Hi everybody! I managed to finish the second chapter in between classes today! Thank you to everyone who followed and commented! I really do appreciate the comments, so feel free to leave as many of those as you'd like! This chapter is significantly longer and I apologize. Sometimes when I get into it, I kind of stop paying attention to how much I'm writing. But please: enjoy! And feel free to leave some feedback!

~Mimi

The ship rocked gently in port, its massive wooden deck slowly moving from side to side. Even in the moonlight, Rumple could see that the deck had been impeccably clean. There was no sign of the struggle that had taken place only hours ago.….it seemed like so much longer now. He had been doing his best to keep his face as emotionless as possible. Smee had babbled on and on about this and that and he hadn't heard a word of it. However, he had a feeling the small man was used to being ignored and took the sad task in stride.

The ship was dark and quiet. He had forgotten that there was no crew to really man the vessel. A part of him, had he had any respect for the pirate, would have given him some credit for his mastery of the ship and the waters. But instead, he gave a small barrel sitting beside him a quick kick with his boot. Smee ushered him bellow deck, letting Rumple walk out in front of him.

"She's waiting for you." He told him in a serious voice.

"I bet she is."

He descended, deep into the belly of the ship. The Captain's quarters, as on most ships, was ornate and well taken care of. He admired it for a moment, studying the small space set aside for a desk. He could see, through the opening of another door, was a bedroom. Rumple made his way to the desk, running his hand across the mahogany surface and looking over a few pieces of parchment. It was all rather good quality for a pirate, but there was no doubt in his mind it had probably all been pillaged.

"You took your time getting here."

Rumple knew Cora's voice before he ever saw her. It was the sort of voice one never really forgets. It reminded him of thin ice. It was beautiful and delicate on the surface, but cold and deadly once you get a crack in. He braced himself, not because he was afraid but because he didn't want her finding out. It would only cause him more trouble. And trouble, he looked down at the hook where his left hand used to be, was not something he needed at the moment.

He turned on his boot to face her, again keeping his face expressionless.

"I've had a rather busy few days." He told her tartly. "I wasn't expecting a visit so soon."

"I've heard." Her false enthusiasm was droll. She drifted around the room while she spoke, reminding him of a falling snowflake in her all white ensemble. The way her dress flitted across the floor and how it spun about underneath her was dizzying. "Yes, I heard all about your run in with Rumpelstitlskin."

"We're not talking about it." He told her coldly.

Rumple was privately pleased with his hook impression. But he was going to need more than just the right words to impress the Queen of Hearts. He crossed the room towards her, giving her his coyest smile.

"But I assume that isn't what you've come here to discuss. Unless the sudden interest in my own personal ventures is something you've taken a shine to, in which case, I'm intrigued."

Cora laughed and Regina came to mind. They had the same mouth. It was a strange thing to think about at a time like this, but for some reason, the evil queen herself surfaced to the top of his thoughts.

"I suppose you wouldn't have lived this long if you weren't intelligent, my dear." She said it with her simplest of smiles. "No, I only wanted to see if everything was alright. I sensed something strange" she lifted a single dark eyebrow. "and wanted to make sure none of the fair citizens of Storyebrooke were trying to meddle in our plans."

"Strange?" he questioned. His first instinct was to cross his arms, but fear of looking unnatural due to the hook caused him to instead go with a confused look. "How so?"

"Magic, Killian, Magic." She said it like she was speaking to a simple child. "Someone, I'm assuming your biggest fan, cast a spell strong enough that I could feel it. When you're sensitive to magic, you can feel these things." She said it offhand, like she didn't really expect him to understand.

"I see." He tapped his hook on the desk and gave a dry laugh. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine. Right as rain, really. So I suppose whatever was cast didn't work."

"That's what concerns me." Her voice grew stern. "Magic is always most dangerous when you can't see the results of it right away. Something is brewing and we need to keep a look out."

"If you think it wise…."

"I do." She straightened, looking positively regal. "I think, however, for the time being, at least until I figure out this mess, you should stay on board."

Rumple frowned and fought to keep irritation off Hook's features.

