A/N: Hello my Lovely Readers. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Last chapter was to help cover some of the specifics of the curse. This chapter brings back our OTP and some new adventure. Sorry this update didn't come as quickly as the others. There will be more coming soon. I'm anticipating cowering in the corner after Episode 4X09 so hopefully I'll have another update for you before then. I appreciate all of you that took the time to give me a comment or a review on this story. I love hearing what you have to say and it's great to know that you all love our characters as much as I do.
Ch. 17
When he came down he found her sitting in the window seat staring out at the water.
"Love, are you alright?" he asked.
She turned to look at him and smiled. Her eyes red and swollen and tear streaks dried on her cheeks. He sat next to her and pulled her onto his lap to hold her. She nestled in against him not saying anything for awhile. He enjoyed just having a quiet moment with her after all of the excitement earlier. She'd been through a lot and he didn't want to push her to talk about it.
She felt warm and safe in his arms. She cried all she could and she was done with it. She loved looking out at the water. It had a calming effect on her. She saw the open water as a way to be free. She wasn't sure how she was going to process everything that happened but for now she was happy to feel safe again.
She was born with magic and the Evil Queen tried to kill her because of it. Her parents knew that she had magic and never told her about it. They knew that she could break the curse with true love's kiss but still let her marry a man who was not her true love. They also knew something was wrong but never came to help her. It was a lot to think about and she wasn't sure how she would be able to forgive them for never telling her the truth about who she was and keeping her from making her own choices.
She needed to put all of that aside because they were in danger. They could be hurt because of her and she would never have the chance to forgive them. It didn't matter how angry she was at them she would never leave them helpless to the Evil Queen.
"I'm glad you're here." She said finally.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I wanted to make sure that we were as far away from the Enchanted Forest as we could go and fast. We were lucky we had the wind working with us as well. The Jolly Roger is the fastest ship in all the realms but good weather certainly helps too." He said.
"Thank you Killian. I wouldn't have made it through that without you. I've just been thinking about everything that happened." Said Emma.
She cupped his cheek and caressed the side of his face.
"Love, I'll always be there if you want Me." he said.
She turned to look into his eyes. She was searching for the right words to respond to that. She wanted to stay with him forever. It was difficult to think anything other than that when destiny proclaims someone as your True Love. She just knew she felt safe with him and he felt like home.
"I don't think there will be a time I won't want you with me. I know we've only been together a short while but honestly, I feel as though I've lived more in these past few days than in the last ten years." She said.
He kissed her tenderly and she responded with the same sweetness. She was so soft and so fragile yet he knew how strong she was. She was a survivor like he was. She did everything she needed to do to protect herself as he's always done. He needed to make sure that she knew that as long as he was with her she wouldn't just need to survive, he would protect her. She wasn't alone. She could live and she wouldn't have to worry anymore. He would never let anyone harm her again.
"Killian, What do we do now?" asked Emma.
"We head back to Tortuga to talk to Nairobi. She's agreed to help you with your magic." Said Killian.
"That would be wonderful. I need to know how to control this. I can't protect anyone against an attack if I don't know how to use this." Said Emma.
"Well so far you've done an excellent job of healing me, staving off men at the bakery and protecting your father and I from those ruffians back at the cottage." Said Killian.
"That's true but I don't know how it happened. I just got scared and all of the sudden I felt my magic crawl over my skin and then it just blew out of my hands. I'm just lucky I was aiming it at something. I could have hurt you." Said Emma.
He squeezed her tight.
"Love, you didn't. You were amazing. Just think about how well you did without control. Imagine what you can do when you are certain of what you want to happen." Said Killian.
"I hope you're right. I can't let that Evil Queen hurt my family. I need to protect them." Said Emma.
"I'll be with you every step of the way. Just remember that." he said kissing her on her head.
Out on the horizon there appeared another ship and it was coming in fast. She pointed out on the water and Killian stood. Suddenly there was a loud crash and they heard the men shouting above deck.
