A/N: This chapter is full of romantic fluff. I'm sorry it got away from me. They have some adventures and excitement too. I hope you enjoy this chapter. They are moving forward to the next adventure. Emma's been practicing magic and there is more to learn.

Ch. 21

On their way back to the Jolly Roger, they kept to themselves so they wouldn't be noticed. They spotted two men who looked suspiciously out of place for an island of scoundrels. One of them looked familiar to Emma but she wasn't sure where she'd seen him before. He was a burly man with broad shoulders and a handlebar mustache. The other man was taller with long red hair pulled back into a pony tail. Neither looked like someone Emma wanted to meet.

As Luck would have it, a fight broke out at the tavern, it drew the attention of anyone hanging around nearby and the streets cleared so they picked up speed. When they got to the ship Nairobi and Greta were standing near the docks.

"Captain, you've seen the posters then? We came to warn ye." asked Nairobi.

"Aye, we need to leave." Said Killian.

"I can give you back the texts. I know they are important to you." Said Emma.

"No, milady. Hold onto them for as long as ye need. I'll be seeing ye again." said Greta.

Emma hugged her.

"Thank you, I don't think I can ever repay you for your kindness." Said Emma.

"We'll see ye when ye return. Stay safe Princess." said Nairobi smiling.

"Goodbye." Said Emma.

The other crew men from the Jolly were stumbling forward and heading towards them. She and Killian hurried aboard. She could see Mr. Smee up on deck already, he was standing by the entry way and wringing his hat in his hands.

Killian looked at him and clenched his jaw. He knew it wasn't the man's fault but he had to keep up appearances. He didn't need to look as though he'd gone soft with this lot.

"Smee, now's not the time to fall apart. We're going to destination Oasis. Ready the crew." Said Killian.

"Captain, I'm sorry." Said Smee nervously.

He tried to dial it back because Emma was there but apparently Smee couldn't take the hint and the other men were watching.

"Your Captain gave you an order. You can beg for forgiveness later. Now get these filthy bilge rats in line so we can set a new course. We've got to shove off before those ruffians get wind of where to find you. Off with you before I throw you in the brig." yelled Killian.

That was the first time she'd seen him yell. She winced as he shouted the command. She noticed the other crew men were watching the scene. She kept her mouth shut so that she didn't interrupt the chain of command. She knew that was important to Killian and she still didn't know these men very well.

"Aye Aye Captain." Said Smee.

Emma looked at Killian and nodded.

He grabbed her hand and gave her a quick smile.

"Love, why don't you go below? This is going to be a rough send off since we have to leave so quickly." Said Killian.

"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to help you?" asked Emma.

"Love, its best if you remain hidden and let the crew take care of things. You can't trust an island full of pirates. Like I told you, the right price buys information." Said Killian.

"OK, if you feel its best Captain." She said.

She wanted to kiss him but the crew was still watching so she took the supplies he was carrying from his arms and brushed her hand along his slowly as she took the last item.

He closed his eyes at her soft touch of understanding. He watched her as she walked off towards the stairs and went below before he started barking out orders again. It meant the world to him that she was here. He needed to keep her safe at all cost.

The men were scrambling about and preparing the Jolly for send off. Smee was following command as well as the rest. They were all dragging after a short shore leave; most were still likely drunk or hung-over. It would be a miracle if they were to make it without being stopped so he pushed them hard to make it happen.

He pulled out his spyglass and peered towards Tortuga. He quickly spotted the two men from earlier talking with some of the people in town. It appeared as though they were going to make a clean getaway this time but it was close. He was glad that he and Emma left Nairobi's when they did.

He would be happy when they were far away from this place. There were certainly worse foes after them but he'd rather not risk anything here. All Pirates could be bought for a price.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma took the texts and the other items with her down into the Captain's quarters. She wished she could help the crew since she was partially responsible for those men coming after them. Killian was right though. She needed to remain concealed to give them their best chance.

She placed the texts on the desk and the rest of the supplies on the table. She unpacked the bags and put the supplies away. She took off her cloak and it was full of sand. She gave it a quick shake and laid it over her trunk.

