A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long. I was gonna upload this the very next day. But I was dealing with some personal issues. But I'm back on track now. Just a bad week...
-/-
"I found it!" Belle exclaims as she rushed through the door, half an hour late for the family dinner.
Killian's shot up from his resting spot on Emma's lap, both of them sitting on the couch. Emma's eyes snapped to Belle, a wide grin settling on her face, her hand reaching for Killian's, clasping it tightly in hers.
Mary Margret and David rushed from the kitchen, joining them in the sitting room. Belle was carrying a large, old book in her arms, taking a seat opposite Emma and Kilian. He raised his eyebrows in question, waiting for what she had to say with bated breath.
"Well?" Emma urged, quickly looking at Killian's worried face.
"Well," Belle sighed, "we already know why Ursula took Killian's voice. But now we know why his voice. She's didn't steal just any voice. She stole the voice of power- of authority," she revealed.
"What does that have to do with anything?" David asked, confused.
Belle only had eyes for Killian when she said, "She's planning on calling forth The Flying Dutchman."
Killian drew in a sharp breath, his hand tightening around Emma's drawing her attention to him. "What is it?" she asked, worry pulling her eyebrows together, but he was staring back at Belle, his eyes unseeing and face ashen.
Belle hesitated before she started flipping through the book, landing on the page she was looking for. "This," she pointed to a broken down ship, "Is Davy Jones' Dutchman. I think Ursula is planning on calling it forth, calling him here. But only a pirate captain can do that. That's why she needed his voice."
Killian shot to his feet at that, his face red and scowling as he paced furiously, mouthing and gesturing rapidly. But the others stared at him helplessly, Emma's expression wrought with concern. Seeing their blank stare, he gritted his teeth in frustration.
"If-If he does come here," Belle continued. "There's not stopping the destruction that will follow."
Killian clenched his jaw, wordlessly continuing to pace as Emma sat staring, helpless to do anything but.
A knock echoed through the loft, startling everyone. Mary Margret warily opened the door, smiling tightly as she saw it was Regina and Henry.
"Sorry, we're late!" Regina apologised. Their apologetic smiles fell when they took in the grim mood in the room.
"What happened?" Henry asked, eyes shifting from each person to the next.
-/-
Killian stood at the docks, his eyes closed as he breathed in the sea air, trying to push everything away from his mind. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't shake what Belle had told them.
If Ursula does manage to call forth Davy Jones' then Storybrooke is no match against him. He would destory this town and its inhabitants. Everyone he loved and cared for. And he would do it in the blink of an eye.
The only other way to stop him was to give himself up. After all what father would refuse the company of his son? Especially after waiting for so many years. If Ursula does manage to bring Davy out from under the sea, he knew what he had to do.
He continued contemplating his plan when he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw that it was Regina. She wordlessly leaned against the railing, next to him, her eyes fixed on the setting sun and the horizon. Killian did the same, knowing she'll say what she wanted to when she wanted to.
After a long moment, she sighed, turning to face him. "You can't lose hope," she finally said, her expression kinder than it had ever been towards him.
Incredulous, he raised his eyebrow at her, making her roll her eyebrows, avoiding his gaze. "I can't believe that I'm giving you the hope speech, trust me" she emphasized, huffing. "But us former villains should stick together," she smiled hesitantly at him.
After a moment's shock, he returned the smile, no matter how short lived. He went back to looking out at the water. "I wasn't kidding, though. You can't lose hope. Ursula can perform the spell only on a full moon night. We still have two weeks," she reassured him.
He exhaled harshly, hanging his head in defeat. Finally he faced her, his eyes haunted and distraught. '2 months. And I still can't talk,' he mouthed, the corners of his lips pulled down as he ran his hand through his hair.
Regina didn't know what else to say, swallowing helplessly as she watched him walk away.
-/-
Two days later, Killian entered his room at Granny's, balancing two to-go cups in his hand, closing the door with his shoulder.
He did a double take when he noticed Emma's slumped form sitting on the bed, her hair obscuring her face from view. Worried, he placed the cups on the bedside table and slid in next to her, startling her as she looked up at him tearfully.
His heart raced, thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong in the minutes he was gone, thumb gently brushing her tears away, tracing the dent on her chin as he wordlessly asked her what was wrong.
