Chapter 25

Killian was the only one conscious for a few minutes, Emma and David groaning and coming to soon after him. Wherever they were was warm and dry, the few plants that were there gnarly and overgrown, and it was definitely not the oblivion Regina had said the portal would lead to.

"Where the hell are we?" Emma breathed, scrambling to her feet and glancing around with wide eyes and an open mouth. "This… well, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"I think we're in the Enchanted Forest." David muttered, standing at his daughter's side and following her gaze. "Emma, this is the Enchanted Forest. This is your home."

It appeared to be the wrong thing to say, as Emma looked utterly horrified. "Home?" she repeated. "My home is where Henry is. How are we going to get back?"

"And my home is with Snow, but…" David shrugging, turning away from Emma as he bent to pick up his sword. "I never thought I'd get to see you here. I just need a moment."

Despite being dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans, David looked at ease in the new surroundings. His sword was strapped to his side, his hand on his hip and although there was worry clear in his expression, it was obvious that he felt some relief to be back in the realm he had once called home.

"We don't have time for you to have a moment." Emma snapped, her hands clenched into tight fists. "We need to get back to Storybrooke. To reality. Hook, can you please stand up?"

Emma snapped the order at him, and he awkwardly pushed himself upright, a pained groan escaping him when he accidentally put his weight on his injured arm. "Sorry, love. Like your father, I just needed a moment."

Emma mouthed the word 'father' and then shook her head in disbelief. "And I thought things couldn't get any crazier." She muttered. "Right. So the curse is broken and we've already sent a dementor through a magic portal hat thing, so I'm really hoping one of you two is going to tell me that in this place, it's easy to get back to Storybrooke."

"I didn't even know that travel between realms was possible until your mother and I needed to send you to safety." David muttered, and that realisation seemed to have dampened the enthusiasm that the Enchanted Forest had brought him. "I don't know how to get back. I know we will, though."

"I wish I could be that optimistic, but life doesn't work like that." Emma said angrily, kicking furiously at some stray debris on the tiled ground. "For god's sake, whatever just happened shouldn't even be possible."

Killian watched her as she walked away, appearing to busy herself by wandering round the empty courtyard they had arrived in and unloading and reloading the gun she had tucked into the back of her trousers earlier.

"It would probably be more helpful for you to think of a way back instead of basking in this unexpected return to your kingdom." Killian hissed at David, raising an eyebrow tauntingly when the prince spun around to glare at him. "Do you have any clue where we are?"

David glanced around, his stare lingering on Emma as well, and then he frowned and shook his head. "It's nowhere I recognise."

"Well then, I suggest we walk until we find something that allows us to orientate ourselves and then we head back to what would have been your kingdom." Killian offered. "With Regina's curse ripping everyone to Storybrooke, it seems unlikely that we'll find anyone who can provide us with directions."

"Regina said this land didn't even exist anymore." David pointed out. "Who's to say she didn't lie about cursing everyone as well?"

There wasn't anything Killian could say to that, because it was a valid point, so he remained silent. David didn't seem eager to change that, looking around as though he might see something new. Despite the circumstances, Killian had to wonder if David would be more talkative if he was still just Killian Jones and not Captain Hook.

When Emma finally rejoined them, she looked tired and overwhelmed. She walked straight past him towards David, and Killian figured that with everything that had happened, she probably wasn't ready to deal with him as well.

"So have you thought of anything that might help us get back?" she asked. "The only thing I've managed to figure out is that this palace has probably been abandoned for a long time."

"Perhaps the wardrobe?" David suggested uncertainly. "It transported you to the other realm before although it only had the power to transport one."

"Two." Emma corrected, not bothering to explain when David looked at her inquisitively. "It's two. It's worth checking out, I guess. Perhaps it will work again and a couple of us can head back and try and figure out how to fetch the other one? Jefferson might know what to do."

"After what Jefferson did to you and Mary-Margaret, I don't really want to involve him in this." David grumbled.

"But it's the only plan we have, so do you know how to get there?"

"Not from here." David admitted.

"If the wardrobe doesn't work, there are other ways to open a portal." Killian told them, grinning at them when they both spun around to face him. "I've traversed realms before and I've never used a wardrobe."

"You've traversed-" Emma trailed off and sighed angrily. "See, this is the sort of thing that shouldn't just make sense to me. Do you have another idea or are you just interrupting so you get to hear your own voice?"

