Chapter 12

Little Mermaid

The pain was excruciating. It felt like fire in his chest, like fire was burning him alive.

But Killian Jones was never one to just roll over and die. He was annoying like that. If he died the first time someone stabbed him and threw him overboard, he'd have died so long ago. So the second he hit the water, his instincts kicked in, the instincts to get to the surface, the instincts to swim, pain be damned.

And oh was there pain.

He could hear Swan's grief stricken screams of rage and pain.

Don't cry Swan.

Swan. Henry.

And suddenly, while his body felt tired and heavy, while he felt dots cross his vision from blood loss alone, not to mention the fact that the damn huntsman probably hit something important, he knew that if he was going to die, he better make it worth it. He had to make sure Henry made it to land.

He looked around, spotted Henry swimming towards him, Killian grinned weakly, or tried anyway.

"Swim." He gasped, waving him away. "Dock. Stay hidden." Head sinking under the water once before he forced himself back up. It was getting harder to see, harder to swim as his body was no longer burning, feeling numb instead. He knew that the numbness was not a good thing.

Henry turned, grabbing him by the arm. "Killian! Come on! I'm not leaving you!" The boy insisted. He was trying to haul Killian with him, small hands against the deep wound in his chest; it was a sweet but futile effort.

"I'm dead, lad." He said with utter certainty, he could see the blood in the water, leaving him quicker than it should. "I've accepted it for a while now. Leave me or we'll both drown." He insisted. "Let me die a hero."

He could see Henry's soaked face, could see tears in the young boy, having seen too much too soon. Killian pulled away from Henry, surrendering the fight, sinking beneath the water's surface.

A burial at sea…He recalled…someone saying…It was better than he ever expected.

He looked up once more, could see the distorted sun, Henry kicking feet as he tried to grab him before he fell too far, and then Killian saw something else…

A tail?

His eyes fluttered as he started coughing violently.

Coughing? How was he coughing underwater?

Exhausted, his head fell back onto someone's shoulder. Arms…he could feel arms under him, holding his head above surface.

"Don't worry. You can thank me later." Snickered a voice…so far away.

"Is he alive?" Henry, that was Henry.

"Yes, but let's get you both to dry land so I can see what this deckhand did this time. Hmm?" The voice replied.

"Ok."

XXXXXXXXXX

She was in a carriage, on her knees but there was a fire in her eyes, rage, pure rage. She leaped out at him, making him stumble back in fright, but Emma, she passed right through him, banging her fists against the doors.

"I'm going to kill you." She laughed. "I'm going to kill every one of you, and your families, anyone I can. I'm the Dark One. I have nothing left to lose!" She crackled.

Killian got to his feet, reaching out for her, but he couldn't touch her, his hand passed right through her.

Am I dead? He wondered.

Emma turned, looking right at him. Her manic expression faded.

"Killian? Is that you?" She whispered in disbelief.

"Emma." He breathed, "Can you-"

He reached for her again, just resting his hand over her cheek, but not touching. He wished he could hold her. She placed her hand just over his hand, sighing, obviously able to feel his touch. Killian wished he could feel her.

"I can't hear you. I can barely see you, but I know you're here. I don't know how, but I just- I just know." She admitted. "I'm sorry, I can't. I can't let her live for what they did, they killed you and Henry."

She dropped to her knees as he drops besides her, putting his arms around her the best he could. "You're probably disappointed in me, but I'm weak, and I'm angry, I've never been so angry." She admitted.

Killian shook his head. "Please Emma, don't." He begged. She stared right past him.

"They're going to die. They took the last of my light away, they took you away, so now it's time for me to stop fighting my nature."

Her eyes, they flickered with pure malice, pure darkness.

"They need to be punished because…I'm the Dark One."

Killian shook his head. No. "Emma please-" She stood up, turning her back on him, curling up in a corner feigning sleep, because Killian knew.

Dark Ones didn't sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

He felt something warm on his back, something soft under his face, it was a familiar sensation. He let out a groan as he tried to get off his stomach, just to feel pain exploded behind his eyes and to be pushed back down by a pair of soft hands.

"Killy, haven't we gone over this? I can't work with you moving and groaning." Lectured a voice flippantly, hitting him lightly on the back of the head, he grinned as he recognized it; he hadn't expected to hear her again. But thank god he did, it made his last memories make a whole lot of sense.

