This takes place in season 4, when Emma's powers are out of control, and right after she hurts Henry and he runs away. I really liked how the show had Elsa talk down Emma, but my Captain Swan brain just wanted to see what a version of Killian talking her down would have looked like :)

Hope you guys enjoy and thanks for reading!

Happy holidays!

~cosette141

Emma couldn't breathe.

She'd hurt Henry.

She'd hurt Henry.

She couldn't stop seeing it—Henry, thrown backward from the force of her magic, his collision to the ground, the blood—

Emma took a gasping breath, holding her shaking fingers to her chest, never one to succumb to panic but she was panicking dear lord, she was panicking.

She didn't know how long she's been standing here in the middle of the forest. After Henry had… She couldn't even think the words. Ever since he… left… she'd tried to get into her car to drive away, find a new hiding spot, but the moment she'd touched her car, her magic exploded and shattered the glass and she was so scared—god, she's never been so scared in her entire life—

"Swan!"

Emma's eyes snapped open, her head jerking up.

There, running toward her through the trees, was Killian.

"No, no, no," she mumbled, backing away. "Killian, don't—please—"

Killian only seemed more determined, and as much as it warmed her that he was so concerned for her, she just wanted him to leave. "Emma," he said, panting from the exertion, but Emma put her hands out to stop him, only remembering that was a bad idea, and sparks shot from her palms, ripping up the dirt in front of her, and she let out a surprised yelp of absolute horror, because she was so out of control and she had no idea what to do—

But that didn't deter Killian. He'd slowed, stopping a dozen feet away from her, but he took another step toward her. "Emma," he said carefully. "Love, it's okay."

"No, it's not," she said, her voice inching into hysteria, because she could feel the power building in her palms. She held them to herself, backing up even more. "I hurt H-Henry, I don't want to hurt you too," she whispered, looking at him with fearful eyes. "Killian, please go away. I—I can't…" She swallowed, breath hitching.

His eyes were sad, like his heart was breaking for her. "Emma," he said, taking another step toward her. He smiled a little. "You don't have to be afraid. It's—"

He took another step, and Emma felt her panic zip down her spine, and at the same time, the power that built into her palms released, throwing her backward off her feet, sending the blast into the trees.

A horrible cracking ripped through the trees as the blast cut through more than one of the thick trunks, and Emma pulled herself off the dirt, watching with stricken eyes as—

Killian.

He was standing just beneath one of the trees her magic struck, and the trunk of it fell, hitting him hard across the chest, knocking him to his back.

"KILLIAN!"

Emma picked herself up and ran.

"Killian?!" she gasped, seeing that the trunk had not only managed to strike him, but was currently pinning him to the ground.

He groaned, eyes cracking open at her shout, hand and hook attempting to push the fallen trunk off him. When he couldn't, he fell back, gasping a breath that was nothing short of a wheeze.

"Killian!" breathed Emma. She ran a few steps closer, hand outstretched only for a blast of energy to escape her fingertips, striking the ground inches from Killian's head. He jerked in surprise, and Emma froze to the spot, clutching her hands to her chest. "Oh, my god," she breathed, feeling the buildup of magic like something about to explode.

"Em—" he coughed, trying again to move the tree off him. His eyes shot open, and he sounded like he couldn't draw in air.

Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. Emma tried to keep a lid on her magic, just enough to get to him and free him. But one more step closer, and the energy trailed from her clasped hands to the bottoms of her feet and sent a shockwave through the ground, increasing gravity's effects and Killian groaned.

Tears stinging Emma's eyes, she froze in place. "I'm going to hurt you!" she said breathlessly, horrible fear paralyzing her.

Killian's eyes opened again, breath short and hollow. He managed to catch her eye, panic in his. "C—Can't—" he coughed out. More fear in his eyes. "Can't—" He gasped desperately, his eyes screwed shut. His hand and hook pushing fruitlessly at the tree, unable to draw in air.

The damn thing was suffocating him.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't breathe.

Emma took a shuddering breath.

Quick and fast.

Save him and run.

Emma ran.

The moment she reached him, she pressed her palms into the tree that was crushing him. She allowed the wild energy to release, to save him, and it gave enough of a punch to blast the trunk off of him, tumbling to the ground yards away.

Killian gasped, drawing in as much air as his lungs could fill the moment he was free. He pitched to the side, coughing hard, face drawn in a tight grimace.

"Killian," whispered Emma, everything else forgotten because he looked like he was in so much pain. "Killian, are you—" Her hand touched his shoulder, and in half a second, smoke trailed from his jacket as her hand burned through the material. He suddenly yelped as the burning touched his skin, jerking away from her, and Emma yanked her hand back. Killian's hand grabbed at his burning shoulder, eyes screwed shut harder, a horrible groan torn from his throat.

