The Loose Ends

“Cora?” Robin repeated in shock. “You mean, Regina’s mother? That Cora?”

“Aye,” Killian affirmed, cautiously making his way forward and focusing on the possessing spirit whilst positioning himself in front of Emma. “Taking control of Neal was one thing, but robbing your daughter of her agency? What sort of mother are you?”

A spurious smile stretched across Regina's painted lips. “I’ve already told you, your pretty looks will not buy my time. Do you really think I will lower myself to engage in your baiting?”

“What do you want, then?” Emma asked over his shoulder. “Why take possession of Regina?”

The woman’s cold eyes flicked to Swan’s and she stared her down with a malignant gaze. “Why, to stop you, of course.”

“Stop what? Her learning the truth? She already knows Daniel didn’t take your money and leave on his own.”

“No, no, silly girl.” Like a serpent, she slithered forward a few steps, stopping shy of the threesome’s personal space. Snapping her gaze back to Killian, she declared, “To stop you from desecrating my corpse.”

Out of the corner of his eye Killian saw both Robin and Emma balk.

“I beg your pardon?” Robin exclaimed. “Desecrate her… What is she talking about?”

Ignoring Robin’s question, Killian challenged the woman. “I don’t know what you--”

“Oh, yes. You do.” The words clipped off her tongue with barely subdued rage. “I am not stupid. I know what you’ve got planned. Your brother is out there right now with ill-intent, and you’re going to stop him.”

“And if I don’t?”

A smirk lifted the corner of her mouth and her eyes dropped down to the body she’d commandeered. “Then I guess I’ll be keeping my daughter close and making certain she lives out the remainder of her life as I see fit.”

“No!” Robin replied, advancing on the woman. “I won’t let you!”

“Robin, stop!”

Before the man could heed the warning (though, he likely would not have), Regina’s hands grabbed ahold of Robin’s upper arms and using his own momentum against him, she swung him into the nearby door jam, the impact knocking him to the ground.

“Don’t!” Killian ordered when Robin began to pick himself up off the floor. “It’s all right. She’s bluffing.”

“Am I?”

“Aye,” Killian replied confidently. “You and I both know you haven’t the strength to maintain this level of control indefinitely.”

“And I refuse to believe you are so heartless that you’d deprive your own daughter of the life she has left.”

Killian stiffened as Emma stepped around him to continue confronting the woman. He did not want Swan to put herself in danger, but knew they needed to buy Liam as much time as possible.

“I only want what is best for her. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“What about what she wants?” Emma countered. “She loved Daniel. She might even love Robin. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“My dear,” the woman condescendingly drawled. “Love is weakness. And as for being heartless…”

A ghostly arm shot out from Regina's shoulder and disappeared into Emma’s chest.

“No!” Killian cried out, momentarily frozen in shock and fear as he watched Swan’s body contort, shoulders caving inward, her breath stuck in her throat.

When he finally managed to move, Regina’s head snapped towards him. “Not another step, lover boy, or I’ll stop her heart before you can cross the hallway.”

“Let her go.” Killian put his hands out and planted his feet firmly. Robin shifted from where he was still positioned on the floor, forcing Killian to give him a pleading look and shake of his head to stop whatever he was planning.

How could he have allowed himself to become so distracted by calculations of how much longer Liam would need as to not notice how close the malevolent woman had gotten to his Swan. “Please,” he begged. “Let her go.”

“Not until you call your brother off,” she said, tightening her grip around Emma’s heart and causing a pained whimper to fall from Swan’s lips.

“Fine,” Killian conceded, pulling his phone from his pocket. “You win.”

“No,” Emma choked out, the agony in her voice making Killian’s stomach roll and his own heart drop. “Let him finish. He and Belle have to be close to--”

“What do you think will happen to you and Regina if they vanquish me whilst I am in possession of her body and your heart?”

Emma shifted her gaze towards Killian, clearly hoping he would refute the woman’s claim. He couldn’t, though. Honestly, he had no clue what would happen, but was not about to take any chances.

