A/N: Thank you all for your continuing support for this story. It means so much to me, you have no idea. I won't give too much away, but I hope you enjoy this chapter ;)

Part 7

Before she can make it out the door, Emma's curiosity gets the better of her. She's never seen star charts before and the idea of them containing a solution to their problem is very appealing, much more so than dinner. So she gives into the impulse of having a sneak peek at the books strewn on the desk wholeheartedly.

Despite her eagerness and the care with which she reads each line, Emma makes very little progress as time passes, dinner completely forgotten. The first book in the pile, a navigational journal that looks promising at first, is actually full of nautical and astronomical terms and she has a difficult time even understanding what it's all about, much less grasping the underlying concepts.

She goes through it diligently, though. She tries to understand as much as she can and leave personal notes for the captain. She's not sure if it will actually mean much, but she does it anyway. It's the two of them involved in this, so it doesn't sit right with her not to do anything.

Two hours later, there's a soft knock on the door. "Princess, are you awake?" She recognizes the young boy's voice, Henry. She's just about to tell him that she's busy and would like to be alone, when he adds that he's brought dinner. Her stomach gives a loud rumble at that, as if eager to tell her it's way past mealtime. Emma sighs. As much as she'd like to continue her research, she hasn't eaten anything since yesterday and now that she's aware of it, she can't ignore the hunger any longer.

"Come in, Henry." She calls out loud enough for her voice to carry through the thick door.

The boy comes in with a large tray in his hands. He heads for the table, but he stops short when he sees the brooks scattered across it. He seems confused as to how to proceed next, looking so young all of a sudden, like the young boy he actually is, and Emma bites back a smile.

"Here, you can put it here," she urges him as she gathers some of the books lying around, making room for the tray. Henry regales her with a small smile in gratitude, one that she answers happily.

"Captain Jones asked that we prepare this for you, Milady. I know the cook is not as good as Granny, but I hope this will be ok", Henry says in a rush, as he takes the lid off.

Emma's eyes widen for a moment. There's a pot with broth in it and a plate with some manner of fish, curiously adorned into what she supposes is meant to be an elegant style. It smells delicious, and that is surprising, but what is more remarkable is the care with which they've set the food. It might not be as elegantly arranged as Granny's dishes, but for a pirate cook, this is impressive. "Henry, this looks amazing. Thank you", Emma can't help but express her gratitude.

Maybe she should say more, but the boy seems beyond pleased so she leaves it at that. "The Captain told us how to do it. He thought you'd like it", he adds beaming.

She starts a bit at that. Since she's woken up on this ship, it's not the first time she finds herself taken by surprise by the Captain's gestures. For being a pirate, he's oddly attentive; more so than she can say about any of her previous suitors. While those men had seemed interested in her to the extent they could get something out of her, benefit in some way from her acquaintance, Killian Jones appeared to have no further motives for his actions other than to please her and make her life aboard a bit easier.

The flavors waft through the room and the smell grows more and more appetizing (that or her stomach refuses to let itself be denied any longer), so Emma casts aside her thoughts for now and takes a spoonful of the broth. As soon as the hot liquid enters her mouth, there's an explosion of flavors on her tongue. It may not look so good, but it tastes amazing. Making an appreciative sound, Emma exclaims: "Henry, this is delicious! Much better than Granny's, but don't let her hear it. What is it?"

"It's fish broth, milady, made after the captain's specific orders", Henry answers, beaming widely at her.

Emma nods at him and tucks away this piece of information, too. She eats in silence and the boy hovers over her. She tries to get him to sit with her at one moment, but he gets so flustered, she doesn't push the issue anymore. The main dish is just as good, the assortment of pickled vegetables only adding to the flavor of the fish. She finishes her meal with a glass of red wine, a perfect selection for the main course.

Once her stomach feels a little bit more settled, her thoughts turn back to Captain Jones. Aside from his letters and the few things she's managed to glean about him from the way his room looks and the way he seems to run his ship, she knows nothing about him. For a pirate, he seems to be quite attentive and empathetic to her situation. He's also been terribly understanding about the curse, not once letting her feel like he blames her. And judging by everything he's done so far, he wants to help, to be there for her, beside her. But then again, he's a pirate, so he must be ruthless. His crew seems loyal and close-knit, better than many a family she's seen, but they still fear him enough to not get out of his word. He's a strange man, Killian Jones. And suddenly she yearns to know more.

Not wanting to examine the reasons too closely, she asks Henry: "Where is he, by the way?"

The boy seems startled and he asks in confusion, clearly not understanding her question: "Who? The captain?"

"Yes", she smiles softly. "I'd like to see him."

This seems to shock Henry even more, because he blushes hard and stammers through the response. "He …the captain …he's a wolf now, milady", he says as if that were explanation enough.

Still smiling reassuringly at him, Emma adds: "I know, Henry. He's told me how the curse affects him. But I'd like to see him anyway."

"He's in the hold, milady", Henry gulps hard. "No one is allowed in there at nights and the captain won't want you anywhere near danger."

But Emma is not willing to take no for an answer. She feels it's important to do this, so she doesn't back down. "I just want to see him. I won't get close."

