AN: My deepest apologies for taking so long to update. I've had a crazy-busy semester that I wasn't prepared for. Now I am on spring break so I am pretending I have time to update, and if I get a significant enough amount of homework done, I will update again before classes start. I just want everyone to know I am not planning to abandon this, even if it takes me a bit to update. Thanks for all of the great reviews and enjoy!
"I don't like it," Charming said defensively as they walked down the stairs a mere five hours after they had finally fell into bed."
Snow shushed him before whispering, "Let them sleep. And Emma had no choice but to share a bed with him, they're handcuffed together."
They walked over to the bed and looked over their daughter, grandson, and the pirate. "I just wish he didn't enjoy it so much. Look at his smug face."
"I don't know, I think he just looks peaceful. All of them do, for once," Snow smiled to herself.
"You can't tell me you support this-"
"Of course not. But Charming, he did save her life. We do owe him some of our respect."
"I think it's enough that I let him live."
"Charming," Snow rolled her eyes, as she playfully pushed him away. "Go start breakfast. I'll wake Henry for school."
"Fine," he submitted and headed to the kitchen.
Snow sat on the bed, placing a hand on Henry's shoulder and quietly shaking him awake. When he began to awaken she whispered, "Henry, wake up, sweetie. It's time to get ready for school."
Still half asleep, Henry stretched his arms, whacking Emma right in the face and waking her. "Sorry mom."
Yawning, Emma told him, "S'okay, kid. I need to get up anyway. There is a lot to clean up around here." Then, she noticed the confusingly pleasant sensation of a warm, steady breath upon her neck and realized she was spooning with Hook. She looked to her mom to see if she noticed, who just smiled at her, before Emma elbowed Hook in the stomach. "Rise and shine, captain."
"Bloody Hell, woman!"
"You need to wake up so we can undo this mess you made."
"Wake up would have worked."
"You said you like to have fun in bed. Well, that was fun for me."
"Your vindictive tendencies are a major turn on," he smirked while stroking her upper thigh.
"Henry," Snow whispered, trying to get him away from the current situation. "Why don't you go get ready for school and then go into the kitchen and help David make breakfast?"
"Ok," he headed upstairs.
"My vindictive tendencies," she asked, rather wrapped up in her own conversation and knocking Hook's arm away before maneuvering herself in a way, which they were then sitting side-by-side instead of spooning. "I'm not the one who is holding a 300-year-long grudge."
"Guys, you can either continue to bicker or I can tell you what happened last night," Snow scolded them.
"Did they say they would unlock us," Emma asked hopefully.
"Well, no," Snow looked nervously.
"Seriously," Emma sighed, banging her head against the headboard. "And why ever not?"
"Well, Mr. Gold said that his truce with Hook was only due to the fact that there were more important issues at hand, but he said to assure you that you no one will have to deal with Hook after Cora is taken care of, so you just have to wait it out and he'll take care of him."
Hook shifted nervously, "Emma, you have to let Cora free so I can get the magic she promised and finish Gold before he kills me."
"We're not letting Cora free. She's going to kill everyone. If anything, we have to kill her," Snow interrupted, not quite sure she supported everything she said.
"Are you guys insane? Is this whole town insane? We're not freeing Cora. You're not killing Gold. Gold is not going to kill you. And we're not going to kill Cora. No wonder the Grimm brothers decided to keep you guys all separate."
"Emma, that cell isn't going to hold forever. We don't even know what kind of magic you used. And Cora will find a way to break it."
"Hold on," Hook started. "Swan, you can give me the magic to destroy Rumplestilskin. Then no one has to worry about that monster again."
"No one is killing anyone! And I don't even know how to use that magic. It uses itself."
"Hey, guys," David cut in, nervous about all the yelling. "Breakfast is almost ready."
"We'll be there in a second," Snow replied.
"What about Regina," Emma sighed.
"She said she already did her part in helping you, twice yesterday and she doesn't see how this is remotely important enough to stop keeping an eye on her mom."
"Is anyone even paying attention so that Regina and Gold aren't scheming up with Cora and this isn't all a big trick? I mean those two don't have the best track record."
"Grumpy- Leroy said that Cora keeps trying to break Regina, telling her that no one here cares about her and that Henry doesn't want her. Emma, I'm going to bring Henry over there before school today. Regina needs to know that Henry cares for her. We can't let Regina join Cora's side."
"Cora said that her plan was to break Regina, make Regina need her," Hook pitched in.
"Did she say how?"
"No. I didn't really care either way, as I said, I have no stake in Cora's plans."
"I think you should too, Mary-Margret," Emma said changing the subject back. "I'm not going to keep Henry from her, like she did to me. It's just going to make Henry hate me. As long as he's supervised- I mean, she does love him. She wouldn't hurt him, right?"
Snow stroked her daughter's cheek and smiled, "You really are turning into a great mother."
