X Marks the Spot

Chapter Twenty-Six

Down on the beach, Emma and August searched the sands all around the cliffs for any sign of the driftwood where Black Beard buried Killian's hand. Unfortunately there were pieces of driftwood, debris, and even tree branches scattered all across the beach and finding the right place wasn't as easy as they hoped. Emma was growing more intolerant with the entire situation the longer it was taking for her to find the burial spot, and even more weary.

"I think I found it!" August finally shouted to Emma from several feet away, then knelt down where he was standing in order to get a closer look. "It's here!"

"Does the ground look like it's been disturbed?" she cried out anxiously as she came running over as fast as she could to join him.

August nodded as they glanced one another when she knelt down beside him, then he turned back to the driftwood and upon looking closer at the marking carved into the wood, he stated with surprise, "Huh… What do you know? X marks the spot. I'll admit that I didn't really expect him to mark the wood with an X. It's not very original."

Emma replied, "No, but it is definitely a pirate way of marking a buried treasure."

The Savior then used her powers to unearth the chest buried deep within the sand before them and once they were able to dig it up, Emma's hands began to shake as all of the stress of Killian falling under a curse that was killing him and finally being able to find what could save him came back to the surface.

August uttered her name softly and she breathed in, then let out a sigh of relief. She used her magic again to break open the lock protecting what was inside, then when she opened the box, Killian's hand laid inside with his palm facing down and Emma was able to see the old scar she had seen within the flash of her vision running from its thumb to its pinky.

"It's time to end this once and for all," she whispered sadly while she traced the scar with her fingers. "I'm getting Killian back."

Back at the hospital…

"So, how exactly are we going to remove Gold's curse?" Emma asked the former Evil Queen as they, David, August, Henry, Ariel, and Dr. Whale all stood inside Killian's room nervously, while the other heroes waited nearby.

Regina turned her head and looked at her with concern as she responded, "I'm afraid I can't just remove whatever Gold's done to his hand, Emma. I have to break the curse from both his hand and Hook himself. And if you're hoping I can come up with some kind of spell to reattach it for him so that Hook will no longer have to wear what gave him his moniker and that brace over his arm, it's not possible."

The Savior stared at Regina as she said in confusion, "I don't understand. Why can't you? Gold was able to restore it once. And Zelena reattached her own when she cut hers off in front of Killian before you guys came to Camelot to find me."

"Yes, but they only did so with dark magic," she retorted coolly. "The magic Gold used to give Hook his hand back before, came from him being the Dark One. Everything is pretty much possible with his kind of power, short of bringing someone back from the dead of course. I mean, it was how he was able to curse Hook's hand the first time. Besides, that magic always comes with a price. We all know that. And in this case, Hook would be the one to suffer that price. Believe me, you don't want to use that kind of magic even to help the man you love."

"What about reattaching his hand through medical means?" Emma questioned again when she turned to the doctor standing in the background in case he was needed again.

Whale shook his head as he picked up the hand to examine it further, then answered with frustration, "I sorry, but I can't help him either, Miss. Swan. His hand is dead and I mean completely dead, just as it's been for the last two hundred years or so. Honestly, I'm amazed that it's so well preserved as it is, no thanks to Gold's magic I'm sure. It's like a person in the sense that not even magic, or science, can restore life to one who's been dead for so long. Believe me, I understand this firsthand. I am Dr. Frankenstein after all. I'm afraid there's just no way your Captain here is ever going to have two hands again."

Regina then spoke up again saying worryingly, "Besides, I can't actually remove the curse whether we could reattach it or not. And neither could he even if he were willing. I used my magic to try to get a sense of what kind of curse that two-faced villain cast over it. His magic was never meant to be removed, as Gold was expecting, hoping that this time he would kill Hook for good. However, I think that I can remove the curse from Hook himself."

"What are you trying to say?" the Savior asked again more curtly. "Can you save him or not?"

