This has been such an incredible journey of a story. I want to thank everyone that favorited and/or followed – your support, interest, and continued dedication to reading was so motivating. But I want to particularly thank every one of you that reviewed because your comments, questions, speculations, and general love were beyond amazing.
The epilogue wraps things up relatively nicely, but there are always possibilities for the future. Like I mentioned last chapter, there have been a few plot lines nagging at me, and I've left things open-ended enough to continue if I want. The catch is that, as much as I adore Captain Swan, any sequel to this would probably feature Outlaw Queen as well.
I guess the bottom line is, even though I can't definitively say I'll be doing a sequel, I can't not say it either. If enough people would be interested in a shared Captain Swan and Outlaw Queen sequel, I'll start hammering out a plot. Otherwise, I'll leave this as is and we'll say farewell, aside from a few one-shots I'm planning to post as companion pieces.
Either way, I'm so grateful to all of you. You're the best readers I could ask for and have made my first multi-chapter story an amazing experience. Thanks again! I really couldn't have done it without you!
Until next time – stalrua
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything having to do with Once Upon A Time. I also included a few references to Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and the movie Hook.
Epilogue
A Bond and A Horizon
"Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid."
"When did you know he was the one?"
Emma and her mother sat on the bench, close enough to where she could smell the familiar rose-scented perfume, watching the two men walk around the far edge of the garden. It was the third time they'd made the same loop. Clearly, her father had a lot to say to the pirate. Emma could only hope it wasn't anything too… fatherly. After all, Hook was almost three hundred years older than him.
"It was the first time he said he would always find me." With a smile, her mother met her gaze. "He was upset because I'd just stolen from him while I was just excited to get away, but there was… something about that moment. The way he said it, maybe? Or the expression in his eyes when I looked back to him? I'm not sure exactly." She turned back to watch her husband begin the loop again. "Looking back, though, it all started there."
Slowly, Emma mirrored her mother's actions and turned back to the rest of the garden. While the king and the pirate occupied one end with their hushed conversation, the other end was filled with intermittent but loud laughter. A particularly gleeful outburst drew her attention.
A young boy jumped out of the bushes.
A man clasped his chest in mock fright and fell to the ground.
Out of nowhere, hands clamped down on Emma's shoulders. Instinct had the urge to fight welling up within her, but it melted away just as quickly once she looked up to see Ruby's wide grin. "Did I scare you?"
"You always scare me, Rubes."
The brunette released Emma and slipped around the end of the bench to sit beside her. "So what are we talking about this afternoon? Or are we just admiring the eye candy?"
"If that's the case, Graham would need to be here. Unless you've given up on him and are going to start making eyes at Robin." Emma gestured to the reunited father and son still playing in the bushes.
It had already been a couple weeks since Robin and his men had returned from the strange land called Oz. There hadn't been any hint, no warning of their arrival. One day, they were discussing ways to the other realm to bring the men home; the next, there was a knock at the palace gates that revealed the missing thieves.
Roland had been ecstatic, to say the least. At the sight of his father, he'd ripped himself away from Ruby and jumped into the man's waiting arms. Both Ruby and Emma had watched over the boy while Robin went with Hook on the search for Regina, but while the three of them had enjoyed their time together, nothing could really compare to the bond between a father and his son.
However, joyful reunions aside, their reappearance stirred numerous questions that needed answering.
Were they all alright? Where was Regina? Did they catch up to her? What happened in Oz? What was the realm like? Who was the mysterious Zelena? Did Regina find her? Why did she want to find her? Was there magic in Oz? Did Regina regain her magic? When did they get back? How did they get back?
Unfortunately, most of their questions remained unanswered. The only explanation they'd received from Robin was succinct, satisfied only the most critical issue at hand, and was accompanied by an almost bitter expression none of them could quite place.
"The details of what happened while we were there don't matter. The only thing that's important is that Regina is still in Oz. She succeeded in finding Zelena, but her magic is still bound. I managed to destroy the last of the magic beans before we were sent back, so unless they find another way to this realm, they're trapped there."
A few days later, after giving him time to settle back into things, Hook had gone to Robin in private. But instead of getting more answers as he'd hoped, Robin had only said that yes, he'd caught up with Regina but that he preferred not to talk about what happened. The last thing he'd said on the matter before sending Hook away was that Emma was safe.
For now, at least.
Because Emma knew better than to underestimate Regina.
"No thanks, I think I'll stick with my huntsman." Still grinning, Ruby waved a hand towards the stables. "He's over there with August getting the horses ready."
