Once Upon a Time 1. Drink Up

Hook took another drink of rum and stared at the fire. They had arrived in their old realm, been attacked by an as yet unknown enemy, and still didn't have much of a plan for what to do next. Despite all that, what kept him up the most this night were Regina's words repeating themselves in his head.

_"At least her memories of us will give her comfort," he heard Snow say._

_"She won't remember any of us. Neither will Henry."_

Hook had watched the queen walk away looking dejected and broken. He suspected he looked the same. Emma gave him hope when he left her on that road, smiling one last beautiful smile as they parted. She would know that each day that passed was another day that he was thinking of her. But now he knew that wasn't the reality of their situation.

It was even worse because in the moments he wasn't thinking about Regina's words, he was thinking about how to get back to Emma. His first thought was always a magic bean, which would lead to a depressing spiral of memories. He would see Emma climbing the beanstalk with him, would see her grabbing his belt buckle to pull him close and save him from the giant's trap. That would lead to him remembering how she smelled when she was pressed against him and the way her hair felt as he brushed it off her shoulder, which of course led to his need for another drink. At least if he was drunk the whole time he was in this realm, it would dull the pain of losing her.

All this and he hadn't even made it through his first night without her.

"Do you mind if I join you?" David asked, taking a seat before getting an answer from the pirate. Hook just shrugged and offered the prince his flask. He would've preferred to be alone, but at least he was with someone who would understand the pain of losing Emma.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, prince?" Hook asked with a teasing sneer.

David stared at the flask in his hands. "I saw you were awake and thought you would have something to help me sleep," he said before savoring a drink from Hook's flask. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you. How is it that you never run out of rum?"

Hook grabbed the flask back and smiled his devilish smile. "Magic," he said, giving David a wink. "I was paid with this instead of doubloons for a job once. Best payment I've ever received." He took another sip, feeling the rum burn his throat before turning his attention back to the prince. "So what's with the bloody shirt, mate?"

"What do you mean?"

Hook gestured at the dried red liquid that had bloomed in two places on the fabric. Unlike the pirate, who arrived in his usual hook and black leather coat, the rest of the group had returned in clothes that suited their Enchanted Forest personas, and David's bloodied white shirt stood out from the rest of the well put together crowd. "Everyone apparently returned in something that was important to them. So where's the blood from?"

David just stared at the fire. "Emma," he whispered.

Hook's heart skipped a beat. When he had said goodbye to her before the curse took them, she wasn't hurt or bleeding. "What happened to Emma?" he asked slowly, panic creeping into his voice.

"Oh um … nothing," the prince replied as he seemed to snap back to reality. "It's actually my blood. When the curse came - the first one - Regina had sent her goons to attack the castle. I was stabbed protecting Emma." He smiled. "She was just a baby then - just born. I hardly knew her, but my fatherly instinct immediately came out to make sure she was protected."

Hook could see the wonder in his eyes. "You still do that, mate, and I'm assuming it's just as unpleasant to be on the receiving end," he said, giving the prince a wink.

David smiled, but then the sadness returned to his face. "She's on her own again."

Hook let out a slightly bitter laugh. "You and I know that lass is more than capable of taking care of herself without us."

"That she is," David said before holding out his hand for Hook's flask again.

_Not a day will go by that I won't think of you._ It was a promise he intended to keep but as he sat with Emma's father, he realized how much of a bittersweet promise it would be. Every wonderful memory they had of her, every thought of her would be tinged with the fact that she wasn't there with them.

"So what's with your ensemble here?" David asked, gesturing toward the pirate's clothes with the flask in his hand.

Hook shrugged. "I'm a pirate. It's a pirate thing."

"Yea, the leather coat and the leather pants and all that. I get it. But what's with the vest?"

"It's red," he replied curtly.

David gave him an exasperated look. "Why is it red?"

Hook had been trying to avoid that question, not only from his traveling companions but from himself. He had been hoping his coat would act as a cover. Maybe no one - not even him - would notice that somewhere between Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest, he had a wardrobe change.

Hook took a deep breath. He had the same feeling building in him that he felt before he confessed his love for Emma in that blasted cave in Neverland. It was the feeling that he was about to expose something raw that he didn't want to admit to even himself.

"It was given to me by Milah many years ago," he explained. "She said I needed something different to brighten up the black."

"So you're wearing the vest because of Milah?"

Hook stared off into the fire. He had been trying to avoid the truth, but he knew the reason he had been burdened with this vest again. "It's because of Emma," he said. "What a bloody stupid thing for a pirate to wear."

He could tell David was staring at him. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"Aye."

And there it was. All the pain that he had picked up in only a day back in this stupid realm in one single word. He grabbed the flask out of David's hand and took a long drink. He was realizing that flask was going to become his most treasured possession now as he tried to dull the suffering of not having Emma near.

"So do you have a plan?" Hook said, breaking the silence.

"To get Emma?" David asked. Hook nodded while trying not to look too desperate to have something in place already. "No, and there won't be - at least not yet."

Hook turned back to the fire, hunching his shoulders over as he stared into the flames. "And why is that, mate?"

"I want Emma back more than anyone, but she has good memories now. She isn't going to be the savior this time," David explained in a quiet voice. "I know it's not the ideal option, but I just want my girl to be happy."

The prince held out his hand, silently asking the pirate for his flask again to take another drink and Hook easily understood why. The pirate's heart broke for her - not him - when Regina told her that she was going to have to leave them. At least he had started to fit in with this motley crew after earning their respect in Neverland. But Emma - she had a mother and father who loved her, people who cared for her, and that was all ripped away from her.

She had new memories now and at least they were good memories even if they weren't real. They didn't include giving up Henry or fighting with Regina or an evil Peter Pan. But they also didn't include the parents she found and the community she had become a part of. And as hard as it was to admit, they didn't include him. That stung the most.

He took his flask back and stared at it in his hands. "She deserves a fairy tale ending more than any of us, mate."

"What about you?" David asked.

"What about me?" Hook asked bitterly. "I'm a villain. We don't get happy endings."

David looked earnestly at him. "You're a pirate, but you're not a villain," he said, before lowering his voice to make sure no one around could hear him. "Things are dire for us right now. You and I both know this. But if we can get the kingdom stabilized, if we can get rid it of whoever attacked us today, I think we can bring Emma back to this realm. But there is no way I'm bringing her back until there is peace."

Hook raised an eyebrow, side-eyeing the prince from his seat by the fire. "What happened to the whole let Emma be happy thing?"

"I think she will be happy here if she doesn't have to be our savior," he explained. "But that won't be easy."

"So what does that have to do with me?" Hook asked bitterly.

David moved closer to Hook and put his hand on the shoulder of the captain's leather coat. "Because you love my daughter and because, let's be honest, you're a pirate."

Hook sneered at his companion. "That I am."

"You know you can get things done in a way that I can't," David said earnestly. "Plus, we'll need a ship and a seasoned captain on our side."

Hook laughed. "Are you daft? I don't know if you noticed, mate, but I didn't have time to shove the Jolly Roger in my pocket before we left," he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious. If we can find your ship, we will have a better chance of defeating whoever attacked us. We can bring Emma home."

Hook stared daringly at David. He looked hopeful, he seemed genuine about this idea, and if it got him closer to Emma …

Hook pushed aside his coat to return the flask to his back pocket. But instead of pulling the leather closed, he left it hanging open, unafraid of anyone else noticing the red vest he was wearing so close to his heart. Because of David, he had a purpose now - they had a purpose - and he would do whatever it took to get Emma back to them.

He gave the prince a smile that he usually reserved only for his crew before they embarked on another daring challenge that he was convinced would succeed. "Where do we start, Charming?"


	2. The Map

Emma shouldn't have been surprised that he was much heavier than some of the other idiots she had to wrangle in over the years. She just wasn't expecting the leather to add that much weight. Although to be fair, she had never dealt with an actual pirate in her bail bonds days.

"Move him there!" Neal yelled. She carried Hook's unconscious body by the arms over to a corner in the basement as Neal unceremoniously dropped the pirate's legs. "I knew paying extra for this storage closet would pay off."

Emma began rummaging through the pirate's pockets trying to find anything that would help them figure out what he had done to Gold. "Emma, come on. Let's go!"

"Just leave me the lock for the door. Go help your father."

Neal gave her a worried look. "You sure? He's Captain Hook, you know."

Oh she knew - all too well. "I've handled him before. Check on Gold."

Neal gave her a quick nod and started running for the stairs. "And make sure to take care of Henry!" Emma yelled after him. It probably wasn't necessary to remind him but figured she should do it anyway considering Henry had been reunited with his father only a few short hours ago.

Emma ran her hand along the smooth leather of Hook's coat, surprised at its meticulous condition after 300 years. Inside were several pockets she began rummaging through to find something that may help them figure out what kind of poison he used to attack Gold or how he got here in the first place. One pocket held a vial of black liquid that she looked at quizzically before slipping it into her own coat. Then her hand brushed against a piece of paper, which she gently pulled out and began to unfold.

It was a map of New York with a big red X marking Neal's building.

"Swan," Hook mumbled from his spot on the floor next to her.

"What?" she replied in a flippant tone, barely paying attention to the pirate.

Upon closer inspection, the map seemed to be printed on old parchment so it didn't look like a modern-day piece he had picked up at some tourist shop. Perhaps it was enchanted or had some sort of magic embedded in it. It would make perfect sense for someone like Cora to give him a map that could help him find his nemesis like this. Emma also saw a second mark by the river - maybe where he had left his ship when he came ashore.

"Swan," he murmured again.

This time she noticed - and she was annoyed. "What do you want?" she hissed, rolling her eyes before looking up at the pirate.

And then she froze. He was still unconscious, still knocked out from the blow to his head, and he was asking for her.

"Hook?" she asked tentatively, but he just lay there unresponsive.

She started to reach for his cheek instinctively before stopping herself. What would possibly make her feel sympathy for his current situation? He was a pirate. Hell, he was Captain Hook! Why would she even feel the instinct to show him any warmth or sympathy as he lay on the floor? She was trying hard to block out any feelings she had for him or why she actually was in New York in the first place. After all, didn't she come to New York with Gold to stop him from hurting Hook? And he looked at peace as he lay there, which was something she had never seen from him before. It was as if Emma could see the kind of person he would be when he wasn't burdened with revenge.

_Snap out of it, Swan!_ she told herself as she quickly folded up the map and stuffed it in her pocket. Emma leaned over and quietly whispered, "I'm sorry," as her hand lingered on the arm of his leather coat. Then she gently ran her fingers down the length of his sleeve, catching them on the cuff before she could finally pull herself away.

x

A string a curse words flooded out of Emma's mouth as she violently threw open the door to the sheriff's station.

This was ridiculous. They had made it so far - to another realm! - to get Henry back, and yet here they were facing off against Peter Pan. Again. After he was already dead.

_You have to go_, they said to her. _You need to leave_.

Her family and friends were headed to the town line and say goodbye while Emma was pulling open the desk drawer in her office to get her car keys. This isn't fair, she thought as she tried to fight back tears so she could think clearly. There would be time for her to mourn losing them later, but she needed to get out of town now to get away from the new curse and take care of Henry.

She was about to walk out the door of her office for the last time when she remembered she needed to grab something else. If Emma was going to be on her own again, she'd want to have her gun with her just in case. She unlocked the bottom drawer and quickly pulled it open. Her gun was right on top but as she grabbed it, her hand brushed against something underneath it.

It was the map. Hook's map.

_I didn't know you were sentimental_, she had once said to him. And yet here she was with his map, which she had kept it in the drawer this whole time. She would never admit it - ever! - but there would be times when she would pull it out just to look at it and think about that moment with Hook in the basement of Neal's apartment. The sound of his voice whispering her name that day still sent shivers up her spine. There was even one time when Emma was alone at the station and thought it would be a crazy but good idea to actually smell the map. Her nostrils filled with the smell of sea salt and rum and his leather coat. It was exactly what she expected Hook would smell like.

_Stop it_, she told herself, stuffing the parchment in the inside coat pocket of her jacket. She would have plenty of time to hold it again and remember the moments she had spent with her pirate. But right now, she had to leave so she could tell him goodbye one last time.

x

"So explain this to me again. Why are we moving to New York?" Henry asked as he chowed down on his burger and fries in the front seat of their car.

Emma shrugged. "I just felt we needed a change, kid. We need a place to put new roots down. I promise this is going to be fun!"

"Yea, but why New York?"

"I wanted to go big, and there aren't many places bigger than Boston." She smiled over at him and he grinned back before stuffing some more fries into his mouth.

What she didn't want to tell him was she chose New York for a specific reason. It was because of a map.

A few weeks ago as she was cleaning out her closet, Emma had found her old red leather jacket. It was one she hadn't put on in years, but she couldn't remember when she last wore it or why she had stopped. The good thing was she had it in her hands now and it felt like it had always meant something special to her.

Emma started digging through the pockets of the jacket. She always got a little kick out of finding random cash she had forgotten about in her old clothes or unused purses. This time, her hand brushed against something that felt like old paper in an inside pocket, but it turned out to be a bust. Instead of cash, it was some old worn parchment and she couldn't even remember where it came from.

She carefully unfolded it to find it was a map of New York City. She recognized the streets of Manhattan after taking Henry on a weekend trip there once a few years ago. There were two red marks on it - one by the East River and one a few blocks inland - but she didn't know why those spots would be important. She pulled it closer to examine it and could smell something from the paper. It was as if the map had been drenched in sea salt, rum and leather.

She pulled the map away from her face and stared at it. The smells seemed so crisp and fresh in her mind. She thought they reminded her of a long black leather coat with buttons down the front of it and huge cuffs. Emma shook her head, thinking it was odd that her memory of that smell seemed so specific. She had been having strange thoughts lately about people she sort of remembered but could never explain how she knew them. Thinking of something as specific as that coat nagged at her. After all, she definitely would've remembered someone dressed in a leather pirate coat who was important to her.

If she was being honest with herself, the map also felt like it was a sign. After all, Emma had thought about leaving town and taking Henry to another city even if she couldn't really explain why. There was nothing wrong with Boston but lately, it just didn't feel like it was where they should be. It was as if Emma and her son were supposed to be in a different place with different people.

She hung up the red coat and looked at the map again. The red X in Manhattan was actually in a neighborhood she really liked when she had visited. Maybe that's where she would start her apartment search.

As she laid in bed that night, Emma kept trying to remember who put that map in her coat in the first place if only so she could thank them for encouraging her to start over and find a new happy ending.


	3. Sleeping Beauty

He doesn't remember exactly how he got there. There was yelling and blood on his hands and he had to take a breath just to compose himself. It was the entrance of a house … Regina's house! There was the dining room and the kitchen and …

"Mate! In here!" Hook yelled, directing David to Regina's living room. The prince carried his unconscious daughter into the room with her mother following quickly behind. He gently laid her down on the sofa, her blonde hair cascading over the side of the cushions.

"Is there a blanket or something to cover her?" Mary Margaret asked desperately.

"Here, m'lady," Hook said, quickly taking the long leather coat off his back for Emma. Mary Margaret laid it on top of her, trying hard to make sure she was comfortable even if she wasn't awake to appreciate it.

"Hook, quick! Close the doors in case the witch followed us!" David demanded.

But he just stood there in shock, trying to piece together what had just happened outside. There had been fighting - a lot of fighting - and he saw Emma standing in front of the witch. He remembered running, sword in hand, desperately trying to do something.

"The witch didn't follow us."

"What?" the prince yelled at him. "How do you know she didn't?"

Hook looked down at his hands, red with her wicked blood. "The witch is dead," he said, lifting his eyes up to meet the prince's glare.

David's face softened and his wife, who was kneeling by their daughter, grabbed his hand. The prince looked at the pirate and nodded, a wordless attempt at trying to thank him for helping Emma.

Although frankly he hadn't been much help considering her current state, lifeless on some sofa in the mayor's home. He had failed her and the realization made his legs too weak to stand on. Hook slid down the wall, which at least gave his back some support to prevent him from becoming a heap of a human being on the floor. He felt drained, as if he was willing whatever life was left in his body to wake Emma.

But it wasn't working. Instead, he just sat and watched as Mary Margaret held Emma's hand, brushing the hair out of her face. Then she pulled the coat - Hook's coat - tighter around Emma's shoulders as if keeping her warm would wake her up.

He looked down at his hand and his hook, both still bright with blood. At least his hook had been helpful in dealing with that witch's demise after he had stabbed her with his …

"Where's my sword?" Hook asked, a quiet but baffled tone to his voice.

"Nice shot, Captain." Regina came striding into the room, unceremoniously dropping his sword next to him. It rang as it hit the marble floor and Hook only briefly looked at it before watching the mayor head towards Emma.

"Can you help her?" David asked, a plea in his voice.

"Let's see what we can do," Regina answered.

Emma's parents moved out of the way as Hook stood to sheath his sword and get a better view of what exactly Regina was doing. It had probably only been moments but to Hook, it felt like ages as he watched the mayor place her hand on Emma's forehead. Why couldn't she be quicker? Just tell him what was wrong so he could fix it. Hook felt like his strength was returning now that he thought he would have a purpose again. He was ready to run to Regina's crypt to get some potion or over to city hall to nab something from the mayor's office, whatever was needed.

"I think I know what it may be," Regina said with relief in her voice. "Did any of you see what happened to Emma?"

Mary Margaret and David turned to stare at the pirate.

Hook took a breath. He didn't want to do this, not in front of her parents. He didn't want to admit that he had failed her. But he would force himself to do it if it could help Emma. "The witch … she had Swan cornered with a green ball of light on her hand. I just ran and stabbed her in the back with my sword and then my hook and …" He took a breath, dropping his eyes to the floor. He couldn't look at them when he told them what happened next. "I was too late."

"You weren't too late," Regina said. Hook looked up in shock to see a smile forming on her lips.

"That's not funny, Regina," Hook sneered. "If I had made it there to help Emma, she wouldn't be in this state!" He felt shame begin to wash over him again.

The mayor walked over to him, her smile getting bigger. He didn't like this new warm and fuzzy thing that the former evil queen had taken on now that she was with Robin, and it was even more jarring as Emma lay motionless on her sofa. Hook forced himself to look at her and the smile that was still on her face. "You made it in time," she said gently. "It could have been much worse, but you hurt the witch enough that she could only conjure a sleeping curse."

Hook looked at Mary Margaret, a smile beginning to creep onto her face. David was a little more stoic, but the tension in his body seemed to be disappearing. "I don't understand. Why is that good if she's still in this state?"

"True love's kiss."

Mary Margaret's words began to echo in his ears. _This is really not good_, Hook thought. "It won't work," he said incredulously. "I tried it. It won't work."

"When did you try it?" David asked, unable to hide the surprise from his voice.

As if having to describe the witch's death wasn't bad enough. Now he had to relive this indignity. "New York. I tried to kiss her and … she hit me."

"Mary Margaret did that to me once," the prince replied.

"In my nether region."

David's face contorted into a painful grimace while his wife beamed with pride. "That's my girl."

"Aye, she definitely is that," Hook said. "But she's not my true love."

Mary Margaret walked up to him and looked him in the eye. "Yes, she is."

The pirate's eyes began to scan the room. His three companions were all looking back at him so warmly, so sure that he was going to save Emma. Did they not see that he had been too late to stop a curse from hitting her? Hell, he was so shocked at what had happened that it was David - not him - who had the mind to scoop Emma up and carry her here.

Hook shook his head and let out a small bitter laugh. "I told you, the kiss didn't work."

"She didn't know who you were. That's why it didn't work," Mary Margaret explained hopefully. "She knows you now."

Hook just stared at the couple as David came up to stand next to his wife. "You brought our daughter back to us once. You can do it again."

He could only stare back at them in shock.

"Why don't we give the pirate some privacy?" Regina suggested.

Mary Margaret smiled and nodded at him followed by David giving him a manly squeeze on the arm, although Hook couldn't tell if it was encouraging or discouraging him from kissing the prince's daughter. And if that wasn't enough, Regina gave him a quick wink before walking toward the door. _A wink? What is wrong with that woman?_ Hook thought.

And then it was silent and still. After all the craziness in the street, after all the fighting, after the talking in Regina's living room. After all of that, it was just Emma - the savior - and Hook was supposed to save her.

He sat down on the sofa next to her quiet body, running his hand along the leather coat covering her arm. It felt so different when she was the one wearing it and if this worked, he would have to remember to make her wear it more often.

He leaned over closely so she could hear what he was about to say to her - if she could hear it. "Swan, if you don't wake, I'll understand. But I assure you I will find a way to get you back to me."

He cupped her cheek in his hand and took a deep breath. Her lips were warm but lifeless to his touch and the fear that this wouldn't work came creeping into his thoughts.

And then he started to feel something. It was as if the blood in his body was beginning to heat up, starting with his lips, his chest and finally his whole body. Then Emma's lips moved and she was kissing him back. Her hand snaked its way through his hair as she began to awake under his body. But then he felt her stiffen, her lips no longer responding to his.

He felt an electric jolt to his chest that violently threw him on the floor.

"Bloody hell, woman!" he yelled, his hand immediately reaching to cool the sting from where she zapped him.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked in horror, quickly discarding his coat and throwing it on the floor.

"You can't be serious?" he screamed back, forgetting the pain she had just caused him. "I was trying to save you from a sleeping curse!"

_This is just brilliant_, Hook thought as he stood, violently reclaiming his coat and shoving his arms in the sleeves. Her parents - her father! - had talked him into this stupid plan and all it got him was severe physical pain and his beloved leather coat in a heap on the dirty floor. Sure, it wasn't the first time that had happened to his dear jacket, but those previous instances usually involved activities of a more enticing nature with women. This was a dead witch and a kiss that could only break her spell because it was true love.

_True love._

Hook stopped and stared at Emma, a look of shock on his face. She must've realized the same thing at that moment, her hands snapping up to cover her mouth. "You tried true love's kiss and I hurt you," she said, her voice muffled.

"At least you went for my chest this time, love. Much less painful," he answered sarcastically.

She walked towards him and put her hand on his chest, her touch cooling the burn she had placed there moments before. "You saved me."

"Once again," he noted. "For such a strong woman, you're quite the damsel in dis…"

But he couldn't finish, his lips stopped by hers as she pulled him to her. And this time, her lips were warm and wet and full of life. He could feel his heart racing as he kissed her harder and more deliberately. It wasn't some life-saving, curse-breaking kiss. It was passionate and emotional and charged.

And then he started to cough, the pain returning to his chest caused by her magic touch. He could hear her trying to quiet her giggling at his predicament.

"Sorry, I shouldn't laugh," she said, reaching towards his reddened flesh. "That was my fault. You just startled me."

"Is that what happened?" Hook asked, a bit of bitterness creeping into his voice.

She gave him a slight smile, easing the sting just a little bit. "I really am sorry."

He couldn't help but smile back. "Well, I suppose I could find a way for you to make it up to me later," he said suggestively before wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, love. Your family awaits."

But she just froze in place. "My family?" she asked. "Oh no. Did they tell you to do this?"

"And Regina. She diagnosed you with the sleeping curse."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I bet my mother was thrilled that you were here to break it with a kiss," she said sarcastically.

"Actually, your mother is quite the romantic," he said. "You father, on the other hand, looked like he couldn't decide if he wanted to punch me or hug me. It was rather disturbing."

Emma put her arm around his waist and pulled him closer to her. "Thank you," she said quietly as they began to walk towards the door.

He gently planted a light kiss on her forehead. "It was a pleasure, Your Highness."


	4. Keep It Close

"You okay?"

"Yea."

Emma nods gently, but he can tell she's only telling him half the truth. Her cheek is freezing against his and as he buries a smile into the crook of her neck, she almost slips out of his grasp.

"Let's get her home," David says from behind her and he is more than happy to oblige her father's request.

Sweeping her up in his arms, Killian gently carries her down the icy wall, leaving his companion to deal with the distressed stranger in a blue dress.

"Hang in there, love," he whispers in her ear as he takes advantage of his position to breathe in the smell of her shampoo. It reminds him of the vanilla beans he loved to pilfer from trading ships after the Jolly Roger dragged them in.

Emma shivers in his arms and he realizes that holding her tightly to him won't be enough to warm her up. But he pulls her closer anyway until he reaches the sheriff's cruiser that she often shares with her father.

"Emma, love?" he asks. "Are you still with me?"

"I'm here," he replies faintly.

"I'm going to put you down for a moment. Do you think you have enough strength to lean against the car?"

He can feel her nod against his shoulder before he gently puts her feet on the ground. She plants her feet next to the car, her arms wrapping around her torso to try and keep herself from getting even colder. For the first time since she was trapped in the ice, Killian can see her clearly. Emma's lips are blue with blotches of red trying to peek through. The same goes for her cheeks. Her fingers are an icy white color - or at least that's what he can gather from his quick glance at them since they won't stay still. She's shaking, but her hands seem to be rattling more than the rest of her body.

Killian grasps his hook and unlocks it from its brace before placing it on the hood of the car. After 300 years, he's learned its the better option than ripping the lining of his leather coat - again. He grabs the sleeve with his free hand and pulls it off before shrugging his only hand out of the other one. Then he maneuvers the coat to drape it over her shoulders, hoping the extra leather will warm her quicker.

"Here you go, lass," he says. "Can you slide your arms into the sleeves for me?"

She does as she's told and despite the fact that she's wearing her own leather jacket, there is still plenty of room for her arms to slide smoothly into the sleeves. She lets out a sigh of relief, her shoulders immediately beginning to drain themselves of the stress from her ordeal.

"Thank you," she says, giving him a weak smile.

He smiles back and then opens the car door for her, helping her slide into the back seat of the cruiser. The door closes easily as he turns to see David and Elsa walking towards him.

"What is this?" Elsa says, staring at the unfamiliar contraption.

Killian smiles. Unlike most of the people in this town, he remembers the shellshock of seeing new things in this modern world. "Let's call it a horseless carriage," he explains as he grabs his hook off the hood of the car, snapping it back into place.

"Shall we?" he asks, quickly directing the stranger in blue to the passenger side of the car where he opens the door and helps her in. Then he climbs in the seat behind her, his arms instinctively wrapping around his leather coat that he has bundled Emma up in.

"Are we all set?" David asks, taking a quick peek in the back seat through his rearview mirror.

"Let's go," Killian replies.

David quickly swings the car around before turning on the flashing lights on top of the vehicle. Apparently, there are advantages to being the sheriff. But no matter how fast he drives, Killian is still anxious. He needs to get Emma home, needs to get her somewhere warmer than the backseat of this car.

Luckily, it doesn't take long before they arrive back at her apartment. Killian quickly opens his door and runs over to Emma's side of the car to get her out. He's about to sweep her up again, but she insists on interrupting his romantic gesture. Even when she's in distress, she's stubborn.

"I can walk on my own now," she insists.

"Let me at least help," Killian says, taking her arm and placing it around his neck before grabbing her waist to give her some extra support.

The first person to greet them at the door is Henry, who immediately grabs his mother's other arm to help Killian get her into a chair. Mary Margaret takes a quick glance and heads for her closet to get an armload full of blankets while Killian grabs a space heater to put at her feet.

"It's OK, mom," Henry says as Mary Margaret starts draping blankets over her shoulders. "We're going to get you warmer."

