A/N: HAPPY THANKGIVING! I am so sorry that I took so long to post this chapter. I have been so busy lately that I haven't had any time to myself. But now since the semester is ending, I should be able to upload chapters faster. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I'm not really good at doing action/fighting scenes, but I tried my best. I'm more used to writing stories in 1st person POV, so this is more challenging. Let me know what you think! Thanks again to those of you who follow me and favorite the story. Please do not be afraid to leave me a review! :D

MsRose91: Thanks and she will remember soon enough lol

EpicSkittles: Yes they are, hehe ;) Things will get hotter!

MarcieD: I got an A on my math test! Yay! Thanks for wishing me luck ^_^

Fyen: That's good to hear! I know there are lots of other good Hook stories out there, but thanks for liking mine! :)

DrPantalons: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you're loving it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, except for my own original characters.


"How is he doing?"

April entered through the clear doors of the hospital and into the room Henry was in. He was lying on a white bed, his mouth covered by a device that would help him keep breathing. There were also wires taped onto his chest, latched onto beeping machines. It was a terrible sight to see. Henry meant so much to her and she wished she could somehow take his place. He was so young and so full of faith; he didn't deserve this.

"Nothing has changed; the doctors still don't know what's wrong with him." Mary Margaret responded tearfully.

A sad sigh left April's lips as she sat down on the chair next to her dark-haired friend, beside Henry's bed. "Here," April handed Mary Margaret a warm cup of coffee she had gotten from Granny's on her way over.

"Thanks." She brought the hot liquid to her trembling mouth, probably due to worry.

Taking a look around the quiet room, April noticed a couple of figures missing. "Where's Emma? And Regina? Shouldn't they be here with their son?"

"Emma and Regina left. I think they're working together to find some sort of cure." She stated.

"Seriously?" That was a surprise. From what April usually saw, Emma and Regina couldn't stand each other at all, but guess it makes sense as to why they'd join forces now. They have one thing in common: Henry. "Well I really hope they find something."

"Me too…" said Mary Margaret as she stood up from her chair.

April raised an eyebrow, "Hey, where are you going?"

"To find David. He wanted to meet with me before he leaves to Boston."

"Are you really gonna let him leave?"

She frowned, heartbroken. "I can't think of any reason for him to stay."

April watched as Mary Margaret left and she couldn't help but feel sad for her. She was one of her closest friends and it hurt to see her like this. What Mary Margaret had with David was always so complicated, but special. However, once he thought she was guilty of killing Kathryn…well that was unforgivable.

I pray there are happier times ahead.

The large brown fairytale book placed on the small desk next to Henry caught April's eye. These stories always made him so happy and he loved reading them to her. Now, it was her turn to read to him.

"Whose story should I read to you today?" she asked mainly to herself, while she picked up the book and scooted closer to the bed. She flipped through the pages until a familiar blonde character brightly appeared. "How about I finish the story of Lady Clarissa? You promised you would…"

Holding back a sob, she smiled at Henry and continued from where they left off. "That night on the island they built a campfire. No one spoke a word about the kiss though, despite the fact that it was the only thing on their minds."


Clarissa kept her eyes on the crackling fire before her. It was mesmerizing to watch the orange and yellow flames dancing into the air while whispering hisses. Unlike the hot weather during the day, the night was surprisingly chilly. Both Killian and Clarissa sat close to the burning blaze trying to keep warm.

She could feel the heat washing over her and rosying up her face. Good thing too, because she didn't want Killian to see her already reddened cheeks. The kiss they shared had not left her thoughts for even a second. It was not her first kiss, but it was the first kiss to ever leave her breathless. It felt like a spark was ignited the moment his lips met hers. Although the glorious feeling was like nothing she's ever experienced before, Clarissa hoped there was nothing more to it. Loving a pirate is a dangerous game.

It was just a kiss, right? Two adults simply releasing tension. Nothing else. If she was home right now, she would discuss this with her best friend Aurora and probably get some advice. I wonder what Aurora is doing right now…I miss her.

The thought of being apart from her best friend and not even being able to contact her, made Clarissa shift her thoughts from the kiss to homesickness. She exhaled glumly while picking up a random long branch.

"Something troubling you 'lass?" Killian's voice startled her. This was the first time he had spoken to her since the kiss.

