Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

_AU: _ Instead of Neal dying, at the last moment, Emma kisses him, and true love's kiss brings him back to life, and he is able to be saved, as well as Rumple, in their own separate bodies and minds. Then Emma is left once again with both Neil and Hook trying to impress her and win her affections, but this time she is feeling somewhat more swayed by Neal because when Henry regains his memories he is so excited to have his dad back, Emma can't help but think about what it would be like to have their family together finally. Everything that happens in the show though still happens, with Zelena cursing Hook's lips, and Emma losing her magic when she saves his life, and all of them banding together to stop her from performing her spell at the last moment.

* * *

Zelena collapsed in a heap; her magic gone the moment Regina held the amulet in her hand. Almost simultaneously, her once enchanted flying monkeys reverted back into the people they had been, crash landing across the barn.

"Is this what she was doing with everyone that was missing?" David asked. "Turning them all into monkey slaves!"

"At least they're back now," Robin said. He grinned and gave one of his missing friends a hug.

"Hey, this one's not looking so good," Hook called out, drawing everyone's attention to a girl in the far corner. Her body was awkwardly collapsed across a stack of crates and as far as anyone could tell she wasn't moving.

"Is she alive?" Little John asked, though from everyone's silence, it was likely they were all thinking it.

No one moved for a moment and then finally Hook knelt beside her and pressed two fingers to her neck for a pulse. "She's alive. She looks pretty banged up though."

"Well, maybe she fell when she stopped being a flying monkey," Robin said.

"She needs medical attention," Mary-Margaret said.

"Little John," Robin said, turning to his man, "can you take her to the hospital?"

Little John moved to retrieve her, but Hook stepped in the way. "It's all right, Mate. I've got this one."

Emma frowned. "Hook, why don't you let Little John take care of her? I was hoping we could talk…"

"I don't think there's anything for us to talk about, love. Go be with your family now," he said. "I'll take care of the girl. You've all got your own matters to attend to." Without another glance at Emma or another word to anyone, he leaned down, lifted the unconscious girl into his arms, and turned to leave.

David followed him away from the others, still cradling his new baby in his arms, and stopped Hook at the door to the barn. "Take my truck," he offered. "You can't walk all the way to town carrying her like that. I'll ride back with Emma."

Hook prepared to refuse, but he knew David was being sincere, and he nodded. "I appreciate it, Mate." He took the girl to the truck and set her carefully across the front seat with her head resting on his leg once he had taken his position behind the wheel. She hadn't stirred at all, but from her slowly and steadily rising chest he could tell she was still breathing.

When he arrived at the hospital, he parked outside the main doors, ignoring the "no parking" signs posted, and carried her in.

"This girl needs the doctor," he said to the first person who would attend to him.

"What's wrong with her?" the nurse asked.

"Do I look like a bloody doctor?" Hook asked. "Where's Dr. Whale?"

"I think he's on break," she said.

"Well break's over, he's got a new patient," Hook said. "Now be a dear, and point me to a bed."

The nurse called for a second nurse to assist and led Hook to an empty examination bed. He placed the girl carefully on the exam bed. Her head lolled to the side, and he brushed strands of her honey brown hair away from her face automatically. Her breathing was still steady, but her skin was cold and her lips were more pale than before.

"She needs the doc, now," he said.

One of the nurses left to retrieve Dr. Whale, and the other immediately began checking the girl's vitals and hooking her up to a myriad of machines. Hook lingered in the background, letting the nurse, but not willing to leave until he knew everything was going to be okay.

Dr. Whale rushed over, pulling a lab coat over a pair of slacks and blue dress shirt. "Who's this? What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Hook said.

Dr. Whale frowned.

"She was one of the unfortunate lot that got themselves turned into flying monkeys, and when the witch's magic was taken they were all turned back," Hook explained. "Everyone else woke up fine, but she was like this. Maybe she hit her head or something."

"Who is she?" The doctor asked. He was already leaning in to inspect her.

"No clue," Hook said. "Nobody seemed to recognize her."

The doctor was quiet for a few minutes. Hook waited. The doctor gave a few orders to the nurse standing by and then turned back to the girl.

"Well?" Hook finally asked. "Is she all right?"

"Hmm?" Dr. Whale looked up, almost as though he had forgot Hook was still in the room. "Oh, umm, yes, seems to be a concussion." He said. "She has a contusion here on the back of her head, she must have hit something when she fell, as you said. I will want to do further examination of course, and x-rays to be sure there is no further damage."

Hook nodded. "All right then, seems my work here is done."

"Whom should I contact when she wakes up?" Dr. Whale asked.

Hook shrugged. "Ask her. I'm just the delivery guy."

* * *

The next morning, Hook was innocently passing by the hospital headed towards the Diner, with absolutely no intention of entering, when Emma spotted him on her way to visit her parents and new brother.

"Hook," she said, addressing him, he thought, a little more roughly than absolutely necessary. "We need to talk."

"Do we, now?" He asked. "About what, might I ask?"

"You know what," she said.

"Do I?" he asked.

"Don't be that way," she said. "I'm not in the mood for your games or flirting, or whatever this is for you right now."

"I didn't realize I was playing any games," he said. "What is it you wanted to discuss?" He followed her into the hospital and they walked slowly in the direction of her parents' private room.

"About how my magic wandered off…" she said. "You know, when our lips touched…"

"Miss Swan, you saved my life," he said, "and I will be eternally grateful, but it's not as though we actually kissed or anything scandalous like that, sweetheart. You can rest easy." He winked and turned to leave again.

"Hook…" she touched his arm and stopped him.

"Something else on your mind, love?"

"What Zelena did to you, in order to get to me, it wasn't fair, and it jumps to conclusions about us that I'm not sure we've had a chance to talk about…" she said. She was looking down, mostly, fiddling almost aggressively with the keys she was holding.

"Let me save you some breath and trouble there," he said. "I think perhaps things have gotten a little out of hand, and perhaps it's time for me to correct them before they go any further."

"No, Hook, it's fine…"

"Please let me speak," he said. "I put myself in the way before. I was too eager to play the hero, and step in where I was neither needed nor wanted. You have your own family, and I have no part in it. That is very clear to me," he said.

"It's not that you aren't needed," she said. "Or wanted," she added, a little more quietly, "but it's complicated."

"No, sweetheart, it's not," he said. "You have your family to think about. I understand that. Henry needs his father, and even if you refuse to admit it, you need him too."

She was quiet.

"Don't be ashamed," he said. "Baelfire is a good man. One of the best I've ever had the privilege of knowing. I consider it an honor to lose a woman to him."

"I didn't say you lost me," she said. "I just said it's complicated. Neal and I have such a confusing past…"

He shrugged. "Well, you know where to find me if you ever make up your mind."

"It's not like I don't want you around," she said.

"I'm not going anywhere, love," he said, "I'm just not standing in the way of your family, anymore." He offered her what he hoped was a sincere smile. "I'm glad you and Bae have this chance to make it work. I know what you and Henry mean to him, and I'm not going to be the fellow that messes that up. Understood?"

"But what if he and I aren't meant to work out?" She asked. "I mean, what if it's just not right with him…"

"Miss Swan, I understand that you've got some things to sort out in your head about what love is and how it fits into your life, but I'm not sure I'm the right piece for your puzzle," he said.

She frowned.

"Like I said, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here, if you decide again that perhaps Bae isn't the man for you after all, but if I'm not to be honest a man has a right to guard his heart too, doesn't he?"

"What are you saying, exactly?"

"I suppose what I'm trying to say, is that perhaps I've waited long enough for you to make up your mind, and you might be best suited returning to your family now, and let's just leave it at that," he said.

She didn't answer. They had almost reached the room, and Hook assumed Emma wasn't eager to have this personal conversation in front of her parents.

"Right," he said. "And on that far too honest note, I believe I'll be taking my leave." He smiled a little, fought the urge to reach out and touch her cheek, and turned to leave.

"Hook…" she called after him.

He thought her voice sounded a little quiet and unmotivated, however, and he didn't turn around or respond.

Hook had just made it to the front doors when Dr. Whale caught up to him.

"I'm glad you changed your mind," Dr. Whale said.

"About what?" Hook asked, still preoccupied by his conversation with Emma.

"Coming back," he said.

Hook gave the doctor a quizzical glare.

"To visit the girl," he filled in.

"The girl," Hook said, "right." He shook his head. "No, I wasn't here for her."

"Oh…" Dr. Whale glanced down at his hands, which he had folded solemnly in front of himself. "That's a shame."

"I told you yesterday, I don't know her, she isn't my responsibility," Hook said. "I brought her here to be healed, that's it."

