A/N: Hi, my lovely readers! Glad you guys liked the previous chapter, particularly Killian's flashback/child!Killian. I'm totally going to run with that idea before the show starts doing it. Then again, we have to wait 2+ more weeks for the next episode, so bah! (Not even sure they'll do a Hook flashback that far back in his past.) Well, in the meantime, you can read my OUAT stories. ;) Thank you for your reviews (I LOVE all of your feedback!) and for your support. Keep the love comin'! haha xx IFHD
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Chapter 11: Hookwinked
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Inspired by:
"The High Road"
By: Three Days Grace
I told you I was hurt
Bleeding on the inside
I told you I was lost
In the middle of my life
There's times I stayed alive for you
There's times I would've died for you
There's times it didn't matter at all
Will you help me find the right way up
Or let me take the wrong way down
Will you straighten me out
Or make me take the long way around
I took the low road in
I'll take the high road out
I'll do whatever it takes
To be the mistake you can't live without
Standing in the dark
I can see your shadow
You're the only light
That's breaking through the window
We'll I'm not gonna give it away
Not gonna let it go, just to wake up someday gone! Gone!
The worst part is looking back
And knowing that I was wrong
I'll do whatever it takes
To be the mistake you can't live without
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The expression on Emma's face instantly changed. No trace of mirth could be found upon her fair countenance; now, the coldness that she felt in her heart was entirely manifested. Her grip on the phone tightened. "I'll meet you at Granny's in a few minutes," she instructed curtly. "Wait for me inside."
"Okay," came Ruby's shaking voice. "I'm on my way."
Emma hung up. Her arms hung stiffly at her sides as her mind registered what could very well be happening. With her plans back in motion after a few moments, she stuffed the phone back in her jean pocket and hurriedly dressed herself. She needed to alleviate the pounding in her head. After a night of bliss and passion, this situation was definitely something she didn't expect to experience. Who was she kidding? she scoffed inwardly. This was her life in Storybrooke. Hell, it was the perpetual cycle that was her entire life.
Emma was sure that a million thoughts would careen through her mind as she made her way to the diner; but she was alarmed to realize that her mind went blank. Her thoughts seemed frozen somehow. Short-circuited. Perhaps it was too early in the morning to be thinking so much - about an apparent crisis, no less. Who could blame her? she mused. She barely had enough sleep after she had hooked up with...
...Hook.
Her grip on the steering wheel tightened.
She had always taught herself to never trust assumptions, to always have the evidence in front of you - analyzed and in its entirety - before making a true conclusion. Circumstantial evidence shouldn't be entirely trusted. And yet, her conscience was screaming the name of the culprit to her, even though she tried to conjure reasonable doubt. A part of her didn't want Hook to be guilty of the crime; but, as much as she hated it, her instincts screamed to her that he was responsible. With Hook's broken past and him becoming a pirate at the insistence of his father after what had happened to his mother, Emma surmised that revenge was in his blood from almost the very beginning. And revenge for his lost love, Milah, would most likely eat away at his very core until the day he died. Emma gritted her teeth. To her, the question now wasn't what Dr. Whale's antidote would do to Hook, but what it eventually allowed Hook to do to other people.
Emma briskly stepped out of her car and charged into the diner in an authoritative manner. Though keeping her composure, she ignored the curious stares of the establishment's patrons and headed straight for Ruby. The she-wolf gave her a quick embrace before leading her into the deserted kitchens.
"What exactly happened?" the Sheriff began as she crossed her arms.
"I was going to meet Belle earlier at the market, but then she didn't show. She's not answering her phone. She's not home..." Ruby frowned then and leaned back upon a metal countertop. "I'm not entirely sure what happened to her, but I got worried. Belle's never late for anything." A sigh escaped her red lips as she wrung her hands in front of her. "I couldn't find Gold at his shop, so I called you to see if you had seen her or if you knew where she was. I'm sorry if I'm just being paranoid."
"It's okay, Ruby. You did the right thing."
"We can go to the library and get something of hers. I can track her."
The blonde woman gave her head a curt shake. "I don't think you'll need to."
"What do you mean?"
Emma's face hardened even more. Her fists were tightly clenched at her sides. "Hook did this."
