Hooked (Hook's Daughter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Twelve

Milah woke with a start the following morning, and panicked slightly at the sight of the unfamiliar room. Her head was pounding and she felt sick. She had definitely had too much to drink the night before. The man who lay beside her in bed stirred and everything which had happened last night came back in a torrent of adrenaline.

The pirate blinked away the dust in his eyes as he woke and gazed up at Milah.

"Morning love," the captain said, his voice hoarse with from the night's sleep. "Ready to set sail?" Her mind flickered to Bae. She thought of him, still sleeping in his small cot by the fire, his black hair glistening in the firelight. Then she thought of the husband with his knarled knee and cowardly ways who would wake him and her mind was made.

"Yes," she smiled, looking over at him. He leant forward, eyes closed and she brought her head forward to join him. Just as their lips touched, they were jolted apart as one of the sailors knocked on their door.

"Captain!" the voice from behind cried. "We've got company." The captain grimaced and opened his eyes, his frustration evident.

"I'll be up," he called back then looked to Milah. "We'll resume this later. For now, stay here." She nodded and watched the pirate dress himself. He buttoned up a white shirt and pulled a vest over his head before pulling on his black trousers and boots. Finally he donned his long, leather coat and left.

"On your feet for the Captain," one of his crew called as he reached the top deck and he emerged from the dimness to the  bright sky of the morning. His eyes fell to a crumpled figure on the deck of his ship and watched a member of his crew haul him to his feet, thrusting him his walking stick to support himself. The captain recognised him immediately.

"I- I remember you," the man said, trembling, "fr- from the bar." The pirate smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"It's always nice to make an impression," he retorted to his mates' racous laughter. "Where are my manners?" Killian continued, becoming serious. "We haven't been formally introduced. Killian Jones. Now what are you doing aboard my ship?"

"W- well you have my wife," the man stuttered out. Killian thought of the beautiful woman lying in his bed with her curved body and tumbling black locks and smirked.

"I've had many a man's wife."

"No, you... you see," the man protested, "we... we have a son, and he needs his mother."

"And see," the captain replied, "I have a ship full of men who need... companionship." The crew around him agreed loudly, yet he knew they wouldn't dare try anything while he was still captain.

"I- I'm begging you," the man pleaded. "Please let her go."

"I'm not much for bartering," Killian responded, then reconsidered after remembering what Milah had told him the night before. "That said, I do consider myself an honorable man, a man with a code. So... if you truly want your wife back ..." he tossed a sword towards the man and it landed with a metallic clatter on the lower deck, "all you have to do is take her." Rumplestiltskin looked surprised as he stared down at the sword, yet didn't bend down to pick it up. "Never been in a duel before, I take it?" Killian deduced, smirking. This was the man who injured himself to flee the the ogre wars. He would be easy pickings, even if he did venture to pick up the sword. "Well, it's quite simple, really. The pointy end goes in the other guy. Go on. Pick it up." There was a pause as Killian continued to watch the man do nothing. "A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."

"Please, sir," Rumplestiltskin cried, his voice breaking. "What am I gonna tell my boy?" Killian considered this for a moment.

He knew what it was like to lose a parent - his father abandoned him when he was young and had probably died among the rocks that same night. Yet he had grown stronger that night. Stronger thanks to the knowledge that his father was a coward fleeing from justice.

"Try the truth," the pirate said. "His father's a coward."