"If you think that even for a second I'm afraid of anything he can conjure…"

Core cut him off abruptly.

"Then you are a fool." There was the icy voice she'd been hiding. Rumple with have smirked if he hadn't been so into the part he was playing. "It isn't wise to jeopardize all we've worked for over your silly bruised pride. You will do as you're told."

"And if I do not?" he asked, coming towards her with a smile. "What will you do? Punish me?"

He smiled wickedly and, for a moment, almost forgot the guise he was under. They made eye contact and held it; she searched him and for a single moment, he was certain she might have known. But then she looked away with pursed lips.

"I don't think you really want to know the what ifs." She said frankly. "Now….no leaving until I give the say so. Is that clear?"

He went to argue again but she stopped him.

"I will do my best to have this settled by the morning." She said lazily. "Not near enough time for you to become riddled with cabin fever. Besides" she laughed. "knowing you, there's probably plenty to keep you occupied."

He wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, so he pressed on.

"Are you going to find him?" he asked her as she began to climb the steps back on deck. "See if he cast it?"

"No, I think it easier to just try and find out on my own what was cast. Who knows? It may not even been him." There was doubt in her voice though. "And I'd rather not have to have a drawn out ordeal this time of night. No, I'll save him for you, my dear. No need to worry on that."

Rumple couldn't help but smile; she was humoring the pirate, that was for certain.

"Such a gracious queen." He gushed, giving a mock bow.

She merely waved him off, exiting in silence. When the hull shut and he found himself alone, Rumple ran his hand through Hook's hair and sat on the desk. That had gone far too easy. Did she know? There was no way of telling. He'd given the best performance he could have. If the tables were turned, he would have never suspected. He only hoped Cora was less observant than he was giving her credit for. His mind switched to the next issue: So now he had to spend the night here? The minutes passing without him being able to watch over Belle were excruciating. Deep down he knew she was more than capable of handling herself. He just wasn't sure how she would take to being tricked so terribly. There was no telling what he would try to do. Rumple pushed it from his mind. There was no use worrying about it now. He'd sleep the rest of the night there and be out bright and early. He wished that perhaps the blow of the curse had been harder for Hook, seeing as it was initially intended for him and not the pair, and he'd be out for the night. Or at least weakened, his common sense reasoned with him.

He rose from his spot, gave the small room a once over with his eyes, before going to explore the bedroom. While he hadn't grown up in this modern, magic-less world, he'd been there long enough that to be without things like light switches and air conditioners had become strange.

As he passed into the bedroom, he took note of the oversized bed. The sheets were a fine material, clearly something fairy made. The mattress was as soft as a cloud, coming fully equip with fluffy pillows. It was a dreamer's paradise and Rumple almost laughed at it belonging to such a salty dog. He sat on the edge of the bed, contemplating how exactly to pull off his boots. Having the hook made him feel clumsy and unsure of even the simplest of actions, and that made him angry. He struggled in the beginning, scrapping his arm in the process, but eventually wiggled them off. The pirate was also surprisingly clean for one who lived at sea. Rumple had feared the worst: scurvy, mange, even gang green. But there was no sight of it. He even smelled very clean, which was an added plus. He was sure the Queen of Hearts had a hand in that; something told him she wouldn't tolerate a smelly pirate in her court.

He looked down at his vest, studying the elaborate ties in the front. He wondered how the man even got them on. Maybe someone helped him? The mental image of Smee dressing the captain made Rumple chuckle. It felt good to laugh, like he was releasing some of the steam and stress the day had brought on. Perhaps he would just keep it on. After all, he had no desire to see the man undressed, although he would eventually have to bathe. Hopefully, the curse wouldn't last that long…

In the doorway, suddenly, a woman appeared. Rumple recognized her as one of the girls from town. But she wasn't dressed in the usual t-shirt and jeans her Storybrooke persona had allotted. She had donned a tight brassiere to which her ample cups swelled out of. Her shapely hips were barely covered, as were her nether regions, but a black leather skirt. She wore a heavy belt which sagged to the side and high matching boots that came up to the knee. Her blonde hair, which he could vaguely remember being straight, was suddenly curly and wild. Her dark makeup made her look more mature and her eyes smolder gently. Her ruby lips were curled into a devilish smile as she leaned on the door frame, looking him over.

