Chapter 3 Seven Years Later…
Fifteen year old Charity Jones stood on the deck of the Jolly Roger and listened as the captain gave orders to his crew. They had all just finished breakfast, and she knew he would be ready to give her the usual morning sparring lesson.
She heard the sound of his boots thudding towards her, and smiled. In the ten years she'd lived on board ship, she'd forgotten nearly all of her past. The only thing she cared to remember was the day she became part of the crew. Then hespoke behind her.
"Are you ready for your lesson lass?"
"Ready as I'll ever be", she said with a grin.
The two sparred for a good hour before Hook called for a break. He was very proud of his girl. She was intelligent, strong, and independent. She could best any man, he was sure of that.
Charity looked up to see him smiling with pride. She smiled back as she gave him a hug.
"Thank you for teaching me. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Hook gave her a fierce hug in return. He watched as she headed to her cabin to get cleaned up and do her lessons. They would be docking in about an hour, and she would never let him go ashore without her.
Soon, the Jolly Roger came to port. The little village was quiet and forlorn. The ogre wars had scattered the population, but a small number was gathered to buy what supplies they could.
In the crowd, Hook saw two familiar looking women but he couldn't seem to place where he'd seen them. He quickly forgot about them as he watched his men begin to unload the cargo.
Charity watched the men as they loaded up the goods the villagers had given in payment for the supplies. The men and women looked ragged and dirty, and she was thankful that she had a nice warm bed and over-protective crew to go home to.
She made her way up the gangplank, and went down to the galley to see Cook. On her way there, she thought she saw two figures in the dark hall. She shook her head thinking that it must have been her imagination.
Just as she was about to go through the galley door into the small kitchen, a hand wrapped around her mouth and she felt herself being pulled backwards.
Emma and Snow saw the big ship as their chance to get back to Storybrooke. They had quickly snuck aboard while the crew was loading the cargo. The two women went below, but not before the dark haired girl they'd seen with the captain spotted them.
"Grab her", whispered Emma.
"We can't! That will alert the whole crew!"
"We can't let anyone find us until we are safely out to sea."
So Emma had quickly put her hand over the girl's mouth, and Snow helped her drag her to into a small room. They found some twine and tied the girl up, then stuffed her mouth with fabric.
The girl sat eyeing them angrily. She made no sound, but there was a glint in her eyes that said retribution was coming.
Hook watched as his men loaded the last of their supplies. He said good-bye to the villagers, and then went in search of Charity. Finally he found Smee, the man usually kept a keen eye on her.
"Mr. Smee, have you seen my ward lately?"
"Yes, Captain. I saw her board the ship about a half hour ago."
"Well, give the order to shove off then Mr. Smee."
Hook heard the bearded man give the order as he made his way below deck to find Charity. He had a surprise for her, and he couldn't wait to give it to her.
He went to her cabin, but found it empty. He checked the galley, his cabin, and everywhere else except for the crew's quarters. After fifteen minutes of searching he was becoming alarmed.
Then he heard a shrill scream coming from the only place he hadn't looked. If she was harmed in any way, someone was going to pay dearly.
Emma and Snow White had been speaking quietly in a corner when they heard their prisoner scream. They turned to see her sitting with a smug smile on her face, right before the door burst open and men began to pour into the dimly lit room.
Charity watched as the captain and a few of his men came barging in. He looked angry, and she almost felt sorry for the women. Not quite though because she still had the taste of dirty sock lingering in her mouth.
Hook crashed through the door followed by Smee, Cook, and Lefty. There sitting in the middle of the floor was his Charity, and off to her right huddled in a corner were the two women he'd seen in the crowd.
He quickly went to untie his little girl, "Lass are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just a little cramped", she said as she stood with his assistance.
After making sure Charity was unharmed, Hook turned to the two women.
"You had better start explaining and fast", he growled.
The blonde stepped forward, "My name is Emma Swan and this is Snow White. We were brought to this land by a Wraith, and we are trying to get home. We thought you might help us."
"Kidnapping members of my crew is not a way to ensure my assistance."
"We only tied her up, so we could wait until the ship hoisted anchor. We were going to let her go as soon as we were out to sea."
Hook stared at the two women before leading them to his cabin, with Charity in tow. There was no way he was letting her out of his sight!
Once everyone was seated, the two women told him where they were from and how to get there. They watched the captain closely as he considered their request.
"So, you say that there is a whole town of people in this land of yours, and they are all from the Enchanted Forrest."
Both women nodded, and the blonde spoke, "We're trying to get back to our families. Surely you can understand that."
Hook sat quietly for a moment before he gave his reply.
"So you're the rightful queen of the Enchanted Forrest, and you say I will be compensated?"
The dark haired woman, Snow White nodded.
"Well, how can I say no to my queen", he said sarcastically.
The two women were shown to the first mate's quarters, and Smee moved into the crew's quarters. They came out for supper, but immediately went back to their room.
Emma had watched the young woman, thinking about the uncanny resemblance she had to Charming. She mentioned it to her mother.
Snow gave a nod, "Emma I have a feeling that that is your sister."
"My sister! I thought I was an only child!"
"You were two when she was born, and when you were both sent through the wardrobe. I thought that she had made it through and was lost. I don't know how she ended up with the captain."
"Is there anything else you need to tell me? Any more siblings gonna come out of the woodwork?"
"No, she's it. She was your father's pride and joy. You were always my baby, but Charity was most definitely your father's."
"What I don't understand is why is she not older? She should be well into her twenties."
"Time passes differently here. Plus they've been to more worlds than just this one. He didn't seemed surprised at all when we told him about the bean and the compass."
The two women decided to find out more about the pirate and Charity. Neither knew how they felt about the discovery that they had made about the dark haired teen-ager who clearly adored the man who had raised her.
Snow was especially distraught. She didn't know how to tell the girl and the captain her revelation, or even if she should. She just wished Charming were there! He would know exactly how to deal with the situation.
Thank you for reading! Please review and tell me what you think! :)
