A Once Upon a Time Fanfic Killian knows he screwed up. The day started so well, waking up to Emma beside him. (He should have known she’d dispute the sleeping arrangements, insisting he move Henry to the small sofa because “everyone knows 12-year-olds are made of rubber” and slipping into bed beside him, curling up in his arms.) Then they went to her parents apartment where he clearly wasn’t welcome, and he meant to be honest, meant to tell the truth because he wants their blessing on his and Emma’s relationship.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic “Hook,” Baelfire says, “I don’t know what she told you, but you can’t trust anything she–” Emma lunges forward, stopping just before the tip of the sword touches his throat. Where is he?" Her eyes scan the brush around them. “Why isn’t he with you?” Baelfire still doesn’t look at her. “Hook, please.” Hook draws his own sword. There’s a lot he doesn’t understand, and he’s quite sure he’s missing most of the story, but that can be sorted out later.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic The boy is in Neverland, according to her tracking spell. He hadn’t thought he it was possible to get drunk enough to willingly come back, but for his revenge, he’s done far worse. It takes several days to circle the island to the place her spell indicated, sailing wide enough to hopefully discourage the Lost Ones from trying to reach them. (Yet.) The princess spends the first two avoiding him entirely, either hiding away in his cabin (he assumes she’s sleeping since she doesn’t seem to do so at night), or mingling with the rest of the crew.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic “I don’t understand why you need my help,” Lily complains over the phone. “I’m not from this world,” Killian reminds her. “I don’t know its traditions.” He can almost hear her eyes rolling. “You really think Emma cares about traditions for her birthday? If anything, she wants the exact opposite.” He arches an eyebrow, though he knows she can’t see him. “Which still requires me to know them, love.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic He takes the princess back to his ship, much to the displeasure of his crew. The last time he brought someone back for more than a night was Milah, but this–this isn’t that. The princess is going to get him his revenge, and then she’s going to get him as much gold as her parents are willing to pay in ransom, and he along with his crew can live out the rest of their lives in luxury.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic The woman almost glows, a beacon amidst the darkness. Silvery hair cascades down her shoulders, and her white dress pools around her feet, dragging further on the filthy prison floor with every move she makes. Under any other circumstances, Killian would love finding himself alone with such a beautiful woman, but standing in the Dark One’s castle, with his hook dipped in dreamshade and a vial of squid ink to ensure his victory, all he feels is anger.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic The last time Lily saw Emma Swan, she didn’t believe in magic, just broken hearts and broken promises and a world that picked favorites. Now, fifteen years later, and she does believe–in curses, in darkness, and an Author who plays favorites just as surely as the cruel world she grew up in. She doesn’t know why she came, except that everything in her life fell apart after Emma, so maybe she’s the key to piecing it all back together.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic “Lily, what are you doing here?” Lily pushes past her into the apartment, and Emma lets her because she’s in too much of a shock-induced haze to come up with any better options. “I’m here because you’re going to help me find my mom.” “I–what?” “I know who my mom is,” Lily says quickly–too quickly, like she’s afraid she won’t be able to get all the words out before Emma kicks her out.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic Emma feels much more sympathetic towards Jefferson now. Obviously she still has a problem with the whole kidnapping her and Mary Margaret thing, but as she sits curled up on her couch with the curtains closed, just trying to sort through two lives' worth of memories in a single morning, she can understand how it might make her crazy. When it’s finally time for her to pick up Henry from Josh’s house, she’s grateful for the distraction.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic She doesn’t mean for it to become something. When she met Killian during what she considered the grand finale to a really crappy day, she accepted his invitation in hopes of salvaging some little bit of fun for the night. It was supposed to just be a one-time thing. He wasn’t supposed to listen so eagerly to her stories about Henry, or be so ridiculously charming.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic It’s a coincidence, he tells himself. Anything stronger than that would feel too much like hope, and he’s not sure how much of a heart he has left to break. When he left her family in the Enchanted Forest to be the heroes and leaders they were, his only expectations were to fall into the same numbing habits that consumed him for decades after Milah’s death, only this time with nothing to work toward.