CHAPTER 7

"Oh my…" Mary Margaret replied in wonder as she bounced her infant in her arms and walked towards the large window in Regina's living room. The house was finally quiet, Henry had taken Roland to his room to find another game, and several of the Merry Men sat in the kitchen helping themselves to the remaining supplies of coffee and pie.

"What is that?" Marian asked; her voice filled with nervous concern.

"I don't know. But from my experience purple usually indicates Regina's magic."

Marian frowned and then turned towards the other woman. "Why are you here? Why are you friends with her? Everything I knew was that you were mortal enemies."

Mary Margaret glanced at her and then looked back towards the display out her window. "We were. We were mortal enemies. I wanted nothing so much as to kill her. Before that, I looked up to her. I admired her. I loved her. Now… we're family… of sorts. It's not always easy, and she doesn't always do the right thing, but she's also not the woman you remember and since Emma is stranded by the snow, she's our best chance of stopping whatever or whomever is creating this storm. "

Once Mary Margaret finished her speech, both women stood in silence, watching the brilliant light that seemed to emanate from the center of town. After a few minutes Marian spoke.

"What's her relationship to my husband?" Her voice was soft, but clear, as if she feared the answer, but still wanted to face it.

Mary Margaret didn't turn from the window. She knew if she looked at the other woman, her face would tell all, as she was the world's worst liar and secret keeper. That was well known and this was not her tale to tell. Her son gurgled with fortuitous timing and she shifted him in her arms and cooed, asking if he was ready to eat.

"Please," Marian implored when Mary Margaret didn't answer her. "My son is obviously very familiar with her and it seems to me there would be only a few reasons for someone who lives in this…" she gestured to the austerely decorated living room of Regina's mansion, "luxury to socialize with someone who lives in the forest."

Mary Margaret tore her gaze from her son and reluctantly met the other woman's eye. Mary Margaret finally looked at her, sympathy in her expression. "I think that's a question to put to Robin, don't you?"

Marian sighed with frustration and trepidation; Snow White's silence, and her sympathy, all but confirmed her suspicions. However, she turned back towards the window and let the topic drop as they watched the sky fade back to dark.

xXx

As Regina brought her arm down from where she had it raised to the heavens, she staggered backwards and the color had drained from her complexion. Robin was at her side immediately, propping his arms under hers, steadying her. "Whoa, Regina, are you okay?"

Regina allowed him to support her weight for a moment. After a brief respite, she regained her footing and pushed away from him. However, she offered him a tight, but grateful smile in gratitude. "Yes, thank you." Next, she addressed Belle. "If I know your… husband, he will sense that you're at the light and it will draw him to us. Hopefully, before it draws out whomever is doing this." She twirled her hand towards the snow that was still raging outside the bubble she had created. "That person is going to know that someone is altering their storm."

Belle crinkled her nose. "And Rumpel will know I'm here, because I was holding your hand?"

"I hope so. However, there's no doubt that he will know I'm here, so either way let's hope he arrives sooner rather than later."

xXx

"What in all the realms was that?" Killian asked as the sky, which had been bright purple moments earlier, faded once again to the darkness of night.

Emma turned from her spot at the window next to him, ready to reply that she had no idea, when she lost all train of thought. Involuntarily, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks and demanded, "Where is your shirt?"

He glanced down at his bare chest. "I was too warm by the fire."

"But it's not too warm over here. Killian, it was just hours ago that you almost froze to death." She crinkled her brow at him, half in concern, and half in consternation. She noticed he had put on his brace and had reattached his hook while they'd been standing at the window. She had to admit that him wearing his brace, and very little else, was an unexpectedly sexy look.

He took a step towards her, a mischievous glint in his eye. "And you warmed me quite sufficiently. I'm amenable to trying that again, if, indeed, I catch a chill."

She put one hand flat against his bare chest in order to stop his progress. She succeeded, but she also succeeded in igniting a flash of desire that certainly made her feel warm in the chilled air. "Please wear the pajamas."

"Emma… that buttoned garment of your father's is ridiculous. The gear people chose for slumber in this realm…" He shook his head disapprovingly, "is questionable at best. However, see," he pointed proudly to David's crown pajama pants, "I'm wearing the lounging breeches as you requested."

She quirked one eyebrow at him. "You do look cute in the pajama pants, I'd bet you'd look even cuter in the tops." Emma was not above flattery, cajolery or even threats if it would entice him into taking care of himself. The fear she'd felt just hours earlier was still too fresh to forget.

"Cute? Should I take that as a compliment?"

