The holiday

Part 1

With all that they had both been through, Killian and Emma relished in their moments of solitude. Well, mutually shared solitude, actually. While both were quite adept at being alone, it didn't necessarily mean they wanted to continue turning their backs to the chance of not being entirely alone.

Two is better company than one, especially when each has been through the mill and back.

Since Killian had been exempted from Pan's curse in his pursuit of Emma, he and Swan often were able to enjoy getting away from Storybrooke. But his idea of a getaway always included a view of the ocean. They were only five weeks away from their wedding and both were in dire need of a break.

Planning a wedding was certainly no picnic.

Emma managed to find an awesome five-day, four-night all-inclusive package to Cancun, in Mexico. Regina managed to conjure up a decent-looking passport for the pirate and all was set for him to venture out of both the town and the country. The time had come to show Killian that there was far more to this realm than just Storybrooke… and time had also come for him to conquer the air.

She drove the little yellow bug to Portland and pensioned it for five days, and they were set to fly from there to the little international airport south of the border.

From the get go, it was obvious that the pirate was struggling not to appear weak before Emma, but she could tell that his ear-to-ear, tight-lipped grins were a clear indication that he would quite likely suffer through the flight much like anyone would suffer a tooth extraction.

Maybe more.

"Swan… what the bloody hell…" He fiddled with the clasp beneath his seat.

"Seat belts." She grinned. "Look…" She pulled the buckle and clamp, snapped them together and gave the strap a gentle tug before letting them rest on the Captain's lap. "There. All buckled up."

Killian swallowed hard. "So, in the event of us falling thousands of leagues into a fiery death, this should spare our lives then…" He chuckled. "Wonderful."

She rolled her eyes. "Leagues are not used to measure distance in the air, buddy. And no, we won't fall…"

"What makes you so sure?" He turned, blinking multiply and with another nervous Cheshire cat grin that hid none of his nervousness. "This bloody flying contraption probably holds more weight to it than the Jolly Roger, tenfold."

"Ugh…" She shook her head. "Look, just try to enjoy it and…"

"Enjoy it… Swan?" He nodded. "I've flown before. The Jolly was quite capable of doing so, if you recall. But I trust magic to sustain a vessel in the air much more than I trust this realm's fickle technological know-how…"

Emma sighed hard. "Ok, you know what? Here…" She placed a magazine on top of his lap. "Keep yourself busy, Hook. It's only five hours."

"Five hours?" He huffed. "The Jolly would take us in twenty min…"

"The Jolly is back in the Enchanted Forest! Wanna open that whole can of worms again?"

Touché.

He huffed and opened the magazine, not really reading a damn thing. The plane suddenly shuddered and the pirate reached for his arm rests, almost breaking the little wooden hand on his left arm. "Bloody hell! It moves!" He whispered.

Emma snapped her head at him. "We're just moving down the runway! Will you just chill?"

Killian looked around him sheepishly before releasing the arm rests and picking up the magazine. Emma saw from the corner of her eye that his hands, both real and artificial, were actually shaking.

No denying it: The man was freaking out.

As the plane cruised through on it's way to the takeoff point, Killian flicked though the pages loudly. Emma turned, annoyed, and was about to say something when she noticed a single drop of sweat trickling down his temple. He had a habit of tonguing through his teeth and licking his lips, only now he was doing it like there would be no tomorrow. The magazine in his hand was shaking and it was clearly visible that his breathing had increased considerably, even if his eyes seemed to be meticulously caught in the contents of the magazine… alas, he was holding it upside down.

Emma grinned and reached out for the magazine, closed it and turned his face to her with her hand, cupping his jaw. "Hey…" She spoke softly with a smile. "It's ok…"

"Who said otherwise?" He grinned again.

"Killian, you're on the brink of shitting your pants."

"A gentleman would do no such thing, Swan." He frowned. "And a lady, a princess no less, has no business making such a crude and crass remark."

Emma chuckled and leaned against his shoulder. "Ok, look at it this way: If we go down, we go down together."

The captain sighed and tried to regain a little bit of composure. "Is it really that obvious?" He whispered after looking around him.

