Once Upon a Time 1. A New Day

_**Hello readers, and welcome to my newest story featuring our favorite couple. This one is set shortly after the Season 3 finale. Fair warning - this story contains MUCH darker themes than I normally dabble in and it can be triggering at times. I did what I thought was necessary and authentic to the story as it unfolds, but it might make for difficult reading for some. If this isn't your cup of tea, bail out now and read another one of my fics.**_

_**Strap in. This is going to be one helluva ride...**_

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><p>Killian stirred, not entirely sure what had woken him. Granny's rooms were always buzzing early in the morning, with people coming and going. He started to roll into a more comfortable position, and that's when he realized Emma was on his chest.<p>

_Emma._

So last night hadn't been a dream, after all. He closed his eyes, briefly, acknowledging a profound sense of thanks to whatever deity had taken pity on his wretched soul and thrown this woman into his path. He'd lived several lifetimes, and in none of them could he have imagined anyone the like of her. And last night was the culmination of a quest that reclaimed not only his capacity to love, but it seemed to have reclaimed his very soul, as well.

She'd made him want to be a better man, not to impress her, not just to woo her, but to _deserve_ her. And he'd finally, _finally_ won her over.

Even though she was warm in his arms, he was acutely conscious of the fragility of what they had. Last night had been wonderful, surpassing even his wildest dreams. He'd had too many women to count across his centuries of life, but none of them - not even Milah - had matched what he'd felt when he'd finally joined with Emma. It was more than carnal pleasure. There was an ache there that had been satisfied, something shifting deep within him that made room for every bit of her, and best of all, the feeling of that same shifting within her as their bodies learned each other.

He wanted to know every single thing about her, physically, emotionally - all of it. He felt as though she could open her mouth and talk for a year and he'd never grow tired of it. His hand tightened on her shoulder, then slid slowly down her naked back. He knew he could never tire of her or her wonderful, giving sensuality that seemed to burn through him with the force of a zephyr, carrying him into a realm of pleasure he'd never felt before.

His body began to answer the call of his thoughts, and he warred with himself. He wasn't an over-eager boy, but he'd kept her up most of the night, reaching for her again even after their first tumultuous pairing. The second time had been much slower, more thorough and leisurely, taking on an almost-dreamlike feel as she'd lain atop him afterward, still filled with him, their chests moving in unison as they sought to catch their breath. She'd fallen asleep with him still inside her, and he was too content to move her.

And now he wanted her again. He squirmed a bit, trying to get his impulses under control. _This is Emma, you randy dog,_ he reminded himself. _She's not to be rolled over and rutted like you've paid for the service._

"Mmmm. Good morning."

Her voice, combined with that tiny moan and stretch had an instant effect, making it even harder to control his wayward parts.

"Good morning to you," he answered, looking down at her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like the dead," she looked up at him with a smirk, then turned her head so she could re-settle herself on his chest. "Oh." She said. "Guess you're a little more awake than I am."

Hook flushed, feeling slightly embarrassed, but it wasn't like she could avoid it. His damned appendage was straining toward her even as she spoke.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up, but if you need more rest, I can oblige."

She looked up at him again. "Are you saying you wrecked me harder than I wrecked you?"

"You turned me to rubble, love, but never let it be said I can't rise to the occasion anytime you require my services."

She raised a brow. "Well, I am still working off a serious deficit, here. It's been months."

Hook looked more than a little uncomfortable now, and she caught it immediately, putting a hand on his chest.

"Hey, it's okay. I didn't mean anything by that. It's not like I expected you to have the same problem. You were away for a year and then I've been pretty brutal to you since we got back." She shrugged. "I don't expect you've been living like a monk all this time."

He gave a chuckle, sliding down to face her. "Leave it to you, Swan, to make me own up to myself. The truth is, love, I've got a much longer deficit than you."

She looked startled. "Really?"

"Really. Couldn't keep you out of my mind, and the body followed suit." He let out a belabored sigh. "It looks as though you've ruined me for other women. I hope you're happy."

She slid her arms around his neck, and her eyes were bright when they met his. "I am. I really am."

"So am I," he answered softly.

"So how about we work off that deficit?" She gave him a slow, sexy grin. He answered by rolling her beneath him, and pressing himself to her, making her bite her lip and move against him.

"My good lady Swan," he said, nuzzling her breasts. "I am entirely at your disposal."

###

They decided not to make their way into the restaurant for breakfast - Emma was concerned that Henry might figure out she hadn't come home the night before, and while she wasn't trying to hide what she and Hook had going, she wasn't really ready to have a full-on conversation with her kid about it, either, and knowing Henry, that's exactly what it would be.

They stopped in briefly at the apartment, catching David in the middle of a diaper change, which of course, amused Hook to no end.

"You missed a spot over there, mate," he directed, gesturing to the baby's underside.

"It's...everywhere!" David complained. "How does one baby produce all this?"

Snow looked over from the kitchen, where she was heating a teapot. "Oh! Don't forget to cover his - "

It was too late. Baby Neal christened his father right between the eyes, and Hook let out a bark of laughter.

"Looks like you need to pay more attention to his arsenal," he chuckled. "He'd had that trained on you, waiting for you to let your guard down."

David gave him a dirty look, reaching for the towel that Snow was handing to him.

"Second time today," David grumbled.

"You'll get the hang of it," Snow said, smiling. "We both will."

"Yeah, well, until then, I might need to look into some waterproof armor," David said wryly.

"At least you know his aim is good," Hook pointed out. "Imagine how handy he'll be with a crossbow one day."

Emma rolled her eyes just as her cellphone went off. She glanced down at the number. "It's Henry," she said, lifting the phone to her ear. "Hey, Henry." She listened a moment. "Right now?" She looked across at Hook, who shrugged as if to say "Whatever you want to do is fine."

"Yeah, we'll be right down. See you in a few." She put the phone back in her jacket pocket. "Henry wants us to come down to the dock. He says he's got something to show us."

"But you haven't had breakfast!" Snow objected. "At least take a muffin. We brought them from Granny's."

Hook reached out, taking a muffin and passing it over to Emma. "Go on, love," he said, giving her a wink. "You need to keep up your strength."

David gave Snow a pained look, passing the baby back to her. "Shall we take Neal for a walk down by the docks? It's not too cold out there."

Emma reached out, taking her brother out of Snow's hands. "You won't be needing a stroller," she said with a smile. "I've got this guy."

David grabbed the diaper bag, hoisting it over his shoulder. "What's in here, anyway?" he asked.

Snow shook her head. "We've got diapers, wipes, a bag for the used diapers and wipes, burp cloths, a change of clothes, gas drops, baby lotion, extra blankets – "

"Okay, okay…" David held up a hand, forestalling her.

"I packed less provisions for a month at sea," Hook replied, raising his brows. He gave Snow a cheeky grin. "Well, at least he's got a portable food supply."

Emma grabbed his collar with one hand, holding baby Neal against her shoulder with the other. "Come on, you, before you get assigned the next round of diaper duty."

Hook smiled, holding up his hook. "Not bloody likely."

She gave him a stony look. "I've seen how you can manage with one hand. I think you'll be a pro with a little practice."

"You'll certainly have to figure it out if you ever plan to have any of your own," Snow chimed in. Her remark was followed by five seconds of dead silence, as David, Emma and Hook looked at her in complete surprise.

She gave an uncomfortable shrug. "Just an observation." She herded David toward the door, and Emma followed, pulling Neal back off her shoulder and dropping a kiss on his forehead. Hook brought up the rear, staring thoughtfully at Emma's back, his mind whirling around Snow's words.

_If you ever plan to have any of your own_, she'd said. In truth, he never had. He'd always considered himself most definitely not the parenting type, then he'd had a brief taste of it with Baelfire. He'd mucked that up so badly, he knew he'd most likely been right about his lack of nurturing ability and he'd made sure that fatherhood was something he'd never have to worry about.

And now, here he was, spending family time with a bona fide family, feeling almost like he belonged. Well, he belonged with Emma - that much he was sure of. And with Emma came all the rest of her twisted and extended family tree. He hadn't thought of the word "family" in many, many years, and hers was just something that came as part of the package. He hadn't put any other connotation to the term beyond that.

Until now.

And damn, if Emma didn't look good with a babe in her arms.

###

They arrived at the dock less than ten minutes later, and Henry ran to meet Emma's car.

"Killian!" he said, panting. "Come quick!" He had a pair of binoculars around his neck that were bouncing as he ran. "I was whale watching and suddenly, there it was!"

"There what was?" Emma asked, confused.

Hook stepped slowly away from the car, his gaze glued to the horizon.

"Bloody hell," he swore softly. "I'd know those sails anywhere. It's the Jolly Roger."


	2. The Jolly Roger

"How is that possible?" Emma said, shading her eyes and looking off to the horizon. "You left the Jolly behind, didn't you?"

"I did," Hook affirmed. "Which can only mean that the new captain has decided to pay us a visit.

"New captain?" Snow asked, confused. "You mean, you're not the captain?"

"He traded the ship away," Emma said quietly.

Snow's eyes widened. "He traded it to get to you."

Emma looked uncomfortable. "Yeah. He did."

David stared at Hook. "You traded the Jolly Roger?"

"Aye," Hook answered. "Unfortunately, the new captain isn't exactly the congenial sort."

"And who might that be?" David asked.

Hook grimaced. "Blackbeard. And he wouldn't be coming all this way just to rub the Jolly Roger in my face. He's either after something or running from something."

"Neither one of those options sound promising," Snow observed, patting Neal on the back as she gazed out at the approaching ship.

"Maybe we'd better have a welcoming party here just in case," Emma suggested.

"I'll head back to the station and get my holster," David said. "I'll round up the dwarves on my way." He looked over at Hook. "How big of a crew does he usually sail with?"

"Usually, he's got a dozen or so," Hook observed. "Though it's possible he's alone. The Jolly is made of enchanted wood, and with an experienced captain, she can be sailed without additional crew."

"Let's ready ourselves for a full contingent, just to be safe," David suggested. "Emma, you good here until I get back?"

"Killian and I can keep an eye on him." She turned to look at Hook. "How long until he pulls in?"

"Judging by the wind, you've got about half an hour," Hook shaded his eyes, looking out over the water. "Well, at least she appears to still be sea-worthy. Blackbeard tends to court all sorts of ugly battles. He goes through ships at an alarming rate. I'd feared the worst for the Jolly when I handed her over."

Emma came up next to him, letting her shoulder touch his. She turned her head and said softly, "And you still traded it anyway."

He turned to look at her. "I'd make that trade again, love – a thousand times over if I had to."

David gently pulled Snow back as she stood behind the two of them, smiling ear-to-ear.

"Come on," he said softly.

Snow gave him an arch look. "She got to watch us fall in love. Don't I get to spy a little?" she whispered.

"I want you and Neal safely at home, if there's going to be trouble."

Snow gave a sigh. "You're right. And he's due for a feeding anyway."

"And probably a diaper change," David said. "Too bad I can't stay for that."

Snow gave a knowing laugh. "You'll just have to make up for it when you get back. You'll have plenty of opportunity."

David rolled his eyes, ushering her over to his truck.

"Henry!" He called out. "You'd better come with us. It might get ugly down here."

Henry walked up with a belligerent look on his face. "I can fight too, you know."

"I've no doubt you can, lad," Hook said, walking up behind him. "But Blackbeard is as scurvy a dog as you'll ever meet. He's like to use anything or anyone around as leverage."

"Hook's right," David said. "You can go back to the apartment with Snow. Keep an eye on her and the baby."

"We'll be completely defenseless while I'm feeding him," Snow pointed out. Henry didn't look like he was buying that line of reasoning, but he wasn't going to argue, so he climbed into the truck with a sigh.

"I'll be right back," David reassured before he drove away.

Hook turned to Emma, knowing before he even opened his mouth that he was about to go into battle.

"You, too, Swan," he said. "Go back with your mother. Leave Blackbeard to your father and me."

She gave him a look that told him how very unlikely that scenario was going to be.

"I'm staying." Her tone made it clear that this was not up for debate.

"I wasn't joking about Blackbeard, love. He really is a nasty piece of business. If he gets his hands on you – "

"He won't."

"Emma – "

"He won't." She repeated firmly. "Killian, you're acting like I've never faced a bad guy before."

"I know you have, love, but that was befo - " he wisely stopped himself, but Emma pounced on it, anyway.

"Before? Before what?"

His eyes met hers with an intensity that did something funny to her insides.

"Before last night," he said. "And for the record, I wasn't thrilled about it before, either. You've put yourself in harm's way entirely too often for my tastes."

"Killian, I'm a big girl. And if I remember correctly, I had a swordfight with the most fearsome pirate in all the realms – and I beat him."

His eyes narrowed, and he pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I may have let you win."

"No, you didn't."

He dropped a kiss on her lips. "No, I didn't," he grumbled. "But I also wouldn't have let Cora kill you, either. I was hoping if I got you out of the way – knocked you unconscious or something – she'd leave well enough alone."

"As I recall, the only one unconscious was you."

He gave a look. "All right, Swan, you've made your point. No need to belabor it."

"I'm just saying -"

"Enough. It's poor sportsmanship. Not good form at all."

Emma smiled smugly. "I left the muffins in the car. Shall we have breakfast while we wait?"

###

David was back with the dwarves in less than twenty minutes, and at Hook's direction, they hid themselves strategically along the dock, not wanting to alert Blackbeard to his welcoming party. That left Hook and Emma on the pier, ready to greet him.

The Jolly Roger pulled in fifteen minutes later, and Blackbeard strode down the gangplank, his face breaking into a taunting smile.

"You're not thinking you'll be welcome aboard my ship, are you, Hook?" he called out. "You've no claim to her anymore. We bargained fair and square."

"Aye, we did," Hook agreed with a grimace. "I'm only here to ascertain the purpose of your visit."

Blackbeard stood with his hands on his hips, glancing around. "Not much to see here, is there?"

"No," Hook agreed. "Not much to see at all. Bit of a bore, really." He stretched his arms out wide. "Might as well shove off, then, and find a more exciting port."

"Pffft." Blackbeard made a rude noise. "Had plenty of excitement in the last port. That's why I'm here. Had a whole kingdom of ships after me – damn near caught me, too. If it weren't for my magic beans, I'd've been done for." He gave Hook a perturbed look. "Are you sure this ship is the fastest in all the realms?"

"She is if she's manned by the right captain," Hook answered in a steely tone.

"Humphf." Blackbeard dismissed him with a wave of his hand, turning to look at Emma. "And who might this be?" he asked, stepping forward.

"She's none of your business." Hook's tone was pure ice.

"_She_ can speak for herself," Emma said abruptly. "And he's right. I'm none of your business. But I am the sheriff, and that makes you _my_ business." She glanced past him, to the deck of the ship. "Where's your crew?"

"Belowdecks," Blackbeard supplied. "I'm not fool enough to show my numbers as I pull into a strange port."

"Why was an entire kingdom chasing you?" Emma pressed.

Blackbeard gave her a scowl. "Because of a certain valuable commodity I bear in my hold. Unfortunately, we had to leave port rather abruptly, and were unable to obtain any supplies before heading out. I'd be willing to trade some of my merchandise for food and water, and then we'll be on our way." He gave Emma a patently fake smile. "See? Easy in and easy out."

"I don't want your stolen merchandise," Emma said. "You can fill up on food and water and then I want you gone within the next few hours. Understood?"

Blackbeard looked from Emma to Hook and back again. "We have an accord." He turned to walk back up the gangplank, but Emma forestalled him by grabbing his arm.

He glanced down at her hand with a smile. "If you'd like a private audience in the captain's cabin, my dear, I'm happy to oblige. I'm sure I have something pretty to reward you with after."

Emma took her hand off his arm, but she wasn't fast enough to get between him and Hook, who had already spun Blackbeard around and planted a fist in his face.

The pirate staggered back, almost falling off the gangplank, and drew his cutlass. Before he could take a swipe, David and the dwarves were thundering down the dock to form a semi-circle around them, and Emma had her gun drawn and pointed right at his chest.

"Don't you ever speak to her that way again," Hook growled. "She's no dockside whore and even if she were, she wouldn't spend her time with the likes of you."

Blackbeard gave them both an appraising look. "So. That's the way of it, then."

"Aye. It is." Hook's voice was implacable.

"The fearsome Captain Hook, brought low by a woman. Never thought I'd see the day." Blackbeard snickered, stuffing his cutlass back in its sheath.

"You've never seen a woman like her," Hook said firmly. "Now show us what you've got in your hold. And no trickery or you and your crew will have your skulls split by dwarf pickaxes."

Blackbeard eyed him with extreme dislike. "All right, then." He stepped onto the deck, stomping twice. "Up on deck, mates! We've got provisions to load!"

The hatch opened, and one-by-one the crew emerged, four of them in all.

"Is that it?" Emma asked. "Four?"

"There's one more down below, seeing to the cargo," Blackbeard said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. Emma started up the gangplank toward the hatch to the crew cabin, with Hook, David and the dwarves close behind. She stepped carefully down the stairs, with her gun drawn in front of her, but the lone man sat docilely on a bunk.

Emma was just about to tell him to get up on deck when she heard it. A low sound, like a whimper. And then another, followed by a sniffle. Her alarmed eyes met Hook's and he pushed past her, pulling up the hatch to the cargo hold.

"Oh my God," Emma said from behind him. "They're children."

Hook grimaced. "Slave labor. The boys are used in textile mills and mines in some of the less-than-desirable kingdoms. The girls fare a lot worse."

Emma looked at him. "You knew he did this?"

"No. For some reason, I'd thought him above it. Apparently, I was wrong."

Emma knelt down by the hatch. "Hey…it's okay. No one's going to hurt you here. Come on out and we'll get you some food and take you someplace safe." She reached a hand down inside. Hook knelt down next to her, reaching in as well, and together they got the children out of the hold.

When they'd pulled the last of them up, there were ten of them in all, malnourished, shaking, and wearing rags. They were filthy from their days in the hold and when they got them up on deck, all of them were squinting in the light. At the sight of Hook a few of them drew back.

"It's okay," Emma soothed. "He's a good guy. Promise."

"A good guy," Blackbeard scoffed. "The infamous Captain Hook, is a _good guy_." He spat on the deck.

A second later Hook was on him, tossing him onto the deck and coming down on top of him with his hook to Blackbeard's throat.

"You unconscionable bastard," he seethed. "How dare you fill the holds of my ship – _my ship_ – with human cargo. The Jolly Roger has never trafficked in slaves and you've sullied her good name."

"You've gone soft," Blackbeard retorted. "You always were a bleeding heart, Hook. Never could keep your eyes securely on the profit."

"And now I'm going to kill you and the whole human race profits," Hook answered, baring his teeth. "I call that a win."

"Not so fast," David interjected, reaching out to stay Hook's hand. "We have due process here. He's going to have to get a trial."

"I can save us all a lot of time and trouble," Hook said, refusing to take his eyes off of Blackbeard.

"I think I'm with Hook," Emma said, standing with the children.

"Emma," David said warningly. "We can't let ourselves go vigilante, here."

"Do you hear that, Hook?" Blackbeard taunted. "You have to handle me with care. Treat me with _civility_."

Hook answered with another strong punch to the face that broke Blackbeard's nose, sending blood spurting everywhere. David reached down, putting a hand on Hook's shoulder and pulling him back.

"Back off, Hook. That's an order."

Hook straightened up, his hand fisted at his side. Blackbeard lay back against the deck, laughing uncontrollably.

"Taking orders from a puling Prince. Oh, this..is…_grand_," he chortled.

"Emma, get the children out of here," David called over his shoulder. "Hook and I will deal with this parasite."

"Grumpy!" Emma shouted. "Take the crew down to the station and put them in the holding cell. Have Happy and Bashful take the children over to Granny's. Get them something to eat."

David gave her a look. "What about you?"

"I'm the sheriff, so I'll be staying to question the perpetrator." Emma said. "Why don't you get with your wife and Belle – find someplace we can put these kids for the night. Maybe we can set up beds in the library."

David stepped closer to her. "Emma – "

"Not you, too," she said, rolling her eyes. She gave a glance around at Blackbeard's crew, and then lowered her voice. "I think I'm the only one that has a prayer of talking Hook out of killing him."

David looked over at Hook, who was standing over a smirking Blackbeard, still obviously furious and seething.

"Good point," he observed. "Maybe we should take him with us - put him in with the crew."

"No," Emma said, shaking her head. "He'll tell us more if he thinks he's more likely to die from a wrong answer. I'll ride herd on Hook and Blackbeard can sweat for awhile."

David nodded. "Be careful. I'll be back in fifteen minutes." He followed the dwarves down the gangplank and off onto the dock.

"You missed one," Blackbeard called out.

"What?" Emma's head whipped around.

Blackbeard got slowly to his feet. "You missed one." He repeated. "There's a girl in my cabin."

Emma's eyes met Hook's and they moved in unison for the hatch down to the captain's cabin. It was securely locked.

Hook whirled around, grabbing Blackbeard by the scruff of the neck. "Open it," he growled. "And then you go in first."

Blackbeard wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve, glaring up at Hook.

"This isn't over between us," he snapped.

"Open the hatch." Emma's voice was implacable. Blackbeard crouched down, pulling a ring of keys from his pocket. He fumbled a moment, obviously having a hard time focusing his eyes with a broken nose, and finally found the right key, opening the lock.

Hook kicked the sliding hatch open, and Blackbeard started down the ladder, with Emma's gun firmly in his back. Hook followed close behind, sucking in a breath when he saw the girl, crouched in the corner of the cabin. She was wrapped in a dirty blanket, and had several livid bruises on her face and arms. She couldn't have been more than fifteen.

Emma approached her slowly. "It's okay," she said quietly. "We're here to get you out of here. You're safe now."

The girl turned fearful eyes from Blackbeard to Hook, then back to Emma.

"D-did you save the others?" the girl asked, hesitantly. "My sister is there. She's only seven."

"What about your parents?" Emma asked. "Did he lure you away?"

"No." The girl shook her head. "We're all orphans, mum. He killed old Liza and took us in the night."

Blackbeard gave a negligent shrug. "She was in the way."

"It's all right," Emma said to the girl. "Come with me up on deck and I'll get you someplace safe." She gave Blackbeard a dirty look, leading the girl over to the ladder. The girl flinched away from Hook as she passed him.

"I'm not like him," Hook gritted out.

"I should say not," Blackbeard chortled. "Not much of a man left behind that hook. Nothing you'd need to worry about, my girl," he called out as she ascended the ladder, with Emma close behind her.

Hook prodded Blackbeard with his hook. "You're next. Back up on deck with you."

Blackbeard took a few short steps toward the ladder, and then whirled, taking a swing at Hook, who easily sidestepped him, throwing him into the bookshelves that lined the wall. Blackbeard fell into them heavily, sending several books, bottles and knick-knacks crashing to the floor. He pushed himself up, and then turned around to face Hook.

"I should bloody well kill you right here and now," Hook seethed.

"Killian!" Emma's voice called from above.

"Better be going, _Killian_," Blackbeard taunted. "Wouldn't want to keep the little woman waiting."

Hook jabbed him in the back and Blackbeard climbed the ladder to the deck before being forced down on his knees by the main mast. Bashful was guiding the girl off to join the others, who were huddled in the back of David's truck. Emma gave them all a cheery wave and the truck pulled away, leaving the three of them alone.

"Killian?" Emma said, still waving, her smile intact. "Can you get us out to sea?"

"Aye," he answered, coming up next to her. "What did you have in mind?"

"I think it would be a damn shame to get blood on the deck of _your_ ship." She remarked, still smiling and waving.

Hook stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You're right. The plank is probably a better option." He turned his head to grin at her. "I knew you were a pirate at heart."

She narrowed her eyes and grinned back. "You know, I think you're right."

"Keep your gun on the bastard," he warned. "I'll get us pushed off."

"Aye-aye, Captain," she said, giving him a mock salute. Hook's answering smile nearly blinded her as he leapt off the ship and onto the deck to loose the moorings. Emma's had to resist the urge to give Blackbeard a hug just for showing up. It was good to see Killian's joy at getting his ship back.

She turned her gaze to Blackbeard, training the gun on him. He looked up at her, squinting a bit against the pain of his shattered nose.

"So much for due process," he said, leaning his head back against the mast.

Emma rolled her eyes, which was unfortunate. If she'd been looking at him more closely, she might have seen the small glass vial that he shifted from his hand into his pocket.


	3. Hard About

Hook took the wheel, rounding them in the harbor until the wind caught the sails, taking them out to sea. Emma kept her gun and her eyes trained on Blackbeard, ready to take him down, if necessary.

He didn't give her an ounce of trouble, staring up at her with a smile that would have been a lot more concerning if he weren't outnumbered and unarmed. Emma wasn't stupid, however. He was entirely too complacent for his circumstances. Maybe he was just an arrogant bastard, which was likely, but she didn't like the feel of it.

Hook got them out on the open water fast enough, with Storybrooke rapidly fading behind them.

"On your feet," Emma barked, gesturing with the gun.

Blackbeard levered himself up slowly, leaning back against the mast pole. "Now what?" he asked insolently. "You're going to pitch me overboard? Not very hero-like. I'm not sure Hook would approve."

"Hook wholeheartedly approves," Emma said. "And for that matter, so do I. But I could be persuaded to turn the ship around and drop you into a cell with your crew, provided you give me some answers."

"I'll give you anything you'd like," he leered. "Perhaps we'd be more comfortable below."

Emma pushed him back against the post. "I'm going to save Hook the trouble and hit you myself this time. But first, we talk."

Blackbeard rolled his eyes, giving her a begrudging nod.

"Okay," Emma said, stepping back and training the gun on him once more. "So what kingdom were these children taken from?"

"Nod."

"The Land of Nod?"

"Aye. Easy pickings over in Nod. They've had their share of natural disasters, and there are plenty of homeless and orphaned. No one misses the children much, or so I thought." He gave a short laugh. "I've trafficked there for many a year, but this time their caretaker was the King's former nanny. When I slit her throat, the King was a bit put out."

"You escaped them with a magic bean, I take it?" Emma questioned. "Just how were you planning on getting back to your realm?

"I'm glad you asked that," he said, grinning widely. His arm came up and Emma heard Hook's shout just as she registered what Blackbeard had in his hand.

"It's a bean!" Hook cried out, racing across the deck – but it was too late. Blackbeard had pulled back his arm and let it fly, and a few hundred yards off the port bow, a whirlpool began to form.

"Emma!" Hook called out. "Brace yourself!"

"Can we sail around it?" she screamed back, wrapping her arm around the ropes nearby.

"No! It's going to pull us in!"

"You!" Emma screamed, throwing Blackbeard against the mast again. "What the hell are you doing? You're going to answer for this!"

"To whom?" he laughed in her face. "You? Your lover won't let you anywhere near anyone as dangerous as me, and he's certainly no danger to anyone anymore."

Hook stepped forward, wrapping an arm around the mastline to steady himself on the shifting deck.

"I'll have no problem finding your neck with my hook once this ship comes to a stop," he promised with deadly menace. 'There will be no more negotiations."

"You almost sound like your old self, Hook," Blackbeard jibed. "And now it's time for my parting gift: a little curse I picked up in my travels.'"

"What do you think you're - " Emma started to question, but her voice changed to a scream as Blackbeard threw the vial hard to the deck at Hook's feet, enveloping him in dark, noxious smoke. The ship pitched violently and began to spin, the sea spray flying up into Emma's eyes and blinding her as she felt the whirlpool drag them down, down, down.

###

Emma could feel the sun on her back, and the wood of the deck pressed against her face. Her whole body felt thick and heavy, and it took a tremendous effort just to move her arm in closer to her body.

The disorientation took a few minutes to work through, and even though she could feel her body lying still against the deck, her head was still spinning hard enough to give her serious vertigo.

She started to raise herself up off the deck, then sank back down with a groan. An answering groan came from somewhere nearby, followed by a soft "bloody hell" that had her sighing in relief. Wherever they were, they'd made it together.

She opened her eyes, but realized she couldn't see a thing. She was face-down on the deck and her hair was in a tumble all around her. She started to raise herself up again, as she heard Hook's voice say with more than a little confusion:

"How the devil did you get here?"

She pushed the hair off of her face as she rolled over and sat up.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "That was a hell of a ride."

She looked around the deck to make sure the ship was still staying afloat, then she turned her gaze to Hook, who was standing in the middle of the deck, staring at her as though he was seeing a ghost.

"Swan?"

"Yeah?"

"How is this possible?" he asked, clearly more than a little startled. "How are you here?"

Emma pushed herself to her feet. "Same as you. I held on." She dusted herself off, then glanced around. "There's no sign of Blackbeard, so I'm guessing he washed overboard."

"Blackbeard!" Hook strode forward, grabbing her by her upper arm, hard. "Blackbeard brought you here?"

"He brought us both here, remember?" She looked him over, concerned. "Killian, did you hit your head? Maybe you'd better sit down."

"You – you called me Killian."

Emma reached out, stroking his hair off his forehead. "You need to sit down." She wrapped an arm around his waist. "Come on. Let's get you down into the cabin so we can have a look at you."

He pulled back. "I'm not bloody going anywhere until you tell me how you got here." He looked around, drawing his cutlass. "Is there anyone else aboard my ship?"

"Killian, what is the matter with you?"

"You called me by my given name again. The Emma Swan I know would never have done so." He pushed her back up against the mast, putting the blade against her throat. "Now just who are you – really?"

Emma's eyes were wide and she slowly brought her hands up, trying to move the cutlass away from her neck. She'd heard about this before – a closed head injury could turn someone into an entirely different person. He needed medical attention and he needed it fast.

"Killian – "

He pushed the cutlass tighter to her throat. "Call me that again," he said menacingly, "and it'll go badly for you. I want answers."

"So do I," she said. "And I really am Emma Swan. You have to believe that."

He raised a brow. "That's not possible."

"Ask me anything," Emma offered. "Ask me something only Emma would know."

She could clearly see him warring with himself. He wanted to believe her, but at the same time, that wasn't easily done. Finally, he seemed to make a decision, backing up slightly but still keeping the cutlass trained on her.

"All right. The last time we were together, what did you say to me?"

Now it was Emma's turn to look confused. "You mean, before the portal?"

"Portal?" Hook parroted.

Emma finally understood that he might not remember the portal, especially if he was injured as they moved through it. Her mind tried to pull up their last conversation, but it was kind of all a jumble once Blackbeard threw the bean. Then realization dawned on her face.

"You mean when we were _together_ together?" Emma clarified. "I believe we were discussing our mutual deficits."

"Our _what_?" Hook was good and perplexed now. He shook his head as if to clear it. "Perhaps that was a bit distant to recall precise conversation. How about this, then? When we climbed the beanstalk, you saved me from something. What was it?"

"You mean besides an angry giant named Anton? I kept you from running into a tripwire."

"And when we fought on the beach afterward, I rescued something."

"Aurora's heart." Emma supplied. "And I clocked you with a compass."

"And when I arrived in Storybrooke, and we spoke in the hospital – "

"You asked me for your Hook back and when I told you no you asked if I wanted another attachment." She smiled a little at the memory. "Now, how are you feeling? Does your head hurt?"

He backed up further, still looking at her oddly. "No, the head feels fine. Though I am beginning to wonder if I didn't hit it during the storm and I'm currently drowning and delusional or quite possibly dead."

"Storm?" Emma stepped closer. "There was no storm. Blackbeard threw a bean, and we traveled through a portal. That's how we got here," she explained. "Wherever 'here' is."

"'Here' is the Enchanted Forest, Swan. I was just returning from a voyage when I ran into a storm that spun the ship. I was knocked to the deck and when I woke up, the sky was clear and you were on my ship."

"You don't remember Blackbeard?"

"You keep mentioning his name. Did he bring you here?" Hook asked, angrily. "Does he have something to do with your stunning reappearance?"

"Reappearance?" Emma said in exasperation. "We haven't been out of each other's sight for nearly two days." She took in a deep breath. "Look, I know this is all confusing right now, but we'll figure it out. I think you've been injured, and it's affecting your memory. Whatever it was that Blackbeard threw at you, it messed with your head."

Hook raised an eyebrow. "It looks like you're the one with a head that needs correcting. That's if you really are here, I mean."

Emma blew a stream of air out, lifting her hair. "Okay. We're at an impasse, here. Let's just get to land and get ourselves checked out by a doctor and we'll go from there. Agreed?"

"Land?" Hook crossed his arms. "Why the rush, Swan?" We're days from the nearest port. If this is a dream - and I assure you, it's been the subject of my thoughts for more months than I care to remember - I'm going to make the most of it."

He stepped closer and his eyes took on a devilish gleam. Emma put her hands on his chest.

"Uh...I guess you're feeling a little more like yourself - that's good." She pushed against him, but he wasn't budging. "Come on, we need to get to land. You need a doctor."

"The only thing I need is _this._" Emma didn't have time to protest. His mouth came down on hers, and she felt herself relaxing into him, her body still not sated even though they'd had each other for the entire night before. It took a herculean effort, but she finally pushed him away.

"Killian! Stop!"

"What's the matter, Swan?" he asked, maneuvering her back until she was pressed up against the mast again. He lowered his mouth until it was just above hers. "Am I making you nervous?"

"As a matter of fact...yes." Emma moved to push against him again, but before she could put any distance between them, he had his hook at her neck. His eyes narrowed, and the deadly intent in them was easy enough to read. For the first time, she started to feel a real frisson of fear.

"Now then," he said, stroking her neck lightly with the tip of his hook, scoring the skin just enough to draw a thin line of blood. "You're going to tell me who you really are, or I'm going to tear a hole in that lovely throat."

Emma's eyes widened with alarm. He still didn't believe her.

"What can I do to get through to you?" She slid her hands from his chest to the back of his neck. "Killian, I'm Emma. _Your_ Emma. I really am."

His face darkened, and his eyes glowed with an unholy fury. "And that's where you've made your mistake. Emma Swan is not _my_ Emma. She never has been."

Emma closed her eyes, hurt by his words but realizing at the same time that he may not have a choice about what his memory retrieved for him.

"You don't remember what happened when we got back to Storybrooke?" she whispered.

"And there's your second mistake," he spat. "There is no Storybrooke. It was destroyed, nearly two years ago."

"What?" Emma looked at him like he was mad, and really, she was starting to wonder.

"I sailed away as the town crumbled behind me, taking everyone along with it." He pushed off from her, his knuckles showing white on the handle of his cutlass, and his eyes were a thousand miles away.

"You can't be Emma Swan," he said with quiet menace. "Emma Swan is dead."


	4. Deductions and Consequences

"You thought I was _dead_?" Emma stood stock-still, almost unable to process what was going on. He honestly believed what he was saying. As far as he was concerned, she and Regina had never saved Storybrooke, and he'd never returned to take them all to Neverland. It was as though he'd gone back in time - in his mind, anyway.

_Back in time._

Emma's eyes grew wide. That glass vial that Blackbeard had thrown - he'd called it a curse. Had they time traveled? If they had, that meant Henry was in danger again - along with Snow, David, Regina, even Rumpelstiltskin. Oh, God. She had to get back to Storybrooke!

No, wait a minute - that wasn't possible. If they'd gone back in time, she'd be with them all. Hook was talking as though his sailing away took place nearly two years ago, which would be right in line with the timeline she was on.

What the hell was going on?

"Listen to me," she said evenly. "While you were sailing away, Regina and I stopped the trigger from destroying Storybrooke."

Hook eyed her carefully. "You told me that Regina couldn't stop the trigger. She could only delay it. And as I recall, you were all going to kill yourselves trying to save her."

"We didn't have to," Emma explained. "I used my magic, along with hers. Together, we were strong enough to stop it."

Hook stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You do have powerful magic - I saw that when Cora tried to take your heart."

Emma nodded encouragingly. "That's right. Regina has taught me how to harness it. How to use it."

His eyes held hers with an intensity she remembered only too well. "So all this time, you've been alive."

"Yes. But Killian - "

He stepped forward, invading her personal space again. "All this time, I've been torturing myself, thinking I'd left you to die."

"But that's what I'm saying - you _didn't._"

"And now you're here, on my ship, without your mother or father or anyone else to interfere." He threw back his head and laughed. "This is either a splendid dream or an incredibly satisfying reality." He leaned in close, his hand coming up to cup her face. "I've spent too many months thinking about you. Imagining what I'd do if I had the chance to see you again. Envisioning all the ways I should have extracted vengeance from your fiery body, and here you are, right in front of me."

"Killian, listen to me. I...wait." She looked up at him. "Vengeance? What do you mean, vengeance?"

"There's only one man still living who's ever managed to bring me low, and yet you've done it twice and danced away as if it were nothing. As if _I_ were nothing. You'll find I've developed a tougher skin now. You won't be getting the better of me again." His tone was scathing, and combined with the finger he slipped inside the collar of her shirt, it was more than a little disconcerting.

She pushed him off her, swatting his hand away. He brought it right back, staring her down as if daring her to try that again. She tried stepping around him instead. "Look - I don't know what happened here," she said, pushing her fingers through her hair. "I don't know why you and I have two very different memories of the last eighteen months or so, but we need to get to the bottom of this, and I think that's going to start with Blackbeard. We need to find out what he hit you with."

"You want to seek out Blackbeard?" Hook's eyebrows went up. "Where does he figure into this? And how do you know him?"

Emma sighed. "This is going to take some explaining, and that's going to take awhile."

Hook gestured out to the open sea around them. "As I've mentioned before - we're days from making land. I have all the time in the world to unravel your mysteries. Shall we go below and have a cozy little chat?"

Part of her was wise enough to consider that letting Hook take her to his cabin might not be the safest course of action - at least, not this Hook. Then again, inside this Hook - somewhere - was Killian. The man she'd come to care for. She had to get him to listen to her.

"All right," she agreed. He might not trust her, but if she could show him that she trusted him, maybe she could make some headway.

"Very well, then," Hook said. "I need to survey the ship, to make sure there's no damage from the storm. You wait below and I'll join you shortly."

Emma gave him a nod, and walked over to the hatch, sliding it open and climbing down into the cabin. He watched her go, still fighting the urge to slap his own face in order to ascertain whether he was dreaming or not. He settled instead for taking a long drink of rum out of his flask.

She was here. Emma Swan was really here. He believed it was her - well, mostly anyway - what he didn't understand was the why or how of it. Obviously, there was magic at work, here, but whose? Regina? She could be angry that he had fought them all and left her to die, but it wouldn't be like her to go out of her way to hunt him down - not when it was Snow White that she most wanted to destroy.

The Dark One, then. Somehow, he was in league with Emma. It was possible - even likely, since the last thing Emma told him was that Baelfire was Henry's father. That made The Dark One Henry's grandfather. If Emma wanted revenge on the man who'd almost gotten them all killed, she'd found herself a powerful ally who'd be more than happy to assist her.

He grimaced, taking another drink. So what was her game? Luring him in? Leading him to The Dark One? Her magic was powerful - he'd seen it. Maybe she didn't need The Dark One for anything more than getting her here. Was she strong enough to take him out on her own?

Obviously not, or she would have done so already. It wasn't in her nature to beat about the bush. One thing he honestly admired about her was how direct she was. If she wanted him gone, and could do it herself, she'd have done it already. He was sure of it.

So she was luring him in, then. She kept mentioning Blackbeard. Why she'd have need of a scum like Blackbeard - or how she'd even heard of him - was a mystery, but obviously, he was part of the plan. The Dark One surely wouldn't be shrugging off his dirty work. If he could have been here, he'd have come himself. Something must be preventing him from crossing the realms. He sent Emma, but she wasn't a killer. She might want revenge, but she didn't have it in her to kill in cold blood. She'd need someone to do that for her.

He took a deep breath, considering for a moment. If he were fair, he'd admit that he had it coming. He'd sailed out of port with their magic bean - their only chance at survival, or so he'd thought. As soon as he'd crossed over into his realm, he'd regretted the decision, but it was too late. Too late for anything but regret and self-loathing and one hell of a lot of rum. None of that had taken away the memory of her face, or her words.

"_You and I - we understand each other..._" she'd told him. She'd almost turned him. He'd replayed her words over and over as he'd sailed out. She was right - they understood each other. He'd recognized a kindred soul in her from the very beginning, and her words had resounded in a way no other plea could have.

_"You can join us and be a part of something - or you can do what you do best and be alone..." _Her words had haunted him across the endless months, becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. He had been alone - more alone than he'd felt in a very, very long time. The loneliness and the memory of her face as she'd begged his help - begged for their very lives - had eaten what was left of his misbegotten soul and now it seems it was all for naught. She was alive. They were all alive. He could have gone on his merry way and given none of them another thought.

His eyes narrowed with anger. Perhaps that was her gambit. Perhaps she'd had the power to find him all along - after all, Tamara and Greg had other beans. Perhaps she'd been biding her time, knowing he'd be stewing like this, waiting for the right moment to reappear and jerk his puppet strings again.

Not bloody likely.

He finally had Swan exactly where he wanted her - all to himself. He'd hear her out, maybe even play along until he figured out her endgame - and he _would_ figure it out. And he was going to make damned sure she paid for every ounce of pain she'd put him through.

He smiled a slow, wicked smile.

She had nowhere to run.


	5. Questions and Answers

"All right, Swan," Hook said reasonably, leaning back in his chair. "Let's hear it. How is it that you came to be here?"

Emma put her elbows on the table, clasping her hands beneath her chin. "First, let me say that this is going to sound as crazy to you as you've been sounding to me. But here it is: you and I have lived two completely different scenarios for the last year and half or so. And it seems like it all started when you sailed away from Storybrooke that day."

"The day I assumed you'd died," he supplied helpfully.

"Yes. You remember sailing away...and then what?"

He took a breath in, giving a half-shrug. "Then...I tossed the bean, went through the portal, and went on with my life, assuming all of you had been wiped off the earth."

Emma swallowed hard. This was so unlike him, or at least the Killian he'd grown to become.

"Well, that didn't happen."

"Obviously." He leaned forward, and his eyes narrowed. "So am I to assume that The Dark One once again escaped my vengeance? That Greg and Tamara's plan was unsuccessful?"

"Yes. Rumpelstiltskin survived. We all did," she explained. "Then Greg and Tamara took Henry to Neverland, and in the version of reality that I know, you turned your ship around and came back to help us."

"To help all of you?" He looked incredulous.

Emma closed her eyes a moment, then she opened them, holding his gaze.

"You came back to help _me_."

She saw a flicker of something undefinable in his eyes, but he recovered quickly. "Well, that's a bit more believable. I made no secret of wanting you. You're quite the tempting morsel. If you'd left with me in the first place, we'd likely have had each other by now."

Emma couldn't help the way his words registered on her face.

"Ohhhh." He crooned. "Did we have each other?"

She rolled her eyes. "Can I finish?"

"Please." He gestured for her to continue.

"You came back, and you offered us the use of your ship to get us to Neverland. We ended up taking on Peter Pan and rescuing Henry, Tinkerbell, Wendy, and a bunch of lost boys." Her voice faltered a bit. "Oh, and Neal."

"Baelfire?"

"Yeah."

"You said he was dead." Hook reminded her, his eyes narrowing.

"We thought he was. Tamara shot him and he fell through a portal, but he survived and found his own way to Neverland. Pan captured him." Emma ran a hand through her hair. "Anyway, we got back to Storybrooke, Pan had stowed away with us, and we ended up fighting him again in our realm. Rumpelstiltskin finally killed him, but not before Pan re-enacted Regina's original curse. In order to stop it, she had to reverse it, taking all of you back to the Enchanted Forest."

"Taking all of _us?" _Hook clarified. "But not you?"

"No. Henry and I were left behind, with no memory of any of you and new memories in their place. We lived for a year in New York, and then you came and found me." She bit her lip, remembering. "There was a new threat - a witch named Zelena. The curse was re-enacted again and everyone was brought back to Storybrooke."