"You should take it as a chall…" However, she did not finish her thought as just then he unceremoniously, and with uncharacteristic clumsiness, stepped backwards and plopped down in one of the kitchen chairs.

She glanced down at him and was immediately concerned to see a slightly stunned expression on his face. "What's wrong? Is it your temperature?" Her hand immediately shot to his forehead, trying once again to ascertain his body temperature through an archaic and inaccurate- but the only available- method. While it was hard to detect substantive differences in the candle light, he seemed paler than he had by the fire.

He shook his head and shot her a slightly pitiful smile. "No, I'm fine, love. I just... was feeling a little weak."

"Of course, you're starving, dehydrated and probably concussed." She pointed towards the fire. "Back to the couch right now and lie down. Oh and eat another pop tart and drink another bottle of water. I'll see if there's anything else here."

At her bossing, he looked up at her with a weak smirk. "I haven't yet visited the facilities."

"Right, do that and then do the other things I just said. Plus put on the pajama shirt, we do not want your body temperature to drop again," she swallowed and then added in a rougher tone, "that was scary."

"Aye, aye captain," he replied affectionately and then used the back of the chair and the table to push his body back up to a standing position.

"Are you steady on your feet? Do you need me to come with you?"

He glanced at her with a scandalized expression, although he smiled inwardly at the very real concern he heard in her voice. He couldn't really remember the last time anyone had taken care of him in this way. Or cared enough to issue orders about his health. "I can manage. I'm not an invalid… yet."

Emma watched him go with an apprehensive frown. Last thing they needed was for him to faint and hit his head.

xXx

"Belle, are you alright?" The voice startled the four people who were milling around the street in front of Granny's. They all whipped around to see Gold striding towards them, looking dapper in a tailored wool coat and plaid scarf. However, other than those two items, he did not look like a man who had been out and about in a raging storm for the better part of the day.

Belle smiled and sighed when she saw him, however once she reached his side, she demanded, "Where have you been? I've been worried."

"I've been looking for the source of the storm, of course."

Regina narrowed her eyes as she studied him. With suspicion dripping from her voice she replied, "Have you now?"

"That was quite a display you just put on, Regina. Must you be so showy?"

"I accomplished my goal of summoning you, didn't I?" Regina's eyes ran the length of him. "I assume that your efforts were unsuccessful? You haven't yet determined who is creating this? Such an unpleasant task on your Honeymoon."

Gold, unperturbed by her outward suspicion, merely wrapped his arm around Belle. "Have you heard our good news, then? It was certainly unpleasant to leave my wife this morning. But for the good of the town I thought it necessary."

"I take it you were unsuccessful…" Regina once again prodded as David and Robin darted their eyes back and forth between them, as if they were watching a ball volley back and forth. "So unlike you to fail."

"Alas," Gold shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, Regina. In fact, I might have thought the culprit a friend of yours."

"Really, funny, because it seems to me that whatever is creating this storm obviously came back with the savior and her pirate when they departed from your dark vault last night. I thought you might have some idea, assuming you knew exactly who and what you were keeping down there all those year."

"And I assumed you might know, Regina, I'm just as in the dark as you claim to be."

Regina's eye lit with indignation. "Claim!?"

However, just then, the trill of a phone interrupted them. David reached into his pocket and produced his device. "It's Emma," he announced as he flipped it open and moved several yards away from the group.

xXx

Killian successfully navigated his trip to the bathroom without additional injury. However, while he wouldn't admit it to Emma, the back of the house was extremely cold, almost frigid. The effects were especially noticeable on his bare torso, the cold caused him to shiver and goose bumps started to form. His goal was to get back to the couch, and fire, with all due haste, before she saw.

However, he need not have worried about Emma figuring out that he should have worn the pajamas. As he passed by, he noticed her back was to the room. Not only was she busy putting the kettle on the stove, she had a phone wedged between her ear and shoulder and was speaking in low tones.

As he eased himself back down on the couch, he obeyed her prior orders and picked up another of the boxed pastries and a second bottle of water. However, he didn't lie down. He sat with his back against the side armrest on the opposite side of the couch, so he could look over the back and see her working in the kitchen. He also didn't put on the pajama top. Instead, he grabbed one of the blankets from the pile on the sofa and draped it over his shoulders; there were some indignities, he would not endure.

A minute later, she hung up and turned from the window, her eyes immediately scanning the room looking for him. When she saw he was back on the couch, the tension in her shoulders visibly eased. "There you are, good. I used the last of the cell battery to call my dad." She waved the phone at him before setting it on the table. "Good news, at least I guess it's good news…Regina created that…" Emma pointed to the window, "for lack of a better word, show, that we just saw. Now she and Gold are on main street waiting for the woman who trapped you. They think she'll come to them. Between the two of them and their magic, they should be able to handle her. David said they'd try to come and get us as soon as the snow stops, but I told him that we're fine, you're okay, and not to even attempt it until it's light out."

