Home Is Where the Heart Is

Title: Home Is Where the Heart Is

Summary: After the rebuilding of the kingdom in the Enchanted Forest, Hook turns to Regina with a desperate plan to rid himself of his heartache. This sets off a chain of events that will either unite the kingdom, or destroy it and its people utterly.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the DVDs.

Pairings: Killian/Emma, Snow/Charming, Rumple/Belle, Regina/Robin Hood, Ruby/Dr. Whale, Archie/Tinkerbell and some other minor ones.

Warnings: Drama, romance, angst, character death, all of the awesomeness that comes with a Once Upon a Time story.

Winter-Rae: Long author's note at the end of this one. Please check it out. Also, I have a poll on my profile, check it out and vote. Enjoy!


Chapter Nine: Outside Help

Killian led the way down to the docks where most of the captains of these ships were starting to come ashore. Some of the soldiers were trying to stop them, but the pirates didn't seem the least bit concerned with them. They were too busy greeting one another with slaps on the back, or yells of how one of them owed the other some gold. Emma couldn't help but watch Killian's reaction to all of this. He was grinning like a kid in a candy store; he was completely in his element. If anyone was going to work out something with these pirates, it would be him.

"Oh Killian, there you are!" a rich sounding voice called out, "Do be a dear and call off these bloody attack dogs, will you? I come all this way to help out this royal family that you've taken up with and this is the thanks I get? I swear to Poseidon that if they ruin any of these clothes, heads will roll!"

Killian chuckled and turned to David who nodded to the guards to step away from the man. He was tall and built with a strong set jaw and grey/green eyes that held a person captive once he locked his gaze on them. His brown hair was kept short and surprisingly tidy; his overall appearance was actually not what Emma expected from a pirate. He dressed almost like a prince. He approached them and embraced Killian like an old friend.

"You're looking better than ever I see," he said.

"Welcome Peter," Killian replied, "This is Emma, my…"

"His fiancée," Emma broke in, offering Peter her hand. Peter grinned, and kissed the back of her hand, "Killian, you never cease to amaze me, and Emma; you are lovely."

She made no response to his compliment but introduced her parents. His eyes flickered to them and a devilish smirk appeared on his face, "Ah, I see that beauty runs on both sides of the family then. I heard tales of the queen's beauty and also the king's. In my experience, the stories never do the real thing justice."

David and Snow; both looked extremely flustered and Emma looked to Killian, expecting some sort of explanation. The pirate shrugged, still smirking.

"I am Peter Love," the man said, as he offered them a flourishing bow "I was extended an invitation to these negotiations, and could hardly pass up the opportunity."

"Thank you for coming," David said, extending his hand. Peter shook it and a seductive smile appeared on his face, "Hmm, a firm grip, I like that in a man. Now, tell me all about your kingdom sire, I've never been here before."

While David, looking very uncomfortable, tried his best to be polite, Snow turned to Killian with a confused look on her face, "I'm sorry, but did he just flirt with my husband?"

"Peter is a, very open man," Killian offered, "He loves beautiful things and that includes beautiful people, no matter what the gender. He's harmless though. He sees the two of you are married so nothing will happen. Just the type of shameless flirting I do with Emma."

"Oh, is that all?" Snow said, not sounding any more pleased.

The next pirate captain to come and greet them was a woman; at least Emma was fairly sure she was a woman. It was difficult to tell as she was very unfeminine in her appearance and wore a man's armour. She was very tall, at least 6'2 and muscular with a flat-chest and short straw-coloured hair. Emma noticed right away that her nose had been broken more than once, but despite her unattractive qualities her eyes were large, blue and seemed to sparkle in the sun light. Killian seemed pleased to see her at any rate.

"Anne Bonny," he greeted her politely, "You are a most welcome sight here."

"Don't flatter me, boy," she said in a deep voice, but a smile quickly filled her face, "It is very good to see you again, Jones. When I heard you had returned here, I meant to come and see you, however; our mutual friend wouldn't allow it."

Emma noticed that Anne said 'friend' as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. She also saw Killian sigh and shake his head. It seemed that all was not well among the pirates.

"She's here somewhere I take it?" he asked. Anne nodded.

"I hear that trouble is brewing," she said, turning to Emma and Snow, "No matter what the others decide my ships and my men are yours, Queen Snow White."

"Thank you Anne," Snow replied, smiling at her, "You are welcome here."

Anne nodded and stepped aside as the next pirate approached them. He was dressed in rich blue robes, with a turban perched on his head. He was dark skinned with a long black beard and warm brown eyes. Silver adornments decorated his outfit and he carried a wooden box in his hands.

"Greetings, Hook," he said in a foreign accent, "I come bearing a gift for the Queen and Princess; such is the custom of my people. Will you accept these tokens?"

Emma glanced at her mother, looking for help; she hadn't had a lot of training in how to deal with dignitaries. Certainly this man was a pirate, but he carried himself with a great deal of pride.

"Of course we will," Snow said, coming to her rescue, "And thank you."

The man smiled and opened the box. Sitting inside were two matching bracelets made of white ivory. Each link was made with care to look like a feather. He removed them and placed one around Snow's wrist and then Emma's.

