I walked to the end of the dock, the breeze blowing through my hair, and breathed in the sharp tang of crisp sea air. I closed my eyes for a moment, listening to the waves slapping against the dock beneath my feet, the seabirds wheeling overhead, and the constant tolling of the channel buoy floating just outside the harbor.

Letting out a happy sigh, I rested against the nearest piling and opened the book in my hand. There was nothing I enjoyed more on a chill Maine afternoon than to walk out to the edge of the sea and enjoy a good book with the smell of the ocean filling my lungs, and I sank down to the deck beneath my feet with a soft thump. I flipped through the pages looking for my place, and as soon as I located my bookmark I tucked it in my pocket and proceeded to lose myself once again in a storybook.

No one, not even my parents, understood why I loved to read. I tried to explain it to them again and again, but they just didn't share my passion, my desire, my hunger for the worlds I discovered between the worn covers of a good book. As I settled down to read Peter Pan for what must have been the hundredth time, I could almost picture the looks that would have been on their faces if they had been there with me.

"Why are you just sitting there reading? It's a nice day, you should be taking a walk, getting exercise!"

"You've read that book a million times, why don't you find another one and give that one to someone else?"

"Why don't you go into town, maybe talk to some of your classmates? You might even find a boy who could pull you out of that fantasy world you're always stuck in."

I rolled my eyes as the last phrase rolled through my mind. It was a common argument my parents made, but neither of them seemed to realize that I was ruined for normal guys. What man could compare with the heroes and villains I could find between the pages of my favorite stories? No man alive could be as brave, handsome, faithful, kind- I blushed a little, tracing the illustration of Captain Hook on the page in front of me- or sexy as the men in story books.

They were larger than life, and best of all most of the characters' personality and appearance came from the reader's imagination. My entire life I had been building fantasies inhabited by my fictional friends and lovers, pretending the dark villain of my dreams would appear and sweep me off my feet before carrying me off to his lair, or castle, or ship and proceeding to ravish me for days.

My cheeks heated a little as I recalled some of the steamy stories I kept hidden in a secret file on my computer, and I shook my head. No, normal men would never be enough. I would always be looking for more, for that little spark of- of- well, of magic that I wanted so badly. It wouldn't be fair to any man I tried to date; my own high expectations would drive him away.

I was so lost in my thoughts, swinging from self-pity to guilty desire, that I didn't see the massive ship pulling into the harbor until it was less than fifty feet away. When I did notice the impressive schooner slipping neatly into the sheltered basin and dropping anchor I couldn't help but drool a little. It was a beautiful ship, small and trim, built for navigating the dangerous reefs around an island or making runs down the coast shipping treasures like rum or silver. I had always wanted to sail a ship just like the one currently moored outside my little town, and I watched eagerly as a dinghy was lowered into the slate grey waters with a man and woman aboard.

I could just barely see the man lift a set of oars and begin rowing toward the dock, and I scrambled to my feet as they approached. The old boards of the dock creaked under my feet, and I shifted impatiently back and forth as the dinghy drew closer. What would I say when they docked? Was I brave enough to even approach them? Why would they have any reason to talk to me? They were probably tired from a long trip and would just brush right by as soon as-

I froze, my mouth dropping open. The couple in the dinghy were nearly at the dock now, and they were dressed so strangely it took me a moment to regain my composure. The woman was older, probably my mother's age, and had on a dress that would have looked more at home in the Victorian era. It was gorgeous, blue as a sapphire and embroidered with intricate patterns along the neckline and cuffs of the sleeves, and over it the woman was wearing an equally beautiful cloak that was secured at the base of her neck with a heavy silver clasp. Despite this finery, she had the piercing eyes of a bird of prey, watchful and hungry, and it only took one look at those eyes for me to turn away with a shudder.

My gaze then fell on the man rowing the boat, and though his back was to me I could see that he was remarkably well-built by the way his black leather vest hugged his shoulders and followed the curve of his ribs. Underneath he was wearing a black flowing shirt with gathered cuffs and black pants I was sure were made of leather as well. As they pulled up to the dock I could see multiple silver earrings in his ears, and a couple of thin silvers chains around his neck. His dark hair was cropped close to his skull, and when he turned to check the distance from shore I saw dark stubble on his jaw and dark coupled with piercing eyes gazing out beneath heavy eyebrows.

I reached out to catch the bow of the dinghy just as he met my gaze, and managing a shaky smile as I tried to hide the sudden swooping sensation in my stomach as though I had just missed a step on a staircase. His eyes looked straight into me, as though he could read my very soul, and when he shot me a lazy smile my heart nearly melted in my chest.

"Well, hello sweetheart," he purred, looking me up and down as though liking what he saw. "Are you the welcoming committee, or is this just my lucky day?" He laughed then, a deep, full-throated laugh that made me shiver all the way down to my toes.