Speed dialing his brother, he muttered under his breath for Liam to answer.

“Killian?” his brother’s confused voice answered.

“Liam, listen to me very carefully,” Killian began firmly with a note of urgency. “I need you and Belle to stop. Don’t do anything to Cora’s remains.” The line went silent and Killian pulled it from his ear to make sure the call was still connected. Turning the speaker feature on, he said, “Are you there, brother?”

“Aye,” Liam responded, prudently. “What’s happened?”

“Nevermind that,” Killian said, curtly. “I just need you to stop what you’re doing and get back here.”

“You know I can’t do that, little brother. Cora must be dealt with.”

“Dammit, Liam. I need you to listen to me. She’s taken possession of Regina and is threatening to crush Emma’s heart if you don’t--”

“Bloody hell,” Liam muttered over the line. “How did she--”

“What difference does it make!” Sometimes his brother could be the most infuriating arse. Exasperated, Killian told Liam once more, “You can’t salt and burn the body. Not without risking Regina and Emma’s safety.”

“How do you know she won’t--”

A scuffling sound echoed over the phone, his brother’s muffled voice saying something Killian could not make out.

“Killian?” Belle’s voice anxiously rang out. “We’re headed back to the car now.”

Lights flickering from the living room doorway grabbed Killian’s attention and for a brief second he could make out the silhouette of a man attempting to manifest behind Regina.

Daniel. It had to be.

“Thank you, Belle,” Killian replied, trying to keep his expression and voice even so he did not tip Cora off. “Let me talk to Liam again.”

“I’m here, brother. I’m sorry I didn’t heed your--”

“Yeah. You can be a real dinghy sometimes, you know that?”

“Aye,” Liam replied with a timbre of surprise that he quickly suppressed. “Just like dad, I’m afraid.”

Killian let out an involuntary sigh of relief and hoped the woman, staring intently at him, would chalk it up to him being glad to have finally gotten his brother to relent.

“We’ll see you soon,” Liam said, ending the call.

Stowing his phone back into his pocket, Killian’s gaze shifted to where he could make out a ripple in the air out of the corner of his eye before focusing on the arm still buried in Emma’s chest.

“Hang in there, Swan,” he encouraged, unable to bring himself to look at her face. He did not trust himself to not do something impulsive at the sight of torment or anguish on her gentle features. “It’ll all be over soon.”

“Indeed,” Regina’s voice uttered, and though he barely knew the woman, Killian knew the false syrupy-sweet inflection sounded completely wrong coming from those lips. “It will be over soon, but not the way you think it will.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Robin inquired, slowly getting to his feet with his hands raised in supplication. A brief, flickering glance, first at Killian, then towards the area the ripple had occurred, alerted him to the fact that Robin was aware of the other presence as well. “You said you’d let them go if Killian stopped Liam.”

“And I will,” the woman vowed. “But not without some assurances first.”

“What assurances?”

“That you won’t simply dispose of me later.”

“How do you plan to ensure we don’t?”

“Why…” An amused breath punctuated the pause before she confessed, “By having Robin here wall you all up like I had my husband do to Daniel.”

“You must be mad if you think I would--”

“But you are mad, aren’t you?” she simpered. “Madly in love with my daughter? Willing to do whatever is necessary to protect her?”

“The only way to protect Regina is to free her from you. That much is clear to me now.” Robin straightened his posture and braced his stance, squaring off with the woman he loved even as he vowed to do everything within his power to keep her from further harm.

Scoffing, the woman rolled her eyes. “Daniel said the same thing to me once. He failed and so will you. Besides…” a grimace of pain pinched Regina’s features and for a moment the possessed woman came forward.

“Mother,” she cried out in anguish. “Please… stop.”

As quickly as she’d relented it, Cora took control once more. “I can make this agony for her, unless you do as I say.”

