Chapter 5

I opened my eyes, once again, to see the familiarity of Storybrooke surrounding me. I lay precisely in the place where I had fallen, dead. My heart suddenly beat faster when I realized what was at stake; Emma's life. Thankfully I turned my head to see her beautiful, but too pale, face next to mine. For some strange reason in that moment, I thought that if I wished hard enough she would just open her eyes and breathe again, how foolish.

I quickly got up and scooped her into arms gently, and ran as fast as I possibly could while carrying Emma. I knew exactly where to go, where I could find help, because I truly had no idea where to start with this whole ripping out hearts business. I climbed the steps that I had climbed but a few hours ago – or at least the version of them in the Underworld. I burst into her parent's loft, hoping to find a certain Mr and Mrs Charming to greet me but there was no immediate sign of them. I gently lay my Swan down on the bed, pressing a kiss to her cold forehead.

"Mary Margaret! David!" I cried out yet there was no answer. "Don't worry, Swan. I will be back soon."

I ran down to Granny's diner; at least someone would be there. I slammed open the door, greeted by looks of horror and surprise.

"Yes, hello, I'm back. I am no longer the Dark One and I promise that I will definitely not try to kill you." I said to the entirety of the restaurant. "Swan – Emma, came back with me too, but she traded her life for me to come back and we had planned to share a heart (since Hades mercilessly ripped hers out). Regina was supposed to help us with it, as with the Charmings, but they are no-where to be found. Now can anyone help Emma?" I asked desperately, willing someone, anyone to step forward.

"I will try." Said a calm voice from towards the back. None other than the Blue Fairy stepped forwards towards me. "I heard what you did, Hook. You sacrificed yourself for everyone else that you love. I know we have an interesting history, but my job is to help people in need with pure and good intentions, and I can sense that, somehow, when you died for so many people, that single act of true heroism wiped all of the darkness out of your heart."

"Thank you, Blue, but while we're talking, Emma is bloody dead, so I think that we ought to get a move on."

The fairy stood next to me, looking at Emma's still form. "I am going to cast a preservation spell on her body, so that she will be able to be revived." She said, pulling out her wand.

"But can't you just pull out my heart, split it in two and then put that halves back in each of us?" I asked her, feeling my damned temper rising up. The longer that Emma is away from me to drive out the darkness that I know still haunts me, the worse I become.

"I'm sorry, Killian, but I physically cannot do what you ask of me. As a wielder of light magic, I simply do not have the ability to take a heart. The only people in this town that can help you with that are Regina and Gold. And I know that you would rather die yourself than ask for help from one of them."

"Well in that case, get on with your bloody spell. Is there some way that you can know where Regina is?" I asked, know becoming increasingly worried about how we'll bring back Swan.

"Yes, I can at least help you with that," she began while performing her spell over Emma's body, "I need an object of Regina's to create a spell that will show us where they are." I kissed Emma's hand, before sprinting out of the loft, once more, to Regina's vault.

I barged through the large double doors and easily pushed the tomb to one side; I guess it really does mean that love makes you strong. I ran down the steps and searched through the clutter to find something of meaning to her. For a moment I stopped frantically rummaging to center myself, to think.

"Jackpot," I said, finding what I knew would suffice; a picture of her and Henry in a simple silver frame. I grabbed it and ran back to the apartment, to find Blue sitting by Emma's bed. She quickly stood up when she saw me walk in. I simply showed her the picture, and she nodded.

The fairy waved her wand over the picture, muttering something I could not make out. The wand began to absorb a golden light that was coming from the picture. She suddenly pointed her wand at the mirror that stood in the corner of the room, as if she threw the energy at the mirror. The glass surface of the mirror rippled like a pond and then showed a very confused looking Robin and Regina standing in what I recognized to be Regina's castle.

"How come we are back in the Enchanted Forest?" Robin asked, gazing at his beloved.

"Well, I thought of my literal home, which was here." Regina replied.

"And my home is anywhere you are." Robin looked horrified at Regina, "What about Emma and Hook? You're the only one who could rip out his heart, split it and share it. Anyone else with magic would be unable to do that, apart from Gold, and I very much doubt that he would be willing to help those two."

"What have I done?" Regina asked herself, sharing the same horrified look as Robin.

The mirror quickly rippled back to its normal state, leaving the two of us speechless. I expect a similar thing had happened with the Charmings; they thought that their home was their castle, and had left us alone. But that left one question hanging in my mind – where was Henry?