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Emma rubbed at her elbow nervously as she listened to Killian explaining how the Echo Caves worked. She had an anxious pit in her stomach, and her fight or flight instinct was triggered when he said the only way to save Neal was to share a deep, dark secret. The last thing she wanted to do was tell everyone the secrets she had been hiding.
"I kissed Emma," Killian admitted.
Emma covered her face with her hands and rolled her eyes when David asked questions. She didn't want to have this conversation now, not in front of her parents or Neal. She could feel her cheeks warm as Killian shared the rest of his secret, and after he was finished, she turned to watch the stones start to come together in the form of a bridge. A small sigh escaped her lips when she realized it was working.
Mary Margaret was next, and her secret slammed into Emma like a ton of bricks. Emma understood how she felt because she felt the same way about Henry, but hearing the pain in her mother's voice as she talked about wanting to do things right with another baby broke her heart. A constant reminder that she grew up. The urge to bolt out of the cave kept growing stronger. The ground rattled again as the stones fell into place, adding to the bridge.
Just when Emma thought the secrets couldn't get any worse, David shared what he had been hiding. Not only did they have to save Neal from this prison and rescue Henry from Pan, but they also needed to find a way to bring her father back to Storybrooke rather than trapping him in Neverland and Mary Margaret staying behind with him.
The bridge fell into place, and Emma made her way to Neal. She studied the prison bars for a few moments, pulled the sword out of its sheath, and swung. The metal crashing against the bars echoed through the cave as she let out an exasperated sigh.
"Emma," Neal whispered, reaching out to rest his hand on her knee through the bars. "It's okay, and I can handle whatever secret you have to tell me."
Emma glanced back at the others standing on the far side of the cave and sighed. Her secret would be the one needed to release Neal from his prison. Killian, Charming, and Mary Margaret had all shared their secrets, forming the bridge that Emma could cross. Now she was kneeling in front of a cage holding the man whom she had believed loved her at one point in his life but had abandoned her all those years ago. She couldn't erase the years of pain and hurt from her memory.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, stopping the tears she had felt welling up in the corners of her eyes from rolling down her cheek. As she leaned her head back upright, she wiped the remaining tears away from the corners of her eyes and took a deep breath before leaning forward to grab hold of the bars on either side of Neal's face.
"I wish you were dead," Emma said, lifting her eyes to meet Neal's as the tears began forming in her eyes' corners. "Your death is easier to accept than being able to justify all of the hurt that loving you has caused me."
The bars crumbled to the ground as Neal leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He pulled her into his chest and cradled her head with his hand. Neal pressed a kiss to the side of her head as the tears started to roll down his cheek.
"I'm sorry," Emma sobbed, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. She wrapped her arms around her waist as she took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm her nerves. After a few minutes, she pulled away, pushed herself up from the ground, and brushed the dirt off her knees. She watched as Neal slowly stood up, studying his face.
"I ended up loving something that wasn't meant to be mine," Neal said, shrugging his shoulders. He squeezed Emma's biceps once and dropped his hands to his sides. "You were right before, and it would be easier for you and Henry if I were dead."
"Neal," Emma whispered, cocking her head to the side as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "It's not that I wish you were dead, and it's just.."
"You don't have to explain, Emma," Neal reassured her, smiling. "I messed up, and I know that. I'm glad you have been able to move on from me, and all I care about is your happiness."
"Move on?" Emma asked, furrowing her brow as she studied his face. "I haven't moved on."
Neal smiled, shaking his head as he scrubbed a hand over his chin. "You don't even realize it."
"Realize what?" Emma asked, taking a step back, and she noticed Mary Margaret's head turn in their direction. Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head, grabbing hold of Neal's arm and pulling him a few steps away. "Realize what?"
Neal leaned in to whisper in her ear. "That you're in love with the pirate."
"I am not," Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes, you are," Neal said, taking a step back and offering a smile. "Take from someone who watched you fall in love before."
Emma rolled her eyes and turned on her heels, making her way quickly out of the cave. "I need some air."