Thanks so much for your reviews! I'm a little sad I don't get more of them… any advice?
I don't own ouat and bla bla bla… this CaptainSwan madness is taking the best of me… I hope you like this chapter.
Chapter 11: On the move.
)()()()( Storybrook)()()()(
Mary Margaret poured some whipped cream into the mug, earlier she had deliberately forgotten to serve a drink to the pirate. Charming had just left, there were various messages in the voicemail of the sheriff station, someone had broke into Regina office, and she had lost some very valuable items, she was really fuming and worried.
Snow approached the pirate, mug in hand and handled it to him. Henry seemed to enjoy the story, Snow was surprised by the change in the pirate demeanor, he was relaxed, his smile wide, true and innocent.
"So Peter Pan" Henry gestured around the air. "...loved Wendy?"
The pirate voice was a little softer as he spoke. "I don't know lad, he was fond of her, 'til he left they were always together... You must ask him."
The sound of the shower upstairs was the only sound now, Emma had quickly moved upstairs ten minutes ago.
"So what happened to Wendy?"
The pirate took the streaming mug in his hand. "Thanks your majesty." He sipped and smiled pleased. "Once Pan disappeared, Wendy didn't want to go..." He lowered the mug into the table. "She didn't want to leave Nederland... But she couldn't stay, she had a family back in the Enchanted Forest." The pirate looked intently at Snow White.
Snow followed his eyes, he was asking permission to spice his chocolate with rum, in front of Henry, the rum bottle already in his hand. Snow just stared at him silently for a few moments surprised that he bothered to ask, and then shook her head, no rum in front of Henry. His shoulders sagged with distraught and he hid again the bottle in his vest.
"But Wendy loved Peter Pan?" Henry asked with his usual interest.
Killian nodded, lifted the mug again and rested it against his lips. That morning when Emma and her family left the Jolly he just felt numb, empty, old.
As Henry filed his grandmother with Wendy's story he cradled the mug in his hand, he was slightly nervous, since he wasn't hiding anything from Emma, since she had awoken long lost feelings in his heart, since the hope she spread had filled his empty heart, he felt alive again. So he had followed her and her family.
He was going to help them, he wasn't going to be selfish once in his life. He just wished his blessing didn't interfere. He was wrong for her, he couldn't love her freely but he could protect Emma, and he would. Killian didn't wanted her out of his sight for any longer than was absolutely necessary, and knowing she was upstairs probably naked didn't help. Was not just desire what made him feel attracted to her. It was something else, like a magnet, a happiness that filled him every time she was near, he felt complete. And because of that, of all those feelings, because all those dreams he knew impossible to fully fit, he was afraid of losing Emma.
"So did Wendy left or is she's still in Nederland?" Henry asked excited withdrawing him from his thoughts.
He rubbed his temple with his hook. "She send Johanna, a lost girl, with a message for her family" He didn't realized it but he was smiling again. "After a couple of years Johanna sent a message..."
"A message? You can communicate between worlds?" The princess was very surprised.
"Aye, we had a pixie system to do so." He sipped again. "We had two enchanted figurines; we could use them to send short messages." He took in a deep breath. "Johanna sent a message telling us Wendy's father was ill, so she went back." Killian realized Snow White was focused thinking about his words, frowning. "Wendy kept sending messages until she died." He smiled sadly at Henry, rumpling his hair affectionately with his hook. "Wendy never stopped to ask about your father, ye know, he stole many princesses' hearts... Including your mother's."
Snow gripped his wrist tightly spilling some chocolate with the sudden movement. "A figurine? A pirate figurine?"
Killian let the princess hold his wrist. "How do ye know?" He lifted an eyebrow.
"Was Wendy her real name?" The pressure in his wrist was beginning to be annoying.
"That's how Pan called her." He paused in consideration. "But Johanna called her majesty after she became queen."
"Queen..." The fairest of them all stood up, releasing the pirate. "You will not talk about Wendy anymore." Killian gave her a confused look. "If anyone ask about her... them... tell them..." She frowned. "Tell them she just left, alone, and died off old age."
"Savvy, that I will say." he bend his neck in agreement surprising the princess in the process. He knew one must obey the royals... as long as they watch you.
"Why?" Henry asked.
"No questions Henry. This is an order" She bellowed, Henry jumped slightly.
The princess looked at them intently and disappeared behind the curtain that separated her bed from the room. The poor lad was shaken, not used to see his sweet teacher react so harsh. Killian put an arm around him.
"So... did Prince Charming teach ye how to sword fight?"
~~~Long time ago in one of the Oceans of the Enchanted Forest~~~
Killian struggled against his father's pirates, trying to break free while they dragged him along the docks to the other pirate ship. As the flag with a red skeletal figure on a black background appeared in his view Killian with a low cry asked to one of the men he had grown with, to one of the men he considered family. "Why do ye obey my father such a monster?"
