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CHAPTER 16

TIME – (noun) The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present and future regarded as a whole.

"That was some kiss, sister," Leroy stated grumpily with a shake of his head.

Emma bit her lip and felt the heat rising in her cheeks at his comment. Glancing at Killian, she saw him failing miserably to hide his smile as he bent his head and scratched behind his ear a couple of times.

She could tell he felt a little awkward about the unexpected outcome of their kiss but he certainly wasn't regretting it and neither was she…well except for the fact that her mother had interrupted them from what had been turning into a pretty heavy make out session on her bed.

In truth Emma embarrassingly hadn't even registered the tremble. It had taken Snow knocking loudly on the door and calling their names to alert them as to what was going on. They'd all hurried outside once the ground had grumbled again and were now standing by the clock tower trying to figure out what was happening.

Whatever it was, she knew they'd deal with it just as they always did. She just hoped they could do it quickly for once because she really wanted to get back to her pirate.

"What makes you think this is anything to do with me?" she challenged defensively, earning an eye roll from the dwarf. "It could be Zelena. Has anyone found Gold yet?"

She looked around the growing number of people that were gathering as each second passed but was met with completely blank looks.

"Oh, this has nothing to do with me, Miss. Swan," Gold said from behind her suddenly.

She turned and saw him standing a few feet away from everybody leaning on his cane. She felt rather than saw Killian move closer until he reached her side, there for her if she needed him as always.

"You would say that," Emma countered with a frown.

"Such hostility after all my help," he retorted dryly, "Maybe I should have killed Hook as Zelena wanted, then none of this would be happening."

The pirate tensed at her side but she shot him a warning look before turning back to the Dark One to ask reluctantly, "What do you mean?"

"Why, you've broken the curse, Dearie," he told her nonchalantly.

He obviously thought she already knew what he was talking about and a tiny flicker of dread begin to spark in the pit of her stomach.

"What curse?" she queried, not sure if she really wanted to know.

"The one that created this place of course," he replied with a sweep of his hand as he gestured to the various buildings surrounding them.

"What?" she all but squeaked in dismay, "But how is that possible?"

"The product of True Love sharing a True Love's Kiss...it's potent magic," he told her lightly, "Nothing stronger."

"So, Storybrooke is going to disappear again?" Hook queried quietly from her side drawing her attention as he added, "And I take it all not born in the Enchanted Forest have to stay here as before?"

"Yes," Gold confirmed with a nod.

Emma's eyes widened as the pirate turned to look at her, her son's name remaining unspoken between them. She couldn't believe it. Everyone was finally safe from Zelena. She'd admitted to herself how felt; dropped all her walls and found her true love and now she had to give it all up.

Forever.

Because she couldn't leave Henry and he would never expect her to, she could see it in his eyes. The pained acceptance that she was staying and that he would have to go.

"Isn't there something we can do to stop it?" she asked urgently, tearing her gaze from Killian's and looking at Rumplestiltskin again.

He shook his head and she felt the urge to stamp her foot and simply scream out her frustration. She'd been right after all. The Saviour didn't get a happy ending. She was cursed as surely as this town had been.

Killian watched her grapple with her inner turmoil and felt a healthy dose of anger start to rise inside of him. He'd be dammed if he were going to lose her again. Mind racing, he looked over at Gold and saw a quiet triumph in the other man's expression that had him latching onto a memory from when he'd been held by Zelena.

"Miss Swan took Bae from me with her meddling. She will pay."

"You knew the curse would break, didn't you?" the pirate suddenly bit out accusingly as he took a step towards the Dark One. "This is all because of Baelfire isn't it? Tearing us apart is your twisted way of getting revenge for his death. Making us each live a half life knowing the other is out there but completely unattainable."

The crowd began to murmur behind them as Emma's gaze snapped to Rumplestiltskin at the pirate's charge and her stomach churned unpleasantly when the Dark One's face grew frighteningly cold.

"It's more than Miss. Swan let Bae have," he replied harshly, not even attempting to deny it.

Emma felt a crushing weight of guilt descend at his words but she stared back at Rumple defiantly.

