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Chapter nine

Killian found his crew in a quiet corner of the docks and he shouldn't have been surprised to see Henry waiting patiently with them.

"Does either of your mothers know you're here?" He asked.

"You have to take me along remember?" The boy replied smartly. Killian made a face and was about to send the lad on his way when Smee shuffled forward looking embarrassed.

"Actually Boss, Mary and I might have had a spot of bother finding someone to take us out," he confessed.

"Nobody trusts us," Mary added sounding pretty insulted. Killian looked to the sky and asked for strength.

"So where's this boat of yours?" he asked when the sky didn't answer him. Henry froze before he looked around and pointed at the first boat behind them.

"That one," he said. Mary and Killian didn't buy it but Smee picked up their flight cases and started loading up.

"Smee, hold on," Killian called out to his driver. "Henry I appreciate you wanting to help us but-"

"OK, so it's not mine. We're borrowing it, but I used to do this all the time and we never got in trouble," Henry pleaded. "Half these boats don't even get used."

"You do this all the time?" Killian asked sceptically, but Henry could hear his resolve wavering.

"I used to. I had a friend who taught me everything about sailing, we always borrowed a boat, no one ever said anything."

"That's probably because you're the son of the mayor and the sheriff," Mary pointed out.

"Where's this friend now?" Killian asked. Henry's face fell.

"He's not around anymore." He said. Killian could see how sad he was and felt bad for asking, assuming his friend must be dead. He pressed his mouth tightly closed, trying to rein in the impulse to agree to Henry's plan. He wanted the lad to go back to his cheery self, and he certainly seemed confident in his skills, but allowing a child to sail a stolen boat into the sea? Shouldn't that be setting off some alarm bells? He'd barely met the kid why did he find himself trusting him?

"You'll never find someone else to take you," Henry added, seeing that Killian was thinking about it.

"All loaded up Boss," Smee called over from the boat, he'd also started releasing the sails and checking the rudder. Killian had been too focused on Henry to notice his driver's ease on the boat but Mary had watched his activity in surprise.

"You're OK with this?" Killian asked her. Mary looked between the men and boy and gave a shrug.

"To hell with it," she said. "After sword fights and golden flowers this is probably the least crazy thing we'll cope with in this town."

"Golden flowers?" Her boss asked, but she ignored him and held out a hand for Smee to help her on to boat. Henry's face broke into a devilish grin. "If either of your mothers finds out we stole a boat together Gold won't need to worry about killing me," Killian muttered as Henry dragged him off the dock.

"Grandpa isn't going to kill you, you'll beat him. And we're commandeering the boat not stealing it," Henry corrected, bounding away to help Smee get everything ready.

"Do you just refer to everyone as a grandparent?" Killian asked him. He didn't get a reply of course and he felt a small wave of frustration. He was used to being the one in control, but since he'd gotten to this town he'd been anything but. Mary seemed happy the equipment was tied down securely and he had no clue what Henry and Smee were up to so he walked to prow to keep out of the way.

The ocean was beautiful, the sunlight sparkled on the crests of the waves and the gentle rocking of the hull under his feet somehow felt more secure than the solid ground had been just minutes before. A breeze picked up and brought with it the smell of sea from out across the water. The effect on his mood was instantaneous, like the wind and waves had blown away all his doubts and anxieties, leaving peace and happiness.

"Right then, chocks away!" Killian commanded striking an over the top pose and pointing out into the bay. All three current members of his crew stared at him open mouthed. He sighed dramatically. "Fine fine, take this seriously then. For once I act the fool and you look at me like I've grown an extra head. Release the moorings Mr Smee. Grab the helm lad, point her out of the dock but don't take us too far out we'll start close and work up to the wider shots. You know the safe waterways?" He asked, the warning implicit in his tone. Henry could barely contain his excitement as Killian unconsciously fell into his role as captain.

"It's all about the buoys," he replied.

"That's what she said," Mary called out.

They had a wonderful afternoon truth be told. The clouds had burned away to reveal an endless blue sky and they collected some beautiful shots of the rocky forest covered coastline in the bright midday sunshine and the fading cooler light as they returned towards town. Killian couldn't have asked for a better day's filming or a better guide and helmsman. Henry had been eager not only to prove himself on the boat but also to learn from Killian and Mary about the cameras and how to frame a shot. As they lost track of time together none of them noticed Smee taking over control of the vessel.

A few times he'd seen Henry open his mouth to say something only to change his mind at the last second, now they were nearly back at the docks the lad seemed at war with himself.

"How do you feel about the sea?" The boy finally asked, his eyes fixed on the water. That hadn't been what he was expecting but Killian could see from his face it was a serious question.

"I feel at peace," he answered, surprised at himself at how certain he sounded. Henry nodded.

"You've never spent much time on the water before?" he asked.

"No," Killian said shaking his head. "I'm not sure I had reason to, but I'll certainly be making up for it from now on. Good thing I already have a teacher to take me sailing." He gave Henry a nudge but the boy didn't return his teasing.

