First Encounter.

Mary Margret and I had fallen into a portal, opened by Jefferson's hat. It sent us to the Enchanted Forest. We were captured by Mulan and Aurora, but they quickly learned to trust us. I had the displeasure of meeting Regina's mother..Cora, (the Apple did not fall far from the tree) who was trying to keep us from getting back to Storybrooke, and trying to get there herself. This was all new to me..and weird. But my survival instincts were kicking in. All I could think about was getting back to my son. We had stumbled across a village full of wreckage and dead bodies, and we looked around to see if there were any survivors. "Hey! Hey, look!" I said as I spotted a hand sticking out of a pile of rubble, which was moving. We all pitched in to help, as a man's voice called for help from under the rubble. It was a man, wearing rags, one hand, but very attractive.. blue eyes, dark hair, a light Irish accent. But can we trust him? He could be working with Cora. Mulan had told me that she had met him before, and he claimed to be a blacksmith who lost his hand during the ogre war. I did not buy it for a second.
"Why would Cora leave a survivor? It's messy, it doesn't make sense." I asked. "I think Cora tricked us before. I don't want that to happen again." I told Mulan. "Here you go." Said to the man, as I handed him a glass for some water.

"I can't thank you enough for your kindness. Fortune, it seems, has seen fit to me a favor." He said. Something about him did not seem right.

I did not trust him. I knew he was lying about who he was. "An island full of corpses... you're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happen?" I asked, suspiciously.

"She attacked at night... slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop. When she started ripping out peoples hearts, I hid under the bodies of those who had already been killed, pretended to be dead myself. Must be the ruse at work." He explained. I could tell he was lying.

"So much for fortune favoring the brave." I replied. I knew for sure he was lying. Not buying it for a second, but playing along.

"It was all I could do to survive." He said.

I was done playing along. I needed the truth. I bent down, and looked him in the eyes. "I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I am pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me." I told him in a stern voice. I meant business, and wasn't about to fall for this. "I am telling the truth." He of this, I thought. I drew my knife, grabbed his hair, and held my knife over his throat. "You're not gonna guide us anywhere until you tell us who you really are."

We tied him to a tree. "I told you already I'm just a blacksmith." Said the one handed man."Sure you are." (I whistled, singling the Ogres.) "You don't want to talk to us? Maybe you'll talk to the ogres while they rip you limb from limb. Come on." We all start to walk away, about to leave him. Something told me that this was wrong, but I ignored that feeling. "Wait! Wait! You can't just leave me here to die!" He cried out. Aurora believed he was telling the truth. "He's not." I told her. I knew better. "Good for you!" He yelled. "You've bested me! I can only count how many people have done that on one hand." Yep. He's up to something and my superpowers were correct. He was lying about who he was. "Is that supposed to be funny? Who are you?" "Killian Jone,s but people have taken to call me by my more colorful moniker...Hook." He answered. "What the hell? "As in Captain Hook?" I asked. I knew he was telling the truth this time, but normally Captain Hook was much older, with a long waxed mustache, and permed hair...at least in the stories I had read and cartoons I had seen as a child. "Ah! So you've heard of me." He said with a grin. Mary Margret pulled out a Hook from his satchel. It was a bit of a shock to me. "You better hurry up. They're getting closer, and unless you wanna be dinner, start talking." I said. "Cora wanted me to gain your trust so I could learn everything there is to know about your Storybrooke. She didn't want any surprises when she finally got over there." I was right..he was working with Cora. "She can't get there we destroyed the wardrobe." Said Mary Margret. "Ah, but the enchantment remains. Cora gathered the ashes. She's gonna use them to open up a portal. Now, if you'll kindly cut me loose." "Not a chance in hell!" I thought. Mulan suggested that we leave him there to die to pay for all of the lives he took. I agreed. "That was Cora, not me." He explained. "Let's go!" I said, fed up and ready to get the hell out of this place. "WAIT WAIT you need me alive!" He cried out. his really got to me. I stopped dead in my tracks. Why would I need him alive? Is he somehow going to be important in my life? "Don't listen to him, Swan. You'll only get hurt again" I thought. I turned around to him. "Why?" I asked, sternly. "Because we both want the same thing, to get back to your land." He said. This much was true. "You would say anything to save yourself. Why are we supposed to believe you now?" I asked. "I arranged for transport with Cora, but, seeing how resourceful you are, I'll offer you the same deal. I'll help you if you promise to take me along." He said..I almost believed him. "How are you going to help us get home?" asked Mary Margret. "The ashes will open a portal, but to find your land, she needs more. There's an enchanted compass. Cora seeks it. I'll help you obtain it before she does." He explained. Maybe he was telling the truth this time, but it could still be a trick. "So Cora won't make it to Storybrooke, and we'll be one step closer to getting home." I replied. Either my superpower was off or he really was telling the truth. The ogres were getting closer. "You tell me one thing, and I better believe it. Why does Captain Hook want to go to Storybrooke?" I asked him. "To exact revenge on the man who took my hand… Rumplestilskin." "Gold, of course." I thought.

