Alternative Season 7

by captainswanseven

Canon divergence. Set after 6x22. Two new mysterious women in town catch Sheriff Emma Swan and Deputy Killian Jones's attention. One of them is Killian's mother, but nobody knows it, not even Killian himself. She has an agenda. And an enemy. Are Emma and Killian able to protect Storybrooke once the truth comes to the surface?

1. Honeymoon Deliriums

Author's Note: This fanfic is my attempt at creating an alternative OUAT season 7 that (hopefully) can help Captain Swan shippers get over the real season 7 in the same way writing it has been helping me. This is a continuation of season 6 and follows the adventures of sheriff Swan and deputy Jones. Visit my blog ( .com) for more info. Every week I will be posting episode descriptions, episode stills, script teases and title spoilers.

~.~

It was a particularly sunny day when Emma Swan got up from the bed she shared with her husband, warm toes touching the chilly wooden floor. Approaching the window, she pulled the curtains aside and let the rays of light fall on her face. The neighborhood was quiet and everything seemed peaceful, something she never forgot to be thankful for- after all, it was still Storybrooke. After opening the window and taking a quick breath of fresh air (a quirk she had acquired from Killian), she left the bedroom to make some pancakes for breakfast.

Killian had got up early and gone to the docks, as he usually did on Saturdays, and Henry was staying at Regina's for the weekend. That meant she could take all the time in the world to make the tremendously popular pancakes her two boys loved so much (although for different reasons, that is…). Sure, they were from a box, but Emma had never been a particularly skilled cook and those things still took some precious time away from her. Once she was done, pancakes carefully put in the oven not to get completely cold, she carefully picked up the photographs she and Killian had been selecting the previous day to hang around the house. If she was going to wait for her husband to arrive so they could have breakfast together, she may as well get on with that task.

Emma was about to climb the stairs, when she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the top photograph on the pile she was holding in her right hand. The blissful bright smile plastered on Killian's face as he hugged her from behind brought on a grin of her own. She remembered that perfect day of their honeymoon all too well: hairs wet, bodies full of sand, passionate making out sessions and absolutely amazing s-

"Hello, wife." Killian's voice suddenly interrupted her extremely good thoughts, his chin resting on her right shoulder as she shivered at the contact of his cool bearded cheek with her hot skin.

"Hello, husband." She barely whispered, turning around and putting her arms around him, photographs still in hand.

"Uhm." She watched as he moved his head to take a look at the photographs. "Reminiscing about our honeymoon already?", he grinned and nuzzled his nose against hers. She chuckled while playing with the small hairs at the nape of his neck. He just knew her so well. With how unbelievable their honeymoon had been, how could she not reminisce about it?

---

Two weeks before

It seemed as if everyone in Storybrooke was gathered together at the docks, ready to watch Emma and Killian get on the Jolly Roger to leave for their much deserved honeymoon. After yet another curse and the final battle against the Black Fairy, the couple finally had the chance to enjoy their fresh marital bliss.

Just as Emma was going through her bag, checking once again if she had brought everything she needed, Ashley pulled her aside. "Enjoy your honeymoon and, you know… your husband." She giggled, winking at Emma.

"Oh, I plan on doing plenty of that, trust me." If there's something Emma was sure she was going to be doing this honeymoon was to get as much sex as she possibly could. Wasn't that the purpose of a honeymoon anyway?

"You should. You deserve it." At that, Emma hugged Ashley, thankful for having built an unlikely friendship with her over the years.

"Honey, are you sure you didn't forget anything?" Emma felt Snow's hand on her shoulder as her parents, Killian and Henry joined them.

"Don't worry, mom. We have everything we need." Emma reassured her.

"Including this tiny device Henry was kind enough to offer us." Killian then held in the air a digital camera, the crowd cheering in response. Some of them had probably never seen such a thing before in their lives, especially the people who came from the Land of Untold Stories and decided to stay in Storybrooke.

"I wanted to make sure you take a lot of pictures of mom."

"You needn't give me a machine for that, lad."

"Killian, you still don't know how to use your phone. At least with a camera, the only thing you have to do is-"

"Press the side button for it to get started and then press the top one to take the picture. Aye, you have demonstrated it plenty of times." Killian interrupted him, a goofy grin on his face as Henry smiles in return.

"Enjoy your honeymoon. We'll take care of everything while you're away." David said as he approached the couple, softly patting Killian's shoulder and then hugging Emma. "Be careful", he adds.

Emma carefully put one of the bags on the floor so she could properly hug her father. "Thanks, dad. We will."

"Have you chosen the realms you're going to visit?" Regina's voice echoed in the crowd as she put her arm around Henry.

"Not really, but we have a lot of time to decide." Emma's gaze rested on Killian, hoping he would agree with her.

"Indeed. All that matters is that we're together." They heard some "aww's" coming from the bunch.

"Thank you so much for the magic beans, Anton." Emma said as she and Killian started moving in Anton's direction. Besides the usual wedding gifts they had received (they now had an endless amount of kitchen appliances and all sorts of household items), Anton had given them four magic beans from the plantation he had started growing again.

"We'll make sure to give them the best use, mate."

"You're welcome. Luckily, the beans grew steadily."

"It helped that Queeny here didn't destroy them this time around." Leroy's sarcasm had Regina rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Get over it." Even more audible than Regina's voice in response was the bitterness that came with it.

"Alright, we should probably get going." Emma interrupted their bickering, picking the bag up from the floor. She started waving at everyone as she felt Killian's hook picking her right hand up so they could properly get on the ship as husband and wife, hand in hook. She was suddenly grateful that he finally seemed to be comfortable enough with her not to have any problems using his hook on her, knowing very well that she loved every single part of him.

Once they were on the ship, Killian started doing his visual check and determining the wind direction.

"Ready to set sail, love?" he turned to Emma, a dashing smile spreading across his face. Just him and Emma. Captain and Quartermaster. Alone. On their honeymoon. On the Jolly. Sailing the seven seas (or at least some of them). Life couldn't get any better than this.

"Always."

---

The ship started to move sluggishly through the water, the docks slowly getting smaller in the distance.

"Good lass." Emma turned to watch Killian gently pat the wheel as the ship's movements grew faster and gentler. The way he loved that ship so much never failed to put a smile on her face, happy that he had a chance to get it back after having almost lost it because of her. "Where to, love?" Killian was holding one of the four magic beans in his hand. "We only need to save one bean to return to Storybrooke."

"Which means we can choose three realms to visit." Emma finished his thoughts. "Is there any place you really want to go to?" her hand softly caressed the arm that was still carefully holding the ship's wheel.

"I recall our last adventure in the Enchanted Forest being quite entertaining." His tone was flirtatious, left eyebrow immediately shooting up. "I would love to go there again with you."

"I would love it too." She had assumed that visiting the Enchanted Forest was a safe bet from the moment Anton had given them the magic beans. Not surprisingly, Killian seemed to have thought the same. "I was also thinking… maybe Arendelle? I really miss Elsa. And I think it'd be fun to see them again."

He doesn't answer right away, grabbing her hand in his and dropping a soft kiss on it instead. "As you wish."

"You're quite the charmer." She murmured, letting her fingers tease the exposed bits of his chest hair.

"Careful, love. I have a ship to steer." Emma laughed at the way he suddenly gulped the moment she started getting flirty with him.

"Oh, okay. You do that. I'll just stay here looking at the mast." She knew that sounded awful as she clearly lacked his natural charm to throw innuendo around, but the hell with it. She wanted to tease him just a little bit more and it was their honeymoon after all. She didn't have to wait more than a couple of seconds for Killian to react, almost instantly letting go of the ship's wheel and grunting as he firmly pushed his body against hers until she couldn't step back any longer, trapping her against the side of the ship. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, the gentle friction of his beard on her cheek making her close her eyes in anticipation.

"You're not looking at the mast, Swan." She opened her eyes at the unexpected loss of him, watching him making his way back to the ship's wheel, suddenly all too focused on steering the ship and pretending that he hadn't looked as if he was ready to take her right then and there. "The quartermaster should never distract the Captain." Killian then added, a proud and smug smirk appearing on his face. So that's what it was: he had purposely left her hanging, to tease her himself. Oh, but two could definitely play this game. She strolled in his direction, leaning in to look over his shoulder as she let her left breast brush against his back. Before Killian even had a chance to say something, he felt Emma's right, warm hand resting on the cold skin of his neck.

"We should…" she whispered, letting her hand slowly travel down his body, a wide grin across her features as she saw him clenching his jaw – a sure sign that what she was trying to do was working. Emma kept running her hand down his body, not so innocently letting her pinky finger brush against his groin. He heard a soft gasp coming from his mouth, letting her know that now was the perfect time for payback. Catching him off guard, Emma quickly removed her hand from his belt. "… go to Arendelle already." She sniggered as her fingers skillfully grabbed the magic bean he was holding in his own hand. Killian instantly felt the loss of her body pressed against his back, turning around to see her sporting a pompous grimace, her eyes carrying a glint of delight at having retaliated in much the same manner.

"Very well…" Killian started, making sure that she saw him biting his bottom lip as his eyes wandered up and down her body. "But do know, my lovely wife, that this isn't over."

