Dashing Pirate Rescue

by holdingoutforapiratehero

CS Pirate/Princess AU. Fearsome pirate captain, Killian Jones though he had found a way to get them the biggest prize in all the lands when he finds out that there is a handsome reward out for the safe return of Princess Emma. But he got way more than he bargained for when rescuing her proves more complicated than he thought. Rated M.

21. Epilogue

AN- So here we are. I didn't think we would get here but here it is. This is the epilogue to "Dashing Pirate Rescue" and it is a doozy. A little over 15k for you guys to read and enjoy. Thank you for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy it!

Dashing Pirate Rescue

Epilogue

The floor swayed slightly beneath her feet, her body leaning to the side to match its rhythm. Emma reached out to clasp her hand around a wooden beam for purchase, her hand falling to her stomach to calm her nerves. Stroking the lace gently underneath her fingers, she let out a shallow sigh and shut her eyes to focus on tempering her racing heart.

"Emma, are you doing alright?" Snow asked curiously, her voice picking up faintly in concern.

Emma sucked her lower lip between her teeth and nodded sheepishly in reply.

"Having cold feet?" Her mother tilted her head, appraising the obvious uneasiness in her daughter's face as she slid her hands underneath the veil perched on top of her daughter's head so she could brush her fingers through the cascade of blonde curls resting over the buttons lining the back of Emma's wedding dress.

"No." She inhaled softly. "Everything is just happening so quickly. I feel like I've hardly had a chance to breathe with all the change let alone enjoy it." She confessed in earnest.

"Are you having second thoughts about marrying Killian? I wouldn't blame you if you did." Snow told her sympathetically, acknowledging her daughter's distress.

"Of course I want to marry him." She breathed out, her voice clipped and shrill on her delivery as if taking offense to her mother's directness. "I've never wanted anything more in my entire life than to be with him."

"Then I don't understand what the problem is, sweetheart." Snow placed her hand on Emma's shoulder and circled around to face her.

Emma lifted her head, her lips pressed together in worry. "What if—" She could barely get the words out of her mouth. "What if I'm not enough. He's given up so much to be with me and I don't want him to resent me for that. And the baby, what if—"

"Emma. Emma." Snow cut through her rambling with a soft spoken voice of reason. "You are panicking." She took her daughter's hands in her own to reassure her. "That man loves you with his entire being. One look and anyone could see that." Snow caught her gaze, her hand cupping her cheek gently.

Emma hummed pleasantly, rubbing her face against her mother's comforting palm.

"Did I ever tell you that I almost bolted on my wedding day?" Snow let out a wistful chuckle, shaking her head at the memory.

"You what?" Emma stammered, bewildered by Snow's admittance.

"Ah huh." She confirmed, a smile teasing at her lips.

"What? Why?" Emma questioned, trying to make sense of it, but unable to do so. "I thought you loved dad?"

"Of course I love him." Snow exhaled whimsically. "Like you, I was worried how he would adjust to this life. The obligation, the change — it can be difficult for anyone. It is intimidating for someone to adjust to a world they weren't brought up in."

Emma gave her mother a sympathetic look.

"While pirating and shepherding are vastly different, it is just the same. Killian may have given up his title, but you are something he never could abandon." Snow afforded her a kind and neutering smile.

"Emma, I've never been more proud of you. You have become such a strong and capable woman, and you are about to have a family of your own. Making the amenable decision to divide your time between here and the palace — you are going to be a wonderful wife." Snow lamented with a tearful smile.

"Mom—" Emma opened her mouth to protest the woman's soft cries.

Snow produced a handkerchief and pressed against her mouth to stifle her cries and reassured her with a wave of her hand to ignore her display of emotion.

"I know this isn't quite how you imagined this day and I'm sorry I couldn't give you—"

"Nonsense." She sniffled, laughing softly to herself as she dabbed at her wet eyes. "This is perfect."

"Mom—" Emma released all of her breath in mild skepticism, knowing that her mother wanted nothing more than to make this a grand affair but Killian's relationship to the family would remain a secret to the public, and that prevented them from making a spectacle of the day.

The disappointment was written all over the older woman's face. Even though she had put her touch on the small and intimate ceremony, it wasn't near enough to make up for the missed birthdays and balls.

"Mom, I would never hold you missing a part of my life against you." Emma told her sincerely. "Isn't it time you forgive yourself? Mom, it wasn't your fault." She urged her to let it go and move on from the demons that haunted her — demons she had little control over. "You can't linger on the past. Focus on the present and be thankful for this day."

"When did you become so wise?" Snow exhaled with a faint laugh.

"I had an amazing mother." A smile spread across her face as she rubbed her mother's arm.

"I love you—" Snow declared, sweeping her daughter up into her arms and hugging herself tightly against her. "My beautiful daughter—"

"I love you too, mom." Emma sighed into her shoulder, her arms wrapped around her mother's back.

"Hey, I was just coming in to—" David's voice sounded from the doorway of the cabin, his hand stilled against the doorknob. "Is everything alright?" David stammered at the sight of his wife and daughter caught in a tearful embrace.

"Yes. We are quite fine." Snow beamed at her daughter as she slowly separated herself and sniffled to temper her tears.

"You don't look—" David spluttered as he started toward them, his eyes darting toward each of their faces, taking in how splotchy his wife appeared to be.

"We were just having a moment." Snow nodded toward her husband in reassurance.

"Well." David acknowledged, opening and closing his mouth, deciding how to articulate his words. "I've come to collect both of you. We're ready to begin." He announced, pressing his fist to his lips as he cleared his throat.

"Well, I believe that is my cue." Snow drew in a calming breath before leaning forward to place a kiss to her daughter's cheek. Pulling back, she noticed Emma's thoughtful smile and her eyes began to water once more.

"I'll see you out there." Snow lifted her skirts and took off toward the door, exchanging looks with her husband as she passed then slipped out the door.

"Are you ready?" David asked awkwardly, clapping his hands together as he took a few steps forward.

"Just about." Emma responded to him, a slight panic in her voice as she searched the area around her for the place she had set down her bouquet. She let out a sigh of relief when her eyes fell upon the bouquet of flowers her mother had fashioned for her using the pink and white blossoms native to the castle grounds. Collecting in her hands, she brought the flowers to her nose and inhaled deeply, breathing in its fragrant aroma.

"Emma—" Her father reminded her once more and she spun around to face him, placing herself in clear view of him so that he could take in her appearance.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of his daughter wrapped in white, an angelic look sweeping over her face as she clung to the flowers between her hands.

"I know I look ridiculous. I tried to tell her—" Emma fumbled with her words in a near frantic tone. "The child — I look—"

"You look stunning." He breathed in awe, cutting off her near incoherent blathering as he closed the distance between them slowly. "You look stunning." He reiterated as he came to stand before her.

Emma bowed her head, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

He looked down at her lovingly and wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head underneath his chin. His hand cupped the back of her head and he breathed out a long sigh. "You look just like your mother."

She wound her arms around him, clamping her eyes shut as she breathed in his comforting scent, letting it waft over her and calm her nerves. They stayed like that for a moment, basking in their embrace, her flowers digging into his back as they hugged.

She exhaled breathlessly as they pulled apart. She sucked back the tears gathering in her eyes, refusing to let them fall and ruin her face that had been lightly painted to accentuate her features.

"Are you ready?" He let the expectant question fall from his lips.

Her hand flew to the crown of flowers on the top of her head to steady herself as she nodded in confirmation. Emma took his extended arm and threaded her hand through it so he could lead them through the door of the captain's quarters.

He could feel her trembling against him as they walked the length of the corridor beneath the deck of the Jolly Roger. Her footsteps were dragging along the narrow wooden passage, the short scalloped lace of her train trailing behind her as he guided her down the hall.

He covered her hand with his and gave her a reassuring pat as he helped her up the first couple steps that led topside. "I've got you." He promised, carefully directing her over each step until at last they emerged onto the main deck.

Her head was bowed forward, her eyes trained down at her feet as if to bore a hole straight through the planks beneath her feet. She could faintly make out the flicker of lamp light hanging from above as she placed one foot in front of the other, her father's hand placed on her arm to steady her as walked them over to the starboard side of the ship.

They crossed in front of it and Emma inhaled shakily, her eyes shut tightly as David coaxed her to turn to face the small group of spectators along with those that stood at the end of the makeshift isle she was about to go down.

There was an audible gasp that emanated from just a short distance to where she stood. Swallowing, she rose her head slowly to meet the eyes of the person to whom it belonged. Green faded into blue, completely unaware of where her stare began and where his ended.

"Killian." She whispered his name into the light breeze that blew across the deck of the ship, washing the ship in the saltiness rising from the waves of the ocean that gently rocked the ship.

Her grip tightened around her father's, fearing that her footsteps would falter upon their slow approach. Her eyes were locked on his, his ruggedly handsome face bathed in the soft glow of the lanterns scattered about the main deck.

