Chapter Eleven - Desperation

"There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast."

-Charles Dickens

Regina stared at the door to the loft, dreading the conversation she was about to enter into. She had vehemently argued with Mary Margaret about the merits of having her explain to David what was happening to his daughter, but Mary Margaret could be as stubborn as, well, Regina, when her mind was made up.

As they had made their way back to the loft, Regina had contented herself with imagining the numerous ways she could get back at Mary Margaret for dragging her along, a grim smile settling on her lips with each increasingly satisfying and dark image she'd conjured.

Why her, she thought, deep in her misery. Dear god, she didn't even like these people. Well, okay that wasn't necessarily true, not any more, but she really didn't understand when she had become responsible for explaining all the intricacies of Emma Swan's sex life to her parents.

"Come on, Regina," Mary Margaret said over her shoulder. She had her key out and was just about to insert it into the lock when David opened the door. He looked like he had recently woken up, hair mussed and eyes still puffy with sleep. He was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt, looking so damn wholesome and charming that Regina almost lost her dinner.

There was no accounting for taste, she thought as she stared at David with clear disdain on her face. Mary Margaret entered the loft, kissing her husband and turning to look at Regina in expectation. Regina fought the urge to stick her tongue out in response, stepping into the loft and sniffing in contempt instead.

"Henry, Elsa, and Neal are sleeping. We'll have to keep it down," David murmured. He followed his wife into the kitchen, leaning his hip against the kitchen counter as Mary Margaret settled next to him. Regina perched on one of the bar stools at the counter, waiting impatiently for Mary Margaret to get down to brass tacks and tell her husband what they'd discovered.

"Well?" David prompted, looking to his wife for an explanation.

Mary Margaret sighed heavily in resignation and then began to explain what they had found. There was such anguish in her voice that Regina realized how much pain she'd been holding back over the course of the evening. Her heart ached for the younger woman, understanding her pain as only another mother could.

Once Mary Margaret had finished her tale, David simply stared at her, his mouth hanging open in horror as he tried to digest what she'd told him. Then he was pulling her into his chest, his arms wrapping tightly around her, trying to provide some comfort to her. As Regina sat there, feeling awkward at being witness to such a private moment, the Sphere began to vibrate inside her pocket again. She reached into her coat, slowly extracting it and marveling at the tremendous amount of heat radiating from it now.

Uncurling her fingers, she watched as the Sphere rose into the air, vibrating and twirling above the hand that she held protectively underneath it. Tendrils of white light broke across the surface of the glass, encompassing it completely for several long moments. When the light finally settled down again, Regina noted that there was definitely more white now than darkness. It wouldn't be long before it was almost completely gone and Emma and Hook could fully consummate their relationship and defeat the incubus.

"That's the essence of my grandchild's soul in there?" David finally asked, speaking to Regina over Mary's Margaret's head.

"Yes," she confirmed, pausing before asking, "Do you want to hold it?" She swept the globe up into her hand then held it out to him, watching as he took a hesitant breath before reaching across the counter to take the orb from her.

"It's so warm," he said, awed as he stared down at the little ball of white light in his hand. A smile came and went on his face before he handed the globe back to Regina, determination setting his jaw into a fierce line. "How do we save Emma and our grandchild?"

"We don't know yet, but we will find a way. Our family doesn't give up," Mary Margaret answered her husband. "Right, Regina?"

"We won't give up until we find a way to save them both," Regina agreed, her lips pressed tight together in a grim line. "You have my word on that."

"Oh, god, so good!" Emma exclaimed around her mouthful of pop-tart, taking another huge bite and rubbing her stomach in happy exaggeration as she smiled over at Killian. He grinned at her, biting into his own pop-tart as he settled against the pillows at his back, legs stretched out, ankles crossed as he munched.

They'd gone foraging for food when Emma's stomach had growled loudly in protest. She'd giggled in embarrassment and Killian had called it 'a providential sign' that it was time to take a break and refuel. The squeal of delight she'd let out at finding the box of strawberry pop-tarts in the galley had brought a puzzled look to Killian's face. She explained that pop-tarts were her comfort food as they returned to the captain's cabin with the box and full glasses of wine.

She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't understand what she meant by "comfort food," but he had become distracted as she walked slightly ahead of him, his gaze focused on her ass as they made their way down the hallway. She'd be lying if she said it bothered her.

He wasn't the only one who couldn't stop staring. She was having a hard time looking anywhere but him, settled so casually against the pillows. There weren't words to describe his utter perfection, a pair of loose tan linen pants riding low on his hips, chest bare as he stared at her. She had never seen him wear anything other than black and she had to admit that he looked good in the lighter color.

