Emma put in her favorite purple tinted diamond earrings, and looked at her bright reflection in the stage mirror. With a pirate outfit on, sword and all, with gold eye shadow and mascara, she looked awesome for the Rose Parade. Her outfit was off the shoulders, white pirate clothe, and night black breeches with a sword strapped to her left waist, and black boots. She grinned, and tossed her curled hair a couple of times to make her look complete.

"Well, it seems that the outfits certainly fit our personalities, love."

Emma saw in her mirror Killian, and she whipped around. He was completely clad in black leather, with tons of guyliner on, a usual cocky smirk, and a hook on his left hand. The costumes designers definitely made him look like a pirate with no trouble. His partner smirked with disbelief, "Captain Hook? That's who they chose you to be?"

The dark haired Irish grinned, and replied, surveying her up and down, "And it seems like you're the pirate lass." Emma had a slight blush on her face, and she tried rapidly to cover it up. Killian turned when he heard the manager, Leroy call out with a slight edge to his voice. "Come on guys! The parade starts in a couple of minutes!"

Okay, maybe a lot of edge.

Killian grabbed her hand, and pulled her through the entrance of the small star rooms where people got ready for the parade, and Emma shot him a look. Still holding on to her hand, he led the way to the angry manager, and he bowed comically, "Sorry your Liege. Grabbing other pirates for the voyage." Leroy didn't bother acknowledging his joke, and Ariel, whose actual name was Ariel, hurried up in a mystical aqua color for her skirt, and a purple bikini top, attaching last minute accessories.

"Not too shabby love." Killian said to her, raising his eyebrows devilishly, and Emma eyed them with a slight edge of unknown discomfort. Like someone was rubbing her the wrong way. Shaking her head, she cleared her head and vaguely noted that Captain Hook was still holding her hand. But she suddenly lost the urge to pry it away from his.

"Now get in a line. Killian, act like yourself, Ariel, mermaid hotness, and Emma, act like, a swan maiden."

Emma gave him a confused look, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Leroy just lost his temper slightly, and gave her the shout tone, "I don't know! Just Act like one!"

All three of the dressed up young people jerked their heads back, and Leroy yelled down the hallway, "HENRY GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!" The owner of Sea Splashes Cruise son ran over, dressed like a part of the crew, with his brown hair pulled back into a tiny ponytail and a tunic on. Emma stifled a laugh.

"Hey, sir. Sorry, I was just trying to get Peter into his boots. They are really hard to get on!" Leroy had a look of rage on his face as he stalked away towards the dressing room, and Emma gave a smile to Henry, who stood next to them in single file line. "Hey kid." He grinned at her, and a little sparkle formed in his eyes when he saw her holding the pirate's hand. She gave him the look of bugger off, and he snapped his head forward again.

Leroy came later with a look of satisfaction and a lanky teenager, who limped on his left foot as he took steps towards his other fellow mascots. The gruff manager shoved him next to Ariel, and walked off to check on the float. Emma whispered loudly, tuning to the dirty blond-haired teenager, who was wincing as he tested his weight on his foot, "What did he do, nail it into your foot?" Peter grimaced in pain, and replied to the other four mascots interested looks, "Might as well. He just comes in and yanks the dang thing onto my foot and gives me the usual yelling lecture. I bet a real Peter Pan wouldn't take that crap."

Killian smirked, and Emma just gave the boy a sympathetic look. Henry looked guilty as he said, "Sorry, Peter. I kinda told him that you were having trouble with your boot." The lanky teen shot the eleven year old boy a glare and snarled, "Henry, what's the rule?" The young boy hung his head, and replied, downcast. "Don't ask, don't tell." Peter snapped, "And don't forget it."

Ariel glanced at him with a parent look, "Hey, no need to be so harsh. Everyone forgets the rule sometimes. Remember when you accidently told Boss that Killian was talking to his brother before we went to serve at the party on that one cruise, and he smashed his phone into a wall?" The dressed up teen smiled guiltily as the pirate glared at him, and replied, "Oh, yeah. That." But with another wince he added on with more hostility, "but you try having Mr. Grumpy shove hard to get on boot on your foot."

