Just wanted to put this out there: I could see this fic toeing the dubcon line, cause um pirates, but I am not going to have Hook forcibly take/rape Emma. That being said, don't expect hearts and flowers.

This chapter has some slightly dub-con stuff, and Hook making threats of things going non-con.

(Also, Sorry for the delay, but at least it's a long chapter. I'll try to get a chapter out at least once a week, but I had no time at all to write this past week. I'm not abandoning this fic, I swear!)

IX.

He'd said he loved her.

She'd decided to marry Prince Neal after they'd both successfully snuck out of a ball and stolen into town to drink at the local tavern instead. Over several mugs of cheap ale, they'd laughed and talked, and despite her reservations she'd fallen hard for the prince with the brown puppy-dog eyes and easy smile. They'd written to each other every week for 3 months, sharing their hopes and fears. When he asked her to become his wife, she'd accepted, much to her parents' surprise. They'd wanted her to wait a bit longer at first, but Emma had always been hard to dissuade when her mind was made up, and a betrothal was arranged and plans made for Emma to leave home and journey to Neal's distant kingdom to be wed. The King and Queen had mourned the distance between the kingdoms, but were strong believers in true love and decided the sacrifice was worth it if it ensured Emma's happiness.

Oh, the irony. Now here she was, stuck halfway across the world and imprisoned by pirates, betrayed by the man who supposedly loved her. How could he just leave her to her fate?

She wiped at her eyes and forced herself to read the note again:

Captain,

With regret, we must inform you that we will make no exchange for the Princess Emma. It is not our kingdom's policy to negotiate with pirates, no matter the circumstances, and while we have deep affection for the princess, she is neither our only available bride nor worth the financial or militaristic cost to our kingdom. We urge you to treat her with respect and kindness, and to consider requesting her ransom from her royal parents, who will surely have the will and means to pay it. Please express our disappointment to the princess, who will understand that our own kingdom's prosperity must be our priority.

His Royal Highness, Neal II, Crown Prince of the Western Kingdoms.

That was it. No question of how much gold they wanted or attempted negotiations. No impressive show of naval might. No offers of pardon or deals. When she'd needed his help most, he'd looked out for only himself. She tried to imagine her father abandoning her mother in a similar fashion and began to sob again, realizing that a man who truly loved her would never be able to forget her as easily as Neal obviously had. She had to wonder if he'd ever loved her at all, a thought that brought on another round of angry tears.

"He's a bloody fool." She started at the lilting voice, knowing the captain had returned to the cabin and was watching her. Clutching the letter in her hand, she turned away, determined not to let him see her cry. "No man with a scrap of honor would abandon you to be used by a ship full of pirates, which, you may recall, is exactly what I claimed would happen if he refused to pay your ransom. In a way, I've done you a favor. He's beneath you, love. A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."

"And what about what I get? What have I done to deserve any of this?" She suddenly wished she'd taken the time to slip into the dress he'd brought, feeling exposed and vulnerable sitting on the bed in just his shirt. He approached her slowly, after setting a bottle of rum on the table, eyes hungry with desire.

"Nothing at all, my dear." Hook ran his hand over her shoulder, brushing her hair aside. "But I'll be having you all the same." She shivered under his touch, unsure if it was from fear or something else.

"So, you're going to pass me around, let your whole crew have a go with the princess?" She tried to sound angry and disgusted instead of terrified, aware that he could probably hear the fear in her voice dispite her efforts to hide it. She turned away, knowing he'd read the emotions in her eyes like words on a page.

He snorted. "Of course not. It's my ship, and I'll be keeping you all to myself."

She bit her lip but nodded. Better to be used by one man than twenty. "You could still let me go."

"I could, but I don't particularly want to, and have a reputation to uphold, love. I can't very well send you back a maid after time aboard my ship, especially after making my intentions clear to your prince."

"Don't call him that. He's not my prince. Not anymore. Maybe never was." She added the last part quietly, more to herself than to him.

"Aye, so it would seem."

She swallowed hard, passing the back of her hand under her eyes before turning to him, straightening as she tried to regain some of her dignity in the face of her situation. "So, what now? Should I just bend over so I can get it over with?"

He regarded Emma with a confused expression, like he was studying her. "Why would you think that?"

"You are forcing me to ... to sleep with you."

"Sleep with me? You've been doing that for days, love, and sleeping is the last thing on my mind. Maybe yours too, considering you didn't seem to mind my attentions last night," he smirked and licked his lips in an absolutely obscene way that sent unwanted heat between her legs.

"Last night was a one-time thing."

"No. It wasn't."

