Dirty Pirate.

Yeah, those were the precise words the boy had actually used. Dirty pirate.

And even when Captain Hook had probably endured far worse inuslts in his very unnaturally long life, he still felt slightly sore because of henry's particular wording.

The town was (blisfully) enjoying a short hiatus from beasts, evil witches, monsters and thank all gods of the seas, the Crocodile. And this had given him a chance to try and be the guy he thought Emma deserved: peacefully, calmly, with time and pause carefully thrown into the whens and hows of courting the Lady Swan.

But… dirty? Why, dirty?

Killian knew that Henry had been under theinfluence of the curse when he had sauid that, but then again, the curse didn't make people lie; it only made them far more, let's say, open to the deepest and darkest secrets they may have harbored.

So perhaps, deep down, Henry had meant it; maybe he didn't approve of he and Emma being 'together' (that part he actually appreciated grandly), maybe the boy really didn't like him.

Maybe he WAS dirty.

"Hey, calling Captain Hook!" Emma reached for him and grabbed his hand (in that beautiful way only she knew how to do), and he turned a startled face to her. "You're miles away, Killian, are you ok?"

How does this blasted beauty know my every thought?

Killian huffed and grinned, grabbing hold hard of the gorgeous, freckled little hand that was interrlacing fingers with his own, and he looked down, tracing both their steps on the sand as they walked towards the far end of the beach. "It's… not really important. Or… well, aye, it rather is, I just…" He shrugged. "I…"

Emma chuckled and stepped in front of him. "Come on." She smiled, reaching for his face with her other hand. "I can read you like an open book too, Killian, What's roaming in that head of yours?"

Killian's brow furrowed and he looked hesitant to speak, but when he raised his eyes back up to Emma's and saw that yearning, half-grinning pair of green gems and the brownish cascades of lashes surrounding them as she studied his own eyes, he succumbed.

"Do I… reek, Emma?"

She had been expecting something about her feelings for him; maybe even a sad story from his pensive past.

She certainly did NOT expect the cockiest, most self-assured man in the world to ask her if he stunk.

She giggled. "What? No!"

He raised an eyebroe. "You're not just… being nice, are you?"

"Killian, what the hell is this about?" She laughed… and then stopped laughing when he looked sort of dejected. "Holy crap, you're serious, aren't you?"

"Aye…"

Emma winced. "No, no you don't stink, Killian. If anything, you have kind of a nice smell."

"Do I?"

"Leathery, of course, soap, laundry softener… some sweet and kind of obscure oignment too… But no, you don't 'reek'. What the hell is going on?"

He sighed deep and they continued walking. "Your boy. When the spell of shattered sight, he… he said to me he'd not go any place with a…" He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, almost feelng still the sting of the particular wording the teenage Henry had used. "… a 'dirty pirate'. " He shook his head. "I don't understand why he'd think I'm dirty, I mean, I bathe often enough."

Emma shook her head. "Really? You're going to give ANY amount of importance to what a twelve-year-old boy with a hate curse spoke that day?" she sniggered and leaned her head onhis shoulder as they walked along. "Whatever happened to the hard-boiled Pirate Captain I once knew?"

"It's not the words, love its…" He looked sad. "Well… I'm very clean!"

"Sure you are!"

"And I think that deep down, your son does not approve of me."

That made Emma stop. "Wait… what?"

He sighed and turned around, looking into her eyes. "He also said that he never liked me and that now that I was linked romantically to his mother, he liked me even less." He shrugged. "Now, say as much as you like that we were under the siege of a dark curse Emma… the bloody glass shards made him wicked, but not a liar. The secret of that particular malefice resided in making people speak out their darkest grudges." He shook his head and a sad smile arose on his lips. "… and his grudge against me is that I'm with you now."

"I'm sure that's not true. You guys get on so well!"

"Aye, because he's a kind old soul and wants you to be happy, darling, that's why. Alas… That does not necessarily signify that he is happy with you and I doing this… thing we're doing. Now, I can take your dad's repulse, it's actually rather fun to rub old David the wrong way; but Henry?" He looked legitimately saddened. "I might just have more than just a problem with him dissenting over you and I being together. It saddens me; I do care for the boy." He looked at her. "He is the son of two of the most important people I knew in my whole life. And I'd hate it if he were pretending not to be miserable on mine or your account."

Emma was now seriously thinking about what Killian was saying; was Henry really against this? Was he just… being kind? She did remember him feeling a little awkward that morning when he had prompted her to go ask him out on a date.

"I'll… have a word with him." She sighed, wrapping an arm around his waist. She felt the comfort of his own arm over her shoulders.

"Actually, perhaps it would be wise for me to have a chat with the boy instead, love. Man to man. He might feel slightly disconcerted about speaking this out in front of you; after all, if he IS just putting up with me for your sake, he will not utter a word on this issue with you, for sure..."

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Good point."

They remained silent before he spoke again. "And I am NOT dirty."

