Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is a short, 2 chapter CS AU. I had a sudden burst of inspiration and ended up writing something that was nearly 8K words, so I decided to break it into two pieces. I've also posted the fic on my Tumblr, so if that's more your style, you can read it there as well. Thanks for reading and please review! Part two will be posted soon!
Disclaimer: The song lyrics in italics and the title are taken from the song "Winter Hymns" by Charlie Simpson. I don't own any of that, or OUAT, the characters, or any similarities from the show, i.e.: lines taken directly from certain episodes.

my heart is in stormy weather

and the pain is all I have for now

and I'm homebound

"Get a dragon's egg, he said," Emma mutters to herself as she hoists herself up onto another rock ledge, "It won't be that hard, he said." She rolls her eyes to herself as she finally pulls herself up the last ledge, the dragon's egg warm in the satchel that's strapped across her body. She's covered in soot and feels like she's got a cut on her forehead, but she has the item she's been looking for, and in the moment, she feels like she can do anything.

When she finally reaches the top of the cavern (which had been nearly blown to smithereens by the dragon after Emma had swiped the egg, leaving her with almost no way out), she starts to laugh, partly in relief, and partly because she can't believe how her life has turned into this.

"Emma, Emma you have to run!" The sound of her father's voice is booming in her ears over the sound of a battle raging in the courtyard. The fear in his eyes is visible even to her at six years old.

"Emma, listen to your father. He's going to take you to your godmother, okay?" Tears are filling her mother's eyes, along with fierce determination.

"I don't want to go, I want to stay!" Emma will not cry, she will not, but she wants to, because this isn't fair.

"Emma, you need to go to be safe. We will find you, Emma. One day, we will find you when it's safe and you can come home. We love you so much, Emma, but you need to go with Red. Okay?"

Shaking the memories away, Emma closes her eyes briefly, trying to center herself. Listening to the sounds of the forest around her, she stills when she hears a faint footfall. It's not far away, and they're clearly trying to be quiet, but Emma knows these woods like the back of her hand; she knows the sounds they make, and knows when she's being watched.

She opens her eyes slowly, and grabs her canteen out of her satchel, trying to remain nonchalant even though she's sure she's about to either be ambushed, or is going to be followed wherever she goes. After taking a long swig, she spins around to face a clearing where she knows the intruder is. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to come out?" She calls, and is rewarded with a soft chuckle as a man, dressed entirely in back, steps out of the shadows.

"How did you know I was there?" He asks, and she tilts her head to the side, glancing at him curiously.

"Oh, were you not aware of how much noise you were making? I'm surprised the ogres haven't awakened." She puts her canteen back into her satchel, securing the bag tightly at her side, and slips one hand into the pocket sewn into the side of her breeches, where her dagger is tucked. She grips the hilt, but keeps her arm relaxed at she stares at the stranger.

"I'm impressed," he says, coming closer, and she has to remind herself firmly not to get distracted by his clothing, which signals that he is a pirate. She wonders briefly why a pirate would be so far from the sea, but that thought only makes her worried that he has been sent by Regina. Why else would a pirate venture this far into the forest, or to a dragon's lair? "I can count on one hand the number of people who have bested me."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" She asks, noting that his left arm is tucked behind his back so she can't see it.

He shrugs, but doesn't answer, and takes two hesitant steps towards her, his eyes firmly on her satchel.

She sighs, and rolls her eyes again. "Look, if you're thinking of robbing me," she looks him straight in the eyes, "Don't." The word is firm when it leaves her lips, and she sees his eyes widen in surprise before he schools his features back into nonchalance. "I've had a very long, tiring day, and I don't really feel like skewering you."

He lets out a surprised laugh, and takes a few quick strides towards her. She pulls her dagger from her breeches quickly and sidesteps him, coming behind him and pressing her blade to his neck. "You're feisty, aren't you," he rasps, and she presses her blade tighter to his throat.

"Stop talking." She loosens the pressure of her hold, and takes a step backwards. "I am going to walk into the forest now. You're not going to follow me, and you're not going to try to ambush me once I turn my back."

"And what makes you so sure?" He says the words calmly, but she can hear the frustration in his voice.

"Because I could have killed you just now, and I didn't."

Before he can reply, she takes a few quick steps backwards, keeping her eyes on his back where he still stands at the entrance to the dragon's lair, before turning and sprinting into the woods, not lessening her stride until she is confident he won't find her.

.

.

.

Standing in the clearing, his fist clenched at his side, he grits his teeth as he tries to figure out how far away she is. He turns around quickly, surprised when she is completely out of sight. He can't even hear her, which reminds him of her comment about how loud he had been. He curses quietly, angry with himself for letting this chance get away from him.

