A/N: All mistakes are my own, has not been beta'd (proofread). If you see something wrong or needs to be corrected, please send me a message and I will fix it ASAP. Thanks :)
"Want some company?" the brown-haired beauty asked, staring at the downcast notorious Captain Hook, who was drinking rum from his flask.
"Wouldn't say no to yours, Elizabeth," he nodded his head slightly staring hard at the seat across from him. Ignoring how the clothing she was wearing showed off her curves. Liz, as she preferred to be called, sat down and grabbed his flask taking a swig before giving it back.
"What are you brooding about? Thought you'd be happy," she handed the flask back to him. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
"You're the only one who sees me more than a pirate. Always seeing the best in others, even when they aren't worthy," he looked up and stared at his companion. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. She knew why he mentioned it, and hated when he put himself down. He was a man who watched his love have her heart ripped out and crushed in front of him. The bloody crocodile cutting off his hand making the man she sees into the most fearsome pirate to ever set sail, becoming Captain Hook.
"Why do you give a damn about how others see you? You and I both know there's more to you than a pirate captain, you're a man with honor," he made to disagree with her, but she held her hand up, halting his protest, "and morals. If no one in this bloody town can see past the leather and the hook, that is their problem." Her cheeks were red from her barely controlled anger. Her voice loud enough that everyone in the diner had stopped what they were doing. She stood up from her seat, unsheathed her sword and pointed to everyone, "If any of you have a problem with my captain, I'll be more than happy to run you through with my sword," her tone and the calm in which she spoke, made the customers look away, avoiding eye contact. "That's more like it."
She slid her sword back into its sheath and sat down. She looked at Killian, "What?"
"You always did have a temper, love." Hook chuckled, taking a drink passing his flask to Liz.
"You're one to talk." she arched an eyebrow at him.
He smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Touché."
She placed a hand over his, "Come on, we're leaving." She handed his flask back to him, grabbed his hook and pulled him begrudgingly behind her to the Rabbit Hole. Liz pushed him through the door and stopped at the jukebox.
Once she found a song, she dragged him to the dance floor. She placed her hand in his and his hook on her waist then started dancing with him, a waltz, something they both knew. Why they had a piece such as that in this establishment, she wasn't going to question. As he twirled her, causing her to laugh, he had a genuine smile on his face. When the music ended, both their eyes were locked onto the other. She cleared her throat and dropped her hands.
"Sorry." she mumbled, looking down.
She heard him sigh heavily, "I'm a bloody fool." She looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. He shook his head and walked around her, leaving her standing there. She stared after him wondering what that was about and made her way to the bar, ordering the strongest drink they had.
She stayed in her apartment, not wanting to go out and be a part of the hero gang. Her phone chimed, she picked it up and saw a text from Belle, "It's Neal, we're at the hospital."
She slid the phone into her back pocket and left her home, driving to the hospital. Her stomach was in knots and her heart was clenching. Belle's message meant her captain was there as well. When she got to the hospital, Belle was waiting at the entrance for her.
"How is he?"
"He looks a mess." the look she gave her had her wondering who she was talking about. She followed Belle upstairs, with her heels clicking on the linoleum floor, Hook, Emma and Neal turned. Looking at him, he was a mess. His hair was unkempt, he wasn't wearing his trademark longcoat and his shirt was wrinkled.
Before she had time to think, Hook walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened from the contact 'He's never hugged me like this. What the hell is going on?', as he made to pull away, she tentatively wrapped her arms around his waist.
"We need to talk Elizabeth." She nodded. He kept his hand on her lower back as they pulled away. She looked to Emma, her eyebrows raised in question, but shook her head and looked back to Neal. Elizabeth was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Neal and Hook hugging until Hook cupped her cheek. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she was pulled into the now.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"How long?" She furrowed her brows. 'How long what?' "How long have you had feelings for me?" 'Oh fuck.'
"Um... what?" Pretending not to know what he was talking about was the best course of action.
"I'm not blind, how bloody long?"
"What's the point, I've seen how you look at Emma and she at you." She backed away from his hand that was still on her cheek. He clenched his jaw, the muscles ticking as he ground his teeth. "You have feelings for her yet you're interested in how long I've been in love with you?" 'Shit, I did not mean to admit that.' She watched as Hook clenched his jaw, not wanting to discuss Swan. "As I said, it doesn't matter." She turned and quickly walked away. When she turned the corner, she ran.
She saw the passionate kiss Hook and Emma shared on Neverland, his secret that he could believe in love again because of Emma. Gods, how she wanted it to be her instead of the blonde. Even with Neal around, he and Hook would do what they could to win Emma's heart, and it made her own clench in pain.
She pounded on the red door, willing her to open and help her. As she was about to walk away, Regina opened the door, looking irritated until she saw the tears on the young woman's cheeks. Regina stepped back allowing Elizabeth entrance into her home.
