Emma wished she'd brought something warmer to wear.
But as she pulled her red jacket around herself, she knew she could never admit that it didn't protect her against everything. In a way, it was her security blanket.
She made her way through the woods quietly. Her last encounter with an ogre had resulted in her losing her gun, and with that, her sense of safety in this world. She didn't have her mother with her this time to protect her, and she didn't want to have to rely on Hook when she found him either, so she reached down and patted the side of her boot to double check that her knife was still there.
She looked up to see the bottom of the beanstalk, illuminated in the moonlight, surprised that she was already there. She took a step out of the cover of the trees towards it, striding towards the tall plant quickly.
She put her hand on it and sighed. She wasn't sure if it had been ten hours—most likely it had. And if the giant had kept his word(and somehow, she had trusted him to do so more than Hook) the pirate would be making his way down the beanstalk soon.
Emma stepped back and tilted her head up, gazing at where the gigantic plant disappeared into the night sky. She planned to get this over with quickly—she had no doubt that Gold had been alluding to a different kind of persuasion than she had in mind, but her plan was simpler.
She just had to prevent Hook from coming to her world at all.
She smiled at the night, shaking her head at Mr. Gold's request. He couldn't possibly think she was going to convince Hook of anything. No, she wasn't much for talking. This was one favor she was going to do her way.
The necklace pulsed against her throat as if to remind her of her task, and she tried once again to tear it off.
She heard a twig snap, and when she whirled around, the last thing she saw was a bright red hat before something hit her on the head, and the world went black.
"You sure this is the one?"
"Cap'n said she was blonde, din' he? Look at this hair, are ya blind?"
Smee shifted his grip on Emma's legs. "Yes, well, he'd kill her and us too if it's the wrong one."
The other pirate gave a derisive snort, and Emma's eyes flickered open to catch a glimpse of his weather-worn face and stringy hair.
"Cap'n's getting soft, if he's got us out getting his lasses." The pirate said, the moonlight glinting off of a golden tooth.
Smee didn't reply, and Emma lifted her head the tiniest bit to try and see where they were going, but the pirates were swaying her so much that she couldn't make out anything in the darkness.
"What does her want this one fer, anyways?" The gold-toothed pirate continued, shifting his grip on Emma's arms. She winced as his numerous rings dug into her flesh.
"'Spect she's the one who left him there in the first place," Smee said tiredly.
The other pirate chuckled. "He does like his revenge. S'pose he'll let the rest of us have a go at the lass before he tosses her o'erboard—"
"Ew." Emma couldn't stop herself from interjecting.
Smee looked around in surprise, almost dropping her legs. Emma took advantage of his lapse and shot out her foot, aiming right where it hurts.
Smee dropped her, doubled over in pain, and Emma twisted around and out of the other pirate's grip. He drew his cutlass, giving her a leering, gold-toothed smile, and she spared him a withering glare before taking off.
She was on the docks, and she didn't look back to see how close they had been to the ship, whichever one it was. She slid into an alleyway beside a tavern. Inside, raucous voices were raised over the sound of clinking glasses, and Emma leaned against the wall, breathing hard and letting her eyes fall shut.
She had reacted on instinct—she had just wanted to get away. But now that she stopped to think, the pirates had been taking her exactly where she wanted to go—to their captain.
But no, Emma wanted to go to him on her own terms.
She opened her eyes, resolved to peer around the edge of the tavern and see which ship the pirates got on, when a sudden pinch on her neck made her freeze.
She lowered her eyes to see the tip of the hook pressed just underneath her chin, and she raised her gaze slowly up the arm to the owner's smirking face.
He lifted her chin with his hook, and she stared at him, refusing to flinch.
"Hello, lass. Miss me so soon?"