AU in which after Emma broke the curse they were transported back into the Enchanted Forest. However, because I am a masochist and want to make Hook really miserable when they meet, I'm going to alter the timeline a bit. Milah has just died; Hook never went to Neverland or met Cora. To keep things from getting too confusing; Henry's father is just some anonymous man who is unimportant to the story (I'm a bitch, I know). If anyone has any other questions; let me know! Now to the story!

Emma Swan tugged at the white, silky material covering her body. She repressed the urge to rip off the clothing and the torture device that lay underneath all her layers. You'd think in a world with magic, they would have discovered an alternative to corsets. Since she had arrived in the Enchanted Forest, she'd fought ogres, trolls, and even the Evil Queen, but had quickly discovered that her greatest enemy would be these insufferable dresses.

"You look miserable," her mother smiled as she entered the room with a wooden box in her hands.

"I don't know how you manage this; I look ridiculous."

"Lets just say my years as an outlaw did come with some advantages. For the record, you look beautiful," Snow beamed. Emma shifted uncomfortably underneath her mother's adoring gaze.

"Only because I don't look like myself," Emma retorted and Snow's smile dropped. She turned and focused her attention on the box she had brought in. Emma wanted to smack herself; she never knew when to stop talking and take a compliment. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not used to all this," Emma gave her mother a half smile; trying to mend the situation.

"I know," Snow sighed as she opened the box and pulled out the most beautiful piece of jewelry Emma had ever seen. "And that's my fault. But now you're just going to have to get used to it," Snow placed the tiara on her daughter's head and couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes. The crown had belonged to Queen Ava, Snow White's mother. It was a simple piece compared to some of the other items the vault contained. Adorned with pears and diamonds, it highlighted Emma's beauty without overwhelming her.

"Holy shit," Emma blurted as she took in her reflection. Her mother laughed.

"Couldn't have said it better myself,"

"I look like…" Emma trailed off, searching for words.

"A princess," Snow finished, placing her arms on her daughter's shoulders.

Emma took in her mother's expression; the unfettered pride and love, and any sarcastic rebuttals she had died on her tongue. Emma Swan knew that she wasn't a princess, all hope of that had disappeared the moment she was placed in the wardrobe, but she would do anything to keep Snow looking that happy. "We should go," Emma whispered, effectively breaking up the moment before things became too emotional. Snow pretended not to notice her daughter's unwillingness to let her in and nodded in agreement.

"If you had told me when I was a fugitive that I would be attending the Evil Queen's emwedding, /emI probably would have put an arrow through your head," Snow laughed.

"It took several decades and an adoption to bring her around," Emma reminisced. They'd been in the Enchanted Forest for almost a year and she had managed to strike up an interesting friendship with Regina. In fact, Emma was almost sad to see her marrying Robin. Emma and Regina bickered like cats and dogs make no mistake, but Emma felt that Regina understood her better than most and she would miss the Queen's companionship. Not that Emma Swan minded being alone; she'd done it for 28 years, nevertheless…

"I'll meet you downstairs," Snow stated as she gave her daughter's hand a comforting squeeze. Emma looked herself over in the mirror once more. The crown was lopsided on her head and blonde tendrils had already begun to work their way out of her up-do. The bottom of her dress had begun to fray and she was already sweating under all the layers. This world had also not figured out an equivalent to deodorant and that was going to have to be rectified immediately. Emma Swan was still a mess amidst all the beauty.

Still… she thought as she did a hesitant twirl in front of the mirror. Emma wasn't a princess. She knew that. But maybe if she pretended for long enough she could become one.

OOO

The wedding was stunningly beautiful, the reception even more so. They sat in an open area, surrounded by pine trees. Tables filled the clearing and white flowers were placed everywhere. Emma was proud of her work. She and Regina had spend the past few weeks perfecting every detail of the wedding. Emma had been a reluctant participant at the beginning but Regina had insisted that Emma use her magic to assist her. em"You need the practice and it means less work for me," /emRegina had said at the time. Now she was happy she had been included in the preparations, although she'd never admit it. Her real masterpiece was Regina's dress. It had been created entirely from their shared magic; a beautiful burgundy piece with incredibly intricate details. When Snow had asked why Regina was departing from the traditional white, the Queen had replied that 1) she had done that before with Snow's father and 2) she was far from pure and everyone at the wedding knew it. That had silenced Emma's mother.