"I think so," the dark haired woman replied quickly, sensing the Savior's frustration and fear for the man she loved while trying not to take offence to her anger. "I can create another spell, by creating a fire to enact it. It'll act like a cleanser of sorts and burn away the curse, not only from his hand, but it can break the link binding it to him. However, for it to work… the only way to end this curse and to save him is to destroy his hand once and for all, by letting it burn to ash. I'm just not sure how Hook would feel about us destroying it, even if it is useless. Perhaps he thought it was dead and rotting in the ground somewhere after Gold stole it from him. But since learning that Gold kept it all this time, it's possible a part of him is relieved it still exists. At least it will no longer be in Gold's possession for him to be able to use it to taunt Hook with ever again."

Emma looked back down at the man she loved lying on death's door, then sat down in the chair closest to him as she picked up his good hand he still had and kissed it tenderly before finally responding quietly, "Fine. Do whatever you have to do. We just need to save him. I don't care what it takes to do it. I can worry about how to tell him about his hand later once he's alright."

Regina then looked between the others surrounding them with worry before turning back to Emma again as she added, "Unfortunately, there's one more thing I'm going to need from you if we're really going to make this work. This spell will require something that represents the true love the two of you share and since a kiss in this case can't help…"

"The ring Killian's brother gave to him before he gave it to Mom in Camelot?" Henry questioned upon realizing what his adopted mother was referring to when she looked down at the chain Emma always wore with the ring around her neck. "But the fire will destroy it too."

"I said whatever it takes," Emma answered without hesitation as she pulled the chain up over her head and then handed the precious ring over to the woman with the power to break the curse. "Please."

Inside Killian's mind…

Killian found himself awakening once more as he struggled to see through his blurred vision and the dangerous fever overpowering him badly enough to keep him from standing or even sitting up. After several minutes, he was finally able to see well enough to make out he was lying on the hard stone ground of a dungeon.

Outside of his prison cell, four guards stood several feet away from him while they talked amongst one another without trying to keep quiet in their conversation as none of them seemed to care he was awake. He was severely ill and yet they completely ignored his continuing deterioration.

In all of his travels, Killian didn't actually recognize the black uniforms that these men were wearing, trimmed with gold tassels and red, gold, and blue sashes. But from the looks of them, he could tell that these men were royal guards from a realm far away from the one where Storybrooke existed.

One of the guards nearest to him spoke up as he asked curtly, "What does the Queen want us to do with him?"

Another scoffed and then he replied, "I don't understand why she doesn't just have him executed. I say we just leave him here to rot. He's as good as dead already. What Queen Elsa doesn't know will never affect her, so long as she doesn't ever come down here to check in on the welfare of this pirate."

"I agree that this vile man is scum and deserves to die for trying to kill our Princess and her husband," the Captain of the guards responded cruelly. "But as the Queen's guards and as soldiers of Arendelle, it is our duty to inform Her Majesty of this prisoner's failing health. On her orders. But that doesn't mean we have to make him any more comfortable until she arrives."

Killian struggled again to sit up against the wall behind him. However, while his pain finally subsided enough for him to be able to do so, his mind had become hazy and when he was able to look down upon himself and saw that he still had two hands and was wearing clothes that weren't his own, the recollection trying to tell him he was still seeing Black Beard's memories through his own eyes failed to mean anything to him now as he felt himself dying. What was worse, was that as far as Killian knew, he and Black Beard were now one in the same.

In Storybrooke…

"Everything's ready, Emma," Regina said quietly as she looked over at the woman standing before her, while she, the Savior, David, August, Ariel, and now Belle were all standing around a small cauldron and her supplies which the former Evil Queen had brought into the hospital room from her vault so that they could finally proceed with saving Killian's life, while Dr. Whale once again stood in the background to keep an eye on his patient. "Are you?"

Emma was holding Killian's unattached hand tightly within her own until she glanced over at the man she loved a few feet away, then handed it over to Regina so she could end the curse once and for all. The dark haired woman kept her eyes down on the limb while she conjured her spell inside her mind. Once the flames ignited, she carefully placed the symbol of their love into his hand and formed it into a fist, then dropped them both into the cauldron as they all watched it begin to burn.

What was no more than seconds felt like eternity to Emma as she waited anxiously for the curse to be broken, until all of sudden a small wave of magic burst out from within the flames, then they imploded becoming completely extinguished. Everyone looked inside and found that Killian's hand had been destroyed like they expected it to be. However, they were surprised to see that his ring remained perfectly unharmed, partially sticking out from within the cinders left behind.

