Chapter Two - The Deal
"You're sure this will work?"
"If it doesn't, we're all out of options."
Mary Margaret sighed on the other line. Emma pressed the phone hard against her ear, closing her eyes. "I can't lose my son."
"I know, Emma," Mary Margaret said softly, "but if Gold ever finds out-"
"He won't," Emma assured her, though she wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not. In any case, it didn't matter to Emma whether or not Gold discovered what she had done in an effort to persuade Hook to take them to Neverland. If things worked out the way she planned, she'd be long gone in Neverland before he suspected a thing.
"Alright," Mary Margaret replied, sounding weary. "What do you need me to do?"
Emma quickly explained what her plan was, hoping Mary Margaret would be able to accomplish the task at hand. When they hung up, Emma felt a small sense of hope budding in her gut. She prayed this would work - not only because it would help her in getting Hook back to Neverland, but if Mr. Gold ever found out what she had just done, she'd have even more problems on her hands than she already did. Emma sat in a small room on the bottom of the Jolly Roger at a circular table that must've been where the pirates ate during their voyages on the ship. Hook had left for the town nearly two hours previously. She didn't know when he'd be back, but that was what Mary Margaret was for. She was to ensure that under no circumstances could Gold and Hook be in the same place at the same time. Emma was hoping if Hook couldn't find Gold in town, he'd return to the ship to recuperate. Time was still of the essence, however, and Emma waited with bated breath for the scoundrel of a captain to return.
A few hours passed before Emma heard footsteps on the deck of the ship above. She was grateful that there was only one pair of footsteps; she didn't even want to think of how awkward it'd be if Hook picked up a lady friend in town and brought her back to the ship. She didn't want anyone to know she was going to him for help. The less people who knew, the better. For Henry's sake.
"You're still here, are you?"
Emma looked up to see Hook standing in the doorway of the room. He leaned against the doorframe almost lazily, tilting his head to the side as his ice blue eyes observed her. She raised her chin and nodded. "I'm not leaving this ship until you agree to help me get to Neverland."
"Then I'm afraid you might as well pretend to be one of those chairs," Hook said, his tone flat, "because you're not going anywhere."
Emma stood; she expected he'd act as much. "I have something that will change your mind."
"Oh I doubt that. Unless you've got Rumplestiltskin tied up in that pocket of yours with a pretty bow on his head, you will not sway me, Swan."
"I have the next best thing," Emma said breathlessly, and withdrew the object sticking out of her pocket carefully. Then next second, she stabbed it right into the table, hard.
Protruding from the round, wooden table was the dagger of Rumplestiltskin.
Hook straightened immediately, his eyes staring sharply at the dagger. "How did you-"
"It doesn't matter how I got it," Emma snapped, "you can have it if you help me." Emma was shocked that Gold had put the dagger back in its old spot in the clock tower. When she realized the dagger would be the perfect bait to get Hook to agree to her plan, she thought there'd be no chance in hell that the dagger was still in the same spot. Imagine her surprise when she looked in the hand of the clock to see the dagger sitting peacefully. It was both stupid and genius to hide it in the same spot. Emma knew Regina wouldn't waste her time looking there again, assuming Gold would have stashed it some place else. However, it gave Emma the chance to nick it before he realized it was gone.
Hook left his spot in the doorframe, nearing Emma with intense eyes. His steps were slow, deliberate as he got closer to her. "And, let me guess. You'll give me the dagger just as soon as I return you to Storybrooke. Apologies, Emma darling, but I gave you my trust once before and you gave me a handcuff and a ten hour imprisonment. Forgive me if I'm a little unwilling to trust you again," Hook murmured, reaching out to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Emma stopped his hand with her own, lowering it. For the second time that day, his face was far too close to her own.
"I had every right not to trust you," Emma told him firmly. "You are a pirate, after all."
"A bloody good one at that," Hook grinned, then shook his head. "I may be a pirate, but I am a human being as well. I knew you wanted to return to your son. I wasn't going to get in the way of that, you know."
