Isn't It Ironic

[Killian Jones]

Tag: Rumpelstiltskin

it's not quite the

HAPPY ENDING I WAS HOPING FOR

Killian was fairly certain that even the most powerful seer, could not have forseen this. Here he was, on his way back to Neverland with the Savior, Snow White, Prince Charming, The Evil Queen and his guest of honor: Rumplestiltskin. The last few times the Crocodile had been aboard the Jolly Roger had not been pleasant. But alas, here they were now, having to put their differences aside for they shared a goal: rescuing the boy. It was worth the two of them not trying to kill each other -- for once -- but that didn't mean Killian liked the man. He was still the same monster who had killed Milah, and that would forever be unforgivable. Killian felt he made progress though. He wasn't trying to kill him every chance he got . . . they both had tried at that, and both of them repeatedly failed. This would be the ultimate test of their tolerance for the other.

And it seemed it was truly being put to the test, for some reason, he was given the duty of handing the food out. Apparently, as it was his ship, he knew where everything was . . . which was indeed true. But that didn't mean that he wanted to hand the Dark One his meal. It didn't seem he was in much of a position to argue though, so he silently took the plate and walked toward Rumple who was sitting off to the side. "It's a good thing that Crocodiles like fish," he began to say, mocking of the man by using the nickname he had given him so many years ago. "Since it's all we have on the menu for tonight," he added on, handing the plate over to the Dark One. Apparently, not only was he trying to play nice with him, but he was also serving him. This was too bloody much.

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[rumple]

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Rumpelstiltskin sat under the deck of the ship away from the other members of the 'crew'. He was already forming a plan in his head about how he was going to save Henry. Rumpel knew that he wasn't going to be able to stay with the Charmings and company. But that was about as far as he had gotten in his formulation of a proper battle plan. Leaning against the wood of the ship, he closed his eyes and held his hands up. He started making small circular motions with his hands as if he was trying to sort out something. What he was trying to do was see the future with his foresight. Unfortunately, the closer they got to Neverland, the less he could see. It was hard to see the future in a realm where time stood still. This 'gift' was less than the gift people thought it was.

Frustrated with the lack of being able to see anything, he put his hands down and opened up his eyes. Just a few moments later, he saw Hook walking towards him with a plate. As he was handed the plate and listened to the backhanded insult that he was given, he sat the plate next to him on the bench. "Should I expect poison in this...whatever it is?" He said tossing a similar backhanded insult to the captain. "Perhaps you should have just asked for a hand at the next meal." Rumpel said as he smirked a little. He had been waiting for a while to use that against Hook. The fact that he had to be semi-civil to Hook was a little sickening to him. But he was going to try to play nice. Since he owned the vessel that was bringing them closer to Neverland. Standing up, he took a step closer to the Captain. "How about we try to get along until we save Henry? I need you, the Charmings, and Regina to get Henry to safety while I deal with Pan." He said poking Hook in the chest when he said he needed him. Those words tasted like razor blades dipped in poison coming out of his mouth. But if he could convince Hook that he could be trusted for this mission, than that was one less thing he needed to worry about.

---

Note: I apologize for how long it took me to reply. The weather here has been really bad.

[Killian Jones]

it's not quite the

HAPPY ENDING I WAS HOPING FOR

Rumple expressed whether he should expect poison in the meal that Hook had brought him, and the pirate suppressed a scoff. "The thought did cross my mind," he responded . . . only half kidding. Killing the Dark One no longer was his life's mission, but that didn't mean he would feel a loss if the Crocodile died. Somehow. Damn him and his immortality. He then offered his own attempt at wit and Hook just looked at him, refraining from an eye roll. He wasn't about to give Rumple the satisfaction. His lacking hand would always be a sore spot. But that day, Killian had lost both Milah and his hand . . . the pain of the former far outweighed the pain of the latter. "How remarkably original, Crocodile," Hook replied sarcastically. He was far from amused by Rumpelstiltskin.

