Author's Note: Here is Chapter 7. I initially struggled in writing this one. If you've been following the story, you've seen how I try to keep each chapter from the perspective of either Emma or Killian. I couldn't do that here. I felt like if I lingered on Killian, we would either miss some of Emma's story or have to backtrack in the next chapter. Now that the story has some momentum going, I decided to move away from that stylistic choice for the sake of plot development. I had a much easier time writing once I did that. I hope you enjoy this installment. If you like the story, please consider leaving me a review. One of the things I love about this site is the interactivity between authors and readers. I'd love to hear what you like about this story, what you think isn't working, or your thoughts on where the plot will go next. Thanks, and hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7

Killian watched Emma as she slipped through the woods and back toward what he assumed was her friend's house. He tried to watch her using his spyglass, but there wasn't enough light for that. He wished he had accompanied her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He didn't want to take the chance of letting his guard down and leading the interloper straight to her. Better that he watch her retreat and listen for any signs of distress. Finally, when he was satisfied that she had returned to safety, he turned to head back toward his ship.

He began to lead the horse to the lane. He had heard no further disturbance in the woods, and was now convinced the sound they heard must have been an animal. Part of him smarted at the thought that he let the noise disrupt their tête-à-tête, and another part felt shame that he let fear convince him that she needed to traverse through the woods at night by herself. But, he was better served to separate from her. He would have an easier time gathering his crew and making a plan if he did not have the distraction of her soft lips and sparkling eyes.

Lost in thoughts of the Swan, he nearly missed the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind him. He drew his sword and turned to face the person who dared think they could sneak up on Captain Hook. He was greeted by a tall man wearing full armor, with the crest of Arthur Pendragon on his breastplate.

Hook sneered at the man. "Am I to assume you are one of the Knights of the Round Table, then?"

"That I am," the intruder responded. " I am Sir Percival, and his highness King Arthur requests an audience with the notorious Captain Hook."

Killian drew his sword and thrust it in Percival's direction, aiming to disarm the man and make his escape. But he didn't make contact, and before he could strike again, he was hit hard on the back of the head. Everything went black as he tumbled to the forest floor.

When he woke, Killian was tied to a chair in a room. Seeing the legendary round table to his right, he felt he must be in the room where Arthur's council met. A man was sitting at the table that he could only assume was the King. He was dressed in armor similar to what Percival had worn. There were no distinctive markings labeling him as the king, other than the jewel encrusted sword hilt worn at his side. He stared down at the pirate, blue eyes similar to Killian's, but with a more calculating look.

Giving the man a disdainful look, Killian said "you know, if you wanted to talk to me, there are better ways to do so than accosting me in the woods in the middle of the night."

Arthur stood up and walked over to his captive. "Yes," he said, "I agree we could have been more civil in extending an invitation, but, you see, I had to know what connection you had with the fair maiden Princess Emma. I must say, it is nothing like I would have suspected. The Pirate and the Princess. It sounds almost like a children's story, though, I wager it would be a cautionary tale."

The mention of Emma raised Killian's hackles. "Do not hurt her," he said through clenched teeth.

"Hurt her?" Arthur said. "No, no. She is quite safe. For the moment. She can continue on her ridiculous quest to 'rescue her parents.' I want to catch her committing a treasonous act. Then my people could not fault me for imprisoning her and turning her back over to George." Arthur's face took on a menacing look. "Your fate, on the other hand, is something quite different. You are a notorious pirate and I am well within my rights as King to make an example of you."

Killian scoffed. "That's not the first time I've heard that speech. If you want to kill me, you'd better go ahead and get it over with."

"And miss an opportunity to further increase King George's debt to me? I wouldn't dream of it."

"How could I factor anywhere in your plans with George?"

The menacing grin returned to Arthur's face. "By breaking the Princess's spirit, of course. After I capture her, she will watch as you are publicly tried and hanged. All her hope will be dashed, and she'll put up no fight with George. It's quite, brilliant, don't you think? I get rid of a scourge on all the kingdoms and strengthen my kingdom's relationship with Anwalt. Two birds, one stone, as the saying goes."

The pirate's heart wrenched at the thought of Emma's spirit breaking. She had been through so much already, and remained strong and determined. Her strength was one of things that made him fall in love with her so easily. But if she found and then lost her parents, and then lost a man she admitted could be her True Love, what would that do to her? He shuddered to think of it.

