Emma stared down into the hold of the ship and felt her stomach twist when she saw the figure. Where she saw her father was hunched in a corner, making himself as small as possible. His leg was twisted up, Emma had broken his knee, she'd hurt it so badly that he couldn't walk. Red said she'd heard him dragging himself across the floor earlier when they sat there and quietly discussed what they should do.

Her papa looked up and saw her standing on the deck above him, "Emma! Emma, I'm sorry. Please let me out. I thought the pirates captured you…I panicked and lost control, it won't happen again. Emma…just please come down here and talk to me."

She wanted to believe it, but this wasn't him. This wasn't her father. This wasn't the man who taught her sword fighting or carried her on his back for miles when she was tired and they were moving to the next hiding place. This wasn't the man that taught her songs and taught her how to snare animals so she could survive if something happened…

This wasn't the man that, when he came home exhausted from work, still pulled her up in his lap and let her tell him everything about her day even until he was so tired he fell asleep sitting up. This wasn't the man that held her close when the storms scared her as a child and talked Snow into letting her sleep with them.

This wasn't the man that told her that one day she would wake up and not fear for her life because Regina would be defeated.

No, her father was gone. He was replaced by this man…this slave who had no free will of his own. He wasn't her papa just because he had her papa's face. He was someone entirely different. She couldn't trust the one person that she COULD trust without question because he was replaced.

Emma tried to stay inexpressive. She tried to stay calm because that's what a queen and leader SHOULD do but inside she was screaming and sobbing. Her father was gone; he might not ever come back.

"What does Regina know about us?" she demanded

"What? Regina? I don't know! Emma, I've been looking for you!"

Emma really wished that was true. It was unlikely that he would tell her about Regina of course…she would forbid him to do so. But Emma liked to hope that maybe…

Maybe her father could fight it.

"I'm sorry papa," Emma told him, "I don't believe you."

She shut the grate and walked out of the crew's quarters.

"Emma! Emma please! Think about what you're doing! Emma! Emma, come back!"

Emma drew in a deep breath. Jefferson was standing out in the hall, Baelfire and Red where a little ways back.

"Emma-," Red started.

"We don't have time to play around anymore; we don't have time to get to a safe and secure place. Get the hat ready, we're going today."

"Emma, we don't have the funds yet," Red protested.

"Then we can start negotiations," Emma said angrily and strode away from them, "Where's the captain?"

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Captain Hook was waiting at the helm when Emma came above deck. He was looking at some sort of parchment. Emma didn't see what it was but from the way the sunlight shone through, it looked like it might be a drawing.

Killian looked up when she climbed the stairs to the helm and gave her what he probably thought was his most winning smile. He tucked the picture in his coat, "Hello beautiful. Get your father tucked away?"

"How many did you lose?"

"Three men," He said grimly.

Emma put her hand on his shoulder. To some pirates, the men on the ship were as good as family. From what Killian hinted at, these men were the only family he had, "Killian, I'm so sorry."

"We captured twelve of them, five are left alive…the others tried to escape."

Emma looked at the five of them, they were sitting on their knees, their arms were shackled behind their backs, their ankles were all chained together.

"What'll happen to them?"

"Well now that depends…some think I should make them walk the plank, some think I should leave them marooned on an unlivable island with a knife and let them kill or butcher each other….and some think I should just execute them now."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet," He said.

Emma looked at him, "Could we let them go?"

"Don't be insane, Emma."

She felt stupid for saying it, "They might not be evil…they just might be…trying to survive. They might have wives and family's waiting for them to come home…"

"Not everyone is Graham and your father," Hook told her, "when you fight this war then you'll be fighting a lot of good people caught on the wrong side of the line."

"I know," Emma muttered, "But the battle's done. It's over."

He stared ahead, "This must be done. They'll find us; they'll give away our location."

"We'll be long gone before they reach the palace. Besides, they just lost one of her greatest chess pieces; do you really think they're going to go back to her and face that wrath?"

