1 "Hook! Put the gun down," Emma shouted, as she watched the scene unfold between Hook, Rumplestiltskin, and Belle. It was dark and the air was full of tension. They were near the line. The line she crossed long ago not knowing what was awaiting her.
Hook glanced in the direction of her voice, slight surprise shown in his eyes before his lips twisted into a smirk. "Ah, Swan, long time no see. I see you came for the show. Far be it from me to deny you, but you may want to look away - it's gonna get bloody."
Emma gasped. She had never seen Hook this way before. She knew him as a smarmy, leering, arrogant pirate, but never this. Here was a crazed madmen overcome by darkness and desperation before her eyes.
Rumplestiltskin spoke up, with a frightened Belle at his side. "Miss Swan, I shall handle this on my own." He heard the click of a gun and looked back at Hook. "You have let revenge and bitterness consume you for hundreds of years and now that the time has finally come you are hiding behind a gun. You are a coward."
Hook laughed."I'm the coward?! You crushed the mother of your son's heart to dust because she didn't love you. Did you know that Belle? That is who your man really is - a coward. And for that, he is going to watch you die."
Emma stood, shoulders squared, in front of the barrel of the gun. "If you pull that trigger, you are no better."
"Swan, if you do not get out of the way I will kill you, too," Hook maligned. "Don't think for a minute that I won't."
"You remember that thing I told you about when we first met. You know, about how I can tell someone is lying? You. are. lying," she gritted.
"I am a man of my word. I assure you I will take everything away from that crocodile if it is the last thing I do," he promised. They stared each other down. He lowered the gun slightly.
"Don't be stupid, lass. Move."
"Killing him or Belle or me - or anyone, will not bring Milah back." She laid her hand on his wrist where the tattoo of his passed on lover's named lies. "This isn't you. It won't make you whole. All these years you have been plotting your revenge instead of mourning and moving on. Once you kill them, you will have nothing."
Rumplestiltskin and Belle slowly began to back away as Hook's eyes focused on Emma. Rage washed over his countenance. "When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose. You think you know me - you don't know me. We climbed a beanstalk together and you abandoned me. That was it. You have no right to claim who I am. You are absolutely maddening."
The crocodile and his beauty were now no where to be seen. Anger dripped in his every word. "Bloody hell! And now I've let you come in the way of my plans again. For weeks, you have been occupying my mind. You have become my every thought. The time to exact my revenge has finally come and all I can think about is a stubborn, infuriating lost princess."
"I should kill you. I should kill you," he quivered as his hand holding the gun began to shake.
"I'm not afraid of you. You weren't going to kill them. And you're not going to kill me. You are conflicted and consumed by an unresolved past, but you are not evil You're just a...broken pirate." She slowly reached out and took the gun from him.
The rage disappeared from Hook's eyes and was replaced with bewilderment. "The crocodile got away. I let him get away," he whispered. "Because of you." He cupped her cheek. "How do you do this to me?"
"It was you, Hook. You realize hurting them would not fix you."
"Then tell me, Emma, what will?" he asked. Emma took a deep breath as she realized how close their proximity was.
"I don't know. You just need..." she trailed off as she noticed his eyes drift to her lips. His face came closer and his lips softly pressed to hers. Surprised, she responded reluctantly but soon was lost in exploring his mouth. The overwhelming desire began to overtake all rational thoughts running through Emma's mind. She didn't know why or how, but she began to felt a powerful sensation coursing through her veins. She could feel the energy surrounding them. It was finally Hook who broke away.
"You are the light inside me, Emma," he breathed. "Don't ever let me go. Always pull me back."