Chapter 7. Green.
It seemed as if he would always be surprised by her as he woke up in the mornings. This time it was that, at some point of the night, he had failed to notice the woman's warmth had abandoned him, and instead of finding her sleeping in his arms, she was not too far away from him, asleep on the green grass. For some reason, he couldn't help but softly laugh between his teeth. Sneaky woman.
Killian sat down groggily, and moved to approach her sleeping figure. Closed eyes, messy blonde hair covering part of her face, however, he could still see that the delicate features of the woman were tense, and Killian wondered if she was having a bad dream. He touched her shoulder gently.
"Swan, time to wake up."
Emma woke up with a start, exalted breaths that seemed to calm down as she realized that it was the pirate the one who caressed her shoulder.
"Hey, Hook." She spoke after calming down, voice sleepy but still, she was able to offer Killian a soft smile. Immediately, his lips began to curve upwards as well.
"Having a bad dream, love?" Killian inquired, and Emma gave him a slight nod. It was a curious thing, how she seemed to always be having problems sleeping. "I didn't feel you moving away last night. You're an expert in sneaking away from me."
Killian would always either find the woman completely awake, or deeply asleep, as if she hadn't slept in the rest of the night. It was as if darkness made her restless, and he knew that wasn't normal, but he wasn't able to understand yet what was wrong. His first bet was to blame on the demons that must've followed her from that tower, reminding her of all of those awful times she spent trapped there. However, there were some things that still didn't look quite right to him, he just couldn't quite put his finger on them.
"Seems like this time you were the one that slept instead of watching over us." Emma replied with a yawn. "I tried to stay awake as long as possible, but being honest, I didn't last long."
He did his best to fully remember the events from the previous night: Emma's words, the bottle of rum he'd pretty much emptied, the feeling of Emma in his arms... He couldn't remember much more, so he guessed indeed she was right. He had fallen asleep, without completing his night shift.
"I'm sorry, love." He scratched behind his ear with slight embarrassment, because the princess falling asleep was one thing, and another one was that him, the experienced pirate, had let the rum and the comfort Emma had brought him beat him.
They sat there side by side for a while, eating and talking every once in a while between bites. It was obvious that their conversations became more natural with every day that passed. Both seemed relaxed at the other's company, and of course, how couldn't they when they had been trapped in that forest for several days. Helping and getting to know each other, sharing food and water, and now even sharing body heat. All of that had created a bond between the two of them, making it impossible for them not to begin trusting the other.
If Emma seemed at first to mistrust the pirate, now as they walked, heading south, she showed that Killian had won the girl's affection. Now as she rolled her eyes at the suggestive comments Killian made to tease her, she did it with a slight, amused smile on her face. And once in a while, she impressed him by exchanging her usual way of calling him with his real name, and while he enjoyed being called 'Hook' by her, he was liking much more the way she pronounced his name. Killian was almost certain that the woman's more open attitude towards him was thanks to their conversation from the previous night, since she had seen Killian's most vulnerable side- she had seen the part of him that showed that Killian had a heart, darkened by years of hatred, but still there it was, still beating strong despite having been torn apart a couple of times in the past.
But Killian didn't want to put much thought into that. He could still hear Emma's words from last night in his mind. Would there be another way to fill the void Milah had left? He didn't want to know.
It took them half a day of walk to, exchanging looks with surprise at their luck, stumble upon a pond. It wasn't too big, clear water surrounded by green grass and bushes.
"Are you up for resting here for a while?" Killian asked her, and she nodded. In maybe less than an hour of walking they would leave the place behind, so staying there for a while to rest and eat something seemed like the best idea.
They sat close to each other, facing towards the water.
"The water looks great." Emma said, to which Killian replied with a smirk.
"Considering my proposition from the other day?" He raised an eyebrow at her, mischievously.
Emma let out a laugh, slightly shaking her head. However, she remained quiet for a few seconds, and then rose up to her feet. "Turn around."
Killian's eyebrows raise this time in surprise. He stared at her, who started to untie her hood.
"Woah, what do you think you're doing, Swan?" He asked her with surprise as the hood fell to the grass.
"I told you to turn around." Emma placed her hands on her hips. "I've been sweating for days, and I really want to freshen myself up."