"Did you, now?" he asked, purposely keeping his voice neutral. "So we're here for the night? Alone."

Even though the room was dim, Emma could feel the intensity of his gaze burning through her. Her own cheeks flamed, she was sure he could see her blush, even across the dim room. "Yeah…" She felt her throat go dry and it was necessary to clear it, before continuing. "So I… uh… better find us some dinner," she replied before abruptly turning back to the kitchen and opening the pantry.

A smile stole over his lips as he watched her. He dutifully brought the bottle of water to his lips and took a sip, glad for anything that would help restore his strength. He'd taken a few pain pills that Emma had given him and they had helped tremendously with his headache. Which was good because despite his weakened state, his mind was a whir thinking about the prospect of a night alone with Emma. A night that would probably be spent right here in front of the fire, he'd been to the back of the house, it was too cold for either of them to be that far from the heat source in the living room, which meant spending the entire night in close quarters on this couch. He and Emma… he and Emma alone… he and Emma alone in front of the fire, sharing said couch… however, an exclamation from Emma interrupted his very intriguing train of thought.

"We're in luck!"

"Oh…" Killian blinked several times and hoped his expression didn't betray his thoughts. "What… uh… what did you find?"

"Canned soup, so we can trust that it's nothing Zelena tampered with... and it's even Chicken Noodle so you'll feel better in no time." At his puzzled expression, she clarified, "It's a very common meal here when one is under the weather."

"So it's medicinal... like the wobbly substance they serve at the hospital?" Killian asked, still feeling a bit dazed by the entire situation. Emma tried to suppress a smile, but her eyes betrayed her by lighting up with amusement. Seeing her appear so pleased caused a tug on his heart. She looked happy. He'd rarely seen her look like that and it thrilled him that something he'd said caused it, even if he didn't fully understand why.

"Sort of, but this has a bit more nutritional value. And there are crackers and I found some tea, so warm beverage on its way."

"Tea?" That brought him out of his fantasizing. "You're going to trust leaves and herbs found in an evil witch's abode?"

He was right; she certainly would not. "It's fine it's Celestial Seasonings."

That did nothing to abate his concern. He looked aghast as he replied, "That sounds even worse...like some otherworldly witch's brew."

Emma held up the box of tea and walked towards the couch so he could inspect it. "No, see it's fine-"

However, Killian interrupted her before she could say more. "Did you just shiver?"His gaze had been on her as she approached and his eagle eye picked up the noticeable tremor. She was after all, wearing only her tank top and the room was still quite cold as the storm continued to rage outside.

"I'm fine."

"No. You're not. I saw that. Here," he reached to where he'd discarded David's pajama tops and then handed them to her with his hook, "wear this."

"You are supposed to have this on," she replied sternly."You're the one who almost died!"

"Love, I'm sufficiently warm, I'm by the fire and I have all of these blankets. Take it. Please."

They engaged in a momentary stare down, but it only took about five seconds before he won. With a fake exasperated huff, she pulled the pajama top over her head and rolled up the sleeves of the oversized flannel garment to her forearms. She held out her arms as if showing that she had complied. She swam in the warm novelty fabric. "What do you think?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her and then mimic'd what she'd told him earlier when giving her opinion on his pants. "Cute."

"Thank you." She smirked at him and then turned to walk back to the kitchen. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, putting your mind as ease about the tea. Celestial Seasoning isn't witches brew, it's a brand… that you buy at the store. The box hasn't been opened. That's one thing you can count on my realm for, layer upon unnecessary layer of plastic and cardboard creating tamper-proof packaging," she muttered as she struggled to open the plastic. "No woven pouches or pigskin satchels for transporting goods here."

Her joke might have been innocuous, but it gave him pause. He was quiet for a moment as he watched her work. After finding an ancient looking contraption to open the cans of soup, she dumped the contents into a pot she'd found in a cabinet and set it on the wood stove next to the kettle. Finally, he broke the silence. "What you just said about your realm. I guess it's my realm now, too."

She stopped what she was doing and turned towards him. However, he was no longer looking at her; he was staring straight ahead as if he was trying to picture a future in a strange land. She said softly, "I guess it is."

"There's still much I don't know..."

"I'll teach you." she replied quickly and without thinking. When what she 'd said hit her, the realization of the commitment of sorts she was making, she froze. Everything was so new and it was just last night that they'd shared their first real kiss and here they were and everything felt… comfortable. How was everything so comfortable, so fast?

