Chapter One: The End is a New Beginning
As Emma drew her cloak close to her body, she slowed her breathing as much as she could to avoid being caught. At least until she was supposed to be. The closer to the throne room she was, the more likely it was that she'd see her parents rather than being dragged to the dungeons. Emma was no longer sure how alike she looked to when she was eighteen. Now she was twenty-five and a full grown woman with her son at home aboard the Jolly Roger with the crew whom she trusted with Henry's life.
The click of her heels echoed as she rushed down the hall, taking a hard left before starting into a full run. She was so close now, seconds away from the-
"Stop there! Now!" A guard shouted. She heard a sword exit it's sheath as the man ran after her. Her sudden intake of air was like breathing in icy water that could drown her in a moments notice. But at this point it was make it or die. And like Killian, Emma was a survivor.
When she pushed her way through the giant doors, all eyes fell on her. Including those of Snow White and Prince Charming. The King and Queen. Mother and Father.
Quickly she pulled the hood off her head as guards grabbed her by the arms. Her long blonde curls spilled out on her shoulders as she spoke, "It's me. The Lost Princess."
Emma sat on one side of a very long table with her parents on the other side. They were skeptical, untrusting. But in their hearts they wanted to believe this tall tale that she was about to tell.
"They call me Emma Swan. Though technically now, it's Emma Jones. I've taken a husband, five years ago. His name is Killian Jones. He's captain of a ship. That's why I've come.."
"How do we know this is true? Our daughter, Emma, she would never do such a thing. To break into the castle, run from guards." Charming asked carefully. Snow was barely containing her emotions. Both tears and the urge to rush across the table and collect her daughter in a hug.
"Father, seven years is a long time. I've changed. I can tell you anything. I'll tell you it all." said Emma, desperation in her voice. She needed their help, no matter the cost.
"How did you disappear?" Snow asked quietly, holding Charming's hand in her own.
"You'd asked me to marry Prince Neal. I couldn't do that, not after my parents were the greatest love story of the Enchanted Forest. I had to marry for love. You have to understand. So I packed very little and snuck out in the night, and left for the port where I'd met Killian.. Without ever asking my name, he'd offered me passage to his next stop on the other side of the Enchanted Forest. Along the way we'd fallen in love…"
Emma hurried along the walkway with her cloak tightly pulled around her as she wondered. Her plan worked, but she hadn't really thought about what to do after the plan. So Emma found herself wandering along the port with crewmen pushing past and being generally unpleasant in their state of drunkenness. The moon was high above them, shining on the water, being one of the few lights in the darkness. Emma eventually sat down on the edge of the path with her feet dangling over the edge while her dress skimmed the top of the water.
"You alright there, Lass?" Someone asked from behind her. She turned to get a quick look. He was handsome and thankfully not drunken either. The man was in head to toe leather, with his chest partially uncovered. His hair was dark and messy, whilst having the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Almost like he had an ocean in them that she'd love to explore.
"Perfectly. I haven't a place to go or a place to call home." She said miserably. Emma knew she couldn't stay home, but it didn't make this venture easy. She'd grown up in that castle and had never seen beyond its walls.
"Well thats no way for a lady to live. Come with me." He said firmly, offering her his hand, keeping the other behind his back.
"No offense but I'm not sure that's a good idea." She said nervously, looking back down at the water. She could see his face in the reflection. His smile was easy and understanding. Something deep inside her urged her to simply move closer.
"I'll be a perfect gentleman, Lass. I'm a captain of a ship at the end of the pier. You can claim my room for the night and we'll see what to do in the morning. Does that sound alright to you?"
She nodded and he lead her away to his ship, the Jolly Roger.
"You just… Left with him? Forgot all about your kingdom and family?" Charming asked sadly, placing both palms on the wooden table, leaving fingerprints on the polish.
"I had to, I needed to find my way in this world. Find real love like your own, and build my own family. I have Killian and Henry now." Emma smiled, pushing a sketch forward across the table. It was drawn weeks ago by a woman they'd met upon shore while the crew restocked the ship. The sketch was of herself being held by Killian with Henry in her arms.
