Blueeyeddevil06 thank you for being my beta!

One evening shortly after they arrived in Misthaven, Killian didn't know quite what to think of the group of men that had gathered around him. He suspected it was going to involve their form of intimidation. He was a pirate, and he had decades more practice at intimidation than they did. He was looking forward to what he suspected was a group that felt they should have married Emma. They were all various ages, but if he'd remember right, each one of them was unmarried and high ranking in the kingdom. He also noticed many of them had expensive taste in clothing. He sized them up and almost chuckled. He remembered asking if a young man was waiting for Emma back home. She gave a definitive no. He rightly suspected she'd beaten a few of these men at swordplay.

"So, Killian. I hear you rescued our Emma." Stuffed shirt number one said.

He scratched his cheek with his hook and pretended to look puzzled. "I don't remember your name or that we were on such informal terms. It's Captain Jones to you… What was your name again?"

"Sir Dalton, Lord Dalton's son, I'm his heir. Our family has had their title for eight generations with my father. I will, of course, be the ninth."

Damn, he hoped Emma knocked this man on his arse, sparing and made him cry. Killian looked at the other men, "And your names are?"

Unbeknownst to him, Snow and Emma noticed the group around him, and it became the topic of their conversation. Snow looked at Emma in concern, "Should we rescue him?"

Emma just laughed in response at first, shook her head, and then added, "If Captain Hook needs to be rescued from a conversation with them, then he deserves what he gets."

Sir Dalton introduced the rest of the men, "Baron Dormir, Sir Grenfell, Sir Hobart, and Sir Keppel. Don't worry. I know the titles can intimidate most people."

Wow, did he hate this guy? "Lucky me, I'm not easily intimidated." He gave them all a hard look.

Sir Dalton looked like he sucked on a lemon. "Well, I guess you just don't understand our influence in this kingdom. I know politics can be complicated for a man like you."

"Ah, see, politics isn't what I'm interested in tonight. See that woman over there?" He pointed at Emma. "She's all that interests me."

Baron Dormir scoffed, "Somehow, you convinced her parents you're actually married to her. It would be interesting to hear how. I assume you tricked her."

"As you planned on doing, I assume? Since you're single, that means you tried to marry her. In fact, I'm guessing that means you've all tried." He smirked. "I'll tell you what. I'm a betting man, and I'll bet I'm right. I also bet that it angers you that I succeeded where you failed. I might be a pirate, but I know how to treat a woman." He smirked at them all.

Sir Hobart spoke up, "Bulllshit. What could you possibly have that we don't?!"

"A large… ship?" Killian winked at them.

"Don't be vulgar."

"You don't like the size of the sailing vessel I came in on?" He asked. "Pardon me, boys, I have somewhere better to be."

He walked off without another word and walked straight over to Emma. When he got there, he whispered, "I have plans for you tonight, Love. I'm assuming you could have rescued me from them, but you left me there to be tortured. Tell me you knocked some of them on their arses."

"All of them. You didn't enjoy your conversation?" She gave him a wry smile.

"Payback is… well, let's just say I'm going to have my fun with you tonight."

"And that's a deterrent how?"

"You mistake me, Love. It's my reward for not punching them." He raked his eyes over her body. "Think about how many unpleasant incidents can be averted among the aristocracy by that hot body of yours."

"As long as you leave on the hook."

"Oh, Love. That's a promise."

She gave him a heated look, "If I enjoy myself too much, you might find yourself surrounded by them often."

"Do I not please you enough, Mrs. Jones?" His voice dripped with seduction.

"Ooh!" Tinkerbell interrupted. "I was coming over to see if Captain Hook put the pompous-club in their place, and I walked into a different conversation." She smiled, and her eyes were sparkling with joy.

Emma smiled at Tinkerbell, "Don't worry, we can pick it back up later."

"It's a promise, Swan," he said in a deep gravelly voice.

"That gave me chills, and it wasn't even directed at me," Tinkerbell said and giggled. "Sounds like you're enjoying being Hook's wife. You're welcome, by the way." She gave an exaggerated bow.

