Hello and welcome to the seventy-fourth- never mind, wrong fandom. Basically I plan to make Irish Swan happen. There will be smut in later chapters. It will be a POLYAMOROUS relationship- there will be no love triangles but the road to the threesome shall be long (at least 30k long.) Do not fear, there's lots of fluffy Irish Swan interaction until then. [And a wee bit of smut.]

I plan to write this story for as long as people are reading it. (I have a prequel planned for when it's all over.) Check out my OUAT tumblr: hooked-on-emma

I have also been informed to note that this story is AU through season 2 and cutting out most of Cora's arc. Also, I don't own OUAT otherwise I wouldn't have killed Graham ( I'm so bitter c: )

Graham found the entire idea of being in a land plagued by ogres awfully unsettling. Never had he had to face such fearsome creatures in the quiet of the forest. Though, that life was a long time ago, back when he hunted for food and his family were wolves. Now he had a beloved for his family, a group of brave woman to keep an eye on- even though they admittedly could hold their own- and far too many new threats in his life.

Sometimes he considered the idea of returning to his peaceful life.

It never took him long to completely disregard the idea.

After all, for Emma, he would face anything.

Alas, it went as it seemed it would. Graham was a huntsman, a fine one at that, but he was no warrior. Whilst he had worked to strengthen his skills, he could not stand against witches and wraiths and many other beasts of the sort.

His life was anew however, he didn't have to fight alone with his wolf pack. He had a group to battle alongside, and battle they had, many a times.

So when he, Emma, the fierce Mulan and precious Aurora returned to the haven, their idle chat was something of a rarity.

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm not a very good liar," The princess fretted.

Graham sought out the grasp of his love, their fingers intertwining in an instinctual manner. It had been rough going, but the bumps in the road had been worth it. Emma allowed him a smile, a smile that told of their weathered but unbreakable bond.

"Oh, it's not really a lie, Aurora. Lancelot did die an honourable death, and Cora did escape. All true. Just leave the particulars to us. There's no reason to cause unnecessary panic amongst your people." Mulan's logic was not something Graham would dare to try and expand on. The soldier would know best how to handle the princess, just how he knew how to coexist with his own partner in arms.

It was experience mostly, and their connection that had been foretold by the Fates, that allowed Graham to work so easily with Emma. Their plans were always in sync, moves harmonious, strategies perfected in a way that Graham assumed would take normal men many years to match. He was not one to brag, but he would brag proudly about Emma Swan, for she had saved his life countless times and was thus worthy of infinite boasting.

"I'm not so sure it's unnecessary–" The soldier paused, gaining Graham's attention. The hunter looked up from where he'd been admiring dearest, realising perhaps he'd allowed himself to be too soft. "Wait. The tower – we always have sentries guarding the entrance. Stay close."

"If we're to battle then…" Graham trailed off mid sentence as the four of them entered the area below the guard tower, finding piles of corpses strewn across the field.

He felt Emma stiffen beside him, and he automatically wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him in response. "Oh my God…" She murmured, the words settling a sour taste in Graham's mouth. He pressed a kiss to her temple, wishing that she wouldn't have to see such a sight.

Mulan took a step forward, but stopped as though her body refused to be any closer to the carnage that laid before them. "This can't be… Our land… We were protected here – hidden. How did the ogres find us?"

Graham, years of skinning meat and hunting prey under his belt, analysed the nearest body. It was still, pale, cold. Yet… in tact. Odly so, if ogres were to blame. That left only one solution. "It appears that ogres may not have done this."

The soldier frowned. "What?"

"Their hearts… They were ripped out. I've experienced magic like this myself. It's twisted and evil, something I know of one woman having a preference to. Regina's mother did this. We need to stop her." Worse was that he could almost feel the pain of losing his heart all over again, and to see it on such a large scale... As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Emma wrapped both of her arms around him and hugged him tightly. It was a comfort that Graham still had to get used to.

"Too late." Mulan scanned the field of death with a hawk-like gaze that was filled with fury. "She killed them. She killed them all."