She smiled when she thought of their beautiful beach excursion. It was the perfect distraction from the danger she had to face. She was glad that Killian suggested it and he really did help her unwind after reliving all those grueling memories.

She enjoyed her magic lessons today too. She felt so powerful. Nairobi and Greta said that she was a fast learner and seemed surprised that she was able to accomplish so many tasks so quickly. They said her magic was strong but she still didn't understand what it meant to fully accept it.

She felt the ship begin to move away from port and hurried to sit in the window seat to watch the launch. Tortuga was a dirty place full of scoundrels but it was the most beautiful island she'd ever been to and it was so full of life in comparison to what she'd experienced in other towns near the sea.

She'd been excited to go to the pirate hideaway, but she couldn't imagine what other magical places they could go. She longed to be able to explore the realms with Killian. She'd always desired to travel. She never wanted the palace life. She fought against it from the time she was a little girl.

Her time in the castle with Neal began to feel more and more like a prison sentence as she tasted freedom. She knew she wasn't happy but she felt like she was doing her duty. She made excuses for how she lived and kept her dirty little secrets. She accepted her prison as her life. The person she was slowly dissipated and she became that bland, stoic woman that did her duty.

She never wanted to go back to that life. She would never be that prisoner again. She knew who she was and she was working her way back to being that person again.

While she was enjoying her adventures, she wished it was under better circumstances. Running from a black magic toting Evil Queen was not the kind of adventure she'd had in mind. She also didn't want to face her Dark father-in-law if it came to it. He had to be a very powerful man if he was able to give the Evil Queen her powers and create a curse to take away her own. That fact took her breath away and she could feel her magic prickle against her skin.

She closed her eyes and thought about Killian smiling, he was her safe place. She took a breath and her skin stopped prickling. She opened her eyes and she watched the island get smaller and smaller as the boat quickly left port. She sighed in relief as they got away without any incidents.

She got up, grabbed one of the texts from the desk and sat back into the window seat. She pulled up her knees and got comfortable. It was already mid afternoon and she figured she better get back on task. She still needed to figure out what to do.

The book she selected was covered in weathered brown leather. It had gold ridges up the spine and the word Graema was stamped on the cover in gold. The symbols on the front were white magic in nature from what she remembered. She thumbed her way through the pages looking for familiar symbols and studying them. She didn't want to forget their meaning.

She'd only had a short time with her new friends to learn and it couldn't be for nothing. Some of the spells required her to connect to the water and some to the earth. There were some spells that she could only do during certain times of the year or when the moon was full.

She still needed to figure out what it meant to fully accept her magic and nothing she read with Nairobi offered her a way to do that. If she could just do that then she wouldn't have to worry about her parent's safety or the Evil Queen.

As she paged through the Graema she found some interesting spells to try and she placed markers on those pages. Some of them required items that they didn't have on board the ship. There were locator spells, memory potions, healing charms, conjuring spells, and spells to disguise appearance. There wasn't anything about how to accept her magic.

Her stomach was growling. She closed her eyes, waved her hand and an apple from the basket appeared by her side. She nibbled on it as she read through the text. Most of the spells had rules that you had to follow to make them work like walking in a circle three times, ringing a bell, saying an incantation multiple times or a meditative chant. She still found nothing to help her combat the curse or accept her magic.

She began to think that maybe she needed to interpret the meaning differently. She closed her eyes and started to think of warm and happy thoughts. She felt her magic prickling on her skin and her hands were getting warm. She stood up and hugged her arms around herself.

"I accept you." She said.

She waited but nothing happened.

"Magic, I accept you." She said.

Again, nothing happened. She said it three times because some of the incantations required that you say the words multiple times for it to work but nothing happened.

She growled in frustration and grit her teeth.

"Magic, I don't know what to do. I'm happy I have you. I want to keep you but I don't know what you need me to do." She said aloud.

She heard the door click open behind her.

Killian stumbled into the room and collapsed on a chair. He looked exhausted. The day was growing long. She didn't know how long she'd been down there studying but from the looks of him, he'd been at it for hours on deck.

"I'm glad you're here. Are you alright? Is everything alright with the Jolly?" she asked.

"Aye. Our girl is on her way. The wind is with us and the sky appears to be clear." Said Killian smiling.

