To Hell and Back

Chapter 1: The Reunion

She's finally found him. After days of trecking through the Underworld and trying to outwit a freaking God, she's found him. And they can all go back. Hades has agreed to it.

He's in a dark place, literally, standing by the river Styx. They're still too far away, but Emma is sure he's watching the waves, tiny and murky as they are. His back is turned to them and it breaks her heart to see him like this.

"Go get him, Emma. We'll be right here."

With a nod to her mother, Emma moves towards Killian. She came to get her true love, after all.

He doesn't turn when she stops besides him. "I don't need to be reminded again where my place is in here." he all but barks at her.

"Killian…"

He turns to her so fast she thinks he must have gotten whiplash. "Emma…"

It's barely a whisper, but the disbelief is written all over his face. "What…"

Her pirate is at a loss for words. A sight she might enjoy if they were not in a hurry. So Emma grabs his hand in hers.

Killian is beyond stunned, just staring at the vision in front of him. This God is truly demonic, to make him see his love here, as an apparition. For an apparition she must be. A really good one, at that.

"Killian, I found you."

"Gods have mercy!" he closes his eyes in hopes the apparition will leave him be. But no such luck. He feels a delicate palm against his cheek and then a forehead pressing against his.
"It's really me, Killian. I've come to take you home. Hades has allowed it."

He looks at her again. It looks so much like his beloved, but how could that be?

"We've come to take you home."

He sees the others, then, high up on the banks of the river. The Charmings, Henry, Regina, even Gold. And that's when he knows the Emma before him is not an apparition.

He draws her in for a tight embrace and buries his face in the crook of her neck.

A sob escapes her and Emma holds on to him just as tight. They're swaying back and forth now. Her hand has found it's place in his hair, her lips are brushing his, her breath is teasing his skin and it's everything he's ever wanted and never hoped to have again.

"Let's go home, my love." She whispers against his lips and it's the most beautiful sound he's heard in a while.

"Aye." for who is he to deny his beloved anything?