Chapter Eight
"Love is the only thing that can touch our soul
and change our heart." - Lailah Gifty Akita
"This is useless!" Regina gives Emma a frustrated glare. Her attempt to teach Regina to use light magic hasn't been going exactly as planned. Regina still hasn't been able to cast a simple spell or move an object as small as a pencil. She'd almost done it once but had gotten distracted, Emma isn't entirely sure that it was an accident.
"You won't be able to do it if you don't believe you can." Emma explains for the seventh time that day. She sits in a chair facing the center of what has become Regina's room. Emma's hand massages her right temple in an attempt to ease the persisting headache that hasn't gone away since last night's ordeal. "Come on, one more time."
"You're kidding." Regina sighs in frustration and closes her eyes while trying to focus. It doesn't last long because when Emma looks up she finds Regina sitting on the end of the bed, clearly not trying at all.
"Come on Regina I need you to do this." Emma tries convincing her but she knows it won't work.
"Why? Why do you need me to do this so bad?" She questions. "Why do you need to make Excalibur whole? How am I supposed to do anything for you if I can't trust you?" Regina's voice is raised and is laced with annoyance.
"You know I can't tell you that." Emma says through her teeth. Regina's words cut deeper than Emma thought they would. The people she holds most dear not trusting her is one thing she'd hoped she could avoid, but it seems that's not the case. Emma refuses to look Regina in the eye. Even as the Dark One she can't know when her emotions will get the best of her. It's happened before and it never ends well. The less people she hurts the better. "Can't you just do this for me?" Emma questions. Hoping that maybe their history will be enough to convince her.
"I wish I could Emma, but right now you're not the Emma that I can trust. Either you tell me what's going on or I don't do anything for you. Even if that means you keep me locked in here for the rest of my life." Regina stands her ground.
When Emma looks at her friend she knows she's speaking the truth. Regina wouldn't make false statements, especially now. "I need to join the dagger and Excalibur because when it is whole it will have the power to remove the tether the Darkness has on me without killing me." Emma begins. "I need to remove the darkness because I won't die and if I don't die then neither will Liam. Killian won't have to watch his brother be taken from him again."
"Or the woman he loves." Regina adds.
"That doesn't matter." Emma sighs and stands from her chair unable to stay still. Unveiling her plan makes her feel restless and almost nervous.
"Yes it does Emma. He still loves you." Regina tries to convince her friend but the idea of Killian still able to love Emma doesn't seem possible. She's hurt him in so many ways she needs to fix the things she's done to him.
"I said it doesn't matter." Emma says a bit more sternly.
"Wait," Regina says while coming to some sort of realization. "If you remove the darkness it's still going to need a tether, who are you planning on giving that burden too?" Regina questions.
"Gold." Emma states as if there's not going to be a problem with the idea, but deep down she know's there is.
"I'm not too fond of the man myself but that's a bit harsh, don't you think? He finally has a chance to live the life he's wanted. You're just going to take that from him?" Regina asks.
"Yes." Emma says matter of factly. "I am the Dark One aren't I?"
"For now, but what about after. The Emma I remember wouldn't do well with that kind of guilt on her shoulders."
"I'll deal with that when the time comes." Emma snaps knowing that there's a large amount of truth to Regina's words. "Now I've told you what you wanted. Get back to work." The woman sighs and focuses her mind back on her task while Emma finds herself struggling to focus.
When Killian arrived at Granny's he'd been fully prepared to explain to his brother the situation Emma had put him in. He now stands in front of his brother's door and he can't bring himself to knock. The idea of telling his brother he might die again after only just coming back is heartbreaking to think about, who knows what actually saying it out loud might do. Killian hasn't even told Emma's parent's yet. He's not sure what he's going to tell Henry or if he even will. The only person he's told is Robin and he didn't have much to say on the topic, he mostly listened. Which is exactly what Killian needed at the time.
Killian takes a deep breath and taps lightly on the door, he opens it without waiting for a response. When he looks to the bed and doesn't find his brother his stomach begins to knot. What if something's happened? Killian's mind immediately goes to the worse place it could. He calls his brothers name and gets a moan in response. It comes from the bathroom. Killian rushes to the door and pushes it open. He finds his brother sitting on the floor with his arms resting on his knees and his head falling forward.
"You alright mate?" Killian questions kneeling down. The situation reminds him of a time when they were teenagers. Liam had found his way into a tavern and managed to drink half of it. Killian spent the night and the next morning tending to his brother while also doing his share of the work they'd both been given. Killian had held it against Liam for weeks.
"I'm not feeling too great." His brother manages to look up but when he does he coughs into his hand, black spots splatter against his palm. It's unbearably similar to how Killian had found Emma when she'd summoned him into her home.
Killian pulls his phone from his pocket and he dials Robins number. "Robin I need you and David to come and get Liam. Get everyone together at the apartment. I'm going to get help." Killian doesn't wait for a response and he hangs up the phone. "Robin's coming to get you. I'm going to get help, don't worry."
"Be careful." His brother mumbles.
"Always mate." With that Killian is rushing out of Grannys front door and running down the street to Emma's house not wanting to waste any time. Liam's getting much worse and now that Killian knows what's going on he doesn't want to waste a second while he trying to fix things.
Killian pushes through Emma's door surprised to find it unlocked. He's sure it's not a good sign. He rushes upstairs and past Regina's room, he ignores her when she calls after him. He opens the door to the master bedroom and finds Emma on the floor. His heart stops at the stillness of her body. He kneels beside her surprised at how pale she is, her veins are like ink webbed belith her skin creating an eerie pattern up her neck and toward her closed eyes. Without thinking he scoops her into his arms and rushes into Regina's room. The wide eyes of the previously Evil Queen meet with his desperate ones.
"You need to do it." He demands placing Emma gently on the bed. The action doesn't suit the sternness in his voice. He gestures to both the blades that are placed side by side on the rooms table. Killians doesn't know what Emma plans to do with them but he's sure it has something to do with saving her and Liam's life. Why would she trouble herself with it if it were something else?
"What happened to her?" Regina's voice is thick with concern. "She said she'd be right back. It's been an hour, I thought she'd just gotten frustrated with me but she must have…" Regina trails off not needing to finish the sentence.
"You need to do it Regina it's the only way." Killian pleads to the woman which isn't something he often does.
"Do you know what she's planning on doing?" Regina questions. "She's going to remove the darkness from herself and tether it back to Rumple." Regina explains.
Killian knows it's her attempt at bringing some sense to the situation but he doesn't care. He has a feeling they're running out of time and he doesn't want to have to have to say goodbye to Emma or his brother. He's not ready. "The crocodile loves Magic, he'll thank her for it."
"Hook, think about this. When she's no longer the Dark One what she'll have done will eat away at her. Emma's strong but when it comes to not doing the right thing who knows what this will do to her." Regina tries.
"I'll help her through it, we all will. Regina please." Killian's voice cracks as panic wells up in his chest. "Look at her. If I can tell she doesn't have much time so can you." He looks desperately into Regina's eyes hoping that maybe she'll do what he's asking of her.
"Only light magic can do it." Regina explains.
"You've used light magic before you can do it again." Killians tone is more demanding than he'd meant. It was supposed to be encouraging.
"It's not that simple!" The queen snaps.
"Think about Emma. I know you don't want to admit it, but she's your best friend. The two of you have gone through so much together. Just think about how much it will hurt to lose her, think about what she means to you. She's your family."
Regina closes her eyes and places her hands above the two blades, they begin to shake and her brow furrows with concentration. Killian rushes to Emma's side as he watches. A light begins to illuminate from Regina's fingers but it doesn't grow any brighter.
"You're doing it Regina."
"Shut up." She snarls. The light grows brighter until the whole room is surrounded with a blinding white. Killian covers his eyes with his arm, after a moment he takes it away and he looks up see Regina with Excalibur in her hand and it's in once piece. "I did it." she breaths while smiling to herself.
"Swan?" Killian lightly shakes her shoulder but nothing happens, what if they were too late. "Swan?" he tries again, but nothing. He sucks in a breath of air but he doesn't seem to be able to release it. He can feel his eyes begin to sting and his head falls.
A heavy inhale of air startles Killian as he snaps his attention to Emma. Her chest rises as she breaths in with wide eyes. Her veins return to their normal state as if her condition is being reversed and color comes back to her skin.