Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time
Chapter Four
The Enchanted Forest
Emma looked around the captain's quarters of the Jolly Roger. Not much had changed between now and the time they traveled to Neverland. She looked warily at the pirate in front of her. He helped her before, but he was in love with her. That man would go to the ends of the earth for her. And if you hadn't been so stubborn he'd either be here with you now or you wouldn't be here at all. The man standing in front of her was still coping with the loss of Milah. Still, Killian was seeking vengeance when he fell in love with her. She was battling with herself internally, she was sure he would help her if she asked, but at the same time she didn't want to mess with the future.
And more importantly, she could only come up with one option on how to get back to the future. And Hook would be less than helpful when it came to not killing her ticket home.
"Lass?"
"Hm?" Emma looked over. She hadn't even realized he'd been talking to her, "What?"
He frowned, "I asked if you'd like to have a seat and a drink." He motioned to the chair and the rum on the table next to it. He took his own seat and propped his legs up on the edge of the table. Typical Killian. "You're debating running." He surmised.
"I'm debating on telling you the truth, praying you believe me and don't kill me, and also simultaneously helping and ruining my way home in the process while hoping not to fuck up the future, or not telling you and figuring it out for myself, which based on how well I've managed to blend in so far is not looking too promising either."
Hook tipped his chair back, "You really think telling me the truth will change the future?"
Emma bit her lip and looked down at her hands, "I'm terrified it will." She took a breath, "And while I might have not been in the best place when I wound up here, I'd hate to go back and have everything different. There's so much I need to say to everyone, so much I want, so much I know I can have and I can't believe I was running from it all. I'm so stupid. I should've never gone into that barn. When I saw that light I should've called and then at least we'd be here together and I wouldn't be alone and why did I ever want to go back to New York? Why would I ever want to leave you?" Her head fell into her hands and her shoulders shook. She'd never felt more alone or lost in her entire life. And the worst was knowing where home was. Home was with Henry. Home was with her mother and father and brother. Home was with Regina. Home was with him.
Hook's chair dropped back on the front legs, "Leave me?"
Emma's eyes widened. Wiping the tears and sniffling she sighed, "I guess I might as well tell you everything now."
"I think that would be wise." He replied coolly.
Taking a deep breath, Emma launched into the story of meeting Killian for the first time in the Enchanted Forest, their venture up the beanstalk, him helping her find her son in Neverland, and then him coming back for her in New York. "You chased me down at the sheriff's station and you tried to convince me of where I belong and who I belong with and I was so mean." Her shoulders shook in a silent sob, "The things I said to you, I will never forgive myself for making you think you're not enough of a man for me. You'll always be enough for me. More than enough. The reality is that you could do so much better than me. You deserve so much better than me. And I just, I'm so afraid all of the time. I can't keep losing people and it's easier just to take Henry and run. And so I ran, and when I wound up at the place where I saved you and I saw that light in the barn, I almost called you. I was getting ready to call you when I stepped too close to that stupid fucking portal and I should've known better and now here I am with this past version of yourself and you're not really you. You're not the man I,"
Hook swallowed hard, "The man you what?"
Emma raised her eyes to catch his, "The man I love."
Hook stared at her for thirty seconds before replying, "You love me? And I love you?"
Emma bit her lip and nodded, "And it took us a long time to get there. Me longer than you. You really are a patient man."
"And you want to get home so that you can be with future me?" His brow furrowed as she nodded, "I'm not sure I see a problem, love." She raised an eyebrow, "Why not just stay and be with present me?"
Her mouth dropped open and the future Killian she thought she saw in Hook had vanished. "Did you not hear a fucking thing I said?" She snapped, "I want to go home to more than just you. I want to go home to my son, to my mother, to my father, to my brother, to the fucking Evil Queen who has turned into my best damn friend." She let out a yell, "You're infuriating."
"And you're insulting." Hook stood up and crossed the room to stand in front of her, "Or do you really think that little of my intelligence that I'd believe such an outlandish tale?"
"Outlandish tale?" Emma gasped, "You're fucking Captain Hook. You're a fairytale character. You have a damn hook for a hand and you think my story about traveling back in time is outlandish? You live on an damned enchanted ship! In a realm called the Enchanted Forest!"
