Cora lets the curse take Killian, and her action changes the course of events in Storybrooke, forever changing their lives.
— Fanfiction.net Summary
Unlike canon, Cora forces Killian out of the protective bubble she used to keep herself shielded from the curse. This means that Killian, whose cursed identity is Deputy Killian Jones, meets Emma Swan during the first curse. Killian's presence causes ripple effects that change the course of future events.
Broken Souls Mend Hearts
is a Once Upon a Time canon divergence fic by Can't-Escape-My-Fandoms. It was inspired by the author's knowledge that the show's creators wanted to bring in Captain Hook earlier, but they didn't get the rights to him until Season Two.
The story can also be found on Archive of Our Own here.
There is also a blog devoted to the story found here.
WARNING: Unmarked spoilers for the events of Season One and Season Two.
Broken Hearts Mend Souls contains examples of:
- Ascended Extra: A number of characters get a bigger role in Broken Hearts Mend Souls than they did on the show. For example, the Zimmer Twins and Grace are featured more often as they become Henry’s good friends. Jefferson takes on a bigger role as a friend to David and a Vitriolic Best Buds to Killian, as well as a Love Interest to Ruby.
- Auto Erotica: Everyone at Emma’s birthday was shocked, amused, and/or horrified to realize that Michael Tillman gave the gift of a seat coupon after Killian's hook got stuck in it a lot.Jefferson: You’re not the only one that uses that car!
- Battle Couple: Emma and Killian against Cora during the fight at Lake Nostos.
- Big Damn Kiss: A number of reunion kisses between Emma and Killian count as this, particularly the one they have when Killian returns to Storybrooke after being stuck in the Enchanted Forest.
- Big "NO!": Killian’s reaction when he sees Cora stick her hand in Emma’s chest with the intention of ripping out her heart, a horrifying mimic of when Rumple did the same thing to Milah. Luckily for Emma, it doesn’t work.
- Broken Pedestal: Blackbeard, aka Liam Jones I, is afraid that if Killian realizes his true identity, his little brother will lose all respect for him.
- Commonality Connection: Killian manages to convince Regina to go against Cora, who has just poisoned Henry, as a way to protect the boy he calls “their son”. It works.
- Dead Guy Junior: Killian and Emma decide to name their baby Liam, if it’s a boy, after Killian’s deceased older brother. Subverted in that Liam Jones I is actually alive.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: Averted with Graham. Whereas he’s not mentioned much after season 2 on the show, he’s brought up a little more often, with one scene being devoted to Killian calling out Regina on killing Graham.
- Famous Ancestor: Although Killian is the only person to realize it at the time, Snow, Emma, and Henry are all descendants of the king who sent him and Liam on the mission to Neverland that caused Liam’s apparent death.
- Fate Drives Us Together: You could make the case that all True Love couples are subjected to this.
- Feuding Families: The Mills women vs Eva, Snow, and Emma. By proxy this includes David, Killian, and Henry vs Cora and Regina.
- For Want Of A Nail:
- The premise of the fic. Because Cora went back on her deal with Killian and let the curse take him, he ends up going through the events of season 1. However, because of his presence there, changes occur such as a stronger relationship with Henry, and he and Emma meet sooner.
- If the king didn’t have an heir before he died, then Emma - Killian’s True Love - never would have been born.
- Friends with Benefits: How Tink and Blackbeard try to classify their relationship. It lasts about as long as you might think.
- The Glomp: Henry hugs Emma’s middle in excitement over finding out he’s going to be a big brother.
- Heartbroken Badass: Along with being heroes, Killian and Emma are this trope. Killian's love, Milah, was murdered in front of him by Rumplestiltskin, while Neal left Emma in prison.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Ruby and Snow are there for each other during hard times, whether it be war or marital problems.
