Chapter Seventeen:

(Emma)

Thump. Thump. Thump.

For a moment, the fog clouded my brain. I couldn't place the sound reverberating in my ear until images from the night before flooded to the forefront of my brain. My eyes fluttered open to find my fingers gently stroking the hair on Killian's chest. Judging by the steady rise and fall of his chest, he was still sleeping. Or at least pretending to so he didn't wake me. If he wasn't, I would have to wake him soon for brunch.

But not yet.

Again, I combed my fingers through the chest hair as I listened to his heartbeat.

Last night had been perfect. Add in the fact that there were no visions, and I knew now that while fate may have brought us together, these feelings that we had for one another was just that. It was us. There were no outside forces, unless you considered Ariel into it, that pushed us together. What was between us was all us and had nothing to do with what our ancestors felt for one another. His heart beat out the same tattoo as mine, both in sync with the other. It was just us and our love for one another that mattered.

His arm constricted around me in a gentle squeeze, and I knew he was awake now.

Lifting my head, I settled my chin where my ear had just been. The brilliant blue of his eyes met my green ones and a smile settled on both our lips as I whispered, "Good morning."

"A good morning it is," he murmured, his lips settling into his ever famous smirk.

I shook my head at him, but the smile was still on my lips. "We should probably start packing and getting ready to go."

"We should," he started, "but we've got a little bit of time to spare."

His hand came up and framed my face, guiding my lips to his. Our mouths moved slowly together, embers catching fire once more. Those talented fingers danced across my bare skin, leaving a flaming trail of desire. When his lips pressed a kiss to a spot on my neck, the hunger became ravenous. Only for him. I nipped at the underside of his chin, and he flipped me onto my back so quickly that the breath whooshed out of me. His eyes asked and mine answered, and then that magnificent mouth was back on mine and we locked together.

Some thirty minutes later, I pressed one final kiss to his lips, wrapped myself in his sheet, and hurried across the suite to my room. After shutting and locking the door behind myself, I leaned against the door for a moment, letting the cool wood of the door try to quell my heat ravaged skin. It was no use, I realized, and crossed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

As I waited for the water to heat, I stared at the woman in the mirror. She wasn't quite recognizable with the smile plastered to her face and the postcoital glow on her skin. Those green eyes were alight in a way I don't think I'd ever seen them before. I'd been in love before, yes, but not quite like this. Different, but welcome.

I climbed into the shower and scrubbed my skin clean. After blow drying my hair, I let it fall in a curtain of waves down my back and dusted some makeup on my grinning face. Then, I dressed in something casual, but comfortable because we would be flying later. Darting around the room, I repacked my bag and gathered all of my belongings to join them. Once I was sure I had everything, I headed out into the common area to find Killian waiting, his suitcase standing beside him.

"Ready, love?"

I nodded and stood on the tips of my toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

Then, we headed out for brunch with my father and grandmother. It was a good meal, followed by a tearful goodbye. After, we headed back to Jolly Roger headquarters to retrieve the artifacts and discuss our plans for when we returned to hunting our shipwreck. Mainly, we wanted to thoroughly go over the cave where Wesley and Nell would sneak to. Perhaps there was a chance she would appear to us again and we could gather more information about her death. Then, we headed to the airport to board our flight, artifacts in tow.

By late evening, we landed and taxied to the facility by the water. Ariel was standing on the sidewalk when we pulled up to the curb. After a greeting that involved a lot of hugging, and her complaining about the new divers, we headed inside and stowed the artifacts in the conference room. As we reached his bedroom door, Killian asked me a question without saying a word. I simply smiled, passed him my luggage to sit in his room, and then we continued down to the common area with a beaming Ariel to greet Turbo and Rumple, and the other two divers.

A little while later, after everyone had settled with their choice of beverage, Killian called for quiet. Then we started going over our plans for the following days. "We want to go back to Nell and Wesley's cave to see if we can trigger her to appear once more. While I'm well-aware that we aren't a ghost hunting troupe, I am hoping that we can ask her what happened to her in hopes that we can recover her remains to inter with those of Wesley once we've recovered them from their watery grave."

"They're sure it was Peter Warren." Ariel said, looking up from Nell's journal. I recognized the writing as that of Nell's sister, and knew it was one of the last entries.

"Yes," I answered, then added onto Killian, "Since this isn't exactly covered by our budget, my father will be footing the bill for the cave exploration. After doing some research, Killian has invited a local ghost hunting group to join us in order to use their equipment and have actual evidence of an appearance if one should happen."

Neal scoffed, "Which it won't."

A twitch along Killian's strong jawline gave away his frustration.

Tilting my head slightly, I met Neal's eyes. "It's happened before."

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

Ariel turned her narrowed eyes in his direction. "And what do you think happened that had them coming home so frazzled?"

This time, Neal smirked, "Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out."

Ariel made to stand up, but I stopped her by placing a hand on her arm. "While I appreciate you coming to my defense, let him see for himself tomorrow." I paused for a moment, then amended, "If it happens."

We finished up the details, and then turned in for the night. The last thing I remembered was Killian pressing his lips to my hair as his heartbeat filled my ears and his warmth surrounded me.

