Being forced to stay back in the white area they had nicknamed the TCHQ (Telepathic Communications Headquarters) and watch their friends' progress on the screens was tough, but the other option would be to be stuck in the heads of people that would not even be close to what was happening. Toby would have ended up in Oz, Chris and Tessa in Neverland, Miranda in Rapunzel's tower and Filipi in the head of the sleeping Princess Aurora. No good options for helping out there.
Toby kept mostly silent as he was monitoring the progress of Emma and Hook, and Clarissa and Wolfgang indirectly. Channels to everyone else were open for the rest of them, allowing those inside people's heads without means of communicating with them to speak with their friends in TCHQ.
"How many hours have we been here?" Tessa groaned and lay back on the floor.
"Well, it's getting dark here in the Enchanted Forest", Ella replied telepathically, "and we got here in the morning, so maybe ten-twelve hours?"
"Being in Neverland would've beat this", Chris sighed.
"You wouldn't have been able to do anything", Miranda remarked.
"Besides", Rachel added, "being inside someone's head like this isn't exactly fun. God, I never knew David to be so brooding!"
"At least your brother's free to make his own choices", Rowan muttered, "while mine's sort of all robotic. He's got no free will at all."
"Sorry", Rachel apologized. Filipi flopped over onto her stomach and looked in the direction of the screens.
"Once Snow steals the ring, everything will be normal again, right?" she asked.
"Guess so", Tessa sighed. "No more magic, no more fairytales..."
"Like nothing's happened at all", Arianne finished. "It almost makes me wish we could delay it. Almost."
Filipi nodded, then frowned. She had noticed something in the corner of her eye. Slowly she got up and walked over to the almost invisible pile of parchments to her left.
"What is it?" Chris asked. Filipi flipped through the parchments, still frowning.
"Guys", she eventually said and turned around, "remember that ball Clarissa was so excited about?"
"Yes?" Miranda said. Filipi looked back at the parchment on top of the pile.
"These are invitations."
The tavern was dark and smelled of salt water, ale and vomit, much like any other tavern in the harbour would do. Killian studied his past self with interest. He had never realized how much women seemed to flock around him, but now he counted four bar maids pressing up against his past self while he played dice with another sailor – and winning time and time again, which made the maids clap their hands and press even closer.
"Well, there I am", he said and cleared his throat, turning towards Emma. "Rather... dashing, don't you think?"
Emma rolled her eyes slightly. Her hood was up to hide as much of her facial features as possible, but he could still see her worried frown.
"Is this even a good idea?" she asked. "What about preserving the future?"
"It'll be fine", Killian answered and turned back to watch his past self again. "Given what I'm drinking, if I remember anything, I'll simply blame the rum. Just make sure that I... he remains occupied, that he doesn't return to my ship. I'll take care of the rest."
"We'll stay in touch like this at all times", Wolfgang filled in. "If something happens, all you need to do is think."
Emma sighed and slowly nodded.
"Okay."
Killian nodded and returned his attention to his past self. A spark of jealousy hit him as he thought of what Emma might have to do to keep him occupied and he turned back towards her.
A moment later he realized that he should not have done that. Emma had pulled off her cloak and was now busy adjusting her corset, which tied at the front. Killian's eyes widened and his mouth went instantly dry.
"What", he begun, then forced himself to swallow, "what are you doing?"
"Making sure he stays occupied", Emma replied, then gave him a lopsided smile. "Shouldn't be too difficult; you and I both know I'm his type."
Killian gaped at her as she rose and walked towards his past self's table.
"Close your mouth and get moving", Wolfgang hissed in his head. Killian nearly jumped in surprise, then quickly gathered his things, picked up Emma's cloak and hurried out of the tavern. He took a few deep breaths of the air, rejoicing in the smell of the sea while he tried to forget the image of Emma undoing her clothes. Easier said than done.
"Alright, seems we're having connection trouble", Wolfgang remarked as he started walking. "I can't hear Clarissa anymore."
