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anmylica · 1 year

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Season II Episode 4: The Crocodile

Tagging the Usual Crew: @kmomof4 @snowbellewells @sotangledupinit @tiganasummertree @zaharadessert @xarandomdreamx @whimsicallyenchantedrose @deckerstarblanche

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Stories often begin with a hint of trepidation, or a sense of foreboding, that foreshadows the calamities that await the main character. These clues are there for the sole purpose of signaling the course of events to the reader. They are not there for the main character himself.

When Captain Killian Jones sauntered into the tavern that evening after making port after those long months at sea, he had no idea of the tragedy and heartbreak that awaited him, that would serve to mold him into who he would eventually become. He had no idea that Fate was waiting in the wings, a cold and cruel mistress who liked to inflict pain and torture on her chosen characters in the stories she weaved of their lives. He had no idea that in a scant twelve hours he would lose his hand, his love, his name, and his identity.

He just knew the cheers and greetings of the men whom he tried to treat as comrades, nurturing friendships in a way that would keep the crew happy and also remind them of who was in charge.

“Where’s my beer?” He asked as he sat down, content to spend the evening amongst the men who had helped him wreak havoc on his former kingdom and gotten them rich on it to boot.

The mug was produced, and he drank deeply, enjoying a night of frivolity and companionship, though not of the female variety. He had no need of that since Milah had joined him on his ship, and he knew that she would be waiting for him to get back after completing her turn on the night watch. They had been together for long enough that neither felt the urge to be joined at the hip, and Killian was glad of the time spent just amongst the men of the crew. He didn’t get much time with just them on the ship.

The pirate crew of the Jolly Roger continued drinking on into the night. Killian had no reason to watch over his shoulder, and so he didn’t. He drank and conversed and laughed with the other patrons, truly content with life in a way that he hadn’t been since he had been in the navy with Liam as his captain. He didn’t think of the events that had resulted in Liam’s passing too soon tonight; indeed, he did not dwell on any of his tragic losses as he caroused with the rest.

Finally, it came time for the crew to head back to the ship, and he gladly joined them. They were all more than a little tipsy, drunkenly laughing at nonsense and stumbling around as they walked. One man of his crew knocked into a local man, laughing as the man gave the group a wide berth, Killian and the rest of his companions laughing at the frightened and confused look on his face.

They otherwise left him alone and turned down the alley that led down to the docks when a beggar shuffling along the way bumped into Killian. The beggar said nothing in supplication, and Killian frowned at the man’s rudeness.

“Hey you, stop!” Killian called out. He had keelhauled men on his ship for less than what this beggar had just done. “Even gutter rats have more manners than you just displayed.”

The beggar slowly turned around to address him. “I’m so sorry, sir,” he said, the hood covering most of his face obscuring his identity.

Killian could see that the man’s skin was mottled and scaled, and he smirked. “I was wrong,” Killian said, “Not a rat at all. More… More like a crocodile.” He turned to his crew who laughed along with him. He stepped up to the beggar and knocked the cup of coins the man clasped in his hands to the ground, scattering the coins across the cobblestones.

When the man bent down to retrieve the coins, Killian kicked him to the ground. If the beggar hadn’t learned manners when he was young, then Killian was glad to help him learn some now. And if it gave his crew members a laugh,

“What’s your name, crocodile?”

The beggar stumbled to his feet, throwing off the hood of the heavy cloak he wore and letting out a sinisterly gleeful giggle as he did so. It took Killian a moment to place the beggar, but he knew he knew the man in front of him.

He waved a finger at him. “You. I remember you.”

“Always nice to make an impression,” the man replied, quoting Killian’s words back at him as he flicked a coin at Killian.

Killian’s heart went to his stomach. It took him a short time, but now his instincts for danger, honed through years of experience on both a slaver ship and as a pirate captain, were ringing in full force. He didn’t even need the beggar to state his name to know who this was.

“Where are my manners? We haven’t been properly introduced.” The man threw out his cloak behind him as he gave a dramatic bow. “Rumplestiltskin,” he said, rolling his r as he did so. “Or, as others know me,” he added, looking up to gauge Killian’s reaction, “the Dark One.”

Killian stared him in the eye, knowing that he had to proceed with caution. Rumplestiltskin as a man hadn’t been much of anything to worry about, but as the Dark One? Killian had heard rumors of his dark deeds in many a port over the last few years. He knew Milah didn’t believe any of them, said that Rumple couldn’t possibly have become the Dark One as he was too cowardly to even kill a medicine man for medicine to help save their son, but Killian had wondered as to the veracity of the rumors.

He now had his answer for whether or not they were true.

Killian held his silence, thinking through this situation, analyzing, trying to figure out a way out unscathed. He didn’t just have himself to get out of this scrape; his crew behind him were relying on him to save them as well. To say nothing of the potential danger Milah was in.

He watched as Rumplestiltskin sauntered towards his crew members, who backed up away from the man turned demon.

“Oh,” Rumplestiltskin taunted, obviously taking in their reactions of alarm with pleasure. “I see my reputation precedes me.”

“It does,” Killian affirmed as the Dark One circled around him like sharks around their prey.

“Good! That’s gonna save us time during the question and answer portion of our game.”

Killian turned his head to look at the demon from the corner of his eye. “What is it you want to know?” He hoped his question conveyed curiosity and not blinding panic at what this demon wanted to know.

