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Chapter 6: Introductions

Anna had taken the entire explanation of Storybrooke as well as Emma could have hoped for. Of course, she was shocked at first, and had completely denied the possibility, but Emma had shown her Henry's story book and had promised that once she met the people in the town, she would be convinced. And she hadn't been wrong.

"So that really was Pinocchio? And that seriously was Gepetto? Damn, Swan, this is crazy. But if you believe it, I believe it. And I'm sure I'll be getting more proof as I meet the other people in this town. Right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about that. I guarantee that by the end of the week you'll know exactly who everyone is and there won't be a doubt in your mind about it. Listen, I want to pick up a small present for Henry at Mr. Gold's shop. You don't have to come if you don't want to"-

"And what, miss the chance to meet another one of the fairytale folk? Hell no, I'm coming with you. Who's Mr. Gold again?"

"He's Rumplestiltskin. But remember, he's dangerous, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about me. If he tries anything I'll just kick his ass with my mean karate skills."

As they neared Mr. Gold's shop, Emma felt a strange sense of comfort wash over her. It had been an easy couple of days, what with her friend back in town, work having been easy, and getting to spend most of her spare time with Henry. When they opened the shop door however, Emma could clearly hear an argument going on inside. She looked at Anna, who shrugged, and the pair quietely walked into the store.

"Listen here, Crocodile, just because we were able to 'get along' to get Henry back, doesn't mean I have forgotten my long life hatred for you. I will still get you back for what you did to my Milah, somehow, someday. And let's not forget what you did to my hand."

As Emma registered who's voice it was, she could already feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. Anna looked at her curiously, but shrugged it off as they listened to Gold's reply.

"I don't think you will, Captain. And I'll tell you why. Henry is now my grandson. And who is Henry's mother? Ah, there's that look of recognition. Exactly. And I happen to know for a fact that you would never do anything that would indirectly hurt her. Even if it means exacting your pathetic excuse for revenge on me. Do you understand?"

"Don't think this isn't over, crocodile. I've come close enough once."

As Hook turned his back on Gold and strode towards the exit, both himself and Emma were surprised to find each other at the door. Emma wasn't really, of course, but she hadn't prepared herself for running into him, and images of her now frequent dreams floated through her head as she looked at the pirate standing in front of her. How could anyone in head to toe leather make it look so good?

Anna coughed, and broke the silence. "So, this is a nice little shop. Emma, aren't you going to introduce me?" Emma could hear the change in tone of her friend's voice, and even though they hadn't seen each other in a long time, she knew what it meant. It meant she liked what she saw in Hook, and that thought was as displeasing to Emma as it had been when she'd heard that he and Tink had a past.

"Right. Anna, this is Hook. Hook, this is Anna.""

"Why don't you start using my proper name for once, love, and call me Killian? I'd say were in that point of our relationship now, wouldn't you?""

Hook kept looking at Anna with an expression of appreciation, and Emma could feel the jealousy coursing through her veins. This was insane, what was wrong with her?

"It's lovely to meet you, darling. Any friend of Emma's is a dear friend of mine. Anna, you said your name was? Well, Anna, if you ever need a tour of Storybrooke, I'm your man."

Emma snorted, and immediately regretted it. Both Anna and Hook were looking at her expectantly; Anna with an expression of mingled curiousity, and Hook with that smirk that reached his eyes that told you that he knew exactly what you were thinking. Emma shook her head and laughed.

"You, the man for a guided tour of Storybrooke? You just got here for the first time a few months ago!"

"Well, love, it's not as though there's much to show her around. But if she'd take me up on my offer, I'd most enjoy her company." He winked at Anna then, and Emma felt her hands shake. She really needed him to leave.

"Shouldn't you be filling your flask with rum somewhere?" Emma asked, somewhat agitatedly, and she could see that her reaction only made Hook's smirk bigger than it was before.

"If the lady insists I leave, then I'll leave. It was lovely to meet you, Anna, darling. Lovely as ever to see you, miss Swan."

As Hook walked towards them to the door, Emma sucked in a breath as he passed closer to her than necessary. His arm brushed against hers, and she could feel the goosebumps rising all over her arm. As if he could feel what she was feeling, he looked at her then, straight in the eye, and she could feel her breath catching again as his turqouise blue eyes searched her gray ones, and in that moment she forgot where she was and who she was there with. It had been a long time since she'd felt this strongly compelled towards another human being. Neal and Graham had been the last two. It actually frustrated her that all the men she had fallen for, when of course, Hook wasn't one of them, how could he be, had been from the Enchanted Forest. Wasn't it possible for her to find a normal guy somewhere? But here she was, having what seemed like an oddly long staring contest with an extremely handsome pirate, and she couldn't help but feel that gravity was actually pulling her towards him. She thought of the kiss they had shared in Neverland, and felt that same urge that was telling her to just grab his leather coat again and kiss him right then and there. In fact, it took quite a lot of her restraint not to, and as he brushed his fingers against her one last time right before he walked out the shop door Emma almost did just that. But he had left, and she hadn't kissed him; and she thanked the heavens for not having kissed him, because it would have given her a lot of explaining to do. To Anna, to her parents, to Hook, probably even to Mr. Gold, but mostly to herself. Because she could feel that she was more intrigued by Hook than she had led herself to believe, and she was thinking about the possibility of Neal less and less because of it.

As she heard Mr. Gold's cane tapping the floor of the shop she snapped out of her thoughts and turned her attention on Anna.

"So that was Captain Hook? THE Captain Hook? Well, I'm not sorry he doesn't look anything like Disney made him out to be. Emma, you okay? You seem a little out of it."

Emma shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. "Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I saw the way you we're looking at him, and I just wanted to warn you about him. He wouldn't be – he wouldn't be good for you."

Anna laughed and put a hand on her friends shoulder. "Yeah, because you want him all for yourself. Don't even look at me like that, Emma. I'm not blind. You guys had some serious eye contact going on there, and I don't think I've ever seen you that focused on a guy before. If you want to deny it to yourself, then fine. But if you're not going to do anything about it, don't blame me for not trying to get you to see it."

Emma looked at Anna incredulously. She couldn't believe that she had been that obvious about it. What was wrong with her? But she couldn't help herself as she tried to deny it yet again.

"There's nothing going on between me and Hook, okay? Let's just drop it and pick something out for Henry."

Anna glanced at her friend one last time. "Sure thing, Emma. We'll just forget that encounter never happened."

Emma didn't like the tone of her friends voice as she said those last few words, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She pushed aside all thoughts of the one handed pirate, and focused her attention on the one thing that mattered most. Henry.