"Many times such a monster be th' difference between life and death for us, is th' difference between going homeport or sink at sea. He's cruel and bloodthirsty, but he gets rich his crew. And th' Jolly Roger protects her men, as she has protected ye lad. Th' Jones were good men, long ago, but now cap'n be what we have. Blackbeard means security and wealth." He threw the trembling boy to the feet of Ned Low's awaiting pirates. "Remember that lad, security and wealth."
Killian didn't really know what he would do. Despite the interest Ned Low had in him, he was almost forgotten. He was working in the ship's kitchen, helping here and there when needed and scrubbing floors the rest of the time, trying to be unseen. After half a year living there Killian discovered he wasn't the only lad in the ship, Jack was a tall twelve years old that slept in the captain's quarters. He learned of his existence when they removed his corpse from the ship. Killian had grown to be brave, to be careless of his life, but it didn't mean he would welcome pain and torture with happiness.
So a night, when finally Ned Low requested him in his quarters Killian was afraid, his heart fluttered like thrumming wings of a caged bird. His feet carried him slowly towards the cabin, he could hear his own piercing screams already. As his hand stopped dead above the wooden door, just a few inches from knocking he decided to take ahold of his shake.
He spun around and walked away, out of the shelter from under the deck. It was dark, a shiver passed through him. They were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by wild waves of a black sea and a darker sky with no stars or moon. So nobody had escorted him to the captain's cabin. He flickered his eyes uncontrollably, Killian knew he was trapped. The jump was a death sentence, but it was his only option, he would try to swim in the dark, so reach land, despite he knew it was impossible. Better death than slaved.
A board groaned beneath his boot as he reached the railing, he was at the poop, looking into the dark water below him. His breath caught in his throat as he climbed onto the railing. His mind was blank, his face was wet from tears. Killian closed his eyes. The fear choking him like a thick fog, blocking all rational thought. He lunged forward, but his feet remained rooted to the spot unwilling to move. He took a deep breath and tried it again.
After a soft splash the only thing that could be heard was the waves caressing the ship.
)()()()( Storybrook)()()()(
Emma turned off the shower, her damp hair sticking into her face. She wrapped a towel around her. The memories of the previous night made Emma's knees weak, she swallowed her discomfort and dried her hair with a soft towel. She could still feel his fingers rubbing her back. She took a great mouthful of air and dressed, a simple pair of jeans, boots, a white t-shirt and her red leather jacket. Her hair was still wet but she didn't care. Apart from Killian… the Captain's eyes, she could see Henry's ones. Her kid needed to be protected.
As she opened her room door she headed downstairs, to be enveloped by a rich scent of a home cooked meal. Emma's jaw fell open. Henry was on the coffee table, wooden sword in hand, and had just parried Killian's blow. Her eyes flew to the hook still attached to the pirate's left arm, the hook that latched around the hilt of Henry's wooden sword, snatching it from his hands. Henry was in danger, he could hurt him accidentally. The pirate circled the table, and threw the wooden sword back to Henry. Once the kid nodded the pirate attached again.
Emma wanted to yell them to stop but no words came out of her mouth. Suddenly the pirate made a low strike and Henry jumped to the couch, a crash sent the table flying forward, the pirate had to jump to his side to avoid it and the kid used the distraction to lunge to the left elbowing the pirate in the ribs. Broken ribs. The Captain hissed, and his eyes closed for a brief second. Henry swung his sword through the air but the pirate easily dodged it, and lunched forwards, taking Henry down with him, and without warning he began to tickle the child that broke to a burst of laugh, the wooden swords forgotten in the floor. The scene unfolding before Emma's eyes was both uncomfortable and heartbreaking, she could not understand the sudden proximity between them. A small voice told her Killian would be an amazing parent, but David's voice kept telling her Henry was only amused because Killian was a pirate.
Emma cleared her throat and both, pirate and child stopped their games to look at her.
"He was teaching me pirate tricks" Henry beamed at her "and stuff like that!"
"The lad needs a real sword, or a dagger." The pirate placed the table in place, still smiling. "I happen to have some spare ones in my ship…"
"Later." Emma fell down to the nearby armchair. "Tell me… what's the protective barrier you and Neal keep talking about?"
"Your wish is my command princess." Now he was wearing one of his stupid teasing smiles she adored. "The protective barrier" he sat down in the couch, next to Henry. "are bottles that must be buried around the house to prevent the witch from entering."
"And?" Mary Margaret had approached too.
"I just need the ingredients." The pirate observed intently the tip of his hook. "Nails, sea water, a leather heart, sulfur, pixie dust, Ursula's hair, dragon bone… a ceramic bottle to keep it all, a phoenix feather to mix all together and a cork to close the bottle."