The doctor nodded. "And I'm sure she's very appreciative," he said. "I just thought you might want to check in and see how she was doing." He paused. "She hasn't had any visitors."

Hook shrugged.

"It's been almost twenty-four hours," Dr. Whale said. "Nobody has come to see her at all. I mean, I have, naturally, but no friends, or family…"

"I'm not her friend, Doc," Hook said.

Dr. Whale was silent for a moment, and then he nodded, and turned about to leave. He glanced back briefly. "She's awake," he said. "I thought perhaps you would want to know."

Hook watched the doctor leave and considered his options. He knew he should leave, just walk out the door, not get involved, and go about his day minding his own business. And yet, a few minutes later, he had inquired with the nurse's station for her room number, and was preparing to enter the mysterious girl's private room. He paused just outside, straightened his long jacket, smoothed back his hair, took a deep breath, and knocked twice before entering.

"Hello," he said, quietly, not wanting to wake her if she was sleeping. He was surprised to find her sitting up in the bed, propped up with pillows, reading a book. Her hair was tied back away from her face, letting him get a good look at her for the first time, and when she glanced up, her clear blue eyes momentarily mesmerized him.

"Captain Hook!" She said.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" he asked.

"No," she answered quickly. "Of course not," she said. "The doctor mentioned that you were the one who brought me here, so I just assumed…" she glanced at his hand. "The hook is a bit of a give away."

"Right," he said. "Good to see you all bright eyed and whatnot."

"Dr. Victor says I have you to thank for that," she said. "Apparently I wasn't in the best condition when I arrived yesterday."

"All I did was deliver, the doctor is the one who worked all the real magic," Hook said. "But you're feeling all better now, yeah?"

"Well, apparently I have a concussion," she said. "Which I guess explains why I am getting blackouts occasionally, and I have this terrible ringing in my ears, but Dr. Victor says it will go away with time. And I have some bone bruising and the like, but nothing that won't heal."

"You seem to be in fairly good spirits despite it all," he said.

"It could be worse," she said. "I could still be a monkey."

Hook grinned. "That you could," he said. "Though I must say, this form suits you much better."

She coughed hard for a few moments, and her head slumped back on the pillow. "Pardon me," she said.

"Not at all," he said. "Are you all right?"

She gave him a slight smile. "Right enough, I suppose. I might have been a bit optimistic before. To be honest, it hurts when I stay in one position for too long, and at times it still hurts when I breathe the wrong way."

He moved to her side instinctively. "You should probably lie down," he said.

"Actually, I think it might help if the pillow was just lower on my back," she said. "Do you think you might possibly…"

He moved to assist her before she even had a chance to ask. He placed his hook arm behind her back to raise her up slightly, while using his good hand to shift her pillow lower. "How's that?" He asked.

"Better," she said, smiling a little, "thank you."

He nodded and stepped back. "Now, how about telling me your story, love? Or at least your name?"

"You can call me Lilah," she said.

He frowned slightly, pondering the name she gave. He couldn't explain how or why, but he knew it wasn't right. It was the same feeling that he'd had since the moment he saw her, the feeling that something was familiar, but also all together completely mysterious about her. He couldn't explain it to himself, and he certainly wouldn't be able to explain it to her or anyone else, but it was why it hadn't been too difficult for Dr. Whale to persuade him to come and visit her today. Hook felt a need to see the girl again.

"That's not your name," he said.

The girl's smile faltered briefly, but after a moment her eyes only brightened and her smile returned. "It's what you can call me," she said again. "I'm sure 'Hook' isn't exactly the name you were christened with."

"Fair enough," he said. "Welcome to Storybrooke, Lilah."

"Yeah…so what exactly is this place?" she asked. "And how did I end up here, and as…a monkey?"

"You weren't part of the first curse I take it," he said.

"Curse?" she asked. "Is that what you call this?"

"It's a long story," he said, "but all you really need to know is that we've all be transported here from the Enchanted Forest as part of a curse, in a manner of speaking, but it was for a good cause, at the time that is."

"When is a curse ever a good cause?" she asked.

"It had to do with a witch and escaping from another curse…" he said. "I'm sure there is someone else who could explain all this loads better than I can."

"It's all right," she said. "You're doing fine."

"The witch is gone now though, which is why you're no longer one of her monkeys," he said.

"But we're still stuck here, in this…Storybrooke?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if that's something that can be reversed actually," he said. "Again, not the best authority on the subject."

"You said 'second curse,' so are you implying this has all happened before?"

"Well, yes and no. It was different the first time, but similar. We were still transported here from the Forest," he said, "but for different reasons. I suppose it's just a bit of bad luck that you got caught up in it this time around."

"I tend to be pretty good at bad luck," she said. "I should have known something like this would happen if I went back to that place."

"That place?" Hook asked.

"The Forest," she said.

He frowned, not entirely understanding.

"I left when I was little," she said, "and I swore I'd never go back. This is the first time I've been back in many years, and of course, I had been there less than a day when this curse thing happened."

"You left," he said. "How? Why?"

She smiled. "A magic bean took me out of the forest, and the why is my own business," she said. "Let's just say there were some people I was eager to get far away from."

"I've had that feeling before," he said. "Where did you go after you left the Forest?"

"Here and there," she said. "I've been all over to be honest. I don't tend to stay in one place very long. I've traveled through multiple lands and realms."

"How?" he asked. "Do you have an endless supply of magical beans hiding away somewhere?"

"No," she said, "unfortunately I've only been lucky enough to come across a couple of those in my life. I've had to be creative. I've used portals, and magic spells, and ships…" she lingered briefly on that word, but something in the way she had said it gave Hook pause. He almost asked her about it, but she quickly continued. "I even hitched a ride with a mermaid once."

"You are quite the traveler, aren't you?"

"Like I said, I don't like to stay put."

"Well, I'm afraid you won't have much choice here," he said.

She just smiled. Hook couldn't help thinking about how sweet her smile was. Even though her skin was pale with her weariness, her full lips were still faintly pink, and the corners turned up just slightly even when she wasn't smiling.

Her eyelids slipped shut slowly and when she opened them again, it seemed a little forced.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"I'm just tired," she said. "Everything's still a little foggy."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should go. You need your rest." He headed towards the door.

"It was good of you to check on me," she said. "Thank you for stopping by."

"Of course. If you wouldn't mind, perhaps I could stop by again tomorrow?"

"If you'd like," she said. "Dr. Victor says I'll likely be stuck here for a few days at least."

Hook nodded. "I'll come by tomorrow," he said.

She smiled again, and again he thought it was sweet.


	2. Chapter 2

Hook couldn't explain the tightening in his gut as he prepared to enter Lilah's room the next morning. He also couldn't explain why she was the only thought that had filled his mind the previous night. She was pretty, sure, he couldn't deny that, nobody who looked at her would be able to ignore that fact, but there was something more than her looks that interested him. He was curious to know more about her, to talk with her, and learn more of her mysterious past. She was secretive about her past, that he already knew, but he hoped she would feel comfortable talking with him, because he knew he wasn't going to be able to ignore this feeling of wanting to know her.

He knocked briefly before pushing open the door and peeking his head in.

"Hello? All right if I come in?" he asked.

"Hook?" Lilah raised her head a little from the pillow and smiled at him. "You came back!" she said.

He couldn't tell for sure, but he thought she sounded pleased. "I told you I would," he said, entering the room fully. "Is it all right that I came?"

"Of course," she said. "I just wasn't sure if you had meant it or not."

"I always mean what I say," he said.

"Good to know," she said, smiling again.

He adored how she smiled. He had always wished Emma would smile more often…Hook stopped himself suddenly, confused as to why he was mentally comparing the two girls._ Lilah is just a girl that I've just met, she's sweet, but I'm not interested in her like that…_he told himself. _Emma is the woman for me, isn't she?_ Even as he thought it, he couldn't help thinking of Emma and Neal looking at apartments together, as he had overheard Henry telling Ruby about that morning at Granny's, and at the same time, he wasn't sure he was entirely disappointed.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Off and on," she said.

"Well, I had a sneaking suspicion that you might be in need of a little pick me up…" he said.

"Rum?" she asked.

He paused briefly, wondering if she was being serious. "Umm, well, no…not entirely what I was thinking…"

She attempted a laugh. "I was joking," she said. "What did you have in mind?"

He raised his hand, finally revealing his surprise. "Breakfast," he said. "From Granny's, the best place in town…well, more so the only place in town, but she certainly knows how to cook a decent meal."

"You brought me breakfast?" she asked. "That's so thoughtful."

"I thought you might be in need of a break from hospital toast and pudding," he said. "And if you promise not to get me in trouble with the good doctor, I even snuck in a cup of coffee."

She reached out immediately. "Give it here!"

He grinned and handed her the cup of coffee. "I added a little something special to it," he said.

