There is no present or future – only the past, happening over and over again – now ― Eugene O'Neill
"According to an old pirate legend, once upon a time a brave pirate and his crew arrived in a peaceful and rich kingdom.
In that kingdom lived a beautiful princess. When the pirate saw her he immediately knew that his eyes had never seen true beauty until that moment. So one night he invaded the castle so he could talk to her, touch her, know her.
He found her in the garden of the palace. When his blue eyes met her green eyes he saw that there was no fear in them, only curiosity. He told her stories about his adventures in the sea and the princess caught herself falling for his world … and for him. They promised each other never to be apart again so they decided to meet in secret.
Each time they were together their love grew a little more until one day the king caught them. He forced the pirate to abandon his land and locked the princess in a tower.
Driven by sadness, the princess ripped off her heart and threw it into the sea. The king, desperate to have his daughter's heart back, announced that the man who found the princess's heart would marry her and would be paid in gold.
When the pirate knew about what had happened he began to search for the heart. He searched for it day and night until one day he saw a red heart, floating on the water. He didn't think twice and jumped out of the ship.
He started to swim, trying to reach the heart but, as much as he tried, the heart was always too far away from him. He was exhausted but he didn't stop swimming. Hours later he finally reached the heart. He felt so relieved that he didn't realize that he was holding the heart with too much strength. His eyes looked to his hands and he had never felt so much pain as he felt in that moment when the princess's heart broke in his strong hands.
Feeling his heart bleeding inside his chest he ripped it out and crushed it, letting his body disappear in the arms of the ocean…"
"… and that's why, my dear friends, pirates aren't supposed to fall in love with princesses" – Killian said after telling to his crew the tale of the "Princess's curse" – "A princess's heart is too weak for a man with the ocean running in his veins and because of that she will bring you nothing but misery..." – he continued to say after drinking his beer – "Besides, why go through all that pain when there are countless other women out there without the power to curse you?"
The men made a toast and laughed. Many of them were already drunk.
"Story time is over" – Killian said – "Go back to work!"
He returned to the captain's quarter and sat on the bed, closing his eyes.
"So… Captain" – he heard a voice saying and smiled – "What if I was a princess?"
"What about it?" – he asked, opening his eyes.
"Would you have fallen in love with me?" – Milah asked with a seductive voice, approaching him.
He remained a few seconds in silence looking at her before answering.
"No …" – he started to say, watching the way her mouth opened ready to protest – "because if you were a princess" – he continued – "I wouldn't have met you in that ugly bar"
"Why? I could have been there" – she protested.
"Royalty doesn't like rum" – he said – "So, no, you wouldn't be there and I wouldn't have met you"
"I'm glad I'm not a princess then" – she said, sitting on his lap.
"So am I" – Killian said, leaning his head so he could kiss her.
"Just one more thing" – she said before he could reach her lips.
"Milah …" – he pleaded, trying to kiss her. She laughed and touched his lips with her finger.
"Promise me something" – she said. He remained in silence, waiting for her to continue – "Promise me that you will never fall in love with a princess"
"I thought you had heard the story, love …" – he said – "Pirates aren't supposed to fall in love with princesses"
"Promise me, Killian!" – Milah insisted.
"Why would I want to fall in love with a princess if I'm in love with you?" – he said, trying to kiss her.
"As much as I love to hear you say that …" – she teased him, leaning her face to him, almost reaching his lips – "that didn't sound like a promise" – she murmured.
"Fine, I promise. I won't fall in love with a princess…" – he said, making her smile – "except if her hair is blonde" – he teased – "in that case I will definitely fall for her"
"Hey!" – Milah said, punching him in the arm.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding" – Killian said laughing.
"That is not funny!" – she said – "I'm trying to have a serious conversation!"
"Sorry love…" – Killian said, stroking her hair.
"Promise me, Killian" – she insisted – "Promise me"
"I promise" – he murmured before he kissed her.
Milah … As soon as he said her name she took a step forward and cupped his face with both of her hands, not giving him another moment to respond, bringing her mouth to his.
He didn't even have time to react when she reached her lips and started to kiss him. It all happened too fast. One second he was looking at a ghost and the next she was kissing him – the woman who made him in a heartless pirate obsessed with revenge.
He could feel her lips on his lips and her tongue seeking immediate entrance, forcing his mouth to open so their tongues could meet again after three hundred years. He was incapable of controlling his body and without even realizing he opened his mouth so he could deepen their kiss.
