The ocean rested below the ship, tired from its constant war raged surface. The rays of the sun burst onto the nearly still waters. A salty breeze blew across the ships deck and aided the crew's hard working brows.

I was standing at the helm of the Jolly Roger, commanding attention as I grasped the wheel. I was a sight to behold with golden buttons sewn onto my sleeves, many metals of fallen captains resting on my chest, and a pirate hat that was enviable throughout the entire sea.

The eyes of the sailors periodically stole glances at their hard hearted captain, admiration donning their eyes. All was as it should be, or so I thought.

"Captain, there seems to be... a pirate shipwreck ahead..." Mr. Smee whispered.

As if the sea could speak, the first thing my eyes landed on was the flag. The skull flag, flown for the sole purpose of striking fear into our enemies, was draped uselessly onto a broken plank of wood. Demolished wood planks were littering the surface of the ocean. There was not a single plank that had not been ripped apart.

A murmur flew across the ship's deck. The crew muttered to themselves, wondering how in the world a pirate ship could possibly be so broken.

The closer we grew to the wreckage, the more noticeable the crimson water became. Instead of clear blue underneath the ship as it was only seconds before, the water was soaked in red. It was dark and horrible, shocking the crew into silence.

Blood seeped into the ocean waters, an unquenchable flow of pirate blood was rushing through the sea.

And that's when we noticed the bodies. Mr. Smee winced at the mangled characters floating through the water. Some sank, some floated on the wood planks, but none were alive.

And to add to the pain and fear that bubbled up inside of me, I realized that every body was dressed in rags and dirty uniforms. Not a single body dotting the water showed signs of being anything other than a pirate.

"Captain?" Smee muttered, an emptiness of sorts in his tone.

The entire crew was watching me again, but not to marvel at my brilliance or see their beloved Captain steer them into their next big adventure. They were watching me to find out if they were allowed to mourn. This group of pirates had been ruthlessly torn apart, and they wanted to honor them properly.

I scanned the waters one last time, making sure there were no survivors left to see my moment of weakness.

My feet began to carry me away, my face emotionless. I passed Smee, patting his shoulder and giving a curt nod. He nodded back.

Despite our bumps, we really were friends, and at that moment, Smee knew that I could not face this. This blood and massacre of our own kind with no sign of a fight, stung. I retried to my chamber and left Smee at the helm to give instructions.

The death of fellow pirates was too much to mourn for a pirate captain.

When I entered my chamber, it was perfect, only reminding me that an entire crew was now buried deep under the waves and could not enjoy these luxuries that I thrived on. The throbbing in my chest made no sense to me.

Captain Hook was never sad, especially not over a ruined ship.

But when I had looked out into the sea, seeing carnage that stretched for miles and that horrid flag, I was upset. The weight of the world had come back to haunt me. I was useless, much like I had been when I was young.

My hand found a small golden elephant that I had stolen much too long ago for me to remember. I studied it for a moment, watching the glimmer as gold was struck by beams of light... then I threw it against the wall and shattered it.

My world was empty, much like my past.

"CAPTAIN!!!" Smee bellowed, breaking me out of my self loathing.

A growl built itself up in my throat as I threw the doors open. I was expecting to be met by a fearful crew and a brave-as-ever Smee that was going to attempt to stop my rage, but I was shocked to find a completely different scene playing out in front of me.

The crew, including Smee, was huddled around someone fearfully, as they helped this mystery cough up the bit of sea that they had swallowed.

A survivor.

"Scram mates!" Smee ordered, noticing the presence of his captain.

The crew fled like birds being chased by a giddy child on a summer day. What they left behind rendered me speechless. My jaw hung against my neck.

"Don't be mad Captain, we couldn't just leave her to die. We can drop her off at the next port, but I don't think it would sit well with the men if you threw her back. 'Specially after what we just saw." Smee rambled, all the while the young girl kept coughing her lungs away.

Her hair was rumpled by the sea.
Her cheeks were rosy from the sun.
Her clothes were that of a first mate.
Her hands were broken and strong.
Her eyes were that of the sea.

"Her name Smee..." I ordered, my tone gruff and commanding.

"She can speak for herself." The girl spat.

She rose to her feet with a grunt and glared right at me, the captain of the vessel that had just rescued her. She was well aware that I was captain and yet she glared at me, not even paying mind to the soaked clothes weighing her down. It was as if she was the captain.

"And her name is not your concern."

Our eyes locked. She was immovable, her glare burning through my skin. She was trying to break me and reveal what was buried deep down within my thick skin. But I was the captain, not her, and I would not let my guard down so easily.

"Smee, give her a bunk. We'll feed her and house her if she works just like the other men. She'll be treated just like any other crew member-" I commanded.

"And she is more than capable of holding her own." She stated bluntly.

There was a moment of silence in which an entire conversation waged through her captivating blue eyes. Then I gestured for her to be taken away and took my place back at the helm.

