Chapter 8 – Sunday & Monday

Sunday evening, Emma was washing dishes after eating dinner when she got a text from Killian. He was back in Storybrooke, and he would be home in half an hour. That made three good pieces of news she had received today. The first was the news that the cure had worked. People who weren't expected to wake up had done so, even if only for a minute. That was in the morning. A couple hours later, she received a message from Killian that the dogs had been found, and he was heading home. Now, he was only minutes away. She turned on the oven for it to heat up, quickly finished the dishes, and then put some frozen pizza in the oven for him. It wasn't a fine dining, welcome home dinner. But it was simple, and he could relax on the couch while eating.

After half an hour on the dot, the front door opened, and Emma picked up Hope. "Look, Baby, Daddy's home!"

Killian didn't say anything back or even smile. Instead he marched towards her as one with a purpose, and he gave her a strong kiss. Not that she was complaining, but the kiss said something more than "I missed you" and "I'm glad to be home". She just couldn't put her finger on what. While she was trying to form thoughts in her mind after the kiss, Killian was simply staring at her. Although, maybe "simply" wasn't the right word. It was with intensity and as if she was the last person on earth.

"If you look at me any harder you're gonna drill a hole in my head." She said and kind of laughed it off as teasing.

But the second the words left her mouth, something clicked. Last time she said that she later learned that Gold had just taken Killian's heart. His heart. Her mouth fell open, but no words came. Her mind couldn't register anything besides shock and sadness. Ever the "Emma reader", Killian realized when she figured it out, and he wrapped his arms around her. She didn't know what was going to happen next, but for a moment nothing else mattered while he held her.

Hope eventually protested being squashed between her parents. Their little girl was too young to know what was going on. But she knew her daddy was back as she reached for him when they separated from their hug. He gladly took her, and if Emma didn't know any better she would think everything was perfectly happy and normal.

The beep of the oven caught her attention, and she moved into the kitchen to take the pizza out. Then she went searching for the pizza cutter.

"It needs to cool a minute. But if you're not hungry that's fine. I already ate. I can just put it away once it cools off enough. Or I can make you something else if you want. I can…" She started to ramble. Maybe if she kept talking she could distract herself. She could keep the tears that were coming from turning into real crying.

"Swan," He softly called to her to get her to stop. It was the first thing he'd said since he got home. "The pizza is fine. I'm fine."

"For now maybe, but you were bitten by one of the dogs. I know it. You shouldn't even be here. If you're fine then why aren't you with the others? And if you did get a bite, then why aren't you in the hospital, Killian? What are you thinking?" She ranted as the dam finally broke.

Killian took the pizza cutter from her and set it on the counter before leading her to the couch. He made her lay down and then grabbed a box of tissues for her.

"I need you to trust me, Emma." He told her as he moved his hand over her leg in a way to try to soothe her.

The love and care in his voice for her when he was the one that was in danger only made things worse. She held a tissue to her eyes and then grabbed another for her nose. This was ridiculous she reprimanded herself. This wasn't helping anything, and it certainly wasn't getting her answers. It wasn't like her to cry like this, but he brought out a lot of things in her when he broke down her walls. She thought about other times she had cried where he was concerned, most of them were at times where he died or nearly died. But no, this couldn't be one of them. He asked her to trust him and she did.

After a minute or two she willed herself to calm down. She thought of the day of Robin's funeral. She had stayed back when the others left, and then out of nowhere Killian was behind her, alive and well. She thought of her wedding, finding out they were going to be parents, meeting her sweet baby girl, Henry coming back. She thought of that fight they had right before the wedding, and she had thought she'd lost him. But he came back, he always did. He was a survivor, and she trusted him.

Now she had hiccups, but she was okay and had things under control. She sat up, and Killian still had his hand on her leg.

"Don't forget about the pizza." She reminded him. He looked at her for a moment and must have decided that she was okay.

He got up and cut himself a couple slices before returning to the couch. At some point he had put Hope in her jumper, and she was as happy as a clam at high tide. Killian of course was the one to introduce her to the longer, and in his opinion, the more sensible, version of the idiom. Emma wanted to give him the chance to eat, and honestly she wasn't one hundred percent ready for their conversation. So she went to the bathroom and washed her face. Her eyes always ached after she cried. She stayed in there a little longer than necessary, but she couldn't hide forever.

When she returned to the living room, he was finishing up his second slice. He spotted her lingering in the doorway when he got up to throw out the paper plate. He sat down again and patted the seat next to him. She didn't waste time going to him and tucking herself into his side.

