Here comes the canon divergence!
Edit: I tweaked a couple things, in order to make the next chapter make more sense. Sorry! I should have waited to post this chapter.
A crowd of people were already gathered around the clock tower when David, Hook and Emma arrived. They'd ridden together in David's truck and suffice it to say, the short ride had been a little awkward. Emma climbed out of cab, ignoring Hook when he offered his hand to help her down. She refused to acknowledge his hurt glance, choosing instead to survey the scene in front of her. There was a think sheet of ice trailing up the walls of the old building and a nervous energy in the air. The air was oppressively still and unbearably cold. Everyone was huddled together for warmth under the streetlights. The stars were hidden behind dark clouds heavy with snow.
"She's inside," Snow said, an arrow drawn loosely on her bow. "I've been trying to keep everyone out, but they're not happy about it." The mob grumbled angrily behind Mary Margret to underscore her comment.
"Good work, but let's keep them back," David said resting his hand on Snow's shoulder. "We don't want anyone getting hurt." She nodded and turned to address the crowd when the library's doors were thrown open. The Snow Queen stepped into the street, ice trailing away from her. The crowd took a collective step back, clearly more interested in talk than action.
"There's nowhere to run," Emma called, with her gun drawn. "Do yourself a favour and just come quietly."
"I have no intention of running," The Snow Queen said, her voice sugary sweet. "Not when you're going to help me get what I want."
"And why would we do that?" Killian asked cockily, resting his hook on his belt.
"Because if you don't," She snapped her fingers and a large glass enclosure magically appeared around Emma. "You'll lose your precious Saviour." Emma pounded her fists against the clear wall, the noise echoing loudly around her.
"Swan," Killian yelled, scrapping his hook against the glass frantically, to no avail. Around him, the gathering crowd screamed. Most scurried away, unwilling to be trapped in a glass cage of their own. Only a few stragglers remained. Killian's voice, and everything else, sounded strangely muffled to Emma's ears.
"It won't break, that I promise you." The Snow Queen continued, ignoring the chaos unfolding around her. "The only way to free her, is to give me what I want."
"Which is what?" David said, tensely resting his hand on his gun holster.
"This is a very old spell," The Snow Queen said smiling and holding up a torn scroll. "As you can see, it's damaged. You're going to tell me what is missing. And in case you need a little motivation…" She snapped her fingers again, and a light sprinkling of snow started to fall within the glass sphere, making it seem like Emma was trapped in a snow globe. Emma shivered and wrapped her arms around herself tightly as a gust of wind blew in the orb. "I'd guess you have, two, maybe three hours before Miss. Swan succumbs to the cold. And we don't want that."
An arrow shot towards the Queen, but she disappeared in a flurry of snowflakes before it could find its mark. The scroll dropped to the ground. Mary Margret dropped her bow and jogged towards her daughter. She soundlessly rested her hand over Killian's hook to still his fruitless efforts as he had yet to scratch the surface. Killian's face twisted and he slid to his knees, breathing heavily.
"Emma, what about your magic?" Mary Margret called loudly.
Emma nodded to show she understood. She pressed her palms against the glass and closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration. A white glow enveloped the glass, it's heat radiating warmly in all directions. The snow fall inside the glass prison intensified, becoming a blizzard, obstructing Emma from their vision.
"Stop, Emma, stop," David yelled, banging against the glass to get her attention. The blizzard slowly fizzled back to its previous level. Emma frowned when she saw that the brief flurry had piled snow up to her knees. She struggled against it, freeing her legs and pushing the snow into a pile behind her. The snow biting at her bare hands. She wished she had been wearing her gloves.
"You, dwarf," Killian said gesturing to Leroy. "Go to the mine. Get one of your bloody magical axes."
"Good idea," David said. "Leroy take the truck," He said tossing the keys. "And hurry."
"No kidding," Leroy said as he caught the keys. He jogged to the truck and barrelled away from them. David's taillights disappearing into the night.
"There's only two people in this town who have a hope of figuring this scroll out," David said as he reached down and picked the scroll up off the ground. "Gold and Regina. I'm calling Regina. Snow, you call Gold."
"You can't be serious. This is exactly what the Snow Queen wants," Mary Margret protested.
