Author's Note: Set after Emma and Elsa get out of the ice cave in 4x02. My very first OUAT/Captain Swan fic :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters. I am not looking to make a profit off of this.

David was saying something but he didn't hear a word of it. All Killian cared about was pulling Emma up into his arms, holding her close to him, hoping his body heat warmed her. Her whole body shook as he held her, not wanting to let go. His good hand twisted into her hair as he asked her that all important question - "You okay?" - and she nodded quickly against his shoulder, clinging to him with what seemed like every fiber of her being. Now that he knew that she was alright, that she wasn't hurt, he took a moment to just hold her, a small smile playing at his lips. It was a smile of relief, relief that she was free, that she was here, in his arms, and not freezing to death in the ice cave.

Only then did he take a moment to register what David had said a few short moments ago. They needed to get her home, he knew that. So he relaxed his hold on her, just enough to reposition his arms, and she nearly fell to the ground, so weak she was. Killian immediately bent down with her, quickly sliding one arm under her legs and gripping her waist with his other. He lifted her up as she wrapped his arms tightly around his neck. Her hands were so cold on the back of his neck, but he ignored both the sensation and David helping the other woman out of the cave in favour of carrying Emma back to her father's car.

"K-Killian..." he heard her voice, small and interrupted by chattering teeth. Her face was buried in his shoulder, and she was still shivering. He paused, adjusting his grip on her.

"Aye, Swan?"

"Th-th-thank you," she whispered before falling silent again. He murmured a reply and took a few more steps. They were at the car now, and he was met with a conundrum. He would have to put her down to open the car door, but she was hardly recovered enough to stand on her own, nor did he want to let go of her for even a second. But there was that warming device inside the car that could help her, if he remembered how to turn it on. He stood for a moment, then heard a tiny giggle next to his ear.

"You can put me down," the blonde beauty whispered. He didn't know how she did it, always managing to read him, but given the permission he made to set her down on her feet when David stepped into his field of view and opened the back door.

"Thanks, mate," Killian muttered, turning his full attention to helping Emma into the car and adjusting the seatbelt around her still shaking figure. David reached over him, dropping a blanket on Emma's lap, and Killian wrapped it carefully around her. Emma gave a small smile, reaching up and resting her hand on his cheek. He covered it with his own. It was still ice cold, and his heart dropped as he realized how close he had come to losing her. If David hadn't figured out how to inspire the ice woman - Elsa - to use her powers, if they hadn't come back in time... he stood still a moment, simply looking down at Emma. He needed to fix the image he had conjured of her lying on the floor of the ice cave as he and her father had raced back. He needed to re-memorize her living, smiling up at him. He needed to remind himself that she was okay.

David mentioned something about needing to close the door so the car could heat properly, and Killian started to protest before Emma patted the seat next to her. He quickly stepped back, closed the door, and raced around to the other side of the car, absently noticing Elsa apprehensively slipping into the front passenger seat as he slid in the back, behind David and next to Emma.

"Worried I'd disappear if you took too long?" Emma offered another weak grin at him, and Killian simply shrugged, reaching across and taking both of her hands in his own. In the front, David turned on the car (he still had no idea how it worked) and adjusted some knobs and dials. Emma let out a low sigh as the car started to fill with warm air and as David backed away from the ice wall, Killian had eyes only for his Swan. Her head was turned towards him, and she gazed into his eyes. He noticed that the blanket had shifted at some point, and reached to fix it, keeping his eyes on her.

By the time they reached the loft, Emma had shifted, leaning across the car to rest her head against his shoulders. He had his arm around her, thankful that they were positioned so his good hand was able to gently stroke her hair. When the car pulled to a stop, she lifted her head and glanced up at him, blinking.

"How are you faring?" he asked, brushing some hair out of her face, behind her ear. She shrugged, adjusting the blanket around her hips.

"Warmer. See, I told you the heating system in the car was a good thing," she joked, winking at him. He chuckled, undoing first his seatbelt, then hers.

"You know these modern inventions are difficult for me to grasp, but I see your point about that," he replied as she sat up.

Killian climbed out of the car giving David a quick, knowing glance before walking around and grabbing at Elsa's wrist, allowing the other man a chance to speak with Emma. He drew and let out a breath through his nose before speaking.

