The Fatherhood of Killian Jones (or How Captain Hook found his Happy Beginning)
Summary: After an encounter with Emma Swan gives the Captain Hook of the Wish Realm a new lease of life, he decides to get his act together and try to break the curse that keeps him and his daughter apart. This story conflates the two times WHook and Emma met (i.e., Season 6 and 7), and he is his dashing older self during their meeting. Written for WHookWeek, 2018. Day 7: AU/Canon Divergence. A million thanks to ultraluckycatnd for emergency beta-ing the story at the last minute.
A/N: This story is set in the same Storyverse as my 2018 Captain Swan Little Bang fic, Cracked Mirror, which is a canon divergence story where Hook and Charming follow Emma to the Wish Verse to rescue her. I wrote this story after I finished writing Cracked Mirror. Feel free to check it out!
This is the story of the fatherhood of Killian Jones aka Captain Hook, and how he found his Happy Beginning at long last.
Many years ago, an evil witch named Gothel, who was trapped by a spell in an enchanted tower, deceived and used the infamous Captain Hook to conceive a child, only to selfishly and callously abandon the newborn to a cruel fate. A person trapped in the tower could only leave it if another of the same blood was offered as a substitute, and so the witch had left the innocent babe to take her place. Though the arrival of the infant had plunged the pirate captain into unexpected fatherhood, he immediately dived into his duties with determination and handed over his beloved ship and captaincy to his erstwhile First Mate, Smee.
Killian named his daughter Alice in memory of his mother. The next decade or so was filled with unbelievable joy, though tinged with pain. Alice's whole world was confined to the tower. Therefore, Killian tried to bring the whole world to her. He taught her how to read, and got Smee to procure books from distant lands. He longed to teach her the language of the stars, but was limited to the night sky around them. When she was a little older, he began to train her in the use of the sword so she would be able to defend herself. You see—he intended to eventually take his daughter's place, and did everything to prepare her for life outside the towering walls.
It was not all instruction, however. Occasionally, he told her stories of his childhood, of what he remembered of his mother and of her uncle Liam. Sometimes, he would tell Alice of his first love Milah and silently begged the latter's forgiveness for not avenging her death at the hand of the demon, Rumplestiltskin.
Fatherhood changed Killian's life in more ways than one. He learned to cook. Alice had a particular bent toward gardening, and with her father's help, she had a variety of herbs and plants growing in pots and boxes everywhere. Cooking together became a daily ritual that father and daughter enjoyed. They would use the herbs she grew along with Agrabah spices that Uncle Smee brought them every year, and sang sea shanties as they made delicious viands.
Whenever Alice turned restless and melancholy, he would act the fool to make her laugh and have her in stitches in no time. She was ecstatic when he set up a puppet theatre in one corner of the tower room, and took to enacting miniature plays for her. Sometimes, she got obsessed with one activity or game for months, and would pay no heed to anything else. In that, she was a little like Killian himself. Alice loved playing board games; her favorite was chess. When Killian first introduced her to the game, she made him play every night for months. She always chose the black pieces, leaving the white ones for him. In no time, she was beating him more often than not, making her father extremely proud.
Their life was by necessity confined, but by no means unhappy. However, this state of affairs changed one day, and not for the better. When Alice was twelve, Hook encountered Gothel again. Enraged, he attempted to capture her so he could trap her in the Tower again and get his daughter out. However, the witch evaded him and in revenge, placed the Curse of the Poisoned Heart on him. The foul curse prevented Killian from touching his daughter without triggering horrendous pain in both. He could no longer hold his daughter, kiss her, or comfort her. The prison walls narrowed even more for Alice because of his own recklessness. The confusion and hurt on his daughter's face when he told her of it broke his heart. In that moment, he utterly loathed himself.
Alice was fifteen when she disappeared. One evening, Hook returned from his usual errands when he found a note in his daughter's hand informing him that she had found a way to escape the Tower, and she would come back once she had found a cure for the curse that kept them apart. It was too painful, she wrote, to see him every day, but not be close to him. She had placed her favorite black rook on top of the note, telling him that she had taken his white knight. It was a promise, she said, that they would be reunited one day and be free of the dreadful curse.