Her sharp words might have hurt if Killian wasn't able to read her so well. She was still angry about everything, even though the events of the day had managed to distract her, and the curse breaking followed by a trip to the Enchanted Forest was hardly something Emma knew how to deal with. By being distant with him, he became something she didn't have to deal with.

"Magic beans." he suggested. "I used one before and the portals take you where you want to go. However, I have heard rumours that in the past few centuries, they've become harder to get hold of than they were when Mr Smee managed to procure one."

"Mr Smee?" Emma repeated faintly, exchanging a wide-eyed, incredulous look with her father. "Centuries? God, I did not want to have deal with all of this today. Just... tell me if you think you can get one or not?"

Killian shrugged, wincing again at the grinding sensation he felt at the slight movement of his shoulder.

"Great. Well, that was helpful." She snapped. "We'll stick with the first plan. The only plan."

"I'll get you home, Swan." He promised, but his vow seemed to just make Emma uncomfortable. She sent him a tight smile and then turned her back to him, conversing with her father once again, this time in low voices that he couldn't understand.

He hadn't expected the Enchanted Forest to still exist. Regina had maintained for decades that it didn't, but it seemed that aside from the removal of all its human inhabitants, the realm had continued to survive. The palace they had arrived in was falling apart, plants growing up the walls and between the bricks and a coating of dust covering everything except a raised dais in the centre of the courtyard.

There wasn't a chance for him to contemplate further, because there were figures on the horizon, clearly on horseback, and they were steadily drawing closer to the palace and the three of them. Killian didn't think there was anyone left in the land, and he wished he could draw his sword and protect Emma from whoever was arriving, but he hadn't had a weapon equipped since thirty years earlier and his hook was useless with the way his arm was up in a sling.

David had noticed them as well, his sword held ready, and Emma followed her father's example by steadying her gun and aiming it towards the people in the distance.

As the figures drew closer, they were able to see that the two horses were carrying a total of three people, two of them better armed than David, Killian or Emma. The man and woman sharing a horse spent a few moments just looking at them, but the warrior riding solo leapt off the minute they were near and drew their weapon, the edge of their sword glinting in the sun.

"Who are you?" They asked immediately. "How did you get here?"

"Now, now, Mulan." said the man, and Killian noticed Emma shake her head once again. "Give them time to introduce themselves before you treat them like criminals."

"The monster they released could cause untold amounts of damage." Mulan snapped. "They are criminals."

"We're not." David said reassuringly, sheathing his sword and then holding his hands up placatingly. "I'm Prince James and I-"

"Of Misthaven?" The man interrupted and then he gently released the woman's arms from their position around his waist and dismounted his steed. "Surely not. Everyone knows that all the inhabitants of that kingdom were taken by the Queen's curse."

"We were." David explained. "We've been cursed for the past few decades but it's now broken and the three of us happened to find a portal to bring us back."

The man smiled and then offered David his hand in greeting. "I'm Prince Phillip and the woman I rode with is my love, Aurora. Mulan here fought by my side for many months until the curse struck. Who might your companions be?"

Emma looked disbelieving, shaking her head as Mulan removed her helmet and nodded at the three of them, taking Killian aback when he realised the warrior was a woman.

"This is my daughter, Emma." David said with a gesture towards her, and Killian noticed that although she had lowered her gun, it was still ready to fire. "And this is..."

The man trailed off, clearly unsure what to call Killian now that they all remembered.

"Hook." He told them, a slight smirk curving his lips when he saw Phillip and Aurora both glance nervously at the attachment. "Captain Hook."

"Your daughter?" Aurora asked, sliding from her seat on the horse to take a place beside Phillip, the prince's arm instinctively wrapping around her and holding her close as he angled them so he was between the woman and Killian. "How can she be your daughter? She looks no younger than you."

David sighed. "That's another way the Queen cursed us. Time didn't pass for us in the other land, but Snow and I sent Emma away so that she could one day break the curse. That meant that she aged when we didn't and it's only now that we've reunited."

Killian couldn't see the royals, not with how Mulan had unsubtly stepped between him and them as though she needed to guard them from him, but it didn't matter. He was only watching Emma. David's explanation to Phillip having made her expression tense and her entire posture stiff.

"I didn't think there was anyone left here." David continued. "We were told there wasn't anything here."

