Chapter - 18: Beautiful History

"Well she did say 'make it travel sized'" The queen said, smirking. "It's doesn't get smaller than that!"

The captain turned towards the two other females on the group and thrust his hand to Olivia, and the other girl had to bite her lips to stop herself from laughing.

"This is a serious matter, Wendy! Do not laugh about it…" Killian snapped at her, but she really couldn't help but snort out her laughter.

The female pirate grabbed the object and both she and Emma inspected it closely. Olivia had a clear glass bottle in her hand, inside was Hook's ship, extra small.

"Come on Hook…" Emma started and then looked at the Captain. "You should know size doesn't matter…"

For a few seconds, no one said anything, and then the small skiff rocked as all the girls laughed at Hook's expense. Olivia had literally thrown her head back and let out a loud laugh, while the other two women were more discreet but still laughed out.

"And you should know how?" Hook said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't remember you being privy to that information."

Emma still grinned and tilted her head to the side, while Olivia looked back at forward between them both, something stirring in the pit of her stomach. She shook it off, and grabbed the bottled ship, placing in gently inside her bag.

"Now, can we start going?" Olivia said and looked between her three companions.

Both Regina and Hook groaned, but grabbed the paddles. As Olivia had predicted, it took them twice the normal traveling time to get to the stone wall of the docks. First Killian and Regina had to work together, which by itself was a feat, but once they got into the rhythm both of them did a pretty good job at it. Surprising both of the girls. At some point Killian had advised the queen to row a certain way, so they could get to shore faster. The blonde sheriff and the brunette pirate() waited for the black haired queen to snap at the pirate, but she took his advice without much fuss, leaving Emma and Olivia dumbfounded.

They spotted some stone steps on the margin and both of them rowed the boat towards it. Once there, Olivia secured the boat so they could get out safely, and once again Killian helped the girls get out. When the group was on top of the stairs, Regina flicked her hand again and the boat cracked in the middle, and started to sink, much to Killian's horror.

"What's with you and wrecking my ships, woman!" He said getting in her face, but Regina kept calm.

"I'll ruin whatever I damn well please." Regina snapped and turned to Olivia. "We're here, how do we get to Neverland?"

The other girl shrugged, she rummaged through her shoulder bag until she found her phone. She hummed as she turned it on and searched the number she needed. Killian had creeped closer to see whatever she was holding. They had some strange devices around these parts.

Emma and Regina crossed their arms and waited for whatever Olivia was doing on her cell. Emma was watching Killian carefully. The truce between Regina and the pirate seem to be over as soon as they stepped on land so. She had to be honest, she was starting to see what Olivia saw in him. Aside from the villainy he had done in the past, now he was more comical than threatening. Specially the way he was hovering near Olivia, trying to take a peak at her phone.

"What is that?" He asked quietly and Emma saw the girl roll her eyes but smiled.

"It's a phone…"

"What's a phone?"

Regina wasn't so happy about the whole scene, so she groaned loud enough for Olivia to hear. The looked up and pressed a key on her phone. Walking away she started to talk to someone, leaving Hook scratching the back of his head.

"It's okay Hook. She's just talking to someone else." Emma told him. "Like…a letter…or smoke signs.." She didn't know which he would understand better, but he nodded, keeping a close eye on the other girl. "You like her?" Emma asked tentatively.

"Of course I like her…" He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. " She's my mate…"

"She's your what?" Regina asked with horror and Hook's brows furrowed.

"Y'know, my crew mate?" He said, while both women took a deep breath. "My friend…" He said more to himself.

"What control has she over you?" Regina asked bluntly, curiosity getting the best of her.

"It's complicated." He said, his gaze leaving the girl and staring at the stone floor.

The fact that the captain didn't deny Olivia's control over him perked the interest of the other two woman. They looked at each and Emma shrugged, while Regina frowned. Emma needed to figure this out before Regina found it herself, otherwise she was sure the queen would find a way to turn it against Hook or Olivia.

Olivia walked back to the group and smiled. She had turned the gps on her phone, found out where they were, called the nearest cab company and she was now waiting for it to call her back, telling her it arrived. Olivia patted herself on the back with for the quick thinking.

"All right you crazy fools, we need to get back to the gates of the shipyard." Olivia said looking at her three companions.

