Here's the first chapter of my Hook-Emma fanfic. It's a little long and definitely not the best work I've done; this chapter just felt awkward to write for some reason. I think after I get to the second and third chapters, though, it'll get better. So...please give it a read and tell me what you think in the comment section! :)
She sucked in a pained breath and her eyes shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet his hurt stare. Her words were regretful and apologetic, her manner unsure and tentative. She spoke quietly, as though if he didn't hear her it would all just go away. "I can't take the chance that I'm wrong about you," she said, turning away from him, "I'm sorry." Those two words provoked an outraged, disbelieving response from the pirate she had locked up. "You're sorry? You're sorry?! I got you here, I got you the compass!" Emma turned heatedly back to him and spat, "I got the compass." Captain Hook just shook his head and asked her in a pitiful voice, "You're just going to leave me to die? Let that beast eat me, crush my bones?" His words were impassioned and desperate. The woman told him acridly, "He's not a beast and you're not gonna die." However, her next words were laced with regret and her expression was apologetic. "I just need a head start, that's all." And with that, she walked away. No matter what Killian did, how loud or angrily he shouted her name, pleaded with her to come back, she would not turn around. The last he saw of the beautiful blond was her back turned to him, doing exactly what she feared he would to to her. And with that memory ingrained in his mind, with ten hours to do nothing but sit and contemplate everything that had happened, Killian Jones decided on one thing: he would have his revenge on Rumpelstiltskin and Emma, if it was the last thing he did. All there was left to do was wait. Revenge was sweet.
Emma was shaking as she climbed down the beanstalk, eyes brimmed with tears. She could hardly believe that she had just done that, betrayed Killian, left him even after all they had done together. I'm just as bad as him, she thought angrily to herself. I lie, I betray. I'm a backstabber. She imagined Killian sitting dejectedly, head leaning against the wall she had chained him to. He was probably imagining innumerable ways that he could torture her, to get back at her for what she had done. And she did not blame him. She had feared that he would do exactly that to her, get the compass and leave her behind, so she had done it first. Because she was afraid of being betrayed, she became the betrayer. It was a sickening thought, one that made Emma want to climb back up the beanstalk and undo what she'd done, but it was too late for that. Mulan would be cutting down the beanstalk at any moment, and then they would both be stranded up there. And that meant she would be even longer away from Henry.
The young boy's face swam in front of her eyes and his childish laugh echoed in her ears. Just the thought of him brought a smile to her face and eased some of her pain. Doing a bad thing for the greater good made it alright, didn't it? Sometimes battles had to be lost so that the war could be won, sacrifices had to be made. And Killian's was a fair sacrifice, right? Emma liked to think it was. It wasn't like she had abandoned him forever, left him to die of starvation or thirst. The man would be set free before dawn. He would be alright. Please let him be alright. Emma prayed, though she didn't know why. She told herself it was because she couldn't stand to have his blood on her hands if he got hurt, but perhaps there was another reason, one too profound or meaningful for her to acknowledge or accept. For now, though, she tried to push all those thoughts aside and focus on getting to the bottom of the beanstalk before it was cut down; she had to get back to Henry.
Emma reached the ground much more quickly than she expected, and was unsurprised to see her mother and Mary Margaret in a brawl. They were tearing savagely at each other, Mary Margaret summoning all her strength to keep the woman warrior from the beanstalk, and Mulan desperately trying to fulfill the promise she had made to Emma.
"Stop!" Emma shouted to the women, who immediately turned their heads. Mary Margaret's eyes lit up as she stumbled to get to her daughter. "Emma! Are you okay?" Her voice was frantic and worried, and she was running to her as quickly as her feet would allow. "Two earthquakes and a jump from a beanstalk; I think my brain's still rattling around a little bit." Emma replied sarcastically, wiping the dirt from her pants. Mulan replied to that statement with a blunt and even tone, shooting a cold glance towards Mary Margaret. "I did what you ordered. Nothing more than that." Then she turned to Emma and with a hopeful tone asked, "Did you get it?" Emma smiled slyly, announcing proudly, "Yep." She thrust the object towards Mulan, who regarded it with a look of infatuation and shock. Her moment of pride, however, was stolen from her when Aurora asked concernedly, "Where's Hook?" Emma, trying her best to sound indifferent, replied, "He's detained. Let's go, get your stuff. We've got ten hours before he follows us." Those words were followed by Aurora's asking in a confused voice "What? How?" Sighing, Emma told her, "I have...a friend looking after him until then."
