Chapter three!

Lots of new followers and favorites! Thank you all! I'm glad you're all enjoying this story. I hope you feel a little bit intrigued, because the story seems to be growing, hee hee. I watched ouat last night and absolutely HATED that evil green Zelena, didn't you? Anyway I will be doing part 4 tonight so you lot can read it tomorrow night, no problem

And please do comment if you have anything to say

It had become a ritual; every morning, at eight, Emma would sweep past Granny's for her morning Latte which she could not do without. She'd sit for five to ten minutes, keeping an eye on Mary Margaret who seemed to believe she fooled the world by casually being in the diner at around the same hour as David Nolan, a married guy whom she had a major crush on and simply didn't seem to be able to do without. Emma would chuckle, leave a few pennies at the bar for a tip, then walk the two block distance to the newsagents. She'd buy the newspaper of the day, say hello to the nice old lady who sold them, then continue walking through the chilly, drizzly town of Storybrooke, smiling and nodding to the commonly sound of "G'morning, Sheriff!". She'd reach for her keys in her back pocket and open the main entrance to the precinct, let herself in, place her hot brew on the desk and hang her scarf on the wall hanger by the door to the cells.

She'd then settle to sort out paperwork…. Or rather, pretend to be sorting out paperwork, if for her own amusement only. Not much ever happened in Storybrooke; not since Graham had passed, leaving her in charge. Sure, you did get the occasional mine exploding, or the random wolf that shouldn't be there at all… but hey, weird shit happens everywhere, she'd reason, and she'd just get on with it.

That morning was a little bit different.

"There you are!" Came the happy, chirpy voice from the door.

Emma turned sharply and wide eyed at the sound of her son's voice. "Henry!" She smiled and reached out for him. "What are you doing here? Regina will eat my liver if she finds out you're here!"

"She can't touch you… you're the savior!" He affirmed, clenching his ever-present story book to his chest. "No one can beat the savior, not even the Evil Queen…"

Emma frowned and sighed. "Seriously, kid, you have to stop saying those things, people could get really hurt, you know that?"

Henry looked stung. "But… I thought you said you believed me!"

Remembering the words of Archie, the therapist, who had warned her against going against her son's fantasies, Emma sighed and placed two strands of hair behind her ears. "I do, kid, I do, but you might want to stop labeling people, I mean, if they don't remember who they are, how do you suppose it would make them feel if you told them that they are, say… a dragon?"

"Oh that was Maleficent… and nobody knows where she is." He nodded with a grin.

"Maleficent… fine." She huffed patiently and stood up. "Listen, I'm gonna get you to school, things are tough enough as they are, with your mom not wanting us to hang out…"

"School? Emma, school is completely irrelevant when there's a town to save! Look!" He opened his book and flipped through the pages. "We're gonna get swarmed by pirates!"

"Pirates…" Emma grinned and looked at the pages of her son's book. "Like, buccaneer, swashbuckling, eye-patched and wooden-legged pirates?"

"The very kind."

Emma chuckled. "And just where will these… 'pirates' be coming from?"

"The sea, Emma…" He rolled his eyes. "I'm eleven and even I know that."

"Ok, all right!" She laughed. "When can we expect the dastardly visitation?"

He nodded. "Very soon. We might have to find and recruit our very own pirate."

"Ah, so we have a pirate in town too, I see…" She sat back down. "And who is he?"

Henry shook his head. "I don't know yet. Storybrooke has thousands of characters scattered around. But I do know you have to be looking for someone with a hook for hand…"

Emma frowned and felt ever so slightly breathless. "A hook?"

"Yeah. Our pirate is Captain Hook." He wrinkled his nose. "He's not your usual Disney character with a perm, Emma…. Says here that he is in fact… mmhh…" he looked through the pages. "Ah! Here, it says, 'Hook was young, ravishing, charming and the finest gentleman the world of piracy had ever seen, the handsomest and most desired bachelor in all the seven seas; all who knew him and befriended him spoke of the man as a delightful story teller, a player, a cad, a drinker with a taste for rum and dice games and a ladies man who needed only but to smile to have the world at his feet; he was also the most ruthless, cutthroat pirate of all the realms and the very mention of his name elicited fear in the eyes of those who had crossed him wrongly, for in his heart he bore an unhealed scar, a scar of a love ripped from his yearning hands. He searched for revenge and was not one to stop until it was found and his thirst for the blood, lost by the death of his love, was sated; all and any who came in his way, were guaranteed to die a most horrible death at the walk of the plank of his ship, the Jolly Roger, or gutted by the sharpened curve of the hook he used after the loss of his left han. He was loved by many… but feared by all.'" Henry looked up at Emma. "Who do you think would fit the mold, Emma?"

It was an ironic coincidence; it had to be. Even if the one character she had in mind would probably not go as far as gutting someone.

"I don't know, kid." She smiled. "It'll take some time for us to figure it out. How long do we have before we get swarmed? And who will be the bad boy taking over the town?"

"Oh, it says here…." He flicked through pages again. "There it is… Long John Silver."

