Chapter 4

"Do you know where he could be?" Emma asked.

"There's no sign of him," replied Killian.

The two of them were in Longbourn, looking for Blackbeard.

"I know someone who can help us," Killian announced.

"Who?"

"Me! Well, this realm's version of me."

"Are you here? I mean, is he?"

"Look over there. We can see the tops of two masts. It's unmistakably the Jolly Roger. The other me must be there, and he may know something about Blackbeard's whereabouts."

"I'm going."

Emma was about to come out of hiding but Killian took her wrist and held her back.

"You don't have to do this."

"I want to. It has to be me, anyway. He can't see you."

He sighed because he knew she was right. "Be careful."

"You would never hurt me."

"He's not me," he reminded her.

"He's one version of you. Even when you were sort of bad, is there a moment when, if you had met me, you would have hurt me?"

"No."

"See? I will be safe."

"I'm still coming with you. I'll wait on the docks, but at least I won't be far from the ship."

She nodded and they walked across the port. Killian didn't want to draw attention but, luckily, none of the passers-by seemed to notice them.

"Remember: if anything goes wrong, come back to me straight away."

"Nothing will go wrong," she reassured him.

"We don't know what this version of me will be like."

Looking him in the eye, an amused smile stretched her lips when she asked, "Do you think he will look old?"

"Old?" Killian pulled a face and she giggled.

"This realm's versions of my parents looked old. I thought maybe it would be the same for you."

"I definitely don't want to see him."

Emma laughed and kissed him. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll be waiting for you right here."

She nodded and kissed his lips once again before heading to the ship. Going up the stairs leading to the deck she knew perfectly well, she was musing over what he would be like if he looked twenty-eight years older than her Killian. Since there was no one in sight, she went down the ladder. There was nobody in the captain's quarters either. She was about to go and search the rest of the gallery, but she didn't need to: she heard rushed footsteps coming closer and guessed he had heard her. She opened the door and stepped out of the quarters, and happened to meet him earlier than she had expected: not having time to realise she was standing there, he collided with her and they gazed at each other. He didn't look older than the Killian she knew. He was actually reminding her of the version of him she had met when she had fallen through the time portal. She could even feel the same red velvet vest under her fingers.

He was transfixed and, holding her hips, was keeping her against him. He was the one to break the silence.

"I must admit rum sometimes tricks me, but it would be the first time it makes me see a woman as beautiful as you. But if I can't blame the rum and you're real…" He raised an inquiring eyebrow and tilted his head on the side. "What are you doing aboard my ship?"

"I need your help." Feeling his intense gaze on her, she had to remind herself that the man in front of her was not the man she knew. She wondered how she would explain him all of this, or where she would even start. "It might take a while. Can we go to your quarters?"

"Aye, that we can."

His smirk made her realise what he could be imagining and she quickly added, "I mean, to talk."

"Oh I assure you we can find other more enjoyable activities." Finally letting go of her hips, he slipped his arm in her back and led her inside his quarters. "You're arriving right on time, I've just refilled my flask!"

He poured rum into two glasses and handed her one.

"Cheers," he said while clinking glasses and stepping closer to her. "And here we are, sharing a drink when we haven't even been formally introduced. Where are my manners? I'm-"

"Killian, I know who you are."

"So you've heard of me! And of my real name. How do you know it? No one called me that in a very long time. People have taken to call me by my more colourful moniker: Hook."

"I know all of this."

"All of this?" he repeated. "How much do you know about me?"

Since she was gazing at him, the first example which crossed her mind was how she could close her eyes and still be able to locate each of his scars or trace each of his features; she knew nothing less than all of him. She shook her head to clear her mind and looked up; he was already standing close enough to her without needing to mention any of this.

She finally answered, giving him examples of what she knew about him. "Killian Jones, the boy who was sold into servitude by his father, became a pirate when he lost his brother, and has been looking for revenge for years, searching for the Dark One to make him pay for the loss of his first love."

He looked mesmerised. "You know all of this about me and I still know nothing about you. Who are you?"

"My name is Emma," she started.

"The princess! I should have guessed," he said while examining her outfit. "I heard it said that the princess was beautiful, I should have guessed it was you. But what is the princess-"

"I'm not the princess. I mean, not really." He gave her a confused look and she took a deep breath before launching into her explanation. "I'm Emma, the daughter of Snow-White and Prince Charming, but I'm not the princess you know here. I come from another realm. Or another reality, or whatever that is. I'm not Princess Emma there, I'm… Emma. Where I come from, the Evil Queen still lives. She's the one who sent me here."

"You're fascinating," he commented. "But I must admit I am still clueless about how you know so much about me."

Still standing very close to each other, with their glasses untouched in their hands, they were gazing at each other.

"In my world, there's also a Killian Jones."

