Thank you sooo much for all the reviews! Everyone warms my heart and put a smile on my face! I really really appreciate you taking some time to write me something!

Here is the next part. I have been thinking about how this scene was going to unfold for a long time now, so that's why the chapter is a little late; I wanted to make all the pieces fit together. But here it is! What do you think about what I came up with? I would love to hear what you think! Next chapter will probably be up on friday!

Enjoy! xx


To have a near death experience is one thing, but to be able to say that you've been in death's embrace have never been so literal.

Hope hadn't even known who or what they were up against when she decided to join the battle. Stupid, really.

Hope was surprised not to find Death, or the Grim Reaper, och the Grim, or whatever he was called, in a long black cape. That's how he was always presented. The whole concept of him scared her as she looked at him; a very ordinary man on the outside. Death could be anyone.

Death isn't cruel, though. No, he does nothing but his job. But he, as well as everybody else has principles. Once he has chosen his victim and placed them within his arms, he does not spare them any chances to escape. Unless, someone offers to go in their place.

That's where Hope found herself. Chosen and captured, ready to leave this world for the next, but blessed to stay.

Emma reached Hope's side and wrenched her out of the man's arms, gathering her daughter in her own.

"No, please, not my daughter. She is just a girl. She didn't know what she was doing," her mother pleaded. But Death shook his head reaching for Hope with a pale hand.

"You know the rules. I already spared your oldest this evening, for now, at least. But the girl needs to come with me. My embrace have marked her. She can't escape her fate."

Hope's arms had never been tighter around her mother's waist, hoping against all odds she couldn't be taken if she just held on tight enough.

"Unmark her."

"No, that's not how it works I'm afraid." Despite her tight grip on her mother, she found herself in Death's arms before either if them could do any more. Emma looked near desperate at this point.

"Please, Gabriel, please. She is just a child. Not even you could be this cruel. I won't let her go. I will climb the walls of the underworld if I have to, to get her back. I've done it before and for her, I'll do it again any day. I will create literal hell down there, and you know I can." The threat was not a bluff, but also not a sure one; her mother had no way of knowing if she could reach the underworld again.

"Just because it worked once doesn't mean it will work again. Hades have made his changes, and the only to enter is me and the souls I bring, and the only to leave is me. You wont get in this time. He knows your ways now. He know you now."

Hope could see her mother thinking, desperately trying to find a way out of this, tears spilling over as she couldn't find one. Hope's own tears kept rolling down her cheeks. That was it. She was never going to see any of them again. She felt herself shaking, and didn't know if it was from the tears, her fear or if it was her soul leaving.

"Take me in her place! Let her live."

NO!

Suddenly Hope was released, and crumbled to the ground. Her mother's hands cradled her face and she kissed her forehead affectionately, whispering a quiet 'I love you forever, my sweet girl. Tell your brothers the same', before standing and reaching for Killian.

Her parents didn't embrace for long, knowing time was of the essence, but still managed to make so much out of it.

The desperation told of how much they loved each other.

The tears told of how much they would miss each other.

The acceptance told that they both understood why.

Her hand on the back of his head, where it rested only when comfort was needed, told of how well they knew each other.

Their grips tightening told of how scared they were of losing each other.

When their time was up Emma was the one to let go, Killian in no shape to take that step. She cupped his cheek in her hand and gave him a final loving look.

"Thank you for our future. It was perfect."

She took a step back, letting Killian gather Hope in his arms, none of them hiding their despair. A smal smile grazed her lips.

Death took a leap and emerged into the air, making his way out of the field along with the white shimmer of Emma's soul; the light in her eyes fading until there was nothing left, her body crumbling to the ground before their eyes.

It was over. Death got what it wanted. Those left behind had to pick up the pieces and grieve their loss.

The cries of despair and loss echoed far, as it only can when one part of a whole have been lost to the other forever.


"Liam"

Hope didn't have to turn to know her brother stood behind her. She knew they would look for her when they found her plan, but never expected them to follow her.

Everyone in the room was quiet, no one knowing how to handle the new addition to the company. Slowly she turned to look at her older brother, taking a step back when she took in his appearance.

He wore the same clothes he'd done the night Death took their mother, his hair was more disheveled than usual, and he couldn't have slept in at least four nights. His normal prim self (except for his hair, cause that was a hopeless case) looked wrecked and torn. He looked tired and dirty. And here she thought she'd had a horrible few days.

"Liam, what happened?"

"What happened? Really? Well, my mom died, not even saying goodbye to me. My dad is inconsolable, scared, hurt, and grieving. I've never seen dad cry before, now he doesn't stop. My grandparents have just lost a daughter so they can't step up. Everyone is miserable, and then I have a fight with my little sister and she goes on a suicide mission, so instead of grieving, we have to go after her. Everything is wrong, Hope. Everything happened. Everything is a mess."

Hope didn't know how to respond. She just stared at him. The last time she'd seen him he'd told her of how everything was her fault. Of how stupid she was. And everything else she already knew. When she left she knew she'd probably never see him again. Now he stood in front of her and she didn't know how to handle that. She desperately wanted to hug him, for him to tell her that everything would be alright. But she didn't know how much he still blamed her, or if he even wanted to be near her.

"I'm sorry," Hope whispered and heard how small she sounded. Liam's eyes softened at her tone, he took two big strides forward and gathered her in his arms; breathing her in and holding her tight as she could no longer hold her tears. The relief and grief confused her, but the safety of her brother's arms was at least a small comfort. Liam rested his cheek on the crown on her head, whispering so only she could hear.

"I'm sorry too. God, I almost thought we lost you as well."

"Emma's dead?" Killian seemed to have caught up with the truth. Brother and sister broke their hug, Hope dried her tears and Liam nodded, taking in their audience.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here. I need your help to change what happened. We need our mom," Hope almost begged, hoping and praying they would offer their assistance.

"What's your plan?" David was the one to ask.

"Well, my plan. Yeah, well, I tried to find the source of why mom died. It was Death who took her, and that is hard to change. Really what we have to change is what happened before that. We have to prevent it to happen further back. Um, I calculated exactly where and when I had to be, so that it'll work. So all you have to do is really just agree on it and take a memory potion and thats it. Really. Yeah," Hope rambled, trying to explain, but not reveal her true intentions. Her brother being the exception, everyone in the room looked beyond confused.

"What does that even mean?" Snow questioned, looking between her two youngest grandchildren. Hope hesitated, she really didn't want her plan to be pushed down. She had already come to terms with it, now everyone else just had to do the same. She sighed when her brother opened his mouth, knowing he would rat her plan out.

"It means that she thinks she's found the source of mom's death; herself. She has calculated the time perfectly, so I'll still be born. You might wanna take a pregnancy test, mom. But what you have to agree on is to never have any more children. Cause if Hope is never born she can never be the reason of your death. She wants to erase herself from existence. Her end will be your salvation."


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