Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT.
Summary: Emma had never met someone as infuriating as the captain of the Jolly Roger in her 28 years of being a talented thief. When he requires her help to find a dagger to "skin" the Dark One as he likes to say, what she's really agreeing to is late night fights, breaking her walls, falling in love, oh, and winning the war with her parents she knew nothing about. Emma Swan doesn't know what she should be mad about. How about that coin purse he tried to steal that started this whole thing….
Warnings: This is AU. There is no Curse. Hook returns to the Enchanted Forest from Neverland when Emma is 28. Emma is still an orphan. Reasons being that I prefer her to have that lost boy/lost girl connection with Hook. Henry does exist and will be explained for as the story progresses.
A/N: HAPPY SUNDAY! You guys are awesome! This is a Hook centric chapter, this will be happening often as we progress farther from Rumplestiltskin's castle, with that being said, some chapters will be shorter than my first few (I've been trying to keep them at a regular range of words per chapter but it's proving to be a little bit more difficult than I thought). Keep in mind that my version of Hook is a little rougher around the edge. He's can still be a "gentleman" but with Emma well… would you like being smashed on the head with a bottle? Anyway, onward!
Question(s):
JustWriter2 - Will Hook feel honourbound to tend to Emma when he discovers that she was injured defying him or is it too early for that? Will Killian eventually become best buds with Charming after the obligatory crowbar incident, probably for imprisoning him, and a mission to save Henry instead of killing his crocodile? Regina will probably steal him at first because of her petty hatred of Snow and then grow to love him even after finding out that he's Emma's.
I have much in store for that injury as well as others. Let's just say Emma will be feeling and receiving a lot of pain on that side of her body for a good portion of the story. Hook will respond to it as any man would who believes in superstitions. And this is the Enchanted Forest so… it's almost mandatory to believe in superstitions. As for Hook and Charming, I'm not that far into my chapter line up and planning, while I do like their relationship I'm not sure how I plan for them to meet other than Hook behind bars haha. I also plan for plenty of bonding moments between Hook and Henry. Regina of course will play her part in causing more havoc and helping out with the plot. You'll understand as you read more, especially within next chapter.
And as for your P.S.'s dear, I love your theories for the show! Hopefully some of them will be answered tonight! YAY SUNDAY!
Please don't forget to leave a review! They're cookies for me!
It took Smee a bit of time to find a courier that freely brought messages to the thieves and back. They blended so well with the other villagers but trust Smee's deft ears to find one. And once he did, well close to dusk, he informed his captain. Now, Hook followed the man as swiftly, and silently, as he could.
It was well after the sun had sunk below the horizon, and the path was indeed well hidden. The courier turned so quickly in an area shaded by trees and shrubbery that Hook would've missed it if he blinked. Underneath his black cloak, Hook trailed after the man, being mindful that they were walking through foliage—he could make a sound or lose sight very easily. But Hook had confidence in himself to complete this task. As for his crew well… that's why he was here and none of them were. The only other possible man for the job was sly Mr. Smee but seeing as they were going up a mountain, Smee would either lose sight, his footing, or his breath.
They walked for some time. The moon was glowing bright tonight, even with the clouds bustling in front of it. It was serene he had to admit, and, when he heard hooves, spotted a small group of glowing creatures that resembled horses, Hook knew they were getting closer. The Dark One was a collector, and he kept things rare and valuable close to him.
The courier stopped, Hook hid behind a thicker tree. There were three sharp clacking sound, and when a small light was procured, he figure they were close enough to the entrance that it was safe to pull out a touch at this dark hour. The light moved and he resumed his trailing.
The courier made one last turn, into an odd arrangement of stone that Hook would not have thought much of unless he had seen what he saw. By the way the stones were standing—huddled, enclosed, and growing smaller in size as they crept to the ground until there were no more stones—it looked very much like it would lead somewhere.
Hook placed his hand over his belt of daggers, waiting a few moments before stepping towards the secret entrance. He almost smiled gleefully when a sword was thrust out, into the light and under his chin. Hook raised his hand slowly and stepped back as the blade forced him to retrace his steps.
"Other hand, lad," the face stayed hidden in the shadows of the stones. There was an orange glow behind him, from the torches no doubt. It forced the man to become a shadow. Hook could spot other shadows dancing in the duller light and smiled this time to be a bit friendlier.
