I Instantly Believe You
Summary: "I want to hear your side of the story." Hook arched one brow at Henry. "Why?" "Because, like I said before, I can't find anything about you in my book, and it's really bugging me!" Birthday fic for Sarah1281. Oneshot.
Text:
"Speech"
Thoughts
Flashbacks
A/N: To Sarah1281. Have a very happy belated birthday!
A/N 2: If you're a big fan of Regina and/or can't stand people poking fun at Henry's ability to almost always believe everything anyone ever tells him, then you won't like this fic.
Disclaimer: Don't own OUAT or any of its characters.
"Allow me to explain everything…again."
"I instantly believe you."
-Ishizu Ishtar and Yami Yugi, Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series
"Hey…can we talk?"
Perplexed (because he knew that voice all too well, thanks to spending most of his time with Emma Swan), Captain Hook turned around to face the young Henry Mills, Emma's son. What he was doing near the docks and by him and the Jolly Roger was beyond him.
"Is there anything I can do for you, lad?" he questioned, then quickly adding, "Or is it your mother, Emma? Has something happened?"
"No, no, she's okay," Henry answered hastily, holding his hands up as if to stop the said pirate from making a mad dash after his mother. "I just wanted to come down here and see you."
Now he certainly was not expecting that. Was the boy just so curious to behold the true Captain Hook, not the silly version that some company made up years and years ago? Or perhaps he had overheard his part in rescuing him from Peter Pan in Neverland? Whatever the reason Henry had for visiting him, Hook was rather curious to glean the lad's intentions.
"And why would you do such a thing? After all, I'm pirate."
Henry shook his head, countering, "But you helped my family save me from Pan so in my books, you're hero."
Hook would have been flattered by this but soon remembered that the ten-year-old had also gave the same label to Regina, a mass murderer, terrorizer of the Charming family, and the very reason why Emma grew up without a family or any support (yes, she was called the Evil Queen for a reason but in his opinion, she received the hero title way too easily). So his enthusiasm of being called a "hero" quickly died out. It seemed like everyone was becoming one these days.
"Well, thank you, laddie. But that still doesn't explain why you're here." he replied, wondering if the boy was up to something or was in trouble with his family and decided to come and hide in the Jolly Roger. Luckily for him, Henry got straight to the point.
"I have this book of fairy tales, you see, and it can tell me the story of mostly everyone who lived in the Enchanted Forest or in another world–like Dr. Frankenstein, for example. But he got added in there later so technically, the stories in the book are mainly from the Enchanted Forest." Henry began, already pouring out his long-winded speech. "However, all of that made me realize the tale of Captain Hook is never in my book, which makes no sense because you lived in the Enchanted Forest around the same time as some of the other people so it doesn't make any sense why the book wouldn't include you."
"Perhaps the pages of my tale simply got lost," Captain Hook suggested lamely, torn to either feel slight miffed that he wasn't in Henry's fairy tale book while every person ever to grace that town called Storybrooke was featured in there or relieved that no one could snoop into his background and learn some rather painful and personal facts about him.
"Still, it's not right and my book needs to be complete, to be hundred percent authentic," Henry insisted firmly. The famed pirate captain had a sneaky suspicion where this conversation was going.
Sighing, he conceded. "What is it, lad? Where are you going with this?"
Henry took a deep breath before saying, "I want to hear your side of the story."
Hook arched one brow at Henry. "Why?"
"Because, like I said before, I can't find anything about you in my book, and it's really bugging me!"
Twisting some skeins of rope around to form a perfect Fisherman's Bend, Hook looked up from his work and stared at Henry, unable to fathom that this boy was really expecting him to narrate his version of events. He wasn't much of a storyteller (he was far better in singing bawdy tales or sea ballads but he doubt Emma would approve of him teaching Henry such things) so there was a chance he would just bore Henry to death.
"You aren't going to let that go unless I tell you everything by my recollections of the events, by my perspective," he pointed out, adding, "And my story will clash with the accounts of some of your family members."
"Like Rumpelstiltskin?" prompted Henry. The pirate captain nodded wordlessly, his mouth twisting in a contemptuous grimace. "Then this is your chance to show everyone else that you're not as bad as they think and somehow, there was misunderstanding."
There was no "misunderstanding" when Rumpelstiltskin ripped out his wife's heart. I think I am going to regret this…
"Fine, fine, if you think it will help add the story collection to your book," he grumbled. Henry beamed brightly, letting out a cheer before dashing onto the Jolly Roger. Sighing once more, Hook followed after him, hoping the boy won't trip over one of the ropes. The last thing he needed was Regina blaming him for her son's own clumsiness or lack of awareness.
"Be careful, laddie," he warned, stepping onto the ship. But his fears were groundless. Henry was already waiting for him, sitting on an empty barrel.
"I thought the setting for the tale would be more appropriate on your ship," he explained to Hook's unspoken query. "But I'm ready now! Please begin your story!"
I wish I had more rum for this.
