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 all! I got a criticism I'd like to share:

muahahah man that was a lesson very appreciated muahaha *-*
I like this henry that decides for what he wants!go henry go!
I know that you are glad to receive some criticism so maybe now,of all the stories I've read, maybe I can tell yu something...but be aware that telling yu this doesn't mean that I don't like at all your story...it's the contrary ;P
Btw, in my opinion maybe you should write more details when writing an action!I understand that maybe it would be too much because you give us already two chapters a week and it's a miracle for our readers *.* But I wanted to tell you that...can't wait for next chapter ;P

Can I actually tell you how awesome you are? YAY. I was thinking that when I was doing last minute re-reads of the last chapter(But I was too dead to make any more changes because I got off work at 3am and it was almost the afternoon when I posted so I couldn't write in a few extra lines) and I think it was me being too cautious of writing too much detail/actions(as I have been known for in my creative writing classes in the past) but while reading a few other amazing stories, I remembered that those details, when finding the right balance, are what really breathe life into them. So I re-wrote this chapter and added a several more lines to the later chapters I'm still in the process of editing. Your criticism gave me the push I needed to go ahead with what I felt about my story *smiles* much appreciated!

I wanted to post this story on Saturday… But didn't want to ruin the routine I had built… Sorry!

This chapter is dedicated to my lovely reader: Kaicchan! Hope you enjoy darling! And let me know how it feels please :)

Oxoxox

And I hope everyone enjoys the Hook Centric Episode tonight! I know I will!

Over the course of the week, Henry had taken his private lessons with Hook as an eager student. He learned quickly and was light on his feet, but he was still a small boy. Henry's endurance was credible for certain but his body could burn out so quickly. Sometimes he'd fall flat on his back, purely out of breath from practice. But he never wanted to retire whenever Hook suggested that they call it a day as the boy was drenched in sweat and had a hard time lifting his sword. On two occasions, Hook had to carry the boy, passed out, back to his cabin over his shoulder, having a Jameson keep his mother busy so neither of them would get an earful of Swan's wrath.

Sometimes, on good days, they would venture to the galley together after practice with the boy asking about his share of adventures. To save the lad's delicate ears and the skin left on Hook's back, he told the boy the less detailed versions. While he wasn't scared of Swan, he gathered enough about the woman that she could still cause a lot of pain. And that amount of pain would only increase if her boy was involved, he was quite assured.

Hook smiled despite himself. Although the woman was bloody mad and her mindless tactics could cost the blonde her son, she meant well. And that was more than what he could say about plenty of mothers. Swan was stubborn, but she could be reasoned with it seemed. It just took drastic measures every now and then. Hook chortled. Very drastic.

There were occasions he'd find them lounging together on the deck doing whatever it was they were doing—be it playing hide and seek, figuring out how things work before a crew member told them, or Swan telling stories—and sharing their secret laughs with each other. He didn't pry. One evening, before retiring for bed, he saw something that made time stop again for him.

They were finding silly, childish shapes within the stars. Henry had made a jest and Swan laughed. Laughed until tears of joy sprang from her eyes. The smile lit her face and those green pools glittered so brilliantly that Hook couldn't think of any other treasures he looted that shined anywhere close.

The captain shook his head as he shrugged his coat on. Based on the tales of Snow White, Swan had clearly inherited the beauty from her mother. But, all that harshness she reserved for anyone who wasn't her son, was earned from her hard years as an orphan trying to survive. He understood. It took one to know one.

Hook stepped out onto the deck. It was quiet. He sent his crew to their cabins, he wasn't going to lose another man.

Smee rushed to him the first morning, stating that Jukes had been missing from his watch and his cabin. As time went by, they would find a new man or two went missing every night. They were now short seven men. Hook knew they were being picked off. There were many beasts of the seas that enjoyed the flesh of a sailor.

