Chapter 3: Let go

AN: This chapter is named after Vicci Martinez's song Let go. It's such a beautiful song!

Lyrics:

How Do I find a way to remember all ones that I've loved

How do I rewind

In a dream memories come alive

You and I in a dream

It's where I see you

When the angels gave you wings

You were holding onto me

A love our love, we were learning to let go

Chapter 3

"Welcome aboard, Princess Swan," Smee greeted her, taking off his hat as he bowed to her when she boarded the ship. He immediately noticed her arm interlinked with his Captain's.

"Thank you, Smee." Emma smiled at him before her eyes darted around the ship, still unable to believe that she was on a real pirate ship. "I'm impressed - you have a very nice ship," Emma told Killian while she continued to look around the ship in wonder.

"Aye, she's the most beautiful ship there is," Killian replied, looking at Emma and watching her long, blonde hair blowing in the wind. "Would you like to take her out on the water?" he asked, causing her head to snap over and look at him, stunned.

"You're going to let me steer your ship?" Emma asked him, staring into his bright blue eyes with disbelief. He nodded at her, holding back a dirty innuendo of how he much wanted to sail his ship into her port. "Hell yes!" she exclaimed, laughing as he led her over towards the helm.

"Smee, draw the anchor!" Killian yelled out in a tone of command, seeing amusement in Emma's eyes as she looked at him. "I'll take her out of the dock, then you can take over from there," he said to her. Winking, he went over to release the sails.

James and Snow watched Emma, grinning broadly at seeing their daughter happy for the first time since she lost Graham. "Prince James, I'd recommend you not let Captain Hook leave the port on his ship," one of his guards whispered.

James turned and glared at the guard. "It's not up to you, Simon. My daughter wants to go to sea for a ride, and she will do so!" he hissed at him in a low voice, not wanting to ruin the happiness that Emma was experiencing.

"A few of us will stay aboard, Your Majesty." Sir Lancelot smiled at Prince James, glad to see Princess Emma full of life. "I will stay with you together with Steven, Joseph, and Edward," he volunteered, asking his best men to stay aboard.

"You should go back to shore and wait for us," Snow told Simon, who nodded and retreated from the boat with the men Lancelot did not mention should stay on the ship. She looked around the ship, only to see Smee. "I wonder where all of his men are at," Snow said to her husband and Lancelot, with Smee standing near them.

"I can answer that, Your Majesty," Smee offered her after he had pulled the anchor out of the water. "The Captain thought it best that they take a trip to the tavern for some time off. Most of them don't have the best manners around beautiful women, and he didn't want you or Princess Emma to be offended by them," he explained, with his red hat clutched up against his chest.

"Thank you, Smee," Snow smiled at Killian's first mate, seeing relief in her husband's and Lancelot's face on hearing the fact the other pirates were not aboard. "Are you ready for an adventure, Charming?" Snow teased her husband, putting her arm around his waist.

"I'm always ready," he replied to her, smiling. Feeling the boat take off, he slowly took a step towards the helm. Hook was behind it as Emma watched him with wide eyes.

"No, James…we should let her be," Snow said softly, stopping him in his tracks and getting a frown from her husband. "Let's give her some space to enjoy this. Look at her." They looked back to see a wide smile once again gracing Emma's beautiful face. "She's happy."

"She is." James also smiled, leading them a few steps back to lean against the railing with the guards standing around them. He watched Smee walk over towards his daughter and Captain Jones.

"Do you need anything, Captain?" he asked Killian to get his attention.

"Don't be rude, Smee — offer our guest some refreshments," Killian ordered him. Smee rushed off to do as his captain had requested.

"What refreshments are you offering? Rum?" she asked, amusement sparkling in her eyes as she smirked at him.

"Is there any other refreshment that a pirate would offer?" he questioned, returning a smirk as his eyes became playful. Emma rolled her eyes in response. She kept her gaze on him after he turned back to look at the horizon, her green eyes studying his side profile and his dark hair blowing in the wind. He turned back to her, holding out a hand. "Are you ready? I'll show you a few things, and then you will be on your own," he told her.

