Images kept flooding his mind. Long, golden hair. Wide, hazel eyes. A smile that made his heart stand still. He had told her not a day would go by that he didn't think of her. It was the truth. It had been almost a year since he saw her drive away, but only minutes since he last thought of her.
The past year had been a very long and difficult journey, filled with moments where he felt he might never see her again. In his darkest moments he tried to become the man he had once been. A pirate, a thief and a drunk. He tried to drown his sorrows in rum and surrounded himself with his loud, boisterous crew-mates, hoping they would rub off on him. His mates had even bought him a gift, a pre-paid wench. The old Captain Hook would have thoroughly enjoyed this gift, long in to the night. Things were different now though. He now felt it was wrong and he knew it would not bring him solace. He had changed, so he dismissed the wench. He wanted to be worthy of Emma, she deserved someone as selfless and brave as she was. Even more than that though, he wanted to be someone he could be proud of. A man of honor.
While holding a small amber vial protectively in his palm he cautiously approaches the lake. The air is filled with a thick mist. The stars reflect off the waters surface, casting an soft glow all around him. The silence is occasionally broken by an owl in the distance. He kneels on the waters edge and uncorks the vial. Just a few drops of Lake Nostos' water is all he needs. It is the last ingredient to the memory potion he will give to Emma.
He pauses. It cannot possibly be this easy. Nothing is ever easy in this world. In a world of enchantment and magic it is when things go right that you should be suspicious. Taking in a deep breath, he dips the bottle in to the lake. Expecting the unexpected his body tenses. After waiting a few moments, nothing happens. Far off an owl hoots, almost mockingly. He exhales in relief. He corks the precious vial, returns to his feet and turns to walk away.
As he was turning, his reflection in the water caught his eye. He turns back around to admire it. He smirks and his dashingly handsome reflection smirks in response. Just then, his reflection starts to ripple. The small, clam waves rapidly grow in to large, violent waves. Taking a few steps back he readies himself for whatever vile creature dare stand in his way. There would be nothing, no one, that could stand between him and Emma. Sword drawn, he waits.
Slowly, a woman's figure emerges. First he notices her luminous, water slicked, golden hair. Then her eyes the color of jade, flecked with gold. Then her gorgeous smile. His heart stopped beating in his chest as his eyes greedily pan down the woman's body. She is wearing a shimmering, aqua colored gown, strapless and sheer in all the right places. Water hugs the material close to her body, revealing every curve. His body suddenly feels weak and heavy. His emotions swirl all around him; confusion, determination, hopefulness and doubt. Above all of that, he feels an overwhelming surge of desire.
It was Emma. He wants her right then more than he had wanted anything else in his entire life. He needs to have her. He needs to kiss her deeply and passionately. He needs her perfect body pressed against his. He needs to see her writhing in ecstasy and hear her moaning with pleasure. He shudders with anticipation and his sword falls softly to the sand.
"Emma...". His voice is deep, rough and wanting. Staring in to his eyes, she flows gracefully closer and delicately lifts her hand to beckon him. Every move she makes is so sensual, so hypnotic. She floats there on the waters edge, waiting patiently. His legs feel like lead but somehow they're moving, and they carry him to her. She quickly wraps her arms around him. His breathing slows and his vision blurs. Vivid images of his many fantasizes about Emma begin playing out is his mind. Teasing her by slowly undressing her with his hook. Pleasuring her in the backseat of her yellow bug. Making love to her on the deck of his ship under the stars.
His eyes fall shut and his body goes limp, yet he is blissful in the woman's arms. She floats rhythmically backwards, out in to the center of the lake. Grabbing his chin she turns his head towards hers. She moves in towards his lips. The kiss is soft and gentle and first, but then turns intense and forceful. She kisses him hungrily as if she were trying to consume his thoughts. While kissing him she gradually lowers them deeper in to the water. In between kisses she cackles to herself. The sound is menacing and inhuman.
Suddenly thoughts begin fighting in his mind. The seductive fantasies of him and Emma are now being pushed out of the way by memories. Memories of the way Emma laughed, like music. Memories of the way she smelled, like cinnamon and cream. Memories of how her lips felt, like gentle ocean waves. Gradually, these memories of Emma win and overtake the toxic fantasies. He realizes this creatures' laugh is nothing like Emma's. She does not smell like her. She does not feel like her.
He was already neck deep in the water. "Siren!", Hook growls as he fully regains consciousness. He jabs the point of his hook in to the tender part of her neck. "Release me now or I will gut you like the fish that you are!", fury booms in his voice.
"Now, now...let'sss not be so hasssty". The "S'" in her speech linger. Her hair darkens to the color of damp moss. Her eyes change from Emma's beautiful hazel eyes in to an iridescent white with black, vertical slits. She smiles wickedly, revealing sharp fangs and a forked tongue that darts out of her mouth and brushes Hook's ear.
A fiery rage runs through him. "What is it that you want!?"
She pouts and bats her eyelashes at him. "What isss it that you want, pirate? Wait, don't tell me...", she narrows her snake like eyes, releases him and slithers backwards. "You want thisss...", she says tauntingly, as she gestures down her body. "It'sss all yoursss...I can be your Emma".
Hook tries to lunge towards her. He wants to rip her apart. He had not realized that seaweed had tangled itself around his legs, holding him firmly in place. He bends over and wrestles with it, trying to free himself, but it is to no avail. Even his hook could not tear though it. He stands up and stares her down fiercely. "You could never be Emma. You're an evil, pathetic, disgusting creature with a rotted heart. Emma's heart shines as brightly as the north star that guides my ship at night".
"Isssn't that sssweet", she rolls her eyes and looks unimpressed. "Well, perhapsss we can make a deal. I will let you go...if you give me your ssship".
This request makes him very suspicious. Sirens can easily acquire many ships. After they seduce and drown poor, unsuspecting sailors an empty ship is what they're left with. "What would you want with my ship?"
"What I want with your ssship is none of your buisssnesss. Now do we have a deal or not?", she asks in an annoyed tone. Her eyes flash from iridescent white to blue, then back to white.
His ship, the Jolly Roger, had been with him since he could remember. He thought of his ship very fondly, he loved and appreciated it almost as if it were family. Honestly, he had begun to think of it as family, since he had barely any family members left that were alive. Above all that though, it was his home. It had been his home for nearly two centuries now. Even still, it was no contest in his mind. The decision was clear and easily made. Of course he would give up anything for Emma. What surprised him though is that the driving factor in this decision was not Emma, but a feeling in his heart.
"You may have my ship, Siren. I will deliver it to you tomorrow at sunrise". She bares her pointed teeth and hisses at him. "Do not worry, I know it would be of no use to try to run from you. You are a siren and easily capable of locating any ship you desire. Tomorrow morning the ship will be yours, you have my word".
That awful, wicked smile returns to her face. "Yessss...we have a deal, pirate".
The seaweed instantly disappears from around his legs. He sighs in relief and swims back to shore. Upon reaching the shoreline he looks down at the amber vial still clenched tightly in his hand. I may have lost my ship, but I got what I came for, he thinks to himself. Behind him the siren cackles loudly. He turns back around to look at her but all that is left is a bright green cloud of smoke hovering over the middle of the lake. Uneasiness swirls in the pit of his stomach. "I hope I do not regret this decision later", he says aloud. Blinking slowly, he takes a deep breath. He turns back around and starts trudging though the sand. Lovely, comforting thoughts of Emma return to his mind and he smiles.