#ttsc

The fact that Killian was alive and walking next to her was all that really kept Emma from regretting her decision to change things. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder about the consequences of her time traveling. It’s not like she had thought this through. How could she? One second she was in Storybrooke with Killian’s cold body and the next she was transported to the past, either by her magic or…something. She wasn’t even sure herself. The question remained, would she keep changing things, or keep things the same? Or was it too late to go back to what originally happened?

She glanced at Hook. With him here, and Marian for that matter, Emma knew that she changed too much already. Her path was chosen and now she had to live with it and the consequences of choosing Killian. That she could do. She loved him after all. She’d change everything if that meant keeping him alive.

Hook watched the Swan girl with intrigue. She was a tough lass to be sure, and she made him feel something. For the first time in three hundred years; there was more going on in his heart than just anger and the thirst for revenge. That only served to make him even more curious about her. “So, just who are you, Swan?”

Emma stumbled a bit at his words.

Hook caught her arm to steady her.

“You already know that.” Emma tried to shake off hearing those familiar words again.

“I know your name, Swan.” He told her, letting go of her arm. “But people are more than just their names.”

Emma scoffed, trying to play the part of uninterested stranger. “Why would you care?”

“You intrigue me.” Hook admitted.

“Oh, and why is that?” Emma ignored her fluttering heart. She loved him, but he was still on that precarious line between villainy and heroism. She had to tread carefully with him.

Hook seemed to contemplate his answer. Why he was curious about her, well, he didn’t quite know himself. There was just something about her. Something that drew him in. “A pirate can’t just be curious?”

Emma really looked at him then, wondering what he was getting at, but he appeared sincere. He was always genuine when it came to her. Perhaps, giving him a little bit of something wasn’t a bad idea. “You know the Dark Curse, right?”

“Aye.”

“Well, I’m the one who broke it.” Emma shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I’m the Savior.”

The Savior? Hook paused. So this was who he was waiting for for twenty-eight years? The one who finally broke the curse, allowing him to get his revenge on the crocodile. That also explained why Swan and her mother were the same age. The Savior had escaped the curse, thus escaping it’s age freezing aspects. “The Savior? What does that mean, exactly?”

“Trust me, I’m still trying to figure that out.” Emma sighed.

Interestingly, she seemed more put out to be the Savior than anything. Hook’s curiosity grew. Just who was this woman?

“So who do you want revenge on?” She asked, eyeing him. Truth be told, Emma was curious if Hook would dance around her question or tell her the truth. This wasn’t the beanstalk after all.

“Why do you want to know?” Hook asked warily.

“You get to know something about me.” Emma shrugged. “Tit for tat and all that.”

Her smirk made his heart tingle. Captain Hook’s heart did not tingle. “If it helps, I’m after another villain.”

“Helps what?” Emma asked. “Your cause?”

Truthfully, he found himself wanting to justify himself to her. He didn’t want her to look at him as if he was a villain, despite the fact that he was one. It made him uncomfortable that he wanted her to see him as something more than what he was. “Do you know of the Dark One?”

Emma hesitated. She couldn’t very well lie to him, but should she start trying to convince him that revenge wasn’t the answer? “He’s the one that took your hand.”

Hook knew he shouldn’t be surprised, she was a perceptive lass, but he still was nonetheless. “He took more than that.”

Her eyes held sympathy when she looked at him.

“He took someone from you, didn’t he?” Emma asked. It was weird to have knowledge of the future and knowledge of Killian’s past, when here he was, completely unaware of what they would one day mean to each other, his heart still set on avenging his first love.

Hook stiffened, staring at Emma as if he was searching for something.

His probing eyes made Emma curse at herself. She wasn’t being too obvious, was she?

“Aye.” He said quietly. “He murdered someone I loved.”

Emma looked away from him. “I’m sorry, Hook.”

“The only one who’ll be sorry is the crocodile.” Hook snarled, glaring off into the horizon ahead of them.

Emma winced.

How was she ever going to convince him that his revenge wasn’t worth his life?

When the curse broke, young Liam Jones thought that his life would be different. He thought that his father would find him and that he would no longer be living on the streets with no one to care for him or love him, all the while hiding his plight from his teachers and fellow classmates.

Liam should’ve known better by now. Wishing for something and actually getting it were two different things, and more often than not wishes were futile. Still, he hoped that maybe his father would come back for him. He still hoped that they could be a family again.