"How many bloody times can a curse be re-enacted?" Hook asked, raising his brow.

"I know. It's...crazy," she admitted. "But it happened. And together, we went on sort of an adventure and Zelena's gone and everything was back to normal until Blackbeard showed up captaining the Jolly Roger."

"How the devil did he get control of my ship?"

She froze. "It's not important. What is important is he was using it to traffic children. You and I took the ship out to sea with him aboard - I was planning on scaring him a little - "

"And let me guess," Hook interrupted. "I was planning on killing the bastard."

Emma gave him a look. "I was leaning toward your side, if you want to know the truth. Anyway, he tossed a magic bean, a portal opened and then he said he was giving you the gift of a curse. The next thing I knew, he was throwing something at you and then we fell through the portal. I woke up here and you are not the same guy I woke up to this morning."

"So we _did_ have each other." His lips turned up just slightly. "Still an open book, Swan."

"What I'm trying to get across here," Emma said, refusing to answer him, "Is that you don't remember your life. Whatever he did to you took your memories away."

"And where is Blackbeard now?"

"I don't know," Emma answered, frustrated. "He may have washed overboard."

"Well, that's convenient, isn't it?"

Emma gave him an exasperated look. "I'm not making this up."

Hook leaned back, considering. "And what makes you so sure your memories aren't the ones that were tampered with?"

"Why would I be here?"

"Why, indeed?" He stared at her intently. "And I do remember my life. I remember you."

"But nothing recent," she pointed out. "It's like you stepped aboard your ship that day and split yourself in two or something."

"And why does it matter so much to you that I remember it all?"

She hesitated a moment. "Because it does."

"Why?"

"Hook - "

"Oh, so it's 'Hook' now, is it? What happened to calling me 'Killian?'" Emma's eyes shifted away as she tried to formulate an response that he could understand and hopefully believe when he pushed out of his chair and came across the table, grabbing her arm in a vice grip and wrenching her out of her chair.

"Answer me, damn you! You show up here after letting me believe you dead, toying with me, sending out your coy little signals, determined to play the hero and save me from myself." He leaned in, and his breath feathered her lips. "Well, I don't need saving, _savior._ My life was moving forward without any assistance from you."

Emma's eyes flashed fire. "Let me go."

"Oh, no," he said menacingly. "You're here and I'm going to finally get an answer."

"An answer?" Her brow knit in confusion. "What answer?"

He broke into a slow, deadly smile. "Allow me to pose the question."

His mouth came down on hers as he backed her into the table, and her hands came up to push at his chest. He was utterly immovable, wrapping his hook arm around her tightly, binding her arms at her sides as he kissed her, his mouth moving over hers expertly, his lips pulling and sucking at hers until they moved them apart enough to allow his tongue inside to slide and play with hers.

Emma made a strangled sound in her throat, and once again pushed against him, but it only made him more determined. He pushed forward, sliding a booted foot between hers and getting between her legs, pressing himself into the warm cradle of her thighs as he continued to kiss her, and God help her, she was responding. They may not have had a lot of time together, but her body remembered, and she knew exactly how he could make her feel. Her hips slid forward, and he rocked against her, making her gasp between kisses as his lips moved down to her neck.

She moaned slightly as his tongue traced delicate circles on the soft skin beneath her ear just as his hand came up to stroke and squeeze her breast, moving in time with the rocking motion of his hips. Emma's body was craving what he was promising, and his voice echoed in her mind, whispering a warning.

_That man...you don't know him..._

Even Killian hadn't trusted the man he'd once been. She made one last effort to break free, reaching up to slid her hand into his hair and giving it a sudden, hard yank. Hook's head snapped back and his eyes blazed with determined fury as he brought his mouth down on hers again punishingly. Emma couldn't break loose - he was just too strong. She even made an abortive effort to get her knee up into his groin, but he anticipated her, blocking her easily with his hand. His fingers dug into her thigh and then his hand began to trail upwards, stroking and pushing into the delta between her legs, pulling another moan from her.

Before Emma could gather her wits and try to pull away again, he's slipped his hand into the waistband of her pants, deftly undoing her button and zipper, and then suddenly his fingers were there, sliding into the heat of her, stroking and pressing and slipping inside. She let out a startled noise that was somewhere between a shriek and a moan and he fed off the sound, his fingers burning deep with a sure rhythm that made her hips push against him, moving with him, spiraling closer and closer as his thumb circled and his fingers slid and probed and teased.

He released her mouth, but his lips were still against hers. "Tell me," he said roughly. "Tell me you want this."

She moaned again, and her hands gripped his hair fiercely. She was almost beyond talking now, her body taking over, rocketing toward the release she knew he could give her.

"Tell me," he demanded, his fingers pushing her harder, sliding deeper.

"Oh God, _yes._ Killian - " her voice cut off with a choked sound as he stepped away from her abruptly, leaving her to fall back against the table, her hands gripping the edge to steady herself. Her body thrummed and screamed for the ecstasy she was only moments away from. She looked at him wildly, unable to comprehend.

"Well, now," he said, giving her a smug smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I have my answer. You want me as badly as I want you. Always playing the tease, but your body can't hide the truth." He walked over toward the ladder that led to the deck, turning to look at her. She still hadn't moved - as if unable to believe he'd just done what he did. It made him feel immensely satisfied.

"You can't help it, can you? You were made for this, Swan. Stop trying to be coy and perhaps we'll have a more mutually beneficial relationship, this time around."

He hoisted himself up the stairs, and before Emma could right herself and start forward to follow him, she heard the hatch slide shut and the unmistakable sound of the padlock being attached and secured. She charged up the ladder, beating on the hatch.

"You bastard!" she screamed.

The only sound was his answering chuckle from the other side.


	6. Yet

Killian approached the hatch with a mixture of wariness and chagrin. He'd left Emma locked in the cabin for the better part of the day, and while she certainly wasn't suffering any serious hardship over it, he could hardly expect her to greet him with a smile.

Especially after he'd touched her as he had. Really, it wasn't well done of him. He was a mass of emotions from the moment she appeared on the deck and none of those emotions were particularly good to be feeling again. This woman could tie him up in knots like no one else, and apparently, that hadn't changed much. So he did the only thing he could do - he took control of the situation.

Damned she-demon. He'd shown her clearly who was in command on his ship, but why then did he feel like she was pulling his strings like a master puppeteer once more? He felt like a boy again. Like he'd been caught breaking windows with rocks and now it was time to face Liam and own up to his bad behavior. He'd felt so damned uncomfortable, he'd put off going down there until she must surely be half-starved and probably more than a little angry.

There was nothing for it. He was going to have to face her. He crouched down, unlocking the hatch and waited a moment, listening. He carefully slid the hatch back, waiting once again for his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness below. As he slowly descended, he saw that she'd managed to light the candle on the table and the lantern by the bed. She was sitting at the table, barely glancing at him as he stepped off the ladder.

"I've brought you some food," he said gruffly, carrying a sack over and setting it down in front of her. "I'm afraid it's only dried beef and apples. I ended up being at sea a tad longer than I'd planned. I can probably manage something similar to pancakes in the morning, if you'd like, though you'll have to make do with jam instead of syrup."

He gave her an overly bright smile, which didn't seem to alter her expression one bit. He pushed the sack of food toward her, then backed up, rubbing his ear. "Well, then. I'll just leave the hatch open. You're welcome to take your dinner up on deck. The sunset is quite spectacular."

She looked away from him, toward the window. And she still wasn't talking. He crossed his arms, grinding his teeth together a bit in frustration. Just like a woman to give him the silent treatment. She was trying to make him feel bad and bugger him if it wasn't working.

"Aren't you going to say something?" he asked, a bit petulantly. "Look, I know you're most likely angry with me - "

"Angry?" Her voice made it clear that the term was a vast understatement.

"I shouldn't have left you as I did, and for that, I apologize. It's not like me to leave a lady wanting."

She stared at him. "And you think _that's_ why I'm angry?"

"Isn't it?" he challenged. "Or is it because I reminded you of what we feel every time we're near each other. That, at least, hasn't changed."

The truth of his words hit her hard, bringing a lump to her throat. What could she say to that? That she was angry because she wanted him back? He had no idea what they'd shared, or how hard-won it was for both of them. How much sweeter it had been because of the work they put in to get there. This Hook was all selfish gratification and vengeance, and he'd gotten both from her. What did he want now? Absolution?

"You can save the apology," she said stonily. "Just go."

He raised an eyebrow, giving her an arrogant smile. "It's my cabin."

"Fine. I'll go." She got up and started to move around him. His jaw tightened and he reached a hand out to grab her arm, only to find the point of a dagger pointed perilously close to his stomach. He lowered his hand, backing up slowly. She gave him a smug eyebrow raise of her own.

"Look what I found," she said. "And I'll use it, too, if you ever try to touch me like that again."

"You liked my touch well enough. You're just angry that I left it where I did," he said, crossing his arms and gloating. It made her want to hit him across the face, and somehow, she knew that's why he did it.

"So I can expect you to try again?" she said. "Is that what you're resorting to now? Rape?"

He stepped forward, clearly angered by her use of the word. "It wouldn't have been rape and you know it," he bit out. "You wanted me. You still want me, but you're too angry to feel it right now."

"It's not you I want," she snapped back.

The silence hung heavy between them as she kept herself from finishing the sentence. Hook felt it, anyway. _I want the other you. The hero. The one who did the right thing and came back for me._

Well, he wasn't that man, and she'd bloody well better get used to it.

"You're safe enough, Swan," he reassured her in a scathing tone. "I've never forced myself on an unwilling woman and I'll thank you not to lay that sin at my feet. I could have taken our dalliance all the way to its natural conclusion easily enough, and if that galls you, then I won't add further injury by proving it to you again."

He turned to head back up to the deck.

"Wait -" she said. "Where are we going?"

He paused with one foot up on the ladder. "To a port town known as Ticaret. It's where I left my crew, who by now have had their fill of women and grog and they're ready for another voyage."

"And what happens to me when we get there?"

He considered that a moment. "Well, I suppose we part company. Wouldn't want you to have to put up with my attentions for a moment longer than necessary, now would we?" He added sarcastically before he hoisted himself up to the deck.

Bloody ridiculous woman. Rape, indeed. She was practically panting for it.

But when had he ever had to pin a girl down like that before? Women had always pursued him or given over easily when it came to that sort of thing. Something about Swan just rubbed him raw and made him feel like he always had something to prove to her. He'd made the mistake of trusting her once before and got manacled and stranded because of it. She'd damn near gotten him killed by Cora for it, too. And even with all that, he still couldn't push aside the part of him that wanted to be what she was looking for, no matter what the cost.

_It's not you I want,_ she'd said, and for a moment - just a brief flicker of a moment - he'd seen something in her eyes that tugged at him. He took a deep breath, deliberately refusing to stay on that thought. Then he walked over and took the wheel, hoping the pitch and roll of the sea would give him the peace he needed, if only for a little while.

###

She'd been up on deck for a few hours now, sitting on a large chest near the bow with her back to him. He wasn't fool enough to think she was over her fury, but she didn't look angry anymore. On the contrary, she looked...resigned, sitting with her chin resting on her knees. She'd finally eaten an apple an hour or so ago, so at least he knew she wasn't trying to starve herself out of spite.

He needed to get more information from her, but more than that, he wanted her to talk. He wanted to stop feeling so damned bad about her all over again. He finally decided that he'd had enough, tying the wheel off and walking over to her. She lifted her head and looked up at him steadily, registering that he was there but not giving him much more than that in the way of a greeting. She turned her eyes back out toward the sea.

He sat down on the other end of the chest, and they both watched the waves for a few minutes. When he couldn't bear the silence any longer, he rubbed his ear uncomfortably and decided to try some conversation.

"You said we'd shared an adventure," he reminded her. "What sort of an adventure?"

She was quiet so long, he almost got up, sure that she was bent on ignoring him. She finally answered him in a quiet voice.

"We were sent back in time. It was another curse, leveled by a witch named Zelena. You and I got thrown back to the day that my parents met."

"Why that day?"

"I'm not sure," she shrugged. "But we ended up doing something that altered the timeline. We had to find a way to fix it, and together, we did it."

"And I was my usual dashing self, I take it." He gave her a wide grin, and despite her faraway thoughts, he saw the corner of her mouth lift.

"You were a handy guy to have around," she agreed.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" he arched a brow.

"No." She set her chin back down on her knees, hugging them tighter into her chest. "None of this is funny."

He didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing, and the silence stretched between them again.

"Swan, I..." he bit his lip, unsure of the best way to say what he needed to say. He finally settled for simplicity. "I'm sorry. I really am. I shouldn't have touched you that way. It was...disrespectful. And despite our differences and arguments, I've always felt that you'd earned my respect."

She turned to look at him, but didn't say anything in answer. She didn't look angry, either. Instead, she was looking at him as though she were trying to see inside him, and it made him even more aware of just how she made him feel. He'd thought that with the passage of time he'd gotten over his infatuation with her, but here it was, back again in full force, or perhaps even stronger.

"This is where you repay the compliment," he added, with a forced smile. _Say something, Swan. Dammit._

"You haven't earned my respect yet," she answered quietly.

His eyes hardened and he shifted his gaze out to sea again. "Fair enough." _Well, what did you expect, you bloody rotter? You've imprisoned the woman, crossed swords with her, left her for dead and accosted her against a table. She's right about you. _

But she'd said _yet_. That one word hung in the air. _Yet_. He hadn't earned her respect _yet_. She could have ended the sentence easily before that word, but she didn't. Instead, she let that word hang there like a promise. Like a hope. Like she thought he had it in him. And something told him she believed it, even if it was only based on her delusional memories of the man he might have been.

"You can have the cabin," he said softly. "I won't bother you. The hatch locks from the inside, too. You'll find the latch behind the ladder."

"Thanks." She stretched her legs out, and his eyes followed the lean, long line of them. Then she got to her feet and turned to go.

"Swan?'

She looked back over her shoulder at him, but didn't answer.

"What did I do? That was handy, I mean?"

Her eyes were luminous in the moonlight, and she answered him with a sad sort of half-smile.

"You taught me to dance."


	7. Pancakes and Dreams

"Good morning," Hook said, as she stepped up onto the wheel deck. He tried to gauge her mood, but as usual, Swan was keeping close to herself. "We've got a good tailwind," he informed her. "We should be in Ticaret by the day after tomorrow, at this rate."

Emma nodded, leaning back against the railing. "Didn't you say something about pancakes?"

"Indeed I did," he grinned. "Not nearly as good as you're probably used to, but passable. As I said last night, we've no syrup. What sort of jam would you like?"

She looked out at sea, waving a negligent hand. "Surprise me."

"Would you care to take the wheel while I'm below? Just keep her pointed east."

"Will do." She pushed off the railing, giving a long, slow stretch with her arms extended over her head. His eyes went to the rise of her breasts, tracing the curve of her waist below.

"Did you sleep well?" _Because I didn't..._

"Yeah," she said, looking a bit surprised. "I did. I think it was the motion of the ship." She moved to take the wheel, keeping her eyes on the horizon.

He started to make a glib remark about his comfortable bed and the motion that could be found upon it, but he stopped himself. They had a truce, and it wouldn't do to muck it up. He still needed to understand why she was really here and they had one more night at sea. Getting on her bad side again certainly wouldn't help him in any way.

"The sea can always be counted on to rock you to sleep," he agreed. "I always sleep better on board than I do on land." He looked out across the waves. "I can't imagine a life without the Jolly Roger."

Her head snapped around to look at him. "Yeah," she mumbled. "I guess that would be unthinkable for you."

He gave her an uncertain nod, and a frown creased his forehead as he made his way down to the galley. He had the feeling he was missing something here, and it was unsettling. Hook didn't like feeling unsettled. He managed to make a decent breakfast for them both as his mind replayed every word she'd said since she arrived. It was like looking at a chain with some of the links missing. It led to something, connected him to something, but what?

And in between those thoughts came the other thoughts, memories of the way she felt in his arms, the softness of her lips and her skin and her breasts, the way she felt against him. He'd known from the very start that he could make her burn and she had been incandescent in his arms. He was cursing himself for not seeing it through yesterday, knowing now that one small taste of her would never be enough.

He swore under his breath as he loaded the breakfast onto a tray. Look at him now - so tied up in knots over her that he was playing servant and treating her like some kind of pampered, virginal princess. He'd gone too far down a dark path to ever come back to the light now, and besides, he had a reputation to maintain. He wasn't behaving much like a dastardly pirate captain.

He'd ply her with pancakes and pump her for information, and when they made port in Ticaret, he'd either have some answers or he'd be rid of her.

He wished that thought didn't give him an ache in his gut, but it did. This time would be different, though. This time, she was going to leave him. And who could blame her?

He climbed the ladder back up to the deck, balancing the tray of food and then setting it on the chest they'd been sitting on the night before. He walked across and ascended to the wheel deck.

"You've done well, Swan," he praised. "We're still on course."

"I think I can manage pointing a ship in one direction," she replied with a smirk. "Is that breakfast?"

"Or something close to it. I never claimed to be a good cook." He reached down, finding the strap, and tied the wheel off. "Come on. Let's see if it's edible."

He gestured for her to precede him and then he followed her over, picking up a plate off the tray and leaning with his back against the rail. Emma picked up her own plate, then sat on the end of the chest, bringing the pancakes up to her face and sniffing.

"Why am I smelling rum?"

"I cooked the apples in it. That's about as close to syrup as we'll get and I think I've made it tasty enough."

She gave him a look and he rolled his eyes. "The alcohol burns off, you know."

Emma dug in, taking a small bite and sliding it into her mouth. She looked over at him in surprise. "These are really, _really_ good," she said. "Or maybe I'm just starving."

"Probably a little of both, I'd wager." He shoveled a forkful into his own mouth. "Damn. They _are_ good."

Emma swirled another piece of pancake around in the apple mixture on her plate. "Never figured you for the domestic type."

He smiled. "Well, I'm hardly going to bandy that about, am I? I have a reputation to maintain, after all. Being a villainous pirate and the scourge of the open sea is a fearsome responsibility, you know."

"I'll bet." She pushed another forkful of pancake into her mouth, and he tried very hard not to stare at the way she licked the fork clean.

"When we get to this port we're heading toward - " Emma started.

"Ticaret."

"When we get to Ticaret," She swirled another piece of pancake on her plate, "Will we be able to find Blackbeard there?"

Hook's fork froze in mid-air. "So we're back to him again, are we?" His eyes narrowed.

Emma put her plate down. "He's the one with the answers we need."

"You don't know what Blackbeard is capable of," he said, a warning clear in both his tone and his eyes. "The man is a bastard through and through."

"I'm aware of that, and I can handle him," she replied. "I need to know what he did to you."

"And when he tells you the truth - that he and I haven't crossed swords or trained canons upon each other in well over a year, what will you do then?" he asked, putting his empty plate down on top of hers.

"He was with us yesterday morning," she answered. "You just don't remember it."

He crossed his arms, raising both brows. "You're putting a tremendous amount of faith in your version of events, Swan. What will you do if you're wrong?"

"I'm not."

"It's a reasonable question," he pressed. "One of us is wrong. The odds say it could go either way. What will you do if all your memories are false?"

She gave him a measured look and then started gathering up the plates.

"I can't afford to think that way." She piled the dishes back on the tray. "I'll clean up."

"Swan." He stepped forward. "I wasn't jesting about Blackbeard. You seek him out at your peril."

She looked across the deck to the wheel, then squinted her eyes a bit.

"And I told you. I can take care of myself." She picked up the tray and headed off towards the hatch. Hook shook his head, watching her go.

Bloody fool of woman. Did she think a sheriff's badge from a town in another realm and a purloined dagger were going to afford her any protection from a scum like Blackbeard? Not bloody likely.

He stomped across the deck, stopping short as he ascended the stairs to the wheel deck.

The wheel deck that held the wheel.

The wheel that his hook was dangling from.

"What the devil!"

He glanced down at his bare forearm, then whirled back to look, but Emma had already gone below, and she hadn't walked up there before doing so. Hell, she hadn't even _touched_ him.

How in the hell...?

_I can take care of myself,_ she'd said. She'd been powerful enough to stop a whole bloody town from being wiped off the face of the earth. Why didn't he remember that she had powerful magic she could use against Blackbeard? Or against him, for that matter? He suddenly realized that she could have magicked his damn balls off yesterday and let him find them swinging from the riggings, if she'd had a mind to.

So why didn't she?

What was she waiting for?

The Emma Swan he knew wouldn't have hesitated to bring him low, most especially if he deserved it. Once again, things weren't making sense, and he didn't like that. He didn't like it at all.

###

Emma located the water barrel and used a spare amount to wipe down the plates. Hook had said they'd be making land day-after-tomorrow, but if a storm threw them off course or something, she'd rather not use up the drinking water they had.

A smile tugged at her lips at the sound of a startled "What the devil!" loud enough to carry down to where she was in the galley. He must've found his hook. Well, now he had a better idea of what she was capable of. Maybe the respect thing would come a little easier for him.

She stacked the last plate back into the storage chest, then dried her hands before heading over to the crew cabin, and sitting down on a bunk. What the hell was she going to do? She needed to get answers, and then she needed to get them both back to Storybrooke. Something told her that this Hook wasn't necessarily going to come along for the ride, either.

He still wanted her - and he'd never made a secret of that. Somewhere in there was the man he could be, but he was buried a lot deeper now, pressed down by all the living he'd done since that day when he'd sailed away, and part of her had a feeling that he was in a hole he'd dug for himself, trying to escape his fateful decision. He couldn't feel good about what he'd done. Not her Killian.

But he wasn't her Killian. He was Hook.

Killian was a part of him, just as Hook will always be a part of Killian. She just needed to find a way to reach him.

She needed to find a way to get Hook to want to find Killian for himself. Maybe that was the key to breaking this curse, whatever it was.

Emma climbed back up the ladder and sauntered across the deck to the wheel deck. Hook glanced over at her as she mounted the stairs, and his raised eyebrow told her he wasn't terribly amused by her little stunt.

She leaned back against the railing. "You know, you had the same reaction last time I took your hook, too. I had no idea you were so attached to it."

"Very funny," he answered sarcastically. He turned the wheel a couple of notches, then looked over at her again. "You did that to me before?"

"When Regina was teaching me. I was practicing one night at Granny's."

"And I was with you?"

"Yeah." Her eyes were gazing off as her mind supplied the memory. "You thought that using my magic was a really good idea, so I asked Regina for lessons."

"And why would the Evil Queen help you? Didn't she try to destroy the town to kill you all off?" he asked. "Oh..." he said, remembering. "That's right. You saved her life. So now you're closer than sisters? Co-mothering Henry?"

"Not so much on the first, but yes to the second," Emma supplied. "She's his mother, and so am I. We make it work."

"So you turned old Regina from her villainous ways as well," he observed. "You're just a regular miracle worker, Swan."

Emma shook her head. "I had nothing to do with that one. She changed because she loved Henry. She wanted to be a better person for him."

"Really?" He looked surprised. "Never figured Regina for the motherly type." He rested one arm across the top of the wheel and turned to look at her. "And what about me? What was my motivation?" His voice was light, almost flippant, but his eyes probed hers and she had a hard time meeting his gaze.

"You'll have to work that out for yourself," she mumbled, turning her back to him and staring out at the water. The silence stretched uncomfortably between them again until she turned back around.

"I came up here to relieve you," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "You look like you didn't get much sleep last night."

He seemed a bit offended. "Really?"

"You look tired."

"Still devilishly handsome, though, " he reaffirmed.

She gave him a smirk. "I can spell you for a while if you want to get some rest. There are two of us aboard so there's no reason for you to push yourself into exhaustion."

"I've sailed the Jolly alone many a time," he reminded her.

"I know. But as long as I'm here, we might as well team up. Make it easier on each other."

The silence crept back, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable. He was looking at her and she was looking at him and damn but he felt like he could fall into her. He finally managed to pull his eyes away.

"An excellent idea. I'll just head below then. I'll only need a few hours."

"Take your time," she said, walking over to put her hand on the wheel. It brushed his as he was relinquishing, and he glanced down at where they'd met, sure he'd see the tell-tale glow of magic in their wake. There was nothing there but air, and the feeling of her soft skin still tingling along his fingertips. He gave her an awkward nod, then walked across the deck to the hatch and climbed down into his cabin. He left the hatch open, just in case she ran into trouble of some kind. As he settled himself on the bed, her words came back to him again.

_We might as well team up. Make it easier on each other._

He hadn't had anyone care about his well-being in a long time. A very, very long time.

He closed his eyes, letting sleep pull him, wondering idly if he'd dream of her.

Just like he always did.


	8. The Liar's Game

"Why did you let me sleep the day away?" Hook complained, stepping up to the wheel deck. "It's nearly nightfall."

"Told you you were tired," Emma chided, handing the wheel over. "Anyway, there wasn't much going on up here."

"So I didn't miss anything?"

"Well, there was water," she said, gesturing out to the horizon. "And then some water, and oh yeah, more water."

"Sounds riveting," he remarked. "Are you hungry?"

"Are you making pancakes?"

He smiled. "I found a rather dry onion and two small potatoes in the galley, so it's beef stew for this evening. Unless you'd care to exercise your culinary talents."

She backed away, putting her hands up. "Oh, no," she said. "You don't want to eat anything I've cooked from scratch. Trust me."

"The table's set below, and I thought that perhaps I could interest you in a game of Liar's Dice to pass the time." He reached down, tying off the wheel and gestured toward the hatch.

"What exactly is Liar's Dice?" she asked as she stepped down the ladder. She walked over to the table, but before she could reach for her chair, he was there, pulling it out for her. She gave him a strange look.

"Does is surprise you that I've found my manners?" he asked.

"A little."

He looked perturbed, but he pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. "Liar's Dice is an old pirate game," he explained, ladeling a portion of stew into a bowl and pushing it toward her. "It involves rolling one set of dice and keeping another hidden from view in a cup. You wager on the total."

"Like poker, but with dice instead of cards."

"Poker?"

She smiled, taking a bite of stew. "I'll have to find a set of cards when this is all over and teach you."

He eyed her speculatively. "When this is over?"

Emma raised her eyebrows. "When you're back to normal."

He scowled. "I _am_ normal."

She raised her brows. "Debatable," she said, around a spoonful of stew. "But we can play. There's not much else to do around here."

Hook toyed with his spoon as he looked over at her, thinking of a good three dozen things he could do with her that would most assuredly pass the time and with a lot more excitement than a game of Liar's Dice. She looked up from her bowl and when their eyes met, hers clearly said she knew exactly what he was thinking.

And oh, did she ever.

It was hard sitting here across from him, joking with each other and talking to each other in those old, familiar ways. Now that their relationship had turned the corner into something deeper, it was really, really tough going back to where they used to be.

Especially when she knew how it _could_ be.

And it would be so easy to make an overture. It's not like he'd turn her down. She remembered the feel of his lips and fingers on her, the slide of his body against hers, the weight of it as he pressed her down into the mattress.

Oh, God, she had to stop remembering. This wasn't going to do her any good. But Jesus, he was everything he'd promised he was and then some. All of that, coupled with the man he'd grown to be was a devastating combination. She was falling hard for him - Killian - and that thought was more than a little frightening. Maybe it was kind of a good thing this all happened. It was a good reminder that while he'd become a man she could easily fall for, he was still Captain Hook in a lot of ways. This whole debacle was forcing her to step back and reconsider and slow down - which was probably smarter, in the long run.

She took a deep breath in, shoved in another bite of stew, and when she met Hook's eyes, it was clear that he knew exactly what she was thinking. Or he thought he did, anyway.

"So how do you play this game, anyway?" She asked, pushing her bowl aside.

Hook pushed his bowl aside as well, reaching for the sets of dice stacked on the table. He handed Emma an empty cup and took one for himself. "It's simple, really. You get to roll one die and I roll the other. The remaining two sets, we put in our cups and shake. You're going to bet based on what you've got showing, plus what's in your cup. High score wins, a pair is worth double the face value. Clear enough?"

Emma gave him a nod, reaching for the dice. "Wait a minute - " she said, arresting her hand in mid-air and looking at him through narrowed eyes. "What are we wagering?"

He gave her a slow, sexy smile that started a burn somewhere low and deep inside her. She tamped it down, answering him with a pointed look. "Besides that."

"I didn't say a word," he protested with a mischievous grin. "Your mind did all the talking, love."

She tried to keep her face from showing what that little endearment did to her.

"You're about as subtle as a slap in the face," she replied.

"Well, what do you suggest?"

She pursed her lips, thinking. "We could wager on who's making breakfast."

He quirked a brow. "You warned me not to eat your cooking."

She drummed her fingers on the table. "Yeah, I did, and for good reason. How about this - if I win, you agree to help me find Blackbeard."

He froze for a moment, and his face hardened. "That's quite the favor. He and I have avoided each other for a reason, Swan."

"What reason is that?"

"We want each other dead. And we're both more than capable of doing it."

"I may not stop you, after what he's put us through. But I need to talk to him first. Deal?"

He stroked his beard. "Very well. And what if I win?"

She raised her brows. "I told you, I'm not giving you _that._"

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Your mind seems to be inhabiting that thought with overwhelming frequency. Why is that, I wonder?"

Emma rolled her eyes, but he held up a pacifying hand. "Don't worry, Swan, I'm only asking for something small. A trifle, really."

"What?"

"A kiss. One kiss, freely given."

Now it was Emma's turn to freeze. "Okay. Blackbeard versus a kiss. Let's play."

Hook opened a small chest, pulling out wooden markers for each of them that were similar to poker chips. He divided the pile in half and the game began. The first round went to him, but Emma was a fast learner. She nearly got him by round two and took the third and fourth rounds outright. He called a break after that so that he could get up and refill his flask. As they continued playing, he poured her a mug of rum and started to work in some questions.

"So...Swan..." he tossed down a couple of his markers.

"Yes...?" she shook her dice cup, glanced down, then tossed in a few markers of her own.

"How is it that Blackbeard had my ship? You can see that he doesn't." He checked his cup, and tossed down another marker. "Clearly, you see the disparity between your story, and reality."

"He...got it from you, and he was using it to transport slaves - children - from the Land of Nod. You took the ship back and we were just about to toss him overboard."

"Got it from me?" Hook raised a brow. "And how did he manage that?"

Emma looked away. "I wasn't there when it happened."

Hook took a long pull from his flask. Something about this just wasn't sitting right. Emma might be able to tell when someone was lying, but he had a pretty good sense of it himself. She wasn't giving him the entire truth.

"And what did you think of old Blackbeard? Did he merit more than a passing glance, Swan?" His voice was flippant, but his eyes meant business.

Emma looked at him like he was nuts. "The man was abusing _children_. He's disgusting." She tossed three more markers down, raising her brows when he tossed four.

"So it's not just me then," he surmised. "You don't care for pirates, in general."

"Not the ones who do the things he does." She said pointedly. "Are you telling me you're slaving now?" She held her breath, suddenly sick to her stomach and wondering if she shouldn't have asked that question.

His answer was immediate and vehement. "No. The Jolly Roger will never be used for human cargo. I may be a pirate, but I do have _some_ honor."

"I know." Her answer was soft, but just as immediate, and it made him feel warm in a way that the rum couldn't even begin to touch. She tossed in another marker, eyeing the two she had left and looking into her cup again.

"And what about us, Swan?" He pushed two more markers into the pile.

She took a big drink of her rum. "What do you mean?" she answered, evasively.

"You know what I mean. Were we together?"

"Together?"

He slammed his flask down on the table. "Don't be so damned coy. You know what I mean. I had you in my bed, in your quiet little reality, and I can't help but wonder if that's what fed this delusion."

She looked at him in shock. "Delusion? You think I'm delusional?"

"One of us is, love." he glanced down at his cup. "Your bet."

She stared angrily at her dice, her mind working overtime. He thought she was delusional. All this time she thought she was making headway, and he was just humoring her. She needed to find Blackbeard, and goddammit, he was going to help her. She pushed her remaining markers into the pile.

"I'm all in."

"So am I," he answered, pushing all of his markers into the pile next to hers. "And you haven't answered my question."

She heaved an enormous sigh, rolling her eyes. "Yes. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"It's a start." He leaned back in his chair, taking another swig from his flask. "Did we have a drunken interlude? Or was it more?"

"Does it matter?"

His eyes went hard. "Humor me."

Emma's eyes slid away from his. "It was one night," she said quietly.

"Just one?"

"And the following morning." She took another drink. "Are we still playing? I called your bet."

"All night and the morning after," he mused, rubbing his beard. "And that was it?"

"Yep." She took another drink, still refusing to meet his eyes. "Now either show your dice or I'm going to declare myself the winner by default."

"I'll show them, but first - you have to really answer my question."

Emma was getting annoyed. "I did."

"No, you didn't. I asked if there was more, and I wasn't referring to a length of time." His eyes were burning bright, and he handed her his cup. She took it, glancing down at his dice and then looking up at him.

"You won," she said.

"Aye. Now answer my question."

"I'm going up on deck." She stood up, turning quickly so that she could make her escape, but he was too fast. He stepped between her and the ladder.

"Answer me." His tone was steel, and she felt like she'd been cornered. It irked her and she shook her head.

"I don't have to tell you anything. We're done here." She moved to go past him and he stepped in front of her again.

"We're far from done. Answer my question."

"I don't know what you're trying to get out of me, but - "

"Dammit, Swan!" he grabbed her arm. "Were you my woman?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm my _own_ woman."

"You know what I mean." He moved in dangerously close, and she closed her eyes against the pull of him.

"It was just one night," she repeated. She opened her eyes, doing her best to keep her face as expressionless as possible.

He let out a forced chuckle. "What a pity. If you're going to fantasize about me, love, you should at least have tried for more than a simple plowing or two between those lovely thighs. I'm sure it would be a good, long while before I tired of you." He leaned down. "Now, how about that kiss?"

Emma drew back her fist and hit him in the face as hard as she could, sending him staggering before she ran for the ladder, and up onto the deck.

Hook rubbed his jaw gingerly, wondering if she hadn't loosened a tooth with that hit. Damn, but he'd forgotten how strong she was. He tasted blood, so he walked back to the table to get his flask, wincing at the sting the rum made on his shredded inner cheek.

He supposed he had that coming. It was a callous remark, but she'd infuriated him with her words, as usual. _It was just one night,_ she'd said, as if it were of no import beyond the passage of time. How many times over these past two years had he lain awake, fantasizing about such a night with her?

Bugger.

He was sure she was either delusional or under some kind of spell herself, so why did it bother him that she hallucinated only one night? Did a fantasized night carry less weight than a fantasized month? Or year? It was pointless to get worked up about it, yet he'd done just that, and all because her words had stung him so.

_It was just one night._

Once again, one carefully placed word made all the difference.

_Just._

In his fantasies, they were never "just" anything.

Hook threw himself down into the chair, propped his booted feet on the table, and reached for his flask again.

###

Emma opened her eyes slowly, groggy at first, and then she remembered where she was. A stumbling sound made her sit up in the bunk, and she realized he'd woken her when he slid the hatch open to the crew cabin. Now he was currently falling down the stairs, rebounding off the opposite wall before he caught himself and leaned against it.

"Hello," he said, giving her that lopsided grin. He was barefoot, his hair was mussed, his shirt was undone, and he was very, very inebriated. If she weren't still so pissed at him, he'd be adorable.

"Hook." She slid her feet off the bunk and stood up. "I'm sleeping, here. Do you mind?"

He smiled affably. "I don't mind if you sleep. Don't let me keep you, love." He gestured back to the bed.

"You're drunk."

"A remarkably astute observation," he said, pushing off the wall and walking toward her unsteadily.

"What do you want?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be at the wheel?"

"The Jolly can run herself for a while," he said, leaning against a bunk. "Otherwise, I'd never get any sleep on board, now would I?" He leered at her. "Not that I'm likely to get much sleep with a beautiful morsel like you bobbing about."

"Hook - "

"Oh, it's all right, Swan," he said, waving his hand petulantly. "I didn't come down here to press my advantage." He pushed off, staggered a bit, and fell onto a bunk. "D'you mind if I sit? No? Good."

He slumped against the wall, half laying, half sitting, and stared up at her with bleary eyes.

"I came down here," he said, grunting as he tried and failed to adjust his position, "To tell you something." He let out a big whoosh of air. "Bloody hell. The ship is spinning."

Emma finally relented, stepping over to the edge of the bunk and swinging his legs up on it. "Come on, you," she said, shaking her head. "Lie down."

"Are you trying to take advantage of me?" he asked hopefully. "If so, I'll be really, _really_ cooperative."

"I'm trying to keep you from hurting yourself," she replied.

"There you go again," he said, waving his hand and accidentally hitting the wall with it. "Looking out for me. It makes me wonder what you're about."

"I'm about to spend a night at the wheel, from the looks of it," she remarked dryly. "Get some rest." She started to straighten, but he reached up, sliding his hand behind her neck and pulling her in closer.

"Swan, I wanted to tell you..." his voice trailed off, but he kept looking at her, and she wondered for a moment if he was about to black out.

"What? Tell me what?"

His eyes softened. "All these months...even when I thought you dead..." his thumb slid around to stroke gently along the line of her jaw. "There wasn't a day that went by I didn't think of you."

Her eyes held his, and she managed to say his name around the tightness in her throat.

"Killian..."

She leaned in, but as their lips touched, his hand slid limply away from her face, and a soft breath of air escaped as he slipped from consciousness. Emma laid him back against the pillow, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face before she climbed the stairs to go and take the wheel.


	9. Hard-A-Lee

Killian pulled himself up the stairs, squinting in discomfort as the sunlight hit his eyes, sending a spear of pain directly into his brain. He ran his tongue across his fuzzy teeth as he walked across and mounted the stairs to the wheel deck.

"Good morning," Emma called out, trying hard not to smile at how badly he was squinting. "Sunshine a bit much for you?"

He put his hand over his eyes, shading them. "A bit."

"Does your head hurt?"

He nodded, but that hurt his head and he stopped. "Not just my head, but my face. Did I fall?"

"Yeah, but onto the bed. The face hurts because I punched you," she reminded him.

He closed his eyes. "Ah, yes. I'd forgotten that." He touched his jaw, probing lightly.

"Are you telling me you don't remember last night?" she asked, stepping away from the wheel.

"Oh, I remember most of it," he replied, rubbing his temple. "We played Liar's Dice, you hit me in the face, and then...well, I gather I imbibed a rather ridiculous amount of rum."

"Yeah," Emma said, nodding. "Ridiculous is a good word."

"And how did I end up in the crew cabin?"

She gave him a look. "You really don't remember?"

He raised his brows, shaking his head. Emma's face fell, but she quickly regrouped.

"You came looking for me but you ended up passing out."

Hook's face was properly chagrined. "Apologies, Swan. A gentleman should never visit his drunken state upon a lady."

"You were harmless." She turned back to the wheel, and he stepped over to her, touching her arm lightly.

"Really...I'm sorry. Damn, but I've apologized more in the last two days than I have in a lifetime." He grimaced. "You've had quite the sobering effect on my character, I must say."

Emma gave him a smirk. "Hold still," she said, reaching up and putting her fingers to his temple. She concentrated a moment, and a purple glow began to show beneath her fingertips. Hook let out a sigh.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much. Where the devil did you learn to do that?" He opened his eyes wider now that the hangover was gone. His hand went up to rub the side of his face. "You could take care of my bruised jaw, while you're at it."

"No, that one you can keep," she said, smartly. "As a reminder."

He moved in a little closer. "Would that be a reminder that you haven't paid your debt?"

"What?"

"You lost the game. I believe we had a wager...?" He gave her a very knowing grin, tapping a finger to his lips. It evoked such a strong memory, she very nearly gave him what he was looking for.

"You collected last night," she reminded him. "Too bad you don't remember."

He looked taken aback. "Really?"

She smiled with faux sympathy. "Really."

"Freely given, as specified?"

She held his gaze. "Freely given. At least, until you passed out halfway through."

He gave her a devilish look. "I only have your word on that, you know. Perhaps you'd better do it again so that there's no question as to its having been done."

"Nice try," she smirked. She pointed off toward the bow. "But we don't have time for that. We're about to make land."

He followed her hand to the shoreline that wasn't far off in the distance. "Aye, that we are. And we'll need to adjust - the docks are that way." He pointed off to the left. "Well done, Swan. You'd make an excellent first mate."

"Thanks."

"Anytime you want to discuss the word mate...I'm all ears." He smiled, turning the wheel to port. "Take the wheel a moment, will you? I need to drop a few sails or we're going to ram right into the dock."

Emma did as asked, and a short time later, they were pulling in. Hook jumped down onto the dock and she tossed him the mooring line. Once the ship was secured, he got the gangplank down and Emma stood on the dock, looking around.

"So I guess this is the best place to start," she said. "If we're looking for a pirate, the dock is the best place to find someone who's seen him."

Hook gave her a look of disbelief. "You're still thinking of finding Blackbeard?"

"Yeah. I told you, he's the only one with the answers."

"I can't let you do that, Swan."

Emma's face hardened. "_Let_ me? I'm doing it, Hook." She started off down the dock and his hand clamped down on her shoulder, spinning her around.

"I mean what I say," he warned. "Blackbeard will kill you, but not before he's done a lot of unspeakable things to you first. He's not someone to be trifled with, and he most certainly won't give you any sort of answer you'd be seeking."

She rolled her eyes. "You can just stay here if he scares you. Don't go far, though. Once I've got my answers, we're getting out of here."

"Scares me?" His eyes showed his incredulity before they turned to steel. His hand slid down to her arm, pulling her in tight. "No man has ever called me coward and lived to tell of it. Don't think that because you've a lovely set of breasts that I'm going to allow you to cast your aspersions."

She glared at him. "He doesn't scare me, and neither do you. Now let me go."

"I could throw you over my shoulder and then lock you in my cabin and not a man here would stop me," he threatened. "In fact, more than a few would pay me for the pleasure of your company. I assure you, I can find you far more attentive companions than Blackbeard."

Emma's eyes grew wide. "You think I'm trying to find him so we can..." her mouth dropped open. "And you're going to...? You'd let them...?"

He had the grace to look chagrined. "No." He let out a huff of air. "Bloody hell, Swan, you know I wouldn't." He seemed really troubled by that realization.

"Let me go, Hook."

"Look, I don't know what delusions are circling in that lovely head of yours, but they're going to get you killed." His hand tightened on her arm. "Now, let's go and find my crew and put the wind at our backs. We should be - "

He finished that sentence standing in the center of his cabin. Bloody hell, she'd even locked him in. The fool woman might have magic, but Blackbeard was as tricky a bastard as had ever been born. Once she tipped her hand, he'd have a way to neutralize her threat, and she'd be at his mercy.

Hook made a growling sound as he headed across the cabin to the secret hatch to the cargo hold that sat along the other side. He'd put it in years ago, after some fool thought to take his ship by locking him and the crew within. He'd had to break the window and climb out, which was a damned nuisance. Swan should have been smart enough to realize he'd always have an escape plan.

He was going to have to follow her, and hope he could reason with her before she got to Blackbeard.

###

Emma was in luck. A little flirting and some carefully placed questions at the local tavern, and she'd learned that Blackbeard was actually in Basla, the neighboring town to Ticaret, trying to get rid of his cargo. She found an old fisherman who was headed that way and within less than half an hour, she was on her way. She looked back over her shoulder as the boat headed down the coastline, smiling as she saw the familiar masts and sails appearing behind them shortly after they'd rounded a bend. She knew he'd follow her. He realized he couldn't stop her, but he wasn't about to let her face Blackbeard alone, either.

Of course, this meant he'd be good and pissed, too, but he really didn't give her much choice. If he wasn't so damned stubborn and so sure that he was right and she was wrong, they could be doing this together.