"Just thinking about a friend I left back at home." She poked the fire with the long stick and watched as the flames continued to flicker and sizzle.

"And where exactly is home for you?" He thought about the town where he had first met her –well kidnapped. "Port Rosewell?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm from a neighboring village. I live where the castle of the royals is located, the village where Princess Aurora reigns." Clarissa giggled to herself, "I didn't think I would, but I slightly miss it as well."

Killian nodded, taking in the information. She was homesick. She's been on his ship for about a month or two now; it's normal for anyone to miss their home after such a long time of being apart from it. Suddenly, the thought of her leaving him crossed his mind. She was no longer his prisoner; he took that title away from her once he made her apart of his crew. She could leave whenever she wants, yet she hasn't. She has stayed, wanting to travel and seek adventures. He was beginning to grow accustomed to her company, always so excited to explore and listen to his stories. But how long could that last? He had things he needed to accomplish and he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way.

"Do you ever get homsick?" Clarissa's question broke through his thoughts as he refocused on her face.

A wounding memory filled his mind, "No, I don't."

Clarissa placed down the branch she was using to play with the fire. "What? Not even a little?"

"No."

"Did something happen?"

The look Clarissa gave Killian was the same gentle expression she gave him when she asked about Milah. He didn't know why, but he felt like he could pore out all his secrets to her and never be judged. He felt safe talking to her, like the walls he had built up over his heart to protect him could be slowly torn down by the young woman sitting next to him.

"A long time ago I went on a sea expedition with my brother to Neverland in order to obtain a plant called Dreamshade for our King. My brother was the Captain and he had absolute faith in our King, but we were tricked. The plant was poisonous, which would've been used for murder and bloodshed. It was because of that bastard of a King that my brother died." He took a deep breath, remembering the tragic day of his brother's death. "After that day, I became a pirate because I didn't want to serve someone so horrible. I never went home again."

So he lost another person in his life that he loved. How terrible. He truly has been through a lot. "I think your brother would have been proud of you Killian. He would've been happy that you didn't go back to that awful King."

Even though her comment was small, it struck a chord in him. He smiled, hoping she was right. "Thank you Clarissa."

"You're welcome; I'm always going to be here for you." She spoke softly, but as soon as that sentence left her lips she regretted it. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression. "Uh, I mean…you know, since you are my Captain and I'm here to serve you."

"Ah yes, of course." He smirked widely, "and how will you be serving me tonight?"

Clarissa rolled her eyes at his innuendo, no longer surprised by his teasing. She winked at him, "In your dreams."

"Well after today's sword lesson, I'll have plenty to dream about." He winked back at her, making her blush. Killian settled himself on the sandy ground, "We should go to sleep. We will head back to the cave bright and early tomorrow."

Of course he'd use the kiss as a way to tease me. Everything's always such a joke with him. Flustered, Clarissa laid down on the ground away from him, trying to calm herself so she could hopefully fall asleep. I don't think the kiss meant anything to him, so it shouldn't for me either.

The next morning the sun rose above the tall trees of the jungle, signaling the start of a new day. Killian awoke first and began to get ready to depart. His large black coat was now dry and he could wear it once again. From the corner of his eye he watched Clarissa sleeping, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her expression was peaceful as she dreamed. Her dark blonde hair was a mess, but was strewn on the ground like a halo. Killian felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He was not a man of many weaknesses, but when he looked at the girl softly snoring on the sand, he knew she was becoming one of them.

"Time to wake up love," he gently shook her. "We must finish want we started and get that treasure."

Clarissa's eyes slowly opened, but she had to place her hand up to block the blinding sun. She groaned, "I was hoping this island and the Nandi Bear were just a bad dream."

"I'm afraid not."

Once her drowsiness cleared up, Clarissa went to the edge of the water and took a couple of gulps to keep hydrated. She was going to need all her energy if they were going to face the beast again. With a final nod from Killian, they both headed back within the trees, leaving the safety of the body of water. He took out the map once more to be sure that they were heading back in the direction of the cave. Unlike their first attempt to find the cave, this time they arrived at a much faster rate.

Clarissa noticed they were getting closer to their destination and so she pulled out her sword. "So what's the plan?"

"I distract the Nandi Bear while you get the treasure. Once you have it, run and don't look back. I will catch up to you when I can." He then looked at her sword and shook his head. "So you won't be needing that."