"I like the sound of that, our girl." she said smiling.

"I heard you talking when I came in. Were you practicing?" he asked.

"No, I was trying to accept my magic. I thought maybe if I said it out loud that would do it but so far I don't feel any different." Said Emma.

"Nairobi said that perhaps the curse hasn't ended yet? Maybe it just takes a little time." Said Killian.

"Perhaps, I just wish I knew more." Said Emma.

He pulled his flask of rum from his pocket and took a swig. His hair was wild and his cheeks looked windswept.

She walked over to him and noticed that he really didn't look so well.

"Killian, Are you sure you're alright? You don't look alright." She said.

She went behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. He winced at her touch.

"I'm fine, just a rough start getting the old girl out to sea. We're down a member of the crew since the storm." Said Killian.

"You're not fine and I'm going to take care of you." She said.

She hugged her arms around his neck from behind and kissed his head. Then she remembered the charms she made for Nairobi. She knelt down next to him and reached into his pocket to check for the stones.

He jumped in surprise when he felt her hands in his coat. She held up the stone and smiled.

"I thought maybe we could try one of these? See if my magic actually works?" she said.

"Good thinking Darling." He said.

He was in so much pain but he didn't want her to know how bad he felt. He didn't want to worry her. He took another swig from his flask.

She pulled a ribbon from inside of her trunk and threaded it through the stone. She watched him as he winced in pain. She hurried over to him and placed the necklace over Killian's head. He immediately sighed in relief.

"Oh, Love, that's good." He said.

He slumped forward over the desk and put his head over his crossed arms.

"Really? You're feeling better already." She asked.

"It's like I just got wrapped in a warm blanket." He said.

"Oh really, I'm so glad." She said.

"Aye, Gods so much better." He said looking up towards her.

He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her neck. His scruff tickled her and she laughed out loud.

"Good. You had me worried." She said.

He put his arms around her, stood up and carried her with him over to the window seat.

"Killian, put me down, you're hurt. What if the charm just makes you think you feel better." She said giggling.

"I shall always be able to carry my lady if I feel like it and I feel wonderful." He said grinning.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose.

He placed her gently in the seat and sat next to her so they could watch the sunset.

"The sky was so beautiful tonight that I wanted you to see it." Said Killian.

The sun was nearly set, leaving a rainbow of colors fighting against the twilight.

"It truly is. I'm glad you showed me." she said smiling.

As it got darker Emma waved her hand and lit the candles and lanterns in the room.

Killian chuckled.

"I need to get used to that." Said Killian.

"Is it something you think you can get used to?" she asked.

She appeared to be searching for something. Her eyes were quizzical. As if he would dislike any part of her. She was a marvel.

"Love, I'm a fan of every part of you. I'd say my lady having a natural ability to light up a room is a very strong gift and I'm not just talking about your magic." Said Killian.

"You always know just what to say to make me feel better." She said smiling.

She cupped his face in her hands and placed a soft kiss on his lips. When she opened her eyes he was mesmerizing her with his eyes again. She felt the butterflies in her stomach as he looked at her with such adoration.

She was so soft and fragile, yet she was so strong. She just needed to realize that. He was studying all the colors of green that he could see in her eyes. Her magic was only one facet of her that he adored. As he got to know her more and more each day he knew that he couldn't help but love her. He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"Where are we heading?" asked Emma.

"I'm taking you to a secluded island. It's uninhabited. Most ships tend to avoid it because the distance from any civilized town is too vast. The speed the Jolly Roger lends us makes that trip half as long as it would be for any other ship, so it's the perfect hideaway for us. We are fully stocked after having two trips to Tortuga so close together so we should be able to hide for quite awhile should we need to." Said Killian.

"I can't wait to see it." Said Emma.

"I think you'll find it's to your liking. I can think of at least one spot that I know I'll enjoy taking you since you seem to like the beach." Said Killian.

He brushed her hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ears. A little sand fell to her shoulders.

"I'm not sure how much I like it right now. I seem to be covered from head to toe in sand." Said Emma pouting.

"Aye, I believe I might have an idea how that happened. A certain naughty princess might have demanded that I make love to her on the beach, several times." Said Killian raising his eyebrow.

