It didn't take long for Emma to find a stream. She had collected some firewood along her way and placed the pile down next to her as she sat down. She took off her gold shoes and put her feet into the water. She let out a sigh as the water soothed her aching feet. She allowed herself a moment of relaxation as she leant back and closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would get a new master. Why did that make her so sad? She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair exasperated as she kicked her feet in the water like a little child having a tantrum.

She suddenly felt something very cold against her neck. Her eyes shot open and looked at the stern face above her holding the sword to her neck. "Can I help you?" she said not entirely sure what to say and fearful that if she moved the sword would cut down on her neck. The figure before her, with a large helmet and thick armour covering their body and a piece of fabric across their face hiding their identity, dropped a piece of paper on top of her. They didn't move their sword so she was stuck lying on the floor. She lifted the paper up with her hands and brought it above her head and looked at it. It was a wanted poster with her name on it and a realistic drawing of her as well. She looked different though. This was a picture of her from her thieving days. She was wanted by the Evil Queen, "Is she still alive?" she said. "How old is this poster?" She received no response from the figure. The poster read, wanted dead or alive. Preferably dead. The reward for her was steep. She'd stolen from the queen, what was it once or twice?

"So you are her?" the figure finally said,

"Well, yes," nodded Emma.

"Good," the voice was muffled but she heard the words clear enough. Without hesitation Emma made a fist and punched the figure. It hadn't been a very good punch for the account that Emma had been lying on her back but it was good enough that it had caught the figure off guard and got the sword of her neck. She jumped up onto her feet and fell back as the figure swung at her with their sword. She fell into the stream with a splash. She lunged forward and grabbed a log of fire wood for a weapon. She used the wood to deflect the next attack and used this moment to move out of the running stream that would very easily unbalance her. She got to the other side of the bank and stared at the figure with the stream between them.

She had to think what to do. She knew she couldn't out run this person. She thought of disappearing into her bottle but that was back on Hook's ship. She wouldn't get out of it unless he turned back around and travelled back and let her out. She needed him to summon him to her. Either that or she needed a sword. This log of wood wasn't going to help her much. But she really didn't want to call for his help. She was strong enough by herself.

The figure was fast and took her moment of contemplation to hurry themselves across the stream. Emma ducked away from the sword and swung the log of wood at their legs causing them to over balance. They fell to the floor and she quickly ran back over the stream, she screamed when she felt an arrow narrowly miss her arm but still manage to slice her skin. She spun her head around to see the figure had taken out a bow and arrow. She wasted no time in running now as arrows began to follow her. She was grateful that the figure had such a terrible aim and the arrows just whizzed past her. She fell with an oomph as an arrow finally hit her on the back of her thigh. She bit her lip as she fell and her mouth filled with blood. The pain from her leg was excruciating, but she wouldn't cry. She titled her head to look behind her and couldn't see the figure, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. It was heard to see anything in this dense forest where the stars and moon's light could shine through.

Emma heaved herself up onto her feet and winced in pain. She spat the blood out of her mouth before she took a deep breath pulling the arrow out of her leg. She put as much weight as she could on her right leg and hobbled away painfully. Her eyes alert as they darted around. The figure jumped out of nowhere and caused her to stumbled back, she yelped as the pain of falling on her back and slamming her injured leg on the ground hurt like hell. The figure stepped above her and swapped their sword from their right hand to the left as they brought it down into her chest and pulled out her heart. Her mouth was left agape and her eyes watering. She felt the figure squeeze her heart and she felt the clench in her empty chest. Before the figure could squeeze her heart to dust a sword swung and hit them in the side. It wasn't a fatal blow due to their armour but it winded them enough to cause them jolt to the left.

Emma scrabbled back as fast as she could as she watched Hook wield his sword against the heavily armoured figure. Her hand went over her chest and she looked at her heart in the figure's hand. The pain was all gone. The pain that ached her heart every single day, what caused her restless nights. She didn't feel it. They were all just memories with no feelings attached. She looked at Hook and felt nothing. She realised that before when she looked at him she felt something, something with her heart.

A hand and a heart flew to the ground. Hook had managed to cut off the figures' hand which held captive to her heart. But they were so far away from her now and she ached all over; her leg was killing her. The figured yelled out in pain and Emma watched as Hook bent forward to the figured and slashed their face with his hook.

Hook looked at the mess on the person's face and saw their handless arm. He thought of killing them, but this persons' eyes they pleaded to him and they reminded him of someone. He couldn't do it. "Run," he whispered to the figure. "If I see you near her ever again I will kill you. Know she is protected." The figure clutched their stump and ran away. Emma watched as Hook sheathed his sword and then hurried to the place where her heart had landed. She watched as he picked it up so carefully as if it was a delicate treasure. He strode over to her as fast as he could. "Are you okay?" his voice was laced with concern and his eyes seemed so worried.

"Guess we're even now," smiled Emma. "I saved your life, you saved mine."

"Aye, we're even," he nodded. He noticed her wince in pain and raised an eyebrow questioningly, "You're hurt,"

"I had an arrow to the back of my thigh. It's fairly painful," she said. "You let them go. You showed mercy. You are a better person than I am,"

"No, love, I am not a good man,"

"Sure you are,"

"About your heart," he said looking down at the glowing organ in his hand.

"Yeah, might want that back in my chest," she stated. "You know just for safe keeping." Hook let out a nervous laugh and asked, "You ready?" She nodded and he brought her heart above her chest and gently pushed it back in. She let out a gasp, it was as if she had been drowning striving for oxygen and she could finally breathe again. "Now let's tend to this leg shall we?" He helped her up onto her feet and then knelt before her. "Bring your leg here, that's a good girl," he lifted her left leg and placed her foot against his chest as he took his scarf off. He pushed up her trouser leg up to the very top of her thigh. His hand grazing her smooth leg and he let out a shaky breath. He poured some rum on her wound and then carefully wrapped the scarf around her thigh. His eyes never leaving hers. Even as he used his hand and mouth to tie it together blue locked with green. He pulled her trouser leg over the scarf and back down her leg and gave her calf a gentle tap to tell her he was done.

He stood back up and they just stared at each other for a moment. "Thank you…Killian," she said with a small smile. He slowly bent his head and then peered up at her through his black eyelashes, his eyes impossibly blue in the night surrounding them. His eyes shone brighter than any star in the sky. As he looked at her through his eyelashes he ran a finger over his lips a playful look upon his face. "Perhaps gratitude is now in order lass,"

"Yeah, that's what the thank you was for. We're even now,"

"I saved your heart lass and your life. Is that worth so little as a thank you? Perhaps a kiss would be sufficient love"

"Please," Emma said with a faint smile on her lips, "You wish,"

"Maybe I do."

Before he realised what was happening Emma had taken hold of the labels on his leather coat and had pulled him down into a kiss. His mouth opened immediately for her. She yanked him closer to her as if she could never get enough. Their kiss was passionate and desperate. His hand went to her hair as he pushed her deeper into the kiss and she pulled him deeper. Their lips parted only for a second before they were together once more, his tongue trailing across her bottom lip and his hand falling to her waist.

Her hands still on his coat she pulled her head back but his came forward their breaths both ragged. "That was…" he began but she quickly cut him off.

"We should get back. Big day tomorrow." Her hands left his coat and she quickly stepped away from him and began to limp her way back to where they had made camp. Killian traced his lips that felt empty from the absence of hers they were still tingling from her touch. He quickly hurried her and put an arm around her waist for support. "Let me help you love." She didn't object.