Paved With Good Intentions (part 4b) A CS CYOA by lynyrdwrites and gusenitsaa. Can you make the right choices to bring Emma back to the light, or will the path to angst be paved with good intentions?
In Part 4 you killed off Henry and Regina and pretty much broke everyone else. Shockingly enough, people weren't content with that ending. So we're backtracking and taking the other path in which Snow chooses to prevent Emma from attacking Regina!
Snow held the dagger in front of her, a tremor in her hand making the blade shake.
"So, is that how it will be?" Emma asked softly. "Going to control me, mother? That's always the answer, isn't it?"
Mother and daughter stood just feet apart, identical green eyes clashing with each other - Emma's holding challenge, Snow's grief. The shaking in the dagger increased, until Killian was surprised she didn't drop it. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes closed but her grip remained tight on the blade.
"You wouldn't want me to let you do this, Emma, I know it. So no, I know you may never forgive me, but you will not harm Regina."
"Mother knows best," Emma growled with venom in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Emma, b-"
"Are you ordering me to stay, mother?"
Snow swallowed hard and dropped her eyes.
"No, E-" There was a column of smoke and Emma was gone.
"Thank you," Regina said shakily, ""I didn't think she would actually-"
"Perhaps she wouldn't have?" Henry asked softly.
Tears slipped down Snow's face and she offered the dagger to Killian who shook his head.
"You've just made an enemy, lass. Might be wise to keep a hold of it now."
David, realizing that Snow couldn't stand to touch it any longer took the blade from her shaking hands and Killian turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" David asked in concern.
"Did you need my assistance for something?"
David just furrowed his eyebrows and Killian nodded. "I'd like to be alone for a while."
"Be careful," David warned, and Hook responded with a half-hearted wave of his hand as he made for the docks again.
He descended into his cabin and found Emma sprawled out on his cot staring at the ceiling.
"Took you long enough," she grumbled. She sat up and patted the cot next to her with a flirtatious smile.
"Some of us still walk," he sighed, leaning back against the table and watching her curiously. "Why are you here?"
"I like it here. I've always liked it here."
"Why are you really here? You want something, dark one, what is it?"
"Can't it be both?" she asked teasingly, but he didn't smile. She rolled her eyes and hopped off the cot.
"I wouldn't have actually killed her, you know... Regina." Emma commented. "Just wanted to scare her a bit. She deserves it and you know it."
"Your mother seemed to disagree," he said noncommittally.
Emma's eyes flashed, "My mother adores being in absolute control of my life. She's never been so thrilled, I'm sure, now I'll be the obedient daughter she's always wanted."
"She wants you to still be you when that curse is lifted-"
"I'm still me NOW," Emma fumed, her voice rising suddenly. Killian didn't even flinch.
"What is it you want from me?" Killian asked her wearily, "Really? Do you want me to pretend that this is fine? To forget that you told us to save you? Because you know I cannot do that."
"So that's it then? I spend the rest of my life doing what my mother tells me because I can't be trusted to do the right thing? What happened to 'this has to be my choice?' "
"I don't know Emma, I don't know what happened. Perhaps if you'd tell me-"
Emma let out a huff of irritation and turned towards a porthole.
"I can't live like this Hook, I can't be her tool forever. I need to be free, don't you understand?"
"You can be free. Help us find a way to destroy the darkness. Like we wanted, like you wanted."
"You can help me, Hook. You know how important it is for me to make my own decisions. You convinced her of that once. And I did, didn't I?" She pushed closer, one hand reaching to clasp the lapels of his coat. "I made the right decision then. Why don't you trust me anymore?"
"Help me to trust you," he retorted, "Return our memories, show us what happened."
Her hand shifted, hovering over the center of his chest. "I could make you help me. With the hat and so much more power than your crocodile ever had… You knew me before. I could free myself. No one would ever be able to control me again."
Her fingers brushed over his chest for a moment and Killian tensed, shaking his head.
"Don't Swan, please, this isn't you."
"Oh don't worry," she soothed, raising her hand to his cheek, "It wouldn't be you. She owes me this, Killian, she owes me my freedom."
Killian's hand shot up to grab her wrist but all he caught was smoke.