She looked over at Killian and saw him eyeing the phone. She held it up for him to take it and he took the device looking at it like a piece of food he'd never eaten.

"We do?" Regina raised an eyebrow and Olivia nodded.

"I got us a cab. But I'm sure he won't be able to get this far. Besides…I think we're trespassing."

"Well then, ladies…Shall we?" Killian bowed to the women.

They walked cautiously through the shipyard, between towers of containers, trying not to disturb the workers and avoiding detection. Emma noted that Killian was always the first one to cross a path or to turn a corner, only then he would signal for them to go. If Emma hadn't met him previously he would seem like a legit captain of a crew. She heard Regina once comment how his crew would follow him into anything, even Neverland, without question. At first Emma thought he had conquered the men with threats and fear, but now she seemed to be having second thoughts. Maybe it was respect for him. If anything they were all peas of the same pod.

They got the front of the shipyard and had to climb the metal fence to the other side. This time Hook stayed behind helping the girls climb out, without muttering a word, even when Regina dug her heel more forcefully then needed on his shoulder. The three girls were on the other side of the shipyard when it suddenly dawned on them that the pirate, could not climb the fence one handed.

Emma took a deep breath, remembering when she had left him behind in the giant's lair. It would be so easy just to leave him there, once more. And then she remembered how her actions had, probably, got them all in this situation. Sometimes she thought back to that particular moment and thought that, maybe, if she had reacted in another way, the outcome would have been different. Maybe he could have been an allied, instead of an enemy. The sheriff looked at Olivia.

"I'm giving him the hook back, so that he can climb out of there." she said loud enough for everyone to hear. Regina puffed and was about to argue, but Emma interrupted her. "But if he doesn't give me the hook as soon as he lands, you're getting zapped!"

Regina closed her mouth and a smirk appeared on her face, her hand flickering with magic.

Emma somehow thought that, if she simply tried asking for the hook back, he wasn't going to let go that easy, but she was certain that if she threw an imminent danger over the girl's head, he would do it without so much of a question. Emma knew she was threatening the girl who, in the end, was an innocent bystander, but she seemed to be the weakness that was more at hand.

"She gets zapped, you'll get hooked." Killian knew fully well he wouldn't do anything after the girl was zapped, but he wasn't about to the let princess get away with threatening his Wendy.

Emma tilted her head to the side, and shook it, before browsing her bag for the pirate's hook. She threw it over the fence and the three of them waited for the pirate to climb up, which he did quickly and almost effortlessly, with the hook in place

When his feet touch the ground on the other side, he stood between Regina and Olivia, with Emma between him and Regina. He had a scowl on his face that would make some men run for cover, but the smaller woman was having none of it.

"The hook" Emma simply said, putting her hand out. "Please."

"Just give her the hook, Killian." Olivia said from behind him

"Don't be scared Wendy." Hook said looking straight into Emma's blue eyes "She won't hurt you. You're not the bad guy"

"But I am..." Regina said her hand raised. She had a small flickering purple ball between her fingers.

Olivia rolled her eyes, growling low, and walked around Hook grabbing his left arm, and mimicked the same movement she did when they met previously, in Storybrooke. She turned the hook, freeing it from the metal on the pirate's wrist, and threw it to Emma, angrily. This was really not being a good night.

"I'm not scared." Olivia started, looking from Hook to Emma. "and I don't like having my life threatened without prior knowledge. If this is how we going to go about it, I'm going to walk right back into my cozy apartment, make myself a nice cup of tea, and you three can go and kill each other..."

She heard her phone ring from inside Killian's jacket, grabbing it she went away to answer the call from the cab company.

Regina rolled her eyes, maybe it would be best if the girl stayed behind, then she wouldn't have to hear her outbursts anymore. This justice fighter thing was getting onto the queens nerves. One was enough. But then again she wouldn't be able to know what it was that Olivia had to make Killian so...docile.

Emma placed the hook back into her shoulder bag, while Killian's eyes followed it until it disappeared. He really didn't enjoy going about his business without it. Just like the fence, there were many things that required two hands or one hand and a hook, and he didn't like depending on Emma's moods to do something.