Graham breathed through his nose. He needed to keep his emotions in check, keep the memories at bay as there wasn't time for him to be lost in thoughts. "Well, we'll just have to stop her before she hurts anyone else. It shouldn't be a problem."

He'd faced one Evil Queen before. Nasty as they were, they weren't exactly unbeatable.

Emma's warmth suddenly left him as she darted forward, rushing towards a stack of bodies and debris. Graham narrowed his gaze, and spotted someone waving their hand underneath. "Hey! Hey! Look!"

Aurora followed swiftly. "There's someone under there." Together the two women helped the person out from under the wreckage. Graham had closed in enough then, enough that he could make out the distinctly male form of the survivor, and the strikingly familiar look about him. If only he could remember from where.

"He's alive," Aurora exclaimed, but Graham felt unease in his gut.

Something definitely wasn't right.

"Please," the stranger pleaded.

Graham approached him, wrapped a steady arm around his waist to support the man. He'd had 28 cursed years in Storybrooke to deal with suspicious perps, so Graham figured it was best he deal with the bloke. "It's okay. I've got you."

"Please, help me."

The poor guy sounded like he was in shock, but in the Enchanted Forest you never took anything at face value. Especially now that the place was so corrupt and unpredictable. "It's okay. You're safe now. We won't hurt you."

The stranger's blue eyes met Graham's own, and straight away he knew the bloke would be more trouble than he'd be worth. He had a haunted gaze about him, something that told of a troubled past and ill-intentions. He'd seen it enough in his line of work, enough to know that their time in the Enchanted Forest had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

"Thank you. Thank you…" The stranger's words of gratitude fell from his lips.

Graham helped him over to a table in the distance, sending a look to Emma that spoke volumes. His beloved nodded and grabbed onto Mulan, tugging the soldier away. "Here, let me help." The princess came over and wrapped her arm around the stranger's other side. "You must be so afraid. Don't worry, you're with the good guys now."

"Mhm, no need to worry about heart-crushing villains." Graham kept a close eye on the stranger for any reaction to his words. The guy was either really good at acting, or simply was an honest man, for he had no reaction whatsoever. Not even a change to his gaze. Graham took a breath and then rubbed the bloke's back soothingly. "Go ahead and take a seat."

As he sat Graham plopped himself down across from him. He looked the man over, able to see him better now. From what he could tell, the fellow had naught a scratch on him. That didn't exactly mean anything, but it still added to the unease Graham felt in his gut about the whole situation. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great," the stranger answered, wringing his hands together. "I'm just a blacksmith, I've never had to– Had to see something like that." His voice quivered as he spoke, thick with emotion.

Graham, for whatever reason, did not feel sympathetic to the man at all. He was an honorable man, one who cried over the death of innocent creatures, so if that didn't set off alarm bells he was a blubbering idiot. "I'm sorry, truly." Graham reached forward and clapped the man's shoulder. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

The stranger didn't flinch from the contact, but he didn't appear soothed by it either.

"I think the same. I fear that the memory will haunt my dreams this night and each night after."

Graham didn't quite know how to respond to that, for the notion hit too close to home.

He could no longer count all the times his love had shook him awake from a nightmare. He hardly suffered from them now, content with his life and his place in the world, but the dreams always managed to creep up on him when he least expected them to.

"Here you go," Emma returned and placed a cup to the stranger. It saved Graham from trying to come up with what would be a feeble response.

The stranger accepted it with a smile, bright white teeth peeking out between dark scruff and fevered lips. "I can't thank you enough for your kindness. Fortune, it seems, has seen fit to show me favour."

Emma didn't give him pause. "An island full of corpses. You're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happen?"

"Lay off him," Graham snapped immediately, sending a sympathetic glance towards the sole survivor of the awful attack. "He's just endured a hardship that none deserve to bear."

Emma flashed a sharp look at him, but her hand snaked down to thumb at a worn red string that was tied around her wrist. Graham held back a smile.

The stranger, despite Graham's defence, seemed to find it pertinent to explain himself. "She attacked at night – slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop. When she started ripping out people's hearts, I hid under the bodies of those who had already been killed. Pretended to be dead myself. Mercifully, the ruse worked."

"So much for fortune favouring the brave," Emma said in a demeaning tone.