When he asked around at the port town near this forest about The Dark One, he heard rumblings about a bandit of sorts who was acquiring things for the Crocodile. He figured if he found them, the person would lead him right to his revenge. He hadn't counted on that person being a woman, or that woman being able to best him more easily than he planned.

"Bloody women," he growled to himself, trekking into the woods to try and figure out where she's gone. His throat still stings, and he reaches up to feel a trickle of blood run from where her dagger had pressed, and he feels a new surge of anger bubble inside of him. Even as he walks, she is grating on his nerves, and he can't remember the last time that happened.

(He pushes away thoughts of Milah, of the love he thought he had but never got a chance to really explore, all because she was taken from him)

He is sure that this woman is the person doing the Crocodile's bidding, and he wonders what on Earth was in that satchel. She had been covered in grime (which had done nothing to diminish her striking features, but he tries not to think about that), and was bleeding as well, but had seemed to think nothing of it, which startled him. As he walks, he wipes a hand downwards over his face, wondering when his revenge had become a task instead of his life's mission.

A sudden rumble in the distance had him whirling around, his eyes widening when he sees the trees in the distance parting ominously. Ogres. He turns tail, running as fast as he can in the opposite direction, wondering what has gotten the giant beasts so out of sorts so close to him. His first thought is that it's the Crocodile, who seems to always know where he is and what he's doing, but he doesn't waste time dwelling on it, not when his life is in danger.

A tree root snags his boot and he's stumbling to the forest floor, scrambling to catch himself as the earth continues to shake under him, and his senses are on overload. Get up get up get up! He clamors to his feet, eyes flitting across the trees that surround him, trying to find a place to hide.

"Hey!" He hears a voice and turns, seeing a flash of golden hair whipping around a tree to his left. "Don't just stand there, move!" She shrieks, and he barely has time to register that it's her before there's an ogre not more than one hundred yards from him.

He follows her voice, and when he sees her, the first thing he notices is the fire in her eyes, eyes that are greener than the forest surrounding them. He's momentarily transfixed, but he shakes himself out of it, knowing that any hesitation will cost them both their lives. He follows as she takes off into the trees, having to run as fast as his legs will carry him just to keep up with her. He gets hit in the face with a branch at one point, and curses loud enough for her to pause and glance back at him, only to roll her eyes and keep going as he touches his cheek to check for blood. "No, don't worry about me, lass!" He calls sarcastically, but she doesn't look back again, just takes a sharp right at the road. He follows her as she slows considerably, looking around them to see (presumably) if anyone is watching.

The ground around them shakes again, and he is surprised when he feels her warm hand grip his forearm, physically pulling him with her as she ducks into a small cave that he hadn't even realized was there. She keeps her hand around his arm, and he briefly realizes it's his left arm that she grabbed without hesitation. He doesn't have time to process this before she's whirling around, glaring at him with force. "Who are you?"

"Now, is that anyway to start a-"

Her dagger is against his throat before he can even finish he sentence, and whatever he was going to stay dies on his lips. "Consider this a favor. I saved your life, and now you owe me. You can start by telling me who the hell you are, and what you want." Her voice is a low hiss, and behind the fierce façade, he can see the fear in her eyes. Whether it's him, or the fact that they were just nearly killed by an ogre, he isn't sure, but it's there, and she's trying very hard to hide it.

"Killian Jones," he says with a sigh after a moment passes, and her grip on her dagger lessens slightly. "But I don't suppose that's a name you recognize, is it?"

"Should I?"

"Not in the slightest, but that's because people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker… Hook."

"Captain Hook?!"

"Ah, so you've heard of me!" He says, grinning. "And you are?"

She hesitates before answering, "Emma." She doesn't give a last name. "Why are you following me?"

"You're working for The Dark One," he spits the name, "Don't try to deny it. You're something of an open book, love."

"I'm not your love," she retorts, taking the blade off his throat. "Why do you care if I'm working for Rumplestiltskin?"

"He has something that belongs to me," Killian growls, thinking of his lost love, and of his lost limb. "I intend to get it back. You can lead me to him."

"Sounds to me like you want to kill him," she says, and he's once again impressed by how well she can read him. Perhaps this 'open book' thing goes both ways. "You understand that I can't let that happen."

"You would protect that… that monster?" His emotions get the better of him, and he practically snarls at her.

