Hook took another drink of rum and stared at the fire. They had arrived in their old realm, been attacked by an as yet unknown enemy, and still didn't have much of a plan for what to do next. Despite all that, what kept him up the most this night were Regina's words repeating themselves in his head.

"At least her memories of us will give her comfort," he heard Snow say.

"She won't remember any of us. Neither will Henry."

Hook had watched the queen walk away looking dejected and broken. He suspected he looked the same. Emma gave him hope when he left her on that road, smiling one last beautiful smile as they parted. She would know that each day that passed was another day that he was thinking of her. But now he knew that wasn't the reality of their situation.

It was even worse because in the moments he wasn't thinking about Regina's words, he was thinking about how to get back to Emma. His first thought was always a magic bean, which would lead to a depressing spiral of memories. He would see Emma climbing the beanstalk with him, would see her grabbing his belt buckle to pull him close and save him from the giant's trap. That would lead to him remembering how she smelled when she was pressed against him and the way her hair felt as he brushed it off her shoulder, which of course led to his need for another drink. At least if he was drunk the whole time he was in this realm, it would dull the pain of losing her.

All this and he hadn't even made it through his first night without her.

"Do you mind if I join you?" David asked, taking a seat before getting an answer from the pirate. Hook just shrugged and offered the prince his flask. He would've preferred to be alone, but at least he was with someone who would understand the pain of losing Emma.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, prince?" Hook asked with a teasing sneer.

David stared at the flask in his hands. "I saw you were awake and thought you would have something to help me sleep," he said before savoring a drink from Hook's flask. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you. How is it that you never run out of rum?"

Hook grabbed the flask back and smiled his devilish smile. "Magic," he said, giving David a wink. "I was paid with this instead of doubloons for a job once. Best payment I've ever received." He took another sip, feeling the rum burn his throat before turning his attention back to the prince. "So what's with the bloody shirt, mate?"

"What do you mean?"

Hook gestured at the dried red liquid that had bloomed in two places on the fabric. Unlike the pirate, who arrived in his usual hook and black leather coat, the rest of the group had returned in clothes that suited their Enchanted Forest personas, and David's bloodied white shirt stood out from the rest of the well put together crowd. "Everyone apparently returned in something that was important to them. So where's the blood from?"

David just stared at the fire. "Emma," he whispered.

Hook's heart skipped a beat. When he had said goodbye to her before the curse took them, she wasn't hurt or bleeding. "What happened to Emma?" he asked slowly, panic creeping into his voice.

"Oh um … nothing," the prince replied as he seemed to snap back to reality. "It's actually my blood. When the curse came - the first one - Regina had sent her goons to attack the castle. I was stabbed protecting Emma." He smiled. "She was just a baby then - just born. I hardly knew her, but my fatherly instinct immediately came out to make sure she was protected."

Hook could see the wonder in his eyes. "You still do that, mate, and I'm assuming it's just as unpleasant to be on the receiving end," he said, giving the prince a wink.

David smiled, but then the sadness returned to his face. "She's on her own again."

Hook let out a slightly bitter laugh. "You and I know that lass is more than capable of taking care of herself without us."

"That she is," David said before holding out his hand for Hook's flask again.

Not a day will go by that I won't think of you. It was a promise he intended to keep but as he sat with Emma's father, he realized how much of a bittersweet promise it would be. Every wonderful memory they had of her, every thought of her would be tinged with the fact that she wasn't there with them.

"So what's with your ensemble here?" David asked, gesturing toward the pirate's clothes with the flask in his hand.

Hook shrugged. "I'm a pirate. It's a pirate thing."

"Yea, the leather coat and the leather pants and all that. I get it. But what's with the vest?"

"It's red," he replied curtly.

David gave him an exasperated look. "Why is it red?"

Hook had been trying to avoid that question, not only from his traveling companions but from himself. He had been hoping his coat would act as a cover. Maybe no one - not even him - would notice that somewhere between Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest, he had a wardrobe change.

Hook took a deep breath. He had the same feeling building in him that he felt before he confessed his love for Emma in that blasted cave in Neverland. It was the feeling that he was about to expose something raw that he didn't want to admit to even himself.

"It was given to me by Milah many years ago," he explained. "She said I needed something different to brighten up the black."

"So you're wearing the vest because of Milah?"

Hook stared off into the fire. He had been trying to avoid the truth, but he knew the reason he had been burdened with this vest again. "It's because of Emma," he said. "What a bloody stupid thing for a pirate to wear."

He could tell David was staring at him. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"Aye."

And there it was. All the pain that he had picked up in only a day back in this stupid realm in one single word. He grabbed the flask out of David's hand and took a long drink. He was realizing that flask was going to become his most treasured possession now as he tried to dull the suffering of not having Emma near.

"So do you have a plan?" Hook said, breaking the silence.

"To get Emma?" David asked. Hook nodded while trying not to look too desperate to have something in place already. "No, and there won't be - at least not yet."

Hook turned back to the fire, hunching his shoulders over as he stared into the flames. "And why is that, mate?"

"I want Emma back more than anyone, but she has good memories now. She isn't going to be the savior this time," David explained in a quiet voice. "I know it's not the ideal option, but I just want my girl to be happy."

The prince held out his hand, silently asking the pirate for his flask again to take another drink and Hook easily understood why. The pirate's heart broke for her - not him - when Regina told her that she was going to have to leave them. At least he had started to fit in with this motley crew after earning their respect in Neverland. But Emma - she had a mother and father who loved her, people who cared for her, and that was all ripped away from her.

She had new memories now and at least they were good memories even if they weren't real. They didn't include giving up Henry or fighting with Regina or an evil Peter Pan. But they also didn't include the parents she found and the community she had become a part of. And as hard as it was to admit, they didn't include him. That stung the most.

He took his flask back and stared at it in his hands. "She deserves a fairy tale ending more than any of us, mate."

"What about you?" David asked.

"What about me?" Hook asked bitterly. "I'm a villain. We don't get happy endings."

David looked earnestly at him. "You're a pirate, but you're not a villain," he said, before lowering his voice to make sure no one around could hear him. "Things are dire for us right now. You and I both know this. But if we can get the kingdom stabilized, if we can get rid it of whoever attacked us today, I think we can bring Emma back to this realm. But there is no way I'm bringing her back until there is peace."

Hook raised an eyebrow, side-eyeing the prince from his seat by the fire. "What happened to the whole let Emma be happy thing?"

"I think she will be happy here if she doesn't have to be our savior," he explained. "But that won't be easy."

"So what does that have to do with me?" Hook asked bitterly.

David moved closer to Hook and put his hand on the shoulder of the captain's leather coat. "Because you love my daughter and because, let's be honest, you're a pirate."

Hook sneered at his companion. "That I am."

"You know you can get things done in a way that I can't," David said earnestly. "Plus, we'll need a ship and a seasoned captain on our side."

Hook laughed. "Are you daft? I don't know if you noticed, mate, but I didn't have time to shove the Jolly Roger in my pocket before we left," he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious. If we can find your ship, we will have a better chance of defeating whoever attacked us. We can bring Emma home."

Hook stared daringly at David. He looked hopeful, he seemed genuine about this idea, and if it got him closer to Emma …

Hook pushed aside his coat to return the flask to his back pocket. But instead of pulling the leather closed, he left it hanging open, unafraid of anyone else noticing the red vest he was wearing so close to his heart. Because of David, he had a purpose now - they had a purpose - and he would do whatever it took to get Emma back to them.

He gave the prince a smile that he usually reserved only for his crew before they embarked on another daring challenge that he was convinced would succeed. "Where do we start, Charming?"