Part IV

-!-!-

"Emma," The voice rang, jarring Emma from her staring into the distance, the same distance that Captain Hook and his crew had disappeared into. Turning around so that the bottom of her ripped gown whipped against her bare thighs, more so than ever as they were now dagger less. Despite herself, Emma guiltily looked back at her betrothed. Not just because of what had just transgressed but for what she was about to do.

-!-!-

With a small smile, Snow White finally stepped away from the doorway as she gently took the bronze hair brush from her daughter's grasp. Gently she began to run the brush through Emma's tweezed curls, saying nothing.

"Mom." Emma finally said as Snow placed the brush back down. "I'm sorry," She finished, her lip slightly trembling in guilt and shame. "I'm sorry I ruined-"

Snow though interrupted her with a kiss on the top of her head. "You did no such thing."

"But Jeremy, the wedding, the kingdom."

"All of which pale in comparison to your genuine happiness." Snow turned her daughter around. "You are mine and your father's happiness. As is this kingdom's. And none of us would have been able to live with ourselves if you would have gone through with the wedding." She tipped Emma's chin so their eyes met and her daughter could see how true her words were. "I could almost thank King George for his power hungry actions for stopping what we should have."

With a small sigh of relief, Emma threw her arms around her mother.

While Snow White closed the door behind her, Emma took off her robe, revealing her ankle length silk nightgown, the palest orchid. She turned to poke at the fire one last time before bed when a voice interrupted her.

"I'm quite offended your mother didn't mention me."

Emma whirled to her open window, her eyes widening as her jaw dropped.

Sitting utterly casually on her windowsill, straddling it even, whilst eating an apple and leaning against the side, like as if a good hundred feet were not between him and the ground was Captain Hook in all his pirate dressed glory. Not gentlemen's disguise this time. And the leather… was just as good as any suit. She couldn't help but gulp. "What? How?!"

"Scaled it of course, don't you know all towers are made to be scaled?" He arched a perfectly shaped dark brow at her. "It is after all how all the stories go. Princess is locked in tower, handsome prince sees her and must find her. I just happen to be a romantic pirate." He shrugged as if it was just some unfortunate stroke of luck. "So, miss me Princess?"

"Don't call me that!" She scowled at him.

"But you are one." He simply said with another bite of his apple before tossing it behind him.

"I don't want to be a princess." She said almost in a whisper, thinking about how disappointed everyone was when she had told Jeremy she could not go through with the wedding.

"Aye, I know."

"You do?" Emma snorted softly as she threw a pillow at him just because.

"You are something of an open book." He said as he put the pillow behind him to buffer his back and the stone wall."

"I am not!" She said astounded though she wasn't sure if it was his words or how he was now using her pillow!

"Yes, yes, you are but it is those traits of yours that make you a fine queen fit to rule."

Emma blushed at the honesty ringing in his voice. So many people said the same but none ever seemed as honest, almost like as if they counted on her to remember their words and them in the future. Yet Hook had said it sincerely and ironically he was the pirate.

"Do you ever not smolder?" She finally recovered.

"Around you… never." He winked at her faux nonplussed expression. "Before your personal guards come barging in, one of the guards finally seeing me here in plain sight. I just wanted to give you a congratulations on not marrying gift."

Emma raised her brow, hands on her hips, an expectant expression on her face.

"You have to come closer."

"Not a chance, I know how you work." She pursed her lips, eyes narrowing as if to make her point.

"Then I guess," Hook dramatically sighed as he lifted a necklace so he could see it at eye level. "You don't want this."

"My necklace!" Emma gasped at her grandmother's teardrop pendant. She practically flew to the window. However as she went to grab it, Hook stopped her. "Uh uh, turn around princess. My gift so I get to choose how you receive it."

"What? That is not your gift! That was my grandmother's-" she yelled as she felt gentle fingers brush her blonde hair away from her neck. A cool metal touched her front causing her to look down. It was the necklace.

