"Is that Thuill?" Emma asked curiously as she climbed up on deck to join Hook at the railing, staring out towards a nearby island.

It was late in the morning - she had stayed in her bed longer than she intended and had missed the sunrise over the ocean. However, getting up had been harder than she wanted to admit that morning.

All night long, thoughts of the pirate captain's brilliant blue eyes had haunted her, somehow tender and fierce at the same time as they had looked at her. And memories of their kiss also had plagued her. The tingles had faded, but the feelings she had experienced weren't so easy to push aside. There was a part of her that wondered what would have happened if Smee hadn't interrupted, if Hook had kissed her the way that she had dreamed of being kissed.

That thought was too dangerous to entertain for long, so she reluctantly dismissed it. She was having enough trouble keeping her distance from Hook; she didn't need to add a crush to the situation.

"Aye, lass," Hook confirmed, leaning on the railing and turning his head so that he was meeting her gaze. "Not too far now. We'll be there by sundown, perhaps earlier if the wind continues to cooperate."

A brief stab of pain shot through Emma's heart at his words. She knew that she had signed that contract with Rumpelstiltskin and that she had no choice but to complete her quest, but she no longer cared about the flower or going back to her boring life as a princess. Instead, she just wanted to be traveling, seeing the world. And if her plans included staying with a certain handsome pirate for just a little longer, that wasn't so bad, was it?

"That's great," she finally forced out woodenly, seeing that Hook was waiting for a response. Their journey was nearly halfway over already.

Suddenly not feeling up to conversation, Emma pushed away from the railing and turned to head back to her cabin to relax for a moment.

Weakness suddenly flooded through her muscles and they collapsed under her, her mind going blank. She felt herself falling, but she was curiously detached from her body. A black haze spread across her vision, turning the bright day into night.

…

"Emma? Emma, are you okay?"

Slowly, Emma blinked her eyes open and stared right into Hook's worried face, only inches from her. She was lying on her back on the deck. She could see clear blue sky surrounding his head, the brightness making it hard for her eyes to focus well.

"Wha...what happened?"

Relief crossed Hook's face as he sat up. "You blacked out, lass."

"And the Captain caught you before you fell," Smee's voice added helpfully from somewhere outside of her field of vision.

Hook shot the man a glare over her head, but then his expression softened again as he looked back at her. "Can you stand?" He offered her his hand, palm up, for her to take.

"Uhh, yeah." She reached out and placed her hand in his, ignoring the heat that rushed through her body from the contact. He pulled her up gently, reaching around to place his other hand on her back to steady her.

She wouldn't admit it to him, but her legs were still extremely wobbly and she probably would've fallen again if it weren't for his support.

Gently, without breaking contact, Hook led her over to the steps leading to the ship's wheel. Even with her mind working slowly, she knew that letting him hold her even in this impersonal way wasn't the best idea, but she didn't have the strength to pull away.

"Easy there, love," Hook cautioned as he helped her sit down on the steps. "Better?" He sat next to her, not releasing her hand. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to - it was nice to feel secure in his grasp.

It was significantly better to sit down. The dizziness was beginning to recede and her head was clearing. "Yes. Thank you."

"What happened?" he asked, his thumb tracing comforting circles on the palm of her hand. It was extremely distracting, and Emma had to take a couple deep breaths before she could reply.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "All of a sudden I was so dizzy, and then…" she trailed off. He knew what had happened next. "I probably just don't have my sea-legs yet."

He looked skeptical at her conclusion. His reaction was understandable, as she didn't even believe her own statement. Before that moment, she had been doing perfectly fine on the ship, without even a touch of sea sickness. But what other explanation could there be?

…

The midday sun beat down on Hook in his black leather coat, the only respite was the strong wind bearing them quickly towards their destination. Too quickly.

Hook expertly spun the wheel so that the ship's sails caught the strong breeze full on. Despite his reservation about reaching the island, he was too good a captain to make his ship and crew work harder than they had to.

He snuck a glance at Emma, who was sitting to his left, leaning against the railing. Her face was still a little pale from her episode a couple minutes earlier, but she had at least felt steady enough to climb the stairs and join him at his post.

She had kept insisting that she was fine and that she must have just stumbled, but he could tell that she was more concerned than she had let on. So was he. If it happened again…

"You're not nearly as tough as you want everyone to think."

Surprised, Hook's grip on the wheel slipped and the ship shuddered in protest. Immediately, he steadied the course again. "You're mistaken, lass," he replied without looking at her. "I'm a ruthless pirate, remember?"

Her low chuckled reached his ears and made the temptation to look at her irresistible, and he gave in. The amused smile on her face and her returning colour made her look breathtaking.

"Hardly," she disagreed. "Ruthless pirates don't rescue damsels in distress. Twice." He could tell that she didn't particularly like admitting that she had needed help, but he admired that she could accept it and move on.

"When the damsels are so irresistible, even a cold-hearted pirate doesn't have a chance," he teased, only half-joking. "I'm surprised that your family ever let you leave with your particular skill at passing out."

A shadow passed across her face and Hook immediately regretted his words. Obviously, her family was a taboo subject.

When she finally spoke, her tone was more serious and sad. "I ran away," she admitted. "I wanted an adventure. But now, now I miss them. And I wish that I had told them that I was leaving, so that they wouldn't be so worried."

Not sure how to respond, Hook decided to try to distract her, to try to banish her melancholy expression. "See this?" he held up the charms that hung on the chain around his neck. "This was my brother's. Very valuable piece."

Curiosity was evident in her eyes as she stood and walked over to examine the silver charms. His muscles tensed, ready to grab her if she so much as wavered, but she seemed to be steady. "It doesn't look like much."

"It would fetch a pretty price at any market, but I can't bear to part with it." Hook didn't know why he had told her that part.

Her eyes were soft as she looked at him. "Where is your brother now?"

"Gone."

"I'm sorry."

Hook gritted his teeth, trying not to be swept away by the tide of memories of Liam. Changing the subject before he lost the battle against his past, he commented. "You never did tell me why you needed that flower."

The soft look went out of her eyes, replaced by a steely glint. "I believe I told you it was none of your business, pirate."

He spread his arms wide in innocence. "Never stopped me before." He grinned charmingly, trying to get her to drop her defenses.

"If you must know," she replied coldly, "it's not for me. I'm getting it as a favour for someone else."

A feeling of dread settled into Hook's stomach. He had suspected that her quest for this flower would end badly; there was no scenario in which that plant could create happiness. But still, having his suspicions confirmed was like a blow to his heart. "Who asked you to get that?" he asked, his tone bleak.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because anyone demanding that of you is truly evil."

Her eyes widened. "Wh-" she started to ask, but her breath was robbed by a ferocious gust of wind jolting the ship.

The sea responded as well, the waves swelling higher and higher. Hook could feel drops of the spray hitting him as he struggled to maintain his balance on the swaying deck and keep the wheel from ripping itself out of his grasp.

"Where did this storm come from?" he roared. Only a moment ago, the water had been calm and the sun had been shining in a clear sky. In only a matter of seconds, the sky had darkened and the wind had been whipped up to dangerous levels.

Automatically, his eyes searched the deck for Emma. He let out the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding at the sight of her holding onto the rail and soaking, but okay.

A woman's voice cut through the storm, menacing and taunting. "Princess Emma, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

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