Hook… I Will Always Love You
Chapter Forty-Two
Three nights passed since Emma learned about the test that could help Killian find the strength to live again. Unfortunately, he had barely spoken to her since then. It wasn't because he was still angry with her. It wasn't like he was really angry with her in the first place. But she knew and understood that his silence was because he was really hurting, both physically and mentally. So, she gave him the time and space he needed to rest and to heal. Emma also didn't push him to talk to her any longer until he was ready, because doing so had only hurt him more.
However, the Savior remained at his bedside to watch over the man she loved in hope that just her being there with him would help give him comfort and the assurance he needed to know that he wasn't trapped in the Underworld alone like he had believed days ago. Upon staying with him, she was grateful to discover that his wounds had slowly begun to heal on their own. His eye was finally healed enough so that he could open it and see out of again. At last, her patience was rewarded when Killian awoke again while he opened both of his eyes and looked up at her with a smile, then weakly reached up to lay his hand over hers, which she's kept upon the top of his chest.
"You still haven't given up on me," he whispered gently while Emma laid her other hand over his as well.
"I told you I never would," she responded to him in sincerity. "I love you far too much to let your frustrations and fear for my safety push me away."
Killian sighed, then he quietly answered, "A part of me feared you still might have been another figment of my torment. I'm sorry, Emma. I didn't mean to hurt you before. I never wish to hurt you. I'm just afraid."
The Savior continued to hold his hand with the one he had taken moments ago, while she reached up to tenderly begin to caress the side of his face with the other and then with understanding she replied, "I know you are. But you needn't be. Nothing's going to happen to me or anyone else. You want to know how it is I know that? Because Henry's reminded me and Regina time after time that good will always win over evil. And he's right. We always have."
"Yes… but that doesn't mean any of you are invincible," he responded sadly. "We've lost good people in other fights… friends of ours."
"Believe me, I know," Emma stated sadly when she gripped his hand tighter. "You're right. But we're safe, Killian. We are and we'll remain safe because we're all looking out for one another. Our friends all made it back safely from having been captured, remember?"
He nodded and then struggled to sit up while Emma quickly helped him do so by adjusting the pillows behind his back and his head. When Killian looked ahead of him, he saw that only his mother and brother were there with them, then his eyes fell on Liam, until he turned away and stared down at the stub end of his left arm.
Emma noticed the hurt that appeared in his eyes as he looked at his brother, but before she could ask him what was wrong, he quickly asked, "Where is everyone?"
"They had something to do that's going to help us find a way out of here," she answered him with assurance, then pulled away the blankets covering the upper half of his body in order to check on his wounds again and was happy to see they were healing faster than they would were Killian alive, most likely because it was his soul that was wounded and not his body. "They're okay. I promise. What's happened between you and your brother, Killian?"
"It's a long story," Killian replied sadly without looking at her. "I've recently found out that the man I had been while in the Royal Navy was all based on merits I never earned because of a mistake Liam made years before he died. And my freedom from servitude came at far too high a cost. Hades taunted me. Forced a memory between him and Liam into my head to prove my brother wasn't the man I thought him to be… to hurt me. And it worked. I didn't want to believe it, but Liam only confirmed it the other night. I wanted to be every bit the man that he was. But I only ever failed. Liam had a chance to save himself once and join the Royal Navy earlier, but he stayed for my sake. Because I got drunk the night before and gambled away what little money I had earned. I never could reach the bar he set for me. In my eyes, he could do no wrong and it only put more pressure on him to do as he did. And he lied to me. That's what really hurts."
The Savior looked at him again sadly while she responded, "I know about what happened. Hades told me. I'm so sorry, Killian. However, you shouldn't blame yourself for dealing with the pain the only way you could at the time. I can't imagine how painful your days in servitude had to have been. For all we know, I might have done the same as you had I been sold into slavery like you had been. But don't stay mad at your brother. He was always there for you. He made the choice to accept Hades' deal that night and while I'm not excusing his choice because it was wrong, he mostly did it to protect you. That was the only part of what he did he didn't regret, I'm sure of it. And you're wrong if you really believe you didn't earn your place as a lieutenant with the Royal Navy. Liam told me about the kind of man you were once you became a free man. He said you excelled and I believe him. He was proud to have you working under him among his crew."
