A/N: Wow! I really do apologize to my fans for not getting to this fanfiction sooner. I was stuck within a deep bout of writer's block on this fiction. I knew how I wanted it to end and I just couldn't get there. In the end, I created you a (somewhat) whole new ending. I hope all of you enjoy this. The fic is actually finished and is just waiting to be edited for me to send out the next chapter and the epilogue.

Disclaimer: I do not own the major characters to this story nor any references to the episodes on Once Upon A Time.

Chapter 25:

Emma was surprised to find the chapel empty. The little hovel-like structure almost always seemed to draw visitors or vagrants during the early morning and late evening hours. Usually she came here before she had to head back for dinner, ensuring that she was alone before the homeless took over.

Pushing open the rusty hinged door, it made an eerie squeal in the hollowness of the building. Floor boards creaked as she walked inside. She left the door open a hair so that sunlight could find its way in. With a deep breath, Emma steadied herself in an attempt to get to some sort of meditative state.

Her emotions powered her magic more than anything else but she was determined to achieve the same thing without losing control. Without feeling too much. Emma went to the small bench, the only remaining furniture inside and sat down away from the crumbling statue of Christ, the only other thing inside the dwelling.

A shake of her hands prepared her, along with a deep breath of the molded air that surrounded her. Right as Emma was about to shoot a burst of energy across the room, the door opened stealing her attention and causing her to change directions when the magic shot from her fingers. The ball of light narrowly missed Killian's head and only because he leaned to the left.

"Killian, I…" Emma rushed toward him but stopped abruptly at his vicious glare. Never had she experienced such a look, though she had seen it on his face before when he had confronted Rumpelstiltskin.

He held up his hand and entered the one room church. His feet led him around her and Emma felt as if she had been dismissed. She watched as he approached the crumbling statue of white ivory and wood that had easily seen better days, probably about the time that Killian had been born, if he had been born to this world.

Killian crossed himself, as he mumbled, "In nomine Patris… et Filli… et Spiritus Sancti."

Chills ran down Emma's back as he knelt down and pulled the cross from around his neck and up to his lips. His eyes rose before he stood, his back as straight and sure as the mast of the Jolly Roger.

For only a second Emma thought about approaching him. With an indecisive breath, Emma concluded it was in her best interest to blend amongst the shadows lingering in the corner of the room.

"You cannot hide from me, Emma." His voice was low and husky. It reminded her of the man who shot out innuendos as sure as the arrows that left Robin's bow. "I'm not sure you ever could."

He turned and his eyes found hers with unwavering accuracy. His azure gaze was as sharp as icicles and as cold. Only one other time she remembered seeing them like this. Emma, her mother, Mulan and Aurora had been locked inside Rumpelstiltskin's cell as Killian taunted her with Anton's magic bean.

It felt like a slap in the face to see him so uncaring after all this time. Emma had been letting down her walls, albeit slowly, so he could touch her heart when he'd been changed and sent to Rome. It was when the tides changed and she had to work at getting Killian to let her in. As she did, Emma began to realize how hard Killian worked at bringing down those walls, brick by brick. Never making her fear him in such a way that she wanted to run and hide. She appreciated his efforts now, and she was so in love with him, that she was willing to give up everything for him. She had proved that by coming to Rome to get him back. Not that he understood that just yet.

And fall in love she had. Not just with the old Killian who wooed her incessantly, but with this new Killian who wanted to escape her to stay true to his vows. It seemed that no matter where the two of them were, no matter what circumstances they found themselves in, they were bound to fall in love. Or at least she knew she was with him. Fate had somehow tied the two of them together and the shackles were not something Emma was willing to shed.

"I'm not hiding from you, Killian." Emma stepped back into the light.

"Maybe you should."

His voice was quiet. Warning bells rang inside Emma's head but she paid them no heed. How could she? She loved and trusted this man. More than she ever had Neal. More than her parents. Maybe even more than Henry.

Sun sharply hit Emma in the eye as she took another step forward, but she refused to shield them. It was in that moment that Emma realized the sun wasn't hitting her from the doorway but from something reflective in Killian's left hand. She felt her eyes widen when she realized it was a knife. It looked vaguely like one of the sacrificial ones that she'd seen in the Vatican's museum. "Where did you get that, Killian?"

