After Killian's flirtatious words, Emma watched as he took in his surroundings in confusion. Her mind was reeling with the new reality of the situation she was stuck in. She knew Killian was possibly alive from what Rumple had said but running into him never crossed her mind. Hell, he was furthest from her mind when she ventured into this land. All she wanted was to make it back to Henry. What would Regina do once she found out about her absence? Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. This whole situation was insane. What she would give to have a drink right about now. The sound of footsteps approaching caught her attention. Opening her eyes, Killian was getting too close for Emma's liking.
"Don't come any closer," Emma warned, holding her hand out to stop him.
His eyes widened as soon as she spoke, stopping him in his tracks. It was brief but she thought she saw recognition in his eyes. Then his eyes made her uncomfortable when they looked her over taking in her appearance. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"What's your name, lass?" He asked, his gaze never leaving hers.
If he knew who she was, he would have acknowledged her. Fine, she wouldn't miss this opportunity to figure him out on her own terms. The last thing she knew about him was that he tried to kill Rumpelstiltskin. She needed to find out if that was still the case. The last thing Henry needed to know was that he had a father then become heartbroken when his dad was killed by the Dark One. The only reason why he was allowed to live last time was that he found Lacey. Emma didn't think Rumple would be so merciful next time if another attempt on his life was made.
"The name is Leia," she lied and had to hide the shock on her face at the name choice.
"Leia…" He repeated, disbelief laced in his tone. Emma could tell he didn't believe her. If that was the case, why didn't he call her out on her lie?
Emma shook her head at these thoughts. She was clearly overthinking things. There was no way he would remember her because they have been separated for three hundred years. She would be a distant memory to him. His voice broke her from her thoughts.
"No surname?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Solo." She almost winced at the last name.
"Well, Leia, is it broken?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Is what broken?" Emma asked confused. He was being as cryptic as ever.
"The curse," he said, looking at her expectantly.
Of course everything seemed to flood back to Regina's curse. She frowned when she realized that she had to go back and break it. She wondered if breaking the curse would unfreeze the people in the Enchanted Forest. If so, she was under a lot of pressure.
"If you are referring to Regina's curse then no." She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
Killian frowned at her answer before his eyes widened. His mouth upturned into a devious grin as he walked away from Emma.
"What's this?" Killian laughed, shaking his head as he approached the frozen woman dressed in black.
Emma raised an eyebrow as Killian continued to laugh at some private joke. He thought the sight of the frozen woman was amusing as he circled her. Emma held her breath when he started poking the woman with his hook free hand. She hoped that he didn't wake her up.
"Well, Dear Cora, it looks like you're stuck here," he taunted before his face turned to a mock pout. "Alas, your reunion with your sweet daughter will have to wait. I have an appointment elsewhere," he said jovially.
Wait, what? There was no way Killian Jones was going to come with her to Storybrooke. She had an evil queen to deal with. She didn't need a vengeful pirate complicating matters with his thirst for revenge.
"Whoa, Buddy. I think all that time asleep has messed with your head. You can't just come with me. In fact, you are making me very late," she protested and began to walk away.
Her attempts were feeble because she knew he could easily catch up with her. Sure enough, he was walking right next her side.
"Where am I supposed to go? We're the only ones awake and you can help me. In fact, I am willing to hedge my bets that you will get me where I need to go." He looked at her expectantly.
His words caused her to stop. He was making a lot of assumptions with someone he supposedly just met.
"What makes you think that?" Emma looked at him with disbelief.
"Well, you come from a land without magic. A land that I desperately need to get to," He said a matter of factly.
He could tell just by looking at her? Was she that obvious?
"How do you know I came from a land without magic?" She asked, shock laced in her tone.
"Your clothes aren't native to this land," he educated before his eyes seemed distant, lost in a memory. "I haven't seen clothing like that since…Well, a very long time ago." He finished with a sad smile.
Emma had to turn her gaze away from him. His recollection made her uncomfortable. Was he referring to the clothing she wore when he first found her all those years ago?
"I think if you allowed yourself to get frozen, I don't think you were that desperate to get to this land," she teased, trying to change the subject.
Her words caused his eyes to narrow in disapproval. He looked offended by what she had said, but she couldn't understand why?
"Well, I was limited on time because the dark curse hit. It destroyed everything it touched. That heartless woman over there casted a spell to freeze everything in its wake in time. What I don't understand is how I woke up before the curse broke." After his tale, he returned his gaze to her.
She probably would get an innuendo out of him if she told him she touched his face. That would be an awkward conversation.
"Who said I did anything? I was going to walk by this area when you woke up," she said defensively.
"Yet, we are going in the opposite direction." He countered with a raised eyebrow.
