Killian's POV
I run my hand through my hair as I watch Destiny pace. "I know you're worried about Zelena's threat but you won't get anywhere if you keep pacing."
She huffs but stops her pacing. "I know it's just that-," She groans, "I hate Zelena so much! Now that we know Rumple's alive, Belle won't shut up about rescuing him and then she threatened Regina. I just don't know how-."
I stop her with a kiss. "I don't know why this is all your problem. You need to relax and take a breath. How about we take a walk by the shore?" I ask.
Her eyes sparkled at the thought but then it immediately disappeared. "No I need to stay here. Sorry." Destiny runs both her hands through her hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.
It worried me how much she was stressing herself. From her tired, dark circles, I could tell she wasn't getting any sleep. Guilt settles in the pit of my stomach. I should be helping. I rub her arms.
"Why don't you let me help you? I can-"
Destiny steps away from me.
"Killian, we've talked about this," she replies with a moaning tone.
"Well, that wasn't exactly a joint agreement, dear. Look." I pull her back to me.
"As sweet as it is that you worry about me, you don't need to. I have experienced far worse things than some witch." Destiny shakes her head. Gently, she moves my arms away.
"She's not just some witch, Killian. She is far dangerous. Did you not hear what she said yesterday? She said that she can get rid of Regina without even crushing her heart. All night, I was trying to figure out whether she was bluffing or not. But if she is capable of doing that, then I can't risk involving you. Why can't you understand that?" She rubs her arms, as though trying to rid the chill of that memory.
I sigh.
"I understand how you feel, Destiny. But you can't handle all this by yourself."
"I'm not doing this by myself. I have Regina with me," Destiny adds. So Regina can protect you more than me? The thought comes as quickly as it went. As much as I dislike annoying Destiny, I can't accept her decision. How can I?
I cross my arms.
"I'm sorry, Destiny. But I can't just sit back and watch you put yourself in danger," I say. Destiny's eyes grow tearful. She clears her throat, avoiding eye contact.
"You'll have to. For me," she says quietly. Before I could protest, she rushes past me, out of the kitchen.
"Destiny!" Nova calls from behind the counter, but Destiny storms out of the shop. I emerge slowly from the kitchen, meeting Nova's confused look. I shrug helplessly.
"Let's just say she declined my help," I say. I collapse into one of the seats and run a hand through my hair.
Nova rounds the counter and flips the sign to 'closed' on the door. She joins me at the table.
"Don't take it personally. Destiny has a habit of pushing her loved ones away when a threat occurs. You know she's only doing that to-"
"Protect me. I gathered that. But she doesn't need to. And now I've just gone and made things worse," I grumble, leaning back in my chair. Nova gives me a reassuring smile.
"Just give Destiny time. And besides, just because she doesn't want us to help, doesn't mean we can't support her and be there for her."
"I know. But it's not in my nature to not join in on a fight." My lips twitch into a smile, remembering good memories of my time as a pirate.
Nova glances outside of the shop. Several customers are gathering outside. She pushes back her chair and stands up.
"Looks like we have some eager customers outside. Is it ok if I…" Nova trails off. Catching on, I nod my head.
"Of course. Thanks for the talk, Nova." Smiling, she flips back the sign and leaves the door open for the customers. I blank them out and focus on my thoughts. There had to be something I can do. Something Destiny wouldn't know about. A thought comes to mind, giving me a twinge of hope. Though only slightly.
Eagerly, I rise from my chair and rush out of the shop, silently hoping that my idea would work.
Rumple's POV
I stare at a spot on the wall, all of my thoughts focused on Belle. Her reaction to me being alive keeps replaying in my head like a movie. Zelena was close to convincing me that Belle had moved on, showing me Belle walking around town with a stranger, laughing with friends. Seeing Belle's reaction cleared the fog Zelena put in my brain. Now I know she was lying. I sigh, what I'd give to hold Belle again.
"Daydreaming about lost love, are we, dearie?" Zelena laughs.
"It's not lost." I growl at her.
"No of course not!" She giggles. "Just out of reach." She claps her hands as if remembering why she had come down to the cellar. "It's almost time for me to start phase 1 of my plan."
"Are you going to tell me what I need to do?" I ask, trying to sound bored but secretly worrying about Belle's safety.
"You aren't the only one with magic, love. This time I'm doing it myself."
My eyes widen in alarm. What is she doing that she doesn't want me involved?
She must have noticed my reaction because she rolls her eyes. "Oh stop your tears, I'm not going to hurt your precious Belle."
"Then what are you going to do?" I inquire.
