A/N: When I started this story, my whole goal was to give Emma HER fairy tale. HER happy ending. Which she deserves, oh so much. I wanted to write something that Captain Swanners could come back to, whenever they wanted to see a happy ending for our 'ship, no matter what happens on the show. This has always been meant to be … very fairy tale-esque in the telling. So I've used cliches a few times, I've used tried and true tropes. I'm not SORRY for doing it that way, I'm not sorry for ANY of the choices I've made in this fic, because THIS is the story I wanted to tell, all along. Anyway! This chapter is my FAVORITE chapter in the entire story. The next chapter is the end, and it will put a nice little bow on everything, but this is what I consider the crowning moment of this fic. I love all of you for reading this and loving it as much as I've loved writing it. So this is for all of you.

Chapter Twenty
Judgement
"So show me family, all the blood that I will bleed … "

Instead of answering her, like she had expected, Gold snapped his fingers, and Emma's eyes widened as the shop disappeared around them. "What the hell did you just do?" Emma asked, her tone biting.

"We're going to take a little trip, dearie," Gold said, and the urge to punch him was rising in her again. How the hell was he wielding so much magic these days?

"I'm not interested," Emma said through gritted teeth. "What I want is for you to tell me how to get him back."

"Oh, I've no doubt that's what you think you want now. But, tell me, my dear … how well do you really know the man you've just called your husband?"

"Well enough to know that I'm on his side," she said, her voice heavy with conviction.

"I just hate for people to make uninformed decisions."

"And I just hate all these unexpected trips I seem to be taking lately," she snapped. She looked around, hoping for some idea of where they were, but it was all black around them.

"Oh, you'll thank me for this one," Gold said.

"Doubt it."

Suddenly, the dark room gave way to an old tavern. The sound of boisterous laughter met her ears, and she looked over toward the table it seemed to be coming from. Her heartbeat quickened … there he was. Younger, but just as cocky and arrogant as ever, raising a tankard of ale and talking loudly to be heard over the din of the crowd.

He still had both hands.

"Killian," she breathed, taking a step forward.

Gold put his hand on her shoulder. "Ah-ah, dearie, we're here to observe. He can't see you anyway."

Emma had almost forgotten Gold was here, so caught up in the sight of Killian again … her memories all seemed to click back into place at that moment, the face she couldn't quite remember suddenly there again. She shrugged Gold's hand off her shoulder irritably and took a step closer to the table anyway.

There was a woman sitting across from Killian, laughing and talking just as loudly as the rest of them. She was beautiful, with long, dark hair and bright, laughing blue eyes that seemed to light up whenever she looked over at Killian.

"Milah," Emma said, knowing without knowing who this was.

"So you've heard of her," Gold said, and Emma gave him a droll look.

"You really thought I hadn't? Is that what this is about? To share secrets that you're guessing I didn't know?" She shook her head. "That's pretty pathe — "

She trailed off as a much-younger Rumplestiltskin entered the tavern then, walking directly over to the table where Killian and Milah sat with his crew. Her brow furrowed as she watched the ensuing scene unfold.

"Milah was your wife," she said then, casting a glance over to Gold before turning her attention back to the table. Okay, well, she hadn't known that. That sort of explained a lot. "Milah was your wife and she ran off with Killian and that's why … "

"He stole her from me, and what's worse, he stole her from her son," Gold said, venom in his voice.

"She wasn't stolen. She's a person, not property," she said scathingly. "And if she was able to up and leave her son just like that … well … " Emma shrugged and didn't finish her sentence. She couldn't imagine leaving Henry for anything. Not even for Killian.

"Yes, I know now that Milah was an intensely selfish person," Gold said, "but you are lashing yourself to a man who is just as selfish and cruel."

"He's not the same man he once was," Emma said firmly. "I can't say that I knew him back then," she nodded back toward the table, "but I know him now. And I don't know what you were trying to accomplish here, but if it was to make me … what, give upon getting him back? You failed."

"Ah, but do you truly believe he'd be coming back here just for you, dearie?"

The scene changed then … it was daytime, and they were on the deck of a ship. It was some time later, Killian looked a little older, closer to the way Emma knew him. And there was Rumplestiltskin again, but boy, did he look different.

