Hope Swan-Jones. Impossibly cute.

~~~ EMMA’S POV ~~~

When I get to the docks after literally fleeing from my parents’ apartment, my boys are still nowhere to be found. I can’t see the Jolly Roger approaching Storybrooke just yet, so I walk towards the water and sit down on the yellow curbstone. I look out at the horizon. 

Suddenly I think back to the moment, when Killian and I were sitting here - back when I found out my parents put my potential darkness into Lily.

I was so mad at them back then. Because they didn’t tell me the truth. Killian told me that day right here, that they probably did it to make me proud. They aren’t into being honest as long as it gives them the perfect image. That’s all they care for, no matter how much they have to pretend to themselves and everyone else, that it’s real - even though it’s not. My mother at least.

Well now, what Killian told me back then, applies to her.

She has to get over her issues. Because otherwise she’s going to lose me just to spite Killian.

But the thing is, she has to do it herself. I’m done trying to convince her, that I love Killian and that we’ll be together forever. I don’t need her to decide what makes me happy. Either she’ll realize it on her own, or she’ll have to live without us. 

I continue to gaze at the horizon and sigh in relief, finally rid of all that emotional baggage.

The mix of the horizon and the water really is calming. No wonder Killian loves the sea so much. 

Maybe we should take a vacation with his ship. That would be great for the both of us. We haven’t seen each other for the past five years, so I think we deserve a break. We could never have that in Storybrooke because people just keep interrupting us here. Plus it’s been peaceful for years, so I can leave without having to worry about Henry’s safety every second of every day. 

Sure, it’ll also be kind of weird to be on Killian’s ship for a while since it’s the place I went to grieve for the past five years. There are lots of ghosts in that room. But I think it’ll be okay. I’ll have Killian with me this time to chase them away. 

I’m not alone there anymore.

I’d have my love there with me.

He came back to me and I’m not letting him go ever again.

This is our shot at a happy beginning. And I intend to live life to the fullest. I don't want to have regrets ever again.

——————— —————— —————— —————— —————— —————— 

It isn’t long until I see the Jolly Roger on the horizon, approaching the crazy little town. I get up and walk over to Killian’s usual dock. I wait for them there. 

Once they get close enough, I hear Henry yelling my name. “Mom? What are you doing here?” 

“Nothing, kid. I just came by to pick you up. We’re having dinner at your grandparents place.” I say. 

I move my gaze towards Killian and he gives me a smile. Until, he sees that I’m not too happy just yet. He probably knows that it’s because of my mother, so he throws me a curious glance, raising his eyebrow. I just shake my head slightly, signalizing that I’ll explain everything later. Henry doesn’t need to know that I’m fighting with my mom.

Killian just nods slowly, giving me an encouraging smile. It’s nice to have someone again, who understands me without words - someone who just gets me.

Once they’ve docked the ship, Killian and Henry walk over to me. I envelop my son in my arms and give Killian a soft kiss. 

Then my little family makes their way towards the loft, with me holding both of my boys’ hands.

—————— —————— —————— —————— —————— ——————

Once we arrive back at my parent’s place, I innerly sigh in relief as my dad opens the door. I hoped he’d be here by now. He’s a good buffer to keep Mary Margret at bay.

“Hi, guys. It’s nice to see you again so soon.” Dad says, as he motions for us to walk into the loft.

We walk inside, Henry first, followed by me and then Killian. From the corner of my eye, I can see dad clapping Killian on the back softly as he passes him. He says “mate” as a form of greeting quitely.

I smile to myself. At least one of my parents is happy for me - and probably for himself, too.

David might’ve tried to hide it to spare my feelings, but I could always tell that he was suffering, too. 

I lost my true love that day five years ago, but dad lost his best friend, which is no walk in the park, either.

Then I get dragged from my thoughts, by small arms enveloping my legs tightly. I balance myself, trying not to fall from the sudden movement. I put my hands on Neal’s shoulders and smile down at him.

“Hi kiddo.”  

“Emma!” He yells happily.

I lean down and pick him up to give my little brother a proper hug. “I missed you, buddy.”

“Sissy not sad anymore?” He asks quietly, suddenly seeming very worried.

“I am fine. I promise.” I say, looking around and seeing that Henry is luckily talking to my dad. Good. I don’t want to involve him in the problems between his grandmother and I. 

He seems so happy today for the first time in a long time. He missed Killian, too, and me probably because I haven’t quite been myself since I lost Killian. I was lost in my grief.

I don’t want to take Henry’s happiness away so soon, yet. He deserves a break from all the drama this town causes - for as long as I can make that happen.

“Dinner’s ready.” Mary Margret says, while walking out of the kitchen with a smile on her face. 

Dinner. Just the thing I was dreading ever since agreeing to it in the first place.

~~~ EMMA’S POV ~~~

 As I fall through the portal, I clutch Hope tightly to my chest, making sure I don’t let her fall. I can’t risk that. Who knows where she would end up all on her own?

I also think of Killian and our life together - our happy beginning. I think of what was supposed to be this morning - Hope’s first sailing trip to visit Elsa. It’s going to be so fun.

Suddenly, the portal spits us out and I land firmly on my back. I look down at Hope, who is wide awake now. She doesn’t start crying though, so I assume, she didn’t get hurt during the fall.

I then explore our surroundings. We’re clearly at the docks. Good.

The only question is when?

I look at the Jolly Rodger and see Killian working on a sail up on the deck. He has his back to us, but I can tell, that he’s wearing the same clothes he was wearing this morning. I suppose that means we made it back home.

It’s in that moment that I begin to sprint towards the ship without a second thought. I fly up the stairs in record time.

Killian turns at the creaking of the wood caused by my feet and smiles as soon as he spots us. I run into his waiting arms. “Killian.” I say happily.

“Hello, my love and my little love.” He runs his hand softly over Hope’s head.

It is really him!

We successfully found our way back home.

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss Killian hungrily, overcome with emotions. I missed him so much. It’s been a long few weeks without my Killian.

He groans softly as he pulls away. “Easy there, Swan. We’ve got company.” He looks down at our sleeping angel in my arms. How she already managed to fall asleep again amazes me.

I chuckle and peck his lips three more times.

Then, I glance at Hope, too. Her eyes open at that moment and she smiles happily, while reaching out her hand to Killian. She coos softly.

Killian releases me from his arms and I put his baby daughter into his waiting arms.

As soon as she’s settled there, he kisses her forehead.

I smile at the sight.

This is it - home. I’ve missed it so much. I missed seeing these two of my true loves together.

I step closer to Killian and put my arm around his back. My other arm envelops Hope. I rest my head on my husband’s shoulder.

“I missed you so much.” I say as a tear falls down my cheek.

“I missed you, too, my love.” He kisses my forehead. “But I must admit, you are acting a bit strange. Is everything alright? We saw each other just a few minutes ago and everything was fine then.”

His voice is laced with worry.

“It hasn’t exactly been just a few minutes. We took a little detour...” And then I tell him everything from our little time travel adventure.

Once I’m finished with my recap, Killian looks at me – completely stunned. “Wow, Swan. That’s quite a tale. Looks like our little love is quite the pirate – always looking for a new adventure.”

I chuckle. He’s right. I haven’t even thought of it.

“Well, what did we expect? We are pirates, too.” I say teasingly.

“Prince and Princess of the Sea.” Killian adds with a smirk and I chuckle, while shaking my head. He’s never going to let me live down the moment, when my dad mentioned that I’m a princess and that made our wedding a royal affair.

I put my head back onto Killian’s shoulder and sigh happily.