Laughing in response, Emma held onto him as she watched him throw the magic bean into the restless waters, a light blue portal forming in the middle of the sea.

"Hold on tight!" Killian yelled as she felt the ship start being sucked into the portal. She had only done this once before, but she knew that things were going to get a bit shaky. None of it mattered, though. As long as she had Killian by her side, everything was going to be okay.

---

Soon after the violent upheaval, they found themselves in the middle of the calm ocean again, the Jolly gently rocking back and forth with the movement of the waves. It was so quiet that the seagull's cries were the only sounds capturing their attention over the sigh of the wind. Emma felt her lips suddenly dry with the cold as the icy breeze lashed at her skin. Killian, however, seemed to be completely unaffected by the harsh weather, merely taking in the view.

"How are you not freezing?" she blurted, her voice trembling. He only had a shirt on under his modern leather jacket and yet he looked as if they weren't in the coldest realm of them all.

"My body had two hundred extra years to adapt to low temperatures, Swan." He replies absentmindedly, more concerned with serving as a human shield to his wife, protecting her from the cold. "Haven't you brought warmer garbs?"

"I have." Emma stepped back from his embrace to reach for one of her bags, quickly pulling out a hooded long sleeve woolen cape coat in tones of pearl. Killian looked closely, not recognizing that particular item of clothing of hers. Once she put it on, he could do nothing else but stare at her. She looked absolutely beautiful in it, the furry hood delightfully complimenting her features as she sighed in relief. "Much better."

"You cut a fine figure in that coat, love." And there was that eyebrow of his, with a life of its own.

"Thanks. This was what I…" she started before she shook her head and corrected herself "…or what that stupid version of myself was wearing in the wish world. Trust me, my clothes were the only good thing about that ridiculous place." She shrugged, trying as hard as she could to ignore the memories of that awful day. At least she had learnt from that nonsense that she could really use one of those fluffy cape coats for the winter, an item that had been missing in her wardrobe.

"A realm in which I'm not a devilishly handsome scoundrel mustn't be taken seriously, Swan. Don't let it upset you." Killian was now going through one of the many chests on the ship.

"Oh, I don't. The less I think about it, the better." She watched him pull his old pirate leather jacket with a red vest. "So you are cold." gushed Emma, assuming he was going to wear his old clothes because they were warmer.

"The clothes from your world may be more varied, love, but these are far better for this slightly chilly weather."

"Slightly chilly?" She asked with a chuckle. She definitely wasn't going to complain, though, especially when that meant she got to see him wearing that sexy red vest again.

It wasn't long until they reached the harbor, docking the ship and hoping they would find an easy way to get to Elsa's castle. As they walked along the road ahead, they noticed there were plenty of people walking around, busy with their daily tasks. Despite the bone-chilling cold, Arendelle seemed to be an extremely green realm, full of trees and plenty of other plants, now being bent out of shape under the weight of the snow that had recently started to fall.

"Next time, remind me to give Elsa a cellphone." Emma sighed, wishing these realms from Fairytale land would just adopt some of the really good and useful technologies from the real world. It would be so much easier to find someone.

"No need, Swan. We'll get there." He moved his right arm from around her shoulders and grabbed her glove-covered hand in his. "Bloody hell, your hands are freezing." He didn't waste any time in shoving her hand in one of his pockets.

"Thank you." She tenderly kissed his cheek, the tiny snowflakes caught in his beard wetting her lips. All she wanted right now was to find Elsa's castle and to take a long, hot bath. As much as she wanted to see Elsa again, she never thought Arendelle was this cold.

They kept walking for a long while, hoping they would eventually come across someone or something more than just trees and bushes covered in snow.

"Ugh, my feet hurt." Emma huffed out in annoyance.

Killian took her hand and pulled her to what seemed to be a small bank of snow on the side of the road. "It's not quite the honeymoon we had in mind, but we'll find our way to Elsa, love." He muttered as he encouraged her to sit. Feeling her feet aching, Emma did as he suggested but as soon as her butt touched the bank of snow, a loud "oww!" coming from it had her standing up right away.

"What the hell?!" she gasped, eyes fixed on the piece of snow moving and turning into a weird shape. Killian was just about to pull his sword out of the sheath when the thing turned around and… was that… "A snowman." Emma's tone of voice was a mix of amazement and acceptance at the same time. Of course enchanted snowmen were a real thing too.

"Please don't hurt me!" the poor thing cried out in despair, the sticks it used as arms all up in the air in surrender. Killian looked at the creature with suspicion, left eyebrow raised in curiosity as he tried to understand what he was looking at. Never before in his centuries-old life had he seen anything like that. The snowman was divided into three balls of snow, three black rocks on his body and a carrot nose. He even had eyebrows, teeth and… were those three twigs on his head resembling hair?

"When you think you have seen it all…" Killian purses his lips together, eyes widening and his head shaking in disbelief as he puts down his sword. Whatever this creature was, it clearly wasn't threatening.

"Please, have mercy!" the thing shouted again, this time covering its eyes with its arms.

"We're not going to hurt you." Emma took a small step in its direction, trying to let him know they didn't have any ill intentions. Emma watches as the snowman slowly lets his arms fall down, a glint of fear in his large eyes that turns into relief after a couple of seconds analyzing Emma and Killian.

"Oh, thank goodness! Not that I know if you could really hurt me, but I get nervous at times and then I don't know what I say and I tend to talk a lot and people complain sometimes because I really do talk a lot but I like to think of myself as a very nice snowman." As he tries to catch his breath, having said all of that as quickly as possible, Emma and Killian just stare at him, their brows furrowing in sync. "Hi, I'm Olaf! And I like warm hugs!" exclaimed Olaf, eyes widened and happiness rushing through as he stretched the sticks that served as his arms.

Emma and Killian exchanged an odd yet amused look between them, until Emma finally said something. "Hi, I'm Emma. And this is Killian."

"Hi, Emma! Hi, Killian!" Killian simply nodded at him. Whoever this fellow was, he was clearly an adept of having a constant goofy grin on his snowy face. "Isn't it a beautiful day?! You can tell the weather is getting warmer! Which means…" he paused, expectantly looking at both Emma and Killian to see if they could complete his thoughts. "Summer is almost here!"

"Eh, Olaf, is it?" Killian starts, trying to wake the snowman from what looks like a daydream. "Perhaps you can assist us. Do you have any idea how we can get to Queen Elsa's castle?"

"Queen Elsa?" that seemed to have brought him out of his thoughts.

"Yes. She's an old friend." Emma added, taking in the absolute joy with which Olaf kept nodding at her the whole time.

"Elsa is your friend? How wonderful!" Olaf exclaimed, "She built me! And her sister, Anna, gave me this beautiful nose!" he gushed, proudly brushing one of the sticks against his carrot nose.

"You think you can take us to them?" Emma asked. She really hoped they would finally find their way out of that endless road that appeared to lead nowhere.

"Of course! Follow me!" Olaf starts moving, two small snowballs serving as feet. Killian and Emma follow him, happy that finally they're closer to finding Elsa's castle.

---

The journey up there didn't take too long, it seemed they were closer than they initially thought. Neither talked too much while Olak kept babbling about his life in the castle, enjoying to tease Kristof's reindeer and a bunch of other things they didn't fully grasp. Here and there, Emma would steal a glance at Killian and she could tell he wasn't exactly thrilled to listen non-stop to Olaf's ramblings in his sort of shrieky voice. Clearly, her pirate didn't have a whole lot of patience for some things. Or people. Or snowmen.

With the castle in view, they crossed a beautiful stone bridge, before finally arriving at the castle's wooden gates.

"Oh, that's right. You should probably wait here first so I can talk to the guards. Not to worry, it's a standard procedure. Elsa never lets anyone in without talking to the guards first because of Hans and the thieves and some trolls who don't like us and we don't know why because we never did anything to them or at least not that I know of and it's really unfair and…." He then pauses to catch his breath. "…anyway I'll talk to them. You will be in there in less than two minutes! Olaf's word!" Emma smiled at him as Olaf walked away towards the guards.

"Peace for my ears, at last." Killian sighs as he closes his eyes to enjoy the moment more fully.

"Oh, c'mon. He's cute."

"I may as well have a parrot." Emma could only laugh in response, amused at her husband's mild annoyance.

Olaf kept talking to the guards, judging gazes sent in their direction.

"I hope Elsa is here. It's so cold." Emma huffed out in frustration. All she wanted to do was to get inside and to take a nice, hot bath, of possible.

"I can keep you warm." Killian murmured suggestively, pulling her to him, her back against his chest as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"You'd better." The way Emma's voice dropped to sultry whisper didn't go unnoticed by him and he suddenly just wanted to go the nearest place where he could properly ravish his wife. The first day of their honeymoon was almost over and they still didn't have the chance to spend quality time together.

Not resisting the urge to touch her, Killian used his right hand to tickle her side, her giggles suddenly echoing in the air.

"Emma?" a familiar voice sounded in the distance. Emma and Killian turned around immediately, the sight before them leaving them with wide grins across their faces. On the other side of the bridge, there were Elsa, Anna and Kristoff.

"It is Emma!" Anna shrieked in the distance, still pulling one of the sleigh's reins Sven was pulling.

