A/N: Hey everyone! It is so exciting to be back with the CSSNS event this year, and to get to revisit a story that has had a tremendous impact on my writing life. Lost Souls and Reveries is the longest fic I have ever written, and it pushed me in ways no other story ever had. I did my best to blend the fluff and true love mix I am known for with some more plot twists and intrigue, and though I always felt like I was out on a ledge, all of my readers showed me tremendous love and support. That kindness means the world to me, and it also left me with another first in my numerous years of fic writing: a multi-chapter sequel. So many of you have asked for more of this story, and there is still more to write for sure. After all, there's still a big bad lurking out at the horizon – and everyone knows that happy endings are meant for peace, not fighting villains. That being said, this story tracks Emma, Killian and their friends/family in the hunt for Gold. It will be different from the original in that there will be more chapters and POVs from other characters that are not just CS, but I promise you'll all get that needed dose of our favorite ship. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this first chapter told from Emma's POV, and can't wait to hear what you all think!

Sprinting through the woods as fast as her legs would take her, Emma knew it was only a matter of time until she was caught. Still, she would do everything she could to buy more time and try and get away. She and her wolf were in complete agreement about this – she had to keep moving. She had no other choice.

The rush of greenery around her was all new. These woods were unfamiliar, the area unknown, but instincts commanded her in the direction of the river. She ran and ran and ran, and she realized that if she could just get to the waterway, she could use the current to wash away any trace of her. That would buy her time, and what she needed more than anything was time.

In wolf form, the frenzied pace of a run was different. As a human she saw flashes, never fully picking up on everything before her, but this way she felt and saw it all. The animals in the forest stood stock still in fear, or darted into the brush to get away. Birds squawked in alarm from the tree line, and she heard the flutter of wings taking flight even through the wind cutting past her ears. Still she kept moving, pushing, fighting, trying her best to stay ahead.

When she finally reached the clearing and could see the river, she felt another rush. She'd done it! She made it! She just needed to –

A blow came from her side and she tumbled to the ground, rolling in the dirt until the other wolf came above her. Her heart lurched painfully, the adrenaline of being caught swarming her system, but then the black wolf above her nipped at her neck and her own wolf let out a low whine. It was a happy sound, even if she was submitting, for despite her want to win, she never could resent being caught by her mate. In unison, she and Killian shifted back to their normal form, both of them out of breath but smiling after the rigor of their game.

"I was so freaking close that time," she said. "Admit it, you almost didn't get me."

"Your ability improves each and every day, my love," Killian said, not admitting anything but pressing a kiss to her lips instead, thus successfully distracting her. She moaned into his mouth as her hands went to hold him closer, but just as she was about to really give in, he stood, carrying her in his arms and causing her to shriek. Too late she realized where he was headed, and in another few seconds they were both submerged in the icy cold mountain water.

Breaking the surface and gasping for air, Emma shoved Killian playfully, but he only pulled her closer, turning the tides toward a delicious kind of tension instantly. Here in the water, Killian allowed the heat that was between them to really crescendo. His mouth claimed hers as his hands roamed over her curves in a possessive, demanding way. Emma arched against him seeking friction and strength, loving the feel of his hard body accompanied by the crisp cool water of the riverway they were in. In her mind Emma knew his reasons for this not so subtle relocation; alone as they were out here at her Aunt and Uncle's retreat deep in the forests near Acadia National Park, Killian would never risk them being seen by anyone. He was the best man she knew, loving and sweet and kind, but he was also all alpha, and if anyone ever caught them like this… let's just say Killian would never allow witnesses to this kind of scene.

"No one sees you like this. No one but me," Killian growled out in the kiss as Emma shivered. He was using that damned mind link they had again, but she couldn't blame him. As hot and bothered as she was right now, she was probably yelling all her thoughts. She certainly wasn't trying to shield them from him.

"Only you," she agreed, running her fingertips along his jaw as her other hand lay over his chest. She felt the steady beating of his heart, keeping time with hers down to the nanosecond. "And no one sees my mate either."

"Not a soul," Killian agreed. "All this was made for your eyes only."

