AN: Hello all! I realize i didn't really put an authors note on my first chapter, so here we go!

So I'm not quite sure how long this story will be yet, but I know where it's going. Nothing much happens in this chapter, but I'd like to point out that I wrote this with a quote from one of the creators in mind. He had said that Emma left Hook at the top of the beanstalk because she could tell that she was letting her walls down, and she'd been burned before and didn't want to get burned again. She shares more than we would probably expect Emma to because she's oddly comfortable with Hook.

Thanks also to my beautiful beta! Couldn't have gotten this far without you, sweetie!

Anyhoo, on with the story!

"They're gone." Emma said brokenly as she stared at the spot where Snow disappeared through the portal mere seconds ago. Hook stopped a few feet behind her. The realization that they were stuck there didn't hit him as hard as it did Emma. He was used to this land, but Emma was just torn away from everything she'd ever known.

She stood there staring blankly until Hook finally decided to interrupt.

"We should find cover, love. It'll be dark soon, and ogres have the advantage then." He abandoned the flirtatiousness for now, figuring that would just piss her off.

Emma simply nodded and let Hook lead her off. He kept his hand on the small of her back as she walked, but she didn't even seem to notice. Hook tried several times to start a conversation with her, but she didn't even hear him.

Hook led Emma to the cave that he and Cora had been hiding in before she double crossed him. She left a lot of supplies behind, which was good because Hook wasn't sure how long they'd be stuck here, if not forever.

"Sit down, darling. I'm just going to grab some wood for a fire. I'll be back in a minute," he said, helping her sit and turning to go. She grabbed his hook, stopping him.

"Could you just…" Emma started, her voice broken and depressed. She looked down at the floor next to her and looked back up at him, gesturing for him to sit. He watched her a second longer, her face more open and hurt than he'd ever seen it, before complying. He put his arm around her. She stayed still, letting the silent tears roll down her face. She laughed humorlessly.

"I'm sorry." She said, wiping her face with her hands and pulling away. He watched the walls slowly rebuild in her eyes.

"What is there to be sorry for?" he asked, turning to face her.

"I abandoned him. Again, I promised him I wasn't going anywhere, and now I'm stuck here forever without my son," she laughed again, "A few weeks ago, I didn't believe any of this was even possible. And now…" She trailed off, "And I just found my real parents, and now they're both over there with my son, so now I have no one. I'm just so overwhelmed." She said, her voice lowering.

"Hey, Emma," Hook said, lifting her chin, "Not everyone's always going to abandon you. Please remember that." He tucked a stray lock behind an ear and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "You're not alone either," he whispered, "I promise." She pulled back and wiped her face again. He stood, backing towards the cave entrance as he spoke.

"I'm gonna go find some firewood now, love. You gonna be alright without me here for a few minutes?" he asked, smirking.

"I'm sure I'll manage." Emma said, rolling her eyes. He hesitated a moment more, searching her eyes, before turning and leaving.

As he walked through the forest collecting firewood, he let his mind wander back to Emma. He'd never expected that from her. She was used to being alone, yes. That much was obvious. But it didn't seem like that's what she had ever really wanted. Someone must've done that to her.

Hook was used to playing this game with women. He'd charm them, they'd fall for him, and he'd move on when he was finished. But Emma was getting into his head. She wasn't just another woman. No one had ever bested him like that. She was a challenge, and that was something that was missing in his life. Neverland had been wonderful, of course, but there was no adventure, nothing to make him content. It was always very bittersweet too, because Milah had been the one who had pushed for it. He had made all of these plans with her for when they finally made it there. In all of the time he had been in that paradise, he was never truly happy. Milah's death was always lingering in the back of his mind. He couldn't get past the grief, the need for revenge.

Emma reminded him of Milah in some ways. She was incredibly brave and gutsy. She spoke her mind, not caring what others might think of her because of it. But they definitely had their differences as well. Milah was very much the kind of person that would throw caution to the wind and barrel into something headfirst, while Emma was guarded and thought everything through before acting. He could tell just by looking at her that she'd been taught by her experience that keeping people at arm's length was the best way to keep herself safe. Hook was sure he could crack that tough exterior and see what was underneath if he worked at it.

Hook returned to the cave not long after he left, bearing an armful of logs for a fire. He found Emma sitting in the same place he left her, arms huddled around her knees in an attempt to stave off the cold that was beginning to creep up on them. He set about starting the fire, unsure of what to say to clear the awkward silence that had settled around them.

"Tell me about Neverland," Emma finally said after the fire had been started and Hook was sitting next to her.

"It's enchanting. Time stops, so no one ages. The islands are absolutely stunning. The lagoons and the mermaids, the fairies. It's all beautiful. You could live forever in a wondrous paradise," he said, watching as the flames danced.

"Was it one of the lands affected by the curse? Is that why you're stuck here now?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"As of right now, I'm unsure that any land escaped the queen's wrath. And I was in Neverland right before the curse struck. I woke up here." He pulled a bottle of rum out of his bag, drinking straight from the bottle before offering it to her.

"You mentioned the Lost Boys earlier, does that include Peter Pan?" she asked, taking the bottle. He gave her a questioning look.

"Yes. How do you know about the lad?"

"In my world, all of these places and people are stories. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Peter Pan. Every kid knows those stories. No one ever thought they could possibly be true," she said, taking a sip and passing the bottle back.

