Hook… I Will Always Find You
Chapter Two
Once the Jolly Roger was brought in and docked within the harbor where Killian's ship belonged thanks to both Mr. Smee's and Henry's efforts, everyone other than Emma, Henry, and her parents left the vessel in order to make their way into town, to Granny's where they could get themselves a good meal that didn't consist of something made only in the medieval ages. Emma finally pulled away from her parents as they continued to comfort her after Hades' horrifying revelation, then asked them to give her a few moments alone with Killian again, which they did so she could cast the proper spells needed for the second half of their journey to save the man she loved.
Once she was alone with him, the Savior leaned over Killian's body again and kissed his cold lips gently as she raked her fingers through his hair, then finally closed her eyes while she cast a preservation spell over his body to keep him from decaying for as long as they would be gone. When she finished, Emma roamed her hand over his body as she cast a protection spell over him to keep him safe, then she stood straight again and raised her hands to cast a protection spell over the entire ship as well. She made a terrible mistake with the dagger by not placing a protection spell over it to keep it from Arthur's hands. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again should anyone want to keep her from bringing Killian's soul back from the Underworld.
At last, she finally left the Jolly Roger to join with her family and friends at Granny's, but not to eat like everyone else. All she wanted now was to explain to those who hadn't been in Camelot how Killian had made one final sacrifice and to let them know she'd be leaving Storybrooke again in hope of bringing the man she loved back home.
A few minutes earlier…
When everyone who had travelled with Emma to Camelot walked into the diner, the few of those already inside immediately stopped eating and talking, then cheered happily upon seeing that their friends had finally returned after having been gone over a week and immediately rose to greet them. Among them were Granny, Marco, Blue, Tinker Bell, Anton, the rest of the seven dwarfs, Ashley with her husband, Sean and their daughter, Alexandra, as well as Kathryn with her husband, Jim.
Marco quickly pulled his son and then Archie into a hug, while Leroy, Happy, and Doc were embraced by their brothers, and the women all took turns hugging the Charmings, then Regina and Robin as well when they finally walked in a short time later after they returned Zelena to her prison cell beneath the hospital where she belonged.
"Thank heavens all of you have returned safe and sound," Marco finally said out of relief once the greetings were shared.
"Only, not all of you have returned safely… have you?" Tink questioned worryingly upon seeing the sadness in their faces, and when it was finally recognized among them that two people were missing. "Where are Emma and Hook?"
While most of those who returned looked down sadly when the time came for them to share the tragedy that occurred while they were in Camelot, David was the one who spoke as he answered, "Emma stayed behind onboard the Jolly Roger for awhile because Hook… Well because Hook didn't survive this time. He gave his life in order to destroy the darkness once and for all. It's finally gone. There won't ever be another Dark One thanks to him."
The Green Fairy couldn't stop herself from letting out a quiet gasp as tears came to her eyes, while she and everyone else bowed their heads upon learning they had just lost a close friend. Even though many of them were only starting to really get to know Killian, everyone already saw him as the hero he truly was.
Marco wrapped his arms tighter around his son as he responded, "This is indeed a tragedy, for which we are all so sorry."
"We are," Ashley quickly replied. "Absolutely. Is there anything we can do? Anything we can help Emma with?"
"If you need help with the funeral arrangements, we're here for you," Kathryn added as she reached out to take her husband's hand, then turned her head to look over at him.
However, Hook's first mate then spoke up in objection saying, "There won't be a need for a burial. I mean no disrespect to any of you, but the Captain deserves to be given a pirate's funeral. He would want us to set sail, so his body can be dropped into the ocean."
Mary Margaret looked between Smee and the rest of their family and friends as she continued, "Whatever we do will be Emma's decision, not any of ours."
"Which is why there isn't going to be a funeral for Killian of any kind," Emma suddenly cut in as she entered Granny's through the back, before anyone else could give their own opinions over how their friend ought to be laid to rest. "I'm going into down into the Underworld to bring him back."
"You can't be serious?" Regina uttered sternly upon the Savior's sudden revelation when the Mayor saw the seriousness in Emma's eyes. "Emma… you can't just walk down into the Underworld, or open a portal there like we did to get to Camelot. The only way down there is death. And the only way to bring the dead back… is like Snow did for David when she gave him half of her heart, and even your heart won't bring Hook back because it's been too long since he's died. Not to mention how Neal died for Gold… which we know we absolutely can't do because of the consequences."
Emma looked down as she composed herself, then raised her head again while she answered dismally, "It turns out there's a third way to bring him back. The God of the Underworld made a special appearance to me, my parents, and Archie to gloat about having Killian as his prisoner."
Henry looked at his mother in surprise as he questioned, "You mean… Hades came to talk to you from the Underworld. The Greek God, Hades?"
"Believe me, I didn't believe it at first either, kid," she responded in frustration. "But it's true. And during our conversation, he let slip that there's actually a portal right here in Storybrooke that leads down into the Underworld. I won't go into the details, but my point is that I'm getting Killian back. I know it's crazy, but Killian sacrificed far more than any of you will ever know in order to protect us all and he suffered terribly for it. Now, he's suffering even more because this God is a cruel son of a bitch. It's my fault that Killian saw no other choice than to kill himself because he couldn't live with all he was forced to do. So, I… I have to save him no matter the risk."