"Good evening, Captain." She said in her sultriest manner.

Rumple had no idea who she was in the realm of the Enchanted Forrest, but it was clear she desperately wanted to be a wench.

She began to approach him, pushing his knees apart with her hands and standing between his legs.

"Mr. Smee said you were in need of some night time company." She traced a red fingernail over his lips. "I'm some company."

This, Rumple thought miserably, must have been the "something to do" Cora had so casually brought up. Was this the nightly ritual? It would explain how he became undressed, that was for sure.

The woman was brash, much brasher than he appreciated. She didn't skip a beat, kissing him deeply and shoving her hand between the Captain's legs. Rumple felt a squeeze on a very private area and wiggled away. He was disgusted when Hook's body began to, rather rapidly the way young men do, respond accordingly to this. He squashed those thoughts quickly though, discarding them as far from his mind as possible. His thoughts were only with Belle and a part of him was offended that this woman, although ignorant to the situation, would even try.

Rumpel, after becoming the dark one, had had his way with many women. When you have magic in your corner, there was rarely anything you couldn't have. Needless to say, the man hadn't gone wanting. But ever since Belle, that was different. She was a respectable young woman, not like the floozies who flung themselves at him at a chance to taste power. Hell, he and Belle hadn't even…..his cheeks burned with his own shame and he turned his attentions on the scorned wench.

"My dear" he apologized, recognizing there was no possible way she would have known. "I'm afraid my first mate might have given you some incorrect information. You see, I'm very weary from the day. To entertain a beauty such as yourself would demand every ounce of the energy that, alas, tonight I do not have. Won't you come back another time, though? When we can make our acquaintance properly?"

The blonde smiled, revealing a row of perfectly pearly whites. She nodded girlishly and hoped to her feet.

"Will you still have your dinner though?" she asked with a small frown.

"Dinner?" he repeated then nodded. "I'll take it."

Hook WOULD expect sex before a meal, Rumple thought with a small roll of his eyes. He wasn't particularly hungry. If anything, the evening's events had robbed him of any hunger he might have harbored. But he would need his strength for the morning, in case there was some kind of confrontation. He watched as the girl reappeared, holding a tray. When she revealed it to him, the smell of stewed meats and gravy made his mouth water. He looked up at her smiling face and gave a short nod.

"Thank you." He said gratefully, scooping up a mouthful and swallowing it down.

The flavor was glorious. The rich brown gravy and the savory meat. Yes, this ship was most certainly in Cora's favor. A part of him thought he would be getting a great big bowl of gruel with stale crackers. He inhaled another mouthful, discovering what might have been whipped potatoes underneath the meaty wonderland.

"I'm glad you like it." The blonde said happily as Rumple swallowed another sweet bite.

"It's heavenly." He gushed. Suddenly, he felt like he hadn't eaten in days.

The blonde beamed, happy to please her someday bed partner.

"I'm sure the woman who made it will appreciate your compliments." She told him earnestly.

Rumple stopped with the fork half way out of his mouth.

"Woman?" he questioned. "What woman?"

"The one in white! She was the one who cooked this up for you, Captain. She told me to bring it down here right away. Is it really all that good? I wonder what she used to make it…."

Her words were lost on him. He put the fork down and rose, but that was an instant mistake. The room had begun to spin as a heavy grogginess descended upon him. He clutched the side of the bed for support, luckily with his actual hand this time.

"How could I be so stupid?" he asked himself, the words slurring as they poured from his suddenly mushy lips.

It felt like a sleeping spell, not to be mistaken with a sleeping CURSE. This would only knock you out for a few hours, but it would be the sleep of the dead. Nothing could wake one under it until the spell wore off. He should have seen this coming…but he hadn't even sensed the magic.

"Stupid…useless body." He muttered, almost falling to the floor.