Killian allowed the woman to continue monologuing at Robin, keeping his attention on Emma and her safety. It was taking every ounce of restraint he could muster to remain level-headed and not let his rage or terror get the better of him. All he could do was trust that Daniel - like Robin, like himself - was doing all he could to save the woman he loved.

“Come on, mate,” he muttered under his breath. “What are you waiting for?”

“You won’t… get away with… this,” Emma strained out.

“Aye, Swan’s right,” Killian added. “Do you honestly think no one will notice we’ve disappeared and that there is a newly constructed wall where the old one was? I think that’s something even Neal would clue in on.”

“Oh, my dear boy. Didn’t you know? Neal’s gone.”

Blanching, Killian whipped his head to the side and caught Emma’s guilt-filled eye. “What? Is that true, love?”

Disgusted, Cora’s hand tightened within Emma’s chest, forcing Swan’s gaze to break away and fall back to the floor as a sob audibly caught in the back of her throat.

“Stop!” Killian demanded. “Is this really how you want your daughter to remember you? Is this truly what you want your legacy to be?”

“Don’t you dare speak to me of legacy,” the vengeful woman spat. “My legacy was secure, my memory safe with Regina until this little trollop undercovered my secret. If not for her--”

The lights around them dimmed and the atmosphere began to crackle. A flash of trepidation crossed Regina’s face, but it was quickly replaced by Cora’s smug countenance.

“We both know you lack the conviction to do what you must in order to best me.”

It took Killian a moment to realize she wasn’t speaking to any of them, that she was addressing Daniel and had obviously been aware of him this entire time.

“You are weak. You’ve always been weak.”

Stepping forward, Killian silenced her vitriolic tirade. “Don’t listen to her, Daniel! Love is stronger than any force on this earth. Do what you must to save the women we love.”

The startled expression resonating from Regina’s face made something in Killian’s mind click. He knew what Daniel needed.

“I would gladly risk my life for two things: love and revenge.” Spreading his arms out wide, he offered, “Take all that you need, Daniel.”

“Killian, no!” Emma wailed, a tear slipping down her cheek. “Don’t do this!”

The spectre faintly began to form in front of him. Daniel’s soft eyes locked on to his, waiting for confirmation which he gave with a resolved nod before bracing himself as best he could. Daniel’s ghostly arm thrust forward, the intrusion into Killian’s chest unlike anything he’d ever felt in his life. Each beat of his heart strengthened Daniel, allowing him to fully manifest.

“No. Stop!” Cora protested from Regina’s lips. “Stop or I’ll--”

Her words were cut off when Daniel grabbed Cora’s ghostly wrist with his other hand. With a firm pull he tore the spirit free from Regina, who teetered on her heels before losing consciousness and falling towards the floor.

“Regina!” Robin lunged forward and mercifully caught her, lowering her carefully to the ground.

With his hand still wrapped around Killian’s heart, Daniel tightened his grip on Cora’s wrist, her hand still precariously wrapped around Emma’s heart which made Killian’s clench without any additional pressure from Daniel.

“That doesn’t belong to you,” Daniel stated, putting a greater squeeze on the woman’s wrist until she finally let go of Emma’s heart with a pained yelp.

Thankfully, Daniel released Killian in time for him to catch Emma, cradling her in his arms as they both collapsed to the floor. Once safely out of harm’s way, he dug out his phone and dialed Liam.

“Brother?”

“Now, Liam!”

A roar filled the hallway, flames bursting out from where Cora’s ghost stood. Her shriek pierced Killian’s ears and he quickly pressed his hands over Emma’s, hoping to shield her from the horror. Burying her face into his chest, Swan’s grip tightened, balling his shirt into her fists. When the heat of the ghostly fire subsided, they both looked at one another, their chests heaving from adrenaline as they fought to catch their breaths.

“Are you all right, love?” Killian asked on an exhale, wetting his lips in a vain attempt to bring moisture back to his mouth.

“I-I think so,” she answered, breathlessly.