"I remembered that the direction that I need to go to is this way." She gestured to the current path they were walking before crossing her arms in defiance. "I work better alone and this is where we must part ways."
"Are you just going to leave me here?" He asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "Just leave things like this?" His eyes were pleading with her to tell him differently.
"That was the general plan. Look, it was nice to meet you and all, but I really need to get going. I have people depending on me back at home," she dismissed him and began walking away.
His hand reached out to grab her arm but stopped. The action caught her attention, and she turned around to look at him.
"You need me," he admitted.
"Really, what makes you say that? Everything is frozen and I'm not in any danger." She gestured to the forest to emphasize her point.
He needed to come up with a better argument than that. She couldn't believe that she was actually considering letting him accompany her.
"I am from this land. I can take you to your destination quickly," he informed, his gaze serious.
He had a point. She remembered his navigation skills was nothing to scoff at. He was able to scout lands with ease. Neverland was a testament to his skill. Killian was her best bet to taking her to the dungeon as quickly as possible. However, the ground rules needed to be laid out.
"On one condition. Don't ask me any personal questions," she warned.
Emma wanted this task to go as smoothly as possible. It would only work if Killian didn't try to get her to open up. She thought she saw his hands at his sides clench at her proposition.
"Agreed, if you take me to your land," he confirmed, holding his hand out.
"Fine," she agreed, grasping his hand to shake.
Emma had a feeling of deja vu when he held her hand to his mouth and stared into her eyes. She knew where this was going. He was going to use his charm to try and get her comfortable.
"Killian Jones at your service, but some people have referred to me as my more colorful moniker- Hook." He grimaced at the nickname but resorted back to smiling. "Regardless, I am at your disposal, " he introduced himself, kissing her hand with his lips.
The first night at camp was awkward for her. Emma stared at him warily while he just returned her attention with a charming grin. She wondered if she would have handled this situation differently if they never met in the past, but met by chance. Would she be more amendable to his advances? Despite her protests, he refused to let her stay up to take watch. He said something along the lines of her needing to sleep because she needed to maintain her youthful glow. She figured since he slept for twenty eight years, he got sick of it. Eventually, she was able to fall asleep. When she woke up she was oddly rested, but Killian wouldn't stop talking her ears off as they walked. Speaking of the talkative pirate, he was being oddly quiet.
She looked to her side and noticed he was missing, turning around she saw him putting his hands in a coat pocket of a frozen man. Killian had his tongue to his lips in concentration as he tried to put his hand deeper in the pocket.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked, her eyes narrowing in disapproval.
Her eyes widened when she saw a triumphant look on his face when he pulled out a gold coin. "Did you seriously pickpocket the man?" She rubbed her brow in frustration.
She took her eyes off him for two minutes, and he was already causing trouble. Killian had an amused grin, playing with the coin between his fingers.
"It's not like the bloke is going to miss this. It was his fault he got frozen." He answered with a shrug.
"If I don't recall, you were frozen too. What if he wakes up and needs the money or something. Seriously, something is wrong with you." She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
"Pirate," he reminded, smiling at her cheekily.
His grin reminded her of when she caught Henry misbehaving as a child. She suddenly missed Henry, and she had to take a break from looking at the man facing her.
"That's it. I want you to stay in front of me so I can make sure you don't steal from anyone else," she scolded, pointing in the direction in front of her.
"If you wanted me to change positions, all you had to do was ask." He smiled at her suggestively. She huffed at his innuendo. After winking at her, he sauntered his way in front of her.
Emma was a little distracted by the way he sashayed his hips. She groaned when she realized that the man was teasing her on purpose. She walked by his side because she realized that he was going to annoy her if he continued to walk in front of her.
"I think I liked it better with you frozen," she muttered under her breath, causing the pirate to let out a hearty laugh.
They continued to walk on the current path in silence. Each was left to their own thoughts. She didn't miss the sly glances he threw in her direction. She knew that he had something on his mind.
"I think we have met before." He began, rubbing under his chin thoughtfully.
"Are you sure? I would think I would remember meeting someone like you," she teased, her gaze serious. She knew she was being stubborn, hiding behind a facade.
"Ah, it's because of my devilishly handsome good looks." He grinned, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"No. Ever since we have been traveling, you haven't stopped talking," she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
Her response caused him to frown.
"Is it wrong that I want to get you to open up?" He asked.
Ah, that was why he deflected earlier with his innuendo. She had a feeling he used innuendos as a defense mechanism.
"Open up? Why would I need to? I am an open book." She scoffed, mocking his words that he once said to her.
"Yes… but you are afraid to reveal yourself," he said ruefully.
