#captain swan neverland new year

[donteattheappleshook]

Not Broken At All Chapter 17/?

Summary:

A season 1 Neverland AU. Emma is still trying to adjust to her new life as Sheriff of Storybrooke and mom to Henry, who still believes everyone in town is a fairytale creature. When she finds a badly beaten, one handed man while patrolling, she’s convinced he’s crazy. He is, after all, rambling about fairies and shadows and crocodiles. But when Henry is suddenly taken out the window of a house everyone believes is haunted, the madman in the hospital might be her only hope of getting her son back. Whether he likes it or not.

Rated E

Catch up on Ao3 (where my italics work) or on Tumblr 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Thank you thank you thank you @the-darkdragonfly for helping me so much with this chapter I literally wrote at your kitchen table lol.

This one is a bit shorter because I had to move the last scene to the next chapter or it would have been like 10k long…. but hopefully that means chapter 18 is coming soon!

(at least you didn't have to wait a year for chapter 17?)

*******

Part 17

Emma follows Killian’s eyes as they dart towards the ceiling, the deck above their heads. It’s dark out, but not the dark of night, the dark of an oncoming storm, that ominous, looming chill of electricity in the air, the waves lapping against the sides of the ship that rocks unsteadily against the threatening sea. A shiver runs down her spine. Whether Pan’s here or not - he’s fucking furious. 

There’s a knock on the door, Wendy not waiting for permission before pushing it open. “Is he here?” Killian asks, voice low. 

She shakes her head, holding a small, empty vial. “Not yet. But Ianeira sent a warning - he’s on his way and he’s not happy.” She looks out at the first heavy drops that land against the window like bullets. “Obviously.” 

“Get the boys below deck,” he orders, still not raising his voice above the rumble of the storm outside. “Scarlet,” he adds, the younger pirate leaning against the doorframe, “go wake the crew. Tell them to be ready for a fight.” 

“What are you going to do?” Wendy frowns like she already knows the answer. 

“Handle Pan.” 

“Absolutely not.” Emma answers at the same time as Wendy’s “like hell” rings through the air. “This was my idea. I’ll go deal with the consequences,” she insists, but her words are ignored as the two captains continue to argue. Will shoots her a sympathetic shrug from his place in the doorway. 

“We don’t have time to argue,” Killian finally snaps at his second, standing and grabbing Emma’s pants from where she hung them last night before tossing them to her. “Pan and his Lost Boys will be here any minute and we need to make sure the boys are hidden and the crew is ready to defend the Jolly.” 

“Is that an order, Captain?” Wendy asks, arms crossing over her chest and Killian stiffens. Emma didn’t miss the weight put behind the question.

“Cap-” he starts but she cuts him off.

“No. No more of this ‘I’m not the captain’ or two captains bullshit. If you’re going to pull rank and make me follow orders then you don’t get to decide you don’t want to be in charge anymore tomorrow. If this crew is going to put our lives on the line for your plan, and trust you to handle Pan, then you’re going to be the one to make the order. And if you die today -” Her harsh facade breaks just a fraction - “It won’t be because of something I could have stopped.” 

The room is silent as the two stare each other down, the rush and howls of the storm growing louder outside, growing closer as they remain locked in the standoff, Wendy’s ultimatum hanging between them. “Well?” she demands. 

He’s silent for another moment, but then he lets out a sigh. “Bring the boys below deck, make sure they don’t make a sound or Pan will remember that they’re here.” Another hesitation as neither she or Will move and his thumb runs over the ring on his finger. “That’s an order.” 

Wendy’s shoulders both straighten and sag at once as she shifts into her new role, her face blank, betraying nothing, but Emma knows. She can see the hurt and the fear, of his betrayal and of the danger he’s putting himself in as she nods. “Aye, Captain.” 

Killian flinches away from the title just the barest amount before she heads out of the room. 

“What are you gonna tell him?” Will glares at his usurping captain. 

Killian sighs. “I haven’t figured that part out yet.” He reaches for his shirt, pulling it on over his head and turning to find the man still there. “Go wake the crew,” he orders again and Will stares at him for a long moment before doing as he’s told. 

Emma watches him as he dresses, yanking her own pants on and rising from the bed, the buttons of his vest fastened methodically, one by one with practiced fingers before he dons his greatcoat. She realizes what she’s watching as he slides his sword into its sheath, secures it to his hip: a soldier dressing for battle, each piece of his armour clad carefully down to the expression he smooths over his face, the one that hides the man who’d let her in his bed and held her against the threat of the night behind a cold, heartless facade.

“Killian,” she starts, ready to fight him on this. Rescuing the boys was her decision. She’d made them do it. This should be her responsibility. Nobody else's lives should be on the line for her choices. A boom of thunder cuts her off before a flash of lightning brightens the room.

“He’s here,” Wendy tells them, stepping back into the room. Killian doesn’t confirm if his orders have been followed - he doesn’t need to. 

“Let me go,” Emma insists. “I can tell him it was my idea. I can -” 

“No.” They answer in unison and before she can protest a boom of thunder echoes above them and an angry, lilting voice calls out above them. 

“Thieves! Show yourselves!” The demand is followed by a roar of approval, small, young voices calling out in a battle cry she’s heard before. The room goes silent, tension in every line of her body and Killian’s. Wendy looks to her captain, waiting for orders, hands fisted like she’s trying not to barge up there herself. 

Emma sees the barest flash of fear in his gaze before he schools it and turns to her, leveling her with a hard, commanding look. 

“Go to the hold with the children. Promise me you’ll stay down there - that you won’t make a sound.” Emma glares at him, his face only inches away as he speaks so quietly she can barely hear him. He glares back just as defiantly. “Promise me, Swan.” She doesn’t answer. She’s not promising that. Not when it’s her fault Pan’s here and he could hurt them. “They need you. They trust you and they need to stay hidden. If Pan’s reminded they’re here… he might demand their lives in place of the dead we took.” 

Her glare deepens. “I know what you’re doing.” 

The corner of his mouth turns up just a fraction before he straightens it. “Then you should have no problem following through with it.” When her shoulders straighten his hand comes to her cheek. “We can’t risk Pan finding out about you - not while we don’t have a way of defeating him or saving Henry. You can’t protect anyone if you’re dead,” he adds, using her words against her now and her eyes narrow. “You can’t protect Henry if you’re dead.” That one hits hard and Emma knows he’s right - but she still doesn’t like it. She doesn’t want him dead either. 

Pan’s warning rings out again, harsher this time - ‘Come out and face me, coward!’ - and Killian’s shoulders tense. “Fine,” she concedes. “But if things go bad -”

“You’ll stay right here.” It’s a warning, and she almost wants to call him on it, to see what he really thinks he can do to her that’s worse than the situation they’re already in, but she bites her tongue. He takes her silence as the end of the discussion. “Darling,” he calls over his shoulder. “Bring her to the hold and then join me on deck - Darling,” he tries again when she doesn’t respond, but Wendy’s attention is focused outside the cabin, staring out down the hall, a frown starting to pull at her brow and Killian’s matches it. “Wendy?”

“Where’s Will?” 

“What?” 

“Will.” Her voice is low, far away but rising with tightly restrained panic. “He should be back by now. Where’s the crew?” 

As if on cue, a voice rings out loudly above them. “Pan! Two visits in as many days? To what do we owe the honour?” They rush to the stairs, crouched low looking out at where Will stands, alone, facing off against Pan. Fuck. Please don’t be an idiot. She can feel Wendy tense beside her and Killian reaches, grabbing his first mate’s arm. 

“Don’t,” he warns and Emma’s surprised to see her try to yank her arm free. But he holds firm. 

“Scarlet.” Pan sounds annoyed but intrigued nevertheless. “It’s been a long time.” He cocks his head, a small smirk on his childlike face. “You got old.”  

 “Go get the crew,” Killian orders, staring her down and not releasing her until the fight fades slightly from her eyes. He knows how much this must be killing her. “If there’s going to be a fight, we won’t be able to stop him alone. Bring them with you and meet me on deck.” 

Will baulks. “How dare you! I’ll have you know I’ve the complexion of a man less than half my age.” He brushes a hand over his scruffless cheek as if to prove it.

There’s still resistance in Wendy’s stance but she nods, dashing off towards the crew’s quarters. Killian turns to her. “Stay here. Don’t let the children leave the hull.” She can only nod, still watching as her new friend continues to bait Pan. “Bloody idiot,” Killian mutters under his breath.

Emma grabs his arm, halting him. She waits until his questioning gaze turns to her. “Be careful. Please.”

He watches her for a moment, eyes darting up to the deck, and then takes her hand, presses a kiss to the back of it and nods the voices above growing louder. He spares her one last glance before dashing up the stairs.

“Hook,” Pan says as soon as he reaches the bow of the ship. “There you are. I don’t like to be kept waiting.” 

“Apologies,” Killian offers with a small bow and a polite smile. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” 

“Where are my shadows?” 

“Your shadows? We don’t have any shadows here.” 

“Don’t lie,” Pan snaps and Emma flinches. “You stole eleven lost boys from me. Those were my lives - I won them fair and square. Give them back.” Emma half expects him to stomp his foot, but it’s then that she realizes that he can’t - because he’s not on the deck. He’s flying, or hovering a few feet above it. Wendy had said that Neverland’s magic couldn’t touch the Jolly - does that mean Pan can’t either? Can he not set foot onboard?

“They’re at the bottom of the sea, I’m afraid,” Killian tells him with a wince and she can see the rage building in the small boy.  

“Then I’ll take them from your crew. Eleven of them in exchange for the ones that you took.” Emma casts a glance back down the hall towards the hold where a dozen children hide. 

“No need for that,” Killian begins. “They aren’t to blame for this little misunderstanding. I’m sure we can find a solution where you get what you want that’s fair.” Pan hesitates at the word fair. He loves his games - he loves his rules. 

“Then who is to blame?” he demands. “Bring the thief forward so that he can be punished.”

“Unfortunately we-”

“I did it.” 

“Scarlet,” Wendy hisses in warning, but he’s already taking another step towards Pan. 

“It was my idea.” 

Pan glares. “Why?” 

There’s a pause and then Will smirks. “I just wanted to piss you off. For old time’s sake.” 

The boy’s anger shifts into something cruel and amused. “Well then, you can pay the price for old times sake. You remember how much fun my punishments can be,” he adds. She sees Will’s back go stiff right before Pan’s hand plunges deep into his chest and Emma has to cover her mouth with her hands to catch the scream that tries to escape. The crew stills, petrified. This isn’t the first time they’ve seen this happen.

“Wait!” Wendy shouts as Will lets out a groan of pain. Killian grabs her arm, silencing her and holding her in place. Pan ignores her, pulling his hand free, something bright and red and glowing held in his palm. That can’t be what she thinks it is. 

“Eleven lives,” he muses again, floating easily across the deck, thinking. He gives the thing a small squeeze and Will cries out falling to his knees. Pan smirks, he’s enjoying this, she can tell; he already knows what he wants to do and Emma’s nails dig into her palms, every bone in her body demanding she go up there and not let this happen. It should be her that pays the price. Not Will. 

His fingers tighten around it again and Will stops breathing, hand clutched to his chest where his heart should be until finally, Pan loosens his grip, looking at Will with his head cocked again. “You really did get old, Scarlet. But maybe not old enough…” He looks him over carefully, then the mass in his hand. “Eleven Lost Boy’s lives… so many years - But I think we can make it an even hundred. For old times sake?” he smirks. “That sounds fair,” he decides. “You can pay me back a hundred years.” 

When he squeezes the heart again, Will collapses onto the deck, bits of dust slipping from Pan’s fingers as the light flickers in and out and Emma can see Killian physically holding Wendy back now, knuckles white around the leather of her coat. Nobody breathes. The crew look like it’s taking everything they have not to run - either to Will or away from Pan. Instead they stand frozen. 

She counts the seconds as they go by. One. Two. Three. Four. Five… Will rasps out a strangled cry, fists balling against the wood planks of the deck. Six. Seven. Eight… She watches him grit his teeth, sweat beading along the back of his neck, fighting. Nine. Ten. Eleven…

When she reaches eleven, Will takes his first breath in what feels like hours, the light in Pan’s loosened grip smaller and dimmer but still glowing, still beating. 

“That should do it,” he smiles, returning Will’s heart to his chest.

Will gasps, settling his hand over it as if to feel the beat under it - make sure it’s really there. Then he frowns up at the boy. “Is… is that it?” 

“Scarlet.” It’s Killian who snaps this time. “Below deck. Now.” Emma can’t see the look Wendy gives him when Will defers to her, but it sends him to his feet and across the deck in a second, head bent low. 

“Emma,” he greets with all his usual bravado despite the raspiness of his breath when he finds her on the stairs. “Fancy seeing you here.” 

She punches him in the arm. Hard.  “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Ow!” 

“That was so stupid! What the hell were you thinking?” 

Will shrugs. “I owed him one. And I’m not going to let Killian get one up on the galant gestures.” 

“Hook.” Pan says, drawing her attention away before she can hit Will again. “If your crew isn’t going to play fair then they won’t get to play with us anymore”

“I’ll get them in line,” he promises and she can hear the edge in his voice. 

“Good. Do you need a reminder of the rules? You were away for a long time…”

“I remember.” 

Pan nods, happy now - a child getting his way. “Good. Then the game can continue.” He turns, hovering over the railing of the ship and casting them one last glance as the threat of a storm begins to clear. “But no more chances,” he warns. Both Killian and Wendy nod solemnly before he flies off towards the beach. 

As soon as he’s gone, Wendy practically runs towards the cabin. “All of you,” Killian commands, drawing the crew’s attention away from their former captain. “Back to work. Now,” he snaps when they don’t obey immediately. They scatter, finding work to keep them busy. 

Emma has to jump out of the way as the other woman barrels down the stairs, grabbing Will by the shoulders. She turns him one way and then another, hands coming to his face as she does the same to his head, checking for injuries. Finally, her hand settles on his chest and Emma can tell she’s counting heartbeats. Will lets her, not resisting as she checks him for any sign of permanent damage. 

When she seems satisfied, she raises furious eyes to his, the hand at his chest fisting in his shirt and shoving him away from her. “Fuck you, Scarlet,” she bites out before storming off down the hall. 

Killian takes over, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Will is less willing to let himself be manhandled by him though, shoving at his arm even as he holds firm. “Do you not know how to follow an order, mate?” 

“I’m not your mate,” he snaps back, more annoyed than angry. “And you’re not my Captain.” 

“And here I thought we were getting along,” Killian answers sarcastically. “And you don’t have to like it, but I am your Captain and if you do that to her again -”

“Like you did when you took off to find Henry?” 

“That was different. I did it to spare her the pain of losing someone she cares for.” 

“So did I. Do you really think Pan would have been so forgiving if you’d taken the blame? You’ve been gone a long time, Hook. You’re not his favourite playmate anymore.” 

“And you are?”

“I’m still alive aren’t I?” 

Killian scoffs. “You’ve lasted a decade. Speak to me when you survive a century.” 

“Well if we keep her alive we won’t have to,” Will snarks, nodding at Emma. 

“Me?”

“I wouldn’t have stuck my neck out for you if I didn’t think you were actually going to change things.” Emma doesn’t have an answer to that, the weight of his faith in her more than she can handle right now. “Don’t make me regret it, aye?” he winces, rubbing at his chest.

“What did he do to you?”

He gives a small shrug. “Crushed my heart. Wasn’t so bad, really - I’ve had worse.” 

“What?” 

“It’s a particular favourite of his,” Killian explains. 

“I’ve seen him do it to disobedient Lost Boys for hours - days once. He’s done it longer to me when I was his second. I’m surprised it was only…”

“Eleven seconds,” Emma supplies. The longest eleven seconds she can remember.

“Aye - I thought he’d be angrier.” 

“What did he mean by you paying him back a hundred years?” 

Will shrugs again. “Pan loves his riddles. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. I need to go find Wendy.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Killian warns and it almost sounds like a threat. 

Will scoffs, finally shoving his hand away. “Please. I’ve done stupider things than egg Pan on.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Killian rolls his eyes and Will glares at him before smirking.

“I’ve become very good at getting her to forgive me.” 

Emma wonders for a moment if she’s going to have to prevent a murder. “Get out of here before I get Pan to come back and crush your heart for good.” 

“What? I thought we were mates -”

“Go,” Emma tells him. Before Killian follows through on that promise. Thankfully, Will isn’t stupid enough to push him any further and does as he’s told. She puts a hand on Killian’s arm. “Just remember that he almost died today. Cut him a bit of slack.” He doesn’t seem convinced, continuing to glare after the younger man. “And he might have saved our lives. He definitely saved mine.” 

Killian scoffs, finally looking at her. “And he’ll never let us forget it.”

“So what’s next?” she asks, trying to distract him from his sort of daughter and her sort of boyfriend’s sort of love life. 

“Hmm?”

“We’ve got the lorelei, we’ve got Tinkerbell, we’ve got a ship full of Lost Boys and pirates, we kept him from getting any more shadows… what do we do now?”

“We figure out what Pan’s plan is.”

“Can we not just… kill him?” she knows they can’t - probably - but she’s pretty sure the idea hasn’t been thrown out there yet so it’s worth a shot. 