He approached the helm, keeping a hand on a handle while he observed the dark waters. He frowned and latched onto the magical tie that formed between him and the ship within him many years ago. When he had learned of the enchanted wood that molded his ship, he was reluctant to learn how to utilize it. A good ship need a good captain, that's all that mattered. That was how it was supposed to be done. But one day, during a grudging battle with another pirate ship, Hook needed all his men, which meant leaving his ship unattended while fighting them off. He looked up to the skies, saw Liam's face and heard his excited words of the ship being enchanted. With nothing else to lose, Hook asked the Roger to steer herself. And steer she did, helping them demolish his rival.

Smooth sailing, that's a good girl, he ordered of his ship. When he lifted his hand, he made sure the Jolly Roger was steering towards their destination with no assistance needed before he walked across the deck. He kept his hand relaxed but ready.

Smee and Jameson were below deck, making sure everyone was within their cabins and keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. He ordered the hatch locked from the inside so no one could climb onto the main deck without his mates' approvals. Hook grasped the railing of his ship and worked a tic in his jaw.

After Neverland, Hook couldn't think of anything else in terms of monsters that could possibly surprise him. There were monsters Hook couldn't even come up with a name for as Pan kept creating them with that powerful imagination of his. Some were only nuisances, others powerful and deadly. But the ones Hook grew up with at sea he would always be wary of.

The lights above his ship flickered in the wind. He looked up, curious because the wind should have not reached the flames encased in the lanterns. His hand inched towards his sword and his brow furrowed while he prepared mentally for what may happen.

"Killian."

The muscles in his body went rigid as he heard his given name whispered in the winds. He clenched his teeth and fought with everything to ignore the urge to respond to the call in a woman's voice…

In Milah's voice.

The voice he hadn't heard since her last 'I love you'.

"Killian."

Sirens.

A hand touched his shoulder and he freed his sword, pointing it at the she-devil's throat. He saw his mistake immediately. He was supposed to attack, with no questions asked because he knew what he was fighting against. One look into her eyes and he fell captive.

"No…" he growled, "You're dead." He bit his cheek to fight his old desire to hold her again.

Pale blue-grey eyes watched him sadly as she held her hands up in surrender. The wind played with her hair and he swallowed the lump deep in his throat. She was a perfect Milah. And as if she heard his weak thoughts she placed a hand on his sword to lower it. He started to struggle but found himself lost in her eyes, and his blade fell to the floor.

"No, Killian. I'm here, I've always been here," Milah stepped forward and placed a hand where his black heart nestled. Hook grasped her hand tight with a mind to toss it away. He knew what this all was: a trick. A trick to make his home at sea permanent. But instead of pushing her away, he pressed her palm tight to his heart and pinched his eyes shut.

Milah moved again, he took a step back, his hand still firmly holding hers. When he opened his eyes again she smiled and pressed her whole body to him. Killian let out a strangled cry and lifted his head up to the skies, his throat bare to her. This was all too much.

She's not real.

Milah shushed him and cupped his face, pulling it down until their foreheads met. "Love, look at me. I'm here, I'm really here."

"No, no you're not." Hook breathed through his clenched teeth and found that his arms now had a mind of their own, wrapping themselves around her waist. She felt like her too.

"But I am. Forget your revenge. It means nothing to me. Just come home with me." She caressed his face with the back of her knuckles, like she used to do when they had finished making love. Hook tried to turn his head away, but Milah held it in place. "Killian, please."

Slowly, and reluctantly, Hook opened his eyes and almost crumbled. Her smile brightened, "Your eyes are still as beautiful as ever…"

Hook's lips crashed down around hers, holding her tighter and being mindful of his hook. Milah groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering sweet things in between each kiss. It was something his passionate Milah never did.

Hook hissed and shoved her away. The imposter blinked, he saw a ripple in the magic before she pushed past his extended arms and captured his lips again. The kiss seared through him like a white-hot knife, and he only wanted more of it. He buried his hand in her hair and lifted his left arm to do the same. He stopped responding, remembering, and hanging onto, the fact that he no longer had that hand.

