Cloudless Skies

Chapter 7

Killian knew that he had to win Emma's heart. He was going to make her love him. He knew that she just needed some persuasion. A nudge. He took a red rose from the vase of flowers in his room, and took the black ribbon from the vase, and tied it around the stem of the flower. He took it to her room and placed it on her bed. He quickly got out of there before he was seen. He walked along the deck with his hands in his pockets. A man stormed down the deck with an angered expression on his face. His clothes were splashed with some sort of liquid. As he passed by Killian, he pushed him, running into his shoulder as he walked.

"Even gutter rats have more manners than you just displayed," Killian yelled angrily.

The man turned around. "I-I'm sorry, sir. A maid just spilled champagne all over my suit. I need to change."

Killian's eyes lit up. "A maid? What did she look like?"

"I don't know. They all look the same to me. I have to go."

Killian clenched his fists at his sides and tried to find this maid. Something inside him told him that it was Emma. He looked all over the ship but couldn't find her. He was about to go below deck to look for her when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw the woman Emma was talking to the other night before dinner began.

"I'm Mary Margaret," she introduced herself. "Emma is... Preoccupied but she wanted me to thank you for the rose."

"Wait, what's wrong with her?"

"It's nothing."

"No, what is it?"

Mary Margaret sighed. "All I know is that she is injured."

Panic spread across his face. "What happened? Who hurt her? Where is she?"

"She's in her cabin."

Killian didn't stick around to hear more. He ran down to Emma's cabin. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and knocked on the door.

"Go away, Mary Margaret! I don't need anything," Emma hollered from inside.

"It's not Mary Margaret, love," Killian said. He heard shuffling from inside and the door opened a moment later. "Swan."

"What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you. Can I come in?"

"It wouldn't be best," she said and clutched her side, wincing in pain.

"What happened?"

"A guy ran into me and I spilled champagne all over him. He kicked me and I think he broke one of my ribs."

"Bastard," Killian mumbled.

"That's what I said."

"Can I see?" She swallowed nervously and nodded. He lifted her shirt up and looked at her side. A purplish bruise was starting to form. "Swan," he said gently. He removed his fingers and laid a gentle kiss to the bruise, then pulled her shirt down. "Quit this job and come with me."

She turned to face him and looked him in the eyes. "I can't."

"Why? Because you don't love me or because you're afraid you are going to catch feelings for me?"

"Leave."

"Love-"

"Now!"

He nodded and kissed her head and left the room. He shut the door with silent tears streaming down his cheeks. Suddenly, he heard a slow clapping sound. He pressed his ear to the door and his tears stopped as his curiosity grew.

"Well done, Emma." He tried not to gasp. He knew that voice anywhere. His father.

"I did what you asked," Emma said. She gasped in pain. "Now give me what I need."

"You're job isn't finished. I said that you had to break his heart."

"I did under your orders."

"As long as he is still in love with you, you will get nothing."

"Why can't you just let him be happy? If he is happy with me, why are you trying to keep us apart?"

"My son needs to marry Regina in order for us to keep our wealth. I can't have some poor maid distracting him from what he is really supposed to do. Besides, if you haven't gone and caught feelings for him, then this wouldn't be so hard, now would it?"

"I wish feelings can be helped, but they can't."

"Of course they can. Love is a disease. He will learn to love Regina, just not as long as his heart belongs to you. You will crush him or else."

"Or else you'll kill me."

"No. I will kill him. I will still get Regina's fortune if he is dead."

"You'd do that to your own son?"

"He is not my son."

Killian felt betrayed. He backed away from the door and trudged back to his cabin. So many thoughts ran around in his head. Why was his father here? Where was he staying? Had he been watching him and Emma the entire time? Who exactly was his father? What was Emma going to get out of all of this? He needed answers to all of these questions. He knew he couldn't say anything to Emma about this, because then he would be putting her life in danger.

The week was coming to an end. Killian knew he had to think of a plan if he was going to make Emma fall in love with him. He also had to take care of his father.

As the trumpets blared, signaling dinner time, he smirked. His plan was coming together now. He knew what he had to do in order to get his answers, and to keep the woman of his dreams.