A/N: The Moon symbolizes an unforeseen turn of events, so there's a bit more angst heading your way. I wanted to say thank you, again, to everyone for reading and reviewing and following and just ... I'm seriously overwhelmed at how well-received this fic has been, and I'm so glad you've all stuck with me throughout this journey. We only have three chapters to go, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Chapter Eighteen
The Moon
"Might've known you'd be my savior, when I'd fallen out of favor … "

She had a ring on her finger, and snowflakes melting in her hair.

It was as though the gentle snowfall had waited til just the perfect moment, the flakes falling gracefully from the sky, giving everything an extra air of magic. Emma had never believed so much in magic or miracles before, but she was believing now.

Tink bounced around them excitedly when Killian slipped the ring onto her finger. Emma looked at it, not really registering any of it as being real, even though she knew that it was. "What kind of stone is this?" she had asked, holding her hand up in the light of one of the lanterns that lit the center of the Hollow. The stone seemed to glow from within, a faint bluish light to it that sort of reminded her of Killian's eyes …

"It's a star," Tink said, unable to contain herself.

Killian shot her a look. "Do you mind? What are you even doing here?"

Tink pouted at that. "You wouldn't even have that if it weren't for me."

"A star?" Emma asked, cutting off their argument and trying not to laugh. They bickered like siblings, or so Emma assumed. Not having ever had a sibling of her own.

"Not just any star," Killian said. "The Star of Neverland."

"That sounds … magical," Emma said without a hint of irony.

"Aye, it is," he said.

She had a ring on her finger, and snowflakes melting in her hair.

She kept stepping on Killian's feet as he tried to lead her through this dance, but neither of them seemed to mind.

"You're really not living up to being the graceful swan your name would suggest," he teased her, raising his voice to be heard over the sound of the music. His eyes were sparkling with a light that was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"Oh, shut up," she told him, laughing as she stumbled, yet again, falling against him with an "oof".

"Your clumsiness does have some unexpected benefits, I will say that for it," he said with a smirk. "Why don't you just stand on my feet if you're going to keep stepping on them, love?"

"No!" she protested. "I can do this, dammit."

"All right then," he said, kissing her, and then placing her hands back in the correct positions for this waltz. "It's our turn. Last chance to change your mind." He was joking, but she saw the uncertainty that flickered behind those blue eyes of his.

Emma felt bolstered by that kiss, and she shook her head. "Not getting rid of me that easily," she told him, taking his hand and placing her other hand on his shoulder like he'd showed her. She felt the slight weight of his hook against her back. Her eyes met his and she smiled.

She didn't stumble at all this time, and it was over before there was even time to process it. She hadn't known what to expect, but it hadn't been … that. It was as Killian had said. A dance, and nothing more. No words spoken, no vows exchanged, but somehow, being here, in this place, at this time, with his arms around her, and his laughter in her ears, it felt more real to her than anything ever had.

"Gotta say, I do love the simplicity of this place," she said, laughing a little. She looked up at him. "Though I will admit … never thought I'd get married at all. Least of all to Captain Hook-slash-Peter Pan. You should probably pinch me."

He smirked at that. "Oh, gladly, love," he said, leaning in to kiss her, and it was as though they were the only two people that existed. "Now, let's find that blasted pixie and say our goodbyes," he breathed against her lips. "I'm just aching to get you out of this dress."

Emma gave a little shiver at the dark promise in his words, smirking a bit. "Oh, I just bet you are," she teased.

"Oy, I've never consummated a marriage before," he said, then paused. "Well, not my own, anyway," he added with a wicked grin.

Emma smacked his shoulder lightly. "Well, we certainly wouldn't want to deny you that pleasure," she said, placing a little extra emphasis on the last word as she pressed against him.

No one else existed right now.

She had a ring on her finger, and snowflakes melting in her hair.

"All right, you little minx," he breathed with a crooked grin. "Sod the pixie, we're going now." His hand slid down to take hers and they turned to head back toward the cottage Tink had arranged for them to use this night.

No sooner had they turned though, then they were met with Tink. "Well, speak of the devil," Killian said drolly. "We were just leaving, love."

Tink's green eyes were bright, frantic. "You can't," she said, and there was an air of panic in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, her hand tightening in Killian's.

"Titania is coming," Tink said. "She's still angry with you, Peter."

Emma felt a block of ice in her stomach, remembering what Tinkerbell had told her, back aboard the ship.

She looked at Killian. His jaw was tensing in that way it did when he was upset, worried. "Get Emma out of here," he told Tink.

"No!" Emma shouted. "I'm not leaving you."

"Emma, you have to," he told her, his voice harsh. "You have to go with Tinkerbell, now. She can send you home, but if you stay, they won't let her. You have to go now, before they get here."

"But what about you?" Emma asked. Her heart was pounding and she could taste bile in the back of her mouth. She didn't like this. At all.

"I have crimes I must atone for, love," he said sadly, his hand moving to her face. "And it's well past time I faced them."

"I can't … I can't go … I can't go not knowing if you're going to be all right," she said, her voice breaking.

"I'm going to be fine," he said, but Emma knew he was lying.