"I don't think there should be." Phillip admitted. "Somehow, a small area of land remained. The curse didn't take anyone there, but we were still trapped in time the way you seemed to be. We only woke a day or so ago. Everywhere else though, time has passed the way it should and the ogres have taken full advantage of that."

"The ogres are back?"

"The land is more dangerous than it's been for decades." Mulan answered before Phillip got the chance to. "Not only are there ogres, but we saw a Qui Shen this morning. That's why we're here. We wanted to make sure that we didn't accidentally release the creature when we visited these ruins earlier."

"The Qui Shen?" Emma asked, looking at Killian and then at Mulan. "You mean, the wraith? It's here?"

"You brought that monster here?" Mulan asked, turning her sword away from Killian and towards Emma. "Do you understand what danger you've put everyone in?"

David was quick to point out that they believed the land to be deserted. Emma didn't appear to hear Mulan's words, pushing past the armoured woman to hurry over to Killian, reaching out and roughly taking hold of his hand. She turned it over, running her fingers gently over the blisters, and then bit her lip, raising her eyes to meet his.

"It's still after you." She breathed, her anxious expression quickly being hidden by an angry glare. "That was why we opened the portal and then you jumped through it too? What were you thinking?"

He pulled his hand back, curling his fingers towards his palm to hide the mark. "I was thinking, darling, that you had gone through into… well, none of us knew where this portal went and I wasn't going to let you face whatever it was alone."

Emma blinked furiously and looked down, shaking her head as she clenched and unclenched her fist. "The wraith is after you and whatever stupid reason you had for jumping through the hat is not worth your life."

"I'm not going to die." He promised, although his words didn't seem to comfort her at all. "I'm a survivor. Besides, isn't it up to me to decide what my life is worth? Making sure you weren't alone seemed worthy to me."

"That can't be why you came." She insisted with another shake of her head, and Killian sighed, wishing it didn't seem impossible to her that he was willing to do anything for her. "Why did you do this? Why did you come here?"

"I told you." He murmured sincerely. Emma took in a shaky breath, her eyelashes fluttering and in that moment, for just a brief second, her gaze softened to something soft and loving and it made his breath catch. "I wasn't going to let you come to wherever this portal led alone."

"I wouldn't be alone." She stammered in one last protest. "David would be here."

"Aye, that he would. Before we arrived though, how could I have known that?" He pointed out, the affection in her stare persuading him to bring his hand up to gently cradle her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly along her skin. "I certainly wasn't going to wait for the portal to close and simply hope that another would be at your side. I wasn't going to leave you."

She swallowed, the familiar tenderness that showed in her eyes whenever he said something that knocked down her walls making an appearance as she gently turned her head into his palm. The openness didn't last long and Emma took a step away from him, leaving his hand hovering in the air.

"You shouldn't have come." she hissed, forced anger in her voice. "You made a mistake."

It was only when Emma walked away that Killian paid attention to the still-ongoing conversation between David and the others, and it seemed that David was still arguing with Mulan that the wraith hadn't been sent intentionally.

"If you had sent it here to save the one it marked, then why did you bring him with you?" Mulan asked, gesturing towards Killian. "You sent it here and you sent him here and now you've endangered everyone who's left in this land."

"Everyone?" David questioned, looking past Phillip and Aurora as though there were going to be dozens of other standing behind them. "How many did avoid the curse?"

"Enough to set up a Safe Haven." Mulan told them stiffly. "Although, with the Qui Shen, it might not be that safe anymore."

David asked if they could travel to the Safe Haven and stay there as they prepared for their journey back towards Snow's old kingdom. Phillip and Aurora agreed quickly, but Mulan seemed uncertain.

"If we take them back there, we're leading the Qui Shen there too." Mulan pointed out. "If they come to Safe Haven, then we put the pirate in the pit so we always know where he is, and we make sure the guards keep the wraith away. That is, if we can even make it back there without the wraith taking his soul."

"We'll make it." Emma snapped. "And by the time we reach this so-called Safe Haven, we'll have made you reconsider putting Hook in jail. He doesn't deserve that and if the wraith does make it to him there, we're not leaving him no way to escape."

Mulan raised an eyebrow then finally sheathed her sword. "We'll see."

Phillip and Aurora walked ahead with the horses, Mulan remaining beside Killian as the three of them were led towards what Phillip and Mulan called the Safe Haven. Emma hadn't spoken since they'd begun the journey, although David had walked alongside her and talked the entire time.

