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Killian knew that going to the witch for assistance was a risk, especially with his history with her, but he’d hoped she’d be less hostile than she was now behaving.
“I know you, Hook, and I warned you never to come back!” the witch hissed at the pirate who stood in her doorway.
“I’m not like that anymore, I’ve changed.” Killian protested, “Please, just hear me out.”
“Changed?” the witch snorted, “People like you don’t change.”
“I’m here for the King and Queen of Misthaven, they’ve sent me on a mission.” he tried to explain, “I just need an ingredient from you.”
“Once a pirate, always a pirate! You just want and take!” the witch raged, raising her hands and sending a blast of magic at him, “Let’s see how you manage, pirate, when you’re nothing but a beast!”
Killian cried out as the magic hit him and threw him backwards. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the ground flying towards him.
---
Killian woke slowly and found himself encased in blackness. He swallowed down the urge to panic and began slowly moving around, following his instincts until he could crawl out from under the fabric that seemed to be covering him. He looked back at the fabric and frowned in confusion when he found a pile of clothes that looked suspiciously like his own. The only issue was, the clothes were now extremely large, or he was much smaller…
He glanced down at the ground and realised that the furry paws he could see were his own. He was a furry creature now, a cat, if he wasn’t mistaken. He had nothing against them, but he certainly didn’t want to be one when he had his wife waiting for him back on the Jolly. He took a deep breath and located the scent of the sea in the air before he darted off in that direction, hoping that his Swan’s magic would be strong enough to reverse the spell. He’d barely been moving for more than a quarter of an hour when he realised the biggest battle he’d have to face with his new form - avoiding getting killed or eaten by predators bigger than him.
---
The first would-be attacker was a fox. The second a stray dog. The third a bear. The forth a winged creature (he wasn’t quite sure what the beast was, but he’d scared it off with hisses and his sharp claws). His current attacker was by far the most dangerous - an ogre.
He’d been skipping along in the sunlight, enjoying the speed and strength of his cat form when suddenly he was hanging upside down, an ogre holding onto his tail. He immediately stayed still and silent, knowing that ogres had a keen sense of hearing. He cursed internally, realizing that he must have attracted the ogre with cat noises of some kind.
The ogre sniffed at him but made no move to eat or crush him, he was simply carried along for a short while before being unceremoniously dropped into a stream. After a slight battle to the surface, cat paws clearly weren’t designed for swimming, Killian tried not to be offended by the ogre’s seeming dislike of his scent. He watched the ogre walk away and waited until sunset before he emerged from the stream. By that point he was drenched and shook himself to try to get some of the water out of his furry coat. Still shivering, he made his way under some bushes, the safest place he could find, and curled up to try to stay warm and to get some sleep for the night.
---
It was on the third day of cat-hood that Killian realised he’d perfected the art of stealing scraps from travellers and cottages in the forest. No one ever suspected that he was out to steal bits of food and happily petted him, not realizing that they were down a portion of meat or fish until he was bounding away with his prize between his teeth - once a pirate, always a pirate.
It was also on the third day that he realised how much he was enjoying his new form. He could run, jump and climb in ways he never could as a human, giving him a whole new perspective on the world around him. He quickly learnt which were the most comfortable leaves to sleep on, which berries to avoid and which forest creatures were more friend than foe. He’d always thought, perhaps rather arrogantly, that animals were mere beasts but now he realised just how clever they had to be to survive in such a dangerous world.
It had taken him almost a week on two legs to reach the witch’s cottage and at his current pace, he’d be back on the Jolly with his Swan in just a couple of days. He hadn’t quite worked out how he was going to explain the situation to her, as he was relatively sure that she didn’t speak cat, but he was hopeful that she’d recognize her true love in any form.
---
Killian’s heart soared when he finally reached the edge of the port town where the Jolly was docked. He’d survived miles and miles of dangerous forest and now he just had to navigate a few cobbled streets and he’d be aboard his beloved ship with his wife.
