AN: I'm back! Sorry it took me this long to update. My life kind of went crazy. I got another nanny job and then decided to move to Denver randomly three weeks before I did. And then I got a couple jobs and the time just slipped away. But I am back and over this writer's block thanks to my lovely cousin, Chloe, who was not letting me use it as an excuse. This chapter is a bit all over the place and heavy in plot, but I hope you like it!

The first thing Emma was conscious of was soft breathing on her forehead, rhythmic and calming, but not steady enough to be from a sleeping person. She took in a deep breath but was unwilling to open her eyes yet. With the breath, she could smell her body wash mixed in faintly with leather and man.

She heard him sigh, and scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, she cracked her eyes open and looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

He looked down at her and she felt his arm, which was at her hip, slide up to her waist. "As soon as you wake and until you fall asleep those walls are up. I could literally feel you tense up as you built them, Swan."

"Let's not talk about this right now."

"You said we would."

"I know. Just- not now."

"Emma-"

"Please?"

And though he was upset, he just pulled her closer to him, "Why don't you sleep a little longer? You have an hour almost, and we will have a better morning then, love."

He felt her smile against his skin as she nuzzled into his neck to get comfortable. He couldn't help but smile after her as he slowly began to play with her hair and lull her to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Emma! Henry! Time to wake up" Snow called cheerfully as she knocked on the door, before heading back downstairs.

Partially awake, Emma stretched, before curling back into Hook and falling right back into sleep. But Henry did wake up, and rolled over to wake his mom up.

"Mom, wake up," he shook her and woke Hook up in the process.

Hook yawned before looking over and greeting the boy with a, "Good morning, Laddie."

"Morning, Killian" Henry smiled and then raised his eyebrow as he whispered, "Hey, before my mom wakes up- tell me: how many people have you actually killed being a pirate?"

Hook's gaze turned grave, "Far too many, my boy."

Henry looked a bit disappointed by the pirate's answer, "Did they deserve to die?"

"You just do what you have to in order to get by and hope the best man won. There are very few people that I could decide whether they deserve to die, especially over me."

"And one of them is Mr. Gold?"

"Aye."

"Because he took your hand and your true love."

"Aye," Hook barely got out.

A loud knock was heard on the door. "Henry, Emma, you need to get up."

Emma, finally waking up, sighed and grabbed Henry's hand, "Henry, why don't you go help with breakfast before Mary-Margaret freaks out?"

Henry sighed an "okay," in return and headed downstairs.

"How are you so good with him?" Emma asked, utterly shocked.

Hook's expression grew serious- something else she wasn't expecting. He studied her for a while before sacrificing a bit more of himself to her. "I had a boy in my charge for some time- he was almost – almost like a son to me."

"I didn't know," Emma studied him back. "Thank you- for being such a good sport. It means a lot to me and I'm sure to him. I know none of this was in your plan."

"Plans change," he smiled at her sincerely. "It means a lot to me that you're willing to accept me into your family."

Emma smiled back, grabbed his hand in hers, and raised them into view, "Not like I had much of a choice."

His smile grew as he poked her side, making her squeal and squirm away.

"Do not even think about it," she demanded and they laughed.

"I like seeing you smile, Swan. You don't do it often enough."

Uncomfortable, Emma stood up and turned away. She went to walk away, which pulled at him. He simply took her hand in his and followed her, no questions asked. Trying to change the subject, she murmured, "We should probably shower and head downstairs too."

"I like that idea."

"Of course you do," she smiled without letting him see.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Okay, instead of blatantly staring me down, can you at least be helpful and help me reach the shampoo?" Emma half-heartedly scoffed at the pirate as she only sort of bothered to hide behind the shower curtain.

"I can only do so much, holding back your clothes and all. And it'd be foolish of me to let such an amazing view go to waste."

She felt herself blush despite how much she tried to suppress it and cursed herself for being so pale. She watched his gaze follow the blush's warmth into her chest and quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she could blush anymore.

"Just wait until it's your turn," she tried muttering as a quippy comeback.

However, it failed, as he returned, "Oh, I simply cannot," before swiping some of the bubbles off her head and onto her nose.

OoOoOoOoOo

At the breakfast table, David was handing out bowls of cereal- Cheerios to his wife, Frosted Flakes for himself, Lucky Charms for Henry and Emma, and Cocoa Puffs for Hook.

"What are those rainbows, Swan?" Hook asked after quizzically looking back and forth amongst the cereals.

"Marshmallows. The best thing cereal has to offer," she smiled to him.

He raised an eyebrow and made a dash to snatch one. He managed to get one on his spoon, when Emma bit his hand and took his spoon.

"No one touches my marshmallows."

"What the bloody hell? You bit me!"

"Emma," Mary-Margaret scolded as everyone but the pouting pirate broke out in laughter.

"Biting off my hand is not the way to remove the handcuffs," Hook childishly bumped her shoulder.

"Stop pouting and eat your breakfast. We have to meet Regina at Granny's in half an hour."

"Can't we just get cheeseburglars there?"

"They're called cheeseburgers," Henry laughed.

"We can get coffee or hot chocolate there, but we need to focus on the plan."

"Hey, Killian?" Henry asked. "So, when you were in Neverland, did you really fight Peter Pan and the lost boys?"

Hook looked up at the boy, "Aye. That I did."

"Wasn't he supposed to be the one who took your hand?"

"Pan does far worse than just cutting off appendages."

"But he saves the Lost Boys and the Indian Braves from you."

Hook tensed up, "Where did you hear that?"

This caught Emma's attention and she grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze.

He looked back at her and gave her a smirk, acknowledging her actions.

"It's in the movies and book."

"What's a movie?"

"I'll show you after school! They're stories that you can watch."

