0_o So um…my inbox was full of follows, reviews and favorites. Just…WOW I'm glad you all like this story. O and Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers!

Chapter 2

Emma would never admit it, but she was completely and utterly exhausted. As it was she had to make a concentrated effort to keep moving one foot in front of the other. Finally she was forced to stop as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Shutting her eyes she roughly rubbed her face trying to shake off the moment, and after a deep breath, continued forward again. She would like nothing more than too collapse at the base of a tree and just sleep; but they were still far too close to Hook for her comfort. They needed to put more ground between themselves and him before resting. Because she could tell, just from the way she was feeling, that if she stopped she wasn't getting back up for a while.

"Emma?" She looked up from the ground, how long had she been watching her feet, and blinked slowly at Aurora who was now walking beside her. "Emma, are you alright? You look exhausted."

"I'm…" She said her voice sounding thready and weak, it shocked her and she mentally shook herself before starting again. "I'm just a little tired is all, I'm fine."

"Emma, you're very pale… you look sick. Are you sure you don't want to stop?" She seemed genuinely concerned and Emma realized she must have actually looked bad if the flighty princess was worried about her. "I could run a head and get Snow and Mulan. This seems as good a place as any to stop."

Emma was confused by the statement and she looked ahead at the other two members of their group. She was shocked to realize that both Mary-Margaret and Mulan were so far ahead she could barely make out their backs through the trees in the growing twilight. They seemed to be arguing with one another about something, probably the earlier incident, and as a result they were oblivious to the fact that she and Aurora were so far behind. Emma stomach dropped when she realized that if it wasn't for Aurora she very well could have been left behind and lost in this forest. Well that wasn't surprising given the kind of luck she'd had all her life.

"No…I'm ok, I'm just really tired."She said forcing her reluctant legs to move faster in an effort to catch up. Unconsciously she rubbed the bracer Killian had given her, which had started to chaff and it caused the skin of her wrist to itch. Once they stopped for the night she would work on getting it off, she just didn't have the time to fool around with it right now. "I still want to put a few more miles between us and Killian. I know he's probably climbing down, if not already following us. I want to give us enough wiggle room that he won't be able to catch up while we're resting."

"Killian?" Aurora raised an eyebrow at her and Emma realized her mistake. She cleared her throat and ignored the questions in the younger woman's eyes, they were stupid anyway. So what if she'd called him Killian. It was his name, it didn't mean anything.

"What? It's his name. Anyway, I still want to keep walking for as long as I – we can." She said but the words took more effort than they should have. She dearly wished this … "world" had a Seven-Eleven where she could get some Red Bull.

The two of them walked in silence for a little while longer before she was forced to stop and actually make the effort to look at her wrist. Emma squinted at the appendage in the dying light, something was wrong with it, very wrong. It no longer hurt or itched, instead it felt like it had gone completely numb. She blinked sluggishly at the bracer on her wrist as her thoughts tried desperately to fight against the growing darkness in her mind. There was something she should have realized, something she missed and now it was coming back to bit her…back to bit her? That's right, he was going to come after her, was after her, and that's why she needed to move.

The final pulse, yes it was a pulse, of dizziness, no… it wasn't dizziness it was something else, swept over her and her legs gave out. Aurora, who'd stopped when she did, reached out and caught Emma with a gasp. She was thankfully able to slow the older woman's decent to the forest floor and laid her down shaking her shoulder. Emma could just hear the young princess's panicked yells, both to her and to the other party members, over the ringing in her ears. She vaguely noticed Mary Margaret reach her side as her breath slowed, blackness crept across her vision and her consciousness faded.

0oo00o0o0oo

"Many thanks my friend!" Killian yelled as the giant finally released him, and the creature stared back unimpressed. He smiled nervously as he moved carefully toward the exit, more a giant mouse hole than anything else. "I'll just take my leave then, shall I?"

"Little man," the beast's voice boomed and Killian twitched. "I do not want to see you again."

"Don't worry. You won't." He said quickly and then bolted out of the building and across the courtyard. Without a moment's hesitation he began the process of climbing down the towering plant. From the angle of the light through the clouds he could tell that it was close to sunset, maybe a few hours before, and he really wanted to get down before dark. Using his hook to his advantage he was able to slide and swing his way down to the ground below, far quicker than if he'd had two hands.

"That was an experience," he muttered as he paused at the bottom to brush off the plant debris that had gathered on his shirt.