Killian shakes his head like she expected him to. “If we could, I’d have done it by now. I did once, when I first returned to Neverland after decades away. I ran him through with my sword trying to avenge my brother.” Her hand on his arm tightens without her meaning it to. “He pretended, made a whole show and lay there until I was sure he was dead - and then he started to laugh. Just another game - the first one I played with him even if I didn’t know it. He told me it was the only time he would let me win.”

“We’ll find a way.” 

He smiles at her, small and half-hearted but she believes him. “I’m sure you will.”

***

“Why do we have to do this?” one of the boys - Kyle, she thinks - complains, dropping the wooden sword to his side. It had been so strange and jarring to learn some of the Lost Boys names over the last few days. “ We have nothing to do but wait ,” Killian had said. “Tink has let the Constant know that we’re ready to meet with them and they’ll send word when they’ve decided if they’ll hear us out .” For some reason, the boys had all been like Wendy in her mind, born ‘ somewhere around the 1880s, I think, ’ or Will, who’d come to Neverland during the Blitz, using dreams to escape the nightmares of real life. But this new group of boys weren’t characters out of a book or an old black and white photo. 

“My mom named me after the guy in some robot movie that had just come out,” Kyle mentioned and it was a moment before it clicked. “The Terminator?!” He’d only shrugged. “That might’ve been it.” This boy was her age. He couldn’t have been born more than a couple of years after she was. Another boy’s tattered shirt had a faded image of Lilo and Stitch on it - he didn’t look more than twelve. These boys were just… kids. Regular kids like the ones she grew up with and the ones who lived in Storybrooke or Boston - boys like Henry. And now they were soldiers. 

“We have to do this,” Wendy answers, giving his fake sword a tap with her own so his arm straightens, “because everyone on this ship needs to be ready to defend her when the next raid happens - If you want to live until the next one.” 

“But we already know how to fight,” he whines. “We defeated you every time.” If Wendy’s upset at the casual mention of her crewmates being slaughtered, she doesn’t let it show. “I already know how to sword fight.” 

“Do you now?” Killian calls from the helm before she can answer. 

“Captain…” his first mate starts but he ignores her. He’s an imposing figure, clad in black leather with the metal of his hook gleaming in the sun and the weight of his sword heavy at his hip. As his footsteps echo across the deck as he makes his way over to where the boys had begun their training they all go silent. 

“Now now, Mr. Darling, if the boy thinks he’s beyond our instruction he should have the chance to prove himself.” He stops in front of the new recruit, drawing his sword in a slow, measured movement, the tip an inch from the kid’s nose and Emma panics for just a second that he might cut him down right there. But then he turns to Wendy, “Bosun, get this boy a real blade,” and she realizes he’s had exactly the effect he intended as everyone around him tenses. 

Wendy goes to fetch a weapon, shooting him the kind of eyeroll kids learn to make in front of adults without getting caught - one she knows very well.

“Think you can defeat me, boy?”

To his credit, Kyle straightens his shoulders, taking the offered sword and raising it to the Captain’s, ready for a fight. She thinks she might see the tiniest bit of approval beneath the scorn in Killian’s expression. The boy moves first, swinging at him with all his might as he deflects again and again. Killian’s toying with him - she knows he is. She saw Killian fight Will that first night on the Jolly. His blocks are too slow, letting the kid get within inches of hitting him. He doesn’t make a single attack, his feet unmoving and she’d think it was cruel if she didn’t understand why he was doing it. 

Finally, when the boy starts to sweat, she sees Killian shift, adjusting his stance as he swings at his opponent. The block comes almost too late, only stopped by the way Killian pulls back at the last moment. He does it again, and again, backing the boy across the deck with blow after blow. There’s no flourish to it, no showmanship, just skill and finesse and strength and speed.

The kid starts to panic, the attacks coming too fast and Emma holds back a gasp when Killian’s blade slices across Kyle’s forearm. After that, it’s easy for Killian to twist his blade out of the kid’s shocked hand with his own, his elbow coming up to knock the boy flat on his ass. By the time he looks up, nose bloody, eyes dazed and watery, Killian’s sword is pointed at his chest, his brow arched in a harsh challenge. 

“Please don’t kill me,” the boy says so quietly and so heartbreakingly that she thinks she sees Killian’s face soften just the barest amount before he takes a step back, dropping his sword. 

“Listen, all of you,” he booms, though every eye on the deck is already on him. “You’ve never defeated anyone. Until now you’ve been playing a game and the game has been rigged. And I’m sorry to say, you’re now on the losing team. The only thing that matters from this moment on is staying alive. And the only way to stay alive is being a skilled enough fighter - and knowing how to hold that skill back enough - that Pan will want to fight you again.”

 He lets this hang in the air for a moment, the boys’ faces showing different degrees of confusion and understanding and horror. “So all of you will follow Mr. Darling’s instructions and learn everything you can from him. You’ll fight to defend this ship, yourselves, and each other when the time comes because you’re part of my crew now.” He reaches a hook out to Kyle who sits cradling his nose and heaves the boy to his feet. “And we look after our own.” 

Killian looks at the boy who nods, message received loud and clear, before clapping him on the shoulder. “Scarlet, see that our newest crew member’s wounds are tended to. He put up quite the fight.” 

“Aye, Captain,” Will complies without argument or sarcasm and Killian must be as shocked as she is because he keeps his mouth shut. 

“Darling must have said something to him,” he tells her when Emma joins him, his sword sliding carefully back into its sheath as he watches Wendy continue her lesson. 

“Or maybe you just did.” Killian only looks at her, brow raised in disbelief before she gestures at the sword hanging at his belt. “So, come on, are you going to show me how to use this thing or not?”

His face splits into a shit-eating grin. “Ah, Swan, I’ve dreamed of the day that you’d ask me to show you how to handle my sword.”

***

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Tinkerbell asks. She’d floated onto the ship that night, looking stronger than when Emma had last seen her - the few days with the Constant clearly having done her good. Her wings looked taller, fully unfurled, the crepe paper like skin no longer breakable and frail as they flutter behind her. 

“Is there good news?” Killian sighs, standing from his desk where he’d been looking over maps of the island while Emma asked him questions about them, how each was different based on when it was drawn, what Pan had changed, who he had brought. He seemed unbothered by the fairy magicking his window open and letting herself in. 

“They’ve agreed to meet with you. They haven’t agreed to help,” she clarifies when Killian looks surprised, “but they’ve agreed to hear you out.”

“And the bad news?” 

“They’ll only meet us in Echo Caves.”

Killian lets out a heavy, long suffering sigh, thumb brushing the inner corner of his brow, words dripping with sarcasm. “Wonderful. Did they happen to give a reason why?” 

“Something about making sure you can be trusted - some incident at skull rock?”

“It was a misunderstanding,” he mutters under his breath. 

“Really because the way I heard it -” 

“It’s fine. Tell them we agree to their terms. When do they expect us?”

“First light.” 

Killian nods. “We’ll be there. And Tink,” he adds when she turns to leave. “Thank you.” 

She sneers. “I’m not doing it for you.” And then she’s gone before he can say another word. 

“What’s Echo Caves?” Emma pulls her knees up to her chest where she’s perched on the desk after she’s sure the fairy’s out of earshot and Killian’s sagged back in his seat. 

“Another one of Neverland’s little delights,” he sighs again. “The magic of the cave compels you to share your deepest secret - whether or not you’re even aware of it.” 

“Have you gone before?” she asks. 

“Once.” His hand drifts up without her really noticing, fingers curling around her calf, thumb tracing over her shin and she thinks maybe it wasn’t a pleasant experience. “Pan wanted to test my loyalty.” She rests her chin on her knee, dreading what he may have had to confess to Pan to keep himself alive on this horrible island. He smiles up at her then, a put-on apathy. “Thankfully, I had many terrible deeds in my past to confess to.” He doesn’t give her a chance to say anything before he releases her and stands again - something dropped between them and something else put up. 

“Are you afraid?” 

Killian doesn’t look at her. “Always.” Her heart tightens. She understands - she’d only been here a few weeks and she’s been terrified every moment - apart from her brief experiment with fairy wine - centuries… she can’t imagine. “But not of the Constant. Tiger Lily may hold a grudge but they’ll do whatever’s best for this island, and so will their people. And I’ve no ill-intent towards them or love for Pan.” He looks at her then, pausing. “Are you?”

“Of having to spill my deepest secret to a bunch of strangers? No, why would I possibly be stressed about that?” she smirks half-heartedly. 

“Strangers?” Killian raises a brow, sliding back across the room and resting his hand and hook on the desk on either side of her. “You hurt me, Swan. I thought we were friends - acquaintances at least.” 

She shoves at his chest rolling her eyes and he smirks. “Usually a guy has to buy me dinner before he gets to hear the all sordid details of my past.” Or coffee in an empty theme park where a pretty smile and a well-placed sneak into his past makes her think she’s safe to reveal herself, to trust someone with all of it.

“Hey,” his thumb brushes over her knee as he tries to catch her gaze. “Where’d you go?”

Not anywhere he needs to know about - or anywhere she’d care to revisit. So she smiles at him, lets her foot brush against the side of his calf, teasing, distracting. “Just trying to figure out which of my deepest secrets are gonna come spilling out of me tomorrow.” He doesn’t believe her, his lie detector almost as good as her own, she's realized, but he doesn’t say anything about it. 

“Well you are a mystery, Swan,” he tells her with a half-hearted smirk. 

“Not for much longer, apparently.” 

Something shifts in the way he’s looking at her, sympathy or understanding as he cocks his head. “You know you don’t have to come if -” 

“I’m going.” 

Killian huffs a laugh. “Of course you are. Well if there’s anything you want to get off your chest without an audience, now’s the time.” His eyebrow quirks up in challenge. “Won’t be a secret anymore if you tell me.” She meets it. 

“What? Is one revelation about me not enough for you?”

Something shifts again, something heavier, her skin warm and humming with fear and anticipation as he looks at her the way he had when he’d been curled around her on the floor of the brig. His voice is lower when he speaks. “Perhaps I’d just like to know you, Swan.” 

She casts her eyes to the floor, his gaze too intense - always too intense - before setting the smirk that had fallen from her lips back in place. “You first.” 

“I’m an open book, love. Ask me anything you like.”

She has one question, one that’s been itching at the back of her mind since she’d seen the canvas of scars etched across his skin. “Who were you? Before you were here - before you were ‘Captain Hook’?”

His bravado falters for a moment. “I was many things. Son, brother, slave, sailor, lieutenant, captain, pirate, partner… None for very long.” He gives her another of those showy smirks. “It seems Hook is the only one that stuck.” Her heart breaks a little, so many loves lost and so many injustices done in such a short life. She thinks of the scars that had criss-crossed his back, that she’d asked about so casually then - slave he’d said - and she wishes she could do it over, pay both them and him the reverence they deserve. “What about you?” 

“What about me?”

His hand slides to her wrist, to the laces she’d tied there the first day she’d come back to the sheriff’s office alone. All of his things had been gone. Desk cleared out, jacket taken from the back of his chair, the few things he bothered to keep - a tacky ceramic wolf, a photo of him and some friends she never bothered to ask him about, even the bottle of whiskey he kept in his top drawer - had been ransacked. He had no family that she knew of - no family that could be found at all - and she’d just known that it was Regina. She’d come in and wiped every trace of Graham clean like he never existed - apart from a single pair of boots forgotten by the back door. 

“They belonged to someone I used to know.” 

“Someone you cared for?” 

“It doesn’t matter,” she shrugs. “He’s gone now.” 

“It mattered enough for you to keep a piece of him with you.” He fingers the laces again, focusing on them, not making her meet his eyes again. “I know what it is to lose the people that matter most.” 

Emma pulls her hand back, sliding them both behind her under the guise of leaning back on the desk and gives another dismissive shrug even as she can’t make herself look at him. “Yeah, well, when you grow up like I did you learn pretty quickly not to get attached.”

Thankfully, Killian knows how to take a hint, straightening and flashing her an off  grin. “If only we all possessed such a skill, Swan.” Then, pushing away from the desk,  “I best let the others know what awaits us all  tomorrow.” 

Emma swallows, this island has already taken so much from her - her son, her name, her memories - almost - her whole belief system… How much more can it really take? She doesn’t ask - not anymore as she slides into Killian’s bed instead of her own, and he doesn’t say anything as he joins her a few minutes later, just pulls her against him, breath warm and comforting against her cheek as they try to shut themselves off from the cries that ring out on the deck above them. 

*******

Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from my tag list!

@kmomof4 @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly  @undercaffinatednightmare @jennjenn615 @dramioneswan @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @batana54 @lfh1226-linda @csalltheway @xsajx @xarandomdreamx @onceratheart18 @ownedbycaptainswan @teamhook @pirateprincessofpizza @lostintheskyfaraway @zaharadessert @thejollyroger-writer @ultraluckycatnd @justanother-unluckysoul @spartanguard @jonesfandomfanatic @deckerstarblanche @jrob64 @klynn-stormz @wefoundloveunderthelight @sailtoafarawayland @tiganasummertree @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @stahlop @superchocovian @snowbellewells @xellewoods @sals86 @karlyfr13s  @ouatpost @skairipakomtrikru @lonelyspectator12   @anmylica   @alexa-fangirl-forever @inspiredbystardust @marcella2727 @paradiselady19 @koryandr @killiansprincss @goforlaunchcee

[kmomof4]

Self-Promo Sunday

On this Self-Promo Sunday before the last Captain Swan SuperNatural Summer kicks off, if I may beg y'all's indulgence, I decided to highlight the four fics that I've written for the event over the years.

Of Darkness, Vampires, and Soulmates - My first contribution to my very own event! So much fun, but also SO HARD to write, I am very very proud of how this turned out! @hollyethecurious and @wistfulcynic very nearly earned co-writer status with everything they did to make sure I actually finished the dadgum thing! Absolutely MAGNIFICENT artwork for EVERY chapter by @spartanguard. MC, 41k words.

Summary: The Dark’s minion’s downfall is foretold When True Love’s Kiss doth unfold Between soulmates unbound by time The blue eyed prince and his golden haired Swan Their True Love will break the hold And Dark magic will be no more

The Moon... Tells the Sea - inspired by this GORGEOUS aesthetic @caught-in-the-filter was working on for CSSNS20. OS, 7100 words.

Summary: Nearly a century has passed since she became what she is when a new figure enters her lonely world. Who is he? And more importantly, WHAT is he?

Hotel Neverland - Inspired by The Eagles Hotel California. OS 6600 words. LITERALLY BREATHTAKING artwork by @thesschesthair

Summary: A ghost story for CSSNS22

And finally,

Into the Light - Inspired by the 1987 movie The Lost Boys. Artwork that left me a giggling flailing MESS by @motherkatereloyshipper. Two shot with 16,600 words.

Summary: The move to Storybrooke Maine might have been intended as the beginning of a new life for Killian Jones and his older siblings Liam and Belle, but there's a darkness over the town that threatens the small family's happiness, as well as the girl and small boy Killian has taken a liking to from his school. Killian is determined to help Emma and Henry get out of the situation they are in, but those dark forces in and around the town have another plan altogether.

Thank you all for the love and support you've given me, my fics, and this event over the years. It's been an INCREDIBLE run and a REALLY FUN ride!!! I hope you enjoy this look back and join me in eagerly anticipating everything waiting for us these next two months!!!

[killiansprincss]

A Court of Vines and Shadow - for @cssns ‘23

SUMMARY: When Dark One Killian Jones makes Faerie Princess Emma of Misthaven spend 3 moon cycles a year with him to break a curse, Emma never expected to fall in love with him. Now she was walking down the aisle, meant to marry a man she doesn't love because she can never be with the one her heart wants. Or can she?

An ACOTAR Inspired fic written for Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 23. Also on A03

Also it’s July 9th and Speak Now Taylor’s Version just came out I feel like Speak Now is the perfect song to accompany this fic!!

Huge thanks to @cssns for this amazing event which allowed me to bring this to life! And special shoutouts to @hollyethecurious for the amazing art and also to my awesome beta @blonde-of-sherwood 💙💜

White dress. The Spring fallen gardens filled with flowers upon flowers, petals scattered all the way down the aisle and vines spiralling the chairs and arch. Flowers Emma had grown herself with her magic, snowbells and lilies, her mothers favourite flowers, the ones she first learnt how to grow using her magic when it first manifested all those years ago.

Her mother was who she was doing this for. Marrying someone she doesn’t love. Her mother worked so hard to arrange the various meetings with suitors, all noble Fae men, only the best for the Princess of Misthaven. Her mother never got to have a big wedding, she met Emma’s father and fell in love almost as quickly as she fell pregnant. As newly appointed King of Misthaven, they had to elope quickly so the Kingdom would be more accepting of their new Queen, who also happened to be a demi-fae. Her mother, who Emma dearly loved, so much so that she was marrying someone she had had just 3 conversations with all to appease the Kingdom and not go to Civil War because of the man she does love.

Killian. That’s who her mind wandered to. The Prince of Darkness as the rest of the Kingdom saw him. It had taken a while to see past his shadows and darkness, which she now understands was built from the loss of his family and the only people he had ever loved. But she loved him fiercely, anytime they were apart it broke her. Having to say goodbye for the final time was the closest Emma had felt to heartbreak. 

