Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Once Upon A Time. ABC, Disney, the amazing A&E and whoever else have that distinction. No profit is being made, and no copywrite infringement is intended.

AN: I don't think I've ever read a fic where we find out what deal Hook made with Pan to get out of Neverland the second time, and, well, I had an idea while rewatching episodes for this fic. Cause there's that line about Hook killing Rufio... Also, I always wondered why Felix was unconscious on the deck when the ladies showed up. And yeah, I changed when the Lost Boys board to play with that a bit, I doubt you'd even notice if I hadn't mentioned it, lol. Two more parts after this I think. Thanks for all the reviews as always, I'm glad people are enjoying this.

Stars

by Lady Callista

Chapter 10:

"So what's the plan?" Felix hissed the instant him and Hook were alone in the dingy.

Hook watched Baelfire help the last boy up the ladder before turning to Felix with a raised eyebrow. "I believe you heard us discussing it earlier. Take Henry's heart back from Pan, and then it's a one-way trip out of this cursed land."

Felix's eyes widened briefly before he shook his head and chuckled, "It's a good act, but you've been Pan's ally too long for me to..."

"I was never his ally, lad." Hook snapped, using his hook to shove Felix towards the ladder as he saw Bae poke his head over it, as if wondering what the delay was. He chuckled suddenly as he saw worry flash over the boy's face. "Is that why you let them quiet you? Is that why you let me quiet you? Thought I was privy to some plan of Pan's that you weren't?"

"He told me to trust you when you first sided with Rufio too, cause you were only planning to betray him. I know there's gotta be a play this time as well."

"I'm no longer in the position where I'm forced to make deals with a demon." Hook prodded Felix until the boy began to climb, taking a deep breath as painful memories forced their way to the forefront of his mind. He knew why Felix would consider him an ally; Pan wouldn't have shared the real truth of the matter with him, but the version that made him come out as looking more powerful. And the blasted bugger was powerful enough.

"Hook!"

Baelfire's voice startled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up just in time to catch the ropes coming at his head, moving to attach them to the rings at the bow and stern of the dingy automatically before hauling himself up the ladder.

Wendy and Tink had the boys gathered up out of the way, and Felix sat apart from them, under David's watchful eye and drawn sword.

Hook traded places with the prince, who only nodded as him and Bae moved to the winches to haul the small ship back up on to the deck.

"You know Pan never fails." Felix growled. "Turn on these idiots just like you did on Rufio, and..."

"Don't speak of what you don't understand." Hook snapped, his angry voice drawing the attention of the others.

"They're not taking us home!" Felix called, and the other boys shifted uneasily on the deck. Tink eyed them nervously and pulled Wendy back a few steps even as David and Bae hurried to get the dingy aboard so they could help. "They don't really care about you, they don't care about anyone but themselves. We'll all end up dead just like Rufio, and..."

"Pan killed Rufio!" Hook snapped.

"You killed Rufio!" Felix retorted, rising to his feet with a surge, and Hook could hear the boys behind him starting to mumble. Most of them had seen it firsthand, after all.

"You tricked him into trying to help you kill Pan, and when it didn't work you killed him so that Pan wouldn't kill you!" One of the older boys called out.

"Pan lied to you about what happened." Hook called out loudly and clearly. "Do you truly think he'd have let me live, never mind leave, if I'd truly betrayed him like that?"

"He said he did it to keep us safe." One of the younger boys answered now. "So that you couldn't hurt any of the rest of us."

"Rufio came to me." Hook kept his eyes locked on Felix even as he noted with relief that Dave and Bae had just settled the boat on deck and were circling out, David heading towards the ladies and Bae coming up behind Felix. The little bastard had picked the best possible moment to attempt his prisoner's revolt, and if Emma hadn't done such a good job of talking to the boys it could have been far worse. But he could hear the doubts in the voices of the other boys as they questioned, yet again, something Pan had told them. "He thought he might have found a way off the island, but he would need my assistance , and my ship. I'd wanted to leave for a long time, and I agreed. We planned for nearly two weeks, and when we were almost ready, Pan came to me."

"That's a lie." Felix screamed. "Pan told you to help Rufio and then..."