"Is this.. Is this your son?" Snow asked wearily, holding a hand to her face to attempt from letting her emotions spill. So Emma only nodded with a wary smile.
"Your grandson, yes." Emma smiled, her son was something that always brought happiness to her even in the darkest of times.
"Can we.. meet him?" Snow asked, trying to not sound eager as Charming placed his palms on her shoulders.
Emma sat quietly, unsure what to say. She'd planned to keep them as uninvolved in her life as possible while still rescuing Killian. Whilst knowing that plan would probably never work, she still had hoped. Their son didn't need royalty or riches, or anything that comes with it. He has all the love and happiness he'll ever need.
As long as they get Hook back.
"Maybe some day. But what's important is saving his father. Rumpelstiltskin took him, and I haven't a clue how to save him." Emma said nervously, gripping tightly at the note she'd found that morning a few days past.
Princess,
Your Captains past has come to collect.
The Dark One.
"The Dark One?" Snow gasped, leaning into her husband for support. Today was a whirlwind for her parents, she understood. But if they didn't act soon, she'd lose her husband and she'd never recover.
"Why would a Captain have a history with the Dark One? I've never even heard of a Captain Killian Jones." Charming said, growing frustrated as he pushed the sketch back at Emma across the table.
"That's the thing… Killian was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy under Captain Liam Jones, his brother. They were sent to Neverland under false pretences. Liam lost his life and from that day forward Killian became known by a more colorful moniker…"
"You didn't!" Charming bellowed, echoing through the room with such ferocity that she hardly remembered her father encompassed. Snow had her head bowed in a shame that Emma had never seen before. It struck her deep down in the princess inside her. But the pirate in her was far more prickly and fierce.
"I did, Father!" Emma yelled, standing from her seat. "I love him! He made his mistakes, but so have you! You certainly haven't heard any horror stories of Captain Hook in the past seven years, now have you?" She yelled, taking the sketch in her hands as she stormed away from the table, to exit the castle as quickly as possible. She was going to have to save Hook on her own, the only question was how.
Killian watched Emma walk across the deck of the Jolly Roger in a large red dress that complimented her in every way. They'd decided to forgo traditions, since the wedding was already different in it's own way. Guests being their crew and their closest friends. As he watched his soon to be wife cross the deck, he could hear the soft singing of his close friend Ariel, though they weren't always close.
Emma's smile warmed him thoroughly like a nice glass of rum while watching the waves. Her dress skirted across the planks, quickly she covered her face as she laughed quietly to herself, stopping suddenly. Killian crossed the distance between them and took her into his arms as he laughed with her. It was pure innocence, the way he held her. No expectations or needs. Just warm arms around her, she felt the vibrations of his light laugh in her chest. She felt his hand move to the back of her head, his fingers tangling into her long blonde hair.
Everything he did made her feel needed. Wanted.
As he pulled away, she could feel his hook around her wrist. She watched as he stared at her intently, like he would happily stay in that moment with her forever. Even if it meant he'd never sail the oceans again. She would stay with him even if it meant saying goodbye to land forever.
They both turned to the only priest they'd been able to find that was willing to marry an infamous villain turned lover and the girl with no name. His name had been Leroy. In a pinch, it was good enough. A wedding wasn't what they were wanting, but a marriage was what they dreamed of. Running the Jolly Roger together with kids running the halls and commanding the ship like a Captain already. So the wedding was just a step along the way.
"Emma, you'll always be a princess to me. I'd sail the realms for you, fight every foe and risk my life- just for you. I'm your Pirate, just as you are my Swan." Killian said carefully, pushing a blonde lock from her welling eyes. His hook was carefully hooked around her wrist like a calm hand in hers.
