By the first croak from the rooster, I saw Emma wander out of the pub with a strange man behind her. His eyes never left her arise as she shrugged into her coat; she turned and patted the gent on the chest while her hand snaked around his backside. I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face seeing she was still up to her dirty tricks. The man leaned in to kiss her lips but she leaned back out, giving a soft giggle then turning away from him.
Emma walked towards the dock and I straightened my face out into an irritable look.
"Still, pulling the pickpocket trick, Swan?"
Her eyes didn't even try to conceal the heavy purse of coin she'd taken from the oblivious lad. She smirked at me, holding up the purse to my face before swinging around behind me.
"Old habits die hard, don't they?" She laughed stepping onto her ship where her crew was already mercilessly working to get everything started. I sighed and followed her onto the deck, shadowing her to the Captain's quarters. She swung the door open and threw the purse onto her desk before removing her coat. I went straight to the globe that sat right at the window.
"So, where the devil am I steering my ship to?" I muttered spinning the globe with my hook, the damn thing was nearly glimmering in the early morning hours. Emma looked up from her desk and tossed a map at me. She stood, rolling up her sleeves and running a hand through her long golden hair.
"That map will give you all the coordinates to use, but if you get lost you can always follow my ship," she joked fixing her belt around her slim waist. I walked up to her and caught a curl with my hook; her eyes lifted and looked from my hook to my face. I gently let the curl slide through the curled weapon. Smiling, I looked at her.
"Your hair has gotten long," I murmured, she yanked the strand back, going straight to her desk.
"Hair grows, Hook, especially in eight years." I knew I had managed to strike a chord between us, so I stood back clutching the map in my hand. I was foolish to do such a thing, to be so close of her and not think of the consequences. I was already reaping them now. The silence was unwelcoming so I took my leave without another word.
It was obvious she was still bitter from that day long ago, and it was obvious that she still had a grudge against me. Our split was a mutual agreement but we both could agree that our feelings were still dormant. As much as I didn't want to admit it but it was true, I still cared for the crazy woman. She did too, and I knew it but with Emma sharing her feelings was everything but easy.
I walked up to the mast and handed Smee the directions and started having him bark the orders to my crew. I heard Emma's voice rise over Smee and I turned my head to see her standing and watching over her men. Emma had only had her ship for six years and in that small time frame she had managed to claim the seas and plant fear into most of the ruthless pirates out there.
But being an orphan can do that to you, it made her strong and guarded but emotionally incomplete. She always struggled with finding her home and to this very day, I'm sure she still hasn't found it. Even when we were married, she wasn't happy enough nor did she feel complete. And unfortunately that's what separated us. Emma's head turned towards me and I didn't dare move my eyes from hers. There in her emerald eyes, after all these years, still held loneliness.
It was a little in the afternoon when we had finally come into the village that held the damned map. My men were already tired and angry from having to trail Emma's ship. I was among the faces of angry men that wanted nothing more than to already stop this damned protection. After we had docked, Emma waited for me at the edge of the village.
"Well, where's this legendary map?" I said raising my arms seeing crowds of people move along the docks, none of them fully aware that two full pirate ships have docked. Emma sighed and knocked her head toward one pirate pub. One that I was well acquainted with and one that held a pirate that was more dirty than actually rich.
"You're telling me that, that dirty imbecile has the map?" Her smirk was the answer I wasn't hoping for. She patted me on the face before picking up my hook.
"He was the only survivor to get the map when Blackbeard went down," I scoffed at that, of course filth like him wouldn't stay with his captain and sink with the only ship that gave him a home. But what's worse is that he that he was selfish enough to take the map from Blackbeard's grasp before jumping ship. "Hook, he can't see you're here, he'll burn that map to pieces if you show yourself."
