Title: The Mysterious Case of the Missing Pirate (1/?)

Note: I started this right after the finale and it's just been sitting around ruminating with me working on it occasionally. I'm mostly done, it will be probably be 7 or 8 chapters total and I WILL have it posted and finished by the season premiere. Really, this is my take on a lot of conversations I'd like to see between Emma and… well… everyone!

xXx

For the second time that day, Emma found herself in the hall outside her parent's loft. But this time instead of calmly knocking before entering, she barged through the door without ceremony. Once standing in the living room her eyes darted around erratically, looking for one or both of her parents.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret gasped and brought her hand to her chest as she saw her daughter enter the loft. "You startled me."

"Where's David?" Emma demanded through slightly labored breath, her very being the opposite of calm. She could feel her heart thumping uneasily, there was a light sheen of perspiration on her forehead even though a fluke cold snap had descended on the town and she was so anxious she could feel tension dance along the fissures of her skin.

"He went to the store. With the unexpected storm that came in this morning, we decided extra groceries were a must in case we have to hole up for a few days. Emma, what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked, her eyes shining with concern.

"He's gone."

"Who's gone? Emma, what are you talking about?"

"Killian. He's missing."

xXx

THE NIGHT PRIOR

"That was…"

Emma let his words hang in the air a moment as she caught her breath. Her forehead was resting against his as her left hand gripped his knee and her right cupped the back of his neck. For the first time in a very long time, she allowed herself to just feel. The heightened pulse of her racing heartbeat, how deliciously warm his skin felt the few places where they touched and the delightful prickle that danced across her cheeks where his scruff had been moments ago. Most surprising was an unfamiliar feeling that rushed over her in waves leaving tingles in the most delightful of places. Happy, she was pretty sure that rush was happiness. Or desire. Or euphoria. Or all of the above.

Neither of them noticed the slight chill in the air that had crept in with the fall of night, it felt like they were enveloped in a private cocoon of their very own outside of Granny's. She knew what he was asking when he left his statement open ended. Just like it was yesterday, she remembered their first kiss… raw, passionate, needy… and then over- a one-time thing by her dictate. She tilted her head back in order to meet his eyes.

When he felt her pull away from him, he slowly opened his eyes and blinked once in order to focus on her. Studying her intently, he looked for anything, for any sign of what she was going to say, how she was going to finish his sentence this time. His heart lifted in anticipation as he watched a grin slowly spread across her face.

"Good," she finally finished for him. His lips quirked upwards, but before he could say anything she added, "Amazing, actually."

"Really?" His voice was slightly hoarse from disuse, but the hope and wonder he felt at her response rang clear.

"Yeah. You didn't think so?" Emma asked with a teasing tone; delight etched on her features. At that, he felt emotion start to well from deep in his soul. He'd been pushing the feelings down, a protective mechanism built from every time she'd walked away or said something designed to injure him and push him away. But with her words and her smile the gates opened and the full force of his feelings washed over him and, because he could, he leaned forward and captured her mouth in another languid kiss.

Emma marveled at the feeling of his lips on hers. Warm and wet and she shivered when his tongue met hers, their movements remained soft and deliberate, both of them savoring each individual kiss. When they slowly pulled apart several moments later he mumbled against her lips, "Of course that's what I thought, but that's also what I thought the first time."

She smiled against his mouth and then leaned back slightly, once again so she could meet his gaze. "Me, too."

At that, he raised his eyebrows at her. "Come again, love?"

She swallowed roughly and her voice took on a sincere note. "I thought the first kiss was amazing, too. I just… I wasn't there yet."

He paused a moment before he cleared his throat. "And now? Where are you at present?"

"A much better place."

"Home?" he asked with a curiously raised eyebrow.

Instead of answering, she smiled and in one fluid movement, she turned and shifted herself from her seat onto his lap so she was sitting crossways over his legs, facing away from the walkway to Granny's. Her left arm came around his neck and her right hand found its way to the back of his head, her fingers sliding into his hair as she brought her lips into contact with his in answer one more time.

xXx

"That was…" Blue began to speak, a censorious note in her voice.

