Chapter 1: Wine and Water

Let's see what kind of man you really are.

The words rang in Hook's head as he stormed away from the rock Pan had found him on. What had he been thinking? Of course, it had been too much to hope for a happy ending. But couldn't Pan have given him at least five bloody minutes to enjoy that feeling of hope?

He knew it had been too much to even dream that her kiss had meant anything serious, but the passion of it had taken his breath away. Hers, as well, if he wasn't mistaken, which gave him at least some modicum of satisfaction. But none of that would matter the instant she learned that her one true love was still alive.

He slowed, realizing that the sooner he got back to the camp, the sooner he'd have to make his decision. He was frustrated with himself for needing to put this much thought into it – he had spent years serving nothing but his own self-interest, why was it such a problem now? He probably could come up with the answer, but he'd just as soon rather not know the depth of his vulnerability.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't see Regina blocking his path to the camp until he was practically on top of her. She looked pained. "You do not want to go back there quite yet."

"Oh, hi." A surprised Emma stepped out of the brush nearby. "What are you guys doing standing here?"

"You, particularly, do not want to go back there. Let's just say your parents are very happy to see one another."

"Wonderful," Emma sighed. "What are we supposed to do in the meantime, gather more firewood?" She shot a quick glance at Hook. "Speaking of, why don't you have any?"

He shrugged innocently and tried to put on his most charming smile, but he couldn't quite summon it. It didn't matter, anyway, she was looking away again before he had the chance to react.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I am not wandering about here aimlessly again looking for wood in a forest."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Actually, Emma, I do. You know what I haven't had in far too long? A proper dinner."

She waved her hand and, in a puff or purple smoke, a mahogany table with a black lace table cloth and matching chairs appeared. It was set for three with plates, silverware, water, and wine, and in the center was a small feast.

Emma stared. "If you can do that, why have we been eating jungle fruit and trying to trap boars all week?"

Regina shrugged. "It takes more energy than is economical. Clearly we're not going anywhere tonight, so I'll have time to recharge. If Mr. and Mrs. Perfect can take a break tonight, why shouldn't we? Here, sit down."

"Don't have to ask me twice." Hook grinned and sat down, eagerly filling his plate. Having real food was almost enough to make him forget his dilemma for awhile.

Regina joined him and filled her wine glass. "Apple wine?"

Hook laughed. "You're terrible. And no thanks, wine isn't my drink of choice." He raised his flask and touched it to her glass in a toast.

"Emma, wine?" Emma was still standing back a bit, hesitating. "Oh, come on. Poisoned fruit is so cliché at the point. Would it be so bad to join the villains' table for one night?" Regina turned to Hook. "After all, our beloved savior took a bit of a turn towards the dark side today."

"Really, Miss Swan? Do tell."

Emma sat with a sigh of resignation and reached over to pour herself a full glass of wine. "She's being dramatic. We needed to get a message to Henry and the boy we captured refused to do it voluntarily, so Regina took his heart and we were able to speak to him. We gave it back, after. As I'm sure you can imagine, my mother objected to the whole thing, saying I was crossing a line, so I had to restrain her."

"Good for you!" At Emma glare, Hook hurriedly added, "I'm not saying that I approve generally of murdering children, but I admire the willingness to see that sometimes you need to look at things from a different perspective. And I'm sure your mother joined right in speaking to Henry when you made a connection. There's not always only one right path."

Emma smiled a little at that, then looked down at her food. "I can't help but feel like, in storybook world, that is how things work. And I'm the… savoir, or whatever, so it's important that I follow that. One right path, one good choice, one true love. And if you miss out on it, you're screwed, right?"

Regina surprised her by answering thoughtfully. "Many might, but I wouldn't say so. I have had experiences here that would indicate that that is not necessarily the case."

Emma looked at her disbelievingly. "Like?"
"Well…"

Regina hesitated for a moment and her usually penetrating eyes became softer. "Daniel was my life. After he was killed, I was lost. I wasn't even sure who I was anymore. And then I was forced into marrying a man who would never love me and I had to accept as a daughter the very girl who was responsible for Daniel's death. What was I supposed to do? I figured that was it, there was no more hope. I had met my one true love and he had died and that was it for me. No more chance of happiness.

"And then Tinkerbelle came to me and told me I was wrong. She said that, yes, Daniel was my true love, but he was dead, and it would be silly to think I was doomed to be a miserable, vengeful wreck the rest of my life."

Hook cleared his throat. "No offence, love, but you kind of have been."

