A/N: I have had a couple requests to have longer chapters, so here is my first attempt to expand. Please leave a comment and let me know how I did!

Walking down the long, windy road was about the most boring thing that Emma had ever done. And that was saying a lot, considering the many hours she had spent crocheting, embroidering, and practicing the proper etiquette for every possible situation, plausible or implausible. However, boredom was the least of her worries. This summer was a scorcher, so the dry air cracked her lips and sweat coated her body, making her clothes stick to her skin.

Stupid, Emma, she thought, disgusted at herself. You brought gold and a magic bracelet, but no water. And in hindsight, stealing a horse would also have been a good idea. The nearby port city of Alenfey was only a day's march from the castle through the forest, supposedly. However, that was an estimate for people who had some experience in travel and who had thought ahead enough to bring supplies to keep their strength up.

Alenfey had to be her destination, though. Her deal with Rumpelstiltskin had stated that she had to find that flower, and the island that it grew on was just off the coast. Hopefully, in Alenfey, she would be able to book passage on a ship to take her to her destination.

"Almost there," she croaked out through her parched lips as she continued to stumble forward. She had to be almost there, even with allowances for her slower pace. She had walked through the whole night and most of the day now; the town couldn't possibly be much further.

A hill rose up in front of her, trees lining the path. The shade helped a little bit with the heat, but not much. And the humidity was almost worse out of the direct sun. The sight of the incline made Emma visibly droop, but she resolutely hiked up her filthy, dirt-covered skirts and set off up the steep trail. Giving up wasn't and never would be an option.

Her breath rasped in her throat and her vision swam in front of her eyes. She had never experienced this before, but she assumed that she was either dehydrated or had heatstroke. Or both, possibly. It was getting harder to think.

Finally, she crested the hill and glimpsed, to her great relief, the immense ocean stretching out through the trees, only a short distance away. And, sure enough, there was Alenfey. She could see the buildings making up the town and the masts of large ships rising from the water. Letting out a relieved sigh, Emma started off down the slope, her tired feet finding new strength in her eager haste to arrive at her destination.

However, gravity combined with fatigue and dizziness proved to be too much for her.

A foot slipped and skidding forward, setting her off balance.

She tumbled down the slope, her vision flickering.

Everything went black.

…

"Where are we going, Captain?" The question came from Smee, of course. He had always been terrible at holding his tongue - questions seemed come much too easily to him, and he always felt the need to ask them.

Hook grunted. His black leather coat and heavy boots were far more suited to the windy deck of a ship than to trekking through the forest, so he was sweaty and not very pleased with life. "I have a friend who lives near the castle."

"That's all well and good, Captain," Smee puffed, his short legs working hard to keep up with Hook's longer gait. "But what can your friend do to get the Jolly Roger back to us before the crew jumps ship?"

Grimacing, Hook stayed silent and ground his teeth. Sometimes he wished that he could squish the man just like an annoying bug. The rest of the crew had stayed in Alenfey, biding their time until he returned and reemployed them. However, if he took too long, it was entirely possible that they would sign on with some other captain. It would be a shame - finding a crew with flexible morals that wouldn't turn on him was difficult.

"Your friend, Captain?" Smee prompted him breathily, reminding him to answer the question.

"He owes me a favour." Hook didn't elaborate further. It was really none of Smee's business. He just figured that paying Rumpelstiltskin a visit couldn't hurt, and besides, the man did owe him for heartlessly murdering Milah in front of his eyes. Logic told him that his mission was futile, but he was desperate to reclaim the Jolly Roger and this was his only chance. If he killed the Dark One like he had vowed to do, he could use his collection of treasure to buy back his ship.

"Okay, Captain." That was the only good thing about Smee, really - he didn't waste his breath arguing with Hook very often.

They walked in blessed silence for a moment; the only sound was their breath and crack of branches on the path underfoot.

Smee drew in a deeper breath as they reached the foot of a hill. Hook closed his eyes for a second and steeled himself for the question that was inevitably going to follow.

"Captain?"

"What is it, Smee?" His voice was hard, showing that he was not amused.

"N..n..nothing," Smee stuttered immediately. "There's just a woman lying there." He pointed to the side of the path.

Hook followed the gesture with his eyes and cursed. There was a woman there, her limbs twisted into an unnatural position. Her eyes were closed and there were cuts on her face, the blood still fresh.

"Get water, Smee," Hook ordered, rushing to her side. He may be a pirate, but he was a pirate with some sense of honour. Leaving a lone woman on the side of the road would violate even his moral code.

He dropped to his knees next to her and grabbed her wrist. His fingers found her pulse - it was fluttery and light, but definitely there. Breathing a sigh of relief, he gently rearranged her to a more comfortable position. She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair that glowed in the sun and delicate features. Despite her condition, Hook found himself strangely drawn to her.

"Water."

Without looking up from the woman's face, Hook grabbed the waterskin and dribbled some into her mouth, stroking her throat so that she would swallow. Then, he cupped a little bit of the water into the palm of his hand and used it to gently wipe the streaks of blood from her various cuts before they dried.

"I think she will be okay," he muttered. But now he had a decision to make - leave her there with some supplies and hope that she woke safely, or take her to Alenfey and look after her until she was conscious. Neither option was particularly attractive.

Smee squatted next to him. "What are we going to do with her, Captain?"

Another question. And this one, he didn't know how to answer. He needed the money from Rumpelstiltskin's treasure to buy back his ship. Delays were frustrating. But did he have a choice?

Finally, Hook made his decision. Scooping her up in arms as smoothly as possible in order not to aggravate any of her wounds, he rose to his feet. "We are taking her back to Alenfey, Smee." His tone was resigned.

Smee looked satisfied with Hook's decision.

Turning back to face the port town, Hook mentally prepared himself for the permanent loss of his crew and probably his ship due to the delay in his timeline. As inconvenient as this situation was, though, he still felt drawn to the beautiful woman in his arms. Maybe this wouldn't turn out to be completely terrible…

Please review and let me know what you think!