The ship pitched and yawed with the ebb of the waves below it. The low creaks and groans of the wood as it settled against the surface of the water and the lapping of the sea against the sides were becoming steadily familiar to Emma's ears as she sat rereading the story she had discovered the previous day for the third time. Lantern light encompassed the cabin in a warm bath of orange flickering, giving her just enough sight to read by.
"Swan, you can trust me."
His voice echoed through her ears. She closed her eyes and exhaled shakily. Piercing blue eyes haunted the vision behind her lids and she snapped them back open. Why could she not get him out of her head? Why did she so thoroughly and readily want to trust him? Trust was never something that had come easily to Emma. She could count on one hand all the people that she had trusted in her life and the only one she had trusted romantically had endeavored to betray her. Baelfire. The bastard. Not that she thought of Captain Hook in any sort of romantic light. That would be taking things way too far. Way too much trust involved. She had bigger fish to fry.
Her thoughts were interrupted by three short raps against her cabin door. Smee. She didn't have to pull up her cloak hood, but her hand lingered on the fabric, just in case, as she bid him to enter. The stout pirate scurried inside and she relaxed. As usual, he looked perturbed at being in her presence, promptly removing his cap and wringing it in his grip.
"Miss Swan, the captain requests your presence in his quarters." Smee said quietly, waiting for her to comply.
"Of course, Mr. Smee. We wouldn't want a repeat performance of a tantrum, now would we?" Emma rolled her eyes and lifted her hood to conceal her face, noting the color drain from the man's own cheeks at her barb. They made their way in silence across the moonlit deck to the captain's cabin and found Hook already waiting for them, leaned against the door frame.
"Swan. How lovely of you to join me." A charming smile and slight lift of his eyebrow graced his face and Emma moved past him into the cabin without a word. He watched as she moved with poise across the room, lowering her cloak hood as she did. Hook's smile widened as she moved, knowing she was trying to meet his preferences.
"What is it this time, Captain?" She asked testily and turned around, a gasp catching in her throat as she found herself face to face with the grinning pirate.
"I didn't intend to startle you, Swan." He reached up and brushed his knuckles over the apple of her cheek, making her breath catch again, less noticeably this time but she was sure he had noticed. His hand dropped back to his side but he made no move to step away from her. The air practically crackled between them with electricity.
"You didn't." She replied, a little more breathlessly than she would have liked, moving away from him towards the table. She took a seat and lifted a cup of tea to her lips, watching him from the corner of her eye. He moved next to her and took a seat, lifting his own cup and taking a sip. "Why am I here, Hook?" She repeated.
"We will make port in an hour and head ashore at first light to stock for the trip. It is outside Misthaven's purview, so if you would like to go ashore as well and purchase your own goods, you should be safe." He replied, eyes trained on her.
"I am not safe anywhere." She suppressed a decidedly unladylike snort. Hook cocked an eyebrow at her and gave a brief hum of a laugh.
"I promise you, darling, wherever I am, you are safe." She dared not look at him while he spoke, but she could still feel the blazing heat from his blue gaze. There was silence for a short moment before he spoke again. "I can escort you, if you like."
No. Absolutely not. You are not leaving this ship, you madwoman.
"Alright." She murmured and immediately furrowed her brow, wondering exactly what she was thinking when the foreign sounding voice spilled from her lips.
"Fantastic. Remain here, Swan. I'll relay orders to Smee to head up the supply run." Hook stood and headed towards the door. Emma's mind screamed at her to take back her acceptance of his offer to be her escort, shouted for her to stop him, and her mouth even dropped open to speak, but no words came. She simply watched him walk out of the cabin, shutting the door behind him.
Anxiety set in her chest.
What the blazes were you thinking, Swan?! Her inner voice screamed at her. She had to tell him when he came back. She had to put a stop to this. She couldn't go off this ship until she reached Arendelle. Even that was taking a risk. Every second he was gone, she felt her anxiety level rise until she had reached the throes of full-blown panic. All of a sudden, she couldn't breathe. It was as if something heavy were sitting on her chest. She fought the need to claw at her throat as her breathing became more and more rapid. A cold sweat burst from her pores and her vision began to tunnel. Placing her sweating palms on the cool wood of the table, she slammed her eyes shut, determined to get a handle on things before he returned and counted her breaths in and out. This was ridiculous. She hadn't had a panic attack in over seven years, not since she was fourteen and she'd discovered her powers by almost burning down a tree in the palace gardens.
