Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time
Prologue
Emma dismounted her horse, Swan, quickly and latched the reins to a branch before tossing her cloak onto the ground and darting down towards the lake, "Killian?" She called out. She heard no response, "Hook?" She looked around worriedly. Had he not shown like he was supposed to? Had he grown tired of her and abandoned her?
"Aye, I'm here, love. You honestly didn't think I'd miss this?" His voice came up from behind her.
She spun around, her riding coat slapping against the backs of her legs. She straightened, trying not to show her nervousness as her news for him, "I never know what to expect from you, pirate." She snapped. No matter how hard she tried to maintain her composure and keep her tone cool, her voice still made the word 'pirate' sound like the endearment that it was, rather than an insult.
"So touchy this afternoon." He teased her, his blue eyes flashing playfully. "Well Princess Emma," he took a sweeping bow, knowing the gesture would irk her and he loved it when she was aggravated. The fire in her grin eyes, the aggression in her movements, everything about her turned him on and sent all of the blood in his system south, "what has happened that has you so flustered?"
She grimaced at the sound of her title, even if it sounded positively sinful coming off his lips. She loved the way he said her name, the way his accent curled around the two syllables. She loved it when he chanted it like a prayer. She loved it when he said it softly as if she were a secret. But she loved it the most when he moaned it. "Father has made a decision." She finally told him.
Instinctively, the pirate in front of her moved to her side, his long leather coat swishing around his lean legs. His hook reached out to draw her close to him. "He's picked a suitor?" He asked quietly.
She could hear the melancholy in his voice. The knowing that they were going to be over much too quickly, "Yes," she nodded quietly, "and he's positively wretched." She stomped her foot, "He's old."
"He's old?" Killian asked. He'd assumed King James would find a young prince to marry his princess off to, someone who could help strengthen and fortify his kingdom.
Emma looked down at her riding boots. Killian was going to be so angry when he heard what her father had decided, "King Charles's wife passed away."
Hook stepped back, dropping his arm, "King Charles?" He repeated. Emma winced, "The man who killed my brother?" He asked. She nodded, "The man I used to serve under?" He referenced his military days.
Emma finally looked up at him, "It was not my decision, Killian." She told him, "I said no. I told them I refused to marry him." She stepped forward and grabbed his hook, guiding him back to her, "I choose you, Killian. I choose you and our life together. Nothing else matters to me."
Killian shook his head and dipped his lips down to her neck, placing a kiss there before looking up at her, "You can't choose me. You have a responsibility to your kingdom, you're a princess. I'm a pirate." He gestured to his leather ensemble and her expensive riding clothes.
She tried for a seductive smile, "But you're my pirate." This time she said the word with reverence. "And I'm you're princess."
He swallowed hard, "Emma, love, we knew this couldn't last, this, this thing."
"This thing?" She snapped, "That's all you can call this, Killian? A thing? I love you. I am in love with. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She told him. He tried to step back, but she grabbed his arm, "No, I abdicate my throne. This is me choosing you. Watch me choose you. Watch me choose our life together."
Killian closed his eyes painfully, "You can't, I can't ask you to live the life of a pirate."
"But it was okay for Milah to do that? You would let her, but not me? Do you not love me enough? Am I not woman enough? Am I," She stuttered and pushed herself out of his embrace, turning around, "Am I not good enough?"
He let out a snarl, "Don't you ever compare yourself to Milah." He snapped, "You are two different people and I love you both." He spun her around so forcefully she gasped. His gaze softened when he saw the look of desperation and uncertainty in her green eyes. She had no idea of how beautiful she truly was, of how good she was, of how she was more than enough woman for him. She was the only woman he would ever want. Even if he lived another three hundred years, there would never be anyone who could compare to Emma. Sure he thought that about Milah, but this, this was different. He hated the phrase with a passion, but what he had with Emma was true love. "Milah was an amazing woman. I loved her very much. But she was dark and selfish. She made me darker, harder, and I was alright with that while I was with her. And I was fine with it as I sought vengeance for her." He brought his hand up to thread carefully through her blonde hair, "You're like a beacon of light and hope, Emma." He whispered. This time her name sounded like a plea. "You have brought so much life and hope into my life. I can't ask you to darken that light by leaving your home, by leaving your responsibility and your family for me. It would be selfish. You have taught me not to be selfish." He dropped his hand and stepped back.
"No," She yelled, "what is selfish is not letting me make the decision for myself. I'm a grown woman. And I do not choose an old king who has no respect for his kingdom. I choose you. I choose the love of my life. I choose happiness and light and eyes blue as the sea." She stepped forward again, "You are the man I want. I want my pirate and I want him for the rest of my life."
"Emma, I," She stopped his rebuttal by rocking up on her toes and crashing her lips against his, pulling his down and into her and wrapping a leg around his calf to pull their lower halves flush. When the kiss broke he pressed his hook harder into her back and gently brought his hand up to stroke her cheek, "I suppose this means you have a plan."
She nodded, "I do. I'm going to leave on horseback. I'm going to ride to Cheshire. I'll meet you at the docks there in six days time. I'm leaving at midnight. I want to clear the kingdom before I board your ship. I plan on trading Swan for another horse before I get to Cheshire. I don't want anyone to find me, I don't want anyone to suspect you until we're out of reach. I plan on leaving a note for my parents abdicating my throne. Once they have fully accepted my decision I will explain myself and tell them where and how I will be spending the rest of my life." She rested a hand on his chest, above his heart, "I do not want you harmed. I want you safe throughout all of this." She whispered, "I love you, Killian. I'm not sure you'll ever really understand just how much."
