Summary: Killian Jones has always managed tough spots in his con life… but never like this one. His brother is out of jail and convinced the only way to win his name back is to heist the casino of a major Vegas mogul, leaving Killian to do the planning. He now has to deal with a half-brother desperate to gain a name of his own, an ex-fling that carries her own torch against the casino mogul, his brother losing his mind over his ex-wife, his former mentor’s depression and the one woman he can’t get out of his mind giving him chase. Ocean’s Eleven AU
Rating: M
Content warnings: semi-explicit sexual content, law-breaking (they are thieves, liars and con men), mild violence (someone will get punched), mention of former relationships (for the main pair) and cheating (but not for the main pair)
This fic would never exist without the wonderful @sambethe who convinced me to do over hot chocolate on one cold Chicago afternoon and virtually held my hand and betaed this fic for months. thank you SO much for everything you do.
A/N: A long time ago there was talk about Hook & his sea friends and a few collective posts shaped the idea of a Sea Squad. This fic is the attempt to bring that creativity to life. Tagging @queen-mabs-revenge@thesschesthair and @jvosketches as they were part of that initial thinking back in the day. If a few things sound familiar, it’s because they are based on the movie.
Three men sat behind a table, a manila folder lay open on it as they passed the sheets of paper that made up his file between themselves. They seemed to be taking their sweet ass time, reading thoroughly through each of the pages as if he were not sitting there, waiting for his life to change based on their decision.
Part of him wanted to huff in impatience, but he knew he shouldn’t. He had to be on his best behavior, as he’d been all this time. If this didn’t come through, it would be a long while before he got another chance at this. He’d endured so much without losing his temper, he just needed to hold on a little bit more. Just a little more and he’d be out of this godawful place and back to where he needed to be.
“Mr. Jones, this meeting is to determine whether or not you’re likely to break the law again if you’re released on parole. While we have your records of good behavior here and note this is your first convicted offense, your records indicate that there is reason to believe you’ve taken part in other fraud schemes. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Meet Killian Jones. Attractive. Wealthy. Arrogant. He has it all… until he becomes aggressively unattractive outside as he is on the inside. Cursed to find someone that can see him better than he can see himself, he hides away, because who could ever learn to love a beast?
Summary: Emma Nolan spent a lot of time alone, and that was fine by her. Because one is never truly alone. She should know. She can talk to dead people. What she didn’t expect was one of these spiritual encounters to hang around, taking her down a rabbit hole of missing women, revenge, and, least expected, love. Can she save the day and Killian Jones? Is there even another choice?
A/N: We’re already on chapter four! Things with the case are really starting to heat up here, and some big background on Killian comes to light. Also, the confirmation on the identity of the woman Emma has been hearing all this time! I’m sure you guys have already guessed who she is, but her identity is confirmed here. Thanks so so much as always for reading and a HUGE thank you to the fantastic @kmomof4 being such an amazing part of this process as my beta and thanks to @courtorderedcake the brilliant artwork she’s created for this piece. Enjoy chapter 4!
Chapter 4
Emma hated days like this. She knew from the multiple messages she’d gotten from Graham and Captain Mills that the tip had been heeded and the captain had sent out a search party to recover Marian’s body last night. Which means Robin would be there this morning and very much grieving. Her heart hurt for him.
Unfortunately, Marian’s death fit a laundry list of other victims in the area. She was a young woman, missing for several months, and connected to Weaver Gold. Of course, she was the only one that knew for sure that Weaver Gold was the actual killer, but without actual physical evidence, she couldn’t make that accusation. Thankfully, Robin’s former association with him was enough to warrant further investigation.
Emma arrived at the office a little earlier than usual, sipping on her iced coffee (no repeats of yesterday, thank you very much), and reviewing her case files before Graham got there. She flipped through a number of pages, looking at names and faces of so many missing girls she hoped she wouldn’t find like Marian. Ashley Boyd. Ivy Belfrey. Ariel Havfrue. Shirin Amira. Aurora Prince. Young women that had all gone missing without a trace within the last six months, from all walks of life with seemingly no connection to one another, except one: Mr. Gold. In one way or another, usually through a deal they had made to get out of a bad spot in their lives, all of them had a connection to Gold. And now that a body had turned up, it was time to dig deeper. She turned back to the bulletin board set up with information on Gold and his enterprise and looked at the red yarn webbing connecting pieces of these women’s lives to him and it made her blood boil. She was going to be the one to take him down. She had to be.
“Hey, Em.” Graham’s sheepish voice came from the doorway behind her as her partner made his way into their shared office. “You’re here early.”