If the plan was the still the same as it had been that morning at breakfast – who knew when Ruby was prone to changing her mind every other hour – they would all be saying goodbye the following morning. August, Graham, and Ruby had fit in wonderfully with the rest of the kingdom during their time there, but the castle wasn't Tortuga and Tortuga was home. No matter how strong the affection between Emma and the three of them, she knew they didn't belong anywhere except the pirate-filled port town.
"Are all your things packed and ready?"
"You're joking, right?" Emma laughed at Ruby's expression. "You know I always wait until the last minute to get anything done… there's no use in changing now. If you're not busy, I'll need your help getting everything together."
Translation – I want to be able to spend some time just the two of us before I leave.
It didn't matter whether Ruby wanted to get together to gossip about the men in their lives, discuss the issue with Regina, or relive all the moments from the years spent growing up together. The only thing that mattered was that Emma would be there because Ruby was as much a sister to her as anyone ever could be. Gods, she was going to miss her.
"I think I would've been more worried if you were prepared." Emma bumped her shoulder playfully, blinking away the annoying moisture in her eyes. "I'll be there."
"Oh, good." The barmaid – if she would still be one when she returned to Tortuga – returned the shoulder bump. "So, anyway, what were we talking about?"
"Emma asked me when I knew her father was the one."
"And?"
Emma listened in silence as her mother repeated the answer. She alternated between watching the two men round the last corner to begin yet another loop and watching Robin chase Roland around an apple tree. It wasn't until the story came to a close that she turned to Ruby. "When did you know about Graham?"
"Easy – the first night we slept together." As soon as the words were out, Ruby clapped a hand across her mouth and looked to Snow in horror. "I'm sorry! That was inappropriate. I shouldn't be talking about things like that around you."
Emma and her mother tried to listen to Ruby's rambling apologies, but they couldn't contain their laughter at her embarrassment and burst out laughing.
"What… what are you doing?" Ruby's head whipped around as she angled herself to look at both of them better. "Are you laughing at me?"
"I'm not some blushing schoolgirl, Ruby. There's no need to put on false airs in my presence."
Seeing her mother so at ease was just as unusual as seeing Ruby in shock. At what point did she loosen the oppressive strings that came with royalty? At what point did she relax enough to throw her head back and actually laugh? At what point did she realize that the best way to keep Emma close was to let her go and be free to make her own choices? And at the same… at what point did Emma come to understand just how much she loved her mother?
Theirs was a rocky road for sure. But just like the bond between a father and his son was strong, so was the one between a mother and her daughter. It was strong enough to withstand an arranged marriage and resentful runaway, strong enough to withstand eighteen years.
Overcome by… everything, Emma rested her head on her mother's shoulder, and almost immediately, her mother's hand came up to rest against her cheek. Not long after, Ruby joined them, leaning over to rest her head on Emma's shoulder.
They stayed like that for a while – Ruby's head on Emma's shoulder, Emma's head on Snow's shoulder, Snow's hand on Emma's cheek, and Emma's hand grasping Ruby's – three women connected to each other by something much stronger and much more powerful than a simple blood relation.
Emma didn't know how much time had passed, only that Robin had taken Roland inside for the evening, when her mother breached the silence.
"We've both shared our story, sweetheart, now it's your turn. When did you know Killian was the one?"
At that precise moment, as if he wasn't fifty yards away but within clear earshot, Hook glanced at her. It was a brief look, but in the few seconds before her father realized who he was looking at and recaptured his attention, he flashed a charming smirk. And fifty yards might as well have been none with the way her heart tripped a quicker rhythm.
From that first fateful encounter in The Salty Dog Inn to him showing up to save her from Regina to his most recent reappearance at the ball, he'd always had that instantaneous effect on her. It was likely he always would.
Her father was frowning, gesturing a little too sharply as he spoke, but when they rounded a corner, Hook still managed to peek at her one last time. And that time, she was ready. Ignoring the way she could literally feel her mother and Ruby's perceptive grins, Emma beamed at Hook across the distance and saw him wink in response.
"I think it was when I first saw him."
She thought about that timeless moment – the moment his blue eyes met her hazel ones across a burnished bar, the moment before they'd even spoken to each other – and smiled again.
"I think I knew it all along."
A light spray of water kicked up by the wind landed on her face, the salty flavor making her taste buds tingle when her tongue darted out to wet her lips. She didn't even bother wiping away the moisture, though, just let the water evaporate in the gusting wind and warm sunshine.