“Going back in time did make me remember, how we didn’t really get along at first.” I say. Killian looks at me with an eyebrow raised. He’s probably wondering, why I’m telling him this. “I’m glad that’s changed. I can’t imagine my life without you, now, I don’t even want to imagine it. Those few weeks were torture enough. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Swan. Always. I’m glad you found your way back to me.” Killian leans down and presses his lips softly to mine.

I’m so glad I found my way back home, too.

I guess Kilian and I have that in common with my parents. It’s probably a true love thing.

No one could ever separate us forever.

~~~ PAST EMMA’S POV ~~~

“So how do I do this? Do I just throw it and think of where and when to go? Like a normal magic bean?” Emma says as she eyes the bean in her hand suspiciously. She still believes that it’s too good to be true, even though she’s a much happier person than I am at this point in time.

She still has her doubts and somehow that is okay.

I’m not scared of that any longer. Maybe knowing about Hope’s existence makes me more confident and less anxious.

“Belle did mention, that it works like any other magic bean, so yeah.” I say.

“Ok.” Emma puts the magic bean back into her jacket pocket. Then, she approaches Mary Margret and David. She hugs them both. “Bye Mom, bye Dad. See you in a a bit in the future, if everything goes well.”

“Goodbye.” They say in unison. Sometimes their love can be very nauseating. Especially to me.

“We’ll see you again in the future.” Mary Margret adds. “I can’t wait to plan your wedding.” She shortly glances at me and Killian. We still stay huddled together with Hope in the living room.

“Don’t even pretend you haven’t started planning it yet. You literally admitted to that weeks ago.” Emma says quietly. She chuckles.

I try not to get overwhelmed by that. I know it’s going to happen in the near future. And I’m happy about it. So, there’s no need to panic.

But why the hell has Mary Margret started planning the wedding weeks ago? Was it before Emma even came here?

Why?

There was no indication that I’d marry anyone anytime soon.

She’s crazy. That must be it.

I slightly shake my head.

Soon Emma makes her way towards us.

I look down at Hope once more. I kiss her head softly and whisper into her ear. “I’ll miss you, little one. But don’t you worry, we’ll see each other again one day. I love you.”

After that, I place her into Killian’s arms. He holds her close to him, and I could swear I see a small tear escaping his left eye. “Goodbye Hope.” He says, seemingly at a loss for words. I never thought I’d see that day.

He places a kiss on her cheek and she touches his eyebrow. How adorable.

Then he pulls away with a sad expression on his face. He places her back into Emma’s waiting arms.

“Goodbye.” Emma says then, hugging me, and then Killian.

We both give her a sad smile.

Her, I’ll never see again because she’s me. Too bad. She was a pretty good friend to me during the last few weeks - almost like a sister. I’ll miss having her in my life.

Emma turns to me again, after hugging my pirate, and smiles sadly. “You’ll be okay.”

She’ll never know how much it means to hear someone say that. Or maybe she does, and that’s why she decided to give this moment to me.

Emma then takes the bean out of her pocket again. She looks at everyone once more. I see Killian giving her a small nod, and then she throws it to the ground. A pink portal opens.

I turn to Killian, and step into his arms. He holds on to me tightly like I’m his life line.

Emma smiles at us once more, before jumping through the time portal with Hope in her arms. The portal closes, and I still remember everything.

I look at Killian, panic filling me to the very core. He looks right back at me with a similar expression lingering on his face.

Then, suddenly I see pink smoke seeping in through the windows. Magic. That must be the memory reversal. I suppose that means Emma and Hope really are gone now. Our memories of them aren’t needed any longer.

I cuddle deeper into Killian’s arms. I place my head on his chest, with my nose in the crook of his neck. He kisses my forehead softly.

I feel the curse enveloping us.

“I know you’ll find your way back to me, Swan. I believe in you.” Killian whispers into my ear. “I love you, never forget that.”

He then places a lingering kiss right behind my earlobe.

And then-

.........................................................................

I get up from my chair and grab my red leather jacket from the back of the chair.

“I’m going to get us some takeout from Granny’s.” I say to Mary Margret and David, while walking towards the exit of the sheriff’s station. I need a break from them.

Family time isn’t exactly something I’m used to. I don’t need it.

But luckily there’s always a distraction in Storybrooke. It’s just like any other day.

~~~ PAST EMMAS’S POV ~~~~

Emma looks down at Hope and smiles softly at her daughter. “Let’s go home, little love.”

I smile. I imagine that’s what Killian calls the little one, too, since he refers to me - and everyone else, I suppose - with ‘love.’

At the sound of her mother’s voice, Hope reaches up her tiny little hand. Emma kisses the palm of it softly and the baby instantly makes a cute noise, lost in pure happiness with an adorable smile on her face. Is she sensing, that they are going home?

She might be. If so, she’s even smarter than I assumed. I’m sure, she’ll grow up to do great things - she already managed to time travel at her young age, which no one has been able to do so far, according to Belle’s research.

She’s has very powerful magic, and it kind of scares me. But I also know, that it’ll be alright.

I can’t wait to be there for her through all of her future moments - the good and the bad.

But for now, I guess it’s goodbye. I’ll really miss her, I can feel that deep down. I just probably won’t know what I’m missing since I won’t remember her visit. It’ll just be like a void in my heart.

It makes me really sad. I wish I could remember her even after she’s gone home, but I know that’s too risky. I don’t want to change the timeline. It’s too dangerous.

My future sounds pretty nice after all. I don’t want to change that in the least.

So right now, is all I have with Hope for the next few years.

I approach her and Emma, and let her take my finger into her tiny hand. She smiles softly at me.

A moment later, her smile widens, and as I move my gaze a bit to the left. I realize Killian is standing right next to me again. I assumed as much, when I saw our daughter’s face light up. She loves him a lot. It’s adorable.

Killian reaches out his hand and softly tickles her feet, which she happily kicks through the air a moment later.

“Goodbye, Hope.” I say, my voice sounding much calmer than I assumed it would. I suppose I really can be strong and hold my emotions in check, if only it brings a smile to Hope’s face. I’d do anything for my little angel. “I’ll miss you.”

I place a soft kiss on her forehead, and inhale her soft baby smell one last time.

A single tear slips down my face.

“You wanna hold her for a bit, before we leave?” Emma asks me, and I nod. She hands over Hope to me.

Once Hope is settled peacefully into my arms, Killian puts his arms around my waist, embracing me and our daughter. He rests his chin on my shoulder to look down at her. I lean back into his chest.

“We’ll miss you, little love. We can’t wait to meet you again in a few years.” Killian says in an incredibly soft voice. Look at that, Captain Hook speaking to his daughter all soft and lovingly. Who would’ve thought?

I turn my head to look at him. His smile is the purest one I’ve seen on him, yet. Fatherhood really looks good on him.

I lean back a little and press a kiss to his cheek, which turns it crimson red, I realize as I pull away again to look back at my daughter.

It’s in the moment, that I realize, this is not only goodbye to Hope, but also to Killian.

He’ll still be here in Storybrooke with me, but in a few minutes we’ll go back to being enemies.

Another tear slips down my cheek. Killian tightens his arms around my waist, while Hope reaches up to touch the tear. She squirms for a second. I turn my head and kiss her hand.

“Everything alright, love?” Killian asks, his gaze burning hot into my cheek.

I turn around in his arms and look at him. My vision is blurry from the tears, I try to keep in. “It’s fine. I’ll just...miss you two.” I say quietly. I’m not even sure, he heard me, until he tightens his hold on me.

“I told you, Swan, I’m not going anywhere.” He says reassuringly.

“But you will.” I state rather coldly, trying to keep my emotions in check.