"Do you think they are with the Queen?" she asked.
"I don't know. Stay here." he said.
"Killian, what if I can help?" asked Emma.
"I need to know you're safe. Just stay here." Said Killian.
He was rushing out the door before she could protest further. The banging and crashing got louder. As the other ship got closer she noticed that its flags were crimson and black. It wasn't a regal ship at all.
"Pirates" she whispered.
She grabbed the sword that she pulled from the closet days ago and tossed away her cloak so she could have better movement. She tested the weight of the sword in her hands and tightened her grip on it. She got into the stance her father taught her and practiced with the blade to loosen her muscles in the event she would need to fight.
She knew Killian would never let anyone hurt her but she still worried. If someone got past the men and found her, she was afraid of what might happen. She started to feel the familiar tingling of her magic crawling over her skin again. As if she didn't have enough to worry about in that moment aside from her magic going off.
She heard a loud crash above deck and her body shook. She couldn't just sit there any longer. If she was going to live on a pirate ship among the crew she needed to help them. She couldn't just sit down in the quarters and act like a damsel in distress.
She pushed at the door and it was unlocked. She climbed the stairs and peered out to see what was happening. The crew was fighting the men who boarded their ship. Killian was busy fighting two men and he looked glorious. His form was perfect and he was magnificent to watch. She could have watched him all day. He really handled his sword well and even with a hook for a hand he seemed to outwit and out play the other men.
As she surveyed the other men they were not doing quite as well. It appeared that Mr. Smee had gotten himself into a predicament with one of the men and was in danger. She needed to help him.
She had her sword in hand and her magic was still prickling her skin. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and climbed the final stairs acting on instinct. She crept up behind the man and tapped his shoulder with her blade. Mr. Smee's eyes grew wide and Emma stood back holding perfect form with her sword. She raised an eyebrow and smiled as the man turned to see a woman standing behind him.
He was a scruffy man, not very large and probably thought he would get the best of Mr. Smee but she wasn't going to let that happen. He should also not underestimate her either.
"What've got here? You think ye can take me lass?" asked the scruffy man.
"Yes, I believe I can." Said Emma.
She had so much pent up emotion from their earlier activities. The anger she felt helped her put everything she had into the fight. She pushed the man back and jabbed her sword at him catching him off guard. He didn't expect the power that she put into her swings and he certainly didn't expect her to be able to handle the sword with both her left and right hands.
The metal of her blade clanged against his sword in swift movements. Her father taught her well. The anger and the pain she had inside kept bubbling forward fueling her blows. The man was so taken aback that he was cowering back in no time. The final blow had his sword flying through the air and digging into the deck. Smee scrambled to pick up the sword.
She held the sword to his heart and he held his hands high begging for mercy. His back was pressed against the side of the ship. She felt her nostrils flaring, her chest heaving, and the sweat on her brow was beginning to drip down. She wanted to dig in the blade to just release all the anger she had and be done with this.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and a shush of breath by her ear. She felt her heart jump in alarm and her hands started to prickle.
"Love, you've got him. We'll take it from here." Said Killian.
She closed her eyes and tried to get her breathing under control. The adrenalin was pumping in her veins and she was overcome with all the emotions she had. Her skin was tingling and prickling. She was sure that her hands might be glowing. She didn't want to release her prisoner. Her blade was steady against his chest and the point was prepped to dig in.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her from behind. She slowly began to lower the blade and release the emotions holding her in place.
"Are you alright?" he whispered in her ear.
She nodded and opened her eyes. She could feel the tears begin to pool in her eyes. She turned around in his arms and put her face to his chest.
"Smee, take care of this filth. Get them off my ship and then loot their hold. Take anything of value and be done with them. No man tries to steal from Captain Hook and gets away with it." He shouted.