"Well, I assure you, my boy, that Pan is anything but a savior. He's the worst sort of villain."

"Worst than Rumplestiltskin?"

"Aye. There is almost nothing that could make me go back to his cursed land."

"If Pan is a villain and you fight him, why are you a villain? Why is he a hero here?"

"Emma, honey," Mary-Margaret cut in, "You should be heading off to meet Regina."

"Right," Emma agreed. "C'mon Hook."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Miss Swan," Regina stood up as Emma and Hook entered Granny's. "I took the liberty of ordering you two coffee."

"Thanks," Emma smiled as she and Hook slid into the booth. "So, have you gotten any ideas on what to do with your mother?"

"A few, yes," Regina answered as Ruby came with the coffee.

"Thanks Ruby," Emma smiled.

"Thank you, lass," Hook nodded toward the waitress.

Ruby smiled and asked, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Private matters," Regina cut in. "Now, if you could let us continue-"

Ruby huffed and headed back to the counter.

"As I was saying, I think the easiest way would be for you to use your magic-"

"Let me stop you there, I don't have magic."

"Miss Swan, do you think that someone with no magic could undo the most horrible curse ever cast?"

"That was Gold's doing. He had that planned since before I was born," Emma began fiddling with her napkin.

"Oh, yes. And imprisoning my mother in a bubble- one I couldn't even create- that was Gold as well."

"Look," Emma said curtly as her temper started to flare, "It was a one time thing, an accident – not magic."

Regina raised her voice and enunciated every syllable to make her meaning clear, "It wasn't an accident. You have magic. What are you afraid of?"

Losing her temper, the napkin in Emma's hand burst into flame, "Of becoming you!"

"Emma," Hook took Emma's hand. She closed her eyes and collected a breath. The fire in her hand died down.

Everyone in the diner was staring at them. Regina took a moment to study Emma's face before addressing the diner and telling them to go about their own business.

"Look, Miss Swan. You have magic, powerful magic. You need to learn how to control it both to help take care of my mother and so you don't hurt someone we love."

"But how?"

"I can teach you. I'll make you a deal. I will teach you magic if you give me more time with Henry- even if it's one day a week for now.

"Oh, Regina- I don't know. Look what magic has done to everyone that has it. It's destroyed everything they love. I can't pay that price," Emma ended brokenly.

"But your magic is different- it's white magic. It's good. It comes from love, not darkness. Look, your magic hasn't hurt anyone who hasn't deserved it."

"Yet."

"Just give it a shot. We can start with a vanishing spell for those handcuffs."

Emma gave her a small smile before agreeing.

Regina showed her what to do and then they moved the topic back to a new plan for dealing with Cora.

"Gold has a some very rare tools that we may be able to convince him to sacrifice. The first being squid ink- the same that trapped him in the jail cell-"

"What we were originally going to trap your mom with."

"Right. But he has some here too. If you release her from the curse and then we douse her in the ink, Gold also has a bracelet that he found in Neverland long ago-"

"Emma, you can't trust anything that comes from that land," Hook cut in.

"Oh, it works, Captain. It strips the power from the wearer and they are unable to remove it. If we get that on her, we can simply lock her up in a jail cell."

"That sounds like a great plan. But, Regina- I'm just not sure. I know you're trying to change and all- but think of how easily upset you get. What if Cora gets to you and you return to your old ways? It's- it's too risky."

Regina stood up, tears in her eyes, "No matter what I do, it never makes up for anything. I'll always be a villain." Regina turns to Hook and sneers, "We don't get happy endings."

And with that she stomped out of the diner.

OoOoOoOoOo

"It's not working," Emma shouted as she hit the cuffs against her desk at the station.

"Calm down, love," Hook took her hand.

She didn't pull away but she did yell at him, "Don't tell me to calm down! Everything is falling apart and I can't do this."

"You can. You're just flustered. Take a deep breath and remember why you're doing this."

Emma took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She closed her eyes and squeezed Hook's hand. "I'm doing this so I can help the town. So I can save my family."

Emma opened one eye and peeked at the pirate with a smile on her face, "So I can get away from this horrid pirate and finally change my clothes."

Hook chuckled and the cuffs grew cold, causing them both to hold their breath and stare at the cuffs. But then they returned to room temperature and nothing else happened.

Emma let out her breath in a sigh, "See I can't do it."

"You're getting closer. Just really think about why you're doing this. And believe that it needs to be done. See it as you need it to be. Feel it, right here," he pulls their hands up to her heart.

Her eyes didn't leave his and she felt herself leaning in towards him. Their eyes began to close and they didn't notice the cuffs vanish as their lips grazed each other's before Regina barged in and they pull back, but still holding hands.

"Regina-"

Regina blushed, "I'm sorry."

"I, uh-"

"You did it!"

"What?"

Regina pointed down at their intertwined hands, "You removed the cuffs."

The looked down and were confused, "But I don't know how-"

Regina smirked, "I told you, magic is an emotional, not mental, thing."

"But-"

"Look, Emma. I came back to apologize and to try and earn your trust. I know you don't trust me with my mother or with Henry, which is why I thought you could- you could move in with me."

"What?"

"I have plenty of space- six bedrooms. And then we both could see Henry and there would be no fighting over him and you wouldn't have to worry about him being with me because you'd be there too. I just miss my son."

"Look that's really nice, Regina, but I just got to know my parents and I want to be with them."

"They can move in too. You guys will all be under my protection and then I can prove to you all that you can trust me."

"I repeat, this is really nice, Regina, but I mean, look at your history together. I don't think they would do it. It's hard getting them to do as much as they are now."

"Please, Emma. I just want to be with Henry."

Emma paused and looked up at Hook, almost as if for reassurance, "I'll talk to them. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

AN: So, how bad was it? Review please!