One Day at a Time

by CuteMcBeauty

CS AU. Miss Swan's a single mom who holds two shifts since her son's father left them. Mr. Jones is an unemployed widower and father who finds it hard to hold a job because of a handicap. Both broken families trying to run from painful pasts. Maybe they can work through it together... one day at a time. (Rated T for now, will eventually change to M )

12. Heroes in Denial

JUST SO YOU KNOW…

207 MEANS KIDNAPPING IN PROGRESS, 242 MEANS PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN PRORGESS AND 217 MEANS POSSIBLE ATTEMPT AT MURDER.

AFTER LAST CHAPTER, I'LL BE FAIR AND WARN: VIOLENCE AND ANGST AHEAD.

THANKS AS ALWAYS! FOLLOWS, FAV'S AND REVIEWS ARE INK FOR A WRITER'S QUILL

THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE THE FINAL CHAPTER… BUT IT'S NOT. STILL 3 MORE TO GO

VOTE CAPTAIN SWAN AT THE E! ONLINE POLL…. HURRY, WE'RE STARTING TO FALL BEHIND!

…..

"She's four foot one, long, black wavy hair, blue eyes, dimples… has a tiny birthmark under her left ear. She wore a lilac pajamas." Killian swallowed, his one hand shaking as he tried his best to keep it together long enough to file the missing person's report.

He wasn't being too successful.

He had immediately called home to find Tink. When she hadn't answered, he left the hospital in turmoil, to find his painting slashed and his daughter missing.

His life was once again falling apart, and this time, if things weren't fixed quickly, he would end up completely empty handed. Emma was fighting for her life in surgery as they tried to repair her internal bleeding and Meg was nowhere to be found.

"Killian, what can you tell us about this… Tanya Bell?" David placed a hand on his shoulder.

The young artist huffed. "I… I could have sworn… I trusted her, I…" She bit his lower lip. "I…"

"It's ok, buddy, take your time…"

"TIME IS ALL I HAVEN'T GOT!" He stood up screaming, tears finally rolling down his cheeks. "It's all falling apart at the seams, don't you bloody get it? This fucking crazy slag is responsible for the accident that cost the life of my son and my wife! And she's now alone with my little girl, time is the ONE fucking thing we don't have!""

Liam stood up and pulled Killian back down. "Brother, calm down. We will find her."

Killian turned his pleading blue eyes to his older brother and grabbed him by the lapel. "She's… she's all I have left, Liam… Liam, please… please…"

"Breathe, Killian…"

"My little girl… Liam, my Megan, no…"

"Breathe…"

Killian regained some of his composure as he once again sat down. "I should have seen this… The black ink on her hands that morning. She tampered with the Jolly, Patrick died because of her, I lost my hand, my wife… how could I have been so bloody blind?" He looked up at David, trying hard to breathe as he spoke. "Tink is rather petite… she's about five-one. Strawberry blonde, blue eyes…. When I left she was dressed fully in green."

"Yeah I remember her quite clearly…" David said as he took note and reached for his walkie. "All units call in, we have a two-oh-seven in progress, I repeat, a two-oh-seven, search a ten mile wide perimeter for the following: Young female, aged between twenty and twenty five, dressed in green, blond, blue eyed, the victim is a ten year old girl in a lilac pajamas, long dark hair and blue eyes, two-oh-seven and possibly a two-forty two and a two seventeen, urgent call to all units south of Storybrooke, come in."

As the radio came to life with patrol units calling in, David stood up and went to the window.

Liam sat next to Killian and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will find her…"

"I can't go on without her, Liam, I can't…"

Greta took his shaky hand. "The whole town is looking for her now, love. She will be found. It's a small town…"

Killian raised his face to his sister in law and sniffed hard. "Please… Please don't let Tink harm her… She's already hurt Emma, I…"

"Actually…" david came back to the conversation. "I just got a radio call from the station; we looked through her belongings and Emma's accident is not related to her."

Killian sneered. "Wha…?"

