I have borrowed some lines directly from the Show, but most of the narrative is completely different from the Show's canon. This story is for you if you enjoy Captain Charming, Captain Swan, and particularly, if you disliked the canon events of the Wish Realm episodes.
Written for the Captain Swan Little Bang, 2018. A thousand thanks to my beta, honeybadgerhook, for her excellent editing job and for making the story flow better. clockadile and just-be-magnificent collaborated on an incredible art-piece for this story (used as the story icon here), and just-be-magnificent has made a fantastic gif-set for it. Please check it out on my tumblr blog under the tag cracked mirror. They also cheered me on to finish the story and helped with editing. Thanks to the Big Bang mods who have done an excellent job organizing and running this event! Hope you enjoy!
"Genie of Agrabah," declaimed the Evil Queen. "I wish...that Emma Swan's wish to have never been the Savior...be granted."
And with a wave of Aladdin's hand, Emma Swan abruptly vanished from sight.
The board was set, and the chess pieces assembled: Regina, Hook, David, and poor Aladdin—the genie of the Lamp—stood horror-struck. One invaluable piece had just been knocked off the board by the Evil Queen.
Since one genie-wish had sent the savior away, Regina reasoned, another should bring her back. She also judged that the magic of the genie would not differentiate between her and her evil clone for the you-get-three-wishes rule. Which meant she wouldn't need to actually touch the lamp to make a wish.
"Bring Emma Swan back to Storybrooke, now!" commanded Regina, and Aladdin waved his hand to comply.
Dead silence followed.
As the seconds ticked by, the smug expression on Regina's face slowly morphed into confusion, while the Queen's changed to triumph.
"Why isn't she here?" demanded Regina of Aladdin, who shook his head, bewildered.
"That's because she's not Emma Swan anymore," said the Queen, stalking towards Regina. "The Savior wished she'd never been one in the first place, which means the Emma you pathetic lot know doesn't exist anymore. All I did was give her what she wanted. You wasted my second wish. Now, I'm going to make sure you don't waste my third."
"You are going to make sure?" taunted Regina. "That's very funny."
"I wish…" said the Queen.
"I wish…" echoed Regina.
"Send me to the place where you transported the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," commanded a third voice.
The two Reginas turned their heads in surprise and saw Hook and David standing next to Aladdin. Hook's hand was on the lamp, his angry eyes flashing resolutely.
"Wait…" yelled David, grabbing onto Hook's shoulder, even as Aladdin raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Hook and David disappeared, leaving the lamp and its genie behind. Aladdin grinned. This was the first wish of the night he had truly enjoyed granting.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish, as the saying goes," declared the Queen, curling her lip contemptuously. "That was a fun game of passing the Lamp, but I'm tired of it."
She stretched out her hand with the clear intent of magicking the artifact to herself.
Nothing happened.
She tugged at the lamp again, only to be met with strong resistance. She turned to see Regina exerting herself to do the same. The Queen sighed.
"How long are you going to keep this up?"
"As long as it takes," returned Regina.
Hook dropped feet first on solid ground. With an "oof", Charming stumbled onto his back.
"Bloody hell! I didn't mean to drag you along…" exclaimed Hook, steadying himself.
"You didn't have to drag me along to rescue my daughter; I wanted to come," bristled David.
"Calm down, mate!" Hook raised a placating hand. "With your other half playing part-time Sleeping Beauty, I didn't think you'd want to leave your wee lad."
"Neal will be safe with Granny; I've no intention of waking Snow with Emma missing."
"Fair enough," said Hook, casting an eye at their surroundings. "It looks like we're back in the Enchanted Forest."
David looked around. They were standing in a lightly forested area, on the edge of a worn footpath.
"Wait a minute," he said. "I recognize this place. This looks exactly like the little coppice behind our summer palace."
Killian tamped down a sneering retort at the mention of the Charmings' summer palace. After all, it wasn't as if the royal couple were lording it over everyone in Storybrooke.
"There's something up ahead," he said instead, walking towards a structure he had spotted to one side of the footpath. It turned out to be a statue of Snow and David. Beneath the statue was a plaque with an inscription that read: In this place Queen Snow and King David defeated the Evil Queen and banished her from the realm.
"Interesting…" observed Killian, quirking a brow at his companion.
"That statue is not in any Enchanted Forest I know," David harrumphed.
Killian gave him a searching look. "Who knows how genie-magic works. We need to tread carefully. This realm may not be as benign as it appears."
"Any realm where we defeated the Evil Queen is bound to be a good one," declared David.
"Perhaps. All I'm saying is we need to be cautious. We don't have magic, and if the…"
"Dwarfs!" exclaimed David, interrupting Killian.
"What?"
"Look, over there…" David pointed to a line of axe-wielding dwarfs walking up the path, whistling a merry tune.
"What did I just say about being careful?"
"We can trust them," said David, waving frantically at the dwarfs, who stopped short on seeing David with looks of astonishment on their faces.
"Grumpy! Doc! I'm so glad to see you all."
The dwarf, Grumpy, said, "You…Your majesty! How do you look so young?"
"And why are you so strangely attired?" asked another.
David was momentarily flummoxed, but recovering quickly, said, "It's a long story, but that can wait. I need to find Emma quickly. Where is she?"
The dwarfs' eyes narrowed, and they exchanged nervous looks with one another.
The next minute, they fled, yelling, "Sorcery! Dark Magic! We must warn the Queen and King!"
David stood gaping at their retreating backs.
"That's bloody well torn it!" said Killian.
Killian and David thought it best to leave the area quickly and decide on their next course of action. Bizarre as it was, this realm seemed to have an alternative history of events where Snow and David defeated Regina and reigned as the rulers of Misthaven. The two men reasoned that Emma would very likely be living with her parents in the palace. After all, they would never have had to give her up if the Dark Curse had never been cast (this thought gave David a pang of regret). Consequently, they decided to check for her there.
