*DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters, or their stories. This is just something to hopefully show my appreciation of OUAT and the characters.*

Killian Jones

Of all the enchantments placed on his hook, one of the first few was really starting to weigh on Killian's mind. As he sat in his room as his thoughts raged between throwing the bloody attachment into the depths of the harbor, or staring at it. Staring at it often lead to pacing and the urge to throw the hook out the window.

His thoughts raged in a whirlpool of confusion, desire, and anger. Golden curls, soft lips and scars so deep it was hard to see beyond them.

The causes of this mental whirlpool (for they were causes, and there were two) was the fight between the feared pirate captain, and the proud navy lieutenant. They were fighting over a heart, one that sat oblivious and well protected at the vortexes center.

The whirlpool of thoughts raged on and on, stopping the pirate and lieutenant from reaching the glowing heart. Sometimes one of them looked like they could reach the heart but would be thrown back quickly and the battle would continue.

Killian couldn't stop the memories that were being played on a replay loop. Watching a yellow bug drive across a line he could not follow. The Bloody hopefulness he felt when he found her apartment in Manhattan, quickly followed by despair and later determination to show her the truth, if not for himself but for her family. Thankfulness that she was back, and down right confusion as to why she wouldn't stay. Memories of a red dress, a tear streaked face, a damn bar wench and a passionate kiss.

Killian was in love with Emma Swan.

But was she able to look past the hook and love him back? Killian wasn't able to tell. There had been kisses and heart felt moments that lead him to think so but Emma would still hide behind her walls and armor. It was getting annoying how many times he would give everything, do everything for her and yet she still wouldn't let him in. When would she finally trust him?

Killian couldn't stand being in his room anymore. He pulled on his leather jacket and rushed outside for some air. His feet knew where he wanted to go before he did. The harbor always calmed him down when he was restless. Killian was so lost in storm of thoughts that he didn't realize he wasn't the only person out for an evening stroll. he saw his favorite bench occupied.

Gold sat on the bench watching the sun begin its descent into the harbor. His cane tapped at the pavement expectantly. Killian hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him and he went to join Gold.

"What brings the crocodile to this side of town on this fine evening?"

Gold let Killian's question hang in the air for a pregnant moment before choosing to look up at they pirate.

"Why is it I don't remember your little time escapade?"Killian looked shocked.

"Oh don't give me that look. Glamours are hard to come by. If you truly did go back in time, you would have had to had help from someone who knew magic well. It certainly wasn't Regina. so that leaves Miss Swan who if I remember correctly had recently lost her magic, and me.

So I will ask my question again Hook, what did you tell me, that made me want to brew a forgetting potion?" Gold turned away from the rapidly approaching sunset to appraise the leather clad man beside him.

Killian quickly rearranged his surprised features as he thought of how to respond. "When we met you, you were quite interested in our story. You wanted to know how we were able to go back in time and..." Killian swallowed, " and you wanted to know if you ever found Balefire." At this Killian looked at Gold, whose face had become an unreadable mask. "Emma said yes, but nothing more. The next time we saw you, you were brewing your potion to forget us and you locked us in your vault without helping us get back, so thanks for that."

Gold's cane resumed its tapping but this time more angrily. "So you were given the chance to change our history, to save his life, and you did nothing?" It took Killian a moment to realize that Gold was talking about his son. "All Emma said was that I found him? She did nothing to try and change his fate?"

Killian let out a huff in protest. "She didn't want to alter the timeline so much that you could have never seen your son, or Storybrooke was never created or something far far... Worse."

"WORSE? What could be worse? you were given a chance to fix history. I was given a chance to save my son, to right my wrongs and I did nothing." Gold gave Killian a despaired look. "What could be worse than that?"

"What were we supposed to do?"

"Did you not care for Bae at all?"

"How can you say that?" Killian's tight hold on his temper was becoming strained. "Of course I cared for him. We bloody lived together on that damn island. If there was anything I could have done I would. Emma was just trying to not make things worse."

"Oh so you're defending Miss Swan now. You really are just a devoted puppy, following her around everywhere pining for her affections."

The leash that held Killian's temper snapped. "Emma and I just saved you life, and the whole ruddy town for that matter, who knows what would have happened if we changed history too much." He tossed Gold a murders look. "I think the correct response to all this would be a thank you."

Gold met Killian's eyes with and equally murders stare. "Well then I thank you my dear captain for proving my point about us villains. We have no happy endings. I will never see my son again, and you will never gain the affections of Miss Swan. There is no hope for us."

"But what about you and belle? I know it's been rocky but wouldn't that be your happy ending?" All of Killian's anger was now sinking to the pit of his stomach as despair. Golds words had a ring of truth to them. It didn't seem possible for a 300 year old vengeful pirate to get his happy ending.

Gold's shoulders stiffened. "That's not my happy ending. At least not yet. But it could be. I just need to be able to take what I want for that happiness to be possible."

The despair hung heavy around the two men as they sat silent watching the sun reach the ocean lighting it up. The night was calm, but not to the one handed pirate. The storm of his thoughts had begun again, angry thoughts doubling the intensity of the whirlpool. Killian clutched his hook with his good hand, his knuckles whitening at the strength of his grip. He ran a thumb along the metal. He knew Emma. After their most recent adventure he knew her a lot better. He knew that even if she now had a small place in her heart for him, she wouldn't acknowledge it. No matter how much he proved to her, how much he did. Killian realized that he was tired of sitting on the sidelines waiting for Emma to make up her mind. He wanted to know if he was as important to Emma, as she was to him.

He held up his hook to the now red light of the setting sun. He made ready to stand up from the bench and noticed that Gold was no longer there. He stood, and was about to decide what to do next. The pirate and lieutenant of Killian's thoughts each tried to make their argument one more time, before the verdict of the argument decided.

'You deserve happiness, go and take some,' encouraged the pirate. 'You have done so much and gotten nothing in return, it cannot hurt to use that hook to take what you rightly deserve.'

'You deserve happiness, I won't deny that,' argued the lieutenant. 'But do you want it to be forced? After years of taking what you desire, wouldn't it be better to earn something as important as this?'

The whirlpool seemed to grow stronger, and suddenly a memory of The Evil Queen, putting a spell on his hook filled his head.

Just as suddenly as it had gotten stronger the mental battle stopped.

Killian squared his shoulders and set off for the Main Street, verdict decided. For the pirate of his thoughts was now in possession of his prize; the glowing heart.