"I need to thank you," he said, his eyes shifting for a moment to the side, watching David help his daughter out of the car. "Without you, she wouldn't be here now."

Elsa blinked, glancing over at Emma and David, then back to Killian. "You're welcome. I feel terrible. I didn't mean to..." she trailed off at the end, now looking down at the ground. A few tiny flakes of snow started to fall around her, and he tightened his grip on her wrist.

"We all know that. Trust me, I've done much worse than you. If they can forgive me, then you deserve all their forgiveness too," he said, watching her intensely. The woman bit her lip, then drew a breath. It seemed to calm her down, as the flurry of snow stopped.

"I can see how much you care about her," she said softly. He dropped her wrist, and she wrapped her arms around her waist. "She's very lucky to have someone like you."

Killian shook his head. "I'm the lucky one, lass," he replied. Father and daughter seemed to have finished their own private moment, and he turned around, grateful that David allowed him to snake his arm around Emma's waist, drawing her close to him.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see this place," she whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked slowly into the building behind David and Elsa. He grinned, planting a small, quick kiss to her temple.

"I suppose my talent as a survivor rubbed off on you, hm?" he said, guiding her through the door. Henry rose immediately from the couch and ran over, wrapping his arms around his mother.

"You should be in bed, kid," Emma said softly. Everyone knew she didn't mean it. David pulled up a chair and Killian slowly guided her to sit. Henry was quick to provide several blankets, and the three men worked together to ensure that Emma was bundled up tightly. Elsa brought the last blanket, one she had found lying across the couch, and Killian crouched down beside her, holding her hand firmly in his.

Later, after the power had come back and Mary Margaret had returned home, Emma was sipping slowly at the cocoa with cinnamon Henry had brought her before leaving the loft. He had said something about not wanting to give up on his other mom, but Killian hadn't paid much attention. His jacket had joined the pile of blankets keeping her warm, and he was holding her hand again, staring down at her skin that was regaining its colour.

"You're being quiet," Emma pointed out. Damn her and her skills at perception. The pirate captain shrugged, glancing up and into her eyes. She wasn't shivering anymore, he was glad to see. Now she was looking down at him, something unreadable in her eyes. After a moment of simply looking at each other, Killian shrugged a second time and looked down at their hands again.

"Just enjoying the moment, love. Enjoying that despite everything, I can still have this moment with you," he said quietly, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. Emma fell silent for a few moments.

"Killian." He made a small humming noise to acknowledge that he had heard, but she said his name again, with more intent behind her voice. He glanced up once more, the question on his tongue slipping away at the look in her eyes. It was soft, tender, dare he say, loving. He nodded, finding his voice again.

"Aye?"

"I'm here. I'm okay. I'm not leaving," she whispered, pulling her hand out of his and resting it on his cheek, like she had done at the car. The two sat like that for a long pause. Then, with a gentle prompt from the woman he loved, Killian half-rose, leaning in towards her, pressing his lips softly against hers. The kiss started soft, gentle, tender, but quickly grew more desperate as all his emotions from the day came rushing back. He had almost lost her. He had been powerless to save her. Twice, David had had to remind him that his hook wasn't going to be enough to rescue her from the cave. He had heard Emma's voice, weak and broken up by the chattering of her teeth on the walkie talkie. He had put all of his hope on David's belief that he could talk some courage into Elsa.

That was something so foreign to him, not being able to do anything to help. It reminded him of watching the Crocodile kill his beloved Milah. And it had been pure torture. As he kissed Emma, all of his emotions rose to the surface, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. By the time they parted, he was blinking, feeling so raw and open. Emma looked at him with concern, and he turned, trying to hide. She murmured his name once more, and when he didn't respond, she used her hand to gently turn his head so he was looking at her.

"I'm here," she repeated from earlier. He nodded slowly, averting his eyes. "I'm okay." He swallowed, finding her hand with his. "I'm not leaving."

They sat there for the rest of the evening, close, and when Mary Margaret tried to convince Emma to move to her bed, she shook her head and stood up, walking to the couch instead. Killian followed her quickly, sitting next to her, and wrapping his arm around her shoulders and holding her close.

He had almost lost her, and there was no way he was leaving her tonight.