Killian suggested that he should enter the castle and find Emma while David waited outside.
"I'm coming. She's my daughter," David declared, looking at Killian as if the pirate had grown a second head. "Besides, I know my way around the place."
"What if someone else sees you? The dwarfs must have raised an alarm by now—it's clear they suspect something is amiss."
"Well, we'll just have to be careful to not let them see us, won't we? And you think you won't stand out with a hook for a hand?" said David dismissively, glancing down at the aforementioned appendage.
"Fine, lead the way then," said Killian, annoyed.
They decided to enter the castle from one of its approaches towards the back. According to David, the kitchen gardens and hothouses were located there, and were generally less heavily guarded. They soon came to a stop in front of a quaint little metal door set in the wall enclosing the gardens. Hook made short work of the lock with his hook, and the two of them snuck in, checking to see if there was anyone around.
They were in a kind of flowery bower with shady trees whose branches swayed in the gentle breeze. As Killian and David made their way towards the stone edifice of the castle, they heard the sound of someone humming a melody. Killian and David glanced at each other, alert. They scrambled to hide behind a tree, and peered through the foliage to see who it was.
It was Emma. She wore a delightful fur cape, and happily hummed to herself as she plucked flowers and deposited them into a charming little wicker basket that swung from her arm. There was a sense of lightness and innocence in her demeanor. Killian's heart skipped a beat. She looked breathtaking, just like an enchanted princess!
Recognizing the tune as Once Upon a Dream from Disney's Sleeping Beauty, David grinned. He merely shook his head when Killian quirked an enquiring eyebrow. Explanations would have to wait for another time. When he made as though to step forward, Killian stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"What happened to being careful, mate?" whispered Killian urgently.
"Emma's right there," said David, shaking off Killian's hold. "We came to find her—or have you forgotten that?"
"It doesn't look like she remembers us or who she really is. Abruptly confronting her about her true identity is not a good idea, trust me," said Killian, reflexively crossing his legs.
"I helped Snow remember who she was once, and I can do the same with my daughter."
Killian glanced upward as though begging Zeus to grant him patience.
"I did bring her back once when she didn't remember any of us, in case you've forgotten," reminded Killian.
"I don't need your help in saving my daughter."
"Be my guest…" said Killian, stepping back. He was angry at the belligerence displayed by the other man. Even though David had accompanied his daughter to the Underworld to save Killian, and had even acknowledged that he had grown to like the former-pirate, David occasionally reverted to being confrontational with him. Of course, the prince was under enormous pressure, what with sharing a Sleeping Curse with his wife, Emma's dire visions of death, and the Evil Queen unleashing fresh havoc in Storybrooke every day. But that didn't justify him taking out his frustrations on Killian, especially as Killian was facing many of the same challenges.
He watched with growing concern as David approached Emma. He couldn't hear their conversation, but the encounter didn't seem to be going well. Emma clutched her basket closer as David started in on his explanations. He flailed his arms, apparently in an attempt at emphasizing his point, but it only served to make Emma fearful, and she took a step back in alarm. Killian had just resolved on revealing his presence when he heard the tell-tale crunch of leaves that alerted him of fresh arrivals. Before he could warn David, the newcomers were on the scene.
Killian did a double take—two of the new arrivals looked almost exactly like Snow and David, only they were older and regally attired. They were surrounded by armed guards including the bloody dwarfs they'd met with earlier. Killian realized what a surreal experience it must be for David to meet a version of himself and Snow who had been successful in defeating the Evil Queen. He kept himself hidden as David was led away by the guards. The king and queen stayed behind a minute longer to talk to their daughter, and then, together, they followed after the guards. Killian sighed. He now had to rescue David and figure out a way to approach Emma on his own.
Killian found the dungeons without too much trouble. He'd had to incapacitate a few guards and steal a sword to get there, but after all, one couldn't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. The stone walls of the dungeons were dimly lit with torches. As he turned a corner, he heard a murmur of voices, one of which he recognized as David's. He slowed his approach, wanting to check if there were more guards that needed to be dealt with. As the prison bars came into view, Killian halted abruptly at the sight that met him.
Of course a version of the bloody Crocodile would be present in the wish realm; Hook would bet his life that this version was equally dark and devious. The other Rumple was incarcerated in a prison cell adjacent to David's, and seemed to be attempting to wheedle the latter into making a deal with him.
Hook frowned. Some things never changed.
He stepped forward softly.
"I know better than to take one of your deals in any realm," replied David. "I will find a way to rescue Emma."
"No doubt, no doubt. But once you rescue the charming princess, you'll need a portal to get back to Storybrooke, won't you?"
"How do you know about Storybrooke?" demanded David.
The imp cackled. "How does that matter? What matters, dearie, is that I can get you a magic bean," he said in a sing-song voice. "All I need in return is one teeny, tiny, little thing—my freedom."
"I'd be crazy to set you loose. Everyone here seems quite happy with neither you nor Regina running around wreaking havoc like you did in our realm."
"But you said this world isn't real, dearie. What's the harm of letting a not-real me out of a not-real prison into a not-real world, hmm?" Rumplestiltskin twirled his arms to emphasize the point.
David seemed to waver at this. "Are you sure you can get your hands on a Bean? You had trouble finding it in my Realm."
"I suppose I'm smarter than my 'real' counterpart. Now—do we have a deal?"
"No deal," said Hook, stepping forward.
The two prisoners whipped their heads towards him as he removed the helmet that had been partly covering his face. They looked astonished to see him. David's look soon changed to relief, while Rumplestiltskin's face took on an expression of contemptuous loathing.
