Voila my new chapter! Someone pointed out to me that Hook had a broken/bruised rib in the comments and I realized that I edited out the part where I mentioned that in the fight scene (there was a lot of editing in that chapter) so sorry for that little plot hole. I'll try to rectify it in this chapter. Also, please remember that this is AU so Hook's ship was never turned invisible by Cora. Please read and review!

Emma couldn't help but feel bad. Hook might have been annoying, and he might have deserved some form of punishment for his actions, but Emma hadn't had to lock him in a cell with Rumplestiltskin. She realized that now. Realized how cruel the plan had been. At first, she'd seen it as good fun, watching them banter and yell like toddlers. She'd never meant for it to get physical, never meant to let it escalate to the point it did. She had to admit that the confrontation had been intense and serious, and had she left the two alone in there one probably would have died. But, no matter how badly she wanted to take it back and undo her foolish actions, she couldn't. The only thing left to do was to apologize to Hook, no matter how badly it hurt or scarred her emotionally. In all truthfulness, she probably should have apologized to Rumple too, but she'd witnessed too much of his malevolence to allow herself to admit guilt in his case. No, she would only apologize to Hook. And even just that was bound to be an awful experience.

This was why Emma found herself roaming the docks on a Sunday morning, searching for the ship Hook had saved her on that awful, stormy night. She held in her right hand an empty tupperware container that had once contained chocolate chip cookies (she'd gotten hungry) and held her left over her eyes so that she could squint into the sunny distance. At the very end of the dock she was able to make out boat about ten times the size of all the others, made of wood and with the tiny words Jolly Roger inscribed on the side. Bull's eye.

The walk to the boat was a relatively short one, but to Emma it felt like a million years. For some inexplicable reason, she was afraid to go in, afraid to see him. There were needless worries flashing in her mind, making Emma second guess her decision. When she finally stood in front of the boat, she simply stared at it with a sense of wonder and fear. She let out a low whistle; it seemed so much more impressive when she was standing directly next to it instead of riding on it or seeing it in a beloved children's film, so much bigger and grander. She was almost excited to climb aboard, if she didn't know what, or rather who, awaited for her on deck.

Summoning her courage and swallowing her pride, Emma cleared her throat and climbed the stairs up to the deck, stepping over the rope that blocked her entrance. A slight breeze blew past her as she stepped onto the platform of the boat, a foreshadowing of sorts, and Emma second guessed herself. It would be all too easy to run back down the stairs and far away, to pretend like none of it had ever happened. How wonderful that would be! But Emma knew she had to face him, face the rogue and incredibly cocky pirate to tell him that she had been wrong in locking him in a jail cell with one of the world' most heinous villains (as if that that wasn't already a given!)

Emma took a second to look around the ship, and she was slightly disappointed by what she saw. She had hardly taken time to smell the roses and notice the ship that night when Hook had saved her, as she was just getting over a near death experience and it was black as...well, night. But now that she was there in broad daylight (and putting off making an absolute fool of herself), she figured she might as well learn a little something about the infamous captain Hook.

There was little to nothing on the main deck, aside from the steering wheel she's seen depicted thousands of times. Curiosity gets the best of her and she runs up the stairs to the second, higher platform which holds the wheel. She traced the outline of the wood with a single finger, shivering slightly. It was an eery feeling, somehow, handling the steering wheel of the Jolly Roger; a true pirate! She couldn't help the excited tingles that ran up and down her body and the girlish smile that escaped her lips. She let the feeling transpire a while longer, before forcing herself away from the wheel and back down onto the main ship. There was not much else there, no sign that there was any human being living there. Emma wondered briefly where Hook might sleep and eat, before a small door in the floor of the deck caught her eye.

She pulled with all her strength, expecting the door to be locked or booby-trapped somehow, but it gave way easily. All too easily... Emma looked down at the ladder that lead down, down, down to...something. And, of course, on the ladder was none other than the ruggedly handsome Killian Jones, wearing a knowing, if not entirely pleasant, smile.

