Here's the next chapter! Thank you to everyone who has been reading, especially Tala Danaro, Alexandra Sarafolean, Mougann, and Angels-Heart1 for taking the time to review.

-KM-

Chapter 6

"Everyone, please quiet down!" Emma raised her voice over the crowd in the town hall that morning. "Please, everyone!"

Finally, Regina lost her temper and sent up a burst of magic that exploded with a bang and a shower of sparks. Everyone in the room gasped in surprise, and Emma took advantage of the moment of quiet to say "Everyone, sit down!" They sat. "Okay, from yesterday's scouting, we know the monkeys are coming from the caves near the sea. We're guessing Zelena has relocated her base there, as our patrols indicate that the farmhouse and basement have been abandoned. We need to get closer, find out what she's doing there. We also need a way to stun the monkeys. These are our friends, our... family." She stumbled over the word. "We can't risk hurting them."

"I think I can come up with something for the monkeys." Regina volunteered.

"Okay." Emma acknowledged. "And the cliffs?"

"We can take the Jolly Roger." She heard from the back of the room. She looked up in surprise and saw Hook leaning against the door. "She won't expect us to come from the sea."

Emma nodded as he strode toward her. "Anyone interested in coming with, meet at the docks in an hour. Everyone else, go home, stay indoors."

The room cleared rapidly, leaving Emma and Hook standing alone in the center. He cupped her cheek with his hand, whispering "Please don't hit me." and pulled her into a tight, desperate embrace.

Startled, Emma didn't know how to respond for a moment, and then brought her arms up around him, holding him to her until he released her slowly. She eyed him speculatively. "Wanna tell me what that was about?"

He smirked. "Not particularly, no."

"How about you tell me anyway." She got a close look at him. "You look like hell."

"Rough night." He shrugged. "Dreams, is all."

She nodded. "Better?"

"Now." He confirmed. He leaned forward, his breath hot on her ear. "You slept in my shirt, Princess."

"How did you know that?" She snapped.

"I didn't." He smirked. "Until you just told me." He held up his hand to forestall her protest. "I'm glad you did. I did tell you to keep it, after all."

She shrugged, trying to brush off any significance. "It's comfortable."

He nodded, knowing pressing her on the subject would just make her run. "Shall we go for a sail?"

She nodded and followed him out the door and down to the harbor.

They were met by David, Mary Margaret, Smee, Leroy, Tink, and Belle. Hook strolled up the gangplank and turned to those gathered on the dock. "Well, come on then."

With most of the crew experienced from their sail to Neverland and back, the Jolly Roger was zipping off toward the sea cliffs in no time, reaching their destination after a three-quarter day's sail.

Catching a flash of light on the cliffs, Hook pulled out his spyglass for a look, collapsed it with a bang and yelled to Smee at the helm "Hard to port!"

Obeying his captain's orders without question, the ship leaned sharply to the left as Hook turned to the crew. "She's definitely on the cliffs. And I think we've been spotted."

Emma cursed under her breath as she saw a red haired figure clad in black standing on the ledge holding a staff of some kind. She watched as Zelena swirled the staff in the air and black clouds ominously began to gather. She slammed the staff into the ground, lightning springing from the tip and into the sky as the heavens opened and wind and rain poured down onto the ship.

Emma could almost hear Zelena screaming in glee as a large wave smashed into the side of the Jolly Roger, tossing Emma over the railing and toward the churning ocean below. As she plunged toward the rolling sea, something caught her around the wrist, jerking her to a stop inches above the water. Emma screamed as the abrupt stop jerked her shoulder out of its socket, and she looked up, seeing Hook with his good hand around her wrist, hook caught on the edge of the railing as the ship rocked with the waves battering her hull. She reached up and grabbed his wrist with her good arm, blinding pain shooting through her right shoulder. To her horror, she saw his hook slide on the railing, unable to grip into the wood with the ship rocking as she was.

"Hook!" She screamed, and he looked down at her, equal horror reflected in his eyes. "You have to let go."

He shook his head, his grip tightening on her wrist. "No."

"Killian!" She cried desperately, trying to make him understand. "You need to let me go or we're both going to fall. Please, save yourself. Let go."

"Never." He looked at her intensely, trying to convey everything he was feeling, trying to make her understand. "I'll never let go of you."

The ship gave another sharp roll and his hook slid off the edge of the railing, but that instant, David and Leroy were there, grabbing Hook by the arm, hauling them both back onto the deck.

The sea below churned into a whirlpool, lit from beneath with a bright glow. Emma began to think the pain had her hallucinating, but slowly, a trident staff emerged from the maelstrom, held by a merman with flowing white hair.

"Triton." Whispered David.

"Posideon" Whispered Hook.

"Same guy." Leroy offered.

"Zelena!" The MerKing bellowed. "What you do on land is no affair of mine, Witch, but the sea is not for you to trifle with." With a wave of his staff, the seas calmed and the storm dispersed. His staff sent a blast of wind and lightning toward the cliff the witch was standing on, and before it struck, Zelena disappeared in her trademark puff of smoke.

Ariel appeared in the waters alongside the Jolly Roger as Triton turned his back on the ship and dove back into the ocean. "Is everyone all right? I saw the storm and got my father as soon as I could. He's not concerned with the affairs of humans, but I knew he'd be upset with her messing with his ocean."

"Thank you, Ariel." David said gratefully. "We're all alive thanks to you."

"Just glad I could help." She dove away with a swish of her fins in the setting sun.

Emma slowly got to her feet, abruptly realizing her mistake as pain spiked through her shoulder. Her stomach rolled and she turned to the railing, the pain causing her to lose what little lunch she'd managed to eat earlier over the side of the boat.

Hook was instantly at her side, holding her hair back. When she was finished, she leaned heavily on the railing, accepting the water he handed her to rinse her mouth. "Love, let's go inside and see about that arm."

She nodded and allowed Hook to lead her into his cabin, settling her on the edge of the bed. He pressed a flask into her hand. "Drink."

She looked at him blankly.

"Drink, Princess." He shook his head. "I'm going to have to set your arm."

Realizing what he meant, she took a long swig of the rum. He ducked out and pulled David and Mary Margaret aside. "Her shoulder's dislocated. I can reset it for her, but it'll hurt. She'll probably want to just lie down for a while after."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Do what you need to do."

David moved toward the cabin, but Hook stopped him with a hand. "Emma is quite embarrassed about becoming sick. Resetting a shoulder is easy, but hardly painless, and her pride is already injured. Please, allow me to handle this?"

David acquiesced reluctantly. "Take care of her."

Hook nodded formally. "Always."

Next chapter should be up later tonight or tomorrow night at the latest. Thanks so much for reading. Please review and let me know what you think! I'd love to know where you think the story is going, how you feel about it, and what you're liking or not liking, especially if you've favorited or followed! -KM-