"Please don't tell me this cowardly pirate is actually your ally in this 'real' world you spoke of," he said. "How the mighty have fallen."
Killian ignored him and dispatched the lock on David's cell door.
As they walked away, David glanced back at Rumple as the latter yelled out, "Remember, I can get you a bean…"
"Seriously, mate? You should know better than to talk to that demon," Killian reproached David. "Or make a deal with him."
"How was I supposed to know you were coming to free me?" said David defensively. "You did nothing to stop the guards from capturing me."
Killian looked at him scathingly. "Yes—it would have been a brilliant idea if I had let myself be caught along with you and forfeited any chance of rescuing Emma."
David looked a little ashamed, but said nothing.
Killian was resigned to the fact that some people would always hold his former sins against him. He would always struggle with forgiving himself for his past, but that did not mean it never hurt when people he considered allies, if not friends, looked perpetually surprised whenever he did any decent thing. It did not help that one of said people was his True Love's father.
Killian sighed.
As they exited the dungeon, his eye caught a festive parchment stuck to the wall. It announced a royal ball that evening in celebration of Princess Emma's birthday.
"Looks like we have our new plan of campaign," said Killian, eyes shining.
Killian once more donned the persona of Prince Charles in honor of his and Emma's time-travel adventure. He hoped this mission would be as successful as the other one had been (minus the snafu involving Zelena masquerading as Marian, of course). He'd kept his black shirt and jeans on, but had "borrowed" a blue vest and brown suede jacket from one of the royal guest chambers. It hadn't taken too much to convince Charming to let Killian have a go at reaching Emma this time. Charming's face, to put it simply, was a liability, as the latter reluctantly acknowledged. He had agreed to remain hidden in the garden.
The King and Queen entered the room, followed by Emma and a young boy, whom Killian realized with a little shock was likely Emma's little brother. Richly outfitted royal personages and commoners with simpler though neat attires seemed to be equally divided among the throng of guests. The queen welcomed the assembled guests to the birthday celebration of Princess Emma. Everyone cheered as the princess cut an enormous cake and fed slices to her parents and her little brother, and Queen Snow and King David fed their daughter a piece of cake in turn. Then the music began, signaling the start of the dancing. As the birthday girl, Emma had the first dance with her father, after which, the princess was approached by a well-dressed young man, who resembled August from Storybrooke. Killian watched jealously as the princess floated across the room in the other man's arms. Was Emma betrothed to the wooden man-child in this realm? Hardly able to contain himself, Killian stepped up to Emma at the end of the dance and asked for the honor of her hand.
Emma blushed prettily and nodded in acceptance. Killian's heart beat rapidly as he watched the pink flush that travelled from her cheekbones down to her bosom and disappeared beneath her white bodice. He gulped and mentally admonished himself to be careful. This version of his Swan seemed to be a timid and shy counterpart of her real self—he needed to be gentler in his approach.
As they danced, Killian noticed Emma stealing shy glances at him, but whenever they made eye-contact, she would rapidly turn her eyes away. After this had gone on for a few minutes, Killian leaned forward fractionally and whispered, "I have a rather dashing face, do I not?"
Emma turned a startled face to him, and catching the twinkle in his eye, giggled. "You seem to think a lot of yourself, sir."
"With reason, perhaps?" he teased.
The familiar indulgent eye-roll he got in response had his spirits soaring. Introducing himself as a prince from a distant seafaring kingdom, he regaled her with interesting (and heavily edited) anecdotes of some of his voyages. Soon, he had drawn-out the princess enough for her to grace him with questions, and not just blushing smiles.
The music ended and a waltz began.
"Oh, I do not know how to dance a waltz," said Emma, and made as if to leave the dance floor.
Killian gently pulled her back and said, "Trust me, your highness, you do."
Emma looked at him in wonder as he led her through the steps of the waltz. As during their time-travel adventure, Emma picked up the moves quickly and was soon smiling broadly in enjoyment.
"I told you, love. You're a natural," he complimented. Emma's surprised expression made him realize his error in addressing her so casually, and he quickly apologized. "My apologies, your highness. A sailor sometimes forgets to leave his uncouth manners by the docks."
Emma shook her head impatiently. "It's not that. For a moment I…have we met before?"
After a beat, Killian replied softly, "Yes, Princess."
"Why then don't I remember you?"
"Wondering how you could've forgotten someone so devilishly handsome?"
Emma gave an exasperated look, but as it was accompanied by a shy smile, Killian continued, "We met in a place called Storybrooke."
Emma stiffened in his arms. "Storybrooke? Like in my dream? How do you know of it?"
"What did you dream of, Princess?"
"In my dream, I was in this strange, fantastical land unlike anything I've ever seen before."
"Perhaps, that wasn't a dream—but a memory."
"But it is not real. It cannot be. How could I have travelled to this realm, and remember nothing of it?"
"Because you were made to forget."
"How is that possible?" Emma blanched in sudden alarm. "Was it Dark Magic? The Evil Queen…?"
Killian took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Do not be afraid. It was not Dark Magic. But the Evil Queen is indeed responsible for your condition."
Eyes fluttering, Emma gazed at him apprehensively.
Killian took a deep breath. "Princess Emma, you are not from this realm. You live in a place called Storybrooke. This life that you have right now—this is not real."
Emma swiftly withdrew her hand from him. She was breathing fast, "You…you are in league with that madman from this morning. He said he was my father."
"And he is," said Killian gently. "Look deep within your heart, love—you know I am telling you the truth. You have other people who love you very much in Storybrooke—and you love them just as much: a mother and a…son."
"I don't have a son..." Emma looked alarmed, starting to back away from him.
