New update already! I've been waiting to write this scene ever since it popped in my head weeks ago so I couldn't wait! Hope you enjoy it! (hehe)

~Mags

Chapter 17

He would live it all over again. He would have to stand there and watch someone he cared for…someone he…he loved, die right in front of him. And there was nothing he could do about it.

"The bloody hell there isn't," he growled as he began to fight against the ropes. The ropes weren't held together by magic this time…if there was a way out of this he was sure going to try everything he could to find it.

He thought of Henry…of what would happen to him if anything happened to Emma.

I don't want Henry to grow up the way I did.

Her words she had said that day back in Storybrooke echoed through his mind and urged him to keep going…to keep fighting. He had to find a way…he had to.

His struggles had finally disturbed Emma as a soft moan emerged from the back of her throat. Her head rolled off his shoulder and she groaned again as she jerked it up right. "Hook…"

"Emma," he breathed as he finally stopped fighting and turned his head to her. "Look at me…look at me."

Her vision was a tad blurry at first but she was soon able to focus her eyes on Hook. She breathed his name again as she turned to embrace him, relieved that he was okay…that he was alive and safe…but she couldn't move. "What…why am I…where are we?"

"We're in Skull's Rock….Emma…"

"Oh my god," she whispered when she realized the danger they were in. The cold water was to her waist and she couldn't move anything from the neck down. It was dark but a few holes from the top allowed a small amount of moonlight to give the cave a soft glow. She could see the entrance to the cave to her right, but in just a few moments the water would rise above it.

"Emma…look at me."

She whipped her head towards him but had to crane her neck up to meet his eyes. "We have to get out of here."

"I know…I've tried to get loose…the ropes are too strong, Emma."

"No one knows we're here," she said as her voice cracked with emotion.

"No…I don't know…what happened when I was with Curly?"

"I…I don't know." She shook her head as she was trying to remember. "I was holding them off…like you asked and…I was fighting this kid, but he wasn't a kid…too strong to be just a kid. Blonde hair…cruel eyes."

"Felix," Hook growled.

"I was beating him, too, but it seems he was just a distraction…someone must have come up behind me. My head is throbbing."

"Aye…mine, too…I saw you on the ground and before I could get to you, someone clocked me. Next thing I knew, we were here…the water's getting higher."

The tips of her hair were now under as the water lapped at her chest. "I'll be under soon."

Hook closed his eyes as he let out a shaky breath. "Emma…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

She sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It isn't your fault."

He rested his cheek against he top of her head. "I shouldn't have left you…I was so worried about Curly, but I…I shouldn't have left you."

"Did Curly get away?"

"Aye…I believe he did."

"Then you have nothing to be sorry for, Killian." Emma closed her eyes and felt the tears begin to form as she felt his warm lips press against her hair. The water was to her neck now and knew she didn't have a lot of time. "I'll never see Henry again."

"No…you will, Swan," he murmured as he nuzzled his cheek against her. "Maybe not in this life…or this world, but you will."

"He'll grow up alone…just like me."

"He won't…too many people in his life love him…he's a blessed and lucky lad to have so many people love him and care for him…he'll be okay."

She was crying now…there was no reason to hold it back…to stay strong. "Killian," she sobbed as she had to tilt her neck up to keep her mouth above water. "I'm scared."

"Don't be, love…death should be an awfully great adventure."

She managed a little smile and sputtered out water that had lapped into her mouth. "Then I'll see you on the other side, Captain."

"Emma," he cried softly as he struggled against the ropes, hoping maybe this time he'd be able to free himself. But it was no use…he had no choice but to watch helplessly as the cold water slipped over her head.

He closed his eyes as his shoulders started to shake uncontrollably. He wanted it to be his turn now…in just a matter of moments his long, miserable life would finally be over. It was painful to realize that just when he had reasons to really start living again, his life would be ripped away from him and the woman he'd grown to love along with him.

He dropped his head in defeat as he opened his eyes and stared at the water inches from him. He wouldn't wait till the water to rise…he'd end it now…he wanted it to be over now. But just as he was about to close his eyes and dip his face into the surface, a flash of brilliant red appeared in the water.

"Ariel," he whispered as the first lit of hope lifted in his chest.

Emma broke through the surface gasping for breath inches in front of him. "Swan!" he yelled as he tilted his head up to keep from going under.

"Killian," she coughed as she still tried to get her breath. "Oh god…Ariel, hurry!"

He could feel her against him under water and with one quick tug his legs were free, then the rope around his waist and lastly the one across his chest. He slipped under the water in exhaustion but was able to come right back up as Emma and Ariel helped him. "Emma…Emma."

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "She came out of no where…I was starting to slip away when she shook me awake."

Still holding her tight he glanced over at Ariel who was staring at them with wide, terrified eyes. "Thank you."

"I just remembered one of the downfalls of turning good…you two scared the ever loving crap out of me!"

Hook laughed weakly as he dropped his cheek to Emma's head. "You and me both, doll."

Emma turned her head towards her but didn't leave his arms. "How did you know where we were?"

"I have eyes and ears everywhere, Blondie, but I'll tell you more later…right now we need to get out of here, and it won't be easy."

"She's right," he said as he pulled her back to look at her. "We can't wait out the tide because they will be back as soon as they can to come dispose of our bodies."

"I still can't believe they're capable of something like this," Emma said sadly. "They're just kids."

"Just on the outside…but kids like Felix and Pan are ruthless. We need to move."

"I'm not arguing…let's do it."

"I also need to find a way to get my hook back."

"Oh, you mean this thing?" Ariel asked as she held up his hook with a smile.

"Bloody hell." He snagged it from her. "How did you get it?"

