A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! What did you all think of the mid-season premiere? I thought there definitely needed to be more Hook time! =) I'm glad that I wrote much of this story and jotted my notes down before I saw it! Even if there are going to be some similarities between what happens in my fic and in the show, all I know is that I tried to be original! haha! =) Hope you enjoy this next chapter. Let me know what you think! Also, if you haven't read my other OUAT fics, they're entitled "Pirate Persuasion" (Rated M) and "On A Beanstalk With A Pirate" (Rated K+). xx IFHD

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Chapter 8: Questions

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Inspired by:

"Madness"

By: Muse

I, I can't get these memories out of my mind,

And some kind of madness has started to evolve.

I, I tried so hard to let you go,

But some kind of madness is swallowing me whole, yeah

I have finally seen the light,

And I have finally realized,

What you mean.

And now, I need to know is this real love,

Or is it just madness keeping us afloat?

And when I look back at all the crazy fights we had,

Like some kind of madness

Was taking control

Yeah

And now I have finally seen the light,

And I have finally realized,

What you need.

And now I have finally seen the end

(Finally seen the end)

And I'm not expecting you to care

(Expecting you to care)

But I have finally seen the light

(Finally seen the light)

I have finally realized

(Realized)

I need to love

I need to love

Come to me,

Just in a dream

Come on and rescue me.

Yes I know, I can be wrong

Maybe I'm too headstrong

Our love is

Madness

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The inhabitants of Storybrooke were still tense regarding Cora and an uncertain future. Another day passed, and yet, there was still no sign of the witch, her minions, or her daughter. Perhaps Mary Margaret was right and that Cora had met her end thanks to her arrow. But what of Regina? Had she met the same fate as well? It was a wonder that the general consensus of the townsfolk was that, even after everything she had done, they were actually concerned for Regina's safety; on the other hand, some thought that the Evil Queen shouldn't be underestimated as well, much like her dear mother. Emma, however, cared for how Regina's absence was affecting Henry; her young boy had so much hope that Regina had changed, that, perhaps somewhere within Storybrooke, she was doing her best to right the wrongs that Cora had begun to unleash. At least, Emma hoped that that was the case. In effect, Storybrooke's Sherriff sent out a few men to begin searching for Regina - and, as a secondary mission, to capture Cora.

Emma hoped with all of her heart that they wouldn't meet their doom in the process.

The day continued to progress without incident. The townsfolk were still on high alert; though, after retreating from the forest empty-handed, they weren't afraid to at least pretend to revert back to their usual way of life, despite a possible threat. Some thought - or hoped - that Mary Margaret really had given the witch a mortal wound and had vanquished her for good; however, since no one was entirely sure of her fate, they all remained restless.

Prepared.

The news of Hook's selfless deed for Emma quickly spread - as did his miraculous return. For the most part, the townsfolk left the pirate alone; though, some were still not convinced of his character, wary of the fact that he had come to Storybrooke with Cora in the first place. If he had helped bring the plague to them, they thought, why should he be entirely trusted? Despite the murmurs and grumbles, the price for saving Emma's life was, at least, civil treatment. The pirate captain took what he could get and didn't utter a word of complaint. Being in Emma's good graces certainly had its advantages, he mused.

Even though he didn't have a grand following, what Hook was certain of was that Henry had at least some faith in him. In truth, the little lad did amuse him; to his own surprise, Hook was actually willing to listen to the boy speak of Storybrooke - the land that he was still pretty much unfamiliar with. As the day progressed, Henry merrily told him of machines, of what this "science" had accomplished, and of the "magic" that he had witnessed with his own eyes. The boy also showed such interest in his story, in his life in Neverland, that the pirate couldn't resist when Henry asked to see his ship. He knew that Emma, David, and Mary Margaret, especially, wouldn't even blink before shooting down the idea, so, when Henry continued to plead, the captain reasoned, "Give the lad a bit of distraction, eh? There will be townsfolk everywhere to help defend if the need arise. The trip will not take long." Hook then held up his arms to his sides and added, "I promise that he will be in good...hand and hook." He turned to Emma with a wink just as Mary Margaret was about to protest once more, "And Emma will accompany us, of course."

In the end, Henry and Hook won their case, and that was how Emma, moving behind the pirate and her son, now found herself walking the plank to step onto the main deck of the captain's ship. Frankly, she had never actually seen a real pirate ship in her life before; the view was sublime, but it intrigued her nonetheless. As she felt her own tinge of curiosity, she watched Henry scurrying about the main deck, full of excitement. Hook took Emma's hand in his to help her jump from the plank; the pirate then instructed Henry to climb up to the forecastle deck for a better view. The boy obliged with glee.