Killian looked into her eyes and nodded his head, but before he could speak again, he and Emma were interrupted when Liam walked to the door, pulling his jacket on as he prepared to leave, then Alice rushed up behind him while she cried out, "Please, Liam… You can't go. It's dangerous out there."
"I have to go, Mother," Liam answered curtly once he turned around again to face her while her eyes pleaded with him not to go. "I need to find our father. I have to finally confront him like I should have done centuries ago. After Killian told us of what he had been forced to do because of that bastard…"
"I wasn't forced to kill him, Liam," the youngest Jones suddenly called out to him while he struggled to stand from the bed so he could move over to them with Emma's help, as she gently wrapped his left arm across her shoulders and her arm around his back to help keep him upright. "I unleashed my rage when every part of me screamed I should have just let him go like I had intended to do. I let my hate for him get the better of me and I've always deeply regretted it. But I was too full of rage and hate to ever attempt to make things right. If you go to confront him… Please don't make the same mistake I made. Don't confront him feeling that same rage."
Alice looked between her sons regretfully until she finally spoke again in despair as she confessed, "Your father isn't here… in the Underworld any longer. You won't find him, Liam."
The older brother looked at her darkly as he questioned, "What do you mean, he's not here any longer? After what he did to Killian and me… after hurting his youngest son so badly that Killian saw no other choice but to kill him? He can't possibly have moved on from here."
"He didn't move on in peace," she replied curtly as she kept her eyes between her two sons, refusing to look over at the Savior. "I made sure of that. After Hades came to me to let me know your father had died years ago, I mustered up the courage I needed to finally confront him myself about what he had done to you boys. But then like he did with you the night you killed him, Killian… he tried to justify why he did to you boys what he did. And I hated him. He wasn't the man I once loved. I asked Hades to help me punish him, and he brought your father and I to that fiery pit your Queen had spoken of. The pit that leads to the worse place. And then I… I pushed your father into those fires. I didn't regret it back then, but over the years my decision to do so have haunted me and I was afraid to tell either of you the truth… for fear that you would come to hate me too."
"Why would Hades agree to do something like this for you?" Killian asked her in confusion and with dread. "Why did you think you could ask him for a favor?"
Alice looked into her youngest's eyes with shame while she responded, "Because I was his mistress. He made me a deal just like he did your brother. I only agreed to it when he promised he would look after you boys. And Liam's deal... it was because of me. Hades freed you from your servitude like he did to help you for me. I am so sorry. I didn't tell you about this either, because I was ashamed. Killian, you were already hurting so badly..."
Killian shook his head as he angrily retorted, "Don't… I can't do this now."
"Now do you understand why I can't stop blaming myself for all I've done, Emma?" he then questioned when he looked towards the woman he loved in an anger that was aimed towards himself, while he pushed away from her. "Because everyone I love… everyone I care about are all suf… suffering because of the decisions I've made!"
"Killian!" Emma cried fearfully when he doubled over in pain and collapsed to the floor as she immediately rushed over to him again to try to help him.
Liam was about to join her, until large stones and pieces of wood all lit on fire suddenly crashed through the front windows of the cottage, startling those inside especially when the fire began to spread through the rooms. Alice and her oldest quickly began to attempt to put the fires out, only more of the weapons used to burn the cottage continued to be thrown in by their assailants waiting for them outside.
Killian quickly looked up at Emma from the floor as he whispered urgently, "Help Liam and our mother. Please!"
