#svenjaliv

[mie779]

Don't Kiss and Tail

A/N: This is an alternate/what-if version of season 3 episode 17 “The Jolly Roger” where we have Zelena pose as Ariel… What if it was the real Ariel who spoke with Killian, how pissed Ariel would be and go tattle to dear old daddy dearest and have Killian cursed, and not only his lips.

This story is part of CSSNS2024, and I have some peeps I’d like to thank. 

@whatevenisthisbloganymore (on Tumbler) for beta reading this. Without her, this would have looked so messy. 

@iamstartraveller776 , who made the beautiful banner for this story. It was also through a talk with her that the title finally came to be. And that title sparked my muse, (damn it!) so perhaps one day I’ll write some original mermaid story. 

It’s been such a blast being part of this event, (again), and it's sad to see this will be the last year. I love the stories already having been shared, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the stories. 

My inspiration for the theme was several CaptainSwan fan art with a mermaid theme, from Wild-white-werewolf (Julia Volkova) and Svenjaliv. And plotting began and I tried to find a place to do an alternate spin on an episode… On a rewatch I stumbled over the episode “The Jolly Roger” and the whole talk with Zelena posing as Ariel had my muse thinking… so here you are, without further ado, my contribution to the CSSNS24. 

READ ON AO3 if that is your thing (like me) https://archiveofourown.org/works/57458686

Don’t Kiss and Tail

“You're a monster… “ The following sting of the female hand slapping his cheek still burned as Killian watched the mermaid leap from the dock and dive into the dark water. The flip of her colorful tail was the last thing he saw. 

“Bloody hell. “ He understood the mermaid perfectly as he'd been so bullheaded in that missing year in the enchanted forest. His focus on getting his beloved ship back and this having not helped Ariel find Eric might have been stupid. He paced the docks. The whole town was still in a mighty uproar over the wicked witch. So he wasn’t going to worry about a pissed-off mermaid right now. 

He kept his pacings to the docks, but he staggered back in surprise when Ariel again came striding towards him, this time from behind the old fisherman’s shack. How did she get back there? He shifted his gaze towards the water where she’d vanished moments ago. But before he could contemplate this the mermaid spoke. 

“How am I supposed to trust a man who doesn’t believe in love?” Ariel curled her lips in disgust. 

“I still do,” Killian whispered, his face contorted in agony. 

“Then swear to me on it. This woman broke your heart. Do you still love her?” 

Killian looked down, the word tearing through him like a thousand blades. “Yes.” 

“Then swear to me, on her name.” Ariel lifted her chin in an unspoken challenge. 

“Then I swear on Emma Swan.” Her sweet name was the only easy word falling over his lips. 

A smirk forms over Ariel, “Thank you, captain, that’s exactly what I needed to hear.” She flipped her fingers towards him and something green and warm wrapped around his lips; the sensation confused him and he covered his lips with his hand, “What the hell?” 

He looked back up at the mermaid. But the next second a swirl of green smoke engulfed the girl and in her stead was now the wicked witch. “Zelena it was you.” Killian drew his cutlass, “where’s Ariel?” 

With a quick flick of her wrist, Zelena tore his weapon out of his hand.

“Relax. She wasn’t here right now, I’d imagine she’s gone tattling to her dear ol’ dad, boo hoo, the pirate wouldn’t tell me where my beloved is.” Zelena rolled her eyes and chuckled. 

“I don’t understand why you would pretend to be her?” He frowned.

“To corrupt your love. I have known all about your dirty little secret for some time, and have seen the guilt on your face ever since making that decision that day. I knew it haunted you. I knew I could use it.

“Use it for what?” 

“When you evoked the name of your love, your selfish plea for redemption, I was able to curse you. Or more specifically your kiss - you see the next time your lips touch Emma Swan’s all of her magic will be taken. Everything that makes her special, that makes her powerful, that makes her a threat will be gone.”

“I won’t do it. I’ll tell her, then she’ll defeat you.”

“Then I’ll send the Dark One to kill her before you can.” The self-satisfied smile on her face pissed off Killian even more, but he saw right through her bluster.

“No, you won’t. If you could have killed her you would have. You need her power removed. That is why you didn’t kill her when she came to the town. It’s why your monkey looked after her in New York instead of killing her.” Killian gave her a satisfied smirk. “For some reason, you can’t.” 

Zelena pursed her lips before saying, “It no longer matters, because you’re going to remove her powers. I may not be able to hurt Emma, but I can hurt those around her.” She lifted her eyes briefly as if to contemplate who to put on that list, “Her parents, her friends,” she shifted far too close, “her child.” 

“Do not go near him.” 

Zelena chuckled and grinned knowingly. “Yes you’ve become quite fond of the boy, haven’t you? I will enjoy turning him into a monkey’s breakfast.” 

“I’ll stop you.” Killian sneered.