This causes her to laugh. "I can't tell you my whole plan, Rumple. Don't want to ruin the surprise factor now do we?"
I turn my attention back to my spindle but my mind rests on Zelena's secret plan.
"There's no point hiding your plan from me, dearie. I'm hardly going anywhere as you're clearly taking great care of my dagger. So why not spare the theatricals and spit it out?" I persuade. I glance up at Zelena.
A wide smile spreads across her face, reminding me of a small child eager to spill its secret. She seats herself onto one of the crates and knots her hands on her lap. She leans forward.
"What if I was to tell you that I've found a way to… possibly change my past?" I stare at her.
"Then I would say I chose wisely when I picked Regina for the curse," I say dryly. Zelena's face darkens at me before regaining her childish smile.
"Well, you would be wrong because from what I have discovered, it is possible to travel back in time and change your past. And the best part of it is, I can get hold of all the ingredients I need easily," she says with excitement. I shake my head in disbelief.
"You are delusional. Magic is powerful but not that powerful. There are some limits to using magic." Zelena giggles, as though I am ignorant. She moves from the crate and draws close to me.
"Isn't it said that 'rules are meant to be broken?' And why ignore an opportunity like this? I assumed you of all people would have understood." I narrow my eyes.
"Why, your son, of course. Baelfire. Wouldn't you want to see him again?" She leans against the bars eagerly.
"This is your chance. To prove that you are worthy of being a better father to him…" she persuades. I take a moment to think.
Although I don't want to admit it, the offer is tempting. All I've ever tried to do is care for my son. Protect him. To see him again... The pain of guilt hits me as clear as day. But then a small voice interrupts me. Why should I be listening to this woman? Because of her, I can no longer see Baelfire again. I clench my fists. I glare at her.
"No… my son died because of you! I will not give into your petty offer." I catapult out of my seat and grab Zelena's hands gripped on the bars. Incredible rage rushes inside me like adrenaline.
"When I get out of here, and believe me I will, I will kill you and make you regret that you even tried to use me as your pathetic puppet. Do you hear me!" Irritated, Zelena rips her hands away from mine and grabs my dagger.
"Sit!" She commands. Sneering, I do as she says. Zelena brushes a strand of her hair away from her face.
"So be it! I gave you a chance as a token of my affection but that clearly was a waste. No matter. With what I am planning, you aren't going anyway. And you will be a fool to think you can escape!" she yells. Fuming, she storms off.
Shaking my head, I turn back to my spindle, with memories of Baelfire playing in my head.
Regina's POV:
"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?" Destiny whines. She perches herself on my desk. Her feet start to kick back against it.
I eye her feet with disapproval. Noticing my look, Destiny stops her feet. Satisfied, I turn away and focus on my work.
"I don't think so. If I were in your position and Henry in Killian's, I would have done the same thing," I say. A small smile crosses her face.
"I thought so too. It's just… I don't like arguing with Killian but I don't feel like I'm doing something wrong," she adds. I turn away from my work table and stare at Destiny.
"And you're not. Trust me. Some men just want to be all heroic. It's about time they leave it to the women for once." I grin. Destiny lets out a short laugh. She signals her eyes to the table beside me.
"You almost done with those?" She asks. I turn to the potions.
That night when Zelena had taken the memory potion, I had switched it with a fake one. I was glad I had acted on my instinct. Destiny thought we should duplicate the potion so everyone can have one and regain their memories.
Honestly, I only agreed to it because I wanted to regain my own memories. I wanted to know why I had felt what I did with Robin Hood. If there was something going on between us.
"Regina?" I snap out of my thoughts. Destiny is standing right beside me, her face full of concern.
"Yeah. They're done," I reply. Destiny nods.
Suddenly, we hear a knock on the door. Destiny rushes to the door and opens it. My heart freezes. Robin Hood stands outside, an awkward smile evident on his face.
I snap back to the potions.
"Hi. We weren't expecting you here," Destiny greets as she steps aside to let him in. I steal a quick glance at him. I feel his eyes rest on me.
"I'm sorry if I'm intruding. I just wanted to speak with Regina," he says. I pause. I meet Destiny's mischievous gaze. I glare at her.
"Sure. I'll just take these." She snatches the basket of potions from me, a huge, playful grin on her face. She rushes out of the door before I could say anything. Robin Hood and I stare at each other awkwardly.
"So what did you need to talk to me about?" I ask, putting on a cold stare. Robin takes a slow step forward.