Her eyes dipped to his lips then flicked back up, staring at him through her lashes. They held each other’s gaze for several erratic beats of Killian’s heart before slowly moving in closer. Eyes fluttering shut, Emma’s mouth was about to meet his when a soft gasp broke the moment and stole both their attention.

“Daniel?” Regina, having regained consciousness, sat up and stared teary-eyed at the ghost of her long lost love. “Is that… Is it really you?”

Robin helped her to her feet, steadying her as she approached Daniel’s spectral form. Not wishing to be any more intrusive than they already were, Killian and Emma remained seated on the floor of the hallway. With his Swan wrapped willingly in his arms, Killian held his breath at the beauty and heartbreak of this long overdue moment.

“Regina,” Daniel whispered. “I’m so sorry. For everything. I never… I never would have left you willingly and I… I’m sorry you had to find out the truth like that. I never wanted you to find out about your mother this way.”

“Oh, Daniel,” Regina replied, tearily. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who owes you an apology. I’m sorry I doubted you. That I doubted our love. I should have known better. I should have never taken my mother’s word over--”

“I don’t blame you for doubting,” he said. “I don’t think either of us ever considered she’d go to the lengths she did to keep us apart.”

Though it was evident he wanted to spare her the details, Regina would not be deterred, insisting he tell her the full truth of what had happened. Cora had tried to buy him off, that much was true. She’d handed him a check; the amount wasn’t important, no amount she could ever offer would have been enough, and he had told her as much. Ripping up the check, he’d tossed the pieces at her feet before turning to head down into the cellar. The next thing he knew he was lying at the bottom of the stairs, his neck broken, and his life quickly slipping away.

“My last thoughts were of you, Regina. I need you to know that. I need you to know that I have never stopped loving you.”

“Daniel, I…” Regina’s chest shuddered from a suppressed sob, tears spilling over her lashes and streaking her mascara down her cheeks.

“I haven’t been able to move on, knowing what you must have thought. I couldn’t be at peace until you knew the truth.”

“I love you, too, Daniel,” she whispered. “I hope you can find peace now. You deserve it.”

“There’s only one thing more keeping me here,” he said. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything.”

Reaching out as though he were cupping her cheek, Daniel leaned in, bringing his forehead close to hers. “I need you to open yourself up to love again, Regina. You deserve love. You are loved.” Pulling back, Daniel turned his face towards Robin and smiled at the man. “Isn’t she?”

“Aye,” Robin affirmed, gazingly lovingly at the woman beside him. “That she is.”

“Embrace it, Regina,” Daniel urged. “Embrace love. Embrace happiness. It isn’t too late for you to have the life I wanted for you. Promise me you’ll open your heart and love again.”

Pursing her lips together in order to keep some semblance of composure, Regina reached over and took Robin’s hand. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his, smiled, and said, “I promise.”

Robin beamed and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tight in his embrace. Allowing them a moment, and probably a bit conflicted with seeing the woman he loved with another man, Daniel made his way over to Killian and Emma and stood over them.

“Thank you, Emma,” he said. “And you, Killian. If not for the two of you and Liam and all the others who helped, this never would have been possible.”

“Don’t mention it, mate,” Killian replied, wishing he could shake the man’s hand.

“I’m so happy it all worked out,” Emma said. “I’m just so sorry your life was cut short. It’s not fair.”

Daniel shrugged. “Life is like that sometimes. Which is why it is important to not squander it; take hold of every moment and cherish it. Remember that, won’t you?”

“Aye. We will.”

A content and fulfilled look rested upon Daniel’s face and he closed his eyes. “I can go now.”

“Daniel,” Regina called out, clearly not ready to say good-bye.

“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I’ll always be with you in some way.” With one last glance at Robin, he said, “Take care of our girl.”

“I will, mate. I promise.”

A soft glow began to envelop Daniel, his eyes locked with Regina’s until it became too bright for her to hold his gaze.

