Author's Note: Just wanted to say hello, and thank you to anyone who reads this story. This is my first attempt at Captain Swan fanfiction, but I love these characters (as I'm sure you do as well), so I hope I can do them justice. This story has quite a bit of canon divergence going on. Not just with Emma growing up in the Enchanted Forest, but Hook's backstory as well. I promise if you stick with me, it will make sense. This story is rated M, but don't expect any smut anytime soon. Just like A&E, I'm going to make you wait for it... Just not six season's of waiting for it, because that's just ridiculous.

Chapter 1:

Emma Swan could hear the sound of cannons and men yelling above her as she layed in her cell in the brig. Knowing well enough from the shouts earlier that a pirate ship had been sighted. There was no doubt that the pirates had decided to take whatever meager treasures the merchant ship had stowed away. It sounded like utter chaos. She really should have picked a different escape, Emma thought to herself idly.

There wasn't much she could do about it, being stuck in the brig, so she laid back on the bench where she had been sitting. If she wasn't in her current situation, she probably would be fighting herself. They could have used her help, seeing as though she had plenty of experience, not to mention her sometimes fickle abilities with magic. Covering her hat to obscure her face, she wondered how she found herself in this predicament. Granted, once she would have been excited to see pirates, as she had been fascinated with them as child. However, now she knew better. Long gone were the days when Emma would romanticise piracy, or listen to stories of adventures.

She didn't have time for daydreams about heroes and villains. All she had time for was running and survival. Emma was currently unsuccessful in this task, given her current surroundings. Locked in a brig of a ship with pirates attacking. How was she going to get herself out of this one?

Emma pretended not to notice the shudders the ship would make when it was hit with a cannonball from the enemy ship. At least, that's what she assumed was making the ship shudder and rock from side to side. It made her stomach clench, and she hoped the vessel wouldn't sink with her trapped in it. Not having much experience on the sea to begin with, Emma could only guess what was happening. She tried to ignore the screams of the men above her, as well as the sounds of clashing steel, when the pirates had apparently boarded.

She assumed they would eventually find their way to the brig. Finding her locked in a cage. There wasn't much she could do about that, so she sighed and did her best to pretend to be asleep. Fleetingly, Emma wished that she was back home with her parents. Weighing her options in her head, she debated with herself as to what the best course of action would be.

Admitting to being a Princess was not her best route, even though she thought about it momentarily. Sure, there was the possibility that they would try to ransom her to her parents, but she knew it wasn't safe for her to return home.

Besides, revealing herself to be the not-so-dead Princess of the Enchanted Forest came with it's own set of problems. If the Evil Queen discovered that she was alive, she would continue to hunt Emma until she had succeeded in killing her. Which apparently was the only way for the Evil Queen to get her revenge on Emma's parents, Snow White and Prince Charming.

It would be even worse if the pirates knew the Evil Queen would pay them any price for her alive. They would undoubtedly hand her over the first chance they got. They had no reason to protect her. No one wanted to be on the Evil Queen's bad side.

Using her status as a Princess was definitely not the way to go. Though, she thought to herself, it never really was an option to begin with. Pretending to be simple, normal, Emma Swan. Bandit and runaway. That would have to suffice. It had kept her alive this long. Maybe they would take her on as a crew member, since she was sitting in the brig. If she could charm the captain, she just might have a chance.

The sounds of footsteps alerted her to their approach into the brig. She didn't acknowledge their presence, or call attention to herself. They didn't even seem to notice her at all, as they were looking for whatever goods the ship had.

Emma could hear them getting closer. She hoped slightly that they wouldn't see her laying in the shadows. That they would keep walking, but she was not so lucky. One of them stopped in front of her cell, an older man, sounding curious said, "Mr. Smee, looks like they've got someone locked in the brig here?"

A second man followed, she could only assume they were both looking in at her, "Oi! Mate, what are you in here for?" But she didn't respond. "Go and fetch the Captain, Mr. Jameson. He'll decide what to do with him." She tried to hold back a snort. He thought she was a man. Emma paused for a second, Mr. Jameson. She knew someone once who's last name was Jameson, she thought vaguely. Briefly she wondered if they were connected. Maybe she could get his favor by knowing one of his kin.

Emma listened as the footsteps of Mr. Jameson faded away. She stiffened and wondered who the Captain was. Depending on who meant life or death, she supposed. The second man, Mr. Smee, knocked on the bars a few times and Emma let out a sigh.