His smile lit his face, but his eyes still remained cold and collected. He raised the long slender knife. "This?" Emma nodded. "I've held onto this for a special occasion. You. Your death specifically."

"Killian, think before you do anything. You don't want to hurt me." Emma backed up a step and then another until she felt the damp wall behind her.

He followed her step for step. His smile only growing brighter but not cheery in the least. It was more cynical. Calculating. It pulled at every deep rooted fear that Emma ever possessed.

Possessed. That's it. Killian had to be possessed. The demon must have gotten to him once more.

"This isn't about you, Emma. It's about him." Killian pointed to himself, confirming Emma's suspicions. "You are only the fastest way to hurt him at the moment. To kill you would bring upon such agony." Laughter, deep and strong, rolled out of Killian's mouth. "Yes. I will enjoy this immensely."

Killian's hand raised the knife into the air as he stalked closer to her. Emma kept her back pressed to the wall as she inched along its surface in an effort to reach the door. "Please, Killian. I know you're in there. Don't do this. Fight it. This isn't you."

"I can't. He's too strong," Killian's own voice choked out.

More laughter followed his words. "You should have picked someone stronger, Emma Swan. This pathetic priest is no match for me."

Rage bubbled up inside Emma choking her. "Hook is strong. Stronger than you are. Stronger than me."

She shot out a surge of energy. It hit Killian's shoulder and he stumbled back. Emma's first instinct was to run to him and see if he was okay, but she had to remember she was fighting a demon now, not the man she loved. If she wished to save either one of them she had to fight. He barely took any time to recover before he lunged at her. Killian grabbed her by the lapels of her red leather jacket and grinned down at her. Emma felt like a mouse trapped by the tail under a cat's paw.

"The swan has been captured at last."

Tears pricked at Emma's eyes. The knife began to descend toward her heart with a sure hand. Her mother must have known the same fear when Graham, as the Huntsman, had tried to kill her. But her mother had never loved Graham. The face before Emma was the man she loved and it would be the last one she saw. As the knife plunged through her skin, piercing her heart, Emma leaned forward and touched her lips to Killian's. "I love you, Killian. I forgive…"

Killian stumbled back as Emma's body fell onto his chest limply. As he did, her body dropped down to the dirty floorboards. What had he done? The bloody knife fell from his loosely held fist, coming to rest near Emma's prone form. Her blood covered him.

His own knees could no longer hold his own weight and Killian found himself falling to the ground. He covered his face, unmindful of the blood dripping from his fingers. Tears dwelled in his eyes but selfishly refused to fall.

"Emma!"

Killian separated his fingers enough to see Robin skid to a halt at the sight of the two of them on the floor. Robin glared in Killian's direction before he went down to check Emma's pulse. Killian could do nothing, his body still paralyzed by what he had done, as he watched Robin removed some blonde strands from Emma's face. Robin reached under Emma's red jacket to assess the wound. A wound that would never heal. A wound Killian inflicted on the only woman he ever loved with a selfless heart.

"What happened? What did you do, Killian?"

Killian felt a deep need to run and hide, something that was unusual for him. Not from Robin's condemning glare, for which he deserved, but from himself, the one person he could not escape. He killed Emma. A demon might have taken possession of his body, but it was his hand that lifted the knife. He couldn't ever forget that. He couldn't forget the look in her eyes as she accepted her fate. He couldn't forget that he was responsible because he hadn't fought hard enough.

Emma was dead because of him. The woman he loved was dead. And he did love her. More than Milah. More than his brother, Liam. More than his ship or even his bloody revenge on the crocodile.

It was then Killian realized. He remembered. He remembered everything. He could recall the day he met Emma in the Enchanted Forest at Cora's bidding. He saw the day that he lost his brother to Dreamshade and more vividly the day Rumple ripped out Milah's heart. Killian remembered losing his own heart to a mouthy, dejected orphan, who's one goal was to first return to her son and then to save him from Peter Pan.

And lost his heart he had. First in Neverland after the kiss that should have proved no more than another conquest. Then in the past when he realized how jealous he could be of his own self, as he watched his past-self dally a woman he believed to be no more than a bar wench. And, yet again, only a few weeks ago, after the demon last infected him. Killian had quickly shun his priestly ways just to have Emma in his arms, even once.

