And now, the hiatus :'( As we all know, there was no new episode this week, and so to get my weekly fill, I re-watched last season's slightly less heartbreaking finale. And this popped into my head, a scene that didn't happen but I think could have/should have. Enjoy!
19. Remember
"Wait," David said, holding up his hand as he looked down at the newly added picture in the story book. "If you're Princess Leia, then that means that...Hook...?" He was comprehending, but at a snail's pace.
"Is Prince Charles, yes," Emma finished for him, a smile on her face and dancing in her eyes.
He stared at the page, seeing a beautiful, blonde woman in a bright red dress, dancing with a dark haired man in a tan coat. Even in the drawn image, it was easy recognize the two figures as Emma and Hook.
It was even easier to recognize the looks on their faces.
All at once, a conversation came rushing back to him. "Excuse me for a moment," he told the group, kissing his wife on the head before heading for the door.
Once outside, he was greeted by the cool evening air, and popped the collar of his jacket to fend off the chill reaching his neck. In front of him, seated at one of the tables near the gated entrance, was the man David was looking for.
"Thirty years is a pretty long time," David said, grabbing the chair next to the pirate and taking a seat. "But I'm not senile yet."
Hook raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
David's smile was small, but genuine. "You said, once upon a time, there was something you hoped I would remember. I do."
Seated on a log in front of the fire, Killian found it so easy to speak personally to the prince a few feet away from him. Probably because that prince had no idea who Killian really was, or that his so called "princess" was actually the prince's daughter.
"I'm not so sure her parents approve of me," he admitted.
Charming didn't hesitate. "Given the lengths you've gone to to save her, they'd be crazy not to."
Killian had to smile at the sincerity behind the prince's remark. "I hope you remember that."
Hook's brow cleared and he fidgeted in his seat, as if changing his position could make the situation more comfortable. It didn't. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, this is a bit awkward."
"I admit, things did change when I suddenly became the parent that didn't approve of you. She's my daughter, I'm going to be protective." He shrugged, seeming much more at ease than Hook was. "But I stand by what I said."
Hook's hand slid from his neck and his head snapped up, eyes meeting David's, looking for the slightest hint of distrust, but finding none. "You do?"
David chuckled. Hook hoped that was a good sign. "I didn't understand back then, but now I know what you meant when you said you'd go to the end of the world for her, or time." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice, even though they were alone on the patio. "Look, I know about the Jolly Roger."
"How do you -"
David held up his hand, silencing his daughter's suitor. "I have my ways. Anyway, I know about that, and I know you followed her through a time portal to keep her safe." A heat rose to Hook's face, but David didn't stop. "I know you helped us in Neverland for her sake, saved my life for her sake, and you went to New York to bring her back here.
"If anyone had told me that I'd be having this conversation with you, I probably would have told them to go to Doctor Hopper for an evaluation." His small joke actually managed to get a laugh out of Hook, whose uneasiness was starting to fade. "Every battle, every tragedy, every disaster, you've been there to help. I never realized how much my family and I are indebted to you." He leaned back, tossed his hands up carelessly, and then folded them comfortably across his chest. "Like it or not, you're a hero."
Hook searched the man's face, taking in the smile on his lips and in his eyes, and saw something that hadn't been directed his way in quite some time, something he'd told himself he hadn't needed and had only recently started dreaming of again: Approval. It created an unexpected warmth in his chest, but there was still a void that wasn't filled.
"I'd appreciate it if you could share your opinion with your daughter," Hook said quietly.
"I don't have to," David replied, but the man in front of him didn't look convinced. "She might surprise you."
Hook laughed quietly to himself. "She never ceases to surprise me."
"Would it help you to know that you have fate on your side?" David asked. At Hook's questioning expression, he continued, "I assume you remember the ring that caused so many problems?" Hook snorted a bit; he wouldn't be able to forget that damn ring. Ever. "The ring follows true love wherever it goes. And if memory serves me, it spent quite a bit of time in Emma's possession when she was with you."
Hook stared at him, showing on his face the pain that hope could cause when it had so often and for so long been met with disappointment. "Don't get my hopes up like that, Mate."
Seeing the man's expression, David didn't want to push it. He only said, "Just do me a favor?"
"Aye?"
"Just remember it."
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Thoughts? Prompts you'd like to see? General needs to rant about OUAT? Direct them to the box below :)