"Baby…" She reached and grabbed his hand. "This is the clammiest, soggiest hand I've ever held. If that's not a dead giveaway that you're shi… that you're terrified…"

"I am not terrified, my love, I am uneasy. There is a difference."

"Hook, you look terrified." She grinned daringly.

Killian rolled his eyes, huffed and turned to her. "Listen here, woman… A man who has crossed realms, seen and battled with krakens and mermaids, fought with entire pirate crews and seen the extent of Peter Pan's evil magic, has absolutely no quaffs with being bolted to a seat in a flying machine where hundreds of other people are also awaiting to fl…" Just then, the engines blasted their takeoff mode and sped suddenly down the track.

Killian not only sat back; he pressed himself hard to the seat, his hand once again clasped to the arm rest, eyes wide and teeth very visibly shivering.

Then the plane finally took off. His stomach dropped dangerously down into one of his legs.

"SEVEN BLEEDING HELLS!"

Emma tried to hush him, but was unable to keep his nervousness at a decently controllable level. "Swan! SWAN! We're in the bloody air! I can't…"

"Shhh!" She tired to silence him. "Killian…"

"Gods! Gods! Emma!" he turned to her, hyperventilating and damn near teary eyed. "I love you, Swan, always have, always will!"

"Hey we're ok!"

"No we're bloody not!" He replied loudly.

"Ma'am, is there a problem?" an airhostess approached them.

The look on Killian's face reminded Emma of the expression he had the day she met him, under a stack of corpses, begging to have his life spared. Except this was no fake situation.

"Sir?"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA BLOODY DIE, AREN'T WE?" He hyperventilated.

The people had begun to murmur and whisper to each other.

"Sir, we're ok, we're…"

"SWAN!"

"Listen…" Emma turned to the hostess. "I know it's early for this, but… " She wrinkled her nose, leaning over her panicky boyfriend. "You think you could… facilitate me with a bottle of rum? A large one? Any rum."

"That will have a cost, ma'am, and you'll have to wait until…"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CAN BLOODY WAIT?" Killian screeched.

The woman stood straight. "Sir I'm afraid that we have policies regarding passenger behavior and…"

Emma cut in. "No, no, come on!" she begged. "Cut him some slack, it's his first time on a plane and he's scared out of his mind, please, just get me the rum, and I'll know what to do, ok?"

The lady smiled and Killian tried his best to deliver a begging grin. The plane wobbled and he gasped, closing his eyes and the knuckles in his hand whiter than the paper of the magazine on his lap.

"P… please…" He begged, his blue eyes almost watering.

The air hostess drew a deep sigh and shook her head. "I'll be back in a minute. Try to keep the noise down though, sir, you're alarming the other passengers…"

"A… apologies, lass…"

Emma held on to Killian's hand. "Come on, the chances of having an accident while riding an airplane are roughly one hundred thousand to one, Captain. You flew in the Jolly Roger! Where's that dread pirate pluck of yours?" She rubbed his hand. "Where did it go?"

"It sank." He swallowed hard, the plane still rising and his blood pressure still dropping.

"Sank?"

"Aye… with the corpse of my late brother."

Killian turned to her, eyes huge and pleading, and Emma swore that this was definitely the very first time she'd seen him look flat out terrified… and indescribably sad.

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Swept by the spell of the Pegasus Sail, the Jewel of the realm flew through the air, cutting through clouds like sunlight reaping through the air.

Killian Jones swiftly ran below deck to meet his brother in the Captain's quarters. Liam stood before a mirror after having risen from a nap. He took a single look as his young brother and chuckled. "Still queasy?"

"I've got sea legs." The young man replied. "Not wings." He then paused before looking back up. "How are you feeling, brother?" An eager, bright-eyed and happily naïve Lieutenant Jones asked his captain and older brother.

Captain Jones fixed his shirt lapel before the tiny mirror. "Ship shape!" He smiled. "Like I'd never had the blasted venom in my veins at all. Matter of fact, I don't believe ever felt younger."

The Lieutenant grinned a relieved grin at his brother.