Emma still wasn't sure what to believe. He was Hook; Captain Hook. He was a swashbuckling, treacherous, slippery, deceiving pirate. Emma learned a long time ago that trust doesn't mean the same to anyone; she had trusted Neal, and he had betrayed her. They had been in love. If Neal, the father of her child, could deceive her, Emma believed anyone could, especially Hook. But as Emma looked back at Hook, she could tell he wasn't lying. His eyes were earnest, his features steady. He looked back at her, and Emma could almost see a small amount of disappointment in his eyes. It was almost as if he wanted her trust a great deal. Unfortunately, Emma wasn't the type of person who could give that out freely.
"Well, whatever," Emma said resignedly, "it doesn't matter now." Hook's eyes flashed but he said nothing. Emma ignored him. "I'm not going to wait until we're back to give you the dagger. You can take it now. Just as long as you decide to take us to Neverland," she added hastily.
Hook looked at the dagger, taking his hand to it and running his fingers down the blade. He was pondering. Emma held her breath, praying. This wasn't even the hardest part. Getting to Neverland, if Hook decided to help, would be easy. It was finding the ingredients once they were there that was going to be difficult.
Emma watched Hook as he observed the dagger intently. His dark hair trickled over his eyes, his lips were parted slightly, breath coming out calmly. He took his hand back from the knife, using it instead to scratch his beard as he thought. Emma had a strange urge to reach out and feel his stubble beneath her fingertips, to run her fingers across his face and see those eyes look at her in rapturous hunger. She rebuked herself internally, wrapping a hand around her wrist unconsciously.
Hook leaned back from the table. He met Emma's eyes once, suspiciously, before ducking his head into a nod. "Yes. I suppose I will indeed be taking you to Neverland."
Emma could've kissed him. She couldn't contain the excitement and instead grabbed his arms, squeezing gently. "Thank you, Killian," she whispered, thankful as anything. He gave her a soft look, and then pursed his lips. He broke from her grasp and took the knife from the table, slipping it into his pocket. Emma eyed it as he did. Little did Hook know, he would not be keeping the dagger for much longer. If Mary Margaret had done what Emma had asked, she'd have a way of getting the dagger back once they were in Neverland.
Almost as if he had read her thoughts, Hook turned to her, scowling. "I've given you my trust this time, Swan. Be a good lass and don't do anything to cause me to regret that."
Emma swallowed, but smiled. "Of course not."
"Right," Hook replied, gesturing for Emma to follow him out of the small room, "we'll have to prepare the ship for our voyage. I trust you have something that will create a portal?"
"Yes," Emma said, "David got two from Tiny; one to get us there, and one to bring us back."
"Brilliant," Hook said pleasantly, leading the way to the deck of the Jolly Roger. Emma glanced at her watch; it was a little after noon. Henry had been in the hospital for nearly nine hours. The knot in her stomach grew tighter at the thought of him lying there on the white bed, freezing and sleeping and alone. She sighed.
"So, when do we leave?" Emma asked, looking up at Hook. He was glancing out towards the ocean.
"Around nightfall, I reckon."
"Nightfall?" Emma repeated, outraged. "Hook, no. We have to go as soon as possible, we have to go now!"
"Now? Don't be daft, sweetheart," Hook laughed, striding towards the stern. "There's so much to do before we leave. We must pack, we must get supplies, food, water...who knows what we'll encounter while we're there?"
"Well I was kind of hoping you'd know," Emma muttered under her breath, "that was the whole point of you coming." If Hook heard her, he ignored her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a telescope, extending it and looking out towards the sea. Emma had to pinch herself to keep her from laughing. She didn't know people actually used telescopes anymore, except Jefferson, with his creepy habits.
Emma walked over to stand beside Hook, trying to see whatever it was the pirate was looking at. A moment later, he rescinded his telescope, pocketing it and turning to her. She didn't look at him until he put his good hand on her shoulder, spreading his fingers wide to cup it as he turned her towards him. Her breath stuttered a bit when she looked into his suddenly ravenous eyes.
"You look quite good on my ship, Miss Swan," he crooned, his lips curling up into a smirk. She jostled her shoulder, brushing his hand off as she rolled her eyes.
