Lilly

by CuteMcBeauty

Hook returns from the Enchanted Forest to find Emma in New York, hoping to jog her memory and take up from where they left off, to find that his heart's First Mate has added to his "crew", his parting gift given to her before the whole missing year. But this is no ordinary little gift. It comes with a mission... Rated T for possible foul language and some sexual contexts.

35. The Ice Castle

The entrance to the mansion was surrounded by hedges, trimmed and prim, and all around the front lawn, rose bushes adorned the entry. The knocker on the door read clear as day: Jones.

"Cedar…" Killian whispered, his hand gingerly touching the wooden door.

"Aye… and with a blood spell." Davy nodded. "Only those of the family lineage may open it."

Emma turned to look at Killian's father. "You… have magic?"

"Not I, per say." He shrugged. "But when I brought the relic back for safe keeping, a local sorceress cast a spell so no one would try to rob it and make use of it. Thus, she cast as spell where only those of the Jones blood may open this door." He turned to look at Killian. "So, if you'd do us the honors, Captain…"

"How?" Killian frowned.

"Tap on it three times." Jones senior grinned confidently.

Killian sighed deeply and turned with a scorn to the door. "Very well…" He tapped three times and sure enough, the locks and latches gave and the door opened.

The trio entered; Emma looked happily curious; Killian looked around the foyer, not knowing whether to feel awed by the magnificence of the house or sad to have missed out on belonging to such a grand family, and Davy looked, well, like a person who had come home after a long, long trip. He looked around, a giant smile crossing his face from ear to ear and reaching his eyes, which shone through their crinkly commissures. "It… it looks exactly the way it looked in my memories." A soft, wispy chuckle left his lips. "My dear late wife and I… we worked so hard for this… planned so much. So many memories…"

Killian sighed and sat down on the third step of the main staircase. "Aye, well… let's just… find the bloody magic hat and go back to the ship, then, shall we?"

"Come on Killian, take a look around, you have to admit, this is a hell of a place…" Emma smiled. "Seriously, look at that chandelier, and… oh, that mirror!" she smiled excitedly as she stared at the massive mirror that hung facing the door. "Totally not feng-shui, but, man!"

Davy swallowed. "And if only we could light up the candles and lamps, you'd see just how…" Emma waved her hand. Instantly, the chandeliers lit up and every corner of the manor came alight. Even Killian's uninterested gaze was suddenly gawking in awe at the surroundings. Davy laughed softly. "Much better. Thank you my dear." He gave a gentle nod of acknowledgement to Emma.

Killian's gaze was suddenly fixed on one point. "Oh… bloody hell…" he stood up from the step and walked to a large mantelpiece. There was a painting there, of a young man, no older than maybe fifteen… but who carried an eerie resemblance to the Jones elder. "Liam…"

Davy nodded. "Aye. Liam David Jones the third."

Killian turned to his father with a sneer. "David? His name was David?"

"This family is a Dynasty, Killian." He nodded with a sad smile. "A seafaring one. My father, David Jones the first, your grandfather, was also Lord Commodore for the fleet of Arendelle. I too was Lord Commodore… and Liam would have been, too… had he not…" Davy swallowed and looked down.

Emma turned her gaze to Killian; his jaw was set and he looked pretty much like she had felt in the car, minutes earlier, while talking about her baby brother, and how he was getting everything she had missed out on.

Her heart squeezed in her chest for her husband… but also for his father.

"You… saw him? When he passed away?" Killian swallowed.

"Aye…"

"How?"

Davy licked his lips. "The one concession the Dark One made for the Flying Dutchman was a magic spyglass. While the curse prevented me from shoring until every seventh year, through it's gaze I could see anything, any place I wanted. I watched Liam grow and rebel against me and my name; I saw him turn his back on his heritage… and I saw you, Killian, when you were born."

"What?" The younger Jones whispered.

