A/N: I do not own OUAT or their amazing characters. I have no beta, so any mistakes are my own, I do my best to edit them out. Enjoy! – BS

Chapter 10

Yzma was laughing maniacally in the throne room. The mermaids were in the palm of her hand.

"Listen carefully darlings," Yzma began, "I need you take care of a problem for me, Target the Jolly Roger and take down the people on board. They are a threat to me and I need them gone. Prolong their suffering and enjoy the demise of the pirate."

The mermaid laughed gleefully, clapping their hands in excitement to take down a ship that has haunted them for so long.

"Search the waters, Find Him!" Yzma commanded

Without another word the mermaids dispersed, on a mission to find the Pirate ship. Yzma set the sand dollar down and walked to her throne and sat down, looking oh so triumphant. Once the pirate was out of the way the curse would never break. She could continue the torture of the heroes and avenge the death of her mentor and friend.

"We will have justice Fiona," Yzma whispered quietly. "Your son took care of himself, now we just have to wait on the rest."

Yzma knew the savior would give in as soon as she heard of the demise of her dear pirate captain and their children. All she had to do now was wait.

It was their third straight day at sea and Hope was standing at the rail on the upper deck, watching her father and brother practice fencing. Killian's sword of choice a pirate cutlass, and Henry's a broadsword. The clanging of the blades rang through the air and sparks flew, both men exerting themselves and neither wanting to give up. Someone was either going to get hurt or pass out.

"Widen your feet my boy." Killian chided

Henry rolled his eyes. He had gotten a lot more practice with his weapon the last few days than he had in years, so he was a little rusty, but he knew what he was doing. He swung hard and mis-stepped, losing his footing. He rolled onto his back and laid there staring at the sky until a pair of blue eyes and tousled brown hair appeared over him, snarky grin in place.

"That's why I said widen your feet. Bad form lad." Killian said with a laugh, helping his son up. "But you remember well, a little rusty but not bad."

Henry smiled at his dad while wiping his brow. It always made his fill with happiness to know that he made Killian proud. He nodded and picked up his sword and sheathed it to his hip. Both men looked up to the sound of clapping coming from the rail by the helm. As per normal, both gave over exaggerated bows to Hope's applause, causing her to laugh. She had always wanted to learn how to handle a blade, knowing that the use she had of hers in the cavern was sheer luck. Asking Killian was an option, but this was all so new to them and she didn't want to bother him. He had brought up wanting to train her in ways of combat and they had yet to do anything. Two days of their voyage remained he couldn't stall anymore. Killian knew if he didn't teach her she could die, or she would find a way on her own. It was time.

"Starfish," Killian called up to her, "Grab your cutlass and meet me down here. It's time to start your training."

The smile Hope gave him was worth its weight in gold. She nodded to him and disappeared him the cabin for a moment and reemerged with her cutlass on her hip, bounding down the stairs. Killian shook his head with a chuckle, knowing full well where her spirit came from. He wished he had dulled blades, for this but there was no such luck.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Killian asked his daughter.

"Yes Dad. I'm ready." Hope just wanted him to be proud of her.

"Aye lass, here we go then. Nice and slow. First your feet...:"

Killian went into depth of how to stand properly and convey a proper stance.

"Widen a little bit more," Hope fixed her feet and lower into her stance, "Very good love."

From stance he explained the parries, thrusts, and cuts. Attacks and defenses came next as he showed her what to do, nice and slow to ensure her safety. Hope absorbed the information like a sponge, watching her fathers every move, stepping as he stepped, moving as he moved.

As it went later in the afternoon, Killian and Hope were sparring at a much faster pace as Henry watched from the rail by the helm, smiling widely. His baby sister was a natural, the blood of a princess and a pirate obvious as she kept up with their father. Killian had even taught her some pirate tricks, to get the upper hand on the enemy.

"Strike at the thumb holding the blade," Killian told her, "It will make them release their weapon. Also, you are a little shorter like your mother, use that to you advantage. You can move quickly and close to the ground." Hope nodded, loving the fact she got this one on one time with Killian. After pausing for lunch, the sparring continued, the pace quickening and her skills sharpening. Killian seemed distracted by a noise and Hope had got him right behind the knee, moving much faster than he was and brought him down to the deck. She held her sword at him triumphantly. "I win!" She cheered, causing Henry to laugh loudly.

