There will be an update today and one more chapter tomorrow. There's angst, I warn you!
After that, it will take me a few more days to update again. I hope you understand.
Once again, all the love in the world to Jess and Sandra, my constant supporters on this.

Chapter 13 – The Queen

Emma was hurt and frustrated as she opened the door to her apartment. She found Henry, Regina, David and Mary Margaret having tea together, waiting for her. Her little brother was toddling around, fascinated with Henry's old electrical train.

"Mom." Henry said. "I was waiting to see you before leaving with Regina."

"Good afternoon, Emma." Regina greeted.

"Good, you are both still here." Emma said shortly. "We have to talk."

"Emma, is everything ok?" Mary Margaret asked concerned.

Emma turned to face Henry. "You went to see Hook yesterday?"

Henry blushed and Regina looked at him shocked. "You found Hook? How?"

David sighed, "Emma ran into him the other day during one of her cases."

"And how is our dear lieutenant? Did he make it to captain already?" Regina asked.

"We'll get to that in a minute." Emma replied and turned to Henry. "Henry?"

"Yes. I went to see him." Henry admitted.

"Why?" Emma asked.

"I wanted to see him!" Henry replied honestly. "I just wanted to ask him about his new life and how he was doing…" He trailed off.

"Did you ask him to take you sailing?" Emma asked again.

"Yes." Henry admitted.

"Henry, I'm not sure that is a good idea…" Emma started.

Henry looked hurt. "Why? He doesn't want to see me?"

Emma thought how easy it'd be to say yes. But she couldn't lie to Henry and she knew Killian didn't deserve it.

"No, not at all. He's thrilled about spending time with you. It's just…" She trailed off.

"You don't want me to spend time with him." Henry said. "Why?"

"It's complicated…" Emma started.

"It's always complicated between you and Killian, mom." Henry said. "But I'm not a kid anymore, don't lie to me."

"I just don't know… this new life of his, something seems off." Emma said.

"But I want to see him. I've missed him." Henry pleaded.

"Emma…" Regina interjected, "If Henry wants to go sailing with Hook, that wouldn't be a problem for me."

Emma looked at her, a mix of anger and surprise. "You are ok with this?"

"Why not?" Regina retorted. "Our dear captain has built a good life for himself, I don't see any reason for him not to spend time with Henry if both like to do it."

"Built a life? You mean the one you handed to him and forgot to mention all about it?" Emma spat.

Regina was surprised by the emotions in Emma's words. "He asked me not to. I wasn't going to betray his confidence."

Emma raised her eyebrows, "So now you are confidants?"

"Emma, what is wrong with you?" Regina retorted.

"You tell me, Regina. I understand helping him set up a new life with a few things, but you handed him a very comfortable life: a house, brand new car, a boat. Why?"

"I did it for Henry." Regina acknowledged, "Whatever the reasons Hook had to do what he did, he's the reason I was able to be reunited with my son. Twice. And as misguided as his 'kidnapping and send him to New York attempt' was, he did it to protect Henry. I owed him much more than what he was willing to take."

"More? You owed him more?" Emma asked.

"Henry," Regina said, "Perhaps it's best if you leave us alone for a moment." It was clear that Regina was hiding something and Emma was fed up with secrecy.

"No! I want to know." Henry stated.

"You don't want him to hear what you did?" Emma retorted.

"No, Emma, I didn't want him to hear what you did." Regina spat. "But well, you left me with no choice." Regina took a deep breath, "When Hook came to me, he only asked for advice on how to reach the next town and perhaps some basic knowledge on how to live a modern life. That is all he asked. It was clear he was determined to leave, so I offered him the chance to build an identity for himself, and a more secure chance to start over."

"Why this life?" Emma asked

"This is what he chose. If it were for me, I would have made him a jet set millionaire who didn't need to work a day in his life and could parade around his yacht with as many women as he wanted." Regina had the satisfaction of seeing Emma cringe at the image. "But no, Hook wanted to lead a decent life. So we sat and down and built him this one. And yes, I gave him enough money to buy a prosthetic hand, a house, a boat and a car and more if he wanted. And I'd do it again if I had to."

"What was the price?" Emma asked.

"What?" Regina sounded surprised.

"All magic comes with a price." Emma stated. "What was yours? What is this going to cost him? Or us? What was the price?!"

Regina looked at Mary Margaret and David, who were listening intently to the conversation. They exchanged worried looks.

"The price? There was no price." Regina replied calmly. "Emma, we walked out of the second curse more or less undamaged. Some of us, actually, came out of it in better shape. I got to meet Robin, your parents had a second child." She smiled at the toddler playing. "He came out of it empty handed. He had nothing left. He sacrificed everything to save us and came out of it without anything."

Emma looked at them dumbfounded. "He sacrificed everything?"

Regina looked at Mary Margaret, "He never told her." She sighed.

Mary Margaret smiled sadly, "Of course he didn't."

"Told me what? What are you talking about?" Emma asked confused.

"Emma, how do you think Hook reached you in New York?" Regina questioned.

"I don't know, he opened a portal somehow." Emma replied.

"You can only open a portal with a magic bean, Emma." David said. "And those are not easy to find. The crops were destroyed by the giants."

"Yes, yes, I know all this." Emma said frustrated, "What is the point?"

"Emma, how do you think Hook got hold of a bean?" Mary Margaret asked gently.

"He probably made a deal or something, I don't know."

"And what exactly do you think he used to make that deal?" Regina asked, "What did he have that was valuable enough to get him a bean?"

No. NO. It cannot be. Emma chocked, tears coming to her eyes. She looked at David for confirmation.

David nodded, "He traded the Jolly Roger for the bean, Emma."

His ship. He traded his hip, his home, everything he had. He traded that for the chance to find her.

"Emma, we thought you knew…" Mary Margaret continued gently. "We thought he told you when he asked you to stay."

Emma's heart was beating fast against her chest, emotions flooding over her. His ship. His only possession, the place he called home for centuries.

"Milah died on that ship." She whispered. He gave up the place that held the last memory of Milah.

"Liam too…" Henry added and they all looked at him. "His brother. It was originally his ship. It was a Royal Navy ship, The Jewel of the Realm, Liam was the Captain, Killian was a Lieutenant. Hook took it after Liam died on a mission in Neverland. The king sent them there to retrieve the dreamshade, telling Liam it was a medicinal plant. After he lost his brother to a corrupt king, Hook took the ship and became a pirate."

Emma felt the nausea invading her. His brother's ship. Hook barely mentioned his brother, it was a painful memory he kept inside. And the Jolly Roger held the memories of the time spent with him. Sailing with Liam, his captain. Lieutenant Jones.

It's my rank, Swan.

Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Henry and she saw her thoughts mirrored in her son's face.

Regina spoke softly, "When you decided to come to New York, Hook was literally left with nothing; not even the hope of a happy ending. I – I just felt he deserved more than that after what he'd sacrificed. I could not give him what he wanted, but I could help him start over when he asked for help, so I did. You might think I gave him a sweet deal, Emma; but I still think he would have given everything just for a chance with you."

Emma's tears started to run down her face.

"Oh, Emma…" Mary Margaret said reaching out to her.

"I – I … I have to talk to him." Emma said as she stormed out of the apartment.