"Oh, so you're awake now are you?" He laughed. His voice wasn't cold, but jovial almost. He seemed to be in his element. "Just so you know, you'd best show the Captain some respect if you want out of this cage. If you're lucky, he will spare your life and let you join his crew. Depends on whether or not he's in a good mood," He paused and added ominously, "and if this ship has anything of value."

Emma's stomach sank at his confirmation of her own thoughts. Her future depended on a man's temper, and whether or not he found a good haul below. She supposed the captain finding out that there's a woman on board might qualify as the latter, and shuddered.

There was silence on the deck above her. It was as if every man had frozen in place as the sound of two boots hit the deck. The captain must have just boarded the ship. She could faintly hear him calling out commands as he made his way about deck. Mr. Smee made his way back to the entrance of the brig, waiting for him to arrive.
"The boy is back there in the brig. He's awake, but he hasn't said anything." Mr. Smee reported.

Emma almost wanted to lift her hat up further, so that she could see what was happening, but decided against it. Instead she tried to peek at the new arrival from within the limited view she had left herself. It sounded as if Mr. Smee had left the room. Emma could at least see the closing of the door. That meant it was just her and the captain, alone in the brig. She heard the sound of metal on metal screeching towards her, and she winced at the sound. Seeing just the faint signs of a silver hook, attached to a black leather clad arm.

Immediately she assumed what that could mean, Captain Hook. He was infamous, notorious, and hundreds of years old, if you believed the legends. One of the most fearsome pirates to ever roam the seas in all the realms. "What's your name boy?" a gruff but smooth voice asked.

Mustering up all of her courage, she replied, "Well, firstly, I'm a woman." Sitting herself up and taking off her hat with some bravado. Brushing her braid to fall over her shoulder in front of her, she tried to make out his features in the darkness. However, he had leaned further back into the shadows, apparently surprised by the girl that sat before him. "My name is Emma Swan."

"And what did you do, Miss Swan, to get yourself landed in the brig?" He asked, after his initial shock. His voice sounded younger, which seemed contrary to the stories she had heard.

Emma shifted slightly to cross both her arms and her legs, "Well, the short version would be that I got caught stowing away in storage."

"And the long version?" the Captain asked, still frustratingly shrouded by darkness, so Emma couldn't make out his features.

She shrugged, "There may have been a sheriff hell-bent on catching a certain lovely bandit." Emma said gesturing to herself, "I stowed away on the ship, because I needed to get out of town. More specifically, to a different land where I'm not wanted and on posters." she said with a sly smile, trying her best to flirt. Emma wanted to get on his good side if she wanted to stay alive.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" He asked, not sounding angry, but rather more bemused.

"I might have a theory." Emma responded cautiously.

"Which is?"

"You're Captain Hook... Although, you sound much younger than I anticipated. According to the stories you're at least 200 years old." Emma said squinting at him, still trying to make out his features. She hoped she sounded braver than she felt.

The Captain laughed again, "You're a smart woman, Miss Swan." Avoiding to acknowledge her comment on his age.

Hoping she had garnished some amount of respect from him, she asked tentatively. "I was hoping we could make some kind of deal?"

"Go on." Captain Hook's voice sounded curious.

Emma bit her lip and continued, "Allow me to join your crew temporarily. Just until the next time you return to land. I will put in my fair share of work with the crew. I don't expect a free ride. The only thing I ask you for is my freedom." She hesitated before adding, "Well, my freedom and that no harm will come to me, and my dignity will remain intact."

"You have yourself a deal, Miss Swan." The Captain decided after a moment, extending his hand through the bars. Emma stood up to shake it. As she did, Captain Hook leaned out of the shadows.

She let in a sharp intake of breath, and blushed. Not because, as he probably assumed, she found him handsome. There was no question that he was, but he reminded her of someone. In barely a whisper she breathed, "Killian."

He looked confused, "What was that?"

"Nothing." Emma blushed, remembering herself she added, "I'm sorry, you just remind me of someone I used to know." Shaking whatever dark thoughts she was having away, she asked, "Are you really 200? Because you certainly don't look it."

He stared at her for a moment, not saying anything. Surprised by her sudden change in conversation she supposed. Quickly he recovered himself, and flashed a crooked smile at her, "I've been told that I'm devilishly handsome." With a shrug he added, "My age is unimportant."