"If you're a Captain, then where is your ship?" Mulan asked after too long in an awkward silence. "A Captain should have a ship, shouldn't he?"

"I have a ship." Killian told her, not looking away from Emma and her father. "The Jolly Roger travelled with me when the curse hit. Perhaps that will reassure you that our arrival here was unintentional, because if I were planning on returning to this land, I would not have come back without her."

"The Jolly Roger?" Mulan repeated. "So not only do you have a hook for a hand, but you're a pirate. No matter what Emma thinks, it seems like I'm just getting more and more reasons to keep you away from the survivors."

Killian rolled his eyes and fell silent. Mulan seemed happier with the silence, no matter how uncomfortable it was. Mulan's pace was slow and steady, each step putting distance between them and the rest of the group, and he wondered if Mulan was purposefully keeping him away from the others in an attempt to protect them from him.

"Are you hoping that if you separate me enough from the group, you'll be able to leave me for the wraith without them noticing?" he questioned. "Because, unfortunately for you, David and Emma can count higher than five and may notice when our numbers decrease."

Mulan scoffed and strode ahead, leaving Killian trailing behind the other five. He may have suggested being left behind as a joke, but if the wraith was truly as dangerous as Mulan was saying, maybe it was a better idea than he had originally believed.

He'd rather lose his own life than have Emma and the others lose theirs. However, he'd promised Emma he'd survive and he refused to be yet another person in her life to break their promise.

"She's never ridden a horse."

Killian glanced up in surprise when he heard David's voice, his eyebrows creasing together when he saw that the prince had abandoned his daughter and retreated back to talk to him.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, peering over David's shoulder to see that Emma was walking alone, her gaze fixed on her feet instead of taking in the new and unfamiliar surroundings. "You're talking to me?"

"She's my daughter and she's never ridden a horse." David said instead of answering, a melancholy expression on his face. "She says she doesn't want to learn, because apparently they're too big and it doesn't matter if she can't ride when she can drive a car."

"I suppose that's a valid point." Killian muttered.

"This place isn't her home." David said quietly, the despair audible in his voice something that Killian wasn't sure how to deal with. "It may never be her home. She grew up back there, in a world with electricity and plumbing and cars, and this place… it's not for her. Getting back to Storybrooke is all she's thinking of right now and I can't see her returning to this place unless she has no choice."

"I hadn't considered that we would be attempting to return to this place." Killian admitted. "And right now, surely Emma has enough to adjust to without moving to a new realm as well."

"Of course we'll be trying to come back." David said, trailing off uncertainly. "Why wouldn't we? Emma told me you always remember, but for everyone else, we have two sets of memories, of lives, and the curse hitting, it feels like it only happened yesterday. I feel like I lost her yesterday. This is our home. I mean, it would have been if Regina hadn't interfered. Is it so wrong to think that it still could be?"

Killian shrugged. "Not wrong, but premature, maybe? I think it would be wise to see if your home could be in Storybrooke before you insist on returning the entire kingdom back to this land. You already live together. Now you just need the time to see what it's like when you're all aware that you're a family."

"You know, Hook," David muttered, more hesitantly than before. "Snow and I would do anything for Emma. We wanted her to have a good life and we risked a lot to ensure that, but now I have to wonder if, when it came to do it, with the curse coming, perhaps Snow and I were selfish. We wanted her to be a hero instead of just our daughter, and maybe now we're paying for that."

"Didn't you want her safe?" Killian pointed out. "That's not selfish."

The other man didn't respond for a few minutes, but when he did speak again, he clearly wanted to change the subject. "So how long were you aware that we were a family? I'm sure a pirate like you enjoyed all of the… intimate time you spent with my daughter. Did you enjoy our ignorance?"

"Intimate?" Killian repeated, shaking his head in disbelief. "Trust me, Dave, you don't want to have this conversation."

"Snow and I were friends with Emma before the curse broke. I already know far too many things that I wish I didn't, and yes, that does include you and her." David grumbled. "It doesn't help that you're Captain Hook."

"Our relationship was as much up to her as it was me." Killian reminded him. "And is now really the time to discuss this? You don't have to worry anyway. Emma seems as dismayed about who I really am as you are."

David shook his head. "Well, you did lie to her. And are you going to answer my question or are you just going to keep dodging questions even now the curse has broken?"

