This was too much to process. She had spent the past two days filled up with so much anger and hurt aimed at him, and now it all faded away in a matter of minutes. Had he really sold his home for her? Had he really faced his own father for her – something Neal would never have done? Had he left her, for her? She didn't understand – weren't pirates supposed to be selfish, taking what they wanted, when they wanted? But then again, who she was dealing with was not a pirate, it was Killian Jones – the man who was abandoned at sea by his own father, the man who watched his brother die in his arms.
She walked down the street, consciously forgetting that she drove the Bug to her parents' house. She needed time to think, and walking was the only way to do it. Without even realizing it, her feet had lead her all the way to the docks, where the Jolly Roger should be.
How blind could she have been? After all these months, she hadn't once realised that the pirate ship was not anchored by the docks. She never once asked him where his ship was and that made her want to rip her hair out. He sold his home. He sold his home.
'I've got to find my home'
His words were ringing in her ears. He was looking for the Jolly Roger. David had said that he left because Ho- Killian wanted to give Neal a fair shot with Emma, so maybe him finding the Jolly Roger was to fill up his time.
She found a bench and sat on it, staring out into the vast ocean knowing that he was somewhere out there.
She sat there like that for a few minutes before she felt the presence of someone else sitting beside her. She didn't bother to look who it was. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
"Hey…" It was Neal. "Ems, are you okay?"
"Yep," she popped the 'p'. "Just fine."
"Look… I should've known from the start that I don't deserve a second chance with you. But that doesn't matter to me." Emma turned to face him, showing him that she was listening and he could continue. "I only want your happiness. Hook," Killian, she corrected him in her mind, "he makes you happy – much happier than I'd like to admit. You smile more around him, and I know you don't want to admit that." She looked away, trying to hide the upturning of her lips. "So, I'm letting you go. You deserve someone all the happiness in the world – even if the person supplying it is a one-handed pirate."
"Is it just me, or is everyone besides me being totally selfless?" Emma laughed before resting her shoulder against his.
"It's just you," he replied, putting an arm around her.
After a moment of silence, Emma spoke.
"Hey, um… not that I don't appreciate you or anything, but do you mind letting me be alone out here for awhile?" She turned to face him. He could see her olive eyes all glossy and shiny. Immediately, he understood, nodding and releasing her from his arms.
"Of course, Emma." He rose slowly. Before he left, he squeezed her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.
Emma sat there for a while. She pictured what her life would look like if Hook were here with her knowing all that he had done for her. She pictured them together with Henry as a happy little family. She pictured herself being happy. She could've had life if she had paid a little bit more attention to him, but she had her head stuck too far up her ass to notice anything. Now, he was god knows where in god knows what world looking for the home he had lived in for the past 300 years – the same home he had given up so that he could save her.
Emma glanced at her phone screen, checking the time to see if Granny's would still be open. Seeing that it was only 10, she got up and started walking slowly towards the diner. After five minutes of walking at a steady pace, she reached the diner to find a single light turned on, indicating that it would soon be closed. Ignoring this, she pushed the door open and sat on the bar stool.
Ruby seemed startled at the arrival of a customer, but she softened once she saw it was Emma.
"What can I do for you on this lovely night?" she smiled, before continuing drying the glasses with a washcloth.
"I know you're closing up, but I really need a drink," she sighed, lying on the bar counter.
"What's your poison?"
"Rum," she answered, not hesitating at all.
"Ho- all our rum's finished," she caught herself, "but lucky for you, I keep an extra for a rainy day." She found the bottle in the back of the cupboard and settled it onto the table. She placed two glasses on the counter, before pouring the brown liquid into them.
Emma gulped down the entire glass, making Ruby raise an eyebrow. She sat her own glass down and slid it over to Emma.
"You need it more than I do," she smiled sadly. "Is this about Hook?" she said his name the same way Mary Margaret had earlier that night – as though she would break at the sound of his name.
She took the drink and swallowed every drop of the rum again, ignoring the burning sensation that went down her throat. "I miss him," she stated simply. "He's been gone two days and I miss him so damn much. I want to hate him for leaving, but I can't – especially not after I found out." She expected Ruby to ask, but she never did, and Emma was grateful for it. Ruby understood that what Emma needed right now was someone who'd listen, not someone who would smother her with questions.
Emma closed her eyes, and for those brief seconds, she saw images of Killian. Pictures of his smile, his stupid smirk and the amazingly attractive thing he did with his eyebrows. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Oh, honey," Ruby sighed before wiping the tear off her cheek.
"I don't think I could forgive myself if anything happened to him if- if," she stuttered. She didn't want to think of it. "Oh god, what if he doesn't make it back? It'll be my fault!" Now, she was crying.
"He'll come back, Emma. He always will," Ruby tried to reassure her, squeezing her arm.
"I couldn't live with myself if he…" She didn't want to say the words aloud. "…died without knowing that I- that I…"
"That you what, Emma?" Ruby wasn't trying to push her, but she needed Emma to understand her feelings for him.
She couldn't say it. She wasn't ready for it. It was too scary to even think of – except that it wasn't.
"Without knowing that I love him too."
Hook stepped aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, head held high and flask in his hand. Taking a swig from his flask, flashbacks of Emma and him in the cabin sharing drinks appeared across his mind. He immediately tried to wipe the smile off his face – he didn't need Blackbeard discovering his weakness. He strode towards the main deck, coming face to face with the man he hated more than anything.
"I've seen you much too many times this century, boy," Blackbeard spat.
"Aye, finally, something we can agree on," Hook replied calmly. "Let's be sure to make our meetings less frequent."
"You say that, but you're the one who seeks me out." The two men stood at the same height, neither one of them looking down at the other – physically speaking. "What do you want, boy?"
"I am no longer the same boy you left a ship years ago, father," he spat the last word. "But yes, I do want something – my ship."
The man looked as though he was about to argue, but Hook silenced him.
"No. Listen. I know who I'm dealing with – the infamous Blackbeard who doesn't make deals unless he gets something out of it." Blackbeard simply nodded. "We duel," Hook stated simply. "We duel, and if I win, I get the Roger back but, you can have the Alabama," he gestured towards the ship he had come from.
"And when I win?" he asked cockily.
"If you win, you get to keep the Roger," the eye contact between father and son never wavered, "and," he continued, "I'll hand over the Alabama to you."
Blackbeard was surprised. "You seem awfully confident of yourself, boy."
"One condition, though," Hook began. "It has to be a fair fight. We fight, only the two of us – no backups. Also, no surrendering. We fight to the death, father. It's time to end this feud."
"Name the time and place."
"Here and now."
A/N: Sooooo, I kind of need ideas with what's going to happen with Emma's story. I have Hook's planned out, but I haven't got a clue what to do with Emma. Suggestions?
Thank you for reading! :)