Luckily, the girl helped him maintain his balance. He lowered him onto the bed. Her face was nothing but a distorted glimmer of details where nothing made much sense.

"You need to sleep. The food must have made you sick." She sounded like a little bird, chirping away at him her pretty nonsense. "You need to sleep, Captain."

She stuck a plush pillow under his head. He tried to push her away, but his arms wouldn't lift. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

**~Hook~**

In the milky light of dawn, when the sun was just barely beginning to peak its head up over the small town, Hook stirred in his sleep, opening heavy eyes. The night before had seemed like a groggy dream, one of which he was grateful to wake from. But upon seeing the bedroom he laid in, upon smelling the displeasing aroma of Rumple's cologne, he frowned darkly. It had not been a dream. This was his reality. And what a bizarre reality it was.

Gingerly, he got from the bed. He spotted the man's cane, sitting propped up against the wall. He grabbed it, examining it distastefully. There was nothing special about it. It actually surprised him his rival had chosen such a simple cane. The man was, if not anything else, exceedingly flamboyant when he chose to be. Even the gold, crooked head of the device was subdued in nature. He placed it on the floor and began to slowly make his way from the room. He felt like a cripple with the damned thing and wished he could cast it aside.

He feared how he would weather the stairs, but he did so well enough. If anything, the incline made it easier on his older joints and he grinned as he reached the bottom. He made his way to the small living room where he found Belle dosing on the sofa. Her legs were curled up at her side, her head resting on a small cushion. He watched her from the doorway as she rested deeply in her slumber. Her face had the calmest of expressions; her mind was somewhere lost in dreamland. She was a victim ripe for the picking. Hook looked down at the cane, turning it once in his hands. He could do it right now, he thought. Beat the little thing senseless.

It would be more merciful than he would have liked. He wanted Rumpelstitlskin to know she had suffered. But then again, a very tiny voice said in his ear, was it truly this woman's fault? The sin of the lover was not the fault of the girl, that was for sure. He sighed heavily, regretting the poor dear had to be ended in such a way. But if it was her, he was certain, she would do the same.

Any lover of Rumpelstitlskin had to have felt the same.

He moved in a little closer, wondering if he should strike at the head first. But his thoughts were made brief by a rustling upstairs. He turned his head sharply, his hearing surprisingly keen. He sensed something strange in the house now, something that had not been there only moments ago. It was an odd sensation, one that caught a hold of his senses and ran with them. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

He crept back towards the stairs and ascended back to the bedroom. He could hear the whistling draft of open windows coming from within. He frowned, knowing they had been shut tight when he'd left. This confirmed his suspicions of another in the home. He smirked, wondering if the crocodile had come looking for his body. He welcomed the fight, suddenly wishing he had one of those guns he'd seen earlier.

As he entered the room, he did so slowly and with purpose. His eyes were sharp and his senses were, he felt, on fire. He looked at the empty, unmade bed and the billowing curtains and cocked his head.

"Hello, dear."

Cora's voice startled him. He turned to face her as she stood in the corner of the room, quietly shutting the door to the hall.

"Cora?" he was surprised and didn't bother masking it.

"You look dreadful." She remarked as sweet as sugar. "So much older looking and, I'd say Killian, have you gotten shorter?"

"I should have known you would know." He said briskly. "I suppose you did this?"

"I only wish I could have come up with something as clever." She chuckled. "No dear, I believe you can thank your counterpart for this."

He nodded, suspicions confirmed.

"So then how, pray tell, did you come to find this out?" he asked, sounding a bit perturbed. If there was anything he wasn't in the mood for today, it was Cora's games.

"I felt a disturbance of very strong magic." She said, absent mindedly playing with a trinket left on the dresser. "I went to see you and when Smee told me of your absence on board, I was almost certain the spell had been cast for you."

As she spoke, she used both hands to run the trinket over her fingers and palm. It looked like a necklace of some sort.

"I sent him to fetch you and he returned with Rumpelstitlskin in your body."

Hook scowled at the idea of the rat running around with his face. It made him stroke his new chin roughly.

