He could barely breathe under the pile of corpses Cora left him under. Why does this bloody woman always has to rip out the hearts of everyone in her way?! God how he hates working together with her but it was what Emma has told him and he DOES want to see her again-badly. Not a day has gone by on which he didn't think about his blonde swan and their love. He had done as she told him. Pursued his revenge, got into Regina's castle to ask Belle about the crocodile, which was successful in the meaning of meeting Cora in Wonderland and that's then he thought he made it. She asked to work with the cruel witch in order to meet her again and so he teamed up with her.

He can still remember the moment when the curse hit the bubble Cora has built around them.

He knew he has to wait a long time for his love to return in fact Emma should be just a small babe in this moment who however escaped this dark purple smoke into the land without magic. From what he assumed Emma was about his age minus the years in Neverland of course that makes it about 30 years to wait, so he wasn't as surprised as he let Cora know when she dropped the bombshell of being frozen for 28 years.

When time was moving again he knew that his marvellous woman had made it. She must be broken the curse and it must be not too long until they meet again, although it would be the first time of Emma.

How will she look like, how will she react to meeting him? She only said that he has to work with Cora in order to somehow preserve the timeline but nothing about how long he needed to play the vengeful pirate for that bitch.

He exhaled another breath as he heard people attending the now empty and silent camp.

He hears voices, female voices. He hears her scream- Emma. Of course she would be the one who found him. What does it say about her family? They always find each other. Oh god, she is right in front of him. His heart is bouncing in his chest as if it would like to jump out of his chest. That's it, is the thought that runs through his mind as the body directly above him is lifted and he looks into the bright light of the sun. "Help" he tries to sound desperate but not too desperate. "Please help me" At first he is so blinded that he doesn't recognise anyone.

It's this spoiled princess who pulls him out first. Still blinded he looks around only to meet gaze with some well known green eyes. He blinks and sees that they don't belong to Emma but to a tiny woman with short dark hair. Is this Snow?!

"It's ok. You're safe now. We won't hurt you." She has a soft voice like she is singing.

"Thank you" he lets out with a breath.

"Thank you" He turns around and there she is: his goddess, his minx, his personal savior, his true love- Emma. He looks at her and takes in her attire. Dark trousers which hugs every inch of her glorious legs and ass, a dark shirt and a red leather jacket and he can't help himself, he has to swallow and try to remember that he is playing a ruse here. She looks back at him. Her eyes staring at him, sceptical and he recognizes in this moment that he is staring into the eyes of an even more closed off Emma, with walls as high as that bloody beanstalk he need to climb to retrieve the compass.

He also sees that there is no recognition or even some attraction from her side. Of course your moron, what did you expect? That such a great woman as Emma will fall head over heels for a dirty and stinky man she pulls out under a pile of corpses? God he must look horrible so best he stays with the plan and plays the innocent victim of Cora's massacre.

He sats down on a bench, still playing the role of a poor one handed blacksmith, while Emma and this warrior lass are retrieving some water and talking. They whisper and that's definitely not a good sign.

"Here you go." Emma puts a cup in front of him and the other lass adds some water to it.

Time to play ladies!

"I can't thank you enough for you kindness" he makes a dramatic pause. "Fortune seems to fit to show me a favour."

Emma seems to be on full lie detector mode. He knows she must be as her whole body language shouts it to him.

"A pile of corpses, you're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happened?"

Yeah how exactly did that happened. He knows she will detect his lie as soon as he speaks his words, so he's screwed either way.

"She attacked at night. Slaughtered everyone in one fair coup. When she started ripping out people's hearts, I hid under the bodies of those already been killed. Pretended to be dead myself." He looks over to Emma. Common Swan, you must know I'm lying.

"Mercifully the ruse worked" he continues.

"So much for fortune favours the brave" he still looks at her as she says those words. He sees in her gaze that she got him, she doesn't believe him. "It was all I could do to survive"

He gulps as she bends down a little bit to be on eyelevel with him. She looks him straight in the eyes and good she is beautiful and so strong and..

"I'm gonna let you in in a little secret" she whispers. "I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me" Bloody hell, this woman is going to be the death of him. She is so hot when she is inquiring like that.

"I'm telling you the truth" he whispers back.

