A/N: Well, this is the fifth and final chapter of Sacrifice! It has been a short but great journey!

Thank you so incredibly much for your reviews and to every one of you who has followed or pressed the favourite button for the story - or even me as an author! Most importantly though, thank you to every single one of you for reading this story!

I have a lot of ideas and plans for this wonderful fandom so keep an eye out for me!

Enjoy this last chapter!

Arwen4eva xxx

Emma waits until the elevator comes back down, her tears run out and her throat hoarse and sore from her screams. She climbs in, having to jump up slightly to reach the gate before pulling it down, ignoring the images from earlier on when she was on the other side.

She hopes and prays as the elevator picks up speed that Killian and the rest of her family went through the portal Hades conjured to take them home.

'I cannot be a burden to them anymore.' she thinks. 'It is for the best that they are gone.'

Or is it? a voice whispers harshly in the back of her mind.

She reaches the top and opens the gate of the elevator. As she walks out, she notices the Storybook resting on a bookshelf, papers sticking out of it; Henry's work. Emma feels guilt flood over her at the thought of not saying a proper goodbye to her son, her baby, but realises that if she could, she wouldn't know how to let him go.

Emma walks back to her house, opening the front door and being greeted by deafening silence. She walks into the living room area and sinks heavily onto the couch, her eyes roving over the wardrobe she was sent through and an ornate crib, obviously intended for her.

With a wave of her hand, they disappear; sent to Henry's room in the house - a place she knows will be too painful to enter for a very long time to come.

She settles further into the couch, laying down on her side with her knees tucked in to her chest; hope drained from her system. She ensures she is at least slightly comfortable before simply doing nothing; what else is there for her to do?

Nothing.

...

Nothing is exactly what Emma does for two days; only occasionally leaving her place on the couch to have a tiny bite to eat, or something to drink, or take care of some bodily functions. Her nights are spent sleepless; her eyes tracing the ceiling, the furniture or the night sky beyond the window.

It is on the third day that Emma feels like she needs to do something. She isn't quite sure on what so throws her hair up into a very messy bun, runs her hands roughly over her face before conjuring up a large jumper; too big for her small frame but better than her leather jacket which she sends somewhere - a reminder of home.

She ends up going to Granny's. As she walks through the door, her eyes migrate to the booth that Milah and Liam are sitting in. She drops her head for a moment, taking in a deep breath before walking over to them. Milah, who is facing the door, notices Emma and stops herself midsentence.

"Emma, where have you been?" Milah asks before scooting over on the bench, making room for Emma to sit; which she does, heavily.

"At the house." Emma says with a shrug. "Been thinking a lot, I suppose."

Milah smiles sadly at her and Liam nods.

"Thank you, for what you did for us." Milah says, shifting the subject. "But, you should have gone with them; that was your chance to be with your family again."

Emma shakes her head, her shoulders dropping.

"I was not going to condemn you two to being lost souls for eternity; stuck forever with no hope at all. Nor, was I going to risk my true love and my family further."

"True love?" Milah and Liam say in unison, surprised at Emma's words.

Emma opens her mouth before closing it and running her hands over her face, pushing back a few tendrils of hair that have escaped her bun away from her face. She then pulls the fabric of her sleeves over her hands.

"I took them to where the portal was opening up when Henry had an idea; a last moment thing that could potentially save me. If I ate some ambrosia then I would be revived and could leave with them."

"What happened?" Liam asks before taking a sip of his coffee.

"The tree had been cut a long time ago and the ambrosia was dead. Killian kept trying to find something and I knew the portal had opened because the roof threatened to fall upon us. Somehow, I convinced Killian that we would find another way but when we reached the elevator that would bring us back up here, I told him that I couldn't go up with him.

"He was heartbroken." Emma continues, her eyes fixed on a speck of dirt on the table as she tries to keep her voice steady. "He kept trying to get me to go with him but, I couldn't."

Milah places her arm around Emma's shoulders and Liam reaches out to take a hand.

"Your sacrifice does mean a lot, Emma." Liam says, his voice soft. "You could have gone and been with your family, been with Killian."

Emma looks down at her lap, her brows knitting together before she looks back up.

"That is the price of being a Saviour, I suppose. Happy endings do not come easily, or at all, and sacrifices have to be made." Emma says. The Blind Witch suddenly comes over, cutting off their conversation for a moment, and gives her a hot chocolate with cinnamon on top; just the way she likes it.

