Liam was sulking. He had set up camp underneath Emma's bed and was sulking in some kind of silent protest because his Uncle David couldn't play with him. "He does have other duties than playing games with you," Emma told him and lay atop her bed with her head handing over the edge so her hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

Liam had recently become very attached to David, more so than usual which was why Emma thought he had begun to ask about his dad. He was looking for one. It hurt Emma slightly because she felt like she wasn't enough for him sometimes. "We can play some games instead,"

"David is more fun,"

"Ouch, kid, you really know how to hurt your mother," Emma told him.

"David has good stories. He's been on loads of adventures. He's fought a dragon and rescued lots of princesses and turned that prince back to normal from being gold, and fought against the evil queen."

"So you think I'm boring? You know Snow and I are just as interesting as David, we just don't broadcast our adventures because we don't have big heads like David"

"Hmph"

"Don't make me drag you out from underneath my bed, because I haven't got all day to watch you sulk underneath it,"

"I'm not leaving,"

"Why did you have to get my stubbornness?" Emma sighed. "Come on Liam,"

"No. Leave me alone. I want David."

"Right," Emma snapped. She rolled off her bed and pulled open the bottom drawer in her chest of drawers and pulled out a tattered old satchel. She couldn't remember the last time she had even looked at her satchel, she hardly even remember what was inside it.

"What's that?" she could hear Liam ask from underneath the bed.

"Just a satchel full of all my treasures from my thieving days, you won't be interested in it though, because it'll all be boring stuff. Well, I'm off, I'm going to go into town. You can stay here and sulk."

Emma left her room and purposely walked quite slowly down the corridor, because at any moment "Mum!" Liam called after her. Emma smiled triumphantly. "Can I see what's in the bag?"

"You'll have to come into town with me," she told him.

"Okay!"

Getting into town from the castle could be quite the ordeal, especially with a seven year old. The easiest method was to get a carriage down, which was something Emma didn't like because it felt so wrong. So she was glad to be out of the carriage and wandering around. There was one town that Emma always liked to go to, it was one that was situated by the edge of the sea, because there were always little market stalls. She liked them because back in the thieving days markets were always her favourite things to steal from, they were easy and quick and always rewarding. No planning had to go into market stealing. But this market, this market was her favourite because it was her old black market. She used to come here and sell some of her stolen goods.

Emma had shown Liam a couple of things out of her satchel, his blue eyes had been wide and excited and intrigued. He was full of questions about them, about who they had originally belonged to and how she had stolen them. And now he was running around with the compass. Something she had tried to hide but it had been too near the top and he had spotted it straight away.

"Liam stay close," she told him, "and don't wave that compass about either."

"Okay, mum,"

Something caught Emma's eye, she lead Liam towards the stall she was heading towards and made sure she stayed by her side. "You interest in some water from Lake Nostos , dear. The waters are said to return what you have lost,"

"Yeah, I know. I was more interested in that bean that you just put in your pocket,"

"It isn't for sale, but the water is,"

"Yeah, and I know that water is just sea water. I'm interested in the bean," Emma told her. Emma wasn't stupid she knew how much those beans were worth knew how rare they were. It wasn't as if she needed the magic bean, or money that they were worth, it was just the thief inside of her, the one that always cropped up now again when she saw something of value, the thief wanted the bean. "Wait," Emma suddenly realised that there was something missing. Liam wasn't by her side. She quickly spun around, "Liam!" she shouted. Her green eyes darting all around. "Did you see where he went?"

"No, dear, I didn't,"

"If I buy some of your water will you know?" Emma devolved into her satchel and pulled out a jewelled necklace she had stolen from some Lord's mistress. The woman smiled happily as she took the necklace and gave Emma a bottle of water, which she just threw into the satchel, uncaring.

"He went that way," she pointed.

Emma wasted no time in running off to where the woman had pointed. She pushed past people in the market and didn't care as they shouted profanities at her. Her eyes were constantly darting around, looking for any sign of her child. She should have just left him sulking under the bed, why did she feel the need to impress him? It had been an overcast day but now it felt so grey it felt so dark, she needed to find him.

The Black market was in the rough part of the port town, it was where all the ruffians and thugs and pirates dwelled, and she was an idiot to have brought her son here. She spotted him. "What have you go there?" asked the man with dark hair and a hat upon his head,

"It's mine," Liam said quickly and held onto the compass tightly.

"Of course," nodded the man. "Where's your mother? A young thing like you shouldn't be wandering off by yourself. Anything could happen,"

"Um," Liam looked around scared but then noticed his mum hurrying towards him. "There she is!"

The man looked up from the boy at the approaching woman with golden hair, he carefully placed a man upon the boy's shoulder and gripped him tight. "Mama!" shouted Liam panicked as he tried to pull away but the man wouldn't let him.

Emma ran towards him, her eyes ablaze with concern and anger and then she saw the man's face. "Blackbeard!" she gasped.

"Long time no see, Goldilocks. You know you're a hard woman to track down,"

"Well, I've been here a long time. You obviously aren't very good at tracking. Now, let go of my son," she told him, her eyes cold and steely as she stared at him.

