Hey guys!

We're here! We've made it! This is the final chapter of The Thief and the Pirate and I've had a lot of trouble letting it go. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get this chapter up, I really didn't want to make you all wait, but I hope that it is worth it.

I just wanted to thank each and every one of you who took the time to favourite, alert or review this fic and to all of you who have read it at any point along the way, thank you! This was my first foray into the world of Once Upon a Time and the response has been incredible! I have loved every second of it.

I have a few one-shots in the works and a sequel to this on the go as well, so keep an eye out! And please, come talk to me on Tumblr (wonder24) and Twitter (tadpole24_). There's always so much going on :)

Enjoy!

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The Thief and the Pirate

Chapter Fourteen

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The dull ache in her head that she had become accustomed to over the last couple of days is finally gone and as Emma comes back to consciousness in the warm afternoon sunbathed room, she feels utterly content. Her eyes open and a cursory glance around the cabin shows her a small window up above the bed where the warmth is streaming through. But there is another source behind her as well. A man with an arm settled on her waist, his breath kissing her neck every couple of seconds.

She rolls over, careful not to adjust his arm (she quite likes it there) and with her face so close to his, bumps his nose with her own. She smiles as his eyes flutter open and without a word he captures her lips in a brief peck. He leans in again, this time letting his lips linger, pressing his hand into her waist, rolling her onto her back. She moans as his hips roll against hers even through all their clothing. Wrapping an arm around his neck, pulling him closer, she lets his kiss overtake her thoughts, lets his hand come to rest just under her shirt, pushing it up with a delicious slide. Waking up like this is something she could really get used to…and then her stomach lets out an almighty rumble and she can't contain the laugh that bubbles from her, breaking their moment. He sighs, resting his forehead against hers, "Let's get you some food, shall we love?" He asks with a smile, "And get you back to see your boy."

She nods, not able to remember the last time she ate anything. Getting to her feet, she finds she's still a bit dizzy, but all in all, she feels so much better than that morning. The warmth from outside is making her skin tingle and so she leaves her coat in Killian's cabin, not missing the way he smiles at it there, sitting amongst his things, "I'll collect it later," she says as she makes her way to the door.

It's like the air from Neverland still lingers in this room, making her feel light and carefree. He takes her hand and they step into the day together.

..:::..

Granny's is practically empty when they get there, everyone going about their daily business as though part of a war had not just been fought in their town. But of course, everyone has their own story and Rumpelstiltskin is not everybody's problem. As though reading her thoughts, Killian's voice breaks through her reverie, "How can it be that nothing has altered? It feels like my whole world turned and yet, not a soul could care."

She forgets sometimes the years he carries behind him. Those hell bent days of revenge and piracy. It suddenly hits her with a full force that he has given up the purpose behind his life for her. For centuries he has aimed only to avenge a lost love and now he loves her and her stomach flutters with something she hasn't felt in a long long time.

"Can I get you guys something?" Ruby's kind voice breaks through their bubble, her eyes darting to the menu and then back to them, a smile planted firmly on her face.

Emma orders a few grilled cheeses to go, figuring they'll be easiest to eat on the move. Killian just nods and agrees with her, entirely unsure as to what a grilled cheese even is. The women share a knowing look at his confusion; who'd have thought that the formidable Captain Hook would be so clueless about something so simple?

"So you guys, huh?" Ruby asks, pointing between Emma and Killian as she wraps up their order.

Emma isn't sure where they stand on the whole telling people thing, especially considering they don't even know what they are yet. But before she can have a complete panic over it all, Killan answers for her with a simple, "Aye."

It leaves her scrambling for words. Had they been that obvious, or… "Let me guess, you could smell it somehow?"

Ruby smiles, handing Emma the paper bag containing her grilled cheeses, "Not this time. Snow came in earlier and mentioned that she suspected something." Then her face takes on a more serious look, "I know it's not my place, but you should talk to her."

Emma nods seriously, thanking Ruby for the food, before heading back outside and towards the hospital. She hands Killian a sandwich, unwrapping her own and sighing as she lets Ruby's words catch up to her, "I suppose some things have noticeably changed here," she looks up at the pirate.

"Aye lass," he says with a smirk, "Only the good things are noticeable."

..:::..