"Sure, Henry," he replied uncertainly, leveling his gaze at him, "What do you want to know first? You weren't quite specific on the 'everything' part."
"Tell me how you first became a pirate!" Henry immediately said, as if he had been waiting to ask him that for ages. Sighing, Hook unscrewed his flask and quaffed a few more sips of the rum before tightening the lid back on.
Here goes nothing.
"That part of my tale begins with me and my brother and our journey to Neverland…"
"So you didn't steal Rumpelstiltkin's wife, my dad's mom?" Henry clarified, "She went with you willing."
"Correct. And you really can't steal a person away, unless you want to treat them like an object. That is how Rumpelstiltin always seems to describe the matter which is very disconcerting because if you think about it, Henry, he was acting as if Milah was an object, something that he owned. And—"
"And you can't own anybody!" finished Henry with a firm nod of his head. "You're right, Hook. I think if I talk to my grandfather about this, maybe he finally see how he has been viewing the situation wrong. I'm sure my dad would agree with you on this."
Oh, I don't know about that, laddie. With the way Bae has been acting now, who knows?
"Why not?" was the only thing he could say without inciting Henry on a rant about the truth, heroism, goodness, and whatever else he felt like crusading at the time. Don't get him wrong, he liked Henry but there were times he wondered if some of the boy's traits (such as his gullibility when it came to fairy tales or anything remotely related to them) were going to get him permanently killed one day.
"So, what happened to Milah?" Henry finally asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes, "My dad won't say anything about the topic and I'm afraid I'll get a biased, completely one-sided opinion on the subject if I went to Rumpelstiltskin. Then Belle said she just died but I got the feeling she was hiding something, like there was something she didn't want to dwell on."
"That's because I told her the truth about Milah and she didn't believe me," Hook explained, getting to another painful part of his story. While he eventually did get over her death and moved on (and some of that was due to a certain sharp-tongued, strong-willed Savior), the sudden brutality of her death still rubbed salt on those old wounds. "Milah died because of Rumpelstiltskin. He tore her heart out and crushed it right in front of my eyes. She died in my arms, Henry, and yet, it's a tragedy not many know about or care to know."
"That's because not many people believe in you or your story," Henry remarked solemnly, as if it was a deep revelation Hook hadn't thought about before.
"Given to the fact I'm a pirate, that's not too surprising," he answered, taking another swig of run, "I've gotten used to it."
"But I believe you!" Henry protested. Both of Hook's eyebrows shot straight up, taken aback by Henry abrupt, vehement admission. But the shocked expression soon faded when he realized there was no need for such emotion.
I should be surprised by this but…I'm not. After all, he ended up believing Pan's lie about saving Neverland and according from what I heard, he does have the habit in mostly believing people's story the first time around. At least it took Pan a bit before he eventually succeeded in making Henry believe in his tall tale.
"Really?" said Hook, trying not sound bored and, well, not stunned by Henry's words. Frankly, Henry was getting dangerously predictable sometimes.
Henry nodded his head vigorously, a resolute glimmer in his eyes. "Of course! You're a hero with a tragic backstory and all the heroes I know have sad, terrible pasts but somehow, even though some take longer than others, they manage to endure through all their hardships and come out on top, as heroes."
And we're back to the heroes again.
Hook had a sinking feeling Regina was included in that mix. While he wouldn't necessarily deem himself a "hero", he also wasn't thoroughly convinced that the Evil Queen had completely redeemed herself and became "good." He, on the other hand, at least had Charming's support–most of the time, that is. He sensed that the dear ole prince was warming up to him even more, no matter what Emma's father said on the surface. In other words, Charming definitely trusted him more than Regina, which wasn't saying too much since Hook never really tried to kill him, his wife, or Emma on numerous occasions but still, the notion was worth counting.
"Well, thanks, lad," he finally answered, unsure of what else he could possibly say. It was nice to have another person believe his story but to conceive it so readily and quickly…
Yep, this is will be the boy's undoing one day. I just know it. I definitely have to talk to Emma about this.
"No problem!" Henry chirped, sliding off the barrel, "Now I have to make sure other people hear your story and understand your perspective. Maybe then they'll believe you too!"
Shit!
"Now, Henry, I don't think that will be the best idea—" But before he could say anything else to persuade Henry to abandon such an absurd idea, the ten-year-old was already bounding off the decks of the Jolly Roger, gaining so much excitement that Hook was positive that his crusade to spread the truth was feeding him so much energy.
"Thanks again, Hook! I promise that you won't regret telling me your story!" Henry called out, waving happily at the irked pirate, "People will believe, you'll see!" He then ran off and Hook shook his head, burying his head in his only hand. There was just no use in chasing him, Henry would never understand and even worse, he would refuse to stop spreading his story around, no matter how many times he told or threaten him not to.
With an exasperated sigh, he looked back up at the retreating, far too giddy figure of Henry and murmured, "Too late, lad. I'm already regretting this."