With the docks secured and the town sympathetic to David and Snow, Killian felt confident that they were in a good position to push on towards the location of Merlin's castle. Emma had requested that only a small group go forward to the outskirts of the castle, leaving the others to hold the town and the docks. In the end, Killian, Snow, David, Regina, Henry and Mac saddled up on horses lent by the townspeople, thrilled to see their king, queen and crown princess after so many years.

Emma had hated horses before – they only seemed to need them in emergencies, and her association with them was not the best – and now pregnant and three miles into the trek, she missed her Yellow Bug even more. Maybe if they all moved back here, they could bring along the technology for motorised transport? Her horse snorted and veered off course, towards a particularly juicy clump of grass near a copse of trees. David snorted more loudly than the horse, in derision, and trotted over to her, taking the reins and leading her back onto the path. Killian doubled back from the head of the party pulled up alongside Emma. He could see that she was beginning to sniffle and her eyes were looking watery.

"He keeps leaving the path," Emma wavered. "I don't think he likes the other horses. I know I don't like him."

David gripped his sword in frustration and gritted his teeth. "Your horse is a mare, Emma. A girl. And she's wobbling like a loose tooth because you're not holding the reins correctly. You have to keep her on the path. I cannot believe that any daughter of mine…"

"David," Killian cut in sharply. "I'll ride back here with Emma. Why don't you take the lead." Killian watched tears start to slip down Emma's cheeks. "Just lead on. We'll catch you up."

David let out another disgusted huff and spurred his horse forward. Killian immediately dismounted and walked around to Emma's mare, holding her steady by the nose. He lifted his other hand up to Emma and signalled for her to come down. She slid off in a heap, more falling onto Killian than sliding into his arms, but when he had her securely on the ground, he gathered her up for a hug.

"I can't do this! I can't ride and David thinks I'm the world's biggest disappointment," she sobbed. "He's ashamed of me."

Killian stroked her hair and back and let her cry it out for a few minutes. There was no use arguing with upset, hormonal Emma. She would come around to reason when she'd had a chance to calm down. So when the sobbing dissolved into hiccups, Killian spoke up: "David's acting like an arse. But he's not disappointed in you; he's disappointed in himself. It's guilt, Emma. He feels guilty that he never had a chance to teach you these things. And he's lashing out at his own daughter, his own pregnant daughter at that, which is extremely poor form." He produced a handkerchief from his back pocket and mopped up Emma's tears. "You're doing absolutely fine, far better than my first lesson with a car." Emma giggled at the memory of that, how he's nearly pulled the gear stick out of the floor of the Bug in fright.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. I mean, god knows I never got riding lessons growing up in foster homes. I'm doing my best." Killian nodded and held her closer. He slipped her horse's reins over its head, and led the mare over to his horse. He helped to lift Emma onto his horse, then swung up behind her, tying off the mares' reins to a rope at the back of his saddle. She seemed content there.

"Now, I can take better care of you," Killian smiled against her neck, nibbling along her ear. He let his hands sweep up her body and settle around her breasts. "Yes, I like this arrangement much better."

Emma laughed, one of those laughs that is really more relief at not crying anymore. She let herself settle back into Killian's chest, enjoying the way his arms circled her to hold the reins. "I'm not going to have any incentive to learn to ride if you keep this up." With the warm sun, the gentle sway of the ride and Killian's solid chest to lean against, Emma soon felt herself slipping in and out of her dreams.

Killian kept one hand on the reins and the other wrapped around her torso, holding her upright and letting her sleep. His jaw tensed along with his back, taking her weight, his mind unable to stop thinking about where they were headed. David would apologise; the man truly loved his daughter and the guilt of his words was probably eating a whole through his heart. But David didn't much concern Killian.

He wanted to pull the horse to one side and gallop back to the Jolly Roger, then sail as far and as fast as he could away from Merlin's castle. But he kept up the relentless forward motion, wondering why he seemed unable to step off this path of heroism now that he was on it. Mostly, he knew, it was because he was following her, and his entire life now revolved around being wherever Emma was. Family supported them, true enough, but it also trapped them.

…

Emma slept on until they reached the village nearest the castle. A quiet, shifty-eyed village; a village harbouring secrets. Killian could sense the perfidy from his first glance at the neatly swept porches and lovingly thatched roofs; he wondered what Emma's lie detector would make of the place. It wasn't overtly hostile, like the port. This village looked warm, welcoming and carefully ordered. After decades upon decades of the enchanting lie of Neverland, Killian could spot danger behind pleasant exteriors, and this village felt like a particularly nasty trap, with every villager looking to protect a secret they would rather die than tell.

Emma yawned and stretched out her arms, arching her back against Killian and nearly falling out of the saddle. She awoke sharply at that, suddenly remembering her surroundings.

"Oh, god, babe. I'm sorry. I guess I fell asleep," she muttered.

"Swan, you have been snoring on and off for hours now. Trust me, I noticed that you were asleep."