The Beanstalk

We arrived at a beanstalk. It was huge, and a bit aery. (Looking up at the beanstalk) "It's a little freakier than I remember from the story."
As Mulan said, it reminded all of us of death. "Encouraging." Said Mary Margret.

"Well your Compass awaits Shall we?"Hook said. "Wait..if these beans create..portals, why not just pick one and go home?" I asked. "Because there aren't any more beans, whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong." Hook said. "Well..there was a guy named Jack, and an evil giant, treasure, and a golden goose...or harp." This was the story I knew.

"Sounds like a lovely tale… but the truth is a little bit more gruesome. The giants grew beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the Evil giants, as they died. If they couldn't have their magic then nobody could… it's really very bad form." Hook explained the actual story. By the look Mary Margret gave me, she knew this, so apparently it was the truth. "Evil Giants who made magic portal beans? Why doesn't anyone go up there and grow some more?" I asked. "Because one giant survived...the strongest and most terrible of them all, and we'll have to get past him too." "Great!" I thought. "The treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. Now it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it, steal the ashes from her, and we're on our way." Sounded like we had our work cut out for us. No matter, as long as it got me home to my son, I did not care. I already killed a dragon a week prior, this should be no problem. "Then we better start climbing." I replied. "Right. So...I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders." He informed us. Wonderful! "All right, so how do we up there?" I asked. "I've got a counter spell from Cora, if you'd be so kind. (Mary Margaret frees his hands) Thank you, milady." He said, winking at Mary Marget. Eww! Did he just hit on my mom? " I've got one more of these. Cora was to accompany me. So... which one of you four lovelies shall take her place? Hmm? Go on. Fight it out. Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it." "He really thinks he's funny, doesn't he." I thought. That comment was rather annoying. It had to be me to climb up that beanstalk and retrieve the compass. I had decided to tell Mulan that if I am not back in ten hours to cut that beanstalk down, and get Mary Margret home. Mulan gave me some magic knock out powder to use on the giant. "Ladies. In this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out. In other words, tick-tock. ( I approached Hook and puts out my hand) "I was hoping it'd be you." looked at Mary Margret, feeling rather uncomfortable with this, and his comments made my stomach turn. Ignoring that, I said "just get on with it." (I put my hand on his shoulder) "Put your hand right here. That's a good girl. (smiles) (puts the magical bracelet on her) This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers. Thankfully, you've got me to protect you (points to his hand) I can't climb one-handed, can I?" I took the Hook out of the satchel and gave it back to him. "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off of you for a second." I warned him. I did not trust him, or like him, but I had to get back to my son. "I would despair if you did." He said, in a flirty manner. This made me sick to my stomach. I tossed the satchel back to him. I didn't feel good about this, but I had to do what needed to be done.

We started climbing up the beanstalk. I did not want to talk. Talking meant connecting, and I did not want that. I could not let myself trust another man. "First beanstalk? Well you never forget your first you know most men would take your silence as off putting but I love a challenge." Great, he was talking, trying to bond with me. "I'm concentrating." I said, trying to avoid conversation. "No your afraid afraid to talk, to revel yourself. Trust me, things will be a lot smoother if you do." Perhaps he was right, but none of that mattered. I did not want to open up to him or any other man, after what had happened to me. "You should be used to people not talking to you." I replied, bluntly. " Ah the pirate thing. Well, I don't need you to share your something of an open book." How would he know anything about me? "am I?"

