A/N: I know I just put up a chapter but I wanted to put up the chapter so I could explain something. To the anonymous reviewer who was very disappointed in my last chapter- I hope you've stuck around so I can better explain why I chose to make the new character Bae and not Henry. In this AU Emma is in no way shape or form ready to be a mother. It just wouldn't work out for her. The relationship she needs right now is a sibling one, someone to be a friend but also a family member. Because of that I never even considered making this child into Henry. As it's an AU I'm taking artistic liberty and making the boy older than Neal is in the show. And as you pointed out, Neal/Bae wouldn't be Mary Margaret and David's child in this story but neither is Emma. This in an AU and I'm playing around with things. I'm sorry I disappointed you. It wasn't my intention. If you're still around and want to read my take on a parental relationship read my fic The Absence of You. It had a four year old Henry in it. Thanks everyone for the reviews, follows and favourites! I know the last chapter was a bit different than my other pieces. I hope you've stuck around!

Disclaimer: All aspects of Once Upon A Time belong to ABC and the show's creators.

Emma was sleeping when the hatch to her quarters was thrown open and she was rudely woken by the thump of feet. Emma bolted upright, drawing her sword as her sight swam into focus. When it did she noticed Robin, standing far enough back that had Emma swung her cutlass it would have missed him. Robin had obviously spent way too much time with Emma and her sleeping habits.

"Morning, Sunshine," Robin grinned when Emma put away her sword.

Emma snorted and rolled her eyes. "What?" Emma asked as she rolled out of bed and moved to her chest of clothing. Every day the weather got colder and the chill of the morning started seeping into her bones as soon as she was up, her nightdress providing little protection.

"The Jolly's just arrived. I thought you'd want to see Smee."

Emma cursed, glancing out the window to check the approximate time. She had plans with Bae later that morning. Which she would not miss. "Give me two minutes."

Emma yanked on brown pants and a slightly baggy grey sweater. She looped her cutlass around her waist and yanked on boots and socks. Emma scrambled out of the captain's quarters, the brim of hat held between her teeth so she could use her hands on the ladder.

Emma climbed out onto the deck. Robin and Smee were speaking by the gang plank. They both turned when Emma appeared. As she walked over to them she pulled the hat from her mouth and set it on her head.

"Morning, Smee," Emma greeted when she'd neared the men.

"Good morning, Sir- I mean Captain Swan." Smee turned the same colour red as his knitted hat. Robin raised an eyebrow in amusement at Emma but she let it slide. Smee was a bit of a nervous wreck anyways. She didn't have the time to wind Smee up any more than he already was.

"What can I do for you?" Emma asked, hooking a thumb through her belt.

"I wanted to thank you first, Captain," Smee started, bowing a little. "For saving us then taking Captain Jones back here."

"It was no trouble. The ship was on her way here anyways." Well, Jones had been a bit of trouble for Emma personally but she chose not to reveal that because that would bring questions about why. She was already worried enough about telling Bae her story. She didn't need to tell Smee too.

"Have you gone to see Jones?" Robin asked when Smee didn't immediately leave after saying thank you.

Smee cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. "I was wondering if you could take me to where he is."

Emma raised a brow. "It really isn't that far." The town was small and the hospital was one of the largest buildings, apart from the pub.

"I know," Smee replied. "But Jones is bound to be angry-"

Smee trailed off and Emma understood. She heaved an exasperated sigh. "So you want our protection."

"Not necessarily," Smee was quick to answer. "Just your accompaniment. Jones won't yell in front of you, Miss, uh- Captain Swan."

"Obviously you don't know him very well," Emma answered dryly, Robin hiding a laugh behind his hand.

Smee looked shocked. "Captain yelled at a lady? That isn't like Captain Jones."

"Obviously I bring out the best in Jones," Emma replied, stepping onto the gangplank and leading the way to the pier. Smee and Robin followed, understanding that she just wanted to get the thing with Jones over with and taking Smee to the hospital was the quickest way to do just that. The hospital was on her way to the market. She could get this done and slip away quickly as she had an excuse as to why she was busy.

Robin caught up to her as they moved onto the road, Smee following. "What's got you on edge, Emma?" Robin asked, glancing back at Smee, as if it were the nervous first mate winding her up. Emma shook her head. Smee wasn't bothering her. Not really. Sure, Jones set her teeth on edge so going to see him wasn't helping but she was more nervous about talking with Bae, about letting him down.

What if Bae had built her up in his mind? She didn't want to blow his confidence that he could make something of himself just because she had a horrible story. And what would Bae think, at his young age, about what Emma had been through? Had had to do? She desperately, and without understanding why, wanted Bae to like her, to trust her. She wanted to make what had been so wrongly done to her done right for this boy. She wanted to protect the child. The longer she thought about it the more sure she was about that.