"Hot," Ruby finished for her, making a show of fanning herself with a menu.

"I was going to say inappropriate." Blue glanced over at Ruby reproachfully.

"We shouldn't be watching this." Aurora spoke softly so that only the other two women could hear over the din of the party. "This is a private moment and none of our business."

"Speak for yourself. This is juicy. Or as juicy as it gets in Storybrooke," Ruby replied.

Blue chuckled, but as she usually did, without any trace of humor. "Someone should put a stop to it. Remind them they're behaving indecently in public."

"We could," Ruby replied pragmatically, "or we could leave them be. They've been through a lot lately protecting the town, protecting all of us, who are we to put a stop to something they seem to be enjoying quite a bit?"

"What's so interesting out there?" A voice rang out behind them.

At the sound of the very recognizable voice, the three of them jumped guiltily and quickly turned around.

Mary Margaret had been returning from the ladies' room when she noticed Ruby, Blue and Aurora all peering through the blinds of the front window of Granny's. A quick glance over at her booth revealed David coaching Henry on how to hold his uncle, all appeared to be well so she continued towards her friends. When none of them answered Mary Margaret prodded, "What's going on outside?"

"Nothing." Ruby shook her head. "We were looking at absolutely nothing."

"Clearly there is something out there that has all three of you captivated." Mary Margaret asked curiously, a slight frown creasing her brow.

"Nope." Ruby said as she reached behind her and with a yank of a cord closed the blinds on the window they'd been peering out of moments earlier.

Mary Margaret tilted her head quizzically at Ruby and then stepped over so she could peer through the blinds on the door. However, Ruby, with Aurora in tow, moved in front of her so they were standing between her and the door, effectively blocking her view. However, their quick maneuvering was for naught because at that moment Granny walked by and hooked her thumb towards the door. "Your daughter's out there attacking the pirate."

"Attacking?" Mary Margaret voice carried alarm as adrenalin shot through her, before they could stop her she turned back and yelled, "David!" and then stepped around them to the door. She yanked it open and was about to storm through it ready to jump to her daughter's defense, or the pirate's, whichever one needed it really because she wouldn't want Emma to invite trouble for her part in any altercation, when her eyes fell on the two in question.

Granny hadn't lied- Emma was attacking him. But the action was passionate, not violent. She watched her daughter, perched on the lap of a pirate, engaged in a very intimate moment. Momentarily stunned, she didn't move, or she couldn't move. A split-second later Ruby reached by her and pulled the door closed.

"Mary Margaret, what's the matter?" David asked as he reached her, his hand raking through his hair anxiously.

Mary Margaret was still too shocked to speak. She looked at him with wide-eyes trying to focus, but unable to do so. Thinking quickly, Ruby spoke for her. "Nothing's the matter, silly, she just wanted to know if you were okay with the baby for a few minutes so she could have a quick chat with the girls?"

"Oh," David sighed with relief. "Sure, of course, we're fine. Go ahead." He began to step back, but as his eyes searched Mary Margaret's he knew she didn't look fine. He stopped and studied her with concern. "But are you sure you're okay? You look like you've seen an ogre. Was there something outside I should check out first?"

Finally, Mary Margaret snapped out of it. She plastered on a smile and moved so she more fully covered the door. "No. No, I'm fine." With one hand, she gestured down her body. "Just had a baby, woman… issues. Need to talk to… some other… females. "

"Oh…" David replied and then his eyes went wide. "Oh. Are you in pain?" Once again, he moved towards the door. "Should I go get Whale?"

"No!" Mary Margaret, Ruby, Aurora and Blue all replied in unison. Granny took David by the arm and started leading him back to the booth where his son and grandson were still situated. "She's fine. We've got this. Leroy! This man's mug is empty!" She called over to the dwarf who was covering the bar.

"I'm on it!" he called back.