"I'd be glad to but unfortunately, I don't have that one anymore, mate," Hook brushed his tongue against his lip and chuckled.
"Who and what are you?" the voice was rough, old and wizened but still just as powerful as Hook's younger bones.
"Well, I most certainly can assure you that I am but a man." Hook nodded his head, the hood of the cloak slipping off, and took another step back as the tip of the sword grazed his throat.
"Didn't tell me who you are, boy." He almost wanted to clobber the man for that statement but given that he had been frozen at the age of twenty-nine for over three hundred years Hook understood his perception.
"Killian Jones." He offered, with a slight bow of his head. "May I ask for your name, sir?"
The man ignored his request. "Jones… I had just finished reading your letter. Couldn't be patient enough?" the sword was brought down just a touch.
"In this world we're all still slaves to time, my good sir. Tick-tock as they say."
The sword went down entirely; it went back to its scabbard. "Indeed. You wouldn't mind if we followed a few precautions, do you?"
Hook didn't have time to answer as men of all sizes with all sorts of nasty weapons leapt from trees. Those hiding behind the stone rushed forward, stripping weapons from his body. One reached for his left arm and he hissed to the man. "I wouldn't grab that one, mate, might make me do things I'll regret."
"I thought you were missing a hand?" The man came forth into the light, his blonde hair peppered with gray. Wrinkles around the corners of his eyes and mouth deepened as he smiled at Hook.
"Oh, I am. However," his left arm pushed the cloak away, and the hook gleamed in the moonlight. He watched with glee as several men quickly took a step back some raising weapons. He smirked at the one who unknowingly made a grab for his hook.
The man's blue eyes sparked in recognition and he stared down at Hook from his perch on the higher ground. Hook smirked, both his hand and hook now in the air. The man nodded his head. "You'll excuse me if I hold onto your belongings until we have reached the inside of our home, captain?"
"Of course. A wise move," hook complimented. "Robin of Locksley, I presume?"
The man nodded his head again and smiled his way. "Occasionally referred as Prince of Thieves, yes. Well, this should be a lovely gathering."
"My thoughts exactly, mate," Hook put his arms down and followed Robin through the entrance. He listened to the scurry outside—the men were returning to their hiding spots. "I must say, I've snuck past several guards of castles, hideouts, and whatnot. Hardly do I ever come across an opportunity where I can't spot a well hidden guardsman." They were traveling in a dank, dirt tunnel, cobblestones scattered throughout the walls as if to hold the earth from falling. But when he ran he fingers against the wall, he felt a familiar sensation and saw the smallest shimmer of purple light. The tunnel was enchanted; it was an escape route without fear of it caving in. The thieves doing or Rumplestiltskin? Hook almost snorted at the latter—the crocodile could just use his dark magic to vanish and reappear somewhere else. This meant these particular thieves were friends with some magical people.
Robin turned his head slightly as he responded to Hook, "We've had plenty of practice with retrieving our men and innocents from the Evil Queen's cells. It's part of who we are. Never be seen on the job. You understand, I'm sure?"
"Aye, a bloody shame that my crew doesn't." Robin laughed and waved aside a large man who guarded the iron doors. The man looked at Hook before nodding and turning to unlock—but to Hook's ears it sounded like he was picking it—the door.
They entered a lower room in the castle, just as dank as the tunnel and lit with only one large torch light. The men following behind Hook placed his belongings on a table, and then moved to the other side to keep a close eye on him. They all but vanished in the shadows. Hook chuckled, grinning a wolf's grin—full of teeth. "Wary crowd." He collected his belongings.
"Yes," Robin laughed and opened the door the led upstairs. "You understand with your reputation?"
"Aye," Hook slipped his sword back into is scabbard and inclined his head, "that I do."
Together, they walked up many stairs that Hook joked to himself of the crocodile's old limp, as Robin opened one last door and they entered the grand hall. He acquired a castle with ridiculous amounts of stairs. Most likely he had never actually used them.