"Tell me something, love," he asked, watching as she popped the last bite of strawberry pop-tart into her mouth with a contented smile.

"Anything," she responded easily. She watched him as he looked across the space separating them, wine glass held against his thigh as he contemplated her. Gorgeous bastard, she thought on a sigh. His blue eyes twinkled at her, his gaze drifting down over her breasts, taking in the way her nipples pressed against the sheer fabric of her gown, tongue sliding along his bottom lip at the sight.

"What is "comfort food?" he asked, gesturing toward the box of pop-tarts with his head tilted in question.

"Oh. It's food that makes you feel better by reminding you of something happy."

"What happy memory do pop-tarts give you, love?" She stared at him for a moment, body tensing as she remembered the multiple times she'd stolen a box of pop-tarts off a grocery store shelf and had then run for her life, hunkering down in the corner of a deserted alley to rip open the silvery packet, taking a huge bite of the pop-tarts inside to stave off her hunger.

"Love?" Killian asked, seeing something in her expression that concerned him. Shaking her head to clear away the memories, she smiled at him, leaning over the side of the bed to set down her glass before turning to him and taking his glass as well.

"It doesn't matter what the memory was before cause I've got a newer, happier one now," she said, placing his glass on the floor before turning back to him.

"Oh?" he asked her, one perfectly dark brow raised on his forehead.

"Yeah, it's one of me, sitting on a huge bed with a handsome, barely dressed pirate eating pop-tarts and drinking wine and celebrating what is turning out to be one of the best nights of my life." And there it was, her favorite giddy and endearing grin of his that made her own silly smile appear in response. How was it possible that she, Emma Swan, could make anyone that happy?

Deciding that she needed to have him press that smile into hers, she started to make her way over to him when her phone went off. Reaching back down to the floor, she curled her fingers around it before crawling up the bed to Killian's side. She snuggled into him, his blunted arm wrapped comfortably around her shoulders. Holding the phone up so he could see, too, she clicked on the photo that Regina had sent. The background was indistinct, but Emma could tell that the white light inside the globe was brighter now, making it hard to see much else in the picture.

"Wow," Emma whispered, her stomach swooping in happiness as she stared at the photo.

"That's what I call progress, Swan." He pressed a soft kiss to her temple, a smug note in his voice. She nodded her head in agreement, settling closer into his warmth as she stared at the happily glowing sphere.

"It's kinda beautiful, isn't it?" she asked softly.

"I suppose it is," he responded, pausing thoughtfully for a moment before adding, "It reminds me of your magic, love."

"How so?" she asked, still staring down at the image, puzzling over the way her heart was racing with pride at how strong the light was now. Was it truly the impending death of the incubus that was causing her to feel this way? To feel almost...attached to that little globe of light hovering above Regina's palm?

"Well..." He pressed another kiss to her temple before responding. "When I think of you, of your powers, I think of warmth and...happiness."

"Hmmm. Sounds nice," she whispered, setting the phone off to the side as she turned to him. He reached up, brushing a clump of hair off her cheek, tucking the strands behind her ear. "So, when you look at the globe, that's what you feel?"

Killian paused for a moment, thinking carefully over his answer, his eyes flicking down to her phone before looking back at her. "Aye. I feel warm and...happy." He smiled then. "Do you think it's because of the incubus, love? Because we've got him on the run?"

"It must be."

"Is that what you feel when you look at it?"

"Yeah," she whispered in response, reaching up to cup Killian's cheek in her palm.

She traced his scar with her thumb, wondering about all of this, wanting to call Regina or Gold to ask them what it meant. She sensed that there was something else going on, something more than just the incubus and she desperately wanted to know what it was. Calling either of them would be violating the terms of the incubus's curse, though. To do so would undo all they'd accomplished so far, insuring that she would fall prey to the incubus.

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Killian what he thought when he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, murmuring softly as his lips traced the line of her jaw, "We're just going to have to keep going then, love, keep you coming undone for me. It's the only way we'll defeat this demon. Such hard work, I know, but I'm up to the challenge."

"Hmm," she responded, turning to follow his lips as he settled against the pillows at his back, her hand settling on the top of his thigh for balance. The linen pants he wore left little to the imagination and the man was raring to go again, the hard jut of his cock pressing up against the loose material in a way that simply couldn't be ignored. She grinned, licking her lips in appreciation, grabbing the waistband of his pants and pulling down on them impatiently. He was amused by her antics, a smug grin on his lips as he lifted up to allow her to push the material down, his length bobbing free.

