A/N: Sorry for the late update. I wanted to get something up before "Witch Hunt", but then life happened. I decided that I'll try to stick as canon as I can with adding some touches of my own. I'm sure, at some point, I'll go way off canon if what I have in my head isn't where the show is going, but that's okay. I'll try as long as I can.
This chapter contains spoilers/content from both "Witch Hunt" and "The Tower". I kinda skipped through both episodes in favor of keeping the story moving. You'll need to watch both of those episodes for this chapter to make sense.
"Just what do you two think you're doing?" Honestly, it was really hard not to laugh at both of them. Henry looked like a hurt little puppy, giving her large eyes in hopes that he wasn't in trouble for having dessert for breakfast. And Hook, well, he was absolutely covered in hot fudge and whipped cream all over his face. How he got hot fudge by his ear, she had no idea. Maybe it was one of the downsides of eating one-handed. She bit back a smile as she thought, if circumstances were different, how fun it would be to help him clean up.
"Having breakfast, Swan. What does it look like," Hook said with a childish smile.
"It looks like you need a bath, Jones," Emma said, sliding in next to Henry. She reached across her son to the end of the table and grabbed Hook some much needed wet-naps. She tore one open for him and handed it to him. As he wiped his face off, his eyes were locked with hers and she knew exactly what he was thinking. The lustful look in her eye had most likely matched hers from a second ago.
"We were just having a bit of fun, love," Killian said. "Weren't we, lad?" Henry shook his head, gesturing he was keeping out of this and hoping to keep the focus off his less-than nutritious breakfast. Emma grabbed and extra fork and took a small piece from Henry's plate.
"You could have at least saved me some," Emma told her son with a wink.
"You were gone for too long," Henry said, swirling the waffle around on the remains of melted ice cream and hot fudge before finishing the last bite. "What did take you so long?" Emma breathed a sigh of relief when Ruby came to the table, saving her from answering.
"What can I get you? Something full of sugar like the rest of the table," Ruby asked.
"Come on, Swan," Hook said with a wink. "Have a bit of fun." It was a staring contest between the two, but both Ruby and Henry felt like they could explode out of existence and they wouldn't notice.
"Okay," Emma said. "I'll have the strawberry pancakes. Extra whipped cream."
"That's the spirit," Hook said with a smile as he slapped the table hard before diving back into the remains of his plate. They spent the next half hour laughing and joking, which Hook hoped it wasn't just for appearances sake for Henry. He had missed his friendship with Emma, among other things. They had grown so close in Neverland, to lose that friendship plus whatever else they had was absolutely devastating to him this past year. And, as for Henry, he had been longing for the day they could begin to bond- and this was it! It was more than he could ever dreamed of a year ago. But then, he always knew he'd find them.
"Oh, the Nolans will be here any moment," Emma said, glancing down at her phone. Both she and Henry were now down to just their hot chocolates (well, Henry was on his second cup).
"And that would be my cue to leave," Killian said, rising from the booth.
"You're going," Henry asked.
"They're friends of your mother's. I don't want to interfere in their catching up. Besides, I have some things to check up on concerning the case," Killian said with a bow. "It's been a pleasure, lad." He looked at Emma, his eyes softening as gazed at her. "Lass."
"Bye, Killian," Emma said, rolling her eyes and giving him a polite wave. Killian exited the diner and saw the Charmings coming down the street, giving them a polite salute with his hook before turning the opposite direction, almost bumping into the Queen.
"Distracted, Captain," Regina said annoyed as she recovered from the almost blow, but managed to catch the flash of panic in his eye.
"Regina," Hook said, giving her a slight head bow. "You might want to avoid this establishment for the time being."
"Why? Rodent outbreak?"
"No…"
"Well unless you have some good reason why I can't have my morning coffee, I suggest you stand aside. You do not want to get in my way before I've had my coffee," she said, holding up her hand as a slight flame bloomed around her fingers. She clenched her fist as she passed him to extinguish the flame before entering. He briefly considered re-entering the diner to assist with what would be an inevitable blow up between Emma and Regina, but his Swan was a tough lass. She could handle Regina and still keep up appearances for Henry. But, that didn't mean he wouldn't catch up with her later. Hook headed back around the building to head back up to his room, hoping that maybe Regina could add to his case that Emma and Henry should stay.
"We need to talk," David said with a sigh and he and Killian entered the loft later that day.
Emma looked quickly at Henry before saying "Outside," all of the adults quickly slipping into the hallway. Thankfully, Henry was playing video game, so he most likely wouldn't hear anything that filtered in from the hallway, or at least, she hoped.
"They're being turned into flying monkeys," Mary-Margaret gasped after David and Killian gave a full report of the events at the hospital.
"Yes," Killian confirmed. "He took on simian form with the added bonus of wings."
"Do you think that's what happened to the missing dwarves too," Mary-Margaret asked.
"It could be why we haven't heard from them," David said.
"Neal was supposed to patrol the town line today," Emma said. "Have we heard from him?"
"Actually, I don't think he's checked in yet," David said. "So, if no one warned him, it's possible."
"Well, it's not the first flying monkey I've dated," Emma quipped under her breath, earning a look of confusion from her mother. Killian seemed to note that she wasn't overly concerned, which was surprising given the possibility of her ex-boyfriend transforming into a monster, giving his heart a small flicker of hope. After further going over the facts, they at least had a suspect- the Wicked Witch of the West. A bit far fetched for Emma, but Regina seemed pretty confident, and that's all she could go on for now.
After forming a plan to regroup the next day to go over strategy, allowing Emma time to figure out what to do with Henry while they dove deeper into the case, they began to go their separate ways. "Do either of you want to stay for dinner," Mary-Margaret called to Killian and Regina.
"Thanks, but...no," Regina said hesitantly, still a bit heartbroken over the circumstances in which she could interact with Henry.
"Some other time, m'lady," Killian said after seeing Emma glare at him, giving him the vibe he was currently unwelcome. His quip at the town line had obviously rubbed her the wrong way, but he couldn't help it. When it came down to it, he was fiercely jealous. The woman he loved had been won over by someone else- someone that turned out to be a monster no less! He was angry that Emma got her heartbroken- again- but, what's worse, is the thought that if he had gone with her to New York, he would have been the one who would have loved her all that time. Some of those memories may have been false, but it would have been born out of something true. It drove him mad just thinking of that monstrosity touching his Emma. "I'll see the Queen out."
"So," Regina said once they were outside. "You and Emma seemed to have picked up where you left off. Always jumping at the chance to save the day with her."
"I did what I thought was right- for the town," Killian said simply.
"Oh, please," Regina said. "I know you, Hook. You would have taken any chance if it meant getting back to her. So don't give me any of that 'Hero' crap. You brought her back for yourself."
"We both tried the hero bit. Didn't take, remember? That's why I couldn't stay with the group in the first place," Hook said defensively. "Oh right, you don't remember our arrival back to the Enchanted Forest. We need Emma to help us do that once all this Witch business is out of the way. So instead of accusing me, you should be thanking me for bringing them back."
"Yet you clearly remember everything," Regina asked suspiciously. "Why exactly is that, Hook?"
"I was out of range of the curse," Hook said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"How far out of range? Where were you?"
"As far away as I could get," Hook said through his teeth. Regina knew that look in his eye, because she'd felt it the moment she decided to give Henry up. That thought of knowing you were destined to be cut off from your loved ones forever. In that, the two of them were alike. They could each count their number of loved ones on one hand, so the thought of losing them would drive them to extreme depths. "And what of you, your majesty? Not sticking around with your boy tonight? I would have thought your reunion would be longer lasting."
"Henry still doesn't know who I am," Regina said sadly. "I don't have the ingredients for the right kind of memory potion like you had, and I agree with how Emma feels about giving him a normal life."
"What?!" This was not what Hook was expecting. Regina was supposed to be an ally in trying to convince Emma to stay, not encourage it! Regina shook her head and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, as if she knew exactly what he had hoped she'd do.