"What?" Ruby's head reared back. After the pirate had saved Emma, could he really be responsible for this? she thought. Though she had no other explanation nor did she know anyone with a motive, she queried, "Are you sure?"
Emma's chest constricted at the feeling that she was. Damn her instincts. It would make sense that Hook would use Belle to provoke Gold, she thought. And yet, she still held a glimmer of hope that she was wrong, that the pirate, somehow, had nothing to do with it. Perhaps Belle just merely forgot about her plans with Ruby and left her phone at home while she took a trip to the library. Perhaps she was just with Gold somewhere...
When she realized that none of the suppositions she played out in her head could be proved or disproved while standing around at Granny's, Emma's eyes connected with Ruby's. "That's what I'm going to find out."
Ruby nodded and looked at Emma eagerly. "Do you want me to come with you? We can round up a search party and..."
"No need for one." The Sheriff's face turned cold. "I think I already know where she is."
The two women stalked back through the establishment side by side. As Emma crossed the threshold of the exit, she turned on her heel and faced the she-wolf. "I'll deal with this myself for now. If there's any trouble, I'll call you right away." A hard look manifested itself in her blue eyes. "But Ruby, keep this between us for now, alright?"
"I will," she replied unsurely.
"If I'm right about this," Emma explained, her lips pressed into a thin line, "I don't want all hell breaking loose. We have enough to worry about already."
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Emma left her car parked in front of the diner and decided to go to the wharf on foot. She headed straight towards the pirate captain's ship, advancing forward as though she were being guided by an inner light. The feelings of disbelief and confusion about the situation gradually subsided within Emma; now, she seethed at the thought that Hook had done this - especially right after what they had experienced and what he had shared with her about his past.
Damn all of that now.
The sun had risen to its peak by the time she reached the docks. Her eyes darted around for any sign of life; still nothing, save for distant gulls squawking above her. From as far as she could see, everything seemed still and undisturbed. She drew even closer. Now, all she could hear the soft lapping of the massive pirate ship that she stood in front of. Emma traversed the docks and cautiously made her way atop the familiar, diagonal plank leading up to the main deck. She surveyed the forecastle deck and the main deck; no sign of movement yet. For a split second, she thought maybe she was wrong - that, the evidence that she had against Hook was all circumstantial. But she had to be sure; so, she pressed forward after a slight pause. As her feet touched the wooden planks of the main deck, that's when she saw her:
Belle.
Emma hated it when she was right sometimes. Suspicion quickly morphed into disappointment, and disappointment eventually transformed into anger once more. That son of a bitch! And to think that she would get crap from others about her trait of having difficulty trusting people! The fact truly remained for her now: don't trust anybody.
When the startled brunette caught her eye, Emma flew to her side, relieved to see that, from the outside, she seemed to be alright."Belle!" Emma analyzed the situation and perceived that the other woman's wrists were bound, with the other end of the rope tightly tied to the main mast.
"Emma?" came Belle's incredulous reply. Her heart-shaped face became awash with relief. "H-how did you find me?"
Emma didn't think that Belle had to know all the finer details that led her to this present deduction. "I had a feeling," was all she gave to the brunette as she loosened the bounds. She also didn't want the other woman to know that every beat of her heart was now wracked with a prickle of pain. Emma was thankful then that she had always been good at masking her emotions. "Come. Let's get you out of here."
The ropes thudded to the ground and Belle reclaimed the use of her hands.
"I'm afraid I can't let you take her."
The two women jumped at the sound of Hook's steady voice.
The hairs upon Emma's nape bristled.
For a few, tense moments, Emma and Hook faced one another in a stand-off. Neither backed down from their position, each keeping their dark stare locked at the other. A part of Emma just wanted to lash out at him for what he had done, to pummel him with all of her might. Yet, she somehow managed to remain calm and collected; at least, for the time being. It was she who dared break the eerie silence first. "I am taking her, and you're coming with me as well."
Hook sauntered forward, opening his arms wide as though ready to bask in the challenge. "And what exactly are you going to do with me, Sheriff Swan? Lock me up in that little cell of yours?"
