England, 2016

Everyone else had already left the chancel, but Killian couldn't seem to bring himself to stand up and make his way outside. He didn't want to see what came next, because he knew it would be too final. Once Liam's body was lowered into the earth, he would no longer be able to tell himself that the whole thing had been a terrible nightmare; that he would wake up the next day and find his annoying big brother alive and well. Once he saw that grave, Killian knew he would lose what little remained of himself, so he continued sitting where he was, biting down on his tongue as he held his shoulder rigidly high.

"I can't do this alone," he eventually whispered to the crucifix hanging on the wall in front of him. "I can't do this without him."

The sound of a pair of high heels clicking against the stone floor barely penetrated his consciousness, but the warm hand that closed over his own finally managed to startle him back to the moment.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Killian. I came as soon as I heard."

The tears he'd been fighting all day began to well in his eyes as he flipped her hand over to lace their fingers together. He hadn't realised just how much he'd needed her until she was there.

"Do you want to go outside for the rest of the service?" she asked.

Killian shook his head before dropping it down heavily to rest against her shoulder.

"Okay," was all she said, as she calmly stroked her thumb over the back of his hand while he cried silent tears into the wool of her coat.

He wasn't sure how long they spent sitting that way, but by the time his tears had run dry, Killian knew the service was over.

"He didn't come. His son is dead and he didn't come. I… I thought he'd come."

"I'm so sorry, Killian. He's a complete waste of space and he doesn't deserve your thoughts on a day like today."

Killian nodded against her shoulder, but she knew it would take more than words to help heal the wounds that he was carrying.

"Do you wanna go outside and say goodbye?" she asked, keeping her tone gentle as her thumb continued its soothing touch. "There's nobody else here now. It's just you and me."

Killian nodded his head and then straightened up with a groan. He was going to have one hell of a crick in his neck tomorrow morning, but he didn't much care about that.

Keeping her hand held firmly in his own, the two of them made their way down the aisle of the church, and out through the large double doors. He didn't really know where he was going, but she seemed to be moving with purpose, so he let her lead the way. His feet stumbled a little as they approached the open grave, and his knees threatened to give way completely when he peered down inside to see his brother's final resting place.

"Do you want me to give you some time alone?"

"No," he rushed out, tightening his grip around her fingers. "No. Please don't go."

She reached out to cover their joined hands with her free one, squeezing tightly to try and comfort him - but Killian wasn't sure anything could comfort him that afternoon. All he wanted was his brother, and now, he was never going to get him back.

For the longest time, the two of them stood in silence, hand-in-hand, staring down at the open grave. There was so much Killian wanted to say and yet, he couldn't seem to force the words from his mouth. Eventually, he settled on the only thing that felt right for the moment.

"I miss you, Brother."

She squeezed his hand tightly once more as he turned his eyes up to the stormy skies above them. "Let's get you out of here," she said, and the next moment, Killian was looking at the ceiling of the living room in his family home.

Being away from all of the prying eyes at the funeral felt like a literal weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He let go of her hand, shrugged out of his jacket, and then dropped down heavily onto the sofa. Killian wanted to stay in that place forever - never moving; never changing. But he knew that eventually, life would intrude again.

When the sofa depressed slightly beside him, he screwed his eyes shut to ask, "What are you doing here, Emma?"

"I didn't want you to be alone."

"Why not?" he shot back. "I am every other fucking day. I don't see you for two years and suddenly you're concerned about my well-being?"

"I'm always concerned about your well-being," she argued, keeping her tone soft and even.

"Yeah, well… you've got a funny way of showing it."

Emma sat in silence for a moment before reaching out, intending to cover his hand with her own. But the pain inside Killian's stomach was now churning away into something much more familiar – anger.

He was angry with his father for not even bothering to call when his eldest son had died. He was angry at Liam for dying and for leaving him alone in this world. But most of all, he was angry with her. He was angry at the way she'd left that night, some two years ago. He was angry that he'd fallen in love with her, and that she'd somehow made him feel like she could love him too. And he was so fucking angry that she had the audacity to come back now, like nothing had ever happened between them, on the worst day of his life.

"Jesus Christ, Emma. What the fuck happened? I thought you liked me. I thought… Would it really have been so hard to pick up a God damned phone and call me?"

"I don't have a phone," she replied calmly.

"You pop in and out of my damned life whenever it pleases you," Killian roared, pushing himself to his feet to pace in front of her. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you couldn't pop back once in the last two years? Was it really that bad? Was I that bad?"

"What?" Emma asked, rising gracefully to her feet.

