"Here," Emma said as she placed the compass down at the helm atop the scratched out P and S. "It might help."
Hook had been looking up at the stars to help him navigate as he turned the wheel. His crew were all sour that their night had been cut short, but they wouldn't deny or fight against their Captain so they were all working begrudgingly.
"Ah, the magic compass," he noted looking down,
"Lead me to you," she shrugged, "Might lead us to Liam."
"Wait," Hook paused for a second and turned his head to look at Emma, "Liam?"
"That's my son,"
"Liam?" he questioned.
"Yeah, why what's the big deal?"
"It's a good name," he told her before adding, "My brother was called Liam."
Emma wanted to kick herself of all the names she had to pick why was it that fate led her to the name Liam, the name of the father's brother. "Was?" she asked, hoping to keep the conversation away from her son; she could not risk Hook finding out.
"He died. A long time ago," he said and she noted the sadness in his voice. "It's a good name...who's the lad's father?"
"Just some guy," Emma shrugged. "One time thing, you know,"
"Aye, I know how you like those one time things. I guess it's all you allow yourself to have, isn't it love? Can't risk letting anyone in,"
"Are you kidding me?" she snapped. "It was sex, that was it. How could me leaving dent your ego so much? We weren't in love, we were nothing to each other, get over yourself!"
"Tell me, Goldie, what happened to you? Why'd you leave? You at least owe me that."
"I was going to leave anyway. That's why I made you head back to land, I couldn't risk getting on this huge adventure with you. All I wanted was to get out the Enchanted Forest, not go on some adventure with some pirate. I couldn't risk...I was going to leave, then we started drinking. And drinking. There was a lot. And we were having fun. I was enjoying myself, got caught up in the moment, in flirting with you, and then we kissed and then...When I woke up I realised I really did need to leave. Things were getting complicated."
"And you were scared because you felt yourself trusting me and letting me in," he told her.
"Yeah, well, none of it matters anyway."
"I waited for you, you know. I went looking for you,"
"Yeah, I know," she nodded. "I hid."
"You should rest, Goldie. You've had a long day."
"I'm fine,"
"I'll wake you if we see Blackbeard,"
"Right. Okay," she nodded. She didn't want to sleep, knew she could. But she also knew that she couldn't deal with Hook right now. He was angry and she didn't completely understand why. She knew he wanted to get angry at her and sure he had made a few snide comments, but he wouldn't completely lose his temper because she had lost her son.
He was being a gentleman. And she kind of hated him for it.
Everything was complicated. He made things complicated, sure she was attracted to him, even after seven years she still was. But she didn't trust him, and she was angry at him. She was angry at him for being angry at her over nothing. But she was also angry because he hadn't done anything wrong. At the end of the day he was a pirate but around her he always ended up being good, and that angered her. Sure he had been an insufferable, arrogant, flirtatious bastard, but he had been nice as well. She just wanted to hate him, she didn't need him being nice to her and making her feel guilty.
She thumped her hand against his desk trying to let out some of her pent up anger. Her eyes fell upon his bookshelf, and then she remembered, that was where she had seen the name Liam. How could she have forgotten about that? She sauntered over to the shelf and peered at the spines trying to find the one she saw it in. Bingo!
She pulled out the book and flipped it open, it was a logbook. A very old logbook with yellowing pages that were all crinkled, a logbook belonging to man named Liam Jones, who was the Captain of a vessel call The Jewel of the Realm. She looked at the dates and tilted her head, "a very long time ago indeed," she said. Then she recalled what Hook had said to her one time, something about being three hundred and if these dates were anything to go by, then it was the truth. "But how?"
Emma slid the book back into place and began pacing. She was restless.
"Where's your crew?" she asked Hook as she left his quarters,
"I let them sleep. I can sail her by myself. They need to rest, which is what I thought you were doing,"
"Couldn't sleep. Plus that compass isn't going to lead you to my son."
"Why do you say that?"
"It points to what your heart desires the most," she told him. She lifted up the compass and sure enough as soon as she did so it changed direction. "You might want to head a bit more east,"
"Ah...sorry love,"
"Not your fault. I just didn't think. As you said it's been a long day,"
"Which is why you should sleep,"
"I can't."
"Well, I'm afraid I don't have anything more I want to say to you Goldie,"
"I think you do."
"Love, I've made my peace now. I harbour no more ill-intent towards you," he gave her a smile. "I guess we'll just part from this adventure, unlikely friends,"
"Friends?"
"Yeah, why not? I mean you do owe me one, more than one really,"
"When I get my son back, you can have the compass. Have it lead you to the Dark One. I'll even steal his dagger for you if that's what you want. You get your revenge, I get my son,"
"Tell me about your son,"
"Why?"
"You need to be here in order for us to get our bearings, so you may as well indulge me and keep me company."
"I'd rather not talk about my son,"
"Then tell me about yourself. I think it's about time I knew something about you Emma,"
"I forgot you knew my name," she sighed.
"How could I forget it? Emma Swan, the thief known as Goldilocks, with the golden hair and her eyes so green, and heart as strong as steel, forged out of fires caused only by pain."
