Okay. This is my first Once Upon a Time fanfiction. I am a die-hard Captain Swan shipper, so I hope all my fellows out there enjoy this piece of work! :)

And please, please review! Love you all,

—Sunny

"Breaking your heart was never my intention.

Playing with parts too fragile in the ending. "

—Alien, Cary Brothers

"What are you doing?" Hook stared at Emma, shock and hurt mixing in his dark blue eyes. He took a step toward Emma, his hand jerking in the chain. "What are you doing?"

Emma swallowed. "Hook I…" She took a step back. "I… I can't…"

"Emma." His voice was strained. "Look at me. Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?"

Emma swallowed, harder this time. Her voice faltered. "I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry.

"You're sorry?" Hurt turned to anger. He lunged against the chain. "You're sorry? I got you here! I got you the compass!"

"I got the compass," Emma snapped, taking a second step back.

"You're just going to leave me here to die? Have that beast to eat me, crush my bones?"

Anger sparked inside her. "He's not a beast. And you're not going to die." She looked at him, willing him to understand. "I just need a head start – that's all."

She turned on her heel, not trusting herself to meet his wounded gaze again, and began sprinting for the massive double doors.

"Swan," he cried out. Emma shut her eyes, trying to deafen herself to his pleading.

"Swan! Swan!"

Emma didn't realize she was crying until she'd made it halfway to the beanstalk.

Hook rattled the chain, cursing her as her footsteps pounded away. That blasted girl. She knew how to play the game far too well. He'd let his guard down, and she'd gotten under his skin. Curse her. He should have known better. She was going to pay. If Hook excelled at anything, it was revenge.

Booming footsteps rattled the ground, and Hook staggered on his feet. He looked up to see Anton approaching. He swore again.

"Here to finish the job?"

Anton furrowed his brow, his lips puckering. "As much as I'd love to, she told me specifically not to."

Hook pretended the words didn't catch him off guard. "And why would she do that, pray tell?"

The giant shrugged. "Beats me. Seems to be a pretty lousy way to treat your partner."

"You don't say," Hook growled. He twisted his arm in the cuff, but it was no use. He was going nowhere. He tilted his head back to look up at the giant. "Don't think you could break this chain for me, eh, lad?"

"No. Emma told me to make sure you stayed put."

"And since when were you and Emma on such chummy terms?"

"Since when did you piss her off bad enough to ditch you here like that?"

Hook glared. "Pirates are used to getting stabbed in the back. I should have seen it coming."

"Emma never struck me as the backstabbing type."

"That makes two of us she fooled then."

Anton's frown deepened. "Look, I like Emma. But I'm not one for betraying your friends. I'll let you go this one time. Go apologize to her for whatever you did. "

Hook stopped yanking at the chain. "What? You'd do that?"

"For her. Not for you. I don't want her to live with a betrayal like that on her conscience." Anton stooped and pinched the iron cuff of the chain between two forefingers. Before Hook could even flinch the giant snapped the metal cuff in two, sending a shudder of pain up through Hook's wrist.

"Ouch," he grunted.

"Didn't say it was going to be painless."

Hook drew back his hand, massaging his wrist where the manacle had cut into it. "I suppose I ought to thank you."

"If you weren't a pirate, I'd ask for it. But seeing as you are, I'll just advise you to get going. She's already got a big lead on you."

"Much obliged, mate." Hook touch a fingertip to his temple in brief salute, then turned on his heel and jogged for the beanstalk.

Emma skidded to a stop before the stone rim of the beanstalk. Placing one foot on the edge, she leaned forward and peered down. She'd never had a head for heights. Dizzying miles of air stretched out below her, swirling with mist. Emma reeled back, her head spinning. Right then. Don't look down.

She was just about to step up onto the ledge and leap onto the beanstalk when a pair of strong arms closed around her waist, jerking her back against a firm chest. A voice chuckled in her ear, the breath hot against her neck.

"Didn't think you'd be rid of me that easily, love?"

Emma gasped. She struggled against the hold, but he was much stronger than her. His arms clamped around hers, pinning them to her sides.

"How did you get out of that?" she demanded.

He smiled against her ear. "Your big friend seems to have a warmer heart than you, darling."

Emma growled. "Anton."

"Oh, don't blame the giant, lass. It's only thanks to him our lovely little reunion was made possible."

"You're not stopping me from getting Henry!"

"And you're not stopping me from getting my revenge."

He spun her around in his arms so she was pressed flat against his chest, her forehead inches from his lips. She squirmed, but his grip crushed the breath out of her. Holding her firmly in place with one arm, he raised his hook to her face. Satisfied when he saw a flash of fear in her hazel eyes, he slid the cool metal hook down the skin of her cheek, resting it along the soft corner of her mouth.

"I don't take kindly to partners that stab me in the back."

"You would have done the same," she snapped, and he allowed himself a brief flash of admiration for her spunk in the face of such a threat.

"Actually, no." He was pleased to see the flicker of surprise in those striking eyes. He lowered the hook so that it rested just above her throat. She swallowed, shifting the cruel metal claw.

"Please, Killian," she whispered. "I've got to get back to my son."

Before he could respond, the ground shuddered beneath them, knocking them both off balance. Hook released his hold on her, throwing his arms out to catch his balance. Emma jerked forward, stumbling right into his chest, and her hands closed around his tunic to steady herself.

"What—" he started.

"Mulan!" Emma gasped. "She's cutting down the beanstalk!"

"Why would she do such a thing with you still up here?"

"I told her to give us ten hours. Blast it, Hook, you held me up and now it's too late! We'll never get down in time!"

The ground pitched beneath their feet once more. Acting on instinct, Hook caught Emma around the waist before she could fall. Her fists tightened on his jacket.

"This whole place is going to come down," she cried, hanging onto him as the ground continued to roll.

"No need to fret, love." Hook couldn't help but smile at the way she clung to his jacket. He pulled a small vial from his pocket, holding it up between the both of them.

"What is that?" Emma demanded.

"Oh, just a little something I pinched from Cora while her back was turned." Hook unstopped the vial, praying he'd been right about this little trinket.

"What does it do?"

"No idea." Grinning at her, he reached out and grasped her hand, pulling her flush against him. "Let's find out, shall we?"

Emma opened her mouth to protest, just as he turned the vial upside-down, emptying its contents over the both of them. Brilliant violet powder shimmered through the air, enveloping their bodies. Emma gasped, coughing as she breathed it in.

The ground began to crumble beneath them.

"Hold on tight," he rasped into her ear, clutching her with a bit more tension than he would've cared to admit.

The world vanished in an explosion of smoke and dust.

Mwahaha. Sorry, first cliffhanger of the story. :) Please, please review! I loooove all your comments. I should have the next chapter up soon.