Just the sight of him caused a weightless feeling to take over her. She felt as if she was floating toward him, instinct taking over her as if guided by an invisible force. She noted the soft smile of adoration adorning his face, the dimples in his cheeks creasing his face making the lines in his jaw protrude out.

Unsurprisingly, he was dressed in a pair of tight-fitting black leather breeches that clung to the lower half of his body like a second skin that she knew he was itching to shed in her presence. Sitting low at his hips was his sword belt, his cutlass secured in its scabbard and his fingers clutching the hilt.

A white cotton shirt covered his chest save the deep neckline that exposed a generous smattering of dark hair. The frilled sleeves poked out of the long black velvet duster placed over his shoulders and fell a few at his slightly bent knees. Brass buttons lined each side sitting over black waistcoat that hugged his chest and had similar fastenings to that of his coat.

His dark hair was neatly coiffed save the long bangs that he struggled to contain with his ring encrusted fingers. His full lips twitched as she strode toward him and his cheeks flushed pink, the color standing out against his well-maintained facial hair. An onyx jeweled earring dangled from his ear, rubbing against his flattering sideburns, and his look was topped off with his signature charms nestled in his exposed chest hair.

Even surrounded by a few select members of his trusted crew and her mother, all she could see was him — her dashing pirate.

A few minutes earlier…

With his hands wrung together in front of him, he fidgeted in place, craning his neck in the direction of the stairs that led below deck. Each time he did it he was let out a long drawn sigh of disappointment that she wasn't there. His leg shook impatiently and he chewed on his bottom lip in anticipation while his heart beat frantically in his chest.

"Stand still." Madden bid him with a strained speech. "I can bloody hear your heart from here." He leaned in toward him, muttering lowly between his gritted teeth. "Just watching you is making me nervous, here." He fished a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Killian to wipe the sheen of sweat gathering on his forehead.

"Thanks." He accepted, taking the handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead anxiously.

"You look like you could use a drink." Madden procured his flask tucked into his belt and offered it to him.

"No." Killian declined with a halted hand.

"You?" Madden bulked at him. "You? You're turning down a drink?" He wrinkled his nose in distaste while his eyes flashed concern.

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?" Killian countered in obvious agitation.

"From you? Yes." Madden popped the top off the flask and raised it to his lips. "I've never known you to refuse a drink. Are you sure you are feeling well?"

"For the last bloody time, yes." He muttered, sneering at him as he clenched and unclenched his hand. "This is something I need to do sober."

"Well that explains the case of jitters." He tilted his head nonchalantly and tipped his flask back to take a long swig of its contents. "I guess it is more for me now." He supposed, waving his flask for emphasis. "You really look a bloody wreck. Are you sure—?"

"If you ask me that one more fucking time, I will hang you from the main mast." Killian threatened gruffly, his hand cutting through the air in a firm gesture.

"If this is what you are like before you get married, I am loath to see you after." Madden cringed before taking another sip from his flask. "Oy, Killian? Do you think she's going to wear white? I mean she wouldn't be fooling anyone looking as she does—"

Killian growled, spinning around and digging his fists in his collar. "One more word and I will kick you overboard. I've done it before and I will do it again." He vowed resolutely, tilting his head from side to side as his eyes flashed murderously.

"Then you'll marry your sorry arse?" Madden laughed heartily as Killian frowned and begrudgingly released him. Madden nearly choked with the force of his chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as he brushed his wind-swept hair back.

"You are a bloody pain!" Killian exclaimed, pointing his finger toward him.

"Calm yourself, mate. Just focus on the picturesque surroundings." Madden suggested, gesturing to the main deck that had been transformed for the occasion with a little help from Snow.

The crew had been dismissed save for a few select crew members that were loitering around in anticipation of the event. The sails snapped in the wind from the ocean breeze, the sound radiating in his ears that he feared the gyrating canvas would blow the lanterns out.

Joining the light from the glittering stars overhead in the dusky sky were several lanterns with their burning flames dancing inside the clear glass containers that varied in size. The blasted things better not set his ship aflame or there would be hell to pay. Pink and white petals scattered the deck beneath his feet, loosely moving across the floorboards with the skittish wind.

The sound of footsteps emanating from the stairs caught his attention and he directed his line of sight to the source only to be disappointed once more with her mother stalking toward them. "Bloody hell." Killian tapped his foot impatiently, cursing to himself as he jerked his head up toward the sky in annoyance.

"Killian?" Snow's soft voice broke him from his mental hell and he tilted his head down to look at her. "As handsome as ever." She complimented him and pulled him into a hug.

Killian arched his brow in surprise, caught off guard by the gesture. Confusion broke over his face and he looked toward Madden for an explanation but he only gave him an unhelpful shrug of his shoulders. He glared at the man and moved his arms over her back uncomfortably, the seconds dragging on far too long for his liking before she finally relinquished him.

He was taken aback when she finished the familial sentiment with a gentle kiss to his cheek. Kilian gave her an uneasy expression and nodded curtly before she left him to stand nearby, waiting just like the rest of them — him with baited breath.

"I don't know how much longer I can take of this." Killian pressed his lips together in frustration, looking every which way instead of the place he had been monitoring for the last half hour.

"Killian—" Madden tapped his elbow to capture his attention. Madden grinned childishly, his eyes fixed toward the opposite side of the deck.

The pirate slowly turned his head, his feet digging into the wooden planks underneath him as his eyes trailed toward where Madden looked straight ahead. The sight before him made all the air leave his lungs and he swayed slightly upon the figure dressed head to toe in an intricate white lace gown.

She was a wonder — breathtaking to behold. His heart pounded a wild tattoo in his chest and he couldn't help the gasp that fell from his lips. Her beauty was only matched by the sweetness in her face as she finally lifted her head to acknowledge him. His blue stare pierced hers and a smile broke out over his face as she returned his mesmerized expression.

He couldn't have captured the vision coming toward him in a drawing — he wouldn't be able to do justice to her perfect pink lips and the shimming glint in her green eyes. There was an undeniable flush in her cheeks and soft glow in her face stemming from their child that she carried in her womb.

The blonde curls hidden underneath her sheer veil whipped in the wind and tangled in the billowing silk organza as she approached him with slow yet determined footsteps. She wore a wreath of white and pink flowers on top of her head, foregoing the tiara in place of something far more modest befitting the intimate ceremony.

He exhaled longingly as his eyes trailed over her dress. The delicate lace covered her shoulders and encased her arms until it reached her wrists with a scalloped edge that hugged the beginnings of her hands. Trimmed in white beaded lace, the neckline plunged into a slight v and rested at the tops of her breasts, showing off the barest hint of cleavage — a rather demure sight given the circumstances revealed below.

The material covered the very top portion of her body, synching in her expanding curves before flaring out just above the gentle swell of her stomach. The simple silhouette of the skirt was made from the same all-over curved lace that fluttered outward at the bottom with a scalloped hem before fanning out around her forming a slight train.

Her broken gold and jewel encrusted locket rested above her bosom, his painting nestled inside it proclaiming the magnitude of their relationship. Pearl earrings hung from her ears, bucking back and forth as she propelled herself forward on dainty feet.

The last thing his eye was drawn to was the flowers clenched in her unoccupied hand and held together with a black velvet ribbon that matched his coat. His smile grew brighter when he saw the silver ring circling her finger, the ruby glinting in the flames surrounding them.

He couldn't take his eyes away from her as she glided toward him, a soft smile plastered on her face as she gazed upon his face letting it spur her movements toward him. "Perfect." He murmured softly to himself, a breathless sigh of contentment on his lips.

She felt drawn to him, her feet automatically walking on in front of the other in her hurry to reach him — to finally be reunited with the man that held her entire being in his strong and capable arms. It was with this demand that she reached and stretched toward him only to have her father's well-placed arm to temper her excitement and impatience.

She heard the gentle hesitating hush from her father's mouth but not even that was going to deter her from her destination and that overwhelming feeling to be in his proximity. Her father's fingers brushed lightly against her knuckles and she let the comfort of his touch stifle her racing heart.

Every step she took drew her closer to him, the material of her dress fanning out around her as she walked. Then all at once — he was there in front of her — his glassy eyes with the lantern's flames spinning in the pool's of his deep blue eyes and the curve of his lips that felt so near but kept just out of her reach. She felt steered toward him, his presence radiating throughout her entire being and the longing for his closeness impossible to shake.

With a final step, the movement stopped — had stopped her quickening heart, the breath in her lungs, and all capacity to think straight. His presence had stolen everything from her, just like it had the day she first laid eyes upon him. It felt like seeing him for the first time, reliving that moment all over again and never wanting it to stop its insufferable repetitiveness.

