Granny really had no idea how other people didn't notice.
Admittedly, it may have been because Hook lived in her inn and Emma Swan spent most of her time in her diner. But, she thought as she rolled her eyes and locked up the cash register, Emma Swan spent most of her time in the diner. Where Hook also almost always was.
Right now, they sat at one of the booths, close enough apart that it would be read as totally platonic if a casual passerby saw them. Granny, being the shrewd woman she knew she was, watched from her counter.
Hook smiled at Emma like any man who'd been at sea for far too long would smile at a pretty girl. A smile that Granny would have expected him to have. Not. His smile was soft, and kind, and longing. Not for the kind of thing that would have Granny yelling "Get a room, you too!" and meaning it. No, she'd seen plenty of that, enough from her own granddaughter.
Granny shuddered, glared at the image of Ruby in her mind, and then refocused on the couple at the third booth.
Emma was jabbering on about the curse and Henry and her parents and clearly just letting her mind run loose. She'd only seen the girl do this a few times, mostly with Snow before the curse was broken and once or twice with Charming. This was how Emma was with a friend. Open, trusting, not thinking completely before speaking. The little princess she'd longed for was safe in this man's company.
Hook glanced toward the counter. Granny set to polishing the bottles of rum. She was clearly still busy here and it wasn't clearly ten minutes past her after-lunch closing time. Neither of them said anything, but turned to woman and chores respectively.
Granny sighed and turned on her wolf hearing. Snow and Charming were having their meetings more at their loft recently, due to the child on the way, and she still wasn't accustomed to not knowing everything. At least that was her excuse.
"Henry says that he's fine, that he understands why we're here. But that's ridiculous, since he has no idea why we're here, except for if he thinks you hired me to look for David and Mary Margaret. In which case he should be wondering why we're not back in New York yet. Good thing it's fall break."
"He trusts you, Emma. He's fine."
"But sometimes—you know that face he makes, sometimes, when he stares off into space toward the ocean?" Hook made an affirmative hum. Granny glanced toward the pirate quickly. He was spending enough time with Henry to know that look? She knew that look from back before Emma came, when he was a lost little lad searching for answers in a storybook and he and Regina ate in the diner every other day. But Hook knew it? "I think he's starting to remember, just a little."
"Is there anything that could have triggered the lad's memory lately?" Hook asked.
Emma shook her head. "We haven't even found the storybook, let alone anything else that could possibly work. So I don't know what the look really means."
"I think he's looking out to sea because it's beautiful, Emma. The sea has been nothing short of wondrous lately, despite everything that's happening." Hook leans back a little further in his seat and extends his leg beyond the edge of the table. "And if there's a part of him that's remembering Storybrooke, that's wonderful. Right?"
Emma made a noncommittal noise and changed the subject. Hook's eyebrows rose infinitesimally and he leaned forward, just slightly, as Emma started talking about Snow and Charming. Granny stopped paying attention to Emma's words, because she'd heard it all already, mostly from the dwarves. The baby, what happened in the Enchanted Forest, the baby, their plan for defeating whoever cast the curse, and the baby. All good things, but what in the wolf's name is Hook thinking?
Hook searched Emma's face, slowly, methodically. Granny didn't know him well enough to know what he was thinking, but she'd seen the man enough to understand that he was thinking. Poring over Emma's face, eyes, and fidgeting fingers and trying to figure out what she truly meant, beyond her speech. He murmured along with Emma's words, just enough to keep Emma's monologue considered a conversation, but he wasn't truly paying attention.
Finally his eyes widened and he sat straight up in the seat. He interrupted Emma's words. "You don't want Henry to get his memories back, do you, love?"
Emma sputtered for a second. "What—why would you say that? Of course I do!" Granny stared at Emma in no small amount of disbelief. The pirate was right.
"Why don't you want his memories back, Emma? If he regains his memories, there's a possibility the curse can be broken and we can figure out what the hell happened!" Despite his words, he didn't sound harsh or condemning. The pirate sounded understanding, maybe even gentle. Granny stares at him now. What happened to him to change him from the pirate who almost destroyed the town to the man she sees in front of Emma?
Emma sighed, a shaking one. "I don't know, Killian. I don't know why. I just know that the moment he remembers, everything changes. And—"
"—you don't want things to change. You want to be able to go back to New York without this place lingering over your heads. You don't want to stay."
Emma sighed again. "Our life in New York is good, Killian. Henry has friends he likes, a school he's doing well in, and a place he's safe. I have a job that pays enough for food, an apartment, and savings for college. We've got everything there."
"You don't have your family, Emma. Henry may have his friends, but I know you, Emma. You don't have anyone, not really."
Emma stared into those blue eyes—come on, she has eyes and so does Hook, and his are gorgeous—and Granny ceased breathing, just a bit. Hook was right. She could see it in Emma's eyes. Hook was right about Emma wanting to leave Storybrooke and everything behind her. How was he so perceptive about a woman he scarcely knew?
"This town will be your home the moment you let it be, Emma. You just have to let go of whatever's holding you back." Emma's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. Hook tensed. Granny thought she was about to have to scream for the dwarves—Grumpy had money on today for the latest "when will the hot people kiss" pool that seemed to change every two weeks—but her phone rang. Hook leaned back in his seat again. That couldn't be relief she saw in his shoulders?
"Okay, Mary Margaret, I'll be over in a minute." Emma hung up the call and stared at Hook again. He stared back. "Mary Margaret wants me to help her look for the storybook."
"Definitely. I'll be around if I'm needed."
Emma nodded and stood. "Thank you for listening, Killian."
"It's my pleasure, Swan."
Then Emma left the diner, one degree away from running. The moment that she was out of view, Hook exhaled loudly, running his hand through his hair and down his face. He stood up slowly and stepped up to the counter and laid several gold pieces down. "My apologies for such a long day." He turned toward the stairs to the inn.
Granny called him back. "Wait, Hook." He turned back, that devilishly handsome smirk trying to make an appearance. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with the princess. Are you okay, boy?"
For one moment, she thought he would speak the truth. In that moment, she could see it in the anguish of his eyes. That he loved Emma Swan with all of his black-laced heart. That her leaving again would break him. He brushed his fingers over his lips for a second. "I'm fine," he said with the smile that hides a thousand heartbreaks.
And he disappeared into the darkness of the stairwell. Granny finished the polishing, staring after him. Captain Hook was in love with Emma Swan, the woman who wanted nothing more than to abandon her family and friends. And—aside from the obvious—there was something very, very wrong with him.
