Chapter 13

Emma put one heavy foot in front of the other, the rain was coming down hard and she was drenched to the core, she lifted her head taking in the billowing sails of her destination with mild apprehension.

As she stepped on board, Hook was waiting, his arms folded, leaning against the centre mast, as soaked through as she was. His dark eyes were hooded but she could read his surprise as he arched an eyebrow imperiously at her.

"Can't say I expected to see you tonight Love, not after the way we left things on that roof top." He admitted, pushing off the mast and approaching her, she'd like to say cautiously, but he never did anything cautiously.

Emma stared at him trying to hide the turmoil Pan had awakened inside of her, it was one thing to suspect you were screwed up, it was quite another to have a child point it out so blatantly. "Funny thing." She started, surprising them both at the shake in her voice, as he stepped closer, crowding her personal space in a way that was uniquely him. "It turns out this is the closest place I have to a home," she shrugged.

Hook didn't blink, just stared at her with cool appraisal, whatever surprise he'd felt earlier he was schooling his features into blankness now.

"Couldn't face the family brood in that little apartment they're all cozied up in?" his tone was biting even if his face wasn't betraying his anger and she tried not to feel the internal flinch. "I hear they even have the bitch Queen over for tea once a week." He continued, and Emma felt the knot in her stomach tighten.

She reached out and grasped the front of his shirt, pulling him inches from her face.

"Stop it." She hissed, desperate to stop him saying something she couldn't forgive. "I get it. You called it, I'm a coward and I can't face them!" Their breaths intermingled in the cold air and she repressed the urge to crush him closer.

Hook sighed, his fingers brushing her rain soaked cheek. "You've never been a coward." He admitted, and it was her turn to be surprised. "You just don't know how to recognise a good thing when you see it."

"Like you?" she couldn't keep the sarcasm out of that.

He smirked. "Oh you always recognised that." He pushed her wet bangs out of her face, sliding his hook around her waist. "You just don't like admitting you have a thing for Pirates."

Emma felt herself wilt, everything between them was always so charged, so filled with easy banter that they never actually managed to talk about anything that mattered. It worked for them. Right up until he'd changed the rules on her on that rooftop. The idea that she could actually hurt him was new.

"Do you love me Killian?" she pressed, forcing him to meet her gaze, if he could break the rules of their relationship, such as it was, so could she.

He paused, examining her thoroughly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now wouldn't that be foolish." He sighed, pulling her with him. "Let's get inside Love, before we catch our deaths out here."

Emma let him lead her down to their cabin, trying to ignore the fact that he hadn't so much as refused to answer her question, as sidestep it. Not that she needed the words. He'd told her as much on that rooftop; the mere fact that away from Neverland she had the power to hurt him was answer enough.

Neverland. Emma curled her hand tighter around his arm as he closed the cabin door soundly, looking as resigned as she felt. "Killian." She tried and he gave her a look that suggested she push him no further tonight. But she had to ask.

"If you see me slipping..." He frowned, taken aback by the sudden line of questioning.

"Slipping into what Love?" he eased forward, suggestion back in his dancing tone as he gripped her waist, some of the charm that was so innately him, slipping back.

"Into Neverland." She blurted out and he blinked. "You'll stop me right?" she pressed hating the desperation in her voice.

He dropped her waist. "I don't..." Emma raised her hair, even soaked through the stardust dancing through it was obvious when you knew what you were seeing; she watched comprehension dawn across his features and settle uneasily there.

"Pan's gone." Emma explained, "Neverland... it pulled him back, like he was fated to be there." She felt her expression twist uneasily, as her voice broke "I won't go back Killian; I won't become like him."

Hook moved, his arms wrapping around her tightly as he lowered her head to his chest, rocking her gently, "Shhh." He whispered into her hair; she hadn't even realised she was sobbing.

"You're not going anywhere Princess." He soothed, and she could feel the strength of his conviction wrapping itself around her, as if by sheer force of will he could stand between her and the pull of Neverland.

"What if I don't have a choice? My magic..." Hook cut her off sharply.

"There's always a choice." He intoned, brushing his fingers through her wet hair as if he was trying to brush the stardust out of it himself. "We'll deal with this magic thing of yours the way we always have."

Emma pulled back, staring at him. "By ignoring it?"

He rolled his eyes. "You ignored it," he reminded her sharply, "I treated it like the wild animal it is; with all due caution."

"Gold is the only one who can help me control my magic. If he even would, I already owe him a favour, I'm not making any more deals with him." Emma pointed out sharply.

"As well you shouldn't." He muttered, "Besides, Rumple makes a deal with you over my dead body." The bite returned to his voice at the mention of his Crocodile and she regretted reminding him. "Besides he isn't the only one in town with a vested interest in your magic and more than a little of their own."

Emma eyed him darkly. "And I'll make a deal with Regina over my dead body."

Hook smirked. "Touché." He pulled her back into his chest, the wet material clinging to him deliciously. "There are the fairies." He added seeing her frown, her experiences with Tinkerbell hadn't exactly endeared their species to her, however distant a cousin they claimed to be.

