A/N: I want to apologize for the super long delay with this chapter. It's actually been done for over a month, but there's been a lot going on (and I've actually got a couple of different stories I'm working on). I am determined to keep my promise though - this story will not be left unfinished. And hopefully now that I've started watching the show over again, it'll help feed my muse and I can make the updates more regular.
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and/or followed/marked the story as a favorite! I love hearing from you guys so please keep it coming :)
Emma stood rooted to the spot, still staring at the child version of her boyfriend. But Killian frowned at her, confusion and wariness in his eyes. It wasn't a look she was used to seeing from Killian, particularly not directed towards her.
"How do you know my name?" he asked, his voice small and quiet. Emma took a breath, her mind racing as she wondered how she could even begin to explain only for him to interrupt her thoughts with another question. "Where's Liam?"
That question hit her like a physical blow, her heart clenching as she watched various emotions play out on Killian's face. He was terrified, but for the first time she realized the fear wasn't just for him but for Liam. Killian had clearly expected his brother would be nearby and the fact that he wasn't distressed him greatly. What hurt Emma even more was to see the distrust in his gaze, and she could tell without him saying a word that he was wondering if they had somehow taken Liam away from him.
Killian stared at her, and Emma averted her eyes. She wasn't sure what to tell him. Did she tell him the truth that his brother was dead and had been that way for a long time? Or did she try to come up with some kind of a lie? Neither option was ideal, and she had no idea which one would cause the least amount of damage. Though, would it cause any damage if they could figure out how to reverse this spell and return Killian to his rightful age? Damn, this was making her head hurt.
"We don't know," David said at last, crouching down so he was almost eye level with Killian. "But I promise we're not going to hurt you. All we want to do is help."
Killian was silent for a long moment, and Emma saw the way he watched her father, like he was trying to determine if he could truly trust him or not. "What about my brother Liam? Will we find him?"
David hesitated, though Emma was impressed with the way he managed to keep his face neutral. Killian hadn't told Emma much about his childhood, but she knew that Liam had taken care of him after their father had abandoned them. Such a traumatic event had obviously made the brothers close, which made this so hard.
While the two of them struggled to decide, Elsa came up on the other side of Emma speaking softly to Killian. "I'm Elsa," she said. "My sister is missing too, and they," she gestured to Emma and David, "are helping me look for her. I'm sure they can help you too."
Killian's gaze moved from Elsa to Emma, and she felt herself freeze when his blue eyes locked with hers. She was so used to the intense way they watched her, the way they'd always seemed to be able to see straight through her and know just what she was thinking. He was good at reading people, and as those blue eyes stared at her she wondered if it was an ability he'd somehow always had or if he'd just picked it up through his two hundred some years.
"You know where Liam is, don't you?" he accused. "It would explain why you know my name. He told you." Something else seemed to occur to Killian as he sat up straight, lowering his hands to his side for the first time since they'd approached him. "He's probably looking for me!"
He struggled to his feet, and Emma winced seeing his bare feet in the snow. But Killian didn't seem to even register the cold, or else he was determined to ignore it in favor of getting to Liam. Something they couldn't allow. It was much too dangerous for him to go off alone, and she would be damned if she'd let him slip away from them.
Her dad must've had the same thought because he reached out and grabbed onto Killian's shoulder. "Killian, wait-" he started, but Killian jerked out of his grasp.
"I have to find Liam."
"He's not here," Emma said.
Killian turned to look at her. "How do you know that?" He looked at her with accusing eyes. "You know where he is!"
"No. Not exactly." The suspicion didn't lessen in Killian's eyes, and she sighed. She moved to crouch down in front of him. "There's something you need to know that will help you understand."
Killian held her gaze, a seriousness on his face that looked out of place for someone so young. It was one she recognized though, knowing that she'd had a similar one on her face most of her childhood as she was bounced around foster homes. The face was guarded and spoke of distrust, but the eyes conveyed the loneliness and the abandonment. Killian had seen it in her right away the first day they'd met, and she wondered how she hadn't been able to see that same look reflected back at her.
Knowing that the best way to get him to trust her was to not treat him like the kid he was. That meant telling him the truth, even if it was hard for him to hear. She took a breath to center herself and then began, "You're not in the Enchanted Forest…"
"Emma," her dad cut in, a warning in his voice. She understood that he was worried Killian would freak out if they told him the truth, but right now they needed to get out of there and figure out this mess where the Snow Queen wasn't lurking around. And the only way she was going to be able to get Killian to abandon his search for Liam and leave with them was to tell him the truth. Or at least enough to make him understand the situation.