"I capsized their boat and took it back…they were so frantic about getting back in their boat it was easy to do. They probably think it just fell to the bottom of the sea when they toppled over."

"You're a marvel, sweetheart," he said as he securely locked it in place.

Emma couldn't help but smile. "Hook is back."

He flashed her a devilish grin. "Damn right he is…and he's pissed. Now, let's get the hell out of here."

"I'll go first and you follow me, Blondie," Ariel said as they swam towards the opening of the cave. "You're going to have to swim down for a bit before you reach the top of the tunnel leading out to the cove. Just feel your way down and when you get to the tunnel just stay close to the top and pull your way through…there are a bunch of crevices in the rocks to help give you leverage."

She nodded. "Okay…got it."

"I'll be right behind you, okay?"

She looked at Hook. "You better be…just how good of swimmer are you?"

He gave her a look. "I'll manage, Swan…I'm not going to lie, I was a hell of a lot better with two hands, but I'm still pretty good. I'll use my hook to pull me a long the top of the tunnel. I'll be so fast I'll probably pass you."

She grinned at the slight teasing in his voice. "You wish, Hook," she said and then took a deep breath and slipped beneath the surface before he could answer.

It was easier than she thought it would be. She pushed herself down the stonewall and when she made it to the lip of the tunnel she gripped the edges and pushed herself all the way down until her arms were extended above her. She then flipped herself to where she faced the top of the tunnel and began pulling herself along as quickly as she could. She didn't see Hook pass her so that motivated her to keep going with a smile on her face.

When she reached the end she gave herself one last push out and then floated all the way up to the top to find Ariel waiting for her. "Piece of cake," she said as she caught her breath and then turned around to give Hook a playful jibe but he wasn't there.

Her smile dropped as she frantically waited for him to break through the surface, but he never did. "Hook," she said frantically as she started to swim over to the tunnel. "Ariel…Ariel, he was right behind me."

"Stay here," she said firmly and then dove under the surface.

"Please," she murmured as she treaded water alone in the dark. "Don't leave me…this can't happen again…every one always leaves me." As seconds passed her heart started to drop in her chest as she let out a choked sob. "Why do they always leave…"

Her words were cut off when he came crashing through the surface like a bullet as he took in one, dramatic gasping breath. "Hook!" She quickly swam to him and grasped his face with her hands. "Hook…Killian."

He gripped her wrist with his hand and tucked the curve of his hook around the other. "I'm okay," he gasped as he touched his forehead to hers.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"His hook got stuck in a crevice," Ariel explained as she looked around. "You guys stay here…I'm going to swim below you to scout the area."

"I was right behind you the whole time," Hook began once she was gone. "And then my hook just wouldn't budge. I pulled and tugged and when that didn't work I was just going to remove it, but it was jammed…Ariel showed up just in time and together we were able to wiggle it loose."

"I thought I was going to lose you." She lifted her head so she could meet his eyes and clenched his damp shirt tightly with her hands. "I thought you were going to leave me…I was just telling myself that they always leave me…but then you came back."

"And this surprises you, Swan?" Water swirled as he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. "I thought we've established the fact that I always will come back to you."

"Yes, you do," she breathed as her eyes flickered up to his. Drops of water danced on the end of his long lashes and his searing blue eyes were filled with passion, longing…and love. "You're a constant surprise to me, Captain Hook."

He flashed a quick grin but then quickly faded when her eyes moved to his lips. "Emma," he said softly and waited until those eyes went back up to his. "After years living in darkness you were the one to bring light back into it…I don't want to go back into that darkness, Emma…I want to stay in the light with you."

When his lips came down on hers, she didn't fight or hesitate, but welcomed it with as much passion and hunger as him. Her arms circled around his neck while his tightened around her waist and his hand gripped strands of her wet, silky hair. She didn't care about distractions…not this time…after what they just went through they deserved a distraction…a wonderful, amazing distraction.

He poured everything into the kiss…all his feelings for her exploded out of him like a shotgun and he couldn't control it…he didn't want to control it. He nipped at her lips and then dove his tongue into her mouth and the small whimper she made at the back of her throat made him groan with desperate need for her.

Good god he wished they weren't in the middle of a dark sea with danger all around them. He wished they were back on the Jolly Roger, in his cabin where no one would interrupt him. He desperately wanted to lay her on his bed, slip her out of her clothes and then slip into her. He wanted to know what it felt like to have her under him naked and willing…to know what it felt to have those long legs wrapped tightly around him.

As if she read her mind she lifted those long legs and wrapped them around his waist underwater as she gripped strands of his hair and kissed him senseless. He was so caught off guard that he lost all train of thought and felt themselves slipping under the water.

"We're going to drown ourselves," he gasped as they finally pulled away and she just laughed and came back for more. Good lord, this woman was going to be the death of him, he thought and then moaned when she captured his bottom lip with her teeth. But what a way to go.

"So, sorry to interrupt."

They tore apart gasping for breath to see Ariel grinning at them. "Seriously…I really hate breaking up a steamy kiss like that, but you might want to call it quits for the moment…your rescue mission is coming up on your left."

They turned towards the direction she was pointing to and at first it was too dark to see anything, but then they clearly saw the bow of a rowing ship merging from the dark and heading straight towards them.

"Dad," Emma whispered when she recognized him and then smiled when she saw another face. "Mom."

Hook let out a little laugh as he shared a quick look with Emma. "A few seconds earlier and we would have had an awkward situation on our hands."

"A few seconds earlier and my dad would have killed you."

"It would have been worth it."

Below the surface their hands found each other and their fingers laced together as her parents finally reached him. "Good evening, Charmings," Hook asked as he gave Emma's hand a gentle squeeze. "And how was your day?"