"Quit. Let's see.. you volunteered to come up here because...you were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child." "That's not perception. That's ease dropping." "Ah! But you don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned." He replied. How the hell did he know this? This hit me hard. "Was I?" "Like I said an open book." He said. "Am I?" " I've spent many years in Neverland, home of the Lost Boys. They all share the same look in their eyes... the look you get when you've been left alone." Damn it! We were bonding, sharing a connection. I could already feel my walls slightly start to come down. "Yeah, well, my world isn't Neverland." I said. "An orphan is an orphan, love, as all been too rare in your life hasn't it? Have you ever been in Love?" He asked. "No. I've never been in love." This was a lie. It brought up some bad feelings and memories from the past, ones I've tried years forgetting..memories of my first love, and Henry's father..Neal, who had set me up for his crime and abandoned me. I was 16, in jail, and pregnant. I couldn't even bare to tell Henry the truth about him. I told Henry that he was a firefighter who died a hero..far from the person Neal was. Why does Hook seem so interested in me? Just then, I could see something in his eyes, that same look of hurt and despair. "You lied to me. You did not know I was abandoned and an orphan because of Neverland. You were abandoned too, weren't you?" "My mother died when I was 3." He started to tell me. "..And.. my abandoned me, and my brother, on the high seas, when I was 8… traded us so he escape." He stopped for second. " Turns out, he was a fugitive. We seem to have quite a lot in common, don't we, love?" He said. I listened to his story and immediately felt bad for him. I knew he was being honest. I really didn't like that we were connecting though. I still didn't think I could trust him, and the fact that we were connecting might mean something, which terrified me more than anything. "Yes…I guess we do." I said. I did not want to get hurt again. I felt myself lose grip, and slip. "Hook!" I screamed out. Suddenly, his Hook was wrapped around my wrist, and I grabbed on to his arm, as he helped pull me back up. Did he really just save my life? Why? He could have just let me die and take the compass for himself. I repositioned myself, and took a moment to collect myself. "Thanks." I said to him. "Let's just, keep climbing." I said.

We've finally reached the top of the beanstalk. It was huge, in fact. I felt so small in this place. It was dark and appeared to be wreaked, obviously something bad happened here. "What happened here?" I asked. "It's where the final battle was. Give me your hand." He said. "What?" I asked. "Your hand...it's cut let me help you." I guess I must have cut it when I slipped. I was too focued on everything else to even notice. "No, no, it's fine." I told him. "No it's not." He said. "So, now you're going to be a gentleman?" "Giants can smell blood and I'm always a gentlemen" He opend the bottle of liquid with his mouth pours it on my hand. Whatever it was, it burned like hell. "Awe! What the hell is that?" I yelled. "It's Rum, and a bloody waste of it." He starts to wrap some ascot over my wounded hand. "So..here's the plan we wait for the giant to fall asleep, when he does, well sneak past him into his cave it's were the treasures lie." He explained, wrapping my hand with it, using his mouth, which was, not going to lie, pretty hot. He was looking up at me, our eyes locked. I never noticed how blue they were…piercing, mesmerizing, reminded me of the ocean…you could get lost in them. I almost wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying. "And then?" "Then we run like Hell. He said. "I don't have time to wait for the giant to fall asleep. The powder Mulan gave us ...we need to use it." "Well that's riskier." then waiting for a giant to fall asleep when we need him to?" He smiled at me. "Point taken. Oh, you're a tough lass. You'd make a hell of a pirate." He said, handing me the powder. Was that a compliment? No one has ever complimented me before, not even my parents at.. this point. As he handed me the knock out powder. I notice the tattoo on his wrist. "Who's Milah..on your tattoo?" I asked. He moved hi hand away, and suddenly had a sad look on his face..that look I know all too well. The look of someone who's lost someone. "Someone from a longtime ago." He said. "Where is she?" I asked. Now I was curious. "She's gone." He replied. "Gold. Rumplestiltskin. He took more than your hand from you, didn't he?" "For someone who's never been in love, your quite perceptive, aren't you?" He replied. I held back tears. Again, I was being reminded of my first love who abandoned me. "Maybe I was in love...once." I admitted, even though I did not want to. I reluctantly told him about Neal. I hated this. I hated talking about Neal, and I hated how much Hook and I had in common and were connecting. I was starting to see the good in him. I did not want to admit it, but I had only known Hook for a day, and he was already able to take down my walls that I've heled up for so long. I was also starting to have feelings for him, and it killed me. Damn pirate.

