As Killian rushed towards the bedchamber with his wife in his arms, he had a million anguished thoughts running through his head. He thought it strange that she came down with a fever so quickly. He replayed the events of the day in his head to see if he had missed an important sign that would show that Emma was feeling unwell. She had plenty of energy when they were intimate. Even while they were getting dressed, she pulled him to the bed for one more go before breakfast. He started feeling guilty for overtaxing her.

He lay her down on the bed and observed her fevered brow. Her forehead was damp with perspiration and she was still unconscious. Turning her over to loosen the ties on her dress, he hoped she would be able to breathe better. It scared him to see her so listless and limp.

Snow took over and shooed him out of the way so the maids could help make Emma comfortable by taking off her dress and putting a fresh nightgown on her. Her head was propped up on pillows and the blankets pulled up to her neck to keep the chill away since she started shivering. A towel wiped the beads of perspiration forming on her forehead. Every once in a while a whimper escaped Emma's lips which indicated her discomfort.

All Killian could do was watch his wife suffer while he roughly ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He had never felt so helpless in his life and it was killing him. After some time passed standing there, he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Prince Charming give him a nod as he also watched his daughter suffer, unable to do anything to stop the malady befalling her.

Emma heard laughing. She was running through the hall looking of her family until she arrived at the courtyard. There she found her mother, father and brother tied to stakes with Regina the evil queen laughing as she formed a fireball and threw it at the straw at her mother's feet. Snow immediately went up in flames and Emma screamed. Regina kept laughing louder at Emma's screams. Emma couldn't move her feet no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't move fast enough to stop the flames from consuming her mother. Then another fireball was thrown at her father's feet and the flames leapt to swallow him. Emma cried, begged and pleaded for Regina to stop.

"No! Please spare them! Please!" Emma shouted.

The final fireball was formed in Regina's hand, "Such a shame for one so young, so handsome to die."

"Not my brother, please!" Emma cried.

Regina shot the flames directly at Neal and he was consumed by the inferno.

"No!" Emma screamed. Not her baby brother. He was too young to die. She would never see him grow up, never see him fall in love, marry and have nephews and nieces for her to dote on.

While watching her family go up in flames, all she heard was Regina's laughter ringing in her ears and eventually her own sobbing.

Snow and the maids tried to stop Emma from thrashing and hurting herself. Killian held her down to keep her from falling out of bed or hitting her head on the headboard.

"Emma darling! Wake up!" Killian sounded desperate. She seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. He tried to think of any medicinal cures that could help. "Where's that bloody doctor?"

The doctor finally arrived with Neal escorting him. Killian noticed Neal held something in his hands. The doctor took out a bottle with a dropper and asked for someone to hold her mouth open.

"Just a few drops under the tongue and she should quiet down for now," he said as he deftly and quickly put the dropper under her tongue. It took a few minutes but she did eventually relax back into the bed. The doctor then went through his assessment of Emma.

Killian went to Neal, "I noticed you have Emma's hot cocoa container in your hands."

"Emma is the only one who drinks hot cocoa with cinnamon and was the only one who got sick, no one else in the castle came down with the same symptoms and we all ate from the same food," Neal answered.

"You think she was poisoned!"

"These days one needs to be extra vigilant. The maid who served her hot cocoa doesn't remember too much of what happened to her last night so it is possible someone got their hands on her or even her heart. The only way to make sure is to send for the Blue Fairy - which I did."

Prince Charming clapped his son on the back, "Good thinking son!"

He had been too concerned about his daughter to think of anything else. Thank goodness Neal was growing up to be a smart, resourceful young man, he thought.

"That's some quick thinking, Neal. Emma is lucky to have you as a brother," Killian said squeezing his shoulder.

Neal drew himself up into a proud stance. He only hoped all he did wasn't in vain and that he could truly help his sister.

"Do you know when she'll come?" Killian asked.

"Once the carrier pigeons finds her, she'll be here in a thrice," Neal said. "I sent more than one bird out."

They all prayed that the birds would find their way to the Blue Fairy soon. It was already noon time.

Emma ran through the castle halls desperate to find Killian. One hallway after another was empty. Not a soul was to be found. She finally came to her bedroom where she threw open the doors and called out Killian's name. She went through the closets and the bathing chamber but she still couldn't find him. Finally she heard a noise out in the hall so she ran out to investigate.

There she saw King George dragging Killian by the feet in the hallway in front of the window.

"Looking for your beloved pirate, princess?" King George asked coldly as he dropped Killian's booted feet.

"Stop! Don't hurt him!" Emma cried out.

"I want justice, princess and I won't stop until I get it," King George snapped. "It's time Regina."

