This takes place two days after The Jolly Roger, so beware of spoilers!

Oh, and I don't own any of these characters!

PLEASE REVIEW!

"So, if you kiss me I lose my magic and if you don't kiss me then Zelena will start killing off my family. Is that all?"

Sitting side by side at the island in Mary Margaret's kitchen, Captain Hook had just finished telling Emma Swan the entire story about what happened in the past year and what happened with Zelena two nights ago.

"Bloody hell woman, is that all? It's your family, love! What are we going to do? I can't let her hurt yo… them!"

Emma couldn't help but smile as she looked at the pirate. Her pirate. She shouldn't be surprised that the former pirate captain went straight to the idea of protecting her family instead of trying to find a way around their kissing curse. He has changed so much since they met in the Enchanted Forrest that seeing him say and do the things that he has been doing since bringing her back to Storybrooke can sometimes bring her up short.

She knew he was worried over what she would think about what he did in the year they were separated but she was really telling him the truth the night that he declined to go to dinner with everyone; she really was tired of living in the past, she wanted to start living her life and looking forward to her future. A future that had the leather wearing pirate being very much involved in, very involved in!

"Zelena won't be given the chance to hurt my family, because Regina and I are going to take her down before she can even bat an eye. I'm done with this bitch threatening and cursing the people that I love, it's time she goes back to where she belongs along with her evil flying monkeys."

She didn't miss the way his body froze and the way his breathing started speeding up with the 'L' word came out of her mouth. He quickly cast his eyes down and started to fiddle with his hook.

"Uh, the people you love?"

Lifting her hand to his cheek, she brought his face up so that she could look into his eyes and smile.

"Yeah, the people, the person that I love."

"But what about what I did to Ariel and Eric? How could you ever forgive me for that? I did a horrible thing, I was a horrible person!"

"No you weren't! You were hurting, you were going through a time that we incredibly difficult and you were just trying to protect yourself and your heart. All that matters to me is what you do now, nothing else. We all have done terrible things in our past and that is exactly where they need to stay, the past. We need to start forgetting about our past and focus on our future, you got that pirate?"

His eyes twinkled with a mixture of love and happiness.

"Gods I really want to kiss you right now."

Quickly standing, the Savior moved into the kitchen looking through the cabinets. With a loud "ah-ha!" she moved to take her place sitting beside the pirate again when she happily lifted up a large sheet of plastic wrap.

"I'm afraid this is the best I can do at the moment."

"What in the bloody hell is that, love?"

Laughing, she lifted the plastic up to her face and moved toward the pirate and captured his lips with hers but without really touching. Once he caught onto what the clear parchment was for he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer until she was practically sitting on his lap.

After a few minutes the two pulled away and Emma dropped her arms along with the plastic wrap.

"You are a bloody genius, love. But it's nothing like the real thing, I'm afraid."

"I know, but it's enough to help scratch that itch until we can figure out how to break that curse or kill the witch, whichever happens first."

Hook just smiled and pulled her close again, resting his head on hers and she snuggled into the crook of his neck. The couple remained that way until they heard the sounds of her family returning to the apartment, they removed themselves from one another and greeted the Charming's as they made their way into the apartment. Not long later Regina arrived with Robin in tow, it was war planning time in the Charming's house.

They spent the rest of the day working on a plane to free everyone from the threat of the witch all the while sneaking glances and small smiles at one another.

The timing may not be the best right now, with magic stealing curses in play, but soon, really soon they knew their time will come. And that's when the fun will really begin.