She winced, her heart breaking just a little as she watched Rumplestiltskin cut off Killian's hand with nary a care. She wanted to go to him, but knew that was against the rules. "Killian," she breathed.

What happened next made Emma's blood freeze in her veins … everything about the scene … it was so familiar, and painful. The choked, horrible noises coming from Milah's throat as she struggled to breathe, the way the woman fell over, struggling for every breath. Killian was holding her in his arms as she took her last painful breath …

… The sunlight had been streaming through the windows of the sheriff's office as Graham tended to her face, and Emma had felt a little bit happier than she could remember … He had thanked her, and then he wasn't breathing and all Emma knew was that everything hurt and nothing made sense …

"Stop it," Emma said then, her voice strained and cold. "I don't want to watch any more of this."

"Oh, what's wrong, dearie? Are we having a change of heart about bringing him back?"

Emma's eyes flashed angrily when she looked at Gold then. "Was that the whole purpose of this little field trip? To make me feel sorry for you?" Emma laughed bitterly. "Because she didn't love you, you killed her! And I'm supposed to … to what? Cry for you? You cut off his hand. You killed his love." She shook her head. "I might actually help him after seeing this."

"You couldn't, even if you truly meant that," Gold said patronizingly.

"Don't take another step toward me," Emma said warningly. "I meant it when I said I'd end you myself if I had to." She cocked her head a bit then. "No, you know what? I suppose I should thank you. For this," she waved her hand at the scene around them. "Because now I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he and I belong together."

"You're a foolish girl, Emma Swan," Gold said and there was malice in his tone.

"No. I used to be. Before I met him. I get it now." She smiled softly to herself, letting one hand rest on her stomach. "This is my happy ending. And I've damn well earned it."

"I won't help you bring him back here," Gold said. "He's earned whatever he's got coming to him."

The light caught the ring on Emma's finger then, and her smile grew. She remembered everything now. "I couldn't agree more," she said softly. She looked up at Gold then. "I don't need your help." She moved to take a step, but Gold blocked her way. Instead of arguing, she just pushed past him roughly.

The ship and the daylight faded away, and suddenly they were back in Gold's shop. Emma didn't even bother to look back at Gold, she tore out of his shop and toward the woods.

Go to the cabin. That's all you have to do.

xOx

Killian gritted his teeth against the next lash, the next vision of his past that was better left unvisited. The pixies of the Hollow had a unique way of meting out justice to those who had wronged them.

He was chained up in the pixies' version of the stocks, his "trial" well underway.

Tinkerbell stood off to the side, sobbing and begging for them to stop. "You didn't even give him a chance!" she screamed futilely.

Queen Titania stood away from the scene, her arms crossed imperiously over her golden form, watching with cold, detached eyes. "Do stop bleating, Tinkerbell," she said boredly. "It does not matter how you say he's changed, he is guilty of the crimes he is being punished for."

"But you're going to kill him!" Tinkerbell cried, lunging at her, only to be pulled back by Titania's guards.

"He should die!" Titania bellowed, letting her true voice echo throughout the Hollow — a terrifying and majestic sound.

"Tinkerbell," Killian gasped as one of the Queen's guards lashed him again. Every time they struck him, every time the whip cracked against his skin, another vision hit him … moments in his dark past, things he had done. "Stop, love," he managed to tell the pixie.

"I won't! Because this isn't fair!"

"Aye, it is," he said, a rush of air leaving his body as one of the guards hit him with a heavily mailed fist.

The vision he saw then was of the time he had stolen into Queen Regina's castle, hoping to get information out of the girl who'd been living with the Dark One … she'd given him nothing, and he'd backhanded her for it.

The guards backhanded him then and his vision swam. Emma's face appeared to him through the haze, soothing him just a bit. It was more than he deserved … but he'd take it.

"Stop it! Stop it, please, take me instead!" Tinkerbell cried.

"Oh, you've got your own punishment coming," the Queen told her, looking at her icily.

Killian knew where this was going to end. Every vision they showed him was just a little bit worse than the one before … it would all culminate in the crime they were most angry about — his destruction of the Hollow, he was sure of it.

