A/N: I really shouldn't be allowed to listen to Taylor Swift after watching OUAT. This is a continuation of Captain Swan at the docks, obviously inspired by "This Love."

This love left a permanent mark

This love is glowing in the dark

These hands had to let it go free

And this love came back to me

Emma sighed as she relaxed further into Killian's embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. She had pushed him away earlier after the talk with her parents, too overwhelmed with betrayal to accept any form of comfort. But now, as his arms tightened around her and hand began stroking her hair, she was so relieved they at least had the common sense to send him after her. They were right, he was the only one she would listen to after everything that's happened.

After a long period of silence, Emma finally speaks. "I can't believe they did that," she whispered, pressing her face into the leather of his jacket. "And lied to me about it. As if I haven't had enough families screw me over already."

She felt Killian turn his head to kiss her cheek. "I know, love. You have every right to be angry. And I'm not implying their actions were right, but I'm sure they only wanted what they believed was best for you."

Emma shook her head, face still against his shoulder. "Still, all I've heard since the day I arrived in Storybrooke is that I'm supposed to be the Savior…and yet they've known the whole time that there's a good chance I was supposed to be evil. That I could be evil."

Killian moved his hand from her hair and used it to bring her face up to look at him. "Emma, if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that you are anything but evil. And I won't stop fighting to ensure that nothing fills you with darkness, no matter what the Crocodile and his friends have planned."

A tear slipped down her face and he used his thumb to brush it away. "What makes you have so much faith in me?" She tried her best to smile, but it wasn't working.

He did instead. "Well, Swan, since we've met, I've managed to witness your part in defeating Peter Pan, the Wicked Witch, and the Snow Queen. There isn't much I don't think you're capable of doing. And also the fact that I've already endured losing you once before, and I'm hell-bent on making sure that never happens again." The smile on his face disappeared as his tone became more serious. "I've lived for over three hundred years, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the one without you was by far the worst."

She remembered their last moments before the missing year, when she was forced to leave Storybrooke with Henry and he truly believed she was gone from his life forever. He had promised to think of her every day, and she was sure he hadn't broken his word.

"But you came back to me," she told him, shedding another tear. "You always have. No matter what's happened or what anyone's done. This…us…we've found each other and ended up where we're supposed to be every time." Emma was certain that even corrupted by the darkest evil, she still couldn't see herself turning her back on him. "That's how true love works, isn't it?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them and her eyes widened at the realization of what she had just said. Neither one of them had spoken those three words yet, but she might as well just have.

"True love, eh? You're that certain?" Despite the smile he forced, she saw sadness in his eyes.

"It doesn't look like you are," Emma said, brow furrowing slightly in confusion. "What's the matter?"

He took a deep breath as his gaze shifted away from her. "As much as I want to believe that about us, love, I'm afraid I attempted something like that once before, and things didn't go as planned."

It took her a moment to understand what he was telling her. When had he ever...

And then she gasped as it hit her. Back in New York, when she had no memory of him, or anyone in Storybrooke.

"Are you talking about when you kissed me and I didn't remember you?"

He nodded, still looking away, refusing to meet her eyes.

Emma put her hands on either side of his head to turn his face back to hers. "Killian, true love's kiss doesn't work on lost memories. It happened to David and Mary Margaret once, too." She winced slightly at the mention of her parents, unable to refer to them by anything other than their first names for now.

His face all but lit up. "Is that so? Well, I wish someone would have told me that quite some time ago. I suppose that leaves it for another opportunity then, doesn't it, love?"

She couldn't help but finally smile at his happiness. "I really hope nothing happens to me again that makes it come down to that. But if it ever does…I'm pretty sure there's no one else that could save me."

He pulled her back into his arms. "And I'm certain it would work both ways, darling," he whispered in her ear before kissing her forehead.

It should scare her, all this talk about true love and happy endings. It should make her want to run. But she doesn't. Instead, she wraps her arms around him and takes advantage of the moment. Despite the problems with her parents, she's sure he is the one person that doesn't plan on letting her down. And she knew whatever happened next, darkness aside, she would never truly lose him. This love would come back to her. It always did.