A/N Okay so I know I only just uploaded Chapter 1 but since I have an abundance of time and a lack of things to do - here's chapter 2.
Chapter 2: Quarrels
"Usually I bring women here for more enjoyable activities but… I get the feeling you aren't really the type?" Captain Hook asked, moving to where a chest of drawers stood on the left side of the room.
Emma stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed defensively, as she took in her surroundings. His room was fairly large for such a vessel and was mainly taken up by a large bed in the corner. She shook her head, of course a guy like him would have a big bed – for ravishing wenches I suppose. Thinking about this, Emma felt a twinge of emotion that she didn't quite understand but quickly disregarded it. Over to the left was a small chest of drawers with some bottles of amber liquid and glasses resting atop it. On the right side of the room was a mahogany writing desk and a wooden chest (presumably filled with gold and other plundered treasures).
"I'm here to discuss why me and my… why me and Mary Margaret are here." Emma was curt, displaying no interest in his attempt at humour.
"Well, straight to the point – I favour that. What is your purpose here, then?" He poured two glasses of the amber liquid and moved elegantly back over to Emma. Hook outstretched the arm that held one of the glasses, indicating for Emma to take it.
Emma shook her head and continued, "My mother and I are from a different… um, realm and we need to get back. Since you're apparently very resourceful, perhaps you'd be interested in helping us." Hook downed his glass and tossed it on the bed, moving on to Emma's refused drink.
"What's in it for me? I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not really the type for selfless assisting of individuals other than myself," he said, moving closer to Emma.
"What do you want?" Emma said, stepping back so as not to give the attractive captain any ideas.
Hook laughed, noting her stance.
"The only thing I desire is revenge on a certain nameless imp. Judging from what I have observed and heard so far, you might actually be able to help me… which realm is it that you are travelling to?"
Emma was confused by this but, since she was making headway, answered "Reality?" unsure of what 'her realm' was called. Captain Hook looked at her for a moment, studying her expression.
"Does your realm have magic?" He moved closer again, intensely interested in what she was going to answer. Emma could abruptly see the spark of an idea in his eyes and, hoping it was the right answer, said, "No."
Hook smiled.
"It appears that you are going to be of use to me. I will assist you in returning to your realm…?"
"Emma Swan."
"…Emma Swan, but I have conditions." He turned away; gulping down the rest of what Emma now assumed was alcohol. Before Emma could even ask, he began to list them.
"Firstly, since you will be travelling on this vessel, you will work like the other men and, please do not make the incorrect assumption that I will be lenient because of your gender. Secondly, I will be travelling with you to this realm and lastly…" The captain seemed to pause for effect, turning once again to face Emma and look her in the eyes.
"When the time comes I want your assistance in skinning a certain crocodile."
Puzzled, Emma just nodded. The captain smiled again, removing what was previously a look of contempt so raw that Emma had flinched under his gaze.
"You must be desperate to get home if you're willing to make a deal with a pirate." It wasn't a question but rather a statement. His face resumed holding the sanctimonious grin that so headily infuriated Emma.
"Who is he, the person you are so anxious to return to?" Hook asked, narrowing his eyes in playful curiosity.
"No one, only my son," Emma replied tartly. Hook appeared visibly surprised at this answer and continued, "you must love him very much but… tell me, have you ever even been in love, lass?"
"No," Emma replied briskly before leaving the room.
After explaining the agreement to the others, and convincing them that there was no other plausible solution to their predicament, Emma and the three women began working on the ship. Immediately after their discussion, Hook had ordered the sails be raised and a course set for the South District where the stalk lay. Confused by this, Emma queried her mother in their rooms that evening. Luckily, the good captain had decided the women needed a separate room in which to reside – Emma couldn't have been more relieved. The greasy man, Grimes, had still outright ogled her after the announcement of their agreement.
"The stalk… I think he's talking about the beanstalk that Jack enacted during the war with the Giants," Mary Margaret said vaguely, turning to Mulan.
"Yes, I remember because some of the boys from my village went to assist," Mulan answered, mitigating Mary Margaret's claim.
"Why would we be going there? And Jack as in, 'Jack and the Beanstalk' Jack?" Emma asked, looking sceptically at her mother and the Asian warrior. Aurora was already tucked up comfortably in her hammock sleeping peacefully.
"Yes Emma. It was actually a war… I don't really know why we'd be going there."
The group sat in silence for a long while before resigning to their beds, having given up on clear thought for the night.
"Good Morning Ladies! Time to get up and scrub the deck!" A round man bellowed from the doorway, entering to push them out of the hammocks. Hook hadn't lied when he said they'd be treated like the rest of the men. Aurora was a lot groggier than the other women and, upon noting her inability to achieve much in the area of gruelling physical work; she was made to clean the Captain's quarters and glassware aboard the ship.
Emma and Mulan were immediately put to scrub the deck, having been designated the stronger ones in the group, while Mary Margaret helped to clean the banisters. Emma almost instantly got the feeling the other men were angry about their presence; this was undeniably confirmed at midday.
"You missed a spot," one of the men said mockingly, pointing to a spot just a few yards from Emma. Growling under her breath, Emma moved over to clean it, only to have the man step on it and make it dirty again.
"Still there," He teased, angering Emma.
