He yanked me from my bed, my attempt to hold on to the mattress futile. I reached back, trying to wrap my fingers around the bed post, but he yanked me to him, my body pressed flush against his.

"Holly love," he said through gritted teeth as I tried to pull away, "Please, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Let go of me!" I shouted, continuing to twist and turn as I tried to get away, but Hook held firm, his arms snaking tighter around my waist. "Guards!" I shouted. "Help!"

"Holly-" Hook warned, but the door to my room had already swung open, and two guards stepped through the door.

"Everything all right, Captain?" one of the men asked and I felt my heart sink. I stopped struggling and tried to get a good look at the men who had entered my room. A bright flash revealed two men in the palace uniform, but they weren't the guards who usually stood watch outside my door.

"Everything's fine, Axton," Hook answered in a forced chipper tone. "Holly here is just being difficult." The men sneered as Hook peered down at me, bringing his face close to mine. "Isn't that right, love?" I glared up at him, but it didn't seem to hurt his feelings.

"Ready, Captain?" the second man asked. Hook nodded, and the man turned to glare at me before stating, "We could gag her and knock her out. She looks light enough to carry."

I stiffened.

"That won't be necessary, boys," Hook stated, and the second man seemed genuinely disappointed. I made a mental note to stay as far away from him as possible. Hook's grip around my waist and loosened, and I took the opportunity to step away from him, but he still wrapped his right hand tightly around my wrist to keep me close.

Just then, a tall, scrawny man skidded to a halt in front of my door, out of breath with his face flushed red. He was also in palace uniform, but once again, he wasn't a guard I recognized.

"How many of you are there?" I asked, and the second man grinned, revealing mostly blackened teeth.

"Enough to get you out of here without being noticed," he said. A knot was starting to form in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

"It's time," the lanky man stated in between gulps of air. "Everyone is in their positions and the storm's at her peak."

All three men looked to Hook. He gave the men a nod, and they started towards my bedroom door. Then, he turned to me, a crack of thunder sending chills down my spine as the cold steel of his hook found its way beneath my chin, tilting my head up so I had to look at him.

"Why?" I asked him. I was thankful my voice didn't portray the fear that was beginning to sink into my skin.

He didn't pretend he didn't know what I was talking about, for which I was grateful. I didn't want to play games, and it seemed that Hook didn't either.

"I told your father that you'd be safer with me-"

"Right," I quipped, my voice drenched in sarcasm, "And you're telling me that you're kidnapping me for the sake of being good?"

Hook grinned. "Hardly. Do you remember the price I gave your father for keeping you safe?"

"You wanted your crimes forgiven."

He nodded. "And he denied me. So, now, I have to force it out of him."

Something clicked inside my mind, and it made me hate Hook a little more. "You're-"

"Going to hold you for ransom." Hook finished for me, smiling in approval. "Exactly. And to think, we could have skipped this whole mess if he would have just said yes. Now," he leaned in even closer, our noses almost touching, and dropped his voice to a whisper, "We can do this one of two ways. You can either come with me willingly, no struggling, no screaming, or you can scream and struggle and force me to knock you unconscious and carry you. Either way, love, you're going to end up on my ship, so I suggest you make your choice carefully."

We stared hard at each other for a moment, a silent battle of wills, until the scrawny man peeked his head back into the room and said it was time to move. Even then, Hook didn't look away.

Finally, I looked away, feeling my shoulders sag in defeat. I had expected a smirk from Hook or some sort of witty remark, but all he did was nod and pull on my wrist, making his way to my bedroom door with me in tow.

Goosebumps rose on my arms and legs as we stepped into the hall, my bare feet padding against the cool marble. The man with black teeth and the tall, lanky one walked ahead of Hook and I while the other man walked behind us. The castle's halls were empty, with no hope of a familiar face in sight.

"How much time do we have, Fane?" Hook asked.

"Close to an hour," the tall man answered without looking back. "As long as no one shows up early for post change. And as long as all the guards we knocked out stay that way."

I felt my gut twist at the thought of all the guards that were supposed to keep me and my father safe knocked out by a bunch of pirates, but as long as they were knocked out and not killed… Well, I'd take it.

