Once Upon a Time something always brings me back to you

**entitled;** something always brings me back to you.  
><strong>summary;<strong> our lovely princess and the lieutenant jones have known each other for a very long time and fate seems to enjoy bring them back together.  
><strong>rating; <strong>t  
><strong>disclaimer; <strong>i own nothing, obviously. or emma and killian would have a hell of a back story together, lemme tell you.  
><strong>word count;<strong> 1,640  
><strong>notes;<strong> this is, in no way a one-shot, but i'm going to try to limit it to a few parts at most, considering i have very little time to get to things so, expect more, but expect it...kinda slowly.  
><strong>dedication; <strong>cs secret santa gift for sarah.

* * *

><p><strong>something always brings me back to you<strong>

**.**

The first time they meet, Emma's little-she'd convinced her mother to let her godmother Red take her out of the castle and into the nearest village. It wasn't all that difficult for her to venture off on her own and lose her godmother competely; Emma was very good at it, and really, you'd think they would have learned by now.

The day's destination was the docks; she didn't understand why, she just knew that the sea had been calling to her. Every day for the past few months, she wanted to be near it.

When she arrived, she lost herself in poking in and out of a variety of ships. A few times she was nearly caught by a crewman, or captain, but she'd narrowly avoided being seen.

Until she found herself on one particular ship and she was peering over the railing at the murky waters.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be on this ship!"

A gasp left her lips, her hands slipped and before she could so much as glance back to see who had finally caught her, she was falling forward and being swallowed whole by the waters below.

The initial struggle tired her out fairly quickly; trying to tell what was up and what was down, and the need for air had her head spinning. The edges of her vision were going black, not that she could see much but the dark shadow the ship cast. Still, she could feel herself losing, the need to breathe became to much and she gasped, water filling her lungs just as someone's arm snaked around her waist and pulled.

The world went black before they reached the surface, but she was holding his hand so tight her knuckles were white when she awoke, the water leaving her lungs in a violent lurch.

"Emma!"

"Princess!"

"She's alive!"

The chorus of voices did nothing more than bleed into each other, but as Red snaked her arms around her tiny frame from the right, Emma refused to let go of the hand she was gripping to her left.

Fingers cramped, and she loosened them a bit, eyes darting in the direction of it. The gaze that met her was one thay mesmerized her-eyes the color of the ocean, dark and stormy in a boy a few years older than her.

They were lonely, sad, tragically beautiful eyes.

Eyes that she might have very well fallen in love with at that very moment.

"Did you save me?" She murmurs through Red's dark locks falling in her face.

Her godmother pulled back then, eyes falling on the boy that looked suddenly more uncomfortable under the brunette's scrutinizing gaze than her had under her curious one.

He nodded once, focusing his gaze on her over Red and she muttered a soft, "Thank you," and weaseled her way out of Red's arms, throwing hers around the unsuspecting boy. "Thank you for saving me."

He stiffened under her, but she was determined to cling to him until he returned the action, paying no mind to Red's poor attempts at getting her to let him go.

And then he wrapped his arms around her small form, mumbling a barely audible, "You're welcome, Princess," into her ear.

Emma pulled back then, a soft smile on her lips as she finally set him free. Slowly, she turned back to Red, reluctant to leave her savior's arms and told her, "Can we go home, now? I'm cold."

Almost instantly, she had a coat fall onto her shoulders, and she turned to see the boy standing with his hands in his pockets, an unreadable expression on his face as Red helped her to her feet. "Oh-"

"You can keep it." He blurted out, "Just don't go falling into the sea anymore."

Emma opened her mouth, ready to respond, but Red was pulling her away, and only when he was out of sight did she realize that she had never asked for his name.

**·**

She doesn't see him again for a very, very long time, but the place in which they finally do meet again is exactly where she forst met him; she snuck out of the castle-an extravagant ball was happening behind castle walls. Suitors throwing themselves at her, people she doesn't know, or really even care for bugging her and she needs to breathe.

So she leaves.

She leaves, and much like that night, she can feel the sea calling to her. An odd sense of contentment wraps itself about her and she's perfectly at ease, not a ship in sight-just the ocean, wild and unpredictable and beautiful.