Silence lingered heavily in the night air, the wind sweeping through the small ceremony and lifting the nodes of salt and sea up around them. It was a scent that she had grown quite accustomed to, and often found that it was the only thing, albit a poor substitution, to heal the ache in her heart when it was attached to a particular source. She breathed in deeply, letting it fill her lungs and keep her grounded in the moment where all she wanted to do was tumble into his arms.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful night underneath the stars and the waxing moon to bear witness to the union of Captain Killian Jones and Princess Emma Nolan." Madden began, his voice drifting in and out of the couple's ears, far too entranced with one another to care for the meaning of his words.

"As this ship's new captain—"

"Co-captain." Killian grumbled in reminder, the only thing to break him out of his haze was a challenge to his authority. Turning his attention back to Emma, he could see the joy radiated in her green depths, only adding to her incredible beauty. He gave Emma a sheepish smile and caught the laughter and amusement on her face as Madden opened his mouth to continue.

"Co-captain." Madden cleared his throat with a slight shake of his head and looked down at the parchment clutched in his hands to try to read what he had written down. "Aye." He proclaimed in agreement and pointed down to the word on the page. "Who gives this woman to be joined with this pirate—"

Killian gritted his teeth at the mention of the word pirate, turning slowly to give his friend, trusted colleague, the man he had entrusted to wed him and his love a look of annoyance and warning.

"A pirate — he's a pirate." Madden nodded his head, stammering over his words as their onlookers gawked.

"For fucks sake." Killian growled.

"A pirate." Madden proclaimed once more. "And Emma is a princess." He gestured over to where she stood and witnessed the look of awkward confusion on both hers and David's faces. Madden cringed at the sight and paled with nervousness, wadding the bit of parchment in his hands.

The script he had written for himself seemed to be doing him no favors and he crumpled it in his hand before tossing it into the ocean behind him. "What I was trying to say before was that despite coming from two completely different worlds and meeting under the most unexpected of circumstances, this pirate and this princess found one another."

Killian looked at him in approval and nodded encouragingly for him to continue.

"Their love is what has brought them here today and allowed you all to bear witness to it." Madden talked himself back into his previous question and fumble. "Who gives this woman to be joined with this man in the sacred coven of matrimony?"

"That would be me." David spoke up, raising his finger in the air to gesture to himself. "As her father and her king, I give my permission for them to marry." He clarified, looking down at his daughter as he draped his arm across her back and led her forward.

Emma gave him a look of bewilderment at the gesture and was crippled by moisture brimming in his eyes as helped her toward the man she would soon call husband. "Dad." She breathed in recognition, her lower lip trembling as she gazed up at him in adoration.

David was stunned when her arms wrapped around his, clutching onto him with a tight hug of appreciation. It had taken him off guard, his mouth opening and closing as if to say something beyond his comprehension as he cupped the back of her head and held her in his arms.

"I love you, dad." She whimpered into his chest before slowly drawing herself away from him with a soft smile. "Thank you." She mouthed to him.

David smiled brightly in return and took her hand to slowly bring it toward his soon to be son-in-law.

Her face followed her father's, taking in every emotion that crossed his face until she felt the first contact of her hand on his. She jolted slightly at the welcomed contact, her eyes fluttering shut as she swayed in place. The warmth of his palm pricked her skin as it slid against his, her hand finding solitude in his.

The connection had left her breathless, everything she was tied to him clinging to him like a lifeline as she was passed from her father's hands to his. Her mouth parted at the sensation of his rings pulling her inward, her body seeking out its other half. She let out a shaky breath as she felt her father's arm fall from her back and take the flowers from her hand.

She instinctively opened her wide green eyes to find him staring down at her on the other side, his brilliant blue eyes searching her face with the softest of expressions. Her breathing slowed, watching in awe as he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"You look beautiful, love." He smirked against her hand, batting his long lashes at her as he slowly lowered it so that he could lead her to stand in front of Madden, who was doing a piss poor job of marrying them at the moment.

He took a few steps toward her, taking her weightless hand to position them so that they were directly across from one another. She inhaled sharply as she felt him take her other hand in his, holding them between one another. At the feel of him brushing his thumb against the tops of her hands, she slowly tilted her head toward him with a tearful smile.

I love you.

He mouthed, the silent words captured in the movement of his lips causing her heart to flutter.

"I've had the pleasure of being a fixture in Killian's life the day his brother was taken from him. Everyday I've been by his side, and never once did I feel what I feel standing before both of them." Madden said, his gaze drifting between the couple standing in front of him.

"I've never been in love but I would imagine this is what it would look like. So few people ever find the person that they are supposed to be with, but against all odds they did." Madden looked toward them sheepishly. "These two have risked so much to stand in front of us today to declare their love for one another — a love that is so true it can't be denied. There are some love's that withstand the test of time, but there are very few that can withstand death."

Emma shuddered at the words, her heart faltering at the painful memory. Had it not been for the comfort of his thumb sliding against her hand she would have succumbed to her agonizing thoughts.

"I've watched Killian suffer in silence, torment himself for years over his brother's death. It had left him with a void in his heart and nothing he did brought him any closer to filling it — that was until he met Emma on a bloody fool's errand that should have killed us all — but instead he found the love of his life."

A smile bloomed over Killian's face at the mention of how this all came to be and he shook his head in amusement. He looked up at Emma to find her head bowed in embarrassment.

"If there is anything that I have learned during my time with them. It is to have faith — faith in love — faith in hope — faith that everything happens for a reason. This love was ordained before it even came to pass. It is one thing to believe in destiny and another thing entirely to witness and what I have seen can only be described as love." Madden concluded before turning to face Emma. "Emma?" He nodded toward her to proceed.

Emma swallowed considerably, still melting into his touch as she bore her eyes deeply into his. "I endured endless days locked away in a tower waiting for you. And every day that passed I would think about a man I had never met, but a man that I felt like I had known for my entire life. I knew that the man who would come to rescue me would be charming, brave, selfless, strong, handsome, and chivalrous—"

Madden scoffed at the last one and Killian shot him a look of warning before turning his attention back to her and her elegantly thoughtful words.

"But that was exactly what I got — even if I didn't know it at first, perhaps, too naive to even recognize it." She reasoned as she thought back to their first encounter. "Killian is infuriatingly charming, dauntless, self-sacrificing, resourceful, reliable, stunning, and thankless." She beamed as she recited each adjective.

"Not too long ago, I described what I thought a pirate was — arrogant, lascivious, disrespectful, dastardly, and deranged." She recalled, watching as he raised an eyebrow at the memory. "I was stubborn, unwilling to see the man behind the pirate. But I see both sides of him — accept both the man and the pirate because when you love someone you fall in love with all of them."

Emma sniffled softly as she removed her hand from his to collect the ring held out in front of her by Madden. Accepting it with a curt nod, she looked at the small silver circlet between her fingers and brought it to Killian's ring finger, which was devoid of any jewelry in preparation for this moment.

"Killian, you rescued more than just me from that tower. You rescued my heart." Her voice trembled as she slid the ring over his finger then closed his hand to hold underneath her own. "And just as you have me, I will always be there to rescue you." Emma vowed, her eyes welling up with tears as she took in his affectionate and devoted expression.

"Gods, I love you." He whispered as if in a trancelike state, unable to resist pulling her face between his hands and crushing his lips over hers.

Holding her hand to her face, she returned his kiss with equal fervor. Their lips slipped seamlessly together with no beginning or end, unaware of the world around them as it slipped from view. Everything faded into nothingness except the warmth of his breath in her mouth and the sensuous slant of his lips on hers.

There was another throat clear and Killian opened his eyes with a furrowed brow and glared at the owner of the sound.

"Killian, just wait a few more moments." Madden chided.

Killian rolled his eyes and reluctantly pulled away from her. Adjusting himself, he placed his hands upon hers before nodding for Madden to continue the festivities.

"Killian?" Madden prompted him to articulate his vows.

"Emma." He sighed whimsically, tucking her hand into his to help himself withstand the overwhelming urge to touch her. "Since my brother died, I had spent my days wandering the sea searching for something. My life was empty, meaningless, and filled with death. I was clinging to an impossible dream that maybe I was deserving of something more than what I was." He swallowed, choking on his words as they tried to escape his mouth.

"What I was searching for — was you, Emma." He admitted, his voice edged with a painful humility. "From the day you came into my life, you refused to give up on me and just kept chipping away until you exposed the man I thought long forgotten." He lamented.

"If there is one thing I've learned from you after all this time, it is that you are more than capable of saving yourself. You inspire me to be something better than myself and encourage me to be the man that you…" His voice lingered between them as he dropped his hand to rest over her belly, stroking it gently. "That our family deserves." He proclaimed, his voice catching at the serenness in her face.

Her hand covered his, holding it there as she hung on his every word.

"I may have saved you from that tower, love, but you were never the one that needed rescuing." He concluded with a sharp intake of breath as he looked toward Madden, silently signaling him for the ring he had picked out for her to mark their union.