He then rose to his feet, stepping toward Hook as he suggested they get along until they saved Henry. Right now, that was the one factor linking all of these seemingly random individuals: the fondness they had for the boy. Though at the same time, Killian would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by Rumple's presence here, and his desire to help save Henry. Instead of voicing that right away, Hook focused on the other words -- or word -- that Rumple said. That bit about him needing him, among the others. The Captain couldn't help but smirk in response. "You need me, eh," he emphasized, rather enjoying having heard that though it was hardly said in an amicable way. "That must be hard to admit," he added with a mocking tone.

"Trust me, Crocodile, if I hadn't given up my personal vendetta to destroy you, then you wouldn't have stepped one foot on my ship." He would have somehow made sure of that. He then took a step toward Rumple, his eyes fixated on him as his expression was quite serious. "You may have everyone else believing that you are fully reformed, but don't think you can fool me. I know you too well." He was up to something. What, Killian hadn't the slightest clue. But he knew Rumple far better than most others. He had after all spent near centuries plotting his destruction and with that, he had to learn quite a bit about the beast.

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[rumple]

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A small snicker escaped from Rumpel's lips. Like poison would do anything to him now. As long as there was magic around, there was only one thing that could kill him. That was the beauty of being truly eternal. "Now we both know that it wouldn't do anything to me." He said with a smirk. He could only imagine what was going on through Hook's thoughts at the moment. It gave him a moment of pleasantness. Here Hook was, forced to work with Rumpelstiltskin. His sworn enemy. The smirk stayed on his face despite Hook's poor comeback. "It may not be original dearie, but sometimes the classics really are the best." He said apparently still amused by himself. As long as he knew it bothered Hook, he would use it as much as he wanted to. Plus, he was still holding the fact that Hook shot Belle against him.

Rumpel listened to Hook's remark and nodded his head to the left. "We both know who is waiting for us in Neverland. The two of us know him better than anyone else on this ship." He said looking a bit more serious now. Rumpel knew far more about their common enemy than he was willing to share with anyone else. He knew that there was no way that he was going to be able to take on Pan, the Lost Boys, and save Henry at the same time. Maybe two of three, but all three of them was even a greater task than the Dark One would be able to take on by himself. "If you'd rather try to take him on, then I'll save Henry and let you deal with him and the Lost Boys. I'd be willing to wager that they're not quiet over what you did to Rufio." Rumpel said as he fixed Hook's collar. "Although, I'm willing to wager that Ms. Swan wouldn't be swooning over someone who did that." He said tilting his head once again before he stepped back a few steps and turned his back towards Hook.

A chuckle came from Rumpel. "Dearie, if I had my mind set on it, you wouldn't have been able to stop me. Never have been. Never will be able to." He said over his shoulder. Unless Hook got his dagger, there would have been no way to have stopped the Dark One. He could have tried. He could have protested. But Regina, Emma, and the Charmings would have convinced him that having the Dark One on board was necessary. Even if Regina and the Charmings had failed to convince him, he would have folded for Emma. Whether any of them liked it or not, Rumpelstiltskin was their best chance to getting Henry back. Hook, best of all, should have known that they wouldn't have stood a chance against Pan. "Whether that's true or not..." He said turning back around to face Hook. "The fact of the matter is that neither of us could do this on our own. Now I'm not looking for your approval. I'm looking to save my grandson. And that's all that I care about." He said raising his voice a little bit at the end of his statement. Looking to see if he attracted the attention of the others, he paused to regain his composure before looking back at Hook. 

---

Note: This would be reply #4 for this week. Just in time dear Storybrooke. So cheers to that.

[Killian Jones]

it's not quite the

HAPPY ENDING I WAS HOPING FOR

Rumple spoke of how the poison wouldn't do anything to him, and Hook couldn't help but give a small smirk. "It nearly did once," he reminded, speaking of course when the captain had poisoned his hook and stabbed the Dark One with it. He had been so close to destroying him . . . so close to his life's mission being complete. Yet it now seemed that his mission had altered and quite honestly, Killian didn't know what it was. He merely knew that it didn't appear he was venturing out of Storybrooke any time soon -- well, apart from this journey to Neverland. Speaking of which, Rumple spoke of how they both knew what was awaiting them in Neverland. That they did. They, more than anyone else, were familiar with the island.