Killian raises his eyebrow, and I can tell he’s hurt by my words. “I’m not like everyone else, Swan. I’m not going to leave you. Not ever. You just have to trust me.”

He’s got it all wrong.

Explains why he’s upset.

“No. No. That’s not what I meant, I know you’re not going to just give up on me. I do trust you. But that doesn’t change the fact, that in a few minutes nothing will be the same. We’ll go back to being nothing to each other, so while you’ll physically be here, it won’t be the same. I’ll still lose you, for a while at least.” And then I add very quietly “Or maybe for forever. Maybe I’ll mess this up and make us never happen. I always run from happiness after all.”

Killian gives me a sad smile. I can tell that he’s been trying not to think about that. He lifts his hand and puts it on my cheek.

“No. It’s only temporary, Swan. I’ll always find my way back to you. I promise. And I will never give up on you. You and I, we’re true love, which means that we’re meant to be. Just trust that.”  He leans in and kisses me softly. Once we pull away from each other’s lips, he places his forehead on mine, holding it there.

Then, someone clears his throat. I turn around and am faced with David, whose arms are crossed. He looks really uncomfortable.

For a moment, I forgot that my parents and Emma were still here. I got so lost in my own little world with Hope and Killian. But, I also don’t move away from Killian further.

This is all the time we have left together for now, and I won’t let anyone get in between us right now.

I’ve wasted enough time by being scared of happiness, already.

I’m done with that. I’m tired of running away from my feelings - from my happy beginning.

~~~ PAST EMMA’S POV ~~~

I continue to smile at Killian. I still can’t quite grasp that he really is okay and that we have a way to get Hope home now. We’ve won.

Suddenly, Killian’s gaze moves past me and I can see his smile widening. “You’ve knocked her out cold, Swan. You’re bloody amazing.”

“About Cora, what are we going to do with her now? She’ll probably wake up soon. I don’t know, if I can defeat her again.” I say, while looking at her, too.

“You could defeat her again, Swan!” Killian says proudly. Our gazes lock. I open my mouth to disagree, but he holds his hand up. “But you won’t need to do that. A long time ago, Regina enchanted my hook, so that I could rip out her mother’s heart. I can do that now. And then, we’ll have her heart. You can lock her into one of your cells and she won’t be able to escape, because you can control her with her heart. We won, Swan.”

I smile and let out a sigh of relief.

We really have one. Turns out, that Killian and I are a great team.

We both get up and walk over to an unconscious Cora on the floor. Hook kneels down in front of her and rips her heart out, while I get my keys for the cell.

The witch wakes up as Killian holds her heart in his hand. She glares at him. It looks like she wants to say something, but can’t.

“Go into that cell, where you belong. Let’s call it your new home.” He tells her. I open the door of the cell, and gesture for her to walk inside. She does. Just because she has no choice, though.

We’re in control now.

I lock the door after her.

Killian walks over to me, and gives me the heart. I take it.

“You’ll stay right in this cell. You will never use your magic again, and you’ll leave the people of this town alone. Understand?” I say angrily, remembering that a few minutes ago, she threatened my baby girl. She’ll pay for that.

Cora glares at me, but nods either way.

I give her heart a little squeeze to hurt her. She deserves that for threatening Hope.

I then feel Hook’s hand on my arm. “Swan, don’t. Believe me, revenge is tempting. The darkness always is. But it’s also not worth darkening your soul. Resist it.”

“I am. I just needed her to feel like crap for a moment. She threatened Hope.” I say.

“I know.” Hook reciprocates. “And I’ll make her pay for it. There’s no reason for you to give in to the darkness, when I’m already a villain.” He envelops my hand and gives the heart a light squeeze again. Cora groans in pain and falls to the floor.

But I only gaze up at Killian. “You’re not only a villain. Believe me, you have a mark in the hero column. You did help me defeat Cora. You’ve changed a lot since you came to Storybrooke.”

He puts his hooked arm around my waist, drawing me close. “Let’s just say I had a muse.” He kisses my temple. “Now let’s go to our daughter and bring her the magic bean.”

I smile and kiss his cheek.

We then make our way to the loft, which is where Hope should be right now.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 We walk into the loft hand in hand, which earns me a weird glance from both of my parents and Emma.

David looks really uncomfortable, but not angry at all. That’s weird.

Mary Margret just has a knowing smirk on her face.

And Emma looks surprised, but very happy.

Baby Hope just smiles and reaches out her hands to Killian. She really does recognize him. How sweet.

Then it hits me. My parents aren’t freaking out right now!

Do they-?

They know about this, don’t they? Emma must have told my parents!

“How are you guys not surprised? What the hell is going on?” I say, while looking at Killian to read his face. Is he confused, too?

He shrugs at me. Seems like he doesn’t know what’s going on, either.

“They know about the future. I kind of lost my temper and told them a while ago.” Emma says.

“That explains why I still have my head attached to my neck.” Killian jokes to lighten the mood. I hit his stomach. He turns his head slightly to look at me with accusation, but ends up smiling instead. I smile back at him.

Not cool of him to joke about dying, when he almost did thirty minutes ago. I don’t want to think about it after all.

“How do you know?” Emma asks me.

She isn’t exactly saying it, but I can tell, that what she really means is How the hell are you still here and not running away from your feelings?

“That’s not important right now. We found a way to get you and Hope back home.” I say, fishing out the magic bean from my jacket pocket. I hold it up.

“What is that?” Emma says, while a slight gasp comes out of her mouth. Her whole face lights up. I can tell, that she is very relieved. Can’t blame her for that. I would’ve probably lost hope of ever getting back home a long time ago.

But even though, we’re the same person, she’s not me. She was at some point, but she’s changed a lot since then – for that better.

“A time-travel bean. It showed up and a second later Belle came into the station with a book she found about it.” Killian says.

Emma sighs.

“It just showed up?” She asks. “Then how do we know it’s safe to use. Cora could’ve just put it there to mess with us. It might be dangerous.”

“Cora had nothing to do with this. She’s dealt with.” I say, not wanting to go into any detail about what happened.

I might’ve accepted the fact that Killian and I are true love, but I’m not ready to talk about it. Especially not in front of my parents. I have no idea how much Emma has told them.

I glance at Killian and by the way he is looking at me, I see that he knows I’m not ready to talk about it yet, too.

“Just trust me, that this bean will get you back home and make everything go back to the way it was. I can’t explain it right now, but it’s safe.” I say.

Emma raises her eyebrow slightly, something I’ve seen Killian do on numerous occasions. She nods eventually, as if she can tell, what I’m hiding and she’s okay with me not being ready to talk about it yet.

She then looks down at Hope and smiles softly at her daughter.

 ----

~~~ PAST EMMA’S POV ~~~

“Please wake up!” I cry out, putting my head on Killian’s chest and hugging him close to me. And it’s in that moment, that I hear it. It’s faint, but it’s there – his heartbeat. He’s definitely alive.

I sigh in relief – a little bit anyway. I still need to get him to wake up. If he doesn’t wake up, he might still die. I don’t know what kind of magic Cora used on him after all.

It could be fatal. Maybe he’ll stay like this forever, seemingly unconscious, but still noticing everything around him, without being able to do anything. The ultimate form of torture.

“Killian. Please wake up. What about our future together?” I say, hoping he hears me at least. Then, he’d wake up for that, right? He’d hear the desperation in my voice and he’d wake up just to put a smile on my face. That’s just who he is. “Please.” I say through my tears.

It can’t end like this. We just found each other. I can’t lose him. I can’t. 

Especially not now. 