Madden passed the symbol of commitment into Killian's hand with a supportive nod and he accepted it with a 'thanks.' Holding it between his fingers he hovered it over her ring finger, the rounded gold glinting in the light of the flames from the lanterns to catch the delicate pearl nestled on the ring.

"Emma, you have saved me far more than I ever deserved. You rescued me from myself and I will spend every day of the rest of my life trying to prove that it wasn't for nought. You have my body and now you own my heart." He swallowed thickly as he voiced his proclamation and gently pushed the ring over her finger so that it settled on top of his mother's.

Curling her hand into itself, he took it and sealed his promise to her with his lips, the gesture bringing tears to her eyes as she gazed at him longingly.

"Well, I'm not a bloody priest and I don't know what right minded fool would ordain a ship's co-captain to wed two people but I guess that's it." Madden announced garnering looks of confusion toward him. "I'm just a pirate." He defended with his hands raised in surrender.

Killian scowled with a pointed look and Madden met it with a wide-eyed nod to proceed. Killian lifted a confused and questioning eyebrow at the other man's pantomime.

"Just kiss your bloody wife, mate!" Madden exclaimed, urging him to finish it by nearly spitting in impatience.

Killian bulked at the word wife but his face quickly transformed at the meaning behind it. His wife — she was finally his wife. "Mhm. My wife." He growled in a low possessive husk, arching his eyebrows suggestively as he swept her up into his arms and kissed her deeply.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she hauled herself closer toward him, massaging his lips with her own. Her nails scraped at the hair at his neck, drawing a hiss from his lips as she devoured his mouth with hers.

He moaned into her mouth, canting his head to control the veracity of her kiss. The fingers at her back skimmed over the buttons holding the dress to her body, their tormenting twitch to rip it at the seams too much to bare. He stroked her face with his thumb, slanting his lips over hers as he rocked forward, hoping to the God's she could feel the pent up desire he had for her underneath her billowing skirts.

Killian heard another stern throat clear from behind him and his lips slipped from hers to see Madden gawking at them in disbelief. "What?" He questioned blankly.

"You still have an audience here." Madden reminded him, gesturing to the high ranking crew members and her parents still in attendance.

"Right." Killian acknowledged with annoyance. "Then, Madden." He prompted the man to look at him. "I'm going to need you to do something for me."

"What—"

Killian's eyes twinkled mischievously as he placed one arm behind her back and the other underneath her knees to lift her into his arms and off the ground. "Please tell our guests that their presence is no longer needed." He looked at his newly minted wife enthusiastically as she wound her arms around him and he spun her around. "If anyone needs me, I'll be off consummating my marriage with my delectable wife."

"But—" Madden opened his mouth to protest but could barely get a word in edgewise with the blissful laughter of the newly married couple as they disappeared down the steps leading down into the ship.

"Bloody hell." Madden grinded his teeth together and inwardly cursed himself as people began to approach him about Killian and Emma's whereabouts. "You owe me one you sodden cunt." He growled, glowering at the entrance with a huffy breath.

Emma's giggles of excitement echoed through the corridor of the hull, her arms wrapped securely around Killian's neck as he maneuvered them quickly toward their quarters. "Not that I'm complaining, but the rush? We have a lifetime to—"

"I've been dying every second that I've had to look at you in that dress — wanting nothing more than to tear it off your body and have my way with you." He purred seductively, a heated promise on his breath for what was to come. "I desire to make you my wife in every way humanly possible and that includes devoting myself to your gorgeous body."

She threw her head back, inwardly moaning at his words that sent a rush of heat straight to her core.

A mischievous grin split his face, well aware of the effect he was having on her as they rounded the door to his cabin. His cock twitched in anticipation to fill her, to possess her, and to impart his claim upon her.

"I believe this is our stop, love." He announced with a husky lilt. When she moved to help herself down, he knitted his thick brows together in displeasure. "Ah ah." He tisked. "I may be a pirate, but I am also a man of tradition." He insisted with a suggestive glint in his deep blue eyes.

"Well then." She nodded her chin toward the door to prompt him to open it and carry her ceremoniously over the threshold. Tightening her grip around his neck, she watched his strained expression as he kept a firm grip on her while jiggling the handle until the door creaked open.

Tapping the door with the side of his boot, he made a larger gap and walked them across the doorway. He paused for a moment and lifted a bent knee to slam the door shut behind them. He would not be interrupted.

Emma planted a kiss to his cheek before he slowly lowered her to her feet. Jumping down with a plop, she immediately whirled around and took his face between her hands, pressing her body against his. That was all it took — resolve and patience crumbling in the undeniable and palpable wanting that had toyed with them relentlessly until it was far too much to take.

They were on each other in an instant, devouring each other with their mouths as Killian grasped either side of his coat and shucked it off his body with a slight jerk of his shoulders, his lips never departing from hers during the process.

His hand moved to cup her jaw, tilting her head to meet his lips in a heated chase of her tantalizing kiss. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, nipping lightly eliciting a throaty sigh that died in her mouth.

Her hands slipped from his face, a teasing grin on her lips as she feverishly began to pluck the buttons of his waistcoat. After unbuttoning the top button, she placed her hands over his chest beneath the material, running her hands across the length of him until she reached his shoulders.

Lips still brushing against his in a titillating demand, she impatiently tugged at the shirt tucked into the waistband of his pants and yanked it free. Grinning against his mouth, an expression which he returned, her hands slipped underneath his shirt to make contact with warm flesh that lay beneath that tempted her touch.

He growled into her mouth as she raked her fingertips against the defined planes of his abs, mapping out every curve, indentation, and ridge in her exploration of his skin. Pressing her forehead against his, her lips slipped from his as her movements slowly dragged the shirt up his torso.

"Need you." She whined in desperation, her body trembling with need against him.

Sensing her urgency, he picked up where she had left off by seizing the material of his shirt and tearing himself away from her momentarily so he could remove it from his body leaving his upper half bare for her.

She placed her palms against his naked chest, feeling the smattering of silky chest hair resting underneath her fingertips, the contact drawing a heady sigh from his lips. Leaning forward, she traced her lips over his collarbone, attentively dropping open mouthed kisses to his skin.

"Emma—" He warned, eyes screwed shut as she kissed every exposed inch of skin her lips could find. Her lips were tender and reverent on his chest, her fingers accompanying her attentions against him as she dipped lower.

Grabbing her face with a slight growl, he separated her from her teasing ministrations. His shoulders rose and fell with every breath he took, trying to steel himself as his gaze pierced hers. "You are wearing far too many clothes, love." He murmured, pressing his lip between his teeth as he wordlessly appraised her.

"Then do something about it." She peered up at him hungerly, heat radiating in her green depths and a coy smirk tugging at her lips in challenge.

"Oh, I intend to." He assured her in near taunt. "But first, we need to get rid of this." He told her with a curious tilt of his head as he ran his fingers through the delicate silk organza flowing over her hair.

"It is rather beautiful, but not very appropriate for what I had in mind for this evening—" He swiped his thumb over his lips before releasing a shallow sigh. Taking a careful step forward, he flashed his eyes toward her and lifted his hands to pluck the crown of flowers perched upon her head and set it casually aside.

"Now darling, tell me how to remove this." He gestured dramatically to the veil on her head.

"It's held together with pins." She gave him a naughty smile at the feat he was now faced with.

"I've navigated my way through many things but this may be my most challenging task yet." He mused with a brief suggestive widening of his eyes. His hands fell to the veil, feeling around for a pin with which to detach from her hair. He found one after the other, slowly loosening it from her head until it fell down with a flourish.

He stood back, admiring the way her golden curls tumbled down her back. "Now, that is much better." He smirked appreciatively before wrapping his arm around her lower back to pull her toward him.

She gasped at the motion, her eyes fluttering closed as his hands skimmed over the line of pearl buttons lining her spine and secured the dress to her form.

"I really hope you aren't too attached to this dress, love." He hummed deviously, fingers disappearing underneath the gaps between buttons and gripped it hard. Bearing down on his teeth, he pulled hard, tearing the material in half with a satisfying rip that sent the buttons scattering across the floorboards.

Her breath hitched in her throat, arching into his touch as his fingertips brushed against her spine. There wasn't a single moment to mourn the loss of her dress, there was only the sensation of his fingers worshiping the exposed skin of her back. "Killian—" She breathed out his name in devotion.

His hand slipped from her back, bringing them to her shoulders to begin shimmying her bodice that obscured her breasts from view. She aided him in his goal by rolling her shoulders so that he could remove the lacy sleeves so that they hung limply at her sides along with the bodice that rested just above her rounded stomach.

Taking her hips in his hands, he pulled impatiently at her skirt, drawing it over her body until it pooled at her feet. He was barely capable of thought standing in her presence, he couldn't help but still at the sight of her nakedness. He had seen her in this state hundreds of times before, but it never ceased to amaze and enthrall him — the way her nipples puckered as they were exposed to the air, the flush in her cheeks as her hands roamed over her naked body in anticipation for him, and the slight intoxicating haze in her stare as she looked toward him for guidance.

