Author's Note: Anyone else missing the show yet? Cause I am. Well, thank goodness for fan fiction! Please enjoy this chapter!

"You can sacrifice and not love. But you cannot love and not sacrifice."

― Kris Vallotton

"What's with you?"

"Emma." He sighs softly, running a hand through his hair. He hears her boot crunching on the gravel as she comes closer to him, but he refuses to turn around. His eyes remain locked on the water, on the comforting sound of the waves hitting the dock.

"Killian." Her hand touches his shoulder and he does his best not to flinch. He jerks out of her grasp and meets her horrified gaze. "Why?" There are a million different answers that run through his head from half-truths to lies to all manners of excuses in between. But staring into her eyes, he finds that he can't form an answer. He knows he won't be able to lie to her, but his heart won't let him tell her the truth.

"It's nothing, love." His voice is barely above a whisper, but from the way Emma flinches, it might as well been as loud as a gunshot. He sighs softly, and then looks away. "You'd best be going now."

"I thought we . . ." Unshed tears glisten in her eyes and he suppresses the urge to reach out and hold her. "I thought we were okay."

"We are." He assures her because curse or not, it's killing him to see her like this. "Emma, I'm not upset with you, lass."

"You've been avoiding me." She states frankly, a bit of the fire reigniting in her eyes. There she is—the fiery girl he fell in love with, the one who wouldn't take any crap from anyone. "Why?"

"A story for another time." He dismisses vaguely. "I have to go." He turns to leave.

"Killian, stop." Her warm hand catches his and she prevents him from moving away. Her eyes seem to pierce him, see through his lies and his defenses and he wants nothing more in that moment than to admit the truth, to scream from the top of his lungs that he's been cursed and that Emma has to stay away from him. "What are you not telling me?" Her hand feels heavenly in his, so wonderfully warm and it reminds him of what he's been missing for most of his life—love. Someone to be by his side through thick and thin. He could have it with Emma, he knows.

Just not now.

Not until he was safe. He wouldn't risk her life or her family's lives.

"Nothing, Swan." He lies through his teeth. "I just don't think it's such a good idea for the two of us to continue this."

"This?" She echoes, disbelieving. "What are you saying?"

"I'm a pirate, Miss Swan," He states, allowing himself to drown in that persona. "I steal what I want and then leave." He leans in close so that their noses are almost touching. "And now, I'm leaving you."

It's the lowest blow he could possibly strike with her abandonment issues, but it's the only surefire way to get her to go and not return anytime soon.

"I see." She murmurs, voice cracking somewhat.

In that moment, he can see the resignation in her eyes and the walls go back up. A bittersweet smile alights on her lips and it breaks his heart to see her hurting like this, to see her tell herself that she was never meant to be with someone, that her fate is to always be alone. He wants to assure her that he does love her, that she deserves happiness and he would be by her side if it were safe to.

"I'll see you around, Hook." She waves half-heartedly and he watches her go.

And as she vanishes around the bend, he feels his heart splinter into a million tiny pieces.

"More pies, Mom?"

Emma chuckles dryly as she continues to roll her dough out. The repeated motion of the rolling pin soothes her though and it's not like she even eats all of these desserts. She hands them out to people in the town and okay, maybe she does eat more than her fair share while in the process of making them, but hey, she's entitled to do so, isn't she?

Henry comes to stand by her and picks up a piece of her dough and pops it into his mouth. He smiles at the taste of it and then places a hand on his mother's shoulder.

"I figured we could give some more out and—"

"Make everyone fall into a sugar coma?" Her son replies dryly.

"Ah, you got me." She jokes, though her heart isn't really in it. She sighs as she places the rolling pin aside and meets the concerned gaze of her son.

"Is it Killian?" He asks softly. "Are you two in a fight?" It's such a childlike question and Emma wants to tell him the truth, but she can't. With Zelena still out there planning who knew what, the best choice was for Henry to stay in the dark. As far as he knew, Killian was just a friend of the family who knew his father.

"No." She lies.

"It'll be okay, Mom." He assures her, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her securely. "You'll see. You just have to have faith."

