No sexy scene for you guys in this one, sorry :)

Thankyou seasprite15 for the first ever review on this series :) I was really stuck on this chapter so... It's more 'aw' than hot.

as usual, happy reading, Eh.


She sat at the very edge of the bed, nibbling at the fourth apple of the day.

Hook was on the opposite side of the room; a map and a note book lay between his arm and lap. He had been so concentrated on it ever since the morning, he hadn't noticed that afternoon came. Warm strands of sunshine lit the room, making his toned skin glow underneath its soft-lipped kiss. All those years on the sea, fighting other pirates and such had really given him a strong built body. Ariel couldn't take her eyes off him. She simply stared at him, wondering why the sun never shone under water.

If it had, she thought, it wouldn't matter. No one would look as good as he would under the sun.

Almost like a trance, Ariel just couldn't stop herself looking at him. She had seen other humans before (of course, who was to forget Prince Trashing), though being near a human so beautiful was her first time. Actually her second time, but she was too distracted to noticed anyway.

He had a face that wouldn't lose to any merman, she decided. Her big mouth continued nibbling on the apple, while her eyes never left the sun kissed view.

Hook chuckled. "See something you like?" He teased. She was mute, but he definitely wasn't blind. No one could ignore that intense stare, especially from a mermaid who looks like an angel herself, bathing in the orange light.

Ariel made a face and stuck out her tongue – her signature disapproval look to almost anything Hook says.

"Be nice," Hook reminded her, "Buyers don't like disobedient merchandise."

Will you throw me in the sea for me to rot and die if I disobey you enough? She mockingly scribbled down, throwing the leather bound notebook at Hook.

"No, I will tell John to cut you up and serve as tonight's special meal. Better us than the sharks, right?"

Do you think I would let you do that?

"Well you let me have you without any objection. So why not?"

Ariel glared at him. She wasn't exactly angry or anything, she just wanted to win. She had been picking fights here and there, hoping he'd get pissed off enough he'll throw her overboard so she can drown in grief and agony. It was hard though, because he always comes back at her with witty replies! Ariel was running out of things to piss him off about!

On Monday she hid his hook. Hook pulled out his collection and decided today he would use his 'special' hook.

On Tuesday Ariel threw his fish pie on the floor. Hook raised an eyebrow and ate her apples.

On Wednesday she put a red sock in the washing basket. Hook made his sailors wear pink shirts from then on.

On Thursday she….

Why doesn't he get mad at her? Ariel was so confused! When she was with Prince Trashing, everything little thing annoyed him. The way she would stare at him with her blue green eyes, creepy, he called it. The way she picked up the fork at the table and combed her hair, he had called it weird. And her red hair, he had thought it was berserk because it was too red. Just, WHAT?

She gave up. Sighing a little, she slid off the bed with her note book and crawled towards him, without touching her feet on the floor. She stopped at his side, then looked onto his lap. The note book was full of scribbles about treasures, food and… women? The map was full of red markings, crosses and stars. She pointed to an island on the map, where a star was marked upon it; looking up to Hook, she gave a puzzled look.

"That's where we're going to dock in a week," Hook replied, smoothing his special hook (Ariel still had the original one) with his fingers.

Ariel reached her leather notebook to write something. Then she paused. Slowly scribbling down in elegant hand writing, she asked: Is that where you're going to sell me?

"Uh." He hadn't thought about that yet. Sure, there was a rather large black market there, but that was for rare ingredients and food and edible things. He took a glimpse at Ariel. Maybe he wanted to sell her to a private collector instead of having her cut up. Someone that would feed her apples or fruit three times a day - so she wouldn't be starved.

"No, they sell food there. You're going to kill those people if they try to cut you up with your man eating teeth." He explained, realized he was explaining to himself rather than to Ariel. It's for the better, he insisted, if she killed them then our business in the town would have a bad reputation.

Ariel shrugged. It honestly didn't matter to her. Feeling a little tired, she crawled into a ball and snuggled next to Hook's leg, her head on his lap.


AHA! I just realized I had never had any reference to Hook having a Hook on the pervious chapters! :( I'm sorry.

Their relationship is sloooooowly progressing. I see alot of Hook/Ariel fanfic where they just hit off and go 'I love you!' but i honestly doubt that is ever the case. Hook seems too tough to do that and Ariel - after everything should feel that she doesn't deserve any love for giving up her identity.

That's the way I see it, so feel free to disagree. Almost happy new year! :)