"You caught your father of guard, Bad form darling." Killian joked as she helped him up. "But in all seriousness, excellent work today. You are a very fast learner."

"Told you so," She chided,

"We'll practice some more later but I want you to know between how fast you have picked up sailing and now your skill with the blade, I am very proud of you Hope." Killian said, beaming at her.

Hope's emotions caught in her throat. Her dad, her dad was proud of her. She had never known what it felt to have a parent proud of her before and she wasn't prepared for it. She knew that no matter what she never wanted to disappoint him. She nodded at him and before she could stop herself her hugged her father tightly. Killian chuckled and smoothed her hair before embracing her back, resting his chin on her head.

"I love you starfish." Killian said in an almost nonexistent whisper. If her walls were anything like Emma's had been, he didn't want to scare her away.

Hope's eyes flew open. Her father loved her. Tears came free flowing now, staining his white shirt. Killian pulled back and put his hand on her shoulder

"Oy, what are these tears from the fearsome pirate?" Killian teased causing Hope to laugh through her sobbing. Killian smiled at her wiped her tears away and turned to walk to Henry.

"Dad?" Hope called after him. He turned to face her as she caught up with him. Hope mustered up all the courage she could, this whole being a daughter thing still new to her.

"I love you too." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Hopie, it's your turn at the helm," Henry called, his heart about to burst from the exchange between the father and daughter. His family was finally piecing back together. Hope flashed her father a brilliant smile and ran to her brother. Killian shook his head and took the stairs to join his children, feeling a little bit lighter.

Dusk fell as the family sat together talking, passing a bottle of rum between them. Killian was sharing pirate stories and Henry sharing his adventures trying to find his sister. Hope laughed at some, like Jefferson getting stuck in quicksand after getting too cocky. She told some foster home stories, some good like with her best friend Sam, and some bad. Hope watched her father's eyes flash with anger during the bad stories. She knew he felt guilt, wanting to be there to protect her. Some drunken stories were shared, lightening the mood back to where it was. Hope revealed she mostly got drunk with rum and Killian mumbled something like "That's my girl" before taking another swig.

Killian was getting ready to tell an embarrassing story on her grandfather when suddenly something hit the side of the Jolly. He stopped for a moment and looked over to the side, as the side bumped again. He crossed over carefully, hand on his cutlass. Hope wanted to say something, but Henry gave her the signal to stay quiet. Each of them standing, following Killian quietly, hands on their weapons. Killian reached the edge of the ship, putting up his hook signaling them to stop, Killian peered over the side into the water. There was nothing he could see.

All of sudden from the other side of the ship, an ear-piercing screech came from the depths of the water. A mermaid launched herself over the jolly's deck grabbing for Hope and missing, plunging into the water on the other side.

"Fucking mermaids." Hook growled, "Henry, Hope, get your blades ready!"

Henry and Hope listened to Father, waiting with their blades, Killian on side, Henry on the other and Hope at the Aft on the upper deck. It was silent for a good five minutes as they waited. Then they all came at once.

There were hundreds of them! The mermaids were flinging themselves towards the deck on all sides, clawing at the humans and trying to claw at the wood of the ship, trying to tear it apart. Killian started swinging his cutlass at the vile creatures and the bloodbath began. Mermaids were screeching as they fell from the injuries of the blades, Henry and Killian not batting an eye as they cut them down. One clawed Killian in the shoulder, drawing blood.

"Ow! Bloody bitch!" Killian gritted through his teeth spearing the mermaid at the end of his sword and shoving her into the sea. The water started to turn a dark red around them.

"Where did they all come from?" Henry called over his shoulder, slicing another mermaid through the torso, guts spilling as she fell on the deck.

"I don't know but this many are usually summoned," Killian called back. He panicked for a moment and looked to find his daughter.

Hope was keeping up with the mermaids who were launching themselves high up the aft of the ship, slicing at the mermaid's flesh causing them to scream on their way down. She speared two on the end of her blade, knocking the two of them in the ocean. Killian couldn't be prouder. Hope noticed the mermaids were focused on her brother and her father. She ran from the upper deck to help them, spearing a mermaid that was headed for Henry's throat just in time. Hope had her back turned to the side of the ship as a mermaid launched up and clawed her back, tearing skin as she sank down. Hope let out a scream causing Killian and Henry to turn and look, but before either could move to her Hope acted,

"Fuck you!" Hope screamed as she stabbed the mermaid in the throat. She was most definitely Killian's daughter, through and through. Another mermaid launched herself up to Henry, clawing his thigh. He let out a wail and stabbed the mermaid clean through the spine.

