Chapter 2

Henry was asleep on the couch, crashed after a sugar high. Emma was nestled into the crook of Hook's arm, his hand delicately playing with her hair. For now everything felt normal and right, but he knew he had to ask her.

"So does this count?"

"Does what count?"

"Henry's asleep. Can you show me your basement now."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"No but I need to know."

"Fine, let's go."

Emma picked up his hand and led him to the cellar door. She stopped at the door and dropped his hand to undo the lock.

"You know I do love you, even if you don't believe me now that I'm the dark one," she said to him. "I wish I didn't love you. It would make showing you this a lot easier."
"Showing me what?" Emma didn't answer him but instead unlocked the door and disappeared down the stairs into the darkness. Killian followed her.

"Bloody hell Emma. You have an entire cave down here." Emma didn't answer him, but kept moving forward toward the sword.

"What's that?" He asked her, drawing closer with her. "Excalibur. You brought Excalibur with you," He looked at Emma for confirmation. She only nodded. Killian drew closer to the sword. He saw her dagger laying next to it. Killian traced the design along the side of the sword and let his finger run across the dagger with the same design.

"Is this what will set you free? Reuniting the dagger with the sword?" Emma didn't say anything.

"Emma if this is will what will set you free then let me help you. We can find a way to release the sword from the stone."

"I already know how." She said solemnly.

"Then how? What do you need from…" Killian's words were cut short as he gasped. Emma had plunged her hand into his chest and ripped his heart out. It stood beating in her hand before them.

"I need your heart. You're the price I have to pay to keep the light out. If the light comes back I won't be able to protect everyone, to protect Henry."
"Swan," Killian pleaded. Emma clutched his heart tighter, making it impossible for him to speak. She approached the stone and laid his heard next to the sword.

"If I pierce your heart with this dagger then the sword will be mine." She looked back at him one last time. "I'm sorry Killian." Emma raised the dagger over her head, ready to strike his heart.

The dagger fell out of her hands away from his heart as Emma leaned to the side and wretched her guts out. She was overcome with a wave of nausea. She threw up twice, leaning towards the ground. Comforting hands rubbed her back and moved aside her hair.

"Emma what's wrong? You threw up before the movie and twice during it. Are you sick?"

"Dark ones don't get sick." She said, looking up at the ghostly figure of Gold standing over her. He shook his head at her, confirming that this wasn't normal.

Emma pushed Killian away and got up. She grabbed her dagger and dashed up the stairs into the bathroom. It wasn't very far, but it was the retreat she needed. Emma splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror a minute. This moment she didn't feel dark at all just confused and scared like that little girl who moved from foster home to foster home, never getting adopted. She opened her right palm and blinked, conjuring a pink box in her hand, a pregnancy test.