"Who the hell are you," I hear myself say. I am aware to the fact that I am still in my apartment, but my mind is elsewhere.
Another realm, the other realm.
My other realm.
While drifting through memories I have been able to follow and observe the life of "the Savior."
The life of the princess Emma Swan.
But it can't be. I have lived in the sleepy little town of Storybrooke for ... well ... as long as I can remember. I can hear people banging on the door, launching me back into reality. The clouds cluttering my vision begin to fade as I slip back into consciousness.
As my eyes open I see my son, ,my Henry.
"Dad," I hear him whisper. The man, Hook I have taken to calling him, sighs as he pulls my son into a hug.
"Henry," he whispers just loud enough for me to hear. "We'll save her, she'll remember, we will be a family again."
"Get away from my son! You could be a crazy person, or a liar... or both."
"I prefer dashing rapscallion," he replies with a cocky smile. The hint of sarcasm in his voice intrigues me. But why? In the back of my mind there is a sense of recognition, of loss, of longing. When he first kissed me, I could not allow myself to pull away. As he gingerly placed his hand behind my head I could sense, I could feel, the want and desire practically radiating off of him. I could not help but think that there was something between us in the past, something from another life.
I cautiously placed my hand around around his waist and pulled him closer. I had no idea who he was, but maybe I could give him - us - a chance. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers through his hair, that was when the visions began. A series of images raced through my mind. All focusing in on the lives of two people: a man and a woman, a pirate and a princess, a captain and a Savoir. The first full vision I received was of the separation of the the couple. When I reached forward and touched the woman, that's when the pain began.
I had overheard Henry talking about this sensation, a paradox, he called them. A painful occurrence where one touches a version of their past selves - a memory of themselves. But how can that woman, the Savoir, be me?This question has haunted me since I was first launched into the dreams.
Time could not be passing any slower. Time is recognized today as a strict progression from point A to point B, while in reality it is a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey... stuff. This could not be any more evident than it was while I was drifting through memories. Visions from the birth of a child transformed to visions of a first ball in a matter of seconds.
As I stared at Hook and my son, it was the first moment the visions had cleared since I was originally thrown into them.
"Mom!" Henry exclaimed while running over to me. I noticed that he still had his storybook tucked under his arm.
"Hey kid! Can I see that?" He nods as he slowly passed me the book. Hook was at the door, letting in the medical team.
"Killian!" Doctor Whale said. How can he possibly know Hook? "How's Emma? What happened?"
"She's fine, well, she is now. She just woke up."
"Be gentle with her, she does not remember yet."
"I'm just so glad I found her after all -." Hook was interrupted as Whale took a step closer to him and punched him across the face.
"Bloody hell, what was that for," Hook asked as he massaged his face. I could not help but snicker. I could see him glance over at me, rolling his eyes.
"That was for being the bloody hero." Whale then pulled Hook into a hug. "And that was for coming back to save her." Hook smiled and laughed. "You couldn't possibly think you would get rid of me for that long." What the hell are they talking about? I don't need saving, and why would Hook be 'back'? He's never been in this town before, I would remember a face like his.
My eyes wander down to the book on my lap, it had fallen open to a page near the end of the book. There was an image of two figures climbing up a beanstalk. They had their heads turned towards each other, but I could not make out their features. As I saw the woman's long blond hair blowing in the wind I self consciously reached up to touch my own.
Dear God, I can not be in this book.
I flipped to the next page and gasped. It was a close up of the man and the woman, he was cleaning out a wound on her hand.The man had an abundance of dull rings on his fingers. His jacket appeared tattered, his journey must have taken a toll. His red vest shone through his jacket; standing out in like a spotlight in the dead of the night. His pale lips were curled into a small, innocent, smile. He had gorgeous sea blue eyes, clear and sparkling, completely focused on the woman opposite him.
She had forest green eyes, her lips were pressed together, a look of confusion and concern was plastered on her face. Strands of her long blond hair had blown into her face, though she was paying absolutely no attention to them.
The man and the woman were staring into each others eyes. An unbreakable bond, a friendship, a budding romance, had formed between them in only a matter of hours. I feel a hand on my shoulder, forcing me back to reality.
"You feeling better love," Hook asks me. His eyes have the same clarity, want, and desire that they did in the story in front of me.
"Oh, so now you're going to be a gentleman."
"I'm always a gentleman," he says as he sits down in the red leather chair beside me. Even though he had already said his last word I could not bear to take my eyes off of him.
"What's wrong love," he asked, placing his hand on my shaking wrist.''
"I'm fine, I jus-," I look down at his hand and notice something I did not see before.
A ring.
Not dull and forgotten like the others, one ring. Engagement, but no marriage. Someone he will not soon forget, but who? I feel a strong connection to the ring, a sense of recognition, I just can't pin from where.
"Who does that belong to," I ask.
"Someone from a long time ago," he says. I can see tears beginning to gather in his eyes.
"What happened to her," he clearly looks hurt. I wish I didn't have to pry for answers, but I deserve to know. "Is she ... dead?"
"No," a small smile appears on his face. "She's just lost, but I'll get her back to me."
"So you loved her?"
"More than anyone in all of the realms." He gently placed my hand in his. His fingers laced with mine and he kissed me lightly on my forehead. I welcome his touch, it seems as if I have been longing for this my entire life, I have just not known it.
I move over to make room for him next to me. he placed his hooked hand over my shoulders as I laid my head on his shoulder.
"I don't know what's gotten into me. One moment I was being abused by a strange man who shows up at my doorstep and the next I am cuddling with him on my couch. I dont even know who you are."
"Who am I? Well that's up to you love," he says with a mysterious grin. He took his hand and placed it next to mine.
The ring.
The ring I have had on my finger for as long as I can remember. The ring with the letters "E" and "K" etched on the outside. The ring that I always assumed Neal gave me. The ring that Hook has on his finger at this exact moment. I look up, back into his eyes.
"Swan, I found you," he whispers.
The distance between my visions and reality is slowly closing. My passion for him in my other life suddenly overtakes me. I wrap my hands around his neck and pull him into a light kiss. He places his hand on my back, we are closer than ever before. I run my fingers through his hair, I can imagine my - our - ring glimmering under the shimmering lights in my loft.
I can feel the clouds threatening to blind me from reality once again, but I will not let go. The pain returns and I let out a small yelp and I am forced to pull out of our kiss. I can already feel the distance between my visions and reality separating once again.
"Killian Jones, I -."
*Hey dearies! I did not have a chance to read over this chapter, so will you please let me know if you see any mistakes or typos! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!*