"We'll be cutting it a bit close on foot don't you think?" The question was calm enough, but his iron grip on my wrist tightened a little more, indicating a hidden anger that he wasn't letting show. At least, not yet.

Fane flashed a toothy grin over his shoulder, his dark eyes twinkling. "No worries, Captain. Luck is on our side tonight."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"We won't be returning to the Jolly Roger on foot. We snagged ourselves a carriage. We'll be long gone before they even know what happened."

Hook shook his head and smiled. "Fane, you brilliant bastard." Fane beamed at Hook's approval, his steps turning into more of a strut as we rounded another corner. My mind reeled as we continued to walk, Hook's hand wrapped tightly around my wrist. I needed to get away from him, from the group of them, and find help. Surly, someone could run and get real guards.

Then, girlish giggles filled the air, and I felt my heart swell.

"This way!" Fane hissed, and everyone immediately ducked into an alcove filled with shadows. As Hook yanked me to him, my back pressed against his chest, I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but Hook had let go of my wrist and slapped his hand over my mouth, his other arm quickly winding its way around me to hold me in place.

"One peep," he whispered, his breath hot on the side of my face, "And I'll give the order to have them killed, and their blood will be on your hands. Understand?"

I didn't answer. I clenched my fists and willed myself not to cry as a sob rose in my throat. I tried telling myself that none of it was real, that all of it was just a terrible nightmare and that I would wake up at any moment.

But as Hook's nails dug into the side of my cheek I knew that I wasn't going to wake up.

"Holly, please," his whisper sounded desperate as the chatting servants grew closer, "I don't want anyone to die tonight. Please, just stay quiet."

I could see the servant's shadows. They would be passing the little alcove any moment. I gave a small nod, so small I wasn't even sure it registered under Hook's hand.

Everyone held their breath as the girls passed us by, completely unaware of the pirates or myself. As they continued their way down the hall, Fane craned his head out and watched them.

"They're heading towards the server's quarters," he whispered as he motioned us forward. "Let's go."

We didn't pass another soul until we reached the top of the stairs. There, another man, with wide shoulders and dark, course hair sprouting from everywhere other than his head, was waiting for us.

"Langley," Hook greeted, and the man inclined his head. "Lead on, lad."

"Yes, captain." His voice was low and rumbled in his chest. We descended the steps with Langley leading the way. His footsteps were heavy and echoed off the walls, and I watched as everyone but Hook cringed with each step.

"Could you be any louder?" the pirate with black teeth hissed as his head swiveled around, looking for on-coming trouble. Langley only growled. "Where are we going anyway?"

I had started to wonder the same thing. After we reached the bottom of the stairs, we had veered to the left, away from the front doors to the palace.

"Won't go through the front doors," Langley drawled, his words coming out slower than molasses. "Too risky. We're going through the kitchens."

"The kitchens? What are we? Rats?"

"Something like that."

I could have sworn that I only said the words in my head, but the words had come tumbling out of my mouth.

"Come again?" the black toothed pirate snarled, whirling on me. He took a step toward me, only to be stopped by Hook.

"Calm down, Gresham," Hook said, shooting the man a warning look. I could tell he wanted to say something, to spit an insult at me or to slap me across the face with the back of his hand, but his captain had given him an order, and as much as he didn't want to, he did what he was told.

The men continued on, and as I took a step forward to follow, Hook whirled on me. His azure eyes blazed and his dark brows knitted together.

"Let's make something very clear, love," he said, his voice cold. "I may be these boys' captain, but they aren't dogs."

"Could have fooled me," I stated. Even as the words left my mouth, I knew I had crossed a line. Hook twisted my wrist and a sharp pain shot up my arm, making me whimper.

"Watch your mouth," Hook hissed.

"Ow! O-okay! I'm sorry!" The pain was white hot now, and I wondered if he would twist it just a little bit farther, breaking it. When he relaxed his grip, the pain instantly drained away, and I let out a shuddered breath, tears beading in the outer corners of my eyes.

"That's better. Now, I suggest you start playing nice. It'll make everyone's lives much easier." He didn't give me a chance to answer, dragging me to catch up with Fane, Gresham, Langley, and Axton.

The kitchens were dark and quiet, unlike its usual bright and boisterous self. There weren't any delicious smells of spices and melted chocolate in the air and, with the stoves off, it wasn't blistering hot.