Regina then appeared by magic in front of her. She walked up to Killian and plunged her hand into his chest.

Emma screamed, "No!"

Her feet were like lead, she couldn't move fast enough. She tried and tried to lift one foot after another but couldn't do it.

"Leave him alone! Please!" Emma begged for mercy.

"I'm going to have some fun before I crush his heart," Regina announced smugly. She spoke to his heart and gave it a command, "Kill Emma."

Killian stood up as if in a trance and took out his sword from its scabbard. When he spotted Emma he moved towards her pointing his sword at her.

Emma cried, "Killian!"

She was able to move backwards and away from him.

"Killian!"

"Killian!" Emma cried in her sleep.

Killian moved like a striking panther and was instantly at her side, sitting right next to her. His hand moved to the nape of her neck, his fingers coiling into the escaped tendrils of her hair. She was whimpering and sobbing. He felt her curl against him so he slipped on strong arm beneath her to hold her close to his chest.

"Wake up, love," he murmured, his breath touching her moist brow. He cupped the back of her head to hold her closer and nuzzled the top of her blonde head.

He listened to the doctor speak to Snow and Charming.

"I've never seen anything like this. It could either be a new disease or magic, in which case the Blue Fairy would be able to help since magic is not within my scope of practice," the doctor said. "If no one else has come down with the same symptoms then it most likely would be magic. In any case, I will continue to administer some medicines to calm her down and lessen her suffering."

"We appreciate anything you can do for my daughter," Snow answered.

Emma's symptoms did alleviate but she was still suffering. Killian knew this. If there was any way he could think of to lessen her pain, he would do it.

As he rocked her gently in his arms, he spoke some calming words to her, "We'll find a way to cure you, my love. Come back to me, Emma. Come back."

As Emma ran through the castle, she heard his voice in her head, "Come back to me, Emma."

She looked back to see Killian coming towards her with his sword. She knew he was helpless to follow Regina's command. She ran to the library and hid behind a bookshelf. She made a noise on purpose and when he came towards the book shelf she pushed it over and toppled it on top of him letting mounds of books fall on him and ran out of the room. She prayed that he wasn't hurt too badly. She needed to find the Evil Queen and get Killian's heart back.

When she finally reached the throne room, she found Regina sitting in her mother's chair gazing at Killian's heart.

Emma tried to conjure her magic but nothing came out of her hands. She willed Killian's heart to come to her hands but nothing came of it. Finally she heard a noise behind her and it was Killian. He came into the room ready to pounce on her.

"Too bad there's nothing you can do to stop this," Regina then crushed Killian's heart in her hand and Emma let out a terrifying wail.

She rushed towards Killian who fell down. She quickly held his face in her hands.

"Please don't die! Killian you can't leave me!" Emma sobbed with grief. "Killian you can't leave me!"

"Killian, you can't leave me," Emma muttered in her deluded state.

Killian still held her in his arms. He'd never been so scared in his life. Every nerve in his body was stretched to the brink.

"I'm right here, love," Killian pleaded with her to hear him. "I'm right here. I'm never leaving you."

He pressed his face against hers and held her tightly to him. He could feel her slipping away and he felt helpless to stop it.

"I love you, Emma."

Emma saw Death. Death was not a grotesque skeleton wearing a dark hooded cloak and carrying a scythe, but a beautiful, ethereal, enchanting woman. As Emma lay in her bed, she watched Death float above her. Her ghostly flesh sweet and fragrant was pleasing. Her hair was long and blonde. With a finger, she beckoned Emma to come to her.

Yes, Emma thought. I must go. I cannot stand another moment in this hell. I must follow Death so I can be with my loved ones.

She hurt. Her entire body was on fire and aching, like a ton of stones fell on top of her.

Death came closer, smiling and seductive. Emma thought she must be a witch. Then she realized Death looked like her. It could not be.

Emma reached out to touch the ghostly image of herself as it hovered. Death reached for her fingers and with horror Emma realized it wanted to take her away, to lead her away from her earthly self. She wondered if she was looking at her soul about to depart from this life.

"Come." Death crooned so sweetly and gently.

Emma was afraid, but she so wanted to be with Killian. Her family was in the afterlife too.

Emma knew there was nowhere to go, so she watched as the woman, Death, came closer. When Death put her face to hers, Emma closed her eyes for the end of all earthly time. When she opened them, the eerie reflection of herself was gone and instead Killian's face was in front of her instead and she rejoiced. He gave her a deep kiss which she returned. All of a sudden she felt transported back to her own conscience. She opened her eyes and gasped for breath.