She thanked the old fisherman and even offered him her dagger as payment, but he turned her down, insisting that she keep it. He'd met her mother once when she was a young girl, and he was happy to do a favor for the daughter of Snow White.

Emma glanced back over her shoulder again - the Jolly Roger wasn't far off and she probably only had about twenty minutes before he was on the dock. She took off for the nearest tavern, determined to get some questions in before Hook came along to spoil the party.

She found Blackbeard two taverns down at the other end of the dock, and it took everything she had not to punch his smarmy face as she took a seat across from him, much to his surprise. He studied her carefully before waving a negligent hand in her direction.

"Out with it. What do you want?"

"I would think that would be obvious," she bit out. "So start talking. What did you do?"

He gave her a cool smile. "My dear lady, you have me at a disadvantage. Have we met?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Emma said, narrowing her eyes. "I want to know just what you did to him."

"I do a lot of things to a lot of people," he said, with obviously waning patience. "You'll have to be more specific. Who?"

"Hook."

"Hook?" He looked genuinely surprised. "If something untoward happened to Hook, much as I'd like to claim the credit, it wasn't my doing. He and I haven't seen each other in well over a year." He reached for his mug of grog, downing a significant amount and then belching loudly. "If you have other business with me, do go on. Otherwise, you're wasting my time." He gave her a leer. "Unless you have another reason for seeking me out."

Emma stared at him in dismay. The man was telling the truth. As far as he was concerned, he'd never met her. He had no memory of what had happened, no memory of coming to Storybrooke. She took in a deep breath as her mind idly speculated that Hook might have been right. Maybe this whole last year and a half was some kind of dream or something. Tears sprang into her eyes and she clenched her hand into a fist.

No. She refused to believe that.

She hadn't fought this hard, come this far, for this to be it. Maybe it was her magic giving her a feeling in her gut, but she knew this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Something else was going on.

She looked at Blackbeard, choosing her words carefully.

"What I really need is information. What do you know about curses?"

Blackbeard toyed with the mug in his hands, rolling it back and forth between them. "Information? Information can be...costly. Particularly when it's about some dark sort of magic."

"I can pay."

Blackbeard signaled the serving girl for more grog, then turned his attention back to Emma. "Are you paying with gold? Or with your body?" he asked, taking another drink. "The body might take a little longer to work off."

Emma closed her eyes briefly, imagining a pouch full of gold appearing in her hand, just under the table. A moment later, she felt the weight of it. Magic was coming in really, really handy here. She reached her hand up, dropping the pouch on the table in front of her.

"I'm looking for information about a very specific curse," she told him. "Something that would change someone's personality entirely. Turn them from a hero into a villain."

"A few come to mind," Blackbeard said with a shrug. "Who are you looking to turn?"

"This particular curse didn't change the person's past. Not entirely, anyway," Emma explained. "Everything was normal until just under two years ago. That's where their memories change. It's like they did a full 180 degree turnaround."

Blackbeard leaned back with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Oh-ho...you're talking about the Hard-a-Lee."

"The heartily what?" Emma looked at him in confusion.

"The Hard-a-Lee. It's a seamen's term, and it was so named because it was originally cast by a very dark-natured sea witch," Blackbeard said, eyeing the gold in front of her. "'Hard-a-Lee' means to turn the ship entirely around, downwind. To change direction."

"So the curse changes the direction of their life?" she clarified.

"It's not necessarily a curse," Blackbeard pointed out. "When someone is hit with the Hard-a-Lee, they're taken back to a moment when they made a decision that affected the course of their life. It could go either way. Whatever they chose before, they make the opposite choice."

Emma let that sink in for a moment. Hook had chosen to keep sailing, instead of turning around. As far as he was concerned, he'd returned to his villainous, pirate life and left them all behind.

"How does someone break a curse like that?"

"They have to break it themselves," he said. "By finding the other path on their own. Of course, that's much harder to do in the new reality of their lives."

"New reality?"

"The curse affects not only their life, but the lives of anyone who would have been affected by the decision. Their lives would have reset, to continue on from that point as well." He reached out a grimy hand. "Now, are we finished? Or are you rethinking the alternate form of payment?"

Emma drew her dagger, and had it at his throat in an instant. "You _bastard_. Do you realize what you've done?" Her voice cracked with emotion.

"Careful," Blackbeard warned. "You're not the only one with a dagger." Emma glanced down to see the point of a dagger, just under her breasts, ready to go straight into her heart.

"And you're not the only one with a vested interest in the lady's charms," Hook said quietly, from just behind Blackbeard. "Let her go."

Blackbeard looked decidedly annoyed. "Hook." He tried to give a slight nod of acknowledgement, but Emma's dagger hadn't moved. "Call off your bitch and we'll talk."

Hook's eyes narrowed. "I'd watch my tone if I were you. The Lady has magic. The dagger is just for show." He reached out, taking ahold of Emma's arm. "Come on."

"He did this to us," she gritted out. "He did this to all of us." She pressed the dagger tighter into his neck, and he responded by pushing up on his own dagger, just enough to draw blood. That is, until a hook brushed the other side of his neck.

"Back off," Hook said, his tone laden with malice.

Blackbeard pulled his dagger in, but Emma hadn't done the same. Hook pulled gently on her arm.

"Come on, Swan. You don't want to do this."

"Yes, I do." Her eyes were wild and she was still looking at Blackbeard. "He deserves it."

"I've no doubt he does, love, but you said something about getting home, I believe."

He finally got Emma's attention, and she pulled the dagger away from Blackbeard's throat.

"Beans. We need a magic bean," Emma said, looking down at Blackbeard. "And you know where to get them."

"And why would I help you?" Blackbeard said, darkly.

"Because you want her gold," Hook answered. "And you want to live." He still hadn't pulled his hook away from Blackbeard's throat. "Now answer the lady. Can you get a magic bean?"

"It'll cost her." Blackbeard was good and angry now. "Twice that amount of gold."

"Done." Emma flourished her hand, and a second bag appeared next to the first.

"I'm not done," Blackbeard said. "Twice the gold, and the lady's company."

"How about twice the gold and you keep your miserable life," Hook spat, knicking him with the edge of his hook. "Now give her the bean."

Blackbeard brought up his hands slowly, then reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a stoppered glass vial, containing a single bean. "It's the last one," he said. "I'll need another bag of gold for a commodity this precious."

Emma narrowed her eyes, and a third bag appeared. Then she reached over and took the vial from his hand.

"Come on," she said to Hook. "We have to go. Now." She pushed her way out of the tavern, and Hook slowly stepped away from Blackbeard.

"This isn't over," Blackbeard said.

"For your sake, it had better be," Hook replied. "She wants you dead and she's got the power to do it. You'd be wise to remember that." He turned on his heel and followed Emma out.

He caught up with her as just as she stepped onto the gangplank to the Jolly Roger. Once he's loosed the mooring line and they'd gotten aboard, she turned and began to pull the walkway in, but he put a booted foot down on it to stop her.

"What are you doing?"

"We're leaving," she said.

"I plan to return to Ticaret to get my crew, but where do _you_ think we're going?"

Emma straightened up, then ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back off her forehead. "How much of our conversation did you hear?"

"I walked in just as you went for his throat. What did he say to provoke you?"

"He told me what it was he'd cursed you with," she replied. "And it explains why you don't remember it, and neither does he."

Hook raised a brow. "And what was that?"

"Something called the Hard-a-Lee. It forces - "

"The Hard-a-Lee?" Hook's eyes snapped open wide and he took an involuntary step back. "He used the Hard-a-Lee on you?"

"No, Killian," she said, holding his eyes, and he knew just how serious she was by the simple power behind his given name. "He used it on you," she said. "That day, nearly two years ago, you didn't sail away from Storybrooke. You came back. You changed the direction of your life with that decision, and he's taken that away from you."

His eyes grew faraway, and his thoughts followed. Bloody hell. He'd gone back. He'd made the decision that he'd wished for hundreds of times in hindsight. He'd gone back, and because of it, he'd become a different man. His mind struggled to wrap itself around all of that.

"The Hard-a-Lee," he repeated hoarsely. "The bloody bastard. You should have killed him."

"You know about the curse?"

"Yes. It's not easily procured, but I did see it once in the course of my life. It's a strange bit of magic, because it can also be considered a blessing by some. In this case, it was a fellow sailor, who'd lost his wife in a freak accident, caused by a horse he'd inadvertently frightened. He reversed his actions, the horse never shied, and his wife was spared...unfortunately."

"What was so bad about that?" Emma asked.

"We're talking about dark magic, remember? This fell under the heading 'Be careful what you wish for.' His wife lived, and she became with child a year later. Shortly before its birth, he discovered that he wasn't the father when he caught her running off with her lover. He killed them both before taking a dive off a cliff onto the rocks below."

"So three people died, instead of one," Emma remarked. "Four, counting the baby."

"Aye. The lover was the only son of a woman who ran the local orphan's house. When her only child died, she wasted away, leaving the children in her care to fend for themselves. Who knows how much further the ripples spread after that." He took a deep breath. "The Hard-a-Lee is a nasty piece of business."

"There's more," Emma cautioned. "After you left, and we stopped the trigger, we discovered that Tamara and Greg took Henry to Neverland. Peter Pan had been looking for him and he sent them to find him."

Hook looked stunned. "What would Pan want with Henry?"

"He was looking for the heart of the truest believer, so that he could take it. It would make him immortal." Emma stepped closer. "When you came back, you offered your ship and the bean to help us. We all got on board, and we worked together to rescue him."

"We." He looked at her, not sure he wanted to hear the answer. "Who's we?"

"You, me, my parents, Regina...and Gold."

Hook's jaw tightened. "Well then," he said, with forced jocularity. "It's a bloody good thing I didn't make that decision again. Pull in the gangplank. We're off to Ticaret."

"Hook!"

He didn't stop walking, mounting the stairs to the wheel deck and reaching for the wheel.

"Hook!" She ran up behind him, pulling him around. "You listen to me. That is my son out there! We are going to Neverland and we are going to fix this. _All_ of this."

"If Henry was taken to Neverland, he's been there nearly two years now. He, and everyone with him is most certainly dead." His eyes softened at the stricken look on her face. "I'm sorry, love, but that's the truth of it. Pan is demon. If he had his sights on Henry, he's gotten what he wanted by now."

"Maybe," she said. "But I know Regina, and I know Gold. He might have Henry's heart, but Regina and Gold have found a way to preserve his body."

"And how did they get there?" he asked. "I had the only remaining bean."

"Regina would have found a way." She knew it with utmost certainty. Nothing would have kept Regina from Henry. Nothing.

"And why aren't you with them, then?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I was standing near you when the curse was thrown. For whatever reason, I'm here and they need me. They need _us._"

"Then you should have asked Blackbeard to sail away with you, because I'm bloody well not sailing back to that damnable island, particularly if The Dark One is involved," he said, preparing to pull the ship about. "Perhaps I was wrong about the curse, after all. This one seems to have done me a favor."

"You don't mean that," she said in disbelief. "You would wish that kind of death on my son?"

He closed his eyes. "No. I wouldn't wish a life or a death with Pan on anyone, let alone Henry." He reached out, cupping her face. "But it is what it is. You trying to change it now will only get you killed, as well." He dropped his hand and walked over to the riggings, and began to hoist a sail.

"_Listen to me_," she said. "I am doing this. It might be crazy. It might be stupid, but I'm doing it anyway."

He turned to look at her. "Swan - "

"Shut up and listen. When you came back that day, when you pulled into the dock, I told you I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself. You told me that maybe you just needed reminding that you could." She stepped in closer, putting a hand on his chest. "So this is me...reminding you."

She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him with everything she had, putting every ounce of feeling she'd grown for him, molding herself to him, willing him as hard as she could to feel some kind of answering echo of his other self and of the man she knew he could be.

Finally, she pulled back, and his eyes were awash with confusion and something more - something bright and searing in its intensity.

"Emma..." he said, reaching for her again. She slid her hands from his neck to cup his face.

"The Killian I know - the one who came back for me, the one who put aside his vengeance against The Dark One, the one who fought a demon with a boy's face and helped me save my son, the one who faced a witch and traveled time for me...he's still in there. Maybe the only way to get rid of this curse is to find him again."

"What if the curse doesn't break, Emma? What if this is all I am?" he looked at her uncertainly, his feelings plainly warring on his face.

"I refuse to believe that. My Killian doesn't give up on the people he cares about. And neither do I."

She kissed him again, and his arms tightened around her with enough force to stop the air in her lungs. It was a long, long time before he let go.

"Pull up the gangplank," he said quietly. "And then brace yourself on something."

She touched his face once more, then turned to run back down the stairs to the main deck. He watched her go, wondering if he hadn't completely lost his mind. It all seemed so utterly impossible.

Not the curse, mind you. That he could believe. But what in hell had he ever done to have deserved another chance? A chance to make it right? He watched Emma climb the stairs again, wrapping her arm tightly around the lashings. He reached for the wheel, and gave her a nod.

She threw the bean, and he wondered as they passed through the portal if it would be Hook or Killian who emerged on the other side.


	10. Neverland

_**Well, readers, what do you think of this dastardly curse? Never let it be said that I don't know how to totally eff up a storyline! And I'm going to tell you now...Pan isn't all they've got to worry about. Oh, the convoluted things that are twirling in my brain...and the heartaches and gut punches I'm going to throw at our heroes before it's all done...I promise, you're going to hate me hard before this one is over. But that's okay, because as always, you're going to love Hook. He's still in there, Emma's Killian. He just needs to believe like we do. And now - let's find out what's cooking in Neverland...**_

_**###**_

"Before we get to the island," Emma said, once they'd emerged from the portal, "Let me tell you what I know, and how we beat Pan."

"You don't beat Pan," Hook pointed out. "The most you can do is hope to avoid him."

"Yeah, well, we did. Here's the condensed version," she began. "Pan took Henry, and tried to turn him into a Lost Boy, to win him over. Gold tried to trap Pan in Pandora's box, but ended up getting trapped himself. Eventually, Pan took Henry to Skull Island and talked him into giving up his heart voluntarily. Then Regina, my Mother and I went after him and Regina ended up getting the heart back. She replaced it in Henry, and put some kind of spell on him so the heart could never be taken again. Pan attacked once more, and Gold tried to trap him with the box again. Pan changed places with Henry and ended up coming back to Storybrooke with us."

"He made it to Storybrooke?" Hook's eyes widened. "And you all thought he was Henry?"

"We figured it out pretty quick, but not quick enough – he re-cast Regina's curse using Felix's heart, and Gold finally ended up killing him….along with himself."

Hook's eyes brightened. "The Dark One dies in your version of reality?"

"Hook….he saved us all. He 's changed." She wished she could make him understand, but without having seen how far Gold had come, and without coming that far himself, how could he?

"But he dies," he reiterated, firmly.

"Well….sort of."

"_Sort of_?"

Emma sighed. "One villain at a time, okay? Let's get Pan and I'll fill you in on the other stuff."

"Right," he agreed, steering the ship toward shore. "At least we're coming in under cover of darkness. Pan's shadow will be out scouring the other realms for new Lost Boys."

Emma moved over toward the side, keeping an eye out for mermaids. Memories of how they almost killed themselves flitted through her mind. She glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Hook, listen to me – and this is important. We have to work together. All of us. That includes Gold."

His jaw tightened, and she could see just how very much he didn't like hearing that. "I can't promise you that, Swan."

She turned to face him. "You have to. It's the only way – the only thing that worked. All of us - together."

"And just how do you think that will work?" he asked, raising a brow. "Regina wants you all dead, your parents want to save the world and can't seem to see the evil in it, and The Dark One will murder anyone who stands in the way of getting the job done just to expedite matters. Do you really think you can get them to cooperate with each other?"

"We did. We figured out that we were stronger together."

"You'll excuse me if that sounds improbable," he said, reaching for one of the lashings so that he could lower the sails. She followed him over.

"Well, we did. You guided us around the island, Tink got us into Pan's camp, Regina found a way to get the heart, Gold found a way to contain Pan, David fought off the Lost Boys and Mary Margaret helped me reach out to them, turning them to our side."

He secured the line, then turned to face her. "What was your role? Besides 'enticing morsel,' I mean."

She gave him a look and a smirk. "I was the leader."

"And they followed you?"

She shrugged. "Go figure."

"And Neal? Where did he fit in, Swan?" He asked it nonchalantly, but his eyes held hers, commanding an answer. And all at once, it hit her.

Neal was alive. He hadn't died, because he hadn't been pulled back to the Enchanted Forest. He was alive.

"Oh my God," Emma said, under her breath. "I didn't even think about it."

"About what?"

"He's alive," she said, "He's alive and on the island."

"So you've mentioned." Hook said, looking a little uneasy. "What's so surprising about it?"

Her eyes welled up, despite her best efforts to hold back the tears. "He's dead. In my reality, he's dead."

Hook's eyes narrowed. "You told me he'd survived Tamara's bullet," he reminded her. "Are you changing your story now?"

"No." She looked at him a bit angrily. He obviously still didn't trust her entirely yet. "He was killed later – by Zelena. It's…complicated, but the bottom line is he sent you to me – to warn me and to help me find my memories again."

"So he died a bloody hero and you're realizing just how important he was – is that it?" he bit out. "And now you've got the chance for a do-over."

She stepped closer. "Don't do this."

"Do what?" he said scathingly. "I'm only pointing out the obvious."

"This isn't about him."

"Isn't it?"

Hook's words hung in the air between them, weighing down on them both. Finally, Emma spoke.

"I'm here for one reason, and one reason only – to save my son. I don't know if your curse will ever break. I don't know if things will ever go back to the way that I know them, but I do know this: I am in the here and now. And right here, right now, I need you. We need each other. That's got to be enough."

He wouldn't meet her eyes, and he didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, he turned the wheel.

"We'll be sailing upriver as far as we can go. That should bring us closer to Pan's camp."

Emma shook her head. "No, we need to get to Tinkerbell."

"She's not likely to help us, Swan. She's survived this long by staying away from Pan, which, as I pointed out before, is the safest route."

"She'll just have to come around. And by now, my parents will have reached out to her. Regina may not have been welcome there, but Tink would know where she is. If we can find Regina, we can find Henry and Gold. If we can find Gold, we can find Neal. And then we can all team up and get out of here."

"Sound reasoning, Swan…provided they're all still alive."

"They are," she said, willing herself to believe it. "They have to be."

**###**

They sheltered the boat in an inlet. Emma stood on the shore, looking up at it.

"We need to disguise it somehow," she said.

"Pointless. You can't hide anything from Pan. It's his island." Hook pointed out.

"You're right. But we can't risk him burning it or something - it's our ticket home." She closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

"What are you doing?"

"Hush. I'm concentrating. I've only done this once before and it wasn't on something this big." She slowly raised her hands and the air around the ship began to shimmer, growing brighter as a protection spell slowly enveloped it. She dropped her hands, stepping back and panting.

"Impressive, Swan," he said, looking at her with admiration. "You're quite the student. Regina must be proud."

Emma smirked. "I doubt she'd be too impressed. That took three times as long as it would have taken her. It's easier when I'm under pressure, believe it or not. Makes me react on instinct."

"That does make sense, actually. Every time you've used it so far you've been angry."

"That's one thing I've got going for me this time," she remarked. "Last trip I could barely light a candle." She slung Neal's cutlass over her shoulder, sliding her dagger into her belt. "Can you get us to Tink?"

"Aye. This cove isn't far from a trail that should lead us right to her." He gestured off into the jungle, and Emma waited for him to step forward, but he hesitated a moment. "Stay close to me," he said.

"I'll be careful."

"I mean it, Swan." He glanced around, then reached out and touched her face. "Now that I've found you again..."

A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "I found you, remember?"

He smiled back. "A technicality. If I'd have know you were alive, I'd have found a way. Never doubt it."

"I don't. And I'll be careful if you will." She held his gaze a moment more, then she reluctantly stepped back, more than aware that they were wasting valuable time. Pan probably already knew they were there.

"Lead on," she said, stepping aside. Then she drew her cutlass and followed him into the jungle. They hiked for the better part of an hour without seeing a single Lost Boy or any sign of Pan, for that matter. Not that it made much of a difference to their nerves - both of them flinching at every twig breaking underfoot and swiveling their heads around at the sound of wind shaking the leaves.

Hook had just rounded a large rock outcropping when the attack came. Emma heard the whistle of the arrow a split second before it whizzed by Hook's head, close enough to graze his temple and leave a bloody streak behind. He ducked instantly, yanking her down behind a bounder as another arrow whizzed by, and another, and another.

"It's one attacker," he whispered. "They're all coming from the same direction."

He risked another glance over the boulder, only to have another arrow tear a groove into the shoulder of his greatcoat before he pulled back to safety.

"Whoever it is," he panted, touching his bloody temple, "They're damned good with that bow. One of the best I've ever seen."

Emma's eyes flew open wide, and she started to stand up. Hook yanked her back down. "What in blazes d'you think you're doing? Do you want to get yourself killed?"

"She won't kill me," Emma answered. She called out "Mary Margaret!" as she rose slowly, her hands in the air. An arrow hit the rock directly in front of her and Hook moved to pull her down once again. Emma refused to budge.

"If she'd wanted me dead, I would be," she said in a low voice.

He looked up at her incredulously. "Did you miss the part where I asked you to be careful?"

"She won't hurt me," Emma repeated.

An arrow appeared from between the branches, nocked into a bow. Emma kept her hands in the air.

"Mary Margaret...Mom...it's me, Emma."

Snow's voice called out, a little shakily. "I don't believe you. Emma doesn't call me that."

Emma took a deep breath. "Yes, I do. I just don't say it out loud enough. But I'm saying it now. Have a little faith. I'm here to save Henry."

Snow stepped out from behind the tree very, very slowly, lowering the bow slightly, but still keeping the arrow nocked.

"Emma...?" She stepped forward hesitantly. Emma let out a small gasp because her mother was almost unrecognizable. Her hair had grown and was in a state of disarray. She was gaunt almost to the point of sickly, her cheekbones standing out in sharp relief, and there was a hollowness in her eyes that was haunting.

Just then, Hook stood up, and Snow whirled with a shriek, training the arrow on him. "Emma, get away!" she called out. "I've got him!"

"It's okay," Emma reassured, stepping forward. "Hey - " she reached out, lowering the bow with her hand. "It's okay. He's with me."

"Have you forgotten me already?" Hook asked with a jaunty smile. "If your Prince is otherwise occupied, I'd be happy to jog your memory," he flirted.

Snow's eyes grew impossibly wide, seeming to take up her entire face. The bow slipped from her fingers and she started to shake as giant tears rolled down her face. She clapped her hands over her mouth, stifling the moan that grew out of her throat. She slid slowly to the ground, rocking back and forth, making horrible, raw sounds that were almost animal-like. Emma gave Hook a frightened look, then dropped to her knees next to her mother, putting a hand on her back.

"Where is he?" Emma asked softly, half-afraid she already knew the answer. "Where's David?"

Snow's eyes met Emma's, and her face was blank, almost without expression.

"Dead," she said. "He's dead."


	11. Hidden

Emma pulled her mother to her feet slowly, wrapping her arms around her. She felt like she just took a fist to the middle of her chest. Her eyes closed in silent agony as it all settled in. Hook hadn't been here to save him.

Her father was gone.

The weight of that awful truth pushed her down, and she felt like falling into the dirt herself. She couldn't even begin to imagine the depth of her mother's pain. They held each other for a long time, until Snow finally pulled back.

The tears were flowing freely down Emma's face, and Hook made a move toward her only to stop uncertainly as Snow took a reactionary step backward. She moved forward again a moment later, and her jaw trembled as she touched Emma's face with shaking fingers.

"Emma….how? How are you here?" Snow's eyes shifted to look at Hook. "We thought at first that Greg and Tamara had somehow taken you with them, but we never found you here. We thought you were dead."

Emma took a deep breath in. "Yeah…there's a lot of that going around." She guided her mother over to a nearby rock, sitting her down.

"So what happened to me, back in Storybrooke," Emma asked. "Did I just…disappear?"

Snow's eyes were enormous, and she wiped the tears off her face. "Vanished. You just vanished. Tamara, Greg and Henry jumped into the portal, and when we all looked up – you were gone. Where were you?"

Emma looked over at Hook, and he gave a slight shake of his head. She squatted down in front of Snow.

"That's a very long and complicated story, so I'm going to save it until we all get reunited and I can tell you all at once. First, we need to know what's gone on here. How did you all get to Neverland?"

Snow ran a hand through her hair, trying to get a grip on herself. She took a few, shaky breaths and answered.

"I went back into the dream world and reached out to Aurora. She and Philip managed to get a magic bean, and they sent it over to us with Ariel. We landed here, and Mr. Gold took off. Regina wasn't far behind him, leaving your father and I to do what we could without them."

Emma inclined her head toward Hook. "See what I mean? It doesn't work if you don't work together."

"So where is Regina now?" Hook asked.

Snow looked at him uncertainly, then glanced back at Emma.

"It's okay – Hook's here to help," Emma explained.

Snow looked doubtful. "He's not usually known for being helpful," she pointed out. "And I have no idea where Regina is. Pan has probably captured her by now. We didn't see Gold again once he left us, either. David and I…" her voice cracked. "We did what we could, but we – " her eyes welled with tears again, and they overflowed. "Oh Emma, we couldn't save Henry. Pan took his heart."

Even though it was expected, Emma still felt the pain, and it showed on her face. Hook moved closer, sliding his arm around her waist, and she felt the warmth of his hand on the small of her back, supporting and comforting her. Snow watched it all with a mixture of disbelief.

"So, is this where you've been all this time? With Hook?"

Emma looked up. "Yes and No. I'll get to that in a minute. First, I need to know – did Regina find a way to preserve Henry's body?"

Snow nodded. "Yes – at least, we hope so. The spell Regina put on him could only last a few hours. She managed to get word to Ariel, and she agreed to swim Henry's body back to Storybrooke. Regina has a special casket there that once held Daniel, her true love. Henry's body could be preserved indefinitely in it."

"And that worked?"

"We don't know," Snow replied. "We thought it was safest if Ariel didn't try to come back – Pan was looking out for her. For all we know, he may have stopped her."

Emma reached out, taking Snow's hand. "How long ago did David die?"

Snow's face became stone, and a shudder went through her body. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

"It's hard to measure time here, but from what I can figure it was four months after we got here. I'm not sure how long since. Things got kind of…blurry after that. He got nicked by an arrow, and it had poison on it."

"Dreamshade," Hook said with a grimace. "I know it well."

"You know how to cure it, too," Emma pointed out. "But you weren't here to do it this time."

"This time?" Snow looked confused.

"I promise, I'll explain," Emma reassured her.

"That cure comes at a price," Hook said gruffly. "I'm not sure it would have made much of a difference."

Emma looked at him steadily. "Yeah, well...it did. It bought us time until Gold could make a permanent cure." Emma glanced over at Snow, who seemed lost in thought. "How have you been surviving all this time?" Emma asked her gently.

"With me," Tinkerbell said, stepping out of the trees. She gave Hook an unfriendly look. "Never thought I'd see you back again."

"Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are," he replied. "You look well, Tink."

She gave him a dismissive look, turning her attention to Emma. "So you're Snow's daughter?"

"Emma," Emma said, standing up and holding out her hand. "I'm here to help."

"Well, it certainly took you long enough," Tink said flatly, not bothering to take the hand. "Not that it would have mattered. You can't win against Pan."

"Yes, we can," Emma countered. "But I need to find Regina. I'm betting you know where she is."

"Regina and I only spoke once," Tink answered coldly. "And that was more than enough. I have no desire to help her."

"I know," Emma said, "But I need to find her, or Gold, if you know where he is."

Tink gave her a blank look. "Never heard of him. If he's here, Pan's got him or I would have seen him by now."

"If I can find Regina, we can find Gold, and if we can all get together, we can defeat Pan," Emma explained.

"You're awfully sure of yourself," Tink answered.

"She has good cause," Hook interjected. "Now, do you know where Regina is or are we going to keep playing games until Pan gets here?" He glanced around uneasily.

"Exactly," Tink said. "Why should I risk my neck for any of you? Snow and I are safe enough because we know better than to try to take on Pan."

Snow stood up, gripping Tink's forearm. "You have to help them," she said. "Emma has magic, powerful magic. I've seen it."

"And we have a way off the island," Emma said. Hook gave her a curious glance and she gave him a look that plainly said '_Don't question me'_.

"I can take you to where I last saw her, but I won't go trekking through the jungle looking for her," Tink said reluctantly. She reached down, moving Snow's hand gently off her arm. "You need to go back to my treehouse. You'll be safe there."

Emma's brow creased and she looked at Snow. "Aren't you coming with us?"

Snow glanced up at her hesitantly. "It's best if I stay close...so I can...protect the treehouse."

Emma looked over at Tink, who gave her a guarded look and a slight shake of her head.

"Okay..." Emma said, glancing around. "Hook can stay with you while Tink takes me to Regina."

"No!" Hook and Snow answered at once. Hook was emphatic, but Snow nearly shouted her denial. Emma looked at her questioningly, and Snow continued with a stammer.

"T-Take Hook with you. He can watch your back."

"I agree with your mother," Hook chimed in, shifting his eyes away from Snow. "The Lost Boys will be all over this jungle. You could do with an extra cutlass at your back."

"How far?" Emma asked Tink.

"She moves around a lot," Tink answered. "Last time I saw her, she was near Marooner's Rock. It's in Mermaid Lagoon. We can get there and back before nightfall."

Emma looked over at Snow again. "And you're going to be okay? You can come along, you know."

Snow shook her head, putting on a brave face - but the fine trembling in her jaw gave her away. "I'll just slow you down. I'm not in the shape I used to be in."

Emma looked worried, and her eyes met Hook's. There was something in his gaze that troubled her almost as much as Snow's condition, but she couldn't deny her mother looked like she was a pale shade of the woman she used to be. Emma stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her, and Snow hugged her back fiercely.

"We're going to get you out of here," Emma whispered "We're going to get us all out of here."

She let go of Snow and gave Tinkerbell a nod. Tink moved off through the jungle and Emma fell into step behind her, with Hook bringing up the rear. Emma turned and looked back over her shoulder, watching Snow as she walked away, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she was missing. Her eyes shifted to Hook, and he moved in closer.

"She'll be all right, Swan. Tinkerbell's house is off-limits to the Lost Boys. Only Pan can visit there, and he never does. It's the safest place she could be on this damnable island."

Emma gave him a stiff nod. "Let's just do this and get out of here."

He reached out, taking her hand. "Swan - for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your father. He and I may not have seen eye-to-eye, but he was a good man. He was incredibly proud of you."

Emma took in a shaky breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them, he was right in front of her. She moved into the circle of his arms, allowing herself a moment of comfort as she leaned in and put her head on his shoulder. He held her tightly, dropping a soft kiss on her head.

"Are you two coming?" Tink called back. "Or do you want Pan to kill you while you share a tender moment?"

Hook stiffened, stepping back. "She's right. We need to keep moving." His jaw tightened. "He's probably watching us even now."

Emma looked around. "I'm ready for him. He doesn't scare me."

She stepped up her pace, catching up to Tinkerbell. Hook paused a moment, shaking his head.

"I knew you were going to say that." He exhaled a bit too loudly, following them both.

And Peter Pan stood on a tree limb above them, smiling as they passed beneath.


	12. Conversation

"There," Tink said, as they broke through the trees. "That's Marooner's Rock."

"And Regina is there?" Emma stepped up beside her, looking out at the large rock, sitting in the center of the lagoon.

"No, it's just a reference point," Tink said.

"No one goes to Marooner's Rock," Hook supplied. "Not unless Pan puts them there."

"What happens when he does?" Emma asked.

"Death," Hook said. "At nightfall, an enchantment takes the rock. Anyone on it will be frozen to it, and they'll drown when the tide rolls in and the water engulfs it."

"It's a slow and protracted way to die," Tink said, distastefully. "Pan loves that."

"Yeah, he's a real peach," Emma said. She glanced around. "So where did you see Regina?"

Tink pointed off toward the beach below. "She was over there, on the far side of the Lagoon. I can't be sure she's still there."

"It's a starting place," Emma said. "Let's go."

They made their way down the sloping hillside to the beach, staying near the edge of the jungle. Emma was torn between wanting to be out in the open so that Regina could see her and wanting to be hidden from a possible attack by Lost Boys. They finally settled on staying just inside the tree line, skirting their way around the edge of the lagoon.

They had just stepped over a fallen tree when a fireball came out of nowhere, forcing them to drop and get behind the tree trunk for cover.

"Don't come any closer," Regina's voice called out.

"Regina!" Emma shouted back. "I'm here. It's Emma!"

Regina stepped out of the treeline, with a fireball glowing in her hand. "Not possible," she said. "I'm not playing your game, Pan."

Emma stood up slowly. "I'm not Pan. And neither is he." She gestured down to Hook and he slowly stood beside her. Tink got to her feet next to them.

Regina's eyes widened. "Tinkerbell? Hook?" She looked good and confused. Emma started to step over the log, and Regina pulled her arm back.

"Not so fast!" She said threateningly. "One step closer and I'll incinerate you."

Emma held up her hands. "Whoa...what do I need to do to convince you?"

"Why are you here?"

Emma dropped her hands. "Same reason as you - I want to save Henry."

Regina raised a brow. "You're too late. Pan took Henry's heart."

"I know." Emma said. "And I know you've got him preserved. We just need to get the heart away from Pan and get off the island."

Regina's eyes shifted over to Tink. "And what's your role in all this?"

"I don't have one. You can't win against Pan. I only brought them to you because Snow asked me to."

Regina looked surprised. "Snow is alive? I thought Pan captured her?"

"He did," Tink said quietly. "She got away."

Regina turned her eyes to Hook. "And where did you come from?"

"I came with her," he explained, gesturing at Emma. "Look, can you drop the fireball? We only came to talk."

"So talk," Regina said. "I'm not foolish enough to let my defenses down for a second."

"This is a waste of time," Tink said. "I'm going back."

Emma touched her arm. "Wait, Tink. Please." She looked back at Regina. "We need you to come back with us. I have a lot to explain and we'll need every one of us if we're going to defeat Pan. That includes Gold." She took a deep breath, and her eyes shifted to Hook and back. "And Neal."

"Neal?" Regina questioned. "He's dead. He died before we left Storybrooke."

"No, he's here, on the island. Pan must have him. What about Gold?"

"Pan imprisoned him in Pandora's box. He keeps it with him. We'll never get him free."

"So you got that far, at least," Emma said to herself, thinking. "We need to come up with a plan, and we need your help to do it. We might be able to lure Pan to a place where you can get the heart out of him."

"Already done," Regina said smugly.

"What?"

"You heard me. I ripped Henry's heart right out of that cunning little bastard's chest. He tried to imprison me on something called "The Tree of Regret" and it backfired."

Emma smiled a slow smile. "Regina, you are worth your weight in pixie dust. Where's the heart now?"

"More importantly, how is Pan still alive without it?" Hook asked.

"He's been ripping the hearts out of the chests of Lost Boys, but at the rate he's burning through them, he's having to send his shadow out fairly often. The heart is still on the island, though, and he can draw power from it - just not as much as if it were in his chest." She looked at Emma. "And the heart is - "

"Wait!" Emma held up a hand. "If Pan's still functioning, then don't tell me. We can't take a chance on him pulling the location out of any of us."

Regina shook her hand, and the fireball winked out. "You really are Emma."

Emma raised her brows. "You just now believe me?"

Regina stepped forward. "I thought you were a trick of Pan's - to try to get me to give up the location. I've got a protection spell on it that deflects him away, but if he knows the specific location, he can get to it. He's tried hundreds of tactics to get it out of me, but he has_ no i_dea what he's up against."

"A mother's resolve," Emma said. "And now it's two mothers' resolve. You've got the heart, and I've got the way home. We just need to round everyone up."

"You still haven't told me where you came from," Regina pointed out.

Emma glanced around. "Not out here. Let's get back to Tink's."

Tinkerbell held up a hand. "I never said my house was command central. I told you - you don't go up against Pan and win."

"We will." Emma said firmly. "And if you'll just listen to what I have to tell you, you'll know why. And when we go, we'll take you back with us. You can have a home, Tink - a real home. With us."

Tink looked over at Hook. "You believe her?"

"Aye." He said it without hesitation.

"You'd better be right," Tink warned him. "You know what happens to those who take him on. He's not likely to show you any special mercies."

Hook's jaw tightened. "No, I would imagine not."

"Let's go," she said, turning to walk past Emma. "If we're going to be back by nightfall, we need to get moving."

###

"I can't believe you ran face-first into a Hard-A-Lee," Regina said, stirring her food around on her plate. "You've spent your whole life getting out of one mess or another, only to end up like this."

Hook gave her sour look. "It's not like I had a bloody choice in the matter," he pointed out. "And if Emma hadn't shown up out of nowhere, I'd have never known it happened."

"None of us would," Regina pointed out. "That's the ripple effect of the curse. Where the hell would Blackbeard have gotten his hands on one? That's dark magic on a level not many can handle."

"So...this curse...it - it robbed us of the way our lives _should_ have been?" Snow asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes." Emma's voice was solemn, and she held her mother's gaze. "David would have lived. Hook would have been with us, and he knew how to save him, buying us time for Gold to make a permanent cure. He's still alive."

Snow nodded, unable to speak. Tears slid down her face. "And Henry?"

"Henry lived. We ended up dragging Pan back to Storybrooke," Emma said. "But he got taken care of once we were there. Gold killed him."

"And lost his own life in the process," Hook added. "Or so you've told me."

Regina raised a skeptical brow. "That doesn't sound like Rumpelstiltskin at all."

Emma let out a long stream of air that pushed her hair up in front. "I know this is going to sound far-fetched, but we all did a lot of growing up on this island. This time around, we're going to have to do it quicker, because we need to get this done. Henry needs his heart back."

"Regina," Snow's voice broke in. "How do we break the curse? How do we get everything back to the way it should be?"

Regina actually looked sympathetic. "It's not a curse that's easily broken, unfortunately. The object of the curse has to find his or her way back to who they were meant to be - not an easy thing when your altered decision has changed the world and people around you so dramatically."

"But Hook is here," Snow said. "Helping us. He's doing something good. That's not enough?"

Tink looked at Hook skeptically. "I highly doubt he's here out of the goodness of his heart."

"Hey!" Hook protested.

"No, she's right," Regina added. "Hook doesn't do anything that's not of benefit to Hook." She looked over at him. "So what's your angle?"

"I am," Emma said. "And that's okay. It's a start. The rest will come."

"Still so sure of yourself," Tink replied. "I've known him longer."

"But not better," Emma said, refusing to back down.

Hook looked around uncomfortably before he stood up. "I'm sure you ladies would like a chance to catch up. I'll just go and...get some air." He walked over to the ladder and climbed down. His feet hit the ground and he let out a sigh, running his hand over his face.

Damn.

Even if he wanted to change, what was the use? No one would believe him capable of it, anyway.

No one except Emma.

He closed his eyes, leaning his back against the tree behind him. Bugger it all, he risked his life coming back here, and for what? Regina was right - the only one he ever did anything for was himself, and for good reason. He'd spent the course of his life amongst liars and thieves and he knew better than to put his trust in another person.

Except Emma.

It all kept coming back to her and damn if he couldn't get away from it. But he couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't mistaken. He was an accomplished liar and counted himself more than skilled in the art of seduction. He'd wanted her from the moment she'd bested him by tying him to that damned tree and he'd made it a personal mission to have her. He'd given that up when he'd sailed away, and now it seems he'd never gone. It stood to reason that his quest continued.

Perhaps he finally managed to maneuver her into his bed with all of his considerable skill and now she was simply under his spell. It had happened countless times before. He had tavern wenches and farm girls and merchant's daughters - and wives - aplenty in his younger days, all hopelessly in love with him, all casting glances to the horizon when there was the slightest rumor of a sighting of his ship. It became quite wearisome, fending off their talk and plans of lifetimes together and families and growing old with each other. He'd kept to seasoned women and paid company after that, avoiding those pitfalls.

He'd taken Emma as a seasoned woman, even hardened, by life experiences and painful lessons. They were a lot alike in that regard and that's what made him think she was safe for seduction.

There was nothing safe about Emma Swan.

He looked up from where he'd been idly polishing his hook, to find her standing in front of him, as if summoned by the very thought of her name.

"Shouldn't you be filling them all in?" he asked carefully.

"You're the one I want to talk to," she replied.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "You and me. Us."

He rubbed his ear, looking at the ground. "I thought we were saving those kinds of discussions for after we made our way through this."

"And what if we don't?" she said. "What if tonight is our last? You heard what happened to my father. You can see what his loss has done to my mother. What happens if one of us is killed? What if we never get to say goodbye?"

He swallowed hard. "I've lost you once already, remember?"

She stared at him intently, holding his eyes, refusing to let go. "And what was that like for you?" she asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I _need_ to know," she answered. "I need to know you feel the way I feel. That losing me would do to you what I think it would."

His brow furled. "Bloody hell, you know I regretted my decision. What more do you want out of me?"

"How much, Hook? How much did you regret leaving me to die?"

He reached out, pulling her close. "What do you want of me? Do you want me on my knees, begging for absolution? Do you want me to tell you that my wretched life became nearly unlivable for the thought of having sent you to your doom? That I would have traded places with you a hundred times over, wished for it a hundred times over?" He gave her a shake. "Dammit, Swan. What do you want of me?"

She stepped back, smiling. "Oh, that'll do. That'll do nicely."

Hook closed his eyes as a familiar laugh crawled up his spine. He opened them again in time to see Emma dissolving in front of him, turning into shadow and fleeting away as Pan stepped into view.

"Well done, Hook," Peter lauded. "And here I thought I was going to have wait awhile before I could be sure you weren't just toying with her."

Hook pasted on a well-practiced smile. "Have you seen her, mate? She'd be worth any puling admission if it gets her into my bed."

"So that's the way of it, then?"

Hook gave a chuckle. "You didn't think any of that was serious?"

Pan studied him, folding his arms across his chest. "We'll have to see about that. I'd be happy to assist in your cause," he offered magnanimously. "A few tricks here, some sleight of hand there - I can have her naked and beneath you in no time."

Hook's eyes turned cold. "I don't need you to seduce my women for me."

Pan strolled around him in a circle, gesturing with his arms spread wide. "It's the least I can do for an old friend," he said congenially. "And considering our long...association...I thought it might be prudent to remind you whose side you should be on."

"Side?" Hook raised a brow. "The only 'side' I'm on is mine. You should know that."

Pan broke into a wide smile offset by the iciness of his gaze. "They're right about you, you know. And who's to say Emma isn't making this whole thing up? I didn't miss your ship, anchored in my cove. She needed a way here and back again, and she's found it." Pan leaned back against a tree, crossing one ankle over the other. "She's using you. I do hope you get some form of payment out of her in return what you're willing to risk."

Hook's hand clenched into a fist, but his words stilled on his lips - Pan was already gone.


	13. Keeping Watch

They'd all bedded down for the night, and Hook had volunteered for the first watch, opting to remain on the ground. Emma had flirted briefly with the idea of going down there to talk to him. She had a feeling that Tink and Regina's remarks were gnawing away at him, but at the same time, she was loathe to leave her mother.

It was obvious that David's death had taken a serious toll on her. She'd never seen her like this, looking so...broken. From her best guess at a timeline, David had been dead nearly a year and a half, but for Snow it might as well have been yesterday. Being trapped here on the island was robbing her of any chance of moving on with her life.

She felt the pain of his loss again, deep in the pit of her stomach. It was hard enough for her to bear. She couldn't even imagine the depth of pain her mother was inhabiting. Emma bedded down on the floor next to her bed, reaching up to take her hand. They fell asleep like that, with Regina choosing the floor next to Emma instead of the other side of the treehouse, near Tink.

