A/N: Many thanks to all the follows/favorites and reviews. I appreciate it. So, I hope the story isn't boring you to death. I'm excited for chapters IV and V. Because that's when the real fun starts.

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.

Chapter IV: Repercussions

"What do you mean, we can't take the gold!" Regina demanded to know.

"We need it to get home!" Snow included.

"Hades will punish her once he finds out that the gold his missing." Hook expressed the dilemma. "She already suffered once because of my arrogance."

"But she's already dead." Robin reminded them. "What else can happen to her?"

"There are a lot worse fates than death mate, I assure you." Hook explained. "I won't let her suffer in hell, for me too."

"He's going to torture her." David assumed.

"Aye." Hook said. He faced Emma, taking her hand. "You know I told your father once, that I'd follow you to the end of the world or time... but I can't let Milah…"

"Fine." Emma sighed, seeing the inner turmoil his guilt was plaguing him. "Then we bring her with us."

"WHAT?!" The family all cried in unison.

Emma glanced around at her family and lifted a shoulder. "In for a penny, in for a pound."

"I'll go talk to her." Hook said, backing out of the huddle, heading to Milah.

Henry glanced back at Milah, who was watching them from a distance, with daggers in her eyes for Emma. Hook was there, trying to explain what was going on, but it didn't seem to be helping matters.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Gold told us that the dead were unpredictable, remember?"

"What other choice do we have?" Emma asked him sadly.

"Leave her ass here!" Regina stated the obvious.

"No. She comes too." She grabbed her sword, placed it back its sheath and walked towards the helm of the boat, leaving no room for objection.

Regina started after her, but Snow shook her head, and made her way towards the rest of the group.

In Storybrooke/Underworld….

Gold entered the pawn shop cautiously, to see things weren't any better than Regina's house. There were many items raggedy, or worthless, tarnished with fire and glass.

But what broke his heart, was seeing the china teacup, that was once chipped, shattered into pieces behind the glass counter, on display.

"Damn." He uttered, knowing its significance. Unlike his living associates, he knew that symbolism in the underworld was insight into the future.

Something was yet again, threatening his love with Belle. And this time, his heart was strong enough to summon enough dark magic to defeat it.

"Well look who it is." A voice caught his attention.

Gold's eyes snapped to the main counter, where his father stood, in an all-black suit, a condescending smile, and an all too entitled disposition.

"Peter Pan…" He growled. He had a feeling something was out of sorts, and now he knew why.

Pan raised a brow, waving his hands, in a grand gesture. "Like what I've done with the place?"

"You have some nerve…" Gold told him, as he approached the cash register. "I should send you to hell, right now."

Pan rolled his eyes, adjusting the cuff links on his suit. "You and I both know that your dark magic has limits here, so let's skip the empty threats, shall we?"

"Limited my power may be," Gold smirked, "it's still more than yours; see as how your dead and all."

He laughed. "Ah, you have the upper hand for once Rumple. The only problem is, you'd have to be pretty fast to use it."

And with that, he vanished. Gold spun around, his eyes alert. Pan then reappeared behind him.

"Still haven't learned, have you boyle? Follow the lady." He taunted, with a wave of his hand, sending Gold flying into the front door.

Gold clutched his chest, ignoring the searing pain in his body. "How?" he coughed. "The dead…don't have magic."

Pan sighed. "You truly are ignorant, aren't you? It's not my magic, it's yours. I'm merely harnessing it and projecting it back."

Gold stood. "Impossible!" He refused to be bullied by a ghost.

"Is it so hard to believe, given your current position?" Pan asked in mock curiosity. "We are connected, sonny. As long as your hate for me fuels your power, I can use it against you."

"Like hell!" Gold's determined snarl was loud as he tried to deflect Pan's words. He threw his hand up, flicking his wrist to deliver a blast that would send the most powerful demon crumbling.

