She was spinning, spinning, spinning.

No, she wasn't, she realized as a hand landed on her waist, steadying her. She was twirling.

She was dancing.

Her hand clung onto the cold curve of Killian's hook and the other clutched at his shoulder when he caught her, tightening her grip as she tried to orientate herself. She'd been moving smoothly until now, but as her mind caught up with her body she lost all of the grace that he'd imagined for her, stumbling into him and almost knocking him over. He chuckled, tightening his grip on her and keeping them upright. 'Steady there, Swan.'

'Why the hell am I dancing?' she wondered aloud, the words blurting out before she could stop herself.

He didn't seem to find her question totally out of place, or at least he was willing to play along. She still couldn't figure out how much he was aware of. 'Because your father has thrown a ball, and princesses are required to dance at balls.'

She was so taken aback that her feet got mixed up again and she tried to stop, but Killian guided her onward. 'Why do you want me to be a princess?' she asked him, looking at him incredulously.

He raised his eyebrow straight back at her. 'It's not about what I want, Emma. It's about who you are. And I'll take you however you are, and only hope that you'll let me be a part of it.'

And there it was, hidden behind his casual smile. He wanted to be a part of her world and even though it hadn't looked like this before, he clearly saw her as royalty. As balls, as dancing. As everything that he felt outside of. 'What if I don't want to be a princess?' she asked, stepping back from him and stopping in the middle of the ballroom, uncaring of the faceless people gliding around them.

Killian regarded her for a few seconds, and she couldn't tell if his half smile was indulgent or sad. 'It's in your blood, darling. It's who you are.'

'It doesn't define me,' she said shortly.

'It does not,' he agreed, stepping forward to close the distance between them. 'Just as this doesn't define me,' he continued, holding out his hook to her. After a moment she wrapped her fingers around it again and let him return his hand to her waist, but only rested her free hand lightly on his chest, reluctant to encourage further dancing and make a fool of herself. He dropped his head, brushing his nose up along her jaw. 'You are so much more than just a princess,' he told her, his breath warm against her ear. She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. 'Let me show you.'

Her breathing was unsteady when she wrapped her arm around his neck, gripping onto his shoulder probably more tightly than was strictly necessary, and she didn't know whether it was from anxiety or from the way her body responded so automatically to his closeness. Listening to his murmured instructions and the quiet rhythm of his voice, she tried to keep her steps in time with his as he started moving. She tried to watch her feet but couldn't see them beneath the bulky skirts of the ridiculous gown that she wore, and she kept either stepping on his toes or stumbling over her own feet. Every second increased her frustration. What's the point of this stupid dream, anyway?

'How the hell are you so good at this, pirate?' she snapped.

'Emma, look at me,' he said softly, and she reluctantly raised her eyes to his. 'That's it, just keep your eyes right on me. And relax,' he implored her, pressing his hand slightly firmer against her lower back.

But she was too highly strung, too frustrated with herself to just relax. 'I can't,' she said helplessly, and she wasn't just talking about the dancing.

'You can,' he insisted, the intensity of his sharp blue gaze telling her that he knew the fear behind her words.

'You don't understand,' she said, squeezing her eyes shut for a second when her shoe crushed his, but he gave no sign of discomfort. 'I don't know how to be this person that they expect me to be. Their Saviour, their princess. It's just... ever since I came to Storybrooke, I've had to be so responsible for everybody,' she admitted, opening her eyes and finding a meagre bit of comfort in the understanding in his. Maybe she just needed this moment. She knew that she had to find a way out but she was tired, she was drained, and she couldn't seem to hold the words back. 'I've had to try and be a good example for Henry, and as the sheriff. Everyone's had so many expectations of me as Mary Margaret and David's daughter... as Snow White and Prince David's daughter... as the Saviour.' She dropped her eyes again, staring dully at the buttons on his jacket. He wore clothing similar to the uniform he'd worn in his dreams of being with Liam, but it seemed finer, as though this were either a more formal dress or he was of a higher rank. Or both. It seemed he was quite eager to be accepted, to join in on the bizarre court that they would no doubt make if they ever returned to the Enchanted Forest, but all she wanted to do was hide in the shadows and let someone else handle it.

