Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT.

Summary: Emma had never met someone as infuriating as the captain of the Jolly Roger in her 28 years of being a talented thief. When he requires her help to find a dagger to "skin" the Dark One as he likes to say, what she's really agreeing to is late night fights, breaking her walls, falling in love, oh, and winning the war with her parents she knew nothing about. Emma Swan doesn't know what she should be mad about. How about that coin purse he tried to steal that started this whole thing….

Warnings: This is AU. There is no Curse. Hook returns to the Enchanted Forest from Neverland when Emma is 28. Emma is still an orphan. Reasons being that I prefer her to have that lost boy/lost girl connection with Hook. Henry does exist and will be explained for as the story progresses.

A/N: Happy Thursday!

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"What the hell were you doing?"

Hook rolled his eyes and placed his belongings in an arm chair. He lit the end of a simple stick from an already lit candle and moved to light the others throughout his quarters. Emma crossed her arms and kept herself close to his door in case she needed to make a break for it. With a flick of his wrist the light on the end of the stick blew out. He turned her to, crossed his own arms, and leaned against his desk.

"I've already told you, Swan, you need to stop smothering him. You'll chase him off."

"I am not smothering him!"

"You're controlling his every moment," Hook hummed. "They boy can't even learn what he wants to learn without you jumping in his way." He sported a very bored look on his face, making Emma why he was even arguing with her decisions.

Emma pursed her lips and stomped right over to him. The look on his face lightened as she approached him and she wondered why it was so easy for this man to change his emotions so quickly. She stepped right in his face, their toes touching. "I don't want him to learn all of that. He's too young. And if I feel it's time for him to learn how to sword fight, I don't want it to be from a pirate."

"What then, love? You want the boy to be raised a knight? Is that why you're so keen on shipping him off to the palace?" He tilted his head and moved a few loose strands of her braid from her shoulder. "I must say, Swan, you look positively delectable when you're angry. Stomping around with a false sense of authority. Gives me chills."

Emma smacked away his hand and deepened her glare for him. "I'm not shipping him off."

"What makes you think the King and Queen will allow you to stay? Did you not read the letter?"

"No, I didn't, because you have it, you ass!" She bared her teeth at him and his smirk only deepened.

"You haven't? What sort of thief are you then, Swan? Unable to grab what you really need?" Hook pulled a letter off his desk without even looking at it. He lightly bit the corner of his lip and held the letter in her face, the seal mocking her just as much as he was. Emma tried to snatch it, but Hook yanked it out of her reach.

"Hook… I swear if you don't give me that letter—"

Hook leaned in close. So close that if she hadn't froze in her anger, their lips might've met. "You'll what, love? Toss me overboard? Kill me? You wouldn't survive on this ship if you did." His voice was barely a whisper that tickled the sensitive skin on her face. He leaned closer, causing her to finally rear back and away from him. Emma felt heat rise from her chest and goosebumps prickle her skin.

Hook clucked his tongue and kept his toothy grin. His hand went back down to the desk, where the letter was tucked firmly under his palm.

"You know what I think this is all about, love? It's about you not wanting to lose control, not wanting to be abandoned again."

"I was abandoned?" Emma felt a sticky feeling crawl up her throat but she chose an indifferent mask in the face of his accusations.

"Aye, you're something of an open book. You enjoy having control of your life because your past was so out of control. Wasn't it? Abandoned by your parents, growing up in odd strangers' homes, living off the wastes of others, no stable place to call home."

"Who the hell said I was abandoned by my parents?" Emma crossed her arms. She felt really cold, like the man was looking straight into her soul and she couldn't close the shutters properly.

"The lost boys of Neverland had the same look in their eyes. The eyes of someone whose been left alone to fend for themselves." Said Hook, an odd look flashing over his eyes.

"Yeah, well, I've never been to Neverland." She turned her back to him and stared hard at the door, trying her hardest to control her breathing.