"So in essence, it's like you're fighting…well, yourself." Pan reasoned. He did an imitation Gold's hand gesture, sending gold flying into the ceiling, and slamming back down onto the concrete floor.

Gold recoiled, wheezing and coughing up blood.

Pan squatted, whistling low in disappointment. He sighed out of boredom. "Give it up Rumple, you'll never defeat me."

"Says the one who is dead." Gold spat. "And last time I checked? I was the one who killed you. It doesn't get any more defeated than that."

"Oh you may have killed me." Pan agreed, "But for all your power, Dark One, you still don't know how to wield it."

He stood, and began walking away. "And that alone, is the reason you'll never win."

"Watch me!" Gold threatened.

"I have!" Pan exasperated, watching in disgust as Rumple tried to stand. "You are truly worthless."

Pan disappeared as unceremoniously as he appeared, leaving Gold hunched on the floor, in front door of his own damn shop.

"I'll prove you wrong." Gold vowed. "I'll prove them all wrong."

The Flying Dutchman…

The ship coasted slowly, a few miles off the main harbor of Storybrooke. Hook had advised it would be a lot safer than going back the way they came.

"This is our stop luv." Killian told Emma, taking her by the hand. Emma eyed the dark forest wearily.

"Are you sure? It didn't look this condemning before." She replied, searching for any signs of intruders.

"Aye." Killian confirmed. "There's more than one way out of the Underworld, but this I'm afraid, is the fastest."

David joined the two, looking out at the darkness. "Can you get us there?"

"Not me." Killian replied, nodding to Milah. "But she can."

"You could have let her kill me…" Emma thought aloud, watching the Milah sharpen her sword. "How did you know I was telling the truth?"

There wasn't an easy answer. He had loved Milah, and trusted her completely. Up until an hour ago, Emma hadn't even existed.

"I didn't know." Killian confessed after a moment. "I believed."

"You think we can trust her?" David asked when Killian walked off to prepare supplies.

"If Killian trusts her, so do we." Emma answered. David sent her a questioning brow.

"It'll be fine dad." She assured him with a hand to his arm. David covered it with his own. "I'm proud of you."

Emma nodded, hiding her girlish blush. Snow interrupted their tender moment with a smile. "So, what's the plan?"

"Milah's going to lead us through the dark forest." He announced.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Snow frowned.

"Emma trusts Killian, Killian trusts her, and we trust Emma." David smirked. "So yeah, it's a good idea."

"Alright." Snow laughed a bit. Their family was suddenly bursting at the seems with hope, and she couldn't be happier

"It's time!" Milah called out.

Everyone gathered around the side of the ship, staring down into the black abyss of the sea and the heavy fog that hovered in the distance.

Regina tried to summon her magic again, but nothing happened. "The hell…?" She muttered, and tried again.

"It's a dead zone." Milah explained to Killian. "The dark forest is protected by Hades himself."

Snow asked, "So, exactly how do we get off the ship?".

"The same way you snuck on it." Milah retorted with a frown. She rolled her eyes when Hook sent her a chiding stare.

"If he's protecting it, then it's magic." Regina told them. Robin studied the forest. "Maybe that's the answer. We need to mimic his power."

"Robin, you're a genius!" Henry applauded. Regina smiled. "He sure is."

"I've been studying." Robin shrugged. "You have a lot of books at your house."

"Okay, so does anyone know what powers Hades has?" Snow asked, looking at Hook.

Hook rolled his eyes. "I've been dead for a day!" He turned to Milah, who shook her head. "I make it a point not to cross paths with him."

"Henry?" Emma asked, turning to her son.

Henry thought for a moment. "He can control the dead…"

"Not helpful." Milah grumbled at the apparent fact.

"He has invisibility!" He offered, mentally kicking himself for not remembering more.

"Perfect!" Regina replied, summoning her magic. "Henry, you're our hero." Glancing at Emma, she said, "You got it?"

Emma focused on the forest. "Got it."

