"Could you take us to the palace?"

Hook's POV

Palace? Emma disliked meeting new fairytale characters, and everyone knew it. Yet here she was, requesting to go to a palace?! The captain just shook his head.

"Oh of course! Come, let's go!" said the dark youth in front of them.

Hook watched as Emma gritted her teeth and stepped onto the carpet.

"Come on, we have to take a lift from… these two." She beckoned to Hook to step next to her.

"You have had some strange ideas in the past, love, but this is the strangest." He raised his eyebrow at Emma, but she just sighed impatiently and jerked him over and onto the carpet by his Hook.

"Let's go, carpet!" shouted Aladdin, patting the rug beneath them.

Hook suddenly realized what was happening, and steadied himself with some difficulty as the carpet shot up and rocketed off.

"It's easier if you sit down!" called Jasmine.

Emma sat down, and Hook slowly sat down with her. The carpet was a little small for four people, and even though Jasmine and Aladdin were sitting very close, with their arms wrapped around each other, Hook and Emma were still quite close.

"Well, you seem to know something about this place? Maybe you could… enlighten me?" Hook smirked as he wrapped his arm around Emma.

Emma grimaced, and shrugged his arm away. "This is Agrabah, somewhere in Arabia. Jasmine and Aladdin are… Disney characters. They aren't even fairytales, just characters from a cartoon. They also sing a lot in the cartoon, so honestly I don't know what this will be like."

Hook thought about that. He had heard of Arabia. It was in the other world, with Storybrooke, wasn't it? "So they might start singing…?"

"Yep, and if they do, you will too."

Hook gave Emma a strange look. He did not sing. He disliked it. But he would have liked to hear Emma sing. For once Emma did not catch him looking at her. She just kept looking ahead, her blond hair blowing back behind her, a slightly wishful look on her face. Hook couldn't imagine what she was thinking, but he was glad she wasn't talking or looking at him. He enjoyed looking at her. Her eyes, her lips, her shoulders…

"Hook?" Emma prodded the captain's arm to wake him up.

Hook jumped a little, and smirked at her. "Did I give you permission to touch me, lass? Of course you can, though. Whenever and wherever you like."

Emma rolled her eyes. "We're almost there, so pay attention."

Hook snapped back and stared at a very tall, very colorful castle in front of them.

"Well, love… Looks like we found the perfect place… For a princess and her rogue-ish partner…"

Emma glowered. "I swear, I am going to take that Hook of yours and bury it a million miles from you."

"But Swan, you wouldn't ever want to be so far away from me!"

Jasmine and Aladdin stared at them. "Are you two like, engaged or something? Or in love?"

"Hell no!" snapped Emma.

"Sadly no to the first, but it's no secret about the second. At least in my case," Hook's voice was low. He tried to keep any longing out, but he could tell Emma picked it up.

"Ouch, one sided. I feel your pain, big guy!" said Aladdin, punching Hook on the arm. "Now come on! We can house you here, you two can use the joining rooms on the top floor!" Jasmine spun around and led them all up a long flight of steps.

Hook was impressed. The palace was something, all white and gold and turquoise. Very pretty, but so unlike the castles he had seen in the Enchanted Forest and Neverland that he was a little taken a-back. He watched as Emma watched Jasmine and Aladdin with fascination and a little disgust as they laughed and exchanged loving looks.

The captain wished Emma could see how much he cared for her. She refused to believe it meant anything; simply that he enjoyed flirting and would easily find a new woman to lust over if she walked out of his life. Hook knew better.

"Here you are! There are clothes in the drawers, if you'll be needing them. Bathing areas are down the hall, and Abu will come and tell you when meal times are. Other that that you have free range of the palace and its grounds! Esteemed guests such as the Savior and her companion are always welcome here!" With that, Jasmine and Aladdin disappeared down the hall.

The word "Savior" made Emma flinch, but she covered it quickly. She eyed Hook. "If you follow me into my room I will end you, got it?"

He bowed in return. "Of course, mi-lady."

He watched as Emma closed the curtain that served as a door in his face, and then reluctantly he went to his room. He itched all over from sand. Leather and sand do not go well together. He went to a large closet, full of odd, puffy, gauzy clothes. He pulled off his boots and set them on the balcony to air, them hung his coat up too. One look through the breeches and Hook knew he would be keeping his own. He did, however, find a half decent shirt made of some dark blue silk, which he slipped on. It was loose and low cut, but he smirked at himself in the mirror. He pulled his boots back on and stepped out into the hall. He made his way down in the direction where Jasmine had said there were bathing rooms, and found just that. He splashed water over his head, shook himself like a wet dog and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He grinned, and made his way back to his room. He happened to catch a glance of Emma through the curtain of a door as it blew away. She was brushing her long, very blond, very beautiful hair. She was wearing some strange, soft red pants and a shirt that ended midway down her abdomen and had half sleeves. Hook took this all in in one glance. She looked tired, no smile or glare on her face, and she was absolutely beautiful. Hook felt his heart twinge a little.

After quickly braiding her hair over her shoulder, she came out to where he was. He put on a slack pose, and eyed her from head to tow again. "You are a rare gem, Emma love."

She didn't glare. She just looked unsettled. "Come on, pirate. Isn't it every girl's little dream to explore a palace with a –ahem– handsome–ugh–prince?"

Hook smirked. "Of course, princess. Let's be off, shall we?" he offered her his hand, bending a little in a bow. She waved him off, but he could see a light lightness in her step has she went down the stairs.

Being trapped in a completely alien world with Emma Swan might not be too bad after all.