Emma giggled and her giggle alone brought a grin back on his lips. "Nope. You're certainly not a dirty pirate. Just a pirate."

He squeezed her and grinned and they resumed their walk in silence.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Ok lad, pull!"

"Got it!" Henry gave the rope an even, hard tug.

As Kilian made way to the other side of the boat, he dragged the other end of the rope with him while Henry held on to his end. "Ok, boy! Easy now, start letting go!"

Inch by inch, the teenage boy started releasing the rope and lo and behold, the sail started descending and they suddenly turned the direction of the vessel.

Killian tied the rope down and then turned with a smile, laughng a trademark laughter that all who knew him had become used to. "well, then, m'boy, you just learned how to deploy a sail windwise." He paced to a very pleased-with-himself Henry and ruffled his hair. "Like your father, you've got the sea in your blood."

Henry's smile dissapeared as Killian passed by him to tnd to the rotor and the helm. This may not have been the Jolly Roger, but sailing a blasted ship with an engine was no fun at all; these smaller boats were everything and anything that had ever made Killian love sailing in the first place.

"Killian?"

"Aye?"

Henry sat at the edge of the boat. "Tell me about him. My dad. Tell me something that you and he did together aside from… you know.. sail the Jolly Roger."

A sincere smile appeared on Killian's face as the colorful images of past recollections emerged in his mind. "Oh, well… Some things I myself might not approve of these days, for instance, I'd share my rum with the lad and we'd sing sailor songs till dawn."

"Really?"

"Aye. And he'd tell me stories too. About his father, your grandfather, before he became the Dark One." He shrugged. "For all the hatred and loathing we both harbored for so bloody long, I rather feel sorry for the poor sod." He sighed deep. "He was alone. Raising a child. The only reason he took the power of the bloody dagger was to protect Bae, before the power consumed his heart. It's a sad tale, especially when told to you by a heart-broken boy." He sighed deep. "He was a fine sketcher, like his mother had been. My cartographer, Mr. Ludland, was teaching him how to make maps because of his skill." He gazed straight ahead as he stirred the mast port southbound. "Aye… he was a good-hearted boy, with a fun-natured smile and quick witted like none I'd met before."

Henry nodded. "So… why did he two of you fall apart, if you were so close?"

"Pride…" Hook shrugged, twisting his lips. "At least on my part. On his, it was a skewed sense of honor, quite normal for a boy his age but still painful. He felt I had dismembered his family when in fact, his mother had been the one to leave. I've no grudges against her, Milah was an amazing lass, it's just that… well I was young too. Self centered, reckless… I'd take what I wanted and damn all, till one day that particular self-serving phislosphy came back to bite my arse."

"And… that's when he killed her and took your hand."

"Aye." He sighed sadly.

"Well, you've come a long way. You don't seem to be self-centered or reckless any more."

Killian's eyes shot to Henry and he gave the boy a gentle tug, pulling him slightly away from the edge. He then grinned and nodded. He turned and dropped anchor. "This is a calm spot. How's your sea legs? Dizzy? Queazy?"

"Nope." Henry grinned.

"Good. Because I'm famished." He reached back into the ice box. "What did your mother send along for us?"

"Sandwiches and Dr. Peppers. I don't think she'd be too thrilled if we drank rum and sang pirate songs."

Killian laughed again as he handed a drink and a little sandwich to the boy. "Enjoy the meal, lad. You've earned it."

Henry nodded and took the first bite.

Killian observed him from under his brow and figured this was as good a moment as any.

"Henry…"

"Mh-hm?" The boy responded, chewing.

Killian swallowed, took a sip from his drink and sighed as he looked up at the kid. "Do you… recall what you said to me when you were under the curse of shattered sight?"

Henry furrowed his brow. "Vaguely. I do remember you falling on your ass, now THAT was kind of precious." He giggled.

Killian frowned. "Aye, well, that wasn't YOUR arse that landed on bumpy marbles; I had tiny bruises over my back for weeks."

Henry chuckled. "Sorry."

"Never mind… Actually, I'm more concerned over a few things you said."

Henry's chewing slowed down and he deliberately averted his gaze. "Yeah, well, I was cursed. You can't take any of that seriously."

"But I do, m'boy." Killian reached out and grabbed his arm gently. "I know that whatever you felt, you felt with a burning intensity that is usually not there, but the fact is… you feel it either way, so…" He swallowed. "Talk to me, Henry. Does it upset you, in any form, that I am seeing your mother?"

Henry sighed and put his sandwich down, visibly looking for an answer.

Killian simply stared back at him, studying his face, hoping for a solution.

"Ok, look." Henry finally spoke. "What I said, and the way I said it, was a little harsh. I actually DO like you. A lot. You're fun, you're cool, you wear eyeliner and actually pull it off and you know a lot of stuff. But…" Henry grimaced. "I guess I just feel a little… left on the sidelines."

Killian frowned and twisted his way, a puppy-ish motion that had also become his trademark. "How so, lad?"