When Granny returned she found Ruby steering Mary Margaret to a seat- a seat, it's worth noting, that was facing away from the window- and Aurora pouring her a glass of water. Mary Margaret was looking dazed. "What did I just see?"

"Your daughter making a public spectacle of herself with a notorious pirate," Blue said both matter-of-factly and with a fair amount of judgment.

Ruby glared at her. "Not helping." She sat down next to her old friend and put her arm around her. "Snow… come on, they're just kissing. This can't be that big of a surprise to you."

"A surprise? Of course it's a surprise. Emma's kissing Hook! He's … he's … well, to quote Blue, he's a notorious pirate! In fact he's the most notorious pirate!"

"Yes," Ruby replied slowly, "That's true. But they're together all of the time-"

"Sure, because they've been working together to defeat Zelena," interrupted Mary Margaret. "But notorious pirates can't be trusted; actually, no pirate can be trusted. My daughter can't be with a pirate!"

Ruby looked at her quizzically. "But you're with him all of the time, too."

"What's your point?" Mary Margaret asked, a note of hysteria threatening to overtake her.

"Why's he a part of your inner circle if he can't be trusted and you don't want him around Emma?"

"Because… I don't know. Yes, it's true we were all working together. That doesn't mean he's good enough to… to be doing that…" Mary Margaret pointed to the window, "with her."

"Okay, but if he was helping you, you must not think he's all bad…" Ruby began again slowly.

"I don't know. I don't know what he is. I'm still not sure he wasn't working with Zelena. We still don't know who sent the note he claims he got telling him to bring Emma back here. He can't explain it. For all we know, maybe he's the one who opened the portal!"

"To what end?"

"To that end!" Mary Margaret once again pointed to the window, even though the blinds were still shut.

Ruby shook her head and tried not to laugh. Her friend was obviously upset, but her ranting sounded so ludicrous. Aurora and Blue exchanged a glance, but wisely kept their peace as Ruby gently reasoned, "Mary Margaret, you're not making sense, first you were working with him to defeat Zelena, but now you suspect him of working for her. Didn't he help David, Emma and Regina defeat Zelena and rescue your son?"

Mary Margaret looked frazzled. "Supposedly."

"What's this really about?" Ruby's voice was gentle as was the hand she placed on Mary Margaret's shoulder.

"Neal just died." Mary Margaret's voice was imploring as she finally admitted what was foremost on her mind.

"She was about as interested in Neal as she was in my pot pie, which is to say not at all." Granny interjected unceremoniously.

Ruby glared at her grandmother and then directed a pointed look at the other women, which they picked up on immediately. Aurora suddenly rose and said, "Who needs cake, we'll go get some cake." She nudged Blue and they followed Granny, retreating to the counter, leaving Ruby alone with Mary Margaret.

"It's true that Neal just died, but they hadn't been together since before Henry was born… right?"

"Right, but I was hoping…"

"You were hoping." Ruby cut her off quietly. "What was she hoping?"

Mary Margaret stopped short as the realization hit her. She had no idea what Emma was hoping. "I… I don't know. But-"

"Mary Margaret," Ruby began gently, "Do you remember that day right before Pan's curse? We were right here in the diner. You stayed here while David left to find Emma because she decided not to meet Neal."

"So...?"

"So… she stood him up. That's not something you do if you want to be with someone. You might be mourning Neal as the loss of a…" Ruby waved her hand in the air as she searched for the right description, "romantic partner more than she is. In fact, in light of what's happening outside, I'm fairly certain you are."

Mary Margaret didn't look convinced, but conceded, "Maybe you're right… but of all people, Hook?"

Ruby grinned shrewdly at her. "The heart wants what it wants, even if what it wants has a fiancé with a palace made of gold…"

"That was different!"

Ruby smirked at her. "Yes, it was. Emma's not outside with an engaged man. As far as we know, they're both single."

