a/n: Hey everyone! so there is only one more chapter left after this one! I hope you have enjoyed this ride with me. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. (to the people that have left reviews on almost every chapter please know that I see you and that your words mean so so much to me, I look forward to them every time). I'd love a review! and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

It takes a few minutes before Emma bothers to focus on anything other than Killian. She was certain in that moment right before she stepped into the column of light that she would never see him again. But here she is, alive, and her heart swells with a relief that leaves her breathless.

Killian hasn't taken his eyes off her, or his hands for that matter. She can feel his fingertips tracing an eternal pathway along her spine, and she smiles at him again before reaching up to brush her thumb against his cheekbone.

She could sit here staring at him forever, completely spellbound by the softness in his gaze, by the love in his eyes.

But the dim light in the cavern sputters, drawing her attention.

Looking up she takes in the column of light that now flickers pitifully, like a candle trying to hold on to its last inch of wick. She can no longer feel the humming, and its absence leaves the air feeling emptier and her skin feeling colder, the hairs on her arms stand on end as though waiting for the familiar buzz of the magic to warm them.

She feels Killian straighten a little beside her. "What do you think happened to it?"

His whisper wafts through the hair by her face, and she shivers a bit as it tickles her skin. "I don't know," she muses. "Maybe it's gone somewhere, or maybe it's just gone."

But even as she says this she doesn't find herself believing it.

When she'd stepped into the light everything had been overwhelming. It was as if in that instant everything had frozen, keeping her locked in a never-ending assault on her senses. The light had left her blinded, all sound had been snuffed out by a constant ringing, and she could feel the magic surging around her, surging through her. And in the moment she expected it to overpower her; she'd felt it accept her instead.

And she swears she felt it become a part of her.

Looking down at her hands she clenches her fists before inhaling through her nose and extending her fingers. Is it even possible? That instead of killing her like the Dark One predicted, she sort of absorbed the power instead?

Her eyes drill into her hands as she tries to determine if she feels any different, if she can feel more magic flowing through her.

And as she concentrates on her magic she starts to feel the familiar warmth that tingles just beneath her skin. Almost instantly a small amount of white light begins glittering across her palms. It looks no different than her usual magic but she still stares at it a little awed, wondering if she now holds all that power inside her.

Killian's hands enter her vision, jolting her from her thoughts. She jumps slightly, her breath catches in her chest where she holds it as she watches him wrap his hands around hers. It's as his thumbs begin smoothing a comforting path along her palms that she allows herself to exhale.

"Swan?"

She looks up at him. Concern presses down on his brow and dances in the shadows that flicker across his face. He dips his head ever so slightly until his eyes are at the same level as hers.

"Are you alright, love?"

She takes another deep breath and watches the light fade from her skin.

"I'm fine," she assures him, looking up to meet his gaze. There's a familiar storm swirling in his eyes and she knows he's not going to stop worrying until she explains what's going on with her. She reaches up to smooth away the worry creasing between his brows and sighs.

"I promise, everything is fine. I just think I may have absorbed the light's magic—or channeled it I guess—however the hell it was the Dark One explained it."

Killian's mouth drops open as he stares at her in silent wonder. But it doesn't take long for his slack jawed lips to curve into a playful smirk, his eyebrow arching as he chuckles lowly.

And she can't help but smile with him at the incredulity of it all.

"Oh is that all?" He laughs again as he shakes his head. "You were already a bloody wonder before—however am I going to deserve you now?"

And though his eyes still shine with playfulness there is a seriousness in his tone, a breath of admiration and amazement as if he truly does wonder how he deserves her. And she doesn't know what she ever did to earn the love of a man who looks at her this way, as if she breathes the very light into the stars each night. Not when he himself is a light in her life that far surpasses the warmth of the sun itself.

But she's not the best with words, so she leans in and kisses him again.

"You do far more than deserve me," she whispers against his lips as she pulls back slightly. "Never doubt that."

He nudges his nose against hers and answers her with a smile that is so gentle her heart aches.

And every second she swears she loves him more.

"Now," Emma says, giving her head a tiny shake in order to focus on something other than the way he's looking at her. There is still the matter of a more than likely enraged Dark One to take care of, and when she looks up, she finds him at the edge of the cavern. His features are shadowed but not hidden, as though the light is afraid to inch any closer than it already has. "What are we going to do with him?"

The man in question stands stock still, his mouth is pressed into a thin line and the sheer fury burning in his eyes sends a terrifying shiver through her.

Killian tenses beside her and she looks at him just in time to see him curl his fingers around the hilt of the Dark One's dagger.

"That crocodile can stay here and rot for all I care." Killian spits through his teeth, and his anger is almost enough to match that of the Dark One's.