“No, you won’t. That pointy little hook of yours can scratch a mere mortal but me…” Another chuckle. “You’re out of your depths, pirate. The choice is yours, kiss Emma and remove her power or everyone she loves dies.” The words came out in a hate-filled staccato, baring her teeth as she sneered at him. 

Before Killian could make another retort she was gone in a swirl of green smoke. 

“Bloody hell.” Killian slumped back on the crate behind him, his lips still tingling from the curse Zelena had cast upon his lips. “Bloody hell that woman is crazy as shite.” He shook his head and gazed upon the dark waters, the moored fisherboats swaying on the gently lapping waves. He had no idea how long he’d been sitting there - he wasn’t sure where to go from here, all he knew was that he wouldn’t tell Emma about the curse. He wouldn’t have her worry about another thing in her life. He would attempt to avoid her advances to become closer. He knew they were closer than ever to crossing that line of a real relationship. 

The moored boats started to crash against the dock, the wood scraping against the concrete. Something was stirring up the water and when he rose to his feet he spotted a swirling vortex out in the water. Moments later a white-haired man with a tri fork floated in the water. 

“Bloody hell, now what?” Killian groaned. 

“You’re Killian Jones?” The voice of Triton boomed over the docks, the trident pointed at Killian. 

Killian gulped down and was about to lie his way out of this predicament when a far too familiar mermaid rose from the water. 

“That’s him,” Ariel said and crossed her arms over her chest. 

“What did I do?” Killian wavered. 

“You refused to help my daughter find her love, and now you shall pay.” Triton lifted his weapon and boomed, “Ye shall live a life under the sea. Return to the dry lands will only be possible by a true love kiss.” 

“What the bloody hell…” Killian stepped back but swirling white magic leaped from the trident and within seconds it wrapped around Killian. The magic pulled at his form and he felt pain shoot through his body. “What are you doing to me?” His voice pained and he dropped to the edge of the dock, while his hands grabbed his legs. The magic swirled over his form from head to toe. 

“You’ll have to live your life as a merman.” Ariel huffed. “You didn’t want to help me find my Eric.” 

“Bloody hell, you went and tattled to you dear old…” Killian gritted his teeth, the magic did some crazy ass shite to his body. “... Dear old daddy.” 

“See, father, he’s nothing but a vile and ruthless pirate.” Ariel glared at him. 

“I see, my daughter. And now he will not be able to walk around on dry land and pursue his happiness.” 

“Bloody hell, Emma…” He nearly blacked out from the pain. 

“Yeah, now she won’t be able to find you.” 

When Killian finally opened his eyes again the pain had vanished, but as he inspected himself he quickly saw how his body had changed, his torso now bare, and from the waist down his legs had transformed into that of a merman’s tail. Its dark scales glinted in the streetlights behind him. It would be crazy to try and slither his way into town like this. With a roar of anger, he leaped into the water and headed for where Ariel and her father had been. But the harbour was empty and the king and his daughter were nowhere to be found. 

Killian lifted his head above water and roared, “Bloody hell, what do I do now?” 

*********

Emma was nursing her second mug of cocoa at the diner. It had been two days since she or anyone else had seen Killian and by now she was more than worried. With Zelena on the loose wreaking havoc around them, it was safe to bet she might have had something to do with his disappearance. 

Where the hell are you, Killian? Emma thought, taking another sip, and gave her son a reassuring smile. His observant brown eyes were wrinkled in concern. How was she supposed to share her worries with her son? He had no memory of anything related to magic. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, you know it’s just my case that has a lot of loose ends.” Emma mused, “I’ll go to the docks and see if I can find any leads.” 

“Will Killian be there?” Henry licked up the remaining crumbs of his breakfast with his finger.

The mention of his name had Emma’s heart skip a beat. “I don’t know kid, I haven’t seen him” 

“His boat is still down in the harbor.” 

Emma blinked in surprise, the Jolly Roger wasn’t there. “Oh yeah, the fishing boat he took you out in.” 

Emma finished her cocoa before she ushered Henry outside, and they walked down to the waterfront. Sure enough, the fishing boat Killian had borrowed was still there. “Look kid, I’m just going to ask around. Why don’t you go to the beach and see if you can find something interesting?”

Henry looked a little put out by this so she added, “Look, this case is not exactly kid friendly so I don’t want you to be part of it. I’ll come for you in half an hour.” 

Henry nodded mutely and trodded towards the nearby beach; she could still watch him from afar if Zelena chose to show up. 

Emma asked the harbor master if he’d seen Killian, but the only answer she could get was that the old man had seen Killian three nights ago talking with a red-haired woman. That could either be Ariel or Zelena so it wasn’t much help. But why would Killian speak with either of them, unless it was Zelena who then had taken him somewhere?

“Moooom.” Henry’s shout startled her and she rushed towards her son who was waving his arms in the air as he rushed towards her. 

“What’s wrong, what happened, are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” Henry waved his arms in front of him taking a few deep breaths, “I’m fine, I just think I saw something out in the waters.” 