The Asian lady suggests that they should leave before Cora decides to come back and Snow suggests that they should start searching for a new portal to get back at Storybrooke but Emma seems to be still restless and doesn't participate on the discussion.

Snow tells him about her husband and grandson.

"You have a grandson" Henry, she must talk about Henry he realizes. "Long story" Snow answers.

"I know this land well he starts" Obvious to the fact that Emma is now standing behind him. "I can guide you.." but he can't even finish his sentence as he feels a knife pressed to his throat.

"You're not gonna guide us anywhere until you tell us who you really are!" His Swan hisses. God why did he ever thought she would need protection. She is one hell of a lass and if it is even possible he even falls deeper in love with her.

And that's how he finds himself tied to a tree, still pleading for his innocence. Mind you Emma, perhaps you should have told me how long I have to play the ruse.

"Sure you are!" Emma says in a sarcastic tone and whistles with her fingers in her mouth. Loud, very loud.

He hears the approaching Oger roar.

"You wanna talk to us or maybe you wanna talk to the ogers while they rip you limp for limp."

She's a tough nut he must give her that. Her mother in contrary seems a bit stressed.

"Common" Emma motions the others of her group to leave as the beast approaches.

No, no,no, he can't end as Oger food. Perhaps now is a good time to reveal himself.

"Common, you can't just leave me her like this!"

The sleeping princess believes his foolish game but Emma tells her that she knows that he is lying.

Ok, now or never.

"God for you" his voice is now stronger than before. They stand still.

"You bested me! I can count the amount of people who've done that on one hand" Although he has to admit, Emma always bested him, in all the good ways.

Now she is walking towards him, definite taking interest.

"Does that supposed to be funny?"

She is now standing in front of him.

"Who are you?"

He isn't sure how he should present himself first. He remembers her calling him Killian and how he felt being called by his real name again and so:

"Killian Jones, but most people have taken to call me by my more colourful moniker.."

He has to grin at her raised eyebrows.

"Hook"

"Hook" Snow repeats with distaste in her voice. Fine now he is on the wrong side of his future mother in law.

"Take my satchel" She looks into it but Emma still stares at him in disbelief.

"As in Captain Hook?"

Is it possible, does fate is on his good side for once?

"Ah, so you've heard of me?"

But their banter is disrupted again by the approaching oger.

"You better hurry up, they're gonna get closer, so unless you wanna be dinner, you better start talking." She threatens him again, so no, no affection from her side-yet.

"Cora wanted me to gain your trust so I could learn everything there is to know about your Storybrooke. She doesn't want to have any surprises when she finally got over there."

Snow states that they destroyed the warderobe.

"But the enchantment remains" he told them. "Cora gathers the ashes. She's gonna use them to open up a portal."

He struggles against the binds that still hold him to that fucking tree while the ogers are still approaching.

"Now if you kindly let me loose!"

The warrior wants him to leave to die although he tells them that he didn't murder anyone, even Swan leaves, no, this can't be happening!

"Wait! You need me alive"

"Why?"

"Because we both want the same thing" and as she nears him, he knows that this is the turning point.

"to get back to your land!"

"You would say anything to save yourself, why are we supposed to believe you now?"

"I arranged for transport with Cora, but seeing how resourceful you are, I'll offer you the same deal" And swan stop looking at me like that or I throw you against the next tree and kiss you senseless!

"I'll help you, if you promise to take me along."

But now Snows in her best protective mother mood and asks him how he want to help them.

"The ashes will only open the portal, but to find your land, she needs more. There is an enchanted compass, Cora seeks it. I'll help you obtain it before she does."

Emma still looks sceptical; doesn't she see that he really wants to help?

"So Cora won't make it to Storybrooke and we are one step closer of getting home?"

But he didn't reach her mother.

"There's only one way to find out!"

The oger is nearly there they don't have many time left.

Swan holds her dagger to his throat, again.

"You tell me one thing, whatever you say I'd better believe it. Why does Captain Hook wanna go to Storybrooke?"

He looks her deep in the eyes and says

"To exact revenge on the man who took my hand- Rumplestilskin" And so much more and he tricked you and…

She believes him and so they're on their way to the beanstalk to search for the compass they need to go back to Storybrooke and he ist just relieved that everything went well.