Pour Me Something Stronger

By M. A. Collier

A CS short inspired by the song from Nashville

*Author's note: I know nothing about whiskey, so I am terribly sorry if my drinking information in this short is incorrect I got it from the internet :) Otherwise, enjoy!

Pour me something stronger, Pour m something straight, All these crooked voices, make them go away, I can barely standup, I can hardly breathe, Pour me something stronger than me…

Emma stormed into Granny's with the rain lashing at her back. Her blonde curls were soaked and clinging to her face. She created a puddle at the door as soon as she was in from the storm. Angrily, she plopped down on one of the stools at the counter.

"Well, you're just a ray of sunshine right now, aren't you?" Ruby teased with a concerned look in her eyes. Emma didn't respond. Ruby sighed, "What'll you have?"

"Whiskey, no rocks," Emma pushed out through clenched teeth. She was fuming. You could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears. Ruby put a whiskey glass in front of her and started to pour the amber liquor. She began to stop pouring when the glass was almost 1/5th of the way full, but Emma's sharp voice cut in. "More."

Ruby shrugged and filled the glass to almost 3/4th of the way full. "Anything else I can get you? Some food or something?"

Emma shook her head curtly. She had yet to make eye contact with the wolf girl. "Suit yourself," Ruby muttered under her breath as she left Emma alone to drown in her misery.

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe him, asking her to just give up everything, everything she had worked so hard for, just so that they could be together. There was no way in hell.

She took a big gulp of whiskey, and let it burn down her throat.

When she had allowed Neal to move in to the apartment, she had thought that it was understood: Henry was staying in Storybrooke. He was staying with her. But now, Neal wanted to take him to NYC with him for a few years. Because obviously, he couldn't possibly ask his fiancé to move to Storybrooke so that he could have a relationship with his son. But Henry's life was here, with her, and the rest of his family. God knows, Regina would start an entire war if she found out that Emma had let Neal take the boy.

She took her second sip of whiskey, and it felt like a dragon was breathing down her throat and into her lungs.

This fight was about more than Henry, though. Neal was jealous, jealous of something that didn't even exist. He had accused her of something unthinkable, unfathomable…

Of loving Killian Jones.

Hook, Emma, the name is Hook, not Killian, She reprimanded herself mentally. Admittedly, she and the pirate had grown closer since his return to Storybrooke from Manhattan. Especially now that she only had to handcuff or tie him up once a week, versus the previous five times. He had a hard time adjusting to the laws of this world, or, more specifically, following them. She would never admit that the lack of seeing him, and spending time with him at the sheriff's station, was starting to affect her. She would never concede that maybe she missed him, that she longed for his innuendos, his lack of concern for personal space and his obnoxious smirks that almost never quite made it to his ocean blue eyes. Those eyes…Emma could get lost in those eyes, drown in them. In fact, she already was. She would look in those eyes, even for a split second, and suddenly she would forget how to breathe. She was dying in his eyes, but she didn't mind one bit…

What the hell, Emma, snap out of it! She shook her head as if it would help to shake the thoughts out of her ears. Another sip of her whiskey, and she felt the fire bloom in her chest. What was wrong with her? She needed to stop thinking about that damn pirate like this.

She thought back to the argument that she and Neal had earlier that evening.

"Why are you so resistant to at least trying New York? You may actually like it!" Neal said exasperatedly. "You did after all live in Boston. You can't tell me that you don't miss the city life. That you're not bored with this town."

"Because my family is here. Henry's family is here. That's why I don't want to go." She could hear her voice rising in pitch with each angry phrase that spilled out of her mouth. "My life is now here. Yeah, I haven't been here long, but my home is here. Not in New York, and most certainly, not. With. YOU."

Neal's face flashed hurt before transforming into a mask of frustration and anger. She had been making it very clear lately that there was no chance in hell for them to get back together, even if he said it would just be for Henry's sake, to give him a stable home. Emma thought that was utter, complete bull and she wasn't buying it.

"Are you sure this is just about your family?" He hissed, his voice so low it was almost a growl.

"What do you mean? I just said that was the reason."

"Are you sure this has nothing to do with that…that pirate?" he had spat out like it was poison. It felt like a slap to her face.

"Of. Course. Not." She spat out through clenched teeth. She didn't like the way he had said pirate, and she didn't like the way it cut her when he did.

"You sure? 'cause you two have been getting awfully close lately." He bit back.

"Yeah, okay, we're friends, but that's it. And we're only friends because he kept getting himself fucking arrested and I had no choice but to keep arresting him the minute after he would be released." Okay, maybe not all of that was true. It had started off that way, but lately they had been getting together without her having to arrest him, just to chat. He was starting to become a comfort for her, someone that she was beginning to trust with her emotions. It terrified her.

"Really? So the early morning coffee runs, the late night trips down to the harbor, are just because you formed a friendship with one of your regular detainees?" He gave her a look that she just wanted to smack right off of his smug face. It screamed at her, "Oh, come on? You don't expect me to buy that?"

"Yes, Neal, that is exactly what they are. Nothing more," She crossed her arms impatiently, mostly to keep herself from harming him.

"Then why do I always catch you looking at him the way you used to look at me? Huh?" He threw his own arms out in exasperation. "Emma, do you honestly think we're all blind? Or are you honestly ignorant of your own feelings that you don't recognize it?"

Emma just gazed at him, mouth gaping, in shock and slight horror at the words and accusations he was throwing at her. It was then that she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the apartment.

Emma slammed down the empty glass so hard that a slight crack formed down the side. Flashed of the argument swam around her head as she brewed on it.

"Whoa there, lass," said a startlingly familiar, and unwelcome, voice from behind her. "Don't take your anger out on the poor glass it didn't do anything to you." Hook slid onto the bar stool next to her.