He turned to Wendy and groaned. Maybe it would be best if she stayed behind. Maybe then her life wouldn't be subject to threats and neither would his. It was the safest thing for both of them. He wouldn't worry and she wouldn't die. But then again, could he part with her now that they were back together again? Last time it happened she had been an unwilling participant on their separation. And, to be completely honest, so was he.

- Once Upon a Time - in Neverland -

"How do you want to go about this?" a younger Olivia looked at the pirate next to her. The corpse of a beautiful mermaid was laying on their feet. Neither of them had any blame on the matter. Someone had been attracting the mermaids to shore but none knew why.

They knew mermaids would only be attracted out of the sea to get the men. Mostly sailors, but really any men foolish enough to come hear them sing.

"Me?" The captain asked. "There's nothing for me to do. If anything, you'll be the one giving the bad news to her mother."

Olivia groaned. For a mermaid to be this far from the sea two things had to have happened. Either the mer creature was rebelling against the lifestyle, which Olivia knew one or two that would, if they could, but never really had the guts to do it. Or she had been dragged. Olivia believe the later.

"Who would do this? It must have been torture for the girl." Olivia knelt down and touched the blonde hair of the creature.

She liked mer people, one of them saved her life once, when she was stupid enough to run from Hook, and fell in the sea. They were friendly towards her, since she was a female and all. They hated Killian's guts though. First because he was a man, mainly because he was a pirate.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. The captain wasn't a big fan of the scaled women, but he knew what happened to a fish out of sea. And Olivia wasn't very happy about this whole ordeal. He didn't like when Olivia was upset.

"Wendy, darling, there's not much we can do." Killian said. "We can't go out of our way, every time a mermaid decides to take a stroll on the beach, love."

Olivia frowned and looked up.

"She didn't just waltz out into the sand...someone dragged her..." Olivia argued, pouting to the trail in front of the mermaid. "How many times have you heard of a mermaid dragging herself into shore?" Killian shrugged. "Exactly, it's the fifth one this whoever did, this person wants something from King Triton or they're just stupid."

"Or they want to draw attention." A voice said, coming from the rocks. Killian cringed. Mermaid.

Olivia smiled as she walked towards the nearby rocks. In the rock in front of her, a beautiful red haired mermaid sat, waving and smiling at Olivia. She had been the one to save her when she was drowning. The only one brave enough to come to her rescue. Since she wasn't a man, the other mermaids didn't want anything to do with her. As soon as the mermaid saw the male pirate following Olivia, her smile fell, but she didn't go away.

In Olivia's eyes, the girl was astounding. Long flowing red hair; her skin was a shade of iridescent green() that seemed to changed color every time she moved; the fish tail was a bright green that reminded her of grass in the summer time. The mermaid's eyes were a deep blue, like the ocean at night. She had small gills on each side of her neck, but they didn't take anything away from her beauty.

Killian's vision of the mermaid was slightly different, though. Since she wasn't trying to suck the life out of him, her skin looked scaly and transparent; her eyes too big for her face and the gills on the sides of her neck weren't exactly attractive, either. The lower body of the creature was an ugly muddy green that looked slimy. He knew that, as far as lore went, females and males regarded the water creature differently, but mermaids never disclosed which appearance was their true one.

To the Captain, it was that fact she looked ugly, that she wanted nothing to do with him, which in the end it was a good thing.

"Do you know who did this?" Olivia smiled sadly and the mermaid nodded. "Who?"

"A human..male" she threw a dirty look towards Killian's direction."He was looking for someone rather enthusiastically."

"Who?" Killian asked the creature.

"A woman obviously. Illaria told him she knew who he was looking for, but she wouldn't tell him, until he kissed her. So he dragged her out of the water." The mermaid's tail twirled in the hair, signaling she hadn't enjoyed that thought. "Of course she didn't know anything, and thought he was just an enamored soul. Her bad, I guess."

"I thought all mermaids were sisters." Killian crossed his arms over his chest "You don't seem very fazed about your sister."

"We are sisters, and if Illaria hadn't been out here by herself, if she had stayed with the group, she wouldn't have ended up on the shore." The mermaid simply said

"And yet here you are, alone." Killian said smirking, and the mermaid smirked back, giving him a good look at her sharp teeth.