Author's note: I intended to get the sexy hijinks started in this chapter, but I wound up with Captain Charming instead. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 4: Father Knows Best

David swung, turning on his left foot as his arm arced through the air. Hook rocked back and blocked the blow, grunting slightly at the impact. He pushed forward, trying to throw off David's momentum, but the other man sidestepped neatly and dropped low, slashing at Hook's leg.

The blade tapped the side of his shin.

"Point!" David yelled.

A cheer went up from the spectators. Hook grimaced, backing up with the wooden practice sword clutched tightly in his hand.

"Come on Grandpa, you're winning!" he heard Henry call out. The boy was keeping score for their sparring match, not that they really needed him to, but since both his mothers were too nervous to let him begin proper lessons yet, he had to content himself with just observing.

"Had enough, Hook?" David asked with a grin.

Hook rolled his shoulders and raised his sword, "Just getting started, mate."

He forced himself to watch David, following the shift in weight from one leg to the other, the rise of an elbow, all the little signals that his opponent was giving, indicating his next line of attack. David was beating him, and beating him soundly, but it was only due to the fact that Hook's attention kept wandering, his eyes drifting over to where Emma was perched on the fence next to Henry, watching them.

They hadn't actually used the device she called a taser on Prince Fuckface, although they had a very pleasant conversation on various ways of making the man suffer. Somehow that had turned into a discussion of life in the land without magic, when he'd asked her what she meant by "staple gun". They had talked the afternoon and most of the evening away, and although Emma had slipped a few times, calling him by endearments he pretended not to hear, for the most part she seemed to be her normal self. Neither mentioned her brief breakdown at the lake.

When she retired to her chamber for the night she had given him a smile and said, "Thanks for hanging out with me today."

"Anytime," he said, smiling back, "Goodnight Swan."

She turned and headed up the staircase, her voice drifting down behind her, "Goodnight honey."

He wondered if she was even aware she had said it.

When David suggested sword practice in the morning Hook accepted immediately, looking forward to the activity as a way to work out some of his frustration and clear his head. He hadn't counted on Emma coming along to watch though, which turned out to have the complete opposite effect.

"Point!" David called again, whacking him in the ribs, "Focus, man! This is getting embarrassing."

Hook gritted his teeth and forced his gaze away from Emma. He dropped his sword and held up a finger in the universal gesture of "wait one moment".

David stepped back while Hook shrugged off his coat and strode over to where Henry and Emma sat, hanging the heavy leather over the fence next to them.

"You're not doing so hot," Henry pointed out. Beside him Emma had her arm propped on her knee, chin resting in her palm. She looked a little tired, there were shadows under her eyes and a tightness around her mouth, but she smiled at him easily enough.

"Eye of the tiger, Hook."

Another comment he didn't understand, "What do tiger's eyes have to do with sword fighting?"

She shrugged, "You know, just get out there. Kick his ass. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee and all that jazz. You're really not going to let my dad win, are you?"

There was a teasing lilt to her voice and her tongue pointed out from between her teeth, licking her lips. He remembered a quip he had made once to her about swords and he wondered if she remembered as well.

"I will not be bested by you father," he promised.

"Well, get back in there then." she replied with a wink.

He scooped the sword back up out of the grass and faced David again.

"Need me to go a bit easier on you, old man?" David was smiling, shifting the sword from one hand to the other with a bit of flourish and clearly enjoying himself.

Hook looked over David's shoulder at Emma. She gave him a cheeky wave and he could have sworn she actually batted her eyelashes at him.

He tossed the sword up in the air, spinning it and catching it with a flick of his wrist.

"Never!" he replied to David's taunt, and lunged.

They jabbed and parried, moving up and down the field in a blur of movement. The wood swords crashed together over and over again until with one final block, Hook's split and broke clear in half.

David stepped back, panting and dripping with sweat. Hook could feel his shirt sticking to his back and his hair plastered to his forehead and knew he looked no better.

"That was awesome!" Henry yelled, "I couldn't even keep up you were going so fast, I don't know who won."

