Even with her crash course in listening for danger in ogre infested forests, Emma hadn't heard him come up behind her on the deck of the Jolly Roger. That's not to say she didn't know he was there. On the contrary. The smell of leather, spiced rum, and the scent that was distinctly him allowed her to recognize him—though Emma preferred NOT to think about the smells she associated with Killian "Captain Hook" Jones thankyouverymuch. The pirate remained silent—thankfully—as he came up beside her, resting his arms over the rail of the Roger and gazing down into the crystal blue waters lapping at the side of the ship. Emma, whose head had been bowed to begin with, attempted to hide her face further by turning her head slightly away from him. She cleared her throat. "I uh...I couldn't sleep."
"You wouldn't be the first to spend the night in Neverland awake, lass. We'll find him Swan. I swear to you on my life as a pirate, we will find your lad. Whatever it takes."
Emma swiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "No it's not Henry," her voice shook more than she cared to think about, "Well it's partially Henry. It's just...well...that." Emma gestured vaguely to the island and held up her hand to request Hook's silence as he opened his mouth to respond.
At first there was nothing to be heard but the gentle lapping of the waves against the Roger and the warm island breeze fluttering through the sails. But after a moment, the peace was shattered. Harsh sobs wracked the island's jungle. Faint cries for Papa and Momma pierced the night air, as the children of Neverland wept for their long lost homes. The cries became louder and louder until, just as suddenly as they began, the weeping stopped: like being awakened from a nightmare.
The pirate exhaled loudly through his nose as Emma spoke up. "It keeps starting and stopping. I figured my parents have each other for comfort and I swear Gold and Regina have used some kind of magic to block out the sound." She paused and sighed heavily refusing to meet the pirate's eyes again. "I sort of got used to hearing stuff like that when I was in foster care—that's the system that places kids with other families when their own families can't or don't care for them, or when kids are orphaned," she clarified quickly at the pirate's questioning look, "But with Henry out there somewhere, knowing he needs me, I can't help but think about how scared and lonely these kids are. They just need someone to be there for them, to feel loved, to feel—"
"Wanted." Killian finished for her, "They need someone to let them know they belong somewhere. I had hoped not to hear those sounds again," he muttered the last bit almost to himself.
The pirate sighed and turned to face her. "Thankfully, I know of a solution to dull the ache Neverland creates in a man or, in your case, woman."
Reaching into his long leather coat, the pirate pulled out a silver flask. Gripping it in his good hand, he pulled out the stopper with his teeth and offered the liquor to the blonde next to him, spitting the stopper into the ocean below them. A flash of uncertainty passed through blue-green eyes as she hesitated for a moment before, to the pirate's inner delight, Emma took the offered beverage and took a lengthy swig, letting the alcohol burn her throat and filling her with a warmth she hadn't realized she lacked.
"Thank you," Emma breathed once the burn of the rum subsided. Taking the flask from her Killian took a drink himself. "Well at least we aren't wasting the rum this time, lass," he teased with a slight smirk.
The corners of Emma's lips turned up slightly as her gaze drifted down to her left hand where a faint scar could be seen. They continued to pass the bottle back and forth for a time in silence.
"I wasn't just talking about the rum you know," she stated solemnly after a few minutes, passing the flask back to the sailor who threw the now empty bottle overboard into the ocean. Killian cocked his head in question, uncertain as to what the blonde saviour was getting at.
Emma sighed, collecting her thoughts as she turned to face him. "I can count on one hand the number of times someone has put me first. I'm not used to it, but between my parents and Henry I am not certain to forget about getting used to it. But what has been even rarer in my life is someone coming back." Emma paused and looked up at the pirate, her eyes shining in the moonlight.
"People who were supposed to be in my life left me. You are the first person who has ever bothered to come back, not because you were forced to because of a curse but because you chose to. You chose me, or at least you chose to be a part of something," Emma clarified quickly. The blonde let out a breath. "And then, you offer to help me when you don't even know my son and you take his entire family, including someone you have hated for years to a place I am beginning to realize isn't at all what I dreamed it would be like, all without a second thought."
By the end of her speech Emma's breaths came in sharp gasps as she fought to keep her emotions under the surface. The combined effect of her emotional state, and the renewed despair from the island left Emma shivering. Just as she was about to rub her arms to restore their warmth, Emma was suddenly surrounded by warm leather and the scent of rum and salt water as the pirate stepped closer and settled his coat around her shoulders.
His unfamiliar actions left Emma speechless and she blinked at him as he gently pulled her hair out from under the coat collar, playing with her golden tresses as he arranged it over her shoulders.