"Happy Birthday Princess Emma." Killian Jones whispered into her ear before kissing her shoulder lightly his lips warm against her skin.

However as fast as the kiss came, it was over and her doors were thrown open.

"Princess!" Her personal guards yelled before charging to her and the window. But they were too late as he was already gone, sliding down a ladder of all things.

-!-!-

It was already noon and Killian knew they had to set sail soon or else. It was only so long a pirate ship as large as the Jolly Roger could stay hidden. Even so, his heart wasn't in it and he couldn't help but wonder why. Yet as he looked across the way, spotting Snow White's castle in the distance he smiled ruefully.

"Captain! Captain!" Came Jon's exuberant cries.

"Jon, what news have you brought with you today?" He asked the boy.

"Not just news today but I think you will be quite pleased, I brough-"

"Me,"

At the feminine voice, Hook sharply turned to the entrance of his ship. Long blonde hair fell over a long sleeved top with a slight v just hinting at the curves underneath while a sapphire tear drop pendant was on display. Delicate hands, at least the façade of them, rested on the hip of a pair of tight form fitting white riding pants, just tucked into a pair of brown boots. "Miss me Pirate?"

For the first time in a long time, Captain Hook was speechless.

"I left a note for my parents that I will be back on my twenty-first birthday."

At those words, Killian finally got his bearings as he realized that she was no illusion. "Why?" He drew out the word.

"Because that is the day of my coronation and I will have to learn how to rule beside my parents."

"And just what are you doing on my ship?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Because you owe me a favor." She smiled at last, a little too brightly actually.

"I do?"

"Yes… You stole my first kiss." She scowled.

"Your first? Now… really?" He said contemplative at first as his face seemed to brighten more and more with each passing second.

"Yes," She gritted.

He merely have a rather wolfish grin. "Why though do you want to travel with a bunch of pirates? Unless it's rather me you're after."

Emma sighed as she rolled her eyes. "You're absolutely full of yourself Hook. But what you said… I'm taking it to heart. One day I will have to rule, without my parents but before I can do so with confidence, I want to know my people. Travel amongst them, learn their struggles, their heartbreaks, their joys… and only then can I sit confidentially on the throne with my parents." She said staring straight at him, as if daring him to say otherwise.

Slightly scratching his head with his good hand, Hook looked off over the mast at the endless ocean. So she did listen to him, who knew? But he had told no lies, she would make a fine queen. "Fine lass but I think my ruining your engagement was my favor for your kiss."

She glared, making him grin.

"However princess I will take you along with me… for a kiss of your own accord."

"A kiss?" She repeated as he nodded, the grin never leaving his lips.

His blue eyes watched hers, watching her internal struggle. His grin though faded a bit as she strode determinedly at him. Her hands went for his hair, pulling him down almost roughly but the kiss was anything but. Her lips were soft and melded against his like as if she was made just for him. "There," She said breathlessly as the hoots and hollers of his crew grew louder around them. "Now you have to take me along."

"Indeed." Hook agreed, gazing down at her in wonder and maybe just slightly awestruck.

Emma pushed herself out of his arms because she just knew that she would do something she wouldn't regret persay but embarrass her nonetheless. Like kissing Hook again. Walking away, she turned back as she made it to the main mast. "And I'm taking your cabin,"

Hook looked up. "Now that was not part of the deal. It is called the captain's quarters for a reason."

"And I am a princess as you fondly remind me often enough." She smirked at him, his smirk… leaving him quite speechless before she turned around to enter his cabin without another word. And his crew, a few of the boys followed her, probably already wrapped around her fingers like he was, carrying trunks that he knew could only be hers. Even though he had just been basically put down into his place by a princess, Killian Jones couldn't help but wonder just how this adventure would turn out.

Thank you so much for reading!

I hope that you guys had as much fun reading this as I did writing. They're just so much fun to write because of their chemistry! Hoping that I portrayed it to the best of my ability. But yay another story done :)

Hope to hear what you guys think.