If you told him that, he'd hide in the shadows with you.

Emma swallowed, trying to stomp down on the uneasiness in her stomach. After all of this, why was she still nervous about opening up to him? 'I don't know how to be the person you expect me to be,' she said, her voice small.

He was quiet for a moment, simply looking at her. 'Emma. It's you who misunderstand. I don't want you to be anything but who you are. I just want you to embrace who you are, and be happy for it.'

'I don't want this responsibility anymore. All of these people looking up to me...'

'These people look to you because they respect you, and they look at you as part of the family that leads them. I thought you wanted a family?' His tone was far from condescending.

'I do. I just never asked for everything that came along with it... A crown and balls and... all of these people!'

A small smile started to spread across his lips and finally, thankfully, he slowed to a gentle rocking motion, side to side, simple, not unlike something that she recognized (even if she didn't dance). 'What people?' he asked her, tilting his head to the side.

She glanced around quickly, starting and pulling away from him when she found them alone now in the large ballroom, but he pulled her right back to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and then his around her waist. 'Just dance with me, my love,' he whispered in her ear, pressing their bodies together deliciously. 'The world can't touch us here.'

The world can't touch us here.

It was a wonderful thought.

Smiling, she relaxed into him and danced.

Although some of the decorations and furniture was different, Emma immediately recognized the house to be the same one as from the dream when she was pregnant. She looked around carefully, trying to figure out what was different this time.

She wasn't in the kitchen but in the main room, standing beside a large, sturdy table, wearing a more casual skirt and tunic, but still something that was mostly inclined to life in the Enchanted Forest. She was alone, Killian nowhere in sight, and she wondered whether this house was a place where he'd lived once or just something his mind had created. It wasn't anything like she'd thought to picture herself living in before, but she found that she kind of liked it. It was simple. Quiet. Peaceful. In Killian's dreams they were together, she had her family, her parents, Henry. More children.

She found herself smiling, tracing her finger lightly along the grain of the wood.

She liked it here. The only trials she had to face were her own feelings and fears, and somehow facing them with Killian had made it all seem so... easy.

The floorboards creaked quietly, breaking her out of her thoughts just before arms snaked around her waist, settling around her stomach and pulling her back against a hard chest. 'They'll be here soon, love.'

The embrace felt familiar enough that she knew immediately who it was, and she could obviously recognize his voice, but it sounded different somehow. Maybe it was the way it was muffled in her hair. 'I'm looking forward to it,' she said awkwardly, knowing that she had to say something, but then she frowned at the sound of her own voice. It sounded off, in the same way that Killian's did, but she couldn't place it.

'I still can't rightly believe it,' he said, pressing his lips against her neck. 'I never thought I'd have the chance to be a father, let alone a grandfather.' Emma froze, her breath catching in her throat and her hands tightening over his. 'I think I'm actually starting to feel my age.' He chuckled against her skin.

Slowly, she pulled away enough that she could turn in his arms, her movements in contrast to the speed of her racing heart. There was a heaviness in her stomach that felt a little like dread but more like being overwhelmed, and she was afraid to see and confirm what her ears told her, the obvious implications behind his words.

She kept her eyes low until she was facing him fully, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist and she settled her hands on his chest. Taking a deep breath, trying and failing to calm herself, she finally raised her eyes to his face.

It was him, her Killian, her Hook. She could see him in his eyes, in the twitch of his lips as he watched her, the slight raise of his brow. But his hair was heavily streaked with grey, the crinkles around his eyes when he smiled deeper, more pronounced as wrinkles.

She ran her hands up his chest, lifting them to cup his face, rubbing her thumbs across his cheeks and smoothing the lined skin. Her eyes flittered all over, trying to take in as much of him as she could, not sure what she was looking for but searching anyway, but she hesitated when she saw her own hands. Weathered, and wrinkled, and old.

Closing her eyes, she felt twin tears fall down her cheeks and started to pull away to wipe them clear, but his hand and his hook came up and wrapped around her wrists, holding her close. She wondered quickly whether he still had his hook here because he truly didn't want to let go of it, or whether he simply couldn't picture a future without it. She wanted to turn away, to hide behind the last pieces of fear and loneliness that she was clinging to, but this dream and what it meant threatened to pull of those pieces apart.