"You will?" His tone was hopeful. Clearly, he also sensed that the offer wasn't just about a driving lesson here, or tips on modern banks there. It all felt so much bigger than that.

"Yeah," Emma shook it off and smiled at him. She was through running away, they'd take it as it came and she'd do what felt right. This felt very right. As she met his eye, she felt the sizzle of tension between them and opted to lighten the mood. "First lesson, don't believe everything you read. I uh..." She cleared her throat. "Saw the books that you checked out from the library."

"Oh..." He nodded thinking of the stack of library books in his room at Granny's. His room that Emma never went in, no matter how many innuendo-laden invitations he'd made while they both were staying there. "Wait, how?"

Emma's cheeks colored slightly and she quickly turned and busied herself at the stove, mindlessly stirring the soup. "Ruby let me in to your room this morning when I was looking for you."

Once again, Killian nodded his head and said, "Oh." He wracked his brain trying to remember if there was anything in the room he wouldn't have wanted her to see. Not that he was hiding anything necessarily. "I hope I didn't leave it untidy or…"

Emma snorted in laughter. "Hardly. I've never seen anyone keep their own hotel room so clean."

The water was ready so Emma busied herself finding two mugs and then poured the hot water over the tea bags. She quickly made her way to the couch and handed him the steaming beverage. Even though his temperature seemed fine now, she was still anxious about making sure he was warm and truth be told she was looking forward to something warm herself.

"So about those books," she said as she sat down near him on the raised stone hearth of the fireplace. He raised an eyebrow at her as he took a tentative sip of the tea. "Belle... uh... told me that you wanted to read about my realm."

"Our realm," he corrected before adding, "and this is very good tea by the way."

Emma's lips twitched upwards, but she didn't let the subject drop. "Okay, you wanted to read about our realm."

He smiled sheepishly at her as he took another sip, and then let the warm mug rest against his bare chest. "Actually, I wanted to find out about the place you came from."

She smiled at him. "Well, Belle recommended some amazing books to you, but they are all set in very different times and places than what I experienced growing up."

"I figured you were not going to magnificent soirees at Long Island mansions."

"No, definitely not. Anyway… I just wanted to say… that was…" she blushed hotly under his intense gaze, "really, really sweet. Nobody has ever wanted to... know about me."

"I didn't read them to know about you."

Emma's eyes went wide and a flash of pain crossed them. "Oh, right." Hastily she started to rise, anxious to remove herself from their cozy position, when she felt cool metal on her arm. She glanced down to see his hook gently wrapped around her wrist.

He succeeded in stilling her exit and when she met his eye, he said, "Emma Swan is an open book to me. I don't need to read someone else's words to know her. The place she comes from, however, remains a mystery."

"Oh," she replied, digesting his answer as she relaxed back onto the stone slab of the fireplace. Then she looked into her eyes, "It's… it's really not all that interesting, at least not compared to the Enchanted Forest, but I could tell you about it some time."

"It's a date."

xXx

"What do we do now?" David asked as they all stood in the snow-less bubble that Regina had created in front of Granny's.

"We wait," Regina rolled her eyes at him and then turned to Gold. "Unless you've had any sudden inspirations?"

Gold smirked at her. "No dearie, I'm in the dark, just like you."

The look on her face made it clear she wasn't convinced, however instead of challenging him, she declared, "I'm getting more coffee. I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you." Robin quickly offered. "To help carry." He hastily retrieved the cups from the last round of coffees so that he could dispose of them and then caught up with Regina who was already crossing the street.

Once they'd entered the vacant diner, Regina took a seat at the counter and relished the chance to warm up, they'd been standing outside for quite some time. With tentative movements, Robin came to stand to her side and studied her intently.

"What?" Regina asked without looking at him.

He sighed deeply and sat down on the stool next to her. "This is a very awkward situation, Regina."

"I am aware." Regina said as she craned her neck trying to see if Granny was in the back. When she didn't see her, she reached across the counter and poured herself a coffee. She hesitated for a half a second and then poured him one too. "My offer to shelter your family was kindly meant, but it is awkward."

"Yes," Robin nodded as he gratefully accepted the coffee from her. "But that's not what I meant. I meant the whole situation. I'm so sorry, Regina."

When she'd digested his apology, Regina slowly turned so she was looking towards him. "You're sorry? You're apologizing to me?"

"Yes, I should have told Marian about us last night."

"That's too much," Regina abruptly stood and started pacing around the diner. "I'm… she… the Evil Queen, it seems, was responsible for separating you from Marian in the first place. And I am the Evil Queen, please don't apologize to me."

