Authors Note: Did I rewrite the beginning of this so it would go with the Sneek Peak? Yep and I am not even sorry!
Killian dropped the invitation the crocodile had provided on the gold platter before leading Emma further into the ballroom.
"Just when I thought the clothes here couldn't get any worse." Emma said in a hushed whisper. Killian knew she had been struggling to walk in the plush carpet.
"You might not be able to move Swan. But you cut quite the figure in that dress." He attempted to reassure her with his compliment and was surprised when she didn't roll her eyes. Instead she ducked her head slightly and gave a small smile. Killian knew that such a small gesture shouldn't have the power to make him so happy but it did. He was so distracted by Emma that the rich voice took him by surprise.
"Greetings! I am King Midas, father of the bride. Who do I have the honor to welcome into my home?" Killian only vaguely heard the king because just then the memory hit him.
He felt a vague buzzing sensation and a slight pain behind his left ear and suddenly he remembered. Finding Emma in his cabin, her apology, his assumption that she was a gift from his men, their kiss, her whispered declaration, and finally seeing his own fist flying at his face. All of it burned brightly in his mind at that moment. Killian struggled to stay in the present.
"I am… Prince…uh…" he couldn't remember his carefully crafted alias, his mind was too busy processing his new memories. Luckily Emma noticed his delay and spoke for him.
"Charles. Prince Charles. And I'm Princess…Leia." Killian forced a grin as the new memories began settling into his mind and blending with his other memories.
"An honor to have you both." Midas replied before bowing and turning to his herald "Announce Prince Charles and Princess Leia." Then he turned back to them "Please enjoy the hospitality of my home." he gestured with his hand and Killian led Emma further into the ballroom.
As the herald announce their arrival Killian lifted his hand to his head as if he could identify where the memory had entered.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Emma asked from his side. He looked down at her and heard her voice echoing from his new/old memory "I do want you. I do Killian." It was whispered with such warmth and desire that it brought color to his cheek and sent his brain spinning.
"It's nothing love." he said knowing now was not the time to discuss the arrival of his new memories. The orchestra started to play and there was a commotion as couples prepared to dance.
Emma gave him a disbelieving look before scanning the room. Her eyes lit up with recognition and she leaned in to Killian.
"That's Katherine. Katherine Nolan. David's wife, er cursed wife." Killian looked at the woman and vaguely recognized her from the baby naming celebration at Granny's. Which was both two days ago and 30 years in the future.
"Ah. Well here she is Princess Abigail. Which means your father should be near by." he said. Emma began craning her neck trying to spot David's blonde hair. Killian leaned in to whisper.
"You look suspicious darling." He said while handing her a glass of wine. Emma stopped looking and accepted the wine. She drank it quickly. "Relax. It's his engagement party. He will be here." Killian reassured her.
Emma nodded and took a deep breath to steady herself. Killian's eyes darted around the room noting coats of ams and the various couples in attendance. He saw several people glancing their way evaluating their dress and jewels. He was sure if they didn't move they would soon be bombarded by social climbers. There was a lull in the music and couples moved on and off the floor. Emma downed another glass of wine before turning to him.
"Let's dance." she said impatiently and Killian felt like she had read his mind. He gave a slight bow of his head before leading her out to the dance floor. As they separated to stand opposite each other for the beginning of the dance he saw the worry in her eyes.
He leaned back toward her "Focus on me. Let everything else go and just focus on me." she gave him a small tight nod and then the music started. The first few steps of the dance were done at arms length. Killian kept his eyes on Emma and an encouraging smile on his face. Her nerves faded with each successful step and when they finally came close enough to talk she was smiling broadly. Killian's hand slid around her waist drawing her even closer for the next part of the dance.
"This is fun." she said, surprise evident in her voice. Killian chuckled.
"It is supposed to be enjoyable."
"I know. I just thought it would be stuffy and awkward. Like a middle school dance."
"Middle school dance?" he asked with a lifted eyebrow. She giggled.
"I love your eyebrows." she said not answering his question. Her statement made the aforementioned eyebrows rise in surprise.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." she said. He shook his head and laughed. King Midas's wine must be more potent than he realized; he would have to monitor her intake. He went down on one knee and lifted his arm so she could promenade around him. When he arose he pulled her back into his arms and was only a little surprised when she closed the small amount of space between them. He wanted to speak, to say something that would make the moment perfect, but given his recent track record with Emma he wasn't sure what to say. Instead he held her close and smiled trying to convey the bursting of his heart and his desire to never let her go. She held his gaze and he thought he saw some of his own feelings reflected back at him. Again he heard her breathy declaration "I do want you." echoing in his memory and his heart clenched with hope.
