Part 3
"So how is it that you know Hook?" asks David suspiciously. "And exactly how well do you know him?"
"David!" Mary Margaret tells him off.
"I don't see how that's any of your business Prince David," replies Thé frostily as she throws herself down on one of Regina's sofas. "This is much better than that poky shop of yours Rumplestiltskin."
"It's my business because Emma is my daughter," David tells her.
"You're protective of your daughter's heart, especially because of how much it's been broken. But we didn't move from the pawnbrokers to Regina's lovely home to discuss me and Killian."
"So there was a you and Killian?" adds Mary Margaret in a quiet confiding tone.
Regina rolls her eyes. "Can we get on with this already?"
"I'd have to say I'm in agreement with Regina on this one. Can you or can you not bring Killian back?" asks Belle, tentatively glancing to Emma who has remained standing near the doorway silent as a statue.
"I have known Killian for centuries. Same with him," she gestures to Gold. "I knew Killian before the Crocodile became a source of revenge for the pirate. Anything else is none of your business. As to what I said about being able to bring him back: yes I can."
"Should be a piece of cake," comments Regina sarcastically. "We'll just pop down to the Underworld, have a cosy little chat and a cup of tea with Hades; Harbinger of Doom, Torturer of Souls and Lord of the Underworld. And then out of the goodness of his heart he'll let pirate boy's soul go and let us all just walk away and come back home."
"It could be done," says Gold, stunning everyone into silence.
"According to my research we need to summon the ferryman and pay him with these," states Belle. "Charon's obol is what they call the offering made to the ferryman so that the dead may pass."
"Gorgeous and smart. You lucked out Crocodile."
"Would you kindly stop referring me by that name? I am no longer that man."
"Right because you've been reborn. No I'm not going to fight with you," breathes Athena, forcing back her anger and hatred for the man. "They're a currency within the Underworld: Charon's obols. With them we can get to the Underworld and bring Killian back."
"Has anyone ever actually succeeded with this?" Mary Margaret hesitantly asks, trying not to look at her daughter and trying her hardest not to glare at Thé for giving her something to hope for that might not ever come to pass.
"A few. Ones the Fates agree weren't meant to have had their lifelines cut. Others with the involvement of one of my kind."
"So we summon Charon then. I think I've read a book or two on that. I know there's one in Rumple's shop for definite."
"Unfortunately Belle I'm shunned from Mount Olympus. If he was to interact with me or take me on this journey he could very easily be cast out of Olympus and a new ferryman would be appointed. He was once a sort of friend to me. I won't cause him undue trouble."
"So how exactly do you plan on us getting there? Hitching a ride on a Pegasus?" retorts Emma.
"Pegai are not the most easiest of animals to wrangle. And quite frankly doing that journey on the back of a flying horse is definitely one of the most uncomfortable forms of transportation into Tartarus."
"Pegasus is real…"
Thé's eyes widen ever so slightly before she jumps to her feet and grabs Emma's arm to drag her into the dining room, sending a warning glance to the others attempting to come with them to stay put. She shuts the door and places a charm around it to prevent anyone outside of the room from being able to hear the conversation going on inside. Emma looks confused by Athena's behaviour and remains confused by Thé's next words.
"They're what I bartered with Killian in return for his helping rescue me from the prison my family entombed me in, and helping me try to protect my half-sister from them. Pegasus feathers are worth quite a lot. And of course there was the emotional worth for him as well as they reminded him of Liam."
"Killian talked to you about Liam?" Emma quietly asks, trying to bury the hurt and jealousy rushing up inside of her at Thé's words.
"Oh honey I know that look. I've seen it way too many times in my lovely father's wife's eyes. Killian and me, really not like that. Trust me. As to the Liam thing, yeah he talked to me about him. It was easy considering I kind of knew him. How in all the gods' names do you think mortals got a sail made from Pegasus feathers? Ares wanted to impress Aphro by trying to liven up the realms. All the gods and goddesses got in on it and started betting on how it would all end. War could have broken out across many lands and crossing into different realms but for the Jones boys," smiles Thé reminiscently. "The cost was...the others didn't understand why I was affected by Liam's death. Just one of many for a god to see. But it was too much for me so I ran away and fled from Olympus and tried to live a mortal life."
