Update time! This chapter is based a few days after 6x06 "Dark Waters." Emma and Killian aren't married at this point or engaged.

Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews!

I do not own OUAT or its characters.

Second Chance

Killian sat on the edge of his bed, twirling a ring in his hand. All he wanted to do was shut the world out. Today was not a day he wanted to do anything. Today was a day that he felt that he should be ashamed. He knew he should be. Even after all these years, he still couldn't forgive himself for what he did.

To make it worse, he kept all those feelings to himself. He refused to tell anyone about what he had done. The only people alive that actually knew what he did were Regina, Henry, Liam, and Nemo. He wanted to tell Emma. He wanted to tell her the whole story. He wanted Emma to comfort him, but he refused. He thought that she would think of him differently. He couldn't let that happen.

So when the bedroom door opened and Emma walked inside, he sighed and slumped even more than he already was. He heard soft footsteps lead over to the bed. He felt the bed dip when Emma sat down next to him. He felt Emma put her hand on his arm.

"Killian, are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked softly.

He flinched at her touch and immediately regretted it. Emma put her hand down, hurt clearly written across her face.

"What happened?"

Killian shook his head.

"Killian, you can tell me."

He sighed, giving in. Killian looked at Emma and showed her the ring that he had in his hand. "This was my father's. I took it from him."

Emma knew what Killian did to his father. He hadn't told her specifically, but she had figured it out… with the help of Henry.

She didn't say anything. She knew Killian needed someone to listen to him. He needed to explain himself to the most important person in his life.

Killian took a second to continue. "I was trying to get my revenge on the Crocodile. Regina, well, the Evil Queen, had a way to get that. I had to kill her mother first." Killian shook his head. "The things I did when I was a villain are unforgivable."

Emma put her hand on Killian's face. He looked up at her. "They are not unforgivable, Killian. If they were, you wouldn't be here right now."

He sighed and looked back down. "She said I needed to prove myself, so she brought me to a tavern to do so." He squeezed his eyes close, willing himself not to cry at the painful memory. He didn't open up his eyes until he felt Emma's hand on the nape of his neck, messing with the hair there. He opened his eyes, but didn't look at his love.

"I had to kill someone. Back then, I had no problem in doing so because I was such a villain. I didn't know the value of life. I didn't care." He could almost hear what Emma was thinking, You're not a villain anymore. You've changed.

He clenched his fist, emotions threatening to surface. "She wanted me to kill my father."

Emma almost let a gasp escape. She almost covered her mouth in disbelief, but she knew that would only make Killian feel worse. She just reached for his hand and took it in hers, letting him still hold the ring.

"I didn't know what to do. He told me he had a son. I knew I couldn't ruin the boy's life like I had ruined Bae's, so I got him and his son a passage to leave. I didn't want Regina finding out that I had let them live. When I went to my father's house that night, he was saying goodnight to his son - my brother. I found out his name and I just…" He sighed. "I couldn't handle it."

He broke down into sobs, shaking violently. Emma immediately pulled Killian's head to her shoulder and ran her hand through his hair. She swayed a little, trying to mimic the movements of the Jolly Roger.

After a few long minutes, Killian started to calm down. He pulled away. "I'm sorry, love," he whispered.

Emma shook her head. She put her hand on Killian's cheek. "There is absolutely no reason to be sorry."

He just looked down again. "My father named his son Liam, after my elder brother. It seemed as though he was replacing my brother." He clenched the blanket underneath him in his fist. "I burned their transportation papers. Then I… I… I stabbed him." He let out a shaky breath. "I killed my own father. What kind of person does something like that?"

"A person who was betrayed," Emma said softly. "You're not a villain anymore, Killian. You have changed so much. You earned your second chance. We both did; and I can't have mine without you, so you better believe you deserve one."

Killian huffed out a laugh.

Emma turned Killian's head so he was looking at her. "You deserve this second chance more than anyone."

He cast his eyes down.

Emma kissed him. She put both her hands on his cheeks. Killian didn't try to pull away at first, but he did after a few seconds.

