AN: Thank you to all who are stopping by to read my little story! A special thanks to captainhookcaptainfreedom and Shelllee24 for your lovely words!

I hope you enjoy the introduction to Emma in this chapter. Of all the characters, she's the one i struggle to make the least OOC, so please let me know how I'm doing with that! Granted, it's AU and she hasn't had the struggles in the EF that she had in the LWM, so she's going to be a little OOC. I do wish the show had given us more Liam/Killian brotherly love, so I'm going to try keeping him around… or am I? You'll have to keep reading to find out!

"Who would've imagined my little brother growing up to be a lieutenant?" Liam shook his head as he pinned the insignia to Killian's lapel. He had to refrain from ruffling his hair in front of the crowd. "If Ma and Da could see you now..." he trailed off sadly.

Several years ago, their mother had died from an infection that had taken in her lungs leaving the boys and their father devastated. Months later, their father's ship never came back from the day's fishing expedition. News that they had been plundered by pirates spread, leaving no survivors. The small village of Anguilla never recovered from the loss of so many men and many of the families had uprooted to find their way. Liam had joined the royal navy in order to support him and his brother. As soon as he was old enough, Killian followed. The two had never had the same commission before, until Liam was promoted to captain and was able to choose his crew. His promotion to lieutenant came just before the transfer, but Liam had insisted on being the one to perform the ceremony.

Killian saluted his superior officer, who responded likewise before pulling him in for a hug. "I'm really proud of you, Killy," Liam said, his voice choked with emotion.

"Call me that again, and I'll raise mutiny against you," Killian joked back, playfully punching him in the arm. He glanced around, hoping no one would be offended at his striking a superior officer. Luckily, most of the spectators were the captain's crew and knew of their familial relationship.

"My brother, the lieutenant!" Liam turned and shouted at the crowd. A hearty cheer went up as the men greeted their new officer.

"Well, Captain Jones, what are our first orders?" Killian asked, all business.

"I'm afraid I have orders not to tell until we reach our destination," Liam replied cryptically. "Just know that it is of the utmost importance to the kingdom. The king wanted the best men for this, and now he has them." He clapped Killian on the back for emphasis. "Now, let's get the ship ready to set sail."

"You heard the captain!" Killian shouted out orders to the waiting crew. They quickly scurried into their various posts to prepare for their journey. Killian and Liam walked to the helm where Liam handed his brother a leather pouch. Killian looked questioningly at his captain. "What is this?"

"Well, open it," he chuckled back. Killian reached inside and pulled out a small black box with gilded edges. It was square, but the flattened corners gave it more of an octagonal appearance and it fit in Killian's palm. He opened the clasp and revealed a compass inside. "It's not everyday my little brother is made an officer in the King's navy. This compass was our father's. He told me to give it to you when you had found your way. Said that it would help steer your course on the straight and narrow."

Killian swallowed the lump that had formed at the mention of their father. When they were younger, Killian's playful nature had gotten him into a few scrapes. As they grew, his playfulness had led him to make some choices that got him into deeper trouble, especially with some of the fathers in town who didn't like seeing their daughters with the devilish lad. Their father had witnessed it patiently, insisting that Killian would one day realize that his charm and good looks wouldn't get him out of every problem that came his way. When he had gone missing and presumed dead, Killian had changed, though not for the better. It had been Liam who had brought him back from darkness. When Liam left to join the navy, it had taken a lot of Killian's will not to return to his wilder ways. His discipline paid off when he was accepted into the naval academy, especially as his instructors did not tolerate insubordination. He progressed quickly through the ranks and earned a reputation for being straight laced and compliant to his superiors. He wished his father had been around to see the change, knowing he would've been proud.

"Liam, thank you. This means a lot, considering it belonged to your father, too." Killian secretly wondered if Liam had ever had any resentment over having to share his parents. This help shake that feeling, knowing his brother truly thought of him as family.

"You bring honor to the name Jones, Killian. I'm proud to call you my brother." Killian bowed his head humbly. Their moment was cut short from shouts by crew members that the ship was ready to set sail. Both men moved to the helm to prepare to leave port, all smiles as the excitement of their journey washed over them.


"Your highness, I fear it would be safer to travel through the forest. Tales of pirates have been spreading through these parts and I think your parents would insist on the safest route." A look of worry spread across the handmaiden's face.

