A/N: So I feel like I need to explain this chapter. Those of you who know me on tumblr know this was a hard one to write... PLEASE READ. For those of you reading this that also write, you'll probably know just what I'm talking about...The way I write this story is basically having an idea of where I want the chapter to end up, and then just...typing. I often don't really expect how things turn out, but this chapter really surprised even me. I actually love how it turned out, and it allowed me to map out the rest of this story, but it's going to be hard to read. I love all you who reviewed- it's awesome seeing your reactions. Someone said that my characters seem a little darker and more broken than in the show, and I actually agree. What I've put them through in this story kind of brings all that out, and you'll really see it in this chapter. I'm eager to see what you all have to say! Lyrics are from Mockingbird by Rob Thomas.

I can be there when you need it, I'll give it all till you can't feel it anymore
I don't wanna love you now, if you'll just leave someday
I don't wanna turn around, if you'll just walk away
Maybe you and me got lost somewhere, we can't move on we can't stay here
Well maybe we've just had enough, well maybe we ain't meant for this love
You and me tried everything
But still that mocking bird wont sing
Well man this life seems hard enough
Well maybe we ain't meant for this love

It had been three days since Killian spoke with Henry. Three days since he'd seen her. Three days since things seemed…normal. He had been so ready to go back to the dream realm when something happened, and he realized he needed to be well rested to handle it. He laid back on his bed for the hundredth time playing back what had happened that day…

"Hook!" Snow called out. He turned to see tear stained cheeks and crumbled clothes covering the delicate princess. His brow bunched up and he walked towards her, immediately worried about Emma.

"What's wrong?" he asked nervously. He was headed back to his ship; the moon had already chased the sun from the sky and he was eager to see Emma and explain himself after what he'd told Henry earlier that day. Snow just broke down, a new sob echoing through her. No, this can't be good, Killian thought. His mind was racing with the memory of what Henry had told him about his time in the realm- it had become too much and he died. Was that what had happened? Did Emma give up- was something too hard for her to handle? He felt as if he would fall over so he moved to the bench in front of the docks where he and Henry had sat hours before.

"Killian, what did you tell Henry?" He froze, never hearing her say his name before. He wasn't sure if he was okay with it- no woman had called him that in hundreds of years, and he'd rather hoped Snow wouldn't be the first woman to say it. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he watched as she moved to sit next to him. Her hands were shaking and he wondered where her prince charming was and why he wasn't there to support his wife.

Clearing his throat, he drove right in, not bothering to beat around the bush. "I told him she encountered his father, and that he wasn't a good man- that he hurt his mother and that's why he was there." Snow wiped at the liquid streaming from her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater and turned to him, anger evident on her face.

"Why would you do that- you had NO right! That wasn't yours to-"

"I know! You think I don't know that- Emma'll never forgive me, but he needed to know. He deserves better than going through life not knowing who his father was!" Killian took a few deep breaths to calm down, knowing he needed to make this about Henry and not him. "I didn't tell him he was Bae," he whispered, his eyes downcast. He heard Snow mumbled a, "I knew it," before she raised her voice and addressed him.

"Killian- he's…Henry," her voice cracked and a soft sob shook her body. Killian was suddenly terrified of what he'd done; what was going on with the boy? "Henry's gone, Killian. He's gone."