Hook had no idea how Alice had been able to leave the Tower. Frantic, he searched high and low for her. No tracking spell was able to locate her, which meant either that she had gone to another Realm, or that…. Hook refused to consider the second option. In his heart of hearts, he knew that his daughter was alive. Smee gave his ship back to him, and swore to stay by his side until he found his daughter. Hook spent months looking for portals and magic beans, and using them to seek Alice in distant realms. Occasionally, he would hear a whisper of her presence in some land or the other, but he never found her.
As the months turned to years, Hook slowly lost all hope of ever finding Alice. He turned more and more to drink for comfort and lost all interest in his looks. He let his hair grow long and dank, his clothes turned shabby, and his primary sustenance became rum. Some days, he did nothing but lie in his bunk in the captain's cabin while Smee ran the ship. He knew that he was becoming a laughing stock among pirates, and nobody wanted to be part of his crew, but he could not bring himself to care.
Then, one day, he came across Princess Emma.
His initial plan was to bring the princess to the King and Queen, and claim a reward for returning her safely to their bosom. The reward would be substantial enough to buy him a few magic beans and several barrels of rum. But then, he was confronted with the princess's beau, who claimed to be an alternate version (original, the other man had insisted) of himself. Seeing a younger version of himself, who had seemingly found love and happiness, was more than Captain Hook could take, considering all the misery and heartbreak he himself had been through. He lunged at his other, better self. Unfortunately, the ensuing scuffle left the older pirate with a knife to his chest.
As Captain Hook lay bleeding out on his ship, his only regret was the fact that he would never see his daughter again. He fished out his beloved rook and begged the princess to find his daughter and tell her that her papa had loved her and had never stopped looking for her.
However, what the princess did next was something Killian had never imagined. She looked at him with eyes that saw past the broken shell he now was to the man of honor he had once been. There was pity in her regard, to be sure, but also kindness, and dare he say it—affection. Nobody had looked at him that way—not even his daughter, Alice. To Alice, he had always been her papa—her friend, hero, and champion. She had never seen him at his worst—as a murderous wretch and a drunken sod. But the princess had, and yet chose to believe the best in him. In return, she asked him to believe in her. In that moment, Killian did, astounded at the grace she was freely offering him. And she healed him with her magic—she was his savior.
Captain Hook took a deep pull from his canteen (which surprisingly enough, contained water and not rum as might be supposed) as his horse slowly wended its way through the woods. It was some months since he had encountered Princess Emma of Misthaven, and for a reason the old pirate could not entirely fathom, a long-buried ember of hope had flared up in his heart and things began to change.
For one, he had not touched a drop of liquor in months. The alcohol withdrawal had not been pretty; his loyal First Mate, Smee, had borne the brunt of the worst of it. After a particularly frightening episode, Smee went in search of a healer. He came back with a witch, who took one look at the pirate captain and blanched. After a trial of many different charms and potions, what finally worked was a de-aging spell that had the pirate looking thirty years younger, and swearing off drink for good.
He then set out to find his daughter with renewed hope.
Killian reached the tower by the afternoon. His plan was to look carefully through the tower room to see if he had missed any clues as to his daughter's whereabouts. The long and arduous climb to the top certainly felt easier now that he had his younger body back (he was still getting used to that). When he hooked his namesake appendage on the windowsill and swung himself into the room, Captain Hook received his first shock of the day. Standing in the middle of the room, a trembling hand holding his daughter's cutlass, stood Princess Emma.
"Princess…?" said Hook with confusion, and took a step toward her.
"Stop!" said the princess, her voice wavering. "Don't come any closer."
A horrible feeling of déjà vu washing over Killian, rendering him immobile for a moment. Then, moving swiftly, he grabbed the cutlass from the woman's hand and held it against her throat.