The cocky pirate had a bloody point. Emma clenched her teeth; as he exuded all the confidence in this world in his demeanour, she refused to show him any sign of weakness. Most importantly, she refused to let him get into her head. "I'll let the entire town decide what to do with you," she spat eventually. Emma turned her back on the pirate for a brief moment to hook her arm around Belle and help her to her feet.
"Oh, is that right?"
Belle's eyes widened. Her stare was transfixed to something behind Emma's shoulder.
Emma's gaze followed the brunette's line of sight.
Hook was steadily advancing towards her, holding a sword before him. There wasn't even an ounce of fear evident in Emma's eyes as the weapon drew closer to her body. Instead, she held her ground and kept her chin held high. "What, you're going to run me through?" She just couldn't help but call out the pirate's bluff. His games were becoming old. "Go ahead, because I'll risk myself to do what's right. To do what is good."
The pirate's lips twitched, though he kept his sword aimed at Emma. "Well, I know that you'd prefer that I use something else of mine to penetrate you..."
Emma audibly growled. Belle's eyes went wide with surprise.
"...but know, Swan, that I do not mean to harm the girl," he stated then, jaw taut, "just her lover." The Dark One had bested him numerous times, and every single time that he lost, he barely found a weakness. Now that he did, he couldn't help but take advantage of it. Frankly, Hook was surprised that he hadn't thought about this plan earlier. The irony that Emma had given him the inspiration wasn't lost on him.
"You already harmed her when you kidnapped her," Emma stated with flaming eyes.
Hook remained silent, merely observing her. He was careful not to allow his emotions to seep through his expressions.
When he refused to relent, Emma continued her tirade with, "Sooner or later, Gold will find out what you've done. And when he comes after you, Hook, I won't ask him not to kill you a second time."
"Now, you're just forgetting one little detail." The smoothness in the pirate's tone returned, along with a satisfied smirk on his face. "I don't need you to do anything for me, Swan."
Emma clenched her teeth. When she found the opportune moment, she stepped back with urgency and drew out her gun in a swift motion. Hook halted his advances and peered at the tiny cannon pointed right at his heart. "That's fine," Emma replied in the same, lighthearted tone that he had used on her. "I'm done with you anyway."
At the sight of the barrel a mere few meters from him, Hook held his arms up. His jaw remained taut, and his eyes burned with anger.
Finding an opening, Emma instructed Belle to make a run for it. The brunette didn't waste another moment; she fled down the plank, with Emma close behind, backing away slowly. She kept her shaking gun pointed at Hook, her eyes never leaving his. Emotions quickly muddled her thoughts. She hissed in a scathing tone, "You deal with your issues on your own, Hook. Leave us - all of us - out of it."
Emma sincerely hoped that he would comply with her latter request because, damn it to hell, she didn't want to pull the trigger. However, she reminded herself that, even if she didn't want to pull the trigger, that didn't mean that she couldn't.
And she would, should the need arise.
The tense moment lingered. Eventually, the scowl on the pirate's face slightly receded. His lips pursed, as though inwardly cursing to himself. He said hoarsely, "Emma..." And that was when she saw it - the pleading glint of his eyes. The tell-tale sign that his resolve was waning. "Emma, this isn't about you. Or us."
Emma briefly considered his words . "You're right, Hook. It isn't." But that was a lie, and she knew it. She knew that it had something to do with the two of them, at least. What came to her mind was the tattoo upon his arm, which had become visible when he raised his arms up in surrender. Hook couldn't let Milah go - he was still out for revenge, to complete what he had come here to do. She was just caught in the crossfire.
Collateral damage.
Emma's heart constricted. He hasn't moved on, hasn't healed, as much as she thought - or hoped - that he had. The pirate was still holding on to his past, and he wasn't willing to let go - despite everything that they had gone through. Emma inwardly snorted then; what had they gone through, exactly? She took a quick inventory of their short time together. Flirty glances, bawdy speeches, a quest for a compass, and one night of passion.
Theirs wasn't exactly a candidate for 'romance of the century', she concluded.
And then she remembered: he had saved her life by putting his own on the line. No matter what he had done in the past, and no matter what he was doing now, it remained that, during one point in time, that one act of kindness occurred.
But could it trump everything else?
As he scrutinized her, Emma placed on a brave face and finished with, "It's about you."
Without another word, the young woman turned her back on the pirate and bolted down the harbour.