"Just my eyes?" she asked, her voice dipping low as she ran her hand down his body. She was totally playing with him and the way his eyes grew dark at her words made her want to even more. "That's a shame. Here I was thinking…"

She purposefully trailed off, causing Killian to growl again. He nipped at her neck, a primal move she always loved. She gasped at the bite, loving the pressure but knowing it was never too rough to handle. She forgot herself a moment until Killian's voice rumbled out once more. "What were you thinking, love?"

"I was thinking we should play another game. Same rules, only this time, if I make it the house before you catch me, I get to have my way with you. And I'll be using way more than my eyes."

"And if I catch you…?" Killian asked, hunger in his eyes.

"You get to have your way with me. You interested?"

"More than you could ever even imagine."

With that, they raced back to the house, and though she never would admit it, Emma slowed down just a touch in the final stretch, allowing her mate to catch her and to make good on all the hotness that came when he was running the show. She had no regrets on that choice either, not when her man was a master of knowing what she needed and giving her everything her heart could ever want.

They stayed like that for hours, cooped up in the house, moving from room to room, sating every need, and then, when they were finally spent (at least for now), they gave in and relaxed. The rest of the day was lazy, just as every other day on this honeymoon had been, and Emma for one was thrilled. By the late afternoon they were out on the back deck, soaking up the sunshine and taking it all in. In all those harrowing moments over the past few months, the ones fraught with worry and stress and uncertainty, this was the kind of bliss that Emma was praying for. The feel of the sun on her body, the breeze on her skin, and the heat of her husband – yes, her husband – just beside her on the lounger that they currently shared.

Her eyes were still closed as she dozed out here in the last of the summer sun, but Emma couldn't keep her smile at bay. This had been a fantastic honeymoon, a whole series of moments, carved out of time for her and her mate. It was just them out here, and though they weren't very far from home, it was the perfect kind of quiet that they'd needed most of all. Two whole weeks away from her friends and her parents and any and all responsibilities. It was amazing, and she would be sad to see it end in a few days' time. But even though she was luxuriating in every moment with Killian, and soaking in this calm they both desperately deserved, she couldn't help the tingling sensation that she missed her home and the people she loved most.

The last time she'd seen them all was the morning after their wedding. Her friends and family had congregated together to wish Emma and Killian well on their trip and say goodbye for even this short amount of time. Emma was touched at the thoughtfulness, and she loved how all of them had come, her parents and Neal, Elsa and Liam, Anna and Kristoff, Ruby and Graham and Granny and Emma's own grandmother. It was like another mini party all over again, and as swift as it was, Emma adored that precious moment, especially since she was still riding high after the best night of her life.

Looking back, she could definitively call her wedding night the best night of her life, at least so far. It had just been so… well, magical, for lack of a better work. Every component of the evening was something she loved. She was surrounded by her people, her pack as it were, and the more extended friends and neighbors who may not know everything about her now, but who loved and supported her all the same. There was music and dancing, great food and a great vibe, laughter and joy, and a resurgence of hope among all of them that never wavered and never strayed away. It was almost like the battles they'd faced had never happened. She barely thought of the tough times, the darkness or the fear. It felt liberating, loving Killian and choosing to be with him forever, and she knew her friends felt their own sense of rightness, having all found their own mates to love as well.

At one point, when all of them were on the dance floor, Emma broke through the fog of her desire for Killian and took a look around. All of her loved ones were dancing, her parents, and her friends, and in everyone's eyes she saw real and true love. It was amazing, to bear witness to people who all had their own pasts, and scars from harder days, coming together and choosing to hope. Even Kristoff, who was still adjusting to everything after his months in captivity, had looked happy and calm. He stayed glued to Anna the entire night, and never took his eyes from her, filling Emma with the same joy she'd felt when Liam and Elsa found each other just a short time ago. It was all coming together. Everyone was finding who they were and what they wanted, and it all started with her and Killian, finding each other just as fate had foretold.