"I knew." He answered, fidgeting with his hook and refusing to meet David's gaze. "Not the whole time though. I didn't always know she was the saviour, but when things started to change and Regina grew suspicious, it became clear what Emma was destined to do. Talking with Emma and with Henry made it clear who she really was, and how she was related to you."

"Didn't put you off, though, did it?" David mumbled. "You must have realised that before you and Emma started doing… whatever it was that made Mary-Margaret so excited."

"Are you warning me away from her?" Killian prompted. "Is that why you've really joined me back here instead of talking with Emma?"

David blinked at him, suddenly looking even more dismayed than he had when he joined Killian. "She's a grown woman." David stated. "I can't do that. We're not close enough for me to even pretend I have an opinion on her choices. I think that if Emma wants something, she's hardly going to take my fatherly concerns into account."

"She might like to know you have such concerns." He told David quietly. "I doubt she's experienced 'fatherly concern' before. They'll irritate her, certainly, but I think she'll listen. She's missed out on having a father the same way you missed out on having a daughter. It may be too soon to talk her about them now, but some day, she'll appreciate it. Besides, I'm sure she appreciates that you refused to let her travel here alone. That will mean something to her"

"The same could be said for you." David grumbled and then he patted Killian on the shoulder before returning to Emma. "I suppose you're not all bad."

Killian chuckled slightly at the parting words, still surprised that David had even had a conversation with him after the breaking of the curse. He sped up then and closed the distance between him and the rest of the group.

He was going to get Emma home.

The group had stopped as soon as night fell, Mulan insisting that it was safer for them to stop travelling through the night. With the blindness of ogres, darkness gave them too much of an advantage, and that was reason enough for them to light a fire and settle in a clearing.

Mulan tended the fire as Phillip and Aurora cuddled up together near a tree and talked. Thetravellers from Storybrooke had discovered during their journey that the two of them had been separated since before the curse, and it was only the True Love's Kiss they had shared that morning that had woken Aurora from the sleeping curse that had kept them apart. Killian couldn't begrudge them the time together.

However, he didn't feel like sitting and watching the happy couple or dodging Mulan's suspicious glares, so Killian sat in the shadows at the edge of the clearing.

David seemed to be showing Emma how to sharpen a sword, but Killian was just a bit too far away to hear what they were talking about. Emma seemed disinterested, tracing patterns into the dirt with her finger and Killian wished he could go over and talk to her and make her smile the way she had just days before.

Instead, he distracted himself by attempting to tighten the knot holding his sling in place, although without a mirror, it was hard to fix it with only one hand.

"Let me." His jaw dropped when he heard Emma's voice and he couldn't take his eyes off her as she crouched next to him, her fingers brushing against his shoulder as she reached for the knot. "It's probably easier with two hands, right?"

She was so close, her hair falling like a curtain between the two of them and the others, and he gazed at her as she focused on tying the knot. "Thank you." he breathed, a smile curving his lips when she looked at him, glancing briefly at his lips. "Unfortunately, breaking my collarbone made using my left hand a bit troublesome."

Emma rolled her eyes and laughed, her hand brushing against the leather of his brace once she had fixed the sling. "Of course. What happened to you, by the way? You look… well, you've looked better."

"Rumplestiltskin was hardly going to let me get away with imprisoning him for decades, was he?" Killian muttered, keeping his voice quiet and their conversation private. "I followed him to try and get back what he took from you, but I was met with his cane and his fury."

"The wraith wasn't enough?" she questioned, her fingers tracing the thin cuts on his face left by the shattered glass and then brushing carefully against the yellowing bruises under his eyes. "He had to hurt you as well as sentence you to whatever the wraith does?"

"He's done worse to me." Killian told her, glancing down at his hook. "Far worse. I'm just thankful that he went after me instead of hurting you."

Emma swallowed and bit her lip. "What you told me, ages ago, about Milah. It was true, wasn't it? It was him who killed her."

Killian couldn't think how to word an answer so he just nodded. The conversation had been so long ago, weeks ago, but Emma remembered it. She was crouched beside him, her touch gentle as she examined his injuries and her gaze warm, and his heart was racing.

"I'll be fine, Emma." He whispered. "I've lived a long time and I've been through more pain than this."

"That doesn't stop me from wishing you weren't in pain." She murmured. "Besides, I'm sure having two working arms would help with the ogres."

"I'm not thinking about that. I haven't been thinking about that." He said gently, watching as Emma pulled her hands back and moved so she was sat next to him instead of crouched before him. "I just want to know how you are."