"You're not her," Robin said, swiveling on the stool to face where she was now walking around the diner. "Not anymore."

"But I was."

"I know who you are, Regina." He rose and came to stand in her path. She stopped but wouldn't meet his eye. "Listen, if there is anything the last few hours have taught me is that I can't ignore the last few weeks, I can't ignore what's between us."

Regina turned away from him, afraid he might be able to tell there was heat gathering behind her eyes. "You have to."

Robin shook his head. "I know. I know I should and I would be a better man if I could, but I can't."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I have to talk to Marian. I have to tell her everything. A noble man would say goodbye to you and go rekindle a life with his wife. But I'm not noble and I don't know what's going to happen and I can't make you any promises, but I also can't forget and pretend we never happened."

"I hope you're not proposing some sort of sister wife scenario." Regina looked at the ceiling, letting out a mirthless chuckle at her own joke.

"What?" Robin asked sounding very confused.

"Nevermind, a bad joke made by the only person with satellite TV in Storybrooke." She shook her head, they'd settled nothing, but she still felt infinitively better. Knowing how conflicted he was, knowing that he didn't hate her put her in a much better place than she'd been in that morning. With a sad smile she looked him in the eye. "I can't forget we happened either, but you need time to sort out your family and I want you to have that time. I can't believe I'm saying this, and this morning I couldn't have imagined saying it, but you need to spend some time with your wife and then figure out what you want and I have to be okay with what you decide." She furrowed her brow and when she spoke again, her voice was soft but determined, "With time I will be."

"I'm not going to say goodbye, Regina."

"I hope not," she gave him a half smile, "but I will find a way to understand if you do." Regina suddenly stood up straighter and smoothed down her wool coat. "But now we should get back out there and see if we've successfully drawn this Ice Queen to us."

"Are you looking for me?" A woman's voice asked from behind them and both Robin and Regina both froze in their tracks.

xXx

"Is it time?" Killian asked as he set his empty soup bowl on the hearth.

"For what?" Emma replied with curiosity in her voice. She felt a shiver, but not one caused by cold, as his socked foot moved idly against her bare knee.

After the oddly intense conversation about books, Emma had retreated to the kitchen, finished heating the soup and then joined him on the couch to eat. They'd both been so hungry there'd been little opportunity or desire for prolonged conversation while they enjoyed the soup. Now they sat at either end of the couch, backs against opposite armrests, feet and legs sharing space in the middle, the comforter spread between them. It had proven quite warm, and since she hadn't wanted to remove any blankets for his sake, she'd shucked off her jeans and deposited them by the fire. So now he wore the crown pajama bottoms, she the top. He still had a blanket draped over his shoulders, but where the blanket parted, she could still see the better part of his chest. The chain around his neck glinted in the candlelight from its place nestled in his chest hair and while they ate, she'd been in danger of being mesmerized by the charms that hung from it. Charms she saw every day, but when presented against his bare skin became a completely different kind of distracting.

"You said you wanted to talk. We appear to be fixed here for at least the evening which affords us ample time to discuss anything you'd like." He watched her eyes go wide, as if it was the last thing she expected him to say. "Does that surprise you?"

She averted her gaze from his, suddenly intently interested in the pattern on the comforter that covered them. "Yeah, well, kind of. In my experience, men flee when you say you want to talk."

"I think you're going to find it hard to daunt me. Emma, I'm eager to make you comfortable…" He let his voice trail off, unwilling to finish his thought.

However, Emma caught his hesitation. "Make me comfortable with what?"

This time Killian dropped his gaze. After several long moments when all one could hear in the room was the crackle of the fire, he finally replied. "With me."

She crinkled her brow and then nudged his leg with her foot. Almost hesitantly, he looked up at her. "You think I'm not comfortable with you? Really? After that little scenario that played out right here on this couch a couple of hours ago?"

His lips twitched upwards. "I'm glad to hear it. The point remains that we have time and rare, precious, uninterrupted time at that. So what would you like to discuss?"

Emma swallowed roughly and felt pricks of anxiety. She was the queen of running from emotional conversations and here she was forcing one. "Do you want to start?" she asked him hopefully.

He tilted his head and looked at her in amusement. "No." Her face fell and she grimaced. "Come, Emma. When you suggested we needed to talk before… well before we take any more steps together, you must have had something in mind."

She nodded slowly and then met his gaze. She swallowed roughly and then, looking suddenly inspired, procrastinated by asking, "How are you feeling? Do you need more soup or pop-tarts?"

"I'm fine, feeling much better after the medicinal soup. Now out with it."