"Hi!" Emma waved at them as Elsa started running in her direction, hugging her as soon as she crossed the bridge.

"I can't believe you're finally in Arendelle!" exclaimed Elsa, moving to hug Killian as well. "And congratulations! I'm sorry for not being able to make it to the wed-"

"Emma!" Anna interrupted her sister as she arrived near them, not wasting any time in hugging Emma as well. Kristoff joined in all the cozy greetings, not minding when Killian gently patted Sven's antlers. "Congratulations! It's a shame we couldn't make it to the wedding, but trolls can be really annoying."

Emma shrugged, a gentle smile on her face. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Ah, you're back!" Olaf made quite the entrance, joining the group with his arms holding his head up in the air not to feel so small. "I tried to convince the guards to let your friends in but I still don't have enough authority. Why is that? Do you think it's my nose? My hair? My feet?"

"You know each other?" Kristoff wondered, his gaze settling on Olaf, Killian and Emma.

"Olaf brought us here, actually." Killian replied, some of his previous annoyance gone now that they had found their friends.

"You must be cold, we should get in." Elsa blurted as soon as she noticed Emma starting to shiver. "But tell me, how are you? How is everyone in Storybrooke?" with a simple nod from Elsa, the guards immediately opened the wooden gates, revealing a big, beautiful cobblestone square with two impressive water fountains. The castle itself was no less stunning, its four intimidating towers turning it into a staggering attraction in the kingdom's landscape.

---

During the next hour, Elsa guided them through the castle's interiors, showing them every single nook and cranny. Not having many friends, Elsa wasn't going to miss this chance to spend the most time she could with Emma, now that she was there. At a certain point, bored with the guided tour of the castle he already knew by heart, Kristoff managed to convince Killian to go to the stables with him, luring him with the promise that he would feed Sven would let him feed him a bowl of oat bran.

The castle was simply beautiful, its long halls and massive rooms with extremely detailed and elaborate ornaments a seamless reflection of Arendelle's grace. The stateliness of it all could easily be overwhelming for Emma, but if she were being completely honest with herself, she would take a small, cozy apartment over a big ass castle any day. Castles were beautiful and pretty and all of that, but not to spend more than a couple of days there. So when Elsa and Anna finally finished the tour and took her to the bed chambers where she and Killian would be spending the night, Emma thanked the Gods above.

"On the door to your right there's a hot bath waiting for you." Wait, had she heard Elsa right? A hot bath? "After what happened in Storybrooke, I promised myself I would never see you shaking from the cold again." Elsa pointed out, the memories of a barely conscious Emma in that ice cave invading her mind.

"Thanks. It's like you were reading my mind. I've been thinking about a hot bath the whole day, trust me."

"Enjoy it then! Oh, and dinner is in an hour. You won't want to miss it, it's roast beef!" Anna's enthusiasm talking about the meal had Elsa chuckling.

"Anna has been particularly fond of roast beef ever since she was a child." Elsa informed Emma, her hand waving dismissively.

"Can you blame me? It's so delicious and juicy and the way the meat melts in your mouth… Too descriptive?" she paused, glancing at Emma and Elsa in search of any repulsed faces, "Sorry, but I really love roast beef. Alright, I'll shut up now."

As soon as the two sisters left, Emma went straight to the bathroom, the sight of the steam drifting above the bathtub full of hot water practically making her whimper. Now all she needed to do was be brave enough to take all of her clothes off and face the momentaneous cold before she let herself sink into heaven. There was only one thing missing: where the hell was her husband? He could be here with her right now, about to enjoy a wonderful hot bath (and maybe other things, who knows?) and yet here she was, all alone. Taking a glance at her watch, she realized she had exactly fifty six minutes until dinner. Waiting for Killian to arrive could mean not having enough to enjoy her bath. A bath especially prepared for her. And it's not like Killian couldn't bathe later... Without thinking twice, she quickly got rid of her clothes and entered the bathtub. The hot water on her skin felt absolutely invigorating, reveling in the comfort and peace taking over her drained body.

Several minutes had passed when the sound of a door opening and shutting startled Emma out of her moment of tranquility.

"Swan?" Killian's voice erupted in the bedroom.

"In here." Emma replied, repositioning herself in the bath tub.

Following his wife's voice, Killian opened the door to his right, hand falling from the crystal doorknob once he saw a very naked Emma relishing a hot bath.

"Bloody Kristoff." It's not that Killian disliked the man, but if it hadn't been for him taking him to the stables, he would have been able to bathe with Emma.

"So I take it he was the one kidnapping you?"

Stepping inside, he closed the door, eyes never actually leaving hers as he started by taking off his boots.

"Aye. Lady Anna's birthday is next week and he had no clue as to what gift he would be offering her. It figures he needed the help of a professional." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, his fingers quickly opening the buttons of his black vest.

Emma chuckled at his cockiness, enjoying his little strip tease at the same time.

"Now…" Killian kept talking, his bare chest now in full view as he approached the bath tub, falling on his knees to rest his forehead against hers. "May I join you?"

Emma closed her eyes, pouting at his lateness. "I really wish you would. But dinner starts in fifteen minutes now, we have no time for that." His face suddenly fell, disappointment setting in. But still, he tried his luck.

"A lot can be done in fifteen minutes, love." His tongue darted out and licked his lips suggestively, eyes dropping to stare at her naked form.

"Not when I still have to get dressed." She pointed out, her wet fingers gently caressing his hair. "Later, okay?" she then pecked his lips as she grabbed the white bath towel from the towel rack next to the tub.

"Bloody Kristoff", he repeated, this time in an even more annoyed tone. Emma laughed in response as she got up from the bath tub, very well aware of Killian's hungry eyes on her dripping naked body. As she dried herself, wrapped in the wooly towel, Killian went to pick up her bath robe from a wooden armchair, not wanting her to catch cold. He then stood in front of her, eyes fixed on her own, offering to help her putting the robe on. Emma conceded, dropping the towel on the floor and turning her back to him so she could slip into the robe.

"Thank you", she whispered, turning around in his arms as she kissed him, gentle at first and then progressively getting more frantic. He tasted of rum and a mix of spices she couldn't identify, but delicious nonetheless. A sudden urge to have him invaded her senses, longing to touch him. She started kissing his neck, her tongue expertly grazing his skin on the spot that never failed to make him gasp. Killian's fingers grabbed her head while he pressed his hook against her ass, pushing her more against him. Her stomach leaped at the feel of his erection digging into her hip, turning her on even more.

Knowing fully well that Killian was right and that a lot could be done in fifteen minutes, Emma trailed her lips down to his chest, a smile on her face as his chest hair lightly scratched her nose. God, she loved his chest hair and how he had just the right amount of it covering his well-defined and slightly toned torso. She then took one of his small nipples in her mouth and stroked it with her tongue, already knowing of his hyper sensibility there. The shudders that she felt running through him incited her to keep going further down, getting on her knees.

"Emma…" his voice a husky whisper as he looked down at her in anticipation.

Biting her bottom lip while meeting his lust-filled gaze, Emma returned to her ministrations, this time pressing soft kisses to his belly as she gradually got closer to his happy trail. Her hands provocatively caressed his tight, delaying the touch on the place he needed it the most, his eagerness to feel her mouth on him growing stronger at each passing tease. Remembering she didn't have a whole lot of time for foreplay, she finally cupped him through his leather pants, trying to unfasten the strings with her teeth, something she had become quite an expert at. Killian suddenly clenched his jaw when her tongue seductively slipped inside the waistband of his underwear, her hungry eyes seeking his as she started stroking him. He hissed at the sensation, slipping his hook around the belt of her robe so he could keep his balance. With one swift move, she hooked her right fingers under the waistband of the boxer briefs she had bought for him and frantically pulled them down, his erection springing free and resting high on his belly. There was a sight she would never get tired of. She felt him throbbing as she kept stroking him, her own eyes a shade darker, paying close attention to his erratic breathing. Emma rubbed her thumb over the tip of his cock in slow, languid movements, just as he loved it, a guttural moan coming out of his lips in return.

"By all that is great and good, lov -" Killian began his plea but couldn't finish it, feeling her luscious lips dropping kisses all over his flesh. Not wanting to torture him any longer, she slowly took him in while scraping her teeth over his sensitive skin. She bobbed her head up and down a couple of times, sucking him gently while she simultaneously used her tongue to massage him. That alone was enough to drive him crazy, his groans filling the room as he buried his fingers in the strands of her hair.

"By Gods, Swan." He cried out, trying to control himself not to thrust into her mouth. Just then, he felt the sudden loss of her warm mouth as he watched her withdraw entirely from him, only to take him almost fully in right away. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, feeling the familiar rush of pure bliss build inside of him.

"Emma…" it was a low, prolonged gasp but enough to let her know that he wasn't going to last much longer. It didn't take long until she felt his cock twitching in her mouth as she focused on licking the head while tightening the grip on his shaft. The pre-cum she had been tasting all along started dripping out even more. Right hand still stroking him, Emma used her left one to caress his balls and increased the pace of her movements, sucking him into heaven. His groans grew in intensity and he went over the edge, his muscles spasming in a convulsion of delirium as Emma kept bobbing her head up and down to quickly swallow him up, some of his sperm falling on her cheeks. Determined to completely finish him off, she kept her mouth on him, this time using more gentle movements and lifting her gaze to meet his. When she felt his cock quivering with involuntary aftershocks, she finally withdrew from him, not wanting to hurt him when he was overly sensitive. After letting go, she placed a soft kiss on the head of his cock, licking the last remaining drops of fluid as he groaned one last time.

