Here's another update! Sorry this one took awhile, I've been so busy with family and stuff that I haven't had much time! Hope it was worth the wait! Keep those reviews coming, I love 'em!

~Mags

Chapter 13

They didn't speak to each other much as they walked through the narrow path of jungle, but they didn't need to. They had a way to communicate without speaking…something she could do with only a handful of people. Even her scheming days with Neal…she would get frustrated because he wouldn't know what she meant when she tried to talk with her eyes or hand gestures…and there were a lot of times where they had to be quiet.

With Hook it was easy…even a simple look and she knew he understood what she was thinking…it was a rare thing to find with someone. She understood him as well…his body language…the way his eyes became intense when heard or sensed something…the slight turn of his head when they shifted directions.

It was like a dance between them…nice, fluid graceful dance.

"Are you okay?" Hook asked breaking the silence as he ducked under a gigantic green leaf and held it up for her. "Do you need a break?"

She nodded her head as she ducked and stepped through. "I'm good…let's keep going."

Hook reached into his satchel and took out a water skin. "At least have some water before we continue."

She rolled her eyes but did as he asked and took the skin from him. She uncapped it, took a long, greedy sip and then handed it back. "How far inland are we?"

"A couple of miles in." He took a moment to take a sip himself before putting it back in his satchel. "We need to be extra careful…I haven't been this far inland since I was a young lad."

Emma couldn't help but smile at the thought of Hook as a young boy…little boy Killian with a mop of black hair, bright blue eyes and a devilish grin. "What were you like as a kid?"

"Fearless and carefree…a bit reckless and stupid at times…"

"So not much has changed, huh?"

"Hey," he said insulted but when she just smiled, he couldn't help but smile back. "Let's get going." He turned back around and continued on the path. "We'll have to head back to the ship soon if we don't find anything…trust me when I say we don't want to get stuck out here at night…but if it came to that we'd have to find shelter somewhere…a cave or up in the tree where we can…

He immediately stopped talking when he realized that he couldn't hear her footsteps close behind him. He spun on his heels and saw that she had stopped to look at something a few feet away…at first he thought she might have found something so he started to make his way over, but when he saw what she was peering down at…his heart stopped.

"Emma! No! Get away from it!" he yelled as he ran towards her but knew it was pointless…the beautiful vibrant red flower entranced their victims…leering them closer and closer to it until…

"It's so pretty," Emma murmured as the flower bloomed so big, so bright that it nearly blinded her, but she didn't dare look away as she inched closer to it…it was the most beautiful, most amazing thing she had ever seen and she wanted…needed to be near it.

She heard Hook cry out her name in the distance but she ignored him…all that mattered to her was this wonderful flower…it's beauty and magic entranced her and she smiled brightly as the center…a shocking green center opened up to her.

With fear in his heart, Hook ran as fast as he could towards her, hoping he wasn't too late. He called out her name again when he got to her, moments before he tackled her to the jungle floor. His hair ruffled when the poison whizzed above them, barely missing his head by inches and then heard a splat and a sizzle and knew an unlucky tree had been hit instead.

"Stay down," Hook said in her ear before flipping over and saw the flower had started to move towards their direction.

Emma, still stunned and slightly confused, lifted her head and looked around to see Hook grabbing the stem of the flower, then yanked it up before viciously slicing it in two with his hook. The flower actually made a horrible shrieking noise as Hook gave it one more killing blow, stabbing the flower right in the green center.

He turned back around to face her and got to his knees. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently as he helped her sit up and cupped the side of her face with his hand. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head with wide eyes as she gripped his wrist. "No, I'm…I'm fine, just…a little shaking up."

"Take your time," he murmured as he brushed his thumb along her cheek.

She glanced over to see a large section of a tree trunk, smoking and sizziling. "What the hell was that?"

"That was the Blind Crimson," he said as he looked over at the damaged tree as well. "There fairly rare but when you do see one you're not to look directly at it…it lures you…entrances you."

"I got that part," she said and then let out a shaky breath as her eyes shifted back to him. "Do I want to know would have happened if you didn't get to me in time?"

He shook his head. "No…you don't."

"Tell me anyway."

He sighed. "They shoot out two, deadly drops of hot, searing poison…right in your eyes…blinding you permanently."

She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips as she placed a hand over her unsteady heart. "Oh, my god," she finally managed as she sank back on her heels.

"You scared the bloody hell out of me, Swan," he said almost angrily as he closed his eyes. "If I hesitated for a second, or if I took that extra step before turning around…I would have been too late."

