"You're entirely too obvious, you know." Regina's voice carried through the trees.

Robin stepped out from behind the large oak with a sheepish grin. "I apologize," he said. "I saw you leaving in the middle of the night and I must confess, my curiosity got the better of me."

"You would think a man who could handle a bow that well would be a little lighter on his feet," she said wryly, walking back toward him.

"You saw me practicing earlier?" he smiled, secretly pleased.

"Of course I did. You had Roland enthralled and I watch who my son interacts with very carefully."

"You're a good mother, Regina." His eyes held hers until she forced hersel to break the contact.

"Unfortunately, I'm not much of a daughter," she said, leaning back against the tree and crossing her arms. "The Evil Queen is holding my father at her castle. She's working with George and she knows I won't rally my allies and attack in force as long as she's got a knife to my father's throat. Not to mention, she has magic."

"But you - "

"What?"

Robin bit his lip. "Nothing. I just...damn. So you're going after him alone?"

"I was."

"No, you're not," Robin answered.

"Just because you're my betrothed doesn't mean you have any right - "

Robin put a finger to her lips. "I only meant that I'm here to help. As you pointed out before - I'm rather good with a bow."

Regina reached up, pulling his hand away from her lips. His hand was very warm and she realized she'd held it a bit too long by the look on his face.

"Come on," she said, stepping around him. "I've got horses hidden just outside the next village. If we ride hard, we should be there within a few hours. In the meantime...try to be a little lighter on your feet."

He gave her a knowing grin. "As you wish, your majesty."

###

"You're sure you don't need to rest?" Killian asked, stepping in front of her.

"You just asked me that, like, ten minutes ago," Emma said, shoving her hand through her hair in pure exasperation. "Will you stop with the hovering? I'm fine."

"We've been walking for hours and you did recently almost die," he pointed out. "I don't think it's out-of-bounds to inquire as to your state of health."

"You don't need to be an overly-protective boyfriend. I can take care of myself."

"I know that, love." He fell into step next to her as she began walking again. They walked in silence for a while, and then reached out, touching her arm.

"Boyfriend?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You object to the title?"

"I'm not a boy."

"No, you're not," she agreed. "Is there a term you'd prefer?"

He looked away, shaking his head, his lips pulling into a lopsided grin.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head again. "I don't really care what word you use to describe me. It's the inference behind it that I'm most interested in."

She gave him a smirk. "And you're trying to get me to say it out loud."

"Say what?" He was grinning widely now.

Emma rolled her eyes, and kept on walking.

###

Regina motioned Robin forward, then pointed up, toward the spreading branches of the tree. One of them would make the perfect platform to carry them within jumping distance of the wall. The only problem was the guard, who happened to be walking that particular wall. Robin's eyes followed Regina's pointing finger, and he bent over, cupping his hands to give her a place to step so that he could boost her up. She grabbed a low-hanging branch, swinging herself up, then extended a hand down to Robin. He swung up onto a neighboring branch instead, shaking his head to make it clear that her branch couldn't hold their combined weight.

She nodded, then moved as soundlessly as she could up through the branches, with Robin following close behind. She paused when she reached the branch that would get them over, leaning down to whisper in Robin's ear.

"Can you hit the guard from this distance?"

"I never miss," he whispered back.

"Just keep me covered. Don't fire unless you have to," she whispered. "And stay hidden. The last thing we want to do is alert them," she said, pointing down at the gathering of guards in the courtyard.

"I still think I should come along."

"You're of more use to me here, picking them off," she whispered. "The passage up to the tower is very narrow and all stone. Three people in a hurry take up more room and make a lot more sound than two."

She started to move up onto the limb when his hand wrapped around her leg, just above the knee. She looked down at him, startled.

"Be careful," he mouthed. His hand lingered a moment, then slid slowly down her leg as he reached for an arrow from his quiver. Regina looked at him for a moment longer, then started slowly across the branch, pausing every so often to flatten herself when the guard walked by before turning and completing his circuit. At last, she dropped soundlessly onto the rampart. She'd gotten a few paces toward the nearest door when laughter suddenly rang out in the group of guards below. The guard stopped in his tracks and turned to see what had amused his friends.