Bae unfortunately chose that moment to clock Felix in the back of the head, and Hook looked at him with exasperation. "You couldn't have waited until he revealed that portion of the truth?"

Baelfire looked down, slightly sheepishly, at the boy collapsed at his feet as the last words that boy had said registered. "Hey, I thought he was just gonna rile them up more, I never thought he'd break that easily..."

Hook let out a wry chuckle as he shook his head, and murmured for Bae's ears alone, "When you tell enough lies it's hard to remember who knows what."

He turned then, catching Tink's eye as she stared at him. He'd avoided the topic barely an hour ago when she'd tried to press him on it, but now that Felix and the other boys had spewed their version he knew the whole ugliness would have to come out, or he would lose all the trust he'd worked hard to gain. "Pan came to me, and said he'd known of the plan all along. He'd been testing Rufio, and there was no way off the island. Except one. He would allow me and my men to leave, but only if we attempted the plan, and made sure Rufio died in the attack."

"Why would he..." Tink's mind whirled as she considered. She'd heard the same version the boys knew, as she'd heard it from them.

Hook and Rufio, along with a bunch of his pirates, had broken into Pan's compound in an attempt to kill him and take over, but Pan had captured them and tried to turn Rufio back to his side. And just when it looked like he would succeed, Hook had turned on him and killed him, offering Rufio's life in trade for his and his mens.

She hadn't questioned the story when she first heard it, everyone had seen it after all, and although she had wondered briefly why Pan would let Hook leave after that, and wondered privately if they were actually all dead, it hadn't really been something she cared about enough to consider. But Hook's version made sense when you knew Pan as she did.

"And if you don't take his deal, he kills all of you for planning his assassination. Or worse, sticks you in a cage forever." Tink said softly, although her voice carried surprisingly well.

"Rufio was dead the moment he plotted against Pan." Hook said softly, his eyes trailing over the boys. "But what looks better? One of Pan's most trusted turning on him and dying at his own hand, or the evil pirate corrupting and killing one of Pan's most trusted as he tried to save him?"

"Rufio really wanted to leave?" One of the younger boys took a few steps forward, and Hook smiled softly as he dropped to a knee.

"He did, lad, just like you want to. And I promise, just like Emma did, just like all of us do, that we'll be leaving very soon. We have something we didn't have back then, and that's a way out of here. Now, I need you boys to get below while we prepare to sail. Can you do that? There's a big loft with a bunch of hammocks that should fit you all perfectly."

The boy smiled back and nodded, and Hook glanced up at Tink. "Main crew berth, down the main hatch and straight ahead, last door."

She nodded, and began ushering Wendy and the boys down as Hook turned back to Felix, deciding there was no harm in letting the boy remain lying there, although he did move to tie him up again.

"You chose saving your men and yourself over saving Rufio." Baelfire couldn't help but speak up, and Hook's gaze snapped over to him, eyes softening as he saw him sitting with Henry's head in his lap.

"I couldn't have saved the lad. Either time."

There was a trace of regret in Hook's voice, but unlike before Baelfire understood now why it was only a trace. "You didn't just decide to turn me over to Pan because I didn't want to stay with you, did you?"

Hook's expression blanked for a moment, his jaw tightening. It galled enough that he hadn't been able to defeat or outwit Pan, having to admit it out loud wasn't going to happen. He said only, "Pan never fails."

"Until now." David's voice came firmly, snapping Hook out of his memories. "We need to get ready to leave."

"Aye." Hook squared his shoulders, taking a deep breath of cleansing sea air before nodding to David as the prince finished closing the hatch behind Tinkerbell. Bae clearly wasn't moving from his spot with Henry, which he completely understood, but David didn't know much about sailing. He headed over to the ropes for the main sail. "Over here, mate, we may need to be quick once the ladies return and I'll show you..."

Hook felt a shift in the air, spinning towards the fordeck as the ladies appeared in a puff of purple smoke, relief surging through him as he saw the heart pulsing in the queen's hand.

"Henry, where is he?"

"He's over here."