"Stunning." He breathed, mesmerized by her beauty. Closing the distance between them, he tangled his hand in her hair, bringing his mouth down on hers with a slow and passionate kiss. Lips swept over one another, heads canted to meet each and every cherishing movement against one another's lips.

Standing up on her toes, she arched into his mouth, arms wrapping around his neck as she scratched the ends of his hair resting against his neck. Mouths danced and collided longingly with every stroke of his lips on hers.

Their lips broke their connection, open mouthing panting against one another as they swayed in place. "Gods I love you." He whispered in earnest, smoothing her hair with the palm of his hand.

Tilting her head, she breathed her response into his mouth while her hands slipped down his chest until they fell at the bulge in his leather pants.

"Emma—" He whispered her name in utter reverence, his face creasing with the intensity of her kiss. Eyes screwing closed, he pressed his lips against hers while she worked the laces of his pants.

A strangled sigh slipped into her mouth as his cock broke free of its leather constraints and she gently palmed his shaft with her warm lithe touch. He released a guttural growl, detaching his lips from hers so he could impatiently draw his pants down his legs. He kicked his pants from his feet, pushing them away with his heel until he was standing before her in all his naked glory.

She barely had time to register the skin to skin contact when she was unceremoniously gathered into his arms, one hand tucked underneath her backside at the other resting against her back as he led them over to the bed.

She fell against the mattress with a breathy sigh. She watched entranced as he moved himself over her, covering her with his body with a hand on either side of her body. She inhaled sharply as the cold metal of his chain pooled between her breasts, his hand brushing back the hair from her face as his eyes locked onto hers.

"Wife." He declared with an adoring whisper.

"Husband." She returned his sentiment breathlessly before he leaned forward to capture her lips. She moaned into his mouth, her hand cupping the back of his head to give into the intensity with which he kissed her. She gasped, feeling the way his length swept between her folds, the hot throbbing flesh dragging through her wetness making her eyes roll back underneath her closed lids.

He placed a few more kisses to her lips, sealing his love and devotion for her before releasing her from the cherishing thrall of his lips. His eyes bore into her as if to memorize the way she looked in this moment. Blindly, he reached for her hand, bendinging it slightly as he lifted it to his lips and placed a gentle kiss against her wrist.

Lowering it back to the bed gingerly, he nodded toward her and lifted her hips off the bed so that he could turn them so that he was placed underneath her. She looked down at him with wide eyes, a question on her breath at the change in position.

"I want to watch everything I do to you." He told her, his hand rubbing her hip to coax her to straddle him.

She exhaled, scooting forward and placed a knee on either side of him. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she placed her palm into the nest of curls against his chest and rolled her hips toward him.

His grip tightened around her hip and he hiss at the friction she was creating against him. "Emma, darling—" He warned horsley. "Please, need to be inside you." He pleaded, the torment crossing his face.

She tilted her pelvis, reaching between them to take the base of his cock in her hand and lined it up with her entrance, the head of his cock teasing her before she sank down upon him with a single thrust.

"Ah." She gasped as her hips brushed against his and they were joined together. She threw her head back, her palm dragging through his chest hair as she tried to steady herself astride him. She could feel him singing in her veins, capturing her desire in his hold and refusing to let go.

Her walls clenched around him, her sex pulsing in agony from the lack of movement. He reached behind her, trapping her between his hands and encouraged her to move against him. "Come on, Emma." He nodded, running his hands along her lower back.

Emma whimpered as she arched forward and rolled her hips against him in a long languid rhythm, her strokes shallow and assured. The curtain of her hair fell across her face as she pushed herself against him, his hips meeting her every thrust.

He pumped back against her, dragging his cock deep inside her as he guided her on top of him. The heat coursing through him was crippling, his body pleasantly suffering underneath her as it submitted to her every desire.

She canted her hips against him, riding him in earnest as her clit brushed against right above where they were connected on every thrust. Her fingers seeped into his chest hair to find the flesh underneath it and she scraped her nails against him, a hiss escaping him at the sensation.

Everything seemed to be melting away from her except him — the world around them blurring together in a sea of colors so she could focus solely on him and the sensations he pulled from her body.

She felt as if she was burning from the outside in, his hips driving into hers shallowly to match her motions against him. She fanned her fingers against his chest for support, twisting her hips as she leaned back to take him deeper inside her.

He surrendered, a slave to her body's urges, allowing her to take what she needed from him without retort. She was magnificent, taking him inside her so beautifully as he watched her face contorted in pleasure.

Her mouth parted in a sigh, her motions faltering against him as she fell against his chest, no longer able to hold herself upright.

Catching her against him, he wrapped her in his embrace, his hands splayed against her back as he bucked forward to resume her movements against him. His hands tangled in her hair as he rolled his hips into hers and pressed his lips against hers to greedily swallow her heedless moans and cries.

She whimpered into his mouth, nuzzling her nose against him as she rocked against him steadily into an easy pace.

His mouth fell from hers and he clutched her back, pressing her against him urgently. "Please, need to feel you come around me." He exhaled, feeling her tremble against him as he encouraged her to rotate her hips. "Come on, Emma."

She cried out against him, fisting and twisting the sheets in her grip as her walls fluttered and she fell apart around him. She felt weightless in his hold, his arms gripping around her to hold her in place.

Her walls constricted around him as he pulled the desire from her body, his hips maintaining their languid pace until he finally submitted to his pleasure. He came with a satisfying groan, a series of grunts following behind it as he spilled himself deep inside her. He continued to deliriously pump his hips against her, her warm depths bleeding him dry of his orgasm until he had surrendered every last drop.

Limbs still numb from his release, he closed his eyes from the force of his body's expulsion as she went slack in his arms, shuttering with the aftershocks of her orgasm until at last they subsided. They laid like that for a bit, basking in the feel of their bodies against one another, sliding against slick skin.

She tucked her head into his chest, listening to his breathing steady as he smoothed his hand over her hair, whispering endearments into her sweaty head while they recovered from their high.

"Come here, love." He slowly helped her off of him, his softening cock slipping from her in the process. He settled her onto her side in front of him, her back pressed into his chest, molding himself into the curve of her body.

She sighed contentedly as he brushed his knuckles against her arm, a soft and loving gesture.

He swept the hair from her face to kiss her cheek. "I love you." He whispered against her flushed skin. Eyes closing, she took a deep breath and reached for his hand to place over her expanding stomach. "I love you too." She breathed out, caressing the top of his hand, which rested against their unborn child, with hers.

He smiled softly, nuzzling his cheek into hers. He was blissfully happy. He had a woman whom he loved that loved him unconditionally at his best and at his worst. For so long he felt himself undeserving of such happiness, but looking down at the woman in his arms and the child resting in her womb, he knew that this was his redemption.

Fourteen Months Later…

Heavy footsteps walked the length of the ship's hull with purpose, the footfalls echoing along the long wooden corridor to the sound of heavy breathing. Boots clanking against the floor, Killian unbuttoned his sleeves at the wrist and pushed the material of his shirt up to his elbows. The ship rocked gently, but it did nothing to deter him as he moved about the hull toward the captain's quarters.

It had been a long gruelling day at sea, but a welcomed change from the labyrinth of walls tucked inside the castle. Royal life had never been to his liking and nothing had changed since. However, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make considering the recent change to his family.

Navigating the hull, he strode down the hallway until he reached the door to his cabin. From beyond the door he could hear a soft melodic hum and listless footsteps. Smiling to himself, he placed his hand on the knob, turned it, and walked inside to greet his family.

He stood at the doorway with a wistful sigh, leaning against the door jam to take in the sight before him. Emma was gently rocking the infant in her arms with a soothing wordless tune, the babe suckling at her breast. He took a moment to himself to soak in the scene in front of him, still mesmerized that this was his life.

After several months at the castle to adjust to life with a newborn followed by two months out at sea, he could never tire of the swelling in his chest that looking at them brought. He felt — complete.

He pushed off from the doorway and turned to close it behind him, the sound drawing her immediate attention. He noticed the way she looked up from the infant in her arms, her smile bright and adoring as she registered his presence.

"Hi love." He greeted, whispering into her hair as he wrapped his arm around her and placed a kiss on her temple.

She sighed contently, leaning into the warmth of his body as the child shifted in her arms.

Killian gazed down at the squirming bundle in her arms, still awestruck that they had made such a perfect human being. "And just how are my beautiful wife and son fairing this evening?" He murmured into her blonde curls.

"Mhm. We're fine." She hummed pleasantly. "Better now that you're here." She looked upon their son's face, memorizing the features that were a perfect mixture of both of them.