A flash of desire crossed her eyes.

"I know a certain pirate that wasn't complaining one bit." She said smiling.

"I would gladly do it over again as many times as you wish." He said.

"Perhaps we can have just as much fun getting rid of the sand? I noticed you have a tub in the corner. Does that tub hold water?" she asked.

There was a movable tub that he used for bathing on occasion but he would have to get his men to bring them water for the bath.

"Aye, it does. Do you want to bathe Love? I can get the men to fill it for you." he asked.

"I would but I don't think that will be necessary. "she said grinning.

She squeezed his hand tight, closed her eyes and concentrated on what she wanted to do. She felt her magic begin to prickle over her skin and her hands grew warm. As she wiggled her fingers the tub moved towards them into the center of the room.

She opened her eyes and saw he'd cocked his head to the side and was watching her.

She smiled and said the incantation "Aguaveda.", as she pointed to the tub.

The tub filled with water before their eyes. She laughed and clapped her hands together in joy.

"I did it." She said.

"Love, I don't think you will ever cease to surprise Me." said Killian.

"Killian, Care to join me for a bath? It's big enough for both of us." She asked.

A spike of pleasure coursed through his body as she said his name.

"I thought you'd never ask." Said Killian.

"Will you help me with my dress?"she asked?

He felt his pants growing tighter at just the thought of touching her again.

"As you wish, my Love." He said.

He licked his lips, the spice of rum still lingering.

She grinned and turned her back to him and he scooted forward towards her. He began opening her dress. She nudged back into him rubbing up against him. He brushed his hand over her shoulder and down her arm capturing her hand in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed it gently. She stood and pulled him up to his feet.

She slipped his jacket off his shoulders and the sound of sand falling lingered in the quiet room. She looked up and smiled. He helped her slide out of her dress. She could feel sand in all the wrong places.

"Maybe the beach wasn't such a good idea after all." She said smiling.

The sand cascaded to the ground around them as each piece of clothing was shed to the floor. She helped him remove his shirt and playfully shook it towards him.

Sand was flying everywhere and he ducked to avoid it. She giggled when she remembered what happened to her panties at the beach sliding them down only one leg since the other side needed mending. She shed her under dress as the last piece of clothing she was wearing and dusted her hands over her body to brush away the sand.

"Love, I think you brought the beach back with you." He said as he listened to the sand falling.

Kilian was laughing as he removed each boot dumping a pile of sand in front of them. When he pulled off his pants he had sand clinging to him everywhere.

"Me? I'd say you brought your fair share of the beach with you as well." she said pointing to the floor.

"It was worth it." He said grinning.

She walked over to him and brushed her hands against him softly, whooshing away the sand from his body. He laughed when she touched his sensitive areas and continued tickling him.

"So my pirate is ticklish?" she said with a grin.

"Perhaps but you're the only one to know that fact." He said smiling.

He loved to hear her claim him as her own.

"Hmm, I'm learning all of your secrets Killian Jones." Said Emma.

She stood back and shook out the sand from her hair to the floor. She whipped it back so that it cascaded down covering her back and shoulders. She was standing bare in front of him smiling. When she looked up she could see he was staring at her with reverence. She wanted him but this sand was so uncomfortable that she needed to get rid of it now.

Emma walked over and tested the water temperature with her finger. It was a little cool to the touch. Killian came up behind her and pushed his hard length against her arse. He rubbed against her for a little friction as he kissed her neck. She felt a warm sensation whip through her body and the hairs on her arm stood on end.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her magic again. She could feel the warm rush coming quickly as he pushed her hair to the side and kissed her along her shoulders. She held her finger to the water and it began to warm up under her touch. He was driving her crazy with want.

She thought she might boil the water as her body was starting to hum with electricity. She pulled her finger out when the water felt hot enough. He kissed up her neck and captured her earlobe between his teeth sucking it and teasing it.

"It's ready." she said taking a heavy breath.

She turned in his arms and captured his lips for a slow kiss. She was burning inside and already felt the wet at her core. She pulled back to protest.

"Killian, I .. , she didn't get the words out. His lips cut her off and his tongue was tangling with hers.

