Emma woke to find herself laying on the ground of the cell, only her head was resting on something warm. She looked around to see Hook laying flat on the ground with his arm behind his head, his hook out of it's holster and at arm's reach. His good arm was around her and her head had been on his chest. Her thoughts flashed back to last night- their kiss. She couldn't remember a time that she felt happier than in that moment. However, she also felt slightly embarrassed. What if he was just caught up in the moment? She slowly got up and rolled her neck to get the stiffness out, but when she left his side, he groaned a little, reaching for her in his sleep. She quickly moved away to avoid getting caught by his hand.
"Emma?" he groaned in his sleep. Emma smiled to herself for a moment. Maybe it wasn't just a moment in the darkness. Hook's eyes shot open as he reached out for Emma to find her gone. It took him a moment to wake up and look around to see her in the corner, watching him. He let out a sigh of relief and grabbed his hook to lock it back in it's holster. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore," she answered. "Regina had me whipped last night." He got up to go towards her, but he paused as if searching for permission. She got up herself and went over to him, but quickly got embarrassed and lowered her gaze as she got close to him. She brushed some dirt off his shirt as an excuse. "It seems dirt and leather don't mix."
"We kissed," he stated, catching her off guard and hooking her wrist. "Don't try to pretend nothing happened."
"I...I don't know what to say," Emma said, trying to search his eyes to find whether he was mad that it happened, or upset that she was avoiding the subject. Hook could see the hurt in her eyes and face, not by him, but the hurt of someone who has had their heart broken too many times. He knew exactly how she felt. He was a bit scared to let himself love again too in fear of losing someone all over again, but in his heart he knew this was the beginning of love, and could see that she felt it too.
"You don't have to say anything," he said, capturing her lips again. He kissed her tenderly and deeply, and she melted into his arms. He broke the kiss and smiled at her. "I think I'm falling for you, Swan."
"Me Swan or alternate universe Swan?" He tipped her head towards him with his hook and smiled.
"You. My Swan. My Emma," he said lowly as he kissed her again. Hook cupped her face with his hand and she gently threaded her fingers in his hair. Their kiss was slow, gentle, their connection was sealed. Hook kissed her cheek and forehead before wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head.
"What about your revenge?" She said leaning her head on his chest as he cradled her in his arms.
"That doesn't matter now. We have to go home," Hook said.
"Which home? My home or the home where your ship is?"
"Anywhere but here," he said. "Either way, I'll get you home to your boy. I promise. Do you trust me?" He said, looking into her eyes. She was once again lost in the sea of his gaze and she nodded, giving his hand a squeeze. He took the candle and began to search the walls. They must have been in the deepest part of the dungeons, deeper than where Rumplestiltskin was. "Well, your Mommy-dearest must really love you. This place is disgusting."
"She's not my Mother. I'd feel better leaving if I knew that my father was okay, along with Killian & Swan," Emma said.
"I told them to work on your father while I got you out," Hook said. "Which, by the look of things, will be tricky." He tapped on the rocks with his hook and felt the door, trying not to rattle it too loudly. He heard footsteps from the corridor rushed towards Emma. "Get back down where you were!"
"What are you going to do?" Hook put his finger to his lips, left the candle by the door and slipped into the darkest corner. With his dark pirate outfit, just knowing he was there already was the only way she could tell where he was. The Queen burst open the door and went over to Emma.
"Are you ready to behave now?" Regina said, grabbing her face. Although Emma was still sore, she faked being worse than she was, looking away from Regina. Regina smiled as she saw her pain. "That's the Emma I know. Weak." She rose and began to pace around her. "You know, your father still has a weakness- you. Ever since he realized you were alive, he has thought of nothing else. And when he found you missing again, he has been frantic with worry. I let you live because I thought you could be like my own, but I've learned what the role of the evil-stepmother is far too well. I think it's time to do what I should have done long ago. You'll be executed at noon today."
"My father won't stand for it," Emma said weakly.
"No, he won't, will he?" Regina said. "I'll just have to think of a way to..."
"The time for scheming is done, your majesty," Hook said, coming out of the shadows and putting his hook to her neck. Regina just smiled and sent him flying backward to the wall. She waved her hand and he was surrounded by a bubble of bluish-hue.
"Thank you, Captain. You've just given me a reason to hang you both," Regina said slyly. As she went through the door, she waved her hand and the door disappeared.
