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Chapter IV:
Awake and Dreaming

Emily was left to her own devices for the day.

When she entered the cabin, she collapsed onto the bed and let out a hard cry – scared and frustrated about the situation she had found herself in. But then after a moment, she got up from the bed and marched furiously around the room, arguing to herself about the audacity of the Captain to speak to her in such a manner. How dare he! She was a lady of breeding!

And that was the difference.

She was a woman of the upper-class, and he was nothing more than a low-life pirate.

So then why did she care what he thought of her...?

Eventually, Emily stopped her pacing and turned to the bay window. Her eyes trailed over the horizon to the mountains of Neverland and let out a deep sigh.

This was her reality now.

As much as she wished it was all a dream, and that she was back in the comfort of her home, she knew she had to keep her head high throughout everything that was happening. She would not yield.

In order to distract her thoughts, Emily decided to resume her sewing. From the dresses Smee and the crew gifted her, she was able to create at least 2 sets of trousers, 3 blouses, and a couple of nightgowns. She looked to see that she still had much fabric leftover, but for the time being, she figured that she made more than enough to tie her over for now.

Throughout the day, the Captain had sent Smee to check up on the girl three times – once for lunch, once for dinner, and the last time was to pick up any of the remaining dishes from her meals. When he approached the room, he frowned when he saw the food was still left untouched.

"I can leave this here, Miss," Smee suggested. "You should try to eat something."

"I'm not really hungry, Mr. Smee," she replied gloomily. She barely turned her eyes away from the dress she was working on, "I thank you though."

The Captain stood waiting by the door when Smee came out of the cabin holding the dinner tray full of food.

"She still hasn't eaten?" he snarled, glaring at the wasted resources in his first mate's hands.

Hook rolled his eyes. He wondered why women always had to be so...dramatic when they were upset, especially since all he did was shout an insult at her.

Smee let out a sigh and shrugged, "The poor Miss is upset, Cap'n."

The Captain grumbled under his breath, "It was only a name."

"A bad name," Smee added scoldingly, "to a lady."

Hook turned away from him, his face beginning to soften at the realization.

"Y'know Cap'n, perhaps you should just...talk to her?" he proposed, "Surely, you care–"

"I don't care," Hook snapped at him.

Smee gave the Captain a small smirk, "If you don't care, then why did you check to see if she had eaten yet, Cap'n?"

It was during these times Hook would get irritated by his first mate. But Smee was, nevertheless, just a good friend with the best intentions for his Captain and friend. Whenever he was being too cocky or just being a complete clod, Smee would often help put him back in his place.

Even the crew had been giving him the cold shoulder after the way he spoke to Emily. Even they agreed that the way he spoke to her crossed a line since she had been nothing but a pleasure to have on board.

Hook stood at the door with his hand hovering over the knob.

What if she was still upset with him?

What if she hated him now?

What if she wanted nothing to do with him?

What if...

He let out a rough moan and dropped his hand from the handle. Why did it feel so hard to go apologize?

He was too ashamed to show his face around her. How could he look into those gentle eyes after he had insulted them?

He decided he would give her a little bit more time to cool down, maybe she needed it...or maybe because he felt as if he needed more time to stew in his consequences...

It was past nightfall by the time Hook finally entered the cabin. He strolled in silently and carefully as his eyes wandered around the room until they landed on the blonde who was sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked under her with a book in hand – just the same as the night before.

He strode over to his wardrobe where he tucked his hat and coat away from the day. He looked over to her to see that her attention stayed undivided and a part of him ached that she didn't bother to acknowledge him in the slightest...not that he really said anything to her, either.

He could feel his palms getting wet and clammy. Why were they sweating so much? Why did it feel so hard to say something to her?

Hook took in a deep breath and finally moved to be in front of her.

She was clothed in the nightgown she made earlier today – it was a white satin slip that extended all the way to her feet with a V-shape neckline that was held up with spaghetti straps. It was simple, but Hook found her to look as elegant as a lotus flower on water.

His eyes trailed over her as he once again found her mesmerizing...how does she do it?

He wondered how he even dared to insult her in the first place.

Bad form.

Emily still didn't bother to acknowledge him – his insult still stung from the morning. Instead, she kept her eyes focused on her book. But, in the peripheral vision of her eye, she could see the movement of a figure crouching down. She lowered the book cautiously to see the Captain kneeling on the ground in front of her. She watched him with a somber look as he lifted his hook to her hand; gently slipping it underneath and he placed his other hand on top of it, holding it in a gentle squeeze.

At first, she wanted to jerk her hand away, but when she saw his eyes were filled with shame, her anger ceased.

"I was out of line today," his voice was low, and it trembled with each word. "I am sorry."

