Set after Neverland. The jolly roger company made it back just fine, with others new characters that followed them during their excape. It's just the beginning of something I had buzzing in my head, I just want to know what do you feel about it and if I should go on with it. don't be afraid to be brutal, it's my first fic ever so.. The bug.
Emma was walking in the chilly main street of storybrooke, her red leather jacket wrapped tightly between her folded arms while she hurried to her bug.
She knew she was probably doing a bad thing leaving in the night like that, but finding Neal at her mother's house when she got back from the station wasn't exactly the most pleasant surprise she could wish for, since she was trying her best to ignore both him and the pirate. Neal sneak a peek at her when she opened the door. He was sitting on the ground with Henry watching tv and laughing. This was Emma cue to leave.
She new he deserved time with his son, but she wasn't ready to be a part of that picture just yet, plus she didn't want to send mixed signals to Henry. Emma could feel it in her heart, there was no getting back together, if it wasn't for the betrayal, eleven years were simply too much. She became the opposite of that girl who got herself knocked up and sent to jail in those years, there's not really getting back from it. Besides, after the Echo cave revelations Neal, if possible, make it even more obvious that he wanted to explain himself farther more, she knew he wanted another shot at it but something was telling Emma that her feelings were in some ways justified. Ever since she found Neal again she didn't felt relief, she felt regret for wishing he was dead of course, but at the same time she realized this: in the first moments after leaving echo cave she felt like she had one weight taken off from her back, but soon enough she felt another weight, a much older one. Neal hasn't changed, he hadn't changed much after seeing her in Manhattan, but she expected something different now from him after everything they've been through lately. It was not like that. He confessed to her that when he saw she was in Neverland he freaked out, and told her he had been concerned about her health every second he spent far from her, and he hurried himself to Neverland to save her, by making a child summon Pan's shadow. Some people might consider this sweet, and she couldn't deny that in some way it was but to Emma the main feeling she got from hearing this was another prove that he still considered her unable to look out for herself. Plus the childish way he behaved with Hook was another reason she was keeping her distance. It was kinda weird having two man vying for you when you can barely tolerate one, but must of all she was out of shape for this, after years of self preservation and after seeing such pathetic human beings back in Boston the last things that she wanted to deal with right now were an ex and a pirate courting her at the same time.
Apparentely the odds weren't in her favour that night. After making up an excuse to Mary Margareth that she'd have to deliver back to Neal and Henry, Emma had left her building in a hurry, trying to shake away her thoughts and she overheard some light steps behind of her just after exiting the front door to the street but she was just too busy escaping that situation she didn't really pay attention.
She had almost reached her bug when a voice behind her made the back of her neck tingle with something she couldn't properly recognize as frustration or anticipation.
"Are you in a hurry love?" said the pirate.
Emma shake her head lightly, why did he always had to use that tone with her?
She turned her back to see him standing in the middle of the road waiting for her to answer him, a bloody grin on his face. "Actually yes Hook, I was just leaving" she replied sharply, then she added "You shouldn't stand in the middle of a road like that Hook, remember the last time? Or do you want someone to drive over you AGAIN?"
His smile grew wider "As long as I get to see you checking out weather I'm fine or injuried like you did last time Emma that's fine with me! " he strolled closer locking eyes with her.
"I'd throw myself in front of one of this self-moving-vehicles if that meant I'll finally get to talk to you again"
Surprisingly his smile was gone now. She didn't think he actually meant it but it was clear that post- neverland break was affecting him quite seriously.
It wasn't fair she asked both of them some time to think, and they were already breaking the rules.
And yet Emma was happy that Hook did, reluctantly she admitted it to herself, she new he had already put too much on his plate for her to simply ignore him.
Neal on the other side said he would never stop fighting for her. She struggled hard to remember when he even started doing that.
"Hook, I know that I'm supposed to talk it out with you but I don't think this is the right time just yet.."
"Why not Emma? It's been two weeks since we came back from that bloody Island, and I only rarely saw you around and you avoided me and Bealfire like hell, but I wanted to let you know that I get that you need time, but I also believe that a man who doesn't fight for what he wants deserves what he gets, and I don't wanna lose you from lack of trying, sorry"
Emma didn't quite know what to say to this. So she just pointed to her bug and said "Get in. Before I change my mind."