"Well don't get used to it. This journey has to be as short as possible, are we clear?"
"Clear as the water in Mermaids' Lagoon," Hook returned, winking. He then glanced over his shoulder, as if expecting others to be on his ship. "Who else will be joining us on this ingredient hunt?"
"Mary Margaret is gathering some people now," Emma shrugged, "I'm not sure who yet."
Hook nodded, his eyes back on Emma. He was suddenly leaning in, his forehead nearly touching hers. She tried taking a step back, but her lower back hit the edge of the ship. He smiled. "I suppose I couldn't be as lucky as to have you to myself, hmm?"
"Easy, Valentine," Emma scolded him, putting her hands on his chest to push him away. "Let's get one thing clear; I have my personal space bubble, and you have yours. Give me my space and I'll give you yours."
"So if I weren't giving you your space, does that you mean you'd deny me mine?" Hook countered, blue eyes twinkling. "I can't say I'd have a problem with that, love."
Emma smiled up at him sweetly, bringing her head closer to his. Then, she lifted her foot and brought it down hard upon his.
Hook yelped, flying back as he hopped on one foot. Emma couldn't help but laugh, crossing her arms with a grin. "You were in my bubble," Emma defended herself, still laughing, "so sorry."
Hook glared at her. He was rubbing his foot with his hand, his face red hot with both pain and humiliation, most likely. "You are quite the woman, Emma Swan," he said, though his voice was in a sneer. "This is going to be an interesting journey."
Emma couldn't help but agree with him.
Mary Margaret had collected quite the group of people to accompany them to Neverland. She had convinced David to stay home with Henry, though Emma wasn't sure how she had done it. Prince Charming was currently leaning against the mast sullenly, his arms crossed as he watched Leroy bring crates of food down the stairs into the depths of the Jolly Roger. He looked most unhappy with the end arrangement, but Emma knew he wouldn't argue with Mary Margaret any further. It also made Emma feel better that her dad would be with Henry. She knew David would never let anything happen to her son.
Along with Leroy, Ruby was helping put supplies down in the ship. She smiled at Emma warmly as she did so. Emma was relieved Ruby was coming. She was not only a good friend, but her ability to turn into a wolf at any given second would be a great asset to them. Emma didn't know if they'd need a werewolf in Neverland, but it wouldn't hurt to bring one.
To Emma's surprise, she spotted Jefferson fiddling around with some ropes on the deck. "What are you doing here?" she asked, walking over to him.
Jefferson smirked. "You seem shocked. To think I could actually do a good thing for once."
"Well, you did kidnap my mother and I," Emma said dully. Jefferson shrugged, tying knots with the ropes without paying attention to them.
"Henry gave me the courage to talk to my daughter again. If it weren't for him, I'd still be staring at her through a telescope," he admitted sheepishly. He gave Emma one of the most honest looks she had seen from him. "It's only right for me to help the kid. Besides, I've been to Neverland many times through my hat. I know a thing or two about it."
Information Emma could have used before handing Rumplestilskin's dagger off to Hook, but it was far too late for that now. Emma just nodded, giving Jefferson her silent blessing before going back to Mary Margaret's side. Her mother looked extremely worn. Emma bit her lip. She had asked a lot from her today, and part of her felt guilty for making her parents split up once again. But she had to save Henry. Nothing else mattered to her more than that.
"I'm sorry this had to happen," Emma said, taking a deep breath. "If I had just taken him to the damn doctor..."
"No one blames you, Emma," Mary Margaret said quietly, patting her arm. "You know that, don't you?"
Emma shrugged, looking out towards the water. They would be in another world soon enough. Emma hadn't even taken the time to register that she was going to the actual, straight out of a fairy tale Neverland. She had been too focused on getting Hook to agree to take her that she hadn't thought about that fact that she was leaving Storybrooke - and Henry - behind.