Emma gave an involuntary roll of her eyes in response, "I don't suppose you know where the keys are?" She asked quickly, hoping to distract him.

Glancing at her suspiciously, as if he didn't quite know what to expect from her, he began to search. Meanwhile, Emma pulled out two hairpins, and went to work trying to pick the lock to her cell.

It didn't seem possible that Captain Hook could be the same boy she used to know. Killian had been lost at sea years ago, she knew that. Yet, Emma couldn't help but feel disappointed. She felt foolish for feeling a brief moment of hope when she first saw him. It was the eyes, she thought to herself. They were the same exact shade of blue, and it made her chest ache.

"Do you really think that's going to work?" He asked incredulously, interrupting her thoughts.

"It's all in the tumblers." She muttered as she managed to unlock her cell, and push the door open. Emma laughed as she grabbed her bag.

"You're depriving me of a dashing rescue, Miss Swan." Captain Hook joked, as he picked up her weapons and handed them to her.

Emma smiled and replied, "Sorry Captain, the only one that saves me is me." Hook looked at her with amusement, as if he had never seen anyone quite like her. She would have to avoid looking in his eyes for too long, she decided. Turning away quickly, Emma led the way out of the brig.

What was left of the merchant's crew stood kneeling in front of a few Captain Hook's men. She assumed that they were the few smart enough to surrender. Seeing as though they had left her locked in the brig, with barely table scraps to eat, Emma couldn't find much pity for them. The rest of Captain Hook's crew were loading their ship with the merchant's cargo.

"Follow Mr. Jameson," Captain Hook nodded to a greying man in his forties as he joined her on deck. "He will take you over to my vessel, and lead you to the Captain's quarters-"

Captain Hook was continuing to speak to her, but the moment she locked eyes with the man he referred to, she stopped dead in her tracks. Mr. Jameson stopped and stared as well, slightly slack-jawed. Immediate recognition passed between them, as he shook his head as if to tell her not to say anything. She gave him a slight nod to confirm her understanding.

The previous looks were gone a second later. Completely missing whatever else the Captain had said to her, Mr. Jameson assisted her across to the other ship. When they were on the other side he looked at her and said, "Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger, Miss." His voice was still kind, yet shaky from the surprise of seeing her once more. "William!" the man called out, "Why don't you help the young lady with her things!"

A young boy, around ten or eleven came forward and offered to take her bag. She handed it to him, but held on to her sword, bow, and quiver of arrows. Emma preferred to keep her only sources of protection on hand. "Thank you." she smiled, and the boy blushed.

Emma followed Mr. Jameson and William to the Captain's quarters. She wondered briefly if he had called the young boy over to make her feel a little more comfortable. The rest of the men looked dirty, a few covered in blood that wasn't their own. Emma knew she didn't have to worry about Mr. Jameson, and Captain Hook had promised she would not be harmed. It still made her nervous to be on a pirate ship, surrounded by men of questionable morales.

Occasionally Mr. Jameson would glance at her and smile, as if trying to make her feel more at ease. Based on the stories she had heard about the great Captain Hook, she wasn't expecting him to have a good man like Mr. Jameson as part of his crew. Emma didn't know how he could have possibly ended up on this ship. She scolded herself internally. True, they were pirates, but that didn't make them bad men. Maybe they had a good reason to become pirates. Emma decided to try to keep an open mind going forward.

As she entered the Captain's quarters, she was surprised that it wasn't as grand as she suspected. She assumed it would have had gold and jewels laying around, and fancy things from different lands. Captain Hook's quarters seemed cozy, filled with books, tools, and an assortment of strange knickknacks. Emma was fascinated by it's modesty.

William had carefully dropped her bag next to a chair, and excused himself. Emma thanked him again, and he blushed even further as he said, "It's no problem, Miss."

"Swan. You can call me Miss Swan." Emma smiled.

The boy responded with a blush and smile of his own, "It's nice to meet you Miss Swan." He gave an awkward slight bow, as if unsure what to do with himself, and ran out of the room.

Mr. Jameson chuckled and shook his head, "You'd think the boy had never seen a pretty girl before." Emma blushed. He was quiet for a moment, "It's been a long time, Miss."

She nodded in response, "I'm not a teenager anymore."

He laughed, "I'd say not." Stalling for a moment, he added in a whisper, "I'm glad you weren't lost after all." Mr. Jameson emphasized the word, as if subtly implying that he wouldn't reveal who she was.