Their son had Killlian's captivating blue eyes and raven colored hair while he had inherited her fiery spirit, her jawline, and her distinguished pink lips that mirrored the same pout she often reserved when she didn't get her way.

"The lad certainly has quite the appetite." He noted, leaning forward slightly to stroke his fine hair.

"He is your son." She pointed out, watching as the child mouthed at her breast.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" He looked up at her with a questioning brow.

She gave him a pointed look in return, her eyes narrowing in mild skepticism. "You know exactly what it means."

"Are you trying to compare my ravenous hunger for your perfect body to feeding our son?" He taunted her mercilessly, his voice taking on a suggestive tone at the notion that she would make such a comment.

"You said it, not me." She said nonchalantly, a slight shrug in her shoulders as the child detached his lips and yawned softly, wiggling his fists that had broken free from his swaddling blanket. "Take him for me?" She gently shifted the baby in her arms, and lifted it toward Killian so that she could adjust herself back into the bodice of her dress.

"Aye. Come here Liam." He grunted slightly as took the child into his arms, and placed his head into his neck. Killian walked about the room aimlessly, jostling Liam in his arms gingerly while rubbing soothing circles against his back.

Killian couldn't help watching his wife right herself out of the corner of his vision, a small smirk creeping to his lips. "Your mum is looking quite enticing this evening." He leered at her hotly, his voice taking on a low throaty rasp.

"Can't you wait until he at least has teeth to corrupt him?" She scolded, motioning with her hands to hand him back over to her.

"Whatever you did to him, love, he's half conked already. He should sleep through the night." He tugged his hands out from underneath his son's body and deposited him safely into Emma's capable arms.

"That's what you said last time." She quickly reminded him. With a well placed hand cradling Liam's head and the other at his backside, she slowly lowered him back into his cradle so that he could sleep. "There you are Liam." She bent down to brush her lips against his sensitive head as he fidgeted and yawned.

Killian came to stand behind her, folding her into his arms and coaxing her to lean back against his chest. He swayed them gently, watching together as Liam slowly drifted off to sleep, his soft snores filling the cabin.

Emma hummed as Killian swept the curtain of her hair over her shoulder and began to kiss the nape of her neck, his warm breath claiming every inch of skin his lips could reach.

"Tell me love—" He smirked against her neck, the lilt of his seductive voice drawing a moan from her lips. Walking his fingers up the bodice of her dress, he stopped at the laces and began plucking them to the tune of his shallow breathing. "Are you tired?"

"No—" Her breath hitched as he snaked his hand under her loosened bodice to caress his palm over her rounded breast.

"Mhm." He groaned, his fingertips gently grazing her nipple. "Hungry?" He inquired, a sense of insatiable longing in his words.

"Starving—" She moaned, breaking free from his grasp and turning in his arms. Grasping his face in her hands, she descended upon his lips.

He moaned into her mouth, winding his arm around her to cup the back of her head to control the fervor of her kiss. There was a heed in the way her lips moved against his, every sweep of her mouth hot and demanding. Swallowing her desperate moans, he placed a hand between them, tugging sloppily at the buttons of his waistcoat in a hurry to feel her skin on his.

Never breaking the connection between them, she helped him with the remaining buttons until his vest hung limply at his shoulders. Chasing his kiss with a slant of her head, she slipped her hands between his vest and his shoulders and tugged the material from his body.

Capturing her jaw in his hand, he brushed his thumb against her cheek, the cold bite of his rings searing against her heated skin as he pressed his lips to hers. Whirling them around to face the bunk on the back wall, he continued to ravish her mouth as he slowly walked them backward toward the bed.

Detaching his lips from hers, his mouth ghosted over her collarbone to settle against the skin just above her breasts. He paused for a moment, breathing her deeply into his lungs before seizing the openings of her body and prying it open, the lace breaking underneath his touch.

Emma gasped as her breasts were freed of their confines, spilling out of the ruined fabric. She arched into him as he eagerly cupped each of her breasts in his hand and rolled her nipples between his fingers.

He watched with avid attention as each hardened under his ministrations, her nipples responding to his touch and his alone. "Gods, I will never tire of touching you." He mouthed at her flesh, drawing one hand over the rounded curve of her breast while the other worshiped the puckered bud underneath his thumb of its twin.

"Killian—" She whined hoarsely, her breath coming out in short pants as he lavished her chest with his attention, his movements doing little to sate the torturous heat pooling between her thighs.

"So sensitive." He murmured, his eyes flashing upward to see the utter debauchery in her face before he pressed his mouth against her breast, his lips closing over one straining nipple. Applying the barest amount of pressure, he swirled his tongue around it, suckling it gently between his teeth.

He palmed the other, coveting the flesh underneath his hand while he worshipped the other in his mouth before relinquishing her nipple and giving the other the same treatment. He brushed his finger over the swollen bud while his mouth indulged on the one aching for the feverish touch of his lips.

"Killian, please—" She pleaded, her nails raking in agony against his scalp as she keened desperately for him to quell the miserable throbbing between her thighs.

Giving no quarter to her pained requests, he continued to bathe her with his tongue, relishing in the way she squirmed and heaved against him. "Bloody magnificent." He hummed reverently, his voice reverberating against her sensitive flesh making her whimper restlessly.

"Killian!" She tried to break through his lustful haze and tear him away from his objective by pushing his head down, urging him lower.

He hissed at her defiance, a low rumble building in his throat as caught her by the waist and pushed her onto the bed behind them. An amused chuckle escaped his lips at her brazen behavior and he smirked down at her with an expression he usually reserved for those that challenged his authority.

Emma thrashed helplessly as his hand clasped around her throat, pointing down at her with his chin in amusement as he applied the faintest amount of pressure to her neck. Her eyes closed at the welcomed sensation of his ringed fingers sliding against the column of her neck. Even with her eyes clamped shut she could see his appraising stare boring into her.

"Oh, love." He tisked, shaking his head in delight as he stepped between her legs and pushed them apart with the side of his boot. "If you wanted to be fucked by a pirate, all you had to do was ask." He leered over her, his eyes roaming over her face captively.

"I will always endeavor to carry out your every desire. You need not ever go without." He teased, running his palm over the length of her body at a slow and excruciating pace. "But your insolence, however, is hardly tolerable."

Silence hung thick in the air between them, his breathing taking up the majority of the room before being replaced with an audible rip. Emma gasped inwardly, trembling as her dress was shredded under his forceful hands.

Killian pressed his lips together, his nostrils flaring in the heat of her offense as he tore the remainder of her bodice from her chest, detaching the bodice from the skirt in the process. Staring down at her predatorily, he couldn't help but be enraptured by how vulnerable she looked situated underneath him — but it wasn't near enough. He intended to have her laid bare before him — a glorious cornucopia of flesh with which to feast his eyes upon.

She whimpered, shifting uncomfortably underneath him, her thighs rubbing together to give her the faintest amount of relief that her body overwhelmingly craved from him, but was reluctant to give.

"Ah huh." He smiled, something unhinged and depraved in the way his mouth curled upward as he flung her legs apart and crawled over her body. "While I prefer a woman on her back, I want to see you spread out and on your knees for me." He growled, a most precarious and lascivious sound emerging from his throat.

With his declaration lingering from his lips, he caught her by the wrists and knelt down on the bed to twist her so that she faced away from him. She hit the bed with a grunt, her cheek digging into the feather mattress underneath her.

He unsheathed the dagger from his sword belt, pushing the wooden handle between his teeth before unbuckling the leather from his hips, sending it to the floor with a metallic clank. The sound was followed by his fingers at his laces, his teeth still bared around the hilt of the dagger in his mouth while he untied them. With an aiding hand on the dagger, he threw his head back, and groaned at the respite of his cock finally being freed from its leather prison.

The sound reached her ears, a breathy impatient sigh trembling from her mouth as she wriggled against the sheets in anticipation of having what she so desperately needed. She heard him fuss with the leather behind her as he drew his trousers down his legs.

Dropping the pants to his ankles, he stepped out of them and kicked them to the side, the knife still clenched between his lips. Dropping one of his knees onto the bed beside her, he leaned forward, dipping a finger between her waist and her skirt to pull it from her body. Extending his free hand, he spat the blade out into his palm and flipped it over so that the sharp point faced outward toward her.

He narrowed his gaze in concentration, eyeing the sharp point as he ever so gently moved it across her spine, watching in fascination as she fought the urge to shiver underneath it. He commended her hesitance, knowing full well that even the slightest movement would slice her delicate silky skin, which unlike his was unmarked by the horrors of violence.

"Good girl." He praised with a smirk of delight at her patience as the edge of the blade trailed lower to meet its intended target. The blade connected with the fabric, slicing through it with a veritable ease that only his steady hand was capable of.

Slashing away at the infernal fabric obstructing his view, he growled impatiently and dropped the knife to the floor, the blade impaling the wood at his feet as it made contact with the ground. Seizing the torn material, he lifted it, fastening his teeth around the bunched fabric to aid him in his goal of ridding it from her body.