"I've been thinking about what happened yesterday. In the woods," he unnecessarily adds. I walk away from him and lean against my desk.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I'm not sure whether you felt the same way but I… feel like we knew each other before or have a connection-" I quickly interrupt him.
"I highly doubt that. It is possible we must have met but a connection? Only a fool would be reading far into that." His eyes harden. He snorts.
"You're right. It's impossible to have a connection, especially with someone with a cold heart," he remarks indirectly. His comment stings me but I take it with a carefree smile.
"Great. Now is that all you came for or do you have anything actually useful for me?" I ask as I circle around my desk and sit down. He shakes his head.
"We haven't found Zelena if that's what you mean. As I have nothing worth your time, I'd best leave." With that said, he storms off. I collapse further back into my seat. Forest boy, I mutter to myself.
I stare at my work table where one potion remains. One for me. I twirl my fingers. The potion disappears from the table and into my hand. Opening it, I drink down its contents.
Instantly, I feel all the missing pieces of my memory start to return. One scene comes to mind, where Robin Hood had enacted the same scene as yesterday. That explains why that felt familiar. But I couldn't stop my heart from sinking with disappointment.
Killian's POV
After getting nowhere with Destiny, I decided to take things into my own hands. After she stormed off, I went straight to the library. After an hour of searching for any clue on how to defeat Zelena, I left disappointed. I got a call from Smee, asking to meet at the docks. I arrive at the docks to find it empty. I groan and look out to sea.
"Captain." Smee greets.
"About time, Mr. Smee. You know I don't like waiting." I turn away from the water and start walking. "What was so important?"
"See, me and the men have been talking." He pauses and wrings his hands. "And we were thinking it's odd how we haven't seen you a lot since we've arrived here."
"Is there a reason for your comment or are you just spitting out facts?"
"Why aren't we out on the seas? Back to our old pirating ways?" He stops and I face him.
"You mean besides being turned into flying monkeys? Don't you remember Mr. Smee? There's no safe passage out of this town. Whether you like it or not, we are stuck here."
"We aren't stuck. We could out run them. What about the Jolly Roger? Did you ever find it in that time we can't remember." He asks.
I freeze, glaring at him. "What happened then isn't important."
"Because you remember what happened. Is our ship okay?"
"My ship. And all you need to know Mr. Smee is that it's not here so we won't be out running anything at the moment."
"Okay. Then what if we found a different boat. I'm sure we can-"
"Mr. Smee I see I'm going to have to be direct with you. I have no intention of leaving this town."
"I know this town is nice and all but why are you so keen on staying?" He asks.
I look around and notice Destiny and Belle walking towards us. "Nevermind my reasoning but if you bring this up again there will be consequences."
"Yes Captain." He nods and turns away.
I turn to the two ladies approaching me. "How can I help you?"
"I thought about how you wanted to help." Destiny starts.
I raise an eyebrow. "And?"
She smirks. "Regina made memory potions for everyone. I was wondering if you'd want to help pass them around to people with Belle while I help Regina more."
I look at Belle who nodded. "Why not."
Destiny steps forward and kisses my cheek. "Thank you! There's three baskets full in the Pawn Shop. I'll see you two later!"
I watch her leave before turning to Belle. "Ready?"
"Here's your cheese burger and curly fries." Granny sits my food down in front of me before giving Belle her salad. It had taken us about an hour to pass around all the potions. I look at the three empty baskets beside me in disdain.
"What did the boxes do to you?" Belle laughs.
I shake my head, "I just wish Destiny would actually let me help her and not put me as a delivery boy."
The front door dings and I look up. Mary Margaret and David file in with someone else behind them. Uninterested, I turn back to my fries. I feel a tap on my shoulder. Looking up I immediately recognize the girl with them but mask my reaction as good as I can. "Hello?"
"Hook, this is a friend of ours, Ariel."
I stand up and she starts talking. "I'm looking for a man. He's not from here but he loved to sail. I was wondering if you've bumped into him during your voyages? His name is Prince Erik." The name triggers a pang of guilt in my chest. I remembered the name well but I couldn't let her know how.
"I'm afraid the name doesn't ring a bell," I lie. Ariel pulls a disappointed look.
"Oh," she manages. Mary Margaret rubs her shoulder.
"Don't worry. Eric will be found." Her eyes wander to me.
"I don't suppose you could help her find him? We would but-"
"Of course! We would gladly help," Belle beams as she stands beside me. I raise my eyebrow at her, trying to contain my irritation. Belle turns to me.