"Aye… I still had six years before the Dutchman could anchor, and I saw how the local villagers kept you alive and fed, and as soon as I was able, I went to find you. You were about to turn seven by then. Even after I left you behind, I saw how Liam found you and made it his own hero's journey to become a brother and father to you. While my heart was broken at the hatred you both harbored for me, I was pleased to see you'd live, you'd always have each other." He paced around the room. "When your mentor, that man named Captain John Wellings, finally vanquished me, he said… and I quote him…. 'And here's to your two sons, never knowing your fate, for neither of them shall ever know their father, the disgraced officer… and a filthy pirate'…" Killian swallowed a large lump and Emma was already teary eyed. Davy smiled a sad smile. "It mattered not. He was right. It would be better if the two of you forgot about me altogether." He raised a glazed gaze and stared into Killian's eyes. "So don't believe for one minute that you were the only one to weep when Liam fell. I saw it. I saw how he collapsed on the floor and how you held him in your arms; I felt your despair, your anger… I wept too, Killian. For the loss of my newborn… and for your heartache. No healthy young son is supposed to die before his father. Alas, this curse… keeps me in wait." He paced to his son. "You may not want me to call you such, and I have respected your wish out of good form… but you ARE my son, Killian. And despite your loathing, know you always will be. Hence, all this is yours, this house, the name it carries… it is your heritage now. Do with it as you will." Killian was frozen as Davy turned and walked through the grand diner doors. "Now, let's go collect that artifact…"

Emma walked to Killian, who stared in the direction his father had walked away. "Are you ok there, pirate?" She looped her arm around his.

"I'm… not sure anymore, love…" He responded promptly.

The young savior smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Well, let's look at the bright side. Plenty of room for all… Every kid gets his and her own room."

"Swan…"

"Henry always wanted a pool, I suppose there's enough space in that garden to make one."

"Emma…" Killian grabbed her by the arms. "You can't really…"

"And why not?"

"Because!" He snapped back. "This is… not me! This is not us! I…" he paced around and ran his hand through his hair. "I am not the one with the heroic past, nor am I the one who was meant to have this! You heard him Liam was his first born. This is my brother's! And he's gone, Emma, what in blazes have I bloody done to deserve this?" He turned an ached face at Emma. "I'm not… the Lord Commodore my father was before that witch and the Dark One disgraced his name, I'm not his father either, and I'm certainly NOT Liam. I'm…" He shrugged, suddenly sheepish. "Nothing, love. I was the son that happened by accident, I was a pick pocket and the scoundrel who dallied with college girls during navy academy balls and who teased the teachers, I was the unruly little bastard who got whipped and caned more often than not for mischief and insubordination and… and I was the one who turned away from good form to become a pirate. And as such, I did the most unfathomable deeds, Emma, most of which I will never speak of while you and my children live, out of respect…" he paced back to her and held her hands. "I am blessed enough that you took me in, I am fortunate to call you my wife, to have had a lovely child and raise your boy and… and to have another one on the way, I'm not even worth all this trouble, I don't know why you…"

"OK, ENOUGH!" Emma shouted back at him. "Look I can see you're on a really, really pathetic self-loathing roll here, but I'm going to be really damn bold and interrupt you, so just shut up, ok?" She huffed. "Killian what the hell! Yeah you're a pirate! Yeah, you messed up, you did things you regret, and made more than a few wrong choices! But you know, so did I! I was a pirate too! Remember? I stole a car and I am still driving it! I cheated, I shoplifted, hell, you know the story about the cat, right? And I was a pickpocket too! But you told me once to stop judging myself, and you were right, because I am NOT defined by that. I am not the woman I was then. And you? You are also the man who turned his vessel back to take us all to find Henry. You had the damn bean, you didn't have to! But you did. You're the guy who saved a guy from Pan even when you knew he was Henry's dad and was likely gonna fight to win me back; you're the guy who traded his precious goddamned ship to find me in New York, the same guy who travelled back in time just to be with me and who never, ever leaves my side, whether we're fighting some villain or just… because that's where you belong. And you're the father of my daughter and being a father for Henry, and you know, I can't tell you how much THAT means to me!" She drew breath and paced closer to him. "You told me once… that my magic was a part of me and that I should embrace it, that you love every part of it, and of me, the good and the bad… remember that? Remember when I didn't want to celebrate my birthday ever, because it was also the day I gave Henry away, and how?" Killian nodded. "Well…" She smiled softly, lowering her voice. "I'm not planning on ever giving up on you. You're a beautiful man, Killian. And if only you gave yourself a chance to see that, the way I see it, you might think a bit differently about that dumb pirate of mine. Hey…" She chased his eyes with hers until their gazes locked. "You know, my family, we're all about… second chances. I gave my parents one… Henry gave me one… Then they all decided to give you your second chance, and so did I… Try it, Killian. It's liberating." She kissed his cheek. "How about you give my pirate his second chance? And I quote my husband, let me see if I get this right: 'I never again want to hear such a vile utterance about the man I love'. Are we clear on that, Hook?"