This would be Hook's third journey here -- the first one not being a journey that anyone else knew of. Things had been quite different for him then. The second time had been a longer stay than desired and now the third time . . . well, he only hoped they would make it out alive. "That is something we can actually agree on," Hook said thinking aloud. "I know the terrain better than most, and plan to use my expertise to get us all off of there in one piece." Without Pan's wrath destroying them in the process. It would be a challenge most definitely, and Hook knew better than to underestimate the boy. He suggested taking on Pan, and Rumple being the one to save Henry. Hook slightly raised an eyebrow at the latter part of his statement. "Now how do you know what I did to Rufio?" He questioned.

Hook had dealt with one of the second ranking among the lost boys -- Pan being the first. It had certainly sent them a message, showing that Hook was a formidable foe, and not a pirate to be trifled with. "It probably best you deal with Pan. Whoever has magic, will stand a better chance against him." Hook had no problem admitting that. Rumple, Regina and even Emma who possessed magic, may be their best bet. Hook couldn't help but wonder if Tinkerbell was still on the island somewhere. The last time he had seen her . . . well, it had been a while ago. The Dark One then pointed out how Swan would not be 'swooning' over him. Hook eyed the creature of a man. The last thing Killian was going to do was admit that he was starting to develop feelings for another woman. The last woman Killian had loved, had been killed by the very man before him. Since then, Hook hadn't allowed his heart to be opened up to another . . . but he feared that defense was slowly crumbling. Even still, he was not about to admit that to anyone, least of all, Rumpelstiltskin.

"Ease up there, Crocodile," he stated. "I'm not here to make Swan swoon." He was here for her, and of course the boy . . . because Henry was her son. The fear of falling for another, and losing her was strong in Kililan's still beating heart, and saying anything to his nemesis about this would give him leverage against him. Relieved for the alternate conversation, he focused on Rumple's words of how Killian would not have been able to stop him if he wished to come aboard. "You still underestimate me," he told him with a slight smirk. "I would have found a way. Just as I always do." Considering he was still alive after their centuries long rivalry . . . well, Hook was not one to give up without a fight. The suggestion that the Dark One's only motivations here was to save his grandson, forced Killian to suppress a scoff. "Say that all you like, I know you better than that. You know something that you aren't telling us and trust me when I say, it will come out. And you will lose whatever minimal trust the others have for you. Trust me on that, Crocodile." Hook knew that Rumple wasn't telling them everything. He was up to something. His conniving nature always made him up to something or another.

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[rumple]

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Rumpel leaned forward on his cane with both hands smirking when Hook recounted his almost successful attempt at poisoning. "A unique set of circumstances. And nearly only counts in the game of horseshoes and hand grenades." He said standing up straight. While the Nightshade poison certainly was potent, it wasn't infallible. Especially because he had already formulated an antidote. Which caused his grin to grow even wider. Rumpelstiltskin wasn't the kind of man to get taken by the same trick twice. Sure, Rumpel didn't know much of how the island was structured. But with his vast powers, it wouldn't take long to map the island out. That was assuming that the evil that was on the island didn't get in his way. In reality though, Rumpel didn't need his power of foresight to know that he was going to have to face Pan. 

Rumpel had been there once in the past when he was a wee lad. But he wasn't focused on memorizing the landscape. He was scared and crying for his father as the Shadow took him away. He knew that Hook had been there at least once in the past. There was no other way that he could have gotten the Nightshade poison unless he had been. Although, he wasn't quiet aware of the situation around Hook's stay on the island. But at this point in his planning, the details wouldn't matter much. Normally, he would have shown a sign of surprise that the two of them were agreeing on something. But his statement didn't surprise him in the least bit. "Well, here's to hoping that your expertise is enough to get everyone out of there alive." Rumpel said trying to be as vague about it as possible. He already knew that he wasn't getting off of the island alive if things went according to his plan. A small chuckle came to Rumpel when Hook asked how he knew about Rufio. "You know what they say. Knowledge is power. And I'm the Dark One. Not much get's by me." He said squinting his eyes a bit to reassure Hook that he knew exactly what happened to Rufio.