David hung up the phone and nearly threw it at the wall in aggravation. No one seemed to have any news on his grandson's disappearance, not even Red could sniff out a trail to follow. What did they say about disappearances with children- that if you didn't find them within 72 hours they were likely gone. For good. He tried telling himself that didn't apply here; after all, strangers don't enter Storybrooke, so it had to have happened within town lines. That, or he'd run away. He paced the station as he waited for Snow to return with the food from Granny's. He'd been spending almost every second of his time within these four walls using the resources to find Henry, though he had a creeping feeling it would never do any good. "Charming?" her voice called out. He called out to let her know he was still there, and she came in with a big brown bag and a drink carrier with two coffees. He took one graciously and shifted to look at the town map once more, trying to figure out how and where he'd been taken. No one in town had seen him past 3pm Saturday, which meant he'd disappeared shortly after. He'd interviewed everyone to no avail, and had little red pins pushed in all the places people had been at the time to mark the spots he knew Henry wasn't taken. There were too many gaps for his liking, but he was eliminating them slowly yet surely. He wouldn't give up- the kid was out there, he could feel it; and he had Emma's wit and determination coursing through his veins- if he'd been taken, he'd find a way out. He and Snow ate in silence before she left to go to the hospital- as much time as he'd spent looking for Henry, she'd spent with Emma. He knew this was hard on her- after all, even while they were cursed she'd been close to Henry as his teacher. He knew she was having a hard time with it and probably just needed to deal with it on her own terms. He picked up the phone and dialed a number before pressing call and waited to hear a response.

"David- anything new?" Hook said through the phone. He'd gotten him one after Henry went missing so they could keep in contact. David didn't like the man, but he seemed to be just as eager to find Henry, and was working just as hard.

"Not really, but I was just thinking- what do you know of Cora's plans here?" He had a theory developing in his mind for the past few hours and finally gave in to asking the pirate. He heard a grunt and creak of floorboards and assumed he'd been resting in his boat.

"You don't think she'd take him, do you?" He asked cautiously.

"At this point, yeah, Hook. I think she took him- it's the only thing that makes sense."

"David, it's not the only thing. What I told him that day-"

"He didn't run away! He wouldn't do that!" David yelled. He did not like accusations claiming Henry would just leave.

"Look," Killian said with a sigh. "I know you don't like hearing it but you need to! You don't know his father like I do- keep in mind Henry has his genes too; and when it got hard he ran from his problems!" David didn't reply right away, he just let Hook's words hang in the air as he mulled them over. He knew Hook wasn't saying Henry was a coward, but his words struck a chord within David.

"Henry didn't run from his problems. He might have his genes, but he also has hers," he stated with a firm voice. He wanted to make it clear that he didn't think Henry had run. He knew the kid better than Hook did, and he knew that he'd never leave his mom.

"I'm just saying- you have to at least consider-"

"Actually I don't! He didn't run, Hook; I think I know my grandson better than you do," he spat. He took a deep breath and calmly asked Hook if he'd thought there was any chance Cora had taken him, and Hook replied with a reluctant yes. That was all he needed; now he just had to find her.

Regina sat on Henry's bed and looked out his window; something that had become a habit the past few days. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and grabbed a toy that had almost been tucked under the bed. She smiled faintly, remembering when she'd given it to him a few years ago- before the fairytale book had been introduced into his life. She supposed it was funny, how Henry had always loved this particular toy considering his fascination with the local pirate. She gently placed the Peter Pan action figure on his pillow and got up to look at the book that was still open to a page he'd been reading. She felt a smile tug at her lips when she saw it was her story that was in front of her. She knew he didn't run away; he would have at least brought the book. She still remembered when he'd come home that day, tears down his cheeks and his eyes red. He wouldn't speak to her no matter how hard she tried. When she'd gone up to check on him he had left a note on the pillow saying he went for a walk, and that she was busy working and he didn't want to bother her. It said he'd be home for dinner- which had surprised her, considering he'd been spending most of his time with the Charming's. He never came home though. She had a sneaking suspicion her mother was behind all this, and hoped desperately that this wasn't what she had meant by convincing her to finally rejoin her. If anything, it would have the opposite effect.

Regina went down stairs and cleaned the kitchen- she needed to take her mind off of Henry- and was surprised to hear the doorbell ring. She made her way down the hall and unlocked the door slowly, opening it to reveal David standing in front of her. This wasn't terribly uncommon- he'd come to see her a few times already with information or questions- but he had a different expression on his face, one of determination and assuredly. She let him in and asked him if he knew anything, to which he responded with his theory that mirrored her own darkest thoughts.