"Like the beanstalk story you mentioned earlier? Is that also how you knew me when we met? From these stories?"

"Yeah. Peter Pan was my favorite story when I was a kid. An orphan who got to live forever as a kid? Fighting pirates and being able to fly? It was something I could only dream about."

"I do hope they portrayed me accurately. How..." he trailed of when Emma started giggling.

"Really? That bad?"

"He had this long curly hair and a giant nose! And this tiny mustache thing! And he was never seen without the giant red hat." Hook covered his face.

"One time I wear that daft hat and that's what your world portrays me as? How do they explain the hook?" he said, raising the mentioned item attached to his arm.

"Peter Pan cut it off and fed it to a crocodile," Emma said, still grinning.

"Peter? Really? He was a nuisance at best. He wouldn't have had the courage to do something like that. Just an annoying little prat who led the lost boys."

"You sure about that? In the stories I know, he beat you more than once." Emma said, amused at how flustered this was making him.

"I let him win! He was an orphan and I felt sorry for him so I let him believe he bested me on a few separate occasions. It was actually very nice of me!" he nearly shouted before taking a gulp of the rum.

Emma couldn't help but laugh at his adamant denial.

"He was just a child. I wouldn't have hurt him if I wanted to."

"Ah, so you do have a moral code."

"I may be a pirate but I'm not cruel. I let the boy have his fun, and after a while he'd get bored and move on."

"So he never defeated you once?"

"Of course not! I don't get bested very often, and certainly never by a child."

"Why are you so indignant about this?"

"Because! Your entire world thinks I'm a blundering fool just because they got some twisted version of the truth! I'm sure it was Peter who did it too. He wasn't exactly smart enough to realize I let him win, and he loved telling exaggerated stories of his 'brave adventures,'" he said, gesturing wildly with the bottle of rum and nearly spilling it.

"You didn't strike me as someone who really cared what people thought of you."

"I do care what some people think of me, lass." he said, giving her a pointed look. She changed the subject.

"If he'd been older, would you have killed him?" she asked, taking the bottle back.

"Not killed him, no. I wouldn't have ever let him think he won though. That was merely me trying to be nice to someone who may not have had the best life thus far."

"So you have a soft spot for kids then? Or just orphans?" He glanced at her, seeing how she pointedly looked anywhere in the cave but at him.

"Why are you suddenly so curious about me, sweetheart?"

"I figure that, at least for the time being, we're stuck together. I was just curious about you," she said, taking a swig and still avoiding his gaze, "And I guess it helps take my mind off…things." Hook stared at her for a long moment before answering.

"Milah left behind a son when she came with me," he said, looking down, "It always made me incredibly guilty because she talked about him constantly. It was her biggest regret. She died without ever seeing him again," he said. Emma put a hand on his forearm, still not looking at him. He watched her face, enchanted by the shadows playing on her features.

"Why are you so guarded, love? Something more than growing up without parents must've happened." She didn't say anything, acting like she hadn't heard the question at all.

"You mentioned earlier that you might've been in love once. Does that have something to do with it?" Something flickered in her eyes before she took her hand back, frowning.

"It's late, and I want to start looking for an alternative to getting back to Henry in the morning. We should try and get some sleep," she said, still avoiding his eyes. She handed the bottle back to him before lying on her side with her back to him, effectively ending the conversation.

He watched her for a while, as if his stare could decipher her. There were things he noticed about her, things that she obviously tries to keep hidden from everyone. He was able to read her more easily than it seemed she was used to, so she built her walls up higher. Hook could tell that she'd been damaged by something more than just being raised an orphan. But the problem there was that to tell him anything about that, she would have to lower the barriers it had forced her to put up in the first place.

She shivered visibly as he watched her, the fire no longer being enough to stave off the cool of the night. Hook took note, digging through the small stash of items until he found a small blanket. He pulled it over her, a bit clumsily due to being one handed, and frowned slightly when she tensed up at the gesture.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"You look cold, darling. I was trying to help."

"I don't want help."

"I never said you did. You seem like you never want help from another person. That doesn't mean you don't need someone."

"What, and you think that someone is you?" she said quietly, her tone not quite matching the bite of her words.

"Not a lot of other choices at the moment. Like you said, we're stuck together." She sat up, glaring at him.

"I've spent most of my life making sure I didn't need anyone. What makes you think I'm gonna start now?"

"So it's not just me you don't trust."

"Too many people have proved to me that trust gets you hurt."

"Then let me prove them wrong," he said, moving closer.

"Why do you keep pushing with this?" Her tone almost sounded hurt.

"I've a feeling not many have. You deserve more than that, Emma."

Her expression looked half in shock and half in awe as she tried to figure out how to reply. No one had ever fought for her before. She shivered involuntarily and looked back at the dying embers of their fire.

"Come here, sweetheart."

"Why?"

"Because I can tell you're freezing and you won't last long with what you're wearing."

She hesitated before shivering again. That made her mind up for her, the need for warmth outweighing her distrust. She moved closer and let him wrap his arms around her and pull the blanket over them both.

"You better not be enjoying this, Hook."

"I always enjoy sleeping with beautiful women." She punched him in the chest.

"Point taken, now go to sleep, darling," he said softly, guiding her head to lie on his chest. She hid her amused smile, letting the lull of sleep overtake her.