"It was all I could do to survive."

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me," she explained. Her method was without fault, really. Graham was immensely proud of his brilliant deputy.

"I'm telling you the truth," the man defended, and that was exactly when Graham knew that they had him. Like when a criminal would slip up, one tiny detail missed or forgotten.

"We should leave here in case Cora decides to come back," Mulan proposed.

Graham flashed a glare at the soldier. "No! We are not treating this poor man to such a fate. We would be as awful as Cora herself if we did that. We should focus on getting back to Storybrooke, back to Henry," he aimed the last part at Emma.

Graham had grown to love the boy as though he was his own son. Henry was an incredible kid, smart and brave, worthy of his parentage. The hunter missed the boy fiercely, and he was sure Emma felt the same.

Seeing his chance, the stranger spoke up again. "Well, I know this land well. I can guide you."

With those words, the man sealed his fate.

Emma drew a dagger, metal sharp and glinting in the sunlight, and held it against the stranger's throat. "You're not going to guide us anywhere, until you tell us who you really are."

"Emma!" Graham shouted, getting to his feet and outstretching a placating hand. "Calm down, there's no need to over react."

"I'm not over reacting. Every word he's said to us has been a lie."

"I already told you! I'm just a blacksmith," the stranger repeated.

"Sure you are."

Graham moved to grab Emma and restrain her, but she just stepped to the other side of Hook, dagger incidentally slicing into the man's skin just a bit. It was enough to draw a few drops of blood though, and the stranger gasped at the pain. "Please," he pleaded.

"Stop it!" The hunter shouted again.

"He must be working for Cora, Graham. We can't trust him." She then raised her dagger to stab the man's chest. He had taken Emma hunting more than a few times. She knew where to strike for a quick kill, between the ribs and through the heart.

"No!" Graham rushed forward to shove Emma out of the way, but he knew he wouldn't be fast enough.

Just before Emma's dagger plunged into the stranger's chest, the man's resolve broke. "Alright! Alright!" He flinched away, moving so quickly that Emma wasn't able to grab him. Mulan was suddenly there though, the tip of her sword poking into his back. He couldn't run. They had him trapped. "Good for you! You bested me. I can count the amount of people who've done that on one hand."

It was amazing how the man's entire demeanor changed, going from a scared, vulnerable persona to a smug and cocky bastard. Fine acting indeed.

Emma quirked a brow. "That supposed to be funny? Who are you?"

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

Ah, and there it was. Graham remembered now, in his years with the queen, Regina had mentioned a 'Captain Hook' on multiple occasions, even looked into that mirrors of hers for him.

That was how Graham knew the bastard.

"Let me show you," Hook said and then reached into his satchel, only Mulan shoved at him with her sword and Emma swiftly moved and snatched the bag from the man to look inside for herself.

After a moment of searching, she pulled out a gleaming, silver hook. Emma looked at him in disbelief. "As in, Captain Hook?"

Graham had to admit it was a bit unbelievable. He'd had 28 years in the Land Without Magic, and so he had a greater appreciation for the ridiculousness of the fairytale turned reality.

Hook grinned, smirked even- with a quirked brow in a blatantly flirtatious manner. "Ah, so you've heard of me." Strangely enough, Graham found himself amused rather than jealous. Everything was so backwards with the pirate and Graham worried how that might affect him in the long haul.

Emma was unamused. The sight of her all domineering and in power definitely did things to Graham. It didn't help they'd been stuck in the Enchanted Forest with barely any rest for so many days. "You'd better start talking. I'm not one to be patient, especially when I'm facing people who get on my nerves."

Hook swallowed as Emma raised her dagger again, stalking towards him and pressing the sharp instrument to his neck. Hook scoffed, tongue peeking out just a bit. Graham didn't miss how intimate the two appeared in that moment. "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."

Graham raised a brow. "She has gained access to a portal?

