How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty

"Killian?" Emma uttered in surprise while she was still linked with the Pirate Captain's mind as David and Mary Margaret looked at each other with concern, then they turned to Henry who also had the same worried expression on his own face.

"Do you suppose… She must have found a way to communicate with him within his mind," the Savior's mother stated in confusion while Charming gently laid his hand on top of Emma's head to comfort her. "That's great. At least I hope it is."

Henry took a seat in the chair across from his mom as he answered, "Mom's going to be able to reassure him that the Snow Queen was wrong. They're going to be okay."

David smiled at his grandson as he responded, "I'm sure you're right. I just wish I knew what was going on with them."

Inside Killian's mind…

"You really shouldn't be here, Emma," Killian said despondently while he looked at the Savior standing before him through the darkness that surrounded them while onboard the deck of the Jolly Roger out in the wide open seas. "Don't get me wrong, it's good to see you and looking so beautiful, but…"

"As much as I would like to see you act like yourself, I know you're not and we don't have the time right now for you to pretend to be charming for my sake," Emma replied quickly before he could finish, then slowly began to approach him until he backed away from her and she stopped.

Killian looked away and turned his back to her, then he answered, "I know why you've come. But I can't help you."

Emma didn't understand and she asked with confusion, "What do you mean? Why can't you help me?"

"Just get out of my head, love," he responded quietly. "Trust me. You really don't want to be here. I know it as well as you do."

"Hey, don't shut me out," the Savior replied as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, then turned him around to face her again while she placed her hand over his cheek to keep him looking at her. "I know I screwed up when I trusted the Snow Queen's lies."

Hook shook his head as he spoke again more coldly than he intended to saying, "You know, you lied to me the other night."

Emma stared at him as she asked, "What are you talking about? I didn't lie to you."

"Come on," he retorted in frustration. "Don't you remember, Emma? You told me that you trusted me. But it's clear that you really don't, at least not when it matters most."

"Killian, I do trust you," she answered sadly as tears threatened to fall again. "I really do."

Killian scoffed and then responded, "How can you say that? You failed to trust that I wouldn't ever do as the Snow Queen said I did as she pretended to be me while I was busy fighting for my life."

The Savior replied, "With all the things you've given up for me, I should have known you would never hurt me like she made me believe you did. I do know that, but…"

"You didn't trust me when you left me in the giants' castle even though I never gave you a reason to doubt me," the pirate continued as he cut Emma off, then stepped away from her without looking away.

"I know I didn't," she stated in frustration. "I told you I was wrong and I believed that we were past that."

Hook nodded as he answered wearily, "What about when Zelena cursed my lips? You didn't trust me then either. You actually believed that I could have worked for that wicked woman. I believe your exact words were, 'Whether she forced your hand or not, it doesn't matter. I can't trust you now. How can I?' Perhaps you need to see just what it was I was up against."

All of a sudden, another memory rose up around them and Emma watched as she saw Ariel walking down from the docks silently and distraught until she turned around when Hook came running down after her while he cried out, "Ariel! Wait!"

"What is it?" she asked as she looked at the Pirate Captain in confusion after he slowed down once he reached her.

"I have a confession," Killian responded remorsefully and out of breath. "I haven't been entirely truthful with you... with myself. You and I met before. Our paths crossed during the missing year."

She questioned again, "What?"

Hook closed his eyes for a moment while he sighed quietly, then opened them again to look into her own like she deserved as he continued, "Eric had been kidnapped by the pirate Blackbeard. You asked me to find him."

"I... I don't understand," Ariel replied sternly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I was too ashamed," he confessed, speaking the whole truth whether he wanted to or not. "I sacrificed saving your prince for my ship. I am so sorry, Ariel."

Emma watched in despair as the red headed woman suddenly slapped his face, causing Killian to raise his hand to his cheek against the pain while she shouted angrily. "You're a coward! And a monster! You let a man die for your ship?! What kind of person does that?"

He looked at Ariel again while he answered miserably, "The kind who's empty, who believes that a ship can fill a void left by a broken heart."

"And that makes it okay?!" she yelled again.

"No, it doesn't," Hook responded pleadingly. "I would give anything to take it back, to make things right."

The mermaid retorted, "Anything?"

Killian repeated himself once more, "Yes... Anything."

"How am I supposed to trust a man who no longer believes in love?" Ariel asked in disbelief.

"I still do," he replied honestly.

She glared at him as she answered, "Then swear to me on it. This woman that broke your heart... Do you still love her?"

Hook looked down sadly and whispered, "Yes."

"Then swear to me on her name," she continued coldly.

"I swear on Emma Swan," Killian responded with sincerity.

Emma's heart broke for him as his memory continued to play out and she cried as it did so, then suddenly Ariel's countenance completely changed from being cold to cruel when she replied, "Thank you, Captain. That's exactly what I needed to hear."

It was then that Ariel strangely used magic to curse Hook's lips as Emma knew Zelena had done and Hook looked at her with confusion as he questioned, "What the hell?"

"Zelena?" Hook stated with surprise as the Wicked Witch's disguise as the little mermaid fell away when she turned into the green skinned villain, then swiftly pulled his cutlass from its scabbard in order to defend himself until she immediately ripped it from his hand, again with her powers. "It was you. Where's Ariel?"

"Relax," the witch answered calmly. "She was never really here. After she left you on your beloved ship, she actually found where Blackbeard had been keeping her prince."

As if for reassurance, Killian asked, "She found him? How do you know that?"