She coaxed him back with a swipe of her tongue and a fog brushed over his mind. His arms around her tightened, pulling her deeper into each hungry kiss.

Hook.

Milah.

He knew it didn't fit but his mind was getting so hazy he couldn't grasp onto it as tight as he was Milah. Everything became a dark-blue haze.

Emma swung her arms out as the ship lurched hard to the left. Using the walls of the corridor to steady herself she watched everything sway. This happened every now and then, when the sun was out and the pirates were lollygagging. But it was night. Jameson and Smee had shooed everyone to their cabins. No one was allowed up onto the main deck.

Then who the hell is steering the ship?

Emma immediately believed it to be Hook who had far too much to drink. Rolling her eyes, she walked up to the hatch and noticed that it was padlocked. She frowned in confusion. Why the hell was it locked? It was never locked. Especially from the inside. Did they really leave their captain above with no one to help? The man was an early bird, always up when the sun rose. There was no way he could possibly sail the ship for another eight hours.

Then, Emma heard a clatter, like a sword hitting wood. She inhaled sharply and dug into her pockets for a lock pick. Something was going on. The ship was huge below deck and she had no time to find Jameson and Smee. What if they were under attack? What if someone was sneaking aboard the ship? She inserted her tension wrench and a lock pick and felt for the tumblers. It wasn't hard at all for being such a large lock. She almost laughed aloud. They were pirates, they'd should have better security since they were 'extensions of thieves'. She bit her lip to keep quiet and hid the lock away without a sound.

She pushed open the hatch, being mindful of the right side that had a tendency to creak. If there was anyone else aboard the ship who shouldn't be, she didn't want her head to be the first lopped off.

The ship seemed deserted, but it was big and cluttered with plenty of places to hide. Emma slithered her way onto the deck, shutting the hatch with a soft 'click'. She stayed crouched and shuffled her way to the helm. She was expecting to hear humming, a tapping foot, anything when she got closer to the helm. The ship lurched again and she almost slid all the way to the left side. She grabbed onto a few ropes and waiting until the ship settled. She looked down at the waters and her brow furrowed in confusion. The waters were eerily calm away from the tilting ship.

She stood up straighter and looked at the helm that seemed to be sailing on its own, in a frantic way. Emma rushed forward on light feet and took the wheel by hand. Where the hell was the captain?

When she grabbed the handles, Emma gasped and closed her eyes shut as something sharp invaded her mind. There was yelling, a beating heart, and a promise in the words of the captain.

"Even demons can be killed. I will find a way!"

And then a high-pitched voice, dripping with so much anger, mockery, and evil that Emma tried to wretch her hands free from the wheel to cover her ears.

"Ah, ah, ah, I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you, sonny boy!"

"AGGGHHH!"

She saw an image—it flitted across her closed eyelids. She saw Hook crouched down, holding his left arm while his hand laid clenched tight on the floor. There was enough blood to make her queasy. Someone picked up his hand. Someone with scales for skin.

More images flew by, too many and too fast for her to count. But one thing was always clear: bright, angry, and pained blue eyes.

When she was finally able to wretch her hands free and jumped back, feeling a drop of sweat on her brow.

What the hell was that? The wheel began to turn calmly and the ship stopped lurching.

"Hook!" She called, forgetting that she was trying to do all this discreetly. "Hook where are you?!"

She sprinted down the stairs, jumping the last two and called his name again. It was pitch black, she couldn't see properly, even with the moon helping to light her way.

The ship rocked once more, tossing her into the mast. She held the tall wood tight and a yellow light started to flicker to life above her head. Emma held her breath and looked up at the lantern. Somehow, by some sort of magic, the wicker burst into a flame that glowed brightly. Was it the enchantment on the ship? Emma pushed herself up, keeping a hand on the mast. "Hook!"