She shuttered and gasped as he pulled her ruin skirt out from underneath her, leaving her with only a few scraps covering her shoulders and back. Free from any barriers, her hands curled into tight fists at her sides and she began to grind against the bed in search or relief, her sopping cunt wetting the sheets underneath her.

Taking the hem of his shirt in his hands, he stripped the shirt from his body and threw it off to the side and what he saw waiting for him on the other side of it displeased him greatly. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" He snapped, grabbing a fistful of her hair and tugging on it so that her face was lifted from the bed.

"Let me make one thing abundantly clear to you, I'm the one in command of your pleasure and you will not do as much as make a single move without my explicit permission, aye?" He snarled his lustful threat.

"I don't think you understand darling." He dropped his voice lowly, a soft yet intense promise in his voice as he lowered his lips to her ear. "I don't want to just fuck you." He put emphasis on the word by jerking her backward with his grip on her hair eliciting a sharp breath from her. "I want to claim you. Violate you. Consume you. Ruin you."

Emma sobbed, nearly crumbling underneath his enthralling assurances, knowing full well of what he was capable of. She was a slave to him — captor and prey. "Ah, please—" She cried, her eyes clenched shut to keep the tears of frustration at bay as she clawed at the bed.

"Hands and knees, love." He instructed with a dark and sensual husky tone as he tapped her hip and dropped his grip on her hair so she could get into position.

She scrambled onto her knees, clamoring on top of the bed with her hands drawn out in front of her to keep her from collapsing.

Killian stood in silent appraisal, his fingers stroking the sharp scruff lining his jaw before standing at the edge of the bed and pushing her down with a firm hand to her spine. "Much better." He licked his lips vulgarly, taking in her wide stance, her taut ass hanging high in the air, and her embarrassingly wet cunt exposed and on full display for him.

"I can see your glistening cunt from here. I don't even need to touch you to tell how wet and deliriously wanton you are for me right now. You can't even help yourself, can you?" He mused with a slight chuckle.

He shifted himself onto the bed, rounding her on his knees until he kneeled himself over her with an expectant tilt of his head. He narrowed his gaze with a deep ragged breath and jerked her head back by her hair, forcing her to look at him directly.

Her eyes widened, her mouth watering at the sight of his hand languidly stroking his cock, his thumb swirling over the tip. "Open up for me darling." He slowly guided her lips to the head of his cock, smearing her mouth with the precum leaking from the tip.

His mouth parted in approval at her compliance, his breath catching in his throat as she opened her mouth and pushed him between her lips.

She moaned in gratitude, accepting his cock down her throat as he gently rutted into her mouth. She bobbed greedily, sucking him down as her sex twitched painfully. Sobbing around him, he allowed him to pump himself into her mouth.

"Yes. That's it. Get it nice and wet for me." He praised, his voice dripping with unadulterated lust, getting lost in the friction of her mouth and the way her mouth slid over him. He rolled his hips forward, plunging himself down her throat until he hit resistance as she choked around him. He held her down for a moment, relishing in the sound she made around his cock before prying her off of him and gathering himself off the bed.

He positioned himself behind her, his feet planted on the floor as he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her toward him. Pushing her down further until her face was practically buried in the mattress, he took himself in hand and lined himself up with her entrance.

She cried into the mattress, the sheets muffling her cries of frustration as he teased her opening with the head of his cock while she fisted the sheets for purchase. "Killian!" She whined, tears pricking her eyes as she thrust herself back against him in an effort to get him to sheath himself inside her and make her whole.

He twisted his hips with an incredible patience, his cock barely probing the scaling heat between her thighs that beckoned him forward until they both could no longer withstand the torture. With a hoarse shout, he filled her, her tight walls clenching around him and welcoming him home.

Emma let out a strangled sob, her shoulders shaking with the deliciously full feeling he created when he was finally inside of her, penetrating her, living inside of her. It was an intense assault on her senses, an overpowered sensation he created inside her whenever his body was joined with hers.

Trying to hold himself steady inside her, he leaned forward, his lips dragging against her back as he collected her hair and wound it around his hand. "This is going to be hard and fast, love." He warned. "Do you think you can handle it?"

She whimpered and nodded her understanding and consent, allowing him to proceed.

He leaned back with a grunt, thrust her head back until her body was pulled taut against his. "You look bloody incredible like this." He murmured hotly as he drew himself out of her slowly and plunged back in with a strangled grunt.

She cried out as he began to drag himself in and out of her at a near punishing pace, his strokes long and deep. She could feel all of him inside her, unforgivingly stretching her to the brim — the fullness she felt debilitating as he claimed her with deliberately unyielding thrusts.

Panting and grunting, he vigorously snapped his hips against hers, watching as he disappeared inside of her with every thrust. There was something animalistic and primal about taking her this way, his hips slapping maddeningly against her as he forced her to fuck herself back on his cock.

She grinded herself against him, each volatile movement only serving to add to the already mounting pleasure he was making on her body. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her body craning into itself for reprieve as she bared down her teeth and thrust back against him with abandon.

"Ah. That's it, love. Fuck yourself on me. Show me what I do to you." He encouraged, beckoning her frantic movements against him. Breathing shallowly, his eyes nearly rolled back into his head at the insistence of her pumping her hips against him, taking him inside her and wrapping him in her moist center.

"Please—" She whined in agony, her uneven helpless mewls capturing his immediate attention. She sighed in relief when she felt his arm wrap around her and his fingers found the spot where they were joined. She openly sobbed, her fingers twisting in the sheets as he rubbed the heel of his palm against her swollen clit.

"Emma, I can't. I'm gonna—" He panted, his eyes clamped shut to starve of his impending release. "Ah." He faltered against her, slowing himself inside her to concentrate on her pleasure to distract him from his own. "Need you to come." He pleaded, his voice hoarse with need as he doubled his efforts against her.

"Come for me darling please." He urged desperately, a pained expression on his face as he drew the orgasm from her body. A strained cry escaped unbidden from his lips as she clenched around him mercilessly.

She screamed in ecstasy, trembling and convulsing as she reached the precipice of her pleasure and fell apart around them, taking him over the edge with her. She sniffled as she felt him slip from her depths, leaving her empty and wanting.

He came with a guttural moan, spurting his release across her back, watching as his arousal trickled down her spine. He pumped himself into his hand, jerking himself to completion until the tremors in his body eventually subsided.

As Emma collapsed bonelessly onto the bed, her legs hanging over the edge, Killian stumbled backward, swaying slightly as his world came back into view. He blinked rapidly, eyes wide as he slipped back into reality.

Emma groaned at the soreness in her muscles, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.

He snapped his head toward her at the sound, catching a glimpse of the mess he had made on her back — a persistent mess that had been a mainstay in their sexual exploits since they had Liam. He loved Liam dearly, but the little lad was a reminder of why he could never have her in the way he wanted and it frustrated him to no end.

"Let me clean you up, love." He insisted, turning toward the wash basin to wet a fresh cloth for her. After divesting it of excess moisture, he walked back over to where she lay on the bed and sat down beside her.

He twisted his hips toward her, lounging on his side as he swept the wet cloth over her back, tentatively wiping up the remnants of their time together. He sighed longingly, a frustration boiling up inside of him at having to go through this time and time again.

"Killian—" She turned her head toward him, looking up at him with doe-like eyes.

"I know, love." He breathed out in exasperation as he finished cleaning her off. "Let's get some sleep." He bent down to kiss the top of her head before pulling himself off the bed to place the towel back into the basin, washing it off and letting it dry on the table nearby.

When he returned to the bed, she had already tucked herself underneath the sheets and was curled into herself, half-asleep from the sheer exhaustion of caring for their son and the countless sleepless nights they had endured since his birth.

Pulling back the covers, Killian shook his head in dismay and yawned, his eyes fluttering for a moment when he was broken from the edge of sleep to the shrill cries of their infant son. "Bloody hell." He cursed under his breath, dropping the duvet and hanging his head.

Emma moaned, shifting on the bed and Killian responded by leaning over her and whispering, "I've got him" into her temple. She hummed softly in relief, letting herself drift off to sleep to recover from their vigorous sexual activity.

He stalked back over to where Liam was with a slight frown. He leaned over his cradle, staring at the helpless babe squirming, his cries starting and then breaking off into nothingness. "Come on Liam, just one night. Just one night. Please." He begged the small child before slowly lifting him from his cradle and bringing him to his bare chest.

Killian let the baby nuzzle into his silky nest of curls expanding his chest and gurgle as he held his head and bounced him in an attempt to calm him. "Shh. Shh. It's alright. It's alright." He hushed him softly, looking back over toward the bed to make sure his wife remained undisturbed.

