Nothing But a Pirate

Chapter One

Centuries ago in Neverland…

After Hook threw the magic bean into the ocean to open a portal to pass through into Neverland, the Jolly Roger landed once again within the waters that surrounded an enchanted island which the ship's Captain had been to years ago and had vowed never return to. However, circumstances changed and like the world that lay before the pirates now once had light until the evils that were of Pan's doing had come to surround Neverland in complete darkness, Hook too had come to be a dark villain as he had become consumed with hate and a dangerous thirst for revenge on the monster who had murdered his first love, then cut off and stole his hand. Though Hook knew the demon child that ruled Neverland was partly to blame for his brother's death, returning to Neverland was the lesser of two evils, as it was his only chance to find a way to kill Rumpelstiltskin.

Killian stared ahead as they neared, while his newest deckhand who would eventually come to be his loyal first mate walked up behind his Captain as he spoke up with awe saying, "So this is Neverland? It's the most amazing place I've ever seen."

Hook's eyes darkened and then he responded, "You won't see it as such after you've been on this cursed island for a few hours. I'm taking a boat and rowing ashore. Tell the men to drop anchor and settle my ship, then gather together our supplies. Meet up with me in a few hours time."

"But Sir…" Smee started to object as he looked to the pirates' leader, until Hook's glare made him fear his choice to do so. "Where… where are you going? Is going off on your own really such a good idea?"

"Need I remind you who the Captain here is, and who's nothing more than the pitiful man I spared the life of when I should have made you walk the plank like many others before you?" Hook answered cruelly. "You will do as I say, Mr. Smee. Or you will feel the end of my hook inside your chest just as I did to the Dark One. I may have failed to kill him, but you're not immortal."

The small man wearing his red knit cap nodded and bowed, then replied nervously, "Yes of course, Captain Sir. I will pass along your orders right away."

The villain watched the man walk away, then took a boat to shore as he said would and as he arrived upon the land like he had done back when he and Liam had arrived there, it wasn't long before Pan appeared behind him as the devious boy said callously, "Well Leftenant, I must say that this is indeed a surprise to see you've returned to my island. I didn't think you would after you lost your poor Captain. I also see that you've changed sides. The new look suits you much better than that of the uniform you used to wear while under your ruthless King's rule. Finally saw the truth did you, Killian? That he wasn't a man of honor as you believed him to be?"

"It's no longer Leftenant," Hook responded with anger as he slowly turned around to face Peter once again. "And it's not Killian Jones anymore either. That man died the day my brother did. It's Captain Hook now."

"Yes, I see you've gained a hook in place of your left hand," Peter answered smugly. "It's put a fire in your eyes. I would certainly like to hear that story, but perhaps another time. What exactly has brought you back?"

Killian continued to glare at the demon as he replied, "I've come for answers. I need to bide myself time so that I can discover a way to kill the bloody Dark One."

Pan smiled and responded, "I think I can help you with that. But my help comes with a price, just like the magic of this world has a price, as I tried to warn you once before. If you want to learn how you can kill your newest enemy, you will become indebted to me and will now be in my services for as long as I see fit, or you will suffer as your brother suffered if you choose to defy me again."

"I didn't defy you before!" Hook shouted furiously as he suddenly pulled his cutlass and aimed it at the boy's throat. "You disappeared before I could ask you what you desired of me. I was ready to offer you anything to save Liam's life, but I couldn't find you. You never told us that the price of the water was that we couldn't ever leave."

"You should have searched harder," the boy stated with a sneer. "He might be alive if you had. It's a real shame indeed, but then I see you're the one with the real potential. What do you say, Captain? Will you work for me? Be in my employ and do my dirty work for me."

Hook clenched his jaw in frustration as he loathed the idea of working for the demon who was partially to blame for his brother's death, even if he truly blamed himself as well as the King of his own land, then he answered coldly, "I will. But only in exchange for what I ask of you in return."

Peter Pan smiled as he replied smugly, "Then welcome home, Hook."

Present day…

"What was that about?" Emma asked curtly while Hook stood back and looked away from her.

"I assumed he'd heard my secret," Hook responded in frustration after he exhaled deeply, then finally turned to the woman standing before him. "And I also assumed that you'd told him of our shared moment."

She glared at him as she questioned, "Why would you assume that?"

The Captain answered with yearning, "Because I was hoping it meant something."

"What meant something was that you told us Neal was still alive," the Savior replied sincerely while Hook simply nodded. "Thank you. I realized you could've kept Pan's information to yourself."

"Why would I have done that?" he asked firmly, frustrated that she thought that he would keep such valuable information to himself.

Emma shook her head as she responded, "I don't know. Maybe Pan offered you a deal? Why else would he tell you?"

With a bitterness in his voice, Hook continued, "It was a test. He wanted to see if I'd leave an old friend to die... even if the old friend happens to be vying for the same woman that I am."