"I've got plans," Emma answered vaguely as they carried along down the road. Smee was still walking behind them, as if the pirate was scared he didn't have the status to walk with Emma and Robin, even though Robin, theoretically was off a lower ranking than Smee. It made Emma wonder about the hierarchy on Jones's ship and how he treated his men.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Something I should tell David about?"

"Not yet." Emma sighed when Robin didn't let up his stare. Emma couldn't get away with anything without one of her friends calling her out about her secrecy. They were so scared that she was going to run at the slightest issue that they tried desperately to stay on top of everything. At least if she told Robin and ordered him to keep it a secret Robin wouldn't tell David. If David found out then Mary Margaret would know almost immediately after and would demand to meet Bae. But Emma wasn't ready for that and she was certain Bae wouldn't be either. Bae was still too skitterish. Mary Margaret would overwhelm him with her mothering, which would be too much for a boy who had grown up on the streets as Bae seemed to have.

"I met a little boy who lives on the street. His name is Bae. I'm taking him breakfast."

"Yet you look like you're going into battle," Robin drawled, curiosity heavy in his voice.

"Bae wants to know my story."

"Your real story?" Robin asked, now shocked. Emma nodded, biting at her lip. Robin had been the last person she had told and that had been at least six years previously. "Why?"

Emma stopped now that they were in front of the hospital. Emma motioned for Smee to go in ahead of them before turning back to Robin. "Because I see myself in Bae. And I know how much I wanted someone to come save me. But it never happened."

"So you want to save the child? How?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know," she told her friend honestly. "I'm trying to get him to trust me right now before I figure anything else out so don't say anything to anyone else. It will all happen naturally. At least that's what I'm telling myself right now."

Robin nodded. "This may be good for you, Emma."

"I want it to be good for Bae. I'm fine."

Robin didn't answer, just gave her a sad smile. Above them Smee clearned his throat. Emma glanced up at him and rolled her eyes when she realized Smee had never actually gone inside. What did he expect Jones to be like? The man had been nearly dead last time Emma saw Jones.

With a heavy sigh Emma started up the steps to the hospital door. "Let's get this over with. I have ten minutes." Smee turned to a nurse when they had entered and gave the injured pirates name. The nurse's eyes widened, shocked that someone was there to see Jones, but she led them upstairs anyways, stopping in front of a small room at the end of the hallway.

Emma gave Smee a shove in the door when the first mate made no move to enter. Smee stumbled forward, muttering a quick, "how are you feeling, Captain?"

"How do you think, Smee?" Jones barked back. "Where's my ship? The doctor said I could leave when my ship arrived."

"The ship's in the dock, Captain. She was taking on water something fierce by the time we reached port."

Jones cursed and Emma rolled her eyes at Robin, gesturing vaguely in Jones's direction. Did Jones think the ship was in stellar shape after taking on a warship it had no business confronting? Maybe he was still delusional with fever. "Did you arrange for the repairs, Smee?" Jones asked tiredly, the venom gone from his voice after the initial shock had faded.

"No- not me," Smee confessed, stumbling over the words. "The lady pirate, Captain Swan, did."

"Swan offered her assistance?" Jones replied, incredulous, cursing again softly.

"Surprised? She did sail your sorry ass back to port," Robin drawled from the doorway, leaning against the jamb. Emma slapped Robin from where she stood, out of sight. She didn't have time to rile up Jones. Bae was waiting.

"Are you out there too then, Swan?" Jones called. Shit. Emma stepped around the door frame and shrugged.

Jones looked better than when she'd last seen him, the colour returned to his cheeks as he sat against the headboard of the hospital bed. The majority of the infection must have been gone. Relief both that she would be done with Jones for good now, debt repaid, and relief that the pirate was going to live warred for supremacy inside of her. Was she happy Jones had survived because she no longer owed the pirate? Or was she happy because she actually wanted him to survive? How could that be when Jones had been so awful to her on The Swan?

"Not of my own doing," she replied to cover her conflicted thoughts. Jones smirked at the answer. "Now, that I've taken your first mate here, I must be going." Emma turned to leave but Jones spoke before she could go too far.

"Wait, Swan," he called. Emma paused, peering back in the room, waiting to see what kind of rude quip the pirate would have for her. Instead his voice was earnest and gentle. "Thank you."

Emma started, raising an eyebrow casually to hide her shock. "That fever must have mixed you up. I thought only gentlemen said thank you?"

A slightly embarrassed look flitted across Jones's face before the cocky challenging expression was back. "I'm always a gentleman, love."

Emma shook her head with a snort, dismissing the empty phrase as she remembered the last time Jones had used it on her. Jones wasn't a gentleman, not as the captain had been at the pub two years previously. And Jones was too far gone to ever be one again. Emma nodded a goodbye to Robin before hurrying away, not giving Jones the chance to say anything to impede her trip to find Bae.