How Deep Is Your Love
Chapter Four
The next morning, David and Mary Margaret awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and French toast coming from the kitchen space within the center of their apartment. The loving couple sat up and found that it was Emma who was preparing breakfast, then worked quickly to get themselves dressed while their daughter was busy over the stove. Elsa walked down from the loft above them moments before they walked in to find out what was making the wonderful smell that pulled her from her dreams.
"What is that wonderful smell?" the Queen from Arendelle asked as the other blonde woman making the meal finished flipping the last piece of bread on the skillet, then moved to begin pouring everyone a fresh cup of coffee. "I've never smelled anything like it."
"We call it French toast," Emma replied and then handed their guest the first plate that included scrambled eggs as well. "There isn't much to it really, at least not how I make it, but it's always been one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast. I hope you like cinnamon. I mixed some into the batter."
Elsa smiled as she took the plate offered to her graciously and responded, "You all really love cinnamon. I enjoy it too. I've never had it in hot chocolate before. Anna would certainly love it too."
Mary Margaret looked between her daughter and the amount of food she had made for them and then said, "You've made more than enough for everyone. Are you expecting Hook to join us?"
"Henry actually," the Savior answered while she handed her parents a plate too. "I invited him and Regina both. As you would expect, she didn't want to come. But I told Henry there was something I wanted to talk to him about this morning before we go about whatever it is we're going to be doing today, before I see Killian."
"Are you going to talk to him about wanting to begin a relationship with Killian?" her mother asked excitedly, though she knew that she was going to say yes from the stern look on Emma's face. "I knew it."
Emma rolled her eyes as she sighed and then replied, "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I still have to talk to Henry and if he's not comfortable with me asking Killian out on a date, then I'm not going to."
David continued eating while he responded crossly, "I just hope Henry doesn't like the idea."
"I appreciate your support, Dad," his daughter answered cynically.
"You wouldn't really give up the chance on finding love if your boy doesn't wish for you to date Hook, would you?" Elsa asked after she took a sip of her coffee while she looked over at her newfound friend.
Emma retorted, "Like I told you last night, I don't know what I feel for Hook. But it's certainly not love. I hardly know him. It's only going to be a date to see what happens. And if Henry doesn't want me to start dating him, then I won't. The last thing I want is for him to think that I'm trying to replace his father, even if Neal and I were never going to get back together. So eat up and then if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could all head out so we can talk privately. Go down to Granny's or the station, or…"
She was interrupted when she received a text from Henry asking her if she could meet him over in the forest as he told Regina he would deliver a message to Robin for her before he joined them at their loft, then Emma stated, "It looks like I'm heading off to meet Henry in the woods at Robin's camp. Now I wish I made more food."
"While you're getting Henry's breakfast ready for him, I'll call in an order to Granny for him and the rest of his men," Mary Margaret quickly replied and then walked over to the phone while David went to pick up their son from his crib when he woke up as well.
"Don't worry, Emma," Elsa spoke again quietly while her parents were both distracted. "I may have only know everyone here a few days, but I have a feeling your son's going to be just fine with the idea of you and Hook. And Hook may be a pirate, but I can tell that he'll never intentionally hurt you. He cares about you far too much. The two of you make a good match."
Emma left the loft and went to meet up with Henry and Robin. After she gave them the food from the diner, and talked with the men while her teenager took time to eat the food she had made for him, she and Henry drove back into town in her yellow bug to meet Hook at Granny's where she figured he'd be when they didn't find him down at the harbor even though his ship was no longer there. She talked to him about asking Hook out on a date and though he wasn't sure what to think about his mom getting into a relationship with Captain Hook either, he assured her that if it was what she wanted, he wouldn't stand in her way.
When they pulled up outside of the diner and stepped out of her car while she walked around to stand with her son, Emma froze as she stared at the door and asked nervously, "You sure you're okay with this?"
Henry thought for a moment and then before he pushed his mother towards the diner, he responded, "No, but I want you to be happy."
"The Snow Queen turn up?" Killian asked worryingly while he turned around upon hearing the sound of the door as Emma entered inside and closed it behind her, interrupting the game of darts he was playing by himself. "Did I miss the search party?"
"Oh, n-nothing to miss," she answered nervously while she walked toward him as he pulled one of his darts out from the board he shot it at, then walked toward her as well. "There's no sign of that ice witch yet."
His eyes softened in attempt to reassure her as he replied, "That's all right, Swan. You'll find her."
Emma quickly continued, "Yeah, I know. Uh, that's not why I'm here."
"Then why are you here?" Hook asked again with confusion while he looked at her curiously.
"Well… I thought about what you said last night about being a survivor, and you're right," she responded finally.
Killian glanced at her before he turned back to the dart board while he prepared to shoot another dart as he answered, "It's like I said, love, you don't have to worry about me."