"And you said you didn't know anything about me," she teased. Emma sat on the stairs that lead to the helm where Hook stood. She tilted her head back to look at him, he looked so powerful and imposing and so at home there at the wheel.
"What happened to your ring?"
"What ring?" she asked.
"The one you used to wear. The little souvenir you stole from Blackbeard alongside the map?"
"Oh, yeah, you remember that?" she asked looking down at her hand where the ring once resided, "Doesn't belong to me. It's a funny story actually."
"Then please do share,"
"When I was in Arendelle I was stealing. Got known there, got sent to prison. But I ended up getting pardoned, you see my friends from the Enchanted Forest, one of them was Snow White, the Queen. She regained her throne and invited me back home, said I would be pardoned. I didn't need to fear the Evil Queen. So I went back, for her wedding. She was getting married to David. I had been back for a couple days and that was when David noticed the ring on my hand. Turns out the ring belonged to his mother, and it was actually the reason he and Snow met. He had wanted it to be her engagement ring but he'd lost it in some fight.
His mother had told him true love followed that ring, and it had brought him and Snow together. She was a bandit at the time, he a prince. She stole it from him. It's a great story. But anyway as soon as he told me, I couldn't just keep the ring. I gave it back to him, so he could give it to Snow. I guess I really do have a great eye for the things I steal."
"You're friends with the Queen and King of the Enchanted Forest?"
"Yes," Emma laughed. "I know it's crazy. It's even more so because I actually live with them. They took me in. I wasn't going to live with them but then I gave birth, I wanted Liam to have the best life. I had actually asked Snow and David to have him."
"What?"
"I wasn't ready to be a mother. I mean this was seven years ago. I was a thief and scared. I wanted him to have the best life he could, so I had asked them to take him. Believe me, I hate myself for ever doing it, but then he was born. And when I held him in my arms, I just didn't want to let go. I couldn't. I didn't want to abandon him, like I had been abandoned. He deserved a family. I wanted him to have that, I wanted to be his family. I wanted him to know he was loved by me. Because I never knew, I mean my parents just abandoned me out in the forest. If it wasn't for Graham and the wolves I would have died."
Hook didn't know what to say. "You shouldn't feel guilty about not wanting him," he told her. "You wanted him to live a good life that shows you care. The fact you kept him and have raised him and given him a good life, you're a good mother."
"My son has been taken hostage by a pirate for something I did seven years ago, and could be killed because of it. I don't think that makes me a good mum,"
"That makes him a bad person, not you."
"Hmph," she shrugged, "Anyway, come on your turn. I told you some things about myself. It's your turn."
And that's what they did. For the rest of the night they recalled tales of their lives, both the good and the bad. And soon enough they weren't strangers anymore, though of course there were still secrets between them, but it seemed ever more likely that they would part as unlikely friends.
"Love,"
"Wa?" Emma's head snapped her, she obviously started to doze off.
"Get some sleep,"
"I'm fine,"
"We have our bearings. Go get some sleep, you'll be no use to your son, if you can hardly stay awake, whilst rescuing him."
"Don't you need to sleep?"
"Aye, but that can wait,"
"Just wake me up, when you need your bed," she told him and she got up from the steps.
"I enjoyed our chat," he told her, as she went to go down to his quarters.
"Me too,"
"Reminds me of the old days,"
"I don't recall being this pleasant to you," she told him. And she could hear him chuckle as she walked down the ladder.
She had forgotten how pleasant and peaceful it was to sleep with the gentle rock of the ship. Emma woke up and arched her back in order to stretch.
"I must say that is a very nice thing to wave up to seeing," Emma turned to see Hook with that shit-eating smile on his face. He was sat on his chair at his desk, wearing only his trousers. "And don't worry love I thought I'd treat you too. As you can see not much has changed in seven years,"
"You're so full of yourself," Emma rolled her eyes at him. "Did you sleep in that chair?"
"I didn't think you'd take kindly to having me slip into bed with you,"
"Wise choice. You would have lost the other hand,"
He chuckled at that.
"Wouldn't mind giving me a massage, love, sleeping in a chair is not good for the neck,"
Emma sighed and then gave him a sultry smile before standing up. She could see the surprise on his face as she walked towards him. She leant over his desk, and she watched as he ran his tongue over his lips. "Keep on dreaming buddy," she told him as she patted his face with slightly too much force. "Now put some clothes on, we have some sailing to do,"
"Aye, aye, Captain," he told her with a salute and a wink. Emma had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling. "You know, love, you seem different,"
"It's been seven years. People change, maybe not you, but people do change,"
"Oh I know,"
"You know, I'd like to have met you as a Lieutenant," she said, "Wonder what you were like before all the pirate-ness,"
"Like a man in uniform do you?" he teased her as he pulled on his shirt, "If my old self had met you, Swan, it would be a very interesting affair. You wouldn't have liked him, he's not as fun as me. And I know you like me in all my leather. Well, you like me when I'm not wearing anything. I mean you really liked me then,"
"I was drunk. Get over yourself." She picked the compass up from the desk and began to walk up the ladder, "And come on. I'm not here to flirt with you, I'm here to get my son back."