Chapter Five
They were down at the harbour within moments. Approaching the Jolly Roger, Killian slowed them down with a wave of his hand and a finger to his lips. "I know he's probably been waiting for us, but I still think stealth is our best option," he whispered.
Emma and Blue both nodded in agreement. Killian gave one firm nod and then pulled his cutlass from it's sheaf as Emma pulled her gun out and silently climbed the gangplank onto the ship. Walking softly across the deck, avoiding the creakiest boards that Killian knew well, they headed down the steps of the hatch open in the middle, footsteps light as they made their way below.
They looked around vigilantly, listening for any sounds as they headed towards the Captain's quarters. Killian figured that was where Blackbeard would be waiting, lording it up as though he were the rightful Captain of the Jolly Roger. So far they hadn't seen any evidence and all seemed quiet as Killian slammed open the door of his old domain.
At first glance the room seemed just as empty as well, but then a flickering light out of the corner of her eye caught Emma's attention. "Wait," she said, her hand grasping Killian's hook to pull him back.
Creeping towards the table in the middle of the room, a light flickered again from inside an old fashioned lantern. At first glance one might think it was simply candlelight, but a closer look revealed the flickering light to be caused by a live being with wings. "Is that..." Emma trailed off and looked towards Blue finding it rather twisted that Blackbeard had held a living fairy captive in the same way that Captain Hook had trapped Tinker Bell in Disney's version of the Peter Pan movies.
"Christina," Blue nodded, reaching for the lantern. "Poor thing has been trapped in here." She opened the door and the tiny fairy flew out slowly and landed exhaustedly on the table. The fairy seemed rather defeated.
Emma crouched down, to be at her height and smiled. "My daughter, Hope," she asked eagerly, "is she here? On the ship?" she asked.
The fairy nodded, looking almost ashamed, as though she felt she had failed the child.
"Go," Blue told them. "Find Hope, I'll help Christina. You two need to save your daughter."
Emma and Killian didn't need telling twice as they raced out of the room, unable to stay quiet now that they knew they were so close. "HOPE!" Emma yelled desperately. "It's mommy and daddy, where are you baby?" she called as they opened and slammed doors down the corridors.
They stopped as they heard an imperceptible cry and muffled shouting in the distance. Emma grabbed Killian's arm as they shared a look and then ran towards the sound together, each of them intent on getting to her first.
"Hope! We're coming baby!" Emma called to her.
Killian crashed through the door to the crews quarters, Emma hot on his heals. "Mommy! Daddy!" cried a small child much louder now. The room seemed empty of anyone, but that didn't mean anything with the ship's cargo hold right beneath them. Hurrying forwards they began to slam open all of the hatches around the room, until they found her. They both peered down at the scared little girl, huddled in a corner of the hold with her arms wrapped around herself.
"Hope!" Killian called her name in relief.
She looked up at them with a fearful, tear stained face. "Daddy!" she cried, reaching for him.
"I'm coming lass, daddy's here," he told her. He climbed in and dropped himself to the bottom. In seconds he had her in his arms where she clung tightly to him, her arms tight around his neck as she sobbed on him, her face buried in his neck. "I got you baby, I got you," he murmured softly to her as he rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head repeatedly.
"Is she okay?" Emma asked frantically. "Is she hurt?"
He sat down with her on his lap as he looked her over. "Are you hurt?" he asked her gently.
"Hurt my knee," she whimpered. "I falled down," she added.
He kissed her knee and found another graze on her arm before looking up at Emma hanging over the side of the hatch. "A few bumps and grazes, but I think she's all right," he told her. Standing up again with Hope in his arms, he kissed her forehead. "I'm going to pass you up to Mummy now, okay?" he asked her.
She nodded and sniffed as she rubbed her face into his chest, probably covering him in snot, not that he cared. Gently he passed her up to Emma who grabbed her before pulling her into her arms. She sat down with Hope in her lap, sobbing in relief as she hugged her precious little girl and breathed her in.
Killian pulled himself back up and sat down beside them, holding them both as the grateful parents fussed over their daughter. Emma began to check her over. "Are you okay baby? Where do you hurt?" she asked.