Her gaze shifted from his to her lap, sniffling as she opened her palm, revealing a very familiar looking black velvet box, making him suck in a harsh breath, his eyes snapping back to hers.
She sniffled again, looking down and clearing her throat, thumb flipping the box open to a delicate sapphire ring, the stone as blue as his eyes. "I-um, I found it in your sock drawer. I-I was cold and I went to find some socks and I found this. I-Killian," she breathed, meeting his wide, ocean gaze. "Killian," she tried again, trying to come up with anything to say, her throat suddenly too thick.
He tensed, his hand reaching out and snapping the box shut, making Emma confused. "Wh-" she began, her eyebrows pulled together, trying to understand. "Why did you do that?"
He shrugged, taking the box from her loosened grip, his hand trembling. "Killian, I-I don't understand..." she trailed off, her bemusement growing as he got off the bed and practically threw the ring back where she found it. "How long have you had it?" she asked finally.
He sighed, running his hand through his hair, giving her look before pointing to his throat. Sudden tears pricked at the back of her eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting in a watery smile. "You knew you wanted to marry even then?" she asked, as if there was even a doubt.
He finally, finally met her gaze, his eyes softer that ever and so, so blue. He picked her hand and pressed it to his chest in answer, reaching to brush her cheek lovingly. His expression however was grim, almost as if he was in pain.
"You-you don't anymore, do you?" she finally managed around the lump in her throat and the wild beating of her heart.
His eyes pleaded for her to understand, his forehead pressed to hers. "You think I don't want to marry you now?" she was close to tears now, because how could he even think that? Especially now? "Do you really think that I look at you any differently? Do you-"
He pressed his lips to hers, effectively stopping her rant, making her close her eyes and wish to forget this even happened. This was not how she'd imagined her proposal would go.
He pulled back, his eyes all sky and stars, and anguished and she just-she knew. She knew what he was thinking, and it broke her heart because he was such an idiot.
Her sweet, loving idiot.
"I don't need you to ask me, Killian," she whispered, brushing his hair back. He swallowed thickly, pulling away from her.
"Hey," she stopped him, grabbing his chin and making him face her, making sure he met her eyes, "My answer is yes," her voice wavered but she never broke their gaze. It was he who did, closing his eyes and pulling her to his chest, his lips pressed to her forehead and he sighed, his heart hurting because he couldn't even ask the woman he loved to marry him.
But as they settled in to sleep later that night, his heart almost stopped when he saw the gleam of sapphires on her finger. Her left ring finger, to be exact. He grabbed her hand, making her mumble in her sleep addled state and push herself closer, her leg slipping between his own.
He stared down at her with wonder in his eyes and love in his heart. He pressed kisses to each of her knuckles before drifting off to sleep.
-/-
"KILLIAN!" Emma screamed, her heart in her throat when Ursula's tentacles wrapped around him, crushing him.
He grits his teeth in pain, struggling in her hold as the sea witch tightens her hold on him.
Emma tried getting to him, but just then Maleficent appeared in front of her, her claw like hand clutching her throat, pushing her against the mast of the Jolly.
They'd finally found a way to get Killian's voice back, but just barely. They found that Ursula had managed to get the Jolly back, planning on using it to lure Davy Jones' and fool him into believing it was Captain Hook's vessel.
Emma's eyes flashed, as she growled at the sorceress in front of her.
"What is it Saviour?" she taunted, her lips stretched thinly. "Are you angry? Afraid? Afraid that we are going to take away your happy ending?" she sneered.
"I am not scared of you," she spat, pushing her back with all the magic she could summon.
She fell back, almost going overboard, but managed to hold on. "Ah, but you are angry. Good. Let's see if the darkness will come out to play again."
Emma felt her magic flare, her vision going red, her eyes flickered to Killian, who looked at her with more fear than ever. Fear for her.
"Not today," Regina growled, hitting Maleficent square in the back, sending her stumbling. She nodded in acknowledgement at Emma, moving in on the sorceress. Emma couldn't help but smile, her gaze shifting to her pirate.
She marched over, her hands sparking dangerously and her eyes glowering at the smirking sea witch.
"Here to save your pirate?" she challenged. "What do you even see in him? He is broken down, useless. He has one hand," she laughed cruelly as he threw his against the side of the ship, his form limp, making Emma cry out, rushing to help him. "He is a villain."