She was leaning against the tub of water as he massaged her breast and pulled her closer with his hooked arm so that her body was flush against him. He reached under her and picked her up carrying her back to the window seat. She leaned back as he kissed down her neck. She moaned with delight as she felt him push two fingers inside and rub her aching nub with is thumb in small circles.

"Killian" she whimpered.

"I need you Emma. I need you now." He breathed out.

The sand was as far from her mind at that moment when she felt him line up his hard length and push into her. He let out a warm breath against her neck as he was fully sheathed by her warm wet folds.

He started thrusting in and out of her slowly, holding her leg over his hooked arm for deeper access.

"Feels so good." She purred.

She bucked her hips forward to meet him thrust for thrust. She held her arms around his neck as he quickened the pace and she began rubbing her finger over where they were joined. She threw her head back at the force of pleasure that soon came over her. Her walls fluttered around his arousal. His release forced her name to tumble from his lips over and over.

He let her leg down easy and pulled her forward into his arms, breathing heavy against her neck.

"Love, I just had to have you." He said breathlessly.

She leaned forward and captured his lips. She kissed him deeply, pulling his bottom lip with her teeth.

"I'm yours Killian. Always." She said as she stared into his eyes.

"Always." he said nodding.

"Now, how about we get into the tub and get rid of this sand?" she asked.

"Aye." He said.

He helped her climb into the tub. The steam was rising off the water. She got the temperature perfect.

She extended her hand and helped him climb in. He removed his hook and put it on the table next to the tub with the towels.

He eased down into the warm soothing water. It felt good against his aching muscles. He'd had to get the Jolly to move quickly two days in a row and he wasn't used to that kind of strenuous activity.

"Ah that feels so good." He said.

Emma eased down into the water opposite him and dunked her hair back to wet it. Then she slid over to sit in between his legs. She leaned back against him placing her head against his shoulder. Her muscles began to smooth out. After her release she didn't think it was possible to relax anymore but she did.

The mood was perfect as the waves shushing against the ship created a rhythmic sound and the room was lit by the golden glow from the lamps and a silvery sheen of the moon.

"We might need to do this more often." She said.

"Aye. This is nice." He said kissing the top of her head.

"I have so much fun with you Killian. It's been a really long time since I've felt this free." Said Emma.

"Love, I feel the same. I don't think I was aware of just how much of my life I'd just been surviving through until you came along. You make me want to try new things and I can't wait to take you exploring." Said Killian.

"When this is all said and done, I'm all yours. I'll go anywhere with you." She said.

Killian let his head fall back and the warmth soak into his muscles. Emma curled up against him and closed her eyes as the relief crept in. The activities of the day were finally taking their toll on her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She woke up and the water had grown cold. Killian was also sound asleep behind her.

She spun around and kissed his soft lips.

"Killian, we fell asleep." Said Emma.

He mumbled softly and then startled awake when she touched his face.

"Love, I must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry." He said.

"We both did. It's late and we should get to bed." She said.

"Mmm, sounds good to me." said Killian.

He rubbed his fingers over his eyes to help him adjust to the light in the room.

She climbed up from the tub and extended her hand to pull him up. He climbed out and then helped her from the tub. He picked up a towel and wrapped it around her. She turned around and Killian was standing by the window drying off.

His perfect lean body was on display and glistening with water. She bit her bottom lip as she stared. She would never get enough of that man. He looked over and noticed her watching him and smiled.

"Ready for another round love? I'm fully rested." He grinned.

She nodded.

He dropped his towel and was in front of her quickly kissing her softly. Her towel dropped to the floor and they backed up to the bed. They made love under the moonlight with the rocking ship setting their rhythm. She felt like she was floating on air as Killian sent waves of pleasure through her. He fell back against the pillows after his release and picked up her hand and kissed it.

She turned to face him and burrowed into his side for warmth. He pulled the blanket over them and kissed her forehead.

"Love, How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Incredible, thanks to my insatiable pirate." She said.

"I can't help that I have a wanton princess in my bed who I can't get enough of." He said.

She laughed.

"I suppose I am but only because you make me feel so good." She said.

"Good Night Love." he said.

"Good Night Killian." She said.