"My blade broke," Hook said, "Your victory, sir."

David looked like he was about to collapse, "Okay then," he wheezed.

Hook wiped the sweat out of his eyes and squinted over at the fence.

"Where's your mother?" he asked Henry, slowly making his way over to the boy.

"She went back inside," Henry answered, jumping down from the rail.

Hook frowned. He was annoyed that he hadn't seen Emma leave. The last time she had disappeared on him she'd almost wound up Princess Fuckface. He then noticed something else was missing.

"Where's my coat?"

Henry looked at the now bare spot on the fence where the coat had been and waved vaguely in the direction of the castle,"Mom took it with her."

Hook's frown grew deeper. Swan had taken his coat?

Henry picked up David's practice sword and rolled it around in his hand, making a few cautious swipes at the air.

"Turn your wrist a little," David instructed, leaning heavily against a fence post.

"You daughter has absconded with my coat," Hook informed him.

"Huh," was David's only reply.

"Your eloquence is astounding, Your Highness."

David raised a hand and began ticking points off on his fingers, "Okay Captain Sarcasm, let's review. My daughter, who is currently under the effects of a powerful love potion, has stolen your coat," he pointed at Hook, " Your coat, that you always wear. The one that might as well have your name on the back, Property of Captain Hook. Yes, it's quite the mystery."

Hook raked his hair back from his face with his fingers. David was looking at him, shaking his head with either amusement or disgust, Hook couldn't tell.

"I wanted to leave until she was over it, but the Queen said it might hurt her."

The words spilled out of him in a rush and Hook looked down at the ground, unwilling to meet Emma's father's eyes.

"I know, Snow told me." David said evenly.

Hook spoke in a whisper, "I don't want her to suffer because of me."

"It's not you fault, Hook. You were right, I never should have invited Francis,"

"Fuckface," Hook corrected.

"Fine, I never should have invited Fuckface to stay. I should have said something when it became clear that he was interested in Emma. Warned him off, done the whole "stay away from my daughter" speech or something."

"I'm familiar with it," Hook said, looking up again.

"Clearly it needs work though, since it doesn't appear to have deterred you much."

David turned, watching Henry run around the practice field, waving the sword. His voice was neutral, as if they were discussing something as inconsequential as the weather, "Snow also said that you gave your word not to take advantage of Emma before it wears off."

Hook tensed, "I did," he said, carefully, "Do you wish me to also swear an oath to you that I won't?"

"Anyone else and it wouldn't be an oath I'd ask for, they'd be tossed in the dungeon next to Fuckface."

David kept his eyes on his grandson as he continued, "Emma would hate you afterwards if you did. And I think you'd probably hate yourself as well. I saw what you went through when she was gone, and I know what you gave up to get her back. You're not going to throw that all away for some potion-induced fling, you're not that stupid."

"Your opinion of my intelligence notwithstanding, I swear that,"

"Stop," David interrupted him, "it's not necessary."

"It is to me," Hook said. David met his gaze and nodded.

"I swear that I won't hurt her. Ever."

"There was a time when I wouldn't have believed that."

"And now?" Hook asked.

There was a hint of a smile on David's face when he answered, "Well, I'm going to stop giving you the "stay away from my daughter" speech. Not that you ever listened to it anyway."

"Thanks," Hook said, feeling a weight he hadn't even known he was carrying lift off his shoulders.

"I still need to warn you though, if you do break her heart I'll stab you in yours with your own hook."

Hook's lips twitched with a slight smile of his own, even as he kept his voice formal, "I would expect nothing less from a loyal father such as yourself."

David smirked, "Don't you forget it. Come on Jones, I don't know about you, but I need a drink."

He clapped his arm around Hook's shoulder and called out to Henry, "Don't tell your mother, but I'm having one made for you."

"She'll stab you when she finds out, mate."

"Yeah," David agreed, "That's why I intend to throw you in front of me so you can distract her."

"Ah, the legendary bravery of Prince Charming," Hook's voice was sarcastic.

But he was smiling.