"Reveal your true self, witch, before I slit your pretty throat." he ground out, even as he tried to control his fury. Did the witch dare imagine he would fall for this trick again?
Tears immediately pooled in the woman's eyes; she looked terrified. Killian had a momentary qualm, but held his sword steady.
"I am not a witch," the woman faltered out.
"Then who the devil are you?"
"Princess Emma of Misthaven."
"And I am the genie of Agrabah," he mocked.
"You are?" said the princess, wide-eyed.
Killian felt another flicker of uncertainty, but he resolutely pushed it down.
"Of course not. I'm Captain Hook."
The princess sucked in a sharp breath. "Please don't hurt me. My parents will reward you generously if you let me go."
"What the devil are you playing at?"
"Nothing…" said the princess, doe-eyed and apprehensive.
Killian held her gaze for a few seconds longer, and then pushed himself away. He felt unsure of his next course of action. If she was a witch in disguise, his sword wouldn't be enough to stop her in any case. And if she wasn't….
"My apologies," he said, lowering the cutlass, but not setting it down, just in case. "I had a bad experience in the past with a witch in this very tower."
The princess, if she was that, touched her hand to her throat. She looked at him uncertainly, the apprehension not leaving her face.
"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. At least—as long as you can convince me of your story. What you are doing in this tower? How did you get here?"
"I…I don't know how I got here," said the princess.
Killian narrowed his eyes. "You expect me to believe that?"
A defiant look came into the princess's eyes. "Why should I explain myself to you? What motive did you have in climbing the tower, sir?"
Killian looked at her consideringly. "Hmm…fair enough." He finally set the cutlass down. "Look, Princess, or whoever you are. I've had a long and tiring ride. How about I have a glass of water, and then we can catch each other up on our stories."
The princess looked wary, but nodded her head in agreement after a moment. He went over to the water casks, which luckily were not empty, filled his canteen, took a deep draft, and looked around, taking in the changes. The various plants and herbs of his daughter's garden looked better tended to than the last time he'd been here. The princess must have been using them for sustenance, along with whatever dried and pickled food was leftover in the pantry. The furniture looked dusted, but some of the items had been rearranged.
He sat down in his former customary chair, which was still in its old spot, and gestured to the princess to sit as well. She sat down almost on the very edge of the bed, as if she was ready to jump up at a moment's notice.
"You…you really are Captain Hook?" she began.
"Ah, so you've heard of me." He could not help being a tiny bit pleased. He was donned in his old red vest and long leather duster, which made him look rather dashing, in his estimation.
"Yes, but I thought he was…um…" the princess petered out, taking in his appearance, and then glanced away quickly with a blush.
Killian's face fell. Whatever the princess may have heard of Captain Hook, it would not have been flattering in the least. Besides, his days of charming bar wenches and adoring maidens were long past. Even before he had turned into a drunken mess, he had given up any and all flirtations when he had become a father. Clearing his throat, he said, "How long have you been here?"
"Since my birthday," she replied.
"Your birthday…?" Killian distinctly remembered the princess's birthday because that was the night he had met Princess Emma (as he had thought) and his other self. "But that was more than three months ago."
"Yes…" said Emma, and suddenly broke down in gusty sobs.
Killian did not know what to do. The lass seemed genuine enough, and he could hardly bear the sight of her tears. At the same time, he had not gotten over his distrust. And yet…. He got up and rummaged around the room for one of Alice's handkerchiefs, and handed it to the princess. She accepted the handkerchief, hiccoughing a little, and dried her tears and blew her nose with it. Killian handed her a glass of water. She thanked him as she took a sip.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"That's okay, love," said Killian gently. "Tell me all about it. It will do you good to talk."
The whole story tumbled out. According to the princess, the morning of her birthday, she had woken up, only to find herself not in her bedroom in the castle, but in this very tower. She had tried to climb down the window by knotting blankets together, but the spell on the tower had buffeted her back each time. None of her cries for help were overheard, and Killian was the first person she had seen ever since.