"We just have to see this through," Emma whispered, fear growing in her core. "We can't fail. I don't know what I'll do if I never get to hear Henry's voice again." Or watch him smile. Take him to dinner at Granny's. Read the storybook with him. Listen to his theories, his ideas and his beautiful imagination. Her throat tightened, and she felt herself grow dizzy again. She couldn't think those thoughts. They would succeed. There was no question in that. They had to.
Emma felt a hand on her shoulder; for a wild second, she thought it was Hook again, but it was her father. David pulled Emma into his chest, stroking her hair and sighing. "I love you so much Emma," her father said, and Emma could hear the small choke in his voice. "I know you'll get everything you need to save Henry. I have nothing but faith in you."
"Thanks, dad," Emma murmured, hugging him back tightly. She was going to miss him. Part of her wanted him to come with her, to protect them and be there by their side as they fought to find the ingredients, but she wouldn't feel okay with leaving Henry with just Regina. And Gold. And even Neal. She could only truly trust her father to look out for his safety.
David let go of her and turned to his wife. "Snow..."
Mary Margaret eyes filled with tears, and they bowed their heads together, holding each other. Emma turned away, giving them their privacy, the guilt winding around inside of her. She instead focused on Jefferson and Ruby admiring the sunset, pointing towards the radiant colors dancing across the sky. Emma watched the sun sink lower in the sky, orange and pink swirling around in the dusk sky. She wondered if it was going to be her last sunset in Storybrooke. She really hoped not.
An arm wrapped around her shoulders, and this time, it was Hook. "Beautiful, yes?"
"Mhmm," Emma returned, knowing it wasn't worth it to push his arm off. Who knew Captain Hook's true mortal enemy was personal space.
"Nothing more beautiful than a sunset at sea," Hook said, but he wasn't looking at the sun. Emma felt his eyes on her, but she ignored him.
"Can we leave yet?" Emma pleaded, wanting to just get there and start locating the ingredients. She couldn't waste her time in Storybrooke any longer. She needed to be in Neverland, and now.
Hook chuckled. Emma felt his hook laying gently on her shoulder, which concerned her a bit, but he removed it, leaning back from her. "As soon as it gets dark, love. We'll leave in a few minutes."
Emma nodded, pulling anxiously at the red scarf around her neck. She couldn't stop thinking about what lay ahead. The Blue Fairy told them they needed something called firemouth, some flower called moonpetal, and water from a sacred oasis. Emma had no idea where to even begin to look for any of those things. She was hoping that Hook, or even Jefferson, would have some sort of an inkling as to how to locate them. She tried to push the doubt from her mind as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, getting it out of her eyes. She then raised her arms over head, stretching her whole body. She had been up all day. She knew she needed sleep, but she could hardly think about that right now. All that mattered was getting to Neverland. Sleep was far less important. When Emma lowered her arms, Hook was watching her, an unreadable glint in his eyes. Emma was about to ask, but she was interrupted.
"Hook," came David's authoritative voice, ringing across the deck. Emma and Hook turned to see her father standing a few feet away, his arms locked around Snow. He was glaring over at Hook in a way that made even Emma worried. "I'm putting my daughter and my wife's lives in your hand, so-"
"Let me guess, you'll flail me alive and make me experience pain the likes of which I've never felt before if I don't bring them back," Hook retorted, rolling his eyes.
David shook his head. "No. I'm putting my life in your hand as well. If you don't return them to me," he stopped, his eyes meeting Mary Margaret's, "my life will be lost as well. I will not live without them." Mary Margaret tightened her arms around him, shaking her head against his chest.
"I will return to you, Charming," she promised, smiling through her tears. "There's no doubt in that."
Prince Charming nodded, returning her smile as he kissed her one last time. Emma looked over at Hook; he looked wildly uncomfortable, but as soon as David pulled back from Mary Margaret, Hook placed a hand on his arm. He looked him straight in the eye, as serious as Emma had ever seen him and said, "I won't let anything happen to either of them." Emma couldn't tell if he was just making false promises or if he was being sincere. Hook was the first and only person who was difficult for Emma to decipher lies from. He seemed like he could be an incredible liar; in the time that Emma had known him, she hadn't heard one real lie leave his mouth. She knew from personal experience that everyone lies, so it made her wonder if Hook had mastered the art of deception in a way that she couldn't cry falsehood. Or maybe he truly was a honest man. Emma took a look at him, her eyes stretching from the black smudges around his eyes to the silver hook on his left hand. She scoffed. Honest her ass.