"There was a surveillance DVD in her purse. My deputy just took a look at it. She fought against the owner of that Italian joint by the harbor, and apparently it was an attempted rape scenario. She got away, hit him on the head, and ran for it. She must have been pretty distraught. We've also questioned the driver, it was a legitimate accident." When Killian heaved, David spoke again. "They caught him. He's being held at the station. He was trying to leave Storybrooke, but the barricade to stop Bell from leaving town stopped him as well. I'll question him myself."

"What about Henry?" he looked up at the sheriff.

"He's at home with my wife, Killian, he's been informed of the accident."

"That poor lad…" Liam shook his head.

Killian hid his face in his hand. "I trusted her… I fucking trusted her, and I delivered my very own daughter into the hands of the devil herself… How could I do such a bloody stupid thing?"

"You couldn't have known…" Greta placed her hand on his knee.

"But I should have!"

A deputy's radio signal came in and once again, David stood and walked away to listen. He came back in a rush.

"Hey, they just spotted unusual activity over at the docks, a young woman carrying a child was seen boarding one of the boats from the marina. The Wanderlust…"

Killian shot right up. "That's Mr. Smee's vessel…"

David nodded. "You know it?"

He nodded swiftly. "Aye, I changed his sail one week ago. I cater for that ship."

"Where can we find Mr. Smee?"

Killian shook his head. "He's not home, he's off in the Hampton's with his son…"

"But you do have his mobile? We have to inform him that his ship has been stolen. He probably needs to call his insurer."

Killian nodded. "Aye…" He shuffled through his pocket to get his phone. As soon as he looked at it, he paled yet another shade…" No no no…." He whispered, his breathing accelerating suddenly.

David frowned. "What is it?"

With a shaking hand and unable to speak from paralyzing fear, Killian turned the phone to David.

The text message on the screen froze everyone's blood.

You have hurt me for the last time.

Now I will shatter your soul. She will die tonight,

and with her your bastard lineage.

And I loved you so much! Good bye.

David stood like he had been touched by a cattle prod. "All units head for the marina! Contact Storybrooke coastguard right away! Stop "The Wanderlust", there is a child in there and a two seventeen in progress! I repeat, URGENT call, a confirmed two seventeen, call Storybrooke coastguard and head for the marina right away!" David turned swiftly and grabbed Killian by the shoulder, pulling him up. "Come on, let's go."

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Henry didn't fight the tears in his eyes as he sat in the waiting lounge. He simply allowed them to fall straight from his eyes to the floor, his face hanging low.

His father had left him before…. And now his mother could leave him any second.

Mary Margaret placed a hand on his back. "She's a tough woman, Henry…" She tried to grin, her voice breaking. "She will pull through, you will see. She loves you too much to leave you and…"

"Yeah, so did my dad." He cut back bitterly.

"It's not the same thing!" The kind teacher replied. "This was an accident. She had no choice. But you know, they're working on her a lot and I'm sure she w2ill soon be back home, recovering, and you can help take care of her while she does…"

Henry turned a freckly, red-nosed face to her. "Yeah, if Mayor Mills doesn't sniff this out before and has me taken away while she's recovering. I have no other legal guardian and a kid is not supposed to be looking after a grown up…. They'll throw me in the system…" He sobbed. "She fought so hard so that wouldn't happen and… and…"

"No Henry, no…" She reached out for him and pulled him to her shoulder. "We won't let that happen!"

Henry sobbed softly on Mary Margaret's shoulder for a few minutes when the sound of footsteps drew their eyes up. "Dr. Whale!" Mary Margaret stood up suddenly, rubbing her hands, with a hopeful but still shaky Henry right behind her.

The doctor huffed. "The operation went really well, we managed to repair all of the damaged tissue and contained the bleeding. According to the X-Rays and the MRI, she has a considerable concussion, so we need to keep an eye on her just in case, a couple of broken ribs, a broken arm… but other than that, everything is working well. She should make a full recovery." He placed a hand on Henry's shoulder with a grin. "You'll have your mom back home in no time."

Henry heaved and smiled and suddenly threw his arms around the doctor. "Thank you…"

Whale looked at Mary Margaret. "A word?"

