots, pans and utensils, she began whipping up some much needed food for the present company and several others who had started to pour in through the doors.

"I just hope that she'll be okay," Emma whispered to Killian, who shared her sympathies as tables were being moved around them in order to accommodate the large gathering.

…

Reappearing at the townline, Belle continued to hold up the dagger horizontally, her furious gaze focused on her shocked husband.

"Before I do what needs to be done," she said, her tone firm. "I have several things to tell you."

"Belle, I—"

"I told you to stop talking," she interrupted, taking a step closer to him when his mouth instantly closed shut. "I've become so tired of hoping that someday you'll change. That one day, you'll be the man I've always believed you to be, but I don't think that's possible anymore. Do you know what really shattered today, Rumple?" she asked, carefully watching his reaction, which was muted because of her order. "Not the spell, but my trust in you."

Gold looked as if he wanted to tell her something and since it was possibly going to be their last interaction together, Belle allowed it. "Speak."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he burst out immediately, outstretching his arms towards her in a pleading motion. "Whatever it is you're thinking about doing, please reconsider, I beg you..."

"Like how I begged you to do the same for me?" she shot back. Pushing down her emotions, she tried to keep her tone even. "What you did, you did for yourself. Now...walk."

She then moved forward, pushing him to stride backwards—towards the townline.

"Belle! Please! I love you! I only wanted to be separated from that thing because it's a weakness that can be exploited!" Gold then shook a finger at it, nearly stumbling. "Ask me using it, Belle! Command me to tell you the truth!"

"I don't need to use the dagger's influence to see what you really wanted," she answered calmly.

"I would do anything for you," he continued, his eyes welling up when he saw no warmth in hers.

Refusing, Belle swallowed hard then shook her head. "I don't believe you...you've hurt me too many times, in a span of one day, than anyone ever has...or will."

When Gold's foot was inches away from passing the boundary, the casted magic shimmered at the closeness. His eyes then widened in fear and heartbreak. "Belle!"

"Rumple, I banning you from Storybrooke," she announced, her voice slightly cracking. "I wish you a good life. I just don't want to be a part of it anymore..."

Her words propelled him over the line, his form instantly crumpling when all of his ailments and emotions weighed him down. Tears spilling from his eyes, Gold, who could no longer see Belle, cried out to her, begging for her to take him back. Collapsing onto all fours, his shredded breathing racked his entire body, turning his pleas inaudible.

Finally succumbing to her feelings, Belle stood there with streams pouring down her face as she watched her defeated husband. Eyes fluttering in the cold, she slowly dropped her hands and began the journey back into town, her fingers trembling around the dagger's hilt.

"Goodbye, Rumple..."

…

10:10AM -A Couple Days Later

"Ah," Killian said when he stepped into the Sheriff's Station and located an organizing Emma, who looked up when he spoke. "It appears that we've both returned to the scene of the crime."

Emma smiled and walked into the main room. "Are you referring to when our last adventure started?"

"The memories are flooding back to me as we speak, Swan," he teased, walking deeper into the room to help her sort through several cardboard boxes. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving, but I have to finish this," she answered over her shoulder when she moved back into the other room with loose papers in her hands. "It shouldn't take me long. Do you want to wait for me?"

"Always, Swan," he replied with a wink.

"Speaking about our traumatic experiences," she began on her way back. "Did you hear that Belle's memory, about the kidnapping, returned yesterday?"

Passing a full box to her, he raised his brow. "Did it really?"

"Yeah," she responded after taking the container from him to stash away. "She told me that she was heading to the shop when Ingrid took her. She tried to fight but it didn't work and that's how she ended up under that curse..."

Killian frowned. "Then Gold's prejudices did the rest..."

"Unfortunately," Emma responded sadly. Slowly reentering the room, she leaned against the inner door's frame. "She's hiding her emotions well," she then said in a softer tone. "But she's still as devastated now as she was when she kicked him out...though, she's still convinced that she did the right thing."