Liam Jones sighed before turning, full face, to his younger brother. "Forgive me, Killian. I should have listened to you."

"Oh never mind." Killian shrugged back with a grin.

"But I do, brother." Liam nodded. "You have always had that gut instinct I lack. I was too bloody proud and I nearly paid for it with my life." He paced towards his brother. "You shall make one fine captain, one day."

Killian laughed softly. "Not while you live." He shrugged. "I'm quite content under your tutelage…"

Liam laughed and grabbed his younger brother by the shoulders. "You know what? You are ready." Killian smiled and Liam gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, turning back around to reach for his jacket. "As soon as we reach safe harbor and the vessel has once again touched a familiar shore, I shall direct myself to the admiralty…" He turned to Killian with a grin. "…and fully recommend to them that Lieutenant Killian Jones is ready to be promoted in rank… to Captain of his own ship."

Killian frowned and then a huge smile crossed his face from ear to ear. "Do you really believe I…?"

"Certainly. You command respect, brother, the sailors look up to you, and you're fair, honorable, clever and terribly resourceful. Your navigating skills are outstanding, you're the academy's prime pupil and no one I know can navigate the stars quite like you can. Not to mention…" He sighed. "You'd go out of your way to save those you love; kindness of the heart, brother, is not a common asset." Liam nodded. "You called on our king's cowardice while I was blinded by heedless and nonsensical loyalty to a man who would use poison on our enemies. Fighting battles with unholy weapons is, as you say, bad form."

"Hey…" Killian paced to him and helped him adjust the lapel of his jacket straight, dusting his ranked shoulder pads. "I will follow you… to the ends of the earth, brother."

Liam grinned and placed his hand on his younger brother's arm. "You would, too. But no need, brother. You're your own man now. You'll likely get your own vessel and shall make the kingdom and the realm proud. The people will side with you and I, brother, you shall see, and so shall the armed forces. And I trust… you'll be one hell of a captain."

Killian smiled back and grabbed on to his brother's arm.

"All hands brace for landing!" Came the voice from the deck.

Both Killian and Liam felt their stomachs jump up into their heads as the ship descended onto the waters of their realm, Neverland now a distant and terrible memory. They felt the waters crash to against the keel and the whole clipper bobbed and wobbled as it steadied itself on the ocean.

Nobody was happier than Killian Jones to feel water beneath him again.

"Home!" Liam smiled. "We made it, little brother!"

"YOUNGER brother." Killian rolled his eyes.

Liam laughed heartily as Killian walked to the windows of the cabin, beholding the view.

How he loved the sea! Imposing, strong, powerful, and yet tender and soothing. The sun shone down on the ripples of the waves, regaling the sight with flickering silvers and golds. The day was serene, the waters appeased and nothing, not a damn thing, could ever go wrong during a magnificent day like this. The view made his heart soar and he was unable to contain a full smile and a soft chuckle. Yes… he was home.

"What do you say, Liam?" Killian quipped, his eyes bright with hope and joy. "Do you want some company when you report to the admiralty?"

He turned his smiling face to his brother… to find him slowly bending forward, pain etched on his face, gasping for breath and looking with terrified blue eyes back at him. Killian frowned, his smile dissolved into a concerned grimace. "Liam?"

He ran to his brother's side just as Liam's body collapsed to the floor. "LIAM!"

The captain reached out and placed his open hand on his younger brother's cheek. "B… brother…"

"No, nononono, NO!" Killian held him, his eyes fixed on his brother's face. That was when he was suddenly aware of the blackening that stemmed from Liam's neck, rapidly spreading into his face. Liam started to cough out a black, sticky sap out both lips and nose and he convulsed before suddenly stopping. His eyes fixed on the ceiling and his hand slowly slid down to the floor as he exhaled a dying breath.

"NO! No, no, no! HELP!" Killian shouted. "HELP! Please!" He turned to look at his brother, now lifeless. "Liam… Liam, come back… Liam…" He wept, leaning his head back onto the wall behind him. "Brother…"

After he was pronounced dead by the crew's medic, it took the sailor's two hours to get the Lieutenant to let go of his brother's body… and another hour to sew up his body for a dignified sea burial.

