A/N Thanks for all the reviews guys, I've probably said this but I really do love reading about your reactions and feels – it makes me feel less ridiculous when I'm on tumblr perusing Captain Swan gifs and audibly sighing. Anyhow, this chapter was influenced by the whole Belle/Hook interaction in his boat – I loved the intensity of that scene (even if it was with the wrong female). I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 11: Diversion

Hook watched intently from across the room as the blonde began to stir. About bloody time, he thought as he mentally tallied how long she'd been out. It was an hour and a half since she'd been knocked unconscious by the butt of his gun. While he hadn't wanted to hurt her, he didn't know of any other way to get her here while conscious. It wasn't at all likely that she'd have been seduced onto the ship like so many women prior to her.

Emma Swan was a different breed entirely. No amount of shameless flirting, insinuations or heated arguments could crack her. But then, Hook lived for challenges.

Emma's eyes suddenly shot open and she sat up abruptly, staring around the room, obviously trying to determine where the hell she was. As her eyes landed on Hook, she snarled. The sound actually made him do a double take.

"Nice of you to wake-up, love," the pirate said brightly, smirking as she tried to stand but was pulled back by the handcuffs restraining her to the bed. They weren't just any handcuffs, they were her handcuffs. After subduing her, Hook had procured them from her pocket and used them against her. It was the ultimate irony and he watched in humour as she glared at the silver device.

"Hook. Let. Me. Go!" Emma's words were abrupt and cold, her glare like fire on his face.

He shook his head, "Sorry lass, no can do I'm afraid. I have to restrain you here for… oh, say… another seven and a half hours approximately. The mind ponders what we shall do to pass the time?" Hook wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the livid woman.

"If you come near me I won't hesitate to kill you," Emma said, trying to move her hands towards her back pocket where she kept the keys to the cuffs. He noticed her manoeuvre and laughed heartily, brandishing the tinkling objects on his hook.

"These are the things you are subtly trying to procure?" she stared at the keys, as if she could teleport them into her hands. The scowl she gave the pirate next seemed to make her previous ones pale in comparison.

"Hook, why am I here?" Emma asked, trying to assume a comfortable position on the metal cot.

"I am just doing what I need to in order to acquire my crocodile," Hook said, standing and walking to stand just out of reach of the blonde. She noticed this and smiled inwardly – he knew that she could inflict serious damage, even with her hands bound to a metal object.

"The same crocodile you essentially sacrificed yourself to last night?" the saviour asked wickedly, purposefully pushing that button. Hook's smirk vanished and was replaced with a grimace.

"I didn't sacrifice myself, I just resigned to accept what I thought was going to transpire. Now, I have a new strategy and it will succeed. I just need to keep you out of the way while my plans play out," he said, avoiding the important detail involving Cora.

Emma scoffed, "It looked a lot to me like you were surrendering to the man who killed your beloved. Tell me, what would Milah think of this crusade?" He glared at her, unwilling to admit that if he actually asked himself that question he wouldn't like the answer. Because Milah would have hated his thirst for revenge.

Emma persisted, ignoring the fact that he had now moved away from the bed and was standing closer to the door now.

"How would she feel knowing that you've turned into the coward you so despised?" Hook turned to stare down Emma. Never in his life had someone tempted such violence out of him, but he knew he'd never hurt her. She knew it to.

"A lot of big talk of cowardice from someone who can't express emotion without first causing conflict. Tell me, love, who left you of their own intention?" Hook said, referring to her words in their last encounter.

Emma stopped short and the tidal wave that was Neal and Tallahassee washed over her like an icy sheet of water. He noticed her change in demeanour and felt smug satisfaction at making the saviour hesitate. She straightened herself up rigidly and stood as much as she could with her hands bound to the cot.

"At least I don't sit around wishing I were dead like a pitiful, spineless ass!" she spat. He faltered and had an overwhelming urge to hit the blonde. Without further discussion, Hook decided he needed to leave the room and stalked out, wondering why he'd ever thought she was intriguing.

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Emma sighed in relief as the fuming pirate left the room. Some of her words had been harsher than intended but she needed to get him riled up enough to leave the room. In her mad rush to get ready for work, she had literally chucked her hair up and kept it neat with about four bobby pins. She would need only one to undo the metal encasing her wrist. Sliding the thin object out of her hair, Emma set to work.

As the time passed, she wondered what Hook could possibly be doing and frantically tried to release the cuffs. He would be back any minute and if he caught her she would lose her window of opportunity. Finally, the assuring click sounded and Emma stood to her full height, stretching her arms to resume blood flow.

The blonde stepped lightly from the room, cursing herself for pulling on her loudest freaking boots in the mad rush to get to the station this morning. As she entered a large hall, Emma tried to discern which way was out. Choosing a door, she stepped in and quickly realised there was no discernible way to the ship's deck in this room.