Arthur said nothing more, but just stood there watching the play of emotions on Killian's face. The King knew he had the upper hand, Killian realized. He remembered now why he had been so determined to avoid love all this time after Milah's death. Being in love made you vulnerable, and nothing made Captain Hook angrier than having a vulnerability that his enemies could exploit.

"Your trial and execution will take place tomorrow," Arthur said. He signaled to two of his knights. "Place our guest in the East Tower. He'll be more secure there than in the dungeons." As the King turned and left the room, Killian was manhandled by the two burly men and carried to the tower.

Killian was placed in a small room just beyond the entrance to the tower. Two guards were stationed at the door. He settled on a small mattress on the floor, experiencing a tempest of conflicting emotions. He was filled with rage at himself for letting his guard down. For allowing himself to be deterred from his mission of vengeance by the lovely Swan. But he also felt fear at what Arthur had in store for her. Despite the anger, Killian still knew that he loved Emma. He knew before she had told him of their compatibility. Her words had only justified his feelings.

He was surprised to find that he felt no remorse at the thought that he might never get his vengeance on the Crocodile. His existence for longer than he could remember had been fueled by his need for revenge. Before Milah he had spent his years terrorizing the seas belonging to the sovereign he had once called King. His life was dedicated to punishing that infernal bastard for what happened to Liam. Then he met Milah and thought he could start anew. She was so beautiful and full of life, and she was being crushed by her cowardly husband. Just as with the Swan, Killian fell for Milah quickly. But he had only a few lovely years with her before the Crocodile stole her life.

Losing his love lit a fire in Killian that had burned bright and strong for too long as he served that bloody demon Pan and worked toward a way to obtain the dagger and kill the Croc. But in the last few years, he found himself more and more dissatisfied with his quest. Vengeance was not enough anymore. He still very much wanted to kill the Dark One, but he had begun to think about what his life would look like after he succeeded. On the journey to Camelot with Emma, he couldn't help but indulge in thoughts of a future with her, however unattainable that may be.

Now he was facing death and all he could think about was how his death might impact her. Of course, he had faced death many times and lived, so he did not put much stock in Arthur's threat. Not for the moment. His fear did not lie in his captivity or impending doom, but rather in thoughts of the danger the Swan was in and his inability to help her.

These thoughts kept him awake for a long time, but exhaustion finally got the better of him, and he fell into something resembling sleep. He was awakened early, before the first light of dawn, by a loud banging at the door at the base of the tower.

He was sure that he would be facing another of those infernal Knights, ready to take him to his hanging. He heard two voices outside the door, addressing his guards. But then he heard a struggle and the unmistakable sound of a sword piercing flesh. The door to his room swung open, and he saw two men standing there. Neither was wearing the armor those pompous Knights preferred. One was a younger man with a mess of brown hair and a ruddy complexion. The other was taller with close cropped dark blond hair which was just turning grey at the temples. He held a sword in his hands, with fresh blood clinging to it.

"Are you Hook?" The older man asked.

"Aye," Killian replied. "But I am currently without my signature appendage, as you see." He held up his left arm to show the empty brace.

"I have your hook," the man said. "You can have it back after we get to your ship."

"My ship?"

"Yes. I am going to free you from this prison, and in turn you will escort my family and I to Arrendelle."

"And who, may I ask, am I to have the pleasure of escorting?" Killian asked with a sneer.

"My name is David, former King of Misthaven."

Bloody hell, Killian thought. He should have seen the resemblance to the Swan. Why was he continually getting involved with this family? "Right," he said, clearing his throat. "Well, since I am sure Arthur has no intention of letting either of us go, I suggest we get on with it."

"Lead the way, Peter," David said to the younger man. "Let's go get our wives and get out of here before we are discovered."

"Wait," Killian said. "What of Princess Emma?"

"Emma? She's here?" The King seemed dumbfounded that his daughter was in Camelot.

"Yes. I escorted her to Camelot on my ship to help her find you and your wife. She has been staying with a friend in a nearby village and had a plan to enter the castle and contact you today."

"Do you know where she is?"

"She just said with a friend who used to be a servant in Misthaven."

"That must be my wife, Bridget," the young man said.

"Did you not know the Princess was with her?"

"No," Peter said. "I slept in the castle last night so I could assist his majesty."

"We can get our stories straight later, but we need to go, now," David said. "It won't be much longer before we are discovered."