They raised their arms, concentrating on the force they were trying to summon. Everyone felt a small tingle through the bodies as they dissolved into mist. The light fog carried them from the ship to the shores of the forest.

When they all reappeared, Milah coughed. "What the hell was that?"

"That my dear," Regina spoke regally, "Is how you play God."

"By turning us into water?" Milah snorted, unimpressed.

"By bending unattainable power to your will." Regina spat. "Now lead us out of here."

Milah grabbed her sword and made her way to the front of the group, heading into the woods. Everyone stared at its entrance, hesitant to take the first step.

"Well luv, it's not going to walk itself." Killian quietly encouraged. "Shall we?" He took out his sword and followed behind Milah.

They had been walking for some time now, and against Snow and Charming's wishes, Regina couldn't help but say something. This was wrong and they all knew it. One soul was bad enough, but no way was any of them getting out of this alive with two.

"You told me to tell you when you're being stupid." Regina started as she fell in step with Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes, tiredly. "I know, but he won't leave her here to suffer, and I'm NOT leaving him."

"She doesn't belong in our world Emma." Regina protested quietly. "I thought you would have learned this lesson by now."

"And we are breaking the very laws of nature by being here, stealing from the Hades to take a soul back." She retorted.

"We are all here for you." Regina told her. "Because we believe in you! You're a leader, and leaders have to make tough decisions."

"It's not my decision to make." She shook her head stubbornly.

"Of course it is! Hook is dead. However wrong his death, those are the facts. Think about the price we all will already pay for taking him Emma. Hook shares your heart-who will share hers?"

With that, Regina went to catch up to Henry, leaving Emma alone with her thoughts.

"We'll rest here." Milah announced as they came into a small clearing. "Although it doesn't affect the dead, the cold can slow you mortals down."

"We're fine." Snow objected, but Emma smiled. "Mom, you've been shivering for the past ten minutes. A little rest won't hurt anyone."

David agreed. "Come on. Robin, Henry, and I will start a fire, you ladies rest."

"I'll get the firewood." Milah told them. "Hades has many traps to help collect more souls." She walked off without waiting for their objections.

"I'll go with her." Hook sighed. "She may be a ghost, but I still bristle at the idea of her being alone."

"No, you stay with Emma." Regina instructed him. "If there are problems, we can't have both of you vanished. Robin, Henry and I will go." She summoned her fire and lit a few branches.

"Thanks your majesty." Hook smiled. He knew she was trying to give him and Emma some alone time.

"Don't thank me until you're alive." Regina snorted, and followed in behind Henry and Robin.

"You all should get some rest." Killian advised her parents. "Ghosts don't need to sleep, so I'll keep first watch."

David nodded, finally able to close his eyes and lean against the tree. Snow was already asleep against his chest.

Emma and Killian just sat, holding each other's hand, like old times. "How does it feel?" She whispered, "To be dead."

"It feels like…nothing." Killian confessed. "I'm still me…but numb. It's like time stops, and everything dulls. I swear I felt numb, before we kissed."

"I know the feeling." She wept. "When you died…I felt my heart break."

"That just means it still works." He reminded her. "And if it can break, it can heal."

His words struck a chord within her. Emma frowned, not being able to get Regina's words out of her head. Hook shares your heart-who will share hers?

"I can't…" she confessed.

"Emma? What's wrong luv? What can't you do?" Killian's worried expression made her take a breath.

"I came to the underworld for you, Hook." Emma reminded him. "And I promise I won't stop fighting for us...but I can't fight for what isn't mine."

"What are you saying Swan?" Killian asked.

"Regina's right. I'm already cheating death by taking your soul back. I can't justify two. I can't risk my family, or Storybrooke for my own selfishness."

"So we just give up on Milah?" Hook frowned, his voice slightly rising. "Just leave her here to suffer a million deaths while her soul is ripped apart?!"

"No." She whispered. She stood and began to pace. "I'm saying, maybe we should say goodbye."