"You know, you and your father agree on one point, and he and I agree on another." He commented.

"Can you translate that please?"

"Well, your father wanted me to leave and go to the hospital. I wanted to stay and help them finish things. I had already been bitten, what else could happen to me? Eventually Dave dropped the point of going to the hospital and convinced me to at least go home and spend my time with you." He explained. It made sense, and it also sounded familiar. "It was a lot like our conversations when he was poisoned with Dreamshade, only with things reversed this time. He wanted to go on to do what he could for Henry instead of stopping to take care of himself. I eventually tricked him of course, and thankfully Dave didn't need to go that route with me. I'd much rather be here with you."

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I'm glad you're home, but I wish it was for a better reason. I was so scared. I still am." She admitted and apologized.

"I now, love. Trust me, I know." He sighed and placed a kiss in her hair.

"What happened?"

"Well, we sent word to Elsa ahead of time. Much like Storybrooke, the attacks were happening in the outskirts and not in the city. So, Elsa called for everyone to gather in the city and caused an ice storm outside the city. It drove the dogs to a specific area, and it was much easier to find and capture them." He began and so far, so good. "Unfortunately, it made the dogs that much more feral, hostile, and angry. We thought we had them all contained, but we missed one. It came out of bloody nowhere. It was behind me before I could even think to do anything. I was bitten in the leg."

"I don't want to let go of you right now, and I don't know what your plan is. But please, go to the hospital tomorrow. I'm not losing you to this."

"Swan, we know the signs and symptoms as much as Whale knows them. Everyone else has gone to the hospital immediately because it's easier for someone in Arendelle or the Enchanted Forest to go there before the symptoms occur. I'll go when the fever sets in, in a couple of days." He calmly told her and placed his hand on her cheek.

"But…" She started to protest, but he stopped her by moving his thumb over her mouth.

"Right now I'm fine, but when I'm not, then I'll go. I want to spend time with you in our home instead of being miserable in the hospital for a few extra and unnecessary days." He assured her and then tried to give her a point she couldn't argue. "You didn't want to spend any more time in the hospital than you had to when Hope was born."

"That's different!" She tried to argue anyway and scooched over to really look at him. "And if you had your way, I would have been at the hospital at the first contraction. I only want the same for you, to be taken care of and okay."

"I know we have different opinions, Swan, but I respected your decision then. I asked you to trust me, and this is something I feel strongly about."

"Okay, I get it." She sighed and gave in, but that didn't mean she liked it. "And I do trust you. But what about the antidote?"

"Swan, there's only enough for five people. The way I count there are about twenty-five people or so altogether. Five have already received the cure and that brings it to twenty. I believe three or four have recovered on their own and three or four have also died. That leaves about twelve to fourteen that still need an antidote, not including myself. I am one of the last, hopefully the very last, and I won't jump to the front of the line."

"It's not about the order from oldest to newest, it's about who is in need of it more. You're the one who made the notes on that!" She ended up yelling a bit out of frustration. Why was he choosing this?

"Swan, I know how this thing works. I know of the darkness in my heart from my past." He spoke in all seriousness and took her hand in his. "I'm not saying I'm refusing the antidote altogether, just the next round. I'll still be here. People battle the magic induced illness for weeks before succumbing to one fate or another."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." She commented begrudgingly. He really had thought about this and wasn't taking things lightly. And like it or not, she would let him do this his way. "But if this is your choice I'll honor it. Just don't leave me, Killian Jones."

"I'm right here. I'm right here." He took her into his arms again and whispered the reassuring words.

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CS

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The next morning Emma woke up, and she was tempted to go back to sleep. Or simply stay in bed because it was comfy and Killian was beside her. For a few minutes she forgot that he was home earlier than expected and the reason for it. But when it came back to her, she couldn't stay in bed a moment longer.

"Is something the matter, Swan?" Killian asked as she rushed around the room to get dressed and ready as quickly as possible. That only seemed to make her less efficient however.

"No, I just gotta meet Regina. We need to work on that next batch and the one after that. It took so long to figure out, and now that we know what to do, we need to make up for lost time and not waste anymore." She replied, not stopping even as she struggled into a pair of leggings.

"Swan, I know this is important. But may I ask two favors of you?" He asked and reached out his hand. She took it and let him pull her back to the bed.

"What is it?" She asked, now sitting next to him on the edge of the bed.