So here she was, standing in her white dress, flowers in her hair and bouquet in her hands, where she would meet her father, take his arm and walk down the aisle to marry Lord Walsh. Pushing thoughts of Killian to the back of her mind as she walked towards the aisle to all the smiling faces of her Kingdom. She had to do this, she loved Killlian but they both knew they would never be together in the way they wanted. She just wished she had allowed herself to see past his darkness sooner and they could have had more time together. 

“Emma.” An all too familiar voice calls her name from behind the aisle. He uses his power to bind the shadows to him, making him appear in a sort of smoke of darkness as he steps towards his lover. One of his other talents includes stopping time, just for a few minutes, but those few minutes were all he needed.

“Killian. What are you doing here?” As much as she loved him, it pained her to see him here. They had said their goodbyes a few nights prior. Seeing him here, in a white dress about to marry someone else, it wasn’t right.

“I have tried, Emma, truly I have tried to stay away. If it made you happy I would stand by and let you marry someone else, but I can feel your pain all the way in Neverland. It’s causing me pain too, and I think I understand now, it’s why I was so drawn to you the very first time we met, why, even when you hated me you could never really stay away.”

“Killan, you’re not making any sense, what are you saying?” It was painful seeing him, she was hurting, thinking of their time together and how fate was so cruel to not allow them more time.

“You’re my mate.” 

His mate. Mates in this world were rare, her parents were never granted that luxury. She hadn’t known of anyone in the last 200 years who found their Mate. So why her? Why now?

Mates were equal in power and status, perfectly matched by the universe. A one true love, a soulmate. She never denied she loved Killian, but being his Mate was a whole other experience. It made sense in a way, they were drawn together at the ball when they first met. He could sense she was powerful, he recognised her untapped powers, something even her parents were unable to do. And she was never scared of him either, she had heard the rumours of course, and knew what he was capable of, but that didn't scare her. 

_______________

Emma had been to hundreds of balls in her lifetime, even when she was a little girl, she would sneak into the ones at her palace, and watch everyone dance. They all shared a unique beauty about them, from the way the light reflected on the dresses worn or the chandeliers making rainbows across the walls, they were a thing of otherworldly beauty. But this ball in particular was nothing like those she was used to. It was hosted just outside Misthavens borders, an old castle known to be taken up residence by a Fae many years ago known as “The Dark One”. Rumours began to spiral that the Dark One was back. It had been years since he had been seen and random killings had stopped, but who knew. The invitations went to all the noble folk in Misthaven and surrounding kingdoms and the signature was empty, leaving more curious minds. There were many debates surrounding whether they should go or not, but the Royal Family of Misthaven had to attend to keep peace.

As she grew older the balls became a chance for her parents to find her a suitor to marry, she was now 21 and it was considered uncouth for the Crown Princess to be unmarried, even by Fae standards. So in an effort to avoid dancing with a Duke, she would practise her magic. Every Fae was gifted a power linked to the four elements, and Emma had inherited Earth from her mother. At times she thought it was a boring element to have, her younger brother Leo had water, which was useful for everyday life as well as pulling pranks (to which she was victim of lately). But as she got older she learnt to appreciate it, she enjoyed seeing what she could make grow, especially in situations like right now. 

There would always be potted plants, pretty flowers surrounding the tables, she breathed into her powers and with a single touch could double the petals or even change their colours. Sometimes she would paint the pink flowers blue, or the white ones black just to test what she could do. Of course, her mother didn’t approve of using it for this. She was also gifted with the power of earth, but she preferred to make things grow or inject life back into a sunken plant, rather than mess with existing life.

“Not enjoying the festivities I see?” A voice from behind Emma startles her, she didn’t recognise him, dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Dressed in an all black leather suit, not the typical style the men wore. His pointed ears stick out from his dark hair, Emma had always felt self conscious of her ears, so made an effort to hide them, but this man, whoever he was, was the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on.

“I come for the faerie wine and food only I’m afraid.” She tells him with a playful smile.

“Well if you’re here for the wine why aren’t you dancing? Most people get drunk off a few sips then don’t leave the dance floor all night.”

She leans in close, “I’m not like most women.” What was the harm in flirting, he was gorgeous and her parents would never approve which made him all the more exciting.

He holds out his hand to her, “Dance with me, I insist.” 

Dancing with a handsome stranger was not how Emma expected the night to go, but he was a great partner, unlike some of the suitors her mother had forced upon her in the past. He led her around the room with grace and it was as though they flew through the dancefloor together, no stepping on toes and he even spun her around a couple times, feeling the wine go to her head a little more. “You’re really good at this.”

“There’s just one rule, pick a partner who knows what he’s doing.” He whispers into her ear as he dips her. “You’re very powerful, you know Emma.” He tells her as she comes up.

“How do you know my name?” Sure she was the Princess, and most people recognise her at these things, but it was strange the way he said it so casually.

“I know a lot of things Emma.” He whispers, his breath close to her neck, making Emma feel a sense of arousal. A moment later the mystery man turned into shadow and darkness, disappearing from her hold and reappearing out of shadows at the top of the staircase.

“Welcome to my lovely guests. I guess it’s time I introduce myself?”

All eyes were on the mystery man now, they all saw his shadow power. That wasn’t one of the four elements, this was some other worldly magic. Then, for Emma at least, it clicks. The charming lustful energy coming from him, his ability to know things he shouldn’t, and his shadow and darkness powers. He was the Dark One.

That should have made her terrified, but for some reason, it didn’t scare her. Who was he?

“My name is Killian Jones. But I believe your people have a few different names for me, Dark One, Wronged Fae, Prince of Darkness is a personal favourite-though I bore no royal blood or status.”

_____________

And that’s where it began, he said he held this ball because he was supposedly cursed and needed someone with light magic to resolve it. Not just any light magic though, a very specific kind. And of all the Fae in the land, he decided Emma, after one conversation and dance that she was the Fae he was looking for, only she could break the curse. 

“All I request are 3 moon cycles with her every year until I decide otherwise, or my curse is broken, whichever comes first.” This was his deal, his bargain. As the Dark One, you would be a fool to refuse or dispute a bargain. 

Her parents were outraged, and tried everything in their power to stop them. They were a royal family, if he were anyone else maybe that would have been enough, but as the Dark One, he bore no allegiance to royalty. So for 3 moon cycles, she was to live with him, in his castle, doing who knows what.

____

The first moon cycle was absurd, The Dark One didn’t mention a single thing about his supposed curse. He made her practise her magic every single day. Barely spoke to her. Her main source of contact was with one of the servants, Belle. She would show her to her room, which wasn’t a prison or a dungeon like she was expecting, but it had lush carpets. velvet curtains and the most gorgeous and comfortable king size bed in the centre of the room. She would also take her down to the grand dining room where she was to eat all meals. The food was exquisite, the spices used were unlike anything she’d eaten before, it made Misthavens cooks look like a child in the kitchen. 

There was no sign of him for the first couple of days, he left Belle with a page of  instructions for Emma to get on with while she was here. The only thing on the list:

Read: The Complete Earth Elemental Magic Volume I

Read about her magic. That was the only thing she would do all day. For the first two moon cycles this is all she does, she sees him in passing, at mealtimes mainly. He is pleasant and they make small talk. 

When she arrives home, her parents pounce on her, needing to know everything. What she witnessed, who she spoke to and if he hurt her in any way. They were terrified, and it made Emma realise she wasn’t afraid of him the way others were.

“We have suitors lined up.” Her mother would tell her, desperate to get her married off in the strange fear the Dark One would whisk Emma away to be his bride before she could marry a noble born. She would play along and speak to the princes and lords her parents picked out for her. She tried, really tried to find something good in any of them, but her mind would wander back to the blue eyes and dark haired villain she would be seeing again very soon.

The next moon cycle comes along and her task is to again, read the magic book which she was now on volume III of. Enough was enough, she needed to know her place and what exactly he intended to do with her.

“I have read these volumes cover to cover. If I have to learn about the different ways a flower can be grown I think I will die of boredom. You mentioned a curse that first night. Tell me everything and I can look in those stupid books for something that might actually help.”

He smiles at her as she rambles on about being a useful Fae and powerful if he lets her see. He admired her courage and her passion. “Very well Emma.” The way he says her name makes Emma feel something inside her that she’s not sure is good or bad.

“Contrary to popular belief about the Dark One, I did not choose this power willingly. It was forced upon me by a former Dark One. You see, only one can exist at a moment in time, and the only way to steal the power is to steal the life that holds such power.” He then goes on to explain how many years ago, his brother’s wife had fallen sick from her pregnancy and they were not sure if the baby would survive, the three of them searched for a cure around different lands, different royal families, they had to find something to save her but had no such luck. “One night, we had grown tired and stopped to find shelter for the night, when Elsa, my brother's wife began to bleed, she was losing the baby. Liam cried out and an old man came to our aid, asked if we would do anything to help to which I naively responded yes to. He kills them both using a type of magic I didn’t know existed.’ He can barely get through his story without stopping every few moments, and it's clear he still has a heart. “He then tells me if I take the dagger and stab him in the heart, they will be revived and the baby safe.”

“He forced you to kill him so he would be free of his curse, and in turn it then cursed you?”

“Aye love. That night has haunted me for nearly 200 years, I was desperate and if I could go back and change things I would. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to free myself that doesn’t involve trickery. I also do not wish to burden another innocent life with this curse.” He then takes Emma’s hand and looks into her eyes, “That is where you come in, Emma Darling.  I saw a seer and she shared with me a vision. A golden haired demi-fae with an earth element bearing an unyielding amount of light magic has the power to free me without hurting either party.”

“And of all the demi-fae with an earth element, you believe it's me because?”

“That’s why I held the ball. I wanted to see who I was drawn to, and as soon as I met you Emma, it was clear you were the one. You are special” The way he looked at her as she said this, made her feel warm inside. For a split second Emma also thought he was going to kiss her, and that if he did, she would let him.

That was the changing point. The more time they spent together going over her magic the more confident she felt. She learnt more things about her magic that she had known were possible. She could end life as quickly as she could revive it, well, the life of a flower anyway. She could drain the life from a lily and then when it was wilting, press life back into it. Emma guessed the more she practised this, maybe she would drain the darkness from Killian.

“Have you ever experimented with other elements, Emma Darling?” He asks one day, it was the last day of the moon cycle and she was to return home. She hadn’t realised how much she would miss his company.

“I was only gifted with the earth element, my mother shares it too. My brother inherited water from my father.” She explains, “I haven’t heard of any Fae who were gifted more than one element, wouldn’t that disrupt the power balance?” 

She would also miss the way he would sit there and smile at her when she rambled, he really wasn't as bad as people said he was. They didn’t know him the way she did. “Emma, you’re special. You hold the element of earth, well all elements are connected to the earth, are they not? Why don’t you try to conjure fire?”

All Fae were granted one element, fire, air, earth or water, it was unheard of for someone to hold a double or even triple elemental magic, every scripture and teacher would tell you too much power would disrupt the power balance of the universe, and everyone would suffer. But then again if she were truly the Fae in his prophecy, she was already disrupting the power of the universe.

“I wouldn’t know where to start, I don’t know anyone with that power and even if I did I-.” He was already moving towards her before she could finish her train of thought.

“All power lives inside you Emma.” He stands behind her and places his hand on her shoulders, moving down to her abdomen, “you can feel it inside you, reach deep inside and find that extra source of power.” Emma had to focus on keeping her breathing normal, he was touching her and she was feeling very strange things at the moment. Still, she does as he instructs, she feels where she knows her earth power lies, she taps into it daily. But then she tries to focus on where that power was, and if she could feel anything else. At first she could only feel her earth, but then she felt something different, she wasn’t sure what it was but it was similar to the way her earth felt. 

“That's it, love.” Killian says, hand still resting on her abdomen, “hone in on that. And think of something that makes you angry, feel the fire before you conjure it.”

Pushing the way his husky breath felt on her neck aside, she thought of her mother and how she orchestrated all these suitors that were supposedly so ‘perfect’ for her, how she never listened to what she wanted and how angry she felt when she would come home from her studies to see a Prince or a Duke in her sitting room.

“Open your eyes Emma.”

Fire. A small flame coming from her palm was the sight Emma was greeted with when she opened her eyes. It didn’t burn for very long once she realised what she had done and couldn’t figure out how to control it. But she did that.

“I conjured fire.” She says with a mix of shock and excitement plastering her face. 

“I told you you were powerful Emma.”

 He was still standing behind her, so she turns to see him grinning at her and his gaze fixed on her, in awe of her. They’re both silent for a moment, clearly having the same internal battle inside their head. Their heads moved closer and closer until their lips finally met and Emma felt her magic on fire. Every sense was heightened with this kiss, a merge of power and lust building up from their shared time together. Killian deepens the kiss as his hand settles on her cheek while Emma’s hands find his hair. She’s being pushed up against the wall after a while, and Emma leans her head back and moans as Killian pressees kisses onto her neck and then back to her lips. 

Their time together was never the same after that. Being apart from one another became harder. Every time Emma would practise her newfound powers, her thoughts would wander back to Killian and how he made her feel. 

When they were together, they were rarely apart. She possessed all four elements, and took the time to learn and explore what she could do with them. Of course she had to keep this quiet when she was away from Neverland and from Killian. Her family and her court would be wary of her newfound powers, likely brand her as dark as her ‘captor’ as they referred to Killian.

“I wish you would stop calling him that, he has a name.” She finally snaps back at her mother upon her return after listening to her rattling her newest ideas on how to get out of the contract. 

“He forces you to be away from your family for a whole moon cycle. He is darkening your mind with his power if you do not see what is wrong with that my sweet child.” 

That taught her to keep her mouth shut. They didn’t understand. Yes, as part of a bargain she was to spend time with him, but she looked forward to those moon cycles, he understood her, listened to her, she felt he was the only person she could be herself around. Worst of it was, she was falling in love with him. No, she was in love with him. And she had an inkling that he felt the same.

The next time she comes home, yet again there is a suitor sitting in her living room. She didn’t know who this one was and frankly, she didn’t care.

“Emma. I’m glad to see you’re home in one piece.” Her mother says, and Emma rolls her eyes, pretending she wasn’t practically seething that comment. She would never understand Killian or how she felt safe with him.

“Hello mother. Who is our guest?” She asks with a fake smile, knowing full well this was another suitor she was not interested in.

The suitor offers out his hand and bows, “Lord Walsh of Oz. it is a pleasure to finally meet you, your highness.” 

He was an older man, older than she was, which was not uncommon for suitors as they had to be to have a title. He was average height, nothing particularly interesting about him was jumping out at her. Her mother clearly chose this one from the same place as all the others, he was polite and overly grateful to the Queen for inviting him. They would all sip on their tea whilst Emma made polite conversation with them and they would express their interest for children and make an awful comment about being the more powerful Fae and Emma would thank them for their time as she busied herself with something else to get away. She wondered how long this one would take to get rid of. 

“Lord Walsh is to be your husband. We have been setting arrangements whilst you were being held hostage.” She rolls her eyes at the hostage comment and was about to argue, until it hits what she just said.

“I’m sorry, we’re to be married when?” This was a new low, even for her mother. “Mother, may I speak with you in private?”

“Excuse us.” Snow tells Walsh as she guides her daughter into the drawing room.

“I can’t believe this. I’m away for one moon cycle and you have me married off already? I keep telling you, I want to marry for love.” She didn’t know what to feel right now, angry yes, upset yes, and also confused, why now, when the topic of suitors had never felt imminent. 

“Emma, every day you spend with the Dark One is a day closer to us never seeing you again.” She tells her as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. 

“If this is still about him corrupting my mind, you have to know I’m still the same person as I was before the bargain.” As the Crown Princess, Emma didn’t have many choices in terms of clothing, free speech or political opinion, but she deserved the freedom to choose and to marry whoever she liked. 

Her mother touched her cheek, a way she did when Emma was younger. “Emma, the fact you don’t see it worries me. This is for the best. If we send a message you’re getting married, you can convince him to call off the bargain. This is a good thing Emma, things will go back to the way they were.”

She may have spent more moon cycles with the Dark One than planned, but she sure as hell was not dark herself, Killian couldn’t corrupt her when he was only trying to heal. She was different, she admits that, but it was a good different. She was powerful, confident in her abilities and her magic. Something that only came from being with Killian.

But she was the princess. Her parents, the King and Queen. She could fight with them about many things, but this was orchestrated by them. She could try to refuse this marriage, but she would need a valid reason, another prince or duke to replace Lord Walsh. It was a horrifying thought, but she didn’t have a choice. She was going to have to marry him.

What she wanted was to run away with Killian. She wanted to free him of his curse, help him heal. She did not want to be bound to him for a moon cycle at a time, she wished to spend as much time as she wished. But if she did that then her parents would come looking, they would send armies to search for her, it would cost the kingdom more money than they have. Running away would cause a civil war. 

All because she fell in love with the wrong Fae.

________________________________________

“I know you feel it too. Please Emma, don’t deny it.” He pleads, keeping the shadows clouding around them for a little while longer.