"Then where am I?" Killian asked. He was staring at her intently.
"Storybrooke. This world normally doesn't have magic, but this town is special," Emma explained. She hoped that if she didn't get into too much detail that this would somehow be both easier to explain and easier for him to accept. "That's what happened to you."
"Magic brought me here?" And just like before thoughts of Liam quickly prompted another question. "Did it bring Liam too?"
Emma shook her head. "No, it didn't," she said softly. Even though the kid in front of her was her boyfriend just de-aged, he didn't remember anything he'd already gone through. It seemed likely that not a lot of time had passed since his father had abandoned him, and here she was telling him that the one person he'd felt he could depend on was gone. "It made you younger."
Confusion clouded Killian's features. "No, it didn't."
Emma's chest seized. This was too hard. How was she supposed to explain all of this to him? She knew she had started down this path and had to finish, but she didn't want to say the wrong thing and give him a reason to run from them. She tilted her head up to look at her dad, silently pleading for help.
He held her gaze for a second, and she started to think he wasn't going to help her. That he was leaving this in her hands since he hadn't wanted to tell Killian the truth to begin with, and she hadn't headed his warning. But then David offered her a nod before he got down beside her, one knee in the snow for balance as he looked at Killian.
"I know you don't remember," David started gently, "but you grew up. You're not a kid anymore and haven't been for a long time. You were trying to help us find someone bad, and she did this to you."
"Why?"
For such a seemingly simple question, it was a loaded one. Her thoughts went to the obvious question of why would the Snow Queen de-age him? She had seemed content to kill him just days earlier, so why would she change her plans? Emma wasn't entirely sure, but she did know it had to do with her and the relationship she had with Killian.
Elsa started to speak, like she was going to maybe give some insight on what'd happened when the Snow Queen had shown up. But David quickly cut her off.
"The why doesn't matter," he said, looking Killian in the eye. "All that matters is you know that we'll find a way to reverse her spell and make sure she doesn't hurt anyone else."
Even though he hadn't looked away from Killian for a second, Emma got the impression that David's words had been for her benefit just as much as his. It didn't surprise her since her parents were known for never giving up hope and always believing good would win, but it was doing little to comfort her at the moment. She wouldn't feel better until they could figure out how the Snow Queen had turned Killian into a child and knew how to change him back. Something they couldn't start on until they got back to town, which she was more than anxious to do.
"I know you probably still have a lot of questions," Emma told Killian, pulling his attention away from her dad, "and I promise I'll answer as many as I can. But right now we need to get out of here before she comes back."
"Will she hurt me again?" Killian asked, sounding more curious than afraid. Though, she could tell the fear was still there.
"No," Emma said firmly. "I have magic and I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect you."
Elsa stepped up next to her. "Me too." She looked down at Killian with an apologetic expression. "She caught me off guard last time, but that won't happen again."
Killian looked around at all of them and slowly nodded. "Okay," he said quietly.
Emma frowned at the lack of reaction. She'd figured he would've put up more of a fight or demand they tell him everything when they got out of the cold, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The sooner they got back to the loft, the better.
She was going to tell Killian to let David carry him since he didn't have any shoes on. He was just wearing the long sleeve t-shirt and the black leather jacket, neither of which could be very warm when he was missing pants and shoes. But as it turned out, she didn't need to say anything because as soon as Killian took a step, his legs buckled.
"Killian!" Emma cried, unable to censor herself in her panic.
She was close to where he was, but not enough to catch him in time. Thankfully though, David was. Her father's quick reflexes allowed him to catch Killian before he could face plant into the snow. Killian for his part leaned heavily into David, and he offered no protest as her father lifted him up into his arms, resting him against his chest.
"Emma, we have to go," David said. There was a note of urgency in his voice that put her on edge, and she stepped closer to him and Killian. The first thing she noticed was that his eyes were half closed, and his breaths were slow puffs of air. Then she reached out and put a hand against his cheek, jerking it back a second later as if she'd been burned.
"He's so cold," she said.
Elsa noticed the same things she did because she said to Emma, "Just like you were when I trapped us in that ice cavern."
Emma swallowed, but it was just the thing that snapped her into action. "Okay, let's go. Quickly but carefully."
She was worried not only about them tripping and breaking their necks in their haste to get back to town, but she was worried about the Snow Queen. It was impossible to say what her plan was or if she was somewhere nearby watching them, but if she knew what was good for her she'd stay out of their way.
