Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT...otherwise it would be nothing but Captain Swan.

The rescue party had saved Neal and, to their surprise, Wendy Darling, all grown up.

Tinker Bell had also rejoined the group when Wendy and Hook had an idea for a plan to escape from Neverland.

Rumple had also reappeared when they rescued Neal, because he himself had plan to rescue his son.

TinkerBell, Wendy, and Regina were around the fire watching Emma and Neal argue. Charming and Snow were standing together, hovering near Emma. Rumple was distant from the rest of the group, watching his son with concern. Hook was a few feet behind Emma, like the Charmings, he was ready to step in if necessary.

"Can't we just talk about this?" Neal asked.

Emma's fists clenched, "This is not the time for this conversation. We need to keep our focus on Henry."

"What about us?"

"There is no us!" Emma said. "What I said, I said because you were dying! Not because I meant it!"

Neal looked like he'd been slapped. "Are you kidding me?"

"What about you?" Emma asked. "You were engaged to Tamara and in love with her, then she shoots you and you're automatically in love with me again!"

"Tamara meant nothing." Neal said.

Emma gaped at him. "Are you serious? This coming from the man who said that you needed Tamara, that you loved her, you chose her, and you told me, that you never would have gone near me had you known who I was. You wanted nothing to do with me. When I found you in Manhattan, you told me to lie to Rumplestiltskin and tell him that I didn't find you. The only reason, the absolute only reason you came to Storybrooke was because you found out about Henry." Emma heaved a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "You left me. You made sure that I wouldn't follow you, and that was inexcusable, don't even try to excuse it."

Neal laughed, as if Emma was being ridiculous.

That shut Emma up.

"You're serious?" Neal said. "You're not over that? It's been ten years."

Emma whirled around and she walked away.

Hook couldn't ignore the tears that fell from her eyes as she did so.

No one else saw it.

And Hook was angry. Before anyone could even breath, Hook strode over to Neal, literally grabbed the man by his hook, and dragged him away.

Charming and Snow looked conflicted. They wanted to go after Emma, but they also knew that she might not want the comfort. They also wondered if they should go after Hook and Neal and prevent a fight.

But then Emma returned, with red, puffy eyes. She looked ready to scream her head off.

"Where is Neal?" She asked.

"Hook." Charming said. "Hook took him that way."

Emma went in the direction Charming had pointed to. Her parents followed, concerned for their daughter. Regina, Tink, Wendy, and Rumple followed out of pure curiosity. And well, Regina loved to watch drama unfold.

Hook slung Neal away from him.

Neal landed in the dirt.

"What the hell?" Neal huffed. He picked his self up and dusted himself off.

"Shut up." Hook growled. "You will shut up, and you will listen."

"Like hell!" Neal hissed. He didn't see Hook's punch coming. Neal was flat on his ass again.

Neither noticed that they had suddenly gained an audience.

"I said shut up." Hook said. "You need to back off. Leave Emma alone."

"Why...?"

"Shut up!" Hook said. "Listen to my words, Baelfire, Emma needs you to back the fuck off. You have no idea what she has been through. And it's more than just thinking you had died, or that Henry was kidnapped immediately afterwards by your psycho fiancee."

Emma gasped softly. Was Hook defending her?

Her heart clenched. No one had ever done that for her before. Ever.

"Now, I don't know the details of your's and Emma's relationship." Hook continued. "But I do know that you hurt her. You hurt her so deeply that she can't even trust her own parents. She can't trust anyone, because she is terrified that if she lets anyone in, they will leave her. Because that's what everyone has done to her, her entire life."

Charming and Snow tensed. They knew that Emma didn't fully trust them, and that she hadn't let them in, but to hear it voiced aloud...well it hurt them. It made them feel pain and regret and it made them wish that they could change things, for the better.

Emma was still shocked that Hook could know so much without her having told him. Of course, she knew that he understood her. He knew her in a way that no one had. But it was still surprising to see.

"And Emma has a point." Hook said. "You chose Tamara, and you didn't chose Emma, you didn't fight for her. You wanted nothing to do with her. Therefore, you have no right to come back into her life and force your feelings on her. Christ, Baelfire, I thought you were better than that."

"Oh, and you're so perfect." Neal snarled.

Hook quirk a brow, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"How long have you been in love with Emma?"

Dead silence.

Emma stumbled back a bit, stunned by Neal's words.

Hook's in love with me? She couldn't believe it. It was just...not something that happened to her.

Hook sighed, "How long? I don't know." He looked down at his feet. "As for realizing it, well, before Pan came to me with the news that you were alive, Emma and I had a moment."

Emma subconsciously licked her lips, the memory of the kiss replaying in her mind. Just as it had been doing since she had walked away from Hook afterwards.

Hook closed his eyes, and Emma knew that he was replaying the kiss as well.

"After that, I realized just how deeply I felt for her." Hook said. "I knew that the moment I met her, that she would change my life forever. I never realized how much, until recently. I never meant for it to happen. I never wanted it to...but I can't...I can't turn off my feelings. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

"Just stop." Neal cut in. "Stop. I don't care how you feel."

Hook flinched. Even after all of these years, he still cared for Baelfire, and it hurt to see how much Bae hated him.

"Just stay away from Emma." Neal said.