"Ursula." He mumbled into the soft thing under him, a pillow? "What do I owe the pleasure?" He forced his eyes open to see that the three of them were in a cottage, the boy sat vigil at his side, trying to keep him still, eyes wide with unshed tears. The woman was on his other side, hand pulsating with her ocean magic directly over the area he had been stabbed. It burned like hell, but Killian knew from experience that she was stitching the wound back together, healing it slowly given the severity of it this time. He wondered how long he'd been unconscious.

"I'm trying to keep you from bleeding to death, but you're really making it difficult, Killy." She replied annoyed.

"My apologies Little Fish. I'll try not to bleed so much" He mumbled, seeing her face flutter in embarrassment at the use of his pet name for her, but kept his eyes on Henry, trying to keep his smile not to look too pained and weak. He reached his hand out, taking the boy's in his own, squeezing reassuringly "I'm fine Henry. Really. Ursula here is mighty fine at what she does." He told him, glancing at the dark skinned young woman sitting at his side. She was in her early 20's hair braided with seashells in a pale blue dress "Besides, it's just a scratch."

Killian didn't need to turn to see Ursula roll her eyes. But it did make Henry grin, and that was the point after all.

"Killian. You saved my life." Henry said softly, "I thought you were dead, you just laid there and I thought…" It made Killian look back to him, hearing the uncertainty. " I've been nothing but terrible to you, and I just don't understand." He admitted with a crack in his voice. "Why?"

He held his smile. The boy looked a lot like Bae, same dark hair and adventurous spirit. His eyes were different however, they looked like Swan.

"Because you remind me of someone I used to know. Because I can see how much your-" He caught himself warily. "How much Swan cares about you, but mostly, because I couldn't bear to think of you in harm's way, lad."

Henry stared at him in disbelief, eyes welling up with tears. "You shouldn't have done that! I'm not a little kid! I can take care of myself!" He insisted, crossing his arms and turning away. He looked so young when he did that.

Killian snickered, making him turn red in embarrassment.

"I didn't mean to insult you lad, even a man needs help now and again, just look at Ursula over here, can't count how many times she's fished me out of the harbor when Smee was through me in." He said glancing gratefully at the dark haired mermaid.

"Smee huh? Are the rumors really true? Did you steal The Jewel of the Realm?" She asked with disbelief?

Killian couldn't help but grin. "What can I say? Piracy is in my blood."

Ursula shook her head, pulling her hand away, allowing him to get up. "Never thought you'd actually stand up for yourself though. What made you do it?"

Killian looked back to Henry briefly, seeing those same eyes, same chin, same determined stubbornness not to need help. The boy was listening intently to the conversation, brows furrowing in confusion as he glanced towards Killian.

"All it took was meeting the right person." He replied. "They've changed my life." Swan and Henry were all he needed now. His ship was back in his control, but what really drove him now, were them.

He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling fatigue grip at his consciousness for a moment. Just a moment, because echoing in his head, was the rather distinctive sound of Emma. He remembers the agonizing scream of his Swan, remembered his dream of her miserable in a carriage, of her promise to kill in retribution for their deaths.

Killian didn't want that, he didn't want her to darken her heart any further. He also remembered the fact that he never-

"Bloody hell." He gasped, getting to his feet before gripping the wall to right himself. Pain shot up his back at his quick movement, a pained groan tore itself from his mouth before he could stop it, he felt like he was about to lose his breakfast, but he pushed through.

"Killian!" Ursula lectures, eyeing Henry in perfect not in front of the kid fashion. It made Henry roll his eyes. She stood and gripped his arm as his body swayed. The world was spinning, when did the world start spinning? "Killy, stop, you've been sleeping for three days, you need to rest and recover." Killian ignored the pain as her words sunk in

Three days. She's been gone three days, they have a three day head start.

He shook away his fatigue, willing himself better before addressing Henry.

"Henry, we have to go. We have to go now. We might be able to catch them-we-your- Emma thinks us dead lad." He said in near panic, snapping his eyes shut to keep his lunch. "We need her to know that we are alright. We need to catch her." Ursula pulled him back down, saying something about resting, the drain magic causes on the body about needing rest.

Killian didn't need rest, he needed Swan.

"Not my first time needing my little sister's help." He snapped before clamping his mouth shut in surprise at how quick he had said that. He looked up at Henry, hoping the boy hadn't caught that.

"Your sister is a mermaid?" Henry exclaimed in utter shock, his head was going back and forth between them, probably looking for a resemblance. That was what Ursula's fiancée had done when she had confided in him. There wasn't much, Killian much resembled his father just as Ursula was the spitting image of hers. He'd been told though that they both had their mother's knack for adventure.

"Half-sister." He told Henry. "We have different fathers."