He didn't disagree with what Hook had to do while he was there. Hook needed to prove to the Lost Boys he wasn't just another adult to be trifled with. Rumpel probably would have done the same thing. While neither Pan nor Rumpel wanted to face one another head-on, he would have done what he needed to. To Hook's reply, Rumpel nodded. "I figured you, along with everyone else on board, would agree to that. I'll handle Pan. He knows he can't beat me head-on." But they both knew that you didn't have to fight someone head-on to beat them. If Emma had full control of her powers, Rumpel might have been more comfortable with the two of them fighting Pan. But Emma's powers, at best, were static. And Regina was no where close to his power. She would have been a speed bump for Pan. Normally, he wouldn't have cared if Regina died, but he promised Belle that he wouldn't be the one who killed her. Letting her fight Pan would be the equivalent to killing her. "Like you said. It's best that I deal with Pan. And you can save Henry. I'm sure Regina will be delighted to see him again." He smirked and nodded. 

"Sure you're not..." Rumpel said scrunching his face up and nodding before running a finger along one of the table tops. Rumpel, along with everyone else in Storybrooke, wasn't blind to what was starting to happen. "Pirates aren't known for their roles as the rescuer. But as far as I'm concerned, you're another body to fight Lost Boys and get Henry to safety." He said rubbing his two fingers together. He reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. Rubbing the dust off of his fingers, he put it back into his inside pocket. Again, he made a bold statement. "I'm sure you would have. But I think you overestimate your abilities. You couldn't stop the first time I boarded your ship..." He started to continue the statement, but held himself back. Bringing up those memories would do nothing but break up the shaky temporary alliance he was trying to make. Before allowing enough time for Hook to reply to re-open the wound, he spoke again. "Let's just assume that both of us would get our way and not dwell on what would have happened." Rumpel said trying to end that particular line of conversation. "I know a lot of things that none of you know. And I'll have you know that what I do know, Belle knows as well." He said maybe letting on a little too much. "Luckily, whether any of you trust me or not, you still need me. As we've both agreed on, none of you really stand a chance against Pan. So, if there's something to come out, it'll come out when it needs to. But if I really wished Henry anything other than safety, I would have just stayed in Storybrooke and let all of you commit suicide." Maybe if he had been a better person when he first became the Dark One, he would have been more liked. But he didn't need people to like him. All he needed was his power. And Belle. And as long as he had his power, as long as he was the Dark One, they would need him.

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Note:  

[Killian Jones]

it's not quite the

HAPPY ENDING I WAS HOPING FOR

Unique set of circumstances, eh. That only made Hook smirk at how mildly the Crocodile had put it. He had nearly killed him and had he not set aside his personal vendetta against the Dark One, then that would have most certainly given Hook the confidence he needed to assure him that the dagger wasn't the only way to kill him. But alas, it was set aside for now as they all needed to unite as a front in order to save the boy. He went on to state that he hoped his expertise was enough to get everyone out alive.

"It will be," Hook said confidently. He had spent more time on this island than anyone else. He knew the land like the back of his only hand. But it wasn't the terrain that was a massive concern; it was Pan, and how he used it to his advantage with his manipulative mind games. He then went on to answer his question without really giving an answer at all. So very common for the cryptic man to speak in such a way. "Well even less gets by Pan," he reminded him. "So make sure you stay focused on the task and not let your own power get the better of you." Pan knew the weaknesses of others and preyed on it . . . used it against them. He was extremely powerful and extremely dangerous.

Rumple spoke of how he and everyone else would agree that he would be the one to handle Pan. "Aye, but you are making the mistake of underestimating him. Don't think you can dispose of him so easily. He can get the better of you. We just need to make sure that at the end, we win the battle." Pan would play his twisted games with them, and even Rumple would be no exception to this. "It won't only be Regina who will be glad to see him. It will be his entire family who came along for the rescue mission." His adopted mother, his birth mother, his grandmother, his grandfather . . . both of them. "I would have thought you to be in that category," Hook added on, curious as to why he singled out Regina.