The following morning, I sat up and found myself alone. Killian must've already gone down the hall to breakfast, I realized. After picking out clothes for the day, I headed into the bathroom for a quick shower.

A little while later, I crossed the threshold into the kitchen and smiled brightly at everyone sitting around the table. Then had to do a double take. Why was my father sitting between Ariel and Rumple? Brow furrowed, I opened my mouth to ask what the hell he was doing there, but he cut me off.

"I know what you're going to say."

I hoped the twitch at the corner of my lips wasn't going to give me away, so I turned away and headed for the cabinet to grab a bowl for cereal.

Chair legs scraped the floor and a few seconds later, my father was standing beside me. "I don't want to encroach on your territory, but--"

"You're not," I said, simply.

"I really want--wait, what?"

I turned to look at him. "You, first."

He nodded and continued, "I really want to see for myself this whole ghost hunting thing. Not on a camera, or hear the recorded evidence. I want to see for myself." When I didn't say anything, he fidgeted. "Now, you."

Turning just slightly, I beamed at him. "I'm really glad you're here."

The smile that lit his face could have very well given the sun a run for its money, then his cheeks flushed and he glanced away, then back at me. "I'm glad to be here."

A little after lunchtime, the ghost hunting troupe showed up. We went over the way they run their cases, and gave them detailed notes that Killian and I had been working on most of the morning. Then, they showed us their equipment, told us what we would be using and how. By the early evening, we had fully worked out the logistics of who would be in the cave, versus who would be up in the vans. Rumple, Turbo, and August would stay topside with two of their crew to monitor the equipment there, while Killian, my father, Ariel, Neal, and myself would join three of their crew in the cave.

Once we arrived, we waited while they set up the equipment and ran the cords that needed running. When all of that was done, Killian kept a tight grip on my hand as we followed the others down into the well-lit cave. For a while, I listened as their crew called out to Nell, tried to engage her in conversation, or tried to get her to do, well, anything.

Either she wasn't listening, or she was unsure of the amount of people that were crammed into the small front space.

After a while, I ventured further back into the cave and brushed my fingertips across where I assume Wesley had carved their initials into the rock face. Then, directly behind me, she screeched, "Leave her alone! You'll not do to her what you did to me!"

After that, I couldn't hear anything except someone breathing heavily behind me. Slowly, I turned and there she was in all her ghostly glory. It took me a moment to realize I was looking at the back of her and that she had been speaking to Neal. Well, speaking was a strong word. His eyes were round as dinner plates, his mouth gaping.

She screamed again and started towards him, but Killian stepped in front of Neal. "Now, now, love. Remember me? Remember us?"

He reached a hand out and I took it, coming from behind her to stand beside him. Immediately, her face softened. Her head moved up and down, a smile tilting the corners of her lips.

"We've come to talk to you. Is that okay?" I asked.

The pale, opaque eyes touched briefly on each face. Mine. Killian's. Neal's. Ariel's. All three of the ghost hunters. Then, they rested on my father. If ghost eyes could mist, hers were.

"P-P-Pa?" She stumbled over the words, and the apparition flickered.

My father didn't speak. He just stared, and I suddenly realized he couldn't speak. Whether it had to do with the ghost talking to him, or because she mistook him for her own father, I wasn't sure. I should've known it would've all lined up...right down to our fathers being mirror images.

Reaching out, I took his hand. "Nell, this is my father, David."

"Oh," she gave a watery smile. "He looks just like my Pa. I miss him so."

Well, it was as good a segue as it was going to get.

"Can't you see your Pa?"

She shook her head. "When it was to be his time, he would be buried in the graveyard by the church. Like all of our family, and Wesley, though there is no body buried there."

My heart broke for her. "You have a grave there."

Sad eyes met mine. "Do I?"

"Yes," I answered. "Why do you stay here?"

"I can't leave." She shot a scathing look over Killian's shoulder at Neal. "Because of him." Then, her face softened. "But not him, right?"

"An intelligent haunting," whispered one of the ghost hunters.

"Right," Killian answered her and her lips tilted up to smile at him. "Like when you thought I was Wesley. He's why we're here, you know."

"Wesley?"

It was Killian's turn to smile. "We've found his ship, Nell. That means we're close to recovering him."

I nodded, "And we would like to put you both in the graveyard by the church."

Delight lit her face. "We can be together?"

"Of course," Killian nodded. For a moment, he paused and then he asked, "Nell, can you tell us what happened to you?"

"He followed me, Peter did. I asked again what happened on Wesley's ship. And again, and again. I told him I didn't believe him. I cursed his lies. He became angry and he struck me. I tried to scream for help. I tried to run away, but he was much stronger than I. He stole my breath and fetched a spade." Sadly, the ghostly image of myself turned to point to the rear of the cave where the rock turned to dirt. "Not far down, you will find what's left of me. Mere bone, a few scraps of cloth, and the ring that marks my marriage."

A tear slid down my cheek as she began to fade. "I will find you, and with utmost care take you away from this cold, dark place."

With a nod, her eyes flashed over to Neal. "I know you are not him, but I pray you are of better character than him."

She took another look, touching on my face, on Killian's, on my father's, and then with a small smile, she faded into nothing.