"It is said that those who wear these are blessed with long life and good fortune. I am Captain Nemo," he introduced himself, bowing to them, "I have brought with me a friend of yours from the Emperor's kingdom."

"Mulan?" Emma asked. Nemo nodded, "Yes, the Emperor and I are old friends you see. I was there when she arrived to speak of the possibility of war. I then offered her passage on the Nautilus to return here as quickly as we could."

"The submarine?" Emma asked. Nemo arched an eyebrow, "You have heard of her then?"

"In a manner of speaking," Emma replied, she of course was thinking of that movie she had watched a few years ago; something about a league of gentlemen who were extraordinary.

"I look forward to the opportunity to show her to you," Nemo offered, "I hear you have a son as well, he would be welcome to join us. A child's mind is curious and therefore must always be fed; he may learn something from this that may help him choose his path."

Nemo bowed to them again and walked back towards the docks, which gave time for Killian to fill them in on his opinions of the first three captains.

"If you have to choose to trust any of them those are the three you want," he said quietly, "Anne is a woman of honour and I consider her a friend, once Nemo has made a deal with someone he will never rest until he has seen to his end of the bargain. Peter might be more than a little obnoxious but he'll agree to anything for the right price. Buy him and he's yours, no question."

"What about the others?" Snow asked, nodding towards some of the other captains, who had yet to approach them.

"Honestly, I wouldn't trust the lot of them if I were you," a deep voice said from behind Emma, close enough that she could feel his breath on her neck. She jumped in surprise and whipped around to glare at whoever had snuck up on her. The man held up his hands in mock surrender and grinned at her as he looked her up and down. Emma shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She could practically feel him undressing her with his eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive posture that she was known for, which only made his smirk grow.

"Hello Jack," Killian muttered.

"That's Captain Jack Sparrow to you, Hook," he replied. Killian rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly after exchanging a look with Emma. Jack still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. One would think that he had never seen a woman before.

"Can I help you with something?" Emma asked him, tossing him a smirk of her own.

"Join me on the Pearl tonight and I'm sure we can 'help' each other," he shot back. Killian clenched his jaw and glared daggers at Jack, not that the other pirate noticed, he was too interested in continuing his flirting attempts with Emma.

"I bet you know how to handle a sword," Jack purred. Emma almost laughed; his insinuations were nearly as bad as Killian's had been when she first met him.

"Oh I've been jabbed with a sword or two in my time," she said. Jack laughed and nudged Killian with his elbow, "I like this one, what's she doing with you again? Tell you what, love, when you come to your senses…"

"It's important for your future that you to not finish that sentence," Killian growled, having had enough of the banter going on between them. Jack finally took the hint that now was his time to leave; he threw a wink Emma's way and then headed towards the docks with a grin on his face.

"I hate the man," Killian muttered darkly.

"Is that jealousy I'm hearing?" Emma teased him.

"Damn right it is."

Snow smiled, "I guess pirates are very possessive over their booty."

Emma looked at her mother in shock, "Okay, did you seriously just say that?"

Snow laughed, "I did. Anyway Killian, please tell us about the others."

Killian sighed, relieved to be back on track, "I hope the kingdom's pockets are deep. Some can be bought, like Hector Barbossa and Sparrow, but others won't be so easy. John Silver deals in secrets; so be prepared for him to heckle with you until both are red in the face. Blackbeard has already agreed to help us, so you won't get a lot of resistance from him. But I don't trust a man who steals another man's ship just for sport. Personally, I don't know why Roberts is here, I thought he retired. Lancelot Blackburn is fairly useless, a clergyman, so he doesn't believe in killing unless he has to defend someone."

"Anyone else we need to know about?" Emma asked. Killian opened his mouth to reply, however a woman's voice spoke up over the voices of the others.

"And here I thought that King David and Queen Snow White were hospitable to their guests, but we have not been offered food, drink or a place to rest our weary heads."

Emma glanced towards the docks where the woman was standing. She was absolutely stunning. She had long red hair; that held up in tight ringlets around her pale face. Cold blue eyes that held not a shred of warmth in them but that did not take away from their beauty. Her ruby lips were full and she spoke with a soft accent. Dressed in red and brown leather she looked like your average female pirate, but Emma could tell that this woman was deadly. She wore daggers on her hips and a long and very sharp sword was strapped to her back. Her heeled boots thumped with every step and her hips swayed in such a way that nearly every man was staring at her. She approached them, her eyes never straying far from Killian, Emma felt a twinge of annoyance run through her, this woman was practically undressing him with her eyes.

"Hello Hook," she purred, walking a full circle around him while dragging her hand along his chest and then his back, "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Hello Charlotte; and it hasn't been long enough if you ask me," Killian replied, taking Emma by surprise. The woman, Charlotte, laughed, "Oh, you're not still sore about that little misunderstanding are you? I'm sure your wounds have healed up by now. Your pride on the other hand is another thing. I mean it's not like I cut you to kill you. You just had something that I wanted. It was nothing personal, just business."

Emma now felt a protective instinct flow through her. This woman just admitted to hurting Killian, her fiancée and true love. She was on her way to getting thrown out of here on her ass if she kept it up. Charlotte turned to her as if she picked up on her glare. She arched an uncaring eyebrow and said nothing to her, preferring to keep her attention on Killian.