"Just knew something you didn't." Hook appraised Graham, and the hunter knew that the pirate was trying to figure him out. Both of them were alike in that way, they'd had it tough in the Enchanted forest, could both manipulate and deceive when necessary. Fortunately, it seemed Hook had yet to see through Graham. The pirate turned his gaze to Emma, eyes intense as the sun streamed and caught the cerulean flecks that lay within the blue depths. "You may have destroyed that wardrobe, but the enchantment remains. Cora gathered the ashes. She's going to use them to open up a portal. Now, if you'll kindly let me go."

Mulan shook her head, grip tightening on her sword. "No. We can't, not after you've taken all those lives.."

"That was Cora, not me."

Emma's gaze hardened. "Lock him up."

Graham kind of wished he'd had his cuffs on him when he'd stepped through the portal.

"Wait. Wait! You need me."

"Why?"

"Because we both want the same thing – to get back to your land. 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."

Graham was definitely intrigued. It would be good to have another skilled fighter with the group. He was sure that Cora was unaware of all of their group's abilities, but having Hook on their side could definitely swing the odds even more in their favor. And considering his end goal was to get himself and Emma home safely… Graham wasn't sure if he could pass the offer up. "You'll help us get home?" Graham asked, sounding hopeful.

Hook met his gaze again, nodding shortly. "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 liked the sound of that. Hook had information they needed, and here he was offering a deal. An easy deal. All they had to do was bring him to Storybrooke.

It wasn't like he could cause much trouble there, what with so many back home ready to defend it. "That means Cora won't make it to Storybrooke, and we'll be one step closer to getting home. That sounds too good to be true… but you seem like an honorable man."

Hook's lips quirked into a half-smirk. "There's only one way to find out." The pirate thought he'd come out with the best end of the deal in this. He could potentially play both parties, but he didn't know that if he betrayed them, it would surely end with him stuck in this realm and them waving gleefully as they return home.

Graham wasn't worried, not even in the least.

Emma pulled her dagger away, but kept it poised at her side. She glanced quickly at Graham, and he subtly gave her a nod. "Alright, you tell me one thing, and whatever you say, I better believe it – why does Captain Hook want to go to Storybrooke?"

Hook held her gaze, and it was clear to all how his eyes darkened, expression shifted from being smug and confident to downright deadly. Graham knew the look well. "To exact revenge on the man who took my hand… Rumpelstiltskin."

Silence descended. Graham was the first to react. "Well go on then, leave him be."

Both Mulan and Emma gave him a look, but they must have noticed the resolve in his eyes because they both backed off. Graham immediately moved forward, pulling a tissue out of his pocket and pressing it to the cut on Hook's neck. "Hold on to that, it's not deep. You'll be fine."

"I've suffered worse," Hook assured and said nothing more as he stepped away.

Emma walked up to his side, and they both watched as Hook moved to empty space and dealt with the cut on his neck. "We need to tie him up," she whispered.

"If you wish to indulge in light bondage play with the pirate then go right ahead."

She chuckled, reaching down to squeeze his hand. "This isn't your normal play. What's up?"

"He's… Getting to me."

"That's never happened before. What happened to my infallible Sheriff?"

The huntsman winced. "I'm not sure. You need to take the lead on this."

"I'd be happy to, but I think you're wrong. I think you're just being bromantic."

"Bromantic?" Graham quirked an incredulous brow. "Why if I'm not mistaken I think you're jealous."

"Now you're just deflecting. You need to take a step back and reconsider. If you wanna befriend him for real I'm not going to stop you but… stay safe, stay whole." Her hand came up to press against his chest, right over his heart.

"I haven't lost my brain yet, Emma." Graham placed his hand over hers, rubbing a soothing thumb over her knuckles. "Now, go tie up Captain Hook."

Emma laughed at that, a beautiful sound Graham was always stunned to realise was his doing. "Yeah. What even is our lives, hmm?"

He watched her go, and couldn't help but wondering how the whole fiasco with Hook would end.

Hopefully with them being back in Storybrooke.

Hopefully.

ℑґḯṧн ϟωαη

"Up ahead. We'll find the compass just over the ridge."

Hook's shout echoed down to where Graham and Emma were walking, hand in hand. Their proximity probably hadn't gone unnoticed by the pirate, but the huntsman figured he'd probably been watching them long enough to realise there was more going on between them than a simple friendship.

Yet he'd still dared to flirt with Emma.