It had been spring when they'd left.
Blossoms had covered the mountain laurel that lined the palace lawns. The blooms' sweet fragrance had filled the air that last afternoon before their departure, the vivid shades of pink, purple, and white almost obscuring the bright green leaves that signaled new, fresh growth. She'd picnicked with her parents in the shade of those trees, talking of everything and nothing, letting the dappled sunshine work its way through the foliage.
It was late summer now.
Back at the palace, her parents would be busy organizing the mid-year festival. Tables and chairs would be set up under the now bloomless trees, but the lack of color on the branches would be made up for in the brightly hued floral centerpieces. The entire kingdom would be invited, and while those that lived too far away wouldn't attend, the lawn would still be filled to the brim with everyone else. There would be music and dancing, laughter and fun, and after the sun had set, a spectacular firework show would end the festivities with a literal bang.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the world, Emma and Hook and the crew of the Jolly Roger sailed towards an endless horizon.
Blue sky. Blue sea.
It was home.
That wasn't to say that her parents' castle wasn't also home, though. The palace would always be her original home, but the shining walls and tiled floors and overall elegance just weren't the home that made her smile, made her feel at peace. Not like the weathered wood of the Jolly Roger.
In the end, they'd tried.
For six months, Emma was able to experience what it took to be an actual princess, all of the duties and responsibilities. For almost six months more, Emma and Hook were both able to experience what their lives would be like if they remained. But both of them had spent too much time on the water to be content with anything less. The world called to their restless, roaming spirits. And thankfully, her parents had understood.
They still visited. The plan was to return once a month and spend a few days catching up, but life tended to get in the way – Emma called it treasure and adventure; Hook called it fun – and made the time stretch a little longer than they sometimes liked. Still, they made it a point to visit as often as they could. Eighteen years of no contact with her parents was eighteen years too long and not something she wanted to continue.
They also visited Tortuga whenever they were in the vicinity. August, Ruby, and Graham had returned to The Salty Dog Inn and a half-frantic, half-furious Geppetto where they picked up life right where they'd left off. August and Ruby continued to manage the inn, although Ruby had given up working the bar at Graham's insistence, while Graham still travelled to nearby towns offering his unique set of services. He would be taking on a more established life with Ruby soon, though. They were to be married in a couple months.
Emma stared out over the water.
It stretched out as far as the eye could see until it blended indistinctly into the sky, an eternal blue that was almost the same exact color as Hook's eyes only broken by the occasional white cap of a wave. And at the thought of the pirate, she blinked and focused on her more immediate surroundings.
She stood on the upper deck, railing smooth under her hands and well-worn planks warm beneath her bare feet. The constant noise of the Jolly Roger sailing through the sea was a comforting backdrop to the hum of activity aboard the ship – the sound of crewmembers going about their daily activities on the deck below, the sails billowing overhead in the wind, and the slight creak of the helm as Hook navigated them to some distant location only he knew of.
Mullins was retying a knot down below – he always had been the best at it, not to mention the most patient teacher considering she had yet to get the hang of some of the more complicated knots – when an argument broke out. With a faint smile, she added the two crewmembers fighting over who could handle their rum better and Hook's annoyed yelling for them to get back to work to the normal sounds that came with life on the open sea.
They were such simple things, such everyday things – a quarrel among pirates; a ship sluicing through water; a flask of rum in her hand and a short sword at her side; a captain reaching out to sneak an arm around her waist – and yet, it was the unassuming things that sometimes meant the most.
In the end, it was funny how time stood still in moments that looked suspiciously like ordinary life.
"What's got you so deep in thought, love?"
Lips pressing a gentle kiss to her temple inspired her to face the captain that had come up beside her. "Nothing much."
"I don't believe that for a second."
When Hook gave her a disbelieving look, she smiled. "Are you commanding me to tell you, Captain?"
His signature smirk tugged at his mouth as he abandoned the wheel, pulling her fully against his chest and burying his face in the crook of her neck with a growl. "I love it when you call me that."
"You love it when I call you anything."
"I have to say, bastard's not my favorite term." The lips working softly up her neck contrasted with his rough stubble and made her shiver. "Or ass." At the same time, the fingers inching beneath the hem of her blouse to rub against her hip made it hard to think.
"In my defense, I wouldn't have said that if you weren't being one. You can't expect me to be happy after you hang me upside down."
"We were practicing swordplay." He said it so matter-of-factly, as if that was all the explanation required to wipe the slate clean. Needless to say, it wasn't. Even still, he tried to gloss over the unsatisfactory answer with charm and seduction instead.
