A/N: This is the prequel to my first story 'Surviving To Find You' so make sure you check that out too.

Emma woke at the sound of someone knocking on her door, "Lady Emma, breakfast is ready!"

She growled before answering, "I'll be there in a second." She was about to drift of again but the Johanna knocked again.

"Don't go back to sleep! Get ready!"

She heard the Johanna walk away. She loves Johanna, really she does, but sometime she just wanted some more hours to sleep. Grunting in a un-lady like manner she got out of bed, walking to the restroom before getting dressed.

A few minutes later -or more like a lot of minutes- Emma finally walked through the doors of the dining room. "Good morning, Emma!" her mother chirped.

"Morning Mom, morning Dad," she said as she sat down in her seat. "What are the plans for today?"

Her mother and father exchanged a look, "Well, since Spring is coming up, your mother and I were discussing when you and your mother would be going for the surviving trip this year."

Emma's tiredness from before was forgotten as she tried to wait patiently for her father or mother to continue.

"This year we are going to keep the final destination secret though," Snow said, laughing at Emma started to pout. "It has been peaceful for a while in the kingdom so what do you say we leave this afternoon."

"YES!" Emma jumped up and down and her parents laughed at her. "I'll go get ready and then-"

"Emma, honey, first breakfast," her mother said between soft laughs.

"Right, sorry."

"Mother please, I don't need a thicker cloak, this one is perfectly fine. An even heavier would only slow us down!" Emma said to her mother as she tried to give her a thick and heavy cloak. Emma was always exited for her surviving trips with her mother. Once a year she would leave the castle with her mother or father and they would try to survive in the forest for an few weeks with only the clothes they wear as they leave, a few weapons and a canteen with water. They would hunt and Emma would learn all the tricks her parents knew and she loved it. It was the only time she didn't have to feel like a princess.

"I'm sorry, you're right." Snow said as she put the cloak on the table, " So, are you ready to go? I have a very special location in mind where we are going too."

"I can't wait!"

Emma rushed out of the doors as Snow followed her outside where David was waiting for them. Emma gave her father a tight hug before stepping back and tried to be patient as Snow said goodbye to her husband. Snow grabbed Emma's hand is they walked out the gates into the forest.

"Which way do we go?" Emma asked as they stood by a multiple way road.

"East" Snow answered.

"To the docks? I thought our trips were always about survival, not just getting on a ship and doing nothing," Emma frowned, she loves the sea but sitting on a royal navy boat was not much surviving.

Snow started walking to the east and Emma followed right behind her, "that's why we aren't going with some of our navy ships, we are going with an pirate ship."

Emma's frown turned into an bright smile. She always wanted to be part of an pirate crew and sail the seas on a pirate ship when she was younger, "does father know?" she looked at her mother and saw a glim of mischief shining in her eyes.

"No, so don't tell him."

As they arrived that the docks Snow turned to Emma, "okay so we are going to look for a pirate ship, we can't let them know we're royal. That means fake names and everything." Snow smiled bright as her daughter lit up. Emma always wanted to experience it when you have to be someone else, always wanted to know what it was like to be treated like any other peasant. "from now on my name is Mary Margaret Blanchard and you are Emily Swan, got it?"

"Got it!" Emma said exited.

"Good, let's go!"

When they arrived at the docks Snow turned to Emma, "lets split up, we can find a captain easier that way, but remember, if you find one who looks like he is looking for more than gold, keep your distance."

Emma nodded in understanding, "how much do we have to spend?"

"I was able to sneak away 10 gold coins without your father noticing, so if they ask more than 5 coins it's a no deal, we still have to get back."

"Get back from where?" Emma tried, her curiosity was taking the best of her.

"Not telling," Snow said as she walked in the opposite direction.

Emma let out a annoyed huff before doing the same. She looked up at the ships as she walked by. One ship really stood out from the others. She walked over to it and read its name, "The Jolly Roger" she muttered to herself. She was about to go back to searching for a captain when she was got pushed by someone in a hurry and lost her footing. She prepared herself for the blow but is never came. Instead she felt two strong arms that kept her upright.

"Are you alright there, love?" a very attractive male voice asked. She looked up to see the man that was holding her. He was wearing a red vest with a leather coat. His eyes were a beautiful bright blue colour which stood out even more by the darkened line under his eyes. For a second she forgot that she was still in his arms and still staring at his eyes.

She cleared her throat and found the ground under her feet again, wrung herself out of his grip and said, "Thank you." Now that she was standing before him she noticed that he had a hook for a hand, "Captain Hook?" she asked before thinking.

"The one and only," he said as he made a deep bow, "at your serves."

"Good, because me and my friend need to get somewhere and we need a ship to get there" she said. He raised an eyebrow at her forwardness. A playful smirk started to form on his lips.

"And what is it in for me?" he asked.

"Gold, jewellery, what do you want?"

"That sounds nice but I already have that, what I don't hav-" before he could finish his sentence he was cut off by a woman who walked towards them.

"Em…ily! There you are, I found a captain who is willing to take us with him, come on." She said while tugging on Emma's arm.

"It was nice to meet you, and thank again" Emma said before turning to leave with her mother.

"Wait!"

Both women turned to Captain Hook as he walked toward them, "may I ask you what the name is of this captain you're sailing with?"

Emma and Snow looked at each other for a second before Snow answered, "he said his name was Captain Blackbeard."

Hook let out a growl, "don't go with him, he betrays everyone he comes across. You'll be saver travelling with me." He didn't know why but he somehow felt protective over this blond woman and her friend. The fact that he was actually felt something was enough to convince him to help her. Perhaps it was a bad idea but for now he didn't want this to be the last time he saw her, even if they only just met.

"Oh, well thank you than, what do you want as payment?" the woman with dark hair asked him. What did he want? He didn't need any gold or jewellery, he just didn't want them to go with Blackbeard. He couldn't tell them that, if anyone heard it they would think he had gone soft. He couldn't let that happen. Perhaps some extra gold wouldn't hurt.

"What do you have?" he didn't want to ask them to much.

"We have about… 10 gold pieces, is that enough?"

"4 will do, 2 for you and 2 for your friend," he gave them one of his trademark smirks which made most women blush of giggle, but it had clearly no effect on them as they just handed him the gold pieces and smiled back, "my ship, The Jolly Roger, will set sail in about an hour, make sure your on board by then."

They nodded and where about to leave when he asked, "I didn't catch your names."

"Oh, I'm sorry, this is Mary Margaret Blanchard and I'm Emily Swan," said the blond. Swan. He liked the sound of it, it suites her.

"Well then, see you later, Swan." He said before turning on his heels and heading back to his ship. Oh, he was in big trouble.