Milah's hands were now on his hair, on the back of his neck, trying to pull him closer, needing the distance that was between them to disappear. His body betrayed him once more and he groaned as the kiss deepened. He could feel Milah lacing her fingers into his hair and his own hands grasped at her waist with hunger … but then, suddenly, something inside of him woke up – images of a sleepy face buried in his bare chest and blonde hair tickling his nose; the sound of a beautiful laugh; the taste of soft lips … Emma.
He opened his eyes and looked at the woman who was kissing him. He grabbed her arms and pulled her away from him.
"Stop…" – his voice barely above a whisper.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Killian …" – she spoke for the first time, taking a step forward so she could touch him again.
"Don't …" – he managed to say, stepping away from her – "You … how … how is this possible? How are you here?" – he tried to say, running his hands through his hair.
"Shhh …" – she said, reaching his lips with her fingers – "I know this can be a big shock right now but … it doesn't matter, I'm here now. We're together"
"Of course it matters" – Killian said, trying to hide the trembling in his voice – "I thought you were dead! I mourned you! For three hundred years my life was nothing but pain!" – he exclaimed, taking her hands from his face.
He could feel his heart beating faster than ever. Nothing had prepared him for that and as much as he tried to process all that was happening, he couldn't. It was all too unreal for him to believe it; to understand it.
"I know that but I'm here now and –" – Milah tried to say.
"Milah … I saw you dying right in front of me" – he interrupted her – "I saw you dead"
"I was never dead" – she said.
"What?" – Killian said so low that he wasn't sure she had heard him.
"You had to believe it. It was the only way" – Milah said.
"The only way for what?" – he asked, raising his voice, incapable of controlling his nerves.
"For him to believe it!" – she yelled back – "Rumpelstiltskin! He had to believe that I was dead, it was the only way for us to be free; to be together!"
"Together?" – Killian said, faking a laugh – "You have any idea –"
"Do you remember the day he found you?" – Milah interrupted him – "You didn't tell me about your duel with him but I heard some of the men talking about it and I knew it was a matter of time for him to find out the truth about us" – she started to explain – "That night, when all were sleeping I went to see an old woman, known in the village for her powers. I begged for her help" – Killian opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off – "She told me about an ancient spell used to fake someone's death. It was a temporary spell. I could have really died if he hadn't crushed my heart during the time of the spell … but in the end everything went as planned"
Killian remained in silence incapable of speaking. It all looked like a nightmare and he wished nothing but to wake up.
"I thought that when the spell ended I would go back to the place where I had been killed but instead I went back to the place where the spell had been performed – the witch's house" – she tried to explain, seeing Killian's reaction – "When I woke up I searched for you but I couldn't find you anywhere. You had disappeared" – she continued to explain – "Some men told me that they had seen a ship disappearing into the sea and that's when I realized that you had used the magic bean"
Silence invaded the room. Killian was paralyzed. It was all too unreal for him to believe it; he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to revive all that had happened years ago. He didn't want his old life back, not now, not anymore.
"Please say something" – Milah's words interrupted his thoughts.
"Three hundred years, Milah" – Killian started to say, looking at her – "Do you know how long three hundred years is? I mourned you like a mad man. I sought to avenge you. For three hundred years you never left my damned mind" – he said raising his voice – "I thought you were dead and now you tell me that, during all that time you've been alive? Why didn't you do something? Why didn't you try to reach me? Why didn't you tell me about your plan?" – Milah tried to speak but Killian spoke again – "You tricked me! You made me look like a fool! You bought the Jolly …"
"I tried to find you, Killian" – she said – "And I did find you … I just … It wasn't the right moment for us to meet …" – she explained, trying to touch him but he took a step back, avoiding the contact – "I never stopped loving you and I know that even after all these years you –"
Suddenly, before Milah could finish the sentence a disturbing thought invaded Killian's mind.
After all these years.
"How are you still alive?" – he asked – "You've never been in Neverland … How do you look exactly the same after three hundred years?"
"It was the spell" – Milah said – "Some spells require some specific ingredients, specially the old ones" – she explained – "For the spell to work my life had to be linked to another life so I could remain alive during my fake death. The witch told me that that effect would be permanent but to be honest I didn't care" – she said smiling – "My life is linked to yours"
Killian almost lost his balance and instinctively put his hand over his chest, above his heart.
"What? That is not possible" – he murmured.
"It is. As long as you live, I live too" – Milah said – "During all this time I had time to learn a little bit more about magic" – she added – "It can be very tricky but it can also be very useful" – she said, snapping her fingers, showing an old mirror on the wall – "I used to spend hours looking at you" – she said, approaching the mirror.