"You know you haven't changed at all. Still just as beautiful," he leered, "but I'm not here to have my way with you. I want my map,"

"What map?"

"The map you stole from me,"

"I haven't got it!" she told him,

"How disappointing" he sighed, as he pulled out a knife and held it to Liam's throat. "You better find it,"

"I haven't got it!" Emma shouted,

"Mama!" Liam said his eyes filled with fear,

"It's okay, it's going to be okay," she told him, she tried to reach out towards him but Blackbeard moved the knife that much closer to her son's throat. "Let him go,"

"Get me the map and then you can have your son,"

"I don't have it, please, just let him go,"

"The map, for your son. A pretty good deal don't you think?"

"I'm not leaving here without my son,"

"I want my map,"

"I haven't got it. Hook's got it!"

"Really?" Blackbeard cooed. "Well then you best find him and get it back."

"It's been seven years!"

"Exactly, and I know for a fact no one had found that treasure yet, so you can find me my map and then get your son back," he smiled cruelly, "That's the deal Goldie." He nodded at someone behind him and before Emma could react there was a hand over her mouth and nose and she was blacking out.

Emma awoke sprawled out on the stone floor. The sun was only just rising, how long had she been out for? A letter was next to her with her compass on top. She sat upright, shouting Liam's name but he was nowhere to be seen, neither was Blackbeard. She fought back the tears that were threatening to fall and took the compass and opened the letter:

Goldilocks,

Find the map once you do, tell Old Joe in the Wicker Tavern and he will send the message to me. Then I shall give you back your son in trade for the map. But know this, I am not a patient man, I will not wait forever. And if you go to your beloved Queen and King and get their help, I will know and your son will die.

Blackbeard

p.s. your son begged me to let you have his broken compass, I consider it the last thing you shall ever have associated with your son unless I get my map.

Emma let out a scream in frustration. She screwed up the letter and stuffed it into her satchel. "What am I going to do?" she asked herself, her head in her hands as she stayed sitting on the floor. The smart thing to do would be to tell Snow and David, they'd send out their navy in search for her son, but if she did then Liam would be as good as dead.

Her only option was to find Hook. Because she was not going to risk her son's life.

But how was she going to find him? Her eyes fell down upon the compass in her hands and a large smile fell across her lips, "Oh, you clever boy," she said. She kissed the compass and pulled herself up onto her feet. She ran to the Wicker Tavern and found Old Joe told him to give a message to Blackbeard that she would get his map and if he dared harm a hair on her son's head then she would hunt him down and skin him alive.

Emma did have moment where she thought about telling Graham and she knew that he would help her in a heartbeat, but she couldn't drag him into this. It was fine. She could do this by herself. She found a messenger in the town and wrote a letter for him to bring to the castle. Just saying that she and Liam were going off on an adventure, and wouldn't be back for a couple of days. Just something to explain their absence.

Then she opened up the compass. She tried to focus on wanting to find Hook, because she knew the compass would automatically point towards Liam. So she sat there by the sea with compass in hand just focusing and pleading for it to find Hook.

One green eyes opened then both as she let out a sigh and the compass found its direction. Though surprisingly it wasn't pointing out towards the sea. Emma got up onto her feet and with compass in

A whole day of riding. Riding through forests, towns, more forests, past some beanstalk and then more forest. Until she found herself in King Midas' land. By then the night had been fully settled in and she had found herself in the middle of a brawl with some bandits, which she won, but lost her horse but gained some gold as she pilfered everything the bandits had of worth as they lay on the floor unconscious. She hated the fact that she enjoyed it, that she had missed this adventure and adrenaline.

She followed the road the way her compass was directing her and wasn't surprised to find herself coming up to a town by the sea. For where else would a pirate be if he wasn't at sea?

It wasn't difficult for Emma to spot the Jolly. She sighed relieved when she saw it docked, everything was going to be okay. Liam was going to be okay. She would get the map and get out of there. She hid behind a pile of barrels and watched the ship for a little while, she may have been out of the game for a while but that didn't mean that she forgot how to play.

By the looks of things not many men had been left to look after the ship. All she could see was Smee, poor man, she thought to herself. All she needed was a way to get past Smee and into the captain's quarters. She tapped her chin in thought. Then she quickly opened her satchel hoping that it was still in there. Powdered poppy seed. She smiled.

Emma had some in her fist as she approached the ship. As she stepped up into it Smee spun around and saw her, his mind slowly registering that he recognised her. "Hello Smee," she smiled. "Sorry about this," Emma blew the powder at the man's face. His eyes flickered and then he was out, falling to the deck with loud clunk.

She wasted no time in running down to Hook's quarters. It looked the same. It was like a slap to the face, as if she had stepped back in time and it was seven years ago. She didn't know why but the nostalgia, the memory, pained her slightly. Just a soft ache in her chest at the sight. She pushed past it though.

