A/N: Sorry I haven't been posting at all. I just got caught up in school and lost my muse. It's sorta okay now, hopefully I have another chapter up in thanksgiving break.

Do I want to go home? She asked herself, not really sure if she really wanted to. This was better than staying at home with strangers who only had her so they could get paid by the government.

Wait, I'm still dreaming, she nearly laughed as she remembered; but this time, her laugh faltered as her belief was a fraction weaker than yesterday.

"I-I think I do," Emma said, anxious that she is starting to believe that this wasn't a dream.

"Captain! Captain!" A disembodied voice said somewhere from outside the captain's quarters.

Hook let go of Emma and walked briskly to the door, opening it to find a short pudgy man with a red beanie on his head.

"What is it Mr. Smee?" Hook asked, slightly annoyed.

I should have known,Emma thought comically, as she looked at the man in the doorway, he looked a lot like the one in the movie except he was younger in real life.

"Captain, we are getting close to the cove, about a four kilometers from the cove," Mr. Smee said.

Captain Hook understood and pushed past Mr. Smee, heading towards the helm.

Emma followed after him, and watched him at the helm as he navigated with precision around the rocks protruding the water as they got closer to the cove.

"Smee, why don't you and Miss Swan make use of yourselves and take inventory of the ship," Hook said not looking at them but keeping his focus on navigating.

"What!? No, I have questions that you need to answer!" Emma barked in vain.

"Aye, aye Captain," Smee said to Hook, turning to Emma, "You heard the Captain, Miss Swan, would you please follow me."

"But-"

"Miss Swan, Emma," Hook said stopping to look at Emma briefly, with a firm, intimidating look in his eyes, "To my knowledge you are not a pirate, you don't know the first thing about sailing. In fact, you yourself have stated that you haven't got your sea legs. Therefore you are of no use to me at the moment, however, you can put yourself to work and help Mr. Smee with the inventory."

"Why do I all of a sudden upset you!" Emma hissed, stepping towards the Captain, but Smee grabbed her forearm, which she didn't care to shake off.

"Mr. Smee!" Hook growled, signaling Smee to him and whispering something, to which Smee nodded and went back to Emma.

"Miss Swan, please," Smee said, lightly tugging her arm, "Let us give the Captain his space."

Emma stood there for a moment, holding her ground, but Hook never looked at her, like nothing had happened, like she wasn't even there. So she let Smee pull her away but she didn't stop glaring at the side of his head, hoping her glares were burning right through him. Eventually she had to pay attention to where she was going or she was going to trip so she drew her eyes from the Captain and looked at Smee's back, following him into the Hold, where she had gotten drunk in the morning.

She almost giggled at that because she was never able to get drunk in the morning without the qualm of being drunk so early with school and social convention, but she figured since it was a dream, she could do it as often as she wanted.

Finally they reached the Hold and Smee picked a bunch of hanging papers from the wall hanging from a hook.

"Alright Miss Swan-"

"Emma, it's Emma, please," She said, slightly uncomfortable with the thought of anyone but Hook calling her Swan. She didn't know why, but she did.

"Alright, Emma, this is for that side of the ship," Smee said, handing her a paper, "You're going to go through and make a tally for what ever is accounted for. Do you understand?"

Emma nodded and took the papers and unusual looking pen from him and started on her side while Smee started on the opposite side.

"Smee," She started, but backtracked on her words, "Can I call you Smee?"

He nodded, not sharing a glance but continuing his work.

What is with the people on this ship and not looking at you?

"Okay, Smee, what's up with Hook?" Emma asked, counting a few barrels of water, "He was cool with me earlier, but I don't know what happened, it's like someone switched a flip in him."

Smee was quiet for a moment, perhaps trying to figure out what she meant in the last part of her statement but then spoke in his usual kind voice,"Captain is a very complicated man. He went through a lot to get here. Perhaps too much."

"But everyone goes through things, it's a fact of life, but it doesn't mean you can be a jerk," Emma said, now counting the bottles of rum in crates and on the wall.

"Yes, but no one should go through what the Captain had gone through. The human soul can only bear so much," Smee said, not helping Emma in understanding the jerk.

"Well what did the Captain go through?" Emma asked, trying to not seem too interested in the fact, when indeed she was dying to figure out what was up with this pirate.

Smee stopped his counting and Emma watched as he looked around quickly and briskly walked over to her.

"When the Captain was just a young lad, not much older than you are now, he was in the royal navy," Smee started in a hushed whisper, trying to not be heard.

"He was the lieutenant on the Jewel of the Realm, this ship however now named the Jolly Roger and his brother was the Captain"

"He had a brother?" Emma asked because she never heard that part of the story, not like this was anything like the movie anyways.

