Chapter 37: Sass and Subterfuge
When the savior awoke, she found herself curled up to Killian's side, her head resting on his chest and his left arm around her waist.
"Hey...how are you feeling?" Snow asked from the chair next to the cot where she and Killian were.
"Like my head has been kicked by a horse." The blonde grumbled, "What the hell happened?"
"Your magic surged again, but he was able to absorb most of it." She answered gesturing to the still sleeping captain.
Emma tried to move which did nothing more than cause a subconscious reaction from the pirate, his arm wrapping around her waist even tighter. His other hand came to rest on her back, just below her neck, and she groaned in annoyance.
"How long?" The blonde asked slightly muffled.
"Night fell about two hours ago so about four, maybe five hours." The dark haired princess answered doing some mental calculations.
"Any sign of her?" She asked though she was pretty sure of the answer.
"Rem left not long after your surge to look for her, but no...nothing so far. Emma… I…" Snow started trying to find the words.
"Are we really going to do this again, Mary Margaret? Snow...it's okay. You're not the only one…" Emma started.
"But I'm the only one that tried to kill her...multiple times. I almost killed him...and you. I still can't believe...how could I have ever...she was just trying to help." Snow rambled fighting back tears, her voice quivering with emotion.
"It's not your fault. You, me, everyone in Storybrooke...we were all affected by whatever this is. Gold and Ingrid must have broken through straight away and Henry...he had worked it out. He tried to tell me but I didn't understand, couldn't understand.
I still can't wrap my head around everything. It's been what...less than three days since the curse was broken and it has just been one thing after another. Yes, we said and did terrible things to probably the kindest person we will ever meet and we have to live with that.
But right now...she's out there and she's all alone...and she is still trying to help. I may not know what she is doing but…" Emma responded only to be interrupted by a half asleep pirate.
"But i do." He muttered cracking open his eyes, the ocean blue depths dull from sleep.
"You make a very good pillow." The blonde commented making him chuckle.
"So I have been told. Now how long has she been missing?" He asked slowly sitting up and allowing the blonde to get up as well.
"We're not sure. There was some kind of illusion so we didn't actually know she was missing until sometime this afternoon." Snow answered as she grabbed a cup and a pitcher of water.
The pirate was grateful because he was parched, but he did let Emma have some before he started in on it. Once that pitcher was empty, he spoke.
"Given how late it is, she's either at the top or at least two thirds up." He stated confusing them.
"Up?" Both women echoed.
"As in up a beanstalk. She's going after the compass." Killian informed continuing on before they could ask, "Kora has the ashes of the wardrobe which still holds the original enchantment. It can open a portal but to get to Storybrooke, she needs an enchanted compass which is at the top of a beanstalk that has been warded against intruders."
"So how can she be climbing it?" Emma asked confused.
"Wait...how do you know any of this? Are you working for Kora?" Snow demanded her hand automatically reaching for the blade at her waist.
"I'm a glorified errand boy, princess. The only reason why I haven't severed all ties to that heartless bitch is so that i can keep her away from my star and as for your question, Swan. Kora gave me a counterspell. One is with me, the other is with Artz. She took it from me before...Nubbins." He answered wiggling his eyebrows at her and making her smile.
"Nubbins?" Snow echoed confused causing the other two to start laughing, "What? What's so funny?"
They glanced at each other, a silent conversation being conducted with their eyes and expressions. Killian eventually conceded and rolled his eyes at the smirking blonde.
"They're cute, little fluff balls that have a bad habit of reproducing insanely quickly. Start out with five or six, next thing you know...dozens...and the next day, hundreds." Emma explained trying not to laugh at the perplexed expression on Snow's face.
"Okay...but what does that have to do with Artz taking the counter spell?" She asked not getting it at all.
"Killian…" the blonde started.
"Let me handle this, love. Let me put this in a way that you can understand, Princess. Right after Artz took the counterspell from me, we spent the next four and a half hours having sex out in the woods." He stated being brutally honest.