"I know a lot is at stake with this cure, for the sake of others and for me. I know you can do this. But don't forget about yourself along the way. You barely slept in the Underworld. You didn't sleep as the Dark One, and you became that to save me. Even after my return, we both struggled for some time with sleep. Please, don't throw yourself into this so much that you forget to stop and take a break."

"Maybe you have a point." She admitted and glanced in the mirror. She looked like more of mess than when she had started. "And the second thing?"

"Don't shut me out or your family. I know you've accepted my decision, but you're not exactly happy about it. Maybe it would help if you talked to your mom or Henry, either one, or bloody hell even Regina. Don't limit yourself from others so you think you don't have to deal with what you feel."

"Okay, I'll call somebody later." She sighed. She didn't have the energy to deny that he was right. "But I need to ask you to do something too. Don't lead me on and then stay behind like you did in the Underworld. What I mean is…you said you would take the antidote, not with the next batch but with the one after it. I need you to keep that promise. I know you want to put others first, but you're gonna need it Killian, and I need you."

"Aye, love, I'll keep my word to you, Swan." He promised and lifted her hand to his lips. "How about I fix you a breakfast to take with you to Regina's while you finish getting ready?"

"Yeah, thanks." She nodded and tried to manager a smile.

He gave her hand a squeeze before getting up and leaving the room to get her breakfast. Emma lied back down on the bed for a moment and sighed. To say things were awkward wasn't quite the right word. But something unsaid hung in the air. He was making an honorable choice; she couldn't blame him for that or hold a grudge. Perhaps it was simply that they were both so stubborn. Once they made a third batch of the antidote, everything would be fine. So that's what she was going to do. She was going to get dressed like a normal person, eat whatever Killian put into a zip-lock baggie for her, and get to work.

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CS

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Emma arrived home in the late afternoon from Regina's vault. She slammed the door to her beloved bug and slammed the front door when she entered. Stupid antidote, stupid tree in stupid Agrabah, and stupid magic oasis! That's right! They didn't have enough ingredients for a third batch of the antidote! Most of it Regina could easily get more of, except for one thing. Sap from a palm tree from a magical oasis in Agrabah. It sounded simple enough, but no. The oasis only appeared every two years. The only way to get more would be to wait, or if somebody came across it the last time, if they knew to gather the sap, and if they hadn't already used it. That was a lot of ifs that they didn't have time to deal with.

Regina sent her home when the one and only batch was complete. It was clear that Emma wouldn't get anything else done. She was so angry she was ready to punch something or someone. If she didn't have control of her magic it could easily spin out of control. She also came home to make Killian aware of the new situation. She knew he wouldn't change his answer, but she had to try one more time to convince him before Regina gave out the antidote.

While she was ranting around in her mind she looked around and saw the downstairs of the house was empty. And that was probably a good thing. The last thing she wanted was to start an argument. Killian was being unnervingly calm about all this while she had been an emotional rollercoaster since last night. Sharp curves of anger, steep drops of sadness, and loops of uncertainty. With that thought the breaks engaged and her train came into the figurative station with a jolting stop. She was making this about her.

Yes, she felt worried about Killian, but she felt sorry for herself more. What would happen to her if she lost him? How could she be expected to just be okay with this? Why was her happy ending the one on the line? Those were the types of things she had been thinking about. When she really should have been grateful that nobody else had been hurt, and she should appreciate how good things had been for them up until now. They had been through difficult times before, but they never gave up.

She didn't grow negative or resentful when the Black Fairy ruined her mother's wedding dress, tried to take her heart, froze her family, and enacted the final battle on her wedding day. In fact her wedding day was a fitting example. The words "in sickness and in health" rang through her mind. Sure this wasn't a normal illness that Killian was about to face. But she belonged with him, supporting him. Another phrase from her wedding came to mind "tomorrow is uncertain". It was the truth, and yet they had gotten this far. Killian was okay today, and together they would deal with whatever came tomorrow and the day after that.

I know. I know. I put Killian in jeopardy here. But hopefully it ended up on enough of a positive note. The next chapter picks up right where this one left off. And we'll get to see the original Henry Mills again. Emma's sticking to her promise of talking to Killian and some other family members to get through this. Killian is about to face something big in the near future, and Emma is facing some of her own inner struggles. The previous chapters were part of a "set up arc" if you will, and these next several chapter bring us to my first and main ideas for this story. Our family of heroes is gonna figure this out. I can't wait to share the rest with you. Let me know your thoughts, and I'll see you next Monday!