Hey, guys! Welcome to a new story!

I didn't really intend to start this story but I started to write it in form of an Advent calendar for Col (AmiserableLove) and it got completely out of control. So these are the first seven 'doors'. I will probably update this story twice a week, depending on the length of the single parts.

This story will contain speculations about the spoiler pics we've gotten so far. Nothing concrete but if you want to remain completely unspoiled you shouldn't read this story!

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

This was familiar. This was what he knew. This was where he belonged. On his ship. In the Captain's quarters. Henry was safe. Pan was finally dead. Rumplestiltskin had killed him after forcing him back into his own body and Emma could enjoy spending some well deserved time with the lad. But he felt hollow, without purpose, alone. His fingers hovered over the rum bottle before he shook his head, grabbing it and throwing it on the bed. Rum was not the solution.

~K&E~

She wondered how long the quiet would last. How long it would take until the next disaster would destroy the peace again. But for right now it seemed they actually got a break. A break she needed desperately. Time to spend with her parents, with her son. She looked to the couch, a small smile grazing her lips as she saw them all huddled together, their eyes fixated on the TV screen. Her family. Her loved ones. But still she felt as if something was missing. As if someone was missing.

~K&E~

"A one time thing ... this is not a contest ... you are a pirate ... and you chose your friend?" He couldn't sleep, her words coming back to him over and over again. Would she ever see the man behind the pirate? Would she ever trust him enough to let him in her heart? Would she ever be able to love him? Or would she choose to stay alone, stay safe, protecting her heart for eternity? Did he even have a chance?

~K&E~

The apartment was quiet. Everyone was asleep. Curling her fingers around the tumbler of scotch in her hand, she leaned against the window, staring out into the night, the mast of his ship visible as a darker shadow against the moonlit darkness of the sky. Her mind hadn't shut up as she was lying in bed earlier, trying to fall asleep, his lilting voice coursing through her brain.

'I never thought I'd be capable of letting go of my first love. Of my Milah. To believe that I could find someone else. That is until I met you.'

Now in the silence of the night, finally being completely alone, she could admit to herself that the kiss had actually meant something. She hadn't expected it to mean something. But the moment her lips had met his, the fire had rushed trough her body, making her dizzy, the urge to never let him go all consuming. Even as he had leaned back she had followed him, not wanting the kiss to just end yet. Needing it to last just a few seconds longer.

'When I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it. It won't be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me.'

She hadn't wanted to think about it, Henry's safety all she could think about back then. But he was safe now. Pan was finally defeated and there was nothing else that could distract her from the things he had told her, from the feelings his words elicited in her.

She wasn't immune to his advances. Never had been. But now they weren't innuendos anymore. Now there were true feelings involved. He had told her. In clear words, unmistakable, that he was in love with her, that he hoped she would love him back one day.

She didn't know what she was feeling when it came to him. But she wanted him near her, wanted to feel him by her side. She missed him here in Storybrooke. She could admit to that. She had gotten accustomed to his presence, knowing that he was always only a step away, ready to help her in any way she needed him.

'As you wish, milady.'

Her mouth curled up into a soft smile, her heart skipping a beat as she remembered the two occasions he had said those exact words. She knew he didn't know the movie but she still thought it was his way of telling her that he loved her. His way to remind her that he wouldn't go anywhere. That he would stay.

Her eyes flickered back to the mast, staring at it for quite some time before she suddenly put the tumbler down on the window sill and turned towards the door.

She wanted to see him. Now! She couldn't wait until the morning.

Her hands reached for her jacket, her eyes searching for her boots and a minute later she closed the door quietly behind her, her heart beating faster as she pulled the zipper up, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket, letting out a deep breath, her mouth tilting up into a grin as she started to walk.

~K&E~

She didn't breathe. He had lost her. She was gone. His throat closed up, his lungs were burning from lack of oxygen. He couldn't breathe. Not when she wasn't breathing.

Killian shot up in bed, his chest heaving, his hand balled into a tight fist, his heart galloping. He had dreamed it again. A dream he was having every night since the day she almost drowned. A nightmare in which she didn't wake up. In his dream they were too late, her chest didn't rise, her face remaining pale, her lungs filled with water.

He drew in ragged breaths, forcing himself to unclench his hand, raising it to pinch his nose with his fingers, desperately trying to erase the images of her lifeless body out of his head.

She was fine. She was alive.

Inhaling a deep breath, he held it for a second before he released it slowly, repeating the action over and over again until his heart stopped racing in his chest.

He had just laid back on the pillow as he suddenly heard a sound, an unfamiliar creaking of the floorboards, tentative steps outside his cabin and he reached for his sword, letting out a silent curse when he remembered he was naked under the sheet. His hand tightened around the hilt as the doorknob turned around slowly, the door opening only a small crack so that the person could slip into the room.

His cabin wasn't completely dark, moonlight shining in through the windows, reflecting from her golden hair and he relaxed immediately, loosening the grip he had on the sword, wondering in the same moment what she was doing on his ship, in his cabin, in the middle of the night.