Emma smiled sadly, and quietly responded, "No one knows I'm alive, and now I find myself on a pirate ship. I don't know if some would necessarily say I'm not."

Mr. Jameson smiled, "Truth be told, it could be worse. Captain Hook has a bit of a fierce reputation, but overall, he's a good man that lives by a code... Even if it's hard to see sometimes."

"Can I trust him to keep his word?" Emma asked, looking the older man in the eye. He nodded and said that she could. She knew he wasn't lying, he really believed it.

"The Captain will be with you shortly, Miss Swan." Mr. Jameson said with a wink, "Please make yourself comfortable." He said, closing the door behind him.

Emma nervously paced for what felt like almost an hour. The comfort of knowing someone on the ship was soon ebbing away the longer she waited. She tried distracting herself by looking at all the books on the shelves. Running her finger over their spines, and sometimes pulling one out and flipping through the first few pages. None of them were able to claim her full attention.

Eventually she sighed and stood in front of what she assumed was either his desk or his table. It looked like he used it for both. A plate of half eaten food sat on one corner, while most of the surface was covered with maps. A few bottles, with what she assumed had once contained rum after sniffing one, were scattered on the table.

The door opened suddenly and she jumped, setting the bottle back down quickly, and spinning back towards the door. Captain Hook came strolling in with a grin on his face. He slid off his leather coat, throwing it on his bed haphazardly. "Sorry to frighten you, love."

"I wasn't frightened," she protested, "I was just caught off guard by the door slamming open."

He laughed in response, and made his way to the other side of what she was now guessing to be a table. He seemed to find most of what she said highly entertaining. Emma found herself getting more annoyed by his laughing at her. Though it did surprise her. Emma decided it could be worse, he could find her less entertaining. She should probably be grateful.

"Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger, Miss Swan. I thought we could take a moment to go over a few...guidelines."

"What kind of guidelines?" Emma asked hesitantly.

"First, I don't think it's such a great idea for our new crew member to be sleeping with the rest of the predominantly male crew. So I would prefer it if you would sleep in here. This way, I can make sure no harm comes to you." Emma glanced at the single bed, and shot him a stern look. He continued, "I can arrange to have a cot added. Unless you wanted my company in bed." Hook added teasingly, raising his eyebrow at her.

"I would prefer separate beds, thank you." She replied coldly.

Hook looked slightly disappointed, but quickly recovered, "I know you aren't planning to be a permanent fixture to the crew. However, we do have a certain... reputation to uphold."

"That you're the worst pirates to roam the sea, who take no prisoners." Emma said with a sly smile.

"Exactly. So when you do return to shore, I would hope that you would avoid telling tales of how the Captain of the Jolly Roger rescued you from a brig."

"Your secret is safe with me, Captain." Emma smiled, "Besides, it wasn't much of a rescue getting me out of that cell." She teased. He seemed very concerned with keeping his fierce reputation. Since he had offered her freedom and protection, it seemed like the least she could do.

Hook disregarded her quip about her cell, and continued "Finally, we need to decide how you are going to pull your weight with the crew. I'll expect you to clean the deck, help the cook, do simple tasks until I can trust you to do more." Emma nodded, "I don't suppose you have any talents that could entertain the crew. It would help to boost morale, since they won't be enjoying your company down below."

Emma blushed at the several implications his statement made. "You don't have to worry. I've spoken to my crew about you joining us. They are good men, you have nothing to fear from them." Emma didn't respond, and he could sense her hesitation.

Hook leaned back in his chair for a moment, looking thoughtful. "The Jolly Roger was once a naval ship. We sailed under a different captain at the time. He was… A better man than I. The king sent us on a mission, claiming that we were looking for a plant that would help people. Cure them of their ailments. I didn't trust the King, the plant didn't seem as innocent as he claimed. The captain, trying to prove me wrong, scratched himself with a thorn from the damned thing." Hook paused for a moment, clearly pained by the memory.

"As it turned out, the plant was indeed poisonous. When the captain died, my men and I swore that we wouldn't sail under an unjust King. We destroyed the plant as best we could. We became pirates." His voice trailed off, and he shrugged.

"I'm sorry." Emma meant it.

Quickly, he changed the subject, "William is going to make you a bath so you can get cleaned up. I'll also have some clothes brought to you for you to change in. Something better than the rags you're wearing now" he said waving to her dirty tunic and breeches.

"Oh, I have clean clothes in my bag." Emma replied, patting the sack beside her.