“I don’t deny it. I’m just in shock.” She admits. Having a mate in this world was rare, but those who were lucky enough to be granted one would be damned for all eternity if they chose to reject their mate. She had grown up with a legend of a male who loved another for years before meeting his mate, they chose to be apart and he died of heartache. She isn’t sure how much of that was true, but there was a reason they were chosen to be mates by the universe. She couldn’t marry Lord Walsh, no matter how hard her mother worked, marrying someone she had no love for knowing her mate, her true love was just out of reach would be too painful a life to lead. “Killlian, if we’re doing this, it has to be right, we have to follow the rules. If I run away now, it will only start a war.”

Killian nods in understanding, “We do this the right way. I claim you in front of everyone, and if you claim me back there is nothing they can do to stop.” He gives her a quick kiss before disbanding the shadows around them and hides from onlookers until it's time.

The crowd are unaware anything happened as she begins her descent down the flowery aisle. She spies her family in the crowd, her mother looking so happy, her brother next to her smiling brightly and her father trying not to cry as she takes his arm. He was meant to be giving her away to Walsh, but he was indirectly handing his daughter over to the Dark One. This was going to break their hearts, but she hoped they would see that Killian made her happy, the life she was choosing for herself was far better than the one her family were choosing for her. 

Walsh stands at the end of the aisle by the arch, his family were noble and would prosper from this union, more land and a grander estate. All of that was meaningless though, he didn’t love Emma either, it was his family pushing this marriage as much as it was her own. She was leaving a lot behind, her brother would become Crown Prince, and her mother would likely push a marriage for him too, likely to Princess Alexandra of the Western Kingdom to save the Kingdom from too much heartbreak of a runaway Princess. But it was worth it, the time spent with Killian made her feel alive for the first time in her life, she discovered things about her she didn’t know she could do.

“We are gathered today to witness the marital union between these two people. Lord Walsh of Oz, and Princess Emma of Misthaven.”

Emma spies Killians shadows from just beyond the arch, waiting for the right time.

“If there is any reason why these two should not be married, Speak Now or forever hold your peace.”

Silence from the crowd. Until shadows grow and at the other end of the aisle, Killian transfigures. “I object.”

The crowd begins to stir, chatter arises, some people even scream. “Under what grounds?”

“I have come to claim Emma. As my Mate.”

Shock horror from the crowd once again, she hears her parents cries and pleads not to go through with this, but she had no choice, this was for her own happiness, she was putting herself first for once.

“Do you claim me as I claim you?” He asks, knowing her answer.

“I claim you, Killian Jones, as my mate.”

Neither were sure exactly what would happen when they said those words, legend said mates had to claim one another in words, whether that be in public or in private. Considering mates were rare and neither had met or heard of anyone that had a mate, they were unaware if anything were meant to happen after they had claimed one another, whether it be lighting from the sky or if they would feel it in their hearts.

Neither were prepared for their right arms to suddenly have ink appear and spiral into a tattoo, matching with one another. Confirming their mateship and that they were now bound to one another, there was nothing anyone could do about it.

With a last look of pity and sorrow at her family, she runs into her new mates arms, and they disappear in a cloud of shadow.

 Emma was going home.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 3 Rewatch Drabbles: 3x18 Bleeding Through

Summary:  A series of 100-500 word drabbles to accompany my    rewatch of season 3 of Once Upon a Time.  There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season.  Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an emphasis on Captain Swan’s epic love story.

Word Count: 855

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emma sat at the counter at Granny’s focusing all her attention on the mug of hot cocoa sitting before her.  If all went as planned, she’d be able to focus her magic and send the mug to the broody pirate sitting in their characteristic booth.

Despite, well, everything (after all, nothing in this town was ever easy or normal), Emma had a new found optimism after the day she’d just spent.  They may not know what Zelena’s plan was.  They may not know exactly how to defeat her.  They may not even know why she was doing what she was doing, but they did have something going for them: Emma had learned how to control her magic, and with that simple fact she knew they were going to win. That fact alone made her nearly euphoric.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling, and let the warmth of her magic bubble up from deep within.  When she opened her eyes, she saw that it had worked.  She’d successfully transported the hot beverage without spilling a drop.

“Boom!” she said, triumphantly, as she rose from her bar stool and bounded over to Killian in the booth.  “Granny’s to go.  I should open a franchise.”

Killian sighed, lifted the mug from the book he was perusing and set it aside.  “It’s impressive,” he said, in a tone that sounded far more annoyed than impressed.

Something was up with him.  He hadn’t truly been himself since…well, since he brought her back to Storybrooke, to be honest, but especially in the past day.  He’d been broody before, but this…this was a whole new level.

She thought back to earlier that evening when she’d seen what he’d done–helped Ariel find her way back to Eric–when she’d finally opened up to him, told him she didn’t care what happened in the past year. 

When she’d all but let him inside her walls.  (She hadn’t torn them down, of course.  It was more like she’d cut a small door for him.)

She wasn’t an idiot.  She knew he cared for her.  He’d all but declared his love back in Neverland.  She wasn’t ready for all of that yet–wasn’t sure if she’d ever be–but she was ready for…she didn’t know…something.

She would have thought he’d have jumped at the opening she offered him.  She would have thought her overture would have put a smile on his face, but nothing could have been farther from the truth.  If anything, her statements seemed to cast him even deeper into his bad mood.  He’d even declined having dinner with the family.

Something was definitely up with him.

Ever since Neverland, he’d been there for her, he’d been her support, her sounding board, her cheerleader.  In some ways, he’d been the best friend she had.  It was time she returned the favor.  So she found herself doing something she’d never expected to do with him.

Flirting.

“You wanna see something really impressive?” she asked, giggling like a schoolgirl.  With a wave of her hand, she transported his hook to the coat rack in the corner of the room.

She would have expected him to laugh, to praise her magical prowess, to do that thing with his eyebrows that she’d never admit made the butterflies dance inside her, to make a suggestive remark.  Anything.

Instead, he sighed in obvious exasperation as he got up from his seat to retrieve his steely appendage.  “It’s bad form, Swan,” he said, an edge of impatience in his tone, “tampering with a man’s hook.”

Yeah, there was no doubt about it, something was seriously off.  “Okay, what is up with you?”  she asked.

He took his seat again, sighing and refusing to look at her as he clicked his hook back into place.  “I apologize for my rudeness.  It’s a long story.  Too long for now.”  With that, he uncorked his flask and took a long drag.

Well, at least he’d admitted there was a story there.  She wasn’t about to let him dismiss it like that, though.  It was time they had it out.  It was time he let her know what was eating him inside.

It was time she proved to him that she’d been serious in the stairwell of her parents’ loft earlier that day.  She didn’t care what he’d done; it wouldn’t change how she felt about him.  (Not that she wanted to delve too deeply into just what she felt about him, but that was beside the point.)

“Okay, obviously something is–” she began, just as Belle burst through the door, book in hand and a look of urgency on her face.

Emma sighed.  She should have known better than to hope for a heart to heart.  A person could barely get two sentences out in this town before some crises erupted.

She really couldn’t wait to have this whole business behind her so she and Henry could get back to New York, back to normal life. Whether Killian ever told her what was bothering him, whether he followed her back to New York again…well, she supposed that would just have to remain an open question.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[cssns]

Let's keep the ball rolling with our amazing artists. Please help us welcome @piinfeathers to CSSNS23!

What’s your Tumblr?

@piinfeathers on tumblr, stephsketched everywhere else, plus just steph is also good!

How long have you been in the CS/OUAT fandom?

since 2021

When did you start shipping Captain Swan?

literally the second killian jones started getting it baaad for emma swan in season two. by neverland i was totally hooked

What drew you to this event?

this is my second year doing this event and it's definitely my favourite! i just love seeing emma and hook in fantasy settings, it suits them so well

What inspired your topic?

unfortunately i'm probably not doing personal art this year, unless something magical happens you never know!

For our artists: What kind of art do you like to do? Picsets, painting, digital, etc? Feel free to give as much info as you like.

i'm a digital artist and work mostly with an illustrative/cartoony style thanks to my background in animation. i love trying to capture emma and killian with a sort of fun and soft energy that feels like they're in their own animated movie

What are you looking forward to most about participating in this event?

i just love seeing everyone's work! having a new short snippet of captain swan as werewolves or faeries to look forward to every day is a highlight of my summer <3

I absolutely adore Steph's artwork and I know she's going to do amazing work for @goforlaunchcee's story, dropping on July 7th. Please drop by her page to say hi and welcome her to the event!

[mariaalrox-blog]

If you don't ship Swanfire with the excuse that Neal was 200 years older than Emma, that's just stupid, especially if you then ship Captain Swan. Hook was way older than Neal. But no, neither Neal nor Hook were actually that old. In Neverland, time stands still, so NO, they’re not as old as you think.

And no, Neal wasn’t 24 years old as stated on the wanted poster. All the information on that poster was fake — the name Neal Cassidy, which he made up, and even that he was from New Jersey. It doesn’t make sense for his age to be the only real detail. Neal probably wanted to appear older.

I've read some people say that Emma in the episode Tallahassee would be more like Abby Ross, that she would have been a better fit to play her (I think that too). But think about it: they would have cast a younger actor for Neal too. They only used Jennifer and Michael so we could recognize Neal better afterward.

[snowbellewells]

Happy Happy Birthday Jennifer!! @whimsicallyenchantedrose

So, while I wasn’t able to write you a brand new birthday story this year, I thought it might be fun to highlight my all-time favorites of your stories. You were the first fandom friend I met and interacted with, we talked the show and plot points and character development together, and you helped me begin to navigate Tumblr back when I first joined. It’s been a gift to know you all that time, and your writing is a gift to us all! You’ve written so many GREAT stories that it was hard to narrow down, but I have settled on my top half dozen at last to highlight for your special day -- with some cover art for a few of them!!! 💖 Hope this gift serves to remind you of all you’ve written and created and how much all of it - and you!! - are loved. 🥰

The Strongest Magic - This short MC is one of your very early works - a Neverland season 3a divergent tale, but where it diverges gives us powerful adventure and emotion, sacrifice, and much earlier admission and acceptance of the love between our Pirate and Princess. I simply adore it - it squeezes your heart for sure, but it also wraps you up in a wonderful happy ending by the time you are finished.

A Wish Your Heart Makes , Getting to I Do & Mysterious Fathoms Below - This series of longer, connected multi-chapters (The "By Land or By Sea" trilogy) is simply EPIC!!! I don't know how to sing the praises of this story half as much as it deserves. There's adventure in the Enchanted Forest, Camelot, and even under the sea! There's so much beautiful love story for CS (and even some lovely, redemptive Outlaw Queen as well), and @whimsicallyenchantedrose even incorporates some unexpected and perfectly cast characters of myth and legend and her own creation alongside our faves. I don't want to give too much away, but these stories MUST BE read! Once you do, you'll want to read them over and over again.

Happily Ever After - This short MC was originally part of your Fluffy Fridays compilation, and I have often revisited the few chapters of this on their own and definitely think of them as their own little stand-alone story. I love the family recipes, the competition, the rivalry that becomes something much sweeter.... it's a truly delicious addition to your collection of writing!

Caribbean Shores - This lovely little MC reads more like a modern day AU, though they are in Storybrooke and many of our favorite characters still appear. I love the cute sweetness of this one, and the adorable addition of a few scheming cuties from MM's class when she takes them for a field trip tour of the Jolly Roger from Killian. ;) All the sizzle and attraction is there for Emma and Killian right from the start, and though she tries to resist (Why is she always so stubborn?!?) She can't do it for long...

Under the Apple Tree - It's hard to even express how much I adore this fic originally written between season six and season seven of canon. The way @whimsicallyenchantedrose wove in what we knew might be coming in season seven and then supposed what still could happen (a lot of which I would have loved to really see!) is simply brilliant. I love the relationships explored and the way the plot unfolds. It's a special and unique version of our beloved characters, and of course the unstoppable power of Captain Swan to always find each other again is fully on display too! ;p

Until the Stars are all Alight - Wow, this story must have been such a daunting task to undertake - one I would have been afraid to tackle, but the skill with which the OuaT world and the LotR world are woven together, how the plotlines come together and reach fruition, and how the characters coincide for best use so seamlessly is truly admirable and just adds to the depth and power of this full multi-chapter adventure. It has heart and hope and True Love conquering all - all the best things we love so much from the world of fairy tales and the brain of J.R. R. Tolkien!

[anmylica]

Fly With The Black Swan

Tagging the Usual Crew: @kmomof4 @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @snowbellewells @sotangledupinit @zaharadessert @whimsicallyenchantedrose @deckerstarblanche

Read on AO3

Read on FFN

Summary: Captain Hook has finally returned to the Enchanted Forest after an all-too-long stint in the Enchanted Forest, ready to get his revenge, only he’s too late. His Crocodile has been killed by another, but the demon partially responsible for his Milah’s death remains. He sets out, determined to kill the demon once and for all, but a life or death situation puts him right in the demon’s clutches. Reluctantly, he joins the new Dark One, finding himself falling for her against his will and his motivations change. Now, he needs to save this woman from the same demon that killed his first love, and he plans out a way to save her.

But the Darkness has plans of its own.

CSSNS ‘23 Entry. Based on the Sonata Arctica song “Fly With The Black Swan”

Note: I have no idea if this is going to post or not. I am currently in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico with crappy satellite internet and none of my other attempts have gone through. Seriously, I’ve tried it a million times by this point. Maybe this time is the charm? I guess we’ll see. If it does post, I will be editing this Saturday to clean it up when I get home.

———————————

The Jolly Roger landed hard in the ocean waters with a great splash that sent droplets of water into the air and on the deck, drenching most of her crew in the process. Captain Hook stood at the helm, seemingly unaffected by the wake, scanning the seas for any danger, always on his guard. He took a deep breath, turning his face up to the sun high in the sky, practically tasting the ocean on his tongue and thought, ‘This is what freedom smells like.’ The sails glittered with the remnants of the last vial of pixie dust he would ever have to use to get his ship airborne for a sojourn back to the Enchanted Forest again.

He had just spent countless years sailing the never ending circle of Neverland’s waters in the reluctant employ of a demon in a child’s body, never seeing the sun except for when he was Pan’s errand boy on a supply run back to the Enchanted Forest. His years under the deal with Pan were finally complete, and he felt that he had enough information to achieve his true mission: skinning his Crocodile.

Captain Hook stared at the cloudless sky, pondering his next steps as his first mate, William Smee, blundered about giving orders to the others. His crew scurried about letting out sails, hauling in lines, securing their goods, and generally making preparations to sail to the destination their captain ordered. Throughout the hustle and bustle, their captain stood stoic at the helm. He did not steer; his helmsman, Antonio Buckham, had the pleasure of directing the ship, and he stood with his hands tight on the wheel and his eyes on his captain’s profile, awaiting orders.

Hook’s forget-me-not blue eyes finally left the horizon and focused upon the map in front of him. If he had landed his ship in the location he had wanted, then he was just due south of Glowerhaven. This was a pirate-friendly port, and it was going to be the best place at which they could restock their supplies. He looked over at Buckham, who stood anticipating his orders.

“Make way to Glowerhaven,” Hook ordered, and Buckham nodded once.

“Aye, Captain,” he responded, turning to the rest of the crew before bellowing, “Make way to Glowerhaven!”

The crew repeated the order, and Buckham turned the wheel slightly as the others adjusted the sails. Through it all, Hook said nothing else, just watched the sea and the sky pass them by as they sailed towards their port of call. It was a sunny day with nary a cloud in the sky. A good wind at their backs filled the sails and carried them over the water so smoothly it was as if the ship was flying over the waves. All around the deck, his crew carried out their orders, bringing them into the port where they could find a tavern and food and relish their newfound freedom. Hook surveyed the work with disinterest, for so long as they arrived at their destination without issue, it did not matter to him how his crew did their jobs.

His cold, hard, forget-me-not blue eyes watched ahead of the bow as the land of the Enchanted Forest appeared in view. His jaw clenched at the sight. It was there that he would finally fulfill his life’s purpose. As the land grew closer and the short skyline of Glowerhaven became more distinct, he was filled with a sense that, at last, he was on the path for his vengeance. He was about to find his happy ending, however bittersweet it may be. A determined, almost manic glint filled his eyes, and his crew gave him side glances and moved away from him, hoping to avoid his ire, though he paid them no mind.

An hour later, The Jolly Roger had been docked into her berth, the crew had all left, and those tasked with her watch were settled in for a few hours. Hook was the last to leave, wanting to make sure everything was just so. He sauntered down the alleyways between buildings into a tavern at which he had long since been a patron. He knew that the last pieces of his plan could be crafted with information the owner likely had.

He opened the door and stepped inside, scanning the room for any potentially unsavory situations. The room was dimly lit and dirty, much like all portside taverns throughout the realms of the Enchanted Forest. Rough hewn tables of various sizes filled the room and stools of varying heights were haphazardly placed by each table. There weren’t many people occupying the tavern at this time of day, and so most of the tables were empty. His crew occupied a few, already having drinks and food delivered by several barmaids. The bar was manned by a lone attendant, and it was to her that he made his way.

He slid onto a stool at the bar in front of her with a beguiling grin on his face. The old woman scoffed and rolled her eyes, but she moved closer, grabbing a bottle of rum and a glass on her way.

“What are you scallywags doing here,” she demanded, plunking down the bottle and glass roughly. She looked over her glasses at Hook and stared him down, causing him to grin even wider.