"Killian … "

"Shh, Emma," he said, kissing her deeply and longingly, letting his lips linger against hers.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips, tears slipping down her cheeks again.

"And I love you," he said, brushing away her tears with his thumb. "And nothing is going to keep me from you for long." The sound of footsteps from the woods was drawing nearer now. He pushed her away, almost roughly, as though it pained him to do it. "Now, go."

"No … I … "

"Emma, go," he said, and she heard the pain in his voice. "Please, darling, just go."

"Emma, I told you to trust me," Tinkerbell's voice broke in then, and she pulled on Emma's hand, leading her off in the opposite direction. "And you're really going to have to do that. I'm going to get you home, and then I'm going to help him, I promise. But you can't be here now."

"But … " Emma had no idea what was going on. Was this all part of Tinkerbell's plan from before? It didn't seem that way, with the panic in the pixie's eyes and the fear in her voice. She kept looking back over her shoulder to where he stood, watching her walk away. All she wanted to do was run back to him, but Tink kept pulling her further. "What's going to happen to him?"

"Nothing," Tink said firmly. "I won't let it. He's mine, and they can't hurt him so long as I'm here." She grabbed Emma's other hand. "Emma, I'll keep him safe, I promise."

"Will he … will I … " She couldn't get the words out. "What are they going to do to him?"

"A trial," Tink said, her mouth a firm line. "For what he did to the Hollow."

"But … he's guilty," Emma said helplessly. "You said so yourself … he decimated it … he's … "

"Captain Hook is guilty, yes. But I don't think that man exists any more, and I aim to prove it to them," the fairy said with conviction.

"But … how? What if you can't? Tinkerbell, what are they going to do to him?"

"Emma, you said you loved him, right?" Tink said, stopping then and turning to face her. "Enough to break a curse?"

Emma frowned. "I … how would I know that?"

"If I can't convince them … they will execute him," Tinkerbell said.

"No," Emma said, twisting her wrist to break free of Tink's hold on her hand. "Why can't you send us both back, why can't you just get him out of here?"

"It doesn't work like that, Emma!" Tink said helplessly. "Don't you think I would, if I could? I can't send him back, because they aren't just going to let him leave. When we sent him away from Neverland last time, we placed a curse on him. If he were to ever return, he would never be able to leave. He would stay and be punished for his crimes."

The enormity of what Tinkerbell was saying hit Emma like a ton of bricks. "Then why would he ever come back here?" Emma asked helplessly.

Tinkerbell just stared at her. "For you," she said, as though it were obvious.

I chose you!

Killian's words came rushing back to her, and caused the breath to leave her body completely. Emma could no longer keep the tears at bay. "So there's … there's nothing … that's just … that's it? I married him and now he's … "

She had a ring on her finger, and snowflakes melting in her hair.

A ring on her finger.

A star on her finger.

Tinkerbell nodded as she saw the clarity dawn on Emma then. "True love can break any curse," Tinkerbell said softly. "You can save him."

"How?" Emma asked. "What do I have to do?"

"Remember." Killian's voice then. Emma's head shot up as she saw him standing there. He had followed them. "All you have to do, Emma my love, is remember me."

"The Star on your finger will help," Tinkerbell said. "I've imbued it with pixie dust. Your memories won't be gone. Just latent. Something will trigger them, something very specific, that you will have to find on your own. Once they're back … "

"Go to the cabin," Killian finished. "That's all you have to do."

"Okay," Emma said. She frowned. "What's the catch? That's … too easy."

"The catch, my darling, is that you only have one month in your world to get it done," Killian said.

"One month?" Emma asked. "So I'm supposed to somehow figure out whatever this trigger for my memory is … without knowing that I need it … in one month's time or … "

He pressed his index finger to her lips then, not letting her finish her sentence. "I believe in you, lass," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I know you're going to save me. You are the savior, after all."

"But what if I don't?" she said, her voice cracking with tears.

He kissed her, almost chastely. "I don't believe that will happen," he said. "Not for a second."

"Killian … "

He kissed her again, and this time it was desperate, hungry, as though … as though it were the last time. She returned it with equal fervor, clinging to him like he was a lifeline as her tears spilled down her cheeks. She could taste salt on his lips, and she knew without having to look that he was crying too. Her hand moved up to cup his cheek, letting the stubble on his jawline tickle her fingers.

"Emma Swan, I love you … more than I thought it possible to love anyone. I chose you. And I believe in you," he gasped raggedly against her lips then. "Remember that. Remember me."

There was a sudden popping noise from behind her then … and everything went black.

xOx

Emma woke up in the middle of the woods outside Storybrooke. It was dark out, and freezing, a light snow falling as she pushed herself up off the ground, looking around.

What the hell was she doing all the way out here, by the old cabin? She started to brush the dirt off her jeans, when a flash of light caught her eyes. Looking down at her hands, she frowned.

She had a ring on her finger.

Where the hell did that come from? Shaking her head, and deciding some questions were probably better left answered after she'd had a shower and a good night's sleep, she slowly started to make her way back through the woods, toward town.

She had a ring on her finger, and snowflakes melting in her hair.

And she had no idea why.