Dead Reckoning

Chapter Ten

Back in the present, moments before the Jolly Roger is destroyed…

Killian kept the Jolly Roger between the attacking ship and the rowboat making its way back to the shore in order to protect his stepson and Violet from the onslaught for as long as he could. When the Captain looked through his spyglass again and saw they were safe once they reached the beach where his wife and their friends also stood, Killian immediately spun the wheel again to turn the Jolly Roger to face his enemies so he could have one chance to fire off a single shot that would delay the ship from making another attack against Storybrooke, knowing it was all he'd be able to do.

Unfortunately, another cannonball was fired towards him as well and Killian's instinct told him it would be the shot that would finally destroy the Jolly Roger after she had survived well over two hundred years. Killian immediately lit the cannon's fuse to fire off a chain shot aimed at the attacking ship's main mast, then ran across the deck as he dove overboard into the ocean below when his ship burst into flames and suddenly blew once the fire reached the gunpowder kept within the hold.

After he jumped, Killian swam down and away from the wreckage as best as he could until pieces of the riggings slammed down on top of him despite his efforts to avoid being struck by the blast. Adrenaline was all that kept him from losing consciousness as he continued to fight his way back up to the surface. However, his body slowly became twisted within the ropes as he struggled against them to break free. It wasn't long before his adrenaline left him as he slowly began to sink.

Before his eyes closed, a white light suddenly shined over him above the surface through the dark waters until the large shadow of a ship took the light's place. Just as unconsciousness claimed him, a hand reached out and wrapped around his wrist while another touched a part of the rigging twisted around him as the ropes magically fell away until he was finally freed. Both hands then pulled Killian up as the one who had come to save him brought him back to the surface.

Back on the shore, no one saw the third ship as it appeared where the Jolly Roger once stood. David continued to hold his daughter tightly while she wept in the belief that her husband was killed when his ship was destroyed. Snow came up behind Emma as she wrapped her arms around them both and the silence between all those there to witness the battle between ships continued until August ran down to them, followed closely by Marco and Archie who had stopped by their garage while out walking Pongo.

"We heard what we thought was… gunfire," Emma's oldest friend stated in shock while he stared out at the fire and wreckage he quickly realized was all that was left of Hook's ship upon seeing Emma crying with her parents' arms, then realized that their friend must have been killed when it blew. "Oh my God."

"Emma, we're so… so sorry," Marco whispered sadly. "If there's anything we can do…"

The Savior finally pulled away from her parents hold, as she walked down to stand on the shoreline to get away from everyone and wiped away the tears from her eyes, which then grew cold while she stared out at the enemy ship slowly pulling away from Storybrooke despite the damage it sustained in Killian's defense.

Henry spoke up quietly saying, "Killian said they were here because of him. He didn't recognize the ship or whoever was sailing it, but he didn't think they would be here for anything else. Except he wanted us to warn everyone in case they decided to attack our town. If he didn't have to protect Violet and me, he would have been able to fight back sooner."

David and Snow slowly walked up behind again Emma while he said firmly, "I promise you, we'll go after the men who did this, Emma. We'll take a boat from the harbor to go after them and even use magic to apprehend whoever they are if that's what it takes."

"Killian is a survivor," Snow added gently. "There's a chance he might still be…"

"What… alive?" their daughter retorted angrily when she spun around to finally face them. "How could he be? There's nothing out there, but water. And even if he managed to jump before his ship blew…"

All of a sudden, Anton pointed out towards the wreckage upon seeing a small boat rowing towards them by magic from where the battle took place, seeing a single man standing within the center of the vessel as he shouted, "Wait! Who's that? And what is he carrying?"

Everyone turned in the direction their friend indicated and saw who he spoke of, then while the boat drew nearer, Emma suddenly started running into the ocean towards the newcomer as she cried out, "Killian!"

David, August, and Anton all ran after her upon seeing their unconscious friend being carried within the man's arms and when they reached the boat, the men carefully took Killian into their own arms so they could care for him while Emma laid her hands over her husband's face and chest as she ran alongside them. In that moment, the newcomer was forgotten as everyone concentrated solely on Killian.

