Her eyes fluttered as sunrays filtered into the room through the curtain's cracks. She fully woke up to the tender kisses, trailing from her neck until stopping at her cheek. She affectionately rubbed the arm that was cradling her, humming contentedly. She thought she would never get tired waking up next to him. Turning around in his arms, she placed a tender kiss on his chest. Her cheek nuzzled into his chest as a pillow.
"Good morning, Mrs. Jones," he greeted, gently caressing her face with his palm. His smile was truly breathtaking, filled with warmth and love.
"Morning, Mr. Jones," she muttered sleepily, moving her lips to kiss his palm.
It all seemed surreal. Never would she have imagined to be married at seventeen. Hell, the idea never crossed her mind. Still, the name Emma Jones had a nice ring to it. Selfishly, she wished they could stay in bed forever, but Killian had obligations. Liam Jones was to receive the king's orders. It was convenient for the orders to come the day after their wedding.
"So, I get to see you bark orders today," she said, rubbing his chest with her hand.
He stopped her hand and brought it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "I have to prepare the ship to be ready to receive Liam's orders." She could feel his eagerness at readying the men.
"Liam is proud of you," she said truthfully. She saw the way Liam looked at his brother with pride. Killian had a hard time seeing it because he was biased.
"You think so?" He asked with a hopeful grin.
"He trusts you enough to give orders to his men. Don't ever doubt it," she answered with a smile. "Do you want to hear a secret?" She asked, voice below a whisper.
"What will that be?" His voice matched her own conspiratorially, leaning his head towards her.
"I'm proud of you too," she said with affection. He kissed her hard before resting his head on her chest. She threaded her fingers through his hair, basking in his warmth.
"I would be lost without you or Liam in my life," he said truthfully. She couldn't believe how far they had come, and she couldn't imagine a life without Killian Jones either. She would never let anything separate them.
"It's a good thing you don't have to worry about that anytime soon. Let's get up before we decide to laze in bed," she joked, pulling on his hand.
"As you wish," he conceded, allowing her to pull him from the bed.
Emma watched as Killian observed the sailors. His eyes looked over each one of them, scrutinizing their uniforms. A laugh escaped from her mouth when he pulled out a rum flask from a coat jacket.
"Do you know what happens to sailors when they drink rum?" His question was met with tense silence because it was rhetorical. "They get drunk. Drunkenness leads to bad form." He put emphasis on the two words, glaring at the men. "And what is not tolerated on this ship?" His eyes narrowed, as he looked at each one of the men sternly. The men shifted uncomfortably under his hard gaze.
"Bad form, sir!" All of the soldiers answered in unison. Emma knew that if she had Killian as a high school teacher, she would have paid attention. He was able obtain respect and had a no nonsense attitude.
"Good, now that we have reached an understanding, carryout your orders," he dismissed. All of the men hurriedly went to their stations to perform their tasks. His gaze was watching them to make sure they weren't slacking.
"You're scary. I think you almost made that soldier wet his pants when you took his rum," she teased when she stood next to his side.
"Maybe, he should have thought better than to bring spirits on this ship," he answered with a smirk, not looking at her.
"This is why I can leave to not find my ship sunk. " Liam approached with a content smile, holding out an object for Killian to take. Killian took it gingerly before looking at his brother in confusion.
"A gift to commemorate our latest voyage together," Liam clarified.
Emma didn't recognize the object. It was gold with an outline of a Pegasus. The bottom was adorned with diamonds. From her angle, the diamonds looked like constellations.
"A sextant." The lieutenant looked at the object in recognition. His eyes narrowed in confusion. "I haven't seen strange markings like this. To what strange lands are we going?"
"I can't say until we arrive. This is the mission of our dreams. One that will bring peace to the kingdoms and glory to the Jones brothers." Liam patted Killian's arm affectionately.
"For a noble cause, who am I to refuse?" Killian smiled, preparing the sextant for navigation.
Emma didn't keep track of the days that passed. She didn't see Killian much, except at night when they went to bed. She missed his company so she watched as he examined starcharts on the deck of the Jewel.