Ursula shot him a glare. "Seriously Killian? What's gotten into you? First your challenging Smee, then getting stabbed by the Queen's royal huntsman, and now spilling our secrets in front of a random boy?" Killian turned and glared at her. "Mom's right, you're in trouble."

Bile rose in his throat, and not from his injury, but from Ursula bringing her up, the mermaid usually had more sense than that. She knew that Killian absolutely detested any sort of mentions of that woman.

"Oh, so you and Mother have been talking about me?" He snapped angrily. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Little Fish." He spat, pushing her away lightly. No matter how angry he was, he'd never hurt her.

"Killy, Mother said that you went to get…to free…"She looked around warily. "The Dark One." She said in a whisper, as if saying her title too loud would summon her somehow. Oh how Killian wished that was true. "Please Killian, tell me it isn't true; you know you can tell me, are you in trouble? After you took the Jewel, Eric bought a fishing boat, you can come on it, work for us, it's what you always wanted, no one will ever hurt you again." She insisted, gripping his arm, pleading, but he shook her off.

It was a argument they've been having for nearly a decade.

Killian staggered to his feet. "Killian, we can be a family." She insisted. "Mother misses you, she wants to see you; she doesn't like how you left things."

He just rolled his eyes. Of course Mother wants to see him, he's all grown up now, doesn't need mothering. Harder to see the infant you abandoned in a fully grown man. For a second, he wondered if they knew about his fate, he bet she did. Killian glanced at Henry and decided not to ask right away, he didn't want Henry or Emma to know.

"Henry, I think I need something to drink before we head off, would you mind getting me a glass of water? I need to discuss something privately with my sister." He said in a controlled tone.

Henry nodded knowingly, exiting the small living room in the direction Killian assumed to be the kitchen. He lowered his voice significantly.

"Do you know?" He asked.

"Know what?" Ursula replied in the same low voice.

"What happens on my birthday." He replied. "Right after I blow out my birthday candles" He said sarcastically. She didn't need to answer; the sad expression on her usually happy face spoke volumes.

"Killy-" He shook his head not wanting to hear her excuses. Just another person lying about his life. He didn't need to hear it.

"How long have you known?" was his response, avoiding her eyes.

She hesitated, indicating a long time. "I wanted to tell you, I really did, but Mother forbade it." He chuckled.

"Of course she did. She's never really cared for her middle child." He growled.

When he told her Liam was gone, she had howled in grief, clinging to her daughter and new husband in agony. She was there for her youngest, for Ursula, for every milestone, for every precious moment.

She had never even held him, not once.

"It was for your own good Killian." Ursula defended.

"I don't need your protection little sister." He barked back, seeing Henry return and taking the glass with a grateful smile. "Thank you for saving our lives, but I'm not in any trouble." He assured her, getting to his feet as Henry moved to support his side. "As for a family, well, I'm working on that for myself."

He saw Henry grin as he tightened his hold on him, keeping him upright. Killian couldn't help but ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. The boy batted his hands away with an annoyed pout.

"Killian, I didn't just find you. Mother sent me." Killian kept his gaze steady. "Mother says that you are dancing with the devil, she says that if you continue down this path, it will bring you into the darkness, so far into it that you'll never find your way out."

Darkness? His mother was worried about the damn color of his heart?

He turned towards Ursula. "She just watched me die." He told her. "I listened to her scream as she saw me fall down. The woman I love watched me die and she doesn't even know-" His voice broke "I never told her I love her." He turned around sharply. "Not once." He kept his eyes trained on the boy.

"Have a nice life sis." He said, nodding a final goodbye before gripping Henry tightly and nodding forward.

"Come on Henry, let's go get our girl."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They made camp at nightfall, they didn't want to, but they were exhausted from trekking all day and with much insisting, Killian got it through Henry's head that being exhausted when we found her wouldn't solve their problems.

Thankfully, they didn't have to deal much with the gaping hole previously in Killian's chest, thanks to mermaid magic, by in a few days Killian would be as good as new. At the moment, the worse it was just pain, and shortness of breath, nothing Killian couldn't handle. Once he was back at full strength, they would be able to catch the carriage that held Emma.

After parting ways with Ursula, Killian had doubled back to his ship and swiped one of his maps from his collection, giving him a sure path to the summer palace that would have them reach it before Emma did.

It wouldn't be long before he'd have Swan back in his arms, he'd had her just days before, feeling like no time had passed at all to him as he recovered, it made him wonder if it really happened or if it was just some dream of his.