"What about the town? Do you feel anything about it too?"

"It's certainly the most interesting place I've ever been." That earned him a smile. "I don't know, some things here make me feel completely off kilter, but at same time…." He frowned to himself, unable to come up with the appropriate string of words. "I don't know," he finished apologetically.

"How about my Mom, how do you feel about her?" Ah, there it was. Killian sighed.

"Well I've only just got to know her a little," he said.

This was a new level of surreal. Killian should be worrying about what he was getting himself into, a normal man might back off under this pressure from a date's son of all people, but Killian had never aimed at just being normal and for some reason he was feeling a new certainty that he could rise to any challenge.

"Whatever happens it's as much up to your mother as it is to me," he said, trying to be reassuring while not making any promises. Henry's frown got deeper. "Hey, I don't intend to let her down." He leaned down to look the boy in the eye, Henry met his gaze directly and nodded.

…..

When they got back to shore they had expected Henry to scamper away but he seemed reluctant to leave, helping them load the van and then getting a lift back to Granny's with them. Eventually there was nothing left to do and Killian had to gently send the boy on his way, with a promise to show him all the footage they'd got another time.

"Henry really enjoyed spending time with you," Mary noted as they cleaned the equipment in their room later.

"He spent time with all of us," Killian replied hiding how much he'd enjoyed the lad's company too.

"We heard what he asked you on the boat." Killian put down the lenses he'd been repacking and gave his camera woman a warning glare that, as usual, she ignored. "You didn't answer him about the town," she continued.

"What's your point Mary?" Killian asked.

"Do you feel different here?" She asked plainly. Killian was going to reply flippantly and then tell her off for eavesdropping on her boss's conversations, but he could see the same seriousness on her face as he'd seen on Henry. She'd been with him far longer than anyone else he could think of and somewhere along the line they'd transitioned from being work colleagues and had become close friends, so he did his best to answer her truthfully.

"I've always had this feeling of being weighed down maybe? Like I'm dragging something around, almost like regrets for things I don't even know about. But since we've been in this town, I guess that feeling isn't as strong? So... I guess I feel...freer." He gave an embarrassed cough. "Of course that may have led to some less than sensible decisions." Mary had apparently decided she'd made enough of a deal out of his duel and didn't rise to the bait. "I'm actually feeling a bit sad that we have to leave," he admitted.

"I'm staying," Mary replied bluntly.

"What?" Killian asked. Smee sat up from where he'd been lounging on the bed too surprised to continue pretending he wasn't listening.

"That's why I was asking boss, because I do feel something here. I've been travelling around all this time because I was looking for somewhere, I don't even know what for. After my garden was destroyed I just couldn't settle, I was always looking around the next corner, searching for the next view. But I woke up this morning and realised, I don't feel that anymore."

"Wait," Smee said, the first to recover from their surprise. "This is because of the giant."

"The giant?" Killian asked his eyebrows rising into his hairline.

"That's what they call him in town." Smee said also waggling his eyebrows at Mary.

Mary lifted one shoulder at them. "I think I deserve a man who has an actual tripod, don't you?"

"Arg!" Killian and Smee both shuddered. "I'm still your supervisor Mary! There will be no more of that sort of talk until you no longer require a reference." Killian declared. Mary actually cackled as she went back to the packing.

Shaking off the unwanted image in his mind Killian watched Mary carefully. Finally found the somewhere she'd been looking for? That was the most romantic thing he'd ever heard her talk about let alone admit to feeling. And what about his admission, it was so difficult to put the changes he could sense inside himself into words. What was it about this town?

It probably isn't the town, is it Jones? He thought to himself. His mind wandered over everything that had happened since they'd stumbled across this place, lingering on all the incredible people he'd met until he found himself thinking of Emma.

When he'd realised she was in the room with him the day before, he'd been stunned silent by her. Standing feet apart, head back, gun on her hip, she was ready for anything, but her flowing blonde hair and the look of serenity on her face as she'd watched the footage of the town was so softly beautiful he'd have done anything to keep her smiling that way.

Killian had always lived his life day to day, taking whatever came at him. Wherever the job was he went, whatever the problem was he worked through it and when it was finished he left it behind and moved on. Suddenly that didn't seem like enough, he wanted something to last, he wanted to build something and stick around to see it grow.

"You better start getting ready for your date. Cuz it's getting on a bit and I know you need time to tousle your hair so it's just right," Mary said, tilting her head critically and giving him a playful smirk. That's the end of the serious talks about feelings then is it? Killian took a deep breath, time to face the next challenge and in this one he desperately wanted to succeed.

"You worry about your own love life Mary, let me worry about mine."

...

Authors note: Killian's introspection is based more on what he was like before Milah rather than his time as Hook, it seems to fit this version of him better. Thanks again for all your support for this story. Over fifty follows! The next chapter is nearly complete so you won't need to wait long.