However, Emma was not so weak willed as to be distracted by the teeth nibbling at her earlobe. Not at all. "So that gives you the… ah… right to use the rigging to string me up when I… gods, Hook… when I make a wrong move?" Apparently, she was more susceptible to his tongue tracing the outside of her ear.
"You're technique has regressed into something that can only be described as shoddy, at best. All those years of training gone to waste… so disappointing. I had to think of some way to encourage you to try harder." He paused, drew away from her just a bit. "Granted, the view didn't hurt. We should make it a rule that you can only practice while wearing either skirts or a loose blouse."
"You wish."
Hook chuckled, lips returning to trace the line of her jaw. "It was convenient that the crew wasn't around to see, don't you think?"
"Thank the gods you sent them into town." Then, realization struck and she fell still. The only thing that continued to move was her blouse, lifting as his fingers traced a winding pattern ever farther up her side. "Convenience, my ass… you planned the whole thing, didn't you? Didn't you?"
"All's fair in love and war."
"So that's how it's going to be, then." Two could play at that game.
But then his hand flattened against her skin, the curve of the hook pressed to the back of her head, and his lips captured her own in a searing kiss… and as his low groan rumbled through her mouth, she thought how the game could wait until another day. There were more important things to do right then, anyway. Things like winding her arms around his neck or tilting her head to deepen the kiss or grasping a fistful of his hair.
Emma stepped back until the side of the ship pressed against her lower back. Without breaking contact, she slipped up onto the edge. Hook immediately filled the vacant spot, moving between her legs to press against her in a completely different fashion. One arm looped behind her to hold her close while his hand tangled with her hair and pulled on the strands. She let her head fall back with a gasp, consumed by the sensations as he ravaged the expanse of skin her neck provided before returning to her lips.
Right then, nothing else mattered.
Because it had become the easiest thing in the world, giving in to Hook.
Suddenly, a loud whistle sounded from below followed by a few catcalls. It took a little while for reality to set it, but when it did, she reluctantly opened her eyes and pulled away. They stared at each other in the aftermath, foreheads pressed together, breaths no more than pants in the little space between them.
"The crew's watching."
"Let them watch." He ground the words out, rotating his hips against hers.
The contact stole her breath, what little of it remained, and left her struggling to find words. "You don't really mean that."
"Don't I?" She'd just dredged up the capacity to chastise him when he kissed his name from her lips. "Perhaps you'd like to test that theory."
Hook loved her, she knew that. But she also knew how much he loved a challenge, which meant no, she didn't want to test that theory… or anything closely related to that theory… basically nothing involving sex in public. Though, on second thought, that was a complete lie considering how many times they'd nearly been caught in compromising positions. She'd never outright admit it to him, but the risk of being found only heightened the pleasure.
But since they were in the middle of the ocean with no other options… "I'd rather not, but I can think of a more private location where this could continue."
This time it was Hook that pulled back. "I like the way you think, love." And when he smirked and led her towards their cabin, she couldn't help but grin and follow.
The next morning dawned warm and clear, wispy clouds highlighting the sunrise. Still curled on her side in the empty bed, Emma watched the scene through the windows. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to. She doubted she'd ever get enough of it.
With a satisfied groan, she stretched, buried her face in the pillow to inhale the scent that was all theirs, and finally dragged herself out of bed. She dressed quickly in customary trousers and top – there would be no more skirts after Hook's comment the day before – before exiting the cabin. It wasn't extremely early, so the fact that the deck was empty save for herself and Hook above her was unusual.
But when she stepped out and looked up to the helm, there was no sign of Hook either.
Confused, she made her way up the stairs to the quarterdeck only to see Hook standing at the ship's stern. His back was to her, head lowered, but she could just make out the way he fingered the arching line of his hook around his body. With a gentle smile, she watched him look up and out over the water.
"I hope you're not getting ready to do what I think you are." If he was surprised by her presence, she couldn't tell.
Slowly, he found her eyes over his shoulder. "And what would that be?" Emma looked pointedly from his hook to the water. But Hook ignored her, and she heard the quiet click of the appendage from across the deck. He stared down at the metal in his hand, expression falling somewhere between reverence and acceptance. "I don't need this, Emma. Not anymore."