"His name is Henry," said Killian, looking into her eyes, and willing her to see the truth in them.
At the mention of Henry's name, Emma became still. Something about the name must have struck a deep chord in her.
Encouraged by her response, Killian continued, "Your father and I came here to bring you back to your family—to your parents, your son, and…"
"You?"
"Aye!" said Killian with a brilliant smile. "Me."
The turmoil in Emma's thoughts was obvious. Making a quick decision, Killian decided to venture all. "Come out into the garden with me. Your father is waiting there."
Emma hesitated for a moment, but let him guide her outside, being careful to avoid detection. Once in the garden, Killian signaled to David, whom he knew was hovering in the shadows nearby.
David stepped forward and looked at Emma with affection and longing, not daring to come too close. Emma looked a little fearful and glanced at Killian hesitantly. He gently took Emma's hand again, and placed it on David's outstretched hand, and nodded encouragingly at her.
"Emma…" David said, his voice breaking a little with emotion.
Killian pressed down gently on Emma's hand. "Trust us, Emma. We love you. Please remember."
Emma looked down at their intertwined hands, and then back up at the men's expectant and hopeful faces.
Something in her expression shifted, as though a dense cloud that had been obstructing the sun's brilliance was suddenly swept away by a warm summer breeze.
She blinked.
"Dad? Killian?"
Killian and David breathed twin sighs of relief.
"You remember?" David asked eagerly, enveloping her in a quick embrace.
"Yes. But how in the world did I get here? And this isn't the Enchanted Forest, is it?"
Killian and David filled her in quickly to the best of their knowledge.
"Oh my god. The Wish turned me into a silly little Disney princess?"
Killian gave a snort of laughter. "I thought you were adorable, darling."
Emma glared at him.
"Well...after this experience, I think I'm pretty glad I didn't grow up in the Enchanted Forest!"
Killian was quick to notice the brief flicker of hurt in David's eyes, but the latter said nothing.
"Okay, what next?" said Emma, back to her take-charge self.
"We need to leave right away. Somebody's bound to come looking for you soon," warned David.
"The whole palace guard will be after us if Emma leaves in the middle of her Birthday Ball," demurred Killian.
"I'll poof us to the docks—that should be far enough to give us a good head-start." Emma twirled her hand in a gesture she typically used for teleportation. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Frustrated, she repeated the motion again. "I seem to have lost my magic."
"The Evil Queen said that you were not the Savior anymore," said David. "I guess that means…"
"...I don't have magic," finished Emma, huffing resignedly. "Well...I think it's best if I go back to the Ball. Once everyone's gone to bed, I'll slip out through my bedroom window and meet you guys back here."
Killian and David hesitated, but saw the wisdom in Emma's plan. Anxious as they were to return to Storybrooke, it would make returning a hell of a lot more difficult if they left precipitately.
"Wait…Emma. Before you go…is the Enchanted Wardrobe in your nursery? That might get us out of here."
"That's a good point." Emma scrunched up her face in thought. "…but, no. I believe you and mom defeated the Evil Queen here long before that point."
"Maybe we can get the person who'd originally made it to carve us a Magical Wardrobe now," suggested Killian.
"It took Geppetto the better part of a year to carve."
"Damn. I guess we can't put in a rush order, huh?"
David shook his head.
"You'd better get back, love. Your father and I'll look for a portal in the nearest town."
After giving Killian a quick kiss, Emma left.
Killian and David had gone down to the closest village in the hopes of finding information on where they could find a portal or a purveyor of magic. But the whole region looked like a deserted ghost-town—apparently peasants and all were up in the castle grounds celebrating the princess's birthday. Rather than go to the docks by themselves, which seemed the next logical course of action, Killian had suggested that they should make their way back to the castle grounds to await Emma's return. They'd been gone several hours and he didn't want to risk missing their rendezvous with Emma—otherwise they'd likely end up wasting more time trying to find each other. There were still some determined revelers dancing at the castle—the occasional tipsy off-tune song burst through the comparative stillness of the night. However, for the most part, the festivities seemed to have wrapped up, and they caught occasional glimpses of stragglers making their way down to the villages on foot or in carriages.
The two men sat and watched from the shadows in the garden as the hours ticked by.
David remarked, "Emma should've been able to get away by now. Maybe she's in trouble—we need to go inside and find her."
Killian rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Do you want to get thrown into the dungeons again?"
"I know a secret passage that can get us close to the royal bedchambers."
"Earlier, I might've called that a good idea. But now it sounds bleeding stupid."
"Why?" David asked, offended.
"Because," hissed Killian. "By now they'll know you escaped from the dungeons, and that a dashing stranger helped you. They'll be on the watch for any intruders."
"I didn't think of that." Killian rolled his eyes as if saying oh really. Ignoring it, David continued, "We should've left right away with Emma, and taken our chances."
"Patience, mate. Trust Emma. She'll be here soon enough."
David glared at Killian. "How can you sit there content with doing nothing?"
"I know how to play the long game more that you do."
"Do you even want to go back to Storybrooke, or are you planning to stay in this realm and take to pirating again?"
Killian fought a sudden and overwhelming urge to punch David—the man had been nothing but a pain in his behind ever since they'd gotten here.
"Let me ask you something, Dave. Why do you want to treat your daughter the way you would never treat your wife?"
"What do you mean?" asked David sharply.
"This constant questioning of my intentions. I'm starting to wonder if it's my loyalty you don't trust, or if it's your daughter's judgement."
David scoffed. "I'm only looking out for her."
"I've told you before—she can take care of herself. Do you think Emma is happy with you blowing hot and cold with me all the time?"
"What, you've been complaining to her?"
"I haven't," said Killian steadily. "But if you think she doesn't notice, or that it doesn't bother her, you're making a mistake."