When Killian had met Princess Emma and the other Captain Hook all those months ago, they had told him that they were from another realm—a realm not unlike his, except for the fact that the Evil Queen had won. She had cast a dark curse that had transported all the inhabitants of Misthaven to a land without magic in order to take away their happy endings. Emma was the Savior (she was not just his savior as it turned out) who broke the curse. According to them, the Evil Queen had wished her away to this realm to get her out of the way of her nefarious new plans.
Killian had known, of course, that Queen Snow and King David were searching far and wide for their missing daughter, and were offering a substantial reward for anyone who was able to provide information on her whereabouts. He had felt a small pang in commiseration, since he had himself provided the Magic Bean that had let Emma and her paramour escape to a different realm. If the story the woman in front of him was telling was true, thought Killian, when the other Emma had been sent to this realm by the Evil Queen's wish, the original Princess Emma of this realm had been banished to this enchanted tower by some quirk of magic.
Killian tried to explain all this to the princess, but it only puzzled her. He could not blame her. The whole story was rather unbelievable for anyone who had not personally encountered a different version of themselves. Killian then gave her a brief summary of his own tale, as much as it pertained to Alice. The princess looked at him with compassion when he finished his story.
"I came here to see if there were any clues I may have overlooked in the past that could tell me where my daughter went, or even how she left this damned tower. Pardon my language, Princess."
"That's alright. The dwarfs hardly mind their tongues when my parents aren't around and sometimes even when they are," she said with a giggle. "I will help you look."
They systematically sifted through every inch of the tower room as Killian regaled the princess with stories about his daughter, but found nothing. Killian finally sat down in defeat and bowed his head. For a moment, the weight of the disappointment crushed him. Every time he became hopeful, his hopes were inevitably dashed to the ground.
He looked up startled when the princess laid a gentle hand on his arm.
"I am so sorry about your daughter. I can only imagine how worried you must be about her."
"As must your parents be for you, Princess," said Killian, giving her a humorless smile. "Well, I will go to them and tell them where to find you. You'll be reunited with them in no time."
Killian had expected the princess to be elated, but she remained silent. She bent her head down, twisting her hands together and frowning. She then raised her face to meet his eyes.
"I don't want you to tell my parents that you found me," she said, a touch of steely determination in her voice.
"What? Why not?"
"Because of what you said—that the only way for me to leave this tower is if someone else of my own blood takes my place. The only family I have are my parents and my little brother. I cannot let either one of my parents sacrifice themselves for my sake. They don't deserve it, and neither does my brother to be left without either one of them."
Killian's eyes softened. He gently clasped her hands in his. "They will not look upon it as a sacrifice. I would gladly have taken my daughter's place without a second's thought."
"I know," said Emma, a few tears leaking out of her lovely eyes. "And that's why I cannot let them. I know you will lose any reward…"
"Love, I don't care about that," he broke in, tenderly brushing the stray tears away. "My daughter found a way to leave her prison. I'm sure your parents will be able to find something with the resources at their disposal."
"Please," she insisted. "When you find your daughter and she tells you how she got out, you can come back and rescue me."
"Lass, you shouldn't be putting your faith in me. I'm a failure. I have been looking for my daughter for years, and still haven't found her."
"I know you'll find her," said the princess with a confidence that left him baffled but pleased. "I'll wait here until then, however long it takes."
Killian was astounded at her determination. He could not help noticing the differences between the two versions of Princess Emma he had met. The other Emma had been bold and outspoken, unlike the woman currently sitting before him, who appeared a soft and timid creature at first glance. However, it seemed that this princess possessed an inner strength of purpose that was as strong as her counterpart's. Perhaps, no matter where she was born, Princess Emma was always destined to have a kind and generous heart, and a courageous disposition. And if the two realms of Misthaven were intertwined in other ways, did that mean that Captain Hook was always meant to find Princess Emma? Killian immediately suppressed this stray and dangerous thought. What on earth was he thinking, imagining that he had a chance with a princess of the kingdom?! The mere idea was ludicrous.
