A/N: THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITH ME. I know that last chapter probably shocked you, but believe it or not, this was the plan from the very beginning - apologies, though, if there was any trauma!

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERY. SINGLE. READER.

I'd like to personally thank all of my regular reviewers:Dreamingdreams [Calamari!], ChamberlinofMusic, Lisa1972, PeaceHeather, 5289belle, Zerousy, AkiraStarfire, Snowanchester, True Love's Kis5, DoubleDee068, Maiqu, babyscardinal, TallyKayda, WhyDoThisToMeNow, missmandapanda, SpaztasticalMaiden13, and BarefootandStarryEyed. I LOVE YOU GUYS, you are ALL wonderful beans. :)

There is NO sequel, that much is true. But make sure to watch out for my next Captain Swan fic, 100 Lives I've Lived, in which Killian Jones is a police officer sent to hunt down wanted criminal Emma Swan. But with each new place she escapes to and each new face she sees, she begins to realize that the man she's running from may the one she's destined to never leave. I'm trying my hand at writing angst [+romance&action].

Here we go. Enjoy this one, because I think you know what's coming. Oh, the cleverness of me!

Epilogue:
Till Death Do We Part

You got something I need

In this world full of people there's one killing me

And if we only die once I wanna die with you

If we only die once I wanna die with -

If we only live once I wanna live with you

Captain Hook's eyes snap wide open as he sits up in bed, startled. Sweat beads his forehead and chest, sticking strands of black hair to his forehead that he quickly brushes back, then rests his head in one hand. "What the bloody hell was that?" he mutters, shaking himself as if that will rid his mind of those awful images.

"Killian?" Emma mumbles from beside him in the bed, turning over to face him as she sleepily rubs her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, love," Killian responds. He shakes his head, "Just a bad dream."

He goes to turn away from her when a hand grabs his arm, and he feels Emma sitting up beside him. "Killian, that was no 'bad dream'," she says firmly, looking at him with questioning hazel eyes. "What happened?"

Killian turns and looks at Emma, seeking out her gaze and the comfort of her touch. "You…" he swallows nervously. "You lost your voice. Ursula wasn't dead, and she came back and took it from you. Lass, I…"

Emma wraps her arms around him and leans her head against his shoulder. "It didn't happen," she says. "It was just a dream. I'm not going to lose my voice. Can you imagine me if that happened?"

Killian chuckles, but then frowns as he recalls other aspects of the dream. He starts to move away from Emma. "I'm okay, love," he says as she stares at him curiously. "Really, there's nothing else bothering me." He presses a light kiss to her lips for reassurance as he lies back down.

Emma shakes her head at him, staring from above, her figure a slim silhouette in the light from the window. "Killian…"

"Emma…."

"Seriously. What's wrong?"

Killian clenches his pillow with his good hand, eyeing his hook on the dresser. Beside it is an innocent-looking paper bag. The bag itself is, indeed, innocent. Inside, however…no, Killian thinks, it's too soon, she'll run. "Nothing, lass," Killian repeats. "Go back to sleep."

"No."

"No?" Killian rolls over to face her. "What do you mean?"

"No, I'm not going to sleep until you tell me what else is bothering you," Emma crosses her arms defiantly.

Killian sucks in a breath. I have to, he thinks, no going back now. His eyes flicker over to the paper bag on the dresser. "Aye," he says. "Okay."
Killian sits up and reaches over to the nightstand. His hook glimmers in the moonlight that falls in gentle strands through the window, and he moves his hand past it, instead reaching into the paper bag. He turns and looks at Emma.

"Emma," Killian says, looking at the woman sitting beside him. "There's something I need to ask you."

Emma narrows her eyes, confused, but smiles quickly and nods. "Yeah?"

Killian smiles too, the edges of his mouth quirking up only slightly as he fingers the small object in the palm of his hand. "I know...I know this may seem like it's coming at the wrong time. This is new, and different, but – Emma – I love you. And…my dream showed me exactly what I've done wrong; waited until the breath or the sound was fading from your body," he chuckles again, still very nervously. I sound like my bloody dream, he thinks. But he continues – and, since he did it right in the 'bad dream', repeats his own words. "This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. And now...now I look at and I see life. A life – one with you."

Killian opens his palm, slowly, and holds the object up. Emma looks at it – silver, simple, and small turquoise blue stone – which she can't help but notice matches his eyes - sits in the center.

It's a ring.

"Killian," Emma begins – When does Ursula appear, exactly? Killian wonders.

"Quiet, Swan, I'm trying to have a moment," Killian repeats, shutting her up effectively. "It's engraved with 'forever'.. Because – bloody hell, Swan, I'm not going to leave you, and not even death can stop me. So, Emma Ruth Swan, will you bloody marry me?"

Emma looks at Killian with wide, caring eyes, her gaze so full of love that he can hardly believe that this is Emma Swan – the same Emma Swan that was so scared of him, she left him behind on a beanstalk. She smiles, gently, and reaches out to touch Killian's shoulder. "Yes," Emma says finally. "I'll marry you."

Killian's jaw drops a little bit. "You…you will?"

Emma laughs quietly and shakes her head. "Yes, Killian Jones, I'll marry you."

"Emma, lass…" Killian begins – Emma cuts him off by her lips forming over his, an excellent way of halting any further conversation.

"I found the bag a week ago," Emma says against his lips, gently pressing Killian back down onto the bed, "Kinda easy to put the pieces together."

Killian reaches up and runs his hands through her blond tresses. "You knew?" he asks, leaning back for a moment.

Emma nods.

Killian raises an eyebrow. "Really, lass? Yet you made me blubber through that entire proposal?"

She kisses him again. "Shut up."

Killian responds eagerly to Emma's lips. As he kisses her, he can't help but think that maybe there was one thing his nightmare got right, and it wasn't just the words for his proposal – they will always find each other, they will always choose each other.

And not even Calypso, not even Ursula, can tear them apart.

You've done well, son, a voice rings in his mind, startling the pirate, but he quickly recovers. I've watched over you for a long time, and I'm proud of you.

...But how? You're... Killian doesn't want to say the words, but: ...you're dead.

Do you remember what I told you on our first and last day together?

Killian racks his mind, and finally the answer comes to light. Never say goodbye, he answers, because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting.

I won't forget you, son, Davy Jones says.

I'll miss you, Killian responds. I always have.

It feels as if his father is smiling, a warm glow in his mind. I'll miss you as well. But I'm never truly gone.

Will I see you again? Killian asks.

He gets no response, and for a moment Killian fears his father has left. Then - Killian?

Aye?

His father laughs.

Keep a weather eye on the horizon.

THE END