"Well, that was my choice. Tinkerbelle did show me another path. Another man, with whom I could find true love. Not my one true love, obviously, but true love nonetheless. Happiness. She showed him to me and said, 'there he is, the man with the lion tattoo. All you need to do is go get him.'"

She closed her eyes sadly. Emma gave her a moment. "And then?"

"And then she left me alone to make my own decision and, well, you know how that worked out. I didn't even go in."

"Why not?"

"I couldn't stop feeling like I would be betraying Daniel if I opened myself up again." She sighed. "Looking back, everything could have been so different. I mean, even if he wasn't my true love, even if I walked in and he was just an attractive man in a bar who kept me warm for a night, who knows what difference that would have made. I should have let him. But I didn't, and here I am."

Regina had a faraway look in her eyes and there was silence for a moment. Hook felt Emma's gaze on him, but she had turned away by the time he looked up at her.

Regina sighed. "So, you know. Not that I tell stories with morals, but if I had one, it would be to not let opportunities for happiness pass you by just because you think that maybe it's not the… snow white thing to do."

"Regina, I had no idea."

The sympathy in Emma's voice seemed to snap Regina out of her reverie and her cynical tone returned. "Well, that's my sob story. Do with it what you will. I'm sure your parents would be thrilled that I'm contradicting them." Emma tried to meet her eyes, but she snapped, "What are you looking at?" and poured herself another glass of wine.

"Well, I should go." Emma rose, still determinedly avoiding Hook's gaze. "I'll get water, or something. Thanks for the food." She was gone before either could reply.

Regina waited a beat, then looked over to Hook. "Well, what are you still doing sitting here? I thought I sent you up pretty nicely."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"If you're that dense, you don't deserve it. What, did you spend too much time with Charming or something? There is a girl who you have been mooning over since we got to this godforsaken island who is feeling lonely and now thinking about romance with a dashing stranger…"

"Seriously, is that why you told us that story?"

Regina looks away. "No. I just…" she forces a smile. "It just happened to work out for you. Take it while you can get it."

Hook contemplated his flask before taking another swig of rum. "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't? What is wrong with you?"

He finally met her eyes, ashamed of the vulnerability he was sure she saw there. "I don't know what to do."

"Are you asking for my advice? You would be the first person to in a long time."

"Well, I don't really have a choice, do I? You're the only person here who doesn't consider having a crisis of conscience akin to murder."

"How flattering."

"Oh, bloody hell, never mind." He rose to leave.

"Wait. I… have nothing else to do. Talk."

He paused, then spoke so softly she could barely hear it. "Emma kissed me."

"I'm sorry, could you speak a little louder? It almost sounded like you said…"

"Emma kissed me. I was saying, as a joke, I should add, that she owed it to me after I saved her father. She said I couldn't handle it and I said she couldn't handle it and then she went ahead and did it. Then she told me to go get firewood or something and walked off like nothing had happened."

Regina snorted and nearly spilled some of her wine. "Oh, poor pirate. You got exactly what you want and now you feel torn up because she didn't want to stay and cuddle? You are losing your edge, Captain."
He tried and failed to keep the irritation out of his voice. "No, that's not the problem. The problem is that immediately after Pan came up to me and told me that Bae… Neal was still alive. So, you understand my predicament."

"No. Don't tell her."

"But doesn't that defeat…?"

"Why are you overthinking this? You want her, she wants you. You are going to let a little boy who may or may not just be trying to mess with you get in the way of that?"

"No, Pan plays games but he doesn't lie. If he says Neal's alive, he's alive."

"Okay, and?"

"I should tell her, right? It would be… wrong not to." He realized how that sounded and injected some false confidence into his voice. "I mean, let's be practical. It's not some random one night stand. We need to live and work together. I just don't want things to be awaked."

"Awkwardness, that's all? This has nothing to do with you maybe developing stronger feelings for someone than you thought and wanting to be a better person for them?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Then you stop being ridiculous. Neal being dead or alive doesn't matter – either way, he's not here tonight. You are. Go to her."

Emma floated on her back in the small lake, watching the moonlight reflect on the shimmering surface of the waterfall. She had stripped down to her underwear at the water's edge and was enjoying the feel of the cool water on her skin. She closed her eyes, trying to let the gentle waves carry away her thoughts. She had been way too affected by that kiss for her own good. It had taken every ounce of willpower she had to walk away and act like it was nothing, but she worried her rapid breath had given her away.

She nearly let herself indulge in remembering the feel of his lips on hers and his hand in her hair, but she pushed the memory away. She was here to rescue her son and she had just lost her one true love. What type of person was she to let herself be distracted by what she was certain was nothing more than lust?