"Yes, I've been thinking the same thing. The good news is, I don't think my mother would hurt him- that would only push me away. I think she's using him as leverage."

"For what? Why would she need leverage?" He seemed confused, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was pretty obvious why her mother was there- well, it had been to her anyway.

"She wants me to reunite with her. Perhaps she'll use him as a bribe. 'Come with me and he lives,' that sort of thing." She hated that this seemed the likeliest scenario, but it was the only thing she could think of. He asked if she'd go and leave him if it meant he lived, and she looked at him with a coldness that burned into his soul. "You think I'd let her kill him? I'd rather die than see him killed." How dare he question that? Did he really think she had no heart? Henry was everything to her, and nothing would ever change that.

Killian drudged through the somber streets towards the hospital and noted that not many people were out. The town had lost all sense of unity and happiness without Emma and Henry there. You could practically feel the pain and fear bouncing through the streets. Maybe it was just him; he supposed he couldn't really prove it either way.

He hesitated when he reached her door, hoping no one was there. He'd had his fill of the Charming family- trying to work with them drained him. He knew it shouldn't, but it did. He hated talking about Henry. He hadn't known the kid that long, and yet he felt connected to him. Not to mention the fact that Emma was still cursed, and no one seemed to be doing a damn thing about it. He just wanted to be with her, to see her and know that not everything had changed in the past three days. He knew she'd still be wandering the halls, roaming from room to room like every other night. He pushed open the door and felt himself give in to the exhaust the past few days had left him with. He moved to her bed, placing the bean necklace around his neck, and laid down next to Emma. He just wanted to feel her warmth again. He shifted so he was on his side, looking at her face. His hand moved to arrange her hair so he wouldn't be on any of it, and gently touched her cheek. It was becoming harder and harder for him to deny his feelings for her; he'd finally destroyed the thought that he felt nothing for her when he kissed her, but now it was something more. He felt himself feeling lost when he slept without seeing her realm. He hated when he wasn't with her, and quite frankly if Henry hadn't been missing he probably would have been spending most of the days asleep, with her. He kissed her cheek softly and settled in for the night, pulling a blanket over his body. Moments later he was in her world, the white hallway walls blinding him temporarily at the light reflecting off them. He stood and smiled, feeling closer to her already. He tried to enjoy what little bliss he could before the inevitable conversation would take place where he'd tell her about Henry. He still had yet to inform her of telling him about his dad either. He let out a low breath, realizing this was not going to be a good trip. She'd probably tell him to never come back- or rather, to leave her alone; she still didn't believe him that he was real.

When he heard small footsteps down a hall to his left, he followed it eagerly. She turned just in time to see him smile at her, and she began moving towards him in return. He noted that this was the first time she'd ever moved towards him upon first seeing him; normally she'd just stand there and make him walk all the way. Before he could say anything she'd thrown her arms around him, and reacting as quickly as he could, he hugged her back. He hadn't expected this, but he wasn't complaining. "You alright, Em?" he asked as he pulled back a few inches to see her face. She laughed and nodded her head.

"I never thought I'd be happy to hear that nickname," she said with a smile. Killian's brows pulled together when she spoke, wondering what had happened since he'd been gone. She walked out of his embrace and motioned for him to follow her as she made her way down the halls expertly. He couldn't help the curiosity from his thoughts as to what she wanted to show him. A bright red door stood tall in front of them, and Emma turned to look at Killian, her face serious with a touch of an emotion he couldn't quite make out. Slowly, he moved forward to lay his hand on the doorknob, and glanced back to make sure that was what she wanted. Emma gave him a tight lip smile and nodded once, and Killian pushed the heavy door open.

"Bloody hell," he muttered. It was him, except it wasn't him.

"Oi! Lass what's going on?" The other Hook asked.

