A/N: After the season 5 winter finale, I felt the need to binge watch season 2 for CS goodness. I was rewatching the Neverland arc when this idea occured to me, based off the looks they were throwing each other in the jungle scene. Enjoy and review, of course! ;)

David was sweating in the midst of the jungle, having just finished setting a trap for one of Pan's lost boys. He was on his way back to the small camp they'd made for the evening when he overheard the women talking.

"That's your plan?" Regina asked increduously. She seemed to think something was laughable. David tried to ignore her even though she irritated him something awful.

"We have to try something," Emma said, and David could see them now as he approached. He could also see Hook, too, sitting silently nearby as he drank and made eyes at his beloved daughter.

David was filled with dislike, looking at the pirate. Once a pirate, always a pirate, he moodily thought. He couldn't trust Hook farther than he could throw him. David was decidedly not happy to have him as an ally on this trip. Regina was someone he was at least familiar with, even if he couldn't trust her, either. While he had never been a fan of Hook, the more time they spent together on this island the less he liked the pirate.

"We need more vine, dear," Snow said to David as she saw him enter the camp.

"On it. You, you're coming with me, pirate," David ordered, his face stern and his gaze accusatory, looking down at the pirate in their company. The man was eyeing his daughter in a way that unsettled David greatly. He hated it and he just had to put a stop to it.

"Why is that?" Jones asked belligerently.

"Because we need more rope," Emma scolded him, eyes narrowed in warning. "If the lady insists," he said with a graceful bow, and Emma couldn't help but watch him turn and disappear into the jungle with her father.

"Hey, I've seen that look on your face before!" Snow said with some excitement. "Look? What look?" Emma asked, playing ignorant on purpose. She looked innocently back at her mother.

"Don't play coy with me, I've seen you look that way before, and it was with Graham," her mother said knowingly. Emma ducked her head, shielding her eyes from scrutiny. "Don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled.

"Oh come on, back when we were just friends, you could have told me," Snow said slyly. "Yeah, but that's different, I didn't think you were my mother then," Emma said, her cheeks pinkening in embarrassment. "I'm still your friend, aren't I?" Snow asked.

"He's a bad boy, Emma," Snow warned her. "Who knew you had a thing for bad guys?" she chuckled. Emma groaned. "It's the scruff, and the way he looks at me, even I'm not immune," she said ruefully. He looked at her like a ravenous man eyes a sinfully sumptuous feast. His piercing gazes did something to her, made her stomach flip flop. She appreciated the way he tried to bond with her, only she couldn't show him that without showing vulnerability. She couldn't afford to let him get close.

She couldn't deny the sexual tension between herself and the pirate though. Not any longer, not when her mother was asking her point blank. Emma blushed harder and stared down at the ground. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't think he was easy on the eyes," she hesitantly admitted.

Snow squealed like the girl she was, and slapped Emma on her bare shoulder playfully. "I knew it!" she cried victoriously. "I knew you had the hots for the pirate, I could just tell," she said and smiled wide.

While Snow wasn't crazy about who her daughter found attractive, this was the first successful bonding they'd achieved in quite some time and the topic was undeniably juicy. Snow just couldn't resist her urge to pry.

"He's a bit of a flirt though, you know," Snow commented with some concern. Her brow furrowed in disapproval, and Emma scoffed. "Lecturing me about who I'll date already?" Emma asked, eyebrow arched. Snow shot an incredulous look her way, ready to open her mouth and rebuff her, but she chose to stay silent instead.

"Oh, c'mon, don't take it that way," Emma chided her, a small smile on her face. "It's nice, I'm glad you care," the blonde said. The two exchanged happy smiles and Snow wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her closer.

"I'm just glad you're open to the idea," Snow said dreamily. "Open to what idea?" Emma asked, pulling back to look at her mother. "The idea of being with someone," she explained. "Of not being alone," Snow added meaningfully. Emma scoffed at the idea. As if she needed a man. "I never said anything like that! I just said he's good looking," she cried defensively.

"Who's good looking?" Regina asked, butting into their mother-daughter conversation. She had just come back from using the facilities in the jungle. It was not her favorite experience to say the least and she was starting to miss indoor plumbing incredibly. "Who? Mr. Guyliner?" Regina asked with some mirth. She shot Emma and Snow a downright dastardly smirk.