Regina smiled as she reached into the ashes to pull out the precious band, then she turned to the Savior while she stared down at it and stated, "Well, what do you know! True love survives again, just like both you and Hook. Now you can use your powers to heal him the rest of the way, Emma. Hopefully doing so will pull him out of whatever memory he's become trapped in. The curse is broken."

Emma took the ring back from her, then rushed over to Killian whose face was ashen and as lifeless as the rest of his body. If it weren't for the machines monitoring his vitals or the heat radiating off from him, she would have believed he was already gone. The Savior leaned in close so she could kiss his lips, then laid one of her hands over the right side of his face, her other hand gently over his chest above his heart while she closed her eyes, and began to emit all of her healing powers from within herself and into the man she loved with her whole heart.

While she continued to focus and pour all of her will for him to live into him, Emma spoke up softly saying, "Please… come back to me."

All of a sudden, Killian gasped while his eyes shot open causing Emma to cry out his name with relief as she gripped his hand tighter and began to rub his left arm and chest in order to reassure him he was alive and back with her while he struggled to regain his sense of surroundings.

"It's all right," the Savior continued urgently when he finally managed to calm down and slowly turned his head in her direction as their eyes locked on one another, while she then began to caress the left side of his face to try to help him focus. "I'm here. And you found your way back to me. The curse is finally broken, Killian. You're alive. Killian?"

"Em… Emma," he whispered weakly, as he struggled to keep his eyes open and his grip over her hand. "You… you're beau… beautiful."

She smiled as he did the best he could up at her, then she leaned down to kiss him again before he slowly lost consciousness out of complete exhaustion. Upon seeing that both his daughter and his friend were going to be alright again, David turned to August who was standing beside him and shook his hand, then did the same with Dr. Whale as well as both Ariel and Belle, all of whom were smiling wildly in celebration of their success.

And finally he turned to Regina as he said with sincerity, "Thank you, Regina. That was amazing."

She nodded and then answered, "I'm just relieved that it worked. It looks like everything's going to be all right again. You're welcome."

Down below the hospital…

"So, where are we headed?" Black Beard asked smugly as he was being led down into the basement a short time later by David and August upon Whale signing off on the villain's release once he well enough. "Wait, let me guess. To my new private dungeon, I presume?"

"It's like we told you already," David replied sternly when they finally arrived outside of the now empty cell that used to contain Mr. Hyde before he was killed. "We have an asylum down here where we keep all of the villains who have no remorse for the crimes they've committed, or for the pain they've caused all those they've hurt. But…"

He paused a moment as he opened the door to the cell and then continued, "Your enemy actually persuaded us to give you back a few of your things. I can't imagine why Hook of all people would want to give you anything after what you did to him. But then that shows you the kind of man he really is. He's a good man and he's our friend. You're going to pay for hurting him."

After David shoved the pirate inside, August then tossed him his red coat, his curly wig and old clothes, and finally his hat, but as the sheriff was about to close the door while they turned to leave, Black Beard quickly called out, "And what about my sword and my pistol?"

"Did you honestly think we would be returning your weapons to you?" August asked in disbelief while he and David scoffed at the villain's audacity to ask them for those things. "You won't be needing them ever again. Not in here."

"Well, you can't hardly blame a pirate for trying," he smugly responded while he finally placed his wig and hat on over his head after pulling on his coat, then reached up to the outer brim of his hat to pull out something small concealed within its sash, now within the palm of his hand as he turned to face them straight on. "It looks like I will just have to purchase them again when I finally return home at last."

David and August looked to one another in confusion, then back at the prisoner as David asked, "What do you mean, when you finally return home?"

The pirate Captain opened his hand to show them the magic bean he was holding and suddenly threw it against the floor while both David and August cried out for him to stop, being unable to reach him in time, then as a portal opened up before them, Black Beard shouted, "I'm sorry that I can't stay, but I have too many things to do!"

"If you had a magic bean on you all this time, why didn't you use it to escape our town sooner?" David asked again before the villain jumped.