The King and Peter were dressed in plain clothes, and David handed Killian a robe to cover his conspicuous pirate garb. Peter led them through the door of the tower and to an adjacent room. There he opened a hidden panel on the wall, which led to a concealed staircase. The trio were able to make it to the ground floor and then escaped through a Servant's entrance. Killian could not believe their luck. This was one of the easiest escapes of his long life. He only hoped their good fortune would continue.

After she left Killian, Emma made it back to Bridget's cottage safely. She was surprised that Peter had not yet returned. Bridget said that was not uncommon. Peter was often required to remain at the castle to assist his Lord. He frequently returned late in the night.

Shortly after the midnight hour, Emma and Bridget were awakened by a knocking at the door. Emma was terrified and hid under the bed. Bridget went to the door and found a messenger from the castle. Peter sent word that he was still awaiting his Lord and had decided to sleep at the castle that night.

Emma was relieved that they had an answer for where Peter was, but the terror she felt when she first heard the knocking brought back all her anxieties about their plan for the next day. She spent the rest of the night chasing a fitful sleep.

Another few hours passed, and Emma was again awakened by a sound at the door. This time it was not a loud knock, but rather a series of knocks that sounded like a code. Bridget ran to the door and opened it to find Peter standing there looking flushed.

"Peter! I thought you were sleeping at the castle. What brings you home at this early hour?"

"Grab your things, Bridg," Peter said. "We have to leave Camelot, now."

Bridget gave Peter a confused look. "Leave?" she asked. "But this is our home. Your father built this house. And, we can't leave. I have someone who needs my help. Come inside and I will tell you everything."

Peter stepped inside the house and softly shut the door. Emma sat on the edge of the bed, out of Peter's sight.

"I know that you are helping the Princess. We need to leave before the King finds us."

Emma misunderstood Peter. Fear took ahold of her and she stepped up to grab her cloak and make an escape. She feared Peter had told his Lord of her presence in Camelot and was trying to escape with Bridget before they were punished by Arthur. There was only one door to the cottage, but Emma saw a window near the bed. It was narrow, but she felt she could squeeze through it. Just as she went over to the window, she heard Bridget calling for her.

Bridget walked into the room. "What are you doing, Emma? Peter is here and we need to go."

"I understand, Bridget. I appreciate your help yesterday and share my thanks with Peter for giving me a head start."

Peter entered the room then. "Head start? No, milady, you mistake my meaning. I wish for you to come with us. Your parents are waiting. We have secured passage to Arendelle, but we must leave as soon as possible."

"My parents?" Emma was stunned. "They are free?"

"Yes, milady, but only for a short while longer. We need to meet them and get to the ship before we are discovered. Please, make haste. All will be explained later."

Having no horses, and thus no way to speed their escape, Peter led Bridget and Emma to the woods. Emma had no objection, always feeling more at home in the forest. He explained that they were headed to a beach a few miles south of Camelot's port. Emma's parents would meet them there and they would rendezvous with the Captain and row out to his ship.

Bridget was upset with Peter for concealing this plan from her. She showed her anger in her curt answers to his questions. Trying to ease the tension, Emma asked Peter to share how her parents had managed to escape.

"My Lord was instrumental," Peter began. " He knew of a room with a concealed panel which led to a hidden staircase. The room's intended purpose was to allow an assassin the ability to dispatch of any polictical rivals Arthur felt needed to be dealt with. But it also makes a great escape route. My Lord knew that if I aided the King and Queen in their escape, I would be subject to Arthur's wrath. Which is why it was decided for Bridget and myself to accompany them to Arendelle. We were not aware of your presence here, Princess, until we rescued the Captain."

"Which Captain?" Emma asked.

"Captain Hook, milady. It was truly a stroke of luck that he was imprisoned and we were able to extract him from the tower. Before that, we had no idea how to secure passage to Arendelle. But as the pirate swears no allegiance to anything other than his treasure stores, his Majesty felt securing passage with the Captain was an opportunity too good to be missed."

"When was the Captain imprisoned?" Emma asked. It had been less than 12 hours since their meeting.

"Last night, milady. Sir Percival found him in the woods near the castle. He was scheduled for a trial and execution this afternoon."

It had not occurred to Emma that the noise they heard in the forest was anything other than an animal, and her anxieties about her own safety had prevented her from worrying about the Captain. The thought of him being executed by Arthur frightened her immensely, but she felt a wash of relief to know that not only was he safe, but he was with her parents.

Emma's thoughts were interrupted by her friend. "Why did you not share this plan with me?" Bridget asked, pain evident in her voice.

