I don't own OUAT

I no longer want Cora. I no longer need Cora I n- WANT CORA. No! I don't need her. I don't even want to touch her... Her beautiful and very- No. I am not worthy of touching her grace. What did she do to me?! She saved me. No! What am I doing? Help!

-Killian Jones

Cora was wandering by the river alone. She missed the peasants bowing before her and all the other luxuries of her royal life. The life of living in the woods, unfortunately, was one that she was familiar with. But it was a life that she had vowed never to return to. The difference was that this time, she had brought a slave with her to do the work, rather than having to do it herself. One of the many reasons she hated travelling alone. Hook was actually a decent caretaker now that his foolish thoughts of owning her had been taken care of. However, along with his vulgar ideals went his passion and annoying amounts of faith. He had so strongly believed he could take her, and it was baffling. Even so, he had worshiped her for it, and that was something she missed.

Since her little curse, he had been... lacking, in a sense. He was obedient, true, but only in the most basic forms. He did none of the extra he had once done so enthusiastically. It was one of the many things she missed. The longing for her old life was coming up on her strongly now. Nonetheless, he could not be permitted to think that anything could or would ever happen between them. Though, had he not gotten greedy with his power, perhaps she would have allowed him to go further than he deserved. There was something dangerous in the man that compelled her to do as he wanted. In many ways, it was the only reason he continued breathing.

His mistake was his demand that she bow. He should have known better than to attempt to lower her. The Princess's trick and the King's demand were too deeply etched into her. True, he did not know this, but he should have known better than to make a queen bow. He knew nothing of the reason behind her need for power and revenge on Rumpelstiltskin. Had she not been so affected by the power the King offered her, and the liberation that it gave her from the distaste he had shown her prior, she would have been married to Rumpelstiltskin. But then, perhaps not. In the end, her desire from power sprung from her beast himself, not the King. He had told her not to stop, and she never would. Her one gift to him, the man she had once- ugh- loved.

She often thought of what her life would have been had she stayed with Rumpelstiltskin. Regina would have been so much more powerful, her nature caused by both blood and water, nature and nurture. Henry had raised her so poorly, so weakly. He taught her love, the most foolish thing you could teach a child. She had grown up without it and made her way from peasant to Queen. Regina went from Princess, to Queen, yet was foiled by a child at every turn. She had grown up almost as weak as her father. And the only thing Regina's weakness would be good for would be the ease at which she could control her daughter yet again. Through her 'love'.

Regina would have been brought up stronger by the Dark One. Of course, his problem was love as well. He would have taught Regina love just as much, but blood lust and power would have trumped it when raised by them, the most powerful pair in the lands. But his love was the reason she could not stay with him. It was one of the many things he had taught Cora herself. It would be how she destroyed him in the end. She would wield it to take back her daughter and destroy her lover. Perhaps then, they would finally understand the huge weakness they allowed themselves to undertake.

She found herself at the shore of the island that had now been her home for so long. It had taken 4 years for her to return to the start, where the shied was she were to pull her staff from the sand, they would be destroyed, perhaps so powerfully that there would be nothing left of them. This was why she did not wish to return to the site. But her fatal flaw, which, unlike love, was no so easily dismissed, was curiosity, and she wanted to see her daughter and ex-lover once again. The staff was the weak point, the flaw, in her shield From it, she could break through to see beyond the island. Though the future was not her gift, as it was his, scrying was a task he had taught her well. Scrying across lands would exhaust her body and mind thoroughly, but it was something she had to do.

With a deep breath, she placed her hand on the staff and cried out as her subconscious was flooded with images that overtook her. She had expected this, but these were not the images she had imagined. In fact, it defied the laws she had always believed to be true of magic. It was not scrying, or looking across worlds. It was seeing across dimensions, or into some twisted future that must be averted. For what she saw was herself and Hook... completely naked.

Cora was laid out across Killian's chest. They were both flushed and panting heavily. He stroked her hair softly

"Oh my queen. My most beautiful queen." He kissed her forehead. "The wonderful sounds you make for me." She purred and nuzzled her head into his chest sweetly.

"Only for you." There was something in this scene that just didn't fit. Of course, the image was not a likely one, but there was one element that was impossible. There were two heart beats, just barely echoing each other as they pumped fervently from the adrenaline shooting through their veins in the aftermath of this happy union.

