A/N: I've had a few people read this before I posted it anywhere, and they all hate me now lol so enjoy this, and leave me a review to let me know what you thought! This is my first published CS fic, so I'm quite excited about it ;)

A deadly silence lay over the town of Storybrooke, Maine that day. The crickets didn't chirp, all of the shops closed, and every single citizen donned black clothes to mourn and grieve the loss of their heroine; their Saviour.

The news had rippled throughout the community rapidly, and within an hour everyone knew that she had died. If that piece of news wasn't enough, they were also unable to find her son. He had gone missing, and she had died. Two blows to the small community, which were felt at the very base of their souls.

Everyone who hadn't known her personally knew her as the sheriff; Sheriff Swan, with her beautiful blonde curls and her taste for cinnamon on her cocoa. Sheriff Swan, who had rolled into town one night in her yellow Bug, and had begun to unknowingly change things in Storybrooke. Sheriff Swan, the woman who broke the Dark Curse and reunited everyone with their loved ones. Sheriff Swan – Emma Swan – the woman who finally found her family after twenty-eight years of loneliness. Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, the beloved King and Queen and heroes of the Enchanted Forest. Emma Swan, who risked everything to protect the people she cared about, because she had finally found people to fight for.

Emma Swan, the woman who never had a home, or a family, or loved ones, had died protecting the town she had been destined to save.

The funeral was to be a very public event held the next day, because everyone in town not only loved and adored her, but owed her their lives. If she hadn't come to Storybrooke all those months ago, then the Curse would never have been broken and they would still be living in that ridiculous, repetitive blur. But not only that, she had died fighting Peter Pan and his Shadow, and they all assumed she must have succeeded for the boy's body had been located by hers when she was found.

Everyone in town had reacted to the news in heartbroken horror, but there were some who reacted more strongly than the rest.

Ruby – Red – had not known what to do with the news. She was the one who had found her lying in the forest, being the one who could track people with her wolf senses. What was she supposed to do? She had shaken Emma so hard to try and wake her up, but it was too late – she was gone, and had been for some time. She had died alone, and Red didn't want to tell anybody that. The Saviour, dying alone with nobody to hold her or protect her. Emma had shown her how special she was and how gifted she was when she felt utterly useless under the Curse, and in doing so had brought so much of Red back, but now she couldn't do anything to help her. She instead had to bring her body back to town, crying the whole way, wanting to protect everyone from the knowledge that she was dead.

Regina was the first person to see the body. Red had brought Emma to her, as she just assumed that the mayor had the resources to find her a casket. She was right of course, but Regina hadn't known what had happened at first and had been very confused as a sobbing Red walked into her office. With a closer look at the blonde woman she realised how lifeless she looked, how pale and still. She had gone very still at that, refusing to believe it. She and Emma hadn't been the best of friends, but Emma was Henry's mother too, and they had gotten closer during and after Neverland. She had been teaching Emma magic, and they had even started smiling and laughing with one another – something unexpected, but not unwelcome. She hadn't realised how much she would miss her if she were to die, but seeing her body then made her realise exactly how much she didn't want her to.

Regina had also frozen at the fact that Emma was the last person Henry had been with, and if Emma was dead and Henry nowhere to be found (according to Red), then…

Snow and Charming had been at the loft together when Regina and Red showed up, the both of them pale-faced and visibly upset. They both remembered their hearts racing when they saw them, knowing that they were about to be told something awful.

It's…it's Emma.

What about her?

She's dead.

Snow had sunk to the ground after a moment beside her husband, her strength leaving her, and their hands found one another. Dead. It didn't sound real. What did they mean, dead? Emma couldn't die.

She remembered holding her for five minutes – five minutes, that was all – before having to say goodbye.

Goodbye, Emma.

Snow had kissed her newborn daughter's forehead and then her husband, and that was it. Gone. Then only a few minutes later when she was in that room with her unconscious husband and Regina, she had realised that she had indeed gotten away, and hope filled her. Her daughter would find them, just as Charming had promised her she would. She had told Regina as much, but the Queen hadn't paid much attention to it, too wrapped up in her imminent victory. The Curse had come, and then suddenly Snow was walking down a street in Storybrooke, Maine, wearing a big pink coat with all of the memories of her life rushing back into her. She knew immediately that the Curse had been broken, and she could now think back on all of her interactions with Emma knowing that that had been her daughter. She had unknowingly been living with her daughter for several months, and so she had just walked down that street in a haze. Then her husband had called her name, and…

Now…now I find my daughter.

