The sensation of a steady heartbeat inside her felt foreign to Aurora. It took her a moment to get re-adjusted to having a vital organ back in her chest again.
She looked up at Hook. He had a small grin on his face and the way his eyebrow was arched suggested that he was expecting her to jump into his arms and thank him for returning what he had stolen; what was rightfully hers. Instead he got a slap right across his face.
"I suppose I deserved that. You know, you're stronger than you look, princess." He said as he rubbed his good hand across his cheek, which was now very visibly red where she had hit him.
Aurora glared at the pirate. He could see the poison in her eyes, but he also noticed the pain. "I trusted you." She said, "I gave you the benefit of the doubt when no one else would and you show your appreciation for that by ripping out my heart—my own free will along with it—and handing it to Cora."
"I'm a pirate, sweetheart. It's what I do. You should've known better than to trust me so easily." It sounded like he was giving her a warning. As if she was the one in the wrong. "Anyways, I'm risking my life just by being here to give your heart back to you, aren't I?"
"Yes, but don't expect me to be grateful. You never should have taken it in the first place." And with that she turned to leave. It was nearly sunrise which meant that the others would be waking soon, and she had to get back to their campsite before that happened. Mulan wouldn't be too happy if she went missing again.
The forest was still quite dark so Aurora was careful to watch her step. She could feel the gaze of the man behind her on her back, but she tried to ignore it and carry on.
While her attention was focused on the ground she didn't notice the slightly muffled thump of footsteps on the thick grass. Fortunately for her, Hook did.
"Princess!" He yelled. There was a distinct panic in his voice as he ran towards her.
Aurora started to respond to the pirate, "Wha—"
She looked up and her eyes widened in horror. In front of her was a large ogre. She had never seen one up close, but it was every bit as terrifying as she had imagined and much, much more. She stood frozen to the spot as she looked up into its huge, unfocused eyes. In that moment she remembered what she had always been told about ogres; that they were almost completely blind. Perhaps if she just continued being still, it would pass her by.
No such luck. The ogre's strong sense of hearing seemed to alert it to the presence of the princess. Aurora tried to keep herself from flinching as its massive arm reached out for her.
She cautiously took a step back only to collide into Hook, who was now right behind her.
"Get back, princess." He said, pulling on one of her arms as he quickly moved the two of them away from the vicinity of the menacing ogre.
The great creature turned his head towards Hook, following the direction of his voice and continued to lumber towards the two helpless human beings.
Hook could hear Aurora's quickened breath behind him, it was almost as if he could sense her fear. Did she believe that he would let them die at the hands of a mere ogre? No, he had gone through way too much to be killed on his quest for revenge now. This monster might be ruthless but so was he. He was a pirate, after all.
Looking down at the hook at the end of his hand, he hurriedly began to detach it. When the hook was finally free, he held it steadily in his good hand and took his aim.
"Hook? What are you—" He heard the princess start to question him as he lunged forward and flung the hook at the ogre. Aurora let out a small gasp behind him.
The sharp, metal object landed right in the ogre's eye. It let out a loud wail of pain as it collapsed on the ground.
Aurora could have hugged the pirate in relief, but she managed to keep herself from doing so. She took a deep breath and gathered herself as she turned to Hook, who had now begun to speak.
"Well, it looks like I've saved your life twice now, from Cora and an ogre, doesn't that warrant me some kind of forgiveness? Or a simple 'thank you', at least." He smirked, one of his eyebrows raised.
Aurora mimicked his expression and looked up at him with an arched eyebrow, "The way I see it, you've also put my life in danger twice. You were the one who stole my heart and it was your idea to meet here, in the dark, ogre-infested forest, in the first place. So, no. I don't believe I owe you anything."
She turned her back on Hook to continue her departure. When she had reached the lifeless ogre however, she stopped next to it and bent down to remove the hook from his eye. "You might still need this." She said, tossing it back at the pirate captain.
Hook caught his hook with a small chuckle, "You know, you're a lot more than the weak, powerless little princess people make you out to be. Something tells me I haven't seen the last of you yet." He told her as she began to walk away once again.
Aurora couldn't help but smile a little as his comment reached her ears before she disappeared behind the trees. A part of her hoped that she hadn't seen the last of him either.