Emma nodded and hummed an affirmative sound before turning back to study her board. Graham cleared his throat and she turned back to him to see him watching her intently.
“Something you needed, Humbert?” she asked, gathering her files on the desk.
“Ah, no. Well, yes. Kind of,” he rambled and Emma raised an eyebrow. He sighed deeply before continuing. “What I mean to say is I feel bad about yesterday. I can’t help but feel like maybe your migraine was partially caused by what happened with me startling you and the spill, and of course I feel terrible about that as well. Anyways, I wanted to see about making it up to you by maybe taking you to dinner?”
It was Emma’s turn to sigh. Graham looked like such a hopeful little puppy every time he asked her out that, at first, she hated to say no, but she just wasn’t in the same place as Graham was. That was at first. Now, she still wasn’t in the same place he was and rejection came automatically to her.
“Sorry, Graham. Don’t mix business with pleasure. Is Mills in yet?” She tried to change the subject around Graham’s crestfallen change in expression. He nodded and began shuffling through papers on his own desk.
“Uh, yeah. I dunno if she even went home last night after they pulled the body. They’re razing the whole field to see if there’s anymore case files we can close.” Graham seemed to have found everything he needed and nodded at his desk, not meeting Emma’s eyes. “I’ll, uh, see you out there.”
Emma squeezed her eyes shut tightly as he left the office. When she was sure he was gone, she turned and picked up her case files and followed him out into the bullpen for the meeting.
Regina Mills was a no-nonsense, severe woman. She was rather imposing for her average stature, her raven hair always in its sleek bob, immaculate pantsuits for every occasion, big brown eyes that looked into the depths of your soul. Emma’s two years under her as her captain were tumultuous, to say the least. Over time, they had learned to get along and had even become friends of a sort. Well, as close to being Emma’s friend as you could get. But they understood each other, and that was more than Emma had with most people. Unbidden, Killian’s face popped into her mind. Maybe he was someone who could understand, too. Emma shook his image from her head as fast as it entered, a flush crawling up her neck at how much she actually thought about someone she’d never even met before.
Things had actually been quieter on the encounters front. Instead of relief, Emma felt unsettled. She was always waiting for the other shoe to drop and she was very careful to avoid touching anything that might trigger her. Especially that damn shirt. But along with all of that, there was an underlying fear that she may be running out of time on multiple counts. If this Killian Jones needed rescue, she knew time was of the essence. Right now, though, she had a job to do.
She gathered her case files and walked into the bullpen, taking a seat on the edge of an open desk next to where Graham sat. A few other people had already gathered themselves. Jefferson, their tech analyst was typing away at his laptop, completely engrossed in his task. Two junior detectives, August Booth and Mulan Fa, stood chatting in front of the water cooler. The door to the central office opened and Captain Mills came striding out.
“Alright, people. As you all know, there was a huge break in the case yesterday with the unfortunate recovery of Marian Locksley’s body. We still have no leads on the tip that came in leading to the location of her remains, but Jefferson is looking into that,” she addressed the group and Jefferson gave a mock two fingered salute, eyes still glued to his screen. Emma felt butterflies rise up in her stomach, but she’d been careful. There’s no reason she’d be found out. “Now, we have a solid lead on a connection to Weaver Gold in regards to these disappearances, but he’s sealing up leaks quickly since the body was discovered. Information out of his operation is at an essential standstill. So, we’ll have to get it from the source. Nolan, Humbert!” Emma’s head snapped up at her name and Graham stood up straighter beside her.
“You have three days to get your affairs in order. Then you’re undercover.”
Emma’s heart jumped into her throat as Regina continued to speak and passed them each a manilla folder with information on the identities created for them. She had never been undercover before in the four years since she’d been promoted to detective.
“Of course you’ll want to use all in house resources before you go, you’ll only have Jefferson as your contact once you are in the field,” Regina continued and Emma looked up to her.
“Did Robin come in already?” she asked and Regina cocked an eyebrow.
“He’s in my office. He’s provided us with some invaluable intel towards your undercover assignment already,” she replied.
“Is he… well, I mean I know he’s not… but is he…” Emma struggled to find words to ask about the wellbeing of the man who had lost his wife. There was a reason Graham did most of the talking to the vics.
Regina gave a slow, cool nod.
“He’s as well as can be expected,” she said thoughtfully. It was rare to see an introspective Regina. She cared about a lot of things, but was never really one to wear her heart on her sleeve. Emma nodded, unsure of how to read Regina.
“Well, it looks like the going just got tough, so I better get going.” She stood and the two nodded at each other before Emma walked to her office.
