When Your Walls Come Crashing Down

Chapter 9 - Promises

A/N: Well, here it is! The second post of the week! This one is also in Killian's POV. The next chapter will most likely be in Emma's POV. Reminder that I do not own OUAT. If I did, Killian would be my boyfriend. Enjoy!

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That evening, Killian sat down with Emma's parents to eat supper, which happened to be a wild bird they found somewhere along their trek through the jungle. Neal wasn't hungry, and so he was off gathering firewood.

"So," Mary Margaret began hesitantly. "What did the two of you receive in your letters?"

David went first. "She told me a bit about how tired she is, and how she misses Granny's grilled cheese and hot showers more than ever. That's about it for my letter."

"Killian? What about yours?"

He clenched his jaw slightly for a moment, the letter too fresh in his mind. He remembered what Emma said though.

"Basically the same as you, mate. She just complained about being tired, wanting a shower, and missing Henry."

The prince and his wife seemed to believe him, and Killian let out a breath.

They chitchatted for the rest of their meal, silently set up camp, and went to bed, Killian on first watch. He scanned his surroundings, sat down on the ground, and got lost in his thoughts. He was still fully conscious, but he wasn't focused on his peripheral vision, nor his line of sight.

He waited a bit to be sure everyone was asleep before he pulled the note back out. He reread it, going over each word carefully. Each stroke was handcrafted by the woman he loves, and it was a treasure to be cherished. In Emma's absence, this note might cause him some peace of mind.

The blots of ink on some of the darker letters brought a memory back to the surface.

"Remember to always write with your pen in light strokes, son. If you don't, people might perceive it as a hidden message. Most common day thieves and criminals send messages in this way, along with those trying to keep something secret. You don't want to accidentally confuse them."

His father had been the one to teach him that, so long ago he's surprised he even remembers that. I wonder...

He scans the note again, using his finger to draw the letters in the dirt as he goes along.

"Dear Hook," the letter says, and he scribbles an H. The e in strange, the one l in I'll, and plenty of other letters are frantically sketched into the ground, along with a few periods that are slightly larger than other ones.

When he reaches the end of the note, Killian looks at the ground, and starts breaking words apart. When he finished, his heart stopped. There, on the jungle floor, was the following message:

"Help me. I have two weeks left. In a cave with hieroglyphics."

Swan, he thought. You're a bloody genius.

Killian glanced up at the position of the sun. It was just around one in the morning, and there was no way he was waking everyone now. He kicked the dirt to separate the message. There would be time to tell and explain to the group in the morning.

Two words stuck out to Killian the most. The ones that made him realize just how long they had. Two weeks.

Although he made the promise earlier, he whispered it again, words slightly altered, no clue the impact they would have had were she here.

"Don't worry Swan. I'll find you. I'll always find you."

And with that, something in the universe shifted.