Mary Margaret glared at her and was about to reply when Blue and Aurora appeared with plates full of cake and another round of drinks for everyone. Aurora smiled apologetically at Mary Margaret as she handed her a refill on her glass of milk rather than the wine and beer the others were enjoying.

Everyone was silent for a beat, until Granny raised her mug to the other ladies, "To Emma, snagging herself a notorious, but charming, pirate!"

"Charming?" Mary Margaret looked as if she'd eaten something sour as she repeated the word. The expression on her face communicated revulsion and incredulity all at once. Her obvious aversion to the idea diverted her companions; Aurora let out a soft giggle, Granny smirked and Blue hid behind her wine glass. As Mary Margaret looked around at them, she started shaking her head in disbelief. "No… "

Ruby outright grinned at her. "Yes. Mary Margaret, even you have to admit that he's pretty charming."

Mary Margret's now horrified look amused her companions even further. "I will admit no such thing. He says the most outrageous things! You heard him earlier, wondering why David would choose me over a fortune! It's insulting. You should have heard what he said when he found out I was pregnant, he compared me to a crop that had been planted and needed harvesting! There's no charm there at all. And I know charming. My David is charming." She said with a ring of finality as if to close the topic.

"If I remember the story correctly, you didn't think so at first. That's not why you gave him that nickname."

"You," Mary Margaret's eyes flashed in Ruby's direction, "are being too literal."

Ruby laughed out loud. "Okay, then you at least have to admit that he's hot."

"Hot?" Mary Margaret's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yes, 'hot.' You know handsome, attractive, easy on the eyes… in this realm we say 'hot.'" Ruby's eyes danced with humor as she teased her friend.

Mary Margaret sighed exasperatedly, "I know what you meant, but-"

However, Granny interrupted her by raising her glass once again. "To Emma, getting herself one hot piece of pirate!"

As everyone raised their glass in salute, Mary Margaret looked around the table "You're kidding, right? All of you think he's… hot?"

"Don't tell Phillip, but he's very, very hot." Aurora agreed solemnly before demurely taking a sip of her ale.

Blue looked at Mary Margaret sympathetically but said, "I'm a nun… and even I think he's hot."

Mary Margaret just shook her head in defeat as the women of Storybrooke finished toasting Emma and her conquest of the very, very hot pirate.

xXx

"So…" Hook murmured as their lips once again parted.

"So…" Emma returned as she sat back in his lap, her arms still wrapped around his neck.

"What happens next?" His voice was tentative and the uncertainly she heard there made her heart clench. Part of her wanted to allay his fear, tell him she was in this now, but years of emotional walls didn't completely disintegrate overnight. And expressing her feelings was definitely something she was out of practice with… if she was ever in practice, so she turned her attention to the practical.

"We should probably go inside," she replied as she reluctantly shifted back off his lap and onto the chair. The loss of his body heat immediately made her wince and she shivered in the night air. "Hey, that reminds me, what did you do with our stowaway?"

Killian stood, he took a moment to shift his weight and work out the kinks in his legs brought on by sitting in one position, Emma's weight pinning him down. From the stiffness he felt, they must have been in that position for quite a while. However, to him, lost in her kiss, it had passed like no time at all. He reached down to offer her a hand. "That's not really what I meant.'" When Emma just smirked at him, he continued, "I put her in Granny's capable hands. She was going to provide lodging for the night and then offer her sustenance."

"Good thinking," Emma smiled brightly at him and he sighed. He would never get tired of seeing that smile, a smile that he'd seen more in the last 48 hours than in the entirety of their acquaintance. Emma continued, "We should check on her."

"We should, but when I said 'what happens next' I was thinking more in terms of-"

"This?" Emma finished for him as she motioned between the two of them.

"Aye," he replied studying her closely.

"Are you hungry? We didn't eat much in the Enchanted Forest," Emma asked seemingly evading his question. The truth was she didn't know how to answer him. She wasn't sure what would happen next or even what she wanted to happen next, she just knew she was very much enjoying the present and wanted that to continue.

"Indeed, I am."

"Me, too. We should go in there, check on our stowaway, get something to eat and take it from there."