Killian took two steps back so that he was out of her reach.

"Is that really what you think?" she demanded. "Did I not look like I was enjoying myself that night? Did it not feel like I was enjoying myself?"

Killian said nothing. Instead, he simply stared at her defiantly.

"I got called away," she explained, taking another small step forward. "I left you a note. I told you I could be gone for a while and that you could summon me whenever you needed me. After our… time together… I had something I needed to do. Something I needed to try and fix. As the days passed, I assumed the reason you hadn't summoned me was because you simply didn't want to see me again, so I thought it best to stay away."

"See, that's the problem," he exploded, turning on his heels and raising his hands to tug violently at his hair. "You made all of these assumptions but you never once actually stopped to ask if I knew how to summon you. I don't, Emma. I don't have a fucking clue how to contact you. You just show up at random moments and expect me to know what's going on."

"You don't know how to summon me?" she asked monotonously, as moments from their past encounters flashed through her mind.

"No. I don't even really know what you mean by summoning you. Most people have phones that we use to communicate with each other. Or an email address. Hell, even a postal address would do. We don't summon them like some sort of archaic demon."

Emma's face must have shown a flicker of emotion at his choice of words because suddenly, Killian's eyes were widening with the kind of clarity that only came from realisation.

"You're… you… you're a demon? An actual demon?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"But you… you're not… and you don't have… you can't be. You've always been so kind to me."

"And you've always been so kind to me," she countered.

"How? How is this possible? You're… you're just a… a woman. A beautiful woman. How can you be… evil?"

"Do you really think me evil, Killian? Have I ever given you a reason to believe that I am?"

He shook his head and Emma took another small step forward. "I do my job, Killian. And yes, there is a part of me that enjoys it - I'm not gonna lie to you about that. It's the part of me that was broken many centuries ago. It was tortured and twisted into something completely unrecognisable, but I'm not evil. I make sure that I vet each and every one of my clients carefully. They know the consequences of their agreement, and I only ever seal that deal if I'm certain they deserve what fate has in store for them. These people know what they're sacrificing and yet, they still agree to my terms. Does that really make me the evil one?"

"What um… what exactly does your job entail?" he asked, conveniently skipping over her question while simultaneously dreading the answer to his own.

"I'm what's technically known as a crossroads demon, but we aren't just found at crossroads now. The world has adapted and so have we. My job is to make deals with humans. I give them what they want and in return, they promise me their soul."

"Their soul?" Killian chuckled, sounding a little hysterical. "That… that's a real thing?"

"It's very much a real thing, and it's an incredibly powerful thing. Something that should never be bartered away."

"And what uh… what do people ask for? What do they trade their souls for?"

"All kinds of things. Stupid things, really," Emma sighed, as she took a seat on the sofa once again. "Things that aren't worth eternal damnation. Or things that should never be messed with."

Killian seemed to consider her words for a moment as he took a seat beside her, and then, a sudden clarity filled his eyes once more. "You can bring him back, right? You can bring Liam back. That's what you mean by things that shouldn't be messed with. You can bring back the dead."

"Yes," Emma agreed, because she really didn't want to lie to him, which is why she added, "But I won't."

"You… you won't? What the hell do you mean that you won't? He's my brother."

"I know that," she pacified, "And I also know that I can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling right now, but Killian, I do know that you don't want this."

"You don't know anything!" he roared, as he jumped back up to his feet. He turned to head straight for the front door but before he could take more than two steps towards it, Emma was in front of him once again.

"What I said to you in Paris was true. I used to be human, Killian. I used to be human and now I'm not – because I made a stupid, senseless deal I didn't fully understand when I was your age and this… this is what happens as a result of that. You don't want this, Killian, and Liam wouldn't want this for you. I know you feel scared and lonely right now, but how do you think Liam will feel when you leave him suddenly in six years? How do you think he'd feel knowing that you'd condemned yourself to a life of unimaginable torture just to bring him back? Do you think he'd be able to live with that knowledge? Would you want him to?"

"I don't care. I don't care about me or my soul. You can take it. I just want my brother back. And if you won't bring him back to me," he threatened darkly, "I'll find someone else who will."

Emma's laugh was so unexpected that it was a little scary.

"Do you honestly think anyone will answer that summons, Killian? You could try calling for Satan himself and your prayers would all go unanswered. Nobody's making that deal with you. They all know that you're mine and they know not to touch you unless they want to answer to me, so if I were you, I'd get that stupid idea out of your head as quickly as it arrived."