When he arrived in New York City his hope had burned bright. He was about to reunite with Emma and after a year of separation he had realized that she was his True Love. Then he found her and instead of having his hope justified it began to be torn apart. First his kiss failed to bring back her memories and Killian realized that no matter how he felt they could not share True Love's Kiss. Then he discovered she was in love with another man. He tried not to let it hurt because she didn't remember him and had no reason not to find love. But then in Storybrooke Emma kept him at arms length only opening up to him after Zelena had cursed his lips and he felt unable to reciprocate. But it was her continued insistence that she wanted to return to New York that had finally stripped Killian of all but the smallest of hopes. Now he felt his hope stirring his heart and he thought he might be able to believe in a happy ending after all.
Killian was brought from his thoughts by a flash of gold crossing the ball room. He didn't need to see his face to know that the tall, blonde, man in a gold shirt and tunic was Prince Charming. His face settled seriously. There was much to accomplish before he could have his happy ending with Emma. She noticed the change in his demeanor.
"What is it?" she asked. He turned her so she could get a good look at her father as he joined Princess Abigail. He watched her face and could pinpoint the moment she saw him. Her eyes growing wide and her hand squeezing his shoulder tighter. Killian maneuvered them closer to the engaged couple.
Killian gave her a steadying look. "Are you ready?" Emma nodded a grim determination in her eyes.
"Well then." He smiled and twirled her away from him sending her spinning right into David.
Emma tripped into her father with comical accuracy. He gave a yelp of surprise.
"Oh I am so sorry!" she said leaning on him for balance. She searched David's face for recognition even though she knew it was absurd she wanted her father to acknowledge some kind of connection. Killian appeared next to them an apologetic look on his face as he steadied Emma.
"Apologies. We were…" he trailed off a look of mock surprise on his face. "Prince James! What a serendipitous meeting!"
David looked from Emma to Killian struggling to contain his confusion. He pulled at his gold tunic looking uncomfortable.
"I feel like I haven't seen you in an age." Killian continued "Allow me to introduce my fiancé, Princess Emma..er…Leia." Emma struggled not to roll her eyes at his mistake and dropped into a curtsey instead.
"A pleasure to meet you. Charles has told me so much about you. I feel like we are already acquainted." Emma enthused. David looked at both of them and Emma thought she could see the wheels turning in his head. She knew that he had only recently assumed the life of his twin brother and he was often running into people he didn't know. They were counting on him pretending to know them in order to maintain his cover as Prince James.
"Yes. Well. It is a pleasure to meet you Emmaerleia." David replied with a tight smile. Emma held back a laugh and could see Killian doing the same. David turned to Abigail, who had watched the entire meeting with a bored look.
"This is my fiancé Princess Abigail. My dear this is Prince Charles and Princess Emmaerleia." Emma noted the way David's tongue seemed to catch on the word "dear". She was reminded that if they failed in their mission not only would she and Henry never exist but her father would be stuck in a loveless marriage. Abigail nodded stiffly at the introduction. Just then a new song began. Killian reached out his hand to Abigail.
"May I have this dance Princess?" he asked. She took his hand in response. He turned to Emma before they walked away a mischievous smile on his face. "Despair not my love I will think of you every moment we are apart."
Emma couldn't help smiling back "Good." she responded. The couple walked away and just like that she was alone with her future father.
David held out his hand. "Shall we?" he asked.
She reached for his hand and a pain shot through her heart as she realized she was about to have her first dance with her father and he had no idea who she was. At the back of her mind she wondered if Killian had engineered the situation. As they walked to the dance floor Emma took a few deep breaths, reminding herself not to destroy her future with careless words.
"Don't tell anyone but this is my first ball. So please excuse my horrible dancing." David said in a hushed voice. Emma smiled at his air of secrecy and whispered back.
"It's my first too." David grinned broadly.
"Well then let us muddle through together." The music started and they began to dance. They didn't talk much, both too focused on the complicated beginning of the dance. Emma knew she should impart the information they came to share but she kept postponing it. She wanted to enjoy this dance, for all she knew it could be her first and last dance with her father. Halfway through she caught Killian's eye. He was beaming and she couldn't help rolling her eyes at him. David noticed the exchange.
"I envy you." David said.
"Why?"
"Well you are marrying for love. It is a luxury I wish I could afford."
"You think we are in love?" Emma asked
"Absolutely."
"How can you tell?" she wondered her cover forgotten in her desire for her father's opinion.
"My parents had true love. I know it when I see it." Emma's cheeks burned at his response.
"Do you doubt his affections?" David asked with a tip of his head. Emma thought about the question.
"No. I guess not. I mean, I know he cares for me. I know he would do anything to help me, to make me happy."
"Well isn't that love?"