So it's true.

Looking at Emma – really looking at Emma for the first time – she had been overwhelmed. Emma had looked so unbelieving, so doubtful, but Snow had pulled her into a hug and started to cry with joy. She had found them, she had broken the Curse. Her family was whole again.

She didn't know how long she had sat there on the floor of the loft, her hand entwined with Charming's. They had become so wrapped up in their thoughts, their minds, their hearts, and their souls refusing to believe that Emma was dead. Their darling Emma, alone her entire life, had finally found happiness, but just as easily it had been ripped from her.

Dead.

Charming was in just as much a state of shock as his wife. They were so similar, she and him, but they had still managed to grip each other's hands tightly as their memories flooded through them. How could Emma be dead? She was so unstoppable, so strong, so just, and she had always found a way to win. She was good. How could she be dead? Good couldn't lose like this. Emma was the product of true love, surely she had protection against supernatural death?

He had been her parent just as short a time as Snow had. They had lain together for a few minutes before Snow had told him to take Emma to the wardrobe to get her away from the Curse.

We have to give her her best chance.

Charming had dutifully agreed, kissing her for the last time, before taking baby Emma away. Brandishing a sword, he had fought off the Queen's knights, and had placed her gently inside the wardrobe, kissing her forehead goodbye.

Find us.

Then he had been stabbed, and had passed out. He assumed that the Curse came moments after, but whatever the case the next moment of reality Charming had was in his truck on the way to leave town and go to Boston. He had stopped immediately, his mind racing. The Curse had been broken, his daughter had done it – Emma had done it. He had known her for months, all that time interacting with her while unknowing who it really was he was talking to. Driving back to town, finding Snow again, and then finally finding Emma, properly finding Emma, he had been so happy. So relieved. His family was whole again.

He couldn't believe his eyes then, and he couldn't believe his ears now. There was no way she was dead. Good couldn't just lose. Emma finally had been reunited with them, they had been happy, they had gotten off Neverland at the never-failing beliefs of their daughter, and now she was dead?

He didn't know when he started to cry, but once he started he couldn't stop. Snow had been crying as well, and they simply went into each other's embrace and mourned for what felt like eternity.

The funeral had been arranged by Regina, as Snow and Charming were too unstable. That following day, the township had come into the graveyard to watch and to listen and to grieve and to mourn Emma Swan. She had been dressed in a stunning light purple gown, with her hair curled beautifully. Her face was serene - all of the worried lines on her face had left her in death, and to that everyone was at least partially thankful for. She had lived a horrible life, feeling unwanted, unloved and especially lonely with those walls she had erected around her heart. At least in death she would find peace, they all thought. She deserved peace more than anybody else after what she had been through and what she had done for them all.

People slowly began to trickle into the graveyard, staring at their lost princess in her glass coffin – an ode to her mother, of course, but that only made everyone more sad – and leaving flowers all around her. Snow and Charming stood closest to the grave, their eyelids heavy, and their faces red and blotchy as they breathed heavily and stared at their beautiful daughter. Everyone was also twice as upset for the fact that nobody had been able to find Henry yet, and everyone had begun to assume the worst.

Killian was one of the first people to arrive at the funeral. He had also been one of the last people to be told about her death, as he sat at the counter at Granny's talking to said woman while he tried things he'd never heard of before. It had been enjoyable, as the woman was pleasant company – being able to fire back her own witty comebacks and sass him as much as he could to her. That enjoyment had been shattered as soon as Red had walked into the diner. Granny had taken one look at her shaken, upset state, and had called for everyone to leave them be.

Red had shaken her head and stepped forward, looking around at the people in the diner, before saying in a choked-off voice, "Emma Swan is dead."

