Author's Note: Sorry! This chapter should've been out last month. I had Diploma exams for school that I really had to study for and couldn't do any writing for fanfics, and then my computer fan started to die so it was extremely loud and obnoxious so it irritated me to spend any time on it. I've since finished my exams and three days ago, I got my new laptop. So I should be updating more often!

The new episode of OUAT airs in: 19 days!

Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or any of the characters, they all belong to ABC/Disney corporations!


This new port was unlike anything she had ever seen before. There was so much going on. Not only had that but the people moving about on richer clothes. As someone who had been around expensive goods since the day she was born, she was able to pinpoint exactly which merchants were selling quality goods. This port had more merchants selling quality goods than any port she had been too yet. It didn't take her long to figure out they stopped at a major port for trading from other kingdoms. It was also a spot where many royals from the kingdom went when they were going on a voyage. Explaining why there was so many guards standing around.

That fact didn't stop Emma as she picked people's pockets, stealing their coin. The rich were able to get more money; they wouldn't miss the petty coin they had in their pockets enough to cause more than a minor fuss. It would be forgotten within the next month when they got more gold coins from the hard working commoners.

Emma hadn't realized how out of tune she was with her royal blood until she walked past two women with large hoop skirts and got the insult of the year. At first, she wasn't affected by it, but after a moment she realized they were right. She probably stank because of the fact that regardless of how much water was around them out at sea, taking a bath in shark infested waters while trying to make it to another port, or capture ships wasn't the best plan.

At a port, however, what was stopping her from cleaning herself up? She was use to the stench from the pirates, something that she had gotten use to. However, it didn't mean she had to continue smelling. With the amount of coin she stole, she was able to purchase some more sea friendly clothes. Therefore, without a moment's hesitation, she slipped into a store along the edge of the market square.

The woman sitting within looked up and her eyebrows came together. Confusion settling in. Emma strode straight over to her and placed a coin purse in her hands. The two shared a brief look before the woman sighed and took the coin purse. "We'll have a lot of work to do. Do you have the time?" Emma just nodded her head. The woman led her into the back. "Before I let you try anything on, you'll have to wash up."

"You give this service to everyone?" Emma asked as the woman waved to some girls at the back.

"Only to those who have enough gold," the woman replied back easily, "What you gave is ample enough. Moreover, do not be offended badly, but you do not have the greatest scent about you. Now what is it that you are looking for?"

Emma wanted to ask how she couldn't be offended by what the woman said, but instead ignored the insult. She cared more about getting a new outfit. "Something easy to move in, and won't be damaged by sea water."

The woman studied her intently for a moment before nodding. "After you clean up, I know exactly what to put you in."

Less than an hour later, she was no longer the brown leather she had worn onto the ship many months ago. Instead, she was fitted with leather pants and a deep green tunic. The woman gave her a vest and jacket for 'when the nights get cold and you don't have a man to keep you warm.' She kept the boots, they were worn in already and she didn't want to experiment what it would feel like to have a new pair of boots on a ship where it was constantly swaying back and forth.

As she left the shop, she noticed a guard hanging up a wanted poster on a neighbouring store. He waited for a moment to make sure it was secure before wandering off. Probably not caring if someone were to rip it down, as long as it didn't look like it had fallen down, he was safe. It reminded her of her task, why she was in the port without the others in the first place.

Hook had allowed her to scope out the port for any wanted posters for the crew. If she found any, she was to tear them down discretely. He didn't want any of his crew being taken by the law, he'd have to search for another crewmate and many of his crew were people he trusted and didn't want to replace. The others were still on the ship, doing repairs that they couldn't do while on the sea.

Emma walked over to the poster, attempting to be as discrete about it as possible. Some people glanced at the poster as they past, but paid no more attention to it. An odd thing. Normally when there were posters with wanted men on it, people would gather about it and see if they knew the person. See if they were in any danger. It may have been odd, but once she saw what was on the paper, she realized. It wasn't a normal wanted poster; technically, it wasn't a wanted poster at all. It was a poster offering a reward, something that people might be interested in, but only the bravest would dare find what was on the poster.

It wasn't trinket to be found, but a person. Someone she knew quite well. She snatched the poster from the wall, clutching the weathered paper in her hands as they shook. Her face was sketched onto the paper; below it wasn't a bounty for her head. It was a bounty for her to be brought to her family alive. A large bounty.

Her parents were looking for her, and if anyone saw her, they would undoubtedly make the connection and she'd be outed to her crew.

She couldn't let that happen.

Emma braided her hair and as she passed a hat stand, stole one of them. She tucked her hair under the hat before scrounging the port for any more reward posters. Tearing them all down. No one apart of the Jolly Roger crew could know, and she didn't want her parents to have to pay a reward for her being brought to them. She wanted to arrive at the kingdom on her own, to prove to her parents she wasn't as helpless as it seemed. It might be a little childish the way she thought about it, but at the same time, she didn't give a damn. Her parents were taking over a kingdom at her age, not sitting about idly sipping tea and chatting about what they were going to wear to the next ball.

Most importantly, she was not impressed with the fact that her parents were lowering themselves to using wanted posters. Didn't their family always find each other in the end? Were they losing hope that they would ever find her? If they were, then she would gladly return their hope to them, as long as she could keep up the charade of being just another peasant who pissed off the Evil Queen.

Emma headed towards a tavern, the best place to gather rumours circulating the various kingdoms.

It smelled heavily of mead, sweat, and smoke. Nearly suffocating her with the thickness of the air and the stench. Most taverns she had visited were not like this, but it didn't matter. She was here for a purpose and that was not to examine the scenery – which she really didn't want to do. It wasn't the cleanest and high quality tavern she had been in since she got away from the mercenaries. A fact she was very proud of still.