David did not respond to that statement.
After a beat, Killian continued. "I was planning to ask her to marry me."
"What?!" cried David, his voice sounding shrill in the quietness (the castle was shrouded in stillness now).
"Ssh, David," Killian growled. "Are you trying to get us killed?"
"Sorry," said David, lowering his voice. "You startled me."
"Why? You didn't think a pirate like me would've wanted to tie the matrimonial knot?"
David gave a brief smile. "To be honest, I wasn't sure if Emma wanted to get married."
"She does."
David looked at him a long moment. "You do know her well, don't you?"
Killian gave a one-sided smile that was lacking in humor.
"When were you going to ask her?"
"The minute I came back from the Underworld," Killian replied dryly.
"Then why didn't you?"
"I've been trying to find a quiet moment. Which I should've known was a lost cause in Storybrooke."
"You weren't planning to ask me for my blessing, I suppose...or is that what you're doing now?" asked David, narrowing his eyes.
"I want to know if you are going to be happy for Emma if she agrees to marry me."
David gazed at him for a long moment. "Is that important to you?"
"It is important to Emma."
"You really think so?"
"She would be happy if she felt that you trust her to make the right choice for herself and Henry—and if I do end up breaking her heart, I give you full permission to run me through with a sword."
David smiled reluctantly; then sighed.
"I…you know—I'm a little jealous of you," he confessed. "You see...I wasn't there for Emma when she was a child—when she would have needed me the most. Now, I will never have her trust the way you seem to. I think that's why I've been taking out my frustrations on you. It's not something I'm proud of."
Killian was touched by the moment of vulnerability David had shown. He reached out and briefly squeezed the other's hand.
"I may not be the perfect prince you hoped Emma would marry, but I do love her."
"I know," said David, "and I did speak the truth in the Underworld when I said you'd grown on me. I do know that you'd do anything for Emma the way I would for Snow."
"I knew I'd win you over eventually," said Killian, and smirked.
David glared at him. "Can't help pushing it, can you?"
"No," said Killian with a smile. "You rise to the bait too easily."
David shook his head and smiled.
"She didn't mean it that way, you know," said Killian after a pause.
"Who didn't mean what?" asked David.
"Emma—when she said she was glad she didn't grow up in the Enchanted Forest," Killian elaborated. "She was trying to lighten the situation. She didn't intend to hurt you."
"I probably deserved it even if she did. After all, Snow and I practically shoved her into a magical wardrobe minutes after she was born. There's no way to know how we would have brought her up. Maybe we would have sheltered her from any knowledge of danger if we'd been able to bring her up in the Enchanted Forest. I wish…god, how I wish I could keep her from facing villain after villain now. I would gladly take her place every time."
"Mate, you do tend to pull the overprotective father act from time to time, but there is no way the woman I saw shoot an arrow straight and true through an Ogre's eye would've not taught her daughter to do the same—and you love your wife too much to have stopped her."
David grinned. "You're right; even though we didn't raise her, Emma's got a lot of Snow's stubbornness and pluck."
"That she does," agreed Killian. He added gently, "You may have missed out on her childhood, but you're both the same age—you'll get to be there for your daughter longer than most parents can hope for or expect."
"I…never thought of it that way," said David.
They were silent for a while, each of them engrossed in their thoughts.
It was not too long before Emma finally showed up, and the two men breathed a sigh of relief. She was no longer dressed in her ballgown, but had managed to find a pair of trousers, with a matching top and cape. She unrolled a bundle clutched in her hand, and handed each of them a sheathed dagger, tucking one into her own belt.
"Good thinking, Emma," said David.
"I thought it might come in handy, as would this," she added, pointing to a tiny chamois leather pouch hanging from the other side of her belt.
"What's that, Swan?"
"Princess Emma's jewels. In case we needed to trade for a Magic Bean."
"I told you you'd make a hell of a pirate, love," grinned Killian. Emma preened herself.
"I see you also stole Princess Emma's riding breeches," he teased.
"Looks like the other me rode horses—or at least, I had the clothes for it."
"Did you have any trouble getting away?" asked David, impatient with the exchange about clothes.
"Apparently a dangerous sorcerer escaped from the dungeons today with the help of a 'dastardly' pirate," Emma said teasingly. Killian stifled a laugh, and David glared at him. "So, my parents went a little overboard with the number of guards patrolling the castle. I had to dodge quite a few of them on my way out."
Emma's expression dropped a little when she mentioned the word "parents", but before Killian could ask her if she was alright, she was hurrying them away from the castle grounds.
"I don't know how long it'll be before I'm missed. We need to rush."
The three of them made their way from the castle as quickly as they could under the cover of darkness, while trying to make as little noise as possible. They had decided to go to the docks in the hope of procuring passage out of Misthaven. When they reached their destination, one of the first sights that met their eye was the Jolly Roger.
"That's looks like the Jolly Roger," said David. "Does that mean…?"
Emma's face broke into a slow smile. "Hook."
Killian groaned. "We don't know for sure."
"Only one way to find out…" said Emma.
"I'll go," said Killian.
"I got this," said Emma at the same time.
"No, I'm going," said David.
"Look—I'm the best person to handle this," said Emma. "How do you think the crew is going to react if another Hook shows up on deck? And, Dad, they'll probably think you're the king; that would be a problem."
"If they see the princess, they'll kidnap you and hold you to ransom," argued Killian. "All three of us will be recognized one way or the other."
"Yeah—but I can pull a hood over my face and keep it hidden. They won't connect a woman wearing trousers with the pampered princess who just celebrated her birthday."