"I take it he wasn't very good at being me?" he asked bitterly.

"Quite the opposite." She smiled. "Very convincing. I just knew what to look for….besides, he has a reputation for getting a little too cocky, as I'm sure you're well aware. I saw a glimmer in him for only a moment that told me it was certainly who I suspected. That and he keep trying to grab things with his left hand."

At the mention of it, Hook flexed his fingers and enjoyed the sensation.

"And now being here, seeing you, who made no attempt at hiding your identity, has solidified everything for me." She smiled, pleased with herself.

She was oddly pleased with the whole situation.

"And where is he now? Aboard my ship? Sleeping in my bed, I suppose." He said it hotly. "Making himself right at home, I'm sure. Actually, I'm surprised he hasn't come for his little pet yet."

"He will try." She told him. "I'm sure he was ready to go while I was there talking to him. But I insisted he stay the night while I try and find the source of the spell."

Hook rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Because I'm sure he'll listen to you." He smiled sarcastically. "Obedience is definitely one of his strong points."

"Surely you don't think I'm that stupid." She put her hand to her chest and gave a flighty little laugh. "Heavens no. No, I've ensured he'll be out of our hair for a spell. Long enough for you and I to sort out some of the details which will ensure this works in our favor."

"I'm not interested." He told her swiftly. "I want only to kill the girl then return to my body."

"I can't blame you." She told him tenderly. "However, there are more important things at stake here. You do realize whose body you reside in, yes? One of the most powerful men in this world and the next."

Hook hadn't thought of that. He looked down at his worn hands and examined them, as if trying to see a trace of the power inside.

"You can harness that." She assured him. "And before long, you and I will come to rule over this world and take it for our own."

Hook frowned, shaking his head.

"I came here for only one reason, Cora." He told her darkly. "And that was my revenge."

"I see." Cora crossed her hands in front of her. "So you mean to tell me, you wouldn't want this sort of power? And the prestige? Think of all you could obtain; you'd have your revenge and then some. Think about it, Killian. Haven't some of the citizens here wronged you as well?"

His mind traveled back to the fight with Emma, Snow White, and the others. A part of him would like to punish them. Especially…

"Anything I wanted?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Cora laughed.

"Naughty boy." She shook a finger at him. "Yes, anything your wicked heart desires. All you have to do is harness those abilities and we are, as they say, in business."

"And then I can return to my body?" he questioned. "You're sure of it?"

"If you'll even want to go back." She replied smoothly. "Once you get a taste of the power, and that charm of yours translates to whatever shell you're hiding in, I'm sure."

"Will you assure the return to my body once you have what you want?" he reiterated, in no mood for her word games.

Cora sighed heavily, like he was trying her patience.

"I will make sure the caster of the spell will undo it." She pressed her lips together. "Satisfied?"

"Quite." Then he paused. "But there's still the matter of getting rid of the girl." He jerked his head in the direction of the door, indicating he spoke of Belle.

Cora reached out, putting a gloved hand over his.

"You weren't thinking of just killing her, were you?"

"What else would I do?"

She clicked her tongue at him.

"Silly boy. Look at the position you're in! You want to make him suffer, don't you? Make him regret ever casting that curse! You're in the body of the man she loves. You could hurt him, and her, in so many ways. Just think about it."

Hook let his mind wander. Slowly but surely a slick, cruel smile spread like liquid across his thin lips.

"I do like the way you think." He said in a way that made him almost sound like himself again.

"And what will we do with Rumpelstitlskin?" he inquired, fingering the cane. "Won't he come eventually?"

"You ask so many questions." She responded boredly, holding the necklace tight in her fist.

"I prefer to think of it as tying up all the loose ends."

"I have ways of keeping him busy for now." She said with a tight smile. "When he comes, we'll deal with him then. Not to worry. You must keep up appearances though. No one is to know."

"The secret is safe with me." He swore, than muttered. "Not that anyone would believe such a tale to begin with."

"You'd be surprised in what people believe in." Cora assured him. "However, I do have a way to make sure the one who cannot find out doesn't."