At some point in the middle of the night, Snow made a soft, whimpering sound that brought Emma awake. She repositioned the blanket over her mother's huddled body, then made her way carefully in the dark over to the ladder, and climbed down as quietly as she could. It was incredibly dark due to the clouds covering the moon and obscuring its light. She felt for the last few rungs on the ladder, unable to see the ground below her until she set a foot down on it. She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice behind her.

"I had a feeling you'd be down."

She couldn't see his face well in the dark, but there was no mistaking that timbre, or that perfect enunciation.

"I figured it was my turn, anyway," she said. "You should get some sleep."

He stepped closer, and she could finally make out his facial features well enough to see the spark in his eyes. "I'm quite awake. But I have a few ideas for tiring me out."

"I'll bet." Emma walked over to a large boulder, squatting down and setting her back against it. She wasn't terribly surprised to see him hunkering down next to her.

"I mean it," she said. "You're no good to us if you're exhausted. We're all going to need to be at the top of our game with Pan and the Lost Boys around."

"I'm only too aware," he said. He leaned his head back against the rock behind him. "I barely got away with my life when I was here before, and now I have your back to watch, as well."

Emma turned her head to look at him in the dark. "Yeah, but this time, I've got your back, too."

He pulled her across his lap so fast, she was startled, but the moment his mouth met hers, she relaxed into the kiss, letting him deepen it as his hand moved restlessly along the length of her body. Then he mouth moved to her neck, biting and sucking, and she gasped, probably a little too loud.

"Killian...slow down," she breathed.

"I can't," he said against her throat. "Do you have any idea how many nights I laid awake, thinking about what I'd do, if I only had the chance again? Thinking of all the things I could do to you...with you..."

His words sent a jolt right down to her core, but now was not the time or the place.

"We need to stop," she panted, feeling his hand close around her breast. She gave him a push. "I mean it."

"Emma," he cajoled as he pushed her back and brought himself down over her. "I can feel your body shudder beneath me. I can feel how much you want this."

"Hook." Her tone was firm, and just to make her point a clearer, she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled.

"Oh, it's 'Hook' now, is it?" he looked at her appraisingly. "I may only have one hand love, but I'll wager that with just a few minutes and some carefully placed fingers, I can have you calling me 'Killian' again.." He brought his mouth down over hers once more, and this time she shoved him, hard.

"Are you serious?" she asked, incredulously. "What part of 'keeping watch' are you not clear on?"

His face darkened. "And what part of 'I'm in this for myself' were you not clear on?" he said, menacingly. "Regina was right about me. Even you said that you were my motivation. So I think it's past time for you to start _motivating_ me."

He moved his hook to the waistband of her pants, and Emma reacted. A moment later, he was flying through the air in a burst of white light. He hit the ground, but before he could get up, Emma was on her feet, with her cutlass trained on his throat.

"You're not Hook," she said.

He looked up at her, rolled his eyes, and pushed himself up to his feet. He leaned down to dust off his pants, and when he looked up at her again, he was Pan.

"What tipped you off?" he asked. "I'll admit, I'm a bit out of practice, living on an island full of boys."

"Where is he?" she demanded.

"Sleeping."

"Where?" she bit out.

Pan made a grand, sweeping gesture toward the sky, and the clouds rolled back, revealing the brilliant light of the moon. Then he pointed toward the treehouse, and she could see Hook clearly, sleeping next to the tree, just a few feet from the ladder. It was a wonder she didn't step on him when she came down.

"Why isn't he waking?" she asked.

Pan shrugged. "I thought you and I might like some privacy. I can see why you've captured his interest. I wasn't expecting the magic, though." He stroked his chin, studying her. "And now you think you can team up with Regina to defeat me, is that it?"

"That's the plan," Emma said. There was no point in denying it. He'd obviously overheard them.

"I admire your courage," Pan said, with a smug grin. "But if you think some sort of hero's journey is going to redeem your pirate captain, I feel it only right to warn you. That's not what he's here for."

"We'll see," Emma said, refusing to give him the slightest flicker of emotion.

"Well, you've got his attention," Pan went on. "Which makes my job," he said, walking slowly around behind her. "That much easier."

"You don't scare me."

"So you've said. But how do you feel about watching your captain suffer? Seeing the torment on his face, knowing there was no way for you to save him?"

Emma didn't answer him, but that didn't deter him in the slightest.

"What? No denial? No attempt to convince me that he means nothing to you?"

"What I feel or don't feel for him is my business," Emma stated. "It has nothing to do with any of this."

""Really? Ask your lovely mother what it was like, to watch the love of her life's final agonizing moments."

"What do you want?" Emma asked, refusing to play his game.

"I want you to stop wasting your time and mine. Climb aboard that ship and go. I'll even be generous enough to let you take your mother and Regina with you."

"And what about the others?" Emma asked. "And Henry's heart?"

"Henry's heart stays here, of course. It's of no use to you, anyway."

"You know that's not true," Emma pointed out.

"What makes you think your mermaid got to her destination?" Pan taunted.

"Because I know you. You would have paraded his body in front of Regina, just to get a reaction."

He chuckled. "You _do_ know me. Or, you think that you do. I won't be your downfall, though." He glanced pointedly at Hook. "It's the ones you think you know that'll do the job for me."

"Keep telling yourself that," Emma suggested. "I know them better than you do."

"Overconfident. That's even better."

Emma sighed. "Are we done, here?"

A frown creased Pan's brow. "Not quite yet." He extended a hand, and Hook got an invisible nudge that brought him instantly awake and rolling to his feet. His eyes tracked over to where Pan stood with Emma and he walked over to them, his hand resting on the hilt of his cutlass. Pan put a hand up.

"Calm down," he said. "Emma and I were just talking."

"What do you want with her? Hook asked.

Pan's eyes shifted from Hook to Emma, then back again. "I can see the two of you are going to be quite entertaining." He smiled widely at Emma. "Nearly as much fun as your parents." He turned to walk away, then looked back over his shoulder. "Oh, and Emma? Do be sure and ask Hook how he feels about your reunion with Baelfire. After all, he's going to be transporting the two of you back to Storybrooke for your happily ever after. Perhaps he'll give you the captain's cabin. You've got a lot of catching up to do."

He gave her a wicked little smile, then he started whistling a jaunty tune as he walked off into the forest.

Emma took in a deep, shuddering breath. "Well, I guess that answers that question."

"What question?" Hook asked, his eyes still scanning the forest where Pan made his exit.

"Neal. He's still alive."

Hook's jaw tightened. "It would seem so."

The silence hung between them, until Emma turned and spoke quietly.

"When we were here before, Pan gave you a choice. He told you Neal was here, thinking you'd keep that secret. He knew it would torture you to betray your friend and he was playing on the fact that we'd just kissed each other for the first time and you'd see Neal as a rival. But you refused to play his game and you refused to leave Neal to rot on this island. You chose Neal."

"And you want me to choose him again?"

"I don't need to tell you what to do," she explained. "You _know_ what you need to do."

"You're just reminding me," he pointed out.

She lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug, and he reached out, twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers.

"Perhaps you should remind me in a more personal way," he suggested. "If a kiss motivated me last time..."

His hand closed around her neck, pulling her in, and she went easily, her body pliable against his and already reacting with familiarity to feel of him against her. He kissed her gently, breaking it off a little sooner than he'd like.

"There now," he said, resting his forehead against hers. "Let's make that a preferred method, shall we?"

Emma gave him a wry smile. "You need to get some rest."

He leaned in a moment longer, almost as if he were going to kiss her again, and then with a reluctant sigh, he let her go.

"Come on, Swan," he said, taking a spot on the ground next to the boulder. "You can watch over me."

She followed him over, sitting down with her back to the boulder again. "You can put your head in my lap, if you want to," she offered.

He raised up on one arm to give her a look. "Is that an invitation? I thought you wanted me sleeping." He gave her a devilish grin.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm offering you a pillow - and that's all."

"Pity," he remarked. "I'd enjoy that. And so would you."

She held his eyes, the corner of her mouth lifting. "I know."

Bloody hell. How was he going to sleep when her words brought him to instant rock-hardness? He settled his head on her lap, closing his eyes so he wasn't staring at those glorious breasts of hers and trying very hard not to think about the softness of the thighs beneath him. They were silent for several moments, and his voice was gruff when he spoke.

"We kissed each other for the first time on this blasted island?"

Her stomach muscles tensed on a short laugh. "Yeah."

"What prompted that?"

She took in a breath, and again he felt her stomach move, and he fought the urge to roll over and press his lips to it.

"You saved my father's life."

"Gratitude," he remarked. "So it wasn't a kiss of passion, then."

"I didn't say that," Emma replied. "David let us all know what you'd done for him, I thanked you, you started flirting and the next thing I know, I was grabbing you by the lapels and kissing the hell out of you."

Hook squirmed a bit, as the tightness in the crotch of his leather pants got acutely worse. "So _you_ kissed me."

"Yep," she said. "And it was _hot_."

"You'll have to re-enact that for me sometime, love."

"Deal. Now get some sleep."

Not bloody likely. Not with a raging hard cock, anyway. His thoughts began drifting, and he tried to reassure himself by piecing together what he could. Neal was alive when they were here before, and she'd still kissed him anyway. Still chosen him anyway. Would she do it again, now that she knew how to prevent Neal's eventual death? Hell, it may not even happen now that things were so altered.

Would she choose a villainous pirate over the father of her son? A good man?

He rather doubted it. He shifted to his side, mentally berating himself for getting pulled into all of this. He'd been living free and easy on the high seas until she landed in the middle of his damned deck and capsized his life all over again. Damnable woman.

She brought her hand down to stroke through his hair, and he surrendered himself to the tug and slide of her fingers as they moved through the silky strands, and his head relaxed into the softness of her thighs, lulled by the sound of her even breathing. Eventually, he slept.

Emma brushed a lock of hair off his face, thinking he looked almost too beautiful in the moonlight. Like a statue or a painting by a master artist. Like something out of a dream, too impossibly handsome to be reality. She looked down at him, and her voice was the barest whisper.

"Come back to me."


	14. A Stir Of Echoes

"What we need is a plan," Emma said, looking around at the others gathered in the treehouse. "We need to set priorities, and I think our first priority should be freeing Gold."

"Rumpelstiltskin?" Hook clarified.

"Yes." Emma said firmly. "We need his help if we're going to defeat Pan. None of us knows him like he does."

"What makes you say that?" Regina asked.

Emma was taken aback for a moment, then she remembered that Regina would have no way of knowing what she knew.

"Pan is Gold's father."

"What?"" Snow's voice was incredulous. "How is that possible?"

"They were marooned here together when Gold was a child. His father abandoned him to become Peter Pan. He never wanted to grow up."

"A demon begets a demon. I'm not surprised." Hook commented dryly.

Emma gave him a look. "He was just a little boy," she pointed out. "Abandoned by the only parent he had. I know you know how that feels."

Hook flushed, more than a little uncomfortable with her bringing that up.

"So what do you suggest, Swan? We can hardly walk right into his camp and waltz off with the box."

"We don't even know if it's in his camp," Tink pointed out.

"She's right," said Regina. ""It could be anywhere. The last I saw of it, Pan was standing on a tree stump and taunting me with it. That had to have been more than a year ago."

Emma was silent a moment, tapping her fingers to her lips. "His Lost Boys would know."

"You don't want to go looking for Lost Boys," Hook warned. "Magic won't save you from Dreamshade."

His eyes flitted over to Snow, who was nodding. "He's right, Emma."

"But if we could get our hands on a Lost Boy, we could get the answers from him," Emma pointed out. She looked over at Regina. "If we take his heart, he'll tell us what we want to know."

Regina sat back. "That's a little dark for you, isn't it?"

"Emma!" Snow exclaimed.

"We did it before. In the real version of reality. It was only temporary, but it got us the information we needed." She turned to look at Snow. "I know you don't like it, but it'll work. We just have to trap ourselves a Lost Boy."

"We could force him to steal the box for us," Regina suggested. "No muss, no fuss."

Emma shook her head. "And what if Pan catches him? We'd be sentencing the kid to death. If we just get the information, he won't remember giving it up and Pan won't know how we found out."

"And once we've ascertained the whereabouts of this box," Hook queried, "Just how do we go about pilfering it? Pan's not likely to leave it just lying around."

"He's right," Tink agreed. "We'll need some sort of diversion."

"What would be important enough to draw Pan away?" Emma drummed her fingers on her leg, then her eyes widened. "Think about it…what does he really, really want us to do?"

"Henry's heart," Regina answered. "He wants me to take you to it."

"So we let him think that we're creating a diversion to draw him away from you, you draw Pan away to a bogus location, and by the time he figures that out, we'll have rescued Gold." Emma said. "You'll take Tink with you. Hook, you'll be with me." She looked over at Snow. "I think it's probably best if you stay here and rest up. Once everything gets in motion, we're going to have to move fast."

Snow nodded. "I understand," she said.

"So….how do we trap a Lost Boy?" Regina asked aloud. "How do we draw them out?"

"You're crazy if you do," Tink pointed out.

There was silence for a moment as they all sorted through options in their minds, and then suddenly Snow's voice broke in.

"I know how."

Tink's eyes shifted to her. "Snow…you need to stay up here. Leave this to us."

"No," she said, with a little more strength in her voice. "You can't keep treating me like I'm made of glass. You know they'll come if I go there."

"Go where?" Emma asked, her brow knitting with a frown.

Snow took a deep breath. "Your father's grave."

"Every time she visits," Tink said softly, "They show up. They enjoy taunting her – making her re-live the memories." She turned to Snow again. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do." Her voice was unwavering, and she straightened her shoulders. "I can do this."

Emma's worried eyes met Hook's, and he gave the slightest shake of his head.

"All right," Emma said. "I'll go with you."

"As will I," Hook added. "You'll need every weapon you've got."

"And you're going to need me to get that heart," Regina added. "Unless I taught you that, too?"

Emma shook her head. "Nope. Not interested."

"You have to admit, it comes in handy," Regina pointed out.

Emma stood up. "Come on." She looked over at her mother. "You sure you're ready for this?"

Snow gave a shaky nod. "Yes. Let's just get it over with."

###

They arrived at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a rocky and windswept shoreline. A mound of tropical flowers stood out in stark relief against the rustling green of the grass around it.

Snow swallowed hard. "This is it," she said softly. "This is where I buried him."

Tink looked over at Emma and they shared a moment of shared concern. Snow was walking forward, but her body was shaking so badly, Emma was actually worried she might not make it. She and the others ducked behind a large outcropping of rock, hiding themselves from view of the treeline. They didn't have long to wait.

They came streaming out of the forest, whooping and shouting, laughing out loud as they mimicked Snow's anguished cries.

"Daviiiiid!"

"Noooooo! Daaaavid!"

"Oh noooo nooooo noooooooo!"

They circled around her, shrieking over and over, the sound cutting into the air as Snow clamped her hands over her ears. She fell to her knees at the gravesite, rocking back and forth, silent, but all the more heartbreaking for it. One of the Lost Boys broke loose from the others, walking up behind her and laying a hand on her shoulder.

Snow reacted instantly, whirling around, kicking and punching at him as he grabbed her arm in an iron grip.

"Get her, Felix!" the boys called out.

"Bring her back with us - Pan loves to be entertained!"

"Snoooooow!" One boy called to another. "Daaavid, noooooo!" Another called back. The raucous laughter kept them good and distracted, so much so that they didn't even notice that one of their number was pulled behind the boulder by a hook. A hand clamped over the boy's mouth and he was held immobile while Regina did her work.

"Now," she whispered over the heart. "You're going to tell me where Pandora's box is."

Emma turned her head from the boy at the sight of her mother, fighting Felix with everything she had as he tried to drag her toward the trees.

"Screw this," she whispered to Tink. "I'm going out there."

"Swan!" Hook's urgent whisper called after her, but it was too late. Emma was in motion.

"You want entertainment, you evil little brats?" She called out, holding her cutlass in front of her. "How about you try me?"

Felix arched a brow, giving her a slow, taunting smile. "You look like you've got promise," he said, in a slow drawl that crawled over her skin. "You might actually give us some sport for a change." He let go of Snow's wrist, throwing it back at her. "You can crawl back home, now, Snow White. We're done with you for today."

He made a move toward Emma, but a moment later he was blasted off his feet by a fireball as Regina stepped out from behind the rock. She held another fireball in her hand, and a squirming Lost Boy in the other.

"The next one goes down his throat," Regina called out. The boy's frightened eyes darted from Felix to Emma.

Emma gave Felix a taunting smile of her own. "She's not the only one who can do that trick," Emma said, concentrating until a fireball formed in her own hand. "Between us, we can drop you all before you can even notch that arrow in that bow," she turned and pointedly looked at a Lost Boy, who was trying to do just that.

Felix scowled at the others. "Come on. Pan will want a report," he said, striding off without a backward glance. The other boys ran after him, and Regina let the boy she was holding go. He tripped, falling to his knees before pushing himself back to his feet to rush off after them.

Emma sidled up to Regina, and asked under her breath, "Did we get what we need?"

"Yes."

"Did you put his heart back?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes."

Emma gave her a look and turned to help Snow, who was shakily gaining her feet.

"You okay?" she asked, putting an arm around her mother's shoulders. Snow managed a nod, but it was clear she couldn't speak. Tears were sliding down her cheeks from her tightly clenched eyes.

Emma supported her as they walked back, and Snow was leaning on her heavily. They all moved up into the treehouse, and Emma helped her mother lay down on her bed. Snow turned toward the wall, her eyes wide open and vacant.

Emma stood helplessly over her for a moment, not wanting to leave her but unsure of how to deal with this. She felt a hand at the small of her back and looked up into Hook's eyes.

He inclined his head toward the others. "Not now, Swan," he whispered. "Leave her be. She needs to be alone."

Emma wasn't so sure about that. "I'll be right over here, if you need me," she said.

No response.

Hook reached down, taking Emma's hand and giving it a squeeze as he pulled her away ."She needs time, love," he said quietly. "And we need to get her off this accursed island so she can move past all this. The only way to see to that is to move forward with our plans."

Emma took a deep breath in. "You're right." She walked over to where Tink and Regina were sitting, pulling up a stool and sitting next to them.

"So where is it?" Emma asked. "The box."

"Someplace called Echo Cave," Regina said. "Once you get across to the other side, there's a chink in the wall."

Tink looked dismayed. "Echo Cave!"

Hook wasn't too thrilled with the news, either. "I lost half my crew to that damnable cave," he said.

"That's also where we'll find Neal," Emma said quietly. "That is, if Pan still wants to toy with us." She looked over at Hook. "And I'm betting he does."

"I take it you rescued him from Echo Cave before," Hook said.

"Yeah. And so did you." Emma's eyes softened at the memory, so sharp and so poignant, still. Would he make that same confession again? "Can you get us there?"

"I can take you," Tink offered.

Emma looked over at Snow, who still hadn't moved. "I think you'd better stay here with her," she said. She turned to look at Regina. "Can you hold Pan off on your own? "

Regina gave her a scathing look. "Please. What do you think I've been doing all this time? Baking cookies?"

"Fine. Let's do this and do it quick.," Emma said. "Can you draw him to the other side of the island from Echo Cave? He'll be expecting us to get into trouble there - and he won't suspect that we know Gold is in there. If you can keep him focused on you, he'll realize it all too late."

"I know exactly where to take the little twerp," Regina said.

"Then I guess we're off to Echo Cave," she said, looking over at Hook. He followed her down the ladder with a grimace.

"Echo Cave. Splendid." He grumbled, drawing his cutlass and moving past her to take the lead through the jungle.

###

They arrived at the cave a few hours later, and Hook touched Emma's arm before the walked in.

"You're sure you're ready for this?" he said. "This is exactly what Pan wants from us, you know. He thinks our secrets will tear us apart."

Emma closed her eyes, briefly. "I know. But we don't have a choice."

He looked at her a moment longer, as if he were going to argue that. Finally he bit his lip and gestured to the opening. "After you."

She stepped inside, waiting a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. There on the stone pedestal against the far wall was the cage, just as she'd expected it to be. And there was Neal.

She was completely unprepared for what the sight of him did to her. A shaft of pain went through her so deeply, she gasped in response. His head came up and he looked out through the bars, dumbfounded at the sight of her.

"Emma!" Neal's shout echoed off the walls, and she took an involuntary step back. Then she squared her shoulders and looked over at Hook.

"Who's first?" she asked.

He rubbed the side of his nose with his thumb in a nervous gesture, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes as he steeled himself.

"I'll go," he said quietly. His eyes held hers. "I never thought I would be capable of letting go of my first love, my Milah…to believe that I could find someone else…that is until I met you."

Emma's eyes welled, but she didn't look away. The silence held between them, charged and nearly electric. Finally, she broke away to look around.

"It didn't work," she said, confused. She looked up at him. "It's the same confession you gave last time - why did it work then and not now?"

"Because it's not a secret," he glowered. "Not if you knew it already."

Emma nodded. "Okay...try again."

He looked at the ground, closing his eyes and shaking his head. His hand clenched into a fist. He muttered an expletive under his breath, but made no move to say anything more.

"Hook?" She stepped over to him, touching his arm. "Killian." His head came up, and she could see the torment in his eyes.

"You can tell me anything," she said softly. "I mean it."

He rubbed his jaw, then took a breath.

"My secret is...I plan to take Pandora's box for myself. I plan to keep Rumpelstiltskin trapped in it forever - a fitting punishment and a perfect way to finally exact my vengeance upon him." He looked at Emma with grim determination. "And I know that's not what you want, but it doesn't stop me from needing to do it."

Her voice was the barest whisper. "You'd risk it all - risk Henry and all of us - just to get your revenge?"

His voice was steel. "Aye."

The ground shook as a bridge jutted out of the rock, all the way over to Neal. Emma stared at Hook, then took off over the bridge, stopping in front of Neal's cage. He looked up at her through the bars.

"You know how this works?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm ready," she said, not even looking at him. She stared across the chasm at Hook, raising her voice so she could be sure that he heard her.

"When we did this before...you really blindsided me with your secret. I wasn't expecting you to feel that way for me. And I definitely wasn't expecting what hearing that did to me. How it made me feel about you. I tried to push it away, pretend that there wasn't a spark there - an ember of something that wanted to become more. Something bright and burning and I felt it every time I was near you. And with every thing you did, every word, every action that showed me again and again how much you valued me, how much you were willing to step over all that crap in your past and try to find a future that included me...with every bit of that I felt that ember glowing brighter and brighter."

She glanced down at Neal, her eyes welling, knowing that this was going to hurt him to hear. Then she looked across at Hook again, who was utterly motionless, staring at her with one hand outstretched, almost in entreaty.

"My secret," she said, raising her voice again, "Is that I was falling in love with Killian Jones. He'd won my heart, fair and square, just like he said he would. He earned it." Her voice turned hard. "But you? I don't even know who you are. And I'm not sure I ever want to now."

The lock on Neal's cage sprang open, and she squatted down, letting him pull her into his arms, needing the comfort of them, because she honestly felt like her heart was breaking. Finally, she pulled away.

"Come on, let's get out of here." She stepped past him, feeling along the wall for the chink that the Lost Boy described to Regina, then pushing her hand down inside it, retrieving the box.

"What's that?" Neal asked.

"Your father. We need all the help we can get." She walked back across the bridge, heading for the entrance, but Hook blocked her path.

"Swan..."

She drew her cutlass. "Are you going to fight me for it? Stab me? Cut my throat? Come on, Hook, do your worst. We're all collateral damage for you, anyway." She stared him down, as if daring him to deny it.

His eyes softened. "Emma, please - "

She held up a hand. "Save it. You and I have nothing to talk about anymore." She looked over her shoulder. "Come on, Neal."

Neal's forehead furled into a frown, but he fell into step behind her, giving Hook an uneasy glance as he passed.

Hook watched them both go, waiting for the sound of their footsteps to fade before he fell to his knees, his face clearly showing his anguish.

And somewhere in the echo of their footsteps, he thought he could hear Pan's mocking laughter...


	15. What David Saw

_**I know, I know...I shouldn't have left it hanging like that. Don't blame me. I only write what the characters tell me to. I know you think I'm making that up, but honestly, I'm not. That last scene was nowhere in my original outline for this story. It just seemed like it should happen. Now we have Hook and Emma back to square one, or maybe even square zero. Emma's not one to trust easily and Hook has to fight his own inner demons. And as one of you so aptly predicted, we've got a lot further to go with this story (at least ten more chapters...maybe more - you know how I am) and here's a bit of foreshadowing, from an author who's about to shatter what's left of your hearts.**_

_**Things always look darkest before they go completely black...**_

* * *

><p>They made their way back to the treehouse, and Emma tried to get Neal up to speed along the way, carefully omitting everything that happened with Zelena after their return. She wasn't ready to have that discussion, and right now, the way things were shaking out, it appeared to be a moot point.<p>

Things were never going back to the way they used to be. This Hook wasn't her Hook, no matter how much she wanted him to be. She was spinning her wheels and it was time to just keep pushing forward.

She kept walking, lost in her thoughts as Neal continued to question and make conversation.

"So this curse – it changed Hook into a bad guy? No offense, Em, but he was a bad guy to begin with."

She rolled her eyes. "I know that. But he'd changed, Neal. Not that it matters much now."

"And in this other…reality….it was you and him?" Neal stopped walking, his mouth pursing up with obvious emotion.

Emma let out a long sigh. "Yes. We didn't get there overnight. We both had to do some growing up. We had to decide to stop running away."

"From each other?" Neal asked.

Emma ran a hand through her hair. "From who we could be."

"And he ended up being a good guy. One that you fell in love with."

Emma was silent a moment, staring at the ground. Neal reached out, lifting her chin. "Hey, it's okay. We've been away from each other a long time. I know I've got no right to make any assumptions about you."

"It doesn't matter now," Emma said quietly. "The curse changed everything, and it's not going to change back. So let's just fix what we can and get out of here."

"Emma, wait – " he reached out, touching her arm. "If my father is trapped in there – Hook might be right about keeping him in the box. He's not here to help Henry. He's here to kill him."

"Yeah, I know that's what you think," Emma said. "But Neal, he saves us all. Or at least, he did. He gave up his life to do it. For you, for Belle…for Henry. As rotten as this island is, we all became better people because of it."

"And what if my father's having the same problem as Hook?" Neal pointed out. "What if he can't change?"

"He will. He has."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're his motivation. He'd do anything for you. Because he loves you." She glanced over his shoulder as Hook made his way from behind to join them. Her eyes dismissed him and she looked back at Neal.

"You're obviously a much stronger motivation," she said flatly, then she turned and started walking, not even bothering to make sure they were following.

Neal stood looking at Hook for a minute. Finally, he took a deep breath.

"Awkward enough for you?"

Hook grimaced. "Apologies, Bae. I'm sure you weren't anticipating any of this when you imagined a reunion with Emma."

Neal rubbed the back of his neck. "That would be a definite 'no.'" He looked around. "We should get out of here. Pan's probably loving the hell out of this."

"No doubt he is," Hook agreed. "Circumstances aside…it's good to see you again, Bae."

Neal stuck out his hand, and after a brief hesitation, Hook gave it a shake.

"Thanks, man," Neal said. "For bringing Emma here, and for the rescue in the cave. And for what it's worth, I understand your feelings about my father – probably a lot better than Emma does."

"Thanks, mate. I'm really not sure where I stand after all this."

Neal shook his head. "She's remembering this other timeline. Things were a lot different there."

Hook stared at Neal, realizing suddenly that Emma hadn't shared with him the fact that he didn't survive in the other reality. He bit his lip hard at the thought that she didn't tell him because she might just want a second chance. Maybe this reality wasn't looking so bad to her now.

"I gathered that," he said uncomfortably, rubbing his ear.

"Look, I don't know what happened in any reality but the one I'm in," Neal said. "And it looks like that's where we're all going to be now. It's up to us what we do with it from this point."

Neal turned to follow Emma's trail and Hook moved in behind him. Neither one of them was talking now, both lost in their own thoughts.

_You've done it now, you bastard. She knows now what a complete scoundrel you are, and on top of that, you've lost your chance at defeating The Dark One, once and for all._

A tide of self-loathing rolled over him, and realized, with no small amount of grief, that losing his revenge on the Dark One paled in comparison to what he'd lost of Emma.

This reality was turning into a nightmare for the both of them, and he had no one to blame but himself.

_It's up to us what we do with it from this point, _Neal had said. Even as a boy, he'd been wise beyond his years. He was most likely a far better companion for Emma. He'd had her love once, and Henry wanted his father back in his life. The unselfish and proper thing to do would be to back off, and relinquish any claim he or any other version of himself ever had on Emma Swan.

He just wasn't sure he was ready to do that.

###

Emma climbed back up into the treehouse to find Regina rubbing something into a wound on her arm.

"You okay?" Emma said, rushing over. "You didn't get hit by an arrow, did you?"

Regina looked a little startled by her concern. "No. Pan got pissed and started throwing my fireballs back at me. Then he changed into Henry and I got distracted for a moment." She looked chagrined. "I can't believe I let him get to me like that."

Emma scowled, looking over at Snow as she sat motionless, staring out the window of the treehouse. "That's what Pan does," she said. "He feeds on it."

"Did you get the box?"

"Yeah," Emma said, snapping out of her thoughts. "It's right here." She pulled it out of her pocket and set it on the table. Tink eyed it warily.

"It's not going to explode or anything, is it?"

"Not if it's the right box," Emma said.

"There's only one way to find out," Neal suggested, coming up the ladder. He walked over to the box and twisted the lid. There was a swirl of greenish light and smoke, and a moment later, Gold was standing in the treehouse. He took a second to acclimate himself - the confusion showing on his face. He caught sight of Neal and took a step forward.

"Bae!"

"Stop right there," Neal warned, holding up a hand. "Tell me something that only my father would know. I need to be sure you're not Pan."

Gold nodded. "In Manhattan - I offered to make you young again. You said no."

Neal let out a gust of air. "It's him," he said to the others. "Emma's brought me up to date on everything. Now all we need to do is trap Pan's shadow, get the heart, and get out of here."

"And how would you propose we leave?" Gold said. "What's changed since I've been in there?"

"We have a ship," Emma said. "Hook brought me here in the Jolly Roger. With Pan's shadow as a sail, we can leave the island."

"Miss Swan," Gold said, looking at her curiously. "And where have you been? From all accounts, you vanished into thin air."

"None of this is what it's supposed to be," Regina said, folding her arms and looking over at Gold. "Apparently, we're all part of the fallout of a curse levied against our dear friend, Captain Hook."

"Is that so?" Gold replied, his eyes narrowing. "What sort of curse?"

"Blackbeard hit him with something called 'The Hard-a-Lee'," Emma supplied. "That day back in Storybrooke, the day that Henry was taken - Hook sailed away with the magic bean, but in my reality, he came back. He came back and he helped us. He brought us here to Neverland, and he worked with us - even you, Gold - " she added, seeing his incredulous look. "And without him we wouldn't have been able to save Neal, or Henry, or defeat the next villain waiting in the wings after this one."

"The Hard-a-Lee made him keep on sailing," Regina filled in. "And because of that decision, we've all been trapped in this hell-hole looking for a way to get out."

"And David didn't survive," Snow said, quietly. Emma turned to look at her - it was the first time she'd spoken since before they went to the grave.

"The Prince would have survived?" Gold asked.

"Hook saved his life." Emma answered him. Gold's eyebrows went up. "Yes...it makes sense." He looked over at Snow. "It all makes sense. It explains why things aren't falling out as they should." He paused a moment, as if he were seeing combinations and conclusions in the air before him.

"And where is our charming captain now?" he asked Emma.

"He's downstairs," Neal answered. "He thought it best not to come up for the unveiling."

"And you're sure he's still there and not hiking back to his ship now that I'm along for the ride?" Gold asked sardonically.

Emma looked over at Neal.

"I'll go talk to him," Neal said.

"No." Emma's jaw clenched, and she squared her shoulders. "I'll go."

"Miss Swan - " Gold said, stepping over to pull her aside. "Much as it pains me to do so, allow me to give you some advice regarding our erstwhile captain."

"What?" Emma said flatly, obviously in no mood for discussion.

"That Pirate, whoever he is in this new reality, is our only hope of getting off this island," Gold reminded her. "If I were you, I'd use my considerable charms to make sure he's still 'on board', so to speak."

"I can't guarantee what he's going to do," she said.

"And just why do you think it is that you were swept along with him when that curse hit?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I was in close proximity, I guess."

"Which means nothing in the face of a curse this dark. Try again."

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do," he insisted. "It's because of what you are."

She rolled her eyes. "Because I'm the savior? How does that even apply here?"

Gold looked at her consideringly. "It applies wherever it needs to apply," he said. "And in this case, perhaps you need to focus on who you were sent to save."

She gave him a look, but she didn't argue. She climbed down the ladder, and when her feet hit the ground, he turned around to look at her. He didn't say anything - probably because he had no idea what he could possibly say. At last, she decided to do the talking.

"So you're staying?"

He looked taken aback. "You thought I'd leave you?"

She shrugged. "You are a pirate."

He looked down at the ground, giving a self-deprecating attempt at a smile. "Aye. That I am. But it wouldn't be good form."

She refused to let those words rattle around inside her, reminding her. She decided to attack instead.

"Maybe you're just waiting for another shot at The Dark One."

Hook's jaw tightened. "He would almost certainly see that coming."

"You're not giving up on him, so don't lie to me and try to convince me that you are," she said, pacing around. She came to a stop in front of him. "I just need to know if we've got a ride out of this place. What you do after that is your business."

His eyes held hers, and she fought with everything she had not to be pulled in by whatever that was in his gaze. Something undefinable, tugging at her. Damn him.

"Did you mean what you said?" he asked.

She didn't ask him to clarify. She knew what he meant. "It's Echo Cave, remember. It wouldn't have worked if I wasn't revealing the truth. Just like you were."

"But I've had time to re-think my truth. I only said it was what I'd planned to do. What I decided to do is something very different."

She gave him a scathing look. "That's just self-preservation. He's out of the box now and you can't fight him in a land filled with magic."

"Maybe not," he said, stepping closer. "But what if I told you that your secret had the same effect on me that my former secret had on you? That the hearing of it has made me burn for you in a way that's consuming, and there's no room for anything else now. Not even vengeance."

"So you're giving up on Gold because you want me?"

"You, and only you could win that from me. Give me a chance to prove it to you."

She looked at him steadily. "Nice speech. But you still don't get it." She turned to go back to the ladder, but he gripped her arm.

"What the devil do you mean? What more do you want from me?" he said, nearly shouting with exasperation. "Do you realize what I'm willing to give up for you?"

"And that's what you don't get!" she shouted back. "This isn't about me!"

"It's entirely about you!"

"I don't need you doing me any favors in the hope of getting back in my graces again."

"And what about Neal?" he sneered. "You think he's not holding that same hope? He gets absolution and I get flayed alive, is that it?"

"That's not fair!" she snapped back. "You of all people - "

"Am I interrupting?"

Pan's voice was jovial, and it sent a chill right up Emma's spine. They both whirled to look at him, sitting on the rock where they'd kept watch the previous night.

"I hate to break up a lover's quarrel before you've had a chance to make up." He hopped down off of the rock. "I've come to congratulate you. Well done, Emma. Distracting me like that so you could get dear old Rumpel back. I had no idea you cared."

Emma's hand went back to grab her cutlass, but it was gone. Pan twirled it in his hand. "Oh, don't worry. If I were going to hurt you, I'd have done it by now. I much prefer to keep you around." He smiled over at Hook. "You and your pining pirate."

Hook's eyes flashed fire. "What do you want?"

"I want Henry's heart. I should think that would be obvious." His face hardened on that remark, and he began to slice the cutlass angrily back and forth. "I can draw from its power as long as it's on the island, but I can't utilize it properly. It's maddening, and it's gone on far too long."

"Don't worry," Emma said with a big, fake smile. "It'll be over soon."

He gave her a cocky smile. "Clever girl. But you underestimate me. The ways I can get to you. The lengths I'd go to motivate you. Just ask your mother."

Emma took in a breath. "What are you talking about?"

Pan looked surprised. "She hasn't told you?" he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "No, I don't suppose she would. She's not much for talking these days." He gave Emma a knowing grin that chilled her blood in her veins. "She's not much for anything since her beloved husband died."

"You're a bastard," Emma said, between clenched teeth.

Pan smiled wider. "Would you like to see what it looked like? His final moments? I'd be happy to show you. I used to replay them for your mother, anytime we caught her out and about. Then she started keeping to the treehouse. I think I offended her delicate sensibilities, but you, Emma..." he shrugged. "You're made of stronger stuff."

"Sto - "

Before Emma could get the word out, Pan waved his hand, and David was laying on the ground in front of her, an arrow lodged in his shoulder, gasping for air as the Dreamshade took his life. His eyes were tormented with a haze of anguish so deep, it made Emma want to shriek, to scream...

"Snow..." he gasped, trying feebly to reach out to with every last bit of determination he had. "Snow...ah...no..." tears were in his eyes, falling unashamedly down his face as his breath came in painful short pants. With one last burst of strength, he managed to lift his hand, and then it fell as his eyes glazed over in death.

Pan walked over, stepping unceremoniously over the body. "It was a pity he died so quickly. He missed the end of the show."

Emma felt a dread so deep, she froze with it. "What do you mean?"

Pan crossed his arms, full of a smug satisfaction that radiated out of him.

"I mean your mother was surrounded by Lost Boys, captured. Your father took the arrow that was meant for her, and as he lay there with the poison spreading through his body, your mother was laying across from him. Watching. And he was watching...Felix."

"_What?_"

"Felix quite enjoyed your mother. And as your father watched it all, she got to watch as your father spent his last agonizing moments, watching it all."

Emma's wrath was instantaneous. She made a dive for him, fireballs exploding from her hands as she screamed her fury, but he was gone. She hit the dirt and came up scrambling, shrieking, shouting his name, barely feeling Hook's arm slide around her waist, lifting her and turning her into his arms.

"Bastard!" she screamed, over and over, her arms flailing. "You bastard! You unbelievable bastard!" Her tears came in rivers, pouring down the front of his vest and he held her fiercely, rocking her, not sure if he was holding her back or himself. She pushed against him, hard.

"Let me go!"

"He's gone, Emma."

"Let me go! I'm going after him!"

He held her shoulder, giving her a slight shake. "That's what he wants, Emma. Think. You're no good to anyone surrounded by Lost Boys and dying of Dreamshade. Least of all to your mother."

Emma shut her eyes, squeezing them tight. "Oh God...he...oh God. My mother. My father..." her voice broke as she tried to wrap her mind around the enormity of the horror in her mind.

"I'd suspected as much," Hook said quietly.

"You _knew _what he did to her?"

"No," he said, stroking his hand down her arm. "Pan doesn't normally allow that kind of thing. He thinks it's too distracting for the older boys to get a taste of it." Hook's face clearly showed his contempt. "Your mother was behaving in a way I've seen before, entirely too many times in my pirating career. The women have a look about them sometimes, especially when the trauma is fresh. Pan won't let her move past it. Not here. Not ever."

Emma took in a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm going to kill him. And Felix."

"You'll be pushing me out of the way to do it. Damnable demon bastards." His fist clenched tightly. "I swear to you, love. They'll pay for what they've done."

She put her forehead on his shoulder, and his arms came around her. She didn't push him away, but she didn't move to return the embrace, either. It was a simple acceptance of whatever comfort he could give, because she needed it so badly.

"Emma." His voice was soft.

"What?" Her voice was muffled against his chest.

He let out a breath, then gently turned her, so that she was turned around. There, standing just a few feet away, was Snow. Her eyes were enormous, and her chin was quivering, but she looked at Emma steadily.

Emma walked over to her slowly, reaching out carefully for her mother's hand. They stood there, just looking at each other, as Hook quietly mounted the ladder, giving them some privacy.


	16. The Darkness Inside

"Mom," Emma said quietly.

Snow's composure slipped for a moment. "I'm sorry you had to see that - "

"Don't apologize." Emma interrupted. "You don't have a thing to be sorry for. I just wish I would have realized sooner."

Snow took a deep, shuddering breath. "I didn't want you to know. That's not how I want you to remember your father."

Emma's jaw tightened. "And now, thanks to Pan, we both have that memory."

Snow nodded. "I try to think of other things...happier things. I know he'd want that. But it's not easy."

"Tell me what I can do to help you through this," Emma said, trying very hard not to let her voice crack with the storm of emotion she was feeling inside.

Snow reached up, stroking Emma's hair. "Take me home," she answered. "Take us all home, Emma."

"I don't know if I can break the curse," Emma added bitterly.

"Regina says it's not up to you," Snow said. "But I know you can help Hook find his way."

Emma crossed her arms. "You have a lot more faith in him than I do."

Snow cocked her head. "But if it was possible for him to change in your reality, it's just as possible here."

"He's different," Emma said. "He's...darker."

"It couldn't have been easy living with himself after turning his back on all of us. On you."

_Even when I thought you dead...not a day went by I didn't think of you... _His words replayed in her mind. He wasn't Hook in that moment. He was Killian. And she missed her Killian fiercely right now. No matter what, she knew he always had her back.

"Where does Neal fit into all of this?" Snow asked. "In your reality - did you and he just not work out?"

Emma looked stricken. "No. We didn't work out."

Snow didn't miss that look. "And you wish it could have been different?"

Emma didn't know how to answer that. She definitely had guilt over not making more of an effort while Neal was alive, for Henry's sake, but what she felt for Neal was only a soft echo of something wistful. Something that belonged to a seventeen year-old girl who had no idea what she wanted out of life. The woman she'd become knew how rare it was to feel what she felt with Killian - to have a man who was willing to fight for her - even when it meant fighting himself. Now that she'd had a taste of that, could she settle for something more muted?

"Yeah," she finally answered. "I wish it had been different." _I wish he'd lived,_ she thought. _I wish he'd lived long enough for me to let him down easy. I wish he could have found someone else and gotten the love that he deserved, because I couldn't give it to him. I wish he was here for Henry._

"So now what?" Snow asked.

"Now we get that heart and get the hell out of here." She walked over and picked up her cutlass from where it had fallen.

Snow stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Emma looked around a bit wildly, half-expecting Pan to have returned.

Snow's eyes widened. "The girl," she said. She stepped forward, gripping Emma's hand. "Emma, there was a girl - in Pan's camp. He had her in a cage."

Emma's mouth dropped open as she remembered.

"Wendy. We forgot about Wendy." She pulled Snow toward the ladder. "Come on, let's talk with the others. We need a plan."

###

"Wendy's still _alive_? After all this time?" Neal's voice was incredulous. "How did she even get here?"

"If I remember correctly, she came looking for you," Emma supplied.

" Belle asked me specifically to rescue her," Rumpel said. "Ariel carried my promise back to her when she returned Henry's body to Storybrooke."

"And we took her and The Lost Boys with us when we left in my reality," Emma added.

"The Lost Boys?" Regina deadpanned. "You've got to be kidding me."

"They were more than happy to sell Pan out, once we promised them a permanent home." Emma glanced over at Snow. "Well, most of them, anyway."

"And we're going to risk our necks on the chance that one little girl is still sitting in a box somewhere? Pan could have killed her by now." Regina said, raising an eyebrow.

"What if that were Henry?" Hook said quietly.

"What?" Regina turned to give him a look.

"That girl is someone's child," he reminded her. "As are the Lost Boys. And like you, most of them aren't here by choice."

"Since when do you care about Pan's minions?" Regina answered him.

Emma's eyes locked with Hook's. "He's right. These kids didn't ask for this. Pan is a monster and we're not leaving Wendy or any of them that want off this hell-hole."

"I'm not leaving Wendy," Neal said.

"But attacking Pan in his camp is a bad idea," Tink said. "He'll see you coming and he'll pick you off, one by one."

"Can Snow lure The Lost Boys away again?" Regina suggested.

