A/N: Hey guys! I am sooooooo sorry this took so long to update! I had a lot of family and work stuff going on and it got crazy! I do apologize for the long delay! So I made this chapter a bit longer than the others to make up for that! I hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review! Love you guys!

Chapter 3- "Just a Scratch"

Emma saw Cora's hand plunge deep into Killian's chest. The blood curling cry she released was involuntary. His name rushed from her lips. No. She couldn't do this. Not to him.

"Cora! Cora put it back!" she pleaded. Hate coating her words. "You vindictive witch, put it back or I swear to you I will kill you!"

Cora stood up from her spot in front of Killian. The smile on the witch's lips left Emma shivering. In her hand she held a brightly glowing heart.

"My foolish girl," Cora said smirking. "We both know you wouldn't attempt to kill me while I hold this. Besides Hook feels fine, don't you my dear?"

"Yes," came the reply from the still kneeling Hook, his voice void of any emotion and eyes staring blankly ahead.

Emma's heart felt hard and heavy in her chest. Looking at the man kneeling across the room at her made her feel as if her chest was going to implode. She knew that he would be bound to Cora now but she couldn't let go. No, she wouldn't let go. Not of him. She would never let go of him. She had let go everything that had been important to her once before and it had almost destroyed her. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice. She was going to keep him.

"Killian, Killian baby, look at me!" she urged tears swelling in her eyes. "Come on baby you have to fight this. You can break the hold."

"Oh Emma will you never learn?" Cora barked. "Our Captain is bound to me. I hold his heart. Everyone knows that kind of magic can't be broken. And since you clearly gave Hook your heart. It seems taking his has had a twofold reward. This time I have all the advantages."

Cora was taunting Emma.

Hook heard the banter but honestly he wasn't paying attention to the details. The truth was didn't care. Hook had never felt 'nothing' before. He had felt a great deal of pain, despair, and more recently true love, but never nothing. That is until now.

He looked at the women in front of him turning his attention first to Cora. He remembered the hatred he had felt for; he intense and utter desire for her death; the pure and sheer loathing in his heart for her. But now he felt none of those things. All that he had was the assurance that he would follow her every command.

Then his eyes traveled to Emma. This was a woman he had loved more than anything. From the moment he had first seen her in the Enchanted Forest, she had begun to melt his long cold heart. He had put aside his vengeance for her. Hook remembered the passion. His willingness to lay down his life for her. Now staring at her, he felt indifferent.

"Hook darling," Cora called to him never taking her eyes off of Emma. "Tell us, how do you feel toward our lovely Miss Swan?"

"I don't" Hook said evenly. "Have any feelings toward her, I mean."

Emma's eyes stayed locked on Hooks. Her eyes burned with determination. They betrayed no reaction to Hook's words.

This seemed to annoy Cora.

"Hook could you kindly get up and walk over to her?" Cora snipped. The witch seemed intent on making this Swan feel as much pain as possible.

Hook pushed himself up onto his feet and causally strolled over to Emma.

"Now be a dear and hit that pretty face of hers." Cora said sweetly.

Hook pulled back his hand and smashed it over Emma's face. It hit her hard enough to through her head back. She released a small cry.

Cora laughed.

"Oh my I knew this would be fun." She hissed. Emma's pain gave Cora deep sense of satisfaction. "Oh my, my, look at the time. It seems I am late. Hook my dear boy, I am going to need you to continue on like this for a bit. I should return within the hour and I expect Miss Swan here to be a little worse for wear when I return. Understand?"

Cora did not look at Hook as she said this. Instead he spoke directly into his heart. As she spoke a feeling of malice started to form in Hook's belly toward the bleeding girl in front of him. A desire to harm her came bubbling up from within. He hated her. With all his being he hated her.

"You want me to torture her? Yes I understand. And don't worry I'm a little rusty but I remember the jist. You won't be disappointed when you return." Hook said to Cora a smirk on his lips as he moved closer to Emma. He was going to enjoy this. He had not gotten his revenge because of this bleeding whelp. So now he was going to take a new revenge.

"Good boy," Cora whispered as she disappeared in a cloud of dust, taking Hooks heart with her.

"Now, love, why don't we have some fun?" Hook whispered into Emma's ear. An evil smirk dancing on his lips as he raised his good hand back to strike.

Emma wasn't sure how much time had gone by. She honestly didn't know. Each blow from Killian's hand, or cut from his Hook, resonated throughout her body and seemed to keep going. She was fighting to keep her body conscious. But one more, good hit to the head and Emma knew she would give in.