“What?” Emma felt a cold shiver run down her spine, and flashes of Killian lying dead in the water shifted through her mind.

“It was some kind of a large fish.” Henry looked a little puzzled, then shrugged, “It had to be a fish, the tail looked like a fish but it was big, like a grown man.” 

“A small whale?” Emma mused, unsure what kind of large sea creatures roamed the coast of Maine. 

“Maybe, but I haven’t seen any whales with scaly shimmering tails.” 

“What did you just say?” 

“It had black shimmering scales.” Henry paused and looked at her with worry. “What's wrong?” 

Emma shook her head and masked her worry with a smile. “Nothing, I don’t know what you saw but it could have been a large fish I guess.” Inside her head, she thought: it could be a mermaid. She had no idea where Ariel was off to, and now that she thought about it she hadn’t seen the red-haired mermaid for a couple of days either. Did Zelena whisk her away too? That crazy-ass wicked witch of the West needed to be stopped in whatever crazy plan she had set up. 

Emma suggested they head back home to Mary Margaret and David, and as they walked along the beach she couldn’t help scanning the water to get a glimpse of whatever creature Henry had seen out there. 

Just as they reached the docks again she looked over the rocks jutting out from the coastline and she could have sworn she’d spotted a dark-haired creature hiding between the rocks, but it was gone in a flash and the last thing she saw was the reflection of the sun in a dark tail. “What the hell?” 

“What is it, did you see it too?” Henry asked excitedly. 

Emma shook her head and waved him off, “No I don’t think it was anything, a seal perhaps.” Or a selkie… oh wasn’t that over in good old England they were legends? Emma wrapped her arm around Henry and urged him to walk to the docks. As they rounded the corner she couldn’t help herself and took another glance over her shoulder. The same dark-haired creature which now looked remarkably like a human was holding onto the rocks but was too far away to see. What the hell is that? she thought to herself, and she couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled inside her. Who was out there? 

Emma couldn’t focus on the talk at the dinner table that night and Mary Margaret did ask if she was okay. Emma waved off her mother’s worry and assured her she was merely trying to string together all the loose ends she had in her case. She glanced at Henry who had helped clear the table and then settled onto the couch with his game console. 

Her sleep was filled with strange dreams of sea creatures waving at her from the water, all twirling around in a mismatched chaos of confusion. When the first rays of the sun peeked through the thin curtains she slipped out of bed and left a note for Henry before heading for the beach. 

*******

Killian kept a close eye on the shoreline, still staying out of sight as he wasn’t sure who would spot him. It was infuriating and damn near impossible to figure out what the hell he should do. He knew his main hope was finding Emma, and spotting her with the boy yesterday afternoon he’d damn well nearly jumped up on the rocks and called out for her. But Henry was there and he still had no memory of any fairytales or curses so the lad was sure to be spooked out of his wits seeing a real merman speak with his mother. 

Then there was the whole conundrum with the curse Zelena had placed on his lips. He would never let her willingly give up her magic for him. 

The early morning sunlight glinted behind him as he scanned the beach, he was sure Emma had spotted him the day before so he hoped she would return, this time without Henry. 

A flash of golden hair and a red leather jacket caught his eye, and he swam closer to the beach. It had been a learning curve the past few days navigating underwater and he realized there was a colony of merfolk some miles south of here keeping their existence unknown beside a small island off the coast. They had not exactly been friendly but they had not been hostile either, only made it clear that he had no business there as they somehow had sensed he truly didn’t belong under the sea. 

Emma had walked to the beach and neared the long row of rocks going out from the beach. She pushed away her loose hair from her face as she scanned the water. 

Killian reached the first rock, lifted himself halfway out of the water, and waved, “Emma?” 

Emma nearly stumbled over her feet as she stepped out on the first couple of large boulders. “Killian, is that you?” 

Killian swam closer and he saw how her face contorted into surprise and worry at the same time. “Aye.” 

“How the hell did this happen to you?” She narrowed her eyes as she focused on his tail. “You have a tail.” 

Killian refrained from rolling his eyes, only nodded and with a quick push of his hand, he lifted himself on a low boulder and sat there. 

“What happened?” Emma moved closer cautiously as if trying to gauge if this was some kind of ploy to fool her. 

“It’s me, love. Don’t worry, I won’t bite.” He tilted his head and smirked. 

Emma rolled her eyes and settled on the rock beside her, her knees bent so her boots didn’t get wet. She reached over and touched his arm. “It really is you.” Her eyes scanned over his form and a blush spread over her cheeks. 

He gave her a knowing smile, this might be the most naked he’d been in her presence and the color on her cheek indicated that she didn’t mind. 

Then she frowned, “What happened to you, who did this?” 

“You know how Ariel came to town some days ago.” 

Emma nodded, “Yeah everyone was so surprised to see her.” 