"I think that I've made that pretty clear by now," he answered loudly over the sound of the portal as it remained open. "Because… I wanted to see Hook suffer before he died. But seeing as that will never happen so long as we're both here in your world, it's time I finally leave it. I was given the bean while I was trapped in that other land, the Land of Untold Stories, by some wizard who was perfectly happy living there in exchange for all the gold coins I had left in my possession. I was going to use it then to get home. Until I heard rumors of Hook having been captured there along with a few others until they found a way to escape and when Hyde put word out of traveling to this new land where he had escaped to, I couldn't resist. But back to now… I was never worried about being thrown into some brig so long as you returned my few possessions, which I knew you would because Hook's too soft. Tell Hook, I'll be seeing him again someday. I don't doubt that we'll meet up again in the Enchanted Forest somehow. He doesn't belong here anymore than I do. And when I see him, I will kill him. Ta-Ta, heroes!"

Finally Captain Black Beard jumped into the portal just in time before it closed on him while David and August could do nothing to stop the villain without the risk of falling into the portal themselves. The pirate was gone for good, with a threat against their friend being the last words he said.

Later that evening…

When David and August returned from the hospital after Black Beard's escape, then told Emma and Killian what had happened, the four of them, Henry, Regina, and Belle all walked down to the beach once again with Ariel to say goodbye to her so that she could return home to her husband, Prince Eric.

When they stood near where the tide had begun to roll in, Emma was the first to speak up as she stated, "I want to thank you, Ariel. For coming all the way here when you really didn't have to."

The little mermaid smiled and then stubbornly replied, "Actually, I did. You and Hook both made sure that Eric and I were alright even though you were in the middle of something awful. It means a lot to me to know we have friends like you who would take a few minutes out of all that, without real cause to do so just to make sure we were okay. Especially you, Hook."

"After what I did to you and Eric before…" he began to respond until Ariel stopped him from chastising himself as she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him on his cheek.

"I know that you didn't do it because you are a monster like I said you were," she answered with sincerity as she reached out to embrace his arm with a friendly squeeze. "If we had more time together the last time I was here, I would have told you that. It's just that things were once again pretty hectic and you needed me to swim off right away to find Ursula's father."

She paused a moment before continuing, "You were a broken man then because you thought you lost your own true love. And at the time you had no idea you would ever see her again. I really should have seen it in your eyes, rather than trust the lies you told me to make me hate you. You really are a good man, Hook. And I'm gonna miss you. All of you. But we're not really all that far away, at least not with how fast I can swim here."

Emma smiled and then pulled their friend into a hug as she replied, "We're going to miss you too. Tell Prince Eric for us that we're sorry to interrupt your plans to go visit his people. Are you heading back to Hangman's Island to meet him first before you leave again?"

"Nope," the mermaid responded as she turned around to hug Regina, David, Henry, and August as well, not forgetting about Belle whom she wanted to take a few extra minutes with to say goodbye to her too. "I'm going to meet him there, at Maritime Castle."

"Swim safe," Henry answered as she and everyone else laughed, before the two women walked a few feet away as they talked in private.

Belle pulled her friend into a hug herself and then spoke up saying, "I'm really going to miss you, Ariel. If you can, try to come back for a visit soon. Both you and Eric. Only, not that I wish to take you away from your home too soon, especially since you may not be returning there for awhile. Just come back to visit when you can. I would love to catch up when we're hopefully not in the middle of some crisis."

Ariel smiled as she replied, "Of course I will come back. And Belle, I'm so sorry about the trouble between you and your Mr. Gold and having to give up your child, even if it is for his protection. He's a lucky boy to have a mother as wonderful as you. I'm sure that you'll see him again in no time. You guys will defeat whoever this great evil is. I believe that completely."

"So do I," the beauty responded gratefully as a tear slipped down her cheek until she quickly wiped it away when she pulled the other red haired woman in for another hug. "Thank you, Ariel. Take good care of yourself and your husband."

"Thank you, I will," she answered while she waved to everyone else before she finally turned around as she ran into the ocean before her until she was in up to her waist and pulled off the bracelet that allowed her to become human so her legs could become her tail once again, then swam off until she disappeared under the sea.