"How about you clean it then?" Emma said, standing and thrusting the sponge at the man. She quickly noticed him as one of Grimes' friends. He was taller and lankier, but still muscled enough to be intimidating. Before she could even react, the man backhanded Emma. Shocked, Mulan stood abruptly and Mary Margaret turned to see what the crewmen were staring at. Apparently no one was used to a woman with a temper.
"You stupid wench, you should have more respect for your superiors! I don't give a shit if I told you to clean it twenty times; you would clean it twenty times!" The man was spitting the words at a livid Emma.
"I dare you to touch me again." Emma sneered quietly, moving closer to the man.
Out of nowhere, Emma was grabbed from behind. Mulan moved forward to assist Emma but was stopped by two burly crewmen, as was Mary Margaret. Hands suspended behind her, Emma shoved with her weight but moved nowhere.
She saw the punch coming but had no way to defend against it.
Pain blossomed in her stomach as the man hit her fair in the abdomen. Grunting, Emma buckled forward and clutched her stomach, having been let go from behind. Turning her head, she saw that the man who had held her was Grimes. He appeared satisfied and leered over a gasping Emma.
Mary Margaret was fuming. "You lay a finger on her head again and I will end you myself!"
The ruckus had obviously been loud enough to disturb the Captain because he was moving to where the men were gathered around Emma.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" he asked, staring down at Emma who was winded but starting to catch her breath.
"She showed disrespect, we showed her the repercussions." Grimes announced, clearly pleased with his actions. Captain Hook, however, was not. Ignoring Emma, Hook sighed angrily and turned around to face the motionless crewmen.
"Get back to work all of you. Grimes, Talice, a word in my quarters please."
The two instigators followed the Captain and as the door shut, Mary Margaret shoved past the two men who had kept her from Emma.
"Are you okay?" she asked, helping Emma up. Emma brushed herself off and smiled weakly.
"It was almost worth pissing that asshat off."
Mary Margaret smiled slightly before she was forced back to the other side of the boat to shine the banisters. Emma returned to her work, determined not to allow the men to see her as weak – she knew what kind of ideas spawned from seeing weakness in others. Mulan quietly commended Emma on passing but the remainder of the day was spent scrubbing the deck, adjusting the sails and completing other rigorous tasks aboard the Jolly Roger.
Over the next two days, the women would wake early, eat in their rooms and clean and work with the rest of the crew. Aurora was quiet and never raised attention; the men generally ignored her, assuming she was weak and naïve. Mulan and Mary Margaret clashed with the crew twice over the two days, but no one pissed the men off like Emma.
She blatantly refused to be treated inferior and was quick to defend Mary Margaret and Mulan. However, Emma had caught the attention of Grimes and Talice and they pushed her buttons like no one else. Any opportunity to tickle her temper was taken and, as a result, she received five backhands over the two days – much to Mary Margaret's displeasure.
Talice and Grimes were smart and made sure that all of their interactions with Emma went unnoticed by Hook. More and more, Emma grew to resent the captain and his inability to deliver justice. She was working but she would be damned if she would be treated like a rodent.
On the afternoon of the second day, Emma was helping to adjust the sail when Grimes dropped his rope, forcing Emma to take on more weight. Unable to hold on, Emma let it go and the whole crew went into frenzy trying to resolve the problem.
"You did that on purpose!" Emma yelled, storming up to Grimes who was lazily leaning against the banister. She had an overwhelming urge to push him over the side, revelling in the idea of the disgusting man flailing as he fell into the sea.
"I don't know what you're talking about." His tone was calm and polite, it enraged Emma.
"I could have been killed you worthless git!"
"I wouldn't let that happen, the death of a wench on my watch wouldn't go well in the record," Grimes smiled, attempting frivolity.
"Oh, that's right. Because the only wenches you can procure are dead ones – tell me Grimes, has a woman ever lusted after you?" Emma stepped closer to Grimes, almost spitting the words in his face. The comment hit a nerve and his cocky attitude brusquely vanished, replaced by loathing and hatred.
In a matter of minutes the two were involved in a yelling match. He was calling her every explicit name under the sun and she was unrepentant in her retaliation. By now the men simply ignored their antics, even Talice. Mary Margaret remained wary but understood that Emma could handle herself and Mulan had always trusted Emma with such threatening situations.
Suddenly, Hook came barrelling down the stairs. He had been steering the ship but was clearly distracted by the banshee contest occurring below.
"Enough!" He yelled, moving in between the two and immediately halting their charade, "Grimes, I would have supposed by now you could comprehend that if you like a girl, you don't actually pick on her. It's difficult to get your sodding mop around, I know." Emma could plainly see the anger behind Hook's mocking tone. Grimes growled and looked angrily at Emma as the crew laughed in response to the captain's quip.
"Now, lass, we are helping you. So, it would be kindly appreciated if you stopped provoking these quarrels with the other men – don't think I haven't heard the other ones." The captain stared at Emma; the anger had dimmed a bit but was still present.
"Why the hell didn't you do anything about it?" Emma asked, infuriated that he had let her become the punching bag of the crew.
"Because I don't rightly give a shit! Haven't your darling parents ever told you that sticks and stones can break your bones but words will never hurt you?" Hook said. His expression told her to stop talking but Emma's temper wasn't something that could be easily stifled.
"You have no bloody idea what's happening on your own ship, Hook!" Emma roared back, causing everyone on the ship to stop for a moment in stunned silence. It was only a moment though, because Emma suddenly heard a cracking noise and her cheek felt hot and sore.
Some reviews would be nice?