Cradling his head in her lap, Emma glared at Ursula. "No. He isn't."
"Are you sure about that?" she whispered darkly, crouching closer.
"As sure as I am about this," she whispered back, pulling the seashell pendant hanging from the witch's neck, crushing it and pressing it to Killian's chest in the matter of seconds, hardly giving Ursula any time to react before she blasted her back. Light blue magic surrounded him, wisps of smoke entering through his mouth.
"I knew you would be stupid enough to wear that thing, strutting about thinking you could hide it in plain sight," Emma sneered standing up, her hands raised, ready to attack. "You think we wouldn't find out about your little seashell?" it was her turn to challenge.
Ursula let her fury guide her, lashing at Emma with her tentacles but she was quicker, her magic stronger- pushing Ursula back. Her eyes darkened with hatred for what he put Killian through. For all the hurt and heartache she caused, all because she wanted revenge.
Emma felt her magic pulse within her, urging her, tempting her to kill. She could distinctly hear Regina call her name, but it was all fading into the background, the need to strike back settling deep in her bone, pushing her forward.
"Emma, stop," a voice broke through the fog in her head, making her stop dead in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes widened.
She almost whimpered as she spun around, mindless of the witch who used the opportunity to vanish. Killian was standing, leaning against the railing, his hand clutching his side in pain, his eyes only for her.
"You-you got-" she breathed out, unable to finish her sentence before she threw herself at him, almost sobbing out when she heard him chuckle warmly against her ear. Her hands clutched his head to her tightly, trying to blink back tears.
Regina smiled softly at them, quickly leaving to tell the others about the good news, and giving them privacy.
"Swan," he murmured, making her burst into tears even as she laughed, almost hysterically. He shushed her, his arms coming around her tighter.
"Say that again," she pleaded, pulling back, her hand framing his face, thumb lovingly brushing his cheeks with her thumb.
"Swan," he breathed, grinning at the sound of his own voice. Tears sprung in her eyes, her grinning lips pressed to his. "Swan, Swan, Swan," he repeated, pressing kisses all over her face, making her laugh out loud, pulling him in for a proper kiss, almost squealing when he lifted her off her feet, spinning her around.
He set her down, his arms still around her and he was grinning. "I love you," he said, his smile finally, oh God, finally reaching his eyes.
She seemingly could not stop crying, even when she was happy. "I love you," she repeated, dragging him to her, pressing her forehead to his. "I love you. I love you."
He gently pulled back, his hand taking hers, deftly pulling the ring free and going down on one knee, making her heart race and leaving her speechless.
"I-I thought I'd never get to ask you this, my love. You are the love of my life," his voice cracked and her breath hitched dangerously. "You saved me, Emma. I love you, and by some miracle you love me too. Will-"
"Yes!" she could wait no longer.
He chuckled, catching her as she fell in his arms. "-you marry me?" he finished anyway, sliding the ring in its rightful place.
"Yes," she whispered anyway, bumping noses with him. "Yes."
-/-
Their night was a sweaty, loud one; Killian's raspy, accented voice pushing her closer every time.
She wasn't quiet either, giving as good as she got, making him moan and groan out.
"Well," he panted finally, falling back on the bed and letting her snuggle up to him. "That was...something," he grinned down at her, making her roll her eyes and swat at him.
She felt her eyes droop, but she blinked away the sleep, leaning back to look at him. "I really missed you," she sighed. "You were here, but you weren't...here."
His eyes grew remorseful. "I"m sorry for pushing you away. I just-"
"I know," she shushed him, her brows pulled together, her hand grasping his charms. "I just felt...helpless," she shrugged, her eyes focusing on something behind him, before they met his. "But it made me realise that I-I need you. I love you and I need you in my life. I can't imagine-" her voice faltered, but she continued. "I can't imagine losing you. You-you aren't invisible."
"Neither are you," he replied softly, his fingers running up and down her back. "I saw what happened back there, Swan. I can't lose you, either."
She smiled despite everything, "Well, it's a good thing we are stuck with each other, then, isn't it?" she looked up to see him grin back, his face for once younger and free of any worry. They still had these Queens of Darkness to deal with, but right now all they needed was each other.
Anything else, they'd deal with together.