"Pocahontas," Hook smirked, undaunted by the wicked arrowhead hovering inches from his nose. He smiled at the Indian maiden before him, assessing the dark gleam of her eyes, the trademark striped flower tucked into her tousled braid. "Or should I call you by your childhood moniker? Tiger Lily."

"Call me whatever you like," came the smooth reply. "But I grew up and earned my warrior name. Tell me, Hook. Have you ever met a fully realized Piccaninny warrior?" She glided closer, slipping the arrow from the string and lifting it to Hook's chin, sliding the obsidian tip along the edge of his jaw in a menacing caress. "I've half a mind to send this straight into that pitiful brain."

"Yes, I suppose you would," Hook replied sadly, reaching up to grasp her wrist. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't make to drive the arrow through his neck like she'd threatened. "We did part on such unfriendly terms."

"Mmm. Like you leaving me bound and helpless beneath a rising tide at Skull Rock."

Hook clucked his tongue in disdain, reaching up to brush a wandering strand of dark hair from her temple. Her eyes flickered dangerously, but he paid them no mind. "Tsk, dear, you know I wouldn't have truly left you. I had to do it in order to lure Pan into the cave. He would never have come if he hadn't believed you were really in danger."

"Hm, and you made it so convincing I was sure I was going to die as well."

Hook smiled. "All was the intention, my dear. See, if you hadn't believed it, there was no way in heavens Pan would've taken the bait. The brat would've left you to escape on your own devices and abandoned you without a bat of an eye."

"As you did," she snarled, wrenching her arm from his grip. "And that brat, Hook, bested you with one hand behind his back and a half-length dagger to boot."

"Let's not bring up trifles from the past," Hook said, taking her hand and gently lowering it from his throat. She didn't resist him, slowly returning the arrow to the leather quiver at her back.

"What are you doing here, Jones?"

"At the moment," he replied. "Looking for a particular brat. Have you seen him lately?"

She tipped her head back, a coy smile playing at her full lips. "And why would I tell you if I have?"

It was his turn to smile. He reached forward and slid his fingertips down her forearm, slipping his hand around her wrist and drawing her forward. Her hand came up to his chest, palm flat, but not pushing him away. He saw that familiar gleam in her eyes and his smile widened. This wouldn't be too difficult.

"Because, love, I do believe you owe me."

She laughed. "Me? Owe you? Ha! I don't believe we're even quite yet, but the debt most definitely isn't on my side. Is it twice now I've stuck my neck out for you? I saved you once from my father, and then again when the crocodile came here searching for you. No, Hook, I owe you nothing."

"Ah, but dearest, don't you remember who it was that drove the pale faces away from your Indian encampment all those moons ago? Why, aside from the Lost Boys and my crew, a pale face hasn't crossed these shores in two centuries."

She glared at him. "That's one, Hook. You still owe me for saving your ungrateful hide when my father ordered you executed."

"No, I believe I've already paid that off. You see, do you remember when the crocodile came here searching for me? Of course you do, you've only just mentioned it. Why, he was prepared to tear this entire island apart to get to me, but I ran him off into the netherworld for nigh half a century. Never has the famed Rumplestiltskin gone so long without the whisper of a deal."

She gave him a grudging smile. "Well then, it appears we're even, Jones. I owe you nothing."

"Ah-ah, not so fast. Surely you remember that fire that swept the west land, set by the scurvy Lost Boys themselves, in order to drive us pirates off the island? Was it not I that saved you by bringing you onto my ship?"

"You kidnapped me," she replied, outraged. "That was no rescue. You left my people to fend for themselves against the flaming forests. Our entire camp was burned to the ground."

"Aye, but you lived, did you not? Along with your kin."

"No thanks to you they did," she grumbled. "Fine, Hook. Perhaps I owe you my life on that one account. But that doesn't entrap me into helping you with whatever scheme you have against Peter Pan this time. I've washed my hands of the lot of you, Lost Boys and pirates and flying imbeciles and all."

Hook chuckled. "Imbecile? Is that any way to speak of your dearest love?"

Her eyes flashed. "He is most definitely not my dearest love."

"Oh? And I thought your father had betrothed you to him after his, shall we say, heroic actions in saving your life at Skull Rock."

"I stave off the altar with a hatchet," she declared passionately. "I'll not be joined with such a selfish child. And he'd as soon be wed with a single woman as forsake his pixie dust."

"Jealousy does not suit you, beautiful."

She sniffed. "Who said I was jealous?"

"It was that Wendy girl, was it not? You resent his blatant affection for her."

Pocahontas laughed. "Jealous of that netherlander? I forgot how funny you can be, Hook. What is there to be jealous of? The girl has wasted away into an old shriveled maid back in that magic-dry world of hers. I do not fault Pan for leaving her to return here. But if he thinks he can have me back after that stint, he's sorely mistaken." She looked at him, a sultry smile curling her red lips. "Besides," she added, her voice dropping to a deeper register. "Nowadays I prefer my men… less boyish. A little darker. Rogue."