"Sorry, did I say you could talk?" Killian held back a bit of laughter at her response, knowing this version of himself was probably a joy to be around if he'd come from her own subconscious. He wondered if "he" tried to make a move, but decided Emma probably wouldn't have let him get that far. The other Hook groaned and said, "Really, love, is that any way to speak to a man who-"

"Okay, that's enough of him!" She said a little too loud to cut him off, and worked to pull Killian out of the room to shut the door.

"No, I'd rather like to hear what he has to say," he said with his little smirk. She rolled her eyes and closed the door tightly. "Emma-"

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know." He looked at her with a bit of sadness as a sudden thought washed over him. Emma had him in her dream. That only meant one thing.

"Do you regret trusting me?" he asked plainly. He was in no mood to dance around the topic, not today. She looked as if she'd been slapped in the face, and he waited patiently for her answer. He needed to know.

"I really don't think that was the reason for you showing up here, Hook," she said slowly, her eyes darting back to the door. "I don't regret trusting you, not yet anyway," she said with a smirk.

"Then what? Because if I remember correctly you once told me I was just a representation of your 'inability to trust.' Granted, that was before you believed me- you do believe me now, don't you?" He threw in the last part as a bit of assurance. He assumed she did, but he wanted her to say it. A ghost of a smile lit her lips after he'd spoken and she began walking away from the door, eyeing it as she did so.

"I believe you, though I don't understand." It resonated in Killian's mind that she'd ignored his first question. Instead of dwelling on it, he asked another that he'd been curious about.

"How'd you know? He looks just like me, talks like me, even called you lass. What set him apart?" Her cheeks turned pink and her gaze darted around to anywhere but him. She pulled her hair out from behind her ear self-consciously and told him it didn't matter. Oh, well now he had to know, especially if whatever made her realize it wasn't him was the cause of her current state of embarrassment. He moved so he was blocking her way, touching the redness occupying her face with the back of his knuckles; Killian bit his lip to hold back the smirk that was threatening to show up. She sighed and looked away from him, mumbling something. "Sorry, what was that sweetheart?" he taunted.

Emma ground her teeth together and lifted her chin boldly as she looked him straight in the eyes and said, "He didn't taste like you."

Killian's eyes grew wide and his heart picked up at her words. She pushed past him and began walking away, but he didn't follow. He couldn't follow. He couldn't even move- he tasted different? What was that supposed to mean- well, he knew what it meant but…that meant she'd kissed the dream version of him without realizing they were different people. She had thought she was kissing him. "Emma, wait!" he called out, forcing his body to chase after her, grabbing her arm when he caught up. Her face was an even darker shade of red now, and he tried to think of something to say. "So, then…you kissed him?" He didn't understand the slight twinge of jealousy pulling at his heart- it had been him after all, just another version of him.

She rolled her eyes and looked at him innocently, which he knew now she was anything but. "Well he is you, sort of anyway- he seduced me. Really I was a victim- I can't be held responsible." Killian felt a smirk creep up the corners of his lips as he realized she was lying. He bit his lip and moved closer, wondering how she'd react. "God, not again…" she muttered. A low chuckle left his lips when she stumbled backwards to avoid any contact with him.

"I must've really shaken you up, lass. Tell me, did 'I' kiss you, or did you kiss 'me'?" Her face, which had begun to return to its usually color, now burned up with new color. "Hmm, interesting," he said. She shoved him away from her and walked away in true Emma fashion. He didn't quite think it was fair that she got to kiss him twice, when he'd only gotten to kiss her once, but let it slide since it hadn't actually been him.

"Hey, Hook," she called after they'd been walking for awhile in silence. He quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to speak her mind. "Since you're, you know, real and all…How is everyone?" He suddenly felt very heavy, each step labored. He stared the ground down, not realizing his pace had slowed significantly. "Hook?" she asked, fear in her voice. "Oh, no, please tell me you didn't tell anyone about Neal being Bae. They do not need to know that," she said franticly. Gods above, how'd she know he'd tell? He was normally very good at keeping secrets, this being one of few exceptions. He glanced up at her sheepishly, and her shoulders slumped. "Oh God, you told Henry. You did, didn't you?" her voice wavered, her chest rising and falling quickly with each breath. He felt his own breath catch in his throat at the mention of her son. So this was it. There was no escaping the truth anymore- he had to tell her everything.