Navigating the streets proved more challenging than he’d expected. Every woman and child attempted to pet him or lift him off his paws, while the men just shooed him away or aimed their boots at him. He had to abandon his mission with just a mile or so to go until the docks, unable to move more than a foot without grabbing hands stopping his progress. He took shelter in an alleyway behind some barrels, curling up and hoping that he’d be more successful at nightfall.
Once the sun had set and the townsfolk had retired to their beds, Killian crawled out of his hiding spot and cautiously made his way through the last few streets until the docks, keeping to the shadows to avoid catching the attention of any drunks.
When he saw her, his beloved Jolly, the breath left his lungs in a rush. He was so pleased to finally be home and he just hoped that he could make Emma understand. He bounded up the gangplank and down onto the deck, sniffing the air and scanning the ship to determine if there was anyone on the watch. He was annoyed to find that there wasn’t, and he made a mental note to bring up the matter with the crew at a later date.
Following the sound of music and speech, he made his way down into the ship and navigated his way to the galley. He stood in the doorway, his heart pounding in his furry chest when he saw her. His beautiful golden Swan, laughing and smiling with his crew. In that moment, he realised once again that he was the luckiest man in existence. This angel had chosen him and had accepted his past, his crew and his demons. He just hoped that she could accept him in his new form until the spell could be broken.
---
Emma let out a shriek as she entered the Captain’s cabin and something immediately landed on her shoulder. She shoved it off and grabbed for her sword, determined to face the threat head on. She paused when she saw the black and white kitten that was looking up at her.
“How did you get in here?” she demanded with a frown, “You better not have broken anything or Killian’s going to have a fit.”
The cat meowed, it’s blue eyes gazing at her with a mix of hope and sadness.
“You can’t live here. Absolutely not.” she replied with a raised eyebrow.
The cat meowed again with a pleading tone to its voice.
Emma sighed and put her sword down, “Fine, but just one night and then you’re on your own.”
She got ready for bed and ignored the cat that had made itself at home on Killian’s chair. She liked cats but she wasn’t sure how Killian felt about them and she wasn’t in any rush to adopt a stray while he was away.
---
Emma’s quick reflexes had filled him with pride but also disappointment when she’d shoved him to the floor after his attempt to sit on her shoulder. He didn’t know how to make her understand what had happened and he decided to convince her to keep him aboard the ship first. If he was with her then he had more chance of making her understand, instead of being left to wander the streets of the port alone.
He waited until she’d settled down in bed before he jumped up and joined her, slipping under the covers and curling himself into her side. He was relieved that his cat form wasn’t too bad as he had a feeling that his Swan was going to need convincing to see the truth.
The cosiness of the blankets and Emma’s body heat sent him to sleep quickly and he was soon lost to his dreams, which had also morphed into surprisingly cat-like things. He dreamed of running and chasing, of Emma petting him on a warm sunny day and of warm delicious meat with rich gravy.
In the morning, he woke to find himself alone in the bed, with Emma already dressed and sat at his desk. He yawned and stretched, giving his head a little shake as he got up. He jumped from the bed and onto the desk, sliding along the papers that she was reading and knocking various items off the edge.
“Really?” Emma said in frustration, looking up at him, “What did I say yesterday about breaking things?”
Killian sighed heavily and padded over to her, nuzzling her hand with his head to apologize for disturbing whatever she was doing at the desk.
“It’s okay.” Emma said softly, gently fussing him, “I’m just a little on edge. My husband’s gone to collect an ingredient from a witch and I’m worried about him.”
Killian let out a meow, trying to make her see that he was right in front of her. He turned away and went over to the ink pot on the desk, flicking the lid open with his claws and dipping his paw in. He hated that his pristine white paws were going to be stained with ink but he didn’t know how else to get the message across. With as much accuracy as he could manage with his paws, he wrote the word ‘Swan’ on the desk in the ink.
“What the hell?” Emma exclaimed as she saw ink being spread across Killian’s beloved desk, but then she saw the word and her heart pounded in her chest, “Killian? You’re a cat?”
Killian meowed again in triumph, pleased that she finally understood. He padded over to her and nuzzled her hand again, trying to convey his love for her.
“You were right about that witch not being pleased to see you then.” Emma chuckled a little, reaching out and giving him a proper fuss, so pleased that he was safely back with her, even if he was a cat now.