In utter horror, Emma crawled backward away from him, tears burning down her cheeks, staring from her hand to the hole in his jacket and the blood on his skin.

"Killian!" she nearly screamed, crawling backward away from him until her back hit a tree. "Are you—oh my god, I'm so sorry, I—are you okay?!"

His teeth still clenched, he managed to blink his eyes back open. With what looked like great effort, he forced a smile that might have been an attempt to calm her. "It's all right," he managed. He forced himself to his knees, a disjointed sound escaping clenched teeth, his hand still grasping his injured shoulder.

Emma watched him through wide, stricken eyes.

Killian pulled his hand away, noting the blood on his fingers. He couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes, and Emma saw it clearly. His mind seemed to work fast, and he looked at Emma, his eyes suddenly afraid, and Emma felt her heart freeze.

"I'm okay," he said instantly, hand and hook out in front of him that he probably meant as a placating gesture, but Emma took it as surrender and she felt her chest hurt. Slowly, he rose to his feet, wincing only a little as it tore at what must be broken ribs. His eyes never leaving Emma's he said, "I'm okay, love. Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it; it's all right."

Emma felt the need to hyperventilate subside when she realized he wasn't afraid of her, he was afraid for her.

He took a tentative step toward her. He smiled a little. "I'm all right. See?"

All she could see was the blood on his shoulder and the melted hole in his jacket.

He shifted his body, angling only his right side toward her, so that his shoulder was out of her sight. "Emma. Emma, love," he whispered, voice still rough with pain. "Look at me."

Reluctantly she met his eyes, her arms still wrapped tightly around herself.

He took another careful step toward her. "I'm not afraid of you."

"I just hurt you," breathed Emma.

"You just saved me," he countered, gesturing with his hook toward the tree that had nearly suffocated him. When Emma still said nothing, he sighed. "Elsa told us that the more she feared her own power, the more out of control it became," he said slowly, eyes locked on hers.

The words attempted to register in Emma's mind around the panic and adrenaline, and she briefly noted that her magic has never been out of control like this before, but she's also never been afraid of herself before.

But that show of her power at the Sheriff's Station…

She terrified herself.

And after what just happened, with Henry, with Killian...

She had every reason to be.

"She said," Hook went on cautiously, cutting into Emma's panicked thoughts, "that your magic is out of control because you're trying so hard not to hurt anyone. Emma, the more you try to fight it, the more you fear it, the more you fear… hurting someone…" he said, jaw ticking, and making Emma take a sharp intake of breath at the reality of it, "It's all right, Emma. Trust yourself, love."

He took another step.

"Stop," she gasped, wrapping her arms around herself tighter. Her eyes screwed shut and she hid her face in her knees. "I hurt Henry and I just h-hurt you," she said miserably. "Killian, please go away." Her voice broke.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Killian—"

"Emma," he said firmly. "I will never walk away from you."

And the tears burned hotter, Emma pressing her face into her knees even more, wanting to just curl up and disappear—

Until she felt his hand on her shoulder.

Emma's head snapped up.

She saw him kneeling at her side, a soft smile on his face.

And then the magic inside her revolted, and like an electric shock attacked him.

Her eyes opened in horror when he let out an awful groan, and she tried to move away from him but with the tree at her back she had nowhere to go.

Her magic was hurting him.

And yet, he only held her shoulder tighter, even when her magic resisted and seemed to cause him violent physical pain. His eyes screwed shut, his entire body trembling with agony, and Emma couldn't move out from under his grip, nor find any sort of control on her magic. The more she panicked the more he shook—

"Let go of me!" she gasped, more tears burning down her cheeks, hearing a pained grunt escape him, but he just cracked his eyes open, even under all the pain and met her gaze with something so strong it gave her pause.

"Em—ma," he gasped out. "Your—your magic," he panted, "it's saved me… all of… us… so many times," his eyes screwed shut. "T-Take it from… someone wh-who's had—agh—" a groan tore from his throat, and Emma felt her breath catch and her chest hurt, "who's—" gasped Killian. "Who's had… to embrace… all sides of himself, t-to live with himself," he managed to look at her then, eyes filled with pain and a determination that deepened the blue, "Your m-magic is… not just destructive, l-love," he gasped out. "Th–Think of all… th-the good, Em–ma—" A tear rolled down his cheek, his entire body shaking. "Please."

Watching her magic torture him was absolutely not helping her see any good, as tears burned down her cheeks and her chest hurt so much she thought she'd implode.