Killian stared intently into her eyes, and a slow grin slowly rose on the edges of his lips as he held her close to him. "Spoken from the mouth of an angel…"

"Look, I can see this is a little… overwhelming and yeah, that does mess with your mind, believe me, I've been there, from zero to hero…" She chuckled. "But life is giving you something, Killian."

"Aye… a bloody big house." He laughed.

Emma's face fell. "No. A father, Killian."

"Well, best not get too attached to that one, love." He pushed past her, following the steps of Davy.

Emma frowned. "What? What do you mean?"

Killian stopped cold and huffed, closing his eyes. "After we're done defeating the Snow Queen, his deal with Gold was for his curse to be broken. Emma…" He looked back up to her eyes. "The only reason he's here, alive… is because of that very curse. My mentor, Captain Wellings, defeated him long ago, while I was still in the academy. He's been dead for three hundred years. He, the Flying Dutchman…they're practically ghosts." He looked to the floor. "As soon as the curse breaks, he will be gone for good. Like everyone in my family." He shook his head. "And what do I have to account for my lineage? A bloody manor? Well…" He shook his head. "Thank you, love… But I don't want it. My family is you now; you, Lilly, Henry and our wee one, and our small abode overlooking the shore, where I can hear the waves and the birds. It may be small, Emma, but it is ours. I want nothing more."

He pushed past her again and left Emma saddened, staring at him with a mortified wince.

Now that was something she hadn't experienced: Getting a family and losing it again. Oh, wait… yeah. Yeah she had felt it too! The day she got sent out of Storybrooke and everyone, pirate included, went back to the Enchanted Forest.

But then, she had gotten them back; As soon as Davy Jones ceased to be, it would be forever.

Killian was to lose his father for the second time… and there was nothing to be done.

She was at a loss for words, so she simply caught up with him and grabbed his hand. In exchange, he turned a saddened gaze and a warm smile that while beautiful, didn't quite reach his eyes.

They turned from the foyer, though a grand dining room and into a small study, facing a vast and beautiful garden. Davy Jones sat on a couch, and raised his face expectantly at his son. "Are you two quite done?"

"Let's get on with it." Killian sighed. "Where is the bloody thing?"

Davy sighed and stood up, tapped the wooden wall behind him three times and turned to the couple with a very trademark Jones smirk. "It's all three taps, Killian. Everything you need is three taps away."

A small pigeon hole opened on the wall where his hand had tapped and revealed a rather intricate box, with a starred pattern on the rounded top over a blue backdrop and golden rimming. Davy took it in his hand and grinned. "Last time I ever held this in my hand was also the last time I ever set foot in this house…" He raised his eyes to Emma and held his hand out to her. "Here, my dear. You be the keeper of it. But be weary of it; do not forget: it is designed to contain magic… and the magician. Be sure never, ever to hold the open end of the hat to yourself or anyone else with magic, lest it be your very last resource."

"Are you… sure I'm the right person to… do this?" Emma sneered.

Davy turned his eyes to Killian. "If he trusts you…" He then turned back to Emma and winked. "…then I do, too." He handed her the box.

Emma took it hesitantly and grinned back at Davy.

"So… shall we head back to the vessel now?" Killian said, rubbing his temple. "We've a daughter and a son to retrieve…"

They were all headed back out the main door when Elsa joined them.

"EMMA! We must leave! NOW!"

"How… did you find us?" Emma frowned.

Elsa shook her head. "Your friend Regina poofed me here, but that's really NOT important right now, Emma, we have to leave this place right now!"

"Why the haste, love?" Killian sneered.

"Because…" Elsa tried to catch her own breath. "We found the mirror in her cave… but that's not all we found." She swallowed hard. "Emma, your family is in danger, your mother, the town…"

Emma walked to Elsa and took her by the shoulders. "Slow down, Elsa, what do you mean, the town? My mother?" What?"