They laid him down within the sand, then Emma and David both knelt over him as the Savior began to give him mouth to mouth, while David gave him chest compressions in order to get him breathing again. At long last, Killian suddenly began to spit up the water that had filled his lungs. Emma laid one hand gently over his chest and used the other to tenderly caress his cheek while he struggled to get his breathing back under control, then finally opened his eyes as he weakly looked up into hers until he winced and let out a painful gasp when he tried to move.

"His leg is hurt, as are his left side and stomach," the stranger uttered worryingly from where he continued to stand back while they helped Killian, when everyone finally turned to stare at him in shock, as few of them recognized the stranger from when they traveled down into the Underworld. "The rigging twisted around him as the ropes tightened and pulled my brother under."

"Li… Liam?" Killian stuttered as he continued to struggle through his pain and his inability to breathe from nearly drowning and swallowing as much ocean water as he had.

The older Jones smiled sadly as he reached out to touch Killian's shoulder as gently as he could without hurting or jostling him further, then responded, "Try not to talk, little brother. Just allow Emma and your friends to help you. I promise, I'll try to explain everything when you're well again."

While he spoke, the Savior raised her hands above Killian and emitted her magic to heal the man she loved. When she finished, he looked into his wife's eyes once more and then the two of them wrapped their arms around one another, holding each other close until Emma pulled back enough so that she could kiss him while he wiped away a single tear that slipped down her cheek.

Everyone turned away as the newlyweds comforted one another and looked either at Liam or out among the ocean, then Leroy finally spoke up again as he asked the newcomer what was on everyone's minds, "Where did you come from? That other pirate ship that just tried to kill your own brother?"

"Leroy, now isn't the time for this," David quickly retorted before the dwarf could say anything more.

"It's all right," Liam replied. "No… I came in my own ship."

They all looked out over the ocean and when they couldn't see anything more than the wreckage of the Jolly Roger, Henry questioned, "What ship?"

Killian's brother extended his arm as he waved his hand and seconds after doing so, it was then that another ship did suddenly appear upon the waters before them, a ship which looked exactly like the Jolly Roger. Killian struggled to stand and then with Emma's help, he weakly walked towards the shoreline to look out at the sight before them.

Liam looked over at the teenager as he answered, "That there is the Jewel of the Realm."

"I don't understand," Snow responded in confusion. "How…?"

"The Jewel of the Realm was the name of the ship we first served on when we joined the Royal Navy," Killian continued before his brother could. "She later became Liam's until my brother died, after which I renamed her the Jolly Roger when I first became a pirate to avenge his death. Liam… how are you here? I watched as you moved on."

The older Jones turned to his brother and gently squeezed Killian's shoulder again, then answered, "It's a long story. Why don't we find someplace more comfortable where we can all talk."

Down in the Underworld months earlier…

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.

Killian quickly stood as he uttered softly, "Liam. You're safe."

"Yes," the older brother responded 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 he could say goodbye, then the younger man nodded in understanding and replied, "Then go. All of you."

Killian and Liam both turned to the crew they had sailed with long ago as Killian spoke to them saying, "Now that you finally know the truth, your unfinished business is complete as well."

"Get on board, men," he then called out as he moved around and 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.

Killian turned back to him and answered, "My unfinished business isn't done yet. Not until Emma and I have defeated Hades."

Liam also nodded in understanding of his brother's decision to stay and then he responded, "Tell her I'm sorry, and I was wrong. She does want what's best for you. And don't worry about reaching that bar anymore, Killian. 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 replied sadly as he released his hold and watched on while Liam and the others slowly moved away towards their new ship awaiting them, to bring them to the peaceful afterlife they all deserved.

Meanwhile, aboard the ship which attacked the Jolly Roger…

The first mate walked up behind his leader and then said quietly, "For a man who just succeeded in killing one of his enemies, especially one who will help give you peace as well as a rare gift which will be granted to you upon our return to Neverland, you don't seem very happy right now. Bishop… what's wrong?"

The brute stared out at the horizon before them as he answered coldly, "He is not yet dead. I can feel it. I underestimated him again and charged without caution. We are heading back to this strange land and I will use the weapon I was given that will assure me victory. Turn the ship around. I will kill Hook with my own hands."