Hook stood back as Regina and Emma rushed across the deck, staying on the edge of the circle that formed around Henry, smiling in relief as the lad woke up and immediately started apologizing. He knew what it was to make the wrong choice trying to be a hero, and he smiled when Henry's eyes slowly scanned around the circle of adults hovering over him and met his own. "Welcome back, young sir." He grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Only the best for our guest of honor, don't you think? Captain's quarters."

Henry grinned back as Regina offered to tuck him in.

OoOoOoO A few hours later OoOoOoO

Hook stood alone at the wheel as his ship sailed quietly through the stars.

"Need a break?"

Hook's eyes widened as David appeared beside him with a bowl of cheese and dried meat. He glanced down to where Snow White was passing out food to the boys, and Regina and Tink were talking quietly. "Here to warn me off of Emma again?"

David chuckled, the hand he put on the wheel clearly a peace offering as he offered the bowl again. Hook took it with a nod, nearly dropping it as David said softly, "She's had enough people abandon her."

He speared a hunk of cheese with his hook, biting it off to buy himself a moment. While this wasn't really approval, not even the tentative kind Swan's mother had given hours ago, it was at least acceptance. For the moment anyway. And between two gentlemen like themselves that was all that needed to be said.

"If you can manage to keep her going straight for the next few hours, I'll take a brief rest. Then I need to check some charts against Bae's starmap. Apparently the code to it is from a chart of mine that he'd memorized, but it's one I've not checked in sometime."

David nodded. "Snow and Wendy are both getting tired too, and you can tell the boys all are. We'll try to settle them all down once they're done eating. How many hours?"

"At least 10, I'll know for sure once I see the other star charts. We'll take shifts, both up here and keeping an eye on Felix." Hook decided as he continued to eat, trying to remember the last time any of them had had a decent meal. David nodded, and so Hook pointed out the stars he needed to steer by before wandering down from the wheel and climbing below decks.

He was almost to his quarters before he remembered that Henry was sleeping in there, and he diverted to the galley with a sigh, filling his bowl again with the intent of leaving it for the boy before wandering off to sleep in the first mate's quarters. But not before grabbing a clean shirt from his wardrobe. He wrinkled his nose as he balanced the bowl on his arm and quietly opened the door to his quarters, closing it just as quietly behind him. Keeping his back to the bed and moving as silently as possible, Hook shed his coat, leaving it on the desk along with the bowl, stepping towards the small built in cabinet as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the deck before reaching for a clean one.

He had just shrugged into it and started to do up the lower buttons when the lantern hanging on the wall suddenly lit and he spun, instinctively going on alert. He took a harsh breath at the sight of Emma, and just Emma, in his bed. "Where's Henry?"

Emma smiled, feeling her heart melt slightly that that was his first thought. "Neal woke us up a little while ago when he came to check on us, and after he left Henry didn't want to go back to sleep. I said he could go up on deck, everyone else is up there. I just wanted a minute alone."

"You can sleep longer if you want, lass, we're going to take turns up above." He gestured towards the bowl on the desk, "I was just going to leave that for Henry before finding a place to rest my head as well. Take as long as you need."

"You don't have to go." She whispered as he turned towards the door, and smiled back at the shock on his face when he spun to face her.

"Emma." It was all he could manage, and his entire body was frozen, wanting to move to her but needing her to be absolutely clear. He was fine with only holding her if that was her wish, and certainly fine with more if that was her desire. But he needed to know before he touched her.

"You never doubted we would win. And you said, you said that after we won it, it would be my choice." Emma said softly as she sat up. "And I... gods I suck at this, but... but I don't want you to go. I don't want to run away from you anymore."

"And what do you want, love?" The words came out softer than he had planned.

Emma smiled softly as she rose, the flirting tone he'd tried to inject falling flat at the gentleness and wonder in his eyes. She tilted her head as she slid a hand up his chest and around his neck. "I want you to kiss me, and then hold me until we fall asleep." Her breath caught at the flash of pure joy in his eyes and his smile, and prepared herself for the flash and burn.

Instead, his hand slid up her arm to touch her cheek gently, his thumb caressing over her lips before he leaned down to rest their foreheads together. He whispered her name again before kissing her gently, sliding into the kiss as he felt her warm hand on his back, tracing his spine even as she sent shivers down it with the fingernails tracing over the back of his neck. "I think that sounds like a perfect plan, love." He skimmed the side of his hook up her bare arm, eyes widening when she only shivered and leaned in to kiss him again.