Emma considers trying to calm the rage clearly simmering inside Killian, but she hates the man as much as he does. So instead she simply pulls herself to standing and brushes her hands off on her pants as she ponders what to do with the man that very nearly killed them both.

Killian is quick to follow, gathering and dusting himself off as he stands next to her. He eyes the Dark One as if he'd like nothing more than to stab him with the very dagger that controls him. But Emma's heard enough tales to know that that is definitely not an option.

She places her hand on Killian's forearm and at her touch he relaxes his grip on the dagger, if only slightly.

"I'm serious, Swan, let's leave him." Killian says, still lobbying to just let the demon waste away and spend his years of eternity in this dark cave. "He was just telling us how fond of the place he is."

Sudden inspiration sparks at Killian's words and Emma's eyes widen, a small gasp escaping her as she turns to look at the Dark One. "Just how exactly did you keep coming here? There are literal lightyears between this planet and home."

She doesn't dare let herself hope, or she tries not to at least. But in spite of her best efforts, thoughts of home race through her.

Is it actually possible? Could they go back? Could she see her parents again?

Emma's chest swells with what at this point is definitely hope, but the Dark One remains silent and Emma finds that irritation easily rises inside her as he simply mocks her with the tiniest of smirks.

Emma clenches her fists so hard she starts shaking. "How did you do it?" she repeats through her teeth. "How did you get here?"

Still he says nothing. His eyes taunting her with twisted amusement.

Emma huffs. She wants nothing more than to scream in frustration, but instead she focuses on breathing through her nose and trying to control the heightened magic simmering away just beneath the surface of her skin.

"Hold on, love." Killian says suddenly, and when she turns her head to look at him, he's scratching just behind his ear. "I may have silenced him earlier." He lifts the dagger, aiming the tip of it directly at the Dark One's heart. "You're free to speak now, you imp."

It's as if a switch is flipped, and the manic giggle that emits from the Dark One is such a stark contrast to the silence that preceded it.

"Silence truly isn't golden now is it, dearies?" he sings, bringing his hands together in front of him. "Now as much as I've treasured watching you two lovebirds canoodle over there, if you're going to leave me here to rot you best be off. I'm not sure I can stomach another kiss."

He makes a dramatic show of shooing them away, but despite the flair of his actions there is an undercurrent of barely suppressed rage. And it's clear that he's furious they've somehow managed to thwart him.

But he still hasn't answered her question and Emma finds herself more irritated than anything. She's in no mood to play games and so she grabs the dagger from Killian's hand and holds it out in front of her.

"Answer my question," she demands. "How did you get here?"

The Dark One narrows his eyes, a dark rage burning in his glare. He grits his teeth before hissing the answer at her. "A portal."

Emma inhales quickly and spins to look at Killian. He's staring at the Dark One with wide eyes and his mouth slightly gaped open. When he turns to meet her gaze a huge grin splits his face, and Emma can't help the quiet laugh that escapes her. This is it. They're finally going to go home.

She whirls around to face the Dark One, and she doesn't even try to contain the excitement in her voice. "Can you make it again?"

His mouth all but disappears as he presses his lips together, his eyes flit to the dagger in her hand and she can see him fighting the hold the weapon has over him. Finally he looks at her again and snarls out the answer. "Theoretically yes, I can make it again."

It takes a second for his words to truly register with her. Going home was a concept she'd done her grieving for and made peace with. She'd buried that desire and moved on. But now, hearing that it is possible again, is like a reawakening of every hope, every need she ever had to just make it home and see her parents again, to eat real food, to take a hot bath, to sleep in an actual bed.

And as his words sink in and settle, absolute happiness spreads inside her with so much intensity she feels as if everything from her lungs to her heart might burst.

Laughter escapes her as she turns and throws herself at Killian. Her arms circling his neck as he lifts her until not even her toes are skimming the floor. She presses her face into his neck, hiding her smile against his skin as she sighs happily.

She never dreamed this would ever be possible again, but they have a way now, they can go home.

Killian gives her a tight squeeze and spins her once, which only serves in making her giggle more, before he sets her back down on the cavern floor.

She shakes her head in disbelief and bites back a smile before tilting her face up and meeting Killian's eyes. "Do you know what this means?" she asks him just as a single tear slips free from her eyes.

His returning smile is filled with utter elation, and if her heart wasn't going to burst a few seconds ago, it definitely is now. Soft as wind, his fingers brush away her tear just before tucking her hair behind her ear as he answers her. "Aye, my love. We can go home."

It's music, that phrase, and she repeats it like a hymn.

"We can go home."

They walk back to camp hand in hand. Killian has the dagger securely nestled in his belt and the Dark One walks in front of them. They may have possession of the dagger but Emma doesn't trust that it's quite enough to keep the Dark One from somehow twisting out of its hold and seeking retaliation. So he walks in front of them where they can keep a sharp eye on him.

