Patient he had been. In between the sparse moments he had with her, Killian Jones had nearly lost his love, Emma Swan, countless times. His shoulders were hunched where he sat, leaning his elbows on the table at Granny's. The steaming hot cup of coffee before him was doing its best to wake him from an over-tired haze. Running his hand through his hair, then down the side of his face, Killian rubbed at his cheek and stifled another yawn.
The bell on the door chimed. Glancing up, he saw her. It was like a reflex he was unable to stop. He stood and took a step towards her.
"Emma, you shouldn't be…"
Emma paused in the doorway and held up a hand. On command, Killian stopped talking and took in a deep breath. She unraveled the scarf from around her neck and moved towards him. Stopping in front of the pirate, she licked her lips and looked down at her feet.
"Killian," she said softly before looking back up at him, "I haven't been fair to you."
Reaching out, Killian allowed his fingers to touch her cheek. She was cold as ice. The chill still had not left her skin. His brow furrowed. "Why are you…?"
Shaking her head, she placed her own frigid hand over his. The warmth felt like heaven on her skin. "I needed to see you. I know I asked you to have patience with me."
Unsure what to say, he simply nodded, his gaze remaining on hers.
"Emma! Emma, tell us what's going on!" David's frantic voice came across the radio. Hearing her father made her breath catch in her chest. "Emma, come in!"
Reaching for the radio, Emma took deep breaths of the icy air. It made her cough and shiver even harder than before. Her fingers painfully grasped the plastic device. She coughed again violently and gasped for air before putting on her best voice. "I'm fine," she lied.
"Thank God," David sounded relieved. He looked around at Hook and Mary Margaret. "Can you find a way out of there?"
No. She could barely move. The amount of effort it took to lift her head was nothing compared to what it would take to actually get off the frozen ground. She looked up towards where the entrance had been. The sunlight was glaring through a small gap in the shell of the ice sphere around her. Lifting a hand, she closed her eyes tightly and concentrated. The palm of her hand warmed for a brief second, but the slick surface beneath her supporting grasp got the best of her.
Falling downward, Emma's cheek slammed hard against the ice. Her vision dimmed and her breath seemed to leave her chest in a large, steamy cloud before her. This must be it. The end. Henry, Mary Margaret, David…
"Swan? Swan? Can you hear me?"
Emma's pale green eyes fluttered.
"Emma."
Her shallow breaths were turning cold on her lips. The air no longer even had time to warm in her lungs. But that voice…
"Please, Emma. Don't give up. I know you better than that. Think of your son, of Henry. And your brother. Your parents. And me." Killian spoke carefully into the plastic box in his hand. "Think of me, Emma. I need you."
With a grunt, Emma closed her eyes tightly and pushed up with both hands. She sat up, her head swimming, noise ringing in her ears. Raising both hands, she gathered every last ounce of strength and pushed.
The ice wall shattered, coming down in large chunks. Next to her, Elsa awoke.
"Emma!" Elsa jumped to her feet and grabbed Emma by the arm. She scooped her own arm around her shoulders and helped lift the other woman to her feet. "Emma I'm so sorry…"
Grabbing the radio, Emma moved with Elsa's help. She pressed the call button. "I'm coming home, Killian."
Killian sank heavily into a chair, placing the radio on the table. David clapped him on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Hook. Killian."
"After last night," she said, clearing her throat, "I realized what you mean to me. You brought me home. Not just the once, but…several times over. Without you, I wouldn't have Henry. I would be stuck back in the Enchanted Forest, probably murdered by the Evil Queen. Since, you know, red leather jackets never do come into vogue there. I'd have stuck out like a sore thumb."
He managed a smirk, despite his concern about the chill in her skin.
"You sacrificed everything for me, Killian. And you've never stopped believing in me. And…and I love you for that." Her eyes searched his. She kept wondering if it was too late.
It was a long moment before Killian spoke. His voice cracked as he managed the words. "You love me, Swan?"
She nodded, stepping closer. "I love you, Killian. I know it now."
His thumb slipped slowly along her cheekbone. She felt slightly warmer to the touch. "I love you, Emma."
Leaning down, his lips touched hers. She sighed softly against his lips, stepping closer and sliding her arms up around his neck. He pulled her against him, wrapping his heavy coat around her body.
Pressed against him, the cold began to leave her body. She let her arms down around his torso, sliding them around his back and holding him tightly. She never wanted to let go.
Pulling back a little, he leaned his forehead slightly against hers, smiling softly.
"Now, Swan. Teach me about this Netflix."