Chapter 15

Emma looked at the prince and smiled a bit as she gave a nod. "You're welcome." She said after a moment, her eyes turning towards her father with a nod but she didn't say anything else as she offered a tiny smile before she looked at the town. She could still remember some of being here. How after she was left alone on the ship, she hadn't felt so lonely once a certain woman had taken her in, that there for a while she had felt safe and at home, knowing she didn't have to be afraid. That was until she got older and chose to sail off on her own but of course, she would always come back to visit, to see the woman who took her in even if she couldn't replace her parents, but Emma always kept an eye on the woman, always writing letters and getting a response back which was hidden in a box under her bed in her cabin. But due to her reputation she chose to keep the woman a secret, not wanting the one person who care for her to be injured...or worse. She had at least felt somewhat loved and this is also where she ended up getting her reputation. Where she had done her first kill on a pirate who had been talking bad of her family and Emma always had a temper and she lost it. Beating on the pirate till he was dead.

"I know the owner of a tavern. We will be able to get a good meal and beers if you all wish to sleep some more." Emma said, knowing the tavern was ran by the woman who took her in.

The tavern located in the town was rather quiet, even if the town was busy, it's client attraction stumbling after the reputation it received years ago, however this Tavern was now a place only a few pirates went to, some liked to exchange rumours, stories, areas for loot or even raiding, as did some of the normal people in the town. It was mostly used for it's rooms, for travellers just passing through, it was still a highly rated, and pretty nicely built Tavern, but after the incident that happened it was never the same.

The Tavern's name, The Forgotten Haven, was etched into a thick slab of wood that had been etched into the wood, melted metal filling the gaps so when it hardened the letters were silver, or used to be once upon a time. Now the silver lettering had become a rustic copper, aged with time and weather.

"We shouldn't have too much trouble. This towns normally pretty quiet.. after a pirate had been killed here.. people tend to not fight and pirates hardly even show up." Emma said, leaving out the part that it had been in fact her that had done the killing.

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Killian listened, the town seemed quiet, deserted almost, it made him wonder how Emma knew anybody in this place, for somebody who had only been there a few times she seemed to know a lot about the town, how it was usually quiet, about something that happened presumably a while ago, something just didn't add up.

Instead of voicing his suspicions or building questions he just nodded. "seems quiet enough right now, exactly what we need." He said with a nod. He heard what David said and just gave him a nod as he turned back to Emma, his eyes studying her for a moment before they turned back to the study it. "so...how many times have you been here exactly?" He asked as he turned and grabbed his coat, pulling it back on and heading off the ship, his boots landing on the docks with a thud and he looked around cautiously, worried that the guards would find them again, though even if he couldn't fight well he could still try, and something told him that David and Snow weren't going to be letting themselves get taken so easily again.

David gave a small smile to his daughter, barely catching what his daughter was saying, he walked down tying the ship to the harbour with some rope for extra security. "I'll be right back, why don't you get yourself off the ship, I'll join you soon." He said. With that he turned on his heels and started to head towards the cabin where his wife slept. He walked in and admired her beauty for the moment before sitting next to her and brushed his fingers against her cheek. "Snow darling, we're here." He said softly and pressed a kiss to her forehead with a smile.

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Emma looked at the town before she grabbed her sword which had been at her feet and strapped it around her waist before she climbed off the Jolly Roger and landed on the docks but glanced at the prince, studying him a moment like she was wondering if she could trust him before she spoke. "I spent some of my childhood here till I got older and sailed off. There.. is a woman here who found me and took me in just after I was left alone on the ship, she...raised me I guess you could say. She knew she could never replace my parents but she wanted to help me, make sure I was healthy." Emma explained after a moment. "I don't talk about her a lot because I don't want to risk any enemies I've made hearing of it and coming after her." She added before she walked off the docs.

Snow mumbled a little in her sleep, not having technically planned to sleep anymore but with the warmth of the bed and the rocking of the ship on the water after so long of being in a cold cell, it felt nice to sleep somewhere better. Her eyes slowly fluttered open to see her husband but then she smiled when she felt the kiss. "Are we?" She asked and nodded, taking a moment to fully get woken up before she pushed the blankets off her.

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Killian listened to Emma explain, he wasn't overly surprised that she had lied to him and that she had spent most of her time here as a child, she knew she was young when her parents were taken and he often wondered about how she'd become this person, now he knew. "Well, I would say I'm glad, but that would insinuate that I cared about your welfare." He teased slightly but nodded. "Well, whoever this woman was has done a good job." He said with a shrug, making sure not to look at her as he threw the compliment her way. He straightened out his clothes a little bit and just kicked at a wooden post on the docks as he waited for the others. "that's understandable." He said hearing that she didn't tell anybody of her name, though it made him think about how much Emma's mind was always in strategy and defence mode, it seemed like it never left, that she was always expecting danger of some sort. "You know you don't have to worry...about me betraying you, or anything like that. Or telling anyone your secrets." He finally looked up at her and offered a little smile, deciding not to discuss to Emma the binding promise he made to her mother.