"Aye, princess, I think I do, because I love you that much, if not more." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
"Emma! Hook!" Emma and Killian broke apart at the voice of Tinkerbell, a former fairy who'd lost her wings and somehow become friends with Hook, and by proxy, Emma, appeared behind them, "Your father has sent a search party out for you. You must get back to the palace!" She picked up Emma's cloak and tossed it to her.
Killian pressed one last kiss to her lips, "Six days time, my love." He agreed.
OUAT
Six Months Earlier
"Tink, you're wasting your time on an old cod like me." Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones leered at his little blonde formerly winged friend.
Tinkerbell, fondly known as Tink, frowned, "Seriously Hook, you're the densest idiot I've ever laid eyes on and that's saying something. I did live in Neverland for hundreds of years." She smacked the back of his head, "You have to stop this. You have to give this up."
"Give up being a pirate?" He smirked at her and tipped the chair back in his captain's quarters aboard the Jolly Roger back on two legs, "Not likely."
"Not that." Tink waved him off, "I mean this stupid vengeance quest for Milah. I know you loved her, but she made her own choices. And The Dark One is not someone to be trifled with."
"You will not speak of Milah that way." Killian told her coldly, standing abruptly to pick his ever present flask up from the bar, taking a long swig.
"And that doesn't help." Tink appeared by his side and snatched it away, taking a sip herself. "I'm not saying you shouldn't still love her, always love her, but move on. There is another woman out there for you. I know it. I can feel it. And she will bring light back to you." Tinkerbell shrugged her bony shoulders, "I'll see you around Hook, I'm going into town for a while."
When Tinkerbell and Hook escaped Neverland and the wrath of Peter Pan two months ago she took up residence on the Jolly Roger. She didn't really have a home since she was a disgraced fairy after trying to help the Evil Queen. She slept in a small cabin typically meant for a cabin boy outside of Hook's room, even though Hook offered her his cabin and he would sleep in the smaller bed. Always the gentleman, she mused as she disembarked the ship to head to a local tavern. He just needed a nudge in the right direction. The nudge in the way of a woman who wasn't a bar wench and who could show him what life and love were truly about.
Plopping down loudly on a wooden bench inside a local tavern in the main port of the Enchanted Forest, Tink flagged down a bar maid and ordered a glass of ale.
"I apologize for being a bloody arse." Tink looked up at the sound of the thick accent she associated with an overprotective, brotherly love and smiled.
"I know you are." She reached over and patted his hand lightly, sliding her ale towards him to share until he received a mug of his own, "I promise you that you will be happy one day. It won't be easy, but it will happen."
"Nothing in this bloody world ever is." He muttered, pushing the fresh drink towards her. He always will be a gentleman, even if he is a pirate.
"I said no!" Killian and Tink both looked up as a woman with a cloak over her head threw a mug of ale at a visiting sailor.
"Oh, come on lass, just one little drink." The man leered at her.
Killian glanced at Tink and rolled his eyes, downing the rest of his ale before standing and walking over, "I believe the lady said 'no'." Hook replied calmly, grabbing the man's hand before it could latch onto some part of the woman who had clearly been sitting alone in a port tavern nursing a glass of what looked like rum.
"Oh, she's a pretty thing," the man grinned at him, "you could take her for a spin after me."
Killian's eyes darted back to the woman who was trembling next to him. Suddenly, Tink appeared, "Come on, darling, let's get out of here." Tink led her out of the tavern, tossing a gold coin on the table in the process. The woman nodded meekly, happily following Tink outside.
"You stay away from her." Hook threatened, finally bringing his hooked hand out from behind his back and letting it loop through the top of the man's shirt, "When a lady says 'no', you back off."
"She's just a bar wench, Captain." The man murmured before darting away, ignoring the ripping sound of his shirt from Hook's hand.
Rolling his eyes, Killian picked up Tink's gold coin, finding the bar maid he handed her enough to cover all of the drinks before exiting to find Tink and the wench. "Is everything alright?" Hook asked blandly as he found Tink gently rocking the crying woman in an alleyway.
"She'll be fine. I don't know what she was doing there alone."
"You were in there alone." Killian pointed out.
"I came from the infamous Jolly Roger. And I can handle myself." Tink snapped.
"The Jolly Roger?" The woman suddenly stepped back, wiping the backs of her hand over her eyes. "Captain Hook's ship?" She whispered, her eyes falling on Killian, narrowing in on his hand. "Oh dear." She whispered, her hand rising on its own accord in a defensive gesture before taking a step back.
"I won't hurt you, love." Hook smirked at her.
"Honestly, Killian, don't torment the poor girl." Tink rolled her eyes, "Honestly, he's harmless."
"I wouldn't say that's entirely true." Hook disagreed. The young woman shook her head back and forth so rapidly her hood fell off. Both Tink and Killian stared at her. Out of habit, Hook fell into a deep bow, "Princess Emma." Tink herself curtseyed.
Emma felt all the blood rush to her cheeks at the way his tongue seemed to caress her name, "Please don't do that." She finally murmured.
Hook rose, "And what exactly are you doing in a port tavern, surely you're not alone."
Emma stared at his hook for a moment longer before her eyes snapped to his blue ones, "I needed to get out of the castle."
"A port tavern is hardly the place for a princess." Killian scolded her.
"Why? Because pirates frequent there?" She snapped back.
He grinned in spite of himself. He'd heard the daughter of the shepherd king and bandit queen had fire, "Yes, indeed we do. Shall I find someone to escort you back to your castle?"
"I think I shall escort myself." She told him stiffly, turning her back to him and walking towards a bay where horses were tied.
"You like her." Tink stated simply.
"What?" Killian turned his eyes down to her.
"You like her very much. She's the one." Tink grinned, "I will save my 'told you so' for later when you realize I am correct. That way I'll fully appreciate it."
OUAT
XOXO
MAS