A/N Sorrrry that this has taken so long. I was working on the Ruby spin-off and then I just lost all motivation for a while. Hopefully I'm back in the groove now. Cheers.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Atlantis

"Well that was exciting." Socrates says with a shaky smile at everyone. Plato shakes his head and looks at a pale Emma, sitting on the lounge with Killian's arm tight around her.

Snow breaks free of David's hand and sits down to lean against Emma in silent support. Emma smiles weakly at her mother and then at her father before speaking in a broken voice.

"That was pretty intense." Emma says, blowing out a long breath and staring at her boots.

Socrates suddenly chirps in.

"Well, on the positive side of things, I think we can definitively say that your intentions are honourable. Therefore, you are free to bring your friend to the healing pools." He says with a satisfied smile and an emphatic nod of his head.

Four heads jerk up to look at the old man and then Emma smiles weakly at him.

"There's some good news." She says and stands with a huge sigh, Snow and Killian rising after her.

David smiles at Emma and says,

"Well, let's go wake up Belle."

He throws an arm around Snow's shoulders and kisses her temple with a relieved smile. Emma takes Killian's hand and smirks at him as they follow Plato back down the garden path towards their friends.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Atlantean Healing Pools

A couple hours later, Emma, Killian and the others gather around a large pool in the middle of one of the many Atlantean gardens and watch as a sombre Plato and smiling Delphi carry Belle towards the water. The beautifully carved marble adornments make the natural pool of Atlantis seem even more magical to Emma and she smiles at the thought of her friend waking up and meeting her daughter.

Suddenly, Killian jumps forward and grabs Plato by the arm, halting their progress and snapping everyone's attention to him.

"Wait! What is the catch to this healing?" he asks with sudden fear and everyone furrows their brow at him in confusion. David's expression quickly turns to understanding and he steps up to back Killian.

"That's a good point. The healing spring in Neverland healed me but the catch was that I couldn't leave Neverland or I would die."

"Not saying that we won't find a way around it, but I think knowing the consequences beforehand would be prudent, mate." Killian says with a nod of appreciation at the prince.

Plato shakes his head with a small smirk of understanding.

"Fear not. I know of the Neverland spring; it merely covers harmful magic with a magic of it's own. This pool will remove the magic entirely. Therefore, there is no, as you put it, 'catch'."

Killian slowly removes his hand from the old man's arm and looks to David with tentative acceptance. The men step back and Plato and Delphi continue into the healing pool with Belle.

Rumpelstiltskin leans in close from his perch on a marble retaining wall as Plato starts speaking ancient words in a low voice and the entire Storybrooke crowd hold a collective breath as they watch Belle for signs of life. After several minutes of chanting and whispered words, Plato and Delphi slowly submerge Belle in the healing pool. A minute or so goes by and everyone starts getting tense and twitchy before Belle comes lunging up from the water with a great splash. Gasping for breath and incredibly confused, Belle is assisted out of the healing pool by Delphi and everyone converges on her with tearful hugs and smiles.

"Wha-what happened? Where am I?" Belle asks, shaking her head to clear the fog in her mind.

Her eyes go wide and she grabs hold of Snow's arm and looks around.

"My baby?" Belle asks tearfully and Emma immediately comes forward.

"She's fine. She's with the Blue Fairy, back in Storybrooke." She says with a smile and Belle visibly relaxes.

Snow and Emma help Belle over to a marble bench to sit and rest while chattering on about all that has happened but Henry is looking around with a confused look.

"Where's Mr. Gold?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

Plato escorts the travellers to a large living-quarters and tells them all to rest before he returns later that night, then he excuses himself. After a long while of catching up with Belle in the lounging area, Emma starts yawning uncontrollably with drooping eyes and Killian rises from his seat, pulling Emma to her feet as well as he speaks to the others.

"Apologies, love. But I fear if Emma doesn't rest, she will become the next beauty that we are unable to wake." He says with a chuckle and Emma smirks and waves a good-bye as he escorts her away to find a bed for them to claim. Heading up a curved staircase, Killian opens a door to find a bedroom fit for a queen and pulls Emma inside and shuts the door behind her.

Barely able to keep her eyes open, Emma lets Killian tow her around and strip her to her t-shirt and panties before lowering her onto the bed and tucking her into his embrace as he climbs in beside her. Less than five minutes later, they are both fast asleep.

Hours later, Emma slowly wakes up to sweet kisses on her lips and she sighs contentedly into Killian's kisses. Opening her eyes to see him smiling at her she smiles back before moving closer to him.

"Sorry, Love. You are just so beautiful when you are sleeping, I couldn't resist. I still marvel, sometimes, that you are mine." He says with an expression of awe.

"All yours, Killian." She murmurs with a kiss on his lips and his heart swells.

Taking Emma by surprise, Killian slides out of the bed and pulls Emma with him by the hand, tugging her towards the huge balcony of their room. Holding aside the sheer curtains for Emma to walk through, she smiles in thanks before stopping short at the view before her.

She takes a few more steps to the railing of the balcony and Killian stands behind her with his arms around her waist.

Emma looks out over the high cliff that the balcony overlooks and watches the water fall from around them down into the mist covering whatever lies below the cliff. They could see the large wall in the distance that circled the city and beyond that it was an eternity of ocean. The sun is setting over the sea and the colours radiate across all they can see.

"It's just so beautiful." Emma says in a breathy whisper and Killian hugs her tighter.

The spell is broken by a gentle knock at their door. Killian gives Emma a quick kiss before turning to answer it. Emma hears some conversation at the door and then Killian comes back to her on the balcony.

"That was your mother. Everyone else is awake and downstairs where apparently a rather large assortment of food has been laid out for us." He says, wrapping Emma in his arms once more.

