Chapter 7

The evening of the Camelot Festival and Ball Emma and her friends found themselves at the entryway to a grand ballroom, where classic dances seemed to take place. Emma was dressed in a white floor length dress that donned flowing sleeves and were accompanied by plain flats and a flower crown, curtesy of Mary Margaret. Upon entering, they all split up to find good dance partners. Not even her friends' assurances of Killian being here could quell down the uneasiness that settled in Emma's stomach.

When Emma couldn't find Killian anywhere, she decided to get help form her brother. Unsurprisingly, David is dancing with Mary Margaret on the dance floor. Emma chose the opportune moment to cut in at the end of the song. Mary Margaret politely obliged, stating that she needed to use the washroom anyhow. As soon as the music started, Emma immediately got to the point,

"So David, is Killian going to be here tonight? Where is he?"

"Yes, he'll be here tonight, Emma. He just has an appointment that he has to get back from."

"Appointment? What appointment?"

"You don't know about it?"

"Know about what? What's the matter with him?"

David sighs before answering, "Emma, I'm not sure if you asked him about it, but I think if he wasn't able to tell you about his case of Osteosarcoma, then he'd want you to know from someone whom you both trust."

"His case of what?"

"Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer. The appointment that he's at today is when he finds out how long he has left to live."

Upon hearing this, the world seemed to have stopped for Emma, and it's not the good kind. She had so many questions, but there was only one person who was able to answer any of them.

Emma excused herself from the room and made her way to Storybrooke Hospital for an explanation. She asked the first nurse, a petite blonde whose name was Tink, where Killian Jones was. Tink gladly showed her the way to Killian's room, where he just finished his check-up and waiting to be discharged because of the Camelot festivities. Emma would feel glad that he had Camelot in his priorities if not for the fact that he's going to die.

Emma immediately storms into the room Tink says he's in, and cuts to the chase. The initial shock in Killian's eyes immediately melts into a sad acceptance.

"Why didn't you tell me about your cancer, Jones?" Emma asked harsher than intended.

"I think the tone of your voice answers that quite clearly. You never would have believed me if I had."

"So you thought it was a good idea to lie to me about the fact that you're gonna die?"

"Firstly, you never asked me directly if I had cancer, which I would have told you straight. And secondly, what, pray tell, would you have done if you found out when we first met? Well, let me tell you, Swan. You would have run. You wouldn't have been able to spend more time with me because you hate it when you're hurting. Who doesn't? You would have been one more person whose left because of me."

After both of them had taken several deep breaths and calmed down enough to hear him tell the story.

"Would you please start at the beginning, Killian?"

"I found out about my cancer two weeks following Liam's death. My left hand had been hurting already and it was bad when I had gone sailing one day and Milah had taken me to a doctor. Over the summer, the doctors had run tests and stated that I had a strange case of Osteosarcoma, and they were uncertain of how much time I had left to live. So this was the reason that I chose to quit school. Anyone can get good grades and no one will care. So Milah decided that it was apparently the perfect time to tell me that she didn't want to continue being with me because there was so much that her heart could take. That was part of the reason that I didn't tell you straight away. I didn't want you proving my philosophy in the system correctly, 'Everyone lies and everyone leaves.' I don't want this to be the reason you want to stay, Emma. I know that you've had more than your fair share of people leaving you. I don't want to be another person whose left. You're more than welcome to leave now, Emma Swan. The last thing that I want to do is to be the reason for your pain."

With that being said, Killian closed his eyes and looked away from Emma's. She moved herself in front of the direction his head was turned. Emma also noticed the tears that started to roll down his face. That alone was a reason for her to make a choice. Emma grabs the lapels of the black leather jacket he donned and slammed her mouth to his. Eventually, they had to come up for air, Emma made sure to look him square in the eye as she told him about her choice regarding them.

"You listen to me, Killian Jones, and you listen good. I'm choosing to stay as well as be with you until the end, however long it's going to be. If I haven't been thorough with you already, let me make myself clear. Taking the time to know you and how to live is, by far, the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are worth every bump on this road we're currently on. You are worth each trial and tribulation I've gone through, and I'd willingly go through each one if it meant that I got to meet you. You are worth getting my heart broken, 'cause if something can be broken, it means it still works."

Killian stared at her in awe, declaring in a quiet voice, "Quite passionate, Emma. I look forward to whatever lies ahead for us. Wait, is there an 'us', or do you want to wait until la-" Emma immediately cut him off with another kiss, stating afterwards, "As long as I'm with you and as far as I'm concerned, there's always gonna be an 'us', Killian Jones."

The door opened and Tink stated that Killian was free to go to the Camelot festivities now. Emma immediately grasped his hand and lead him out the door and out of the hospital. Killian tells Emma that he found out today that he has around a year left to live, which leads her to lead him back to his house to change into Camelot garb for their first 'date'. As soon as he changed into more of a pirate attire than Arthurian, they walked hand in hand into the 'kingdom' that awaited them, never letting one another go for as much as they could help, determined to make the most of every moment life offered them.

I know I'm cruel to post this on Valentine'd Day, but I hope y'all enjoy this story nonetheless. Please leave a review.