"Well, we've all gathered thanks to Blackbeard," she said, not sounding overly impressed, "Care to tell us what this is about?"

"The captains are welcome to the palace," David said, finally managing to shake Peter who was pouting slightly, "We have food, drink and a warm fire waiting for all of you. We can conduct negotiations there."

"Leave our men here so you can slaughter all of us?" Charlotte laughed, "I think not."

"A captain plus three others at the most then," Snow offered. That seemed more agreeable to the woman so she nodded, "Very well. Then let the fun begin."

As they made their way back to the palace Emma nudged Killian, "Who is that?"

"Charlotte de Berry," he replied, "The closest thing to a Queen that we have."

"You know you're going to tell me exactly what she was talking about before, right?"

Killian glanced at her and smiled, "Jealous love?"

"She hurt you, the bitch is lucky that she's still breathing."

An affectionate look appeared in Killian's eyes and he slipped his hand into hers.

"You know, I find it very attractive when you're like this, maybe we can skip the negotiations."

Emma grinned.

"Nice try, buddy."

"Alright, fine, I'll tell you the story later," he said, "For now, let's try and get through tonight."


As the pirate captains and their small entourages made themselves comfortable in the dining hall, taking full advantage of the rich food and huge amounts of alcohol, Emma, Killian and her parents stood on the balcony overlooking them. David seemed apprehensive, pacing the floor with an angry expression on his face. Killian could understand why, most of his fellow pirates were anything but the gentlemen that he was. Not only that, but Charlotte wasn't making the negotiation process any easier.

"That woman, what's her problem?" David asked, "If she didn't want to talk, why is she here?"

"She doesn't have a choice," Killian replied, "When one of the nine pirate lords brings forth a matter huge of importance like this, it's her duty to make sure that our people are given the chance to discuss it. If she didn't then she'd lose her spot as the Queen."

"How?" Snow asked.

"It's based on votes," Killian explained, "Most popular one wins. From what I hear, Charlotte was elected just as time started moving forward here when the curse was weakening. It came down between her and Barbossa."

"You voted for her?" Emma asked doubtfully.

"No, I'm not one of the nine, though I have been asked to take the place of some of the older members," he pointed out, "Barbossa, Blackbeard, Sparrow, Silver, Roberts, Lance, Charlotte, Nemo, and Anne are the nine. Peter and I just have a great deal of experience so they value our opinions."

"Let's get this over with then," David muttered, "The sooner we have some sort of written agreement with them, the better I'll feel."

"Agreed," Killian replied, "Let me do most of the talking though, mate."

"I trust you, Killian," David said, leaving the balcony to return to the dining hall. Snow and Emma exchanged pleased looks while Killian looked stunned. David had actually said that he trusted him and he even used his name? Sure some of his previous actions implied that he trusted the pirate, but this was the first time that Killian had ever heard him say it. He couldn't help but feel a lot bit of pride at that. He was proving to be a man of honour, and David respected that, he would not fail him.


"Let this council of the Nine now come to order," Blackbeard said. He and the other nine removed a six inch dagger from hidden folds of their clothing and stabbed them into the wooden table. Killian whispered to Emma and her parents that this was a symbol of a truce between all of them. So long as the knives were on the table no one was permitted to harm one another. If they did, they were stripped of their lord rank and killed. The knives were all identical; strong and very sharp silver blades with an ivory handle, and at the tip of the pommel was a black pearl.

"We have gathered here to discuss where we pirates stand in the battle to come," Blackbeard explained, "After my meeting with Hook; I sent whispers to the rest of you to join me here."

"Whispers?" David said quietly to Killian.

"One of the abilities that come with being a pirate lord," he replied, "The waves of the sea can carry messages from one of them to the other."

"We have no place in this fight," Charlotte insisted, "This is a war between princes and kings. Why should we waste our lives? I say that we let them kill each other off and then we can take whatever riches are left behind."

"Hear; hear," Barbossa agreed, "We owe nothing to this King and Queen. If they did not need our swords and bloodlust they would be among the first to hang us for piracy, for simply being what we are. Stop wasting our time Blackbeard, they will find no help here."

"But how long until the fight spreads to the sea?" a beautiful young woman standing behind Blackbeard voiced. He held up his hand to silence her.

"Angelica," Killian whispered, "Blackbeard's daughter, all grown up."

"This is a fool's errand," Charlotte said, "I for one will not risk my life for them."

A heavy silence seemed to fall over the pirates and Killian felt his heart sink, this was not going well for them.

"Then none of you have any honour!" Anne snapped suddenly, slapping her hand on the table, and rising to her feet, "This land is our home as well. Who will fight for it if we do not? You think that King George and these other villains will let us live after they are done? No! When that man was in power he ravaged his own lands and killed his own people if he believed that they were not paying the taxes he thought were due. I will not allow him back onto the throne."

Emma couldn't imagine how Charlotte managed to become the pirate Queen, in her mind if anyone was worthy to lead these people, it was Anne. She was a force to be reckoned with, as none of the others seemed willing to speak out against her. Well, almost none of them.