Silence had fallen immediately as everybody processed her words. Killian had dropped his fork and had become so still as he stared at the dark-haired woman, his mind going totally blank as he refused with everything inside of him to believe that what she was saying was true.

"I…I found her in the forest about half an hour ago," she had choked out. "She was all alone, save for the body of Peter Pan, who was lying a few feet away from her. They were both dead, so I know that Emma somehow saved us all from him," fresh tears had started flowing down her face as she spoke now. "Again. Also, she was the last person Henry was with, and we can't find him anywhere. I don't want to assume the worst, but…"

She had broken off, sobbing, and Granny had pulled her into a hug. Everyone in the diner had also become visibly upset and shaken by the news, and had quietly pushed away their meals and left the diner to come to terms with it and console the people closest to her.

Killian had stayed frozen the whole time people had slowly left, sitting at the counter of the diner as Granny and Red hugged one another and cried.

Emma Swan is dead.

He looked down at the plate full of odd food in front of him, and in a blind spark of rage threw it off the counter, as he began shaking in anger, pain and eternal sadness.

Emma couldn't be dead. He had seen her that morning – she had been with her son, smiling. She wasn't dead.

Shoving away from the counter, he went and grabbed Red's collar. "What do you mean, dead?"

Red looked at him sadly, and he began shaking his head in denial. "She died, Hook. I'm sorry. I know how much she meant to you."

"No," Killian said. No. She's not dead.

I have yet to see you fail.

He had said that to her on Neverland, shortly after having realised that he was in love with her. It was true – she had always found some way to annoy the crap out of him by succeeding in her every task. From realising that he was lying about who he was, to defeating the giant atop the beanstalk (and leaving him there), to breaking out of Rumplestiltskin's cell and then besting himself and Cora at Lake Nostos. Everything she set her mind to, she accomplished. Why would she fail now?

It doesn't make sense, Hook thought, shaking his head still. She can't die! I need her.

Two faces flashed through his mind, and he realised with a sudden jolt that he'd thought the exact same things two times previously.

When Liam, his beloved captain and brother died in his arms, that had been his last thought.

When Milah, his beloved, beautiful Milah had died in his arms, that had also been his last thought.

Emma had died, and he hadn't been there. Even if he could have done nothing, she died alone, with nobody to protect her.

You aren't very good at protecting the people you love, a dark part of his mind thought, and his eyes flashed angrily as he let go of Red and exited the diner.

As he walked, his memory went through every interaction he'd ever had with her. From the moment she'd grabbed him and put a dagger to his throat he'd known there was something intriguing about her. She'd climbed a beanstalk with him, resisted his flirtations, knocked out a giant, bested a giant, bested him. She was remarkable, and even he in his revenge-driven state of mind had realised that. Then he had found himself thinking more and more of her. Her beautiful blonde hair, her fierce green eyes that could both be tender and aggressive, vulnerable and strong. He had refused to accept the fact that he had a real crush on her – because it didn't make sense. He was so focused on avenging Milah, how could this blonde Saviour come in and make him see the world in a new light?

That had been exactly what she'd done though, and before he knew it he was stopping his revenge to help her find her son on Neverland. They'd fallen into an easy companionship on that God-forsaken island, and after they kissed and he realised exactly why he'd been so interested in her all that time, it was like the stars had aligned. It made sense. He loved her, and he knew he had for some time. She was so strong, but she was broken. He was going to make it his mission for her to at least know that she was loved and wanted, because she hadn't ever felt that way.

And now she was dead.

His beautiful Swan, who could never fail, and always found a way, was dead.

He hadn't truly believed that she was dead until the moment he saw her in that glass coffin, her eyes closed and her body still and lifeless. He had frozen upon spying her, his entire body shutting down. He was simultaneously numb and on fire.

Charming saw him standing there, and slowly came over to him, gently guiding him over to her coffin. He knew that Hook was in love with his daughter after his Echo Cave confession, and so he knew that he had to truly see her for the last time. He knew how that felt, and shuddered as he remembered thinking that Snow was dead. Charming swallowed as they came closer, and Snow linked her arms around one of his as they finally stopped before Emma's coffin. The two of them watched as Hook placed both hand and hook on the glass, staring at their daughter with such pain in his eyes that they both felt a fresh wave of tears cascade down their cheeks.