Emma felt flustered unable to argue with his point but wanting desperately to prove him wrong.
"We fight." Even to her own ears it sounds childish. David chuckled.
"All couples fight."
"We come from different…lands."
"Does that matter? When you love someone they become your home. You belong with them. It doesn't matter where you come from. I may have never been in love myself but I like to think that if I ever did find a real and true love I would move heaven and earth to be with her. Because a life without true love is… well it's empty." the fervent honesty and sadness in his voice took Emma aback. She didn't know what to say.
She thought about that day at the town line when she had said goodbye. The way her heart felt ripped from her chest and crushed to dust. She lost her happy ending, the home and family she had always wanted, and it was the most painful thing she had ever felt. But as soon as she crossed the town line she had forgotten everything and the pain disappeared. She had lived happily with Henry for a year but her memories made it feel like 12. 12 years of no pain and the constant love and companionship of her son. Then Hook had arrived and brought the whole illusion crashing around her. She drank that potion and all her memories came flooding back and with them a tidal wave of guilt and the heart break of seeing her home and family disappear in a cloud of purple smoke. She didn't want to feel that pain again, she wanted to return to New York to forget it all and continue her sleepwalk through life.
She looked over David's shoulder. Her eyes landing on Killian. He had somehow managed to draw Abigail out of her shell and they were laughing. She smiled reflexively the ball of warmth that had been sitting in her stomach all night glowing brighter. This time she didn't push it away or deny it. She thought about David's claim that a life without love was empty. She thought that she was protecting herself from heartache but was it possible that living a life without love was just as bad or worse? She briefly contemplated never seeing Killian again and a chill ran through her heart. Unbidden the thought "I don't want to live without him" sprang to her mind. Was it possible that, despite all her walls, she was in love with Killian? At the thought she felt a strange tingling in her hands and a rushing sound roaring in her head. Her stomach lurched and just like that she knew the truth. She loved Killian Jones. She was in love with Captain Hook. Suddenly she knew exactly where she belonged and where her home was. She didn't have time to explore the thought because the song ended and they were rejoining Killian and Abigail.
Killian must have sensed that something had changed because he raised a questioning eyebrow when her hand slid into the crook of his elbow. Emma shook her head slightly and he seemed satisfied. A newly animated Abigail turned to David.
"Prince Charles was telling me that he has information on the bandit that attacked us on the road." David turned to Killian.
"Really? I sent a man out to gather information but he hasn't returned and I fear he may be dead."
Emma knew which man he was talking about. It was the same man that Killian and her had fallen on when they came through the portal. He wasn't dead, just badly injured and being nursed in a cabin in the woods. This man, as Rumpelstilskin had informed her, would have provided David with the information and the wanted poster that would lead him to capture Snow White outside of her hideout. This meeting was critical not just because the resulting adventure would set them on the course of true love but if David didn't find Snow the Evil Queen would. If Regina found Snow first she would imprison her and burn her at the stake. This was the reason they had come to the ball, to give David the information so he could find Snow White. This was the critical moment, if they didn't do this right her parents would never meet, she would never be born and the world she knew would cease to exist. Emma reminded herself to breath.
"I have learned quite a bit of information. First off the bandit's name is Snow White." Killian spoke in hushed tones that caused everyone to draw in closer.
"The Snow White?" Abigail asked incredulously.
"Indeed. They say she makes her hideout to the east of the village Frell. In a tree stump."
"A tree stump?" David asked confused.
"Aye." Killian affirmed. David looked thoughtful. And Emma imagined he was planning to ride out to the forest first thing in the morning. But she had to make sure so she whispered
"Are you planning on capturing her?"
"Yes. She stole something of great value to me and I must get it back." Emma saw the look of determination on his face and she recognized it as a man accepting a mission. There was no doubt in her mind that he would find Snow White.
30 years in the future, in Granny's cramped diner, Prince Charming grabbed his head. His brain was filled with a buzzing sensation and a slight pain behind his left ear.
"David? Are you alright?" Snow asked shifting the new baby and looking at her husband with concern. He looked back at her with unshed tears in his eyes.
"I danced with Emma." he said as his memory reshuffled and changed the events leading up to his first adventure with Snow. At that moment he wasn't sure if Emma and Hook would make it back but he knew that somehow 30 years ago they were together in the Enchanted Forest, making sure he found his True Love. He turned to Snow and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Did I ever tell you how I discovered your hiding spot?" he said with a grin.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed and the ending left you with warm fuzzies. Okay, okay so there was no true loves kiss but clearly it is going to happen now that Emma is in the right place, thanks to dear old dad. I REALLY want Emma and Charming to dance so if that doesn't happen I will always have this fic. No matter what I know this episode is going to kill me. Is it Sunday yet?