"Well, now, this is interesting." Hook's voice was low with intrigue and Emma's eyes flew open, taking in the sight of him as he closed the door she hadn't noticed opening in the first place behind him. The next sight she rendered was heart stopping. Everything on the table she had her hands pressed against was now floating in midair, a magical result of her panic attack. Her stomach dropped as she hastily lifted her hands and the table contents clattered noisily back onto the surface. This was it. She was done for. He was sure to recognize her now. Queen Tamara would certainly execute her as Killian Jones sailed off into the sunset the new owner of untold riches.
A short sob caught in her throat and her gaze fell to her lap. She heard the pirate sigh heavily and then his footsteps grew closer as he moved to her side. He paused there, as if he was unsure of what to do, and then she felt his fingers curl around her wrist. He pulled her to standing and her breath stilled in anticipation. She felt the beginnings of panic renewed settling in her abdomen. She was just about to reach for her dagger when his arms came up and...wrapped around her, pulling her into a hug. She froze.
"Wh-what..." She managed to stutter out. He shushed her softly and cradled her like she was something absolutely precious. What was he doing?! He knows she has magic. He knows Misthaven's policy on magical beings, was he feeling guilty? Was he going to turn her in? Why was he holding her like this?! She had to run. There was no question. She wasn't safe anymore. She would just have to find another way to Arendelle. Although now she had no more money to work with. The other half of the pirate's reward was waiting for her in Arendelle.
"Everything is alright, Swan." Hook murmured in a voice far gentler than she ever thought he was capable of. She wasn't sure what scared her more, the fact that he knew her secret, or how much she wanted to trust him, but absolutely could not.
"Yes." Emma whispered. "Everything will be alright." She felt the familiar hum of energy begin to tingle beneath her skin as she charged magic into her hand. Hook didn't even know what hit him until it was too late.
A beam of light shot out of her palm and pinned the pirate against the wall to their left near his desk.
"Swan?" Hook grunted out, confused. "Bloody hell, stop this."
"I can't take the chance that I'm wrong about you." She replied, fear coursing through her features.
"Alright, Swan. Good for you. You bested me. I can count the people who have done that on one hand." He said, taking short breaths against the column of magic pushing into his abdomen.
"Is that supposed to be funny?" Emma snapped and stepped closer to him, increasing the pressure of the flow. He growled, straining to free himself.
"Swan, I told you once. Your secrets are safe with me. Stop this and we can forget this happened." He tried to reason with her, but Emma was beyond reason. Her thoughts boiled to overflow in the midst of her panic attack.
"No. Just...be quiet. I'm keeping you here until we dock. Then I'm getting off. You keep the gold." She said quietly, almost to herself.
"Swan, please." He ground his teeth and looked at her pleadingly.
Emma squeezed her eyes shut. What was she doing? She had never attacked anyone unprovoked. Ever. This wasn't her. What was she becoming? This whole situation had turned her into a shadow of her former self. Being alone, afraid, scrimping and clawing for everything she had, betrayal, it had all taken a toll on her, one that she didn't know how to recover from. Emma snapped her eyes open as Killian grunted again to find him wriggling against the wall, almost freeing himself.
"I don't want to hurt you." She whispered, tears welling in her eyes. His own eyes darted back to hers, blue burning from the depths.
"Just...let go, love. We can work this out." He offered as gently as he could under the strain. Emma's mouth fell open to speak when a voice shouted from overhead.
"Drop anchor, men! All ashore that's going ashore!" Smee's voice called out. He sounded clear and in control. Much different from the mousy man she had come to know in her and Hook's presence. Her attention piqued at the sound, eyes casting towards the door.
"Swan." Hook tried to draw her back, knowing she was on the verge of running. She was too far gone, engulfed in her fears. The ship slowly lurched to a halt. Her eyes blinked in thought a moment longer and then flashed back to his.
"Swan, don't-" His words were cut off by a stronger blast of magic that knocked him into to the desk next to him. He groaned soundly as Emma's skirts swished around her legs and she drew up her cloak hood, fleeing from the room onto the deck. She stopped dead in her tracks, momentarily frozen at the sight on board.