"What? You're crazy if you think I'll leave you alone with that thing!"

He sighed, "This is precisely why I told you and the crew to stay on the ship. I came here alone because I didn't want to put anyone in danger. Besides, I can handle this on my own."

"No," she shook her head, "let me help you! You don't have to do it alone!" By this time they had already made it to the location of the cave.

Killian stared at her smugly, stopping in front of the cave. "Why are you so worried about me?"

"Because I care about what happens to you."

Before Clarissa could even think about feeling embarrassed for her impulsive show of affection; all of a sudden a hungry, vicious roar erupted through out the jungle. Clarissa jumped at the sudden noise; it sounded immensely close and she could already feel her heartbeat rapidly increasing.

"It's here." murmured Killian.

And just as he predicted, the Nandi Bear appeared out of the bushes. It's eyes were dark, and it stared at them with rage. It remembered them from the past day and it also was hoping to finish what it started.

"Go now! I'll keep it distracted!" Killian took out his sword and stood in a fighting stance. His arms were wide apart, as if it were a barrier to keep the beast from following her.

Knowing that this was not the best time to fight with him, Clarissa did as she was told and sneaked away slowly into the cave. The beast noticed her movement, but Killian kept it well preoccupied. As quickly as she could, Clarissa tried to find the treasure Killian was looking for. The cave was dark and it only made it harder to search since she didn't even know what the treasure was. He had never told her. But just when she was going to give up, she came across a small rectangular box. Could this be it? When she picked it up, she was surprised at how light it felt – almost like it was empty. Shouldn't treasure be heavy? She would've given the cavern another look around, if she had not been so worried about Killian's safety.

Upon leaving the cave with the box, Clarissa's eyes desperately searched for any sign of her Captain. She spotted him just a few feet back; he was being circled by the creature. Thankfully he did not look hurt. Every time the beast lunged a claw at him, he would block with his sword. It was too fast for Killian to strike though, its speed was inhuman. Clarissa knew Killian told her to run with the treasure, but she couldn't just leave him.

The Nandi Bear leaped toward him, its mouth open wide. Killian fell on his back due to the heavy weight of the beast. The only reason his skull was not currently crushed was because he was able to hold his sword horizontally, preventing the powerful jaws from reaching him. However, the Nandi Bear was incredibly strong and so it bit down on the sword. Its bite was so powerful that it broke the sword in half.

Shit! What do I do? Killian was now completely vulnerable to any attack.

"Get away from him! Leave him alone!"

The monster lifted its weight off the pirate and growled at the woman throwing rocks at its back. It had found a new target.

"RUN!" Killian felt panic engulf him as he saw how the Nandi Bear looked at her. Why didn't she just listen to him? "Clarissa get away!"

Clarissa dropped the box out of fear as the beast let out a deafening roar. It sprung toward her and that's when she took it as her cue to run. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, dodging the trees and their roots. Unexpectedly the thudding behind her came to a stop. Clarissa took a quick glimpse back and saw that the Nandi had disappeared from behind her. She took this opportunity to stop and pull out her sword. Where did it go?

The rustle of a branch cracking was the last thing she heard before the Nandi Bear reappeared in front of her, jumping off a tree. It slashed at her too quickly, not giving her enough time to dodge. She screamed as the sharp claw came down on her hand and knocked her sword out of her grasp. Her eyes widened as she stumbled back by its force. No, I don't have a chance without my sword!

The creature pounced on her so hard that once she hit the ground, it felt like her breath was knocked out of her. It snarled at her, its mouth so close that she practically gagged at the smell of its breath. Her hands fruitlessly tried to push the beast off, but it was no use; it was too strong. Clarissa saw its shoulders rise, preparing for another attack –possibly a fatal one.

She shut her eyes and screamed the only name she could think of. "Killian!"

"You called?"

To her surprise, she heard him answer her. She cracked open her eyes and saw the familiar pirate holding her sword, which was now pierced through the animal's heart. The Nandi Bear fell to the side, dead. Killian must've picked up the sword when it was knocked out of her hand. He had good timing, because any longer and Clarissa was sure she would've been a goner.

"Oh Killian!" Clarissa gasped breathlessly and embraced him tightly. Relief washed over her as she let the feel of his body against her calm her down.