Her clenched fist suddenly glowed, catching Hook off guard. Upon seeing the odd glow, he felt that strange tingle throughout his form he'd felt downstairs. It must have been sensitivity to magic? Nothing else made sense.

When Cora opened her hand, the glow flowed into the small charm at the end of the chain and she handed it to him.

"Make sure she wears this. If he comes too near, she'll feel the need to flee. It's the best we can do for now. That and ensure that she's very very scared of you." She corrected herself. "Hook."

"She has every reason to be." He smiled, merely twitching the very corners of his mouth.

"Why Killian, you look so much like him when you do that." She shuddered. "It's eerie. But remember, go about business as usual."

"And what might that be?" Hook asked. "I don't know what the scum does every day."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." She smirked. "I hear he runs an antique show, or some business."

Hook wanted to ask more questions but he heard someone coming up the stairs. Light footsteps on the wooden floors echoed in the empty hallways and Hook turned his attention towards the sound. When he turned back around to address Cora, he found himself alone.

"Rumple?" Belle entered the room quietly and smiled at the sight of him. "You're up!"

"Just got up." He managed a chuckle. "I'm….still feeling a little fuzzy, I suppose."

Belle frowned, brushing a stray piece of hair from his face.

"You had quite a shock." She said sympathetically. "James said something blew out some of the circuits downstairs and it knocked you back. It also knocked out power in the kitchen completely…its back up and running now. We can thank him for that."

"Good thing he was here." Hook kept his words very slow and tried to act like he was feeling groggy when really, he was just unsure about everything he said.

"I called him…I couldn't think of anybody else who could help me lift you." Then she arched her eyes a little. "Rumple, you would tell me if you had been doing magic down there, wouldn't you?"

Hook thought quickly, remembering Cora's advice and giving the girl a kind smile.

"Of course, dearie. I really wasn't. I was down there looking for…I don't even remember now…" he rubbed the back of his head where it was still sore, to add a visual to the whole ordeal.

Her demeanor softened and she grinned again.

"I knew you wouldn't." she said with a shake of her head. "James suggested that maybe….but I knew you wouldn't."

He reached out, taking her hands gingerly and smiling just as gently as he could muster.

"I promised you, didn't I?" he asked kindly, not entirely sure how he knew that tidbit but it surfacing to his mind. "Now…let's get our day started, shall we?"

Just to finish it off, he gave her a peck on the cheek. He wanted to go for the lips, but she seemed like that type that those came few and far between. He could save those big guns for later, he decided as he felt the warm flesh of her face under his mouth. He saw the content, dreamy smile on her face as they began to walk to the stairs. Every so often, he caught her giving him a loving look. She was innocent, he thought in his own voice, so young, so trusting.

This was going to be too easy.

**~Rumple~**

The rocking of the ship woke Rumpel from his sleep. He opened his heavy eyelids, feeling positively hung over. He sat up slowly, rubbing his head over and over in hopes of sending the grogginess away. He was definitely getting tired of this sensation, that was for sure. He looked around, recapping on what had happened before he'd fallen asleep. The plate of enchanted food still sat on a tray beside the bed, only now it was stone cold. Someone had taken his shirt off for him, which had been polite enough. He tried to stand but the ship gave a lurch, knocking him back onto his bottom. He nearly toppled off the bed and he laughed to himself.

"I really do need to get my sea legs." He said under his breath then breathed in sharply. "Sea legs?"

He got back up, making a mad dash for the exit. He staggered on his way there, practically knocking over a chair that got in his way. He emerged onto the deck, greeted with blinding sunlight. He winced, holding his hook up over his face, which really didn't do him much good. He blindly walked all the way up, noticing people walking about he didn't know.

"Captain!" Smee was hurrying towards him, all smiles. "You…aren't entirely dressed?"

"What's going on?" he demanded, his voice nothing more than a snarl.

Smee's face paled.

"We're…..we're sailing out of port, as you ordered."

"I did no such…." But his voice disappeared in his throat.

He had noticed the view before him. Nothing but ocean on both sides.

"…..thing."