Emma frowns as Thé gazes into space, her lips turned down and a look of agonising sorrow filling her eyes. She knows pain. She feels the pain of Killian's death. She knows that look on Athena's face that means hope and optimism are two words that just don't come immediately to mind when bad things happen. Emma can't feel those two things, even when a goddess is telling her she's going to bring Killian back to her. And that's just more pain which pushes hope further into the pit inside of her until she fears she'll never reach it. Emma suddenly gasps, her breathing shallow and raspy.
"Easy Emma, easy. It's okay, it's all going to be okay," whispers Thé calmly, forcing Emma to look her in the eyes and focus on the ex-goddess. "I know you don't know me and so you can't put your trust in me. But I swear to you that I will use all of my power to get Killian back to you. Until then perhaps this can help."
Emma takes the crystal shard Athena hands her, almost dropping it when a light flares within it and pictures and videos begin to flicker under the surface of the gem. She watches on in amazement as she looks through snapshots and clips of Killian's life in the last several months. Minutes pass before she can tear her teary-eyed gaze from the images and silently question Thé about the gift she's holding in her hand.
"Hades and Seph will kill me if I fully explain it, and I quite like being alive right now. It's his memories."
"So he doesn't have them right now?" worries Emma.
"He does. This is just a copy. Basically like a memory stick," she jokes to which Emma laughs through the tears that continue to fall. "Hey I see that look. And I've seen it too many times before. Yes you did a shitty thing, he said some shitty things to you too. And yes I did see all that. I didn't go too far back and I skipped past any x-rated stuff that I really don't need nor want to know about Captain Killian Jones. But what I did see and hear I can tell you this for definite: he loves you and you love him. Yes it'll take work to get over all this, but you two together can make this work."
"Thank you," sniffs Emma, laughing as she watches their first kiss way back in Neverland and she can't believe the smouldering look he was giving her or the feigning slight innocence as he rubbed behind his ear and trailed his finger to tap against his lips before giving her that damned 'come hither' look of his, along with the flirtatiousness and the cocky swagger which was far too attractive; it was no wonder she'd just grabbed him and kissed the hell out of him. God that kiss was steamy...and hot...just like all their kisses. Though later the kisses came to mean something more. But that first kiss sits as a heavy reminder of how much more time she could have had with him if she'd only let him in sooner.
"You have it bad," laughs Thé. "Seriously though, I'm glad he's found you and you found him. Now we should really get back in there otherwise your parents might think I've killed you or something."
"Really?" remarks Emma dubiously.
"Oh come on, haven't you seen the looks Snow White and Prince Charming have been throwing at me? Yes they want your pirate back for you but they aren't willing to jump in feet first and trust me. And I am not asking for that, but I did the whole weapons thing earlier so that they would put it out of their heads to attempt anything against me."
"I'll talk to them. They're just worried you're building my hopes up."
"You aren't letting yourself fully give into the idea of it. You are starting to hope that all I've said can happen but you aren't throwing yourself into this. Which is why I like you Emma Swan."
Emma takes another moment to watch the memories flicker in the crystal before putting it away and following Athena back into the living room.
"Finally ready to break the suspense on how you plan to get us to Tartarus?" snarks Regina, her arms crossed in annoyance at how long their little private talk went on for.
"Davy Jones," Thé tells them through gritted teeth. "The only other viable option is to summon The Dutchman."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" questions Snow.
"It could just work. Provided The Flying Dutchman's Captain and crew will take our voyage on," smiles Regina.
"That's what I brought the coins for. But there's only enough for ten going and eleven coming back. Two coins per person each way."
"Summoning The Dutchman it is then," swallows Rumplestiltskin. "Not a pleasant scheme, but it could just work."
"Is he truly that terrifying?" asks Belle hesitantly.
"He's a real bastard," smiles Thé humorlessly.
Killian jumps alert and it takes a few moments for him to recognise his surroundings. He dry washes his face with his one hand, trying to push back the painful memories that had risen to the surface as he rested on Hades' couch. He has no clue how much time has passed; the Underworld doesn't have much in terms of time. Everything is just frozen and numb. Walking around the house and outside of it didn't do much good. Left with too much alone time to think was hurting because all he could think about was Emma's lack of faith and belief in him that he could defeat the Darkness. Killian can't help but glance down at his chest, still feeling the phantom pain of the blade penetrating his sternum. He was used to phantom pains. In Neverland he'd barely been able to sleep at first because of the physical pain in his stump and then the pain of getting fully used to the brace, but it was nothing in comparison to the pain he'd experienced on the days and nights when it had felt like he hadn't lost his hand and that it was hurting, still right there where it had always been all his life.