She could only stare at him.

While a look of indifference crossed her face, there was something about him being bent down on one knee that made her wonder – he was like a knight in front of his lord or a man before God showing nothing but respect, obedience, and loyalty. Her heart felt like it lumped in her throat.

"I'm still upset with you," she finally said.

Her words stung, but he understood. Why did he think apologizing would change anything? He was a fool to think otherwise.

Hook's hand quivered over hers, unsure of whether to let go or to beg for mercy. He swallowed hard as he watched Emily bite her lip before letting out a sigh and leaned in, placing a soft kiss against his temple.

Hook's eyes widened and he glanced up speechless as she pulled away.

She took in a deep breath as a playful smile tugged at the end of her lips, "...but I forgive you."

His face relaxed with a look of relief. In return, he planted a kiss on her hand.

"Angel of Mercy," he said with a nervous chuckle.

He moved his eyes to meet hers, and for a moment, they looked at each other as if longingly before they shared a laugh to ease the tension in the room.

The Captain let go of her hand and went to stand up. As he went to use his hand to push himself up, he stopped and let out a wince, quickly placing his hand on his shoulder.

Emily's eyes went wide at his sudden gasp, "What's wrong?"

"This damn harness," he grunted, rubbing the tender spot.

She raised a hand to his collar and began to gingerly pull it off his shoulder. On instinct, Hook pulled just a little out of her reach and cleared his throat at her, as if to say 'no'.

The blonde raised an eyebrow at him. "I was a volunteer nurse during World War II, I've seen more than the shoulder of a man," she scolded with a smirk.

"War what?" he asked, cocking a brow at her. But then his cheeks flushed a bit after what she said fully registered.

"The war–... Oh, never mind! I was still a nurse," she assured him, waving a hand. "Now, let me see."

Hook hesitated, but then complied. After today, he figured it was in his best interest to obey her every request.

When Emily turned back to look at his shoulder, her body suddenly froze. She felt her cheeks rise to a scarlet as she watched him yank off his shirt; he was a little more muscular than she originally thought, and he had a tattoo on each arm – one was some type of scripture while his other arm bore some type of coloured crest. It made him appear a little more rugged and burly.

Hook raised a brow at her, a cunning smirk tugging at his lips.

"See something you like?" he asked smugly.

Emily rolled her eyes while clicking her tongue and got to work. She wasn't going to entertain him by providing an answer.

Her eyes examined the contraption that was used to hold his hook. At first, it was a little peculiar since she never really wondered how he was able to use his hook in the first place – it was oddly just something that suited him. As her eyes glanced down to his wound, she could see that underneath the leather strap on his left shoulder was red and irritated – the skin was peeled all around and little speckles of blood (which she found to be a rather interesting colour) raised to the surface – a burn caused by the friction.

Emily let out a small hum.

"Take that off," she ordered as she went and grabbed the basin and pitcher.

Hook complied once again and watched as she took a spot beside him on the carpet. Pouring a small amount of water into the basin, she dipped a rag and wrung out the excess water.

"This will sting a little..." she warned as she lightly placed the damp cloth on the wound.

He let out another wince but sat completely still as she continued to clean it.

"Now, I recommend you don't wear that tomorrow," she instructed, looking at him. "It needs at least a day to air out and heal a bit."

The Captain gave a low scowl at the thought. Since the day he lost his hand, he never went a day without his hook – it was a part of him now; something that made him 'Captain James Hook'. He looked down at his wrist and frowned.

Emily pulled the rag away and inspected the injury.

"It doesn't look too bad," She said as she turned to look at his face. When she saw the expression on him, she returned the frown, "What is it?"

He only held up the amputated arm in response, a look of anger crossing his face. Emily let out a quiet 'ah' and dropped the rag into the basin. Without a second thought, she reached out and took his arm in her hands. Hook sat unmoving as he observed her fingers trail delicately along the scar. Her face was conflicted as she inspected it – it was rough and sloppy – a sign of an uneven cut. She concluded that how he lost his hand wasn't because of a medical cause, but rather a traumatic one.

"It was that damn Pan," Hook mumbled in a low growl.

She looked up at him quietly, "...Pan?" The name rang a bell in the depths of her mind.

He gave her a nod. "He threw my hand to a crocodile. Beast liked it so much, it followed me ever since, licking his lips for the rest of me."

That explains the 'demon crocodile'...

They sat again in silence. Hook continued to watch as her fingers trailed over his scar; she was unsure of what to say or do next. He caught sight of her discomfort and was mortified of himself that he did that to her again. He let out a cough and went to change the topic.

"Would you read to me, my Dear?" Hook mumbled. She stopped her hands and turned her attention up to him. "I can't really hold a book right now, anyway," he added.

She chuckled and then gave him a teasing smile, "It'll be Utopia then."

The Captain returned her playful smirk and gave a nod of approval. Emily's face beamed at him as she went to grab the book and then snuggled up next to him. Hook sat alarmed as she leaned her back into his chest and then pulled a blanket over themselves. She cracked open the book and began to read aloud to him.

Except, Hook could only focus on her. For the first time in his life, he felt a sense of contentment.

He wished this moment could last forever.

It began to ring in her ears again.

The gentle hymn of the sea. Or rather, that is what she began to refer to it as.

Emily was still sitting on the ground with the book in hand. The Captain seemed to have dozed off perhaps half an hour ago and she sat in silence thinking about home since. She looked to her left to see Hook's head had leaned far back, resting on the couch cushion. She let out a quiet giggle and glanced back to the fireplace.

But when the hum disrupted her thoughts, she looked to the ceiling tiredly.

What is it...?

When it failed to cease, she slowly shuffled to her feet and exited out of the cabin.

The night had a nip in the air and the crew on watch were hanging around a barrel of fire to keep warm. Emily found that she didn't mind the slight chill and moved her way over to the banister where she peeked down to the sea below. Under the full moon, the mermaids were out swimming again.

She watched in serenity. Her eyes followed their swift movements in the water; she was fascinated with how their tails danced with the waves, and how they seemed to glow under the moonlight. She found it all breathtaking.

"They don't usually come twice in a row."

Emily's concentration broke, and she turned her head to the side to see Jukes behind her.

Jukes was a tall man – much taller than the Captain – and very buff. His skin was a rich brown, and he was bald with a crimson bandana wrapped around his head to protect it from the sun while his chin sported a black goatee. Each ear had a single gold hoop, and every inch of him was covered in tattoos. While he looked intimidating, Emily already pinned him as a 'gentle giant' when she witnessed him earlier comforting Noodler after she told him she couldn't stay.

"They don't?" she questioned.

Jukes moved beside her and glanced down at them.

"They only come around once a week. They like to taunt us, but mermaids also tend to be lazy creatures. They usually like to sunbathe and nap most of the time, really." He explained, "Sometimes they spy on us for Peter Pan, but things have been quiet here lately, so they rarely come about."

She furrowed her brows, Peter Pan...? There was that name again.

Emily let out a small laugh, "I'm jealous! That sounds like...quite the life, actually."

Jukes chuckled as he nodded in agreement and turned his body to face her.

"Are you doing all right, Lass?" Jukes inquired, "I'm sorry about the Captain earlier. He can have quite the temper on him at times."

"We are okay now, thank you," Emily responded while her body shuffled awkwardly; she didn't want to talk about it.

"Just know it wasn't about you, Lass," he confided.

Emily looked up at him with a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"He wasn't upset with you," she could tell that he was trying to be comforting, "Believe it or not, he's actually been a lot...better...since you've arrived. Nicer, really. I don't think he wants you to think of him as a bad guy, despite his temper."

Emily turned away and darted her eyes to the ocean again. She didn't know what to make of that sentence.

Jukes gave a half-smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just get me if you need anything, Lass," he assured her as he gave her shoulder a friendly pat and then returned back to his chores.

She continued to observe the mermaids as they swam in circles; the repetitive motion pulling her into a calming trance. Her eyes had found and locked onto the one she recognized from earlier – the creature with the light turquoise hair and amber eyes.

By the time her eyes found her, the siren was already looking at Emily with the familiar mischievous smile still on her lips.

Are you the Captain's girl?

It came as an echo in her head. Emily blinked in surprise and then hesitated.

Did I…? No…

The siren's tail splashed hard in the water, seeming to be a little impatient.

Hello?!

Emily bit her lower lip timidly, "Is that you...?"

Her tail splashed again as if as a response, and she grinned at Emily.

So, you can hear me!

Her eyes widen in bewilderment and she let out a gasp. To hear another person, speak to you in your mind is just...

"So, I'm not hallucinating?"

Afraid not.

It came out as a giggle.

The siren below gave a smug look at the other mermaids around her and then ran her fingers through her long hair, like she made a point.

Well, are you?

Emily cocked a brow at her unsure what she meant but then paused when she remembered. She began to blush and shook her head, "No, I'm not..."

The siren gave a grin.

Oh, that's good! The man is a codfish. I'm Misty, by the way!

The comment made her chuckle, but she was still taken back.

"This is so surreal..." Emily murmured as she placed her hands on her face and gave it a rub as if trying to wake herself up from a dream. How was this possible?

The siren's face fell, and her tail once again splashed behind her.

Come by Mermaid Lagoon sometime! It's where you'll find me.

