I own nothing except my delusions.
They had fallen into their previous routine. Emma resumed spending most of her days with Curry, McCullen, and Murphy, but she began spending more time with Hook. She continued to have her evening meals with him every night in his cabin, where they discovered more about each other. She always sat amazed at the tales of his adventures when he told them, becoming completely lost in his words. In turn, Emma began to tell him about her own life, about her family. Hook always watched her with interest when she spoke, listening to her stories of her father teaching her to fight or the fights she had with her brother growing up.
Emma didn't realize until she'd been back with the crew for a week that Hook had began to break down some of her walls. He'd already gotten past some of them. In a way it scared Emma, she never let people in, even her own family, she hadn't for so many years. And Hook, within the span of a month, had already began to get to get past her walls. She wasn't afraid for Hook to know her, but it was her lack of fear that scared her. Part of her wanted him to know her, but another part, her part that she relied on to protect herself, wanted to push him away. Whenever she would have conversations with Hook, he always listened, not because she was a princess and had to act as though he cared, but because he was genuinely interested in what she had to say. Regardless, she knew there were things she would never reveal to him, secrets she intended to keep, the reason she had her walls.
Two more weeks had passed, and within the day they would make port in Agrabagh, where they would stay for a few days so Hook could do his business and get rid of some cargo. Emma found herself excited to visit one of the far off lands she'd read about. Hook noticed her excitement as they sat in his cabin.
"Excited to make port, are we?" Hool asked her.
Emma chuckled. "I am, honestly. I've never traveled this far south. We don't do a lot of trading with the kingdoms around here, so it's somewhere completely new."
He grinned. "Well, I imagine you will enjoy yourself then."
Emma nodded. "Yes..." she trailed off.
Hook looked at her curiously. "What is it, Swan?"
Emma swallowed. "Will I be able to leave the ship?"
Hook looked astounded at Emma's question, wondering why she thought she couldn't. Emma quickly continued before he could ask her anything. "I mean, I don't exactly have a low profile. I don't want to make it dangerous for you if I'm seen out at the port."
He shook his head. "I'm sure it would be fine. You just said yourself that your kingdom doesn't do much trade with this land, so I don't think there would be a risk of you being recognized here. There are always some precautions that we can take if you're still nervous. And you don't need to worry about me, Swan. I'm a survivor. I can take care of myself."
She nodded, feeling comforted by his words. Somehow, she trusted Hook.
He quickly looked her over, a curious look on his face. "Do you still have those cloths you wore that one day?"
It was Emma's turn to look at him curiously. "Yeah. Why?"
"You should probably wear those while we are in port. I don't think you'll draw too much attention, but that dress is rather conspicuous," he told her.
Emma glanced down at her dress. Though kept clean, the once bright red had faded. The color wouldn't be bad, but the silhouette with her skirts would stick out. She nodded to him. "I think you're right about that."
They lapsed into companionable silence as they finished their meal. Emma fell asleep, excited to finally get to travel as she never had had before.
Emma awoke early. She quickly shed her dress, pulling on the pants, shirt, and vest she kept stored on her shelf. Just as she went to sit on her bunk, Hook knocked on her door.
She discovered that he had changed also, trading his black leather vest for a blood red silk one, his long leather coat left behind. Emma couldnt help but notice how attractive he looked, to which she quickly shook herself, hoping Hook wouldn't notice and make one of his innuendos.
Despite how quickly she deprived herself, of course Hook noticed. "See something you like, Swan?"
Emma rolled her eyes at him. He chuckled. "Come along, love. We should be arriving to Port Rahmah within the hour."
Instead of going to the galley like they did every morning, Hook brought them up to the deck, where most of the crew was milling around, preparing to dock. Emma was surprised at the intensity of the heat that hit her as she climbed above deck.
Hook smiled wryly at her. "It's quiet a bit warmer than you're used to, I expect."
"It is," Emma responded.
"No ones in the galley now. Plus I figured you would want something other than what we've been eating for the past month on the ship," Hook offered.
Emma nodded. "Not to insult McCullen's cooking at all, but that would be nice."
"Plus we need to get some more food," McCullen's voice rang out from behind them.
Emma turned to see McCullen approaching them. He smiled then he reached them.
"Captain," McCullen greeted. Hook nodded in response.
It looked odd to Emma seeing McCullen out on deck. She'd seen him outside the galley many times, but never out on the deck.
McCullen looked back at Emma. "I have to go out to buy more provisions. Crews gotta eat."
Emma chuckled. She closely followed Hook as he went around the deck, making sure everything was in order. Finally, the ship pulled into port.
The men quickly departed, most making their way to the taverns. Emma didn't suppose she was surprised. What did surprise her though was that aside from McCullen, Curry and Murphy hung back. Hook glanced at them before shrugging.
"It appears they intend to stay by you, love," Hook said to her quietly, smirking.
