Chapter 10: Quite the Team
Emma and Hook continued to follow the orb, hoping that it would take them to the same town they'd been told about by the family they'd visited. Since it was only an hour away, they wanted to continue on. At least they'd finally found a path. It was hardly a road, but it was well traveled enough that they didn't have to cut through vines and plants to continue. They progressed steadily uphill, and noticed the vegetation was thinning. Nearly an hour into the trip, they could finally look up and clearly see the stars above. It seemed they were nearing the top of the mountain. Finally, they looked ahead and saw a few houses in the distance.
The orb dashed excitedly again, and it seemed they were near their destination. As they rounded the corner, they could see a beautiful but imposing castle looming above the smaller homes at its feet. Emma grabbed Hook's arm and said, "Wait. We need a plan."
"You think the girl's in that castle?" he asked as he took his telescope and tried to survey the terrain as best he could in the dark.
"I don't know. If she is, we don't know who we're facing. There's no way to know if this is just a stop on the way or if this is our destination." Just as she said that, the orb flew at them, and then suddenly the light in it dimmed and it fell to the ground like a heavy, lifeless rock. Emma stooped down to pick it up and said, "I guess we have our answer. If our guide is no longer guiding…this must be the place."
"I think you're right that a plan is in order. Let's find a spot to make camp for the night so we're ready for whatever fight lies ahead."
The loud snap of a twig caught their attention. They turned toward the noise, finding a group of townspeople, soldiers, and Julien surrounding them. Emma warned, "Get back," as her magic instinctively reacted and a burst like a circle of wind pushed the people back a few steps.
"You have nothing to fear," Julien said, moving closer with his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, I rushed ahead to tell the others you were coming."
A woman came forward, walking gracefully to them, "Please, allow us to explain. We've been awaiting your arrival. We mean you no harm. We all just wanted to see if it could really be you. Are you Killian Jones and Emma Swan?"
Hook swallowed once, wondering about the implications that such an admission might carry before he nodded, "We are."
"Are you, perhaps, traveling with your children? Are they somewhere safe?"
Emma suspiciously answered, "My son is at home. I hope he's safe. I haven't been able to check on him since we've arrived. Why?"
"Is your son your only child?" the woman inquired.
"Yes. Wait...Why are you so interested in us?" Emma asked.
The woman replied, "There was a prophecy. The two of you were instrumental in breaking a curse that has split our homeland in two. We've been separated from our loved ones, ripped apart from our families."
"What sort of prophecy?" Emma questioned.
"If you'll come with me, I'll show you."
"Who are you?" Hook asked.
"My name is Raina. I can explain the prophecy better if you'll accompany me to the castle."
For a moment, Emma considered other options, looking down at the orb to see any signs of guidance but finding it still lightless and unmoving in her hand. She looked at Hook who subtly nodded and Emma answered, "Show us."
They followed the woman toward the castle in the distance with a group of townspeople trailing behind them. The castle was quieter than either had expected, the open rooms echoing impersonally. They walked toward the back of the great entry room to a door carefully guarded by four vigilant soldiers. One of the soldiers, a young man who'd likely only just reached adulthood, broke protocol when he said, "Captain Jones? Sir?"
The other soldiers all looked for a moment as Hook answered, hesitantly, "Aye."
It had been so long since he'd been known as Captain Jones. He'd been Hook for centuries, a name that had truly become him. It was an identity, a rebranding of a man who had once been so different. He'd only really begun using his given name again on occasion. Emma was one of the only people to call him Killian since he'd been reborn as Captain Hook. He was surprised how much he'd liked it when she'd occasionally started calling him that. He was almost surprised she'd remembered his true name. It was humanizing as he felt less like a villain and more like a man. Still the name "Captain Jones" hadn't been used since his early days on the Jolly Roger when he'd first become a pirate, before Milah and Rumpelstiltskin and an era spent in Neverland.
"It's an honor, Captain," the young soldier replied as the others nodded as well before they all stood properly and defended their position again.
Raina ordered, "Open the doors," and the soldiers stepped to the sides, lifting the bar from the thick metal and wooden door and holding it open for the guests.
Once inside, there were meticulously created paintings on the walls. Most prominently featured was a young woman with wavy, jet black hair and beautiful green eyes. It was easy for them to tell that the woman in the pictures was probably the girl who they'd seen in Emma's earlier vision, trapped and pleading for help. In one of the paintings, she was surrounded by what looked like magic, but it wasn't the white magic that Emma usually wielded, or the darker colors of magic that Regina often had, but it was a pale bluish color, bordered by a vibrant yellow. As they walked further into the room, there was a picture of Hook and Emma battling an unseen foe.
None of those pictures were particularly surprising, but the picture that was painted across the back of the room stopped them both in their tracks. Hook was fighting what seemed to be a large, dark shadow. Behind the battle, Emma held a baby. The child had the same jet black curls and beautiful green eyes as the hero shown prominently in the room. In the painting, Emma had her arms wrapped tightly around the child as she protected the infant with her magic.