She looks up at the witch in confusion. "I didn't order this."

"You need it." the Blind Witch says, uncharacteristically kind before she walks off.

It remains untouched, sitting in front of Emma on the table; a painful reminder of how her mother would make it for her all of the time.

"You should have something, Cygnet." Liam says, drawing his hand back and picking up his coffee. "Killian would not forgive us if we don't take care of you."

"He wants me to move on and be happy. But, I have just abandoned my family - my son." Emma says, unable to cry as her tears have run out. Her voice projects her pain though, her belief that moving on just isn't possible.

"You can do that, Emma. You can move on from here. Sacrificing anything is hard - especially the sacrifices you have made - but you can come out from this. Hades cannot make you believe that you are nothing because you are everything." Milah says.

"Killian used to say things like that." Emma says, quietly.

"Then, perhaps you should listen to his wise words." Liam says, nudging the hot chocolate closer to Emma.

She looks down into it, the steam hitting her face and the aroma filling her nose before her hands close over it. She sighs in relief at the warmth flooding across her palms and fingers.

"If you ever need anything, Emma," Liam says, making her look up to him. "let me know. I am more than willing to help you out with anything or even meet up for lunch as often as you wish me to so you have someone to talk to."

"I used to wonder exactly why Killian thought of you so fondly." Emma says, a small smile on her face. "Now, I know why."

Liam shrugs, a slight blush dusting his cheeks.

"You are basically my sister, Cygnet; even more so now you know that my brother and you are true love." he says.

Emma takes her first sip of the hot cocoa, masking the conflicting emotions that have surely crossed her face.

"I support Liam's words." Milah pipes up, turning to face Emma a bit better. "If you do ever need anything, let either of us know. I'd be more than happy to accompany you for lunch each day if needed."

Emma smiles slightly at her. "Thank you."

Emma turns back to her cocoa and her eyes are automatically drawn up to the door when the bell sounds. A very familiar looking man walks in and her unbeating heart leaps for a moment.

But it drops as soon as his name is called by the Blind Witch.

Liam notices her reaction, looking to see the Sheriff standing at the counter. He turns back to face her.

"What is it?"

"I thought that it was my dad for a moment. But, that will be his twin bother, my Uncle James." Emma says, ducking her head when James turns around to survey the patrons present.

"Well, well." his voice pipes up and footsteps grow louder as he approaches. "So this is the daughter my brother sent through a wardrobe."

Emma looks up at her uncle, her face expressionless.

"I would say it is nice to finally meet you," Emma says. "but that would be a lie. So, thank you for making your presence known and ensuring that I will want to stay away from you."

James mocks pouts and Emma wishes to turn away more than anything, seeing such anger and evil on what is practically her father's face.

"Is that any way to treat your poor old Uncle?" James asks.

"You may be my Uncle by blood, but you are not family." Emma says, feeling Milah rest her hand against her arm, squeezing it reassuringly. "Don't worry, I will stay out of your way. I am no Sherriff or Saviour down here; I am just Emma."

James smiles broadly, a twisted grin, before laughing.

"Good. But do be warned, one step out of line and I will take enormous delight in punishing you; just as I wish I could have done to my no good brother." James says before laughing again as he turns around. He collects his food on the counter before leaving Granny's, the door slamming behind him.

"Are you alright, Cygnet?" Liam asks, astonished at Emma's words.

Emma nods. "I believe so. I'm going to head back to the house though, if that's alright? Perhaps I will see you tomorrow."

"You need not ask permission." Liam says. "You can come and go as you please. No one will stop you."

"Let me know if you want to have lunch together tomorrow, Emma." Milah says, a kind smile on her face. "Perhaps you could tell me about Baelfire?"

Emma nods. "Of course."

She sends a weak smile to each Milah and Liam before disappearing in a cloud of grey smoke.

...

When Emma appears within her house, she is standing and facing the door to her basement. It opens suddenly and she feels compelled to enter.

She doesn't at first, resisting the pull and walks into the kitchen, resting her palms on the table residing there. But then, temptation and curiosity gets the better of her.

Emma walks inside, moving down the steps until stone walls surround her on all sides. On the uneven, gravel floor lies her trademark red leather jacket; laid out, ready to be worn.

She moves towards it, her hands instinctively reaching out for that part of her but she draws them back in, withdrawing them so they are once again covered by the sleeves of her large jumper.

"Just go back upstairs." Emma whispers to herself. "Just go..."