Emma couldn't help the soft grin that escaped her. These men truely seemed to care about her. She looked at the men, seeing Curry and McCullen engaging in their usual playful banter, Murphy egging them on.
"What do you say we find some food down there, Swan?" Hook asked her.
"Let's go," Emma replied, taking his arm.
Hook helped her descend the gangplank before entering into the port town, where they quickly entered into one of the quieter taverns in search of food. They moved towards one of the tables towards the back, where the men could keep an eye on who came in.
"I'm sure this isn't what you're used to, in terms of food," Hook told her as they got their food. Curry and McCullen had continued their banter the whole way, with Murphy still playing devil's advocate.
Emma shook her head. "It's fine. Honestly, sometimes I even prefer taverns to the palace."
Hook raised a brow at her statement.
"What?" She asked him. "I'll go out occasionally."
He just smirked, shaking his head.
Emma spent the day exploring with Hook in the small town. When it turned twilight, they sought out McCullen, who Emma was supposed to go back to the ship with. A risk that came with the trade, Hook, accompanied by Curry, was to meet some men in one of the taverns, and he didn't want Emma anywhere near them. Emma understood his concerns, and quickly agreed to go with McCullen back to the Jolly Roger. Insisting she help him carry some of the load, Emma walked beside the cook.
"So how long do the men usually stay out when they make port?" Emma asked curiously.
"Depends," McCullen responded. "Many stay out the entire night, coming back to the ship either drunk or hungover. Some actually will only come back to the ship when we're about to weigh anchor. The Captain usually comes back to the ship every night, some nights later than others. It usually depends if-"
McCullen cut himself off. Emma glanced at him curiously before understanding what he was going to say. Emma wasn't that naive.
"If he's bringing company aboard the ship or not," Emma finished for him.
McCullen nodded sheepishly. "Aye."
They returned to the ship in companionable silence. McCullen quickly helped Emma up the gangplank, taking her load so it would be easier for her.
"McCullen," she sighed, "I can handle myself. You don't need to do everything for me."
McCullen shook his head. "Princess, it's not because you are a princess. You're a lady, and shouldn't have to do any of the grunt work. It already goes against my good conscious letting you carry that load."
He quickly picked up the full load before Emma could grab anything. She sighed, following him down the hatch. He led her to where the food was stored, quickly beginning to tuck everything away.
"I can't imagine Captain Jones being too happy either I let you carry part of the load. He may not be one for it, but I may just get a lashing for that..." McCullen muttered, not intending to hear.
Emma quickly responded. "If he finds out and has a problem with it, I'll tell him myself I wanted to help. It was too much work for one person. And I can't be getting soft now."
McCullen laughed. "No, I guess you can't."
Emma was curious, and decided to carefully broach the subject. "What do you mean though, that Hook's not one for giving lashes?"
Though the pirates of the Jolly Roger had proven wrong many of the things she thought of pirates, she knew corporal punishment was common on most ships, pirate or not.
McCullen sighed as he scratched his jaw along his beard. "That's not for me to tell. That's the Captain's story to tell."
Emma nodded to him, dropping the subject. McCullen quickly finished his task, and led them back into the galley. He quickly prepared a small supper for the two of them as Emma sat in her spot on one of the benches.
McCullen stood at the stove, cooking up some of the meat they had gotten, having easy conversation with Emma. He had begun telling her some of the crews antics over the years, which Emma found hilarious.
He was telling her of a fond memory of his that involved Murphy and the crow's nest, Emma with tears in her eyes, when Hook walked in the galley.
Both Emma and McCullen turned to look at him, surprised to see him back so early. They hadn't expected him back for hours. Emma studied him, noticing nothing amiss. He did not appear disheveled in the slightest bit. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw McCullen studying Hook with a curious look.
"Swan is everything alright?" Hook asked, concerned. He noticed her teary eyes and splotchy cheeks.
"I'm fine, Hook," she replied, noticing his blue eyes intent on her. "McCullen was telling me some stories about the crew. He was just telling me about Murphy and the crow's nest."
A wide grin broke across Hook's lips. "Aye. Now, that is a tale I won't ever forget."
McCullen laughed. "I don't think any of us will. Have you eaten, Captain?"
"I confess I haven't," Hook responded.
McCullen turned back to the stove beginning to prepare more food. "I'll finish up with this then. Now, Princess, where was I? Oh, yes. Murphy was not happy with his time for the climb, and challenged Byrne to race up to the crow's nest. Well, Byrne decided to indulge him. Now, the reason that Byrne is the main man for that position in the nest is he's our fastest climber. So pretty early on, Murphy fell behind."
Hook chuckled, turning to Emma. "He tried to hurry up, and he didn't realize his foot had tangled in the shroud. It was only after he really started pulling at it that he realized what had happened. He went to reach down to untangle himself, but the bloody idiot let go of the shroud."