Emma shot him a mock-offended look. "I am carrying your child. I wouldn't think you'd begrudge carrying me for a few hours."

Killian secured his arm around her hips and tugged her back sharply against his erection. "As you can feel, Swan, three hours of staring down your dress and running my hands across your breasts has left me feeling quite well-disposed towards you. You may fall asleep against me anytime."

Emma twisted in the saddle to kiss him. "Let me off this damned horse, Killian."

He swung down first, pulling her immediately into his arms, bridal-style. "Tell me you can do this, love," he whispered, suddenly serious. "I can still get us away from here. We can find another way."

Emma ran her hand over his chest and up to his face, scratching her nails lightly through his scruff, holding his gaze on her. "I have to clear our way. We have to. We can't live a life where this wizard can come after us, whenever he likes. Come after our children." Killian dropped his head and nodded into her hair, and he set her feet on the ground.

"Aye," he said, the moment over and his fears shoved neatly back beneath a façade. "I will secure this town for you. This place… it feels wrong. Too quiet, too ordered. Fearful. I feel certain they are under Merlin's control, but interesting that it doesn't extend beyond this town."

Emma considered this. "Perhaps it doesn't need to. If Merlin is truly trapped, someone must be keeping him alive. And look at this place – clean, neat, well-stocked, clearly wealthy. Every other town has been, typically, more chaotic. Normal." She hugged him to her. "Please be careful. I don't know which of us has the more dangerous task. I don't trust this place at all."

"You both come back to me," he whispered, "and I will come back to you."

Killian marched over towards the others, Emma's hand in his, until she spotted Regina and veered over to see if her friend was ready to find the castle.

While Will and Mac looked for a mayor or official to speak to, and most of the men fanned out to scope out the town on Killian's orders, Killian, David, Emma, Regina, Snow and Belle walked to the far end of town. There, from a low hill, they had an uninterrupted view of a vast grassland, devoid of trees, that stretched to the horizon. Straight in front of her, Emma caught a shimmering, a shifting in the gently swaying, empty landscape. She drew a breath and grabbed Regina's arm. "Do you see it?"

Regina squinted into the distance. "I see… grass. And more grass."

Emma pointed dead ahead. "It's right there." She exhaled shakily. "It looks… god, much worse than Camelot. I can't see any doors, any windows." She shook her head. "Not a castle, it's a fortress."

"Describe it to us, Emma," David said. "We can't see it, but if you sketch it for us, we'll have an idea how to find its vulnerabilities. There must be a way in, other than magic."

Emma reached for Killian. "I have a better idea," she smiled. "Remember how we could see each other's visions in the villa?"

"Of course, love."

"Hold my hands, and concentrate on me, on how I must see things," she grinned at him. "Just like you always do." Killian took her hands, felt their magic pass between them and he tried to look through Emma's eyes at the prairie. And there it was.

"An outer wall, four metres high, solid granite," he described, as David listened. "A moat 3 metres across immediately behind it. No gates that I can see, no towers. The fortress – all stone, no windows visible and no doors – 10 metres inside the moat. Maybe 10 metres high. It's like a solid box of stone."

David and Snow looked on in horror. "Emma, you can't go in there," Snow challenged.

Regina took Emma's hand out of Killian's. "We have to. Captain, you know where it is and what we're facing. This town is under Merlin's enchantment, I can feel it. You need to secure these townsfolk." Regina looked back to Emma. "Let's go."

Emma stepped back from him, and linked her arm into Regina's. She held Killian's blue gaze as she called out across the prairie, "Merlin, I'm here."

In a hazy silver shimmer, Emma and Regina faded away from the hillside, her eyes on Killian's until the moment she disappeared completely.

…

The inside of Merlin's castle looked nothing as Emma had expected from the Spartan exterior. High, clear widows – invisible from the exterior - flooded sunshine into a sitting room, furnished with Oriental rugs over dark wooden floorboards. Two deep red sofas, soft and inviting, faced each other across an ornate, low table. The room was peaceful, filled with vases of exotic flowers in brilliant yellows and oranges and crimsons.

On one of the sofas sat a young man with unfocussed, chocolate eyes and black hair. His flowing, black robe spilled across the cushions and covered him to his feet. Emma could almost see his haunting eyes twist and focus like the lens of a camera as he took in the sight of Regina.

"Oh well, this is unexpected. The Evil Queen? An interesting choice of companion. I had rather expected the pirate captain." He waved a hand a tray appeared on the table, covered with a teapot and cups and cakes. "Never mind. I have waited so long for you, Emma. Please, do help yourself."

Regina did as she always did: she walked in as though she owned the room, sweeping into a seat with imperial indifference. "Why are we here, Merlin? You have spent months now trying to destroy Emma's life. What the hell could you possibly want from her?"