Neal meets them outside Henry's hospital room, having just stepped out. He hands Emma her keys, "Thanks for letting me stay at yours last night."

"No problem," she answers, holding out the last grilled cheese to him, "We got you a sandwich."

He smiles, accepting the food, letting his eyes flick between Killian and Emma, "So, you two huh?"

Emma takes the lead this time, getting the feeling that they'd be answering the same question quite a bit, "Yeah."

Neal senses the defensiveness in her voice before she can say anything else and holds up his hands in a sign of peace, "I only ask because I wanted to talk with you about something concerning Henry and I suppose if you're going to be a part of Emma's life, Hook, you might need to hear this as well."

Killian automatically stands a little closer to Emma, protecting her from what could potentially be an upsetting moment, "Go on."

Neal bounces from one foot to the other, before just blurting it out, "I'm moving to Storybrooke." There's a sort of beat of silence in which Hook's face becomes territorial and Emma's shocked, "I want to be closer to Henry. I know the family situation is complicated, but I didn't want to complicate it further by having him need to come out to New York if we wanted to catch up, you know?"

Something in the way he says it, all in a rush, leads Emma to believe he's been thinking about it for a while and she finds herself actually proud of the man who stands before her. He's not the scared person he was when he ran away and left her all those years ago. He's something more and she wants him in Henry's life, "I do know," she says simply. "What does Tamara think of all this?"

He lets out a breath, shuffling from foot to foot again, nervous energy flowing off him, "She's coming back here tomorrow. I tried to explain things over the phone but she mostly thought I was insane, so we'll see how she reacts when she's back in town."

To Emma's surprise, Killian reaches out his hand to rest on Neal's shoulder and the two share a meaningful look, something she thinks might have to do with their shared past. She doesn't question it though, and as soon as it started, it's over and Neal is insisting that they all go tell Henry the news.

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Emma wishes the look on Henry's face would just stay there permanently. He looks as though all his Christmases have come at once with all the news of Neal moving to Storybrooke.

In fact, he looks completely okay as opposed to the morning. She moves forward, touching his cheek and he glances up at her as his sentence trails off, "What's wrong, mom?"

And she realises that it probably looks totally insane to everyone else in the room, "You're happy."

He laughs, shooting a look at Neal, "Of course I'm happy."

Her hand presses more firmly against his cheek as she kisses his forehead, "But there's no more pain in your eyes. When Gold threw that spell at you, you were terrified, I could see it in you. I could see the hurt breeding in you and now it's gone." Her questioning gaze falls on her own mother, needing someone to explain it to her, "Did he take the pain when he absorbed the spell?"

She nods, "I think so."

And the real magnitude of what Rumpelstiltskin has done sort of sinks in around the room. She will never forgive him for hurting her son, but she's starting to see that Belle may have been right from the start, that maybe there is a piece of good in him, buried right down deep. She looks across the room at Neal who appears to be dealing with some complex emotions and she offers him a small smile. Some kind of encouragement, because while she could never love him again, she cares about how that abandoned boy that she once knew so well is going to find his way. She knows how hard it is to find your parents again after so long, she can't imagine what it's like having the Dark One as a parent though.

She hugs Henry to her again, "I'm so glad you're okay."

They sort of all mill around the room for a while, everyone catching up on the events of the last few days, whether they be Neverland adventures, or attacks on evil right there in Storybrooke. Emma is watching Killian explain to Henry how they had saved Tinkerbell when her mother takes her by the arm, leading her out into the hallway.

Her eyes are alight with that motherly concern that Emma is slowly growing used to seeing, "What's wrong?"

Mary Margaret raises her eyebrows, "I've tried to bite my tongue, but I need to know."

Emma's memory flashes to earlier in the afternoon and talking to Ruby. Her heart aches for this woman in front of her, because as much as she knows the pain of not knowing her parents all her life, she also knows that Mary Margaret is battling her own demons. She sees a woman before her who used to be her best friend and then overnight turned into her mother. Suddenly they didn't talk about these things anymore and she could see that it was hurting the best friend part of her, "We haven't really discussed it. We're just working it out ourselves." She wishes she had more to offer.

But it seems enough for now, as Mary Margaret smiles, "He's a pirate you know?"

Emma nods, "He makes me feel different though. Better. I think that means it's worth opening myself up to? Doesn't it?"

