The day Captain Hook tapped the door of Emma Swan's New York apartment, he wasn't expecting too much of an affectionate hello. He'd gone through hell and back to find her, and he finally had, after a whole year apart; he also knew that she did not remember him. It would take a little bit of work to jog her memory. But after what they had had, he had his hopes on high. That wonderful interlude, the intimacy, the clean, crisp feel of white cotton sheets grazing their bodies as they came into one couldn't have meant another "one time thing". If he had loved her insanely before then, that night had completely ruined his chances at ever loving any other woman ever again. She was far more to him than just another conquer to stubbornly follow from realm to realm. To him, Emma Swan represented fresh breathing air, a chance at living in the light, beauty, spirit and heart: His one true love. So the sight of her alone, after a whole year of not seeing her and after what they had had, would certainly be enough to just fill him with joy.

He missed her terribly. So, so terribly.

Love was the most powerful magic of all, he had heard once. And he prayed it was still in there, in Emma's heart, no matter how frightened or disoriented she might be upon seeing him again. He knew firsthand just how hard it could be to be let into Emma's little secret garden, her heart a barrier surrounded with barbed wire; But he had been the only man to expertly climb those walls and jump over them into her heart… and what a glorious place he had dwelt in while that lasted! He was confident he'd still have another fair chance at it.

So he sighed deeply… and tapped.

No… he banged on the door. Hard. Twice.

Soft footsteps were heard as she approached from within and opened the door. His heart raced.

There she was…

There they were.

The smile on his face rose up into his cheeks and went down just as fast when he saw her holding that little baby girl, no older than maybe two or three months of age… and the most beautiful little thing he'd ever seen. A baby girl that casually sported a full head of unruly black hair. Lots and lots of it.

And massive ocean blue eyes to match.

Oh… darn.

"S…Swan?" He frowned.

Well… fuck. Three hundred years alive, an expert philanderer, and not even once had he hit the jackpot. Until Emma.