Author's Note: Thanks to anyone reading! I REALLY appreciate the follows/favorites/comments! I'm new to writing fanfiction, so I hope it is interesting enough.

I don't own any of these characters.

Chapter 3: Mama

Early the next morning, Hook worried that Emma was already regretting that they'd given in to their desires. She stood on deck in silence, watching the sun rise. Hook began tacking star charts around him on deck. "Look at this," he said, calling Emma over once he was done laying out the charts. He pointed at them and said, "Any recognizable constellations are at the very edge of the skies we could see last night from our current location. We're on the edge of all of these star charts. At least it would seem."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"We're…in between all of these other maps. Almost like we're between realms."

"How long until we reach land?"

"Not long, if winds stay favorable," he replied, watching her for a moment while she studied the maps. He stepped behind her, slightly off to one side, and put an arm around her, resting his hand on her hip. He was surprised but relieved when she didn't pull away. She leaned back against his chest and actually looked over her shoulder and smiled briefly at him.

"Swan, I should warn you, I have a certain…reputation," he explained.

"You think I don't know that?"

"I think you may underestimate it."

"Once people get to know you, they'll see there's nothing to—"

"Actually, I hope they don't see," he interrupted. "Depending on where we're about to make landfall, you may hear people say things about me that—"

"I know who you were," she interjected. "And I know who you are. I watched you become this man. I don't care about your past."

"But I'm planning on taking full advantage of my reputation. A reputation…a name…can fight many of your battles for you."

She nodded, "So you want them to think you're still…a ruthless pirate?"

"Indeed. At least until we figure out what we're up against."

He felt disappointed when she pulled away and disappeared into his cabin. He wondered if he could ever stop chasing after her even if he wanted to. A few minutes later, he heard her calling for him. As soon as he turned back, he saw her. She was wearing an old maroon vest that was his, and the oversized linen pants that he'd given her, and nothing else. The vest wasn't fastened, so he could see the long strip of exposed skin down the center of her chest and tummy. He raised an eyebrow, smiling appreciatively at the vision of her before him. "I thought maybe you could help me find the right outfit," she said. "After all…the ruthless Captain Hook should have appropriate backup."

Once he was in front of her, he used his hook to open the vest a little more, gazing at the swell of her breasts and watching her breath quicken. His hand reached beneath the vest to her stomach, his fingers slipping over her skin to her side, warmly contrasting the chilly smoothness of his hook. "I'd be honored to help you," he answered as he pulled her into his embrace.

She could feel leather and buckles against her skin as he held her body against his and began stepping her backward. She was lost as her senses were overwhelmed by him. By his touch. By his smell. By the spicy, rum-flavored taste of his mouth. She'd imagined it shortly after she'd met him, the guilty fantasy of a woman immediately attracted to the wrong kind of man. As they'd grown closer, she'd wondered about him. She'd wondered if his talents could live up to his flirting. She'd wondered what kind of lover he would be. Would he be selfish, rough and quick? Would the customs of his world be different from her own? She'd known men who'd said the right things and flirted in the right ways, who'd only left her disappointed. But Hook…Killian…wasn't just a flirt who'd made suggestive or crass comments to live up to a name and a reputation. After only one night together, she knew he was a good, attentive, talented partner.

It was hard to think about the past, though, when his mouth was sliding down her neck like that, with just the right combination of rough desire and weighty affection. He stopped walking when her butt hit a barrel and she could lean back against it. He kept her vest on, taking hungry tugs at her nipples with his mouth as he knelt on the ground before her. He kept going, and she had the impression he was trying to keep things moving before she changed her mind. He untied the scarf she was using to keep her pants up, and watched them drop away from her hips. His hand slid down the back of her calf as he lifted her foot so he could free her leg from the clothing.

His hand moved up to her hip, pressing her back a little more before he leaned closer. He looked up, those gorgeous blue eyes staring at her, almost pleading her to allow him to continue. And, god, she hoped he was about to do what she thought he was going to do. She tipped her pelvis forward, almost involuntarily, but he took the movement as permission and dove toward her sex. His nose nuzzled against her for a moment before his tongue slid between her folds, sampling an intimate taste of her. She moaned loudly, opening her legs a little more and tipping back her head when he wrapped his lips around her clit and began swirling it with his tongue.

She looked up at the sky, not thinking about or caring that she was out in the open on the deck of his ship with his head between her legs. He had the most talented mouth, and with each lick and sigh that she felt from him, she could feel how much he wanted to be with her like that, to taste her on his tongue. Her senses were heightening quickly and she looked down, finding his eyes focused on her face, watching her experiencing the fullness of the pleasure he was offering.

With one hand helping her keep her balance on the barrel, her other hand grabbed the back of his head and held him close. "Don't stop, please don't stop," she suddenly cried out as the waves of her orgasm began to consume her, and she rocked her hips against his face.