“Killian, please wake up. Our happy ending is just starting.” I flinch a little at the ending part. Why is it called that? Endings aren’t happy. They should be called happy beginning instead. That sounds much better. “You can’t leave me. I need you. Hope needs you.”

It’s in that moment, that I begin shaking Killian harder. I realise then, that Killian dying would also mean, Hope will never be born. We might’ve just saved her and found a way to help her get home, but it will mean nothing, if Killian dies today. 

Then Hope will probably just fade from existence. It’ll be like she never existed at all. I might not even remember her.

“Please, wake up. We just saved Hope. Don’t let that be in vain. I know you can do this. For me and for her. Please.”

The tears stream down my cheeks quicker now. I shake Killian stronger. My head falls back down to his chest. I let his warmth comfort me through my breakdown. I inhale his scent and it calms me down a little bit. Enough to clear my thoughts. 

I get an idea. Killian isn’t waking up even though there seems to be nothing physically wrong with him. That must mean he’s like this because of magic. Cora might’ve cursed him, which means I have the power to save him. 

True loves kiss. 

I look up at his face and sigh. “Please let this work.” I whisper to myself.

Then, I lean in and softly press my lips to his. I kiss him softly for quite a while, but nothing happens. My tears once again flow down my cheeks. I keep my forehead pressed to his like he’s my lifeline, until I’m suddenly blinded by something very bright.  

I draw back from him in shock, only to find my hands on his chest glowing brightly.

My magic!

I must have tried to use it to save Killian without meaning to. But it is a good idea. For once my magic is actually working in my favour - besides defeating Cora earlier of course. Not being able to control my magic might be a good thing at times after all.

I try to focus now on my hands over his heart. I feel it beat against my palms. Please wake up, Killian.  I need you to wake up. Please do this for me.

I think back to our moments earlier - our first kiss, me finding out we’re true love, me figuring out that Hope is our precious daughter. We’ve only been an us for some minutes. I don’t want to let him go just now. We deserve to explore what’s going on between us. 

Suddenly, a hand encloses mine. 

“Swan?” I hear Killian say. 

My head shoots up to meet his gaze. And there he is, looking at me in concern.

“Killian! You’re awake.” I say happily, before crashing my lips to his. I laugh into our kiss. “I’m so glad, you’re okay.”

“What exactly happened? I only remember that witch attacking us and stealing back the bean after you got it back from her.”

I recap everything that happened quickly. Then I hit his arm. 

“Ow! What was that for?”

“For almost dying. I thought I had lost you.” I say quietly, while a single tears makes its way down my cheek. 

Killian’s gaze softens. He sighs. “I’m sorry I scared you, Swan. But I had to get that bean back from Cora. You would’ve taken the same risk for our baby girl.” He puts his hand on my cheek and wipes the tear away with his thumb. “You don’t need to worry about me, Swan. I promise, I’m a survivor.”

“You better be because I’m not losing you ever again. Not even for a second.” 

I curl my hand around his, which is still resting on my cheek. I give his palm a light squeeze. He smiles brightly at me, before leaning in and kissing me softly. It’s different than our other kisses. It’s tender, but no less passionate. I could spend eternity kissing Killian Jones. 

It’s good to know, that I can now do that as often as I want to. 

It’s honestly crazy to think, that an hour ago, I didn’t even know if Killian and I were friends and now we’re so much more. And I’m thinking about running, I’m waiting for that impulse to come, but I don’t think it actually is.

And I’m happy about that. 

I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time, actually. That’s nice for a change.

Thank you so much for reading this story.

~~~ CORA’S POV ~~~

 I’ve spent my day watching the so called Savior and her pirate searching for clues as to where I am through a pocket mirror.

I’m not sure the name Savior is appropriate though. She doesn’t seem to save anyone here. She hasn’t even been able to locate me, much less been able to defeat me.

I laugh to myself. What an amateur.

The girl might have magic, strong magic, I’ve seen that at Lake Nostos, but she isn’t able to control it. So, she can’t exactly use her raw power.

Emma Swan is not a threat to me, no matter how much the people of Storybrooke believe her to be one.

Soon, this town will be mine. I’ll destroy them all. And all she’ll be able to do is watch it happen in front of her eyes. I’ll make sure, that she’ll have a front row seat. I’ll enjoy that moment once it’s here.

It’ll be great to see the defeat and failure in her eyes.

As soon as Rumple’s new toy joins the Savior and her lap dog, I know exactly how to destroy them. They have a time-travel bean. But not for long. It’ll be mine soon enough.

And then I’ll go back in time. I’ll kill that pathetic Eva and then, Leopold will be mine. With her gone, he’ll have no choice but to marry me.

I’ll finally be the queen I was always meant to be.

I’ll strike as soon as the bookworm leaves. I can’t have her summon the Dark One. Rumple might be able to defeat me. I can’t take any chances.

So, I wait and listen to their conversation.

As it appears the Swan girl has a child besides my daughter’s son, which travelled here from the future. I chuckle to myself. It’ll be so fun to see her face, once she realizes the bean is mine. I think I’ll stay for a little while just to torment her.

I continue to watch them and soon enough the librarian leaves. I close my mirror and prepare myself for the fight.

It’s time.

  ~~~ PAST EMMA’S POV ~~~

 My jaw drops to the floor at seeing Cora standing in the doorway, a smug smile covering her face. Anger bubbles up in my whole body.

“What do we have here?” She says in a delighted, yet mocking tone.

“Give that back.” I say coldly, willing my magic to get the bean back in my hand. But it doesn’t work. Of course it doesn’t. I’m terrible with magic. I’m a failure, no matter how much Hook believes in me. Now I’m letting him down, and even worse, I’m letting my - our daughter down.

Cora laughs coldly. “Why would I do that, you pathetic little girl?”

I see where Regina gets her rudeness from. They’re exactly the same.

“This bean is mine now, Ms Swan.”

“It’s not.” I yell. I feel Hook’s hand reaching for mine, but I take a step away from him. I really don’t need his pity right now. I’ve got to find a way to get that bean.

Where the hell is my gun? It should be somewhere here, right?

“Love, you can use your magic.” Hook says softly, giving me an encouraging nod.

“I CAN’T, okay? So just shut up!” I snap at him and as I do the lights explode. Why does my magic always just work in causing damage? Why does it never help me?

I try to focus my anger on Cora, but nothing.

The old witch laughs again, the bean glowing brightly in the palm of her hand.

“She can’t use her magic - not in her favour. She is a big failure, Captain, haven’t you noticed that yet? It’s probably for the best, that I’ll use the time portal to kill her grandmother. That way she’ll never get to exist and neither will your daughter. She’ll only fail that one, too, otherwise.”

Hope. No.

She can’t go back in time. My daughter deserves to exist and so does Henry. I have to save them. I have to protect them from her.

Otherwise, I’ll just prove Cora right. She can’t be right.

I’m not a failure. I’m the Savior. It’s my destiny to defeat people like her.

I’m stronger than her. I always have been. I just didn’t know it.

This time Hook reaches for my hand, I let him hold mine. I interlace our fingers and give him a quick smile.

“You can do this, Swan.” He says quietly, so that only I can hear.

I nod and concentrate.

Magic is about emotion. I recall Gold telling me this.

So, I picture Hope and Henry smiling at me. I think about why I’m doing this – to protect them. I love them and I don’t want anything bad to ever happen to them.

I focus all that love and energy on the bean, and suddenly I feel a little poof and the bean is in my hand. But I can’t celebrate for long. Not yet.

Cora realizes that I have the bean pretty quickly, too. There’s a lot of anger on her face.