“Well, she was here on a mission.” He looked down at his hand and hook. When he’d transformed he’d been surprised that his hook was still there. 

“What mission?” 

“To find me and avenge me for failing to help her back in the Enchanted Forest.” 

“Why didn’t you help her?” 

“I was so focused on finding my way back to you that I declined to help her find her Eric.” Killian sighed and pushed his wet hair away from his forehead. He looked at her, “I was a fool, I know that.” 

“That was a foolish choice.” Emma’s hand on his arm rubbed up and down, “but seems like a long stretch to curse you into a merman.” 

“That was her father’s doing.” Killian mused. 

“She went and tattled to her father?” Emma exclaimed and turned fully towards him, “Are you serious?” 

“Very much so. The king of the sea, Triton cursed me to be a merman, until…” He paused and closed his eyes. 

“What?” 

“It’s nothing.” Killian brushed it away, how on earth was he ever going to tell her that kissing her might be the only thing bringing him back to his human form? But in doing so he would also remove her magic, giving Zelena a better chance at getting whatever witch wanted. 

“Do you know how to reverse the curse?” Emma asked and leaned closer. He could smell her perfume now and his heart beat a lot faster. Gods she smelled good. 

“I… it’s going to be bloody complicated.” He grimaced, rubbing over his face.

“Tell me, please,” Emma begged. “Whatever it is we can make it happen, we can go get Regina if it’s…” 

“No!” He exclaimed, “No one else needs to see me like this.” 

“Oh, it’s not exactly a bad look you have going here.” Emma mused and her eyes scanned over his form again, the blush on her cheeks darkened. 

Killian tilted his head, getting a better look at her, her eyes sparkled with mischief something that was rarely seen these days with all the stuff going on with Zelena and her son still not remembering anything. 

“So you see something you like here, love?” He lifted an eyebrow. 

“Perhaps.” She looked down at her hand resting on her bent knee, her fingers tracing over the seam in her jeans. 

Killian chuckled, leaned closer, and caught her eyes, “So you’d not mind having a merman as a friend?” 

Emma choked back a laugh, “I can’t believe you’re so at ease about all of this, I’d be in a total panic had it been me turned into a mermaid.” 

“I did panic at first, but I knew you’d come looking for me. I saw you on the beach with your boy yesterday.” 

“Why didn’t you call out then?” 

“Henry doesn't remember anything about magic, so I imagined seeing a real-life merman might be too confusing.” 

“He’d survive I’m sure. He might not remember, but he still has a vivid imagination.” Emma chuckled, then sobered, “But how can we reverse the curse?” 

“Thought you wanted me to stay like this?” 

Emma shook her head, “As much as I like this look I still want the real Killian Jones in my life.” She blinked a few times, “I can’t imagine not having you in my life, Killian.” 

“Oh.” Hope bloomed inside him and he smiled, “I’d very much like that.” He glanced down at his tail and smoothed his hand over the black scales. 

Emma reached over and asked, “May I?” 

He looked up at her in surprise and noticed the curious glint in her eyes as she looked at his tail. “Aye.” 

Emma moved forward and smoothed her hand over the black scales, it was a strange sensation feeling someone else touch his merman tail like this. The warmth of her hand seeped through to his core. 

“This is so strange.” Emma mused and kept her hand on his form, when she looked up at him her eyes were filled with wonder, her lips looking so damn inviting he nearly leaned forward. But when she moved first he pulled back and rubbed over his mouth. 

“I can’t…” Killian looked to the sky, the sun had now fully risen and the sea birds flew over them in circles, their cries echoing over the waters. 

“What?” Emma pulled back and hugged herself. “This… what do you mean you can’t I thought you wanted to… you know kiss me.” 

“Bloody hell I do want to kiss you.” It’s all I’ve been thinking about since we returned to Storybrooke. 

“Then why… “ Her voice trailed off and she gasped, “Did Triton do more to curse you?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“So if you kiss someone they die or something like that?” 

“It wasn’t Triton.” Killian sighed and shifted in his seat. The rock beneath him started to feel uncomfortable. 

“Then who?” 

“Zelena…” Killian whispered. 

“Seriously!” 

“Aye, I’m afraid so, the witch came to me in disguise as Ariel, and since I thought it to be the actual mermaid who’d just jumped into the water I couldn’t have known. The woman was livid and had me swear on the woman I love’s name and she cursed my lips.” 

“What?”

“She cursed my lips…” 

“Yeah yeah, I heard that… it’s the love part I’m curious about.” Her voice was wary and guarded but when he glanced at her a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. 

“Aye, you’re the woman I love.” Killian reached over and touched her leg, “It’s always been you.” He looked down, “But if I kiss you now we’ll never defeat Zelena.” 

“Why?” 

“The bloody witch cursed my lips so that should you ever kiss me, your magic will be taken from you.” 

“Great.” Emma rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, “Just freaking great.” She looked at his tail, biting her lips.