"But you weren't," she assured him as she reached up to cover his hand with hers and brought it down. "You came back for me…got to me in time…you always do, Hook."

He took another breath, but nodded as he squeezed her hand. "Just do me a favor, Swan…avoid all pretty flowers…the prettier, the deadlier…remember that."

"Don't worry," she assured him with a small smile. "I won't be sniffing the roses anytime soon."

"Good to hear it." He then quickly got to his feet and helped her onto hers. "How did you take the fall? I think I might have tackled you pretty hard."

"I've had worse," she said as she rolled her aching shoulders. "Let's just get out of here before more evil flowers attack."

He let her go ahead of him as he took a moment to compose himself before finally following after her. He didn't want to think about what almost happened to Emma…it was too painful…too terrifying. At the start of this journey, he didn't realize at first what he was really risking when he offered to help. His life, for sure…but that wasn't what scared him…it was Emma's life. It was no secret that she was the first woman to stir these unwanted feelings in him…Milah is…was the love of his life during one of the most happiest times in his life.

When he was with Milah, the only thing he had to worry about was ordering more rum when the stash on the Jolly Roger was dangerously low. They sailed open waters together…clear skies, stormy nights…dropped off at ports on a whim for a quick bite at a pub and a good laugh over a pint. It was a type of freedom he had never had before and hadn't had since…that of course all came crashing down with she died in his arms.

Then revenge took over his life…three hundred years of it. Revenge was all he ever knew…ever wanted…until Emma Swan came into his life. It wasn't that long ago when he first met Emma, but it felt like years…it was as if he couldn't recall his life before her. She had somehow become a huge focus in his life…she was someone he cared for…more and more each day. It was maddening.

But it was truth…whether he liked it or not…and the thought of losing Emma during this journey was more than unsettling. So he'd do everything he could to keep her safe…would stick close to her at all times until they were safely back in Storybrooke. Even then …knowing she was safe back at home with her son…. he didn't know if he would be able to leave her.

He shook his head clear as he caught up to her. That was something he would worry about when the time came…for now he needed to concentrate on the task at hand. "Emma…slow down a second…damn, you got some legs on you…let me get in front."

"Oh, come on…not that crap again." She gave him a look as she kept on going. "Besides…maybe you can keep an eye out for anything else I might come across if you stay behind to keep an eye on me."

"That was a nice try, but…"

He saw the trap…but he saw it a moment too soon. He tried to push her aside, but his reflexes weren't quick enough and the rope covered in twisted vines snapped tightly around their ankles. Emma let out a gasp when her body slammed with Hook's and clung frantically to his arms to keep her balance, while Hook slipped an arm around her waist.

As soon as he felt the vicious tug of the rope he knew they were going down so he twisted his body so he would be the one to take the brunt of the fall. She let out a grunt when they hit the ground and he managed a quick, "Hang on," before the mysterious force of the rope began to drag them down the path.

Hook put his hand on Emma's hand, bringing it down to his chest and protected her face from passing twigs and branches as best he could. His back was going to be sore as hell, he thought as he winced when they were dragged over a jagged rock.

It hadn't dragged them far when their joined ankles suddenly snapped up into the air, rising and rising until their bodies left the ground entirely. Emma yelped and screamed as she felt herself being lifted into the air, closer and closer to the canopy of the trees, until finally, finally…the pulling stopped.

"Are you all right, Swan?" he asked in a rough agitated voice as their bodies began to sway back and forth.

"Am I all right?" she asked in disbelief. "I am pressed up against you, upside down in a freaking tree!"

He nodded. "The second part is awful…I'll agree with you there…sort of enjoying the first part."

"Not. The. Time. Hook."

"Right…sorry, well…I suppose we…"

"Oh, no," she said suddenly as she started to squirm.

"What?"

"My gun," she said as she looked over at him…they were so close that their noses bumped. "It's slipping…quick, try and grab it."

He quickly lifted an arm but the gun had already begun to fall and he felt the hard butt of the gun hit the back of his hand. He tried one last grab, but it was too late…with both their necks craned back, they watched the gun tumble down, down, towards the ground.

"At least tell me the safety was on," Hook said.

A loud, shot rang out, echoing over the island…they both flinched in fear that the bullet was heading towards them, but luckily the gun hadn't been aiming up when it went off.

"No," she answered. "It wasn't."

Hook let his body relax on a sigh and then turned his head back to Emma and scowled at her. "You had to bring your stupid gun."

She scowled right back. "Shut up, Hook."