As he was mentally scolding himself and trying very hard not to admire the effect of the soft rays of the setting sun against the alabaster skin of the princess, there was a ripple across the room, and Captain Hook received his second shock that day. He turned his head to the source of the disturbance. It was originating from a mirror on the wall. There was a brief shimmer, and then, Alice tumbled into the room.
Killian jumped up, his mouth hanging open.
"Alice…?" he asked, stretching out his hand towards his little girl in disbelief.
The girl straightened up, looked at him, and broke out in a wide smile.
"Papa? Is that really you? You look so young," she said, laughing and crying.
"Yes, it's me. It's a long story," he said, tears freely coursing down his own cheeks. The next moment Alice launched herself across the room straight into his arms before he could stop her.
Searing pain hit as the magic of the curse threw him backwards. His body hit the wall and he slumped down to the floor. Alice clutched her wrist and cried out in pain at the same time. As Killian lay panting on the floor, clutching his heart in agony, he saw the princess rush up to his daughter and gently lead her to a cot. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing steadily as the pain slowly began to subside. Half-consciously, he felt someone sliding a pillow behind his head, and after some time, he slowly opened his eyes. Alice was sitting on her bed looking contritely at him.
When she saw that he was able to talk, she said, "I'm so sorry, Papa. It's been forever since I saw you, that I lost my head."
Killian smiled and shook his head, as he sat up straighter. "It's okay, darling. It's okay. I'm just so happy to see you."
"And I you," she replied.
He then took in her appearance properly. She was no longer the little girl of fifteen he had known. In her place was a smart and lovely young woman of twenty odd years. He felt a twinge of sorrow at the thought of having missed so many years of his daughter's life, but the joy and gratitude he felt at seeing her alive and whole after all these years was almost more than he could bear.
"So, Papa, who is that?" she asked, nodding to her left.
Killian turned his head and gave a brief smile when he saw the princess sitting by a window that was farthest from where he and Alice sat, pretending to be absorbed in a book. For a moment, he had completely forgotten about her. He now called her over, and made the introductions. His daughter was very excited on learning that the mystery woman was none other than the princess, and after everything Killian had told the latter about his daughter, Princess Emma seemed very pleased to meet Alice in turn.
"And, Papa," said Alice, turning to him suddenly, and trembling with excitement. "I haven't told you the best part yet."
Killian looked at her expectantly.
"I've found a way to break our curse."
Killian was dumbfounded.
Alice then rooted through the various pouches hanging from her waist and pulled out an innocuous-looking mushroom. "Now, all we need to do is brew a tea using this mushroom and drink it."
Killian looked at the mushroom suspiciously. "Are you sure it's safe, Starfish?"
"Oh yes. I met someone in Wonderland who had been poisoned with the same curse, and they were the one who told me of this mushroom."
"Who was it? Are you sure we can trust them?"
For some reason, Alice blushed. "Her name is Robyn. And yes, I trust her."
Killian stared at his daughter in surprise at her reaction, but before he could ask her any more questions, Alice moved to the stove and began to boil some water in a pot. Killian let the mystery pass for the moment, as he was more interested to see whether the cure would work or not.
The Princess took out two empty mugs from a kitchen cabinet and set it on the counter. When the water started boiling, Alice turned off the fire and dropped the mushroom into the seething water. She counted down five minutes, and then poured the brew into the two waiting mugs.
Killian felt faint with tension as he took one of the mugs while Alice took the other. They slowly took a sip. The liquid tasted bitter, but as he drained the mug, it seemed to settle warmly in his stomach. Killian and Alice set down their mugs and stood gazing at each other.
"Moment of truth," said Alice.
His heart in his throat, Killian reached out to take his daughter's outstretched hand in his. As he clasped it, Killian winced automatically in expectation of the jolt of pain that would follow, but it never came. Father and daughter stood stunned and motionless as the realization sank in. The Curse of the Poisoned Heart, which had kept them apart for so long, was broken at last. The next moment, they embraced fiercely, laughing and crying, unable to let go of each other. Killian kissed his daughter on her forehead again and again.
