Filming started bright and early the morning after the welcome dinner, at an eighteenth century fort that had been restored and turned into a museum. The main scene they were shooting was a confrontation between Killian's pirate captain and August's naval officer character, that would end with crossed swords and an escape aided by the pirate captain's crew as played by Rob and Will.

While the crew set up the equipment the band and August all got into costume. The wardrobe trailer was so tiny that they had to go one at a time, getting dressed and then moving over to the equally small hair and makeup trailer where Anna and Elsa were set up. August went through the mini assembly line first, Killian was last. His elaborate costume took a while to wrangle into place and by the time he finally had everything on both his bandmates were done in the other trailer and had gone on ahead to set.

The sisters welcomed him in and sat him down in a barber's chair, quickly getting to work. Elsa clipped his hair back from his face while Anna poked around in a giant makeup case, coming up with a small bottle of skin coloured liquid and a sponge.

"Do you want me to cover up the scar?" she asked, squinting at his cheek. A souvenir from a bar fight during the worst of his post-Milah days, it was frequently airbrushed out of photos or covered with makeup when they performed or appeared on TV. He decided in that moment to stop hiding it, the mark was a reminder of his lowest point but he was past that now and it no longer gave him a twinge whenever he looked at it in the mirror.

"No, leave it. A pirate would have scars."

She nodded and started dabbing the sponge over his face everywhere else. Powder followed, applied with a big fluffy brush that tickled a bit and almost made him sneeze, and then she came at him with the eyeliner. That was a bit disconcerting, having Anna hovering about an inch away from him and feeling like she was going to poke him in the eye with the fat black pencil at any moment. How did women do that every day?

Elsa took over when Anna was done, laying out an array of brushes and combs and clips that all seemed like serious overkill. She rubbed some kind of product in his hair and started styling away, face creased in concentration. Anna watched, talking a mile a minute the whole time. When Elsa was finished and started tidying up her station, Anna whisked away the plastic cape that had been protecting his costume and spun him towards the mirror.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked, propping a hand on her hip.

Killian blinked at his reflection, slowly standing up. He'd seen the costume in pieces during the wardrobe fittings, but now with the jewellery and the hair and the eyeliner all in place he really did look like a swashbuckling pirate about to set sail on the Spanish Main in search of treasure.

Elsa tilted her head, her long braid falling over her shoulder while she looked him up and down in the mirror with a frown, "You laid the liner on a bit thick there, sis, and is the shirt really supposed to be open so low?"

"Don't listen to her, you look great!" Anna exclaimed, scowling at her sister.

"Here," Killian said, handing her his phone, "Can you take some pictures for me to post on Instagram and Twitter? Don't show the whole costume though, we want to get people excited for the video but we can't give too much away yet."

It took a few attempts to get some photos that showed hints of his new look without revealing the whole thing, but they managed to get some good shots in the cramped confines of the trailer. He also took some selfies with Anna, both of them making faces at the camera, and after a bit of cajoling, some with Elsa as well. She was obviously the more serious of the two, but she had a lovely smile when it finally made an appearance after her sister's rather theatrical begging.

The last part of his costume was hanging on a rack on the wall, a thick leather belt with a scabbard for his sword. The sword was fake, of course, but as he adjusted the belt on his hips and looked at himself in the mirror again it looked pretty damn real. With the leather trousers, billowy black shirt and leather vest, necklace with skull and dagger charms, heavy rings and the cutlass to complete the look, Captain Killian Jones was ready to make his grand entrance.

Anna and Elsa each hefted a bag of supplies for any touch-ups required on set and they made their way to where the first scene was to be shot. The crew was bustling about under Jefferson's direction and August was going over his copy of the script. The actor had on a powdered wig and a red velvet jacket with gold braid and buttons, his own fake sword hanging from his waist. Killian's "crew" was there, dressed in their own more subdued pirate garb of plain trousers and loose shirts belted with sashes. One had his arms folded across his chest and fixed Killian with a glare the second he walked into the room.

"Words cannot express how much I hate you right now."

Killian grinned widely at Will, "Is that any way to address your captain?"

"There is a ruddy parrot here, Jones. A parrot! A real one, with a man who is apparently under the impression that I am going to let it sit on my shoulder! It's going to bite me ear off!"

He clapped Will on said shoulder, feeling him flinch, "I'm sure they're trained the parrot not to bite off ears. Well, they've probably trained it not too."

"So you wear it then!" Will shot back, "Polly want a cracker? Or Polly want a nice ear to gnaw on?"

Killian turned to Rob, sitting in a director's chair with HOOD stencilled on the back, "Tell Scaredy Scarlet over here that the parrot is not going to bite off his ear."