Yet, here it was that his pessimism was proven right. The curse was broken and his father was nowhere to be found.

It was still early. The curse hadn’t even been broken that long, but the fact that his father wasn’t anywhere to be found still hurt.

He had to keep looking though, especially before the schools opened back up. Then how could he hide his predicament? How could he hide the fact that he was nothing more than a homeless orphan?

He needed to find his father.

With his jaw set with determination, Liam pressed on, intent on searching all of Storybrooke until his father was found.

Emma cricked her neck, stretching her limbs while they were taking a rest. It was still a long walk until they reached the castle, and Mulan decided a fifteen minute rest was in order. Emma wouldn’t have minded a longer rest, but they had to get to the wardrobe before Cora. She couldn’t let that witch get the ashes again.

She just needed to figure out what to do with Cora. If they left her here in the Enchanted Forest, Cora could still find another portal, and she might kill countless people. If she did come over to Storybrooke with them, she’d still be dangerous. There had to be a way to rid her of her magic. So long as Cora had that, she was a threat. Emma sighed, poking at the dirt under her feet. Mulan had dragged Hook off to find fresh water, not trusting the pirate to get it himself, and her mother scouting ahead to be sure that they were on the right path towards the castle, not that much of the terrain had changed. Marian had had experience with scouting as well, so Snow took her along for an extra set of eyes.

That left Emma alone at their meeting spot. Her thoughts were all over the place. If only she had a time travel manual to help her. Or a spell book that would help her figure out how to bind Cora’s magic. That was the key. If she could make Cora powerless, then things would be so much easier.

So lost in her thoughts, Emma didn’t hear someone coming up behind her.

Aurora pulled Emma back by her hair and held a dagger to her throat. “You killed my Phillip, and now you’re going to pay.”

Emma rolled her eyes. Of course she forgot that Aurora wanted revenge. Though considering what had happened to her in the past twelve hours, she wasn’t surprised that something slipped her mind.

Before Aurora could carry out her threat, Emma grabbed Aurora by the arms and flipped her over, slamming the princess into the ground.

Aurora lost her breath and her grip on the dagger, which Emma quickly swiped.

Holding the dagger out, ready for the princess if she attacked again, Emma glared. “Next time take on someone you can handle in a fight.”

There was some movement in the trees and the rest of the group joined them.

“What happened?” Mulan snapped, rushing to Aurora’s side. She glared up at Emma. “What did you do to her?”

Emma’s temper flared. “Hey, I was defending myself. Your friend here attacked me from behind. Tell her if she wants revenge for Phillip, then she should go find a wraith.”

Hook looked over Emma for any injuries, surprised at the protective feeling that rose up inside of him so fiercely. He stepped over to her side, trying not to make it obvious that he was backing her up in case Aurora was out for more blood.

Emma tried to ignore his presence as to seem as though he were still a new acquaintance, but she couldn’t help but appreciate his silent support.

Mulan helped the winded Aurora up and practically dragged her away. “We need to talk.”

Once they were out of sight, Marian and Snow joined Emma and Hook.

“Are you all right?” Her mother asked, concern in her eyes.

“I’m fine.” Emma huffed. “I can take care of myself.” Truth be told, Emma still wasn’t used to Mary Margaret’s mothering. They only had had a few months to try and get used to the change that the curse brought to their relationship; it didn’t help that Emma had once again been separated from both her parents for a year, and that when she was with them it was one crisis after another. It had only been since Rumplestiltskin’s banishment that Emma and her parents started bonding more, and now Emma’s accidental time traveling had her back at square one.

Snow looked disappointed by her words.

Emma sighed. “Let’s go see if they’re done talking. We need to get moving.”

Even though his grandfather had assured him that Emma and Snow would find their way back home, Henry still worried. They had no idea where Emma and Snow were, or even if they were safe or alive.

No, he couldn’t think like that. They were alive, and they would come home. Still, Henry wished that there was something that he could do to help.

He looked around the park, seeing lots of people walking around.

The curse breaking had left everyone disoriented in their daily lives.

Henry wondered if businesses, other than Granny’s which hadn’t closed at all, would open back up soon. School was closed indefinitely. There was absolutely nothing for him to do other than stay at Granny’s diner all day under Granny’s watchful eye reading or writing, or playing in the park under Granny’s watchful eye. It was very frustrating.