I put the bean in the palm of Hook’s hand. “Hold on to this. I’ve got a witch to burn.”

I focus back on the raw power inside of me. I think about Hope again and everyone else that I’m protecting by getting rid of Cora.

Then, suddenly, there’s another poof beside me. A second later Killian appears next to the witch. She chuckles darkly.

“Giving the bean to the pirate – not your best idea, Ms Swan. I’ve got magic and he only has one hand.” She forcefully grabs the bean out of his hand.

Hook tries to attack her with his hook, but she deflects his attack with her magic, throwing him through the room and right at the wall. He lands on the floor, his eyes closed and not moving.

“No! Hook!” I shout.

I channel all my anger and worry about Hook into one outlet. I knock Cora out with my magic. She doesn’t see it coming, and falls unconscious on the floor, too.

I rush over to Hook. I sink to my knees in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders, shaking him lightly. “Hook! Killian! Wake up! Please.” I continue to shake him, as the first tear escapes my eyes.

This can’t be happening. He has to be okay.

“Please wake up!” I cry out, putting my head on his chest, hugging him close to me.

~~~ PAST EMMA’S POV ~~~

 Belle leaves the station in a hurry as I turn back to Killian. He smiles brightly at me and it warms my heart. It’s great to have someone to share this joy with – someone who is just as excited about everything. Before I can overthink it, I throw my arms around Killian tightly. He gasps in surprise and loses his balance for a second, which almost lands us both on the floor. He steadies himself quickly and holds onto me well, so I don’t fall.

I chuckle into his neck. He laughs softly, too, as my breath tickles the skin there.

“Hope will finally be able to go back home, where she’ll be safe. We did it. We saved her.” I say in utter joy.

“Well, we’re a good team – you and I.” Killian answers.

I pull away from him slightly to look up into his ocean blue eyes. In them I can see the depth of his emotions – his endless happiness and relief. That’s when my smile fades a little out of confusion.

Why does Killian care so much about Hope’s safety? Is it just to make me happy?

He did mention that he babysits her from time to time, but they can’t have bonded that much during those times, right? Sure, she’s very to easy to love since she’s simple adorable. But from 'time to time’ doesn’t exactly mean often, right?

Unless –

He was hiding something earlier when he talked about babysitting Hope. I could tell then that he wasn’t telling me the whole truth, so what is the real truth? Am I too blind to see it myself?

“You care a lot about Hope, don’t you?” I ask quietly.

He nods and raises his eyebrow. “Yes, Swan, why do you ask?”

I can tell he’s scared I’m going to ask a particular question. He’s acting just like earlier, when I first found out we’re true love. So, what is he afraid of this time? What could cause me to run away?

I look at him – really look at him and am reminded of his utter relief at finding the bean. He was just as happy about it as I am.

That’s when it hits me. Killian isn’t just my true love. He’s also the father of my future daughter. I don’t know why I haven’t realized this before. It’s what makes the most sense.

He is my true love, so why would I have a baby with someone else?

Also, Emma told him about Hope. She wouldn’t risk the future, if it wasn’t important. She went to Killian because he was the only one who could calm Hope down. Hope missed her dad because she’s used to seeing him all the time and now he suddenly wasn’t there 24/7.

How could I have been so blind? It’s the most logical explanation to everything, right?

“Well, you said that you’re her babysitter from time to time, but you seem to care a lot more about her than that.” I say as I slowly run my hand through his hair. I should probably run from this conversation – a few weeks ago I would’ve – but I’m not running. I don’t even consider it right now. “You were hiding something earlier, what was it?”

Deep down I know the answer, but somehow, I still need to hear him say it.

“I’m sorry for lying to you, Swan. I didn’t want to scare you away. I realize I’m using that excuse a lot today, but it’s the truth.” Killian gives me a small smile, wordlessly asking me if I’m fine. I nod slowly and tighten my hold around his neck.

I smile to let him know it’s okay. I forgive him and I’m ready to hear the words now. I won’t go anywhere.

“I care a lot about the little lass, not just because she makes it impossible not to care, but also because she is…ours.” He says proudly, but also with a hint of worry.

It’s exactly what I expected him to say. I still wait for the surprise to kick in – and the fear – but there’s neither.

Honestly, I’m glad it’s Killian’s kid. He cares a lot about both of us and that’s not going anywhere. Over the last few weeks I’ve realized, that Killian is the type of person who commits to things one hundred percent. He doesn’t give up once things get messy.

He will never abandon us. I’m sure of that.

He’s the person I’ve been waiting to meet all my life.

Also, he’s my true love, apparently, and as he said we’re a great team. So, I’m sure we’ll do a good job in raising Hope.

I smile at Killian and peck his lips. He relaxes a lot in that instant.

“You can’t scare me away that easily anymore. I’m not scared of the future any longer. I want it – with you and our daughter.” I say as Killian stares at me in complete awe.

We share a long and passionate kiss, expressing all the feelings we aren’t able to put into words.

“Then, lets go to our little love and get her back to safety.” Killian says – his forehead locked with mine.

I smile once more and turn to the table one last time to pick up the bean. When I lock my gaze onto it though, it vanishes in a cloud of smoke.

Magic.

I hear Killian yelling “Swan” next to me. He grabs my hand and urges me to turn around.

I quickly rotate and my jaw drops to the floor at who I see in the doorway. Anger bubbles up in my whole body.

~~~ PAST EMMA’S POV ~~~

 “What is that?” I ask as I stare at the pink glowing magic bean. It can’t be an actual magic bean, right? They’re transparent. At least that’s what I’ve always assumed. I think Mary Margret mentioned that when we were looking for a way home from the Enchanted Forest.

And how the hell did it get here anyway? It wasn’t there a second ago. I’m sure of it. But no one was in the station besides Killian and I either. So, what the hell is that thing doing here?

Did Killian put it there?

I glance over at Killian, who to my surprise is smiling brightly at the magic bean. Does he know what it is? Is it his?

Before I can ask him though, he picks up the bean and studies it from all angles. That probably means it’s not his, right? So, back to square one.

Killian looks over at me, his face softening even further, if that’s possible at this point. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this. He’s…happy and carefree. Positivity is bursting from his whole body. What is going on? Am I missing something?

“That, Swan, might be Hope’s way home.” Killian says with a proud smile on his face.

My heart leaps and my face mirrors his.

Hope’s way home. That means she’ll finally be safe. She’ll get back to the rest of her family. There won’t be any villains lurking, trying to destroy her happiness.

Hope will finally get to live her happy, simple life once again.

Then it hits me though. Did Killian just mention Hope? How the hell does he even know about her? I never told him. Emma can’t have thought telling him is wise, right?

I always thought it was for the best, if only a small group of people knew about her.

I give him a little glare. “How the hell do you know about Hope?”

His gaze falls and he scratches his ear, while blushing profusely.

“Well, umm, your future self might’ve told me about the little lass.” He answers. I continue to glare at him. Why would Emma tell him? He’s definitely hiding something – just like everyone else. I’m so sick of it. Why does no one ever trust me? “Apparently, I’m babysitting her often in the future, so I was a help in calming Hope down on occasion.” Killian offers.

He isn’t telling the truth. Not completely, anyway. I can sense that there is more – something important that he’s not ready to share.

But I don’t get a moment to let that information sink in or question him further because a second later Belle bursts through the doors of the sheriff’s station, a thick book tucked under her left arm.

“This just appeared on my front desk at the library. I never noticed it before. It just appeared – much like Henry’s storybook.” Belle says. She’s completely out of breath. It’s a wonder she isn’t stumbling over each word since she’s speaking so fast. What could possibly be so important, that she ran here for and is so eager to share?