Dozens of crewmen swarmed the deck, securing the rigging, furling the sails, and performing various tasks to ensure the ship was well docked. Her gaze flitted from left to right, looking for an exit. Several of the men passed by her and looked at her curiously, causing her hand to slip beneath her cloak and clutch the hilt of her dagger. She moved smoothly and silently across the deck, head down as much as possible and headed towards the newly constructed gangway leading off the ship. Hopefully she could just slip off the vessel undetected and without pause.
"Miss...Swan?" A voice inquired from behind her, causing her to hesitate for just a brief moment before barreling ahead at a quicker pace. Before she could get two steps away, a thick hand closed around her arm and she spun around quickly on the ball of her foot, drawing her dagger and pressing the tip of it into Mr. Smee's neck. The man's eyes blew as big as saucers.
"What..." He whispered, a terrified tremble in his voice. Emma instantly felt guilt coil in her stomach but she couldn't stop now.
"I'm disembarking, Mr. Smee." She informed him, voice clear and low. "Do not follow me." She began to back away slowly and the pirate nodded, swallowing thickly as the dagger retreated with her and back into the folds of the velvet surrounding her. She turned and ran full speed across the deck and down the ramp, disappearing into the night.
The door to the captain's cabin flew open and Hook emerged, clutching his side and seething. Smee immediately ran to his captain's side but the man waved him off, annoyed, making his way further onto the deck.
"SWAN!" He bellowed into the night, frustration oozing from his tone. The activity on the deck paused for a moment at the sound and every head turned towards him. A quick icy glare from their captain set them back to work. He limped forward and Smee moved to help him again. Hook stopped and snatched the man by the collar, growling into his face. Smee backed away slightly, understanding.
"Captain, what's going on, sir?" Smee asked warily. Hook ignored him momentarily and stomped forward, teeth clenched and grunting with every step he took.
"The Swan girl is running." He gritted out from behind clenched teeth. "She has just become a very preferable ally and I would like her retrieved unharmed. She is in danger." Hook didn't look back at the man as he spoke, shaking off the pain of being slammed around his cabin and trying to regain his footing.
"Yes, sir." Smee replied without hesitation. "We'll find her." He turned and starting rounding up men for a search party, leaving Hook to his thoughts.
"I'll keep you safe, Swan." Hook murmured to himself, staring out into the darkness and turned to head to the assembly of men and lead them out in search.
Emma's feet pounded against the rock hard dirt beneath them as she ran towards the town, searching for any clue as to where she was. She ducked down dark alleyways and his behind buildings, avoiding every person who crossed her path. She had no idea where she was going. Her frantic thoughts were well concealed in her careful, practiced movements. This is something she had become skilled in. Hiding. Running. Being alone.
She slipped down one more alleyway and found herself in front of a tavern. This would be as good a place as any to get her bearings. Most people would be too inebriated to pay her any mind and she could find out where she was and where she was going. Emma pulled the hood of her cloak tightly around her and made sure her face was well concealed before she stepped towards the doorway bathed in lantern light. Inhaling a long, steadying breath, she opened the door and slipped inside.
Hearty laughter greeted her along with the sounds of music and the clanking of tin mugs. It was a typical tavern, filled to the brim with drunken men trying to best one another at cards or dice or arm wrestling, and painted women draped over half of them. Emma moved swiftly through the crowd, avoiding attention until a brawl broke out in front of her. A large, burly man stood from his chair and advanced on a shorter man with dark hair and a chagrined smile.
"Let's...let's be reasonable here..." The smaller man said, backing up with an harmful of coins, wavering bravado in his voice.
"You're a damn cheat, Will Scarlet!" The large man thundered and he cocked his neck to one side, vertebrae cracking. He clenched a meaty fist and swung at the man who deftly ducked out of his way and tumbled behind Emma. She made to move but the man called Will Scarlett shoved her forward into the large man and made his escape. The cheated man's face blazed with anger and he pushed her aside roughly, tearing out the door after the thief. Emma was shaken and backed right into someone else. She spun around, wanting no more trouble.
"A-apologies, I..." Her words died in her throat as she looked up into a face she thought she'd never see again.