Movement near him caught his eye, and he turned.

A boy his age was sitting on a bench by himself, looking around as though he were looking for someone.

Henry got up and walked over to the boy, feeling Granny’s eyes on him.

The boy seemed to sense Henry’s approach and looked at him warily.

Henry slowed to a stop before the boy. “Hi, I’m Henry.”

The boy said nothing at first, instead pushing his shaggy brown hair out of his face, revealing dark brown eyes. It struck Henry that he had seen this boy in class before, but he never spoke, and the teachers never called on him, so Henry didn’t even know his name.

“You looked like you were waiting for someone.” Henry said. “Did the curse take someone from you?”

The boy still didn’t speak.

Undeterred, Henry sat next to the boy. “I can help you if you want.”

“I don’t need help.” The boy finally spoke. “I’m fine on my own.”

Henry arched a brow. “You sound like my mom.”

That earned him a glare. “Yeah, comparing me to the Evil Queen just makes my day.”

Henry’s eyes widened. “Oh no, I meant my real mom. Emma Swan.”

“The sheriff, right?” The boy looked intrigued. “She broke the curse?”

“Yeah.” Henry told him. “She’s the Savior.”

“That’s cool.” The boy said. A sad look crossed his face before he forced a smile. “I’m Liam, by the way. Liam Jones.”

Henry smiled. A name was definitely progress. “So, you were looking for someone?”

Liam’s face fell. “That doesn’t matter. Want to go hang out somewhere warmer? I’m freezing my butt off.”

Henry agreed and led Liam over to Granny, knowing that he’d need his chaperone to shadow them. Liam didn’t seem to mind, and Henry felt as though he had already made a new friend.

Aurora had held them up too long it seemed, and night was upon them, forcing them to make camp for the night.

Mulan seemed the surliest of them all over the matter, and Aurora had remained quiet, obviously having been properly chastised for her actions. Neither spoke as they sat next to each other roasting rabbits.

Emma sat next to Hook as they munched on some berries and rabbits that the group managed to capture; she tried not to pay too much attention to him as it was clear that Snow, who was sitting with Marian and chatting amicably, kept glancing over at Emma and Hook suspiciously. She hoped that her mother was just wary of Hook, and not scrutinizing Emma’s behavior around him.

Emma zoned them out, staring into the fire, her thoughts all over the place again. It had been quite a day, and she was exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. She had freaking time travelled! How had that even happen? Was it her magic? Did her grief over Killian’s death cause her magic to do this? Or had it been a villain that they hadn’t known about? But why would a villain send her back in time?

“Quite a day, eh Swan?” Hook whispered next to her, startling her out of her thoughts.

She glanced at him, seeing a smirk on his features. “Quite.” She tried to sound terse. Though the longer she was around Killian, the harder it was to remember that they were supposed to have just met when all Emma wanted to do was kiss him, or hold him tight and never let go, or just be able to smile at him.

He eyed her like she was a challenge that he was excited to undertake. “You know,” He leaned in closer. “You may be afraid to talk and reveal yourself, but I do quite like a challenge.”

Emma’s heart thudded hard against her ribs. Those words again. She gave him a frosty look, or at least attempted it. “Is that what I am? Just another challenge for the great Captain Hook to conquer?”

Hook met her eyes with an intensity that startled her. It was as though he was searching her soul for the answer himself. “Perhaps I’m not sure yet.” He admitted softly.

“Well, I have news for you buddy.” She leaned in, her eyes narrowed. “It’s going to take a lot more than a pretty face and charm to win me over.”

Hook smirked. “Of that, I have no doubt.”

It was then that Emma realized how close they were, so she leaned away, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed. Her mother had, and she was looking very suspicious again. Emma silently cursed. She was trying her best not to be obvious about her feelings towards Hook, but maybe she wasn’t hiding it well enough. Maybe it was better to try and distance herself from Hook until she could get more control over herself and her head was clearer.

Hook’s eyes were still on her, so she chanced a look in his direction. His expression was serious, his brow crinkling as though he were trying to figure her out.

Emma turned away, hoping that she could figure out how to keep him at arm’s length without letting him go. Though she doubted she’d figure it out any time soon. With a sigh, Emma returned to her food, not that she was very hungry.

