SURPRISE VISITOR

Emma Swan was getting ready to make tacos for dinner when she heard the door to her apartment open. Assuming it was her son coming back from his practice sword-fighting with father, she didn't bother turning around.

"Dinner should be ready soon, Henry. Did you have a good time with your dad?"

Her son didn't answer. Confused and somewhat concerned, she wiped her hands on a dishtowel and turned to see what was going on. When she turned, the dishtowel dropped from her suddenly cold fingers and her eyes widened.

"Hello, Swan," growled the dark-haired man dressed in black leather who was NOT Henry.

"Hook," Emma replied hesitantly, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by for a visit," the pirate answered lowly, baring his teeth in a sneer.

"How did you even get back to Storybrooke? Tamara said you'd escaped from—"

"ESCAPED?" Hook bellowed, then started stalking toward her. Rattled, Emma found herself backing away hastily. Her backside hit the counter and she sidled away from him. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough. By the time she'd gotten to the interior corner of the counter, the pirate was right in front of her and had slammed his hand on the counter next to her, so she was stuck in the corner, his hand on one side and the perpendicular counter on the other side of her.

Emma swallowed nervously, but was somehow able to raise her eyes to meet his. Oh yeah. He was beyond angry, blue eyes shooting sparks that threatened to set her on fire because she'd royally ticked him off. At least he wasn't waving his hook in her face…

"Escaped?" he repeated, more quietly this time, though no less menacing. His eyes cooled a bit as he perused her face. She guessed he was looking to see if she was telling the truth.

"Yes, escaped," she answered, keeping his gaze.

He examined her face a few seconds longer, then swore. He leaned back a bit, giving her some breathing room, but his hand remained where it was so she was still basically trapped. She knew she could probably escape from her predicament with a few carefully placed blows, but she figured it would be better to avoid doing that. She didn't know how bad his injuries still were and she didn't want to anger him more. Besides, though he was clearly furious, he didn't seem inclined to harm her in any way.

As she was musing over her situation, she heard (and practically felt considering how close he was) a dark chuckle emanate from Hook's chest. She returned her attention to him.

"Escaped," he murmured, "You truly believe that. Tell me then, love, how do you think I got here?"

"That's what I was asking before you came at me like a damn bull," Emma answered hotly, her temper rising, both at her own retreat and at his actions.

Hook studied her and his eyes cooled further. As they did, his face took on a weary cast and he blew out a disgruntled breath. When his eyes returned to her, she could see a debate going on his head. About what, she didn't know, but when she saw that he was about to answer her, a sense of dread coiled in her stomach. He leaned in close again, though this time she wasn't as concerned about it. His eyes drilled into hers as he spoke.

"I came here," he started quietly, "In the back of one of those blasted carriages, bound and gagged. And not in the good way."

A confused frown came over Emma's face. "Bound and…How?"

"Tamara," he answered simply, then leaned away from her again. This time, though, he completely backed away and began pacing in an agitated manner.

The blonde woman straightened from her position leaning against the counter. "Why would Tamara have done that to you?"

"She has plans for me," Hook said as he paused in his pacing and glanced at her. "Something to do with magic."

"Magic?! But she didn't believe Neal when he told her—"

"This is the same woman who told you I had 'escaped' from where you had jailed me."

"I didn't jail—! Never mind. What would she want with magic, anyway?"

"How should I know!?" Hook shouted at her. She glared at him, her earlier worries gone. She could handle him.

"Well, you apparently already know about her 'plans' for you."

Hook roughly ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't stick around to find out more," he muttered.

"Then how did you get away from her?" a horrible thought came to mind, "You didn't—"

"Kill her? No," he replied, then laughed bitterly, "Though I don't know why."

"So…How?"

"I bided my time until she left to do something. I managed to get out of the ropes and escape before she returned."

"Why are you here, then? How did you even find my apartment?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Then WHY…are…you…HERE?" Emma demanded, fed up.

"I wanted to ask you why you left me there," Hook replied, his eyes burning with anger again. "How could you leave an injured man in an unfamiliar place with a stranger? AGAIN?"

Emma hesitated before answering. No point in keeping it a secret…he would find out eventually. "I had to make sure you wouldn't kill Mr. Gold."

"WHAT?! How could you stop me from exacting my revenge?! The revenge I've been wanting for more than 300 YEARS!?" the pirate hollered at her.

"Because he's my son's grandfather!" Emma shouted back. Then pressed her lips together, not believing that she'd just announced that. Hook's eyes practically bugged out of his head. It would have been funny if she hadn't just told him something that posed a threat to her son. Who knew how far Hook would go to get his revenge? Exterminating an entire bloodline didn't seem too far-fetched when it came to his single-minded goal.

"Your son's—" Hook took a step back, as if she'd hit him with something. His face closed off. "Your son's grandfather. That would make him Baelfire's son."

Now it was Emma's turn to take a step back. "How…?" she whispered. Neal had mentioned something about Captain Hook and Neverland back before they'd left New York, but she'd been so focused on everything else, she hadn't given it much thought since.

"I knew his mother. And let's just say we've met before."