Emma could only stare — Captain Killian Jones was devastatingly handsome. As his piercing blue eyes set on hers, she kept trying to fight back the attraction. It kept creeping over her every time she had seen him today. She nodded at him, unable to find her voice as she reached out to take his hand. He made room for her to stand in front of him, gently placing her hands on the wheel. "You only need to pull the wheel lightly," he explained, putting his hands over hers.

Emma's heart began to pound so rapidly that she couldn't hear another word he said to her. Her whole body came alive with excitement, thrilled at the feel of Killian's hands over hers and his body pressed up against her back. It was all too much for her — Emma's eyes fluttered shut as she felt his slim, muscular body pressed against hers, the ocean breeze blowing over them. "Emma, did you hear me?" Killian's low voice whispered to her, his lips almost brushing the shell of her ear.

"Huh?" Emma asked him, opening her eyes and realizing that she had missed everything Killian had said to her. Turning her head slightly, she swallowed hard when she saw how close he was to her face. His stormy blue eyes made her breath catch in her chest. Emma had always wondered what the big attraction was that women had towards pirates, but now she understood it.

"I asked you if you were ready to take over as Captain," he repeated, calling on every ounce of his willpower. Her body was pressed up against his and her green eyes were looking at him wantonly. When her eyes flickered down to his lips, he forced himself to move away from her, knowing he was very close to snapping and kissing her senselessly before taking her against the helm. "Captain Swan, I'm at you service," he told her, moving back and releasing her from his hold. Killian instantly missed the feel of her body against his, but he promised himself that he would have her up against him again — preferably very soon. With the both of them naked.

James closed his eyes, counting to ten repeatedly to keep himself from grabbing the pirate and beating the hell out of him. He felt Snow patting him on the chest, so he looked down to see her giving him a sweet, sympathetic smile. "I don't like it, Snow. Did you see how the pirate was touching her?" he whispered to her, his blue eyes flickering from her over to his daughter.

"Calm down, Charming! He was just showing her how to steer the ship," Snow whispered, getting a look of utter disbelief from him. She was lying — but she knew Emma's happiness would fade away if they interfered with her moment with Killian. Once they were back onshore, she knew that reality would hit her daughter again, ending her happiness. It wouldn't just fade away but would also make her feel guilty for being happy and enjoying another man's presence.

"Would you like some rum?" Smee walked up with a tray of glasses, grinning at them.

"They would love it," Snow answered before all of them could decline the drink. "Thank you, Mr. Smee," she smiled at him as Charming and the guards all took a glass off the tray. Smee hurried off while Snow watched the men took a drink of their rum, instantly making faces and a few of them coughing.

"That tastes terrible — like cleaning solution, with a splash of rum." Charming gagged, but Snow laughed at their reactions to the rum. "How do they drink that stuff?" he asked, shocked that anyone could stomach that awful stuff.

"It's not that bad." Snow shrugged at them. "I've had pirate's rum before when I was an outlaw. Some pirates gave me safe passage when I first escaped being a wanted criminal. I would love to have some now, but I can't," Snow smirked at the men, seeing shock on their faces. When she saw her husband's surprised expression, she started laughing.

Emma glanced over to see her parents laughing along with the guards, which helped to increase her good mood. "Eyes on the sea, Captain Swan," Killian teased her, pointing at the horizon. "Ah, would you like some rum?" Killian asked Emma, grabbing a glass from Smee's tray. "I must warn you — it's a bit strong, so I won't think less of you if you say no," he whispered to Emma. Her eyes narrowed in response.

"I would love some rum," she replied, taking the glass from him as he grabbed another. "After all, what pirate captain doesn't drink rum?" she countered, offended that he thought she couldn't handle it.

"You would be correct, love. Let's have a toast to the most beautiful captain that ever was or ever will be!" Killian said, holding up his glass. "To Captain Swan!" he added, grinning at her.