"Miss me, love? Couldn't stay away?" he asked, careful to keep his smile on his lips. He lifted himself up and out of the secret latch so that he could stand eye-to-eye with Emma. She couldn't help but notice that he winced slightly as he did so, grabbing his side in pain. The rib must have still been hurting him.

"How did you know-" she started confusedly, pointing towards the latch door that was still hanging open. Hook chuckled darkly and told her (quite condescendingly), "You're not as stealthy as you might think, love." Emma made a mocking face in return, like a child, and Hook simply scoffed disgustedly and brushed by her. Obviously, he was still angry about what had happened at the station. That would make what Emma had to do so much harder...

Hook walked to the far side of the ship, lifting up the lid of the chest Emma had seen before, and took a glass bottle with a clear liquid inside of it. Emma had a strong suspicion that it was not water, but rather vodka.

"It's eleven in the morning. Don't you think you should wait 'till a little later to be drinking that stuff?" Emma said uncertainly. Hook didn't even reply, just looked to her with an annoyed expression and took another deliberate swig, finishing with a bitter smile. Emma rolled her eyes; he could be such a child! But then Hook had to go and wince in pain again, trying to hide the fact that his rib was a burning agony from Emma, and, though she tried to stop it, a wave of pity cascaded through her.

"Whatever, you wanna die of liver disease at forty, be my guest." the blond said stubbornly; he was making it harder and harder to get this thing over with. Hook did not seemed please by her mini-threat (of course) and took another obnoxious gulp of the drink before walking proudly over to her. There was at least 200 square feet on the boat, but he had to stand just inches away from Emma.

"I'll do whatever I damn well like, woman," He told her quietly, his eyes narrowed. The alcohol on his breath made for an unwelcome smell; it seemed Hook had been at the drinking game even before his guest arrived. "And you have no right to say any differently." He pointed towards her chest when he said you (making Emma ever so slightly uncomfortable, she couldn't help thinking that he'd done that on purpose) before taking one final gulp of the drink and walking back over to the other side of the ship to return it to its rightful place in his ever so cliched pirate chest.

After slamming it shut rather obnoxiously, he turned on his heels and walked back to Emma, though this time he kept an appropriate distance.

"Is there a reason that you came here, or did you just decide you wanted to torment me some more?" he asked, tilting his head in mock curiosity. Emma rolled her eyes and ground her teeth. Now was the moment she was going to do it. Now was the moment she was supposed to do it, and yet she couldn't find the words. She looked at him there in front of her, waiting expectantly like he was a king and she his servant. He was annoying and selfish and apparently a drunkard...and she had to apologize to him. It was quite possibly the hardest thing she would ever have to do in her life, and she'd fought (and won against!) a dragon.

"I...came here because...I needed...to tell you something." she began. Her stomach was already doing back flips, though that was arguably because Hook was staring at her now with a rather hungry look in his eyes (maybe the vodka had sunk in a little?)

"And...what exactly is this thing that you needed to tell me?" he asked rather obviously, as though she were a silly child who had gotten distracted with the conversation. Emma did her best to suppress the glare that threatened to shot right out of her towards the man.

"I came here to tell you...that I'm..." she shivered slightly, telling herself that it was only the cold breeze on the deck, before deciding that she best rip the band aid off quickly... "I'm sorry about what I did in the police station and I know I shouldn't have locked you up with Rumpelstiltskin that was inconsiderate and stupid of me and I'm really sorry so please forgive me?" Emma said, all in one breath. She realized too that she had made her body stiff and closed her eyes, and now she peeked one open tentatively to glance at Hook's expression.

It was no longer angry or hungry, but instead amused.

"Oh, Emma. It's going to take a lot more than an apology for me to forgive you," he said, "but I think I can figure something out..."

Then, with a devious grin and a charming wink, he bid her farewell and climbed back down into the ship to leave Emma to her (terrified) thoughts. This time, he did not wince...