"I suppose we should join them, then." Emma says with a sigh.

"Darling, if you want to stay in this room for days, I will bar the door from intruders." Killian says with devilish smirk as Emma chuckles and turns back to the room, pulling Killian behind her. Another small knock at the door stops them. Killian opens it once more, to see Delphi standing on the other side with a neat stack of white fabric and a bright smile.

"I am here to dress the champion for the feast. I have robes for you as well, if you wish." She says with a smile at Emma's curious head, poking around the door.

A smirk over his shoulder at Emma, Killian shakes his head as he opens the door wider to admit Delphi and skirts out into the hallway himself.

"Rather happy with my leathers, darling. I'll meet you ladies down stairs." He says with a smirk as he closes the door on Emma's humorously confused expression.

Walking down into the lively feast happening in the lounge room, Killian sees several robed people milling around with drinks in their hands, near a massive table laden with foods of every kind. Minstrels played in one corner of the large room and a table of drinks is set up beside the buffet.

Stomach growling in appreciation, Killian makes his way over and finds Henry piling food onto an already-heaped plate. The pirate ruffles the boy's hair and grins at him.

"Hoarding food for a midnight snack, my boy?"

Henry reaches up to fix his hair and smiles back at Killian.

"Maybe. This food is awesome! If I had Violet and my Xbox here, I could stay here for a while." He says with enthusiasm as he continues piling his plate higher.

Killian laughs and fills a plate himself before grabbing a drink and joining Henry and David, sitting on the edge of a large fountain to eat and chat about the day's events.

Belle, Snow and Regina, having obviously been given the same 'dressing' treatment that Emma is currently being lavished with, mill around, laughing easily and nibbling on the assortment of food.

Killian sees Snow turn to the stairs suddenly and gasp in pleased surprise. He follows her gaze and whatever David had been saying to him, fades away as he moves his plate from his lap to the floor and stands. Many people stop to stare at a blushing Emma at the base of the stairs and Killian weaves around them towards his stunning Swan.

Bright white robes flow down from one shoulder and under her bust to trail behind her as she walks. Finely woven gold strands wrap around Emma's waist and down her arms, glinting in the candle light and her hair is intricately braided in waves down to her waist and secured in place by a golden circlet, woven into it and twisting down to drop a small emerald onto her brow.

Catching Killian's eyes as he makes his way towards her, Emma relaxes slightly and walks towards him. When Killian reaches her, Emma is surprised when he wordlessly takes her hand and gets down on one knee to look up at her with adoring eyes. He kisses her hand and Emma blushes a deeper red and gives a nervous laugh as she pulls him to his feet.

"You are the living embodiment of a goddess, Emma." Killian says, stepping back to take in her appearance again.

"I think it's a little over the top. Delphi wouldn't let me see myself until just before she shoved me out the door." Emma says, ducking her head and trying to ignore the people staring at her, but Killian takes her chin in his hand and raises her face to his.

"All she did was highlight your beauty to show one and all, darling." He says seriously before bringing her lips to his. Emma, needing the distraction from all of the attention, throws herself into Killian's passionate kiss. Even the pointed throat-clearing from her father somewhere nearby didn't deter Emma from Killian.

Emma and Killian break apart at the sound of Belle exclaiming loudly.

"Rumple!" she yells and everyone turns their attention from Emma and Killian to Rumpelstiltskin, looming in the doorway.

Rumple looks around with wary eyes before addressing Belle.

"I'm sorry for disappearing, Belle. But I thought I would retrieve something for you." He says to Belle's confused expression as he turns to pick up a large basket on the ground behind him.

Belle's heart leaps in her chest and Emma and Killian take an involuntary lunge forward at the sight of Hope's tiny face peeking out over the lip of the basket. With shaky steps and tears running down her chin, Belle walks to Rumple and lifts Hope out of the basket and into her arms, clutching her tightly.

Emma finds herself crying and smiling at Belle and Hope as Killian turns to the rest of the crowd.

"Alright, let's give them a bit of privacy, mates. Back to your drinks." He says, ushering everyone to turn back to the buffet table and their own business, but Emma is still watching Belle and Hope with silent tears as the baby reaches up to touch her mother's face and giggle.

A hand takes Emma's and she looks over at her mother's equally tearful smile.

"You did such an amazing job taking care of Hope these last few months while Belle couldn't, Emma. I can only imagine how bittersweet it must feel to give her back." Snow says with a squeeze of her hand.

Killian, having sufficiently dispersed the on-lookers, comes back to slide an arm around Emma's waist and pull her into a hug. Snow smiles at him quickly and then releases Emma's hand to go find David.

Belle has sat down on the doorstep, lost in the marvel of her daughter and Rumple sits awkwardly behind her, watching them with wonder.

Suddenly, Belle looks up and reaches out to Emma and Killian and they kneel by Belle to share in the moment.

oOoOoOoOoOo

An Atlantean Garden

Rumpelstiltskin walks cautiously through the over-hanging vines and branches to a small over-grown terrace where he pauses and quirks his head to listen.

"You can come out now, dearie." He says as he adopts an air of indifference and absently examines his fingernails.

"Well, it's about time you showed up, Dark One." Zelena says as she sashays out of the shadows holding baby Robin in her arms.

"We were getting bored." She finishes as she walks over to Rumple.

"It took longer than expected to extricate myself from the festivities." Rumple says without turning to the witch.

"So, what do you make of Atlantis? Can it be taken?" she asks with glowing greedy eyes.

"I believe so. You are still willing to play your part, I take it?" he asks through gritted teeth.

Zelena smiles.

"I want the best life for my daughter and that pathetic town is not it."

"I agree. Our children deserve a new start in a place where they will be given the respect they are due. Atlantis will do nicely, I think." Rumple says with an evil smirk.