our little life (rounded with a sleep) / chapter 8
our little life (rounded with a sleep)
chapter eight [8/12]
AO3
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful detective. She had blonde hair, green eyes, no family, and she was good at finding people; in fact, she proclaimed this on her office door. âSwan and Humbert,â it said. âPrivate investigations, missing persons, and bail bonds.â
Only lately, sheâs been thinking that maybe it should say âEmma Swan: Loner, Loser, Complicated wreck.â
Her partnerâs been killed on a case after she made a deal with her landlord to find what had been taken from him. But when she tracks a possible perp to a bar on the outskirts of town, Emma will find out exactly how deep the rabbit hole goes.
as always, to my mythical beauties, @thisonesatelliteâ, @profdanglaisstuffâ, @katie-dubâ: letâs have cold-brewed tea on the terrace. maybe hester will even share her blanket.
to @captainswanbigbangâ: thank you so much for all of your work making this event a reality.
cw: canonical character death
rating: T/M (implied violence, language)
word count: Â ~4.8k
AO3
chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four | chapter five | chapter six | chapter seven
chapter summary:
Following their confrontation with the Mad Hatter, Emma needs a break.  She isnât worried, though.
Emma doesnât worry, justâsheâs already lost Graham. She isnât going to let anyone else die on this case, whether that was Captain Hook or the Big Bad Wolf. Whichâmaybe Ruby could bring snacks.
Liam was wary, though he let his brother pull him into a half-embrace, one arm draped across his shoulder. Henry was thrilled.
âI knew it,â he said. âI knew you were Captain Hook, didnât I, Emma?â
âYeah, kid,â Emma said. âYou really did.â She could feel Hookâs eyes on her as she ruffled Henryâs hair; just for an instant, his expression changed.
The look you get when youâve been left alone.
âIâm hungry,â Henry said.
âIâll call Ruby,â Emma said, smiling at him, before her gaze wandered back behind the bar. Hookâs face was, one again, impassive, and the grin he flashed was the one she knew he reserved for the co-eds.
Emma had just hung up the phone after giving orders to a protesting RubyââJust, like, a fuckton of grilled cheese and onion rings and whatever else, Red, bring it over to The Rabbit Hole as soon as humanly possibleââwhen she heard Henry speaking to Hook. Mary Margaret had brought him over to the bar, watching him with curiosity.
âI donât think youâre a villain,â Henry said, his voice earnest and serious.
Hook looked quickly at Emma, then at Liam, who was sitting next to Henry, and then at Henry himself before he seemed able to find words. âIs that so, lad?â
Liam wasnât quite facing his brother, but Emma could see that he was leaning, just slightly, toward Henry.
âYeah,â Henry said. âI mean, I know you did a lot of bad stuff.â
âI did,â Hook said quietly. He looked at Emma over Henryâs head.
âI havenât lived a good life, and Iâve done worse things than you can ever imagine.â
âYou lost your True Love,â Henry said. âIt made you go dark. But I donât think thatâs who you are anymore. I think youâve changed.â
Liam had shifted, facing Henry. His expression was speculative.
âI was given a gift: To wake up, for twenty-eight years, and not dread the day before it began. To live the same day, over and over, and to welcome it, because I felt like someone alive.â
âBut my constant pursuit of revengeâfor the death of the crocodileâleft my life empty. Thatâs the thing about revenge, you see: itâs an end, not a beginning.â
Emma walked up behind Henry, putting her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. Then, she put her hand on the bar, next to Hookâs, their fingers so close as to nearly be touching. He wasnât looking at her; he was looking at their hands on the wooden surface, and she had to angle her head so that their eyes met. She heard but did not register Mary Margaretâs intake of breath.
Hook cleared his throat and said, âWell. I need a drink. Anyone else?â
(full chapter below the cut)