She hands me the book and my eyes grow wide. There’s a picture on the cover of a pink magic bean. The title says ‘Time-Travel Beans.’ The bean on the cover looks identically like the one we just found.

I move my gaze to Killian’s, realizing he’s already looking right back at me. I smile at him. He was right before. This is Hope’s way home.

I look back at the book and open it. The first page seems to give a definition of the bean itself.

“A time-travel bean looks a lot like a magic bean, but it is glowing in pink light. It is much more powerful, too. And much rarer. It can only be created by the strongest and purest forms of true love and when the true love couple has the best, heroic intentions.”

I suck in a sharp breath.

The bean appeared right after Killian and I kissed. Does that mean-?

I feel Killian reach out his hand to me. He envelops my hand with his tightly. He looks at me with deep concern – and not an ounce of surprise.

“You knew, didn’t you?” I ask. My voice sounds very shallow, portraying both my shock and fear. Killian’s hand tightens around mine. He’s holding on to me for dear life.

“Yes, love, your future self told me on accident. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to scare you.” Killian says with fear clouding his voice.

He’s still afraid I’m going to run away now that I know, isn’t he? I’m about to say something snarky in return, when I hold myself back. How can I blame him for thinking I’d run away? It’s what I’d usually do.

It’s honestly surprising that I’m still here right now.

I know this should scare me – true love is a big commitment and people always leave me – but I don’t want to run. I want this future with Killian. I still have my doubts, but who doesn’t?

Deep down though, I’m happy that Killian is my true love. I trust him, which is something I can’t say about a lot of people.

“It’s okay.” I say and Killian’s face lights up. I give his hand a squeeze and turn my focus back to the book.

“Time-travel beans can be used just like regular magic beans. You throw them before you and then you step through them, thinking about the place and time you want to go.”

“They contain very powerful magic, so they will not only bring you back to the future, but they’ll also make things go back to the way they were, if that’s what you want.”

I smile.

We really have everything to send my baby back home now, where she’ll be safe. I’m so happy, even though I’ll be sad to see her go. I know it’s what’s best for her though. I have to be selfless for her. She deserves it.

I’m glad, that either way I’ll see her again a few years down the road.

I look at Belle. “Thank you so much for the book. You were a great help.”

~~~ PAST EMMA’S POV ~~~

 Yesterday Cora has attacked for the first time. I was waiting for this moment, dreading it mostly. Luckily no one got hurt except one of the dwarves. Storybrooke will be much quieter for a little while, which is better since I need to focus on taking down Cora.

I can’t let her roam Storybrooke. Especially not now that she has reconnected with Regina. Their magic combined is too strong. How am I supposed to beat them? I can’t even control my own magic.

And it’s even worse now.

I wouldn’t need to worry about Henry. Regina might be evil, but she would never hurt him. He’s safe. But he’s not the only one I have to worry about now.

Hope is still in town. I haven’t managed to get her home yet. It seems like Emma has a plan, but no one tells me what it is. Everyone has been unusually secretive for the past few weeks. It’s weird.

“Swan, if you hit the keys of the magic box any harder, you might break them apart.” Hook says from his seat next to me. We’re currently checking surveillance cameras all over town for a sign of the witch.

I was so lost in my thoughts just now, that I didn’t even notice Hook was still here. But he is. Always.

It’s been weeks since he first accompanied me on my parole and he’s been there every day since then. He’s basically my deputy by now. It’s just not exactly official, but it might be one day.

Emma did say we will be good friends after all. Maybe that’s how that’ll happen.

The weird thing is that the thought of it doesn’t repulse me any longer. I’m actually glad about it. Hook is great company once you get to know him. We share a lot of similar trauma, if I’m being completely honest, which is nice.

He just really gets me.

“What’s going on with you Swan? You seem vexed.” Hook asks.

“It’s just everything with Cora. I need to find her in order to defeat her, but we never run into her unless she wants it.”

“That witch always has her own agenda, but don’t worry Swan. You’ll find her and then you’ll defeat her.” He sounds very sure about the last part. How can he be so confident we’ll win? Things aren’t exactly going our way – they haven’t done that once ever since Cora got here.

“What makes you so sure about that?” My voice sounds quite anxious. I don’t even recognize it as my own. I wish I could at least sound confident, but I can’t hide my fear. Not with Hope’s life on the line. I could never forgive myself, if something were to happen to my sweet little baby.

“You’re resourceful Swan. I’m sure you’ll figure something out. I’ve yet to see you fail.” He smiles at me with huge amounts of sincerity shining in his eyes. He really means it. He believes in me.

He’s wrong though. I fail all the time. I couldn’t even find a way to help my daughter get back home and she’s been here so long. But of course, Hook doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know she exists and that is probably for the best– no matter how much I sometimes want to tell him.

I can’t though. I really can’t.

I do trust him, it’s not that, but I also believe that it’s better if not so many people know about Hope. I don’t want to somehow change the future after all.

“If I was resourceful, then Cora would be gone already. But she’s not because all I’m good at in life is failing.” I raise my voice a bit. I didn’t even mean to do it. I don’t want to fight with Killian. He seems to be one of the small amount of people, who actually likes me. I can’t push him away. I can’t lose him.

Hook softly grabs my hand and holds it tightly. I don’t pull it away and just let him hold my hand.

“Look at me, Swan.” I turn around and look into his ocean blue eyes. He continues to speak. “You are not a failure. You defeated Cora once at Lake Nostos and you’ll do it again.”

I shake my head softly, but he gently puts his hand on my cheek to stop me. “Stop doubting yourself, love. You’ll save the town. I know you will.”

“I didn’t even defeat her at Lake Nostos, Hook. That was luck. I only won because she didn’t know about my magic and neither did I. I got lucky.”

“You defeated her then nonetheless Swan. It wasn’t just luck. It was the power inside of you. I saw it with my own eyes.”

Wait, what? But he was unconscious, unless…

“I didn’t even defeat you, did I? You let me win.” It wasn’t a question. I knew without a doubt that he let me win.

Why would he do that though? I left him behind on the beanstalk.

“It didn’t look like you’ve ever been in a sword fight before, so yeah I let you win. But I also know that given the proper training you could beat me a million times, Swan. You’re strong.”

I’m not exactly mad at him since what he did got me back to my son. But I still wonder why the hell he let me win? He wanted to go to Storybrooke, too, after all. So, why give away his ticket to his revenge?

“Why did you do it?”

He raised his eyebrow in confusion. It’s a gesture I’ve probably seen a million times by now. It’s almost adorable.

“Why did you let me win the swordfight? That was your way to Storybrooke. Why give it to me instead?”

“You needed it more than I did, love. You had to get back to your son. I might be a pirate, but I would never let someone abandon their child on my account. Not after being an orphan myself.”

I give him a small, genuine smile. “Well, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Swan.” He smiled back at me in return. “Can we continue our witch hunt now? Or do you still not believe you can do it?”

“Oh, I’m sure I can’t do it, but we should probably still continue. We gotta get lucky at some point.” I turn back to my computer screen.

He chuckles a little. “Well, if you don’t believe in yourself, then I suppose I’ve got to believe in you enough for the two of us.” He says quietly, under his breath.

I almost didn’t hear him. He probably didn’t even mean for me to hear.

I glance at him quickly and as soon as I do, I realize that it was a mistake. He looks like he really does believe in me. The sincerity in his eyes nearly kills me.

He looks back to the surveillance footage, focusing on it with all of his energy. I continue looking at him.

He really does want to help me – this town – even though he brought Cora here in the first place. He has changed into a better person ever since he got here. Maybe he was good all along and just needed something to fight for.

All these little things, really warm my heart. They make me smile and that’s not something I’m known for.

Before I even know what is happening, I whisper his name – his real name. “Killian.” It feels foreign on my tongue, but somehow also familiar like I was always supposed to say it to him. I like the way it sounds.

He yanks his head in my direction. All I see on his face is complete awe.

That really does something to my heart. I can feel my heart beat accelerate.

“You really do believe in me, don’t you?” I whisper. I don’t even know why I do it because deep down in my heart I already know he does.

“Yes, love, I do.” Killian says quietly. A small smile spreads across his face. The statement sounds more genuine than anything I’ve ever heard.

Killian believes in me.

A single tear slips down my face at the raw emotions on his face. I can’t take it anymore, so I do the first thing I can think of.

I grab the lapels of his jacket and pull him to me, crashing my lips onto his. He’s completely still for moment, until his lips soften and he presses them onto mine. I smile into the kiss, running my tongue slowly over his bottom lip. I feel him suck in a sharp breath, before he opens his mouth and deepens the kiss.

Once we pull away to catch our breaths, I lean my forehead against his.

“That was…“ Killian begins, but doesn’t find the words to continue. I’m not sure there is a word to describe it either.

“I know.” I say and peck his lips once before moving away. He looks completely wrecked. Have I really done that to him with one kiss? I mean it was a great kiss – the best I ever shared with anyone. But really?

I smile to myself.

Until, I spot something glowing in my peripheral vision. Something’s glowing there. I turn my head and spot a magic bean on the table. It’s glowing bright pink though.

What the-?!