She can see that her mother is really trying hard not to cry at the prospect of her daughter asking for advice and that fills her with a sense of accomplishment, like she's done something good today, "I only want for you to be happy, Emma. I can see he has goodness in him, but I do hope you'll be careful."

She sneaks a glance back through the window into Henry's room, seeing her son laughing at something the pirate has said. Right now she can't see how anything could go wrong, "Of course."

..:::..

Regina's footsteps are hurried and uneven as she walks through the streets of Storybrooke. The streets of her creation, of her manipulation. She doesn't stop until she reaches Gold's shop door, pushing it open with force. She finds him looking back at her from behind his counter, a knowing smirk on his face, like he's been expecting her.

"Come to exact revenge on behalf of your boy?"

She shakes her head, "No." And that really does surprise him.

He straightens his back, staring at the Queen with questions burning in his mind, "Then what?"

Her fingers glide across several trinkets on the shelves lining his store, picking up something that is unquestionably precious to Rumpelstiltskin, "Though I will not be quick to forgive you for hurting Henry, I have found that our interests have become one again."

She places the object down before the imp, watching as his lips quirk, a high laugh escaping his body, "And what has that pirate done to you, dearie?" he asks, running his hand over the perfectly preserved hand of the man in question.

"I've had enough trouble with Emma getting close to Henry, but at least she's his biological mother. Hook is in no way related to him and he's vying for too much of my son's attention."

Rumpelstiltskin is lost in his own thoughts of revenge though, his eyes focused on the hand of his foe, his memories trained on Milah, "Well then, we will do what must be done."

..:::..

Emma takes Killian's hand as they step out into the night air. Henry is asleep with Neal at his bedside, while Mary Margaret and David are heading back to the apartment to get some well-deserved sleep.

"I should go with them tonight," she says, watching his eyes lose some of the spark in them, "Hey! I'll come by in the morning." She waits a second, then, "I mean, you still have my coat." She adds with a bump to his shoulder, teasing him. "I should just be with them tonight. Give them a chance to get used to this," she gestures between them, "Whatever this is."

He hooks her arm, pulling her closer to him, eyes running over her face, searching for the trace of betrayal, but he finds her features doused in honesty, "We defy labels, lass. This is what it is." Then with a brief brush of his lips over hers, he adds in a soft voice, "I love you."

Her eyes fall shut at his words and she remains silent, her response sitting at the edge of her lips, but unable to fall over just yet. Instead she pulls him in for a deeper kiss, trying to convey her thoughts to him and when they pull apart, slightly breathless, warm and giddy, she thinks that maybe she has succeeded.

"You could always come back to the apartment, of course."

He might be more ready than she is to utter words of love, but the idea of facing her parents right now is unimaginable to him. She's a princess and he's a pirate and he's under no illusion as to what that means for their future. He'd rather just keep their little world intact for as long as possible, "Ah, but the Roger, she'll miss me, love. Besides, I need to prepare her should you wish to go on any more impromptu travels to Neverland."

She accepts his statement, though she senses something else might be lurking beneath the surface of his reasoning. Deciding not to touch on it tonight, she gives him a playful grin, "Ah, who needs you there? I've taken her before and I can take her again."

He remembers back to that afternoon in New York, tied up and broken and how she had begged him for another head start. There was no doubting it, she certainly would be the only woman in the realms who could take the Jolly Roger from him, but he would never let her. He pulls her up against him once more, "Not this time darling." He presses a final kiss to her lips, stepping away and waving as he starts off towards the docks, "From now on, if you're on board, I'm on board."

She smiles, watching his retreating back, suddenly finding it incredibly difficult to turn away from him. But with a final look, she summons her will power and heads towards the apartment, already looking forward to what the morning will bring.

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Thank you all again! Don't forget to leave a review :) And remember keep an eye out for the sequel which will be coming soon. I have kept this fic decidedly PG rated so that anyone who doesn't want to read smut can have a complete fic without having to skip over M rated stuff. However, the sequel will be rated M ;)

This story was about Emma and Killian finding one another and leaving their old labels (thief and pirate) behind. The sequel will follow them as they come to realise that factors from outside of their own relationship could threaten to tear them apart. It will be entitled 'The Spark and the Void'. First chapter will be up soon; hope to see you there.

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