She holds him tightly because he's right and she wants to believe in Killian, wants to believe that her fate is something more than being abandoned and left to fend for herself. She has a family here and perhaps even a chance at love. She just needs to fight for it.

"You're right, Henry." She presses a kiss to the top of his head, feeling somewhat happier and lighter than before. "Hey, you want to help me make some cookies?"

"Only if you eat something healthy first." He informs her with a sly grin.

"Healthy?" She echoes, placing a hand on her hip and tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Like what?"

"Like an apple." From his coat pocket, he pulls out an apple as red as blood that shines like sunlight reflecting off glass. It's so beautiful and Emma thinks that she has never seen apple so perfect like before in her life. Henry holds it out to her and she grabs it, feeling how smooth the skin is. She wants nothing more than to bite into it, but something in the back of her head is warning her against that. "You'll eat it, won't you?"

"I . . ." She hesitates, but for what reason, she doesn't know. "Of course, I will." She doesn't move though.

"C'mon, Mom." Henry urges. "Quit stalling." He picks up the rolling pin and grins at her. "We've got to get started."

"Right." She nods her head, pushing those worried feelings away as she bites into the juicy apple.

Her eyes immediately widen and she realizes too late what's happened.

She feels herself falling and then, there's nothing.

Darkness.

"What the hell did you say to my daughter?"

"And hello to you too, mate." Hook greets, mustering up fake enthusiasm. He actually expected this visit.

"I warned you that if you hurt her—"

"I remember your warning, mate." Hook tells him.

"Yet, surprise, surprise, you decide to hurt her anyways!"

"Listen, I can—"

But, it's clear that Emma's father isn't in the mood to listen to excuses. David storms towards him, fist outstretched and Hook braces himself only for a scream to fill the air. The two men freeze, their confrontation momentarily forgotten as they immediately move towards the place where the sound originated.

"Henry!" David sees the boy first, standing numbly on the streets. The boy's eyes are red rimmed from what seems like crying and dread settles in the pit of Hook's stomach. Upon seeing his grandfather, Emma's son begins to sob, throwing his arms around the bewildered man.

"What is it, lad?" Hook questions urgently. "Are you hurt?"

"I found her." Henry manages to say between the crying. "Mom. She—"

His body reacts before his mind. Hook sprints inside and towards the apartment the boy and his mother share and through the slightly opened door, he hears Snow's soft sobs and suddenly, a wave of pain runs through him.

This couldn't be happening.

"Emma?" He breathes, pushing the door open and entering the room. "No."

There she is, in her mother's arms, still and so very pale. She's not breathing, he notes dimly, and the realization sinks in.

"Hook?" Snow questions as he kneels down beside the fallen savior and he lets out a ragged breath, his vision blurring with tears as he grabs her cool hand within his own.

"Swan?" He wants her to open her eyes, to make a joke at his expense, to yell at him. He doesn't even care as long as she wakes up. "Emma, please." He feels a tear snake down his cheek but he doesn't bother to wipe it away for another would be in its place immediately afterwards.

"Emma?" David is there now, by his wife's side and the expression on his face is like one of a man who has lost everything and has no will to go on. His daughter, the one he lost so many years ago only to reappear is now lost to them once more. He gently pushes some of her hair back and tucks it behind her ear.

"Henry?" Snow manages to ask.

"Ruby has him." David replies, voice grave and mournful.

"She can't be dead." Hook mutters. "Zelena couldn't have killed her. Emma was too strong. There's no way—" He doesn't want to believe that she's dead, that he's now lost two women that he's loved more than life itself. If Emma is gone, then there's nothing left for him. He will become a shadow of his former self until he slowly fades from existence.

It's Emma—always been Emma—that's pulled him back from that dark abyss and if she was gone—

"I found this." Henry's at the doorway and they can hear Ruby heading up after him. The boy holds out an apple with one perfect bite taken out of it and the pieces click into place.

"Is that—?" Snow breathes and immediately Hook rises from his spot. Casting one more glance at Emma he heads out the door.

He has a witch to visit.

Author's Note: Two more chapters to go! Please review if you have a moment. Thanks!