In order to finally get out what she was so nervous to ask him, Emma immediately replied, "Good, 'cause I'm here to ask you out."
"To dinner or something," she swiftly added as Hook suddenly threw a dart, but because he was shocked and a bit flustered by the unexpected reason for her coming to see him, he threw wide, causing the dart to hit the wall instead of the board in front of him.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you out?" he asked coyly and then turned back around to face her once again.
Emma chortled, then she replied, "Should have known you'd be old-fashioned, given your age... What are you, like three hundred?"
Hook kept his eyes on hers while he sauntered toward her and responded boldly, "Curses and Neverland may have given me experience. But as you can see, I've retained my youthful glow."
"I happily accept on one condition…" Killian continued with a bow after she scoffed, but with an amused look on her face. "You let me plan the evening."
"I know how to plan a date," she stated with exasperation, staring at him as if she was offended by his accusation.
He looked at her skeptically while he answered, "You know how to chase a monster. I know how to plan an evening out."
The Savior blushed as she looked away for a moment and then turned back to him while she modestly replied, "Well, I don't pillage and plunder on the first date, just so you know."
"Well, that's because you haven't been out with me yet," Hook responded as his facial expression turned to one of seduction, and his voice became lower and even more flirty than before."
"See you tonight," he added while he smiled at her after she chuckled, then she smiled back at him before she finally turned around and left the diner again, leaving him alone once more.
When she was gone, Killian walked back over to the dart board to collect the rest of the darts, not forgetting to pick up the one that had fallen on the floor when he missed his shot, then he laid them down on the bar and nodded at Granny as if to say goodbye before finally leaving himself.
The first thing he did since leaving the diner, Killian started walking down the street toward one of the shops in town in hope of finding clothing more suitable to the twenty-first century so that he wouldn't have to continue wearing his long black duster and clothes that he's been wearing for the last three hundred years on his first date with the woman who had immediately stolen his heart since the moment they met within the Enchanted Forest and even more so in Neverland after their shared kiss.
However, as he passed an alleyway, he suddenly stopped upon hearing Leroy call out to him and rushed towards the dwarf when Hook saw that both of the smaller man's arms were frozen to one of the buildings' walls after he had been taken by surprise by the Snow Queen only seconds ago.
While he started to chip away at the ice using his Hook to try to break Grumpy free, the pirate asked curtly, "What the bloody hell happened?"
The dwarf answered angrily, "What the hell do you think happened? The real ice witch did this to me. She attacked me from out of nowhere and she didn't exactly say why. Forgive me for not thinking to ask her. Just cut me loose, will ya?"
"Don't worry," Ingrid replied to the dwarf softly, stepping out into the open again within the back of the ally and slowly walked towards both men without fear as Hook stopped trying to help Leroy while he pulled his cutlass from its scabbard in order to defend them. "The ice will melt within a few minutes and then you'll be able to run and scream to the Savior like you did before when you believed Elsa was to blame for what happened to your truck."
"What exactly is it that you want?" Killian asked calmly while he glared at the villain when she stopped a few feet in front of him, keeping his sword raised. "I may not be much of a threat to you, seeing as you have magic and I don't, but I won't allow you to harm this dwarf or anyone else."
The Snow Queen glanced over at the smaller man for a moment, then she turned back to the pirate and responded, "It isn't this dwarf that I've come here for. He was simply the bait. I've come for you, Captain."
Hook raised his blade higher until Ingrid swiftly blasted a gust of icy wind to knock it from his hand and closed in the last few steps while he was distracted until she suddenly forced her lips against his to kiss him as she grabbed the back of his head to keep him from breaking free, then he began to freeze from the inside out while Grumpy could do nothing to help him like Killian had tried to do for him. He didn't freeze over as Marian had, but her magic drew out all of the warmth from his body until he collapsed and fell to the ground after he lost consciousness when she released her hold on him.
Ingrid stepped back, then she looked over at Leroy once more as she said quietly, "I was under the impression that your pirate friend here isn't liked by too many people except maybe by those who matter most in this town. However, if you happen to be one of them who do care for him, try not to worry about him too much. He'll be alright soon enough. I only need him out cold for a little while. Tell the Savior that I'm going to prove to her this man isn't worthy of her love, as he will only break her heart. I cannot and will not allow that to happen. Emma will soon see that I'm right and she'll be grateful. Then you will all see that I'm not as much of a villain as you think I am."
"Sister, I may not like him much, but Emma does and I know him well enough to know he would never do anything to hurt her or anyone else here," Grumpy answered crossly while he glared at the woman and continued to struggle to break free. "The Savior won't be the only one coming after you if you hurt him any more than you already have."
"I would expect nothing less," she spoke again coldly, then knelt down over Killian and placed her hand over his chest as heavy snow suddenly swirled around them both until it finally vanished into the air, taking the Snow Queen and the Pirate Captain with it.