"You're going to just leave the door open?"
"Try to escape," Regina challenged. Emma approached cautiously and raised one finger through the doorframe. Hook was hit with what felt like electric shocks and screamed in pain. Emma rushed to him, but when she touched the field, she felt the shock herself. Regina laughed in amusement. "Hook is now the lock on your cell. If either of you try to escape, he'll die from the pain. Try to help him, you'll receive the pain. Now you can spend the last few hours of your life unable to hold each other. See you at noon!" With that, she turned to leave, reveling in her triumph. Emma and Hook both fell to the ground in defeat.
"That went well," Hook said weakly. Emma smiled, but a single tear fell down her cheek. "Darling, I'm so sorry. You can still go."
"No, I can't. You'll die," she said.
"We might be dead either way. At least I'll know you'll be safe," Hook said. Emma wiped her tear away and shook her head.
"No, I'm not leaving you," Emma said. "It's like you said. We're in this together." Hook smiled at her and reached to touch her cheek, but stopped just before touching the field. She held her hand up too, wishing she could touch him too.
The next few hours passed slowly. They tried to think of a hundred ways they could get out, but it was no use. Emma sat next to Hook as close as she could and leaned back against the rock.
"Any last regrets?" Emma asked.
"Not kissing you on that beanstalk for starters," Hook said with a smile. "I also miss my ship. If I could have taken her for that one last ride, I could die a happy pirate."
"I've never actually seen your ship," Emma said.
"Oh, she's a marvel for sure, lass. The fastest ship in all the realms. Many pirates have tried to take her from me, but I will fight for her 'til my last breath," Hook said.
"Like Milah," Emma added.
"Aye, and for you," Hook finished. "I wish I could have taken you sailing."
"That would have been nice," Emma said softly.
"What about you?"
"Henry, my son. I wish I could have spent more time with him, seen him take his first steps," Emma said, wiping a tear away. "I know it's not possible to go back in time and raise him myself but, I want to make up for the time I've lost. I want to be a family, be his Mom."
"I think you'd make a wonderful Mother," Hook said.
"Have you ever wanted children?"
"A pirate's life is no place for a child. Milah and I talked about it, but she didn't want to feel like she was replacing the one she left behind. But, aye, there is a part of me that's wanted children," Hook said. Emma smiled at the thought of blue-eyed babies. "But, alas, that might not be possible."
"If Mary-Margaret were here, she'd say that we're going to get out of this, that good always wins," Emma said. "I don't have her optimism."
"Smart lass, but unfortunately, I'm what you'd call a villain," Hook said. "We don't get our happy endings."
"You're not a villain," Emma said, defending him. "If you were, you would have taken that deal and left me. Instead you wanted to rescue me. What do you call that?"
"Maybe you do have your mother's optimism after all," Hook said. Emma smiled and closed her eyes, thinking about Henry, her parents. What is Cora doing to them now that she's in Storybrooke? She wished she could protect them, protect Hook. She wished that with all her heart. A white wave washed over the jail cell. "What did you just do?"
"What?"
"Some sort of magic came out of you and this bubble seemed the phase. I think you weakened it," Hook said. He raised his hand to the bubble and he received more shocks.
"Hook, no!" Emma cried out.
"That wasn't as bad," he said as he recoiled from the pain. "Whatever you were doing, do it again."
"I wasn't doing anything, I was thinking," she said.
"You must have been doing more than that," he said. "What were you thinking?"
"Of how much I wanted to protect my family, and you," she answered.
"Try again," he said. Emma closed her eyes and wished harder. She wanted to protect Hook, she wanted to be in his arms again. A large white wave shot out and the bluish-hue faded into nothing. Hook tentatively reached up- nothing. He lunged over to Emma and scooped her up into his arms as he laughed with joy in holding her again. Her eyes shot open in surprise and held him close as he spun her around. "You did it, love!"
"What just happened?" Emma asked, unsure of what she just did.
"We'll worry about that another time. Let's go!" Hook said, kissing her quickly before grabbing his satchel that was hidden in the corner with his hook, and grabbing her hand with his own. They had made it about five steps outside the jail cell when they were arrested by four guards. Regina came into view and snapped her fingers, with Hook's hook appearing in her hand.
"My, my. We are different, aren't we? I guess this execution is perfectly planned before we find out just how powerful you really are," Regina said. "Take them to the courtyard and prepare the archers for execution."