I own nothing except my delusions.
Emma felt exhausted, as she slumped down in the booth at Granny's, her parents sitting opposite her at the wake for Neal.
"Is Henry doing okay?" Mary Margaret asked quietly as she glanced towards where the boy in question was sitting near Archie.
Nodding, Emma pushed her hair out of her face. "Yeah, or at least I hope so."
David looked over at her solemnly. "What about you?"
"I'm fine," she told him.
She almost believed it because she had to say it so often, with near the entire town asking how she was doing since that morning. She wasn't indifferent, but had left Neal behind her when he acted as if he hadn't hurt her and like no time had passed since he abandoned her.
Watching him die had been hard no matter her relationship with him. Even if she didn't like it, he was a part of her life as her son's father.
Henry had been devastated by the news, not knowing how to react. He hadn't had contact with Neal since finding out about his mother's past, but Emma knew the loss still hurt.
"I'm worried about him," Emma confessed to her parents as she watched Henry. "He hasn't talked about it at all."
"Give him time," Mary Margaret told her.
"I know," Emma responded.
She looked up as Henry suddenly appeared at her side, sliding into the booth beside her. Wrapping a comforting arm around him, relief seeped through her as he leaned into her.
"How are you doing?" she asked quietly to him.
He shrugged, his voice low. "I'm okay, I guess."
She lightly hugged him closer. "We'll get through this."
"I know we will," he said.
She gave him a small smile before nearly jumping out of her seat in surprise as the door to the diner crashed open.
Zelena stepped through, waving around Gold's dagger in a show of power, the florescent lights of the restaurant reflecting off the metal.
Emma stood up, maneuvering so that Henry was pushed into the back of the booth, trying to keep him as far away from the witch as possible.
Her voice seeping in condescension, Zelena looked around the room. "My condolences. I'm sorry I missed the funeral, but I could never pass up a good wake."
She suddenly feigned worry before turning back to arrogance. "Oh, did I miss the speeches? Shall I make one? I mean, I am, after all, responsible."
Emma glanced back at Henry, seeing him looking scared and sick. While she would have loved to go after Zelena, she wasn't about to leave Henry unguarded. Instead, her hand went to her gun, ready to draw.
Catching the movement, Mary Margaret placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Emma, no. Too many people will get hurt."
Emma caught her pointed glance at Henry.
"Listen to your mother," Zelena said mockingly as she looked at Emma.
She stepped closer, making David move to stand in front of his wife and daughter. "Don't come any closer."
Without a care, Zelena turned away from them. "Don't worry. I'm not here for your baby. Not today, anyway."
"Then why are you here?" Regina demanded from the counter.
Zelena smirked as she turned towards her. "Now that my cover's blown, I can finally pay a visit to my little sister."
Regina's response was immediate. "I'm an only child."
Stepping closer, Zelena got within a few inches of Regina, her face in the latter's. "Cora lied to you, Regina. I'm your sister. Half, if you want to get technical."
Emma looked at both women, unable to see a resemblance. Whereas Regina's eyes were dark, Zelena held a pale blue. Their hair color was too dissimilar, with near black on one and bright red on the other. Nothing in even their faces or bodies suggested they had a sisterly bond.
Thinking back on Cora, she did see a resemblance between Zelena and her.
Regina waved her hand dismissively. "Why should I believe anything you say?"
"Oh, well, you shouldn't," Zelena said easily. "It's a lot to swallow."
She suddenly drew her brow, her expression becoming serene. "Which is why I've brought a gift to help."
Regina laughed derisively. "I don't want a gift from you."
Zelena stepped even closer. "Oh, but you shall have it. You see, my gift to you is this sad, sad day. Use it to dig into your past, Regina. You need to learn the truth, and you must believe it. And then come meet me on Main Street tonight. Say... sundown."
Regina's lips curled into a smirk. "And then what?"
Zelena's expression suddenly became deranged. "Then I'll destroy you."
Regina leaned forward in challenge. "This isn't the wild west."
"No, dear. It's the wicked west." Zelena retorted with a shake of her head.
Despite the situation, Emma had to fight to roll her eyes.
Zelena turned to leave, raising her voice to address the entire diner. "And I want everyone to be there to see the Evil Queen lose."