Elsa sighed. "We found a young woman, one of your friends. The wolf girl, Ruby." Elsa swallowed. "She was nearly unconscious… We believe that the Snow Queen kept her there to impersonate her, which means…"

"Mary Margaret's probably spilling the beans to her right now…" Emma ran a hand through her hair. "Shit!"

"So let's find her before she does!" Davy paced to the door.

No sooner had he finished talking, a swirling flurry revealed the image of Ingrid.

"Don't bother, Captain Jones. I am here." She smiled coldly, turning to him. "My, my. The years haven't done much to ruin your youthfulness, Lord Commodore. You are as handsome today as the day you sank the vessel with my sister and her husband…"

"You and I know damn well I had nothing to do with that…" Davy sneered.

"Well, it matters not." Ingrid sighed as she turned to look at Emma and Elsa. "Non-magical folk will never understand us. They leave us… put us in urns and forget about us."

Elsa paced to her. "I placed myself in that urn voluntarily. What do you want?"

"The two of you of course." Ingrid shrugged softly. "Unfortunately, you're both a little reluctant to see the truth. I do believe that hiding things in plain sight has done a hell of a job on you." She turned to Emma. "You were always special, Emma…"

"Yeah, sure. Special enough to dump me back."

"Well… I was excited. Having my own baby girl." She turned to Elsa with a grin. "I take it the cat's out of the bag by now."

"You may have given birth to me." Elsa replied, her voice shaky. "But it was not you who raised me. My mother was…"

"YOUR MOTHER WAS A THIEF! AND A LIAR!" Ingrid shouted back. "She… took you from me. Why? Because I was a monster! She never accepted me, she was the one to help the Dark One! How do you think I wound up in the urn to begin with? The Dark One betrayed me in exchange for my sister's complicity, so he would get the mirror. That way… she got you."

"You're a liar…" Elsa shook her head.

"I am telling you the truth." She turned to Emma. "And you? The savior? The one whose parents gave up on so easily?"

"Emma, love, don't you listen to her." Killian hissed.

"You must be angry with them… for leaving you."

"They had a good reason to, I know that now."

"That doesn't erase twenty eight years of feeling unwanted."

"Swan, don't listen!"

"They had choices! They could have kept you, they could have figured out something else. But no… They just… sent you here. Alone, Cold… UNWANTED."

Davy paced to Emma. "Take NO heed, milady... she's a deceiver."

"So am I to assume that YOU would have done a far better job, lady? You left me back in the orphanage!"

"And I can guarantee you… each and every child there must have humiliated you… laughed at you." Emma's eyes softened. "Yes. They did, didn't they? That's what ordinary people do. They fear us. To them, we're nothing but monsters. Freaks." She paced closer to Emma. "And when you make one little mistake, one tiny… tiny error, they give you that look, and that look stays with you forever."

Sparkles began to form in Emma's palms. "Shut up."

"You can start anew, Emma. You, me and my Elsa. You are practically sisters anyway! I was your mom. And Elsa is my child, so… it's perfect! They will let you down. Even this… man you chose to share your life with. Mortal men have shown you what they are capable of! He will leave you! Like they all did. And so will your precious family with their little baby prince, who, make no mistake, they are pleased to call NORMAL."

"SWAN, THAT'S A LIE!" Killian shouted.

"They… love… me." Emma hissed through her teeth. The lights she had lit earlier began to flicker.

"How can they possibly love that which they do not understand?" Ingrid continued. "And what they don't understand, they come to fear, and what they fear, they call a monster."

"SHUT UP!" Emma shouted suddenly, her hands firing out a gush of a shockwave that sent Killian, his father and Elsa flying. Killian crashed into a table and hit his head. As he stood up, he reached up and touched his forehead to find blood on his fingers. "Bloody hell…"

"Killian!" Emma ran to him but stopped as soon as she saw the sparkles in her hands.

He stood up, his father helping him. "I'm alright love…"

Emma snapped her face back to Ingrid. "What the hell did you do to me?"

