A/N: Hello there! This is a random little drabble I found and polished up! He's a little scenario I had in my head for a Fairytale-land, no Storybrooke AU "how would Hook/Emma meet?". Thanks for Reading!

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Killian Jones (despite what some back stabbing former crew members might say) was a man accustomed to the finer things in life. Yes he was a pirate, yes he was a scallywag, yes he had behaved in some unsavoury ways, but long before all that, he was a gentleman. Although he had always felt the Jolly Roger was where his heart lay, that all he needed was sail to keep him warm and a barrel of rum to lay his head against (if he had to drain it to make it comfortable, so be it) but standing in the great hall of the palace... Well, he could get used to this. Illustrious decor? Very nice. Striking portraits? He would make an excellent muse. Gold encrusted fixtures? If he could resist the urge to unhook them at this very moment, surely he could learn to do it in the future. Maybe it was time to pilfer a castle...

"Captain Hook" He was snapped from his thoughts by the thoroughly beautiful, and just as her namesake would suggest, frosty Queen - Snow White. Her skin was as pale as fable suggested, her hair as dark, her lips as red. Her beauty could not disguise her unrestrained rage, knuckles white from the tight grip on her husbands' hand. She was regal, no doubt, and yet the jewels that bedecked her hair and pale throat seemed out of place. There was something about her that seemed to want to break free, flee from the palace and live in the woods. James, or David, or Charming or whatever the Courtiers opted to call him that day, made an indiscreet motion to his sword, resting his palm on the handle. If the entire household guard was not enough of a warning, the Prince seemed intent on reminding the pirate of his thoroughly out numbered situation. Killian had been in tighter scrapes before, though.

Never one to be outdone by this clear display of grandeur, Killian opened his arms wide, bending in exaggeratedly towards the pair, "Your majesties"

"You received our message" Charming spoke, his voice clipped. Killian was under no pretence when he was summoned, this was no social call. He had searched his memory, but as far as he was aware he had not committed any obvious crimes against this particular kingdom. He wasn't a fan of attacking small Navy's, it seemed rather ungallant. To be summoned to the palace was intriguing, rather than alarming. He had not been prepared for, however, the sheer desolation he saw in front of him.

In any case, it was no use to reveal he knew how distraught they were. Best to string them along for a bit, and he fell into his natural charm, "Indeed I did. Pray, what could two Charming individuals such as yourself want with a humble pirate such as meself?"

"A mission" Snow replied, her hand absent mindedly tracing circles across her swollen belly, "To retrieve something for us"

Well, that was a bit of an insult to one of the most fearsome pirates in the seven seas. Captain Hook wasn't a lapdog. Bending forward on one knee, he stage-whispered with a wink, "I'm not an errand boy"

"Name your price" Snow replied cooly without a hint of surprise at his reaction, "How much will it take for you to complete an errand?"

Cocking his head to the side, Killian scratched his jaw with mock consideration, "How much is this errand worth?"

"Do not toy with us" Charming all but roared, pacing alongside his wife like a caged animal.

Well. Clearly this errand was something close to the royal couple's heart. The first rule of barter was to know exactly what you were trading for. And how much it meant to the other party. Clearly, it was something they intended to keep hush hush. That's why they had approached a pirate to do their bidding. Clealry an object of importance, not just to themselves, but the Kingdom.

"A full pardon, for me and my crew from any past or future crimes" Hook murmured with a theatrical wave for each item on the list, "A chest of rubies, thirty barrels of rum, and an invite to your next ball"

Charming's mouth had barely begun to form the word "No" when Snow cut across him, "You have a deal. You must set out today"

Killian's sarcastic smile cut across his features for a moment, "And what would you like me to fetch?"

"Our daughter"

"Think you need a midwife for that one, mate"

"You're not from this land Captain, but we need your assistance. Our daughter was cursed, and so she has aged" Snow gestured towards the portrait of their only daughter, "I am with child, or I can assure I would have gone after her myself. My husband was going to take the Navy in pursuit of of these lowlife, vermin who want to ransom her, but there has been unrest in the East. The ogres wish to restart the War. Our people cannot know the Princess is lost once again, and so you will retrieve her from her captors"

Killian had spent the entire time staring at the Princess' portrait. She wore a gown of deep crimson, her golden hair twisted in a delicate bun, a small but beautiful crown nestled in her curls. Her skin was pale like her mothers, her cheeks just as rosy, with just a hint of a smile ghosting her lips. It was difficult to describe, but there was something defiant about her; an attitude. Something about that little smile told Killian she had not been keen to sit for a portrait. Just like her Mother, there was something that told him she would be more at home roaming through the trees. Her eyes were the most beautiful green, the sparkle of dew on grass, the fleeting colour of the crest of a wave as it disintegrated into foam. Killian had seen his share of beauties, but she was the definition of stunning, "That's your daughter?"

"Yes" Charming snapped, not missing the evident admiration in the pirate's tone. Snow stood beside her husband, laying a calming hand at the centre of his chest.

"You will set sail? Today?"

Killian looked back the portrait, entranced. His instinct was to say no, escorting a Princess home could be a bothersome activity. But it did promise many rewards, and The Jolly was the fastest ship in all the realms, so tracking the villains should be easy. And the idea of having such a beauty on his ship rather piqued his interest, "And which scallywags will I be hunting down milady?"

"They say you have an interesting history with the man." Snow tilted her head to the side, watching the Captain's reaction closely, "He Captains the ship, The Queen Anne's Revenge"

Killian's jaw perceptibly twitched as his bright blue eyes darkened like the oncoming storm, "Well, darling, if you had told me I could hunt down Blackbeard, I'd have done it for free"

He spun on his heel before the Royal Couple could say anymore, his leather coat flapping behind him as he called, "Do not fear, I'll find her and bring her home. I promise."