So I've sent in my thesis! Woho! Will probably have to re-do bits and pieces of it in the end but at least the major part of it is done and I can do things that I really want to do - such as write and keep posting chapters ;)

Four new chapters coming at you right now!

Killian did not know how long he had been standing by the docks before he started to run. He still had a chance to make things right; the curse had provided him with an opportunity to apologize and come clean, to cast away the selfish pirate and believe in honour, love and friendship once more. Aye, this was his chance.

He had to guess where Ariel was heading, but soon he spotted her from the higher section of the pier. She was walking among the ships below, head still lowered and hands shoved in her pockets. He ran towards the metal gangway leading downwards.

"Ariel!" he shouted. "Wait!"

She turned to face him, hazel eyes still reddened from her tears.

"What is it?" she asked, hope sparking momentarily in her gaze. Killian took a deep breath before answering.

"I have a confession", he admitted. "I haven't been entirely truthful with you, with myself."

She frowned at him, but at least she did not interrupt him. He was not sure if he would have been able to continue if she had.

"You and I met before", he said. "Our paths crossed during the missing year."

Ariel's eyes widened.

"What?"

He closed his eyes momentarily, steeling himself for the what he was about to tell her. Wolfgang had not taken the story well and he had little doubt Ariel would, either.

"Eric had been kidnapped by the pirate Blackbeard", he explained. "You asked me to find him."

"I don't understand", Ariel said, shaking her head in confusion. "Why didn't you say anything?"

There it was; the hurt and betrayal he had seen shining from Wolfgang's eyes showed in hers as well and he had not even come to the end of the story.

"Because I was too ashamed", he answered, his voice low. In fact, he found that he had to fight back tears; they had trusted him and he had betrayed that trust, twice in fact. Why could he not do something right, just once in his life?
"I sacrificed saving your prince for my ship", he confessed, feeling his voice breaking. "I am so sorry, Ariel."

Fresh tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she stared at him in disbelief, her lower lip trembling. Then she raised her hand and slapped him, hard, across his left cheek. The hit allowed him an excuse to look away, to avoid her burning gaze.

"You're a coward!" she yelled at him, "and a monster!"

Killian slowly turned to face her again, watching the anger and hurt shine from her face. She had every right to feel this way about him; in fact he felt the same way himself.

"You let a man die for your ship?" Ariel yelled. "What kind of person does that?"

"The kind who's empty", he breathed, his voice close to breaking again, "who believes that a ship can fill a void left by a broken heart."

"And that makes it okay?"

"No!" he responded. "No, it doesn't!"

He stepped closer to her, hoping that she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"I would give anything to take it back, to make things right", he said.

"Anything?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, anything."

"How am I supposed to trust a man who no longer believes in love?" Ariel asked. Killian swallowed.

"I still do", he whispered.

"Then swear to me on it", the mermaid said. "This woman that broke your heart; do you still love her?"

He lowered his gaze, staring down at the wooden planks beneath his feet while images floated through his mind. First Milah, his first love, the reason for his fight with Rumplestiltskin; in the end the Dark One had killed her and Killian had vowed to avenge her death. And then, right when he was about to get the satisfaction of killing his woman's murderer, someone new had appeared in his life. One who still made his heart beat faster when she smiled, one who saw both the good and the bad in him and did not care. One who trusted him.

"Yes", he breathed and met Ariel's gaze again.

"Then swear to me on her name", the mermaid ordered. He took a deep breath before responding.

"I swear on Emma Swan", he said, his voice breaking. He was not used to confessing these things, to confessing his love for the Saviour.

A moment later he realized that he probably should not have done it now, either, because Ariel's face suddenly smiled a highly uncharacteristic smile and the tears that had threatened to spill from her eyes vanished, replaced by triumph.

"Thank you, Captain", she said, her voice soft. "That's exactly what I needed to hear."

She then raised her hand and flicked her fingers at him. Killian felt as if a bucket of oil had been latched onto his lips and stumbled back, covering his face with his hands in an attempt to be rid of the feeling. His mind was racing, his heart pumping, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"What the hell?"

He looked at Ariel again, only to see her become surrounded by an all-too familiar green plume of smoke. Then she was gone, replaced by another woman, one dressed in black. She smiled at him.

"Zelena", he breathed, eyes wide. "It was you."

He drew his cutlass.

"Where's Ariel?"

She flicked her hand and his weapon flew from his raised hand, landing far away on the pier. He stared at it, swallowing hard.

"Relax", the Witch said, drawing his gaze again. "She was never really here. After she left you on your beloved ship she actually found where Blackbeard had been keeping her prince."

"She found him?" Killian asked. "How do you know that?"

"My spies are always circling, Captain", Zelena scoffed, "through every realm; always circling. She found him on Hangman's Island, which was outside the force of the curse. They've been living happily ever after ever since. Don't you just love a good twist?"

She smiled her wicked smile at him and he tried to come up with a plan of how to be rid of her, right now. He came up short.

"I don't understand", he said, deciding to try to make her talk. "Why would you pretend to be her?"

"To corrupt your love", Zelena responded matter-of-factly. "I've known about your dirty little secret for quite some time, seen the guilt on your face over the decision you made that day; I knew it haunted you."

She lowered her gaze to his lips with a smile.

"And I knew I could use it."

"Use it for what?" he demanded to know.

"When you invoked the name of your love in a selfish plea for redemption", Zelena said, "I was able to curse you. More specifically; your kiss."

He felt his throat constricting in terror. What had the Witch done to him?

"See", Zelena said and leaned closer, "the next time your lips touch Emma Swan's, all of her magic will be taken. Everything that makes her special, that makes her powerful, that makes her a threat, will be gone."

"I won't do it", Killian growled. "I'll tell her and she'll defeat you."

"Then I'll send the Dark One to kill her before you can", Zelena said. Killian gazed into her eyes and, suddenly, everything seemed to make sense.

"No, you won't", he said, feeling a smile creep up on his lips. "If you could've killed her, you would've. You need her power removed."

Zelena looked away briefly and he knew he had been right.

"It's why you didn't kill her when she came to the town", he continued. "It's why you had a monkey look after her in New York instead of killing her. For some reason; you can't."

Zelena pursed her lips and he could feel a brief flicker of triumph coarse through him. He just had to keep himself from kissing Emma, which would not be too hard, considering she did not want to pursue such a relationship with him as it was, and she would be safe.

"It no longer matters", the Witch then said and the glint in her green eyes crushed the triumph he had felt, "because you're going to remove her powers."

She stepped closer to him again.

"I may not be able to hurt Emma, but I can hurt those around her; her parents, her friends, her child."

"Do not go near them", he hissed, clenching his still functioning right hand. Zelena giggled.

"Oh, yes!" she said, eyes glittering with triumph. "You've become quite fond of the boy, haven't you? I will enjoy turning him into a monkey's breakfast."

"I'll stop you."

"No, you won't", Zelena responded, her smile disappearing and being replaced by a threatening glare. "That pointy little hook of yours can scratch a mere mortal, but me?"

She let out a cackling laugh.

"You're out of your depth, pirate. The choice is yours; kiss Emma and remove her powers, or everyone she loves dies."

Zelena...