"Rum?" she asked again.

"Maybe when you're all the way better," he said, "but I don't think that's exactly what the doctor ordered." He pulled a small bottle from his pocket. "However, that doesn't mean I can't add a little to mine."

She smiled. "Pirate to the core, aren't you?"

"Someone's got to fill the job," he said.

"How good of you to step up," she said. "But really, what did you put in my coffee?" She sniffed at it and looked up at him with curiosity in her bright eyes.

"Nothing dangerous, you have my word, as a pirate," he said.

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" She asked. She took a sip of the coffee, evaluated the taste for a moment, then glanced up at him and smiled. "Nutmeg," she said.

He nodded. "Good guess," he said.

"It's delicious," she said. "Thank you."

"I find plain coffee a little bitter," he said. "I know it probably makes me less manly to admit."

"Not at all," she said.

He returned to the bag he had brought and retrieved a small box.

"More?" she asked.

"Well, one cannot live on coffee alone," he said. He opened he box and handed her a large blueberry muffin.

"You're spoiling me," she said, then she paused, "or bribing me."

He laughed. "A little paranoid, aren't you?"

"You are a pirate," she said, "one can never be too careful."

"It's not a bribe," he said. "Though, if you feel like sharing breakfast with me, and perhaps telling me a little more about yourself, I wouldn't protest…"

"Sneaky," she said. "And while I appreciate the food and the coffee, I truly don't have anything to tell you. I'm not as interesting as you want me to be."

"I highly doubt that," he said. "Giving me a false name alone has made you immensely interesting."

"I told you, there are certain people I have tried to leave behind in my life, and I have found that having a new name makes it a little easier to do so," she said. "Does it really matter what my name is?"

"You also mentioned that you've traveled realms by ship," he said. "I find that fascinating. Perhaps you have traveled with someone I know…"

"Perhaps I have," she said, but she didn't offer anything else.

"All right," he said, holding his good hand up. "I surrender, keep your secrets, but don't think you're going to learn any of mine either!"

He pulled a chair up beside her bed. "Is it all right if I sit, at least? Perhaps we can chat about non personal things," he asked. Hook sat, and for a moment they were both silent, drinking their coffee and eating muffins.

"I had a brother," she said, finally breaking the silence.

Hook was surprised to hear her say anything, and it took him a moment to respond. "Oh?"

"A twin brother," she said.

"You say 'had,'" he said. "Did something happen to him."

"He's gone," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said. "How did he…"

"He's not dead," she said. "At least, I don't think he is. I can't be sure."

Hook hesitated, unsure how to answer.

"It's been almost eight years since I last saw him," she said. "We used to be inseparable. We left the forest together, and traveled for years together, but then he made a choice and it wasn't me…"

"I'm so sorry," Hook said. "That must have been very lonely for you to lose him in that way."

"It was a long time ago," she said. "He made his choice, and I've learned to live without him."

Even though she sounded confident when she said it, Hook could tell she didn't mean it. Her clear eyes had grown sad as she talked about her brother, and he knew that sort of pain all too well.

"I once had a brother, too," he said.

"You did?" she asked, pushing herself up on one elbow and turning to look at him better. "Were you close?"

"Very," he said. "He was the only real family I had, and I would have done anything for him. We sailed together. He was my captain."

"What happened to him?" She asked.

"He died," Hook said. "He too made a poor choice, and it cost him his life."

"And is that what made you a pirate?" she asked.

Hook was surprised by her discernment. He nodded, but realized he had said more about his past than he had meant to. It wasn't something he talked about, and he wasn't sure why he had told her so easily. He decided not to say anything else for fear of saying too much.

She seemed to realize he was done talking about his past, and she asked no more questions.

After that they didn't discuss anything else that could be considered personal. He mostly told her about the town and the people she would meet. He stayed for nearly another hour before she admitted to feeling tired, and he left her alone to rest. Though before he left, she asked if he would consider returning the next day, and he agreed.

Over the next couple days, Hook kept up his morning visits, each time bringing coffee flavored with nutmeg and whatever Granny's muffin of the day was. Though for the most part their conversations remained casual, he did learn that she had been orphaned when she was little, that she had visited Wonderland, Oz, and the Land Without Color, and that she had lost a ring during the curse.

When he asked her if the ring was important to her, he had thought she might cry. With a little more prodding, she admitted it had belonged her to her mother, and it was the only item of her mother's she had left in the world. At that moment, Hook became determined to help her track it down, and he felt equally as certain that it would likely have ended up in Rumple's shop as most lost items seemed to do. Though, Rumple and Belle were away on their honeymoon, so Hook knew he wouldn't be able to search for the ring immediately.

On the third morning, Hook was heading towards Lilah's room, coffee and muffin in hand, when he crossed paths with Emma leaving from a visit with her parents.

"Hook!" She said, clearly surprised. "Hi…"

"Hello, sweetheart," he said. "How's the family?"

"Good," she said, "really good. My parents are going home today, so I've been given the task of making sure the apartment is completely ready for the arrival of the new baby."

"Have they given him a name yet?" Hook asked.

"Not yet," she said. She hesitated and glanced at the two cups of coffee he carried. "Are you here to see me?" she asked.

He lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. "Now why would I do that? Didn't we just discuss how I'm done following you around, love?"

"Then what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here to check on Lilah," he said.

"The monkey girl?" Emma asked.

"Is that what they're calling her in town?" he asked.

"Well nobody knows her, or knows where she came from," Emma said. "Nobody trusts her to be honest."

"I trust her," he said. "She's not a threat. She's just lost, like the rest of us."

Emma didn't look convinced, but Hook wasn't in the mood for chatting with her anymore. "Anyway, good to see you, Emma," he said. "I best be on my way now."

"Right, okay…"

When she didn't move out of his way, Hook stepped around her, nodding his head slightly in a farewell. He was surprised how easy it was to have a short, simple conversation with Emma. There was a time not too long ago when he would have said everything he could think of just to try and buy another couple seconds with her, but now, somehow, he no longer felt that need.

"Give my best to Bae," Hook called back over his shoulder, feeling a sudden need to give her one more sign that he was unconcerned with how she was spending her days now, or with whom.


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning, Lilah," Hook said, as he stepped into her room on the fifth morning in a row. This time, however, he was not greeted with her usual smile. Her room was empty, the bed sheets stripped, and no sign of anyone around. He frowned. She hadn't said anything about leaving when he was there the day before. He gave the room a cursory glance over, searching for a note, but he didn't find anything to indicate where she had gone, or whether or not she would try and get in contact with him again. Hook was a little surprised to realize he was disappointed.

_What if she leaves Storybrooke?_ He thought suddenly, realizing that in all their conversations, he hadn't thoroughly explained the consequences of leaving the city's limit. He knew that if she left now, it was likely she would never make her way back, and he would likely never see her again. And again, he was surprised to realize that the thought made him a little sad.

He left the hospital, dropping the coffees and muffins in a trash bin on his way out. He told himself that she had every right to leave the town, if that was what she wanted. She didn't owe him anything. It was his own fault that he had become so reliant upon their morning visits. He started feeling angry with himself for caring so much.

As he stalked down main street, taking sips of rum from his pocket flask, he started feeling more upset with himself, and annoyed with Lilah for getting into his head the way she had.

_Pull yourself together, man! You are a pirate Captain. You're better than this. You do not fall apart just because a silly little girl leaves you high and dry…_he told himself, taking another drink. _She told me from day one that she doesn't like staying in one place longer than necessary, so why is it surprising that she's gone? _

He had just begun to convince himself that he didn't care, when he passed by Granny's.

"Hook!"

He smiled instantly when he heard Lilah's voice. He turned towards the café and saw her standing just inside the gate, smoking what looked like a hand rolled cigarette.

"Hello," he said, changing his direction to walk towards her. "Smoking?" he asked.

She glanced at the cigarette and shrugged. "I know, terrible habit, isn't it? Dr. Victor would be ashamed of me," she said.

"I'll admit, it's a little surprising," he said. "I wouldn't have expected it of you to be honest."

"I started years ago," she said. "It's a special blend of tobacco and herbs that I was taught by a gypsy I met on my travels. It's soothing." She flicked off the excess ash and held it out to him.

Hook was too busy trying to figure her out that for a moment he didn't respond. She just kept on surprising him.

"Would you like to try?" she asked after a moment when he still hadn't responded to her offer.

"Oh, umm, sure…" he took it tentatively. "I have to admit, smoking has never been one of my particular vices." He tried it. "Though, this makes me reconsider."

She smiled. "I shouldn't get you started," she said, and she took it back. "So, I was starting to worry that you weren't going to show, and that I'd have to eat by myself."

