Neal and Emma got into town just in time to see Rumplestiltskin hauling off with Henry, who was kicking and screaming as they vanished in a puff of purple smoke.

"I have the dagger!" Mary Margaret shouted, as Neal and Emma came into focus, the purple haze fading away.

"I'll take that." Neal said firmly, snatching his father's dagger from Mary Margaret's hand, giving Emma a wary glance. "I don't trust anyone with this." And neither did his father.

"Your father took Henry!" She shouted at him, "Why the hell are you worried about who has that dagger right now. We are all on the same side."

He hesitated, brows furrowed, "Right, of course.." He nodded vaguely, feigning confusion as he looked around, "Where are Cora and Regina?"

"Gone." Mary Margaret answered, grabbing Emma's arm. "Hook-"

The world felt like it was crashing down on her, "N-no.." Had she been that wrong about him?

"He gave me the dagger." Her voice wavered, "He was trying to keep Rumplestiltskin from getting Henry but… It was too late, but… He said that this was the last thing he had left to live for. To save your son."

Emma's expression shattered, her heart aching. "I have to find them."

"Go ahead, do your worst." Killian gritted, placing himself in between Henry and Rumplestiltskin, prepared to take whatever magic was thrown at him. "The boy has done nothing."

"He's the reason I'm going to lose!" The shrill tone was far from the voice of Mr. Gold, it was the same menacing voice that Killian had last met the day that Milah had been killed. "And you think that you can stop me?" He giggled, gaze flickering to Henry. "Give me the boy."

"If you want to kill someone, kill me." Killian insisted, keeping himself in front of Henry, out of the line of attack. "I'm the reason you became the Dark One, aren't I? Because Milah chose me." He glowered, fingers itching to reach for his sword. "You lost your son because of me didn't you? Because of becoming the Dark One."

"You lie."

"No, this is my fault."

"Killian what are you doing?"

Killian glanced at Emma, not taking his eyes off of the Dark One, "I'm protecting your son, love." He reached for his sword, "All of this is my fault."

Emma shook her head, "No! No.. None of this is your fault Killian." Her heart was hammering in her chest. "Henry come here." Her words came out quick as she motioned for Henry to come away from the portal.

Killian side stepped, giving Henry a little more protection before he was safely in Emma's arms. "Eyes on me Crocodile." He growled, raising his sword to distract Rumplestiltskin from going after Henry.

"Papa!" Neal shouted, drawing his father's attention away from the pirate. The dagger in his hand.

"Oh goodie." The Dark One cackled, clapping his hands together. "Son, have you met the man who stole your mother."

Killian rolled his eyes, even if the face of danger he could contain that quick-witted sarcasm, "Of course, choosing me certainly equates to stealing her. I didn't realize Milah was an object and not a woman."

"Henry, run." Emma said seriously, touching her son's cheek. "Go back to Mary Margaret and David's and do not leave. Don't go anywhere else." She whispered, embracing her son for a brief moment before she let him go. Watching as he rushed through the forest.

The pirate's shoulders sagged, "If you want to blame someone, fine, blame me. Apparently unwittingly I've ruined everyone's life here." He laughed with an edge of bitterness in his tone as his eyes flickered towards Emma. "But by all means, don't threaten the lad again."

"You threatened my son?" Neal questioned, eyes widening as he stared at his father. "Your own flesh and blood?"

"It was the only thing I could do." He gave a little jump, "It was his life or mine and I've waited far too long to have my son back aga-"

Horror marred the man's expression as realization struck him, "You're not my papa." Neal lunged forward, the dagger piercing the Dark One's side.

Purple light engulfed the forest, the air filled with the metallic tang of electricity.

"You caused all of this!" Neal growled, grabbing the sword his father had dropped. "We were all happy before you came into our lives. You've ruined everyone's life!"

"Hook!" Emma shouted out, eyes widening as she watched him stumble backwards – knocked off balance by the swing of Neal's sword. Everything was wrong. Everything had gone wrong. Hook had taken the blame for everything that had happened, in a selfless act of accepting the blame for things that had truly been nothing he could control.