Emma had expected to see triumph and lust in his eyes when she finally gave in, but though the passion was there in his stormy eyes, which were darker than normal, there was a gentleness in his touch and face that overcame those baser emotions. He knew how broken she was, but knew how to deal with all those jagged edges. And he knew that sometimes all he could do was hold her while she fixed them herself. He proved it again when he drew back from the series of kisses that had never lost their gentleness and pulled her to sit beside him on the bed.

"If you want to simply sleep, we should probably do that now."

Her eyes flicked down to his crotch before she could stop herself, eyebrows rising at the effect a simple kiss had clearly had on him. But her own heart was racing, and she couldn't say she didn't feel the heat centering in her belly. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"There's no need to be sorry, love." He chuckled, sliding back on the bed and pulling her against his chest where she cuddled right in.

"This just needs to go slow, and..."

"It's alright, Emma." He whispered, "As you once said this isn't the time or the place. When it is, we'll both know. I'm just glad you stopped pushing me away."

"You wouldn't go."

"And unless you truly desire it, I never will." He whispered the words into her hair, smoothing it back from where it was falling over her cheek.

"When we get back, we, we should go on a date." Emma mumbled, eyes flashing up to his when she felt him chuckle beneath her. "What?"

Hook only smiled softly, fingers trailing over her cheek again. "Are you asking me to court you, lass?"

Emma flushed, smacking his chest lightly at the archaic term, but he really wasn't that far off from what she wanted. "I just don't want to mess this up."

He smiled again, heart clenching at the vulnerability in her tone, catching her hand and laying a gentle kiss on the back of it before searing a brand into her palm. "Neither do I. We'll just have to be patient with each other."

"You're good at that."

Hook chuckled again, he could literally hear her starting to fall asleep, and he kissed her forehead as she cuddled more closely into him. "Long practice. The speed and exact course don't concern me, love, as long as I know where I'm ending up. And as I told you, this is exactly where I wanted to be."

"You probably pictured us naked though." For once it was Emma who injected the teasing tone into the conversation, and he barked out a laugh of surprise.

"Well, I am a man." He smirked as he traced his fingers up her side, caressing over the cleavage her tank top revealed before dropping his palm down to give her breast a soft squeeze, sliding his hand back down to her hip when she gasped. "But it's worth the wait to know that it's right. I never want to hurt you, Emma, and I told you I'm fine with whatever that means."

"I really need to write a new book on Captain Hook." Emma mumbled, sliding her arm under his shirt to wrap it around his trim waist.

"Well, you've heard some of the more memorable parts of the tale..."

It was her turn to chuckle. "No, that, that's not what I mean. How did all of the stories get you so wrong?"

"They didn't. Well, other than my appearance, if I understood Tink's description of a perm correctly." He frowned at the thought before taking a deep breath. "I was a different man before I met you, Emma. Forgive me if this is too much, but you were a light in the darkness, darling. You intrigued me, reminded me of when I'd had your ideals, your hopes. You were beautiful and passionate and strong, yet you were hiding a pain so deep, and in some ways so like my own, that I couldn't help but want to comfort you. And the more I got to know you the more I wanted to know. I suspect that will never change."

"Killian." Words failed her, and she leaned up to kiss him deeply, regretfully pulling back before they got lost in each other. "I don't care about the past. You don't know all of what I've done either, and some of it, well... We all do bad shit. We all fail sometimes. It's who you are now that matters, and that's the man I want to get to know better."

"Emma. Gods, love..." His arms tightened around her, barely able to believe that he wasn't dreaming. Barely able to believe that she was in his arms, that she was really giving them a chance. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"You never gave up." She chuckled, "Even in the beginning when I really wished you would."

"Oh, you were fascinated even then." He teased.

She smirked and didn't answer, but curled herself closer into his side. "Can everything else wait till we're back in Storybrooke?"

"Oh course, love." He sighed as she dropped a kiss on his chest. "Sleep now. We've won."

And curled up in each others arms, they both dropped off into a contented sleep.

TBC...