"Take it from there?" Killian asked carefully.

"Yes. Henry is staying with Regina tonight, so once the party breaks up we can… talk some more."

"Talk?" Killian raised an eyebrow at her.

"Sure," she agreed with a seductive little smirk.

"Your room or mine?" he asked, his hand coming up to brush an errant lock of hair from her cheek.

"Yours, definitely, yours. I still live in mine with my almost teenage son so in case he comes home early-"

"Oh…" His eyebrows shot up and a look of unadulterated anticipation crossed his features. "Do you anticipate our talk could… span the night?"

Emma shrugged, but there was a flirtatious twinkle in her eye. "It could be a long conversation."

"Indeed?"

"You never know." With a smile she reached down, linked their fingers together, and started pulling him towards the front door of Granny's, however when they reached the entrance she appeared to have thought better of it and dropped his hand. "Maybe we don't need to flaunt it just yet. You know, while we're figuring it out, there's no need to feed the gossips. What they don't know, they can't talk about."

"Ashamed of me, love?" He asked with a rueful chuckle, but he opened the door and stepped back in a sign of acquiescence.

She rolled her eyes in answer as she passed by him and crossed the threshold of the diner.

The women at the front table stopped talking when Emma entered with Hook, but Emma didn't notice. She was going to say something to them when she spotted their stowaway sitting at the far end of the counter. She and Killian exchanged a look and without words, they agreed on a course of action. Killian made his way around the bar and to their guest, while Emma stopped at the front table.

Emma leaned down and spoke softly. "So you've all heard about our situation?"

"Your… situation?" Questioned Blue, her tone every bit that of the Mother Superior.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what to do about it. Killian and I didn't mean for it to happen."

"You didn't?" Ruby questioned with a smirk. "It seems to me you're embracing… your situation."

Emma knit her brow in slight confusion, before turning her attention to the fairy, "Do you think what we've done will upset the balance of the universe or anything like that? I would hate to think our actions might create a seismic shift in Storybrooke."

"A seismic shift? You think you and he could create a seismic shift?" The unimpressed look on the fairy's face spoke volumes. "I'm not sure even the savior and the pirate can make the earth quake."

Emma crinkled her brow and looked slightly taken aback. "Well if it's no big deal that's great. We just didn't want to rip a hole in the space-time continuum."

"I suspect we won't know if there will be seismic movement until after you retire for the night," Granny interjected. "At least those of us here at the bed and breakfast should be within range to… feel it. " At that, Mary Margaret gasped and brought a hand up to cover her mouth in horror.

Emma was glancing behind her at Killian and the stowaway. Thus, she was too distracted to see her mother's reaction. "It's true, we're tired, for all of you no time passed, but we were in the Enchanted Forest for several days. I can't wait to eat and then get right to bed. "

"I'm sure you can't." Ruby replied kindly, but with a twinkle.

"Okay… well thank you, Granny, for getting our stowaway settled. I'm glad none of you thinks it's a big deal we brought her back with us. I'm going to check on her and get some dinner."

"Stowaway?" Mary Margaret questioned as Emma walked away.

"Yes, that daughter of yours brought back a stray from the past." Granny replied knowingly. "I knew what she was talking about; I just liked seeing you turn red, my dear Snow."

xXx

Emma watched Regina stalk away, their confrontation ringing in her ears. She glanced to the back of the diner where Robin and Roland were reuniting with their stowaway. Their stowaway was Marian. Robin Hood's Marian. Maid Marian. She knew enough of fiction to know that their love was supposedly epic; however, she didn't think she'd be sharing that tidbit with anyone who wasn't familiar with her world's fictional recounting of the tale.

She was shaking when she finally moved to sit back down next to Hook. Her meal sat in front of her, only half eaten, but she couldn't even contemplate taking another bite. A pit had taken up residence in the bottom of her stomach. What had she done?