"Who says I am afraid?" She asked, her expression guarded.
"For one thing you are so guarded that you lied to me about your name." He looked at her knowingly.
Emma had to stop herself from widening her eyes. Even after all these years he was pretty good at reading her.
"How can I lie about a name that was given to me at birth. " She countered. She wanted to see how he reacted.
"Stubborn as ever. I'll humor you for a while. You play a good game of cards ,and you have your reasons. I am sure, but it is a little unsettling. I was hoping things could go a little smoother." He smiled sadly.
She wanted to call him out on his behavior. On one instance he acted like he knew her then another he didn't. Was he messing with her? She had a feeling he wanted to say more but why was he acting so repressed?
"Well, excuse me for being wary. I was in a hurry, and this random guy suddenly wakes up from a deep sleep after twenty eight years and tags along with me. Then I find out you were working with a cold hearted witch. I'm sorry but the odds do not sound in my favor." She justified her actions.
"I get it's a pirate thing. Tell me, Leia. Do you have aversion to all pirates or is it just me?" He looked at her expectantly, leaning forward to hear her answer.
"What makes you think that I'm singling you out specifically?" She asked, feeling slightly guilty at his question.
"Well, you don't seem to meet my eyes when we talk, and is this distance very necessary?" He observed, displaying the space between them with a wave of his hook.
Emma had to admit he had a point. The way he presented everything made it sound like she was avoiding him like the plague. In a sense, she was with her subterfuge.
"That depends. Tell me. Why are you wearing a hook for a missing hand?" She asked, staring at his hook.
"Who said I was missing a hand?" His asked, jokingly. His mouth was upturned in an amused smile as though he knew a secret.
"Well aren't you?" Emma's eyes narrowed. She wasn't amused at his joke. Losing a limb was nothing to joke about.
Without taking his eyes off of hers, he reached up to pull off the brace. A perfectly pristine hand was revealed in the brace's stead. He wiggled his fingers for effect. Emma let out a relieved breath that she didn't know she had been holding. Even though she had been separated from him, she didn't want him to endure pain.
"I've never seen someone so relieved to see a hand. I promise you even if I was missing a limb, we could still partake in more enjoyable activities with all my remaining limbs still intact." He smiled at her smugly.
"Isn't wearing that thing uncomfortable?" She stared at the hook warily.
"I had this brace fashioned to where my hand holds onto a grip inside the brace. It's rather comfortable. To answer your question, I am wearing it to get my revenge on the man who made my life a living hell. I think it is poetic justice to kill him with the same hook he taunted me with," he admitted, his eyes darkening at the thought of revenge.
Emma's breath hitched at the story. "I see…revenge is important to you." She said sadly, looking down at her hands.
"You would think so don't you? I just told you I aligned with a crazy witch because her daughter refused to take me to a land without magic. That sounds like the tale of a revenge driven man doesn't it?" He asked, his expression somber. His tone was almost self-deprecating.
"Plus, you plan on killing a man with an object with significant meaning…it doesn't help your case any. In fact, it makes me more disturbed actually," she admitted truthfully and walked away to stare at a valley.
She hoped that things would have turned out differently. Selfishly, she hoped that revenge didn't matter to him. As long as he didn't pursue it, she didn't have to worry about Henry getting hurt. All these facts scared her because she wanted to introduce Henry to his father now that he was alive . Now, she didn't know if it was such a good idea anymore. She knew Gold killed Milah, but the fact that Killian had been alive for three hundred years to stew with his revenge and his murder weapon of choice frightened her.
"I promise you, Leia, I am not the man you think I am. I will change your opinion of me by getting you back home," he said, looking at her with determination. What scared Emma the most was that she could not detect his lie, but she had been wrong about him before.
After trekking though many winding trails, valley, and hills, Emma was so relieved to reach their destination. Standing before them was a large castle. Many watchtowers were aligned at key locations so the watchmen could alert the castle if an enemy approached in any direction. It may have looked grand at one point but it looked like it caught on fire. Emma didn't know if it was charred from a real fire or it was a side effect from the curse.
"It only took four days, but I have delivered you safely to your destination." Killian almost looked prideful by the way he puffed out his chest. Emma just continued to stare at him, wondering what he was expecting her to say.
He shifted nervously, playing with the earring on his ear. He cleared his throat before he continued speaking. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for something that was placed in a cell," Emma admitted.
She didn't want to mention that the cell they were going to once belonged to the Dark One. Killian wouldn't take the news well.
"Then let's go," he beckoned, leading the way.
It took hours to find the underground portion of the castle leading to Rumple's cell. Partly, because they got lost. In addition, Emma tried to explain to Killian that the castle's dungeons weren't where they needed to go. The cell of interest was specifically crafted and her object that she needed was magical in nature.
