Emma's eyes snapped open with the tiniest rush of adrenalin now coursing through her freezing veins at the visitors' appearance. She sadly turned her head away from Killian, where her lips had almost met his and she faced her mother.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret gasped as she rushed over to her daughter, her face caressing her chilled cheek. "Honey, you are so cold." Emma leaned her cheek into her mother's hand, desperate for the warmth more than anything else. Their eyes met, focusing on each other for a moment.
"We don't have time for this," Regina's voice cut through their sentimental moment. "If you can't tell, Miss Swan will soon be a popsicle if we don't get this figured out." That comment brought Emma back, Killian amazed at her sudden and total focus on the situation. She pulled the blankets around her more tightly, her hands shaking, trying to keep as warm as possible. Killian rubbed his arm against hers as abrasively as possible to heat her with friction, even though his stroke-injured arm was screaming with pain.
"W-what d-did you f-find out?" Emma chattered.
"Well," Belle began, holding out a book. "David found this urn in the farmhouse, next to Zelena's portal. He thought that it might have come back with you. Does it look familiar?" She held the book out to Emma and Killian who simultaneously gasped.
"Isn't th-that the urn you p-picked up?" Emma questioned him, fear in her eyes.
"Yes," he answered. "But I didn't think it w-would follow us home."
"Get on with it," Regina interjected.
"Anyway," Belle continued, "he took it back to Rumpelstiltskin's shop and he recognized it right away. Apparently, he was given that as repayment for a favor years ago when the person did not have what Rumple originally wanted. He was told not to touch it, but that, if figured out, it would be a great weapon against someone who had done him wrong."
"How does that work?" Emma asked, sitting up straighter.
"Well, Rumple never bothered to look into it, just kept it in his vault with no doors. But, when I looked in the library, I found a legend with the picture in it. Apparently, centuries ago, a young princess named Elsa from Arendelle was born with the powers of ice and snow. While her parents thought she was born with it, it was later thought to have originated by a curse of the fable of the Snow Queen. It is believed that the Snow Queen cursed Elsa's mother to have a child with the same power the Snow Queen possessed. When she came of age to the throne, the Snow Queen kidnapped Elsa and entrapped her in an enchanted urn filled with its own dark curse."
"Of course she did," Emma said, rolling her eyes. She was getting tired of curses and villains. "W-what's the c-curse?"
"Legend says that whoever has magic and touches or transports the urn between realms will release Elsa and her curse. This is where is gets bad. The curse turns Elsa into a weapon."
"-But is there any w-way to cure Emma?" Killian interrupted.
"Well, yes," Regina said, frowning. "True Love's Kiss will break any curse."
"Then I'll do it," Killian said frantically.
"But there's more you need to know!" Belle exclaimed trying to stop Killian from breaking the curse.
"I know all m-magic comes with a price, but if it w-will save Emma, I'll do it." He reached down, moving his lips to hers, when she turned her head away. "Emma…".
"We need to know the p-price, K-Killian. Belle, w-what is it?"
"The curse makes Elsa go after and stop at nothing to freeze the person her liberator has unresolved issues with. She will continue freezing the town and getting rid of people in her way until the curse is fulfilled. If she doesn't fulfill it, you won't be saved either. The person you have unfinished business with will die if Killian kisses you. According to the book, if the liberator gets hit with the magic, and is saved by a different cure, like True Love's Kiss, the price is that Elsa will not stop until the "foe" freezes. The only way both of you can be saved is if you perform an act of true love against the person she is working to get rid of, and then you get True Love's kiss." It all sounded very confusing to Emma and Killian. So many loopholes, so many hoops to jump through. She didn't know who the Snow Queen was, but she must have been very powerful and very clever to create such a twisted scenario.
"Miss Swan," Regina began, "I know you're quite literally freezing to death, but we need you to think really hard. We need to know who this person is that you are upset or angry with, even subconsciously, and bring them to you. It's the only way. Is there anyone who fits that?"
Emma thought hard for a moment before shuddering, her eyes drifting closed for a second. The warmth of her mother's hand on her cheek brought her back to the matter at hand.
"I'm sorry, Emma, but you need to stay awake a little while longer, okay?" she asked, her eyes brimming with tears. Emma shook her head.
"I c-can't think of anyone." Regina tapped her foot impatiently.
"There needs to be someone. Elsa wouldn't be out tormenting the town if there wasn't. You need to think, Emma."
"Don't rush her!" Mary Margaret interrupted, putting her arm protectively around her daughter.
"Stop!" Henry said finally. "We need to stop arguing so we can figure this out before we run out of time. Mom, let's go through this one person at time." Emma shivered as she tried to gather her thoughts.
"W-well, the p-person I had the b-biggest problem w-with was N-Neal, b-but he's gone, so it c-can't be h-him. I don't b-blame August for leaving m-me, I'd have done the s-same thing. And, he's a k-kid now. I c-can't be mad at a k-kid. I d-don't care about Mr. G-Gold one way or the other, sorry, Belle, and you're f-fine. I like everyone else in this town. I'm s-sorry."
"What about…" Belle began, glancing at Regina, who gave her a sneer in return.
"N-No," Emma answered confidently. "Our family has a lot of issues, but I have n-no problem w-with Regina. W-we're just about even now." Henry looked down at his shoes and Emma caught him.
"N-no, Henry. I could never have a problem w-with you. I am indebted to you f-for bringing me back here, back home. And, K-Killian, the s-same for you." Mary Margaret let her tears finally fall as she cleared her voice.