The ship creaked left, and Emma's gaze went along with it. There, within the shadows, were two bodies close together. Emma shook the chill in her body and approached them. As more lights flickered on and Emma saw something that made her freeze.

There was another pirate aboard, based on the attire, but it was a woman. And the woman was latched onto Hook in such an intimate way that Emma almost turned away to avoid staring. Really? He couldn't just wait until later? Why on the deck and not in his own quarters? Emma opened her mouth to give them a piece of her mind—Hook was just so…Hook—but stopped before a sound could leave her lips.

Where did she come from?

Emma saw no other ships, or a simple boat waiting at the hull. The Jolly Roger was still moving, there was never a pause for someone to climb on and exchange tongue dances with Hook. Emma pulled out her dagger from her boot and approached them cautiously. She really didn't like how her blood grew colder with every step she took.

"Hook?" the woman spun her head around, and Emma saw a coy smile that made her flinch.

"Oh, you've already replaced me captain?" she asked, keeping her eyes on Emma.

Hook answered, but it was hoarse, and not him at all. "There is no one but you…" He nuzzled his face in her neck and pulled her tighter.

"Hook, I don't care for who she is but where the hell did she come from?" They weren't to make port for another week, and there were only so many places that man could have hid the woman. She wasn't in his quarters when Emma was there, that was for sure. She fought against the blush that wanted to burst free at the memory of being inside his private quarters. This was a serious matter.

But he didn't seem to hear her. He was mumbling something before he reached for the woman's lips again. She placed a hand on his lips and spun them around so her back was to the sea. "Let's go home, Killian. Come home with me."

Emma's eyes widened. "Hook! Get away from her!"

The woman laughed. "You silly girl, he's mine now." She climbed over the railing, holding his hand and Hook started to blindly follow her.

"No!" Emma rushed forward, grabbing the captain by the back of his coat and pulled him away from the railing with a grunt. "What do you think you're doing!?" She spun him around and froze when she was his eyes. They were vibrant, more so than usual, practically glowing, and staring straight through her if she wasn't there. Emma grasped his chin and shook his head. "Hey, hey! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You know nothing of sirens, do you sweetheart?" Emma jerked her head towards the woman who pulled herself back onto the deck. She approached them with her hands on her hips. "I'm his greatest desire, and he will follow me. Stay out of it, he's only a pirate anyway. Best let me enjoy my meal for the night." The woman reached for Hook's hand and Emma shoved him behind her, holding the dagger in front of them.

"Stay away from him!"

The brunette tossed her head back to laugh. "He can't hear you sweetheart. He can't see you. All he wants is his greatest love." She held out her hand and her expression softened. "Killian…"

"Milah…"

Hook pushed past Emma and took the other woman's hand. "Hook!"

Emma watched as she kissed his hand and pet his face. "Let's go darling. We're wasting time."

"Time…indeed I am."

"What—" There a hissing shriek. So shrill and loud that Emma had to drop her dagger and cover her ears. She watched as the woman slumped against the captain. He fell to a crouch from her weight, his whole body shaking. Emma blanched when she saw his hook deep in her chest where her heart was. The woman gasped and whimpered, pulling at his arm, blood already coating her teeth. Hook reared his head back enough to bare his teeth at her in such a feral way that Emma thought she was watching a very vengeful wolf.

"Killian!"

"You are not my Milah." He growled. "Milah died. Hundreds of years ago. I spent my precious time planning for my revenge. My greatest desire, is the death of the crocodile. My revenge is my salvation. You're lies cannot fool me." He shoved the woman away from him, yanking his hook from her chest. It was coupled with a sickening sound as he made the hole larger and jagged. The captain stood tall, his hand clenched tightly to his side.

Blood foamed at her mouth as she groped at the hole in her chest, blood gushing from the punctured heart. She shuddered and Emma saw the image of the brunette fade away. Another woman, striking, beautiful with pitch black hair and covered in pale skin that faintly resembled scales took her place. She looked at Hook with disbelief before she fell back, twitching as the last light in her eyes vanished.