Hook winked at her and let the cool metal of his hook trail up the length of her arm, coming to rest lightly against the dark skin of her throat. But she didn't seem threatened by the movement. Instead, she leaned into him, her hand threading through the leather hem of his jacket to his chest.

"Perhaps, then," he murmured. "You would assist me for old times' sake." He lowered his forehead to rest against hers, his lips just a fraction from her own. "And perhaps this time we'll not part on such frosty terms."

She smiled, a slow, corporeal smile. "What is it you want me to do?"

Emma swallowed hard. "I don't know who you're talking about."

Pan smiled. "Oh, but of course you do, Emma. Your friend—the pirate—tell me, does he retain all his appendages?" He lifted his fingertips to examine the nails, a dangerous light in his blue eyes. "Has he… oh, what was it again… a prosthesis of steel? A thirst for vengeance? A bloodlust pertaining to a particular crocodile…"

Emma stared at him. She bit her lip, hard, and didn't answer. Finally, Pan sighed.

"Come now, dearest, let's not be like this. Captain J. Hook is not to be trusted. Let me guess. He's promised to help you find someone. Someone you love, perhaps a lover or a child. Do you think he'll keep his word?"

Emma's mouth dropped open. "How… how did you…?"

Pan got to his feet and crossed the forest floor toward her, dropping to his knee and taking her hand in both of his.

"Because I know him, love," he said solemnly—and Emma couldn't help but be reminded at the way Killian called her love when he was trying to change her mind about something. "He uses honest, good-hearted people like you and twists them around for his own gain. Trust me. The minute he gets what he wants from you, he'll be gone. You won't even have a chance to blink."

Emma suddenly remembered the cold weight of the compass in her jeans pocket. Hook needed that just as much as she did to get back to Storybrooke. But he'd already had plenty of chances to take it from her. Wouldn't he have abandoned her already if that had been his intention?

She pulled her hand away from Peter's. "He's not my friend," she said. "But we need each other. Like it or not, he needs me in order to get back to his crocodile. And I need him in order to…" She swallowed. "He'd be an idiot to ditch me now."

"Mm." His shrewd blue eyes assessed her. "And where is he now? For not abandoning you, he's doing an excellent job at rescuing his partner in crime."

"He hasn't abandoned me," Emma snapped. "He's probably looking for me right now." She hesitated. "So if we're done here, I don't suppose you could—"

"Let you go?" He laughed. "Ah, but Emma, you're the closest I've come to getting a hook in that vagabond in over a century." The corner of his mouth quirked. "No pun intended. No, you see I've waited a hundred years for an opportunity like this. Now, finally the tables are turned. I have something that he wants this time, and all I must do is wait for him to come and get it."

Emma's heart sank. She tried to keep her voice level and menacing. "You can't keep me here."

"Ah, little Emma. But you've already told me of your value to him." He slipped finger beneath her chin, tipping her head back to meet his cool blue gaze. He smiled, his teeth white in the half-light, and Emma felt a shiver travel up her spine. "I'm not about to lose such a potent bargaining chip. No, I'm afraid you'll have to remain here until we lay eyes on your dear buccaneer. If your bond is as tight as you say, we won't be waiting long now, will we?"

Emma opened her mouth to argue, to fight, but he was already turning away from her, snapping an order to a Lost Boy who'd come up behind her without her realizing.

"Ruf, escort our guest to her room. Can't have her catching cold out here, can we?"

"Sir," Rufio acknowledged with a dip of his head. He moved toward Emma, who scrambled back.

"No, wait—Pan, I—"

But another pair of hands grabbed her from behind, tugging her back into Hangman's Tree. Emma fought, but the Lost Boys' otherworldly strength far outmatched hers. Within seconds, they tugged her into the tree, and the trapdoor to the hideout banged shut above her.

Everything went dark.

All right. So that's it so far, but I've got a request for you all. I have several different directions I could turn this story in right now, but I'd like your feedback as to where you'd prefer this adventure to go. Please drop me a review or a PM and vote, I have three choices for you below to my various ideas. So… who would you rather me put in the story next? Review and vote below:

1. Henry - I'm thinking about dropping him right into Neverland. Do you want a mommy-son reunion sooner, or later?

2. Mermaids - If you pick them, I'll have the story go in a whole different direction. Perhaps more adventurous, definitely more Hook/Emma shenanigans.

3. Neal - All right, if I stick him in here, that means Hook will have to up his game with Emma. A little healthy man-to-man competition, eh? Whaddya think?

4. A Peter/Emma spark? I think this may be real interesting. Of course, the story will end up with Hook/Emma, duh, but it might add some extra thrill to the story to have her develop a little fling with Hook's archenemy.

5. Jefferson - Okay, this guy is such a babe, I've had multiple requests to bring him into the story. What do y'all think?

6. Your own angle. Any brilliant ideas you've been itching to see written about in a Captain Swan fic? Send 'em on over! I'll fit them in here some way or another.

Kk. Leave a vote in a review, and you can help take a hand in where this story goes! I'd like to write whatever you guys would be most interested in.