"Milah, what have you done?" Killian breathed as Milah helped him stumble along to the ship where the Dark One was going to meet them for the magic bean they had taken from their prisoner "Where have you been?"
Milah shook her head "Don't worry about it, my love… It won't be a problem anymore."
Killian froze, looking at Milah with wide eyes "What have you done? Where is he?"
"I left it in the forest," she shrugged unconcernedly "Don't worry. It was tainted."
"He was a baby, Milah," Killian exclaimed, unable to believe what she had done "You could have given him to his father… To another family to raise, not…"
Milah stopped, looking at the pirate with cold eyes "His father?" she demanded quietly "You want a baby to be raised by… him? You know why I left."
Killian clenched his hand. He didn't like the Dark One… He didn't think he did right by Milah but to take it out on an innocent child was wrong. The baby had been born only days ago and now he was most likely fighting for his life. Alone and abandoned. He might be a pirate, but he had a code and lived by it. One part of this was that he would not judge children by the sins of their parents "It isn't his fault," he argued, letting out a pained groan when Milah bumped into his wound "He is a baby, a little baby who has no chance of surviving in the forest on his own."
"You're too soft, Killian," Milah snorted, shaking her head "If you're so insistent to get it back, then go for it. Just know that you will lose me in the process. I won't stay anywhere near that abomination."
"Whatever you say," he surrendered, his mind going a mile a minute. He couldn't leave the kid in the forest but he had no idea where Milah had left him… Maybe telling the Dark One about his son was the only chance he had to save the boy.
Milah helped Killian up the plank of the Jolly Roger, causing the crew to flit around them nervously "Milah, what happened?"
"Fetch some water," she commanded, letting another of the crew members take some of Killian's weight off her "And get me that prisoner from below deck along with the booty he carried. Now!"
Rumpelstiltskin appeared in the middle of the ship, clapping his hands in mock delight "Well, well, seems like you finally found the family you could never have with me."
Just then, the crew member who had gone down to grab the prisoner and shoved the man up the stairs "Alright, get your sorry arse up there."
Milah grabbed the satchel, pulling out the magic bean to show it to Rumple. When he reached for it, she tossed it to Killian who raised his eyebrow at the Dark One "You asked to see it and now you have."
"Do we have a deal?" Milah asked, crossing her arms "Can we go our separate ways?"
Rumpelstiltskin tilted his head "Do you mean, do I forgive you? Can I move on? Perhaps." He shrugged unconcernedly "I can see you are truly in love."
"Thank you," Milah sighed in relief. She was grateful that he didn't listen to their conversation earlier since he would never forgive her for abandoning it. Baelfire was already a sore spot but he would never forgive her if he found out about… that.
"Just one question," Rumpelstiltskin spoke up just before she reached Killian.
Milah groaned, turning around to face him again "What do you want to know?"
"How could you leave Bae? Do you know what it was like walking home that night…"
"Rumple…"
"… knowing I had to tell our son…"
"Please," Milah begged, wishing he would just stop talking already.
Rumpelstiltskin continued, ignoring her pleading "… that his mother was dead?"
"I was wrong to lie to you," Milah agreed reluctantly "I was the coward. I knew that."
"You left him," Rumpelstiltskin shouted angrily, gesturing with his hands "You abandoned him."
Milah closed her eyes "And there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel sorry for that."
"Sorry isn't enough," Rumpelstiltskin cried out, even angrier than before. He took a couple of deep breaths before continuing "You let him go."
"I let my misery cloud my judgement," she admitted.
"Why were you so miserable?"
Milah looked over at him, her eyes glinting coldly "Because I never loved you," she told him before a smirk crossed her eyes "Nothing good ever comes from you. Not then and not now."
Rumpelstiltskin looked at her for a moment before he punched into her chest to pull out her heart "What aren't you telling me?" he mused, studying the heart.
"Milah," Killian gasped, going to stop the Dark One when he was flung into the mast "No!" He freed himself, rushing over to catch Milah as she sunk to the ground.
"I love you," she whispered, looking up at Killian with tears in her eyes. She let out a scream when Rumpelstiltskin started to crush her heart in his hand.
Killian looked up "Wait. Please…"
"Why would I do that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked curiously.
"You have a son," Killian told him.
Rumpelstiltskin raised his eyebrows "I am well aware of that, pirate."
"No," Killian shook his head, ignoring Milah's weak protests "You don't understand. You have another. A baby."
The grip on Milah's heart slackened, causing her to slump in her pirate's arms "What did you just say?" Rumpelstiltskin demanded, his voice cold and dangerous.
Killian closed his eyes for a moment, knowing he would lose his love either way. Not that he could blame the man… much. Yes, he loved her. He loved Milah so much but he wasn't blind to her faults anymore. More than once had he told her that they should be going back for Baelfire. It wasn't right that she simply abandoned her child the same way he had been abandoned by his father "I'm sorry, Milah," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead "I can't let that child die."
"No," she shook her head, trying to sit up "No. Killian… Please."
"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Rumpelstiltskin questioned, his patience wearing thin.
Killian ran a hand through his hair "That night… Not a year ago when you asked Milah to come back… Something happened."
Rumpelstiltskin stopped in his tracks "Impossible," he whispered to himself "Where is he?"
"I don't know," Killian admitted "I swear that I would tell you. I don't know."
"Where is the boy?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, making sure to direct the question to the heart. He wanted the truth and he wanted it now. Preferably before he killed his once wife slowly and painfully.
Milah struggled to keep her mouth closed before the truth spilt from her lips "Gone," she "I'm not going to keep an abomination like it."
"Pardon?" Rumpelstiltskin blinked. Milah had always loved Baelfire, so it had been a surprise when she just up and left him but this? He didn't even notice that his hand was clenched around her heart until it turned to ash in his grip.
"No," Killian mumbled when Milah went limp in his arms. He looked up at the still shocked Dark One "You may be more powerful now but you didn't have to kill her."
Rumple whirled to face the pirate "You heard what she said," he shouted "She left my son. Both of them. Do you really think I would forgive that?"
Killian got up from the floor "No," he admitted "But I still have something you want."
"Yes?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, slightly amused "Give me the bean, pirate and I will let you leave."
"You'll have to kill me first," Killian ground out.
Rumpelstiltskin shook his head "Ah-ah. I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you, sonny boy." He twisted a sword in his hand, cutting off the pirate's left hand with a quick motion "I want you alive because I want you to suffer as I did. To suffer knowing that she died because of what she did. To suffer knowing that you allowed her to leave an innocent infant to die." He turns to walk away when he was ripped around, a hook driven into his chest. The Dark One looked down dispassionately "Killing me is going to take a lot more than that, dearie."
Killian stared at him in defeat before he stumbled back "Just leave," he demanded tiredly.