Killian opened and closed his mouth, and then opened and closed it once more. He'd never heard Emma speak to anyone that way before, and being on the receiving end of her tirade wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

"I'm sorry," she said, after a long moment of awkward silence had settled between them. "I didn't mean to lose my temper with you. I just… I care about you, Killian. I only want what's best for you, I promise you that."

"Then why didn't you come back sooner?" he asked, as all of the anger and fight drained from his body. He was suddenly completely exhausted. The sweet oblivion that came with sleep had never felt as appealing as it did right then.

"There was something I needed to do before I saw you again."

"And that took you two years?"

"No. I… I came back when I heard about what had happened to Liam. I'm uh… I'm still trying to figure out the rest."

"What… what does that even mean, Emma? And no more lies or half-truths," he begged. "Please, if you have any respect for me, just tell me the truth. What kept you away from me for two fucking years?"

Emma lifted her head to catch his gaze and held it as she reached for his hand. The fact that he didn't pull away from her this time gave her hope that maybe, just maybe, they could salvage something of the friendship they had once shared.

"I've never lied to you, Killian. I might have kept a few things to myself but I've never lied to you." She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, adjusting her grip on his palm as she did so. "The night we spent together, two fucking years ago," she teased gently, "Meant the world to me. It meant too much to me and that… that's the problem."

"Wha–"

"Let me finish," she begged. "It's not uncommon for my kind to exchange sexual favours with your own. It's happened throughout history and it'll likely continue until the very end of mankind itself. What is uncommon, however, is what happened between us that night. I uh… I didn't feel it happen. I didn't know it had happened until I was summoned before my Master. He felt it. He could sense that change in the balance of power in the universe, and he was furious with me. All I know is that somehow, you tied your soul to me that evening and I haven't been able to find a way to break that bond. I can't even find an explanation for how it happened, and believe me, I've been everywhere looking for answers."

"My… my soul? I… I've already traded it away?" he asked. Panic was beginning to creep into the edges of his eyes, and Emma hated that she was putting him through all of this.

"No… Yes… I don't know," she replied honestly. "All I know is that it's mine. It's… bound to me, in some way. It took me a while to realise it but… I can feel it. I don't know how to describe it, Killian. All I know is that it's there - like some missing piece that's constantly calling to me, constantly broadcasting how you feel… constantly trying to pull me back to you."

"Like a soulmate," he whispered, so quietly that even Emma had to strain her ears to catch the words.

"I'm not exactly sure I'd call this a soulmate situation," she chuckled bitterly. "Soulmates usually get a happy ending and right now… I don't even know what will be waiting for you at the end of your life."

"I'll be with you, right?" he pressed. "You said it yourself, we… we're connected now, Emma. I'll be with you."

"That's not necessarily a good thing," she argued.

"Who says it's not?" Killian demanded. "I… I've missed you, Emma. I just want you to be a part of my life. If this is what it takes then… I don't think it's all that bad."

"You're wrong!"

"I'm not! I'm not a child anymore, Emma. I'm an adult and I know what I want. I was devastated when I woke up that morning and you weren't there. I thought… I thought that maybe you'd come back. I waited for you to come back. And when you didn't… If this means we can finally be together, then I don't see how this is a bad thing."

"Killian," she sighed. "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't want this. You don't want me. And you certainly don't want to be chained to me for all of eternity. You're lonely and vulnerable right now and this… this is not the answer. I am literally a demonic force of energy, currently shaping myself into something that resembles what I remember of my human form. I don't need to eat. I don't sleep. I don't breathe. I don't even have a home. I walk this earth making deals and collecting souls for my Master's Great Uprising. Is that really something you want to do for the rest of your life? Just follow me around and watch me work? Can you honestly say that you would rather be dragged all over the world at the whim of idiotic human beings that want more money or sex, rather than spending the rest of your time safe and loved here on earth, and later, in heaven – with your brother? Because if you're chained to me, Killian, you're never going there. It's the one place in this world demons are forbidden tovisit. If you pick me, you will never see your brother again."

Killian's expression dropped for a moment as he considered the idea of an eternity without Liam. He'd never thought he'd have to face a life without his brother as a part of it before, and he'd certainly never considered the idea of eternity without him. But an eternity by Emma's side was something he'd often caught himself daydreaming about, before the anger at the way she'd disappeared took over again. The reality of the situation might not be as romantic as he'd pictured it to be, but he couldn't deny that there was still a piece of his heart longing for it, the same way he longed to be with her.

