They lay there in bed, a warm, comforting ambiance surrounding them in their sated state. It was late into the evening and the only light present was the moonlight shining through their window, illuminating them in pale shades. Facing each other, they each wore a silly smile, stupidly happy over an uninterrupted moment to partake in each other. Killian's expression became pensive as he continued to stare into his true love's eyes.

"What is it, Mr. Jones? I can read you too, you know? Something is stirring in that head of yours," Emma told him, then took his right hand in her left and laced their fingers before bringing their joined hands to her heart.

"Well, I was just…" he trailed off, unsure where to start. He didn't want her to think he was being ridiculous.

She unlaced their fingers and put his hand on her bare chest, at her heart, then brought her hand to his face to caress his scruffy cheek. "Anything, Killian, you can say anything to me."

He chuckled at her ability to put him at ease with such simple words. "Okay. Remember when we traveled back to the Enchanted Forest to save your parent's future?"

Emma nodded her head, smiling fondly at the memory.

"And when we were written into Isaac's story? Camelot, the Underworld, even the beanstalk-"

"Yes, babe, I remember it all. Why?"

Killian took his hand from her heart and wrapped his arm around her torso, mirroring the closeness he wished to speak about, "In each of those scenarios we found each other, saved each other, or made quite the team fighting off evil. We were more together than apart, like the universe was telling us that in any time or place, you and I were meant to be."

Emma didn't know quite where he was headed, but she waited patiently, caressing his cheek.

"You haven't told me much about what went on in the wish realm, but I do know we crossed paths. And, well, I was just wondering if there was any connection between us, as there always has been?"

Emma was caught off guard at the vulnerability in his voice. Why would he be concerned over anything that went on in a fake version of events? With her hand that still lay on his cheek she pulled him into a light kiss. "Killian, the wish realm wasn't real. It was some fucked up version of what Regina's evil half thinks I wished for. Everything in that realm came from that demented mind."

"Even still, humor a man, Swan? What was I like?" Killian smirked at her, "Was I still devilishly handsome? A charming scoundrel? Did I still captain the finest vessel in all the realms? Did I elicit fear in even the bravest of men? Did I make a certain princess swoon and want?"

Emma giggled at his penchant for over the top monologues. "Hmmm, that's a lot of questions, let me think." Emma paused, gauging just how forthcoming she needed to be, then answered his questions in rapid fire succession as he had asked them, "Yes, not in the traditional sense, I don't know, probably not, and you didn't know my name, so…" She knew immediately by Killian's furrowed brow that she was going to need to be more forthcoming than that.

Killian stared questioningly at her, then he adjusted his pillow with his blunted wrist so he could prop himself up a bit. "What?"

Emma laughed at his blatant confusion. She quickly sobered though as she realized that she was not at all sure how to break it to the confident pirate hero that he was not the same man as he is today. Deciding that the best jumping off point was to reiterate that this was all a delusional dream world, she set about the task of letting Captain Killian Jones down easily regarding his not so gallant representation of the Captain Hook.

"Killian, if I tell you, first you have to promise to remember that although I was there, and you were there, none of it was real," she said, choosing her words carefully, so she didn't cause concern in her overly dramatic pirate.

"We have an accord, my love," he smiled, eagerly awaiting her recap of events.

Still facing each other, Emma took a deep breath and drew strength from their connection, steeling herself to the overreaction that was sure to come. "Well, I was desperate to find a way home… to you, and Henry, and I ran into August. He agreed to help me by re-creating a wardrobe to send Regina and I home. While we were in the forest to retrieve the enchanted wood, we were ummm, well that is to say, we ran into you, or rather you stumbled into us."

Killian was watching her with rapt attention, nodding his head encouraging her to continue when she paused. "Was I there to rescue you?"

Emma nodded her head unconvincingly and Killian narrowed his eyes, "What aren't you telling me, love?"

She let out a deep sigh, "Like a bandaid, right?"

"What?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion.

"Alright, you thought you were going to rescue me from August, and even though I tried to tell you I didn't need rescuing, you persisted. You didn't even know my name," she chuckled. "I believe you called me Enya." She felt his arm tense around her torso as he started to pull away. "Come back here, what's the matter? Can't handle it?"

Killian huffed at her challenge, "Perhaps you misheard, Emma," he overemphasized her name.

"I did not mishear you. After you called me the wrong name you challenged August to a duel, and promptly lost your sword." She brushed his hair from his forehead and carded her fingers through his hair. She would probably forever wonder if wish realm Hook's hair was as soft and full as her Killian's, even though it was no longer black.