David nodded and he gave a small smile as he watched his wife slowly wake up. "We are." He said softly and he brushed his hand over her head and kissed her forehead. "We'll all be waiting outside for you. Take your time. We're heading to a tavern I think, that's where I would go." He laughed softly. He leaned in and kissed her, his thumb and finger gently squeezing her chin before he pulled away and thumb stroking against her jaw for a moment. "I love you." He said, after everything that happened to them, to her, and even if his wife was a formidable pirate on her own, of her own making, he wouldn't let anybody hurt her again.

With that the pirate stood and he left the cabin, closing the door behind him so that she had some privacy to rouse herself from the bed and he stepped outside and off the docks, equipped with his sword as they were never taken off them in the cells, it was pointless when they were so weak, and though they may have never lost faith in escaping or one day reuniting with their daughter, faith wouldn't do much to help the tip of a metal sword pierce solid gold breastplates.

The town itself was quite a sight to behold, it may not be very popular and out of the way for most people but he remembered being here once before he met his wife, he recognised the docks but mostly the tavern that he could see in the distance, it seemed those were the only things that had changed. The town called Wavecrest Harbour, had seemed to change with the times, upgrading their buildings as much as possible, not that it could ever live up to the reputation of a mansion or even a castle, they weren't entitled to the materials or money, and they certainly weren't well endowed enough to live that life, all expect for the pirate that stood next to him. He joined his daughter on the docks, ignoring the prince completely, perhaps if he imagined he was invisible, he wouldn't notice him and time would go by faster, and his jaw wouldn't ache so much from clenching it.

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Emma looked at Killian, nodding a little bit but let out a small chuckle when she heard him teasing. She likes seeing this side of him, the teasing side and seeing him smiling. Though she wouldn't ever admit that so she kept that to herself but found herself wanting to see his smile or hearing his teasing more. She gave a nod hearing he understood but was glad he wouldn't ask more questions about that, she paused slightly hearing what he said and studied him slightly but could tell he seemed serious about that. "When we first met I didn't know if I could trust you or how this would all turn out but after you caught a whip for me.. I know I can now." She said, telling the truth before she looked out at the ocean before she turned seeing her father but could tell his jaw was still clenched.

Snow gave a smile and nodded. "I'll be out in a minute." She told him before she smiled a little more. "I love you too." She told him before she got up once he left, once she was slightly more awake she got her sword before leaving the cabin and walked up the ship and off onto the docks.

Seeing her mother, Emma gave a tiny smile. "Let's get to the tavern then." She said but could feel her stomach growling slightly at the thought of food. She started to walk off the docks and instead head to the tavern. Emma knew she didn't always have to have her mind on strategy and looking out for trouble but after being alone so long, she couldn't help it. It's where her mind always seemed to be lately.

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Killian nodded a little bit and hearing what she said he laughed softly, the sound almost sounding foreign to him. "Well...I caught that whip a few days ago, you've only just decided?" He teased gently but he gently nudged his shoulder into Emma's and gave her a soft smile. "Besides, my father can bully me all he likes, he doesn't get to do it to y...other people." He said with a shrug and rest his hand on the hilt of the sword ignoring the slight pain radiating through it. "I think...I can trust you too." He said knowing that there were several times she could have left him, but seeing how she'd come and gotten him first before going to rescue his parents, that meant something, and he hoped that somebody would do the same for Liam if he was even still alive. He just hated how they'd found nothing yet.

David nodded and he gave his wife's arm a squeeze and a kiss to her cheek, he just hoped he and his wife wouldn't be overwhelmed by all this, afterall they hadn't really been in a social setting recently and he just didn't know what to do. He nodded hearing what his daughter said and decided just to focus on that. "Let's go then." He said and he knew if he was hungry that his wife probably would be too, and despite how weak he felt he had to push through it. He kept a close eye on Killian as they walked, his jaw set firmly but his attention was pulled away a few times hearing some people wandering around had mentioned the Jolly Roger, he thought perhaps they recognised or knew the pirates who owned it and their reputation proceeded them, so with that he walked up to the tavern and held the door open for them, though he caught a glimpse inside and saw a few pirates dotted around the tables.

Little did anyone know about the plans for the Jolly Roger.