The Time Travelers

CS Genre: Deleted scene (3x22)

"Looks like we're back on track, love" Killian said, smiling tenderly and reaching up to swipe the tears from her cheek.

Emma smiled, warmth blossoming in her chest at the gentle care he took of her, at the way he was always at her side—for weeks she'd been trying to shake him (Better to rip off the Band Aid herself rather than wait for him to do it when he inevitably left. A little pain now was much, much better than a gaping, festering wound later, right?), but he just wouldn't leave, and she was finally starting to realize that he really did have plans to stick around.

"Killian, I just wanted to say…"

She was interrupted by her dad returning to the forest clearing with an arm-full of logs for the camp fire. Probably just as well. She was kind of an emotional wreck right now; no sense saying something she couldn't unsay later.

"I figure it's about three in the morning, give or take," Charming said, stooping down to place the logs beside the fire pit. "Not a whole lot of night left. I say we go ahead and bed down for the night. No sense trudging all the way back to one of our castles."

"Wise plan, mate," Killian said. "Shall I stand the first guard?"

"No need," Red said as she and Snow returned from the river, full canteens in tow. "I don't sleep when I let myself turn during wolf's time. I'll watch over you."

"Thanks, Ru..er…Red," Emma said. "I haven't had a lot of sleep the last couple nights. Could use a few Zs."

Snow and Charming gave her an odd look, and Emma realized she'd blow their cover with her 21st century Storybrooke vocabulary if she wasn't careful. Best let Killian do the talking.

Charming tossed Killian a blanket. "Red was able to take these from the queen's castle before we left. We only have enough for one between you and Leia, but something tells me you two won't mind sharing. Take the far side of the fire; it'll give you a little bit of privacy."

"My thanks," Killian said, nodding to her dad, then gallantly offering his arm.

Emma felt her face flame at the idea that they'd need their privacy. It wasn't like they'd actually be able to do anything even if they wanted to out here with Snow, Charming, Marian and Red all nearly within arms' length, but still the thought of spending the night with Killian, sharing his blanket…if her heart started pounding as loud as an out of control night club, no one needed to know but her.

Killian turned away and took long moments arranging the blanket on the ground, smoothing out all the wrinkles, placing it just so. Emma knew he was into everything being all neat and orderly and everything, but she could tell from the set of his shoulders his care for their sleeping pallet was more about avoidance of her than a need for perfection.

Finally he straightened and turned to face her, and Emma wasn't at all surprised to see the red tinting his cheekbones and the tips of his ears. "Don't worry, Swan," he said, "I'm nothing if not a gentleman. Take the blanket. Be assured I'll take my own rest a respectable distance away."

Emma felt the warmth in her chest again. Strangely enough, the fact that he'd offered instantly settled her nerves. "Don't be silly, Hook," she said. "We're supposed to be a couple in love, remember?"

A look of longing came and went over his handsome features so quickly Emma wondered if she'd imagined it. "I couldn't possibly forget," she could have sworn he muttered under his breath.

"Well, couples in love don't sleep with a 'respectable distance' between them," Emma continued. "We can't blow our cover now. Not when we're things are finally starting to fall into place."

Their cover. That was why she laid down on the blanket facing the fire and then patted the blanket behind her until he followed suit, sidling up to her back, tentatively placing his good hand on her waist. That was it; that was the only reason. And that frantic beating of her heart at the sensation of him holding her? Just a reaction to the stress of the last twenty-four hours. That was it.

Yeah, right.

It was hard to admit, but the excuses were starting to get really thin. She'd been protecting her heart for such a long time—walls up and all of that—that she didn't even know how to change that, but fact was, if she looked honestly into her heart, it was already too late. Killian was already an important part of her life, and if he ended up leaving her it was going to hurt. A lot.

Strangely enough, the realization didn't bring the panic it normally would have. The guy had willingly gone through a time portal to be with her. He'd done everything in his power to help her come up with a plan to get her parents back together. He'd tried to rescue her from the Evil Queen's dungeon. He'd held her as she watched in horror as her mother "died". He'd opened up to her about his own pain in an attempt to comfort her when she thought she'd lost her mom. He'd dried her tears when it was revealed to be alright. He hadn't had to do any of it, but he had. He'd stayed.

"Killian," she whispered, eyes trained on the dancing flames of the fire before her, "are you asleep?"

He chuckled, his warm breath tickling her neck. "How did you suppose I would answer had I been asleep?"

"With a snore?"

He pinched her waist playfully. "I take umbrage to that comment, love. I'll have you know I do not snore, and when we've returned home to your land, you're welcome to verify that fact any night you'd like. There's plenty of room in my bed at Granny's for you and me both."

Emma rolled her eyes, smiling. "Think I'll just take your word for it, Captain Innuendo."

"Shame," he said with an exaggerated sigh.

Emma giggled. Actually giggled.

She felt the corners of his lips raise in a smile. "Was there a reason you asked love, or were you merely endeavoring to ascertain my state of wakefulness?"