"Emma." The man breathed and his lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Bae..." She whispered, rooted to the spot. She couldn't believe her eyes. Baelfire stepped closer to her and she remembered herself finally, backing away.
"I've missed you, Emma." He said slowly, following her as she moved backwards towards the door.
"You didn't. You're just trying to claim Tamara's reward for me." Emma replied, anger biting in her tone. "Well it won't happen today." He lunged for her but she was quicker, darting away from his grasp and heading towards the door. She burst out into the cobblestone street and kept running, but Baelfire was hot on her heels. She pulled her skirts up further and kept running, feeling her cloak hood fall away. She couldn't stop to adjust it. She had to keep running. She hesitated at a fork in the road for just a moment but that was enough for Baelfire to finally catch up to her. He wrenched his fingers in her hair and she cried out in pain. She scrambled to reach for the dagger at her hip, but Baelfire got to it first, rending it grim her grasp and slicing her palm open in the process.
"Go on, Emma. Use your magic. Right out here where anyone could see you. Use it and get away from me." Baelfire snarled in her ear. She couldn't summon her magic through the cut skin of her right hand if she wanted to. She knew she was not going to have a choice to get away from him, though, so she resolved to use her left to subdue him. Baelfire caught on to her thoughts before she could enact them and a sharp pain lanced through her left hand as well as he drew the blade across it, causing her to scream and his hand left her hair to clamp over her mouth, drowning out the sound. She was at his mercy.
"Oh, Emma. You naive little princess." He chuckled darkly. "Like I didn't see that coming." He spun her around to face him. "Now you're going to come quietly or I'll kill you and claim the reward on your head."
Emma raised her chin, defiant and furious. She spit directly in his face. He chuckled again and raised his hand swiftly, bringing the back of it down hard across her face. She crumpled to the stone below, ear ringing, tasting her own blood in her mouth. She spit on the ground again to rid it of the flavor. Baelfire stooped before her and seized her hair again.
"Don't ever disrespect me like that again. You got it?" He said dangerously and Emma stared hard back at him.
"You're a disgrace." She hissed. "Traitor." He let the dagger in his hand fall away, metal ringing against stone, and brought his hand up and slapped her again.
"You stupid, silly girl." He growled before hitting her a third time. "Tamara is queen and I'm a faithful servant to the crown." He hit her again and her vision swam. "You're not a princess anymore, Emma." His hand connected with her face again and she raised her arm to protect herself as he made to strike again, but the blow never came. A sharp pull came to her hair, ripping out several strands as he seemed to float away from her.
"It seems there is an issue here that needs resolving." A familiar, yet darkly dangerous voice permeated Emma's haze.
"Mind your own business, pirate." Baelfire gasped out. An arm came around Emma's shoulders and tugged her cloak hood up over her. She looked up and saw Mr. Smee looking down at her with a warm smile. She was too rattled to feel anything but gratitude.
"Oh, see that's quite interesting that you would use that terminology, mate. That woman there is my business." Hook said and Baelfire grunted in pain. Emma turned her head and saw Baelfire pressed against the brick wall beside them, the pirate's hook pressed into his throat. "Not only that, but I don't take kindly to cowards." Baelfire hissed in pain as he dug his hook further into his flesh.
"Don't hurt him." Emma asked softly and Hook's head spun round. His blue eyes practically glowed with anger but softened as he gazed down at her.
"Smee. Escort Miss Swan back to the Jolly. Bring her to my cabin." He instructed and the man helped her to her feet.
"Aye, sir." He said and pressed her forward but she reached out and touched the captain's arm.
"Please, just let him go." She begged. His eyes locked with hers.
"He hurt you, Swan." The pirate countered.
"Please. I'll go back with you quietly." She asked softly. Hook's eyes softened further at her request. He turned back to the man whimpering against the wall.
"It appears luck is with you, today, coward." He growled into Baelfire's face. "If I ever see you again, I will not be so kind." He shoved the man to the ground and stepped back. Baelfire scrambled away, not even turning around to look back at them.
"Shall we?" He said with a grin as he turned around. He strode off in front of Emma and his first mate back towards the docks. Mr. Smee ushered her along after him.
What had she gotten back into.