From that day, and for many years to come, the mere thought to flying again brought a nauseating feeling to his gut.

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"It was Liam's thing, flying…. Not mine." He shook his head, still containing his breath. "I was thrilled, the first time the Pegasus was deployed, seeing as to how a vessel the size of the Jolly Ro… The Jewel of the Realm, could fly through the air the way it did. Had I but known…" he turned to Emma, saddened but calmer. "Tis not the first time I'm in the air love… But this enclosed capsule, no air… I can't but avoid remembering the cabin, my brother…"

Emma eyed his entire face, studying him inch by inch. "And you're doing this for me?"

"And I did it for you when we returned from Neverland, love." He nodded. "And I'll do it any time you ask it of me…. But please do not ask me to enjoy it. I can't. I don't think I ever will…"

Emma took his ringed hand to her lips. "I don't deserve you…"

He turned sharply to her a nodded. "Aye, you don't." As she was gasping in horror, he grinned. "You deserve so much more… and that's saying a lot, Swan, considering I'm arguably the handsomest man in Storybrooke and the most dashing and debonair Pirate to ever hoist a sa…"

She cut him short with a kiss. "Shut up."

The hostess arrived with the bottle. "This is all we had." She sighed, handing them a flask, by any standard bigger than the tiny alcohol caplets they usually used in flights, but still not really a full bottle. "It's not a really big bottle, but…"

"It'll do nicely, love…" Killian took it from her with a smile and a wink. "You've been of great assistance."

"Yeah, you have." Emma handed her her credit card with a grin. "Take your tip from here too."

As the airhostess left to make her charge, Killian opened the bottle and sedated his anxiety with a large gulp of the sultry, spicy liquor. He then turned to Emma and handed her the bottle, and she too took a single swig before returning the bottle to her fiancée.

He turned to look at her, and while he still looked a tad nervous, he delivered the first honest grin in hours. "Whatever would I do without you, Swan?"

She shrugged. "You'd be hell-bent on kicking Gold's ass, I suppose."

He chuckled and bit his lip as he looked down at the flask on his lap. "Aye, that's a possibility."

She smiled at him and rubbed his arm. "I'm so sorry…"

"For what, my love?" He turned to her, with a sad sigh.

She shrugged. "We're both so… broken. But all this time, you kept on trying so hard to make me believe nothing got by your defenses, nothing could hurt the powerful, mighty Captain Hook… Just so you could be there for me." she shook her head. "I was so busy focusing on my own issues, my own walls, my own pathetic memories… to even begin to realize you had so much hurt still…"

He shrugged and sighed. "Aye, well… I'm still only human." He looked at her with a warning eye. "You don't tell your father a single solitary thing…"

Emma chuckled, and wrapped her arm underneath his, leaning on his shoulder. "Nope. It stays between us."

Killian grinned and sighed deep. "I thank you, love… for listening. I don't believe anyone ever has."

"We all need a shoulder to cry on." She winked at him. "And I got two."

He smiled fully. "Good to know, that."

He leaned in for a kiss.

The plane shuddered and Killian jolted.

"Ladies and Gentleman, this is Captain Andrew Williams, we kindly ask you to remain in your seats and place your seat belts on, we will be flying through a small patch of turbulence, place place your seats in an upward position and lock your dinner trays. Thank you."

Killian continued to sweat, hyperventilate and swallow repeatedly; and for every bump and unsteady jostle of the craft, he took in a large gulp of rum. Soon enough, he was asleep and Emma finally managed to read a magazine and listen to some music for the remainder of the trip. But she was stunned to find that, when she turned to look at him, he was leaning his head against the window, snoring softly, with a tiny, pristine grin on his lips.

She smiled. "You are such an old woman…" she caressed the hair over his right ear. "But god, I love you."

Killian grinned a little more before settling back down. He knew that if the plane were indeed to go down, there would be no person in the entire world and every other realm that he'd rather die next to.

And Emma felt the same way, too.

She then made a final decision: No flying for their Honeymoon. A cruise suddenly seemed far more appealing.