Killian stared at her in shock, not believing what his ears and eyes were hearing and seeing. However, as the gentleman he is, he fulfilled her wish, and turned his back to her, eyes fixed on the trees as he heard fabric drop to the ground. He swallowed hard. Was the woman really naked just behind him?
"You can turn around now, Killian." He heard her speak, and when he turns around he sees her already inside the water. He saw her disappearing under the water for a few seconds, and once her head comes back out to her surface, her curls were pressed to her face, soaking wet. He stays standing there for a little while, not sure what to do next.
"Mind if I join?" That's the thing that comes out from his mouth.
"As long as you don't stick too close to me, sure."
Killian doesn't need to hear more, and he began to get rid of all of his clothes, which drop right next to hers. He hadn't asked her to do so, but as he undressed Emma had covered her eyes, turning away from him. He chuckled softly.
He dipped into the water, which was slightly cold but it washed away his sweat from all the walking.
"You can turn around now, love." He told her with a smirk. "I wouldn't have minded you looking, you know."
When she turned around, her cheeks were slightly bushed, but still she rolled her eyes at his words. "No, thanks."
She looks beautiful, and the only thing he can see is her bare shoulders, but his heart still raises at the thought of what was under. Still, he does his best effort not to search for any shape under the water. Seeing more that what he was meant to, would be a distraction too great for him- and he wasn't going to stare without her permission. He thought of himself as a gentleman, and that wouldn't be gentleman-like at all.
This time, without the heaviness of his damp clothes making it difficult for him to move, he was enjoying much more the cool water. "Want to swim around?"
Emma shook her head, refusing. "Do you think I had a pond in the tower where I could learn to swim in?"
Killian sighed. "You do have a lot to learn, huh? I could teach you."
"You could, someday when we're actually dressed." She said, laughing slightly.
"Aye, you're right about that." He told her, nearing her a little, offering Emma a smirk. "After all, there are activities I would very much prefer doing, since we're all alone and naked."
He's teasing her, however her expression is blank. Her brow furrows deeply. "What do you mean?"
Killian freezes at the question, staring at her in surprise until he notices that the girl was locked up since she was eight. There was no way her parents had given her the talk before she had been taken away from them.
"Well, um..." He took a hand through his hair, not knowing what to say. "When two people... oh, bloody hell, Swan, I am not going to explain to you how babies are made."
They lost track of time as they were inside the water, perhaps they were an hour there, perhaps a little less or a little more. However, after a long while, they decided that it was time to get out of there. Killian went out first, Emma turning around as he dressed himself up. He caught her peaking at him one moment after he had pulled his pants up; she'd turned around and looked away quickly as soon as she noticed he was watching her. A smirk showed at his face. At least he knew he wasn't the only one struggling with trying not to look more than he should. Once he was all dressed up, he told Emma it was safe to look, and that he would go and look for wood, leaving Emma and his temptations to stare at her behind.
Feeling all fresh and relaxed because of the water, Killian and Emma agreed that they deserved a rest from all of the walking. They couldn't be too far away from the town, and both were exhausted from all of their walking. So, they spent the day sitting there, keeping the fire alive as they stared at how the sun got farther and farther away, and the sky went from a deep orange to a dark blue. They remained close to the fire and close to one another, keeping themselves warm as the temperature slightly dropped.
"Do you think it'll take us too long to get out of here?" Emma wondered once they were already surrounded by darkness.
"I don't think so." Killian shook his head, thinking they probably had already walked more than half of their path. "Perhaps a day or two more of walking. What, tired already of having me as your company?"
He smiled at her with amusement, thinking that he actually was quite far from getting tired of the blonde girl. He felt quite pleased when he saw her shake her head as a no.
"I want to know how the rest of the world is. I have so much left to learn, I wish..." Her words faltered, as if she was embarrassed of saying her wish out loud. "I wish I could see all of the things I've missed all of these years, I wish I could go around the world and see everything."
"Be patient, love." Killian told her. He couldn't help but to feel pleased at the thought that he might as well be the most fitting person to actually fulfill her wish. With the Jolly Roger, he could take her anywhere she wanted to go. However, he was missing something important, something that made it difficult to actually do so: time. Time with her was limited, the moment he left her with her prince, their time together would be over. "We'll get out of here soon, and during the time we have left together, I'll make sure you'll enjoy the things you missed as much as I can. Soon I'll show you my ship, and believe me, she'll be the finest ship you'll ever see in your life. You'll have the cabin with the best view to the ocean, I'll even show you how I sail her."