"You have magic?" – Killian asked in disbelief.
"Three hundred years is a long time, Killian" – she said – "How do you think I bought this ship? How do you think I managed to find a magic bean? How do you think I knew the exact time to find you?"
"You're the one who sent the mermaid" – Killian said. It wasn't a question. It was all starting to make sense.
"Actually it was a siren" – Milah said, turning her attention to him – "A waste of time. That fish was incapable of doing a simple task. I mean … how hard it is to conjure a storm and kidnap a man?"
"You're completely mad …" – Killian murmured, looking at her like he was looking at a stranger – "You could have killed us all!" – he exclaimed.
"I just wanted you" – she said – "I had to find a way to reach you, only you. People can't know that I'm alive yet. Not when we're so close to have everything we ever wanted"
"Everything we ever wanted?" – he repeated her words – "What are you talking about?"
"It's all about timing, my love" – she said, reducing the distance between them – "Soon, we'll no longer have to hide in the shadows. We'll be indestructible. Soon, we'll finally be together forever"
"It's been three hundred years" – Killian tried to explain – "A lot has changed. You can't expect things to be as they were three hundred years ago…"
"Because of Emma?" – she asked, saying Emma's name like it was poison.
"How do you know about Emma?" – he asked, feeling immediately protective over Emma.
"I know a lot of things, Killian" – Milah said – "Whatever your feelings for her are … they aren't real. You're living a lie"
He wanted to laugh at her words. You're living a lie. His past was the lie, not his present, not his future.
"No" – he said looking at her – "The only lie I lived was the life before I met her" – he stated.
"We'll see about that" – Milah said.
Before he could even reply, two men appeared in the room.
"I'll tell you the rest of the story tomorrow. John and Thomas will lead you to the brig" – she said – "Oh, and Killian" – she added after giving the men the orders – "I would hate to make your friends walk the plank for knowing too much"
He wanted to return to the room as soon as the men dragged him out of it. He needed to know more about what was happening; he needed more information.
His head was a mess. His entirely life had been a lie. It was like waking up from a dream he thought it was real.
He knew there had to be more about this story than just what Milah told him. Her appearance couldn't be a coincidence.
It's all about timing. Why now? Why didn't she reveal herself sooner? It had to be a reason; a very strong reason.
The worst part was that he couldn't share his thoughts with anyone. He couldn't tell David or Robin what happened; who the Captain was. He would have to lie to them.
"Finally!" – David exclaimed as soon as he entered in the brig – "What took you so long? We were about to go search for you!"
"Always so worried about me" – Killian said, faking a smile, trying to remain calm.
"What happened? What did the Captain want?" – Robin asked approaching him – "Who is this Captain?"
"No one to be concern about" – he lied – "His name is James"
"James?" – David asked – "Please tell me he doesn't look like me"
"Why would he look like you?" – Robin asked confused.
"I had a twin brother and his name was James" – David started to explain – "I never met him but from the stories I've heard he had a very twisted mind, so he could very well be the responsible for all this mess" – he explained – "but he's dead and dead people don't buy ships, right?"
"Aye" – Killian softly said, trying not to think about Milah.
"What's his last name?" – David asked.
"Hmm … Parker" – Killian lied again – "James Parker"
"So … what did you talk about?" – Robin asked.
"Many things … pirate things" – he said, clearing his throat. The men waited for him to continue – "The Jolly, the sea …"
"Killian, are you okay?" – David interrupted him, touching his shoulder – "You don't look like yourself. If something happened…"
"I'm fine, a little bit tired, that's all" – he said walking towards his cell. He had to increase the distance between them. It was easier to lie if he didn't have to look at them – "We should rest"
"Wait!" – Robin said – "Did he say something about Storybrooke? Can we trust him?"
Killian looked at his friends. They were waiting for his answer with hope in their eyes. He felt like the worse person in the world for lying to them, but lying was better than to see them dead.
"Yes, we can trust him" – Killian said, forcing a smile – "He just wants to buy some provisions for his next travel. Nothing to worry about" – he added, before lying down in bed.
Robin and David looked at each other, speaking without words. Something wasn't right.
"Killian –" – Robin tried to say.
"Tomorrow" – they heard Killian say from his cell – "We'll talk tomorrow"
Emma was at home looking at the television, pretending to be watching a cooking show. As much as she tried not to think about what happened hours ago, she couldn't.