She'd been on this boat for a whole week and yet she didn't recognise this part of the boat. Then again, all she'd ever done under the deck was move from her room to the main deck and back with the occasional detour to the captain's quarters. Emma was about to leave the seemingly bare room when something caught her eye.

Lying across a bench that was seemingly a part of the ship was her torn singlet. The one she had given to Hook after he gave her the billowy button-up. She walked across to it and picked it up, trying to discern why he would keep it. She'd convinced herself that he'd probably just left it here by accident when she heard the wooden boards shift under new weight.

Emma spun rapidly around to see Hook leaning against the doorframe.

"I really need to stop underestimating you, love." The pirate watched as Emma sized him up, obviously deciding he was too well built for a physical fight. Her eyes were drawn to a silvery object on a bench next to the man, as they landed on it she realised it was a sword and dove for it. How did I miss that on my way in? she cursed herself.

Unfortunately, due to his position, he caught hold of the hilt and lifted it away from Emma who was now leaning over him. Resuming her position, Hook raised the sword playfully.

"Nice try, but I'm not as stupid as you think."

Emma smiled mockingly, "You sure? I did manage to get out of those cuffs." He nodded in agreement and stroked the blade carefully, almost daintily.

"Emma, why are you so determined not to let me kill him?" Hook asked, intentionally avoiding her eyes as she deliberated the question.

"Because there are two sides to the story and I don't think you've properly told his." Emma watched as Hook's gaze drifted up to meet hers. He took a step forward and Emma, as if in synchronisation, stepped back.

"What is there to tell?"

"Well, she was his wife. Why did you take her from him? Even if she consequently fell in love with you, how could you steal another man's wife? I thought your heart dictated that as a sin" she asked, remembering his words when she'd mentioned David after he woke up. Hook's expression morphed and was suddenly saturated with intensity. His gaze burnt into Emma and she found it hard to maintain the eye contact as he stepped forward again.

"If a woman comes to you and begs you to take her away, to take her on an adventure," Hook stepped closer to the woman with every word until his face was centimetres from her, "is that really stealing?" The last words were breathy and she felt his lips mere moments from hers.

At this proximity, Emma could have dived into the serene blue that was his eyes. Instead, she clenched her right fist and, with all the momentum she could muster in such a small space, hit him square on the chin. Hook fell back, clearly stunned by her actions.

Using his subsequent and temporary subdual, Emma raced out of the room. Facing the hall from a new angle, she suddenly knew where to go and sped out and onto the deck where she had worked side-by-side with the crew that she had also helped slaughter.

Before she could reach the wooden plank leading on to the dock, Emma stopped abruptly as Hook ran forward to block her exit. A bruise was beginning to blossom on the left side of his jaw and she felt satisfaction at marking the renowned pirate.

"How did you even –" she began, trying to ascertain how he could have reached the deck before her. Hook smiled, clearly please that he had one-upped the saviour, and spread his arms wide.

"Love, I know this ship like the back of my… well, you know," he said, motioning to his metal appendage. Emma ran towards the helm and could hear Hook hot on her heels. In a stroke of luck, she saw the swords that were still there from when the pirate had tried teaching her to fight. She snatched one up and held it defensively, positioning herself the way she had been taught.

Hook smiled at his student, unsheathing his own weapon.

"This is a bit different to last time, lass. If I jab you with my sword, you will feel it." Emma could hear the double meaning in his words and scrunched up her nose in disgust. As Hook took up position, she circled him and waited for him to move first.

The pirate's smile broadened in pride and she could almost hear him say to himself: She's taken my advice for once.

Suddenly, Hook lunged and Emma dodged just before his sword would have connected with her. He lunged again and again and again, all the while maintaining his position in such a way that made it impossible for her to take a swipe at him without exposing herself.

It felt like hours before the game changed. Emma was against the mast, her back pressed against it as she defended Hook's advances. With one swift movement, he had their swords pressed together in the shape of an 'X.' As he stalked forward, Emma realised she couldn't manoeuvre any which way without becoming vulnerable to an attack. Hook's gaze held the blonde, her jaw set defiantly as he stopped mere inches from her.

"I would have much preferred it if you'd stayed in the bedroom like I requested," Hook said lazily, as if this escapade had bored him greatly. With his close proximity, she realised she could use a move that he would definitely not be expecting.

"Even if you did, when have I ever followed orders?" He was about to reply when it was cut off by a grunt of pain as Emma kneed him in the crotch. Stumbling for a second, she seized the chance and dispatched his sword. Without another word, Emma punched Hook and sent him down for the count. Smiling wildly, she wasted no time in tying the captain to the mast.

As she finished, Emma moved to leave but was halted by the sound of her name piercing the air.

"Swan, don't you dare leave me here!" Hook growled. Emma raised her eyebrows incredulously.

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked, walking off the ship without a second glance back.

Stay tuned for the next chapter where Cora's plans will unfold.