Emma headed in and sat at the bar, placing a few gold coins on the counter and taking the mead the man plunked before her. "What's with all the posters for a woman? What'd she do?" Emma asked, keeping her head down and studying the mug. Hiding her face.

"Where ya been?" the man huffed, filling another mug up and placing it front of another customer who was swaying in his seat clearly about to fall off in a near comatose state from all the alcohol he was filling himself with. "That's the daughter of Queen Snow and King James of the neighbouring kingdom."

"And?"

"And," the man grumbled, "She was kidnapped. They're paying for any information ya can give."

"Kidnapped?" Emma's voice was full of fake surprise before she snorted, leaning against the counter, "How was a princess kidnapped, aren't they always surrounded by castle walls?"

"Listen girly, if you want more information, go talk to the guards. I ain't an informer," the barkeep chirped angrily, before he turned away from her. Emma pulled out one of the coin purses, plopped it onto the counter, the sound of the coins clicking against each other made the man turn around, and stare at the purse. She nudged it towards him and he snatched it up. She heard him open it and push the coins around with his finger, "Ah, my tongues been loosened, thank ya kindly," he tucked the coins into his vest, patting them proudly before making a thoughtful noise, "They was taking her to the Dark One's castle, some say that she wasn't even taken. That the Dark One masterminded it all to take the Princess because of a deal her made. Others say that she was actually to be married and ran away on a stop there. That has more backbone, the Dark One's been searching for her, and is mighty pissed that no one knows of her location."

Emma froze, staring at the chipped counter. "Thought the Dark One knew everything."

"That's what I said," the man leaned against the counter, "I personally think that the Evil Queen is more involved with everything. Rising out of the dust of her failed plans and ignoring the generosity bestowed upon her by all the allied kingdoms. She's been mysteriously absent during the last year or so since the princess has been gone. The bitch probably killed her."

"Sounds to me like a princess who'd rather not be tied to such an evil man," Emma forced a chuckle from her lips and downed the rest of her mead. "It'll make a great story for drunken sailors."

"That's the plan," the man chuckled before taking her mead. Emma left before he could say anything more or she said something that could link her to the story further than a curious soul wondering about a lost princess.

As she stepped into the dimming sun, something struck her. The Evil Queen. From everything her parents told her about the woman, if she were to attack and try to hurt Emma, she wouldn't half-ass it. She would go through with it one way or another. The witch was being awfully quiet about everything up to this point. She should've already struck back at them for escaping. There should've been something that indicated she wasn't done with her revenge. She wanted Emma dead, and she wanted the blame put on the exact man she was travelling with. It was all too easy that they got away and without any consequences. Sure, Emma could link that to the fact that they had barely on land for more than a week since she first climbed aboard the Jolly Roger. However, the Evil Queen had been planning to tear apart the world just to get her revenge. For her not to even try to do anything to them while they are in the same realm, and within magical reach was more terrifying than if she were to come after them.

Emma had to collect her thoughts about everything. They got away too easily. Her parents were rumored to be marrying her off to the Dark 1's son. She could easily be outed to her crewmates. There was a chance that at any time the Evil Queen could swoop down and finish what she had started.

Instead of sitting idly by, she knew she had to do something soon. She needed to get home….but at the same time she felt betrayed by her parents. They weren't even going to give her a chance to find true love like they had found. They were forcing her to get married to a man she didn't even know, a marriage she knew would be loveless. Emma could survive the Evil Queen by herself. She felt herself growing bitter towards her parents. It might've been her duty to rule the kingdom some day, but she didn't see why she had to do that with a man at her side. Many people ruled or commanded solely. Her mind strayed to her Captain.

Emma remembered why she was even by a tavern and cursed. Judging by the position of the sun, she should've been back at the ship by now. She pushed away from the tavern wall and hurried down the cobble stone streets. Carefully avoiding any guards or men in uniforms and arriving at the dock the Jolly Roger was docked at. Peg was sitting on the railing, chatting calmly to Hook who was leaning against the railing and chuckling at the tale the boy was telling him.

When she stepped onto the gangplank, both looked up at her. Hook scowled at her but there was relief in his eyes. "Lass, I said you were to back an hour ago."

"Sorry," she managed as she tried to regain her breath, "A guard caught me tearing down a poster and had to get away. Took a long time."

"Fine, fine," Hook sighed straightening, "Whose face was on the posters?"

"Yours," she lied, shrugging her shoulder, "You are quite infamous."

"Excellent," Hook grinned before calling to the rest of the crew, "Should prove some entertainment. You coming, Swan?"

She shook her head, "No."

He gave her a strange look but shrugged a shoulder. The rest of the crew was already climbing off the ship and heading towards a tavern, laughing about some joke one of the men was telling. Emma caught Hook's arm before he moved down the gangplank.

"Don't you think it was odd how easily we got away?" Emma asked voicing her concerns. The pirate frowned slightly as his eyebrow rose.

"You needn't worry about it, Emma," he murmured quietly, "We make a hell of a team. Even if we got away too easily, we got away. We'll keep vigilant against future attacks in case we are still targets. There isn't much we can do against the Evil Queen at the moment if you are thinking about going after her."

"Nothing like that...I was just...never mind. It was something that has been nagging at me for a while," she finally released his arm and turned to head towards the crew's quarters.

"It's not nothing," Hook stepped in her path, "If you are worried, that is something. I can figure out if the Evil Queen is plotting on striking at us within a fortnight."

They shared a look before Emma slowly nodded and give a slight smile. "Go to the tavern."

Hook searched her eyes before smirking and moving past her. "Thank you for your permission."

Emma rolled her eyes and headed down into the crew's quarters.