About twenty feet from her stands Killian, donned in his pirate attire once again, a sword slung over his shoulder and a sheen of sweat covering his handsome features. His hair looks as unruly and unkempt as ever, and while the circles under his eyes make him look drained and exhausted, he now stands straight backed and alert.

His blue eyes are glued to her green ones and his mouth opens and closes a few times, but no words leave his lips. It looks like he's seen a ghost, or he can't quite believe his eyes—or both. Emma's pretty sure her face mirrors his; eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar, trying to form the shape to whisper his name.

Finally, Killian makes the first move and takes a few steps towards her so they now stand about ten feet apart. Emma's having a hard time believing that he's actually here, not that she didn't believe that he'd find her, but just happening upon him in the forest like this seems so unlikely.

SNAP OUT OF IT EMMA, she screams in her head and before she can say anything she sneezes.

It's loud and sudden and echoes through the forest. Killian jumps a little and she can't help but laugh at his startled expression. He stares at her for a few moments more and then grins. That smile she's been dreaming about for so long, so much brighter in person. The smile she vowed she'd see again.

She's about to comment on it when she notices his eyes slide from her face to her white silk blouse. Her face warms as she remembers it's not exactly suitable for most company. Killian's company however…well, she doesn't exactly regret wearing it. Or the tight, form fitting pants for that matter.

The sun is still shining brightly through the trees and she knows he can see her bare breasts through the thin material. She shivers slightly at the thought. Killian's gaze lingers on her blouse before sliding downwards where her strong thighs and hips are on full display, covered only by the thin, stretched cotton material.

Emma gulps and almost feels like turning around for a moment so he can see what the pants look like from the back. Her face seems to have reddened even further, if that's even possible and she knows at this point she must look like a blushing virgin. She certainly isn't dressed like one though.

When Killian's eyes finally travel back up her form to her face, he smirks, the desire in his eyes unmistakable.

"You look stunning, Swan." It's the same thing he said to her on their first date and he knows it. However, this time the circumstances are much different. While he still says it with awe in his voice, there's also a hunger, his voice low and husky and his eyes blazing with heat. Emma's face feels so hot now she has to hold back the urge to fan herself.

Another difference is that before he'd said it in front of her parents and Elsa, now they were all alone. Alone in the woods…wait what? Alone? Where was everyone else? Did he come alone? Or did they get separated?

This breaks Emma from her desire filled haze and Killian seems to notice. He blinks and shakes his head a few times before Emma speaks.

"My parents, did they come with you? What about Henry?"

Killian looks at his feet before saying, "your father, Robin and our—um, Henry came too."

He shifts on his feet and scratches behind his ear before continuing. "We were separated." He holds up his hand before Emma can respond. "Not to worry love, I saw Henry run off with Robin and your father when the ogre attacked."

And here she'd been thinking they'd all left, she didn't know how well she'd fare against an ogre, even with her magic, since she hadn't been using much of it lately. She knows there's something else he not saying, for fear of how she'll react.

"How come you didn't run with them?" She's pretty sure she already knows the answer. He meets her eyes again and smiles sadly, uncertain how she's going to react to what he says next. "Well Swan, someone had to act as bait as the rest of them escaped." He watches her face carefully, reading the emotions as they appear, one by one. Concern, anger, admiration, more concern.

Emma can't help but think back to their time atop the bean stock, when Hook volunteered as bait, to lure out the giant, Anton. How worried she's been after Anton toppled to the ground, possibly on top of Killian, and how Hook's safety was already so important to her, despite how impartial she tried to act.

"You brave, stupid pirate," she breathes out and it sounds more complimentary than scolding. She walks closer to him, inspecting him for injuries. He looks absolutely fine, save for the tired circles under his eyes.

"I've no injuries love. I may have pulled a few muscles and I'm bloody exhausted, but I'm all right."

She sighs in relief and then asks teasingly, "So how'd you manage to best the ogre without any of that handy knock out powder?" Hook's eyes light up at her teasing tone and the mention of their early interactions atop the bean stock.

"I yelled and taunted it, much as I did to poor Anton, and it chased me through the forest for a time. They are huge, hulking beasts and that's precisely what makes their movements awkward and clumsy. I lead it to a fallen log, leaning slightly off the ground between two trees, and while I managed to duck and roll underneath to the other side, the beast did not. It tripped and you can imagine what happened from there," he said, motioning to his sword.

"You stabbed him with your sword and he felt it?" Emma asks mischievously. Killian laughs. "Yes Swan, precisely."

If he's slightly taken aback by Emma's new found, carefree flirting and teasing, he doesn't comment on it. She simply doesn't see the need to hold anything back from him anymore and being back together again after all this time is making her feel incredibly light, despite that fact that she knows they probably still have much to do in terms of finding the others and a way back home.

"I was on my way back to meet up with the rest of the group when I found you, Emma."

They smile at each other and then close the rest of the distance between them. She still has so many questions and she knows he probably does too, but they can wait.

She honestly doesn't know how they've kept from pouncing on each other for so long, but now she just wants to hug him tightly and kiss him senseless, and tell him everyth—"Wait Killian don't touch that!"

She realizes too late that he'd been reaching for her left hand to pull her closer with his right. The hand that still held the damned rabbit figurine she'd nearly forgotten about. As his bare skin touches metal, his expression turns blank and he falls to the ground.

Poor, sweet Killy just can't catch a break.