"I love you, Killian."

Killian's eyes snapped up to Emma's.

She gave him a smile, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I love you so much, Killian. So much."

He sucked in a sharp breath. "I love you, too."

Emma smiled. She leaned forward and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

Killian couldn't resist the urge to smile. He rested his head against Emma's and rubbed her back.

After a minute, Emma turned her head just enough to kiss Killian. He gladly returned it.

When they pulled away, Emma sat up and looked into Killian's eyes. "You have changed so much, Killian. There isn't another man alive that deserves more of a second chance than you; and there isn't a luckier woman on Earth to have you in their life than me."

Killian searched her eyes, trying to find any doubt, but he didn't find any. "I don't understand you, Swan."

She smiled. "What do you mean?"
He sighed. "I've done so many terrible things-"

"Be quiet, Killian," Emma said. "Don't ever think like that again. I forbid it."

"Emma-"

"No, Killian." She looked at him lovingly. "If you keep thinking like that, you will never be truly happy; and I need you to be happy. I can't live with a sad pirate."

He chuckled. He rested his forehead against Emma's. "What did I do to deserve you?"
Emma laughed softly. "You became the best man you could be."

Killian stared at the inside of the chest that was now sitting upon the table in the Captain's Quarters of the Jolly Roger. He had kept the few things he had left of his father in that chest. It used to bring him hope - hope that his father would one day return. But now, it only taunted him. He hadn't known what to do with it until Emma suggested they clean out his beloved ship.

"You don't have to get rid of that stuff, you know," Emma said as she came up to stand next to Killian after dusting off some shelves.

He nodded. "I know. I just… if I keep these items, I can never move on with my life. I can never get the second chance you so strongly believe I deserve."

Emma smiled and rested her hand on his. "I do believe you deserve a second chance."

Killian turned his head and smiled at his love. "Only if that second chance is with you."

Emma's smile seemed to become softer. "Always."

Killian leaned down and kissed her gently. Once he pulled away, he said, "Now, let's get rid of these things, so we can start our second chance. Together."

Emma nodded. "Together."

Killian stared at her lovingly for a moment more, and then turned around to grab the small chest. Emma led him up the stairs, and they walked to the side of the boat. They were in the middle of the water, Emma insisting they do it on the open water.

Killian set the chest on the side of the boat. He looked down at it and sucked in a breath. These items were the last trace of his father, besides his own memories. He started having doubts about if he should go through with this. Then, he looked at Emma and was reminded what his future would be if he did this. He could have a second chance with his True Love.

Killian opened the chest. He stared at the few items: his father's ring, his father's favorite book, and his father's spyglass. With each item came a story from his childhood. His father had told them that he found the ring saving their mother, he had read his favorite book countless times to his sons, and he taught Killian how to use a spyglass correctly with his own.

The touch of Emma's hand brought Killian back to reality. He closed the chest, took a deep breath, and pushed it into the ocean.

He didn't look at the water, he didn't want to see his father's memories sinking, but he knew he did what he had to.

He turned toward Emma and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

Emma played with the hair on the nape of Killian's neck. "I didn't do anything. You did it all."

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "We can have a second chance. Just you and me."

Emma nodded. Her heart swelled. "Yeah."

Killian took her hand into his. "Emma, I don't ever want to live my life without you again. I want to be by your side the rest of our lives."

Emma smiled. "Me, too."

Killian grinned. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and knelt down on one knee.

Emma gasped when she realized what was happening.

Killian held an engagement ring in his hand. The band of the ring was silver with one diamond on it. "Emma Swan, will you give me a fresh start, a second chance, and marry me?"

Tears pricked Emma's eyes. She didn't have words to express her feelings, so she just nodded and put her left hand out for Killian. As soon as he slipped the ring onto her finger, she felt like she could speak again. "Yes, Killian. A million times yes."

As soon as Killian was on his feet, Emma kissed him. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Killian chuckled and rested his forehead on his fiance's forehead. "I love you so much, Emma."

"I love you, too."