"Oh no," I said, barely able to get the words out around the sudden smile I knew was curling on my mouth. "I just like to come down here sometimes and I saw you coming."

The mystery man reached into the bottom of the dinghy with his right hand, and I took the line he handed me with shaking fingers. However, before I could move away he took my hand in his and brushed a kiss across my knuckles. He shot me a wink followed by another devilish smile, and I thought I might just pass out into his arms. "I guess I must just be lucky then," he murmured, looking up at me through his dark lashes. I stayed frozen for a moment, not wanting to move for fear of breaking the spell his words had cast on me, before coming to my senses and tying off the boat with a simple bowline. When that was done, I stumbled back from the edge of the dock and waited for the man and his companion to come ashore.

The man climbed out first, his left hand in his pocket, and then turned away from me to offer it to the woman seated in the boat. She smirked, looking at the man significantly and then behaving as though I was nothing more than a dead fish lying on the ground at her feet, and I flinched backwards. When she was finally on the dock she lifted her skirts and swept past me without a second glance, though she did toss a smile back at the man still standing beside me.

"Don't be too long, captain. Storybrooke awaits." With that she swept down the old dock as though it were a red carpet, and she soon vanished around a nearby building as she headed to the main road. I stared after her for a moment, unsure what to make of such an arrogant- woman, but the sight of movement from behind me shifted my attention.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and spun on my heel just in time to be backed against one of the pilings. The man from the boat stood in front of me, that sexy smile still playing on his lips, and I felt a sudden shortness of breath when he stroked the side of my face with the back of his hand.

"If I only had the time, sweetheart..." he said with a sigh, and I was ashamed to feel myself tilting my head upwards in a hopeful motion. I didn't care that I had just met this man, that he was a complete stranger who had barely said ten words to me, I didn't want him to leave.

"Who are you?" I said on a whisper, unable to believe that such a man could exist in real life. I pressed my palms against his chest, telling myself that he was real and not just another figment of my imagination, and his grin widened.

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said, and I somehow managed to shoot him a teasing smile in return.

"Why don't you try me?" I said, unable to believe that sultry tone was coming out of my mouth. It worked though, and I saw the man's eyes brighten with interest.

"All right then," he said, "how about I give you a hint?" I tipped my head to the side in confusion, and grew suddenly wary when he started to pull his left hand out of his pocket. What if he had a knife? What was I doing letting him corner me on an empty dock? What if-

I stopped, my thoughts halting in their tracks, and I for a moment I thought my heart had ceased beating. There, right in front of my face, attached to the end of his arm instead of a hand, was a bright silver hook, wickedly sharp and being held right under my nose. The man chuckled, staring straight into my face and clearly expecting me to run away in terror.

"So, sweetheart. Can you guess who I am?"

I simply stood there a moment, staring at the hook and trying to think of an appropriate response. Nothing was coming to mind, my brain still paralyzed with pure wonder. "Oh my god," I whispered, a huge smile spreading over my face as I memorized every detail of the man standing before me. "You're real! I don't believe it- You're real!" I had a split second to enjoy the look of confusion on Captain Hook's face before I leapt onto him, wrapped myself around him like a limpet, and kissed him with every ounce of passion in me.

Hook got over his shock pretty quick, letting out a growling laugh and wrapping his arms around me in return, and inside my head I was silently screaming with joy. HE'S REAL, HE'S REAL, HE'S REAL, HE'S REAL, HE'S REAL! It played over and over in my head like a chant, giving life to all of those secret hopes I had thought I'd buried long ago. I couldn't believe what was happening, kept telling myself I was having a dream, a wonderful, vivid dream that I never wanted to wake up from, and that I would open my eyes in my bed any second. Yep, any second...

Finally, after what must have been an eternity, Hook yanked himself away and stared at me in amazement. "Damn. This world may not have magic, but I think I'm gonna like it here!" He shot me another devil-may-care smile before setting me down, and I almost fell to the ground and begged him to kiss me again. He must have seen the expression on my face, because he merely leaned in closer and laid his hook against my cheek. I shuddered with joy at the feel of the cold metal on my skin, and heard Hook laugh in disbelief.

"I gotta go, sweetheart, but if you're ever looking for a good time look me up." He pulled off one of his rings and slid it on my finger, pressing a final kiss to my hand and stepping back with a grand bow. He shot me another wink and turned away, raising his hook over his head in farewell. "I'm heading to Storybrooke, maybe I'll see you there!"

He spun around one last time and blew me a kiss, a grin spread across his entire face, and I caught it with a sigh like a lovesick high-schooler. I watched him disappear behind the same building his friend had passed, and slumped against the piling beside me. I looked at the shiny ring on my finger and felt a fluttering in my stomach, deciding I would never, EVER take this ring off, and thought about Hook's parting words. My boss had given me a vacation in January, and I knew what I was going to do with it.

January 6th, I thought, looking up at the sky and feeling joy spread its wings wide in my chest. I'll see you then, Captain.