A/N- This was co-written with a friend.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sadly.

Aurora sat in the back of Granny's diner hidden away in a booth. She wasn't quite sure where she should go after talking to Belle at the library so she headed to Granny's Diner, ordered a sweet tea (which she thought tasted heavenly) and plopped herself down with the fairytale books she had gotten from the library and readied herself for some extreme non stop reading.

Hook entered the Diner with one goal in his mind; to find Princess Aurora. A little birdie had told him she was in Storybrooke and he had to admit she was extremely amusing and he was very bored. Scheming and manipulating people was very tiresome but he couldn't pass up the chance to mess with the little Princesses head once more.

He found her in a corner booth huddled over a pile of books. She looked so out of place. Though she was in Storybrooke she still had that regal air around her. He sat in the seat across from her and cleared his throat. "I hope this seat isn't taken"

Aurora looked up from her book and was shocked to see Hook. Her eyes widened in surprise and her hand immediately shot up to clench around the fabric on her chest, right above where her heart was. She was wearing a dark green sweater whose sleeves went down to her elbows paired with a pair of blue jeans and black flats. It was a far cry from the lavender dress and diadem she wore when they last met. Deciding the pirate was not worth her time, her eye traveled back to her book and she said nothing.

Hook chuckled at Aurora's reaction. Such a timid little thing, full of fire. The thought made his chest squeeze. Milah had fire. She was too wild for the life she had been given and Hook tried to set her free from the confines of living up to expectation after expectation. Returning to the situation at hand, he gave Aurora a grin.

"C'mon princess, lighten up. Your too tense. What are you reading there?" He gave a nod towards the book that Aurora was acting so interested in.

Aurora huffed and closed her book. "What do you want?" She demanded. She refused to sit still and hear his condescending voice bug her any longer. He had no power over her and she would prove it.

Hook chuckled at Aurora, hopefully making her even madder. "I was simply wondering what a princess such as yourself is doing in a place like this"

She looked so different. She could easily pass as one of the other citizens that had fallen under the dark curse if it were not for the way she spoke and held herself. "I get the feeling that your angry with me. May I ask why that is"

Aurora's face grew red and she pressed her lips together tightly. She tapped her nails on the table several times, showing her annoyance. "My reasoning for being here is of no concern to you. And do not pretend you do not know why I feel this hatred towards you. You know why and you know you deserve it" She looked him straight in the eye, eyeing backing down. Pirates can play their little mind games but she was willing to raise the stakes. She would not let Hook win.

Hook feigned ignorance. "I hate to tell you this princess but I have no idea what your talking about" Despite his words the twitching of his lips and the sparkle in his eyes suggested that he knew exactly what she was talking about. He stole her glass of tea and took a sip, making a face when the sweetness of it hit him. "Really, love? Tea? How very... boring"

Aurora gritted her teeth and grabbed her tea from Hook. "I happen to like tea" She responded. "And if you really forgot, let me refresh your memory. You. Stole. MY. Heart." With each word she leaned closer to Hook until their noses were practically touching. Noticing how close they were she blushed and leaned back in her seat.

"Well now love, it couldn't have been that bad, now could it? Besides, I gave it back" Hook gave her a grin that suggested he expected her to jump in his arms and kiss him as a thank you.

The truth was taking a heart from the princesses like Milan 's had been taken, hurt. As he held the vibrant red, still beating heart in his hand he couldn't help but think of Milan 's heart in Rumplestiltskin's hand. Thinking back, the hearts were so similar. Both belonged to brave, strong women that were full of love.

He saved Milah from the life she didn't want. Perhaps he could have saved Aurora as well, in another lifetime at least. The princess bad too much fire, too much spirit, to be stuck in a dingy old castle where her every movement would be watched. Where she would always be judged.

Listening to Hook's word,a fake smile appeared on Aurora's face. Slowly she reached her hand out towards him, as if to touch his face. But when she was close enough, she gave him a nice, hard, smack on the cheek. Serves him right! "Just because you gave it back doesn't warrant forgiveness for you taking it in the first place! place It was my heart! Mine. And you took it without a second thought! I trusted you! I pulled your body out from the pile of dead! And I was the one to show you any compassion while the others spoke about how evil you are"

When Aurora stuck her hand out towards him he expected her to caress his face. The last thing he expected was for her to slap him. And for it to actually hurt!

He rubbed the spot where she had hit him. "You're stronger than you look, princess. So I suppose you'll be wanting your vengeance?" He spread him arms out, showing his vulnerability."Go ahead, sweetheart. Take it. Take my heart. After all, you deserve it."

Aurora slightly recoiled from Hook. "Of course I'm not taking your heart! Why would I do such a thing? Who do you think I am?" She was disgusted that he assumed she would want his heart! What would she do with a thing like that?

Hook chuckled and crossed his arms, careful of his Hook. "My apologies, princess. I had forgotten that your a saint." He knew that Aurora wouldn't want his heart heart but curiosity got the best of him "just wondering, sweetheart but why don't you want my heart?"

"I'm not a saint" Auroras defended. She imitated Hook and crossed her arms, scowling. "And if you must know the reason I don't want your heart is because it's black. It's diseased. It's probably doing you more harm by being inside you and I have no use for a tainted heart" She looked smug as if she had cracked a code.

Hook was speechless. He opened and closed his mouth several times, not sure what to say. The most baffling thing was that she was right. His heart was diseased and tainted and black and it was his fault. Hundreds of years spent trying to get revenge would do that to you. Of course the princess didn't want his heart, who would want to touch such an old spoiled thing?

"Hook?" Aurora whispered, trying to get him to look at her. "Hook?" She tried again. She didn't realize her words would have such an effect. Who knew the silver tongued pirate could be rendered speechless? "Hook I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be quite so harsh"

"What is it that you want?" Hook asked softly. He looked up at her. "If not my heart, then what is it you seek from me?" He clarified. He wasn't sure what she wanted. She obviously wanted something or else she would have left when he first appeared. "I know there is something you want from me. What is it?" At that point he was practically growling.

Aurora jumped at his hostility. One minute he was reduced to whispering and the next he was growling! Her breath became shallow and haggard, a tell tale sign that she was frightened. "Hook" She coughed. "I just wanted an apology. To know that you regret what you did" She managed to choke out.

"Well princess" Hook replied grabbing her hand. His anger had dissipated at her words. All she wanted was an apology? No gold, no heart, nothing but a simple apology? "I truly am sorry" He softly kissed her hand. "You didn't deserve what I did to you" with that he released her hand, got up and exited the Diner.

Aurora watched Hook leave. She absently rubbed the place on her hand where his lips touched. She tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach. Perhaps the pirate isn't what he seemed, after all.