Killian's breathing was uneven, his eyes practically shut as he fought to keep his balance, reveling in the absolute euphoria she had driven him into. This woman was bloody fantastic at everything she did and his love for her knew no bounds. So when he watched her go up his body, dropping kisses all over until she reached his lips, he put both of his arms around her body and pulled her to him, holding her as tightly as he could. All he wanted was to show her how much he loved her and to make her feel as good as she always made him feel. Wanting to properly kiss her, his tongue laved her lips until they parted and he could feel himself in her mouth, but before the kiss could deepen, she pulled away.

"Sorry, babe, I don't think I can do much open mouth kissing right now." Emma stated while massaging her jaw, telling him without words that her jaw was sore after her previous activity. She gave him one final peck on his lips before playfully shooing his hands away from her so she could go wash her face.

"It amuses me that you think I can move after this, love." Killian chortled before letting his body slump on the armchair, his face still red and beads of sweat on his brow.

"So I wrecked you, uh?" she teased him as she opened the door to the bedroom to go get dressed.

"You always do." He stayed there for a couple of minutes, just looking into nothing with a happy, foolish smile on his face, still enjoying the aftermath of his orgasm. He was completely spent and the last thing he felt like doing was to go to a fancy dinner. Would Emma get too mad if he suggested they stayed in their room until tomorrow?

"We need to hurry, c'mon." she then barged into the bathroom, taking a look in the mirror and brushing her long, blonde locks before her eyes fell on his naked body sitting on the armchair. "You should probably put some clothes on." She said chuckling.

"Sure. But first I need to learn how to breathe again."

---

When Killian felt he could walk comfortably he finally walked out of their bedroom, meeting Emma at the top of the stairs. The bloody minx was sporting a mischievous, sultry smile on her face, knowing very well the effect she had on him. That wouldn't be a problem, though, for after dinner he would show her the effect he could have on her.

"You're two minutes late." She taunted him jokingly.

"Well, if my wife hadn't decided to suck my-"

"Killian", she interrupted him, looking around to see if there was anyone close by.

"We're all alone, Swan." He bit back, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Emma locked her fingers with his as they started climbing down the stairs. "You're unbelievable."

"I will have you know I intend on returning the favor as soon as this bloody dinner is over." Emma's only response a naughty look directed at him. If only they could skip dinner and stay in their bedroom until the next day.

Unsurprisingly, dinner seemed to last forever. The dining room was far too big for the amount of people actually sitting at the huge mahogany table taking up most of the space, their voices echoing in the room as everyone engaged in parallel conversations. Killian knew that he should probably be paying attention to whatever Anna was telling him, but he simply couldn't stop staring at Emma, who was sitting in front of him. His eyes fell on her lips, moving with their usual grace as she cheerfully talked to Elsa. Those same lips that had been wrapped around him only a few moments before, hungry and relentless, determined to utterly rock his world. He longed to feel those lips again – soft feather kisses on his neck and chest as she was so fond of doing while they made love, or perhaps a lecherous kiss on his hook as his tongue brought her to the brink of pleasure. If only he could have her right now. He would go straight to her, not giving a damn about anybody else in the room, only caring about pushing her on the table and pounding into her until neither could take it anymore. He had always been a highly sexual being, but Emma brought out an animalistic side of him he wasn't even aware existed. So when his dark, lusty eyes met hers over the dinner table, Emma did a double-take, her voice gradually stopping as he kept focusing on her lips, her mouth slowly opened. Killian's jaw clenched, trying to hold in the groan that instinctively formed in his throat. He let his teeth bite his bottom lip before his tongue teasingly wet it. Watching Emma gulp in response, he smirked at her. If, until now, she had somehow missed all the obvious signs that he wanted to fuck her, now he had made it pretty clear. Feeling his body heating up at his lascivious thoughts, Killian straightened himself in his seat, careful not to let his leather-covered crotch in view. As much as he had always been a fan of creating an impression on people, showing his prominent erection in the middle of a royal dinner probably wasn't the best of ideas.

After dinner, Elsa and Anna moved their guests to one of the living rooms, a massive window and countless of paintings adorning the walls and classic chandeliers hanging from the mosaic ceiling. After beverages were served, Killian stroke conversation with Kristoff, Anna and another guest as Elsa presented Emma to one of the maids. After a long while of noticing the glances Killian and Emma kept stealing at each other, Elsa dismissed them, telling them they needed to get a good night of sleep for their trip to another realm on the following day. Or at least that's what she had said, but the wink she had sent their way definitely looked as if she had other reasons in mind.

When they were finally alone, Killian pinched Emma's butt, eliciting a shriek from her as she started running up the stairs. He followed her, laughing all the way up while trying to catch her. Being able to escape him, she entered their bedroom and left the door opened, knowing he was right behind her. With nowhere else to go, she stopped dead in her tracks, catching her breath and smiling at the way he was practically eating her with his eyes.

"You can't escape me now, Swan." He said, his voice as low as it could be before hurryingly closing the door, Emma's loud laugh a pleased prelude to everything that would happen for the rest of the night.

---

It was funny how the mornings in Arendelle didn't seem to be as cold as the afternoons, Emma noted as soon as they stepped outside. Elsa had promised them a quick guided visit through some of Arendelle's attractions before leaving them at the harbor so they could proceed with their journey on the Jolly Roger. So far they had been through the North Mountain, where Kristoff used to live and work as an ice harvester, and some really beautiful forest locations, full of species of plants neither Killian and Emma had ever seen. Right now they were walking through their last stop before going to the harbor, the Valley of the Living Rock. There were these really cute trolls disguised as stones who had promptly welcomed them, quickly striking a conversation with both Emma and Killian.

"One has to admit this place has very interesting creatures." Killian whispered in Emma's ear as they sat in a fallen tree trunk, watching Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf load Sven's sleigh with some firewood.

"I still like Olaf the best."

"Yes, love, but maybe it's best you don't tell him that. He's been rather quiet today and we don't want a compliment to change that."

"I think you spoke too soon." Emma chuckled, watching Olaf run in their direction.

"Mr. Pirate!" Killian fought the temptation to roll his eyes. For some reason, the snowman had taken to call him that when he had learnt Killian was a pirate. "You have to see something incredible Kristoff and I found! This way, Mr. Pirate!" Killian looked at Emma, mentally asking for help, but all Emma could do was giggle at the exchange as Killian followed Olaf.

"He loves Killian", Elsa said as she approached Emma, sitting next to her.

"He's so cute."

"Olaf or Killian?" Elsa teased.

"Both." Emma quipped as they both laughed. It had been a long time since the two of them had been able to spend time together without a looming threat in the horizon.

"But tell me about yourself. It's been so long since we've last seen each other. I'm sure plenty has happened since then."

"Whoa, there'd be way too many things for me to tell you, we'd be here for weeks, trust me."

"So life in Storybrooke is still hectic, I see."

"Oh, yeah, definitely." Emma added without hesitation. "Let me see, just to scare you: there were three crazy women who tried to kill us all, an author who wanted to turn us into completely different people in an alternate universe, then I became the Dark One –"

"You what?!" Elsa exclaimed, interrupting her friend. Emma stood still for some seconds, her sudden discomfort not oblivious to Elsa.

"Yeah. Not the best memories either." Emma mumbled, trying not to think too much about that time of her life and every negative feeling that came with it.

"You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to." Elsa offered, sensing Emma's distress.

"We went to Camelot, to try to take the darkness out of me…" Emma insisted, for some reason it had always been easy to talk to Elsa. "I did some things… And then Killian did some things because of what I did…" her voice was now barely a whisper before she shook her head, sending all those ghosts away. "But anyway, we ended up in the Underworld."

"The Underworld?!" poor Elsa. Emma could tell by the faces she was making that she was having a hard time taking it all in.

"And then when we returned to Storybrooke there were all the people from the Land of Untold Stories, the Evil Queen tried to kill my parents –"

"Regina is evil again?!" Elsa was really trying hard to understand everything that had happened. When she had left Storybrooke, Regina was one of the heroes, why had she turned evil again all of a sudden?

"No, not Regina, it was her clone." Elsa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and Emma explained further. "She drank a magical serum."

"Oh… I see." Elsa muttered, still not really understanding a thing.

"And then Belle and Rumple's son tried to kill me, but we later found out he was actually being controlled by the Black Fairy."

"Wait, Belle and Rumple had a son? I don't think I ever met him."

"Oh, he hadn't been born yet. He was a grown up when he tried to kill me, but now he is actually some months old." Elsa then looked at her as if she had three eyes. "The Evil Queen sped up Belle's pregnancy and then the Black Fairy kidnapped the kid when he was born, took him to a place where time moves differently and he became a grown-up. And then he came into Storybrooke to try to kill me." Yeah… Elsa was still looking at her as if she had three eyes.

"Oh…" being her only response to everything Emma had just told her.