"I would protect someone that owes a favor, yes!" She shouts back at him, and he senses that there's something else to this story that she's not telling him. He realizes he's not going to get any answers, not when he's practically her captive in this cave. He knows he has to face it – she is his best chance. He doesn't know this part of the forest, not like she does, and he needs to get to the Crocodile's castle. If he can convince her to let him escort her there, maybe he can finally, finally, have his revenge.

.

.

.

She's so tired. On top of everything she went through today, she really didn't think she'd be essentially trapped inside a cave with Captain Hook, but here she is. She glances at him out of the corner of her eye, where he's leaning against the wall. She knows his eyes are on her as she tries to start a fire, seeing as how they're going to have to sleep in this cave as well, but after their argument earlier, neither of them wants to speak too much.

"I want to go with you," he says, breaking the silence.

"Excuse me?" She doesn't look up from her bundle of twigs, but she can tell he's clenching his jaw by the way his words are coming out.

"If you'll allow me to accompany you to The Dark One's castle, I'll wait until after you get whatever it is he owes you before I kill him."

"You won't kill him."

"You don't know anything about me-"

"I mean: he won't give you the chance to kill him, Hook. He's the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms, or have you forgotten?" Her fire started, she stands, facing him. "Do you even have a plan? Or are you just going to storm in there and hope for the best?" He's quiet, his entire body tense. She tenses as well, when she realizes why he doesn't even have a plan. "Unless you don't plan on surviving an attack?"

"If I can wound him severely enough, then my revenge is complete. There'll be no reason for me to be alive."

Emma takes a step forward, closer so she can see his eyes. He looks infinitely sad in that moment, and she finds herself fighting the urge to place a hand on his arm to comfort him. "What did he do to you?" She asks, her voice soft.

He meets her eyes, and the anguish there steals her breath. "He took my love from me. That, and my left hand. He's a monster, Emma." His voice is softer as well, and she doesn't know when they got so close, but she takes two steps backwards to try and lessen the unexpected tension that has risen between them.

After a few long moments of silence, she takes a breath before speaking, "You can go with me." She sees him open his mouth to reply, but she holds up a hand before he can get a word out, "You can go with me, but I am the one who is going to call the shots."

"Emma-"

"No, Hook, there's no arguing this. I know this forest better than you," she says, earning a scoff from him, "and I know where we're going. Don't forget that I have something at stake here. If I don't get him what he wants, he's not going to hold up his end of the deal, and he'll probably try to kill me."

Hook quiets at that, before nodding. "Fine. We leave in the morning."

"Who did I say is calling the shots?"

"Emma, darling, what do you say about leaving in the morning?" He says in a mocking tone, bowing with a flourish.

"Shut up."

.

.

.

One thing is for sure; he has never met anyone quite like Emma. She won't tell him much about her life, other than that she has lived alone for years, and acquiring objects for other (richer) people is how she makes enough coin to survive. He supposes he admires her for it – she is willing to be alone and be bold enough to go on these missions for people who could very well be sending her to her death.

(He thinks she is tougher than that, though, and that there isn't much that scares her, which makes him admire her more)

The morning comes and they both wake slowly, light from the sunrise streaming into the mouth of the cave. He is distracted by the way she stretches, working the sleep from her bones, and the way the sunlight gleams off of her golden hair. He knows this is dangerous, this way of thinking. She is beautiful, that is undeniable, but he tells himself she is just a means to an end, and that the sooner they get to the Crocodile, the better.

They begin their trek early in the morning, and he does as she asked – he follows her blindly and listens to everything she tells him about the forest. It seems that teaching other people about the forest and how to survive in it lessens her anxiety, so he lets her ramble on, even when she starts to slip and tell him little things from her childhood, like how she used to spend hours in the woods practicing sword fighting with her father (the fact that she is trained with a blade only makes her more alluring). She catches herself, however, and he respects her enough to not make any sly comments, though he wants to lighten the mood.

Instead, he tells her a little bit about how he used to be in the Royal Navy. The look on her face when he tells her is worth it – her eyes showing equal parts surprise, admiration and amusement. He mentions Liam, and it strikes him that he's only known her for a day, yet feels comfortable enough to tell her about a part of his life that only a few people are privy to.

They walk for nearly the entire day, only stopping briefly to rest and to refresh their water. The ogres seem to be resting for the moment as well, which has helped them in their journey immensely. He is resting on a log, waiting for Emma to come back from the stream with their canteens when he hears it – the clamoring of horse hooves and a carriage. He is on his feet instantly, looking for any sign of the blonde woman, but he doesn't see her anywhere, and he curses.