“I love you, Regina,” he said, his voice faint as the glow started to dim.

“Good-bye, Daniel,” Regina replied as the light fully extinguished, taking Daniel’s spirit with it.

Regina collapsed into Robin’s arms and sobbed. Tears rolled down Emma’s face and Killian had to wipe away his own as they watched Robin rock the woman he loved in his arms. When she had finally exhausted her tears, Regina turned and apologized. Killian assisted Emma off the floor and the four of them stood there in the hallway awkwardly.

Scratching behind his ear, Killian opened his mouth, still unsure of what to say, when the front door burst open. In rushed Liam and Belle, soot covered and bedraggled.

“Is everyone all right?” Liam inquired, out of breath. “What did we miss?”

~/~

Killian laid awake on the pull-out, staring up at the ceiling as he replayed the events of the evening in his mind. Every fear and nightmare fueled terror had coursed through him the entire time Cora had held Emma’s heart in her grasp. How he’d managed to keep his wits about him with the image of her heart being stopped by that ghostly hand plaguing him from all sides of his dark imaginings, he’d never know. It had taken a Herculean effort to relinquish her from his arms after Liam and Belle had arrived and they’d all adjourned to the living room.

The next few hours had been torture for him as he sat on the other side of the room from her, still shaken by what could have happened, still not convinced she had come out of the deadly encounter unscathed. He did his best to hide it, though, giving his account of things and answering questions as they all got up to speed on what had happened. When the conversation turned to Regina sharing memories of Daniel and her time spent at the carriage house in her youth, Killian stole too many glances at his Swan to count, but enough to have gained the attention of Robin who surmised they were close to overstaying their welcome.

After bidding the couple farewell with promises to keep in touch, Liam had pulled him aside to discuss what was next for the Jones brothers, allowing Emma to quickly say goodnight and escape to her room. Killian had snapped at his brother, questioning him as to why the topic could not wait until morning, only to have his brother inform him that he would not be there in the morning.

He would be staying the night with Miss French.

Killian had almost punched the shit-eating grin off his brother’s face.

He should have punched the shit-eating grin off his brother’s face.

He also should have gone up to check on Emma after Liam and Belle had left, but decided instead to give her some space. It was the gentlemanly thing to do.

It was the cowardly thing to do. He was being a coward, and he knew it. A coward, and a fool, and a complete and hopeless--

The creak of the stairs drew him from his self-depracating thoughts and he sat up. Hearing a cabinet door open and close from the kitchen, he tossed back the covers and reached for his sweat pants, pulling them on as he made his way to the door. Peering out across the corridor, he could make out Emma leaning against the counter as she sipped from a glass of water. Not wishing to startle her, he yawned loudly and let his feet fall heavy on the wood floors as he approached the kitchen.

“Trouble sleeping?” he asked, running a hand through his hair as though he were trying to tame his bedhead.

“Sorry if I woke you,” she said, cupping the glass in her hands, her eyes trained on its rim.

“You didn’t.” Reaching out, he took the glass from her and set it on the counter. “Out with it, love. I can tell something is bothering you.”

Whipping her head up, she looked at him askew. “How? How could you possibly know something’s--”

“I’ve told you before,” he reminded, cutting her off and enjoying how it irritated her. “You’re an open book.”

A scoff huffed from her chest and she rolled her eyes at him. “Well, if you must know…” she began, scuffing the floor with her foot as she quietly muttered, “It’s too quiet.”

“Come again?”

“It’s too quiet,” she repeated, louder and a bit exasperated. “I know it’s ridiculous that it bothers me, but the house is too quiet. Too still. I never noticed before, but I think I’d grown accustomed to having…”

“Another presence in the house?” he offered, finishing her thought for her.

“Yeah. I guess.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she gave a small shrug and confessed, “I kind of miss Daniel.”

“I don’t think that’s ridiculous at all,” he told her as he leaned against the counter across from her. “His energy was here for a long time. Makes sense that its absence would be felt.”