"I don't wanna spend the rest of eternity in a place where you can never go. That's not heaven for me. It never has been and it never will be. Liam will be happy where he is. He won't miss me. Not if he's really in heaven. He'll be where he's supposed to be and I'll be where I'm supposed to be. Travelling the world with you sounds like an incredible way to spend our eternity. We can make a home together, Emma. Make memories when you're not busy doing Satan's work. We can be happy together! You just need to let it happen."

Emma's mouth dropped open as if she were planning to respond, but all she could do was sit and stare at Killian. She wasn't really sure what to say to such a passionate declaration. She knew that she should try and find the words to dissuade him from this life. Killian deserved better than an eternity spent chained to her side. But every word he'd spoken painted such a beautiful picture of their future together, and that piece of her that seemed to have appeared when they were last together was now humming in contentment at the idea of an eternity with her beloved.

"I've missed you," Killian whispered into the small space between them, before he leaned forward to press his lips firmly to hers.

"I missed you too," she admitted, as she pulled back to press her forehead against his. She'd tried hiding that truth from herself for so long, but now they were back together, Emma knew there was no hiding it. It was precisely the reason why she'd stayed away from him after her master had finished punishing her. The demon known as Amaline had fallen in love, and she'd fallen in love with a human! She wasn't sure how or why it had happened, but she knew there was no stopping it now.

"I'm tired, Emma. So tired."

Emma freed one of her hands from his grasp to reach up and run her fingers softly through Killian's hair again. She knew that the past week had been a whirlwind of emotions for him. She'd felt every single one of them as they'd raced around his body, battling for attention all day every day. The anger at his father for not returning any of his calls. The pain and sadness of having to say a final farewell to his beloved brother. The longing he often felt, late at night, for her, before the anger returned. She was honestly amazed that he was still standing – metaphorically speaking, of course.

"Why don't we get you up to bed?" she offered.

"You'll stay, right? For real this time. You'll stay?" He pulled back just far enough to fix her with a piercing stare, and Emma found herself nodding her agreement.

"I'll stay," she promised, pulling him in a little closer as she moved them from the sofa and up to the bed in his old childhood room.

"Forever?" he mumbled sleepily, the syllables blending together as he did.

Emma gave a small wave of her fingers and they were suddenly both under the covers, Killian dressed only in his boxer briefs while she wore the same T-shirt she had peeled him out of, a little over two years ago.

"Forever," she finally whispered back, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head as he snuggled in a little closer.

While Killian fell asleep with the word forever echoing through his mind, Emma allowed her own eyes to drift shut as that small part of herself that now belonged to him radiated love and affection.

Three years later, the demon named Amaline shook hands with the young woman standing before her, her eyes flashing red as she did to seal the deal that would eventually end the human girl's life.

"So uh… when will it happen? When will his wife be gone?" Rosie asked.

"She's already out of the picture," Amaline assured her, as a small smile tugged at her lips. Rosie hadn't been explicitly clear with her wording, so instead of killing the other woman, Amaline had simply sent her on a very long and very enjoyable vacation to celebrate her new divorce.

"Ugh, what are you so happy about?" Rosie demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

Amaline took a moment to let the familiar tugging sensation fill her up, before she turned her attention back to the disgusting excuse for a human being standing in her presence. Rosie had just traded her soul for a fling with her boss, and it would never last. Amaline knew for a fact that Rosie's boss was sleeping with other women all over the country. Having his wife out of the picture wouldn't change a damned thing between them.

"Either my fiancé is making a sandwich or he's summoning me home," she explained, fishing a brand new mobile phone from her pocket to check the time. It only had one number programmed into it, but it was the only number she would ever need. "I think I might be running a little late for my wedding ceremony."

Rosie quirked a brow at her in confusion. "Demons can marry?"

"This demon can," Amaline corrected. "But first, I think a change of clothing is in order."

She raised her right hand and gave it a quick wave. The conservative black dress she'd been wearing was now gone, and in its place was something altogether more dramatic and sexy.

"You're wearing that to get married in?" Rosie snorted out, looking every inch the mean girl Amaline knew her to be, as she surveyed the black lace and tulle of the demon's gown.

"Yes," Amaline replied smugly. "It'll drive my new husband absolutely insane." She paused for a moment to watch as the sneer on Rosie's face dropped a little at her words, and then added, "Have fun spending the next six-years with someone else's husband," before she allowed her soul-bond to carry her back to the man she loved, and the home they now shared together.

Although not explicitly mentioned in this chapter, Emma/Amaline's looks here were based on Jen's looks for the TRESemme at Mara Hoffman A/W16 Presentation on February 13, 2016 and the 2013 Billboard Music Awards.

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.