"To Captain Swan!" Smee repeated, raising his glass to meet those of his captain and the beautiful princess. Tapping their glasses together, they all took a drink of the rum. The two pirate were gazing intently at the young princess as she drank from the glass. When she smiled afterwards, the pirates turned and stared at each other, stunned. They looked back to see her take another drink before turning back to the ship's steering wheel.

Emma fought the urge to gag at the repulsive rum that burned her throat, knowing it would amuse the pirates to no end. She saw Killian staring at her with complete awe and heard him whisper something about "a bloody brilliant pirate." The second drink turned out to be a great decision — all of her taste buds were now numb, eliminating the horrible taste of the rum. "This rum is good. I like it." Emma turned, grinning at the pirate and taking another big drink of her rum. Killian reached out to grab it from her but she pulled it back. "Hey, don't mess with the captain's rum, or I'll make you walk the plank." Emma leaned in, glaring at him before she began laughing.

"Bloody hell, she's drunk," Killian cursed, shaking his head and looking over at his first mate. He was impressed that she was still standing — most women that tried pirate's rum either threw up or passed out at the first sip. "Emma darling, please give me the rum," he asked, leaning in to stare at her seductively with a charming smile.

"Come on! It was a joke, so you can stop trying to seduce me into giving you the rum, Casanova." Emma rolled her eyes at him and handed him the glass. On seeing the stunned looks on the pirates' faces, she retorted, "Do you think this is the first time that I've had a drink? Alexandra and I have snuck out to the taverns a few times."

"You wound me, lass" Killian said, putting his hands over his heart. The gesture made Emma shake her head while chuckling. "Have you met that bloke, Casanova? He's not that handsome or charming, not to mention a bloody terrible at gambler! I bested him out of all of his money and jewels on many occasions. He kept coming back, trying to win what he lost to me, but I beat him every time."

"I could beat you," Emma gloated to Killian while she stared at the horizon of sea. The sound of Smee's laughter caught her ears, so she turned to glare at him.

"My apologies, Princess Emma, but Captain Jones hasn't lost. Ever," Smee explained to her, looking at them before bowing his head.

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Emma replied, turning her attention back to Killian. His face lit up with amusement; he was becoming more infatuated with her each second more he spent with her.

"Are you challenging me, Swan?" he asked her, leaning in closer to her after being unable to resist the urge any longer. Emma had the makings of a great poker player — she was able to hide her emotions better than most people. Except for him, of course.

"Yes, I am, Jones," Emma said to him, holding out her hand to cement the deal.

He stared at her for a few moments. "Challenge accepted," he told her. However, instead of shaking her hand, he pulled it up to his lips and kissed it softly.

Emma swallowed hard, green eyes locked on smoldering blue. Goosebumps formed on her skin from feeling his lips kissing her hand, their touch lingering on her skin while he continued to stare up at her.

They heard someone clearing their throat, breaking up the moment. On seeing her mother standing there, Emma tore her hand away from Killian quickly. "We should start heading back to land — it's dangerous for us to be out in the woods once it's dark," Snow smiled softly at them, hesitant to bring an end to the happy day spent on the ship.

"Yes, mi'lady," Killian answered her, knowing that the Evil Queen would use any opportunity to come after the Charming family. Smiling, he asked Emma, "Do you want to turn her around, Captain Swan?" However, he then saw that the happy, excited girl with a need for adventure was gone — this girl looked empty and broken again.

"No," Emma said, rushing off to be alone on the other end of the ship and needing to get as far away as possible from the pirate. Her father was watching and decided to go after her before he killed the captain.

Killian let out a deep breath that he hadn't realized he was holding before taking over the helm. He looked back to see Snow still standing there, staring at him. "Yes, Your Majesty?" he inquired, knowing that she wanted something.

"I'm not stupid, Captain Jones. I've seen the way that you look at Emma. I know that you have feelings for my daughter," she began. As he opened his mouth to interrupt her, she proceeded onward. "Please don't bother denying it. I'm not naïve or blind."

