She awoke with a start, completely disoriented and confused by her surroundings. She turned her head to the left to find that she was in the arms of none other than Killian Jones – Captain Hook. Her heart raced. She didn't remember falling asleep. She could tell by the light filtering through the blinds that it was early morning. The pirate was still sleeping peacefully beside her. As carefully as she could she slipped out of his embrace and off of the bed. She was almost clear but his blasted hook got caught in one of her belt loops, tugging his arm and jarring him awake.

"Sneaking off were ya, Love" he was groggy but knew that she was trying to make a run for it.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep." she began, shaking her head, "I'm really sorry about last night. I shouldn't have come here, and I certainly shouldn't have cried on your shoulder."

"And why's that, Love?" she hadn't meant to insult him, but she had.

"Oh," she fumbled for words, "well, I barely know you... and you've got your own problems, you probably didn't need to hear about mine."

"Did I complain?" he probed.

She was taken aback. No, he hadn't. In fact he welcomed her into his arms and comforted her. He could have easily – and rightfully so – turned her away. But he didn't. Why? She was confused. Her head was swimming with way too many thoughts. Without really focusing her eyes on anything, she turned and walked out of the room. From her trance she could vaguely hear him calling after her.

~o~

When she got home she kicked off her boots and climbed the stairs to Henry's room. She eased the door open and watched him in his peaceful sleep. Since she and Mary Margaret had returned home he hadn't had any trouble with the burning room. Emma worried that all of this chaos uprooting his life was causing him to grow up too fast – much the way she had. Quietly she snuck back down the stairs.

Mary Margaret was standing in the kitchen over a cup of tea.

"We were worried about you. I told Henry that you were working late... Where were you?"

"I just... fell asleep. At the station." She lied. Technically she had been working. Freeing Killian and returning his hook was police business, but Mary Margaret had had David check the station and she knew Emma was lying.

"How are you?" her words carried that new-found motherly tone.

"I'm fine." Emma answered, too quickly.

"What are you going to do about Regina?" her question was hesitant, but she had to ask.

"Nothing. Anything I do will cost me Henry in the long run. He says she's trying to be better. Graham isn't the only heart she's crushed," her voice caught at the description, "but he'll hopefully be the last."

Mary Margaret smiled, "I am so proud of you." She walked to Emma and wrapped her in a tight hug. Emma smelled like a man, which one, Mary Margaret couldn't be sure, but she had to trust that Emma would tell her when the time was right. After the shared moment, Emma broke free of the hug and told her mother that she was heading to bed for a couple hours. Regina's spell had really taken a lot out of her.

~o~

All that day she avoided the hospital. The outsider was recovering nicely, she confirmed by phone call to Dr. Whale and she convinced herself that she had no other reason to go there. She buried herself in the paperwork that had accumulated since her departure. David had a keen sense for right and wrong, but not so much for her filing system.

The next morning she woke early and decided to have breakfast at Granny's. Ruby served her a generous stack of pancakes. The diner was pretty busy for the early hour, the chatter of familiar voices was soothing to Emma, even if she didn't listen to the words they were saying.

The bell over the door alerted the entrance of a new customer and almost instantly the crowd went silent. He was dressed in his pirate garb. On the white of his shirt there were visible blood stains and when he walked he had an obvious limp. He approached the counter beside Emma and sat on the stool next to her. He didn't look at her, only asked Ruby for some breakfast.

They sat and ate in silence while the other patrons kept their conversations hushed. When he was done, Hook pulled out a bag of gold coins to pay Ruby.

"Those aren't good here." she said calmly. She recognized them, coins from their land, "You can wash dishes out back if you can't afford to..."

"I've got it, Ruby." Emma stepped in, paying for both her meal and Hook's. When she left the diner he followed her.

"I'm sorry." she offered, not looking at him.

"For what, Lass? Spending the night, or walking away?" he challenged.

"Both." she blinked. But she wasn't sure... "Mostly for walking away." That brought the smile back to his lips.

"Do you have any other clothes?" she asked, noting his disheveled appearance.

"Aye, Lass. But I haven't been back to my ship yet."

"Where is it? I would assume a ship as majestic as yours would not easily go unnoticed, particularly by the sheriff. How long have you been here?"

"We arrived just shortly after you, I presume." there it was. The 'we' that would be the constant reminder that he had travelled here with Cora. He had sided with her, proving to Emma that he couldn't be trusted. Hook noticed the change in her body language and decided to remind her just who had betrayed whom.

"I said that I would swear allegiance to the first person to get me to Story Brooke. You had that same chance... But the deal expired once we docked. I have no loyalties or commitments besides the one I made with my crocodile all those years ago." She could see in his eyes that he wanted her to know that he had cut ties with Cora and she desperately wanted to believe him.

"Now," he extended his hand, breaking the tension, "come and see my ship!"

A/N: I want to thank everyone for the reviews/follows/favourites! I love to hear what you think! I can't guarantee a speedy update because it's midterm season... I've also got another fanfic that I'm working on (it's Gilmore Girls if any of you were as obsessed with it as I was/am and want to check it out!)

R&R!