The purple liquid burned as it slid down her throat. Emma brought the vile down from her lips, cautiously eying the dark haired man in front of her. After a few quiet moments, she raised an eyebrow at him, a delicate smirk playing across her lips.

"See, nothing is happeni-"

Her voice is cut off by a violent tremor overcoming her body. Stars overcome her vision as everything goes black. Emma felt Hook's arm reach out to steady her, the only thing keeping her from falling.

Emma lets out a few huffs of breath before her breathing steadied and her body suddenly stilled. Hook still held onto her arms, eyeing her anxiously, nervously waiting for the blonde to say something. Anything.

And then she did.

"Hook?"

His mouth curved upward, almost in disbelief, before a full-blown smile consumed his face. Within an instant they were wrapped up in each other's arms. Hook used his good hand to cradle her head, gently stroking her golden curls, while his fake hand rest at the small of her back to pull her even closer into his embrace.

"Emma," he whispered in her ear, not to address her but only for confirmation. She was here. And she remembered.

He heard her choke out a small sob before he pulled back to look her in the eyes. Her beautiful, tear stricken green eyes. "You alright there, Swan?" he inquired as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

Emma gave a small, silent nod as she nervously bit her bottom lip. "It's just all too much right now. I don't even know where to begin to think," she confirmed as she took in her surroundings before her eyes finally landed on Hook's.

He gave her a reluctant smile. "It's alright. I understand. There's a lot for you to think about."

"No," she quickly added. "I do know where to begin. You. You came. You're here." She gave him a small smile before grabbing his good hand and interlocking their fingers, whispering, "You didn't break your promise."

"Of course I didn't, Emma. I'm a man of my word. I told you that I would think of you every day. And I did. But that just wasn't enough for me. I was selfish and talked myself into coming here and breaking you from your good memories. I shouldn't have-"

"No," she interrupted through gritted teeth. "Stop that. I would rather have the painful truth with you here instead of living with good memories without you. Throughout this past year I was living a good life. But you know what? It was a lie; and I constantly felt like something was missing from my life. And it was you Hook. I've chosen you. I knew it all along. I was just too scared to admit it to myself."

Hook gave a contented sigh as he lifted her hand to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles. "I've missed you, love."

The corners of Emma's mouth turned upwards, giving a small but rare genuine smile. "We better head back to my apartment and prepare to leave."

Hook nodded as Emma intertwined their fingers again and practically dragged him towards her apartment.

After a few silent minutes of walking hand in hand the pair finally arrived at Emma's loft where she eagerly unlocked the door and motioned for Hook to enter.

Hook had hardly entered the apartment when he was roughly pushed up against the door, shutting it loudly behind him. He looked down at the golden curled seductress, green eyes blazing through his blue ones, one hand placed firmly on his shoulder while another snaked around his waist to lock the door behind them.

He raised an eyebrow in question and began to protest, "Emma…"

"Shhh," she whispered as she placed a finger against his lips, motioning for him to stay quiet as she slipped the leather jacket off of his shoulders, letting it slump lifelessly to the floor.

Within the second, her lips were on his, soft at first but growing more passionate by the minute. He nibbled at her bottom lip before she angled her head and opened up just enough to give his tongue permission to enter. As his good hand cradled her head, gently stroking her golden curls, his other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her hips flush against his, allowing her to feel just what kind of effect she was already having on him.

She made quick work on the buttons on his shirt, hastily pulling it off of him and allowing her hands to roam everywhere – his bare chest, his stomach, his muscular arms, his back – as their tongues continued to clash. Hook seemed to pull back slightly in protest but Emma quickly snapped one hand to the back of his head, running her fingers through his dark hair as she kept his head in place to continue kissing him.

Emma's hand found his that was entangled in her hair and gently lowered it. She slightly pushed up her shirt and guided his hand to her bare waist, begging for him to move faster, electric shocks shooting throughout her body at the intimate touch.

Hook recoiled and made an effort to remove his hand, attempting to slow their pace, but Emma quickly grabbed it, shoving it back up her shirt and guiding his rough hand to her breasts.