The certainty of his statement was jarring, pulling her away from whatever pleasant thoughts she'd been harboring. It felt so different from how the last night had ended, and there was a distance between them that seemed to come out of nowhere, like he was keeping her at arm's length. She realized that she didn't really know this dangerous man, who could seem so kind to her one minute and so cold the next. Wrapping her arms around herself, she suddenly felt exposed in contrast, wanting to protect herself, to shut him out as much as he'd done the same to her. She tried to look at the floor, but felt his hand pull her chin up, eyes meeting hers in an icy stare.

"Here's how it works: You'll be mine, Princess. You will show me respect, and you'll give yourself to me when I wish it. In return, I'll endeavor to please you, you'll be safe from the crew, you'll be free to do as you please during the day, and I'll have you accompany me into town when we make port. Do we have an agreement?"

"For how long?"

He smirked, raking his eyes over her. "Until I've had my fill of you, so it may be quite some time."

She closed her eyes, fighting back the overwhelming sense of drowning, of hopelessness, anger and despair rising as she shook off his hand. She took a deep shuddering breath, letting it out shakily. "Why ask when you know I have no choice? My life is ruined. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

"Aye. Actually, I do. Though I suspect you would have been quite unhappy, married to your heartless prince, living in a gilded cage far from those you love."

She breathed out a small laugh. "That may be, but even if it's only a dream I've lost, at least it was a pleasant one." She could swear she saw the hardness in his eyes break, letting her glimpse a conflict that lay beneath.

"It's part of growing up, darling. We all have to leave the dreams of our youth behind at some point."

There was a sadness in his voice she hadn't expected, and she recalled her conversation with Starkey and how he'd lost his brother and the woman he loved at a young age.

He cocked his head to the side, studying her. "There's supper, if you're not opposed to boar. It's quite good. You should eat something, and get cleaned up before, well, you know."

He left the cabin, returning with a metal tub, then brought down some towels, soap, and a few buckets of hot water. "It's been a while since you've had a proper bath. Thought it might help you to relax." He wiped at her tears with his thumb. "I'll give you an hour or two to get ready for me, then send the men away so you needn't worry about them. Tonight, you're mine and mine alone, love." He kissed her hand, giving her a mocking bow before leaving her alone.


The setting sun turned the sky into a gorgeous watercolor painting of pink and orange as she combed out her hair, but all Emma could think of was the evening ahead of her. It wasn't so much that she hadn't thought about the handsome captain, especially after last night, but the reality that it was all really happening, and that there was no going back once it did.

She thought about her options. If she could somehow knock Hook out, she could sneak off the ship and try to find help in town... though whether she'd be any better off was somewhat doubtful. She'd heard of Port Jefferson. Unless she was lucky, she'd probably regret trying to navigate the rough town on her own.

Starkey seemed kind enough, but his loyalty to the captain clearly made him a poor choice. She hadn't really met any of the other men for more than a few moments. She didn't have any money, so hiring someone to get her away wouldn't work. Where would she even go? Neal was the last person she wanted to see, and getting home to her parents would take weeks by sea and even longer by land.

The more she thought about her situation, the less she knew.

She turned to the table, pouring herself a generous cup of mead and reading the note he'd left next to it. "To settle your nerves."

She readily gulped the cool liquor, the sweetness dancing on her tongue as she savored it. It was of excellent quality, and absolutely delicious. Realizing it couldn't have been inexpensive gave her hope that maybe the captain felt some tenderness towards her, and that perhaps she could use it to her advantage. She settled on her best course of action as he opened the door, eyes dark as they fell on her.

Hook stepped into the cabin, locking the door securely behind him. After days of imagining how she'd feel, he was finally going to have his way with the beautiful princess. Seeing her standing by the bed, the light from the setting sun filtering through the shirt she'd borrowed and outlining the silhouette of her lithe frame, he felt himself already getting hard. Gods, he had to control himself. His baser urges were screaming at him to bend her over and take her hard and fast, but he wanted it to be good for her- at least, as good as it could be given the situation.

He could see her returning strength in her eyes, and felt somewhat relieved. He admired her fiery personality, her willingness to defy him despite knowing it was a foolish thing to do. She was young and inexperienced, but she was so much more than a frightened damsel. He didn't know why he found these qualities endearing; he shouldn't want her for more than a good fuck, so her personality was irrelevant for the most part. Still, a part of him recognized that she would have absolutely infatuated him when he was a younger man, looking for so much more, for a kindred spirit. His musings were interrupted by her soft voice.

"Your deal: I want to alter the terms."

"I'm not much for bartering," he stated, watching as she poured herself another glass and one for him as well, holding it out for him to take. "What did you have in mind?"