She tossed the pants aside, reaching down to lift her nightgown over her head, tossing it in the direction of his pants. His hand settled on her hip as he took her in, his gaze hungry, the smile he gave her lecherous and sexy.

This man would be the death of her, she thought to herself as she leaned up to press a kiss to his mouth, moaning when the tip of his tongue traced along the seam of her lips and sought entrance. She denied him nothing, her mouth sliding open, her breast pressing into the warmth of his palm as he cupped its weight in his hand. He tried to get her to straddle him, but the thought of his hard cock just inches away from her sex and him not being able to slide inside would drive her mad, so she shook her head, giggling when his bottom lip came down in a pout of disappointment.

"Don't worry, pirate, you'll still get to pillage and plunder." He smirked at that, then settled back to watch as Emma began to slide down the length of his body. When she reached his cock, she sighed in appreciation and settled herself against his legs.

Like all things Killian Jones, he was perfectly made, satiny warm skin encasing hard steel. He was long, elegant, and just thick enough to be wonderfully enticing. Normally, she wouldn't be a big fan of all the hair, but of course, he made it work, and she reached down to scratch her nails lightly through the curls at the base of his cock, enjoying his sigh of appreciation.

When she went to press a kiss to his tip, wanting to taste him as he'd tasted her, he reached down to grasp her chin in his hand, pausing her eager movements.

"Emma, don't forget, this isn't about me."

"I need a little recovery time," she said simply. Her body was beginning to protest all the activity, a pleasant soreness between her thighs after so many touches and kisses.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly, his thumb caressing her cheek as he looked down at her.

"Yeah, I'm a little sore, but it's fine. I just need to rest and I'll be good as new." She grinned up at him, hoping he could see how much she wanted this.

"Far be it from me to argue with a lady who has her mind set." He leaned back against the pillows, uncrossing his legs so that she could kneel between his thighs, his eyes glued to every move she made.

Typical male, Emma thought, internally rolling her eyes in amusement.

Personally, she'd never been one to get excited about giving blow jobs. She'd used them to her advantage in the past, to get what she wanted, but it had never done much for her excitement-wise. It was a means to an end for her, nothing more. But with Killian, it was completely different. The thought of doing this for him had her insanely turned on.

She wanted to taste him, wanted him to experience the same pleasure he'd given her. She wanted him hot and hard in her mouth, wanted to hear his moans of pleasure surround her as she loved him with her tongue. There was no denying the fact that he wanted this, too, she thought, as she looked up at his eager face, anticipation making his eyes sparkle, his lips curved in a happy smile.

Please let me do this right for him, she prayed, leaning over him and pressing a gentle kiss to the head of his cock. She heard his quick intake of breath at the touch, his hand coming up to rest carefully on her shoulder before he dropped it back down to the bedspread.

Needing to taste more of him, she leaned down further, running her tongue the length of his cock, root to tip, loving the surprised gasp and following moan he made. She flicked her eyes up to see that he was still watching her, his cheeks flushed as he bit his bottom lip in anticipation. She smiled shyly before dipping her head back down and sliding her tongue around his tip, more of those wonderful sounds erupting from his throat as she tasted him.

Not able to hold back any longer, she gripped the base of his cock, taking him deep into her throat. He brought his hand back up to her shoulder when she slid her mouth down his length, taking in as much as she could before sliding back up and swirling her tongue around the head. The satiny feel of him on her tongue, the salt of his skin, the moans he was making were all turning her on, the soreness between her legs turning into a familiar ache for release. She knew he could give it to her, knew he would give it to her, but god, she didn't want to stop.

A few more long drags of her mouth and then he was weaving his hands into her hair, holding her head as he breathlessly whispered her name to get her attention. She looked up at him, pulling her mouth away, but grinning wickedly as she slid her hand up and down his slick cock, watching the way his eyes shut in ecstasy.

"Fuck," he growled darkly, tugging her to his mouth for a soul-shattering kiss, all tongue and teeth and heat. Her hand kept moving, enjoying the moans of pleasure she tasted as he kissed her.

"Are you recovered enough yet, Swan?" he asked her, his voice impatient, his gaze dark with desire. She thought about teasing him, but there was something in his eyes, something harsh that told her he wouldn't tolerate it just now. Nodding, she brought her fingers up to her lips, pressing them against the bruises he'd surely left there.

