I hadn't originally intended to continue this, but I couldn't help myself. So here is the second and final chapter! Again, this will probably be totally AU come this weeks episode, so I want to get it done before it airs ;)
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By the time the group reached the Charming's apartment, Killian had slipped out of consciousness. He'd been quiet the entire ride, leaning lightly against Emma with his eyes closed. From time to time, he would give a soft hum as a response to someone's statement or question. Before long, though, Emma had felt his weight against her increase. She looked over to her mother, who scooted further against the door to allow Emma to slide over and ease Killian's head into her lap. His eyes had cracked open briefly and he gave her a weak smile, and then his body became lax in her arms.
"Killian?" Emma called softly, fear shooting through her briefly when he didn't respond. She felt for a pulse, and closed her eyes in relief when she found it, steady and strong. Mary Margaret took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly, drawing her daughter's gaze.
"He will be okay, Emma. He knows that he is safe, so he is resting now." Emma saw her father glancing over his shoulder to them, but she simply sighed and dropped her chin to her chest. Her fingers absently ran through his sweat-drenched hair, and her eyes didn't leave his face for the remainder of the drive.
Once they made it to the apartment, Robin and David carried Killian up to David and Snow's bedroom. Emma followed, watching from the doorway with her arms wrapped around herself as they laid him gently on the bed. Robin gave her a sympathetic smile and squeezed her arm on his way to the kitchen where the others were gathered. David stopped beside his daughter and turned back to look at Killian, and sighed.
"I can only imagine how much the effort of resisting Zelena sapped his strength. His body needs to recharge." He hugged Emma tightly, silently thanking the man on the bed for risking himself to protect his child and grandchild.
"Especially if we are going to be dealing with Zelena in the near future, which we know we will. We need all the help we can get, and we can't afford to be worrying about his safety when she does attack soon," Regina murmured from the top of the stairs. Emma and David turned to look at her, Emma mildly surprised by the gentle tone of her voice. The witch before her had truly changed…the compassion in her voice and her face was never something the Savior would have expected to be directed at Killian. "Let's go downstairs and talk, give him some time to rest."
David kept his arm around Emma's shoulder, and guided her to the others. She collapsed into a chair between her mother and her son, and smiled half-heartedly when Henry scooted closer to her and reached for her hand. Her son had been gradually becoming the independent, broody teenager in New York, and for him to seek her out so openly after what they'd experienced warmed her heart more than she'd expected.
"So…what is our game plan from here? We now know that Zelena is after more than just the baby…she's also going to be after Killian to use him to take Emma's powers. As long as he's here resting, he will be fine, but once he wakes up will be a different story. We are going to have to ensure that we travel in teams anytime we leave this place. Clearly, when we are alone we are vulnerable," Mary Margaret stated, looking to her husband and her daughter.
"What about when you go into labor?" Regina asked her, sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. "We need a plan for that."
"If Killian is awake by then, we will all go to the hospital together. It's going to take all of us to protect the baby once it's born, Zelena will come full force for it as soon as she can."
"And if he isn't?" David questioned.
"I will stay behind with him," Robin offered. Emma opened her mouth to protest, but the outlaw held up his hand. "I give you my word, if it comes to that, I will protect him with my life, milady, but both you and Regina will be much better utilized at the hospital protecting the child and your parents," he pointed out gently. With a sigh, she nodded.
"Hopefully, that will be a moot point. But Henry should stay here as well if it isn't," Regina added. The Charmings nodded, and Henry huffed. Emma ruffled her son's hair.
"You can help keep an eye on Killian, kid." Henry sighed, and nodded.
Emma felt her attention drifting away from the conversation at hand and focusing on the man lying upstairs once more. As her family carried on talking, she excused herself and crept back upstairs. When she stepped into the doorway of her parents' bedroom, she watched Killian inhale deeply. The sight of his eyes fluttering open comforted Emma.
She moved silently to his side, his half-opened eyes following her until she sat on the edge of the bed. He slowly repositioned himself so that he could look up at her, failing to hide a wince at the effort. Emma took his hand, interlacing their fingers with a soft sigh.
"Hey beautiful," he whispered, his voice gravelly from sleep. Emma smiled tenderly and rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. She stared deep into his eyes for a long moment.
"Thank you, Killian." The pirate furrowed his brow in confusion, but didn't speak. "You saved my son…you resisted Zelena's control to keep yourself from hurting him. Regina explained to us that it's never been done before…refusing to obey someone controlling your heart."
The look that crossed Killian's eyes could only be described as adoration. "I will always put Henry and you first, Swan. After all, I've grown quite fond of the boy…and I have long since lost my heart to his mother." He gave her a tired grin that was only a shadow of his typical flirty, affectionate one.
Emma didn't bother to fight the butterflies that his words triggered in her stomach, opting to lean down to him instead. Before she could reach his lips, however, Killian pulled his hand from hers and placed it on her shoulder, pushing gently. "Killian," Emma muttered with a sigh, dropping her forehead to his.
"No, love…we can't. Zelena's curse…"
"True Love is stronger than any curse, remember?" she pointed out, leaning back and raising an eyebrow at him. Killian looked shocked, staring into her eyes as if to figure out if she was serious.
"True Love, is it?" he challenged with a hopeful smile.
Emma shook her head with a soft laugh. "And considering you just achieved the impossible against a very powerful witch in the name of True Love, I would assume you had figured that out by now," she teased gently.
"I'll not take that risk, not while Zelena is still out there, Swan," Killian insisted.
Emma rolled her eyes affectionately, and took his hand once more. She placed a tender kiss on the back of his hand, and then to the center of his palm. As her lips touched the calloused skin, she looked up through her lashes to study Killian's face. His eyes fluttered shut, and his breath stuttered in his chest. The Savior grinned triumphantly, and moved further down to kiss the pulse point of his wrist. The gasp she received in response made her feel bold, so she traced up to the crook of his elbow with her lips.
"Emma…" Killian breathed desperately. "Please, love…I…I can't-"
She finally pulled back with a victorious smile, and giggled at the way he had clenched his jaw and was squeezing his eyes shut. His fingers fisted into her shirt and pulled her close, so that their noses were touching. She could see the battle waging behind his eyes as they bored into hers, and took pity on him. He was trying to be noble; she could certainly respect that. "I'm sorry. I will wait until we defeat Zelena…but no longer than that, you stubborn pirate. I will prove to you that I am right." She sat up to give him some space.
Killian sighed in relief, and turned his charm on full force. She tried to ignore the fire that his devastating smile stirred in her chest. "I look forward to it, love. It is ironic, though, that you finally see what I have seen all along, and a curse is keeping us from acting on it."
Emma smiled lovingly, and placed a hand on his chest as she leaned forward to place a kiss to his forehead. Their eyes locked as she stood. "Get some more rest, we've got a big fight waiting for us and I need you back on your feet. I won't be letting you out of my sight when it comes to that witch."
The pirate raised an eyebrow, but nodded and settled himself back on the mattress. Emma watched him silently from the doorway until his breathing evened out, and then she shut the door. She leaned against it heavily for a moment, struggling to regain her bearings, which had been all but demolished since Zelena first attacked the day before. Hook had gotten under her skin from the moment she'd met him, but she'd never felt complete like she did when she accepted the fact that she loved him.
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Okay, so this is where I am planning on ending it. I have an idea rolling around for how to tie the whole well theory in, but I don't know if it's worth writing out since the episode is tonight. What do you guys think?
