Only one month and nineteen days. We're going to make it right?
"Thank you for doing this, Henry," Emma walked with her son toward Killian's ship with her arm around his shoulders, "It means a lot to me."
"Since he doesn't seem to be going anywhere," Henry shrugged. He tried to appear disinterested, but the moment he saw Killian's ship his eyes lit up in excitement.
"You sounded like your father just now," Emma told him with a smirk of amusement, "It's okay to like Killian. I don't think your dad would mind."
"I think he would," Henry responded.
"What has your dad been telling you, Henry?" Emma pressed.
"That Hook stole his mother from him, and now he's stealing my mother from me," Henry admitted.
"That is not at all true," Emma told him emphatically, "Quite the opposite. He almost left because he thought he was interfering. Henry, you are the most important thing to me. I'm sorry if you feel like I have been neglecting you since we got back to Storybrooke."
"I want to go home, Mom," Henry told her, "Back to David and Mary Margaret's."
"I talked to both of them yesterday," Emma told him as she ran her fingers through his unruly mop of hair, "You are welcome there anytime you want."
"I want all of us together," Henry amended, "Like it was before Neverland."
"That's not going to happen, Kid," Emma sighed, "And it's not because of Killian. I'm an adult. I can't live with my parents forever."
"Why can't you get your own place then?" Henry suggested, "Some place with room for me."
"You have a good point," Emma nodded, "Maybe it is time to put down some permanent roots in Storybrooke."
Henry nodded his head vigorously as they approached the Jolly Roger.
"Permission to come aboard, Captain," Emma called out from the dock.
Killian let out a hearty laugh as he appeared over the railing, "Now you're starting to ask?"
"Showing Henry here the ropes," Emma smiled up at him. She felt herself swoon as his piercing blue eyes shined down at her. Something had felt different that morning when she woke up and looked into his eyes. He'd been awake for a while. He confessed he was a bit anxious for their day at sea. His gaze appeared lighter, freer than it ever had.
"Be a dear and cast the lines," Killian told her as he waved Henry aboard, "I need a strapping lad to help me hoist the sails."
Emma muttered under her breath as she did as asked. She could feel herself becoming the day's third wheel as she heard the two conversing aboard the ship. Henry's usual exuberance came through as he and Killian worked in tandem to raise the sails.
In the open water, Killian turned over the wheel to Henry and let him navigate to wherever he desired. "Just don't run us aground," was Killian's only warning as he wrapped his arms around Emma's waist and leaned up against the mast. "He's a natural. Takes after his father."
"You seem more chipper today than usual," Emma noted as she relaxed in his arms, "What's different?"
"Why does something need to be different?" he asked.
"Because something is," she pulled on his necklace, only she realized he was missing one that he usually wore and had been replaced by an alternative. Her eyes began scanning the hardwood floors of the ship, "Your necklace is gone."
"Emma," he reached for her hand when she went to expand her search, "It isn't gone."
"You had it last night," she told him, "I remember seeing it."
"Emma," Killian brought her in close, "I didn't lose it. I took it off."
"What?" she looked at him curiously, "Why would you…Milah."
Killian nodded in confirmation, "Milah gave me that necklace. It was her first pirate booty, as she called it. She wanted something to commemorate the moment."
"But why did you take it off?" she asked as she searched his eyes.
Killian couldn't answer nor look her in the eyes. He glanced out towards the water instead.
"Killian," she brought his eyes to hers. It took only a moment to connect the dots. "That's what's different."
"I made peace with losing her," he admitted softly.
"I…ah. I don't know what to say," she replied.
"There isn't anything to say," he told her, "This was between me and Milah. What we had was special and unique. It ended too soon, but it's time to let go."
"You did this for me," she gasped.
"My, aren't we full of ourselves?" he tried to make light of the situation.
"Hook," she scowled at him.
"Why is it I'm Hook whenever I do something that displeases you?"
"Because that's who you are when you piss me off," she continued to scowl.
"I did it for myself," he told her sincerely, "I did this for my own sanity. I want to open myself up to the possibility that there is still good in me, still the capacity for love."