As Hook and Emma stared with shock at the image in front of them, Raina said, "There are many dangers in knowing too much about your future. I'll do my best not to say too much. But our hope is withering, and something brought you here to us. These are desperate times."
"What happened?" Emma asked.
"It has long been foretold in this book," Raina began as she pointed at a book that looked similar to Henry's, "that this woman would break the curse here and reunite us with the other half of our homeland. These paintings have been done by the faithful here, by people who believe that one day this curse will be broken. We've waited patiently for the day when she would arrive."
"When who would arrive?" Emma asked. She had obvious suspicions, but she wanted someone to confirm them.
"Your daughter. It was in the book. The daughter of Killian Jones and Emma Swan would break our curse. She was the product of true love, uniting the opposing forces of hero and villain from across realms. She was to be extraordinarily powerful. Captain, you defeated the black shadow that hunted her down as a child. This story, one of heroism, bravery and love, is a beloved story for our people…the story of our salvation. And then about two weeks ago, there was a disturbance…like an earthquake. We were surveying the damage and when I came in here, I realized that most of the pages of our book were blank. The stories of our heroes… gone. The tales of your love ripped from the book without the slightest evidence of how or why. We were all devastated. Once word got out, it spread quickly throughout the land, and the people were without hope. Julien ran ahead of you to tell us about your arrival at his house. I immediately came down here to check the book, and I saw two new pages. Moments later, I was told you were here."
Raina opened the book and turned the pages. The pictures were similar in style to those in Henry's book. There was a picture of Hook kissing Emma's cheek as he broke the curse and brought back his memory. The next page showed the pair as they walked into the village and were surrounded by the townspeople.
"That's amazing," Emma said as she touched the pictures. "They just appeared?"
"Yes," Raina answered. "You can see why you've created such a stir here in town."
"So what do we do? How do we find this shadow from the paintings? Maybe that's the best place to start," Emma suggested.
"I don't know," Raina answered. "Much has changed, I'm not sure what things have remained the same. I have a few scholars reviewing the details of the original prophecy, and perhaps they will be able to help you."
Just as Emma was preparing to speak again, Hook interjected, "Excuse me a moment."
He left the room and dashed through the great hall and out the doors to the outside, taking a deep breath and filling his lungs with the night air. He walked around the side of the castle and climbed up a low wall that surrounded the back, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. The view there was stunning. He could see the tops of the trees they'd been beneath, the leaves lit by the bright moon above, and the darkness below in all of the places where the moonlight couldn't reach.
Emma wasn't far behind him, and within a couple of minutes, he heard her footsteps on the gravel as she approached. She pulled herself up on the wall and sat next to him and said, "It freaked me out a little too. Things got kind of serious in there, huh?"
He didn't answer, brushing some of the dirt down from the wall but not answering.
"I understand what it's like to hear that you're a hero. You're suddenly responsible for the happiness of so many people…the pressure, the expectation. I know it's a tremendous burden. It's intimidating."
"I'm not intimidated," he somberly answered.
"Are you okay? You seem upset," Emma asked, worriedly.
"I never pictured myself as a father. When Milah was killed, it seemed like any possibility of that was killed as well. When I met Baelfire, though…for a moment in my life I thought about how I might enjoy having a family of sorts. That didn't work out either. Oddly enough, when we saw those pictures and listened to that woman's story…when she suggested that you and I might have a daughter…do you know what I felt?" he asked, his eyes staying focused on the leaves below him.
"What?"
"I felt a sense of happiness about it. It's ridiculous, I know. I'd be a poor choice for a father, but for a few seconds… I thought about the possibility. And then I looked at you. Do you know what I saw?" He looked at her, betrayal in his eyes, and said, "I saw horror. Even the thought…I suppose I can't blame you."
"Killian," Emma said with sad empathy, her head tilting with concern.
"You don't have to say anything, Swan. I know what I saw."
Emma put her hand on his and said, "I can't deny it. You did see horror."
He breathed an angry sigh and smiled bitterly as he nodded. "I know."
"But it wasn't because of you or the possibility of us having a child some day. It took me some time to face how I feel about you, but when I told you I love you, I meant it. Nothing about you horrifies me."
"Then why did you have that reaction?" he asked.
"Because I understand the pressure of being a saviour, and she'd have that over her every day of her life. She'd be born with a target on her back. She'd have the weight of an entire kingdom on her shoulders before she could even crawl. She'd never have a normal life. It wasn't about you. I just…don't know if I could do that to my kid."
He nodded, "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter anyway. Something has changed and she's been removed from history."