Rob didn't even look up from his phone, "Will, the parrot is not going to bite off your ear. Killian, shut it, you'll only rile him up even more and I've already been listening to this for the last twenty minutes."

Killian pointed a finger at his bandmate, "I think you both need to learn some manners before I make you walk the plank."

Jefferson called for a rehearsal of the scene and Will flopped down in his own chair, it was just Killian and August for the first part. August fell easily into the role, putting on an arrogant sneer and standing at his full height, shoulders back and his posture ramrod straight the way a real eighteenth century naval officer's would be. When he pulled his sword and dropped into a fighting stance it was one smooth motion that looked fantastic. August had been hired for the role because he had experience with stage fighting. Killian felt rather more awkward at first, although the band had filmed music videos before that required a bit of acting it had been nothing like this. Will's unhelpful commentary from his seat behind the camera also kept distracting him until Rob finally got him to quiet down with a combination of threats and bribes.

But he gradually got used to the weight of the costume and the feel of the sword. Jefferson made some suggestions while watching in the monitor and Killian tried to follow them as best he could, using his hands a bit more to emphasize his movements, raising an eyebrow and smirking at August as they ran through the scene. Just before they started filming for real Anna dabbed more powder on his face and touched up the eyeliner, tilting his face with a hand under his chin and giving him a wink and a "You've got this." whispered under her breath as she worked. He stood up from his own director's chair when she was done, it had CAPTAIN JONES written on the back as a joke but he rolled his shoulders and rested a confident hand on the hilt of the sword, suddenly feeling like a real buccaneer.

They did several takes of the scene, wide shots, close ups, different camera angles. Then it was Will and Rob's turn to film, as Elsa took off August's wig so he could go dunk his head and cool off in the rising heat. The parrot wrangler set the bright green bird on Will's shoulder while he made a face and asked if it had been fed, hand creeping towards his ear. After their bit was done (Scarlet's ears both still attached to his head), the parrot was put back in his cage and they broke for a late lunch.

Rob called Belle to check in, she and Roland had stayed back at the hotel for the day. Jefferson was already editing some of the footage on his laptop, talking to Leroy as he worked and apparently unaware that the cameraman had his earbuds in and obviously wasn't listening.

Killian checked his messages on his phone as he ate. Tink had also remained back at the hotel, and she emailed that pictures from their arrival on the island the previous day were already posted on several entertainment websites. She included links and he opened one of them. A photo of the band outside of the airport greeted him, his hand was raised in a wave, Will was smiling, and Rob was looking at someone off camera. Roland, most likely. Killian was relieved that the boy wasn't actually in the shot, they all tried their best to keep Rob's young son out of the spotlight. Belle had shepherded him away from the reporters at once, keeping herself between him and the cameras. Clearly, she had been prepared for that aspect of her new job.

He scrolled down to the article below the picture. It was fairly brief, just a few lines, Spotted in Aruba...highly anticipated third album Dreams of Neverland...video for the first single will also feature Emma Swan, star of The Globe...

A little inset photo of Emma was included. The label would be pleased with the publicity and he was reminded of the pictures Anna had taken in the hair and makeup trailer. He opened them up and looked for the best one to post. There was a shot where he was in profile, the side of his face and his shoulder taking up the frame. Just a hint of the costume was visible but it was enough to suggest the overall look, and the dark makeup around his eyes made them much bluer than usual. He wasn't smiling, his mouth was set in a line with just the slightest curl of his lip. It was perfect. He posted it, tagging it with #dreamsofneverland #firstsingle #istilldovideo.

The next photo was one of the selfies, Anna was sticking her tongue out, his eyes were crossed and they were both giving the camera a thumbs up. It was the complete opposite of the one he posted and he saved it but didn't upload to any of his social media accounts. The other photo fit his image, the man frequently described in the press as "the bad boy frontman" and "the dark and brooding Killian Jones". It had helped sell millions of albums and became a bit of a mask, a persona he'd donned for so long that it was hard to shake. The fans loved it and it was easy to slip into that role.

Sometimes it was harder to slip back out of it.

They filmed some more with August after lunch and then he was done for the day, they needed Emma for the rest of the scenes the actor was involved in so he got to head back to the hotel early. The crew moved the equipment down to the beach below the fort for the scene of Killian getting into the rowboat his crew had brought and escaping back to his pirate ship. He'd glance back at the fort after the rowboat was underway and catch a glimpse of Emma's princess on the walkway, calling to him before the naval officer dragged her back inside. With the tides pulling the boat away from the shore, the pirate couldn't go back for her and could only watch helplessly as she was torn away.