The Savior nodded and released her hold on the man she loved when she rose back to her feet, then summoned her magic through her to try to put out the flames now throughout the house. However, as she was doing so, the front door suddenly crashed in and Silver's crew rushed inside while two of the men grabbed Killian from the floor, then began to drag him out with them. A few others broke in to grab Liam as well, while he and Alice fought against them to no avail. As soon as their mother was outside, two more pirates grabbed her as well and the three of them were dragged off.
Silver on the other hand entered the cottage through a window in the back so he could sneak up on the woman in love with one of his slaves and swiftly struck her across the back of her head from behind while she was distracted once she saw Killian was in trouble, then stopped trying to put out the flames to try to help him, only to be rendered unconscious before she could.
Once outside of the burning cottage, the crew under Captain Silver's command dragged Emma, Killian, Liam, and Alice all away until they finally arrived upon the cliff above the fiery pit where many souls were lost to the worse place, then dragged the brothers Jones out onto the edge. Emma, who had weakly come to shortly after she had been knocked out, discovered her hands were tied behind her back to prevent her from using her magic against them, and Alice struggled against the men keeping firm holds on them to keep them from breaking free to help the two slaves.
Killian stood closest to the fire below them, while Liam stood between him and their former slave master, then finally Silver looked between them as he spoke smugly saying, "It's time to walk the plank."
"I'll gladly walk it," Liam answered bravely in hope of protecting his brother. "Just spare Killian, please. He has nothing to do with this."
"He should've gone down along with the ship, like the rest of us," Silver replied to him cruelly. "And now he finally will."
The older Jones turned around to face his brother with remorse in his eyes over his own pain he had caused him as he looked at him, then he whispered, "I'm sorry, Killian. I wanted to be this perfect example for you… to inspire you."
Though a large part of him understood why Liam had done what he did that night so long ago, the smaller part of him that was still angry despite the peril they were in was what came out as Killian brusquely responded, "All you did was raise the bar so high, the only thing I could do was fail."
"No more talking!" Silver suddenly shouted again curtly while he grinned and his crewmen laughed. "Time to face justice, boys."
Finally, Captain Silver and crew were about to force Killian and Liam into the boiling sea below where they stood on the cliff's edge as Emma screamed Killian's name, until Hades suddenly appeared in his blue fire before them between the Captain and Liam, then questioned scornfully, "Did someone decide to have a party and forget to invite me?"
"Lord… Lord Hades," Silver uttered nervously as he turned around with surprise on his face to look at Hades until the God quickly blew the weaker Captain off the cliff into the fire below.
"No!" Silver screamed as he fell, while Hades simply chuckled until he turned back to Liam and Killian, as Liam stood protectively before his brother.
"And now for the Brothers Jones," he continued coldly while he stepped a few feet further in their direction, looking between both men as he spoke. "One of them helped the Savior here and the rest of the heroes to free his brother, while the other escaped from my dungeon. And for that… he has to pay. I did have other plans for him, but this is better. At last, we'll see the end of Captain Hook and this time, Liam… you won't be able to protect him."
The older Jones turned his head towards Killian's direction without actually turning around to look back at him, until he stood up to Hades for the first time since the night they had struck their deal, as Liam firmly answered, "No! I won't let you hurt Killian again. You can do with me whatever you want. I don't care anymore."
The God smiled, then replied callously, "Fine. Have it your way."
"No!" Killian desperately shouted when Hades suddenly blew again and this time sent Liam over the edge like Silver, but the younger Jones swiftly reacted as he spun and managed to catch Liam's hand to stop him from falling into the fiery pit which lead to the worse place, while Emma and Alice cried out for them and could only look on in fear. "Liam, please… hang on."
"I'm sorry, brother," his brother called out to him, keeping his eyes on Killian, who struggled to keep holding onto him. "Can you forgive me for what I've done?"
The youngest Jones wept as he felt himself losing his grip and responded, "Yes, but that's not what's important. You need to find a way to forgive yourself."
Liam answered, "I can't, not after what I did to you. The only way to make amends is for me to pay the price."
