A/N: Over 100 follows! I'm very honored. A special shout out to Ariel1774 who was my 100th follower and also the 40th person to favorite my story (I thought that was cool). Hope you enjoy the rest of the story! Lots more to come.


David watched over Killian as he slept, Emma also asleep as she was cradled under his left arm. As much as David didn't like it, having Emma next to Hook was the only thing that kept him calm. The past few hours had been difficult, so if it meant letting his daughter stay next to him all night, what else could he do.

"There is no bloody way I am drinking that," Killian said as he turned his nose up at the potion. It was the consistency of sticky syrup, but it did not smell delightful in any way. "How do I know this won't kill me faster?"

"I'm not trying to kill you, you stupid pirate," Gold snapped back at him, thrusting the bowl of potion at him again. "Just drink the potion before I change my mind!"

"David and I trudged all over to find those ingredients- you're drinking that potion or I will force it down your throat," Regina snapped.

"Everyone, please, he's been poisoned. Give him a chance to calm down before we start threatening him," Mary-Margaret tried to reason. Emma squeezed his hand and ran her fingers through his hair to try to get him to calm down. He relaxed at her touch, but his jaw remained tightened. Emma took the bowl from Gold as she continued to stroke his hair.

"I promise, it's fine," Emma said gently. With one more glance towards Emma, he tipped his head up and Emma poured the potion into his mouth. He grimaced as he swallowed the contents before crashing his head back on the pillow.

After a few minutes, the potion started to take effect, and not in a way that anyone had anticipated. It was exterminating the poison, but it also caused Killian a lot of pain to do it. Emma tried to keep the magical connection to ease the pain, but it had minimal effect. All they could do was wait it out. Eventually, Killian fell asleep, Emma close to his side. It was David who encouraged her to sleep as well, promising to watch over both of them to make sure Killian didn't take another turn for the worse. David understood when Emma simply slipped into Killian's arms to fall asleep.

"Any change," Gold said as he entered the captain's cabin. David picked his head up from the desk as Gold entered, but then settled back onto the desk, leaning his head onto his propped elbow.

"No, he's just sleeping," David said. "Emma was only able to get him to sleep an hour ago. Stubborn pirate." Gold grunted in agreement and used his cane to pull up a stool next to David. He leaned his hands on his cane and stared at the two. "Is it supposed to take this long to work? It seems like he still has a fever."

"It does take time. It's one of the stronger poisons. Thankfully, since it's origin is in Neverland, we were able to find the cure. If we had been in Storybrooke, there wouldn't be much we could do," Gold said.

"Would you have tried to use the candle," David asked, a bit sharply as he remembered how he'd used Mary-Margaret.

"No, I wouldn't waste that kind of magic on him," Gold said, shaking his head. "I don't know anyone I'd want to sacrifice in trade for his life." David glared at Gold, but when Gold started to chuckle, David joined him. The two sat quietly for a while, watching the two as they slept. At one point, Hook started to moan painfully in his sleep. Emma, also still asleep, gently rubbed his chest and Hook instantly relaxed again.

"Why did you use Emma's blood?"

"She's the savior," Gold said. "Do you need more of an explanation?"

"Is there one?" Gold sighed and clicked his cane on the ground.

"I was merely taking advantage of what was already there. They are already connected, whether they know it or not. By using her blood with the potion, I only strengthened it temporarily for curing purposes. That particular magical bond will pass once the potion has cured him, but their overall magical bond remains just as strong as it was before."

"What magical bond?"

"The same one that caused you to feel when Snow went under her sleeping curse," Gold said. David looked at him confused. "Are you going to make me say it?"

"True love," David said out loud as he glanced back at the two. It was true, David could see it. Maybe he didn't want to see it before. His baby girl, the one he held in his arms as he fought to protect her, was in love with a pirate. He looked at Emma's sleeping form. She looked completely at peace. Since he's known her, Emma was never really a completely at peace kind of person. But this pirate, Captain Hook, gave her comfort. David could see it in his eyes when he stole glances at her- Hook loved her too. David sighed. It wasn't the ultimate match in his mind, but neither was a princess and a shepherd. Maybe it was just that to him no one could be good enough for his baby girl, but he knew deep down that Killian would fight to be worthy of her.

"Yeah," Gold said through gritted teeth. "How much they want to admit it or not, and as much as it pains me to say it, the bond was already there. Here, I'll show you." Gold went over to the couple and plucked some stray hairs off the pillow and pulled a vile out of his pocket. The two hairs started to swirl and combine, forming it's own potion. "It won't be as strong as the one from you and Mary-Margaret, but that's probably due to the walls they both have up- in their own way of course. But, in time, it'll be strong." David watched as Gold stoppered the bottle and put it back in his pocket before sitting back down on the stool. "It's a shame. My son missed out on a great woman."

"Neal was a good man. A great father to Henry," David said. "I'm sorry they didn't get to spend more time together."

"Fate can be cruel," Gold said solemnly. "I missed out on so much with my son. I...I can't fail Henry." David gave Gold a comforting slap on the back.

"We won't," David said.


Emma stirred as the light from the porthole fell across her face. She felt warm, and the smell surrounding her was comforting. As she nuzzled into the pillow, she realized it wasn't a pillow at all. The events from the night before quickly flashed back to her and she immediately sat up. Killian stirred and rolled his head towards where she had been. She felt his forehead and cheeks, checking for any feeling of a fever. His skin was cool to her touch, and there was color back in his cheeks. Emma sighed in relief. It was when she started to get out of bed when she saw David, asleep in the desk chair, draped across Hook's desk. She didn't know how he could sleep like that. Emma sighed as she thought about how her Dad kept his promised- he had watched over both of them all night. She wasn't sure how much he appreciated watching his daughter wrapped around a pirate, but the fact he stayed with her meant the world. She went over to him and rubbed his back gently.

"Dad," she whispered. David slowly opened his eyes and picked his head up to look at her. A bit of Hook's maps stuck to his face, probably from drooling, and he pulled it off his face a bit embarrassed. Emma chuckled to herself as she's seen that exhausted face on Henry quite a few times when she's woken him up to go to school.

"He looks better," David said, glancing over at Hook. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why don't you go back to bed," she said. "I think we're out of the woods." David got up sleepily and gave Emma a kiss on her forehead. Emma promptly pulled him back towards her in a hug. "Thanks, Dad." David quickly sobered and pulled his daughter tighter.

"Always," he said, giving her another squeeze before releasing her. "Call if you need anything." Emma nodded, closed the door to the captain's quarters and went back over to sit on the edge of Killian's bed. She placed her hand on his heart- it was beating strong and sure. He stirred under her touch and his eyes fluttered open.

"Morning, love," he said weakly.

"How are you feeling," she asked. He looked up at her under half-lidded eyes.

"Surprisingly good," he said. They both shared a glance as a rumbling came from his stomach. "And possibly a bit hungry."

"You haven't had anything to eat since you drank the potion."

"You mean that sludge? Please- bring on the vittles, and possibly some rum," he said.

"Before you get up," she started as she reached for the bowl of water and rags next to the bed and started to wipe down his bare chest. He let out a sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat off his skin. "Here, this should feel better."

"Mmmm, too right, lass," he purred as he closed his eyes. A thousand comments raced through his mind, but he held his tongue in fear that she would stop. Her ministrations to his skin felt completely heavenly after his fever from the night before.

"Go ahead."

"What?"

"You want to say something. I know you do," she said. He opened his eyes to see that look that she would always give him after he made one of his innuendos.

"Well, if you're making open offers, feel free to travel lower," he said with a wink.

"There's the Captain Hook I know."


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