Author's Note: This idea has been niggling at me since the finale (and this is my first OUAT fanfic so be kind). It's somewhat based off of a deleted scene in Season 2 where Hook learns that Tamara has "killed" Neal (not really, but we all know what happened…). It's one of the two essential Hook deleted scenes (the other is the jell-o scene, which if you haven't seen, you need to, it's priceless). This is just my take on the inner thoughts of everyone's favorite one-handed captain as he shifts from a villain to hero at the very end of season 2/beginning of season 3. (We all know he backslid into bad habits in the missing year, but he regretted those actions, which means he changed before the curse.) Lines from the show are in bold, thoughts are in italics.

Are we Devils or Black Sheep or Really Bad Eggs?

Killian kept his face carefully controlled. This deal with Greg and Tamara was not going as planned. All he wanted to do was kill the Crocodile. That's it. They were not terribly interested in that. In fact, he found what they were doing to the Queen a bit…distasteful. It certainly wasn't good form. And then there was Neal. He didn't expect the news of Baelfire's demise to hit him so hard. He still remembered the scrawny little thing they pulled on to the Jolly Roger all those centuries ago…

Where the devil are we going? Hook thought as they led him through the mines. Not one to stand on ceremony, he asked. The answer was not what he wanted to hear. What sort of blind idiots followed a leader they didn't even know? Then things went from bad to worse. Not only were these two…trained monkeys…following someone blindly, their plan for his revenge would cost him his life. Even as Killian said that he would "Absolutely" be willing to die for his cause, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

The minute he was free, Hook made a bee-line for the surprisingly small domicile of the royals. Facing his own mortality and Bae's death had finally broken through the haze of revenge that clouded his thoughts for so long. Nothing had broken through that since…Emma. And as much as her betrayal hurt, he couldn't find it in him to continue to be mad at her. After Tamara told him that she had killed Bae, he wanted the two monkeys to fail, no matter who he had to work with.

Though he wasn't expecting to be punched the second he opened his mouth, he couldn't exactly blame the Prince. David. Why does everyone here have two blasted names? At least the bloody heroes were willing to work with him, even if the Prince did threaten to shoot him in the face. A still, small part of his brain that hadn't really been vocal in years asked can you blame him?

The Prince was quick to challenge him. "So, tell me, Hook, all this time, it's been about revenge for you. Why is it suddenly so important that you survive? I know what I'm fighting for—my family. What are you fighting for?"

Your daughter. Hook thought, which surprised him. He thought he was over that. Not just the anger but the attraction. Apparently not. Don't want to tell him that, though. I'll get punched again. "Myself. That's plenty of motivation, I can assure you." Safer. And true.

Getting the bean wasn't easy, but it was done. And he had it. Not the heroes. Not the bloody monkeys. Him. If it's one thing he's learned over the years it's always keep the rare and valuable objects that everyone wants on your person. Until David had other ideas and took the blasted thing. If that was their only hope of surviving, Hook wanted it in his hands. And the scene at Granny's was exactly why he thought that. Listening to the bloody heroes, talking about "building a future on Regina's blood". She was the bloody Evil Queen! She cursed them all. Why were these idiots worrying about her now?

Because of the boy. The still, small voice who was getting a bit louder, said. Regina's son. Emma's son. Regina was his mother, no matter what she had done.

"You're all mad. I can live with myself." Hook deftly kept the bean away from the Prince and Swan.

Emma was desperate, and a little angry. "Give it back."

Hook still couldn't believe these idiots. "If she wants to die for us, I say let her."

"We understand each other." Emma said, stepping close.

Oh, we do? Hook immediately thought of some flippant responses but she was right. She was an open book to him and on some level, Emma could read him as well.

Emma continued, "Look out for yourself, and you'll never get hurt, right?"

Pot, meet kettle. "Worked quite well for me."

"Yeah, until the day that it doesn't. We're gonna do this. It might be stupid, it might be crazy, but we're doing it. So, you can join us and be a part of something, or you can do what you can do best, and be alone."

Killian thought back to the last time he was part of something, or even thought about being part of something. But that only brought pain. Liam. Bae. No, it was better if he took care of himself. But the fire in her eyes… "Quite passionate, Swan." He handed her the pouch, but he knew there was more to this than just a clear conscience. "So, why are you really doing this?"

Sadness filled the same eyes that had, moments earlier, blazed with passion. "The kid just lost his father today." The sadness made way for fierce determination. "I'm not letting him lose a mother too."

Hook was confused. "His father? Who's Henry's father?"

"Neal."

Neal? No…"Baelfire?" Hook asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."