After bickering in this manner for a few minutes, they decided to go together. Emma pulled her cape over her head, tearing out two strips for Killian and David, who used it to cover their faces. The gangplank was up, but they caught sight of a rope-ladder hanging from the side of the ship. So, they untied a skiff and rowed up to the Jolly Roger, pulling themselves up on deck once they'd climbed over the rail.
The ship seemed deserted. As they made their way to the captain's cabin by the faint moonlight and the light of a dim lantern hanging from somewhere, Emma couldn't help noticing that this ship seemed more cluttered and unkempt than its Storybrooke counterpart. A sudden doubt assailed her, and she wondered if the Jolly was in the hands of some other pirate in this reality. A quick glance at Killian's face confirmed that he'd had the same idea.
By the door of the captain's cabin, there was one lonesome crew man, who looked very much like Smee—passed out drunk. So much for guarding the captain. Opening the hatch door slowly, the three of them stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind them.
As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, Emma heard loud snoring coming from the bed. Great, thought Emma. They were going to disturb the captain's slumber and put him in a horrible mood right at the start of negotiations. But waiting for him to awaken naturally wasn't an option. They'd just have to make the best of it.
Killian had managed to locate an oil lamp and lit it. As Emma held it up against the face of the sleeping pirate, she got a shock. It was Hook alright—but Hook as she'd never known him. For one, he was several years older than her Killian (which made sense if she stopped to think about it), and for another—his face was lined and weary even in sleep. His hair was long and unkempt, and he had a general air or dissolution. He reeked of rum. This version of Hook had clearly let himself go. Making a quick decision, she turned around and pushed her dad and Killian to the back of the cabin. She whispered, "Dad, Killian—I think it's best if you both wait outside."
"Why?" her father asked suspiciously, trying to peer over her shoulder. "Is that Hook? Or it is someone else?"
"Don't tell me it's Blackbeard," hissed Killian, and made as if to lunge at the sleeping pirate.
"It's Hook," said Emma, gently restraining them with a hand to their chests, "but I think I should handle this on my own."
David gave her a long look, but finally complied. "If you need me for anything, I'll be waiting outside."
Killian was another proposition altogether. "I'm not leaving you alone with him. Remember what happened last time?"
"Yes," she hissed. "You punched yourself in the face. Killian, please. Trust me on this."
Killian still didn't look convinced, but he agreed. "I'm waiting right outside."
"I know, I know," said Emma, rolling her eyes, and practically pushed him up the steps.
With a sigh, she turned back, and thought about the best way to wake Hook and get him talking. She looked around for inspiration, and saw a pot of water sitting on the table.
She poured out some water into her palm, walked up to Hook, and sprinkled a few drops on his face, saying, "Captain, wake up!"
Hook flinched away from the spray, and slowly opened his eyes. He peered at her by the dim illumination cast by the lamp Emma held in her hand. This Hook's eyes had mostly dulled to a gray, with just a flicker of the piercing blue of Killian's.
"Princess Enya?" said Old Hook, confused.
"Emma," she corrected automatically, then mentally kicked herself for giving herself away. The cape covering her face had fallen back at some point, but even then, she hadn't expected this Hook to recognize her. "How…how did you know?"
"Ah, yes. Princess Emma," said Hook, getting up and attempting to straighten his clothes. "I was at your Birthday Ball."
Emma quickly stepped back to give him room. He lit another lantern and peered at her face again.
"So, it is you, princess," said Old Hook, taking her hand and bowing in a courtly manner, stumbling a little as his rotund belly hit the corner of a table.
Emma gaped at him and shook his hand instead of curtseying as she belatedly remembered she ought to have done. Oh well.
"With the whole kingdom celebrating the princess's birthday, I thought it was the opportune moment to rob the Royal Coffers."
"Oh…"
"But, sadly—nothing doing. There was a revolving sentry of bloody dwarfs guarding the doors all night," said Hook in a disgruntled tone. "Thought I might as well enjoy the festivities, and snuck into the Ballroom. At one point, I thought I saw you dancing with me own dashing self. I knew then that I'd had a drop too much to drink, even for me, and came back to the Rolly Joger."
Oh god. Emma felt like crying and laughing at the same time. She didn't know if this really was what Killian could have become in the face of not achieving his revenge, and not having anything to look forward to, or if this was yet another mocking twist of the Evil Queen's Wish.
"What can I do for you, princess?" he asked courteously, gesturing for her to sit on a chair.
Emma sat down, and began nervously, "Um...I was wondering if you had a Magic Bean."
Hook looked at her suspiciously. "Now, why does the Princess of Misthaven need a Magic Bean?"
"Never mind that. Do you have one?"
"As a matter of fact, I happen to have acquired one recently. Stole it from Blackbeard, actually. And how are you planning to pay me for it, princess?"
"I can trade you some jewels for it."
"Magic Beans are extremely hard to find. A few trinkets are not going to compensate me for the price I paid to acquire it."
"You just told me you stole it from Blackbeard," said Emma indignantly.
"I lost a valuable cask of rum in the process."
"Well…what do you want for it, then?" asked Emma, beginning to get frustrated. Maybe the best plan now would be for her knock him out and look for the Bean in the cabin. After all, Killian would know where Hook would've hidden such a valuable item.
"You," said Hook.
"What?" cried Emma, rising out of her chair.
Old Hook suddenly pointed a sword at her, gesturing at her to sit back down. She hadn't even noticed him picking up the sword. Even at his worst, she should have known better than to let her guard down around Hook.
"Runaway princesses shouldn't come to pirates asking for help. I'm sure the king and queen will pay a fortune to get their wayward daughter back."
At that moment, the hatch door blew open, and Killian came rushing down. He took in the scene in front of him. Old Hook stared back.
"Bloody hell," said both.
After a moment, Killian recovered himself enough to pull out his dagger and rush to Emma's side.
