Hook strode through the halls of the Jolly Roger, checking the doors. Don't want the new passengers getting into anything they shouldn't be. He finished locking one of the doors before looking up. One of the doors in the hallway was cracked open that shouldn't be. He moved towards it cautiously, careful not to alert whoever might be in the room to his presence. Just as he got a foot away from the door he heard a muffled sound from in the room. Was that...crying?

"Oh god. It's too much," the voice cried. Hook knew who it was instantly, though he had never heard her voice sound this way.

Hook gently pushed the door open and saw Emma crouched on the floor, knees to her chest and hand on her face. He watched her choking and sobbing, feeling a faint pull at his blackened heartstrings. He didn't want to leave her here alone, but he suspected that he was the last person she would want witnessing her break down. Hook turned to go and stepped on a squeaky floorboard.

Emma whipped around, pushing away her tears as if the action would hide her misery.

"Hook, what are you doing here?"

Hook sighed and moved into the room. "I was just making sure you and your companions weren't able to start wandering into places in the ship that they don't belong. But apparently you already beat me to the chase, lass."

Emma looked down, scratching her leg. "I figured no one would find me here. I didn't want anyone to come looking."

Hook fidgeted with his hook, not sure what to do. He watched as Emma bit her lip, a tear rolling down her cheek. He huffed, and slid to the floor next to her.

"What's wrong, love?" Hook thought it seemed like a safe question to ask.

She wiped her tears again. "Nothing," she lied.

"Yes, that's exactly what this looks like," he drawled.

"Why should you care?" Her voice was harsh. She was hurt; Hook would have to tread carefully.

"Why shouldn't I?" he countered.

"You're Captain Hook, a ruthless pirate?"

"And that makes me heartless? I still care when I see someone's in pain."

Emma looked up at him and took a shaky breath. "I just can't take how fucking messed up my life is. The son I gave up and never thought I would see again shows up at my door and takes me to this strange town, where I end up meeting my parents. My long lost parent, who are Snow White and Prince Charming and my own age. And everyone I read about in my children's books is living in the town. And there are people trying to tear us apart, kill us. And then Henry's father shows up again, and is the son of Rumple-fucking-stiltskin. And just when I think things will be ok, and that we can all work out a way to live happily in our fucking messed up family, Neal's fiancé turns out to be a psychopath and kills him, and takes Henry. God, every man I've had true feelings for has ended up dead. What's the point of loving someone if I'm always going to lose them?"

Emma wrapped one arm around her legs, and brought the other arm up to press the heel of her hand to her forehead. Tears raced each other down her cheeks. Hook found his arm reaching out without his permission and gently brushed the tears away, and tuck the hair obscuring her face behind her ear.

"Of everyone, I'm the worst person to ask that. I sure as hell can't give you an answer," he said, withdrawing his hand. Hers shot out suddenly and gripped his tightly.

"Don't leave." Hook suspected she was trying to sound like she wasn't pleading, but it hadn't really worked. Her eyes were wide, and the watery green pools were rimmed with red. It was beautiful and terrible at the same time.

"I won't," he replied, sensing the words might have had more meaning than he knew now.

He brought his hook around her hand, so it was sandwiched between his two appendages, and brought it to his lips. His mouth lingered perhaps longer than it should. He sat there, watching her cry for who knew how long, gripping her hand and stroking it slightly with his thumb. He realized he cared about this beautiful, broken woman. Someone whose troubles seemed to terrifyingly echo his own. They were kindred spirits, whether she knew it or not. And that scared him to his bones. After hundreds of years of being dominated by revenge, he wasn't sure he knew how to care for someone properly anymore. He wanted to try.