Hope pointed to her knee and her elbow where her clothes were torn a little and dried blood was visible in those areas. "I falled down," she said sadly as Emma wiped the tears from her face. "I don't like the bad man! He's scawy and stinky!" she told them with a pout.
"I know, I don't like him at all either. He's a very bad man for taking you from me and daddy. But, you're safe now baby. We've got you." Emma held her close again as both parents kissed the top of their child's blond curls.
"Now, isn't this a pretty picture!" The door was suddenly flung open to reveal Blackbeard standing there looking all haughty and victorious. "The once notably ruthless Captain Hook has gone all soft, playing happy families," he chuckled to himself.
Hope recoiled into Emma at the mere sight of him, whimpering as she hid her face in her Mom's shoulder. Killian took one look at just how afraid his daughter was and jumped to his feet, unsheathing his sword as he did, pointing it towards the older pirate. "Stay the hell away from my family!"
Blackbeard threw his head back and let out a large guffaw, finding him humorous. "I s'pose this is the wench you traded your ship for?" he tilted his head as he checked Emma over. "I guess there's some appeal," he chuckled. "Not sure she's worth losing a ship over, mind you."
"Shut the fu...hell up!" Killian snapped, trying to remember his impressionable young daughter was just behind him. "Don't you dare talk about my wife like that!" he roared, backing him into the corner with his sword.
Blackbeard laughed again. "Ooh, touch a nerve did I?" he mocked.
"I will never allow you touch my family again!" Killian warned him, never moving the sword that was aimed directly at his heart.
"How do you possibly think you can stop me? I already took your daughter!" he laughed. "You know the little brat cried for you last night. Such a noise and terribly annoying. Good job I had a gag with me-"
"You bastard!" Killian cut him off and moved the sword closer towards skin.
"Now are you going to kill me, in front of your precious child or are you going to resolve this easily? Just give me what I want!"
Killian glanced behind him to where Emma had Hope cradled in her arms. He just wanted to get her out of here, she'd been through enough and right now he didn't care one iota for his ship. "Just let us go. If you let us go now and never come near this town again, you can have my damn ship," he relented.
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere," Blackbeard laughed and batted Killian's sword away.
Killian nodded and took a couple of steps back to check on his family. He didn't notice Blackbeard suddenly make a lunge for him.
"Killian! Duck!" Emma yelled and held out her hand. "Back off!" A blast of magic pulsed out of her, sending Blackbeard flying across the crew's quarters, where he fell, crumpled in the corner, temporarily knocked out.
"Momma!" Hope gasped in amazed admiration.
"Emma, love. Your magic?" Killian asked as he gave her his hand, helping her to her feet with Hope in her arms.
Emma looked at her own hand in surprise. "Christina must have been able to reverse her spell. The block has been lifted," she said as she looked up at her husband with a small, relieved smile.
"Come on, let's get out of here. We don't know how long he'll be out," Killian said, his hand on Emma's back as he guided them from the quarters.
Hurrying to escape, they were making their way to the closest hatch, when Hope spied something on the floor. "Momma...Mr Bunnykins! Momma...stop!" The little girl was slapping her Mother's arm to get her to stop. "Momma!" she shouted.
"Hope? What is it?" Emma stopped to ask her, worried there was something wrong.
"Mr Bunnykins!" Hope pouted and pointed down the corridor. The locator spell had obviously continued tracking her and brought the stuffed toy bunny to the ship, where it now lay on the floor outside the Captain's quarters. "I gotta get him!" she whined.
"Okay, fine," Emma huffed and headed to collect the toy, knowing what it meant to her daughter.
"What the hell are you doing?" Killian hissed, doubling back to find them.
"Mr Bunnykins!" Hope grinned, showing her father the toy her mom had just picked up for her.
He rolled his eyes and sighed, not having the heart to remonstrate either of them right now. "Wonderful, but we really need to go," he said, leading them towards the hatch in the Captain's quarters, since it was the now closest.
They made it to the top, squinting in the bright afternoon sun for a moment before they all hurried towards the steps down from the helm that would lead to the gangplank and finally, get them safely off the ship.