"No." Emma's tone brooked no argument.

"Emma..." Snow began.

"No."

"I can help. Please let me."

"They'll know what we're doing," Hook interjected. "We've used that trick already. We'll have to think of something new."

Emma's eyes met his gratefully. "Hook's right. We have to change up our game. We need to think. What would Pan's next move be?"

"He'll try to find the heart," Neal said. "Now that we're all together, he's gotta know we'll be retrieving it."

"He knows we'll find a way to distract him when we do," Rumpel pointed out.

"The ship." Hook's voice cut in. "He's going to try to stop us from leaving. If he can't get the heart, he's going to make sure it doesn't leave the island."

Rumpel crossed his arms, leaning against the table. "The ship could be under his control already."

"I put a protection spell on it," Emma said.

"Good thinking, Miss Swan."

"But is it strong enough?" Regina asked. "You're pretty much a novice."

"Not anymore," Hook said. "But Pan doesn't know that. If you were to go back to the ship, perhaps under the guise of strengthening the spell - he may just show up to see if he can find a chink in the armor."

"Take Regina or me along, then," Rumpel offered. "That will reinforce it - he'll think we're there to fix your work."

"I can take Tink and sneak into the camp to free Wendy," Neal said.

Regina pursed her lips. "I'd better come along. If there are Lost Boys still in camp, you're going to need more help. Tink is hardly a fighter."

Tink raised her hands. "Don't look at me - this is all still suicide, if you ask my opinion."

Snow took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "Then I guess the four of us are going to free Wendy."

Tink looked at her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "You stay here. I may not be able to fight, but I can be a lookout, or a distraction."

Snow's voice was hard. "We both know I'm the best distraction. And I can drop them with my bow before they have a chance to get near any of you."

Emma shook her head. "You don't - "

"Emma, I'm doing this." Snow said firmly. "Let's go." She stared them all down until they started moving. As Snow turned to grab her bow, Regina, put a hand on her arm, keeping her back from the others. She lowered her voice to avoid being overheard.

"I've got a job for you, if you're up for it."

###

"The camp is ahead," Tink gestured on a curve around the next bend in the trail. "There's a break in the trees, with a clearing."

"If he has her caged, she's probably hanging," Neal added. "Can you get up a tree without your wings, Tink?"

She gave him an annoyed look. "I built a treehouse, didn't I?"

He gave her a sideways grin. "Sorry. Remind me not to underestimate you again."

"Can we get on with this?" Regina broke in. "If there are Lost Boys in camp, I can knock them out but it won't last long. We need to hit them fast and get out of there."

"I'll cover them while you help Tink," Snow said to Neal. She shouldered her bow, taking the lead. "Let's go."

Neal looked over at Regina, raising his eyebrows. She gave him a knowing look that he couldn't quite understand. Tink gave a shrug and followed Snow and Regina, so Neal brought up the rear.

They approached quietly, hearing the activity in camp long before they saw it. There were four Lost Boys tending a sluggish fire and practicing with bows and knives.

"I don't know why we couldn't go along," one of them complained.

"We might be smallest, but we're fast," the other one said.

A third one gave a guilty glance around, like he was afraid of being overheard. "Do you think he's...worried?"

The other boys stopped what they were doing. "Worried?" One of them asked, uneasily.

"That we'll try to hide on the ship?"

"We can't leave," another one said firmly, his eyes shooting left, then right. He lowered his voice. "He won't let us leave. Ever. You know that."

Snow's eyes caught Neal's and he gave Regina a nod. A second later, all four boys were laying on the ground.

"Move their weapons away from them," Neal said running into the clearing. His eyes scanned the canopy around the opening, until finally he pointed up. "There! Do you see it, Tink?"

"Yeah, I've got it." She ran for the tree and started climbing, pulling herself up limb by limb with a grace that made it almost look like she could fly. Her voice called down a few moments later.

"It's her! Find the line and lower her down!"

"I've got it!" Neal called back to her. He carefully let the rope out, lowering the cage until it touched down. He gestured Regina over, and a moment later she'd blasted the lock off and he was opening the cage, pulling Wendy out.

"Wendy!"

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"It's Baelfire," Neal said with a grin. "We're getting you out of here."

"Pan has John and Michael," she panted. "You have to help them."

"They're safe in Storybrooke," Regina said. "Ariel met them when she went over to get Pandora's box. They asked us to rescue you."

Neal gave her a look that clearly said he remembered how easily she would have left Wendy behind. Regina just rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she said. "The Lost Boys are waking up already."

"We have to talk to them," Snow said. "We can help them."

Regina looked at her. "You _want_ to help them?"

"Of course she does," Felix's voice came from behind them and they all turned at once. He was leaning against a tree, smiling. "Pan had a feeling you might try another rescue. I'm afraid I can't let you leave with her."

He pulled up a bow, with an arrow nocked in place. "You know about Dreamshade, of course," he said tauntingly. His eyes shifted to Snow. "Some of you more than others."

Snow took in breath at his words, her eyes fixated on his face. She started walking slowly toward him.

"You." She took another step closer in, as Felix eyed her with a smug curiosity.

"So you're finally talking to me," he said with a grin. "I had a feeling we'd be friends...eventually."

Snow's eyes closed tight, and her hands clenched into fists at her side. She opened her eyes and moved forward again, stopping right in front of him.

"You can come with us."

"What?" Regina's voice was incredulous.

Snow put up a hand to silence her. "I mean it, Felix. You and all the Lost Boys. You don't have to stay here. You don't have to let him control your lives."

"And what makes you think we don't like this life?" Felix asked. "We like it just fine. We live by Pan's rules, and he...rewards us."

Snow froze, then she closed her eyes again. "I've thought about you a lot," she whispered.

Felix broke into an evil grin. "See? I knew we'd be friends."

Snow opened her eyes again. "I thought 'What could have made you feel like this was a better alternative?' What kind of horrors did you have in your young life that made Pan look like a better option?" Her eyes welled and she reached a hand tentatively toward him. "How very lonely you must be inside, if following him is better than being true to the person you were meant to be."

"Stop it." Felix was scowling now.

"You don't have to live with that kind of darkness, Felix. You can find a home - a real home." Snow turned to the other boys. "You all can."

"Don't listen to her," Felix warned the others.

Snow turned back to him. "Felix. I want you to know I forgive you. You've got so much pain inside you, and living with that much pain every day takes so much from you. I know. Believe me, I know."

Felix smiled again, a cold, calculated smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Your pain has been my pleasure. We've all taken so much enjoyment in it. And when Pan gets here - "

"Enough of this!" Regina walked forward, waving her hand and sending the bow flying out of Felix's fingers. Before he could move to recover she'd slammed her hand into his chest, pulling his heart out and gripping it in her fist. She squeezed it hard, turning it to dust.

"You're welcome," she said, wiping her hands against each other. "Now let's go."


	17. Choices and Bargains

"Tell me, Miss Swan..."Gold began, as they headed toward the ship. "In this other reality - all is finally well in Storybrooke, I take it?"

"For the moment," Emma said, chopping some more vegetation out of the way. "You know how it is there."

"And Belle?"

Emma turned to look at him. "Actually, you just got married."

Gold looked at her in surprise, but it was nothing compared to the look that Hook gave her.

"He coerced her into marrying him?"

Emma raised her brows. "She wanted to marry him."

"The Dark One?" he repeated incredulously. "The woman's obviously deranged."

"You'll keep your aspersions away from Belle," Gold threatened, grabbing Hook by the shoulder. Hook looked as though he was going to retaliate, but Emma gave him a warning look.

"I only meant that she obviously hasn't thought this through."

"Well, since it hasn't happened, it's a moot point, isn't it?" Emma said, rolling her eyes. "Yet another thing your decision changed."

Gold let go of Hook's lapel, stepping back. "Point taken, Miss Swan."

"Good."

She stopped for a moment, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

"How long have we been walking, anyway?" she asked.

"Too long," Hook said, coming up behind her. "We should have reached the ship by now."

"Pan's got us walking in circles," Gold said, glancing around. "We've passed that rock before."

"Aye, we have." Hook agreed. "If we had stars above us, I could get a bearing, but like this..." He made a disgusted sound. "We can't keep trying to follow the trails, obviously."

"Somehow he's moving them around," Emma said. "Great."

"No doubt hoping that the longer we delay, the weaker the protection spell gets on the ship," Gold pointed out. "He can keep us out here, walking around indefinitely."

"Just where I'd like to be," Hook said, casting a dark look at Gold. "Wandering this accursed island with you."

"It's no holiday for me, either," Gold replied coldly, "Traipsing about the jungle with the dastardly pirate who tried to murder me."

"If we're lining our sins up against each other," Hook began nastily, "I should think - "

"Really?" Emma turned to look at the both of them. "Can we start acting like grown-ups, please? You hate each other. I get it. Everyone gets it. Now get over it. Because it doesn't matter if you hate each other or not. Right now, you need each other and I need the both of you. So knock it off."

"She's right," Neal's voice came out of the jungle, and he stepped onto the path in front of them. "We've all got to work together."

"What are you doing here?" Emma questioned. "Are you done already?"

"Yeah," he said. "Mission accomplished. You guys have been gone for hours so I came looking."

"Pan's sending us in circles," Emma said, looking around. "Well, we might as well go back now, anyway. If we know where 'back' is."

"We came from that direction," Hook said, pointing off to the left.

"That means nothing," Gold reminded him.

"Let's just follow Neal back," Emma said. "Which way did you come in?"

He glanced around, slowly turning in a circle. "Now I'm not even sure," he said. "Damn."

Emma took off her cutlass. "Hold this."

"Wait - where are you going?" Neal asked.

"Up. It's the only way to get a bird's-eye view. How about a boost?"

"How about you let me go?" Neal said.

Emma gave him a look. "Those branches aren't strong enough to support your weight."

Neal look affronted. "You calling me chubby?"

"Please. Can we just get on with it?" Hook broke in, not caring for their comaraderie. "I could have climbed the damn tree by now."

Emma raised her eyebrows, and Neal took the cutlass, setting it on the ground. Then he bent down, making a cradle with his hands for her to step into. A few moments later, Emma was hoisting herself up from branch to branch, making her way to the top of the tree. It wasn't long before she was out of sight.

"I trust your former companion was in good health?" Gold asked Neal.

He turned from watching Emma. "Wendy? Yeah, she was all right. I mean, as all right as you can be after being in a cage for a hundred years."

"He kept her caged for a century?" Hook asked, incredulous.

"That surprises you?" Gold asked. "Pan isn't exactly known for his warm and welcoming ways."

"Oh, now I'm hurt. I think I've been more than hospitable with all of you."

Pan's voice registered on Hook and Gold with instant shock. He stood at the foot of the tree, holding Emma's cutlass and smiling, as always.

"It's not like you both to let your guard down so easily. I at least expected a few identifying questions or maybe even a suspicious look." He twirled the cutlass in his hand. "You're slipping. Getting sloppy. I don't know how you figure to best me when you keep making mistakes."

"Where is my son?" Gold asked, narrowing his eyes.

"He's trying to liberate Wendy, and by now he's discovered that Felix and The Lost Boys were waiting for them." Pan shrugged. "I knew you'd come for her, eventually."

"Now what?" Gold asked. His eyes flickered up to the tree behind Pan, and Pan didn't miss it.

"Hoping Emma will overhear and...what? Jump on me? Throw a fireball at me?" Pan laughed. "Her magic isn't even strong enough to put up a lasting protection spell, is it?"

He twirled the cutlass again, and it suddenly became a bow in his fingers. He reached behind his back, producing a single arrow.

"And since her magic is so...formidable...perhaps I'd better stick to nature instead." He turned, aiming the bow up into the tree. Hook started forward, screaming "No!"

But it was too late. Pan's arrow found its mark, and Emma hit the dirt, the arrow embedded deep in her shoulder. Her startled eyes looked up at Hook, then over at Pandora's box, knocked to the ground beside her when she fell.

Pan moved toward the box, but Rumpel deterred him, sending up a wall of fire. Hook made a dive for it, scooping it up in his hand. Pan looked a bit perturbed.

"I'll leave you two to it, then," he said to Hook and Gold. His knowing eyes held Hook's as he gave a self-satisfied smile. "You've got a choice to make, Hook. Time to think about your priorities." He winked out of sight, leaving Hook holding the box.

"You could have trapped him!" Gold said coldly. "But you waited."

Hook's eyes shifted down to Emma, who was looking up at him.

"Killian," she said, then she wasn't able to speak, and her breath was coming in short, gasping pants. His fist closed around the box and with a determined look, he walked toward Gold.

"Obviously, this is what you had planned," Gold was eyeing the box warily. "How long have you been working with Pan?"

"I'm not," Hook replied. "I work for myself."

"Of course," Gold said smoothly. "I should have known."

Hook brought the hand with the box up, and Gold took a reflexive step back, only to have Hook take two quick strides forward, reaching down with his hook to lift Gold's arm. He placed the box in Gold's hand.

"Take it."

Gold looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"Take it. Consider it payment, because I'm making a deal. You have magic - help her."

Gold looked at him warily, and then pulled the box in closer to his body. "I can't stop Dreamshade. You of all people know that."

"There's a spring that flows on that peak above us that can stop the Dreamshade and save her life, but I need time to get to it. Use your magic. Slow it down."

Gold glanced over at Emma, then back to Hook. "And what's to stop me from opening this box and stuffing you inside?"

"Don't do this for me. Do it for Henry. He needs her." Hook's eyes were earnest. "Please. We don't have much time."

Still Gold hesitated. Hook's anguished gaze moved back to Emma. She was barely conscious now, fighting for breath. Her eyes were beginning to glaze over. He dropped to his knees next to her, reaching out for her hand.

"Please," he said once more. "Please..." he looked up at Gold. "You and I - we aren't so different. We've wronged each other, we've maimed and killed and thought of nothing more than furthering our own agendas. All it took was one person to change all that. You needed Belle and I need Emma. And we both need that curse to break. That's not going to happen without her. Emma was right - we all need each other."

Gold closed his eyes, holding the box out in front of him. Then he opened them again, looking at Hook.

"I can slow it, but only for a short time."

Hook sprang to his feet. "I'll hurry."

"Allow me to assist," Gold said, waving his arm and sending Hook flying. He hit the rock face halfway up, slid a bit and then found a foothold. He gave Gold a dark look over his shoulder, then started climbing.

"Now then, Miss Swan," Gold said, crouching down next to her, "The pirate is, lamentably, right." He passed his hand over her wound, removing the arrow and then holding his palm there. His lips moved soundlessly on some sort of incantation, and Emma's breathing deepened and slowed. "That's as much as I can do. The rest is in his...hand."

###

Hook pulled himself over the last ledge and up onto the path leading toward the spring. He paused a bare second to get his bearings and tie off a rope for the trip back down, then he started forward, drawing his cutlass. He'd barely gotten a few paces up the path before he heard his voice.

"So noble. And for what?" Pan hopped down off a nearby rock. "You give her the water, and she stays here forever. She may not thank you."

"It gives her time to save Henry," Hook said, his eyes darting over to the copse of Dreamshade that blocked the entrance to the spring.

"And then what? She stays on the island and you stay with her? It's hardly a lover's retreat." Pan rubbed his chin. "Her mother's been here less than two years and she's not holding up so well."

A muscle ticked in Hook's jaw. "We'll manage."

"We?" Pan said with an understanding smile. "Anyplace with Emma is paradise, is that it?"

"Something like that."

"It could be, you know," Pan offered. "You've still got a chance. I could leave the two of you alone, order the boys to respect your privacy, just like they do with Tinkerbelle. Just the two of you, with no one else competing for her affections. Nothing to do but be with each other. It could be your own private paradise."

"At what price?" Hook asked, eyeing the Dreamshade again. His hand twitched on his cutlass.

"Oh yes, you're very conscious of time, aren't you?" Pan turned his head to look at the Dreamshade. "Here, I'll make it easy for you." He waved his hand, and the Dreamshade parted, leaving an opening for Hook to go through.

"Get what you need," he said. "I'll wait."

Hook wasted no time, pulling his flask out and racing through the opening to the spring. He filled the flask, plus the waterskin attached to his belt, as well. He stepped back through the Dreamshade.

"You already gave me a decision," Hook reminded him. "And you saw how I chose."

"I did," Pan nodded. "And you managed to surprise me. But it did show me where your priorities are, and I can work with those. Get me the box, I'll let you both live in peace. That's my offer."

"The Dark One has the box," Hook pointed out.

"No, he doesn't. I threw down a fake, hoping you'd choose the other way. It would have pulled Rumpel in, but it couldn't have held him. He'd have broken free and killed you, and during all that scuffle, Emma would have died as well. But you didn't choose the way I'd planned."

"I'm working on breaking that habit," Hook said, raising an eyebrow.

Pan stepped closer, so close his lips nearly touched Hook's ear. "Think about it, Hook. Forever in paradise with Emma at your side. This is one decision that'll be easy to make. Just get me the box."

Hook closed his eyes, clearly warring with himself. When he opened them, Pan was gone. He wasted no time, reaching for the rope he'd tied off and lowering himself back down to the ground. He took off at a run, then skidded to his knees next to Emma, lifting her head into his lap. He trickled the water between her lips, and a moment later, her eyes opened and she gave a watery gasp, sucking in a great lungful of air.

"The water - " she gasped.

"I didn't have a choice, love." he gently helped her sit up.

Emma nodded. "No, it's - it's all right. Gold - "

"Can make an elixir." Gold finished. "Yes, I suppose that I could, once we get off this island, but that would come at a serious price."

Hook got to his feet. "And that is?"

Gold smiled. "Well, that would be quite the favor. What if my price is that you stay behind?"

"No." Emma shot to her feet and stepped between them. "We all go. We all get out of here - together."

"This is between the pirate and me, Miss Swan. I don't bargain with third parties."

Emma stepped in, getting in his face. "Yeah? Well you'd better think about it this time. I can leave you behind just as easily, and you and I both know Neal wouldn't fight me on it."

Gold deflated a little on that remark. "No, I suppose that he wouldn't."

Hook looked over at him. "A gesture of goodwill on your part just might make him think of you differently."

Gold glared at him. "I'll think about it."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well think while you walk. We need to head that way," she gestured off to the left. "We didn't get far from Tink's house at all."

Gold gave Hook one last considering look, then turned toward the path that Emma had pointed out. Emma moved to follow, but Hook stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

She looked up at him. "You of all people know how fast that water works. I feel fine." She looked away a moment, and as he started to move away, she reached out, touching his chest. He froze and his eyes went immediately to hers.

"Hey...thank you," she said. "I know what it meant to you - having the means to imprison him right in your hand."

"It was a fake," Hook said.

"How did you know that?" Emma looked at him, startled.

"I didn't. Pan told me."

"Pan? He followed you?"

"Yes. He was quite entertained by the idea of the two of us living on the island. He even offered to make it a welcoming haven for us, for all eternity."

Emma's eyes grew wide. "You didn't buy that, did you?"

"Pan wasn't lying," Hook supplied. "But would I be offering to bargain with The Dark One if I'd agreed?"

"No." She smiled. "I guess this is the last place you'd want to be."

"That's not true," he said, reaching up to touch her face, sliding his thumb along her jaw. "I'd stay here another dozen lifetimes with you if I had to. But it's not just about me. Henry needs you, and so does your Mother. You need to get home."

Emma stopped breathing. "You're getting it," she whispered.

His jaw tightened. "I'm trying, love. I'm trying."

Emma nodded. "Then I'll keep reminding you to try." She reached out, grabbing him by the lapels, and kissed him with everything she had. It was a long time before they both came up for air.

"Bloody hell, woman. Kiss me that way again, and I'll be taking you up against a tree."

She gave him a smirk. "You asked for a re-enactment."

He looked at her, raising both eyebrows. "_That_ was our first kiss?"

"Pretty close."

"Emma..." he reached for her again, but she moved back.

"One step at a time. Let's get rid of Pan, get everyone out of here, and save Henry." She turned to follow the path.

"And what about Neal?" His voice made her stop in her tracks.

"What about him?"

"You've got a reality with him alive and well in it now. Where do he and I fit in?"

Emma shook her head. "I'll figure it out."

A troubled frown knit her brow and she started forward again, with Hook following close behind. Just ahead of her, Gold's face showed that he clearly heard every word of that conversation. His eyes narrowed, and he kept on walking.


	18. The Things We Give Up

"So now we come to the hard part," Emma said. "We need to capture Pan's Shadow, get rid of Pan, get the heart, and get off the island...in that order."

"Pan's shadow!" Wendy said, startled.

Regina looked at them like they were nuts. "And how is that supposed to help us?"

"We can use it to fly us off the island," Neal supplied. "It can move between realms."

"When we did this before, we trapped the shadow in a coconut shell," Emma held up a hand, stopping Regina before she could say anything. "I know, it sounds crazy, but it worked. Neal knows what I'm talking about. We just need to get the shell and travel to Dark Hollow to get the shadow. In the meantime, we need to figure out how we're taking Pan down."

"His Lost Boys are divided," Snow said. "I believe most, if not all of them will come with us, especially with Felix gone."

Emma's eyes shifted to meet Regina's, and Regina raised a brow and gave her a smug grin. The corner of Emma's mouth twitched, but she managed to reign in the urge to smile back.

"Pan is still more than deadly without them," Gold pointed out. "And he'll be expecting us to use Pandora's box. He can produce a decoy only too easily. It's best if we keep that under wraps and think of something else - at least as a diversion."

"Squid ink?" Neal suggested. "It worked before."

"Again...he may see that coming," Gold said. "We'd need a delivery method that he wouldn't suspect."

"And then what? Even if we immobilize him, will that give us enough time to get away?" Emma asked.

"Doubtful," Hook shook his head. "We'd have to drop the protection spell, ready the ship, deploy the shadow up to the mast, and get out of his reach. That's not going to happen as quickly as we'd like."

"So we have to immobilize him, then use the box on him," Snow said.

"All while cajoling or possibly fighting Lost Boys," Hook replied.

"Regina, I don't want you to give me an exact location, but is the heart close to the ship?" Emma asked.

"It'll be accessible from that location," Regina replied evasively. "If we get down there, I can get to it."

"Let's break up into groups," Emma suggested. "Gold, you go with Regina and get the squid ink. Hook, you stay here with the others. If any Lost Boys show up, get them on board.. Neal and I will go and get the shadow." She stood up, reaching for her cutlass.

"Hold on a minute," Hook said, reaching for her arm. "The two of you are going to Dark Hollow - you can use another hand."

"No way." Emma slid the cutlass into it's scabbard, then pulled it over her head.

"Swan - "

"No." Emma's tone was firm. "We did it that way last time and it was almost a disaster. Besides, my mother can use your help more than we can. You know how to talk to these boys."

Hook's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue.

"You ready?" Neal asked, putting his hand at the small of Emma's back. Emma stepped forward, turning to face everyone. "We rendezvous back here after we're all done."

"Be careful," Snow called out. "Both of you."

"I'll keep her safe," Neal promised. "C'mon Em."

He started down the ladder, with Emma close behind, and Hook's eyes narrowed, following them as they went.

###

"So what happened," Neal asked as they walked. "Last time - at Dark Hollow?"

Emma cut away at some vegetation on the path and answered noncommittally. "Oh, just the usual. Nothing ever goes like you plan in this place."

"You're protecting him," Neal observed.

Emma paused, then kept on walking. "More like both of you."

"Em, you can't be banking on things going the same way as your before. You know that, don't you?"

She turned to face him. "You think I don't realize that? Everything's changed. My father is dead. Henry's a living corpse. People I care about have been abused and terrorized and instead of all of us coming out of this as a team we're still circling each other like hawks." She ran an exasperated hand through her hair. "I get it, Neal. I'm not trying repeat anything. I just know what worked and why it did."

He stared at her a long moment. "Maybe that's not what I was talking about."

She closed her eyes a moment. "Neal...I can't even think about that right now. We need to get off this island."

He reached out, taking her hand. "So you will think about it...after?"

"Neal..." she didn't even know how to answer him. "I can't - " She tried again. "I just don't - " She broke off, not sure how to finish.

"Look, I'm not stupid," he said softly. "I obviously screwed this up in your reality, and you ended up with Hook instead."

Emma started to say something, but he held up a hand. "No, let me finish." He let out a sigh. "I don't know if he could turn into a hero, but if you say he can, I'll believe you. It's clear he cares about you. But I'm not giving up that easy. Whatever I did, whatever it was that came between us, just...tell me. Please." His eyes were earnest, and Emma felt the tears gathering, despite her efforts to blink them back.

"I want to fix it," he said. "I want us to be a family. You and me and Henry. And here, in this reality, we've got a do-over."

Emma looked at him helplessly, pressing a balled fist against her mouth to keep the sob in her throat from breaking free. How could she possibly tell him? She couldn't. And besides - he was right. She needed to be thinking of the here and now, because that other reality could be years away...or never.

He moved his hand to her shoulder, reaching out to pull her just a little closer. "You don't have to answer me now. But think about it, Emma. Please. Not just for me, but for Henry."

She closed her eyes again, and nodded. Then she took in a deep, cleansing breath. "Come on," she said. "We've got a shadow to catch."

###

They arrived back at the Treehouse to find a group of Lost Boys hiding inside, and a very disgruntled Regina and Gold.

"Well?" Emma asked. "Did you get it?"

"Pan was a step ahead of us," Gold said. "We got to the cove and he'd already killed the squid and left its carcass on the shore - devoid of the ink, of course."

"He's probably keeping it to use on one of us," Regina said. "So now we really have to watch our backs. Did you get the shadow?"

"It's in here," Neal said, holding up the coconut.

"You really did it," Hook said, obviously surprised.

"You didn't believe us?" Neal gave him a look.

"You'll have to admit that trapping a malevolent being with a coconut sounds a bit daft, mate."

Neal tilted his head in Emma's direction. "We make a good team." He gave Emma a grin. "You're little fire trick came in handy. You would've made a hell of a boy scout."

"Boy scout?" Hook looked confused.

Emma smirked. "You wouldn't understand." She looked over at Gold. "Any other grand ideas about how we distract Pan? Or are we back to hitting him head-on with the box again?"

"That may be our only option," Regina pointed out. "If we had the ink, we wouldn't even need the box. All we have to do is put him out of commission long enough for us to leave. Once the heart is gone, his power drains away and he'll be gone, too."

"And without his shadow, he'll be marooned here, anyway," Emma said.

"That's it," Hook said, suddenly. "That's how we do it."

"You've got a plan?" Emma asked.

"I do," he said, "But we'll have to wait for tomorrow."

"That'll give us time to reach out to the rest of the Lost Boys," Snow said. "I'm sure they'll come looking for the others."

"We should set a watch," Neal suggested. "They may show up tonight."

Emma nodded. "I can take the first shift."

"I'll - " Neal stopped, looking from Emma to Hook. "I'll relieve you in a few hours."

Neal gave her a slightly uncomfortable nod, following the others up the ladder to the treehouse.

Emma looked over at Hook. "You can get some rest too, you know."

He glanced up the ladder, then moved away to stand closer to her. "It's a tad too crowded for my taste," he said. "Besides - you and I need to talk."

Emma's eyes immediately grew wary. "Talk?"

"My plan?" Hook reminded her. "I assume you'd like to know the particulars."

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, I - definitely." She sat down with her back against the rock. Hook put a hand to the ground and moved in next to her, only to pause momentarily as Emma moved, ever-so-slightly away from him.

"So..." she said. "What's the plan?"

He pulled a knee up, setting his arm across it, and turned his head to look at her. "We'll get to that. But first, d'you mind telling me why you're suddenly afraid to be alone with me? What went on today with the two of you?"

She froze, then forced herself to relax. "Nothing went on. We captured Pan's shadow and we came back."

"For someone who can so easily recognize a lie, you certainly are terrible at it yourself."

Emma pulled her knees up, setting her folded arms across them and resting her chin on her arms. "It's just...hard. Knowing what I know."

"About Neal?"

"I feel like I'm making an impossible trade either way."

"So you've changed your mind." His voice was hard, almost bitter, and she turned her head to look at him.

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to say it," he said angrily. "You were perfect chums all afternoon, sharing your private jokes and reliving old times, and now you're back here wondering why in the hell you'd even want to break the curse."

She shifted, coming up on her knees. "How can you say that?" she retaliated. "We're talking about my father's life! And my mother's while we're at it, because a life without David is no life for her. We're talking about Henry and the life he and I have built together."

"But we're not talking about us, are we, Swan?" he pointed out. "I didn't even get a mention."

Emma took in a deep, shaky breath. "You don't understand..."

"Tell me something, love. Did you fall into my arms before Neal died? Or after?"

Emma made a face. "Does it matter?"

"Did I win you on my own merits? Or was my competition conveniently out of the picture?"

She pushed herself up to her feet. "I'm not going to answer that."

He followed her, reaching out for her arm "Oh, yes you are."

"Let me go."

He pulled her up against him, his fingers biting into her upper arm. "Answer me, damn you! Did you actually choose between us, or was I just some damned consolation prize?"

"I didn't have to choose," she snapped. "And I didn't 'fall into your arms'! When he died, I was angry! Too angry to even consider what you're accusing me of. I wanted the hell out of Storybrooke and away from all of you! I wanted to take Henry and go back to our nice, quiet lives in New York, away from... all of this!" She gestured widely with her arm.

"And why didn't you?" he snarled, his mouth a hairsbreadth from hers. "Why didn't you just turn your back and go?"

"Because somebody reminded me where home was," she said quietly. "They reminded me that home doesn't even have to be a place. You'll know it when you miss it."

He loosened his grip, sliding his fingers softly down her arm as he leaned in, putting his forehead to hers. His voice was low, barely above a whisper.

"I can't lose you again, Swan. Yet at the same time, I don't feel as though I've done a thing to deserve you."

"You saved my life," she reminded him.

"It was the right thing to do."

Emma couldn't help herself. His words brought back that night at Granny's - it seemed like forever ago now. She tilted her face up, kissing him softly. He pulled back, looking at her.

"Does that mean you still have some faith in me?" His eyes held hers a bit uncertainly under the false bravado of his cocky smile.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I know what you'd give up for me, even if you don't yet."


	19. Change Of Plans

"Is everyone clear on what we're doing?" Emma asked the following evening. "Timing is going to be everything, here."

"I still think it's crazy," Tink said. "But it's just may be crazy enough to work."

"Regina," Emma said. "He's going to be watching you."

"I'm counting on it," she said. "You just get aboard the ship and get it set to go. Don't drop that protection spell until you're ready."

Emma looked over at Gold. "You sure you can do what you need to do?"

"I'll have my part covered, Miss Swan. It's not me you need to worry about," Gold reminded her. "Pan is unpredictable to say the least."

"All right, let's move." Emma reached for her cutlass as they all began to file out. Hook pulled Neal aside, keeping his voice low.

"You go on with Emma and the others. I need to take care of that thing we were discussing earlier."

Neal's eyes widened. "You're going to need some help, man."

"Someone has to prep the ship, and you're the only one here besides me who knows how to do it," Hook pointed out.

"How are you going to manage by yourself?" Neal asked.

"Regina's going to assist. I'll meet you at the ship."

Neal clapped him on the arm. "Make it fast."

Hook gave him a nod and Neal moved past him to the ladder. Emma hadn't missed any of that exchange.

"Wait - what was that all about?" She said, stepping in front of him.

"We'll discuss it later," he said, moving around her to follow Neal.

"Hook - " she stepped closer

He looked back at her. "Later, love. I promise." He reached out, briefly touching her face. "You'll be careful?"

"I will if you will."

His eyes held hers a moment longer, then he turned and made his way down the ladder. When he reached the bottom, he glanced over at Regina, and she gave a subtle nod. He walked over to her side.

"It's right on the way," she said.

"I'll take a different route when we're done," he added. "I don't want to slow you down."

"Okay," Emma said, looking around at all of them. "Let's get the hell out of here."

###

"You realize, of course, that once you've got that heart in your hand, Pan will be here." Gold pointed out.

"You think I don't know that the foul little imp is watching everything I do?" Regina raised a brow. "Please. While you've been sunning yourself on a beach inside that box for a year, I've been outsmarting him every damn day."

"He's only let you live this long because you haven't revealed the location. Once he has that, your usefulness is gone."

"So I guess I'll have to make sure I time this just right." She said with a patronizing smile.

"Are we close to the general vicinity?" Gold stopped, turning in a semi-circle, "Or do we just keep wandering towards the shoreline?"

"What is your problem, anyway?" Regina asked. "We'll get it when we get it."

"You'll forgive me if I'd like an expedient resolution. Every moment we're here is another moment that Pan can manipulate," Gold pointed out. "And being on the edge of Mermaid Cove is foolhardy enough."

"I'm not afraid of mermaids," Regina said, giving him a look.

"They just lend to the general air of uneasiness," he replied, still glancing around.

"You're normally not this easily rattled," she said. "Spill it. What's your problem?"

"I'm just wondering what Miss Swan hasn't bothered to tell us."

"About the other reality, you mean?"

"Exactly."

"She could be making it all up, you know," Regina pointed out. "We only have her word for it, after all. And even if it did happen like she said - putting your faith in Hook to turn into a marshmallow is a bit far-fetched."

"I would tend to agree," Gold said, "But in this case, we may have as much to fear from her version of reality as anything we're facing here. We simply don't know. But we do know that if this plan succeeds, we can control this future."

"And...?"

"And I think we both need to keep that in mind," he said smoothly. "I also think we need a bit more than the trickle of information we've gotten from our fearless leader."

Regina raised a brow. "She only thinks she's in charge here."

"As long as we know who's really running the show, Dearie." Gold held her eyes a moment longer, then glanced around again. "Are we ready?"

Regina looked Northward, up the coastline. "Yes. Yes, I believe we are." She stepped around Gold to an oddly shaped rock just behind him. Then she counted off twenty paces out loud, coming to a stop in front of a large tree. She squatted down, putting her hand to the ground, then with a sweeping gesture, she opened up a hole and reached inside. Gold came up behind her.

"Twenty paces from a rock? Buried treasure? It's not like you to use something so cliche'."

Regina stood up slowly, clutching a velveteen bag with a silken drawstring. "That's exactly why I knew he'd never suspect it."

"Brilliant strategy," Pan said, clapping them both on the shoulder. "I'm quite impressed."

They both froze at the sound of his voice and the feel of his hand upon them - and it wasn't like they had a choice. Pan backed away, peeling off the gloves he'd been wearing as they both remained motionless.

"Squid ink," he explained. "You're right, Rumpel - it comes in quite handy, doesn't it? And now I'll be taking my heart." He reached out, pulling the bag from Regina's frozen fingers.

"I appreciate you keeping it safe, Regina, but it's time it goes back where it belongs." He flashed her a triumphant grin, loosening the drawstring and pulling the bag open. Then he reached his hand inside, closing it around something. He pulled his hand back out, and his smile faded instantly into cold, mottled fury.

"Where is it!" Pan shouted, throwing the large, red apple he'd pulled from the bag as hard as he could into the jungle. "Where is the heart!"

Regina couldn't move, but the smug smile on her face had obviously been there from the moment she dug up the bag. Pan made a sound of fury, turning in a circle.

"Where is it!" He shouted at both Gold and Regina, who were, of course, unable to answer him.

"I can wait here as long as it takes!" Pan reassured them both. "I'm tired of these games, Regina. Maybe you need to spend some time in a suspended cage so that you can appreciate the freedoms I've given you here."

He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the both of them. If he hadn't frozen them, he might have had some warning - a subtle shifting of the eyes or a twitch of a smile to tip him off, but no such predictor prepared him. He opened his mouth to rant at the two of them further and a moment later, he was airborne, the back of his shirt clutched firmly in the shadowed hand of the wispy figure that flew him toward the beach and out over the water.

"What? No!" He screamed. "No!" He began to struggle, but Rumpelstiltskin's shadow was too strong, it bore him out to the center of the lagoon, dropping him onto the rock that was barely visible above the breaking waves. He fell onto it heavily, his limbs pinned down where they awkwardly landed.

"No!" He continued to scream. "You can't do this! You can't do this!"

A shadow threw him into darkness, blotting out the sun, and he managed to lift his head up. There, in the sky was the Jolly Roger, streaking along the shoreline and slowing to hold position overhead. Rumpelstiltskin's shadow returned to the beach, grabbing both Gold and Regina and flying them up to the deck of the ship, before streaking back out across the sky.

"Where'd the shadow go?" Emma asked.

Gold flexed his arms very slowly, finally regaining some control. "It has one more errand before it can rejoin me. You can turn about - it'll catch up." He made his way slowly to the side of the ship, then glanced down at Pan, who was now fighting to keep his head above the incoming tide, still screaming curses at all of them.

A few moments later, Regina sagged out of her holding position, taking a deep breath in and rolling her head around on her neck.

"You okay?" Emma asked, reaching out to touch her arm.

"Yes. I had a feeling he was going to go that route," she remarked wryly.

"But did you get the heart?" Emma asked urgently. "Can we leave?"

"I didn't have to get the heart," Regina said with a smirk. "It was here on the ship."

"The ship?" Hook looked down at her from the wheel. "How in blazes did she get it aboard the ship?"

"I brought it." Snow's voice was quiet, and she stepped forward, from where she'd been looking over the side, watching the island fade into the darkness behind them. The only thing visible of Marooner's Rock was Pan's hand, reaching up out of the water.

"Regina gave it to me."

"When?" Emma asked.

"A few days ago," Regina said. "I never actually hid the heart on the island to begin with. I mean, technically, I suppose it was..."

Emma's eyes widened with understanding. "You put it in your own chest."

Regina smiled. "Yes. I've had Henry with me every day that I was here. And I knew that Pan wouldn't suspect Snow - not now."

"I have Henry right in here," Snow said, placing her hand over her chest with a soft smile. "Oh, Emma - he's so full of wonder and love. It's really..." she stopped a moment, not really able to articulate. "It's amazing. And it's helped me...so much."

Emma stepped forward, stretching out her hand. "He's...in _there_?"

Snow nodded, smiling. "Would you like to listen?"

Emma leaned down and put her head to Snow's chest. "Hi Henry," she said with a smile that lit up her face. She looked around at everyone. "Let's get him home."

"Not so fast, Miss Swan." Mr. Gold stepped forward. "I believe it's time you tell us all the whole story."

Emma got the look of a deer in headlights. "What? We're done here. Let's go home."

"Gold is right. You've been awfully close-lipped about anything else in your version of reality that didn't take place on that island," Regina pointed out. "How do we even know we want this curse to break?"

"Because you do," Emma said in exasperation. "I told you. If the curse breaks, we go back to normal."

"Henry lives either way," Regina pointed out.

"But David doesn't," Snow said quietly.

"Look, I know you don't know it any other way, but you have to trust me when I say the other reality has it's definite plusses."

"And the minuses?" Gold asked. "What of those? Surely there are some." He looked right at her, as if daring her to speak.

Emma took a deep breath. "It's a moot point right now, anyway. Hook's done everything right and the curse still hasn't broken."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, love." He gave her a smile, and Regina rolled her eyes.

"But there is something I need to tell you," Emma said, straightening her shoulders. She looked apologetically at Snow. "I'm not going to Storybrooke."

"What?" Hook said, and the question was echoed a few more times over.

"Gold is right - there's more to the story. Another villain."

"The witch you were talking about?" Hook clarified. "The one who sent us back in time?"

Gold rolled his eyes. "That's not possible."

Emma's glance shifted over to him. "Yeah, it is. But I'm going to stop her before she can set any of her plan in motion. I'm going to take her down before she can even get close to the planning stage."

"I take it she's not in Storybrooke?" Regina said.

"No, she's in the Enchanted Forest. She took over your castle," she said to Regina.

Regina answered with a laugh. "I've got a protection spell on it."

"I know," Emma said. "Blood magic. She got through it." She glanced around at The Lost Boys, then over to Neal. "Will they be okay if we go below for a little while? It'd be a lot easier to just sit and tell the story."

"I'm coming, too," Hook said, tying off the wheel. "The ship is on a steady course - we won't need to be doing anything for several hours."

"Good," Emma said. "Let's sit down and I'll give you the highlights."

###

"She thinks she's my _sister_?" Regina said, her eyebrows nearly moving into her hairline.

"She_ is_ your sister," Gold answered her. "But she's highly unstable. And if, as Miss Swan suggests, she's determined, she has the power to wreak havoc in our lives. I had no idea she'd even made it into this realm. Should she decide to enact the time travel curse and if she is successful in doing so, it would be the undoing of us all."

"So now you see why I need to take her down," Emma pointed out, "And only light magic can do that." She turned and looked at her mother. "I'm going to have Hook drop me off in the Enchanted Forest, and then he can take the rest of you on to Storybrooke."

"Emma, no!" Snow was emphatic.

"No way," Neal agreed.

"You think we're just going to leave you here to deal with a powerful witch that threatens us all?" Regina asked, incredulously.

"I know how to stop her," Emma pointed out, "And she won't even see me coming."

"If the castle is sealed with Blood Magic, you won't be able to get to her," Regina pointed out.

"Miss Swan, you might think you know Zelena, but I can assure you - you cannot imagine what she is capable of." Gold interjected.

Emma's eyes shifted to Neal and back to Gold. "Oh, I know exactly what she's capable of," she said quietly. "And that's exactly why I'm not risking any of you. Besides, you need to get The Lost Boys and Wendy to safety."

"Then Hook can drop us off," Neal said, "Before he takes everyone else on to Storybrooke."

"You can't come with me," Emma said firmly.

"Yes, I can."

"No, you can't." Her eyes shifted to Gold again, and his narrowed in response. She looked at Neal. "Henry needs you. Get his heart back, and watch over him. In Storybrooke, you never know when the next threat is going to show up."

"She's right, Bae. The boy needs his father," Gold said, but he wasn't looking at Neal. He was looking at Emma.

"I'm in," Regina said. "You need my blood. And my magic."

Emma threw up her hands. "Will you all listen to me? I've got this."

"No, you don't, Swan," Hook's voice cut in. He'd been sitting quietly, arms crossed, listening to them all go back and forth. Now he gave her a piercing look. "You're not doing this alone. According to you, we're all stronger when we work together. Are you backing out on that now?"

"I'm just saying we don't have to risk everyone," she said in exasperation.

"Well, you don't get to decide for everyone," Neal said.

"Regina, Emma and I will deal with Zelena," Gold said. We'll need a show of force for that."

Hook looked over at Neal. "Take the ship, get everyone back to Storybrooke."

"You're giving up your ship?" Neal asked in amazement.

Hook's jaw tightened, but his eyes held Emma's. "Temporarily."

She gave him a smile, blinking back the tears that suddenly pricked her eyes.

"Neal will keep it safe," she reassured him. "We all know what the Jolly means to you. We'll find a way back."

"Emma..." Snow stepped forward, with an uncertain look on her face.

"You need to go home," Emma said. "Henry needs his heart and I need you and Neal to stay with him until we finish this."

Regina nodded. "She's right. I can enchant your hand so that you can remove the heart when you get there. It'll only work once, so make sure you grab the right one." She gave Snow a smile.

"Neal and I will keep him safe," Snow promised them both. "Until you return."

Hook moved a little closer to Snow, lowering his voice respectfully. "Would you like me to deliver David to The Enchanted Forest, or do you want him laid to rest in Storybrooke?"

Emma's head swiveled around to look at him. "That's why you didn't come with us. You were transporting David's body."

"Aye. He deserves to be interred somewhere peaceful."

Snow reached out, squeezing Hook's hand. "Thank you. Thank you so much for doing this. And as much as he loved The Enchanted Forest, Storybrooke is home. I'll take him with me."

"It's settled then," Neal said. "First The Enchanted Forest, and then on to Storybrooke."

Emma nodded.

"We'd better get back up on deck before The Lost Boys fly us into a mountain," Tink noted.

"I can take first shift at the wheel," Neal offered.