The idea seemed to be a good one for Emma, who gave Killian a wide smile, the kind of smile that lit her entire face up.
"I'd love to." She said cheerfully. "I wish I could've been able to go around the world just like you. I mean, you've even told me you went to a realm where time doesn't pass. That's... amazing. How was that all like?"
Her tone was filled with curiosity, and from that moment, they once more lost track of time, with her asking him more and more about his adventures and his lifestyle as a pirate, and him telling her all about his journeys through the seas, and his adventures in Neverland. Emma seemed to be amazed by the pirate, staring at him as any child would stare at their parents as they told them fantastic tales right before putting them to bed. As time passed while he spoke, they laid down on the grass, getting themselves comfortable and, unconsciously, Killian wrapped his arm around her shoulders just like he had the night before, pulling her close to him. Emma didn't make any objections, perhaps too engrossed in the pirate's words to even notice.
"I wish I could see all of that." Emma finally said with a sigh, and she pressed her hand on his chest to help herself raise up slightly, being able to see his face directly. She seemed uncertain, perhaps a little nervous. "Maybe you could take me to one of your adventures, when all of this is over... I mean, of course, that's only if you ever wish to visit me again."
He saw her fear of him rejecting her, and he couldn't help but smile.
"I'll be more than pleased to take you on an adventure with me." He spoke, the idea cheering him up, however, he had to be realistic: it wasn't as if he could just take a princess to his ship with him. "But then, you're a princess, and I doubt your future husband will enjoy you going on a vacation with a devilishly handsome pirate as myself."
The words left his mouth bitterly. Emma shook her head.
"Me getting married to him doesn't mean he's going to own me." She said in a slightly upset tone, brow furrowing.
"Aye, love, but I'm sure going to trips with me isn't what's expected of a princess. He'll probably want you at his side, going to balls and royal meetings as his fine lady." He told her, and saw the disgust on her face.
"If you think I'm going to become the prince's lapdog, then you're wrong, Hook! I'll make sure I'll have the freedom of going out when I want to and with who I want to." Emma exclaimed.
Killian laughed softly.
"Hush, love, I never said you would become that. You're too fierce and stubborn for that." He told her, and it was the truth. That woman could have the world on the palm of her hand if she wanted to. An idea popped into his head: "Look, this is what we'll do- After getting you to your prince, I'll still have some unfinished business with your parents. I can take you with me, that way you'll get to see them again. It's a long trip, perhaps a month or more."
His heart stopped for a second as his saw her face- smile wide and bright, eyes filled with emotion at what he thought was perhaps the idea of seeing her parents again. Her smile then faltered and her mouth opened, however no sound came out. She took a deep breath.
"Look, Killian, you've been too good to me and... I've been wanting to tell you something for quite a while already." She spoke carefully, and Killian raised an eyebrow at her with curiosity. She seemed hesitant, like she didn't know how to pronounce the words, and then, after what felt like an eternity, she slowly spoke: "Thank you. For everything you've done."
"You don't have to thank me, love." He replied, wondering if that was actually what she had meant to say to him. He was pretty sure it wasn't.
"You may call me insane, but I'm half glad that the horse fled." Emma spoke, walking next to Killian. "I mean, it's kind of pretty around here. We wouldn't have been able to see this much of the forest if we weren't on foot."
They had left the pond earlier that day and now, several hours later they were continuing on their way, between trees, green bushes and red flowers.
"Aye, love, though if I'm completely honest, I hope it doesn't take us much longer to get to the town. I'd do anything to get a proper meal, and a proper sleep on a soft bed." Killian replied, and Emma laughed softly.
"So, you were serious when you told me a few days ago that we would share a decent meal once we arrived there?" Emma asked with a smile.
"Ah, I'm not one to break my promises." Killian told her. Though yes, he had been enjoying way too much her company those past days, he wished they would get to the civilization already. He would take her to see the little houses, the shops and of course, his beloved Jolly Roger. "When we get there, I'll make sure that's the first thing we do."