"Come now, lass. You have to stay with me. We are having too much fun for you to fall asleep!" Hook said with a spiteful sneer on his face. He knelt down in front of her. Leaning forward, Hook began to softly slap her face. This sent searing pain throughout Emma's body due to the cuts and bruises that already adorned her face.

The gasp of pain that escaped her lips pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked at the man in front of her so close to her. He had beaten her. It broke her heart. Not the physical pain, but the pain she knew he would feel. Emma knew when she fixed him gave him his heart again, he would feel the pain and guilt of each blow. Emma knew he would hold himself responsible.

The man in front of her leaned forward and began to taunt her. But Emma didn't hear the words. She knew this wasn't him. This wasn't her Killian. Just as it had never really been Graham doing Regina's bidding. Just a puppet.

Wait, Graham. Emma's eyes grew wide. Graham. He had been able to fight the hold long enough to make his own decisions. He had been able to remember. All he had needed was a little bit of help. Emma looked up a Hook and smiled.

"Now lass what are you think-" Hook started. But almost as soon as he opened his mouth Emma lunged forward in her chair. Her mouth crushed onto Hooks. She ignored the pain that pressing her cracked bleeding lips onto his caused. The pain didn't matter. All that mattered was him. Suddenly, Hook was kissing Emma back. His lips rough and needing. A cry escaped his lips as he broke the kiss and fell back.

"Emma!" Hook gasped as he looked at her with pain in his eyes. "Emma what have I done?"

He looked up at Emma. His beautiful princess. Her lip was bleeding and her left eye was swollen almost completely shut. The entire right side of her cheek was a purplish green and had begun to swell. Her neck, her beautiful white neck, was marred shallow cuts and her arms where decorated in colorful bruises.

"Emma. I am so sorry." He said in a choked sob. How could he have done this. To her. She was his savior and he had broken her.

"Killian," Emma said softly but urgently. "It's not your fault. It wasn't you."

"I did this." Killian said. He was weak. That was why Cora had been able to control him to the point of doing this.

"Killian, no!" Emma shouted with a fire. "This was not you. Cora did this. And we don't have time for you to feel guilty. I don't know if this, clarity will last. I have only ever seen it once before an—I didn't get a chance to see if it was permanent. I need your help Killian, please."

Killian looked at her. She was so strong. The strongest woman he had ever met. But she needed him. He had to pull himself together he had to make this right.

"What—what do I do?" Hook asked as she pushed himself up on his knees.

"Killian I need you to break the chains. I can't use my magic on them so I need you to break them open." Emma explained.

Hook reached forward to unlock the chains when all of the sudden he lost his ability to breath. Gasping for hair he moved back away from the chains.

"Emma," he said between gasps. "I can't touch the chains" He inwardly cursed Cora. The bitch was clever. She must have put a repellent spell on the chains to protect them from being opened by anyone other than her. Damn it all. How was he supposed to save Emma and redeem himself to her, if he couldn't even unchain he?

"You have to Killian." Emma stressed her words. "If I can get out of these chains I can get your heart. I can save you."

Killian looked at Emma. His Emma. He had beat her. Called her the filthiest names he knew. Cut into her. She still wanted to save him. And he would save her. He would make this right.

Hook let out a cry. He knew he only had one shot. Raising his hooked hand her lunged at the chains with everything he had. The moment his hook made contact with the metal a flash of power flung Hook violently across the room. He felt his left arm crack as he crashed against the wall before falling crumpled onto the floor. Hooks entire body ached but he pushed himself up despite the pain and looked at Emma.

She still sat bound in the chair. All of the force he had applied had only scratched the paint covering the chains. The metal lock still held. All of that and all he had achieved was a scratch. Just a scratch? Hook was about to release a slew of curses that would have made the devil himself blush when he noticed a smile playing at Emma's lips.

"Killian you did it." She sighed.

"What?" Hook asked. He hadn't broken the chains "All I did was leave a measly scratch."

"Killian the chains where completely covered in squid ink. That's what stopped my magic from helping me get out of them. You gave me an opening."

Emma closed her eyes.

Hook watched in wonder as a bright white light emerged from that single scratch. The white light began to grow along the chains, eating away at the ink, enveloping the chains entirely. Hook had to cover his eyes with his hand because the glow began to burn them. He heard a loud pop and a burst of warm energy pulsed through his body. All of the sudden the light in the room faded.

Hook opened his eyes and looked to Emma who was seated unbound in the chair. The chains that had been keeping her down lay shattered around her on the floor.

Emma stood up slowly, moaning. A cry of pain escaped her lips and Hook rushed by her side.

His right arm went around her waist to support her. Emma looked up at him. Her battered face held a small smile.

"It's about bloody time." She whispered.