AN: Takes place after The Queen is Dead
Introduction
A pained groan left his grimaced lips. Biting her bottom lip Emma hastened frantically to finish the knot restraining Captain Hook. She had minutes until Neal returned to the Jolly Roger with Gold and Henry.
She'd be lucky to get Hook out of here alive; especially once he knew who else they were carrying. He'd rather die than see his ship be an unwitting accessory in saving his greatest enemy.
She finished with the knot that bound his good hand over his head and sat up looking him over.
He wouldn't be comfortable draped awkwardly over the stiff bench like that, but they'd all be alive.
His eyes opened and blinked as they rolled into focus carefully examining the small room of his ship with annoyance. They met hers but made no sign of movement against her, only a soft annoyed flick of the eyebrow should any indication of his awareness.
"How's your head?" she questioned with a frigid air, trying to conceal the distress she felt and to distract him from his current situation.
"Did I kill him?" he hissed, gritting his teeth as he fixed a heated glare on the ceiling.
She pursed her lips. His desperation had always unnerved her. That spark.
She stood, feeling the hard metal hook tucked away safely in her coat pocket.
"Not yet," she sighed truthfully. The sound seemed to echo dully off the silent wooden walls of the ship.
His face contorted sharply into a sick snarl.
"And yet I see you've taken the liberty of commandeering my ship." He said in a restrained low voice.
He raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he turned his hardened gaze to Emma. He was begging the question but his eyes said that he already knew.
Emma opened her mouth to respond, keen to steer the conversation away from any topic that might spur on his desperation.
The sound died her throat at the sight of his dark eyes. A twisted smile curling at his lips
"What are you hiding, love?"
Lifted her head to look down at him She set her jaw, plastering a thin self-satisfied grin to her lips.
"I guess asking would have been the polite thing" she deadpanned sardonically.
Hook's eyes lifted briefly to meet hers, matching her smirk.
"I did you a right favor back there," his nostrils flaring. His tone deadly.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow waiting for his explanation.
The sounds of a child's voice rang throughout the ship. The pair turned their heads to the wooden ceiling at the sound.
Just then, a distinctive metallic thumping sound as if from a cane pounded on the deck in a slow, uneven rhythm.
They had run out of time.
Emma turned her back to leave, her skin crawling. Stomach tied in knots.
"If Cora is in possession of the dagger, as I suspect she already is, that monster is more of a danger to you than ever." He called with a contrived smoothness.
Her brow furrowed as she considered this. If he had been able to guess at what she already knew then it was only a matter of time before Cora took control. There was no telling what she might do first with that kind of power in her grasp she thought to herself as she opened the door.
"You might have known—that would have been in the asking for my help"
Emma smirked pulling herself out into the corridor.
"I don't need it" She shot back hotly before slamming the door shut and disappearing into the depths of the ship.
The bright sun glaring down on her, Regina strutted out on the walk-way near the docks in high-heeled boots that clanked angrily against the pavement. She had been by the fields farmed by the dwarfs. The beans were growing fast as expected.
Flipped her dark hair out of her face she put a hand up masking her eyes from the sun as she looked out into the cold waters.
Suddenly, a ship appeared at the edge of the bay, wandering closer to the docks.
She scowled to herself. He would be there soon, and she knew that whatever action she and her mother decided on would have to be done quickly.
She turned on her heel pulling up the collar of her dark coat. A feeling of power crackled around her fingertips.
She would have it all.