"I can only imagine," Killian said in a similar voice. Regarding her fully, he stopped what he was organizing to move closer to her. Leaning his hip against the nearby desk, he met her forlorn gaze. "Did she say anything else?"

She nodded. "She wishes that he'll find some sort of happiness out there, but I don't know if he'll be able to."

Killian tilted his head. "It's possible that he may, but I think that he'll be more scarred living in a world without magic than anything else. Afterall, he did what he did in order to keep his magic. What he's going through now is a fate worse than death..."

Emma bit her bottom lip. "I just hope that he realizes how much Belle means to him before it's too late..."

"Do you think he'll find some way to come back?"

She then pushed herself away from the door with a reflective look. "Anything is possible. He's clever enough to do it."

"Aye," he agreed, watching her.

"If he does though, Mary Margaret would love to have some words with him," she added thoughtfully, remembering how angry her mom had gotten. "...But," she then continued, walking past him in order to grab two of the last three boxes. "At least we know that the real dagger is in her possession."

Stacking the full containers on top of one another, Emma heaved them up with a small sigh before walking back into the next room. "I don't know if it'll be okay in the shop's safe, but it's definitely better than being in his hands."

Clicking his tongue, Killian straightened his form so he could go help her finish.

Carrying the last one into the other room, he plopped the remaining box onto the others, which were lined up against a wall. "I do hope she feels better," he commented while making sure that everything was well balanced and not toppling over. "The talk that I've mainly heard was from the townspeople. Since they have their memories back, many of them have come forward stating that they now remember Ingrid, though she was too secretive and antisocial for them to really know her."

"I've heard the same," Emma responded, moving over to help him. "Since she worked in that parlor shop, both Henry and I had some interactions with her..."

"Speaking of which," Killian began, giving her a side-look. "How did your mom react to her being one of your foster parents?"

Emma shrugged. "At first, she didn't mind it, but when I told her that she was my favorite one, before she became a power-hungry person, her opinion slightly changed. I mean," she then stopped, her tone light. "Would it have worked out if she didn't go crazy? Yes, but it wasn't meant to be and...I'm happy where I am now."

"I'm glad, love."

Emma gave him a sweet smile. Crossing her arms, she looked at the cleaner space and let out a deep sigh. "At least we all can breathe easier knowing that everybody from that hat has been set free."

"Do you think they're recovering well?"

"My mom told me that some are seeking treatment, which is understandable" Emma answered. "How Gold took them seemed to be a traumatizing event, which is definitely something that we're all familiar with."

"Indeed, but I still don't understand how Regina figured it out," Killian acknowledged with curiosity.

"Something about her spinning the dagger counterclockwise," Emma responded, trying to remember; her brows furrowing. "She needed a powerful instrument and before Belle put it away, Regina wanted to see if it would work...and it did. She basically did the opposite of Gold's actions and presto! The people were released."

Scratching her elbow through her long sleeved shirt, she continued with a thoughtful head tilt. "And like she said, it's currently in her vault under heavy, powerful enchantments. So, if he does get back or somebody else tries to take it, they'll have a rather difficult time doing so."

"That's good to hear."

Moving closer to her, Killian then brought his hand up to her back and began rubbing it in small circles, the movement very comforting. When she looked up at him with a beckoning gaze, he could feel his heart skip a beat. "Are you ready to go, love?"

"Yep," she replied, giving him a happy smile. Straightening her form, Emma stretched then leaned into him so she could wrap her arms around his waist. "And if you want to, we could go on a real drive throughout the town since Elsa took down that ice wall before she, Anna and Kristoff went back to Arendelle..."

Killian laughed. "Very tempting, but I..." he paused when he then noticed the slight sadness in her features. Immediately understanding what it meant, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I know that you're going to miss her."

"Yeah," Emma agreed. "She'll make a great Queen though and, from what we've heard, they need her now more than ever. She also has more control of her magic, so, that's a plus..."