"But an orphan's and orphan, Swan." She heard a cork pop, and rolled her eyes. He was drinking again. "While it's nice for you to not want Henry to experience what you've experienced, he can still feel unloved."

Emma looked at him over her shoulder, shock taking over her. How dare he… "I love my son."

Hook shrugged. "Never said you didn't, darling. You have so little trust in your own son's capabilities of choosing his own path. That alone drives a really strong wedge between any sort of relationship. At his age, he needs to make mistakes and learn from them. And you, pet, are depriving him of that. Your son is a lot like you. An uncontrollable fire that will burn you if you continue to try and control it."

"I trust my son!" she hissed, "I just don't trust anyone else around him!"

Hook swept out his arms, "Then you'll have to trust him to know how to handle them. Trust that he learns from the lessons you should be giving him on how to handle them. Let him breathe, Swan." He took another swig from his flask and that's when Emma lunged. "Oi!"

She fisted the letter in her hand and tried to dodge him, but she wasn't quick enough. Hook wrapped an arm around her middle, pinning her on the edge of the desk. She jerked her elbow to get him off of her but only succeeded in slipping them off of it the desk. Emma tried her hardest to keep the letter from his grasps, but seeing as how his reach was longer, he was able to snatch it back. Hook used his weight and pressed down on her body, straddling her hips. His hook swung down and trapped both her hands as she tried, foolishly, to reach for the letter again. She yelled in her frustration and sent him a look that promised him pain.

Hook laughed and stared down at her. "Well, isn't this a rather enjoyable position."

"Get. Off."

"Mmm. No. You know, Swan, you could've just asked for the letter."

"I did!" she shrieked, trying her hardest to push down the blush that was creeping up her neck when he lowered his body onto hers and she felt his obvious arousal.

"Ah, ah, ah. Demanding and asking are two different things. Who's the one allowed to make demands on my ship?" Hook tucked the letter between his back and his leather pants. His hand grasped her chin as she struggled beneath him. "Keep struggling, lass. I'm rather enjoying this."

"I can tell." God she couldn't even knee him with how he was positioned on top of her. She pulled her arms against the hook and tried to jerk her body away from his.

"I'll ask again, who makes the demands on my ship?" Emma bit her tongue and Hook's grin widened. "Very well." His hand left her chin and left a ghost of a trail along her neck. Emma banged her head on the floor in anger. She couldn't believe this was happening!

He lowered his head and took her earlobe between his teeth. Had Emma been standing, she would've fallen to her knees. Damn him. She bit her lips to stop the moan that wanted to escape as his lips trailed open mouthed kisses down and back up her neck. His fingers danced along her collarbone before he trailed his index finger down the front of her body in and achingly slow pace. It paused in the valley of her breasts before continuing its journey to the belt of her pants. Emma's eyes widened and she bucked against him, in a hopeless attempt to escape.

Hook groaned in her ear because of the friction she had caused between and it made her eyes flutter. As much as she hated to admit it, it was a pleasant sound…

"Who makes the demands on my ship?" A guttural whisper. She was unable to fight it. He had the upper hand.

"You do," she gasped as he bit down rather hard on her collarbone. His hands grasped the buckle of her belt, pulling it and she panicked. "You do! Please! God, please don't!"

Hook lifted his face from her neck and stared down at her with a triumphant grin. "And who am I?"

Emma felt the urge to punch him overpower her screaming libido. "Captain Hook." She bit her tongue again.

"Good girl. 'Tis a shame you don't want to continue," his voice lowered a few notches and he leaned closer to her face. "Unless that begging of yours was really asking me to not stop."

"Don't. Touch. Me."

"Swan," he mocked in a singsong voice. Damnit it all, he was playing with her!

"Please," she sighed, pausing in her struggle. "Please don't touch me."

He pat her cheek and removed his hook. "That's a good girl. Well, on your feet." He stood and lent her a hand to help her. Emma ignored it and used the desk to help her onto wobbly knees.

"May I please, have my letter?" She asked through her clenched teeth.