He always talks about her being an open book, but Emma could read him just as easily. She had known if he told anyone, it would have been her son. She felt like she was going to pass out- could she pass out, even though she was dreaming? Probably since she could sleep... How could he do this to her? He had no right; Henry was her son, not his! It was her responsibility to tell him the truth about his father when she saw fit. God, how could he be so insensitive? To just go out and tell her son all about this, when she'd told him that in confidence! She shook her head, realizing he was probably afraid to come face the music, and that was why she hadn't seen him around lately. She moved her now shaky legs and took a step away from him, trying to decide which way to go. "Emma, please don't do this." He begged. She felt sick. She'd finally trusted him, and then he went and told someone the secrets she'd never shared with anyone- ever. Not even Mary Margret knew! The fact that she'd told him in the first place was a huge deal, and he knew that. Why, after all he went through to gain her trust, betray it just when he got it?

"Don't talk to me," she said, her voice not nearly as strong as she'd like. He sighed and moved around her so they were facing each other again. He dipped his head down to look into her eyes, and whispered, "Please, I'm begging you. Don't push me away." Something in his eyes told her he hated himself for doing it, for telling Henry. "Please," he said again. She saw his eyes fill with unreleased tears and it caused her own that she'd held back to spill over.

"I can't believe you told him. After everything- why would you do this to me?" He closed his eyes at her pain-infused words and hung his head. "You don't want me to push you away?" He looked up to her then, and she continued. "Then tell me, why the hell, you thought it would be okay to tell my son!" Her voice was much louder now, causing Killian to take a step back. He swallowed and shook his head.

"I tried not to, really lass, but keep in mind that kid has your fire and determination," he said, his voice breaking. He must really be torn up over this, she thought. A tear slid down his cheek and they both pretended it hadn't, when he spoke again. "I was moping around- I sort of went at it with the croc- I didn't tell him anything, don't you worry. When…Henry found me he just kept asking what was wrong and…it just kind of came out okay! I didn't tell him that his dad was Bae, though. Only that he's not a good man, that he hurt you." He looked up to her after he'd finished. Emma fought the urge to forgive him on the spot- he obviously felt enough guilt as is- but he'd betrayed her trust and she couldn't just stand by!

"You think that just because you didn't tell him it was Bae that it's all fine? That it makes everything okay? I told him his dad was a firefighter- now he knows I lied, you asshole! He's never going to trust me again!"

"You mean like you won't ever trust me again?" His voice was stronger, his own anger matching hers. How dare he spin this back on her; this was his fault! "Your scared because you think he'll never trust you- well guess what sweetheart, I'm just as bloody scared!"

Emma shoved hard against his chest, sending him back a few feet. "That's entirely different! I was protecting him-"

"And who's to say I wasn't protecting you? Huh? Damn it Emma, did you ever think that maybe I told him to protect you?" His voice was barely a whisper by the time he finished. She hadn't thought of that, but really how could telling Henry protect her? "You didn't see his face, lass. You weren't there. You think he'll hate you? He won't. He was upset, he was…" Emma looked at him curiously, seeing all the emotions play across his face. There was something he wasn't telling her. "If you'd have been the one to tell him, it would have been worse. He was in bad shape, but it was more sadness than anything. If it'd been you telling him, he would have been angry."

Emma knew he was right on that front- Henry would have been furious. Maybe he had been helping her, but that didn't mean that he hadn't destroyed that trust. "I trusted you. I told you something I've held back for 11 years, Hook. I can't just forget that."

"I'm not asking you to forget. I'm asking you to remember- remember why you trusted me in the first place, love. Please, don't push me away- not now. I can't do this if you push me away now."