The battle was getting out of hand and Killian knew it; they had to get out of here.

"Hope!" Killian called to his daughter, "Get to the Helm and get us the bloody hell out of here!"

Hope didn't need to be told twice as she ran to the helm with all her might. She spun the helm 6 notches port away from the mermaids, trying to get them on course. She heard wailing and screaming from down below. It was now storming, the seas turning rough as they thrashed the Jolly Roger around. Hope tried to keep the helm steady through the madness as wails from below still rang out.

At that moment 100 mermais launched the deck at once, targeting Killian and Henry. Both were swinging their blades with all their might. Hope watched in terror. She didn't know how to help her family. Turning her attention back to the helm, she tried to sail true until she heard Henry cry out.

"Get off of me sea bitch!"

Hope ran to the rail and looked over. A mermaid was on top of her brother, trying to bite his throat out, Henry fighting with all his might.

"Henry!" She cried. Hope went to move to him but before she could Killian was at his side, yanking the mermaid up by her hair

"Get off of my son!" Killian growled, and sliced the mermaids throat.

Killian helped Henry up and they went on fighting. A mermaid launched herself over the aft, grabbing Hope and started to drag her toward the edge to pull her under. Hope was fighting with all her might, but her cutlass got dropped by the helm. She was fighting like hell to get back to it, but it was no use. Killian couldn't see her, so she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Daddy! Henry!"

Henry and Killian looked up and saw the mermaid trying to climb back over the deck, his daughter's feet in her hands as Hope tried to crawl away clawing at the deck.

"No!" Killian screamed, and he ran for her, Henry fending off the mermaids as he ran. He didn't know he could move as fast as he did, but he made it to the deck at the last second, grabbing Hope's hand as the mermaid pulled her over.

"I got you Starfish!" Killian gasped, gripping her tightly. He lost his daughter once, he would not lose her again.

"Give it up pirate," The mermaid's voice sneered. "You'll never win."

Killian looked to his daughter, and she nodded to him. Hope grabbed Killian's hook and released her other hand as he dropped his cutlass to her. Hope caught it and stabbed the mermaid in the back of the skull. The mermaid shrieked in pain and let go of Hope as she fell to her death. Killian pulled Hope back over the side and onto the deck. He wanted to check her for injury, but the pair heard Henry scream. Killian and Hope ran to the rail as Henry was about to be drug over by five mermaids.

"Henry!" Killian started to move to him.

"No!" Hope screamed her hands moving out.

At that moment her hands shot out a white bright light, enough to engulf the ship, killing the rest of the mermaids on board. Killian and Henry looked around, in absolute shock.

Hope had magic.

The rest of the mermaids retreated in the depths of the sea, now stained red with blood.

Hope sank to the deck, staring at her hands, shaking. How in the hell did she do that? Emotions started to hit her like a tidal wave. She almost lost her father and her brother, again. She almost died, Killian saved her. Tears started to flow as she felt a presence in front of her, it was Henry.

"Are you ok?" His eyes were full of concern for her and it broke her. Hope launch herself into Henry's arms, the realization she almost lost her big brother again hitting here hard. She gripped him tight, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Shh, Hopie, its ok. I'm ok." Henry whispered, rocking her back and forth.

"Where's Dad?" Hope sobbed out, needing to see her father.

"I'm right here starfish." Hope released her brother and looked up to the left of her, seeing her father at the helm. Hope jumped up and hugged Killian tightly, forgetting the pain of her injuries. Killian hugged his daughter tightly, the thought of losing her again shaking him to his very core. Henry stood and took over at the helm, so Killian could help his sister. Killian released her and walked her over to the bench and sat her down, kneeling in front of her.

"My darling daughter I need you to look at me," Killian said softly. Hope looked up, meeting his gaze. She saw, no anger, no fear. Just concern and love.

"Are you alright? Are you injured?" Killian began

Hope nodded, "Yeah, damn sea bitch clawed my back."

Killian turned her slowly to see and she had four gashes between her shoulders about seven inches long. It would need sewn up, but for the moment it was ok.