...

She had started a fight. Not only had she started a fight, but she finished the fight. Twenty men lay groaning on the deck. Twenty men were rolling on the ground because they had challenged her abilities as a pirate.

Smee was cowering behind me, his teeth physically chattering with fear. She glanced up at me and shot me a grin. She had wanted this. She wanted me to see what she was capable of and why I needed her.

"So Cap, what are you after?" She questioned casually, as if we were simply sitting down for tea.

"As of right now, a port to drop you." I grumbled.

She rolled her eyes and got back to work, successfully completing the work of twenty-one men. Her weathered hands never rested.

"Captain, maybe we should consider keeping her on..." Smee whispered shyly.

His fear of both his captain and the survivor made his speech weak. I shot him a fleeting glance. Smee was a man of quick wit and bravery in the face of most danger. The only dangers he refused to brave were an angry tempered Captain Hook and a Captain Hook being taunted. If he would stand up to me when I was both of those....

"Mr. Smee, maybe we should keep her with us for now." I muttered.

He crumpled with relief and muttered something about retiring to his chambers. Laughter bubbled up inside of me as Smee stumbled about the deck. He looked like a drunk, unable to keep his footing straight.

Once he had shut the door and all of the crew members had scrambled away to rest, I allowed myself a moment. A moment to watch this curious girl who commanded respect and could not only talk, but could back herself up.

She glanced up at me and for a moment her eyes weren't angry or taunting.

For a moment she was whispering.

For a moment I knew that she understood me.

For a moment she opened up to me, and I to her.

But I tore my eyes away, remembering that everyone who had ever made me feel safe had left me to fend for myself. I couldn't trust anyone who said that they cared, because that only led to disappointment.

But I couldn't shake that feeling of safety and trust tyt I somehow found in her.

...

Bright, bubbly laughter billowed across the deck. The entire crew was bursting with it. The girl had been entertaining them with ghost stories so cliche they were comical. Even I had been unable to suppress a smile when I had heard her.

She was a jack of all trades.

"If you ever want a chance with her Captain, I suggest you snatch her up fast. The crew is extremely taken with her, especially Charter and-" Smee bumbled.

I was taken aback by this. Smee knew that after Milah, I had sworn....

He knew that I couldn't.

"Then let Charter woo the girl Smee, what am I to stop a man after a lady. Especially our girl." I shot back.

Smee's lips turned down, slightly confused.

"I'm sorry Captain, I only thought, since you kept stealing glances at our girl... and you looked at her the same way... I just thought-" Smee stuttered.

"You thought what? Thought that I'd sweep her off her feet and open up about every single scar from my past? You thought I'd risk heartbreak once again after all of the heartbreak I've had to endure? You thought that one glance from her blue eyes and I'd be gone?" I growled.

As soon as I stoped talking, I realized that the ship was silent, save for the sound of the waves throwing themselves against the ship's sides. The eyes of the crew were latched onto me, as were the girl's.

"I didn't think any of that Captain." She muttered.

My heart stopped. The entire crew had seen. The entire crew was watching. She smiled at me again and then went back to story telling. I released a breath.

"Tell her Captain." Smee said, not a quiver to his voice.

I nodded.

...

"Girl, could I speak with you for a moment?" I called out, before she had the chance to escape to her bunk.

Her blue eyes embraced my own and in the moonlight I could see her snarky smile. She approached me slowly, as if weary, but she and I knew that she had nothing to be weary of.

"What could the Captain of the sea want from a lowly pirate girl?" She whispered, as if unwilling to disturb the peace of the night.

Her clothes were the same as the crew.
Her blonde hair glimmered in the moonlight.
Her smile, despite its snark, lit up the deck.
Her eyes were an opened gate into her soul.

"What did you lose, the day we found you?" I murmured, almost afraid.

Instantly, her entire demeanor shattered. The courage and snark that she had put on display was simply a ruse, hiding her pain. She was strong because she had to be to survive, but it wasn't real.

"My brother and I had captained that ship together. He had always had faith in me despite the fact the I was a girl, he always knew that I was a survivor. And I guess I still am..." She whispered brokenly.

A tear escaped her perfect eyes. And that was when I realized that vulnerability wasn't bad, when it was with the right people.

"I lost the love of my life." I blurted.

My shattered heart was now on display in all of its shattered glory. Pirates weren't usually emotional, but girls weren't usually pirates.

"Captain Hook was in love?" She tried, desperate for an icebreaker.

Her small smile wasn't snarky, but it was vulnerable. Her beautiful eyes reflected that pain and fear she experienced that day. She was just as broken as I was.

"Is." I muttered in a burst of confidence, my eyes meeting hers.

"And so am I Captain." She said, her gorgeous eyes bursting with happiness.

.............................................................................

Yay!!! First chapter in the books, or book. (Yes I know I'm punny)

I hope you enjoyed it guys, it was so fun to write!

Please vote and request!!! :)