Ingrid was smiling from ear to ear. "Only… unraveling the beauty of your potential. I could teach you so, so much…" She then turned to Elsa. But not as long as the healer is still alive. If she touches my mirror… all my magic will be gone. And I know you know where she is, Elsa…" She paced to the young Queen. "Come now… Where are the children?"

Elsa swallowed. "I understand why my mother took me from you…" She wept softly, holding her stare. "You're evil… you have corrupted, killed and taken the kindness out of those who have crossed your path, betrayed a family… and now you want to murder an innocent child?"

"Swan…" Killian paced to her, blood trickling down his temple. "Please…"

"No, Killian, stay away, I…" Emma panted. "I don't know what I can do now, I… I'm not sure I can control this…"

"Yes, you can, love, you always can." He walked to her hands up and extended. "That bloody witch just pushed all the right buttons darling, don't you dare give her a moment's thought!"

Ingrid paced slowly to Elsa. "My darling girl… you are indeed as beautiful as the snowed mountain top." She reached for her cheek. "We will be a family again. I even am willing to make a concession for you…" she flicked her hand in the direction of the grand mirror. "Look there…."

Elsa turned and saw the frozen statue of … "ANNA!" She turned to her, rabid. "You… you froze her… You froze my sister…"

"Only her body." Ingrid replied calmly. "I removed her heart before I ever did." She shrugged. "Insurance."

Elsa was sobbing and gasping. "What do you want?"

"Emma, look at me…" Killian smiled at her. "It's only a flesh wound, my love, nothing to write home about. Listen to me…" He panted. "Not an hour ago, you were telling me not to doubt myself, remember? To give myself a second chance? Well, how's about you practice what you preach, savior?"

"Milady…" Davy Jones joined his son. "You are the savior, indeed, my son has full faith in you as do I! Remember what you carry with you, love! You are the Light One. You…. Can control this."

"Emma…" Killian whispered. "You can do this! Love yourself… like I love you…."

He held his hand out.

"Killian… I … don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't." he smiled confidently. "You love me too much. And I believe in you. Come, Swan, take my hand… think of Lilly… she needs you to be whole, to be sound…"

"Lilly… Henry…." Emma whispered and sighed. She closed her eyes and images of her little happily ever after flashed through her mind and a smile adorned her face. They didn't fear her…

Nobody did. Only she did, only she feared herself.

She didn't even feel the moment when Killian's hand held hers; it wasn't until the lamps and chandeliers stopped flickering that she opened her eyes and found Killian's confident side grin, smirking at her. "That's my girl…" He whispered.

Emma smiled and embraced him before turning to Elsa.

"Elsa, tell me… and you will get your sister back." Ingrid smiled. "More like, your cousin, but we can compromise…"

Elsa's lower lip shook uncontrollably as her sight went from the mirror to Emma to Hook and back to the image of Anna on the glass.

"Remember, Ice is a brittle thing, kind of like trust." Ingrid grinned coldly. "It can crack and ship away so easily…" The image of Anna's iced figure began to crack.

"ANNA, NO!" Elsa shouted.

"ELSA!" Emma pleaded.

"WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN, ELSA?"

Torn between the sight of Emma and Killian practically begging for her not to disclose the whereabouts of the kids and the image of her beloved sister about to become a pile of ice cubes, Elsa fell to her knees, a sudden gush of icy wind surrounding them. Killian turned to his father. "Find the others… get on the vessel, head back to Arendelle… I have a feeling that's where they are. Now GO!"

"What about you, Killian?" He shouted back at his son.

Killian smiled at his father and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My place is wherever Emma is. Please… Use your spyglass to find them and get to them…. And then to us…. Father."

Davy smiled broadly and nodded. "As you wish, my son…" He clasped his hand around Killian's wrist before exiting the house.

The wind increased; snow had accumulated in the manor and icicles were forming on the ceiling.

"She's panicking… like you were just now…." Killian whispered into Emma's ear.

"This stops… NOW." Emma said, suddenly sending a blast that pushed the Snow Queen to the other side of the room. Emma ran to Elsa. "Hey, it's ok…" she smiled at her. Just… calm down…"

"Emma… I'm so sorry…" Elsa wept.

"You did nothing wrong…"

"I did…. I did… Look…"

She pointed at the grand mirror, and reflected on it was no longer the image of Anna frozen in place… but the children, being helped by Kristoff, as they climbed up a long ice staircase leading to the castle on the North Mountain.