"No… No! Liam!" Killian shouted dreadfully as the older Jones let go of his brother's hand, causing Liam to fall into the fires of Hell and while in shock, Hook then turned to face Hades until the room suddenly became bright, and the other side of the bridge became an ocean where a ship waded far beyond them.
"No," the God stated angrily as he exhaled sharply upon seeing the sight before him.
"What's happening?" Hook asked strangely while his eyes remained upon the God.
Hades glared at the younger man who had defeated him in that moment while he threatened Killian snarling, "You will pay for this."
After Liam released his hold on his brother's hand despite Killian's struggle to hold onto him, the older Jones rose from the fiery pit he had been blown into by Hades moments ago above the smoke that slowly dispersed while he stood in the center a rowboat, being lifted back up to safety by the water now surrounding him, then Killian turned his head and looked on with surprise upon seeing Liam before him, and that he was unharmed.
As this was happening, those left of the pirates released Emma and Alice, as one of them cut through the ropes that bound the Savior's wrists together, then both woman rushed forward to join Killian who stood quickly from the ledge and uttered softly, "Liam. You're safe."
"Yes," the older brother replied, sounding just as surprised as Killian was. "It appears I am."
"I suppose this is a sacrifice I should have made long ago," he continued after he let out a small chuckle. "And now I can finally depart."
While he said this, the boat moved him around the ledge where Killian stood so that Liam could say goodbye, then the younger man nodded in understanding and responded, "Then go. All of you. You too, Mother."
Killian and Liam both turned to Alice and the crew they had sailed with long ago as Killian spoke to them saying, "Mother… you finally told us of your secrets that have haunted you all this time. I forgive you. Not that you need my forgiveness, but I do nonetheless. And men… now that you finally know the truth about why you died, your unfinished business is complete as well."
"Get on board," he then called out as he moved around and weakly knelt down to hold the boat for them to climb aboard while Liam held his hand out to them.
"What about you, brother?" the older Jones finally asked as he looked up again at Killian once the men were settled, until Alice immediately pulled her youngest into her arms to say her own goodbyes.
Killian kissed her cheek while he helped her board the boat as well, then he and Emma turned back to Liam as he answered, "My unfinished business isn't done yet. Not until Emma and I have defeated Hades. It's going to be the only way we're going to get out of the Underworld. My place is with her."
Liam also nodded in understanding of his brother's decision to stay behind and then he replied, "She does want what's best for you, Killian. And don't worry about reaching that bar anymore. You've become a true hero in a way I never could."
"Goodbye," he finally uttered as he held out his arm for his brother to grasp, and clasped Killian's in return while they remained standing before one another with their arms interlocked for a few moments.
"Goodbye, brother," the younger Jones responded sadly as he released his hold and watched on with Emma while Liam, their mother, and the others moved away towards their new ship awaiting them, to bring them to the peaceful afterlife they all deserved.
After they were gone, Emma immediately pulled the man she loved into a hug and held him close until she finally raised her head to look up into his eyes, then quietly asked, "What you said to them… about your place being here with me as we fight Hades together… Did you mean it?"
Killian looked down sadly while he struggled to collect his thoughts and then quietly answered, "Emma… I'm still not sure… whether I truly deserve to be saved or not. I've many sins, both from having given into the darkness and from my past. I've so much that I'm ashamed of. Much to make up for. I can't tell you my coming back with you means I won't stop despising the man I've become. But… I know I love you. I've always loved you. I can only be grateful that you see in me what I can't. If you're really willing to help me find my place in our world again no matter how long it may take…"
"I don't care how long it takes," the Savior finally cut him off and then leaned in to kiss him deeply until she finally pulled back so she could continue to talk. "I won't make you face your demons alone because I love you too, Killian. Listen… down here there's a test, which could allow us to discover the love we share is true. I feel in my heart our love is true love. But I don't think you do. Or you wouldn't doubt yourself so deeply. Can you trust in me to come with me? So we can find out together?"
"Aye, love," he replied gently, then kissed her again. "As you wish."