Hook smirked and reached behind his back to retrieve what she wanted. "Now, was that so hard?" He held the letter out for her, and this time when she snatched it, he didn't pull back. She held the letter to her chest and closed her eyes as he walked away from her.

That was a close one. She hadn't been in such an intimate position in years… Since that dark year after Henry's birth where she wanted to drown herself in darkness. She tried not to think about what would have happened if he didn't stop. If he had had his way with her like any other pirate would have… she shivered and stop the mental images right there.

"I believe our private matters are settled, for the time being. Unless of course…" He indicated to his bed with a wag of his eyebrows.

"No," she whispered. "We're done."

"For now," Hook lick his lips so slowly, taking a step closer to her, that Emma couldn't do anything about the warm feeling in her loins.

She quickly ran out.


Dear Emma Swan,

My dear friend Robin has informed me of your son who is still rather too young to take fend for himself. Being a bandit previously in my life, I understand the dangers that come along with living the life that you have. I also understand your worries, and Robin greatly expresses his concern to me. I know what you're thinking, if I'm writing you such a letter, why did I not accept his son Roland when I took my throne back? Robin appreciated my offerings but he wanted his son to live similarly to his own: a thief with honor.

Robin has also informed me of your help within the war. My husband and I feel that we can't express our thanks enough than to offer you something that we feel could set aside your worries: We can foster your son Henry. He will be educated on how to be a gentleman, and how to hold himself as a knight. He won't have to worry about what will be on his plate every day and he will have many friends here, as we regularly have children of our friends running about throughout the palace. Henry will have the life that you want for him.

Send forth a letter, whether you reject, or accept our offer, and we will send a carriage for him. Just for Henry.

I understand, from what Robin has told me of you, that you are fiercely protective of your son. But please understand that this is for Henry's own safety. The Evil Queen knows just about everyone of Robin's men from a source of hers. That includes you. However, because I am sure that you and Robin have been keeping Henry within the shadows, Henry is not known to Regina. To protect Henry, we can't accept you into our palace. Regina understands how important children are to people and once she finds that there is another child in Robin's midst, she will come for him.

Please understand, that we have Henry's safety in mind. You must not come.

Emma bit her lip so hard it bled when she finished reading the letter. It offered everything. Minus the tidbit of her not being able to come. Emma sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She was going whether they liked it or not. The palace was heavily guarded. Once they were inside they couldn't ignore her. She will have passed by the worries and brought her son to safety, away from the Evil Queen.

She reached for her rucksack to start on her letter. She would send it out once they reached a port to restock their cargo hold. After rummaging through she rolled her eyes at herself. Of course she forgot to pack parchment and an inkwell. She heard soft feet approaching her and she looked up at her son who was watching her sheepishly.

"Henry?"

He nodded to the letter and asked, "So, where are we going?"

Emma smiled, "Somewhere I want you to be."

Her son sat next to her and she put her arm around him. "What about where I want to be? I want to be back at home with our friends…"

Emma nodded slowly. She knew this was coming, because Henry loved the life they had. "Henry, when you were born, I promised that I would do everything I can to make sure you didn't live the life I had. I tried to find honest work that would allow us to live well enough, and alone together but… me being a woman, with a child, and a thief, it wasn't going to work. I want you to get away from all of this. Stealing, lying, occasionally hurting someone… that most definitely wasn't the life I wanted for you." Henry nodded and looked up at her. She ran her fingers along his face and her smile faltered. "You're too much of a good person Henry. The way you are, the kind of person you are and I love, this realm will destroy it. How I ended up with a son like you… I don't know what the fates have in mind. But I do know one thing though. I want you to live happily."

Henry grabbed her face in both of his hands and made her look at him dead on. "Mom, as long as I'm with you, I'll always be happy. Just let me help you every now and then. I'm eleven, I don't like feeling so helpless."

Emma felt tears prick the corner of her eyes. She pulled her son into a fierce hug and kissed the top of his head. What was she doing… She smoothed his hair and closed her eyes. Hook was right, she was stifling him. All she wanted to do was protect him because he was all that she had. She knew what was best for him from experience. Or… maybe she didn't… Henry still hasn't grown up alone like she did, and that kind of life was all she knew.