"And then I got married. But the Black Fairy cursed us all on the day of the wedding and I got separated from my family. Again." Emma sighed as she realized how all of this sounded so ridiculous when put like that.

"Oh no. But… why did this Black Fairy want to kill you?"

"You know what? We never really understood why." Emma shrugged. "But we're here now. And it feels great to spend a day without feeling your life as you know it is doomed."

"I can only imagine. You would probably die of boredom in Arendelle. I spend my days visiting villages and collecting firewood with Anna and Kristoff."

"Sounds nice."

"But how are you? I mean, you've been through so much." Elsa looked genuinely concerned, softy rubbing Emma's back.

"I'm fine." Emma assured her, before going on. "I… think I still haven't taken any of it in, you know? And now I'm on my honeymoon and I just want to have fun and enjoy my husband and our time to ourselves." Emma laughed for the first time ever since she started telling everything that happened to them for the past two years.

"I'm proud of you. You're here, putting yourself and your happiness first. You have to keep doing that, Emma."

"I know." Emma nodded at her. "Thank you, for welcoming us and for such a nice stay."

"You know you'll always be welcome in Arendelle." Emma smiled at Elsa, putting her right arm around her shoulders and giving her a side hug. "And what will the newlyweds' next stop be?"

"We still haven't talked about it." Emma then shifted in her improvised seat on the tree trunk. "I would like to go back to Camelot. To sort of erase all of the bad memories associated with that place, you know?"

"It seems like a wonderful idea to me." Elsa approved.

"Yeah, I just don't know if Killian is ready to go back there." Emma's eyes drifted to the floor, conflicted as to whether or not she should talk about that with Killian or if it was just better to leave it be.

"And you're afraid to ask him?"

Emma thought about Elsa's question before she let out a sad sigh. "Yeah, I guess I am. It's just… not easy to talk about it."

"It will never get any easier if you keep avoiding it altogether." Elsa encouraged her, trying to be as supportive as she could, but also a voice of reason she sensed Emma was looking for at the moment. "Besides, if you tell him about it and he makes you walk the plank, with a few strokes you will be back in Arendelle and we will take you in again." She added, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to have worked because Emma bursted laughing.

"Thanks, Elsa. For everything."

They didn't have to wait for too long until Killian, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff returned. Apparently they had found a red fox with a hook shape in her patch of white fur. Olaf and Kristoff had named it "Captain Fox" and thought it was only appropriate for Killian to get acquainted with his animal counterpart.

---

Soon enough they were on the harbor of Arendelle, the Jolly Roger majestically standing among other much smaller and dreadful ships. They all said their goodbyes to each other, Olaf hugging Killian's right leg as Killian patted the twigs on his head, smiling down at him. As annoying as the snowman could be, he had to admit he had grown fond of him. Emma and Elsa shared another hug, thanking each other again and promising one another that would have to meet soon.

After the goodbyes, Killian and Emma got on the Jolly once again, sailing away to their still undefined next destination.

"It was fine seeing these fellows again." Killian turned to Emma as he tried to keep the ship in his control, the water somewhat more agitated than usual. Emma didn't hear him, though, thinking about what Elsa had told her. She should tell Killian that she would like to go to Camelot again. If he didn't want to, then they would just choose another realm.

"Emma? Are you alright?" she finally looked at him, realizing that she hadn't been paying attention to what he said.

"Yeah, sorry. My mind was elsewhere." She was going to talk to him, she just needed to work up some courage first. He looked at her unsurely, doubt taking over his face.

"Are you alright?" she returned his question, knowing all too well what that look meant – he wanted to tell her something.

"Aye, love. But I need to tell you something." He then let go of the ship's wheel, moving towards her and getting hold of her hand, "I'm not certain if now is the appropriate time, but considering we have to decide soon on which realm to visit next, I'm going to take my chances."

"Okay." She nodded, looking expectantly at him. "What is it?"

"Before you answer, this is merely a suggestion. You don't have to accept it." He could tell she was starting to feel anxious over that much suspense, so he decided to just say it. "What would you say if we paid Camelot a visit?" Opening her mouth slightly, Emma felt a sudden onset of relief take over her, a slow smile building on her face as the surprise sank in. She then smiled at him, a chuckle escaping her as she grabbed his face in her hands.

"I take it you're not opposed to the idea." Killian stated, his cheeks dimpling as the corner of his eyes wrinkled.

"I was going to suggest the same thing.", she admitted.

"You were?" Killian wondered, but it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. They had always been in sync, understanding the choices each had to make and the place they were coming from.

"Yeah. But I wasn't sure if you were ready to go back there."

"Neither was I." he admitted, his hook pulling away a strand of her hair that the wind had blown into her face.

"But I really want to go back. To-"

"Replace the bad memories with joyful ones." He said, finishing her thoughts.

"Exactly", she agreed, the backside of her right hand caressing his chin. She then felt him reaching for his pocket, taking one magic bean out of it before throwing it into the water.

"Camelot, here we go." He shouted as they prepared for the now familiar portal to engulf them once again, swallowing them into the realm where everything had changed forever.

---

This time around, the trip through the portal seemed way smoother and calmer and, for some reason unbeknownst to them, they were already docked on Camelot's harbor. Killian looked around, checking if everything was alright with the ship.

"I kind of thought it would be nice to get here and already have the ship docked." Emma confessed. "Maybe that was it?"

"Perhaps." Killian replied, "Everything's alright. A technically perfect thought, Swan. Like a true quartermaster." He smirked at her as they grabbed their bags from the floor and started going down the ramp of the ship. The first thing they noticed was how poor and empty the kingdom's harbor seemed to be, definitely not a place that resembled any of the fast-moving elegance of the Camelot they had known. The people, dressed mainly in rags, seemed to not care at all about their presence, carrying on with whatever they were doing.

"Wait, isn't that Lancelot?" Emma pulled on Killian's arm as they both looked in the distance. Standing next to a couple of horses, around the harbor's corner, there was a tall, dark man accompanied by a female figure. Every single passer-by would bow down to them as they walked by.

"I'm not sure it is him, love." Killian countered before they started walking towards the man. As they grew close, they could clearly make out Lancelot and Guinevere, now happily talking with two old women. Emma and Killian kept to themselves, not wanting to interrupt the conversation, but soon enough Lancelot spotted them.

"Emma! Killian!" he exclaims, quickly saying goodbye to the two ladies before making his way to them.

"What a wonderful surprise." Guinevere gushed after joining them, Emma and Killian noticing the way she locked arms with Lancelot, a big diamond ring on her left ring finger.

"We didn't know you were visiting Camelot. How are you? Your parents?" Lancelot inquired, his mouth curved into a smile.

"We're okay, thanks. And so are my parents. They stayed in Storybrooke." Emma replied before adding, "We are actually here in our honeymoon." She then smiled at Killian, his arm proudly going around her shoulders as Lancelot and Guinevere's faces lit up.

"You got married? Congratulations!" Guinevere gushed, hugging the two of them.

"It looks like we weren't the only ones." Emma pointed out, dropping her eyes to Lancelot and Guinevere's wedding rings.

"Thank you. It's all very recent, to be entirely honest." Lancelot stated as he turned to look at his wife, contemplating her passionately. "We got married in secret just the previous week."

"Congratulations." Emma said sincerely.

"My best wishes." Killian added, feeling awkward if he didn't say a thing.

"The people are slowly finding out about it, but I think they're fond of the idea of welcoming Lancelot as their new king." Guinevere asserted, her right hand caressing his back. "After everything that happened with Arthur, the people of Camelot need someone they can fully trust."

"I hope that wasn't the only reason you decided to marry me." Lancelot's quip had everyone laughing as Guinevere gently swatted his arm. All the while more people kept passing by and insisted on greeting the king and the queen.

"We're happy to see you here, but I'm afraid the timing isn't the best. We're reconstructing the kingdom and the castle right now, we won't be able to provide you with lodging." Guinevere informed them as she grimaced. She went on to explain that the effects of the Sands of Avalon were completely wiped away when Arthur died. The kingdom went back to the way it was before, poor and uneventful.

"Not to worry, your majesty, we will explore our possibilities." Killian replied, not too concerned with the threat of having to sleep in the open air.

They proceeded to talk about Lancelot's never-ending journey to meet his mother and how he and Guinevere reunited once she returned to Camelot. With Arthur gone, there were no reasons why they couldn't be together, deciding to give their love a chance.

Not wanting to disturb the newlyweds' honeymoon any longer, Lancelot and Guinevere then finally said their goodbyes, encouraging Emma and Killian to explore anything they would like and to let them know if they needed any assistance.

"They're nice. I hope they can restore the kingdom." Emma stated, watching the couple walking away, pulling their horses by the reins.

"I am certain they will." Killian assures her, but his attention was elsewhere as he took in his surroundings.

"Are you looking for something?"

"Aye. And I think I found it." He said, the corners of his mouth quirking up as he stared at what looked like a big straw shed. "Wait here, love." She did as he told, watching him walk away in the shed's direction. While waiting for him, Emma decided to wander around a bit, careful not to get too far away. A wooden carriage standing still behind a thicket of bushes caught her attention and she decided to explore that secluded, but more inhabited area. There were more wooden sheds with ceilings made of straw, benches, rag sacks and barrels lying around near each door. A small, but charming well sat in the middle of that area, the bucket in it full of blooming middlemist flowers. A bittersweet feeling suddenly took hold of Emma, recalling all too well all the memories connected to them. Not all were bad, but in her mind those flowers were still deeply associated with Killian's death and her definite surrender to the darkness.