He didn't stop until she grabbed his vest and pulled him up from the ground. As he stood, he kissed her stomach, breast and neck. He pulled her body against his as he lifted her higher onto the barrel, and she wrapped her legs around his narrow waist. Moving his lips closer to hers, he asked, "You liked that?"

"What do you think?" she said with a grin. "I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," he replied. "I did that because I wanted to, not to make you feel obligated to engage in reciprocal behavior."

She rocked her hips against him again, feeling his leather covered erection pressing against her thigh. "I want you inside me," she ordered.

He smiled, his lips grazing her hers as he unlaced his pants and whispered against her, "I'd hate to disappoint you."

He summoned the patience he had left, his hand lifting her thigh a little higher as he slowly pushed into the warmth of her body. She felt him shiver with pleasure as her body pulsed around him. He pulled out with the same patience, nearly leaving her body before she tightened her legs around him and welcomed him back into her.

His calm was receding as his desire escalated. She started to circle her hips against him, moving even when he was still. When she kissed him again, tasting her own flavor on his lips, he grabbed onto her hip and found a faster rhythm. She was addictive, and he needed her more than he'd ever needed anything. Even revenge. He was fucking her and she was fucking him back, their bodies moving as naturally as the waves of the sea crashed against the shore. When she started imploring him to go faster, whispering to him that she was so close, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of the barrel, holding her up as he thrust into her until they both cried out in release.

He set her back down against the barrel, kissing her neck softly as they relaxed. She whispered into his ear, "You'll be careful?"

"With what? Did I hurt you?" he asked as he backed away enough to see her face.

"You didn't hurt me. I meant when we reach that island. We don't know what we'll find there and…I need you to be careful."

"Rumpelstiltskin's had a target on my back for ages and I'm still here."

She smiled, "The men I care about seem to find themselves in harm's way."

"I've always been in harm's way. Part of being a pirate," he grinned. He touched his ear and asked, "Did I hear you correctly? Did you imply that you care about me?"

"I didn't imply it…I said it. Of course I do. And I need you with me. I need you to be careful."

He nodded and said with heartfelt sincerity, "As you wish."

Hook and Emma reached the island later that evening. The port was rudimentary but adequate, and Emma cast a protection spell on the Jolly Roger. Although she wasn't sure if the protection spell would hold against someone with even the most basic magic, she hoped it would at least keep away any casual intruders.

There was a small town surrounding the port. Old electric lights brightened the shops. The streets were cobblestone, and the buildings didn't appear to be as modern as those in Storybrooke. Hook and Emma walked through the streets, obviously attracting the attention of the locals. He nodded toward a tavern and said, "Probably the best place to find out information at this time of night."

Emma agreed, and they went into the tavern together. A trumpet blared as a jazz band played, and Emma led the pair to a seat in the corner so they could observe their surroundings. When the band took a break, Hook and Emma ordered drinks, and when Hook placed a few doubloons on the table, the waitress stared with widely confused eyes. "Oh, don't you worry," a deep, smoky man's voice boomed from behind Emma, "I've got their tab."

Emma looked up at the man, who had quite the imposing presence. Well over six feet tall, broad shouldered and barrel-chested, he had a wide, toothy grin, friendly eyes, and a dark complexion. She said, "Thank you Mister…"

"Name's Louis," he answered.

"Captain Killian Jones," Hook said, reaching out his hand.

"And who's your lady friend?"

"Leia," Emma interjected, using her alias once again as she reached out to shake Louis' hand.

Politely taking Emma's hand in greeting, Louis replied, "Nice to meet you. What brings you folks to our little town? We don't see a lot of visitors around here."

Hook gestured to the seat next to him and said, "We found ourselves in uncertain waters and were in need of provisions."

"Where are we?" Emma asked.

"You're the ones who sailed here," Louis said.

"But this area didn't appear on our maps," she answered.

"What was it you folks were searching for that would take you so far from home?" Louis questioned.

"What makes you think we're far from home?" Emma replied.

Louis smiled at each of them, quietly evaluating the visitors before he shook his head, "It's not hard to figure out. But you folks have questions. If you have questions, you're gonna have to ask Mama."

"Your mother?" Emma asked.

"We all call her Mama Odie 'cause she looks out for this town. If you have questions, she's the one with answers."

"You don't know the name of your own town?" Emma skeptically questioned.

"Like I said…you want answers, you talk to Mama," Louis answered with certainty.

"How do we find her?" Hook asked.

Moments later, Hook and Emma were walking to the outskirts of town. As busy and bustling as the town was, once they walked beyond the lit streets, the village was surrounded by either ocean or dense swampland in all directions. Louis led them to a partially overgrown path, lighting their way with a flashlight. They walked for nearly an hour until they came to a clearing next to a murky stream. A small house on stilts was at the center of the clearing. They climbed the rickety steps to a porch that surrounded the house. Louis knocked and opened the door when a voice shouted, "Come on in."

