A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, but I have a pretty busy schedule and the last of my midterms are this week…isdvhb,vbdkv. Ew. But the response I got to the first chapter was amazing, thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement. I know they're a bit OOC but that's just the way it has to be for this plot, I'm definitely keeping the light humor/banter of the glory that is Captain Swan, but I may or may not change a few minor things. Again, I only know the general direction as to where I'm headed with this plot so if you guys wanna see anything specific or have any ideas please share! Love you all and ship on Captain Swanners!

"GOSH KAREN YOU'RE SO STUPID!" ~ Mean Girls

The first time Emma wakes up, all she feels is pain.

Her head and her ankle throb in protest when she twists around. She's lying inside a makeshift tent with a worn cloth covering her body. There's a rope around her wrists that keeps her from moving her hands. Ignoring the pain, she pushes herself up into a sitting position and tries to remember what happened.

Groggily, her brain sifts through the foggy memories until she finds the one she's looking for.

Hook- he…he…knocked me out. But… he promised. After he promised he wouldn't…wait. The compass! Where is it?!

Emma felt around her neck for the compass, only to find it missing. Frustrated and betrayed, she swiped at the tears pooling in her eyes, determined not to let them fall for a stupid pirate.

Focus, Emma. You have to find out where you are fir-

Crack.

Freezing, Emma cautiously waited to see what- or who- made that sound. There was a light chuckle, and Emma stared in shock when Cora appeared. It wore off quickly, and she snarled out an angry "What do you want?"

"Is that any way to treat your captor? The compass, dear, where is it?"

"What? Did your little pirate not already give it to you?" She growled out the word pirate, as if it were the most repulsing term she could think of. Which, given her current situation, she had no doubts that she was wrong about trusting Hook. Little bastard. "I don't have it."

"Now, now, no need to be cross. I can't blame you for trusting our dear captain. After all, his pretty face can be quite charming. I'll ask you once more." Cora's voice turned menacing. "Where. Is. The. Compass?"

Emma couldn't believe herself. She had the pirate trapped in chains, and yet he convinced her to set him free. There was no doubt the arrogant pirate was laughing at her stupidity. After Neal, she still hadn't learned her lesson. Maybe it was something about the reminder of Neal, maybe it was just a moment of pitiful déjà vu, but Emma Swan let out a coarse laugh that turned into a fit of hysteric, broken giggles. "I don't know," she gasped. "But neither do you."

Hook, she thought. He had to have done something. Perhaps he had decided to finally abandon the idea of playing both on Cora's and on her side, and simply stole the compass and left. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps. So many possibilities, Emma mused in her head. I must be going crazy.

Cora, however, clearly did not find the situation amusing and promptly waved her hand in a dainty circle.

The last thing Emma saw was Cora's sneering face as she succumbed to the darkness once again.

Page break…

The second time Emma wakes up, all she feels is a steady rocking with the occasional jostle.

She's moving, of that she's positive. And quickly, by the looks of it. There's a warm body that's holding her, and she buries her head into the body's shoulder. Inhaling, the familiar scent of rum and a distant sea breeze fills her nose.

"It's about bloody time, love. You know, it's not that easy to carry a woman for so long. I even ran for a good distance back there. I think I deserve a little reward, don't you think?"

That voice…

Shit.

Fighting to stand on her own, Emma thrashed around wildly. "Put me down! Put me down right now you son of a bitch! Where's the compass? Give it to me! I know you have it! I know you gave me to Cora! And after everything, I thought I could trust you." She let out a dark humorless laugh. "Let go of me!"

With a grunt, Hook set her on the ground, being careful to avoid touching one of her many injuries.

"You think I gave you to Cora? Darling, if it weren't for me, you would be dead and Cora would be in Storybrooke. Don't you listen to me Swan? I told you I was on your side. I knocked you out to protect you. Try something new, darling, it's called trust."

Killian didn't even know why he did it. But the second she saw through him and threatened to leave him to the ogres, he knew he needed to know this woman. At the moment though, he was seething. Why couldn't she just trust him for once?

"Look sweetheart, sooner or later Cora's going to notice our absence. She'll realize I stole you away and pretty soon she's going to come after us. Now if you don't mind, I'd rather get as far away as possible before that happens. So kindly get back up and let me carry you without the threats, sound good love?"

Emma paused. Her human lie detector told her he wasn't lying, but then again, she had been wrong before. Besides, she was injured, and if he wanted, he could just snatch the compass and leave.

"Why… why are you taking me? I'm injured, you're not… why are you helping me?"

Killian gave her no response.

Emma was getting pissed off. She hated the feeling of guilt, but she hated even more the fact that she was feeling guilty for yelling at him. It was his fault, he betrayed her!