"Have you been waiting here for me?" he asked.

She nodded. "Dr. Victor discharged me this morning, and I thought it would be nice if we could eat together outside the hospital room for once," she said. "I thought I could try and catch you before you stopped by this morning…"

He smiled.

"You've already been to the hospital, haven't you?" she asked.

"Perhaps," he said.

"And I wasn't there, and I didn't even leave a note or anything," she said. "You probably thought I just up and left without a word!"

"No," he said, "of course not. I knew you wouldn't leave without at least saying goodbye."

"To be honest, I'm not sure I'm leaving at all," she said. "With the way you've described this town, and the people here, maybe it's somewhere I can actually stick around for once."

"Really?" He asked. He tried not to let himself get too excited.

"It's worth a try at least," she said. "Maybe I don't have to run anymore."

"I still wish you would tell me what it is you've been running from," he said.

She just smiled. "Hungry?"

He nodded.

She put out her cigarette and followed Hook into Granny's. They sat at a small booth by the window, and instantly Hook started to wonder if Emma would be there that morning. He hadn't given her much thought since seeing her at the hospital a couple days ago, but suddenly he wasn't sure how she would react seeing him with Lilah. A quick glance around at the other patrons already eating, showed him that everyone was curiously evaluating Hook and the new girl. He momentarily regretted the decision to eat together so publicly.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he said.

"You seem nervous," she said. "Or uncomfortable."

"Not at all," he said.

"Is it me?" she asked. "Are you uncomfortable with me?"

"Why would I be? I've been visiting you every morning," he said.

"At the hospital," she said, "alone, when nobody from town could see us."

"What does that matter?" he asked.

"I don't know, you tell me," she said.

He glanced around again, and then offered her a smile, one that he hoped was especially winning. "I'm perfectly comfortable," he said.

Granny came to their table. "What can I get for you?" she asked. Hook couldn't help noticing the way she eyed Lilah. He hoped it wasn't as obvious for her.

"Two coffees with nutmeg," Lilah said, smiling at Hook.

Granny cast her eyes his way and cocked one eyebrow. Hook nodded at her, hoping it would be enough to make her go away and leave them alone. But, it wasn't.

"So, this is the monkey girl I take it?" Granny asked.

"Monkey girl?" Lilah asked.

"And whatever muffin you have today," Hook said to Granny. "Thank you, that's all."

She gave them both one more sharp look over the top of her glasses and left to fill their order.

"Monkey girl?" Lilah asked again when they were alone.

"You're still a bit of a mystery to people in town, sweetheart," Hook said. "Can you blame them?"

"I'd hate to think you had anything to do with this terrible nickname," she said.

He shrugged.

"I don't think I'm going to be very popular here," she said.

"They'll warm up to you," he said. "People here are rather suspicious of newcomers."

"Why? There's nothing suspicious about me!" She said.

"Nobody knows you," he said. "They just need time."

"How much time?" she asked.

"Trust me, these people are good people," he said. "They've just been put through some bloody awful stuff. But once they learn more about you, they'll accept you just like one of their own."

"You speak from experience?" she asked.

"Perhaps," he said.

Granny returned and delivered their coffees and muffins. She didn't say anything to either of them.

"Well, as much as I'd enjoy some friends for the first time in my life, I'm not going to spill all my personal secrets just to convince people I'm worth trusting." She said. "And they shouldn't expect me to."

"Fair enough," he said. "I'm sure you can win them over with your charming personality."

"I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not," she said.

He smiled.

"Anyway, how does one go about getting a place to stay around here?" she asked. "I didn't exactly bring any money with me."

"That's not so much a concern here," he said. "You'll get a job, everyone pitches in here, that's how we pay our way."

"What do you do?" she asked.

"Odds and ends," he said.

"Thank you for being vague," she said.

"I learn from the best," he said.

She smiled at him, but this time he knew it was a little less than sincere.

"After breakfast we'll go see Regina," he said.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"The mayor," he said. "She'll know of a place for you to stay and any jobs that might be available."

She nodded slowly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing…" she said. "It just sounds so final when you say it like that."

"What does?

"Staying here," she said, "never escaping."

"It doesn't have to be such a bad thing, does it?" He asked.

"I don't know yet," she said. "Ask me again after a couple weeks."

They went to see Regina immediately after breakfast, and though she was skeptical at first, Regina eventually gave Lilah a few housing options. As for a job, she said they would have to wait and see.

Lilah felt that Regina had been very cold to her, and incredibly untrusting, and she didn't hold back in telling Hook her feelings.

"I'm sure there was a time when all of these people didn't know each other as well as they do now," she said as she and Hook headed towards one of addresses Regina had given. "What makes me any different?"

"I told you, they've been through a lot together. That makes a difference," he said. "Besides, don't be hypocritical. You don't trust anyone either."

"I trust you," she said.

Hook was momentarily surprised by the ease with which she had admitted that statement. "Do you?" he asked.

She smiled and shrugged. "I do," she said.

"Why?"

"You've been nice to me," she said. "And haven't expressed any hesitations about me, not to my face anyway." She paused. "Why is that, by the way? I feel like a pirate, of all people, would be wary of strangers."

"Honestly, you just seem trustworthy to me," he said.

"That's not a very good answer."

"I can't explain it," he said. "And I know that's not a good answer either, but it's the truth. There's just something about you that feels…comfortable."

"Comfortable like a blanket on a cold night, or comfortable like an old friend?" she asked.

He laughed. "Perhaps a little of both," he said.

She smiled. "Good enough, I guess," she said.

Lilah fell for the first apartment they looked at. It was small, the kitchen barely had space for the dining table squished against a wall with only three chairs, and the living room was just on the other side of the island counter, but it had a balcony with a view straight to the harbor.

"This is the one," she said.

"Really?" he asked. "There are others," he said. "Bigger ones, nicer."

"This one is perfect," she said. "Look at the view."

"I see the water," he said, joining her out on the balcony.

She nodded. "Freedom," she said. "That's what it represents, and I like being able to see it."

"You sure you just don't want to be able to see me?" he asked, grinning a little.

She laughed. "So, at the diner this morning, I overheard someone mention something about a party this weekend?" she said.

"The wedding party," he said.

"Someone's getting married?" she asked. "I'm surprised they found the time with everything that's been going on."

"Actually, I think they already married," he said. "They did it in secret, and now they're just having a party to celebrate it."

"Who is it?" she asked.

"His name is Rumpelstiltskin and his wife Belle," Hook said.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she repeated.

"Have you heard of him?" he asked.

"It sounds familiar," she said. "But perhaps I overheard someone mentioned it in town." She smiled. "Do you think it'd be all right if I crashed the party?"

"You don't have to crash," he said. "Everyone's welcome."

"I didn't know if _monkey girl_ would be," she said. "The people in the diner didn't seem very comfortable around me."

"If it would make you feel better, you could come as my guest?"

"Your guest?" she asked. "Like a date?"

"No," he said quickly. "Not at all."

She laughed. "You don't have to sound so repulsed by the idea."

He hesitated. "I just meant…"

"It's fine," she said. "I get it. Monkey girl isn't date material."

"Lilah," he said, but he didn't have anything to follow it up with. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to say. He didn't know how to explain himself.

"You don't have to feel obligated to bring me along, Hook," she said. "I appreciate you coming to see me in the hospital, bringing me coffee, keeping me company, nursing me back to health, or whatever it was, but I get it, you've seen me through my "dark time." I'm all better now. I don't need you to hold my hand anymore. I'll be just fine on my own. Trust me."

"Lilah," he said again, a little hurt and annoyed now by her sudden coldness. "That's not what it was," he said. "I enjoyed our visits in the hospital. I wanted to see you and bring you coffee."

She looked ready to argue again, but he noticed a hint of a smile on her lips.

"I'll admit that at first after I dropped you at the hospital I wasn't going to come back," he said. "But then after the first time, after we started talking, there was just something about you that made me want to keep coming back…" He stopped himself before he started sounded too sappy. Sappy was not his style and he didn't need her making him into something he wasn't.

"Oh?" she prodded.

"I don't know. You're nice to talk to," he said. "Like I said, there's just something about you. Anyway, you want to come or not?"

She smiled. "Sure, I'll come with you."

"All right then," he said. "But I'm not saying it's a bloody date."

"Not at all," she said, but she gave him that smile again when she said it, and he felt a need to leave her immediately.

"I've got to go now," he said. "If you need anything for your place, talk to Red at the diner, she always knows where to find things."

"Thank you for your help," she said, "again."

He nodded and headed for the door.

"I mean it," she said, following him, and catching his arm briefly. "All your help. I really appreciate it."

He shrugged. "Just being nice is all."

