AN: Well, guys, I went to sleep with a huge smile on my face after reading all of your wonderful comments for chapter 23. I really had my doubts about it and your support was simply amazing, so thank you. This chapter is the last of the memories and was needed just to tie up a few loose ends. Get ready for chapter 25, because it's gonna be filled with rainbows and unicorns and so much Swan Queen that you might just melt from the overload ;-) Anyway, onto chapter 24. Please forgive any minor mistakes, and as always, let me know what you think :-)

The third memory follows straight after the second, giving me little time to think or absorb what I've already seen. We're still in Snow's loft, though sunlight is blazing through the tall windows, and an array of used pots, pans and cutlery are cluttering up the kitchen. A significant period of time has clearly elapsed since the last memory, though exactly how much I'm not certain.

Snow and Charming have both changed clothes and Zelena is sat on the couch reading a book. To my disappointment, Henry is nowhere to be seen. Though I suppose it's a little unfair to expect a teenage boy to sit still for an indefinite period of time.

Emma sits in a chair by my bedside, keeping a silent vigil. She looks like she hasn't washed or changed in days, and her usually shiny hair is falling limp and dark around her paler than usual face. She rubs tiredly at her eyes and fails miserably in her attempt to stifle a yawn, but she still somehow finds the energy to reach out and take my hand in her own.

"Can you remember when Marion came back?" She begins, her voice soft in the quiet room, "And we had that conversation through the door of your office? I told you that my job here was to bring back all the happy endings, and that included yours? Well I didn't know it then, but your happy endings right here, Gina. I'm just waiting for you to wake up. Please don't hurt me by taking away mine."

In the kitchen Snow and David share a look, the sort of look that only parents can. I know that look, it's the same look Emma and I shared when Henry came crying to us because Violet had rejected him. It's a look that says, 'if I could take away your pain, I would'. It's a helpless, aching look, an expression of shared sympathy, one I have no doubt that they've shared several times over the last few hours.

Snow puts down her dishcloth, clearly intending to approach her daughter, and I can tell by her cautiousness that it's a move that has probably met resistance more than once.

Emma is a very private person, it's a left over scar from her rocky childhood, and even though she's grown closer to her parents than I'm sure she ever dreamed of, she still has a tendency to shut them out.

However, in this instance she doesn't have to. Henry comes bounding down the stairs to interrupt and his sudden presence sends the bandit back to the mountain of washing up.

"Ma?" He asks expectantly, his hair damp from the shower as he quickly makes his way over to the bed.

Emma looks up to offer him a small smile, having heard the simple enquiry enough times to understand exactly what her son is asking. "She's still sleeping, kid," She informs before yawning again.

David doesn't miss the gesture, calling out to his daughter from the kitchen, "You should get some sleep too…" he instructs.

"Not going to happen, Dad," Emma replies, her irritation indicating that it isn't the first time she's heard such a suggestion.

Her father sighs, concern written all over his gentle expression, "Emma, you must be exhausted?"

"I don't care," Emma snaps, her fingers interlacing with mine on top of the bed, "She's the only thing that matters."

Silence descends the loft once more, the sound of pans being washed and pages turning, cutting through the sullen atmosphere. It only takes a few minutes before Emma is speaking to me again.

"You know, if you wake up I'll let you sell the Bug," She jokes lightly. "Not biting huh? I would have thought you'd appreciate a little bribery, Madam Mayor. Especially as it gives you the chance to finally get rid of my yellow death trap…"

Now it's Henry's turn to share a look with his grandparents, and its one that silently pleads for help. Snow returns the request with a reassuring smile and a nod of her head, gesturing for Henry to take over from her in the kitchen. They exchange the dishcloth on the way, and as Henry moves to start drying dishes, Snow gingerly approaches the distant blonde at my side.

"Do you want something to eat, honey?" She asks, using the same soft tone that I imagine she uses while talking to woodland animals.

Emma shakes her head.

"Do you mind if I sit?" She tries again, grabbing a nearby chair and pulling it up next to her daughter. Emma shakes her head again.

A comfortable silence falls between them, the sort of silence that requires no words because the love and support is felt through presence alone. As Emma continues to stroke my hand, Snow watches her closely, reaching out to run her fingers lovingly through blonde locks.

