Chapter 1
"I come bearing rum," called Hook. His voice found Emma in the kitchen, where she was attempting to keep gravy from catching on fire. She walked to the entryway and smiled when she saw him smirking in the doorway, bottle of Captain Morgan in hand. Man, he looked good.
He quirked a dark eyebrow at the floral apron tied loosely around her signature red lather jacket.
"Well, don't you look a perfect wife," he said. Emma ignored the flip in her stomach at the word 'wife' and gave him a mock scowl. "Granny gave it to me. Apparently it will help me with my cooking skills. If by cooking skills she meant burning things."
Hook grinned, then shut the door and walked to Emma. He reached around her and pulled her closer with his hook. She would never tell exactly how much she loved it when he did that. Better to let him work for it. He was a pirate, after all. They kissed and Emma smiled up at him.
"So, where's this rum you promised?" Hook held up a bottle of Captain Morgan.
"Ah, my favorite kind," she teased.
"Favorite? He looks more like a bloody parrot than a pirate."
Emma laughed. "What's so bad about parrots? Very smart birds. And all that pretty red," she said, goading him.
"And here I thought you liked black leather." He pulled her closer with his hook. She ran her hands over his jacket.
"I do. And if I have to pick, I'd say my favorite captain is Captain Hook."
He leaned in for another kiss but Emma gasped and pulled away. "The gravy!" She disappeared into the kitchen just as Hook smelled smoke. He chuckled and followed her, finding Emma fanning a hopelessly burnt pan of goo. She looked at him apologetically.
"No matter," he said, waving his hook. He set down the bottle of rum and grabbed two glasses from her cabinet. With a flourish he poured them both a glass of the amber liquid and handed one to Emma.
"A toast," he said in the direction of the smoking pan of gravy. "To the delicious grey stuff that ne'er was." Emma saw the glint of laughter in his eyes and held up her glass.
"And to parrots."
"And pirates," he finished. They clinked glasses and raised them to their lips.
A loud rumbling sound filled the house. The kitchen floor began to shake and they looked at each other, confused. The shaking grew more violent and rum sloshed onto the floor as Hook and Emma reached out to steady themselves.
"What the hell?" They said it in unison and made eye contact just as they were jolted onto the floor. The sound of objects falling throughout the house added to the noise.
"Emma!" Hook shouted as Emma scrambled to her feet and grappled her way out of the kitchen. "What do you think you're doing?" He followed her to the front door, managing not to drop his glass of rum.
"I have to find Henry," she said over the din. She ran out of the house and Hook cursed as he ran after her.
"He's with Regina!" Hook called, and stopped short behind Emma. She stood in the road, staring up. Hook followed her gaze. A huge shadow came over them as an oblong vessel, as big as a ship, flew over them. It looked as if was heading towards a distance clearing in the forest.
"What the –" Hook said, but Emma was already running in the direction of the monstrous thing. He saw people spilling out from their houses and following Emma.
"We can't have one normal date night," he muttered. Tossing the glass of rum onto the sidewalk, he ran after her.