The beginning

Emma had not meant to make the journey alone. They had talked about it, Regina, Killian, and David, discussed the plan to one day get to Wonderland, to get the only item missing necessary for Regina and her to complete a spell necessary to open a permanent portal between Storybrooke and her parents castle. However magic beans, let alone two to get there and back were difficult to find, and no one wanted a new curse.

The concept had been debated at length, the merits of such a permanent portal, allowing people to settle as they wish between the two worlds and the risk of maintaining an open portal between universes against any other unknown adversaries.

But Emma knew her parents longed for it. Longed to re-establish their kingdom with their son, while at the same time being able to see and be part of Emma's and her family's life if they remained to run and keep Storybrooke safe from the other end. Snow would often look into nothing, her eyes going wistful and Emma would know, know deeply exactly what was missing for them to make their happiness complete. Emma longed to give them that. To bring them their full happy ending.

So when Emma encountered the White Rabbit one day and recognized him from stories she had only a minute to decide to go with him through the portal. He was late for a very important date, and there was no time to get the others. There was not time for reason or logic or planning.

So she texted Killian where she was going... And that's how Emma disappeared into Wonderland. Of course, she knew where she was going, but the rabbit forgot to include the when.

If only she had thought of an exit plan.

Emma in Wonderland

It was fairly wonderful, Emma thought, wandering the path, staring at the brightly coloured flowers and trees enveloping her. Like bits of coloured bugs, almost like butterflies fluttered around her, changing colours in sync from blue, to aqua to yellow to orange. She felt hypnotized almost from the strange beauty around her.

The air smelled different, not the forest smell of the enchanted forest or the forests circling Storybrooke, but rather a spicier, more fragrant scent.

Emma really should have thought of a plan first. Emma thought Killian was the impulsive one, and here she was jumping through a portal with a Rabbit that just took off on her, in a world she had never been to before, once again alone.

It surprised her how uncomfortable that felt. After a lifetime of finding security in depending on, and being on her own, suddenly after only a few years the simple act of being alone again, even if just physically and not emotionally felt, strange and foreign.

They were going to be worried sick about Emma. It had been months since the last "incident" of any kind and everyone was already on edge, not trusting the peacefulness of it all. She sighed, thinking about how upset her parents, Henry and Killian where going to be at her for this rash decision. She'd been with the pirate too long and caught his impulsiveness.

As she trudged along, without a plan, she suddenly heard a party moving towards her through the trees.

"Soldiers" She thought to herself, hiding carefully in the bushes? or whatever the strange plant was, as she waited for the group to pass.

Through the woods they came, obviously a military or guard of some sort. Given that Emma had been working on her magic, trying to embrace it with Elsa, she was not worried, more curious about the situation, looking for clues as to where, and even when in Wonderland the rabbit had deposited her.

She didn't even know where she was, let alone where the blue mushroom was, but was grossly aware that the longer she was away from Storybooke, the more upset her family would be. She would have to get back to them soon, or Killian would do something equally stupid and try to come after her. And they didn't need them both at risk in Wonderland. Killian didn't have her magic and was far to reckless when it came to trying to rescue her. Lost in thought, she shuffled awkwardly changing her position. Her foot caught on some type of insect nest on the ground and a swam of bugs, reminiscent but not quite bees spiralled around her. They swarmed at her, looking dangerous. Emma ran straight into the path of the soldiers, more concerned about the insects to remember the risk that the soldiers presented.

Emma and the soldiers stated at each other in shock for a moment, neither of them moving, the pause hanging over the forest. Then suddenly a soldier drew a sword and started towards Emma, and the battle began in earnest.

Emma's magic had grown more powerful, to the extent that she could toss the soldiers away from her and knocking their heads together. She was making fast work of the warriors, when a carriage in the middle of the group suddenly flew open and none other than Cora emerged, her own magic raging out at Emma, in angry streaks, that Emma had to focus to block and toss back against her remaining military. "Cora" She cried in surprise. "Your dead" She was holding her own against Cora, she thought happily, almost enjoying the battle when she was distracted by another member departing from the carriage.

"Well what do we have here Cora?" A familiar voice crooned, amused at the show of strength against the Queen of Hearts. Emma spun in shock to turn to him , happily almost relieved at the sound of his voice that she forgot, totally forgot the context of the situation. "Killian" She cried happily, smiling at him, a bright relieved smile. Hook actually stepped back at the sight of it, almost shocked at the light in the smile, or at least his reaction to this. He watched warily as the brightness of the smile lost its spark as the wheels in her head appeared to be turning, to realizing something..

"I'm sorry do we know each other love?" Hook stated, sword drawn moving towards her.

"No, I guess not" Emma said her eyes still not off him, panicked. Cora was alive and Killian was, well... Hook. When was she? She looked at Hook with a face showing all of the sorrow, worry and despair she suddenly felt. She had only been here a few hours and she was already feeling the loss of home. She sighed, distracted as she though about Killian and her parents at home, and tried to place where she was in the timeline, that Hook was here, with Cora in Wonderland...

She had only paused for really less than a minute, but it was all Cora needed to gain advantage. While Emma was distracted with Hook, she quietly used her magic to raise a large rock from behind Emma and propelled it forward, knocking her in the head, and unconscious.

Hook

Hook felt his heart panic at the sight of the strange woman hit the ground, and found himself hurrying towards her to check for a pulse. She was alive, but injured, a small amount of blood flowing from her head wound. He wanted to smooth the hair from her face, to treat the wound, to care for her.

But he was aware of Cora's questioning eyes on him, aware that his body and his reaction to her had already betrayed the strange connection he had felt with her, when she had smiled at him, warming him inside with her light. Or the sorrow he had felt, suddenly when the eyes had lost their brightness and turned to despair.

Who the hell was she? He thought to himself.

"Who the hell is she?" Cora roared at him, questioning. "She seemed to know you?" Cora questioned.

"She seemed to know you as well..." Hook countered, steeling himself to outwardly appear as casual and uninterested as possible. He looked down at her trying to school his features into a look of contempt, or disinterest, all the while his heart racing at the sight of her, and the remaining fingers of his hand itching to reach out and help her. He walked past her dismissively, trying desperately not to show Cora any what had suddenly bloomed to life within him.

The way she had looked at him at first, he thought. Love, something deep inside him whispered but his brain rejected it. Ridiculous.

"Let's tie her up" He said, starting the task, deliberately demonstrating a rough carelessness with her he did not feel inside. He felt something strange just looking at her building within in him, an emotion long suppressed. Hope. Until suddenly he noticed it on the appropriate finger, a simple elegant wedding band. And the hope was lost, as fleeting as it had been, as he tossed the woman in the back of the wagon, to continue on with Cora on the journey.