As they walked, Killian noticed how Emma kept on looking down at the ground, which was decorated all around with flowers, and he guessed this was probably the prettiest place they had stumbled upon to while they were in the forest. The flowers were roses, and he wondered if she'd ever had one of those in her hands. Probably yes, but that should've been perhaps even more than twenty years ago.
He stopped for a second and kneeled down. He could feel the blonde's gaze on him, as he carefully plucked out the rose he believed was the prettiest.
"What are you doing?" He heard her ask, and he rose up with a smirk, as he looked at how her eyebrows raised in curiosity. Killian took a few steps towards her, offering her the flower. She took it, face showing surprise at Killian's action. "What's this for?"
"I may be a pirate, but I know how to treat a princess." Killian said, making a small curtsy at the girl with an amused smile.
Emma laughed. "Why, thank you then." She said between laughs, and her next move was something Killian hadn't expected: she tip-toed, to press quickly her lips to his cheek as a thank you. He stared at her, bewildered, and Emma seemed to notice the look on his face, shy smile on her face. She then turned around quickly, to keep on walking.
He followed her, watching her movements as she took the rose up to her face to smell it.
"This reminds me of a book I had, back there in the tower." She spoke and he noticed a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. "It was about my mom- it wasn't as exact as having my parents tell the story to me, but I remember the book talked about how the queen had given my mom a poisoned apple, and her friends, the dwarves, laid her on a bed of roses, put her in a coffin made of crystal and carried her into the forest. And then my dad gave her true love's kiss, and she awoke from her curse."
This made Killian's eyebrows raise. "The queen gave you a book about your parents? How nice of her." He said with a snort, not seeing the point in doing such a thing. Emma nodded.
"There were multiple books there. Some I didn't know, while others I remembered my mom would read them to me right before I went to bed. During my first years in the tower, I'd read them all over and over again. And my favorite one, back then, was of course the one about my parents. It was like having a part of them there with me, in the tower." She explained to him, her tone sad and her gaze lost in the flower she held. After a little while, a laugh came out from her lips. "Back then I had no idea of why she had left those there for me, but I read them all day long. And I imagined to be one of those princesses, that someone would rescue me too. I'd imagine a prince, like in the tales, strong and brave that would come up to my room and kiss me, and then carry me away from the tower.
Killian let out a laugh at the thought of young little Emma, daydreaming about a prince that existed only in her mind.
"And instead, you got yourself a quite handsome pirate, huh, love?" Killian smirked. "I think you got something way better than what you had imagined."
Emma chuckled slightly, and then bit down on her lip.
"Being honest, it was kind of disappointing." She told him.
"Ouch, Swan, that hurts." Killian spoke, not too serious about it. He knew he wasn't at all the type of guy Emma would have expected her savior to be.
"Oh, don't get all dramatic on me, Hook." She spoke, rolling her eyes slightly. "You've been wonderful, but I just... I had expected to find-
"Love." He completed her sentence. "True love."
"Exactly." Emma smiled slightly at his understanding. "However, I'm glad having as company a pirate like yourself."
"Oh, and not just a pirate- a captain too." Killian added. "And don't forget, the most fearsome of all."
"I doubt that." Emma laughed.
"Don't underestimate me, love. Believe me, many begged and trembled in fear whenever they had to face my wrath." He replied.
"Oh, really?" Emma asked, her tone indicating that she didn't believe his words at all.
He held out his right hand at her. "See these rings? They all once belonged to someone I killed. For example, there once was this sailor that drank my wine. I drowned him for it." Killian continued on telling her the stories his rings held, stories of how he would execute the men that wouldn't follow his orders, or did something he didn't like. Emma stared at him with slight shock, however, he didn't see fear in her eyes.
"Well, you were mean." That was the only thing she said in reply.
"Aye, that I was." He said, noticing too late he had spoken in past instead of present.
"Want my honest opinion?" She said, thoughtful. "Deep down, I don't think you're half as bad as you say you are."
Those words shocked him.
"What makes you think that?" He asked.
"You rescued me."
Killian raised an eyebrow. He had thought her to be smart. That was what made her believe him not to be a bad person? A good action, made for selfish reasons?
"I had my motives." He replied.
