How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Whale's clinic…

David returned after his interrogation with Bo Peep ended, as the warlord refused to share the information he was asking for when he refused to agree to her deal. When he first entered the room, he spoke to Snow and told her to head home for the night with Neal so that they could get some sleep. He also assured Henry and Elsa that it was all right for them to leave too, that he would remain to stay with his daughter and Killian in order to keep them better protected. Once they left, Charming pulled the second chair around the same side of the bed where Emma was sitting and without saying anything, he began to rub her back gently while she continued to stare at Killian's pale face as she held his hand, knowing that he would be unable to convince her to leave his side like he had the others.

Emma finally looked away from him and turned to David as she asked quietly, "How did it go? Did this woman… Bo Peep… tell you anything?"

David shook his head and sighed in frustration, then responded, "Unfortunately no. But then I didn't really expect her to cooperate. She was never the cooperating sort."

"Let me guess, she wanted to make a deal like all villains do," she replied bitterly. "Her freedom, and probably something more. And seeing as you said no, the price was too high?"

"She wanted her crook too, but I can't just give it back to her and release her without something in return," the second sheriff answered sternly. "She claimed she'd give us a hint as to what the Snow Queen's plans for Hook might be, but seeing as I don't trust her in the slightest and that we already have a fairly good idea what she might be up to, I wasn't about to take the risk."

Emma looked down at Killian again and then responded, "You did the right thing. As much as I want to know what Ingrid... whatever her name is, has planned for Killian next, we can't give another villain something for nothing. So long as we keep an eye on him at all times and protect him like you said, she can't hurt him anymore. At least I hope not."

David nodded and looked down at Hook as well while he asked, "How is he holding up?"

"Dr. Whale said that his fever spiked, which is why he had to give Killian more drugs to help him with the pain," she replied sadly, as she laid one of her hands over his forehead to feel for a fever herself, then began to run her fingers through his hair. "I had to give him some of my blood. Whale didn't seem to think as much, but Mom's confident that he's going to be fine and so do you, so I have to hope as much. But it isn't easy."

"You just have to be strong for him," her father said, then kissed the top of her head like he always did whenever he knew she needed to feel his own strength. "If you continue to do for him as I do for you, he's going to wake up again soon and he'll be just fine. You'll see."

Emma smiled at him, then to change the subject she asked, "So what exactly happened between you, Hook, and Bo Peep while I was trapped in that ice cave? You never actually told me how you got the crook, other than you took it from someone. And how do you know her anyways?"

Charming answered in frustration, "That's a long story. I knew her before I ever knew your mother, before I was a Prince, before I was even a warrior. I didn't know how to fight at all and Peep was a warlord who threatened to take mine and my mother's land from us unless we paid her a protection fee. Our crops were good for a long time, until she came along and stole nearly everything we had. It was thanks to Anna, Elsa's sister that I was finally able to stand up to her. She taught me to fight."

"And what happened the other night when you took Peep's crook from her?" she asked again. "She's angry at both you and Killian now."

"When Elsa told us that the only way to help get you out of that ice, was to help her find Anna," he continued. "Hook and me, we were both desperate to save you and it donned on me that Peep might be the only one who could help us find her because of the brand she placed on Anna with her crook. Except she wasn't going to help us willingly. So we broke into her butcher shop in town and took it from her. She tried to attack me. Hook stopped her. It's my fault she has it out for him now too, and why she's not willing to help us help him. She holds her grudges a long time."

Emma glance down at Killian as she responded, "Like every other villain and even some of us heroes. I held my own against Regina until she began to show signs she was changing. I even held a grudge against Hook for awhile. But the strange thing is, it wasn't even when he was a villain. He didn't ever hurt or offend me then, not really. It was when Killian arrived in New York and pulled me away from that life, a life without all of this madness. I was angry with him because I believed he forced me away from a good and simple life. And he knew it, but he never gave up on me. It wasn't until he fought for me in yours and Mom's past that I could forgive him, though I should never have been angry with him in the first place. It was wrong, but I didn't care. I owe Killian more than I can ever repay him and yet when I had another chance to redeem myself, I failed again. This time, he's paying for it."

David replied quizzically, "You don't have to redeem yourself? He would be the first to tell you that you owe him nothing. You're fighting for him now. The two of you are together and the happiest I've ever seen both of you, even despite my earlier reservations I held against him for so long. I held my own grudge against him and not for a reason other than the fact he's a pirate, even though I kept telling myself it was because he was Captain Hook, who vowed revenge against one man for centuries. But I misjudged him for too long. When we worked together to save you from Regi… the Evil Queen's castle, I told him we'd be crazy not to approve of him after the lengths he's been to protect and save you. Of course, I didn't realize it was him at the time, obviously."

"I know," his daughter answered as she smiled sadly at Killian. "I saw his memory of your little talk when I was in his mind. It was one of the memories that his subconscious dreamed about."

"I promise you I'm going to do whatever I have to do to help you protect and save him from the Snow Queen, Emma," Charming responded with sincerity. "It's time I finally pay him back for protecting you all this time. That I do approve of him. Just don't ever tell him I told you so."

The Savior laughed softly and reached out to take her father's hand, grasping it as a way of thanking him for his support, then she replied, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I wouldn't want it to go to his head."

He answered, "God forbid Hook should become even more bigheaded."