And she knew he didn't. She took the last few steps forward and pulled the curved metal from him. Turning it over in her hands, she observed its clean lines, the way it reflected and refracted the morning light. Sometime during their journey, he'd grown past it. Where before it had been a crutch, a symbol, a constant reminder of the painful past and the revenge he sought, now it was just what it was – a hook.
So, no, he didn't need it.
But maybe she did.
Because it was him. It was what made him Hook, made him Killian, made him the person she'd fallen in love with.
He looked to her in surprise when she grasped his left arm and clicked the hook back into place. "This isn't your past anymore. Now, it's just you. It's whatever you want it to be." And as she smiled up at him, the shock edged away. "You'll always be Killian Jones to me… but what would the world be like without Captain Hook?"
They stood there in relative silence as he regarded her with a kind of fierce tenderness before running his hand over the reattached appendage. "Aye, I suppose you're right." Then, with a quick kiss to her forehead, he spun around and returned to the helm.
The wheel whirled, turning them eastward. And between the vivacity that had returned to his body and the roguish grin she spotted on his face when she came up beside him, he looked the definition of a pirate. He inhaled deeply, let it out in a contented exhale.
"So where are we headed today, Captain?"
"There." Hook pointed towards the rising sun.
"What's in that direction?"
Turning to face her, he leaned against the helm and shrugged. "No idea. I've looked for a map of the northeastern sea but haven't been able to find anything." Then, he grinned at her confused look. "What do you say, love… are you up for an adventure into uncharted territories?"
The words reminded Emma of something she'd heard from one of the villagers as a child. The woman was older and claimed to be from another realm, one without magic. Whether or not that was true, Emma never knew; what she did know was that the woman put on some of the most thrilling plays in all the kingdoms.
It was a line from one in particular that she murmured. "A course more promising than a wild dedication of yourselves to unpathed waters, undreamed shores."
"What was that?" Hook stared at her curiously, not having heard what she'd said.
"It was nothing."
A single eyebrow lifted. "Mmhmm." Clearly, he wasn't convinced but seemed willing to let it drop. "Speaking of nothing… you never answered my question last night."
"What?" In the flurry of strewn clothes, breathless kisses, and overall passion that made up the night before, she couldn't really recall much else.
"When we were up here yesterday afternoon, what were you thinking?"
The memories were slow to come, but she eventually remembered the peace she'd felt as she took in her life. However, while she felt peace, she also felt worry. There were still so many things left unresolved. Regina was still out there somewhere, Robin remained elusive about his time in Oz whenever they met, and there was a glimmer of Neverland – of otherness – in both her and Hook's eyes; not to mention what would happen when the time came for her to ascend the throne.
But it was impossible to know what the future held.
And anyway, there was so much more than those uncertainties.
Thinking about all the positive parts of her life made Emma's heart burn. Her mother inspired hope, her father inspired courage, Ruby inspired spirit, August inspired strength, Graham inspired determination, the crew inspired adventure, and Hook… Hook inspired love. Yes, the good definitely outweighed the bad.
In the distance, over the open water, she could see the sunrise, the new day, the infinite tomorrow.
She still wasn't sure if she believed in a true happy ending. How could something like that be real when there were still so many problems in the world? There would always be the possibility of reuniting with Regina and the mysterious Zelena. And if they weren't an issue, who knew if some other force would show up to cause trouble for the Enchanted Forest. But even if happily ever after was a bit out of reach, Hook had said it best in the courtyard after they'd won both their freedom and Emma's life.
"I don't think I believe in it either, now that you mention it… but sometimes we can get close enough to where it's hard to tell the difference."
She met Hook's eyes with a smile as she curled her arms around his waist. "I really wasn't thinking much. Just that I'm…" There was only one word for it. "Happy."
The cool metal of his hook brushed a lock of hair behind her ear while his hand cupped her cheek. "Good." He kissed her once, twice, before pulling back. "I am too."
Emma took in everything about him – windswept hair, glinting hook, charming smirk, gleam in his strikingly blue eyes, the innuendo that would no doubt fall from his lips later – and was content. This was her life. This was what she wanted. This moment, the one she was sharing with Hook right then, was what her heart had always been searching for.
What they had was worth the struggle, worth defending, worth fighting for, and she'd be damned if anyone tried to take that away from them.
So let the battles come.
She was ready.
They were ready.
They would always be ready.
Because right then, with the wind in her hair and the sun on her face and the sea in every direction and Hook smirking at her, holding her, kissing her, Emma's life was about as close to happily ever after as she could ever imagine it to be.
And that was all that really mattered.
"You give me miles and miles of mountains, and I'll ask for the sea."