Henry looked at Killian and saw the keen interest all over the pirate's gaze. "Yeah. I mean, you and mom have this great thing going and it took her so, so much effort and strength to get to where she is with you, I'm actually really happy for her and proud. But…"

Killian chuckled. "The pirate thing?"

"No! No no, it's not that at all. It's…" Henry sighed and shot his gaze straight into Killian's. "Look, it may sound a little weird and I totally get it if you don't undrestand, but… with my other mom, it was just the two of us. Me and her. No guys, no brothers, just… the Mayor and her kid. Then I met my real mom and it took her a while to get to love me like she does and AGAIN, it was me and her. That year in New York? She was seeing Walsh and I really rooted for them, but I still felt… I don't know." He shrugged. "I know it seems selfish, but I just feel like, now that she's got you, I'm not gonna be the little guy in her life, you know?"

Killian's eyes softened as Henry continued.

"But then, I look at my other mom; I was also feeling kind of… strange about she and Robin; I mean, it was cool that she was so happy and everything but I still felt this little tugging feeling that I was on my way out, and… then one day, he left Storybrooke with Marion and Roland to save marion's life and she's still so sad about that… And I hated myself for ever, ever feeling badly about them, because I'd give anything to see her happy again." He looked back at Killian. "Killian, I don't know what you and mom have, really, but… I do know I hadn't seen her as happy as she is with you and that makes me happy too, it's just that…" he shrugged. "I sometimes wish I had been enough… and then I feel guilty for thinking that because you're such a cool guy but…" He shook his head and looked down. "You must think I'm a jerk now."

Killian laughed softly. "I do not. As a matter of fact, I am rather relieved."

"You are?"

The pirate sighed and looked around him, checking for weather changes (in his experience, storms could be capricious and could appear out of nowhere with the wink of an eye) before looking back at Henry. "I suppose it's not easy, first being the center of attention of the ladies that have been your mothers, and then, they meet a fella and everything changes. It does take some getting used to. But for the record…" he winked at the boy. "I'd not mind if you'd come with us, from time to time…"

Henry sneered. "Not a fan of third-wheeling there, Killian."

"It's not third wheeling, Henry. At least I don't see it as such. But hear me now…" he leaned forward and stared Henry in the eye. "I care very, very deeply for your mother, and she is not the only one who worked hard as all hell to get to where we are now. And, I like to believe she feels the same way." He shrugged. "Nothing wrong with making each other happy, but I do feel rather upsed if you feel… left out. It has never been my intention to alienate you from her, lad. So perhaps… some group outings, shall we call them, might be in order. You can see us togetehr and start… adpating to it. Because Henry, it would mean a lot to me… if you fully approved."

Henry stared at Killian and side grinned. "Isn't my gradpa the one you have to worry about when it comes to approval?"

"Naaa… He approved of me long ago, even if he doesn't bloody realice it." Killian cheekily bit off his sandwich.

Henry laughed aloud. "You see? That's the kind of attitude about you that is just so cool."

Killian chuckled. "Well, if you approve, we can all have an outing, perhaps this friday? There's a spot of woodland, only reachable by boat. I've seen it. Perhaps you, your mum and I could spend the day there… if you like."

Henry studied him and replied with a grin and a nod.

There was a brief silence. Killian filled his lungs with the smell of the salty sea breeze and grinned as he took his can of Dr. Pepper to his lips.

"Do you love her?"

Killian spurted out his Dr. Pepper. He then wiped his lips with his good hand before turninga mortified look at Henry. "Beg pardon?!"

"Come on, it's an easy enough question!" Henry shrugged with a grin. "Do you love my mother?"

For the first time in over three hundred years, Captain Hook was completely lost for words, something quite unfathomable, given his flair for sass and dispute. Worse, he felt hismelf blush. Flushed like a little girl by a young boy.

"Do you?" Henry asked again, in all seriouslness.

Killian held his stare and felt his tongue dart to his suddenly chapped lips before he exhaled softly, blinking twice before replying. "Aye…" He whispered. "I love her. More than you'll ever know."

Henry thought on his words for a minute and nodded with a pout. "So… that outing you're proposing… it's like a try-out."

"Try-out?"

Henry looked at him again. "Yeah. You wanna see if the three of us work as a family."

Killian was starting to feel nude. He turned his face away and looked at the horizon with a sigh. Even though he felt vulnerable and kind of naked, Henry was a hell of a smart kid; That, a family, was exactly what he wanted with Emma. And Henry was included.

He sighed and spoke. "I haven't… had one of those for longer than I care to recall. So… perhaps I would." He turned back to Henry, his brows raised. "Although for now, we're starting out and we can just think of it as… mates… on an outing. What do you say, lad?" He winked at the boy. "I'll let you stir the mast…"

"DEAL!" Heanry smiled and took another bite of his sandwich.

Killian was almost completely relieved.

Almost.

"Henry…"

"Yeah?"

Big, deep sigh.

"Do you really think I'm dirty?"