Nothing was going to stop Emma when she was on a mission, and her first priority was getting Killian warm. Then she would figure out how to get her pirate back.
David would've burst through the door to the loft if he hadn't been worried that Neal was sleeping. As it was, he slowed his pace after rushing up the steps and quietly opened the door. Though he did go straight for the bedroom, knowing they had to get Killian warm and the first step to doing that was to get him out of his wet clothes.
Mary Margaret was putting away laundry when he entered, and she turned to look at him, clearly alarmed by his quick footsteps. Then her eyes widened as she caught sight of the boy in his arms.
"What happened?" she asked. David gently deposited the boy on the bed and went in search of an old sweatshirt of his. Even though his back was turned, he heard Mary Margaret's gasp of surprise. "Is that Hook?"
He closed the drawer, sweatshirt in hand and turned around in time to see Killian wrap his arms tight around his body as the boy corrected Snow. "I'm Killian," he mumbled.
Mary Margaret looked at David with wide eyes, and he could tell she had a million questions. He would do his best to answer them all, but right now all he was concerned about was getting Killian's body temperature back up. It didn't take her long to realize the same as it was clear from the boy's shivering that he was freezing.
"I'll make some cocoa," she said, leaving them alone in the bedroom.
David went over to Killian and crouched down in front of him. "Killian," he said and waited until the boy looked at him before he continued, "c'mon, I've got something you can change into for now."
Killian was sluggish to respond, and his movements were slower than David liked. He got the feeling that if this was his son, he would just dress him. But this was his daughter's boyfriend – or at least he had been until a couple hours ago – and he was sure Killian wouldn't appreciate having someone else dress him. That was if he even remembered once they got this whole thing sorted out and him back to normal.
When Killian was on his feet, David helped strip him of the soaked leather jacket and then turned around to offer him some privacy while he swapped out shirts. He heard the sound of the wet shirt hit the floor and a few seconds later Killian gave him the quiet okay that indicated he was finished.
"Let's get you on the couch with some blankets," David said and gently steered him out into the living room.
He got Killian settled on the couch, grabbing the blanket that was draped over the back and tucking it around him. Before he could even turn around to go get more, a bundle of blankets was held out to him by Elsa. He offered her a smile of thanks and began piling them on. When he finished, Killian was barely visible under the mound of blankets.
"Will you sit with him a bit? I'm going to see how Mary Margaret's coming with that cocoa," David said.
"Of course," Elsa agreed, taking a seat at the end of the couch near Killian's feet.
David went into the kitchen where Mary Margaret was preparing the mugs for the milk that was simmering on the stove. She looked up as he got closer and she asked, "The Snow Queen?"
"Yeah," David sighed. "We don't know exactly what happened, but we split up to check two different paths and Emma and I found him like that. And Elsa knocked out."
"Where is Emma?"
"She was going to get him some clothes. We're not sure how long it'll be before we can reverse this."
Mary Margaret was silent, her eyes going to the couch where Killian was bundled up. David looked at him too, still feeling just as gobsmacked as when he'd first found him in the woods. Even with the way Hook – Killian – had been working on changing, it was hard to relate the cocky pirate to the vulnerable little boy. The sight of those scared blue eyes brought a protectiveness to the surface he was only used to feeling with his children and wife. He was attributing it to the parental instinct to protect a child from harm, especially when it was apparent he'd already experienced quite a lot of pain.
"And he doesn't remember anything?" Mary Margaret asked, finally looking away from him and returning to finishing the cocoa.
David shook his head. "He kept asking for Liam."
She sighed, one that spoke of sympathy as she put a dollop of whipped cream on top of each mug of cocoa. "That poor thing."
David nodded. He'd known Liam had died of dreamshade poisoning, but he didn't know the particulars. He didn't know much about Killian's childhood or what his relationship with his brother was truly like, but from what he'd seen so far, he'd been very close to Liam. It was a realization that made him all the more reluctant to tell Killian anything more than what Emma had already told him.
As if his thoughts had summoned her, the door to the loft opened and Emma walked in a with a large bag of clothes in her hands. She was flushed like she'd been rushing, but David wouldn't have expected anything less knowing that she wouldn't want to leave Killian out of her sight any longer than absolutely necessary. She glanced over at him and Mary Margaret, giving them a brief nod before making a beeline for the couch.
"How's he doing?" she asked Elsa, her voice soft.
"Okay. He doesn't look as cold."
Emma frowned, but it didn't last long as Killian mumbled, "I'm right here" and her lips turned upward in amusement. Though, the good humor was fleeting as she knelt on the floor in front of Killian.