"You want to know…" Emma blinked at him, looking confusingly taken-aback. "No one's asked me that since the curse broke. I, well, I wasn't exactly prepared for any of this. Especially not this. I don't…"

"You don't?"

"Hook, I don't want to be here." She mumbled. "And I can't tell David because as much as he misses Mary-Margaret and his home in Storybrooke, there's part of him that's glad he's here. He's missed this place but, god, I just hate it here."

"So you're not alright?" he stated, frowning when she shook her head and buried her head in her hands. "Is there anything I can do?"

"It's kind of been a big day." she said through a forced laugh. "There's a lot of things to deal with and it was bad enough without this trip. I mean, I told Mary-Margaret, my mom, about us. I mean, she was there when I got back after spending the night with you and now I have to deal with the fact that the woman I thought was my friend is actually my parent. My friend understood me but this new mix of Mary-Margaret and Snow White doesn't seem to. I don't know how to have parents and the friends that I had finally managed to let in I've lost. Henry's back in the other world, where I should also be, and just don't even get me started on you and your hook."

"I could detach it, if that would help." He suggested, and Emma laughed again, this time through a broken, quiet sob. "As for the rest, I wish I could say I could do something but it may be something that will only be fixed in time."

Emma grumbled something incoherent and then fell silent. For a while, they just sat beside one another and Killian took comfort in the fact that she seemed to be at her most relaxed when she was beside him.

"You know, I'm still angry at you." She muttered bitterly. "But you don't seem too different and right now, I need that more than anything. And I guess I am thankful you followed me through here, although I still think it was stupid of you."

"Anything for you, Emma." He promised, and although she didn't look at him, her breath hitched.

They didn't say anything more for a very long time. Instead Killian watched the reflection of the flames in the metal of David's sword as the prince sharpened it, the orange flickers almost hypnotising. He was drifting into slumber when he felt the weight of Emma's head on his shoulder, her soft snores warm against his neck.

It had only been two nights ago, before the chaos of the curse breaking, that they'd slept pressed against one another and he'd woken to her beautiful smile and her kiss.

He let his head rest against hers, catching sight of her father's resigned stare through his half-closed gaze, and then, with the smell of Emma surrounding him and her warmth pressed against his side, he slept.

It was only felt like minutes later that he awoke, cold sweeping over him, and when he opened his eyes, he saw David standing, sword ready, the other three at his side. Phillip had his arm thrown protectively in front of Aurora, his stare on the skies, and Killian knew that whatever had doused the fire was something dangerous.

"Ogres?" he asked, easing Emma gently away from his side. "Have they found us?"

"It's not the ogres." Mulan snapped. Emma stirred at the sound, blinking sleepily and then stumbling to her feet and standing beside Killian. "It's the wraith. It's found you."

Killian didn't have a weapon, or anything to ward away the creature, but Mulan's words had startled Emma into action, her gun held steady in her hand and aimed towards the sky.

The atmosphere grew cold, wind sweeping through the clearing and making the trees creak and sway. Killian's hand burnt, as though warning him that the wraith was coming, and he clenched his fist, the pain keeping him awake despite how tired he still felt.

He spotted David waving at him, and once he met the other man's gaze, David threw a small, metal lighter towards him, the same one he had used in their second fight against the wraith. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, and Killian flicked it on and off a few times as they waited for the creature to arrive.

There were no further signs of the wraiths approach before it swept down on them with a loud shriek, tossing Aurora aside as it bore down on Killian, it's bony hand outstretched towards him. He felt the same unpleasant, dizzying awareness that his soul was being summoned out of him that he'd felt in his cabin back in Storybrooke, but he had enough presence of mind to hold the burning lighter shakily in front of him, one last defense before it took him.

There was a loud crack, a gunshot, and the wraith faltered, floating away from him for a brief moment. Killian turned to see Emma, her gun smoking and a wide-eyed, terrified look on her face.

"Don't shoot again!" David yelled, arcing his blade towards the wraith. "We don't want ogres here too!"

"Well, they've probably already heard us." Emma snapped back, keeping the gun aimed at the wraith as it approached once again. "This thing isn't exactly quiet."

Phillip darted forward, ducking under the wraith and snatching a burning log from the destroyed fireplace, the wood still smoldering, and threw it towards the creature. It screeched and dodged it, moving closer to Killian once more.