The sound of a horse trotting brought her out of her sad thoughts as Killian arrived next to her, a beautiful light brown horse on his side. His lashes fluttered as he looked at her, a proud smile forming on his features.

"You borrowed another horse without anyone noticing?" Emma teased him, moving to softly pat the horse's nose. This time around, the horse didn't get scared at her touch, letting her trace her fingers through his coat.

"Not quite. This time I had to pay in doubloons." He clarified, hook resting on his satchel.

"You bought a horse?" clearly, Emma was finding this all too amusing.

"As much as I would not disapprove such an acquisition, no. I borrowed it for a day." Killian uttered, grabbing Emma's hand in his and eyes gleaming with joy. "Can I still make your heart race? No darkness in tow this time."

His words instantly took her back to that time in the barn, when he was doing all he could to help her stop listening to the Dark One's voice inside her head. She remembered the excruciating anguish and the overwhelming fear she had felt then, constantly scared that the slightest thing would tip her off, making her lose the battle against the darkness. Killian and Henry had been the only people who had helped making her feel better, giving her the strength she needed to beat the darkness. She didn't always succeed, the image of Violet's heart in her hand immediately coming to her mind, but she would have fallen way sooner if it hadn't been for them. If it hadn't been for him.

So when he asked her if she wanted to ride a horse with him in Camelot once again, but this time celebrating their marriage and their love instead of trying to push the darkness away, her answer could only be one, "Of course you can."

During all the ride, Emma felt that new feeling of excitement as if it was her first time actually riding a horse. She wondered if maybe having the darkness in her had affected her enjoyment of the previous ride. If she had already loved it back then, now it had simply been amazing, almost impossible to describe. As the wind blew in her face and she held onto Killian's body, she felt free, reinvigorated… Happy.

They trotted around in circles for some time, trying to find the middlemist field but it seemed to be nowhere in sight. Camelot looked so different now that very little was recognizable. The more time it passed, the more they believed that the field had been nothing but a creation of the Sands of Avalon, vanishing when Arthur died.

"I'm certain it was here." Killian said, stopping the horse as he looked at a field in front of them. He helped Emma off the horse before jumping off it himself. If they started walking and exploring the place by themselves maybe they would be able to find it.

"I think you're right. Look." Emma startled him, pointing her finger ahead. Right in front of them there was a big field full of partially dried grass, some trees and small bushes, but what called their attention was one radiant and solitary tree, blooming with pink flowers. The tree's liveliness contrasted with the dormancy of the rest of the field, some of the flowers having fallen and giving color to the dull grassed floor.

As Emma and Killian approached the tree, Emma picked up one of the flowers.

"They don't really look the same. They have a different form and shade of pink." She noted, letting her fingers feel the texture of one of the petals. "But this has to be the place."

"I'm fairly certain this is the place, love. They're still middlemist." Killian added, picking a flower for himself and bringing it to his nose. Certainly it had been the Sands of Avalon turning the place into a beautiful bed of middlemist flowers, while in reality there was only this charming tree adorning the stale field. Emma wasn't too bothered by any of it, though. As much as the previous enchanted field made incomparably more of a romantic scenario, that hadn't been the reason why they had decided to come here.

"You okay?", Emma inquired and Killian knew right away that she intended to talk. He could see it in the way her eyes glinted with doubt. Taking her hand in his hook, he pushed her as he started walking towards the tree trunk, sitting on the grass. She didn't follow him right away, letting him sit as comfortably as he could, his back resting against the trunk, legs wide opened so she could sit in between them. Suddenly loving the idea he had, Emma joined him, her back against his chest as she felt his hand going around her waist.

"It's strange being here after everything that happened." He started speaking, resting his cheek against her head. "Ever since we got here, I haven't stopped thinking about Merlin." She could sense the melancholy in his voice, knowing fully well that he still felt guilt over it.

"You may have killed Merlin, but you would have never done it if I hadn't turned you into a Dark One." She pointed out, her fingers caressing his leg, trying to soothe him. "We're both responsible for his death."

"You had no other choice, Emma."

"What do you mean?" His determined declaration had her shifting in his arms, slightly turning around so she could look him in the eyes to see if she could understand what he was talking about.

"Turning me into a Dark One." He replied, his mouth set in a hard line, "I now know I would have done the same. In fact, I have." She kept looking at him, sensing that he still wasn't finished. "When I learnt that the Shears of Destiny could be the only way to keep you alive, I couldn't dispose of them, not even when you asked me to. That was the moment I fully understood why you did what you did when I was about to die, right here in this place." Emma caressed his face with her hand, resting her forehead against his. "As much as I loathed the consequences of it, I want you to know that I don't blame you for turning me into a Dark One." She closed her eyes, taking in everything he had just said and the relief it brought her.

"I don't blame you either, for keeping the shears." Emma quickly added as she pressed a soft kiss to his chin.

"I know. If there's one thing I've learnt with you lot is that there is nothing you can't come back from."

"That's why you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You changed and you've always taken responsibility for your actions. It takes a hero to do that, you know?" her brows rose as she looked at him, trying to cheer him up.

"Aye. For the first time in my life, I'm starting to believe it." Killian's admission put a grin on her face, his hook resting against his cheek as he chuckled. She loved how he was progressively showing her a softer side of him. He had always been very sweet and affectionate with her, but after their marriage he had been even more caring and attentive towards her. And she didn't mind one bit. "What is it, love?" he wondered, noticing that her mind had drifted away for a while.

At the sound of his voice, Emma's eyes drifted from the top of the tree to his beautiful, chiseled face, "I was thinking that…" she started, drawing her lower lip between her teeth, "…we came here to make some good memories and all we've done so far was talk about sad stuff." Killian smirked in response, feeling her hand resting on his thigh.

"And what do you suggest, Swan?" he practically groaned, leering at her cleavage as she purposely pushed her breasts into his chest. "Was last night not enough for you, love?" he whispered in her ear, his voice low as a flush crept up her face.

"Not even close" Emma answered suggestively looking at his lip. And before she could do anything else, she felt his body pushing hers against the middlemist covered floor, her contented giggles echoing in the wind as bad memories from the past gave way to happier ones.

---

It was only a few hours later that they finally decided to dress themselves again, the sun setting in the distance behind the trees and the hills.

"I must admit, you excel at making good memories, Swan." Killian smirked at her, his hook holding the strap of her bra.

"Well, it takes two to make good memories." Emma replied in a sultry voice, taking the bra from his hook. "And that was some pretty damn great memory making." Killian kept buttoning up the buttons of his vest still staring at her now partially naked form.

"Aye. We should make good memories more often."

"Even more often? We'll end up dying before our one year anniversary." She jokingly said, now fully dressed and waiting for Killian to put on his coat. She picked his satchel from the floor and, all of a sudden, a strong smell started invading her senses.

"Is it just me or… does it smell like cheese?" she questioned him, wanting to know if he could smell it too. Why in the world would it smell like cheese? Was this some weird kind of post-sex hallucination or did it really smell like cheese? Although there wasn't an immediate reply on Killian's part, she watched him as he took his satchel away from her and started fumbling with it. Seconds later, he was taking out of it something covered in a white cloth. So that's where the smell came from, Emma concluded right away.

"I took the liberty to buy us food." He told her, sitting on the grass. He then removed the cloth, revealing a stunning bread with solid melted cheese coming out from the sides and what looked like small pieces of ham on top. "Are you hungry, love?"

"I wasn't, but now I am." Emma sat down next to him, eyes watering at sight. The damn thing looked really delicious.

"They were selling these on the shed next to where I paid for the horse. I had a feeling you would like it, seeing as it had melted cheese."

"You're the best, this looks really delicious!" Emma gushed, using her hands to break the bread in two, passing him his half before taking a bite of her own. "Yum." She finally mumbled, taking her time to enjoy the flavors. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but this is better than grilled cheese." She said as she took another bite.

"It's decent." Killian countered, not too impressed after trying it.

"Oh, c'mon, it's so good!" Emma protested, almost offended that he didn't think that bread was the eighth wonder of the world.

"Perhaps it will taste better with a drink." Killian's entire face lit up as he took his flask out of the satchel.

"Rum?" she teased him, laughing at his husband's predictability.

"Not rum, love." Wait, what? Had she heard correctly? Was that not rum in his flask? "You try it." At his invitation, Emma took the flask from his hand, opening it to smell it first. It didn't smell like anything she could identify so she had no choice other than to take a sip from it.

"Is that… beer?"

"Ale, to be exact." He corrected her. "Do you like it?"

"I do. It tastes like beer but with this really good fruity flavor." She uttered, taking another sip as Killian watched in delight.

"Then I know exactly where to take us next, love." She then looked at him in curiosity. "There's a tavern in the Enchanted Forest known for its exquisite ales. I used to go there when I was in the Royal Navy."