There was only one part of the whole wedding that left Emma slightly off balance, a blip in her elevated mood that struck her as curious. It was near the end of the night, only a few songs before she and Killian departed. She had looked over to try and keep track of her friends and she saw Elsa, Ruby, and Anna all huddled together. Ruby was talking in an animated way, but the worry on her face wasn't meant for this moment. Emma knew she must have seen something, must have glimpsed a vision or something along those lines, but she couldn't exactly be sure. Then she was even more puzzled, because it appeared to be Elsa who drew everybody's focus, and then, just as Emma was beginning to realize something might be up, her best friend turned, saw her curious expression and smiled, shaking her head.

Elsa's meaning was clear. Don't worry about it. Nothing that needs handling tonight. And though Emma usually wouldn't agree to such a mindset, she made an exception. If it was really a problem, Elsa would tell her, wedding or not. And in the days since, no one had reached out. No one had tried to get them home or break into their honeymoon, so it must not be so bad. Right? God, please don't let it be too bad.

"You know I hate to see your smile waver, my love," Killian said, his voice a low and rumble as he pulled her into him. Emma sighed, cozying up next to him, loving how he always knew what she was thinking and how he always, without fail, sought to raise her spirits. "What's on your mind."

"It's nothing," she said automatically, looking up at him and shaking her head. "Okay it's not nothing, but since I don't know what it is, and we're still on honeymoon, there's no use talking about it."

"Emma," Killian urged, only saying her name but relaying his feelings very clearly. He wanted to hear her thoughts, to help her hold her burdens. Always.

"Okay it's just, did you notice at the wedding. Elsa and Anna and Ruby got a little cagey at the end there." Killian stiffened and immediately Emma knew he did notice and that not only that, he knew more than her. Damn it! How did he always manage to know everything? "You did notice. Do you know what happened?"

"No," Killian said honestly, "But that's because I purposefully avoided asking. If it was truly serious, Liam would tell me, just as Elsa or Anna would tell you."

"But what if they actually need help, but they just didn't ask because they don't want to interfere?"

"I may not have known your friends very long, Emma, but I can assure my cousin is not the kind of person to stand on ceremony." Killian's summary of Ruby's predisposition made Emma smile despite herself. "If we were needed, Ruby would let us know through a text or a call, hell a damn carrier pigeon. She'd let nothing interfere with delivering the message."

"You're right," Emma agreed, nodding her head, but still unconvinced. "I know you're right… it's just…"

"It's just that you specialize in caring for others," Killian said, running his thumb along her bottom lip as he smiled at her warmly. Before she could respond, he stole a kiss laced with purposeful distraction, and despite how intertwined they'd been for days, Emma still got caught up as ever. By the time he'd pulled back she was clinging to him, her head a little foggy from the want to be close. "I love you for a million different reasons, Emma, but your earnest heart is among the most prominent."

"You always know just what to say," she said, letting go of some more of the worry.

"I always speak from my heart," he promised. "And I know what we said before love, the promises you made me, about taking the sidelines."

Emma nodded, averting her gaze to his chest as she trailed a delicate line against his skin. She had made that promise, and she wouldn't go against it, but it still didn't sit well with her. She didn't feel good removing herself completely, but she also would not put Killian through more pain and fear.

"I was hasty in that request," he said and now her eyes shot back to him. He was what? Really? She was so shocked that he said this. She never expected it, even when he explained. "My sentiments are exactly the same, love. I cannot lose you. Not now, not ever. But locking you into a promise where you feel you must choose between my wishes and your family… that was never my intention."

"I didn't feel that way," she said, and she hadn't. It wasn't pressure. She totally understood his feelings after her very near miss in the confrontation against George. With her, and their baby on the way, he had every reason to worry.

"I know, love," he said, running his hand along her face tenderly. "You're predisposed to think the best of me. I just need to try and be a man worth putting such faith in."

"Do you think I ever would have married you without you already being enough?" she asked and he shook his head and smiled, a boyish grin, filled with wonder. Just the mention of their being married seemed to lighten him up, and it made Emma's heart flutter to see that happy pride. Then he took her hand in his and kissed the top, then the side, then the palm. Each brush of his lips was delicate and dear. Like he could never get enough of her, no matter how hard he tried.