Speaking of Leroy, he walked in with his trademark grumpy face and snarled at them hurriedly, "Go up on the float! The parade is starting! Limpy, you act magical, and Rich boy, hardy crew like. Now GO!" They clambered up the stairs to the main floor, and walked into the street with their Neverland float.

A jungle made out of stems and leaves of roses, and the boat was made out of deep orange roses. The sea was a flock of blue and lavender roses, and Emma grinned at how beautiful and pirate like the float was. Killian was still gripping her hand, and he smirked at the float, "Well, it certainly is better than the last time we saw it." The workers of the cruise ship had seen it have covered with the roses, not fully complete. Now it stood awesomely in front of them. Henry gave a little whoop.

"Well, come on! Let's get on that baby!" The young adults grinned, and Peter limped up on it, checking the view of the tree that he got to sit in. "Not too bad." He observed, and Henry ran to sit on a patch of leaves and stems. "Ouch!" He cried, and leaped up, clutching his butt and legs, which had an unbearable amount of thorns on them. Peter gave a snort of laughter, and Emma said with realization, "They didn't take the thorns off of the stems. Seriously?!"

Ariel, who was sitting on the rock made out of pinkish white roses, glance up at Emma and Killian, and Henry who was trying to pull all of the thorns out of his pants. "Well, at least you guys don't have to sit in them. Henry too." The boy clambered into the boat with the Sea Splashes flag over it, wincing painfully as he sat down and jumped back up again. Leroy went in front of the float, and Peter yelled down to him in an amused voice, "Hey Leroy! You forgot to take the thorns out!" The grumpy manager snarled at him, "You'll address me as either Boss or sir, unless you want another limp."

That shut Peter up and he just glared at the mean manager. "Now, you!" He yelled, and pointing at Killian, shouted, "Put your foot up on the hull of the boat, like you're actually sailing somewhere. No, the left. No, my left! PUT YOUR FOOT ON MY LEFT!" The pirate finally got the position right, and Leroy went on to lecture yelling Peter, who looked like he wanted to tackle the yelling manager like a football player.

"Well, it's just like another day on the boat, aye Lass?" Killian said amusedly, using the dialogue that he did even without the pirate costume. Emma nodded and grinned at the scene of Peter boiling mad at Mr. Grumpy, who threw his hat on the ground and clambered up on the pirate ship, stalking over to the supposed Peter Pan and yanked him into the right position. Then he jumped out of the float and gave a smile that said, finally the brats got it right! Then, with a mean look, yelled over his shoulder, "Get the float ready to sail, Clark!" Then, turning back to the crew, snarled, "Don't make our ship look bad. Got it?!" The mascots nodded, and Killian muttered under his breath audibly, "Yes, dwarf." Emma gave a laugh, and the float jerked forward, sending Ariel at the front almost falling off her rock, along with Peter in the tree. Then, it started to go forward more smoothly after stopping short, and the crew grinned when they saw the crowd in the stands and on the side of the road, along with the small tower with the news people that made jokes and told facts about the parade. 2014 was broadcasting along the screen below them, and it was plastered across the floats.

They'll faint when they see what are float does. Emma thought with satisfaction, and suddenly gripped Killian's hand harder when it was their turn to go, and she heard the announcers say, "Well, if it isn't the Sea Splashes Cruise! I took a trip on it with my wife, and we loved it!" She heard Hoda reply to Al, "Yes, it is very beautiful! But where is the 2014?" Emma grinned nervously at the pirate captain, and he smirked back at her. Suddenly, a loud boom rang in everyone's ears as fireworks shot up in the air, and it said, 2014 Happy New Year! The crowds went crazy, and their cheers were loud and explosive as they snapped pictures and jumped up and down with excitement. All of the crew members grinned at each other, and Henry gave a yell of happiness along with Peter.

Then something unexpected happened.

Killian put his knee down, and pulled Emma towards him, kissing her.

She widened her eyes in surprise, and about 4 seconds later he pulled away, grinning with his dashing smile, still holding her. Emma couldn't breathe for the next couple of seconds, trying to calm her racing brain as she stared into his sea blue eyes, and sparks from the fireworks gently came down, making it feel like a dream. "That wasn't so bad, was it love?"

Emma's face unknowingly pulled into a small smile, and she whispered, "Nope."