"Why were you angry at your sister?" Henry said suddenly. "You've been really quiet since we left and…sorry, Mom says I'm too nosy for my own good." He rambled. Killian forced a smile before answering.

"It's complicated Henry." He said, not wanting to dismiss the boy, but he didn't want to get into it, not with a boy who's just lost his other mother. It wasn't his place to unload.

"I really hate that word you know?"The boy snapped."I mean 'It's complicated' seems like the only thing anyone says when they just don't want to talk or face the truth. You loving my mom is complicated, my mom loving you is complicated. Graham was complicated, my dad's complicated, Lily not being my real mom was complicated, now you and Ursula, are complicated." He ranted before sighing and crossing his arms in a huff.

Killian frowned, feeling frustration beam off of Henry in waves. He didn't know much about a lot of what was upsetting Henry, but he would tell him what he could.

"I won't tell you everything." He warned. "Not yet anyway. But how about you and I start trying to un-complicate some of it?" He prodded, ready to dive into a bit of unpleasantness

"My mother abandoned the family immediately after I was born, they didn't even know she was with child, they were away in the capital of my nation at the time, she left me with a neighbor and ran off. It took my father and brother months to come back and find me." He explained.

"I found her again only a year after I lost my brother; she was remarried with a man of the sea, gifted with a voice that would lead all sailors to their demise. She would have led the ship I was on to its death but she somehow sensed I was on board. My mother er…requested that the Jewel dock for a few days in their home." Requested? She bloody enchanted all the men on board, all save him.

Apparently he was immune due to their shared blood. The only bloody thing it was good for.

"It was there that she introduced me to my little sister, she was only about 10 years old. Ursula." He continued. "I was outraged when I saw her, with good reason. My elder brother, the one who raised me after my father's death, he told me of what my mother had done, carelessly abandoning her husband and two sons. I demanded an explanation. Her explanation was not something I was happy with." He said vaguely, not wanting to get into that mess. Thankfully Henry seemed pleased with it, nodding in understanding.

"I'm Emma's son, you know, 'I came out of her' kind of son." Henry started. Killian grinned.

"Yes, I'm aware of how that works lad." He chuckled.

"My other mother, her name is Lily, well she sort of adopted me, but I didn't know, not for a while." He admitted. "I was ten when I realized." Henry stopped for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"How did you find out?" He asked gently.

"Lily-er, I guess you can say that my grandmother is a Fairy, and fairies, any who can share their blood can only have female kids." He explained. "I learned that when I was younger, but it took that long for me to realize what it meant, that I couldn't be her son."

Oh lad…

"So then one day I asked my aunt if she knew anything." He continued, eyes downcast, poking the fire with a stick.

"Your aunt?"

"My Aunt Emma."

Ah.

"The next day the three of them invited me in, sat around me and told me everything."

He couldn't imagine how painful that was, to learn that your mother was actually not your birth mother, and that your aunt was. "I guess it made sense in a way. Lily doesn't particularly like Emma, but she always came back, sometimes within weeks, other times months, but she was always there when I needed her. She just couldn't stay away."

Henry sighed, looking at the sky. "Killian? Do you really love my mother?" Henry said surprising him with the sudden question.

"Yes." He breathed without thinking, meeting Henry's shaking gaze. The boy was obviously shaken "I love her, more than anything." He admitted. "We will get her back." He told him, coming closer. Henry responded, head on his shoulder.

"Mom's been captured before, the Queen always tries to keep her out of her way, but she always escapes, she always says that it's so she can come back for me, sometimes it takes days, other times months, but she always comes back." He admitted, clinging to his coat. "But she thinks I'm gone. I know my mom, she hangs onto hope even if she tries to pretend otherwise, but once she loses it…I'm scared Killian, I'm so scared that she won't be the same Emma I-we love." He said softly. "I know I still have Lily, but Emma and I, it's different. It'll always be different."

Killian shuddered, remembering the look in Emma, the utter furry, the darkness. Henry was right about Emma, they had to hurry, keep her from doing anything reckless. He needed to keep her from getting herself killed. He considered telling Henry, but in all honesty, it was terrifying, he didn't want to burden Henry in what he saw. While it could have just been a pain induced hallucination, Killian knew otherwise, because when you loved someone, you knew, you just knew.

It was better to distract him, yes, a nice story always worked with Bae, so maybe it'll work with Henry.

"Henry, would you like to hear a story?" He asked the frightened boy, peeling him gently from him.

"You seem to like adventures, and stories, how about I tell you about how a bumbling Deckhand climbed a tower and rescued a princess?" He prodded.