"I've never seen these constellations before," Killian said with awe.
"No one has. We're going to a new land brother!" Liam answered excitedly.
Their cheerful conversation was interrupted when one of the crewmen yelled, "Enemies sighted!"
The captain and the lieutenant became alert. Killian ran to the side of the deck, taking out his spyglass to gauge their distance. "Three ships are ready to attack."
Emma felt her heart race at Killian's words. She knew at some point they were going to get attacked but thought she would feel much braver.
"Master Gunner, get the cannons ready!" Killian ordered before turning around to face Emma.
"We aren't going to outrun them," He informed her. "Emma, please stay in our room until I get you."
"Parlay that order. Deploy the Pegasus!" Liam yelled over the chaos.
Bells chimed on the ship and the soldiers pulled on the ropes and brought out a white sail with an outline of a winged horse. The surface ruffled in the wind like blades of grass.
"Why does the sail have feathers?" Emma asked.
"Those, Emma, are the feathers woven from the great creature Pegasus." She remembered in Hercules, his flying horse shared that name. Surely, it wasn't the same thing.
"Are we flying?" Emma couldn't wrap her mind on how the ship could possibly fly. Would it magically sprout wings?
"Indeed," Liam answered with a grin, holding onto the wheel.
When the ship soared into the air, Emma had to keep herself from screaming. The takeoff made her scared because with one slip of her fingers, she would have slid off the deck and fell into the ocean. The sensation was worst than an airplane. She let out a relieved breath when the boat straightened after it broke through the clouds.
"Set a course, lieutenant. Second star to the right, and straight until morning." The captain instructed cheerfully. Wherever they were headed got Liam in a good mood. She could feel his happiness and eagerness radiating from him. It was so contagious that Killian was feeding those feelings through her being. The feeling was getting sickening.
Well, shit. We are going to Neverland, she thought looking over the ocean until her head whipped to the captain in shock.
"Wait, we are going to Neverland?" Her question didn't hide her gasp.
"You heard of it?" Liam asked intrigued.
"In my land, it was a children's tale about a boy who never grew up. He ran about the island with a fairy and a bunch of abandoned children. Are you saying it actually exists?" She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to come to terms with the information. There was no way that they were going to the same place.
"Well, Emma,"- Liam's voice broke her out of her thoughts- "we are about to see how much of you tale holds true."
Neverland was filled with jungle. The growth looked wild and the island uninhabited. The island itself was surrounded in darkness. The Jewel anchored near the shore. The men fixed the ropes to do maintenance on the ship. Emma shuddered at the feeling of electricity in the air. It attacked her senses, and the tingling sensation crawled up her arms.
"Are you alright, Emma?" She felt Killian's hand on her shoulder.
"There is something in the air that is attacking my veins." The feeling was ominous to her and it made her sick that she liked the feel of it.
"I feel there is magic here, but I don't understand how it's affecting you so strongly." His brow furrowed, and his eyes couldn't hide his worry.
All this talk made her a little mad that she forgot about the Jones brothers' stubbornness.
"Enough about me. Are you sure the two of you will be enough?" The thought of the two brothers venturing alone in that dark jungle scared her. There could be snakes and wild animals prowling about.
"We don't want too many casualties," Liam answered. She hated the fact that they were so noble sometimes. They were stupid to put themselves in danger.
"All the more reason to bring back up," she scolded, pleading for them to reconsider.
"I'm pretty sure we can handle it, Emma." Liam patted her back reassuringly. No amount of comfort was working to calm her nerves. This damn island was eating at her.
"Please, stay on the ship, the crew will protect you." Killian kissed her brow, and she fearfully watched Killian and Liam enter into the mouth of the jungle.
Hours passed by and Emma tried to patiently wait on the ship. Her attempts at stopping her nervousness failed miserably. Some of the crewmembers were busy watching her pace back and forth on the deck. Surely, if something happened to Killain, she would feel it, right? Their shared bond would alert her if he got hurt. She concentrated to see if she could feel anything, but it was oddly silent.
"Emma!" Killian yelled somewhere in the distance. Emma grabbed her cutlass and started running down the gangplank, ignoring the shouts of protests from the crewmen. No one was going to stop her from getting to her husband. Her heart searched for his presence. She ran for what seemed like miles until she ran into the brothers, literally.
"Emma, are you okay? I felt your distress and thought the worst." Killian held her at arms length and stared into her eyes, taking in her appearance.
"Killian! I heard you yell." She enveloped him in a hug before resting her head against his heart. "Thank goodness, you're alright,"she mumbled into his chest.
"Emma, Killian didn't call you." She saw Liam look at her before looking at his brother in concern. "If this is the case, then this island is worst than we feared."
Killian nodded in agreement and pulled Emma at arms length, both arms resting on each of her shoulders. She could see the seriousness and fear in his gaze.
"Love, please, wait for us at the ship. We don't know if there are other dangers. We were told it's another three-hour hike from here. It won't be much longer, love," he instructed.
"Promise me, you both will make it back safely," she pleaded. The thought of one of the brothers getting hurt would devastate her. They were the only family she had.
"I promise all three of us will make it out of here alive," Killian promised, voice filled with determination. If he said they would all get out, then she would have to trust his judgment. She reluctantly let go of his hand at his promise.
"Good," she said after his smile of assurance. For some reason, the word left a bad taste in her mouth as she walked away from them.
Emma had a bad feeling in her gut as she made her way down a hill. She couldn't place it, but there was a sense of foreboding around the island. She blew a lock of hair out of her eyes in frustration, feeling tired from the trek. She could see the Jewel in the distance.
"Not much further now," She muttered to herself as she approached the clearing.
A lone figure was leaning against a tree in her path. He was wearing green trousers and a matching shirt. She warily eyed him and decided to ignore him as she walked by. She wasn't in the mood for small talk.
The boy had other ideas. His green eyes lit up when he saw her. "You can't stay here. The person who brought you here had to pay a high price to defy time itself. Staying here will prevent you from carrying out your destiny."
She ignored his comment as she continued to walk, ducking just under a tree branch. "Who do you think you are, Peter Pan?" She muttered sarcastically, walking past him.
"I'm, actually," he affirmed, smiling devilishly at her. That stopped her dead in her tracks.
She eyed his appearance again, and she supposed he did look like the Disney rendition without the feathered cap. Still, she didn't buy it.
"The fuck you are. Do you expect me to believe you can fly and shit?" She turned around and decided to quit the conversation.
There was no way that the boy behind her was Peter Pan. She wasn't going to humor him. She continued to the ship.
"What-"She caught herself from swearing as the boy in front of her was casually leaning against a tree in her path. She looked from the spot he once occupied behind her to his current position, trying to figure out how he made it in front of her. He was smirking at her look of confusion.
"Says the girl who traveled back in time. Emma, do you still think that you ended up here on mere coincidence?"
"Wait, how do you know my name?" She asked angrily. Her angry facade was masking her fear. This boy seemed to know everything about her.
"Nothing is a secret to me on this island. You shouldn't be here," he answered, taking in her appearance.
"I am not leaving, Killian," she said. Ignore him, Emma. He's trying to get under your skin. She began to walk again until she heard him.
"I understand how this time magic works now. It's very unstable magic. Too many conditions must come into play in order for it work." That caught her interest.
"I don't understand." Despite her saying she didn't care how she got to this time, having someone know why she was here couldn't stop her curiosity.
"Sweet, Emma, some things are better left unsaid. The only thing you should know is that if you stay in this time, you will be in pain," he said with mock sadness. "The captain's brother is an idolizer. He follows his heart. You should see him right now, wallowing behind his brother's footsteps like a dog. He loves following in the shadow of his brother because without his brother, he is nothing. He will lie and abandon you like everyone else. He will always love his brother more. I will promise you he will lose his brother before the week is over. When that happens, well... it won't be pretty," he added darkly.
His words got under her skin. True, Killian loved his brother dearly. He wouldn't fall apart, for he had a strong soul. Killian isn't nothing! If something bad did happen, she trusted in their love to get them through the storm.