"I'm not going to lose my daughter, not again." David replied tersely. "If you have another idea, I'm up for it." Mary Margret bit the inside of her cheek and then pulled out her phone.
"Emma, lass, don't fret," Killian said, while her parent's were preoccupied on their devices. His tone was casual, but his face was wrought with worry. "We'll have you out in no time, love. I promise. I'll stay here with you until then." He wished desperately that he could hold her in his arms. That their positions were reversed. Gods, he felt so useless. Emma nodded and rested her forehead against the glass, her breath fogging the cold surface.
Henry and Regina sat in the vault, leafing through its contents. They were trying to match the scroll by sight to something in one of her dusty books. Regina's eyes felt dry and strained. They had been at this for almost two hours already. She was beginning to feel doubtful she had the answers they were seeking. She snuck a glance at Henry and pinched the bridge of her nose. He would be devastated if something happened to his birth mother. The thought spurred her on and she pulled another book from the shelf. If they couldn't find what the Snow Queen was after, maybe she could find something to free Miss. Swan.
"That was Snow," David said putting his phone back in his pocket as he walked down the stairs. "She and Gold struck out, so tell me you have some good news."
"Here," Henry said, holding the torn scroll over the page in the book. "This matches, it's exactly the same!" Regina walked to Henry's side, comparing the pages. Her stomach twisted as comprehension settled over her.
"This spell is dark," Regina said tracing the words on the page. "Very, very dark."
"You found it? You know what the Snow Queen needs?" David said, looking Henry's shoulder. His brows furrowed at the foreign writing.
"Yes, but it's not good news," Regina said, frustrated. "We can't tell her what she's missing. There's a reason someone destroyed the original. If Ingrid has this information, a lot more people besides Miss. Swan are going to be hurt."
"We have to help my other mom," Henry said, his voice pained. "We're the heroes, it's what we do."
"Henry's right," David said. "Emma is going to die, soon, if we don't act. We'll give the Queen this and then sort the rest out later. Together."
"Mom, please," Henry said clutching the book tightly.
Regina pursed her lips tightly and nodded. "I just hope you're right Charming, for all our sakes."
Killian sat beside the orb, his shoulder resting against the glass. He was starring intently at Emma, the dwarf pickaxe beside him. Emma was curled up in a ball, shivering, her back resting against the glass wall. She sat on a pile of snow, and more was packed high above her. The orb was more than half filled, which presumably explained Emma's position. That, or the cold. Occasionally Emma brushed more snow off of herself, but her movements were languid. Her limbs stiff from the cold. They were running out of time.
Mary Margret watched them for a moment. They were huddled close enough to each other it would have been an intimate, had there not been thick glass between them. She wished Gold had been able to do something, but he had insisted that his shop held nothing that could be of any use to them. She wasn't sure she believed him, but she knew if he wasn't willing to help them, there was little she could do. Not without leverage. And unfortunately that was something she was sorely lacking.
"Didn't work?" Snow said motioning to the axe as she walked to Killian.
"No," Killian said, his voice soft. "It just dropped more bloody snow on her."
"It was a good idea," Mary Margret said.
"Would have been, had it worked." Hook retorted. His shoulders were slumped and his face was drawn. He looked defeated. Snow moved to comfort him, but before she could, she heard the crunch of snow. She turned and saw David jogging to them. Regina and Henry followed closely behind. David was waving something in his hand
"We got it, we know what the Snow Queen is looking for," He called, triumphantly.
"Thank God," Mary Margret said, hugging him tightly. "I was getting worried."
"Hold off on the celebration there. Aye, you've found it, but how in the bloody hell are we supposed to contact the Snow Queen?" Killian asked.
"We have it," David yelled to the sky. "We have what you're looking for." They all cast their eyes up to the sky, but were met with nothing but silence.
"Brilliant," Killian said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Emma is freezing in there. We have to do—"
"What do you think I've been doing?" David yelled, this time at Hook. "More than just starring and making puppy dog eyes at her while—"
"Hey!" Emma called, banging on the glass, making them all jump. "Cut it out."
"Emma's right," Mary Margret said. "We have to work together. What is it the Snow Queen needs?"
"A cold heart, willingly given," Regina said. "Once she has it she'll be able to enact a powerful curse."
"What?" Emma yelled.