"I know," she said, "but no one else is, and you could easily ignore me like everyone else. I haven't exactly done anything to deserve your attention or your trust, but you've given it to me…you've been so kind…you are always so kind…"

"Always?" he laughed. "It's only been a couple days, love. Give me time. I'm sure I'll do something terrible soon enough."

She shook her head and removed her hand from his arm quickly, laughing a little as though she had said something she hadn't meant to. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I do that. I was just trying to express my gratitude. I'll let you go now." She took a couple steps back from the door.

"Right then," he said. "See you tomorrow for the party."

She nodded. "See you then."

He shut the door behind his exit and she listened to his footsteps retreating down the stairwell.

_I wonder if he'll ever remember knowing me._


	4. Chapter 4

**10 years ago. **

She barely noticed the rain as it streaked her face, mingling with her tears. Her ankle throbbed, but she refused to slow down. Escaping had been nearly impossible and if he caught her this time, she knew she'd never get another chance. So she ignored the pain and the rain and all the fear she felt and the panic and the thoughts of failure and the worry of what came next and where she would go and what she would do and what might happen, and she just kept on running.

The jungle was confusing. She had never had the freedom to explore it, and the rain and darkness only made it worse. There were only a couple places on the island that she knew of where she thought she could possibly seek refuge, but she wasn't sure how to get to them. Right now it felt like she was going in circles. She had only been to Tink's cave once, and that was months ago when she and her brother had first arrived, and it was daytime, and she had a guide. And she didn't even know for sure where that other boy lived, or if he really would help her, or what his name was, or if he was even on the island anymore, but it was her best chance right now to get away, and she was desperate, and so again, she kept moving forward, and she kept crying.

She hated herself for crying, for feeling so week and helpless, she hated him for putting her in that position, but right now she knew she couldn't help it. He was just one more guy who had taken away her power, used her, ruined her, broken her…

"Hey…psst…"

She stopped running abruptly, stumbling on her ankle and tumbling onto the ground.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," he said. He moved forward, stepping in to the slight moonlight so she could see him.

"It's you," she said. "I didn't know how to find you, but you said if I ever needed help, if I needed anything, I could trust you…"

"You can," he said. "I meant it." He helped her stand. "You left him then? I'm surprised he let you. Peter Pan doesn't tend to let his trinkets leave."

"He didn't," she said. "I escaped." Her ankle hurt more than ever when she put her full weight back on it. "It wasn't easy."

"Did something happen? You seemed happy with him last time I saw you. You and your brother, right? Your brother said you found somewhere you could finally belong."

She shook her head. "I will never belong to Peter Pan."

"I see. And your brother?" he asked.

"He sees things differently," she said.

"All right," he said.

There was shouting in the distance. She felt her lower lip begin to quiver.

"They're going to find me," she said. "If he gets ahold of me again…"

"We need to get you away from here," he said. He clearly didn't need her to finish her thought. "Now."

"How? We're on an island. _His_ island. We're completely trapped."

"I have a way. But we have to move now."

She nodded. "Thank you," she said. "I don't even know your name."

"I'm Bae," he said.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked.

"Now's not the time for that," he said. "Now's the time to run."

The voices grew close. Bae grabbed her hand and they ran together in the direction he led. The rain had only let up slightly, and the jungle only became more confusing as they continued to run, but he seemed to know exactly where they were going, never once hesitating in his steps or slowing his speed. She didn't want him to know she was in pain, so when her ankle bothered her she began biting the inside of her cheek as a distraction. Soon she could taste blood in her mouth, but it helped her keep his pace.

"Not much further," Bae said, in a voice that was somewhere between a whisper and a grunt.

In another few minutes she realized they were nearing the water's edge. She had no idea how that would help them escape. Did he expect her to swim away from the island? It's not as though the mermaids would help them. They would sooner drown them for their own amusement.

"Bae, what are we doing here?" she asked, as he finally released her hand and began to slow his speed. "They're going to find us here."

Bae held a finger to his lips and beckoned her to follow him along the shoreline. She followed him, though somewhat reluctantly. There was a small part of her that was beginning to doubt his intentions. She couldn't help but wonder if he was part of some elaborate plot of Peter's to trick her into believing she was safe just to then trap her again and dissolve all hope of freedom. She could easily see him taking pleasure in that sort of sick trick. Around the next bend, however, hidden by the tree line, she saw a three-masted ship waiting at a dock. It was the most beautiful ship she had ever seen; its sails almost seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.

As they approached Bae started calling out for the captain and eventually a man appeared on deck, at the top of the gangway. He was much younger than she would have expected for a captain. Handsome too, though she could hardly pay attention to those details at the moment. All she could of was getting on the ship and getting off this island once and for all.

"Bae," he said, "this is a little unexpected."

"Captain, I need your services," Bae said. "It's an emergency."

"I imagine this has something to do with all the shouting we've been hearing in the jungle. Something has put young Pan in quite the mood tonight," the captain said. He glanced at the girl. "I'm not sure I should get myself or my men involved."

"Please!" Bae said.

She started to tremble, the pain and the fear and the panic and everything else she had been pushing away finally starting to catch up to her as she realized that her one true chance of escape might completely fall apart.

"Why should I?" the Captain asked.

"She needs your help," Bae said.

"I'm a pirate," he said. "What makes you think I want to help her?"

She clenched the inside of her cheek again, hard, trying not to cry now.

"Let her stay here. The lost boys are always begging for a mother, now they can have one," he said.

"Please," she said, surprising herself when she spoke. She hadn't expected herself to speak to him, or beg for herself. "Please don't let Pan take me again. I can't go back to him. I won't."

The captain gave her an odd look. Then he glanced at Bae who was staring at him firmly. More shouts came from the distance. She shut her eyes and a tear escaped down her cheek.

"Men, get ready to sail!" The captain called out to his ship. "Bae, get her on board."

She gasped when she realized his answer and Bae almost hand to pull her up the gangway.

"Thank you," she said, stepping shakily onto the deck of the ship.

The captain shrugged. "I was never really going to turn you away, love. I just wanted to hear you beg a little is all." He grinned. "Welcome aboard the Jolly Rogger. I'm Captain Hook." He touched his hooked hand to his head. "And what's your name, sweetheart?"

"You can call me Amelia," she said.

He lifted one eyebrow. "Can I now? But that's not really your name is it?"

"It's what you can call me," she said. "I'm sure _Hook_ isn't exactly your given name either."

He grinned. "Fair enough."

"Make yourself comfortable, Amelia, we'll be taking off in just a moment." He said.

She nodded. She still thought she could cry at any second and didn't trust herself to speak.

"It's all right, sweetheart," he said. "You're safe here. You have my word. He'll never hurt you again. I always keep my word."


	5. Chapter 5

"Where's your little mistress?" Red asked as Hook took a seat at the counter.

"Mistress?" he asked. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Oh, don't play innocent with me, Captain," Red said. "I've seen the effect she's had on you."

Hook frowned.

"You're different around her," she said, ignoring his silent protests. "Less moody, maybe, more excited about life."

"Nothing's changed 'bout me, Red. I'm the same bloody pirate, I've always been," Hook said.

She smirked. "Sure you are." She brought him the coffee he had ordered. "She's changing you," she said.

"Nobody changes me," he said, "savvy?"

"Say what you like, but trust me, wolves sense things…"

"They also have a way of putting their noses where they don't belong," Hook said. She was quiet for a moment, but she kept smirking, and he didn't like it, so he felt the need to justify himself, even though he resented it. "Look, Lilah is just a girl in need of a friend. She's feeling lost and confused, and I thought I'd help her out. That's all. It's not like anyone else in town has been making an effort."

"I took her shopping for her apartment!" Red said.

"Okay, no one other than you," he said.

"And she talked about you a lot," she said.

"She did?" He asked, and then he thought better of it, but Red was already grinning. "Don't you have work to do?" He asked.

She laughed and walked away.

Hook loathed Red's insight. She was right of course; she always was. Maybe she did have special wolf sense about certain things. Hook did feel that he was changing. Every time he saw Lilah, he felt excited, and when he wasn't with her, he was thinking about her and wondering how she was getting along. He worried about her, felt curious about her, and perhaps worst of all, he felt connected to her, as though somehow if she were to suddenly leave his life, he knew he would miss her.

It was odd how quickly he had become attached to her. He wouldn't deny that he had been interested in Miss Swan, of course. He found her lovely, and interesting, and exciting, and she was one of the first worthwhile distractions he had had since Milah, but once she chose Neil, there was no heartache, no distress. He missed her company; he barely saw her anymore since she and Neil spent all their time trying to be the family they never got to be. And yet, he didn't miss her in the way he thought he might.

