The Mind

Chapter 42

Emma groaned as sounds and light came back to her. A steady beeping filled the room as everything became white. The sound of a television played as the characters laughed. Also with the lights and sounds, the pain came back to her. Her shoulder was stinging and it felt like someone was stabbing her. Her head throbbed. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned to her left side first, seeing nobody there. Her right side was the opposite. She knew that head of dark hair better than anyone else ever could. Killian's hand was tightly holding her own. His head laid on her arm. His scratchy scruff rubbing against her arm gave her goosebumps. As she laid there watching him, he would ever so often place a kiss to her skin. His warm lips sending tingles up her arm and into her body. She squeezed his hand tightly and he shot up. A huge smile forming on his face as he saw her green eyes.

"You had us all scared to death, Miss Emma Swan!" He scolded her, but not a single trace of anger lacing his voice.

"Hug me," she whispered. Tears in her eyes. The superhero didn't need to be told twice. He gently gathered her up in his arms and held her tight, burying his face in her neck that was covered by her golden curls. "What happened? What are my injuries? Is the baby okay?"

"Relax, love," he said calmly. He pulled away and ran his fingers through her hair. "The bullet wound you had in your shoulder was worse than we thought, which caused a lot of bleeding. All you did was pass out because of the blood loss. You hit your head on the way down, but having nothing but a little bump which should heal within the next couple of days. As for our baby, she is perfectly fine."

She rolled her eyes. "Or he."

Killian laughed. "Or he." He grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "It is amazing to have you back."

"What about you, huh? What happened with you?" Emma asked, struggling with her pillow before Killian fluffed it up under her.

"Just a little dehydration, a minor concussion, and some bruises, but I'm okay." He sat back down in the chair and pulled it closer to her bed. "I'm kind of glad that you passed out though. Hades sort of knocked the handsome out of me. There was blood everywhere and my eye was all swollen. It was awful."

"Cmon, no one is that powerful." Killian chuckled and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. Neither of them could actually let the kiss lead to something more, so they just stuck to making out, but, it certainly wasn't a bad thing. "What happened to Hades?" Emma asked, pulling away from him and licking her lips.

He stood up straight and scratched behind his ear, unsure of what to tell her. When he had woken up in the hospital bed beside hers, Victor and Regina were right there. They checked on him, gave him some food and medicine before unhooking him from the machines. He was able to get a few words with David that not only included a version of the over protective dad speech, but also of what happened to Hades.

"We don't have to worry about him anymore," Killian quickly said, sitting down and avoiding her eyes.

"Killian, before I got to you, I had to shoot my way to you. I know that his henchmen were just flesh wounds, but he was guarding you. I put three bullets into his chest. Is Hades dead? Or is it a miracle that the man survived the shots." Killian looked up at her and she had her answer. "I-I-I've never killed anyone before."

The beeping of her heart monitor picked up and he stood up, grabbing her hand and cupping her cheek. "Look at me right now," he demanded. Emma looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "You were protecting me, myself, and that baby of yours. David already said that you won't be getting in any trouble for this. It was obviously self defense."

"How can you even look at me right now?" She asked as she started to hyperventilate. "I killed a man, Killian. And criminal or not, I am a cop! I am supposed to protect people. I get paid for justice, not murder!"

He went around to the other side of the bed where all the wires weren't at. "Scoot over." She slowly did as he asked and he crawled into the bed next to her. Her wrapped his arm around her and rested both of his hands on her belly. A piece of paper started floating in the air above their eyes. "Just listen to the sound of my voice," he whispered. "Close your eyes and take deep breaths." Emma did as he instructed and he listened as the beeping of her monitor slowed to its normal pace. He looked above him and saw the paper that was folding into an origami swan. "You have nothing to fear, my love. You were protecting your family, just as a mother bear would for her cubs, or a tiger, or a wolf and her pups. Who knows what would have happened have you not shot him. He held a gun to you and you reacted as you were supposed to. I would have done the same thing, so don't you dare stress your pretty head about this." He reached up and grabbed the swan from the air. "Open your eyes, sweetheart." She did and her mouth dropped open as she saw the swan. "For our cygnet."

Emma looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I love you." She took the swan from his hands and kissed him softly. They didn't need much more than that to know or understand their feeling for each other.

Their fighting days were now over. They would all live happily ever after. Just as they were meant to be.