Emma grimaced at the place that Rumple was once kept. He was literally stuck in a cave until the curse hit. There was no light and it was very damp. A guard was probably assigned to him but other than that he was completely alone. The cell was eerie looking.
Emma walked forward but Killian caught her arm. She looked at him questioningly.
"Are you sure it's safe?" He asked, his voice was laced with concern.
"Yes, quite. Just stay here. I can fetch it," she dismissed him and walked to the cell and looked around for a vial of the ink. She was getting frustrated the more she searched but was coming up empty handed. Thoughts of someone taking it flooded her mind. She was becoming distraught. That was when she noticed an object in the corner of her eye.
Laying on a ground was a long piece of parchment. As soon as Emma picked it up, she gasped.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
She was a little freaked by what she saw. Along the parchment, her first name was written on it repeatedly. That's when she remembered that Rumple had said the ink would have her name on it. He wasted the ink on the paper. She was going to confront Rumple of his obsessive behavior when she returned.
Emma hurriedly rolled up the parchment and stuffed it in her jacket before Killian made his way into the cell. He took in her appearance as soon as he entered it.
"Sorry, I found it .Now, we need a vial and we should be good to go, " she said and walked out of the cell, making her way back to the castle.
They decided to scout the castle for any type of vial. Killian trailed after her, and he seemed wary that they were going to get attacked by the way his hand was ready to reach for the grip of his sword. Emma didn't know how many rooms she searched on the bottom level, but she knew it was many. Opening a room they haven't checked, they walked into some sort of foyer. By the way the furniture was arranged, it was some sort of sitting room. Emma's eyes widened when she saw a peculiar object before her. A round shaped object was sitting on top of a fireplace. It was taunting her with its golden glory under the family portrait of Snow White and Prince Charming.
"What the hell is this doing here?" Emma picked up the offending object and glared at it.
To her surprise, the object wasn't heavy even though it was made of pure gold. She had to risk her life for it and it was sitting in the Enchanted Forest all this time. The where question of the egg had been answered and now it was a question of how?
"A golden egg? " Killian asked, staring at the object in confusion over her shoulder.
"It's what's inside the egg. I had to kill a dragon to try and find this thing. All this time it was sitting here," she said, disbelief laced in her tone.
At least, Rumpelstiltskin would be happy with its reappearance. They could now bring magic to Storybrooke and force Regina to break the curse. Rumple would find his son.
"You killed a dragon?" He asked, his eyes widening in awe and shock.
"It was by dumb luck. I pretty much got it stuck and stabbed it. Not very impressive really." She shrugged, playing down the feat.
The way she killed the dragon was nothing to gloat at. She hadn't picked up a sword in ten years. If Maleficent didn't fall for her trick then she would have died.
"I think it is amazing." He looked at her impressed. Emma had to choke back an emotion. She remembered that look when she bested him in the swordfight. Since she somewhat reunited with him, being in his presence was a reminder of what they once shared. It was rather painful being near him.
"Um, thanks. Should we scout this place for supplies before we go?" She suggested awkwardly.
She didn't know how much longer they would stay in the Enchanted Forest. Their next course of action was to find an ocean. That was the place that Emma could summon fake Calypso. It was best to be prepared.
"That sounds like a good idea," he agreed and walked away to the other half of the castle.
Emma walked up to the upper levels. The castle was big. She lost count of the many ramparts she walked along or the rooms she went through. A wooden door at the end of the hall was her last stop. Opening the door, she could see a crib in the middle of the room. It was a nursery. The nursery looked well fitted and she saw all the toys that were supposedly meant for her. Walking up to the bed she picked up the white blanket, and saw the name Emma embroidered on it. It matched the one she still had in her possession. Her eyes closed as the significance of the room hit her. Snow White and Prince Charming had a room prepared for her. They always intended to be a family, yet in the end they chose to give her up. Her eyes drifted to the finely crafted furniture in the corner of the room. She saw the wardrobe that caused all her woes, and she hated Regina a little for ruining her life. The sound of the nursery door opining broke her from her thoughts.
She heard Killian enter, his footsteps echoed across the wooden floor.
"I found you a vial"- he began with a smug smile before a look of concern overtook his features -"Are you okay?"
Bringing her hand to her face, she felt the wetness on her cheeks. She didn't realize that she had been crying. Using her hands, she wiped the traitorous tears away. She was now a little more determined to break the curse.
"Thank you." She accepted the offered vial, putting it in her leather jacket pocket. "Yeah, I'm just ready to go home."
Next: Guarded Hearts