The Truest Love

Chapter 19: Pure Hearts

Emma awoke on the cold ground of what appeared to be the town hall. Regina was shaking her violently forcing her eyes to pry open. "Emma you have to get up! Emma! She's gone! Ursula left!" Her mother was now helping Emma to her feet. She hadn't remembered much. Standing to look around, her eyes widened and the memories flooded back to her. Emma's knees gave as she saw Killian's corpse laying lifelessly on the tile. She fell to her knees and covered her mouth. Emma grabbed his cold body and shook it. "Killian! Killian, wake up!" She shouted as tears rolled continuously down her cheeks. "Emma! Emma, your heart!" Regina knelt down next to her quickly grabbing her shoulder. "There's no time to explain. Please give me your heart quickly if you want him to live," Emma nodded and Regina pushed her hand into Emma's chest reaching for the pulsing, enchanted object. "Your mother taught me this not to long ago in the Enchanted Forest. When she crushed his heart to come back, she had me split hers in half and give one half to him and the other remained hers. They've always shared one heart, you see. Maybe it's possible for you and Hook as well." She took Emma's enchanted, pure heart and twisted it, breaking it into two equal pieces as Emma winced. Regina put one piece back into Emma and put the other near Hook's chest. She pressed down and the heart slid into place. Emma waited. Nothing happened. Regina sympathized for her, knowing how it felt... losing your love, knowing you'd never see them again. Emma moved closer, and a tear trickled down her cheek dropping onto Killian's coat. "I love you too," she whispered as she knelt down kissing his lips softly. An instant later she felt as if she'd been punched... but it felt... good? She opened her eyes as there was a green flash around them. "True love's kiss," Mary Margaret resolved smiling and looking down at Killian. Emma's eyes followed her mother's. He didn't move. Why wasn't he moving?! Her smile disappeared as a cold sweat broke over her forehead. Killian's mouth moved. "I'm not sure that worked.. try again, Love?" Emma sighed, placing both hands under her eyes to wipe away her tears. She grabbed Killian by the collar and pulled him up into her arms embracing him. He buried his face into her neck closing his eyes, breathing her in. "Don't you ever do that to me again, do you understand?" She whispered intensely into his ear. He nodded showing no chance of loosening his grip. "I keep telling you, Swan. I don't know how many times I have to save this. I'm a survivor... there's no way I'm going anywhere." He pulled away making eye contact. His thumb brushed her chin as he cupped it. After kissing her lightly, they then stood. Snow covered her mouth and embraced Regina who stood with her arms crossed rolling her eyes. "True love's kiss," she stated again into Regina's ear. "I'm aware," Regina pried Mary Margaret off of her. Robin and Regina's eyes met as Robin subtly raised his eyebrow at her. She smiled, accepting the flirtation. Marian stepped forward and linked her arm with Robin's. Regina focused back to the reunited couple. "Killian, I thought you were dead... I thought you had died right in front of me," she stated as his hands moved up to hold her face up. "I know, it's over now," he said hugging her tightly. "Why didn't it work at first?" Emma turned to Regina. "It didn't work when you put my heart in him. It didn't work like you said it would. But I woke him up with true love's kiss? How is that?" Regina scrunched her eyebrows. "I'm not sure, it should have worked. It worked with your parents," she pondered. "Wait I have your heart inside of me?" Killian asked taking a step back. "Yes... well.. you have half of it anyways, I have the other half," Emma exemplified. As Killian processed the information, Mary Margaret's phone rang. "Hello?" She picked up. After pausing for a couple seconds, she replied: "Yes of course, we'll be right down," she sounded panicked. She clicked the button on her phone ending the conversation. "That was Grumpy. Something's happened at the mines... to David."