Graham just didn't get him. Perhaps he would in time.

"He could just be leading us exactly where Cora wants us. It has to be a trap."

"Ye of little faith," he teased. "For as long as I've known you it's always been impossible to make you believe in anything."

Emma pouted. "That's not true!" She brought their hands up for closer inspection. Graham had always loved how perfectly their palms slotted together. "I believe in you."

"So then trust me, I won't let anything keep us from Henry, from your parents and from our home."

And indeed they did have a home. They had an apartment, Graham's apartment. God… he'd been so happy when she'd agreed to move into him.

Emma's smile was blinding. "Same here. I love you."

Graham pressed a kiss to her lips, unable to hold back his affections for any longer. "And I love you," he told her, nose brushing hers. "We'll be home before you know it."

When he looked away from his beloved, Graham didn't miss Hook suddenly looking away from them. He'd been caught staring.

The two began walking again, catching up with where the group had stopped at the top of the ridge. Coming out of the forest, the huntsman saw a towering beanstalk in the distance.

Emma looked at it as though it had personally offended her. "Let me guess – the compass is up there?"

Hook smiled cheekily. "Oh, yeah."

"That's a long climb," Graham murmured. It would be no small feat that they'd have to accomplish.

Hook only made matters worse by elaborating; "It's not the climb you need to worry about. It's the giant at the top."

"Great," Graham wrapped an arm around Emma, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Well we've faced worse challenges. Lead the way, Killian."

If the pirate seemed startled by Graham's sudden use of his name, he didn't show it.

Emma, however, caught Graham's gaze as they lagged behind the group once more. "Killian?"

"Yep."

"That's a bit informal."

"Well, bros don't call their bros by their monikers, do they?" Graham grinned and grabbed her arm, threading it through his own so they were linked by their elbows. "He's been flirting with you."

"Why if I'm not mistaken I think you're jealous." She parroted his earlier comment.

"Strangely enough, I'm not." Graham looked forward to where the pirate was climbing over a fallen tree. "I actually find it rather amusing. Do you think you could incite more of his attention?"

"I'd rather not."

"Ah, well that's probably for the best." Graham helped Emma across a tangle of roots. She could handle the forest well enough, of course. He'd made sure to that when he'd taken her hunting. It was the gentlemanly thing to do though. It wasn't like there were any doors for him to hold open for her. "I don't know if I could ever be as charming as a pirate."

"I'd love it if you tried," Emma cajoled in a devious tone.

"Anything for you, the ruler of my heart, my truest love."

Emma swatted at him, but he didn't miss the blush that dusted her cheeks.

Eventually their conversation died off as they focused on hiking through the wild terrain. Hook let the way in a quiet mood that seemed out of character. Graham assumed he was considering his options, and his imminent future.

He'd given the pirate his chance, however, so how Hook's tale ended was up to him now.

Graham hoped he chose correctly.

"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story," Emma admitted as she looked up to the beanstalk. They approached the base of the beanstalk and looked up, seeing that it extended high into the clouds.

Mulan nodded sagely. "Reminds me of death."

Graham huffed. "Fun. Just like rock climbing back at home."

Hook looked back at the group, and it was clear he'd found his confidence again. He'd decided, then, Graham realised. "Well, your compass awaits. Shall we?"

"Wait. If these beans create…portals, why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?"

"Because there aren't any more beans. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong."

My dear. Graham had to raise a brow at that.

"There was a guy named Jack, and a cow, and something about evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose. …Or harp."

Hook looked at Emma with pity at her ignorance. "Sounds like a lovely tale. But the truth's a little bit more gruesome. The giants grew the 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. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could. It's really very bad form."

An honorable man, Graham thought. One who believes in good form.

"Evil giants, who made magic portal beans? Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?"

"Because one giant survived. The strongest and most terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to get the magic compass." The revelation, despite adding an extra bump in their plan, still wasn't the worse news Graham had ever received. "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."

Mulan remained sceptical. "How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?"

Something changed in the pirate's gaze then. It became sincere, raw. No more walls in place to deceive them. "Because you four are far safer company. All I need is a ride back. I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first."