Shucking off his coat, Killian held it out to Robin who folded it and pressed it to Emma's chest in an effort to staunch the flow of blood. "Help her," Killian begged, knowing that Robin was already doing the best he could under the circumstances.

"I'm not sure I can," Robin said with a tone of helplessness. His eyes met Killian's and he knew that Robin felt just that, helpless. "The knife pierced her heart. Already her pulse is slowing down."

Killian ran over and kicked the wooden bench against the wall. Emma had to live. Henry deserved better. Baelfire lost his mother because of Killian's actions. He wasn't about to do the same to the man's son. "What can I do?"

"You stabbed her through the heart, Killian. I'm not sure there is much either one of us can do."

"Call emergency. Do something!"

"Now you care?"

"It wasn't me. The demon was here. He guided my hand."

"No, not that," Robin said as he stood and faced Killian. "You've done nothing but push Emma away the last few months. She was here trying to help you. Emma tried to bring you home where you belong. The only thing she did was love you and you killed her, demon or not." Robin's face was anguished. "Bloody hell, mate. Regina is going to kill you. When Henry finds out, death will be slow in coming. Regina will see to that. Hell, Henry, nor her parents, will even get a chance to say good-bye."

"It wasn't me. I tried to stop." Killian approached and sat on the other side of Emma from where Robin stood. He clenched her hand to his own heart. "I wouldn't… I couldn't…"

Tears stole his words. Unashamed at his sobs, he held her hand. "I love her. And I remember. All of it." Robin crouched down across from him and Killian looked his friend in the eyes. "Rumpelstiltskin did something. That part isn't completely clear yet, but he did. He stole my memories and gave me new ones. All in an effort to pull me away from Emma. And she followed me. She gave up everything… for me. If she hadn't she'd still be alive. Healthy. Whole. Maybe even happy."

"Not without you she wouldn't." Robin reached out and clasped Killian on the shoulder. "There is only one thing left to try. Only something that you are capable of doing. It's the only thing I can think of that might save her life."

"What?" Killian was frantic. He'd try anything.

"Kiss her. Kiss her like you've never kissed her before. Kiss her like you'll never see her again because if this doesn't work you never will."

Killian glared at his friend and shook off his hand. "Kissing her isn't going to make her heart beat any faster or staunch her life's blood from flowing from her onto the ground."

"Do you love her?"

"What kind of idiotic question is that? Of course I love her. I've loved her for a long time now."

"Then kiss her before it's too late."

Killian's gaze broke from Robin's and settled on the prone form of Emma. He loved her of that there wasn't any doubt. And she loved him. She told him even with her last words. Gently, Killian gathered her close to his chest. Emma's head fell back over his arm limp. As if she was the most precious and fragile object on Earth, he pulled her even closer. "Please live, Emma. Not for me, because after this I don't deserve you, but for Henry and your parents who love you. Live.".

His lips touched hers. They were cold and blue, much as they had been when he and her father had rescued her from freezing in the ice wall with Elsa. He discarded the fact that it was different now because she was well and truly dying. He covered her mouth and tried to tell her with his lips how much she was loved. How much she meant to him and his survival. How much she would be missed by every person whose life she had ever touched.

He lifted back just enough to whisper, "Come back to me. Come back, love. By all the Gods, I love you, Emma. Don't leave me."

Tears began to stream once more from his eyes and down his face. There was no response to his plea filled words or his kiss. He was Captain Bloody Hook and he felt as impotent as a prepubescent boy. He murdered the woman he loved more than his own life. He'd give up every one of the days he had, centuries worth of life, just to have her survive long enough for her family to have a chance to say good-bye. He'd pillage and plunder and kill to have her stay with him. He'd take on the demon one on one because he had no choice and no longer any will to live.

He gazed down at Emma and noticed his tears had fallen unto Emma's cheeks, one lingering at the corner of her own eye. Each salt filled drop glistened in the sun like individual diamonds upon her pale skin. Killian kissed one of the tears from her face. As he did, a surge shot though him, startling him enough where he almost dropped Emma from his arms. Desperate to not see that happen, he held onto her tighter.

"Killian?"

He glanced over at Robin's own shocked face. "What the bloody hell was that?"

Robin's eyes began to glitter with his own tears and the man wiped them away as a smile began to form. "I think that was True Love's Kiss."