"I simply meant that I've thought on all of this and come to realize I cannot hold you to that promise. When we get back, we'll hear them out and whenever the next phase comes we'll face it together. We've been a team since the start, and we'll be one now and always. All I ask is that for these last few days we stay grounded here, together, just you and me."

Emma's eyes misted over with happy tears, for about the billionth time since she'd found Killian and given him her heart. This man was so effortlessly right for her, and while he was getting better at seeing himself through her eyes, he still didn't realize just how good he was. She knew though, and she felt so damn lucky to have him. She was too choked up to really speak, so instead she nodded, whispered that she loved him and pulled him in for another kiss, falling back into her favorite person once again.

Over the next few days they managed to make good on that new choice. They savored every last moment of their honeymoon, and even on the night when they came back home to Storybrooke, they did so shroud in a resilient quiet. Their world was calm and unassuming. There was no congregation of their loved ones, no celebrations still in store, just peace and space and a last little taste of freedom. In that blissful, fleeting window, they shared as much as they could, the passion between them burning as bright as it had in the forest, and every day before then. But when the night was over, and sleep came calling, Emma knew that tomorrow things would change. For soon they'd be back in the thick of things, finding out the truth and diving once more into something they didn't yet know, but they had no choice but to conquer.

…

Stirring awake in the morning, Emma felt the warmth of Killian in her bed and she knew the dawn had only just broken. The day was still so new, the hour still too early, even for her mate to be awake yet. She stretched her limbs and debated curling up into him. She should go back to sleep or savor the moment, but despite her wish to do so, she felt a gentle tug from deep within her chest. At first she ignored it, content to linger here, but soon the feeling grew too dominant. She sat up, careful not to rouse Killian, and looking down at his still sleeping form. He was so peaceful in this moment and she smiled at the sight, but the tightness continued. It felt like a string was pulling at her and she didn't know why. Then she heard the voice, soft, but familiar. It said only one word.

Emma.

Looking around, she saw no one, and knew it must be in her head but the light in her room changed. The dawn's crisp colors blended with a burst of silver and gold. It was subtle, but she recognized it. Magic. Here in her home, calling to her.

Without thinking she got up, intent on following the pull. She looked to Killian once more, and thought about waking him, but she didn't want to disturb him. Instead she moved out the back door and into the land behind their home. The details from there were hazy, she wandered to places unknown, even in the midst of the one place she'd ever called home. She couldn't tell how long she was out there, but soon the paths she'd often tread were not enough. Instinct drew her away, past a thicket and into a dip in the glen she'd never seen. Large rocks stood there that she couldn't quite remember but felt she'd seen before, and still the string pulled tighter. She saw then the small passage in the formation, wide enough for someone to go through. She hesitated for the first time, wondering if it was right to go this far. Again the voice spoke.

Have faith, Emma, and remember. Remember to forget.

Remember to forget? She didn't know what it meant, but she walked through the rocks the darkness creeping in, but just as it felt like she was blinded by it, light came from further in that she didn't expect she followed it, slowly but surely finding her way, and on the other side of it all she gasped, her breath stolen by the sight before her.

Toto, I don't think we're in Storybrooke anymore.

The thought was mired in a joke, but it did nothing to dull what Emma saw before her. A place out of time surrounded on all sides by rocks. It felt like something out of a storybook, both ancient and too beautiful to be real. Emma wanted to take it all in, to linger here, but the string drew taut again and beckoned her to a willow tree across the way. The willow was big and tall, brimming with life as its leaves whistled with the wind. It sat at an embankment, a body of water that went all the way back to the far rock wall, and then perhaps beyond. She couldn't see beneath the surface, she only felt the call of the water and the tree.

The swirls within the pool were reminiscent of a turquoise sea, like Caribbean waters, land bound in this hidden, special place. Looking inside, she couldn't tell how deep the water ran. The bottom appeared to be crystalline, with some kind of precious, aqua colored stone sticking up towards the sky but never breaking the surface. At the same time every current swirled and swished in a visible way. The water seemed to pulsate and the light reflected from it and retained a shimmering glow, reminding her of magic.