"Oh, Starfish. You did it! You broke the curse. I'm so proud of you!"
Alice beamed at him.
Princess Emma then offered her congratulations.
They thanked her, and Alice spontaneously hugged Emma in her happiness. Killian had to fight the urge to do the same.
"Alice, love," said Killian. "How did you get out of this place without me, and how are you back?"
"I'll tell you everything, Papa. But, I'm so hungry. Could we eat something first?" she asked with a look that always reminded Killian of an innocent pup, and had him scrambling to fulfil her every whim as a child.
"I'll make you something," he said, immediately jumping up, happy to cook a meal for his daughter once again.
When Alice was fifteen, a talking white rabbit had shown up in the tower one day. After learning of her predicament, the rabbit had offered up a solution. The rabbit told her that it was possible to get to a realm called Wonderland through an enchanted looking glass. Going through an enchanted mirror was unlike travelling through other portals. Its magic would consider the Other Side as a mirror image of the original, and as such, normal rules might not apply. They tested this hypothesis, and found that it worked. For the first time in her life, Alice stepped out of the tower. However, an unexpected caveat was that the Tower's spell prevented Alice from coming back to this realm anywhere except through here. No matter what portal or magic she tried (and she said she had tried plenty), the entry point was always the Tower Room. And so, Alice had spent the last few years wandering the realms, and father and daughter had somehow missed meeting each other in all their travels.
"Darling, that doesn't matter anymore," said Killian. "We can live in Wonderland or anywhere you wish. I'll get Smee to bring the Jolly Roger to Wonderland and from there we can sail anywhere you like. We never have to come back to this Realm," said Killian. He glanced fleetingly at Emma as he said this, and saw hope dawn in her eyes.
"I too can leave this tower, and go to Wonderland with you," said Emma with delight.
Killian smiled at her. "That's right, love. Your parents will be happy to join you there."
Her face fell as she considered the implications. However, her parents uprooting their lives to stay with their daughter in a different realm was substantially a better option than one of them being trapped forever in this tower in her place. She fell silent once more, perhaps to mull over her choices.
Night fell as they continued talking, and Killian lit some lamps to give them light. They decided to rest for the night in the tower, and leave for Wonderland in the morning. Alice recounted stories of her many adventures, some of which had Killian shaking in his boots at the thought of his daughter braving all kinds of danger by herself.
"Papa, you taught me well. As you can see, I can take good care of myself," said Alice, smiling brightly.
Killian kissed his daughter's head fondly.
"I've never travelled to a different realm," said the princess wistfully. "My parents were always so worried that the Evil Queen might come back that they never let me go anywhere by myself."
"Well, now you can, with us," said Alice, smiling at her.
"Thank you. You are both very kind."
"Not at all, love," said Killian, briefly squeezing her hand. "It's the least we can do."
They continued to talk long into the night, but eventually both Alice and Emma nodded off. Killian gently lifted his daughter and tucked her into her bed just as he used to do when she was a little girl. He tried shaking the princess awake, but she seemed as hard to awaken as Alice. Sighing, Killian carried her to the other cot in the room. He had to fight the overwhelming urge to kiss her on the forehead as he covered her with a blanket. Then, he stretched out on a mat on the floor by Alice's cot and fell asleep.
The dawn chorus of birds woke the occupants of the tower one by one the next morning. After breakfast, Killian left to feed his horse and return the beast to its stable in the nearest town. Once that was done, he bought some sweetmeats as a special treat for his daughter and the princess. He made his way back on foot, happily imagining the day when Alice would see the Jolly Roger for the first time, and planning all the realms they could travel to, while trying to come up with a scenario that would extend his time with Princess Emma. Preoccupied with his thoughts, he did not notice a shadow fall across his path.
A high-pitched giggle broke through his thoughts, and Killian looked up sharply to see the last person he had imagined standing in front of him, twirling his hands in glee.
Rumplestiltskin.