Inside, Graham was poring over the contents of the manila file on his desk with his undercover instructions. She sat opposite of him, eyeing him carefully. He sighed heavily.
“This is insane,” he said, flipping his file closed sharply as Emma opened hers. She shrugged.
“We know the case the best. We’ve been working on it for months now and no one knows Gold better than the two of us. Makes sense.” She continued to flip though the file outlining her role as a petty thief and Graham’s as a fence of sorts. She scowled down at the pages in her hands.
“I know. You’re right. I just can’t help but feel like something bigger is going on. And I know that should make me more ready to go, but it just makes me nervous,” he admitted. Emma looked up to him and studied the apprehension in his gaze.
“I know, Graham. It’s a tough spot. But we’re professionals and we can do this. At least we can count on one another.” She offered him a warm smile which he returned with a stiff one of his own.
“Yeah. You’re right. It must be first time undercover nerves. I’m gonna go grab a coffee and talk to Jefferson. You want anything?” he asked and Emma shook her head.
“No, I’m good. Gonna look through some things and probably head out for the day. Get everything ready to go.” She shuffled the papers back into place and closed the folder.
“I’ll leave you to it, then. See you Friday.” He smiled gently at her again and she nodded her response, turning her attention to her computer as he left the space.
Emma rolled her neck, trying to relieve some tension. She could only hope this went smoothly and quickly. With Gold’s status and notoriety, it was unlikely though. Her whole life was likely to be put on the back burner for quite some time. Ruby was going to be pissed. Protective pissed, but still pissed. And then there was the issue with Killian Jones. She felt a pang in her chest at the idea of leaving him to suffer through whatever she was supposed to be “saving” him from. She rolled the mouse on the screen as an idea came to her. She opened up a new search screen and began to type.
Killian Jones.
More than one result popped up in the records database, British naval records, immigration records, naturalization paperwork, guardianship records for one Liam Jones, but the blue eyes staring out from the mugshot on her screen she instantly recognized. So he had a past. She clicked on his arrest record and pulled up his history. Her jaw dropped almost comically.
Robbery.
Assault.
Burglary.
Breaking and entering.
Money laundering.
Evading arrest.
Attempted murder.
The litany of charges he had been arrested for was impressive, to say the least. Curiously enough, however, all charges were subsequently dropped after his arrest due to there not being enough evidence to hold him, except the assault. The assault, an apparently isolated incident against a man named Herman Ahab, he served two years behind bars for. But the scowling man with the piercing eyes and hard set to his jaw seemed absolutely capable of each and every allegation. A far cry to the soft image of a lost and hurting soul gazing wistfully over the sea that she had experienced before. Emma was more conflicted than ever. Was Killian Jones in danger? Or was he the danger himself? Before she could decide for herself the now familiar, but still panic inducing, scent of jasmine crept up on her causing her flesh to erupt in goose pimples.
Good man.
The soft voice murmured. Emma scoffed.
“Clearly,” she said, feeling insane for acknowledging the encounter out loud. A surge of floral perfume surrounded her and the words were repeated, a little more forcefully.
Good man.
“If you say so. I don’t know why I keep listening to you. I don’t even know who the hell you are,” she grumbled petulantly.
The voice whispered an answer to the statement she made almost immediately.
Milah.
“Milah, huh. You got a last name, Milah?” Emma asked, bringing up a new search screen to do a little more digging. As quickly as the encounter had come on, the scent of jasmine began to fade and Emma had the distinct feeling she was alone again.
She sighed heavily and clicked back on the page with Killian Jones’ information. The remaining charges on his rap sheet all appeared to be linked to a single arrest, so she pulled up the report and her heart almost slammed to a stop in her chest.
Killian Jones had been accused of trying to kill Weaver Gold.
Emma was never much of a believer in fate, but it seemed like there was something bigger at work here. Call it grand design, destiny, or whatever, there was much to get ready for.
Notes: I’m gonna ask you to trust me for this chapter and the next. Like it’s going to be a roller coaster from here. A lot of craziness happens and some of it is painful but I promise its worth it. In any case, thanks to @cssns for a wonderful event. Thank you to @shireness-says and @katie-dub for being amazing cheerleaders on this fic. And a special thank you as always to my beta @aerica13 – without you, I would just weep over a blank page. Summary: Emma Swan is looking for only one thing – answers. Abandoned outside a police station in Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard, Emma has dedicated her life to finding out where she comes from and why she was given away. She finds an unlikely partner in Killian, a selkie she inadvertently summons in a fit of frustration over her cold case. Word Count: 5,100+ AO3: [LINK] Chapters:Prologue | One |Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Epilogue Rating: T+
Emma couldn’t stop running her fingers over the soft fur of the pelt on her lap. Every time she tried to take her hand away from it, an almost anxious feeling would take hold of her. It was a compulsion that frightened her but she couldn’t stop touching it.
