Summary: Takes place after Season 4 episode 5 "Breaking Glass" but before episode 6, "Family Business". I feel like it's a cool "what if" story before they begin their big hunt for the Snow Queen. What if she kidnapped Killian as he walked back to his room at Grannies?
Chapter One
Killian wakes up in a dark room, expecting to see Emma, but instead he's curled on his side on a floor made of ice. There are piles of the stuff surrounding him, as if they jutted up from the earth. He instantly regrets trying to lift his head and winces in pain from the ache at the back of his skull. He moves his palm to touch the back of his head. There's a wet, sticky substance on his hands. Blood. His hair is matted near the wound, but that can be resolved with a hot shower later. For now, he needs to figure out where he is and why.
Bloody hell, where the devil is this? How did I get here?
"Wondering what you're doing here?" the voice from the corner of the room says. The pain in Killian's head is worsening now that he's awake. It's tough for him to focus and he can't tell if he recognizes the voice. Suddenly, she comes into the light.
"You. You're that Snow Queen that trapped me in the woods"
"I'm glad you remember."
"So, tell me. What particular grievance are we addressing tonight?"
"You're here so that Emma comes to me and reunites our family."
He maneuvers his body in an attempt to get up from the floor, but the blood loss and the icy cold room have made him tired. His foot slips out from under him and he puts his hand and his hook down to catch himself.
"Whatever it is you want with her, she will stop you", Killian grumbles, "Where are we?"
"I believe you called it a 'lair'. It's just outside the town cloaked deep inside the woods with a protection spell. If Emma does what I ask, I'll tell her where to find you. If not, well...then I guess you won't be around to see what happens next."
Killian's eyes widen and he tries to stand once more, but his entire body is so cold. His jeans are frozen stiff and the leather jacket he currently wears is no match for such extreme temperatures. He knows he won't survive the night unless he can find some way to escape.
"Try not to fall asleep, Captain. Head wounds can be tricky."
With that, the Snow Queen vanishes and Killian is alone. He takes a slow look around the room searching for any hint of a way out of this ice prison. Feeling defeated, he sits back on his heels. Killian shoves one hand in his jacket pocket in an effort not to lose his other hand to frostbite. His fingers come in contact with the phone he constantly forgets he has. He pulls it out of his pocket, but it has no signal. Nevertheless, he presses the number one to speed dial Emma - the 'Emma button' as he calls it - but nothing goes through. He's persistent though, so he presses it again and again and again.
Finally he gives up and places the phone on the floor next to him and reaches to check and see if the bleeding has stopped or at least slowed. His hand comes away less bloody than the last time. The cold must have helped stop the flow.
Just brilliant. At least I won't bleed to death. Now I need to find some way to warm myself. I can barely feel my legs. Everything is completely stiff.
That's when he remembers - the rum! His flask is tucked into the back of his pants. This might be just enough to keep his body warmed and alive long enough for Emma to find him. He takes a long swig from his flask and feels the rum coursing through him. His face is the first thing to warm so he decides to chug whatever was in the flask so he can work on escaping.
His body warms just enough to attempt standing again. So he grabs his phone from the floor and slowly stands to get his legs moving again. A dizzy spell hits and as he places his hand against his head he realizes...his body is warming up, which means his wound is bleeding again. He forges ahead and with one foot in front of the other he moves around the ice cave searching for anything that can help him break out.
Frustrated, Killian exclaims, "Bloody hell!"