Emma buried her head in her hands as Ruby came over to get Hook's order. Could this day get ANY worse? She wondered.

"What'll it be, Captain?" Ruby asked pulling out her order pad.

"Rum, if you have it m'lady. If note, a tall glass of Ale would suit me, I think."

"You know, I do believe we have rum somewhere in the back." Ruby remembered.

Hook clapped his hook and hand together in excitement. "Wonderful! You're making a thirsty pirate VERY happy tonight, lass!"

Ruby smirked at him as she turned to Emma. "Can I get you anything else, Emma? More whiskey, food, coffee, a ride home?"

Emma rolled her eyes at Ruby. "Actually some of that rum sounds great right about now, thanks."

Ruby gave her a disapproving look, but said okay nonetheless. Emma didn't understand why Ruby was acting so protective and slightly judgmental of her. But, upon further reflection, she realized it did kinda make sense: Ruby and Snow were best friends after all, so it seemed only logical that Ruby would be concerned for the wellbeing of her best friend's daughter. She sighed heavily to herself; it seemed that no matter where she went, someone in this damn town was bound to act like she was a child that needed to be looked after because of who her parents were. Her face went back into her hands.

"Rough day there, love?" Hook inquired concernedly.

"Not that it's any of your business, yeah, I did." She muffled through her palms.

"Oh, come now!" He exclaimed in mock hurt. "I thought that we were becoming friends, what with all of the time you seem to want to spend with me. Isn't it only right that your friend be concerned about you and isn't it their business to unearth what it is that is on your mind? Or am I misunderstanding the meaning of a friend?"

Dammit, she hated it when he used logic to make her feel bad for shutting him out. She couldn't help it, her wall was her first instinct now whenever things got tough. Just then, Ruby came up to them with two containers of rum for both of them. She placed their respective containers in front of each of them and walked off to tend to other customers.

"I'm sorry," Emma said after taking a sip of rum for courage. "I…I just have a lot going on right now. Lots on my mind, you know."

"Well, if you need to unload, I happen to be an excellent listener." He replied matter-of-factly as he took a swig of his own rum. "Damn, that's good. Hits the spot doesn't it?"

She was glad he had changed the topic before pushing too hard for her to open up to him.

She shrugged in response to his question. "I guess. Vodka's my first choice really, but I needed something hard tonight."

"Well, if you needed something hard, you could have come to the ship to see me and I would have gladly…been of assistance." His innuendo smirk was back on his face and Emma rolled her eyes at his "joke".

"Keep dreaming, buddy." She took another sip.

"Oh, don't worry, love, I will." He winked at her as she choked a bit on her rum from laughter. Wait, had she just allowed herself to laugh at one of his wisecracks? She must have been drunker than she thought. And now she couldn't stop laughing.

"Are you alright, darling?" He was back to his concerned self. "As much as it pains my ego to say it, my jokes are rarely that funny."

Emma kept laughing, until she fell off her stool from laughing so hard, which just caused her to laugh more, and suddenly those laughs turned into pent up, angry, frustrated sobs. Emma could suddenly feel a pair of arms helping her onto her feet.

"Come now, lass, get a hold of yourself for just a moment," Hook said as he came to her aid. "Ruby, is there any way I could get Miss. Swan here a room at your grandmother's fine inn tonight? I don't think she really needs to go home like this to her son."

Ruby nodded, and the disappointment and pity in her face was apparent. Nonetheless, she was cooperating and led Hook and a highly unstable Emma to an empty room at the inn. After opening the door for Hook and helping him get Emma onto the bed, she left him there to take care of her in her intoxicated state. Hook graciously thanked her for her assistance.

"Hooky," Emma called to him from the bed as he shut the door behind Ruby. "My dear Hooky, please come over here. I have something to tell you…"

"Yes, love, what is it?" He inquired softly as he made his way over to her on the bed.

"Hooky, I…" She trailed off as her eyes met his ocean ones. "I…I just wanted to say that…that…I….I want…"

"Yes, love, what can I get you?" His face neared hers until their breath mixed together.

"I…I want to…to…" His hand went up to cup her cheek as his lips neared hers ever so slowly. She watched, eyes flicking from his eyes to his lips, as he came to her in millimeters. Finally, she grew too impatient and shoved her lips the remainder of the distance towards his, swallowing his mouth with hers. He seemed caught off guard at first, but quickly made up for it by biting her lower lip ever so gently, tongue begging entrance into her mouth, which she happily allowed. Their mouths warred with each other for control, much like their banter. Emma tangled her hands in his hair and he rubbed his hand underneath her shirt, keeping his hook down by her waist. Emma felt a fire consume her that was more intense than any fire the alcohol had been able to produce earlier. He was the strong drink that she had needed earlier in order to forget the worry in her life. He was the one that would be able to make her forget about her troubles and cause her joy, even bliss. She realized this as his kisses moved down her body, increasing the intensity of the flames that already blazed inside of her. She closed her eyes in pure bliss…and almost instantly became unconscious.

Killian brought his kisses back up her delicious body to her face where he found her sleeping soundly. He chuckled to himself. Damn woman clearly doesn't know how to handle her rum. He thought with a smile. He attempted to disentangle himself from her, only to illicit a groan of protest from his own sleeping beauty. So he slid himself beside her and pulled the covers over her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful this way, so worry free. He wished he could help her stay like this always, but he knew that until she allowed the last little bit of her wall to come down, she would never let him see this part of her, much less allow him to bring it out in her. But still, this night had given him hope that the end of the chase was coming closer and all that awaited them was the fall. And he fell asleep full of anticipation of their future.