"A rousing speech Anne," Charlotte muttered sarcastically.

"Her speech isn't the only thing aroused right now," Peter interrupted, winking at the tall woman. Anne frowned at him, a faint blush climbing up her neck; however she forced her frustration away as she turned her attention to Charlotte.

"As I said, very inspiring, but in the end I am the one who has sole power over where our ships go and who they fight," the red head pointed out, "So unless the King and Queen make it worth our while, we won't be fighting anyone, and that includes you."

"Then maybe we need a new Queen."

The others turned to Roberts. He was dressed in all black, including a black mask that he wore over his face. He had three traveling companions with him; a beautiful blonde woman, a man with a black hair who wore a sleek sword on his hip, and a rather large man with curly brown hair. Emma's eyes widened as she realized who he was. The Dread Pirate Roberts, from one of her favourite books and movies as a child, 'The Princess Bride.'

"Say that again fool," Charlotte growled. Roberts, who was better known as Westley to his closest friends smirked, "Is your hearing starting to go, I hear that happens with old age."

"Oh Roberts, shut up," Killian muttered under his breath, so that only Emma and her parents could hear him, "If he pushes her too far we'll never get anything done."

"Enough!" Blackbeard shouted, "Hook, what are the terms that the King and Queen offer? I would like to finish this without any foolish bloodshed."

Killian stepped forward with David, who held up a contract and set it on the table.

"Written here is our proposal," Killian explained, "Full pardons for each of you and your men. You'll be free. All we ask in return is that you stand and fight with us should the need arise."

"A clean slate?" the clergyman, Lancelot Blackburn asked. He was a mousy looking man with shaggy brown hair and nervous eyes to match.

"Aye, a clean slate, until you all go and break the law again," Killian replied, "Because let's face it, that's exactly what most of you are planning to do."

Most of the pirates exchanged smirks with one another; they appreciated Hook, not only for his candor but for his ability to make light of any situation.

"What if we have other requests," Jack Sparrow asked, "I know I'd like a bit of extra gold myself. The up keep for three ships is expensive."

"Gold you'll have," David said, "Rumplestiltskin can see to that."

A low murmur went through the captains. While he had given up his dark powers some time ago, Rumplestiltskin's name still carried heavy weight in the Enchanted Forest. Jack Sparrow picked up the contract and read it over, he then smiled at David, "Add gold to this for me and I'm all yours, it'll be good to fight proper enemies again."

When David added the changes, Jack, Barbossa and Peter signed the contract. Killian had been right about buying Peter, he seemed eager to work for them. Blackbeard had already signed a separate contract, but he added his name as well, so that the rest of the lords could see where he was placing his faith.

John Silver was the next to request something other than gold or pardons, "You can keep the gold and your words of freedom," he said, "All I want is all of the information that you have on Treasure Island. Rumour has it that your library here is very detailed."

"Treasure Island is a myth," David pointed out.

"No it's not," Snow spoke up, drawing their gaze, "My father had records and maps. Sign the contract and they are yours, Mr. Silver."

The grizzled man sniggered, and put his name down, "I thank you, my lady."

"Alright Roberts," Killian said, "What do you want?"

Westley tapped his chin, "The same thing I wanted the last time we met, Jones."

Emma saw Killian shift uncomfortably.

"I told you, I wasn't interested."

"It seems that you don't have much of a choice, my men could tip the scale in your favour, and I now see you have a family of your own to protect," Westley went on, "Take my place as a pirate lord, let me retire in peace and then all of my ships will be yours. Think about if Jones, three more ships to add to the Jolly Roger. I daresay you'd be the strongest of us after that."

Charlotte scoffed, "He won't do it, that girl has tamed him, he's not even a pirate any longer."

Killian glanced at Emma; the look asked her what he should do. She wasn't even sure. Charlotte saw this pass between them and wasn't hesitant to point it out, "You need her permission?"

"My choices no longer affect just myself," Killian snapped, "I have people in my life who need me. Though, I wouldn't expect you to understand that."

"Being one of us doesn't mean you have to be at sea forever, lad," Blackbeard offered, "It just gives you a better say in what we do. It could mean more help to your people in the future."

Killian understood that, but it also meant that he would be saddled with the pirate persona forever. How could he be worthy of Emma and Henry when he was expected to help the rest of the pirates? The laws they made concerned where they raided and how much they could take. What if he was overruled and a port belonging to one of their allies was destroyed? Could he shoulder that responsibility, could he ask that of Emma?

"Westley, if you long to retire so badly, perhaps you should look closer to home as to who takes over for you," his companion with the sword, Inigo, pointed out, "I would be glad to shoulder that for you."

Westley glanced at him and nodded briefly, "Very well, looks like you dodged that one Jones."

He added his name, and Lancelot was next, saying that the full pardon was more than enough for him. Nemo added his as well, merely saying that he hoped this would improve the relationship between their kingdom and the one he hailed from.

All that was left was Charlotte and Anne; this surprised Killian as he couldn't possibly imagine what Anne would want from them. The tall woman stood to her feet once again, "I do have one other request of you, Majesties. When I became a pirate, it was to fulfill a promise to a man that I greatly respected; to protect his men and guide them down a better path. I have done that; my men are a brave and an honourable sort. I will find my replacement but I wish to find others to protect."