Emma noticed that Hook still had her hand in his even after she was safely on board. The pirate eyed her wantonly through hooded lids as his thumb began to caress the back of her hand. Emma didn't doubt for a second that he was currently thinking of repeating what they had done in the Sheriff Station...in the hospital...in her apartment. Oh God, Emma groaned. They were already racking up a list of places! And yet, despite her reason being alive and well, the young woman couldn't help but think of the exact same thing. To think of how his lips moulded with hers. To think of how his body pressed upon hers with such need, such longing. To think about seeing his hot, bare skin...

Christ, she thought, I'm going insane!

The knowing glint in the pirate's eyes told Emma that he knew precisely what she was thinking as well. Hook cleared his throat, then motioned his head towards the rear end of the ship.

"What's...what's over there?" Emma managed to ask with a gulp as she followed his gaze with a brief glance.

His tone was fervid as he answered simply: "The captain's cabin."

Emma instantly retracted her hand. Her tone was scolding: "Killian, for the love of..."

"I love it when you say my name."

"Hook..."

"Ooh. Say it again!"

"Look, I'm warning you..."

"...but what I'd love even more is if you screamed it whilst in the throes of passion."

At this point, Emma let out an exasperated cry. She began to rightly push the pirate upon his back with both of her hands. "Go on with your little tour. Henry is waiting!"

Before Hook did as she had commanded, he couldn't help but sneak a quick kiss upon her cheek. Emma's face warmed at the sudden contact. Instead of berating the retreating pirate, however, she could only watch with curiosity as he joined Henry upon the forecastle deck. From what she could discern, the two shared a lighthearted conversation about pirates, ships, and Neverland, talking, laughing, and joking all the way through. If one of Hook's greatest passions were for women, Emma mused, then the others would definitely be for the pirate life and the sea.

It was then that it hit Emma that this was the side of Hook that she longed to see: raw, genuine, and unguarded. His words did bear pride and a captain's attitude, but it was strange for her not to hear him hide behind lewd remarks and threats of revenge. It seemed as though, for the time being, all the misery and pain that he carried with him were forgotten.

Her instincts warned her then that there was more to this man than met the eye.

"Milady?" Hook called out, jutting his thumb towards Henry. "Your son claims to be famished. Is there a fine public house that you recommend?"

"Public house?" Emma's nose scrunched. "Let's go to a diner."

Side by side, Hook, Emma, and Henry made their way towards Granny's. None of them missed the incredulous stares that they received from several townspeople, and yet, none of them said anything about it. Hook and Henry didn't seem the least bit bothered; only Emma reacted by giving the townsfolk an encouraging smile. When they turned the final corner to reach the diner, however, they heard:

"Cap'n...cap'n, is that really you?"

Hook's ears twitched at the sound of a familiar voice. He raised a brow in curiosity as he twisted upon his heel towards the speaker. Without a lapse in memory, the pirate instantly recognized the stout, red-hat-wearing man. "Well, well. If it isn't William Smee! Never thought I'd see you again, mate."

The older man stepped forward, still wearing an incredulous expression. He pulled his hat from his head and held it between clasped hands. "So my eyes are not deceiving me!"

With a wide grin, Hook held out his arms to his sides. "Nay, I am no apparition."

Through their handshake and laughter, Emma and Henry could merely give the two quizzical looks. When the captain finally noticed their expressions, he explained, "One of my crewmen, William Smee."

The little man gave Emma and Henry nods in turn. However, his excitement at seeing his captain once more wouldn't abate. He continued, "Cap'n, is it true that you have the ship with you? That you..."

With a meek smile, Emma stepped forward. "Looks like you have some catching up to do. Go on." She cocked her head to the right. "Henry and I will be at Granny's over there."

Hook hesitated for a moment, as though unwilling to part from Emma's side; though, in the end, the familiar face and the promise of reuniting with more of his lost crewmen eventually won. The pirate gave her a gracious bow, then took her hand and kissed it lightly. "I am saddened that we are to be parted, Emma."

Emma rolled her eyes lightly. She then retracted her hand and placed it upon Henry's shoulder as she guided him towards the diner. "I'll see you later, Hook."

As they entered the establishment, Henry instantly trotted up to the counter and greeted Red and Granny. With a wave to the diner's owners, Emma occupied her regular booth. As she took her seat, she noticed that Belle was sitting directly across from her at the adjacent table. The brunette beauty gave her a small smile before sitting across Emma. "Hey," she began meekly.

"Hey, Belle." Emma greeted in return, giving her a genuine grin. "How are you?"

"Emma..." Belle clasped her hands upon the table and frowned. "I'm really sorry for what happened in the forest the other day. Gold and Hook, they...they have a long history."

Emma gave her head a curt shake. "No need to apologize for anything, Belle."

She smiled at those words, body relaxing. Her tone became much lighter when she began, "I heard that Hook saved your life?"

Emma sat back and sighed. "Yeah, he did."

Belle tiptoed about the subject, though meant to press forward. Her curiosity always got the best of her. "You and Hook, um...you two are...?"

"Nothing." Emma blurted with the shake of her head. "We're nothing."

Although Belle didn't possess the "human lie detector" gift that Emma did, it didn't take much effort on her part to see through the Sheriff's words. Frankly, it had been pretty clear to Belle how Emma felt about the pirate from seeing her and Hook together. After a comfortable silence between them, Belle stated, "It's alright to love a monster, you know."

The blonde woman's head couldn't help but shoot upwards at this. "What?"

"When I encountered the pirate in Fairytale Land," Belle began, her face showing the bitterness of the memory, "he wasn't kind to me. He was cunning, conniving...violent."

"I'm sorry." Emma sat forward, taking Belle's hands in hers. "And really, that doesn't make me feel any better!"

"I apologize! I'm not trying to make you feel horrible." The brunette squeezed the young woman's clenched fists in comfort. "I just want you to know that people can change, that they can be redeemed. No matter how much you think they're incapable of doing so, they can. You can't give up." Belle met her blue eyes. "If it is love that you feel, then know that it can conquer all - even evil itself. You have to believe that, Emma."

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Belle's words reverberated through Emma's head throughout the meal that she now shared with Henry. In truth, the brunette's advice raised more questions for her. Emma wasn't surprised that both of her parents were skeptical about how True Love's kiss had brought Killian back; and yet, what bothered the young woman even more was how she had begun to doubt that it had as well. If there was another explanation, she resolved that she wouldn't wait any longer to find out.

After dropping Henry off to Mary Margaret for temporary care, Emma took her yellow beetle and made her way to the hospital without informing anyone of her plans. Threats be damned at this point; she wanted answers, and she wanted them straight from the doctor's mouth - no one else's. Though he never had a chance to, Emma now found it highly peculiar that Whale had wanted to examine Hook after the apparent resurrection.

Was he looking for something in particular?

"Emma, I received your call. Is everything alright?"

Dr. Whale met with her only a few moments after she entered the hospital. Without hesitation, he ushered her into his office and motioned for her to take a seat across from him.

"We need to talk, Whale." Emma began in an authoritative tone. She clasped her hands upon his table and leaned forward. "It's about Hook."

Dr. Whale sat back in his chair. "Ah, yes, the resurrected pirate. Is he well?" His pleasant expression changed instantly when he realized how tense Emma was. "W-wait. Is this an investigation?"

Emma coolly cocked her head from left to right. "In a sense, yes." It was easy for the young woman to discern that Whale was uncomfortably fidgeting in his seat. When he didn't instantly reply, she pressed onward with, "His recovery is a bit odd, don't you think?"

The doctor swallowed hard. "Yes, but...W-what do you want to know?"

"First," Emma raised a laconic brow, "why are you so nervous?"

"I...I am not."

"Don't even try it, Whale."

He stood without warning, entirely agitated now. "His ailments...his ailments were unlike anything I had ever seen. I knew it had to be magic - some sort of spell was making his body react in such a manner." The doctor thought back to the distorted cardiac monitor screen as he met Emma's piercing stare. "Such injuries just can't be cured by modern medicine. I've been experimenting..."

Emma's heart was pounding so hard that she swore that it would burst right out of her chest. "You've been what?"

"Experimenting," Dr. Whale continued, attempting to loosen his tie. His throat was parched. "Experimenting with magical cures to...to counter spells and..." he gulped, meeting Emma's eyes, "...bring back the dead."

The young woman's face was now devoid of all colour. "No..." she softly whispered.

"As the magic was taking over his body and his heart stopped beating, I injected him with a potion..."

"No!" Emma cried a bit more forcefully, now up to her feet. Her agitation now matched the doctor's. "You would...you would experiment your goddamn potions on unknowing patients? I should arrest you for that!"

Dr. Whale explained in a pleading tone, "Emma, it was a last resort. I want to save my patients! I would never, ever do that to someone who I could just..."

Emma just didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear any more of it.

Without another word, she stalked out of the doctor's office and exited the hospital.