The girls exchanged a smile as Misty gave her a wave goodbye before diving below. Emily watched in envy as the mermaids swam back to their home.

Oh, how she wished to be so carefree...

As soon as they were out of sight, the hymn in her head also disappeared.

When morning arrived, the Captain awoke to find the room empty once again.

As he got ready for the day, he took Emily's recommendation and decided not to wear his harness. It was a weird feeling; he was fully clothed but without his hook, he felt naked, or that a piece of him was missing. But what troubled him most of all was what will his crew think about him not wearing his hook for once? Will they be less threatened and look at him as just another man? Hook or not, he was still captain.

He argued with himself for a moment, deciding against not wearing it...but then quickly disregarded the thought when he remembered about everything from last night.

The deck was quiet, with only a few shipmates doing the early morning chores. The sky was still dark with only the hints of oranges and yellows peeking up from the horizon. There was still fog settled on the sea and a bit of a chill in the air – it was maybe 6 or 7 in the morning. He could see Emily sitting beside Jukes learning how to tie sailor knots and assisting him in tying the sails tight. She looked much more casual today – charcoal grey pants with black boots wearing a white blouse with a large brown belt placed around her waist, and her messy hair pulled into a half-up half-down style. He chuckled to himself at the thought that she almost fitted in as a pirate, with just looks alone.

Hook made his way over to them.

Emily looked up when she heard footsteps approach them and gave him a grin.

"Good morning, Captain." She greeted happily, standing up from her seat. She rushed to him excitedly, "Look what Jukes has been teaching me!"

Hook let out a small groan; she was much too chipper for him at such an early hour, but he still looked down at the knots she created on a short strand of rope.

"Good morning, my Dear," he yawned. He trailed his eyes over the work she had completed; he found it pretty well-done for a rookie, "These look very impressive."

He saw her smile widened – she seemed to be very proud of herself after his response.

This caused him to chuckle. He suddenly gave her a frown and lifted his hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb against the lines of her undereye. Emily curled her lips shyly at his touch and averted her gaze down to her feet. He could see faint dark circles forming and her skin had become a little pale from lack of sleep. "Did you not sleep?"

"Not really, no..." she answered as she looked back up at him, "But something really strange happened last night."

"Oh?" he dropped his hand from her face and began to make his way to his desk. "Do tell."

She followed close behind him.

"Do the...mermaids ever speak to you?" she questioned.

Hook raised a brow at her suspiciously as he took a seat, "Mermaids do not talk, my Dear. They lack the vocal cords to do so. They can only make clicking noises with their tongues."

Emily's face fell at his response, "Not even in your head?"

The Captain gave her a quizzical look and she took it as a sign that he didn't believe her. He stood up from his chair and motioned a finger indicating for her to walk towards him. She obeyed and stood in front of him with a pout on her lips.

In his best sympathetic voice, the Captain spoke, "My Dear, I fear your lack of sleep is causing you to become a bit delirious. I suggest you go to bed."

"No, I swear it happened!" she said with a bit of frustration.

Hook raised his eyebrows at her tone and made a low shushing noise to calm her. When he saw her beginning to sulk, he placed his hand on top of her head and pulled her into his chest, gingerly brushing the tangled knots out of her hair. Emily stood silent in his clasp; her cheeks began to redden when she figured out this was his way of scolding her either not sleeping or for speaking in a harsh tone...or both.

She suddenly recalled what Misty said last night and tilted her chin up, shooting a sly smirk at him.

"They called you a codfish," she teased.

Hook flinched at the insult and let out a scowl as his brows twitched. He dropped his hand from her locks and onto her shoulder.

That blasted Pan, he mentally growled.

"Where did you–?"

"The mermaids," she insisted.

He paused.

The Captain took a long look at her. He could see from her face that she was, indeed, very serious about whatever happened last night. He furrowed his brows in thought – it was such a curiosity to think that someone other than Peter Pan was able to speak with them. But even then, Peter Pan was only able to speak to them through clicking noises...so the idea of hearing a voice in her head was a bizarre concept...

"She told me to find her at Mermaid Lagoon," Emily explained, "Can we go, Captain? Please?"

"Whom, my Dear?" he frowned as he placed his hand on her cheek concerningly.

"Misty." she answered.

Emily watched as his face flickered with confliction. He was considering her request.

Hook finally averted his gaze to hers and his heart tightened when he caught sight of her bright green Bambi eyes. He let out a scowl when he found himself being sucked in by them.

Finally, he rolled his eyes and nodded in defeat.

"All right, we will go... Under one condition," He began.

She bit her lip.

"You get some sleep first." He ordered.

He smirked when she glowered at him.

Truthfully, he was just relieved that going home wasn't on her mind today.