Red's evaluation was correct though. There was something different about him since meeting Lilah. He felt excited about things again, he enjoyed things as simple as getting a cup of coffee, especially if he knew she would be there. He had hoped she would be there today, and recognizing his disappointment over her absence only further confirmed Red's earlier statement.

"Looking a little glum there, Captain," Red said, she refilled his coffee cup and leaned against the counter staring down at him.

He scowled.

"Don't worry, she's here now," Red said, she lifted her chin towards the window and a moment later the bell over the front door chimed as the door opened.

He fought the natural urge to look over his shoulder and watch her approach, and he also had to fight the urge to smile; he wouldn't give Red the satisfaction in watching the "change" come over him. When Lilah placed her hand his shoulder, however, and chirped "hello" near to his ear before taking the seat next to him, he grinned despite himself.

"Good morning," he said, turning his head to glance at her.

"I have finally found my dress for the party," she said, jumping into conversation as though they had already been talking about it; he was learning this was her way. She didn't bother with formalities like greetings.

"I didn't realize you had been searching for one," he said.

"Red told me this party is sort of a big deal, like the first real fancy party this town's had, so I wanted to make sure I looked all right," she said. "We spent most of yesterday trying to find me something suitable."

"I'm sure you'll look good in anything you wear," he said, and then gritted his teeth together, realizing he once again said something to her he hadn't meant to say out loud.

She smiled.

"I just meant, that maybe you shouldn't try so hard," he said.

"Easy for you to say, everyone already adores you," she said. She must have noticed he was preparing to argue, because she shook her head and continued quickly. "Red told me," she said. "You helped out with the whole witch thing, and everyone talks about how you helped that sheriff girl save her son from Neverland."

He shrugged.

"The town sees you as some kind of hero," she said.

He shook his head. "I'm a bloody pirate, I'm nobody's hero."

She smiled. "Pirates can be heroes too."

He cleared his throat, but kept quiet and took another sip of his coffee.

"Anyway, all I'm saying is that you don't need to do anything to impress the town. I, on the other hand, have nothing going for me yet. I need to make a good impression," she said. "As much as I enjoy your companionship, if this is going to be my home for a while, it might be nice to have someone say "hello" to me on the street every now and again."

Red brought Lilah a cup of coffee. "Don't worry, I added the nutmeg and just a little bit of steamed milk," she said.

"Perfect!" Lilah smiled. "Just the way I like it."

"Steamed milk?" Hook asked. "I didn't know you liked that in your coffee." He felt strangely disappointed that Red knew something about her preferences that he didn't know.

"Now you do," she said.

"Muffin or pancakes?" Red asked.

"Just a muffin today, thanks," Lilah said. And Red left to retrieve it. "What time are you picking me up tonight?"

Hook looked at her, a little thrown off by the abruptness of the question. "Umm…" Her personality was taking a little getting used to.

"Oh…" she hesitated. "Or I guess maybe I should just meet you there? You were very clear that this is not a date, and I guess picking me up makes it feel that way…" she said. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"No, it's all right," he said. "I'll pick you up. It's at a big mansion on the outskirts of town. How else would you get there? I'll pick you up at seven."

She nodded. "Great, then it's a not-date," she said.

The door opened again, and Emma entered with Henry.

Lilah followed Hook's gaze to the door. "That's the sheriff, right?"

"Aye, and her son, Henry," he said.

Emma saw them sitting at the counter and offered a slight smile, though Hook could see the surprise in her eyes. He hadn't seen much of her since their conversation at the hospital.

"Hello," she said, as she approached the counter.

"Sheriff Swan," Hook nodded at her in greeting.

She seemed a little taken aback by his new, formal title for her, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she looked to Lilah. "We haven't officially met yet," she said. "I'm Emma."

"Lilah," she said, holding out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you!"

"You have?" Emma glanced at Hook.

Lilah nodded. "Red's told me some things about the town and the previous adventures you all have experienced."

"Oh, Red's told you?" Emma asked. "Well, yeah, we've had some adventures, I guess you could say."

"Hopefully things will calm down around here for a while," Lilah said. "Seems like you all could use a good rest."

"That's the hope," Emma said. "Well, I'll let you two enjoy your breakfast." She looked directly at Hook for a brief moment, but he couldn't decipher the meaning in her eyes.

Henry smiled at them both as he followed his mom to a booth by the windows.

"What was that about?" Lilah asked, once they were out of hearing range.

"What do you mean?" Hook asked.

"She does _not_ like you," Lilah said. "What'd you do to her?"

"Nothing!" He said. "Why don't you think she likes me?"

"Trust me, we women can tell these sorts of things," she said.

He just shrugged.

"Did you really save the kid from Neverland and all that stuff Red told me about?" she asked.

"Well, I wasn't all on my own," he said. "It was a group effort."

She was quiet for a moment; her eyes were focused on Henry. Hook noticed her clenching her jaw tightly, and then releasing. She did it a couple times before speaking. "And Peter Pan…" she said at last, very quietly. "Is he really…dead?"

Hook nodded. "Appears so. I watched him get stabbed and then disappear, but technically Rumpelstiltskin died that time too, but he's back, so I guess anything's possible."

She was quiet.

"Was he a friend of yours?" He asked.

She let out a slight laugh and shook her head.

"You mentioned you spent time on Neverland," he said. "I wasn't sure…a lot of people found Peter Pan…enchanting, I suppose."

"I was not one of them," she said.

"Good to know," he said.

"Getting off that island was one of the best days of my life," she said.

"How did you get off?" he asked. "Pan didn't tend to let people leave that often."

She smiled. "Maybe one day I'll tell you," she said.

He frowned, but again he felt that there was more to her than she was letting him see, and even more frustrating, he felt certain that this wasn't the first time he had met her.

* * *

They had been sailing less than a day when the first of the pirates approached her. She had been keeping to the quarters she borrowed from the captain as Bae recommended, but she had so badly wanted to see the sunset. Pan never let her see the sunsets on Neverland. He told her they were a waste of time, things of dreams and dreamers, and he would put her back in her covered cage at twilight and then uncover her when he wanted her at night.

She was standing near the rail, gazing out at the sun's last reflection on the sea for the day, when she was approached. The pirate came toward her slowly, lumbering a little. She tried to offer him a smile, but the look in his eyes told her immediately what his intentions were. She glanced around the deck, but didn't see Bae anywhere. The pirate came closer, and she took a step back.

"It's 'bout time the Captain brings us a decent treat," he said.

She felt herself clutching at the blanket she had taken from the bed for warmth. "I think I should go," she said, and she started to turn away.

"Now why would you want to be doing that?" he asked. When she took another step backwards, he took hold of her arm.

"Let me go," she said, "please."

"I don't think you're in a place to be giving me commands, little missy," he said. "All you need to worry about is what you can do to make me happy."

He glanced over his shoulder, but she already knew that there was nobody there, she hadn't seen anybody when she came out a few minutes ago; that part of the deck was completely empty. When he looked back at her, he was grinning, more leering actually, she thought. He pushed her against the railing, pulling away the blanket and tossing it to the ground in one motion. She wished she could do something to fight him, but she could already feel the tears burning in her eyes, and the trembling set in. He pushed her long hair away from her neck and sniffed at her. She let out a gasp, almost like a yelp, and he clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't pretend like it's your first time, whore," he said. He pulled at the laces on the bodice of her dress, and she felt it slowly giving way.

Before he had a chance to move any farther though, she heard a familiar voice call out for her.

"Amelia!"

"Bea," she said, only barely breathing his name as he rushed over to where she was still pinned against the rail.

"Get the hell away from her!" He shouted, throwing his body weight full force at the pirate. He barely reached the pirate's shoulder, however, and didn't offer much threat.

"Who do you think you are, bossing me around, boy?" The pirate released his hold of Amelia briefly and shoved Bea to the ground. "Get lost before I bury my blade in your heart." He pulled a half sword from his belt and leveled it at Bea's chest.

Amelia clutched her loosened dress to her chest, tears now spilling down her cheeks. "Please go, Bea," she said. "It's okay, I'll be fine."

"I won't leave you," he said.

"Aye," the pirate said, "you will if you want to live. The captain brought a whore on the ship, that means she's fair game."

The pirate returned his attention to Amelia and began to lift her skirts.

"You will stop this instant," Hook said, speaking in a loud but controlled voice as he walked down from the upper deck.

Amelia saw his hook flash in the moonlight that was creeping up high into the night sky, but she couldn't bring herself to look at his face.

"Captain," the pirate said. One hand remained on her waist as he turned his head towards his captain. "You're interrupting."

"And you are disobeying," the captain said. "I will not repeat myself."

The pirate finally, slowly, let his hand slip away from her body. "Yes sir, Captain. My apologies."

