The date was progressing smoothly and the couple happier than ever, talking and joking all through their first course and into into the main, with a merry Smee looking on in delight as he delivered each meal. The date was perfect, and Emma couldn't believe her luck. The setting, the food even the weather all perfectly contributed to the night, and the peaceful lull of the waves beyond the window were music to Killian's ears as grew more and more in love with the woman sitting opposite him, illuminated by candlelight. The mood was bordering on seductive by the time for dessert.

"Now Swan" he said, leaning back with one arm resting on the table, eyebrow arched, "What have you got in mind for dessert?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, pirate?" she retorted.

"Perhaps I would" he leant forwards, voice lowering to husky and eyes dancing provocatively over her "For I have something very particular in mind that I want"

Emma arched an eyebrow in response and was thinking up some witty retort when the ship veered suddenly to the left, the gentle lull of the waves turning to strong crashes against the side of the ship. Emma and Killian grasped quickly to the sides of the table to keep their balance, reaching it just in time to prevent the fall of the wineglasses. The ship somewhat levelled out again and Emma gave a once over to the table to check that everything was intact, before meeting Killian's curious and slightly worried gaze.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he asked, voice rising.

"I have no idea" Emma answered truthfully, "Probably just a sudden wave" she brushed the matter off but knew by the unsteady swaying of the ship and the increasingly heavy crashing of the waves that reached her attuned ears that something was definitely not right. But no way was she going to let anything ruin this date, she thought up a plan and cast a deliberately confused glance to the door, "Where isSmee with our desserts?" she said, artfully rising her voice with curiosity before smiling serenely at Killian and rising from her chair, "I'll go see what's keeping him" Emma walked over to where Killian sat looking on at her, turning her smile seductive. "You, pirate, will wait here til I return and maybe..." she brushed her mouth against his ear, leaning provocatively in to him and lowering her voice to a husky whisper, "I'll see to that dessert you wanted" Emma felt his hot gaze linger on her as she strutted from the room, dropping the act as soon as the door closed behind her. She flicked her head left and right, then began to storm down the hallway they came from in search of Smee, the desserts be damned. She found him hovering nervously, all of a jitter, in the entrance to the place where the side door from which they had entered was now shut tight.

"Hey, Smee" she shouted, "What the hell is going on out here? Why is the ship moving?" she demanded, arms in the air, looking expectantly down at him for his answer. Smee wrung his hands worriedly, looking about as if someone was about to burst in with a gun.

"I- I don't know Ma'am" he answered, his nerves affecting his voice, "I was just getting y'r dessert ready an' all in the kitchens when the ship swayed somethin' dreadful and I heard this awful crash. I didn't know what was going on. I came out here and the place was almost empty. I mean, the place was already near empty, it being new and all, but something wasn't right" Smee's accent came out strong in his fear, clearly perturbed by these strange happenings.

"I thought we were docked, Smee. Why is the ship moving? Who's captaining it?"

"We don't have no captain, it's a restaurant"

The unexplainable events, that were interrupting her date terrifically, left Emma's dumbfounded. Her forehead was furrowed in confusion, trying the connect the strange events. Smee had said that there was no captain to the ship, presumably the only people aboard were the staff and a few scattered guests, including herself and Killian, so what could have caused these strange events? It wasn't the weather, Emma cast a checking glance to the nearby window, for outside it was still fine. But it couldn't be doubted that the ship was being moved, manned by someone. Just as Emma thought this, the ship lurched once more, knocking Emma to the side, and a cacophonous crash could be heard from above. Someone was up there.

"Smee" Emma turned to him, fully alert now, all thoughts of romance fleeing from her mind, "Where're the stairs to the deck?"

Smee pointed to a doorway to the right of the host's podium, set into the wood panelled walls. With a brief nod to Smee, Emma ran to the door and hauled it opened, taking the stairs two at a time as she ran upwards and into the night. Wholly unexpected what was now before her.

The night was silent, the stars still shining languidly in the dark sky with the glowing Moon beside. The sound of the crashing waves were louder here and the air chilly, if there was ever any doubt that the ship was moving in Emma's mind still, it all now fled. For as she turned her head towards the harbour, she saw that they were already far from the reach of the docks. Confused and alarmed, Emma's breath caught as she turned back around towards the captain's helm, prepared and ready for anything. At the wheel, steering the ship southward was a tall, heavily built man in full pirate get-up, much like Killian's previous apparel, with a blood red long coat and a wide belt cinching it at the waist. He was a scruffy looking man, but clearly dangerous. He had weaponry decking his clothing, along with a sharpened sword shining in the light at his belt. And to top it all of, a pointed black pirate's hat sat atop his head of matted black hair that blended into a unkempt beard. The man was clearly not from this realm. He smiled, teeth glinting dangerously in the moonlight, at the sight of Emma, who suppressed a shiver of disgust under the weight of his gaze.

"Now then" the man said confidently, "You must be this saviour I've been hearing so much about"

And then he smiled again, and Emma was horridly reminded of the delighted scowl of a feral cat, ready and willing to pounce, and sink its razor sharp teeth into the flesh of its unwitting prey.