Then she remembered, for thieves, there was never a promise of tomorrow. She might leave him unwillingly one day, with no way of truly defending himself… Maybe, it was time to past start, he wasn't a baby anymore.

"I know… I'm sorry."


Early morning, when the sun was just over the horizon, Henry tip-toed out of their cabin. He took one last look inside the cabin to make sure his mother hadn't stirred awake. When he shut the door, he briskly walked to the hatch to let himself up on the main deck. He could hear the early birds of the crew shouting, and the creaking sounds of the rigging. When he stepped up, he flinched at the bright sun, holding a hand up to his eye.

The sea was shrouded by fog this morning but that didn't stop the insanely bright sun from peeking through.

Henry scanned the ship for their captain, catching no sight of the only man who was allowed to be fashionable. He took a few steps towards the quarterdeck and jumped a few of the stairs to get some feeling into his legs. The crew didn't seem to notice him as he made a beeline for the captain's ornate door. Standing on the balls of his feet, he knocked. And as he waited, he looked around himself, taking in the ship and how the men worked to keep it sailing so smoothly.

"Everything alright, lad?"

Henry whirled and nodded to Hook, who was leaning against the doorframe. He was dressed simply for the moment, as it was still early. But the captain seemed wide awake. Henry gave him a big toothy smile. "It's morning, captain."

Hook raised a brow at him and drolly looked out of his quarters to the skies. "Aye, that it is."

"Coming to you was the first thing I did," Henry chuckled at Hook's actions. The older man smiled.

"Indeed you did," Hook leaned back into his cabin and Henry heard a sharp 'zing' before seeing the short sword he had last night in Hook's hand. The captain handed it to him, hilt first. Henry took the sword and rested the flat of the blade on his shoulder.

"Soo, what did you say to my mom? She seemed to be ok with me training with you now."

Hook smirked and leaned down until he was eye level with Henry, "We'll keep that a secret, lad. When the time comes, perhaps I may teach you how to handle women like your mother."

"Perhaps. My mom's really stubborn so, good job, whatever you did." Actually, Emma never actually agreed to Hook training him. But she seemed to be more accepting of Henry making decisions on his own, which pleased Henry just as much.

Hook's eyes narrowed. "She never actually agreed, did she, boy?"

Henry pressed his lips together, letting his body follow the sway of the ship. "That's my secret." Hook barked out a laugh.

"You're a rather entertaining boy, Henry," Hook slipped back into his cabin for a few moments before stepping out in a vest and his sword strapped around his hip.

"Quick question," Henry looked at the captain up and down. "After what I did, and the stories I've heard of you, I wasn't expecting you to be so friendly with me. Is there a reason why?"

The muscles in Hook's jaw clenched tight before he closed the door behind him. "Nothing really. You just remind me of someone, that's all."

Hook walked past Henry. They made their way to the bow where there were less of the crewmen running around with Henry frowning and shaking his head. "That's can't just be all."

"Persistent fellow," Hook chuckled and turned to Henry when they reached their destination. "You remind me of myself when I was much younger. And old friend of mine." Hook's eyes traced over Henry's features, and Henry tilted his head. "Especially my old friend."

"Do I look like him or something? Because you keep looking at me funny. Like I'm a ghost sometimes." Henry's been looked at that way a lot. It was almost like people were afraid of him. He never understood why, all he wanted to do was just play with people and learn things from them. Once upon a time, he figured that it was because he was his mother's only son. But not everyone knew Emma.

"Aye, you do look a lot like him. Spitting image almost. But he wasn't as trusting as you," Hook drew his blade and lunged. Henry yelped and blocked him on time.

"Hey! I wasn't ready!"

Hook gave him his own toothy grin. "Always expect the unexpected. Keeps you on your toes."

Henry laughed and nodded, getting into position.


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