"Nonsense, Corrine," the princess assured her companion. "Father is sending his fastest ship and most capable crew. He wouldn't have done so if he thought the journey perilous." Emma flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, the epitome of confidence. "Besides," she whispered conspiratorially, "The sooner I can get away from this castle, the better, and the carriages are days away. The ship should be here tomorrow." It was no secret between the two that the weeks the princess spent in the kingdom of Aurelia were forced. Years ago, her parents had entered her into a marriage contract with the son of the King Rumplestiltskin, Prince Baelfire. It had stipulated that she spend a month every year in their palace to allow their 'love to grow'. Her parents believed in true love, but also in gaining allies in their war against the kingdom of Padraig, whose army had plundered villages and laid waste since the king overthrew his predecessor years ago. She had been told tales of the families left to starve and children left orphans in their wake. Still their army grew in numbers and power, mostly through fear and force.

Her betrothal was a last resort to gain the power that Rumplestiltskin yielded. She thought the stories of his dark magic powers were exaggerated, though she had seen some strange happenings in his castle during her visits. Their marriage was not a certainty, due to a caveat that left the two to decide whether to enter into matrimony or not. Emma knew that if she did not go through with it that she risked losing the ally her parents had worked hard to procure. Sadly, she did not love Baelfire. He seemed affectionate enough toward her, but she saw him as more a brother than a lover. When she envisioned love, she thought that butterflies would dance in her stomach, her appetite would diminish, and she would go weak at the knees. As it were, she could think of worse people to be married to, but she still delayed making a decision until necessary for the kingdom.

As much as she enjoyed their friendship, she felt creeped out by his father. She had heard many stories, not just of magic, but of cruelty and had witnessed such acts, which left her feeling appalled. She never understood how a kind heart like Baelfire could be the product of one like Rumplestiltskin. Still, she could see their devotion to the other and hoped that it didn't lead Baelfire to follow in his father's path.

She ached to return home to her parents, and knew that the journey couldn't come fast enough. She normally would take carriages through the forest, but was excited at the prospect of traveling the sea. She never had before and always enjoyed looking out over the sea. The waves seemed peaceful, though there was so much turmoil in the land. Plus, riding in the carriage had always been uncomfortable and the recent rains would only add to the roughness of the roads. When she sent word to her parents of her wish to change her mode of transportation, she had worried for the same reasons that Corrine had raised that they would say no. She learned long ago that her father had difficulty denying her anything, but she was not in his presence to assault him with pleading eyes. She feared his pragmatism might break his yielding streak. When she received word that he was sending a ship and crew she was elated.

She and Corrine made preparations for their nautical journey and left for the port where they were to join the crew. She bid farewell to her friend and his father, both wishing her safe journey. Baelfire had whispered more intimate tidings in her ear, which she responded to by smiling demurely and mounting her horse silently. Emma talked with her maid, trying to assuage her fears and hoped her excitement would rub off a little. It was no fun not being able to share it and it made for a one-sided conversation.

Hours later, they reached the port and were directed to the local tavern, which had rooms to let. Emma had dressed modestly, not wanting to draw attention to her heritage in a way that might encourage bandits or thieves. Their belongings were discreetly brought up the stairs to their adjoining rooms, which wasn't difficult as it was still daylight and the tavern was mostly empty, save for a few drunkards who didn't seem to pay any attention to the new arrivals.

Looking around her room, Emma felt claustrophobic. It was sparsely furnished with only a wardrobe, bed, a small table to dine on, and two chairs. Emma perched on her bed and glanced out the window. The sun was starting to draw closer to the horizon, but it was early still. Corrine had made arrangements to have their meals brought to their rooms, and Emma had picked at hers, her excitement making her jittery. Eventually, Corrine had retired to her room, leaving the princess alone.

She had tried reading, but couldn't focus on the words to make any sense of it. After staring blankly at the book for what seemed like hours, she put it down, only to discover that the sun had only moved a fraction from when she last looked. She suddenly got an idea that put her already buzzing mind into a frenzy. She nervously paced around her room, though tried to keep her steps quiet so Corrine didn't look in to see if anything was awry. After the last rays of sunlight disappeared below the horizon, Emma tapped lightly on the door to the adjoining room. After hearing no response, she opened it a crack to reveal her handmaiden asleep in bed. She eased the door shut, careful not to let it click to loudly.

She turned to the mirror, adjusted her corset, fluffed her hair, and smiled at her reflection. She then turned on her heel and headed downstairs to join what sounded like an already boisterous party.


I know, right! I'm sorry to kill off the Joneses, but it had to be done for my plot to progress the way I want it to in the future. I also try to name things that A&E haven't meaningfully, so if you're curious about the names of places, just ask and I'll PM you. I try not to give spoilers away, but you can probably see where some of this is going… or I might throw you a curve. You'll have to keep reading to find out! I hope to have the next chapter up within a couple of days.