They were all stopped short, colliding with one another as Blackbeard suddenly appeared again from the lower hatch. He had his sword in the air as he held the back of his head and groaned. "Nice trick, witch!" he spat, waving his sword in their general direction.
"Yeah, not a witch!" Emma replied with snark.
"Now, Hook. Shall we finish this?" he asked rather arrogantly as he held his sword firmly out towards him.
Killian groaned under his breath, looking thoroughly irritated. "Fine," he said, drawing his sword again. "Let's get this over with then, I want to get my family home," he told the older man. "Stay up here with Hope. This is between him and me now," he whispered to Emma.
"Be careful," she warned him.
"I'm a survivor, love." He winked before heading towards the gloating pirate and took up his stance, preparing to duel.
With experienced ease they began to fight, the swords clashing as Killian easily deflected each of his advances. Their actions were fast, both of them skilled in sword battle as each of them pivoted and parried the other.
Emma couldn't help but admire Killian's form, it had been some time since she'd witnessed him in the action of a sword fight. His slick movements were almost like a dance as he swirled and retreated, passing back and forth against the clangs of metal hitting metal. It was obvious to Emma who was the more skilled, but perhaps she was biased since he was her husband. It was easy to tell the fight was easier for him, seeing the older man panting after a few minutes. Though neither had landed a blow on the other yet.
"Give it up, old man!" Killian scoffed, jeering him.
"Never!" Blackbeard bellowed, lunging forward.
Killian easily evaded him. "We can do this all night, but you're still not getting my ship that easily!"
Blackbeard laughed. "I already took your child, mate. Taking this ship will be easy!" He added, looking rather smug with himself.
"I haven't a clue why you're acting all high and mighty, mate!" Killian scoffed. "You bested a three year old child!"
"No, I bested you!" Blackbeard roared back.
"Oh really?" Killian asked. Suddenly whirling around, he kicked out his leg and tripped Blackbeard. The old man fell onto his back, Killian's sword poking into his chest. "Because the way I see it, I have my daughter back, my family is safe. I am going to keep my ship. And you, you have nothing. You're laying like a turtle on your back with my sword millimetres from stabbing you. How exactly have you bested me?" he asked, sliding his sword up to Blackbeard's throat.
"Daddy!" Hope screamed.
He glanced back at his sweet daughter in his wife's arms. Her eyes were wide in alarm and he knew that as enraged and furious as he was that this git had dared to take his child, he was not going to resort to murder. He wasn't that man any more and he certainly didn't want Hope to witness the very worst of his past.
Turning to David and August who were hurriedly boarding the ship, he nodded towards them. "Take him to the cells!" he told them, not moving his sword until the men hauled the older pirate to his feet. "You might as well throw away the key," he added as he re-sheathed his sword.
Once they had him restrained between them, Emma jogged down the stairs. Pausing to pass Hope into her father's arms, she walked right up to Blackbeard, slapping him sharply around the face. "If you ever dare touch even a hair on my daughter's head again or come anywhere near my family, there will not be enough of you left to even satisfy the smallest fish!" she screamed at him.
He chuckled to himself, rather sardonically. "I'd like to see you try, witch. With those paltry parlour tricks!"
"Try this for a parlour trick!" she yelled and thrust her hands out in front of her. Seeing what she was about to do, David and August let go of him and quickly stepped back as her magic hit the old pirate, sending him flying over the railing of the ship. He flailed and yelled in alarm until he splashed into the ocean.
"Yay Momma!" Hope giggled and clapped her hands, making Killian chuckle.
David and August both sighed deeply and rolled their eyes as the peered over the side of the ship, knowing that they were going to have to somehow haul the asshole out again now before they could lock him up in the cells beneath the hospital.
"Well done, love," Killian flung his hooked arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple as he held Hope on his hip in his other arm.
"You weren't so bad yourself," she chuckled, cuddling into him with her arm around his back as she took Hope's hand. "Shall we go home?" she asked her.
Hope nodded enthusiastically as the three of them, reunited, turned to leave the ship.