Granny watched her intently, fiddling with her whiskey glass.
There were thousands of questions that were swimming in her head and she couldn’t figure out which one to ask first. So much had been revealed in the past five minutes that Emma felt whiplashed.
“My parents…” She swallowed, finding her throat dry. “They’re…they’re gone aren’t they?”
“Emma Swan is looking for only one thing – answers. Abandoned outside a police station in Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard, Emma has dedicated her life to finding out where she comes from and why she was given away. She finds an unlikely partner in Killian, a selkie she inadvertently summons in a fit of frustration over her cold case.”
Hey, strangers! Remember me? You all don’t know how sorry I am that it took me such an embarrassingly long time to turn out the last bit of this story. The guilt of not having finished it has been hanging over my head for over a year, but between real-life stressors and the near-complete absence of a muse, well, words have been really hard. Still, I promised myself I would finish this sometime this spring, and it felt right to release it around the time of the series finale as a way of paying tribute to the show and the fandom that helped shape the last few years of my life. You guys have been amazing. Your words of appreciation and encouragement mean more to me than you’ll ever know, and I’ll treasure them always. Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me for all your love and support.
Find it on AO3 and FFN. Missed a chapter? Get caught up here.
Summary: Killian Jones, the notorious Captain Hook, has been on a quest to kill the Dark One and avenge the death of his first love for over one hundred fifty years. But when he crosses the Evil Queen, he’s magically transported to New York City, a strange land full of fascinating wonders, the foremost of which is Emma Swan, a cynical single mother with no time for fairy tales, real or imagined. A Captain Swan Enchanted AU. (Captain Swan modern AU, Captain Swan Enchanted Forest AU. Romance & Adventure. Rated T.)
The stainless steel door slides open with a cheerful ding to
reveal another cookie cutter hotel hallway, and Emma smiles sweetly at the
middle-aged couple that steps off the elevator – this pause on the 14th
floor marking the fifth stop it’s made on its way toward the roof. She heaves a sigh as the door closes once
again and she finds herself alone. Finally.
The elevator hums to life, and she shifts her weight, now free to utter
a dissatisfied sound in the back of her throat in response to the pressure of
the floor on the balls of her feet.
“What is it, darling?” Killian’s voice is soft.
She sighs, examining her reflection in the mirrored walls,
her gaze dropping regretfully to her heels.
“These shoes were a mistake,” she grumbles, wincing at the waves of pain
that the sexy, four-inch stilettos are also starting to impart on her toes.
“I thought you said they’d be fine.”
“Yeah, well, I may have misjudged.” She tips her head slightly and reaches
beneath her hair to adjust her earpiece.
Killian’s voice comes back to her a little clearer this
time. “It’s not too late to back out,
you know.”
Summer’s flown by, and this week marks the final installment of the re-release of this fic for @searchingwardrobes‘ CS Rom Com ‘18! Thanks to those of you who have given this little tale a read or a re-read and have shown it some love. You all are the best. XOXO
This epilogue is the beautiful cherry on top of this Enchanted AU!
Notes: There’s a lot of emotions in this chapter, which makes absolutely no sense because I’m the most emotionally stunted person I know. Though I’m very curious to hear some of the reactions in regard to the last scene because it’s kinda me partially revealing my hand here. Anyway, a special thank you to @shireness-says and @katie-dub for motivating me and helping me through some of my writer’s block. Thanks also to @aerica13 who is my fantastic beta and is the best person to edit with. Thanks also goes to @cssns and @drowned-dreamer for making my CSSNS experience as excellent as it has been. Summary: All of her life, Emma Swan has wanted to know who her parents were and why they abandoned her outside a police station in Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard. After the death of her partner, she finds has the means to do so and goes back to the place of her finding to discover the truth. When the trail runs cold, she has a break down and inadvertently summons a selkie named Killian. Emma isn’t looking for love, she’s looking for answers but unfortunately for her, he cannot return to the ocean until she feels happiness. Word Count: 4,200+ AO3: [LINK] Chapters:Prologue | One |Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Epilogue Rating: T+
Night fell and Emma watched it from her window sill, afraid to leave the confines of her bedroom. She didn’t want to leave and discover the magnitude of the damage caused by their fight. She wasn’t prepared to deal with an empty house.
Her stomach wasn’t on board with this however. It made a loud displeased growl, prompting her to finally creep out of her room and pad softly down the stairs. In a brief moment of courage, she glanced in the direction of Killian’s bedroom but the door was closed and she was unwilling to disturb it.
