The Story Untold: The Pirate & The Princess

Chapter Six: Emma

“I don’t trust him, dad. Something is off,” I say.

“He wouldn’t tell us anything. He needs more prodding, daddy. I think you should go in with me. We need to break him down,” Eliza says. I can’t believe how good she is at interviewing and running the little town. You would think that she was the sheriff, not me.

“Good luck, you two. If anyone has a shot at this pirate spilling the beans, it’s you Eliza,” I say supportingly. I love her already, and I didn’t even know she existed. I had a feeling, but that’s a story for another day.

As my sister and father walk to the interrogation room, I head for the holding cell. This cell is were we, the Charmings, are holding the pirate sister. I need to befriend her. If I don’t, we won’t get an inside scoop on the pirates plans.

I smile at the girl, not much younger than me. She shies away, then looks up with a menacing look. She doesn’t trust me.

“Hello. What’s your name, again? I’m Emma, I just want to help,” I say. The first part was a little too sharp, but then I used the same voice I use when talking to Henry.

“I don’t need your help! Let me go, that’s what I need,” the pirate demands.

I laugh, and say, “You’re not going anywhere. I need a friend. You can be that friend. Besides, I only trust pirates.”  

“Now it’s my turn to laugh. You don’t act like a person who trusts anything as far as you can throw them. I don’t trust you. Go away. I’m not saying anything! The only one around here that seems trustworthy is nowhere to be found,” the pirate girl replies.

I cock my eyebrow. ‘Only one that seems trustworthy is nowhere to be found.’ What could that mean? Does she mean Snow, or Charming, or Eliza? Eliza and Snow seem to have that ‘magic’ touch. I need to figure out who she’s talking about.

“Who seems trustworthy to you? The man? The young woman? Someone else you might have encountered in this town,” I ask, in a demanding tone.

The girl shakes her head, laughing and says, “You just don’t get it, do you? I will never be your friend. You don’t deserve it. Therefore, my secrets are just that...mine. You will NEVER get a word out of me.”  

I snarl at her, slapping my hand onto the metal table and say, “Fine. You can go back into your cell until the day YOU decide to talk. Until then, have a nice day, well night.”

The pirate girl visibly shakes. She’s terrified, but not scared enough to talk.

“Got anything you want to say before I put you away,” I ask.

She keeps her mouth shut. Ok. She has nothing to say. I shove her into her cell and wait behind my desk until my sister and father are done.

I don’t wait long, before my sister comes prancing in. Based on her actions and look on her face, they got something out of that pirate.

“Good news,” I ask.

“Great news,” replies my father.

“Yeah! I got him to talk,” Eliza says, with a little too much excitement.

“Well, what did he say? How did you get him to talk,” I ask, curious.

“He told us that he’s here on a ‘business trip’. He needed his sister to come so that he would remain focused on the task at hand, well ‘hook’ is what he said. We could tell that he was telling a partial truth. He lied about the business trip part. The other part about his sister being here is true. He needs her to help him be a ‘better man’. Eliza got information coaxed out of him about the poisonous plant. He said that he has the plant with him, but doesn’t plan on hurting anyone, just his crocodile. Whatever or whoever that is, we need to find out. We couldn’t get him to tell us anything else. He was starting to make suggestive comments to Eliza, and completely avoided the questions asked,” Charming replies.

“This pirate says that his sister’s name is Keira. If one of us can befriend her, than we might get all the information we need,” Eliza says.

“I already tried that. She doesn’t trust anyone but one person. I’m guessing it’s her brother. Either way, we need to figure out who or what this ‘crocodile’ is,” I say.

“We need to know the pirate’s past then. It may very well be someone in this town,” Charming says.

“I know just the man for the job,” Eliza states, with a smile on her face.

“Oh? And who might that be,” I ask.

“Your future brother-in-law. Jefferson,” Eliza says.

“What!? Jefferson? How would he be any help,” Charming exclaims.

“He knew what was going on during and before the curse. He can travel through to different worlds. If one man knows, it’s him,” Eliza says.

“What about Rumpelstiltskin? He knows everything,” Charming and I say at the same time.

“Rumple makes deals. All he cares about is himself. I don’t trust him and definitely do NOT want to owe him. Jefferson is trustworthy. He’ll do anything for me. He loves me, I love him. We trust each other,” Eliza says.

“I understand where you’re coming from, but how do we know to trust him,” I say.

“Emma, that’s enough. I understand true love. I’ve known Jefferson for a long time. Before the curse, he could not be trusted. But now, after the curse has broken, he is. Love changes people, mostly for the better,” Charming says.

“Fine. Eliza and I will go talk to Jefferson. You stay here, dad, and make sure the pirates don’t try to escape. Call back-up if you need it,” I say, mad at my father for talking to me like I’m a child.