The situation had gotten completely out of hand.
"Are you okay, love?" asked Killian, looking over Emma in concern.
"I'm fine," said Emma. "Where's David?"
"Smee finally woke up. Your father is taking care of him. Does he have a Bean?" he asked, jerking his head at the other Hook.
"Yes."
Old Hook said slowly, "So, it was true. I saw you at the Ball. You are me…"
Killian looked at his older counterpart with contempt. "Aye, like the reflection in a cracked mirror is. Long story short, yadda yadda, I'm the original Captain Hook from a different realm."
Old Hook glanced at the protective way in which Killian stood shielding Emma, and the look of concern in her face as she curled her hand around the other man's arm. His face took on a calculated look.
"Well, well…it looks like the 'original' me found love and happiness, while I found misery and heartbreak."
"Look, we don't have time to listen to your sob-story. Give us the Bean, and we'll be on our way," said Killian. "And you can get back to your cheap rum."
"Not so fast. You see, I always thought Captain Hook could never find True Love, but apparently, in another realm, you did. But what's to say you deserve it any more than I do?" said Hook and lunged at Killian.
Killian parried his thrust easily. There was a brief tussle that ended with a piercing cry from Hook. As Emma watched, the older man stumbled and fell, dropping his sword, and clutching his hand to his chest. There was a dagger sticking out from it."
"No…" Emma screamed and rushed to his side.
Kicking the sword away from Hook's reach, Killian looked him with anger intermingled with pity, "You tried to finish me off. Well, it looks like you finished yourself off."
"Killian, we have to help him," said Emma. Old Hook looked at her with the light slowly dimming from his blue-gray eyes.
"It's too late for me, princess," he slowly drew out the dagger from his chest, and blood started leaking out from the wound. At a glance from Emma, Killian knelt down and pressed his hand to the bleeding would, trying to stem the flow.
"Here," said Old Hook and thrust his hand into his coat pocket. Killian held down his wrist with his hook, in case the pirate was pulling out a knife.
"Don't worry, it's not a weapon," said Hook, rasping, and drew out a small pouch. He gestured to Emma to open it, and she pulled the drawstrings and poured out the contents into her palm. There was a Magic Bean. And a chess piece—a rook. Confused, she looked up at Killian, who shook his head. She glanced back at Hook.
"Take the Bean. And please do me just one favor. Find my daughter, and give her the rook."
"Daughter? What kind of deception is this?" demanded Killian.
"There is no deception. A selfish and vengeful witch left her trapped in a tower. When she was a little girl, we used to play chess everyday—it was her favorite game," said Hook, and smiled painfully. Whether at the memory, or from the wound, Emma could not tell, but her heart was breaking for him.
He continued, gasping for breath, "But one day, the witch found us, and poisoned my heart with a curse. Now, I can never touch my daughter or rescue her. This rook was hers. I kept it to remember her. She has my knight. Find her. Give this to her, and tell her that her father loved her very much."
Killian looked at Emma. The loathing contempt had gone. It was replaced with pity and empathy.
"Please save him, Emma. If I deserved a second chance, so does he," he urged softly.
"My magic doesn't work in this realm, Killian," reminded Emma.
"If it were me, you'd find a way. Find the part in him that's me," said Killian, looking at her with hope and utter confidence.
Tears ran down Emma's cheeks, blurring her vision. This Hook may not be her Killian, but he was Killian all the same. And she could not bear to watch him die one more time. Especially when he had a child out there.
She turned to Hook. "Hey, Killian. You don't know me, but I know you. The man I fell in love with. Until we met, he was you. Which means there's hope. All you need to do is believe."
Hook looked at her with unfocused eyes.
"Hey. Hey, just look at me and believe," she repeated. And with Hook gazing at her with questioning wonder, Emma focused all she had on her love for Killian. As she waved her hand over the wound, she felt the warm tingle of magic flowing from her hand and healing Hook.
Hook brought a trembling hand to his chest.
"Thank you," he said, gazing at Emma in deep wonder and gratitude.
"Now, go find your daughter. I know you'll find a way to break your Curse," said Emma, and smiled at him.
They all got up from the floor, and Killian kissed Emma's cheek, "I knew you could do it, love."
He glanced over at Hook, and a look of understanding passed between the two.
Emma took the jewel pouch from her belt and handed it to Hook. "For the Bean," she said.
However, he absolutely refused to take any payment, and wished them well on their journey.
Emma and Killian stepped back on deck. David was standing there, holding a sword to the throat of a very confused Smee.
"At last. I was getting really worried," he said.
"We have the Bean," said Emma.
"Great," said David, sighing in relief. "Let's go."
The trio climbed down the rope ladder to the waiting boat, and made their way back to the docks.
Dawn was breaking on the eastern horizon. There were already a few people milling about. They had to leave before Emma was found to be missing at the Castle.
"Let's find a spot where there's nobody about, and get back to Storybrooke," said Emma.
"There," said David, pointing to a stack of crates, and leading the way.
"I guess here's as good as any other place," said Emma, following her dad, with Killian behind her. Glancing about her to make sure there was nobody observing them, she threw the Bean to the ground. For a horrible moment, she was afraid that Old Hook had fooled them, and this wasn't a Magic Bean at all. But the next instance, a swirling portal opened on the ground, and she smiled in relief. Taking her father's and Killian's hands, she said, "Let's go home."
One night sometime later, after the Evil Queen had been defeated, and Emma was wearing a shiny new ring on her left hand, she and Killian lay in their bed, cuddling and talking long into the night.
"Your parents took the news of our engagement well. I almost wore armor to our meeting in case Dave decided to run me through with a pitchfork."
"Oh, come on. You guys seems to be getting along like a house on fire these days." Emma looked at him curiously. "How did that happen?"