But she screwed her eyes shut.

Think of the good.

Think of the good.

Cora, reaching into her chest, unable to take her heart. Her magic, blasting the witch away, protecting her, protecting Snow, getting them home.

In Neverland. Creating fire. Saving Killian and Neal from the shadow.

In the past, trapped in Rumplestiltskin's tower, getting the portal to open. Bringing them home.

Suddenly, everything…. stopped.

Killian slumped with a weak groan, but caught himself on the ground with his hook.

His trembling hand still firmly held her shoulder.

"Killian?!" breathed Emma, eyes shooting open.

Tiredly, he lifted his eyes back to hers. He gave her a strained smile. "Emma," he gasped. "Th-that's it... love," he whispered.

Emma stared at him, in shock and fear and awe.

"Please let go," she whispered. "Killian, I just—I don't want to hurt you again." Her voice cracked at the last word, because she already has.

"You aren't now." he said softly, moving his hand from her shoulder to her cheek, brushing over her skin with his thumb. Her eyes shut at the feeling.

They opened, fear flitting with him still so close, and a spark jumped in her palm, making her jerk, startled. Fearfully, she looked at Killian. "I'm not—"

"Emma, I don't care." he said firmly. "You are bloody terrified." He brushed a tear that fell. "I am not leaving you." He sighed, gesturing with his hook. "I've hurt many people with my hook," he said softly, something sad in his eyes. "Sometimes not even intentionally." He took a breath. "But it's also saved my life, my crew's, and I like to remember, yours, every now and again," he said with a faint smile. It faded a little. "It's simply a part of who I am, for better or for worse." When Emma was still quiet, eyes still wide with fear, he said gently, "Emma… nothing and no one is purely good. Including, and especially magic. You have to embrace all sides of yourself." When she didn't say anything, he smiled again, and gently pulled her to his chest. "I fancy every part of you," he said with a little smile. "But you have embrace who you are, too, love. At the very least, you have to accept all the sides of you, the good and the bad, even if it's hard to… to forgive yourself," he added, even quieter, a hint at the emotion hiding behind clouded blue eyes. "Your magic is a part of you, Emma. Embrace it, love."

Emma still didn't release her own arms from hugging around herself, too afraid to make any sudden movements.

Her eyes shut as Killian's hand rubbed over her back, pulling her tighter to him.

She tried to think of those moments—all the good.

Her magic has saved herself, and Henry, Killian, her family—more times than she can count.

All day, all she wanted was to wake up with her magic gone.

But without it…

Something just felt…

It felt like running.

I don't want to run anymore.

It was a quiet thought amidst all the fear, but she heard it loud and clear.

She didn't want to run anymore.

Especially from herself.

Embrace it, love.

She let out a shuddering breath, feeling herself begin to relax. And with it, the flurry of power inside her did as well.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she uncurled her arms, gently wrapping them around him instead.

But from here, she could see the still-bleeding wound in his shoulder, and feel the slight tremble of his body from the ordeal her magic had put him through. And she understood exactly what he meant about forgiveness. She didn't know if she could ever forgive herself for hurting him.

Embrace it, love.

She shut her eyes, and she accepted it.

Herself.

For all the brokenness and damage and love and power that she was.

She buried her head in Killian's chest, tears falling down her cheeks at the relief washing through her, for she had finally stopped running.

But she could still feel Killian tremble in her arms, hear his voice catch as he breathed through broken ribs, and she desperately wished away his pain.

Killian gasped suddenly, flinching in her hold, and Emma's eyes shot open, terrified she hurt him again.

But she didn't.

Quite the contrary.

She watched with wide eyes as a glow emanated from her hands, spreading across his chest, and stitched together the wound in his shoulder, cleaning away the blood, and even repairing the material of his jacket.

When the glow subsided, he no longer shook in her hold.

His eyes opened, a smile more brilliant than the sun shining overhead. "You healed me," he whispered.

Emma blinked.

Stared at his now-healed shoulder, and the smile on his face.

"Your magic is just as beautiful as you are, love," he whispered, pulling her back to his chest. "Never forget that."

And it brought new tears to her eyes, making her bury her face in his chest again, hugging him back just as tightly, because dammit she had been so scared, and she felt him whisper soothingly in her ear. "You're all right, love," he whispered. "I've got you."

Her hands grabbed fistfuls of his jacket, pulling him even closer and she thought she felt a hot tear of his own strike her cheek, and she just held on to him so tightly and she never let go. "Thank you for helping me," she whispered.

She felt him smile into her hair.

"Thank you for being you."

She smiled, and for the first time, she was actually, truly, grateful of that fact just the same.