These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

Three hours ago...

"Is he really worth it?" Murmured Rumpelstiltskin.

"Yes, he is an innocent man that is enough. I also believe Emma has formed an...attachment to him." Graham smiled, It wasn't just Emma that had formed the attachment. He could see the way Hook looked at her.

"Really?" Rumple scoffed. "She has an interesting taste." He whispered something, the words of a spell it sounded like. "There, that should hide this magic from prying eyes."

Graham nodded. After this, he was going to bring Emma back. She shouldn't have to spend her life in such a way. "So you will be in the crowd?"He already understood their plan but he was just clarifying.

"Yes, I will be. The guards will capture me afterwards." He smirked. "But that won't be a problem."

Hook didn't know of their plan as yet. But the spell in the dagger would take hold of him, making the appearance of death. Graham frowned it was a rather elaborate plan. But he would do anything to see Emma happy.

"He will be hung at noon." Graham said as he glanced out the window. The sun already creeping across the sky. He was so glad to have Rumpelstiltskin's help.

"Yes, yes. I am almost finished."

Graham nodded, he hoped it would all work. Otherwise he was setting a death sentence for all three of them.

Emma stared blankly at the window, her tears had stopped as quickly as they had come. She wouldn't let herself cry. Not this time.

"Emma I am so glad you are back." Graham stood awkwardly beside her. "I never thought he would let you leave."

Emma didn't answer.

He looked at her for a second. "I see, I will just leave you alone." There was a bitterness in his voice.

Emma didn't care, nothing really mattered. She should of just stayed with Charon, it hurt so much more to be at home and see all her families pitying faces. She hated being there, she hated her life and most of all she hated herself. For not telling Hook how she felt. I love you. She didn't even know his real name. She had let him die without even knowing that. Emma's heart twisted, but she wouldn't cry. It was like all her tears were spent now.

Her mother tried to make her eat. But she couldn't, all the food just turned to tasteless sickening ash in her mouth. She vaguely noticed the arrival of her sisters, they tried to comfort her. But they would never understand the pain, it seemed to rip a great hole inside her that would never mend. And the guilt, it tore through her like knives. But they couldn't see that. Because she wouldn't let them.

At first her parents were confused. Why was she so heartbroken at Hook's death? She surely hated the man? But she assumed that Graham had explained to them that Hook was innocent, because they came into her room trying to comfort her. It didn't work, nothing would. These wounds would never heal, not in this lifetime. She whispered their names. The names of the men, she hadn't saved. Hook, Phillip, Trout. But her tears still didn't come.

She had nearly cried when Belle's little girl came in. She was nearly one and a half now. Emma had betrayed her sisters. She had not been there when Belle's baby was born, she had inflicted a great wound on all her family. And now she was just hurting them even more.

A few days past, no maybe they were weeks, Emma didn't really notice them. She slept a little. Bathed swallowed some food. Then sat down by the window. There had to be something else after this. Somehow this hell would have to end. Right? The weather stayed rainy, the sun wouldn't shine. She had loved him. It was something that confused her, because she hadn't spent much time with him. But sometimes you didn't need to.

"Emma, can you please come out to the gardens?" It was Graham, probably an attempt to make her act like a normal person again.

She didn't answer.

"I know it hurts Emma, but please. I have something for you."

Silence.

"Emma, Hook is alive."

She hissed. "How dare you?" She stood up. "He is dead and never coming back."

"No Emma, you are wrong. We saved him."

"No." She growled. "Don't try this, I saw him die with my own eyes."

"Emma, haven't you seen a few remarkable things while you were away. What you saw was the magic of Rumpelstiltskin."

She looked at Graham. "Why are you telling me this now? if its true why didn't you say so sooner?"

"We needed to leave it a while so everyone believed he was dead."

No, this wasn't true. "Graham." She began. "I have known you for a very long time. Look me in the eyes and tell me this is true."

He grabbed her shoulders. "Emma, its true. Hook is alive and in the gardens waiting for you."

Her heart was in her throat. Alive, was he really alive? "Thank you Graham." She gently kissed his cheek.

She ran out of her room, her legs ached from lack of use but she didn't care. It didn't matter. Hook was alive. Suddenly a horrible possibility came to her. What if it was Charon waiting for her in the gardens? Graham wouldn't know the difference.

She pushed past the bewilder guards and ran through the familiar archway to the gardens. There was a hooded figure sitting on one of the stone benches, he had his head in his hands.

"Hook?"

He looked up, the light hit his features. "Emma." He said.

She ran up to him and pushed his hood off. His eyes were the softest blue, like the sky on a summers day. It was Hook. Thank god it was Hook. She stepped away from him, slightly embarrassed. He was alive, he was alive. Oh the feeling was unbelievable

"Hello princess." He smirked.

"H-hello." All this time wishing he was back. Now when he was she had no idea how to react.

"I was just coming to say hello, then I am leaving. I need to get far away from this place."

Leaving, no he wasn't leaving he again not now. "Please, please don't leave me again."

The silence seemed to draw out between them. He seemed to be under the impression that Emma didn't care if he left. Hook gave her an odd look, then closed the distance between them by enfolding her in his arms.

She sucked in a breath, then buried her face in his neck. She was home, finally. The warmth of his body seeped into her and somehow brought a smile to her face. She pulled away slightly. "Hook, what's you name?"

He looked genuinely confused for a second. "Oh, its Killian."

She smiled oh it felt so good to be happy. He was here. She couldn't let this moment pass, somehow she had gotten a second chance. She had to take it. "I love you Killian."

He tensed and pushed her away from him slightly. "Do you really mean that Emma?" There was raw hope and love in his eyes.

"Yes Killian, I-"

Before she could say another word, he cupped her face and kissed was gentle and loving. It brought teas to Emma's eyes.

She gently slipped her fingers into his hair and deepened the kiss. Let this never end.

He broke away. "I love you too Emma."

The he hugged her again. Because they never wanted to let go of each other.

They talked to Emma's parents. They agreed to Killian and Emma marrying. Because they would do anything to see Emma smile again. Killian and her never left each others sides during the wedding. The whole family rejoiced because finally thing were back to they way they should be.

Emma and Killian were going to stay in a small cottage by the seaside. Rumple had cloaked it in all the protection spells imaginable. Charon would never find them there. Her parents were sad to see her go again, but they let it happen because she was happy. That was all that mattered.

Charon smirked. He could see the young princess Aurora smiling at the man, Graham she called him. Oh this was going to be fun.

They thought they could beat him with their petty magic. They were so wrong. He could almost laugh at their stupidity. But there were still pieces on the board and he could do a lot with them.

He grinned. This wasn't over.

A/N: Thanks so much to Trinity le Faye for her unending support and for inspiring me to always write another chapter. I also want to thank cynthiamonica for her lovely messages. This is the last chapter of Rising tides so I hope you all liked it..I am writing it again and am going to put it on FictionPress because I want it to be my own book..:D Bye lovelies...XXX