"Thanks, mate," Hook said.

"I'll see what I can do about finding us all something to eat," Emma volunteered, deliberately hanging back as everyone cleared the cabin.

She and Hook stood looking at each other, and it took her a moment to speak.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"I know," he gave her a crooked grin. "Once again, it's the right thing to do. Being with you is an additional bonus."

"I know it's selfish, but I'm glad you're coming along."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Emma smiled in spite of herself, then her face turned serious.

"Do you think I'm being unfair to all of them?"

"By wanting the curse to break?" he clarified.

"Yeah. Because they're right - it doesn't get better for all of them."

"And who's to say which reality is the 'right' reality - is that what you're getting at?" he asked.

She sat down on the edge of the bunk. "I just don't know anymore. It's not just black or white, good or bad."

He took her hand in his. "Maybe it just _is_, love. Perhaps you just need to play the cards you've been dealt and see it through." He brought her hand to his lips. "And at least you're not in it alone."


	20. The Enchanted Forest

**_Sayonara, Pan, you little shit! And now we're off to The Enchanted Forest to take on Zelena. Sorry for the delay in getting that last chapter up - I had to really think through the logistics because there was so much going on. And of course, Hook did the right thing by David - we couldn't just leave him there. And I know you're thinking to yourself 'Come on, he's trying so hard! What more can he do?' But he's not there yet. And like Emma says - who knows if he ever will be? Which reality will we end up with? Only time will tell..._**

* * *

><p>They crossed the portal close to nightfall the following day, and land appeared below them off the port bow. Hook brought them in, coasting them to a landing just along the shore.<p>

"Any idea where we are?" Neal asked.

"It's hard to tell in the dark," Snow said. "Regina?"

"I'm as clueless as you - none of this looks familiar," Regina replied.

"We're probably better off not wandering blindly around, either," Gold pointed out. "We don't know what this place is like in the aftermath of the curse. I believe you mentioned something about ogres on your previous visit, Miss Swan?"

"Yeah, they were around, all right," Emma answered.

"Then you should stay aboard till morning," Snow said. "Why take chances?"

"No." Emma shook her head. "You need to get that heart back to Henry. We'll camp by the shore and set up a watch."

Regina nodded her agreement. "Get Henry's heart back where it belongs."

"There's a sextant on the shelf in my cabin," Hook told Neal. "You'll be able to chart your way home easily enough - it's relatively cloudless this evening."

"I know the way," Neal assured him. "And the Jolly Roger is in good hands. I'll keep her safe."

"Thank you," Hook said. His eyes shifted over to Emma. "And I'll keep Emma safe. You have my word. Tell Henry his mother will be home soon."

Neal extended his hand. "Thanks, man." He looked like he wanted to say more, but he just took in a breath and moved away toward Emma. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned around.

"Em." He reached out, taking her hands in his. "You be careful, you hear?"

"Piece of cake," Emma said. "Easy in, easy out. She doesn't even know I'm coming."

He pulled her in closer, looking over his shoulder at Hook. "I'm not just talking about the witch."

Emma glanced over at Hook as well. "I'm a big girl, Neal."

"I know that," he said. "I know that." He sighed. "I just...this curse, or whatever it is...it may have altered everything, including him. Hook may want you, but that doesn't mean he's in this for anything other than his own interests. Once his interests shift..."

"Neal - "

"I'm just saying...don't get your heart involved. I don't want to see you hurt."

She gave him a deadpan look. "You mean 'again'?"

He looked down at the ground. "I guess I deserved that."

Emma's face softened. "No, you didn't. That was all a long time ago, and I know why you did what you did."

"I only ever wanted what was best for you, Emma. And for Henry."

Her eyes closed in silent agony. Henry. What was best for Henry?

Neal stepped in closer. "I told you before, I want another shot at this. I mean that, Emma. We were good together once, and there's still so much about you that just seems...right. Fate brought us together for a reason. Maybe that was Henry, but I'm willing to see if maybe, just maybe...it was something more."

She started to open her mouth to say something, but he held up a hand. "Just think about it, Em. That's all I'm asking. Don't get too carried away by all the charm and the swagger." He looked over at Hook again. "Killian is a good guy, underneath it all. But he doesn't always make the best choices. You've had enough turmoil in your life. Just be careful you don't invite more in."

Emma let out a sigh. "Too late. I'm beginning to think my life is meant to be nothing but turmoil."

He brought a hand up to her face. "I'm looking to help you change that. And when all this is done and you're back to Storybrooke, maybe we can both find some peace and quiet."

"Maybe," Emma quirked a half-smile. "But I'm not holding my breath."

He smiled back, pulling her in for a hug. "Be safe."

"You, too," she said. "Tell Henry I love him and I'll be home soon."

"I will."

She gave him a nod, then turned to hug her mother. "I'll be back soon, and we'll spend more time together."

"I'd like that," Snow said.

Emma's face grew serious. "Are you going to be okay?"

Snow nodded. "I'm going home. That's the first step. And I think - " she wrapped her arms around herself. "I think I'm going to talk to Archie when I get home. I think it might be good...to talk to someone."

"I think so, too."

"Emma," Snow glanced around, then lowered her voice. "I know you're not sure about breaking this curse. I know you're not sure about Hook - and I'm right there with you. But I think he's going to go on trying to be a better man for you."

"And that's the problem," Emma said. "He can't be doing it for me. He has to do it just because it's the right thing to do. He's slowly starting to realize that, I think."

Snow grabbed her by the shoulders. "He needs more than that. He needs you to believe in him, but - he needs to believe it himself. Help him, Emma. Help him believe."

Emma's eyes pricked with tears. "I'm doing my best."

"No matter how this turns out," Snow said, "We've got each other. I love you, Emma."

"I love you, too. Watch over Henry. Don't let Neal feed him pizza for breakfast or Cheetos for dinner."

"I'm on it," Snow said, smiling.

"Are you ready, love?" Hook's voice broke in from just behind her.

"I'm ready. Let's get this done." Emma walked to the side, grabbing the rope and climbing down into the rowboat that would take them all to shore. She settled herself in across from Regina and Gold, moving to the side a bit to give Hook some room. He sat next to her, picking up an oar.

"You ready to row, Swan? I'd do the gallant thing and take them both, but it's devilishly hard to do one-handed."

Emma picked up the other oar. "I've got it." She glanced behind her at the shoreline. "I guess any place is good. I'm not seeing any lights or hearing anything that sounds like ogres."

"I'll keep an eye out from here, Miss Swan," Gold offered. "Sometimes the biggest threats can hide in the shadows. I speak from experience on that."

Regina turned to look at him. "How is it you never told me about Zelena?"

"You weren't meant to know," he said. "She was in another realm and of no further use to me. You'll excuse me if I didn't keep tabs on her."

"Don't sweat it," Emma said. "She's a nasty piece of work. Even if you'd tried to stop her, she would have found a way around you."

"How, precisely, did she enact the time travel spell?" Gold asked. "It's never been successfully done sofar as I've been able to discern, because it requires a price no one is willing to pay."

"And what is that?" Emma asked.

"Death," he explained. "Only your own death can trigger it, which, of course, you could potentially prevent once you're thrown back in time. But that's only theoretical. No one's willing to risk that."

Emma raised her brows. "Yeah, well, Zelena's not exactly a well-balanced person. She needed a brain - that was you, a heart - she took Regina's, courage - she got that from my father, and a baby."

"So I hide my heart, Rumpel keeps his brain in his head, and she can't touch your father anymore. She might be able to get her hands on a baby, but the rest is going to be problematic." Regina pointed out.

"Unless she's gotten all that from someone else, already," Gold said. "I doubt the spell calls for specifically owned items and we have no idea how far she's gotten."

"That's what worries me," Emma said. She was jolted forward as the boat hit land, and Hook jumped over the side, pulling the boat up onto the beach. They'd all just gotten out when a voice called out of the darkness.

"Stop! Go no further if you value your lives!" A man's voice called from the trees nearby.

Hook immediately pushed Emma behind him but she stepped up next to him anyway, giving him a look.

"Really?" she said under her breath.

"Sorry, love. I'm becoming quite adept at this chivalry thing."

"What do you want?" Regina called out. "Show yourselves."

The man's voice called again. "I'd ask you if we look that stupid, but you obviously can't see us."

Emma raised her brows and looked over at Hook. He responded with a shrug.

"You can't fault their logic," he said.

"So are we to stand here all night?" Gold asked. "Because we're on a bit of a tight schedule."

"What is your business in this kingdom?" the man called out.

"That would depend on what kingdom we're in," Emma called back. "Now are you going to come out and talk to us, or do we stand here shouting at each other all night? Because I'm getting pretty tired of it."

There was a slight pause and the murmur of voices could be heard from the trees.

Regina shook her head. "Well, Emma - it looks like we're not getting a warm welcome around here."

"Emma?" A woman's voice came out of the darkness. "Emma Swan?"

"Yes..." Emma answered, squinting her eyes to see better in the darkness. A figure stepped through the trees and Emma broke into a smile. "Mulan!"

"Emma! You're alive!" They embraced briefly. "Did Neal find you?" she asked.

"Yeah, he did. We just said goodbye, as a matter of fact. He went back to Storybrooke to be with Henry."

"So your son is all right?" A man's voice called out, and Robin stepped through the trees to stand next to Mulan.

"Robin. Wow, it's great to see you," Emma said with relief.

"Who the bloody hell is this?" Hook asked, looking none-to-pleased at the sight of a handsome brigand in front of them.

"Hook, this is Robin Hood. He's a friend."

Robin gave her a quizzical look. "I don't believe we've had the honor, my lady, though I did meet your husband, I believe."

Emma's jaw dropped. "Oh...uh...Neal's not - we're not...he's Henry's father but we're not married. Or together."

"They're friends," Hook added, in a short, clipped voice.

"My apologies. I misread the situation." Robin gave a slight, uncomfortable bow in Emma's direction.

"What are you doing here?" Mulan asked. "I thought you were in Neverland?"

"We were," Emma replied, "But we got word of a new threat and I'm here to neutralize it."

Mulan and Robin looked at each other for a long moment.

"You mean the Wicked Witch?" Mulan asked.

"That's the one," Emma said.

"Are we to assume she's made her presence known?" Gold inquired.

Robin looked at Mulan again. "Perhaps we'd better get you back to our camp. It's not safe out here in the open. Come with us."

Emma and Hook moved past him, and he gave a short bow as Regina stepped forward.

"My lady," he said, indicating the way.

Regina gave him an eyeroll. "_Now_ we get civility?"

"These are dangerous times," he answered. "And one can never be too sure with the witch about."

"Is she still in my castle?" Regina asked.

Robin stepped back. "That's how I remember you," he said. "You're the evil queen. Regina, isn't it?"

Regina was not amused. "Your majesty, will do." She swept past him, following Hook and Emma. He smiled after her.

"She's better looking in person," he said to Mulan, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. His gaze turned to Gold, and he froze.

"The Dark One," he said in a hushed tone. "I didn't realize it was you."

Gold studied him carefully. "My son tells me that you got him to Neverland."

"That's right," Robin said carefully.

"Your debt to me is paid, then." Gold said coolly.

"Have you come to help us?" Mulan asked.

"You're going to need it," he informed them. "And I'm going to need to get back to my castle, assuming it's still fit to inhabit."

"I can take you there on the morrow. Tonight, we'll take our rest in the safety of the forest."

###

"Flying monkeys." Regina's voice was flat, her expression one of pure disbelief. "Really."

"Really." Emma parroted. "Zelena turns people into flying monkeys. And sometimes, they turn back." She grimaced at the memory.

"And how is it you know so much about her?" Robin asked. "It's like you've met before but that can hardly be possible."

"It's a long story," Emma said. "But you're right, we've met. She's incredibly powerful, and right now, we've got the element of surprise. I just need to know what she's done to try to further her agenda."

"She tried to take Aurora and Phillip's child," Mulan said. "I managed to smuggle her out of the kingdom before that happened, but three days ago, Zelena managed to get her hands on a baby."

"Whose?"

"Her name was Rapunzel," Mulan replied quietly. "She and her husband both lost their lives trying to save the babe."

"So Zelena has a baby," Emma said. "What else? Has anyone else gone missing? Has she taken anyone's heart? Or snatched anyone's sword?"

"There was a rumor that she was trying to find Merlin," Robin said. "She traveled out to Camelot, but came home empty-handed. That might be the brain she's searching for."

"Merlin," Gold said contemptuously. "He's an amateur."

"She's making do with what she's got," Regina said. "And with you and I gone, obviously, there wasn't a large crop to choose from."

"Obviously," Gold agreed.

"Can we get back to planning, here?" Emma asked.

"Just making an observation," Regina said, raising her hands.

"Yes, well, despite her lack of magical intelligence," Robin said, "A local nursemaid has gone missing, I presume the witch is forcing her to care for the babe. Other than that, we've nothing to report."

"She probably tried to assemble everything once before, but when Aurora avoided her, she suffered a setback." Hook theorized. "But why did she have to wait so long for another baby?"

"True love," Emma said. "She needed a baby conceived of true love."

"And only royalty has that?" Hook said, raising a brow.

"Zelena would have wanted a baby born of royalty," Gold remarked. "She's always wanted nothing but the best, and to her, a royal pedigree would be a coveted feature and therefore well worth the wait."

"Why true love?" Mulan asked.

"It's the most powerful force in the Universe," Regina said. "In theory."

"I take it you've never experienced it firsthand," Robin said, smiling.

Regina stood abruptly. "You'd be wrong." She strode off to find an empty bedroll, sitting herself down on it and facing away from the group.

Robin's eyes followed her. "I appear to be determined to say the wrong thing this evening."

"It happens frequently around the fairer sex," Hook postulated. "Don't lose any sleep over Regina. She's not easily injured."

"You're wrong," Emma said. "Regina's got a soft side that you don't even know about."

"Well, she's best to keep that to herself," Gold observed. "If Zelena gets wind of it, she'll go for the jugular." He stood up himself. "I suggest we all get some rest. Tomorrow we can start assembling an arsenal."

"There are extra bedrolls near the fire," Robin said. "Please, help yourselves. We have food as well, if you're hungry."

"Thanks," Emma said, standing as well. She walked over to fire and grabbed a bedroll before she looked over her shoulder at Hook.

"You coming?"

"Is that an invitation?" He gave her a grin.

Emma rolled her eyes. "We're out in the open and surrounded by Merry Men, in case you didn't notice."

He leaned in, lowering his voice. "I can be quite inventive under a blanket, love. But I rather doubt you'll be able to remain quiet, so perhaps we should leave that for later."

She gave him a look. "Come on."

She found a large oak tree, just a bit further away from the others but still within view of the fire, and shook out her bedroll, spreading it on the ground. Hook laid his right next to hers and they both climbed under their blankets, laying side-by-side.

Hook rested his hand on his stomach and Emma stacked her hands behind her head and for a moment, they were silent.

"So did Zelena try to abduct you?" he asked. "When you fought her before? You are the product of true love, after all."

"No. She needed a baby for the spell to work." Emma's voice was quiet, her thoughts a million miles away. "My mother and father had another child. They named him Neal."

"You didn't share that with your mother, did you?"

"No. She's lost enough."

"And you've lost not only a father, but a brother as well," he said softly.

"Among other things." She rolled on her side to look at him. "That's not all. Regina and Robin end up together."

"Really?" Hook's eyebrows both went up. "I'd have never seen that one coming."

"None of us did. We didn't think she was capable of it. Robin saw it in her, though. And they were happy. Really, really happy."

"Were?"

Emma bit her lip. "I wrecked it for them. I didn't mean to - but I did."

"And now they have a chance to do it over," Hook observed.

"Yeah. A do-over." _Just like Neal wanted._ Emma flipped back on her back.

"Is that what Neal was discussing with you so earnestly?"

She turned her head to look at him again. "Was it that obvious?"

"He was. I'm not sure where you are with this, however."

She let out a heavy sigh, throwing her arm over her eyes. "I'm here, Hook. That's where I am. And for now, that'll have to be enough."

"It was also obvious that you sent Neal away so that he wouldn't encounter the witch. Am I to assume that she killed him?"

"Yes." She lowered her arm. "You, too, for that matter."

"What?" He turned, coming up on one elbow to look down at her. "I _died_?"

"She drowned you - right in front of me." Emma's voice cracked a bit, having a hard time pushing past the lump in her throat. "I brought you back, but lost my magic because of it. She planned it all."

He brought his hand down to cup her face. "You lost your magic to save me?"

Her eyes were overly-bright in the moonlight. "And you traded the Jolly Roger for a magic bean to come and find me." He stared at her steadily, and she smiled up at him. "Aren't you surprised?" she asked.

"No," he replied huskily. "Not really."

And then he settled his lips on hers, kissing her long and lingeringly.

"We'd better get some sleep," she whispered, pulling away in an act of pure self-preservation. If he'd kept it up much longer, they'd be giving the Merry Men one hell of a show.

He kissed her softly just once more. "You're probably right," he agreed. "I don't have a lot of control where you're concerned, Swan." He settled himself back down on the bedroll, and Emma pulled her own blanket up, tucking it under her chin.

"Are you cold, love?"

"No."

"Oh."

She waited a moment, but he said nothing further.

"Oh?"

"Well, I assume that's an invitation then, pulling your blanket up like that. I did mention my skills beneath a blanket."

"Go to sleep, Killian."

"I'm just letting you know the offer stands, love," he said magnanimously.

"Duly noted. Go to sleep."

Hook slid his hand over, finding hers, and closed his eyes, unable to help the smile that spread across his face.

She'd called him Killian.


	21. All Memories Have A Price

His hand was warm, sliding slowly up to cup her breast. Emma arched her back, pressing herself into his palm with a slight moan. His lips were nuzzling the side of her neck, moving languidly from her shoulder up to just below her ear, where his tongue came into play, teasing a swirling circle back down the column of her throat. She moved against him, and her breathing sped up.

"That's it, love..." his words sent a shiver down her back, and his fingers teased and pulled at her nipple, making her moan again.

"Shhhh..." He whispered, before his lips returned to pull and lightly suck at her neck once more. His hand left her breast, his fingers teasing a path down her body, sliding along her hip and across her belly until they stroked and pressed and slid into the juncture of her thighs.

"Killian..." she took in a sharp breath. "Killian?"

Emma froze, her head whipping around look over her shoulder at him. "Hook!" She hissed. "What the hell?"

"So I'm 'Hook' again, am I?" he asked, nuzzling her neck some more.

"I was sleeping!" She whispered furiously.

"That you were," he agreed, still nuzzling. "But you were also moaning my name, and rubbing yourself back into me. Can I help it if I mistook it for an invitation?"

"There are people all around us," she whispered again. "I thought we agreed this was off-limits."

He kissed along her ear, small, plucking kisses, and his breath was warm on her neck as he whispered back.

"I'll stop any time you want me to," he promised softly, still kissing and nuzzling.

Emma shivered again at feel of his breath in her ear, but before she could frame a coherent response, his fingers started moving - ever so slightly - feathering and teasing and making her back arch again.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, and his tone made it clear that he was reasonably sure this was a moot point. He was right. Emma's hand slid down to cover his, but she didn't remove it. Instead, she stroked the back of his hand, her fingers rubbing his as he continued to trail his tongue and lips along her collarbone and around to her shoulder and back.

"Part your legs, love," his low voice sent an instant tremor through her, and she did as he asked, feeling the brush of his fingers as he pulled her top leg back and over his own, rolling her onto her back. He remained on his side, shielding her from the view of anyone else who might be lying in view.

"Why did you have to sleep in so many bloody clothes," he complained under his breath. He made short work of her button and zipper, and before she could rethink any of this, his hand was exactly where she wanted it, doing all sorts of delicious things. His mouth came down on hers just as he increased the rhythm and pressure of his fingers, shifting his weight as she bucked up into him. He swallowed her cries as she came apart, her hands gripping his upper arms as she shuddered from the force of it.

He kissed her lightly, all across her face, gentling her with slow, sure sweeps of his fingers as she floated back to earth in the aftermath.

"Wow," she whispered, trying to catch her breath. "You weren't kidding about the blanket skills."

He smiled triumphantly down at her, his teeth gleaming in the dim light of the waning firelight nearby. He leaned in, putting his lips near her ear and sending another shiver through her.

"Just imagine what I could do with an entire bed," he promised.

"That's just it," she whispered back. "I don't have to imagine. What do you think I was dreaming about?"

"That's really not fair, you know," he murmured. "You get all of the good memories, and I get all the rest."

Emma's face softened, and she reached up, pushing a lock of hair off his forehead. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right, love," he said, kissing her again softly. "We'll make more."

He settled himself on his side, and pulled her back into him again. Emma turned to address him over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Going back to sleep - and I would suggest you do the same. We've a few more hours yet until the dawn."

Her hand slid back, finding his leg and rubbing. "You want to end it there? she whispered.

"Hardly," he replied quietly. "But I can't very well carry this to a natural conclusion out here, now, can I?"

Emma rolled over in his arms, settling her head against his chest. "I could take care of you," she offered.

He sucked in his breath, then let it out slowly. "That's all right, love. I'll wait. I want a proper bed and an entire night for you." He kissed the top of her head. "Now get some rest. I have a feeling we've a long day ahead of us."

She nodded, settling herself into him as he set his chin atop her head. Eventually, her breathing deepened and she drifted off to sleep. Hook remained awake, stroking her hair and back, and wondering if this was how it could really be.

Because he was starting to think it could really be.

###

"So we're on the outskirts of Aurora and Phillip's kingdom," Emma said, tearing off a chunk of bread from the small loaf Robin handed her for breakfast.

"That's right," Mulan said. "Regina's castle is due east. Two days to walk, one if we had horses."

"Do we have horses?" Emma asked.

"We can obtain them easily enough," Robin said. "Phillip's stables are fully stocked, and under the circumstances, I'm sure he and Aurora would have no issue with our borrowing a few."

Emma looked over at Hook. "Can you ride?"

He raised a brow, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Emma gave him a pointed look. "A horse, Hook. Can you ride a horse?"

"'Course I can, love. I was raised in this realm, remember?"

"Good. I'll ride with you. I have no idea what to do with a horse."

He leaned in, lowering his voice. "It's what you can do _on_ a horse that keeps the journey interesting."

She decided to ignore that. "Regina, we're going to need to get into that castle. If I'm remembering right, she used Blood Magic to protect it, so you're going to have to get in and break that spell. Once we have her on the run, it'll be harder for her to collect her prizes." Emma looked over at Gold.

"Can you help us identify who her next target will be?"

"Perhaps," he said. "I need to return to my castle, to collect a few...things that might be useful in a confrontation with our vicious, green friend."

"She's green?" Regina asked. "Literally, green?"

"Oh, it's quite the spectacle, I assure you," Gold smiled. "And that brand of poisonous envy was ever her downfall. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage. Do be sure to twist that knife when you encounter her, Regina."

"With pleasure." Regina smiled a cat-like smile.

"I can accompany The Dark One to his castle," Robin said, "And rendezvous back with all of you after you've deposed the witch."

"That won't be necessary," Gold said quietly. "I can travel much faster without you."

"And I can accompany Regina," Mulan said. "She'll need a strong blade at her side."

"No, let Robin go," Emma said, a bit too hastily. Regina gave her a strange look, and Robin looked confused. She decided to clarify. "We need Mulan with us. If Zelena sends her flying monkeys, Mulan's blade has the power to deflect magic. We can use that. Regina can handle any magic Zelena throws her way while Robin searches for that baby and its nurse."

"My Merry Men will stay with all of you, as well," Robin offered. "Once we've secured the castle, they can help form a watch to keep it safe."

"Flying Monkeys," Hook said, raising his brows. "Sounds delightful."

"Yeah, well...you didn't almost marry one," Emma remarked wryly.

"Come again?" Regina looked at her askance.

"Zelena sent one of them disguised as a man to keep tabs on me during that year in New York."

"And you were going to marry him?" Hook's voice was incredulous.

"I didn't _know_ he was a monkey," she defended. "And why are we even having this conversation? We need to get going."

"Miss Swan is correct," Gold interjected. "If Zelena has the baby, we must be reasonably assured that she's either got the other items or is close to obtaining them. There's no time to waste."

"I'll send my men for the horses," Robin said. He turned to Regina. "My lady, I apologize, but you'll have to ride astride. A coach would only slow us down."

"I was riding before I was walking," Regina replied. "I had a prize stallion named Rocinante. He was amazing."

"Will I get a horse, too, Papa?" A small boy ran up to Robin's side, and he reached down, swinging his son up into his arms.

"Not yet, Roland. I'm going to leave you at Aurora's castle with Little John while we're gone. I want you safe."

"But I want to go along," he pouted. "Please?"

"Then who would protect Aurora's castle?" Regina asked. "Surely you can see how very badly she needs a brave warrior to watch over her home until she can return?"

"She's right," Robin said, nodding in agreement. "That's exactly why I chose two of my strongest Merry Men."

Roland's brow furrowed. "All right. But next time, I want to come along."

"You'll have plenty of time for adventures, Roland. I promise." Robin ruffled his hair. "Now run along with Little John - help him pick out the very best horses."

Roland gave his father a quick hug, racing off after the Merry Men.

"He's adorable," Regina said, smiling. "How old?"

"He's just four. Hard to believe some days." He looked over at her. "His mother died not long after his birth. He's taken to the outlaw life rather well, I think."

"Yes, he has."

"And where is your child?" Robin asked. "You've definitely got a mother's way about you."

"Henry is back at home in Storybrooke, hopefully getting spoiled rotten by his father and grandmother."

"Henry? Neal's son?" Robin looked confused, his eyes moving to Emma. "But I thought - "

"It's complicated," Regina explained. "But Henry is loved."

"Yes," Robin said quietly. "I can see that."

Gold stepped forward. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm taking my leave." He gave Regina a look. "Call me when the castle is yours again."

She nodded, and he vanished in a plume of smoke.

Emma shook out her bedroll, holding it against her body as she rolled it up. Hook reached down, grabbing his to do the same.

"You ready for this?" she asked him.

"After what we just went through on that island, you're asking me that?" he quirked an eyebrow. "I've told you before, Swan...we make a good team."

She stopped rolling, and her eyes held his a moment. "Yeah, we do."

###

Gold appeared in the middle of his dining hall. He turned slowly in a circle, taking in all the leftover destruction from Regina's curse - the dust, the broken glass and overturned furniture. His eyes landed on the panel built into the far wall, and he picked his way through the rubble to get to it. Once he passed his hand over it, it moved aside easily, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the shelves of bottles and bowls and boxes intact.

He opened an intricately carved chest, pulling out a small bottle of glowing liquid from the compartment inside. He held the bottle up to the light, turning it to and fro, satisfied that it appeared to be as it should.

"Now then, Miss Swan," he said thoughtfully. "You've no further need of memories that belong in another reality."

He slipped the bottle into his vest pocket, and slid the panel closed.


	22. Under The Surface

_**Sorry for the sluggish updates - I'm crazy busy prepping to go on vacation, so guess what? That means even more sluggish updates! We're camping so it'll all depend on if I can find some Wi-Fi or not. I'll be writing, but I may not be able to post until after the weekend, sorry. **_

_**In the meantime...one of you asked me my thoughts on season 4 and another asked what my take on Marian was. Here's my theory, and I'm sticking to it: Marian is Zelena. **__**That's my theory, and I'd bet money I'm right. But enough about their storyline. I've got one of my own to finish, and I'm thinking at least ten more chapters till we're done. Now let's get back to our newly naughty Hook and Emma...**_

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><p>"So how do you work this thing, anyway?" Emma asked, stroking her hand down the horse's side.<p>

Hook looked at her askance. "It's a horse, Swan. It doesn't have an ignition switch."

She glared at him over her shoulder. "Well, just give me the crash course, here. We need to get going."

"Crash course?"

"Just tell me how to ride it."

"Well, the thing is - if you're in a hurry, love, you don't really have time to learn," he pointed out. "I chose this mount because it can easily bear the weight of two." He gave her a friendly smile that was just a little _too_ friendly.

She gave him a knowing look. "You really don't think I can figure this out?"

Robin pulled up alongside them, glancing down at Emma. "He's right, milady. Horses can be skittish things, and in the hands of an unskilled horseman, they can be dangerous. Until you've had some proper instruction and time to practice, it's best that you ride with someone who knows how to handle the animal."

Emma's eyebrows went up and her forehead creased. "Oh, okay. Sorry," she finished, a bit sheepishly. It was a good thing she was looking at the ground in embarrassment, otherwise she would have seen the look that passed between Robin and Hook -a look that Hook acknowledged with a sideways smile and an oh-so-slight nod of his head before Robin rode off to pull up next to Regina.

Emma looked up at Hook again. "So do you get on first, or do I?"

"Let's get you aboard," he suggested. "If you sit in front of me, I can teach you how to guide the horse properly."

"Whatever. Let's get moving." She reached up for the pommel of the saddle, and swung her leg over. The horse danced sideways a few paces, and Emma hung on for dear life. "Hey!" she complained. "What did I do to deserve that?"

Hook rubbed his hand along the horses flank, soothing it as he pulled down on the reins. "It's a living, breathing beast with a mind of it's own, Swan. He needs a firm hand." He pulled himself up behind her, not missing Robin's grin. He'd deliberately leaned into the horse to make him move, but he wasn't about to tell Emma that, of course. Let her think the horse was a hooligan. He'd reap the reward of her body close to his for the day.

After an eyeroll from Regina and short game of hide-and-seek that resulted in the capture of an impish four year-old boy, they started out for the castle. They made good time for most of the morning, and true to his word, Hook gave Emma some solid instruction on handling the reins and guiding the horse.

"You're a natural, Swan," he remarked, "Perhaps it's those strong thighs of yours."

"Hook." The word was loaded with warning.

"Just an observation, love. They really are well-toned."

"Don't think," she said in a low voice, through gritted teeth, "That just because I let you touch me in the dark while everyone was asleep, I'm going to allow a repeat performance in broad daylight on the back of a horse."

"Wouldn't dream of suggesting it," he said blandly. "Unless, of course, you change your mind."

"I thought you wanted a bed," she reminded him.

He let out a loud, mock sigh. "I do, love. You are most definitely worth all the trappings. I just wish that bed weren't so far away."

She leaned back so she could look at him properly. "Let's get through this. We'll have time for that after."

She faced forward again, and Hook slid his arm around her more tightly, giving her a slight squeeze. The sun was shining, and today was a very fine day, and those words had most definitely sounded like a promise.

###

It was mid-afternoon, and after a brief stop to rest the horses and eat a meal, they'd all mounted up and continued along the winding trail. They'd chosen to avoid the main road even though it was slower going for the horses, not wanting to tip Zelena off that a large, armed party was getting ready to knock on her door. Emma was slumped back into Hook's chest after finding it hard to keep her eyes open. He'd merely reached forward, pulling the reins from her fingers before they could slide off. He was just settling her into a more comfortable position when the attack came.

They swooped down out of the trees, screeching and howling, their claws extended as the ripped and tore at everyone. There were a half-dozen of them, their wings beating a staccato pattern as the dove and attacked again and again.

"Take cover!" Robin shouted. He was already off his horse and pulling Regina down, too. He pushed Roland at her. "Take him!"

Regina ran for the trees, pulling Roland down to the ground and covering him as best she could with her body. Meanwhile, Hook had slid off the horse with Emma, who was now wide awake. She glanced around helplessly.

"I don't have a weapon!" She screamed. Hook reached for the dagger at his waist, pressing it into her hand.

"Get into the trees!" He shouted back. "We need cover!"

A horrible screech rang out as Mulan took one down with her blade. Unfortunately, none of them were fast enough to stop the remaining monkeys from snatching up two of the Merry Men and spiriting them away. One other had been bitten, and he was nursing a wound to his arm. Once the attack stopped, Emma pulled Robin away from the others.

"Your man - the one who was bitten. We need to do something about him and quickly."

"I know," he grimaced. "We've lost three others already." He turned to give a signal to the remaining men. "We'll just have to clear out quickly. Hopefully, once he turns, he'll fly off and join the others instead of finding and attacking us."

"They're men?" Hook asked, coming up behind them.

"Yeah," Emma replied, sliding the dagger into her belt loop. "Once you're bitten, you change over."

"Can they be changed back?"

"Only by Zelena," Emma said, turning to look at the downed monkey near Mulan. It began to shake, changing into the form of a man. "Or you can kill it."

They walked over to take a look.

"Is he one of yours?" Hook asked Robin.

"No. Thank God." Robin let out a small sigh. "But they took Geoffrey and Lionel." He looked around at his remaining men and Mulan. "Let's round the horses up - we need to get moving."

Regina walked over to him, holding Roland by the hand. "This Merry Man was very brave," she said, smiling down at Roland. "He guarded me well."

"I would have expected no less," Robin said with a smile. "Well done, Roland."

Roland beamed up at the both of them before Robin picked him up, depositing him on the horse. "Now, let's get out of here."

Hook nudged Emma, who was still staring down at the man on the ground.

"Come along, Swan. We need to clear out before we've got another monkey to battle."

Emma said nothing, continuing to stare down at the dead man on the ground. Something in her face made Hook take a closer look.

"Do you...know him?"

"Yeah." Emma swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "His name was Walsh. And he didn't deserve this. Any of it."

"Swan..."

"Let's go." Her voice made it clear that the subject was closed, so he followed her over and helped her up onto the horse. "Why don't you take your own," she said, not even looking down at him. "I can handle this, and we've got a few extras now."

She shook the reins, and urged the horse forward. Hook's jaw tightened, and he glanced back at the dead man once more before seeking out a horse of his own.

###

"We should stop here," Regina suggested. You can't get any closer with the protection spell in place. I'll go alone on foot from here."

"No," Emma said. "Take someone with you. I'm not kidding, Regina - Zelena may be after your heart again and she is just as powerful as you are."

Regina gave her a look that said clearly she wasn't believing that. Robin stepped forward.

"Your majesty, I would be happy to accompany you and guard your heart." He gave a gallant half-bow and Regina raised a brow, looking him over from head to toe. "Very well. But mind the monkeys."

After directing Roland to stay with Mulan, they took off through the trees. The rest of the group settled in within a copse of trees, assigning a watch in case there were further monkey attacks. Emma moved away from them all and took a position a little further up the hill, sitting down and pulling her knees up to her chest. Hook eyed her warily, then sat down next to her.

"You all right there, Swan?"

She nodded. "Fine."

He let that sit in silence for a moment, fiddling with a small stick between his fingers. He glanced over at her again.

"How did you know him?"

He could see her sifting through her thoughts, trying to decide what to tell him.

"In my reality, Zelena sent him to keep me from coming back to Storybrooke. Henry and I had lost all our memories of it, but she wanted to make absolutely sure we wouldn't come back, so she assigned him to keep me busy."

"Keep you busy?"

She turned to look at him. "We were...involved. I was even thinking about marrying him, until I found out he was a flying monkey. I've been so angry over it all that it only just occurred to me that he really was a man, and probably as trapped as all the others."

"You would have married him?" Hook didn't like the sound of that, and it seemed...wrong somehow.

"I was thinking about it," she said, putting her chin on her knees and wrapping her arms more tightly around them. "That is, until a handsome pirate showed up out of nowhere and told me my family needed me."

Hook's face relaxed into a smile. "Well," he said. "It's doubtful any man could have stood that kind of competition. I am devilishly handsome."

Emma smiled back, rolling her eyes. "Don't forget 'modest.'"

"Modesty is highly overrated," he said. "I'm only pointing out that this face has gotten me far. My cleverness and survival skills took me the rest of the way."

"Here's hoping the survival skills rub off on all of us," Emma pointed out. "We're going to need them if we're fighting Zelena. She's pretty clever herself. Somehow, she managed to curse your lips to steal my magic."

"My lips?" His look was comical. "That's bloody brilliant." He leaned back on one elbow, looking up at her. "Well, let's hope this time she doesn't go for any other...valuable parts."

Emma gave a half-laugh. Leave it to Hook to take her mind off whatever horror they were facing at the moment. "Just stay out of her way," she reminded him. "And you won't have to worry about it. Right now, she has no idea I have light magic. I'm not a threat to her until she does."

"And if you - " Hook didn't get a chance to finish. A call went up from a few of the men stationed closest to the road, and Emma surged to her feet, with Hook close behind. They ran down the hill, weapons at the ready, expecting a further attack.

"Identify yourself!" Mulan called. She was looking down the road toward the castle at the lone figure approaching.

"Mulan? Is that you?"

"Neal?" She sheathed her sword, rushing forward. "How did you get here?"

"Neal?" Emma came up behind her. "You're supposed to be with Henry!"

"Relax," Neal reassured her. "He's in good hands. And I brought the ship back - it's in the castle harbor. I thought you could use all the help you could get."

"So it worked? Henry's heart is back where it belongs?"

"He's fine," Neal said. "He sends his love. He even tried to stow away and come with me, but I made him stay where it was safe."

Emma closed her eyes with relief. "It worked. He's okay."

Hook's hand came to rest on the small of Emma's back. "That's very good news," he said. "I'm glad to hear that all is well."

Neal's eyes followed the path of Hook's hand, and his expression said he didn't miss the proprietary way it was touching Emma. His eyes met Hook's briefly before returning to Emma.

"So...what's the plan?"

"Regina and Robin are breaking into the castle," Mulan told him. "Then she's going to drop the protection spell. We don't know if Zelena is in there or not."

"From the harbor, you would have had a close-up view of the castle. Did you see any flying monkeys?" Emma asked.

"Not a single one," he said, shaking his head. "But that doesn't mean they're not around."

"We have to stay vigilant," Mulan agreed. She looked around at the Merry Men. "Let's get back on watch, but be ready to move out. If Regina can get the protection spell down, we'll be better able to defend ourselves from the castle."

Neal gave her a smile. "You really know your battle strategy."

"I'm a warrior," she reminded him. "It's my job."

She moved off to direct the men further, and Neal stood looking at Emma. She moved closer to him, stepping away from Hook. "You shouldn't have come. We have this," she said.

"I couldn't just sit there waiting," he said with a shrug.

"Once we get an idea of how far Zelena's gotten with her time-travel spell, I can lure her away and hopefully take her down with my magic." Emma expalined. "Then we're all out of here. I want this done quickly."

Neal gave her a nod. "I want this finished, too. I've got my own agenda." His eyes held hers for a moment past comfortable, and then he turned away to help Mulan. Hook stepped forward, coming up next to her again.

"Well, at least we have a way home now," Emma said.

"Yes, it was good of him to come." Hook's tone made it clear that didn't really mean that.

She turned to look up at him. "Don't be that way. He's just looking out for us."

"Us?"

Emma sighed. "Let's just get this done and over with." She moved off to join the others, and Hook stood and watched her go, his hand clenched into a fist at his side.


	23. Inevitable

**_I have to apologize for the major delay in posting this. We got back from vacation and I got smacked in the face with some medical news about a loved one that rocked my world a bit - and not in a great way. My head and heart just weren't in this - sorry. Anyway, the adrenaline's settling down now and I've always felt that writing is therapeutic, so here you go. One disjointed (but hopefully read-able) chapter._**

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><p>The protection spell on the castle dropped in an inordinately short span of time. Emma looked over at Hook, raising her brows.<p>

"That was fast."

"Aye. It was." His tone made it clear that he was as unsure of this as she was.

"Maybe she wasn't at home?" Emma added hopefully.

"Or maybe she is and we're walking into a trap," he had to point out.

"I don't like it, either," Neal said, coming up behind them. "Em, why don't you wait here..."

"I agree. You should wait here." Hook's statement made her whirl around to look at him.

"Are you kidding me?"

"You're the secret weapon, Swan. If this is a trap, the last thing we want to do is put you right in her hands."

She gave him a look. "And if Zelena is in there, maybe I can confront her face-to-face and end this before it begins."

"I don't know," Neal said, shaking his head. "If she's as strong as you say she is..."

"She is," Emma affirmed. "But I'm strong, too."

"Aye, that you are, love," Hook agreed. "But you can't expect either of us to be comfortable with this scenario.

"The longer we stand here talking, the less we know," Emma said.

"She's right." Mulan moved over to stand with them. "Talking it out isn't getting us anywhere. And if Emma needs support, I've got her back."

"Thanks." Emma gave her a nod. "Now let's go."

###

They made their way cautiously around the backside of the castle, circling toward the harbor, where the Jolly Roger was moored.

"She looks to be in one piece," Hook remarked as they watched the castle from the trees.

"Did you think it wouldn't be?" Neal brought his hands up in a questioning gesture.

"I never doubted you," Hook replied. "But that devilish sail definitely gave me pause."

"It doesn't look like anyone is on the parapets or near the gate," Mulan announced, coming up next to them. "Still, we should show caution as we make our way into the main keep." She glanced around at the others. "I'll take the lead, and the rest of you come in behind. Little John, you guard the rear. And don't forget to keep eyes overhead."

The dashed quickly from the treeline to the walls, pressing themselves against them flat, hoping not to be seen too easily in the waning light. They'd just skirted their way to the postern door when it was flung open. Mulan brought her sword up, rushing forward, only to stop a mere fraction of an inch from Robin's throat.

"It's me!" He shouted, his own sword at the ready. "I was coming to find you. As you can see, the protection spell is down."

Mulan took a step back, lowering her weapon. "And the witch?"

"Nowhere to be found. Regina got right in and she's in the process of searching the castle now."

"We'll join her," Mulan said, pointing at a couple of the Merry Men. "You - with me."

She walked through the door as Robin stood aside. He clapped Little John on the back. Then he bent down, squatting in front of his son.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on Little John for me," he said.

"It's not hard," Roland said. "He's pretty big."

Robin ruffled his hair. "That he is. Come along Roland - would you like to see the castle?"

"Yes!" The boy jumped up and down. "Is there a playroom?"

Robin looked over his shoulder. "I'm not sure. But we can certainly create one of our own, can't we?"

Hook squatted down next to Robin. "Roland, how would you like to visit a real pirate ship?" His eyes met Robin's over the top of Roland's head. "I'm the Captain, you know, and I'm always looking for extra help when I'm in port. I could do with an honorary pirate or two while I'm here."

Roland's eyes brightened. "Really? You really have a pirate ship?"

"That's it right over there," Hook said, pointing at the Jolly Roger.

Roland turned to look at his father. "Can I Papa? Can I be a pirate?"

Robin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, that would depend...will you be eating your vegetables at dinner tonight?"

Roland made a face. "Yuck."

Hook put on a very serious expression. "I couldn't possibly have a pirate who didn't eat vegetables." His eyes met Robin's again. "Scurvy, you know." Robin nodded back solemnly, and Roland let out a sigh.

"All right. I could eat a few."

Hook stuck out his hand. "Well done, my lad. Once we've secured the castle, I'll give you the full tour."

Roland pumped Hook's hand eagerly, and then Robin stood up and swung him up into his arms. "Let's get inside. The less time we're out in the open, the better."

Hook gained his feet, smiling after them both. His eyes met Emma's, and at her look, he reached out, lifting her chin.

"What's the matter, love?"

She shook her head, blinking back the tears in her eyes. "I just miss my son. A lot.

"And we'll get you back to him. I swear that we will."

"He's right, Emma," Neal said, coming up behind them both. "We'll finish this and then we can go back to being a family again."

She didn't answer that.

"Come on," she said with a sigh. "We've got a witch to find."

###

Regina stood in the main hall, glancing around with distaste. "Well, she's not the greatest housekeeper, is she?"

"Maybe the monkeys aren't so great with a mop and broom," Emma pointed out. "Still no sign of her?"

"The place was deserted. We got in easily - and that bothers me."

"Me, too." Emma looked around.

Mulan entered the hall, accompanied by two of Robin's Merry Men. "We've searched room-by-room. She's not here. I don't like it."

"Join the club," Emma replied. "So where could she be? She knows we're here - she's already sent the monkeys."