"You may not be able to help Destiny at the moment but you can at least help those who need it," she persuades. I consider it for a moment. I'm not inclined to help her. But I'm not that pirate I was before and the least I could do was assist. Maybe she could do me a favour in return…
"Fine. I'll help. It's about time I do something useful," I reply. Ariel smiles with delight. Belle nods with approval.
"We'll leave you guys to it," David says before helping Mary Margaret to the counter.
"So, is there anything you have that we could use?" Belle asks.
"Well… I do have Eric's cloak with me."
"Perfect. Let's get to Rumple's shop. We can put a locater spell on it to find Eric." Ariel's smile widens.
"Thank you." Abandoning our half eaten meals, we head outside. Belle quickens her pace, eager to help. Ariel and I take our time. This is my chance.
"Ariel. May I ask you something?" She turns her attention to me.
"After we try to find Eric, could you do a favour for me?" She nods.
"Of course. I can't thank you both enough for wanting to help." I smile.
"You're welcome. I'll tell you the favour later." Comforted by what she said, we both hurry behind Belle.
Patiently, I wait by the docks, the calming breeze washing over me. Purple, red and yellow streaks of sunset stand beautifully in the sky. But it would have been more beautiful with Destiny standing beside me, her fingers interlocked with mine. Her head on my shoulder.
My heart aches at the thought. After this, I'm going to apologise to Destiny. Make things right before we drift apart.
A sudden splash in my direction catches my attention. Ariel emerges from the water, giggling. I wipe away at my clothes, a helpless smile reaching my lips.
"What were you daydreaming about?" She rests her elbow on the edge of the platform and presses her cheek against her fist.
"Nothing. Any sign of Zelena?" I ask.
Ariel immediately sobers and pulls herself all the way out of the water. Her legs transform the second they're out of the water. I offer her a hand which she takes.
"I'm sorry Killian but I looked everywhere and asked dozens of people. I even asked some of my friends if they saw anyone crossing the portal to the enchanted forest but they didn't see anyone." I sigh.
"It's alright. It was worth a shot." I run a hand through my hair. Ariel sighs.
"Looks like we've both got bad news." Seeing my blank expression, she rephrases.
"Eric's cloak led me to the water so I can't find Eric now. And you couldn't find Zelena." The mention of Eric forms a lump in my throat. Ariel steps towards me and holds my hand.
"Thank you again for helping me. I really appreciate it. To be honest, I had a bad feeling about you when I first met you. Pirates haven't exactly got a great reputation. But you've proved me wrong. You're not like the others," she compliments. I retrieve my hand from her.
"I don't deserve your gratitude." Ariel frowns at me.
"I don't understand…" She trails off. I stare down at my hook.
"I… it's because of me that you can't find Eric. Back in the Enchanted forest, you came to me for help. I had found Eric in the hands of Blackbeard. I was ready to rescue him, but then Blackbeard struck a deal with me." I hesitate before continuing.
"It was my ship, Jolly Roger, for Eric." I pause and stare out to the water. Ariel shakes her head with disbelief, gathering from my silence what I had chosen.
I force myself to turn to her. Her eyes reflect her pain.
"I am sorry. I couldn't… I have changed though. I am not that pirate I was then. I know how it feels to lose someone you love." Ariel glares at me.
"I don't believe you. If you truly loved someone, you would have sacrificed your ship!"
"It's not that simple. That ship has beloved memories of mine. Ones that I wish to keep. And I do love someone. I'm not that heartless," I argue back. Ariel crosses her arms.
"Is that so? Then prove it. Name this supposed person you love," she taunts. Destiny instantly comes to mind. Without hesitation, I reply, "Destiny."
Ariel pulls a smug grin.
"Perfect." I raise an eyebrow. Ariel holds onto a pendant around her neck. A trail of green smoke snakes around her, leaving Zelena in her place. My heart restricts.
I feel a sudden sting on my lips. I trace a finger over them. Zelena laughs triumphantly.
"Surprise! I must say, fooling you people is rather adorable," she sneers.
"What did you do to me, witch!" Zelena takes a step to me.
"Why, I've cursed your lips, dear. So that when you kiss Destiny so lovingly, her powers will just vanish!" She gestures with her hands. I glare at her with venom.
"You will remove this curse from my lips unless you'd enjoy my hook ripping your throat!" Zelena snorts.
"Your threats are useless, pirate. You should have listened to Destiny when you had the chance," she coos. Gritting my teeth, I rush at her, my hook raised. Yelling, I swipe across her throat. But my hook cuts through only air as Zelena disappears.
I stare at the empty spot where Zelena had stood. I fall to my knees. I yell out, feeling my anger and guilt flood out like the rolling tides. I touch my lips slowly. A permanent reminder that Zelena had bettered me. And that Destiny was right.