How could I have hated him? Charming thought to himself as he stared at the pirate. He knew exactly what he was feeling, for he had felt it with his wife when she was in her coffin. He knew how much he loved her simply by the look in his eyes at that moment, and so, breaking away from Snow, he walked over to him and surprised everyone by pulling the pirate into a hug. Hook was clearly shocked as well, but quickly returned it just as fiercely. Charming felt his shoulders shake and knew that he was crying, and hugged him tighter. He knew that his brother had died, and his first love Milah, and now Emma. How much more could he take? Could he take any more?

Snow came over and enveloped Hook into a hug as well, so that the three of them were trying to keep each other together. She could feel how upset Hook was, and it only broke her heart more. Emma would never know how much Hook loved her, she would never know how much they loved her, and it killed her. She had lived her life feeling so lonely, and now that she had people who were so determined to make her feel otherwise, it was too late. She was gone.

Sometime later, everyone had arrived, and the funeral started. Regina was going to deliver the eulogy, as everyone else who had been closer to Emma was too broken to sum up the strength to say it. She began talking about Emma, and even added in a few jokes about her and the Curse. Everyone had cracked a few smiles at that, and then Regina surprised everyone by what she said next.

"Seeing Emma in this dress must also be painful for you all, but especially for Snow and David. This dress symbolises all that Emma would have had, had she grown up in the Enchanted Forest. She is a princess, and would have one day been Queen. This dress symbolises the childhood she never had, the family she never had, and the love she never had. It is going to kill me inside every day for the rest of my life, because if I hadn't been so motivated for my own personal revenge, then I would never have ripped those things from her in the casting of the Dark Curse. Emma would have grown up in the way she deserved to grow up, and now it's too late," Regina sniffed sadly, her voice achingly sincere. "We will never forget you, Emma Swan."

"STOP!"

Everyone spun around in shock as Henry Mills himself came racing into the graveyard, seemingly unhurt. He ran all the way up to his mother's coffin and turned to address everyone, his hands resting on his knees as he gasped for breath.

"Henry!" Regina cried with relief and happiness, tears spilling down her cheeks as she ran over to him and embraced him. "Where have you been?!"

"I've been hiding!" Henry said to her. "Emma told me to run and hide if anything were to happen to her, so that's what I did."

Everyone grew very quiet at that, wondering if those were the last words she spoke to another person.

"Henry," Regina said after a moment, "Emma…she's…"

"She's not dead!" Henry yelled, breaking away from his mother's arms and running to the coffin. He placed his hands on the glass and stared at his mother with a strangely proud expression on his face. "She's not dead," he said again, this time quieter.

Snow started sobbing again, and Charming drew her as close to him as he could as they listened to Henry's denial.

"Henry…" Regina said gently, coming over to him again. Killian and Neal also came over to him in case the Queen needed help restraining him.

"NO!" Henry yelled, and found a chair and stood on it so that everybody could see him. "LISTEN TO ME! Emma isn't dead! I promise!"

"Henry, lad," Killian spoke up, his voice low and especially husky from his raw throat, "come down from there."

"Hook!" Henry bent down so that he was face to face with the pirate and pleaded with him. "Let me speak! Everybody needs to hear what I have to say!"

Killian looked at him, seeing the fierce determination in his eyes that reminded him so much of his Swan that for a moment he felt like he was staring at the mirror image of her. "Alright," he acquiesced after a long pause, swallowing hard to keep back the tears. "Tell us what you need to get off your chest, my boy."

"Emma did fight Peter Pan today," Henry began, looking around at everyone bravely, his voice taking on a proud and awe-filled tone as he spoke about his mother. "We were walking to the well in the forest when he appeared with his Shadow, and she immediately turned and told me to run and if something were to happen to her. She then pushed me to run a safe distance away anyway, and I listened to her. I was far enough away that he couldn't harm me, but I was close enough that I could see and hear what was going on."

"What happened?" Neal asked him gently.