"You're not actually going alone… are you?" Granny asked Emma sternly from where she stood once again behind the bar.
The Savior looked over at her parents, then she turned back to the rest of those in the diner as she replied, "I'm not asking any of you to risk your lives to help me save him. I love him, so this is my fight."
David wrapped his arm around his daughter and kissed the top of her head, then turned to look around at their friends as well while he continued, "I'm going with Emma to help her save Hook. Mary Margaret will be staying behind to take care of Neal, so she'll be the acting sheriff if any problems arise here in town."
"Then… I'm coming with you too," Tinker Bell stated suddenly, much to everyone's surprise. "Hook's been a close friend to me despite our rocky past. If there's even the slightest chance to save him, then I'm willing to risk my life for him like he's done for me."
"I agree with Tink," Smee added anxiously. "I've been risking my life alongside my Captain for far longer than any of you have and he's saved my life on countless occasions. He may have been a villain, but he was always good to me and paid me my dues. We were friends whether he admitted it to the rest of our crews or not. Hook was my closest friend. Besides… out on that battlefield while we fought against Arthur and his knights, he asked me to hand over the magic sword and the flame to Merlin even though they were his only chance to be saved from the darkness himself. I obeyed my Captain because it's what I've always done, but it killed me to do it this time. I'm coming too."
It was then that Henry called out, "Me too."
However, both Emma and Regina immediately retorted in unison, "Absolutely not!"
"I know you don't want to hear this, Henry… but you're too young to take a trip down into a place like the Underworld," Regina answered, while Emma allowed her to finish explaining why both of his mothers objected. "I'm proud of you for being brave enough to be willing to go too, but I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. I can't risk losing you."
"I understand, Mom," he responded to the woman who adopted him, then quickly glanced over at Emma as well before turning back to Regina. "However, I need you to go then so you can help protect Mom and Grandpa. The others too of course, but… Please."
Regina looked over at Robin who nodded as a way of showing he was willing to join them in their quest to save Killian once again, then the Queen pulled her son into a hug and quietly replied, "It looks like you have yourself a deal. Emma, it appears that Robin and I will be coming too."
By the end of their discussion as to who all would be joining Emma in travelling down into the Underworld to bring back their friend, both August and Leroy had decided to join their friends as well. After the sacrifice that Killian had made in Camelot to save him, Archie wanted to volunteer to join them as well, but he was by no means a fighter and knew he would be of no help to his friends in a place as treacherous as the Underworld. So, he turned back to the counter beside him to pick up the food Granny had made for him, then quietly left the diner to head to his office where he could be alone to try to contemplate all that's happened. No one really noticed other than Marco, and Emma.
Robin turned back to Emma again once it was finally decided who all was going as he asked, "Uh… forgive me if I'm missing the obvious, but um… how does one get to the Underworld?"
"Like I said, there's a portal here that will get us there," the Savior answered with concern, knowing that the former Dark One might not be so willing to help the man who was still his enemy even if the darkness did no longer consume him. "But first I have to talk with Gold."
"I'm afraid that might be difficult," the Blue Fairy responded. "Gold has yet to come to ever since the darkness was expelled from his body. It's like he's been put under a sleeping curse himself, only true love's kiss isn't powerful enough to wake him. There must be a way, but we still have yet to find it."
Emma let out a sigh of frustration until all of a sudden, one of the Author's books Henry was carrying on him came to life in his backpack as it fought to open until the teenager quickly pulled it out and laid it down flat on the table in front of him to allow it to do so. The pages immediately began to shuffle on their own until the book fell open upon the first page of one of Hook's stories that told of how the pirate and Rumplestiltskin had become bitter enemies, as well as a picture showing Killian before he had become Captain Hook in which he was shown holding his sword to his enemy's head.
Emma and the young Author stared at the page until Emma suddenly felt a surge of power within her, as she also remembered part of a conversation Killian had once had with her some time ago and quickly uttered, "I know what we have to do. I'm not sure how this book knew what we needed… or how I understand what it's telling us, but I do. We need something that touched Gold before he became the Dark One and Killian once told me he had taken his cutlass, put it to his head when Gold was still a coward like what's shown in this picture, and he taunted him with it. The blade must have touched him. Kid, Mom, Dad, Blue, Regina… meet me at the pawnshop in twenty minutes. I'll head back to Killian and get his sword. However, there's one more thing I have to do before any more decisions are made. I have to talk to someone."
The others nodded while David replied, "We'll be there."
Emma nodded and turned to leave the diner, after which she began to walk down the street towards Archie's office where she suspected the doctor might have gone upon leaving Granny's himself. Ever since she had asked Archie to leave Hook's quarters aboard the Jolly Roger just after Hades had vanished, she had been wanting to talk with him.
However, it wasn't just about the concern and regret she had seen in his eyes before he had left the diner that worried her. Even though Emma was ready to enter the Underworld to save the man she loved and she wasn't afraid for herself, she was afraid for those who were about to put their lives once again in her hands on an even greater level and the truth was, her decision to allow them to join her in this more dangerous quest terrified her.