"Hook?" Her voice drifted towards him, barely above a whisper. "You awake?"

"Aye!" He replied, his voice still hoarse from sleep, irrational relief washing over him upon seeing her, standing alive and healthy in front of him.

"Can I … can we have some light in here?"

Her voice sounded a little shaky and slightly annoyed and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. She apparently wasn't sure either why she came to him. The tone of her voice suggesting that she already regretted her decision.

"As you wish, milady."

Her heart thumped hard against her rib cage as his lilting voice uttered the already familiar words. He had said it again. For the third time. And a small part of her wished he would have said something else this time.

You insane? You asked him to turn on the lights and expect him to tell you he loves you?

She was clearly losing her mind. For almost a decade she hadn't let anyone near her, closing herself off, choosing a lonely life instead of risking to get hurt again.

Granted, she had let people into her life after Henry showed up at her doorstep. Lowering her walls bit by bit for her son and later for her parents. But they were family.

She never thought she would be able to let a man anywhere near her heart again. But he had sneaked up on her, constantly surprising her on their search for Henry, never leaving her side, being there whenever she needed him, knowing instinctively when she needed reassurance, never losing faith in her.

She had missed having his silent support over the last few days. She had missed him.

Her eyes snapped back to him as she heard the rustling of the sheet, her breath hitching in her throat when the moonlight fell on his naked chest, sudden want slamming into her, making her wonder if it had been such a wise decision to come here tonight.

But it was too late to back away now. She would not show him how much he affected her. However, her resolution almost went up in smoke as he lit the lantern on the window sill, the angle of his body causing the sheet to slip over his thigh, revealing even more naked skin to her eyes and she actually had to bite her tongue to keep herself form cursing out loud.

Damn!

He was completely naked under the sheet! The fucking pirate slept naked!

God! You should have stayed home! This was a bad idea! A horrible idea!

And then he stood up, holding the sheet together with his hand and she couldn't keep her eyes from wandering over his naked torso, admiring the hair fanning out over his chest, following the fair line down his stomach, letting her eyes rake over his clear defined muscles. But what affected her the most were the scars covering his whole body, scars that were telling their own story. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the deep red marks the straps of his contraption must have left behind.

She'd never given it a thought how exactly the contraption was fastened to his arm and a wave of sadness rushed through her as the realization hit her how much pain he was willing to endure every day to wear the hook and a small voice in her head wondered if he might embrace the pain as kind of a penance for not having been able to save Milah.

Her eyes fell on his stump and anger bubbled up in her as she stared at the abrupt end of his left arm, at the scarred tissue covering it.

She still didn't know the whole story but from the little information she had gathered Milah had decided to sail with him, abandoning her husband and son and falling in love with a pirate.

Though Emma doubted Milah had fallen in love with him right away, the adventures his life style offered her too much of a temptation. She had probably run away from a life that had bored her and Emma was the last person who would judge her. Even if the circumstances had been very different and she had given up Henry because she hadn't seen another way, she still felt guilty for abandoning him.

But whatever happened it didn't justify the cruelty of Gold's revenge. He killed his wife and took Hook's hand. Maybe Hook shouldn't have taken Milah with him, maybe Milah should have never run away in the first place but in her eyes they had paid a too high price for their mistakes.

Emma suddenly realized that she had been staring at his stump for quite some time now, a blush rising up her cheeks as she snapped her eyes back to his, meeting his defiant gaze. He clearly expected her to be disgusted and she wasn't surprised that the words that were coming out of his mouth next were another of his sexual innuendos.

"As much as I enjoy your blatant admiration of my glorious body, I assume you are not here to engage in more enjoyable activities."

"You never stop, do you?" Emma asked, a small smile curving up her mouth.

"Well, as you pointed out to me not long ago … I am a pirate."

That he was. But he was also a man. A very attractive man. And she was only a woman. She should flee. She should turn around and leave immediately. The fact that she knew he was naked under the sheet, made her stomach tighten into a hard knot, her fingers itching to rip it away.

But she didn't come here to have sex with him. As much as she was attracted to him, jumping into bed with him had not been on her mind as she decided to go see him.

"Love?" His voice was soft and when she looked up at his face she couldn't detect any mockery in his expression, his eyes tender as he added quietly. "If you want to talk you just have to give me a minute and I will get decent."

"Sure." Emma replied, turning around sharply, staring at the door, hearing him shuffling around behind her.

"You can turn around now."

He was leaning against the desk, wearing his trademark leather pants and a black shirt. Like always the shirt fell wide open over his chest and seeing him in his usual pirate attire made her heart beat faster and when his mouth tilted up into a lopsided grin, his eyes twinkling with slight mischief, she even stopped breathing for a second.

God! I missed you!

The words almost slipped out of her mouth, her heart jumping into her throat. She had really missed him. Had missed hearing his voice. Had missed his endearments. Had just missed him. More than she would have ever thought possible.

"Ready when you are, love."