“Is that any way to greet an old friend,” he responded, moving to open the bottle and pour himself a finger’s width of rum. He had no plans on getting drunk, but he wasn’t about to turn down the libation.

“You’re hardly a friend,” she retorted, causing him to laugh.

“A patron then,” he amended. “A well-paying patron.”

The woman surveyed him hard and then nodded. “What do you want, Hook?”

He shook his head slightly as he raised the glass to his lips and knocked back the measure of rum. “Many things,” he said, placing the glass back on the bar. “Mostly, I’d like information at the moment.”

The woman crossed her arms. “I ain’t got information.”

Hook smirked. “Come, now, Granny, you and I both know you’re the best there is at collecting information. And we both know how valuable I find it.”

He took out his coin purse and very deliberately counted out five doubloons. Granny watched him as he did so, quirking an eyebrow at him before sighing.

“You want to know about the Dark One’s movements,” she said, grabbing a second glass and pouring herself a measure of rum.

“Aye.” Hook eyed her with curiosity, as this was definitely out of the norm for their usual pattern of conversation.

Granny took a sip of her drink and met his eyes. “You’re a bit behind the times.”

“How so?” Hook questioned, leaning closer to the old woman, a frown on his face at Granny’s implication.

“The Dark One you chase is no longer the host of the Darkness. The host has changed,” Granny said bluntly, a strange look crossing her face.

Hook blinked as Granny fell silent, sipping her rum to allow him time to process her words. He didn’t move as he tasted the information on his lips, a horrible sensation of dread and despair filling him. His immediate instinct was to deny that it was possible, but he knew deep down that the woman’s look of despair and grief couldn’t be anything but real.

“Who is it now?” he asked, studying her face carefully, hoping to pick up on some nuance in her communication. He didn’t know what he was looking for exactly, but he felt disappointment all the same when he realize how upset she was.

Granny poured herself a bit more rum into the half-full glass and knocked back the entire thing in one swallow. Hook watched her dispassionately. She grimaced out of grief, and Hook realized this topic was a festering wound though he didn’t know why.

“I don’t know,” Granny denied, and Hook got the sense that she did indeed know but didn’t want to admit it.

Hook clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes. He felt a rage that he hadn’t felt since Rumplestiltskin had taken his hand and his love from him. All these years of seeking revenge, and for what? What was he left with now? He snarled at the thought of the Crocodile evading his hook another time.

Granny cleared her throat as she choked back tears, calling his attention back to her before he could fall any more into his anger. Her wet eyes shocked him out of his rage long enough to restore sense to his head. “You want any more than that, you’re out of luck. I know nothing else.”

Granny poured herself another shot and knocked it back. Once she had finished, she stood and moved down to another end of the bar without another word. Hook contemplated the bottle before deciding that today’s news had been bad enough. He poured himself a healthy measure and drained the glass. He glanced over to Smee and beckoned his head. Smee scrambled to his side, and when Smee was within earshot, he said, “Tomorrow we travel to the Dark One’s castle.”

Smee blinked before widening his eyes in fear. “To the Dark One’s castle?”

“Aye,” Hook responded. “There will be information there that we need.”

“But won’t he-“ Smee began but Hook cut him off.

“Apparently someone else got to the Crocodile before us. I want to know who and why.” Hook’s eyes hardened in resolve, and Smee gulped before nodding his head. “My best chance at getting answers is there.”

As Smee scrambled off back to the crew to pass the news around, Hook drank another healthy measure of rum, resigned to the situation at hand. This was merely a minor setback in his quest for revenge. He’d waited this long; he could bide his time a little longer.

The next morning dawned bright and cheerful, completely at odds with Hook’s mood. Hook had already left instructions to the next man in charge for getting supplies in his stead. He and Smee arranged for a couple of horses for the journey inland, and they made sure to have the necessary supplies for their journey.

The journey itself to the Dark One’s castle was mostly uneventful. Hook and Smee endeavored to find out all they could about the Dark One’s whereabouts, but no one wanted to talk. Either they didn’t know or they avoided the conversation once questions were asked and quickly hurried off on their way. Hook was quickly becoming vexed with the situation. He needed answers now.

“Don’t worry, Captain,” Smee attempted to reassure him after their latest fruitless encounter in a village just south of the Southern Kingdom’s borders. “We’ll find out more at the next inn.”

Hook just sighed in response. It would do no good taking his ire out on Smee. Not when the man was trying to help. Hook just nudged his horse forward into a trot.

“We can find out all we need once we reach the Dark One’s castle. Come and let us stop wasting time,” Hook replied.

Smee said nothing in response. Hook supposed it was because Smee could see just how fine the leash was on his temper. The two rode on in silence, crossing into the Moors kingdom just before nightfall. They stopped at an inn for the night, keeping their ears fruitlessly peeled for any hint of gossip. None could be heard that bore any importance for their quest.

The next morning’s travels brought about similar results. They crossed the small leg of the East Mountains and into Capetia at around noon. They stopped briefly at a tavern for food before moving on. The ride was boring, and Hook’s mind wandered as the horse trudged onward.

Just who had managed to get the best of the Crocodile? How had that happened? Would there even be anything of value at Rumplestiltskin’s old castle? Was all of this just Hook grasping at straws, unwilling to let a past wrong go, even after the culprit was long gone?

Hook didn’t think so, but he had been wrong before. He decided that the only way he was going to get answers was by raiding Rumplestiltskin’s castle. He could decide on the next course to set once he saw the state of things there.

They reached the edge of the Dark Forest that evening. He and Smee lit a fire for safety and camped under the stars. Neither spoke very much, for Hook was too deep in thought and Smee knew better than to push his Captain when the man was pensive like this. The night passed by uneventfully, and the next morning dawned bright.

A hard ride resulted in their arriving at the perimeter of the Dark One’s lands just after noon. They pulled their horses up short as they surveyed the imposing structure in the distance.

“So that’s the Dark One’s castle,” Smee muttered. “Do you think maybe he was compensating for something?”

Hook sniggered. “Most assuredly. We need to be cautious. If the rumors are false, and he is still alive, he won’t take kindly to seeing either of us.”

Smee nodded vigorously and they dismounted their horses. They tied the mounts off, leaving them plenty of slack to graze, and they slunk off in the direction of danger. They crept along in the surrounding woods, keeping their eyes peeled and their ears alert.

The woods were silent. It was eerie how no animals rustled in the undergrowth, how no birds tweeted in the trees above them. The closer they got to the castle, the quieter it got. Hook felt dizzy with how much he kept looking around them, just waiting for an ambush.

Finally they got close enough that the front doors were just in front of them. The castle had a derelict, abandoned feel. No smoke rose from the myriad chimneys; no movement could be detected behind the windows. The facade was covered in overrun ivies and weeds littered the overgrown lawn.

“Well, Captain, there might just be some truth to the rumors after all.”

Hook glanced at Smee. “It seems safe enough so far, but keep on your guard.”

Hook and Smee each grasped a door handle of the giant wooden doors and pulled with all their might, not noticing the wave of blue light that swept the yard as they did so. Slowly, creaking in protest the entire time, the doors gave away. Hook was just about to step inside the foyer when a fireball came soaring at them. Hook and Smee dove for the ground, managing to just narrowly avoid it. They watched as it flew into a tree and caught it on fire. The flames whooshed as it engulfed the large tree and devoured it until nothing but ash remained. They stared at it before looking at each other.

“Let’s hope that’s the only thing waiting for us,” Hook said. Smee chuckled nervously and they both scrambled up into standing positions. They glanced at the opening, but nothing else seemed to be waiting.

“Shall we try this again, sir,” Smee asked uncertainly.

Hook nodded once. “Without the fireballs, preferably.”

They crept through the arched doorway, sticking to the sides, but nothing else happened. The foyer beyond was dark and cold. It gave off a chilling air of abandonment. Hook and Smee exchanged looks.

“Shall we split up sir? Cover more ground that way,” Smee offered as he shrugged.

Hook considered his first mate for a moment, eyebrow tilting up a bit. On the one hand, splitting up could be a trap, but on the other, they waste valuable time searching together.

Hook nodded once. “Yell if you find anything.”

“Aye, aye,” replied Smee before heading to the rooms on the left. Hook decided to go up the grand staircase that lay in waiting just in front of him.

He walked up the steps one at a time, slowly prowling forward, always expecting another type of security measure. Nothing happened.

The lack of reaction set him on edge even more than he had been before entering the abandoned building. He expected Rumplestiltskin’s slimy high pitched giggle to sound behind him at any moment. As the minutes dragged on, he became even more unnerved at the lack of the coward’s appearance.

He stepped onto the next floor and looked around him. The second floor had the same derelict feel as the downstairs. There was no sign of anyone’s inhabitance. He crept forward, resting his palm in the jolt of his sword, keeping his hook at the ready. The first room he came to was some sort of guest room, but for whom, Hook couldn’t begin to say. He didn’t believe the Crocodile had many guests. The imp hadn’t been known for his hospitality, after all. He searched the room, but nothing was there besides tacky furniture and dusty bedclothes. Hook left the room as quickly as he entered it.

The silence in this place was eerie. It set his teeth on edge, and he clenched his jaw out of tension. He crept down the hallway, forgoing searching other countless bedchambers. The stench of Dark magic hung in the air, cloying and sickening. The further down the hall he traveled, the more palpable the magic became.

He went up another staircase, choosing to follow the feeling of the magic instead of investigating every room. Hook figured the odds of finding something were better if he traced the magic. He hadn’t felt this kind of sensation, this tingling numbness, since the Crocodile had been on the deck of his ship, changing Hook’s life forever.

He followed the tingle of the magic until he arrived in front of what appeared to be a private study. He opened the double doors and walked into a large room. A giant table occupied the center of the room, and display cases that had once held whatever objects Rumplestiltskin deemed important surrounded the table. The room had been decorated in rich shades of red and gold, but now a thick layer of dust covered everything.

The room looked as if it had been ransacked by looters at some undetermined point. Hook breathed a heavy sigh. This beyond anything else convinced him that the Crocodile was gone. Looters wouldn’t have been able to mauraud this castle if Rumplestiltskin had still been alive. Hook felt a dull sensation curdle in his stomach that he belatedly recognized was disappointment.

Discouraged, he wandered into the room, no less on his guard than before, but no longer expecting his mortal enemy to appear before him sniggering with twisted glee. He rummaged through the detritus, looking for something but not knowing what it was. After shuffling a few plates around, he saw a brown piece of fabric, dirtied with age and a few dried blood stains. He frowned and picked it up, his heart sinking even lower in his chest.

He knew those stitches.

He stood and shook the fabric out, using his hook to help fan it out to make sure that it was what he thought it was. He smiled a grim smile at the confirmation. It was a shawl. He recognized the handiwork as Milah’s, and he suddenly felt like crying. It must have belonged to Bae.

He swallowed and cleared his throat, hoping to drown the burning sensation, and rapidly tried to blink tears away. He folded it as carefully as he could, caressing the fabric as he did so. He took a step towards the door, intending to leave this room and all its ghosts behind, when he stepped on something that slid as he put his weight down.

Catching himself from falling, he looked at his feet and saw a cane. He moved his shoe off the wood and bent down to pick it up, recognizing it to be that old cane the Crocodile had once used to walk when the coward boarded his ship for the first time. He held it against the shawl that was also in his hand for a moment, considering all the possibilities that could have happened and didn’t, all the ways fate could have worked out differently for him.

Frustrated, he threw the cane away from him and turned to walk out. As he threw it, a shimmering came from the far corner of the room, catching his attention. The shimmering revealed a cabinet that extended from floor to ceiling. He stared in disbelief at it before his heart started racing. This was what he had been looking for!

He hurried to it and wrenched the doors open, seeing all kinds of magical items and whatnots. Books were stacked high in all areas, potion ingredients were stored three lines deep in bottles, with some already being completed. Magical objects filled the empty areas, and wands were held in stands. The magical items weren’t necessarily what he needed, but the books… the books might just be the missing link.

Hook tore through the books stacked high inside the cabinet, desperately searching for something that would help him piece together what had happened. He quickly discarded the ones that looked as if they were magical instruction books, having no interest in their contents. No, he was looking for something more personal.

Seeing nothing in the stack that could help him, he turned to the table, searching for any hidden compartments. Finding two, he tore open the drawers, the contents rattling as he jerked the drawers out, quills and empty ink bottles and other rubbish littering their insides. There was nothing that could even hint at the circumstances that finally resulted in the demon's demise.

He searched in this manner until he had combed through the entire room. If there had ever been any records, they had long since been hidden or destroyed. The fruitlessness of the search just made Hook more determined.

There had to be another room he had overlooked in this overgrown hunk of an imitation castle. Moving decisively towards the door, his hook got caught in a hole in a shelf of the cabinet in his haste. Hook yanked his hook out of the hole it had gotten lodged in, and the shelf came crashing, the contents falling to the floor in a great crash. Hook just managed to jump out of the way in time.

Hook scanned the rubbish, finding it absolutely ridiculous that Rumplestiltskin had never bothered to secure the blasted thing when it had borne all that weight when something caught his eye.

He scanned the back of the cabinet again, his brow furrowing in concentration. There! A glimmer!! He tilted his head this way and that as he tried to determine from where the glimmer had come. He noticed a notch from in between the wooden panels that covered the back of the shelf.

He put his hook into the notch, which was just big enough for the tip of his hook to lodge into, and pulled. The back panel was stubborn and didn’t come off. He sighed and maneuvered his hook deeper into the hole to provide himself with a bit more leverage. He wrapped his hand around his brace and pulled again, this time with all his strength.

The back panel came loose with a loud screech. It had detached just enough so he could see a small book inside. The cabinet must have had a false backing that only the crocodile would know about.

“Clever,” Hook muttered to himself as he reached in and clasped the book in his hand. Once he had pulled it out, he wiggled his hook out of the hole and set out to peruse the book. It had to contain something of importance if the Crocodile had gone to great lengths to keep it hidden.

He opened the book as he sank into a nearby chair that hadn’t toppled over in his haste to further ransack the room. Hook was pleased to find that it was a handwritten journal. He flipped through the pages slowly, finding a lot of drivel about magical experiments that didn’t interest Hook. Most of it was useless, but almost at the end of the journal, the writing changed. It was spiky, with very slanted words (a far different type of handwriting from Rumplestiltskin's scrawled handwriting).

The script made the document hard to read, so Hook skimmed the pages looking for any clues as to what had happened to the Crocodile (and most importantly, whom had killed him). He flipped through page after page, almost falling into a trance as he skimmed over the entry. Just when he thought the journal had nothing of importance, his eyes caught upon a very familiar name.

Milah.

Hook’s heart skipped a beat. He read the sentence that contained her name but found it didn’t make sense in the context, so he backtracked until he fell upon a section that seemed to detail why her name was on the page.

As he read the entry, his blood began to boil.

It had been easy enough to convince Rumplestiltskin that the only way to satisfy his broken heart upon learning his once beloved wife had fallen in love with someone else was to rip out her heart and crush it. With this, I believe that Rumplestiltskin’s last dregs of humanity have been thoroughly eradicated. I have been successful in imprinting myself irrevocably within his soul. With his black heart now thoroughly darkened, he will have no hope of the use of Light Magic against me, that cursed abomination of a magical force.

I had thought seeing him abandon and break a deal with his son was the ultimate test of his loyalty to me, but his murder of Milah showed me the depths of depravity he is willing to sink to. It will be so much easier to twist and bend Rumplestiltskin’s actions to my will. It was amusing to see how little he resisted the urge once I placed the thought in his head to kill her. He almost seemed to welcome it.

I think the coward enjoyed the thrill of the power I wield over life. He will be much more pliant to fulfilling my desires, I think. After all, he will not want to give up the control over the magic I have given him easily. This just serves as further proof that humanity is corruptible and unworthy of the gifts they have been bestowed. They will all bow to me before it is over. I must make my own plans for that day. This vessel will not be able to support me for very long, and the time will eventually come to find another host.

Hook continued to read, but the rest of the passage detailed how it felt to crush a heart and the magic that had to go into the action. He felt sick the more he tried to read, and he closed the book in disgust. His heart lay in jagged pieces at his feet at the information he had sought and obtained.

Rumplestiltskin had merely been a pawn in Milah’s death. Oh, Hook didn’t doubt that Rumplestiltskin desired her death; by the end, the man had looked upon his estranged wife with hatred in his eyes. But to learn that Hook’s love had been killed because some demon had wanted it done to prove a point? That was like rubbing salt in an already festering and infected wound.

Hook grit his teeth. He snatched the journal up and tucked it into one of the hidden pockets in his leather duster. His revenge was still possible. All he had to do was find the demon that killed her and find a way to end its existence.

He threw open the door, hollering for Smee. His first mate came running.

“Tell me you’ve found something of value in this place,” Hook commanded.

Smee held up a dreamcatcher. “I found this. I think it could tell us who the next Dark One is!”

“What is it?” Hook asked, puzzled as to how such an object would be able to tell them anything.

“I don’t know what it’s called, but when I held it, I could see something. I think it might hold memories.” Smee held it out to his captain.