"Then let's go there." Emma beamed, handing him the flask. "I'd love to know more about your beginnings." She said, repeating the words he had once told her as he nodded in approval.

---

The next morning saw them in the waters of Kinsale, one of the many kingdoms in the Enchanted Forest. With no place to stay in Camelot, they had agreed to spend the night on the Jolly Roger and, as soon as they woke up from a peaceful night of sleep, they used another magic bean to get to their destination. They spent most of the morning watching the few active ships of the Royal Navy, Killian explaining to Emma all the drills and exercises. Witnessing her genuine interest in wanting to know more about his life as a Lieutenant, Killian inevitably ended up sharing new stories of Liam, ones that Emma had never heard.

It was noon when they finally entered the tavern as Killian guided Emma through the crowd and advised her to sit in one of the hidden tables around the corner while he went to grab their drinks. The first thing Emma noticed was the name of the tavern, "Ale O!", largely carved on the wooden counter in a sloppy way. Other than that, the place looked pretty much the same as any other tavern. The floor was paved with stone and there were wooden tables of all sizes spread through the entire room, supporting the weight and drunkenness of most people in it.

"Ready, love?" Killian joined her again, dropping a massive mug of ale on the table with a thud.

Emma was still staring at the mug that was about the size of her forearm. Was it even humanly possible to drink all of that? "For what? An alcoholic coma?" she blurted.

"You don't have to drink it all, Swan." Killian pushed the mug in front of her, challenging her. Oh, what the hell. Even if she got drunk, it was her honeymoon and she had Killian with her. Emma grabbed the mug's handle, expecting it to be heavier than it actually was, before bringing it to her lips.

"It tastes like passion fruit." She said in a disbelieving tone, eyebrows shooting up. "It's really good."

"I'm glad you like it." Killian smiled, watching her enjoying her drink as he took out his flask from under his coat. "I prefer some good ole' rum."

Emma almost dropped the mug on the floor. "Wait, this is all for me? Are you trying to get me drunk, captain?" Her gaze lingered on him for longer than usual, her sudden flirting demeanor making him raise a single eyebrow.

"Not quite." He whispered, darting his tongue out to wet his top lip, before leaning over the table and closing the distance between them. "You see, there are other more enjoyable activities for us to do instead of getting intoxicated."

"Stop it." Emma laughed, putting her hand on his chest and pushing him away. They seriously needed to slow down on the sex. She had been spreading her legs so much recently that her hips were starting to hurt even when she wasn't walking.

"You started it, love." He pointed out, that smug look on his face making an appearance yet again.

"Whatever." She chuckled, rolling her eyes in amusement. "I'm still not drinking all of this, it's insane." She had been taking some sips the whole time and the thing still looked as if she hadn't touched it. "Are you sure you don't want a bit?"

Killian shook his head in response. "Thanks, love, but I fail to see the appeal."

"So when you came here you always ordered rum?"

"Aye. And I was also fond of the sprightliness of the place." He added, remembering the old days when he and Liam used to go there, enjoying the loud cheers and liveliness of everyone in it.

"I like it, it feels cozier than most taverns." Emma agreed. It was easy to understand why Killian and Liam had liked to spend time there, relaxing after a long day at work.

"And it holds great tales, too." Emma looked at him curiously, wondering what he meant with that.

"Like what?"

"Legend says that many years ago its original owner fell in love with the port master's daughter, who happened to be married to a prince. They had a torrid affair and when her father discovered his daughter's betrayal, he burned the tavern down, to get revenge on the man who had dishonored his family. The two lovers ran away together and they were never seen again." Killian explained.

"So this isn't the original tavern?"

"Not according to legend." He replied, taking another chug from the flask. "And I believe it to be true, because the lad who owned the place back then told Liam he had restored the tavern after the previous one had burned down."

"So the legend is true." Emma concluded.

"Aye, or at least the part about the tavern burning down is."

Emma took a good look around once again. She liked feeling that she was sitting in a place with that many history, wondering about all the people that had stepped foot there over the years: the stories they shared, the secrets they held.

"Speaking of running away together…" Killian said, interrupting her thoughts. "I have a proposition to make." Emma's brows shot up right away as she directed her attention back to him. "Why don't we spend the rest of our honeymoon on the Jolly Roger, sailing the Enchanted Forest's seas?" Emma found it impossible not to smile at the way his entire face lit up while conjuring up images of his heavenly scenario.

Emma's fingers tapped the mug before resting them over his hook. "With all this portal opening business we haven't really sailed properly, have we?"

"Aye. And we can still dock her whenever we feel like, if you wish to visit other places."

"I can't think of any places I'd like to visit." That wasn't entirely true. She would like to visit her parents' castle again, but she wanted them to be with her when that happened, so there was no point in thinking about doing it now. "I prefer sailing with you on the Jolly." She whispered, a gentle smile on her face as she squeezed his hook. Killian's thrilled eyes devoured her beauty as a whole new rush of excitement coursed through his veins.

"Blimey! If it isn't Captain Hook!" a hoarse voice interrupted their quiet moment. Emma's eyes shot up at the male figure, surely a pirate by the way he was dressed, standing next to them. She had no idea who he was, but he looked absolutely ridiculous. She could feel Killian slightly tensing up as he fought the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Blackbeard." Killian greeted him with fake enthusiasm, more to let Emma know who they were dealing with than anything else. At that point, Emma wasn't sure what to do. She knew Blackbeard could be dangerous, but so far he wasn't showing off any signs of aggressiveness. His sword was in the sheath and he was simply smirking at the two of them like an idiot before his eyes started perusing over her.

"So I take it this is your woman…"

"The name's Emma." She was quick to stop Blackbeard's nonsense, flashing him her trademark 'fuck you' smile.

"Hmm, I can see why you were so desperate for those magic beans, Hook." Blackbeard's eyes were still traveling up and down her body, leering at her one last time before glancing over at Killian. "And that reminds me, you still haven't honored your end of the deal."

"You left me to rot in Neverland, the deal's broken." Killian snarled in response. "But you look tired, have a drink with us." Emma's eyes searched his as she watched him happily pull out a chair for Blackbeard. What the hell was he doing?

"You're awfully nice today." Blackbeard pointed out, accepting his invitation. But as soon as he sat down on the chair next to them, Killian got up, smile vanishing from his face.

"Let's go, Swan." Emma followed his lead, trying her best not to crack up at what Killian had just done.

At Hook's humiliating trick on him, Blackbeard got up in one swift movement.

"Ye rotten blaggard!" he gnarled, turning everybody's attention on him, curious eyes now carefully watching the scene. "You're nothing but a fraud!"

Blackbeard's body was now in front of them, trying to stop them from leaving. Killian raised one eyebrow in annoyance as he scratched his forehead with his hook, not giving a damn about whatever insults Blackbeard was sending his way. Lately, he was all talk. Perhaps the age was getting to him.

He then turned to Emma, his lips drawing in a snarl. "And you're a pitiful waste of beauty by being with him."

Emma quickly sent him a dirty look as Killian fought hard to control himself, the muscles in his jaw twitching from the tension. Their angry and irritated looks didn't seem to stop Blackbeard, though.

"I'm the most treacherous pirate in all the realms! I'm going to take your ship and your-"

Before he could finish, Emma punched him right in the face, his eyes rolling to the back of his head in pain, his mouth opening as he started to lose his balance, his head hitting one of the hard wooden tables on his fall to the floor. Awe transformed the faces of everybody in the tavern as they gazed at Emma, a mix of fear and admiration in their eyes.

"Let's go", Emma said, opening the door and lifting her feet one at a time so she didn't step on Blackbeard's somewhat unconscious body.

With a smile plastered on his face, Killian shrugged his shoulders to the amazed people in the tavern as he followed Emma, incredibly proud. And aroused.

---

When they got back to the Jolly Roger to start their sailing adventure, Emma went below deck to take all of their clothes out of the bags. If they were going to spend the next days mainly on the ship, there was no use in keeping them all crumpled inside. She had just finished putting her underwear in one of the drawers when she suddenly felt the ship tilting harshly to the left side before a loud and scary creak came out of its guts. Emma only had time to reach for the bed, to keep her balance, the sound of glasses and candle holders shaking against the wood of the desk filling the room. Then, as soon as it had begun, it all came to a stop with a heavy bang.

"Emma!" Killian shouted from the upper deck. "Are you alright?" Emma saw his head peeking through the ladder and breathing a sigh of relief when he realized nothing had happened to her.

"What happened?", she inquired as she climbed up to the main deck. The view stopped her dead in her tracks. Just about one, two hundred feet from them, there was an island, a stunning beach in the horizon. The rays of sunshine reflected on the golden sand in an almost magical way. The sea looking like a rippling blanket of jewel-blue as the waves crawled gently to the shore.

"I have no bloody clue. I lost all control of the ship." Killian's growls brought her out of her enchantment over the island, focusing on trying to soothe his frenzy. "I'm afraid we're aground, love."

Emma watched him pace back and forth, his fingers rubbing the nape of his neck.

"Hey, it's okay. It's not your fault." she rubbed his back in comfort. "We'll find a way out of here."

"We will. But only if the ship's hull isn't damaged." And with that, Killian started taking his clothes off until he was only in his boxer briefs. Not wasting any time, he grabbed a rope to pull himself down into the water.