When she entered the small kitchen, she noted the large grocery bag on the counter and a wave of guilt rushed over her. Even though she had left him alone all day with no explanation, he had brought it upon himself to buy groceries without her asking. He had even bought her cinnamon sugar Poptarts, despite denouncing them as “sugar-coated garbage.”
She placed the box down on the counter, head buried in her hands. Once again, the gravity of their fight was weighing on her. She had driven away the one person who had, for a brief moment, given a damn about her. The weight of the loss alongside the hopelessness of her investigation felt like an anchor around her neck and she was slowly drowning.
She isn’t aware of how close she’s gotten to Killian until she turns and can feel the heat emanating from him. Her breath catches and she hates herself a little bit for being unable to control it.
(Hates herself a little more when it becomes evident on his face that he’d noticed and can’t be bothered to hide it.)
“I, ah…suppose I should get to bed as well,” he says, smile verging on something akin to shyness as he reaches up to scratch behind his ear again.
“Me too,” she murmurs.
“Thank you for the ointment.”
“You’re welcome. Goodnight, Killian.” She steps back into the safety of her room and away from the uncertainty that resides beyond it.
He hesitates only a moment before following after her, reaching for her but not quite touching her. “Swan?”
“Yeah?”
Killian stares at her a second more, but instead of replying, he glances down and slips his hand into the pocket of his coat to produce something for her. Something that makes her stomach somersault thrice over – a sprig of bright blue Forget-Me-Nots.
“Goodnight, Emma,” he says, holding them out to her.
She takes them gingerly from his grasp, fingertips lightly brushing against his as her cheeks warm to the same rosey hue staining the tips of his ears. He turns then, casting a final glance in her direction before he rounds the corner at the end of the hall and leaves her standing there, flabbergasted, holding flowers she’s not quite sure what to do with. A dull, aching warmth pulls at her side, a feeling only overshadowed by the confused and conflicted feelings circling in her chest. He’s long gone by the time she gathers her bearings enough to close her door, and yet, somehow, he lingers.
A thousand apologies that this chapter took almost a week longer to turn out than I originally anticipated. It just kept getting longer and longer, and, OMG, the editing alone took three or four days, LOL. Thank you to everyone who waited so patiently and sent me words of encouragement as I tortured myself with this thing. I’ve been very anxious about this chapter in particular, in part because I know how much some of you have been looking forward to a certain ballroom scene. I desperately hope it was worth the wait. Thank you so much for reading!
Find it on AO3 and FFN. Missed a chapter? Get caught up here.
Summary: Killian Jones, the notorious Captain Hook, has been on a quest to kill the Dark One and avenge the death of his first love for over one hundred fifty years. But when he crosses the Evil Queen, he’s magically transported to New York City, a strange land full of fascinating wonders, the foremost of which is Emma Swan, a cynical single mother with no time for fairy tales, real or imagined. A Captain Swan Enchanted AU. (Captain Swan modern AU, Captain Swan Enchanted Forest AU. Romance & Adventure. Rated T.)
Smee’s
head swims as he watches the Queen slip his heart – his heart – into a little velveteen pouch. It’s been a hundred and fifty years since
he’s witnessed magic like this – since the Dark One killed the Captain’s love on
the day that changed their lives forever – but never once has he considered what
it would be like to be on the receiving end of it himself. He blinks as his breathing slows, the seconds
ticking by with surreal sluggishness. He
feels… hollow; like himself and yet somehow oddly detached. As excruciating as it was to have his heart torn
from his chest, nothing hurts now – quite the opposite. Everything just feels… a little less.
And maybe, given the nightmarish situation he suddenly finds himself in,
that’s just as well.
“H-how—”
He stuns himself with his ability to
speak. “How will I find him?”
To his
relief, the Queen isn’t enraged by his question. Indeed, ripping his heart out seems to have
quenched her anger for the time being, as though she’s derived some great, twisted
satisfaction from it. She reaches into
the plunging neckline of her dress and pulls out a small glass vial, looking
smug. Smee’s eyes widen when he
recognizes the contents.
Captain Swan gets gussied up and attends a big romantic ball. You guys like that sort of thing right? Right? It’s not just me? 😀 Here’s Chapter 8 of AFB for @searchingwardrobes‘ CS Rom Com ‘18. Thanks for reading!
The angel was clear, the little cygnet needed to be protected, he was to be her hero, and at the young age of five, Killian Jones is all too willing to take on that task. Little does he know, the cygnet is more than what she appears.
cshappybeginning 