He took a moment to survey his surroundings and what they could tell him about his quarry. Making note of the fact that they'd left his things behind, and that the footsteps left on the ground around him led straight to the trees. If he hadn't had the bracer as a link to Emma, he honestly wouldn't have needed it. They'd left such a clear trail in their haste that a novice could have tracked them without much difficulty. For someone with three hundred years experience, it was insulting. Shaking his head with an incredulous smirk he walked over to his discarded possessions at the base of the plant, he wasn't in any rush. They weren't going to get away, she wasn't getting away; not with that bracer on. He also had at least another day before Cora realized he'd taken matters into his own hands so to speak. She may have added a protection spell to the items, but they were his to begin with. He didn't need her permission to use his property as he saw fit. Her plans be damned, history proved she wasn't very good at making them, and until Swan, he'd never had a failed at one. Not since his Crocodile anyway.

Hook pulled out his brown leather water skin and some travel rations he'd packed away. He was parched and hungry after spending ten hours locked up in a giants treasure room. Standing again he paused and tilted his head after giving the bean stalk one last look-over, there was a sword mark there. Walking closer he bend down to examine the gash in the plants side as he wondered how it could have – The memory of Emma and the warrior…Mulan? Yes he was reasonably sure that was her name, flashed through his mind. He remembered Emma and Mulan talking before they'd started their ascent; and that the other woman hadn't exactly looked happy about something. At the time he'd thought it was because she didn't like the idea of Emma traveling alone with him, now however…

Here's the Plan. We wait for the giant to fall asleep and when he does we sneak past him and into his cave. It's were the treasures are, where the compass lies.

And then?

Then we run like hell.

I don't have time to wait for a giant to fall asleep…

Let's get to it, the compass.

What's your rush?

…How long do you think magic knockout powder lasts?

I've no clue.

That's my rush.

He hummed thoughtfully, so she'd had a backup in case he decided to betray her. A time limit he hadn't known about. He was impressed because in all honest it would have worked. As it was, if the fight written in the dirt at his feet was any indication, she'd almost gotten herself stuck in her own trap, and she knew of the plan. He put this newest piece of the puzzle that was Emma Swan into place, and smiled at the picture in his mind. She was very much like him, always thinking two steps ahead and using any advantage to her benefit. He could honestly say it was a welcome change of pace; he so rarely met anyone who could meet or even, if he was honest, exceed him at a con. However, that didn't mean he'd let her win in the end.

About an hour later, Hook cursed colorfully as yet another root tried to take his feet out from under him. Growling in frustration he hit the offending tree and stomped on ahead, he hated the forest. Give him a storm on the sea any day over a walk through the woods at twilight. He swore that this forest was alive and trying to kill him, or at least kill his ankles. He snorted at the thought, who knew, perhaps that was the case. After all, he was hunting down the great savior "Emma Swan" and her merry bunch of travelers. Sighing in frustration he was forced to slow his pace yet again or risk hurting himself in the dark. At this point he'd gone from a dead run to walking and it didn't sit well with him, not when he could feel the pull on his bracer getting further and further away. She and her group had covered a considerable amount of distance all things considered; he had to admit he was impressed.

But then she did seem to live to destroy his expectations of her, it was like she considered it a challenge. Though he did realize that thought was ridiculous. He doubted she cared at all about how he saw her, which also annoyed him greatly. He'd never met a woman before that he couldn't charm, married or otherwise. Eventually they all fell to his smiles, pretty words, and looks; even considering the hook. But not her. O no, of course, never her. He'd though he'd won her over at the end there, before she'd chained him up. But much to his chagrin all she'd been doing was playing his pride against him.

That was his job.

"What in heaven's name is she doing?" he asked, his voice confused as it echoed in the empty forest around him.

He'd stopped dead in his tracks as he felt a strong steady pulse of energy from the bracer. It flowed through him; rejuvenating his muscles and making him feel like he'd just woken from a sound sleep. Before this is the energy had been a steady flow from her to him. However, this sudden increase meant that she was exerting herself, pushing herself harder then she had been. So there he stood staring on at the glowing leather and wondering how anyone could be so stubborn. She had to have been really fighting the process and that put her in danger. He blew out a breath and it came out as more of a hiss as he moved forward again this time at a jog, his eyes straining in the growing dark. He needed catch up to her before she killed herself, and he lost his leverage to her obstinacy.

A/N: So I hope I got Hook right. I'm basing his character here off of Colin's description of him, because well…as the actor he would know him best. ; P Also, Rapunzel215, I would love to take you up on that offer, but I can't seem to contact you. Send me a PM please! ^_^

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