"I'm sorry," whispered Emma, chaining him to the wall of the Giant's castle with a handcuff, backing up quickly.
"You're sorry? You're sorry?!" shouted Hook, as Emma backed up again. "Swan! SWAN!" he shouted after her. He saw her tense up regretfully and almost look back to him before she disappeared down the beanstalk, leaving Hook alone with the Giant.
Hook slept for a while. It was a restless sleep. He kept dreaming of Emma. What Storybrooke would be like. But he would never get to Storybrooke now. He tried anything and everything he could to free himself without removing his right hand. It was futile though.
"Pirate!" boomed the Giant after ten agonizingly long hours. Killian glared up at him, angry for not being able to escape, angry at Emma for leaving him up here like that. He supposed the shackle was laced with some sort of magic spell that only the giant knew.
"Yes, giant?" asked Hook.
"You are free to go. Never come back," said the Giant, unlocking the cuff that was restraining Killian. Before the Giant could change his mind about killing Hook or keeping him for another ten hours, Hook ran towards the closest exit he could find. Usually he would give some sort of snide retort, but he was so bloody tired and angry, and he had at least an hour and a half to three hour climb down the beanstalk (probably more because it was cold and raining and dark).
It was raining heavily when he emerged from the castle. Great. First I get betrayed by the one person I - that Swan girl, now I have to climb down ALONE in the bloody rain. thought Hook. He sighed dramatically and began his descent down the beanstalk.
Eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime (in actuality, four hours), he could see the ground. It was bizarre climbing down on his own. He missed the company, he had no one to talk to and he had grown accustomed to his little banter he had going on with Emma. He wouldn't admit that he missed her. He was supposed to be angry with her, but a part of him had grown to understand why she had left him up there. He had a lot of time to think, both while trapped for ten hours and on the climb down. She was a broken person and although she had not said much, she had loved and had gotten her heart broken by that love and had trust issues as a result of it. In any case he was soaking wet. It was dark, he was wet and cold and tired. And he had a long way to go yet. Oh, Miss Swan would pay when he caught up to her.
His feet reached the ground and he looked up, grateful to be on the ground, his eyes closed. He had never been more happy to have his feet on proper soil. He started to think of how he would catch up to Emma and her team and what he would to for payback.
"My dear captain!" said a familiar voice. Great. Just what I need. Hook turned. "It seems like you've been on quite an adventure! The compass" said Cora. Hook sighed, uncomfortably. "Yes, that. Well, matters grew complicated. It's alluded me for the moment. The details of the event are a bit of a bore." Cora did not look impressed.
"Really? Stealing my protection spell and climbing the beanstalk without me might seem like a bore to you, but to me it's a betrayal," said Cora. "I was going to bring it to you. Our agreement remains. We are going to Storybrooke together. I'll get it back." Hook was lying and Cora could tell. She wasn't a naive idiot who could have the wool pulled over her eyes like Aurora. She was clever. Clever and cunning. And she was bored. She was bored of Hook's bullshit.
"I don't have time for your games. I've been through too many worlds to be brought short on the brink of success. Who was it who bested you?" asked Cora.
Hook looked down. "The Swan girl . . . Emma." Emma's name felt strange on Hook's tongue. He was so used to calling her love, darling, my dear, pet. He almost felt shame. Regret for not proving to Emma that he was actually not going to hurt her. He had grown fond of the Swan girl, but he couldn't admit it. It seemed as though Cora already knew.
"Rest assured it won't happen again," Hook tacked on, a bit lamely. Emma had bested him twice before. She knew what she was doing, and he admired her for it.
Cora laughed, "No it won't. You chose her, and the consequences of that decision." Hook didn't deny choosing Emma. He wanted Emma to go up there with him. Was he falling in love?
"Oh, are you going to kill me now?" he asked boldly. "Go ahead. Try." he dared Cora.
"Oh, so brave. But so futile," said Cora. Before she had a chance to do anything else, Hook ran for it. He had no idea which direction he was going in. He just knew he had to get to Emma. Cora was right after all. He had chosen Emma. The cuff that both he and Emma had worn to go up the beanstalk was magic in more than one way. It could track the other wearer if they weren't nearby. It would lead him to Emma.
Eventually, after an hour or so of running, he heard voices. He recognized them. The weakling of the bunch, Aurora. And the warrior, Mulan. Snow was talking quietly to the both of them. The rain had let up. Sparks from a campfire snapped and crackled in the silence between the hushed words of Snow White, Mulan and Aurora.
"Ever since Emma got back without Hook, she's been different. I think she regrets not bringing him back with her. I think she wanted to bring him back. But after what she told me about Henry's father, I'm not surprised." Hook couldn't hear what Mulan or Aurora said next.
"Where is she now?" asked Mulan.
"I sent her to sleep. She's exhausted. Worn out both physically and emotionally," said Snow. Lucky for Hook, he knew which tent Emma slept in. He remembered from when he joined their group the day before yesterday. He easily accessed it and found her tossing and turning unable to sleep although her eyes were squeezed shut should someone come in. Hook cleared his throught dramatically, making himself known
"Who's that?" said Emma bolting upright. She had tied her hair up. She had bags under her eyes that had not been previously there. She looked bloody exhausted from the journey and from being away from home.
"It's good to see you too, Swan. Did you miss me?" sneered Hook.
"No. I had to leave you up there," said Emma defensively.
Hook clicked his tongue.
"What are you doing here anyway?" asked Emma, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I came . . . because . . . Cora found out. I managed to escape her, but she's not happy that I chose you and not her."
"Sounds like she's jealous," said Emma snarkily.
"Sounds like you're the one who's jealous, love," said Hook.
"Why did you come Hook?" asked Emma again impatiently. Hook sat down next to Emma, close. Close enough that if anyone moved toward the other, they would be kissing. Hook knew in the back of his mind that Snow, Mulan or Aurora could come in at any time and catch him there.
"I chose you, remember?" asked Hook.
"As I seem to recall, you wanted us to choose who went up with you, Hook," said Emma breezily, petulantly, like a child.
"And as you seem to forget to recall, I said I was hoping it would be you," replied Hook.
"So, what are you saying?" asked Emma. Hook swallowed. Was he nervous around a woman? It was unheard of for a pirate to be nervous around a woman.
"I chose you," Hook whispered closing the gap between them. To his surprise, Emma did not push him away, but rather replied to the kiss with enthusiasm.
"Well, you forget Captain, that I chose you too," said Emma, closing the gap again.