"If what you say is true, I will help him see the light!" She promised with determination.
"You think you can save him?" He laughed incredulously. "Suppose, you can't?" He held up a chain. A silver object dangled at the end.
She glared at the offered object until recognition dawned in her eyes. "Is that my whistle? How the hell did you get it?" She lunged for it, and he pulled the chain away from her.
"It doesn't matter. I see you don't believe me. There will be a period when everything you hold dear will fall apart. When everything becomes too much to bear, you will blow on the whistle and everything will get better."
He lightly tossed the object at her, and she had to lean her body forward to catch it. She looked at the object and saw the familiar fake silver paint chips that were on hers. There was no doubt that the whistle belonged to her.
Still, she refused to lose her resolve. "Do you know how crazy you sound? You stole my whistle, and you expect me to believe that Killian is going to make my life miserable? You are lying. " She glared at him.
"What reason do I have to lie?" He answered, pretending to be offended.
"What reason do you have tell the truth?" She shot back, then her eyes widened in understanding. "I know what you are trying to do. You're trying to get me to doubt his love for me. It won't work! I chose to see the best in him." This boy in front of her was a little shit, trying to cause discord and make her doubt her faith in her husband. Before she realized, her right fist made contact with his jaw.
He doubled back, his hand rubbing his jaw. "Oh, I like you. You have spunk." Pan genuinely laughed before his expression sobered. "Regardless, I want to give you a friendly warning. I would be an improper host if I didn't."
"Killian," she whispered, her head turned to his direction.
"Wait, you can sense him?" Pan's eyes grew wide in shock. "Well, the witch really screwed up," He mused before his head leaned towards hers conspiratorially. "but that will be my and your dirty little secret."
In the distance, Killian's yell of "Liam" could be heard. She felt extreme fear and despair flood her being.
"That's my cue. It was a pleasure meeting you," he said as he walked away. She heard the sound of his footsteps stop some feet from the entrance of the jungle.
"Oh, Emma." Her name caused her to turn her attention towards him. His back was facing her but his side-glance caught her eyes. "Remember, you will always be an orphan. You're alone, and you will remember my words when the time comes. There is one thing you must know when you do. Magic always comes with a price." He disappeared in the wind after his warning.
Peter Pan's or whoever's words still bothered her. She just wanted to get off this fucking island and be done with everything. Within the past few days, she had experienced too much magic and fairy tale characters than she could tolerate. The leaves rustled before her. Emma saw Killian and Liam break through the clearing. Out of relief and happiness, she ran down the gangplank to meet them on the shore. Their apparel looked a little torn from the brushes of the local fauna. The only thing that mattered was that they made it back to her alive.
"Killian and Liam, thank goodness you both are alright!" Emma said, enveloping them both in a hug. Her heart was starting to be relieved as she came to terms with the warm presence of the two men before her.
Splotches of red on Liam's sleeve caught her attention, causing her to pull back in concern. "Liam, you have blood on you."
"About that... we can discuss what happened on the ship. The sooner we get off this bloody island-the happier I will be," Killian answered, jaw clenched, walking swiftly past her. Whatever happened to Liam, Killian was angry. She felt hatred flood her being.
As they made their way to the ship, she found out that the king lied about the mission. The plant of interest was a deadly poison and not some magical cure to the world's problems. She understood why Killian was angry. His brother was fiercely loyal to the king. His blind loyalty almost got him killed because he failed to head the warning of Peter Pan. She would have laughed at the irony of a fairy tale character warning them if the situation wasn't so serious. Her eyes furrowed in concern as she watched the two brothers deciding their next course of action.
"The king will pay for his treachery..." Liam plotted.
Emma ignored the conversation because whatever they were planning was dangerous. If the brothers went against the king, Killian would keep her out of harms way. Time must have flown since they returned to the ship. Currently, they were in the middle of the ocean. Neverland's jungle was a green speck in the distance. Knock. The sound of knocking on wood got her attention. Shaking her head, her mind played it as a trick until she heard it again. Knock
Her eyes darted to the surface of the ocean. The surface adopted many colors and Emma noticed a polarized reflection. At first, the surfaced shimmered blue then green. Her senses weren't alerted that the colors were dangerous until she noticed a swarm of these colors. Eyes narrowing, she thought she saw fins.