"I ..." Emma trailed off, suddenly feeling a hard tug in her heart region, his sincere look warming her whole body, making it humming pleasantly and she opened her mouth, her next words surprising her almost as much as him. "Can I sleep here tonight?"

Her body went rigid, her teeth ached as she clenched her jaw together. What had gotten into her?

Sleeping in the same bed together, only sleeping, was an ultimate sign of trust. She hadn't been aware that she already trusted him that much. Didn't know how much she longed for his touch. How much she needed to just be with him. How much she wanted to feel him near her.

She steeled herself for another innuendo, expecting him to not let this golden opportunity slide. But he surprised her. Again.

He only tilted his head, watching her intently for a few seconds before he just nodded. Stepping towards the bed, his hand reached for his shirt and pulling it over his head, he let it drop to the ground but keeping his pants on as he slipped under the sheet, holding it up for her to join him. She sat down beside him, leaning down to unlace her boots, her fingers fumbling with the hem of her sweater, taking it off and letting it slip on the floor before she laid down beside him.

Turning around, she stared across the cabin, feeling him behind her and without giving it another thought she reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers, pulling their entwined hands in front of her, drawing his body even nearer to hers.

"Good night, Hook." Emma whispered, tempted to press a kiss against his knuckles but knowing that this would take it too far. She wasn't there yet.

"Good night, love."

She closed her eyes, her whole body relaxing as his warmth and scent enveloped her and within minutes she drifted off to sleep, not sure if the words were a dream or reality as she heard his hoarse voice whisper. "I love you."

~K&E~

She was really in his cabin. It hadn't been a vivid dream. She came to him. She was the one who wanted to stay.

He leaned forward, his fingers brushing over her hair, smoothing it down, a smile curving up his lips as she sighed softly, snuggling deeper into the pillow. He had wanted to give her time, expected that she needed some space before he could pursue her. But he didn't even have to seek her out. The doubts that had started to form inside of him got swept away by her appearing on his ship. She apparently needed him as much as he needed her. He knew he still had to tread lightly though, not pushing her too far too fast.

But she was here. With him.

He straightened and walked slowly towards his desk, hearing her stirring behind him and he looked over his shoulder, a grin spreading out on his face as she stretched herself, her mouth opening in a big yawn.

"Morning!" Emma said sleepily, blinking her eyes a few times before she could see him clearly.

"Good morning, love!" Killian replied softly, turning around and reaching for the contraption on the table, pulling it over his stump and a lump formed in her throat as she watched him, his scarred body making her sick to her stomach. The scars were clearly not only battle wounds. There were scars that had to be from a whip, scars that looked as if someone had branded him and she wondered not for the first time how he'd managed to survive for such a long time.

She slipped soundlessly out of the bed, curling her feet against the cold of the floor but she still stood up, walking slowly towards him. He had shrugged on his shirt, just clicking the hook into the contraption as she stretched out her hand and put it softly between his shoulder blades.

He turned around then, the silence between them stretching, the tension rising as he looked down at her. She wanted to touch him, wanted to feel him and giving in to the impulse, she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest, suppressing a sigh as she felt his arms coming around her.

"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for letting me stay. Thank you for not trying anything."

"It was my pleasure, love."

She could hear the slight amusement in his voice and she leaned back, looking up into his eyes, her mouth tilting up into a smile, her hand trailing along his neck of its own volition, her fingers curling in the hair at the base of his neck and she leaned forward, bringing her lips closer to his as suddenly a loud growl reverberated through the silence, the ship shaking under their feet, making them stumble.

Emma furrowed her brows, wondering where the sound had come from as suddenly something slammed into her stomach like an invisible fist and she gasped loudly, her eyes searching Hook's, seeing the same astonishment she must be showing on his face and his hand reached for his chest as he seemed to try desperately to catch his breath.

What was happening?

As sudden as it had come the pressure on her stomach ceased, leaving only a dull pain behind as if something was pulling her slightly in a certain direction. She looked up confused, expecting to meet Hook's eyes but he was staring out of the windows, his mouth pressed into a tight line, his hand clenched into a fist beside his body and she followed his gaze, a yelp escaping her as her eyes took in the scenario outside.

An enormous cloud of dirty green smoke was rolling over the town, knocking everything over that couldn't withstand the blast and a shiver ran down her spine as she realized what she was looking at.

A curse. Someone had inflicted another curse on the town and its inhabitants.

Her eyes flicked back to Hook, the breath getting knocked out of her again as fear slammed into her.

"Henry!"

She rushed to the bunk, grabbing her boots and shoving her feet into them. She could hear Hook rummaging behind her and as she straightened he threw the cutlass into her direction, grabbing his own sword and fastening it around his waist. A moment later he reached for his coat, shrugging into it and with two long strides he was at the door, yanking it open.

"Let's go!"

They were out on the pier in seconds, their feet hitting the wooden planks hard since they hadn't even bothered with the gangway but just jumped down over the railing, sprinting towards the town as fast as they could, Emma repeating the same words over and over again in her head as they rushed through the streets towards the apartment.

Please let him be okay! Please don't take him away from me! Not again!

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