"When did you know?" She finally asks.

Emma's brow creases slightly, "When did I know what?"

Snow sighs, internally debating whether her daughter is ready for such a personal conversation, but when I take a shuddering breath that causes Emma to gasp in false hope, she quickly makes up her mind.

"When did you know that Regina was…"

"The one?" Emma says, finishing the sentence for her.

Snow nods.

"In her vault, two nights ago," Her shoulders deflate as I return to my peacefully sleeping state, and she exhales heavily.

"You know, she's been stood right in front of me for years and I never saw her," she continues, her eyes never leaving my body as she watches it for the tiniest sign of consciousness. "I finally find the courage to open my eyes and it might be too late…"

Her voice drifts off, the silence as loud as any words could ever be. I'm not yet out of danger, and my prolonged unconsciousness is taking its toll on my somewhat unconventional family.

With neither mother or daughter daring to finish the unfinished thought, Snow's hand slides down to the blonde's back. An encouraging touch during a time of such uncertainty.

"Regina's strong, honey," she tries to reassure, though her voice lacks the confidence required to offer any real comfort. "She'll get through this."

"She shouldn't have too," Emma replies, looking at her mother for the first time since Snow sat down. "She did this so that I could be with, Killian. She knew she was in love with me and yet she was prepared to let me go if that's what I wanted. It's not fair that this happened to her."

She's experiencing the same anger I felt after Robin died. Back then, I would have given anything for her to understand how I felt – to realise how unjust the whole situation was – but now that she's discovering that feeling first hand, I find that I just want to protect her from it. Thankfully, Snow does it for me.

"It's not fair," She agrees, gently rubbing at Emma's back, "But it does show how far she's come. How much she's changed from the vengeful, hateful, woman that she used to be."

The blonde scoffs lightly, the words little consolation, "I told her that I'd find her happy ending…" She states, circling back to her earlier conversation, "I didn't know that I was it."

A single tear escapes and she quickly wipes it away with her hand, "What if she dies, mom?" She asks, uncharacteristically baring her heart. "What if this is the one fight we both lose?"

The soothing hand at Emma's back slips across lean shoulders to pull the blonde into a loose embrace, and Snow half smiles, "You know what your father and I would say…"

"That you'll always find each other?" Emma replies, fully expecting the nod she receives. She snorts but the sound is more like a harsh puff of air, "Yeah, until the one day that you don't," she adds.

The bandit frowns, unaccustomed to such negativity and unsure how to reply to the suggestion of something as certain as death.

"You haven't even started yet," She points out, finding light amongst the darkness, as always.

Emma raises a quizzical eyebrow, "Haven't we?" She asks, "Because the way I see it we started the night I first showed up in this town. I think our whole relationship has been about us finding each other. She found out I was the Saviour. I found out she was the Evil Queen. She found us a way back from the Enchanted Forest, and I found her when she was being tortured in the cannery."

She laughs at the irony of our strange, love/hate relationship, "Hell, we even found each other in past and alternate timelines. We've been finding each other since the day we met, we were both just too blind to see it."

Snow smiles sadly, a gesture that suggests that she doesn't disagree with her daughter's retrospective analysis, "All that matters is that you both see it now," She offers encouragingly.

"Believe me I do," Emma replies, her expression softening when her eyes flick back to my sleeping form. "It's beautiful, mom. She's beautiful."

"So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you." Emma offers her mother a questioning look and Snow grins, "It's from a book called The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho," she explains. "When I first read that line it made me think of your father even though I had no memory of who he was at the time." She shrugs, "Now it makes me think of you and Regina as well."

The blonde returns her attention back to me, studying me intently as her thumb rubs affectionately back and forth across my knuckles.

"Is that what you think True Love is?" She asks after a beat, "The universe conspiring to make sure that we all find someone?"

Snow shakes her head, "No, I think the universe conspires to make sure that we all find our True Love," She replies honestly. "I mean look at the circumstances surrounding both our relationships. On paper it's a miracle that either of us are together and yet, here we are…"

"Technically, Regina and I aren't together."

"Oh honey," the bandit smiles, "your hearts have always been together. It was your brains that complicated everything!"

Emma inclines her head, conceding that the brunette may have a point however insulting it may be, "Does it bother you that Regina's my True Love?" She asks.

