"NO." Emma said firmly, pushing Hook off the couch and back on the floor. "Henry will be here any moment and you will behave."

Hook's tail thumped against the hardwood floor as Emma watched. The smirk across his face was worry some, but the idea of him and Henry combined was more so. She didn't know how she was going to keep the two of them in line. God forbid Henry decided to pull this dog into Operation Cobra. She could handle a ten-year-old running around town trying to break a make believe curse, but put a dog by his side… She was going to have to make some ground rules about where Henry could and couldn't take Hook.

Emma sat on the sofa with her elbows on her knees, and gave her best attempt at staring Hook down. He gave her another wolfy grin, tongue rolling out of his mouth. From her spot she could hear the front door open, and Henry's loud child steps crashing through the door way. Emma sighed and stood up with another look at Hook, the bastard winked at her. She didn't even know dogs could do that. Good lord she really should have thought the whole 'never had a dog before" thing through when she brought this mutt home.

"MOM! I'M BACK!" Henry yelled rounding the corner and almost running straight into Emma.

"I can see that, and I'm not deaf – yet – so let's use our indoor voices okay kid?" Emma asked, steadying Henry before he could tip over.

But Henry wasn't looking at her. "Mom. Is that- did you – is he- do we have a dog now? Is he mine?" Winking dogs aside, as Emma looked into her son's eyes comically wide eyes she couldn't help but think that this was a good idea.

"Come here kid," Emma said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and walking him towards Hook. "This is Hook. He needed a home so it looks like we just got ourselves a dog."

"Awesome." Henry whispered.

"He's a little strange so be- "Emma began, but it was already too late, Henry launched himself at the big dog.

Emma could hardly understand the words her son was saying. Not surprising though, as the boy's face was pressed tightly into Hook's fur while his arms latched himself around the done in a vice hold that Emma would later graciously call a hug. However, she did think she heard the word awesome thrown around a bit more, along with best day ever, and epic.

"-careful." Emma finished, now giving her own wolfy smirk. Hook's ears were up, but his eyes were now bulging like a fish. "Serves you right." Emma told him. Emma should have gotten Henry Home sooner. At least someone could put this dog in his place.

Henry finally pulled back from the dog. "Can I take him for a walk? Oh can we go exploring? No wait, we need to go to the ice cream shop and get him one of the doggie bowls that they make." Henry said with only a single breath.

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down kid. How about lunch first? We can take him for ice cream later." Emma smiled. Anything that could make Henry look this happy had to be a good thing.

"Okay, but in the meantime, he needs a code name for Operation Cobra."

Or not.

Emma had always heard that animals were good judges of character, but she had never truly believed in until she found herself walking down main street with Henry and Hook. One-minute Hook was steadily walking beside her, and the next her was pulling at the end of her leash with all his might.

"Hook! Down boy! Heal! Quit it, you great big mutt!" Hook didn't so much as budge. "Well there goes everything I know about dog commands." Emma huffed, digging in her heals as Hook tried to pull her down the street.

"Maybe he's on a trail or something." Henry suggested. "We should see where he takes us!" Before she could stop him, Henry pulled the leash from Emma's grip and was happily trotting away with Hook.

"God dammit dog." Emma muttered to herself before following.

Hook kept a steady pace until he came to a sudden halt outside of the pawn shop. Pulling Henry close to the window, he jumped up onto the glass with both paws and peered in.

"What do you think he's doing?" Henry asked, watching Hook with rapt attention.

"Clearly he's window shopping." Emma smirked, watching as the dog looked in. It was only then that Emma saw Mr. Gold come into view. Hook growled deep, the hair rising along his spine.

"I don't think he likes Mr. Gold." Henry told her, tightening the leash so that Hook dropped back onto all fours.

"Smart dog." Emma muttered to herself. "Okay kid, this had been a blast but what do you say about getting that ice cream now?" Emma out a hand on his shoulder to steer him away. Not soon enough it seemed.

"Ms. Swan." Mr. Gold had emerged from his shop. "And young Henry, how lovely to see you both. And who might this be?" Mr. Gold had a look about him, like he already knew the answer to his question. Though Emma would have to admit he always had that look.

"It's my new dog," Henry said over Hook's growling. "He's not usually like this though." Henry pulled on the leash again, and when Hook didn't move back and actually moved forward towards Mr. Gold Emma took the leash back.

"We should really be going." Emma said, dragging Hook back with perhaps a bit more force than strictly needed, seeing as the mutt collided into her legs.