“I can’t ask that of you, love.” 

“Why not?” Emma exclaimed, “You can’t continue living like a merman.” She tilted her head, “Or do you want to be a merman forever?” 

Killian shook his head. “There’s got to be another way?” 

“And if not?” 

“I will live my life hunting down Triton and defeat him.” 

“That is a fucked up plan. You know that, pirate?” Emma rolled her eyes, “What I know of Triton he is very powerful and you will have every merman hunting for your tail.” 

“You will need your magic to defeat that wicked witch, whatever it is she’s plotting, it can’t be good for anyone in this town.” Killian mused. 

“Look, let me ask around and see if we have a chance to work around this curse.” Emma reached over and cupped his face, his skin burning by her touch. She was so bloody close he could smell her. 

“Don’t make too much of a ruckus just for me, darling.” He placed his hand over hers. 

“Let me be the judge of that, eh?” Emma smiled, her thumb caressing his skin. Then she moved closer wrapping him in a tight hug, “I can’t lose you, Killian.” Her words whispered into his skin and shivers ran down his spine at how close she was now.��

“I’m right here, love.” 

She pressed a small kiss to his neck and whispered, “Good thing it’s only your lips she cursed.” 

“Bloody hell, love, you… gods.” Killian groaned and wrapped his arms around her holding her close. 

They stayed like this for some time and it wasn’t until they heard some of the fishermen shout to each other from the docks that they pulled away.

“I better dive down into the water again,” Killian mumbled, gently untangling himself from Emma’s embrace. 

“Yeah, I’ll come back here tonight, okay?” She looked up, “after sundown.” 

“Aye.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm, “Tonight, hope you find a way.” 

Emma rose to her feet and stepped back onto the beach before she turned around and gave him a parting wave, “See you tonight then.” 

Killian waved back and jumped into the shallow waters below him and swam for his usual hangout spot he’d found at the end of the peninsula jutting out into the sea. It was going to be a long day, but hunting for fish would perhaps keep his mind off of things. 

**********

Emma’s head was buzzing with everything she’d learned this morning. Killian was a freaking merman now, long black scaly tale included. Her face heated up when she recalled how damn good he looked sitting there with a bare chest and tail. Damn, she hadn’t known she might have a thing for mermen. Well, this one merman in particular it seemed. 

She sought solace in a cup of hot cocoa and a Bearclaw from the diner and when Ruby placed her order on the counter the brunette asked, “You look a bit off kilter this morning, what happened?” 

“Oh…” Emma pushed away her hair and sighed, “It’s a long story.” 

“I have time, the morning rush is over.” Ruby rested her arms on the counter, “So spill, girl.” 

“I found Killian.” 

“Oh, the elusive pirate has shown his face again, where is he?” 

“In the sea,” Emma mumbled and blew on her cocoa. 

“Well, he’s a pirate.” 

“No I mean, he is IN the sea, two curses included.” Emma sighed. 

“Who cursed him and why?” 

Emma explained what she’d learned from Killian, making sure that no one nearby was eavesdropping. But the diner was mostly deserted so she could share her story with Ruby. 

“That is such a crazy story, even for this place.” Ruby waved her hand around and Emma couldn’t agree more. Even with everything going on right now a man cursed to be a merman and on top of that also with cursed lips so he wasn’t able to kiss her. That last part had Ruby waggle her eyebrows and comment, “So the question is are you willing to pay with your magic so your pirate will have his legs back?” 

“The question is more if he’s willing to let me kiss him.” Emma sighed. 

“What do you mean?” 

“He seemed reluctant to let me just kiss him, he wants me to keep my magic as it will no doubt be useful when we go against Zelena.” Emma mused and shrugged her shoulders, “I need to speak with Regina, perhaps she has another way.” 

Emma enjoyed her breakfast and took off to find Regina, but the mayor had no idea how to reverse a curse that was linked to a true love’s kiss. And she agreed with Emma that she might be the only person Killian loved. But if she kissed Killian she would lose her magic. 

*******

Killian kept a close eye on anything happening at the docks, hoping Emma would come down early. But when he did spot her she was accompanied by Henry so Killian kept his distance and watched Henry drag Emma onboard the small vessel he’d borrowed from the fisherman in the past week. 

“What are you doing, lad?” Killian asked in wonder. Sure he’d taught the boy a thing or two about boats and sailing, but it wasn’t safe for anyone to go out there with so little training. 

“Come on Mom.” Henry’s voice rolled over the water, “I wanted to go fishing, and since Killian is missing I need you with me.” 

“Okay, kid, I don’t know how to sail this thing.” Emma sighed and placed her hands at her hips. 

“It’s easy. See here.” Henry started up the engine and leapt down to release the boat from the docks and jumped back on board. 

Killian contemplated showing himself and warning the pair not to go out there. The skies were getting darker further out and he felt a storm rolling in, but it might be hours before it reached the shoreline. 