"Swan, are you okay?" he asked in a low voice, concern writ clear across his face. As soon as she'd sat down he'd turned on his stool to face her and his hand came to rest on her back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

Emma looked up and tried to concentrate on him. "I… uh…" She was at a loss for words.

"Don't listen to Regina, love, she's just upset."

Finally, she focused on his eyes. "And she has reason to be."

"Aye, but not at you. She has only herself to blame. It's not your fault the Evil Queen was going to put the lass to death. You stopped her and then dealt with the situation the best way you knew how."

"I messed with the timeline! Why aren't you saying, 'I told you so?' You knew something like this was going to happen, you warned me about it over and over again in the Enchanted Forest. You were against me saving her."

"I know I was, but I was wrong. You saved her life, Emma. I can't and won't condemn you for that. You did the right thing."

"And I ruined Regina's life in the bargain." Emma looked so dejected that all he wanted was to sweep her into his arms and soothe away the guilt that Regina had managed to instill in mere minutes. That woman certainly had a knack for knowing what buttons to push on a person.

"Her life's not ruined, Swan. It's just been… complicated."

"She said I was just like my mother."

"Is that really such an affront? Your mother's not my favorite person, but you're fond of her, right?" Killian tried to inject some humor into the moment, but Emma either didn't notice or ignored it.

"Right. But she spent years trying to kill my mother." Emma sat up as she saw Regina leaving the diner. "I am not okay with our relationship being like theirs, complete with curses and all sorts of fairy tale horrors. I'll be right back."

Before Killian realized what she was about, Emma slid off her stool and headed out of the door after the woman formerly known as the Evil Queen.

xXx

"Regina… wait!"

Regina stopped but she didn't turn around. "What do you want, Miss Swan?"

"You're leaving?"

"Yes," Regina replied sternly without turning around.

"What about Henry? He's supposed to stay with you tonight."

"I told him you preferred he stay here with you tonight."

"Okay… but why?"

Finally, Regina whirled around. Her eyes were glassy and red, filled with tears she was clearly struggling to keep from shedding. "Because I don't want him to see me like this!" One fat tear escaped down her cheek and she swiped at it fiercely. However, she never lost her composure or her scowl.

Emma took in a startled breath. "Okay. Whatever you need. Regina, look, I'm really sorry that this has hurt you. That was not my intention. I didn't even know who she was until Robin said her name in there."

"I find that hard to believe."

Now Emma felt a bit of fire start to take hold. "Well, she wouldn't tell me her name while we were being held in your dungeon for fear you would kill her family if she told anyone her identity! Ironically, it turns out she was protecting your boyfriend, from you."

Regina narrowed her eyes at that and Emma realized belatedly that antagonizing Regina at this juncture was not conducive to smoothing the situation. She looked dangerous- evil, really- and her voice was as cold as ice when she spoke. "And after that? Once you'd freed her and were doing whatever it is you did on your little adventure, you didn't learn her name then?"

"No. Killian and I knew we couldn't let her loose in the past when she was already supposed to be dead. We were trying to figure out what to do with her; Killian and I ended up knocking her out when it was clear she wasn't going to come with us willingly. She was unconscious most of the time and he ended up carrying her through the porthole."

"Oh, so you're here to gloat?" Regina raised one eyebrow at her, her seething anger evident just beneath the surface.

"Gloat?" Emma was stunned. "What do I have to gloat about?"

"That you're starting a new love affair on the very day you ended mine."

"What?" Emma's eyes were as wide as saucers at the other woman's accusation.

"'Killian and I this, Killian and I that.' Plus you've got the doe-y eyes. Nauseating," she grunted. "Clearly something has shifted between you and Hook. Otherwise you'd probably still be calling him 'Hook.'"

"I'm… I'm not… we're not… we haven't even… I'm not here to gloat… I would never…" The words tumbled out of Emma's mouth in inelegant succession.