"If you were a parent, you'd understand," Regina said simply. "Take it from me, Hook. Enjoy the time you have with Emma, then let her go. It's what Emma wants for Henry, and that's all that matters. It's what we always said in Neverland, right?" With that, Regina turned and walked towards her car, silently offering him a ride. He shook his head in refusal, turning the opposite way and stomping down the street.
Emma and Hook drove back to the bed & breakfast in silence after dropping Regina off. David didn't want any company going back to the loft in fear of worrying Mary-Margaret of what happened in the woods. Whatever losing his sword meant, they needed to get to the bottom of it fast. Thankfully, David left seeming to be as determined and courageous as ever, so at least his "courage" wasn't taken from him. It seemed like they were going to need it. Emma slowed down as they passed the docks.
"Do you want me to drop you off at the Jolly Roger for tonight? I could make an excuse to Henry," Emma offered, breaking the silence.
"Trying to get rid of me, Swan?"
"No," Emma said a bit too quickly. "No, I just...I don't think I've seen you go back there since we got back to Storybrooke."
"Well, we're not around each other all the time, lass. Perhaps I have been back," Hook said, not looking at her. "Just keep going."
"You're hiding something," Emma said as she shifted gears roughly. Even her yellow bug seemed to be disappointed in being in Storybrooke. The change from New York to Maine weather seemed like it was doing something to her car, or maybe it was just her annoyance with her passenger.
"Do you really want to go down that road again, Swan?" Emma shivered as she thought of their earlier conversation in the woods, how closed off he was, how there was fire in his eyes when she talked about Walsh, of how close he was to her at the end. Emma let out a sigh as she focused on the road, resuming their silence once again. As they drew closer to their destination, which wasn't far in the first place, she found herself driving at a slower speed. She couldn't decide whether she actually wanted to stay in the car and have it out with him or because she was anticipating the inevitable parting in the parking lot. Hook storming away from her, leaving her alone again. But that's what she wanted, right? To be left alone? Quickly deciding to just get it over with, like ripping off a bandaid, she sped up as she got close to the parking lot, pulling into a parking stall a bit too roughly. When she got out of the car, she was surprised that Killian actually stayed put, staring down like he was focused on his hands. Emma waited a beat before knocking on the window.
"Come on, Hook, I need you to get out so I can lock the car," Emma said, folding her arms tightly around her due to the cold. Hook got out slowly and stood still as she finished locking the car. "What," she asked as she turned to him.
"I just can't help to think what my last year would have been like if I had made better decisions," Killian said.
"What, like staying with my parents and being taken by the curse instead of going off on your own to pillage," Emma joked.
"If I would have stayed with you and Henry, because it took every fiber of my being to keep silent," Killian confessed. "Gone with you, to have a life of false memories, but capturing new ones. Because if that's all you want to get back to, it must have been a splendid life indeed. Much better than what I had to deal with."
"You mean the life you refuse to be honest with me about," Emma asked defensively. Killian shook his head and started to go back inside, only to be stopped by Emma's hand on his arm. He turned towards her, his body so close to hers it made him shiver, and he didn't care that he hadn't tried to hide it. Her nearness always overcame him. "Hey, what happened to winning my heart without any trickery? Because I'm sure omitting the truth through silence counts as some sort of trickery."
"Can your heart still be won," he asked hopefully.
"You know what I mean," Emma said. "I expect a lot of people to be dishonest with me, but not you."
"Expecting a pirate to be honest? I didn't think you were a fool, lass." Emma softened and gave his arm a small squeeze. And whether she meant to or not, he saw a flash of compassion in her eyes.
"I expect my friend, Killian Jones, to be the person he's always proven to be. The one who has my back," Emma said. Killian took a step in towards her, closing the gap slightly, and Emma didn't retreat.
"Always, Swan," Killian said softly. "But, like you, we all have something to hide." Emma nodded before stepping back to head towards the stairs of the bed and breakfast. Killian watched her go, giving a good amount of distance before he headed in as well.