"Did you have any one in mind?" Snow asked her.

"The royal family," Anne replied, "I understand there are elite warriors who train to protect each of you, I would like to join them. I am a protector, and I can see no one else who is more worthy of my shield and my sword. Will you accept my service?"

"You want to stay, with us?" Emma asked her, "Really?"

"Yes, with your leave."

"I don't see why not," Emma mused, looking at her parents, both seemed pleased with the idea and they nodded their consent, "Welcome to the kingdom."

Anne smiled and added her name to the contract.

Killian then looked to Charlotte, who was acting as if she was going to become ill, "And what would the pirate Queen ask of us?"

She sneered at him, "Well, the full pardon is nice, and so is the gold, and the map to Treasure Island; which Silver won't be able to hang on too since I'll be stealing it; is interesting as well. I have no desire for a knighthood; or for friendship between our homes and I also have no intention of retiring. What I will take though, is your sword, Hook."

His hand when to the handle of the blade that Emma had given him. When he pulled it out slightly, he could see that the outer edges were shimmering blue. This easily told him that there was at least one person at this table that he couldn't trust as they were an enemy.

"It's a fine blade," Charlotte commented, "And as you very well know, I'm a collector."

"No, out of the question."

"Since when are you so sentimental, Captain," Charlotte taunted, "It's just a blade after all."

"She's right," Emma said, "It's just a sword."

Killian knew what she was doing; she was trying to tell him that it was okay for him to give it up. However, that didn't make it any easier on him.

"This blade was commissioned for me by my love," he said simply, "The blade glows blue whenever enemies are close by. As you can see by the edges, I indeed have an enemy here."

He then allowed Charlotte to close her hand around hilt of the sword. Once she did, more of the sword seemed to light up, indicating that she had far more enemies at this table than he did.

"Hmm, maybe you should hold onto it Charlotte," he said, "You might need it more than I do."

Instantly she lost interest in the blade, throwing it onto the table and turning to stalk out of the room. She paused at the door to glare back at them, "I'll sign nothing; I will not be your ally."

"You do realize that by walking out of here you give up your spot as Queen and one of the nine?" Blackbeard asked her. She nodded, "Yes, I wish you luck my brothers and sisters, as you make your haste to the cold waters of hell that await you."

With that said, she and her entourage disappeared into the night.

"Well, that was dramatic," Westley chuckled; the others tossed him a look that silenced him.

"Now we elected a new leader," Blackbeard said, "We must before we continue further."

"You were the one who brought us together Blackbeard," Anne said, "My vote is for you."

The majority seemed to agree with her statement, so Blackbeard was named the King. He picked up Charlotte's abandoned dagger and placed it with his own. It would be up to him to find a replacement for her.

"You have your men," Blackbeard said to David, "We have a deal?"

"We have a deal," David replied as he too signed the contract. The rest of the pirates gathered their daggers and then took their leave of Killian and the royal family. After gathering the contract, Snow and David bid the two of them goodnight and left them to have some time together. Once they were gone, Killian turned to Emma, "That went better than I thought."

"She'll be back you know," Emma told him, crossing her arms over her chest. He put his arm around her and placed a kiss on her temple, "Don't let her get to you, love."

"So I see we have some new allies."

Emma turned to see Rumplestiltskin approaching them. She froze, this was the first time she had even seen him since calling off her engagement to Neal. She moved to stand in front of Killian, ready to use her magic to shield them if she had too.

"Ah Miss Swan, have no fear," he said, guessing what she was thinking, "Your love is safe from me. After all I made a promise to Bae and I intend to keep it. And as Hook knows, I just hate to break up true love. Isn't that right, pirate?"

Killian started towards him but Emma grabbed his arm, "Killian no, let it go."

"He's threatening you," he growled.

"He can't hurt me," Emma said gently, "And he knows it. Cora once tried to take my heart once but she couldn't do it. You were unconscious so you didn't see it happen."

He placed his hand on Emma's chest, over her heart, "Truly?"

"Yes."

While he didn't lower his guard, Killian felt a huge relief; never would he have to worry about losing Emma the way he lost Milah. It was a great comfort to him, as he didn't think he'd be able to come back from something like that happening to her. He glared at Rumple, "What is it that you want then, crocodile?"

"To congratulate you on getting us over one thousand pieces of cannon fodder."

"They aren't fodder," Killian replied shortly, "Some of them are good people, with families and they are agreeing to help to keep the family safe, our family. So show some gratitude."

Rumplestiltskin remained indifferent; however the thought that he now shared a family with Hook was less then appealing for him, "I've managed to come up with some other realms that might be willing to help us. Are you and your love up for some portal jumping, Hook?"

"Using the magic beans?" Emma asked.

"Indeed."

"Why would these realms help us?" Killian asked.

"Well, one of them has a king that owes me a favour, and the other is full of genuinely decent folk; they hate to see the suffering of others. I'm willing to bet you could use that to an advantage of some sort. The both of you are creative, so I have no doubt you'll manage it."

"When do we leave?" Killian asked.