Everything was stunningly beautiful and so Emma couldn't explain the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. All the guests seemed perfectly content. Regina was dancing with Henry and Roland while Robin looked on. It looked like a fucking Norman Rockwell painting. So, why did she feel so on edge?

"Miss me, dearie?" she heard the voice whisper from behind her. Emma was up like a bullet from a gun, hands crackling with magic as she turned to face him.

Rumpelstiltskin.

She should've known he wouldn't stay away. She hadn't seen him until shortly after they had arrived back in the Enchanted Forest. He had left to find his son. Apparently he hadn't had much luck. "What do you want?" Emma growled out. She turned to see if the others were unharmed when she realized they were frozen in their states of bliss.

"No need to cause a scene, dearie. I simply wish to speak to you," Rumple replied as he perched on one of the wooden chairs.

"Unfreeze them," Emma demanded, eyes never leaving him.

"Now, now that would be counterproductive to our chat. See I need something from you, Miss Swan, and I won't be freeing your family until I get it."

Emma felt herself at an impasse. She knew he wasn't bluffing. She could try and attack him though she doubted she'd get very far on her own. She really only had one option. "What do you want," she snarled.

"I knew you were a reasonable woman, Miss Swan. Now to the problem at present. Someone has taken the Dark One dagger; the one thing that can control me. I need you," Rumple pointed two boney fingers at Emma, "to retrieve it for me."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because, dearie, I have been barred from doing so. The dagger is in the possession of King George, tucked away I know not where. Retrieve it and return here. Place the dagger in my outstretched hand and I will return your family to their rightful states."

"What do you mean 'place it in my outstretched hand'?" Emma had a feeling this would be far more complicated then he was letting on.

"In order to protect myself from being used, I am freezing myself as well. The only way to reverse the spell is to do exactly as I have instructed; it's really not that hard. You'll need to secure passage to and from King George's kingdom. It's about a month's journey. And if you are to take on King George's forces, you're going to need to sharpen your skills,"

"That's all," Emma laughed dryly. She knew very little about her new home. The trip was going to be difficult to say the least.

"That's all," Rumple purred. "Now, Miss Swan, do we have a deal?"

She had no choice. She had just found her family; she wouldn't let them go now.

"Deal."

OOO

Killian Jones was so close. So close to enacting his revenge.

So close to killing The Crocodile.

He could practically feel the dagger. It was pure luck that Rumpelstiltskin had lost the it shortly after he had crushed Milah's heart. If it had remained in The Crocodile's hands, he surely would have lost it forever. The fact that it was in the hands of the man who Hook blamed for his brother's death was icing on the cake. Two birds one stone, so to speak. It had taken him nearly four months to track the dagger down. Now he stood in the armory beneath King George's castle. It had been tough to get in; the place had been heavily guarded and well protected by traps. Still, Hook had always liked a challenge, and he'd managed. Now he stood right in front of his prize, savoring the moment when he would finally gain what he needed to kill his nemesis. He reached down to grab the blade. Today was a good day. Today was -

Hook's train of thought was interrupted as a blade touched his throat the moment he picked up the dagger. He was quickly spun around, knife still in hand, until he stood face to face with his attacker. The man wore a dark cloak with the hood pulled up. He had a piece of cloth tied over his nose and mouth so that Hook could only see his green eyes peaking out. Green eyes that were staring expectantly at the dagger.

"I've worked very hard to get this, I'm not just going to hand it over to you," Killian told him. The sword the man held pressed further into Killian's neck in reply. "Guess you're going to have to kill me then, mate," Killian smiled.

"Don't think that I won't, mate.

Killian couldn't keep the shock off his face when the answering voice came out feminine. He stood there like a fish; gaping at his attacker. Even though her mouth was covered he could tell she was smirking. He finally managed to regain control of his tongue and was about to answer her when he heard the thunder of footsteps coming up the stairs.

Guards.