"Don't fall in again, I don't think I could pull you out with that dress of yours weighing you down this time 'round."

She spins around, eyes wide as she takes a step back; she stumbles then and it seems like she's going to fall right into the water when fingers wrap around her wrists and pull her forward, flush against the hard, uniformed chest of the man that had startled her to begin with.

"I said _don't_ fall in." he breathed into her ear and she freezes; she doesn't know him, doesn't remember and though the jolt of familiarity runs through her she scrambles to get away-from the edge of the docks and him.

"You-I wasn't expecting anyone to find me." She blurts out, eyes wandering, taking in the uniform and the way he held himself before letting her gaze meet his and it was his eyes-

Those gorgeous, stormy eyes that made her remember exactly who he was.

"You're the boy who saved me." She murmurs, fingers curling and uncurling against her hand. "I still have your coat."

A twitch of a smile graces his lips and he nods, "Aye. Let's not make a habit of you falling into the ocean every time we meet, alright, Princess?"

She scowls, "Emma-"

His brows furrow, seeming confused.

"Just call me Emma." She clarifies, taking a step forward, head tilting just a bit as she takes him in. "Why aren't you at the ball? My parents said they invited the entire kingdom."

He took a few steps back, looking like he was struggling with something before he answered with, "I'm not much for festivities. Though, my brother should be up there."

"Your brother?" She's curious then; he seemed so lonely, she didn't imagine he would have had much family when she was little-she'd seen those eyes. But then she knew very well what it felt like to have so many people in your life and still feel very, very alone.

He nodded, another smile tugging at his lips, "He's the Captain of the Jewel of the Realm. He felt not attending would have been bad form-"

There's a look on his face that makes her want to laugh but she keeps from doing so.

"-He did have a point, but I couldn't bring myself to go with him." He tells her and she smiles.

"If you had I wouldn't have met my savior-" She teases.

He gives a small chuckle, "Or maybe you would have met me sooner, and I might have stolen a dance."

There's a glint in his eyes, a sparkle and it has her feeling lighter than she had in a while. "Only might have?" She teases and he's in her personal space again.

"I would have." He tells her and reaches for her hand, "You know what, I still am-"

Blonde brows furrow, "What-?"

His grin screams mischief, and propriety, and gentleman all at once; he bows, a hand held out to her while his other arm is folded behind his back, "May I have this dance?"

She stares at him as if he's lost his mind for a beat before blurting out, "There's no music."

"Simply follow my lead, my lady, tis all it takes." His tone has changed, it sounds almost challenging and her pride make her hands shoot out, fingers lacing through his as she steps forward, letting him snake his other arm around her waist and start a slow, steady rhythm to a song that on he could possibly know inside that head of his. "See, simple."

She fights the urge to roll her eyes and remembers that once again she has yet to ask the man for his name; meeting his gaze, she mumbles, "I never asked you for your name."

"Leftenant Killian Jones at your service, Princess." He teases, light and sweet and Emma has half a mind to tease him about his accent in return, but finds that she enjoys it too much to actually do so.

"I told you to call me Emma," She frowns, only to have him chuckle at her, "_Lieutenant._"

"Then I will do so, if you call me Killian."

"You started this," She goes on, "So you go first."

He's laughing at her and she's growing all the more frustrated, no longer moving in time with him or letting him lead her in this little dance of theirs. "Alright, alright. Apologies, _Emma._ Now, may we continue our dance, or have I upset you too much?"

She looks him over, arms folded over her chest as if she's going to hold back, but she looks into those eyes of his and she relents, slipping her hand into his again.

They spent the entire night dancing; dancing and teasing and speaking of nothing in particular. It was one of the best nights Emma had ever had and it would have been perfect.

But when midnight hit, the Enchanted Forest was run through with billowing purple smoke and that would be the last time they saw each other for an entire year.

**·**

"Hey... Hey, hey!" She called out, pointing at the source of the voice that filled her ears as they walked through the sight of Cora's massacre. Aurora caught on and called to Mary-Margaret and Mulan, who rushed over just as they pulled a man out from under the several bodies.

He looked right up at her and her heart stopped, jade hues locking with stormy ones for a brief second, sending recognition running through her system, but he was the first to speak.

"-Emma?"

**tbc.**


End file.