"In the morning, I have to discuss securing some magic beans from Blue," Rumple replied, "She and the giant have a tight grip on them so they aren't being used needlessly."

"What are these realms called?" Emma asked him. Rumple smiled, "All in good time, Miss Swan. I will plan out the details and have them to you in the morning."


Elsewhere in the castle, Robin had just finished getting Roland to bed, he was about to return to his and Regina's room when he spotted Will Scarlet. The young man was standing on a balcony, overlooking the sea; he seemed to be eyeing the different pirate ships with great interest. Robin felt a jab of annoyance that they were letting him wander around the castle without some sort of guard watching over him every second. He squared his shoulders and walked towards his former ally, Will spotted him and instantly backed away from him, his eyes darting from side to side; looking for the quickest way to escape.

"Calm down Will," Robin said, "I'm not going to kill you."

"I hope you don't mind if I don't take you at your word," Will replied. Robin shrugged; at this point he didn't give a damn about what Will thought of him.

"Is it true then?" Robin asked, "About this Alice girl?"

Will sighed and nodded, "Yeah."

"So, Anastasia is the one you stole for?" Robin asked.

"I wanted to give us a better life and I thought she was my true love."

"What happened between the two of you?"

Will glanced at him, a look of confusion of his face, "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to know if the lives of my men, and Marian were worth it."

"Marian?" Will took another step back, shaking his head, "No, no, not Marian."

"Yes Will, Marian too."

Will swore and Robin knew that the young man's regret was real. While he hadn't known Marian for very long, she was very kind to Will. Not only that, but she was an innocent, and Will absolutely hated seeing innocent's suffer. He looked at Robin, the pain in his eyes couldn't match the older man's but it was still there and it meant something.

"I'll never be able to make this up to you," Will said, "I could beg you to forgive me, but I don't think you'll believe me. I wish I could change the things I've done. I wish I could go back to a time when I was a good person. If I could trade my life for hers, I would do it, Robin."

Robin observed him for what seemed like ages. His blue eyes piercing Will's dark ones; Robin had always been a fairly good judge of character, and that's what he was doing now; weighing Will's words. He sighed and looked away from him.

"I hate that I believe you, Will," he said suddenly, "I can't forgive you, not just yet. As for trusting you, that's a long way off too. But I respect that you're owning up to what you've done and taking responsibility for it by helping us. I just hope that you're not planning on hurting these people. They don't deserve it, Will. Snow and David are the best leaders that this realm could ever hope for. Emma sees a bit of herself in you, and she's going out on a limb to help you, prove to her and to everyone else that you deserve this. That's all I can ask of you."

"I swear to you, I won't let anyone get hurt because of me, not ever again."

Robin nodded. He then turned away from the younger man and walked away, hoping that he hadn't just sold out his own people by letting Will convince him that he was trying to change.


Killian was returning to his and Emma's room when he came across Robin. The man seemed distracted about something, but the moment he set eyes on Hook he frowned, "You!"

Hook knew that he was in for trouble as Robin charged after him and threw a solid punch that connected with his jaw and sent him sprawling on the cold, stone floor. He groaned and brought his hand up to the corner of his mouth to wipe away the blood that was there. Robin stared down at him, anger flashing dangerously in his eyes.

"Okay, mate; that I deserved."

"You deserve more than that you selfish bastard!"

Robin hauled him to his feet and slammed his back against the wall, pinning him there with his arm as it settled against his neck. Hook didn't fight him, he knew full well why Robin was coming after him, and he agreed that the man needed to get it off of his chest. So when another punch connected with his stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs and forcing him to his knees; gasping for air, he took it without complaint.

"You're not the only one who has lost someone they love," Robin snapped, "Regina lost her first love exactly how you lost Milah; only it was her own mother that crushed her love's heart. I lost the woman that gave me my son to the poison of a witch, I held her in my arms as she begged me to protect Roland and help him grow up into a good man. What makes your pain greater than ours? What gave you the right to ask Regina to darken her heart just to help you?"

"I was a coward," Hook replied, forcing himself to his feet so he could look Robin in the eye, "I wasn't brave enough to face my pain like you and Regina were. Losing the people that I love is all I have ever known, I couldn't take it. I had hoped that not having a heart would provide some relief and let me forget about Emma so that she could be happy. But you're right Robin; I had no right to ask Regina to do that for me. If I were a better man I would have found another way, but I'm not. I suppose I'll always be a pirate in that aspect."

Robin looked as if he was going to throw another punch, but instead he backed down and held his head in his hands. Hook kept his distance from him, just in case he changed his mind.

"Is Regina alright?" he asked. Robin glanced up at him, "Yes, she felt guilty for what happened to you afterwards."

The pirate shook his head, "She has no reason to feel that way. She didn't know, and I was the fool who asked it of her, this is all on me."

"I know it."

"Are you alright, mate?"

"I think so; I still want to hit you though."

Hook allowed himself a small chuckle, "You're not the first to tell me that."

The two men stood in silence; neither of them knew just what to say to the other.

"I can't imagine being without my heart," Robin mused to himself quietly. Hook glanced at him and let out a soft sigh, "I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's not a pleasant experience."

"Why do it then?"

