Welcome to The United Realms

Love Isn't Chosen

S8, E8: Love Isn't Chosen

Next Day At The Rolly Joger...

Her room became her sanctuary ever since the prophesy. Hope stayed there the whole day until she gets bored of staring at Henry's storybook the whole day (or getting scared of the ongoing dark thoughts in her brain, though she won't admit it), and visited her family or friends.

"Are you going to Finn today, love?" Killian asked as he drank from his rum-filled flask. They were sitting at the Jolly Roger, which was returned back to Killian after the United Realms was formed.

"Hmm...why are you asking?" Hope asked suspiciously. She shut Henry's storybook and shot him a look.

Killian gave her the same look he gave her after Finnian's wink at him back at the meeting yesterday. "Did you know what it meant?" He gestured at his look.

Hope raised an eyebrow, "So you're saying that between Will and Finn, I should pick Finn?"

Killian nodded excitedly, "He's perfect for you."

"Perfect, to you, for me means someone that is just like you?"

Killian gave a smile, "Well, he doesn't have my looks." He gave a wink at his daughter. Seeing her struggling at this decision, Killian said, "Look, picking one of your friends as your true love doesn't mean that it is a life or death situation no matter what the prophesy says. I just want you to be happy and free from whatever the bloody hell Rumple says about your true love."

Hope nodded, "Okay, okay, I'll see him. Thanks Dad." Killian gave her a hug and let he out of the boat like the gentleman he is. As soon as Hope's feet touched the wooden planks of the deck, she waved another goodbye and walked to wherever Finn is.

And hopefully wherever Will's not.

Oh, there is the joke again.

At the sea village...

Finnian was still at the same place as he was where Hope left him yesterday, sleeping in his loose shirt and in the sun. He must have slept here through the whole night, Hope thought. She crouched down beside him and yanked his head off the ground, pulling his hair just like she did back at the dandelion garden, but much more softly. Finnian moaned and moved in his sleep. Hope did it again and again until he woke up.

Finn widen his eyes at her. "Did-did I sleep here the whole time?" Hope nodded. He quickly got up next to her, brushing the sand off of him and faced her.

"Wait." Now that the sun wasn't directly behind her, Finn was able to see Hope more clearly. He smiled, "You are here."

"Killian- dad urged me to go too. He didn't even know I promised you myself."

"See, he likes us together, too." Finnian said, flashing his charming smile.

Hope shook her head, "Finn, I don't need to decide until we can defeat Will."

"And," Finnian took both of her hands in his own, "The only way to do so without killing him is true love's kiss, but you don't like him so. Plus, you didn't decide between us."

"Mhm... I knew you were going to say that," Hope brought out the storybook, in Finn's surprise, and flipped through the pages until she finds the time when Belle and Enchanted Forest Rumple give true love's kiss, emiting a golden glow on Rumple's face.

"In this part of the book, the true love's kiss did work, until Rumple stopped it. Belle didn't even love Rumple at that time fully." Then, Hope flipped the pages to where her parents shared true love's kiss when Emma became the Dark Swan. "But here, they shared true love's kiss and it didn't work, even though they love each other more than anything in the world."