Killian purred loudly at her touch, moving closer to her and leaning his body against her.
---
“I have to say, Sir, you’re rather cute in cat form.” Smee chuckled as he stood at the helm, his furry Captain perched on his shoulder.
Killian let out a slight growl at Smee’s words, digging his claws into the man’s shoulder.
“Ouch, stop.” Smee winced, “Don’t worry, you’re no less fierce, Sir.”
Killian patted Smee’s shoulder twice with his right paw and Smee turned the helm two notches to starboard, following his Captain’s instructions as always.
“Has Emma tried to turn you back?” Smee asked, glancing at the kitten on his shoulder.
Killian nodded, his blue eyes fixed on the horizon.
“But it hasn’t been successful?” Smee prompted again.
Killian shook his head and huffed a little, his frustration showing in his body language. They’d set sail the day before and Emma had tried almost relentlessly to remove the witch’s spell but they’d had no luck so far. He didn’t mind being in cat form, but he did miss having conversations with his Swan. The crew had accepted his new form with very little mocking and Smee was acting as Captain to deliver Killian’s orders to the crew.
“Hey Smee, have you seen-” Emma started as she walked up the steps to the helm before she smiled, “There you are, Killian!”
“The Captain wanted to check that I was doing my job.” Smee chuckled, looking away from the helm for longer than a few seconds and earning himself a warning slap on the neck from Killian’s paw.
“Come on Killian, I’m sure acting Captain Smee has everything covered.” Emma assured, gently lifting the cat from Smee’s shoulder and holding him in her arms.
Killian mewled in protest at being carried away from the helm but his protests died on his tongue as soon as her fingers rubbed the sensitive spot behind his ears. He purred without even meaning to, relaxing in her arms and enjoying the fuss.
Emma walked down the deck and sat down on a barrel at the bow of the ship, holding the cat close, “I miss having conversations with you, but maybe we should stop trying so hard to break the spell and instead enjoy the situation a bit?” she suggested quietly, “You do make a very handsome cat.”
Killian debated her words, it was one thing to accept his cat form while they tried to find a solution but another thing entirely to embrace it and not look for a solution at all. He nodded a little in agreement after a few moments of thought, knowing he’d do anything to please his Swan, even if that meant remaining a cat.
“We’ll change you back when we get home.” Emma decided, running her fingers through his fur, “We’ll have more resources to work with at the palace.”
---
Killian huffed as he rolled over and sat up, looking around the dark cabin. Being stuck on the ship was starting to bother him. He had so much energy and he just wanted to run and jump but there was very little space on the ship to stretch his paws safely. He loved the Jolly and he never thought that she’d make him feel confined, but he missed his time adventuring in the forest. Sailing was definitely more enjoyable for a person than a cat. He climbed over Emma, stopping on top of her briefly to check that all was well, before he jumped off the bed and headed out of the cabin to find something to do. Even in the dead of night, there was always a job to be done and he hoped that he could occupy himself.
“Hey Killy Cat.” Smee greeted when Killian padded over the deck to join his first mate on the watch at the bow.
Killian glared and let out a little hiss at the nickname that Emma had begun using.
Smee chuckled at his Captain’s reaction, “Still not keen on that one, Sir?”
Killian jumped up onto the barrel beside Smee and settled down next to him with a sigh.
“You’re bored.” Smee realised, looking over him.
Killian nodded and rested his head on his paws, looking out over the calm waves.
“Come on, you can chase this. Cats like string, right?” Smee suggested, pulling out a ball of string from his pocket.
Killian snorted a little, offended that Smee could think that something as simple as a ball of string could possibly amuse him. However when he saw the string rolling along the deck, all logical thought escaped him in a rush and left him with only one thought - hunt. He jumped from the barrel and pounced on the string, batting it around the deck and chasing it around with abandon.
When Emma made her way up onto the deck in the morning, she found a trail of string all over the place and her husband-turned-cat attacking one end of the string as though it were his only purpose in life.
“Killian.” she called softly to get his attention and almost laughed out loud when wide, slightly crazed blue eyes looked up at her, “Where did you get the string from?”
