A/N: This small chapter is where I start going a little dark. Just in the details, but I felt the warning was necessary.

~Bitter Sweet~

An hour later, Killian re-entered Emma's room. There were two guards outside her door, one inside, and two on the grounds below her window.

Most everyone had left the room, aside from Snow who was fast asleep. She was awkwardly positioned, her head and arms atop the bed, her legs in a seemingly uncomfortable position on the floor. One hand was just centimeters from Emma's, her grasp likely slipping during sleep. Her face was red, and slightly poofy. She had cried herself to sleep.

Killian struggled with the decision before he made it. She'd finally found a moment of peace and he didn't want to take that away from her. But if he didn't, she'd have more than just the emotional pain when she awoke. Either way had it's pros and cons.

He gently woke her.

"Go, majesty. Sleep well in your own bed with your husband. I've got Emma."

She wordlessly nodded, rising to kiss Emma's forehead, stumbling as she stood. Having regained her balance, she patted the pirate on the shoulder. Her eyes caught his, and he knew the meaning behind them. Protect her.

He gave her a curt nod, and she gave her best attempt at a smile, though it really wasn't much. He was surprised she could even try a smile.

Once she had left, it was just a pirate, a princess, and a guard.

Looking at the guard, he spoke, holding up the amulet. "Mind if I put this on her?"

The guard was cautious, though he eventually gave in.

Emma was impossibly still, barely breathing. The gentle curls framing her face, her skin pale - almost to the scale it was when he'd met her. For a moment, he nearly got caught up in her beauty, and he was tempted to lean over to kiss her. Remembering the guard, he settled for gently holding her head up so that he could slip the necklace around and down to her neck. He hoped it would work. The Dark One always held up his bargains, even if he managed to wiggle in a loop hole here or there.

Bae may never speak to him again after this night, though. That was fine by him. He had enough trouble fighting off the memories on his own without being around the boy. Memories of Bae, on top of Emma, and beating the boy within an inch of his life. Hook had nearly castrated him with his hook.

Then the hunters had arrived, stopping Killian from murder. They took custody of Bae, as he was muttering that one word over and over. Even then, they knew he wasn't himself. Killian hadn't had time to contemplate it, hastily bending over Emma to pick her up, then running her back to the castle.

On the way, she had muttered "happily ever after" just once before completely blacking out. He wasn't sure what to make of that. All he knew was he wanted to protect her. He blamed himself for not finding her sooner, mentally kicking himself for not listening to his gut, pretending it was nothing, like he was being unbearably overbearing.

He looked around, noticing the chair in the corner. Moving over to it, he set the book he had pilfered onto the seat before he moved the chair to the side of her bed that was closer to the window, so that he was mostly facing the door. Being this high up meant that most unwanted visors would come through the door, or poof to the middle of the room, and he wasn't one to put this back to trouble.

Trouble like Emma.

He opened the book up to the beginning, and started to read to her.