Killian felt like he was dying all over again. He stood as well, gripping her hands. "No…Emma, don't do this to me again…"

Emma wiped her stray tears, and sniffed. "I love you Killian. I'm so proud of the man you've become. I wasn't able to let you go because I thought coming here would make things right."

"I just needed to see you again, to say I'm so sorry. It should have been me." She cried.

"NO, love." Killian wrapped his arms around her. "I would give my life for you a hundred times over. There was so much more I wanted for us."

"Me too." Emma confessed. "But happy endings aren't always what we think they will be." Remembering what her mother told her.

"My happy ending will always be you, Swan." Killian declared.

"Well, I won't stand in your way." Milah called out.

They turned to her standing in the clearing of the woods. Robin Henry and Regina were behind her, holding branches. David and Snow had awakened by Milah's outburst, worried something had gone wrong. And in a way, it had.

Milah came to closer Killian, ignoring Emma completely.

"Milah, I won't leave you here to suffer." Killian objected. "Not for me."

"Don't pretend to care about my suffering. You don't love me anymore, Jones." Milah stated. "I'm beginning to think you never did."

"What." Killian spoke, his tone irritable and dark. Everyone watched as he squared off with his ex-lover.

Robin grabbed his arm, "Easy mate." But Killian snatched it, getting within an inch of her face.

"What did you say to me?" He demanded to know.

"I said you're nothing but a lying pirate." Milah sneered. "And you betray me for a blonde wench with pretty eyes and bigger breasts. Back into your old habits, I see."

"Don't you dare belittle Emma down to another meaningless conquest." He snapped. "She is worth more than you could even begin to comprehend."

"I gave up everything for you Killian!" She cried. "My son, my life…and one kiss from her and now you've forgotten who you pledged your heart to!"

Killian just stared back into this ghost of his former love. She was so hurt, and so lost. "I used to talk to you…" he revealed.

"What?" Milah asked, crossing her arms.

"After you died, I would talk to you." Killian explained sadly. "Ask you questions; make jokes…like you were still around Milah…and then one day, you started answering."

Emma felt tears emerge in her eyes, along with everyone else as they listened to his confession.

"And subconsciously, I knew I was a man drowning myself in rum, having conversations with his dead lover." Killian continued, sliding a hand through his hair. "But I couldn't stop."

Tears began to fall from Milah's face, her frown still permanently expressed in her eyes. But she didn't doubt his words.

"I would drink myself into a rage…vowing revenge on the crocodile. Falling further and further into the darkness." He breathed. "So before you question my love and loyalty, you must know two things."

"What's that?" Milah asked, sadly.

"First, Milah I was so in love with you…it nearly killed me." Killian admitted.

He was finally able to see that all the time he'd spent on revenge, prolonging the inevitable, was for this moment-closure.

"And second," He exhaled, "I don't regret, finally moving on with my life." Turning to Emma, he held out his hand for her to take it. "Let's sail away luv."

Emma smiled, reaching out for him. Until she felt a heavy hand, clutch her heart. "AHHGGHH!" She screamed at the unbearable pain, crippling her to her knees.

"SWAN!" Killian ran to her side, but was knocked back by a powerful force.

"Emma!" Snow shouted, trying to hold on to her daughter, but it was no use. The force was too strong.

"Noo!" David shouted as Emma's body began to sink into the ground, trying like hell to hold on to her.

"What's going on?!" Regina shouted to Milah. "What the hell is happening to her?!"

"It's Hades!" Milah hollered back in fear. "He's found us!"

Robin grabbed a hold of Regina and Henry as the winds blew harder, the light of the fire being extinguished.

Killian could only watch in agony as his love was once again, sucked into a vortex of darkness. After a bright blast of blue light, she was gone.

A/n: I hope I did Killian's love for Milah some justice. I stole that scene from Alias because I thought it was just so sad. Next chapter we'll find out where Emma has gone, where Gold is, and we get to meet none other than Hades himself.

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-R.