The place was drafty, destructed from the first sacking he assumed. Boards were put up to cover the broken glass of windows, curtains were torn, dusty, smelled of mold, tables were over turned, and bookcases knocked over. Where several paintings should've been was the darker discoloration, the paintings were possibly sold or fenced, which ever. Hook sniffed and could smell the fresh food, could hear the merriment of Robin's men in the dining hall. He looked to Robin who started to travel up more stairs.
"How long ago since you have sacked this castle?" Hook asked, skipping a few steps with his long legs to walk along side Robin.
The thief shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the high vaulted ceiling. "Years. Probably when my lad Roland was only seven. Almost twenty-three years."
Hook snorted. "Sorry for my lack of restraint but why is this castle still a mess?"
Robin smiled. "Why give anyone any reason to walk into a deserted castle full of lost treasures?" the thief winked at him. "A bright, clean castle will always draw unwanted attention. Dirty, empty, dusty ones only draw the attention of curious scholars, but the sight of us has them running away with their tail between their legs. We've made improvements, of course. Tunnels, traps, used advantages of the secret passages the Dark One placed inside the castle. But, to ward off others from entering, we didn't bother making the castle more homely than it needed to be. My thieves are addicted to gold for means of minimal survival. We steal for the poor."
Hook shook his head, "Such a waste."
"Not really, captain, I'm sure you've witnessed the loyalty we've developed because of it," there was a twinkle in the thief's eye. Robin opened a door to their left and beckoned him in. "After you."
Hook nodded and entered what must have been the largest library he had every stepped into. There were numerous ladders and scattered sheets of paper. The books were dusty as well but several of them looked like they were used recently. He walked to the right where the window was, and in the moonlight he had his favorite view of the sea again.
"Though mad, you have to admit the man did have a proper appetite. This is only one of five libraries within the castle. Never would have believed that there were this many books in this realm."
"He had an insatiable hunger for power yes…" Hook hummed, eyeing the strong wind in the flags. He smiled as his superstitious beliefs screamed of change.
"Also for intelligence. Information. You and I both know the importance of such. Care for that drink you, ah, invited yourself to?"
Hook looked over his shoulder and eyed the jeweled goblet being handed to him. He nodded his thanks and drank it. It was aged wine. Too sweet for his tastes but it was proper and necessary to accept his host's hospitable gestures.
"So, Captain Hook," Robin leaned against a desk cluttered with maps, parchment, and quills, and sipped at his wine. "What would a man such as yourself be looking for in the depths of the Dark One's castle?"
Straight to business. He liked this Robin. Hook swung his left arm in a half circle. "There is a weapon I'm in search for. A weapon I need to proceed with my revenge."
"Revenge for…" Robin waved his hand to his hook. The pirate nodded with a dark smile on his lips, he shook his hook in Robin's direction in a non-threatening way.
"Oh, this old thing. It's only part of it. If I may be honest, I must thank the man who took my left hand. Gave me quite an edge." Robin nodded his head and resumed to listening. "It's a dagger I'm in search for. A dagger which Rumplestiltskin draws his power from."
He watched the thief freeze in his movements. Hook kept his emotions in check. It was too early to assess the reasons for his action and Hook continued on, "I hoped to find it here, if not, then at least clues that would lead me to it. I had heard from my first mate that for the past years, you lot have been selling the items within the castle?"
"We have. Mostly things that were better off fenced than traded. What with the items being in Rumplestiltskin's possession previously." Robin folded his arms over his chest. "Rumors of items being cursed and all. However, we never came across any sort of dagger that seemed to be of any importance. What other purpose is there of this dagger?" Hook took a few steps in Robin's direction, lowering his voice to demonic levels.
"To empower the Dark One. As well as control him. But what I'm interested in," Hook licked his lips as he felt his heart pick up the pace in realizing how much closer he was to his revenge. After years of searching, fighting lost boys, mermaids, nightmares, and controlled shadows, he was finally here, with an anchor latched solidly into his purpose. "Is killing that crocodile."
Robin inhaled. They stared at each other. A stalemate. Hook doubted Robin knew the exact location, but this conversation was enough to prove Smee's point that the Dark One's dagger would not be within the castle.
"Not a safe ground to tread upon, Captain Hook."
"My dear thieving friend, I'm under the impression that the crocodile is now imprisoned. For good."
Robin nodded his head, keeping his eyes on Hook. "Yes, he is. Let us leave him in there to rot."