She felt his orders reverberate from his chest. She was afraid to look at the others. She wanted to hide. She was afraid he would be angry with her for disobeying him to stay out of it.
He pushed her back slowly and lifted her chin so he could look in her eyes. He could see she was upset but she was bloody amazing. He never saw a woman fight like that. She took the man down in the first few blows.
When he first saw her climb on deck his heart sank. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. He rushed forward after he quickly dispatched of the two men he was fighting to help her. She didn't need his help, the man was cowering. She was rushing him in a blaze of fury. She was brilliant. Her form was perfect and she wasn't lying, she could handle a blade.
He kissed her nose and she blinked. The tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Are you angry with me? I'm sorry I didn't listen. Please don't be angry." she said.
"Love, you're bloody brilliant." He said.
He picked her up and spun her around. She smiled.
A feeling of relief washed over her.
"You aren't angry with me then?" she asked.
"I don't think it's possible for me to be angry with you Love. I worried when I saw you come on deck but I've seen what you can do with your magic and now I've seen what you can do with a sword. I'd say any man or beast that dares come at you deserves what he gets. " Said Killian smiling.
She leaned up and kissed him. She felt relieved. He never gave her any reason for her to expect him to be angry with her. It was just old fear from her time with Neal that crept up and she needed to remember that Killian was not Neal. He wouldn't hurt her that way.
"I'd say that Smee owes you his life." Said Killian.
"I'd say Mr. Smee and I are even." She said.
"Love, let's go downstairs. The crew will take care of this mess." Said Killian.
Killian looked to see Smee was handling the crew and the rogue men were quickly being dispatched from his ship. It wasn't just him that saw her fighting. In fact she had forced all of the men to stop and he'd say she quickly gave his whole crew the upper hand. When the rogues witnessed what was happening they all stopped and his men were able to quickly defeat them. She never stopped surprising him.
She looped her arm in his and followed him below. When they entered the room he pushed the door shut behind them and then pushed her up against the door. He kissed her until she was breathless. When he pulled back he had a look of adoration in his sparkling eyes.
She jumped at him covering his lips with her own as she remembered watching him in the heat of his battle. He was amazing the way his body moved. She dropped her sword to the floor and pushed his jacket back off his shoulders. He pushed her dress down uncovering her breast. He kissed her down her neck as he massaged her nipple to a peak. She leaned back against the door as she enjoyed the sensations he was sending throughout her body. His lips captured her nipple and she moaned in pleasure putting her fingers into his hair and scratching against his scalp. She could feel the warmth in her belly rising. She ran her hands down his shoulders and then inside of his vest and massaged his soft hair against his chiseled chest.
He pressed soft kisses up her neck and then captured her lips. She loved kissing him. His lips were so soft and he tasted of spice. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he growled. Their tongues danced together in soft rhythm. He lifted her skirts and his hand slid up her thigh towards where she needed him most.
She purred when he touched her. His fingers slipped into her panties and caressed her warmth.
"Princess, I'm going to take you here. You're so ready for me. I need to have you." He whispered into her ear.
His voice drove her crazy. She could come undone just listening him talk about how he wanted her and what he would do to her.
She looked into his eyes and saw a mirror of her own passion staring back at her. She nodded and began opening the laces of his pants. He was soon free of his confinement and she rubbed her hand up and down over his length. He groaned with pleasure as she stroked him. He had her panties down, leg over his hooked arm and was filling her in no time. She sighed in relief as they were joined together.
She had her back against the door and he took her hard and fast. His steady rhythm massaged her in all the right ways. She moaned and purred against his ear as the sensations overwhelmed her. His warm breath against her neck and his mouth pressing into her shoulder drove her insane. She had her hands in his hair and holding on tight as he thrust in and out of her. His fingers dipped below and massaged her where they were joined. Before she knew it she was seeing stars and floating in warmth through each vibration. As she was floating he chased his own release and soon came after. They slumped against each other with relief.