"Feeling nothing seemed more appealing than what I was feeling at the time," Hook replied.

"I'll leave you for now then," Robin said, "Might want to get that looked at however."

Hook touched his lip and winced, it was already starting to swell and hurt terribly. The two men parted ways and Hook ducked into his and Emma's room, before someone else came along and decided they wanted to punch him too. He then made his way to the restroom, hoping that Emma wouldn't mind if he borrowed her tub to get himself cleaned up.


Emma had paused by Henry's door, watching as Neal finished saying goodnight to their son. She then took her turn, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching Henry as he read his book.

"So, lots going on around here lately huh?" she asked him.

"I heard you talking to Grandpa Gold," he said, "Portal jumping?"

"That's right; we're going to see if we can get more help."

"Just be careful," he told her, "Being stuck in Neverland was bad enough; I don't want you guys to get lost somewhere even more dangerous."

Emma forced a smile, "What could be worse than Neverland?"

He didn't answer her.

"Look, Henry, do you remember when you saw the Jolly Roger being attacked?"

A look of unease filled her son's face, "Yeah."

"Have you ever seen things like that before?"

He observed her for a moment, "Why?"

"Because after I left you that night Tink helped me find a way to see the ship, and you were right, it was under attack."

She watched her son carefully and saw a flicker of fear in his eyes at her revelation. She reached out and took his hands in hers, squeezing them lightly to offer him some comfort, "After we got back from Neverland, we knew that there was a possibility that you would develop gifts like mine. This is probably one of them. You're special Henry; you don't have to be afraid of it."

"I don't want to use dark magic," he said quickly.

"You don't have to," Emma replied, "Anyone who has magic can choose to use it for good. Look at Regina, she's changed and so has Grandpa Gold. If you want help; Tinkerbell, Blue, and I can help you use this."

"Dad hates magic," Henry muttered, "What if he hates me since I can use it?"

Emma could empathize with her son's insecurities. Every child his age had to deal with them, and when someone was young, their problems always felt as if the entire world was shaking.

"Henry, your father loves you with all of his heart," she told him, "He could never hate you. Tell you what, after Killian and I leave, you could go and see Tink and Archie. Talk to them about this and see what they think. How does that sound?"

Henry offered a small smile, but he nodded, "Okay, that's a good idea. But, can we not tell Dad, not just yet anyway. I want to wait a little, and I want to be the one to tell him."

"You tell him whenever you feel comfortable; everything is going to be okay."

She hugged her son tightly and then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you mom," he said. Emma felt her heart swell at his words.

"I love you too Henry, try to get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."

She finished tucking him in and then left to return to her room. Neal was waiting for her further down the hallway. She offered him a smile, which he returned, although it seemed like he was forcing it for her sake.

"Something wrong?" she asked him.

"Portal jumping Emma, really?" he asked. She heaved an annoyed sigh, "Your dad likes to talk."

"Why you?" Neal asked, "Why do you always have to be the one to do these things?"

"Because it's my responsibility," she replied, "I have to help protect my home, my family."

"So running off and possibly getting yourself killed is how you do that?"

"What I do isn't any of your business anymore Neal," she pointed out, trying hard not to get snappy with him, but his over-protectiveness wasn't needed or even welcome any longer. She moved to walk past him, but he reached out and took her arm, firmly but gently.

"See that's where you're wrong," Neal pointed out, "It is my business because you are my son's mother. I won't be the one to tell him that you've gone and gotten yourself killed."

"Okay, let me go and stop this," she insisted, removing her arm from her grasp, "What would you have me do instead then Neal, what's your big idea."

"Let someone else handle it, let me and Hook go."

"Not a chance, I've seen how you two work together, remember Dark Hollow?"

Neal rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Okay, you got me, not one of my better moments."

"For either of you," she replied, a small smile forming on her lips, "I appreciate your concern Neal, but I will be fine. These worlds we're going to won't be all that bad anyway."

He didn't seem convinced, but he relented, "Yeah, just watch your back."

"Always, good night."

"Night."


When Emma finally made it to her bedroom and shut the door and locked it, she leant against it and let out a groan of annoyance and frustration. Maybe she should stay behind and let someone else handle this. But how could she? She was the only one she trusted to do this and do it right. Sure some of the others might do just as fine a job, but she didn't like other people risking themselves for something that she could handle.

"Emma, love, is that you?" Killian's voice called from her bathroom.

"Yeah, what are you doing?"

"Taking a bath of course."

Emma smiled and rolled her eyes. She entered the bathroom and lent against the door way, staring at her pirate. Her pirate. Okay, she had to admit, she liked the sound of that.

Her bath was a large stone basin, easily large enough to fit more than four people. He sat at one end, grinning at her. He had clearly been experimenting with some of the bath oils and other items as the scent of jasmine was strong in the steamy air and bubbles ran over the edges of the tub.

"What happened to your lip?" she asked, eyeing the swollen area.

"I tripped and fell against Robin's fist," he explained. She rolled her eyes. No doubt his discussion with Robin had something to do with him asking Regina to take his heart; she could understand Robin's anger so she didn't press the issue.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked, gesturing to the tub.

"Very much, but I'd enjoy if even more if you would join me."