Henry sailed the boat out on open waters and stopped the engine, and soon Killian could see him preparing the fishing rods. Emma was still arguing with her son about the safety of this, but Henry eased her worries and soon Emma had settled down on a crate on deck. 

The sun disappeared behind grey clouds and before either Emma or Henry knew what hit them the rain started falling heavily. Henry scurried to get the engine started while Emma struggled to get the fishing rods packed away. In her haste, she stumbled over something on the deck. Her body slammed into the railing and she lost her balance. Killian could only watch in horror as Emma tumbled into the dark waters below. With a quick flip of his tail, he dived towards where Emma was slowly dropping to the bottom.

Henry’s cries for his mother were muffled by the water but they pierced through Killian like knives. He wasn’t about to leave this boy without his mother.

Emma wore her red leather jacket and it had weighed her down so much that she wasn’t able to swim upwards. Her eyes were filled with panic when Killian finally reached her. 

Her body went limp in his arms as he ascended to the surface and broke up into the air. He looked down at the woman in his arms, her eyes closed, lips blue and lifeless. 

“Mom?!” Henry’s frantic voice sounded from above, then “Killian is that you?” 

Killian didn’t pay attention to the lad right now, all he cared about was the woman floating in his arms. Her skin was more and more pale and he leaned closer and realized she wasn’t breathing, her lips turning blue. 

“Emma?” He called out frantically, his hand cradling her face. 

“Give her mouth to mouth,” Henry called from above him. 

Killian swallowed; he knew he had to breathe life into her, “Her magic will be lost.” He called back, his voice breaking, this couldn’t be happening. 

“What?” 

“My lips are cursed.” He looked up and when he spotted the bewilderment in the lad’s eyes he knew he’d screwed it up. Henry had no memory of magic or fairytale characters. There was no time to explain so the decision was all up to him and as he watched Emma lie lifeless in his arms his heart broke. He couldn’t live without this woman in his life, be damned her wrath if her magic was gone, he needed her. 

Pressing his mouth to hers he breathed into her mouth, feeling her chest fill with air. A woosh of magic spread out around them and he felt his tail vanish and turn into a pair of legs again. The motion to keep them afloat changed but he managed to balance himself and Emma above water. He blew more air into her mouth and then Emma violently coughed up seawater.

“Killian?” Her voice was weak and her eyes searched his face, “What did you do?” 

“You were drowning, I couldn’t… I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you die, not like this. Not in front of your boy.”

“Mom?!” Henry bellowed from above them, “Are you okay?” 

Emma gave her son a weak smile and wave before returning her focus to Killian. “You saved my life.” She cupped his face and he marveled at the feel of her hand against his cheek. 

“Aye.” He swallowed deeply, “But your magic… I’m sorry love.” 

“We’ll find another way to beat Zelena.” Emma soothed and pulled herself closer to him again and kissed him. 

This time it was a real kiss, profound and filled with untold promises of a future together. 

“I have a rope ladder here,” Henry called out and interrupted their kiss, both adults looked sheepishly up at the teenager who rolled his eyes. “Don’t go around doing that too much from now on, okay?” 

“Aye, lad.” 

Emma chuckled and coughed a little, clearly not fully recovered from her near-death experience. 

“Come now love, let’s get us back home.” He maneuvered them both to the rope ladder Henry had dropped over the sides. “Are you okay going up on your own?” 

“I’m fine, Captain.” Emma smiled and hauled herself up the ladder, slow and steady and Killian followed her to the deck where Henry greeted them both with a hug. 

When Killian pulled away to get the boat started Henry stopped him, “Did you just have a tail before you saved my mother?” The lad’s eyebrows were lifted to his hairline. 

“Henry.” Emma interjected and took her son’s arms, “There’s a lot of things that aren’t as they seem.” Emma looked at Killian, “Some things will be a bit hard to understand, but let me tell you why we’re really here in Storybrooke.” She urged him to sit on a crate and turned to Killian, “Get us back home.” 

“Aye.” He saluted her with a grin and let mother and son talk alone on the deck while he took the wheel. The boat wasn’t as majestic as his old lady The Jolly Roger, but it would do for now. He watched Emma speak with her son, who looked more and more confused and sometimes even worried. 

When they reached the dock they were greeted by Mary Margaret, David and Regina, who all looked relieved to see them all. Killian included, which surprised him a bit. But apparently, a lot of people had been worried about his whereabouts in the past few days. 

“Mother.” Henry greeted Regina with a hug and when he pulled back, “Killian was a merman.” 

Everyone gasped in surprise and a load of questions was thrown at him, he lifted his hands and said, “I’m here now in human form and that is what matters.” He grasped Emma’s hand, “We’re ready to fight off that green witch, any ideas what her plans are?” 

Mary Margaret stepped forward and said, “Henry this is for you.” She presented him with a storybook, a very familiar storybook. “You need to believe.” 

