Killian Jones squinted his eyes in the bright sun as he strolled through the small town.

Despite the bright sun and clear sky it was quite chilly day in the little city of Storybrooke. The usual familiar figures were making their daily rounds. He nodded towards archie who was walking Pongo, got a grunt from Leroy as he passed on his way to Grannys.

It was Killian who was charged to patrol as acting Sheriff.

Deputy Jones was his official title that he now wore. It felt strange.

The shiny badge on Killian's hip felt stranger still.

.

What did Captain Hook know of being a sheriff?

Emma had rolled her eyes at him when had had asked her this.

"Swan." Killian sighed. "What does Captain Hook know of being a Sheriff?"

"You'd be a deputy, not a Sheriff. I'm still the Sheriff."

"Alright, what do I know of being a deputy?"

"You have military training and experience, for one."

Emma was holding the deputy badge in her hand in between them.

"You have literally centuries of hand to hand combat and leadership experience."

"It's also been centuries since I was on the right side of the law, love."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "You know according to my parents, you're a prince now right?"

"Emma-"

"Killian."

Emma wrapped her arms around his neck, sufficiently shutting him up. He brought his arms up to encircle her waist. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze.

" I never thought I would be on the right side of the law either. I was a thief and I totally fell into bailbonds as a career. I sortof fell into this job too. But I know you are the perfect person to act as my deputy. David and I are here to fill in all the blanks you need us to. "

She looked deeply into his eyes that way she did when she was speaking straight to his soul, her voice dropping into an intimate low cadence.

"There's no one I trust more than you."

She smiled at him then and pulled away slightly, stepping back and once again offering the badge.

"And we do make quite a team."

He returned her smile and took the badge in his hand.

"Aye, love, that we do."

Which is how he found himself at the station at least two days a week. He was still learning all of the town ordinances and laws. The paperwork to fill out was easy enough for him.

He wore his pirate cutlass instead of the weapon Emma had issued to him. He had experience with firearms, a fact that had surprised David and Swan. He had his old training with a flintlock and had some occasions to use them in his pirating career. However, he was still much more comfortable with the cutlass.

"I am far better at swinging my sword love." He had whispered in Emma's ear while David was out of earshot. She had blushed and gently smacked his arm with a file she had been holding.

What he still hadn't confessed out loud was that familiarity wasn't the whole truth. The other, bigger reason he didn't want to use a firearm was the fact that the last time he had used a gun was when he shot Belle with Gold's revolver.

He shot an unarmed woman in the back.

Belle had forgiven him for it, of course, but he was still deeply ashamed of that action.

Being a newly minted Sheriff reminded him much of when he was a young lieutenant. Although he had read and studied tirelessly, he felt had no real clue about what he was doing back then, he really had no clue what he was doing now. But Liam had had faith in him back then, and Emma had faith in him now. He wouldn't let her down.

Emma. He sighed at the thought of his Swan so far away from him. She had been gone for two days now and he missed her dreadfully. He didn't like being left behind to watch the town while Emma was in Boston with Henry and Regina, looking at colleges. But Henry needed his mothers, they all needed this normal experience of deciding on a school for his future.

Hook had wanted to go with them but he bit his tongue because Emma needed him here. She needed to know that she could trust him to keep the town safe and in some semblance of order for a few days. He wanted to take a weight of her shoulders.

Killian was lost in thought as he patrolled. He took a quick detour down to the docks to pick up some paperwork at his office at the harbor.

He had an office. Another unfamiliar feeling.

As well as deputy to the sheriff, he was the Storybrooke Harbormaster. Harbormaster was a far more comfortable position for him. He spoke the language of sailors. The rules and regulations regarding the seafaring vessels were familiar to him.

He knew ships, he understood ships.

Besides, it calmed his nerves to be on the docks. A dock in any realm or city was a still a dock.

Hook was about to cut through the shore and back into town when something on the ground caught his eye.

"Bloody Hell!" He gasped and set to a run while reaching for the walkie talkie on his belt.

There, lying on the rocks was an unconscious teenaged girl.