"Purty," giggles a child's voice, pulling Killian from his morbid thoughts.
His eyebrows raise as he turns to see the little escape artist in the living room. It was the third time since Persephone ("Call me Seph seeing as you're an old friend of Thé's") had returned to her home that her two year old had managed to climb over the bars of her crib and made a break for it.
"Have you escaped the brig yet again Miss Melinoe?" smiles Killian as he reaches out to gently snag her pyjamas with his hook and bring her closer to him.
"Nu-uh," she tells him whilst nodding her head and grinning toothily up at the Captain, her silvery eyes shimmering in the eerie white blue light that surrounds all of the Underworld.
"I think you might just have some pirate blood in you," he teases.
"Up!" she demands before trying to climb up him, kneeing and kicking him several times in some unpleasant places before she finally finds a comfortable spot to sit and lie with her back pressed against one of his arms.
"You are one little madam. You know that right?"
"Sleeps," she yawns, curling in closer to his head and her eyes shutting almost immediately.
Killian is once again unaware of how much time passes as he keeps an arm wrapped around the toddler. All there is in that moment is peace and calm. No calamities, no villains to do battle with, and no pain or suffering. The pirate stares at the tiny child softly breathing against him. He can't believe how relaxing feeling a child in your arms could be, hearing them snuffle in their sleep, the feel of their warm breath, the scent of their skin that only babies have, and seeing their eyes moving beneath their pale lids as they dream. It is to the scene of Killian staring at Melinoe's spidery lashes flickering against her face as she dreams that Persephone walks into.
"You look good with a baby," she murmurs softly so as to not startle the Captain or her daughter.
"I never...I never thought about it. Henry, Emma's boy, I try to look out for. I did the same for his father long ago but I wasn't the same man back then and I couldn't provide him with what Baelfire needed. I could never be a father."
"That is obviously not true. You're very good with our Meli. Though I will warn you that if Hades hears you sing that bawdy tune you sang to her earlier, he will make your stay with us less pleasant."
"Thé spoke of you. Not a lot, but she did mention you a few times. Is it because of my connection to her that I'm not out in that pit?"
"You saw that then?"
"From a distance."
"You're not in Tartarus because you won't be remaining in the Underworld," explains Hades, rubbing a towel through his brown curly locks.
Killian frowns at this information, his eyes darting between the husband and wife who definitely don't seem as frightening as their titles lead many to believe.
"They're coming for you. Just be patient and don't do anything stupid like going into the pit. If you do that I likely won't be able to bring you back for them."
"So I am dead," states Killian in confusion, looking down at his body lounging on the sofa.
"You are dead and your form isn't a body. It's a soul. Should any mortal attempt to touch you they'd pass right through you," Seph tells him gently.
"Keep your promise to that lovely blonde of yours," winks Hades.
"What promise?"
"You were constantly reassuring her that you're a survivor. So survive this."
Killian jerks in shock at Hades' knowledge but the god gives him no time to ask any more questions as he leaves the room to head into the kitchen.
"Purty pirate," mumbles Melinoe in her sleep.
Persephone's lips curve into a mothering smile as she watches her child shift in Killian's arms. She had never thought that life could be any better than being with the man she loves and him loving her, always and truly. But since she first got pregnant with Melinoe she's had yet another little flame of light to burn away any darkness and bring her laughter and love. Silently she wishes she could beseech Hera that Killian get his family back and be able to make a new one too. But to speak the words aloud and bring the attention of that goddess would be asking for trouble for Thé.
With a kiss to her daughter's forehead Seph leaves to go attend to her duties as Queen of the Underworld, leaving Killian with the quiet sleeping baby and one thought tumbling round and round in his head. It seems like years ago that he was assuring his Swan that she wasn't going to lose him. He remembers telling her "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's surviving." in the middle of the street outside of Granny's. He sighs thinking of how she felt in his arms and pressed against his lips. I still love you Emma, he thinks, hoping that she somehow knows what he's thinking to her. I will survive and I will get home to you.
A/N: You can blame my friend and my inability to sleep last night for how quickly I updated this. Hope you like it.
Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!
Due to my illness I do sometimes have issues being able to write on a regular basis. I don't know when I'll get this next updated but I just ask for your patience. Many thanks!
~Anna-Margaret
xx