~~~ DAVID’S POV ~~~

 “No, he isn’t just a friend. Killian is Hope’s dad and he’s pretty damn great at that.” Emma says with a soft smile on her face.

Both me and Mary Margret suck in a sharp breath.

How can this be true? He’s a pirate! Is Emma really okay with that? She can’t be, right? She’s just protecting him from our wrath. But she can’t. I’m going to kill him the next time we cross paths either way.

He knocked up my sweet little girl and he’s going to pay for that.

As if Mary Margret can feel my unease about the whole situation, she reaches for my hand. I interlock our fingers and give her hand a slight squeeze to give her my support. I know she’s probably not dealing well with this either.

“You had a baby with Captain Hook?” my wife says quietly. She is clearly still in disbelief.

I’m not. I heard Emma the first time she said it. I don’t really need to relive that moment. It causes pictures to form in my mind – pictures of Emma and Hook I really hate to see. It’s a wonder I haven’t emptied the contents of my stomach, yet.

“Yes.” Emma only says and I’m thankful for that.

Mary Margret looks down at the floor, then. She seems pretty upset. More so than me even, which is quite the surprise. I glance at her worriedly.

After a while, I hear her mumble “How?” under her breath.

Obviously my daughter heard it too, because I see her raise her eyebrows in my peripheral vision. Her face probably mirrors mine right now. That’s not the greatest question Mary Margret could’ve asked. I really do not want to hear the particular answer to this.

It’s not something a father needs to know, so I quickly say “We don’t need to know that!” I sound quite agitated and that’s exactly what I feel right now. I don’t want to imagine my daughter with that pirate.

Ugh.

If I wasn’t nauseous before, I sure am now.

Suddenly, Emma chuckles and smiles lightly at me. She really does seem happy. I have to admit that. But is that really because of Hook?

A minute later Snow says “I’m so sorry, Emma.”

Emma snaps back “Why? I’m not.”

“You had a baby with Hook. I’m sure your husband isn’t happy about it. I mean how could you be so careless as to hook up with a pirate and not think about the consequences? Did Hook force himself on you?” Snow asks.

How haven’t I thought of that, yet? I must respect the pirate more than I thought and maybe that’s because my daughter does seem happy. Her happiness is all I ever wanted. She wouldn’t be happy, if Hook violated her, right?

“Of course he didn’t. That’s not who he is. He’s a good person and if you would listen for a second, you’d know that. Killian is a good man, a great father, and an amazing husband. I love him and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He made me happier than I’ve ever been.” Emma says partly angry, but nonetheless with a big smile on her face. She seems to be proud to call him all these things. She’s proud of him.

My jaw connects with the floor, but I can still see that she is saying the truth.

She has seemed very happy lately and if it’s because of Hook, then I can only be grateful to him. He managed to make something happen, that I wished for every single day since I got reunited with my daughter…putting a constant smile on her face.

Trust doesn’t come easily to Emma, so I’m sure she gave Hook quite a hard time. But he seems to have stuck around. He wouldn’t do that, if he plans to hurt her, right? Unless it’s all about the conquest. That does sound like him, right? I surely hope not. I want my daughter and granddaughter to be happy and I fear, that if Hook left them, they’d be crushed.

That’s why I have to ask Emma if she’s a hundred percent sure about Hook. I can’t take the chance that she’ll get hurt again. She’s been through too much already.

“And you’re a hundred percent sure that Hook has your best intentions at heart?” I ask. I feel Emma get angry again, so I continue in an attempt to calm her down. I put my hand up. “I’m just asking to protect you. I’m scared he’s going to leave one day - go back to pirating. Maybe one day family life won’t be exciting enough to stick around for. Are you sure you can trust him?”

“Yes. Of course, I trust him. I wouldn’t have married him otherwise.” Emma says. A small smile momentarily covers her face. She must think back to a happy memory. Their wedding, perhaps? “Look, I know you guys are worried about me because you love me, but there’s no need to be scared here. Killian would never abandon me. He literally gave up his ship twice just to get back to me after we’ve been separated. That ship is the last thing he has of his brothers besides this ring.” Emma pulls up a necklace from under her shirt. A ring is attached to it. “And he gave me this to protect me and so that I would always have a reminder that he loves me. Hope, Henry and I are his whole world. In my timeline you guys know that. So, please, trust me when I say he’s a great person.”

I want to be believe her. I really do. She seems so happy.

I turn to Mary Margret and give her soft smile. She returns the gesture and also nods softly. I’ll take that as a sign, that we can trust Emma’s judgment. Trust isn’t easy for her after all, so I’m sure she’s right. If Hook managed to get her to trust him, his intentions must be pure. I suppose, he really does love my daughter.

“If you trust him, then so do we, Emma.” I say to my daughter and she smiles brightly.

“Not that I need your approval or anything, but thanks, dad.” She returns and nods softly towards Mary Margret and I.

“So,” Mary Margret starts curiously, “This was always supposed to happen? You hung out in your timeline?”

“Yeah, but not this early to be honest. This is actually my plan to get home right now. I took Hope to see Killian earlier to calm her down. It helped, too, she is delightful once again and not crying 24/7. But he accidently saw my engagement ring and it’s his mom’s, so he put two and two together. I just had to tell him then. I hate lying to him. Anyway, we figured that Hope’s magic brought me here, so maybe we can reverse the spell with true love’s kiss.” Emma shrugs.

True Love’s Kiss? But that means – The pirate is my daughter’s true love? She has the same kind of love as her mother and I?