Rumple then pointed out the rather accurate statement of pirates not being known as rescuers. Quite the opposite in fact: they were known as being the kidnappers. The ones that others needed rescuing from. It was types like James, Emma and Snow that did the rescuing from types like him, Regina and Rumple. Funny how they all now assumed the opposite role -- at least the latter three. "What can I say. Perhaps I'm reformed into a new man," Hook said a bit sarcastically. Truth was, he had once been an honorable man . . . many, many, years ago. That man had died along with his brother and had only resurfaced when he had been with Milah. Once again, it had been buried with her death and yet . . . it was returning with whatever these affections he was starting to feel for Swan were. "Besides, you yourself are hardly the hero type." He was a villain, just like him. But one who was also apparently trying to turn over a new leaf.

He then told him that he over estimated his abilities and made mention of the first time he had boarded his ship. The memory was a start to many painful ones to follow, and Hook's eyes slightly narrowed on the man he had sworn to be his nemesis. "Need I remind you, Crocodile, that the first time you boarded my ship, you were a groveling coward, too afraid to fight for what you wanted." He had refused to fight for Milah. Perhaps if he had, she would have changed her mind . . . who knows. "I could have run you through if I wanted to that day." But he hadn't. "But you looked far too pitiful for even death." His words drew upon the memory, and Hook had to keep himself controlled, attempting to suppress the anger he felt for him as their following encounter came fresh into his mind, which lead to the death of his Milah.

It was too late for him not to dwell on the past, for he would never forgive Rumple for what he had done. Especially has he was now happily with the woman he loved, after having deprived Killian of the same joy. The beast of a man didn't deserve it -- which was why Hook had attempted to rip away the woman he loved, on multiple occasions. "I highly doubt she knows everything," Hook said stubbornly. "You, like Pan, are always playing your own games." Just like his being here. There was more to it, Hook was certain of that. "I'm sure you have some further purpose here, Crocodile. Whatever it is, I don't care. So long as it does not endanger the others nor the purpose we have for coming here." One never knew with Rumple . . . he was always up to something, though. And Killian was not going to be so quick to dismiss that from his mind.

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[rumple]

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The fact that Hook had been diluted enough to think that he would be the first one since the creation of the Dark One curse to find a way to kill him without the dagger showed how far he was wrong. Rumpel didn't think that he'd be over the Storybrooke town line powerless again. Hook had really started pushing his luck. If he kept on pushing Rumpel's buttons, then he was going to take care of Hook himself. Pulling out his heart, but not crushing it, would do the job. Because when you hold the heart, you control it. However, he didn't have the time to control Hook while dealing with Pan and the Lost Boys. So for now, he'd leave Hook be. For now.

In an attempt to remain civil, the Dark One nodded. "I'm sure it will be." He said in a completely authentic tone. As much as both of them disdained the idea, it was going to have to work. As long as things went according to his plan, then Pan wouldn't have much time to be problematic. But when it came to Peter Pan, even Rumpelstiltskin's plans didn't always work. "Something else we agree on. There's something that's confusing me..." Rumpel said with a bewildered look on his face. "Why would Pan take Henry? It's not as if he needs anymore Lost Boys. And he would have to know what kind of wrath he is bringing to Neverland." He said almost as if he was talking to himself. However, he was talking loud enough for Hook to hear. Perhaps he was interested in hearing a theory that Hook had. Between the two of them, they know more about Pan than anyone else in the group combined.

"Perhaps I am underestimating him..." He said almost surprisingly. It wasn't like him to doubt himself. Secretly, Rumpel knew what needed to be done to beat Pan. He knew what price needed to be paid to defeat Pan for good. And now with everything he had lost, he was pretty sure he was ready to pay it. After losing Baelfire again, he was ready to kill Pan. He was armed with anger and rage and aimed by the prophecy of the Seer. He didn't want to leave Belle, but he felt like this was his destiny. And if it meant saving the last thing he had of Bae, then he would gladly pay that price. "We'll win this battle. Even if it kills me." Rumpel said looking dead serious at Hook. He didn't mean to tip his hand that far. Hopefully Hook would think that he was too selfish to die for any reason other than himself. Should that have been the case, then he wouldn't have to worry about it. "I'm sure she won't be. But I'm interested in seeing if Regina can keep up her transformation to being a hero. As we both know, Neverland has a way to bring the worst in people out." Rumpel said genuinely curious if Regina could keep up the facade. A sigh came out of his mouth. "I'll be happy to see Henry safely. But I'm not getting ahead of myself. No one has survived a fight with Pan. At least no one that he didn't want to survive." Rumpel was a little curious on how Hook had survived his extended stay on Neverland. If Pan had wanted him dead, he would have been.

