Emma let out a long sigh, ripping up leaves and grass from beneath her. The nights in Neverland seemed longer than what she was used to, and the echoing cries of the children who couldn't leave the island didn't help her misery. She closed her eyes, hoping that morning would come soon. Henry's out there. Where could he be? Will I ever find him? Emma squeezed her eyes to prevent tears from flowing down her cheeks. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open at the sound of rustling behind her. She sat up from where she was laying and watched as a figure walked past her. She knew who it was right away, knowing the sound his boots made or how his leather pants sometimes squeaked when he walked.

"Where are you going?"

The figure stopped and turned to her. "Nowhere important."

"Don't lie to me, Hook. Where are you going?"

She heard a sigh escape his lips. "Mermaid Lagoon. Care to join me, love?"

"I'd rather not drown, thank you very much."

"You won't. I'm meeting a friend."

"What? Didn't you say earlier that mermaids were evil and can't be trusted?"

"She's different."

Emma stared at Hook's dark silhouette. "Fine." She stood up and walked over to him, feeling his hand guide her to where he was. "How the hell can you even see? It's pitch black out here!"

Hook chuckled. "I've spent a good amount of time here at night, so I know what I'm doing."

The two trudged through the dense forest, stopping every so often to check if anyone was following them. Emma didn't understand how Hook could navigate in the dark. Every minute or so she had to reach out in front of her to make sure he was still there.

"So why are you going now?" she asked. "Why not go in the morning?"

"She's the only one out of all her sisters that is awake at night. Plus everyone else would go mad if I went in the morning."

"Wait, sisters?"

"Yes, lass. All mermaids are related to one another."

After a few more minutes of blindly walking through thick vegetation, Hook stopped.

"Here we are."

"Uh, I don't see anything. Are you sure you know where we are?"

"Wait until you see this." Hook took Emma's hand and pulled back some hanging vines with his hook. Blue pastel rays of light beamed through the small entrance he made, shining light on their faces. Emma followed him into the hidden grotto, mesmerized at its beauty. The lagoon's waters were a brilliant light blue, giving the cave an iridescent glow. Hook looked at Emma, smiling at how entranced she was. He pulled out a small rowboat from the lagoon's beach and began pushing it towards the water. "Lass?"

Emma quickly turned to him, bringing her attention away from the dazzling scene. "Yea?"

"Need some help getting in?" He offered his hand, hoping she would take it in return.

She cocked her brow, walked over to the boat, and stepped in without any help, noticing the disappointment on Hook's face. "Are you sure this mermaid is still as nice as you think?"

He pushed the boat off from the shore and hopped in. "Yes. There's no need to worry."

"If we die, I'm going to kill you in heaven."

Hook sighed and looked Emma in the eyes. "We are not going to die. Trust me, darling."

Emma nodded, breaking the eye contact. Though she had doubts before, she knew she could trust him now. He had taken her and her family so far already, he wouldn't betray them now.

They floated along the brightly colored waters until the current brought them to the center.

She leaned over the edge of the boat, beaming down at the shimmering lagoon. "So now what?"

Hook glanced at her, not replying to her question. He cleared his throat, started fiddling with his hook, and began to sing. "The water is wide, I cannot get o'er, neither have I wings to fly."

Emma stared at him, her mouth parted with surprise. She never imagined Hook singing. His voice was not as low as she expected it to be, yet it was soft and melodic. She smiled as he continued his song.

"Give me a boat that can carry two," he looked up at Emma and stared directly into her eyes, "and both shall row, my love and I." He watched her cheeks turn red from his last words and look away. Hook kept singing, "A ship there is and she sails the sea."

Emma leaned her head on the side of the boat as her eyes fluttered closed. His voice was very calming; it helped her start to drift off to sleep, something she hadn't done in days. She listened to Hook sing, wishing he could go on forever.

"She's loaded deep, as deep can be, but not so deep-"

"As the love I'm in, I know not if I sink or swim."

Emma opened her eyes at the unfamiliar, but beautiful voice. She turned around, finding a young woman, no older than sixteen, hanging on the edge of the rowboat. She rested her head on her arm, letting her long dark hair fall over her shoulders. She had bluish green eyes, much like Emma's, and she gazed at them with a friendly smile on her face.

"Hello Hook. Nice to see you again."

"Hello Ariel."

A/N: I based Ariel on the original "Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen, not the Disney version.