"And you chose your friend," she answered with astonishment.

"Does that surprise you?" Killian enquired again.

As if to imply that he was selfish because of what he was, Emma replied sternly, "You are a pirate."

Hurt by her accusation, the pirate stared at her for a moment before he bowed his head, then stepped closer to her so that they were only inches apart as he responded quietly, "Yeah, that I am. But I also believe in good form. So when I win your heart, Emma... and I will win it... it will not be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me."

"This is not a contest, Hook," she whispered nervously.

"Isn't it?" he simply retorted. "You're gonna have to choose, Emma. You realize that, don't you? Because neither one of us is gonna give up."

The Savior objected as she answered firmly, "The only thing I have to choose is the best way to get my son back."

Killian stared into her eyes as he replied confidently, "And you will."

"You think so?" she asked worryingly, while staring into his as well as if to look for any signs of deception in them.

"I have yet to see you fail," Hook continued assuredly. "And when you do succeed... well, that's when the fun begins."

All of a sudden, Neal called out again from the distance, "Guys!"

Baelfire walked back to them as he handed Emma his cutlass again, glaring at Hook while he added, "I think I found it."

"We need to talk," Neal spoke curtly as he fell back from the others to walk alongside Hook while Emma, her parents, and Tinker Bell walked on ahead, interrupting Killian's thoughts of his last conversation with Emma until Neal had interrupted him then too, while he walked on his own behind everyone to escape from the Savior's anger over his petty fight with the other man in her life.

"Aye," the pirate responded quietly, without turning his head to look at the younger man he once cared for long ago. "I suppose we do. If it's any consolation, I never meant for anything to come between Emma and me. It just happened."

Baelfire swiftly used his own cutlass to cut down several branches in their path ahead of them and then answered, "That's just it. Nothing really did happen between you and Emma, Hook. She was afraid for our son and grieving my death. You just happened to be someone there for her to talk to. If she was angry about something in that moment, she could have just as well as slapped you in the face or run you through with my sword if she wanted to. That kiss you two shared, it didn't mean anything. At least not to her it didn't."

Killian stopped and looked over at him as he replied, "And you think you know this? How? Perhaps it's more jealously and your hate for me making you wish that what we shared was nothing. Believe me, if you and Emma were together before you supposedly died, or if she told me that she chose you, then I would back off. However, she hasn't chosen either one of us and therefore… she's fair game. You had your chance with her and you blew it, Mate."

"I won't let you steal Emma away from me like you did my mother, you selfish bastard," Neal responded angrily as he suddenly shoved Hook hard up against a tree, causing him to gasp in pain as his back hit before Killian looked into the younger man's eyes. "Or our son either. We both know that as soon as this mission's done, that once Henry's been saved and we're all back home safe and sound in Storybrooke, you'll be right back to trying to kill my father because you and I both know that revenge is all you really care about. Emma and the others will see that too. They'll all see that you're nothing, but a pirate."

"You're right," Killian answered sadly, as Neal shoved him again until he finally released his hold on the Captain. "You're right. Even though Milah did wish to come with me, I did steal her away from you. I never wanted to break apart a family, just as I don't wish to break Emma's heart. I know what I did was wrong, but I tried to make it up to you. I would give anything to change what I did, rather than hand you over to Pan and the Lost Boys as I did. That was selfish of me to do. But now I am doing just that. I am trying to make it up to you by helping you to save your son."

Neal scoffed and replied, "You're not doing it for me, but for Emma. Because you think that by saving Henry, it will get her to fall in love with you. But you're wrong. She's not weak like my mother was. Stay away from Emma and when we return home, stay away from my son as well."

Hook looked at Neal sadly and then walked away from him, just as Tinker Bell walked out from behind a tree in front of him as she said quietly, "You're wrong about him, Bae."

"Tink," he responded with frustration as she had eavesdropped on their conversation. "I thought you were walking ahead with Emma, David, and Mary Margaret."

"I was, until I sensed no one walking behind me like you and Hook were before you stopped to have your stupid argument," the Green Fairy answered. "I may not know anything about what happened between you and Hook, but he isn't the same man he was back when he was working for Pan. Hook and I haven't always gotten along and he may be a pirate, but he's different now. He's changed for the better."

Neal shook his head as he responded, "No he hasn't. He's trying to steal Emma away from me. That makes him no different than the bastard he was when I first met him years ago. Our business isn't any of yours, so just stay out of it."

As Neal continued walking, Tinker Bell kept beside him as she answered, "Fine. But don't let your anger toward him blind you."

"Why not?" he asked curtly.

"Because… you may regret it as he clearly regrets allowing his own anger blind him toward your own feelings all those years ago," the fairy replied fearfully. "Trouble is coming, Bae. Be careful about what you say or do from here on out."