"Emma! You came back to me!" Killian hugged her. She heard the whole room cheer. She looked around the room to see her parents, Neal, the doctor and some of the maids looking at her with smiles on her faces.

"Am I dead? Are we in the afterlife?" Emma asked feebly, still weak from her fever.

"Of course not, my love," Killian said. "Bloody hell! Why didn't I do that before?"

Killian scolded himself. They had kissed a million times before but when Emma fell ill, he somehow thought kissing her was improper and inappropriate in some way. He couldn't kiss her in the sick condition that she was in but he was so desperate for her to hang on. He could feel her slipping away and decided to kiss her to keep her with him.

"Do what before?" Emma asked still confused. She fell back on the pillows, exhausted and relieved.

"Try true love's kiss," Killian said with an apologetic look on his face. Guilt washed over him for not kissing her sooner so she wouldn't have to go through all that suffering. The thought never occurred to him to try. He didn't even know what caused her illness.

"My father woke up my mother with true love's kiss and broke a sleeping curse," Emma mumbled.

"And now it seems you found your true love, Emma," Snow said. Snow reached out for Killian's hand. "Thank you for saving my daughter. I'm sorry I doubted your love."

Killian gave her a smile. "I understand how you couldn't put your trust in a pirate, but know now that I will always treasure and truly love your daughter."

Snow returned his smile, "I know you will."

Charming sat on the other side of the bed and Neal came up behind him.

"I'm glad you're back, my little duckling," he said to Emma. His pet name for Emma was "little duckling" for he always knew once his daughter grew out of her tomboy, lanky phase, she would turn into a beautiful, elegant swan.

Tears glimmered in Emma's eyes hanging heavily on her lashes. She gripped the flesh and blood hand of Killian. Had it been a bad dream that she lost them? Had it been a bad dream that she saw her own soul? She was just glad she could be surrounded by her family again and Killian had his heart.

She reached up to cup Killian's face with her hand, "Thank you, Killian, for bringing me back."

Killian kissed the inside of her hand and said, "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Suddenly a blue light shone in the room which signaled the arrival of the Blue Fairy.

"I see true love's kiss saved the day," the Blue Fairy observed.

The fairy waved her wand over Emma and deduced what happened.

"That was a particularly nasty curse. A curse that only true love's kiss could end," Blue Fairy remarked. "If only we had remains of the curse."

Neal came forth with the hot cocoa container, "There might be some remains in here."

Blue Fairy inspected the contents of the container, "It seems this may be it."

"A maid may have been under a spell," Neal offered.

"Bring her to me."

A few moments later, the terrified looking maid was brought before the Blue Fairy in the hallway outside Emma's room.

"Don't be afraid, dear," the Blue Fairy tried to console her. She waved her wand over the scared maid.

"She doesn't have her heart," the Blue declared.

"The Evil Queen has it," Charming spat angrily. He said to the maid, "We will get your heart back. She needs to be stopped so she will never harm my family again."

"What can we do when she has magic?" Snow said her thoughts out loud.

Emma threw back the covers of her bed determined to be a part of this discussion. It was already mid afternoon.

"You need to rest, my love," Killian tried to get her back to bed.

"My energy is back and so is my determination to end this with the Evil Queen," Emma was resolute.

Killian admired her strength and the way her eyes flashed with anger.

She appeared in the hallway tying her robe on.

"We need to find her and stop her once and for all," Emma resolved. "Or else we'll constantly be a target for her evil."

"Emma-," Snow started but Emma held up her hand.

"I'm fine, mom," Emma interrupted.

"Well, anyone have any ideas on how to catch her?" Neal asked the obvious.

Once Emma got dressed, they all adjourned to the council room to come up with a strategy to take down the Evil Queen. The meeting was interrupted by the arrival of Captain Graham Humbert who had been sailing from port to port searching for the whereabouts of the Queen.

He announced, "There are reports that the Evil Queen has been sighted around the Enchanted Forest, your majesty."

"We know. She has already made an attack on the princess and as you can see she has recovered," Snow stated.

"I fear I may have been too late to relay the news. I most humbly apologize," Graham bowed.

"There's no need to apologize. Regina is cunning and tricky. Just relay us any more information that you found," Snow needed to get as much intelligence on Regina as possible in order to formulate a plan to stop her.

He gave them all the information he knew and he was excused to go back to see to his crew.

They all mulled over the information that he gave trying to best figure out a way to attack the queen.

When they emerged, they all had a purposeful look on their faces.

The next morning, Emma who was completely recovered from her ordeal, sprinkled fairy dust on the hot cocoa container. The Evil Queen's magic would lead them to her.

"It begins," Emma announced.