He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her down and he climbed in with her. She crawled into his arms and pressed her face against his chest. They were both breathing heavy and the sound of his thrumming heart calmed her.
He pressed his lips to the top of her head.
"Love, That was.." he breathed.
"I know." She whispered.
"I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to get enough of you." He said.
She snuggled closer to him and kissed his neck.
"You don't think those men were with the Evil Queen do you?" she asked.
"No, they were just pirates in the water. We had to travel so quickly to get away that we didn't enter the waters with our usual precision and stealth. We were lucky that we weren't seen by a larger crew. The closer we get to Tortuga the better the chance of running into scoundrels like that who want to challenge us." He said.
"So why go there?" she asked.
"Most men follow a code and it's the rare occasion that we meet up with a crew like that." He said.
"So I should expect that we will be challenged again?" she asked.
"Aye Love, but I should hope that you wouldn't have to fight no matter how amazing it is to watch you. I'd say I lost a few years off my life at your first blow of the sword." he said kissing her.
She laughed.
"I told you I could fight." She said.
"Aye, it's one thing to hear you say it but another to see it. Your father taught you well." He said.
Her heart sank.
"Do you think he is ok?" she asked.
I'm sure your father has gotten round to the inn by now and tracked down Ruby. If we are in luck August is still there and he can get word to us. He'll know how to reach me." Said Killian.
"Killian, they knew that I had magic. They knew that I was cursed and they never told Me. How could they do that? I should have been able to make my own choice. I could have found you sooner." she said.
"Aye, Love but I'm not sure about the man you would have found. Perhaps fate wanted us to meet this way?" Said Killian.
Emma smiled up at him. She leaned up and kissed him softly.
"Perhaps you are right. Thank you for everything you did back there. Your support means so much to me. You saved me, you saved my life." She said.
"Love, I'd do anything for you." He said.
His sea blue eyes were mesmerizing her again. She snuggled back into his chest and held him tight.
"I'm worried about the Evil Queen. What if she goes after my parents?"asked Emma.
"Love, we need to get you help to control your magic. You can't stand up to her without it. She could kill you. She's going to be looking for you. We didn't tell your parents where we were going and if we're lucky they didn't keep our letters. I should have told your father to burn them. Someone told them where to find us." Said Killian.
"You're right and I don't think it was Ruby or August. Maybe someone else was at the palace and overheard my parents talking?"asked Emma.
"Love, that's possible but when magic is involved I'm never surprised at the methods used to gain information. Look how Nairobi was able to read your thoughts?"said Killian waggling his eyebrows.
"I can't believe that she could read my thoughts." Said Emma.
She felt the blush creeping up on her face.
"You're like an open book love and if they were like anything I was thinking about myself she got quite the eye full." Said Killian.
"I'm going to have to get her to help me shield my thoughts. Now that I know that I'm projecting them I need them to remain hidden." Said Emma.
"We should be back in Tortuga by nightfall at the rate we are traveling. How about I get you something to eat?" he asked.
"Thank you, I am feeling hungry." She said.
He kissed her cheek and hopped out of the bed. He righted his laces and pulled on the rest of his clothes. She watched him in awe. He was so handsome and he had an amazing body. She needed to stop because there were serious matters at hand. All she could think about was getting him naked again and running her hands over his muscles.
He looked at her and smiled. She sat up and righted her clothing. He picked up her panties and handed them to her.
"Thank you." She said smiling.
He took her hand and kissed it.
"I'll check in with the crew and be back with something to eat. Stay below until I can make sure that all is clear." He said.
"Aye Aye, Captain." She said.
He turned to leave and she pulled him back into a soft kiss. He smiled against her lips.
"Stay out of trouble." She said.
He nodded and took off back up to the deck.
She collapsed back on the bed and folded her arms over her chest. This was so much to process in such a short amount of time. She felt overwhelmed and it was wonderful. She wouldn't trade a single minute.