"If I agree, you need to treat me like I'm your partner, not just some random girl you're fucking."

He raised a brow. "Go on."

"No more whores."

"Fair enough, as long as you're willing to meet my needs."

She swallowed nervously, sitting on the bed. "Well, I might be a little sore at first. You'll need to be understanding."

"I'm not unreasonable, princess."

"And you'll stop calling me that. It's Emma."

"I happen to enjoy that you're a princess. However, I will try to call you by your name."

"Especially in public. It's embarrassing enough that I'm a pirate's concubine." She wrinkled her nose as she said it, the words feeling dirty now that she was, essentially, agreeing to be intimate with him. "I don't need the whole world knowing how far I've fallen."

He pondered the request, staring at her thoughtfully. "I'll take it under advisement, but having a princess in my bed is worth boasting about, and the men know your station so the rumors will spread either way."

"We'll get me some real clothes."

"Of course. But no undergarments," he added with a lascivious smile.

She rolled her eyes. "There are times I'm going to need those, you know."

The reality of her statement seemed to register with him, an odd look crossing his face.

"Just when are you due to bleed, love?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your womanly time... When is it?

"Full moon, or thereabouts," She answered, hopeful that he'd at least leave her alone while she bled.

He thought a moment. "Three days then, give or take. Perfect. You let me know the moment it starts."

He drained his cup and stepped closer, parting her legs so he could stand between them, and trailed his hand up the inside of her thigh. "Anything else?"

She took a deep breath. "A million things, but I'll trust you'll uphold your end of the bargain and try to keep me happy."

"So, do we have an agreement, then?" He looked her over, licking his lips as he pulled the shirt over her head, hand and hook settling at her waist.

"I think so." She winced internally at the tremble in her voice.

"And you'll give yourself to me? Now, tonight. I need to feel you around me, Emma. If you were anyone else I'd already be deep inside you, making you come around my cock. It's been nearly impossible to be so close to you and not get to have you."

She turned to look up at him, momentary curiosity overtaking her nervousness. "Can I ask you something?"

"About this topic? Of course."

"I have to know: is it really that good?"

"Fucking?"

She flinched a little at the baseness of the word, but nodded.

"Honestly, it varies, but yes. I can't give you silk sheets and castle walls, sweetheart, but I can make it incredible for you." He dropped to his knees, kissing up the inside of her thigh before repeating the motion on the other side, his stubble tickling and teasing the sensitive skin, a deep groan coming from him when he licked a stripe through her cunny and realized she was already soaking wet.

She tried to ignore the fear that began to creep over her as he laid her back on the bed and crawled above her. She was excited, wet and needy and he was so handsome... but what happened afterwards? She'd have given herself to a pirate, who was only going to toss her aside eventually, and there was no going back from it. He'd always be her first, and he didn't even care for her; she'd be just another girl to him.

He hovered over her and kissed her, softly, his hand moving between her legs as he began to get her ready, to finally claim her, when he heard a choked sob in the back of her throat. Reining in his excitement, he pushed back on his arms to look down at her, only to find her eyes screwed shut and tears leaking down the sides of her cheeks, a grimace on her beautiful face as she tried not to cry. "Emma, look at me," he urged, only to be met with a shake of her head. "Lass, stop weeping." He could understand being nervous, but he was certain his hand would ease things for her.

"I'm trying," she sniffed, still avoiding eye contact, her body shaking more as her efforts failed and she started sobbing in earnest.

"You agreed to this, Emma," he huffed. He was mere moments from sheathing himself in her. By all rights, he'd held up his end of their bargain. Still, he hesitated.

"I know. I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I just... This isn't how I wanted it to be. It was supposed to be special. I always imagined my first time would be with my husband."

"The day you want to be married to a pirate, you just let me know." he chuckled humorlessly, nuzzling at her neck as his hand gently stretched her.

She spread her legs wider, still refusing to look at him as she clasped her hands over her chest to hide her breasts. He could have taken her already, she realized. He was obviously annoyed, and nearly mad with desire, hard and hot against her inner thigh. She wished she could just explain things, make him understand that the day had been too much, that she had lost everything, that she didn't know what to think or feel or want anymore, but she couldn't find the words.

"Look at me," he growled, wanting the wanton, euphoric princess he'd tasted the previous night, not this sad, scared martyr resigned to her fate. He wanted her crying out in ecstasy, not sorrow. He wanted her riding him, taking him deep with words of pleasure on her lips, not averting her eyes and cowering under him with a grimace.

Gods, he wanted her. He'd readily take her when she was full of passion: infuriatingly angry, or challenging and sarcastic, or aching and desperate for him, but not like this.

