A/N: So once upon a time I took a little hiatus that turned into a huge one. But seeing as every one has their own theories about Blackbeard and scars and all that stuff, I had to do my theorie as well. So I opened my Word and slowly eased into writing again so fair warning: my writing style still might be a little rough. Though I hope you enjoy this little ficlet all the same.

If I
Breathe in the future, breathe out the past
Savour this moment as long as it lasts, let me tell you
Put it back together piece by piece
Put it back together
Make it good

"How did this one happen?"

Ofcourse she picked that one. There were dozen more scars she could've asked the story for, but somehow that one drew her attention. He had felt het fingers lightly grazing the scars on his back during their intimate moment and hadn't thought much of it at the time. He should've known though that she would get curious and start asking questions.

Though they hadn't told anyone about their relationship yet, they were fully invested in it, getting some curious glances from her parents and Henry whenever she would be gone for a long time without a good explanation. They didn't find it necessary to share the news with the world yet. It was easy to just bask in the glow of being in a relationship with a person who mirrored you so well. It also was easier to push the true feelings that were swimming around in their hearts down, waiting to bubble over the surface, because of some mindblowing personal moments. They tried to let their walls down as much as possible around each other, but the pain that they had gone through in their years of living causes scars that you could not see on the surface.

Killian inhaled deeply before shtifting slightly in his small cot, causing Emma to shift with him in a more comfortable position. They still lay intangled in each other's limbs causing some kinks, but Emma just scooted a little closer and placed her chin gently on his chest, finger still lightly tracing the scar as she looked down at it, a soft expression fallen over her face.

"I got that one during a fight." It was a vague answer, he knew it. Even though they promised they would try and let their walls down whenever they were talking about their pasts, it was still hard.

Killian could feel her chuckle lightly vibrating against his side. "Barfight?" She asked, turning her eyes to him to see his reaction. What she saw shocked her in some sort of way. He was staring up at the ceiling and his breathing became a little shallower than before.

"No, it wasn't a fight between pirates either, if that's your next question, love."

Emma placed a light kiss on his chest just above where his heart was beating steadily. She sat up a little straighter and kept her eyes on him, a strong expression on her face even though her voice came out quite soft. "Do you wanna talk about it or...?" She let the question hang in the air, expecting him to turn her down and build up his walls again. It was safe to say that she was once again surprised when he started talking.

Killian shifted again before letting out a small sigh. "I got it from a fight...with my father." His eyes fell shut as the memories started to devour his brain again. Years and years of repressed emotions coming back again and hitting him straight in the gut. He was littered with scars and each of them had hurt when he got them, but this one coming from his own father had always been the most painful one and the most shocking one.

Emma kept quiet and folded her arms over his chest, resting her chin on them as she looked at him and listened further.

"I was five at the time and started to get a little rebellious. Ever since I was born my father and Liam couldn't get along anymore. They fought constantly, Liam always talking about how he wanted to join the navy and restore some honor to the Jones name. Father found it ridiculous and refused to really acknowledge anything." Killian shook his head slightly at the memory. How his father always shut the world out, the whispers, the glances and told them day by day that there was still honor in the family. Killian never understood how they could have honor while they were so poor. They had almost nothing while growing up. And if they did had a few shillings, their father would go to the pub leaving them once again with nothing. "So when they fought again I mastered the courage and stood up for Liam. I should've kept quiet, I knew that, but..."

"You didn't want to see your brother being put down again." Emma finished for him when he suddenly stopped talking. Killian looked down at her nodded, taking a deep breath and let it out with a shudder. He propped himself up against the headbord, letting the sheets fall on his hips while Emma crawled to sit beside him against the wall next to him.

"There was this one second, when everything suddenly seemed to stop and I thought it was going to be okay." Killian frowned and looked down at his hand that started to fumble with the brace he still wore, he wasn't ready to let her see that scar yet. "I was actually proud of myself that I finally stood up for Liam, that I repayed him for always stepping up for me. And suddenly that moment was gone when I noticed my father's look. I didn't hear Liam telling me to sit back down, his protests. Can't remember much of it but suddenly I was on the ground and bleeding. Father was gone, Liam beside me." A breathless chuckle escaped him as he lolled his head back against the wall. Silence once again surrounded them. It wasn't as thick as it was before. It actually felt quite comforting which was the strange thing but also the easy thing between him and Emma. There were times that they didn't have to say anything, just the prescence was more than enough.

"After some time Liam indeed joined the navy when he was fifteen, leaving me with him. The strange thing was, I still tried to please him."

This time it was Emma's turn to frown in confusion. "Why would you?" She asked.

Killian stared at the distance in front of him, his eyes never leaving the small space in the corner. "I wanted to be a good son."

A sad smile tugged at Emma's lips as she turned her head down. "I know the feeling." She spoke quietly. This made Killian turn his head to face her. She just looked up and raised her eyebrow quickly up and down. "You're not the only one with a rough childhood." She raised her hand from off her lap and showed it to him. Killian saw a small round scar on the skin between her thumb and index finger. He looked back at her in wonder, silently asking her to tell him about it. Emma just shrugged and answered, "Ciggarette burn. Story for another time when we have a heart-to-heart. I want to know more about your story."

Killian took her hand in his and stroked his thumb over the ciggarette burn. A small warmth spread quickly through Emma by the small gesture. She couldn't believe how something so small could make her feel so safe, or perhaps it wasn't the gesture but Killian himself. She tore her eyes away from their combined fingers and looked back at him.