- Intergenerational Friendship: A 300-year-old pirate and a shepherd-turned-prince in his 20s can count.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: When Killian doubts his possible skills as a father, he starts distancing himself because he doesn’t think he’s good enough for Emma, Henry, and the baby.
- Kid Hero: What Henry aspires to be, especially when he has access to magic in Neverland.
- Love Is a Weakness: This is practically Cora’s house motto, but it rarely works out for her to make someone else believe this.
- Love Redeems: Although Killian already had goodness in him, what really brought it out and kept him grounded were his relationships with Graham, Marco, Emma, Henry, and David.
- Love Will Lead You Back: Killian’s love for Emma and Henry, his family, drive him to go with Anton to find a way back to them, even though he’s pretty seriously injured from his fight with Cora at Lake Nostos.
- May–December Romance:
- Subverted with Killian and Emma, as they look around the same age - late 20s - but Killian is actually 300-years-old.
- There's also the 300 something year old Neal with sixteen year old Emma and 300 something year old Rumple with Belle. Doubly for Rumple and Belle in appearance as well as physically Belle is in her 20s while Rumple is in his 60s.
- Noodle Incident: David apparently has some sort of dirt on Killian.
- No-Sell: Cora, nor anyone else for that matter, can pull Emma's heart out of her chest.
- Odd Couple: Several examples.
- Who would’ve thought that the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming would get together with Captain Hook?
- Also, who would’ve thought that the Composite Character of Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf would get together with the Mad Hatter?
- Again, what was the dating service that plans to bring together the former Evil Queen and Robin Hood?
- And then there’s the one with Blackbeard and Tinker Bell.
- Odd Friendship: Many.
- Red Riding Hood/The Big Bad Wolf is best friends with Snow White.
- Captain Hook and Prince Charming give bromance a whole new meaning, not to mention the Mad Hatter rounding out their trio.
- There’s also Captain Hook and the Beauty, and the Evil Queen’s friendship with Belle.
- The Ugly Duckling/Savior is also very good friends with Tinker Bell. Yes, that Tinker Bell.
- Oh, Crap!:
- David's reaction to Jefferson revealing Killian's Enchanted Forest identity.
- Emma reacts this way when Baelfire turns out to be her ex Neal.
- One True Love:
- Killian and Emma are this to each other.
- Snow White and David "Prince Charming" are this as well, which makes their daughter Emma a Product of True Love.
- Parental Sexuality Squick: Played for Laughs when Henry (along with David) gives a loud “Ew!” when Killians gives Emma a big kiss after learning that she’s pregnant.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: A number of characters call out Neal for what he did to Emma, with Snow even punching him the minute he stepped out of a hospital elevator.
- Rebellious Princess: Quite literally. Snow started a rebellion against Regina in order to both save her life, and the lives of her loved ones, but also to regain her kingdom.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Liam Jones, Killian’s older brother, is actually alive. Liam was drafted into the service of Peter Pan, and Liam eventually became so ashamed of himself that he eventually took on the persona of the pirate Blackbeard. Killian doesn’t realize that Liam and Blackbeard are the same person until after Liam’s namesake, Emma and Killian’s son, is born.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Killian and his crew became pirates following Liam I’s death, as they had been deceived into thinking a poisonous plant was meant to heal by a corrupt king.
- Sailor's Ponytail: Killian had one when he was a teenager in the Royal Navy.
- Second Love:
- Emma and Killian are this to each other.
- Will Scarlet is this for Alice.
- Someone to Remember Him By: Played with. Emma realizes she’s pregnant after she returns to Storybrooke. However, this is after she witnessed Killian being badly injured, and she has no idea if he’s alive or not. Thankfully, Killian does indeed come back alive.
- Something Only They Would Say: More like Something He Would Sing. Killian begins to realize that Blackbeard might be Liam when the former sings a lullaby to the latter’s son, a lullaby that Liam I sang to Killian when he was a boy.
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Word of God: The author has proclaimed there will be sequels. Once the first fanfic is finish of course.