Instinctively Killian wrapped his arms around her as well. One hand found her hair as he soothed her while his hook lay on her back. "Silly girl, you should've listened to me."

"Woman." She said.

"Woman." He chuckled at how she constantly corrected him. She wanted to be treated like an adult and Killian did. But sometimes she was just so innocent and so inexperienced to the world around her that it seemed kind of child-like. He liked that about her though.

He then slightly pulled away and placed his hand on her face. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

His eyes are so blue. Clarissa was always so captivated by them. She smiled at him and placed her hand on top of his. "No, I'm fine. Thanks to you."

Their eyes locked. Their faces hadn't been this close to one another since their kiss the day before. Clarissa's breath hitched within her throat. She swore she saw him inch closer toward her lips, causing her to have butterflies in her stomach. There was no denying it; the thought of kissing him again excited her. But suddenly it was as if he stopped himself, his eyes widening.

"Where's the box?"

Clarissa had to blink and break away from her trance. "I'm sorry, what?"

"The long box you had when you came out of the cave." He used his hand and hook to demonstrate the size of it.

"Oh!" That's right, his treasure! "I think I dropped it when I threw the rocks at the Nandi Bear. Follow me." Clarissa led him back to the cave and to the exact spot she was standing where she picked up the rocks. "There it is!" she pointed.

Killian rushed over to the box and picked it up with a huge grin. Clarissa didn't think she'd ever seen him so thrilled. Fortunately the box did not look broken or scratched. Slowly, Killian opened the box and what was inside made Killian's smile widen.

"At last! After all these years I finally have it!" the dark change in Killian's voice made Clarissa slightly worry, but she pushed the thought away as she gazed at what he held in his hand.

"A dagger?" The blade in his hand was sliver and rather small. It looked like any regular dagger that could be found in a marketplace. "We came all this way for that?"

He laughed, "This is no ordinary dagger! It's a magical weapon that is owned by the man whose name is written across it."

Clarissa squinted her eyes trying to get a better look at it. Was the name written really small or something? "Um…I don't see a name."

"Well the name is right here –" Killian froze as he too could not find the name. He flipped it and took a closer look, but found nothing on the other side. "I don't understand…it should be here!"

"Killian –"

"It's a fake!" he threw the dagger as far as he could, grunting angrily. "I can't believe I was foolish enough to believe Garrick! He is going to pay for this sham!" He kicked the box out of frustration and paced around in a circle.

"Killian please, try to calm down." Clarissa spoke lightly, hoping his anger would ease away. She's seen him anger before countless times – sometimes even at her – but this anger seemed deeper than that. It seemed like it was trying to hide a layer of despair.

"You don't understand Clarissa! I've searched for a way to kill this man for years and I've never been close until now, but it turns out to be false! Now I'm back to where I started!"

She arched an eyebrow, "Wait; what man do you want to kill?"

Killian stopped pacing. The expression he made next looked like the name coming out of his mouth was acid. "Rumplestiltskin."

"The Dark One?!" She looked at him in disbelief. "Why on earth do you want to kill him? He's dangerous! I read he's the most powerful wizard in all the land!"

"Because he killed her!" his tone of voice was irate, but Clarissa could clearly hear the sorrow he was trying to hide.

It was starting to all make sense now. "Milah?"

Killian walked toward the blonde and gripped her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "He tore her heart out and crushed it right in front of me. She died in my arms." He released his hold on her and glanced at the ground. "I've spent every moment since then wanting revenge."

Oh Killian…this isn't right. "So this is about vengeance?" she shook her head at him. "Vengeance won't bring Milah back Killian. Revenge is a dark and lonely road and once you go down it, there is no heading back. What you need is to let go of the past and move on. You can't lower yourself to the Dark One's standards. You're a better man than him!"

He scoffed, "I knew you wouldn't understand." Killian expected this to happen. He knew her innocent heart couldn't comprehend what he'd been through. But he wasn't going to let anyone stop him from skinning his crocodile.

"But I –"

"End of discussion!" he silenced her. "I may not have found a way to execute my revenge today, but believe me I will one day! I will not rest until he is dead!" Killian took out the map he used to find the fake dagger and ripped it in two. "Now let us go back to the ship. The crew must be worried about our safety by now."

"Aye Captain." Clarissa followed Killian back to the ship quietly, but she knew this conversation was far from over.