"Oooh," Hook his head and turned away, feeling the eyes burn into his back, "If you know anything about Rumplestiltskin, the man will not rot nor die within that cell. He will outlive all of us, and our children, and children's children, unless he is killed."
"Why should you be given that privilege?"
Hook spun around to face him, the tail of his coat spinning alongside him for an effect. "I already mentioned why, mate. I would love to have my revenge."
Robin sighed and moved from his position on the desk. He rubbed his beard and continued to watch his guest. Hook smirked. "There are many who would love to have their own revenge on the Dark One."
"Oh, I'll believe that. But I've been waiting for over three hundred years for mine. I believe I deserve first hand in his blood."
Robin's lips parted as he took in the new information. His hand moved to his belt, where many daggers and a short sword rested. Hook's eyebrows quirked up. "I thought…"
He held up his hand "Oh, I'm still very much a man. I just took a route to a realm that allowed me to never grow old. Now. Do you know anything of his dagger?"
The thief inhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "I know nothing of it." Hook clicked his tongue. "And even if I did, I would not give you such information."
Anger jolted through Hook, but then he reminded himself that Robin held no useful details for him anyway. The statement mattered not. He stared at him harder before he came to a conclusion that Robin wasn't lying to him of being oblivious to the dagger's location. He circled towards Robin who took a few steps away from him. "You would allow that creature to live? After all the lives he took…"
Hook glanced at the desk. There were several letters, some un-named and some addressed, others with royal seals of a single flower stamped close. There were maps, all marked and circled. Several he knew were refuge locations. Others, tailed by solid or dashed lines were a mystery. He almost smiled. Treasure hunting?
"Rumplestiltskin had his moments. My son is alive because of that man," Robin glared at him. "I am indebted to the Dark One. And before you say anything, I made no deal with him. He spared my life on the words of his True Love."
Hook's inside went cold. "True Love?" he barked, "Robin, do not jest with me."
"'Tis true. Someone saw him past the darkness, cared for him, was privy to the secrets of the man he once was. She was the breath of hope for everyone when word got out. We had all hoped that at last, the Dark One's rampant would be put to rest. There were even rumors that when she kissed him with True Love's kiss he started to return to the man he used to be. Magic null and whatnot." Robin turned and placed his other hand on his hip, starting a very slow walk. "Of course, she never lived long enough to right him."
"She died?"
Robin nodded, closed his eyes, and kissed a crossed necklace he pulled from his shirt. "Her name was Belle, she was why I was able to return to my pregnant wife. Belle begged Rumplestiltskin to spare my life when she saw her. I meant to pay her my respects and wish her the best of luck. However, upon opening the door, the Dark One stared at me with the eyes of a broken man who'd lost everything. I didn't need to know what happened to Belle."
"Perhaps he killed her," Hook said darkly. Poor girl, there were never happy endings for villains and those surrounding them.
Robin looked at him in shock. "No. Never. No man is ever capable of purposely killing his True Love."
Hook sneered. Lies. The Dark One capable of loving? The gods gave him True Love? He murdered his ex-wife, abandoned his son… all for power. He only loved that addictive power.
"Well, seeing as how you have no answers, I'll take to my leave." Robin didn't protest. He fingered the cross that hung from his neck and nodded to Hook.
The pirate stormed to the doors of the library. A bloody waste of time. Just as his hand reached for the handle, the door was yanked open and a determined face with a gorgeous set of green eyes stared up at him in shock and confusion that he wasn't Robin. Her blonde hair brushed against her face from opening the door with such force and her chest rose from a large intake of air.
A twisted grin slipped onto his face. He swung out his left arm, trapping her wrist between the ornate wooden door and his hook. She grunted and reached up, trying to loosen the hook from the door. It was a fruitless attempt. She shrieked, slammed the side of a fist into his chest, and bared her teeth at him as he leaned in closely, so dangerously close that his nose could brush her cheek if he turned his head to the right. He could feel her skin radiate with anger. Not a drop of fear, she was ready to fight even if she was left with only her teeth and nails. His eyes fluttered half close and he breathed her skin. Raw, powerful, fire within a forest.
He heard Robin protest behind him and paid the thief no mind.
"Well, hello again, love," he growled.
Review Please!