Charming began leaving the ship, not without first assuring Emma that Henry would be under good watch. He left the ship, along with Granny, who had come to see Ruby off, and the dwarves, giving Leroy some last minute encouragement before they embarked. Jefferson was hugging his little girl tightly, brushing the blonde hair back from her eyes with a sad look before Granny took her hand and led her back to the dock. Emma sympathized with him. She knew how hard it was to leave your kid behind. She was extremely grateful that he was coming. Emma knew it was a huge sacrifice because of the risk, and he had just gotten his daughter back after all. Jefferson caught her looking at him and offered a small smile, which she returned.
The sky had gone completely dark as they started sailing away from Storybrooke. Hook had put Leroy at the steering wheel. The dwarf was more than willing; he had an intense fascination and desire to sail a ship. This was his chance. He wasn't a bad sailor either. He sailed the ship forward, getting as far away from the shore of Storybrooke as they could, so as not to accidentally suck something (or someone) unwanted into the portal. Emma watched the town grow smaller and smaller as they sailed further away. "I'll be back, Henry," she murmured, looking back on the town with sadness.
"This is going to work, Emma," came Jefferson's voice from next to her. "We'll be able to do this, I'm sure of it."
He too was watching the town as they sailed away. Emma could just imagine Grace standing on the dock, watching her father leave once again. It couldn't have been easier for either of them.
"Thank you for doing this, Jefferson," Emma muttered, walking closer to him. "I can't even tell you how much I-"
"Save it, Swan," Jefferson held up a hand, grinning. "Henry's a good kid. He deserves every bit of help he can get."
Emma sighed, leaning against the bow of the ship. "I just know how difficult this decision must've been for you. If anything happens..."
"I knew the risk when I signed up for this hunting party," Jefferson told her flatly, leaning against the ship beside her. "I knew there was a chance of not coming back. But I know if it were Grace in that hospital bed, you and Henry and the rest of your family would do the same for me."
Emma gave him a warm smile. They certainly would. While she and Jefferson hadn't gotten off to the best of starts, now that the curse had been broken and Emma knew the truth, she and Jefferson had made amends. She still didn't trust him fully after the stint he pulled with kidnapping Mary Margaret, and Emma knew her mother was not a big fan of the Mad Hatter. But Emma admired his decision to join them, and she knew he'd be a great addition to their little squad.
Emma heard footsteps drawing close to her and Jefferson. She turned to see Hook standing before them, his eyes narrowed as they darted back and forth between them. Emma cleared her throat, gesturing towards their captain. "Jefferson, have you met-"
"Captain Hook," Jefferson spoke, straightening. He raised a hand to shake Hook's. Hook didn't look too pleased to see Jefferson, and eyed his hand with disdain. Emma frowned.
"Do you two know each other?" she asked.
"Kind of," Jefferson admitted, shrugging. "Like I said, I dropped into Neverland a lot. Kind of hard to miss the man with a hook for a hand." Jefferson lowered his hand, having clued in that the pirate had no intention of shaking it. Hook raised an eyebrow.
"You look much different than on the last occasion I saw you, Hatter," Hook told him, crossing his arms. "Then again, most people do look rather different while fearing for their life under my hook," he smirked. Jefferson scowled.
"I was only fearing for my life because you clearly weren't in the right state of mind in that night," Jefferson sniped back. "You put my madness to shame."
"I was not mad," Hook snapped, "you were a thief."
"You were drunk," Jefferson replied simply. "You thought I was steeling your ship."
"You were bloody behind the helm! Smee even saw you, you were trying to sail the ship back to Wonderland or wherever the hell you came from-"
"Well maybe if you had better crewmen than that rat-"
"Don't you dare-"
"Enough," Emma broke through, stepping between Jefferson and Hook. They were both glaring heatedly at each other, Jefferson with a more amused gleam and Hook with downright anger. Emma put her palms on Hook's chest, trying to push him back. He tried to shove her away, but Emma was stronger than he gave her credit for. Hook scowled down at her.