There was moonlight hanging over them, the full moon allowing the pair of lovers to see each other clearly in the darkness of the forest. This clearing was their safe haven, the one place where they could be together. For when they left it, they would never be allowed together. The Queen and her pirate. If ever a pair of star-crossed lovers there were, it was them. When the night was over, the love would fade along with the heartbeat that sounded so furiously in the magic of the night. And two strangers would be made from a pair of lovers. And they wouldn't come out of it whole

Killian wrapped strands of grass around a short stick, weaving them between each other in an intricate design. The stick was the width of a finger. It had been sanded down to have no bumps, no twigs, and absolutely no faults. He put it to the side and dipped his finger into the water, stirring the wet clay. This clay was then run over the gray patterns, forming a clay band with a beautiful pattern. He hung it over a fire he had created and turned it over and over, evenly cooking it. The clay began to harden.

Before it could completely solidify, he pulled it out. It was hard enough to remove from his model on the stick, so he gently slid it out. Then, with a tiny pieces of straw, he drew words inside the band.

"To my love, my Queen"

Then, from inside his pocket, he pulled out a medium sized diamond. He had been digging around in the forest for weeks, hoping to find something good enough for his Queen. Mostly there were tiny shards, not even large enough to be accent pieces. Although not what she was accustomed to, he felt certain she would like it. She had appreciated him and his gifts so much more in the past 4 years since she put back her heart. He pushed the diamond into a small hold he had formed for it. After he assured himself it would stay, he returned the ring to the fire. It wasn't much, he just hoped it was enough.

Cora kissed him, putting her arms around him as always to pull him closer. But right now, she wasn't normal. Well, perhaps normal isn't the correct word. Because for the Queen of Hearts, this was perfectly normal. But for Hook's Cora, something was off. He pushed her back, a deep frown creasing his face.

"Something's wrong" She nodded, agreeing that there was a change, and not a positive one. His hand reached out, trembling slightly, to rest on her chest, just barely touching the pale, cold flesh. But there was nothing there. She stared at him, attempting to read his expression, but his face was completely vacant. He turned away from her silently. Cora gently touched his shoulder, asking him to let her explain. He brushed her off, pushing her back. She fell, not expecting such a rejection. The silence filled the air, suffocating her.

"I had to do it." She did not attempt to move from her position on the ground. When he turned to face her, their positioning had her kneeling at his feet, an image that was quite impossible to think of. Cora on her knees, just as he'd always wanted. And she allowed it. His once-blank face was now a war-zone, completely filled with conflict: Confusion, anger, desire. It was the same face Rumpelstiltskin had worn when she took her heart for the first time.

"Why?" His voice was choked. He had not spoken before, because he knew this would be the result. If she had her heart, this sight would have broken her. As it was, she knew that this must be done.

"I have seen the future. In our fourth year. This very moment, in fact. I've been dreading it all day." He looked briefly shocked.

"If you have seen the future, tell me why you must do this to me!" His sorrow was turning to anger. Anger for not knowing her reasoning, though he was certain the reason would upset him horribly itself.

"I... I don't know. I do not know what happens tonight, but I know something will. I do not know why I cannot have my heart, but I know that I cannot. I can't fight fate, Hook. We can't. I must lose my heart. And I must go now, as the hour of our 'freedom' approaches" She turned from him, a look of reluctance on her face as she set off towards the distant shore. He caught her shoulder in his hook, digging the tip in slightly, but not enough to break skin. She froze, allowing him to turn her to him. He kissed her once, chastely, and then released her.

"Go. I trust you."

Cora reemerged from the vision roughly. It was as though her mind had released all other thoughts while the visions streamed. The return of them was as hard a shift on her mind as hitting the ground from the King's castle would have been for her body years back. The pain was splitting and far more powerful than anything she had felt in many years. A small whimper fought its way out of her. She opened her eyes to see that she was in her bed, something cold lying across her forehead.

"Cora? Are you alright?" She began to nod, but the movement caused a flash of pain to flood her senses. A rough shudder ran through her body. If this was what it appeared to be, a vision of the future, perhaps Rumpelstiltskin was cursed enough with his so-called gift of the future than anything she would give him. Hook's face came into view."Your majesty, is there anyt-" she cut him off, pulling him into a deep kiss. As they kissed, she dropped the spell that had been cast over him. Almost instantly, the pain in her head cleared. They pulled away for breath.

"Welcome back, Captain.