"How did Zelena curse you?" she finally blurted.

"Oh," Killian squeezed his eyes shut. "Of course. Of course, you'd want to know the details." He felt a wave of panic and secretly wished that he'd prolonged the soup conversation a little longer. He'd been hoping they were finished with this topic, even though he knew that wasn't fair to Emma.

She watched his pained expression and quickly amended. "But only if you're up to talking about it. We can save it for another time, if-"

He interrupted her with a shake of his head. "No, it's all right. Let's get it over with. You deserve to know everything."

Emma bit her lip as she waited for him to continue.

Killian brought his hand up and ran it roughly over his face, pressing the pads of his fingers to his eyes for a moment. "You remember when Ariel showed up here looking for her Prince?"

"Of course."

"She was never here."

"What?" Emma was completely shocked and confused. "But, how can that be. She-"

"It was Zelena. In disguise." Killian removed his hand from his face and met Emma's gaze. While part of him wanted to hide from her, from her reaction while he told this tale, a larger part of him wanted her to know he was telling her the absolute truth. "She knew something. Something I had done during the last year in the Enchanted Forest, when I was trying, unsuccessfully, to go back to my life as a pirate."

Emma stared at him with rapt attention. "Go on."

He took a deep-breath as if to fortify him. The facts, he just needed to recite the facts. "Ariel sought me out because she'd heard the Captain of the Jolly Roger had taken her Prince. However, I wasn't the culprit. When we were returned to the Enchanted Forest, I couldn't find my ship. This was the first word I'd had of her, so Ariel and I set out, together, me to find my ship, she to find her true love."

Enthralled, Emma asked, "Who had your ship?" She'd meant what she said to him that night. It didn't matter what he'd done in that year, but she couldn't help it, she was fascination by any tidbit he was willing to share.

"An infamous pirate. Actually, the very pirate we saw the bandit, Snow White, talking to in the crocodile's crystal ball. His name is Blackbeard, dastardly fellow. When we found him, we fought, I prevailed and I took back my ship."

"Of course you did." Emma sounded both awed and a bit proud. Then she quirked her lip slightly, thinking of the story he'd told the night before. "You're a helluva captain."

Killian winced slightly; figuring neither her pride nor her awe would last when he got to the worst of the tale. "Yes, well, even at my mercy, he goaded me. He told me he'd heard I'd gone soft. And he refused to give up the Prince's whereabouts unless I gave up my ship."

"If you bested him, why'd he think you'd gone soft?"

Killian let out a humorless chuckle, but looked at her tenderly. "Why do you think?"

Emma twisted her hands together and felt a flutter of nervousness in her stomach. "Something to do with me?"

"Yes, my… assistance and allegiance to you and your family in Neverland had become known."

"Oh," Emma nodded a couple of times, and then prodded him to continue, "So…"

"So… I was given a choice, my ship or a man's life." Killian said the words matter-of-factly.

"What did you do?"

Once again, Killian winced, but looked her straight in the eye. "I refused and sent the interloping pirate off the plank."

Emma's eyes went wide. "And Ariel?"

"She…" He pressed his eyes closed as if all the pain and guilt he'd felt on the docks that night had come rushing back. "She begged me to give up my ship for true love. For her true love. But... at that moment, I didn't believe in love."

"Not believing in love? That doesn't sound like you." Emma's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I..." he lifted his eyes to hers and the truth was written all over his face. "I was lost. I was in unspeakable pain. There was a hole in my heart and I thought... I foolishly thought the Jolly Roger could fill it as she'd done before. I was cold and selfish and I committed an unforgivable act and that's how Zelena cursed me."

Emma felt the air leave her body in a whoosh and she definitely felt light headed. She was stunned at his confession. He hadn't spoken in specifics, but she knew he was talking about her. It wasn't surprising that he'd missed her while he was in the Enchanted Forest, but things as heavy as 'unspeakable pain' and 'a hole in his heart' had never crossed her mind. Probably, because she knew she'd never affected anyone like that, nobody in her entire life had ever cared to that extent, certainly no man. She couldn't fathom inspiring such devotion or such pain. Swallowing roughly, she opened her mouth and then shut it again. She had no idea what to say. How did you respond to such a thing? So instead, she concentrated on the material point of the story. Feelings would come later, maybe much later.

"I don't understand. What does refusing to give up your ship, have to do with your cursed lips?"

Killian had watched the parade of emotions dance across her face before she spoke. He knew she had processed what he'd said and he was just grateful that the words seemed to have affected her so profoundly. He wouldn't push her. So instead, he shrugged as if the answer to her question was obvious. "She posed as Ariel, she preyed on my guilt. Then when she had me begging for forgiveness, she had me swear... on..."