"Yes, his name was Liam, and they were inseparable," Smee continued, "One day, they had a mission from the king to come to Neverland and find a plant called Dreamshade, and return with it and take it to the king."

"Okay, no offense but this is a really boring back story," Emma groaned, she wasn't a patient person and all she wanted to know was why he suddenly was rude to her.

"Well, Emma, the plant Dreamshade happened to be the most deadly plant on the island, Pan had told the two brothers but Liam would not have it, therefore when they reached the plant, and our dear captain tried to sway his brother from returning to the king with the plant, therefore Liam cut himself with the plant."

Emma's brows furrowed, obviously perturbed, "But Peter Pan told them it was dangerous and he still didn't listen. Dumbass."

Smee didn't find it in the all comical and continued, "Well, after he had cut himself, he started to die as the poison seeped into his veins. Our Captain was the only one with him and he watched his brother collapse and slowly die in his arms."

Emma started to feel guilty for thinking the Captain didn't go through anything life changing because he clearly did.

"However, it would have been easier if that was the end of it but instead, and to make a long story short, our dear Captain found an antidote for the poison-"

"So his brother lived, I don't get how that's so-"

Smee cut her off, "On their journey home, the antidote wore off and Liam died… once again, in his arms."

"Oh," Emma said, again feeling bad about her earlier assumptions, "So he watched his brother die in his arms twice…"

Smee nodded, and went to continue his job.

"But that doesn't explain why he's such a jerk!" Emma said, louder than she expected.

"Liam wasn't the only one to die on his ship," Smee said quietly, but quickly shut his mouth as he felt as though he had spoken too much.

"Who else?" Emma asked now more curious.

"You know, you are the only woman who has been aboard the Jolly Roger for more than one night," Smee said, mostly to himself, "I wonder if you remind him of her."

"Who's her?" Emma asked curiosity exploding within her.

She was about to coax the answer out of Smee, when they heard a rush of footsteps on the main deck and shouting.

"Miss, Swan I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you to follow me," Smee said, grabbing Emma's wrist and pulling her towards the area where the rum barrels were and he opened one that was empty.

"You want me to get into that?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"Please Miss Swan," Smee said, his voice filled with so much urgency, Emma felt compelled to oblige.

"I'll come back down for you when it's safe," Smee said as he helped Emma climb into the barrel and put the top on.

She heard him climb up the stairs while she was left in the dark cramped barrel.

"I've been in worst situation," Emma whispered to herself, with a half-smile that was lost in the darkness.

"So you're sure you haven't seen a girl on your ship," Felix asked for the third time.

"I'm certain I would know if there was a woman on my ship," Hook said nonchalant, with an edge of annoyance in his voice.

"If are hiding her, just remember Pan always gets what he wants, and he has no mercy for those who stand in his way," Felix said, his words laced with threat, but Hook brushed them aside.

"Oh I'm sure."

"If you do find her, you know what to do," Felix said walking in the direction he came from before stopping and turning to Hook, "You remember what happened with Bae don't you?"

Several minutes passed, and Emma was getting irritatingly bored of the darkness. Her hands groped the sides of the barrel as she searched for the cork most barrels have. Finally she found it and pushed it out.

She eagerly put her eye to the opening, scanning the room to see if anyone was there. It was empty, or at least it was, until she heard feet come down the stairs, and she moved her eye in that direction.

It was the boy from earlier, Alec.

He walked down the stairs and started to walk around the room, looking for something. She couldn't help but think he was searching for her, but why would Smee hide her if it was just Alec looking for her?

She must've loosened some dust from inside the barrel because she felt it fall around her and float into her nose.

Oh no.

She tried with all her might to not sneeze but it was worthless and she lost the fight and sneezed.

That's when the boy's eyes darted in her direction and he ran over to her barrel and took off the top.

Emma looked up at him with a guilty smile as she slowly stood up, "Surprise!"

Alec dismally sighed, and put the top aside, "Pan is looking for you and you hide in this?"

Emma frowned, "You wouldn't have found me if I hadn't sneeze."

"I wouldn't have, but Pan would have," He said, his brown eyes as still as his face.

Emma glared at him but it softened when she realized something, "Why haven't you called Pan?"

At this Alec shrugged, "Pan isn't with us, his right hand Felix is."

"Okay, then why haven't you called Felix?"

"Because you must be important if the Captain tried hiding you," Alec said, his eyes dancing between Emma's features.

She ignored his looking, "What the hell are you talking about? The guy thinks I'm a nuisance."

"Really, that's why he asked me to find out what Pan wanted with you," Alec said matter-of-factly, "That's why he told Smee to hide you."

"He did?" Emma asked confused, "But he started being a total jerk to me."