After a few moments of pretending to eat, Emma turned back to Hook. She might as well use her future knowledge to get him to talk. “So, what can you tell me about Cora?”

Hook arched a brow. “Other than having magic, she has every intention of reaching the Land Without Magic.”

Emma was surprised that Hook actually told the truth, but then again he was on her side now, and betraying Cora meant that he had to cover his ass, even if he had to use his newest allies to do it. She needed to find a way to reach the good man within. “Why does she want to go to the Land Without Magic?”

“Her daughter.” Hook said.

“Regina.” Emma nodded. “What kind of family reunion are we in for?”

“Not a pleasant one.” Hook grimaced.

Emma remembered that reunion all too well. She couldn’t risk Cora coming to the Land Without Magic this time around. For Henry’s sake more than anything since it was a guarantee that Cora would use him to get to Regina. “If Cora wants to get to the Land Without Magic so badly, does she have her own plan? Does she know where a portal is?”

Hook looked away from her. “Not as far as I know.”

It stung that he lied to her, but she should’ve expected it. Like her, Hook was very much closed off, preferring to keep his cards close to the vest.

“I doubt that.” Emma scoffed. She pushed herself up, catching everyone’s attention. “I’m going to get some sleep. Wake me when it’s my watch.” She turned away quickly, heading over to a makeshift pallet.

Hook’s eyes were on her the whole time, but she refused to acknowledge ledge him, letting the exhaustion in her bones take over.

Henry smiled to himself as David led him up he stairs to the loft. He and Liam had hung out at Granny’s for most of the afternoon and even after dinner. It was only when David arrived after eight o’clock that they realized the time and reluctantly parted ways.

“Sorry I was late picking you up.” David said again as they entered the loft. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yeah.” Henry replied as he set his backpack on the table. “Liam and I talked a lot. He’s looking for his dad.”

David listened, curious to know more about Henry’s new friend. “Does he know what happened to him?”

Henry shook his head. “He disappeared before the curse.”

“What about his mother?” David asked as he shrugged out of his jacket and kicked off his boots. It was good to be home after a long day of throwing out metaphorical fires. Ruby had volunteered to help man the station, but David couldn’t wait until Emma and Snow came home. If they came home. No, he needed to stay optimistic. They would come home. As soon as he could track down Jefferson and get him to make the hat work. As it was, the man was very elusive.

“He didn’t mention her.” Henry said, bringing David back out of his thoughts.

David wondered about that but Henry seemed very happy to have a new friend. “It’s good that you have a new friend.”

Henry beamed at him. “Liam wants to hang out again tomorrow, is that okay?”

“Sure it is.” David said. “Granny shouldn’t mind that at all.” A clock chimed. “Looks like it’s time for bed.”

Henry tensed a bit, not wanting to go back and relive his nightmare of the burning room. David had promised that if it happened again, they would figure something out. Besides, maybe it wouldn’t happen again? Maybe it was just a one time thing? He hoped that it was, because he really didn’t like the idea of being stuck in a burning room every time he closed his eyes.

David watched his grandson go upstairs with concern. He remembered Snow having nightmares of a burning room after he broke her sleeping curse, but eventually the nightmares had subsided. He wanted to make them go away for Henry’s sake, but he wasn’t sure what all he could do. For now, all he could do was watch over Henry, and if the nightmares grew worse, then he would do whatever he could to help Henry get through them.

He just felt so helpless. He had no real solution for helping Henry with his nightmares, and then there was the matter of getting Emma and Snow home. He hoped that he could find Jefferson soon. The more he learned about the hat, the better. If he could use it to get his family back, then he had to know how to work it.

If the hat didn’t work…then he had no idea what else to do.

He wished that Snow was here. They usually talked through things together, and then they figured it out.

Sighing heavily, he went to the bedroom, figuring that he might as well go to bed. He needed sleep after all. Maybe his worries would leave him if he slept, and tomorrow he could be in a better state of mind.

Jefferson would be his target, and he would find a way to bring his wife and daughter home.

After all, tomorrow was a new day.

It was nearly midnight and Regina couldn’t sleep. So much had happened in the last few days since her curse broke. She lost her son and her job and her magic wasn’t working properly. It pissed her the hell off.