"Emma?" Emma turned at looked at her mother's puffy face as she tried to feel if she had any unresolved issues with her.
"M-mom, no," she started.
"But, I left you. I left you to grow up alone, without a family. I would hate whoever did that to me. It's okay, Emma, if it's me. Then we can fix this."
"It c-can't be you, Mom. You w-were my first friend here. You gave me a place to stay, advice, g-guidance w-with Henry. We survived the Enchanted Forest ghost t-town together, and you helped m-me rescue Henry from N-Neverland. I know I have loved you longer than I allowed m-myself to admit. Y-you were the one who showed m-me how to f-forgive. I m-mean w-when Dad-" Emma gasped.
"W-what? Emma, are you okay?" Killian's voice broke through, fresh worry etched upon it.
"D-dad." She said simply as she tried to ignore the scenes flashing through her mind. Him being the one to put her in the wardrobe to send her away from her home, her family; the way he cheated on his wife with Mary Margaret and then broke her heart when he was David Nolan and not Charming; always seeming to put the town first before her, or so she felt; trying to give advice when she didn't always want it; being ready to fight to the death to rescue her brother so they could stay a family, when he didn't do the same for her; cradling Neal as they walked back to the car, Emma struggling to imagine what that must have felt like. She remembered all the times he had said the words, "I love you", and how she never felt she could say them back. She had never said them back, at least not to him alone. She remembers stiffening when he tried to pull her close. She had never thought much of it, but the more she did now, the more sense it made. She tried to tell herself that she was okay with everything that had happened between them, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't good enough for him, good enough to be his daughter. She looked at her mother, tears streaming down her face. "M-mom, I'm s-sorry," she cried. The tears flowing down seemed to freeze halfway down her face as Killian tried to gruffly brush them away.
Mary Margaret tried to compose herself. She couldn't blame Emma. She had been lucky. Before the first curse was broken, she had been able to forge a relationship, a friendship with Emma. Emma only knew David as the man who, pre-curse, had broken her mother's heart. Post-curse, he had been so busy trying to be a leader, keep the town safe, and then their new son, that Mary Margaret could see where Emma struggled to put things past her.
"Emma, it's okay," she said as calmly as possible, panic now filling her. They needed to find David and fast. "We at least know now. We'll go out and look for him. We'll find him. But you, Sweetheart, you need to stay with us. Stay awake. Can you do that?" Emma nodded, tears still falling.
"Honey, you need to stop crying. It's going to be okay. But your face will freeze over faster if you continue to cry like that." Mary Margaret pulled out her phone and dialed her husband. Her heart plummeted when it went to voicemail. "Where was he going to go after Mr. Gold's?" Belle looked at them sadly.
"He was going to try to find Elsa and calm her down. She had left the convent and wandered off when we called from the shop."
"Regina, Belle?" Mary Margaret was getting into battle mode. They both nodded.
"I'll head back to the farmhouse and check the surrounding woods," Regina said before walking out the door.
"And I'll go to the library and the docks. I'll call Rumple and see if he can check the buildings in town and place a protection spell around Granny's. That's where Neal is, right?" Mary Margaret nodded, and Belle then left.
"Okay, I'm going to check the cabin in the woods, the troll bridge, and the town line. I'll call Leroy to help as well. We'll find him. You need to stay awake, Emma, until we get back, okay?"
"Y-yes."
"I want to help," Henry said, standing up.
"N-no!" Emma responded. Mary Margaret put her hands on Henry's shoulders.
"Henry, I need you to stand guard at the entrance to the hospital. If you see your grandpa, bring him to Emma and fill him in. If you see Elsa, call for help right away and move Emma and Killian somewhere safe. Can you do that?"
"Yeah, I can." Emma motioned for Henry to come over.
"Be c-careful," she said sternly.
"I will. I'll be back." Henry ran out of the room.
"If you hear anything, call me," Mary Margaret stated. "I will let you know if I find him. Just hang on." She gave her daughter a kiss. "Take care of her, Captain."
"Aye aye, your Highness." Mary Margaret left the room.
Now alone, Killian pulled Emma towards him.
"It's going to be okay," he tried to reassure her. "He'll understand. Your father does love you, Swan. I know he does. W-when this is all over, you two can start over." Emma bolted up straight and with a shaky arm, threw off the covers and swung her trembling legs over the side of the bed.
"Emma, no," Killian pleaded, gripping her arm as tightly as his own would allow.
"K-Killian, I c-can't let him die. I n-need to find him, I'm sorry." She tugged her arm away and pulled her coat on and tightly wrapped a couple of blankets around her, grabbing her phone. "Have them c-call me if they come back."
"Henry w-won't let you leave, Emma. You should just come back to bed."
"I know a b-back way out. He'll never know." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, brushing the hair from his eyes with her icy fingertips. "K-killian?" He looked up at her. "I n-need you to know, in c-case I don't make it. I am so g-grateful for everything you've d-done for me. I love you, and I am s-so sorry. But I n-need to do this." She squeezed his shoulder and before he could grasp her arm in one last attempt at staying her, she left the room, walking unsteadily on trembling legs. Struggling with his own fatigue and searing pain, Killian knew what he had to do.
A/N: Hello. So, this is one of the most important chapters and we are getting really close to the end. I am sorry for the delay in this update. The next two weeks will be insane. As always, I don't own any of the OUAT characters, I just let them linger in my head, and I always love the reviews!