"If rumours be true, you're the first woman that's been on the ship since longer than a night," Alec said shrugging, "Maybe he realized that you reminded him of Milah. I dunno."

"Milah?"

Emma saw Alec stiffen as they heard footsteps outside the Hold's door.

"Get back down and be quiet," Alec said quickly picking up the top and securing it on top. Emma obeyed and was inside, quiet, but still peering out the tiny hole.

"Alec, did you find anything?" Felix asked, looking at the boy. Felix didn't look too much older than her, maybe about 17 but no much older.

"No, nothing here," Alec lied, walking towards Felix.

"Are you sure? Did you check all the barrels?" Felix asked Alec, his voice stiff with authority.

"Yes, I did, just Rum and and water," Alec said opening the door. Felix must've not bought it because he glared at the barrels for a moment.

"Felix," Alec said, trying to drag the leader's attention away from the barrels, "Felix, let's go, there's nothing here."

Felix stood for a moment, glaring, but he relented and followed Alec.

When she knew they were gone, she pushed the top of the barrel off and climbed out, slowly she made her way to the ladder that led to the trap door in Hook's cabin.

She was going to find out who this Milah lady was. If she was such an influence on Hook then he surely must have something from her or about her in his room.

Emma wanted to know what this Milah woman did to Hook that he has the little bursts of frustration.

Emma carefully pushed open the trap door to Hook's cabin, wincing as the hinges gently squealed at the movement. She pushed the door open just enough for to see the ground of the cabin. Her eyes swept over the floor and to her relief, it was empty. She let out a huff as she pushed the door open completely, letting it fall back on the floor with a thud.

"Fuck," She gasped going as stiff as a stick, worried that her noise gave away her whereabouts. She waited a few moments, listening for a clatter of boots. To her relief: Silence.

She let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding and proceeded to walk around the Captain's Cabin. She reached out and gently ran her fingers along the walls and whatever was in their path as she walked around, observing Hook's past hidden in his trinkets and tokens that lined the wall or were laid out on counters.

It is this way that she came across the drawing of Milah.

She walked along the walls until she could go no further, running into Hook's desk. It was a simple wooden table pressed up against the wall; a table that could pass as a desk, with cups holding quills and used parchment papers sprawled across the table.

Emma looked at the door and was silent, listening for boots; again she was greeted with silence. She grinned, looking down at the papers and her hands followed suit, fingers delicately gripping papers to bring them up to her eye level.

"Tariffs?" Emma said, the words coming off her tongue like a familiar stranger, she remembered that she learned this term in school, but now she couldn't remember what it meant. As frustration gnawed at her mind, her free hand gripped the side of the desk, and pressing papers back and revealing others underneath.

She looked down at the shuffling of the papers. She set down the paper in her hand, forgetting her task at hand, and traded it for a paper that half stuck out from under other papers and official letters.

Emma gasped as she finally pulled the entire paper out from under the others and got a good look at the drawing; It was of a beautiful dark-haired, fine-featured woman.

She gawked at the drawing for a few moments, taking in the detail and care put into the drawing before actually looking at the paper itself. The edges were tattered and ripped, more-so than the other papers, and to her surprised….

Tear stains.

Tear stains that peppered the paper.

Emma knew she found what she was looking for. This was the Milah, the one that broken Hook's heart. But Emma had tasted the fruit of the poisonous tree and now she wanted more; she wanted to know how Milah managed to break the Captain Hook, the legend.

The sound she staying alert for all this time, the clicking of boots against wood, rang in her ears as it got closer.

"Crap," She murmured, as she shoved the drawing back under the papers. Emma turned quickly, her heart racing as the boots got closer. She ran on her tiptoes, trying to make as little noise as possible as she made her way back to the trap door she had emerged from. She slid into the hole and pulled the door close after her, leaving it open just enough to see the ground but not enough to see the face of who came in.

For a while she was only able to hear the sounds of boots against wood, and the ruffling of clothing and the sound of a rum bottle opening, but eventually she see's the familiar boots and and a wave of alleviation washes over her and once again she throws open the door.

A shirtless Hook whirled around and choked on the rum he had just tried to swallow, while Emma gasped and nearly fell back down into the hold.

"I- um, I-" Emma stuttered unable to tear her eyes away from Hook's toned body and the chest hair that graced his torso.

"What are you doing here?" Hook managed to ask, his voice hoarse from choking on the alcohol. He didn't move from his spot, and Emma was glad because even though she was still young, she had eyes and she could appreciate that. Plus she had her fair share of guys and she had to admit, nothing compared to this dashing pirate. Their bodies weren't aged to perfection, weren't marked with scars for every adventure or tanned skin from being out in the sun all day. Not to mention the smell of sea salt and rum that lingered on him. The occasional light glinting from his chest hairs made it hard for Emma to not run her fingers over his chest, and kiss every inch of him.