Regina rolled her eyes in derision and waited for Emma to stop fumbling for words. When she did speak, it was with deceptive calm. "Go back in there to your family and your son and your pirate and have the time of your life. Don't give a thought to the misery you've brought me through your ill-advised actions." She started to turn and then paused. She looked back and once again sneered at Emma, looking every bit the Evil Queen Emma had met in the Enchanted Forest. "But do enjoy it now, Miss Swan; you never know when it's all going to be ripped away from you. Just as you've ripped my happiness away from me."

Finished, she turned and continued down the street. Emma watched her go in stunned silence. It was a threat; Emma could feel the very real menace behind her words. Regina was out of sight by the time Emma was composed enough to turn and walk back towards the diner. A twinge of fear struck her. That was the thing about finding home and accepting family and happiness; suddenly she had a lot more to lose. And she had the uncomfortable realization that she'd just faced someone who wanted to take it.

xXx

After Regina departed, it didn't take long for the rest of the party to break up. Emma plastered on a fake smile as she helped David and Mary Margaret bundle up her little brother and gather all the gear he required. She sent Henry up to start getting ready for bed and offered to help Granny and Ruby clean up, but between the dwarfs and the fairies, everything was under control. She turned and was both slightly startled and completely unsurprised to see that Killian was waiting for her by the door that led to the Bed and Breakfast.

Even though he'd been doing it for a while, being someone's top priority would take some getting used to. She gave him a small, genuine smile, and she felt a sense of comfort come over her. Just setting eyes on him had that effect on her. But reflecting on that sense of… happiness- for there was no better word to describe it- only served to remind her of what Regina had said and a tidal wave of apprehension hit her. Involuntarily, her face fell as she thought about Regina's words, her threat. She was starting a love affair on the very day she ended Regina's and the guilt and anxiety gnawed in her gut.

He saw it happen. For a moment, when their eyes met, they connected, she was there, she was happy and then it all slipped away. He'd seen it, or rather felt it, happen many times in the past. Many moments when she'd been on the verge of letting him in, but then once again her armor would reappear and the progress they'd made, the connection they'd forged, would vanish. Well he wasn't going to let it happen again. Not this time. "Swan…"

She shook her head, pushed past him, and started for the stairs to the rooms they were renting.

"Swan, wait," he sighed as he quickly followed her up the stairs.

Once she reached her room, she turned to face him, her back to her door. However, she didn't meet his eye. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied carefully. "Swan, what's the matter?"

When she didn't answer he stepped in front of her and gently gripped her, putting hand and hook on either shoulder. "Emma, are you alright? Your second tête-à-tête with Regina has obviously distressed you even more than the first. What did she say?"

Emma swallowed roughly and merely shook her head.

"Swan, please. Tell me how I can help."

Her expression was sad, her gaze fixed on his chest. "Look, I'm fine. I'm tired; I just need to get some sleep."

He nodded once before replying. "I presume that means we won't be… talking tonight?"

For some reason his reference to their previous plan irritated her. "Of course we won't be talking tonight," she snapped and shook herself out of his grasp. He immediately stepped backwards at her change in demeanor. She then pointed behind her with her thumb. "Regina needed me to take Henry. He's inside getting ready for bed. What… do you expect me to abandon my son for you?"

"I…" Her accusation shocked him and he felt an immediate need to defend himself. To illustrate he took several steps back so he was standing in front of the door to his rented room. "My room is just across the hall, it's not as if I was implying you should leave the premises."

"No, you were implying that I sneak out of my room in order to have sex with you while my son is just across the hall."

He sputtered for a moment, shocked that she'd abandoned their code. Of course, he had been hoping for just that, but he also hoped she would have viewed it in a more romantic light. He desired her desperately, but only if she wanted it as much as he did. He brought his hand up and ran it through his hair, causing it to stick up in a mess of different directions. "Emma, I… I want to spend time with you. I'm amenable to actually talking. If I didn't make that plain to you, let me do so now." He studied her a moment before he continued. She still radiated anger and he searched for a way to diffuse it, to diffuse this bizarre situation. Just an hour or so ago she couldn't keep her hands off him, and now this? He knew why of course. Regina. She had a bloody knack for taking her problems and making them other people's. "I don't want to pressure you; moreover it seems as if you are in need of unburdening yourself. Some actual talking might do you good."