The rest of the day they spent walking through the forest, traveling as quickly as they could as the daylight slowly failed them. By the time they stopped, the sun was touching the horizon and the sky was a beautiful mixture of pink, purple and gold. It was certainly a sight to behold. "I think we should stop here." Mulan stated factually. Everyone agreed readily, though whether it was because they thought it was a good resting sight or because they were so tired was unclear. "I'll search for firewood." Mary Margaret said, starting off in a random direction. "And I'll start setting up camp. Emma, do you think you can try to find some water? I think I hear a spring nearby." Emma nodded distantly, too tired to form a verbal answer. She picked up the bucket that Mulan was offering her and headed off towards the sound of running water.
The stream was close enough so that Emma found it easily, but already she was so exhausted that she was sure she couldn't go back. I'll rest my legs for a second here. She told herself, sitting down in a pile of muddy leaves. She was sitting directly in one of the few rays of sunshine left, and the light glistened off her golden hair and warmed her from head to toe. With only the sound of the water to hear, Emma felt a surreal happiness spread through her. This was the most relaxed, the happiest she had felt in a long time. She took her shoes off and dipped them in the stream, enjoying the feel of clean, fresh water, however cold it might be. It felt like she hadn't taken a bath in ages, and she was thankful for the sense of purity this gave her. Relishing the moment, Emma closed her eyes and tilted her head back, soaking in the sun that was quickly disappearing. Ever so lightly, she began humming to herself a tune that she remembered from childhood. Though she did not have many happy memories of her younger years, this particular song made brought a smile to her face every time she heard it. It made her think of autumn, when the leaves turn their beautiful red and orange and brown and fall to the ground, making that delicious crinkly sound when you step on them. Despite herself, despite everything that had happened in the last day, and the last few months for that matter, Emma smiled. The smile was genuine and natural, honest to the core. The world disintegrated around her, replaced instead by a perfect dream world with her mother and her father and Henry, all together in her home. There had never been a curse, she had never been abandoned. All was well.
"Emma? Emma! Emma, where are you? Are you okay?" Emma's eyes immediately shot open. Mary Margaret's frantic voice was coming from nowhere and everywhere, filled with distress. I'm supposed to be getting water, aren't I? Emma thought to herself, filling up the bucket as quickly as she could. She wondered briefly how long she had spent by the stream, and then realized that the sun had all but disappeared, and the forest had taken on the sinister and dark feel of night. Obviously, she had spent much too long. "I'm here, Mary Margaret! I'm fine!" she called as loud as she could, not wanting her mother to worry anymore than she already was. "I'll be right there!" She ran up to the campsite, where Mary Margaret, Mulan and Aurora were all sitting by a campfire, faces staring intently into it, as if pondering. When they all heard her coming, their faces bore signs of relief while Mary Margeret ran over to her daughter, giving her a strong hug and almost making her drop the bucket of water. "Are you okay? What were you doing? We were all so worried that something had happened to you!" she said, voice shaking. Emma rubbed her arms soothingly, assuring her that there was nothing to worry about; she was okay. "I just got distracted over by the stream. It was so calm down there, I couldn't resist. I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet and she was staring ashamedly down at the ground like she was a child who had just been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. "It's alright. I-I just worry about you sometimes." her mother responded understandingly.
Sighing, Emma sat down on a log next to Aurora, trying hard to avoid her eyes and Mulan's. She wasn't in the mood for talking. However, it seemed like they were hell-bent on it. "So, Emma...How exactly did you get the compass? Was it hard? Did you see the giant? What were they like?" Aurora asked excitedly. Mulan, too, had something to ask. "And what in the hell happened to captain Hook?" Emma sighed again. It would be a long night.
By the time Killian had descended the beanstalk, it was already nightfall. He would have a difficult time finding his way in the woods, but after sleeping for ten hours in the Giant's castle, he was more than ready for a challenge. He could never sit still for that long, anyway. And besides, he had a conceited blonde and her band of a princess, queen and warrior to hunt down. A little darkness wasn't going to stop him.
The forest of Nar'sha was intimidating at night, he had to admit. The animals' glowing green and yellow eyes seemed to follow him where ever he went while the constant cover of darkness for whatever creature might be stalking him made him even more uneasy. Perhaps most disgruntling, though, was knowledge that Cora might be in the woods with him, watching his every step. The woman was capable of cruel and impossible things, things even Killian would never dare inflict upon his worst enemy. The fact that he had failed her certainly had not put him on her good side, and the fact that he was all alone with only a sword and his feeble night vision to protect him against her limitless magical powers made Killian Jones...scared? No, not scared. Never scared. Unsure, cautious, perhaps even anxious, but not scared, he told himself. I'm Captan Hook, damn it!
