Episode 3x14
"Adaptation"
Emma was not a generally patient person, but she was practical and efficient. She was willing to invest a little time now to ensure swiftness later.
They had barely begun their search for the Wicked Witch when, over a hurried meal at Granny's diner, Emma suddenly said to Hook, "You should get a phone."
He blinked at her. "A what?"
"One of these." She pulled a small object out of her pocket and showed it to him, her fingers pressing buttons with swift, practiced motions.
Hook had seen her use it before, and caught glimpses of similar devices in this land, particularly in New York. Many people held them, looked at them, or even spoke to them while walking around. They reminded him of magic mirrors, as they seemed to provide images, information, and a means of communication.
"It's an invention of this world," Emma explained. "It lets you talk to people who are far away. So if there's an emergency, we can contact each other right away and communicate in real time."
Hook was ambivalent about much of this world's technology, but he was pleased that Emma wanted to be able to communicate easily with him. It was evidence of how much she trusted and valued him. She counted on him as an ally, and he intended to be a reliable one.
"Where can I obtain such an item?" he asked.
"There's an electronics store down the street. I can take you."
He raised one brow at her, smiling slowly. "Is this you asking to spend time with me?"
Emma rolled her eyes. But instead of insisting that he did not know enough about the technology to go about such an errand, she simply said, "Most people in this town aren't used to pirates. They'll be less nervous if I'm with you."
Hook nodded, deflating a little. "Right. The Savior."
"And the sheriff—until Pan's curse."
He looked sideways at her. "Is that a role you plan to resume?"
She cast a glance at the stairs to their rooms, where Henry was supposed to be doing his homework. "I can't while Henry doesn't remember. Plus, I still have my job in New York."
That was the first hint she dropped that she did not intend to stay in Storybrooke permanently, that she was nursing a hope of going back to New York. Hook had to hold himself back from questioning her about it; he did not want to darken the mood when she had offered a rare favor to him.
As they walked to the store, Emma tried to answer Hook's questions about how telephones worked, though some of the words still went over his head. "When I was a kid, all phones needed a land line. Most people just kept one in their house. Now we have mobile phones, and the fanciest ones work like computers. You can take them anywhere, but they'll only work if you have good cellular service."
The shop was small, and the merchandise varied in quality and price. Emma talked to the salesclerk while Hook scanned the room. "It should be something simple—easy to use with one hand."
Hook's only matter of preference was the color, and a black phone was easily found. Then came an explanation about chargers, metallic cords that had to be plugged into the sockets found in the walls of most rooms.
"Just don't try to stick your fingers or hook in them," Emma said, an odd mixture of concern and amusement in her voice.
"Why not?" Hook asked curiously.
She shook her head, looking exasperated. "I guess I'll have to explain about electricity."
He was going to ask about that, but then the clerk presented them with options for a "phone plan," and they had to explain that to him. It seemed like a dodgy kind of deal, but he trusted Emma's judgment and took her advice on which one to select.
She was a little surprised when he chose a six-month plan, rather than a month-by-month plan. "Are you planning to be around that long?"
"Well, I've no plans to leave anytime soon," he said truthfully.
When the time came to pay, Hook hesitated. He had not had the chance to obtain some of this land's currency. "Do you take doubloons?"
The salesclerk looked at him as if to say, Are you serious?
"I'll get it," Emma sighed, taking out her wallet.
He reached for it, intending to block her. "Swan—"
She held it out of his reach. "Think of it as my way of making up for my reaction when you arrived."
He raised his brow at her. "You mean the injury to my person? Or getting me imprisoned? Or the emotional turmoil of you not recognizing me?"
"Take your pick."
He allowed her to pay for the phone, but insisted that he would cover the service plan once he had the means. He would have to set up an account at the bank when he next had the chance.
Once the purchase was made, they stayed in the store a little longer to set up the phone's features.
"Every phone has a number," Emma explained. "I'll put mine in so you can call me easily, and I'll share your number with my parents and their friends so you can stay in touch with them."
When she was done, she handed the phone back to him. "Here. Try it."
He pressed Emma's name on the screen. A moment later, there was a buzzing sound in her pocket. She smiled, pulled out her own phone, pressed a button, and held it to her ear. "I guess it works," she said; Hook heard her voice echo strangely through the phone.
"It would seem so," he said, and his voice sounded in her phone too.
"You can send text messages and pictures, too."
They spent a few minutes experimentally calling and texting each other. Emma smirked and even snickered a little as Hook struggled with the device. But as much as he complained, he was glad to see her smile, even a little.
As they exited the shop, she said, "Remember, this is only for if we need to talk. This doesn't mean you can call or text me anytime."
"Of course."
Hook paused as they passed by the library. "What is it?" Emma asked.
He looked at her uncertainly. "Do you think Belle would be willing to help me find a book? Perhaps there's something that can help me understand this world's technology."
She nodded to the door, where the library's hours of service were listed. "Why don't you go in and find out?"
"I think she'll be more agreeable if you're with me," Hook confessed. "Our last few interactions were … less than friendly."
It took Emma a second to remember. "Oohh, right. You shot her and gave her amnesia. But she's seen you since then, hasn't she?"
"Aye, but we haven't spoken directly."
Emma pulled the door open. "Well, if you're going to stick around, you have to at some point."
Inside, Belle cast wary glances at Hook, and made him fill out a form to obtain a library card; but she was agreeable with Emma. She picked out a few science books, mostly about machines and other inventions. Hook hid his indignation at seeing that some of the books were written for children, and instead chose the ones intended for adults.
"You sure you can handle it?" Emma asked, almost teasingly.
"I may be old-fashioned, but I am a quick learner, Swan," he assured her, tucking the books under his arm.
If living in this world and being part of Emma's life meant adapting to their ways, he would do so cheerfully, as quickly as he could.
Author's Notes
This is how I imagine Hook became so well acquainted with non-magical tools, like telephones and electricity, in such a short amount of time.
This is a shorter, fluffier chapter compared to most of the others in this story cycle. The next one will be much heavier, as it will be centered around a character death.