“In what?” Henry took the book and a burst of magic swirled around them and he gasped. “I remember.” 

Everyone cheered and no one seemed to ask more about their adventure on the water, not until it became clear that Emma’s magic indeed was gone. But that was a worry for another time as the threat of Zelena still hung over Storybrooke. 

All Killian cared about was having his legs back on dry land again and Emma by his side. He wanted her there for the rest of their lives if he had anything to say about it. 

THE END

[ohmightydevviepuu]

fanbinding: try/cry/why? (just a dream)

the story: try/cry/why? (just a dream) is a Captain Swan 2b divergence written for the 2022 Writers Month Challenge and finished in December 2022.

the art: cover art comissioned from the incredible @svenjaliv, giclee print on canvas, sealed with a gloss finish fixatif. lettering done by me using font dubbletrubble. intersitial art from istock.

materials: linceco bookcloth for sewn boards binding. printed on the bookbinder's special from church paper. endpapers from madeline's paste paper (etsy). spine emrboidered using a rosebud stitch, wrapped with a portugese stitch, in variegated DMC embroidery floss.

since the story was a series of prompts i wanted to stay true to that feeling of running, inescapable thoughts and i kept it all as a one-shot, punctuated by the single-word prompts and accompanying art.

promise | chance | gold | melody / heart | castle | popular |  heat / echo / kiss | swim | leak | knot | wild | comfort | shadows | ice | bridge | bubble | jealous | pain | horror |  dream  | bow |  lips | scream | silk | sugar | loud | bond | rainbow (part one) | rainbow (part two)

find the complete story on AO3.

[piinfeathers]

Art asks 6, 7, 21, 30 please! (hope you are okay and not waiting for anything serious!)

HI! <3 (no i'm ok, i was waiting for my dad. he's having dental surgery but he's fine)

6) Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

well i'm never beating the disney allegations as long as i live, so those are literally always present. but more specifically the way i draw my anatomy and clothing is suuuuper inspired by Sleeping Beauty and the Swan Princess (pretty fitting that one)

7) A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate

I'm so in awe of ceramic work and pottery, it takes such a delicate hand but also a level of upper body strength that floors me

21) Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

i love LOVE super minimalist art, being able to describe something in as few lines and details as possible. there's a few tattoo artists i follow who do it and it's like magic to me. also super beautifully rendered paintings with a bit of magical realism to them, @svenjaliv is such a pro at them

30) What piece of yours do you think is underrated

hmmm, honestly any of the hornier stuff i draw skskakk. my fluffy stuff always tends to do better and i totally understand why! it's easier to reblog and share. but my spicy stuff is always more of a risk for me because i don't get to draw it that often. i usually end up agonizing over the details and the anatomy and keeping it juuuuust pg 13 enough that it doesn't get blasted off this site

[3friesshortofahappymeal]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEE

Received my beautiful fanart from @svenjaliv

❤❤❤

Now to get them framed and hung up

[wallergrayson]

they’re so fucking pretty!!! can’t wait to get them hung up.

by @svenjaliv

[armaturenine]

Entry for this month's ArtManikinChallenge.com Artist: Svenja Gosen Website: http://www.svenjaliv.com/ Instagram and Twitter as @svenjaliv

[darkcolinodonorgasm]

Thank you @svenjaliv!!! These are amazing and will surely be immediately put to good use! 😍

[ohmightydevviepuu]

try / cry / why? (just a dream)

!!! new cover art commissioned from the amazingly talented @svenjaliv !!!

if you are active in this community at all you've had the gift of seeing her art and feeling what she puts into it. take it from me--if you have the opportunity, and the funds, and there is something special you'e been wanting for yourself--do it. you won't regret it. working with @svenjaliv made me feel so incredibly seen--like my story was coming to life in front of me.

we are so fortunate in this fandom to be surrounded by incredible talent and amazing artists. ignore AI. enjoy the real thing whenever and however you can.

--

find the complete story on AO3 (37k, 32 chapters), or follow it through the 2022 writers month prompts:

promise | chance | gold | melody / heart | castle | popular |  heat / echo / kiss | swim | leak | knot | wild | comfort | shadows | ice | bridge | bubble | jealous | pain | horror |  dream  | bow  |  lips | scream | silk | sugar | loud | bond | rainbow (part one) | rainbow (part two)

–

The iPod hasn’t even hit the ground before he’s forgotten about it, though he’s sure he’ll never get the chorus of “Charley’s Girl” out of his head again. Ever.

Because there is a freaking bird standing on his desk like that’s normal—and, holy shit, there is something in its mouth.  It brings back memories to see that—none of them pleasant ones.

He doesn’t pray.

He never prays—it is a bad habit, as far as he is concerned, this business of making promises, asking for something with no understanding of what the price will be—but he thinks about it, for the first time in more years than most people would believe.

(But the Blue Fairy couldn’t save him then, and she sure as shit can’t save him now.)