It would have to be Regina. She knew it, he knew it. But he didn't press, it was one of the things she realised she admired about him, his ability to know when not to open his mouth.

As his lips descended over her neck and gently began to bring feeling back into her soaked and frozen body she realised it was just one of many things she admired about him. She'd asked him if he loved her, she didn't quite dare turn her question inward, it was enough that she needed him, wanted him for now. Wasn't it?

8888

There wasn't that much that surprised Emma these days, but Regina inquiring politely if she might have a few words with her whilst she waited on deck, trying not to appear ruffled by Jukes, was one of them. It was almost like she'd stopped by to ask her out to play... curiouser and curiouser.

"Regina." Emma smiled thinly stepping up on to the deck. "What a pleasure. And how may I be of assistance this fine morning?" Jukes snorted and turned away, giving them whatever privacy the deck of the ship offered with a bunch of sailors scattered around trying to look inconspicuous as they slept off last night's rum.

Regina eyed them all uneasily, Emma knew she was trying not to use magic, she'd at least learnt that much about what had been going on in her absence. Something about it being the root of her evil and all that. She could sympathise, her experiences with magic felt more like it was taking over her rather than her controlling it.

"Miss Swan, perhaps we could go somewhere else and talk." Regina's tone was as oily as ever as she observed the ship with no small amount of disdain, which Emma took oddly personally.

Emma crossed her arms, hearing Hook emerge from the lower decks and make his way up to the helm to pretend to talk to Jukes, her eyeline followed him momentarily distracted.

"Am I boring you Miss Swan?"

Emma rolled her eyes back onto Regina. "Constantly." She replied smiling thinly at the other woman. "And it's Sheriff Swan."

"Well now that brings me to my reason for being here." Her smile was just as thin. "You seem to be in dereliction of duty Miss Swan, and to be perfectly honest, your father has been fulfilling the role quite admirably in your absence. There was even an election." Her expression was clearly satisfied as Emma digested that unpleasant bit of news. "The people of this town are more than happy with their current Sheriff. However I hear there is a Deputy spot he's been looking to fill."

Emma sighed stepping closer to her aware she was smiling through her teeth. "Is that it Regina, you came here to put me in place? Consider it done. You all got on just fine without me. I get it. Now get off the ship."It cost her more than she thought to put her armour back on after Hook and Pan had so effectively stripped it yesterday, some of Regina's pointed barbs got through.

Regina hesitated, Emma saw the conflict clearly, apparently Emma had been mistaken, jerking her around hadn't been the only reason she was here; it had just been an added bonus. "Oh for heaven's sake Regina, spit it out." Emma snarled, wanting this conversation and this godforsaken woman out of here.

Regina smiled; it was full of self satisfaction "Henry asked me to speak with you."

Emma felt her mouth fall slack slightly. "He asked you?" she couldn't help but let that sound a little snide and more than a little disbelieving.

"Yes well," Regina replied with as much dignity as possible, "Mary Margaret, David and I have come to something of an agreement where Henry is concerned." Her nose rose fractionally as she said that, like she was daring Emma to comment.

"So I hear." Emma muttered. "How nice for you." Regina seemed thrown by her antagonism which just proved how short people's memories were in Storybrooke, not so long ago she'd have happily strung this woman up for what she'd done, however inadvertently to Henry; her time spent in Neverland with Pirates hadn't mellowed her any. She swallowed, her dark thoughts were not a line she wanted to go down, not here, it took some effort to steer the uncomfortable conversation back on track "And... what did he want you to ask me?"

"For you to come to dinner with the family tonight." It was clearly like pulling teeth for Regina as well, but she asked it anyway, which Emma had to admire.

Emma couldn't help but bark out a laugh that was anything but amused. "I'd like to, I really would, but I think that would just be painful all round. If Henry wants to see me, we'll start slow, after all me coming back into his life got all twisted up with the curse breaking and Operation Cobra, we never had much time for normal."

"Emma, you're being ridiculous!" Regina snapped, cutting her off. "Our son, wants to see you." Quite a concession on her part there Emma noted. "Think of Henry, for once, see things from his perspective, the Curse broke and within 24hours he'd lost his adopted mother and his biological mother in one fell swoop. He's been traumatised enough." Her hands were on her hips, and Emma felt her hackles rise at the chastising. "I will not stand here and listen to you behaving like a spoilt brat Miss Swan, just because things haven't worked out exactly how you planned." She stepped forward her finger raised threateningly at Emma's face. "You are coming to that dinner." Regina snapped in a tone that brooked no argument, but she wasn't done yet. "You will bring something for Henry as a souvenir from your little Pirate jaunt in Neverland." The finger jabbed at her chest. "You will eat and make small talk, and regale him with tales of adventure." Another, more painful jab. "You will tell him you missed him and you will behave like you want to be there with your family." The finger raised her perfectly manicured nail threatening. "Or so help me Miss Swan, I will have to break my promise to him and force you to reconsider."

