A/N: Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited, and reviewed lately - it definitely encourages me to keep writing and updating regularly! I hope you all continue to enjoy the story =).

Emma's eyes fluttered openly slowly. There was light, but it was dim enough that it didn't hurt her eyes too badly. She thought that she must be lying down inside because there was a wooden ceiling over her head, but that just didn't make sense. The last thing that she remembered was walking and seeing Alenfey next to the ocean. Something must be wrong. Hallucinations, maybe?

She tried to sit up, but immediately decided that that wasn't a good idea as she felt her body protesting. A quick mental inventory of herself informed her that she must be bruised from head to toe from whatever had happened to her. And her wrist ached - a sprain, probably.

"Captain?" an unfamiliar voice asked from somewhere above her. She couldn't see the source. "I think she's waking up."

A figure came into her line of sight. He was tall with dark hair and a chiseled jaw covered with stubble. He wore a long black coat and a chain around his neck, his hands clasped behind his back. His piercing blue eyes met hers. Intense, she decided. Intense was the best word to describe him. He examined her with those calculating eyes and she felt a little exposed and uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly.

"No one," she muttered immediately, shaking her head. The movement made her feel slightly nauseous.

He moved his right hand out from behind his back and Emma caught a glimpse of her coin purse clutched in his fingers. "That's mine," she declared imperiously, trying again to sit up. She just didn't feel very royal or dignified lying flat on her back on what felt like a wooden table. This time, she was able to overcome her pain and rise to a sitting position. She was right - she was lying on a table in the middle of a deserted bar, her hands and legs covered in small cuts and developing bruises.

The man tossed the purse up and down a couple times, very obviously listening to the clink of coins. "That's a lot of money for 'no one,' lass."

"That's none of your business," she snapped, reaching for the purse. He pulled it away before she could seize it.

"Not so fast, love," he smiled charmingly at her. "I have a few questions first."

She stayed silent, glaring at him. Unfortunately, she had no chance of fighting him or running from him in her current state - he could easily counter any move she could make.

"Again," he leaned his face towards her, "Who are you?"

Her mind went blank. What was the protocol for when kidnappers demanded your name? She couldn't tell him that she was the princess, certainly. "Uhh, I don't…"

"Don't what?"

"...don't remember," Emma finished lamely. "My head feels woozy." That much was true - she felt quite dizzy still.

The man rolled her eyes in disgust. "Great," he muttered. "What do I do now?" He was obviously talking to himself, but Emma broke in.
"You could give me my money back and let me go."

"That wouldn't be very smart of me." He put the coin purse into his jacket pocket and gave her another crooked grin that made her heart beat faster despite her annoyance at him. "And besides, I did save your life. I deserve some form of repayment."

Emma's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Saved my life? You?" She laughed. "Sure."

"You were lying at the bottom of a hill, so dehydrated that you were practically dead already." He tossed a waterskin over to her which she caught in both hands. "Speaking of which, drink."

She sniffed cautiously at the water, wondering if it was safe to drink. If this man was telling the truth, it was unlikely that he would poison her now, but it was still better to be cautious.

He saw her reluctance. Walking over, he took the waterskin from her and drank. "It's safe." He handed it back to her. Raising it to her lips with a nod of thanks, Emma drank greedily, letting her moisture-starved tissues absorb the water and trying not to think about the fact that his lips were just right where hers were now.

"Captain," the first voice that she had heard broke into the conversation. She had forgotten that there was another person in the room. He was a little man with facial hair, wearing a red hat. He looked nervous. "We...we can't leave her without any money."

The taller man glared at him. "Not now, Smee."

A realization struck Emma. "Captain?" she blurted out. If he was a captain, that meant that he probably had a ship. "You're a captain?"

"Aye, lass. I sail under the skull and crossbones." He said that like it was supposed to be impressive, but it just made Emma feel even more nervous.

"You're a pirate." She delivered the statement without emotion, making sure that her voice was steady.

He gave her a flourishing bow. "Captain Hook, at your service."

"I need a ship." She didn't even pause to think her decision through before the words came out of her mouth. However, Hook did supposedly save her life and he certainly hadn't tried to kill her yet, so those were good signs.

"Do you, love?" Propping a leg up on the table next to her, he looked her in the eyes. "I can arrange that, with the help of your gold." He smirked at her, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

"Deal," she responded quickly.

Hook raised an eyebrow at her exuberance, but held out his right hand for her to shake. She took it, feeling his strong, rough hand envelop hers. A blush rose to her cheeks that she tried to hide by letting her hair fall into her face. "Where to?" he asked.

"Thuill," she said determinedly, naming the island that Rumpelstiltskin had instructed her to find. "I need to get a certain flower that grows there."

Hook's confident look faded to one of concern. "Are you sure that you want that particular flower? It is…"

"...none of your business," she cut him off. There was no way that she was going to explain her deal with Rumpelstiltskin to the pirate. "I'm not paying you to ask questions."

Hook held up his hands in surrender. Well, hand. She hadn't noticed before, but in the place of his left hand was a large silver hook. She supposed that it explained his name, but it still surprised her.

"When do we leave?" she asked, trying not to stare at the hook.

He smiled. "As soon as I buy my ship back."

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