I nearly smiled at the kind gesture. Bad blood was always between Blackbeard and me. Whether it owned territory at a local pub, or who got to bed a certain wench to who was finding and stealing the most treasure. In most cases Blackbeard and I were neck to neck and now my competition went down I was the closest to the most deadly pirate of all, Emma was a clear second.
But that didn't stop the irritation from coming up. My job was to guard her bloody ship and her but it seemed like my help wasn't needed if I couldn't go into a damn pub because a damn pirate wouldn't let me get my hands on the bloody map. I almost took it to heart that I was still loathed, but then again, once your captain finds rivalry you have to hate them.
"Then what the bloody hell do you want me here in the first place?"
"To protect me in case things go wrong, which they won't."
"I don't know about that, Swan, bad luck seems follows you everywhere."
"The cards are always in my favor, Hook," she smirked touching my hook gently and giving me a coy smile. For a moment it seemed as if her eyes shimmered with the same excitement like they used to. But it seemed that my prediction was wrong when she turned away her gaze and cleared her throat.
"Righty, so, I shall see you and Smee at sundown." This caused Smee to drop the box he was holding and give me a look of irritation.
"Captain, I highly disagree to this." He whined kicking the box to a crew mate. This caused Emma to knock her head back and laugh. She smacked Smee playfully on the back and wrapped her arm around his neck.
"Smee, it'll just be like old times! Won't you at least keep Hook from gunning down any man he deems unworthy?"
I couldn't help but smile seeing Smee cringe at her touch. He was almost afraid of the woman. As volatile as she could be, she was right. It would be over a decade since the last time the three of us were on an adventure like this. That old man hasn't tasted an adventure like this in nearly three years. I smirked seeing his body relax once Emma had turned her attention back to me.
"So, at sunset, I want you concealed and hidden until I can get the map." She poked my chest and slid around me toward the shops and stores. Bouncing along on her heels I watched as people cleared out of her way, that woman could give you the most heartwarming smile one minute and slice your throat open the next. I turned to Smee who was shaking his head in doubt.
"I don't like this, Captain; we shouldn't be helping her out. It's putting your trust into a bloody cobra." I grinned patting the balding man on the head.
"If there's one thing about cobras, Smee, it's that they can be tamed." I wasn't dismissing Smee's but merely sidestepping it. If there's one thing about Emma Swan, it was that she kept to her word and that she remained true to it. Swore on her ship and livelihood that she'd follow it through. I didn't completely trust her because no smart pirate would.
I entered the pub behind a couple of Emma's crew, taking my cover in the corner of the room, I watched Emma remove her hat and place it on a table nearby. The pub was lively with gossip and at the center of it was our target. The bastard stood on a table with beer in his hand; he was filthy head-to-toe. I briefly wondered if the last time he bathed was when he jumped ship.
The crowd was eating up his gallivant story on how he got his hands on the treasure map. Other pirates came up to Emma offering her a drink, she smiled happily at them before dismissing them. I ignored the pang of jealousy in my chest; instead of watching Emma I turned my attention back to Snake. I watched as she began to walk around the room, stalking her prey, readying herself to go in for the kill. By the look of it our target was starting to get her attention.
"There I was facing inevitable doom while Obessa was breaking the ship apart, gold and jewels were spewing everywhere. Blackbeard grasps me by the shoulder and thrusts the map into my hands. And before he throws me off into the row boat he yells; 'Avenge me, Snake!'" People began to clap while I rolled my eyes. Smee wasn't taking the story either by the way he was downing the beer.
Emma started to clap the loudest from everyone else. One by one the clapping ceased and it was just her. She always knew how to quiet a room. Snake got off the table and raised his head to Emma, as if she was almost insulting him by his lie.
Snake approached Emma with predatory steps. I watched the filth approach and take a small sniff of her hair. She seemed unfazed by the creep's movements. "Welcome back to the Wobbly Boat, Captain Swan," he growled into her ear.