They'd wandered quite a ways from camp, and when you combine that with more than one wrong turn, it takes them a while to make it back. By the time they break through the tree line into the camp's clearing, it's nearly sunset.

A soft orange glow paints the array of tents, and it's fairly quiet except for the soft murmurings of a few people gathered around their various camp fires.

Emma hesitates, unsure of what they should do next. It's just now occurring to her what sort of panic might erupt from them just marching into camp with the Dark One in tow.

She takes a step backwards, considering returning to the cover of the trees and keeping the Dark One out of sight until she can explain the situation, when she hears her name called out.

"Emma?"

Elsa and Ruby are running towards them, alarm and worry on both their faces. They skid to a halt a safe distance away, and Elsa's eyes flick between her and the Dark One several times before her gaze settles on Emma.

"Emma, what—" Elsa breathes hard, looking at Ruby briefly before she turns her attention back on Emma, her features a mix of confusion and fear. "Emma, what is going on? Where did you guys go? We've been so worried, we thought maybe—"

"We're fine." Emma interrupts her. "We're both fine. It's a long story though. I'll catch you up later." She smiles as she looks between them, her earlier excitement returning. "We're going home. Right now. We need to tell everyone to gather their things and meet up in the center of camp."

Baffled, Elsa blinks at her, opening and closing her mouth several times as she tries and fails to say something. Ruby, on the other hand, looks at the Dark One briefly before looking back at them, her eyes immediately zeroing in on the dagger at Killian's hip. Slowly, her lips lift in a sly smile and her eyes flash with sudden understanding.

"Emma, what the hell did you guys do?" Ruby asks, still smirking.

"Later." Emma promises. "Let's just get everyone ready to go."

Emma thought she'd be quicker at packing up what little possessions she's gathered on this planet, yet she's anything but efficient as she stands in the middle of her tent and stares down at what little she has.

In all reality she doesn't really need to take anything with her. She's going home, and it's not as if she'll have an actual need for any of this stuff. But as she stands in the mess of their random belongings, she can't help the pull she feels to take it all with her. As happy as she is to leave this planet behind, it does hold a lot of memories.

Bending down she scoops up one of the blankets from their bed. It's the one Killian had given her from his pack when they first landed, the one she'd obstinately used as she slept on the opposite side of the fire as him. She smiles to herself as she folds it over her arm and runs her fingers along the worn fabric, remembering how cold she'd been those first nights, and how much warmer she'd been when she'd finally opened up a bit and slept beside him.

A bit of rustling outside the tent wall pulls her from her thoughts and she spins around just in time to see Killian ducking his head as he steps inside.

"I've given Elsa the dagger for the moment. She's keeping an eye on the crocodile while we gather our things."

He smiles at her softly before bending and rummaging through his pack. Emma watches as he removes most of what's inside it, replacing it with only a few other random things. When he looks as though he's about finished, he reaches his hand into one of the front pockets and pulls out a ration bar. He grimaces at it before tossing it to the corner of the tent.

"Definitely not going to miss those things," he says as he looks up at her. "Bloody awful, they were."

Emma laughs. "We appreciated them in the moment, though."

"Aye, that we did." He stands and steps towards her, slinging his pack over one shoulder. "I think I've got everything I need. Can I help you pack anything, love?"

She shakes her head softly and gives a tiny shrug before lifting the blanket in her arms to grant him a clearer view of what she's holding. "I'm only taking this."

Killian arches a brow at her before snaking an arm around her waist and gently pulling her towards him. She comes easily, the blanket in her arms pressing between them as she tilts her head to look up at him.

"Are you sure, Swan? I've got plenty of room in my pack."

"I'm sure," she nods. "All I really want to remember about this place is the time I spent with you, and this seems like as good a thing as any to do that."

She feels the tips of his fingers brush along the shell of her ear as he smiles down at her. She can practically see as the memories of their first moments on the planet run through his mind, visible in the way his eyes shimmer with reminiscence.

"It's perfect," he says, his voice low and deep. He bends his head towards hers, and Emma rises on her tip toes to meet him, their lips pressing together in a tender kiss.

She sighs and keeps her eyes closed as her feet fall back to the earth. Killian follows after her, his lips not quite leaving hers.

Emma hums in happiness. "We're going home," she whispers against his lips. It still doesn't quite feel real, and she's half expecting to wake up and discover this is all just some good dream. But as Killian wraps his other arm around her and squeezes her a little tighter she's reminded just how real this all is.

"Do you think your parents will like me?" Killian asks as he pulls back slightly, and there is such a seriousness in the way he's tilting his head, that Emma can't help but bite her lip as she tries to keep herself from laughing. It's definitely not a question she was expecting.

"Of course they'll like you," she says as she hits his chest playfully. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Well…" he mumbles quietly as he scratches just behind his ear. "You are a princess."