Killian and Emma were the last ones to leave the beach after everyone else left them so they could be alone once Ariel was gone. Neither of them really spoke as her pirate stared off into the horizon while Emma turned to him and held him in her arms, and he deeply embraced her as well. It was only then that she could still feel a slight tremor in his body and she looked up at him with worry in her eyes.

He noticed her worry for him and dropped his eyes to look at her as he said quietly, "I assure you, I'm alright, Love. Your magic healed me. I'm as good as new."

She smiled at him sadly and replied, "If that were true, then you wouldn't still be trembling and you've never allowed the cold ocean air bother you before, so that isn't what's wrong. You're no longer sick either because Dr. Whale assured me my powers healed you completely. Talk to me, Killian. What's bothering you? Is it the memories you were forced to see while under the curse?"

"Black Beard is a vile, cruel man who has done terrible things to innocent and good people," Killian responded with defeat when he finally released her and turned away to stare ahead of him once again. "I've already told you all he did to our friends from Arendelle, as well as Prince Eric, and Ariel too because of what I did to her. But I haven't told you what more I saw when I became trapped within his mind. These memories are going to be a little difficult to shake. I was a cruel villain as well, but I never once considered doing some of the foul deeds he has done."

"You can tell me now," the Savior answered in concern while she walked up behind him and then pulled him to sit down beside her on one of the rocks overlooking the waters. "It'll only help you to talk."

After he finally relented, Killian spent the better part of the next hour sharing most of what he was forced to see and feel while he and Black Beard were suffering from the Dark One's curse on him. He hated to burden the woman he loved with the knowledge of such villainy, but he knew she was right about how talking was the only chance he was ever going to be move past his own torment. All he failed to share with her was that he had seen a few of his own memories as well while his enemy was there to witness it. Having told her of his nightmares since his return from the Underworld… from the dead, Killian felt that telling her the rest was more than she needed to hear so as to not worry her even more about him than he knew she already was.

After the sun set over the horizon, the two in love slowly walked back into town hand in hand where they knew her father, son, and friends would be waiting for them so they could revel in Hook's recovery and the villains' defeat, even though Black Beard had gotten away. While the heroes were constantly at war against some villain, it only meant it was all the more important for them to enjoy the smaller victories whenever they could.

When they arrived just outside of the diner, Emma held Killian back for a few minutes while she asked him out of worry, "Killian, are you angry with me about making the decision to allow Regina to burn your hand?"

He looked at her with love in his eyes and really smiled for the first time since before all of this began, then he replied softly, "How can I be? You saved my life again, Emma. Just as you've done time and time again. I'll never be angry at you for reminding me that you truly love me. The Crocodile hurt me in a way he knew I would be vulnerable…"

"X marks the spot," she quickly stated, as he turned his head to look at her with confusion until she continued to explain what she meant.

"I see," he responded simply when she finished. "The thing we pirates do to mark where we've hidden our treasures. Perhaps what you believe about us pirates from those movies you've seen or the books you've read isn't all untrue. But in all honesty, I've never actually marked my hiding places with an X to remind myself where they were, whether I've buried my possessions or not. I've only ever marked the trees out in the woods surrounding our town and in Neverland in order to remember where I've walked in unfamiliar surroundings, or to help guide you back to me. My memory is solid. In fact, if you were to return to Neverland with me, I could show exactly where I've buried numerous amounts of treasure and even rum. And you would see there would be no Xs to be found."

Emma laughed and then she wrapped her arms around him again as she answered irresistibly, "I don't ever want to see Neverland again, but you still owe me a date where we go pillaging and plundering. I only told you that I don't do those things on the first date. We're well beyond that now."

She leaned in to kiss him tenderly before he could say anything and when he finally pulled back to reply, Killian became a little flustered by her seductiveness as he spoke again saying, "Aye… That we are. Your wish is my command, Emma. Anything you want. I'll always do whatever it takes to make you happy. I love you, more than you could ever know."

"And I love you," the Savior responded gently, then took his hand in her own and held it to her lips to kiss it before turning back to the diner. "Now, what do you say we go inside before my dad comes out to interrupt this beautiful moment?"

"After you, Swan," the man she loved answered as he motioned for her to walk ahead of him while he reached out to the door to hold it open for her.

The End