Killian scoffed, "You're making this up, Swan!"

"No, I'm not, but I tried to tell you that the Evil Queen did make this bullshit realm! When you charged August I had to take you down with a bit of magic, so you didn't hurt yourself, then I poofed you back to the Jolly, which by the way, I have no clue if she was still the finest vessel in all the realms, but you were her captain."

"Him," Killian grumbled.

"Huh?"

"Him, Swan, you meant so I didn't hurt him."

Emma let out a full belly laugh at this part. "No, Killian, I meant what I said, so you didn't hurt yourself. You weren't quite as… svelte as you are here, in the real world. Your swordplay was a little lackluster, and you were also about 50… ish," she said the last part barely above a whisper, and faster than Grumpy had ever interrupted a quiet moment between her and her pirate.

"Come again?"

"I'd love to," Emma replied cheekily, trying to appeal to his baser instincts.

"No, no, no, no, no," he declined, pulling his arm away from her waist, and waving his finger back and forth. "What did you say?"

"Oh my gosh, Killian. You were about fifty five, okay? Or maybe sixty. And you had the cutest ever beer gut." She couldn't help the snicker that slipped through her lips when his eyes practically popped out of his face.

"I get older each time you speak love," he pouted, rolling over on his back and throwing his blunted arm over his face. "So to recap, I was not devilishly handsome, nor was I a charming scoundrel. I couldn't even elicit fear in the wooden man child-"

"But you still had the Jolly, and I said yes, you were devilishly handsome," she interrupted, trying to find him a silver lining. She snuggled into his side, placing her hand at his chest, above his heart, preparing to shock him with the last part.

Unwilling to see her positive spin, Killian continued on, "And the greatest travesty of all? I most certainly did not make a certain princess swoon and want."

"Well, if you would stop interrupting and being so damn dramatic, I'd be able to finish," Emma scolded while running her fingers through his coarse chest hair. She continued on, ghosting her fingers over his neck and back to his cheek where she turned his face to look at her. "Despite my initial surprise at how different you were, I still saw you in there. Your hair was longer, and it was gray, with bits of silver and whi-"

"You're not helping," he drawled out.

She put her her thumb over his mouth to quiet him, "My turn to talk, pirate. It was gray, silver, and white, and it hung in your face, just as it does now when it gets a little longer. You even had to take a moment to properly flip it out of your eyes, it was pretty hot." Emma laughed when he rolled his eyes, a sure sign he'd been around her for a long time now, and turned his head to admire the ceiling once more. "You still had your soulful, beautiful, blue eyes, and this scruffy thing here," she added, leaning in to nip along the chiseled edge of his jawline, while scooting her leg over his.

"There is no need to appease me, Swan, I assure you my ego, though bruised, will recover."

"I'm not trying to appease you, you stubborn pirate," she murmured into his ear before biting down on his lobe. Emma teased, fondled, and caressingly touched his body, stopping to play with each spot that she knew he enjoyed, listening as his breath became heavier. Following the path of his treasure trail she finally reached the promised land. Wrapping his rock solid length in her soft hand she stroked him lovingly, then released his ear from her wet mouth to look at him, even as he looked skyward. "I'm trying to tell you that I still would have done you."

Killian's head whipped in her direction comically quickly. His eyebrow reached for his hairline, and his tongue traced his bottom lip as he appraised the truth of her words. "Is that so?"

"Yes, Captain. You weren't the same as you are now, but you were still you. Had it not been for your high handed attempt at an unnecessary rescue we might've been able to actually talk. But that's all a moot point as that world, or realm, or fucked up alternate universe, whatever you want to call it, it was not real. I would never wish for any of those things. I would never wish for myself and everyone I know to be the worst versions of themselves, which is exactly what the Evil Queen created."

Killian stared at Emma in awe. "How did you do that?"

"Do what," she asked.

"Take me down, stomp me a few good ones, pick me up, make it better, and turn me on within the span of a few minutes?"

"Well, it is all the truth," she whispered, a bright smile taking over her face. "Kilian how could you ever think that I wouldn't love you in any place or time where I have free will. While the universe may thrust us together time and time again, and we are Zeus approved, I am telling you we are meant to be, anytime, and anyplace.

Killian's answering smile puts her at ease that he understands and believes the words she is saying. Then suddenly his lips are on hers, and he pulls her the rest of the way over his body. They spend the night showing each other how they are meant to be, and why they are meant to be, murmuring words of love and forever.