Hook cast a look at the bag, and looked like he was suppressing another laugh. "I'll have something brought to you regardless. Also, until I can trust you on my ship, I'll ask you to remain in these quarters for the time being. I'll return to give you a tour of the ship when you're ready."

Emma bit her tongue and nodded obediently. Resisting her urge to argue that she didn't need him to bring her clothes. Or keep her locked in his cabin. Thankfully, she managed to control herself.

"For now, I will leave you." Captain Hook said, strolling out of the room. He locked the door behind him, and returned to the deck.

He could tell she had been struggling to not argue with him over the clothes. Admittedly, he had been trying to goad a response out of her. Evidently she believed her better sense of judgement was prevailing. Although, when she saw what he had in mind for her new clothes, she might put up a bit of fight then. Miss Swan didn't seem to be the kind of girl who enjoyed wearing dresses too often, and he chuckled at the thought.

Hook saw Mr. Jameson standing close to the stairs, and walked towards him. The man looked nervous, "Something you wanted to say?" Hook demanded.

"It's not often you have a girl on the ship, Captain." He said simply, avoiding his eye, "I hope your intentions are honorable." Mr. Jameson added quietly, concerned.

"I'm not one to do anything unless my partner is willing, if that's your concern." Hook said lazily. He ran his hand through his hair. There was something in her features that were just vaguely familiar to him. Maybe once she had that bath, and scrubbed all the dirt off of her, he'd be able to figure it out.

Mr. Jameson still looked concerned, "I just think that you shouldn't pursue anything further with her. Keep some distance, as much you can." The man said wisely.

"You seem to take great care in this girl's well-being." Hook replied casually. After a moment he continued, "Don't think I didn't notice your little exchange with the girl."

The old man stiffened, "What do you mean, Captain?"

Hook gave the man a stern look, "I can tell that you are familiar with her. Why else would you show so much concern for a girl you've only known for five minutes. It would be one thing if you were admonishing the crew, but for you to approach the subject with me?" He raised an eyebrow at the old pirate, "You speak of her as if she is something precious, which leads me to believe that you must know her somehow."

Mr. Jameson seemed uneasy. Shifting slightly, still not fully looking him in the eye, he responded, "Aye, I know the lass. Well, I knew her as a girl. She lived in my town. I wasn't very familiar with her, but I knew her by sight and name. Everyone in town seemed to love her. She was always running around, getting into some kind of trouble. According to her though, she was always on an adventure."

The smile that had been spreading on Mr. Jameson's face faltered, and turned into a frown. He sighed and continued his tale, "It wasn't until the Evil Queen attacked our land that I had the chance to get to know her. She booked passage on a ship I was working on. A lot of people were fleeing the Enchanted Forest back then." He sighed with a shrug, "Miss Swan was one of the many attempting to escape to another land. She was around 16 then, but she seemed much older than that. Lost both of her parents. Knew she was going through a hard time, so I struck up a friendship with the girl. She didn't speak much at first, just enough to be polite. It seemed unlike her to be so quiet, it was contrary to any memory I had of her in passing. I guess you could say she was heartbroken by so much loss. After a while, she opened up though, she could light up the whole room."

The old man paused in his story. He smiled wistfully, remembering some far off moment in the past. Proud as if young Miss Swan was his own child. Hook stared at the man, surprised by the story. In all his years of knowing Mr. Jameson, he had never mentioned the her. Even though she seemed to be quite special to him. He wanted to ask him about it, but refrained from interrupting.

His voice grew serious once more, "No matter how dark things seemed to be, she always had hope. Even then, after losing everything, she still had hope that somehow things would get better. It was infectious, almost." Mr. Jameson sighed, and added sadly, "Doesn't seem like much has changed for her, as far as fortunes go. She's still on her own, still persevering. Picked up by a bunch of pirates, after being locked in a merchant ship brig."

Hook said nothing to that. Surprised at the knowledge he now possessed concerning the young woman below. Lost in his own thoughts, another blond girl comes to mind. He hadn't thought about her in years. Refused to. Shaking his head, he tried to remove her from his thoughts.

"I promise you, Mr. Jameson. I have no intention of hurting the girl any further." He said seriously, and he meant it. The man nodded in response.

Mr. Smee soon came up to them both, and started going over the inventory of the merchant's haul with Hook. Eventually the two men wandered off, discussing what they could get for their new haul, and Mr. Jameson watched them go.