Baelfire's journey had been long and tiring, he had barely slept a wink since he set out on his journey to save Emma. In all honesty, he hadn't seen Emma in years and had no idea what she was capable of. Since her father was the king and she was the only child they had he had to teacher how to defend herself when he wouldn't be able to. However, if he ever wanted to have King David's actual approval of marrying his only daughter then he must do this quest.

When they set sail all he could think about was the pure shock that King David asked for his father's help in saving their kingdom. Baelfire was suspicious of his father's doing. He was always suspicious of his father since he seemed to rely more on sorcery than actual men. Sure, he loved his father but King Gold's kingdom was falling slowly into debt. Which made him wonder on how King David's kingdom had fallen so quickly and so surprisingly?

He had seen the troubled look behind the strong façade in King David's eyes, when he saw those eyes he knew something tragic had happened. King Gold agreed to the marriage of course but as they prepared to make details for a wedding a letter was given to King David saying that Emma had run away on her own journey to save the kingdom. This made Baelfire smile in the smallest bit because when he heard he knew it was the same old Emma he had met when they were only young adolescents.

Baelfire and Emma instantly loathed each other when their parents forced them to get along. Emma had always been too difficult and Baelfire had a case of bad manners and was spoiled. Emma wanted to play with the horses or explore outside the kingdom while Baelfire rather stayed inside playing with his toys. This is why they never got along because they clashed and argued too often, years pass and when Baelfire had seen her again she had blossomed into a beautiful woman.

She was mysterious, charming, and yet still adventurous. Baelfire was still used to the girl that bullied him so he treated her like he would treat another other princess, arrogantly. He did his best to one up the princess but Emma seemed to not care at all at his attempts. She ignored it and then he did start to annoy her when he would cut her off and try to be the best person there. They still had disliked each other and grew apart after King Gold had moved to another land by successfully winning it over. They grew apart and never spoke again.

Until now

Baelfire stared at Emma for a moment before realizing he had actually caught Emma. Her green eyes burned with anger in the moonlight. He was almost mesmerized by the beautiful green eyes, which caught Baelfire off guard when she put her boot to his stomach and kicked him over a table. Baelfire smacked into the ground and saw Emma unsheathe a dagger from her boot. He jumped up and held up his hands.

"Don't, it's me, Emma."

"How do you know my name?"

"It's me, Prince Baelfire."

"Liar, Prince Baelfire wouldn't come after me, he's too of a mule to do that."

He sighed at the insult and pulled out his royal family's pendant that hung around his neck. He watched Emma's eyes flicker to the pendant but she didn't loosen up from her deadly stance.

"It is me; I've come on terms to bring you back. Your family is worried ill about your condition, Emma."

"I appreciate your bravery in enduring the dangerous waters but I am not going back home."

"You have to Emma, your parents are worried about you-"

Emma scoffed and put the dagger back into her boot. She ran a hand through her long wavy hair, crossing her arms she turned around.

"My family is not worried since they are forcing their only child into an arranged marriage."

"I'm not that bad of a man, am I?" he joked which caused Emma to give a small smile. She turned around, her eyes looking into his.

"If I explain to you why I'm not returning with you, will you leave me alone?" Baelfire leaned back on the balls of his feet and pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Perhaps, but it's a strong no." He smiled at her.

Emma gave a light laugh which made Baelfire grin at her he hadn't realized how even more beautiful she had gotten over the years, however, before he could say another word there was a loud banging on the door.

"Emma! Emma, are you alright? I've got my men and we're going to break the door down!" Emma's eyes widened and she turned swiftly around to unlock the door.

Baelfire looked outside the door to see four men holding a large wooden stool preparing to barge through the door.

"It's alright, Hook, It's an old friend, he's come to resc-visit me."

Baelfire caught on to Emma's lie but the rest of the men simply didn't notice, Baelfire met eyes with another man who was about his height and around his age. The man drew his sword to Baelfire,

"Then why did he capture you inside?" he stated waving the blade around his jugular.

"I was trying to make sure that she wasn't kidnapped by you men." Baelfire said giving Hook a sour look.

"I will explain everything to you later on, Hook, for now can you leave him and I to discuss things?"