Killian grinned. "I suppose after our adventure in the Other Enchanted Forest, your father finally succumbed to my piratey charms. For our next escapade, I should take the Lady Snow and win her over."
Emma rolled her eyes and swatted his arm playfully.
"Do you doubt she loves you, after the way she went nuts and started planning a Destination Wedding for us in the Enchanted Forest?"
"Emma—we can have a simple ceremony if that's what you want. Wouldn't it be romantic to exchange our vows on the Jolly Roger?"
"Yes, it would," said Emma, smiling dreamily. "But maybe I should make some concessions to make my mom happy. My fake memories of growing up in the Wish Enchanted Forest have faded, but I think I now understand a little bit of why she wants all that fairy tale stuff for me."
Killian smiled. "That will certainly please your mother, love."
After a momentary hesitation, Emma said, "Killian, do you think they were real?"
He did not ask her to explain what she meant—he intuitively knew she was referring to the other versions of people they had encountered in the Wish Realm. He thought of the older Snow and Charming, and of the bumbling old version of himself, wretched and hopeless, separated from his daughter.
"I don't know, love," said Killian, and sighed. "Perhaps—in the end, all that matters is that they believe they're real."
"I still think of them sometimes—my other parents, and the other You."
Killian draped an arm across her shoulder, and rubbed her arm comfortingly.
"I left a note for my parents when I snuck out of the castle that night," she confessed.
"You did?" Killian gazed at her, surprised.
"I'm not sure if it did any good, but I felt bad leaving without any explanation."
"That was thoughtful of you, love," said Killian, kissing her temple. Emma smiled and nuzzled up to him. "What did you write in that note?"
Emma gave him a cheeky look. "I'm not sure I want to tell you."
"Okay, now you have to tell me. It's too unkind not to," argued Killian.
"It'll only feed your already massive ego."
Killian gave her a look.
"Fine. I may have written that I'd found my True Love at the Ball, and that we were eloping. And told them not to worry about me."
Killian grinned from ear to ear.
Emma glanced at him with faux-annoyance. "If I'd written down the actual truth: that I was from the Real World, and they were all fake wish people, I didn't think it would go down well."
"Whatever you say, Swan," said Killian, still smiling broadly. Then, he bent his lips to her ear, and murmured, "As it happens, your True Love did find you at the Ball, and we are getting married. So, you didn't write any falsehoods."
Emma couldn't help but turn her head and give Killian a lingering kiss on the lips. She smiled giddily at him. "Approved by the gods."
"Aye."
"Maybe we should ask your pal Zeus to officiate our wedding."
"Hmm…I don't think we should take the risk. He may decide that he'd made a mistake after all, and send me back to the Underworld."
"He wouldn't dare," said Emma. "He knows I'd only chase him to Olympus, kick his ass, and bring you back."
"Of course you would," said Killian, giving her an adoring look. Then, his expression turned more serious. "Emma, may I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"When you first saw the other Hook, why did you send me and your father outside? You didn't want us to see him, did you?"
Emma sighed. "You tend to act like an idiot whenever you see a different version of yourself."
"No, I don't," Killian protested indignantly.
"Yes, you do," said Emma, brooking no denial. "As for my dad...I didn't want him to see the other Hook and make fun of him—you—whatever."
Killian was touched. "Oh, love…" he said and kissed her again.
After an enjoyable interlude, he said, "I think there are a few people we should invite to our Wedding, Emma."
Emma looked at him curiously. "Who do you have in mind?"
The Wedding of the Savior and Captain Hook was a widely celebrated event in Storybrooke. The whole town had turned up at the docks for the joyful occasion, where shelters were set up for the guests, with special areas designated for food, music, and dancing.
On the deck of the Jolly Roger, where the groom—dashingly turned out in a dark suit and blue brocade vest—was anxiously pressing up and down on the balls of his feet, chairs were set up for special invitees of the Wedding party. Among them were the older Snow and Charming from the Wish Realm, along with their two children. As it turned out, there was an actual Wish Realm version of Emma who had been trapped in a tower. The other Hook had rescued her when he had gone to find his daughter.
Speaking of the other Hook, not only had he managed to break the Curse on his heart, he had apparently found a way to magically age down as well, and was now looking as young as Killian. Killian glanced at the pirate, sitting with his little girl by his side. Meeting his other self's daughter had stirred a deep longing in his own heart. Perhaps, one day, thought Killian…
Killian had caught the other Emma sneaking shy glances at his Wish counterpart when she thought no one was looking, and the glances being reciprocated. From the way the older Charming was glaring straight ahead, Killian felt that he wasn't the only one to have noticed those yearning looks and doey eyes.
He smiled. Some things never changed.
Music began to play, and Emma stepped on deck, led by David and Snow on either side. Killian sucked in a sharp breath. Emma looked like an ethereal goddess in her elegant white gown. Twinkling snowflakes (courtesy of Elsa) floated down as she walked down the aisle. As David and Snow kissed their daughter's cheek and placed her hand in his, there was no trace of antagonism in David's eyes. Only acceptance, and dare he say it—affection for his soon-to-be son in law.
Emma stood before Killian with a dazzling smile on her face. Killian himself could not stop grinning like an idiot. Henry stepped up and handed them their rings, and Nemo (who had kindly consented to officiating), proceeded with the ceremony.
As Emma and Killian exchanged vows of eternal love—a love that had been tested by the gods, had transcended time and distance, and even conquered Death—they felt that they were two of the happiest beings in all the Realms.
FINIS
PS: Check out the further adventures of Wish Hook after his meeting with Emma and Killian in "The Fatherhood of Killian Jones". I wrote that story after I completed this one, though it was published earlier for WHook Week.