"I will sew you up in a few minutes, but it doesn't look too bad." Killian said quietly, "Do you want to tell me how you used magic?"

"I don't know how." Hope answered truthfully.

"Can you tell me what you were feeling?"

Hope nodded, "I was thinking I had to do whatever it took to save you and Henry. I couldn't lose my family again."

"Aye, your magic is tied to your emotions like your mothers is." Killian explained, "You were feeling scared and your thoughts were on saving us which is why the mermaids perished and your brother and I didn't."

Henry tied the helm off and joined his sister and Killian, the sea calm enough now to do so

"You aren't afraid of me?" Hope whispered, her emotions cracking in her voice.

"No lass," Killian gave her a smile," Your magic is good and pure like Emma's." His smile fell. "However, I was afraid today. I almost lost you and Henry. Don't you two ever scare me like that again." Killian looked to his son, then back to his daughter. Hope met his eyes and saw he was holding back tears. Hope nodded, hugging her father around the neck. Killian pulled Henry in and embraced them both. When he released her, Killian gave Hope a smirk.

"You are most definitely my daughter though. You are one hell of a fighter.".

Hope gave him a small smile. Together the family headed to the main deck and started the cleanup process. Mermaid bodies got dumped overboard, there were at least fifty on deck if not more. After the bodies were dumped, the deck started to get scrubbed by Killian and Henry as Hope went to retrieve medical supplies. Once the deck was clean they all met in the captain's cabin.

Killian had gashes in his shoulder from the mermaids. He had a few cuts elsewhere, but his shoulder was the worst, Henry had claw marks in his leg and near his neck and Hope had claw marks down her back and scratches at her ankles. The trio looked like they had just been through the ringer and it was a miracle they all survived. Killian knew they needed to talk about this, to figure it out but He needed to tend to his children first.

"Hope come here." He said patting a chair. Hope was now wearing a tank top and sweats, so her wounds could be cleaned with better ease. Hope nodded, sitting on the chair with her back to her father.

"Deep breath love, this is going to hurt." Killian warned. Hope nodded and grabbed Henry's hand, who was sitting across from her. Killian soaked a rag in rum and pressed it against her gashes. Tears sprang her eyes and she let out a gasp of pain, clinging to Henry's hand harder. Killian winced, he didn't want to hurt his daughter in any way, but he couldn't let this get infected. He got the needle and thread to sew the wounds shut as he met Henry's eyes. Henry got the point he needed to distract Hope from the pain she was about to experience.

"Hey Hopie, look at me. Tell me about your favorite places in New York," He said, letting his sister grip both of his hands.

Henry distracting her had helped, even though she could still feel the needle traveling in and out of her skin. How a man with one hand could do that with such skill Hope would never understand. Henry was next, also wearing shorts and a t shirt now so Killian could work on his upper thigh. Killian was last, Henry sewing up his shoulder as Killian talked to Hope, trying to take his mind off the pain. The trio started talking about the mermaids, and the conversation took the more serious turn it needed to.

"Who could have done this?" Hope asked.

"Well many can command mermaids with a spell and a sand dollar, making them bend to their every whim." Killian explained.

"It had to be Yzma." Henry concluded, finishing up his father's shoulder.

"You think so lad?"

"Isn't it obvious? She wants us dead. Without us we can't rescue the savior. No savior, no way the curse is breaking."

"It makes sense." Hope added.

"Aye that it does. We all should get out rest, it has been a long day." Killian sighed.

Both Henry and Hope bid their father goodnight Hope staying in the captain's cabin and Henry going below to crew quarters. Killian retreated to the upper deck, needing to check the helm. After making sure all was secure, he laid on the bench near the helm and looked up at the stars. Today started out wonderful and had gotten worse. He missed his wife, and he was so close to her now he could taste her lips on his, her warm body in his arms. It made his heart clench, thinking about the horrible visions that Yzma was making her see. Emma had the purest heart of anyone he had ever known besides his daughter. His swan did not deserve this, and all Killian wanted to do was free her from this hell.

"Hold on just a little longer Swan," Killian whispered, his tears silently falling. The emotions of today finally hit and Killian let his emotions release, now that he was alone.

It did not sit well with him Yzma wanted his family dead and had almost succeeded.

Next time, he would be ready.