I’m seriously embarrassed that it took so long for me to post the second part of my @neverlandnewyear fic, but finally, here we are: Part Two at last!! This will be the conclusion of this particular story, so hopefully you will feel I’ve wrapped it up with a bit of steam, and bit of a comeuppance for Neal, and a little fun for our pirate and princess too!
In case anyone needs it after so long, I’ve included a link to Part One, to refresh your memories!
Written for the CS Neverland New Year 22 Event
Contains imagined missing moments or revisions from the end of episode 3x06 “Ariel” - after they’ve exited the Echo Caves. The point-of-view switches between Killian and Emma at the section break, as it did in the first part - it picks up right where that one ended. This is the final part of this particular story.
Killian didn’t stop moving - couldn’t stop moving - crashing and blundering more loudly and blindly than he usually allowed himself on this accursed island, (than was truly safe) the further he got from the crushing reunion he had left behind him. More important than the Lost Boys or island beasties he might alert with his movements was seeing that he was far removed from any in his band of heroes witnessing the disappointment and hurt searing across his face. Already, only scraps remained of the renewed hope Emma Swan had reignited in his heart, and he was scrambling to gather those last tatters around himself, as much as he would his heavy leather duster in a downpour.
But it was proving more difficult than he would like.
Finally, he came to an abrupt stop as the ground before him fell away sharply - a steep gorge marking the end of the pixies’ domain and lowering down into the borders of the tribal natives’ land. He had nearly forgotten the boundary in the years since his last venture through Neverland’s jungles. Thankfully, the trees and foliage had thinned enough near the rocky edge to warn him just in time.
Staring down, chest heaving to regain his breath, Killian hung his head, admitting to himself that he had to stop before he tumbled into some unseen chasm or ran right into one of Tiger Lily and her band’s poison arrows. The dark green maze cut through by jagged rock outcrops and winding streams was not as he remembered either - thicker, deeper, and even more foreboding than it had been when he’d lived there long ago (though he would have reckoned that impossible before this return). The last thing he needed was to force the very people he was trying to gain some space from to come to his rescue. And he certainly couldn’t bear to appear any more pitiable to Swan than he must already. That dratted confession he’d made had only served to allow her to fall into the arms of her boy’s father.
As his breathing slowly returned to normal, Killian pinched his eyes closed against that image replaying itself in his mind’s eye. He merely needed a moment to get himself under control, slide the veneer back into place, and pretend that all was as it should be. He might not be able to pass off his confession in the Caves as anything but the unvarnished truth - the bridge it had begun made doing otherwise impossible - but he could regain the insouciant charm, the cavalier, devil-may-care attitude he wielded so expertly and carry on as though it didn’t matter that much to him. True, Swan had somehow gotten past his defenses, wormed her way into his chest, and cracked his heart back open to feeling once more, but if he played it off as a passing fancy, brushed it aside, ‘out of sight, out of mind’, would any of them bother to look past what they thought they knew of the “scoundrel pirate” to see how false it would be?
With a weary sigh, Killian attempted to steel himself; his mind made up. Play this right and he might leave Neverland still in possession of a shred of his dignity. It wouldn’t be his first time hiding the hurt he bore, burying it to use as fuel to push him forward. He’d merely thought he might be able to stop doing so. One of these days, though after centuries one would think he had suffered enough, he would stop entertaining foolish hope.
I love it when Emma puts Neal in his place!!!!! It just pisses me off when he thinks he’s entitled to something that he doesn’t deserve!!!! So thank you for that!!!!
And I love that Killian was trying to get away from the scene thinking he had lost all Hope only for Emma to come to him and show him how she feels and that he still has Hope!!!!!
Thank you for this amazing story!!!!! I will be going to re read again!!!!