As he took a couple steps away from her, Amelia felt her knees give out, and she sank to the deck, trembling head to foot. Hook approached her, but she still couldn't look at him.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She didn't respond.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

She remained silent.

"Amelia, can you stand?" he asked, finally raising his voice a little.

She nodded.

"Then please, let's return to my cabin where you can have your privacy," he said.

She glanced up and finally noticed that the other pirates had started to gather on the deck to watch the action. She held her dress tightly to herself and rose to her feet. Bae retrieved the blanket that had been cast aside and held it out to her. Before she had a chance to respond, Hook took it and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Come with me, sweetheart," he said. "No need to stay in the open with men who don't mind their manners." He scowled at the group of pirates who were now ogling her openly. "Baelfire, Smee, see that he is chained in the brig until morning." Hook said, motioning to the pirate that had put his hands on her. "I will deal with him then." Hook led her back to his cabin where she was staying and shut the door.

"Thank you," she said, once she had found her voice.

"You don't have to thank me," he said. "It's a captain's job to keep his crew in line."

"But you're a pirate," she said. "I thought all pirates were horrible scoundrels, only interested in cheating, lying, stealing, drinking, whoring…"

"You have a lovely opinion of us I see," he said.

"Sorry," she said. "I've only known a few."

"Well, I'm sorry they gave you the wrong impression."

"To be honest, I sort of feel that way about all men," she said.

"You're still a child," he said. "It seems unfair for you to already have your mind made up so strongly."

"I might seem young, but I've lived plenty," she said. "Trust me."

"How did a girl such as yourself ever end up in a place like Neverland?" Hook asked.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to answer that," she said.

"Neverland is for dreamers, people who are young at heart, people who never want to grow up, easily mislead…" he said. "You don't strike me that way."

"I came here by accident," she said, "and then leaving was more difficult than expected."

Hook didn't say anything for a moment, and she took his silence as a chance to begin retying the laces on her bodice. He sat on the edge of the bed, keeping his eyes carefully fixed on a spot in the corner of the room as she finished redressing.

"Amelia," he said, slowly. "May I ask you something…personal?"

"No," she said.

Hook smirked, and then laughed a little and shook his head. "I like you," he said. "You're tough."

"I have to be," she said.

"Not around me," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "All men say that," she said.

"I mean it," he said. "I'm sorry for what you've endured, but for as long as you're in my company, I will protect you. You have my word."

"And what is a pirate's word worth?" she asked.

"Where does all this bitter skepticism come from?"

She just smiled.

"I can see you are nowhere near ready to trust me," he said, standing as he spoke. "So, I will leave you now. Please promise me that you will at least trust me to protect you if you find protection necessary. I will deal with my crew appropriately, and you will not be bothered again as long as you are on my ship, I can guarantee it."

"Then why would I need protection?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said. "I just wanted to say it." He headed towards the door. "Sleep well, Amelia."

"Violetta," she said, quietly, just before he opened the door to leave.

"Pardon?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"My name," she said. "My real name."

He smiled. "Thank you. I have a feeling you don't share that often."

"I think I can trust you," she said.

He smiled and nodded. "Sleep well, Violetta."

The next morning, she woke later than usual and learned from Bae that the pirate who had assaulted her the previous night had walked the plank at sunrise. Apparently, Hook had made the entire crew witness the punishment and then warned them all they would suffer the same fate if they even considered touching the girl on board his ship, or questioning any of his orders.

"I'm sure that's made me popular among the crew," she said.

Bae shrugged. "They need to obey their captain, anyway," he said. He sat on the edge of the bed where she was still lying. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you last night."

"You were," she said.

"I should have been there sooner," he said. "You never should have been in that situation in the first place."

"I'm not your responsibility," she said. She sat up and smiled at him.

"I promised you I'd look after you," he said.

"Bae, you have looked after me. You've been taking care of me for months. If Peter knew how much you had done to help me after all the things he did…" she shook her head. "And most importantly, you finally got me off that terrible island! You saved me."

"Well, the Captain saved you really," he said. "I just helped you get to him. I'm sorry you had to leave your brother."

"He made his choice," she said.

"Did he know everything? Did he know what Pan was doing to you?" Bae asked. "I can't imagine he would have chosen to stay there if he knew…"

"He knew," she said. "Pan enjoyed boasting to his lost boys. They all knew." Her eyes burned with the memories. "He called me his little doll, like I was a toy for him to play with and then lock away when he was done…" She refused to let herself cry anymore.

"He's evil," Bae said. "Now I know why Wendy didn't want to stay."

"Who's Wendy?"

"A girl I used to know," he said. "She was the closest thing I ever had to a sister. Pan's shadow took her to Neverland once, but allowed her to return home if she promised him one of her brothers in return."

"You came in her place," she said. "That's why you're here."

He nodded.

"So it's not just me," she said. "You want to save all the helpless girls." She smiled, and he laughed.

"I don't like seeing people getting hurt," he said. "What Pan did to you…"

"Let's not talk about it anymore," she said. "He's not the first guy to take advantage of me, and I doubt he'll be the last to try. The important thing is that I'm fine, and away from him forever."

"Agreed," Bae said. "I won't mention it again."


	6. Chapter 6

"You seem nervous," Hook said. "Are you sure you still want to go? We don't have to. We could take a long walk instead."

She smiled at his concern. "A long walk?" she asked.

"Or just sit by the water and enjoy a drink together perhaps," he said.

"No," she said. "I want to go. I need to see more people. I can't hide from the town forever."

"If you insist," he said. "But if you want to leave at anytime, all you need to do is say the word, savvy?"

"And you'll rescue me from my social anxiety?" she asked.

"That's the idea, sweetheart," he said.

"I'll be sure and keep that in mind," she said.

He placed his hand on her back lightly and guided her up the steps. "Then here we go," he said, and they entered the mansion.

Lilah had never seen the mansion before, so she had no standard by which to compare it, but tonight it looked radiant. Candles glowed from enormous candelabras hanging above their heads and from stands in every corner of every room. Some even seemed to simply float like magic.

Many guests had already arrived by the time Hook and Lilah made their entrance and everyone seemed to stare at them as they made their way through the foyer and into the throng of guests.

Lilah was glad she had chosen the silky red dress, which she knew made her pale hair look more red than usual and her eyes more blue. She felt beautiful, but she also knew that people were more likely staring because of whom she had arrived with.

Red had told her about all the whispers in town about how close she and Hook had become. Lilah had told Red there was nothing between them like that, but Red remained unconvinced. She had confided in Lilah about Hooks' past and brief flirtations with Sheriff Swan. That knowledge made Lilah slightly uncomfortable, though she didn't know why it should matter. Regardless, she hadn't shared her new knowledge with Hook.

"Well, shall we go and wish the happy couple well?" Hook asked. He nodded his head towards the open double doors, which led into an adjoining ballroom. There was already a short line of guests waiting to greet the couple.

Lilah nodded, but didn't move immediately.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, still not moving.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

She offered him a smile and took the hand he was offering her. "Sorry, just a little nervous."

He led her into the line.

Her heart began to beat a little more rapidly in her chest, as they came closer to the front of the line. She wondered if she was making a mistake. Three people away, she started thinking of running away.

Two more people.

She had been waiting for so long, but now after all these years…

One more.

"Remember, her name is Belle," Hook said.

She nodded.

It was their turn.

"Hook," Belle said with a truly kind smile. "I'm glad you came."

Lilah almost felt bad for what she was about to do.

"Well, you asked so nicely," Hook said. He took her hand and kissed it.

"And I don't think we've actually met yet," Belle said, turning to Lilah. "I've heard only the nicest things though." She smiled. "I'm Belle, and this is my husband, Rum—"

"Actually, Rumpelstiltskin and I have already met," Lilah said. "When I heard he was married, I just had to meet his beautiful bride." She reached into her clutch and withdrew an ornate gold locket. "I wanted to give you something to celebrate your special day."

Belle took the locket cautiously.

"It's lovely," she said. "I can't accept it though. It must be of great value."

Before Belle had a chance to give it back, Rumpel grabbed it from her hand and began carefully scrutinizing the details.

"How did you come by this?" He asked her.

"It was a gift, years ago," she said. "I thought it was time to return it."

"It's not possible," he said. "You were just a child!"

"Children grow up," she said.

"But he would have killed you…everyone knew it! How did you survive? Or escape?" Rumpel asked.

"No thanks to you," she said. "You left me there, alone, helpless, cursed…" Her voice was rising.

"This is not the time or place to have this discussion," Rumpel said.

"I have waited almost two decades for this moment," she said.

"This is a party," he said.

Belle was frowning. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Yeah, what's goin' on here?" Hook asked. "You said you didn't know anyone in town."

