Once Upon a Time in Storybrooke - OUAT DR

Chapter 6 - The Diplomat

When we got to the base of the beanstalk, Hook told us the tale of the "evil" giants and plundered lands they accessed using the magic beans they grew - how they were the villains with the biggest and meanest of them still up there. "Up there" being where we needed to go to get the bloody compass. 

Hook also explained that said compass would guide us to our land and that Cora had the means to open a portal using the wardrobe ashes but not locate our land. Once we retrieved the compass, we would steal the ashes from her, and be on our way to Storybrooke. 

His reasoning for why we should trust him? We were "safer company than Cora," and all he was interested in was "a ride back," willing to "swear allegiance to whoever got him there first."  

That's when Captain Sassy Pants informed us that the beanstalk was protected by some kind of spell that repelled intruders, but luckily for us, he stole a counter spell from Cora he would be happy to share if we only released him from his bonds. I looked to Snow, who nodded her head ever so slightly, and I walked over to him to untie his hands and free him. 

His flirting, however, was not appreciated, and no we're not going to talk about how my stomach fluttered wildly despite myself. He had only one other wrist cuff and asked which of us "beautiful ladies" would be accompanying him. 

Bastard.

I knew I'd volunteer to climb - because out of all of us, I was the expendable one (at least in my mind). Emma and Snow both had someone to go home to, Mulan and Aurora had each other, it was my time to step up and prove my worth, and I would. 

I had had enough of sitting on the sidelines and letting the others take the lead.

When Emma & Snow tried to argue my decision I told them to let me do this, Henry needed Emma to survive and get back to him, Charming was waiting for Snow, but there was nobody waiting for me back home, and it was time I proved myself and they let me take the lead. Although they didn't seem very happy with the situation, they let me go without protest. 

I asked Mulan if she had anything that would help with a giant - or Hook, which got me a disgruntled "Hey!" from where he stood by the beanstalk - and she pulled me aside and gave me a bag of powder made from poppies that, if the giant inhaled, should be enough to knock him out. I told her, looking over at my mom and sister, that if I wasn't back in ten hours she should cut down the beanstalk with her sword and move on without me. The most important thing to do was get Emma and Snow home - if something went sideways up there I didn't want them to wait around for me. She said they wouldn't be happy but she'd do as I asked.

I went over to Killian, who was getting impatient, ready to get the cuff and get this over with. When Killian grabbed my arm and put it on his shoulder, shamelessly flirting with me the entire time he took to put the cuff on my wrist, I played it off with an eye-roll - but my heart was hammering and my insides were filled with butterflies. 

His voice and those eyes... it just wasn't fair! How could I ever hope to stand a chance against them?

What nobody knew was that I had a long-standing fascination with pirates, and I couldn't shake the weird connection I felt with him, and wanted to explore it further. 

But this wasn't about him, or the weird feelings I may or may not have been having, this was about getting the compass and getting my family home and reunited.

Hook warned of the other dangers aside from the climb, but to fear not, for I had him to protect me.

I rolled my eyes again and he laughed.

He asked for his hook to be returned so he wouldn't have to climb the beanstalk one-handed and I dug through the bag until I found his hook and thrust it and the bag at him as punishment for his earlier flustering, but giving it to him nonetheless. I had to admit, seeing him as himself with his hook and his pirate garb, well, I could see why he had the confidence to flirt as shamelessly as he did.