"The control she has over some of these people?" he said, 'They'll think that she'll reward them for some reason."

"I don't kill people after the battle's done," Emma snapped, "If you're going to drop them off, then at least make sure they have a chance."

"You're insane."

"Maybe," Emma said, "But I'm not Regina. I won't be part of letting men die when they're chained up and defenseless."

Her legs were shaking as she walked back down below, she knew it was suicide most likely but the battle was over, they could be spared…not doing so just left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Emma," Red held up the hatbox, "We're ready when you are."

"There's no room down here, we'll have to go out in the open," Jefferson told her.

Emma felt a chill down her back, they'd be jumping in front of everyone…anything could happen and Emma was certain she might've angered the captain with her naiveté.

Baelfire saw her hesitation and stepped forward, "I'll stay."

"What?" Emma felt her heart race, "No! I need you there-."

He was so old, he'd seen everything, she needed him by her side for his council.

"This isn't my world," he told her, "This is Jefferson's expertise, not mine. Someone has to stay behind and make sure nothing happens; someone has to make sure we're not followed or sold out. Someone has to make sure that no one throws your father overboard for the danger he currently serves."

"But-."

"Emma," he took her hand, "Trust me…"

She saw in his eyes that she wasn't going to change his mind…and he was right, they needed someone here in case the pirates decided that they were more trouble than they were worth. She nodded, "Very well."

Baelfire smiled warmly at her, "Be cautious."

"I will," she gave his hand a squeeze, "You be cautious too."

He gave her a small bow, "As you wish, princess."

"You don't have to do that," Emma reprimanded, but at this point it was more friendly banter than it was her annoyance that she had a title she couldn't hold onto yet.

Red put her hand on Emma's shoulder, "We have to go."

Emma took a final look at Baelfire and turned with Red and Jefferson to leave. She didn't want to leave him here, not with this many potentially angry pirates. There were three of their own dead, and he'd just asked the captain to spare their killers. That wouldn't sit well with some of them if they heard what she said or found out she'd told it to the captain.

Maybe it was stupid to ask for the lives of men that would kill her if given the chance.

Maybe she was a foolish naïve girl who didn't deserve to be on the throne because she was too merciful….

But surely there was enough death, today.

They walked to the deck. Emma watched as Red opened the hatbox and held it up for Jefferson. He reached in with shaking hands and pulled out the worn black top hat. He stood in the middle of the ship. Emma looked up to see Killian watching them.

Jefferson twirled the hat and threw it on the ground. They watched as the hat grew…the vortex of wind and purple smoke swirled around them.

Jefferson stepped back and took both Emma's hand and Red's.

"Hold on," He screamed over the wind.

Emma saw that he was stepping out of his shell, and taking charge. Emma didn't have the heart to remind him that they'd done this before.

Jefferson took a small step, Emma and Red followed, together they jumped into the hat.

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Baelfire did not lie to Emma when he told her he wanted to stay to make sure they were not betrayed and her father was not killed.

But he couldn't say he was exactly honest with her either. He'd had his own reasons for staying behind.

And his reason was waiting for him when he went back in the crew's quarters.

His father didn't wear the dragon skin jacket, he didn't wear the scaly vest like he did when he talked to others….he came to the ship wearing his best clothes. He wore a golden silk shirt and red vest. His boots were shined and they gleamed in the lantern light.

"Bae," he whispered heavily and reached for him.

Baelfire took a step backwards. Gods, it almost sounded like he loved him.

He couldn't though, not after everything he'd done.

Pain crossed Rumpelstiltskin's face, he lowered his arm. His face became the same mask Baelfire had seen several times, "I got the feeling that you wanted to see me."

"I need your help," Baelfire said tersely.

"You're finally calling upon me to save your little lost princess's kingdom?"

"No," Baelfire said. He wasn't sure he could ever pay that debt, his father would be sure to make it incredibly high. It took everything he had to speak to him now, "Emma's father is in the hold right now, without his heart thanks to Regina. What will the price be for you restoring it?"