"You…" said Killian. "What are you doing here? How did you get out of the castle dungeons?"
Rumplestiltskin giggled again.
"Well, dearie…I am here to rescue Princess Emma," he replied.
Killian made an involuntary movement, which did not go unnoticed by the demon. He gleamed in satisfaction.
"Desperate souls take the most desperate measures. After searching for their missing daughter in vain for months, the King and Queen made a deal with me. They let me out, in exchange for me finding their daughter. And so, I cast a locator spell, which led me all the way to…you, apparently."
Killian remained silent.
"I heard that Captain Hook had turned into a fat, drunken fool. However, it seems I have been misinformed. You have been kidnapping princesses, apparently, to add to the list of women you have stolen away from their families."
"Shut up," seethed Killian. "What do you know about family?"
Rumple's expression turned sour.
"I know more than you do. Thirty years in the dungeons, and when I got out, you know what I found? My True Love reduced to a bag of bones in the Evil Queen's prison, and my son Baelfire long dead and gone."
Killian was taken aback. While he had long ago given up his quest for revenge, he had by no means thought of Rumplestiltskin with any kindly feelings. But now, he felt a small measure of sympathy for the man standing before him. However, he was not fool enough to suddenly start trusting the Dark One. If he found Princess Emma and Alice, there was no knowing what he might do. Killian had to stall him somehow and keep him from discovering the tower.
"Be that as it may, you are mistaken," said Killian. "I do not know where the princess is."
"You think you can lie to the Dark One? I know this realm like the back of my hand, and if the locator spell led me here, there is only one place where the princess could be, and I don't need your help to find her." And so saying, the demon shot Killian a look of pure hatred and disappeared in a plume of purple smoke.
Heart thudding, Killian dropped everything he was carrying and ran full tilt towards the tower, not having any way to warn Alice and the princess, hoping and praying that they might be able to escape to Wonderland through the mirror. He finally reached the tower, and not allowing himself any time to catch his breath, he climbed up and swung himself into the room, terrified at what he might find.
The minute he stepped inside, a blurred figure ran at him full tilt, almost knocking him down with the force of her embrace.
"Papa! You're okay," said the figure. "Emma and I were so worried."
Untangling himself from his daughter's embrace, he only had one question. "Where is he? Rumplestiltskin?" he asked, frantically looking about him, half expecting the imp to jump out of some hidden corner.
All he saw was the princess, looking a little dazed, and the enchanted mirror, lying shattered on the floor. He glanced questioningly at the two women.
"Rumplestiltskin was here," said Alice. "He figured out that I am your daughter and tried to hurt me. But the Princess saved my life. She shot light magic at him and pushed him straight through the mirror, and I cracked it to keep him from coming back."
"I used magic," said the princess, still looking a little dazed, as she flexed her hands and glanced at them as if she could hardly believe what she had done. "I never knew I could."
Killian's knees buckled in relief, and he abruptly sat down. Alice joined him on the floor, as did Emma. He started laughing as relief washed over him, and the two women joined in. They had been bloody brilliant. Amazing! He could not stop praising them, or thanking Princess Emma enough. If Killian had not fallen in love with the princess the day before, he had now. He looked at her with admiration as she blushed and smiled at his compliments.
Once the relief wore off, their mood lowered as they realized that Alice and the princess were back to being trapped in the tower. Even if Killian were to find a magic bean, get to Wonderland, and look for Alice's friend the White Rabbit, there was now the added problem of how they would avoid running into an angry Rumplestiltskin.
Their only way forward seemed to be for Killian to go to the monarchs along with a letter from the princess explaining everything. Then, perhaps, the King and he would take the place of Emma and Alice until they could come up with another solution. Alice and the princess were not happy with the plan, but reluctantly agreed.
"Wait. I think Emma should try her magic," said Alice in sudden inspiration. He didn't know when her daughter and the princess had progressed to first names, but that little detail only served to make Killian happy.
"Wait, what?"
"Alice is right," said Killian, catching his daughter's enthusiasm. And perhaps, he was curious to watch the princess in action.