"What?" Killian asked and stopped in the shade of a rackety house.
"Seems direct communications between us only worked when we were close", Wolfgang said. Killian groaned silently, then nodded.
"We'll just have to do it the old fashioned way", he said and continued walking towards the docks. His goal lay in the water by the end of the pier; the Jolly Roger.
He caught Smee chasing a rat on deck and blocked his choice of weapon, a mop, with his hook.
"Captain", the short man said in surprise, "I wasn't expecting you back from the tavern so early."
Killian nodded and released the mop. A squeaking from the floor caused both him and Smee to look that way, seeing the rat scurry towards the main mast.
"Vermin", Smee muttered. "I'll get the bugger, sir."
"Let it be", Killian said, grabbing the man's arm. He earned one more surprised look as a result.
"You'll understand some day, Smee", he continued, then aimed towards the door to the Captain's quarters in the stern.
"Is that a new vest?" Smee asked behind his back. Killian stopped.
"Damn", he thought to Wolfgang, "my old vest was red, not black."
"Just respond, damn it", Wolfgang hissed back.
"Of course not", Killian said out loud.
"Are you feeling alright, sir?" Smee questioned. "You seem... different."
"Maybe", Killian said and turned around, glaring in the other man's direction, "that's because I'm used to my first mate asking me what his captain needs when he's on deck."
Smee quickly cast down his gaze and nodded.
"Of course", he said, sounding scared, "sorry. What can I do for you, sir?"
Killian was about to tell him to keep an eye out for Snow White when Wolfgang cleared his throat and, in some strange way, beckoned him to look back up at the pier. A cloaked figure was walking among the houses, trying to keep out of sight, but the moment she entered the light of a torch Killian could make out her facial features. He stepped closer to Smee and nodded in the woman's direction.
"I need to speak to that woman. Bring her onboard and do it quietly."
Emma downed the glass of rum that Hook's past self had given her, smiling pleasantly at him as she placed it back on the table. The moment she had arrived at the table he had sent the rest of his company away, meaning she had been right about her being "his type". Also, her experience as a bail bondsman came to good use here; this was not the first time she had had to seduce her target to get information. However, this was the first time her goal had been to keep him in one place instead of making him tell her what her client wanted to know, and definitely the first time she felt drawn to the man she was seducing. Something Clarissa was not late to point out.
"I have a confession to make", Emma said as Hook placed his own glass on the table.
"Most women do", he pointed out with a smug smile. She bit her lip and lifted his left arm, letting his hook come into view.
"I want to know how you got the hook", she said and pouted at him while stroking the hook with her fingers. "You hear so many stories."
Hook's past self lowered his gaze and let out a slight sigh, while shuffling slightly closer on the bench they were sharing.
"You know who I am", he said, looking up at her again, "and here you haven't even told me your name."
"What fun would that be?" Emma asked and avoided his blue eyes by pouring them more rum.
"Just two ships passing in the night, then?"
Emma turned back towards him and leaned slightly closer with a raised eyebrow.
"God, he looks good", Clarissa pointed out.
"Shush!" Emma replied.
"Passing closely I hope", she said out loud. Hook's gaze dropped to her lips, before he smiled slightly.
"Speaking of ships", he said and reached for the bottle of rum, "what do you say we leave this place and I'll show you mine?"
He begun to rise, causing Emma to place a hand on his thigh to keep him down. She could not help but hear his sharp intake of breath as she touched his leather pants, or the fact that said pants seemed to be slightly too tight for him at the moment.
"Wait", she said and looked up into his blue eyes. He sat back down, but she kept her hand on his thigh. Apparently that was a very effective way of getting him to stay put. With her other hand she lifted his glass of rum and handed it to him.
"Why don't we have a few drinks first?" she suggested. Hook eyed the content of his glass, before bringing it to his lips and downing it, never looking away from here as he drunk.
"Yep, you have him wrapped around your finger... or hand..."
"Clarissa, seriously, don't", Emma replied as she raised her own glass and downed it.