The Giant

We prepared to summon the giant. I hid on top of a large statue connected to the Giants castle, holding on the dear life, with the knock out powder, waiting for Hook's signal to use it. "You Ready?" "Yeah." I replied. Hook used a giant bone to hit on a giant shield, as the giant appears. Everything started to shake, as I nearly lost my grip on the statue. "Oh damn it!" "Oi! Hey! You big git!" He says, taunting the giant. "Yeah, you. Huh? You wanna kill a human Huh? You want to kill a human? I'm the worst human around. Come on! Come on then! Come on then!" I watched as Hook got the giant's attention. It was actually kind of cute, and I cracked a smile. This was the signal. I knocked the giant out with the powder. The giant fell. It became quiet, and I couldn't see Hook anywhere. "Hook! Hook!" I called out. I was actually worried about him. "He's out cold I don't mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team." He said. I don't know why I was so relieved that he was okay. "Let's go get the compass." This was the first time he called me by my name. So far, he had only called me Swan or Love. I've never cared for my name, but something about him saying it sounded nice. "They hoarded all of their greatest stolen treasures in here piles of jewels, and every room filled with coins." He explained more of the giant's story. Let's get to it...the compass." I said, not wanting to waste time. "What's your rush?" He asked. "How long do you think magic knock out powder last?" I asked, trying to make a point. "I have no clue." He replied. "That's my rush." "True, right, Lass. Come everything we need is in front of us." He replied. "Did they kill all the giant housekeepers too? How are we going to find the compass in this mess?" The place was a disaster!
"By looking… start searching. I wonder how much treasure we can carry down the bean stalk...in addition to the compass of course." He said. I just rolled my eyes. He's gotta be kidding about that, right? So not funny. I see the remains of what was once a person, now nothing but bones on the ground, with a sword. "What the hell?" "That... would be Jack." "As in Jack..." "The giant killer." "With that toothpick?" I asked, pointing to the sword still I the skeleton's hand. "Well it packs quite a wallop you'd be surprised.." I notice the trip wire, and Hook was just about to walk right into it. I grabbed him to stop him, putting my arms around him. "Woah! Woah! Woah!" "It's about bloody time!" He said, grabbing me closer to him, and smiling. I pushed him off of me. Not about to happen, Pirate. "It's a trip wire. Quite a security system." "Well that's a plausible excuse for grabbing me, but next time, don't stand on ceremony." I suddenly had knots in my stomach and felt very uneasy. I wasn't interested in him like this, and wasn't about to allow myself to be. Let's go find the compass, and go home." I said. I motioned to the area in front of us. "After you." I suggested. Hook walked a head of me. "So..it's just In here...somewhere?" "Allegedly, give me a boost would you love?" Hell no! Not a chance. I did not trust this. "So I can't see what you're pocketing? No way! You give me a boost." "Try something new, darling, it's called trust." Maybe he was right. I sighed. "We do this side by side and fast." I said, taking charge. "Who knows how long it'll be before the giant-" as I said that, everything started shaking, and the giant came charging at us. Someone's up quickly get under something." He warned. The giant charges into the treasure room. The ceiling caves in, and debris falls on Hook. The giant grabbed me with one of his hands, and squeezing me so hard that everything started to become blurry, and I couldn't breathe. I tried to convince him to let me go, that I was not there to hurt anyone, and I was doing this to get back to my son. He wouldn't listen, and just squeezed me tighter. I had to make him let me go before he killed me, so I bit his hand and he dropped me. I trapped him under his own security system which was a huge cage. I had a little chat with him, and it turns out he was alone too. I felt bad for him. He kindly gave me the compass, which was in his pocket. There was also a bean, but the giant informed me that it no longer had magic. The giant escaped and grabbed a brick, throwing it to the wall, making a way for us to escape. "Go." He said. "Why?" I asked"Because you could've killed me, and you didn't. You get one favor. Now go, before I change my mind.""Actually... I get two favours.""What?" He said, in an angry tone. "Well, the way I see it, I could've killed you twice... the poison and when you were knocked out. I didn't." I said. "What do you want? " he asked,
I smiled, and I told him to keep Hook chained up for ten hours, to give me a head start. "You are bloody brilliant! Amazing!" There he goes complimenting me again…why? What makes me so special? " May I see it? The compass?" He asked. I reluctantly showed him the compass. "It's more beautiful than legend!" I quickly shoved the compass back into the pocket of my red leather jacket. He extended his hand out to me. I took his hand, and for a second, I felt something. Our hands fit perfectly together…like magnets. Our eyes met, again. "Don't fall for this, Swan. Don't fall for him. You'll only get hurt." I thought to myself. I quickly handcuffed him. "Wait! What are you doing? What are you doing?" I felt terrible about this, incredibly guilty. I looked down as I spoke to him. I could not look him in the eyes, or else I might change my mind, and I couldn't bare to see how hurt he was. I didn't understand why I even cared that much. "Hook- I - I can't." I said, looking down, my voice cracking. "Emma look at me. Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hands why do this to me now?" He said my name…again. Why does it sound so nice when he says it? I did look up at him, and the look on his face nearly killed me. God, he was right, but I just could not let him follow me. "I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you. I'm sorry." I said, as I held back tears. "You're sorry? you're sorry? I got you here I got you the compass." "I got the compass." I corrected him. "Well, you're just going to leave me here to die? Have that beast to eat me, to crush my bones?" "He's not a Beast, and you're not going to die. I just need a head start." I quickly walked away, not letting see me cry as I was leaving. I could hear him crying out "Swan! Swan! Swan!" I could hear the hurt in his voice, but I kept walking. Tears were running down my face. I hated this, but I knew that if I opened up to him, I'd only get hurt again and I did not want to risk that. I knew there was something about him, and I just could not shake it off.