A/N: Just a short ficlet about Wish Hook's transformation from a vengeful pirate into a loving father.

Fatherhoo[k]

Once a pirate, always a pirate. At least that was what he thought. At the time it hadn't seemed like there'd be anything that would be able to change his mind, to make him want to change. The Jolly Roger was his home and revenge was all that his heart harbored. He'd spent centuries on Neverland, dedicating his life to getting his vengeance because that was all that mattered.

And yet, he found himself turning his back on the endless sea and his thirst for revenge. He was no longer trying to keep his balance on the deck of a constantly rocking ship. Instead, he rocked his infant daughter in his embrace. The soothing sound of waves that lulled him to sleep was replaced by sharp cries that woke him in the middle of the night. His hook no longer served as a weapon. He now used it to help Alice put clothes on. He was no longer the feared pirate of whom tales were told. Instead, he told bedtime stories to his daughter. His thoughts were not consumed by revenge anymore. His creativity was focused on coming up with ways of making Alice's existence more bearable now. The stars he could see through his spyglass no longer helped him navigate his ship through the sea. In the tower they helped keep track of time.

And heaven knew that flew fast. Maybe the stillness of Neverland where time did not move had distorted his perception of it but in the tower it was different. Alice grew up in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, she'd gone from a little helpless baby to a skilled girl who was almost a teenager. And even though to her it seemed like she'd spent an eternity trapped in that prison, to him it had been a moment.

A moment was all it had taken for him to throw away any life he might have had outside of the solitude of the tower. A moment was all it had taken for him to abandon piracy and any desire of revenge. A moment was all it had taken for him to choose love. He hadn't thought he had much of that left in him but he was ready to give it all to his daughter. And so, he'd set off on a journey that had nothing to do with finding treasure or seeking revenge. He'd chosen the path of fatherhood. And that had been the best transformation he could have ever hoped for.