Emma laughed, Hook and McCullen joining her. Hook stopped just long enough to continue. "His foot was still tangled, so he just sat there, hanging upside down from the shroud. Byrne was laughing so hard he nearly fell from his post. He had to climb halfway down to untangle Murphy, who fell onto the deck and had to be taken into Smith."
Emma had tears rolling down her face. She could picture everything clearly. She had met Smith, the ship's surgeon, once for some linen bandages, and could easily imagine his reaction to Murphy being brought in.
"So needless to say, Murphy avoids the crow's nest now," Hook laughed.
McCullen looked at Hook. "He's probably not going to be happy we told her this story."
Hook shrugged. "Well, Swan has been here for a while, and he has chosen to be around her, so it's only fair she knows."
McCullen chuckled as he placed the plates in front of them. "Aye, you're right, Captain."
Hook stood up, grabbing his plate. Emma looked at him curiously.
"Go on," McCullen smiled at Emma. "I'll be alright here. I know that's your thing. Good night, Princess. Captain."
"Good night, McCullen," Emma said as she grabbed her plate and went with Hook back to his cabin.
Entering the cabin, they sat down to their nightly dinner. Instead of getting the wine they usually had with their dinners, Hook pulled out a dark bottle and two tumblers. Emma raised her brow in question as he poured the amber liquid into the glasses.
"Rum," he answered her unspoken question, passing her a glass. "I figured since we're in port, there's no harm in having some rum with our meal. And since the crew is most likely out getting drunk, well, we can have a drink."
Emma shrugged, accepting the tumbler. Hook raised his glass to her, a movement that Emma copied, before throwing back his drink. Emma took a drink from her own glass, the rum burning her throat and warming her belly. Emma found she liked the drink.
"I'm taking it this is the first time you've had rum?" Hook asked.
"Yes," Emma replied honestly. "Wine and ale I'm used to. This is new to me."
He nodded before taking another drink.
"So how long will we be at port?" Emma asked.
"Two days, then we leave on the third morning," Hook answered. He eyed her for just a moment. "Next time we make port, we should get you some more cloths. Those barely fit you, and your dress has seen better days. I would suggest here, but I doubt you'd be comfortable wearing the fashions."
Emma nodded. While the dresses the women wore were beautiful, they were not very practical for a ship, or something she could see herself wearing. "I think that would be a good idea."
They continued their meal when Hook spoke up. "Since the crew will be out for the night, love, what do you say about playing a little game?"
Emma quirked her brow. "What kind of a game?"
"Liar's Dice," he replied with a smirk. "Are you familiar with the game?"
"I'm not," Emma confessed. "All I know is it's a game pirates enjoy playing."
Hook smirked. "Aye. It's popular in taverns. It's a simple enough game. You have to wager the number of a certain value of of the dice on the table, only seeing your own. I can teach it to you, if you desire."
Emma smirked. "Alright," she agreed. "Let's try it."
Hook moved their empty plates to his desk, then moved to one of the storage shelves, retrieving two stone cups with ten dice. He quickly divided them up, then placed one of the cups before Emma. He explained the rules to her, and began to play.
Emma peeked at her dice, seeing a two, two threes, a four, and a five.
"Two twos," Hook bet.
"Three threes," Emma countered.
"Three fours."
Emma knew he was bluffing. "Liar," she called.
Hook grinned and pulled his cup, revealing only a single four. Emma pulled hers.
"Good job, Swan," he told her. "Again?"
Emma found she enjoyed the game. She won four of the seven rounds they played when Hook gave her a curious look.
"I'd thought you'd never played before?" he asked, playful suspicion in his eyes. "How do you keep calling my bluffs so easily?"
Emma leaned forward, giving him a conspirital grin. "I have a superpower that lets me know when someone is lying."
Hook chuckled. "You'd make a hell of a pirate, love."
Emma smiled at him. "Maybe."
She thought of the idea, sailing with Hook and the crew of the Jolly Roger. The image was appealing, but she quickly shook it away.
She looked up at Hook. "Again?"
Emma spent her days at port in a similar fashion as the day they docked. She would wonder the small port, Hook always with her pointing out various things for her to see. Sometimes McCullen, Curry, or Murphy, the latter occasionally hung over, would follow them. Unlike the first night, Hook always went back with her to the ship at night, forgoing the taverns. Emma found herself enjoying her time there in the foreign land. She often thought of the image she had of herself being part of the crew, and constantly found herself torn. But she knew that being on the ship would not be permanent. So she let herself wonder what it could have been.
Emma awoke on the third morning, sorry to leave the port, but eager to be back at sea. She went out when Hook came to her door, moving with him to above deck.
The crew had returned to their stations, preparing to depart. Most of the men greeted Emma as she passed by them on her way up to the helm at Hook's side, to which she would nod in return.
Hook gripped the wheel, looking at her. "Ready, Swan?"
"Let's go," she replied.
Hook let out a grin, turning back to the deck. "Weigh anchor!"
Review?
Teaser: Emma's voice shook. "You're looking for me. Just leave Hook out of this."