Hook took it in his hand, and once he touched it, images started to play out amongst the strings. It did look like memories. He watched as a pretty young girl, possibly mid to late twenties, approached the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin giggled, dismissing her, when she held out the dagger. He watched dispassionately as Rumple froze in disbelief. He watched the woman say something and then plunge the knife into Rumplestiltskin’s chest. He watched as oily tendrils of darkness began to ooze out of Rumpelstiltskin, making their way up the woman’s arms until it coated her in the substance. She disappeared, the knife disappearing along with her. Rumplestiltskin fell to the ground of his castle, obviously dead.

“Where did she disappear to?” Hook asked once the memories went black and the images reverted back to the strings once more.

“I don’t know, Captain. But I found this with it,” Smee said as he held up a giant black feather.

Hook took it, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Perhaps we can use this to find out.”

He turned and made his way back into the study where he had found the stash of potions. He went to the box and scanned its contents, pulling out a bottle once he had found what he was looking for. He uncorked it, Smee looking on, and poured its contents over the feather.

“Is that a locator spell?” Smee asked.

“I think so. It’s some kind of potion for it, at any rate.” He watched as the feather floated in the air before darting towards a ragged map of the Enchanted Forest that hung on the wall. It gouged itself into the map, and Hook and Smee hurried across the room to see where it was pointing.

“The North Mountains?” Smee read aloud.

“Aye,” Hook agreed. “That is our next destination. We must return to the ship at once.”

Smee nodded, and after a brief moment to figure out the exact location on the map the feather pointed to, the two men left the Dark One’s castle, never to step foot inside again.

After several days’ journey of riding hard and resting only when needed, Hook and Smee arrived back in the port town they had left the Jolly Roger moored at. After a quick replenishment of supplies, she set sail once more, this time to a village called Sapphire Springs in the Northern Kingdom.

Hartford was a quaint little village that had little to offer pirate crews, so Hook and his band rarely made port there. It was out of the way of the major shipping lanes, as it was the most remote village of the Northern Kingdom. Hook preferred doing most of his business at Glowerhaven and other larger ports where it was easier to blend in with the locals and visitors, but he had been to Sapphire Springs enough to know the lay of the land.

Hook and his crew sailed hard, avoiding most traffic in the shipping lanes. They stumbled upon a ship from Agrabah, and Hook gave the order to take it. He knew his crew would appreciate the opportunity to acquire jewels and riches when they hadn’t yet been able to take any ships since their permanent arrival back in the Enchanted Forest. The crew of the merchant ship were very amenable to surrender, and after a couple of hours, the Jolly Roger rode deeper in the water, her hull full of spices and jewels and Agrabahn wine. Hook allowed them to open a barrel, and the evening was spent toasting their success.

They made a quick stop at a port in Sherwood Forest to sell off the jewels and spices. Smee divided the spoils to the rest of the crew after selling off their wares. The crew didn’t dally long; Hook was in too much of a hurry to make it to the North Mountains to spend much time in port.

After selling off this particular haul, they set sail once more, making a beeline straight for Sappire Springs. Hook stood back, letting his crew do the sailing and navigating as they had been for centuries. He kept his eyes trained on the horizon as he came ever closer to fulfilling his destiny and achieving his happy ending (however miserable an end it may be). If he had any doubts about the dangers that lay before him, he didn’t express it.

Hook continued his vigilance until the sky turned to dusk and the night crew took over. He looked out over the water at the waves, felt the breeze on his face, and heaved a sigh. He turned and slid open the hatch to his cabin and descended the ladder, not noticing the giant black swan that swooped down from the clouds and glided over the ship for a brief moment before ascending once more into the clouds.

[siena-sevenwits]

Okay, just for fun, let me tell you all what Once Upon a Time is. I have never watched this show beyond very brief and scattered clips years ago, so this is mainly drawn from cultural osmosis and friend mentions. Let's see how badly I butcher this.

Snow White and Prince Charming get their wedding interrupted by an Evil Queen, and she's walking up the aisle with all the castle/church shutters slamming shut as she progresses, like Snape walking into class. And she's all, "Ha, I'm very evil, and you offended me somehow, and I'm going to steal your future daughter!" ...or maybe it's the daughter's christening, which would make the threat a lot more palpable. Or maybe it's not about the daughter. Maybe she's like, "Mwahaha, I am going to send you both to the REAL WORLD!"

One of the above.

Anyhow, their daughter is named Emma Swan, and she ends up living in Fort Langley - ahem, Storybrooke. (Sorry. At one point I lived not too far from where they film the real world scenes, and had friends who would sometimes spot the cast, though I never did.) Emma is cynical and jaded, and remembers nothing of her fairytale origins. But she has a son, Henry (adopted?) who is a cinnamon roll, and loves fairytales, and is a true believer and optimist.

I think the Evil Queen (Regina) raised Emma, and she's evil for a season or two or three but then gets a redemption arc, and we get motherhood stories both around Snow and Regina.

Meanwhile Snow and the Prince are questing for a way to find their daughter and defeat the evil queen, and eventually they get to Storybrooke, and possibly there's a memory wipe involved? At any rate, they obviously don't recognize the grown up Emma as their daughter at first, but they get to be close with her as a friend. Meanwhile, Henry is catching on to what's going on a lot faster than some.

Now there's also Belle, who is involved in a love/hate (but more so love) relationship with Rumpelstiltskin, who is a manipulative magic user in the fantasy world, but is also present in Storybrooke under the name of Mr. Gold, the pawnbroker/curiosity shop owner? Also still a manipulative magic user? This guy is constantly starting on/completing redemption arcs only to make evil choices again and it frustrates the fans because sometimes it seems like the writer's can't commit rather than they're pulling off a really complicated arc? But people enjoy him/find him fascinating.

Now there's a weird dynamic where more and more of the characters make their way into Storybrooke, but their stories are also featured in the fairytale world. This show is either super into flashbacks, or we're dealing with alternate timelines and time branches. Other people who get into Storybrooke? Red, who is Little Red Riding Hood in an incredible cloak that all the closplayers wanted at one point, and who now works as a waitress as a diner and has some encouraging words for Belle when she's having trouble with Rumple. BUT RED DIES TRAGICALLY! (Don't ask me how, or in which world.) There's also Captain Hook, who is all guyliner and longing looks and trying to be witty - but he also trades the Jolly Roger for Emma, and it's a huge sacrifice, and they have true, true love. He has the unlikely name of Killian in Storybrooke. (Come on - his name is James Hook!)

With the introduction of the Neverland Storyline (which is a cool storyline?) we move away from fairytales proper and just start including whatever Disney properties we want. Frozen gets shoehorned in there, as do Mulan and Brave. In Arendelle, Anna's preparing to marry Kristoff and tries on her mom's wedding gown which Elsa found, but then the trolls have some kind of bad news. Elsa gets sucked into a vase and transported to Storybrooke, where she accidentally freezes the town. Also Elsa's aunt Ingrid is there, secretly using her ice powers to run an ice cream parlour.

Meanwhile Anna's trying to get her back, and goes into the countryside where she meets Snow's Prince who now has long hair and is enslaved to Bo Peep and this is emphatically a different storyline than the other storyline(s) he's featured in? Maybe a curse made it this way? Anyway, Anna teaches. him to use a sword and stand up for himself. Then she and Kristoff go to the castle to research or something, and Elsa's there (maybe this is the backstory of how Elsa got to the real world?) and they find out about a spell that causes shattered sight (you only see the worst in other people, or maybe in the people you truly care about.) The spell is based on that mirror in The Snow Queen where a bit of flawed glass gets in your eye. Anna falls under the spell, gets resentful for the way Elsa treated her in childhood, and traps her in the vase (yes, this is definitely backstory!) Later Anna ends up in the water in a sea chest and somehow gets to Storybrooke?

Ingrid explains to Elsa that she wants a perfect family because her-non-magical family treated her like an outsider, and she wants Elsa to be part of her magical family. Elsa is appalled and resolves to fight her. Later, everyone in Storybrooke realizes the shattered sight spell is coming, and they all lock themselves in the jail or something so they don't tear each other apart. It doesn't affect Anna and Elsa though. But most notably Snow and her prince are fighting, and it's awful! They somehow got it all figured out in the end...

Many curses happen.

At some point Henry is the only believer. (In what? Magic? Love? their true fairytale identities? Who knows?)

There's an Author, and he's a scum, and maybe behind a lot of what's going on?

Merida shows up, and Emma goes through an arc where it looks like she might turn evil (the Black Swan? The Dark Swan?) and they go underground and stuff.

Eventually there's a musical episode, because Snow in the fairytale world wished for magic to help defeat the Evil Queen, and love expressed through song is super powerful. They sing a duet about how cool the singing is, and the fans are shocked that they're both great singers. Something evil happens, and they go in search of Hook, who's at a tavern and sings a big musical number about how he wants revenge on the crocodile for taking his hand, and he's backed by a wonderfully over the top chorus of pirates. (I have in fact seen this clip multiple times, because it's very fun.) Turns out the Crocodile he's talking about is the Dark One, who is Rumpelstiltskin, who is currently locked in Snow and the Prince's dungeon. Um... things sort out.

Eventually Emma and Killian have a wedding and it's a very climactic episode. There's a later season made, but we don't talk about it.

Best I got, folks.

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

A Year Without (1/10)

Summary: After the curse returns Killian to the Enchanted Forest, he struggles to acclimate to his old life and his old ways. When a bird with a letter and memory potion arrives on his ship, he accepts the challenge to find Emma and help her save her family. Getting to Emma won't be easy and will cost him dearly, but what choice does he have when he cannot go a day without memories of her haunting him?

A03 | CH  1  |   2  |   3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  | CUTS

Day 05

Golden strands of sunlight break through the forest canopy as the horse trekked on and carried him further from the Enchanted Forest for which this land was named and toward the first port on his search for his misplaced ship. Watching the golden strands dance pulled him back to Neverland.

Soft, golden strands of hair filling the space between his fingers. Warm lips pressed firmly, desperately on his own. His own surprise and quick surrender to her sudden invasion. The shift he felt in the depths of his soul when they connected for the second kiss. The words "just a one time thing" thrown at him, nonchalantly, as she raised the walls back in place to protect herself from the very real truth that kiss revealed to both of their broken hearts - broken hearts can be put back together, to be broken, again, in new ways.

Killian let out a shaky breath and pulled himself into the present. The forest was thinning, the trees less suffocating than the days before. A breeze stirred the leaves and carried a briny scent, stirring up a bit of anticipation.

Pirates, for that is all he was, belonged on ships. Fierce pirate captains, feared in the seas, belonged to their ships. And somewhere out there, the Jolly was out there, waiting for her captain to be back at her helm. Without him, she was lost, directionless, rotting at sea. Despite a lack of consciousness, she was more aware of his absence than Swan would be.

With the crocodile gone, his future lied with his ship. Wherever she was and he needed to find her to figure out just what that would entail.

Day 13

Another shabby sea town, another rumour of his ship sighted followed directly into a dead-end, another pub with cheap pints of watery ale, and another day he kept his promise to Swan.

Even, now, while drowning in the tenth? ninth? pint of the warm ale that small smile she gifted him before turning away and leaving them, leaving him, to the curse lingered in his mind. Perhaps, he'd cursed himself when he'd spoken those last words to her. Words she'd forgotten as easily as she'd forgotten him.

A loud eruption of laughter drew his attention to how crowded the pub had gotten. Killian scowled at the lot of messy sailors yelling for women, booze, and rooms. Throwing some coin on his table, he stumbled from his table toward the door. His escape was blocked by a burly in a bright red hat.

“Captain?” squeaked out a familiar voice.

Killian smiled, more of a grimace that didn’t reach his eyes, “If it isn’t my favourite, flea-ridden, bilge rat scampering about on two legs again, are we?”

“We’ve been looking for you since the curse dropped us back here. We can’t wait to join you, we’ve been keeping an eye out for the Jolly Roger, but I knew you’d find her!” Smee spoke without pause for a breathe, then he called over his shoulder to a table behind him, “boys, captain’s back, we’re going home, tonight!”

Killian groaned and stepped into the persona he’d worn so comfortably over the last few hundred years.

Hook turned, spread his arms wide, and greeted his former crew with a wicked smile. “Men, tonight we celebrate for tomorrow we will begin a new adventure. One on land. Relieving many a carriage of their burdens.”

Day 27

A few of his faithful crew left that night, muttering about how the captain had either gone soft or lost his senses. The few who'd stayed with him had profited handsomely. They'd gotten rich as highway bandits as they travelled between ports searching for the Jolly.

While they enjoyed pints in a pub indiscernible from those visited the evening prior, Killian's wondered if he'd left enough with the carriage to ensure the safety of the couple he'd robbed. They'd had knights escorting them, so that spoke of some wealth and standing. He'd assuaged his guilt with another pint and stood to toast his crew.

"To the most clever, dastardly band of pirates to ever set sail-," he shared a laugh at his slip up with Smee before continuing, "stride, on the open road!"

"To Captain Hook!" Smee responded, clinking his drink with Hook's. They took a sip in a companionable moment of quiet. As Hook turned, Smee stopped him, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The boys and I chipped in and got you something."

Hook followed Smee's fingers toward a brunette woman walking toward him, seductive smile at her lips. He forced a smile as he escorted her out, planning on how on to buy off her silence and where he'd spend the rest of the night. It was too early to go to the room he'd let - quiet nights welcomed thoughts veering dangerously close to heartbreaking - but he couldn't return to the pub once he'd dismiss this mistress.

Once she'd left, pleased with her heavier purse, Killian planned to walk the docks. Maybe the Jolly had made an appearance after all. A sharp pain burst on the back of his head and he was on the ground with a knife at his throat. One of his victims must have recognised him an planned to exact his revenge.

"Move and I'll slit your throat!" The command was issued by a feminine voice.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

"It Now Belongs To You" by kazoosandfannypacks

Chapter 10/10: But With This Ring, It Now Belongs To You

Pairing: CaptainSwan

Rating: T

Word Count: (931/10.6K)

Summary: When Emma and Killian receive a pair of magic beans as a wedding gift, they take a voyage on the Jolly Roger for their honeymoon- but a wrench is thrown into their romantic getaway when they run into a notorious pirate who's staked a claim on the Jolly Roger.

Chapter Summary: Killian gets to the heart of why Emma's plan distressed him so much, but she reassures him that, while she understands his fear, neither of them have anything to be afraid of.

Tags: post-canon, canon compliant, fluff, no smut, suggestive themes, alcohol, gambling, self indulgent fluff with a sprinkling of angst

Author's notes: And that's all, folks! This has been the first fic that I've posted in the weekly serial update format, and I've enjoyed it! You guys' comments have been the highlight of my week; I treasure each and every one of you!

Next week I'll begin posting a somewhat anticipated Captain Swan fake dating canon divergent fic. I'll be posting a new chapter every Wednesday up until this summer, so be sure to stick around for it!

Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie [if you'd like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]

Also on Ao3!

 Killian closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

 "Where did you learn to scam like that?"

 "I don't see…"

 "Who taught you?"

 Emma bit her lip. "Neal?"

 She assumed Killian would be offended, but this seemed not to just be the point he was getting at, but a stepping stone to that point.

 "Where did he learn it from?"

 "I don't know." Emma said. "His dad is the dark one? He spend two hundred years in Neverland? I don't know?"

 Killian shook his head. "It's one of the skills he inherited from his mother."

 "Milah." Emma nodded.

 "That kind of plan was a page out of her book." Killian nodded back. "Plotting behind my back to help save me, swooping in at the last minute- to risk yourself for me- and scheming your way out of it so we could have it all together."

 Killian had never been one to play the comparison game with her before, and she wondered where this was going.

 "It's just what she would've done- just what she did- on the night that I lost her."

 Emma placed her hand on his shoulder. She looked at him as if to say, “please continue, I’d love to listen,” and he nodded a little, but turned away from her gaze, either staring intently at the cobbled wall behind her, or he didn’t even see it was there.

 "When I first dueled the Crocodile, hundreds of years ago, I had one thought on my mind throughout the whole awful battle- if I fought hard enough, stayed alive long enough, held off the crocodile as long as I possibly could, it might save her. She could get away, my death could be her salvation. 

 "Sooner than I’d wished but later than I should’ve expected, I found myself on my knees, the Dark One’s scaly fingers grasping my heart, firmly, my life in his hands- and I knew that this would be okay, this was almost delight, almost joy, knowing my death was not in vain, that maybe in dying I could save my love.”

He glanced back at her, and she simply nodded.

 “And then she came back for me, and then I lost her.” Killian said. “Do you know what the hardest part of those hundreds of years I spent on Neverland seeking my revenge was?”

 “What?” Emma

 “Knowing that it should’ve been me. I was the one who took Milah from him, I should have paid the price, and I could’ve paid the price, and I would’ve.”

“Survivor’s guilt?” Emma asked. “Is that what this is about?”

 “Something bigger than that.” Killian said.

 “You don’t know how you’d live with yourself if you lost me the way you lost Milah.”

 “Aye.” Killian nodded.

“I get it.” 

 “You do?” 

 “Of course I do.” Emma said. “I’ve been there.”

 “You have?”

 “I’m the savior; it comes with the job.” Emma smiled a little, then placed her hand on his neck. “Of course, it doesn’t help that some guys just won’t stop sacrificing themselves to save everyone.”

 “I’m good at surviving.” Killian said. “I managed it for two hundred years, didn’t I?”

 “So did someone else.” Emma said. “Sometimes your luck runs out.” 

