Killian gasped hard as he woke. He blinked at the blue sky shining bright above him. Branches broke his line of sight, the leaves swaying gently in the wind.
Memories assailed him. Stunned, he sat and could barely fathom what the sapling had just revealed. He'd known Emma as a young man. He'd fallen in love with her long before.
He twisted at the waist, looking for her. When he saw her lying on the ground, her eyes closed, he rolled to his knees and shot to her side. "Emma. Love." He cupped her shoulder and gazed into her face.
She was breathing, still locked in the memories the sapling had given back to them.
"Henry, what--" Killian looked up, but whatever else he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. Henry was seated on the ground, leaning against a tree trunk and writing vigorously. He seemed in a trance.
Killian stood and walked carefully over to the boy's side. He glimpsed the pages of the book, and discovered a scene of Captain Silver and his henchmen dragging Killian back through the portal. Surprised and astounded by how the author's powers worked, Killian watched for a minute before returning to Emma's side.
As he knelt down, she grimaced and turned her head. Was it safe to wake her? Was the sapling still working its magic inside her? He stayed close, wanting to be there when she woke in case she was too disoriented to get her bearings.
After only a few more seconds, her eyes shot open and she gasped much as he had.
Her stunned gaze met his. "Killian," she breathed.
He tipped his mouth at one corner. "Love."
She sat and stared at him in awe. She cupped his face. "Oh, my God." She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know what to think. Did you see everything I saw?"
"I think so, love." He smoothed back her hair, tucking strands behind her ear. "What was your last image?"
"They took you." Her voice broke on the words. "And I was so mad that I hadn't learned magic in time to save you."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I just can't believe it."
"Me, either."
They would have so much to talk about as they marveled at the memories of their time together in this cabin. He was extremely grateful they had had it, but even more thankful that he hadn't been tortured with being separated from her. Which made him wonder how they'd lost these memories.
When Emma shifted, he pulled back.
"Henry," she called.
The lad was still writing, engrossed in the words he busily scribbled on the page.
"He's been like that since I woke," Killian explained. "It's our story."
Emma pushed to her feet, and they both took the few steps needed to get to Henry's side. Killian saw that the picture now showed Zeus. Taken aback, he said, "That's Zeus."
"Who's the woman next to him?" Emma asked, squatting down beside Henry. She checked her son's face, watching him carefully as a mother would.
"Maybe Hera," Killian suggested.
Emma gave no response, but it was only a few moments more then Henry stopped, shook his head and looked up. "Mom," he said, a smile breaking over his face. "That was so cool." He closed the book and shot to his feet. "The magic in the sapling knocked y'all back, and then this buzz started in my hand, and I had to get out my book and start writing."
As he watched the boy jump from foot to foot, Killian's curiosity grew. "Lad, why were the memories taken away from us? Why is Zeus part of this story?"
"Okay," Henry paused in his excited shifting, and flipped open the book. "When Captain Silver's men dragged you through the portal, Zeus was watching, because, you weren't supposed to come to this world. Hades tried to control your fate."
"Why?" Emma asked, confused.
"Because he figured out that someday, y'all would have the ability to destroy the Dark Ones, and he didn't want that. Of course, that's not how it worked out, but y'all almost did it. Hades couldn't see the whole future. Zeus could, but he doesn't play with it, as it's not right." Henry showed them the picture of Zeus standing over some sort of fountain. "He can watch y'all in the water, and when y'all got torn apart, Hera got worried."
Henry looked at Emma. "She knew how long it would be before y'all saw each other again, and she didn't want y'all to have that pain. Mom, you had to stay here. I had to be the one to find you and bring you to Storybrooke. Hades messed with that, hoping y'all would only search for each other and end up never fighting the darkness."
Killian shared a look with Emma, then said, "So we weren't supposed to have met when we were younger."
"No, but, y'all shouldn't regret it or anything. It didn't change your future, because Zeus interfered and removed the memory. That way, y'all didn't miss each other and met when you were supposed to."
As he rubbed the back of his neck, Killian said, "I don't think I could ever regret those few days here. Right now all I want to do is remember them over and over. Those were the sweetest moments of my life."
Emma nodded and sidled up next to him. "They were perfect, and if I had been unable to find Killian..." She shook her head. "That would have been awful."
He kissed her temple. "It happened the way it should have."
Henry grinned. "And now we have a powerful sapling to take home, and I know the magic in it will release Grandpa and Grandma from the sleeping curse." He shut his book, put into the satchel slung over his shoulder and walked to the needed object. "Zeus told Hera that if y'all needed the memories back, they'd come to you. I guess touching the sapling did that." Carefully, he plucked it from the ground then looked up. "Let's go home."
With hope in his heart, the woman he loved at his side and the boy he thought of as son, Killian wrapped an arm around Emma's waist and followed the lad through the forest. Home. He had one. Finally. And he would never let it go.