Robin reacted with blinding speed, hitting the man square in the chest with an arrow, but the man was too close to the edge of the wall, and it sent him over, tumbling down, down, down to the bricks of the courtyard below, right in front of the assembled guards. A shout went up, and before Regina could make it back to the tree, men poured onto the rampart and she was surrounded. Robin started to hoist himself up onto the branch, determined to come after her, but she looked over her shoulder, clearly warning him. He shrank back into the shadows of the tree with a muffled oath, panting with the force of the adrenalin coursing through his veins.

He couldn't help her now - there were too many of them, even for his bow. He needed reinforcements. He lowered himself carefully through the branches, dropping quietly to the ground.

And as he ran through the forest, he wondered how in the hell he was going to tell Roland that his mother was gone.

###

"Hands in the air!"

Emma stopped so suddenly, Killian barreled right into her, nearly knocking her over. He grabbed her before she could fall and she spun in his arms, her face suffused with sudden joy.

He gave her a quizzical look, when the voice called out again.

"Hands in the air, brother! You can hug your girlfriend later!"

He gave Emma a devilish grin at that word, and she rolled her eyes in response. She couldn't erase the smile from her face, no matter how hard she tried. She knew her mother's voice anywhere.

"We're friends," Emma called out.

"I'll be the judge of that," Snow said, stepping out from behind a tree, training a crossbow on Emma. "Now drop those weapons, nice and slowly."

"We're looking for our friend," Killian said, pulling his cutlass slowly and placing it on the ground. "Perhaps he came this way?"

"Perhaps." Snow parroted.

"The man of whom I speak would have traveled this way in search of Regina, the bandit queen. It's incumbent on me to inform you that he's a prince, as am I." Killian stated.

Snow's eyes narrowed, but with admiration, not anger. "That was an incredibly impressive display of language," she purred. "I like you."

Emma rolled her eyes again. "He talks like that all the time," she deadpanned. "This guy - the one who he's talking about - "

"The Prince of whom he was speaking," Snow corrected.

'Yeah, him." Emma waved her off. "His name is Robin. Of Sherwood."

Snow lowered the crossbow. "You really should have mentioned the name sooner."

"So he's here, then?" Leroy asked.

"He was. He accompanied Regina on an errand - I expect them back soon. In the meantime, if you'd like to bed down at the house - "

"Not so fast!" Another voice called out of the trees. "I've got a crossbow, and I don't miss!"

Killian glanced over at Emma, unsure of this new threat, but once again, Emma was grinning ear-to-ear.

"It's okay, Granny!" she called out. "They're all friendlies."

"That's not even a word," Snow hissed.

"How do you know Granny here?" Killian asked Emma.

"She's my bos'n."

"She's what?"

Granny stepped out from behind another tree, squinting hard in the dark, but lowering her crossbow.

"Here," Emma said, stepping forward. "I have something for you."

She pulled the satchel she'd been carrying off her shoulder, and rummaged through it, pulling out a pair of spectacles. She extended them to Granny.

"These should help you focus," she said.

"Thank Goodness," Granny said, stepping forward. "You know I don't see very good."

"Well," Snow ground out. "You don't see very well."

"We have a gift for you, too," Killian said to Snow with a smile. "Just a bauble to express our gratitude for your hospitality." He looked over at Emma, who pulled the ring off her own finger and put it in his hand.

"It's not often I meet a woman with such a stunning command of grammar," he said smoothly, offering her the ring.

Snow flushed, reaching out to take the ring just as Granny settled her spectacles on her nose.

"Snow!" Granny's eyes widened.

"Emma!" Snow's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her daughter.

"Mom!" Emma rushed over, hugging Snow tightly.

"Granny!" Archie smiled widely, stepping forward to wrap his arms around Granny.

"Archie!" Snow said, still trying to sort out all her conflicting memories. She opened her arms wider, enclosing Archie and Granny, and they all stood there, rocking and hugging.

