Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Once Upon A Time.

She had to tell him.

Emma was sitting at her desk in the sheriff's office, staring blankly at the mess in front of her. She had been trying to sift through the piles of paperwork that had built up while she was in Neverland, but she had barely gotten any work done before her mind started wandering towards Hook. Something had changed within her since they had come back to Storybrooke. It had been three days, three days since they had stepped off the Jolly Roger onto familiar turf. Clutching Henry to her chest (the kid had not let go of her since they'd rescued him from Skull Rock), Emma had looked at her surroundings, at David and Mary Margaret and Regina and Gold and Neal and finally at Hook. She'd locked eyes with him and her stomach had done a somersault. He'd given her a barely noticeable smile and when she'd smiled back, she'd realized that there was a very good chance he was going to leave Storybrooke. In that moment, Emma knew she didn't want him out of her life. She wanted Hook by her side, at all times.

Of course, since realizing that, she had done her best to avoid him at all costs. It hadn't been hard, really, he'd resigned himself to his ship most of the time. He was most likely giving her space to work out her feelings, for which she was grateful. Neal, on the other hand, had given her anything BUT space. And while a part of her still loved Neal and probably always would, it just wasn't the same. They could never be those lovers-on-the-run that they had been ten years ago. They both had changed too drastically, and while Emma desperately wanted things to work between them for Henry's sake, it just wasn't going to happen.

So here she was, rubbing her temples and leaning on the desk she was sitting at, contemplating what to say to Hook. She had to go to him and tell him the honest truth that had been gnawing at the back of her head; that she loved him. She did. Somewhere along the line, between climbing that beanstalk with him and kissing him in Neverland, she had unknowingly let her guard down and fallen for the pirate captain. And yet he was so much more than that. He was a man of honor, a man who would do anything for those he cared about, a man who had indeed done everything in his power to get her son back. Emma smiled to herself, unconsciously grabbing her necklace. The one Neal had given to her. Her smile faltered. Could she really take that step again? Could she throw away the motto she'd learned to live by for so many years? Break down her walls and trust someone again? Was it worth it? The answer came to her almost instantly. Of course it was.

And before she could talk herself out of it, Emma grabbed her coat and headed out the door. The drive to the docks seemed almost endless, and she couldn't get to his ship quick enough. There it was, anchored to the shore. Emma exhaled and shook her hands out in front of her. She suddenly found herself more nervous than she had expected to be. This was it. She could do this. She could do this. Slamming her car door shut, Emma made the trek onto his ship. It was pretty late; she knew he'd be in his captain's quarters. She hesitated in front of the door before she knocked. There was silence. She knocked again. "Relax, love, I'm coming!" she heard his muffled voice from the other side of the door. She was too nervous to realize that that meant she didn't need to keep knocking. And then he opened the door, with that familiar smirk on his face. She strode past him, suddenly unable to form coherent words.

"Emma, love, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked. But Emma was too busy pacing the length of the room to answer. She could do this. She could do this. Ugh, she wasn't good with words. What was she going to say?

"Emma?" This time his voice was gentler, softer. She snapped out of her reverie and looked at him.

"Hook," she started, taking a step towards him. "We need to talk."

He uncrossed his arms. "Talk away, lass," he said.

Emma took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She grabbed her necklace. "Do you know why I wear this necklace?" She said, showing it to him. He shook his head. "Neal gave it to me. Before Henry was born. It used to be a keychain that he stole from a convenience store. After he left me, I turned it into a necklace," she paused. "And now, I wear it every day to remind me never to trust someone again." She saw the obvious look of confusion on his face, and yet he nodded, urging her on. She took another step towards him. "It wasn't until Neverland that I realized something. Spending all that time on that island, seeing Neal again, saving Henry, and doing magic, amongst other things," she looked at him pointedly and saw him smirking once more, no doubt thinking of the kiss they shared.

"I realized that..." Emma took another deep breath, averting his gaze. "I don't need that reminder anymore." She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, and saw the glimmer of hope in his face. That was all she needed. In one fluid motion, she lifted the necklace over her head and tossed it aside, not caring where it landed.

"Because I do trust someone," she said breathlessly. Without really thinking, Emma crossed the room and kissed Hook, resting her hands on his shoulders gently. She felt him stiffen at first, but only for a moment. Then he leaned into her and she felt his hooked hand rest on her back while the other one found its way into her hair. This kiss, unlike the previous one they had shared, was soft, and romantic. It was sweet and almost tentative, in a way. Emma savored the feeling of his lips on hers before finally pulling away.

She looked at Hook, and realized he had tears in his eyes. She smiled, and brought her hand up to his cheek, stroking it with her thumb. "I choose you, Killian," she whispered. She saw him smile, wider and more genuine than any other smile she had ever seen on his face. She leaned forward, resting her forehead on his and closing her eyes. In that moment she knew they were both exactly where they were meant to be.

Reviews are lovely!