"I think it might be my fault. I took that potion from Odalee that's supposed to prevent pregnancy, and I don't have a way to reverse it. I wasn't worried about it because I figured Odalee or Regina could make a counter potion if I ever needed it, but if we can't break the curse, I don't know if we can get back to get the potion. I mean, you and I just started a relationship and I was enjoying the present, so I wasn't really thinking about a future. It was too soon. And now I can't help but wonder if it's my fault that she disappeared. Maybe when I took the potion, I removed the possibility of her," Emma said worriedly. "I gave up my first child and possibly erased my second from existence. My track record as a mother is not so great."
"You're a fantastic mother," Hook said, leaning a little closer. He saw the pain and worry in her face, the guilt of decisions of the past building in her mind. "Raina said the girl disappeared from their books about two weeks ago, but you just took the potion yesterday, so clearly you didn't erase the child from existence. Something happened before you took the potion."
"Two weeks ago…that was when we came back through Zelena's time portal."
"That thought had occurred to me as well."
"I thought we fixed everything."
"We did…in our past. It's easy to forget that one person's future is another person's past. We made everything right for your past, for your parents…"
"But we changed our future. I brought that woman back. Saved her life," Emma said ruefully. "You were probably right, I shouldn't have gotten involved. I couldn't just leave her to die—"
"I know you couldn't," he answered, smiling knowingly at her. "I told you, I knew who you were long before we were close. Besides, any number of things could have been changed upon our return. We'll figure out how to help them rewrite their book. There has to be more than one way to break the curse."
"I know we will. After all, it's official. You're a hero. These people know it. How does it feel? They revere you."
She gazed at him as he shrugged. His quiet and uncertainty, so different from his usual bravado. It reminded her of the way he was when his memory had been taken.
"You may know me, but I know you, too. I've told you before…you are a hero. Like it or not," she said, grabbing his lapel gently to be sure she had his attention. "Even if you don't believe me when I say it, this entire culture sees you like that. There are murals dedicated to you and your heroism," she said with a teasing lilt.
"To us," he clarified.
"They did manage to capture your defining trait," she said as he held up his hook with acceptance. "I meant your devilish handsomeness," she teased.
He finally grinned, "Good to hear you've accepted that."
"Oh, it's undeniable," she playfully answered.
"Had I not met you, I'd still be pirating," he said more seriously. "You changed my life."
"For the better, I hope." After a few moments of silence, she asked, "What is it you really want in life? Do you miss being a pirate? Do you want a family? We're always dealing with one crisis or another, we barely have time to react to that much less think about any type of future."
Without a second's hesitation, he looked at her and answered, "I want you. And whatever comes with that."
"It's that simple?" she asked, inquisitively.
"It is that simple," he answered straightforwardly.
He was so forthright with the intensity of his devotion, and now that she wouldn't run away from it…she couldn't run away from it…she sometimes didn't know how to react in any way but physically. The guards who were standing watch behind them and the townspeople who were still coming to see their heroes made her realize that flinging him on the ground and fucking him senseless was probably not appropriate for the time and place. Her heart became so overwhelmed with her feelings for him that she didn't know where to go with the excess energy. The sky above them crackled with a few bolts of lightning and he looked at the sky overhead and said, "We had better find shelter before this next storm drenches us again."
"Yea," she said with a timid smile, not quite ready to explain the true reason for the electricity in the sky.
"We need to find lodging. Does Granny's have a location in this town?" he joked as he hopped down from the wall.
"Raina offered us a place in her castle. There's plenty of room there," Emma answered as she jumped down as well. Emma pointed at the people coming up to greet them. "We're attracting quite a crowd."
As they walked through the crowd that was growing, they were each stopped by people. Some people were pleading for help to find their long separated loved ones, some thanked them, some offered to assist, some tried to offer food or gifts, but all of the townspeople welcomed the visitors with opened arms. A pair of young women approached Hook, blatantly propositioning him even though Emma was standing within earshot. Hook replied to them so quietly that Emma couldn't quite make out what he had said, and then he turned to Emma and gestured toward the castle.
While they walked, she said, "Looks like someone has a few admirers."
He tapped his ear and answered smugly, "Is that a touch of jealousy I hear?"
"I don't know. Maybe…a very tiny touch," she replied, trying but failing to sound like she was just joking.
They had just reached the steps of the castle when he grabbed her wrist and turned her to face him. She was one step higher than him when they stopped.
"Ms. Swan," he said. "I have given up my ship for you. I've given up a life as a pirate that, at one time, I quite enjoyed. All of the other pirates and villains think I've gone soft, which means I've squandered a reputation that I've put a great deal of time and effort into building…for you. I told you only moments ago that you are the only thing I want in all of the realms after waiting a ridiculously long time to fall in love again. So do you really think I would simply move on to someone else? I'm not sure what else you might require as proof of my intentions."
She shook her head and smiled, whispering, "I don't require any other proof. But I really need to get you to our room."
Once they were back in the castle, a guard directed them to their room. Emma said to Hook as their footfalls echoed in the halls, "In some alternate lifetime somewhere…you and I made a pretty amazing baby. Didn't we?"
"Of course we did. I've told you before…we make quite the team."