"Do you need any help?"

"No need, love. This should only take a minute." He replied, flawlessly making his way down. If the situation wasn't so serious, Emma would appreciate the sexy view of her almost naked husband holding onto a rope, his bicep bulging with each movement as he hurriedly lowered himself down. Instead, she prayed that the ship's hull was intact, not only because it would be way easier to get out of there, but also because there was no way Killian could lose the Jolly Roger. Her chest tightened at the thought.

Once he got down there, Emma could see the water was to his shoulders. He then disappeared from the surface as she watched the shadow of his body moving in the clear waters. After what looked like a lifetime, he finally resurfaced. Emma watched him expectantly as his fingers pushed the wet hair away from his forehead.

"She's in one piece." He beamed, smiling up at Emma as she sighed in relief. "Good lass." He slapped the hull of the ship before pushing himself up.

"Everything okay? Emma asked once he got on the deck.

"Aye. Luckily, we aren't too buried in the sand. We should be able to go once the tide is high and the water rises."

Emma nods at him, her mouth set in a hard line. "And when will that be?"

"Taking our position into account, by sunset, most likely." He then pushed his boxer briefs down, taking them off and carefully putting them over the shrouds so they could dry under the burning sun. Emma couldn't help but wander her eyes down to his naked butt and flaccid cock, enjoying the way neither of them had any issue walking naked around each other when sex wasn't even on their thoughts.

Turning around, Killian caught her eyes on him and he winked at her, a flush creeping up her face as she diverted her gaze. He smiled to himself as he kept himself busy with putting the rope back in its place.

"So, does that mean we have to stay here until the sun sets?" Emma asked him coyly as she leaned over the rail where he was folding the rope in a neat circle. His bare ass a wonderful view.

"Indeed. Why, love? Any ideas on how to pass time?"

---

Exploring what they now realized was a desert island hadn't exactly been what he'd had in mind, but Emma had insisted on spending a day on the beach and he hadn't hated the idea either. The truth was that the island looked like an absolute paradise. The sand felt like powder on their feet and the sound of the wind blowing in the palm trees a soothing pleasure. Knowing they were all alone was the cherry on top. So far, they had explored the upper part of the island, nothing but a deep forest with plenty of coconut trees and what looked like tropical plants. Killian had taken the chance to put the camera Henry had given them to use, subtly snapping pictures of Emma whenever he could. He just hoped he was doing it properly.

"Let's take one together." Emma told him as they finally arrived on the beach.

"Who will press the button, then?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head in confusion.

"I will." Emma replied with a chuckle, taking the camera from his hand and turning the camera around. Killian put his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind as they both grinned into the camera, Emma snapping the shot. Bless Henry. Thanks to him, they would have some really photos to hang around the house.

"I'm still trying to understand why your swim wear looks exactly like your underwear." Killian mumbled as she watched Emma lying down on the sand, taking Liam's ring necklace from around her neck not to leave a tan line. She had fantasized about this moment so many times while they had been in Arendelle that now she wasn't going to miss this chance.

"So does yours." Emma giggled, taking a glance at the red swim shorts she had packed for him.

"Not quite, love. My underwear is slightly tighter." He said, lying down next to her and trying to understand the purpose of willingly letting the sun burning your skin.

"That's because you prefer boxer briefs. If you wore boxers, they would look the same as your swim shorts. And there are square leg swimsuits that look exactly like boxer briefs, too."

"You're an expert in male garments, aren't you, Swan?"

"Yeah, well, someone has to be."

"Are you mocking my fashion sense?" Emma didn't even have to open her eyes to know that he was teasing her, his flirty voice filling her ears as she grinned.

"Maybe."

---

When the sun became too hot to bear, they went in for a swim. The water was at a perfect temperature, refreshing their skin as they moved smoothly through it. Catching Emma off guard, Killian swam towards her without her noticing him and he tickled her left foot, earning him a kick right in the nuts. It was only when Emma saw him behind her, with pain overtaking his face, that she realized what she had just done.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" she swam to him, holding his face in her wet hands.

"Bloody hell!"

"I thought it was some animal, I didn't know it was you."

"I'll be alright, Swan." He murmured, slightly more relieved as the pain seemed to be fading away.

"Sorry." Emma whispered, placing a soft kiss on the top of his nose before she felt his arm going around her waist, his hook pulling her to him as he started dropping soft kisses all over her neck. Her distinct scent evoked an all too familiar tension in him, the perfect mix of sweat and smoky vanilla that he would recognize anywhere driving him as mad as it always had. He ran his tongue over the damp, salty skin of her neck, the low gasp coming out of her throat letting him know that she was most definitely welcoming his sudden need of her. He felt her left hand holding his head in place, her fingers caressing the hairs at the nape of his neck at the same time. Feeling the need for more, Killian moved his lips from her neck to her jaw, brushing them lightly against her skin. That soft touch alone was enough to send shivers through her nerves, his mouth curving into a smile as he felt her body trembling against his. Her fingers grip his hair, pulling him closer, telling him without words what it is that she really wants. Impatient as always, his Swan. Not interested in going against her wishes, his tongue darted out to gently touch her lips, one particular move that she had once confessed to love. Moaning in return, Emma's lips wrapped around his tongue, gently sucking him into her mouth. After that, his hand and hook were everywhere around her body as he kissed her harder, deeper, an urgent need to taste her overwhelming him. They remained that way for a long while, simply kissing and tasting each other as they balanced with the waves. Moments where they got to simply make out with each other as two teenagers, without any of it leading to sex, were all too rare now. They may as well enjoy it.

Eventually getting colder, they decided to swim some more, discovering some really pretty grottos underwater. Not resisting the curiosity, they decided to explore them further. Down there the water looked even clearer, the stalactites and stalagmites the homes to thousands of fungus, parasites and seaweed communities. Getting out of breath, they returned to the surface.

"We should get back, love." Emma followed Killian's gaze, the sun almost setting in the distance. As they were swimming back to the shore, a bright light erupting from the sand had them squinting their eyes, trying to identify where the glow was coming from.

"What the hell?!" Emma hurried her step, the water slowing down her movements. Killian followed suit, the two getting out of the water at about the same time before running to the exact spot where the light was coming from.

As their wet bodies damped the sand, they spotted a wooden chest sitting there. The bright flash of light appeared to be coming out of a small, circular hole in the middle of its lid.

"This definitely wasn't here before." Emma stuttered as she felt the urge to touch the chest, but Killian stopped her just in time.

"I don't think we should touch that, love. I've heard far too many stories of unknown cursed objects. It's best we don't take our chances." Emma nods at Killian's words, agreeing that it's better to leave the mysterious object alone, but she wasn't about to leave empty handed. Kneeling on the sand, she brought the camera in her left hand closer to the chest, taking a picture of it. Just then, the box starts shaking, the light coming out of the hole in the lid becoming brighter and brighter until it's almost impossible for them to see anything ahead.

"Let's go, Swan!" Killian shouted at Emma as he helped her up and the two started running towards the water, swimming as fast as they could until they reached the Jolly Roger. When they finally got on deck and looked back at the island, the bright light was gone, nothing in sight other than golden sand.

"That was really creepy." Emma mumbled breathlessly as she scratched her left wrist, trying to soothe the sudden intense itch.

"Perhaps we weren't alone after all." Killian took one last look at the island, before he prepared the ship to sail away. This time the Jolly perfectly obeyed to her captain's commands, an obvious signs they were no longer aground.

"Do you wish to go back to Storybrooke, love?" Killian asked her as Emma dried her hair with a towel.

"Not a chance in hell. We still have a couple of more days to sail." She insisted, dropping a kiss to his cheek. No matter what, they weren't going to let this incident ruin their honeymoon. "So… what do I need to do, captain?"

With a grin on his face, he pulled her to him, guiding her body so she could hold the ship's wheel. They were going to keep sailing, but she would be the one captaining the ship under his supervision, a privilege no one before her had enjoyed. His hands and hook covered her hands on the handles, his chest rubbing against her back as his hot breath blew in her neck. Yes, their honeymoon was just getting started.

---

"Swan?" after what felt like an eternity, Killian's voice brought Emma out of her memories.

"Yeah?"

"You were reminiscing about our honeymoon." He teased her, crinkling his eyes and nose at her, but her mouth is still set in a hard line. Clearly, she wasn't thinking about any happy thoughts anymore.

"Do you ever wonder what that chest we found on the island was about?"

Her question catches him off guard. He hadn't given any extra thought to that chest after they left the island.

"It was likely another magical object out of the endless magical objects there are in all of those realms." He replied. "I'm certain we're better off not knowing more about it, my love."

"Yeah, probably."

Sensing she was still thinking about the intriguing chest, he nibbled her ear playfully.

"I'm more interested in remembering what happened before we found that bloody thing." His voice was low in her ear and she felt his hook pressing her butt.

"It was a pretty damn great honeymoon." She whispers, her mood suddenly shifting. He never failed in cheering her up. "I wish we could go back in time and relive it all again."

"We could always get married again and go on a second honeymoon." He promptly offers as Emma's giggles feel the hall. "After all, there are still plenty of more realms for us to visit. And as far as I know, Anton's beanstalks are growing vigorously."