"And you're a lieutenant," she fires back. "And you saved my life here many times, and if that doesn't win my father over, I don't know what will. Trust me, they'll like you. As long as I'm happy, they're happy."

He smiles somewhat shyly and Emma finds herself loving the way the tips of his ears have gone slightly pink.

"If you say so, Swan."

"I say so," she says firmly, stepping out of his embrace and threading her fingers through his hand instead. She tugs his arm slightly and leads them towards the tent's exit. "Now, let's go make ourselves a portal."

The entire camp is gathered together, the air rumbles with cautious excitement as everyone whispers amongst themselves. Most are keeping their distance from where Emma stands with Killian, Ruby, Elsa, and the Dark One.

Not that she blames them. The anger that is still burning off the Dark One is enough to scorch fear into any sane person's heart.

She's well aware of all the eyes that are trained on her, and so with a deep breath Emma steps in front of the Dark One, dagger in hand, and meets his steel gaze with one she hopes is just as hard.

"Alright, Dark One. You're going to make a portal that leads directly to my parent's castle, and that is it. You will use no other magic. This portal gets us all back safely, understood?"

Emma breathes slowly as she waits for him to respond. It's like she's standing at the edge of a still pond, unease rippling through her as she waits for some slinking crocodile to break the surface and disrupt the water.

She knows that as long as she has control of the dagger he has to do as she says, but as he stares at her with sharp eyes and gritted teeth she can't help but fear that somehow he may have enough power to break free from the dagger's prison.

The longer he's unresponsive, the louder the whisperings of the crowd get—but Emma swallows and stands firm, refusing to let her gaze drop from his.

Finally he moves, and it's all dramatics as he twists his wrists in the air and answers. "Of course, your highness." He hisses the title at her, and the complete hatred in his eyes sends chills racing to the base of her spine. "Just give me a moment."

He draws his hands out in front of him, and slowly the air in front of him swirls as he weaves a portal out of nothing except the space around him.

The wind picks up. Fluttering their clothes and whispering through the leaves. Her hair whips against her face and she tucks it behind her ears as she watches and waits for the portal to be complete.

Eventually the Dark One lowers his hands, and a giant portal now splits the air where it swirls and shimmers with scattered stardust.

Complete silence falls over the camp. The only sounds are the occasional fidget as people look around at one another, waiting to see who will be the first to enter the portal's seemingly endless depths.

Emma spins towards Killian, Elsa, and Ruby, beaming from ear to ear. "Alright, who wants to go first?"

She knows it has to be one of them. No one else will want to otherwise. And this way they can hopefully ease any uncertainties anyone else may have.

Elsa steps forward, excitement clear in her quiet smile. "Ruby and I will go. And then you two can make sure everyone else gets through before following."

Emma nods before throwing her arms around Elsa and squeezing her tight. "Tell my parents I'll be there soon."

Elsa pulls away and puts her hands on Emma's arms. "I'm sure by the time they're aware of what's going on you'll be home and able to tell them yourself."

Emma has to blink several times to keep herself from crying—she's missed her parents more than she ever thought possible, and it's only a few minutes now until she can see them again.

She hugs Elsa one more time before turning and wrapping her arms around Ruby. "We'll see you on the other side." Ruby whispers as she crushes Emma to her.

Ruby pulls away and throws a wink at Killian before walking with Elsa towards the portal. Together they take a deep breath and glance at one another before stepping through the portal.

The world freezes as they vanish out of sight, a held breath that suspends for the length of several heartbeats before everything breathes again and the people around them begin speaking in excited whispers.

Emma laughs happily before wrapping her arms around one of Killian's and pressing a kiss to his shoulder. Together they watch as everyone begins lining up and stepping through the portal one by one.

"It's really happening," she says in slight awe. She tilts her head and looks up at Killian. "Can you believe this is really happening?"

He presses a kiss to her forehead before answering. "Aye, love. It's really happening."

When the final person steps through, and all that remains is the Dark One and themselves, Emma grabs Killian's hand and takes a step closer to the portal, a step closer to home.

"You first, crocodile," Killian growls, his jaw tensing as he glares at the Dark One.

Emma places a soothing hand on his chest before tightening her grip on the dagger and holding it out in front of her. "Step through the portal and do nothing else. Once you're through, don't move, don't speak, don't do anything. Is that clear?"

The Dark One gives her a bitter smile. "One day you're not going to have that dagger, princess. And don't think I won't hesitate to stop both of your pathetic little hearts."

Emma's heart jumps a little at the threat, and she leans in closer to Killian. "We'll see," she says with as much steel and confidence as she can.

The Dark One's jaw tenses and he turns and steps through the portal without another word.

Emma exhales heavily and shakes her head before looking up at Killian. "Ready?"

He smiles down at her, his eyes shining. "Ready."

And together they step through the portal and towards home.