"I am sorry, my love. I was only made aware two days ago, and my Lord thought it best not to share it with you as he knew you were under scrutiny from the King."

"I understand that," his wife replied. "But I would have liked more time to prepare. This is the second time in my life I have to leave my home. I wasn't able to say goodbye to any of our friends."

"I am very sorry, my dear," Peter repeated. "King David has promised to petition for our safety with Queen Elsa of Arendelle. And when he is able to reclaim his throne, he said we can return to Misthaven and he will provide for us for the rest of our lives. Just think, we can see your parents again!"

The thought of seeing her parents appealed to Bridget, and she tempered her sour mood.

The trek to the beach was lengthy, taking most of the day. They rested only briefly, eating some dried meat Bridget packed for them. Emma was starting to feel her pregnancy fatigue, but her excitement at seeing her parents and Killian kept her moving. Shortly after nightfall, she heard the sound of waves crashing on the beach. After another mile, they reached the shore.

The beach was narrow, with high cliffs. Emma saw why it was not heavily populated. It was a bit desolate. By the light of them moon, they walked along the beach to the edge of the sand, where the rocks jutted out to meet the water. Peter removed his shoes and instructed the ladies to do the same. The carefully walked over the slippery rocks, and came to a small cave entrance. The entrance was no more than two feet wide by three feet high, and Emma had to crawl on her hands and knees to get through. But the cave opened up immediately and she found herself standing in a wide cavern. A ledge of stone surrounded a pool of water fed by the sea, and a hole in the top of the cave allowed moonlight to illuminate the walls.

She looked around a moment to catch her bearings, and then her eyes landed on two of the people she loved most in the world.

"Emma!" her mother cried. The Queen hurried to her daughter's side as fast as the slippery rocks allowed. She opened her arms and pulled Emma into a strong hug. The King soon followed, wrapping his arms around his wife and daughter and cradling his daughter's head in his hand.

Emma pulled away with tears in her eyes. "I am so happy to see you both again."

"Us too," the King said.

Queen Snow moved her arms under her daughter's cloak, in an attempt to pull her closer. When she did, her eyes caught the sight of her daughter's slightly protruding stomach.

"Emma," she said, "are you..."

Emma's hand came to rest on her belly. "Yes, mother. It's a long story, and I'd rather share it with you when I am not so hungry and exhausted."

The Kings eyes flashed with anger. "What did that monster George do to you?"

"Father, please, not now. I promise I will tell all later. But right now I just want to enjoy our reunion."

David would not let the subject go, however, until he got clarity on one point. "Is George the father?"

"No." Emma said.

Her parents pulled her in for another hug. They stayed like that for a while, resting on the rocks, until they heard a bird call. Queen Snow stood up and returned the sound. A return call was sounded.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"It's the Captain," Snow said. "We can leave the cave. The coast is clear."

They climbed through the entrance one at a time, first Bridget, then Peter, then the Queen, Emma, and the King. When Emma climbed back over the rocks to the beach, her eyes met Killian's. She saw his aura again, and it was brighter than she had seen before. Emma launched herself at Killian and wrapped her arms around his middle. Killian reciprocated the hug and placed a gentle kiss on her head.

King David came around the bend and saw the pirate in an embrace with his daughter. "What's this?" he asked in a threatening tone.

Killian dropped his arms to his side, and Emma reluctantly pulled away. She stayed next to Killian as she addressed her father.

"Let's get to the ship, Papa. I will tell you everything there."

"Emma," David said, his fury rising with every word, "is this...this villain the father of your child?!"

Queen Snow interjected. "David, now is not the time."

Emma gave her father a defiant look. "Do you really think so little of me?"

"I don't know what to think! I don't see you for a year, and now you are pregnant and in a compromising position with a pirate!"

"Enough!" Snow said. "We are lucky Arthur's men haven't found us yet, with all your blustering. Get in the boat, David, and grab an oar. Let's get to the ship and to safety before we do anything else."

David reluctantly complied. As soon as they were settled in the boat, Peter pushed them beyond the shallows and hopped in as they began rowing toward the Jolly Roger. Emma sat next to her mother, facing the shore. Killian sat opposite her, but would not look her in the eyes. She could see he was hurt by her father's words. She felt her mother's hand squeeze her own in an attempt to comfort her. Still, Emma could not stop the lone tear that rolled down her cheek. Killian may be her True Love, but her father's reaction showed that there was no future for a princess and a pirate.