Killian stared at the well, still mesmerized, shocked and hurt by what had happened. The green light had engulfed Emma, and suddenly Emma and the light were both gone. He had poured all of his thanks to her for the last few months into that kiss. He knew what she would be giving up by staying with them, so he thanked her for staying for as long as she did. He hoped she found happiness where she came from.

Now that the other Emma was gone, he was sure that his Emma would be sent through soon. The more he thought about it, the more he knew in his heart that there had been something different about her, besides being made to sleep on the couch by her. She was so closed off. In the beginning, she wouldn't laugh at things that she normally found funny. The light wasn't in her eyes anymore. But at her very core, she was still Emma, and that was enough to make him overlook it before what happened at the well.

Now, Killian stood by the well, waiting. It had been five months since he'd seen his Emma. It had been five long months since he'd held her in his arms. Five months since the love of his life had been in his presence, and now all he had to do was wait. He was sure Emma would pull through and send his Emma back to him. He was sure his Emma had been on the other side, trying to find her way back to him. He walked up to the rim of the well and looked down in to the waters below. "I'll wait for you, my love." And so he waited.

And he waited. And he waited. He eventually stopped standing, slumping against the side of the well as the hours passed. But he waited. And waited. The sun was below the horizon by that point, but he continued to wait. He would wait as long as it took.

But then his heart clenched in his chest. It was similar to the feeling he'd brushed off the morning that Emma had started acting weird, but now, with everything he knew, he knew something was wrong. It felt like he'd been punched in the stomach and all of the air was sucked from his lungs. Then it faded.

He knew then, but he didn't want to know. He didn't want to have to get up from that spot knowing he'd never see his wife again. But that's what he knew. It all hit him at once, and he couldn't breathe again. It physically hurt to even think about her. Tears streamed down his face has he pulled his knees to his chest, sobbing. He knew he had to get it all out now. He was going to have to put on a brave face soon. He couldn't break down like this, not in front of them.

The walk to their home seemed like it took hours. Every bump in the road seemed like a mountain to climb, every dip like a valley though a desert. His mind and body were on autopilot, steering him back to his house. All too soon he was at the door. His thoughts had left him, but he couldn't just stay out on the doorstep forever. He couldn't abandon them.

He reached out and opened the door slowly. He peaked around the living room, before hearing the voices from upstairs. Killian knew there was no point in putting it off. They deserved to know that there was no chance that they'd see their mother again. His legs felt as heavy as lead as we placed each foot on the step in front of him, walking up to Serena's room. He'd gotten home after dark, so he knew that Henry would be reading her a bedtime story. His heart felt heavy as he the voices became clearer from the top of the stairs.

"And then… Captain Hook made her walk the plank!"

"No! But the crocodile was down there! Was Wendy okay?"

"Of course! Hook didn't see Peter swoop down and save her. Peter wasn't about to let anything happen to Wendy. Not while he was still breathing."

"Just like Mommy and Daddy!"

Killian's heart felt like it was about to pound out of his chest, and he wanted to cry again. He'd let his children down. He'd let his wife down. His children were going to have to finish growing up without their mother. He took as many as it took to calm himself as best he could. There was going to be no good way to do this. He walked up to the door of Serena's room and knocked quietly on the door frame.

"Daddy! You're back!" Serena yelled, sitting up happily. Her smile lit up the whole room, and it pained Killian to the core that he was about to take that away. When he only offered a small smile, both Henry and Serena's faces dropped. Serena looked around confused. "Is Mommy downstairs?"

Killian let out a heavy sigh before sitting on the bed, his shaky breath betraying his hard exterior. He took them both by the hand and found a spot on the bed to stare at, unable to meet their eyes. "Your mother's not coming home."

Killian did his best to explain the situation to the two of them, keeping it in the simplest terms for Serena's sake. He might explain it more to Henry later, but for now, it was all he could get out. Serena let go of his hand, before crawling onto his lap and breaking down in tears. Henry was leaning forward, his face buried in his hands, tears slipping through the spaces between his fingers. Killian stroked her hair as tears fell, mingling with the strands. He didn't know where he would take them from that point, but he knew that he had to be strong. They'd just lost their mother. They didn't need to go without a father, too.