Were these the kinds of springs of old that witches spoke of? The ones where magic used to live?

The call of the water was strong and sure, and Emma longed to draw nearer to it. The closer she got the sweeter the sound. It was a song, she realized, gentle and soothing and like nothing she had ever heard. Only after a moment did she understand what it was, a version of her wedding song to Killian, enchanted in some way. It flooded her senses before she'd even touched the water, and then she heard a sound intermingled in the chimes of the melody. The laughter of her friends, swelling and light. The water shimmered, a vision came. Everyone was happy and everyone was whole. Was it the past or was it the future? She wanted to know, but as soon as it came it melted away. This time another image. Children running in a field, so many children, none she knew but still familiar. Her hand came to the swell of her stomach, a premonition. A sign of hope and then she reached for the water, wanting to touch.

"Emma," a voice called, but this one she knew. It was Killian.

She froze and as she did, she watched the water begin to swirl and her own reflection twisted away. As she hovered there, she watched the water change. The aquamarine went from the healthy warming color to something frosted over, icy and colder and sharp. The music was gone, and her heart skipped. She was gripped by the fledgling force of fear, anticipation washing over her. Another image danced below the surface of the pool, and she swore she saw her friends, Anna and Elsa and Ruby, but she couldn't be sure. The water was clouded and the music from before sounded less like a melody and more like a plea. The only problem was she couldn't understand it. The only thing she knew was that time was running out she had to fix this she had to –

"Emma!"

Opening her eyes, Emma's first sight was her husband's face filled with worry and concern. Instinctively she rose, holding onto him and letting him wrap her up in his embrace. The relief she sensed from him was huge, and she didn't understand. When she pulled back from him and cupped his face, feeling the scruff of his honeymoon beard, which was longer than the norm, she tried to make it out, but something danced at the corner of her eyes. She looked over and gasped.

"Magic," she whispered, knowing nothing else could explain what had happened in their room. The ivory color of their walls was now offset with silver and gold and tinted color remnant of light from a thousand prisms. All of this color was in the air around them. It was some kind of substance suspended in time, and the particles looked like dew handing in the air. The ivy vines from outside had crawled into the window, curling around all of their things winding around the dressers and the bedposts. And though it was shocking, it was one of the most beautiful things Emma had ever seen. "But why?"

"The baby," he whispered, putting his hand where their child was still so small, and Emma covered his without so much as looking down. When they did, everything changed. The particles radiated out, slamming into the walls and leaving a trace, a blend of color and design no human brush could ever make. The vines too changed, and what were once green leaves became metallic kinds of etching in wooden structures themselves. All of it was there and then gone, but it wasn't gone, and no matter how many times she blinked, the traces still remained.

"It's amazing," Killian said, and Emma nodded.

"She's amazing," Emma agreed and the two of them shared the moment of awe, letting quiet fall between them.

"You took a minute to wake up," Killian said, his worry evident once more. "I tried and you didn't hear me the first time."

"I had a dream…" Emma said, trying to remember it, but finding that she couldn't. Strange. She swore only seconds before she'd had it in her head. Why couldn't she remember?

Remember to forget.

"What happened in it?" he asked and Emma shook her head, unable to recall.

"I don't know."

But as she said the words Emma knew whatever it was had been important, and she was eager to figure out what it was and what it meant. And in the meantime, she'd choose to see this unexpected moment as a sign of her daughter's strength and everything they had to fight for. For nothing in the world could mean so much as the love of this family, and Emma would do anything and everything to see them protected, sheltered, and safe.

Post-Note: So there we have it. I know, I know, I have thrown some big what the heck moments into this early, but I just couldn't help myself. Also, I've told you all this will still be a CS story but it also is a story fixated on Emma's friends and their loved ones too. They will be back with us in the next few chapters as we try and figure out what they heck is going on. Be advised, there is a battle left ahead and a lot to come in this fic, some of which might be a little angsty, but I don't think this small glimpse has given too much away and I promise to always circle back to the feel goof love that I cherish in my fics. Anyway, I would love to hear what you all think and hear what you expect may come in part 2 of Lost Souls and Reveries. Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you'll join me next time!