All this time she had tried to remain positive and not to think about the possibility of the men being dead and now she knew that they weren't. They were alive. She might not know where they were but she knew they were alive somewhere. She just had to find them.
She didn't want to go to her bed, not when she knew Killian wouldn't be there. She had slept alone for many years but now the thought of sleeping alone was unbearable.
The reason why the locator spells didn't work was still a mystery. Emma was not a specialist in magic but seeing the Dark One as clueless as she scared her.
Were they too out of reach? Were they being victims of some magic? Could some force being blocking the spells?
"You're still up?" – Henry's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"What are you doing here?" – Emma asked – "You're supposed to be sleeping"
"I can't sleep" – he said, sitting next to her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" – Emma asked, caressing his hair.
"Talking about it doesn't change anything" – Henry said with a sad voice.
Emma looked at her son. She hated seeing him like that – hurt, sad, hopeless.
"Well, I have something to say to you" – she said with a small smile – "Gold helped Regina and I performing a spell so we could know for sure if Killian, David and Robin were alive …" – Henry looked at her with his big brown eyes, waiting for her to continue – "And they are. They are alive, kid"
Henry immediately hugged her, wrapping his arms around her belly and Emma could feel his smile on her abdomen.
"I knew it, mom. I knew it" – he said – "They are heroes and heroes always win; good always wins" – he said releasing Emma from the embrace – "Where are they?"
"We don't know it yet" – she said looking at him – "We're still trying to figure it out why the locator spells don't work"
"That's why you didn't tell me, right?" – Henry suddenly said –"You thought the locator spells didn't work because they could be dead, wasn't it?"
"Yes" – Emma admitted – "I was afraid that that was the reason why the spells didn't work. I'm sorry I didn't tell you … I was just trying to –"
"I understand mom, really" – Henry interrupted her – "Where do you think they are?" – he asked, leaning his head on her shoulder.
"I don't know, kid ... I just hope they're safe" – Emma said.
The next morning
"Why can't we go too?" – David almost yelled when four men appeared in the brig to escort Killian to the Captain's quarters, again.
After two nights without sleeping, David and Robin immediately fell asleep as soon as they lay down in bed but not Killian. How could he after all that happened? He needed to know more; he needed to know the rest of the story.
The men were still asleep when the pirates came searching for Killian. David and Robin protested when two men grabbed their friend and leaded him out of the brig. The two other pirates remained in the brig, preventing them to leave.
When Killian entered in the room Milah was seated on the bed, looking at him.
"I hope you slept well, my love" – she said approaching him, trying to touch his face.
"Don't" – he said grabbing her hand before she could touch him – "I want to know why. Why now?"
She smiled at him before turning her back, grabbing a bottle of rum.
"Care for a drink?" – she asked after her lips touched the bottle.
"We both know I'm not here for a drink" – he said stiffly.
"No. You're here to fall in love with me all over again" – Milah seductively said.
"Why are you here now? Why did you decide to appear now?" – Killian asked, ignoring her words – "What changed?"
"Don't you see? Nothing changed, that's why I'm here" – she said trying to touch him again – "That's why I found you"
"You didn't find me. You kidnapped me!" – he exclaimed.
"Kidnapped you? I thought I had told my men to inform you that I intend to help you go back to Storybrooke, safe and sound"
"What do you know about Storybrooke?" – Killian asked.
"That's part of the rest of the story, my love" – Milah softly said.
Killian remained in silence waiting for her to continue.
"Are you sure you don't want a drink?" – she said shaking the bottle. He ignored her – "You used to be more fun, Killian"
He could see the sun shining outside the window. It was a beautiful day but the place where he was stuck was anything but beautiful.
"When you were in Neverland I didn't have the power I have now. I didn't know a way to get to you" – Milah started to explain – "During all that time I decided to learn magic so I could find you; so I could be stronger; so no one would dare to try to kill me again" – she said the last sentence with anger in her voice – "I learned a lot of magic. You could say I got addicted to it. I used to watch you, using that mirror" – she said pointing at the mirror on the wall – "When you returned from Neverland I already had enough magic to reach you, in fact, I had three magic beans that I could had used but then … I found something and –"
"So you're saying that you had the chance to tell me that you were alive; that you could have reached me but you chose not to because you found something" – he interrupted her faking a laugh, running his hand through his hair.
"It's not just something!" – she tried to explain – "It's a prophecy …"
"A prophecy" – Killian repeated her words – "What has a prophecy to do with any of this; with me?"
"It has everything to do with you!" – Milah exclaimed.