Mary Margaret nodded and gently pulled Henry by the shoulders. "Henry, please go sit over there for a little bit while I speak with the doctor…"

Henry nodded and he sat down, picking up a magazine, his demeanor a lot lighter than before.

The doctor huffed. "We detected some bruises on her body that do not seem to fit with the nature of the accident. Bruises in more… intimate areas. Do you know if Miss Swan may have been subjected to violence?"

Mary Margaret sighed and rubbed her forearm with her other hand. "She was… having some problems with her boss. A little bit of harassment." She gasped suddenly and looked up. "You don't think she was…?" she covered her mouth and gasped. "Was she running from him when this happened?"

Whale shook his head. "Well, according to the driver when they brought her in, she looked like a deer in headlights, just running to the middle of the road, wet from head to toes…" He tapped his hand with his chart folder. "We didn't find any traces of semen, so if she was sexually attacked, it was not completed."

"Son of a bitch…"

"Who is her boss, Mary?"

"Tony Dinapoli."

"The owner of the Italian joint?"

"Yeah… she worked there. He'd been after her for a while, but…"

"NO chance they could have been involved?"

"What? NO!" She sneered. "She's head over heels in love with the art teacher!"

He nodded. "I may have to file the report to the police."

Mary Margaret sighed and swallowed.

What else did Emma Swan need to go through in her life? "Yeah… yeah sure. Just… don't tell the kid, ok? He's had a tough day, he doesn't need to hear this as well."

Whale nodded. "Tell him he'll be able to see her as soon as the anesthesia wears off, but only briefly, ok? It will take her a couple of days to recover enough to receive visitors in a more regular fashion."

"Yeah, of course, I'm sure he will understand…"

With another nod, Whale walked back into the passage.

When David sent her a message informing her that they had looked through Emma's bag and found the footage, she was relieved; and even more when he told her Dinapoli was held at the station.

But when she heard about the situation regarding Killian's daughter, she almost lost her footing.

Seriously, what else could go wrong?

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"Wh…. Where am I?"

"Mr. Jones…"

"Aye… wh… what happened?" He tried to sit up using both hands and found himself inhaling sharply from the pain that stemmed from his left wrist.

"Mr. Jones, you have to calm down." The doctor stood at the edge of a bed. "You're in the hospital. You suffered an accident."

"Wh… I…"

"Your mind is probably a bit hazy and you don't remember much; your private boat crashed against a tourist cruiser on the Thames. Your family's outside, your brother and his wife, they…"

"My wife…" Killian gasped. "My children… Where… where are they?"

"Your daughter is in the emergency unit, she's fine, just a few scratches. Same as your wife…" He swallowed. "I'm afraid to say sir, you lost your hand trying to save them and…"

Killian rolled his eyes to the bandaged stump that sat where his hand once was and nearly lost his breath. He closed his eyes, a tear sliding from the corner of his left eye as he shut his lids tight. His heart rate increased.

"You will be fine, sir. You did not sustain any serious injuries aside from that. I'm sorry, we could not save the hand."

"My son…" He whispered, tears flowing from under his tightly shut eyelids. "My baby boy… where is my boy?"

The doctor licked his lips.

"MY BOY!"

"Sir, he…" The doctor gulped. "You lost your hand trying to pull him from the ship's propellers, but… they only found remains of him. The boy passed away. I am so, so sorry…"

"No… No. NO! NO! PATRICK, NO! NOOO! MY SON! MY BOY, NO, NO!"

The holler of the aching father that filled the hallways chilled the blood of doctors, patients, orderlies and nurses alike. It took two orderlies to hold Killian down, the sound of his screaming lasting far too long for a man who was immediately sedated, just like his wife in another room.

He had failed… he had let his baby boy slip through his fingers… and now he was dead.

Killian ran from the sheriff's car to the very edge of the marina.

He couldn't fail her too.

His entire system grew cold in opposition to the view of the ship, bobbing in the distance, ablaze over the water.

"MEGAAAAAN!" He shouted.

The coast guard spun around the ship, the little girl tied by the wrists, screaming in tears at the edge of the boat. "HELP ME! PLEASE!"

Tink grabbed her from the back of her jacket and turned to look at the coast guard. "No!" She screamed. "No, he can't have her! Not anymore! I will NOT be scorned once more, not now, not after all this!"

A small inflatable vessel approached from the larger coastguard ship; A helicopter was now hovering over the burning Wanderlust.

Megan could feel the heat on her cheeks as Tink held her to herself. "Don't worry… It will be over soon." She caressed her hair. "You will be with your mommy soon, love, isn't that what you want?"

"Why are you doing this?" Meg sobbed. "Why?"

"Shh… there, there…"

"Tink, let me go! Please, I don't want to die!"

Tink slapped her hard once more. "You got in the way! If you hadn't been in the way…" She hollered. "No, you… you will come with me because daddy's been bad and he hurt me, he hurt me terribly and he… Oh no, he will not… I can't.. He…"

"Miss Tanya Bell! Hand the child over and come into the lifeboat with your hands up!" Came the voice from the coastguard ship.

"NO!" Tink shouted. "He was mine! He's mine! No!"

From the marina, Killian shook his head, his hand and wrist held up to his hair. "No, no, not again, NO!" He made a run and jumped into the water. "Megan!" He shouted as he swam for the burning ship.

"Killian, no!" Liam tried in vain to reach him.

David ran and halted just off the dock. "Good god… that water's gotta be just over one degree, it's freezing! He'll never make it!"

"Oh brother, what are you doing?" Liam moaned as Killian swam top speed against the heavy tide, straight for the boat.

Nothing could stop him from getting his Megan back, not even the feel of a hundred thousand sharp needles digging into his flesh as his body fought the sudden, bone-chilling cold of the Storybrooke winter night waters.

"Miss Bell, this is your final warning!" The voice from the coastguard came through the speakers. "Let… the child… go."

Tink shook her head and pulled Megan back, closer to the fire.

The girl screamed.

"No! He has to be free of them! He… he's my love, he's been… no, no!"

"Please let me go, Tink, please!" Megan screamed in tears.

"TINK!" Killian shouted, now closer to the ship.

The petite blond turned and found Killian floating some fifteen yards from the ship.

"Tink, please…" He begged from the freezing water. "She's done nothing to you! It's me, it's me you want, love, please… Let her go!"

Tink approached the edge of the ship, ide eyed. "Killian…"

"I was the one who broke your heart, love, not her. You already took Patrick and Milah, please… not her as well. Take me instead."

"Daddy!..." Megan sobbed.

"I will be all yours, love, all yours. Just… please, let her go."

The young girl shook her head. "But… but you love her. You love Emma."

Killian gasped. "Th… that can change, Tink… It can, just… just let her go. Come on, jump out of there, and bring her to me and nothing will g… get in our way ever again…" he smiled a fake, ached smile. "We wi… will be t…together Tink, just you and me!"

Even now… even now he lies. He will never be mine… even if I take the girl, his heart will have never been mine…

Tink's eyes filled with tears. "You have never loved me…." She whispered to herself as she closed her eyes. "I can't…" She then pulled back and threw Megan over the other side of the boat, as the girl squealed. The girl sank into the water with a splud, her heavy jacket fast making her heavier, hands tied and unable to kick or paddle.

Tink rolled back, her lower lip quivering as she became engulfed by the flames. "Not like this…."

"TINK!" Killian shouted before turning around.

Killian swam as fast as he could over to the other side of the bobbing vessel. "MEGAN!" He shouted, looking for her.

When he saw a small pink flip flop floating, he gulped hard.

Please, no…

He dove into the water, fighting the current; the light stemming from the torched ship floating on the surface shone through the water, and soon enough, his eyes, prickled by the salt of the water and the bitter cold, spotted a pink jacket fast sinking into the depth of the coastline. He paddled in deeper, his hands unfeeling and ached from the freezing temperature. He reached out and finally grabbed the heavily drenched coat, pulling up the little girl clad in it, and swimming up, up, up. Not thinking, not breathing, not feeling… just swimming to the light above.

The coast guard picked Killian out of the water. "God, no… my daughter… My little girl!" Killian panted as he dragged the unconscious, heavy child with him.

Immediately, a medic kneeled beside the little girl, while Killian sobbed miserably by the edge, a blanket now placed over his shivering body. "P…please… please d… don't let her d… d…die… Megan…. D…. don't l… leave m… m… me…"

The paramedic immediately covered Megan's body with a blanket, her lips, nails and eyelids purple from the cold water, and placed a hand underneath her neck, the other pressed firmly against her chest. "Come on, honey…" He whispered before pinching her nostrils and breathing into her little mouth. He pulled away and waited.

Nothing.

"Megan…." Killian's lip quivered. "Come on… darling… c…come on…"

"Come on, sweetheart, come back to us…" The paramedic said again as he once again breathed into her lips.

Still, nothing.

"I need an oxygen pump over here, we need to get the water out for her lungs!"

"Oh god, no…" Killian shook his head, crying hard. "No…"

The coast guard ship was headed for the marina, where the red lights of an ambulance announced the presence of professional medical help.

The man holding little Megan's head opened way for another paramedic, who made her way to her with an oxygen pump. "One more time, let me try…" He looked up at her and once again leaned into little Megan's face. "Come on, kid, think of your dad, fight back for us!" He breathed hard into her mouth once more. He pulled away and waited. "Come on sweet pea…"

Her chest began to convulse mildly and soon, a gargling sound emerged from her throat.

The man promptly turned Megan over to her side in time for the little girl to cough out the water, gasping for breath, the salted sea liquid burning her trachea as she breathed once more.

She breathed.

So did everyone else on the ship, who applauded with smiles as Killian instantly freed himself from the blanket and crawled to hold his daughter to himself. "Oh…. God…" he heaved in tears of relief as he caressed her head. "Megan, god… god…"

"Daddy…" She replied weakly as she held him back, her eyes closed.

"It's fine d… dar-ling, I g…g… got you now…" He kissed her head hard. "I'm s… so s… sorry, love… Oh god…"

"Sir? She needs more oxygen, please…" The female paramedic pulled him away. He reluctantly yielded as they laid Megan on a stretcher, and placed the oxygen pump mask over her mouth, as they removed her ice cold jacket and covered her with heat pads.

"You need medical attention too, sir." The man who saved Megan said as they took the girl on a stretcher closer to the edge of the ship. Another stretcher was produced for Killian. "The water was freezing, you're in shock and suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion sir, please lie down…"

Relieved but still in an obvious state of shock, Killian merely nodded and complied.

As they reached the edge of the marina, the ambulance paramedics fast rushed for father and daughter, together with Liam, Greta and the police.

"Killian!" Liam shouted as he ran closer to his shivering, blood-shot eyed brother. He grabbed his hand and followed as they carried his brother closer to the ambulance, right behind Megan.

"Sh… she's fine, sh-she will be o… o… ok… L…Liam." Killian stuttered.

Both Liam and Greta heaved with relief as both followed the nearly frost-bitten father into the ambulance.

"Killian… Bell?" Liam swallowed.

Killian merely shook his head; he then rolled his eyes over to his daughter, lying beside him, shivering and regaining some of her color. He grinned before he yielded to the blackness that surrounded him. Exhaustion had taken over both of them.

It was all over. And this time he had saved his child.

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"Mom…" A teary-eyed Henry was allowed to gently grab Emma's good hand.

"Hey… kid…" She replied with a weak smile.

"You're gonna be ok, mom."

"Yeah. I will." She looked up to Mary Margaret from underneath the darkened, swollen brow, and grinned. "Thank you… for looking… after him."

Her friend nodded. "Killian held on as long as he could. He had to leave in a hurry…"

Emma looked alarmed. "Oh no… Tanya Bell, she… sh…"

"It's ok, mom, it's all over." Henry smiled. "It got a little bit ugly for a while, but it's ok now."

Emma rolled her eyes to Mary. "What happened?"

Mary Margaret sat on the edge of her bed. "Tanya kidnapped Megan and gave them both a bit of a hard time." She shrugged, wanting to omit further details from her already ailing friend. "Killian's a bit cold from diving in to get her, but they will be going home later this afternoon."