Snow stared at him, frozen in shock. Emma snorted slightly, silently giggling.
"I think you just broke my mom." She commented smiling at him.
He gave her a cheeky grin, completely unrepentant.
"Subtlety wasn't working, love." He replied highly amused.
"So you pulled an Artz and let the hammer fall." She countered shaking her head at him.
"Gravity works...why not use it?" He replied sassily.
"Um...i think I just hallucinated. Could you repeat what you said...please." The dark haired princess requested finally moving past the shock phase.
Killian opened his mouth to do as she asked, but Emma clamped a hand over his mouth to silence him...which he promptly licked.
"Seriously, dude? So juvenile." Emma said giving him a so not amused look but did not remove her hand.
He was not about to pass up a perfect opportunity and he stuck out his tongue, licking her hand repeatedly. The blonde giggled slightly, the sensation caused by his tongue tickled and she was trying very hard to not yank her hand away...but he was persistent, licking in between her fingers and damn it!
She whipped her hand away and rubbed it on her jeans, trying to make the tickling feeling go away.
"Artz and I had sex...repeatedly...four and a half hours to be precise. She may have been a virgin, but bloody hell...best damn sex of my life." He reiterated then noticed the blonde staring at him, "Feel free to tell her that. In fact, I think I'll tell her myself."
He tried to get to his feet but his legs buckled. Emma managed to catch him and pulled him back onto the cot.
"You're not going anywhere. Give me the counterspell and I'll go after her." Emma rationalized.
"I wish I could, love, but once it's been placed, it can't be removed until its purpose is complete." He told her while showing her the black bracelet.
He tried to remove it but it shimmered a yellowish gold but did not budge.
"Okay...that is annoying. Guess I'll just have to drown your happy ass in water then." The blonde commented smirking at his reaction.
"Do I look like a fish to you?" He asked sarcastically.
"Yeah...a piranha which means that i can't take my eyes off you for a second." Emma answered sassily.
"I would despair if you did...which is what i would normally say but quite frankly, my star is better. Don't get me wrong, you're beautiful, Swan...but Artz is…" He started before trailing off.
"Artz is Artz." She finished before leaning in a bit, "You break her heart and I'll deep fry your ass, fish boy."
"You certainly have quite the fascination with asses...you remind me of a rather lecherous monk…" he commented.
"...named Miroku." She finished surprising him.
"This is why I must have met my star before. I know her stories and the tales from her land. I taught her how to play the flute and she in turn taught me the song called The Inner Light." He rambled his head still trying to understand.
"Wait what? What do you mean you taught her how to play the flute? Artz cant play a musical instrument to save her life." Snow commented shoving the whole Artz not being a virgin anymore thing to the side.
"I'm not surprised and I should be, but for some reason, every time I look at you...my brain says that your Artz's Captain. Seriously...right from the start." Emma replied ignoring her birth mother.
Killian looked at her in surprise, his ocean blue eyes filled with an unidentifiable emotion.
"Really but how did…" he started trying to understand.
"Um...hello. You're going to ignore me, aren't you?" Snow whined before getting up in a huff and exiting the tent, "Clearly I'm not wanted. I'll get the tub filled."
"That wasn't very nice, Swan Lake." He commented and she shrugged.
"Three's a crowd when you're not with Artz." She replied, "and to answer your question. I asked her once what her ideal man would be like. At the time, I thought she was being ridiculously picky, but now I know differently."
"And how exactly did she describe me, Swan, because she would have to be insanely specific for you to recognize me straight away." He surmised honestly curious.
She smiled, her eyes warm and bright. He raised an eyebrow in question, making her giggle.
"You're not going to tell me, are you?" He deduced.
"I'm not sure if I should. Your ego is beyond saving...no need to make it worse." She sassed smirking playfully at him.