The boy seems to understand her words, but is clearly not convinced. So Emma decides to pull rank; she loathes it, always has, but she's desperate and she wants this. She's not yet sure why it matters so much, but it's not the time to think about it. "Shall I make it an order, Henry?" She says firmly, all the while smiling at the boy to take a bit of the harshness of her words away.

Henry blushes violently: "No, milady." He seems to consider her request and he looks at her for a long time. When Emma is sure she can take it no longer and is about to push the issue, he relinquishes: "I will take you to him. But you must promise to stay away."

Not a promise she wants to make, Emma deflects: "I'm ready. Can we go now?"

The boy looks so unhappy she feels a pang of guilt at putting him in this position. She pushes the feeling aside, though. She's come too far to give up now. Emma follows Henry out the door and through the narrow corridors until they reach a ladder.

"We have to go down to the next level, milady. Please follow me."

She does as she's told and as soon as she sets her feet on the lower deck, she feels him. Or rather, she feels the wolf. Her back is still turned, but every fiber of her being calls out to him. Her blood starts boiling in her veins and there's a soft ringing in her ears.

Heart pounding, she turns around very slowly, straining her eyes to get a glimpse of him in the dark. There's only a small lantern dangling from a beam in the middle of the ceiling, one that casts a small circle of light, but it's enough for her to make out a massive creature at the back of the cargo hold. Her eyes widen a bit when the wolf takes a few steps towards her, a chain rattling with every movement.

"Do not cross that line, milady," warns Henry and Emma looks at him in askance. "The chains only reach so far", he adds by way of explanation.

Emma knows it's only natural the wolf be tied, but she can't help the pang of hurt and sorrow she feels. The wolf makes it to the light and she notices that his fur is of a dark, ebony color, as black as the night. She roams her gaze over the creature's magnificent body and when their eyes meet, she's mesmerized. The beast's eyes are of a deep blue, the color of the summer sky. They look unnatural on the body of an animal, but if it's the color of Killian Jones' eyes (as she is sure they are), then they're striking and Emma cannot help but wonder what it would be like to see them on the man himself. A shiver runs down her body and Emma thinks she sees a spark of recognition in the wolf's eyes as well. Maybe he feels the same; it's silly to believe it, but the longer they look at each other, the more convinced she is that there is something between them and that he feels it too. Her entire being screams to get closer to him and she's powerless to stop her feet from going forward.

Henry tells her to stop, that it's dangerous, but it's like background noise, not really registering in her brain. He tries to grab her by the arm and stop her, but Emma shakes him off. "It's ok, Henry, he won't hurt me", she says quietly, not taking her eyes from the wolf in front of her. A part of her brain registers the words spoken, but not the meaning of them. The boy's grasp on her disappears and she's vaguely aware he's run off from the cargo hold. In search of help, supplies the small part of her brain not mesmerized by the creature.

Two steps away from the line Henry's warned her not to cross, Emma extends a hand in front of her. She's excited and her heart is pounding, but she's not afraid. She should be, her brain tells her, because this is the largest wolf she's ever seen. He's not moving right now, studying her progress, but that doesn't mean he can't jump at her throat the minute she's close enough. He won't do it, though. There's not much she can be sure of these days, but this she feels deep down in her bones.

Emma stops right in front of the wolf, hand still in front of her, close to the animal's head. There are loud noises now, heavy footsteps getting near, but she pays them no mind. Her heart is still thudding wildly in her chest and her eyes are still locked with the wolf's. She smiles, "Hello, there."

He doesn't move at first, but then the wolf turns his head towards her extended hand, sniffing at her outstretched hand. Her smell seems to confirm what she had already sensed, that there was a connection between them, because the next thing he does is lick at her fingers.

Emma expels a long breath and laughs a little. She lowers herself to her knees and as soon as she does it, the wolf is on her, licking her face. He likes her; they may not have met as regular people do, but he knows her. It's like their souls are connected and she feels so giddy about it she can't help but laugh and put her arms around him. He doesn't stop her or seem angered by it, and she buries her face in the thick mane on his neck.

"By the Goddess!" Jamison yells, while Henry's surprised shriek: "The wolf!" is heard at the same time.

Emma stiffens in surprise, although some part of her brain had known they were there. "It's alright", she says looking at them. The wolf growls beside her at the two people, clearly as a response to her reaction. "It's alright", she says again, this time to the wolf, caressing lightly at his mane with one hand, the other lying in front of his neck, as a gentle reminder to stay put. He keeps growling a few more seconds, but does not push further against her hand.

Emma looks at her two would be saviors and can't help but grin at their surprised faces. "I told you, Henry, he isn't going to hurt me." The wolf howls at them, long neck stretching upwards. "See, he agrees", Emma adds laughing. The two crewmen look at her as if she's lost her mind, and maybe she has, but this feels right. The wolf turns in her arms again, putting his head on her shoulder, as if in a silent urging for her to hug him. She feels a surge of protectiveness for the beast, so her arms close around him tightly, and she borrows her head in his mane again. He smells nice, a bit salty from the sea, but she likes it. He seems to be in agreement, because she thinks she can almost hear him purr. "You and I, we'll find a way to break this", she vows and the wolf gives a little grunt.