"Killian, my captain. You found me when I needed love the most, and I hope that one day you'll know how much that means to me. I can't wait to spend forever with you." Emma whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. Hook wiped them away as Leroy pronounced them Man and Wife. For a moment, they just stared at one and other with smiles on their faces before Emma made the first move and closed the distance. Her hands moved to his chest as she smiled into his lips.
Cheers erupted around them, they could almost feel them through the planks beneath their feet. Two years in the making, and now they were finally a forever deal.
Emma was dashing down the hall hoping that there were no guards sent after her to foil her escape. She wasn't a hundred percent sure what her parents would do in this state, so she didn't want to rock the boat. She needed to return to Henry and the drawing board because Killian has been gone for three days, and she didn't want to bet on the Dark Ones temper.
It was when he came to her last turn that she came to a dead stop. On a wall to her right was a large painting of herself, one she'd never seen before. Emma saw a younger version of herself in a long blue dress without a hint of a smile. It was like staring at a ghost. Only after a few moments did she realize it was the painting someone had done of her the day of her wedding announcement to Prince Neal. She dug deep into her pockets to reveal the sketch of herself and her family. She pressed it up next to the painting to examine it.
Was that even her? Emma stood there questioning that for what seems like ages.
"The painting does you no justice." Snow whispered from her spot at the end of the hall, unmoving. Emma's breathing stilled, as instinct screamed at her to run.
But her heart told her that this was the only way she could save Hook.
"I feel very different now than I did that day." Emma whispered uncomfortably.
"It's written all over your face." Her mother said, although bittersweet.
"I guess true love does that to you, but you'd know about that." Emma said, trying to maintain a smile, despite her sorrows.
"He's your true love?" Her mother gasped, looking her daughter up and down as if to search every surface for a sign that what she was saying was true.
"Absolutely. There came a time where he saved me through it. I'd nearly died when I gave birth to Henry. Without him, I would have never made it." Emma said quietly. When she finally met her mother's gaze, she wasn't sure what the Queen was thinking.
"Bring Henry ashore, I assume he's on the ship. And of the crew are welcome in this castle although I assume they want to help save the Captain. We start planning tonight. Just promise me one thing, Emma." Snow said nervously as she stepped forward and took her daughters hand in both of hers carefully.
"And that is?" She asked, whispering so quietly she wasn't sure her mother heard.
"Don't, in any circumstance, head into this battle."
When Emma nodded, she felt herself sickened by her blatant and unforgivable lie. But Emma wasn't going to have this baby without it's father.
The room was all made of rock, except for the the jailhouse cage doors covering one side of the room. There was no light at all, Killian couldn't see his own hook. He'd spent hours pounding on the walls looking for a weakness that seemed to not exist. Killian had no idea how long he'd been down here. He's gotten two meals throughout the whole ordeal, his most recent one taken from him when he refused to stop screaming her name. Emma, Emma, Emma, piercing through the dark cave where he may just spend forever.
Killian had a growing family to return to, and he refused for this situation to be a forever deal.
The night before he'd been taken had been one of the best days of his life. Killian never expected to be someone with so many great moments, but when his Swan entered his life, every moment was brighter and grander.
She'd told him they were expecting another baby in seven months time. They'd asked each other whether they wanted a boy or a girl. Both of them responded girl easily. They decided that if it were a girl she'd be named Genevieve. Eve for short. And if it were a boy, after his brother Liam.
Smoke swirled around the small room before revealing Rumplestiltskin to him. Killian bit back a snarl as he lunged at the crocodile. "Take me home you bastard! I have a family!" He screamed, trying to hack at him with his hook.
"Funny thing, family is, Hook. You are the reason my Milah is dead and my son motherless. But now your poor pregnant princess and son are alone without their Pirate. Quite sad, wouldn't you say. But now we must complete the princesses destiny that she'd run away from years ago. She must marry my son, and then it's Daddy's turn to play!" Rumple's giggle sent ice down Killian's spine. More so than anything he'd ever experienced before, and that terrified him. Though he couldn't let it show. He was no longer in the company of comfort and family.
Now he was under the Devils roof, and to live, he had to win.