"What's that even supposed to mean? God, you want me to trust you, but you're holding back! I can see it- you're not telling me something, you might as well be lying to me! What the hell is happening out there?" she shouted. She was done with him hiding things. He had to earn her trust back if he wanted it- she wasn't just going to give it to him blindly. He sighed and took a step back and sat down against the wall. She stayed standing, waiting for him to talk.

"Em, you might want to sit down," he said, looking up at her expectantly. When she glared, he shifted his gaze to down the hall, taking a deep breath.

"Henry's gone."

Killian hated himself for having to tell her. He hated knowing her son was missing, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. He hated that, despite his best efforts, he couldn't find him for her. But most of all, he hated seeing her like this. The moment the words left his lips, the air visibly left her lungs and tears spilled over almost immediately, her mouth open in a silent scream. It didn't take long for her to sink to the ground- Killian almost moved to catch her but figured he was the last person she'd accept help from at the moment. Her hands covered her face as her body folded up into the smallest possible Emma, and with a strained voice said, "What the hell do mean, gone? How is he…what did you do?" Her beautiful blue green eyes bore into his with the last sentence, and he felt his mind shut down. It killed him to see this. He couldn't help but break down with all the aggravation, fear, pain, and grief he'd held in since finding out himself. His vision clouded over with moisture; he shut his eyes when he replied, his voice shaking.

"I don't know. I'm so sorry, Emma- I'm so sorry. I'm trying, god I'm trying- I'm not just standing by, but…Emma, I don't know what to do." A new sob shook through her then, her head shaking by the time he'd finished.

"He ran, didn't he? He ran because of what you said- because you told him I lied!" she accused. Her words cut straight through him, saying what he'd been thinking all along- and what no one else would say. He nodded slowly, his gaze lifting to meet her eyes.

"Aye, lass. S'what I think," he whispered. Her eyes fluttered closed, refusing to look at him anymore. Part of the reason he'd waited so long to come back- if he were being completely honest- was because he knew this was how she'd react, and he wasn't ready for it. He wanted to have a lead by the time he came, but in his mind he still blamed himself. He looked away, unable to stare at the broken woman before him. His breathing was ragged, matching the heart wrenching rhythm of Emma's. "Your parents think t'was Cora," he added, trying to deflect the blame a little. He knew in his heart that it was possible she'd taken him, but he'd felt so guilty about telling the kid the truth of his father that running seemed more possible. He supposed he ought to listen to David- he had an outsiders perspective- but it was hard when you're as self destructive as Killian was.

"Hook…Oh my God…how could you let this happen?" His mouth fell open slightly, his eyes darting back to her as anger bubbled below his surface.

"How could I let this happen? Fuck Emma, it's not like told him to leave! He's not my responsibility, you know; I can't know where he is every bloody second of the day!"

"But you should have at least cared-"

"Why?" Killian was leaning forward now, his heart racing in rage. "Why should I care? He isn't my son." Killian cared about the kid, but at this point he was just looking for a fight. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that fighting with her was the last thing he wanted, but he couldn't help it.

"That's not what I meant-"

"Then what did you mean, Emma? Tell me, because I haven't a clue!" His voice began shaking, and he wasn't sure if he meant to say the next words, or just think them. "I never have a clue with you," he whispered.

Emma never broke eye contact, sending a shiver up Killian's spine at all the emotions playing out for him to see. "I'm just…never mind," she said. With that she stood and began walking away, her hand wiping at the tears on her face. He couldn't believe it- she was so upset she wouldn't even fight with him. She was always up for a fight with him, it seemed. With a sigh he went after her.

"Emma, I swear if you pull back now-"

"I'm not pulling back! God, why do you always spin this on you and how I don't trust you? Did you ever think that maybe I'm just…that…" She turned away from him again as new tears touched her eyes, and Killian closed his eyes, wishing he could take them away.