"A cold heart," Henry yelled to his mother. Emma's own heart dropped like a heavy stone in her chest. A cold heart, now who does that sound like, she thought. Behind the walls she'd built, she'd ensured no warmth could ever reach her heart. She cast her gaze to Killian, deep in conversation with her parents, and felt tears brimming behind her eyes. She would never get a chance to apologize, to make things right between them. She knew he was devoted to her. Of course Tinkerbelle was just a boarder. She didn't even care about the videotape, not really. She felt an overwhelming sense of regret that she'd ever pushed him away. It was suffocating.
Well at least her decision was easy, she thought with a small smile. She would die inside the globe, taking her cold heart with her. That way whatever plan the Snow Queen had would never come to fruition. That way Killian, Henry and everyone else in Storybrooke would be safe. She knew she wouldn't have long to wait. She could no longer feel her limbs. Every breath she took was agony, the cold air burning her chest. Each passing minute she felt her pulse grow more and more faint. She turned her head back to Henry, his concerned face peering at her. She blinked away her tears.
"Hey kid," Emma called to Henry. "You know I love you right?"
"Yeah mom, of course," Henry yelled. "I love you too. But don't talk like that, we're getting you out!"
Hearing them shouting, Killian turned and walked back toward them. He pressed his hand flat against the glass and smiled. She quirked her brow at him, wondering how he had known what she was thinking. She was always such an open book to him. She placed her palm against his, the glass separating them. She wished she could tell him everything she was thinking, but she felt so tired, so weak. Her mind felt fuzzy. She settled for just looking deeply into his eyes, those clear blue eyes. Hoping he'd read her like he always did.
Killian swallowed deeply. He'd dealt with enough evil Queens in his long life to know that this Ice Queen would not be satisfied with simply information. He was prepared to do whatever it took to ensure Emma's safety. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but looking into her fierce green eyes, he too was at a loss for words. His sentiment would probably be diminished had he screeched it at her through the glass anyways. She smiled at him faintly, her lips a worrying shade of blue.
"Regina is going to try a summoning spell," David said without looking at the pirate. Regina stood away from them, a dark light shooting between her fingers surrounding an ice cream keychain. Her eyes were closed in concentration. Suddenly there was a flurry of snow. Icy cold wind blew all around them, taking their breath away.
"She's coming," Regina yelled, grabbing Henry and pulling him close. As suddenly as it had started, the snowfall stopped. The Snow Queen stood in front of them, her arms crossed in front of her.
"Apparently I've been summoned," The Snow Queen said icily. "I take it you've discovered what I am after."
"We have," David said carefully, unwilling to give any information away before his daughter was freed.
"Wonderful," The Snow Queen said. "I'm so glad we were able to work this out. Give it to me and Emma goes free."
"You said you just wanted to know what was on the scroll," Regina said. "Not to find the ingredients."
"Well the terms have changed," The Snow Queen replied. "Give it to me, or Emma dies." Her eyes flashed and the globe holding Emma was suddenly engulfed in a blizzard. Killian's stomach twisted, and for once he hated that he was right.
"You need a cold heart, given willingly," Henry cried. "Stop please! You're killing her!"
"There now," The Queen said. The blizzard stopped and Emma was buried up to her waist. She coughed to clear her throat and brushed ice away from her face. "Now, who is going to give it to me?"
"I'll think of you love," Killian whispered against the glass. "Everyday. For as long as I live." Emma motioned that she hadn't heard him, but he pulled away without repeating his words. He sauntered over to David and Mary Margret, his face set. Killian grabbed David's arm. "Do me a favour mate, and tell Emma," He hesitated, collecting his thoughts. That I love her, that I always have, he thought. But there was no sense putting those thoughts in her head. Not when he'd never see her again. "Tell her. I'm sorry, truly."
"Hook, you can't be serious," Snow whispered, shooting a worried glance at Emma. "Please tell me you're not thinking what I think you are."
"Aye, we're out of time. Emma's out of time," He said fiercely, his resolve set.
"There must be another way. One of us could go inste—" Snow began.
"The Queen would have to be daft to believe any of the Charmings have a cold heart," He interrupted with a smirk. "Besides, you have your boy, Neal. He needs you. Swan has you, and Henry. I have," Emma, he thought. Or at least he wished he had her. He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Hell, let's just say I'm well suited to this task, aye?"