No wonder she didn’t care much about our approval. I never would’ve listened to anyone either, if they tried to separate me and Mary Margret.

~~~ EMMA’S POV ~~~

When Hook joined me at Granny’s earlier, I never would’ve thought he’d order my favorite food for himself. Usually, he just pulls a face at my meals and mentions a million times how unhealthy it all is.

I’m sure that’s still going to happen.

Ruby really needs to hurry up with his order, I’m sure it’ll be interesting and funny once it arrives. I’m really looking forward to it.

Or maybe the three-hundred years old pirate, sitting across from me will actually enjoy modern food. Who knows? He is full of surprises sometimes after all. I never imagined that we’d be friends either. Back when my future self told me, that we will be, I was really shocked and didn’t want to believe her. But she is right. We do get along well - once we sort of got to know each other anyway.

He isn’t that bad, really, if you can see past the constant innuendoes and flirtations. It’s not like he’s being serious after all. It’s just how he acts with everyone, and once I realized that I was okay with it.

Knowing that he’s not in love with me at all helped me accept him as a friend. We’re not awkward around each other any longer ever since I figured out that piece of information.

Ruby suddenly arrives back at our table and sets down Hook’s food and hot cocoa in front of him, effectively drowning out all of my thoughts. The fun’s about to start!

Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s curious here, seeing as Ruby doesn’t leave once she set down the food. She stays right next to our table, looking at Hook with a smirk. He smiles at her for a moment. “Thank you, lass.”

I don’t know what’s happening, but suddenly my blood runs cold and I can’t help but think back to that time Hook was in the hospital. He flirted with Ruby back there, too. The only difference is, that this time she doesn’t roll her eyes. Is there something going on here?

A moment passes until Ruby smirks once more and walks away. “Enjoy the food, captain.”

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to me. They both are the biggest flirts this town has to offer. Of course, they would eventually end up flirting with each other. It only makes sense.

The only thing that does not make any sense is, that I feel a clench in my heart. Why does this seem to bother me? I don’t care what they do in their spare time. I should be glad right? Hook being interested in Ruby means he really doesn’t have feelings for me. That’s a good thing.

I should be happy about it, but somehow I’m not.

~~~ HOOK’S POV ~~~

The wolf girl brings my food out - if you can actually call this junk, food. Why did I decide to order it again? Ah, right. Because it’s Swan’s favorite. This woman will be the bloody death of me.

I raise my head up from the plate to glance at Emma, when I notice Ruby is still standing there, looking at me in amusement.

“Thank you, lass.” I tell her, hoping she’ll take the clue and leave. I can’t risk her saying anything to Swan about me ordering this meal just because I want to bond with her.

Luckily, the wolf girl takes the hint and smirks at me one last time before she eventually walks back to the counter.

I  move my gaze back to Swan and am surprised to see her all stiff and pale. What the bloody hell is going on? Is she sick? Is she okay?

“Everything alright, Swan?” I try hard to keep the worry out of my voice, but I’m not sure it really works that well. Let’s just hope Swan doesn’t catch on to it. It would surely send her running once again. I can’t let that happen. We’re just getting along. I can’t lose her again, especially not, if I want to help my sweet baby daughter get home. She’s counting on me and I won’t let her down. Not ever.

Something in her shifts as sudden as a lightning strike. Emma relaxes again. She gives me a soft smile and a nod. I can tell that the smile is fake. She is an open book after all. At least to me. But I don’t comment on it, no matter how much I wish I could. I won’t push my luck. That’s not a good idea when it to my Swan.

She is easily freaked, but who could really blame her? She had to go through so much, and she was all alone for the first 28 years of her life. And still, unlike me, she never gave in to darkness. She stayed true to herself.

She’s the strongest person, that I know.

“So, how’s the food.” She motions her head towards my untouched plate. I give her a smile and pick up an onion ring. I put it into my mouth and as I chew, I must admit that it doesn’t taste half as bad as I thought. I then take a bite from the grilled cheese.

Swan was right. This does taste pretty good. How could I have ever doubted her?

“It’s good.” I say to her with a bright smile on my face. I can’t believe we have this in common, too. I always just assumed that we bond easily because of our similar pasts, but looks like we have more things in common than I thought.

“Just ‘good’?” Emma raises an eyebrow - or tries to do so. But both of her eyebrows just raise up in the process. Was she trying to do my infamous eyebrow-raise?

“Very good, Swan. I love it.” Not as much as I love you, but that was to be expected. Nothing could ever compare to my love for Emma Swan, to be completely honest.

She smiles brightly at that and we continue to eat our meal in silence.

Once both our plates and cups are empty, Swan gives me another small smile. “I gotta get back to work. Cora won’t turn up on her own, I fear.”

“Then, I won’t keep you any longer from it.” I say.

Emma seems to be lost in her thoughts for a moment before she continues speaking. “Actually, why don’t you join me on patrol? Driving around town isn’t the most exciting thing to do. Some company would be nice and you know Cora, so you might be able to help. Only if you want to, of course.”

“I’m in.”

I can’t believe Swan just invited me to spend more time with her. Am I already making progress?

I get up and put down some doubloons to cover our meal. Swan surprisingly doesn’t complain about me paying for both of our meals.

Then, we both walk towards the door and leave the diner. In the doorway, we run into her mother.

“Emma! I was just picking up some food for your father and I. Do you want anything?” She looks at her daughter with a smile.

“Oh, no it’s fine. Hook and I already ate. We’re going on patrol now.” Swan answers. That also seems to be the moment her mother first realizes I’m here. She looks over to me and her eyes narrow.

“Since when do you go on patrol with Hook?” I can tell she tries to remain calm, but her cold voice betrays her. It seems the lady Snow doesn’t approve of me spending time with Emma. It’s probably the whole pirate thing, but maybe if I help them find Cora, they’ll realize that I’m not just a pirate, but also someone who is willing to become a better man for Emma. Someone who is worthy of her love.

~~~ HOOK’S POV ~~~

I still can’t believe my luck. Not only did I just find out, that I’ll have the most adorable daughter in a few years - with Emma Swan not to forget. But it was also revealed to me that Emma is my true love. My true love. That means that my feelings for her really aren’t one-sided, which is something that I feared. Sure, I knew that there was always chemistry, but Emma’s walls are so high, that it’s sometimes impossible to tell, whether she actually does have feelings for me. Or if I’m just imagining it to make myself feel better. But she does love me or at the very least I know that she will one day. I’ll get to love her then, without her shutting me out or running away from me at any chance she gets. I’ll get to have a family with my Swan and our cute baby Hope. That’s all I’ve ever wanted but thought I’d never have again when both Liam and Milah died. Back then, I swore off love because I thought all it brought me were wasted years and endless torment. But all that changed when I first laid eyes on Emma Swan. She found me under several dead bodies, so our first meeting might have not been the most romantic one, but that doesn’t change the hope that fled through my veins as soon as our eyes locked. It’s only fitting, that we named our daughter Hope if you think about it. She is a symbol of our love after all. I smile to myself as the baby looks up at me with big eyes and a soft smile on her face. Then, she suddenly yawns. I can hear Emma chuckle. She runs her hand over her baby’s head. “I should probably get her back to the apartment for a little nap.” I nod, sad nonetheless because now that I know about her, I don’t want to let her go again. But I know I have to. My little love needs rest. I stand up and place Hope back into her mother’s arms. “Goodbye, little love.” I reach out my finger to her and she takes it in her fist, holding on tightly to me. Emma smiles softly at her daughter, before looking to me again. “Thanks for calming her down a bit. She misses you a lot.” I’ll miss her, too. “It’s not a problem, Swan. Anytime.” She gives me another smile. “Bye.” She leans in and kisses my cheek. Then, she approaches the door, but before she leaves, she turns back one more time. “You could go to Granny’s. Emma mentioned earlier that she’ll be there.” And with that Swan is out the door. Soon, I hear her footsteps on deck fade and I know she left the ship. It’s just then, that I lift my hand and touch the place on my cheek, that she kissed. I can still feel her lips burning into my skin. One thing is for certain, Swan will be the death of me.

———