Henry ran back over, "Guys, breakfast is getting cold!"
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"What the bloody hell is this," Hook asked, picking up the spray butter.
"It's butter," Henry laughed at him, causing Hook to look more confused.
Emma, also laughing, took the butter from him and sprayed it on his pancakes, "It's so you don't have to spread it or wait for it to melt."
"Your world is quite strange, I must say," he smiled at her, while cutting a piece of pancake with his fork.
As Hook raised his hand to his mouth, Emma's had to follow. With an evil grin, Emma waited until the pancake was almost in his mouth before yanking her arm and almost causing him to go head first into the pancakes.
"Hey," he called, shoving her with his upper arm.
"Emma," Snow exclaimed, as everyone laughed.
"That was for grabbing my ass when we got the orange juice."
"You didn't seem to mind it then," he put on his best smoldering face.
Sensing the amount of self control it was taking her husband to not attack Hook, Snow changed the conversation, "Hey, Henry, it's almost time to leave for school. I'll walk you. David, you should come with us, and get an update on Cora. Maybe even set up a shift system, so some of those poor dwarves and Hook's crew can get some rest."
"And make Emma suffer the pirate alone? Plus, the crew won't leave with Hook in control of them, Hook has to do that."
"That reminds me," Hook said to David coolly, before turning back to Emma and Snow, "I have to give me men back their hearts."
"But then how will we get them to watch Cora? How do we know they won't join Cora," Snow asked.
"Did you have to steal the hearts of your kingdom for them to follow you? I don't need my men's hearts because I have treated them well and justly and for that I have their unwavering loyalty."
Emma allowed herself to catch his eye and smile at him. Snow, watching, smiled too. She hadn't expected that much from a pirate, especially one with a reputation like Hook's.
"See, I told you he wasn't bad," Henry butted in, smiling as well.
"We should all head out," David interrupted the moment.
"Right," Snow agreed.
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"Why are we taking the long way to school," Henry asked.
"Emma and I thought you might want to see Regina before going to school. We know this has all been tough. And she misses you."
"Really? Thanks! I'm really glad that she's trying to be good."
"She's doing it all for you. She really does love you. You're the first person I've seen her love in a long time. You're something really special," Snow replied, pulling Henry into a hug.
"Mom," Henry shouted, running up to give her a hug when they got to the square.
"Henry," Regina asked, looking up at Snow and David.
"Emma and I thought that it's been too long since you two spent time together. We have 20 minutes before we have to go to school."
Holding Henry to her, Regina whispered a thank you.
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"So what's the plan today? I need to stop in at the sheriff's station and see what kind of messes I have to clean up, figure out what to do with Cora, and figure out how to free us. You should eat more, maybe we'll get that key back sooner."
"And who's going to fish it out of the toilet?"
"You're the one with the hook. Not to mention, the reason why we have to fish it out of the toilet."
"If you hadn't tried to arrest me-" Hook leaned in, trying to be charming.
"Well, if you could behave yourself-" Emma leaned in too, battling his charm with annoyance.
"What if I don't want to behave myself," he asked, pulling her of her stool and closer to him.
Emma pulled in a deep breath and stared into his eyes, until she noticed her desire to look down at his lips, and then promptly pushed herself away before she let it happened. "We had a truce. I thought you were going to stop that."
"Well, you see, love, your eyes and mouth are saying two very different things and I'm not sure which to listen to."
"I think you're mistaken. Both my eyes and mouth are saying 'no.'"
"The sad thing is, you actually believe that."
"Hook-"
Hook was about to make another comment before he looked into Emma's eyes and sighed, "Sorry. I uh- I also have to return the hearts to my men."
"Right. Well, that sounds the easiest. Let's start there. Then we can head to the sheriff building and figure the rest out."
"Fine. But, Emma, I have to pee. How exactly are we doing this?"
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Regina returned Henry to Snow 20 minutes later, after going to Granny's for a juice date.
"Mary-Margaret, can I ask you something," Regina asked.
Eyeing Henry nervously, Snow replied, "Sure."
The both headed about ten feet away.
"I really enjoyed spending time with him. I miss him so much. I was wondering, could he spend more time with me? Maybe stay the night?"
"Oh, Regina, I don't know. There is so much going on right now, it doesn't seem like a good time. But, it's not my decision to make. That's Emma's decision."
"She hardly knows him. He's my son. I was the one who raised him," Regina was on the verge of tears.
"He knows that and he loves you for that, but right now, it's best that he's with us."
"I've been trying so hard."
"We know that, and that's why we want him to be able to see you. But for now, it's best if we're there too."
"I shouldn't have to ask to see my son."
"It's just until we can figure out something better. Please, Regina, we have so many other things to deal with."
Regina hesitated, before wiping away the tears and saying, "Then let's take care of it so I can be with my son."
