Only Her: OUAT/Killian Jones

Tallahassee

As the group of them made their way down towards the bottom of the beanstalk, (Y/n) wondered how exactly they were supposed to scale the giant plant. Just, freeclimb it? There was an awfully big risk of them falling to their deaths should that happen. Then, of course, if they do reach the top, there's the giant that they needed to deal with before searching for the compass. Hook had even gotten to telling them about the beans the giants used to harvest. Magic beans that could open a portal to any land you wish to go to.

When the six of them did reach the beanstalk, Emma looked up at it, saying, "It's a little freakier than I remember from the story."

"It reminds me of death," Mulan stated, making (Y/n) raise her eyebrows a little bit on the spin the warrior decided to put on it.

"Encouraging," Mary Margaret muttered.

"Well, your compass awaits. Shall we?" Hook said, and started towards the base of the plant.

"Wait, if the beans create portals, why not just take one of the beans?" (Y/n) asked, and Emma furthered the question.

"Why the compass?"

"Because there aren't any more beans. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong," Hook told them.

"Uh, a boy named Jack traded his cow for beans, and a song about a nice giant and a bad giant... a chicken that had golden eggs... and a golden harp?" (Y/n) remembered, thinking back on the last time she had heard Into the Woods. She had been in a foster home for a few months with a musical loving foster parent, who had many of their songs playing through the house. It got quite annoying after a while.

"Sounds like a lovely tale," Hook said with a faux smile. "But the truth's a little bit more gruesome. The giants grew the beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack and his men fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have the magic, then nobody could. Certainly very bad form."

"Evil giants who made magic portal beans. Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?" Emma questioned, tilting her head.

"Because one giant survived. The strongest. The most terrible of them all," Hook told them, and (Y/n) let out a sigh. "Now, we'll have to get past him to-"

"The magic compass," Mary Margaret finished sarcastically.

"Indeed," Hook said, looking from the beanstalk to the women. "The treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. Now, it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it, we steal the ashes from her, then we're on our way."

"Why not just get more ashes from the wardrobe?" (Y/n) questioned, thinking it simpler. "Why go through all the trouble of stealing the ashes she has when we can get our own?"

"That does seem like the simple solution to avoid death, doesn't it?" Hook said as his eyes scanned her. "But, unfortunately for us, Cora destroyed what was left of the ashes. She's got the last bit that survived."

"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?" Mulan asked.

"Because you five are far safer company," Hook stated, taking his eyes away from (Y/n). "All I need is a ride back. I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first."

"Then we better start climbing," Emma said, moving towards the beanstalk, only for Hook's voice to stop her.

"Right, so, I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders."