As I say every chapter... I do not own OUAT...

Thanks for the reviews! Oh... as Her ocean eyes pointed out the sneak peak is not the whole Chapter 7, just the Sinbad/Ariel part ;)

I hope you like the flashbacks of Hooks life! And thanks, really thanks for reading!


Chapter 08: Night and Day


~~~~Long time ago, near a natural harbor in the Enchanted Forest~~~~

Killian opened an eye; the darkness around him was only broken by the moonlight streaming through the porthole. The soft sea lullaby was stained by the snoring and deep breathing of the crew. He rose from his hammock and slid to the ground with great care, a smile lingered in his face. Agile as a dolphin he dodged bunks and hammocks, jumped on boots and forgotten bundles of clothes on the floor and finally reached the door of the First Mate cabin. Killian very gently closed the door slightly ajar, turning the little knob to prevent any sound. After closing the door, he waited a few seconds; the sounds of the night remained undisturbed and he walked barefoot to the captain's quarters, nimbly dodging loose boards and creaking planks.

Killian stood in front of the door, knelt down and leveled his head with the floor to look under the door, no light could be seen inside and no noise came through the door except for the heavy snoring of the captain. Killian knocked the door just once with his closed fist and waited, after a few minutes of stillness the sound of a chain rose over the creaking of the vessel and the waves crashing against the ship. A smile sprang from the depths of Killian's heart as the captain's door slowly opened.

He grabbed her mother's hand and together they walked away from the captain's room, as far as the chain attached to the ankle of his mother allowed. She was especially beautiful this night, his golden mane shined under the full moon light, her ocean eyes were especially blue and her scars and bruises were almost invisible under the mesmerizing moonlight. She smiled at him and let her back slide down the wall till she was sitting on the wooden floor.

Killian sat on her lap and quickly sank his small head on her chest, smiling and inhaling the fragrant perfume that always enveloped her mother, a mixture of sandal wood, salt and ginger oil. He felt the maternal kiss in the crown of his head, with this simple gesture he felt the luckiest boy in the world. His mother grabbed him by the waist and sat him on her lap properly, Killian's back against her chest and a book in his lap.

"Let's see baby, where were we?" Killian quietly chuckled at the pun changing from total seriousness to an amused smile. The soft hands of his mother turned the page until the desired text appeared. Her long, thin finger pointed to the proper reading spot that Killian instantly recognized. "A young…"

"A young gentleman is the man who is polite wif…out afffectation" The toddler frowned. "Proud wif…out vanity"

"Without"

"Without" Killian looked up and his young blue eyes meet his mother's deeper ones, she smiled and nodded. "Dignified without ostentation; affable to all, servile to none; who never deceived his friend, nor turned his back to his foe." He looked up again raising one eyebrow and side smiled. "What's deceived mama?"

His mother stroked his head and rocked him gently. "To deceive someone is a way of betrayal; do you remember what does betray mean baby?" Killian nodded closing his eyes and smiling at the shooing voice of his mother. "To deceive someone is to lie, conceal or exaggerate to them."

"Papa isn't a gentleman mama. Papa lies and exaggerates a lot and hurts ye." The soft lips of his mother rested against his head. "I lie to protect ye, so papa don't hurt ye."

"You, is you baby, not ye." Killian felt a lump in his throat and didn't dare to look up, he did not understand why, but he had made his mama cry. "Despite it, sometimes lies are necessary. You must learn a proper gentleman didn't deceive his loved ones. Once you grow up, you must be a gentleman, a man of honor, not a pirate." She pulled his ears and peered behind them. "And you must be always clean and polished. Don't become a grimy pirate."

"Ouch! Aye mama."

"Yes, is yes baby, not aye." She rocked him slowly as she sang a lullaby, his favorite one.

"Don't you cry, Baby mine

Dry your eyes, rest your head

Close to my heart, never to part

Baby of mine, Little one"

Those moments were his favorite ones, the sweet voice of his mama, the rocking of the ship, the warm of her body, feeling her arms around his little body, the way he could felt her chin resting in his head. Every night he fought against sleep, because he didn't want to miss a single moment, not a single word. He felt so good, he felt loved and cared, he felt that no matter what the next morning had prepared for him to endure, the promise of the next hours stolen to the night made living another day worthwhile. Killian felt that no matter how many slaps he received, how many punishments his little body met, how many humiliations he endured, his mama would always comfort him that night.

The wind began to shake the sails, the waves broke their silence and the wood creaked louder. Both stood up in a single motion, she picked up the chain and mother and child retraced the way to the non-distant captain quarters. She bent down and kissed him in the cheek.

"Promise me you will be always a gentleman baby."

He pecked her too "Always." He waited until the captain door was fully closed and making as little noise as possible returned to his hammock among the crew. Killian curled up beneath his thin worn blanket and let the ship rock him to sleep while he was humming the lullaby his mother sang minutes before.

The morning breeze welcomed Killian in the deck, today was his last pickpocket lesson. He had proved already to be really skillful pickpocketing and opening locks, but today he will have to prove it by his own, alone, he would have to prowl through the Port City's market during the day, at sunset he must return to the ship with ten gold pieces, if he didn't succeed him and his mama would be punished. Killian would not allow it; he always did his best to spare any amount of harm to his mother. Tomorrow he was turning seven and he already knew what was going to be his gift, his first birthday gift, a cutlass. His own papa was going to teach him, every day during an hour. He smiled to the twirling wind that played with the Jolly Roger's sails. Every day he was a step closer to become a pirate, a step closer to be a full grown man able to free his mama, to take her as far as he could from his father so she didn't cry again.


)()()()( Storybrook)()()()(

Emma awaked slowly, feeling rested and somehow happy, the salty and manly scent filling her lungs. She buried her face into the pillow and smiled pleased, she felt warm, and comfortable as if someone hold her save in his arms. And suddenly she realized to whom the scent belonged, leather, rum, and salt, "Hook". She opened her eyes adjusting to the light from the tiny window. She was alone in his quarters, in his bed. She had fallen sleep on the table and he had carried her to the bed? She sat resting on her elbows and his leather salty scent was replaced for what she thought was fried bacon. She could not believe Hook was cooking breakfast. He had tidied the little wooden room, it was spotless. Emma's belly groaned, she was starving and the wonderful aroma didn't help much. Emma realized she wear no boots or socks, they were on a stool near the bed as long as her leather jacket, her belt, her flashlight and gun belt, "without my gun".

There were a pillow and a blanked on the bench, "thanks goodness we haven't sleep together!" Emma settled back and stretched. The memories of their late night confessions surfaced, she wandered how he had managed to make her open. Emma really didn't understand why she had felt the pressure to tell him about Neal. He had seemed truly defeated; he had tried to save her son and the entire city with his life. His life, his life, his life. "I kissed him." When she had told Mary Margaret that Killia… the Captain deserved a second chance she didn't expect such a big sacrifice. Emma really didn't know how to deal with it.

Emma stood up in order to find him and retrieve her gun. She mentally cursed when she realized two things that scared her. Her jeans and her bra clasp were open. How on earth the damn pirate had done it one-handed? Images of last night passed through her mind. Nothing, after the deck problem they drink some rum. He was sitting on a stool behind her… "I let him give me a massage? What were you thinking Emma Swan!" The Captain tell her about Milah, the now "cold bitch" for her. She was tired and closed her eyes to keep her tears from falling, because he was broken like her, because he hadn't had a family like her, and she just fell asleep.

Emma decided she had to be mad at him, because otherwise she will not be able to keep her walls up for him. Emma reached for her belongings on the stool and dress herself again, trying to figure up the best way to punish him for daring to open her bra. Who knows what else he had done while she was sleeping deeply "I hadn't slept in two days!"

Killian opened the door of his quarters with his elbow and pushed it open with his feet. He entered the room wearing his most sexy smile, just for Emma, after yesterday night's talk he felt alive again, the hole in his heart now filled by her light. It wasn't a new feeling, he had felt something akin when he had thought he would be a father. She was sitting on his bed putting on her last boot. Her golden hair was pretty messy, she looked wonderful.

"Morning, love." She looked up with surprise and he could barely resist beaming at her when she blushed. "Has the princess slept well?"

"You! You opened my bra, and my pants!" No, now she was mad at him, where was the lovely princess that slept in his bed last night?

"In order to make you comfortable. I'm always a gentleman." He gifted Emma a innocent glare and leaved both plates on the desk.

"If in some way you took any advantage of me..." Emma stood up in order to make her statement clear enough for him to understand. But he cut out her.

"I would never take advantage of any woman and I've never needed or done so." He smiled and raised both eyebrows in a cocky way.

Emma moved closer to him, the room was small so it took her just a second and they were a few inches away. She pressed a finger into his chest to make her point, his smile faded.

"If you dare to touch me again when I'm sleep..."

Suddenly he took her hand in his, holding it over his chest. She realized then that he was wearing a red vest, the velvet rippling under her fingertips, Emma was surprised, she had seen him in various outfits, but always wearing black clothes. She looked up and their eyes met, blue and green. He looked less dangerous, more human. She wandered what had made him change, last night he was a broken man, now...

"Shhh, don't say anything you could regret later. I know what kind of men have you encountered, but I'm REALLY a gentleman". He he tenderly cupped her cheek with his hand.

She said nothing, his words were truth and she could see it clearly, as clear as she could smell his scent, filling her, as clear as she was feeling his breath on her skin, his warm radiating all over her body, as clear as she could feel his heart racing under her hand. They stood still, without breaking eye contact. After a few seconds both seem to relax. Emma could barely resist the urge of kissing him. Her lips were aching, fire inside them. Her hand was free now, but she didn't move it from his beating heart. Emma broke eye contact and took a fast glance on to his lips, he released her cheek; she met his impossibly blue eyes again, his gaze was so intense, now he was the one who lowered his eyes into her lips. Emma leaned forwards; his heart seemed to skip a beat under her palm and he lowered his eyes even more. "What?" Emma thought.

And he spun around, drawing himself up to his full height, pulling her gun out from his leather trousers, aiming towards the door placing his finger on the trigger, all in one rapid motion. Emma safely concealed behind him, so close to him that her nose brushed the back of his red velvet vest. Seconds later Emma heard the sound of the wooden door burst open, and could not avoid the temptation to take a look, but in truth she also had no reason not to.

David was aiming his gun to the pirate, Mary Margaret was aiming her bow at him too and Ruby stood in the back with a wolfish grin painted on her red lips and dark circles under her big eyes.

Emma instinctively placed a hand on the pirate's back and lowered his hand in order to retrieve her gun. "Oh my god, he almost shoots my parents… and I almost kiss him" Without resistance the pirate allowed Emma to take away the gun.

"Emma!" David screamed relieved, and then without hesitation he punched the pirate, who collided with Emma's body. "That's for the time we met in the police station." He looked around for any danger and then pushed the Captain aside, sheathed his gun and hugged his daughter. "Are you okay?" Emma nodded the gun still in her hand.

"This morning Red phone us because the Sea Witch had left unnoticed, and told us you left the inn with Hook… last night." Snow hugged her thigh. "This morning we will meet with the council. And I've called for a parents meeting this afternoon, we will try to warn every kid's parents. Let's go Emma." Snow stepped backwards and took Emma's hand, no matter what she was going to retrieve her little girl from the pirate lair.

"Let her eat something, Princess, I'm sure she hasn't eaten in days." The Captain said as he ran his thumb under his nose and one finger over his mouth to see if he was bleeding, luckily he was not.

Snow looked at Hook, at his cookie smile, at his sparking blue eyes and she saw in them more than she could really see. Suddenly she was pining Hook to the wall.

"She smells of you!" Snow had her forearm pressed to his throat, an arrow on her right hand, its broadhead just under his jaw. "Why on earth are you boat rat smiling?" Hissed the once tender Snow White.

Red was looking at them, calm, as if nothing at all was happening, the Ruby girl inside her was screaming at the sight of the sexy pirate, arms spread at his sides in feigned surrender, beautiful smile and those wonderful heartbreaking blue eyes sparking with glee. The muscles of his chest tensing under his black shirt... no wonder there were Emma's pheromones all over the room! To be honest all the room was full of pheromones from both of them. She looked at the picture, Emma trying to defend her pirate without her overprotective father noticing and the now beaming pirate clearly trying not to laugh at Snow's bravados, acting as if no arrow was on his pulse point. And then, unexpectedly, an awkward silence filled the room and Emma's belly groaned loudly. Both, Snow and the Captain broke their staring contest to look at her, and finally Charming let Emma go. Ruby enjoyed the view, it was much better than TV soap operas.

"The breakfast smells great, did you cook it Emma?" Asked casually Red, trying to save the situation.

"No, the Captain did it." Emma glanced to him, but he wasn't paying attention, he was too occupied in smirking to her mother and raising his eyebrows as saying "see".

