Shadow of Sins Past

Summary: Hook tries to handle a problem from the old days on his own. Set post Jolly Roger.

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.

So, season five is… umm… yeah. Like we don't all know. *insert random CS feels and sobbing here* I'm sooo leaving all of that to the professionals. This is therefore set in season three, back when Killian's lips are cursed, he's miserable, avoiding his lady love, sorta, and Emma's still giving him the stink eye, sorta. A puff piece, with a little adventure thrown in…

Chapter One


Emma set her fork down and sighed. For the past several minutes, Hook had been standing across the street from Granny's, leaning against a lamppost. She didn't know what he was up to, but it was irritating her to the point that she couldn't enjoy her lunch. Life in Storybrooke was weird enough without pirates loitering on every corner, especially pirates who'd been acting strange, and who normally would have already come inside to pester her.

"Are you gonna check on him or am I?" David asked.

Emma spared a short glare for her father before her gaze returned to Hook.

"What were you two arguing about this time?"

Emma frowned. "What makes you think we were fighting?"

David began to count off the reasons on his fingers. "One, you're both stubborn. Two, if you two are talking, you're arguing. Three, he's standing out there looking like a kicked puppy."

She pursed her lips, irritated that she was so predictable, especially where Hook was concerned. "Think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

"Let's just say, neither of you are good at being subtle."

"Fine." Emma narrowed her eyes as she glanced back at Hook. "He's hiding something." She drummed her fingers on the table. "He keeps disappearing and he won't tell me why."

Her father grunted and returned to his lunch which set off all of her alarms. For two such different people as a pirate and a prince, two men who seemed to enjoy hitting each other, the two were often thick as thieves.

"Do you know something about it?" she asked, her tone clipped.

"We've got enough to worry about with Zelena. He said it was something from the old days that he needed to take care of and that he could handle it by himself."

Emma frowned. "That's all you know?"

David shrugged, but she could see he was irritated too. "I only know that much because I caught him skulking outside near Red's place yesterday."

"Ruby?" she asked, astonished. "What else did he say?"

David put his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Are you?"

"I was going to give him 'til tonight before I got in his face." He shrugged again. "I doubted it would be necessary though. For a pirate, he's not much on keeping secrets these days."

"Well, I'm not waiting any longer." Emma scooted out of the booth and headed for the door, glancing back just long enough to see that her father was following.

Emma walked across the wide street, her eyes on Hook as she came closer. He was leaning nonchalantly against the lamppost, one ankle crossed over the other, his hook at his side, and his hand resting on his belt buckle. He was the picture of ease, almost sleepy-eyed as she approached.

"Afternoon, Swan."

"Are you posing, or is there some other reason you're just standing out here?"

A smirk crossed his lips. "If you've need of a portrait, love, you need only ask. I'll admit I make a handsome addition to any tableau."

Emma simply raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"I'm always serious, love. I can't help it if people choose to doubt my sincerity."

"It's probably because you spend most of your time spewing either nonsense or insults," David shot back.

Hook pursed his lips. "I also can't help it if people don't recognize wisdom when they hear it."

"Wisdom?" David shook his head in disbelief. "You spent five minutes yesterday discussing the evils of Granny's fried pies."

Hook looked genuinely affronted. "I'll have you know, I once stopped a mutiny of half my thieving crew by plying them with the best custard tarts in the realm. Granted, I may or may not have laced them with something to keep the swine occupied for several days, but those… things you offered me last evening were a mockery."

Emma was watching Hook and noticed that he had yet to move. He was also paler than normal. He should have been waving his arms around as he expostulated, pointing his hook in David's direction, glaring as Granny's… doing something. She glanced down and to her shock saw several drops of blood fall from the edge of his leather coat and land on the sidewalk.

"You're hurt," she said, stepping closer. "What happened?"

Hook grimaced. "Old business, love."

She thought he'd hooked a thumb in his belt simply to rest his hand there, but now she saw him press his arm more closely to his side.

"Not good enough," she shot back. "What happened? David said he caught you out skulking last night."

Hook glared at David, but it didn't last. He was starting to lean forward, curling against the pain. "I was not skulking," he bit out. "I was keeping watch. There is a vast difference."

"Why were you watching? Who were you watching?"

Killian leaned more heavily against the lamppost. "Sorry, love. I… was on the way to… the physick, but…"

"We call them doctors," David muttered.

"But you weren't going to make it and stopped to enjoy the view from the lamppost." Emma finally bridged the gap between them. She'd been careful to keep her distance since having her memories returned, not that it had been too difficult. With Walsh and her fake memories and, well, everything, thinking about Hook was… complicated.

Emma pushed his leather coat aside and saw that there was a jagged hole in his vest, blood seeping downward at an alarming rate.

He looked down and gritted his teeth. "If he ruined my waistcoat…"

"You'll what?" she snapped. "Bleed on him?"

David took that as his cue to step in. "We should get him to the hospital. I'll call Whale and tell him we're coming."

"Who did this?" She pressed her hand against his injured side and Hook groaned, paling even further.

"Swan," he said breathlessly, "Marcus… Don't let him…"

He pitched forward and Emma suddenly had an armful of unconscious pirate. He was heavier than he looked and Emma would have teased him that part of it was he was wearing nearly an entire cow's worth of leather, but Hook wasn't conscious to be offended by it.

David hurried forward and between the two of them they laid him on the sidewalk. "I'll call for an ambulance," her father said and rose.

Emma remained kneeling at Hook's side, keeping firm pressure on his wound. "What kind of mess have you got yourself in now?" she wondered out loud.


Just a little something to start us off. More soon…