Memories assailed him. Stunned, he sat and could barely fathom what the sapling had just revealed. He'd known Emma as a young man. He'd fallen in love with her long before.
He twisted at the waist, looking for her. When he saw her lying on the ground, her eyes closed, he rolled to his knees and shot to her side. "Emma. Love." He cupped her shoulder and gazed into her face.
She was breathing, still locked in the memories the sapling had given back to them.
"Henry, what--" Killian looked up, but whatever else he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. Henry was seated on the ground, leaning against a tree trunk and writing vigorously. He seemed in a trance.
Killian stood and walked carefully over to the boy's side. He glimpsed the pages of the book, and discovered a scene of Captain Silver and his henchmen dragging Killian back through the portal. Surprised and astounded by how the author's powers worked, Killian watched for a minute before returning to Emma's side.
As he knelt down, she grimaced and turned her head. Was it safe to wake her? Was the sapling still working its magic inside her? He stayed close, wanting to be there when she woke in case she was too disoriented to get her bearings.
After only a few more seconds, her eyes shot open and she gasped much as he had.
Her stunned gaze met his. "Killian," she breathed.
He tipped his mouth at one corner. "Love."
She sat and stared at him in awe. She cupped his face. "Oh, my God." She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know what to think. Did you see everything I saw?"
"I think so, love." He smoothed back her hair, tucking strands behind her ear. "What was your last image?"
"They took you." Her voice broke on the words. "And I was so mad that I hadn't learned magic in time to save you."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I just can't believe it."
"Me, either."
They would have so much to talk about as they marveled at the memories of their time together in this cabin. He was extremely grateful they had had it, but even more thankful that he hadn't been tortured with being separated from her. Which made him wonder how they'd lost these memories.
When Emma shifted, he pulled back.
"Henry," she called.
The lad was still writing, engrossed in the words he busily scribbled on the page.
"He's been like that since I woke," Killian explained. "It's our story."
Emma pushed to her feet, and they both took the few steps needed to get to Henry's side. Killian saw that the picture now showed Zeus. Taken aback, he said, "That's Zeus."
"Who's the woman next to him?" Emma asked, squatting down beside Henry. She checked her son's face, watching him carefully as a mother would.
"Maybe Hera," Killian suggested.
Emma gave no response, but it was only a few moments more then Henry stopped, shook his head and looked up. "Mom," he said, a smile breaking over his face. "That was so cool." He closed the book and shot to his feet. "The magic in the sapling knocked y'all back, and then this buzz started in my hand, and I had to get out my book and start writing."
As he watched the boy jump from foot to foot, Killian's curiosity grew. "Lad, why were the memories taken away from us? Why is Zeus part of this story?"
"Okay," Henry paused in his excited shifting, and flipped open the book. "When Captain Silver's men dragged you through the portal, Zeus was watching, because, you weren't supposed to come to this world. Hades tried to control your fate."
"Why?" Emma asked, confused.
"Because he figured out that someday, y'all would have the ability to destroy the Dark Ones, and he didn't want that. Of course, that's not how it worked out, but y'all almost did it. Hades couldn't see the whole future. Zeus could, but he doesn't play with it, as it's not right." Henry showed them the picture of Zeus standing over some sort of fountain. "He can watch y'all in the water, and when y'all got torn apart, Hera got worried."
Henry looked at Emma. "She knew how long it would be before y'all saw each other again, and she didn't want y'all to have that pain. Mom, you had to stay here. I had to be the one to find you and bring you to Storybrooke. Hades messed with that, hoping y'all would only search for each other and end up never fighting the darkness."
Killian shared a look with Emma, then said, "So we weren't supposed to have met when we were younger."
"No, but, y'all shouldn't regret it or anything. It didn't change your future, because Zeus interfered and removed the memory. That way, y'all didn't miss each other and met when you were supposed to."
As he rubbed the back of his neck, Killian said, "I don't think I could ever regret those few days here. Right now all I want to do is remember them over and over. Those were the sweetest moments of my life."
Emma nodded and sidled up next to him. "They were perfect, and if I had been unable to find Killian..." She shook her head. "That would have been awful."
He kissed her temple. "It happened the way it should have."
Henry grinned. "And now we have a powerful sapling to take home, and I know the magic in it will release Grandpa and Grandma from the sleeping curse." He shut his book, put into the satchel slung over his shoulder and walked to the needed object. "Zeus told Hera that if y'all needed the memories back, they'd come to you. I guess touching the sapling did that." Carefully, he plucked it from the ground then looked up. "Let's go home."
With hope in his heart, the woman he loved at his side and the boy he thought of as son, Killian wrapped an arm around Emma's waist and followed the lad through the forest. Home. He had one. Finally. And he would never let it go.
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