She desperately needed her sleep — they both did. The sleepless nights had taken a toil on them both since their return to the ship. One might think that the gentle ocean tide rocking him to sleep would soothe a fitful child, but as of late, the waves were the bane of his son's existence. But Killian was hopeful that he would get used to it in time, determined to have him grow up on board the ship rather than the castle walls.

Once he had managed to talk him down from his temper and he fell back to sleep, Killian returned him to his bassinet before bending down to kiss his head and whisper loving endearments against his head. "I love you Liam." He told him, gently rocking the cradle back and forth to let the child settle into his slumber.

Dark circles had formed underneath his bloodshot eyes, eyelids heavy from lack of sleep. Scrubbing his hand down his face, he yawned loudly then bowed his head defeatedly. He looked like a bloody wreck and the only cure for it was shutting his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had been apart from the sea for far too long to resist its insistent pull.

Padding through his cabin, he grabbed his leather breeches from the floor and shook them out before stepping into them and sliding them over his legs for a snug fit. The chain swung from his neck as he jumped slightly to adjust himself in his trousers then fastened them loosely to his hips.

He retrieved his discarded shirt and threw it over his head, dragging his hands through the arm holes and neglected to adhere the buttons on the cuffs. Lastly, he tugged on his boots, being quiet as a church mouse as he did so. He bit down hard on his lower lip, wincing as his boot hit the floor as he dropped his foot to shift his toes comfortably in the form fitting leather.

"Fuck." He inwardly cursed himself, his eyes darting between the bed where his wife slept and the cradle that contained his sleeping son. He breathed out an exaggerated sigh of relief when both appeared to be visibly unperturbed by the noise he had made in his groggy and fumbling state.

He backed away slowly, cautious hands steady in front of him as if he was about to be attacked, and when he deemed it safe to, he quietly slipped out of his cabin and headed topside.

His feet carried him to the main deck. Looking off to the port side then shifting his gaze toward the starboard side, he exhaled longingly at the peaceful night sky hovering over miles upon miles of water. He glanced out into the ocean — a breathtaking sight awaiting him.

How long had he missed out on the feel of the salt burning his lungs and the sea flooding his senses? When he had finally made his return two months prior, it was as if he had never left — only slightly different given its two new passengers.

His crew had accepted him back with open arms and before long he was slipping back into the pirate captain with the penchant for violence and villainy, and a domineering disposition that had laid dominant in his absence aboard his ship. Not deterred by his new duties as a husband and father, he resumed his governance of the ship with a firm authority in his roguish ways, reveling in the way his crew members bent to his will.

But how he had yearned to be back in this very place — the place he felt more comfortable — most at home. His hand grazed the rigging, letting each piece fall between his fingers as if remembering a long forgotten lover. He had missed her touch and the way she responded to his every command.

Bunching his pants at the knee, he paced up the steps to the top deck that overlooked the entire ship. He breathed the sea deeply into his lungs, taking long pulls until his need was sated. He craned his neck toward the helm where one of the sailing master's crew members stood at the wheel, his hands moving over the spokes to send the ship gliding across the water.

He maneuvered himself until he stood behind the young man and clapped him on the shoulder, the man jumping slightly in his presence. "You've done a fine job, lad." Killian commended in earnest. "Why don't you let me take over for a bit?"

"Aye captain." He stammered, dragging his hands from the wheel and leaving a wide enough gap for Killian to resume the ship's navigation.

"You're dismissed." Killian told him as he wound his hand around one of the notches, letting his hand glide over the wood. He pressed his body against the wheel, almost caressing it like a lover in adoration. "Hello ol' girl." He hummed wistfully, stroking the wooden spokes lovingly as he settled himself behind the wheel.

Minutes turned into an hour. He had lost track of time, far too invested in sailing to worry about much else.

Killian stared out into the darkened horizon, breathing the salty air into his lungs as he admired the way the reflection of the moon glistened on the waves in the distance. With one hand on the wheel, he turned it a few notches on its starboard side and quickly followed it up with a single turn to port to balance the ship's weight on the evening tide. He absentmindedly steered the ship in silent contemplation, a pensive look on his face as he manned the helm toward their intended destination.

His head snapped toward the sound of footsteps approaching, his body quickly going on the defensive when Madden emerged from the shadows with an envelope in his hand. "You complete arse!" Killian exclaimed, shoving him at the shoulder.

"It never ceases to amaze me what frightens you. You can take on an entire bloody war ship and still you are put out of your wits by a creature lurking in the bloody shadows." Madden barked in laughter, enjoying the look of frustration on his fellow captain's face.

"Remind me who took a bullet for you not even a month ago." Killian countered with agitation as he lazily maneuvered the ship from his position behind the helm.

"It just grazed your arm!" Madden defended with his arms opened wide to take a leaning position beside him. "You make it sound as if you saved my life." He scoffed teasingly.

"Well then next time I won't intervene and we will just how well you fair by yourself if you think yourself to be so damned dexterous to avoid a blasted flintlock to the chest." Killian condemned his tout, rebuffing the man's assertion. "What the devil are you doing out here anyway?"

"I could ask you the very same." Madden fired back, flinging his arm outward as he spoke. "Shouldn't you be resting — you looked half dead today." Madden rounded the helm, cringing as he looked his captain in the face to view the visible dark circles underneath his eyes.

"Aye. The lad has been quite a handful, but he will sort out soon." Killian mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Having second thoughts?" Madden lifted a curious brow, trying to hide his amused smirk but failing to do so.

"No." He answered definitively, not skipping a beat in his retort. "This is how it ought to be. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Whatever you say." He surrendered, the co-captain stretching his arms out in front of him, giving his superior a clear view of what was placed in his hand.

Killian's face fell at the sight of the envelope in his hand and he paled considerably in recognition of the neatly legible script scrawled across it — Captain Killian Jones. Fear washed over his face and his eyes blackened as rage burned its way through his lungs.

When Madden caught onto what Killian was focused on, he jerked the envelope back in an almost coveting way to keep it out of reach so that he might protect the man, who now had a family of his own, from what it may contain.

"Let me see it." Killian commanded with a dangerous scowl, beckoning him to hand it over with a crook of his fingers toward himself.

"Killian—" Madden pleaded with him, keeping a tight grip on the letter in his hand.

"I said — let me see it!" Killian snarled aggressively, his eyes dark and murderous as he voiced his command.

"As you wish." Madden said, his voice small and rough as he pushed himself off the mast behind him and relinquished the envelope into his captain's hands.

Killian narrowed his gaze in an almost threatening manner as he yanked the envelope from the other man's grasp and held it between his fingers in inspection. It trembled in his palms as he turned it over, a skull and crossbones etched on the seal on the other side along with smeared blood left as a warning for its intended recipient.

"Who else has seen this?" Killian asked gravely, shaken to his very core at the weight of it in his hands.

"No one. Just myself and the raven master. Why—?" Madden's face scrunched together in confusion.

"Good. See to it that it stays that way." Killian moved toward a burning torch perched nearby and raised the envelope into the flames. It sparked fire, the embers licking up the envelope as it disintegrated in his hand.

Madden opened his mouth to speak but something about the crazed look in his captain's eyes kept him from doing so. He watched as Killian took the decayed remains and hurled them off the side of the ship and into the dark depths below — the envelope's contents lost in the ocean's pull to never speak its secrets aloud.

"Killian, what the hell was that?" Madden asked cautiously, rubbing his hand over his mouth.

"A summons." The ship's captain said, fraught by the envelope's mere existence and the implications of not responding to it. Killian's deep voice hung dark and ominous between them, a sense of dread falling over both men as they contemplated the consequences of what they had just done.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Coming Soon: "War of Pirates," A "Dashing Pirate Rescue" Sequel

AN- So there is going to be a sequel to Dashing Pirate Rescue. Let the people rejoice! I wasn't going to do one but as Kit so lovingly pointed out I've created this universe — a universe that really refuses to let go of my muse. I've grown so attached to these characters and this world that I want to continue playing in it. There was a ton of shit I didn't get to do in this fic that I want to explore further in the sequel. It is going to be darker, grittier, bloodier, more drama, more sex, etc. It is going to be awesome and I am really excited for it.

Thank you guys for taking this journey with me. This is the second fic I've ever finished since I started writing CS fanfic and one of those was finished just a few months ago after a six year hiatus. You guys have been so incredibly supportive of this fic and I am so grateful for each of you. I am still amazed at how people responded to it. I am so humbled by the art people have created for it and just the outpouring of love for it. That means so much to me and I have never felt that before. I can't wait for you to see what's going to happen next (no idea when it is going to drop).

A big thank you to Erandi V for the gorgeous art for this chapter and the one she did for chapter 15. And to Yahri for her amazing art that she has done for me over the past few months. These women are so fiercely talented in a way I could never be and we don't deserve them. Lastly, I want to thank all the beautiful miners for putting up with me over the last few months as I bugged them for their input and feedback. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Love you.