"Please," Rumpel said. "Come visit me at my shop tomorrow. We can talk everything through."

She started to protest.

"You have my word," he said.

"What good is the word of a sorcerer?"

"I swear it on my love," he said. He took the locket and placed it in his pocket. "Now, please, enjoy the party."

Lilah turned from Rumpel swiftly, crossed the large hall and returned to the other side of the room. She could feel that her cheeks and neck were flushed, and her hands trembled slightly. She wanted to laugh, and cry, and scream all at once. She was only vaguely aware of Hook behind her, until he took hold of her arm.

"What the bloody hell was that?" He asked.

She couldn't quite bring herself to meet his gaze. "It's personal."

"Sorry, Sweetheart, that's not going to fly with me," he said. "You've been lying to me this whole time! I thought I could trust you."

"You can," she said.

"I thought I knew you," he said.

"You do," she said. "More than you know…you just don't know everything about my past, but I haven't lied to you."

"You never told me you knew the bloody Crocodile! Is he why you agreed to come here tonight? Did you even want to come with me?" he asked.

"Of course I wanted to come with you. I honestly hadn't thought much about seeing him tonight—I didn't think I would have the nerve. But I've been imagining it for so long…"

"Why?" he asked. "What did he ever do to you?"

"He ruined my life."

…

"I married at twelve," Lilah said. She began her story slowly, and only after Hook had poured her a generous glass of whiskey from her own collection—one of the few things she had made certain to stock when she moved in.

"That's hardly unusual for a beautiful, likely wealthy, young woman like yourself," he said.

"True," she said, "but my marriage was arranged…I was tricked into marrying a terrible man."

"Tricked?" he asked.

"My father had many debts, and many sons he needed to provide for, and unfortunately for me, he had only one daughter. A man came to my father, promising him that he had found a solution to all of his problems, if he would be willing to part with me so young."

"And he agreed, of course," Hook said.

She nodded. "He had to," she said. "The offer was too tempting to pass up. Not only did he agree to take me without a dowry, he also offered to pay my father a large sum to acquire me, as well."

"That's unusual," Hook said.

She shrugged.

"So you married this man?" He asked.

"No, not the man that proposed the offer, he was just a messenger; he worked for my husband. He told my father that the man who wished to marry me was a good man, wealthy, handsome, kind. Everything a girl could hope to find in a man."

"He wasn't though, was he?" Hook asked.

She smiled a little, but shook her head.

"I knew the moment I entered his house that I would one day need to find a way to leave him," she said. "It took me six months, and I have been running ever since."

"Why do you keep running?" he asked.

"When the messenger proposed the offer to my father, he brought him a necklace as a sign of good will from my husband-to-be. He said my future husband wanted me to wear it on our wedding day and all the days," she said. "It was a lovely piece, more beautiful than I had ever owned for myself, but he did not tell us the whole story." She took another drink, finishing her glass, and moved to fetch the bottle from the kitchen.

"And?" Hook asked. He sat up a little straighter on the velvet armchair to watch her as she poured herself another glass.

"The necklace was enchanted, or cursed, whichever way you want to look at it. It bound me to my husband. From the moment I accepted it and put it around my neck, I became his property," she said. "No matter how far I run, or how hard I try to hide, he can always find me."

"Why don't you just get rid of it?" he asked.

She laughed. "You think I haven't tried?"

He felt a little silly for asking. Of course she had tried.

"It always ends up back in my pocket, or my bag, or once I even woke with it bound around my neck so tightly I thought I would choke," she said. "I cannot be rid of it."

"That's what you gave to Rumplestiltskin tonight," he said.

She nodded. "I thought maybe in his possession the necklace wouldn't come back to me. So far it has worked."

"He was the messenger," he said.

She nodded again. "He looked different back then," she said. "His skin was shiny, like gold, and his eyes shimmered in this weird magically way that I'll never forget."

"He was the Dark One then," Hook said. "He still is, in his own way, but it's different here in this world."

"So, why did you run in the first place?" he asked.

She didn't answer, and he was afraid he had pushed her too far, asked for too much information. It wasn't necessarily fair for him to ask at all; she had a right to her secrets. She kept drinking, and he could tell it was starting to go to her head. Her cheeks were rosier, and her eyes shinier, but she still looked sad.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's none of my business."

She returned to the chair across from him and sat, now holding both her glass and the bottle. She offered him the bottle to refill his own glass, and he accepted it.

"The night we were married, I was terrified," she said. "I knew nothing of men, or making love, or being a wife…" she sighed. "He was a large man, powerful, frightening, and not at all handsome in the way that a young girl would dream of."

Hook felt a little uncomfortable hearing her story now that she had begun.

"And yet, he offered me my own room, promising me that he would never make me do anything I didn't want to do," she said. "I thought I had misjudged him, that he really would be the kind and wonderful husband that Rumpelstiltskin had promised. I went to sleep that first night almost…not happy, but accepting of the situation." She shook her head. "I don't know if it had been his idea of a mean joke, or if he had simply had too much to drink at the wedding party and forgot his promise, but he came to my room that night after I was asleep." She closed her eyes for a moment. "He no longer cared what _I_ wanted."

"Lilah…" he said, not sure what he wanted to say, but he felt the need to stop her before she resented him. "You don't have to tell me this."

She kept talking as though he hadn't said anything. "I tried to fight him off that first night, and for the three nights that followed, but it only made him angry more forceful with me. He would keep me locked in my room until the bruises faded and I was presentable enough for company again. After a week I stopped fighting him. When we had guests, which we often did, he was as kind as can be. He called me his "little dove" and would give me beautiful dresses and jewels to wear, so nobody suspected I was unhappy."

"Couldn't you have told your family?" He asked.

"They wouldn't have listened. My father was so thrilled to be out of debt, he was already traveling again, looking for a new, young wife to replace my mother who had died when I was younger. My brothers were looking for wives as well, now that they had a fortune to assure a decent marriage," she said.

"But you finally left him?" he asked. "You escaped. Rumple seemed surprised, like you should be dead."

"That's because he knew my Bluebeard's secret," she said.

"Bluebeard?" Hook asked.

"My husband's name," she said. "When we were married a little longer and he seemed to trust in my silence, he left me for a business trip. It wasn't the first time, but it was the longest. He had said he had things to see to across the sea." She finished her third glass of whiskey. He left me a ring of keys to the house and told me to spend my time enjoying his home, exploring what I had to yet see, and making it my home, but, there was one key on the ring he told me I must never use."

"That seems odd," he said.

She nodded. "He even told me what door it unlocked as though to make sure there would be no accidents."

"I assume you opened the door?"

"Wouldn't you?" she asked.

"Naturally," he said. "A pirate doesn't like being told not to do something."

She smiled. "Well, neither do I," she said. "I waited a day before opening it, and then I wished I hadn't."

"I'm assuming the room wasn't full of rubies and diamonds?" he asked.

"Not exactly," she said. "Before we had married, there had been rumors of his having married before, but nobody listened much to the rumors, because there had been no proof of other marriages or wives."

"Good god…"

"I found the proof," she said.

"Were they all…" he couldn't finish his thought out loud.

She nodded. "Eight women, or bodies rather, each strung up by their feet from the beams of the ceiling. Their bodies seemed to have been magically preserved somehow, because they weren't rotting, and the blood continually flowed from the cuts around their throats and wrists. I never did have a chance to ask him about that…"

"Eight?"

"They were all beautiful, fairly young, though I was clearly the youngest," she said. "I wanted to cut them all down and bury them, or burn them, I'm not sure, but something about seeing them that way…knowing that would be his intention with me eventually…" she wan't crying, but her voice cracked slightly now when she spoke. "I wanted to flee, but my husband surprised me and returned that same afternoon. Thinking about it, I assume it had all been a trick on his part just to catch me in the act of betraying him. He knew I had used the key instantly. I had blood on my hands and shoes. He locked me in my room and told me I would join the others by the end of the day."

"How did you escape?"

"The youngest of my three brothers came to visit unexpectedly. My husband tried to send him away, telling him I was unwell and resting in my room, but when he left, his horse passed beneath my window and I threw a letter down to him. He saw it and stormed back into the house, sword drawn. I was surprised, to be honest, that he was able to overpower my husband. I think he had the benefit of surprise in his attack. He freed me and we rode away, never looking back, though we could hear my husband assembling his hunting hounds and servants to follow us."

"You outran them?"

"Not on our own. One of the last gifts I had from my mother, other than the ring I mentioned before, was a magical bean. She said it had been given to her by her mother, and so on. No one knows where it came from originally, it was just something given to the women of the family for luck. I was never without it. I never expected to use it, but I knew I had no other choice now. My brother came with me, and we never went back."


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Fantasy, Romance