He nodded, understanding why she wanted to hear more. Not only did it make him feel a bit better by talking about it but it also helped her battling some of her own childhood demons. One day it was her turn to share, right now it was his.

"When I was six my father told me we were going on a adventure. Normally a child would get frightened by those words if a father abused them, but I got excited. I thought he finally saw me as a worthy son." Killian continued quietly with his story. "We packed our bags and boarded a ship. I didn't even think about Liam's promise to return for me. I blindly went with my father. The first couple of days were perfect. Until one morning I awoke and went on deck. I saw something in the water and was sure of it that it was a mermaid." Emma chuckled at Killian's expression and he shook his head from the silly suspicion. "I ran to the cabins and wanted to share the sight with my father but he was nowhere to be found. So I went around and asked the crew members if they had seen him. No one had since the night. It was the captain who eventually told me that he boarded another ship during the night, never really caring as to what would happen to me."

"He abandoned you?" Emma asked, knowing what the answer already was but she needed to hear it from him.

He just nodded, "Aye."

"I'm sorry." Somehow sympathy didn't feel enough. Emma knew the words did nothing because there was no way to make a person feel better after that kind of experience, especially not if they went through it at such a young age. How were you supposed to cope with those feelings.

He let go of her hand and placed it back in his lap. They remained in their positions against the wall and Emma dared not to ask more even though she was curious what happened to him after he had heard the news. She knew he was reunited with Liam at some age, David had told her the story in Neverland, that was after all how she knew he had a brother.

He had sensed her curiousity. After all, he could read her like an open book. He didn't even have to look at her anymore. He just knew. "There is no shame for your curiousity, love." He spoke, making her eyes snap back at him. "I believe anybody would ask the same question after hearing such a story."

"How do you know what I want to ask?"

Killian shrugged. "Open book."

Emma nodded. A couple seconds ticked by as she discussed in her mind wether or not she should ask further. She knew how much it cost him to talk about it. Saw it in his eyes constantly. The pain. The disappointment. The anger. The sadness in general.

Before she could make up her mind, Killian did it for her as he continued with the story. "I remained on the ship for four more years and over the years I surpressed the emotions that I felt. The captain apparently sympathized with me and took an interest in me one day when I picked up a sword. Apparently I had talent. He taught me the basics and somehow became a slight father figure. It made life a little bit easier aboard the ship. But one day the ship got boarded by the royal navy. Everyone got arrested for piracy and sentenced to the gallows."

Fearing for his answer, Emma's jaw slightly dropped open as she managed to choke out, "Everybody?"

Killian looked at her. The answer already in his eyes. "Everybody." He confirmed. "In my time it didn't matter wether you were a child, woman or elder. Everyone who had anything to do with piracy was sentenced to hang."

"But the royal navy? Liam?" Emma asked confused. "Didn't he know?"

"At that time, no. You have to understand that at that time he was no captain yet. I don't even believe I saw him aboard the ship. I didn't even think to look for him, the only thing coursing through my mind was my sentence."

"And who could blame you." Emma replied in a whisper, imagining the horror he must've felt at ten years old.

"I can assure you that the sentence did not hold for I am still here." He looked up at her with a small smirk crossing his face.

Slowly showing his true self again, Emma thought.

"Yeah," She breathed, teasing him slightly. "Because you excell at surviving, even at that age I see."

Killian moved and tugged Emma away from the wall, bringing her in his lap. He rested his chin on her head as she placed her cheek against his chest and listened once again to his heart beating, fingers tracing patterns through his chesthair.

"It was because of Liam." He spoke. "As I was standing there next to a row of adults who were also sentenced to death, waiting for the drop, someone screamed, ordering to hold. He asked for the boy, me. So they removed me from the stand and brought me to him. And when I finally got the courage to look up I couldn't believe what was happening. I saw my brother standing in front of me. Fear in his eyes, probably thinking what would've happened if he got there too late. He instantly took me in his care and I became a cabin boy for the royal navy."

"What happened to the rest of the people that got sentenced?" Emma asked, tilting her head to look up at him.

"Laws are laws." Killian placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I was the only one to get out alive because I was the brother of the lieutenant."

Emma shifted in his lap, placing one leg either side of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss, earning a satisfying groan from him.

It was the end of the story, she knew. He was reunited with his brother and became part of the royal navy. She didn't want to bother him with anymore questions and she didn't have any further. There would come a time where she wanted to learn about his adventures in the navy, they both knew that, but for now this was enough. A question about a scar on his cheek became a story about his childhood. Never would she have imagined that that was his childhood. She had expected a rough story, but this was not the story she imagined.

Killian ran his hand softly over her bare back as Emma pushed all of her emotions in that one single kiss. It was too early to tell him how she felt deep inside, so instead she could at least let him know how greatful she was that he was still alive after all the battles he had faced. Wether it was an abusive father, a sentence at the age of ten, losing his brother, losing Milah, losing his hand, even having to withstand the physical torture of the wicked witch. It would've been so easy to give up on life after all of that, yet here he was and he had found her after threehundred years, a person who reflected him perfectly. A person who could understand his deepest fears and pains. A person you could finally feel safe with.

Emma knew what she felt was love for him, even if it still scared her, but perhaps she could see sparks of true love here and there between them.

A/N: Ever since we started to learn more and more about Hook's past, I always imagined it to be really tragic so I'm still hoping for the scene where his father abandon's hime considering we get Blackbeard (there is just no way he cannot be Killy's father)
Hope you liked it and the song in the beginning is called "Make It Good" by Fink.

~xXx~