Graham understood that. He sympathised with the pirate then. They both had a need to get to Storybrooke, even if for different reasons. "Let's get going then," Graham urged, sure that Hook wouldn't betray them for the moment at least.

"Right, so…" Hook barked a short, nervous laugh. "I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders."

Emma took the dilemma in stride. "Alright, so how do we get up there?"

"I've got a counter spell from Cora. If you'd be so kind."

He then proceeded to hold up his wrists that were tied together.

Graham glanced at Emma, but his beloved had walked off to sort out their weapons.

It was up to him then.

"Pleasure," Graham told the other man with an honest grin. "I understand the annoyance of chafing restraints."

Hook smirked in a devilish manner, eyes alight with mischief. "I'm sure you do," he said in a blatantly suggestive tone. Graham's grip on the rope faltered, just for a fraction of a second before he had it untied gently. His trip up had been enough of a give away though, because the pirate was grinning at him when Graham looked up once more. When had their faces grown so close? "Thank you, mate."

The cocky bastard then winked at him.

Graham realised he may never understand the guy, and stepped back before he could make matters worse. Hook tugged off his cloak, doing away with his disguise. Underneath he wore leather garb, a fact that hardly surprised the huntsman. He then tapped a leather cuff on his wrist that glowed at the touch.

"I've got one more of these. Cora was to accompany me. So… Which one of you four shall take her place? Hm? Go on, fight it out." Graham truly realised the man's change in demeanor then. The pirate knew his place, knew they needed him and that he needed them. It was a pretty good position to be in, so now he no longer had to bother being… pleasant. "Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it."

Emma just rolled her eyes at him and Graham honestly couldn't blame her.

Jones was pretty damn insufferable.

"Stay there," Emma told Hook and then ushered the group away from their latest recruit.

Mulan is the first to stake her claim. "All due respect, I'm the best equipped to go. How many wars have you been through?"

"That doesn't particularly apply to this situation," Graham reasoned.

Aurora cut in– "It should be me."

The soldier was not impressed. "You? You haven't fought in a battle."

"With all due respect, Princess, this is about getting us home to our loved ones. Why would you–"

"Because I have no loved ones. If I fail, you can still go on."

Emma wasn't impressed. "It's me. I'm going, and I'm not going to fail."

Graham stepped forward then. "I'm afraid, ladies, that I will be the one to carry out this particular task. Hook and I are the ones most likely to work together. Knowing all of you, you'd rather cut off his head than allowed him to help you."

"I hate when you're right," Emma said bitterly. "This is about getting back to Henry though."

"Which you know I understand." Graham walked right up to his beloved, taking her hands and holding them up before them. He held her gaze, his cerulean depths peering into her emerald ones. "If you can honestly tell me you're willing to put aside your differences with him, trust him, then I will let you go. If you can't, then I won't. You two will need to be able to work together if I'm to see you return."

She remained silent.

"Right then–"

"Graham," Emma tugged against his grasp. "Please."

He directed a small, sad smile at her before leaning down to kiss her. It was a passionate meeting of their lips, a goodbye, a promise to return.

When he pulled away there were tears pooling in Emma's eyes. "Come back to me, safe, and whole."

Graham grabbed her hand, put it over his heart. "This is yours. You're the only one who will ever be able to harm it."

"And I never will," Emma promised, a single tear slipping free as her gaze turned into something fierce. She turned to Mulan. "Anything in that bag that's going to help him with a giant?"

"A hook?"

"Hey!" Hook protested.

Mulan nodded at them. "Come with me." She took Emma and Graham aside, pulling out a cloth bag and giving it to Graham. "This – powder made from poppies. He has to inhale it."

Emma and Graham shared a glance. And understanding passed between them. She turned back to Mulan, tugging on the string around her wrist. "And your sword – how strong is it?"

"The most powerful blade in all the realms."

Graham's lips pressed into a thin line. "Is it strong enough to cut through that beanstalk?"

"Indeed."

Emma reached out and grabbed Graham's hand. She looked at him with a broken expression. "We'll give you ten hours, if you're not back in time–" Her voice pitched as a sob wracked through her body. "We'll cut it down, and keep going."