They would film Emma and August's part later and splice the footage together. Anna had been drafted to serve as the stand-in for the princess, positioned in place on the stone walkway so Killian would be looking at the right spot.

Leroy had a camera on his shoulder in the crew boat and a speaker was set up to play I Still Do. Will and Rob took their positions with their hands on the oars (the parrot had also come back out of his cage, much to Will's disgust), and Killian ran his thumb over one of the oversized rings he was wearing, thinking about the verse that would play over the scene. Anna waved when he looked up and he focused in on her. He was supposed to be looking at the woman he loved, the one he'd do anything for. Milah's face flashed behind his eyes and he pushed the memory away, this wasn't about her any more. The sun was behind Anna, it backlit her reddish-brown hair to a soft glow and shadowed her face, obscuring her features. He smiled and waved back, but the bubbly makeup artist was not the woman he pictured in his mind when Jefferson yelled "Action!" and the music began to play.

Never thought I'd feel it again
My heart was oh so silent in my chest
Never thought I'd let go of my past and then

I'll tell the secret I must confess
Everything changed when I met you
And my darling, I still believe in love,
I'll swear it again, I still do

He didn't just lip sync along to the lyrics, he sang them out loud as the rowboat was towed out with an underwater line and brought back again for each take. It would look more natural on film than just mouthing the words. When he sang everything else faded away, the rocking of the boat on the waves, Jefferson and Leroy yelling back and forth about the shot, Will's continued bitching about the parrot all became white noise as he lost himself in the song. It was never about the fame or the money, even if they were still playing in the back of pubs for fifty quid to ten people instead of selling out stadiums he'd still love the feeling he got when he picked up his guitar and nothing else existed except the music.

They filmed until the light started to wane and Jefferson called it a wrap for the day. The crew started packing the equipment up while the band made their way back to the wardrobe trailer and changed into their regular clothes. Killian breathed a sigh of relief when the costume came off and he donned his plain black T-shirt and khaki trousers again. The pirate gear certainly looked cool but it was bloody hot.

A few fans were waiting for them when they exited the fort, held back behind some barricades set up for the filming and calling out excitedly as soon as they stepped into view. Their bodyguard Little John kept a watchful eye on the small crowd while the three of them walked over and started signing autographs and posing for pictures. Killian thought one teenage girl was actually going to faint after he gave her a hug.

"My friends back home are going to die!" she squealed, turning to the bemused looking woman standing behind her, "Mom, did you get all of it on your camera? Killian Jones hugged me!"

He smiled and moved on to the next fan in line, scrawling his name on the piece of paper that was thrust under his nose. A woman who looked to be about his age pushed her way to the front and invited him and the band to join her and her friends at a nearby bar. She was very pretty and was exactly his type, with dark curly hair and long tanned legs on display in tiny shorts. Six months ago he would have accepted the invitation and easily fallen into bed with her at the end of the night, another meaningless one night stand with a Milah clone to add to the list. Will gave him an expectant look, but he merely shook his head and wished her and her friends a good holiday as she pouted in disappointment.

"What happened to the old Killian?" Will asked as they left the fans with a final wave goodbye and moved across the sunbaked pavement, towards the van that was waiting to ferry them back to the hotel.

He was saved from having to answer by his phone buzzing in his pocket. The call display showed a picture of Tink and he swiped across the screen to answer.

"Lady Bell."

Lady Christina Jane Lavinia FitzWilliam Calvert-Bell gave an exasperated sigh, "Stop calling me that."

"It's your name, isn't it?" he teased.

"Killian Jones, I swear I'm going to quit if keep that up."

She was the band's PA, keeping track of their schedules and running errands for them while trying her best to keep him and Will both alive and out of trouble (a rather Herculean task at times). The daughter of a grand old family that rubbed elbows with royalty, owned listed estates and had a pocketful of posh designations and titles that stretched back centuries. But she eschewed her birthright and wanted to work for a living instead of relying on her noble connections and trust fund. Lady Christina had applied for the job under her childhood nickname, Tink, and it had been six months before they learned the truth about her background.

"You'll miss us too much if you quit and went back to your castle, Tink. What's up?"

"Are you done filming yet?" she asked.

"Aye, we just wrapped and we're about to head back to the hotel now. Why?

"Emma Swan is here."

Killian stopped dead, phone pressed to his ear, "What do you mean, Emma Swan is here?"

Will and Rob both looked over at his loud exclamation and he quickly lowered his voice and turned, hunching over the phone, "She's not supposed to arrive for another two days."

Tink sounded rather flustered, "Apparently her schedule changed, I'm not really sure what happened because nobody told me a damn thing! She just showed up! I take it you didn't know about this?"