"She might never forgive you for this, or us for that matter," David said solemnly, turning to meet Hook's eyes.
"Perhaps," Hook said. "But she'll be alive. And I can live with that." David nodded and shook the pirate's hand roughly.
"This isn't over Hook," Mary Margret said. "We'll figure out a way to get you back." Killian nodded and turned back to face Emma. She looked at him, her face confused.
"Well," Ingrid asked again, her tone impatient.
"I'm a bloody pirate love," Killian said swaggering towards the Queen, still starring at Emma. "200 years of solitude and loss has made my heart positively icy."
Emma, realizing what was happening, started screaming his name, her cries muffled by the orb and the snow. She banged her fists on the glass roughly.
"But since then you've loved Emma, cared for her at least." The Queen smiled at him. "Love warms a heart like nothing else."
"A passing dalliance," Hook lied easily, waving his hand. He tore his eyes away from Emma and met the Snow Queen's hard stare. "Just this evening Swan discovered me with another woman. Ask her, broke the poor lass's heart."
"Killian," Emma screamed. "Stop, don't do this!"
"She seems like she's forgiven you," The Snow Queen said motioning towards Emma.
"Well, I think you'll find I have that effect on women," He said cocking his eyebrow. "It's a curse, really. Doesn't change how I feel towards her."
"Very well," The Queen said with a smile, walking towards Hook.
"Now, just a minute there, lass" Hook said, taking a step back. "The scroll said you need the heart to be given willingly?"
"Are you not giving it freely?" She said clenching her fist.
"Aye, it's yours. After you release Swan," He said. It took every ounce of strength he had to not look at Emma, her cries ringing in his ears.
"If you don't care for her, what does it matter?"
"I'm a pirate," He said flashing his teeth. "Nothing comes for free, and all that." The Snow Queen contemplated him for a moment.
"Very well," She said as she snapped her fingers and a portal opened up beside her. "Step through the portal, willingly, and you have my word Emma will be freed." She smiled sweetly at them and stepped through herself, disappearing before them.
"Don't let him," Emma sobbed. "Please, someone stop him." She could feel the exertion taking its toll on her body, as her vision narrowed, darkness moving in around her. Her hands were throbbing from the glass and from the cold, but she didn't let up.
"Hook," David said grabbing his arm. "We can still find another way."
"There's not time," Killian said, motioning to Emma and pulling free.
"Are you sure about this Captain?" Regina asked. "This is very old magic, I doubt very much that we can follow you."
"Aye," He said without hesitation. "I'll gladly sacrifice myself for Swan. There's not much I wouldn't do for her." He finally looked at Emma, his eyes boring into her, trying to remember every freckle, every stray hair, every detail about her. "Just find a way to defeat this curse that's coming? I'd prefer to have you all remember my sacrifice for many years."
"We will," Snow said. Her voice steady, although tears slipped down her cheek.
"Alright then," He said simply. He looked to Emma one last time, wanting her face to be the last thing he saw. He smiled and walked backwards through the portal. It closed behind him and then he was gone.
"Nooo," Emma cried. She fell to her knees, the glass enclosure gone, the snow that had been in the orb with her billowed onto the ground with a flourish. Her body wracked with sobs. Every part of her ached, from the cold, from the loss. She was shivering uncontrollably.
"Emma, it'll be okay," Mary Margret said hugging Emma tightly. "But right now we have to get you warm."
"How could you let him go," Emma sobbed. "He doesn't even have a cold heart. It's warm, it's—"
"I know, I know," She cooed softly. "David, we have to get her home, now. She's freezing."
David scooped Emma up in his arms and quickly carried her to the cab of his truck. "We'll find him Emma. I promise," He said softly, with more confidence than he felt. "That's our family does remember? We find each other." His voice sounded faint to Emma's ears as the cold, the exertion, the stress, and the loss, finally overcame her and she slipped out of consciousness. Her last waking thoughts of Killian and his warm heart.
So obviously this is not in keeping with the Snow Queen's plan/motive in the show, but I've had this story rattling around in my head for forever! So thanks for sticking with it! I'll try and post the next chapter shortly so you're not left with the same cliffhanger/hiatus heartbreak OUAT left us on this week :P
