I know my last chapter was probably a minor disappointment but dude, Hook has issues he needs to take care of before he can be happy. And in this story he's sure to get his happy ending. I promise.

I finally finished this chapter! Today was a busy day but I couldn't leave ya'll hanging :) So leave a review, follow, or fave me if you like it!

If she never had to live in the jungle one day of her life ever again, Emma would be a happy woman. The foliage crowded around her despite how much David and Hook had hacked at it and she found herself growing more agitated with every leaf she had to swat away from her face. On top of the closeness of the jungle, Hook's ever growing distance was starting to hit her last nerve.

Any interaction he'd had that morning had been with David and when they'd paused for a short break he had made sure he was as far away from her as possible, feigning a sudden deep interest in their surroundings. She glared at the brooding pirate, shooting daggers into his back. The idea of throwing something at the back of his head proved too tempting.

"So, Hook," she added heated emphasis to his name, "How much longer till we reach this bridge?"

"In a bit. If you shut your pretty, little mouth you can actually hear the river."

The meaning behind his words weren't lost on her and even Mary-Margaret raised an eyebrow at the interaction before throwing a look over her shoulder at Emma.

"What's going on?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Someone obviously woke up with his happy stick shoved up where the sun don't shine," Emma seethed.

Of course, it was after she had broken down in his arms last night and had told him she trusted him that he'd turn into a belligerent asshole. Losing people she was finally vulnerable with seemed to be the story of her life and it was beginning to get old.

"Want me to shoot him with an arrow later tonight when I have target practice? It can be an accident."

Emma couldn't help but let the grin break out on her lips. Picturing innocent Mary-Margaret, the Pure Heart, actually shooting Hook on purpose was an entertaining thought.

They came to a halt behind the men who were sheathing their swords, serious expressions covering their faces making them seem grim. Emma side stepped around them to view the bridge and felt her gut tighten. Suspending across a wide chasm was a rope contraption that she was only positive was going to snap under the weight of them all. It was like a tight line for the circus with swinging rope railings for support.

"This is the bridge?"

"It's a little worse for wear than the last time I was here," Hook answered her, refusing to meet her eyes as he came to stand beside her just so he could peer over the edge of the bank. The river that made up Feather Falls lay at least 60 feet below, rocks pointing eerily out of the rushing current.

"Yeah, no shit," Emma muttered causing Hook to raise an eyebrow. He said nothing in protest and Emma wasn't sure if she should be grateful that he held back his wit or be annoyed that he chose not to say anything. Maybe the bridge would take care of him before Mary-Margaret did.

"Okay, are we ready? I don't want to wait around if we still need to get through Sleeping Creek Meadow before the night," David said from behind them, his voice relaying he was determined and ready to go.

"After you," Emma replied, sheathing her sword. Mary-Margaret handed her the canteen and she took a drink wishing it was Hook's rum. Rum would be a more numbing tonic for her shaken nerves.

"Nay, I'll go first and test it out. If anything's going to happen to one of us it may as well be me."

Hook's present words reminded Emma of their conversation the night before and how he had told her the same thing in a few more words. Even though her anger and frustration burned against him she still felt the same bit of care flame up much to her annoyance.

No one said another word as Hook gripped the rope railing with his good hand while his hook encircled the other side. He lined his feet up on the single rope that would serve as their foot hold and took a few steps forward, testing how slack it was. Emma's heart pitched into her stomach as it gently swayed back and forth with his weight. He threw a grim smile over his shoulder at them and David started forward, his steps just as sure as Hook's had been.

"You okay?" Mary-Margaret squeezed her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting ready to scale across a rope bridge that may cause me to fall to my death. No big deal."

"Crossing this bridge gets us one step closer to Henry, Emma. You can do this."

Mary-Margaret squeezed her hand once again as if trying to infuse a bit of her strength into her daughter before letting go, taking a deep breath as she readied to begin her trek across the bridge. Emma envied her mother's agility as Mary-Margaret put one foot in front of the other with the kind of grace Emma wished had been passed onto her.

Finally she took a deep breath and grasped the rope handling, ignoring her churning stomach. Henry. Just think of Henry and put one foot in front of the other, Emma.

Tentatively she took a few steps forward, a bit clumsy at first but after several seconds of getting her heart rate back under, her steps became a bit more steady. She focused on her feet, putting one slowly in front of the other while she tried to keep her balance in her core.

She had just nearly made it to the halfway point when the rope holding her footing suddenly jolted causing her to look up. Hook had already made it to land and was facing them with a look on his face that bespoke the horror she was hoping wasn't happening. There was another jolt and he yelled something that only sounded muffled to her because of the distance, but even from where she stood she could see the lifeblood draining from his face.

"Emma! Get moving!" Mary-Margaret shouted at her, her voice shrill with fear.

Emma could barely breathe as she tried to tamper down her fear and quickly navigate her way across. She was focused on her feet when another jolt shook her and before she could correct herself or gain her bearings, her feet were slipping out from underneath her.

"Emma!"

Her hands burned at the sudden traction and she felt a scream burning in her lungs. She couldn't tell if it was Hook or David yelling her name as she swung uncontrollably, her left hand losing its grip. With instinctive agility she let go and grasped the same rope she clung to with her right hand. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest as she helplessly tried to figure out what she needed to do, humorlessly wishing she had spent more time on the monkey bars as a kid.

