"How do you know?" David asked standing up, Snow moving towards him and touching his arm.
"He's just showed up. He wants to cast the dark curse. Mom scared him off." Henry said running to Emma who hugged him tightly, stroking his hair.
"Even Peter Pan can't avoid one of my fireballs," Regina said grimly.
"He wants to cast the dark curse?" Snow asked. "Why?"
"He can't. He needs to crush the heart of someone he loves, he doesn't love anyone." Killian reasoned, his hand still on Emma's back.
"Gold?" David suggested.
"Pan loving the child he abandoned? Not likely.." Regina rolled her eyes. Emma and Snow both winced.
Regina looked between them. "I mean, he didn't have a good reason, he was selfish, he gave up being a parent for himself, not because of a curse… or being in prison."
"Thanks!" Emma muttered.
"So not Gold? Who else.'
"What about Felix? They were really close in Neverland." Henry suggested.
"Aye, Felix was Pan's first child he took from the Enchanted Forest." Killian nodded.
"So you think Felix is here too?"
"If he is, he obviously doesn't know his hearts about to be crushed." Regina sighed.
"Wait, how can Pan even enact the curse?" Emma asked. "How does he even know how to do that?"
Regina glanced at Henry. "He followed us, into my fault. I took Henry there to be safe. He… He took the curse." She looked away. "He was invisible. It was only when we were leaving… what are we going to do?"
"Henry, go with Emma and try and find Felix, if anyone is going to convince him. It's you."
"Killian, come with me to talk to Gold."
"Why do I have to talk to the crocodile?" Killian asked outraged.
"Because I said so." David gave him a look. Killian sighed and nodded.
'Regina, you and Snow go and figure out how he is going to cast this curse, and stop him."
"We need to talk about your intentions towards my daughter," David said as they rushed towards Gold's shop.
"Really? Were trying to stop a curse and you want to do a father chat?" Killian rolled his eyes.
"Good point. But there might not be another time."
"If there isn't, I don't think if we're cursed to be unhappy Emma and I would be together." Killian pointed out. David grabbed his arm.
"You… you're really serious. About her. Arent you?"
Killian looked away from David's gaze, cheeks heating. "Aye, not that I need your approval, but I'm in love with her." He said quietly. "And whatever she wants us to be. I'll be it." David stared at him for a long moment before nodding once.
"After we finish Pan, we need to sort Neal out." David quickly changed the topic.
"Agreed."
"We don't even know where Pan is planning to enact the curse."
"I have a guess," Regina said, her heel twisting under the uneven ground.
"Really? Where?"
"Wishing well."
"That's how Gold brought magic to Storybrooke."
"Exact…. Wait." Regina grabbed Snow. Ducking behind a tree and peaking around to the clearing over Storybrooke.
"We're too late." She breathed, Pan was stood by the well, Felix beside him.
"I don't understand." Felix was saying. "What is the curse going to do?"
Pan smiled, a glowing heart pulsing in his hands.
"Sorry, Felix. I need to remain young." Pan's hand twisting the heart, crushing it beneath his fingers. Felix cried out and collapsed to the floor.
The dust crumbling into the well.
"This will be the new Neverland."
Regina summoned a fireball
"Wait! Look!." Snow grabbed her wrist, Pan's shadow floated above him. "About time!" Pan said happily. "Is our friend happy?" The shadow nodded.
"Then, let's go play." His hand wrapped around the shadow's ankle. Flying into the air.
"What do we do now?" Regina asked.
"We need to regroup." Snow pulled her phone out.
"Pan's cast the curse? So what does that mean?"
"I can break it right?" Emma asked. "I'm the saviour…"
"You were the saviour. For Regina's curse. It was special only to the queen, Pan would have put his own spin on it, without a clause, the last curse was meant to be broken. This isn't." Gold said, Belle next to him holding onto his arm. Neal next to her. Emma had ignored the smile Neal had given her, she had too much on her mind already.
"There is one way, I guess." Gold said after a long moment. "The scroll, the one Pan stole from you." He looked at Regina. "It can be stopped by someone who has used the scroll. You."
"We don't have much time." Snow shook her head. "And we don't know where Pan is."
"I'm right here."
Everyone turned, seeing Pan stand triumphantly in front of them.
"Just doing a victory lap, before the fun begins." He smirked, holding the scroll between his fingers. "Looking for this?" He asked. "I'm surprised, I got help to get here… didn't realise they were so desperate to get their happy ending."
Emma frowned. Someone had helped Pan to get from Neverland?
A loud crash of thunder rang through the town, Pan turned, looking at the green fog.
"Showtime!"
That's all he needed. Gold rushed forward, plunging his dark one dagger into his back.
Pan stumbled, crying out as his body transformed into a man.
"Rumple. What are you doing?'" The man gasped, falling back into Rumple's arms.
"I'm finally ready to pay the price." The dark one muttered. Glancing over to Belle who stood frozen, eyes wide and filled with tears.
"I love you." His eyes drifted between Neal and Belle.