"Treasure Island's Long John Silver?" She raised a brow. "Great. What treasure could he be looking for?"

"You." He nodded with a grin.

Emma laughed aloud. "OK, me… why me?"

"Because… you're the savior. And in his mind, the savior is a threat. You represent all that is good in people, Emma. Bad people fear you. But if we can get Captain Hook on our side…"

"Listen, kid, I don't mean to burst your bubble here, but where on earth are we supposed to find this Captain Hook?"

"Look." He pointed at an illustration. "He should kind of look like this…"

Emma really didn't believe any of the stuff Henry told her regarding his Fairy Tale delusions; but this time she was eerily surprised. The Pirate Captain in the illustration was depicted in a sword-to-sword lock with Long John Silver. He was dressed in glorious black, had short, black hair, messy and unevenly cropped, tall boots and a long, black leather raincoat… and he looked every bit like Devlin Kragen. She was unable to keep the surprise from showing all over her face.

"You know him!" Henry smiled. "Great! We need to make him our ally!"

Emma shook her head and sighed deep, regaining her cool. "Ok, sure, we'll do just that, but for now, sir, you get your ass to school before your mom… turns me into a toad or something…"

"A toad?" Henry raised one eyebrow and chuckled. "You'd be lucky. Just be sure you don't wind up eating anything of hers. Especially her apples. You know how the story goes." He grabbed his book and placed it under his arm. "I'll see if I can sneak out again after school, ok?"

"Henry!" She stopped him. "Do you think I could… borrow… that book for a few hours?"

The little boy smiled from ear to ear. "Sure. You need to study your strategy. I totally get it!" And after once again placing the book on the desk, he was gone.

This was a lot more entertaining than paperwork.

Emma had seen a few really strange things happen in Storybrooke; shortly before Graham's death, he had rambled about the wolf in town… and she hadn't believed him until she saw it. Then there was the whole thing about people having weird accidents when trying to cross the town line; the uncanny dejavu, the clock that hadn't started ticking until she had come into town… But from there to saying that everyone in town was a Fairy Tale character? That Mary Margaret, her roommate, was her mom? And that she was some sort of Savior with enough internal energy to put Yoda to shame? That was another story.

But then, he did look uncannily like Devlin. She read the text. "In defense of his new love, Killian 'Hook' Jones was even fiercer than his own nature. Fueled by love, he was capable of moving the world, and only the words uttered by his princess would sate him and settle him. He was hers, entirely…" She looked up and grinned. "Killian… what a beautiful name…"

A tapping on the door caught her attention, pulling her away from the fairy tale fantasy; she walked over and was stunned to find the local grouch, Leroy, carrying a massive bouquet of white and mauve lilies.

"What the hell is this?" She sneered.

"They're yours, sister…" he growled. "I just picked them up from the Florist's. They're damn heavy, can I come in?"

"Well, yeah…" She stood aside and stared in utter shock as the bearded Leroy made his way into the office and left, huffing and growling, as soon as he had placed them on her desk.

Emma frowned as she stepped closer to the massive floral bouquet. They were beyond beautiful and for a woman who had never gotten flowers from anyone, it was indeed a nice surprise. A grin traced her lips as she picked up the tiny card attached, and read it:

"To the brightest star in all of Storybrooke: I miss you, Swan. You have become the leading muse to my new song and I would be honored if you would come to hear it played live for the first time, this Friday night, at The Rabbit Hole. You'll find a ticket attached. Hope and pray you'll come. Yours in Piracy and debauchery, Dev., aka, Hook."

Emma licked her upper lip and giggled. Yours in piracy and debauchery, he had said.

Maybe she could have settled for 'yours', only.

She shook the ludicrous thought and placed the flowers on the opposite desk, thinking it would give Ruby one hell of a thrill to hear the newest development. Maybe Ruby could give her an idea what to wear to the gig on Friday again.

…

Daggerball and Deadweight McKeen were boozing it up while Smee cleaned up the floor of the rehearsal room. They were pretty used to their vocalist being late for rehearsals, but this time he had flat out not shown at all. Somethimes they referred to him and Devlin Diva; he certainly could act like one. But all the same, he was still their Captain and they knew their band didn't stand a chance without his talent and, why not, his entire appearance, which seemed to make the girls want him and the guys to BE like him. He had a swagger that was fairly unique and the way he wore eyeliner made more than one woman jealous, mainly because it looked better on him than it did on most girls. So they usually put up with his BS, only this time it had taken a mile too far off a leg.

He eventually did show his face; but he looked like he had been dragged across a field of rocks. He was not even dressed in anything that looked remotely like his vamped, captain Hook style, but wore a plain purple t-shirt and jens and had the appearance of one who has spent a night crying.

The lads didn't dare ask… but Smee was pretty bold. "Aye Cap'n, what the hell happened to you? You look a wreck!"

Devlin turned two sad blue eyes to him. "Never mind, Smee…" He reached for his guitar and strapped it over his shoulder. "Let's just get this over and done with…"

"Dev… for fuck's sake!" Smee insisted. "We've been here for like three hours waiting for you and you come in and act like the world owes you something?"