"Neal knew what would happen to him but he wanted me to do it anyway. He died a hero and this is how you honour his memory? By taking your grief and anger out on me and your grandson?"

A flicker of remorse shone in his eyes for a moment but as quick as it had appeared it was gone.

"I honoured his memory by letting you live. Another who hurt him wasn't so fortunate," he stated flatly letting Emma know exactly what Zelena's fate had been. Another rumble rolled through the town and he glanced down the street. With a nasty smile he looked back at her and announced, "There isn't much time left, Dearie. Better say your goodbyes before it's too late."

Everyone turned to look in the same direction and way, way in the distance they saw the first glimpse of purple smoke clouding the sky. When Emma glanced back, Gold was gone and she felt the first prick of tears at the back of her eyes.

"Emma, you'd better get Henry," Snow advised sounding tearful herself.

"I'm here," the boy called out as he and Ruby ran up. Granny brought up the rear at a somewhat slower pace to join the rest of the group.

"What's going on? What was that magic? Did you give Killian…" he paused in his questioning when he saw Hook take a step closer to her then a grin far too knowing for one of his tender age spread across his face as he concluded with an exuberant, "Way to go, Mom!"

Emma looked down at her son's happy countenance and wondered how the hell she was going to tell him that he was going to lose his family all over again. It was a bittersweet notion that he was obviously fine with the thought that the pirate and her were together only to have to explain to him that it could never be. Ever.

"Come here," she said, pulling him into a tight hug as she gazed over at Killian and then her mother, blinking back tears.

They stared back at her with the same heartbroken expression as the magical cloud became more obvious. There was so much to say but she was running out of time; they all were.

A car screeched to a halt nearby and the doors flew open. Charming and Regina got out then hurried over to them looking sombre. Robin followed after, his arm in a sling and easing his frame out gingerly so as not to jar his injury further.

"Do you know what you've done?" the Queen asked with a quirk of an eyebrow as she drew level with Emma.

The Saviour nodded, a little surprised at the fact that Regina didn't seem overly upset.

"Good, then you and Henry better hurry and get some things together if you want them to come back with you," the brunette advised. "You don't have a lot of time left."

"Why? What's happening?" asked Henry in confusion as he looked from one mother to the other.

"We're all going to the Enchanted Forest," Regina told him with a smile. "Your mother broke the curse."

"Wait, but I thought Henry couldn't go," Emma stated, brows knitting in confusion.

"Do you really think that having been made to cast this curse a second time I wouldn't find a way to ensure Henry could come back with me if anything happened, Miss. Swan?" the Queen questioned, staring at her as if she were quite mad.

"You fixed it so that he can come as well?" the blonde asked faintly; hope blooming in her chest even though she couldn't quite believe it. "How?"

"I kept a lock of his hair from when he was a baby and put a few strands in the potion; made some adjustments to the spell and here we are," she explained with a casual shrug before adding sardonically, "I just knew you'd end up doing something that would cause it to be reversed at some point."

If Henry hadn't turned and thrown his arms around Regina to give her a hug, Emma was pretty certain she'd have done it herself.

"This is going to be awesome," he exclaimed excitedly.

Emma gave a half laugh, half sob of happiness then found herself suddenly engulfed in her parents tight embrace. She closed her eyes and relished their warmth for a moment then pulled back and turned to look at Killian who was standing nearby with an infinitely relieved expression and happy grin.

"Thought I was going to lose you there again for a minute, Swan," he commented huskily as she walked up to him.

She noted the remnants of pain that still lingered in his eyes and shook her head.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," she replied with a smile as she took hold of his hand.

"I'm glad to hear it," he told her softly, looking at her as though she were the most precious thing in the world, which she most definitely was to him.

"Time has almost run out," Regina cut in urgently, "Isn't there anything you need to get?"

Emma turned then held out her free hand to Henry who took it with a smile and moved closer to her. Looking around at her parents, then back to her son and finally up at the man she loved, Emma shook her head and smiled.

"I think I've got everything I need right here," she told the Queen with quiet contentment.

A few minutes later the purple cloud whooshed through the town and Storybrooke was no more.

END CHAPTER 16

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