Emma sighed and ran her hands through her messy blond hair, aggravated. "I just said I thought he wasn't so bad looking, where did this turn into more all of a sudden?" Emma exasperatedly asked. Snow patted her on the shoulder again patiently, familiar with Emma's strong powers of self denial. "I believe when you started responding to the eyes he's been giving you, isn't that obvious?" Regina asked.

"What?" Emma asked, not realizing she had been so obvious. It was true. Hook had been looking her way more and more often, and she found herself looking back a time or two. His confidence and arrogant attitude around her father were enough to make her inwardly smirk when they bumped heads. He was entertaining, to say the least.

Most of all she liked that Hook was willing to help them. It didn't bother her one bit that he was a pirate as long as he helped her find Henry. As far she was concerned, he deserved a second chance, too. He had willingly gave them the bean and come so far with them already, he was begrudgingly earning more of her trust day by day. She realized she was treading into dangerous territory, if even Regina had noticed her looking.

She resolved that she just wouldn't look anymore. If only she could have anticipated how difficult a task that would turn out to be.

When David and Hook returned from their journey together, Emma found herself staring at Hook. She was grateful beyond her wildest dreams that her father had been saved. She was glad that Hook was turning into one of the good guys, and if the way he looked at her was any indication, it was all for her sake. It was hard not to be flattered.

"Did you really save him?" she asked. "Why, does that surprise you?" he asked, hurt evident in his voice. "Well, you and David aren't what you'd call mates," she said in a poor imitation of his brogue. Hook grinned lopsidedly at her attempt. "That doesn't mean I'd leave your dad to perish on this island," he replied.

"Well, thank you," Emma said, her eyes scanning his face in the moonlight. He rubbed his scruff with his hand and her eyes were drawn to his lips where he gestured. "Perhaps a little gratitude is in order," he said mischievously, eyebrows waggling suggestively. Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's what the 'thank you' was for."

Hook stepped closer towards her. "Is that all your father's life is worth to you?" he asked, a taunt in his voice. "Please, you couldn't handle it," Emma said, and she found she was unable to look away from his blue eyes. The hope and clear desire written in them was sucking her in.

She forgot she was on some damned mystical island and there was a hot jungle all around them and her loved ones were paces away behind the bushes. "Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it," Hook said, gazing longingly down at her lips.

Suddenly, it was just them and Emma was crushing her lips to his, her hands wound in his dark hair. Their lip lock was passionate and breathtaking and it wasn't brief. They parted from each other with a wet gasp, and Emma started to regain her senses as soon as he spoke. "That was..."

"A one time thing," she said breathlessly. She pushed him away from her, not having realized until that very second she was gripping him by the lapels to draw him closer. "Don't follow me, wait five minutes, then gather some firewood," she ordered him.

She turned away from his stricken expression, unbelievably turned on herself. She could tell the kiss had effected him, too. She was damning herself as she walked away, but she caught what he said nevertheless.

"As you wish."

It was shortly after they were reunited and on their way that Emma caught up with her mother on the trail. David and Hook were lagging behind, arguing over something or rather. "I kissed him," Emma confessed to her mother in hushed tones.

"What?!"

Emma shushed her mother, darting an anxious glance behind them. "And why did you do that?" Snow asked, a grin forming on her face. She knew the reason, now only she had to get Emma to admit it. Emma sighed. "I don't know, it's been awhile, and I was feeling good..." she trailed off, concentrating on the path before them. She helped Snow who was slashing at vines in their way.

"Did it mean anything?" Snow asked after a pause. She arched an eyebrow curiously at her daughter, ready to detect any lie the blonde might say. "It was just a kiss," Emma weakly said. She somehow didn't sound convinced herself, so Snow chuckled.

"It's okay to like someone, Emma," Snow said to her only daughter. "You deserve a happy ending," Snow said and Emma was unwillingly touched by her naivete. Emma thought for a moment, and looked over her shoulder where David and Hook were getting closer to joining them. "It was just a kiss," she said, more firmly this time. She avoided looking her mother in the eye as she told her lie.

A mother always knew.