Emma was slightly stunned, and more than a little bit furious and plenty guilty, that this woman of all people was taking her to task. She'd like to think that she had some control over what happened next, sadly that would have been giving herself too much credit. In reality what happened was what always happened to her when she let her emotions get the better of her... people got hurt.

The blast of energy hit Regina soundly in the chest and sent her sailing over the edge of the ship and into the water with a tremendous splash, followed by a screech of outrage.

"Crap." Emma managed, sharing an incredulous look with Hook, before they simultaneously darted to the edge to stare over at the once pristine looking mayor, now doing her best impression of a drowned rat.

Jukes recovered faster than the rest of them, he hurled a rope down which Regina dutifully caught as they used it to haul her out of the water.

"Regina I'm so sorry." Emma gasped, helping to set her upright on deck again and futilely trying to wipe water off her. Regina stood there sopping wet and still curiously reserved as she gave her the most withering of looks.

"You didn't retaliate." Emma realised quietly, seeing the surprise on Regina's face as well, settling into something like pride.

"Yes well, some of us have better self control." Regina sneered, ringing her hair out into a nice puddle on the deck. "You should address that little magic problem of yours dear, before it takes over, particularly if you expect to spend any time with Henry." The look she gave her was loaded and Emma swallowed uneasily, hating that everyone seemed to know how to handle this magic thing better than her. "I'll see you tonight Miss Swan." She turned to walk away, glancing back, "By the way, I'm making meat cobbler." Regina nodded meaningfully at her and sauntered back of the ship like she hadn't just ruined her expensive suit in salt water.

"Like I'd eat anything she gave me." Emma muttered as Hook sauntered up just as causally to her, flipping something between his fingers that she was not the least bit pleased to see, "Is that...?"

"Thought it would make a nice souvenir." He smirked. "Guess the boy can have it." He tossed the offending item to her; Emma opened her hand, seeing the pearl that had caused so much drama that day with the Mermaid... the one she thought she'd tossed overboard.

"Pirate." Emma sighed wearily, not meaning it to come off quite as endearing as it did.

Hook smiled and kissed her gently on the cheek. "You're welcome Princess, but between you and me I think he'd prefer this." He pulled out a giant tooth he'd pulled from the mouth of the man eating crocodile and dangled it in front of her attached to a string that he'd pierced through the top. Emma caught it, feeling guilt once more that Hook and Regina were both managing to be better parental figures than she was. "That pearl really should stay with the woman that fought off a mermaid for it... particularly as I stole it for you in the first place." He brushed his finger underneath her chin, tilting her face so that he could press a soft kiss to her lips.

It would have been touching if her insides weren't squirming in turmoil about what she'd let herself in for tonight.

"What am I supposed to wear? My clothes are still at the apartment." Emma muttered, it wasn't exactly high up on her list of concerns, but it was easier to focus on that than what had just happened and the awkwardness she knew awaited.

Jukes idled up to her and slipped a key into her palm, grasping her wrist a fraction too long and forcing her eyes onto his. "I took the liberty of retrieving some of your items my Lady, they are stored in the hold." Emma was speechless, which seemed to amuse Jukes as he nodded and turned away to bark orders at a sailor who was still sleeping on deck, Starkey was curiously absent she noted, but that was Hook's concern, she had enough of her own.

"By retrieved did he mean steal?" Emma asked Hook quietly as Jukes passed out of earshot.

"Not likely, I imagine it was the reason for our unexpected little visit this morning, I'm sure Jukes appearing on the Charming's doorstep asking for your things did wonders for their sense of family bonding." He looked distinctly pleased with himself, Emma gave him a sideways look.

"Don't scheme with my life Killian." Emma chastised him lightly, but the smile she wore as she closed her fist around the key softened the blow somewhat, this whole thing had his scheming hand all over it.

"As you wish my Lovely," he smiled back, a brief flash of warmth there.

"Come with me." She hadn't known she was going to ask it before the words slipped out of her mouth, but once they were out, there was no taking them back, and she wasn't even sure she wanted to.

"No." He replied firmly.

"Don't make me beg Killian." Emma grasped his hand, running her fingers along his pulse point in a blatant attempt at manipulation that he seemed to appreciate.

He relented, much to her relief, "Far be it for me to make a Lady debase herself with the act of begging a gentleman such as myself." He inclined his head to her, but she could tell despite his attempt to lighten the moment that he wasn't entirely comfortable with the suggestion.

"You're a part of my life." Emma reminded him, "Like it or not, that life means my family too, as you were so keen to remind me yesterday."

Hook snorted in derision. "Wonderful. I can imagine our dear Queen Snow is going to be thrilled," he angled his cheek at her, "Or do I need to remind you of the little parting gift she left me with." The faint scar from her mother's blade had never quite faded from his cheek and she traced it softly now.

"I'll protect you from my mother." She smirked, teasing him as she dropped a chaste kiss to the cheek in question.

"Great. Then all I have to worry about is your father, the monster slaying Prince Charming."

8888