It took less time to make his decision than he expected. He closed his eyes and sighed, climbing out from between her legs and settling back in the bed next to her before his better nature lost the battle with his libido. He was so damn close to finally fucking her, but he wouldn't, couldn't have her sobbing through the whole damn experience. Maybe if he only wanted to have her once, but he wanted her to share his bed for the foreseeable future, and forcing himself on her while she wept was not the way to start such an arrangement. Knowing her personality, she was liable to kill him in his sleep if he took her like that. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly. "You're...you're stopping?"

"I find you considerably less alluring with tears in your eyes," he grumbled, his jaw clenched in frustration. Gods, she was still lying spread beside him on his bed, and he was almost painfully hard.

"You're not going to... I mean, we're not... really?" She sputtered, a sense of awe in her voice.

"Oh, we are. Just not tonight. Though I am tempted to fuck your pretty cunt with my tongue." He looked over at her, seeing her emerald eyes staring up at him, finally able to get a read on her. There was fear, and sorrow, but also a hint of desire at the mention of his mouth. She was thinking about how he'd made her feel. A slow smirk blossomed on his lips as he changed tactics. "I can give you a day to come to terms with things, my dear."

"Thank you." She swallowed audibly, rolling towards him and tucking herself into his side as she sniffed back a few lingering tears.

"Don't thank me yet. You get one day, so do what you have to tomorrow, whether it's drinking, or touching yourself, but make no mistake. I will have you, Emma."

She stiffened slightly, but said nothing.

"I am going to attend to this, though," he nodded towards his cock, still proudly jutting out from his body. Taking a good look at her, he grasped himself firmly, running his long fingers over his cock as he started to stroke it. His hand pumped faster as he let himself give into his need, feeling her eyes on him. He was surprised she hadn't turned away immediately in disgust, given how afraid she'd been. "You're watching." He couldn't help the fascinated tone that crept into his voice.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes and curling in on herself.

"Don't be, love. I rather like it." His heated stare caused her to flush with embarrassment. "Perhaps I'll have you help me after all. Roll over," he growled, pushing her onto her left side as he reached his hand between her legs, spreading the lingering wetness there. She began to panic, closing her legs and trying to push him away. "Relax, darling, I'm not going to put it in you. Just don't move." He pressed himself behind her, kissing her neck as he worked his cock between her thighs, shifting forward so he slipped over her entrance and clit with each thrust. With her legs closed, he could still enjoy the feeling of her wet heat, and from the way her back arched as he stimulated her, she was enjoying it too. His hand came up to cup her breast, toying with the nipple as a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"What are you doing?" She breathed out, hips twitching as he rubbed against her. She didn't want him inside her, not yet, but this was torture. The head of his cock was gliding over her clit with every thrust and his lips were doing absolutely sinful things to her neck. She tried to tilt her hips to increase the friction, desperate for more, when she heard him whisper a warning.

"Emma. Unless you've changed your mind, I suggest you don't move like that. If you shift the angle, I'll end up burying my cock inside you." He couldn't help but smile when she reached over her shoulder to tangle her hand in his hair and whimpered a little. "Don't worry. I'll try to hurry it up." He pumped his hips harder, and a little faster, ordering her to press her legs together to increase his pleasure. He wasn't holding back in the least, trying to come as quickly as possible. He moved his hand from her breast to her hip, fingers tightening as he felt himself getting close. With a shout, he pulled back and pushed her onto her belly, hot release spurting across her ass. "Beautiful," he murmured as he enjoyed the sight before him.

Her heart was racing, her whole body alight with energy as he rolled onto his back and let out a contented moan. She was so close, a few more moments and she would have come. "Please! You can't leave me like this!" she whimpered, a handful of the sheets clenched tightly in each fist.

He pointed to the towels from her bath, mumbling, "You can grab one of those to clean up."

"That's not what I meant!" She snapped.

"I don't recall you being particularly concerned with my comfort when you were crying," he said with an almost audible smirk. "I'll be happy to put my mouth on your cunny and eat you for hours...once we've fucked. Now, we have quite a day ahead of us, so I suggest you get some rest." Knowing he'd made his point and won this round, Hook folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

She grabbed a towel and cleaned off, contemplating touching herself and trying to satisfy the ache between her legs but uncomfortable with the idea of doing so with an audience. It took her hours to finally drift off to sleep, knowing her dreams would be wildly erotic and she'd only be worse off in the morning.

She couldn't deny one thing. Hook wasn't just a pretty face. He was one clever bastard and even though she could kill him for getting her riled up and leaving her that way, her body had never wanted him more.