"Are you telling me not to return to the castle?" he asked her, not bothering to deny or admit to having feelings for Emma. His feelings were far from innocent, so he would keep them to himself. But Killian wasn't sure what he was going to do if Snow said no to him. He began plotting how to break into the castle and kidnap Emma if she banned him from returning. Emma would be happier with him living her life as a pirate out on the sea than living the life of a princess in a castle.

"No," Snow replied, surprising him. Her blue eyes filled with tears of happiness. "My daughter smiled today. Not only did she smile but she laughed and was happy for the first time in almost a year! You did that for her — thank you, Killian," Snow said, wiping away her happy tears and smiling at him.

"Watching someone whom you love have their heart ripped out can break something in a person — begin to rot their heart. If it festers for long enough, there is no going back. I don't want that to happen to Emma," Killian said to her, glancing behind him to see Emma's father trying to comfort her as she backed away from him while they talked. He wasn't used to people thanking him, or even liking him for that matter, so this all was new to him.

"I think you are wrong about that, Captain. It takes the right person to heal someone," Snow said to him. Seeing Charming rush over to them, she added, "Excuse me, but I need to talk to my husband." Meeting her husband halfway, she whispered, "Charming, you need to calm down."

"He upset Emma by trying to seduce her," Charming hissed as Snow raised a brow. "She didn't say it, but I could tell that's why she is upset."

"No, you know that's not true at all, as much as you would like to believe it," she whispered back to him. "Emma has barely smiled — much less laughed or had a second of fun — until today. Killian will return to the castle and he is welcome to stay with us as long as he likes," Snow let him know, leaving no room for argument.

Once the boat was docked, Emma was the first one off the boat, beginning to run as guards rushed after her. The remaining guards all glared at Killian with their weapons drawn when he walked off the ship. "Lower your weapons!" Snow yelled at them, moving in front of Killian and stunning all the guards who followed her orders. "Captain Jones is a guest of ours. He will be treated with respect and courtesy, not like a criminal. He is a friend of our kingdom and of me. If you disrespect him, you are disrespecting me. Is this understood?" she asked the guards.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guards replied to her, walking back to the castle. Halfway there, Killian launched himself at a guard. He had him on the ground with a knife held up to his throat, pressing the blade up and drawing blood.

"I would slit your throat, but I think that I would rather cut out your tongue for your words," Killian told him, his normally blue eyes looked almost black as they gleamed with pure rage.

"Captain Jones, you will unhand my guard and then apologize for attacking him," James yelled at him, ready to fight the pirate as he walked towards him.

"No, I will NOT," he hissed, continuing to stare down the guard. "This little maggot needs to learn not to speak such words about Emma. Also, you will not speak ill of her lost love because it upsets her. If you upset Emma, then you upset me," he stressed to the guard.

"Did you say something?" James asked the guard, not believing the pirate but knowing that he needed to give him a chance first. The guard looked over from the man threatening to kill him to the Prince.

"I said that the Princess must have a weakness for thugs and lowlifes — because those are the only men she seems willing to let in between her legs. First it was that mongrel that was raised in woods, and now it's this filthy, murdering pirate. She is a disgrace! King Phillip was right about this family," he sneered at James, groaning when Killian put more pressure on the knife and drew more blood.

"Captain Jones…" Snow said softly to him, walking up and gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "Please put down the knife and let us punish him." His eyes looked up at hers, and the rage in them died down at her touch and words. Killian's hand was shaking slightly as he forced himself to remove the knife from the guard's throat. He was starting to move off of him when the guard raised his sword to kill the captain. However, Killian was much faster and instinctively stabbed him in the shoulder, causing him to drop the sword.

"You are lucky that Princess Snow asked me not to kill you, or I would have stabbed you in the throat," his menacing voice whispered to him, twisting the knife slightly before abruptly pulling it out. The guard screamed out in pain as Killian finally moved off of him, wiping his bloody knife on the guard's clothing before putting it away. "The bloody bastard left me no choice but to stab him," he said, looking back and forth between Snow and James.

"I agree," James said to him, nodding at him before turning his attention to the former guard. "You will spend some time in the castle dungeon until I see fit to release you. Someone get him up!" he ordered the other guards, who picked him up from the ground.