She made a face at him, "Are you serious?"

"Of course," he said, smiling, "Come on; I'll even scrub your back for you."

"Forget it, we should get to bed, we have a busy day tomorrow."

"Love, while I appreciate the fact that we have to dash off to help save the kingdom," he said, rolling his eyes, "I happen to think that some time to ourselves will also be beneficial. Besides, if you don't take a bath with me I'll never tell you about my misadventure with Charlotte."

Emma frowned, but her curiosity ended up getting the better of her. She sat on a chair near the tub and started to remove her boots, keeping her eyes on Killian. He was so handsome; those blue eyes of his always had a luster and spark of life in them that captured her attention. She loved the way his skin felt under her fingers, she loved running her hands through his hair and feeling his body close to hers. Suddenly, she couldn't get undressed fast enough.

She settled at the opposite side of the tub, enjoying the feel of the hot water against her skin. She then reached beneath the water and took a hold of his left foot, rubbing it gently, while he groaned in appreciation.

"That feels fantastic."

"I believe you owe me a story," she said, "It seems to me that you and Charlotte have an awful lot of history together. I could feel the tension between you two."

Killian frowned, "Aye, that woman is a bloody demon. I met her shortly after I returned from Neverland. That was maybe a month before Regina cast her curse. I was looking for ways to get to Rumplestiltskin when I heard of a woman, who in exchange for helping her gather a sword to add to her collection, she'd find information on anyone. So I went to her and told her I needed to find a way to either kill him or hurt him for my revenge. When she had the name she got to work finding out what she could about him and sent me on a quest to find the Vorpal sword."

Emma paused, switching to his other foot, "Vorpal?"

"Aye, the sharpest sword that has ever been made," he replied, "One swipe and it could behead even a giant; or that's how the story goes anyway. She insisted on coming with me since we didn't exactly trust each other; both of us being pirates in all. When we did finally find the bloody thing, that's when she decided to double-cross me."

He fell silent and a dark look filled his face. Emma waited for him to continue, picking up a cloth and moving to sit next to him so she could scrub his back. He glanced at her, "I thought I was supposed to do that for you."

"You can, when you finish telling me what happened."

When he turned around so show her his back, Emma had a feeling that she knew where his story was going to go. She must not have noticed them last night since it was so dark but Killian's back was littered with the old scars of what looked like knife wounds. They crisscrossed in nearly every direction and Emma felt a flare of anger light up inside herself at whoever would dare to hurt him like this.

"She went to work on me and left me in the cave that we found the sword in," he explained, "I managed to survive it and found her soon after. Turned out that she did have some news on the Dark One that I could use, but didn't want to face him if it got back to him that she was one who told me what I needed to know."

"She knew about the dagger?" Emma asked.

"A little, but the biggest piece of information she had was about Belle. So that's what led me to Regina and eventually Cora"

"Well, next time I see Miss de Berry I'm going to knock her out," Emma said simply, this earned her a laugh from him as he turned around to capture her lips against his. Before he could tempt her into a more intense kiss, she held up the cloth, showing him that she still wanted her back scrubbed. He kissed her forehead and went to work on her back.

"And here I thought you were going to tell me she was some former lover of yours," Emma mused, and she leaned more into his touch.

"Before she betrayed me she said that she thought we'd be a good match," Killian replied, "She lost her love at sea and is still very bitter about it. She thought that we could be together in our bitterness and maybe help each other get through it."

"And that didn't appeal to you?" Emma asked him.

"No, because I never trusted her," he said, "I believe that love is about trusting your partner. And there is no one that I trust more than you, darling."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest. Emma smiled and held up her hand, admiring the engagement band that sat on her finger.

"I take it you like it then?" he asked.

"I love it, I'm telling you right now though, I don't want a huge wedding," she insisted, "I want just close friends and family. None of this, 'let's invite everyone from all over the realm,' stuff."

"As you wish."

As he said that, Emma thought back to earlier today when she saw the Dread Pirate Roberts, and knew that he was really Westley. From a story that she loved when she was a little girl.

'That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'as you wish' what he meant was 'I love you.' And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.'

"I love you too," she said. Killian nuzzled the side of her neck, "I will never tire of hearing that."


Winter-Rae: Okay, long ass author's note ahead, sorry! Any characters that you recognize from another movie that's exactly how I want them to be pictured; Barbossa, Jack Sparrow, Blackbeard, and Angelica are all the ones from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Long John Silver is actually Charlton Heston from the 1990 Treasure Island movie. It was one of my favourites as a kid, watch it if you can. I picture Peter Love as being played by Michael Fassbender (watch Prometheus or X-Men: First Class if you don't know who he is), I wanted someone sexy and he was one of the first men to come to mind. And I mentioned during this chapter that the Dread Pirate Roberts is from the Princess Bride and Captain Nemo is from the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Both excellent movies as well. Lance, I see as Bronson Pinchot, you can look him up on IMDB. As for Charlotte, if you can picture a redheaded Kate Winslet in pirate gear, that's her. And Anne, if you read/watch Game of Thrones her description should be familiar since I based her off of Brienne the Beauty. Again, sorry for the long note, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to vote in the poll! Cheers and thanks for reading!