"That's funny that you would say that..." Rumpel said snickering for a moment. If he truly thought he was reforming into a better person, then why wasn't it remotely possible that Rumpel could change? He had his true love and he had just lost his son to the man that they were rapidly sailing towards. In an equally sarcastic tone, Rumpel replied, "Maybe you're not the only one who can reform." While he had a sarcastic tone to it, he was trying to be a better person. He wasn't asking for anything when he volunteered to go to Neverland. He wanted to be a better man for Belle and for the memory of his son. "Maybe not. But I'm working on it." He said on a rather serious note. Before Henry was kidnapped, he was trying to be better for Belle and for Bae. He knew he couldn't be his normal, selfish self if he wanted to win his son back. So maybe he wasn't a hero. But he wasn't the villain that he used to be. When Hook recounted their first encounter, his gaze grew colder. "True. But let's not forget the second time I boarded and I took more than just your dignity. But in this story you've concocted to cast me as the ultimate villain, you've grossly understated you're role in this fairy tale. You broke my family apart. I've made mistakes in my past. And I'll always be haunted by them. But don't stand there and act like you're a saint." He said holding his finger up so close, he had almost poked Hook in the chest with it. For all his whining, he still refused to take responsibility for his part in their collective story.

Neither of them would ever be able to forgive the other one. And he wasn't looking for them to reconcile. All he wanted was for them to put aside whatever difficulty was between them for this mission. It was true, Belle didn't know everything about him. But, in reality, how many people knew everything about the significant person in their lives? Maybe it was just his own rationalization. Turning his back to ignore Hook's accusations, he saw something underneath the bench he was sitting on. Kneeling down, he pulled the card from underneath the wooden bench. As he looked at it, he quickly turned to face Hook, his eyes wide open. "YOU! You hired him didn't you?" He said looking down at the card and then back up to his face. "How could you?! Do you know what he is capable of?" Rumpel thrust the card out onto Hook's chest. Rumpel didn't even want to touch the damn thing. "Seriously..." He said looking behind him. "Is this your plan to kill me? You'd stoop to hiring him?" The Dark One questioned looking into his eyes to see if he knew anything of what this card meant. 

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Note: Sorry for combining a few of the paragraphs together. That was my bad.

[Killian Jones]

it's not quite the

HAPPY ENDING I WAS HOPING FOR

Hook listened as Rumple vocalized his curiosity as to why Pan wanted Henry. It was indeed a valid question, one that had not been far from Hook's own mind. He and Rumple knew Pan better than anyone else, and while they were all focused on getting Henry back . . . the question as to why he had initially been taken had not been explored. Perhaps it was for the best for the time being. "Whatever his reasons, they can't be good," Hook stated.

"Pan went through a lot of trouble to get Henry, even recruited people from the other world to do his bidding." He would not have bothered unless it was absolutely imperative. "I suppose we'll discover the answer in our pursuit to save the boy." It wasn't exactly going to be easy and Pan was most certainly anticipating their arrival. "Makes me even more worried for the young lad," Hook added on.

Rumple then admitted that he may indeed be underestimating Pan, and spoke of how he would win the battle, even if it killed him. Hook couldn't help but smirk at the idea. "A small price to pay," he said, not entirely kidding. For while Hook was no longer pursuing his vengeance against Rumple, he would hardly miss him if the man died. And he was fairly certain that the feeling was mutual. Upon the subject of Regina being able to keep up her attempt to be good, Hook pondered for a few moments.

"She will do whatever necessary to save the boy. I doubt she was fully regress, but I imagine she will hardly hesitate in using whatever magic she possesses to attempt to rescue him." Hook paused for a moment. "Which may not always be wise," he added on. They would have to play by Pan's rules, not their own. But considering how many stubborn minds they had aboard this ship . . . well, it was certainly going to be interesting to see how that all played out. Rumple's reminder of how no one had survived a fight with Pan was indeed true. Hook had found his own passage off this island, and it certainly had not been easy.