Killian's rage began bubbling to the surface like a volcano, its focus directed at the guard for trying to kill him and his comments about Emma — no man had ever lived after trying to attack him. His hands began to shake while attempting to push away the need to kill the guard in front of him. He wasn't sure if he could control it — he felt all his will power slipping away as his hands slowly reached for another knife he had hidden.

"I'm sorry," Emma's soft voice called out to everyone, getting their attention as she walked towards them. She looked over at her parents and Killian before taking a few deep breaths and forcing herself to continue. "I shouldn't have run off like that," she told them, setting her eyes on Killian. "Thank you for taking us out on your ship today, Killian," she added. Noticing the injured guard being held for the first time, she asked, "What's going on?"

"It was just a misunderstanding, love," Killian told her, walking towards her. His hand slipped away from his hidden knife as he felt his rage disappear at the sight of her. "Some people are a little weary of the captain of a pirate ship. There was a…misunderstanding, but it won't happen again," he repeated, turning around to send the guard a withering glare. Then his anger vanished once more when he looked at her again. "Actually, I was hoping that you could give me a tour of your lovely castle."

"You didn't give me a tour of the Jolly Roger," she threw back at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "So why should I?"

"I let you act as the captain of my ship, which is something that no one besides me has ever done. But if you would like a tour of the ship, I will give you a tour the next time you come aboard." He gave her a dazzling smile as he held out his arm to her; she took it after a minute of looking at him, and they walked off to the castle together.

James stared with his mouth agape at the retreating forms of his daughter and the pirate, unable to believe his eyes. Emma had always taken days or even weeks to come out of her room after something had set her off. "I told you that having Killian here is good for her," Snow whispered to him.

"How can you let your daughter spend time with that raping, murdering pirate Captain Hook? He is a monster," said the guard who was being restrained, sounding disgusted. James walked over in front of the guard and glared pointedly at him.

"If he was the monster that you claim, he would have gutted you no matter what my wife requested. He is a better man then you, speaking of my daughter in that way. Captain Jones was defending my daughter's reputation," James said to the guard, his blue eyes filled with anger.

The castle gardens

Killian walked through the gardens of the castle next to Emma as two guards walked a few steps behind them. He wanted to tell them to bugger off or he would make them himself — he was finding it very frustrating to not have any real time alone with the princess. "Can you two back off?" Killian finally asked, totally exasperated as he spun around to look at the guards.

"No, Captain Jones — our job is to guard Princess Emma. When you spend time with her, you will also spend time with us," one of them answered with an irritating smile on his face.

"They will give us a little space — because it would make me happy," Emma said to the guards without turning around, not leaving room for them to say no to her. The guards frowned at Emma, unhappy with her request. "Do not worry, we won't go far," she quickly added before talking Killian's arm and leading him away.

"I don't know how you can bloody stand people following you around all the time, watching every move that you make. It is suffocating," he said to her as she led him over to a bench about twenty feet away from the guards.

A bittersweet smile crossed her lips, sorrow reflecting in her green eyes. "Graham used to say that all the time when he started living in the castle and spending time with me. I thought it was because he grew up pretty much all alone without a human family," she shared with him, letting her eyes flutter closed for a minute.

"I dream about him every night. Sometimes they are nightmares, where I'm forced to watch him get his heart ripped out on our wedding day all over again." Emma's voice cracked as tears ran down her cheeks; she was still keeping her eyes closed. "Then sometimes I wish that I could stay asleep forever, because I dream we are married and with children, living in a house in the woods. I dream about falling asleep in his arms. The first few seconds that I wake up I think that I'm still in bed with him and I'm happy — but then reach for him. He's not there. I'm all alone." She felt two calloused, rough thumbs on her cheeks, brushing away her tears the way that Graham used to do when she cried.