Killian lowered his head and pressed his lips to the palm of one hand and then the other, lingering and then rubbing his cheek against it. 'Emma...' he began, his voice trailing off as the slight smile turned into a frown. He didn't ask the question, didn't need to, she realized. He already knew her so well, better than anyone else. How well would they know each other in thirty years?

She knew that she should tell him yes, she was fine, she was great. She should ask him about the dreams, tell him about it if he didn't know, figure a way to get out of there. But... 'Have we had a good life?' she asked him instead, needing to know, her voice breaking with the warmth, the heaviness, the love that was too much, too much.

Smiling at her, he let go of her wrist to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. 'The best, love,' he promised, and he looked at her like... well, just like he looked at her now. She could feel her heart breaking.

She tried to hold back her tears but they fell regardless, and Killian pulled her into his arms properly, one arm around her waist and the other in her hair, cradling her head against his shoulder as she cried on him. She knew that it wasn't real but right then she didn't care. She didn't want to go back, didn't need to - she had her happy ending right here.

There was a knock at the door but neither of them moved straight away. Emma wasn't ready to let go and Killian seemed to know that, just like he knew when she needed him, when she needed space. How to make her smile when things looked the worst, how to show his support without crowding her.

How to win her heart so incredibly thoroughly.

It wasn't until the person at the door knocked again that she reluctantly let her arms drop and he stepped away, giving her hand a quick squeeze and her forehead a brief kiss before he moved to answer the door. She rubbed her fingertips underneath her eyes, grimacing at how much looser her skin was, completely forgetting for the moment who was likely to be at the door. When she looked up again Killian was stepping back from the door, making room for the people who piled into the house, more people than she'd been expecting. Two couples who were roughly the same age as she was in her own life, one of the women with a heavily blanketed baby in her arms, and another couple who were slightly older.

She didn't need an introduction to know who they were. The older man, perhaps forty, looked familiar in the way that Killian did, almost as if he were the father of the person that she knew he really was, although Henry didn't look as much like Neal as she'd thought he would. A blonde haired man with blue eyes stood close by the woman with the baby (her grandchild?), the same colouring as the child they'd had in Killian's earlier dream.

Somehow, she knew that the other woman was her daughter. Dark hair, light eyes. Her mother's chin.

Emma held back as they settled into the small room. Killian took the baby and she was torn between watching him and the loving look on his face, and taking in her children, all real and all grown up. She couldn't help but be surprised by the easiness and naturalness of the situation and how everyone seemed to interact with each other. This was family. This was home.

This was something other people had.

Maybe we could have a life together, she thought sadly, wrapping her arms around her stomach. Maybe we could be a little happy. But surely not like this. She'd grown up alone and yeah, maybe she had some people now who she could count on, her parents, a few friends, Henry, but this was too much. This surely couldn't be for her, and she didn't want to let it go.

No. Straightening her shoulders, she let her arms drop as she fought against the part of her that just wanted to accept it, to stay stuck in these dreams. They might be happy, they might be everything she'd never known she'd needed. But it wasn't real.

And they could really have this life, she realized. She wouldn't kid herself that there wouldn't be obstacles like in every other part of her life, but if she let herself believe in it then there was no reason why it couldn't be hers. Even if she had to fight for it, even if it wouldn't be easy, she deserved a chance at this. Killian deserved it.

It was time to wake up.

She took a step towards him -

- and stumbled, barely catching herself by grabbing onto Killian's arm. He caught her arm, steadying her, eyebrow raised in amusement. 'Careful there, Swan.'

Emma looked around quickly, trying to get her bearings. It looked like they were in a courtyard, a combat practice yard in a castle by the look of it, or so she thought from what she'd seen on movies. A few people stood around the edges, inspecting weaponry or watching those fighting. Among the latter was a dark haired girl and a light haired boy, having at each other with swords that she hoped were blunt. They looked to be in their late teens, perhaps, and from her quick glance it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.