"Except for us it would seem," Hook stated, not exactly thrilled that he held something in common with Rumple. But at the same time, it would prove to work to their advantage now. He wasn't sure what the Dark One's past was with Pan, but it seemed Rumple knew him well enough, and had a rather extensive encounter with him. That was all Hook could deduce from Rumple's familiarity with Peter Pan. Rumple's words of how Hook may not be the only one who could change caused the pirate to chuckle. "Time will tell, Crocodile. I know you well though and when it comes down to it, if you had to choose between being good and power, you would always choose the latter." Perhaps Rumple would prove him wrong, but as Hook stated, only time would tell.

The subject of their past encounters was indeed a tense one. Hook's glare was strong, peircing the Dark One as he spoke of how Hook was not exempt from blame in having torn his family apart. Part of Killian wanted to swing his hook to cut off Rumple's finger that nearly poked at him, but somehow managed to refrain from doing so. "You broke your own family apart," Hook stated coldly. "Need I remind you that she came to me willingly, desperate for a way out of her imprisoned life with you." Hook had not taken her; he had merely accepted her plea to join him and his crew. "Had Bae been old enough, he would have come with us as well." Hook and Milah had been planning to bring Bealfire with them when the boy was old enough to be aboard the ship . . . but they were never given the opportunity to do so.

"Perhaps then, he would have still been alive." He knew the words were cold and harsh but his anger at the reminder of that day and what Rumple had taken from him was prompting him to say the words . . . unable to keep them filtered or guarded. "So you see, Crocodile, you destroyed your own family. For in the time that she was with me, she was happier than you ever made her." He couldn't speak her name right now, not in front of the very demon who killed her.

Perhaps it was a good thing that there was a distraction from the heated conversation, as Rumple found something that caused his eyes to widen as he looked at Hook and spoke to him accusingly. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?" He questioned. When Rumple tossed a card at him, Hook didn't bother to pick it up. Instead, his gaze lowered to the ground to see it. He instantly recognized it, and it caused the pirate to smirk with amusement. He raised his gaze back to Rumple once more as he chuckled at the Dark One's reaction. "Calm down, Crocodile," he said nonchalantly, his amusement revealed in his tone of voice.

"I'm no coward. If I wanted to kill you, I would do so myself. I wouldn't deprive myself of such a pleasure." He may have allied himself with others to make it possible, but he wouldn't hire someone else to do all the work. "Though I have to admit, it is rather humorous to see you so threatened by someone." Of course Hook knew the rumors, but he was hardly afraid of the ghost of a man, unfazed by him. "All it means is that he is in Storybrooke and sneaked aboard my ship. However, most importantly, he didn't steal any of my rum that was left on the ship," Hook added, only partly joking. With everything that had happened in Storybrooke, The Jolly Roger had been left unguarded, providing ample opportunity for the man to sneak aboard.

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[rumple]

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"That's for certain..." Rumpel said agreeing with Hook. Emma and Regina were too caught up in saving Henry. Which the same thing was on Snow White's and Prince Charming's minds, but he figured they were also interested in being with their daughter in her time of need. As for Hook, Rumpel already decided on why he was there. Rumpel had quiet a few different reasons for being there. One, he was trying to make up his time as a villain by doing something good. Even if it could lead to his own undoing. Two, he was trying to show Belle that he could be better. And three, he wanted to finally tie up a lose end with Pan. As long as he kept the last part a secret, he'd be able to accomplish all three.

He listened to Hook lay out some of the facts. "That's not unusual for Pan. He can venture outside of Neverland but not for very long. So he has to get agents in different realms." Rumpel said hoping to help illuminate some of Pan's motivations. "I doubt that Pan is familiar with Storybrooke yet, so he wouldn't risk going there and getting stuck." Pan wouldn't send his shadow to Storybrooke and risk it not being able to get back. "Aye. I am a bit worried for Henry as well. But time is paramount. I'm pretty sure that in the short time Henry's been gone, Pan hasn't fulfilled his plans just yet." It was true. Whatever Pan had in store for the young boy, he hadn't the time to complete it. There was some reason he specifically needed Henry. Knowing Pan, it was probably for a power boost or a long-term plan against Emma. And, it was almost as if he was trying to reassure Hook. Almost.