He hadn't known. Emma didn't say anything about flying in early when they'd spoken the night before and he wondered why. They'd become friends of a sort during all those texts and phone calls over the last month - or at least he thought they were friends. Tink continued to ramble in his ear but he stopped listening. Maybe he had misjudged the whole situation with Emma and he felt all his old self doubts creep up over him again.

The ride back to the hotel seemed to take twice as long. It was fully dark by the time the van pulled into the circular drive in front of the whitewashed building and they all piled out and drifted into the open-air lobby.

"Shall we go say hello then?" Rob asked, "To Emma?"

"I'm sure Killian's just dying to say hello to his princess," Will said as he elbowed him in the ribs and gave a knowing grin, "Why hello Miss Swan, fancy a snog?"

He took off suddenly down the path that led to the private villas and Killian had to jog to keep up. Will looked over his shoulder and kept at it, doing a piss-poor imitation of Killian's voice, "Oh, Emma, I just love The Globe, I watch it every week and then I sleep with a picture of you under me pillow."

"Scarlet, don't you dare!" Killian warned, trying to grab him by the back of his shirt. But Will ducked and sped up, rounding the pool and passing by the empty tennis court. He said a silent prayer of thanks that no one else was around to hear his bandmate as he continued to chase Will down the trail, the crew hadn't returned yet from the fort and the hotel grounds were virtually deserted.

The lights were on in Emma's villa and Will slowed down and stopped as he reached where the path forked and a line of patio stones led to the villa's entrance.

"After you, Captain," he said, bowing and sweeping his arm out towards the door.

This close to meeting her in person at last and Killian suddenly felt like a bashful schoolboy. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled while he gathered his nerve to go up and knock.

Rob caught up with them, huffing and puffing a bit. He braced his hands on his thighs and frowned, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

He was Killian Jones, the lead singer of Crimson Flag and a world famous rock star. He'd sold millions of albums, had millions of fans, and there was no reason why he should be shuffling his feet on Emma Swan's doorstep. He lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles on the wood before he could back out.

"Oh, hey guys."

August Booth opened the door, smiling and holding a bottle of beer in his hand.

"Hey," Killian replied, blinking at the man in front of him. For a split second he thought they were at the wrong villa, but then August turned and yelled, "Emma! The band's all here."

He waved them in and shut the door behind them. The villa was basically the same as the others, or at least Killian assumed it was. He caught only the briefest glimpse of the furniture because Emma Swan was crossing the living room towards them, one hand extended. She was dressed in a long flowy skirt that sat low on her hips and a white vest top that clung to her rather fetchingly, with her blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. She was somewhat smaller in person than she looked on TV, and even more beautiful.

"Robin Hood," Rob said, shaking the proffered hand, "Nice to meet you, Emma."

Will was next, "Will Scarlet. Welcome to Aruba."

She smiled and greeted both men, and then she turned to him.

"We meet at last."

It came out a bit of a breathy laugh as she pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face with the back of one hand while he shook the other. Soon, too soon, the small hand was withdrawn and he dropped his back down to his side.

"Aye, we do. Killian Jones."

"Emma Swan."

"You guys want a drink?" August asked, bending down and opening up the mini-fridge behind the bar. He looked at home in Emma's villa, and Killian felt a little flush of jealousy that he tried to tamp down.

Will accepted at once while Rob shook his head, "I can't stay, I just wanted to come say a quick hello. Looking forward to working with you this week though, Emma."

Roland would probably be in bed asleep by now but Rob would want to check in on his son anyway. Emma saw him to the door while Will took the beer August pulled from the fridge.

"Emma, do you need another?" August asked.

"No, I'm good," she answered, padding back into the living room on bare feet.

"Killian?"

August held out another bottle and he accepted it while he glanced back and forth between the two actors. They didn't speak to each other like strangers, there was an easy camaraderie between the two of them and he had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and the question slipped out, "Do you two know each other?"

They looked at each other and laughed, "Yeah," August answered, "We made this horrible movie together, oh, about four years ago, wasn't it?"

"Ugh," Emma rolled her eyes, "Horrible's not the word. Went straight to DVD and maybe twenty people in total saw it."

"And fifteen of those were our friends and family," August added, "I'm still apologizing to my dad for having to sit through it."

Emma voiced her agreement, but Killian noticed how her mouth thinned and her gaze dropped to the floor when August made the joke. She recovered quickly though, picking up her drink from the coffee table and inviting everyone to sit.

"So you're old friends?" Will was grinning from ear to ear as he flopped down on the sofa, "That's bloody fantastic. Isn't it great, Killian?"

He took a deep swig of his drink, watching August settle in next to Emma.

Great.

Perfect.

Fucking wonderful.