"Aye, but she's not the only one who's improved greatly," he returned with a pointed look. "You're skills have vastly improved, particularly your senses."

"I had great motivation to do so," she replied, tightening her hold. "Regina said that I'm more intuned with my emotions than most magical beings; hence why I was able to sense you that day in the forest." At his loving expression, Emma laughed softly. "But don't let me take all of the growth credit. I'm not the only one. It's nice to see you and my dad are actually getting along."

"Well," he began, slightly gesturing with his hand. "It took a couple of drinks to really seal the deal, but aye; however, the one who really has your dad's heart though is...Kristoff." He laughed loudly when he saw her wide expression. "Their reunion was incredibly touching...his and Anna's. When she suddenly remembered that "long-haired shepherd" who had helped her all those years ago, I was moved to tears."

Swatting his arm, she managed to hold back her giggles. "Stop it."

Hugging her tighter, his laughter faded into the back of his throat.

Nobody said anything for a couple of minutes when they entered a reflective and peaceful moment of silence.

Deep in thought, Emma realized that she had never felt so safe, secure or happy until this very moment. When she was younger, the only person she could really count on was herself, but now, she had a huge support system. She had wonderful parents, great friends, wild adventures, a precocious son and...

The love of her life...

"I love you," she whispered, finally able to say the words they both longed to hear while resting her cheek securely against his. She could feel his body stiffen with surprise before he pulled her away to see her face. He searched her eyes, making sure that he hadn't misunderstood her, but when all he saw was an outpouring of love radiating from them and a gentle smile accompanying it, he knew that he had heard correctly.

Raising a hand to cup her cheek, his heart nearly broke through his chest. "I love you too, Emma." Pressing a quick, but passionate kiss to her lips, he rubbed his nose against hers when he pulled away. "Took you long enough..."

Emma laughed. "I'm sorry."

Clearing his throat, his eyes sobered a bit. "I still want to apologize for keeping secrets from you," he began, shaking his head when she was about to interrupt him again. "I meant what I said earlier about not willingly hurt you...I promise you, from this moment forward, that I'll be more upfront and honest in our relationship."

Emma's breathing was ragged and one eye was tearing up. "I forgave you a long time ago, Killian. So, don't worry about it anymore, ok?" When he slowly nodded, she kissed his cheek then reached up to her face in order to take his hand into hers. "Regardless of the tough roads ahead, you're my boyfriend and I'll always need you."

A boyish glimmer sparked in his eyes. "Is that your way of telling me that we're officially together?"

Dropping their intertwined hands down, she winked at him. "Aye."

After leading them out of the rooms, the front door and into the street, Emma was about to ask him if he wanted to go on patrol with her after they had their food when suddenly the radio, she had clipped on her belt, blared to life. When she answered it, she heard the strained voice of her dad, who needed her help with a reported bar fight.

"He's cashing in on that deal I made him weeks ago," Emma informed an amused Killian with an exaggerated eye roll. "When you and I were on a date, I told him that I owed him for covering my shift. He was supposed to take care of Neal but I begged him not to..."

She was about to respond back to her dad when her stomach growled, making her debate whether or not she wanted to accept it at all.

Noticing, Killian gave her a mischievous grin. "Putting our improving relationship aside, would you consider breaking a deal with him for us and sustenance?"

"For what I love," she answered with a similar look. "Some deals are meant to be broken; however," she said with a relenting head shake. "I have to take this one...despite what my empty stomach has to say."

"I thought so," Killian replied, tilting his head. "In that case, I'll assist you."

"This sudden willingness to help me wouldn't be because it's at a bar, right?" she asked, humorously.

"It's part of it," he conceded with a wide smile.

Playfully shaking her head, she radioed her dad, informing him that they were on their way and to make sure that the rum was safely stashed somewhere before they got there.

Upon confirmation, the couple laughed then began walking, hand-in-hand, to the location.

oOoOoOo

THE END

…

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