"I know." Emma said with a nod. "But the past few days, I've noticed you're more than just the revenge you're seeking out for. I think deep down, you have a good heart."
Killian stared at her, bewildered for a few seconds.
"Swan, I've stolen, I've killed, I've done terrible things for more than a century. I doubt I fit into the description of someone who has a good heart." He spoke, slightly irritated.
"Nothing is going to change what you've done, but you can change your future." She spoke, and there she was again, sermonizing him just like she had done two nights ago. "I think you're a good person, who's been lonely and has been through though things. But then, all of this ruthless captain act you've put on you did it in the name of love. Or, actually, of a lost love. A person capable of loving so much, can't be that bad deep down."
It bothered him quite much how the girl believed that she knew already all about him (and it bothered him even more that her words always made him doubtful).
"Alright, love, enough with talking about this." He stopped her -she sighed at his words-, and thought about something else to talk. "You said a few minutes ago that you didn't know back then why the queen left you those books. You do know now?"
"I can guess." Emma replied. "All of those stories, including my mother's, had something in common: all of them had princesses rescued from some kind of danger. As I grew up, I saw the years keep on passing by and I remained there, trapped. I stopped seeing the books as a sign of hope. I began thinking that I would never be like those women, I would never beat the queen, just like my parents had. Those books, including the one about my parents, were there to mock me. Everything I saw them, everything I read those love stories as I remained there, not having anyone who could come and safe me... It infuriated me."
The words reminded Killian the bookstand he had seen in the tower, how the books seemed all ripped apart, filled with dust.
"And so you tore them apart." He spoke, and Emma seemed impressed.
"You saw them?" Emma asked, to which he nodded.
"You don't have to worry anymore, love. You're free now, and soon you'll break the curse."
"I suppose you're right." Emma sighed. "I'm on my way towards my happily ever after, huh?"
Those words, happily ever after, sounded bitter in Killian's ears. Perhaps it was because it made him imagine that woman in the arms of a prince- her prince, the one who would save her.
That thought doesn't leave his head for the rest of the day. It stays at the back of his head even later that night, as they lay down side by side, staring at the darkened sky. It seemed like they had gotten used already to sleeping that way, enjoying the other's presence against them. Killian wondered what she thought about that. Was she still accepting to sleep so close to him because she wanted to seek out for warmth, or something else? Because he knew very well, the last thing he thought of as he wrapped his arm around her was to keep himself warm.
He doesn't understand quite well what's been happening to him: he spends little time thinking of the things that would usually matter most to him, and instead he wastes his time with her on his mind.
The words escape his mouth before he can even think them through:
"Swan, you think you'll be happy over there?"
"Why are you asking me that?" He hears her ask, doubt in her voice.
"Last night you told me you wanted to see the world." He began to speak, "Do you think you'll be able to have that? I don't know how much freedom you'll be able to get in a castle."
Emma remained silent for a moment.
"It doesn't matter." She finally spoke. "I'll think about the details later. What matters now is that you take me to him, and he kisses me before the time runs out."
"And what if his kiss doesn't work?" Killian asked; it seemed as if that night his mouth had disconnected with the rational part of his brain.
"It has to work." She replied. "What makes you think the kiss won't work?"
"Swan, I just don't believe true love would work like that."
"Then, how does it work according to you?" She asked sharply.
"I don't know, but you haven't even met him. He's paying people to rescue you for him, does that sound like love to you? Because, love in general doesn't work that way, leave alone true love."
There was a silence. He could feel her fingers nervously playing with his shirt.
"You have to be wrong about that." Emma spoke stubbornly. "I'll die if you're right."
"There has to be another way." Killian insisted. He refused to believe that the blonde's destiny depended on nothing but the kiss of a stranger.
"Well, I can't take any chances." She replied. "If he's the closest thing to love I have, then that'll do."
Killian remained quiet. Was the prince the closest thing she had?
He felt attracted by the woman, there was no point in denying it. But being her true love? That was too much for him. Emma was lovely, not only were her looks that made him enjoy so much her company. But, after so many years rejecting the idea of finding happiness with someone, thinking that this was anything more than just attraction seemed crazy to him.