"I don't lose," Regina said with an evil smile.
Suddenly adopting a menacing expression, Zelena laughed. "Neither do I. One of us is about to make history. See you tonight, sis."
Chaos erupted as soon as she left, the noise nearly deafening as the patrons of the diner began to panic.
Emma turned back to check on Henry, seeing the boy looking stricken.
"What's she gonna do?" he asked as Regina rushed over.
"I have no idea," Emma replied honestly. She looked back at her parents and Regina, knowing they all had the same priority. "We need to find somewhere safe."
"Can you take him to Killian?" Regina asked.
The suggestion surprised Emma even though she had been thinking along the same lines, just for the fact she didn't think Regina would be so willing to trust Henry's safety to someone else.
"He was able to keep him away from my mother," Regina pointed out.
Emma nodded. "I know. I was just thinking about finding Killian to ask him."
She looked back at her son. "Is that okay?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah. I thrust him. I know he wouldn't let anything happen to me."
"What are you gonna do?" David asked Regina.
"See if that witch was lying about my mother," she said simply as she turned to exit the diner.
Emma released a breath of relief as she found Killian resting near the cabin, seeing he was so close.
Her light footfalls waking him, he cracked one eye open, focused on her. "Swan? Are you alright?"
"Zelena made an appearance," Emma told him quietly.
His head shot up, fully awake and looking for a threat.
"She wants to fight my mom," Henry said before clarifying. "My other mom."
"She claims she's Regina's sister," Emma added. Shaking her head, she refocused. "But I'm here to ask you to please keep Henry safe."
"Of course," Killian said immediately. "I won't let anything happen to him, love."
She nodded. "Thank you."
As she turned towards her son, he spoke. "I know the drill. Listen to Killian, stay in the cabin, and if I'm not in the cabin, I need to be by him."
Smiling in satisfaction, Emma ruffled his hair.
"When is their fight?" Killian asked her.
"Sundown," she replied. "I know it will be harder for you then."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The lad will be safe with me."
She exhaled a breath of relief, trusting him completely.
Killian looked towards the hearth as he entered into the cabin, seeing Henry sitting on the sofa with a few books scattered around him.
"The fight's starting, isn't it?" Henry asked him.
Nodding sadly, Killian stepped closer. "I'm afraid so."
Henry looked down towards the books scattered around him. "I hate being stuck here. It's not you, it's just…"
"It's just that you don't know what's happening and you have both your mothers in possible danger," Killian finished quietly. "You feel helpless."
"Yeah," Henry nodded.
Crouching beside the boy, Killian rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know, lad. Believe me when I say I feel the same."
Seeing Henry's downtrodden expression, Killian offered him a hopeful smile. "But you know what?"
He didn't continue until Henry looked at him. "Your mother is the strongest person I know. She'll be fine, and so will Regina. Nothing will happen to them, your grandparents, or anyone else, because your mother will protect them."
He felt a swell of pride as the light returned to Henry's eyes.
"Now, I can put something on if you're hungry," he offered. "It's probably gonna be a little while."
Henry nodded.
Throwing something together, he took the opportunity to clean up while it cooked. Making his shower quick, he found Henry in the same spot as he had left him.
He recognized the books that surrounded the boy, most of which he and Emma had already gone through.
"What are you doing, lad?" he asked as he moved to the stove.
"Looking for someway to get rid of your curse," Henry answered simply.
Fighting to keep his expression light, Killian nodded.
He didn't want to tell the boy it was useless, yet didn't want to give him false hope. He'd already decided that if he was to remain with Emma for the rest of her life, he didn't want to spend the entire time digging through ancient books hoping that they might find something for a curse that was made just for him. He wanted to give her the most fulfilling life he could, not to waste it all of him despite her protests.
Henry's question broke him out of his thoughts. "What do you think Zelena wants, anyway?"
Looking back, Killian shrugged. "I have no idea. It seems excessive if all she wants is to meet her sister."
Henry nodded in agreement before he looked back at him curiously. "Is that why you and my mom haven't gone out in a while?"
Knowing it best to be honest, Killian nodded. "That's the main reason. There's only so much I can do during the day, and at night I want to do something to help your family to stop this witch. Plus with how hard this has all been on your mother, we just haven't had the time."
