A/N: Okay guys, keep those reviews coming! I really want to hear what everyone thinks of the story so far and in the future…

Anyway, enjoy this chapter =).

"Princess Emma, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." The words pierced through the howling wind and struck fear into Emma's heart. She only knew of one person with the ability and the motivation to whip up a storm in the middle of the ocean - the Evil Queen.

"Show yourself," Emma screamed out, still clinging desperately to the rail so that the bucking ship couldn't throw her into the sea. Her clothes were soaked and clung to her body, making her shiver.

A figure materialized above the deck, untouched by wind or water. Her long black hair was pinned elegantly to the top of her head, not so much as a strand out of place. Her deep purple dress was likewise dry. "I've been waiting for many years to meet you," she sneered, her booted feet landing on the wooden deck.

"Stop this madness." Her throat was getting sore from yelling, but she had to make the Queen stop before she destroyed the ship and crew.

The Queen smiled, a predatory smile. "I don't think so. You see," she strode closer to Emma, "the magical protection around your kingdom doesn't extend out into the sea. And you, my dear," the Queen bent down so that she was eye level with Emma, "were foolish enough to go on a sea voyage."

All of a sudden, the extreme amount of danger she was in hit Emma like a ton of bricks. She was going to die. Her parents were never going to know what happened to her. She was going to meet a watery grave at the hands of the Evil Queen.

"Step away from her, you vile creature." The roar came from behind the purple-clad figure.

One of the Queen's eyebrows rose in amusement as she straightened and glanced scornfully behind her. "Who dares to challenge me?"

Desperate to see the confrontation, but also scared of what she was going to find, Emma crawled along the deck until the Queen was no longer obstructing her view. The sight there made her heart sink, although she had expected it.

Hook balanced gracefully on the heaving deck, a sword extended in front of him, his expression one of deep concentration. "Captain Hook, if you must know," he responded to her question with a flick of his sword that was probably supposed to mimic a salute. "Now why don't you tell me what business you have with my passenger?" He gestured to Emma. As he did so, she saw an unmistakable hint of concern in his eyes for her safety. It just made her feel worse because she knew that it was her own stupidity which had started this mess.

The Queen scoffed. "Stay out of this, pirate, before you get hurt." She turned back to Emma, a sickly sweet smile on her face. "Now, where-"'

Her sentence was cut off as Hook charged her from behind, brandishing his sword and emitting a wordless yell.

The Queen didn't even glance behind her. A spark of green shot out from her hand and struck Hook in the chest, sending him flying backwards in an arc towards the opposite side of the ship. Emma's heart constricted as she heard his body hit the railing with a sickening thud even through the raging storm.

He didn't move.

"Hook," the scream ripped out of her, seconds too late and she felt hot tears well up in her eyes, a sharp contrast to the freezing spray of the ocean.

The ship tilted alarmingly in response to another wave, and Emma felt herself sliding towards where the pirate lay, motionless and pressed up against the railing. Clawing at the deck with her fingers, she tried to stop her momentum, but it was futile.

"I'm not here to kill you," the Queen's amused voice reached Emma's ears. She was walking calmly towards the sliding princess. "I'm going to use you as bait."

Emma's eyes widened. "You want me to get to my mother," she gasped, finally understanding why the Queen was there. Her legs hit the railing with a jolt that she felt through her whole body. She noticed, through the fear clouding her mind, that Hook was only inches away from her and was obviously still unconscious. "That's never going to happen," she flung her defiance in the Queen's face.

The woman laughed mockingly. "I'm afraid I'm not giving you a choice."

Taking a deep breath, Emma did the only thing she could think of - she grabbed Hook's arm and flung them both over the nearly horizontal railing and into the treacherous ocean. The impact of the cold water knocked the breath out of her lungs and immediately closed over her head. She could feel the weight of her dress and her grip on Hook pulling her down. Frantically, she kicked up towards the surface, desperate to find air. Somehow, she managed to surface for a brief second, feeling the burn in her legs and aware that, unless she released the pirate, she was going to drown. Even that knowledge didn't break her grip on him, though. Not after all he had done for her.

A large plank of wood landed in the water next to her flailing arms and she immediately latched onto it with her free arm, surprised at how conveniently that had turned up.

"Idiot girl," she heard the Queen yell in disgust from the ship. "I don't want you dead. Not yet, anyway."

Ignoring her, Emma pulled Hook onto the board and hoped that his lungs weren't too full of water. It galled her that she had to accept the floatation device from the Evil Queen, but it was either that or die, and dying wasn't high on Emma's list of priorities. She knew that Thuill wasn't far now, so that was her goal.

"But once your parents come to rescue you," the Queen threatened, "I'm going to kill your whole pathetic family and reclaim my rightful throne."

Grimly, Emma started kicking her sore legs, trying to propel the board towards the island.

…

"You're going to help me or I'm going to kill you," Regina commented pleasantly to a short member of the pirate's crew wearing a red hat.

"Yes, I'll help you. Of course I'll help you because I don't want to die," the man gulped, babbling in his nervousness.

The Queen rolled her eyes. She hated dealing with stupid people, but that dratted princess had left her little choice. "You are going to go to find Snow White and tell her that her precious daughter is stranded on the island of Thuill. And tell her that she has until the next full moon to come rescue her personally, or I will return and kill her. Got it?"

The little man nodded vigorously.

"Good." The Evil Queen smiled in satisfaction. The years of waiting for her revenge were finally paying off.

…

Blearily, Hook looked around at his surroundings. His head pounded and he felt nauseous, the constant waves making him feel worse. And he seemed to be partially stretched across a piece of wood floating in the ocean. That couldn't be good.

"Hook," the relieved sigh came from Emma, who was next to him. "I thought you weren't going to wake up."

"Aye, lass," he grimaced, putting a hand to his head. "I wish I hadn't. What happened?"

Emma avoided his gaze and instead pointed out ahead of them. "We're almost to Thuill."

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