But maybe Regina was right. The thought came to her unbidden. Maybe you need to let yourself have some warmth and happiness so you don't turn to ice.

"Emma?"

She startled upon hearing her name and jerked up to see Hook standing on the shore, eyebrow raised at the heap of clothing there. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a night swimmer, Miss Swan."

"I'm just full of surprises."

"That you are."

"What are you doing here? I thought you and Regina had a whole villainous agenda to go over."

"Evilly plotting gets boring after a while, you know? Figured I'd come make sure you hadn't drowned or something."

"I'm good, thanks. The water's great."

"Good."

He went quiet and she resumed swimming until she couldn't stand him just standing there watching her. "Well? Are you going to come in or not?"

She deliberately looked away as he followed her lead and stripped to his breeches before wading in and only turned back when she was sure he was in up to his neck. She couldn't trust herself around him.

"This water is much colder than you lead me to believe."
"This pirate is much more of a baby than I was lead to believe, Hook."

"You can call me Killian, you know."

"Sure, Hook."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they floated and looked up at the stars. She tried to keep some distance between them, which she was grateful he respected, but a stronger current that she was expecting pushed her near him. His hand brushed hers. His closeness was overwhelming and she fought the urge to touch him again. She felt herself losing and abruptly stood up.

"You're right, actually, this is cold. I should dry off and get at least some sleep tonight." She swam quickly to shore and shivered as she stepped out of the water.

"Wouldn't towels be great right now?"

She turned. He was closer than she had thought and it made Emma acutely aware of how little clothing they were wearing. She couldn't help herself from giving his body a once over and was disheartened to find that he kept himself in impeccable shape. Shimmering droplets of water clung to the dark hair that covered his chest and trailed down over his tight abs, the V of his hips, and lower… He would be much easier to ignore if he wasn't so damn sexy.

"Like what you see, love?"

She felt herself going red and covered with a wry smile and an eye roll. "You know, you are so much more attractive when you stop talking."

"Thank you?" He grinned. "It is freezing, by the way."

"Is this the part where you say something about how we can keep each other warm?" She kept her tone purposefully light and he responded in kind.

"You've already gone ahead and said it for me. I am at your service, milady."

"Sure. Whatever, Hook." She shook her head dismissively but made the mistake of looking up into his eyes and felt herself getting caught in the deep blue of them. "I… I should go."

She went to move past him to collect her clothes but he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Emma, I need to tell you…"

Whatever he was going to say got lost as she found herself pulling his mouth down to hers. His hand went to her hair and she grabbed it and moved it down to her waist. The feel of his fingers on her skin was enough to make her sway, but his hook was at her back and holding her firmly against him. As the kiss deepened, warmth spread through her and she guided him down with her into the sand.

"Emma…"

"Shut up." Her desire was overwhelming enough to drown out the fear and guilt she had been carrying with her since they arrived on this island and she was reveling in it.

"But, Emma…"

"I want this. I want you."

Her word seemed to ignite something in him and he kissed her harder before moving his mouth to her ear and nipping at the lobe. It sent shivers down her spine and she sighed with pleasure. "Killian."

She felt him breathe in sharply and stop at the sound of his name. "Bloody hell." With a groan, he rolled off her and collapsed back on the sand. "I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?" Her mind was foggy; she must have misheard him.

"Emma, I need to tell you something."

"Do you need to tell me right now?"

"Unfortunately, I believe I do. Pan came to speak to me after you walked away earlier and… Neal… He's alive. He's here, in Neverland, looking for you and Henry."

She lay still a moment in shock, then shot up, anger clearing her mind. She could barely keep her voice steady. "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

"Of course not!"

Her face went cold and hard. "Why did you wait to tell me this until now?"

"Look, Emma, I'm sorry. I… I just needed some time to… you know… sort things out," he finished weakly.

She looked at him in disgust and hurriedly starting pulling on her clothes. "God, how could I have been so stupid? Wow. That dinner, Regina's story… Does she know?"

He looked away.

"Does. She. Know?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Great. That's great. You two are a match made in some terrible, twisted version of heaven."

"Emma, please," he reached out for her and she pulled back as if struck.

"Just stop. From now on, I don't want you anywhere near me."

Emma turned and strode away, keeping her pace deliberate so she didn't break into a run. Tears welled in her eyes and it made her even angrier that she didn't know whether they were coming more from outrage or disappointment.

Up Next: Hook gets unexpected support from Regina while Emma comes up with a plan to rescue Neal that will force her to be much closer to Hook than is comfortable.