"You didn't think you could love again?" she asked.
"I didn't want to," Killian told her, "I loved Milah so strongly that I sought vengeance for three hundred years. Where did that get me?"
"Here in Storybrooke," Emma told him gently as she caressed his face.
"I'm hungry," Henry spoke up, effectively killing their moment.
"It's the ocean air. It makes us all hungry," Killian laughed heartily, "We'd better drop our hooks and get to fishing."
"Hooks?" Henry asked as he looked to Killian's arm.
"Smaller hooks," Killian laughed out again.
"What if we don't catch anything?" Henry asked.
"Then we'll eat the other food that your mum brought," Killian told him.
"What other food?" Henry asked in confusion, "She didn't bring anything with."
"Actually I did earlier," Emma chimed in as she traded glances with Killian, "Killian told me about today's activities. I got a little nervous. Fishing requires patience that I don't really have."
"Let's try the hooks first, Love," Killian smirked.
It didn't take long for Henry and Killian to catch enough to feed the three of them and then some.
"Looks like we'll make a profit today after all," Killian began filleting the best of their catch, "I'll split those with you, Lad."
"What?" Henry asked, "Why?"
"You caught just as many fish as me. It's only fair," Killian replied, "It's the code of the pirate. Everyone is given an equal share aboard this ship."
"Does that mean I get paid as well?" Emma asked.
"You are aboard this ship, aren't you, Lass?" Killian sent her a flirtatious wink.
"David's right. Your skills with a blade are impressive," Emma noted as she watched him work.
"You sound surprised," he smirked as he transferred the filets to a pan to cook them, "You've seen me in action."
"I was a little busy trying to save myself at the time," Emma reminded him.
"It was a jolly good time if you ask me," he grinned as he wagged an eyebrow at her.
"Especially when I knocked you out cold," she snickered.
"And how do you know that wasn't my plan all along?" he challenged her.
"Your plan was to get knocked out by a girl," Emma eyed him skeptically.
"Got your attention, didn't it?" he winked.
"Don't let that fish burn," Emma rolled her eyes, "I'd hate to have to cut into our profits."
Killian sent her a wink as he focused on his task.
After a hearty meal, Henry went back to the helm of the ship as Emma and Killian cleaned up.
"Why don't you bring her about, Lad," Killian suggested, "We'd better head back before the sun sets. It's much more difficult to dock the ship with no light."
Henry spun the wheel. Killian ducked as a trained sailor would as the beam crossed the ship.
Emma's eyes went wide as the beam nearly took her out. Killian had quick reflexes as he threw himself against Emma, knocking her from her feet just in time to be saved from one heck of a headache. They landed in a heap on the deck.
"Heads up, Love," Killian whispered as they lay on the deck for a moment to recover.
"Good to know," she whispered back as she kissed his lips softly.
"I'd love to spend the rest of the day massaging your lips, but we have a ship to dock," he pressed his forehead to hers.
"Maybe later," she grinned as he picked himself off the ground and offered her his hand.
"That is a promise," he vowed as he kissed her once more before joining Henry at the helm.
"Thank you for today," Emma hugged Killian around the midsection after she'd returned to his ship feeling merry from spending quality time with her son once they'd docked back in Storybrooke.
"You're welcome, Love," he smiled, "I hope your son enjoyed the voyage."
"He did," she nodded, "You're all he talked about on the walk home."
"I hope in the good way," he pressed his forehead to hers as he savored the way she melted against him.
"Yes, and his father was very impressed by the stories Henry had to share," Emma snickered.
Killian winced at the thought.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she caressed his chin.
"I don't want Baelfire to feel as if I'm trying to take his son away," Killian told her.
"Neal," Emma corrected him, "He's Neal in this world."
"Neal…Baelfire, he's still the same person. He's still the scared boy that we pulled from the water and hid from Pan," Killian explained, "I have no intention of replacing him in his son's eyes. I just want Henry to know me without the judgment of those that claim to know my true intentions but are actually forcing their own beliefs on him."