He thinks better of calling out for her and decides to head for the stream. The hooves are louder now, and he can hear the sounds of a struggle, and his heart begins to pound, thinking of all the things that could be happening.. When he bursts out of the tree line onto the small bank near the stream, his eyes widen and a shout lodges in his throat when he sees her, dagger out, in close combat with three soldiers, two of which are nearly twice her size. "Oy!" He shouts, trying to get their attention, "Is that any way to treat a lady?" He asks, and draws his sword before they even know what is happening. Emma uses his interruption to her advantage, and ducks underneath the arms of her would-be-captor, turning so her back is pressed against Killian's. They work together, her with her dagger and he with his sword, and he suspects her right hook has come into play as well. He grins, both from the pun in his own thoughts and from the adrenaline of the fight, and soon enough, the soldiers are disarmed and unconscious, in a heap on the ground.

He turns to make a witty comment, but Emma is already facing him, her emerald eyes wide with fright. She is nearly shaking, and he knows something is terribly wrong, otherwise the strong, brave woman he met the day before would not be reacting this way.

"What's happened? Are you hurt? Where… Emma?" He asks frantically, scanning her body for any sign of blood or broken bones.

"We have to run."

"What? Why?"

"We have to run! They saw my face… they saw… we have to run. Now, Killian!"

It's the use of his first name that jars him into action, and he lets her lead him back into the trees, watching as she triple checks that her satchel is secure at her side. He has a hundred questions, but doesn't even know how to begin to ask them. They run for what seems like ages, and he knows she's not thinking. They're running aimlessly, and finally he jogs around to stand in front of her, halting her movement. He grips her upper arms, and forces her to look at him. "Emma. Emma!"

"We have to keep moving, we have to…"

"Emma, stop. Just stop for a moment. Have some water." He forces her canteen into her hands, and is relieved when he sees that she's not shaking nearly as much as she was by the stream. "Why… Emma, why did they attack you?"

"They're the Evil Queen's guard."

"What does that matter? What business have they with you?"

She toes at the dirt with her boot, avoiding his eyes, and he knows he won't get a straight answer out of her, not now. "It's a long story," is all she says. "We should keep moving."

.

.

.

The run-in with the Black Knights was too close, even for her liking. She thinks she could have handled the situation, but still, she is glad that Hook stepped in when he did. She is upset with herself for nearly having a panic attack in front of him, but she's sure that at least one of those guards got a good look at her face. If they weren't sure that she was the woman they're looking for when they first happened upon her at the stream, they would be sure of it now, and it would only be a matter of time before Regina caught up with her.

Suddenly, getting to Rumplestiltskin was even more important than ever.

They camp at a small clearing surrounded by overgrown bushes for the night, and Emma studiously avoids Hook's curious gaze as long as possible. She can feel the heat of his eyes on her wherever she goes, and it unsettles her. She sees a lot of herself in him; sees the way they both had rough childhoods and how it's shaped them. She sees her need to protect those who are most important to her in his eyes as well, and is afraid that he will unravel all of her secrets and use them against her.

"Emma, you must never tell anyone who you are. If they find out that you are a Princess, they will do anything to take advantage of you. Do you understand?"

She tries to rid her mind of her father's voice, but it follows her everywhere, just like every day of her life. She is working on a time limit now, and she knows that if Regina can't find her, she will go to her parents and try to use them to get to her. She knows it, and she can't let it happen.

"Emma, I can practically hear you thinking from over here." Hook's voice is low, quiet in the night air.

"I'm trying to sleep."

"I can protect you, you know. If you tell me what's going on."

Emma rises from her place by the small campfire and rounds on him, "I don't need your protection, Hook."

"You seemed to appreciate it when you were outnumbered, love."

"You don't know me, Hook. You don't know anything about me, or why I do what I do, or what my motives are. You would do well to remember that."

"And you think you've got me all figured out then, do you? Because I told you one insignificant thing about my past?"

"I know that you're a pirate, and that's all I need to know."

He recoils as if she's slapped him, and regret fills her instantly at the hurt look on his face that he quickly replaces with anger. He stands slowly, and closes the distance between them even slower. "Make no mistake, Emma, I don't need you." She flinches at the cold, unattached tone to his voice, "If traveling with a pirate brings you so low, perhaps it's best that we go our separate ways, before we both do or say anything that we'll regret."

"I thought you had no idea where you were going," she points out, hands on her hips.

"Well I'll bloody well figure it out! Seven hells, Emma, you're infuriating. You have walls up so high that you can't let anyone in, even when they're trying to help you. I might be a pirate, but even I know the value of a good partnership."

"Is that what we are? Partners?"

"Not anymore," is Hook's angry reply, before he turns on his heel and heads out into the dark forest.