"So, what did I miss? We haven't caught up on the boring stuff."

"Ugh! Without you, it's been awful here. I missed you so much." She pouted. "I had to sit through Queen Aurora whining about trade negotiations. So what if fairies raised her!" She threw up her hands. "It doesn't mean we all like her." She focused on Killian, chuckling at her. "Joke's on you. You'll have to be part of the meetings now too."

"Yes, but no one will expect Captain Hook to be gracious and kind."

"Damn! You're right." She stomped her foot. "I should have just put frogs in her room."

Emma rolled her eyes, "You know we promised never to do that again."

"Well, we have to think of something. Whatever thing your mother hosts to honor your marriage will surely be attended by her and Phillip."

"Which means Thomas will come," Emma said smiling.

Killian turned to look directly at Emma, "And, why would you be glad to see Thomas, Love. Who is he?"

"He's Crowned Prince Thomas, Aurora and Phillip's son and someone that I think you'll like a lot. For one thing, he's one of the few royals who hasn't asked me to marry him. And, he has a temperament that's similar to yours."

"And what exactly does that mean, Swan?"

"It's so romantic that you call her Swan and that you named your ship after her!" Tinkerbell then bounced back to his question. "It means that he's self-assured and has something to back it up with, and he doesn't suffer fools. He almost hit Sir Dalton last time he was here."

"I like him already," Killian stated and looked at Emma. "You're sure he wasn't interested in you? While that's a nice change, it makes me question his sanity."

"His mother wanted him to marry me." She said as if that was all the explanation he needed.

"Oh, you should have seen the fuss she made when he said they were just friends. It was hilarious. It was almost as funny as Emma's frogs. She would have had more luck with him asking her if she'd not demanded they marry." She shrugged. "If she'd told him that Emma was a bad influence on him-"

"She'd be right!" Emma interrupted.

"Well, yes. But, it would have had more of a chance to get him to ask her to marry him. He's… obstinate just like his father."

"Who went and fell in love with the very girl he was told he had to marry. It was all without realizing or knowing her real name."

"She lied about her name?"

"No, she didn't know her real name. Her parents sent her into hiding when she was a baby. Sorceress's curse. The same old story around here." She waved her hand, dismissing the story.

Tinkerbell nodded, "Yes, then Maleficent turned into a dragon, and Phillip killed her with a magic sword."

Killian sighed, "Of course he did. You all have a lot of trouble with curses."

"Yes, but true love always wins!" Tinkerbell announced happily. "I still remember seeing you in the throne room when they captured you." She giggled. "David was not impressed."

Killian looked annoyed, so Emma jumped in, "Tink, think you can do me a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"Fifteen mice."

"Ooh! Mice. I'll get them for you. What are you going to do with them?"

"I'm going to use my magic and turn them into statues and place them around the palace. Then when I'm ready, I'll turn them back into mice."

Tinkerbell looked at Emma very seriously then. "You can do that? That's… really hard." She shook her head. "Well, you did something like that with the figurine. But, it's a life and to preserve it while it's in statue form is-"

"Going to really impress Regina and hopefully mean she'll forgive me for putting some in her room."

"Not funny, Emma! You're trying to give me a heart attack!" Tink looked at her wide-eyed.

"No, I mean it. Are you willing to help me or not?"

"Will Regina find out I'm involved?"

"She'll immediately realize only I can do that magic."

"Fine. I'll get some mice. I'll put them in a jar."

Killian scoffed, "A jar!"

"Yea, what do you put them in?" Tinkerbell asked as if he were crazy.

"They won't fit in a jar." He stated.

She rolled her eyes and wiggled her fingers, "I'll use magic. Duh!" She then walked off without saying goodbye.

"How old is she?"

"Why?"

"She helped Regina find Robin before you were born. Yet, she still acts like a child."

"She says people focus too much on growing up and not enough on what matters."

"What does that even mean?"

Emma looked at Killian seriously, "I don't even know. I haven't had enough guts to admit I have no clue what she's talking about."

He burst out laughing. "In all my traveling, I've never met a more interesting group of people."