Although she felt the pull inside her to watch them - the need to know - she made herself turn back to Killian, her movement forcing him to let go of her arm. She'd put it off too many times before and had found herself distracted and caught in the moment of the dream, which she realized was probably the purpose of them. If they stayed in here too long, enjoying their what-could-be's, then Killian would die, and she had absolutely no idea what would happen to her. Whatever it would be, she knew for certain that she didn't want to find out what it would be like without him.

'Killian, you have to wake up,' she said hurriedly, the words coming a lot easier than she thought they would.

She was convinced that a part of him had to know what was going on, but the look that he gave her was of utter confusion, with a hint of concern. 'Emma, I am awake,' he told her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'Are you well?'

I'm fine, she snapped, or tried to, but the words that came out weren't the ones that she'd intended. She found herself blinking up at him, frowning and lifting her hand to touch her forehead. 'I don't know,' she said instead. 'I feel a little lightheaded all of a sudden. Perhaps I should lie down awhile.'

His expression softened just as she felt panic starting to rise inside her. No! She couldn't lose herself again now! She yelled and screamed, hammering her fists against the binds of her own body as she leaned into Killian when he wrapped an arm firmly around her. 'I'll walk you to our room, just let me let them know,' he said, nodding toward their children.

No, don't you get it? We've wasted enough time, you could die.

'I can walk myself, you know,' she said instead, her voice wry but calm.

'I know you can,' he said with a wink, keeping her by his side.

It's all well and good to have these hopes, but what's the point if we don't get to live them?

She rested her head against his chest and he rubbed his hand over her arm absentmindedly, the fingers of his other hand twining with hers. She squeezed them reassuringly.

No! Not reassuringly! There is nothing to feel assured about right now! If she could have, she would have cried in frustration. How many more dreams would they have to go through, get to go through before he succumbed to the curse? Unable to find a way but refusing to be beaten right when she'd finally accepted the idea of a future, she gathered every bit of strength she could and pushed out against herself. Damn it, Killian, I don't care how much I want this, we can't stay here. I have to get back to you, I have to get back to Henry. I'm - 'not done!'

The words fell from her lips at the same time as her arms flung out, pushing him violently away just like she'd been trying to push at her bindings. Killian steadied himself quickly, opening his mouth to probably ask her what the hell she was doing, but she didn't waste any time, not quite believing that she had control again and not wanting to waste it while she did. 'Killian, you have to listen to me,' she said, the words almost coming out in a jumble as she tried to get them out as quickly as possible. 'It's not real, none of this is. We're on your ship, you're cursed and I'm trying to wake you up.' And failing miserably, she thought, but pushed it aside firmly.

He was frowning at her like she truly was unwell. 'Emma, I'm quite aware of where I am,' he told her, but she thought she could see the confidence waiver in his eyes slightly.

'I don't know if you're aware or not, but it's not here,' she told him, stepping back up to him and grabbing both of his hands in hers, holding them firmly between them. 'You jumped in front of a curse meant for Henry because you're a damned idiot, and now we're both stuck here unless you wake up. This place isn't real.'

'Of course it's -' He cut off sharply when he glanced away from her, and she followed his gaze to see that the courtyard was now empty. His eyes widened in horror. 'Wait, wait. Where did they go?' He stepped away from her, pulling out of her grasp and striding briskly to the centre of the yard, his head spinning this way and that. 'Where did you go?'

Emma watched him walk away from her, feeling her heart sinking for him but she knew now that it couldn't be helped. She'd played along with his dreams for far too long without seriously thinking about the consequences, long enough that she wondered if that was part of the effects of the curse as well. She took a step to follow him but stopped when he spun sharply on his heel, approaching her with panic in his eyes. 'Where did they go? What happened to them?'

'Nothing happened to them, Killian, because they weren't really here. None of this is really happening.'

He closed the distance between them before she could blink, grabbing her upper arms with his hands and holding her almost uncomfortably tight. 'It feels bloody real to me,' he said, his voice almost low enough to be a growl and a hint of anger in his eyes. 'You bring them back to me.'

And it wasn't just anger, but desperation that she saw as he stared back at her intensely. 'I can't,' she told him reluctantly, biting down hard on her lip when his face fell so suddenly. 'Not right now. But Killian, don't you get that the only way to have these things for real is to wake up with me? Please, it's going to be all right, I just need you to trust me.'

