The wind finally died down and silence filled the town of Storybrooke. No one knew what to say or do, it seems as if everyone could not believe that their Saviour, the one who brought this timeless, lifeless town and its oblivious citizens back to life, was swallowed by the darkness and replaced by The Dark One's dagger with her name written on it in a fancy script. Emma Swan. Never had Killian hated her name as much as he did now, upon seeing it written on something so dark. This was a weapon of destruction, a weapon meant solely to hurt and manipulate people, something Emma certainly would not want to be bound to.
Once upon a time, Killian had wanted that dagger to kill the crocodile, no matter the consequences. If he becomes the Dark One, so be it, so long as he had avenged Milah. Now, as he stared at the dark writing of her name, Killian once again felt the need to hold the dagger, but this time, for an entirely different reason. He should've been the one bound to that darkness, he should've been the one to save her for a change, he should've been the one to carry all the weight. He should've been the one to become the Dark One.
Killian looked at Emma's parents and saw that Snow was crying silently while David was trying to calm her down. He looked at Robin, who was holding Regina close as she stared into the empty space in front of them, no doubt telling herself that this was her fault, that this was on her. Killian saw Robin trying to comfort Regina and he wished for nothing more than to have Emma here, to hold her close and tell her eveything will be all right.
He took a step towards the dagger and glanced at David, who nodded at him, letting him know it was okay if he held on to it. David knew if Emma were to trust someone to hold on to the dagger to make sure she never hurts anyone, it would be Killian. Sure, he has his own darkness and his own demons but David knew Killian enough to know that he would never do anything to hurt Emma nor make her do anything she didn't want.
As Killian reached the dagger and took hold of it, he felt a surge of power pass through him, the kind he used to feel everytime they captured a victim, everytime he killed anyone who got in the way of his revenge, and when he tried to kill Rumplestiltskin. It was the power he'd long since given up, the power that the darkness in him brings. This was not good, if he was to keep the dagger, he needed to put it somewhere no one, not even him, can use it. Just holding the bloody thing in his hand brought out the worst of his thoughts and he didn't want to fall into the temptation of using the cursed object. Even as he told himself he was not to use the dagger at any costs, it didn't really stop him from thinking of summoning her. He knew that he could, he has the power, but should he? Does she want to see him? Is she okay? 'There's only one way to find out.' A voice that sounds a lot like Emma's said in his mind. He needed to find out.
Without looking at his company, Killian placed the dagger inside his jacket and started to walk towards the docks. He needed to get to his ship if he wanted to summon Emma, away from all the people he knew she wanted to protect. He reached his ship after a few minutes and he went straight to his cabin. He barricaded the door, pointless as it might be, and took the dagger in his hands.
"Dark One, I summon thee." He said as he looked around for any sign of the Saviour. "Dark One, I summon thee." Only the rustling of the wind and the creaking of the boat could be heard as he silently looked around his cabin in hopes that he'd see his Swan lounging about with that little smile of hers upon her face.
"Emma, Emma please I need to see you." His voice sounded as breathless as he felt. With one last desperate attempt, he whispered her name again.
"Emma Swan." The room lit up, but not the way it used to when his Swan was around. No, this seemed as if the light is trying, and failing, to chase away the darkness.
"Emma, love." Killian stared at her "Is it really you?" It seems the dagger had a similar effect on Emma's appearance as it did on the Crocodile's. Her skin, though not gold, was shimmering in the light and her hair was lighter, a pale yellow that was almost white. A lot has changed since he last saw her even though it wasn't that long ago, but her eyes are still her eyes, the same emerald that he loved gazing into, the same eyes that were rimmed with tears when she told him the one thing they were both afraid to say. This was still his Swan, her heart still the bright, glowing red that it should be. The Darkness hasn't consumed her yet.
"Killian? What are you doing? You can't summon me! I don't want to hurt you! Or anyone!" Emma looked frantically around the cabin for anyone she could hurt. She held her hands close to her chest, not wanting the voice in her head have its way with her.
She could hear it, the Darkness, calling out to her, bringing out the worst in her. Everything bad in her life, all floating back to the surface. Her first foster home, the Swans, how they so easily abandoned her. Ingrid for giving her hope of finding a family and taking it away. Neal for letting her take the fall for his crimes and abandoning her, pregnant and alone, in a prison cell, for letting her give birth chained to a bed, forcing her to give up her son. Her parents for dumping all of this on her, for giving her no chance of ever finding peace because she had to be the bloody saviour. If it hadn't been for Regina and her hatred for Snow, none of this would have happened. If it hadn't been for all of them, maybe she'd have had a chance at a normal life.
No, no, she can't think like this. This was the Darkness forcing her to hurt the people that she loves. No, she can't let the Darkness control her. She's got to find a way to keep it at bay.
She looked into Killian's bright blue eyes and she felt the Darkness pulling away, like it was afraid. 'You're only going to get hurt. Walk away now, Emma, he's going to break your heart too. He does not love you.' She wanted the voices to stop, she didn't want to listen to them. 'Your parents, Neal, they left you before, they didn't want you. What makes you think Captain Hook, a villain, a pirate, a liar, is going to be any different? What makes you think he'll want you?'
"No! No!" Emma covered her ears and screamed. Killian ran to her side and held her close, knowing that she needs him right now to stop whatever the Darkness is doing to her.
"Emma, look at me." Killian cupped her face in his hands, gently trying to make her look into his eyes. "Love, look at me, please."
Killian's voice drove away the Darkness filling her head with unwanted thoughts. Killian was here with her and right now, that's all that matters.
"Emma," he said her name in a whisper as he tucked a stray lock of her behind her ear "I swear I will do whatever it takes to take the Darkness out of you. I don't want to lose you, love, I can't."
"They're strong, Killian, the voices. Sooner or later they're gonna come out and I won't know how to stop them. Promise me that if you can't find a way to take the darkness out, you'll do whatever it takes to keep Henry and the rest of Storybrooke safe from me. I can't be the Saviour anymore, Hook, now you have to be the hero." She gave Killian a quick kiss and turned to leave.
"Swan, wait." He wrapped his hook around her wrist and drew her closer. He took his necklace in his hand and said "This necklace has been with me for 300 years. I took it from the captain of the first ship we came across after my brother, Liam, passed. It's what used to remind me of the day I became a villain." He wrapped the necklace around Emma's neck, took her hand, and place it around the pendant "I want you to keep it, love, and hold it close at times when you feel the darkness pulling you in. Let this be a reminder that you're a bloody hero, Swan, and if I, a ruthless, hopeless pirate, can find light again, so can you."
Killian pulled Emma in and kissed her, taking her in, breathing in her scent, savoring the moment and the way she feels against him. He tried to convey everything he felt into the kiss, he tried to tell her silently that he's in love with her and as he looked into her eyes when they finally broke the kiss, he knew she felt the same as he did.
"I love you, Emma." He told her as they pulled apart. There was no hesitation in his voice nor doubts in his mind. He knows he loves her with all the love that even the darkest parts of his heart can give.
She gazed into his eyes, not to look for any sign that he was lying, she knows that he's not, but to see the love there, all meant for her.
"I love you, Hook."