He raised an eyebrow and a crooked smile appeared on his lips as he guessed, "And we're close enough for you to know all these things about me."

"Well… We moved in together."

Both his eyebrows went up and he put his glass down on his desk. "This is even better than what I had expected." Softly, he cupped her chin and looked her in the eye. "Why don't I remember any of this? Have I been cursed by the Evil Queen too?"

"What? No." Confused at first, Emma quickly realised what he might be thinking. "When I said we moved in together, I was talking about me and the Killian Jones from my world, not you."

"Oh." He let his hand fall down and took his glass back. He was frowning, obviously confused by all of this. "If this Killian Jones is not me, how do you know everything about me?"

"Because you're the same. I mean, when I met him, he was the same pirate captain as you are today."

"Was?" he repeated, still as confused as before. "Is he not a pirate anymore? Does that mean he's sort of my future? Do I get my revenge on the crocodile and move on to be with you?"

"No, I… He gave up on revenge for love. True love, actually," she said, answering the easiest question first. "But he's not your future. He's not you, he's… another you."

"Another me. Are you saying there are two of me?"

"Yes. That's what I've been trying to say from the start."

"This means you're living with a man who is me but is not me. Does that mean I'm not the one living with you, even in the future?"

"Yes. You're not the one I'm living with," she confirmed, looking down as she felt sorry for him.

Leaning against his desk, he drank his rum down. "Well, now I'm rather curious about why you're here. If I'm not the one you're living with, what do you want from me?"

"I need your help to find Blackbeard and go back home."

"Blackbeard is dangerous, don't go to him. We don't need him. I can help you, if going back to your realm is what you really want."

"Do you have a magic bean?"

He had obviously not expected this question and raised his eyebrows once again. "No. But even if Blackbeard has one, you're mistaken if you think he'll give it to you, love."

"He will if we have something of value to trade."

"He won't be interested in your kingdom, princess. Rumours are that your family wasn't collecting many valuable treasures."

"I'm not going to offer him the kingdom. I know what he's interested in."

She glanced around the quarters and he realised what she meant. "Oh I see. When you say we moved in together, the 'we' doesn't include me, but it does when you say we have something of value to trade. You're saying that I need to trade my ship for a magic bean and let you go. Tell me, love; why would I do that? I'm losing everything."

"But this realm has been created when the Evil Queen sent me here. None of this is actually real."

"It all feels real to me."

"But it's not." She was trying to convince him but was also trying to convince herself.

Closing the distance between them, he took her hand and pressed it over his heart. "If none of this is real, if I am not real, how can you explain that my heart is beating?"

"I don't know." Keeping in mind that all of this had been created by a genie's wish was already difficult for her, but convincing herself that the man in front of her was not real was even harder. "This place is not supposed to exist."

"Are you saying this realm will disappear as soon as you're gone?"

"I think so."

"What if you're wrong? What if you leave and I keep existing, without my ship and without you?"

"I can't tell. I'm sorry."

She truly was. She was sorry for coming to him and making him believe he was destined to live with her, only to tell him he would lose her and would also need to trade his ship. They silently gazed at each other for a moment.

"You could stay here," he suggested, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Stay here with me. We can have whatever you have in this other realm."

"I…" She had not expected that and didn't even know what to say. She searched his eyes and there was no doubt about it: he was serious. "I can't."

"Why not? You said that, when you met him, he was the same pirate captain as I am now. We can start over." He came closer and gave her this look which Killian was giving her when he was trying to convince her – and which usually made her cave in. "Stay here with me."

Emma was speechless. She was gazing at his face tilted on the side, at his crooked smile on his lips, and at his smouldering eyes, and she didn't know what to say. He took advantage of her silence to take one more step toward her and go on.

"Let's start over. We can leave this land and go wherever you want. We can sail the seas and I can show you the world in a way you've never seen it. I will take care of you, I can make you happy."

She didn't know if it was his words, which depicted how much he was willing to give for her already, or if it was the flirty tone that he used to say them, but she needed to remind herself that the man in front of her was not her Killian.

"I don't need anyone to take care of me."

"Says the one who came here asking for help," he replied at once with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Well, yes. I need your help to go back home."

"Stay here," he repeated, slightly leaning towards her.

"I can't. This place is not even real."

"I told you it feels real to me. And you don't look very convinced either when you say it's not. Who cares whether it's real, if we both feel like it is?" Once again, he took advantage of her silence to add, "I'm actually quite certain I would feel very real to you."

She opened wide eyes. "This won't happen. I am going back home, where I have my parents, my son, and the man I love who looks like you but isn't you."

Her words were instantly effective: his flirty smirk was wiped off his face. He left some distance between them and played with the cap of his flask.