He was hesitating, a look of horror dawning anew on his face, but it took her a moment to realize that his attention had dropped to her arm. Or rather, where his left hand had previously held her arm. Instead of his hand, the curve of his hook curved around her upper arm, holding her in place just as effectively and digging into her skin just slightly. He snatched it back, careful not to snag her with it, and stepped back from her again, his right hand closing around his other wrist and his face contorting in horror. 'No. No, no, no.'

She still wasn't sure how much he knew and how much he guessed, or how much he was hiding from himself, but she could definitely see recognition and a hint of understanding in his eyes. Planting herself in front of him once more, took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. 'Killian, please,' she said, her voice quiet but firm. 'I wouldn't lie to you. This world is a dream, but we can have all of this one day if you just believe in me right now. Please, just trust me.'

The panic faded from his eyes very slightly and that was enough for her. Pulling his head down, she pressed her lips hard against his.

Emma jolted awake with a start. It was the first time that she had the sensation of waking up since she'd first kissed Killian with the hope of breaking the curse, but she knew immediately that it wasn't over. She wasn't sure why this was different now, but this was definitely not one of Killian's hopes and dreams.

The air was hot, sweat breaking out over her body instantly, and she realized all too quickly that the ground that she lay on - large, white tiles - was scorching her. She scrambled to her feet quickly, shaking out her hands to try and ease the burns on them from the effort, and already felt the heat seeping uncomfortably through her shoes. She was breathing heavily - from fear, panic, confusion - and had to fight to take control of herself as the hot air burnt her throat.

What the hell was this place?

She glanced around quickly, trying to figure out her whereabouts and where Killian was. The room wasn't overly large, the only light coming from the numerous flames that seemed to burn from nothing, flickering taller than she was and moving across the ground with no apparent reason or direction. As she watched, they jumped closer and were too near before she could react. She darted away, but fell short when a wall of fire rose up in front of her, causing her to jump back.

The smell of burning hair reached her nostrils and she gathered her hair over her shoulder, twisting it and holding it close to her. The other went to her eyes, trying to shield them from some of the brightness of the flames.

She couldn't see Killian, but she was having trouble seeing past much of the fire, and smoke was starting to burn her eyes. He had to be here, right? Whether it was his creation or not, she was here because of him.

Unless she was here because she'd failed.

Refusing to believe that, she took a deep breath and tried to call out for him but her raw throat choked around the word, her cry coming out as a rasp. She swallowed, cleared her throat, tried again.

'Killian!'

There was a muffled noise to her left, but as soon as she tried to move towards it, the fires in front of her roared higher. Cursing, she darted around them, hissing when she felt the sudden heat on her arm that meant she hadn't been quick enough. She didn't stop, though, didn't even hesitate, because there was a figure slumped roughly against one of the pillars in front of her, the flames drawing nearer to him.

'Killian,' she said again, falling to her knees beside him and pulling him into a more upright position. He seemed heavier than he should, or maybe it was just that she was so unbelievably tired, but after a few seconds she had his back leaning properly against the column. He wasn't responding, but she could see his chest rising and falling. Thankfully, the flames seemed content to leave them be for the moment.

She lifted his face with one hand, looking him over quickly before she gave him a quick shake. 'Killian, wake up.' Biting her lip, she shook him harder, glancing around quickly to make sure they were still safe.

Finally he started to stir, raising his hand slowly to his head before his eyes snapped open, then widened as they fell on her. His whole body tensed and he started to push himself upwards but she pressed her hands down on his shoulders, keeping him down. 'Swan? What's going on?' he asked, his voice sounding as tired as she felt, but a lot more confused.

This could have just been another dream, albeit a strange one, but the heavily guarded look in his eyes told her that whatever this was, it wasn't like the others. 'You're trapped in a sleeping curse,' she told him quickly, hoping that she wouldn't lose herself again when she tried to tell him about it, but nothing changed expect for the awareness that sparked in his eyes.

'Emma,' he said slowly, pushing her hands away and straightening up. His gaze was suddenly far too knowing and she pulled her arms back, wrapping them around her stomach and sitting back on her heels. 'How are you here?'