Her eyes remain fixed on her jacket; her armour, the reminder of who she used to be, who she could have been.

Hades cannot make you believe that you are nothing because you are everything. Milah's words run around inside her head.

Never has she ever believed that she was worth anything; she was just that lost little girl, running to try and find her home, closed off until...

Until...

She allowed him to break down each of her walls. She allowed herself to open up and accept the love that everyone believed she deserved into her life.

Memories begin to assault her; memories of her family, her true love. The happiness she had. The peace she felt within herself when she surrounded herself with her family, with Killian.

Emma quickly pulls off the oversized jumper she has on, throwing it aside, and picks up her jacket, tugging it on. Her hands go up to her hair, pulling the strands out of the messy bun and bringing some order to it whilst leaving it down.

With her armour on, Milah's words seem to have more weight but it also comes with recognition of her actions.

She saved her home. She saved her family. She saved her love.

Her sacrifice was worth something.

"Emma."

She turns around, a bright light suddenly present behind her. The voice is clearly calling from within and she feels drawn into it. She hesitates only a moment before walking into the white light, feeling impossibly lighter than she had before.

...

"Emma Swan."

Emma turns to see a man, dressed in white robes - making him look like he has just stepped outside the Greek era from her history books when she was in school.

"Who are you?" she asks, instinctively taking a step back.

"My name is Zeus." the man says, raising his hands to prove he isn't a threat to her and relaxing Emma's nerves. "My brother, Hades, is very misguided but until he is vanquished, no one can stop him."

"Why are you here?"

"I am here to escort you onwards, Emma. To take you where you truly belong." Zeus says simply.

"Onwards?" Emma asks, confused. "Why should I move on?"

"Your sacrifice was completely and purely selfless. You saved two souls from eternal punishment and the lives of your family and true love from what my brother had planned without thinking of yourself. Before your arrival to the Underworld, you sacrificed yourself to save your world from the Dark Ones. For that, you should not remain in such a place and I wish to help you."

Zeus raises his hand and Emma looks behind her, to where he is gesturing, and sees a brighter light, tinged with yellow.

"What is that?" Emma asks, turning back to face the God before her.

"That is your way forwards." Zeus says simply.

Emma looks down at her feet, seeing the dirt covering the majority of the dark leather. She shifts before looking back up.

"Are you ready?" Zeus asks and Emma nods.

"I am."

"Then it is time for you to go where you belong."

...

"Hello, love." Killian says, rain dripping freely over his body, rolling off his leather jacket, soaking his hair to his forehead and spotting his jeans, as he stands in front of Emma's grave, flowers decorating the raised earth. He moves so he is standing to the side of her gravestone and crouches down beside it.

"I believe that you would like this far more than roses; this will not wilt or wash away." he says, placing his flask down beside her gravestone, resting it against the cold, rain covered stone. "I filled it with the finest rum the Jolly Roger holds; only ever the best for you, my love. I have no need for it anymore; not if you're not around."

He looks down, playing with the tip of his hook before looking at her name. He reaches out and with the tip of his pointer finger, he traces her name.

"I hope you're in a better place than where I left you. You deserve to move on, Swan. I know I should be happy about that prospect... but it just feels like now you're really gone and there's nothing left to do but just..."

Killian's breath hitches as he almost dissolves into tears again. He schools himself, knowing he cannot fall that far when he is out in the open and laughs it off slightly, standing up.

"I miss you, Emma. More than I will ever be able to express. I am sorry I couldn't save you. I am so, so sorry."

Killian looks down at his flask resting in the dirt and against the stone, away from the large volume of flowers decorating her grave.

"I love you, Emma Swan. I always will; not even death will dwindle that love."

He spends another moment looking at her grave, tears falling before a bright light flashes through him and he stumbles backwards.

"What the bloody hell-"

"Killian?"

Killian spins around and sees Emma, his stunning Emma, standing behind him. She looks around for a moment as if to make sure she is actually there before settling her gaze solely on him.

Killian runs up to her and immediately kisses her forcefully, so much so that she stumbles back for a moment. His arms go around her waist as hers go around his neck, one quickly threading deftly into his hair.

"Wh... how are you here?" he asks, pulling away from her very slightly. His hand begins to roam over her back, over her arms as if to make sure that she is actually here with him and it is not some foul trick.

"Zeus..." Emma says, laughing slightly and a wide smile appearing on her face as Killian begins to pepper her face with little kisses. "He must have sent me back as a reward for... for sacrificing everything."

