AN: Don't always expect me to update this quickly. I did tonight so I could avoid doing grown-up things (I still like to pretend I'm not grown up). I hope you like it!

After awhile in silence, Hook looks up at Emma. "So, what memory were you forced to relive?"

Emma is slightly startled by the sudden sound of his voice and scrunches her eyebrows at the question.

"What?"

"Your dream- it's what the island does to the lost boys- forces them to relive their loneliest moments – the ones where they wanted their family- a family- the most. It's why they cry at night," Hook stops and places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"How would you know?" Emma asks defensively as she pulls back.

Hook gives a curt laugh, "I was forced to relive the same lonely moments for centuries. If you don't learn to get past them, they will eat away at your soul until you're a shadow of what you were."

"And-" Emma hesitates. "How'd you get past them?"

Hook pauses, reluctant to share such personal information. But looking into her desperate eyes, he knows he needs to continue. "I didn't. Neverland reduced me from the lost pirate I was to nothing but revenge. I didn't just want revenge; it was all that I was. I had no feelings or desires besides it."

Seeing the horrified look in Emma's eyes, now that she understood the power of the island, makes Hook jump to add, while pulling out his flask and handing it to Emma, "But this takes the edge off of it at least."

Emma takes the flask without a second thought and pulls the cork out with her teeth. She takes a swig and exhales, before looking up at him and chugging some more. When she removes the bottle from her lips, she sputters a bit before handing it back. She sits down on a nearby rock and cradles her head in her hands as Hook, unmoving, watches her. After a moment she looks back up and asks, "And what will become of me- of my family if we stay?"

"We won't," Hook walks over to her and, kneeling in front of her he continues, "You'll bring us all back."

Emma scrutinizes him. She looks to see if he really believes that- and he does. "How can you be so sure?"

He gives a one-sided grin, "Well, you said it yourself, love. You're the savior."

Emma scoffs at that, "A lot of good that's done me."

Hook chuckles and sits down next to her rock. They sit in silence, staring at the constellations for the longest time, with only the flask passing between them.

Eventually, Emma curls her knees into herself and rests her chin on them before glancing at the pirate and asking, "Why don't they hear it?"

"Hmm?"

"Regina- my parents- they don't hear the crying. They don't have the dreams."

"Only a lost boy knows what this kind of loneliness sounds like."

Emma hesitates again, "Mary-Margret, David- they don't understand. They try to and they want to make up for it, but they just don't get it."

"Were you always an orphan?"

Emma looks down and avoids the question. This is getting too personal and the past is already too real in her dreams. She doesn't want to relive it while awake as well. "We should be getting back."

"Swan, you can't avoid your past- not here. There is no future here. The past is all you have. And if you're forced to relive the loneliness, isn't better not to do it alone? Isn't it better to share it with someone who can understand?"

"I-" Emma's voice cracks, "I can't."

"Emma," Hook growls, exasperated. "You have to own it before it owns you."

"You don't understand!"

"Don't I though? At least you parents gave you away so you'd be safe. My mother left us because she couldn't stand my father and didn't want my brother and I because we reminded her of our father. My father abandoned us on a ship because thievery was more important than us."

"I didn't know that my parents wanted me. My whole life I thought they abandoned me on the side of the road- that they didn't even care enough to take me to a hospital. And yeah, I had an adoptive family until I was 14, but there wasn't a single day that I didn't feel like an orphan," Emma shouts, standing up halfway through her rant, because she couldn't stay still. She paces back and fourth in front of the rock and Hook.

"They abandoned you when you were 14?"

"No," Emma paused to breathe back her tears. She squares her shoulders before adding, "I ran away."

The next time she walks by him, Hook grabs her hand and guides her down to sit next to him. She looks up at him, bewildered. He releases her hand and tucks a lock behind her ear before urging her to continue.

"What made you feel alone- like an orphan?"

"Besides my 'brother' and 'dad' forcing it into my thoughts every chance they got?" Emma asks as she closes her eyes and begins narrating the vivid images she sees replacing the darkness.


She's coloring a purple unicorn in the den when her brother, Bryce, grabs the crayon out of her hand and breaks it in two. She begins to cry and Bryce jumps on the couch and pretends to watch TV right before their mom comes in to see what's wrong.

"What happened, honey?"

"Bryce broke my crayon!"

"I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose."

"Yes he did," she cries louder.

Her dad stomps in and yells, "Why the hell is the girl crying again?"

Emma tries to stop crying and retreats under the table as she holds back her sobs.

"She has a name," her mom responds coolly.

"I don't care, just make it stop."

"Bryce was picking on her, he broke her things."

"That's what the girl told you. Did you do it, son?"

"No, daddy," Bryce pouts.

"See, she probably broke her own crayon and just wanted to get my son in trouble."

"Or your son broke your daughter's crayon and lied about it."

Her dad slaps her mom across the face, "I don't know why you stand up for her."

It was the girl's first memory.


"What are you doing?"

"Writing my name. Mommy taught me how."

"Why are you fooling around when your chores aren't done?"

"Mommy told me to practice-"

"You're not going to be a freeloader here- just because you were born that way. If you are going to live in my house, you're going to pay your dues," he grabs her arm and throws her into the kitchen. "Sweep the floor!"

"But Bryce doesn't have to do chores!"

Emma receives a blow to the face, "Don't you argue with me, you little shit!"


"Emma," Bryce taunts her.

"Bryce, stop!"

"What're ya gonna do? Tell dad?"

"Stop!"

"Emma, do ya know why no one loves you?"

"Stop it!"

"Dad told me how come! It's 'cause you're adopted!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yuh-huh! That's why no one cares about you!"

"Stop," she whines.

"Dad told me even your real parents didn't want you, that's why the threw you on the side of the road."

She begins to cry.

"They threw you out. Just like dad wants to. He told me."

"Stop," she screams at the top of her lungs, which of course brings her dad running into the room.

"Don't you dare demand anyone in this house to do anything," he slaps her.

"Bryce keeps saying I'm adopted!"

"Yeah? He's telling the truth. I would never have a daughter like you."


At this point, Emma's face is raw from the giant amount of tears that escaped, despite her eyes being shut so tightly. She stops, unable to go on. No one has ever heard these memories- not even Neal, when he had rescued her.

Hook wants to be there for her, to help her, but he also knows how thin of a line they're walking on. He begins twirling her hair between his fingers- trying to reassure her without over stepping their boundaries. There would be a time for that- tomorrow when they pretend this never happened- when he can return to his cocky, yet charming pirate act. But for now, he wouldn't threaten her opening up for anything.

She looks up at him, waiting for him to make the next move. He doesn't want to push her too far, instead he offers up a part of himself.

"When I was a small boy-"

AN: So, this was going to be an Emma-centric piece, but I realized that he had to offer up a part of himself as well. If you want me to add Hook flashbacks, let me know. Reviews are also very nice things.