Hook's eyes drifted to the both of them and Hook couldn't help but feel a small pang in his chest.

"I shall be in the bar with my men; I'll stay close, alright lass?"

Emma nodded turning to Baelfire, with no princess manners what-so-ever she gave him a smile and said:

"Why don't I buy you a beer?"

For two hours Baelfire listened to Emma's plan on getting the treasure to save the kingdom and avoid getting married at all costs. He watched her with an indescribable adoration as she explained her first three months on the ship with Captain Hook, proving to him that she can be just like him. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her and not because everything she said charmed him it was because he could see himself falling for her.

Emma listened to his story on his heroic sacrifice to go on the journey and save her from danger and bring her back to the kingdom. Before talking to Emma like this he was considering of locking her up and taking her out once they got back to the kingdom. Now that he saw how devoted and determined she was to find this treasure and keep her kingdom at peace.

After a while they both became silent knowing that they had to part ways soon.

"You know, you don't know what you're missing, I could be a wonderful husband."

"I wouldn't doubt it for a minute, but you're not my type of husband, but as I sit here I cannot explain how I have gotten close to you and feel attracted to you." Emma confessed.

Baelfire looked at her and saw her depressing yet truthful expression in her eyes. He sighed and grasped her hand, "when you come back, all in one piece I hope, will you let me have the honor of courting you?"

Emma made a small gasp but a smile crept onto her lips and Baelfire's heart couldn't help but skip a beat seeing that beautiful smile. "Why don't you come with me?" she murmured gripping his hand tightly.

"You know I can't, my men and I are docked here for another week and then I must explain to your parents that you have escaped me."

"If I give you the directions to find the treasure will you follow?"

"What use will I be with you?"

"Keeping a lonely princess like me company," Baelfire threw his head back and laughed,

"Well, if that is my only purpose then I guess that I must." This made Baelfire remember about Emma's small white lie to Hook.

"Does Captain Hook not know you're a princess?"

Emma casted a look around the bar making sure that no one heard.

"If I told them about me being the princess they would use me as ransom than actually getting me to the curse."

"So, they think you're some regular's daughter?"

"That's what I want them to think but for right now I'm having them not ask me any questions other than the alias I have drawn up in my head."

"Emma Swan, I never thought of you to be such a bad person."

"We all have the same amount of bad side as much as we have the good side."

By dawn Emma stood at dock with Baelfire, they both held each other's hands not wanting to ruin the moments they had left. Baelfire couldn't believe that he had fallen head over heels for Emma, as well as Emma was beginning to fall for him. She wouldn't mind marrying him but for right now she was saving her kingdom her own way and didn't want to be dependent on another kingdom.

She gave him a small smile trying to conceal her true sad feelings of not having him be with her. Baelfire held onto the hand drawn map Emma had made for him hours ago.

"I shall see you on the island in a week's time," he said stroking her cheek lovingly, Emma had so much to say but so little time to actually say it. She wanted to say how she was wrong to think of him as a horrible man for so many years, she wanted to say that she was probably thinking that he could be her other half she wanted to say so much.

So, instead Emma leaned in and kissed him on the lips. It was a slow kiss but Emma's heart thumped in her chest. She felt him lean back into the kiss as his arms wrapped around her waist. They both felt the sparks fly between them. Emma's prediction was right, she knew she would never feel this spark between anyone else. Baelfire knew that once they parted that she would escape from his fingers like she did for most of his life.

How stupid he had been, how immature he has been not realizing that the woman he's loved along was the one he grew up with. The one that was the thrill seeker, he never knew that she was the thrill he had been looking for all his life. Baelfire knew that he had to make her his once she returned to the kingdom. It wasn't just for joining the kingdoms anymore; it wasn't even for saving her kingdom. Baelfire saw Emma as his one true love and nothing was going to stop this.

They pulled away and Emma kissed him on the cheek before turning around and docking the ship. Hook watched from his post as Emma entered onto the ship. His stomach was churching and his heart was aching with jealousy as Emma sat down holding onto the map and Govivia's book. How sickening was that scene between her and Baelfire; Hook wanted nothing more than to feed Baelfire to the sharks. But then again, he also wanted to feed Emma to the sharks knowing that she had lied to him about everything and that anger burned deeply inside of him.