"It's always a pleasure, Snake." She mumbled playing with the buttons on her jacket. It surprised me that he had recognized her and she seemed to be a regular here. I gave a side glance to Smee who shrugged his shoulders just as confused as me. Snake continued to circle around, her sniffing and watching her with hungry eyes. I looked over at the other tables filled with Snake's crew no doubt he had one banded together after Blackbeard's death.
Time was ticking by and I was growing impatient; I low, however, knew that if I were to reveal myself now all would be ruined. If Emma was positive she could get her hands on that map, who was I to interrupt? My direct course of action would have been to just hit the bastard in the nose and demand for the map but that's why Emma asked for me to remain hidden.
It started to annoy me as he touched her arms, felt her hair, and the way he started at her, it was almost like he was dehydrated and she was the Havana he was waiting for all along. I bit down on the inside of my lip trying my hardest to not do anything rash seeing this man assault her with just his eyes. Emma had a plan and I was sure that she'd handle this on her own.
"What can I do for such a beautiful captain this evening?"{He said with hand hovering above her ass. I felt Smee clamp a hand on my arm to keep me from jumping up. The jealousy was rising from my toes to my chest and I began to see red. I could see the coy smile on her face as he did another full circle only this time to clean closely to her face.
"I need you to hand that pretty little map of yours that Blackbeard gave to you." I watched Snake's expression change from hungry to completely starved. In one motion, he had an arm wrapped around her waist and brought her in close. I could see his free hand grasping her ass. I felt my hand wrap around my flintlock.
"You know that you were always Blackbeard's favorite, and when he handed this map to me, it was like he pushed his soul into me. Now, you can be my favorite. But if you want this map, I think you know what a lonely sailor like me wants." I stood up slowly, trying to not blow my cover; I couldn't see anything but Snake's hand on her damn ass. It was dead quiet in the tavern.
All eyes were feasted upon Emma and Snake. Before I could make my move to kill the damn bastard I heard Emma laughs. It wasn't a fake laugh, or her usual terrifying laugh that inflicted fear onto anyone. But it was her real genuine laugh, as if Snake had told her a joke instead of insinuating that she needed to sleep with him to get her hands on the map.
I saw Emma reach around behind Snake but before I could make any sense of what was happening Emma smashed a bottle over Snake's head. He stumbled backwards but Emma grasped him by the collar and brining the broken glass to his throat. He began to struggle which only infuriated heQuickly with the hand that had him by the collar she reached out and grasped Snake painfully between the legs. I saw Smee cringe in pain as if Emma had grasped him there. Every man cringed seeing at the death grip she had on his groin.
Snake yelped and tried to move but Emma held onto him and brought the broken glass closer to his throat. She smiled genuinely and leaned close to his face, I could see that his eyes were fear stricken and I was beginning to place a bet on how long it would take him before he pissed himself. Emma spoke loudly and clearly so that every man in the pub could hear her.
"I assume, lonely piece gutter filth like you, is to want to keep the only thing that makes him a man. Now, let me rephrase my question, you weak excuse for a captain. You're going to hand over that map that rightly belongs to me. My patience has run low and I am bloodthirsty." She growled which made Emma's entire crew stand up when Snake's crew of fifteen stood up. It was thirty against fifteen and Snake was looking pretty down.
"My men easily best yours; I'd rather not have to scar the barmaid's mind for life if you decide to fight." Snake was shaking when he held up his hands to signal his men to sit back down. He cleared his throat, nodding to Emma while she released him. He sunk down onto the seat and sighed. It looked like his free party life was over now that Emma was getting what she wants.
"Blackbeard wanted me to give it to you, but I didn't think you'd actually come for it." He griped before pulling the beloved map out of his pocket and entrusting it into her hands. Emma's eyes softened at the sight of it but only for a couple of seconds. She tucked it into her pocket and patted Snake on the shoulder before turning and walking out the door.
[A/N]
WOW! Thank you guys for the immediate reviews and follows! Please spread the story around! Thank you guys for the heartwarming support!