A Change In The Wind: Captain Swan

Mighty Fine Shindig

Chapter 5: Mighty Fine Shindig

Looking back, maybe speaking up wasn't the best course of action. Well, it's not like Emma said it loudly or anything. It was more of a mutter. Clearly she didn't say it softly enough because now Hook and Pete are both glaring at her. There are two ways to play this: the 'oops did I say something' dumb blonde routine or Emma could go all in. She chooses the latter.

"You heard me." Emma leans forward towards Pete. "Bullshit."

"Swan," Hook tries to carefully warn her to back off without signaling to Pete that Emma is disobeying him. If Pete thinks that the great Captain Hook can't keep one meager woman in line, there is no way Hook would get a fair price off this deal. If he would be getting any deal at all.

Emma ignores Hook and keeps her focus trained on Pete, who is doing his best at looking outraged and hurt. "You see, Pete, I've got a special talent, some may call it a superpower. I can tell whenever someone is lying. Today, that someone appears to be you."

Pete scoffs and crosses his arms, glowering at Emma before looking at Hook. "Those are the terms. Let me aboard your ship to return to my family - "

"Try again." Emma cuts in.

Pete continues talking as if Emma didn't interrupt him, "and you can have what you want. I won't try to charge you anything else or bring you any trouble."

"Wow, there's another one." Emma is a little impressed that Pete keeps trying. The bail jumpers who folded easily when Emma would confront them were never that exciting. She likes a challenge, and at the table, she currently has two challenges in front of her: Hook and Pete.

Hook is torn between ignoring Emma and taking what she is saying seriously. Like he warned her, Pete is not a trustworthy character. The question is do you extend some trust to an untrustworthy character or do you go with the pretty blonde who fell out of the sky.

"Captain Hook, I don't know who this wench is, but I assure you she is the liar." Pete isn't prepared for the look of outrage on both Hook and Emma's faces.

Emma does her best to rein in her anger. She has been called all sorts of names before, but never a wench. Then again, wench isn't a term used a lot in the real world. Usually the guys she goes after like to call her a bitch, which rhymes with wench, so hey, the fairytale world criminals aren't too far off base.

Hook isn't concerned about keeping his anger in control. It looks like he is weighing the pros and cons of killing Pete right there on the spot. The internal debate doesn't last long. He wraps his hook around Pete's neck, practically pulling him onto the table. "You should know better than to insult my woman in front of me."

"If I were you, I would just hand over whatever the hell Hook wants before this goes south for you." Emma states. She keeps her eyes on Pete, not trusting herself to look over at the captain. The phrase 'my woman' keeps repeating in her mind. For a minute there, she likes it and the sense of safety that comes along with it. Despite the fact that she has taken care of herself for 28 years, she is far out of her element here, wherever exactly here is. In fact, it might be a good thing to stay in Hook's good graces. Aside from the whole waking up in his bed naked thing, he hasn't done anything to hurt her. He's protected her, not that she needs protection. Being protected is not something Emma Swan is used to. Sure, Henry claims that Snow White and Prince Charming, her parents, were protecting her when they sent her away. To Emma, what they did was abandon her, just like everyone else has in her life. There's no reason why Hook would not do the same. Emma Swan is made to be left, but at least she knows it.

Pete gasping for air snaps Emma back into reality. "You didn't think I came alone, did you?"

Hook laughs and jerks Pete forward. "You do realize who I am, right? I love a good brawl."