Then Mulan sliced across it, her blade cutting easily through it's form. It wailed and shook in place, before speeding away, its cries echoing through the clearing long after it had left.

"How did you do that?" Emma asked, hurrying back towards Killian and looking over him in case the wraith's attempt to rip his soul away had left a mark. "Did you kill it?"

"I doubt it." Mulan muttered, sheathing her sword. "But my weapon repels magic, and that's all that monster is. I suppose you see now why it's safer for everyone, including the pirate, for him to be locked away?"

Emma clenched her jaw and said nothing.

"With that thing after us, it might be better to move through the night." Phillip suggested, already packing away the few things they had travelled with. "Ogres are big enough to avoid, if we're quiet, and we can sleep in the day, when the wraith isn't around."

The entire group agreed, but Killian noticed a drag to Emma's steps as they kept going. He wasn't surprised. He wasn't certain if she'd slept since the night they'd shared, and even then they hadn't slept for too long. She'd been busy since then, with fighting dragons and wraiths and breaking curses, and he wished his own curse wasn't the thing keeping her from getting the rest she deserved.

"This wraith thing is going to be so annoying if it keeps showing up." she grumbled after a mile or two. "Is it too much to ask for just one night's sleep?"

Killian was walking beside her, the two of them having slowed down so they were both trailing behind the others. "You could leave me behind. As you said before, you have David here with you and I'm certain you'll return to Henry much faster if you don't have my safety to worry about as well."

"Not happening." She said firmly, Killian gazing at her in surprise when he felt her hand take his. "You came here with me. Or for me. So I'm not going back without you. We're all getting home."

She dropped his hand soon after that, but they stayed together as they continued through the unfamiliar, overgrown woods and Killian felt hope.

The Safe Haven was smaller than Killian had hoped. It appeared only dozens of people had remained behind in the Enchanted Forest, and they'd only had a few days to organise shelter. There were a few shaky watchtowers, each manned by a warrior with bows and arrows, and several tents that appeared to be serving as makeshift butchers and blacksmiths.

There was also a pit, which seemed to be where Mulan was planning on putting him.

"That's where you're sticking Killian?" Emma asked once it was pointed out to them. "Yeah, that's not happening. If the wraith does somehow manage to get past your… amateur guards, he needs to be somewhere he can escape. I don't have much experience with rope-climbing, but I imagine it's pretty difficult with one hand."

"We'll find a ladder." Mulan snapped. "He goes in there, or you can all find your own safe place."

"It's fine, Swan." Killian promised, although he had to admit he had thought along the same lines as Emma, especially when he caught sight of the coiled rope beside the pit. "You and your father can rest here, and I've slept in worse places than down there. Then we'll be leaving to get to your kingdom. One night down there won't be an issue."

"You're sure?" Emma muttered quietly, exchanging a worried glance with David before nodding at Mulan. "Stay safe, okay?"

Emma and David walked away, and for a few seconds, Killian watched her go. Mulan nudged him, pushing him towards what was passing as a prison and she kept a close eye on him as he leapt down into the hole, stumbling slightly when he landed.

The sunlight was enough to illuminate most of the room, but the edges were shrouded in darkness. Killian wandered towards the wall, planning on resting against it and sleeping a few hours of his imprisonment away, but he only made it a few steps before he heard a familiar and unwelcome voice.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Captain."

Killian tensed, twisting to look at the shadows where the voice had come from. "Cora?" He questioned warily, inhaling sharply when the woman stepped into the light. "I have to say I felt the same. I suppose your presence explains why there's already a prison in this place."

Cora laughed, a cruel glint in her eye as she looked over him. "You look terrible, Captain."

"As do you." He replied with a bitter smirk, carefully watching her as she circled him. "Although, considering the last time I saw you, you were in a coffin, so I have to say it's an improvement."

"Yes, back when I was waiting for you to come and get me. Luckily, I made sure my plans didn't hinge on your actions. After all, why would I ever trust a pirate?" She said softly, a vicious smirk curving her lips as she took step towards him. "However, Hook, you can trust me when I say I haven't forgotten. You better hope you know something that can help me, because otherwise, your injuries are going to be the least of your worries."

Things might be getting complicated soon... I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you so much for all the reviews/favourites/alerts. The response to last chapter was really, really wonderful! Thank you so much to BlackDragon733 for editing this with me as well.