Nightmares

Netflix & Chill

Emma was supposed to be alone tonight. Henry was at Regina's for the weekend, and her parents were out. Her father planned something for her mother, as it was their first time to really have a date since Neal was born. Emma volunteered to watch her baby brother, and she was perfectly fine with it being just the two of them, but Hook insisted that he stay with her. Emma supposed he was just worried, even though it had been weeks since Storybrook had had what he liked to call a "crisis."

She really couldn't blame him though. Both of their lives had been in danger countless times. Their most recent ventures probably made him afraid to let her out of his sight, Emma had nearly frozen to death, and the Dark One had tried to entrap her in a hat to make use of her magic. Not to mention him almost being killed by the Dark One. She tried her best to assure him that she was here and unharmed, but he still refused to take no for an answer and said he would be there at the same time her parents would be leaving.

Precisely at five, Hook arrived with dinner for both of them. Emma smiled fondly at him, grateful that she didn't have to cook.

"Granny's, grilled cheese for the lady." He said with a smile. He leaned in and kissed her lightly. As usual, she went weak in the knees.

"Thank you." She told him.

She led him inside and made two glasses of tea. She ensured Neal was content in his bouncy seat before turning Netflix on and allowing Hook to pick the movie. He picked one titled simply "Hook" out of curiosity. It was about Peter Pan as an adult, saving his son and daughter after the villainous Captain Hook abducted them from a bedroom.

"Who the bloody hell is this fool?" he inquired when a man who was meant to portray him appeared with a very large head of curly hair and a goofy grin.

"That is how we imagine you in this world." Emma replied with a laugh.

"He looks like an idiot." Hook huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

For the remainder of the night, Emma let him pick movie after movie. At eight-thirty, it was time for Neal to go to bed. Emma gave him his last bottle and laid him in his little crib in the bedroom, where he slept peacefully.

It was around eleven that night that, after half an hour of comfortable silence between them as they watched Shrek (Hook had a curiosity about this world's views on ogres), when he noticed she hadn't moved.

"Emma?" he said softly.

When she didn't answer, he looked down at her. Her legs were curled beneath her, and she leaned into him, fast asleep.

Hook smiled adoringly at her and enjoyed the rest of the movie, rubbing her back with his hand. When it was over, he scooped her carefully into his arms, so as not to wake her. He carried her to the bed and gently set her down. He contemplated on joining her, but they had never slept in the same bed together and he wasn't sure how she would feel. Instead, he covered her with a nearby blanket and climbed the stairs into the loft.

On the bed was a pair of pajamas he assumed Emma had borrowed from her father for his use. He smiled, she was always thinking. He changed into them and climbed into the bed that was usually hers, and fell asleep, comforted by her scent.
*****************************

Emma was frozen in place again by Gold's magic. She watched helplessly as he held Killian's heart in front of him, ready to sacrifice him for his dark deed.

But this time, Belle didn't show with the dagger. There was no one to stop this. Gold squeezed once and Killian doubled over in paid. He looked at Emma, wanting the last thing he ever saw to be her. A single tear rolled down her cheek, she was about to lose him.

Gold then literally squeezed the life out of her love, and Killian crumpled to the ground. Whatever Gold was doing was complete, and he released Emma from the magic that was holding her. She charged up the steps to the clock tower, ready to kill Gold with her bare hands. But he was gone in a puff of smoke, and she was left with Killian's body. She threw herself over him and cried his name.

"Come back to me." She begged of him, but in vain. He was gone.
*********************************
Hook awoke to hear Emma thrashing about in her bed. Without a second thought, he rushed down the stairs to her.

"Killian!'' she said in her sleep. Hook paused for a moment at the sound of his name. She was having a nightmare about him.

He came forward and tried to wake her up by shaking her by the shoulders. It wasn't until he spoke her name that she woke up.

"Emma."

Her hands came up to his face as she took him in, trying to make herself believe that he was there and not dead. When she had apparently done so, she took him in her arms, dragging him to the bed.

When she released him, she kissed him slowly, running her fingers through his hair. Hook hummed his content, kissing her in return with his hand around the back of her neck.

"Don't go." She told him. He nodded and settled himself under the blankets with her. She curled herself into him and relaxed again. He stayed awake to ensure that she had no more nightmares. Her breathing slowed down again as he stroked the top of her head. She didn't have another nightmare.