And then Hook's anger flared again. She deserves to have someone fight for her.

Charming's words from the previous day were haunting him.

Aye. I will fight for her.

And dammit, that's just what Hook was going to do.

"No." Hook said.

"Excuse me?" Neal was surprised.

Charming smiled from his spot, hidden in the trees with the others. Hook was taking his advice. Good.

"I won't stay away." Hook growled. He took a threatening step closer to Neal. "I love her." It was the first time that he had admitted it out loud, and it made him feel lighter, happier.

Emma's heart skipped a beat at his words. He loves me. Oh god, he loves me?

"And when you love someone," Hook continued, "you don't leave them. You stand with them, you fight for them, you protect them, and you do everything to make them happy. I'll be honest with you Neal, if Emma does not want me, if she tells me that she doesn't feel the same way, then I will back down. But only because that is Emma's choice, and only if it makes her happy. Nothing is more important to me then Emma's happiness. And even if she doesn't choose me, I won't stop being her friend, I won't up and leave her, even if she breaks my heart. Because Emma Swan needs people who love her and care for her in her life, she deserves it."

Hook's hidden audience were all suffering from lumpy throats.

Even Rumple, though the Dark One was loathed to admit it.

Wendy really had no idea the relationships and histories between everyone here, but she couldn't stop smiling at such a romantic and chivalrous declaration.

Tinker Bell simply thought Yeah, I knew you were glowing with love, you soft, sucker you. She had seen it the very moment Emma and Hook confronted her when she had Regina kidnapped. Now, all she could do was to bite her lip to keep from giggling like a school girl.

Regina was subdued as well. She never really realized how far Hook had come. If he could change so drastically because of Emma, then she could change too, for Henry, just like she wanted. The thought brought a smile, a genuine, warm smile to Regina's face.

Snow knew something had been going on between her daughter and the pirate. And she couldn't help but feel proud of Hook. Proud that he knew her daughter and that he was fighting for her. She was also happy to see that her daughter finally had someone in her life that saw how amazing Emma really was.

Charming was smiling, happy that Hook truly loved his daughter, and that he would fight for her, but still leave it to Emma to make the final decision. Though, in all seriousness, Charming was really rooting for Hook now.

Neal felt anger. How dare Hook tell him what it was to love someone? He loved Emma, and Henry and dammit they were going to be a family again. Hook wasn't going to get in the way of that.

Emma had no idea how to react. Hook loved her. Hook was defending her. He was fighting for her. And ultimately, he would leave it to her to decide. He was giving her control of her life. She knew that he wouldn't push, or keep his distance, but he would know just what she needed when she needed it.

We understand each other. Isn't that what she had told him?

"So, Neal, I'm going to give you some advice." Hook said. "Let Emma come to you when she's ready. If you pressure her, you'll only push her away. And, if she chooses you..." Hook swallowed, "if she chooses you, then please, don't break her heart again. She wouldn't be able to handle it."

"And what the hell do you know about Emma's heart?" Neal asked.

Hook sighed, "I know that it's something that must be protected and cherished."

That was it. That was it for Emma.

She entered the clearing.

Hook and Neal turned to her, both looked very surprised to see her.

"Emma!" Neal said.

Hook licked his lips, "Swan." He nodded, but he looked down, his right hand scratching behind his ear. Emma's lips twitched, knowing that it was a nervous tic of his.

"How much, uh, how much did you..." Hook trailed off, uncertain.

"Everything." Emma breathed.

Charming, Snow, Regina, Tink, Wendy, and Rumple came out of hiding as well.

Hook fought the blush that was creeping up his face.

So everyone had heard everything. That was just fantastic, bloody brilliant really.

Emma wanted him to look at her, but the damn pirate was too embarrassed, too vulnerable. His eyes were glued to the ground, and she didn't know what to say in light of his confession.

What could she say?

Maybe I just needed reminding that I could. He had meant her. He had come back for her. Emma swallowed.

Actions do indeed speak louder than words.

Emma walked up to him, so that they were toe to toe. She grasped his face with both hands, and pulled him down to her lips.

The second kiss was much more subdued than the first. Mostly because there was an audience, but there was still just as much passion. And more then that, there was love. She felt his love for her in the kiss. And she felt her love for him.

This was it. The first kiss was his moment of realization, this kiss was her's.

She loved him. She had fallen in love with him. And it had completely snuck up on her, taking her by surprise.

The thing was though, that she expected to feel the need to run, the need to hide behind her walls and push him away. But she didn't.

Slowly, reluctantly, they pulled apart.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, so low, that even she barely heard him.

It stung her, because she knew what he was sorry for. He was sorry that he was ruining her. Sorry that he felt this way, because he truly believed that she deserved better than him.

But Emma, she knew that she couldn't do any better than this beautiful, honorable man in front of her. She just had to make him see it.

"Shhh." She breathed. "It's okay." She moved her arms to wrap around his waist, hugging him tightly.

His arms came around her, strong and protective.

Emma felt something that she had never before felt in her life. She felt safe. She felt protected. She felt love.

She felt like she was home.

And that was the greatest feeling in the world.

She and Killian were going to have a hard road, she knew that. Because life and love were not easy. But, they were worth fighting for.

And Killian, Emma knew, was worth fighting for.