He was also sure he wouldn't survive it.

Out of the corner of the eye that wasn't swollen shut yet, he could see the Queen's executioner. Just waiting. It wouldn't be long now. And after everything he'd seen, he knew it was no less than he deserved.

He only wished he could see Emma one last time …

Tinkerbell broke free completely of the guards then, and she was in front of him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to him, tears slipping down her cheeks . "I'm so sorry, Peter. I was supposed to protect you and I failed."

"Shh, Tinkerbell," he said. He couldn't really see her, not with his eyes swelling the way they were. "Just … find Emma somehow … tell her … I'm sorry … " He was losing his grasp on consciousness, though he knew the pixies wouldn't grant him that relief for long.

"No!" Tinkerbell said, tilting his face up. "No, Peter, don't you dare give up! There's still time … Emma can still save you … "

"Can't … be saved," he said tiredly.

Tinkerbell was shoved roughly out of the way then by the guards, but Killian felt her hand in his. Stubborn little bint, she was sticking with him til the bitter end. He hoped she'd find some way to Emma … to help her. This was going to destroy Emma … he'd promised he'd never be the one to hurt her, yet here he was.

He did his best to face what he knew was coming with some measure of dignity, whatever he had left in him. Just before the final blow fell, he swore he heard Emma's voice, calling to him …

"Killian!"

"Emma," he breathed, a small smile on his lips as everything faded to black.

xOx

Tinkerbell was holding onto his hand when she felt the pull. Her eyes widened in shock and she looked to Peter … he was beaten bloody and bruised and unconscious.

Oh, gods, was he dead?

The executioner was stepping forward then, and Tinkerbell felt the tug again, the pull from the other side.

Emma.

She looked up to Titania, unable to keep from smiling a little. He was going to be okay. The Queen's eyes met hers, and Tinkerbell saw the understanding dawn on her.

"NO!" she screeched, flicking her wrist and emitting a wave of magic from her fingertips.

The magic hit Peter, and Tinkerbell gasped. A curse, of course. One final gift from the Queen of the Pixies.

But the Hollow was disappearing around them then, and Tinkerbell could feel Emma's light radiating from the other side.

"It's gonna be okay," she said to herself, squeezing Peter's hand tightly. "It's gonna be okay."

They hit the ground hard on the other side, and Tinkerbell whimpered a bit, before sitting up. They were in the woods. Somewhere. She looked over at Peter, who was still unconscious and would be until …

"Find Emma," Tinkerbell said to herself, standing up and nodding. "Must find Emma. Where do I even start?"

"I'm here."

xOx

Emma burst through the treeline in the woods, right outside the cottage. It was much like the night she'd ended up in Neverland, the frantic beating of her heart, the dread that consumed her, the worry for Killian …

There was a bright flash just as she broke through the trees, and then there was Killian, limp and bruised and bloody, lying on the ground. And Tinkerbell was with him. She was muttering to herself, "Find Emma."

"I'm here," Emma said, her eyes never leaving Killian. "Oh, God, what happened?"

"I'll explain later," Tinkerbell said. "Right before we got pulled through — nice timing, by the way — Titania threw a curse at him."

"A … curse?" Emma said, her heart pounding. He looked dead. He couldn't be dead. That wasn't how this was supposed to go. They were supposed to be together, and be a family and … happily ever after … all that crap she'd never believed in.

Before him.

She couldn't lose him. Not now.

"No," she said, shaking her head, and then she was on the ground, next to Killian, pulling him into her arms. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down at him … what had they done to him? "Killian," she whispered. "Don't leave me now."

His bottom lip was split open, so she was oh-so-very-gentle as she brushed her lips against his.

The second their lips made contact, Emma felt a jolt through her, a pulse of magic emanating all around them. And then she felt his hand in her hair, and he was pulling her down closer to him, kissing her hard, and Emma was crying as her hand moved up to cup his cheek.

"Emma," he breathed when they finally parted, his eyes still swollen, but open enough to look at her, open enough that she could see the beautiful blue shining back at her.

"Hi," she said, laughing and crying at the same time.

"'ello, love," he whispered back, that familiar smirk quirking the corners of his lips. "It's about bloody time."