Her eyes first fell to his desk expecting the map to be where she last saw it, it wasn't. So the search began. She was halfway through the pile of maps on his desk when she heard the rattle of the ladder into his quarters. She swore quietly, her mind panicking, she couldn't think fast enough. "Goldie?" came that familiar voice. He looked the same. The same clothes, that long leather coat, the hook, the scruff, the messy hair and those blue eyes. Her son's eyes. Just the sight of them made her want to cry.

"I..."Emma was lost for words. Her mind telling her to hit him over the head with something or to get out some more of that powder. But her body was paralysed.

"Been a long time, love," he smirked almost maliciously, "I doubt you're here for pleasantries. And by the state of my cabin, you're searching for something."

"Yeah, well, got me," she smirked back just as hostile, "I need something,"

"And what makes you think i'd give you anything,"

"Nothing, which was why I was going to steal it. Plus I didn't really want to have to deal with you,"

"Hmmm. Looks like you're doing well for yourself. Nice dress," he told her as he looked her up and down taking in her green dress, with laced patterned bodice. "You best leave, before I have to force you to do so, because you aren't getting anything from me love."

"How about a deal?" she proposed. Internally wishing that she had found some other clothes, sure this dress wasn't half as expensive as some of the ones Snow had bought her. Emma preferred to wear more mundane things, but she still had to look presentable; she lived in a castle!

"You can't keep deals, love,"

"I'll keep this one. I promise,"

"You never trusted me, and I sure as hell can't trust you now," he spat

"It was seven years ago. Surely we can just forget about it. I mean it was only a small deal,"

"You really think this is just about the deal?"

"What did my leaving you in the morning hurt your feelings?" she joked. "Come on, I'm sure I'm not the first woman to do that. I bet you prefer that, not having to deal with your wench in the morning,"

"You weren't just a wench," he stepped forward, lifting his hook up to her face. "Leave, Goldie, be grateful I'm not skinning you alive with my hook, as I would to anyone who tried to steal from me."

"I'll help you get the Dark One's dagger, I'll help you steal it. I'll give you my compass. I will literally give you anything, anything you want. All I need is that map I stole from Blackbeard for you, that's all I need, and you can have anything," she begged, "Please."

"I prefer it when a woman begs on her knees,"

"Hook," she warned him. "I'm not here to play games with you. I need that map."

He looked into her pleading green eyes, his arm went back to his side. He could see she was desperate, something was hurting her, and he hated that even after all these years she still had this strange hold over him. She intrigued him. "Why do you need to map?"

"I just do,"

"Well, I'm sorry Goldie, I don't have it,"

"What! No, you're lying. You have to have it,"

"Traded it for some information on the crocodile,"

"No," Emma whispered, her composed demeanour dropped her gaze dropping, her hands running through her hair. Then her head whipped around to face him angrily, "Where is it then!" she demanded.

"Look, Goldie, it's just a map. It's gone, find something else to steal,"

"But I need that map! Blackbeard wants it!"

"Blackbeard?" Hook asked.

"Oh no," Emma panicked, "he's been with him for a whole day. And I need that map, but you don't have it. But I need it. If I don't have it, then he's going to kill him. I need to get him that map. I need it now, the longer it takes...Hook where is it!"

"Okay, Goldie calm down," he told her placing one hand on her shoulder, he stared deeply into her eyes and his softened, "Just breathe and tell me what Blackbeard wants,"

"He wants the map. He took something from me Hook, and I need it back. I won't get it back unless I give him the map,"

"It's okay," he told her. His blue eyes were reassuring but they also pained her, because looking into them she thought about how much Liam looked like Hook. And if she didn't get that map, then he was gone to her. "Oh, hey! Love, don't cry," he said as he wiped away her tears. She just shook her head at him. "Just tell me, what did he take?"

"Just tell me where the map is Hook!"she told him as she batted his hand away and stepped back. "That's all I need,"

"Listen here Goldie, it's been seven years since I saw you. If you want my help then you are going to have to explain yourself,"

"He took my son, okay!" she shouted at him. Hook raised an eyebrow and looked at her curiously, she had a son...

"You have a son?"

"Yes, and he's taken him. I need that map, or else he is going to kill him!"

"I, honestly don't have it,"

Emma searched for the lie, and then let out a shaky breath. "Then where is it?"

"I don't know, with some man from a tavern, I traded it with a couple of years back. I don't remember. It was a while ago."

"Great," Emma spat, "Well if you'll excuse me. I have to go find some man who was in a tavern at some point in his life, shouldn't be hard."

She went to go past him but he stopped her. "I'll help you get your son back. We'll find Blackbeard, and we will get him back,"

"But,"

"He won't harm him. I'll make sure of that,"

"Why do you want to help me?"

"Beats me Goldie, if anything I should be pleased that you are getting your comeuppance, but it's not fair on the lad. If I can help him, then so be it," he told her.

"I broke our deal,"

"It's a good job I don't break mine isn't it then? I'll help you get your son back,"

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Yeah, well, you still have a lot of explaining and making up to me to do," he told her before walking off to go round up his crew so they could set sail.