Rumplestiltskin smiled a horrible grin worthy of the crocodiles Killian had seen during his and Milah’s brief travels to Madhya Pradesh. He leaned in closer and murmured, “How’s Milah, of course?”

Killian gave a grimace, hoping to convey that he didn’t recognize the name. “Who?”

He turned and gave a smile that he prayed conveyed sincerity rather than awkwardness and fear. Killian knew it felt too tight and grimaced to be natural, but maybe the Dark One would buy it, given that the man had never spent much time around Killian before.

The demon giggled his sinister laugh. “Only too happy to dig out the memory, but it gets quite messy.” There was no mistaking the threat underlying the demon’s words.

Killian watched the man turn back to him warily. Of course it would be too much to hope that the man in front of him would have bought his lie, so he did the next best thing he could do.

“She’s dead. Died a long time ago.” Killian watched as the news registered in the Crocodile’s eyes. “What is it you want?” He asked, hoping that that would be the end of their temporary liaison.

“We didn’t get a chance to finish our duel,” Rumplestiltskin answered softly.

It took Killian a moment to realize what the Dark One was insinuating, but he was quick to draw his cutlets. His crew members reacted in astonishment, clearly not expecting the Dark One to make this demand.

“Not now,” Rumplestiltskin denied. “Tomorrow at dawn. I am not a cruel man, get your affairs in order.” Killian watched as Rumplestiltskin moved his arms around dramatically, sheathing his cutlass. Rumplestiltskin came closer as he added, “Also, you can spend tonight knowing it’ll be your last.”

Killian stared in disbelief.

The Dark One giggled again. “Maybe I am cruel. And don’t think about trying to escape.” The demon leaned in closer to murmur the last statement. “Because I will find you and I will gut your entire crew like the fish.” He put a twist on his last words, clearly relishing the power he had over Killian before disappearing using the dark magic that he traded his soul for.

Killian stared at the spot that the Dark One had occupied just moments before. He could hear his men behind him, murmuring their worries to each other.

“Captain?” Starkey asked, and Killian snapped out of his reverie.

“Let’s go,” Killian ordered, and they all made their way to the docks with haste.

“What are you going to do, Captain Jones?” Starkey asked, concerned about this twist of events.

“I’m going to get my affairs in order and then meet him at dawn for the duel,” Killian tersely replied.

“But what about Milah? What will you tell her?”

Killian shook his head. “Simply that I was challenged to a duel. She’ll believe it easily enough. What I won’t tell her is that her former husband is the challenger.”

Starkey frowned. “But Captain,” he protested, but his words died as Killian cut him off.

“But nothing. You will keep her safe, and in the morning after sunset, you will sail away with her safely on board. You will tell her that I instructed you to sail on in case someone tries to take the Jolly Roger, that I suspected the challenge was a ploy to liberate my ship from me. Tell her I told you to meet me at a port that is a three day’s ride from here.”

They had reached the berth where the ship was docked. Killian waved the rest of his crew members on board, and they happily ascended the steps onto their home. Once he and Starkey were alone, Killian turned to him and continued, “You will not tell her I left this ship with a death sentence. You will not speak a word of this to anyone ever again. Understood?”

Starkey nodded his head once in confirmation. “Aye, sir.”

Killian nodded and gave him a few other instructions, that Milah was to be taken care of no matter what happened, and that he left the command of the Jolly Roger to Starkey, though Milah would captain it unofficially. His share of the bounty was to be given to her whenever they successfully captured other ships’ cargo, and nothing for Milah was to change. Starkey agreed readily enough, and they both boarded the ship to get some modicum of rest.

Killian went to his cabin and saw that Milah had fallen asleep in his bed. He pondered waking her to speak with her and hold her one last time, but he knew his mistress of the sea well enough by this point to know that she would be quite irritated with him if he did so. Besides, how was he to explain this without telling her about her estranged husband’s involvement?

In the end, he was too weak and cowardly to wake her. He simply took off his long leather duster, his boots, and his red vest and slid into his bunk beside her. She didn’t wake as he gathered her in his arms and held her close, relishing in her presence while he could.

Just a little before dawn broke, he disentangled himself from her embrace having stayed awake through the rest of the night out of worry. He dressed in his red vest and his duster once more, pulling his boots on as quietly as possible. Giving her one last long look, he murmured, “I love you,” and he left his cabin as quietly as possible.

He would not bow down now. He would meet his Fate with his head held high and accept whatever consequences awaited him. Killian walked to the alleyway just as the sun was beginning to creep over the horizon, lighting his path as he walked.

There were no signs of what was in store for him. There were no symbols he loved. He had no way of knowing that her heart was about to be crushed because she loved him instead of the unworthy man to whom she had pledged her undying love and loyalty too soon. He had no way of knowing that he was about to lose the hand that supposedly concealed the magic bean the Dark One sought. He had no way of knowing that he would no longer be known as Captain Jones. He had no way of knowing the seed of hatred and grief that would be planted and reaped in his heart this morning that would grow a tree of vengeance upon his soul.

All Killian Jones knew was that he would die fighting before he let the Dark One get his hands on Milah and tear down everything she had built with him.

#Season 2 #episode 4: the crocodile #Ouat #Ouat fanfiction #Killian jones #captain hook #captainswan #Ouat rewatch #ouat season 2 #once upon a time season 2

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