She smiled again, wondering how he managed to come up with these big, formal words at a moment's notice. "Yeah, there was a reason. I just wanted to, you know, thank you."

"Thank me?" Killian asked, and Emma could feel his discomfort in the slight pulling away of his body. "For what?"

"For everything," she said. "Just about everyone else in my past would have ditched me long before now, but you've been totally going above and beyond to help me through this whole crazy adventure. Thanks for, you know, coming to rescue me from Regina's dungeon,"

Killian made an awkward, dismissive motion with his hand. "My assistance wasn't needed, love. You were bloody brilliant, devising a way to make your own escape."

"Even so," she continued, "it feels good to know there's someone around who'll have my back even when things get sticky."

"Of course, Swan," Killian said, "I'll always, as you put it, have your back. No harm will ever come to you while I have breath left in my body."

The warmth spread from her chest until it enveloped her entirely. Suddenly needing to see him, she turned in his arms. "Just…thank you."

He was silent for another moment, and Emma read the embarrassment clearly on his features, then, ever so slowly one eyebrow went up, and the rakish charmer was back. "I do believe you had a different method of thanking me when we were in Neverland, Swan. I would not refuse another such display of gratitude."

She laughed again, and then on impulse leaned forward, turning her head at the last moment to place a soft, gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're most welcome."

They lapsed into silence for another moment before Killian cleared his throat. "As it happens, I have a question for you as well."

"Yeah?"

"Aye," Killian said. "Back before, on the Jolly…just how long did you intend that ruse to go on. You were kissing the pirate with a rather startling amount of enthusiasm."

"What can I say?" Emma answered playfully, "he was hot."

Killian pouted. "Perhaps you wish I hadn't intervened."

Emma saw the insecurity beneath Killian's obvious jealousy. "Killian, he was you. It wasn't a separate person; no need to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Killian argued with a (totally jealous) pout.

Emma laughed. "Yeah, I can see that."

Silence fell yet again, and Emma could see the storm clouds continue brewing in his eyes. Maybe her usually self-assured pirate really did need a little reassurance.

"You know I wouldn't have let it go farther than that kiss you saw, don't you?" Emma asked. "Even if I'd wanted it to, your former self was drunk off his ass. Probably would have passed out before he could get too handsy anyway."

"You would have stopped him…me? Truly?"

"Of course," she said, taking a chance to reach up and brush a lock of hair from his forehead. "He may look just like you, but I doubt he would have followed me through a time portal…or gone to his enemy's castle for help…or made a plan to save me after I was captured…or comforted me throughout all today's crap. He wouldn't have done that, but you did, and that's why I'm glad I'm here with you, not him."

His eyes softened, and for a moment Emma thought he was going to kiss her (and, well, that she would have let him), but then he pulled back slightly, the insecurity creeping back into his expression. "Swan…that man was me. I…I would do anything for you now, but you're right. I was a scoundrel and a villain."

"Yeah, that guy was you, and then he grew and changed and became the man I'm looking atnow," Emma said firmly. "I don't care who you used to be, do you hear me? You're here now; that's all that matters to me. You're here."

"And I vow that I will be for as long as you'll permit me, love," Killian said.

Emma smiled, and then turned around in his arms once again so that she was facing the fire. (Or maybe so that she would be less likely to kiss the man behind her and just never stop.) She sighed, happily and then began to laugh.

"What exactly is so funny?" Killian said, and his tone was so affronted, she laughed even harder.

"You," Emma said finally. "I just can't stop thinking about you punching your own lights out. Hook looked so confused just before your fist connected to his face!"

He chuckled, and she felt the reverberations against her back. "I'm pleased by outburst of self-violence amused you."

"What even is our life, Killian?" she asked "Who else can say they went back in time and got to punch themselves in the face?"

Killian laughed again. "No matter the absurdity of the lives we're leading, Swan, I'm honored to have you by my side."

"Same here."

Killian leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Sleep, love," he said gently. "No doubt we've still got a fair number of difficulties before us before we're able to return to Storybrooke."

"Whatever they are, we're up for the challenge," Emma said just before closing her eyes, pulling Killian's arm further around her, and dropping off to dreamland.

Notes:

-Happy Friday! I'm definitely ready for this weekend; it's been a long, dreary week.

-Thank you all for your Fluffy Fridays prompts! I got a lot of good ones that I hope to get to over the next several weeks!

-I can't believe this is the first time I've touched on the CS movie in Fluffy Fridays! Those two episodes were my absolute favorite. We got adventure and danger and romance and angst and fluff, and even just plain silliness with that whole barmaid!Emma, past!Hook and present!Killian series of scenes. It was pure fanfic come to life! I couldn't resist revisiting a few of my favorite moments in this story.

-Up next: I'm not entirely sure, but I'm considering another "deleted scene", this one from sometime early in season 6. Killian and Emma decide to tell the Charming/Mills family about what happened under the library in the Underworld—i.e. that they are officially True Love.