"And why is that?" – Killian asked, preparing himself for another lie.
Milah remained in silence before speaking again, trying to decide if she should share the information or not.
"The prophecy says that someday the savior will have a child" – she began to say and Killian tensed when he heard the word savior – "That child will be very special because its heart will have many powers"
"I already know that" – Killian said as Henry's face invaded his mind. The boy had the heart of the truest believer – "And don't you dare to hur –"
"I'm not talking about Henry" – Milah interrupted him and Killian tensed – "Like the sea is eternal, the child's heart will be immortal" – she said like she was reading some old book about legends and prophecies – "Because the child's mother is the savior and the father has the sea running into his veins, the child's heart will have the power of immortality; the power to save and cure; the power to concede an eternal life to anyone capable of ripping its heart out of its chest and perform the undying spell. Contrary to most people, as soon as the heart leaves its body the child will immediately die, like a wave that dies on the sand every time it tries to abandon the sea" – she finished the prophecy – "You're the father, Killian. Your blood is made of sea. You found the savior. You two will create a child with the power that everyone desires"
"No …" – he murmured, not wanting to believe what he had just heard – "I don't believe you. That is not possible"
"It is!" – Milah said, taking a step forward – "This prophecy was written in the beginning of all times, my love. It was made for people like us to fulfil it so we can live forever. That's why I'm here. The time for the prophecy to happen is now. That's why you have to go back to Storybrooke. That's why I wanted to find you … to warn you"
"To warn me?" – Killian exclaimed – "I don't want this. I don't want any of this … How could you ever think that I would agree with your twisted plan?"
"Killian, it's a small price to pay for an eternal life" – Milah said – "Magic always comes with a price, you know that"
"A small price?" – he yelled not able to control his anger – "It's a baby, Milah … You want to kill a baby so you can live forever?"
"So we can live forever" – she corrected him.
Killian remained in silence looking at the woman he once loved, seeing anything but that woman. The Milah he remembered was gone.
"The prophecy is not going to happen" – he said breaking the silence.
"You can't fight destiny and destiny wants this to happen" – Milah stated.
"Apparently your destiny was to die on this ship but clearly you didn't so…" – Killian said.
"My destiny is to be with you and the prophecy will make sure of that" – she said.
"This prophecy will never happen because that baby will never exist" – Killian said, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.
"You always wanted to be a father, Killian" – Milah said with a smile – "After the prophecy is fulfilled you can be. You can have a child that will live forever; you can have a son"
"I already have a son" – Killian stated.
Milah started to laugh after hearing Killian's words.
"Really, Killian? Bae's son? My grandson? Actually he could almost be considered your grandson" – she said still laughing – "That boy will never be your son and do you want to know why? Because he doesn't sees you like a father, only like an obstacle who stood between Emma and Baelfire; the man who destroyed the chance of his parents being together; the man who destroyed his family"
"Shut up!" – he yelled.
"The only reason destiny allowed you and Emma to be together was for the prophecy to happen" – she continued to say – "You two don't belong together. All happens for a reason and in your case the reason is the prophecy, not love"
"You don't know what you're talking about" – Killian said – "You don't know me … not anymore"
"Oh, I do know you Killian … because you and I are the same" – Milah said, grabbing his hand, exposing the tattoo with her name – "This is the proof of your love for me and no one will ever change that, not even a blonde distraction … and this hook" – she said, touching the hook – "This is the proof of the sacrifice you did for me, for us" – she added.
"No … you don't kno –" – Killian tried to say.
"I'm curious, what is it about her that is so special that caught the Captain Hook's attention, despite the prophecy, of course" – she interrupted him, grabbing the bottle of rum again – "It's because she's royalty … because she's a princess? I thought you didn't like princesses, Killian … wait, it's because she is the Saviouuuuuur, isn't it?"
Killian wanted to ignore her words but he felt the need to speak what his heart was yelling inside his chest.
"No … I don't love her because she's a princess or the Savior, I love …" – he started to say but suddenly he felt something pushing him to the ground and all went black before he could finish his sentence.
… I love her because she's Emma.
I know there's a lot of Killian and Milah in this chapter but it was necessary to reveal some of the mysteries of this story.
This idea about a prophecy and Milah and a baby and all of this stuff came into my mind and I knew I had to write a story about it. I hope you're not getting too confused ... I'm trying my best to explain all of it in a simple way and next chapters will reveal more details about the characters and all the mess that is happening.
I really hope you're liking this story and thank you so much for the reviews!
I love you guys! (: