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There were games of chance, games of skill, and games of deception. Emma didn't particularly care for games of chance (although they were the preferred means of entertainment for her pirate), nor was she overly fond of games of skill (despite definitely having a few that came in handy). Games of deception though? Those were her specialty.
The unfortunate fact was that nobody in Storybrooke was willing to play against her anymore when it came to card games. She had already taken the dwarves several times (Leroy still hadn't forgiven her for winning his pickaxe from him one night, even though she gave it back in the end), as they - and everyone else - were well onto her and her super power by now.
And so one night after lamenting the problem with Killian, she decided it was time to take this show on the road.
It really didn't take much to convince him to take a boat out on the water, Killian was always ready to set sail. What she hadn't told him in advance though was their destination: Atlantic City.
The idea was simple: head into a casino, find a relatively low stakes poker game, and lose a few hands to an unsuspecting table. Lull the other players into a false sense of security, and then go in for the kill. It wasn't that she needed the money, but more that she yearned for a somewhat easy win for once that didn’t involve potentially losing the lives of those that she loved.
~?~?~?~
After everything that they had been through in recent memory, it was something of a relief to see Killian so relaxed at the helm of the borrowed boat. Spending time alone with him almost derailed her plans - the idea of simply staying on board and not bothering with anyone else was quite appealing. It was only Killian’s insistence that he wanted to see her in action that spurred her on.
They were only out on the water for two days before making port in Atlantic City and slowly made their way, hands entwined, toward the bright lights of the nearest casino.
Killian had obviously been to more than his fair share of taverns, but he had never experienced anything quite like this.
“Gods, Swan,” he began, taking in his surroundings. “Does it ever stop?”
Emma grinned and shook her head, leading him past a row of obnoxious Wheel of Fortune slot machines, complete with a hoard of old women who fed a continuous stream of quarters into them. “Nope. Twenty-four seven.”
There was a brief moment of hesitation when they happened upon the craps tables - dice had always been Killian’s game of choice, and Emma knew that he carried a pair of loaded dice in his pocket - but she managed to pull him away. For the moment.
Hand-in-hand, they made their way to the poker room at the back of the floor. The table that Emma decided to join was for Texas HoldEm with a $20 minimum bet.
~?~?~?~
Being a (reformed) pirate, Killian knew his way around a poker table. The only decision was whether or not they would play as a team or each go in on their own. In the end, Killian decided that it would be more fun to sit back and watch, with a drink in his hand (of course).
And so there they sat, 45 minutes later, with Emma biting her lip in faux-indecision as she looked once again at her cards to compare them to what was available in the river (she had a full house, and knew that it was the best hand at the table). She had already lost a few hands and was out nearly $200, much to the enjoyment of the other players at the table.
“Come on, sweetheart,” one of them said. “What’s it gonna be?”
She felt rather than saw Killian tense up beside her at the man’s choice of endearment. Resting a reassuring hand on his knee, she turned to him and smiled. “What do you think? Should I call?”
Killian raised his empty glass in the general direction of the cocktail waitress that was working the poker room, before peeking at Emma’s cards. “You haven’t listened to a word that I’ve said all night, love. Planning to start now?”
“Well, you’re no help,” she muttered, frowning down at the cards. Taking a deep breath (for show) she tossed another $50 in chips into the pot. “Call.”
The man sitting across from her grinned almost wolfishly, the cocky bastard. Emma was looking forward to wiping the smile off his face once she showed her cards. Sure enough, he checked her bet, and showed his hand: two pair, consisting of the pair of fives in the river and a pair of threes. So he hadn’t exactly been lying, but he didn’t have the hand that he was betting on.
A second player to her right simply shook his head and tossed his cards aside. She knew he was bluffing and had nothing to show for it, so he was out.
Then it was her turn.
Emma smiled slightly as she flipped her cards on the table: she was holding a pair of queens (somewhat telling, if she did say so herself, although fortunately neither of hearts). Pairing that with the 3rd queen and the pair of fives in the river, that gave her a full house and the winning hand as declared by the dealer.
“$360 to you,” the dealer said, pushing the chips over to her.
“That’s a nice change,” Emma grinned as Killian kissed her temple.
“Well done, love,” he breathed in her ear. “Now how about trying that again - I think I could use something pretty from the shop.”
She playfully shoved Killian away. “Only if you’re good,” she winked before nodding to the dealer to include her in the next hand. “Let’s try it again.”
The game continued for three more rounds, of which Emma won two. A couple of other players came in and out from the table, but the one across from her remained, his eyes narrowing suspiciously every time she made or checked a bet that paid off for her.
It was after the seventh hand, which Emma won once again with a pair of queens, that he finally exploded. The pot had reached higher than it had in the last hour that they had been playing, topping $800.
“She’s cheating!” the man accused, jumping up from the table as she claimed her prize.
“What?” she replied, offended. “Just because you can’t--”
Before she could finish her sentence, the man was rushing around the table and reaching for the jacket hanging on her chair as if to prove something. “She has cards hidden--”
Where, exactly, Emma had cards hidden (she didn’t) remained to be discovered. Killian had instantly risen to her defense and punched the man with a sound blow to the jaw. The way that he spun would have been comical if security hadn’t instantly appeared at the table ready and waiting to escort them all away.
Emma threw her hands out in front her her, gesturing her surrender. “We don’t want any trouble, gentlemen.”
“Ask her boyfriend,” the player spat, holding one hand over his throbbing jaw. “He’s been slipping her cards all--”
“And just how,” Killian began, “do you suppose that to be the case, mate?” He held up his left hand, proving it to be a prosthetic, and raised his eyebrow in question. “Hardly my fault that the lady called your bluff. Can’t imagine it was the first time though,” he added.
Once again the man lunged, only this time it was directly for Killian. Before he could land another punch though, a guard pulled the two apart.
“Do you mind?” a second guard asked Emma, gesturing to her jacket.
She shook her head. “By all means,” she replied, smiling serenely as the guard checked her pockets, which - as expected - were empty.
“Nothing there,” he informed the table. “But we’re still going to have to ask you all to leave.”
“But I didn’t even--”
“Sir, you tried to attack a guest.”
“He punched me ,” the man insisted. “I want to press charges!”
“Oh, bloody hell,” Killian muttered. “Why don’t we just settle this--”
“Enough!” Emma shouted, instantly commanding everyone’s attention. She even surprised herself with the electrical charge that she suddenly felt in the air. A quick glance at Killian confirmed that he felt it too. They may have been in a land without magic, but there was still power behind her. “No trouble,” she continued, shaking the feeling off. “We’ll just cash out and be on our way.”
The first security guard nodded his approval. “Thank you,” he said.
With those words, Killian helped her to collect her winnings - leaving a $40 tip for the dealer - and they walked away from the table.
~?~?~?~
“Not quite the tavern brawls you’re used to, huh?” Emma asked, trying to lighten the mood once they were safely outside.
Killian smirked and shook his head. “I confess that it is not the same without a blade. But watching you play them, love...”
He stopped walking suddenly, and pulled her to him, lowering his lips to meet hers in a surprisingly tender kiss.
“So tell me, love,” he whispered as his forehead rested against hers. “How much did we walk away with?”
“ We ?” she scoffed. “I won nearly two grand, thank you very much.”
He grinned at her haughty response. “So does that mean I’ll get something pretty?”
“If you play your cards right…”
“Swan,” he groaned.
Emma feigned innocence, but Killian was having none of it. Before she knew what he was doing, she found herself hoisted off the ground and over his shoulder. She let out a slight shriek as he swatted her playfully on the backside.
“You’re going to pay for that, love.”
And so he carried her giggling form down the boardwalk, ignoring the looks from the crowd as he made their way back to the boat in the marina. They had earned some time alone before they needed to head back home, and it was time to cash in that marker.