Emma arrived in Greenpoint just as the sun began to set, and after paying for a room at the local inn with what little money she had, slept soundly for the first time in what seemed like weeks.

Nightmares involving The Dark One torturing, maiming, and killing her had been plaguing her sleep since the first wanted poster had been attached to the window of the prison. Knowing that she finally had a plan – one that didn't end in her makeshift family being hurt – let her fall into a quick and heavy slumber.

The next morning she quickly ate a breakfast of bread and dried fruit before making her way to the docks nearby.

It wasn't hard to find where the men hoping to join Captain Hook were assembled. Seven men stood in front of a magnificent ship emblazoned with the name The Jolly Roger, rigid in posture and struggling to keep their expressions emotionless.

Emma joined the men quietly, wanting to keep her presence nonchalant, only nodding in greeting to the single man who glanced in her direction.

It wasn't like they would be fighting to the death for the positions.

She hoped.

Suddenly, a large man appeared on the deck of the ship, descending the ramp with squinted eyes, sizing up the group.

"I'm Starkey, Hook's first mate. The five of you who will be joinin' us need to be prepared. Men typically stay with us for two years or more. There are no days off. Work keepin' the ship runnin' is brutal, and the majority of what we do is in the plunderin' department. Anyone who's knees are knockin' at that prospect need to leave now."

After the words left the mouth of this mammoth man, two of the men Emma had joined bowed their heads in an embarrassed nature and quickly left the docks. Emma let out a nearly audible breath of relief. Chances of joining were much better for her now, and though she never thought her life would come to this, she really needed to become a pirate.

The first mate, Starkey, was one of the most intimidating men Emma had encountered. Tall and wide, he resembled a bull more than he did a man. His voice was low enough that Emma could swear it made her bones vibrate, and coal black eyes gave the impression that he could snap those bones without breaking a sweat.

"We're only takin' five today, got no room for six."

Starkey walked down the line of men, and Emma saw him tap five men. Shock made her freeze. She had not truly considered what she would do if she didn't get on the ship. Images that had been haunting her in sleep suddenly flashed before her eyes. This had been it. Her way to escape.

In two seconds, she went from shocked to furious as the man standing behind her began to walk by her, hissing in a low breath, "Did ya really think they'd let a dwarf on board?"

Emma was by no means a perfect woman, but she had met and befriended some dwarves growing up, who had gotten her ass out of trouble more times than she could count. People chasing her down for stealing an apple or two let it slide when Grumpy was suddenly facing them wielding his pickaxe. Using the term as a slur was something she did not tolerate. After this random jackass spoke, her vision nearly blurred with anger.

Acting on the type of pure instinct that only developed after fighting for your life over the years, Emma swiftly kicked the back of his right knee with the hardened heel of her boot. As his leg buckled and he began to pitch forward, Emma grasped his arm, turning it quickly and using the momentum to shove him forward and off the dock, landing in the water.

The entire course of actions lasted about four seconds, and the four men climbing the ramp as well as Starkey had turned around at the man's sharp grunt of surprise and pain. Shock shone through on the new recruits faces, but Starkey gave Emma an impressed nod.

"What's your name, boy?"

Emma cleared her throat, and adopting what she hoped was a low and graveling voice, quickly muttered, "Emmett, sir."

"Consider yourself a member of Captain Hook's crew on The Jolly Roger," Starkey said, cracking a slight smile and showing warmth in what she had thought were cruel eyes. Feeling invigorated, she had to stop herself from skipping up the ramp and onto the deck.

She was escaping.

As she stepped onto the deck and looked around she could see all of the moving parts of the ships invisible from the dock. Men were weaving around one another, grabbing onto ropes, pulling on sheets of sails, and carrying barrels across the ship and down the stairs into what she presumed was the hold.

At that exact moment, Emma realized she probably should have sought out some sort of knowledge of any kind about sailing or the ocean.

Starkey watched the men board the ship, already annoyed by the cocky strides of four of the men. He laughed under his breath. After the first week of working on the ship, these new sailors would be limping into their bunks.

He had tried to figure out the fifth, the little lad Emmett. A short and slim man, couldn't be older than twenty or twenty two. A brief glimpse of his face had only revealed that he was filthy, and paired with his bagging clothes he was definitely not from a family with money; probably a beggar or orphan.

But damn had he misjudged the kid. The lad had a fire he hadn't seen in years. Taking down a man that size was impressive, and considering he hadn't once touched the knives Starkey had noted were hanging from his belt meant that the kid knew he wouldn't need them.

Looking once again to the group of new recruits, Starkey shouted, "Line up starboard of the center mast, the Captain will be joining us," deciding to lower the men down a peg he continued, "and if ye don't want to see what color your insides are, I wouldn't show any disrespect."

Killian's perspective next chapter, and letting you all know, when he isn't flirting he is a hell of a pirate