"What happened? Is it Neal?" She shook her head. "Come in, sit down and tell me what happened."
Ever since helping them retrieve Henry from Neverland, her and Regina had become friends. Elizabeth, however, was grateful she didn't have to reveal her darkest secret, but which also meant she had no idea what her captain's was.
"Put me under a sleeping curse." Elizabeth begged. She knew Hook didn't feel for her as she felt for him, and if there was a true love out there for her, eventually they would waken her.
"Hook?" Elizabeth nodded in response. More tears fell down her cheeks. "You don't want the sleeping curse." She gave a look of disbelief at the reformed Evil Queen.
"Yes I do! He loves her, I don't want to feel this pain!" Regina sighed.
"I can't talk you out of this, can I?" Elizabeth shook her head no. "Come back here in two hours, I'll have it ready by then." She wrapped her arms around her friend who threw herself into her.
After she left, Elizabeth went home. She wished Hook happiness and to become the man he wanted to be, whether it be pirate, captain or Killian Jones. She tidied up her apartment, making sure all dishes were cleaned and put away and her bed made. When her alarm sounded, she grabbed her purse and drove to Regina's.
"I'll put you into the casket I had made for Daniel. We don't know how long it will take until your true love presents themselves." Regina instructed. Elizabeth breathed in deeply and nodded. Regina grasped a glass vial and dipped the end of a long needle into the curse that would put Elizabeth to sleep. She handed her the needle.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Regina tried one last time, making sure this is what she wanted. At Elizabeth's nod, she let go of the needle.
"Find me, forgive me." at that, Elizabeth pricked her finger with the needle. When a drop of blood appeared, she fell forward. Regina quickly stopped her from falling and waved a hand, magically transporting her to the glass coffin in her crypt.
Regina wiped the tears that slipped down her cheek. She grabbed her phone and quickly sent a message to Mary-Margaret and David knowing they would spread the word to let people know there was an emergency meeting at town hall. Thirty minutes later, Regina stepped onto the stage, all chatter immediately ceased. Hook walked in through the front doors, as he made his way inside, Regina could see he was looking for someone, and at what appeared as disappointment, he leaned against the door frame looking up at her. Regina cleared her throat.
"As some of you may have noticed," her eyes met Hook's, "Elizabeth isn't here. There's a reason for her absence." Regina shuddered a breath, knowing they would she was the Evil Queen again. "She came to me because her heart had been broken." Her eyes fell on Hook and watched the emotions on his face, one she was surprised to see, devastation. Then she looked at Emma, who had a look of guilt on hers.
Before Regina could continue, Hook spoke up, "Where is she?" heads turned to him then back to Regina. Regina lost her train of thought at how broken he sounded. " . ?"
"She's under the sleeping curse." the crowd was livid. "Hey! If Guyliner had realized how Elizabeth felt, she wouldn't have come to me!"
"They're pirates, it doesn't matter how they feel."
"Enough!" Emma yelled out to the crowd whose volume had been increasing steadily.
"So instead of focusing on this new curse, we have to worry about a pirate under the sleeping curse!?" there were many agreements throughout the large room.
"Hey! That's enough! Emma's right!" David spoke up, silencing the crowd.
"What happened during that year Hook?" Emma asked.
"She went off on her own, no longer wanting to be a part of me crew. I don't know what happened after she left." He looked up at Regina, still standing at the podium. "Do we know who can waken her?"
Everyone was silent, all eyes on the Mayor. "No. Nor did she." the voices of the crowd started getting louder again. Regina left the stage and transported herself to her home, away from everyone and to mourn her friend.
1 week later
Regina opened the door to find Hook ready to knock. "Take me to her." Regina nodded and transported them to the entrance of her crypt. She lead Hook down the steps, behind a trap door to where Elizabeth laid sleeping inside the glass coffin.
"I'll leave you to it." She turned on her heel to leave.
"What if it doesn't work?"
"Then she'll remain asleep until her true love, whoever that is, wakes her." Regina gave him a sympathetic look and left. Hook turned his attention to the lass. He lifted the lid and grasped her hand as he couldn't lean down far enough to kiss her, raised her hand to his lips and pressed them to her knuckles. A pulse of magic spread out from her, traveling over the town of Storybrooke. She inhaled deeply and looked up. Tears sprang to her eyes, Hook not immune to what her wakening meant.
"I thought -"
Hook shook his head 'no.' "I'm a fool for not telling you sooner. Although, it took you leaving me back in the Enchanted Forest to admit to myself how I felt about you."
"So, to get you to admit something, all it'll take is me leaving?" she quirked an eyebrow, sitting up.
He rolled his eyes, grasped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers causing her to gasp which he took advantage of, deepening the kiss. "I'm never letting you walk away from me again, love."
A/N: Please feel free to let me know what you think :) Also, I would love to have someone proof-read my stories before I publish to make sure they make sense. I'm not worried about grammar or spelling, only the flow. If you're interested, please send me a message :)