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"So how exactly do we know who to give each heart to," Emma asked, as they approached the downtown area hand-in-hand.
"Well that's the thing about having power over someone, they have to listen. So, even though they may not know which is theirs, if I tell them to take their heart and put it back, they have to take their heart. They will just find the right one. So if I had power over you and told you to go kiss your true love, even if you don't know who he is, you would still be forced to do it. You be drawn to him, until it happened."
"So like fate?"
"No. I don't believe in fate. We have control of what happens based on our decisions."
"So which decision led to Gold taking Milah from you?"
Hook's eyes darkened from aquamarine to onyx in a matter of seconds and his grip tightened on hers, "I crossed a line. I got too cocky, too greedy. I created a demon. We all create our own demons. The problem is, our demons don't just torture us, but can torture everyone. My demon took love and happiness from me and from so many others. It's not just revenge that I've been after, but to destroy the demon I created."
"You blame yourself for everything he's done?"
"No. I blame myself for creating him. But everything he did was to his accord."
"Maybe when you created the demon in him and he stole Milah from you, he created a demon in you too," Emma almost whispered, as she nervously glanced up at him.
"Aye. I've feared that too, love."
"Then maybe destroying him doesn't have to mean killing him. Maybe you can destroy the demon and not the man. Maybe you can destroy the demon in yourself and he can destroy the demon inside of himself. Maybe all you have to do is return the love and happiness to your hearts."
"Emma, I don't think you can come back once you let darkness eat your heart."
"I think if you make the right decisions you can. I did."
"Emma, your heart has never been as dark as mine," he stopped them, turned toward her, and glanced down at her chest. Trying to lighten the darkness that seemed to be swirling around them, he held his hand to her heart and added, "Maybe a murky coloring at it's worse."
Emma smiled at him and let the conversation drop. He didn't take his hand from her heart though, but continued to stare into her eyes. And Emma let him, until she felt her gaze dropping to his lips and then she turned back to the street. They were close enough to the square that she could see the cell and around it were Hook's men and the dwarves, looking exhausted, as well as Mr. Gold.
"Shit."
Hook turned to Emma, "Please, give me the magic I need. Let me finally destroy my demon."
"Hook, here is your chance to make the right decision and destroy the demon inside of yourself instead."
Hook began shaking Emma, "Swan, I need to kill him. He's going to kill me if I don't kill him."
Mr. Gold began walking toward the pair.
"No. I'm not doing it," she pushed herself away as much as possible.
"I did not wait 300 years to let him kill me. I won't let him win. He won't get away with killing her!"
"If you kill him, you won't be any better than him. And this is me making a decision for my life. And I will make the right one. Are you really asking me to allow my heart to get consumed in darkness so yours can finally be lost in it forever? You still have a chance to come back, to change. I've seen the good in you."
Hook was taken aback by what Emma had said. She pulled him from the trance that took over him anytime he came close to vengeance. He didn't know that was possible. What he did know was that Gold was only about ten yards away and he had no plan. And then Emma stepped in front of him.
"Gold," she called.
"Miss Swan," Gold greeted her, while keeping his eyes on the pirate. "I see you've brought me a treat."
Emma felt Hook tense behind her and grip her hand almost unbearably hard.
"Look, we're not looking for trouble. Hook just wants to return his men's hearts. Are we clear?"
"I didn't realize the pirate had to hide behind the princess," Gold laughed.
Hook motioned to attack Gold but Emma took Hook's arms and wrapped them around her, which made him hesitate and then allowed him to gain some control as Gold finished, "Let me make this clear though, Miss Swan, your scum is safe now, but once we finish the current situation with Cora, I may not have any incentive left to control myself. Don't get too attached to him," Gold threatened as he walked away toward his shop.
Emma held Hook's arms around her until she was sure Gold was gone and until she could feel Hook relax some. She then led him to his men.
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"Emma," David answered on his cell phone.
"Hey, so the crew have their hearts back and we set up a shift schedule."
"Good. I'm down in the mines looking for the spare key, but I haven't found anything. What's Cora doing."
"Currently? Trying to tempt Hook. I guess there's one good reason he's handcuffed to me. But I'm really worried. She seems too happy. We need to figure something out."
"Can you reinforce the cage at all?"
"I don't know how I did it the first time. I don't know how to use the magic. I'm not even sure if that's what it is," Emma said getting upset and flustered.
"Sorry. I should have known that if you knew how, you would have already. I'm gonna look a bit longer for the key and if I don't find it, I'll visit the hardware store and see what our options are."
"Okay. I'm going to try to sort things out at the sheriff's office."
"I'll see you tonight then."
"Bye," Emma hung up and turned to Hook. "Have you ever had a cheeseburger?"
AN: So, I tried to make it a little longer since I abandoned you guys for so long. I hope you liked it. Review, please!