"Well feel free to come back and look at the shop. But perhaps leave the doggie at home next time." With a small smirk, Gold patted Henry's shoulder.

It took all of Emma's strength to keep Hook from lunging at Gold.

"Easy boy." She muttered to him. "Henry lets go get that ice cream."

Emma was in for a long night. Henry had already gone to bed but Emma was just now heading for her shift. After a pathetic box of doughnuts and the excuse of the animal shelter Graham had gotten her to agree to take the night shift. It most certainly had nothing to do with the fact that Graham mentioning and an animal shelter sent her thoughts straight to a fluffy black dog that she could picture cuddling on the couch with her son at that very moment. No matter what the reasoning, here she was about to head out.

Slinging on her coat Emma grabbed her coffee and opened the door. Only to have a furry black body slip through it.

"Oh no." She said looking down at Hook with as much authority as she could muster. "You are staying here. End of story.

Hook's tongue rolled out of his mouth as he looked up at her with perked ears.

"Crap." Emma sighed, grabbing the leash and following the dog out of the house.

Driving late at night around Storybrooke was about as interesting as Emma expected. She slowly sipped her coffee as the radio played softly. Hook sat patiently in the passenger seat, alternating between looking out the window and watching her.

"It's not polite to stare." Emma told him, for a lack of anything better to do. Hook huffed indignantly through his nose. "You're such a strange dog." Emma laughed.

Hook pressed his wet nose into her hand holding her cup.

"Hey! No annoying the driver. I could kill us both with one slip." Emma put her cup down, glancing over at her dog. "You don't have a death wish do you?" Emma asked him with a raised brow.

He barked at her. She could have swore she heard sass in it. She tried to peer over at him again as she drove, only to glance over his head. She slammed on the brakes as soon as she saw the figure creeping out of the back of the house.

"Stay here." Emma order Hook. "And be quite." She added as an afterthought lunging out of her car. She crept quickly down the side walk, readying her club as she did. As the man came around the corner Emma swung, landing a solid hit to his stomach and dropping the man to the man to the ground. She mentally cheered. At least until she saw who it was.

"This is volunteering?" Emma asked with disbelief, looking down at Graham. He had the decency to look ashamed.

"Plans changed Regina need me to-" he began, standing and only to be cut off by Emma.

"Sleep with her?" She knew she asked it, but her tone stated it.

"No." He rebutted immediately.

"Why were you sneaking out the back door?" Emma asked.

"Because… because Regina doesn't want anybody else to know." He cast his eyes downward.

"Oh my god I wish I was blank anybody else now. This is disgusting" Emma wanted nothing but to leave.

"I really do work in an animal shelter." Graham tried, pleading with his eyes. For what Emma didn't know. Or at least, she wouldn't admit.

"You can finish my shift; I'm done working nights." She tossed the keys to the cruiser to him. Turning on her heels she strode back to the car without looking back, pulled the passenger door open pulling Hook from the car and stomping off with him.

Hook didn't quite understand how he got here. One minute he was inches away from the crocodile, from ripping his throat out with his newly sharp teeth, from his revenge. And then next… and the next he was on the other end of a leash from a fuming woman. Hook wondered if the lass was the kind to kill anything in sight when she was angry. He couldn't help but trail back a bit as she stormed toward her dwellings.

"Works in an animal shelter. Yeah right." Swan muttered angrily. "No, she didn't need me to sleep with her that was just a coincidence." Swan tossed both arms into the air as she ranted, pulling Hook closer to her legs.

Not that he didn't appreciate the view, but he was seriously worried about the lass pulling out one of the many weapons he had seen her arm herself with before leaving the house. He didn't fancy losing another limb. This curse had given him two front paws, and he would like to keep it that way.

"This is why I don't date." She started again. "Men are the worst." They had arrived back at the house now. Hook had never been so glad to see a building before. Swan swung the door open and unhooked his lead. Blasted thing, he really did despise it.

Hook started toward the stairs, expecting Swan to follow. Not hearing her feet on the floor behind him, he turned. Swan had yet to turn back from the door. She stood with one hand still pressed into the wood, head bowed. Slowly, she turned, pressing her back against the door she slid to the floor. Wrapping her arms around her knees she pressed her forehead into her knees.

Hook felt it again, the same strange sensation he had felt when the crocodile had put a hand on the Swan boy. But this time he didn't bark. He strode back over to Emma. He worked his head in between her arms and legs until his head and front legs were in her lap.

As she pressed her face into his fur, he heard the lass whisper a quite thanks.