Hook… I Will Always Find You
Chapter Fourteen
"I'm really proud of you for not losing your temper back there, Emma," David whispered to his daughter gently once they left the diner, while the others all followed after their leaders towards the Rabbit Hole where they hoped to find Killian's brother. "I know how much you wanted to let go of your anger. Especially when Pan and Cruella started mocking Hook."
"Thanks, but I'm not five years old and I don't want to talk about it," Emma curtly answered, then quickly softened her composure when she turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry, Dad. This place has already begun to get to me. I knew it would, it's just… We haven't found Killian yet and on top of that, we don't have a way to get back home yet either. I doubt Charon will simply show back up at the dock where he dropped us off and be willing to give us a ride back to Storybrooke. And I know Hades and the rest of our enemies down here won't allow us to get that far. We have a lot of work cut out for us."
Regina walked up behind them as she spoke up saying, "Which is why splitting up in order to get things done a little faster might be a good idea after all. I don't mean alone. I can take Robin with me."
The Savior and her father turned around to face their friend as Emma responded, "It's too dangerous. We've been over this."
"I know it is, but there's something I have to do," the Queen replied sternly. "We will see what we can do about getting us a way out of here, but I need some time alone to try to make up for the worst mistake I ever made and actually being here in the Underworld will be my only chance to do it. Please understand, Emma."
"I do," Emma answered sincerely when she did understand better than Regina imagined she would, then she pulled out the flask containing the magical ale again and handed it over to her. "For your father and Daniel. Your mother too. I hope you find them, Regina. Please be careful."
The dark haired woman smiled at her and then responded, "We will. Thank you, Emma."
Finally, Regina and Robin walked off in the opposite direction, back towards the cemetery, while the others continued on to the bar, then Emma turned to look back at Smee as she asked, "So… did you know Liam?"
"Hook's brother died before I ever met him," the first mate replied when they finally arrived outside of the Rabbit Hole, then Emma froze as she turned away from everyone again.
"I was afraid you'd say that," she uttered nervously, then stared up at the sign hanging above the door. "What am I supposed to say to him? Liam's been dead for centuries and now a complete stranger is about to tell him that his brother has died too, that we need his help to find him, and that we're here to save only Killian."
Tinker Bell stepped up beside the Savior as she answered sadly, "Killian never spoke of Liam because it always hurt him too much, at least not while he was sober. But from what little he let slip… Liam was a good man and he loved Killian very much. He will understand why we've come and he'll want to do whatever it takes to help us find him."
David patted his daughter's back while he continued, "If your mother were here, she'd tell you to trust in yourself. We're all here to back you up."
Emma nodded and then finally entered the Rabbit Hole while everyone followed after her. Inside, it looked like the same bar it was in their own realm. However, down in the Underworld it was much darker, as the room was lit up only by the various candles set up all around them. There were a few patrons sitting at the tables drinking, but it was mostly empty and as far as they could tell, they didn't recognize anyone, which they were grateful for.
When they turned to the bar, two men stood behind it as they were conversing quietly amongst themselves until one of them turned away from the other to pull out a bottle of scotch so he could pour himself a drink. The handsomer of the two stepped away to enter the back room and his partner Emma guessed remained behind the counter and poured himself another drink once he gulped down the first one. However, when Emma approached him, the bartender turned his attention solely on her as he set the glass down.
"Forgive me for interrupting your drink, but I'm looking for someone we were told might be working here," she firmly stated. "Liam Jones?"
"You've found him sweetheart," he responded conceitedly, and leaned over the counter on his elbows in front of her with a smile plastered across his face. "I'm Liam. What can I do for you?"
The Savior smiled at him, then she suddenly grabbed his hand and twisted it as if she was going to snap it in half while she retorted, "You're lying. Believe me, I know and I don't appreciate it. So… who are you, and where is the real Liam Jones?"
The man glared at her as he struggled to get the woman to release him, then he replied angrily, "Okay! I'm Mordred. I work in this hellhole along with Liam, but he just walked into the back room. He should be back…"
"I'm Liam," the real older Jones said warily once he returned carrying a couple of cases of alcohol until he set them down on the bar so he could turn his full attention onto the newcomers before him. "And you are?"
"My name's Emma Swan," Emma answered once she let Mordred go and faced the man she came to see. "I'm… Listen, what I'm about to tell you might be difficult to believe and there's really not an easy way to explain it. But I promise you it's true. We're not from here. We came down here from the world above because we're trying to save our friend, who died just recently saving us all from a very powerful and dark entity. Your brother… Killian."
Liam stared at the blonde haired woman in disbelief while he allowed the glass he had grabbed to drop from his hands upon the mention of his brother's name, then his eyes darkened as he coldly responded, "You must be mistaken. And if you're not, then you must be working for Hades to get information about something from me. Mordred… I believe it's time you left. Your shift ended twenty minutes ago."
The other bartender glanced strangely between them, then replied, "You don't have to tell me twice."
"Are you one of Hades' stooges?" the brother then questioned the heroes after Mordred finally left the bar. "How do you know my brother's name?"
"Because I'm in love with him," Emma whispered sadly, while she pulled Killian's ring she still wore on its chain from beneath her blouse, then held it out to him.
The older Jones looked down at the jeweled ring as he reached out to touch it, then dreadfully asked, "My ring… Where… How did you get it? It's not possible. I gave it to Killian…"
To try to prove herself to the man before her, the Savior finished for him, "…centuries ago, a few years before you died from being poisoned by dreamshade in Neverland. You and Killian were officers in the Royal Navy on a mission from your King, until you learned the hard truth that he wasn't the King you thought he was. You were Captain and your brother was your lieutenant."