 “Baelfire?”

 Emma bit her lip and nodded. “He died the way he lived- a hero.” 

 “He gave himself to help save us all.”

 “Sounds like a certain former Dark One I know.” Emma only half laughed.

Killian nodded sagely. “That’s why you went to the Underworld for me.” Killian said. “You couldn’t lose me the way you lost Neal.”

 “I went to the Underworld for you because I love you.” Emma said. “And love is sacrifice. Love means that every day I’m going to wake up and say ‘I chose Killian Jones today,’ because love is also trust, and I trust you’re going to wake up every morning and say ‘I chose Emma Swan today.’ And sometimes we’re gonna doubt each other, and sometimes we’re gonna lose each other, but at the end of the day, it’s always gonna be you and me.”

 “Aye, love.” Killian nodded.

 “And I am sorry.” Emma said. “I should have let you in on my plan from the start. It wouldn’t’ve changed whether I won or lost- but if me helping you ended up hurting you- then I guess I lost either way.”

 “All is forgiven, love.” Killian said, and he took her hands in his hand and his hook. “And I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

 “I forgive you.” Emma stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips, just a quick little peck. “And I love you.”

 “And I love you too.” Killian bent down a little and kissed her lips, just a little bit of a longer peck.

 “And we’re all good now?” Emma asked.

 “Better than good, love.”

 “Excellent.” Emma said. She let go of his hands and draped her arms over his shoulders. “And do you happen to know if the famed Captain Hook has any plans tonight?”

 He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Only if a certain wench is available.”

 “Her schedule’s pretty clear.” Emma smiled.

 “Really?” he teased. “Heard a rumor going ‘round the tavern- something about Black Beard.”

 “Not really her type.” Emma shook her head. 

 “You mean that?”

 “Absolutely.” Emma smiled as he wrapped his arm around her then reminded him, “Wax mustaches and perms aren’t really my thing.”

 And with that, the Captain and his wife walked back to their ship arm in arm, ready to face their next adventure the way they had faced and would face all their adventures- together.

[kmomof4]

Final Words Meme

Rules: Post the final line of your 10 most recently published fics (Or as many as you have published). You can either omit MC WIPs or include the last line of the most recent ch. Up to you!

Well, since I just posted the first lines for all these fics, I guess it makes sense for me to post the final lines as well. I was tagged by @searchingwardrobes and  @stahlop Thank you, ladies!!

Putting this under the cut because of a couple of spoilers contained in these lines.

1. A Mistress to No One- He gently brushed her cheek with his finger. “I’ll know.” Then he turned around and walked away. (Currently posting MC, updating on Sundays, birthday fic for @hollyethecurious)

2. Apologies, Dr. Jones- “I love you, too, Swan.” (Complete Two Shot, birthday fic for @zaharadessert)

3. A Very Disney Proposal- Killian grinned and held her close, looking around at the loved ones surrounding them. “Me neither, Love. Me neither.” (Complete One Shot, birthday fic for @winterbaby89)

4. Stupid Questions... And the Stupid Men Who Ask Them- “Stupid men…” she said before joining Ruby in joyous laughter, expressing all the happiness in her heart for the new year before them. (Complete One Shot)

5. Christmas Miracles for Storybrooke- “Oh, we did, Alice,” he breathed, hugging her tightly again, “We got our Christmas miracle, indeed. Several times over.” (Complete 5ch MC)

6. From Ch. 8 of my Prompts and Drabbles Collection- And Giving Walsh What HE Deserves- Killian let go and left the man unconscious on the pool table. (Complete One Shot)

7. Crash Landings- And he would wait for her as long as he needed to make her his as well. (Complete One Shot)

8. Hotel Neverland- So began the Happily Ever Afterlife for Killian Jones and Emma Swan, Will Scarlet and Belle French, and Graham Humbert, Jefferson Hatter, and Ruby Lucas. (Complete One Shot, written for CSSNS22)

9. Out of the Fire, Into Tomorrow- Feeling safer and more loved than she ever had before, Emma dreamed the dreams of peace, the dreams of hope, dreams with Captain Killian Jones by her side. (Complete One Shot, birthday fic for @snowbellewells)

10. Dream a Little Dream- “I love you, too, Killian. Good night,” she murmured sleepily before slipping into dreams. (Complete One Shot within the universe of Fairytales by @kymbersmith-90, birthday fic for @jrob64)

Tagging @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @iamstartraveller776 @kymbersmith-90 @zaharadessert @whimsicallyenchantedrose @motherkatereloyshipper @booksteaandtoomuchtv @kazoosandfannypacks @nachocheese-itsmycheese @cosette141

[killiansprincss]

TIMELESS - a new Captain Swan AU Chapter 4/19

SUMMARY : Season 3 divergence - When Zelenas time portal works, Henry wakes up alone in Storybrooke and must travel to the Enchanted Forest to get his family back. Only once he gets there he quickly realises its not like the one in his book, theres no Evil Queen and his mother Emma wasn't put through a wardrobe, theres even a poster inviting the entire kingdom to her engagement ball, to Hook. What will happen once Henry gets them to break this new curse and they get their memories back?

In which every chapter is inspired by a different Taylor Swift song.

Link to AO3

—

Your eyes whispered "have we met?"

Across the room your silhouette starts to make it's way to me

The playful conversation starts

Counter all your quick remarks, like passing notes in secrecy

And it was enchanting to meet you

All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you

Misthaven Kingdom, Enchanted Forest-5 years ago

Emma loved her life, she had two parents that loved her and a little brother that she adored. But as Crown Princess of Misthaven, it came with a few struggles, privacy for one was a luxury she didn’t have often with maids and servants at her every call. And being unmarried also meant her mother insisted on her meeting new suitors at every ball, and with many allies in other kingdoms, it meant a lot of royal balls.

“Are you ready yet Emma?” Emma hears her mother's voice from outside her door.

“Almost ready!” She calls back, it’s a complete lie, she’s not even started getting ready, she was watching the world go by outside her window, seeing everyone dressed up and excited to come to the ball. She wished she were one of those people, seeing the palace in all its glory for a special occasion, and not every day of her life.

“Ahem.” Emma turns from the window to see her mother standing with her arms crossed.

Emma gives her mother a coy smile, “I said almost ready.”

Snow rolls her eyes and pulls out the chair by the vanity for Emma to sit on. “What’s up with you lately? You’ve been distant.”

If she were being honest, Emma didn’t know. She felt lost, like there was something missing, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “I’m just nervous, balls make me nervous meeting all these new people.” 

Grabbing the brush by her left, Snow begins brushing Emma’s hair, “well maybe tonight will be the night you meet somebody. It’ll be okay, your father and I are always around. Just don’t take Leo and sneak off into the kitchens.”

Emma sniggers at the memory, that ball in particular was incredibly boring, so she and her younger brother Leo snuck into the kitchens. It was great for them, they were both bored of dancing and the kitchens had amazing cake and cookies only baked for the balls. Their parents caught them though after a couple hours and they were in serious trouble, but it was worth it.

“I promise I’ll try and enjoy myself tonight mother.” Emma means it, as much as she hates these balls, she loves her parents and it’s their Anniversary ball.

____

Captain Hook was not a fan of Royal Balls. But the ball of Queen Snow and King David was a necessary evil to attend. The  jewels and gold in their palace were worth more than he could loot in 5 months. He’d been back from Neverland around a year and had since learnt 3 centuries had passed, his reputation lives on with new kingdoms to pillage and plunder.

This wasn’t his first time at a Royal Ball either, he knew the etiquette from his days with Liam in the Royal Navy. Whilst it was a long time ago, but the royal etiquette remained the same. You arrive and dance for a while before the royal family are introduced, then the young prince and princess dance first with a chosen suitor before everyone joins in the dancing and festivities. It was the perfect chance to sneak off and find the jewels. 

The music stops, and Hook looks over to the guards at the top of the stairs. This was the part where the Royal Family were announced, it had to be after everybody else had arrived,

“Presenting their Majesties, Queen Snow and King Consort David.” The squire announces as two people walk out onto the podium, they smile and wave at the crowd. Hook manoeuvres his way around the edges to get a closer vantage point of sneaking into the main hallway.

“And now presenting their Royal Highnesses; Prince Leopold, and Crown Princess Emma.”

A young lad, no older than 15 walks out first, no denying he’s the prince, as he is the spitting image of his father. And then the Princess walks out, she is much older than her brother, early 20s maybe, but again the image of their father, long blonde hair with white flowers to match her white dress. She was beautiful.

He had met Princess’ before, both in his days in the Navy, and during his pirate days,but none were as beautiful as the one standing in front of him. Something inside of him was pushing him towards her, telling him not to rush for the Jewels straight away.

He took another sip of whatever was in his goblet, nothing close to the Rum he has on the high seas, but he had to stay focused on the job at hand, getting side tracked by the pretty Princess was not part of the plan. 

He can’t help but keep his eyes on the Princes as she dances with her chosen suitor, she’s beautiful, a true vision of beauty. 

“I kindly ask you to stop Prince Lorcan.” He overhears her saying to her dance partner. He notices her struggling in his grip as if she’s trying to escape.

“May I have this dance, Princess?” He taps on the shoulder of her partner who reluctantly steps away.

“Thank you for saving me.” She whispers as she takes his arm in the dance.

“I can sense when a lady is in danger, some men need to learn the meaning of the word ‘no’.” 

“I warn you, I’m no good at dancing.” She admits.

He just smirks and tells her, “Well that's rule one, pick a partner who knows what he’s doing.”

At this moment he is just a handsome stranger who glides her around the ballroom floor. He was not lying, he knew how to dance, dancing was also something that hadn’t changed in 300 years.

“I truly despise these balls.” The Princess sighs as she lets him lead the waltz, a dance she favoured.

“What isn’t there to like, Princess? Free food, free drink, music and a whole crowd that worships you and your family.” He asks with a smirk, this was not part of his plan but dancing with the princess felt strangely right.

She laughs, “You just described exactly what I hate about them!” She turns to him, a blush creeping up on her cheecks as she looks into his eyes, “See that prince over there in the red?” He looks over to see a bumbling man stuffing his face with what appears to be olives. “He’s the prince of Ashbourne, our closest ally. My parents think I should marry him, they invite him to every ball thinking I’ll change my mind.”

She was a stubborn Princess, he liked that. “I take it royal suitors are not your thing?”

Emma smiles. “If I am going to marry, it’ll be for love. I can’t imagine it would be with someone my parents picked out for me.”

“I take it that’s rare for a Princess.” He doesn’t know why he engages in conversation with her, every logical part of his brain was telling him to find the treasure. But what if there was a different treasure to be found tonight?

“You know who I am. And yet I am clueless as to who you are.” She comments, he wanted to keep the conversation flowing, he liked talking to her, yet he needed to be wary in case he slipped up

“I know that you are a Princess and your name is Emma. I wouldn’t say I know who you are.” He replies as he spins her around.

“So mysterious. But I would like to know your name at least, and I can’t quite pinpoint your accent.” She was not going to drop this that much was clear.

Hook hesitates for a moment, debating whether to stay mysterious or to come up with an elaborate lie, he couldn’t exactly tell her the truth. “Charles, I come from the land of Arendelle.”

“Oh my father knows the Princess of Arendelle! How is the weather this time of year?”

“This time of year is lovely and warm. You should come visit sometime.”

He was thankful the conversation ended at that moment as one of Emma’s likely suitors tapped him on the back, asking politely to cut in. “It was lovely conversing with you Princess.”

___

Emma knew Charles, or whoever he was, was lying. She had a special skill to know when someone was lying to her, it worked with her brother, and it worked with this man. He hesitated when she asked for his name, and Arendelle was known for its cold weather this time of year.

She wished she could trip him up, call his bluff, but then of course Prince Rowan steps in asking for a dance. 

He dances nothing like her mysterious stranger, he trips over his own feet and steps on Emma's toes a lot. She looks over at her family, seeing her parents dancing together, and her little brother dancing with a red headed girl his age. 

“Prince Rowan, I am parched, would you go get some wine for us both?” Emma asks, knowing that the servants with the drinks are on the other side of the ballroom, and Emma’s secret corridor leading back to her room is behind her. This was her only chance to slip away unnoticed. 

“Of course! Of course! Give me a few moments and I shall be back!” The poor prince was far too eager, and went running off to grab another two glasses.

Emma backed away, slowly finding herself in the midst of the crowds before disappearing into the secret corridor behind the portrait of one of her ancestors. It was a passageway she and Leo found a few years ago, and it has been their way of escaping the balls, or any royal duties for that matter. Leo enjoyed the balls, but when talking to other kingdoms about finances, that was when it got boring. Unfortunately as the heir, Emma had to stay for those meetings. Luckily tonight there was no need to discuss politics, it was her parents anniversary. Nobody would notice if she slipped away for a few hours. These balls went on for far too long, she would come back and dance with one of her suitors, pleasing her mother incase she suspscted anything.

She was on her way to her chamber when she heard rustling and footsteps up ahead. Worried it may be one of the guards who will inevitably escort her back into the ball, she hides behind the nearest corner to see what was going on. The noise she realised was coming from the throne room, which nobody, even the guards shouldn’t be in during the ball.

Oh no. No. The mystery man was filling his pockets with their jewels. He was a thief

“Charles, was it?” Emma says as she approaches the doorway.

The mystery man turns around slowly to face her, “I can explain.”

Emma scoffs. “Can you explain how you disguise yourself as a prince, snuck into my castle, to my parents' ball without a legitimate invitation, distracted me long enough so you can sneak in and steal from us?”  

The stranger is lost for words. 

“You're a pirate.” It’s not a question, she can tell by his accent now, he was from all over, the way he danced, it wasn’t due to practise, only a thief could move so swiftly.

“That I am Princess. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be heading off.” He’s quick on his feet as he prepares to climb the ledge leading to the open window. But Emma was faster.

Emma grabs the sword to her right, her father’s sword, and launches it above his head, perfect aim, perfect execution. He’s startled, and confused, which gives Emma the perfect amount of time to grab the dagger hidden inside her dress and shove the Pirate against the wall with the dagger at his throat. She had started carrying one on her person since one of the suitors attempted to take advantage of her once, thankfully her fist was stronger and knocked him out, but has carried a small dagger in case of emergency ever since,

The Pirate was in disbelief, clearly bewildered by the way a Princess was able to move as stealthily as he and had the courage and guts to go up against him.

“Return my jewels and be gone. Pirate.” She sneers still holding the dagger at his throat.

The Pirate just chuckles, “You are a feisty one, Princess.”

Suddenly the Pirate counteracts Emma’s movements, sweeping his leg unde hers causing her to stumble, losing her footing as well as her grip on the dagger and within a second he has her suddenly on her back, arms pinned down by her side. “You know there are much more enjoyable things I prefer to do with a woman on her back.”

He was really flirting with death right now. There was a gold box next to her head from his plundering, she pretends to struggle under his grip and manages to grab a ring box just within her grap, slowly bringing it up and hitting him over the head with it. “I win.”

The Pirate falls to the ground and Emma gets off the floor and composes herself before calling the guards to take him away.

______

“Ems please say you’re not sneaking out again. Mother and Father almost caught me in my lies last time!” Leo walks by Emma’s chamber seeing her getting changed into “commoner” clothes. Emma had been sneaking out of the castle at night for years, going to the tavern, pretending she isn’t a princess for a few short hours.

“I know I’m sorry but I’ll bring you back a beer!” She knew exactly how to tempt her brother, he was only 13 so it was easy to bribe him with alcohol as nobody at the balls would serve him.

Leo rolls his eyes, “Ugh fine. I’m going to bed though, I don’t want to be caught lying, mother will stop my archery lessons.”

“I love you little brother!” Emma kisses his cheek and opens up the doors to the balcony and begins her descent down the vines.

“Younger. Brother.” Leo sighs as he sees her wave when she’s safely on the ground.

And so Emma puts the hood of her cloak over her head and makes her way to the  to the local tavern, she climbs on her trusted steed, the one Leo had managed to acquire earlier and tie to the tree nearest her room.  It’s about a 20 minute ride, it takes longer to walk if she cannot acquire a horse for the night but Emma knows the schedules of the stable staff, she knows which ones will be on and off which night and the ones who are sloppier and wouldn’t notice a horse missing the next morning.

“Ems. The usual?” August, the barman who knows her secret asks.

Emma nods. August knew her before she was a princess, they were friends growing up, and he was once a puppet. They’ve kept each other’s secrets, and August let Emma hideout in his tavern when she needed to.

She sits in a corner and just watches the world go by in front of her. She longs for normality like the people she sees, but knows she can’t have it. One day she will be Queen, and if her parents have their way, married to one of her suitors. But she longed for the life where she wasn’t under a watchful eye, always making sure her hair and clothes were perfect before appearing in public spaces. Being careful what she says and to not get into any arguments or debates. She didn’t even have the freedom to eat and drink what she liked, only being served one glass of wine at every ball to make sure she would be in the right headspace. 

She started sneaking out 2 years ago. The first time she snuck out, it was to see if she could do it, to see if she could pretend to be normal for a few hours. It felt great, nobody recognised her, nobody looked in her direction unless serving her a drink. She could flirt with a handsome man and not be reprimanded. She was free. For the first time since becoming a Princess, she felt free.