Though the question makes me cringe, it's also an issue I was well aware would need to be addressed at some point. Having spent most of my adult life trying to kill her, it would be incredibly ignorant to assume that the bandit would have no opinion on the matter.

Snow gives the question the thought it deserves, "Maybe at one time it would have," she finally replies, "but I've watched how she's evolved in the last few years and honestly, I truly believe that she's as close to the young girl that once saved my life as she'll ever be."

She reaches out to rest her free hand on my leg, giving it a gentle squeeze, "She's earnt her second chance," she states sincerely, "but more than that, she deserves to be loved. Giving half my heart to your father was the most perfect moment of my life. Two days ago I watched you do the same thing, and no matter what happens now, I know that neither of you will ever be alone again. What more could I possibly want?"

Emma's face lights up with her first genuine smile of the conversation, "Thanks, Mom."

"You do know that you're going to fight like crazy though, right?"

Emma's smile develops into a gentle laugh, and in that warm expression I can see the memory of every thrown fist and sassy retort, "I wouldn't want it any other way," She replies.

"Swan?"

Both women turn to greet the newcomer, and Emma looks surprised to see the pirate standing nervously next to David at the entrance of the loft.

"Killian!?"

He beckons her over with a shake of his head and she immediately releases my hand, standing to greet her ex.

"How is she?" He asks, his voice quiet as she approaches him.

David discreetly slips away, taking Emma's chair to sit down next to his wife, and the blonde glances back over her shoulder at me. "Okay…I think," She replies, her voice rapidly losing confidence. "She hasn't regained consciousness yet…"

"She will," Hook replies, reaching up to rub her shoulders when he notices the concern hidden beneath green eyes. "Do you know why she was so feared in the Enchanted Forest?"

Emma arches an eyebrow, "Because she killed a whole lot of people?" She states, the answer apparent.

"Because she refused to lie down," he corrects. "I lost count of the number of battles she lost by the time she was exiled, but I'll tell you one thing. She never stopped fighting. When she wanted something she bloody well refused to give up until she got it. Black magic, Snow White's heart…the dark curse. She was indestructible, a force to be reckoned with, and that scared a lot of people."

It sounds strange to hear my rival – the man who lost his girlfriend to me – speak so earnestly of me. I always knew he admired me, but that was in another realm when we were both villains seeking revenge for the loves we'd lost. Since meeting again in Storybrooke, our friendship has been nothing if not volatile. I'm humbled by his undeserved honesty.

Emma however, fails to see the significance of his little speech. Not that I can expect her to given that she doesn't know the true history of our relationship.

"I'm not surprised," she replies sarcastically, "I find that most people fear imminent death."

The pirate laughs, "She was ruthless I'll give her that," he concedes, "but she was also passionate, and focused. I stopped hunting the Crocodile, I gave up. I stayed in Neverland for years, opting to wage war with Pan instead of honoring Milah's death. If I'd had an inch of her resolve things would have turned out quite differently for me, and then I probably would never have met you."

Emma frowns, misinterpreting his meaning. Her smile fades, hurt flickering across her tired features. "Do you regret that you did?" She asks, dreading the answer.

Hook's smile widens and he ducks his head to allow her to see the truth in his expression, "No," he replies softly, "but you're missing my point. I've been out at the docks, watching the sea for hours and trying to figure out where I went wrong. What she has that I don't…"

Emma opens her mouth to interrupt, but he's quick to stop her protests, "The answer came to me," he informs, refusing to let her talk. "I fell into your life by chance, but Regina is here by design. She always knew she was going to destroy Snow and because she always knew that, she was always destined to meet you. If I'd had the same resolve as her, I'd have killed the Crocodile and the Dark Curse would never have been cast. You and Regina would have never meet. Don't you see, your paths were interwoven by fate. Ours simply crossed along the way."

"That's really kind of beautiful," Emma smiles, and as much as I loath to say it I have to agree. Sometimes it's easier for the people on the outside to see what those closest to the truth, can't.

The pirate grins, grasping the blondes chin in his fingers, "You should know by now that I'm a romantic guy," he replies.

At one time, the intimate moment that they're sharing would have bothered me, but not anymore. If Robin were here, I know that I would look at him in the exact way that Emma now looks at Hook. It's an expression of warmth and affection, the bittersweet memory of a love that's died.