"Emma, please do not cry…" pleaded Killian's hoarse voice. He was staring at the beautiful princess standing close to him and crying. Even though he had seen — and had made — many women cry before in his long life, seeing Emma cry was like a knife through his heart. "I promise you that I will help you get your revenge — even if it takes my last dying breath to get it done," he swore to her, watching her green eyes fly open and fill with fear.

"No!" Emma exclaimed, moving closer and gripping the lapels of his leather coat as the guards ran towards them. She looked up at Killian with desperation and tears in her eyes. "Please, please promise that you won't do that. I can't watch you die. Please don't die on me," Emma's voice ran out loudly, stopping the guards in their tracks.

Killian smiled at her, putting his hands on her cheeks. "I'm a very hard man to kill, Emma. I'm over three hundred years old, so I have a good record," he told her, looking at the young princess while hiding his awe that she was worried about a pirate like him.

"Promise me," Emma repeated. She was unsure of why she needed to hear those words from him, but she knew she did. She told herself that it was only because Killian reminded her of Graham in a way — they were both so fearless and they didn't care what anyone else but her thought of them.

"You would believe a promise made by a pirate?" His blue eyes were wide and questioning.

"No, I would believe you, Killian. I'm asking the man Killian Jones to promise me," she clarified for him with a small smile on her face. Killian only pulled her closer to him, moving one of his hands from her cheek into her hair. He was staring at her with an intensity that made her heart race again. "I'm asking my friend Killian," she added quickly, attempting to move back slightly. He didn't let her.

"You are like no woman or girl whom I've ever met during my long life." His voice was low as he spoke to her, staring directly into her eyes. "You see me as a man — not a pirate or a monster. I've never really been called a friend by someone who truly meant it. I, Killian Jones, promise that I will not leave you, Emma Swan," he promised her.

Relief visibly washed over Emma's face before she smiled up at him and pulled him into a hug. Killian wrapped his arms around Emma, burying his nose in her lavender-scented hair as he held her tightly. The only woman whom he had ever allowed to hug him was his mother. He had not let any of the women whom he had slept with hug or snuggle with him afterwards. He had thought that hugs from women were useless, but now he was re-thinking that. However, he had a feeling that it was because Emma was hugging him that the hug was something he now found enjoyable.

Meanwhile

James let out a very loud sigh while Snow leaned into him, both watching Emma hug the pirate in the garden. "We are going to be stuck with that pirate in our lives," he grumbled out, not taking his eyes off his daughter.

"Honey, you didn't like Graham at all at first — but then you grew to think of him as a son very quickly," Snow reminded him, watching their daughter as well. Relief swept through her — her daughter was beginning to heal.

"Yes, but Graham grew up in the woods, never dating until he met Emma. Captain Jones is a well-known womanizer with bastard children all over the globe, I'm sure," James complained, looking down at his wife.

"There are many knights, princes, and noblemen whom I could say the same thing about. The only difference is that he is a pirate," Snow countered, smiling softly. "You've seen the way that he looks at her — I don't think he is just here to seduce her. I know that you've seen it. If you thought he was just here to seduce her, you would have already punched him before throwing him out of our kingdom."

"What if he breaks her heart?" he asked her, worried that Emma was going to have her heart broken once again.

"You're right — that could happen. Anytime you let someone into your heart, they could break it. But…it scares me more that she will never let love in again," Snow told him, smiling. "Anyway, if he breaks her heart, I will break his face." James laughed, knowing that she meant every word of it. "Come on — let's go to bed," she suggested to him, trying to pull him away from the window.

"Snow…" he whined, looking back at the garden to see the pirate still holding his daughter in his embrace.

"Charming, she will be fine!" she replied, successfully pulling him away from window by kissing him and walking him back towards their bed.

The garden

Emma took a deep breath. She was able to smell the ocean water and rum on Killian's clothes as she held him. She had felt like she was drowning in sorrow, anger, and misery for so long, but Killian made her feel like she could breathe again. Every day — every second of her life — had been so exhausting and torturous since she lost Graham. She had felt guilt hitting her earlier on for forgetting everything on the ship and living in the moment. But fear built up in her — the fear that Killian would be blamed for upsetting her and not be able to return to the castle. The idea of him not combing back made her feel like she was sinking even deeper into despair.