"Emma." His voice was strong, begging her to look at him. When she peered out the corner of her eyes, his shoulders fell and he said, "Love, just talk to me. It's okay not to be okay, you know."

"I'm scared," she whispered. Killian's heart broke all over again at her honestly, and slowly moved towards her until she was in his arms. He pulled her as close as he could and wound his arms around her, warm and sturdy. She hesitated for a minute, but soon enough her hands splayed across his chest as she cried into it. "What if we don't find him?"

"Don't say that- we will, Emma. The whole bloody town is pitching in. David's barely slept, Regina is interrogating everyone, and let's not forget you've a bloody pirate searching…We'll find him," his voice was much more sure of itself than he was. She seemed to find comfort in his words though, and for that he was grateful. "I'll get you out of this mess, and then you can help," he added. He regretted the words immediately; Emma stilled in his arms. "I didn't…I meant we'd find a way…" he rambled on. Emma pulled back to look at him, her face guarded and yet appalled as she stared at him.

"That's why you're here? To 'get me out?'" she asked. He could tell by the tone of her voice where her thoughts were headed. Fantastic, he thought. Just what he needed…

"Emma, I didn't mean it like-"

"No, I think you did- there's only one way out of this damn curse, and we both know what it is!" She yelled, taking another step away. His arms fell to his side as he braced himself for the next wind of their fight.

"I meant we'd find a way to get you out. I didn't mean that I'd…"

"That you'd what? Trick me into falling in love with you so you'd wake me up? God, I can't believe I trusted you!" She screamed. Killian flinched, his eyes shutting at her hard words.

"That was never my intention-"

"What'd you do? Get Gold to make you a potion to come haunt my dreams?" she spat, venom dripping from every word.

"I told you, it just happened, I didn't ask to come into your dream," he stated, knowing it would do no good.

"Right, so then you just took advantage of a situation." It wasn't a question, she was telling him that was how it was seen in her mind.

"No! Listen to me- I didn't come here to make you fall for me- true love goes both ways, sweetheart, meaning I'd have to fall for you as well. And let me assure you- that won't be happening." He seriously hoped her 'lie detector skill' wasn't working.

"You're an ass," she said with a shake of her head.

"And I can't believe I've been trying to save you-"

"Save me? What do I look like, a damsel in distress? Are you serious?"

"Love, let's be honest- your under a sleeping curse tucked away in another realm. If that doesn't scream damsel in distress, I don't know what does," he replied, knowing it'd only make her more upset but no longer caring. He wanted to prove to her how little she meant to him- to both her and himself.

"Well I don't need to be saved!" She shouted at him. Her voice was bold but her eyes were still worried, as if she feared he would leave and she'd truly never get out.

"Fine! Then I won't get you out. But don't expect me to show up to the funeral when it all gets to be too much and you die. Because I sure as hell won't be there," he told her, his voice beginning to shake.

"Like I'd want you to be." He knew she was losing steam; her words didn't have near as much bite to them as they had before. "Leave, I'm done talking to you."

"Well, maybe I'm not done talking to you," he countered. She wore a sneer now, and he could only guess where her mind was going.

"Oh, so you're not…'done with me?'" she asked, an eyebrow raise. He rolled his eyes, telling her they both knew he hadn't meant it in the slightest. She looked slightly taken aback, and he realized maybe she didn't know. "Just…go," she whispered, all her will power leaving her.

"No," he answered. He refused to leave on bad terms.

"God, Hook! Just leave! I don't need you!"

"Well, I need you, damn it!" he yelled at her, not thinking before the statement left his mouth. They both stood in stunned silence for entirely too long, Killian cursing himself for not thinking before he spoke. He saw a tear slip down her cheek and she shook her head. She didn't have to say it; he knew what she wanted. He nodded once, looked down the hall- anywhere but her face- as he forced himself to wake up.

A/N: So now you understand what I meant by it brings out the broken-ness of the characters...What did you think? I promise good things are coming!