"I have some clothes for you if you're feeling up to changing," she said. There was a long pause, and David sensed Killian was reluctant to leave the cocoon of blankets they'd created for him. Emma seemed to realize this too because she added, "You'll be warmer."
There was a moment of hesitation, and for a second David thought Killian was going to refuse. But then Killian lifted his head to look Emma in the eye and nodded. "Okay."
As Killian slowly pushed himself upright and pushed away the numerous blankets covering him, Emma dug through the plastic bag for some clothes. She stood up with an outfit in hand and stepped out of Killian's way so he could get to his feet, which he did looking a bit shakier than David was happy with. He stayed on his feet though and took the clothes from Emma.
"The bathroom's just over there," she said, pointing to a door next to the small kitchen where David was still standing with Mary Margaret. "You can even take a hot shower. That'll help warm you up."
Killian's brow furrowed. "What's a shower?"
Emma looked surprised for a split second before she sighed, shaking her head. David couldn't help but sympathize with her because they had all spent time teaching Hook about all the modern convenience's this world had and now they'd have to go through it all again. At least until they could return him to his rightful age and hopefully with all his previous memories intact.
"C'mon, I'll show you," Emma said.
She tossed the bag she'd still been holding onto the nearby chair before leading Killian to the bathroom. He followed her inside, and with the open door David was able to hear Emma explaining to him how to work the shower. Then he heard the water turn on, and Emma came out a second later, pulling the door shut behind her.
"You okay?" Mary Margaret asked. She'd finished making the cocoa and had been watching things play out between Killian and Emma just like he had.
Emma released a heavy sigh, pushing herself away from the bathroom door. She joined them in the kitchen, sliding onto a barstool and pulling a mug of cocoa towards her. "Yeah. It's just hard. I don't know what to say to him...about anything, and I have no idea how to help him."
"That's not true," David said. "We'll talk to Gold and Regina. One of them should know a way to counter whatever spell the Snow Queen used on him."
"Right," Emma snorted. "Considering Hook is Gold's sworn enemy, I don't see him bending over backwards to help us. And Regina isn't exactly a fan of his either."
"Maybe, but they both have motivation to help us. Besides, Gold gave Killian his hand back, right?" Mary Margaret countered.
Emma said nothing, but her hand clenched the mug tighter. David could practically see the storm of emotions threatening to take over, and it made her look so tired. "What if it can only be reversed by the Snow Queen?" she asked quietly.
"Then we'll find her and make her reverse it," David replied confidently.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Because she's been so easy to find," she said sarcastically.
Sadly, it was true. They'd wasted so much time trying to find the Snow Queen and only succeeded when she'd wanted them to - when she'd wanted them to catch her. All so she could get close to Emma and manipulate her emotions. Something that wouldn't be quite so easy to do this time. There was something about this whole thing that didn't add up though.
"Why did she de-age Hook? Why not just take him?" he asked. "Surely, she had to know kidnapping him and threatening you with his life would make you confront her. Or any of us for that matter."
"So why did she focus on him? I'm closer to you guys, and Henry." She shook her head then. "If she'd taken Henry…" her voice trailed off, but David could hear the promise of hurt in it loud and clear.
"It's because Killian has given you something that your family can't," Elsa said. Emma spun on the barstool to look at her while he and Mary Margaret turned their attention on her. Elsa didn't so much as look their way though, her gaze solely focused on Emma. "A romantic relationship."
"Yeah, but-" Emma started to object only to have Elsa cut her off.
"I know feelings haven't been vocalized, but it's quite obvious the two of you care for each other. And she's trying to use those feelings against you."
"But why? To make me work with her?" Elsa shrugged, and Emma continued. "Like my dad said, why wouldn't she just kidnap him then?"
Elsa was silent for a moment, and David could hear the shower still running in the bathroom. Finally she said, "Maybe she thinks this would be more painful. To have him around but you're not able to be with him. Not like you were."
Emma frowned, and David wished - not for the first time - that he knew what she was thinking. Sadly, there was still so much about her they didn't know, and while they were working on that, she had been particularly quiet about her relationship with Hook. It was obvious what they had went beyond just attraction, but he had no clue how deep their feelings went for each other. At least not with Emma. Hook, on the other hand, had made it clear that he definitely felt quite strongly about her, and David was sure that if he wasn't already in love with Emma, he would be soon enough. That is if they could get him back to normal.