"I can't do it again," said the princess, in alarm. "I've no idea what I even did. It was likely a fluke."
"Give it a try, love. You are the product of True Love—the magic is part of you," said Killian in encouragement. After all, he had seen the other Emma perform magic.
Emma looked at him doubtfully.
"You've never had to use it until now. Perhaps, all it needed was a little push for your magic to manifest."
With encouragement from both Alice and Killian, the princess agreed to give it a try. They all got up and moved closer to a window. Princess Emma closed her eyes and concentrated while she flexed her hands in a twirling motion.
Two beams of white light erupted from her palms and hit the window, only to meet an invisible barrier and bounce right back. They groaned. The princess tried her magic at every window in the room, only to meet with the same result.
"I'm sorry," said Emma, in a defeated tone. "My magic is not strong enough."
As Alice consoled her, Killian had a sudden flash of remembrance. Gothel had needed a magical flower to escape from this tower in addition to the blood substitute…. He scrunched his forehead, annoyed at himself for having forgotten this detail. Quickly explaining the situation to the two women, he left the tower in search of the flower. He returned some hours later, weary, but successful in his quest, and the princess tried her magic again.
This time, it worked. Her magic blasted right through the invisible magical barrier surrounding the tower. Emma and Alice jumped up and down, holding each other, screaming with joy. Then, to his astonishment, the princess abruptly hugged Killian, and thanked him. The pirate blushed down to the roots of his hair.
"I should be the one to thank you, Princess," he managed to stammer out, scratching his ear nervously.
"Thank you for believing in me."
They stood staring at each other for a few moments, until Alice broke the silence by clearing her throat. The princess turned away, blushing furiously, while Alice threw teasing looks at her father.
Princess Emma of Misthaven created quite a stir when she walked into the castle, accompanied by a dastardly pirate and a raggedy lass. The King and Queen took one look at their daughter, jumped up from their thrones and ran down to meet her, embracing her with tears of joy. Killian and Alice stood to the side, feeling out of place at the family reunion. But Emma had stubbornly insisted on dragging them along, and by this point, Killian could not say no to her.
When they finally pulled away, the royal couple's gaze fell upon them—one interested, one wary. "Won't you introduce us to your friends, Emma?" asked the Queen.
"Papa, Mama. This is Captain Killian Jones and his daughter Alice. They were the ones who rescued me."
"Alice? Of Wonderland?" piped up a little voice in awe, which turned out to belong to Emma's little brother, Leo.
"And other places," said Alice in answer, beaming at him. Killian smiled a little at the thought of his daughter seemingly having become popular from her travels.
Queen Snow turned to Killian and said, "Captain Jones. The Kingdom's eternal gratitude is with you and your daughter. You will also get the promised reward for bringing our daughter safely back to us."
Killian bowed and kissed the hand the Queen held out. Straightening up, he said, "We did not do it for the reward, Your Majesty. Besides, the Princess rescued herself, and saved my daughter as well."
"I couldn't have done it without them," said Emma, looking fondly at Killian and Alice.
As they went back and forth, each of them declaiming all merit and praising the other, the King started to turn a little purple, while Queen Snow looked amused and interested.
Some months later, the Jolly Roger, freshly recommissioned as a royal vessel of the Kingdom of Misthaven, set out on its first diplomatic mission, carrying Princess Emma and the Prince Consort, Killian. The prince's daughter Alice and her girlfriend, Robyn, accompanied the newly married couple on their journey, as did Chief Officer Smee. It had taken Emma quite some time to convince her parents to let her go on this journey. They had finally consented after they had apprehended Rumplestiltskin as he tried to sneak into the castle and kidnap the princess. They neutralized his magic using the same method they had applied on the Evil Queen many years ago, enhanced a little by Emma's own magic. With his wife resting her head on his shoulder as she bade farewell to her parents, and his daughter smiling at him in eager anticipation of their voyage, Killian Jones set off on his Happy Beginning.
FINIS