"And he will," she assured him.
"I've taken enough away from Bae…Neal," Killian told her.
"Neal's mother left of her own free will," Emma reminded him, "We've been through this."
"First his mother, then his love, but not his son," Killian stated.
"Deal," Emma nodded, "Because Henry will always be Neal's son."
"I want to make that clear to Bae…Neal. I want him to know that I am not attempting to replace him," Killian added.
"That's probably not a good idea right now," Emma stated after a moment of thought, "Neal is not happy with us spending time together, especially with his son. How about we let the knowledge our relationship breath for a little while before you two sit down for a heart to heart?"
"As you wish, Love," he made a showing of bowing before her.
"Are you mocking me, Hook?" Emma grabbed a fist full of his shirt and roughly brought him against her.
"You have a bit of an aggressive streak. I like it," he grinned as he brought his lips against her, "I believe I promised to massage these all night."
"You know," she gave him a curious glance, "They call it making out in this world."
"And how long does this making out take?" he asked.
"As long as we'd like," Emma smiled as she backed him against the mast and mashed her lips against his.
"I hope you aren't expecting me to complain," he grinned against her lips as he began to reciprocate.
"I know better," she returned his smile.
Killian fell asleep before Emma that night. She had too much on her mind to actually sleep. Their conversation during their cruise kept replaying in her head. Killian was letting Milah go in large part because he thought he was ready to love again. It could only mean that he thought he was ready to fall in love with her, and that scared her to death.
She'd only ever loved once, and it ended with her pregnant, in jail and alone.
She left the warmth of Killian's arms and found her way above deck where the cool night's breeze sent a chill immediately through her body. She was only on the deck for a few minutes when warm arms wrapped around her from behind.
"Cold night," she instantly relaxed in Killian's arms.
"For a woman that can't seem to stay warm, this seems like a strange place for you," he made note as he stepped into her to share his warmth, his chest pressed against her back as he tightened his hold around her.
"Couldn't sleep," she shrugged.
"Everything alright, Love?" he brushed the hair away from her neck with his hook so he could lay a kiss at her nape.
"Just needed some fresh air," she replied.
"I'm not going to allow you to shut me out, Swan," he pressed another kiss to the juncture of her neck, "Tell me what's wrong. I want to help."
She sighed internally that he was already able to read her thoughts and emotions, "I'm scared."
Killian kept silent as he waited for her to continue.
"I'm scared that I'm going to open myself up again and get hurt," she felt the emotions of so many years coming out.
"I know all about that fear. I lived with that fear for most of my life," he told her with gentleness in his voice that surprised them both, "I will not betray your trust. Your heart is safe with me."
"I wish it was that simple," she turned in his arms, "If it was as simple as trusting you, we'd already be there because I do trust you…with my life, with my son's life."
"Trust is where it all starts," he told her as he brushed the hair away from her shoulder as he traced her collarbone with his finger, "I know where you're coming from, Emma. When someone that you love leaves…no matter if it is by choice or death, it paralyzes you…It paralyzed me. It took three hundred years before I finally felt I was ready to take that first step again."
"You're saying I need to let Neal go," Emma concluded.
"I'm saying you need to decide if you want to," Killian replied as ran the pad of his thumb against her lips, "First love is a powerful thing. For some it is the only thing that is worth living for."
"Why are you being such a gentleman about this?" her head came to rest against his chest. The steady beating of his heart put her at ease.
"I'm always a gentleman," he grinned as he ran his hand in circles along her back to keep her warm, "I want to be the man you choose, but more importantly I want you to be happy. If it's not with me, I'm not going to lie and tell you it won't hurt, but I will understand. Until you decide I will make it as difficult as possible for you to not choose me."
"You're already making it as difficult as possible," she smiled, "Who knew you had this in you?"
"Who indeed?" he chuckled.
"Let's go back to bed," she pulled on his shirt to bring him below deck.
Killian resisted for a few moments, "Are you sure you'll be able to sleep?"
"I don't think I'll have any trouble now," she smiled brightly as she tugged on his shirt again.
TBC…