It's been several days since their almost-kiss at the inn, and Mary is acting strangely.

She's taciturn and far-away, so closed off that he's worried that their lapse in judgement in the tavern might be weighing as heavily on her own mind as it is his. From what he's gathered of her land, they have very strict rules for propriety there, particularly for a woman of her class—has he crossed some line that he didn't mean to while the alcohol was dictating his every move? Has he offended her in some way? Her sudden moodiness surprises him, and every time he attempts, in his own way, to reach out to her its like he can feel her drifting further away. Once, he swears he can see a tear glistening in the corner of her eye before she brushes it away as if it had never happened. He turns away, embarrassed to be caught watching her like this, and suddenly an idea strikes him.

"Come with me," he whispers as he takes her hand gently. She jumps at the contact and hesitates a bit, but follows him as he leads her off the path through the woods. "Come on, my lady," he repeats, his voice soft but with the faintest hint of a smile. "I know you can keep up with me. You've done it before."

"Where are you taking me?" she asks, her voice sounding small, far smaller than it usually does, and his heart clenches. This isn't his Mary, this sad creature…not his Mary at all. Gone is her confidence, her bravado, replaced with something that Killian is nearly afraid to name, for he knows what it is.

Guilt.

He's brought this on himself, he knows. Mary had told him of the man back in her land, hadn't she? He had known all along that her heart belonged to another. And he should have known better.

Still, he hopes his disappointment in himself doesn't show through on his face. "Just a little detour," he says briskly, pulling her along. She almost smiles as she trots to keep up with him. "I have something I'd like you to see. I know you haven't been…quite yourself these past few days, and I wanted to…cheer you up."

She doesn't respond, merely follows as he brings her to a small clearing in the forest. The moon is just starting to rise above their heads, and after a moment Killian lets go of Mary's hand, looking at her expectantly.

"It's nothing you've done," she says, not looking at him. It's as if she can read his thoughts, and he mentally kicks himself for being so obvious. "It's not that at all. It's just…I've been keeping count of the days since I arrived here, and if I'm counting correctly, then…today is my sister's birthday."

Immediately Killian's face softens, sympathy etched into his every feature. He knows the pain of losing a sibling, but he can't imagine how it must feel to know that they are alive and well, trapped in another realm that seems so far off that it might as well be impossible to get there. It strikes him that, despite the fact that this entire quest has been about sending Mary back home from the beginning, this is the first he's seen her looking truly homesick since he's met her. "I'm sorry," he whispers, trying to ignore the ache in his chest that accompanies the thought of her leaving. "That must be difficult."

She gives a harsh sort of chuckle. "More so than I thought it would be," she admits. "We were never close, even growing up. I'm afraid she finds me rather cold and heartless."

"I don't think you're cold," he remarks in response, trying to make his voice seem casual. "Headstrong and stubborn, yes, bloody maddening at times, too clever for your own good…but not cold."

She gives him a sad sort of smile and shakes her head. "You didn't know me back then."

"But I know you now."

The smile she gives is mysterious, some of that old sparkle fighting for dominance over the sadness in her eyes. "I suppose you do," she admits. She glances around the little clearing once more, which has darkened more since their arrival. "Now, Captain, are you going to tell me why you've brought me here?"

He laughs and stands beside her, slipping his hand into hers easily. "Just wait and see."

It begins slowly at first, one tiny flicker of light blinking on from a spot on the edge of the clearing. It is quickly joined by another, blinking merrily, until suddenly there are tiny beams of light appearing from all sides, illuminating them both—but nothing could compare to the way Mary's face lights up at the sight.

"Fireflies," she whispers.

He almost sighs with relief. Part of him had been worried that she would think him mad, or sentimental, or both for bringing her to see such a sight. But as the fireflies rise into the air, Mary's laughter rings throughout the clearing, and he knows it's all been worth it if she can just forget her grief for a few short moments. She takes a step forward like a delighted child, her free hand reaching out to catch one of the fireflies, but it darts away before she has the chance. Killian chuckles at her antics, but the look on her face as she turns back to him makes him stop short.

She's looking at him with eyes shining with something he cannot name, but it makes his heart beat faster anyway. "Thank you," she breathes. "It's…it's beautiful."

"I thought you might like it."

"Can we stay here forever?"

It's a ridiculous question, and they both know it. They have a quest to complete, not to mention a deal with the Dark One hanging over their heads and more likely than not Regina's knights still on their tale…and Mary has a family at home waiting for her. But he knows that isn't what she needs to hear right now, so he says the only thing he can think of.

"As you wish."

And then his lips are on hers and her arms come around his neck and everything else melts away. They are both hesitant at first, but soon his arm tightens around her waist to bring her closer and she sighs against his mouth. Her lips are soft and taste like the wild strawberries they'd found along the road earlier that day, and her hands tangling in his hair are making it impossible to ignore the feelings he's been trying to push away from the moment he met her.

They know they cannot stay in the clearing forever. They have a journey to complete, and a deal to fulfill. But for just this moment, to Killian Jones and Mary Crawley, they are the only two people in the world.