Emma woke up a few minutes before sunrise, shaking her head in denial, unwilling to accept that she won't be getting any more rest that night. She was far from a sound sleeper and once she woke up, no matter the time, it was incredibly hard for her to go back to sleep. She guessed it went back to her days in the foster system, when it had never hurt to keep one eye on everyone around you, even while you were sleeping. Then her crime period hadn't much helped the issue. In jail she had all the time in the world to rest but there was a saying that only the guilty slept in prison and apparently she hadn't been one of them. And it was fair to say that being a bounty hunter messed up one's sleeping patterns beyond belief. Sadly, coming to Storybrooke hadn't altered what was so deeply rooted.

Feeling something warm against her stomach, Emma looked down to find a ball of lots and lots of black fur, gently rising and falling in time with her own breathing. Her lips twitched upwards. It had been longer than she cared to admit since she had last woken up with someone next to her. Was it weird that her someone was of the feline kind? Emma sighed and closed her eyes, deciding that she really didn't care. She was asleep again in mere seconds.


The next time Emma opened her eyes, or rather – one, very unhappy to be open, eye, the sun was already up and trying to fight its way through the curtains. But the true source of her state of consciousness was currently licking her ear.

"Oh my god! Cut that out or I'll serve you for breakfast. With maple syrup!" she swatted half-heartedly at the overactive kitten.

"Where do you find the energy to torment me all the time?"

I always have energy for you, lass. So you can quit pretending you don't enjoy my brand of torment.

"Ok, listen," said Emma, grabbing the kitten and holding him in the air above her head. "Since you live here it's time you learned the traditions of our world and number one is that on Sunday we oversleep, ok? We roll around in bed and snuggle with the pillow, we don't get up until we really, really have to pee, we sometimes even have breakfast in bed."

Up until that moment Killian had just been hanging in her grasp, sticking his tongue out at her, but as soon as the word 'breakfast' left her mouth his eyes lit up and he started nodding enthusiastically.

"Oh!" Emma's eyed widened, slightly guilty. "I brought some cat food yesterday. The bag should still be next to the door so unless you need me to open that for you…"

Killian scoffed at the suggestion.

Very funny, Swan. I can get my own food! Wait, cat food?! No, no, I'm not eating anything made for felines. No. Just… no.

He shook his head vigorously.

"What?" whined Emma. "What now?"

Killian just wrinkled his nose, making the cutest disgusted faces Emma had ever seen. She sat up, setting him down in her lap, giggling the entire time.

"What?" she laughed. "You want food, right?"

Nod.

Yes, living creatures have been known to need that, Swan.

"Well, I said that I brought you some ca-"

Disgusted faces.

"Oooh!" the blonde crossed her arms in front of her chest. "So Captain Hook thinks himself above Whiskas, is that it?"

Too right he does.

"Well, I'm sorry but that's all we have on the kitten menu."

Killian just stood, staring at her. Emma stared back.

"I'm not gonna cave, you know?"

Sure you will.

"You can't always get your way just because you're fluffy and your eyes are so blue."

Oh, someone likes my eyes now?

They continued the staring contest for another five minutes.

"I'm not giving in this time, fuzzball. You think if you are persistent and annoying enough everything will just fall in your lap? Nu-uh. Try again."

Trust me, darling, nothing in this life has ever just fallen in my lap. But I have found that being persistent does give results, if you can just be persistent enough.

Emma leaned her head back against the headboard. She'd bested him once, when he was way bigger too, she could do it again.

Killian flopped down on his belly, making himself comfortable.

She underestimates a captain's desire to get others to do his bidding.

Emma closed her eyes, going so far as to try to go back to sleep, but she was actually quite well-rested now and, as always, Hook had gotten her too riled up already.

"OK," she sighed, looking down at him. "How about a deal? I get up, get you breakfast, and you will promise not to bug me… until noon? See, I'm being understanding, I know there's no way you can keep from annoying me a whole day."

The kitten seemed to mull the offer over before giving a nod and getting up, extending his right paw.

Emma grinned, shaking it with two fingers and jumping out of bed.

Killian smiled to himself.

If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trusting me to keep my word here, Swan.


Emma was helping Henry with his homework, trying to bring forward every memory of math that she had. There weren't many. Suddenly her mother's yelling reached her ears. She jumped up. Her parents had apparently come in quite some time after her last night because it was 1 pm and that was the first sound she had heard from them.

Snow came into her line of vision, holding up a shoe and waving it at Emma.

"Honey," she took a deep breath, trying her best not to let the frustration get to her. "Have you considered showing Hook the animal shelter?"

Before Emma could respond, her father came out too, a blue-eyed kitten perched on his shoulder.

"Oh, come on, Snow" he said, laughing despite himself. "It's just a knot."

"It's a sailor's knot!" she said through gritted teeth. "Every shoe with laces I own looks like this."

"Then wear something without laces," David shrugged, grabbing a packet of crackers out of a cupboard and eating a handful before giving one to the kitten still reclining on his shoulder.

"I'm surrounded by cat people," grumbled Snow, heading back to her wardrobe to find something wearable.

Emma followed her mother.

"I can't believe he managed to work his charm on your father too. Though Regina did mess up when she gave his cursed self a dog, he is a kitty man through and through," Snow kept mumbling in exasperation.

"Hey, Snow, I'm sorry, ok? I'll talk to Hook. This is my fault really. I told him to leave me alone for the day," Emma shook her head at her own naivety. "Should have known he'd just find someone else to mess with."

"Emma," Snow sighed. "This isn't about some knots, ok? I'm not mad. I just… don't you think we should be trying to find some way to turn Hook back into… well, Hook?"

Emma opened her mouth to respond and closed it again, glancing down at her feet and putting her hands in her back pockets.

"What is more," continued Snow, focused on trying to untie her laces and thus missing her daughter's discomfort. "Why hasn't he demanded we help him get back to himself? I mean, I would think that he just couldn't tell us, but you two seem able to communicate anything to each other so…"

Snow finally looked up, frowning at seeing Emma staring intensely at the ground.

"Yeah," the blonde looked up, nodding her head a bit too hard. "Yeah, you're right. We'll just wait a few more days, just to be sure that Gold won't be a problem and the we'll go in research mode. Maybe go to the Blue Fairy or something, you know? Maybe Archie, since he was turned into a cricket or whatever."

"Right," replied Snow but she looked more confused and uncertain than a minute ago.

Meanwhile, similar thoughts were running through Killian's head. Why hadn't he asked Emma to help him find out how to break the curse? Why hadn't he even explained to her that it was a curse yet?

You've been around for more than three centuries, mate. A couple more days on four legs won't hurt anyone.

Emma came back, resuming her place next to Henry and leaning over his notebook. She shook her head, running a hand through her golden hair and biting her lip adorably, obviously debating whether or not to just let Snow help him.

No, a couple more days won't hurt. Might even do you some good.