X Marks the Spot

Chapter Ten

Meanwhile…

Both Henry and August stayed with Emma and Killian as David had asked of them while they were gone, but they remained in the kitchen or the dining room unless they were helping Emma care for their friend despite his best efforts to assure them all that he was alright and didn't need their ministrations.

Killian struggled to sit up straighter against the arm of the couch he had been lying against for awhile until Emma returned to his side, then he smiled weakly as he spoke up with confidence saying, "I am feeling better, love. I promise. You needn't worry so much. My mind is still a little hazy, but I can see you clearly and I'm sitting up again."

She stared down at the ugly flesh on the end of his left arm that still remained uncovered while the brace he always wore over it rested on the floor nearby along with his hook, but upon noticing her looking at it, Killian suddenly became very self-conscious and quickly pulled the sleeve of his leather jacket down over it, then Emma immediately apologized as she laid her hand on his arm and whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… You don't have to feel like you always have to keep it hidden from me, Killian. It's not like I haven't seen it before. While you were in the hospital after you got yourself hit by that car after attacking Belle and Gold at the town line, your arm remained uncovered for a few days before we gave you your brace back."

"Yes well… I wasn't exactly thinking very clearly then since your doctor had me on some pretty heavy drugs if I remember correctly," he responded smugly, until he became serious again. "Nor did I care about trying to impress you. At the time, I was still angry with you. Angry at everyone and everything because I was still filled with so much hate."

"You've always made an effort to impress me," Emma replied in an effort to lighten his mood upon seeing him become so down on himself while she began to trace over fingers along the contours of his face, causing him to smile at her sadly. "Isn't it you who's always saying just how devilishly handsome you are? You're right you know. Every part of you. But your arm isn't necessarily the reason for your brooding, is it? You're thinking about the things you saw in that memory of yours."

Killian nodded as he answered, "Aye. But something doesn't feel right about it. What I saw must have been a memory because you're the only one having visions of your future. Except this memory wasn't my own. I've taken royals prisoner before and yet I've never kidnapped Prince Eric. That was Black Beard."

The Savior suddenly remembered Ariel coming to Storybrooke and asking them all for their help to find her Prince and swiftly responded, "That's right. During the missing year you mean. Ariel arrived and sought your help in finding him, though it was actually Zelena which none of us knew at the time. You eventually were able to tell us that Black Beard had taken Prince Eric prisoner in hope of ransoming him off when the time was right. Except that when you helped Ariel to find him while you were all trapped within the Enchanted Forest and my memories of you were lost, Black Beard wanted you to hand the Jolly Roger over to him instead and you believed you had killed him. I'm really sorry that you got caught up in all that by the way. I don't think I ever apologized for putting you in that position with Zelena."

"Actually, it was your parents who convinced me to help her, though it was right for them to do so," he replied smugly. "Even though Ariel did turn out to be that witch in disguise… At least the whole dastardly ordeal I had caused for myself helped me to find a small peace of mind after I believed for almost a year that my actions led her Prince to his death. Which brings me to have to ask you if there's something you can do for me?"

"Anything," she immediately answered as she took his hand in her own. "You know that you can ask me for anything."

He smiled again and then he asked, "I somehow must have seen one of his memories, but as though it was I who lived it. At least I hope that's all this was. Do you think that you would be able to check in on Ariel and Eric again, as you did before when I came to your parents' loft that night to inform them… to lie to them about having helped Ariel that day."

Emma squeezed his hand tighter as she looked into his eyes and responded, "Zelena gave you no choice. I may not have appreciated finding out that you had lied to us all at the time, but I understand why you had to. She had put you in an impossible situation and you were only protecting me and the rest of my family, especially Henry. But tell me, why do you need to look in on Ariel and Eric now?"

"I just want to make sure my instincts telling me that what I saw earlier truly was nothing more than a memory, mine or not," Killian replied worryingly. "I need to make sure he's alright in case what I saw was more of a vision. I struggle enough with my own foul misdeeds and I remember every terrible thing I've ever done. I don't think I can bear it if I'm wrong about being the one who might kidnap him, or that I already had. It's bad enough that I had to see Black Beard hurt him."

"I can use mirror magic like Regina taught me how to do," she answered after she leaned in close to kiss him, then Emma stood as she made the cheval mirror from their bedroom upstairs appear within the living room and moved to stand in front of it, looking inward in order to focus on conjuring an image with the hope of seeing their friends on Hangman's Island.

After nearly a minute, the haze of Emma's magic cleared and Ariel appeared before them as the mermaid walked towards her own mirror before her upon seeing Emma as well, as she called out, "Emma? Is that really you?"

The Savior stared at the red headed woman with surprise as she stated, "Ariel? You can really see me? I don't understand. How? I didn't think mirror magic worked this way."

"Perhaps it's because your magic has become far more powerful since the last time you did this," Killian responded quietly as he moved to stand behind her despite feeling as weak as he was.

"I'm not sure how this is possible, but it's really is good to see you again," Ariel replied again and turned her eyes to Killian. "And you too, Hook. But what's going on? Is everything all right?"

Hook was about to reply when he began to feel a wave of dizziness wash over him until Emma steadied him, then he continued, "I was hoping to learn that your Prince Eric was there with you. That he's safe."

The mermaid stared at the pirate in confusion as she answered, "Yes he's safe. Why would you ask that? Do you suspect that something's wrong, or is about to happen to us? To him?"

"No," Emma immediately responded before Killian could say anything more that might show Ariel he was feeling guilty over something that wasn't real. "A lot's happened here in Storybrooke since you've both been here and your names only recently have came up. We just wanted to check in on you, to make sure that you both were alright."

"Of course we're alright," the Prince they worried about replied as he too appeared within the mirror behind his true love. "Have we been threatened or something? If Ariel and I need to leave…"

Emma interrupted, "I'm certain you're safe where you're at. It's just that Black Beard has arrived here and we were reminded of when Prince Eric had been taken prisoner by him. Hook told us about what happened during the year we all forgot. Black Beard was only trying to upset us by bringing up some of the cruel acts he's committed against our friends. That's all."

Eric nodded in understanding and then he answered, "I appreciate both of your concerns."

"We both do," Ariel sincerely added, but before anything else could be said, she looked over at Killian worryingly when he closed his eyes as he suddenly whimpered in pain again and started to double over until Emma swiftly caught him, then August and Henry both rushed over to help the Savior guide him back to the couch. "Hook! Is he…?"

"Killian?" Emma cried fearfully when he collapsed as he had done before and then became trapped within another memory that was more intense than the one before, while the Savior's mirror magic faded. "I'm right here. You're going to be okay. Please talk to me. What are you seeing?"

Henry kept his eyes on his friend while he said, "We're going to have to wait again until whatever he's seeing is finished."

Emma held the man she loved tightly within her arms so long as whatever was tormenting him continued while she wept silently and finally the memory ended and Killian gasped awake once more, then stammered faintly, "Anna… and Kristoff… I kill… I killed them."