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Chapter two

The day had already cleared

The quartet continued with their journey through the forest for over hours without a rest break. Emma felt terribly exhausted, since she was the only one who had not slept at all, but she held firm. She just needed to get to the other camp, kiss someone, beat Cora, back to Storybrooke and Henry.

She would get, whatever the cost. To return to her son, she risked her heart and whatever else was needed.

"We're still very far, Mulan?" Aurora complained breathing heavily.

"Yes"

Corner, Emma watched Aurora. The princess was who became more exhausted, even more than her own, perhaps because she is less accustomed to this kind of "adventure". Snow remained firm and steadfast, just like Mulan.

Emma took a deep breath, feeling her legs throb. She could not surrender to fatigue. Not yet.

"Aurora!" Snow shouted, running up to the princess. She held her by the shoulders, preventing her from falling.

"What is it?" Mulan suddenly stopped, casting a worried glance at the Prince Philip's beloved "Are you okay?"

"I'm just tired..."

"Drink some water" Snow said in a motherly tone, delivering a container of water to her "You'll feel better".

"Thank you..."

Emma watched the gestures of affection and protection for her mother with Aurora, feeling, in somewhere inside her, a twinge of jealousy. Then she saw Mulan looking around, as if she sought by someone, and move toward a bush.

"Mulan...?"

The warrior seemed to grab something, pulling it tight.

"Hey!" the man shouted with angry "Let me go!"

Emma's eyes have expanded to verify the figure of none other than Hook.

"I knew it!" Mulan accused, holding him tightly "Well I realized that someone was following us".

"Oh, hello, Emma" he waved his hook, giving to the voice a burlesque tone: "How long since the beanstalk. Your giant friend is very likeable, you know?"

"What do you want?" She advanced toward the pirate, preparing to remove the silver knife from her pocket "Came to seek revenge? Know that I will not deliver the compass to you!"

"What woman fearless" Hook clicked his tongue "Still think the right to threaten me after left me in the beanstalk".

"You have done the same".

"Actually, no" he glared her vehemently "I know a thing called trust. I risked my only safety to help you. And what do I get in return? Betrayal".

Emma bit her lip, staring at him. When realized, Snow had already placed beside her protectively.

"What you want, Hook?"

"First ask she to let me go" the pirate pointed to Mulan.

Emma looked at the warrior. "Mulan, please".

She did it, however, kept her sword in hand pointed to Hook.

"Thank you, my lady" and then looked back at Emma "I really could be looking for revenge, Swan, but this is not the case. I want to join you again, without any resentment".

Snow raised an eyebrow "Why?"

"Cora" he said "She is very dangerous. She'll kill me when she find me. And I need to go to Storybrooke".

"You know that I know identify when a person is lying" Emma warned, holding the silver knife again.

"But I really want to go to Storybrooke! And for that to happen, I have to keep my heart away from the Queen of Hearts".

Emma sniffed. He was telling the truth, or at least part of it. The fear of having his heart ripped out by Cora really existed. The desire to go to Storybrooke was true - To take revenge of Rumpelstiltskin. To take revenge from that who had taken his hand and the woman he loved. Milah. Emma remembered Hook's tattoo with the name of Milah. He had lost someone dear, someone who would never return to him. She could still have a chance to see Henry again. If Henry had been taken from her, Emma had the science that she go mad too.

"Let's move on" the Swan girl said to the other three "No time to lose".

"But Emma..." Snow pointed to Hook "And he?"

"Yes, Swan, and me? Gonna leave me again?" He accused "You gonna let Cora kill me? I have no where to go!"

Emma shrugged.

"He does what he wants. He just wants to go to Storybrooke for his own reasons" turned to other women "Our time is short. Come on".

Mulan, Aurora and Snow agreed, turning their back to the pirate.

The four women continued to walk the path indicated by Mulan. Although the sun shone on the top of the sky, the tops of tall trees prevented the light spout completely inside the forest, evoking a sense of eternal owl-light.

"So, where are we going?" The pirate asked with a seductive smile on his lips.

Emma rolled her eyes without volver head back.

"You will even follow us?"

"I already said that I have no where else to go. If Cora find me, she will surely rip my heart and crush it, since I stole her spell, got on beanstalk and helped you, Miss Swan, to take the compass" he justified, shaking the step to get with Emma "I need to go to Storybrooke. And you, in spite of everything and unexpected retirements, are a safer company".

Emma stared Snow, as if waiting for the consent from the other.

"Look, Hook, you can even follow us" Snow began gravely, staring rapidly her daughter, Aurora and Mulan "But we are in a very important mission. If you start to hinder us, I'll be the one that will leave you behind".

The Swan girl gulped. Mary Margaret could be daunting without much effort. Hook smiled so gallant, without seeming affected by the threatening tone of Snow White.

"Do not worry, my lady. I guarantee that you will not notice my presence. I just want a one way ticket to Storybrooke" he licked his lips and looked momentarily to Emma "Nothing more. Word pirate".