Zelena responded, "My spies are always circling, Captain, through every realm... Always circling. She found him on Hangman's Island, which was outside the force of the curse. They've been living happily ever after ever since. Don't you just love a good twist?"

"I don't understand," he replied in confusion, worried about what Zelena had just done and why. "Why would you pretend to be her?"

"To corrupt your love," she answered smugly as she moved in closer to him. "As I said earlier, I've known about your dirty little secret for quite some time... Seen the guilt on your face over the decision you made that day. I knew it haunted you. And I knew I could use it."

Hook kept his eyes on the evil woman in front of him as he asked again coolly, "Use it for what?"

The Wicked Witch came inches to his face while she responded cruelly, "When you invoked the name of your love in a selfish plea for redemption, I was able to curse you... More specifically, your kiss. See, the next time your lips touch Emma Swan's, all of her magic will be taken. Everything that makes her special, that makes her powerful, that makes her a threat will be gone."

Killian looked into her eyes as he defiantly replied, "I won't do it. I'll tell her. And she'll defeat you."

"Then I'll send The Dark One to kill her before you can," Zelena answered.

"No... You won't...," he retorted after he thought a moment about her threat against the woman he loved and realized the witch's threat was empty. "If you could have killed her, you would have. You need her power removed. It's why you didn't kill her when she came to the town. It's why you had a monkey look after her in New York instead of killing her. For some reason... You can't."

Zelena sighed and then responded, "It no longer matters, because you're going to remove her powers. I may not be able to hurt Emma, but I can hurt those around her... Her parents, her friends... Her child."

Hook glared at her while he replied angrily, "Do not go near them."

"Oh, yes!" she answered excitedly with a laugh. "You've become quite fond of the boy, haven't you? I will enjoy turning him into a monkey's breakfast."

"I'll stop you," he responded resolutely.

The witch's demeanor suddenly changed once again as she replied crossly, "No, you won't. That pointy, little hook of yours can scratch a mere mortal, but me? You're out of your depth, pirate. The choice is yours. Kiss Emma and remove her powers or everyone she loves dies."

Emma saw the wicked woman vanish in her green smoke and quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes as the memory faded, then she turned back to Killian while she whispered, "I'm so sorry. You're right. I never knew what really happened because I never gave you the chance to explain, but I should have trusted you even then. Or at least I should have trusted the real Killian. You're not really him, are you?"

"What gave me away?" the imposter asked cruelly as he walked up to her until their faces were only inches apart.

"My superpower for starters," she answered. "I can sense something isn't right here and Killian knows about my gift almost as well as I do. And second, he's never been afraid to tell me when I've made a mistake or to remind me time and time again that I need to learn to trust those around me, but he was never so cold. You're acting like the man he was when we first met, like Captain Hook."

The pirate smiled as he responded, "Very good, Savior. I wondered how long it would take for you to figure it out."

Emma glared at him as she questioned, "Figure what out? What are you? Some kind of manifestation created by the Snow Queen?"

"No, I doubt that witch has that kind of power," Hook replied. "I'm the part of Hook that is still the man he was before he grew soft. The part of him still angry at himself and you for trapping me in here before I could get my revenge on the Dark One. The cruel part of him. How is it that you can continue to treat him so poorly? One minute, you're kind and loving and the next, you're pushing Killian away. Making him feel as though everything he's done for you isn't enough. That nothing he could ever do for you will ever be enough. But what angers me the most is that Killian lets you because he's weak."

"Killian isn't weak," the Savior answered steadfastly. "He's beaten you, hasn't he? But you are right about one thing. I don't appreciate him like I should and I know it isn't fair, but I can't help putting my walls back up when I get scared and being in a relationship with him scares me. He used to be… you. What if…"

He suddenly interrupted her as he responded, "Relax. You didn't come here to have me interrogate you. You wanted to know something. You wanted to know what the Snow Queen's after?"

Emma nodded and replied, "I already know about what she did to you… to him thanks to Regina. We saw it all in her magic mirror. I know about the things she said, except for what she whispered to him while he's been unconscious just before I entered his mind. I was hoping he could give me something that could help me to save him."

"And yet I appeared instead of him so I can give you a hard time," Hook said smugly. "I always hoped for the chance. So sorry. Let me tell you this, the Snow Queen is clever and powerful, but she needs you and Elsa on her side. It's why she's doing all of this. And she has a mirror of her own to keep her eyes on you so that she can stay two steps ahead. Killian awoke somewhere within a cavern made of ice for only a few moments before being hunted by her snow beast. All he remembers is hearing a name; Ingrid. It isn't much to go on, but perhaps it's enough."

"It is," she answered with sincerity. "Answer me this, if you really hate Killian for trapping you in here, then why are you suddenly so forthcoming?"

Hook smiled coldly once more as he responded, "Because as much as I despise him for doing so, I need him awake if I have any chance of corrupting him like I did centuries ago. And Emma, one day I will succeed in doing so."

He leaned in and harshly kissed her lips until Emma swiftly pulled away from him, then replied firmly, "You're wrong. Killian is stronger than you."

"Do you really think so?" a child's voice suddenly asked with fear from behind her. "You didn't seem so sure a few minutes ago?"

Emma spun around and saw a young boy who was about the same age as Henry was when he first came to her and introduced himself as her son. And while Emma looked into the boy's wide, beautiful and yet frightened blue eyes, she immediately saw the same eyes of the man she was fighting to save, long before Captain Hook had ever been born.

"Killian," the Savior whispered with shock in her own voice.