After struggling to come up with something to say, Emma finally opened her mouth only to quickly shut it when the bathroom door opened. Their heads all turned to see Killian step out dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt that actually fit him with the small amount of skin that was visible tinged pink from the hot water of the shower. When he realized he had everyone's attention, he lowered his head as the coloring in his cheeks grew darker.
"Feel better?" Mary Margaret asked.
Killian nodded, refusing to lift his eyes from the floor. Again, David was having trouble relating this shy, awkward boy in front of them to the villainous pirate who'd turned over a new leaf. This was a side of him David had never seen before, and he wasn't entirely sure how to act.
Mary Margaret didn't seem to have that problem as she seemed intent on mothering the young boy in front of them, even knowing that he was really a two hundred year old pirate. "I made some cocoa if you want some."
Killian lifted his head to look her in the eye, but it was just long enough for him to say "No thank you" before he lowered his gaze again. They all exchanged unsure glances, but it was Emma who took charge.
"C'mon, let's get you back under those covers. I bet you're still cold," she said.
David was certain she was remembering how cold she'd been after they'd pulled her from that ice cavern. Even with a hot shower (once the power had come back on), it'd taken a couple hours for every last bit of cold to be removed from her bones. He watched as she gently took Killian's hand and pulled him over to the couch. She released him to pull back the blankets, waiting until he laid down on the couch to cover him. Once he was settled, she began to step away when Killian's hand shot out and grabbed onto her wrist.
"Will you stay? Please?" Then he quickly added as if he suspected she would refuse, "Just for a little bit."
Killian may actually be a two hundred year old pirate, but right now he was a young boy who was scared, alone, and in desperate need of comfort. Emma glanced their way, and David frowned at the sadness he saw in her eyes. But she quickly looked back down at Killian and said, "Okay."
Killian released his grip, and she settled on the floor next to the couch, sitting sideways so she could lean her left side against the couch. His blue eyes watched her, and David got the feeling Killian was latching onto Emma because he saw something in her that was familiar to him. Whether that was because some part of his soul recognized her as someone important to him, or if it was because he sensed she had some understanding of what he was going through.
Emma stared back at Killian, and it looked like she was reassuring him without saying a word because he relaxed marginally into the couch cushions. Then Emma lifted her hand and began to run it through Killian's hair, brushing it away from his eyes since it laid flat now rather than the more upright style it'd had as an adult. With the soothing motion, it didn't take long for Killian to fall asleep even in spite of his attempts to fight it.
"I think you were right, Elsa," Mary Margaret murmured.
David tore his gaze away from his daughter to see his wife and Elsa were openly watching the scene play out in the living room. When he looked back at Emma, who had removed her hand from Killian's head and was now sitting with her shoulders slumped and knees pulled to her chest, he had to agree. Not that he'd had any doubt as he'd seen the hurt in her expression the moment she'd looked at Killian in the woods, realizing that the Snow Queen had gotten to him.
He was going to ask if he should call Gold or Regina to see if they could come over when Emma suddenly got to her feet, moving swiftly to the door without a word. "Emma," he said, raising his voice enough that it carried across the loft but hopefully not enough that it woke Killian.
She stopped at the door and turned back around, sighing. "I'll be back. I'm going to call Regina and tell her to meet me at Gold's."
"I'll come with you," he said.
"No," Emma replied quickly. "I mean, thanks, but I need you to meet Henry at school. I said I'd walk him home, and I don't want him out on his own right now."
"Okay, but-"
Emma didn't give him time to finish his objection. She gave him a quick thanks, said she'd see him later, and then disappeared out the door. David was left staring at the door and turned back to his wife, who looked at him sympathetically but shrugged.
"We need to give her a little space. She's obviously upset," she said.
David sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I get that, but I don't want her to be alone right now. For the same reasons she doesn't want Henry to be."
"I'll go with her," Elsa offered.
"That would be great," Mary Margaret said. "Thanks, Elsa."
David nodded in agreement even though everything in him wanted to be the one to go after Emma and make sure he was okay. He recognized that this situation with Killian was likely one she didn't want to talk to her parents about - at least not when it came to talking about her feelings regarding him and their relationship. Things he was pretty sure she hadn't even shared with Killian yet.
"I hope for everyone's sake that Gold or Regina can come up with a solution," Mary Margaret said after the door shut behind Elsa and they were left alone in the loft with not just one sleeping child but two.
David couldn't help but agree. He was especially concerned about Emma and how she would handle it if they couldn't return Killian to his rightful age quickly. Something told him though that this wouldn't be easy by any means.