"No…" Killian breathed hard. He tried to reach for something to break the mirror with, but Ingrid was back on her feet.

She paced to the crystal and stared, wide-eyed, at the image before her. "Well, that wasn't so hard, now, was it?" she turned with a smile to Elsa. She then proceeded to touch the mirror, and slowly, she began to take a liquid form that seemed to be getting absorbed into the mirror.

Emma knew now… her children were in dire need for help.

"NO!" She shouted, as she reached in time to grasp Ingrid's tunic, and she too began to get sucked into the mirror.

Killian jumped to her. "EMMA!" Just in time before Emma's left hand turned liquid, she grabbed Killian's left hand, where his hook once stood.

Within a second, they were all gone.

Elsa panted, cleaned her tears, and swiftly made her way back out the manor, getting puffed back into the vessel by Regina within a minute of her departure.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Halfway up the stairs that led to the ice castle on the Northern Mountain, Henry thought he and his sister might probably never make it home; but Kristoff adamantly led them both up. "It's only two hundred and seventy steps, guys!" He huffed. "I know it's slippery, but trust me, it's totally worth it."

Lilly held on to Henry, piggy-back. The teenage boy turned his face to his sister. "You okay back there, sis?"

"Mh-hm." She whined back.

Henry wasn't sure she was being entirely honest, but his task was to keep her well, alive, no matter what the cost.

"Kristoff, do you know where the mirror is?" Henry asked, carefully holding on to the frozen railing, numbness starting to hit his fingertips despite being clothed under sheepskin gloves.

"Nope."

"What do you mean, nope?"

"I mean…" He stopped, panting, and turned to Henry. "I have only been here once, and only once have I seen the castle from the inside." He smiled at Henry. "Just like you told me in that… was it movie?"

"Yeah. Movie."

"FWOZEEEEN!" Lilly grinned. (She'd seen the film a couple times in Storybrooke).

Kristoff chuckled. "Yeah, well, I'm not quite as goofy as you guys seem to remember me, from that particular version of the facts, right? Elsa was never really too much out of control, and Anna was…" He stopped and sighed. "… Anna was just Anna. She was always funny, laughing, smiling…" he chuckled and shook his head. "Talking too much… God, she never knew how to be quiet, but… I would give anything to have her chatting away right now."

"You loved her?" Henry winced, as he tried to catch his breath.

Kristoff looked down. "Yeah. I still do. She's the kindest soul in this kingdom, there's nothing she wouldn't do for the people she loves. And that included marrying that… jackass, Prince Hans." He shook his head and went on climbing up the stairs. "It was the deal she had to make, to keep the kingdom, to save me and to ensure Elsa wouldn't die. I was devastated, but… I suppose she did the right thing. I just wish I knew where she is."

"Do you think she's still alive?"

"I'm sure of it." Kristoff grinned. "Come on, kid, we still have one hundred and eighty steps to…" His smile fell as he rose his eyes. "Oh, no…"

"What, what is it?"

"It's… that guy. Again."

Henry raised his eyes and before him stood a towering snowman with glowing blue eyes, standing right in front to the entrance to the castle. "Oh this can't be good…." He looked down to find they were smack over the cliff that divided the two edges of the mountaintop.

Kristoff began to pace back. "If… we move slowly… and get… out of here… he might… let us off."

The snowman looked at them and frowned. "GO AWAY!" It shouted.

Henry began to pace back with Kristoff, but Lilly slid off his back to the floor and slipped between their legs to the front, pacing quickly up the icy stairs, directly to the monster.

"LILLY!" Henry shouted. "Lilly, NO!"

The little girl seemed oblivious to the towering threat before her as it ducked his head, growling at her. Henry tried to sprint up the stairs, hoping to get there in time to receive whatever crushing blow it may have had in store for his little sister.

"Hello." Lilly grinned at the snow beast and simply touched it.

Instantly, the massive snowman smiled and emitted a loud "Aw" as it turned a kind grin at the two young men who accompanied her. Henry stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lilly simply holding on to its leg. "SNOWMAN!" she laughed with a massive smile on her face.