"Obviously, she wanted us to get in," Hook said. "Which is certainly far from ideal."

"Still, it's much more defensible than being out in the open," Mulan pointed out. "Even if she does want us here, we're safer staying."

"We need to draw her out, anyway," Emma pointed out. She looked over at Regina. "And you need to practice your white magic. It's the only thing that works against her."

Regina smirked. "You just leave her to Rumpel and me. She won't know what hit her." She strode over to a large mirror, set in one corner of the room. "Speaking of which..." She passed her hand over the surface of the mirror, and Rumpel appeared.

"You have the castle?"

"We waltzed right in," Regina said.

Rumpel stepped through the mirror, dusting off his jacket. "And your squatter is nowhere to be found, I take it?"

"No sign of her," Neal added, causing Rumpel's head to turn. "Bae! What are you doing here?" He strode over, his hand brushing Neal's arm.

"I couldn't just sit around waiting."

"So now we've a ship to get home in," Rumpel said. "That's one hurdle down."

"And now that you're here," Neal said, smiling, "I might be able to kill two birds with one stone."

Rumpel eyed him curiously. "What does - "

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Neal whirled abruptly, slamming his hand into Regina's chest and pulling out her heart in one smooth motion. Regina staggered back as a cloud of green smoke swirled around Neal. At the very same moment, the doors to the great hall were thrown open, bouncing against the stone walls on either side as a dozen or more flying monkeys streamed in, screeching and howling, claws extended.

"Take cover!" Mulan screamed, and everyone ran for the heavy table set in the center of the room or ducked behind the other few pieces of furniture lining the walls.

"It's her!" Emma shouted above the noise of the monkeys. "Neal's Zelena!"

Hook pulled her under the table, slicing at the oncoming monkeys with his cutlass. "And now she knows all about you!"

Rumpel stood still in the center of the hall, facing Zelena as Regina threw fireballs at a slew of monkeys who'd backed her into a corner.

"Where is my son?" he asked, his voice dripping with deadly menace.

"Quite a boy you have there, Rumpel. So handsome. So very willing to play the hero." Her cloying, accented tones made the hair on Emma's neck stand up.

"You can't win this," Rumpel said quietly.

"Can't I?" She gave him a taunting smile. "I've been waiting for all of you to make an appearance again, and here you are," she made a sweeping gesture with her hand. "Right where I want you."

"You can't beat me, Zelena."

She let out a peal of nerve-jarring laughter. "Beat you? My dear Rumpelstiltskin, I don't need to _beat_ you." Her eyes shifted, and with a wave of her hand, one of her monkeys peeled out of the throng attacking the others and flew right at Rumpel, claws extended.

He hit it with a powerful jolt of energy, slamming it into a nearby wall where it slid to the floor, lifeless.

"Is that the best that you can do?' he asked. "Because you're wasting my valuable time."

Zelena's reply was a slow, spreading smile. "Yes, I expect you're very busy." She tilted her head toward the monkey. "Saying goodbye."

Rumpel turned his head, horror dawning slowly on his face as Emma's voice screamed out "Neal!"

And there he was, slumped half-against the wall, clearly and obviously dead, at his own father's hand. Rumpel was momentarily paralyzed at the sight, his grief freezing him in place, and that moment was all that Regina needed. The entire cloud of monkeys swarmed on him, far too many for him to fight all at once. Mulan rushed forward, her blade singing as she sliced and slashed, Regina threw fireball after fireball and the rest of them all converged, but it was too late.

One of them flew out of the pack, dropping Rumpel's dagger neatly into Zelena's hand.

"There now," she purred. "I believe I've made some real progress today." She waved her hand, and the monkeys disbanded, flying out the door. "I knew you'd carry it with you. You wouldn't take a chance leaving it around where I might find it."

"Zelena!" Emma stood facing her at the other end of the hall.

"Emma!" Hook's voice called out a warning.

"I've got this!" Emma called back. "She doesn't scare me."

Zelena gave her a thoroughly patronizing smile. "So brave. We'll just see how much your magic does for you...Emma." She extended her hand, shooting out a green lightning bolt first at Emma, then at Regina, blasting them both off their feet. Hook rushed forward, and Zelena merely smiled. "Rumpel?"

Rumpel extended his hand, lifting Hook off his feet, holding him in the air and choking him. Hook's feet struggled, kicking at the air, his hand clawing at the unseen force holding his throat. Emma scrambled to her feet, but Zelena waved a hand at Rumpel. Hook dropped to the floor as Zelena and Rumpel disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

Emma ran over, skidding to her knees next to Hook's limp body. Her hands moved frantically over his face and neck.

"Not again...not again...no no no...not again..." she said it over and over, pressing her ear to his chest, patting his face. "Come on, Killian..." She bent over, breathing into his mouth again and compressing his chest, pausing to listen and then doing it again. She spread her hands over his chest, feeling the magic rise within her, then she pressed down once more before closing her mouth over his, breathing in again.

"Don't do this to me, don't do this to me..." She puffed air into him once more and suddenly he sucked in, coughing on the exhale. She turned his head to the side as he lost the contents of his stomach, coughing and retching loudly. Emma sank back on her heels, her hands gripping her knees as she panted from effort and relief.

Hook reached gratefully for the skin of water that Mulan handed him, and he rolled slowly to a sitting position as he rinsed his mouth and spat. He ran a hand through his hair, then raised a brow at Emma.

"If you wanted a little romance, love, there was no need to be so forceful," he cracked, trying to lighten her mood. She shook her head, opening her mouth as if to say something, and then closing it again, unable to speak.

Regina walked over, looking more than a little stunned herself. "So that was my sister."

Robin stepped away from the group of Merry Men, having just entered the hall with Roland. "Not much of a reunion," he grimaced.

"She took my heart." Regina said it like she still couldn't believe it. "That bitch has my heart."

"We'll get it back," Robin reassured her.

"And now she has The Dark One under her command." She whirled on Emma. "Why the hell didn't you stop her!"

Emma got to her feet. "I tried!"

"All that power, and you haven't got a clue how to really use it!" Regina fumed. "She only has to kill your boyfriends and you turn to jello! Useless!"

"Lay off!" Emma shouted back at her. "Your useless fireballs didn't stop her from getting that dagger, did they? I told you - it's going to take white magic, and if we'd both been working together, this could have ended differently!"

"You're still thinking like an amateur!' Regina threw a hand up in the air.

"Ladies!" Robin broke in. "None of this is helping. She now has another piece of the spell."

"Two." Emma said tersely. "She's got Gold. Once she's gotten the other pieces, she'll use his brain."

"What's left?" Robin asked.

"Courage. She took my father's sword for that one, but it's not a possibility now." Emma ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "We have to try and guess who she's going after next and block that move."

"And we have to assume she'll be trying to steal your magic again," Hook said, getting to his feet. "She knows you're the biggest threat."

"Well, we might as well get a good night's sleep," Regina suggested. "And maybe tomorrow we can work on your focus." She gave Emma a contemptuous look, then turned on her heel. Robin gave Emma a sympathetic look.

"I'll speak with her," he said. "It's bound to be unsettling - losing one's heart." He turned to Mulan. "Have the men prepare a grave."

Mulan nodded, walking over to the others. Emma walked slowly over to where Neal lay, dropping down to her knees and taking his cold hand in hers.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I couldn't save you. Not there. Not here." She kissed his knuckles, smoothing his hair off his face with her other hand. "I'm so sorry." The tears slipped down her cheeks, and she closed her eyes, whispering again. "I'm sorry."

And Hook stood helplessly behind her, wishing he could take the pain from her. Wishing Neal were alive again, for her, for Henry - hell, for himself. He stepped forward as Little John and the others moved in, and he helped them lift Neal, carrying him out to the courtyard, where he helped them bury him, all while Emma silently looked on. And when it was over, he put his shovel down and looked up, and she was gone.


	24. Fate

**Belated Note:** _Thank you so much to reader EreshkigalGirl for catching an ENORMOUS continuity error. You'll have to forgive your sleep and emotion-addled author. I mixed up my princesses and I had to go back and retroactively fix what I screwed up. Sorry for the confusion - my daughter is in the middle of a medical crisis (can you say "tumor"?) and I'm not getting answers fast enough. I'm writing when I can because it helps take my mind off things, but obviously, the mind isn't so focused right now. I apologize again, and I've fixed what I wrecked. Now back to our story._

* * *

><p>"She's upstairs. Shut herself in one of the bedrooms," Regina explained to Hook when he re-entered the castle. "I think she's looking for some alone time."<p>

Hook looked toward the stairway, wondering if he should go after Emma. Obviously, she'd wanted to be alone or she wouldn't have taken the steps to be that way. He gnawed his lower lip for a moment, not entirely sure if he should respect her wishes or go with his gut on this one. Emma was hurting, and he couldn't bear that she was dealing with it alone.

"You're all welcome to take a room here," Regina offered, glancing at Robin and then looking back at Hook. "Though I would imagine you want to check your ship out, just to make sure Zelena didn't wreck our escape route."

Hook cast one more glance at the stairs. Damn. Regina was right - he needed to examine his ship. Perhaps he could get that over with and return - it would give Emma some time to herself and then he could just...check in on her. Yes, that's what he'd tell her. Just checking in.

"If Emma comes down..." he began.

Robin gave him a nod. "I'll let her know where you are."

"Thanks, mate." He gave one last, lingering look toward the stairs, then he headed out the door.

"We need to start planning our strategy," Mulan said, crossing the hall to Robin. "The witch has almost everything she needs now - she's too close to getting what she wants. We have no time to waste."

"I agree, but our Savior is out of commission for tonight and Rumpel's now officially her lapdog," Regina pointed out.

"Luckily for us, the final element is one of the most difficult," Robin interjected. "To find someone with true courage is not an easy thing."

"I wouldn't say that," Regina replied coolly. "But going after someone who is, by definition, courageous - that's not going to be without risk."

"Which means she's planning her strategy, just like we are," Mulan said. "Very well - we'll rest tonight but tomorrow we need to have a plan. Now that she's got the heart, the brain and the baby, it won't be long."

"Queen Primrose and King Marcus must be going mad," Robin said, shaking his head. "They're the grandparents of the baby. I know what I'd be like if Roland had been taken from me."

"I know how they feel," Regina said quietly. "When Pan took Henry - " she took in a deep breath. "I thought I was going to lose my mind. Every hour felt like a week and the days passed like years. I was wondering if he was cold, or hungry...if they were hurting him...if he...missed me." Her voice broke at the end and she blinked quickly, refusing to let the tears fall.

"And yet you came here before returning home to him," Robin said, reaching out and touching her chin softly. "All to protect him further. I'd call that courage."

"I did what any mother - any parent would do," she pointed out.

"Maybe that's our next move," Mulan said, drumming her fingers on the hilt of her sword. "Marcus and Primrose are already looking for the baby - maybe they have information as to where to find it. If we can find the child..."

"Then Zelena would have to wait for another child to be able to work her magic," Regina finished.

"That's a solid plan," Robin nodded. "She'll be expecting us to thwart her - to keep her from getting that final piece. She won't be expecting us to go after something she's already got."

"And she's sure to have my heart and that dagger on her person," Regina grimaced. "The baby, though...it would slow her down. And she'd have to keep it alive and healthy until everything's in place."

"Hence the kidnapping of the nurse from the village," Robin said.

"Exactly." Regina mused. "What we need is to get to Rumpel's castle. He has a tracking globe that works specifically with blood magic. My blood will find her blood."

"And what if they're holed up there?" Robin pointed out.

"Then either way, we've got her."

Mulan shook her head. "Tracking her will only tell us where Zelena is. We've got no guarantee she'll have the baby with her. She could be anywhere."

"Marcus and Primrose." Robin said it suddenly. "We need Marcus and Primrose. Their blood can track to the baby."

"We should head for their castle first thing in the morning," Mulan said. "I'll take a few of the men with me. We'll meet back at Rumpelstiltskin's."

She gave Robin a short bob of her head and then walked over to join the rest of the Merry Men, who were bedding down in the hall. Regina watched her go.

"They don't all have to sleep down here, you know. We have plenty of rooms."

'Thank you, my lady, but after living in the forest for so long, I doubt any of us could sleep comfortably in a real bed anymore." Robin gave her a smile. "But don't let me keep you from yours." He gestured up the stairs, and as he did so, the cuff on his shirt slid back, revealing his tattoo.

Regina froze.

"My lady?" Robin looked at her curiously, then his eyes darted toward the door, wondering if there was cause for alarm.

"That's..." she wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. "That'll be fine. You can sleep anywhere you'd like." Her eyes met his and his eyebrow went up, just a fraction. Regina flushed slightly, realizing how that sounded.

"I - I'm going to bed. To sleep." She nodded shakily. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Robin gave her a sardonic grin that made her feel like he knew how unsettled she was, and that was...unsettling. She made her way up the stairs, refusing to look back.

But she could feel his eyes on her, ever step of the way.

###

Hook reached for a bottle of rum off the shelf in his cabin, pulling the cork with his teeth and then taking a hearty draught. He'd checked the entire ship, stem to stern, and had even climbed up the masts to double-check the sails. The spell Regina put on Pan's shadow was still holding, and it was still trapped on the mainmast, giving an occasional angry shimmer in the moonlight. The Jolly Roger was as Neal had promised. He'd taken care of her well.

He cursed himself for not following his gut instincts when they'd first encountered Neal. Neal had referred to the ship as "it" - which stuck in his craw at the time, but he didn't address it. He should have known then that it wasn't Neal they were dealing with. Neal would have never referred to a ship in anything other than the female. He'd spent enough time on board that it would have been second nature for him.

He should have gone with his gut. Maybe then they'd still have Regina's heart, and Neal would still be alive, even if it was in simian form. They could have The Dark One on their side instead of being used as a murderous tool.

He exhaled loudly, then took another drink.

"Are you going to pour me one of those?"

Emma's voice made him whirl around, and he looked at her warily.

"That depends," he answered carefully.

"On what?"

"On whether you can prove to me that you're Emma Swan. I'm not taking anyone at face value anymore."

She stepped down off the lowest rung of the ladder. "Smart move." She crossed her arms, looking around. "Let's see..."

"When we were climbing the beanstalk," Hook said. "I asked you a question."

Emma's eyes swung back to meet his, and he felt instantly bad for bringing up such a painful subject - but it was too late now.

"You asked me if I'd ever really been in love," she said quietly. "And I lied to you. I told you no." Her eyes welled with tears and he wanted to gut himself with his own damn hook.

"You had been in love. With Neal."

"Yes."

He hated himself for asking, but he had to know. "And Walsh?"

"Him, too."

He turned away, reaching for a mug and pouring her a generous helping of rum. He extended the cup to her but made no move toward her. Emma took it, taking a long drink before pulling the cup away, blinking her eyes rapidly.

"Whew. I forget how potent your brand of rum is."

He gave her a smile that didn't quite make it to his eyes. "Only the best on my ship, Swan."

She gave him a tight smile and they stood looking at each other. Finally, the silence was too uncomfortable to bear anymore, and he had to know.

"Why are you here? I thought you were in for the night."

"I was." She didn't elaborate and he fidgeted with his ear before taking another drink, just to have something to do. She took another drink as well.

"I just - " she stopped, trying to find a way to frame her words, but nothing was coming out right. Finally, she walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. "I just think it might be best if we don't pursue this...thing we have. And I felt like I owed it to you to say that to your face, after all we've been through."

He lowered the bottle of rum, setting it down blindly on the table next to him.

"_What?_"

She held up a hand. "Just...let me get this out." She rose to her feet. "I may be the Savior. I may be the product of True Love and I may be the only one who can take Zelena down. But I'm also someone who gets people killed."

Hook shook his head, but as he opened his mouth to say something, she shut him down.

"Look at me! Everyone I care about - hurt or dead and all because I'm a part of their lives! I'm a walking calamity. I'm practically the Angel of Death, here!" She started pacing. "There's a reason I've been alone - it's because it works. It's better for me, and it's better for everyone else. So, I think it's best for everyone concerned if you and I just - "

He crossed the cabin in two strides, pulling her up against him, hard.

"You damnable woman! You don't know a thing about life, do you?" he growled. "Life isn't pretty. It' isn't wrapped up in nice packaging and endless halcyon days of sunshine and happiness. It's gritty and dirty and painful and exhausting, and none of us gets out of it unmarked or unhurt. You may be the product of true love, _princess_," he sneered, "But you don't get to rearrange anyone else's life in order to do something so foolishly noble. It doesn't work that way."

"Hook - "

"You can't do this. You can't give a man a shard of hope and then slam a door in his face and lock him out. I won't stay." His lips hovered a fraction above hers. "Not unless you tell me you don't feel this. That you don't yearn to have this as badly as I do, because I swear, I'm being devoured alive by the pain you have inside you."

Emma's eyes filled up, but she shook her head, refusing to let the tears flow.

"I can't...I can't."

He pulled her tighter. "Yes, you can, love. You don't have to do any of this alone. _I'm not going anywhere._ And if that comes at a price, I'll pay it, and gladly. I'd suffer a lifetime of deaths if it meant I had you, even for a fleeting moment in time."

She said nothing, her eyes tightly closed.

"I'm going to get you killed."

He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"How about this, then? How about we both keep each other alive?" She opened her eyes and looked at him doubtfully.

"Oh, come on, Swan," he said, rubbing his thumb along her jaw. "If there's one thing you and I both know how to do, it's survive. What say we do it together?"

She closed her eyes again, but he wasn't going to let her block him out. He touched his lips to her forehead, her closed eyelids, the tip of her nose.

"Emma...why did you really come here? Tell me, love. Tell me the truth."

Her brow creased as her face tightened up, but he kissed her cheeks and her forehead again as his hand slid slowly around her neck.

"Because I had to see you," she said, still not opening her eyes.

"Why?" his lips brushed hers as he asked it, and Emma's voice was a bare whisper as she answered.

"Because I need you, Killian." Her eyes opened, awash in vulnerability, but she didn't pull away.

He gave her a crooked half-smile. "You're stuck with me now, Swan. Might as well get used to it."

She sighed, giving it up. It was no use. Killian Jones, true to his promise, just wouldn't stay where she tried to put him. And when his mouth came down on hers, she opened for him, relaxing into the familiar comfort of him and all that he'd come to mean to her - no matter what reality she found him in. He was her Killian through and through.

She slid her hands into the opening of his shirt, running her fingers through the hair on his chest and causing his arms to tighten around her as he deepened the kiss, his mouth molding to hers and his tongue playing with finesse, sliding in and tangling with hers. Emma felt like she'd never be close enough to him. She pressed herself into him and tugged his shirt out of his waistband with a strangled and impatient sound.

He broke off the kiss long enough to help her get her own clothes off before laying her down on the bed and seeing to the rest of his own. She reached for him as he lay down next to her on the bed, but he pulled back, his eyes devouring the sight of her, the way the moonlight played across every curve and hollow of her glowing skin. His hand followed the dappled reflection across her flesh - good God, but she was soft. Her skin was like silk, and he felt as though he could never get enough of the feel of her.

She arched into his touch, bringing her leg up to slide along his, and he rolled on top of her, feeling the give of her warm, willing body as he pressed her into the bed. She brought her legs up and around him, but he didn't want this over quickly. She might be intimately acquainted with him in another time and place, but here and now, he was going to savor this first time, this giving over of spirit and body and heart - though she wasn't quite ready to admit it yet.

"Emma..." he said her name huskily, his lips burying in her neck, his tongue tracing patterns of fire all along her throat and down to her collarbone, laving and loving and making her writhe beneath him. She arched into him, hard, when his mouth closed over her breast, sucking and feasting on it, then moving over to the other one, wringing sounds from her as his teeth grazed the sensitive tip. Her hands buried in his hair and she called his name on a long, sexy moan. He kept up the torment, adding the play of his fingers as they slid down her body and into the very heat of her, stroking and pressing, sliding against the slick, hot flesh of her sex until she was pushing against his fingers, begging him with her words and her body to join her.

He slid into her scalding heat by inches, going slow and savoring the feel of her, the incredible way she felt around him and against him. Her legs tightened, pulling him in and he couldn't hold back anymore. His hips flexed and he buried himself deeply, causing her hips to raise off the bed in reaction. She made an appreciative sound low in her throat that told him he'd hit exactly the right spot. He smiled against her skin and did it again, and again, and she met him thrust for thrust, moving with him like she'd always been a part of him, and when he felt her quicken the tempo, he circled his hips, giving her everything she needed and she cried out, her fingers digging into his shoulders as her body tightened and convulsed around him. A few moments later, he was pulled into the sun and the pleasure burned through him, emptying into her with such force, he was surprised there was anything left of him in the aftermath. Surely he'd been turned to ash...

He pulled her with him as he rolled to his side, not wanting to crush her into the mattress - which was almost funny considering a few moments before that was exactly what his body had wanted to do. Emma rolled a bit clumsily, and he smiled again. A well-pleasured woman always had that sack-of-potatoes sort of heft to them, and Emma was clearly not recovered yet. Neither was he, for that matter.

She stretched out across his chest, and he stroked her hair back off her face, planting a kiss on her head.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

There was a pause, but not an uncomfortable one. "Better than all right," she answered sleepily. "You?"

"I think your initial worry was correct. You damn near killed me." He felt her smile against his chest, and it made his arm tighten around her. "You were well worth the wait, love."

"So were you. Both times."

He stroked her hair again, his lips resting against it.

"Killian?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you believe in fate?"

He considered that a moment. "Well, I always like to say that a Jones makes his own destiny, but you were quite unexpected. I suppose there are some things you just can't predict. Or control. You just have to decide to take your chances."

"I couldn't save Neal," she said quietly. "Or Walsh. What'll I do if I can't save you?"

He reached down, tilting her chin up so he could look at her.

"You already have, love."


	25. Faith

Emma raised her head with a start, only to have Killian's hand come around, covering her mouth. His voice whispered very, very quietly in her ear.

"I heard it, too. There's a dagger on the shelf above you. Reach for it while I find my cutlass."

She nodded to let him know that she understood, and he moved quickly and silently off the bed, grabbing his cutlass first and then sliding into his pants. He tossed Emma's clothing over to her, then made his way cautiously toward the ladder. He held a finger to his lips, barely visible in the moonlight. Emma nodded, dressing quickly and then moving silently to the other side of the ladder.

The sound came again, softly, as if someone were trying very hard not to make any noise. The steps were coming closer, though, and when a foot appeared, stepping down onto the ladder, Hook reached up, yanking hard and pulling the unknown trespasser down into a heap on the cabin floor.

Emma dropped to one knee, pressing her dagger against the trespasser's throat. Then she did a double-take, flipping the person over.

"Mom!"

Her eyes widened. "Henry? What are you doing here?"

He sat up, throwing his arms around her. "You're here! You're really here!"

Killian stepped slowly toward them, keeping his cutlass raised.

"Careful, Swan..." he said, eyeing Henry.

Emma nodded up at him, holding Henry at arm's length.

"You need to tell me something that only Henry would know about me," she urged.

Henry nodded gravely. "You want to make sure I'm who I say I am. I get it. You like Cinnamon in your hot cocoa. And once, you let me have french fries for breakfast at Granny's because you knew it would make my Mom mad."

Emma smiled widely, wrapping her arms around him again.

"C'mere kid." She held him close, running her hands up and down his arms as if to reassure herself that he was really there. Then she pushed him back again.

"What are you doing here? Regina and I wanted you safe, in Storybrooke."

"I know," he said. "Dad did, too. But I wanted to help."

Emma's face froze, and her eyes shifted helplessly to Killian. He returned her look with a grimace.

"It's good to see you, Henry. But your mother is right - you should have stayed in Storybrooke."

"Have you been on the ship all this time?" Emma asked.

Henry shook his head. "No. I started out hiding in here, but then the witch showed up."

"Zelena was here?" Emma glanced over at Killian again.

"Almost right away after we landed. Dad was getting ready to go and find you, but she came aboard with her monkeys. She was trying to take Pan's shadow - I think she thought she could use it - but it has a spell on it and it wouldn't budge."

"Regina did that," Emma said. "That shadow's not going anywhere."

"I was hiding, but I heard her," Henry continued. "She wants the ship because she's going to use it once she does whatever it is she's doing. She wants to travel the realms and rule them all."

"That sounds like her," Emma said, rolling her eyes.

"She changed Dad into one of those...monkey things," Henry said. "And then they all flew off. I left and hid in the forest for awhile because I thought they were coming back. Then I got hungry and I decided to risk coming back on board to find some food."

Killian sheathed his cutlass. "I'm sure I can find something in the galley for you, Henry." His eyes met Emma's, clearly showing a question.

"Why don't you go do that, Killian," she answered. He held her eyes a moment longer, and she gave him a slight nod.

"Very well," he said quietly. "I'll just leave you two to...catch up."

"Thanks," Emma murmured, watching him go. She took a deep breath, and turned back to Henry, wishing to God she didn't have to have this conversation yet again. How many times could she break his heart?

"Henry? Come and sit down..." she said, guiding him over to the bed.

###

He watched her emerge from the cabin, but she didn't move toward him. Instead, she walked to the bow, looking out toward the sea. The night breeze caught her hair, and she shivered a bit, wrapping her arms around herself. She gave a slight start when his coat settled over her shoulders.

"Thanks," she mumbled, pulling it closer around her. She couldn't help but bury her nose in the lapel. It smelled wonderful - of sea and leather and bay rum and Killian. It still held his warmth, and she remembered only too well the heat of his skin.

"You all right, Swan?"

His hand still rested lightly on her shoulder, but it slid down, then around her, pulling her lightly back against him. She relaxed into him gratefully.

"No," she sighed. "I've had to tell him - yet again - that his father is dead. And each time, I die a little, too."

His lips brushed her temple, and he closed his eyes, holding her tighter.

"I'm sorry, love. There's no easy way to say it. Or hear it. How is he?"

"Sleeping. He was exhausted," Emma replied. "Once he ate, it was all he could do to keep his eyes open."

"You should join him. We still have a few hours before daylight."

She turned to face him. "Will you stay with us?"

"In the cabin?"

She nodded. "I was going to curl up on the floor, since Henry's sprawled across the bed. You're welcome to curl up with me."

He let out a rueful sigh. "Ah, Swan...as much as I'd love to curl myself around you on any surface, it's best if I stay up here and stand watch, particularly since we know the witch has designs on my ship."

"I can put up a protection spell," Emma suggested.

"That's a capital idea," he replied, "But I think it's best for Henry if he doesn't see his mother in another man's arms on the night he learned of his father's death."

Emma gave a sad half-smile. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm glad he didn't show up two hours earlier."

"So am I. I waited a long time for this night, brief though it may have been." He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, and kissed her softly.

"Get some rest, Swan. Henry needs you with him."

She moved out of his arms and walked slowly toward the hatch, then stopped to turn back.

"Killian?"

"Yes?"

"I - " she looked away a moment, then back at him. "Thanks."

"For this evening? I'm happy to oblige you again at your earliest convenience." He gave her a crooked grin and raised a brow.

"For thinking of Henry."

"He's a good lad. I can't even say I'm terribly surprised that he's here," he noted. "His mother certainly wouldn't have stayed back."

"I guess we're both a little reckless," she said wryly.

He stepped in closer to her again. "No, you're courageous. You do things like this because it's in your very nature. People like you do things like this even when it's not the smartest or safest thing because you can't _not_ do them."

"People like me?" She tilted her head to the side. "You're not talking about the whole 'savior' thing again, are you?"

"No." His face became somber, almost angry. "I'm saying you never would have sailed away from a town full of people who were about to die. You most certainly would never have sailed away from someone you cared about."

"Neither did - "

He put a finger to her lips. "Yes, I did. Me. _This_ Killian Jones. I did exactly that. And it may be a curse that brought me to this, but that doesn't change this reality for me."

She touched his face, hearing the tortured undertones in his words. "But you _are_ changing this reality. And so am I. I have faith in that."

He pulled her in and put his forehead down, touching hers. "Then I'll have to keep faith in _your_ faith, because I can't reconcile that this scurvy pirate deserves an ounce of what I'm feeling right now, with you in my arms."

He kissed her, long and lingeringly, and she kissed him back, vowing to find a way to light every dark corner of his heart.


	26. Once Again

"Do you know, my little boy used to hate plain oatmeal, too," Regina said to Roland. She leaned in conspiratorially. "How about we sweeten it up?"

Three separate pots appeared on the table in front of him, and he looked up questioningly. Regina gave him a smile. "That one," she said, pointing at the first jar, "Is honey. And that one has raisins and that one is full of strawberry jam."

Roland's eyes grew wide. "Can I have all three?"

She put an arm around his shoulders. "Of course you can. But not too much – you don't want a tummy ache, do you?"

Roland reached for the jam jar, spooning a liberal amount into his oats as his father smiled at Regina.

"You have a definite soft spot for children," he remarked.

"He reminds me of Henry," she said, looking away. She blinked a few times, and Robin reached across the table, putting his hand over hers.

"We'll get you back to him," he promised.

"Not so fast," Emma called out as she came in the door. "We've got a delivery."

She pulled Henry out from behind her and he broke into a wide grin, waving. "Hi Mom!"

"Henry!" Regina leapt to her feet. Her eyes widened with disbelief, but she was already in motion, racing forward and wrapping her arms around him. "What are you doing here!"

"I came to help," he said with a shrug.

"What do you think we're doing here in the first place?" Emma said. She looked over at Regina. "I pointed out to him that he's not doing us any favors by leaving the safety of Storybrooke."

"She's right," Regina said. "After all you've been through...what were you thinking?"

"You would have done the same for me," he pointed out. He stuck his hand out towards Robin. "I'm Henry."

Robin shook his hand. "Robin of Loxley."

"Robin _Hood_?" Henry's eyebrows shot up and a look of wonder dawned on his face.

"The same. It's a pleasure to meet you Henry, but I have to agree with your mother."

"Which one?" Henry smiled.

Robin gave Regina a confused look and she waved a hand in the air. "It's...complicated."

"I've got two Moms," Henry explained. "And they both worry too much."

"It's a parent's job to worry," Robin pointed out. "Henry, this is Roland, my son."

"Hi!" Henry gave Roland a friendly smile, and Roland waved back, his mouth full of oatmeal and raisins. Hook stepped forward.

"Have you given any thought to our next steps?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, we have," Robin answered, gesturing Mulan over to join them. "Regina, Mulan and I put our heads together last night. We don't know who Zelena's next target is, but we might have a way to thwart her. We want to find the baby."

"If we take the baby, she's seriously set back," Emma mused. "And that could give us the time we need to put her out of commission for good."

"And get my heart back," Regina added. "Maybe we can even find a way to break her hold on Rumpelstiltskin."

"The emerald." Emma's face dawned with the returning memory. "That gem she wears - it channels her magic. If we can get it off her, she's powerless."

"Now you tell me?" Regina said, raising a brow.

"I'm sorry - " Emma defended. "I've had a lot going on, here. It seems like forever ago that we put her away in my reality. We need to get that gem."

"And we need to find the baby," Mulan said. "We're going to ride out and find Queen Primrose and King Marcus - they're the baby's grandparents and they're searching for the child now."

"Rumpel has a globe," Regina explained. "If you have a drop of blood, you can use it to track someone sharing that blood."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I know it. But you used it to find Henry - which means it's back in Storybrooke."

"But it's a magical object," Regina pointed out. "Which means it can be summoned across realms. My mother did exactly that when she gave it to him in Storybrooke, and we can summon it back again. The only problem is it will return to the home of its rightful owner. My mother gifted it to Rumpel, so it will return to his castle once we enact the summoning spell."

"And you know how to cast such a spell, I take it?" Hook asked.

"Yes." Regina gave him an annoyed look. "Rumpel should have everything I need on site."

Emma turned to Mulan. "Regina, Hook and I will go and get the globe. Why don't you and the Merry Men try to find the King and Queen." She turned to Robin. "You should stay here - we don't want to lose the castle again, and we need someone to keep Henry and Roland safe."

"I'll keep a few of the Merry Men here with me to help hold the castle," Robin said. "And I'll take good care of your son."

"Thanks." Regina and Emma said it together, but Robin's eyes were only on one of them. Regina flushed and touched her tongue briefly to her lip.

"Thank you," she said again. She gave Robin a smile. "It's going to be a lot more exciting spending the day with Robin Hood than with Mom anyway."

He stepped forward. "Oh, I don't know about that," he said in a low voice as the others continued fleshing out their plans. "I find this particular Mother quite exciting."

###

"So I never did ask you before," Emma said to Hook as they approached the castle. "How do you know where Rumpelstiltskin's castle is when you've gone out of your way to avoid him?"

"That's precisely how," he answered. "The best way to avoid someone is to know where they live."

"But you left him to die in Storybrooke," Regina pointed out. "I'd have thought you would have come here and taken up residence, just to gloat."

"And give up my ship?" he looked at her like she was crazy, then his eyes shifted to meet Emma's. "He's not enough incentive for that. And these last two years have been...difficult."

"Don't tell me you actually felt some guilt," Regina looked properly skeptical.

"Don't you?" he asked. "When you think of all you've done that's impacted Henry - don't you feel remorse?"

Regina looked uncomfortable. "Yes." She admitted it, begrudgingly. "But I love Henry. That...changes things."

Hook's eyes shifted back to Emma again. "It certainly does," he said quietly. Emma flushed, looking away.

"Come on," she said. "Let's see if anyone's home."

They approached through the woods, keeping low and as silent as they could. When they finally got close, it was easy enough to see the protection spell in place around the castle.

"Blood magic again?" Emma whispered.

"No..." Regina eyed the shimmering wall of light critically. "This is a bit more complicated. It's set to repel not just people, but all forms of magic."

"Great." Emma said. "How do we dismantle it?"

"We don't. At least, not easily. It's going to take time."

"What if we both hit it at the same time?" Emma asked.

"You think you can handle it?" Regina asked, raising a skeptical brow.

"Regina, you've been training me for months, whether you know it or not. I can handle it." Emma pushed her hair back. "Let's do this."

She raised her hands, closing her eyes to concentrate. Regina raised her eyebrows and looked over at Hook, who gave her a smug nod as if to say "You heard the lady..." She raised her own hands and within a matter of minutes, the barrier diffused.

Regina lowered her hands, looking impressed despite her misgivings.

"You _have_ been training."

"She magicked me clear across my ship and locked me in a cabin," Hook said. "She can heal, too."

"How about we get inside before we get shredded by monkeys," Emma suggested. "I might be able to heal, but I'd rather not, if you don't mind."

They made their way cautiously through the main doors, but found the place deserted.

"Shall we split up?" Emma suggested. "Search the place room-by-room for his box of potions...or whatever?"

"There's no need - I know where Rumpel keeps things." Regina pushed through a second set of doors off the entryway. She waved a hand at a panel on the wall, and it slid aside, showing inset shelves with a large array of bottles, boxes and vials. Emma moved slowly around the room, running her hand across the credenza against one wall and moving over toward the windows. Hook went the other direction, keeping an eye on the far door as if he expected flying monkeys to burst through it at any moment.

Emma paused in front of the windows, pulling the heavy draperies back and stepping backward at a strange, rattling sound.

"What the hell...?"

She squatted down, picking something up off the floor that had been caught by the curtain. She held it up.

"Looks like we're on the right track," she said. "Zelena's definitely been here - with the baby." She shook the baby rattle, and Regina turned and walked toward her.

"Well, then - you've just saved us extra time and effort." She grabbed the rattle out of Emma's hand. "This belongs to the baby, so a simple tracking spell will do the trick."

She walked back over to the shelves, studying them a moment before picking out a small bottle of blue liquid. She unstoppered the bottle, sprinkling a liberal amount over the rattle, which immediately began to glow and float up into the air.

"Now all we have to do is follow it," Regina said, closing the wall panel back up. Emma kept her eye on the rattle, walking behind it as it floated out toward the main hall, but instead of moving toward the door, it floated up the staircase. She turned and looked at Hook.

"The baby's here - in the castle!"

She raced up the stairs behind the rattle, with Hook and Regina following close behind. After a few turns and another set of stairs, the rattle hovered in front of a closed door in one of the turret rooms. Emma tried the knob, pressing her ear to the door.

"I can't hear anything," she said.

"These doors are several inches thick," Hook replied. "These rooms are made to house prisoners, so they're kept as soundproof as possible." He stepped forward, pushing her out of the way.

"Allow me." He pulled a twisted piece of wire from his vest pocket, taking only a moment to get the lock open. He turned the knob, then gave the door a kick. It sprung open, bouncing off the wall in the process. A baby's wail cut the air and the nurse - who had been dozing in a nearby chair - leapt to her feet to move to the crib. Her head turned just as Emma walked through the doorway.

"My lady! Don't - "

"Emma!" Hook shouted, seeing the alarm on the nurse's face.

They weren't fast enough. A bright light washed over Emma, holding her immobile. It flared up, then it was gone, and then she slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Hook rushed forward, cradling her head, putting his hand to her chest and sighing with relief at the feel of her heartbeat under his fingers.

"What's happened to her?' He looked up at Regina with panicked eyes.

"That _bitch._" Regina said with a grimace. "She set up a triggering spell." She crouched down, passing a hand in the air down Emma's body, suffusing her in a purple glow. She rocked back on her heels with a look of disgust.

"It was meant to kill whoever walked through the door first," she continued. "Emma's magic saved her life, but the spell took the magic from her."

"She's lost her powers?" Hook said, raising his brows.

"Yes."

Hook ran his hand over Emma's hair, smoothing it off her face. "Why isn't she waking?"

"That was a hell of a hit," Regina said. "She's going to need a few minute to recover."

"I tried to warn her," the nurse said, coming up behind Regina. "The witch put up the spell to keep us in."

"How is he?" Regina asked, looking over at the baby.

"She. And she's fine, but not for much longer, I fear, if we don't leave this place quickly." The nurse looked fearfully toward the door.

Emma let out a groan, and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Welcome back, love. His thumb grazed her jaw. "Can you sit up?"

Emma nodded, and he put a supportive arm behind her back.

"Whoa," she said, obviously having some vertigo. "Why do I feel so funny?"

"Because Zelena took your magic," Regina said. "Your powers are gone."

Emma closed her eyes. "Not again." She opened them up and looked up at Regina. "It's all on you now. But you're going to need white magic to do it."

"We can talk about that later," Hook said, helping Emma slowly to her feet. "Right now, we need to get that baby out of here before the witch returns."

Emma looked at the nurse. "Any idea where she's gone or when she'll be back?"

"She said something to The Dark One about getting a sword. She needed it," the nurse supplied, helpfully. "But I've no idea where or how long she'll be gone."

"The sword to represent courage," Hook said. "But whose?"

"It could be anyone," Regina said. "A soldier, a knight, a king..."

Emma's eyes widened. "A soldier." She looked at Hook. "Mulan. That sword of hers is the strongest blade in all the realms."

"And she's the epitome of courage," Hook said. "Her bravery and loyalty are obvious to anyone."

"So while Zelena's kept us busy here, she's going after the last piece of the puzzle?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, but she doesn't know we were successful getting the baby," Emma said. "We need to get out of here and get to Mulan. Regina, can you get the baby to safety?"

"I know just where to hide her," Regina said. "Leave it to me." She motioned the nurse toward the door, reaching down to pick up another blanket for the baby along the way. Hook looked down at Emma, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked.

"Yeah." She nodded, "Just a little rattled."

"You need to stop scaring me like this, Swan."

She gave him a look. "This from the guy who keeps dying in front of me?"

"And here we are. Surviving again." Hook gave her a crooked grin.

"Two peas in a pod," she said, smiling back. "C'mon. Let's tempt fate some more by getting between Zelena and Mulan."


	27. Hero

They came upon Mulan and the Merry Men just as night was beginning to fall. They weren't far out from the castle and appeared to be on their way back. A few of the merry men were nursing wounds and one man was missing. Mulan stepped forward as they approached.

"Stay right there," she warned. "You need to prove to me that you are who you appear to be."

"You once got into a fight with my mother when you tried to cut down a beanstalk with me on it," Emma answered her. Hook's head swiveled around.

_"What?"_

"I couldn't risk you reaching the ground if you double-crossed me and killed me up there," she replied.

"You thought I was going to _kill_ you?"

Emma sighed in exasperation. "I didn't know you back then. We'd only just met. And who knows what - "

"Enough!" Mulan sheathed her sword. "I'm convinced."

Emma put up a hand. "Not so fast. Your turn."

Mulan nodded. "Of course. When we first met Hook, you were the only one smart enough to figure out who he really was." She gave him a look. "Did you get the globe?"

"We did better than that," Emma replied. "We found the baby. Regina's hiding her now."

"I'll send word back to Primrose and Marcus. They've returned to their castle." She motioned one of the Merry Men over, dispatching him to catch up to the King and Queen. Then she turned back to Emma and Hook. "We were attacked just before we reached them."

"I take it they were unsuccessful," Hook said. "Since you still possess your sword."

"Yes. She targeted me, but my blade was able to repel them," Mulan replied. "Perhaps I should swap it out - that way if they're successful, they won't have my true sword."

"It wouldn't make a difference," Emma said, shaking her head. "It's not the sword, but the courage that's behind it. It's a symbolic thing."

"Perhaps Mulan has the right idea," Hook suggested. "If she goes into hiding, as we've done with the child, that would set Zelena back even further."

"He's right," Emma said. "Now that she's tipped her hand, we should take advantage of it and take away another of her ingredients."

"Courage isn't that rare," Mulan said, shaking her head. "She'll just shift to another target. She'll take Robin's sword, or something from one of the Merry Men. It's better if I stay and fight with you."

"But that's the kind of courage I'm talking about," Emma said, gesturing at her. "Even when you know it's you that she's after you still want to fight to save the rest of us. That kind of courage isn't so easily found."

Mulan looked at her for a long moment. "I'll consider it. In the meantime, we should get back to the castle. We're too exposed out here."

She gave a signal to the Merry Men, then turned back to the road. Emma and Hook fell in behind them all.

"I see that Mulan hasn't changed her mind about me," Hook remarked.

"She's never been an overly-friendly sort," Emma pointed out. "But she's good to have watching your back."

They walked in silence for a few moments, then Hook spoke again.

"You really thought I was going to kill you at the top of the beanstalk?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for Pete's sake. It was a possibility. I considered it."

"I could have just thrown you off the bloody beanstalk. Why would I wait for the top?"

"I think my Mother, Mulan and Aurora would have been a little put off by my body landing at the bottom," Emma said wryly. "They would have cut the stalk down for sure. You could have arranged an accident or something. It would have been cleaner."

"Oh, you mean I could have chained you up or something? Left you for the giant to find? Taken the compass and abandoned you, turning my back on the deal we'd made? Something like that?"

She stopped in her tracks, turning to look at him. "You're _still_ salty about that, aren't you?"

He rubbed his ear uncomfortably. "There aren't many men who can say they've bested me, and certainly none of them are living now. Yet you did it more than once. It is a bit irksome."

Emma gave him a smug grin. "Maybe you just have a soft spot for me."

He reached out for her, pulling her closer. "I wouldn't call it '_soft'_ at all, love." He gave her a slow, purposeful grin. "And if we can find a bed for the evening, perhaps I'll let you best me again. And again."

"I'll hold you to that," she said. "But for now, we really should - "

A screeching sound cut her off, and Mulan's shout of "Take cover!" sent her running for the trees, with Hook close behind her. The monkeys swooped down, shrieking and snapping their fangs, their wings beating a pounding cacophony. Mulan stepped forward, her blade flashing through the air as they circled and dove toward her.

"Mulan!" Emma rushed out, running toward her.

"Emma! You don't have magic!" Hook's shout echoed as he followed her, drawing his cutlass. Emma came to her senses a second later, once Hook's words registered, and she drew her dagger, just as a monkey's hind feet latched onto her arm, twisting until the dagger fell from her grip. Its claws reached out for her throat, but a moment later it was pulled hard by his fur, and the creature screamed and turned, wings beating furiously, to attack Hook.