"For Henry," Graham reminded with a half-hearted smile.

Suddenly Hook called out to them. "Ladies, Gentlemen. In this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out. In other words, tick tock." Graham took a breath, pressing one last kiss to the top of Emma's head before heading over to Hook. He grinned as the huntsman joined him. "I was hoping it'd be you."

"You're lucky, I had to trade my secret recipe for this. Best hot wings in existence."

"Hot wings?" Hook quirked a brow.

"I'll make some for you, one day."

Hook grinned like the smug bastard he was and grabbed Graham's hand, resting it on his shoulder. "Put your hand right here." He rolled up the sleeve of Graham's leather jacket and snapped the cuff on his wrist. "Well done, mate. This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers, but I think between the two of us we could best them." He then held up his stump, pointing to his bracer. Graham knew what he wanted and gave a sigh but reached into the satchel he'd been carrying since they'd tied the pirate's hands.

"I may trust you with this, but the others don't." Graham's whispered words go unheard by the rest of the group, but he knows that Hook had listened. The pirate nods, understanding the real weight of the hook Graham hands over.

"I must say you handled my appendage rather well," Hook mused as he checked over his hook. He then looked at the huntsman out of the corner of his eye.

Graham wasn't about to let himself be bested. "I've had much practice with my own."

"Lonely nights, huh?" Hook asked, but his grin had shifted from mischievous to pleased. Graham wondered if that meant they could have some fun on their journey rather than be constantly analysing each other.

"Not since I met Emma." Graham took a look at the beanstalk before swiftly starting to climb. He'd had to scale many trees in his life, living in the forest. "And you?"

Hook took to the beanstalk with as much fervour, scaling it just as well- and with only one hand no less. "A pirate's life involves many women, but many nights on the sea."

There's silence again as they focus on climbing. Graham does his best from keeping it a challenge- who could climb the fastest- as the beanstalk was very very tall and rushing it wouldn't have been wise.

Unfortunately it had been too long since he'd had a chance at genuine manly rivalry.

Hook, as he'd admitted, was good.

But Graham scaled the stalk as though it were as easy as a ladder.

Their battle lasted long enough for Graham to be a good thirty feet higher, and both of them more than halfway up the stalk when Hook yelled up at him. "Okay, mate! I admit defeat! Wait up a moment."

The huntsman didn't bother to hide his smirk as Hook caught up with him. "I'll give it to you, Killian, you're not half bad for a pirate."

"And this is your first beanstalk?" Hook asked, disbelief coloring his features.

Graham nodded.

"Well, you never forget your first." Hook looked up, checking to see how far left they had to climb. when he looked back down, there was a curiosity to his gaze that Graham knew meant their silent climbing was over. "So who were you in this realm?"

The huntsman paused. "How do you know I'm from here?"

"You have a way about you. I didn't fail to notice how… at home you seem."

"Well, you'd be right." Graham tested the strength of the next vine, hauled himself up a bit to gain some height on the pirate. "I wasn't anything, really. Some would call me the Queen's plaything, others a huntsman. In truth, I was just a man."

"But now you are a hero." Hook grinned at him, like a friend to another he was proud of. "And you have a gorgeous… wife?"

"Perhaps one day. For now we are simply dating."

"Anything with that lass seems worth the trouble associated."

Graham shrugged. "I brought trouble into her life too."

Hook raised a single brow, clearly wanting to know more.

This was it then, how much did Graham trust the pirate with? Could they really be friends? Or was he being foolish.

...Only time would tell.

"The land we came from, Storybrooke– The evil Queen was there. She had my heart," Graham began, taking a leap of faith. "I didn't know that of course, because of the curse. For twenty-eight years I felt empty, and then a woman named Emma Swan visited the town and…"

"You fell in love?"

"Yes. Quickly, without choice." Graham glanced down at the ground, thinking of how Emma would be looking up, hoping he was safe. "Regina was not happy that we grew close I started to remember my past, remembered how the Queen had taken my heart and was hiding it in her vault- which was also in Storybrooke. So we went to find it, Emma and I. When we did, we evidently pissed the Queen off."