Emma placed a hand over her stomach and bent forward, feeling the contents of her stomach thrash about.

Beside her, Hook let out a ragged breath and turned to look at her. He rubbed his scruff roughly and bit his lip hard. "Are you alright?" he sounded sick himself.

"I just watched you kissing that woman, and now you've killed her. How am I supposed to feel?" Emma curved her body more so her head was between her knees.

"She was a siren. Trust me when I say you'd rather have me kill her than let her roam free."

Emma held her hair away from her face and let the cool air calm her feverish skin. "Hook…"

The man dropped to his knees, not gracefully at all. Emma's pain faded as she watched him bend forward, his hand and hook holding his head. He choked and clenched his eyes shut. The pain on his expression was so severe that Emma felt it herself. The thief reached out a hand with care. She touched his shoulder and dared herself to rub it. Whoever Milah was, was very important to him.

And she's dead.

His body heaved with dry sobs. She bit her lip and crouched beside him, putting a hand on his arm and continuing to rub his back, grazing the back of his head and neck a few times as she did Henry when he was upset. Hook's pain was gripping her heart in such a tight way she almost wanted to cry for him.

When she paused and gripped his shoulder firmly, he shrugged it off. He jumped to his feet and stormed towards his quarters.

"Hook!" she called, watching his back retreat. He stopped briefly, but kept moving.

"Call Smee and Jameson. Have them run this bloody ship." He slammed his door shut and Emma's chin trembled in realization.

She understood.

"Is the captain alright?" Emma shrugged her shoulders.

"I-I don't know! I was—" The captain was in an emotional turmoil, that much she saw. And out of respect, Emma didn't bring up what she witnessed after the death of the siren. "Look, Jameson, the guy almost got killed by this… this thing so I'm pretty sure that he shouldn't be alright."

Smee and Jameson looked at the Siren's dead body, pooled in her own dark blood. Jameson winced. He stepped towards the body and cursed under his breath.

"We've been picked off by sirens… Damn it all. Smee, bring some of the crew forward to clean this mess. I'm going to sail us down a safer course to Port Jefferson. Who knows how many of them have been lurking underneath the ship." Smee nodded and walked off to take care of his orders.

Emma folded her arms around herself. It was freezing again. "Who's Milah?"

Jameson froze. He let go of the breathe he was holding and turned heel, heading towards the helm. "Jameson… Jameson!" Emma followed him, her teeth chattering in the cold.

"The siren took the form of another woman, didn't she? Brown hair, blue eyes almost like the captains?" Emma nodded, and Jameson cursed again. "Well, we're in for a real treat the rest of the way."

"Who was she? I gathered enough that she's dead…" Jameson looked at her as he took the wheel, turning it harshly to the right.

"Aye, she died a long time ago. Miss Swan this isn't my place to say."

Emma shrugged. "So I'll go ask someone else."

The man barked a bitter laugh. "No one will speak of her to you. She is the captain's to speak of. She's his past, not ours."

"But she's influencing his future, isn't she?" Emma bit her lip.

Jameson observed her. Honestly, she felt the need to be under his scrutinizing stare seeing as how she couldn't do it to herself. Why was she so curious anyway? Sure she just saved the captain's life but when did it become necessary for her to now know his past? Emma tucked her hair behind her ears and huddle herself inward again. It wasn't necessary… Never necessary. She just wanted to know…

Jameson sighed and shrugged out of his jacket. He walked behind her and placed it over her shoulders. "I won't tell you a thing, Miss Swan. Come, let's get you back to your cabins."

Emma followed him, clutching the warm jacket close to her body. "Do you think he will?"

A small smile graced his lips as he raised the hatch for her. "If your intentions are true, then perhaps. Goodnight, Miss Swan."

Emma nodded, handed him back his jacked and walked down into the corridor.

Review please!