"Talking snowmen. This… never stops getting weird." Kristoff muttered, as he, Henry and Lilly finally made it to the door.

"BYE BYE!" Lilly waved at the snow monster, who also replied a coarse but friendly "BYE BYE" as he headed down to disappear into the valley.

"Wow…" Kristoff scratched his head as he looked at the little girl. "She's… amazing. Last time I faced that thing I fell down a two hundred foot drop and almost didn't make it."

Henry didn't reply; he was too busy staring up at the perfection that was Elsa's ice castle.

"This is definitely better than the movie…" He smiled as Lilly touched the doors.

As they yielded and gave way to the inside of the castle, Henry and Kristoff paced inside, staring around them. The troll king had been right; it was even colder inside than it was outside.

"Ok, Lilly… we have one shot at this…." Henry said, his teeth chattering. "Let's f… find that m… mirror."

"Aye." She said and instantly made her way to the stairs. "Up!"

"Ok…" Henry walked to her and picked her up. "Kristoff, you coming?"

The handsome young mountain man nodded as he started up the staircase. "More stairs… geez…"

Then they were faced with a grand room, one that Kristoff remembered well; it was the place where Elsa had accidentally frozen Anna's heart. And there, in front of them, stood the mirror.

Henry turned swiftly to Kristoff. "OK, hear me out: whatever you do, don't look into the mirror, and if it starts talking to you, don't listen to it. It's designed to show you only the darkness in yourself."

Kristoff nodded as Henry took Lilly's hand. "Come on, sis… let's get this over with. Mom and dad need our…"

A sudden flash of light coming from the mirror interrupted Henry, and the three were pushed back by a sudden force. Although Lilly landed on Kristoff, she immediately burst into tears. Henry ran to her. "Hey! You ok?"

"BAD! BAD!" she shouted pointing at the image that was slowly forming from a watery mass that seemed to drop from the mirror.

"Oh, no…" Henry stood in front of her and drew his sword.

"We're too late!" Kristoff shouted.

As the figure finally stood tall before them, so did the bodies of Emma Swan and Killian Jones.

"MOM!" Henry shouted with a smile.

"You ok, kid? Your sister?" Emma shouted.

Ingrid paced to the boy, Kristoff and little Lilly. "My my, you are resourceful, child." She smiled. "But I'm afraid you are also a liability…"

"Get the hell away from him!" Kristoff shouted, holding a hand pickaxe.

"Oh. You. Again." She sneered disdainfully at Kristoff. "Perhaps you'd like to join your fiancée in the mirror?"

Kristoff's face fell. "She's… in there?"

"Safe and sound…. And frozen solid. But don't worry, her heart is technically not in her body, so she's alive. Not that… you'll profit from that at all."

Killian ran to Henry. "Are you well, lad?" He hugged him. He then fell to his knees and reached for Lilly. "My little lass…." He held her tight.

Emma walked to her family and turned around. "You don't get to lay a single finger on my family, you bitch!"

"Why Emma…" Ingrid shook her head. "even now you don't seem to realize just how much they are in your way."

"No, YOU are in my way." And she blasted her away again, in an attempt to try and usher Killian, Henry and Lilly back through the mirror.

"Come love, let's go… Henry, run!" Killian carried Lilly and tried to run behind Emma together with Henry.

"Ah-ah…" Ingrid smiled and sent an ice blast that formed a wall around the three.

"NO!" Emma shouted.

The Snow Queen turned around to Emma. "This is all too easy…" She flicked her hand and Emma was tied down with ice chains to the floor. "Listen, sweetie: don't worry. As soon as I am done with them, I will just… delete your memory. You won't remember her, or your boy, or even the pirate. It's a lot easier. There will be no pain. And I promise you…" She caressed her face. "You will definitely be happier that way." Ingrid turned to Kristoff and shoved him out the door, closing it behind him. "Peasant…"

She walked to the pirate. "Did you really think you could outsmart me?" she smiled. "Now, if you would just hand me the child, I might consider letting you take the boy, and the two of you can walk out of here alive."

Killian panted hard through gritted teeth. "I'd sooner DIE than to hand over my child to you."

"Makes two of us!" Henry joined the threat, his stare fixed on the Ice Queen's ice blue eyes.