There was a quiet sobbing sound from inside the door when Emma appeared on the other side of the loft door. Less efficient perhaps but she wanted to make a good impression. With a flick of her wrist she altered her appearance subtly. Not normal, exactly, they knew she wasn't normal, but perhaps enough to remind them of who she once was. Her severe bun loosened and several strands of hair came loose to frame her face and though she kept her leather pants she paired it with a black sweater that might look… softer. She knocked sharply on the door. The sounds from inside quieted and the door opened.
"Hi dad."
"Emma-" She pushed her way in past her stunned father and David let the door fall closed behind her.
"Oh, Emma-" Snow whispered, wiping her tears away quickly.
"I didn't mean to frighten you earlier," Emma said, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Really I wouldn't have hurt her I just… She tried to take my son away, mom. I just wanted to scare her."
"No one is trying to take away Henry," Snow insisted.
"How can I be sure of that? Regina tried, Regina used her magic to take him away, and I try to get him back, and you take away my free will."
"We're on your side, Emma," Charming said, "we just want you back, we just want-"
"It doesn't feel like anyone is on my side. I'm just one more villain to be defeated to you."
"No Emma," Snow insisted, "we just want you to come back to us-"
"And how am I supposed to do that if I'm not free to make my own decisions. How am I supposed to make the right choice if there is no choice!" Her parents looked at her, and Emma could see fear in their eyes, so she turned away, hunched her shoulders and hugged her arms around her body. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just so…"
"Oh, Emma," Snow said, her voice filled with that empathy she was so known for.
Too bad it had never been directed towards her daughter. No, Snow White had always felt more empathy for the woman who killed her father, than for the daughter she abandoned in a wardrobe.
"It seems like all of my choices haven't been my choices," Emma said, and though she was supposed to be putting on an act, she found that she meant every word she said. "Rumplestiltskin worked his magic to make me the saviour, you guys made choices that led me to Lily… even Neal wasn't really a choice for me. It was all some twisted destiny."
"That's not true, Em-"
"And now this? Because I'm the Savior. I have to save everyone. Did you even consider that maybe I don't always want to be the one who has to save everyone. You think I wanted to be this?"
"You wanted us to save you," David said quietly, "We're trying, we are but we don't know h-"
"Really? Because it feels like you finally have what you always wanted. You had a pet savior, now you have a pet dark one-"
Snow's tears began to flow again and David winced. "Tell us how you can help you," he asked quietly.
"You can let me make my own choices, for once in my life. You want to know what happened in camelot? Within a day of having my dagger, Regina was using it to make a name for herself." With a flick of her fingers the memories of a courtyard and a tree came flooding back into Snow and Charming's minds. "I was wrong. It's too much power for you all, for any of you. You're the ones that can't resist the power."
She turned to leave, giving Snow and Charming a moment to glance at each other and before she'd even reached the door she felt herself pulled back by a hand on her wrist.
"Emma, wait," David asked and he held the dagger in his hand. Without her volition she turned to face him abruptly a look of annoyance on her face.
"Sorry," Dave said, when he realized what had happened. "I didn't mean to-"
"What do you want dad? Save us both the effort and just order me to do it now." "You're right," Snow said weakly, and David held out the blade.
"Take it Emma," David told her, "we trust you're stronger than the darkness." In an instant the blade vanished in grey smoke and a smile broke onto Emma's face.
"Much obliged, daddy."
She vanished and reappeared next to her mother, and Snow gasped as Emma's hand ripped her heart from her chest.
David's face contorted in horror and Emma smiled, "With this… I can finally…. finally be free.
"NO!" Killian called from the doorway, his face was flushed pink from a run from the docks and his voice ragged and out of breath. "it's not that easy love. Even if you wanted to do so… You don't even have the hat right now. You need her aliv-"
"All I need is the dust of a heart that knew me before. Rumplestiltskin kept you alive because he enjoyed the game. Enjoyed using you as a puppet. I've no need for a puppet. " She began to squeeze Snow's heart and Killian pushed forward.
"Stop Emma…. I have a better way."
Decision point: Emma has decided to use Snow's heart to free herself from the dagger so she can NEVER be controlled again! Even worse she's ready to crush it right now and deal with the pesky magical details later!
Does Emma decide to listen to Killian's "better way"?
Does Emma decide Killian's talked quite enough and send him back to his ship in a puff of smoke. This is, after all, a family affair.