"Are you saying that you don't think I'm real. That if you pinch yourself you'd wake up?" He sneered.
Shoving him back, Emma growled, "If I thought pinching myself would put me back by that barn I'd have done that already. My God you're worse than when you pretended to be fucking blacksmith and trick us into helping you and Cora."
"Who the hell is Cora?"
"The Queen of Hearts in Wonderland. Regina's much eviler mother." Emma yelled, "My God, are you even from here? How do I know more about this shit than you do?"
Hook stepped right into her personal space again, "You need to learn a little bit about respect. This is my ship and I won't have you speaking to me this way any longer."
"And what would you do to me if I just continued? Make me walk the plank? Hand me over to Regina? Turn me over to the Dark One?" She snapped.
"How are you not afraid of any of that? Are you a bloody fool?" He was hovering right above her, his lips inches from hers and she found her blood boiling like it had in Neverland, when all she wanted to do was fuck him and she hated herself for it. Without even realizing it or considering the consequences of her actions, Emma latched onto the lapels of his coat and pulled his lips down to hers.
It was a hard and desperate kiss as she worked her mouth over his. It only took him a few mere seconds to fight her for dominance, his hook forcing her forward, molding her body to his, digging into her back in a way that she loved because it meant he was there. His other hand tangled in her hair, forcing her head back so he could slant his mouth over hers in the way he wanted. She nipped at his bottom lip, causing a growl that she swallowed willingly to come out of his mouth. Trying to take back control she plunged her tongue into his mouth, loving that he still tasted like her Killian. Rum, salt and something undefinable on his tongue. It was her second favorite taste.
When they pulled back they were both breathing hard. His hand that had been in her hair tightened, tugging lightly at it before he released his hold and his hand skimmed across her cheek and down her neck. She knew he was analyzing her, she could tell from the way his eyes skimmed from her eyes to her more than likely bruised lips to her heaving chest that was nearly popping out of the corset she'd tightened for Blackbeard and down to her feet before coming back up again.
"Bloody hell." He murmured.
She closed her eyes and hummed, "It's always like that." She whispered, one hand skimming down from his neck to his chest, loosely tangling in his necklace, "Even when it's soft and slow. It's always like that." Her eyes fluttered open and connected with his and she saw it. She saw him. She couldn't help it as her hand skimmed up his neck and stroked his jaw slowly, "Killian?"
He nodded and dropped his forehead to hers, "I believe you." He whispered. His lips landed on hers again and this time it was soft. It was soft and slow and everything she'd been missing since she landed in that forest. Gently, she let one hand latch onto his coat, changing their direction so she was headed for the bed in his quarters. When she felt her knees hit the back of it, she sat down, bringing him between her legs. When they broke apart he said, "And someone like you really loves me?" He asked in awe.
She bit her lip and nodded, "Yes, but I don't deserve you."
"I'm sure there's no way that's true. With all I've done," he paused.
"With all you've done and all you will do once I leave, I don't care. I know who you are Killian. I know and that's all that matters. When I go home, I'm going to need you to forget about me."
"How will I ever be able to do that?" His lips skimmed her ear.
"I'll figure out a way." Emma promised.
He leaned back, "I don't want you to. I already know that."
She shook her head, "For now, let's just figure out how I can get home."
He nodded, "Do you have any ideas?"
She bit her lip again, "One. And you're not going to like it." His eyebrows rose, "The Dark One."
OUAT
Storybrooke, Maine
Killian stared down into the cup of ice cream Henry and Roland talked him into getting. Mostly it was so they could eat it. Who was that damn bar wench?
"Mate, you're not still thinking of that woman are you?" Robin asked.
"Woman?" Henry glared at him, much in the same way David had earlier, "I thought you loved my mom."
"I do love your mom, very much, but there's this memory that is just bothering me and I can't for the life of me figure out why I recognize this woman when I can't even really see her face." He grunted, "I probably drank too much rum that night." He surmised, ignoring the scathing look the former Evil Queen sent him.
Robin shook his head, "Mate you need to forget about it. We need to focus on Emma right now anyhow and keeping her from leaving Storybrooke."
Letting go of a deep breath, Killian replied, "I know, it's as good as forgotten now anyhow."
OUAT
XOXO
MAS