"I will not tolerate having this thief on my ship."
"That thief is trying to help save my son," Emma said, stern. "He stays."
Jefferson chuckled darkly. "Looks like she wants me here, Hook. We're going to have a fun voyage, eh Captain?"
Hook raised his hook in anger, but Emma grabbed it, lowering his arm. "Stop. Hook! Please," she begged, trying to get him to calm down. Hook just looked at her, contempt evident on his face. Emma rescinded, letting go of his hook. "Please. Just ignore him, okay?"
Hook was still fuming, but he turned away from them, looking out towards the sea. Emma shot Jefferson a warning look, and he backed up, rolling his eyes and going over to the helm to assist Leroy. Mary Margaret and Ruby gave Emma confused glances from the mast, but she ignored them, turning back to Hook. He still had his back to her, his long black coat whipping around his ankles furiously from the wind.
"I don't want that bastard on my ship," Hook growled, his hand gripping the side of the ship so tightly his knuckles turned white. Emma stood beside him, putting a hand on his arm.
"He really wants to help Henry," Emma assured him, "I know he has good intentions."
Hook looked over at her at that, his eyes no longer angry, but there was a darkness there that Emma hadn't seen previously. "Do you trust him?"
Emma opened her mouth, but shut it instantly. She paused. She didn't really trust anyone. But if she let Hook think she didn't trust him, what's to stop him from throwing Jefferson right off of the ship?
"I trust he will be on his best behavior," Emma allowed, nodding. Hook was still looking at her with that odd look in his eyes, but his eyes then moved down to the hand that was on his arm. Emma made to remove it, but his hook was suddenly upon it, locking her to his arm. She let out a breath, looking up and seeing the familiar flirtatious smirk. Her heart skipped a beat for reasons unknown to Emma.
"Should I be jealous?" Hook pondered, raising his brow in questioning. Emma let out a small laugh, shaking her head.
"I don't think you should be anything," Emma said. Jealous? Of Jefferson? Please. Emma wasn't on this ship to find someone to fuck. She was here for her son. Getting with Jefferson in any sense of the term was the furthest thing from her mind. The idea of Captain Hook being jealous of the Mad Hatter for her attention made Emma's still storybook adjusting head spin.
Hook still had his hook pinning her hand to his arm. She made a mental note to tell him that just because he had a hook didn't mean he could trap people against other objects (namely, him) without their consent, but that thought faded away as Hook leaned in and pressed his lips to her ear.
"I could be a lot of things if you let me, love," Hook whispered in a way that she knew was only meant for her. She shuddered as his breath tickled her ear, wishing she could push him away and yet yearning to feel his breath there again. He seemed to have forgotten their personal space talk earlier that day, or maybe he was just bent on torturing her. Probably a mixture of the two. Emma looked up, putting her other hand on top of his hook.
"Killian," she warned. Hook chuckled and relented, slipping his hooked arm back to his side. Emma let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. She could see Mary Margaret scowling from over Hook's shoulder; clearly, she had gotten the wrong impression from their encounter. Emma did not look forward to that conversation.
"We're at optimal portal distance, Captain," Leroy called from the helm. Hook gazed out towards the land, and then nodded. He turned to Emma, extending his hand. For a wild second Emma thought he wanted to hold hers, but then he asked for the bean. Obviously. Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the beans that Tiny had given Mary Margaret. She placed it in his hand, feeling how weirdly soft his skin was. She was distracted for a second, until she saw Hook grinning.
"As much as I love you touching me, Swan, we've got a portal to open, so if you wouldn't mind..."
"Sorry," Emma apologized, her cheeks heating up. She was such an idiot. She was trying not to lead Hook on anymore than she seemed to already, yet there he was beaming like an idiot. Emma dropped the bean in his hand and backed away from him, going over to where Mary Margaret and Ruby were standing. Ruby was chatting about how cute Hook and Jefferson were and how she wouldn't mind waking up in their quarters, but Mary Margaret gave Emma a serious look as she approached.