"Both of you." The knife twisted, both of them disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Belle collapsed to the floor. Sobbing helplessly. Regina rushed forward, grabbing the scroll and gasping loudly.
"Regina?" Emma asked uncertainly.
"I know what we need to do." She breathed. "I can stop the curse."
"Great. How?" Killian asked.
"I need to give up the thing I love the most," Regina whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
"Henry?" Emma asked, Henry, shook his head, and rushed forward. Hugging Regina tightly.
"To stop the curse. I need to destroy Storybrooke, it will have never existed. We will all return, except Henry, because he was born here. We won't be able to come back, and you won't be able to come with us." She stroked Henry's hair.
Emma shook her head. "He's going to be alone?" Her voice shook.
"No." Regina sighed heavily. "You will take him."
"What? No, I… we should be with you!" Her eyes met Snow and David's.
"We just found each other." She breathed as tears sprung to her eyes.
"Emma. Emma, listen to me." Snow took her hand. "Regina is right. You need to go. Take Henry."
Emma shook her head. "I.. this can't be the happy end…." She froze, the breath leaving her lungs as she turned towards a shocked looking Killian.
"No." She breathed. "This isn't right. I belong with you."
"Emma. You need to think of Henry." Killian said evenly, although Emma could see his hand shaking. "He needs you. More than we do."
Emma slowly walked towards him. "I don't know how to say goodbye to you." She admitted, feeling tears running down her face.
"Don't then." Killian took her hand. "Fate rewarded us once Swan, maybe we can hope Fate will bring us together again."
"Could he come with us?" Emma asked, her eyes not leaving Killian's.
"No!" Neal shouted. "If anyone is going with you it should be me! I'm Henry's father."
"Neither can go," Regina said firmly. "The only reason you can Emma is because you were born to escape the curse."
"There's no way?" Emma asked again.
Regina sighed. "I mean, he wasn't part of the original curse. So, maybe? I… I don't know what would happen. It might work…. Or it might kill him."
"I'll take that risk," Killian said quickly, his hand tight around Emma's. Emma sighed sadly and hugged him tightly, burying her head in his neck.
"No. I'm not going to let you." She breathed. "I let myself be selfish for two days. I got you, and..." She pulled away to look at him. "It was the happiest I've ever been." She admitted. "I would rather you be alive, but not with me than dead and there is no hope."
Killian nodded, his own eyes watering.
"Aye Swan." He agreed, his voice rough.
This was it. She was never going to see him again, he would be lost to her. Forever.
She could be selfish for one more moment.
"I love you." She cried, grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him deeply, her fingers digging almost painfully into his neck as Killian wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer as his finger traced through her hair, down her cheek. Memorising every inch of her, like he promised he would.
All too soon Emma pulled away, leaning her forehead on Killians as their eyes met.
"I love you too, Emma Swan"
She felt numb as they began the walk to the town line, Regina was gripping Henry's hand tightly who was crying silently. Emma walked her arm wrapped around Killian, her other handheld tightly by Snow. Davids's hand on her shoulder.
"There's one more thing I can do," Regina said quietly. As Henry hugged Neal. Emma took a step away.
"I can give you new memories. Where you kept him… You would be happy."
"I wouldn't remember anything?"
"Neither of you would…. It's my gift." Emma nodded.
"Thank you." She said softly. "But…" she glanced behind her. "Keep Killian, I know it might be difficult, with what we have been through… but… I don't want to forget the feeling, even if I can't remember who it is for." Regina's sighed sadly, slowly nodding.
"I'll try." She promised. Hugging Henry tightly and kissing his forehead.
Emma hugged Snow and David.
"I'm sorry I wasted so much time." She whispered. "Mom, dad."
"We love you, Emma, we always will." Snow kissed her forehead. Before David did the same.
"We are so proud of you," David whispered in her hair.
"Emma?" Neal said softly. Emma shook her head.
"I'm sorry about your dad." She said quietly. "Goodbye." Neal looked like he wanted to say something. But a firm look from David stopped him. Emma looked over at Killian. Her breath catching in her throat.
"We've said goodbye." Killian breathed.
"I thought we weren't saying goodbye?" Emma argued. Killian chuckled weakly, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles softly.
"Till fate finds us again Swan."
Emma smiled sadly. "Get in the car Henry." She said softly. Henry nodding and after one more hug from Regina he got in the car. Emma was almost at her car when she paused again.
One more selfish moment.
She spun around, rushing towards Killian, who seemed to have the same thought. Their bodies collided as they kissed each other desperately. Killian lifting her off the floor. For one more moment, they were totally lost in each other. They didn't need to say the word love to each other again. They knew. They both did.
"Emma!" She pulled away, her breath hard and heavy.
"You need to leave." Emma could see the green fog out of the corner of her eye. She gazed into Killian's blue eyes for one more second before tearing herself away, forcing her body to move and get in the car. She drove quickly, knowing one look in the mirror would make her stop. Henry was crying, and so was she.
And then they were not.