"Diving?" Emma asked softly.

"Maybe Killian can tell you the hole story later." Mary Margaret grinned, clearing Emma's forehead from hair. "You just focus on getting better, Emma, you had a bit of a rough ride right there…"

Emma looked at Henry. "Kid, could you… could you go see what is… going on with Killian and Meg? Do some recognizance and get me back some quod. Can you?"

Henry nodded keenly and stormed out of the room. Mary Margaret looked at Emma. "Emma… David told me they watched the footage of what happened." She bit her lower lip. "Did he… did he get to…?"

"No." Emma whispered softly and a small smile raised the corner of her scarred lip. "I rearranged his gray matter with a dolphin-shaped pewter figure he used for a paperweight. He'll think twice before he even thinks about bringing his pecker anywhere close."

Mary laughed softly. "It's good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, at least." Her eyes watered. "We were terrified, Emma. Killian was in a state, Ruby, Henry…."

Emma sighed. "I need… I need to talk to Henry." She felt a tear slide down her eye. "I learned… something. Something really, really bad."

Mary squeezed her hand. "What?"

Emma's lower lip quivered. "Neal…" she sobbed, the mild shudder making her wince from the pain of her stitches. "They… they did kill him. The same night I… kicked him out. The same night we left…." She sobbed again. "I wanted a fresh start with Henry, Mary Margaret, but I didn't… I never meant to get him killed, I…"

"Hey, hey…" Mary shook her head. "Listen, you still did the right thing. You and Henry had already been threatened, you thought of your son's life; even Neal would have agreed, I think. If he had stayed there another hour, maybe even another minute, Emma, you wouldn't even be here today."

Emma continued sobbing. "Henry will never forgive me now…"

"There is nothing for him to forgive, honey. You saved his life. Sometimes, we have to make tough decisions that come at a very heavy price, but… he's here, he's alive and well and he can always, always start afresh. Listen… there are many people here who love you both. You are not alone."

Emma looked into the eyes of her friend and smiled through her tears. "What rerally happed? With Killian and Tink and Meg?"

"Like I said…" Mary stood up and kissed her forehead gently. "That's a story Killian should tell you. Or his brother…"

"Liam came back?"

"He practically returned as soon as he got to Boston. He learned that Tanya was here and he had always suspected her being a little… strange, so… Oh!" Mary smiled fully. "David knows you can't move from the3 hospital for now, so he told me he would come by tomorrow with some mug shots for you to identify the man who attacked you." She sighed. "It'll be all right. Tanya Bell and Toni Dinapoli will never bother either one of you again."

Emma swallowed. "Ok… can you… can you get Henry in here? I have to tell him about his dad…."

Mary nodded softly and made her way out. She found Henry trying to squeeze info on the Joneses from the front desk. "Henry?" The boy turned. "Your mom wants to talk to you a bit more… hurry, because she'll be needing to rest soon."

After Henry went in, Mary Margaret stood by the door, hearing Emma softly murmuring to her son, once more breaking into soft tears… and Henry suddenly leaning in to his mother, crying with her.

At least they could start anew now.

She sighed and turned for the front desk. "So… Daisy." She smiled at the nurse. "What news on Jones and his kid?"

Daisy grinned and nodded. "That kid henry? Tenacious…"

"Yeah, he is."

"Well, Killian has a deputy in there with him, he's giving a statement. Megan is going to be kept in for the night for observation, but she will be fine for sure. They both will." She swallowed and bobbed her head in the direction of Liam Jones, who sat on a couch, asleep, his also sleeping wife leaning into his shoulder. "The kind of help those two will need is certainly not medical."

Mary Margaret nodded and thanked Daisy as she returned for Henry. The boy emerged, flanked by a gentle nurse, still sobbing, his eyes red. She smiled kindly at the boy. "Come on Henry… we'll come back tomorrow."

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It was early morning; rain continued to pour down.

The last thing Emma had heard before sleeping earlier that day was that the shipwreck that remained of the beautiful Wanderlust had been towed in and Tanya Bell's remains accounted for.