Merlin looked affronted. "Destroy her? No, not me. You'll forgive me. As I have lost the use of my powers beyond these castle walls, I can work only by proxy. Arthur's desires aligned with mine to an extent: he wanted Killian and Emma here in the Enchanted Forest, and so did I. I had to draw you out Storybrooke and then keep you near. I gave Arthur the spell and he cast it for me. But then, he went his own nefarious way. It can be terribly difficult to find a good proxy." He waved a hand dismissively. "What does it matter? He's dead, and no more threat to you."

Regina snapped her fingers impatiently at him. "Stop grandstanding. Why did you bring Emma here? If you could send someone to cast spells for you, why have you let her run around Camelot and New York and the Enchanted Forest all this time?"

Merlin stretched out his robed arms over the sofa. "For love. For love!"

Both Emma and Regina looked incredulous. "What?" Emma finally vocalised.

Merlin shifted his gaze to Emma. He swept his eyes over her whole form, cataloguing the baby, her implacable expression and the sword that Killian had strapped to her waist. "I couldn't very well bring you here straight from the portal – you hadn't yet admitted that you love him. Love takes time and patience. But now…" he swept his hand through the air at Emma – "pregnant, wed, besotted with each other… now's the time."

Regina stamped her foot impatiently. "Time for what? Stop speaking in riddles."

"It's time to escape this prison," Merlin answered flatly.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do I come into that?"

"Well, the good news is that I don't intend to kill either you or the captain. I need you both alive for this," Merlin responded easily. "Now that you've had time to nuture your love, I intend to smash your True Love into nothingness."

Emma looked as though she'd been punched. She slipped into the seat next to Regina, who took her hand. "You just said you wouldn't kill either of us."

Merlin rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "That's true. I don't intend to kill you, or him, I need to kill the love you have for each other."

"I will never stop loving Killian. That's the whole point of True Love; it's the most powerful force, the most powerful magic."

Merlin nodded along. "Yes, and shattering True Love, it's like… splitting the atom. Boom! Breaking the bonds of True Love creates a ripple effect, and part of that effect will set me free."

Emma felt all her strength rush back. "People have spent my whole life denying me love. Now that I have it – with Killian, my son, my parents, my friends – I will not give it up. You will not succeed."

Merlin shrugged, uncaring. "I suppose I could try just convincing you that he's wrong for you. Would that work? Would it help? I mean, what do you really know about him, about those centuries of piracy and murder and violence and fucking every woman who could charm into dropping her knickers? Not very much, I presume. He's a bad choice for you, Saviour."

Emma gripped Regina's hand. "He has changed. For me. For my son. For our child. Killian loves me with all his soul. And I love him with all of mine."

Merlin stood abruptly, upsetting the tea tray and stomping the table into dust to clear his way to her. He knelt in front of her. "I will destroy your love. You two are an easy target. A violent, angry, traitorous pirate and a broken, lonely orphan who could still throw those walls back up around her heart at the least hint of wavering from the pirate she loves. The man you think he is… that's not who he was. Let's see who's right, shall we?"

He gripped hard to Emma's arm and yanked her hard away from Regina. Regina had just enough time to throw a tracking spell at her before Merlin shoved Emma at the far wall and spoke words in a language she didn't understand. Emma see that she was surrounded by a strange, green, glowing circle that seemed to pulsate in time with her heartbeat. "Goodbye, Saviour. Your pirate captain can send you back at any time, simply by giving you True Love's kiss. Easy. Enjoy!" Merlin grinned.

Regina threw herself at her friend, but it was too late. Emma was gone.

She rounded on Merlin, casting a restraining spell that held him fast to the wall. "Tell me where you sent Emma, or I will destroy you."

"Destroying me is well beyond your power, witch," Merlin sighed. "And never to worry, Emma is with her love. I sent her back to Hook."

"Hook?"

"Yes, she claims to love him. Well, she can love him as he was decades ago, before she was born. If he doesn't kill her first."

"You sent her through time? He'll know who she is. He won't hurt her," Regina spat.

Merlin threw his head back and laughed. "Of course," he roared, "of course he'll know who she is. He'll know precisely who she is. I have sent Captain Hook everything he has ever wanted: his wife, his saviour, his only child, his lifelong dream of family and belonging, True Love. His redemption. He has it all right now, in that cosy little cabin on his enchanted ship." Merlin struggled briefly and freed himself from Regina's spell, the sat back down on the sofa, restored the table and tea and poured himself a cup. "Tell me, Regina, you knew him before. Before his precious Emma. Will the pirate give up his treasure? Will he send her back to her son and her parents? Or will he keep her all for himself?"

Regina stopped breathing. If Hook kept Emma, if he didn't send her back, what would happen to Henry? Would he cease to exist? What of her parents? Of Storybrooke's salvation? What of Regina's own salvation from her hatred and revenge? If he held Emma in the past, the future would be utterly sacrificed. "Emma won't love him if he keeps her away from Henry," Regina spoke her thoughts aloud. "And he couldn't truly love her unless he put her needs first."

"Exactly," Merlin smiled, all confidence. "He has the power to send her back to her timeline. Or he can keep The Saviour for himself.

"So.. Regina, you tell me. What will the pirate do?"

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