Falling Stars (CaptainSwan)

Chapter Thirteen No One's There

                         Killian Jones

I wake up with a start, sweat coming down my face. I try and remember everything about the dream. It had been so vivid, yet I can't remember what it was about or why I'm sweating.

Henry lays near me, a blanket pulled tightly around his shoulders. The lad was so exhausted that I insisted we take a rest for the night. He couldn't resist so he took the blankets we'd taken from the tavern and spread them on the ground, handing me one and using the other for himself.

We'd discovered that the crew had gone back to the Jolly Roger and were waiting just a little longer to see if Emma would return. I was surprised when I learned this. Usually if the captain goes missing, they'd just fight it out and the last man standing would be the captain. Or they'd choose the easy way and have the first mate take that position.

Now I sit in the cold Forest, trying to remember the dream I had. It comes at me very quickly and nearly takes the breath out of me as the scene comes to mind.

I sit at a table outside of some building with colorful lights on a sign, drinking from a flask, when Emma comes out of the building and sits down on one of the chair next to me.

"So..." She says with a sigh. "Do you think Rumpelstiltskin is right? I'm in the book now. He said everything besides our little adventure would go back to normal. Do you think that it is?"

"He's right," I reply simply. "Otherwise I'd remember that damn bar wench I kissed."

"How would that prove anything?" She questions, a gleam in her eyes.

"I know how you kiss," I say, looking at the table. "I'd've gone after her. But I didn't. My life went on exactly the same as before."

"Yeah, must've been the rum," she says with a soft smile.

"Everything's back to normal. You're a bloody hero, Swan," I tell her.

"So are you," she argues. I chuckle lightly. "I wanted to thank you, Killian. For going back for me in the first place in New York. If you hadn't..."

"It was the right thing to do," is all I say.

"How did you do it? How did you get to me?"

"Well, the curse was coming. I ditched my crew and took the Jolly Roger as fast and as far as I possibly could to outrun it."

"You outran a curse?" She asks, shocked.

"I'm a hell of a captain," I say, making her chuckle. "And once I was outside the curse's preview, I knew that the walls were down. Transport between the worlds was possible again. All I needed was a magic bean."

"Those are not easy to come by."

"They are if you've got something of value to...trade," I say slowly.

"And what was that?" She asks with a small smile.

"Why the Jolly Roger of course," I tell her with a smile.

Surprise etches its way onto her face. "You traded your ship for me?"

The look of utter shock on her face brings a sadness into my eyes. "Aye," I say softly.

As she leans in, I do too, and meet my lips to hers. I cup her cheek with my good hand. Her left hand tangles itself into my hair as the kiss becomes more passionate. It goes on for hours it feels like. We only break away for a second. She smiles at me and then we're kissing again.