He rolled his eyes as he groaned, eliciting even more laughter from his blonde haired companion. He became serious and gave her a look that made her heart hurt. Was he truly so insecure about how Artz viewed him? Well...technically they did meet yesterday and they hadn't been together very long so he hadn't gotten a good read of the ginger's character and personality.
"Fine, but these are her words and not mine, got it?" She caved and he nodded silently, his eyes alight with curiosity and just a touch of trepidation...poor guy,
"Tall, dark, ruggedly gorgeous, a voice as sexy as sin, an accent that turns most of the female species into puddles of goo, charm, sass, sarcasm, and most definitely swagger. Confident, knows what he wants, intelligence is a must though he needs to be resourceful and adjust quickly to changing circumstances.
He has to be a badass but also a gentleman. He also needs to have a code of honor but isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He must be a man of his word and do whatever it takes to find her and to keep her.
Appearance: Dark hair preferably a brunet and eyes ranging from ocean blue to mirrored obsidian.
He has to have style, but he also needs to be flawed. He needs to recognize that he does have flaws so that he can love her flaws as she would love his. He needs to know both darkness and light to find a balance within himself and to help her find her own balance.
She wants him to choose her over everything else. To know that hate is always foolish and love is always wise. To at least try to be nice, but never fail at being kind. He needs to understand both cowardice and cruelty and to look beyond that to see a greater meaning.
He must never give up on her, no matter how much of a stubborn bitch she's being, no matter how hard she is trying to push him away. He needs to fight for her, stay for her. She wants him to understand that dying is easy and living is hard. He needs to live for her and if he dies, then he needs to beat the hell out of whoever runs the afterlife and send him back to her.
She wants him to be her shield, mainly when she gets in over her head, or to protect her from herself, to stop her from going overboard while trying to help and to keep people from using her kindness.
He can't treat her like glass either… especially in bed. He has to be willing to get rough with her, but also let her explore him. The curiosity thing is a big factor for her because she likes exploring, learning new things, making discoveries, knowing the unknown.
In my personal opinion, she honestly needs someone to encourage her, compliment her, someone she can run to when she learns something new. I think she wants someone she can not only surprise but also impress... to know that her efforts are appreciated...that she is wanted and needed.
She's so lonely, has the weight of the world on her shoulders, and for some reason, her heart is always breaking behind her eyes. I want her to look the way she did when she first stood next to you; confident, bold, self assured, a complete and total fucking badass. She was incredible...i could see it in her eyes...for once, she was at peace with herself.
Hmph...peace...she found peace because of a pirate which was another requirement for her. She wanted a pirate, specifically a captain so that she could call him her captain and to him...she wanted to be his star, his guiding star...a light to guide him home...to her.
I think that's everything though i wouldn't be surprised if i left something out and I did add in some stuff…" She commented only to stop talking when she noticed that he was crying.
The look in his eyes said it all. He was completely blown away...shock was not a strong enough word to describe him, but she could tell...he was touched, honored even. The crimson haired woman had literally described him and what she wanted of him...something he appeared to be okay with. Still...he looked so vulnerable...like a single tap would shatter him into dust. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out so he closed it again. She smiled softly at him, completely understanding how he was feeling at the moment.
Emma Swan had been on the receiving end of that woman many times. Every time it happened, the blonde had been completely blind sided and the ginger would just wander off like she hadn't just dropped the mother of all bombshells… though in his case, it would be cannon balls.
She waited patiently for the pirate captain to pull himself back together and when he did, his eyes were apologetic. She simply smiled at him, a knowing look in her eyes. Snow called to them from outside, letting them know that the tub was ready. The blonde haired savior helped the captain to his feet and he swayed a fair bit before stabilizing. The duo exited the tent not knowing of the shit storm that laid ahead or what had occurred between Artz and a specific individual at the base of the beanstalk.
They only knew that whatever trials they needed to go through, they would face them together. The Savior and the God of the Sea...a friendship made in an instant and it would endure and grow stronger with the passing of time...but would it be enough to handle what was to come?
