Not gonna lie, it feels totally surreal that I can finally share this story with you. Since this is the first time I've finished a story before I start posting it I have mixed feelings about this. There were times when I had the urge to throw my iPad into the corner and just be done with this story. But I pushed through and now I can only hope that you'll like what I came up with. :-)

Special thanks to my awesome beta mearcats who did an amazing job editing this story. Another big thank you goes out to sambethe who made a fantastic banner for this story. You can find it on her tumblr or mine (hooklineandswan). Also, thanks to the mod team who made this event possible.

And to all the other participants of the CSBB -

WE MADE IT! You all rock!

And...you can expect some sexy times between these two along the way. Hello, it's me! Of course they will burn up the sheets eventually. :-)

Prologue - The Yellow Line

"That's quite the vessel you captain there, Swan."

Her lips shook as she forced her mouth into a smile at his comment, his old-fashioned words soothing her somehow. He answered her shaky smile with a smile of his own, but then his smile suddenly faltered, his gaze turning serious and his voice dropped low.

"There's not a day will go by I won't think of you."

The words curled around her heart, finding their way through the walls around it. She knew she would probably never see him again, but still she felt lighter than she had in months.

"Good," she replied, feeling a flutter deep in her stomach when his mouth curved up into an honest smile for once, not one of those smirks of his that were designed to rile her up.

He looked at her for a few more seconds, thoughts of missed chances swirling through her brain when he turned and stepped back.

And then Regina walked towards her and told her that both she and Henry would lose all their memories. That it'd be as though Storybrooke had never existed. It felt like a punch to her stomach, as though all the air had left her lungs at once, leaving her completely empty.

Not that she could do much about it. They had to go.

Her heart was heavy and her eyes burned with unshed tears she forced herself not to show as she turned around and walked to her car. How was this even fair? Why did she have to lose so much again? A sob lodged in her throat, but then her eyes fell on her son and she swallowed it down before it could escape. At least this time she wasn't alone. Her son would be with her. In a few minutes she wouldn't remember her old life anymore.

It hurt like hell. Losing her parents all over again. Seeing how much it shook Henry to leave Regina behind. His grandparents and his father. She couldn't help him with that pain. But like her, he was going to lose all his memories. They got a fresh start. Together.

Thinking about that didn't lessen the pain, though. But driving over the yellow line would. Opening the door of her car, she climbed into the Bug.

There's not a day will go by I won't think of you.

The lump in her throat grew again. She would lose him, too. The pirate had annoyed her to no end on their beanstalk adventure with his cocky attitude and flirtatious behavior. But then Neverland happened, and something...changed. He'd come back with the bean to help her find Henry, fought beside her against Pan. His darkest secret had been about her, about her being the first woman since Milah who he'd let anywhere near his heart. The goddamn pirate had told her that only hours after they'd kissed. Hours after he'd practically dared her into it with a cocky smirk and that damn tap of his finger against his lips. Something had just snapped inside her when he'd shot her volley back to her. She just couldn't nothaul him towards her by the lapels of his ridiculous leather coat and show him that she was definitely able to handle it.

But God, that kiss. She'd told him it was a one-time thing, but now she wasn't so sure she really meant it. Moments away from losing all her memories she acknowledged to herself that he'd managed to do something a lot of men before him hadn't been able. He'd started to chip away at the wall she'd built around her heart after Neal's betrayal. She'd fought tooth and nail against this attraction, but he'd been persistent. And now she would forget everything about him. Every single flirtatious comment, every lascivious grin. Forget how blue his eyes were. Forget that she'd wondered since that kiss in the jungle of Neverland how his chest hair might feel beneath her fingers. How his naked skin might feel against hers. How his stubble might feel against the sensitive inside of her thighs.

She would forget everything about him.

In that moment her heart broke over all the things she would never find out now. She'd pushed him away over and over, and now she would never get a chance to pull him close instead of shoving him as far away from her as possible.

Looking into the rear-view mirror, she saw him standing right beside her parents, tears blurring her vision as she swallowed hard. She had so many regrets, but in a few minutes even those would be gone. Shooting Henry a shaky smile, she fastened her seatbelt and started the car. She had to be strong for her son for just a few more minutes. The moment they drove over the yellow line she wouldn't remember her heartbreak anymore.

Closing her shaking fingers around the steering wheel, she let go of the clutch and started to drive. Not letting herself look back any longer, she kept her gaze straight forward, concentrating on the stretch of asphalt ahead of her. The yellow line came closer and closer, and then the front wheels of the car crossed it.

A sharp tug shot through her stomach, her lungs constricting suddenly. She looked frantically over to Henry, seeing him slump forward in his seat. Reaching for him, she hit the brakes hard. But before she could touch him a searing pain shot through her whole body and everything went dark.