Emma still stared at him doubtful. She knew very well detect when a person was lying. And with Hook was no different, however, something failed in her perception. A part of pirate's story showed true, while another showed incomplete, and she could not determine whether he was hiding his motives because these are private or if he was even lying. It was strange. That had never happened before.

"And then, my beautiful ladies, where are we going? What is our dangerous and important mission?"

Mulan nodded, turning away from him and continuing the walk. Snow and Emma did the same.

"Oh, do not let me out" he insisted, following them "What do we do?"

Emma turned to him "No matter, this is..."

"Emma made a deal with Cora and now need to make someone fall in love with her" Aurora reported innocently "She needs to get a true love's kiss before the sunset of..."

"AURORA!" Mulan, Snow and Emma scolded her.

The princess flinched.

Hook laughed. "You're crazy, Swan? Who would do such a deal with Cora?"

"I have my reasons, and for all I know, I have no obligation to give any justification to you" she cried, following Mulan.

"Let me guess... You are still very motivated to go back to your son, right?" Killian Jones approached the quartet who walked tirelessly "According to Snow, you are in a hurry because you have a mission to accomplish. The mission is to find someone who can fall in love with Swan and kiss her, according to our dear Aurora" he winked at the princess" So you're going to look for a poor unfortunate to be subjected to that.

Emma took a long breath, controlling herself to not to punch him. Snow, as she detects the feelings of the daughter, put her hand on her shoulder in a gesture that conveyed calm.

"And Cora killed all the people in our camp" Hook continued without removing the smile from his lips "Which means we're going to a different place and thera has other people. Hmm... It would the other camp that rivaled with us a long time ago, by the time I passed by a simple blacksmith?

No answer was given to the pirate.

"I think so" he completed by himself.

The group continued walking for more twenty minutes, until Aurora stopped suddenly clamoring for the attention of everyone, as if she had made the greatest discovery of that day.

"What, Aurora?" Mulan turned to her, worried.

"Why... Why do not you fall in love with Hook, Emma?" the princess suggested, pointing to the pirate "He is already here and we would not need to go to the camp to find someone else".

Snow sighed "This is not how love works..."

"I prefer that Cora rip my heart and turn it into ashes" Emma said wryly, staring Hook.

Killian Jones, however, did not surrender to silence:

"I'm sorry to disagree with your suggestion, Aurora. I prefer brunettes, although sometimes make an exception for blondes" he declared without incessantly the visual communication with Emma –"But I'll never fall in love with a woman treacherous, ugly and who dresses not well. Your mother is hotter than you".

A slight contentmente smile crossed Snow's lips, which vanished seconds later.

"Yeah, Swan, no man in his right mind would fall in l..." Emma punched him hard in the jaw before he concluded his speech sarcastic.

The pirate staggered back, dazed.

"Emma!" Snow shouted, covering her mouth with her hands.

"What the hell was that, Swan?!" Hook shouted irritably, rubbing the injured area "What are you thinking?!"

"I am tired of you, Captain. I think I'm going back on my decision" she stood in front of him, staring at him in a threatening manner "I think Cora is a company safer for you right now".

Nimbly, Snow stepped between both, trying to separate the fight.

"Let's stop this" she asked "Discussions will only slow us down, and the time here is precious" and she looked back at Emma "The first day is just beginning. It's still morning, but we have no time to lose. We have only ten days to help you comply with the agreement sealed with Cora".

Hook and Emma continued to face in silence, challenging one another.

"Snow is right" Mulan approached and intervened "We're running out of time, and it would be best to start gathering wood as soon as possible"

"Wood?" Emma raised an eyebrow "Why?"

"To build a raft. The other camp is not here on this island. It was before, but they changed to another island, and to get there, we need some means of transportation. I'm taking you to the beach of the island where we are. There we can build the raft".

Snow's arms fell to her sides.

"Why did not you say it before?!"

"I..." She squinted seriously, as if she waiting for an approaching enemy "I forgot".

Emma slapped her face, letting out a sigh of weariness fall away from her mouth. The obstacles between her and Henry seemed only amplify every second. That way, she could never see her son again.

No, no. Emma, you have to remain confident. You'll get. You go back to him. You will won the challenge of Cora. If you have to build a raft, you will build it.

"Right..." Emma declared, recomposed "Let's start picking up wood".

"Oh, girls" Killian shook his hook in the air, clamoring for the attention of the quartet. They turned to him "I'm a captain. A pirate captain".

Emma gave him a wry smile:

"Good for you. Be happy with that".

"You're lovely, Emma" he smirks at her "But what I mean is that, as captain, I have a ship at my disposal. And if you agree to let me accompany you on this journey, ensuring my passage to Storybrooke, I can give you a ride".

Emma, Snow, Aurora and Mulan looked at each other.

"So?" the pirate said confidente "What do you say, ladies?"