"Yeah, I do know that," She admits softly, "I'm just sorry that things had to end like this between us. I should have told you. As soon as I knew…"

"Don't apologies," Hook cuts in, not a trace of anger in his voice. "If I'm not your True Love, then you certainly aren't mine. I would have held onto you forever, and we'd have both ended up miserable..." He shakes his head, "No, my True Love is out there somewhere, Swan. And when I find her, she'll be helpless to resist my charm."

The cheeky grin that Emma first fell for makes a return and the blonde replies with a warm smile of her own, her dimples making a brief appearance, "I do love you, you know," she states.

"Aye," he nods, "I love you too." He gives her a sad, longing look. One that suggests that he's more than aware that this is the last time he will ever be this close to her, "I think a part of me always will," he adds.

"Are you going to leave Storybrooke?"

The question is more of a mood breaker than anything, a way to draw a line under their relationship and move on before it has the chance to get unnecessarily messy.

He takes a distancing step back and shakes his head, "Not just yet," he replies. "I never thought I'd say it, but the place has sort of grown on me. Besides, it seems to be where all the beautiful, strong, women live."

He gives her lecherous wink and just like that they find themselves back at the start, when his every word was a sexual innuendo and she met it with impatient disdain.

"When things settle down here come and find me," he says, casting another fleeting glance towards the Charming's and I. "Henry and I have been working on a little project we like to call, Operation Phoenix."

Curious, Emma raises her eyebrows, "Now I'm intrigued," she replies. "I'll come as soon as I can."

The pirate nods his appreciation and offers a small wave. "Adios, Saviour," he quips, swinging the door open with his good hand, "Be sure to look after that Queen of yours."

He disappears into the hall, the door closing behind him, and Emma hastily walks back over to me.

The memory fades away and the dreamcatcher returns to normal. It takes me several seconds to process everything I've just witnessed. My death, my family's concern, the end of Hook and Emma's relationship…the heart split…

My hand flies to my chest and sure enough, I can feel a steady, strong beat beneath my fingers. Emma gave me her heart, a feat that can only be successful between those who share the truest of loves.

Scared to believe that something so right – so perfect – could actually happen to me, I reach into my chest and remove the organ with one swift tug. Sure enough, half a heart sits in the palm of my hand. It's brighter than any heart that I've ever seen, and it's so healthy that it's practically bursting with colour, but I find that I can't ignore the black shadows that have amassed at the edges.

"Is that…"

"The darkness that's inside you?" Zelena asks, anticipating my question. "Yes."

I swallow thickly, suddenly fearful that the evil I harbor will spread like a disease to poison, Emma. The Author said that Emma has the greatest potential for darkness. What if sharing a heart with me is the catalyst for that?

"Don't look so worried," My sister assures, inferring my fear from my less than joyous reaction, "That's your darkness, not Emma's. You may share a heart, but the two halves are completely separate. You can't accidentally pass on your evil tendencies too."

I release a relieved breath, my momentary fear disappearing with the realisation of exactly what this means.

She loves me.

Emma Swan loves me enough to share her heart with me…

And yet I've treated her nothing short of abhorrent since I woke up!

I grab my phone from the desk, making a note of the fourteen missed calls, seven voice mails and twenty-seven messages. Apart from the odd few from Henry and one from Snow, they're all from Emma.

Why did I ignore her? How, after all this time, can I still be this cruel? I should have stopped to listen to her from the start. I should have trusted in the intimacy of our night together.

"Where is she?" I ask, returning the heart to my chest and magicking up a more presentable outfit.

Zelena offers a wry smile at my sudden haste, "Got an apology to make?" She teases.

Refusing to dignify her amusement with a response, I offer her a hard glare instead. She quickly relents, deciding to give me the information I seek.

"I don't know," She replies honestly. "But she's moved back in with the Charming's so I'd suggest starting there."

I'm out of the study and grabbing for my coat before she has time to follow me, determined to right a most unforgivable wrong. I only pray that it's not too late.

As my hand grasps the handle of the front door, I exit the mansion to the sound of my sisters final, departing, dig.

"Just make sure that you film it; there's money to be had for a video of you groveling…"