“I suppose so.” Letting out a deep exhale, she uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on the edge of the counter, next to her hips. When his gaze lifted from lingering on her exposed hip bone, he was met with a knowing smirk and a suspect look. “So, what’s got you up this late?”

It was Killian’s turn to shrug and avoid making eye contact. “Just some thoughts that won’t let me be.”

“Such as?”

Peeking up at her, he found the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing him all night. “Is it true that Neal’s gone?”

Another long exhale preceded her answer. “Yes. He’s gone.”

“When? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“We had it out after the whole possession thing,” she told him. “He gave me an ultimatum and I told him to get out.” She shifted her weight and pushed her hair behind her shoulder, taking a beat before admitting, “I’ve known for a long time that things needed to end with him, I just… I guess I felt too embarrassed to say anything. Besides… it wasn’t like we didn’t have enough going on.”

“True,” Killian agreed with a note of humor. “I am sorry you felt as though you couldn’t confide in me. And for what it’s worth, I…”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish the platitude. He wasn’t the least bit sorry that Neal was no longer in the picture, and they both knew it.

“Are you all right?”

“I am,” she assured him. “Like I said, it was long past time.”

Killian wanted to press her for more, to ask what this might mean for them. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t conflicted about what came next, and therefore waited for her to take the lead.

“So, Liam is shacking up with Belle,” she said after a prolonged bout of silence. Seemingly testing the waters for different discussion altogether, she asked, “Does that mean you guys will be stopping into town on a regular basis?”

“Actually,” Killian replied, wading out into said waters, “Liam suggested we stick around for a while. It seems Miss French has a number of potential cases my brother thinks we should look into.”

Her teeth had been worrying her lip since she finished asking her previous question, and only relinquished their hold so she could inquire, “And what did you tell him?”

He wished she had met him halfway into the depths. “I told him I wasn’t sure.” When her face fell he quickly moved off the counter and took her hands in his. “Don’t misunderstand me, love. There’s nothing I want more than to stay here… with you.” Reaching up, he cupped her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I just want to do this right. I don’t want to finally have my second chance and then end up being the rebound g--”

The urgent press of her lips against his cut off his words, and he’d never been so thrilled to be interrupted in all his life.

He’d only just begun to respond when she pulled away, but only far enough so she could tell him, “Neal was the rebound guy. You are the guy, Killian.”

His mouth crashed against hers and with very little prodding on his part, she climbed up to sit atop the counter. Prompting her knees to open for him, he moved into the space between her thighs and slipped a hand up her back beneath her (his) shirt. He groaned at the feel of her soft, warm skin as their lips continued to slant and slide against the others, their tongues tangled together, and their teeth teased and taunted with playful nips along jawlines and earlobes.

Coming up for air, foreheads pressed together, the two tried to catch their breath while trading soft smiles and doey-eyed looks with one another.

“You know how I said that without the ghosts the house is a little too quiet for my liking?”

“Aye,” Killian panted. “What do you suggest we do about that?”

“Well…” Emma drawled, applying a sultry timbre to her tone as she slid her arms around his neck. “I was thinking you could join me upstairs so we could make things go bump in the night.”

Killian chuckled and leaned in to kiss her again. “I thought you’d never ask.” he murmured against her lips, promising, “I’ll have you moaning louder than any spirit ever could.”

“And I’ll have you--” she said between kisses. “--thinking you’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“Too late for that, I’m afraid,” he confessed into the pulse point below her ear, moaning at the way it made her shudder in his arms. “After this, I’ll be harder to get rid of than any haunting.”

“Good.” Emma gave him a quick shove and hopped off the counter. Grabbing his hand, she led him out of the kitchen and cheekily added over her shoulder, “That’s the kind of being ghosted I can live with.”

With a wide smile, Killian eagerly followed his Swan up to her bedroom where the two of them enthusiastically expressed their passion for one another, loud enough to wake the… well, you know.

The End

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