Mary-Margaret felt helpless as she heard Emma scream from behind her and had to fight the motherly instinct to turn around and hurry back to help her but she knew that the added weight to the central part of the bridge would only cause the already untwining rope to snap and then they'd both be out of options.

"Snow! Get over here!" David called to her and she looked up to see him standing a short distance away at the end of the bridge. The terrified look on his face confirmed her worst fears and she felt her heart drop in her chest. The rope footing jolted again and she looked down, noticing that it was now twisting under her feet, shreds of rope unfurling from the central line.

"Get over here now!" he bellowed and soon Hook was standing beside him, a dark look shadowing his features.

"Milady, I suggest you get hustling over here if you want to help Emma," he ordered with an earnest look on his face, his stormy blue eyes locking onto hers. She fought the urge to turn around with every step that brought her closer to where they stood. She was only five feet away when the rope footing suddenly shuddered and snapped. Without a second's thought she leapt for the cliff edge closing her eyes as she waited for the falling sensation to overcome here but instead she felt pain shoot up her arm. She looked up to see David wincing as he tightened his grip around her arm. Hook reached for her other arm and they pulled her up together, collapsing in a pile for a split second before they all jumped to their feet.

Emma was still hanging from the rope, hopelessly immobile.

"Emma!"

This couldn't be happening. They had just found each other, had overcome so many obstacles, had finally cracked through Emma's walls and now they were on the brink of losing each other…again.

"Mom! Dad!" Emma's arms were getting tired and tears sprang to her eyes from the rope cutting into her hands. "No matter what, you have to save Henry! Do you hear me? You have to save him and you have to take him home!"

Mary-Margaret lost it then and was heading towards the bridge, tears streaming down her face when she felt someone pull her back into their arms holding her tight against their chest even as she flailed. Watching David restrain Mary-Margaret, Hook tried to swallow around the knot in his throat. This couldn't be it. This couldn't be her end. He tried to focus and think of a plan. They had put their faith in him and now he had to fix this. It was then that he suddenly he knew what he had to do.

"Emma! Emma, listen to me!" He dropped to his hands and knees on the cliff ledge, looking at her with intense blue eyes. She dropped her gaze from her hands to Hook's face wondering what it was he could possibly have to say to her. It was probably something heartfelt if he truly thought she was going to die.

"Do you believe in fairies?"

"What? Are you insane? Seriously?"

"Emma, just say it! Say you believe in fairies!"

"Out of all the things…I'm gonna kick your ass in my second life! I'm going to find you and I'm going to beat your ass!"

"Emma! Love! Just say it! Please!"

"Fine, Hook! I believe in freakin fairies! Are you happy?"

"No," Hook called softly this time and let his face soften. "Love, do you trust me?"

"Why should I trust you, Hook?" she said in the middle of a sob, her hands finally giving a little bit. "You have been nothing but short and rude with me today after I opened up to you last night. You just threw it in my face."

"I'll explain later. But love," he began as his moist eyes focused on a light green flicker of light across the river's edge, "You need to let go."

"What? Are you crazy?" he felt David's hands grab the back of his collar and pull him back onto the ground, taking his place at the cliff while Mary-Margaret shot him the dirtiest look he had ever seen.

"Yes, mate, just a bit, but I swear to you; you have to trust me."

"Mom, Dad…I love you," Emma suddenly said, her voice cutting into the melodrama. Her stormy grey eyes focused on theirs and it felt like a slow moment, beautiful and terrible all at the same time as her fingers finally released their hold.

"Emma! No!" Mary-Margaret's screams cut to the core and Hook was quickly on his feet looking over the edge, his heart racing. David held Mary-Margaret close as he leaned back on his heels, the look on his face already that of a grieving father as tears coursed down his cheeks.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," Hook muttered and then he saw it. "Blasted pixie nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Pixie? Pixie? What are you talking about?" Mary-Margaret muttered in a surly tone as she turned from David's shoulder. Her eyes were red and filled with tears, her snow white skin blotched with crimson spots.

A green orb finally flew into view up from the river with Emma encompassed in its glow as if frozen. David let out several short breaths of relief while Mary-Margaret started crying all over again for a completely different reason. A mixture of regret and relief filled Hook as his old friend approached them, only dropping Emma to the ground when it was safe.

David and Mary-Margaret were on her in an instant while Hook watched from where he stood, fighting every fiber of his being to take the woman in his arms. So while he let the family reunite he diverted his eyes to focus on that the glow that gently shimmered into dust.

"But how? I was falling," Emma muttered before looking up at Hook.

Hook couldn't help but be amused at how wide her eyes grew as she took in the petite blonde that stood beside him, leaning up against his shoulder while her twinkling blue eyes studied the girl she had just saved.

"Are you who I think you are?" Emma asked as she stood up, surveying the girl's clothes that seemed to disappear into the jungle of Neverland. The blonde tresses piled loosely on top of her head and the way she seemed to shimmer in the sun only faded in comparison to the lovely smile the petite woman flashed at Emma.

"TinkerBell," she curtsied, "At your service."