"A phoenix feather?" Henry's eyes were big as plates. "Do they exist? Have you ever seen one?"
"Aye lad, they exist, and I happen to have one phoenix feather." He winked at him. "I've been living and traveling to different magical lands during centuries."
"Be that as it may, do you have all the ingredients then?" The perspective that everything was going to be that easy made Mary Margaret smile kindly.
"I lack two ingredients, dragon bone and Ursula's hair." Hook raised his eyebrows . "Maybe the crocodile has some dragon bone stored to his personal use…" His smile was devilish. "You know its proprieties…" he began to move up and down his eyebrows. "although perhaps he spent it, given his age and how young Bel…"
Mary Margaret hit him hard in the chest stopping his speech. "Emma killed a dragon a short time ago." The pirate looked at her amused, not surprised.
"You're bloody brilliant Emma." He gasped holding his broken ribs together with his arm and hand, his voice full of pride. "Then we only need the witch hair."
"We need to find her then." Emma straightened up, feeling somehow charmed by the way her pirate was looking at her.
"No, we can't." He said no, but was smiling at her, as if she were something precious.
Emma leaned back a tad, overwhelmed by his blue eyes. "Umm… Why?"
Hook raised an eyebrow before laughing. "Well she's feisty and knows my tricks, she would kill us before we could protect the lad."
Snow rolled her eyes. "Okay, so we can't do it."
"We must find where she lived, there must be some hair there." Hook cocked his head to the side closing his eyes for a brief moment.
"I know where she lived, I've been there." Emma scanned the pirate body, he was in pain.
"Problem solved then." Mary Margaret stood up. "You can go to your lovely ship and wait us there." Snow smiled kindly at him, but her smile never reached her eyes, they were cold and icy. "We will bring you the missing ingredients as soon as we have them."
Hook leaned forwards, and not without some effort and hissing he stood up.
As soon as Emma saw the sadness in his too blue eyes she stood up too, and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him sit down again. "Um… He's staying for lunch." She stated simply, trying to tell him with her eyes that it was okay, that he could stay.
"What exactly is going on here, Emma?" Mary Margaret gave Emma a pointed look, she had seen the exchange of glances and gestures between them, not just the ones of the last minutes. She was beginning to worry.
"I invited him, mum said yes." Henry said happily. "We need him for operation octopus."
"Operation octopus?" Snow frowned and Henry smiled nodding. "Ok, I need to make lunch then. Lest the pirate go hungry!" She left for the kitchen, her fists closed at her sides, Snow didn't like the familiarity of the pirate and his daughter.
Hook leaned back, and muttered a "Thanks."
Emma realized that the pirate was holding his torso and gasping. "How long have you been wearing those bandages?" The Captain looked up at her. "You're wearing none."
The man's expression, the arc of his eyebrows and his grin tell her he was teasing. "Are ye worried about my wellbeing Emma of mine?"
"How can you be so…?" Emma asked exasperatedly, shaking her head and spraying around water droplets. "Kid, go and help your grand… Mary Margaret."
"Can't I help ye?" Oh no, now he was imitating him.
"I think you've spend too much time with the pirate already kid." She placed her hands in his hips and pointed to the kitchen with her head. "Go now."
Henry got up a little disappointed but joined his grandmother in the kitchen. Meanwhile the pirate was still sitting in the couch, watching her with curiosity.
"Come upstairs Captain." She looked intently at him frowning. "No innuendos, no games."
He smiled and winked. "I will keep my best behavior my lady"
Emma could feel his eyes in her bottom as both of them ascended the stairs, but as she turned to glare at him he responded with an innocent smile and a laugh. She returned her eyes to the stairs smiling. Once in her room she gestured him to sit in her bed, and went to get some bandages, feeling she should had done it downstairs.
As she entered the Captain tensed up a bit, he was shirtless, waiting for her. Emma's eyes roamed his torso, the faint scars, the bluish marks, his chest hair. It took her a moment before she'd focused enough to go on. As she sat next to him she expected some kind of teasing or joke, but none came, he kept his blue eyes on hers, his face totally serious as she slid the bandage over his torso, securing it. Every time Emma's eyes abandoned her handiwork she shuddered as her eyes met his heart melting blue ones.
The bandage was ready, and Emma smoothed it with her hands, sliding them down his sides. They were so close Emma could smell his trademark scent mixed with rough soap, her fingers wanted to reach out to him again, to feel the warm of his skin. She reached out and slipped one fingertip around the skin still exposed in his belly, over the line of black hair that disappeared in his pants. Then he giggled a little, Emma broke the contact and looked up blushing. "I'm feeling rather ticklish." His blue eyes burned hers.
Suddenly both of their breathing turned ragged, and she felt her lips go dry. "This should not be happening." The world faded as his lips approached her, she placed a hand on his chest. "If you think something you wanna do is wrong… it is." She warned him hoarsely, leaning closer to him.
He tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling. "Why don't give it a try uh?" His hand reached the back of her neck.
Bracing herself she took in a deep breath and leaned fully forwards, their lips met, it caused such an adrenaline rush that made Emma growl. He responded after only a short moment with just a pressure, nothing more. Emma felt Killian's smile under her lips, his mouth moved against her's slowly. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, Killian tore their lips an inch apart smiling, and rested his forehead on hers breaking too son the kiss. She couldn't look at Killian as a pirate anymore, here in front of her was a man, a young charming gentleman.
"Someone's coming Emma of mine" His voice was soft and velvety, and she smiled enchanted, not understanding his words. "Emma" He briefly kissed her. "Emma" He kissed her again and unclasped her arms from his neck.
Emma shook her head and cleared her throat, getting up from the state of bliss she was in. "This... should not happen again." Emma whispered, she felt like living in a fog. Killian didn't say a word, he grinned at her with that secret smile that he had not even noticed existed and he kept just for his Emma and anyone else.
)()()()()()()()(
When David opened the door, without knocking, Emma was exiting the room, her arms full of unused bandages, and Hook was working his shirt closed. All completely innocent, but Charming could still see a smile tugging his daughter's lips, and surprisingly Hook was slightly flustered, his blue eyes hooded not with lust but a softer feeling.
He had felt this way the first time he kissed Snow. The prince didn't frown or felt angry at the thought. His daughter was finally falling for someone, Hook was not a prince, but neither was him. He was old enough to know what he was getting into, he was brave and intelligent, dangerous and capable of love, capable indeed to fought during three hundred years for a lost love, he would surely be able to protect Henry and Emma.
Hook limped down the stairs, dressed and every inch of him a rough pirate again, but Charming smiled nevertheless.
"So he's a gentleman indeed" Emma didn't like at all her father's tone. "He took care of you during the night…"
"David?" Emma spun around to face his father. "What are you talking about?"
"And he cooked you breakfast…" Emma blinked incredulous. "I mean, Emma, that if he wants to woo you… I won't oppose."
Emma could not believe this was happening, his father approved the pirate she didn't ever approve?
"I don't want him to woo me!" She said when nothing else made sense in her mind. "He's a pirate!"
"And I was a shepherd! He has stopped trying to kill Rumpelstiltskin… for you Emma. He clearly wants to change, to become part of something."
Emma's stared at him with wide and glowing eyes. "I don't need anyone!" He had not the Emma's super power to detect lies, but David could see the big lie his daughter just said aloud, more to herself than for him.
David hugged a very afraid and shocked Emma. "It will be okay." He kissed her head. "We need to talk about Regina."
Emma struggled out of his embrace, totally blushed. "I'm going to dry my hair, I will be down in a minute." Emma locked herself in the bathroom, and let her body fell into the cold ceramic floor. She had kissed Killian Jones, Captain Hook, twice, and this time he was fully awake. She just wanted to pound her head against the wall.
)()()()()()()()(
Ariel dismissed the bloody gauze and placed a new one. Thanks to the antibiotics Sinbad had remained more or less in good condition. She ran her hand across his forehead, he was hot.
Once the healing was done, the mermaid went to get paper and pencil, she didn't want to spend too much time away from the sailor. The assault of Regina's office had been clearly a success, especially because at that time Regina was entering carrying a terrarium. It had been so easy to beat her unconscious. Finding the pendulum had been a little more troublesome, but there it was, and she had found it. Ariel always had a knack for finding things.
With unsafe pulse she drew a world map as best she could. She set the pendulum up it and closing her baby blue eyes she concentrated her mind on the trident. Her father's trident. The chain of the pendulum didn't move an inch. With a frown she pushed away the map, and in a new sheet of paper she drew the outline of the Enchanted Forest.
Again she set Merlin's pendulum up above the new map. Closing her eyes tightly she pictured the trident in her mind. Nothing. She tried again with every world she and Sinbad had visited in their restless hunt. Wonderland, no; Oz, nope; Lilliput and Blefuscu, no way; Narnia, nooo. Neverland, the pendulum twisted madly, Ariel opened her eyes and smiled pleased. Yes.
Forgetting the pendulum in the table she pulled the couple of magic beans she had stolen from Regina's office from her pocket and smiling she examined them. Big, iridescent and utterly magical. With them they might find the trident and bring it back.
She just needed to slightly heal Sinbad, find a decent map of Neverland and they could be on the move.
Hi my beautiful friends! Next chapter will be called "Free", soon Killian's life before Neverland will be more or less solved.
I must warn you that I have three chapters written… but not the next one (insert a big Oh! here) so it will take five days or so for me to write it down properly, I have parts of it ready, I will try to do it as nicely and fast as my stressful working life allows me.