On the floor, Lilly was touching the ice wall, melting it behind the protection of her father's legs.

Ingrid sighed deep. "Very well, captain. As you wish…" She began to make a powerful flurry of ice between her two hands.

"Henry…" Killian smiled shakily. "It has been an honor… calling you my son."

"The honor's been all mine, dad."

Just before she released the ice curse on them, Emma suddenly blasted free from the chains and sent a fiery shockwave to Ingrid, once again knocking her down. Lilly took the chance and ran to the mirror.

Kristoff had let himself back in. He tapped on the ice wall where Killian and Henry were enclosed and smiled with the pickaxe in his hand. "I may not be able to do anything to her… But I know a thing or two about ice." He winked at Henry. "Stand back!" He gave the wall a single blow at a certain angle, and a large crack started to form. With a second blow, it fell apart."

Killian laughed and embraced Kristoff. "The ice man of Arendelle! Good to see you, mate!"

Kristoff smiled back. "Been too long, Captain."

"You guys? Can we leave the pleasantries for a later time?" Henry ushered them while Emma and Ingrid were locked in a magical exchange of white fire and ice. "Someone needs to cover for my sister."

Their gazes were drawn to the little girl who crept with her back to the walls, slowly, behind Ingrid, coming closer and closer to the mirror each time.

"I know what to do." Henry nodded, running to Lilly and picking her up. "Come on, kid, I'll give you a ride."

Lilly held on to Henry as they rushed across the white, cold room.

Killian and Kristoff went to his side as Henry tried his best to reach the mirror.

Ingrid's gaze was suddenly drawn to them and with her other hand, she threw a chilled flare. It caught Kristoff's leg.

"GAGH!" The young man shouted. The other three stopped. "No, no, GO! GO FINISH THIS!" Kristoff shouted as he fell to the floor. Killian winced, nodded and continued with his son, randomly trying to avert whatever blasts came from Ingrid's left hand.

Emma turned one hand and made a fireball, much like the ones Regna had taught her how to make. She then blasted it at Ingrid and once again sent her crashing back. It gave her time to produce the box she had tucked in her jacket. Ingrid sat up and gasped as she saw the box. "H… how did you…?"

"I am the Light One, queenie, and the savior." Emma sneered. "I'm the one who will be guarding this thing. Now, you and I both know what this thing can do, so… please don't make me use it."

Ingrid gritted her teeth. "You… can't… do this!"

"Oh, but I can." Emma grinned. "You've caused enough trouble already."

Killian, Henry and Lilly slowly reached the mirror while Emma held the box in her hand, threatening to open it and unleash the power of the hat on her. Lilly held her hands up to her dad. "Daddy! Up!"

"There you go, darling! Killian picked her up and held her to the mirror, careful not to look inside himself.

Panting desperately, Ingrid suddenly blasted Emma out of the way with a flick of her hand. The box rolled from Emma's hand, and both Ingrid and Henry made a beeline towards it. She blasted another ice shard at Henry and the boy ducked in time to slide to the floor and grab the box.

"Foolish boy!" She shouted and tried to throw another blast of ice; Henry hid behind what looked like an ice couch.

Swiftly and while Emma turned to see if Henry had been hurt, Ingrid had a clear shot at Killian and Lilly. "Two birds in one shot." She smiled, and she tossed a massive ice blast in their direction.

Emma felt her entire world slow down; she ran instantly towards Killian and Lilly, and jumped.

The blast hit her chest square on her heart, just as Lilly finally touched the glass.

"NO!" Ingrid shouted.

Henry rose from behind the couch in time to see his mother fall.

The glass from the mirror began to tremble; it then cracked into thousands of little pieces and a light, just as bright as the one that had brought Killian, Emma and the Snow Queen into the room, suddenly seemed to connect directly to Ingrid, taking her power from her, leaving her drained, as she fell to her knees. Lilly too seemed to connect to the glass, all her magic being sucked away to destroy the evil curse of the mirror.

And then, suddenly, silence.

Kristoff's leg unfroze, and the cold was replaced by a lesser chill. He stood and ran to Ingrid, taking some rope from his waistband and tying her hands behind her back. Ingrid wept as she stared at Emma. "What have I done?" She sobbed. "Emma… oh, no what have I done?"