How could I have been such a fool?
Destiny's POV:
"Sorry about leaving you to the shop on your own. This Zelena business has been stressful," I apologise as I watch Nova flip the sign to 'closed'. I take a sip of my coffee and lean back, savouring its comforting taste.
Nova joins me at my table. "Speaking of that, I think you need to talk to Killian."
I give her a questioning look. "Why? Is there something wrong?"
"No. I..Well I just know that he's been feeling a bit left out and useless."
"He helped Belle and Ariel today."
Nova shakes her head. "He only did that to convince you that he was worthy of helping you in a larger scale."
"But he wants to go after Zelena. I don't want him to get hurt." My heart clenches at the thought of Killian getting hurt.
"Destiny, Killian's a pirate. His name is Hook for Christ sake! I'm pretty sure if it came to it he'll be okay."
I sigh. As much as I hated it, Nova was right. Who was I to hold Killian back from doing what he wanted. Especially if all he wanted to do was protect me. "I need to go apologize." I stand up and push my chair back in. "Thank you, Nova!" I give her a hug.
She giggles, "No problem. Now go apologize to your man!" She winks. I wave her off as I exit the shop. I pull out my phone and call Killian. He picks up on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey! I want to talk to you." I say.
"I have something I want to say too."
His words made me pause but I ignore them. "Where do you want to meet?" I ask.
"The black park bench by the lake." He answers. Then I hear the click of the line going dead. I remove the phone from my ear and look at it in confusion. Something was obviously wrong with Killian. Or maybe he was angry because of our conversation earlier.
Taking a deep breath, I make my way there, anxiety building up inside me.
"Killian?" I call as I see a figure leaning forward on the bench. Killian side glances at me. He rises from the bench, his face neutral. His eyes look sore. An uneasy feeling settles in my stomach.
Before he could say a word, I burst out.
"Killian. I'm sorry. I never wanted to make you feel unworthy of helping me. I know what Zelena is capable of and-"
"Destiny, stop…"
"I didn't want her to hurt you. After so many years apart, we've just come back together and I've loved every moment we've had together." I touch his cheek tenderly.
"I've never been as happy as I have been with you. You brought back the smile I thought I had lost when my mother died. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you." I stop, feeling my voice start to quiver. Killian avoids eye contact and removes my hand gently.
He turns his back to me and stares out at the lake.
"I… I can't do this anymore, Destiny." He mutters.
The world stops and my heart skips a beat. "Wha-what did you say?"
He spins around and avoids looking at me, "I can't do this anymore."
A tear slides down my cheek. "What do you mean? Like us? If it's because I haven't been letting-."
"No. It is not just about that, Destiny." His eyes meet mine. All the warmth from them had disappeared, replaced by pain.
He takes a slow step to me.
"I can never be a hero. I am nothing but a pirate and that's all I'll ever be."
"That is not true, Killian." Killian lets out a short laugh.
"Says the person who pushed me away without even batting an eyelash," he counters.
"That is not fair, Killian. I thought you would understand…"
"And that's the very problem. You want me to follow every single command of yours like a pathetic dog and when you don't get your way, then you ignore me." I shake my head in disbelief, my tears threatening to flood my face.
"Why are you doing this, Killian?" I plead. Killian approaches me and stands an inch away from me. He leans forward, his lips near my ear.
"Because I am a pirate," he whispers. His stern voice sends a shiver through me. He moves away.
"And I am sure you know pirates don't like following commands."
A surge of rage hits me like a breeze. I rush to him and grip him by his collars.
"Stop this rubbish, Killian! You know very well that you are not a pirate anymore. I don't know why you're acting like this but…" I pause for a moment. Did Zelena…
I push Killian away from me.
"You can cut the act, Zelena. Your little trick won't work," I sneer. Killian rolls his eyes at me.
"Don't be silly, Destiny. I am Killian."
"Nice try but I'm not falling for that." Killian grips his fringe with frustration. He grabs me by my arm.
"Why can't you just accept that I don't want to be with you?! I don't need that witch to tell me that what we have isn't working!" he yells, his voice breaking. I stare into his eyes, letting my tears blur my vision.
"Because I love you. And I know you love me, no matter what you say," I whisper. His eyes soften for a moment before hardening. He shoves me away.
"I don't know if I love you anymore," he replies. Without another word, he walks away.
"Killian, please don't do this. Killian!" I scream. But Killian doesn't turn around. I collapse to my knees and bury my face in my hands. The silence is the only thing that comforts me.