Captain Swan One Shots

The Trouble With Assuming

Summary: After Killian saves Emma's life while climbing the beanstalk, he believes she owes him. 

Rating: G

Note: Here's the story I contributed to Volume 2 of the CS StoryBook from Tumblr. It contains deleted scenes from 2x06 "Tallahassee".  As we say goodbye to CS, it's nice to revisit how it all began!  Hope you enjoy it!

...The Trouble With Assuming: Part 1/1...

Emma and Hook had made it halfway up the beanstalk when she turned to him.

"I'm not the only one who's an open book," she said.

Hook cocked an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah."

"Do tell," he said.

"You didn't recognize the look in my eye because you'd seen it in the Lost Boys.  You recognized it because you see it every time you look in the mirror."

Killian stared at her for a long moment and then dropped his eyes.  "I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about.  You know what it feels like to be abandoned too.  It takes one to know one."

Killian slowly bobbed his head and then finally shrugged in defeat.  "So you've found me out.  Congratulations."

"Care to share?" she asked.

"Not particularly."

"It would explain a lot," she countered.

He chuckled bitterly. "Ah, the pirate thing again."  Hook paused for a long moment and then sucked in a deep breath as he forced himself to meet her eyes. "My mother died when I was a young boy."

"I'm sorry," she said, noticing a flicker of pain flash across his eyes.

"My father was left to raise me and my older brother, Liam.  But he had been broken by my mother's death and he was lost.  He promised us we would sail the world and we set off on a ship. But when we woke, we found he had abandoned us to evade capture for crimes he had committed.  And he had sold us into slavery."

Emma's eyes widened in shock.  She knew the story wouldn't be a pretty one, but she hadn't seen that ending coming. 

"I'm really sorry you and your brother had to go through that.  No child should have to endure such a terrible thing."

He cocked his head to the side, tightening his grip on the beanstalk, and shrugged his shoulders. "It was long ago."

"Wounds like that don't heal quickly or easily. They linger.  I should know."

Hook dropped his eyes again.  "Perhaps we should continue our climb while there is still daylight.  It will be growing dark soon."

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but snapped it shut when he began to climb again.

...

They climbed in silence until they had nearly reached the top.  Emma moved her foot to gain a foothold, but lost her balance and slipped.  She reached out to grab onto the beanstalk, but couldn't as she began to fall backwards. 

Emma screamed and Hook's movements froze at the sound of her voice.  His head whipped down, his eyes widening in fear as he saw Emma falling backwards, hands clawing desperately at the air.  He reacted quickly, bending back and stretching his left arm out toward her. 

His hook suddenly appeared before her eyes and she quickly grasped it, clutching it for dear life. 

"Hold on, love," Hook said, as he strained to hold her weight.