Looking from the tail end, she could easily mistake the creature as a large fish, but as she looked further up she saw the bareback, which looked eerily similar to a human.
One of the humanoids popped out of the water. The creature had long brown hair, blue eyes, feminine appearance, and was wearing a bra made of shells. Holy fuck, she was staring at a mermaid.
"Um, Killian..." Emma began still staring at the mermaid school. More mermaids popped their heads out of the water, while the others circled the ship hitting the wood looking for any weaknesses. These mermaids were not sweet natured like Ariel in the Little Mermaid. They looked pissed and evil.
"Yes, love?" Her husband called behind her. She could hear his footsteps approaching her.
"In this realm, are mermaids good or bad?" She asked as she continued to watch the mermaids hit on the wood with their fists. Seriously, couldn't the other crewmembers hear the banging on the wood?
"Well, in history, they led sailors to their deaths." Well, the mermaids were determined alright- determined to kill them. "Why the sudden interest?" She could feel his concern.
"We may have a problem." She warned. The mermaids were talking to each other. From Emma's vantage point, she couldn't hear them, but from the devious glances in her direction, she could tell they were up to no good.
Killian's eyes widened as he saw the school of mermaids. "Men, Change course!" He ordered. The men scrambled to pull on the ropes of the sails to allow the ship to change the direction of the ship.
A peculiar object caught Emma's eye. She watched a mermaid pull out a conch shell. The mermaid blew on the shell and the ship rocked. Suddenly, a large tidal wave was heading towards the Jewel. Mermaids swam back to gain momentum and they rushed to attack the ship, trying to knock the ship over. Eventually, they gave up when the tidal wave got close. The wave washed the surface of the deck and caused many things to go overboard. Killian was holding onto the net of the mast whereas Emma was cradled against his chest. They held their breath as the boat capsized slightly, being bathed by the ocean's water. The remaining items that weren't secured on the ship fell into the ocean. A searing pain went through her head as it hit the mast. Through narrow slits, she could see the crew members stagger on the deck in a daze.
The scenery was spinning, her ears wringing- a sign of a concussion. In the distance, Emma saw a struggling figure hanging at the bowsprit. Narrowing her eyes, she could see wet curly hair. Her eyes went to the mast to find the captain, who was missing. If Liam was missing...her eyes returned to the bowsprit, removing Killian's arms from her body. "Liam!" She yelled, climbing down the ropes to the deck. Vertigo mas making nausea come at a full force. When her feet touched the ground, she started running towards his direction.
Heavy footsteps behind her, told her that Killian was following her. Liam's grip was slipping as the waves hit his back. The long wood he was holding became slick with water. Killian tied some rope to his waist and began climbing along the bowsprit to reach his brother.
"You need to turn the ship around, Killian," Liam commanded, exhaustion in his tone. His arms were shaking from the strain.
"Nonsense, brother. Grab hold of my hand." Killian's strength was wavering from the aftermath of the tidal wave. Killian held out a shaky hand to his brother.
"If you don't, everyone on this ship will die." Liam ignored the offered hand to stare at their new threat.
"Damn it, Liam. You aren't dying today," Killian choked, still holding his hand out. His voice was starting to break and he continued to climb. His advancement was thwarted when the rope would not reach.
"I want to say that I'm proud of the man you have become, Killian." Liam smiled fondly at Killian. He ignored the heartbreak in his brother's face by turning his gaze to Emma. "You're better than what I've wished for. Please, take care of him, Emma." Liam smiled at Emma sadly.
As they neared the cliff's edge, Liam gave a resigned nod, letting go of his support and falling into the water. "Liam!" Killian yelled, his voice in utter anguish. He and Emma watched in horror as Liam's body was swept swiftly to the edge by the current.
Next: Darkness Ascending