Chapter 2: Killian Jones

Killian

Killian Jones had been many things throughout his very long life, an orphan, a slave, a Lieutenant and pirate. And while all titles had meant different things to him at different times, at the core of it all he had always been a sea faring man.

Nothing calmed him more than standing at the helm of a ship with the wind in his hair and the salt in the air. Now, he stood at the docks in Storybrooke chasing a feeling he feared he never would feel again. The truth was that while his heart ached for the Jolly Roger his mind felt settled in a way it hadn't in centuries. Not since he lost Liam. He had been chasing his revenge for so long and had never reckoned with the man he had become. He could never hate his Captain Hook persona; at a time, it was what he had needed to survive the grief and the loss of his hand. But it had always been just that, a persona.

He hadn't been Killian Jones in a long time, but he wanted to be that man again, whoever he was. Coming to Storybrooke and meeting Emma, and then missing her and the town for that one year in the Enchanted Forest had made him realize how tired he truly was of it all. Killian might not look his true age, but he felt it deep in his bones.

Regardless of his feelings for Emma, he had an inkling that he would have always ended up here even if it wasn't because he was chasing the Savior.

But the Savior was gone, back to New York so she could run away from her parents and him and anything else that could even touch those sky-high walls she kept around her heart.

Killian could never begrudge her, after all he thought he understood her better than everyone in this town. But it didn't mean that it didn't hurt when she'd told him she was moving back to New York. He might have hoped that his arguments would have convinced her, but Killian had known that the strongest arguments would have come from her parents and Henry and yet, it hadn't been enough. He hadn't been enough. After all, he was a one-handed pirate without his ship.

Killian was distracted from his musings as he heard a vehicle stopping and turned to find Prince Charming stepping out of the police cruiser.

"Figured I'd find you here or at the Rabbit Hole," said the Prince as he sat down on the nearby bench. "Emma and Henry just left; and your absence seemed a bit conspicuous considering your constant involvement the last couple of days."

Killian fought his need to say something sarcastic to the Prince, he raised his eyebrows and chose a more diplomatic route for his response.

"It felt inappropriate to intrude on a private family moment, especially since I am not exactly liked around these parts."

"Ahh, I wouldn't worry too much about that if I were you. People will come around eventually; fairytales characters are not exactly the distrustful sort. And you have been more than helpful to this town. It will simply take some adjusting."

Whatever Killian had been expecting to come out of the Prince's mouth, it had not been that.

"That is a different tune you are singing Your Majesty, but I appreciate it, nonetheless. It would certainly make it easier for me if I am to live here."

"David is fine Hook. So, you are staying in Storybrooke? Granny had mentioned something about you looking for more permanent lodgings, but I wasn't sure if I heard her right."

Killian scratched himself behind his ear nervously, he hadn't meant to announce his intentions quite so openly and certainly not to Prince Charming, and by default Snow White, of all people.

"Aye, that is the plan. It has proven to be quite difficult with the Crocodile owning half the town, but Regina has promised to look into it for me. Said she owes me either way, though I can't be sure for what"

"I would imagine for the same thing that most of us owe you for. You found Emma and Henry and brought them back, and then you helped us defeat Zelena. I'm not sure what happened in that lost year, but I know crossing realms is not an easy feat and for that I want to thank you. You might not be who I thought you were, and I am man enough to admit that Captain."

Captain Hook wasn't left speechless very often, but Killian Jones did. He didn't think the Prince would ever understand how much those words meant to him, especially in this moment as he felt himself drifting between Captain Hook and Killian Jones.

"Thank you, David. It was indeed not exactly easy, but I also didn't do it for completely selfless reasons as you might have done." David nodded at his answer and proceeded to look around the docks in an obvious manner before changing the subject.

"I can't help but notice that the Jolly Roger is not here, hasn't been ever since we arrived in Storybrooke. Did you leave it in New York?"

Killian knew that the Prince knew damn well that he hadn't but thought that maybe it was his way of reaching out to him, something he would have never expected from the Prince. Then again, this whole conversation had not gone the way he had thought it would. But regardless of his intentions to stay in Storybrooke and build a life, he was not ready to share how he had lost the only home he had had in a long time.

"It pains me to say this mate, but the Jolly Roger is not in this realm. Hasn't been in a long time."

David raised his eyebrows at that but remained silent and Killian could see his mind working behind his eyes and knew that it wouldn't take long for the Prince to arrive at the right conclusion.

"I'm meeting Robin Hood and his men at the Rabbit Hole. They had some questions about this realm and what they would need to build a life here. I get the feeling you would get along well with those bandits and might benefit from some information too. Wanna come with?"

There was something that sounded almost like fondness in David's tone that completely bewildered Killian (did the Prince want to actually be his friend?) but he appreciated the offer and knew that he also needed all the information he could get if he was to make Storybrooke his home. So, he nodded his assent and followed the prince to his vehicle as he started rambling something about badly needing a drink and babies that wouldn't sleep when he needed them to.