Chapter One

Emma wasn't sure she was going to be able to defeat a pirate singlehandedly.

Things were looking grim; Hook had her on her back, his sword too close to her neck for comfort. He could have just killed her then, but instead he went too far.

"Normally, I prefer to do other, more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back…"

And that was what brought back her determination. Emma wasn't going to let anyone talk to her that way. She didn't take that kind of crap from anyone, especially not from a one-handed pirate straight out of a fairy tale.

Even worse than his utter lack of respect was the fact that Emma had thought he might have genuinely felt something for her. When he said he wouldn't have left her behind on that beanstalk, she knew he had spoken the truth. Now, only hours later, he was throwing around sexual innuendos like she was just another girl for him to add to a collection. He had played with her emotions, and she wasn't sure why it offended her so much. Maybe she needed to be more honest with herself. But last time, Mary Margaret had told her to let her walls down, and look how well that had turned out…

"You might wanna quit." Hook was smirking at her in triumph. But Emma felt something just under her side, and reached to grab the compass. Now, she could take back the advantage.

"Why would I do that when I'm winning?" She kicked hard, sending him flying off of her and giving her a chance to regain her footing. Those martial arts classes were coming in handy.

Hook rebounded quickly, and the swordfight resumed. However, Emma quickly got her right hand free and quipped, "Thanks," before swinging her arm as hard as she could and socking him in the jaw. He stumbled and slumped to the ground.

But this was far from over; Emma and Snow still had Cora to contend with. Seizing what seemed to be a moment of opportunity, they attempted to make a break for the portal, only to be thrown back by Cora. As Cora quickly approached Snow, she threw Emma back onto the sand, leaving her dizzy from the impact. Just as her head began to clear, she heard Cora say, "And now I'm going to give her the one thing she's always wanted. Your heart. Goodbye, Snow."

Emma sprang up almost involuntarily, nearly throwing her mother out of the way to jump in front of Cora. The woman's hand thrust into her chest, and Emma felt the strangest tugging as she heard Snow screaming her name.

"Oh, you foolish girl! Don't you know? Love is weakness!"

"Let her go." Emma turned her head ever so slightly to see Hook rising from the ground. There was quite a large bruise forming on his left cheek. He ran over to put his hand on Cora's arm in a restraining gesture. "Let's just take the compass and leave; we don't need her. She's of no practical use to us."

Cora looked to the Captain and laughed. "Letting our emotions get the best of us, are we? Perhaps Aurora's story wasn't completely fabricated after all…"

"Just…let her go." Hook looked at his feet, at Cora's hand, anywhere but Emma's face.

"I don't take orders from you, Captain." Cora pulled hard on Emma's heart. Emma could feel it pushing against her ribcage, making her nauseous. But it wouldn't budge.

Emma looked Cora in the eye and said, "No. Love isn't weakness. It's strength." And with that, Cora was thrown back from Emma by a pulse of light emanating from her chest. Slightly stunned, Emma put her hand over her heart, expecting something along the lines of a gaping, bloody hole. Finding nothing that suggested she was bleeding out, she turned to Hook.

"Why the sudden heroics? What do you care what happens to me?"

He finally looked her in the eyes then. "Like I said…I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart. Unless it's over me."

All she could do was stare back at him. There was more to it than what he was saying; she could tell. Maybe in a parallel universe, it could have become something real, but now, all Emma could do was look at Hook in silence, knowing he would have to be left behind.