“A woman as beautiful as you shouldn’t be drinking alone.” She hears a man's voice say. She smiles and looks up, but her smile quickly fades.

“You!” It was the damn pirate from the ball.

“Princess?” The pirate replies also recognising her.

“Say a word and I’ll end you,” she pulls a dagger out from under her cloak reminding him of what she can do with said weapon. “How did you get out of the dungeon anyway?”

The pirate sits down across from her. “Pirate, remember? I’ve gotten out of worse traps before.

Emma rolls her eyes at him, she doesn’t remember inviting him to sit down.

“You are a feisty one Princess.” He smirks, and Emma suddenly sees his right hand, or lack of it rather. In place of a hand, he has a hook. 

“Hook?” She whispers, almost to herself but he overhears.

“Ah so you’ve heard of me.” 

Indeed she has. Horrible stories, the most ruthless pirate in all the lands. She should be afraid, in fear of her life. But there’s something about him, something inside of her telling her not to be afraid.

“You seem to know my name and my story lass, and yet I know nothing of you. Unless you want me to call you ‘Princess’ all evening, but then someone may recognise Princess Emma.” He says the last part in a low whisper, checking to see if they had company listening in.

Emma had found herself in situations like this before, needing an alias in case the unthinkable happened, so she gives him the name she’d become accustomed to the past few years “call me Swan.”

“Well then Swan, don’t make a man drink alone.” He grabs the bottle of whiskey, or rum whatever it was and pours out two glasses.

“Fine. I’ll have one drink with you. But that is it. I don’t trust you” 

Hook smirks as he pours them a drink. “Ah but you don’t even know me. So tell me, what is a princess like yourself doing in a tavern amongst us peasants?” Hook asks as he takes a swing from his flask. 

“I wasn't always a Princess.” she decides to take a leap out of his book and not reveal everything about herself right away, he could easily betray her tomorrow morning.

“Well now I’m just more intrigued by you. Just who are you, Swan?” He looks at Emma as if trying to understand her story by the way she carries herself.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Emma teases. Emma had flirted with many random strangers in the tavern, it was nice to flirt with an attractive man of her choosing, someone her parents wanted her to marry. Whilst she had never flirted with a Pirate before, she didn’t see the harm, he was attractive, she danced with him at the ball for a reason. 

“Perhaps I would.” Hook says in a now husky voice as he pours the two of them more rum from the bottle he stole from a table nearby.

__

One drink slowly turns into two, then two into three. And so on. He’s easy to talk to, and a good listening ear. It was crazy to hear that he had been on so many adventures, gone months at sea not knowing where he was going until they blindly found land. 

“I’ve never left Misthaven.” She admits. All she wants is to explore the world, especially when she can barely leave her castle without sneaking out.

“Come aboard my ship lass and you can have all the adventures you want.” Hook had just just met this woman and yet there was something about her, it was like when he met Milah all those years ago, but this was different. So very different. 

Emma did not expect to enjoy her night of freedom in the company of a pirate and a thief. He was very handsome, there was a reason she danced with him at the ball. Talking to him came naturally, the most natural thing in the world and she wasn’t afraid of telling him her fears of being an unfit ruler. “As much as I would love to sail the world with you, I must return home before morning light or my parents will send a search party for me.”

“When can I see you again?” Hook felt strange asking this. Milah was the last woman he saw more than once, normally he would bed a woman and then move on to the next. Emma was different though, he felt the need to spend as much time as he could with her and the thought of not seeing her again didn’t feel right.

Emma smiles and all Hook wants to do is see her smile more. “I can come back to the tavern in three days time. But in two weeks my parents are travelling up to the northern kingdoms and I’ll be able to stay a while longer. You can show me your ship.” 

This was not what Emma had expected when she climbed out her window just a few hours ago. And neither realised how much would change after this night. 

This is me praying that this was the very first page

Not where the story line ends

My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again

These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon

I was enchanted to meet you

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 23: Neverland Christmas

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 1709

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

CS Genre: Neverland Canon Divergence

Notes:  This story was written for my “Christmas with Captain Swan” collection last year.

Emma tossed and turned, everything about this place uncomfortable–from the fact that there didn’t seem to be a single square inch of this damn jungle without a tree root or rock where she could lay her sleeping bag to the oppressive heat and humidity to the feeling of doom that seemed to hang heavily over everyone.

To the crying.

The crying was the worst.

Finally giving up, Emma got to her feet, looking in amazement at the rest of their group that were evidently sleeping like babies.  Did they not hear the crying?  O gods, what if Henry was one of the kids crying out there?  She had to get to him. She had to!

If only she had any idea where to start looking.

Hook was right; she knew it.  They needed to get their rest and not go off half-cocked when they had no idea where Pan was keeping Henry, but that didn’t make the sitting around and waiting any easier.

Moving as quietly as she could, Emma got to her feet and walked back to the beach.  It wasn’t far; she could still see their encampment if she looked closely enough, but it was far enough away from everyone that she felt safe letting the tears flow as she sat upon a log and looked out across the sea.

She had no idea how long she sat there crying, hating herself for the absolute failure she was as a mother, when suddenly she heard the crunching of footsteps against the forest underbrush.  Her heart pounded as she jumped to her feet, taking hold of the cutlass Hook had given her as she prepared to confront whatever or whoever was sneaking up on her.

“Easy Swan,” Hook said, stepping into view, hand and hook raised in surrender.

Emma sagged in relief…which quickly turned to frustration.  “What the hell are you doing skulking around the jungle, Hook?”

He took a seat on the log she’d recently vacated, and then patted the space next to him.  After shooting him a suspicious look, she took the seat he indicated.

“I could ask the same of you, Darling,” he said with a smirk.

She growled, in no mood for his nonsense.

He sighed, teasing grin sliding from his face to be replaced with sincerity.  “I heard you get up and leave the camp.  Swan it’s unwise to venture out alone on this bloody island.  You’ve no idea the dangers that are ever around you.”

The oppressive feeling settled in over her again.  Henry was out there, alone on this island full of dangers and psychotic teenagers.

“Your lad is resourceful, Swan,” Hook said, shooting her a sympathetic look.  “I’ve no doubt he’ll handle his challenges quite well until we’re able to rescue him.”

“How do you do that?” she asked with a scowl.  “How do you manage to know exactly what I’m thinking?”

“As I’ve said,” he answered, “you’re something of an open book.  Besides, I was a resident of this damned island for centuries, remember?  I know something of what you’re currently feeling.”

She felt the sharp sting of tears again, but with an effort she blinked them away.  It was one thing to lose it when she was alone, but crying in front of Captain Freaking Hook was not an option.

Wordlessly, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his flask and offered it to her.  She took it without comment, took a long swig and then handed it back.

“How is this thing always full?” she asked.

“One comes across all manner of wonders while plundering the realms, love,” he said.  “I obtained this on one of my conquests.  This flask has been imbued with an enchantment that ensures it never runs dry.”

“Happen to have another one of those on you?” she asked.  

He laughed. “I’m afraid not, but never fear, Swan.  You always have access to my flask.”

They fell into silence after that, both looking out at the waves.  Finally, Emma turned back to Hook.  “How can they sleep through the sound of the crying?”

“They don’t hear it,” Hook said simply.  “Only those who have been abandoned, those who have gone through their lives as lost boys or girls can hear the perpetual Neverland crying.”

“Great, so my issues make Neverland’s horrors even worse,” she said.

“Unfortunately that is correct, Love,” he said, his face a mask of sympathy.  “This place…it makes one relive their worst memories, it brings to mind one’s greatest insecurities, it steals joy and every bloody bit of light within the soul.”

Wonderful

“Hook?” she asked after another moment.

“Hmm?” he asked.

“How did you do it?  How did you survive this place for hundreds of years.”

He took his time answering.  “My hatred, my quest for vengeance sustained me through a lot of it,” he finally said, turning to look at her.  “But hatred is no real bulwark against despair.  I’d have gone mad, if I hadn’t found something else to sustain me.”

“And what was that?”

“There is always beauty to be found if one looks close enough,” he said, his look in her direction so intense that the blush rose to her cheeks. “And even in the worst of times there are happy memories that can be accessed.”

“What were some of the happy memories you accessed to help you through it?” she asked, before realizing how personal the question really was.  “Nevermind.  You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t mind,” he shrugged.  “What sustained me?  Odd though it may sound, Christmas.”

“Christmas?” she asked.  “You guys celebrate Christmas in the Enchanted Forest?”

“Of course,” he said with a grin.  “I’d wager people throughout the realms celebrate Christmas.  On the nights when the oppressiveness of this place became too much, I’d think back to Christmases past, happy moments spent with my family.  My mother baking in the kitchen.  Liam challenging me to a snowball fight. It was always a magical time.”

“I didn’t have the kind of warm and fuzzy Christmases you see on the movies,” Emma said, taking another swig from his flask, “but I have to admit, it was one of my favorite times of the year.  People always tended to be generous toward the group homes around Christmastime.  What were some of your favorite Christmas traditions?”

He smiled, and the gesture made him look younger, almost boyish. “A few days before Christmas Mum always helped Liam and me construct the most magnificent gingerbread ships.”

“Ships?” she asked.  “You didn’t make houses?”

“Houses?  For a fine, strong sea-faring family like ours?  I think not.”

Emma grinned.  “I stand corrected.”

“Somehow, even in the worst of times I could recall those gingerbread ships–the fine sight they made, the delectable taste.  It reminded me that there was good, there was beauty, there was happiness out there once upon a time, and if it was out there once, it could be captured again.”

They continued talking for what felt like hours–although time was rather meaningless on this stupid island–swapping story after story of Christmases past, but finally Emma yawned, realizing she was finally sleepy.

“I guess we really should try to get some sleep,” she said.

“Aye, you’re right,” Hook said, getting to his feet and offering her his hand to help her do the same.

It was then that Emma realized she didn’t hear the crying anymore.  “Hey!  They’ve stopped!  The crying stopped.”

He smiled, a soft, genuine sight, and then shook his head.  “No, I’m afraid not,” he said.  “You’ve merely come to realize that you aren’t a lost girl all alone in the world anymore.  If there’s anything I’ve learned from you hero types, it’s that together, you always succeed in the end.  Emma, we will find your lad, and we will find a way to get him, and all the rest of your friends and family home.”

“Thanks, Hook,” she said, meaning it with her whole being.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

New York, the next Christmastime, during the curse

Emma rolled her shoulders as she walked down the street on her way back to the apartment she shared with Henry.  It had been a long night, but in the end, she’d finally gotten her skip.  Everywhere she looked evidence of the season greeted her.

She supposed she should be happy–she was damn good at her job, she had a great home, a great kid, and she’d even started dating again.  Henry called Walsh her boyfriend, and while she wasn’t ready to put a label to it yet, she could potentially see something developing there.

She was happy.  She had a good life.

It’s just….well, sometimes, she couldn’t help but feel like there was something missing.  Sometimes she had this weird, almost deja-vu type feeling that there was something important, something vital that she was forgetting.  It was like one of those dreams where you remember the emotions of it after you wake, but hard as you try, you can never quite remember the details.

Emma walked past the bakery she and Henry went to every Sunday morning and peered inside.  The baker had placed a magnificent gingerbread house in the display window, decorated within an inch of its life with all manner of frosting and candies.

Henry and I should make a gingerbread house together, she thought to herself.  No, not a house.  A ship.  We should make a gingerbread ship.

Now where had that thought come from?  Who made gingerbread ships?

There was good, there was beauty, there was happiness out there once upon a time, and if it was out there once, it could be captured again.

She could almost hear a deep, British voice saying those words, and the feeling it evoked was–peace, peace and joy.

And there was something more, a feeling so deep and intense it almost scared her.

Emma shook her head, trying to dislodge the strange deja-vu.

Back to the issue at hand.  No, making a gingerbread ship might make no sense, but somehow it was right.  It was time she and Henry make a new tradition together.  Stepping into the bakery, Emma made her way to the counter, placing an order for several sheets of gingerbread.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[ljones41]

Favorite "ONCE UPON A TIME" (2011-2018) Episodes

Below are my favorite episodes from the ABC fantasy series, "ONCE UPON A TIME". Created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, the series starred Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas and Robert Carlyle:

FAVORITE "ONCE UPON A TIME" (2011-2018) EPISODES

1. (4.12) "Darkness on the Edge of Town" - Rumpelstiltskin aka Mr. Gold returns to Storybrooke with Ursula and Cruella De Vil in tow. Meanwhile, the Nolans (aka the "Charmings"), Regina Mills aka the Evil Queen and Killian Jones aka Captain Hook set about freeing the fairies from the Sorcerer's hat and deal with a threatening Chernabog demon, which had also freed.

2. (1.18) "The Stable Boy" – This very interesting episode revealed the origins of the Evil Queen’s antipathy toward Snow White. In the present, Mary Margaret Blanchard (aka Snow White) faces prosecution for Kathryn Nolan’s alleged murder.

3. (3.13) "Witch Hunt" - Following the return of Enchanted Forest characters to Storybrooke, Maine; Emma Swan works with Regina to find out who took everyone's memories from the past year. Flashbacks in the Enchanted Forest show the Evil Queen and Robin Hood attempt's to break into her castle, which had been overtaken by the Wicked Witch of the West.

4. (4.16) "Best Laid Plans" - While Rumpelstiltskin and the Queens of Darkness continue their search for the "Author" of the town's Fairy Tale Book, Mary Margaret and David Nolan (aka Prince "Charming") try to stop them in order to keep their daughter Emma from discovering their past misdeed, which is finally revealed in flashbacks.

5. (3.11) "Going Home" - In order to prevent Peter Pan aka Malcolm's plans to cast a new curse upon Storybrooke and create a new Neverland. Both Mr. Gold and Regina are forced to make big sacrifices.

6. (7.20) "Is This Henry Mills?" - Regina aka Roni enlists the help of her adopted granddaughter Lucy Mills to wake her son Henry Mills from the recent Dark Curse created by Eloise Gardner aka Mother Gothel. Rumpelstilskin aka Detective Weaver and Wishverse Killian Jones aka Captain Hook aka Detective Rogers go to Margot West aka Robin Hood in hopes of getting through to his daughter and the latter's girlfriend, Alice aka Tilly.

7. (3.09) "Saving Henry" - Emma, Mary Margaret and Regina struggle to prevent Peter Pan from absorbing a dying Henry Mills' heart into his body. Flashbacks reveal how Regina had ended up adopting Henry.

8. (2.16) "The Miller's Daughter" - While Regina and her mother Cora Mills aka the Queen of Hearts hunt for Rumpelstiltskin's dagger in Storybrooke in this spine-tingling episode, Cora's back story as a poor miller's daughter, who becomes the wife of a prince, is revealed in flashbacks.

9. (1.11) "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" – This episode reveals the back story of newspaper editor Sidney Glass’ life as a Genie in the Enchanted Forest, and how his relationship with the Evil Queen led him to become the Magic Mirror.

10. (2.10) "The Cricket Game" - Following Cora and Captain Hook's arrival in Storybrooke, the former set about framing Regina for Archie Hooper's "murder" in an effort to emotionally break the former mayor. Snow White and Charming disagree over how to handle the captured Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forest flashbacks.

Honorable Mention: (5.08) "Birth" - Hook risks everything to uncover the truth about what his lady love Emma, the new Dark One, did while they were all in Camelot.

[cssns]

Hi everyone! Please help me welcome @anmylica to this year's CSSNS!

What’s your Tumblr?

@anmylica

How long have you been in the CS/OUAT fandom?

2 years officially, but I was a fan of the show from the start of the first season!

When did you start shipping Captain Swan?

I don’t really remember when I started, but I got hardcore into them when I rediscovered the fandom after life got in the way and took me away from it when the show was running episodes.

What drew you to this event?

It’s a way of helping keep the fandom alive, and I wanted to challenge myself into writing a genre that I don’t really write.

What inspired your topic?

Sonata Arctica’s song “Fly with the Black Swan” gave time the basis, and then it sort of took off from there into what it’s become. The lyrics will give a hint as to where I’m going with it!

If you would like to share a snippet/sneak peek/summary of your fic or artwork, please use the space below.

Captain Hook has finally paid off his debt to Peter Pan and left the waters of Neverland for good. Newly arrived in the Enchanted Forest, he is more determined than ever to get his revenge. But all is not as it seems. Rumplestiltskin has since been killed and a new Dark One has taken his place. After finding proof that it wasn’t just Rumple, but this Dark power that was responsible for the death of his beloved, he sets off to the North Mountains, the last known location of this new Dark One, to end the Darkness for good. But after he’s separated from his crew by an avalanche (from which he was saved by a beautiful black swan), he realizes that the price of ending the darkness for good may be higher than he’s willing to pay once he meets the new Dark One. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to both Captain Hook and the Dark Swan, the Darkness has plans of its own…

What are you looking forward to most about participating in this event?

The chance to write in a genre that isn’t my usual. I’m going more for a horror thriller feel here with this fic, and it’s going to be very interesting because I actually hate that genre with a passion. We shall see if I manage to capture the elements of that genre with this!

Ooh, such an intriguing concept for a story! I'll have to go listen to the song now. I know you're going to knock it out of the park! Brittny's one-shot will be dropping Tuesday, July 11th. Please make sure to go say hi and welcome her to the event!