"On..." Emma hung on every word he spoke.

"You. I was proving to Ariel how sorry I was and I swore…" Killian gulped nervously before continuing, "On you. But it was a trick and Zelena used my oath to curse my lips."

Emma was silent for a moment as she digested all this information. None of it was necessarily shocking to her, but it was enlightening. "But wait, if you didn't save the prince, what or who was that I saw in the mirror?"

"The truth." Killian replied as he fiddled with his hook. "I can't explain it, other than Ariel must have found him and rescued him on her own."

"I see." Emma frowned in concentration as she tried to remember what she saw that day. It had been Ariel and Eric and they'd looked blissfully happy.

When he saw her expression his heart fell, when he spoke his voice carried bare contrition. "I had the chance to save a man's life and I didn't. I wish I could truly apologize to Ariel for being too selfish to give up my ship. I'm... I'm sure you're disappointed in me. I turned back into the monster I used to be."

Emma gulped as she studied him. His head was bent, as if in shame and she couldn't stand that. She burst out, "But you weren't."

"What?" Killian's gaze snapped to hers.

"You weren't too selfish to give up your ship. You did eventually give her up. For me."

"Aye. " Killian replied slowly, not sure where she was going with this.

Emma studied him curiously, and then spoke slowly as if she was pulling her thoughts together a moment before she spoke. "If you'd given up your ship then, you wouldn't have had it to get back to me."

Killian's brow knit together as he studied Emma. "What are you saying?"

"What you did might have been selfish, but it doesn't make you a monster, Killian. And if you're selfish, then I'm selfish too. Because I'm damn glad you still had it to trade for that magic bean." Then she nudged his leg with her foot and adopted a teasing tone. "Besides, if you'd been willing to give her up for the chance to save a man you'd never met; it would have significantly lessened the gesture when you did it for me."

"You're not mad at me?" His voice held wonder as if he had expected the truth to lead to the demise of their budding relationship. Relief flooded through him.

"Mad? That you didn't give up your home of hundreds of years to save someone you'd never met? Of course not. Who would even do that?"

Killian thought for a second and then offered, "Your parents?"

Emma let out a small huff at that, but smiled. "Possibly my dad, but even Mary Margaret is too practical."

He smiled back at her, but then his gaze dropped from hers before he asked, "Are you disappointed in me?"

"Only that this is the big secret you've been keeping from me. You could have trusted me with this. This is it, right? The big secret from the missing year?"

"Aye," he nodded quickly, but his eyes stayed on the comforter between them. "This is it."

"Killian, we're orphans, giving up someplace we call home is a big deal. I…" she cleared her throat and then reached under the covers and wrapped her hand around his socked foot in order to make sure he was paying attention. He looked back up and found that she was gazing intently at him. "I know the sacrifice you made when you traded your ship for me. It's… I'm sure it's one no one else would make for me. So I don't hold it against you that you refused to do it for someone you didn't even know. Besides, you said this guy was a dastardly pirate, right? Who's to say he would have kept his part of the bargain? No, I'm not disappointed in what you did. However, I do wish you'd told me what was happening with Zelena at the time. That hasn't changed."

He nodded and flexed his foot even as she kept hold of it. "I should have told you what was going on. But Zelena said that if I told you, she'd kill everyone close to you. Henry. Your parents. They were all in danger. I didn't know what to do. I-"

She cut him off abruptly, but spoke soothingly. "Okay. It's okay. As my dad said, you were backed into a corner. And as I told my mother just this morning, your judgment was off, but your heart was in the right place. But don't make decisions about Henry without talking to me, okay."

"I won't. I promise." He swallowed roughly; with sincerity he asked, "Am I forgiven for my lapse in judgment?"

Emma licked her lips and then just nodded. From across the couch they stared at one another in the dim light. When it became too intense for Emma her gaze fell from his and shifted to the fire, but she didn't let go of his foot. Instead, she rubbed her palm over the top of it, in an intimate and soothing gesture.

He watched her intently. It felt as if a stone weight had been lifted from his chest. Since the moment she'd started questioning what had happened during that year, he'd been so worried about her finding out about this story. When he thought of Ariel, he still felt a pit start to swirl in his stomach, but having told Emma, everything felt better and he decided to lighten the mood. "So, you were talking about me with your mother, were you?"

At his playful tone, she looked back at him. "I was."

"What else did you say? Extolling my many virtues, I presume."