Hook and Emma walked in, noticing as they entered that the only light came from a fire at the center of the room where a large cauldron was bubbling over the flame. A woman stood behind the fire, and when she heard her visitors, lifted her head and announced in a thick Creole accent, "Kill-ee-ahn Jones. I knew you'd be coming to my door."

"Have we met?" he asked, hesitantly.

The woman walked out from behind her cauldron as Louis lit oil lamps that hung from the rafters. The room was cluttered with books and vials of various questionable objects. Strange dried skins and herbs hung from the ceiling, and symbols and runes could be found around the room. It was then that they knew they were in the home of a skilled practitioner of magic.

The woman was stunning, with smooth, caramel-toned skin, long flowing black hair, and voluptuous curves. As she came closer, it was clear that she was older than what she had appeared from afar. Her eyes were an extraordinarily pale blue, but the blue wasn't limited to only her irises, it covered even the whites and pupils of her eyes. She held out her hand in true ladylike fashion to Hook, who took it as a gentleman would. "We've met now," she answered with a sly grin. "My name's Odalee. But most folks here call me Mama."

Emma said, "I'm Leia—"

Odalee turned to Emma and said, knowingly, "Nice to meet you…Emma Swan."

Emma's eyes widened with shock as she shook Odalee's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Odalee leaned closer and said, "I don't like lies. Don't tell me one again. Now, what is it you seek, that brings you here to me?"

"We lost our bearings out at sea," Hook answered.

Odalee turned to Louis and said, "Go wait by the path." After Louis left, she continued, "Lost your bearings, or never had them?"

Emma swallowed and blurted the truth, "We don't know how we ended up in this part of the world or…realm. We're really lost."

"Even with my extensive experience and my vast collection of star charts and maps, I can't exactly place our location except that we're…in between," Hook added.

"Limbo," Odalee answered.

"So it would seem," Hook replied.

Odalee nodded, "It seems because it is. We have been here nearly one hundred years. The others, the citizens of this cursed town, do not know. We do not age. Each day, they continue on as they did the day before."

"Who cursed you?" Hook asked.

Odalee ominously answered, "I will take care of the one who cursed us as soon as I find a way to return my people to our home."

"I can help," Emma said.

"Because you saved Storybrooke?" Odalee asked. "This…is not Storybrooke. We had our own saviour."

"Had?" Emma wondered.

"Until a few days ago, our future was clear. In twenty-two years, our saviour would come. I have seen it. Then, one night, I saw a new vision. In a flash of orange light, her spirit was taken…imprisoned."

"Where? We can go after her," Emma determinedly offered.

Odalee sat in a chair and held out a hand. Hook and Emma watched as a long, thick snake slithered into her palm and wound its way up her arm and behind her neck. Once it was settled, her finger gently pet the reptile's head. "Something changed. Someone disrupted the timeline."

Hook and Emma exchanged a look and Emma asked, "How?"

"Time travel," Odalee answered and stared in their direction, although it seemed clear the woman was blind. "You two know something about that. Don't you?"

"Inadvertently," Hook explained. "We were pulled into a portal."

"But we fixed everything that we changed," Emma argued.

Odalee nodded and said, "You fixed your past. You changed the future."

"Maybe, but—" Emma began before she was interrupted.

"Dear girl…" Odalee said, "don't you know that your future is someone else's past? You don't know the effects you had on your own future because you haven't seen it yet. But your future…has changed, too."

"How do we fix it? Tell us how to free the girl and we'll do it," Emma said.

"It won't be easy," Odalee warned.

"Were our futures were changed as well?" Hook asked.

Odalee sighed, "If you do not correct what you've changed, you will lose your happy endings. Both of you. "

"What? How?" Emma asked worriedly.

Odalee nodded, "The girl is the key."

The woman stood, walking to her cauldron and signaling for her visitors to join her. She touched the boiling liquid at the center of the pot without flinching, tapping the water enough times to cause ripples throughout it that eventually became smooth as glass. Hook and Emma looked into the liquid, both gasping when they saw the same girl that they'd seen days earlier when Emma had gazed into the mirror and they saw a child trapped and begging for help.

"You know her?" Odalee asked.

"We saw her," Emma confessed. "In a vision a few days ago."

Odalee closed her eyes and smiled as she nodded, "Your destiny is calling you. Will you go?"

"Yes," Emma said as Hook nodded.

"You'll need protection. And a guide," Odalee replied. "Tomorrow. After manje midi."

"When?" Hook asked.

"Rest tonight. Have your noon meal at the tavern. Louis will arrange it. Then come back here. I'll give you what you need for your journey," Odalee explained.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked.

Odalee put her hand to her forehead and sighed as she walked to her chair, "I must rest. Come back tomorrow, Emma Swan, and your journey will begin."