"Neal! Please!"

"Back off Emma." He threatened, his voice strange and twisted by the powers of the Dark One that no inhabited him. Neal lunged towards Emma, swinging his sword. He wasn't himself. This was the Dark One, the evil, the dark magic.

Hook was out of breath, but he staggered forward, attempting to lure Neal away from Emma. "Run! Emma run!"

"Killian." His name fell from her lips as she watched in horror as the scene played out before her. He fisted his hand in the material of Neal's shirt, too close to the Dark One to stay safe. With a single thrust, the sword pierced through Killian's stomach, a howl of pain escaping his lips. But he didn't release his hold of the Dark One, he fell backwards, taking the man with him.

And then the portal closed.

"No! No. No." Emma's knees betrayed her and she collapsed to the ground where the portal had been, fists slamming against the dirt. "Killian… Killian." She had thought she knew what heartbreak felt like before – but this was a whole new world of pain.

She'd lost him. And he didn't know.

Again and again the scene played over in her mind. The look on Killian's face as the sword pierced him, his eyes meeting hers and holding her gaze. Before he was gone.

Emma sat up, eyes still trained to the spot of dirt where the green portal had been. He was probably dead. There was no way that anyone could survive that injury. Not even Captain Hook – not even Killian Jones.

Not even the father of her child.

Her hand went to her stomach; fingers brushing over that barely there curve. She, herself, hadn't even had a chance to process the positive test. She'd steeled away into the bathroom at the station, taken the test because something felt off and there it was – the proof that even if they were done what they had had wasn't done with them.

She had had every intention to tell him, before this day had gone to hell. Before everything fell apart. Before she'd lost her True Love.

Four years later and the wounds were still felt as fresh as ever. Trips to the graveyard always reminded her that this was real, that he was gone. Really gone. He wasn't going to find her again.

Her legs felt numb as she sank to the ground beside the grave, "He was a good man… He really was." Emma whispered, leaning against the side of the tombstone, resting her temple against the curve of the stone, as if it were his shoulder.

There was no body beneath them, no spirit to speak to in this realm. He'd been lost through the portal and she assumed – if there were ghosts – they couldn't go through the realms.

"What's this say?" The little girl asked, running her fingers over the chiseled letters on the headstone.

"They say I'm not done with you." Emma swallowed back a sob, "It was… a little thing between your father and I."

"Daddy?" She clapped her hands together, grinning infectiously.

"Yes, between your daddy and I." Emma rested her head against the stone again, keeping her eyes on her daughter as she toddled around the rows of headstones. She was carefree; she didn't know the pain that her mother had gone through – the loss. She was oblivious to it all.

"Daddy!"

Emma turned around to see what she was doing and she swore her heart stopped.

"I told you I wasn't done with you." Those too-blue eyes, wide grin, swaggered gait.

"Killian." She breathed, standing up slowly, her heart hammering in her chest as she stepped forward. "Killian!"

"Hello, my love." His arms went around her, holding her close. Four years he'd fought to get back to her. "I've missed you." Killian buried his nose in her hair, breathing in deeply.

"Missed is an understatement." Emma laughed through her tears, squeezing him tightly. "How are you alive? You were stabbed…"

"Magic, love." Killian chuckled, biting back his own tears. He drew up his shirt for her to see the jagged scar on his skin and his eyes flickered towards the little girl, "…Emma?"

Emma wiped at her eyes, fighting through the tears. "Killian, I want you to meet our daughter." Her heart felt like it was in her throat, tears slipping down her cheeks despite her attempts to stave them off.

Killian didn't hesitate, sweeping the little girl up into his arms, smiling at her blond curls and blue eyes, "She's beautiful Emma." He chuckled as the little girl poked at his cheek, "What's your name, lass?"

"Hope." She grinned, scrunching up her nose. "Because mommy never gave up hope."