"Good," he said, moving forward quickly to push her on her back, holding himself above her as he settled between her legs. For a moment, she thought he was about to plunge into her and she tensed, both because she knew it wasn't time yet and because she wanted him to do it so badly she was almost sobbing for it.

He grinned down at her as if he could hear her thoughts, as if he knew what she wanted before he shimmied down her body, pushing her thighs wide as he settled his shoulders between them. Emma sighed, her eyes sliding shut as he brought his mouth to her center again. A few long licks against her flesh and then he was moving onto his side, maneuvering them so that his mouth was aligned with her sex and her mouth with his cock.

Oh, she thought, realization dawning as he positioned his mouth back between her legs. She followed suit, wrapping her hand around the base of his cock as she enveloped him again. She couldn't hold back a moan as she took him into her mouth, loving the angle that being on their sides helped create. He easily slid a finger inside her slick passage, fucking her as he brushed his teeth against her clit.

She wanted him to come with her, but his touch felt so good that she found herself constantly stopping to simply moan around him. Focusing as best as she could, she began to slide her hand up and down the shaft of his cock, sucking him deeper into her mouth. He was moaning continuously now, too, his finger pressing deep inside her as he tongued her clit.

She was so damn close, marveling at how he had brought her easily to the edge of climax again, keeping her teetering there with the barest of touches, the softest of kisses. When she felt his legs tense against her as he moaned long and deep against her clit, she knew he was at the edge too and that he was just waiting for her to fall first. She reached her hand around to grip his balls, massaging them gently as her other hand continued to stroke up and down his rigid length. The moan that left his mouth then was like none she'd heard before, his entire body tensing as he gave in, embracing his release.

Emma quickly followed him, somehow finding enough coordination to swallow down his seed as they came together. There was something so deeply satisfying about finding their releases simultaneously, the feeling unlike anything she'd experienced before. Knowing they were both shattering at the same time was heady and intoxicating, and she reveled in it.

She lay panting afterwards, her head nestled against his thigh as her body came down from its high. Then Killian was shifting against her, moving so they faced each other, his lips wet with her release. He pillowed his head on his arm, staring at her with the happiest smile she'd seen yet. She couldn't help but mirror the grin, thinking to herself that if he continued to look at her like that there was simply no way she'd ever let him out of her sight again.

"You're a bloody marvel, do you know that, Swan?"

"A marvel, huh?" He brought his hand up to her face, thumb tracing her lips.

"You have the most amazing mouth," he whispered, his eyes watching the movement of his thumb against her.

"Yours is pretty fantastic, too," she whispered back. "That mouth got me to number six just a moment ago, in fact." He grinned at that, a smile that crinkled his eyes at the corners and brought his lips up in the most beguiling way. Then he was pulling her back to him, kissing her soundly as he held her. She felt him stirring against her leg, his recently satiated body already starting to stiffen with the promise of more.

"Gods, I can't wait to be inside you," he whispered against her mouth, his hand coming up to cup her breast, thumb rubbing gentle circles around her nipple as he continued to kiss her. "I''m going to lose my mind if I can't have you soon, Swan."

She could hear his desperation, could taste it in his kiss, could feel it as he trembled against her. She wrapped him up tight in her arms, soothing him with gentle kisses pressed into his hair, shushing him as she kissed him softly. "I know, babe, I know. It'll be soon now, I promise," she whispered, pressing her words into his heated skin. She wasn't much for endearments, so the name surprised her when it slipped out, but it felt right in the moment. And it felt right to kiss him again, loving the taste of her tangy flavor on his tongue.

She knew they were both waiting to hear the alert that she had a new text, desperate to know if the incubus was on its last legs, desperate to know if they could finally come together as one. All of this pleasure, the multiple build ups and releases, were slowly turning to pain, her body aching to finally feel him deep within.

Mercy, Emma pleaded to whatever deity was listening, her body entwining easily with his. He settled into the cradle of her thighs, moaning as he held her so tightly that the rings on his fingers bruised her tender flesh. She didn't care, wanting him as desperately as he wanted her. She raked her nails down his back, grabbing his ass in her hands and pulling him into her.

"Please." He kept moaning over and over against her mouth, almost sobbing as they waited for the sound of her phone. He was hard again, pressed against her clit, her desire coating him as he flexed his hips into her. She knew she should warn him against it, order him to stop, but she was incapable of doing so, wanting what he wanted just as badly. He kept hitting her clit with the hard ridge of his cock, the pleasure almost painful.