And even if he wanted it to be more, the girl had said it herself earlier that day: She had expected a prince, perhaps a knight; that was what the tales always spoke of. When had it happened that the bad guy, the pirate who had killed hundreds of people, could just kiss a princess, save her and live happily ever after? Please, the mere thought was just absurd. His happy ending had vanished the moment the crocodile took his Milah away.
No, the princess wouldn't find her true love with him.
But that didn't stop his heart to feel like it had begun to beat for the first time in centuries as he held her in his arms.
First there was a sudden movement. Then, the lack of the heat that just mere seconds ago had been hugging him tightly. That was what woke him up.
"Swan?" He murmured, half-asleep. Between the darkness and his eyes only slightly open, he wasn't able to see much. He didn't need to see her, though, to know she had stopped sleeping with her arms wrapped around him. Without even thinking about it, he extended his good arm to seek her out, wishing she would return back to her previous position. He assumed she had moved in her sleep, but as he extended his arm, his fingers found nothing more than cold grass.
He rubbed his eyes with a grunt, and in fact, after blinking a few times he saw that Emma wasn't there. Where the hell was this woman going to in the middle of the night? Her attitude during the night had always seemed somewhat strange to him, but he had never put much thought about it, imagining sleepless nights because of her nightmares. But now, not putting much thought to it was not an option. He had to find the girl, and ask her for an explanation.
He got up to his feet, walking through the trees he could barely see because of the darkness. Bloody hell.
"Swan!" He exclaimed, hoping to get a reply. It was too dark to see anything, and with every second that passed with her gone, his mind seemed to betray him more and more. What if someone had taken her? What if, and that was the scariest idea of all, she was just running away from him?
It didn't matter. He would find her.
He hadn't been walking for more than a couple of minutes when he heard footsteps. He instinctively called out for her. "Swan, is that you?!"
Almost immediately, he noticed it had been a foolish thing to do. The sound was too quick, too heavy. It sounded more like an animal.
He felt blind in the darkness, but that didn't keep him from quickly pulling his sword out. He remained still, hoping to find where the sound what coming from and, more importantly, what was causing it.
It didn't take him too long to find out.
Killian wasn't able to see what he was facing against, in the blink of an eye he felt something strong lashing out at his left side, so strong that left him without air, head hitting the ground hard and leaving him dizzy.
For several seconds, he felt as if all of his senses had been blocked, and it was not until he heard a sound, a grunt, and the noise reminded him of a rabid dog -a huge one, actually- that was able to snap out of it.
When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing but blurry darkness. He felt pain on his left side, a heat that dripped down from where he had been hit and dropped onto the floor. Whatever had hit him, it had teared his skin.
Emma.
The thought that she might be in danger of being attacked by that thing, gave him the strength to try to stand up, with a wince of pain. But then something suddenly forced him back on the ground again, head once more hitting the ground, and now he could feel it spinning round and round. The only thing that was still keeping him awake was the feeling of something stinging him; four, then eight sharp knives that pressed on his chest. And then, when he felt a hot breath on his face, he realized two things: one, that he had his eyes tightly shut, and two, that the thing was on top of him.
Trying to open his eyes, the first thing he saw were lots of large, blurry white spots right on top of him- that it didn't take him long to guess were sharp teeth grinning down at him. He couldn't make out much else of the thing, everything too black and blurry for him to see.
The last thing he saw, however, were a couple of huge irises, looking down at him furiously. And while his body finally gave in, his last thought was that it was curious how the beast's eyes were a familiar green color.
A/N: This chapter was HUGE! Nearly three times as long as the previous chapters. But then, I wanted this to be a great chapter, since the moment I think most of you were waiting for is finally here! A lot of you had guessed the "beast" would be a dragon, and in my original ideas of this story I had imagined a dragon indeed, however I decided it was too cliché and plot-wise I didn't feel a dragon would fit, so I went for something more like a wolf-like type of creature. Anyway, I'm excited! Things will sure get more interesting now that the mistery about Emma's curse has been discovered (or, well, nearly discovered- we'll have to wait for Killian to wake up XD). And to one of the reviewers asking if we're going to get anything on Emma's POV- well, yes, dear, we are! This chapter was definitely a big one, so I'd love to see what you all thought about it, and what you'll think will happen next! Thank you all for reading, and have a great day.