"The world does owe me, Smee…" He fixed his hair with both hands, guitar pick in his teeth. "Now, question me once more… and face the consequences."

That was usually all it took to remind the lads who the leader was.

They plunged through the rehearsal, but Devlin found it hard to focus. He was out of tune more than once, busted a string and forgot more than one lyric. He was just not ship shape this evening and after only one hour he ended the misery early by dumping the guitar on the floor and unceremoniously leaving with a mere "Can't do this… see you tomorrow, lads…"

He left the rehearsal room at the back of the dock and walked through the streets, hands in his pockets. He stopped to light a cigarette and continued pacing from the docks and into the town center. He managed to find his way to a bar and paid for a whole bottle of rum, which he miserably began to swig back until he was, once again, absolutely legless. Only now he refused to be jailed by Emma; he never again wanted to have her see him in such dreadful shape.

He continued his pacing through alleys and streets, singing his own hits under the shelter of the dark, until he was stopped by meager figure with a walking stick.

"You should be rehearsing now, Kragen…" Came Gold's chilled voice.

Devlin chuckled and closed his eyes before turning his face to his manager. "You really are a heartless prick, you know that, mate?"

"Heartless is what one becomes when one's heart gets ripped out of his chest, Devlin." He walked to the drunken guitarist. "I suppose we share that particular emotion. However…" He stood face to face with the handsome rocker. "I don't go about it sulking like a beggar on the streets about things that went on in my past."

"Of course not." Devlin grinned sarcastically. "Because your shit don't stink mate, does it? Why, you have the very power to make the life of a woman, a bright, beautiful, smart and charming woman, a living hell, till she seeks refuge in another man's love, and when she does… you let her perish." He chuckled. "Your feet don't touch the bloody ground…"

"That may be, Devlin…" Gold grinned. "But the fact of the matter is, I did wind up paying for her hospital bills while she was already living with you. It should not have been my task, but yet, I had a little bit of hope… But then, she looks at you, touches your dirty face and says, "I love you…" ever so softly…. Well…" He shrugged. "A man can snap. So, I refused to pay any further…" he stood face to face with Devlin. "Why, on top of being made a fool of, I was going to finance your affair with MY wife? I was to see her live to love you instead of the man she married? WE HAD A SON, Kragen, and you broke up our family for your own selfish relishment!" He paced around. "I find it more than fitting that you should pay your debts to me for as long as I consider it…" he flicked his fingers upward. "…well, appropriate. You and your band… you are making quite a bit of progress. But you know you'll never get out of Storybrooke…"

Devlin began to break; his lower lip quivered and he closed his eyes before they started to well up. He spoke in a shaky voice. "Not even … for the memory of the love you ONCE had with her… are you willing to let me be this night?"

Mr. Gold chuckled. "The night that marks a year of her passing? Why, I should be celebrating, friend! I will leave the moping to you, you seem to have that covered."

"Son of a bitch…" Devlin hissed as he tried to jump to Mr. Gold's neck. But small as he may have been, Mr. Gold packed quite a punch and seemed to knock Devlin back, sending him crashing into a pile of empty boxes. He then placed his cane on Devlin's throat while the young musician gritted his teeth. "Now pay attention: You will now go to Granny's get a cup of coffee and then go to your rehearsals… we have a good gig booked at the Rabbit Hole this riday and your lovely sheriff will be attending…"

"Emma?" Devlin frowned. "But I haven't…"

"Of course you haven't you bumbling fool… I have. She received some lovely lilies this morning, sent by YOU. And you WILL say you sent them. You will see to her every move up close, Killian Jones…"

Devlin sneered. "Wha… who the Fuck is Killian Jones, mate?"

Mr. Gold Hesitated. "Never mind that. You will be close to her, and tell me of her every move. I want to keep an eye on that one."

Devlin laughed. "And you think I will be your personal spy, do you? My debt to you is monetary, mate."

"You will do this…" Gold hissed back. "Or you will not even want to play music any more…"

He removed the cane from Devlin's throat and stood straight. "Now… off you go. The lads are still there."

Devlin had damn near sobered up entirely. He stood and staggered as he tried to find his footing. "One day…" He moaned as he rubbed his neck. "One day I will be able to look you in the eye… and finish you, alligator." He whined. "Mark well what I did say now…"

"I quiver…" Gold smiled cynically. "Now, go…"

Devlin could have sworn the man nearly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He reached into his pocket and produced his mobile, looking for a photograph of he and Milah in his little house boat. Humble… old… but happier than he'd ever been. She smiled in the photograph, her hair long and brown and dangling like a sail by her breasts.

He sighed hard, kissed the photograph and turned his dour blue eyed stare to the road ahead. He joined the band once more, but only to drink more and more, until he was unconscious.

He slept in the rehearsal room that night, hating his luck and hating his new assignment. He liked Emma, he really did. She was probably the only breath of fresh air he had had in the last year… or ever. And as the rum finally took a complete hold of his consciousness, four words left his lips: "I won't do it."