She looked away quickly. Despite all of the moments that she'd just shared with him, it was different to know for sure that this was him, and this was her. 'I... ah...' Swallowing, she stared down at her feet. 'It wasn't like this last time.'

Killian was silent for a few seconds and she wasn't sure she got her meaning, but she didn't think she had it in her to say it out loud. After a moment she felt a hand close over hers and his hook pressed against her chin, forcing her to look up at him, the cool metal feeling pleasant in comparison to the hot air of the room. 'Did you try to wake me with True Love's Kiss?' he asked, his lips twitching up into a smirk.

Only he would find this an appropriate moment to be joking, but she couldn't find it in herself to laugh with him, or even roll her eyes like she normally would. 'I couldn't let you die,' she told him honestly, and his expression softened immediately. His arms came around her, pulling her into his lap and she pressed her face against his neck. As his grip on her tightened, his arm brushed against the burn on hers and she flinched back, turning to look at the blistering skin.

His eyes darkened as he stared at it. 'You're hurt,' he growled, looking at her with something almost like anger. 'You shouldn't be here.'

'And neither should you,' she said, not letting his harshness push her away. Turning back to him properly, she straddled his outstretched legs and took his face in both of her hands, needing to make him understand. 'You have to wake up, Killian,' she told him gently.

His lips parted and his brow raised slightly as if in surprise. His features straightened quickly and now it was his turn to look away. 'I don't know that I want to,' he whispered, like he was ashamed and hoped she wouldn't hear him.

And she wasn't surprised. She understood the draw of all of the happy endings, all of the possibilities that could be and many that couldn't. And now, she wasn't sure that her happy endings would look much different from his. 'I know,' she said quietly, brushing her thumb across his cheek comfortingly.

She could tell from his expression that he'd expected her to be angry, or at least confused, but he caught up fast. Shifting his weight slightly, he pulled her hands away from his face. 'You saw that? My... dreams?'

'I lived them,' she admitted reluctantly. She'd hoped that he wouldn't remember or wouldn't ask her, but she wasn't going to lie to save herself from some embarrassment. 'I couldn't always move or speak how I wanted, but I experienced it all.'

He looked embarrassed himself, for a moment, before horror washed over his face and he froze again. 'No,' he breathed, trying to push her off of him and scramble away but somehow she managed to keep him in place. 'Emma, I can't - I just - I am so sorry -'

'Stop it,' she said. 'I might not have had control of myself or what happened for a lot of it, but I don't regret anything that I saw. Or anything that I did,' she added pointedly.

Killian watched her warily for a few seconds, as though he was trying to find evidence of a lie on her face, but she knew how well he could read her and that he'd find no dishonesty there. His hand and his hook landed on her thighs, his fingers digging into her through her jeans as though to convince himself them she was really there. 'I want those lives so badly,' he confessed, finally no longer looking at her with so much scrutiny, but it was replaced by such desolation that she felt her heart breaking.

But now wasn't the time to long for something different together. The room was getting hotter, and Emma had the feeling that they were running out of time. She was really starting to think that he might choose not to return with her, and that wasn't an acceptable option as far as she was concerned. 'I want them, too,' she told him, meaning it more than she thought she could. 'The only way that we can have them is if you wake up with me.' She wasn't going to even consider another option.

'I can have them if I stay here,' he said woodenly, forcing the idea on her anyway. Throwing his head back against the pillar, he squeezed his eyes shut as though he were blocking something out. 'Not all of them are possible,' he pointed out, shifting his hook where it rested on her thigh.

'But some of them are,' she said, her voice small. After a moment she took his hook in her hand, wrapping her fingers around it, wanting to show him that she'd take him however he was. 'I'm glad I got to meet your brother,' she said lightly, regretting it immediately when pain flashed across his face.

Opening his eyes, he looked at her once more. 'I'm sorry that you had to see that, with Bae and Milah -' His voice broke on her name and he didn't try to continue, his eyes pleading at her for something.