"Killian did everything he could to save you, but…" she continued until she paused a moment when tears began to fall from her eyes while she spoke of him, then she softly began to cry. "I have loved your brother, for a long time and he loves me. So much so, that he gave me this ring so that I would be protected when we were in a battle which we eventually won thanks to him. Only it cost Killian his life. We did everything we could to save him."
"You mean… Killian really is here?" Liam asked quietly when he looked up again into Emma's eyes as she pulled the ring back to let her fall again against her chest. "After all these years, my little brother has finally made his way down here at last. How did he die?"
When Emma hesitated, David spoke up for his daughter saying gently, "Like Emma told you, he died saving our lives fighting in a battle against another evil King. He protected us from the darkness. Look… we'll be happy to explain everything to you, but we really ought to go someplace that's a bit more private than here."
The older brother looked around the room and saw that none of the patrons were paying any attention to them, then he turned back to those before him as he answered, "I'm afraid I just started my shift and I'm not at all permitted to leave until someone comes in to take over for me just as I did for the bartender who just left. Hades' demands. Otherwise, I would. But we should be all right here, so long as we continue to talk quietly. Please… have a seat. Tell me about what happened to Killian."
Those from Storybrooke sat down at the bar like he asked of them and then went on to explain as much as they could about how Killian had become Captain Hook until he at last met them and came to become a hero in his own right, how he had taken the darkness into himself to save those he loved, how he was eventually forced to succumb to the darkness when Arthur had taken control of him, and finally how he killed himself in order to destroy the entity once and for all.
However, they left out the truth that his death also came about because Killian could no longer live with himself because of all the evil he'd committed throughout his long life. It was difficult enough for them to admit to themselves. No one knew how Liam would react to such news.
"My brother's struggled with darkness of some sort his entire life," Liam finally stated again once the heroes finished sharing their stories. "I've wondered why it's taken so long for him to arrive here in the Underworld, but I never imagined it was because he's lived this long seeking vengeance against the Dark One for causing him so much pain. I never knew he became a pirate so he could avenge my death. I never wanted that kind of life for him. If only I had just listened to Killian when he pleaded with me not to touch the dreamshade…"
"Killian never blamed you for his life and he certainly wouldn't want you to blame yourself for any of what happened to him," Emma responded sadly. "I was recently reminded by a close friend to both of us that your brother went through all of what he did so he could survive long enough to meet those who could redeem him and help him to find his happy ending. And he did. Despite all that's happened to him, Killian became a hero and the man who saved me too. I will always love him for that. I just couldn't tell him I loved him until he was about to sacrifice everything for me… because I was too afraid. Too afraid that everything would become real and that it meant he would know everything about me. Which he already does, yet I've barely begun to know about his horrifying past… for which I'm so sorry."
He glanced between the others, then at Emma again while he questioned, "What are you sorry for?"
The Savior looked over at her father, then down at the ring again when she lifted it away from her chest again as she replied, "For your father abandoning you… for the two of you being forced into slavery since you were both so young… and mostly for not understanding earlier the reason why Killian was who he was. But it's part of why I love him so much. Because he was able to change and became the man he is despite all of that and it shows me how incredibly brave and strong he truly is. That's why I'm here. Why we're all here. We're going to save him from Hades' wrath, but we need your help."
"If Killian was able to tell you the truth about our father and that he was a slave for so long, then you must be pretty special in your own right, Emma Swan," Liam answered her in sincerity. "I'm grateful you've come here. Not just to save my little brother so we'll both finally be able to move on together as we should have long ago, but so I'll finally be able see him again after all these years. You have no idea how much I've longed to see him again."
"I think you misunderstood what we're saying," August responded, having been the first of them to catch the error in the brother's understanding. "We're fighting against the hells of this world so we can bring Hook home with us."
Liam looked between those before him crossly and then replied, "You're right, I don't understand."
Tinker Bell also spoke as she added, "Your brother deserves to have the life which he's been yearning for… surely ever since your father abandoned you. And he found that life with Emma, until it was cut short. He was finally happy. Don't you want that for him?"
"When we save him from Hades, he'll have a chance to move on as a hero he's finally proud of," the older Jones answered curtly. "You can't take that away from him."
"It appears Emma and the rest of her clan have omitted one small detail from their tale they've spun for you," Hades retorted when he entered the bar from the doorway where he had overheard the last minutes of their conversation, startling Emma and the others, yet they all immediately stood to face him. "Your brother did die to protect those he cares about, yes. But what they failed to tell you is that he also killed himself like a coward. The once great Captain Hook hated himself so much, he couldn't live with himself any longer. So… even if you were able to save him, which I can't allow… the only place he would move on to, is in the worse place. Go on and ask them for yourself, Liam. Go ahead."
Liam turned back to Emma again, then asked, "Is it true? Despite everything you just told me… Did he kill himself like Hades said?"
Emma resolutely responded, "Killian wasn't a coward. We're going to help him past his pain and regrets like we've done before. But if he stays, he won't be able to do that."
"Shame he's trapped here," Hades replied cruelly, then snapped his fingers, when each of the patrons around them rose from their tables and quickly surrounded the heroes as August and Emma were suddenly grabbed and held against those of Silver's crew at knifepoint, including Silver himself. "Sorry for the ambush. But this chat's gotten dull. It's like I told you, Emma. This is my realm and no one comes down here from your world to steal what rightfully belongs to me unless you're willing to make the deal we discussed. Luckily for you, I am willing to give you one more chance to accept it. But first… I think you need a little more motivation."
"Emma!" David fearfully cried out when the pirates all vanished again with only Emma in their grasp.