He remained close to her, twirling her hair around his fingers and she surprised herself by letting him. When he spoke next his blue eyes remained fixed on a particularly fascinating strand of the gold between his index finger and thumb.
"I will admit that returning to Neverland has not been easy," he intoned softly, "I spent more time than I care to recall trying to leave this place to kill Rumplestiltskin. And here I am sailing back into its heart with him as my guest of honour. But I meant what I said back in your land, Emma," Here he looked up from her hair, still gently resting in his fingers. Blue met blue-green as the pirate continued, "I needed to be reminded that I could care for something other than myself. So really, I should be the one thank you love. For reminding me what it is like to work with someone. Like you I have been alone for quite some time and I am...unaccustomed to working with others. I still hate Rumplestiltskin," Emma nodded sympathetically, "But I will do whatever I can to help you find your lad. Because being a part of something, part of this—"
"Team?" Emma offered. Killian grinned. "Aye lass, a team. Being a part of this team is something I could learn to get used to again."
"Yeah me too," Emma agreed. They both lapsed into a comfortable silence. Neverland seemed to recognize the moment that had transpired between the two as the island was silent once more.
"Well we should—" "Hey why did you—" both began at once.
"Please, ladies first," the pirate insisted with a small bow. Emma tittered but acquiesced to his request. "Why did you throw your flask overboard? Does Neverland not get polluted or is it a pirate thing?"
The pirate in question studied the blonde princess for a moment, weighing his options. "It's more of a 'me thing' if you will," he began, "Something my father taught me long, long ago." When Emma showed no sign of scorn or interruption he continued. "Before my father abandoned me, he told me that whenever I shared a moment with someone I could trust, I should take an object of no particular description and cast it into the sea. He said that the mermaids would find the trinket and keep it in their collection of human things. I don't know why he told me this," he gave a mirthless laugh, " And I certainly don't have a bloody clue why I do it anyway. Granted I haven't had many opportunities to throw a random trinket overboard. Save for..."
"When you met Milah," Emma finished gently. The pirate nodded, "Perceptive as always."
Emma looked at the sea thoughtfully for a moment before reaching under the pirate's coat around her to rummage in the back pocket of her jeans. She gave a low cry of triumph as she pulled out a quarter.
"Well," she said, "I can guarantee the mermaids won't have seen an American quarter before. And a collection of human stuff wouldn't be the same without one."
And before Killian could stop her, the quarter was flying through into the ocean below, the moonlight winking off of it as it went. Satisfied with her work Emma turned to the gaping pirate and quipped, "I'm trying something new darling. It's called trust."
Killian blinked twice before erupting into a deep chuckle. "You really are bloody amazing Emma Swan." Emma shrugged but could not keep the grin off of her face. The pair lapsed into a comfortable silence and the island seemed to calm once more.
"I should go," Emma decided, "I want to be rested for the morning. Thank you again. For everything."
As she went to return his coat, the pirate stopped her, placing his hand and hook on her shoulders. "Keep it for now, lass. You're on a pirate ship, using a pirate's superstition, on a pirate adventure. You'd already make one hell of a pirate but you need to look more like a pirate. Perhaps my coat will inspire you." Emma raise an eyebrow giving him an exasperated look, but her eyes shone with amusement.
The two began to make their way to the steps of the quarterdeck, linking the captain's cabin to the crew's quarters. The pair lingered at the stairwell.
"Well then...umm. Goodnight," Emma said, wincing slightly as her words came out awkwardly.
"To you as well Miss Swan," Killian replied before a wicked grin appeared on his face. "You know Emma, if you have any more sleeping troubles I would be happy to assist you in any way possible," the pirate purred. His tone and his grin left little to the imagination as to the many ways he would like to "help" the blonde. Emma gave him her infamous "fuck you" smirk before she bantered, "In your dreams, Jones. In your dreams."
"You have no idea Swan," the pirate countered.
As the pair parted ways, Emma turned on the stairs "Oh but Killian," she added, "If I were to take you up on your offer of assistance, I highly doubt either of us would get any sleep," Emma winked flirtatiously before turning on her heel and descending from Killian's view.
"Bloody brilliant Swan girl," Killian chuckled to himself, "You've bested me again." Still grinning, the captain of the Jolly Roger entered his cabin to rest for the day ahead.
Neither the saviour nor the pirate noticed the princess sitting in the crow's nest, tears pricking her hazel eyes as she watched her daughter take another step on the path to a happy ending. Snow White descended the crow's nest and returned to the crew's quarters, her heart feeling lighter than it had in quite some time.