She didn't know what he needed, but she would give him what she could. Shifting closer, she slipped her free hand around the back of his neck. 'I don't need you to hide your past from me. I just want you. Come back with me.' She felt her eyes watering and couldn't help the tears that started to fall, and suddenly she was angry at her desperation, and at him. 'Damn it, Killian. You don't get to give up.' Pushing against his shoulders even though he had nowhere backward to go, she then grabbed his vest in her hands and pulled him closer to her. He didn't try to resist her, or maybe he was just slow to react to her rapid change of mood. 'After everything that we've just been through together, everything we've seen, everything we've lived, you don't get to just deny me that! You don't get to turn around and say that it's not worth waking up for, because we can have most of those dreams but only if you wake up.'

He tried to pull back but her hands tightened in his vest. 'Emma,' he began.

'No. I won't let you give up on me, too. Everyone else has turned their backs on me, has left me behind for whatever reason, but you're the only person who ever came back.' The tears were flowing freely now but she paid them no mind, refusing to focus on anything other than how angry she was with him right then. 'And if you stay here like a coward,' she spat, 'then you're not just giving up on me. You're giving up on my family, on our children, our grandchildren.' She let go of him then, but didn't move from where she still straddled his legs. 'I love you, you stupid pirate, and I'm not ready to let go of that.'

Killian looked up at her, wide-eyed, an uncertain smile spreading across his face. 'You meant it,' he said wonderingly. 'I never...' He trailed off, looking at her with such hope that she felt all of her anger and frustration leak out of her as if it had never been.

'You've never told me, either,' she said defensively.

The smile became a little more confident, a little more like him. 'You knew.'

She replaced her hands on his shoulders, one hand coming up to twist her fingers in the hair at the base of his neck. 'You should have known,' she told him, smiling at him sadly.

He responded by leaning forward to capture her lips with his own, kissing her deeply and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her forward so that their upper bodies were completely pressed together. She kissed him back forcefully, pouring all of the feelings that she'd denied herself for too long into the kiss, tightening her grip on his shoulder and in his hair, trying to pull him impossibly closer.

A pulse ran through her with the next beat of her heart, thrumming through her and out into the room but she barely noticed, couldn't think of anything else in that moment but how much she loved the man in her arms.

She could feel warm lips moving against hers, parting under hers, and then arms were wrapping around her, pulling her close and then pushing her back as Killian sat up slowly without breaking the kiss. Emma grabbed onto him like she just had in the burning room and kept her eyes squeezed shut, terrified of opening them to find another dream. The desperation and helplessness that she'd been feeling had reached its peak and she just couldn't take any more, didn't think she could face it if it wasn't over.

When she heard the startled sounds of reaction from familiar voices she couldn't help the sob that bubbled up and escaped her and she unwillingly pulled away from the kiss. Killian's arms tightened around her, pulling her head to his chest and she could feel his lips against her hair. 'It's all right, love,' he whispered to her.

She twisted out of his arms, glancing quickly over her family before her eyes landed on Henry. The relief that she felt from seeing him was enough to make her feel lightheaded, but his excited grin and obvious happiness grounded her. It looked like no real time had passed since she'd first kissed Killian to wake him, which she was grateful of since she couldn't really tell how long it had felt like to her, stuck inside Killian's head.

Turning back to the pirate, she turned back to him to find him watching her with a grin on his face to match Henry's. He looked like he was about to gather her in his arms again but he stopped, his brow heavily furrowed, staring down at her arm. It wasn't until then that she felt the sting of the burns on her skin. 'It's fine,' she said quickly before he could speak. 'It'll heal.' Pulling her arm away, she turned her body and used her other fist to punch him in the shoulder.

'Hey -'

'Don't you dare even think about doing something like that again,' she snarled at him.

He raised his eyebrow at her, smirking widely. 'Tell me how you really feel,' he teased, tapping at his lips suggestively.

And even though it infuriated her, she pushed him once more for good measure before pulling him back in for another kiss.

She could feel him smiling against her lips.

AN: I just want to say a massive thank you to everybody who reviewed/favourited/followed or liked/reblogged/recced this fic, every single one means the absolute world to me. I really hope that you enjoyed this, it was really fun and refreshing to write something different. I've gotten a whole heap of support for it on here and on Tumblr, so I hope you all enjoyed the ending as well!

Please Review :)