This curse was supposed to be her happy ending. She was supposed to be the one in charge here, and everyone else was supposed to be miserable. They were all supposed to be under her thumb without any awareness that their lives were not their own and that they were helpless to her whims.

The Savior. Regina could just kill the woman. This was all her fault. The curse never would’ve broken if Miss Swan had just let Henry go and gotten her ass out of Regina’s town and back to Boston. If she ever saw Miss Swan again, she was going to get her revenge.

Her only consolation was that the Savior and Snow White were either dead or in another realm, which meant that they were no longer thorns in her side.

With the curse broken now, however, the entire town, especially Prince Charming, was a whole bushel of thorns. He took her son from her. Regina couldn’t very well let him get away with that. He would not keep her son from her. Henry was everything to her.

She might not have been the best mother, but she loved Henry. Everything that she did was for his own good.

Emma had waltzed into town and turned Regina’s little prince against her.

Regina was going to have to do something about that. She would get her son back, and she would make Henry love her again.

Emma woke with a start, her breaths heaving. She looked around wildly until she remembered where she was.

The Enchanted Forest. In the past.

Killian was alive.

It was just a bad memory that haunted her.

Killian was alive.

Emma laid back down, trying to calm her breathing. You’re okay. She calmly told herself. Killian’s alive. Everything will be fine.

Her breathing finally evened out, but her mind was branded by the images of Killian’s body in her arms. She pushed her hands against her eyes as if she could push the images out of her head.

When that failed, Emma pushed herself up, needing to get away and gather her thoughts. Careful of twigs and leaves, not wanting to alert anyone or wake anyone, Emma walked away from the camp. Once she was alone, hidden from sight of the camp, she was able to relax some. She found a tree to lean against and closed her eyes.

What was she even doing? Time travel? Really? She’d been through this shit before, and in changing things she almost erased herself from existence. Which only meant that she almost erased Henry too. She might not’ve travelled back that far in time, but it was enough that she could change too much. While some crappy things did happen, a lot of good things happened too. Pan’s curse separated her from her loved ones, but it gave her a normal life with Henry for a time. Time traveling almost changed her entire future, but then they brought Elsa to Storybrooke. Regina became one of the good guys, Belle had become a good friend, and Emma was finally able to open her heart up, not just to Killian, but to her family too.

It was too much pressure. Should she keep changing things, or should she set everything back on course? But with Killian and Marian here, how could she correct what she had done? Was it too late?

There was a rustling near her.

Emma opened her eyes, finding Hook walking slowly towards her. “Did I wake you?” She asked softly.

He shook his head. “It was my watch. Are you all right?”

Boy, oh boy, was that ever the loaded question. “It’s just been a day.”

Hook nodded. “Aye, that it has.” He was closer now, not even a foot away.

It was sudden when her emotions overwhelmed her. It was too much to handle. Killian’s death, time travel, reliving her life again. All she wanted was to be in Killian’s arms and have him comfort her, but she couldn’t have that because the Killian in front of her wasn’t her Killian yet. He was still revenge driven Hook.

His blue eyes were sad, and Emma didn’t understand why until his hand cupped her face and his thumb wiped away her tears.

She hadn’t even realized she was crying.

“It’s going to be all right, Emma.” His voice was gentle. “We’ll get you back to your boy. I promise.”

When he looked at her like that, and spoke in that voice, Emma could see the man she was meant to fall in love with. Her Killian. The Killian that had been buried deep under Hook’s pain for so long.

Her hands grabbed at his jacket collar, pulling him closer. She needed him so badly that it made her chest ache and her lungs burn.

His forehead gently pressed against hers as their eyes locked. “Emma.”

She was’t sure if it was a warning or a prayer as she pulled him in. Her eyes fluttered shut when his lips were only a hairsbreadth away from her own.

A twig snapped, shocking them both apart.

Emma looked over Hook’s shoulder and saw her mother looking more surprised than Emma felt.

“Sorry.” Snow said, though she was too shocked to mean it. “I’ll just go find somewhere else to…yeah, I’m leaving.” Her fair skin flamed red under the moonlight as she left them.

Emma looked back at Hook, who was studying her very carefully. His coat collar was still in her hands, so she released it. Looking away, silently berating herself for almost giving in like that when it wasn’t fair to Hook, Emma stepped away for him. “I’ll take over your watch. You should get some sleep.”

As she walked away, she heard him say three words that made her heart skip a beat.