“I gave it to him.” Smee admitted with a nervous smile from his seat at the bow, “He needed to work off some energy.”
“Clearly.” Emma chuckled, walking over to the cat and picking him up.
Killian initially attempted to fight his way out of her arms, not done with his game of chase, but he soon calmed when the overwhelming need to hunt and chase drifted out of his thoughts.
---
Killian sat on Emma’s shoulder as the ship pulled into the port, relieved that they were finally home and he’d be free to stretch his paws more fully in the palace. Various balls of string and twine had kept him occupied for the most part when his boredom got too much to ignore, but it was nothing like the feeling of truly running and jumping without the danger of falling overboard.
“How am I going to explain this to Mom and Dad?” Emma asked, looking over to him as the gangplank was lowered, “It’s quite a change.”
Killian nuzzled his head into her neck, closing his eyes and purring to show his love and support for her.
“I love you too.” she replied softly, tilting her head and rubbing it against him in return.
As soon as the carriages arrived to transfer them to the palace, Killian dived from Emma’s shoulder and darted down the gangplank. He ran and jumped about happily, almost tripping her up a number of times as he moved with her towards the carriages.
“Chill out a bit, would you?” Emma laughed as she watched him, “You’ll have plenty of chance to race about and knock things over at the palace.”
She climbed into the carriage first and sat down before he joined her, jumping up onto her lap and settling there for the journey.
“You’ve been so patient. Not long now.” Emma soothed him. She could feel the restless energy racing through him with each beat of his heart.
---
“Oh Emma, it’s so good to have you back!” Snow exclaimed as she pulled her only daughter into a tight hug, “Were you successful on the mission?”
Emma shook her head and sighed, “No. The witch was no help at all due to her past with Killian.”
“We’ll find another way to get the ingredient.” Snow assured.
“Damn pest, where did you come from?” David’s voice boomed as he entered the room and promptly tripped over a furry creature. He straightened up and grabbed the black and white kitten by the scruff of his neck.
“Killian!” Emma gasped, rushing over and taking the kitten out of her father’s hard grip, “I told you to be careful!”
“You named a cat after Killian?” Snow asked in surprise, making her way over to them.
“Not exactly.” Emma admitted as she petted the cat in her arms, “This is Killian. The witch turned him into a cat as a punishment for something that went on between them long ago.”
“Oh.” Snow gasped in surprise, looking at her son-in-law with interest, “Have you tried to turn him back?”
Emma nodded, “I tried for ages but my magic just bounces right off.” she explained.
“Have you tried a kiss?” Snow suggested.
“I’m not kissing a cat, Mom.” Emma said and laughed softly at the huff that Killian made in response.
“All you’d have to do is kiss his head.” Snow replied with a playful roll of her eyes.
“What do you think, Killy Cat? Time to become human again?” Emma asked, lifting Killian so they were face to face.
Killian shook his head a little and looked meaningfully at her pocket.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Emma agreed, placing Killian down on the floor and withdrawing the ball of string from her pocket, “One more chase first.”
She threw the ball of string to the floor and the minute it began to roll, Killian’s head shook and he was off after it, batting it about and rolling around.
“It’s a shame we don’t have cameras in this realm.” David admitted as he watched the kitten roll around, enraptured by his game of chase, “I’m never going to let him forget this.”
---
Returning to human form was surprisingly easy after weeks as a cat. He enjoyed all of the things he’d missed and spent hours conversing with Emma like he’d wanted to the entire time he’d been stuck meowing instead of talking. As Snow had suggested, a single kiss from Emma was enough to break the spell and he’d been returned to his normal body within seconds. He discovered that he could still purr as a human, when Emma’s fingers ran through his chest hair, but the glorious relaxing pleasure he’d felt when petted as a cat was just a distant memory now. The only reminder of his time in a different form was a small, barely noticeable thing, a blink-and-you’d-miss-it tell. Whenever something rolled past him on the table in council meetings (be it a pen or a piece of paper caught by a sudden gust), his eyes widened slightly and he’d slam his hand down over it with just one thought in mind - hunt.