"Well... That's... I mean, what?!"

"Zeus, you know, the ruler of the Olympians, the most powerful..." Emma is immediately cut off with Killian's lips again. She grabs the lapels of his leather jacket to keep him close as he pulls away again, resting their foreheads together, their breath fanning onto their skin.

"I don't care. I don't care how you're here. I'm just glad you're here." he says, his voice becoming softer. He holds her tighter to him, his face going into the crook of her neck.

"I love you, Killian. So much." Emma says, hugging him close.

"I love you too, Swan."

...

The surprise for her parents, her son, Regina, Robin and pretty much to whole town is almost too much. Clutching Killian's hand tightly, the pair walk into Granny's - interrupting the small celebration of their Saviour, and all she did for them - and approach the booth where they are all squished in.

Henry, who is sitting on the edge of the booth that is facing the door beside his grandparents, who hold his uncle, quickly rushes up and holds onto Emma as if she will disappear if he lets go. Killian lets go of Emma's hand to give her and her boy this moment. As he does, David quickly goes up to him and hugs him in thanks.

"Hey, kid." Emma mumbles, a hand going into Henry's hair and the other around his shoulders. "I missed you so much."

"Is it really you?" Henry mumbles into her neck and she smiles sadly.

"It's really me, Henry. I'm back and I am not leaving again." she says and pulls back to see tears in her son's eyes. She looks up and is quickly embraced by Snow and David, Neal in her father's arms now as Snow engulfs both her daughter and her grandson in one. Henry squeezes out of the hug and moves beside Killian instead, encouraging the pirate to drape his hooked arm around his shoulders.

David cups the back of Emma's head as it rests on Snow's shoulder between them, both of them speechless for a moment.

"I love you so much, sweetheart. Don't you dare do that to us again." Snow says and pulls back to cup Emma's cheek. Emma feels tears coming into her eyes as she looks at her parents and she smiles at the pair of them.

"I'm sorry. I'm not going anywhere else." she says before being hugged by her parents again. "I love you too." Neal makes a noise and Emma looks down at him, running her finger over his little hand before he takes hold of it in a tight fist. "Good to see you too, squirt."

She is about to greet Regina but hears shouting behind her.

"-is back! Our Saviour is back!" The door to Granny's flings open and Leroy runs in, stopping just short of Emma. "Good to have you back, sister."

"Thank you, Leroy." Emma says, placing a hand on his shoulder.

She watches him suddenly turn around and leave again. The entire diner ends up laughing and rolling their eyes when he begins shouting as soon as he is outside of the door and runs off.

Regina surprises everyone by quickly pulling Emma into a tight hug.

"It is really good to have you back, Emma." she says and draws back, a smile on her face. "We all missed you."

"Thank you, Regina." Emma says, stepping back.

Killian wraps an arm around her waist and she leans into him, a easy smile on her face. She reaches a hand over before rubbing the top of Henry's head quickly, messing up his hair which turns her smile into teasing grin.

"Mum!"

...

Later that evening, Emma Swan looks around at her family in front of her as they have a new celebration in Granny's; her amazing return to her home. Seeing them happy, alive, and joking around with each other ensures that a smile remains on her face for the entire evening.

That smile only grows at the sight of the piercing-eyed pirate beside her, his hooked arm around her shoulders as she rests into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Every so often, he places a kiss on her temple, her forehead or her lips, squeezes her tighter to him or smiles at her and she feels like her heart has never been lighter or filled with so much undeniable love.

She also cannot help but think that every sacrifice she has made up until this moment has been completely and utterly worth it.

She smells the large variety of food that Granny has slaved over the past few hours since her return; ensuring to cook plenty of grilled cheese and to keep the hot chocolate flowing; cinnamon shakers suddenly dotted everywhere.

She tastes the lingering burn of the rum she has slowly been sharing with Killian from his flask over the course of the evening; the Jolly Roger's finest as he lovingly informed her.

She watches as Henry gambles against Killian using a large stack of onion rings, laughing as he finally wins against Killian and stocking up on his pile of food beside him that has slowly dwindled until now.

She listens as her parents coo over her brother who gurgles happily in their arms and tells him over and over how much they love his big sister.

She feels the light and jolly atmosphere within Granny's, everyone celebrating the return of their Saviour.

Yes...

Those sacrifices were definitely worth it.

Final end note: Please review! :)