"Emma," Hook immediately groaned between kisses.

"Shut up," she growled as she forced his hand to cup her breast, gently rubbing his fingers over her pink nipple.

"Swan, your lad," he lamely protested. It's not that he did not want this. Oh how much he wanted this, more than anything in his entire life. But he knew that this was neither the time nor place for them to take things further, although he knew that at the pace she was trying to move, it wouldn't be much longer.

"He's at school for another three hours. Now would you just shut up," Emma complained as she lifted her arms up and hastily pulled her shirt off, Hook's eyes immediately snapping to her perfect breasts covered by a lacy bra. Oh how she was glad she wore it today.

"Swan!" he complained once more as he pushed her back a little more roughly this time, putting space between them, trying to make his point valid. "We can't do this now. Believe me, love, I want this more than anything. But you're family is in danger and this is not the time or place for us to prove our love for each other."

Emma remained silent, a glaring look in her eye. The look she gave him was absolutely seething and she spoke with spitfire in her voice. "Look. As soon as Henry walks through that door, that's it. There is not going to be any alone time. We'll be too busy with meetings, planning, and battles to hardly speak to each other, let alone breathe. Right now, right here, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it until Henry comes home and we restore his memories with the rest of the potion. I want you, Killian. I need you." There was a pregnant pause as her eyes softened and connected with his. "So please," she practically begged, "take me."

And then something inside Hook snapped. His cool blue eyes instantly became clouded with a fiery lust as he bore his eyes into her vulnerable ones. "As you wish, m'lady" he growled before greedily devouring her lips with his. He hungrily moved his lips against hers, almost to consume her, breathe her in completely. He wanted all of her. And, thankfully, it was a wish she was willing to grant.

Their lips still firmly attached, Hook dipped down a little to wrap an arm under her knees and another to hold her back in place, gently lifting her off the floor and into his strong arms. She yelped a little in surprise and then let out a tiny giggle as she bit her bottom lip, their foreheads resting against each other as their noses awkwardly bumped.

"Let's take this into the bedroom, shall we?" he questioned, his voice laced thick with sex. She nodded nervously, eyes locked to his, before reclaiming her mouth with his as they worked their way to the bedroom.

Hook gently placed her on the bed, her small body sinking into the satin sheets as he aggressively kicked the bedroom door closed behind him.

The next few hours were full of passion and fury, love and hate – hating themselves for taking so long to get to this point. It was soft and gentle, yet rough all at the same time as Hook – Killian now – made sweet love over and over to his beautiful Swan.

The couple finally collapsed back onto the bed sheets; sweat beading around their faces as they lay tangled up in the afterglow. Emma moved her foot up to rub his calf as she nuzzled her face into his neck. Hook gave a content sigh and rubbed small circles on her bare back, eyes fluttering shut, before he kissed her hair over and over again, neither wanting to break the moment.

"I love you, Killian," she whispered into the dark. She felt him still beside her, muscles clenching, tight and hard. He stopped the circular motion his thumb was tracing on her back. Emma waited a few quiet moments before propping herself up on her elbows to look him in the eyes. "Didn't you hear me?"

Hook remained silent attempting to avoid her eyes, yet failing as she lifted his chin to force him to look at her. "Love," he hoarsely spoke, a sadness filling his eyes. "You know you don't have to say that just because we had sex right?"

Emma huffed angrily. "I didn't say it out of guilt or because I felt like I had to. I'm saying it because it is what I feel. I love you, Killian. And I will say it a million times until you finally believe it. "

He managed a small smile as she kissed the corner of his mouth. "I love you too, Emma."

She closed her eyes in relief and settled back into his side, wrapping an arm around his bare torso. They stayed this way for as long as they could, limbs intertwined, neither wanting to break the moment. Because they knew that after these few passionate hours, life was going to be a living hell with the Wicked Witch roaming about causing chaos.

So they stayed like this, together. Together is what they knew best. And even though their future was uncertain, both Emma and Hook knew that they made quite the team - as long as they were together.