Emma simply nods as her shaking body finally starts to steady itself under the weight of two leather coats and several bedspreads.

"Don't worry, lad," Killian says. "She's definitely doing better. At least the color is coming back to her lips so that's a good sign, no?"

_Oh, bloody hell._ He looks up to see her parents staring at him. He could've mentioned her cheeks or her fingers or some other chaste body part. But no, he had to make reference to her lips in front of her parents. David gives him a serious stare before Henry thankfully jumps in, innocently unaware of the pirate's comment.

"Do you want hot chocolate?" he asks Emma.

"With cinnamon."

The boy smiles down at his mother. "I could never forget it," he says, giving her a quick squeeze before heading off to the kitchen.

After that, the night is a bit of a blur to Killian. He knows Henry brought Emma some hot chocolate. He knows that at some point David drove Elsa to Granny's to get her a room until they could sort out the issue with her sister. He knows Mary Margaret excused herself at least twice to tend to her son's crying. And during all that, he knows he never left Emma's side. His arm feels so natural around her shoulders, his hand gently brushing over her back to soothe her as the warmth returns to her body.

He opens his eyes after a few hours, his neck stiff from sitting in the same chair with Emma leaning against him. Henry lets out a quiet snore from the couch before turning over to snuggle back into the pillows. He can tell Emma is awake, a groan escaping her lips as she too realizes the pain in her muscles from not only her ordeal in the ice cave but also falling asleep leaning awkwardly on Killian's shoulder.

"What time is it?" she asks quietly.

"It's late, love," he whispers. "Do you have enough strength to get up the stairs yet?"

"Yea," she replies, giving him a reassuring smile that he actually believes. He stands up slowly, gently peeling the blankets off Emma's shoulders. Then he brushes his hand over her cheek to make sure she's at least warmed up a bit compared to the cold skin he felt on his face when he finally pulled her into his arms. But now, his hand feels warm against her soft skin, giving him hope that the worst is behind them.

"Come on, Swan. Time for you to get some rest in your own bed."

She wraps her arm around his neck and he hauls her out of the chair before directing her to the stairway up to her loft. The stairs are a bit steep, but she manages to climb them well with both hands holding on to the rails as Killian stands behind her to catch her if she begins to falter.

As soon as she gets to her bed, she collapses on it with a small groan escaping her lips.

"I know how heavy my coat is if you want me to help you take it off."

"No!" she says, immediately grabbing the lapels and pulling it tightly around her. "I mean, no. I just … I'm still cold."

Killian gives her a bemused smile. "If you say so, love." With him, she's an open book and right now, that book is telling the story of a woman who isn't as cold as she insists. He surely won't object if she wants to keep herself cocooned in his jacket a little while longer - no matter what her excuse is. If she wants to fight him for his coat, he will be more than happy to let her win. He'll tease her about it another time.

Killian takes off his boots and unlocks his hook from its brace. He normally would sleep without both of them, but he's still not ready to allow Emma to see all of him in that way - even if he did give up his ship for her.

He walks over to the bed, unzipping Emma's boots and pulling them off her feet. Unlike his coat, she doesn't object to him taking her shoes off. Then he lies down next to her, trying not to disturb her in the hopes that she's already slumbering again. The mattress feels so much better under his back after sitting in that chair for so long that he almost falls asleep immediately.

Almost.

"Killian?" she mutters from beside him.

"Yes, love?"

"You noticed I was getting warmer because of my lips?"

He thought she may have missed his remark in all the confusion, but she didn't and it makes him smile from his spot beside her. "Does that surprise you?"

Emma laughs quietly beside him. "Go to sleep, pirate."

"As you wish, m'lady," he says tenderly, rolling onto his side to brush his lips lightly against her forehead.

She responds by snuggling deeper into his coat and he can see a smile teasing her lips even in the darkness of her room. She made him seriously worry about her and has practically stolen his beloved leather coat. But as he drifts off to sleep, he can't help but admit that it makes him happy to have this woman in control of his heart.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Angst, Romance