… in which Zelena makes good on a threat, Regina makes a startling discovery, and everyone keeps making the wrong assumptions, much to Emma’s annoyance.
Post-Neverland AU where Pan did not escape Pandora’s Box and Emma tries to come to grips with her strange new life featuring pirates, parents, and flying monkeys. Catch up here, or on ao3!
And major thanks to @businesscasualprincess for helping my figure out that last scene - any credit should be hers, any blame is mine ;)
Killian does not find any answers during the night. He does manage to get through almost all of the material he brought with him before finally throwing in the towel at dawn, and getting a half-hour’s sleep before going down for breakfast and more research.
Coffee helps. So does the bright electric light, and Granny’s comments, which always keep him on his toes.
“You look exhausted,” she tells him irritably as she refills his cup.
“And you look as lovely as ever,” he counters.
Granny is not charmed. “Don’t change the subject. You should go back upstairs, get some sleep. You won’t be any use when you’re falling asleep.”
“I don’t intend to fall asleep,” he assures her. “I’m fine.”
It’s only a little untrue. “Fine” is something else, but “fine” isn’t a possibility at the moment, even if he sleeps for a week. But he’s captained his ship through storms on less sleep than this.
“Y’know Emma’s not gonna think much of your devilish good looks today, either,” Granny tells him bluntly, the provocation clear.
“She never does,” Killian retorts. “I’ve given up my efforts in that regard.”
Granny snorts with laughter. “Of course you have.”
As soon as he can, he makes his escape from the diner and gets back to work. By the time Belle and Ruby join him, he’s almost finished looking through his stack of journals and papers. By the time Henry shows up, he knows that there’s no answer in there.
Nothing except a confirmation that Zelena’s curse works, and that his selfishness is to blame for it.
He shouldn’t love Emma. He doesn’t, really, does he? Love is selfless, even he knows that. What he feels isn’t real love, it’s a pretension of it.
And maybe, just maybe, if he can manage to get rid of his feelings for her, the curse won’t work anymore. He needs to get over this infatuation of his, accept that there are things that simply aren’t in the cards for Captain Hook, and stop dragging good people down with him.
He hates this plan. Unfortunately, so far, it’s the only one he’s got.