It was dispatched quickly by Hook's cutlass, but not before another set it's sights on Emma, swooping down toward her. Hook grabbed Emma by the collar of her shirt, pulling her down and behind him, slashing at the monkey as it howled and screamed in pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mulan being driven down to one knee, her sword being pulled from her hand and he shifted in front of her, hacking at the animal until it loosed it's grip. He felt the creature's claws tearing at the side of his neck, raking down his chest and he groaned in pain, but raised his cutlass again, holding him off until Mulan gained her feet and ran the creature through.

The rest of the monkeys flew off abruptly, as though ordered back by some unheard command. Hook sunk to his knees, his hand clasped to the side of his throat, coated in blood.

"Killian!" Emma grabbed him, lowering him onto his back and putting her hand tight over his. "Hold on. Hold on." Her eyes were wild and she glanced over at Mulan, who was tearing a long strip of material from the bottom of her shirt.

"Here - bind it up with this."

Emma nodded, encouraged to see that Killian's eyes were still clear and bright. "Okay, on three. One, two, three." She moved her hand and so did Killian, and she was further relieved to see that while the wound was jagged and long, it wasn't gushing blood. He wasn't entirely out of danger, but he wasn't going to bleed to death in front of her, either. She bound his neck up as tightly as she could without compromising his airflow, then she peeled open his shirt to look at his chest. He winced as she peeled the leather away.

"Does it hurt very badly?" she asked.

"The blood matted to my chest hair, which is more than a little painful," he tried to grin. "And the bastard ripped my vest."

"Your chest," she clarified. "Does your chest hurt?"

He raised his brows. "Now that you mention it, it hurts bloody awful."

"Bloody awful is accurate," she said, looking down at him. "It's bloody and it's awful, but I don't think they hit anything vital. You can thank your black leather for that."

He looked pained. "My black leather _is_ vital, love. They've ruined my whole look."

She took another bandage from Mulan, pressing it onto his chest wound. "I have to get that shirt off you."

He raised a brow and she gave him a smirk. "Come on," she said, helping him sit up. She managed to put a makeshift bandage in place, staunching the worst of it, but he was still going to lose blood until they got him taken care of properly.

"We need to get him back to the castle," Emma said, as she and Mulan helped him up to his feet. He leaned heavily into Emma, more than a little weak from blood loss.

Mulan nodded. "I have healing herbs there, and we can stitch him up."

"Regina can heal him," Emma said. "Let's go."

Mulan held Hook's eyes for a moment. "Thank you for your assistance," she said brusquely, then she gave him a short nod and moved off to join the others.

Hook raised his brows. "I think she's warming to me."

Emma smirked. "She saw you shirtless. It works for me." She glanced down at his wounds again, lowering her voice. "Now tell me truthfully - is this all from claws, or did it sink its teeth into you?"

"Claws," he replied. "Thankfully, I managed to keep it's jaws off me. Why? There's not much you could do if I turned into a murderous simian anyway."

"I'd think of something," Emma said. "I'd tie you up or something until we could find a cure. But if Mulan knew, she'd likely use that sword on you right now."

Hook's jaw tightened. "She'd be right to do it. If that should happen, you can't be trying to save me, love. I'd be just as likely to kill you while you're trying to subdue me."

She wrapped her arm tighter around his waist, balancing him as they began to walk. "I wouldn't just let you fly off and become her monkey assassin."

"You could always find me later," he said. "I'd be the devilishly handsome simian who's reaching for your breasts."

Emma shook her head. "You are definitely okay."

###

Emma wrapped the towel around her hair, rubbing it around and drying it as best she could. It felt good to have a bath. She'd let Killian have first shot at the bathtub, since he needed to wash off all the blood. Regina had healed his wounds and restored his energy, but he was having a hard time getting over all that ripped leather.

After running a brush through her hair, she wrapped the towel around her body, and stepped out into the bedroom. Killian was laying on the bed on his stomach, both arms wrapped around the pillow, his beautiful lashes fanning his cheeks. She paused a moment to add a couple of logs to the fireplace, then padded across the thick carpet to sit on the edge of the bed.

She reached out gently, running her fingers through his hair.

"I almost lost you today," she said softly. She broke into a gentle smile. "Whoever thinks that you aren't a hero needs to have their head examined."

She leaned down, kissing his cheek, then squeaking with surprise when his arm came around her.

"'Bout time, love. I was beginning to think you'd drowned in there." He pulled her down and across him, rolling once to move her next to him. He settled himself on his elbow, keeping his body half-over hers.

"You're naked," Emma noted.

"And you're almost naked," he replied, reaching for the towel. He pulled it out from under her, tossing it to the floor. "There now. That's better."

"I still need that," she said. "I need to finish drying my hair."

"Ah. Well, that's best done before the fire. Come along." He sat up, pulling her with him. He grasped her hand, pulling her over to the thick carpet, where he reached down, spreading the towel. "Lie down with your head on the towel. I'll only be a moment." He padded off toward the washroom, and Emma eyed his tight backside with interest as he walked away. He returned a moment later with the brush.

"Lie down," he commanded again. "We'll spread that glorious mass out on the towel and I'll give it a good brush so the fire can warm it."

She raised her eyebrows. "I never figured you for a ladies' maid."

"I have many talents, love. This is just a taste." His grin made her feel warm all over, and she dutifully laid her head on the towel as he cupped the back of her head, sliding her hair out from beneath her. Then she closed her eyes, giving herself up to the tug and pull of the brush, and then his fingers as they worked through the knots in her hair. She'd only just registered that he'd stopped when she felt his lips grazing the inside of her hipbone, and the slow swirl of his tongue made her arch up, opening her eyes with a surprised sound.

"Easy, love," he crooned, moving her leg so that he could get between them. "Just relax and let's see if we can get you burning hotter than the fire."

And then his mouth was moving with determined precision down the soft skin of her belly, his lips warm as they planted tiny, plucking kisses along the insides of her thighs, tormenting her and teasing her with flicks of his tongue and light brushes of his fingers until she was begging him for it. Then with a soft chuckle, his mouth closed over her, pulling at her, his tongue sliding deep and then backing off, teasing softly until her fingers buried themselves in his hair, gripping him as every muscle and nerve in her body tightened and fused under the incandescent heat of his talented mouth. She writhed beneath him, burning from the inside out until she ignited, the pleasure arcing through her, radiating through every bit of her and leaving her shaking and slack-limbed in the aftermath.

Before she could float back to earth again, he was sliding into her, and her body, to her surprise, was more than ready to take another journey with him, moving with him and wrapping her legs around him to pull him deeper. They rolled away from the fire, still on the rug, but in no need of its heat - they were making plenty of their own. Hook looked up at Emma, certain he was going to burn alive from the sheer feel of her, the silken heat of her wrapped around him as she moved, the pressure of her thighs against his legs, the brush of her hair as it hit his belly and thighs, and the sight of her - oh, God, the sight of the firelight on her breasts, her head thrown back, biting her lip as she rode him. His fingers dug into her hip as she let out a long moan, tightening around him, and he let himself go up in flames with her.

They laid in a heap, insensate for a good, long while.

"Can we just stay here," Emma groaned. "I don't think I can walk."

"Don't ask me," Killian replied. "I think I've been dead for several minutes. I could not possibly have survived that."

Emma rolled off him clumsily, and Killian smiled, reaching for her hand.

"Hate to tell you this, love, but one of us is going to have to get up eventually either to get a blanket, or build up the fire."

"Well, you're the resident hero today. I nominate you."

He turned his head to look at her. "But I'm still weak. Loss of blood, you know."

She turned her head to look back at him. "You are _not_ weak."

He reached out, cupping her face, his eyes softening. "I'm weak where you're concerned. You scared the hell out of me today."

"You did the same to me," she said, reaching out to push a lock of hair off his forehead. "And that's not weak. Caring for somebody that much - it's strength. Not weakness."

They looked at each other for a long, charged minute. Finally, Killian spoke.

"I suppose we'd better move to the bed before we start this again and we both end up with a wicked case of rug burn."

He didn't have to tell her twice.


	28. Longings

When they made their way downstairs the next morning, they were greeted by the sight of Regina, sitting at the table in the main hall, cooing strangely at a mouse in a cage.

Killian raised a brow at Emma and she raised one of her own in return.

"You all right there, Regina?" Emma asked. "I never figured you for a pet person."

"Oh, I've had pets," Regina said over her shoulder. "Mine were just of the shirtless and muscular variety."

Emma slid into a chair next to her as Killian took a seat on the other side of the table. "Before we get too cozy, hadn't we better verify she is, in fact, Regina?" he reminded.

Regina sighed, looking over at Emma. "I once punched you outside a mausoleum."

"And I kissed your pet, which led to the punch," Emma replied.

"Beg pardon?" Killian said, his face darkening.

"Stow it," said Emma. "It was long before you." She reached for a roll from the platter in the middle of the table, and a cluster of grapes. "What's your new pet's name?" she asked, gesturing with a piece of roll.

"You know, I forgot to ask," Regina said, smiling. She glanced up toward the stairs. "I'll be taking the spell off for her feeding soon, so I told the nurse to come downstairs at daybreak."

Emma's jaw dropped. "Is that...?"

Regina nodded. "The baby? Yes." She reached into the cage, lifting the sleeping mouse carefully up into her hand. "I disguised her, and I'll disguise her nurse before they travel out later this morning. Once she's fed, she'll be a simple little mouse, traveling with a rather large, toothless gentleman."

"You don't think Zelena knows she's here?" Emma asked.

"Not likely. I transformed four mice into four identical babies, who are right now being escorted to four different corners of the kingdom. I'm sure she'll be chasing after them for awhile."

"That's brilliant," Killian observed. "I assume word has been sent to the Queen and King regarding a rendezvous point?"

"All taken care of," Regina said. The little mouse stirred slightly in her palm. "Will you hold her a moment?" Regina asked Killian. "I'll go and find the nurse."

Hook held out his hand, and Regina laid the sleeping mouse carefully down on his palm. The mouse rubbed its head into his palm, settling in. A smile tugged at the corner of Killian's mouth. "She's a charmer even as a mouse."

Regina looked slightly taken aback - Captain Hook had a soft side? Who knew. She gave him an appraising look, then she waved her hand. A plume of smoke surrounded the mouse and Hook's hand, and he quickly moved his arm into his body as he felt the weight increase in his palm.

"What the - " he shifted the now-back-to-normal baby over into the crook of his other arm, adjusting her so that she wasn't in danger of falling. The baby reached out both hands as she stretched in her sleep, taking hold of his finger and then falling back into slumber with a contented sigh.

"Sorry," Regina said only semi-apologetically. "But I just had to see this." She pushed up from her seat and headed for the stairs, smirking at him once more over her shoulder.

"You want me to take her?" Emma offered, rolling her eyes at Regina.

"No, no...you eat your breakfast," he said, shaking the baby's hand lightly with his finger. "I've got the situation under control."

"Keep shaking her arm like that and she's going to wake up." Emma warned.

"Do they really awaken that easily?"

"Do I look like an expert on babies?" Emma answered.

"You're a parent," he pointed out. "And a damn good one."

She warmed under his praise. "You really think so?"

He smiled at her. "Yes. I really do. You'd do anything for Henry."

"Yeah, well, I may have come to him too late for the baby years, but I'm doing my best to make up for it now." She looked a little melancholy. "I wish I had those years back, though. I bet he was a really cute baby."

"Since he's yours, it's a certainty," Killian said, smiling down at the baby. "I think she likes me."

"You're just winning hearts right and left," Emma observed. "First Mulan and now a princess."

The baby arched her back, stirring in his arms, her mouth opening and lips smacking slightly. Her face began to screw up a bit. Killian looked panicked for a moment, then he slowly moved his hand to rub soothing circles on the baby's belly. She quieted again, her lips pursing.

"It appears I'm a natural," he said, smiling over at Emma.

She was looking at him with a really odd look on her face.

"What?" he asked. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Uh...no." Emma was embarrassed to be staring at him like that. "No, I just..." she wasn't quite sure how to go on, so she stopped.

He gave her a look that said he knew she was evading. "You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

"What?"

"How completely and overwhelmingly attractive our child would be. Why, the mind practically boggles. With parents the like of us, our child would be blinding in its beauty."

Emma laughed, looking away. "Keep dreaming."

He was silent a moment, running his fingers lightly over the top of the baby's downy-soft hair. "Do you ever think about it?" he asked quietly. "Having another child, I mean? You're still young enough."

She froze, looking at him with wary eyes. "I'm in my thirties."

"Not far into them."

"I have Henry, and besides, what do I know about babies?" she protested. "It's probably best Henry didn't meet me until he was older. I would have dropped him on his head and fed him nothing but Starbucks and Pop-Tarts."

"You're selling yourself short, Swan. You'd be an exemplary mother. And you wouldn't be alone - you've got a family to support you."

She shook her head, as if to clear it from the thoughts he'd just planted there. "I have a lot on my plate right now, if you'll remember. And item one is getting that kid to safety."

"And then we get my heart back," Regina interjected, re-entering the hall with the nurse, who gave Killian a smile and took the baby from his arms.

"While keeping her green claws off of Mulan," Emma added. "Speaking of Mulan...where is she?"

"She's laying low out in the stables with a few of the Merry Men," Regina said. "I'll be disguising her as well and she'll accompany the nurse and baby."

"That takes care of two problems; safety for the baby and hiding Mulan. Smart thinking." Emma said. She glanced around the hall curiously. "Where's Henry?"

"He's helping Robin hunt for dinner," Regina said. "I think he's a bit starstruck."

"Can you blame him?" Emma said.

"What?" Hook suddenly looked up from the hot cross bun he was eating.

"I mean, he's a big deal as far as fairy tales go," Emma placated.

"As are certain other...dashing figures," Hook said, grumpily.

"The first time he met you, you tried to kill his grandfather," Emma reminded him.

"Aye," Hook remembered, suddenly growing quiet."And then I took off with your bean and left you all to die."

"Killian..." she reached across the table for his hand, but he was on his feet. "I'll go and speak with Mulan," he said tightly. "Any other battle strategy she can impart before she leaves could be of use to us." He strode out of the hall, his bootheels ringing on the stone floor. Emma watched him go with a sigh.

"He's right, you know," Regina said.

Emma looked up at her. "No, he's not. None of this is right."

###

"Do you have what I require?" Zelena asked, pacing the floor impatiently.

The monkey screeched from above, lowering itself down to the floor beside her. It uncurled its paw, and a glittering light filled the room.

"Perfect," she smiled, stroking the animal's head as she reached down. "This will do the trick quite nicely." She moved over to the table, picking up a bottle and smashing the bottom down hard, once, twice, and a final time.

"That should be enough." She scooped the glittering bits off the table, opened the bottle, and added them to the liquid inside. She gave it a swirl, watching it glow for a moment before absorbing into the fluid, becoming indistinguishable. She gave the bottle a cursory smell just to be sure before she nodded, satisfied. She replaced the bottle on the shelf on the wall, then waved her hand, removing all traces of her work.

"And now, we wait," she said.

"The monkey let out a screech again, gesturing toward the window.

"What?" Zelena snapped. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? This is the opportunity I was waiting for!" She waved the monkey away impatiently, and it climbed back up, exiting the room. Zelena gave one last look around, glancing calmly out at the sea, visible through the cabin window.

"Now, my dear captain...the rest is up to you."

She vanished in a plume of smoke.

###

"We need a direct attack, is what we need," Regina argued. "I'm not going to sit here and just wait for her to pick us off one at a time."

"And I agree," said Emma, trying to keep her temper, "But you can't win this with dark magic, Regina, I _know_."

"There are types of magic here that I wouldn't have been able to access in Storybrooke," Regina said in exasperation. "Stuff that would rock her green head right off her boney shoulders. You have no idea what I can hit her with."

"I'm telling you - it. won't. work." Emma gritted out. "You have to hit her with white magic, disable her and take that emerald of hers. Galinda was very clear about that."

"And that will be easier to do if her scrawny neck is in my hands, won't it?" Regina answered with a smile.

"Perhaps we should consider elements of both," Killian suggested. "It might be prudent - "

"It's venison for dinner tonight," Robin called out as he came through the doorway. They all turned to greet him and at that same moment, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Regina!"

She raised a brow. "Yes?"

"How are you here?" He asked, his eyes wide and wary.

Emma stood up slowly. "What does that mean?"

"I just left you. With Henry. You met us as we were approaching the castle. You even volunteered personal information to identify yourself," he added apologetically, reaching for the quiver of arrows that he'd just put down.

Emma, Regina and Killian were already in motion.

"What the hell did I tell you?" Regina snapped.

"That you'd killed someone I knew," he exclaimed, joining them as they ran out the door.

"That would apply to most of the kingdom!" She shouted back.

"Which way did they go?" Killian asked, his eyes scanning the castle grounds.

"I thought they were coming back inside," Robin said. "I went directly to the smokehouse to deposit our kill."

They stopped in the center of the courtyard, all of them turning to look around.

"He's gone."

Rumpelstiltskin's quiet voice came from directly behind them and they all whirled around.

"Where did she take him?" Regina gritted out.

"You know I can't tell you that," Rumpel answered. "But allow me to give you one piece of advice." He turned his head and look pointedly at Killian.

"Do not think you can coast right through this. You cannot win against Zelena, not without Miss Swan's formidable brand of power."

"Gold - Rumpelstiltskin...you have to help us," Emma begged. "She has Henry. Your grandson."

"I'm well aware of who Henry is, Miss Swan. But I'll repeat this for your sake: Any plan you have will fail as surely as the sun rises in the east."

And with that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"That bastard," Regina fumed.

"He's under her control," Emma reminded her. "He can't help us."

"But he did," Killian said, stroking his beard with his fingers. "He told us where we need to go."

"Come again?" Emma looked at him questioningly.

"We need to get to the ship - which is moored on the coast - and sail east."

"Clever," Regina remarked. "But how do we know he's not setting you up?"

"It could go either way," Robin agreed.

"Or he could have been trying to protect his grandson any way he could," Emma said. "He tried to find a way around before, in my reality. He'd try it again, I'm sure of it."

"I'll take the ship and follow his directions," Killian said. "The rest of you stay here. If it's a trap, you'll know soon enough."

Emma shook her head vehemently. "I'll know because I'll be there, too. If he's really giving us a clue, I'll be going with you."

"No. You stay here with Regina. She'll need support." Killian argued.

"She's got support."

"Indeed she does," Robin interjected.

"See?" Emma gestured at Robin. "He's got her back, and I've got yours."

"I haven't a prayer of talking you out of this, have I?" he asked in exasperation.

"Not a prayer. Let's go."


	29. Into The Wind

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Emma asked once they'd shoved off. Killian kept his eye on the horizon, adjusting the wheel as he spoke.

"I believe so. There's an archipelago to the east, mostly small, insignificant islands, but one large port on the main island of the cluster, a place known as Lonely Isle."

"Lonely Isle," Emma repeated. "That sounds...cheery."

She pushed off the railing where she'd been leaning. "How long?"

"We'll be there by nightfall," Killian reassured her.

"And what if he's not on the main island?" Emma said, pacing back and forth. "What if Zelena took him someplace else."

Killian shook his head. "She wants us to find him, Swan. My guess is, she wants to make a trade."

"Henry for the baby," Emma said flatly.

"Aye."

"We can't do that."

"No, we can't," he agreed.

"But why draw us away? She could have offered that trade at the castle."

"That," Killian said, tying off the wheel, "Is a very good question. Perhaps she's trying to get us away from the castle, in which case, finding Regina there should throw her plans off nicely."

"Or maybe there's something she plans to spring on us," Emma suggested. "Is the island inhabited by wild, flying monkeys?"

Killian tapped a finger to his lips thoughtfully. "It's possible that she's after your courage. Making you fight for your son."

"That's not courage. Any mother would go after her kid."

"Sadly, that's not always true," he reminded her. "And what she plans for you when you get there might be the strongest test of all."

"Yeah? And what if it's Henry she's testing?"

Emma ran a hand through her hair, falling back against the railing again. Killian's eyes softened, and he stepped over, encircling her in his arms. She laid her head against his shoulder.

"We'll find him, love. I swear to you, we will," he promised, holding her tightly. "Henry has his mother's guts and smarts and survival skills from both his parents. She's no match for him."

Emma let out a long sigh. "I'm just so tired of everyone I love being in constant jeopardy."

Killian pulled back, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Ah, but that's what love is, Swan. You've always got to be looking out for them. Even when they can handle things for themselves."

She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"How do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"You have a real knack for saying exactly the right thing."

He started to smile, but she held up a hand. "I'm serious," she continued. "I've always noticed that about you, but I've never let you know. For a pirate, you're pretty insightful."

He flushed under her praise, his eyes dropping. "Ah, Swan. And you always see things in me that no one else does."

She reached out, touching his face and bringing his eyes to hers again. "I do see you," she said softly. "From the moment we climbed that beanstalk together, I've known there was more to you than what everyone else saw."

"And...?" A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

She let out a huff of air on a laugh. "And it scared the hell out of me, if you want to know the truth."

He grinned widely now. "I scared _you_? Swan, you were positively terrifying."

She gave him an eyeroll and he stroked her jaw, with his thumb. "There I was, a fearsome pirate, trembling in my boots because this woman burst into my life and made me _feel_ things again. I'd spent centuries staying away from all of that. So, in typical pirate fashion, I decided to conquer my fears and brazen my way through."

Emma raised a brow. "So much for playing it safe."

He pulled her in, his mouth hovering just above hers. "I've always had a taste for danger," he said, brushing her lips lightly once, and again, before she slid her arms around him, deepening the kiss.

He kissed her long and lingeringly, content merely to share what moments he could in the middle of the mayhem. Finally, he managed to pull himself away.

"Careful, love," he said. "A man's like to get ideas from a kiss like that."

"That was the point." She looked up at him expectantly.

He looked at her warily. "I would have thought you had your mind on other things."

"I do. That's the problem." She closed her eyes briefly. "We've got hours before we reach this island, and nothing to do but sit and think and worry about it." She opened her eyes again, reaching out to take his hand and press his fingers to chest. "You have a way of making me forget all that."

His fingers splayed into the opening of her shirt, shifting across to graze the soft skin of her breast. His eyes darkened, and he kissed her once more, pulling her in tighter against him.

"On the deck, or in a bed?" he murmured against her lips.

"Anywhere," she answered, kissing him back. "Anywhere where it's just the two of us."

###

Emma stirred, raising her head up off Killian's chest.

"What was that?"

"Just the wind picking up," he said, stifling a yawn. "There are crosswinds all through this stretch of the sea. I'll need to get back up on deck, love."

"How far out are we?"

He turned his head to look over at the fading rays of light hitting the window. "Not far now." He sat up slowly, running a hand down her back and leaving it resting a moment on her backside.

"You make it hard to leave, love." He reached for the bottle of rum on the shelf over the bed and helped himself to a swallow.

Emma stretched, yawning. "Same here. But we've got a job to do."

He extended his hand, helping her out of bed.

"Don't we always?"

###

"So what now?" Emma asked, looking around the jungle. "We just trek inland? Is there a city or castle or anything? Where do we start to look?"

"We pulled into the only port on the island, love," Killian pointed out, holding the low-hanging branch of a tree out of the way so that she could pass. "If Zelena's here, she knows that we are, as well."

Emma glanced around nervously. "Are you feeling this?"

Killian turned in a full circle, holding his cutlass out. "Aye. There's a strange foreboding. I suppose we known now why they call it Lonely Isle."

"I can feel eyes on me. Watching me." Emma grimaced. "Like they're nearby or - "

Before she could finish, a hand came out of the foliage behind her, wrapping around her throat and yanking her backwards into the thick, green jungle. Killian leaped forward with a shout as the hooded figure threw Emma out of the way with a tremendous amount of force. She slammed into a tree, sliding down to the ground as Killian slashed out with his cutlass, hacking at the figure again and again.

The swordsman was good, meeting every parry, every slash, his cloak flying about him as he drove Killian back toward a tree. He had almost succeeded in pinning Killian down when a large rock came crashing down on his skull and he just...vanished. One moment he was there, and the next, he was gone.

"Did you get a good look at him?" Emma panted.

Killian shook his head, his own breathing labored. He flexed his hand while circling his arm. "No, I didn't. But he's quite the formidable foe. He's an expert swordsman, whoever he is. He anticipated my every move." His eyes shifted to Emma's forehead. "You're hurt." He stepped forward, sheathing his cutlass and pulling the scarf from around his neck. He dabbed at her forehead with it.

"It's just a cut," she protested. "I got the wind knocked out of me, though." She looked around. "Do you think Zelena sent him?"

"I'm certain of it. For all we know, he _was_ Zelena."

"No," Emma shook her head. "Zelena wouldn't have given up. Besides, she has magic and I don't. She would have won that one easy."

"Maybe she doesn't want to win. Maybe she's testing the waters. We still have something she needs." He pressed the scarf to her forehead again.

"Give me that," she said, swiping it from him and draping it around her neck. "I'll just keep it here - if it drips in my eyes, I've got it handy."

"I'm not terribly fond of the sight of you bleeding," Killian complained, eyeing her head critically. "Here, let me..." he reached for her once again, but his hand closed around emptiness as Emma was jerked back off her feet again, this time by the scarf about her throat. The hooded figure was dragging her as her fingers clutched and clawed at the scarf that was now cutting off her air supply.

Killian drew his cutlass again and the figure whirled, waving a careless hand toward Emma. The scarf wound around a tree, trapping her against it, but she managed to get her fingers under the edge of the scarf, pulling it out slightly and drew in a deep, shuddering breath. Killian brought the cutlass down in an arc, strong enough to disembowel whoever it was under that robe, only to have his blade suddenly meet the blade of the assailant. He quickly brought his hook around toward the villain's neck, and a second later it hit cold, hard metal.

"What the devil...?" Killian staggered back, having a hard time believing what he was seeing. The figure tossed the hood of it's cloak back - its eyes were dark as night - but there was no mistaking that slow, taunting grin. He was looking at himself. Hook. But a darker, somehow bastardized version. Killian shook his head as if to clear it, and Hook gave him a low chuckle.

"You can't win this fight, mate." He cast a glance over his shoulder. "Look at her...all you do is bring danger into her life. You can't save her. You never could. She's going to die, just like Milah."

"Who are you?" Killian demanded. "What are you playing at?"

Emma looked from one to the other, having a hard time believing this herself. How in the hell? It was as though someone had conjured all the dark parts of Killian's soul and put them into flesh. How did Zelena even know about those demons? How did she...

"Killian!" Emma screamed suddenly. "Night Root! Somehow, she gave you Night Root!"

He jumped back as the figure took a swipe at him, and then slashed toward his legs.

"Back away now, Killian" Hook taunted. "You're a coward. Always running, always looking for the easy way out. You don't have time to be a hero. You're too busy saving your own skin."

"Killian, listen to me," Emma shouted, trying to be heard over the sound of their cutlasses and hooks meeting, clanging, parting and striking again as they circled and parried and feinted in near-perfect unison. "Night Root is what Zelena gave David. It forces you to fight yourself!"

"And...?" Killian called back.

"That's how she took his courage!" Emma replied. "He beat himself, and she took his courage!"

Killian's brow crinkled. "That's not helping!" He shouted back, barely avoiding a solid slash to his mid-section.

"Don't listen to her," Hook taunted, jabbing with the tip of his cutlass as they circled each other. "Just put your sword down, and go. I won't follow you. Walk back to the ship, turn her into the wind and go. Live the life you really want to live."

Killian shook his head. "I don't want a life without Emma in it."

"You're not the man for her," Hook answered, laughing in his face. "She deserves a good man. A hero. Someone selfless." He shook his head, sneering. "You might be a pleasant diversion, but it'll never be you. You're a bloody pirate. She wants more than that. She deserves more than that."

"She does," Killian agreed. "But I'm here all the same. And I can be the man she needs."

"You don't believe that," Hook said mockingly. "You aren't fooling me. Or her. Look at her!" Hook raised a brow, glancing over at Emma as she struggled wildly against the scarf, trying to get free. "Still playing the hero. Still willing to rescue you when you left her to die without a backward glance. And if it comes down to her or you - and I assure you, mate, it will - you'll still save your own skin."

Killian's jaw tightened. "No, I won't. You don't know me. I'm not you."

"Yes you are," Hook answered. "You _are_ me. You can't run from who you were...who you still are."

Killian's eyes flickered over toward Emma, and saw the slight hesitation in them. She pulled hard against the scarf.

"Don't listen to him! Killian - don't listen! You're not him! Not anymore!"

"What have you got to give her, _Killian,_" Hook taunted, "But a lifetime of wondering when you're going to turn your back again? If you're merciful, you'll do it sooner, and spare her the years." He brought his cutlass down, slashing, slicing, moving impossibly fast, backing Killian into a tree and bringing his cutlass to Killian's throat as Emma screamed his name.

"Well, what's it to be?" Hook asked. "Is it you? Or is it her? I think we both know how this is going to end."

Killian looked over at Emma, who had stopped struggling. She was very, very still, but her eyes carried a message that froze him where he stood. Her voice was the barest whisper.

"Killian...you're not him. I know you. I see who you are, and you are _not_ him. You're _my_ Killian, and..." she took a deep breath. "And I love you."

He felt the sting of the cutlass against his throat, and he pulled his eyes away from Emma, meeting Hook's black, soulless gaze head-on.

"Do it," he said quietly. "Take my life, because a life without her is no life at all."

"You don't mean that," Hook said, pressing the blade deeper.

Killian smiled back. "Ah, but I do."

And with a lightening-fast move, he kicked Hook's legs out from under him, following him down, holding his hook to his throat.

"You don't know me," he growled. "But I know you. I know every bit of the darkness you carry, and I pity you for it, but I am not that man anymore! Do you hear me? I AM NOT THAT MAN." He brought his cutlass down, ramming it in, and he vanished before his own eyes.

He pushed to his feet with a disgusted growl, and Emma felt herself come loose from her bonds. She took one step forward, and everything suddenly went black. She heard herself scream his name, and the sound of it grew to a cacophony, shrieking at ear-splitting decibels until she clapped her hands over her ears, closing her eyes tightly against the piercing, unrelenting sound.

And then there was silence.

"You all right there, Swan?"

She felt his hand on her shoulder, and his voice made her sag with relief.

"Emma!" he caught her as she collapsed against him. She opened her eyes cautiously, and his worried face filled her field of vision. "Are you all right?" he repeated.

"Yeah," she said shakily. "Yeah, I just...give me a minute, okay?"

"Are you sure you're all right?" His face was a mask of concern, but suddenly his eyes shifted somewhere over her left shoulder. "Not so fast!" he warned, bringing his cutlass up. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You told me to go first," Blackbeard answered, in a bored tone. "I'm only obliging."

Emma turned with a violent start, taking in her surroundings with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"I'm on the Jolly Roger!" she said, her eyes swinging back to meet Killian's. "We're all here!" Her face lit up with blinding joy.

Killian was good and worried now. "Emma, sit down, love. I'm going to walk this cur into the cabin to get the girl. You just...sit down."

"No!" Emma screamed. "No, wait!" She forced herself to calm down, to think. "I know I seem crazy, but you have to give me a minute, here. Okay?"

Killian looked at her warily. "What's this about, Swan?"

Her eyes swung over to Blackbeard, who was making a great study of his fingernails, as if he had better things to be doing. His hand rested lightly on his vest pocket.

_Think, Emma._...she willed her wayward thoughts into order.

"Wait - we haven't gotten the girl yet?" she asked Killian.

"We were just about to," he answered. "But I want you to stay here."

"Why now?" she said, mumbling to herself. "Why did it bring me back to now?" She looked down, then realization dawned on her face. "The decision! It brought me back to the moment you made the decision," she said, her eyes swinging to Blackbeard. "The moment you decided you were going to use the curse."

"Curse?" Killian said, raising his cutlass toward Blackbeard again. "What curse?"

"Now, now, Hook - " Blackbeard began, sliding his hand toward the opening of his pocket. Emma leaped forward, shoving his hand away and reaching into the pocket herself. She pulled the bean out, holding it up.

"I'll take that," she said smartly. She pulled her gun, training it solidly on Blackbeard's chest. "Killian?"

"D'you mind telling me how you knew that was in there?" Killian asked.

"I'll get to that. First things first. There is a girl down below. And somewhere in that cabin is a little glass bottle, filled with a very dark curse. He was trying to get into the cabin so that he could use it on you."

"How do you - ?"

"Later." She backed up, putting the bean into her pocket. "I'm going to go down there and get her - and the bottle. You stay here, and if he so much as twitches, I want you to gut him." She ran for the hatch, using her magic to pop it open, not even waiting for the keys. A few moments later, she emerged, her arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders and her fist firmly wrapped around the stoppered flask, it's dark contents swirling inside.

"D-did you save the others?" the girl asked. "My sister was in there - she's only seven."

"She's fine," Emma answered. "She's been taken someplace safe by - " She stopped, and her mouth stayed open. "She's waiting for you. Right over there. Right over there in the truck." Tears slipped out of Emma's eyes as a smile spread across her face. She walked the girl down the gangplank, her own legs shaking, almost afraid to look. Her eyes locked on his broad shoulders. His back was turned to her as he settled the children in the back of his truck, and as she approached, he turned around.

"We've got room for one more," he said kindly, smiling down at the girl. "Right up here." He swung her up into the truck, and when he turned back around again he found himself thrown into the side of the truck and Emma was holding him fiercely, unable to speak as the tears slid down her face.

"Emma?" David said, completely confused. He cradled the back of her head, wrapping the other arm around her tightly. He looked across at Killian, who'd followed her down the gangplank and then turned Blackbeard over to Grumpy for safekeeping. Killian shared David's look of alarm.

"Emma..." David pulled back, holding her by the shoulders. "What's going on?"

Emma gave a watery laugh, realizing she must look completely insane, but she didn't care. "We did it!" she exclaimed, hugging David tight again. He hugged her back, laughing awkwardly, waiting to be let in on the joke. She put a hand to his face, still finding it hard to believe he was right in front of her, full of life and warmth and kindness and all that was David. "We did it," she said again, softly.

"Swan?" Killian's voice was uncertain, and she turned slowly to look at him.

"_You_ did it," she said, stepping closer to him. "I knew you'd find your way."

"Find my way?" he raised a questioning brow.

"Back to me. Back to you." She reached up, sliding her hand behind his neck. "Back to us." She kissed him, long and hard and with every single ounce of joy she had in her body. Killian pulled back, his eyes bright and intensely curious.

"I have a feeling," he said, chucking her under the chin with a lopsided smile. "That this is going to be one hell of a story."


	30. Epilogue

_**Hello Readers! And thank you so much, all of you, for encouraging, reviewing, inspiring and sticking with me to the end of this story. This one was such a challenge, and so heartbreaking and emotional in places. And of course, we knew Killian would find his way back.**_

_**So we're ending this story, but as David would say, fear not! I have another Captain Swan mega-adventure simmering in my brain and this one is...WHOA. I actually jumped off the couch and squealed when it came to me. It's just going to be epic. And so very, very much fun. Expect that one to break sometime next week, probably toward week's end, because I'm spending the early part of the week finishing off book 3 of my Seeder Trilogy (yay!). Thanks so much to all of you who've bought the first two books and I really appreciate your patience waiting for book three. **_

_**Not many of you know my back story, but I'm a single Mom, I work a day job and I also blog professionally (PM me if you want the blog address), and in addition to my daughter, I also have a son on the autism spectrum. Life is chaos on a daily basis, and writing is my escape and my joy. All of you make me want to be better on a daily basis, and I can't thank you enough for it.**_

_**But enough about me. Let's wind this up and get back to our story...**_

* * *

><p>"The Hard-a-Lee," Killian said, shaking his head. "My God." He held the bottle up carefully to the light, and shook his head again. "You're telling me that I survived one of the most dastardly curses ever cast?"<p>

"And I didn't?" David interjected.

Emma leaned back in the booth. "It was...well, it was really something, let me tell you."

Snow reached out, squeezing Emma's hand across the table. "It sounds terrible." She turned to look at Killian. "I mean, I never realized just how many lives you affected by simply turning your ship around and doing the right thing."

"You can't imagine," Emma said, catching Killian's eye. She'd made the decision to keep some of those details to herself, but she wasn't fooling Killian. He could see the toll this latest adventure had taken on her. His hand closed over hers, resting there gently, warm and alive and just letting her know he was there.

"As if Blackbeard didn't have enough to answer for," David said. "What are we going to do with him? I don't want him here, but we can't let him go."

"I was all for dumping him overboard," Emma said, "But I guess it's a moot point now."

"Maybe not..." Snow mused.

"Snow! We can't just kill the man, no matter how vile he is," David said firmly.

"I agree," she said, "But why can't we throw him overboard? We've got a bean, right?"

"You want to use the bean to send that bastard back to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked, outraged. "He'll just start over again. Who knows how many kids he'll round up."

"Unless we don't send him back there," Killian suggested, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "What if we send him someplace else?"

"He'll go wherever he's focusing on," Emma reminded him. She raised a hand, waving to Belle and Gold as they walked through Granny's door. They approached the table.

"Is everything all right?" Belle asked. "You sounded...odd when you called, Emma."

"That's because she's had quite the morning. Isn't that right, Miss Swan?" Gold said, giving her a look of cool consideration.

Emma met his eyes. "You know what happened?"

"Not exactly," he said. "But I experienced something of a ripple effect - like a reshuffling of echoes."

"Killian got hit with the Hard-a-Lee," she explained.

Emma held up the bottle, and Gold's eyes widened slightly. "Well, well, well...now it all makes sense," he said. "Am I to infer that our latest villain is responsible for that?"

"Blackbeard threw it at Killian this morning," Emma answered. "I just spent several days with a man who sailed away with a magic bean and never came back."

Gold's eyes clearly showed his surprise. "He broke the curse himself?"

"Yeah," Emma answered. "How else did you think I got here?"

Gold flushed a bit. "Forgive me. I had assumed you'd found another way around." His eyes shifted from Emma to Killian.

"I wish I could feel accomplished," Killian answered him. "I've no memory of any of it."

"How is it you do?" Snow asked Emma curously. "Why weren't you affected?"

"According to Gold - the other one - it's because I was playing the Savior card again," Emma answered. "Only this time, my mission was Killian."

"So you saved me?" Killian said quietly.

"You saved yourself," Emma said adamantly. "I was just...moral support."

Killian twined his fingers with hers. "'Thank you' hardly seems sufficient."

"Don't mention it," she smirked. "Really. Don't mention it. It's done and I'm really glad that it is. In the meantime...back to our problem."

"Blackbeard." David said, grimly.

"And while we're on the subject," Emma said, holding the bottle out to Gold. "You should take this. Keep it safe and out of anyone else's hands."

Gold took the bottle. "I can lock it away - and I'll seal it with a protection spell for added safety. A curse this unpredictable is a menace to everyone."

"Just like Blackbeard," Snow said, raising her eyebrows. "Can you lock him away and seal him up, too?"

"I suppose killing him didn't cross your minds?" Gold remarked. "No, I suppose not."

"We have a magic bean," Emma said, keeping her voice low. "I know we ought to offer it to the townspeople - to anyone who wants to go home, but we can also use it to drop Blackbeard and his crew somewhere far away from us."

Killian leaned forward. "If we could find a way to choose his location for him, we'd have a solution to our problem," he said. "We could send him to Neverland."

Snow's eyes widened. "Neverland?"

"That's brilliant!" Bella exclaimed. "They'll never be able to get off the island, especially without a ship!"

"The place is deserted now. He can't hurt anyone there," David noted.

"We can manage that easily," Gold said quietly. "A simple controlling spell. I can tell him to choose Neverland. By the time the spell wears off, they'll all be relocated."

"But the townspeople..." Snow said. "A magic bean can take them home. It's not right to use it and not give them all a chance."

"We can plant it," David said. "Anton can have it growing soon enough. Then we harvest, and send the bastards away. We'll have beans left over for anyone who wants to go."

Snow smiled widely. "David! What a wonderful idea!"

"The crew is all locked up - they're not going anywhere," Emma noted.

"Very well, then," Gold said, nodding in agreement. "I'll leave you to your planting. Just let me know when you need my services." He turned to go, but stopped, looking back.

"My congratulations, Captain. I've never known anyone to come back from that curse. Once again, I've underestimated you."

Killian smiled, raising a brow. "People have a habit of doing that."

"Not anymore, we don't," Snow said, raising her glass. "To Hook."

"To _Killian_." Emma raised her glass as well.

David put his glass in the air, and he and Snow repeated: "To Killian!"

And Killian, the former dastardly and dashing villainous pirate captain, raised his mug, smiling at the woman he owed it all to.

###

"So now that we're all alone, Swan..."

"Yes...?

Emma looked up at him as he rested on one elbow on the bed. He'd led her over to it when they'd first gotten aboard, and pushed her down on her back. She was expecting her clothes to start flying off, but he seemed content to merely look at her.

"How did you do it?" he asked. "How did you get me to turn...good?"

She smiled slightly. "You were already good. You'd just lost your way for a little while."

"Swan..."

She pushed up on her elbows. "No, I mean it. Killian - you were still the same man you are now. The parts of you that made you fundamentally _you_ - they were all still there. Your sense of honor. Your sense of humor. Your survival instincts - "

"My love for you." He said it quietly, his eyes holding hers with an intensity that stopped her breath. She swallowed hard.

"And my love for you reminded you."

His eyes blazed with emotion, and he took in a sharp breath.

"Emma..." his lips met hers, and he pulled her into him fiercely, his hand tangling in her hair as he kissed her and kissed her, not bothering to come up for air. At last, he slowed, gentled, pulling his lips away reluctantly.

"It feels like I've waited an eternity to hear that," he smiled.

"You've heard it twice in one day, believe it or not." She smiled back uncertainly.

He smiled in answer. "You are incredibly brave," he said.

"Because I love a pirate?"

He raised a brow. "Everyone loves a pirate," he answered cheekily. "But I'm talking about you, Swan. After the hand life has dealt you, you've found the courage to love again. And today, you admitted it." He brushed his lips across hers once, then again. "And I happen to know firsthand just what that admission cost you."

She swallowed hard.

"Killian. I'm afraid."

He rested his forehead against hers, his hand stroking the skin of her neck.

"So am I. Terrified." He kissed her forehead softly. "But maybe...maybe that's all right, love. We can be afraid together."

She held his eyes "And then what?"

He moved back to his elbow again, stroking his hand slowly down the curve of her waist. "Well...I suppose we just...go with it. Consider it an adventure, love."

"I've had entirely too much adventure since I came here," she said dryly.

"An investment, then."

"In what?"

He leaned down, punctuating each word with a kiss. "In Happily. Ever. After."

She looked slightly troubled. "Do you really think that's possible for us?"

"Possible? Emma, some of the happiest moments of my life have been spent with you. Climbing beanstalks, dancing at your first ball, the way you steamed my leather in the jungle..."

She punched him in the arm for that one. "I'm serious. You know I don't have the greatest track record with relationships."

"Ah, but none of them were me, love," he pointed out, raising a brow. "I'll have you ridiculously happy and that's an end to it." His face turned a bit more serious, and he continued quietly. "You brought me back to myself by reminding me of who I was and believing I could be that man. Allow me to return the favor." He reached up, cupping her face.

"You are Emma Swan, savior of Storybrooke and one completely undeserving, formerly villainous pirate. You've got a heart as big as a kingdom and the guts and smarts to use it wisely. The fact that it took so long to win you just proves to me that you were so very worth it, love. And today, right here, you're in my arms and tomorrow is wide open. You and I can be anything, choose anything, become anything we want - together."

She closed her eyes at the power of his words, and gave herself up to the power of his body on hers.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Fantasy, Romance