"Emma?" Hook said, his eyebrow raised and a smug grin on his face, "Are you okay, love?"

Snapping back to reality, and shunning herself for having such thoughts, Emma cleared her throat and forced her eyes away from Hook's chest to his face, not like that helped anyway, "Um yea, I just was wondering if they had left."

Hook was silent for a moment, watching her and it made her feel even more uncomfortable than she already was, making her shift on both feet and eventually she averted her gaze to the knick-knacks on the walls next to his head.

Finally he was moving again, walking towards his drawer and pulling out a fresh black poet shirt.

"Yes, they left about half an hour ago," Hook said as he pulled on his shirt.

"Why didn't you come and tell me?" Emma said, trying to ignore the dismay in her chest from Hook putting on a shirt.

"Because, love, Smee was supposed to be watching you," Hook said as he unbuttoned a few more of the buttons on his shirt.

Emma would have rolled her eyes at his need to have a ton of unbuttoned buttons, that is if she wasn't ticked off.

"I don't need a baby sitter," Emma growled as she stepped towards him, the dismay from a few seconds ago dissolved into resentment.

"Well, it seems as though you do," He said, raising an eyebrow matter-of-factly, "Given that you tend to walk into a shirtless man's quarters unannounced."

Emma opened her mouth to say something but clenched them shut as she realized she had nothing to say, so instead settled for a death glare. It was in vain though, as Hook was lacing up his black leather vest and payed no mind to her.

"When I was speaking to Felix, Pan's right hand, he seemed to have a keen interest in you," Hook said, not raising his eyes to her, but kept them trained on the laces in front of him.

Emma didn't say anything. Refused to say anything to him.

Hook turned away to grab his coat, but just because Emma couldn't see his face didn't mean she couldn't hear the smug smile in his voice when he spoke again. "You know, love, glaring at me won't do anything. Perhaps only just make you love me more."

"What makes you think I even like you?" Emma growled, 100% done with this pirate once again.

"Oh, Emma," Hook said, and she shivered at the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"I saw how you were looking at me earlier," Hook said, his lips curling into a smirk as he gracefully pulled on his black leather jacket.

"What did you say about Felix?" Emma said, her black look never faltering.

Hook chuckled but proceeded to answer, "Well, Felix was keen on taking you to Pan, which means he'll be back soon."

"And?"

"And we are going to have to go ashore," Hook said, looping his hook and belt, while his other arm went to his waist. It irked Emma that she was trying so hard to make this man uncomfortable and here he was, placid and relaxed.

She couldn't lie, she was excited to get off this ship and get her feet on land, but she had questions still, especially about Milah, and land would mean adventure and adventure does not wait for questions to be answered.

"Fine, but why?" Emma said, a defeated sigh slipping from her as she spoke.

"To get you home, and we can resume our lives as they were before," Hook said, with a coolness that made Emma feel as though she were a thorn in his side, not like she wasn't use to that feeling. Granted she was also dishing it out to him and being on the receiving end wasn't too fun.

Hook walked back to the main entrance to his cabin his good hand resting on the knob before turning back to Emma, who had followed him.

"I don't recall you ever wielding a weapon," Hook said, more than asked.

Emma shook her head, "Nope."

"Alright, well we can't go ashore without giving you something to wield," Hook said opening the door and walking down the hall and into a door, which again, Emma followed like an obedient puppy.

"There are dangers of all sorts out there and I won't always be able to protect you," Hook said nonchalant as he looked at some shelf in the room. It was a small, narrow room with a counter to the left lined with cabinets and cubbies.

"I don't need you to protect me," Emma hissed, still cross with him from earlier.

Hook merely chuckled as he picked up what he was looking for. "I know lass. That's why I'm giving you this."

He held out a cutlas to her, and she took it from him, "A sword?"

"It's a cutlass," Hook corrected.

"It looks like a sword to me," Emma said stubbornly.

Hook rolled his eyes and walked out of the room and Emma ran after him.

"Who's was this?" Emma asked from behind Hook.

"It doesn't matter whose it was, just that you now have it."

"Was it Milah's?" Emma pestered the pirate, a mistake she found out too late.

Hook abruptly stopped and she ran into him, stumbling back a few steps. He turned to her and Emma could see his jaw tense and he looked on the verge of yelling at her.

"Smee!" He bellowed, frightening Emma even though he wasn't talking to her. Soon after his name was called Smee was right by the pirate.

Hook was silent, glaring at Emma for a moment, before softening his gaze ever so slightly and turned to Smee.