"What the hell is going on here?" Leroy asked, turning to look at Killian.

Killian raised a brow. "Don't look at me. I'm not hugging you, mate." he said.

###

"You're welcome to bed down in here anywhere," Snow said. "Granny, why don't you take the spot closest to the fire. Leroy, you can have your old - I mean, you can sleep over there," she said, covering quickly. Leroy gave her a suspicious look, then climbed up into his bunk.

"We really need to find that pickaxe," Snow whispered to Emma. They'd been up for over an hour, filling Snow and Granny in on what had happened so far while Archie convinced Leroy to scout the perimeter in case they'd been followed. Working around Leroy was becoming an imposition, but he really was a good foot soldier. It was almost a shame to change him back.

"Red is out running tonight, but in the morning we can fetch her cloak and get her back to normal," Snow said in a low voice, looking over at Leroy. "Dopey has it. He lives in the house just down the road. He likes bright colors."

"And what does he do here?" Emma asked.

"He's a hatter."

"Ah. Well, we'd all best get some sleep."

"We should all get some sleep," Snow corrected. "Sorry," she winced. "Old habits..."

"Don't worry," Emma said, smiling. "I still want a shot of rum before I go to bed."

"I can help with that," Killian offered, overhearing.

Emma spread out her bedroll in the far corner, and Snow stood nearby a moment before glancing at Killian.

"I'll just bed down over by Granny," she said nonchalantly. "In case she needs anything in the night." She gave Emma a conspiratorial smile that brought a reluctant eyeroll in return. Emma looked over at Killian expectantly, gesturing to the empty patch of floor next to her bedroll.

"Is that an invitation?" he asked in a low voice, after sauntering over.

"In this crowdfest?" she whispered back. "You're not thinking we're doing anything but sleeping, are you?"

"Alas, I am all too aware of our crowded surroundings," he said quietly. "I'm merely surprised to be settling in next to you, that's all." He spread his bedroll with a flourish, sitting down on it and offering Emma his hand so that she could sit down beside him on hers.

She leaned over, blowing out the candle on the small table next to them, then they both laid back. Emma turned her head, making out his face more clearly now that her eyes were adjusting to the dim glow cast by the fire from across the room. Goddammit, was he handsome in the firelight. She felt her pulse leap and she wished now that they weren't so public.

"You shouldn't be surprised," she said quietly, rolling on her side to face him.

He rolled to face her in turn.

"Really? Why is that?'

"I haven't exactly been pushing you away."

The corner of his mouth pulled, and his eyes twinkled. "No, you haven't."

They stared at each other for a long, pregnant moment.

"What?" she said, smirking.

"Nothing, love. Just enjoying the view."

"No you're not. You're trying to make me say it."

"Say what, exactly?"

She looked at him, then rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. Killian reached out, pulling her back over to face him.

"Oh, no you don't," he said. "You may not want to say it yet, but I have a strong suspicion you're feeling it."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm feeling it."

Killian's eyes were dark, and roving over her face with hungry purpose. He pulled her closer, and his hand cupped her face as he kissed her slowly, first one corner of her mouth, and then the other. He kissed her upper lip, then lightly nipped the lower one, finally tracing the seam until she parted her lips, letting him in. His tongue slid and danced with hers, and his hand trailed down her neck, her shoulder, her back as he pulled her in tighter.

Finally, Emma pulled her lips free in a moment of pure self-preservation. If they didn't stop now, this was going to get embarrassing. His nose rubbed hers gently, and she could feel his smile against her lips.

"There's my randy pirate wench," he murmured.

"That's pirate captain to you," she reminded, kissing him lightly.

Killian lifted his blanket with an expectant look, and Emma shifted over as he pulled it over the two of them. He settled her on her side, spooning into her back and kissing her hair.

"Get some sleep, love," he said softly.

She nestled in, watching the fire drowsily as she felt his fingers lightly stroking and playing with her hair. She wasn't sure she could put a word to what she was feeling, because she hadn't ever really felt it before. But the word was there.

Cherished.

She felt...cherished.

And a few moments later, she closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.