She rolled her eyes, and was astounded at how quickly he could recover from appearing so contrite. However, she understood, as she was just as eager to change the topic to something less serious. "Actually, I didn't have much of a choice. As it turns out, we had an audience last night."

He knit his eyebrows together in confusion, "What-"

She chuckled lightly. "While we were outside at Granny's, there were several people inside getting an eyeful, including my mother."

"Oh," Killian's eyes went wide in understanding.

"Yes, I'm told my mother, Ruby, Aurora, Granny and Blue all saw us last night, making a public spectacle of ourselves, at least that's how Blue described it."

"I see," he said and then asked seriously, "And this upsets your mother."

"She was mostly embarrassed; I think. Mortified because she had to witness the other ladies toast my conquest of the hot pirate."

"I see," Killian repeated, trying to look grave, but his lip twitched.

"Do not laugh, Killian, it's not funny."

Even across the dim room, she could see his eyes dance in the firelight. "It really is. They think I'm hot? Ruby and the others?"

"I knew you were going to enjoy that." Emma let out a delicate snort. "A nun toasting your hotness, that's pretty much the pinnacle. You can start letting yourself go now."

He wagged his eyebrows at her. "Are you sure that's what you want, love? They were toasting your conquest after all; we wouldn't want to cheapen your achievement. No, it's best for all involved if I remain my dashing self."

Emma rolled her eyes at him and tried not to smile. "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"And you love that about me," Killian said and then watched her stiffen slightly at his use of the "L" word. He quickly changed the subject, wanting to recapture the ease between them that had been there moments earlier. "Is there anything else, love? You said you wanted to talk about things." He put the emphasis on the plural and nudged her thigh with the foot she wasn't holding.

Emma stared at him a moment, unblinking. "Well I guess that's it. What happened with Zelena is all that I really wanted to talk about." She glanced around the room, and it hit her like a ton of ice once again how alone and isolated they were. "So I guess we're going to have to figure out how to spend the rest of the evening and where we're going to sleep," Instantly, she realized her implication and back tracked." I mean, not where we're going to sleep, I didn't mean to imply we'd be doing that together."

"This is the only warm spot in the entire cottage, Swan. I don't recommend either of us venturing too far from this couch."

She smirked at him. "Well isn't that convenient."

"I'm just making an observation." He cocked one eyebrow at her and then sounded sober. "Seriously, it's quite frigid in the back of the house, too frigid for either of us to safely slumber there."

"Right." Emma swallowed the nervous lump that had just gathered in her throat and looked around the room. She realized what that meant. "There's not a ton of options."

"Not to worry, Swan. I can sleep on the floor and you'll take the couch."

Emma shook her head, but decided not to pursue the subject. They'd figure it out when it was time and there was no sense in arguing with him. There was no way she was letting him sleep on the cold floor after almost dying of hypothermia today. Besides there was only one big comforter, as far as she knew, and they should probably share it. For practical reasons.

"So," Emma decided to change the subject. "What shall we do until it's time to sleep?" She glanced around the room, "no electricity really limits our options."

Killian watched her with amusement. "What about me?"

"What about you?"

"What about what I want to talk about?"

"Oh!" Emma eyed him suspiciously. "You want to talk about something?"

Killian shrugged and then tried to sound nonchalant. "As long as we have the time, there are a few things I'd like to… address."

Emma felt her eyes widen in surprise and her stomach churned. She wasn't sure why the idea of Killian wanting to talk made her nervous, but it did. "By all means, the floor is yours."

When he didn't immediately start speaking, Emma pinched his toes through his sock and he smiled at her. "Go ahead, what is it?"

Finally, marshalling his courage and not at all sure he wanted the answer to his question, he looked her in the eye and asked, "In the Enchanted Forest if I hadn't already been in the Captain's quarters, what would have happened between you and him?"

xXx

When the woman spoke, both Regina and Robin froze; startled by the appearance of another person in the seemingly deserted diner.

The moment didn't last long for Regina, once she had her bearings she whipped around until she was facing the woman. She was unknown to her, however she was blonde and wearing a blue gown. Her appearance hitting all the details Hook had managed to relay to Emma about his morning captor.

Regina smiled at her, but without warmth. "If you're the author of this storm, then yes you are the very person we're looking for." She took a step towards the other woman.

"Regina, be careful," Robin whispered fiercely from just behind her.

"Stop!" The woman cried and held out her hand. Before either Regina or Robin knew what was happening a sheet of ice enveloped the entire dining room, it covered the walls, doors and windows and every surface in between.

"Oh no you don't!" Regina's eyes flashed angrily and she lifted her hand in the air, a fireball magically appearing in her palm as she took aim at the woman in blue.