Swan Song

Chapter 12

*flashback*

"Emma, are you sure you want to do this?" Neal asks me, a look of concern on his face.

"Positive. We've been doing this for years, Neal. I'll be fine. See you in 10 minutes." I say, giving him a quick kiss. He smiles and hugs me.

"Okay. 10 minutes."

I enter the building in the centre of New York City and flash a fake ID in the direction of a security guard. He doesn't suspect anything and simply nods at me. Evidently I'm not the only one eager to get out of here.

I know exactly where I'm going; Neal has gone over the plan billions of times with me.

Take a right, then a left, then to the locker square, break into locker 37 and get the watches from it, put them in the empty sports bag and get out ASAP.

Trying to look as normal and inconspicuous as I can, I take out the thin piece of metal Neal gave to me and start picking the lock. It's a simple 3 digit one with a slot for the key at the bottom. In a few seconds, the locker is open, and I grab the greasy-looking Chinese bag. After checking that the box of watches are inside, I shove them in my bag and peer outside. Neal is loitering behind the bins, like we agreed. I walk briskly out the fire exit and have made it halfway down the stairs when the narrow stairwell is illuminated by blue flashing lights, and the piercing sound of sirens resonates throughout my body.

I start running now, and sprint down the rest of the stairs in record time. Four storeys above me, I hear a door bang open and loud, urgent voices.

I throw myself against the fire door, making it fly open and find myself in a dark alleyway in the heart of New York.

Where is Neal?!

I saw him right here only a few minutes ago. Where could he have gone? Surely he wouldn't just leave me here?

The steady drum of footsteps is getting closer. I jog the length of the alley to make sure that he's not here.

I need to get out of here, Neal or no Neal.

I run as fast as I can down the alley and away from the police. I glance over my shoulder to make sure they aren't following me. Suddenly I run into something hard and am knocked onto my back. Everything goes blurry and blue flashing lights surround me. Slowly, black spots fill my vision and I let myself go.

****

The prison door creaks slowly open and a plump woman wearing a crisp white dress enters my cell.

"You've got mail. Looks like you've got a car once you get out of prison." She says cheerfully, handing me the letter. "Oh, and congratulations." She adds, motioning to the pregnancy test I held in my hands.

"Thanks." I manage to smile weakly, and take the letter from her. I know from the handwriting that it's from Neal. Inside I find the keys to our small yellow car and attached to them the keyring that Neal had bought - or rather stole - for me a week ago.

It was only a week ago but it feels like years since I got put in prison. I'm just numb all over, my brain not able to process that Neal left me.

In a way the car key made me feel worse because that proves that he is still alive and remembers me but hasn't done anything about it apart from sending me a keyring. Was it all just a lie? Did he do all this because he was tired of me and wanted to get rid of me? Does he even know that we're having a baby?

*flashback over*

A wave of sadness passes over me as I drive away from Henry's house. I've only been with him for a few hours and already I feel like I've loved and cared for him since the day he was born. Most of all, Henry has reminded me of his father, Neal.

A hot tear escapes from my eye and slides down my cheek, leaving its all too familiar wet trail behind.

Hook's POV
I flop down in exasperation on my bed. No matter what I do today I always end up hurting someone. Tinkerbell is just one of the many girls that I've manipulated and I'm fed up with myself.

I suddenly sit up straight when I hear something creak behind me.

An eerie silence hangs thickly in the air like a blanket. I look around me cautiously to try and see what made the sound, my hook at the ready.

"Hello Captain Hook." Sickly sweet voices surround me completely from every side, but there's no one there.

"Who are you?" I spit out at the empty room.

"We have been commanded to kill you." The voices say in complete robotic unison. "A pity since you a particularly pretty prey."

For a long moment the silence hangs in the room, as if foreshadowing what I knew was in inevitably going to happen.

I was going to die.

Then out of the silence came hissing noises, from all around me. I shut my eyes to try and block out the blood-curdling noise, but when I opened them I was surprised to see a little girl standing in front of me. She was about 3 years old and she looked up at me with huge pleading green eyes and I seemed to get lost inside them.

I was in a trance and couldn't move at all. Before I knew it the little girl had changed, and I was now looking into the face of the person I had wanted to meet most.

Emma.

She smiled softly at me and drew me into a hug. After hesitating for a moment, unsure of what to do or if this really was Emma, I wrapped my arms around her. She kissed my cheek gently and whispered in my ear.

"Goodbye, Killian." I quickly retreated from her when I heard her voice. Sickly sweet, and it sounded like there were ten Emmas speaking in complete robotic unison. Her eyes glowed red and without thinking I plunged my hook deep into her heart.

Emma's face twisted in pain and a tear rolled down her cheek. I suddenly realised what I had done and horror filled my heart. But then I noticed that her skin was falling off, revealing a layer of dark purple scales underneath.

In a minute, all that was left of Emma was a pile of purple scales and a pool of water on the ground.

I clutch my head in my hands and sit down heavily on the bed.

"Good work Hook," an all too familiar voice said from the doorway. I look up with my eyes full of hatred.

"Pan... this was you wasn't it?" I say, breathing deeply and anger boiling up inside of me. Before I know what I'm doing, I lunge for Pan, slashing at him with my hook. I know it's all in vain but right now I don't care. Pan laughs, making me feel even more frustrated.

"Did you really think you could kill me?" He chuckles again. "You have a long way to go, but you're making progress."

"W-what are you trying to do?" I ask, still exhausted both mentally and physically.

"You'll see. And one day you'll thank me for it."

"Whatever it is I can tell that it's bad. What was that thing anyway?"

"That, my friend, was a mermaid. I put a spell on her so that she will change into the form of whatever the person she's been sent to kill loves most. I'm interested to know however... who was the little girl it changed into first?"

"I...I don't know."