I had spent quite a bit of my days as a little girl exploring the kitchens, hiding in cupboards and taste testing all sorts of yummy things that the cooks made up. I'd fill the sinks with too many suds and would usually return to my room with my hair soaked from a water fight I started with a few of the servants. My father would always try to scold me, try to tell me that it wasn't appropriate for a princess to act in such a way, but he couldn't hide the smile that always tugged at his lips. Not to mention that the food that ended up on our table was mouth wateringly delicious.

The cooks always gave me all the credit and my father would chuckle and shake his head.

"Well," he'd say after a particularly delicious meal, "If being a princess doesn't work out, you can always work in the kitchens." Then, I'd chuckle and declare it was time for dessert, in which he would groan and complain that he'd have to loosen his belt.

But after Peter took John, I had stopped visiting the kitchens. It didn't seem fair for me to enjoy abundance amounts of food and fun while he suffered.

And now, I would probably never see these kitchens again, would probably never taste the sweetness of melted sugar or spiciness of roasted red peppers mixed with tomato paste and oregano.

The back entrance to the kitchens was open, and another pirate stood in wait with a carriage just beyond the door. He was drenched, and the rain was falling at a sharp angle with the wind. It was the roll of thunder that brought my mind back completely. I hadn't realized I was crying until the blurriness passed, the tears falling onto my cheeks. My throat and chest were tight and my feet felt like they were full of lead.

"Everything's ready, Captain," Gresham reported after chatting quickly with the pirate at the door. Hook nodded and ordered the men to pile into the carriage. He then ordered the new pirate to take the reins.

"Time to go, love," he said with a glance over his shoulder at me. When he saw me though, he stopped and turned to face me completely. I couldn't read his face.

The knot in my chest squeezed tighter and I couldn't hold back the wave of sadness that washed over me. I choked out a sob, more tears sliding down over my cheeks as I shook my head.

"P-please," I begged, all my pride flying out the window, "Please, just let me go. You can leave. I won't tell a soul how you escaped, and I'll find a way to have your crimes forgiven. Just, let me stay here."

Hook only shook his head. "I can't do that," he stated simply and I took a shaky breath.

"Why?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied me, his brows furrowing slightly as his bright eyes scanned over my face. He unfurled his fingers from around my wrist and took a step closer to me. Reaching up with his right hand, he wiped away the tears on my cheeks and the ones that slid down my neck.

"Why?" I asked again, my voice sounding so small and pathetic in my ears.

"Ready, Captain?" Gresham called through the torrential downpour.

And in a blink, he was back to being my kidnapper. He dropped his hand and it resumed its spot on my wrist. "Why?" he repeated my question back at me, his voice sounding a bit hollow. I nodded, new tears springing to my eyes as I felt my freedom slipping away beneath me. "Because I want my crimes forgiven, and the only way I'm going to get what I want is if I do this."

I shook my head and tried to protest, but Hook was already dragging me out the door and out into the downpour.

The rain cut through my nightgown in an instant, needles of cold pricking my skin and causing my heart to jolt into a thundering rhythm. I couldn't see, the water was rushing into my eyes faster than I could wipe it away.

I felt rough hands grab me as Hook let go, and I tried to twist away, but the hands held tight, hoisting me up so my feet didn't touch the ground.

"Hold still," came Gresham's coarse voice, but his tone was far from comforting.

Then, they all let me go, and I fell backwards onto someone.

"Miss me?" came Hook's smooth voice. "I was only gone a moment, love."

I finally wiped away the rain water and looked around, only to find myself in the carriage, each seat taken by Gresham, Langley, Axton, Fane, and Hook. And my seat, it seemed, was on Hook's lap.

The sadness from the kitchens was quickly replaced by anger, and I reared my hand back to slap him, but he caught my hand and pinned it in my lap, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"I hate you," I spat, but that only made him chuckle.

"Don't be that way, love," he crooned and I glared at him. Then, he shouted, "Move out!"

The carriage jolted forward, and we were off. And with each step the horse took, I could feel my hope for rescue getting smaller and smaller. The farther we got away from the castle, the less chance I had of a guard stumbling upon us.

I couldn't let them take me. I couldn't let Hook win.

And without the palace guard's help, it seemed that I would have to save myself.