"And she had your heart…"

Graham nodded. "It was… a close call. Emma kissed me, and true love's kiss broke the curse for me. I remembered everything, and so I told her that I had something I needed to do- not wanting her to cross Regina's path again. I rushed off, Emma followed. When we reached Regina's vault the Queen held my heart in her hands and began to crush it."

Hook's face was blank with a lack of emotion, carefully guarded. "And what next? Clearly you survived the encounter."

"Emma saved me. She…" Graham chuckled as he remembered. "She tackled Regina, stole my heart back and returned it to me, made me whole. I'm not sure if you've had experience with the whole 'heart taking' thing- what with Cora and all- but the ordeal really brought us closer together."

"Aye, I know something of it."

Graham paused, turning to study the pirate closely. He appeared troubled, and Graham realised perhaps his story had been insensitive. "Did someone…?" Hook's mouth shifted into a somber expression. He raised his forearm, turning it so Graham could see the tattoo that stood out on his skin. "Milah…" Graham trailed off as he read the name that sat across the red heart.

"Rumpelstiltskin took her heart, and crushed it in front of me."

Graham felt his chest tighten with emotion. He knew of the terrible acts Rumplestiltskin had carried out, but he'd grown too used to Mr. Gold's less prevalent antics. The remainder of his true evil didn't sit well with the huntsman. He offered Hook a pat on the shoulder and an understanding nod. "We'll get you back to Storybrooke, but I hope you change your mind on seeking revenge."

Hook smirked, walls coming up once more. "Not gonna happen, mate, but I appreciate the pep talk."

Graham considered him. Now that he knew more about the pirate, he wanted to try and talk to him, discuss things. It didn't seem like Hook was in the mood for any more chit chat though, so Graham decided to let him be. "Anytime. Let's keep going."

"What's the rush?" Hook asked, but started moving.

Graham decided not to answer that question.

Because that was a thing he could do.

The climb became more difficult the longer they went on. They took breaks with increasing frequency, at first neither of them having the breath to speak. Then, the sun began to set and the heat of the day was no longer an issue. It made things easier, and soon they were able to pause in a such a way that Graham could speak.

And speak he did- because throughout their silence he'd been going over and over Jones' words. "Killian?"

"Aye, mate?" Killian looked up at him, grabbing onto a vine with the curve of his hook.

"Regina did a lot of… bad things to me whilst I was under her control, some I would never dare to admit to. There was a time after the curse on Storybrooke was broken where Regina had no magic and was defenseless. Many times I found myself… tempted, to seek revenge for how she had wronged me."

Graham rubbed at a spot on his chest, not daring to meet Hook's gaze. "But I never did. I had Emma and Henry, friends that gave me a fresh start, a new path to follow- one of light. I've never regretted my decision to forgive the Queen, no matter how many nights I relive her wrong-doings in my dreams. No matter how many nights I relive my wrong-doings in my dreams." Finally he looked up and met the pirate's gaze. Once again Graham found it shadowed, close off, but at least the bloke was listening. "You could have that, you know. A home. Someone you want to be a better man for."

Killian flashed him a sardonic smile. "Ah, but I'm a centuries old pirate with one hand and a drinking problem. Who'd ever be willing to put up with me?"

And suddenly… Graham knew the answer. "Me."

"Pardon, mate?"

"I will. I'll help you be a better man, find a future a thousand times better than any the path of revenge could lead you to." The huntsman climbed towards Hook, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. "There's this thing in the Land Without Magic called the 'twelve step program'. An important part of it is to have someone sponsor you. Someone who will believe in you, trust you and guide you, give you advice. I see a lot of myself in you, Jones, I'd love to be that person for you and help you find your own path in the light."

Graham figured that Killian would brush him off, keep on climbing without looking back. He wasn't a moron, he knew the stories of Captain Hook, both from Emma's world and his own.

Except Hook surprised him. The pirate gave him a grin and saluted him. "I'll consider it."

Graham couldn't keep the damn smile off of his face.

They had a long road ahead of them, but he was starting to hope Hook saw light at the end of the tunnel, rather than a pitch black void.

Fingers crossed, Graham figured and began climbing again.

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