And in spite of the peace of mind that came as a result of her being gone, she couldn't help feeling sad for the girl. Her eye had healed a bit and she was able to at least open both eyes to stare at the zig-zag patters the drizzle left on her window.

"Penny for your thoughts…"

Oh she loved the sound of that voice.

She rolled her eyes, still unable to move her neck from the tightened neck brace, and found Killian approaching with a mild grin but a sad, sad expression in his eyes.

"I've been in worse places than this…" Emma smiled.

"Oh bloody hell, look at you…" He whispered as he sat next to her. "I suppose asking you how you feel would get me a smack in the mouth."

"If I could move my arm." She smiled softly.

He sighed and grinned. "You scared me to death."

Emma reached out with her good hand, which he grabbed immediately. "Sorry. I had to get away from that guy."

"Aye, I know of it."

Emma pressed her lips tight. "Am I too ugly right now to get at least a little kiss?"

Killian gasped. "Darling, no. Don't even think it." He leaned in and gently pecked her lips before sitting back. "I regret to tell you, however, that my artful masterpiece of your likeness has been turned into a Tahitian kilt."

"Tink?"

"Yeah…" He exhaled. "Bloody hell, I almost lost everything… everyone, in a single bloody day."

She squeezed his hand. "Tell me."

He sighed. "You have enough with what happened to you, Swan."

"Bullshit." She chuckled. "Dinapoli's in the can now and as soon as I ID his ass, he's going to the state pen." She rubbed his hand. "Another almost that didn't happen."

"That is very good news indeed."

"How's Megan?"

He sighed deep and turned his face to the floor. "She's strong, but… this will take her a while to overcome. Only recently did she stop having nightmares about her mum, and now this…"

"Killian, what happened?"

He shook his head and bit his lip. "I trusted the very woman responsible for the death of my boy… and indirectly for that of Milah. It was her." He shook his head. "She came back into town and… pretended to be my friend. She even sat in my bloody kitchen table, playing scrabble, for fuck sake. And then… then she took a call while I was in the loo, pretended to be you, and then told me YOU had called, that you needed my help. Up until you got hit by the truck, I believed her, but… when I went back home to find Meg once you were in the hospital, she was…" He shivered. "She was gone and your portrait was shredded to bloody bits. Liam was here, he told me of her." He looked at her pleadingly. "And Mary Margaret Nolan also told me you knew of this too…" He squeezed her hand gently. "Why didn't you tell me, Swan?"

Emma closed her eyes. "I didn't think you would believe me. I didn't want to appear like the psycho jealous, sick little…"

"She was the sick one!" He shook his head. "Whatever gave you the idea that I'd not believe you?" He sighed. "If we're going to make this work, Emma, we're going to have to start trusting each other a little more."

She rubbed his hand with her thumb. "I'm so sorry…"

Killian licked his lips and shook his head. "You know, if you hadn't been on the brink of death and if you didn't look so bloody pathetic," He turned up to her with a smirk. "I might actually have been seething with you right now."

"Shut up." She chuckled.

He caressed her forehead. "For a while, yesterday…" He shook his head. "I thought it was happening to me, all over again. Everyone I love being taken from me once more... I don't think I'd be able to take it a second time"

Emma's eyebrows shot way up. "'You love'?"

He held her stare. "Aye."

"You… love me?"

"Don't act so surprised." He smirked. "I'm an artist, I'm quite sensitive and I fall in love at the drop of a bloody hat."

Emma chuckled softly. "I don't suppose the fact that you find me kind of cute has anything to do with it."

"First off…" He sat at the edge of the bed. "I don't find you 'kind of cute'" he mimicked her American accent. "I actually happen to find you bloody irresistible. And second, no, love, in spite of your devilishly gorgeous appearance which, I must say, does make it easier, the main reason is not so much because of your looks… but because you made me smile once more." He grinned. "You inspired me, Emma. You never give up. You have had such an ordeal in your life and yet… every day, you fight, work two jobs and put up with an insufferable bastard to sustain a healthy boy… and you made me feel once more. You brought art back into my life. You… I will forever be grateful to you for making my soul want to create beauty once more." He gulped. "When you got hit, I… I thought all that would… would be taken from me again. And then the thing with Tink…"

"Hey…" She whispered. "It's all over."