He didn't add that he and Emma had originally planned for them to have an evening to themselves just a couple nights ago, but the night had resulted in Neal's death.
"You guys should still try to do something when you get a chance," Henry told him. "She would really like that, and I know you would, too."
Knowing he had the approval and encouragement of Emma's son, Killian gave him a small smile. "Hopefully that chance will come soon."
He kept him occupied, resisting looking at the clock. He was desperate to know what was happening, if Emma was alright. Even believing what he had told Henry earlier, he worried about her, knowing he wouldn't be able to relax until he actually was able to see and hold her again.
He quickly stood up as he heard movement at the door, moving to block Henry from whatever might come in.
He instantly felt relief as Emma's familiar form entered, even if seeing she appeared exhausted.
"It's me," she said tiredly, wrapping her arms around her son as he moved to hug her. "Everyone's fine."
Killian nodded as he moved to embrace her himself, holding her close. She sunk into him, her own arms holding onto him.
"There's some dinner left over," he said in a low voice.
She nodded in thanks.
He watched as she moved to retrieve her meal, noting her tired movements.
Keeping his voice pitched low, he sat beside her at the table. "You're exhausted. Why not just stay here the night?"
She shook her head. "Henry-"
"Can stay here, too," he said. "There's plenty of room for him to stay here the night. You two can take the bed."
"We can't just do that," she argued quietly.
"Yes, you can," he said easily. "You're exhausted. I would feel more comfortable if you weren't driving anymore. Henry's tired. It's been a long day for you both."
He could see her warring with herself before she finally nodded.
"Alright," she said.
He knew better than to ask her about the fight, knowing it best to wait until Henry had fallen asleep first.
Borrowing some clothes, Henry went to bed soon after, the day weighing on him.
Dressed in some of her own sleep clothes, Emma sunk down beside Killian on the couch, curling into him. She had taken amusement as she had prepared for bed, seeing him watch in horror as she removed the clear circular lenses from her eyes.
"We found Gold in that cage," Emma said quietly. "I went there with my parents and Belle. He told us to stay out of Zelena's way of destroying Regina or we would all pay. He was crazy, I don't know what she did to him. Belle couldn't even get through to him."
"Why did she put him in there?" Killian pondered. "If she has the dagger, she doesn't need a cage to contain him."
"He said something about her taking his brain," she said at a loss. "I don't know, he was spinning when we found him."
"He spins to clear his mind," he said, remembering Rumplestiltskin telling him long ago. "He does it to clear his head. Maybe she took what he made as a token like your father's courage?"
"I don't know," she said.
After a couple moments of silence, she spoke again, her voice a near whisper. "She tried to take Regina's heart. She was yelling about how it was all Regina's fault because she was born."
"The lad mentioned that supposedly she's her sister," he told her. "It stands to reason that's how she was able to get past her spell."
"But what does she want?" Emma asked. "Courage, a brain, and a heart. Plus she mentioned that she would take Mary Margaret's baby. What's it all for?"
Shrugging, Killian pinched his brow. "Is Belle looking into it?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but she's lost."
"I'll help her look," he said. "Two people researching is better than one."
His chest warmed at her soft smile. "She'd like the help."
Her voice dropped after a moment, a mixture of grimness and sorrow coloring it. "She also said how she cast the Dark Curse. She didn't have a heart herself to crush, so she used a young couple's. She… took both their hearts and made the woman crush her husband's heart before killing her, too."
He felt his arms tighten around Emma, putting her closer to his chest as if to protect her from the dark images running through his head, of being in love and being forced to kill them before dying. He pushed the morbid thoughts from his mind, of what would happen if he was forced to do that to the woman he was holding.
Feeling her stifle a yawn, Killian looked down to see Emma's eyes close, her expression growing peaceful as she curled into him.
He nodded as he drew her closer to him. "You should go rest. It's been a long day."
Chuckling, she looked up at him. "Kind of hard when you won't let go."
Humming, he buried his nose in her hair.
"I can't wait until this witch is gone," she sighed.
"I know, Swan," Killian replied, wanting for her to be able to relax and not have to worry about some new villain.
He kept his arms wrapped around Emma as she fell asleep, more than willing to let her sleep beside him and hold her through the night.
Teaser: "No," she whispered in panic. "No, no, no."
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