"I knew you'd meet me half way..." Rumple said with a similar smirk, making a half-joke. It was fairly obvious that neither one cared for the other. And just as Hook would think that it's a small price to pay to defeat Pan, Rumpel wouldn't think much about it if Hook died during the rescue mission. But if any of them had any hopes of finding and rescuing Henry, along with defeating Pan, they were going to have to put aside their differences and focus only on the mission. That's why Rumpel had been trying to make a truce with Hook. "But nevertheless, it's still a price that may need to be paid." 

"Indeed. And when Henry is involved, Regina doesn't exactly think clearly." Rumpel said thinking about the few occasions that Henry was really involved in some of the bad situations that had befallen Storybrooke since Ms. Swan had came into town. "Hopefully with Ms. Swan and Snow here, they can keep Regina from regressing back to the Evil Queen. I fear for Regina. Her anger, if it goes unchecked, is going to get her killed long before she rescues her son." Rumpel said looking at the staircase that led to the deck where the rest of the 'gang' was. While they didn't love each other in the normal since, they had a bond. A friendly/hate rivalry. He had taught her everything she knew about magic. She cast his curse. If they wouldn't have had such a relationship, Rumpel would have killed her long ago. 

Rumpel led out a small chuckle. "So it would seem." He said in agreement with Hook. Well, half in agreement. While he hadn't fought Pan traditionally, but the two had gone at it before. The Dark One assumed that Hook hadn't fought Pan directly either. Although, he wasn't sure how Hook got away after killing Rufio. Rumpel had a few theories, but right now, he didn't really care about it. As long as he was able to get them around Neverland, then he'd have completed his job. "I made that mistake with Bae once. And it's not a mistake that I intend to make with Belle. But instead of focusing on my mistakes, how about we try and focus on rescuing Henry. Truth is..." Rumpel said a bit uncomfortable with the situation. "If you hadn't taken the bean, then maybe Henry..." Rumpel said before stopping himself. "Apologies. I shouldn't have said that. Instead of dealing with what had happened, all of us need to focus on setting the future straight." As rare as it is for Rumpel to apologize to anyone, let alone to Hook, he knew that this wasn't the best time to pick another fight.

But then he had the audacity of trying to portray himself as the innocent bystander. Maybe in his own mind, he truly believed that. But he wasn't that delusional. And Rumpel's face showed his own thoughts. But then he said something that was over the line. He invoked Bae's name and tried to make it seem like it was all Rumpel's fault that he had died. His face turned from anger to complete rage and he brought his hand up and magically started choking the pirate. "You listen to me... If you ever..." Rumpel said squeezing tighter. "EVER use Bae's name against me again, I'll pluck..." He said using two fingers, pointing them at his eyes and causing his vision to go blind. "Your eyes. Cut out..." He said making a slicing motion with his free hand and sealing Hook's mouth shut. "Your tongue. And when you can't see or speak, when you know the limits of physical pain. I'll take your other hand." Rumpel said holding all three magics against Hook for a moment before releasing all three at once. Returning his vision, mouth, and breathing to him. After Hook caught his breath, Rumpel pointed a finger at him. "We can argue about Milah until the end of time. But don't you ever talk about Bae to me."

"Calm down?" Rumpel said looking confused. Almost as if he was dumb-founded that Hook didn't feel the same way as he did about He Who Wanders. "If you didn't hire him, then he's here for some other reason." Rumpel said turning his back to Hook with a pondering look on his face. "I'm pretty sure you're familiar with him. Let me fill you in..." He said turning back around to face Hook. "This guy has been active for a few centuries. Almost as long as I've been the Dark One. Which makes him at least immortal. At worst, he has the extremely rare gift of eternal life." He said rolling his wrists. Some people didn't know the difference. Immortality didn't mean you couldn't die. It just meant that you didn't age and disease couldn't take you. Life eternal meant that you truly couldn't die. "And I'm assuming since other people from different realms have heard of him, that he is a realm hopper or at the very least, a portal hopper." Those two reasons should be enough to give anyone worry. The fact that Rumpel was worried should give anyone reason to be worried. "Did you keep any treasure on board? Other than being an assassin, he's also a world renown thief."

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