"I snuck some rum back if you are thirsty, love," Killian whispered into her ear to lighten the mood. He heard a small gasp leave her as his lips accidentally brushed up against her ear, and he couldn't help but grin then, knowing that Emma wanted him even though he also knew she would fight it.

She pulled away from him and took a few steps back to put some space in between them. "Let's save it for our poker match tomorrow night," Emma said in a low voice, not wanting the guards to overhear. "We will lose the guards…and then I will take all of your money."

"Oh Emma, you are going to be very disappointed. I'm going to beat your pants off," he teased her, his blue eyes leering at her.

Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Keep dreaming, Captain. I'll see you tomorrow," she said to him. She started to walk past him, but he moved in front of her.

"When you close your eyes tonight, think of the sea. Think about how free you felt sailing on it — remember the sound of the waves and the smell of salt water. It will bring you good luck when you do," Killian told her, hoping that she would be able to dream of something else besides her lost love so she could begin to move on — to him.

"I'll try," Emma said to him before walking away back into the castle. He watched her and the guards who followed her leave.

Killian was walking towards the castle himself when Lancelot quietly walked out of the shadows. "If you are going to try to talk me out of leaving, you are wasting your bloody time," the pirate told him in an annoyed tone.

"Emma's fiancé, Graham, was a good friend of mine," Lancelot informed him, watching the pirate take a deep breath before reaching for his sword. He seemed to be ready for a fight. "I have watched Emma struggle through every day since his death. As much as I love Emma like my own daughter, a part of me wished that Regina would have taken her life as well — because then she would be at peace with Graham," he explained.

Killian let go of his sword as he listened to the knight, unsure of where this was going. Lancelot continued, "Graham would want her to be happy. I saw a glimpse of the girl she used to be today — and it was you that brought her back. I hope that you can bring back that girl to all of us — but if you break her heart, I will kill you," he warned him.

"I see that Emma has every man in this kingdom in awe of her," Killian quipped, pausing on seeing the glare he received from the knight. "I'm sure that most of the things that you've heard about me and my reputation are true. But I can assure you that I will not hurt Emma," he firmly told him before walking off into the castle to his room.

Emma's dream

Emma stood on a beach, wearing a white slip dress. She was staring out at the ocean with water washing over her feet, looking into the shallow water and able to see all the ocean life below it. She smiled, watching the small fish swimming in the water below her as she walked into the ocean's cool water. Once the water hit her chest, she began to let her body float out farther, enjoying the feel of the waves pushing her out to sea. She sighed in contentment, feeling at peace and relishing the moment as she looked up into the bright blue sky above her. Her eyes fluttered shut while she listened to the ocean waves moving her along the surface.

She didn't open her eyes until she felt two hands pull her out of the water by her shoulders, both holding onto her body. "Put me back in the ocean," she asked, missing the water around her. However, she couldn't help but smile at the warmth of the arms holding her. The person they belonged to did not answer her, but instead gently pushed her wet hair away from her face and then placed a kiss on her forehead. "Mm, I miss you so much," Emma said, opening her to see Graham smiling down at her. "Graham…" She smiled at him, reaching up to touch his handsome face.

"Emma, I miss you too," he told her, touching her cheek. "I've been so worried about you since I had to leave you, but now I know that you will be alright. You are going to have to let me go..." His blue eyes were shining with love for her…and then suddenly, it wasn't Graham in front of her — it was Killian.

End of dream

Emma's eyes flew open. She sat up in her bed, feeling at peace — she had felt so content in her dream, free of all pain and anger — but she was confused as to why Killian would have appeared in it. It must be because the ocean reminds me of him, she thought to herself, dismissing any other ideas.

After she climbed out of bed, she took a bath and walked over to her closet to find something to wear. Her eyes lit up when she saw something that she planned on wearing to her poker match with Killian later on that night. She knew that his poker skills were much like his sword skills — they would most likely surpass her own. So…she was going to fight dirty — like a pirate