When her orgasm broke over her, it took her completely by surprise. She cried out into his mouth and bit down on his bottom lip as it rolled through her. He held her tight against him, continuing to press himself against her as she came. They were both shaking when it was over, her body so tired that she didn't think she'd be able to move again.

She could feel him still throbbing against her, so close to her weeping center that she knew all he had to do was pull back and angle downwards with a quick slide of his cock and he'd finally be seated deep within her.

"Seven," he moaned into her mouth, his hips sliding against hers again.

"Killian," she warned, her voice hoarse. "You can't. Not until we know he's almost dead."

"Can't you feel it? The Crocodile said you would feel when he was almost dead." He sounded hoarse as well, his voice muffled against her throat as he trembled into her.

"I don't know...I just know I want you. It's all I can think about." She giggled breathlessly at the admission, biting her lip when he pulled back to look down at her.

"Maybe we should take a break." He didn't sound like he really wanted to, but she had to admit it was a good idea. At least until they heard back from Regina.

He let her up, helping her to stand and pull her nightgown back over her head before finding the linen pants she'd tossed aside and pulling them on as well. They made their way up onto the deck of the ship, Killian pausing to inspect his charts one more time before leading her topside. He pressed a kiss to her temple, squeezing her hip before wandering away to look up at the stars to confirm their position in the water.

While she hated being away from him, the moment alone did feel good. Her body was aching both for him and because of him, her mind swimming with all the intimate moments that they'd shared over the past few hours. It was staggering to know there was more to come, not to mention the very real possibility she'd end up pregnant at the end of all of this.

The thought caused her to start as the image of the white light encased in the glass orb appeared in her mind. She looked over at Killian, panic causing her to rush to his side at the ship's railing. He was looking up at the sky, murmuring to himself as he identified the stars above them. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed her face into his warm chest, suddenly more afraid than she'd ever been.

When he asked her what was wrong, she simply shook her head, unable to answer. His arms went instantly around her, holding her tight as he rocked her back and forth, pressing soft kisses into her hair.

And all she could think, insane though it may be, was that he would make a wonderful father to their child, the image of that glowing sphere floating inexplicably behind her eyelids at the thought.

David, Mary Margaret, and Regina's eyes instantly went to the globe as it began to wildly twirl in the air above the counter. Regina realized she hadn't taken a progress picture last time, so she pulled her phone from her pocket in preparation.

There was barely any black left now, the white light revolving faster and faster inside the Sphere. With a massive tremor, electricity sparked underneath the glass, covering the whole surface, tendrils of white expanding out again and again as they watched. The heat coming off it warmed Regina's face and when she looked up to David and Mary Margaret she could see that they felt it, too, turning their faces away from the intensity of it.

Light magic, she thought to herself.

Once the globe settled down again, Regina noted that the black spot was drastically smaller, but there was still enough left that she knew it wasn't time yet. Mary Margaret went to check on baby Neal, David handing Regina a mug of tea before settling down beside her at the counter. They were both wrapped up in their thoughts, Regina wracking her brain to come up with some solution to this problem, David probably pondering ways to punish Hook for touching his daughter. She knew once Hook and Emma were back in the loft, she'd need to get to her vault and begin researching options. Maybe she could try talking to the Blue Fairy as well, although she wasn't entirely sure how open the fairy would be to helping her.

Her mug of tea was barely half gone when the globe began to vibrate again. Regina's eyes connected in surprise with David's, his cheeks flushing at the indecently short amount of time between the Sphere's vibrations. Mary Margaret made her way back to them, Neal snuggled sleepily in her arms as they all watched the globe vibrate and shake yet again.

When it finally stopped, Regina gazed down at the globe, seeing only a small spot of black within its depths now. The spot of darkness was the size of the tip of her pinky finger and she knew as she stared at it that the incubus was dying. She swiftly took a photo of the globe, sending Emma the picture with the words, "finish it" typed beneath it. She set the phone down on the counter before looking up to Emma's parents.

"It's time, isn't it?" David asked, Regina appreciating his forced calm. He pulled Mary Margaret and Neal into his side as Regina nodded in confirmation.

"I'm going to set some protection spells around the loft. Hopefully, they'll keep Gold out. I would imagine he'll be showing up soon after we return Emma and Hook here."

"How are we going to tell her about this? Explain what we've found out?" Mary Margaret asked, tears in her big, green eyes.

"By telling her the truth. Emma wouldn't tolerate any less," David responded, pressing a kiss to her hair and holding her as Regina stood and began to set up her protection spells.

When she finished, they each settled down to watch the globe in grim silence together, wondering how long it would be until they would have to tell Emma of her next battle.