"Killian, I'm fucking talking to you. Why do you care? I almost left you on that beanstalk! You knocked me out. What now? What do you want from me? Why-"

"Because, you daft woman! Because… because I feel alive when I'm with you! For so long, all I've thought about is my revenge. Because I remember what it was like before. When I wasn't so ... bad. When I lived, actually lived. I remember how it felt to simply sail out to sea because I wanted to. Because of the adventure, the thrill! I nearly destroyed my home, Emma. I was banished from Neverland because of my lust to kill Rumplestiltskin."

His voice cracked. "You don't know how much I've done to get what I want. It's been so long since I've had even just an acquaintance. For 28 years, I've been stuck here without my crew or anyone else. Just Cora. Imagine 28 years alone with Cora. It does things to a person's mind. And then you, you blasted woman come falling out of a portal and you see right through me. You ignore my attempts to gain your trust and all it does is make me want it more. You're the only one who has ever looked at me like a real person, like I'm alive, like I'm a human being. I thought all I needed was revenge. But now I feel something in this cold, rotten heart of mine. And it feels like you're my savior. You're my second chance. Because maybe I'm already too lost and I don't deserve to even be your friend, but just knowing that I have an ally who looks at me and knows that as black as it may be, I still have a heart…I don't know what I'm doing, Emma. All I know is that while you were unconscious after Cora visited you I knew, I knew I would do anything to get you back to your son. Because your son's the most important person in the universe to you, and to see you broken with the realization that you would never see him again…that would destroy my heart completely."

Killian had tears streaking down his face at the end of his declaration. "Emma… I don't know what I would do with my life after killing the crocodile. There would be no more purpose in my life. Please… give me a reason to believe that life is worth living. Just trust me Emma. I won't… I can't hurt you. Trust me."

Emma broke the silence.

"His name was Neal," she whispered. "He… he's Henry's father. Long story short, he let me believe he loved me. I thought that, for once, someone loved me for me. I was so, so stupid. We were thieves, living off of stolen chips and instant noodles. There was a wanted sign for him, and I said, so stupidly, that I would pick up the box of watches he was wanted for. $20.000 worth of watches. He gave me one, told me that I could keep it. We planned to meet at "our" spot, but it turns out he left a tip to the police that I would be there. And that I had a watch on me for proof."

Emma's voice wavered. "He let me go to jail for him. He let me go through my pregnancy with Henry alone. In jail. I was only 17. But the worst part is, I offered to do it! I knew what could happen, but I was so stupidly in love, and I thought he loved me like he said he did, but he left me to rot in his place! Ever since, I've known that I'm destined to be alone, because I'll always be second to someone or something else. No matter how hard I try, I'm never good enough. I-"

She was cut off as Killian suddenly kissed her. Emma felt herself responding with equal fervor, her lips battling hard against his. She felt like she was wanted for once. And maybe, in a different life, or world, they could have been. But they were already broken, and Emma didn't think she could pick herself back up if he ever left her.

"EMMA! EMMA?"

They broke apart from the kiss gasping. Emma could hear Snow and Mulan and Aurora calling for her, and she looked at Killian with sad eyes.

"Emma-"

"Don't. Killian, I don't regret what happened. But it can't happen again. Maybe in another world, we could have been together. We could have been happy. But you still want your revenge, and I can't handle being broken again. But this, this is the type of thing that happens in fairytales. And my life is no fairytale."

"Emma, you may not believe me now, but my revenge is second to you. Someday, Emma Swan. Someday, you'll trust me."

Page break…time lapse to next day

After endless questioning to where Emma had disappeared to after the beanstalk and some nasty glares at Hook, Snow finally managed to calm down.

"Emma, we're going back to Storybrooke together. As a family. There is no other way."

Emma could have cried. She was so unused to this, to everything. First, Killian had told her she was first to his revenge. While she still had many confusing thoughts about the matter, she couldn't detect a lie in his voice. That didn't mean it was true though. Maybe he thought so, but when it came down to it, Emma knew she wasn't as important.

"Snow… mom. I-I'm sorry. I'm just not used to people putting me first, a-and it's just… different from what I'm used to."

Before Snow could say anything, Killian purposefully walked up.

"Well love, you'd best get used to it, then." And then after a moment of silence, her tears fell, and she turned to Killian. His arms opened and their eyes met. Blue on green. Two broken hearts, hiding behind an act of arrogance and an act of nonchalance. Emma stumbled into his arms and he held her like he was a dying man and she was his angel.

Snow White's jaw introduced itself to the Enchanted Forest's floor.

A/N: awhh Captain Swan! YAY! If it seems kinda rushed or OC and everything ik it's only the 2nd chapter but I'm in a rush to just get this out there since it's already been 2 weeks, and also the real plot of the story will come up soon, probably around chapter 3-5ish it should be officially introduced. Sorry if there are any grammar errors, spelling, etc. Please PM me on anything you'd like to see happen during the story as again, I have no specific plan as to exactly how the next chapters are gonna go so leave an idea if u have one! Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, etc and I'll try to have chapter 3 uploaded by the weekend!