He doesn’t pray—or plead, or bargain—not even in his own mind—because he already knows: The curse.

Emma.

It’s done.

“Broken.”

[wookiee-monster2]

Han and Leia on Endor

source: @svenjaliv

[distant-rose]

I was going to wait until morning to post this because it’s 2:00 GMT and I need to sleep but goddamn fucking damn it, I’m so in love with this, it’s unreal. I wasn’t expecting much today, especially because I didn’t get much studying done and Giancarlo struck out like seven times and the Yankees lost, but this...this was a grand slam of its own. And I’m so excited about it, I couldn’t wait.

It changed my entire day. 

It might have made my year. Because it’s just so amazing.

I have a lot of awesome friends in this fandom, but @svenjaliv (also known as @winterbythesea) is just amazingly talented and so lovely. I cannot thank her enough for this sketch. She’s just so wonderfully talented and she captured Beth so perfectly from the hair down to the hook necklace. I am honest to god in love with the eyebrow quirk and the almost angry vibe. It’s just so...Beth.

Thank you Svenja for being the best. You’re just an incredible human being and I don’t think there’s any amount of tips that could make up for the wonderfulness of this. I’m just over the moon. I cannot thank you enough.

Seriously, people, she’s amazing! Check out her art! Buy a commission! Give this lady some coffee! She honest to god deserves the goddamn world! Give her everything!

Svenja Links: Main Page | Gallery | Commissions | Ko-Fi

[alexandralyman]

I have to give an ENORMOUS thank you to the insanely talented @svenjaliv for the gorgeous artwork she did for Between Heaven & Hell, which as you can see above has now been signed by both Colin & Jen. I’ve been waiting over a year to be able to meet them both and have it signed, so this was pretty damn (pun intended) special to me!

(Note, I did not say anything to them about it being based on a fanfic since I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk to the actors about fanfic. I just thanked them both, and since the autographs were the last thing they did before leaving it was the perfect cap to a pretty awesome day)

[nephilim-bane]

Got a couple of early christmas presents and I’m absolutely in love - especially with the mini bookmark! Everyone should totally check out @svenjaliv

[cynmoon]

I super wish I could have had a camera in the autograph line, just so I could have captured the look Colin gave me when he saw them 😍

[jarienn972]

This package of goodies from Etsy arrived today! Thank you @svenjaliv for these lovely prints & pendant! They're stunning as always!

[thecaptainsjones]

IT'S HERE @svenjaliv / @winterbythesea absolutely in love with this painting, and I'm so glad I splurged on the blanket. IT'S SO FUZZY AND SOFT and now I can cuddle up with my boys every night

[cssns]

Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 2022: July Round Up

Hello, everyone! With the beginning of September, we have reached the end of our 2022 CSSNS event -- that’s right, another year in the books! As always we, the mods, have to thank all of YOU: authors, artists, betas, cheerleaders, readers, rebloggers, flailers. All of you. Without each and every one of you, this event would not be nearly as successful -- or as fun. 

So, finally, hold your applause until the end... I bring you the JULY 2022 CSSNS ROUNDUP! 

We started July 1st with a bang: @sotangledupinit gave us the beautiful “just like a ghost whisperer”, a lovely ghost-filled story 

July 3rd came with a real bang: “Orchid Island,” a hot Omegaverse fic by @grimmswan and art by @cocohook38

The first chapter of @motherkatereloyshipper ‘s “Second Second Chances” came next, with awesome art by @eastwesthomeisbest -- and art for chapter 2 |  chapter 3 | art 

@svenjaliv blew us away with her elven-inspired art on July 7th!

@zaharadessert gave us the first chapter of “Canticum Sanguinis Lux”, which came with a beautiful banner by @clockadile

If you like mermaids, then @cocohook38 ‘s “What I’ve Become” was right up your alley -- as was @tennant-the-tigger ‘s art

@mie779 brought us more elves with “The Dark Elven” and awesome art by @piinfeathers as the cover for the story | chapter one | chapter two 

Megan is thrilled to share a birthday with @jrob64 ‘s incredible “Where Her Heart Belongs,” cover and other art provided by @winterbythesea 

“To Kill a Kraken” by @o-wild-west-wind came next, with awesome art by @freechoicedreamer 

@killianjones-twopointoh surprised us with the second chapter of their 2021 cssns story, “post-mortem”

First-time CS writer @whatevenisthisbloganymore gifted us with “Enjoy Moonlight (Shine Bright)” next, with awesome art by @eastwesthomeisbest 

with art by @caught-in-the-filter, “The Devil Within” was an absolute gift from @justanother-unluckysoul 

next came @sotangledupinit ‘s “free fallin’”

and finally, the month ended with a follow up to @grimmswan ‘s “Orchid Island,” “Domestic Bliss” with more art by @cocohook38 

We’ll give you a week to catch up, and then next week, you’ll get the August round-up!