"Well, I guess the only way I can get the chance to spend some time with you is to lead you to Blackbeard."

Surprised by the turn of the conversation, she arched her eyebrows. "Do you know where he is?"

"Aye. The reason why I'm in Longbourn is that I know he currently is in this other port where I usually moor my ship."

"How long does it take to go there?"

"If we leave now, we should arrive tomorrow when the sun reaches its zenith."

"Can we leave now?"

"Are you ready to go now?" he asked with a genuine smile on his lips.

"Almost. I just need to, uh…" She bit her lip as she wondered how to break it to him. "I am not travelling alone. There's someone else with me."

He raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Who?"

"Killian. I mean, the other Killian."

"The other Killian, you mean the version of me you're living with? He's here, too?"

"Yes. He's waiting on the docks."

"Bloody hell."

He was frowning and clenching his jaw, and Emma wondered if he would still agree to help her. "Does your offer still stand?"

He kept flexing the muscle in his jaw when he glanced around his quarters, seemingly considering her question. It was only when he looked at her that he sighed and his features softened.

"Aye. But keep in mind that I'm doing it for you, not for him."

"Thank you."

He stopped playing with the cap of his flask and the flirty smirk made its way back to his lips. "Is a thank you all I get?"

"Definitely the same man," she commented. "But I can't give you more than a thank you. I'm with Killian."

His crooked smile faded but was still visible when he lightly shook his head and stepped forward. "Do you realise that, instead of choosing, you could have us both? I would agree to share you with him."

"Are you suggesting that…" Looking at him with wide eyes, she trailed off as mental pictures crossed her mind and she decided it was better not to think about it. "Never mind."

Her reaction seemed to amuse him and he stepped back. "Go and get the lucky version of me. I'm waiting for you."

Emma nodded and left the quarters. Back on the docks, she had no difficulty finding Killian, who was waiting for her right where he had told her. As soon as they reunited, she let her lips crash against his own and kissed him wildly.

Holding her shoulder, he moved back to look at her. "Is everything alright, love?"

"Yes, I just… Did you notice we rarely go through an entire conversation without any touch? We naturally hold hands or kiss or… well, you see what I mean. I noticed that when I found myself in front of a man who looked like you but wasn't you. I mean, when you talk to me the way he did…"

She trailed off and he frowned. "Did he flirt with you?"

"I guess that's a natural thing when the name is Killian Jones," she joked.

"That's nothing to laugh about, love."

"Don't be mad at him, he's like the past version of you; I'm his type, we both know it," she said softly, cupping his jaw and brushing his cheeks. "And he's willing to help us. He knows where Blackbeard is. He's waiting for us, we're leaving now."

"You mean he knows about me and now we have to meet?"

"Yes." She could see the idea of meeting this realm's version of him was not delighting him. "I can go alone with him if you want to."

"Out of the question!" he replied instantly. "Let's go."

She flashed him a smile and quickly kissed his lips. "He doesn't look old, by the way."

"Well, at least I won't see what the mirror will show me in thirty years."

A giggle escaped her. "I'm sure you'll still be my devilishly handsome pirate."

She took his hand and they went on board. Hearing them, the pirate came out of his quarters.

"When I woke up this morning, I didn't expect my day would be so full of surprises," he commented. "I certainly didn't expect I would one day stand in front of a reflection of myself in the flesh. We truly are alike."

"How about we skip the talking part and set sail?" Killian suggested coldly.

But he ignored him and turned to Emma. "What does he have that I don't?"

"Let's see," Killian answered. "A classier vest, a better haircut and, most importantly, years of work to be a better man. You live for revenge, I live for love."

They scowled at each other and the captain of the ship addressed Emma again. "Your choice, love: black leather or red velvet?"

"Seriously?" she asked while stepping between the two of them. "That's not what I'm here for. Let's stop losing time and let's set sail."

Killian flashed her a proud smile while the captain kept gazing at her, seemingly appreciating her commanding tone.

They set sail. Emma went to stand behind the wheel and let the men take care of the rest. The main physical differences were those Killian had pointed: both had a similar outfit but Killian had a black leather vest while this realm's version of him was wearing the red velvet one. Their haircuts were also different, with the realm's version having slightly longer and messier hair.

"Killian?" she called once they had left the shore.

The two men turned around and asked in unison, "Aye, love?"

"Oh. Uh…" She had not expected this. She addressed the one wearing the red velvet vest. "I was talking to Killian. Let's say I will refer to you as Hook."

"What is it, love?" Killian asked, coming to stand behind her and wrapping her in his arms.

She tried to remember why she had called him but admitted, "I wanted to tell you something but I forgot."

He chuckled and tightened his embrace before teasing, "I wonder who's the most confused about this whole double-devilishly-handsome-pirate situation."

"Possibly me."