He nodded and looked into her eyes. "I was told about what happened to Henry's father. I am so sorry, love."

Emma sighed and looked away. "I suppose I'll have to see to Henry. He was pretty hurt." She looked at him. "Do I really inspire you, Killian? I mean, that man died because I kicked him out and…"

"No love, he died because he got in trouble with the mob and you moved the fuck out of dodge before they got you and your boy." He caressed her cheek. "And yes, Emma. You do. Every day."

She loved him too.

They both knew it.

But Killian also knew she was a one day at a time kind of girl. So he simply settled by her side when she grinned softly and pulled him to her. "Don't you dare ever leave me, Jones…"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Swan."

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She sat there, just looking at the sea, mild drizzle hitting her pale face, a small bruise on her cheek and a cut on her eyebrow.

But those weren't the ones that hurt most; not even her trachea, which had endured the thick, cold, salty waters of the bay, hurt as much as the memory of her father's eyes as he begged Tink to let her go. She thought of how much it had probably hurt to swim there to get her, and if she loved him before, her father was now a hero among heroes.

"We're definitely our parents' children…" Came Henry's voice as he joined her by the bench.

Megan looked at him and smiled softly. "They like to come here to think and I can see why." She sighed as she looked at the place where Tink had set light to the Wanderlust.

Henry looked at her. "Are you ok?"

"I was worse off when the Jolly sank. I'll be fine." She swallowed. "I really liked Tink, you know…"

"You think you know someone…"

"Yeah." She remained silent and turned to look at Henry. "But at least I got my dad and I 'm ok… I am so sorry about your dad, Henry. My dad told me this morning."

Henry chuckled sadly. "News spread fast in this town."

They both remained silent for a few minutes.

"I suppose your dad is still with my mom, hence you're out here all alone." Henry looked at her.

She nodded. "Yep. Those two definitely have a thing for each other."

Henry wrinkled his nose. "You don't think I'll have to start calling you 'sis', do you?"

She smiled and chuckled. "Who knows? The way those two are going…" She turned to look at him. "But you know, thanks to your mom, my dad stopped drinking…"

"And thanks to your dad, my mom and I started getting along once more. And… your uncle Liam had something to do there as well."

"They're good for one another."

"They deserve each other."

"Yeah."

Once more, they fell into silence.

"So, did Hansel ask you to the pirate's ball?"

"Yep. Nailed it."

"Liar."

"Ok, no, he didn't."

He shrugged. "Well, you got me the date with Paige, I can put in a good word for you."

She loked at him, narrow-eyed. "Yeah, right. You don't even like the guy."

Henry shrugged. "Yeah, well, he is a bit of a jock, jocks tend to be knuckleheads and on principle I don't like them, but…" He sighed and grinned, tight lipped. "You like him, so… I'll pull a favor and get him for you."

She shrugged again. "Worth atry I suppose. I'm the teacher's daughter. It's kind of the kiss of death."

Silence again.

"It hurts…" henry said simply, tears sliding down his face as he glared into the sea. "He's dead, and it hurts…"

She turned to look at him and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Yeah. It does, I know."

"so, day before yesterday you got kidnapped, knocked around and almost set alight, and my mom got hit by a car and I found out my dad is dead. He didn't forget me, he didn't 'abandon' me. He died. And neither of us knew…"

"Your poor mom."

"Yeah, she blames herself…"

"She really shouldn't, it's not her fault."

"No it's not. But I gave her such a hard time before, she's terrified I'll be a little jerk with her again." He shook his ehad. "I was mean. I'll never be that way with her again, she's a friggin' hero too."

"My dad saved me, and your mom saved you… and neither of them give themselves any credit for it."

"Yeah. Being a grown up sucks…"

She laughed softly. "Yeah."

Henry swallowed. "How are we going to get over this one, Meg?"

Meg sighed deep and leaned her head on his shoulder. "One day at a time, Henry…"