The boy listened as Killian spoke, leaving out the details that he'd assume Swan wouldn't want him to know.

The boy forced a smile as the tale ended. "I want to save Violet too." He admitted. I don't know if I love her, but I like her. I want to save my family and Violet." He declared.

Killian nodded in understanding.

"Killian…do you think…maybe…you could teach me a bit of that good form stuff?" He asked averting his eyes. "She's a princess and I want to impress her you know?"

He did. He really truly did. For a moment, he was at peace, they would find Emma, they would save her; it would be alright.

"Of course lad, I'd be honored to teach you about good form." They could do this.

"Who taught you?" Henry asked. Killian hesitated. "Sorry, you don't really owe me anything, you don't have to answer." He said quickly.

Killian shook his head. "It's alright lad, my elder brother taught me." He admitted. "Liam raised me from when I was 7 to the age of fifteen, he taught me how to be brave and how to treat a lady." He explained. "I lost him on an ill-fated mission." Killian said cryptically.

"Who raised you when you were 7 and under?" Henry asked innocently.

"My father, but before you ask, he's dead, died for a crime he didn't commit." Killian explained.

"I never knew my dad. Mom says I look like him, but that it's better that I never meet him. She says he's not a good man." Henry admitted. "But I wonder you know? I love my moms, but I'll never have that dad figure, never talk to him about girls or learn to sword fight-"

Killian nodded in understanding. "Well, your mum taught me to sword fight, as for girls, you already spoke about Violet to me, I'm not trying to take the place of your dad, but if you ever want an ear as we're going through good form, I'm open to hear." He promised.

They stayed up for a while, talking, just talking, but eventually they knew they had to get some rest, the pair had a lot of ground to cover in the morning.

Killian was killing the fire when his eye caught sight of something, he watched as Henry limped to where his bed roll rested. "Henry? Are you alright lad?" The boy smiled a cooked grin, nodding.

"I'm fine." He insisted. Killian watched him for a moment, considering insisting. "I've gotten my fair share of bumps and bruises before." Henry added with a reassuring nod. "I can handle it."

Killian back down, nodding in understanding before taking the first watch, they didn't have a sleepless Emma to stay up through the night anymore.

Two hours later, when Killian was about to wake Henry for the second shift, Killian is met with one of the most frightening sights he had ever seen. Killian had thought he had seen everything, knew all the horrors and tortures the world could offer, but now, now he knew better.

Henry was tossing and turning in a restless sleep, body drenched with sweat. Killian tried to rouse him, but He refused to wake up, his skin was fire to the touch. When the boy did eventually wake, he was in a fevered delirium, talking about Graham and his mother, Lily. He barely knew what he was saying.

Killian knew an infection when he saw it and right now, Henry had infection running through his veins. It took a while, longer than it should have, to find it.

A large gash in his leg, looking red and quite painful, it had been patched up in an immature fashion, no doubt while Ursula was sealing his own stab wound, the boy probably thought bringing attention to it would prevent his own care. It looked bloody awful.

Seeing Henry like this, made Killian afraid, so afraid that after trying to save Emma's boy, a boy Killian had grown to be quite found of, he would die here in his arms. He didn't know if he could bare it.

But Killian knew one thing for sure, Henry needed help and he needed it now.

Well, looks like Killian made it!

Shout out to Guest named Anna who was REALLY close to this answer, I was on the fence between Ariel and Ursula but eventually decided Ursula would be better. This is where the villains get their happy endings after all.

Hopefully the backstories make sense. I do wonder how Cannon Henry found out, if Regina told him or if he found out in someway.

Guest reviews:

andria: Yes, Lily is Henry's mom and Maleficent is his grandmother I alluded to. I thought alot about different 'villains' and what would be their happy ending, and I thought that Lily having everything that Emma has would be hers (from the brief bits we know about her). As for Regina...we'll see.

Guest: Well, Henry's not dead yet.

Now as for Her Handsome Hero,

Warning SPOILER ALERT.

Ok, so I got annoyed with Belle a lot because I firmly believe that a mother should be willing to do whatever it takes to defend their child, I mean seriously, no dark magic? Your kid will probably inherit Dark Magic or something, just let Gold be Gold. Let him do what's necessary and then contemplate your actions while eating Cheese Burgers in Granny's. Plus, she KNEW he was a bad guy, all red eyed in soul mirror bad, she sooo should have let Gold push him in because then all would be well.

(and Hades, girls like chocolates, dead flowers are creepy)

Don't forget to review!

~Luna