They stood there for a tense moment, the air between them buzzing with her anger and his confusion as they stared at one another. Finally, Emma relented. What was she doing? Why was she mad at him? He'd done absolutely nothing to deserve it. Besides it was impossible to be angry with him when he looked at her with such tenderness and concern, it was also impossible to be angry with him when his hair was sticking up like that, rendering him ridiculously boyish. He watched her visibly deflate. She took one deep breath and then muttered, "I'm sorry."

"I don't want your apology, love, I want you to tell me what's troubling you. This can't be because you saved a life?"

"Listen, I'm not in the mood to talk… literally or metaphorically." She shot him a weak smile. "I'm exhausted, I need to sleep."

"That's understandable. We didn't get much chance for rest on our little adventure."

His use of the same words Regina had used to describe their trek through the past, unfortunately, put her back on edge and reminded her of what she'd done and what Regina had threatened. Never mind that she herself had used the same description mere hours ago. How could she revel in her own happiness when her actions had made others miserable?

Killian continued speaking, unaware of her rekindled turmoil. "Perhaps we can talk tomorrow? Over breakfast downstairs?"

Emma shook her head, keeping her eyes away from his. "Henry and I are going over to fix breakfast for my parents."

They were both silent. It was the natural place for her to invite him to join them, but she didn't and they both felt the awkward breach left by the lack of invitation.

"Listen, I'll be at my parents, but maybe I'll call over here when we're done and we can... oh, wait, damn… I don't have my phone." Her hands roamed over her figure, patting down every pocket in both her jacket and jeans. She looked towards the window at the end of the hall, her eyes wide in horror. "I must have lost it in the Enchanted Forest. What do we do? What if someone finds it? Talk about the potential to change the past. If someone from the past saw that technology there's no telling what might happen. I knew this trip would continue to haunt us, I wish we'd never gone back!"

Killian cringed inwardly at her admission. While they'd been on their trip through the past he'd experienced many harrowing and exasperating and even heartbreaking moments, but now the trip contained some very good memories for him and it pained him to hear her wish that it had never happened. "Not to worry. You had the device and you were listening to a message from your father when we were racing towards the barn. You surely dropped it as the doors opened. I'd wager it's still there."

She sighed with relief. "Right… I'll go look for it after breakfast tomorrow."

"I'd be happy to accompany you."

"That's not necessary." Her reply was quick and she spoke in discouraging accents.

"Emma…" He said no more, but the question in his tone was clear.

She yielded and met his eye. She'd been avoiding it, knowing her resolve would break if she allowed herself to get lost in them. They were so damn blue, even in the dimly lit hall. "Look, I'll come back here by lunch. Maybe you can come with me to the station? I should make some rounds; check on things post-Zelena. David would normally help, but he needs some time at home with Mary Margaret and the baby."

"Sure. Sounds wonderful. I'll be here… waiting." He gave her a tight smile. He'd gone from anticipating a long-awaited romantic rendezvous that evening to acting as her deputy in an occupational capacity the following day. It was disappointing to say the least and he felt himself slump in dejection. However, at this point, he would cling to whatever she offered. Even if this sounded suspiciously like it was going to entail trekking through some manner of woods and in all honesty, he'd gotten his fill of that during their little adventure. However, he would follow her anywhere, even back into the forest. "Get some sleep, love. I'm sure things will look different after a good night's rest."

She didn't say anything, hoping he was right, but knowing from experience he wasn't. Tomorrow Regina would still be miserable and it would still be her fault and she was still going to enact goodness knew what kind of revenge.

"'Night, Hook." She refused to meet his gaze. With an awkward wave, she opened the door to her room and disappeared into it.

Once she was gone. Killian leaned against the door to his room and knocked the back of his head against the wood several times, his eyes closed tight in frustration.

TBC