Killian walked down to the river, following in his father's footsteps. The light above was still the same as it was when he arrived, as if the sun was constantly setting even though it was now morning. Or at least his morning. He was starting to realize that his father and brother no longer seemed to have a true concept of an actual day. Apparently, the residents of the Underworld live their eternal lives differently than they did in the real world.
The water at the dock was still and calm, a sharp contrast to the turmoil in Killian's soul. He once again put his hand on the hilt of Excalibur strapped to his side. It was heavy, but a comforting heavy, almost as if Emma was there beside him.
Emma. He wondered what she was doing right now. Who was with her? Where was she? And most important, what would it be like for her when he handed the blade over to Hades? Killian was happy to have it with him for now, but he was going to be glad to get rid of it knowing that it would help Emma - the real Emma - return to her family. He just wished he could be there to see her triumphant return.
Instead, he would be here forever, and not a day would go by that he wouldn't think of her. At least he had his family now to help him forget the pain. It was a welcomed but unexpected surprise to have them on this journey with him.
His father walked up beside him on the dock as Liam prepared the boat for them to leave. "You ready?"
Killian shrugged. "Doesn't matter if I am or not," he said somberly. "Let's go."
"You know, I can still take you back to the place I picked you up from," his father explained. "You don't have to stay here with us. You can go home."
He turned to his father, who had a look of both pain and sympathy on his face. "There's no home for me there if Emma remains the Dark One."
His father nodded and put his hand on Killian's shoulder. "You've changed quite a bit since you're pirating day, captain."
"You know about my pirating days?" he responded with surprise.
"I know more than you think," he replied. "Of course, it helps that you chose to live on the water. Much easier than trying to track you on land."
"We're ready to cast off, captain," Liam said from his perch on the deck of the ferry.
Davy nodded and lightly pressed his hand against Killian's back, nudging him forward. The pirate took a deep breath and stepped on the boat, again surprised at how little it moved when he added his weight to it. His father followed him with an oar in his hand and took up his position on the back of the boat. Liam, meanwhile, pulled up the small rope and pushed off the dock with his foot. The deck jerked a bit underneath them as Davy steered it into the river before the calm water began to push them along.
Killian was amazed as he looked up at the shore, seeing more cabins and trees that lined the river. It all seemed tranquil and calm, almost like a quieter version of Storybrooke except, of course, that it was nowhere close to Storybrooke. Killian's hand once again found the sword on his side. He felt on edge without knowing what was coming despite the fact that his brother and father seemed to be unphased by the trip.
"Who lives here?" he asked his brother standing beside him.
"Friends and employees of Hades," he explained. "He likes to make sure we're taken care of so we can help him whenever he needs us."
Killian stared at the sparse shoreline. "No one else has a dock?"
"No one else has a boat," Liam said. "Father is the only one. Even with the luxuries we have in this area, no one really has permission to leave. Well, except our father."
"What about you?"
Liam looked out over the bow. "I'm just the assistant."
"So you're the lieutenant?" Killian asked teasingly.
His brother turned to him and smiled. "Don't forget that I outrank you here, little brother."
"I'm sure I'll have a long time to figure it out."
Liam put his arm around Killian's shoulders and pulled him closer. "I'm proud of you for what you're doing. When father said you became a pirate after my death, I worried about you. But you seem to have become quite the hero."
Killian laughed bitterly. "I'm no one's hero."
Liam just tapped him lightly on the shoulder and pulled his arm away, looking back at the river and quietly leaving Killian to his thoughts.
He really was no hero, and he knew that his brother would realize that soon enough. He was just there out of desperation to save the woman he loved, a woman he would never see again. That was all.
Over the bow of the boat, Killian could see another dock come into view - the only one he had seen their entire journey since leaving his father's home. On the hill above the dock was a large mansion made of the same dark wood as his father's cabin. The home towered above the trees that surrounded it with large windows looking out towards the water.
As they got closer, Killian could see a large deck built next to the water with benches and lush green potted plants. At a table on the deck sat a man in a dark suit with dark hair intently reading some papers. The man looked up as the boat approached and smiled in a way that didn't set Killian at ease. His hand slowly fell to the hilt of Excalibur, and he made sure it lay over the ruby at the end to make it harder to be recognized by someone who may be familiar with it. Plus, he prided himself on being a swordsman with enough talent to quickly switch to attack mode if he needed.
The man in the suit stood and walked down to meet the boat as his father deftly steered it to the dock. "Captain, it's good to see you!"
"I hope I'm not interrupting, boss," Davy replied.
"No, of course not," the man said cheerfully. "Just the usual business to keep this place going. Liam, always nice to have you here as well."
"Thank you, sir," he said kindly.
Liam jumped off the boat with a rope to drag it into its final spot, with Davy and Killian stepping onto the dock as he secured it with a sailor's knot.
The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he noticed Killian for the first time. "I'm sorry, I don't think I recognize you."
"It's my first time here."
Davy cleared his throat and walked over to the man in the suit. "Sir, this is my younger son, Killian," his father said.
"Hades," the man said, stretching out his hand to greet him.
"Killian Jones."
Hades smiled at him. "Can I call you Captain Hook?" he asked. "I've heard you're quite the swashbuckling pirate, and I even allowed your father some extra time in your world so he could come back with more tales of your escapades. You're quite entertaining."
Killian stared at the man with a bit of surprise. He wasn't sure if Hades being a fan of his pirating ways was a good thing or a bad thing - or really just an odd thing. This was definitely not what he was expecting at all. He took a breath, telling himself to not let his guard down while also trying to encourage this friendly character in front of him to stay friendly.
"I appreciate your admiration, sir, but my father outranks me so Killian will have to do."
Hades smiled at him and gave him a friendly squeeze of his shoulder. "Of course, of course. You always have to admire a man's respect for his father," he said. "So Davy, what brings you by to visit?"
Killian noticed his father's face had taken on a bit of a serious look. "My son is here to discuss some business with you."
Hades looked back at the one-handed pirate. "Well, if he made it this far, I'm sure I can find some time for him. Why don't you three follow me up to the house?"
Killian nodded and muttered a simple "Thank you," while the man in the suit put his arm around his father as if they were old chums and led them up the stone stairs built into the hill.
He could feel Liam come stand at his side as they began their ascent, and Killian turned to see him smiling. "Best behavior, little brother, and your love will be fine."
Being on his best behavior was usually not one of Killian's strong suits, but for Emma, he would do anything.
xxx
Not sure how regularly I'll be able to update next week because of Thanksgiving in the US so just keep an eye out. You can also follow me on tumblr at athenascarlet as I usually post links there as well when I update this story.