Emma's words seemed enough for Charming to held back Snow and free the pirate.

"Thanks mate."

"I'm not your mate" The pirate dodged the scorn with a cocked smile.

"I'm not used to cook for anyone but me, but I hope you enjoy it love."

Ruby stared at his leather clad perfect ass when he passed around David limping graciously. He opened a cupboard and took some silverware.

"I don't need it" Emma was already eating the strange… meal with her hands. It was a slice of bread fluffy as a pancake covered with some kind of black fruit slices that oddly tasted as tomato, then a layer of fried bacon and on the top, an omelet. Emma couldn't tell if it was the fact that she didn't really have a full meal during the past two days, "two days already?" or if the Captain was a great cook, but she was really enjoying it.

"But I do, Emma..." He rolled her name in the tip of his tongue as if it was something sweet, earning a snort from both of her parents.

He sat by her side smiling at her, as if no one else was on the room. Took of his hook and placed a golden knife in his place.

"You are always a gentleman. I know." Emma glared steadfastly at the pirate.

Hook pouted at her, and poured some clear liquid into two glasses and pushed one towards Emma. David took the second glass and smelled it; Snow ripped it from his hand and smelled it too. Ruby laughed at the deception look on Charming and Snow faces, it was only water. Everyone looked at her.

Red smiled apologetically. "I will wait outside, I'm gonna phone the dwarfs and Granny, and tell them we've found Emma."

Charming followed her with the gaze. Once the door was closed no sound come from outside.

"How did you now we were at the door?" he asked as no sound come from the upper deck.

Flourishing his golden knife through the air he said. "I've been living in this ship for more than 300 years. I was born on this ship. If a rat walk through my hold I would notice it."

"I'm done" Emma stood up. "Thanks Captain" Her hands flew instinctively to her belt and Hook half smiled. "My gun Captain."

He put it on the table without a word and resumed eating, a big playful smile in his face.

The Charming family left the ship, to find Red waiting in the dock. Mary Margaret was moody, nervous and angry; she had almost felt the connection between her child and the pirate. She snarled at her new born roiling feelings, now shame mingled with her inward anger. She was darker, why hadn't the Blue Fairy found a way to help her yet?

Instead Emma was wondering what they were going to do without Killi… the Captain. "Don't get attached, don't use his damn name!" They needed him as an ally, he had fight the Sea fucking Witch before… not that she wanted his help… but they needed it nevertheless. A part of her wished she had the courage to ask him to accompany them, to help them… last night he was going to sacrifice himself for Henry and the city…

"Did anything that we must know happen?" Mary Margaret pushed Emma out of her thoughts about finding the best way of protecting Henry and other kids in town without the pirate. She was about to answer when Ruby, who was walking by David side, did it.

"I didn't smell anything you or Charming must worry about." Emma's thoughts frozen in her mind. "She slept in his bed but not with him." Now her complete body was frozen.

Ruby's words struck her: they were talking about IT in front of her. Disbelievingly, looking at her mother eyes, she blushed, angry.

"I've never slept with him!" She tried to calm down. "We drink some rum and I felt sleep... that's all." Her voice displayed her utter shock.

David felt the urge to apologize, but Snow was faster. "No, no, no, Emma, we don't doubt you. But him, he is a pirate after all."

Emma felt a tug of remorse, if they had arrived a couple of minutes later they could have found them kissing. Just with this innocent thought she felt a hot coil in her belly.

"Here he comes" Red announced.

In fact they all know they need him, so as the pirate was catching up with them, his leather coat dancing around his legs, they stood still until the pirate reached them.

Looking at her parents and Red the Captain said. "Highnesses, lass." He bowed slightly and then, addressing exclusively to Emma with a smile on his lips he added. As the wonderful Blue Fairy said last night, I have plenty of experience with mermaids. So I humbly offer my services." He bowed just to her and winked mischievously.

Emma rolled her eyes trying unsuccessfully to hide the relief she felt knowing that the Captain would be there to help, so she turned around quickly and hurried to her car. "Come on then Captain." She didn't want them to notice she could barely hold back a smile, a stupid smile that she didn't know where it came from.

Once again Ruby sat by her side in the yellow bug and before the Captain waltzed to the back seat, an infuriating smile planted on his face, the werewolf whispered in her ear: "So he has been promoted from Hook to Captain"


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