The Cursed Pirate

CS Genre: 3b Canon Divergence

Something was up with Killian. Emma had no doubt about that.

Ever since they'd met, there had been a connection between them. When they'd climbed the beanstalk together, he'd told her she was an open book to him, and it seemed to be the truth. He understood her, knew what she was thinking and feeling almost before she knew herself.

But the connection went both ways. She understood him, knew him as well. She could tell when something was weighing on him, when he was worried, when he was upset, and she could normally tell exactly what it was that was causing his discontent.

So when he suddenly started to pull away from her, it was obvious. Something was up, and she was bound and determined to get to the bottom of it.

Emma thought back to the events of the past day.

Everything had started normal—or as close as it ever got to normal in Storybrooke. She'd made plans to meet with Regina for magic lessons, then she'd gone down to the docks to ask Killian to watch Henry while she was at it.

He'd been his normal self, full of innuendo and outrageous flirtation as he invaded her space (and made her heart rate double, but there was no reason anyone needed to know that. She may have an instinctual, almost primal reaction to his nearness, and that grin…gods that grin did things to her…but there was no reason he needed to know the effect he had on her.)

He'd refused yet again to tell her what happened during the year they'd all forgotten, and Emma assumed he'd done some things he wasn't proud of. Was that it? Was that what was bothering him? Was he afraid of her reaction when she found out what he'd done in the midst of his grief over losing her?

He didn't need to worry. She knew his heart, knew the man he was deep down. Whatever he'd done in that past year, she wouldn't judge him for it.

But that wasn't it either. Not really. Despite his refusal to tell her what had happened in the lost year, they'd parted on good terms and all seemed normal.

At least until everyone met back up at her parents' loft at the end of the day.

He'd been pensive, sad, and the discontent had nearly rolled off him in waves. He'd bowed out when she invited him to come to dinner with her and the family, and that, more than anything, convinced her that something was significantly wrong. Killian never declined an invitation to spend time with her.

She'd stopped him on his way out of the loft, tried to reassure him that whatever he'd done in that lost year, she didn't care, but if anything, her reassurances had made him look even more sorrowful.

What was up with him?

In the end, she'd shrugged, chalked it up to him having a bad day and let it drop, sure he'd be back to his normal self (the attentive, supportive self that she hated to admit she'd come to rely upon during this whole big mess with the Wicked Witch) in the morning.

But today when they'd reconvened at Regina's place for another strategy meeting, he'd been, if anything, even more pensive and distant. It put her on edge. She hadn't realized how much his friendship and constant support had meant to her over the past several weeks. She hadn't realized how much she'd come to rely upon him, how much she craved his presence and attentiveness until he pulled away from her.

That's why this evening she was bound and determined to get some answers…or at least cheer him up. She concentrated on the mug of cocoa in front of her on the counter at Granny's. She thought about the cocoa, thought about the pirate sitting in the booth behind her, and let her emotions take over—her confusion over his sudden emotional distance, her concern for his well-being, her desire to take away what was bothering him.

She felt the magic bubble up just below her skin, like bubbling bath water, warm and reassuring. Closing her eyes, she shot a burst of magic forward, and when she opened her eyes, the mug had disappeared, only to reappear right where she'd wanted it to—on Killian's open book.

"Boom!" she said with a triumphant slap to the counter. "I should open a franchise. Granny's to go."

"That's impressive," Hook said, moving the cup aside. He didn't sound impressed. He sounded…frustrated.

"Wanna see something really impressive," Emma said flirtatiously as she slipped into the booth across from him. (Since when did she flirt when it wasn't to trap a mark? The fact that she was flirting with Killian and really enjoying it should freak her out, but somehow it didn't. Bringing back his smile just felt infinitely more important.)

He sighed, dramatically.

Okay, so Operation Bring Back the Pirate's Smile was off to a rocky start. Time to bring out the big guns.

Emma waved her hand, and Killian's hook flew from his brace onto the coat rack that was behind them. Emma giggled, actually giggled. It felt so good to have control over her magic, so good to be moving toward a way to beat Zelena, so good to just sit in a diner and flirt with her….well, whatever Hook was to her.

But the feeling of euphoria was short lived. Her playful use of magic did nothing but piss Hook off even more. He abruptly got to his feet and stomped over to retrieve his eponymous attachment.

"That's bad form, Swan, tampering with a man's hook."

Emma waited a beat, watching him as he viciously snapped his hook back into place. "Okay seriously, what's up with you?"

Hook sat back in his seat, reaching for his flask. He refused to even look at her for a long moment. Finally he took a swig and then met her eyes. "I apologize for my rudeness. It's a long story; too long for now."

He was completely shutting her out, completely shutting down. Everything about his mannerisms screamed at her to go away and leave him alone. It hurt more than it should, and that made her old demon's flare to life.

"Okay, something's obviously bothering you," she said, voice cooling, "and I get it, okay? I can take a hint. Just tell me you're done and I'll leave you alone."

He looked up at her, eyes widening. For a moment it looked like he was going to reach for her, and then he abruptly pulled his hand back. "Swan, is that what you think this is about?"

She averted her eyes, absently fiddling with the menu in front of her. "What am I supposed to think, Hook? There's obviously something wrong, and you won't talk to me about it. Just…Just be honest with me. That's all I want."

Killian was silent for long moments, and finally Emma looked up at him. The look in his eyes stole her breath. Pain, agony, sadness, devotion, maybe even….maybe even love.

"Please," she said, reaching over and taking his hook, holding on even when he flinched. "Just talk to me, Killian. Let me help you."

"I can't, Swan!" he said, voice barely above a whisper. "She threatened you, threatened your family. I can't risk her harming you."

Emma straightened in the booth, heart pounding. "She?" she asked, "Zelena? Did Zelena do something that I don't know about?"

For a moment it looked like he would answer her question, but then his mouth settled into a firm line and he shook his head. "She has spies everywhere. If I say anything, I doom your boy."

Emma waved her hand once more, and for a moment magic flared, encasing their entire booth, then it shimmered off. Emma noticed that all sounds around them—the hum of the refrigerator, the soft music in the background, the sounds of the wind at their window—were gone.

This, more than anything told her her spell had worked.

"There," she said with a decisive nod of her head. "Protection spell. No one can hear us. Killian, if Henry's in trouble, you have to tell me. What did she do?"

Killian looked around for a moment and then nodded firmly. "She, she cursed me. Cursed my lips."

Emma's brow furrowed. "She cursed your….? Why would she do that?"

"She wants your magic, Swan. She knows what we all know, you can beat her. You're bloody brilliant, and Zelena doesn't stand a chance against you."

For a moment, Emma felt the relief roll off of her in waves. She hadn't realized how much she'd come to rely on Killian and his belief in her. She felt like she could do anything if he was at her side, encouraging her.

But then the rest of what he'd said registered, and she tilted her head, more confused than ever. "Okay, but…how does cursing your lips get her my magic, and what does this have to do with Henry?"

Hook glanced to the side, reaching up to scratch behind his ear. "She…she wants me to kiss you. If I do, your magic is taken away."

Emma felt her heartrate pick up again. Visions of a humid jungle filling her mind. His lips, soft as butter, his hair silky beneath her fingers, breathing each other in, passion running rampant. She shook her head. She had to focus.

"Um, why does she think you would be the right guy for the job?"

He looked at her, right into her eyes. "She knows how I feel about you, love."

Emma took a deep breath, having no idea how to respond to his words, the sincerity and intensity behind them. Didn't matter if it was clichéd. He literally took her breath away when he made declarations like that.

"But she also knew I'd refuse to do it, I'd bloody refuse to kiss you and take away one of the things that makes you you."

"Bet she didn't take that well, did she?" Emma asked, reaching over and taking his hand, needing to touch him, needing to be connected.

He barked out a quick laugh. "Understatement, darling. When I told her I'd inform you of her perfidy, if she could have slain me with a glance, she would have."

"So let me guess," Emma said, "that's where her threat to Henry came in."

"Aye," he said, turning his hand over and lacing his fingers with hers. "She told me if I failed to kiss you or if I breathed a word of this to you, she'd kill your family, starting with your son. And I won't let that happen, Swan. I don't care what I have to do. I will not allow that woman to harm a hair on your boy's head."

A wave of emotion hit Emma—fear for Henry, anger at the wicked bitch, gratitude and even….well, something more for Killian and his determination to protect her son at any cost. "I get why you didn't say anything," she said after a moment, "and I get that Greeny put you in a literally impossible situation…"

"But…" he said.

"But Henry's my son, my responsibility. It's my job to protect him, Killian," she said, keeping her voice gentle, trying to take the sting out of her words. "If there's a threat to him I need to know about it. Please promise me you'll talk to me in the future? You can't let a villain divide us, any of us, with a secret."

He looked regretful, finally nodding. "I apologize."

She waved him off with her free hand. "No need to apologize. You were doing the best you could to protect Henry, and you have no idea how grateful I am for that, but the question is…what are we going to do now?"

His face filled with resolve. "First we seek out the advice of your parents and Regina, love, and then we kick that bloody witch's arse all the way back to Oz."

She laughed. "I like the way you think, Pirate."

He grinned at her, and it was his old, familiar flirtatious grin. "Of course you do, darling."

He sobered, the single-minded intensity back in his eyes. "And I promise you this: nothing is going to happen to your lad. Nothing. I will protect him with my life, just as I'll protect your magic. With all of you heroes and with myself aligned against her, Zelena doesn't stand a chance."

Emma reached up, cupping his face, letting her thumb gently caress him. "When are you going to realize that you are one of us hero types, Killian? You deserve as much credit as any of us."

"I…" Killian began, but he was cut off as the door of the diner was flung open, and Belle burst through.

"I know what she's planning!" Belle said breathlessly.

Emma gave Killian's hand one last squeeze, his face one last caress, and then she took down the protection spell. There would be time for more quiet moments later. Now it was time to take down a wicked witch.

Notes:

-I'm so sorry for my looooooooong delay in updating. I think the muse went on an extended vacation, and I just had the worst case of writer's block. I couldn't figure out where I wanted to go with this update, and then when I did, the words just wouldn't flow. Fingers crossed, I've finally broken free of the block, and I can go back to weekly updates for the last few chapters of this monstrosity.

-So obviously this chapter was a canon divergence based on the diner scene in 3x18. In canon, it seemed like Emma was about to get Killian to actually talk to her before Belle burst in. I just let that possibility play out by delaying Belle's entrance for five or ten minutes.

-Up next: 4a deleted scene. Emma talks to Henry about his feelings about her asking Killian out.