Part 13 : Yes and no.

Neal was stressed. Clearly.

(In fact, he wasn't the only one.)

This time, he wasn't walking, just sitting down, next to the pirate. It was the first time he saw him since he had his memories back, and it was weird for him. Because he understood now why he wanted to trust him, even by knowing what he did to him.

Because they finally talked, and with what happened recently, with his new memories, Neal didn't know what to think, nor how to act.

But finally, he was sure of something.

During the second Neverland, they really acted like idiots. The more ironic was that the pirate understood it first. Maybe that he understood some things.

Too bad that Neal died after that…

Well, they couldn't know that at that time.

Hook, on his side, wasn't better than him. Snow (who definitely adored interfere between them), told him that she talked with Neal, without telling him where the conversation brought them. Same thing with Emma and Regina : when he told them where he was going, Regina's teasing smile kind of affected him.

It wasn't really the war between them, but she still loved to provoke him a little. It was funny, most of the time. But not always.

Not there, when she suggested that he was leaving them to go on a date.

Whereas it was just supposed to be a talk with a friend.

He, of course, convinced no one.

Not himself, nor the other.

(Oh, and of course, he never knew that there had been gambles about him and Neal.

Luckily for him, by the way.)

An exterior observer would have probably qualified them as inexperienced adolescents, who they were, in a way. Their problem was communication, a thing the other already told them about. It was more flagrant now that they were just in front of the fait accompli.

In fact, it was Hook who, without wanting it, triggered everything, deciding to go. A thing Neal didn't really accept, and the ghost saw with surprise his arm being grasped, as his interlocutor couldn't say a word.

And Emma' question came again to his mind.

What do I want to have now with him ?

The immediate answer seemed really simple.

Kiss him.

A thing he decided to do… some seconds after.

Because in his head, many things were swirling.

Doubts.

Fear.

A little hope, too.

Until he decided to chuck everything in.

To the hell with it.

And his mouth finally crashed on the pirate's, as if it was something he wanted to do since forever.

Or since a long time.

Since when, he didn't know, but the pirate, who first was for him the man I hate, became then the man who wants to be with my ex-girlfriend and was now the one who saved my son and that I want to kiss.

Yes, all of it was problematic, and strange.

And this kiss lasted, lasted, lasted… really for a long time. Apparently, none of them wanted this to stop, until Neal moved away in order to breath… and that he realized he kissed a ghost.

Oh, dammit.

Fear arrived then, and it became stronger than the rest, as the fact that it had been great, and the moment immediately broke, whereas it had been perfect just before.

Obviously, as it was done, Neal was the one who ran, again. It wasn't really the first time, but maybe the last.

The pirate had a sad smile.

Would Neal ever stop one day to flee from him ?

By seeing the young man still alive leaving him, and, feeling a familiar pain in his heart, the pirate had a thought he never had before, and that concluded a certain time of reflection.

I agree, they are right, finally. I love him.

The fact that he had been able to kiss him, as it was impossible according to any logic proved it strongly. Except that Neal was afraid, and that he was the one who ran, this time.

The pirate sighed. Would he never have luck in love ?

So… who can fix the broken heart of a poor forsaken pirate ?

Yes, in his moments of depression, he liked to be quite melodramatic.

§§§§

As Hook was kind of depressed, and that Neal was running in order to escape his own feelings, some people, in another place, were having fun. When Neal referred about what Emma and Regina could do in the privacy, he didn't know how right he was.

Indeed, when you have nothing to do, you do what you can do, and if the ghosts were immaterial most of the time toward the world of the living, between them, it wasn't the case. Which, some years ago, leaded to awkward situations.

And, according to Snow, it wasn't over.

The awkward moment itself, she was leaving it now, as she was with her daughter and her former step-mother (no, it wasn't weird, she tried to persuade herself), just talking about things, and also talking about the curse.

And the former princess was more and more thinking about leaving this place, because of the sexual tension more than obvious present between the two woman who were facing each other.

"I think that I will let the two of you alone..."

Regina addressed her a thankful look, as Emma didn't really pay attention to her departure.

"I think that finally, your mother is more subtle that she seems to be, the former queen whispered.

- Hum… what ?" Asked Emma, who didn't really listen to her, looking at her intensely.

Regina sighed, and then decided to enjoy the time Snow let to them, and she came closer to Emma.

"Can I know what you're..."

Emma wasn't able to finish her sentence, the other woman deciding to make her shut up by kissing her. The blonde smiled and embraced her.

"I see what she meant.

- Shut up, right ?"

The Saviour smiled again. The thing is that they needed it, a moment just for them, in this complete disaster.

"How many time do we have ?

- I don't know, and I don't care… and don't stop, said the brunette to the princess, who began to take off her clothes.

- At your command, you majesty, said Emma, smiling."

(It was quick, but when you knew how many time they needed before it to find each other…)

Then she stopped the protests of the other woman by kissing her again. Here, they were no one, not queen, nor princess, nor Saviour.

Just Emma and Regina.

But it didn't stop the young woman from reminding the former statue of her lover, just for the joke.

But, only some seconds after that, Regina stopped thinking about it, as the blonde was kissing her again.

Internally, she thanked Snow for being delicate enough to leave and understand that they really needed time for themselves, especially with what there was during that moment.

That I to say that know, nothing was changing.

Luckily, it finally evolved.

§§§§

Some time after that, the two women dressed again, not wanting to be surprised in this outfit (or, it would be more precise, in this lack of outfit) by the other ghosts.

As they were walking in town, hand in hand, and almost relieved, despite the situation, they didn't know that, at the same moment, Neal and his father were trying to find a way to resolve the situation. So it would not be that insurmountable.