"I think they had a duel of sorts – they used words, swords and magic," Henry's brow furrowed as he recalled the event. "Emma seemed to be winning, of course, but then they stopped and started speaking again. Emma said something to him – I don't know what – but whatever it was shocked Pan. He laughed somewhat nervously and said, 'You don't have the power to do that'. But Emma laughed and simply said she did. I didn't understand at first, but then I saw Pan try to hurt her and it didn't work. Emma had cast a protection spell over herself, and this spell gave her the strength to slice Pan down the chest with her sword. She then blasted some form of energy into him, and his Shadow disintegrated as he slowly began to die. But as he fell to the ground, Pan said, 'I told you you didn't have the power to do that. You shouldn't cast spells you don't understand, Emma.'"

Henry swallowed now, and everyone began to realise that her death would be coming soon. Henry bravely continued on speaking, though, to which everyone was grateful. It was good to hear what really happened, even if they didn't want to hear her actual death. "I ran over to them then, but Emma told me that I had to run and hide in case Pan regained his strength. I asked her if she would be okay, and she said she didn't know. Pan then told me that the spell she cast worked both ways: if he died, so would she. Emma didn't seem fazed by this though, and told me to start running. I didn't at first, and heard her say back, 'Actually, I have two spells, Pan. One to give me the strength to kill you, and thus, technically me, but the other one to cancel out the death of myself.' I heard Pan ask her what she meant, and she said, 'All magic comes with a price, Pan. To kill one as powerful as you the spell would need to be just as powerful, and thus the cost would be high. My life in addition to yours. However, if I happened to have a Sleeping Curse…'"

"What?!" Snow shrieked, and suddenly everyone was very intently focussed on Henry.

"Emma was going to die. But Sleeping Curses are powerful enough to cancel out all other magic on the victim, as they are designed to make the victim suffer for all eternity. Emma must have learned this, and so as I took off running to hide somewhere safe, I guess Emma ate something or pricked her finger or something that enacted the Sleeping Curse and stopped her from dying," Henry finished proudly. "See? She's not dead!"

"Henry…" Regina sighed, and walked over to him again. "I checked Emma's pulse. There wasn't one. She really is dead."

"Open the coffin! I'll prove it to you," Henry said persistently, and Regina closed her eyes before nodding.

"Okay," Regina said patiently. "If it will give you the closure you need."

The coffin was gently opened, and Henry bent down to listen to Emma's heart. She wasn't breathing, it was true, but he could hear something. Very faint, and not at all as strong as his own heart had apparently been when he had been under a Sleeping Curse.

"I can hear something!" Henry exclaimed. "I think it's her heartbeat, but it's so quiet."

"Gold!" Regina yelled, but he was already walking over to them. There was a small sense of hope that was rising amongst everybody at the mere possibility that she might not be dead, but they trusted Mr. Gold to have the final say.

Henry stepped away so that Gold could lean in and listen to her heart as well, and Henry watched as a look of shock came over the old man.

"The young boy is right," Gold finally said, standing up and addressing the audience. "Miss Swan is not dead – she is under a Sleeping Curse. Her heartbeat is very faint because the curse needed to be powerful enough to counteract whatever the other spell was that she cast."

"Well, what does that mean?" Henry asked as everyone around them erupted into cheers and shouts and crying joy.

"It means, Henry, that no ordinary kiss will be able to break the curse," Gold said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah – true love's kiss will break it," Henry said, as if this was very obvious.

"Yes, but when you were under a Sleeping Curse, your mother was able to wake you up. I don't think that this time, a simple mother and son relationship will be able to do the same for her," Gold explained. "That was true love, yes, but it is not as powerful as what, for example, her parents have. Miss Swan's curse is more powerful due to the spell it had to counteract, so this kiss will have to be different."

"So, to wake Emma up, we need to find her true love?" Henry said in understanding, looking at Emma for the first time in worry. "How do we do that? Her true love could be anyone."

Gold sighed, standing up straighter and looking out over the crowd, his gaze lingering on the leather-clad pirate who was embracing Emma's father in obvious relief. "Yes, Henry. Her true love could be anyone."

A/N: *Evil laughter* Did you expect that at all? Leave me a review to let me know how evil I am and what you thought about it! I'll be back with a new chapter soon.