"Emma, is there something we need to discuss?"
"No," Emma said quickly, "of course not. Hook just doesn't understand the concept of personal space, that's all."
Mary Margaret didn't look convinced, but she didn't press it any further. Ruby giggled.
"Alright, mates," Hook called out from the bow, raising the bean above his head. Emma braced herself. This was it. They were finally going to Neverland.
Hook launched the bean into the darkness, letting it cascade into the waters below. Emma feared they wouldn't be able to find the portal in the darkness, but as soon as she thought it, the portal opened, water rushing in a loud whirlpool that crashed all around them. "Straight into the eye of it, dwarf," Hook shouted over the sound, pointing towards the center of the portal. He looked over his shoulders at the three of them standing by the mast. "I suggest you lovelies find something to secure yourselves with. This is going to be a little turbulent."
Emma found ropes tied around the mast and used them to secure herself, Mary Margaret and Ruby to the wooden pole. She saw Leroy and Jefferson doing the same at the helm. Hook, however, was not secured to anything. Emma's eyes widened.
"Hook," she shouted, "go find something to hold onto!"
Hook shook his head, grinning. "I'm more than experienced in portal jumping, Swan. I can keep my balance on a jostling ship just fine, thanks."
Emma wasn't having it. She didn't care if he was Captain Hook or Jack Sparrow or fucking Davy Jones. She ran over to him, not caring how stupid she looked as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pulling him back towards the mast. Hook was startled, but he didn't fight her. Instead, he relaxed into her hold, letting her tow him back to safety. "You really have a thing for grabbing me, don't you?" Hook joked, but his eyes had that ravenous hunger that made Emma squirm. She rolled her eyes, ignoring the looks from Mary Margaret as she held onto Hook for dear life.
The ship tipped into the portal, suddenly speeding up in ways she knew a normal ship wasn't capable of. In the next second, she was flown back against the side of the ship, Hook still in her arms, the only thing holding them to the ship being the plain rope tied to the mast. How the hell did Hook think he could keep upright while they were spinning into another world? He had to be deluded. Emma tightened her grip around him, feeling the way his chest expanded in a breath as she did so. He managed to somehow turn around in her arms so that he was facing her. Instead of making some smartass comment, Hook raised his hand to her face, his fingers gliding down the side. It wasn't fair, he knew she wouldn't let go of him so she couldn't stop his movements. He was just teasing her, but Emma felt a strong pull towards him that she couldn't figure out. She felt protective over him in a way. She wondered if she would have reacted the same way if it had been Leroy standing by the side of the ship. She tried to tell herself she would have, but she truly didn't know.
The waves started to slow down and quiet, though Emma could still hear the rushing of the water. She had long since closed her eyes, the portal making her feel seasick. She felt a small nudge on the shoulder. "Emma, love," Hook said quietly, "look."
Emma looked.
What laid before her was the most incredible thing she had ever seen before in her life. A giant mountain sat upon a grassy green island, the coast of the island white with sandy, flawless beaches and the water as clear as crystal and as blue as a certain pirate's eyes. The sun was rising behind the mountain, but that didn't make sense; it was barely night time back in Storybrooke. Colors danced across the sky, playing off the water in a way that caused beautiful rainbows to reflect off the surface at millions of angles, making the water almost sparkle. Emma was enraptured; she couldn't stop her jaw from dropping at the beautiful sight before her. She almost couldn't remember why she was here. All she knew was that she wanted to sunbathe on those beaches, she wanted to feel the water against her skin as she swan, and she wanted to explore every bit of the glorious mountain. It was almost as if all her worries faded away.
Then Hook came into her vision, and she remembered she was on the Jolly Roger. She saw her mother and Ruby, Leroy and Jefferson staring dumfounded at the island in the very same way as she. Hook didn't look nearly as interested, instead a knowing smile on his face as he looked upon Emma.
"Welcome," he said, laughing, "to Neverland."
a/n: I love reviews! :)