He was torn, however, from his thoughts of Cora and animal eyes when he heard an agitated and fraught voice calling into the night. At first, he did not understand it and put his hand tentatively to his sword. But then, after listening intently, he learned that it was saying: "Emma? Emma! Emma, where are you? Are you okay?" An evil grin spread wide across Killian Jones' face. He recognized the voice to be that of Emma's mother, Snow White. It hadn't even been a day and he had already caught them. God was on his side! He began running excitedly towards the voice, a quiet laugh escaping his lips. Revenge was sweet.
Dinner had hardly been filling, as they had fed on whatever scraps they had left of honey cakes and bread. It was all stale and tasteless, but food was food was food was food. The meal had left all four women wanting for more, but none of them complained. They were all too proud and strong to complain. So, it was for that reason that they all four went to bed with empty stomachs and hidden frowns, each curling up in their own spot around the fire. Everyone, that is, except for Emma. Her mind was too busy to allow her to sleep, and instead she decided to watch over the others. She noted that Mary Margaret and Aurora had fallen asleep surprisingly close to each other, heads only inches apart with hands interlocked. She didn't think much of it; Mary Margaret had been quick to make friends in Storybrooke, why would it be any different here? But why were they holding hands...? It was an unimportant question that could be addressed another time. Emma's mind shifted instead to the events of the day, no matter how hard she tried not to think about it. She could still hear the way Killian had asked her, "The compass is in your hand. Why do you do this to me now?" She remembered the pleading look he had given her before she had turned her back to him, how he had screamed her name, begged her to come back. I'm a backstabber. Emma told herself for what must have been the hundredth time that day. I'm a lying, deceiving backstabber. No different from him. The words in her mind were accusing and angry, as though it was Killian himself who spoke them. "Hook, if you can hear this, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. It's all for Henry. I only did it to get back to Henry. I'm sorry" she whispered quietly to herself, wondering somehow if he could hear her. Wondering somehow if he could forgive her. Wondering...wondering...wondering...her eyelids began to droop and shake with the effort of keeping them open. Emma let out a deep, relaxed breath and let her muscles recline. Her breaths and mind were slowing, submitting to the heavy force of exhaustion. As when she finally let herself doze off, Emma's last waking thoughts were those of Hook.
When she awoke, it was to Mulan and Mary Margaret discussing something in hushed yet angry whispers. The fire had long since died out and Emma found herself surprisingly cold. The sun had just begun creeping over the horizon, casting a gentle light on the travelers. Groggily, Emma pushed herself into a sitting position and yawned obnoxiously, trying to make it known to the bickering women that she was awake. They paid her little mind, though, just kept talking amongst themselves. Emma rolled her eyes and bent down to the fire pit, covering it with dirt as she was taught by Snow so that they could not be followed. Then, she walked over to Aurora and gently shook the girl awake. When she opened her eyes, she looked as if she hadn't even slept a wink. "Are you okay?" Emma asked concernedly. "Your eyes are all red." Aurora flicked her hand dismissively and assured Emma it was nothing. She gave her a skeptical glance, but decided that she better let the princess have her space. "Whatever you say."
Emma and Mulan were still fighting when Emma walked over to them, as though they did not even notice she were there. How polite, Emma thought frustratedly. It was going to be a long day if the two kept squabbling like this. "Look, I'm gonna go fetch some water from the stream, okay?" she said to the two women. Mary Margaret gave her a kind smile and brief nod before turning her attention back to the warrior. Emma rolled her eyes and left the two to their fighting.
The stream was just as relaxing this morning, just as clear and pristine. The sound was calming and the smell was...fresh. The refreshing air did nothing, however, for Emma's chills. This morning was much crisper and colder than the previous ones. Sighing, Emma leaned down and dipped the bucket in the icy water, wanting to get back to camp as quickly as possible. Maybe Mulan would have a blanket that she could wrap herself in. As she stood, though, Emma swore to herself that she heard a disturbance somewhere among the trees to her right. A branch snapping, leaves crackling. It's probably because my nerves are on edge. I've got nothing to worry about. she assured herself, absolutely nothing to- The sound came again, though this time it was louder and came from behind her. Before she could react, however, she felt a body behind her, an arm wrapped around her waist and a hand covering her mouth. Then, in her ear, she heard a deep and seductive voice whispering, "Miss me, love?"
Revenge was sweet.