On Stranger Tides

Chapter 5

Hook seemed to be in pain after Black Beard's crew left, his right hand was glued to his neck. The captain and his crew were sitting in the dining quarters drinking rum and eating dried snacks. They were celebrating their recent victory thanks to a little blonde lass that had just come aboard. He sat away from everyone else holding his neck, trying not to make it too obvious he was in pain. Emma watched him as she was drinking with the rest of the crew, she could tell that something was not right. Emma and Hook made eye contact and that's really when she knew that he was not entirely okay. She also knew that he would not be the first to leave his crew behind, and would not let them know that he was hurt. Emma strode from her chair and started to make her way above deck, on her way she whispered to Hook, follow me. Hook couldn't disobey the lady, so he followed her. As soon as they were both standing right in front of each other Emma pulled his only hand away from his neck. What she saw wasn't what she expected, there was more blood.

"If I learned one thing tonight, always have your sword during a pirate fight," he said laughing.

"How do you find humor in this? You have been cut across the neck, at least it's not too deep." She said examining the cut. "Come I'll help you clean it up," Emma said. She would do anything for the crew if it meant they would truly accept her for who she really was and not just her title. Emma led Hook down to his quarters where she knew he would have something to help the wound. All she needed; a bowl of water, rags, and rum. Emma sat him on the edge of his bed. "It could get infected, but this will help." She said as she took his rum from his pocket and poured it on some rags, then placing it on his neck. He winced in reply.

"Bloody Hell!" He yelled but Emma ignored his remarks. As soon as he calmed down she held a clean rag to his neck, to make sure the bleeding had stopped. As she held the rag to his throat he watched her mannerisms; how she held herself her motions, gestures and her actions towards others. He wondered how such a beautiful young lady had learned to fight and wanted to know how she ended up to be by herself. Hook could tell that she was hiding something because she had the same look in her eyes that he so often found himself having. She was lost. "Where did you learn your fighting skills? I already knew you were good with a sword but the way you led those cannons was something I have never seen before." He asked wondering if she would answer his many questions. This startled Emma, she couldn't look into his eyes for she feared the truth would just come pouring out.

"The cannons aim is just like a bow and arrow. I learned everything I knew from my father." Emma said, not completely lying.

"Your father must be a knight to know all that," he remarked.

"No, just a poor Shepard," Emma lied, again. Although her father was a shepherd before he became a prince.

"You're a shepherd's daughter? Far too beautiful, just to be a shepherd's daughter." He said.

"I guess I lucked out."

"I want to know how a shepherd's daughter ended up stealing from princesses." Emma was getting tired of the questions, but the captain had to trust her so she could stay on the ship.

"I ran away, my family doesn't understand me. They want me to be something that I'm not."

"What do they want you to be?" He asked, but he had a feeling that was the last question he was going to get out of Emma.

"They want me to be something I can't be, a leader. Now enough with the questions." Emma replied with a hint of frustration.

"Just trying to figure you out, love. Although, you seem to be a bit of an open book."

"How so?" Emma asked.

"You're lost, you have been blinded by a broken heart, that's why you won't open up to anybody. You have these walls. Now tell me, have you ever been in love?"  He asked, that being his last question. Emma room a long time to answer. She ripped the rag that was on his neck from his skin, it had almost been dried by the blood. Hook winced at the sudden movement. 

"No, I have never been in love." That was a lie.

"Very well, love," Hook nodded his head, he wasn't going to push her. He knew that she had to trust him first before she told the truth but, that was okay as he had his secrets too. Too many secrets, he couldn't even count. No matter how hard he tried they always tried to catch up to him, but he did whatever he could to keep them away. Hook understood Emma, they seemed to be more alike than they were different.

"What about you Hook? Have you been in love?" She asked, now she was trying to push his buttons. 

"Nah," he shrugged, "No one worth my time, only one night stands." He lied too.

The two of them both hiding their true identity talked through the night with their masks on. It was much easier to lie than, to tell the truth. They had begun to get so involved in the role that for a second they almost forgot their true identity. Hook and Emma got along quite well, they mostly went back and forth with playful banter and flirtatious smirks. Emma had caught herself getting too involved in this role as runaway shepherd's daughter gone rogue and Hook had realized that his flirtatious charming self was covering up his real dry humor. This wasn't who they were. The conversations eventually died, and they both said their goodbyes. Neither one of them slept, they were each trying to decipher each other.  

Emma thought to her past, she was so scared that someone was going to find out about what she did with a once special boy named Baelfire. She wondered if the Captain too had something he was hiding other than what she had seen in the journals. But if she wanted to stay here on this ship, her past and true identity may need to be revealed in order to gain these men's trust. She really did want to stay. In just the few days she had been on board the Jolly Roger she had felt more involved and more alive than she ever had, she was having fun and was finding her true self. This was a path that she was sure she had chosen right. It wasn't perfect and some days it was hard to get along with all the men, but it was different, new, and full of constant adventure, something that Emma had wanted for so many starless nights.